There are two sets of filters that I use to judge the books reviewed on this blog:
In all the reviews you will find comments related to both these aspects.
- Where it fits along the personal growth journey
I assume that we are all learning new things and growing. As we explore a topic area we become more versed and practiced in it. This is what the personal growth continuum addresses. Some books are clearly for initiates, while others are definitely for the well initiated! I named the levels thinking of how a hike can be described. The levels speak for themselves and each book is assigned to one of them…(quotes by Rainer Maria Rilke)
“You are not too old, and it is not too late to dive into your increasing
depths where life calmly gives out its own secret.”
“There are no classes in life for beginners:
right away you are always asked to deal with what is most difficult.”
“Let everything happen to you: beauty and terror.
Just keep going. No feeling is final.”
“The purpose of life is to be defeated by greater and greater things.”
A level is assigned based on my own subjective opinion. It takes into account:
- how easy the writing is to understand;
- prior knowledge needed to enter into the book and practices;
- how thoroughly the topic is addressed;
- complexity
- how academic the book is.
Don’t get discouraged. Just like all the players in the Jumanji movies have 3 lives and can use both their strengths and their weaknesses to level up and win the game, so too we can use our strengths and weaknesses to flourish!
- Overall Usefulness
Among other things, overall usefulness is about whether a book supports moving towards what Carol Dweck, a Berkley researcher and psychologist, calls a growth mindset so that we can flourish, or towards a fixed mindset. With this in mind, I took some cues from scientific research on self-help books that actually helped people with depression and anxiety, as well as what writers and cultural commentators have to say. I added my own experience for good measure. This is the check-list that I refer to as I read and review a book:
- Does the book identify and address a specific, common problem?
- Is there a clear structure that points out how everything fits together and a reason to follow through?
- Does the author have the credentials to speak about this topic?
- Does the author treat the reader like an equal?
- Does the author admit privileges and advantages?
- Does the author share personal experiences showing they have worked with the issue and understand the problem?
- Are claims backed up with research and trustworthy information?
- Does the book avoid hyperbole, magical thinking, cheap tricks and big, empty dreams?
- Does the author create realistic expectations and point out what has worked for specific situations or individuals without promising that advice will work for everyone?
- Does the book take into account how gender, race, nationality, personality, sexual orientation or the way our brains work into account when making suggestions and recommendations?
- Is there specific guidance with practical, actionable steps and a way of tracking progress?
- Does the book address the possibility of setbacks and what to do about them?
- Is there information about where to seek help and other resources?
- Does the author present a realistic and nuanced outlook rather than an overly optimistic one that sustained improvement will be achieved through reading the book alone?
- Is the writing easy to understand and approachable rather than too technical, or fluffy and common sense?
An affirmative answer to all 15 questions will earn a book a five-star rating on this blog.
Where I got my information:
- What to look for when buying a self-help book
- What you should look for in a self-help book
- Seven ways to choose a self-help book that will actually help you
- Lazy self-help hurts everybody
- Mindset: The New Psychology of Success by Carol S Dweck
Created by J Comp