This had a lot of good advice but I felt like it was addressing facility ...
596025
This had a lot of good advice but I felt like it was addressing facility workers more than loved ones. It was obvious that the author was speaking of her experiences as a care give in a nursing facility. My husband has dementia and I feel differently about the situation than the author. I do not plan on putting my husband in a facility and needed a different slant on the advise I was looking for.
261454
I'm enjoying its very casual it sounds as if the author is talking to you directly and it has lots of good advice its definitely a keeper!
1793960
I was very excited to read this book. I had read other "networking" books before such as Never Eat Alone and How to Win Friends and Influence People. A lot of his advice is very general and many times throughout the book he says something along the lines of, "I wasn't doing it because I wanted recognition, I was doing it because I really cared. It was something that just came naturally." I felt like rather than showing me how to be like him he just told me what he was like. Overall, the book had good lessons in it, much like other books in its genre. I just wish that the author would have spent more time sharing stories about others rather than showing how he had built relationships. This book probably could have been condensed to about 100 pages. I feel that the author is probably a great person, and I am impressed with his success, but by the end of the book the stories got repetitive - be genuine and care about people the way that I do and you will be successful.
4730988
I have a mean mother and cut off relations five years ago. Others who have mean mothers, or those who know my mom well, are 100% supportive. As evidenced by at least one of the negative reviews of this book, some view those of us who have cut off relations as immature. IMHO unless you yourself have/had a mean mother, you are in no position to judge. Cutting off my mom was one of the healthiest things I have ever done.

What I loved about this book was that it validated my decision and a better understanding of how my mother has affected my life. The first part of the book, in which examples of mean mothers were described, was excellent - well organized, with a lot of very cogent insights. The second half of the book I felt rambled a bit, being rather more descriptive of various stories, and did not drive to any specific conclusions. Therefore, where the book fell a bit short for me was in delivering on the subtitle: "Overcoming the Legacy of Hurt" which is why I rated the book 4 stars and not 5 stars. I don't feel that this part of the story was told as well as the first part, perhaps because we never really do overcome the legacy of hurt - we just move past it. As such, I don't feel the subtitle was warranted.
346199
I read this book years and it was a help to me. It did validate a lot of things I was feeling. It did however make me feel like there was a timetable and my progress was too slow.
I also feel that while I did get a lot of validation some of the topics were very generalized and didn't give much practical help.
2587987
I was happy with the content in this book but it was written in so many different directions that I had trouble following it.  I do feel that the teaching methods have helped though.
1198846
I can relate to a lot of what Karen is speaking about....especially the training offered prior to placement! Thank you for writing your account of the home for life process Karen.
4808384
This book gave me a new perspective on issues we hear about everyday as women--how to behave at work, how to make friends, how to deal with being unlikeable, how to embrace your imperfections, and so much more. What affected me most was the tip for alpha females prone to depression. It helped me see that I don't always have to be perfect or smile until my face hurts. I can feel what I feel, and feeling is good, not something to hide. I really enjoyed the writing style and found it funny at times. It was like talking to a best friend who just tells me like it is! It's fast, easy to read with lots of food for thought. I closed the book knowing I had some good tools, ideas, and concepts to approach life differently one day at a time
425740
In general, I liked this book and found it useful.  I thing it contains a lot of good concepts, but because of the dialogue format it is difficult to get one's arms around all the concepts.  There are also some holes that are left unaddressed, again probably because of the format.

Given the above context, I think that there are many gems in this book and a lot of practical advice.  Reading the dialogue between all these prominent people is thought provoking and challenges you to consider the underlying assumptions of your own emotional life.

There is a lot of good advice in this book about handling destructive emotions, but the scope is actually wider than that.  I found it to be more of an exploration of the nature of emotion and how to live with emotions in a balanced way.

There are advantages and disadvantages to this approach to writing.  There are a number of reviews that praise this book and others that shoot it down.  I think the reality is somewhere in the middle.

The people engaged in the dialogue are great choices, but somehow when the book went to print I think the written form missed capturing the full spirit of what went on at the actual event.  I wasn't there, but I get a sense that in the transfer from speaking to writing some important meanings didn't come across.

In spite of my feedback above, I wouldn't be discouraged from buying this book.  It is unique and has a lot to say.  My three star rating is merely an indication that I think the information could have been presented better and perhaps elaborated on in a way that brought the concepts more to life.
3561269
Some of the points seemed like just how to be a good human being, but then I realized that emotion and assumptions really took over a lot of the time. And I thought I was reasonable! So, very smart points and reminders on the best practices for communication. In and out of relationships.
2881764
A very insightful read to help those struggling to find their own path. It had several graphs and interactive segments that helped. This was technically the second time I read this-but I did not finish it on the first time through. I did like the ways it suggested to help you help yourself. I did struggle with the personal stories as I found them hard to relate to. Having said that, I will keep this book to reference all the other parts.
4951068
While reading this book, I found I have already done some of the leg work; it was reassuring and helpful to me in a way to start taking myself seriously
1527747
It was good but I felt some things could have been explained better. But overall I really did enjoy it
3204662
I wish the book gave more creative solutions. I felt the book gave advice that I could have given myself. On the other hand, at least I felt reasured that I was already doing everything I could to make sure the transition for my son of having a new sibling wasn't any more bothersome than it has to be. It's a simple read. You will pick up a few good points but I just don't feel I got enough out of it.
3568929
The principles in this book really resonated with me. However there were some things I wasn't sure about. For e.g I felt a lot of things are more appropriate for slightly older kids (6 or older). My kids are still 4 so not sure how effective some of the things in the book are for their age. I don't think kids reach the level of maturity to get natural consequences until they are a little older. I do plan to implement what I can and continue to do what is appropriate as they get olde.
2263256
A lot of really good advice and I am planning to take time to make my life and time more valuable ...
1580075
Thisis a complicated area.  I found the approach very useful and informative.