3 out of 4 stars
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I was excited to read If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your But’s: A No Nonsense Guide to Happiness and Success because the title is catchy and seems to promise true honesty in a fun but straightforward manner. I love motivational reads as well as increasing my self-awareness. I’ve read many motivational books and this is very well written in very simple terms to understand.
What I liked the most was the overall concepts that the author, Mark L. Wdowiak, explains within each chapter. The author effectively gives the message that people have the power within to control how the world is perceived and how to change your thinking in order to empower yourself. Anyone who is generally feeling sorry for themselves or portraying themselves as victims of circumstance would find empowerment and inspiration to learn a better way to view themselves and their circumstances.
Although it was well written with specific key concepts, I felt that the book would benefit a younger reader or someone who hasn’t read as many motivational/self-awareness books because, although it’s always a good reminder, I have heard these concepts before. I wish the author would have gone into greater detail about how to apply each concept with a few examples for individual needs.
It would also be a great book for instructors to share with a group of young people in a classroom or group setting. Each chapter is well defined and has a statement at the end of each chapter for the reader to ‘initial here’ to encourage the reader’s investment in the process. Ironically, this is what I liked least about the book. Although it felt that the author was attempting to get the reader to invest in the material by placing their initials at the end of each chapter, it felt elementary and unnecessary to me.
I did enjoy the myriad of ‘Interesting Facts’ throughout the book to provoke thought. These are very short overall conceptual facts that are separated from the narrative for noticeability. For example, the author emphasizes an interesting fact in Chapter 24 that states “The secret to success is having the ability to stay focused for long periods, at the right time and for the right reason” as his narrative explains building foundations and decision making. These interesting facts are short, impactful statements and easily identifiable dispersed throughout the chapters.
Overall, I rate this book three out of four stars for explaining excellent foundational concepts in an easy-to-read and understandable format.
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If Life Stinks, Get Your Head Outta Your But's
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