3 out of 4 stars
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Finding success is one of the greatest challenges in life. Not only do we have to contend with whatever obstacles are in our way, but we also have to deal with people who (subtly) tell us that there's no point in trying, that it's too hard, or that we'll never succeed. Even our own minds often try to derail us!
In How to Beat the Dream Stealers, David Mendenhall explains to readers how to overcome these obstacles and work toward our goals. "Dream stealers," according to David, are forces that work against our dreams. They can be other people, our own minds, or the world itself.
I really enjoyed David's writing voice. He writes casually, and the writing is easy to follow, but he's also thorough and doesn't hesitate to explain that success requires hard work. He explains various strategies for success, the importance of using time well, the power of relentlessness, and much more. David does a great job of bringing up original and established theories and concepts, explaining them in easy-to-understand language, relating to them, and then ensuring that they stick with readers via questions and exercises.
These exercises were terrific. I even learned that I'm a dream stealer myself! But my favorite exercise tasks readers with listing their dreams, why they want them, and what it would cost to get them before answering whether readers are willing to pay the price for their dreams. For example, I'd love to become a great artist, and while there's a literal cost to buy the supplies I'd need, there's also a huge time investment that I've never been willing to pay.
How to Beat the Dream Stealers is also jam-packed with terrific quotes, both throughout the writing and at the end of chapters. These quotes are inspiring, fitting, and encouraging. I'd heard some of them before, but despite my love of quotes, many were new to me. I noticed that at least a few of them are used more than once, but they were important quotes that were worthy of repeating.
Unfortunately, the book has numerous grammatical errors. I counted 11 total, as well as some questionable lines. Even with those included, they average out to less than one per ten pages. However, anything over ten errors prevents me from giving How to Beat the Dream Stealers more than 3 stars. As much as I enjoyed the book, 3 out of 4 stars is exactly the rating I'm giving it. The author's encouraging writing, terrific strategies, and loads of exceptional quotes are enough to make me recommend it to everyone. Everyone should have goals of some sort, whether they're related to a career, school, earning money, learning something new, picking up a hobby, or even being a better partner in a relationship. At the bare minimum, everyone should see how detrimental negativity can be.
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How To Beat The Dream Stealers
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