Review by Frances019 -- Beneath the Muscle by Lauren Powers

[Frannie Annie]

[Following is a volunteer review of "Beneath the Muscle" by Lauren Powers.]

---

4 out of 4 stars

---

Share This Review

---

Beneath the Muscle by Lauren Powers is a self help book that also serves as an autobiography. She is very accomplished, and is currently best known for competing in and hosting body building competitions. She seems geared towards athletics and social networking more than anything, which was a neat combination to read about. The purpose of this book seems to be inspiring her audience to chase their own dreams, while sharing some of hers and the lessons she learned in chasing them. It certainly inspired me.

Out of all the books I have reviewed so far, this one is the most audience friendly. This means that people of all religions and backgrounds can enjoy this book and take away something positive. I can't imagine this book being offensive to anyone, even when she touches on the sensitive topic of drug and alcohol addiction. Overcoming this was a big milestone in her life and she puts a positive spin on it while still being honest about how bad rock bottom was for her. This strategy was a good one since it is unlikely to alienate anyone in her audience.

What I liked most was the messages in her book. Although it boils down to having the confidence to chase your dreams, I feel like I would be oversimplifying the book to leave it at that. Each chapter carries a different message that adds to the overall idea of being confident. She admits that she sticks out from the crowd like a sore thumb and has very unconventional ways of pursuing success and happiness that may go against common wisdom. She encourages people that this is okay and that they should decide for themselves the best way to pursue the life that they want. Because I also do things outside the box many times, this was probably my favorite message from the book.

I didn't particularly dislike anything about the book. I feel like the stories and examples we get in the book are pretty amazing, although I personally would have liked a few more. After reading countless books on productivity and self help, I think I expected more details on how to specifically change my mindset. I think that phrases in the Amazon book description such as "actionable strategies for overcoming obstacles" and "tactics for combating the negative attention of critics" may also lead others to expect specific step by step strategies on how to change their attitude. That is not what I found in this book, and upon reflection I think that it's better this way. Everyone has to find their own way of improving their mindset, and although some books may help with the specifics, I think books that include general ideas on how to live life such as this one are also very important.

I read this book on a Kindle Paperwhite, and noticed that each picture in the foreword, preface and introduction was cut into sections by thick, horizontal lines that went all the way across the picture. In some cases, the bottom of the picture was cut off and would appear on the next page. I tried reading with a Kindle app on my computer and had the same issue. Fewer pictures were cut off, but the lines remained. They were all intact when I got onto Amazon's website and used their "look inside" feature, and they look great. I feel like I missed out on some good pictures because the lines were too distracting on the readers I used.

After some thought, I decided to give this book a 4 out of 4 stars. I was tempted to take away one star, simply because it didn't have the same level of detail I would have expected from the book description. However, this book motivated and inspired me to push myself harder when practicing my hobbies and starting new things. I can see myself referring back to this book whenever I need a motivational boost, and the chapters are well organized so I can go exactly to the message I need to hear in the moment. If I could give half stars, this would be a 3.5 out of 4.

******
Beneath the Muscle
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon

[Tomah]

This sounds like quite an inspiring, motivational read. While it's not the sort of book I typically read, I wouldn't mind giving this one a try. We can all use some uplifting messages from time to time, after all. Thanks for the review!

[Prisallen]

I can see that this book would be very inspirational to those who need the motivation to follow their dreams. Thanks for the wonderful review!