Review by kathcavin -- The Secrets To Living A Fantasti...
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kathcavin
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Review by kathcavin -- The Secrets To Living A Fantasti...
[Following is a volunteer review of "The Secrets To Living A Fantastic Life..." by Dr. Allen Lycka & Harriet Tinka.]
Dr. Allen Lycka and Harriet Tinka both experienced and overcame extreme life challenges. Dr. Lycka was misdiagnosed with ALS at age 52 and was told he had six months to live. Tinka was assaulted by a friend and left for dead as a young teenager. Lycka and Tinka took the knowledge they gained through these traumatic events and wrote The Secrets to Living a Fantastic Life. Their book contains thirteen "Golden Pearls" of wisdom that can be a comfort to readers who are experiencing adversity. These metaphorical “pearls” contain advice and encouragement to help others overcome difficult situations, the same way that Lycka and Tinka have.
I rate this book 3/4 stars. I enjoyed reading it, but I would not read it again. I enjoyed the moralistic stories at the beginning of each chapter. As someone who loves narrative, those stories helped me connect to the points that Lycka and Tinka were making. I also appreciated that Lycka and Tinka included some anecdotes from their personal lives. It helped me to connect with them more personally and helped me sympathize with their experiences. Ultimately, I found the book's advice inspiring, but somewhat repetitive.
I found the adversities that Dr. Lycka and Tinka faced to be moving. Knowing their personal stories gave them credibility in my mind and made me want to read their book. I also appreciated that this book deals with concrete challenges we are currently facing, like COVID-19.
I didn't like the scripted dialogue between Lycka and Tinka in each "pearl" section. I thought it was clumsy and somewhat boring. This dialogue contained banter and off-topic comments that really didn't add anything to the book. I found Lycka and Tinka’s attempt at humor to be corny and distracting. A simple paragraph explaining the concept would have been preferred to the written out back and forth this book contained. I also was not impressed with the use of Wikipedia as a source.
In my opinion, people in their late thirties and older would be an ideal audience for this book. I think younger people would not be as drawn to this book's message of overcoming adversity, simply because many young people do not have much life experience. Older people have more regrets and seek advice. Younger people tend to be more hopeful and they trust that their lives will be fulfilling, even if things have gone wrong for them in the past.
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The Secrets To Living A Fantastic Life...
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Dr. Allen Lycka and Harriet Tinka both experienced and overcame extreme life challenges. Dr. Lycka was misdiagnosed with ALS at age 52 and was told he had six months to live. Tinka was assaulted by a friend and left for dead as a young teenager. Lycka and Tinka took the knowledge they gained through these traumatic events and wrote The Secrets to Living a Fantastic Life. Their book contains thirteen "Golden Pearls" of wisdom that can be a comfort to readers who are experiencing adversity. These metaphorical “pearls” contain advice and encouragement to help others overcome difficult situations, the same way that Lycka and Tinka have.
I rate this book 3/4 stars. I enjoyed reading it, but I would not read it again. I enjoyed the moralistic stories at the beginning of each chapter. As someone who loves narrative, those stories helped me connect to the points that Lycka and Tinka were making. I also appreciated that Lycka and Tinka included some anecdotes from their personal lives. It helped me to connect with them more personally and helped me sympathize with their experiences. Ultimately, I found the book's advice inspiring, but somewhat repetitive.
I found the adversities that Dr. Lycka and Tinka faced to be moving. Knowing their personal stories gave them credibility in my mind and made me want to read their book. I also appreciated that this book deals with concrete challenges we are currently facing, like COVID-19.
I didn't like the scripted dialogue between Lycka and Tinka in each "pearl" section. I thought it was clumsy and somewhat boring. This dialogue contained banter and off-topic comments that really didn't add anything to the book. I found Lycka and Tinka’s attempt at humor to be corny and distracting. A simple paragraph explaining the concept would have been preferred to the written out back and forth this book contained. I also was not impressed with the use of Wikipedia as a source.
In my opinion, people in their late thirties and older would be an ideal audience for this book. I think younger people would not be as drawn to this book's message of overcoming adversity, simply because many young people do not have much life experience. Older people have more regrets and seek advice. Younger people tend to be more hopeful and they trust that their lives will be fulfilling, even if things have gone wrong for them in the past.
******
The Secrets To Living A Fantastic Life...
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
Latest Review: Strong Heart by Charlie Sheldon
