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[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Truth of Your Reality" by Nereeda McInnes.]

If you liked the positivity of The Secret and would like more food for thought, then maybe this book is for you.

The Truth of Your Reality by Nereeda McInnes is a self-help or self-development book with a touch of memoir that was published by Paper Raven Books in 2017. Like other good representations of the genre, the book has relevant quotes, personal anecdotes from the author, suggestions for the reader, and check points at the end of each chapter. My favorite anecdote of hers was about the year of shorts. It was a simple life teaching laced with humor. The check points are questions for the reader to ponder, such as, "What one thing can you do to cut through the noise and find time to examine your life?" They definitely gave me pause, although I would have liked more structure and steps.

The introduction starts with a disclaimer from the author that the truth of her reality, which she shares in the book, might change in the future. I liked the humility in her invite to the reader towards self-discovery by using the insights in the book. She welcomed partial application of the concepts while asking the reader not to discount the entire book simply because there are parts they may not like. Not being pushy endeared the book to me.

Subtitled "Insights in the game of life and how you choose to play it", the book follows the overarching theme of life being a game by phrasing chapter titles accordingly, such as, naming the last chapter "Game on". There are other analogies used, like wearing a coat to refer to a person's inner personality layers. Unfortunately, I felt that there were too many metaphors that sometimes they got mixed. Connecting the metaphors to the theme or title would have improved cohesion.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It is well-edited and I liked the conversational tone sprinkled with British expressions. It is an easy read for those who like introspective pieces. I think it could be elevated more with a stronger hook in the beginning, plus the answer to the question, "Why should I read your insights?" The bit about the secret letter burn was a step in the right direction. In addition, I was hoping for a fresh take on the theme of the game of life. The length of the book is just right if the authorial intent is to raise some existential questions, yet its tackling of the theme is skin-deep.

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The Truth of Your Reality
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I've always liked to read books about self improvement and about facing life with positivity. Love "The secret" for it has a strong message for everybody who's facing difficulties in their life and how to face them with positivity. I see this book as helpful and a must read.

I agree with you and yes its a good read for those driven by the need to do soul-searching or self examination and for people in the psychology field. Commendable review!

Neat. I like how she invites you to use the bits that you can and not discount the whole book. Sounds like a great person and a worthy read.

i have allows like to read a motivational books, it gives me the zeal to move on in life,it makes me to understand that to make it in life is not by chance. but by how hard you work.

Awesome! a challenging wordings, setting one on the basis of life, is encouraging, inspiring,and I like the fact that it has to do with soul-searching or self examination

I can already see this book coming in handy. It, however, looks like one that requires a lot of concentration. That does not deter me from checking it out though.

Authors that know their audience are great finds! I think you've given this an honest rating: if the book only asks the questions and doesn't really give the answers then it can't be a perfect 4/4. Thanks for the review!

Self-help reads generally aren't for me. But the idea of the game-like approach to life proves the author has a light-hearted take. This is a nice change from the norm.

Most self-help books generally seem ok, modestly interesting, fairly easy to read, but not life shaking. This book feels like more of the same thing to me. I long for a book that says something new and meaningful. Thanks for your review.

I really like the books that has something to say and something to contribute. A meaningful book! I like the secret got hold of it from my collage library. Looking forward for a good read!

Well done I support the review 100%, its open and wise .God bless the books. The Truth of the reality. am happy to read it, i like it very much it teaches me to get much understanding about the living.

Thanks for this - you make the book sound really intriguing. I'm not particularly into self-help books, but this one sounds rather unusual. I like the idea that the author is not pushy.

Ida123 wrote: ↑03 Mar 2018, 11:58 I've always liked to read books about self improvement and about facing life with positivity. Love "The secret" for it has a strong message for everybody who's facing difficulties in their life and how to face them with positivity. I see this book as helpful and a must read.

I like your point about positivity. It depends on what makes a person change their behavior. Sometimes, the bootcamp method works for them; positivity works for others. I love that you choose positivity.

prettysmart wrote: ↑03 Mar 2018, 15:15 I agree with you and yes its a good read for those driven by the need to do soul-searching or self examination and for people in the psychology field. Commendable review!

That's right, it was definitely a good companion with guide questions for soul searching and pondering.