Official Review: The Butter Knife Theory

[Misael Carlos]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "The Butter Knife Theory" by Karen Croftcheck, Ph.D..]

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4 out of 4 stars

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The Butter Knife Theory is a self-help guide for young people who seem to find it difficult to push through all the life challenges they deal with every day. The book offers simple steps to make that one small move and push oneself toward the right direction. Using her own real-life experiences as examples, Karen Croftcheck presents a book that challenges the teenagers to take the first step; that one focused action meant to jump-start their day and face life struggles head on. The Butter Knife Theory encourages the readers to finally make good happen!

I laughed when Croftcheck started the first chapter’s challenge with an instruction: turn off all technology. I could not put the book down; I simply have to satiate myself with all the lessons the book offered. The book reiterated what I already knew but simply forgot due to a busy life. I was reminded about so many things that I tend to forget like the power of meditation and the importance of thinking of something to be grateful for.

The book is divided into chapters where each chapter presents a common life challenge. This facilitates easy referencing whenever one experiences a specific struggle; they can swiftly go to that chapter that deals with their specific struggle. The manner with which Croftcheck presented her book is organized: in each chapter a challenge is clearly stated; followed by a lesson the universe is teaching us, and then the one focused action meant to rise to that challenge. Even the use of italic and bold styles was effective in bringing the message home to the intended users, to me at least. The suggestions were clear and straightforward. I could not count the number of times that I stopped reading and reflected on what she wrote. True enough, at the end of each chapter, there was like a diary or journal. Labelled as 'Notes to Self,' this made the book more engaging and encouraging for reflection. The fact that The Butter Knife Theory was written by a seasoned teacher and motivational speaker lent an integrity and authority to it.

I appreciated Croftcheck’s honesty and courage in baring herself to readers by articulating her inner thoughts about her own life struggles. I was able to relate to many of her experiences; I found myself nodding in agreement to what she revealed about many things. Croftcheck included some inspiring anecdotes from famous personalities and popular quotes which complemented the discussions in the book. Mentioning some famous people whom young people can easily relate to was a nice idea.

I observed only two grammatical errors: a missing comma in a quote and a missing question mark.

There was one instance that the author erred on the name of a philosopher in one of the quotes she included in her book. The quote: "I think, therefore I am" was stated by Descartes and not by Socrates as the author has written. The author suggested spinach should always be added to everything as it affects alkalinity in the body; however, she did not explain the reason for the need to counteract alkalinity. I was confused about this idea because in my knowledge, our bodies should always be maintained in an alkaline state to maintain good health.

The Butter Knife Theory by Karen Croftcheck was an engaging, informative and educative read. The grammatical errors were very minimal which gave me the impression that the book was professionally proofread. With these good points, I give it 4 out 4 stars.

This book was intended for young readers but I believe that anyone, regardless of age, will find The Butter Knife Theory insightful and inspiring. This is a self-improvement guide so readers who prefer action, thriller or romance have to look elsewhere.

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The Butter Knife Theory
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[Kanda_theGreat]

I have lately been reading about books that reiterate the importance of the power of meditation and I bet I'll add this to my shelf.
Thanks for the review.

[khaulah]

You did such a good job with the review and correcting the mistake regarding the quote. You are correct, body needs to maintained at an alkaline pH. Eating spinach to "counteract alkalinity" Doesn't sound right.

[Misael Carlos]

Thank you for commenting!

[kdstrack]

I like the format of this book. The suggestion of attempting one simple step at a time is easier to accomplish and makes the idea of change seem less overwhelming. This book has a positive and motivating message. Thanks for the recommendation!

[Ria710]

It sounds like a great book! Thank you for your honest review. I definitely will be checking it out.

[diamonnd]

This book sounds really interesting. I'm excited to 'make good happen'! Thanks for the great review.

[love2read1967]

With the unprecedented events the world is dealing with right now, this book sounds like it could be helpful to many. Appreciate your review.

[Odette Chace]

I love the title of this book and am glad that it lives up to its name. I'll be adding this to my shelf. Thanks for a great review.

[Leen282]

I agree with your last comment that anyone can learn from her theory - based on the free sample the lessons are relevant not just for young people.

[Stephanie Elizabeth]

This sounds like book that offers some easy-to-follow advice for younger readers and I love that the author begins the book by telling readers to turn off technology; periodic breaks from social media is so important. I also think readers will finds the notes at the bottom quite helpful. Thanks for the lovely review.

[Amy+++]

The title caught my eye. Seeing the words "butter knife" in a book title sparked my interest. Sadly, however, I am not into this kind of book.

[Sehlule Hazel]

I loved the book it's easy to read hats off . I might try a little bit of Bkt myself .

[Tonika632]

I have never read a book that talks about daily challenges of a young population. I consider myself still young and I ineed lack some experience. I think this book would help me in many aspects of life. The only thing I would change is the cover of book, but that's only my opinion.

[KaitlinMD]

I am not a teenager nor a young adult, but I can certainly see myself reading this book. After reading Croftcheck's forward, I found myself responding to her list of "signs that you are stuck in a universal lesson loop." I will be adding this to my shelf.