Train to Change: Phase One: Self-Mastery

by J Reed Durand

278 pages, Paperback

Published March 21, 2026

Reviews

[Bookish Emili Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

Train to Change – Phase One: Self-Mastery is a structured and practical guide focused on personal discipline and behavioral change. J. Reed Durand keeps the message direct: change is not abstract, and it does not happen without consistent effort. The book stays grounded in that premise throughout.
The strongest aspect is its emphasis on accountability. Durand does not rely on motivation-driven language. Instead, he frames self-mastery as a repeatable process. Habits, routines, and mindset are treated as skills that can be trained, not traits people either have or lack. That perspective is useful, especially for readers who prefer actionable guidance over theory.
The writing is clear and deliberate. Instructions are laid out step by step, and the structure makes it easy to follow. Exercises and prompts reinforce the core ideas, giving readers a way to apply what they are learning rather than just read about it. This practical focus is where the book delivers the most value.
The pacing is steady, though at times it can feel repetitive. Key ideas are reinforced frequently. For some readers, this will help retention. For others, it may feel like the content could have been more concise. The book prioritizes clarity over efficiency.
Another limitation is depth. The concepts are solid, but they stay at an introductory to intermediate level. Readers already familiar with self-development frameworks may not find much new insight.

[Shortcake Hilltop · Rating 5 out of 5]

I truly enjoyed reading Train to Change: Phase One and found it very insightful and clear about what my next steps in changing should be. The graphics, charts, and simple format with the different modules made it easy to read and understand the book (as someone who struggles with reading longer non-fiction books.) It felt very engaging to read and much less intimidating than some large tomes I come across.

There's also a bunch of little additions that make the book even more informative- such as information on health checkups, reliability of sources you may use for research, quotes from well-known philosophers, prompts for ranking your lifelong values, a stress survey, and more. It's a very well-rounded self-help book that covers many different ideas, using many different methods to deliver insight on how to change your status quo.

In summary, if you're looking for a book that delivers a clear way to change (or helps you acknowledge when you can't) through not only text, but also with quotes, pictures, surveys, anecdotes and other techniques, I would recommend this one.

[Amber · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is a classic self-help book in dealing with personal change with exercises you can try out.

For me, a lot of the information on the different tips to help with change (e.g. SWOT analysis) weren’t new. There was also a lot of information that came at you in quick succession, mostly around different quotes and theories about change. To me it felt like a bombardment - I struggled to take it in before it was on to the next one and it made me lose interest. A lot of the information is also US based, including about their military and healthcare systems which I feel makes it harder for UK audiences to relate.

Lastly, I didn’t really feel that the author’s own voice shone through. It seemed indistinguishable from other self-help books.

All in all, I just really struggled to engage. I wouldn’t recommend and wouldn’t read the follow ups.

Thanks to the author, publishers & NetGalley for access to this arc in return for an honest review.