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Rikkaaksi, hoikaksi, naimisiin

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Yhden naisen yritys selvittää, onko self-help-oppaista apua elämänmuutokseen.

Marianne Power on kolmekymppinen nainen, joka paiskii töitä, yrittää olla hyvä ihminen ja maksaa vuokransa säntillisesti, mutta on kadottanut elämän tarkoituksen. Koska missään ei ole mitään järkeä, Power päättää lukea 12 self-help-opasta ja noudattaa kunkin niistä ohjeita kuukauden ajan.

Katoavatko kaaostuneet luottokorttivelat, kun pyytää enkeleiltä apua ? Löytyykö puoliso, kun lopettaa nöyristelyn ja viisveisaa kaikesta? Onko mahdollista laihtua ihan vain ajattelemalla itsensä laihaksi? Power päätyy myös elämään omat hautajaisensa etukäteen.

Värikäs tarina syvenee yhteiskunnalliseksi: kun naisen paikka ei ole enää nyrkin ja hellan välissä, niin missä se on, ja mitä nyt sitten kannattaisi tavoitella? Kirja julkaistiin Britanniassa elokuussa ja siihen liittyvät kansainväliset TV-oikeudet on myyty Hollywoodissa järjestetyssä suuressa myyntitilaisuudessa.

432 pages, Hardcover

First published September 6, 2018

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Marianne Power

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Displaying 1 - 30 of 794 reviews
Profile Image for Esil.
1,118 reviews1,492 followers
December 27, 2018
3.75 stars

In an odd way, this memoir reminded me of a Sophie Kinsella novel — in a good way. Marianne Power recounts her year of living according to a different self help book each month. Each book contains a different set of instructions: do one thing that scares you every day, get a handle on your debts and finances, say f*ck it and do what feels good, find your personal angel, seek out rejection from one person each day, etc... The concept seems designed for a lot of humour. But it turns out to be a bit more complicated than a lighthearted poke at self help books. Which gets me back to the Kinsella style heroine. Power approaches her task with humour, but also with a fair bit of sincerity. I laughed but was left with some food for thought. Do self help books make people too self-centered? Is there any way in which advice books can be helpful? It depends on the book and the person is the pretty obvious answer. But Power’s sincerity and self-deprecating humour made it worth the ride. Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for an opportunity to read an advance copy.
Profile Image for Bharath.
942 reviews630 followers
July 5, 2021
This book attempts to answer an important question (packing lots of humorous anecdotes along the way) – can the techniques outlined in popular & mainstream self-help literature change your life for the better?

Marianne Power was not doing badly for herself – she had a decent career already. Yet she wondered if reading and practicing self-help techniques can better her life – more success, relationships etc. She decides to read one self-help book a month for a year, and practice it. They are well known books including: Feel the fear and do it anyway, Money a love story, The Secret, Unleash the power within, The Seven Habits, The Power of Now, Get the guy, Daring greatly, You can heal your life etc.

After reading the book, she tries to follow all of what is advocated in it. For instance: Feel the fear and do it anyway – take up what you really fear and still do it. This leads her to try her hand at sky diving, modelling, stand-up comedy and other activities she normally would stay away from. Then there is the rejection therapy which prompts her to chat with strangers, ask for free stuff at the coffee shop etc. A lot of it is narrated in a hilarious tone. Some of it seems to help temporarily such as swearing away your irritations.

After many weeks, she realizes that she has spent a lot of money, her career has suffered, her relationships are strained (though those close stick by and offer sensible advice) and she is not happier. She reaches a state where she has to consult a counselor. She acknowledges though that each book does have something of value, but she is more drawn to the contents of ‘The Power of Now’ by Eckhart Tolle and ‘Daring Greatly’ by Brene Brown.

I have read a lot of self-help books myself and had my own opinions as I went into this. Self-help is an industry, the strategies advocated are not for everyone and you may be a guinea pig of sorts. After listening to her audiobook, I also saw her TEDx talk and her summary is well articulated and important. A lot of the self-help books & courses start by making you feel inadequate (there is a better you possible if you follow the techniques) and they make you self-obsessed, which adds to the stress and impacts relationships. Some of the examples in the book such as asking for free stuff, workshops she attends etc are extreme though and could have been recognized as so upfront. In some cases, the summarization and takeaways are inadequate. Eg: the picture your funeral from “The Seven Habits” does have important preceding matter where Stephen Covey says that he has yet to meet a person on his deathbed who wishes he had spent more time working in the office (sensible advice). His concept of personality ethic vs the character ethic is also important, in my opinion. There is also a place where she downplays the positive impact diet, exercise etc can have. She rightly recognizes the value mindfulness books & courses deliver (they emphasize worth, acceptance & care for everyone) in contrast to other procedural self-help books but does not delve any deeper.

This is an important book which can point you in the right direction. As she says – helping yourself is simply about being a good person every day – we are adequate as we are.

Someday maybe I will write a note on my experiences with self-help.
Profile Image for Elizabeth.
273 reviews329 followers
January 5, 2019
Help Me! is an effervescent and thoughtful look at self help and why we crave it, based on author Marianne Power's attempt to spend a year following a different self help book or idea each month.

I thought Help Me! was going to be a fairly dry account of various self help books because even though the jacket/marketing information says it's funny--well. Big pinch of salt, right?

Turns out Help Me! really is funny--it reminded me, at many points, of Bridget Jones's Diary, with our heroine, Ms. Power, finding herself with all her friends having "proper" homes and lives while she's a paycheck-to-overdraft thirty-something freelance journalist who pays way too much rent for a basement flat where she spends most of her weekends watching reality tv, drinking wine, and vowing to get herself in better shape physically, financially, and emotionally.

And she has a weakness for self help books.

So, after one such weekend, she decides to actually try using one of those self help books. Better yet, she decides, twelve, one for every month for a year.

So from facing her fears--running from parallel parking to nude modeling--to embracing rejection, to organizing her finances, to trying to date more, and yes, embracing everything from Tony Robbins to The Secret to the F*ck It movement, she's off on a journey to better herself.

The results are genuinely funny in places--her no-nonsense mother's reactions to her attempts are especially amusing--and surprisingly thoughtful in others (her realization that all her attempts at self improvement have turned her into more than a bit of a navel gazing ass)

The inevitable moment when she realizes that all the self help she's doing can't stave off, and may in fact be increasing, a bout of depression is eloquent and moving.

The results of her self help experiment are pretty much what you'd expect, but it's done with such cheekiness and candor (Ms. Power manages to poke just as much, if not more, fun at herself than at some of the more out there self help methods) that it's a real pleasure to read.
Profile Image for Amy Bruestle.
273 reviews225 followers
February 27, 2019
This book was given to me through a giveaway in exchange for an honest review...

All I’m going to say is....I am seriously surprised that I was able to make it through to the end of this book. The concept was interesting, but way to repetitive and quite boring.
Profile Image for Rebecca.
4,182 reviews3,448 followers
December 7, 2018
Outwardly Marianne Power’s life was fine, but deep down she felt unhappy and unfulfilled. An Irish freelance journalist living in London, she was 36 and single. “There has to be more than just working and paying bills and buying crap we don’t need,” she felt. She’d been an obsessive reader of self-help books for years – Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway inspired her to leave her temp job at age 24 – but she realized that she’d never implemented most of the books’ lessons. So instead of just reading self-help, she set out to do self-help, one book per month, for a year (though it ended up being longer) to see if she could truly change her life.

January was a baptism of fire. Jumping in with that old favorite, Jeffers’s Feel the Fear, Power listed things she was afraid of and then did one per day: an outdoor swim on New Year’s Day, nude modeling for an art class, parallel parking, standup comedy, and skydiving. In subsequent months she tackled her disastrous finances (Money, A Love Story), tested out the law of attraction (The Secret), practiced lots of rejection therapy, worked on relinquishing control (F**k It), attended a Tony Robbins “Unleash the Power Within” seminar, and imagined what she’d want said at her funeral (The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People).

There came a point in the year when Power had to admit she was physically rundown and emotionally shattered. Months spent focusing on herself had alienated her from friends and family – even her mum, a wonderfully matter-of-fact character who believes in just getting on with life instead of moaning about it. A trio of truly useful books (The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle, Daring Greatly by Brené Brown and You Can Heal Your Life by Louise Hay) started to turn the tide, helping Power counter negative thoughts with positive affirmations and reminding her that self-help is futile because you can never go it alone. Being with other people who understand you, volunteering and exercise: these are the things that really help.

I have a particular weakness for year-challenge books, and Power’s is written in an easy, chatty style, as if Bridget Jones had given over her diary to testing self-help books for 16 months (“Do a budget, make a plan. Two phrases that made me break into a cold sweat”). If I have one tiny complaint, it’s that I might have liked a little more context on the books she chose. Help Me! is self-deprecating and relatable, with some sweary Irish swagger thrown in. I can recommend it to self-help junkies and skeptics alike.

Favorite passage:

“The dangerous expectation that can be created by self-help books is that if you’re not walking around like a cross between Mary Poppins, Buddha and Jesus every day you’re doing it wrong. You must try harder. … The higher I was setting my standards the more I was feeling like a failure.”

(I also loved the pep talk from a taxi driver who got depressed when doing a PhD on Thomas Hardy!)


Full disclosure: Marianne and I are Facebook friends and she arranged for me to be sent a proof copy of Help Me!


Originally published on my blog, Bookish Beck.
Profile Image for Charlie Allison.
419 reviews2 followers
September 23, 2018
I loved this book. I’m not a self help reader but this really struck a chord with me and my generations’ hopeless pursuit of perfection. Laugh and cried throughout but what a great read.
Profile Image for Suad Shamma.
731 reviews209 followers
June 17, 2019
I really enjoyed reading this book, way more than I thought I would. The reason I bought it in the first place was because of my severe dislike of self-help, life-coaching books. I've said this many times in the past, but I find self-help books useless, and just a marketing tactic to for people to make money based on BS that anyone can come up with. Self-help books is an easy way out for average, non-skilled writers, to publish books. I don't believe that you need a "book" to help you find happiness and positivity and peace in your life. Your whole life is a series of experiences, good and bad, you have to fail to experience success, and what one person experiences or gets out of a situation, is completely different than what another would. No two people will ever get the same result or outcome, so these books - they're a waste of time.

Now, what I loved about this book? Marianne proved me right!

This is actually a "self-help" book in a very indirect way. Marianne, who has hit rock bottom in her life, decides to resort to self-help books to "heal" her. She decides to read one self-help book a month for a year, and follow every single instruction and advice given. What it does, is it ends up messing her up a lot more than when she had started. She becomes so caught up with herself that she pushes the closest people to her away. The conclusion at the end, in fact, is that she never really needed self-help books. She just needed to learn to accept herself, and love herself, as she is, and rely on those around her to pick her up when she's down.

Another thing I really enjoyed about this book is the way it was written. It reads like a chick-lit almost (minus the romance), making it a really easy-to-read book. Very well written, and very enjoyable! Probably the only "self-help" book I'd ever recommend!
Profile Image for *Tau*.
288 reviews30 followers
June 5, 2022
Are you someone who likes self-help books?
Or do you prefer to stay away from them as far as possible?
Either way, this book could appeal to you.


At the age of 36 Marianne, a single English journalist of Irish descent, is not happy with her life which often consists of Netflix-marathons, hangovers, debts, …
Full of good resolutions she decides to start a new project that might change her life for good.
During a whole year she will read and follow the advices from 12 different self-help books.

For those who are curious to know which self-help methods she tried out:
1: Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway, by Susan Jeffers
2: Money, a Love Story, by Kate Northrup
3: The Secret, by Rhonda Byrne
4: Rejection Therapy, with Jason Comely
5: F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way, by John C. Parkin
6: Unleash the Power Within, with Tony Robbins
7: Angels, with Doreen Virtue
8: The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen R. Covey
9: The Power of Now, by Eckhart Tolle
10: Get the Guy, by Matthew Hussey
11: Daring Greatly, by Brené Brown
12: You Can Heal Your Life, by Louise Hay

At the beginning I was almost certain that his would be a full 4*-rating.
There was a humorous touch which brought lightness to the whole. Especially the comments of Mariannes very down-to-earth mother are hilarious.
But after a while the tone became a little darker and more self centered. Considering the events this was understandable, but it took away the initial vibes.
Nevertheless Marianne Power knows how to write and keep the reader's attention.
What was absolutely appreciable was the honesty she displayed when she reported about her experiences and feelings. She didn't embellish anything to justify herself, which gives the book a very authentic feeling.
Thus, this is a solid 3,5* and it certainly makes me curious to read more from this author in the future.
Profile Image for Evelyn Evertsen-Romp.
1,587 reviews95 followers
September 3, 2018
Dit boek is zo eerlijk, de schrijfster stelt zich zo kwetsbaar op, dat ik voortdurend moest lachen, huilen, of allebei.
Het is leerzaam, want ze bespreekt dingen die ieder mens een keer ervaart.
Het is handig, want je leest, naast dit boek, ook 12 andere zelfhulpboeken + of het werkt.
Ik bewonder Marianne Power enorm, ik zou dit nooit gedurfd hebben, wat een heldin.
En dat is wat me het meest geraakt heeft: in het boek laat ze alles van zichzelf zien, haar mooie kanten, en de kanten waar ze minder trots op is, ze is (nogmaals) super kwetsbaar, toen ze dit schreef wist ze vast nog niet dat het een hit zou worden. En dat maakt het juist zo ontzettend krachtig!
Profile Image for Aya.
356 reviews191 followers
January 6, 2022
Прехвърлих две книги от 2021 г., които не успях да завърша до края на декември, и ето и първата прочетена от тях.
„Помощ!“ от Мариан Пауър никога нямаше да попадне в полезрението ми заради вида, в който е в българския си книжен вариант. Всички знаем израза „Не съди за книгата по корицата“, но тук просто няма как. А е жалко, защото историята на Пауър е интересна, забавна, тъжна, но най-вече полезна, защото дава поглед от първо лице над една камара известни книги за самопомощ.
Слушах книгата в Сторител, а прочитът на Гергана Стоянова е просто невероятен. Знаете, че не съм по четивата, попадащи в категория "самопомощ", но търсейки нещо леко за слушане попаднах на „Помощ!“ и реших да ѝ дам шанс. И добре че. Приключенията на авторката на моменти са абсурдни, на други - тъжни, а на трети наистина вбесяващи. Да не забравя да спомена - щастието също не липсва :) В крайна сметка споделеният опит на Пауър ми даде добри насоки и затвърди мнението ми, че книгите за самопомощ не държат решението на проблемите. Ако сами не си помогнем и не седнем да помислим трезво над наболелите теми в личния ни живот, каквито и колкото и книги да изчетем няма да има смисъл.
Не очаквах „Помощ!“ да ми хареса толкова много, но ето на!
Profile Image for Mishi_msv.
92 reviews22 followers
March 4, 2021
براساس یک #داستان_واقعی !
#ماریان_پاور در #خوشبختی_لعنتی از تجربه‌ی یکساله‌ی خودش در دنیای #کتابهای_خودیاری میگه. ماریان که خیلی از کتابهای خودیاری رو خونده متوجه میشه تاثیری که از این کتابها انتظار میرفته رو توی زندگیش مشاهده نکرده. مثلا کتاب #مردان_مریخی_زنان_ونوسی رو خونده اما هنوز مجرده، کتاب #راز یا #قانون_جذب نتونسته بود آنچه میخواست رو به سمتش بکشه و حالا او مانده بود و #ترس هاش، #تنهایی و #ولخرجی !
خب ماریان با خودش فکر میکنه احتمالا بخاطر این به نتیجه نرسیده که این کتابها رو فقط خونده و به تذکرات و آموزه‌هاشون عمل نکرده. پس برای خودش یه #چالش_کتابخوانی میذاره که باید طی یکسال ماهی یک کتاب بخونه و به تمام آموزه‌هاش عمل کنه.
Profile Image for Nilo0.
629 reviews140 followers
June 15, 2021
4.5/5
یه کتاب با داستانی امروزی از دختری که احساس می کنه نیاز به خودیاری داره و تصمیم می گیره در طی یک سال هر ماه یک کتاب خودیاری بخونه و بهش عمل کنه
در انتها متوجه میشیم نویسنده، زندگی خودش رو به صورت داستان نوشته واسه همین خیلی ملموسه و میشه خودمون رو جای ماریان بذاریم و شرایطی رو درک کنیم که همه مون ممکنه تجربه کرده باشیم
این کتاب به بررسی و کندوکاو و نقد کتاب های خودیاری معروف پرداخته که می تونیم محتوا و روش هر کدوم رو بفهمیم و در نهایت به این نتیجه برسیم که هر چیزی در حد تعادل می تونه بهمون کمک کنه اما باید خودمون رو همین طور که هستیم بپذیریم و دوست داشته باشیم و این نتیجه ای بود که ماریان از پروژه کتاب های خودیاری در طول یک سال گرفت
این کتاب از نظر من خودیاری نبود و بیشتر داستان ملموسی از زندگی همه ما بود که نیاز داریم نگاهی به خودمون بندازیم
Profile Image for Vygandas Ostrauskis.
Author 6 books156 followers
August 26, 2020
Pasirinkau šią knygą todėl, kad domiuosi psichologija ir psichoterapija.
Trisdešimt šešerių moters netvarkingos, gan paradoksalios mintys: “Turėjau šeimą ir draugų, kuriems rūpėjau. Pirkau per brangius džinsus ir gėriau per brangius kokteilius. Važiuodavau atostogauti. Atrodė, kad esu iš tų, kurie puikiai leidžia laiką.” <...> “Niekada nebuvau ištekėjusi, neturėjau nusipirkusi namo ir nekūriau jokių planų”. <...> “...norėčiau būti laimingesnė, labiau pasitikinti ir išbristi iš skolų. Norėčiau tapti sveikesnė ir mažiau girtauti”. <...> “...aktyviai švaistydavau pinigus. Galėtumėte man duoti šimtą svarų ir aš sugebėčiau mažiau nei per valandą juos išleisti, pamesti ar pragerti.” <...> Rezultatas – 15000 svarų skolos, o nėra nei nekilnojamojo turto, nei vaikų... “Buvau nerūpestinga, kvaila, tuščia, neatsakinga... Išpaikintas vaikas”. <...> “Aš laikiau save niekam tikusia net savo svajonių gyvenime.” Ko pagaliau nori knygos pagrindinė veikėja? Gal pati nežino, nes, jausdamasi be galo vieniša, tvirtina: “Mintis apie santuoką ir vaikus, apie namą ir meilę iki mirties sukeldavo man įkalinimo jausmą – jausmas būdavo toks stiprus, kad norėdavau išsinerti iš odos...”? <...> “Man puikiai sekėsi ką nors sumanyti. Taip pat galėjau šauniai pasamprotauti apie sumanymus. O štai juos vykdyti buvo visai kas kita.” Priešistorė: pasakotoja turėjo rimtų sveikatos problemų (piktybinė melanoma). Operacija buvo sėkminga, bet po to penkeri metai baimės – atsinaujins ar ne? Turbūt todėl veikėja gan neurotiška... Tokia knygos pradžia – įtraukianti, suintriguojanti – tuo labiau, kad knygoje yra įdomių minčių, pvz.: “Daugelis mūsų neleidžiame sau norėti, ko iš tiesų norime, nes neįsivaizduojame, kaip tai galėtų atsitikti” arba “Saviugdos knygos neurotiškus žmones paverčia dar didesniais neurotikais”.
Atkreipiu dėmesį: knygos pavadinimas ne “Kaip aš išgelbėjau savo gyvenimą”. Todėl logiška tokia pabaiga: “Jeigu šie metai kaip nors mane paveikė, akivaizdu, kad per juos virtau nuolat verkiančiu žmogumi”. <...> “Mano atvėsusi aistra saviugdai buvo ženklas, kad jau pagydžiau savo gyvenimą.” Galbūt, gal būt... Bet vargu, ar skaitytojai tuo patiki... Perskaičius šią knygą, mane ilgai neapleido mintis: knygos veikėjai reikėjo ne perskaityti 12 saviugdos knygų (kas mėnesį po vieną), ne įvairiausių sau paskirtų išbandymų, bet gero psichoterapeuto. Ko gero, tai būtų atsiėję pigiau ir buvę sveikiau. Bet tada nebūtų šios knygos...
Nežiūrint daugybės citatų ir protingų minčių, knygos reziumė tokia: žmogui reikia žmogaus; to lemtingo atsitiktinumo, kai sutinkamas tavo žmogus; kad galėtum dedikuoti knygą, kaip tai padarė autorė: “Skiriu G. – mano žmogui”. Bet kaip tas G. atsirado jos gyvenime, galima tik įtarti. Aš supratau, paieškokite ir jūs, būsimi skaitytojai.
Knygoje minima daugybė prekių ženklų, knygų pavadinimų, muzikinių kūrinių ir muzikantų – net kyla įtarimas, ar tai ne paslėpta reklama?.. Knyga apie ilgą žurnalistinį tyrimą, parašyta žurnalistės, – kažkokios didelės meninės vertės nereikia norėti, ir tada viskas gerai.
Mano vertinimas – 7. Deja, daugiau skirti negaliu.
Profile Image for Brandon Forsyth.
917 reviews183 followers
February 23, 2019
Marianne Power has written a real winner here - completely charming and unfailingly relatable. I found myself smiling through most of the book, and even laughed out loud several times (sorry fellow public transit riders). There’s real heart here too, about love and friendship and family, that escalated the whole thing out of the zany Bridget Jones territory. I’m not sure I’ll ever read THE POWER OF NOW, but this book does an excellent job separating the useful from the snake oil salespeople, and for that alone, I’d recommend it.
Profile Image for Saskia.
20 reviews44 followers
June 21, 2021
Well, that was infuriating. I was hoping for a cynical, or at the very least critical, approach to classic self-help tropes. What I got was and endless description of one woman's mental breakdown and her complete lack of healthy coping strategies. There is nothing remotely funny or insightful about this book and Marianne Power's obsession with her first world problems feels extremely tone-deaf.
Profile Image for Katie P..
35 reviews5 followers
March 20, 2019
I adored every second of this book! Heartwarming, endearing, occasionally gutting, and utterly relatable. Marianne Power holds nothing back and invites the reader on every euphoric high and devastating low on her self-help journey. Inspiring and eye-opening.
Profile Image for Ugnė.
667 reviews157 followers
January 12, 2020
Šiais seminarų, knygų ir asmeninio tobulėjimo kursų laikais tokia knyga kaip ši yra kažkas nuostabaus. Nes Marianne pati viską išbandė ir daug ką bandė be mokslinio intereso - įsitraukdama ir patikėdama (tik su angelais taip nepaėjo). Ir tada pasimato, kodėl toji saviugda neveikia taip, kaip aprašyta:
*nes žmonės metasi nuo vieno būdo prie kito, palikdami tai, ką išmoko, praeičiai ;
*nes dalyje saviugdos knygų pripilstyta vandenėlio (visokios paslaptys ir raktai daug mala apie tikėjimą, nutylėdami, kad daug kas greičiau pavyksta, kai dar pakeliui kažką ir darai);
*nes dalies dalykų žmonės nesusieja su kasdienybe ir greit juos pamiršta (ir negalvoja kiekvieną kartą: "Gi aš basom kojom per žarijas perėjau, ką man reiškia šitokį nieką padaryt?");
*nes daugumos saviugdos knygų, mokymų, seminarų, trainingų ir panašių dalykų centre yra skaitantysis/veikiantysis, kai šiaip kasdieniame gyvenime jei būsi vien tik pats sau centru, ilgainiui tas gyvenimas neteks nei gylio, nei kokybės .
Labai smagi knyga. Ir nepaisant visko džiaugiuosi, kad Marianne buvo drąsi ir pabandė.
Profile Image for Girish.
1,153 reviews260 followers
August 17, 2022
Self help books have traditionally been scoffed at as a genre. This despite millions of people finding some important takeaways that helped them in their real life. (Not to mention the loads of money their authors made by following it up with workshops and paid sessions).

This book is a humorous and yet sad tale of the author - Marianne Power who turns to self help books to get her life back on track. One book at a time. There are 12 books she reads and every month she tries to see if her book is making a difference to her life.

I hadn't read many of the books except Stephen Covey and Rhonda Byrne and hence I was equally incredulous about the entire journey. Despite the author making jokes about it, you feel sympathy as she goes into her self-bashing mode till the final epiphany.

I did not so much like the misery and self deprecating humor. I did feel we all need some guidance at some point of time and i just hope at that point of time we meet the right person or right book.

A time pass critique of the genre.
Profile Image for Ameema S..
743 reviews62 followers
December 2, 2018
This was a very enjoyable read.

It read very much like the Bridget Jones of self-help books, with a funny, self-deprecating main character, who gets herself into awkward and hilarious situations. Charming and unashamedly self-aware, this book was much more thoughtful and emotionally resonant than I originally thought it would be. I found myself cheering on Marianne as she put herself out there, and worked hard on her “self”, but I also found myself groaning out loud, during her many missteps. I had a lot of fun with this one, and I think you will too!
Profile Image for Gali.
356 reviews
February 18, 2019
I saw quite a lot of potential going into this book and it should have been right up my alley but the writing style frustrated me quite a few times and made me skip over whole sections. No deep revelations from the author, not for herself and not for her readers, but I don't know why I expected some to happen...
Profile Image for Haylz.
57 reviews
January 21, 2019


I read this book in one sitting and it’s the first time in ages I’ve thought you know what it’s okay to be me? A little bit messed up but working on it

I’m so glad this book was written and the author for putting her story out there it helped a lot!
446 reviews198 followers
April 23, 2019
Frothy beach read. Basically a self-depricating "did something weird for a year so I could write a book" genre memoir. I didn't actually finish it because the "fuck it" chapter reminded me that I had "The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck" to read instead.
Profile Image for Mintti.
1,199 reviews18 followers
October 21, 2019
Ihan mahtava kirja! Nousi yhdeksi tämän vuoden lemppareista. Kuuntelin äänikirjana ja lukijana oli ihana Pirjo Heikkilä. Päähenkilö, Mariaanne itse, on koukussa self-help oppaisiin. Hänen elämänsä on kuitenkin sekaisaa ja kaoottista ja hän hoksaa että vaikka lukee self-helppiä, niin hän ei toteuta niissä olevia oppeja. Joten hän päättää noudattaa aina yhtä kirjaa kuukaudessa, 12 kirjaa, 12 kuukautta. Tammikuussa on vuorossa pelkojen kohtaaminen ja hän uutterasti listaa ylös pelkonsa ja kohtaa ne yksitellen. Projekti on aikaa vievä ja saa aikaan kaikenlaisia sivujuonteita joita Marianne ei lainkaan odottanut. Kuukaudet vierivät, mutta elämä ei tunnu yhtään selkeämmältä. Marianne vaipuu masennukseen ja käy aika pohjalla kömpiäkseen sieltä takaisin ylös. Siinä auttoi yllättäen yksi kirja - Tollen Läsnäolon voima. Se on auttanut minuakin, tässä kirjassa kiehtoi rehellisyyden ja inhimillisyyden lisäksi se, että moni näistä kirjoista on itsellenikin tuttu. Marianne kahlaa läpi vaaditut kirjat, vaikka aikaa meneekin enemmän kuin vuosi ja se, auttavatko self-help-kirjat, sen saat lukea ihan itse! :D
Profile Image for Marian.
998 reviews216 followers
December 26, 2019
Si bien no soy una lectora de autoayuda crecí entre fanáticas del género así que algo sabía de los contenidos de varios de los libros que se tratan en este argumento tan entretenido y original.
Profile Image for Steph ✨.
684 reviews1,608 followers
January 13, 2020
"I'm just tired,' I said. Tired. How many times had I said that word when I didn't know what else to say? When I didn't know how to say I'm lost, I'm scared, I'm lonely, I feel like I'm losing it...?" - @marianne_power_writer 🌙

Thank you so much to @tandemcollectiveuk for bringing this book to my attention. With your Readalong, I probably would have missed this one completely.

Help Me is following Marianne Power on a journey of self discovery through self help books. You see the highs and lows that following these books can bring through this fascinating, hilarious but also heartbreaking story.

I absolutely fell in love with this book. Never has something related to me so much in my life. I had the toughest year last year with my mental health and this book has come at the best time for me. I found myself frustrated (sorry my love) with some of the decisions Marianne was making with her journey and but I also fully respected her dedication and how self-aware she became. I feel like I've been on this huge journey with her (without throwing myself out of a plane or jumping into a lake naked) and it has honestly cleared my head a lot. Its given me so much to think about.

I would highly recommend this book, especially to those around my age (late twenties, early-mid thirties) and those of you who have been struggling a lot with mental health, self care, and self discovery.

Huge 5 stars from me! Thank you, Marianne, for writing such an amazing, through provoking and eye opening book. You're an angel, and I wish you all the best for the future ❤️✨
Profile Image for Любен Спасов.
437 reviews101 followers
March 8, 2020
С чиста съвест давам 5 звезди на „Помощ!”.

Книгата за мен е страхотна. Разтоварва, разсмива и се чете като роман. Леко дори ми напомня на Бриджит Джоунс, най-вече заради комичните ситуации, в които попада Мариан.

Нито за момент не ме подразни, а и не усетих да се говорят празни приказки. Беше ми изключително любопитно да я чета и да видя в какво ще се забърка Мариан. Нещо като блог, но на книга. Аз се учех заедно с авторката и научавах нови неща.

„Помощ!” е книга, която нагледно може да ни покаже как изборите, които правим могат да повлияят на живота ни. Книга, която не натоварва и не поучава, написана с чувство за хумор, самоирония и много по-полезна от доста подобни на пазара. Аз горещо ви я препоръчвам.

Пълно ревю тук ===> https://bookadventureclub.blogspot.co...
Profile Image for Ren.
1,290 reviews15 followers
January 10, 2019
Not usually a fan of nonfiction, but enjoy a good Sophie Kinsella book? This book might be a perfect fit! Marianne Power brings to mind some of Kinsella's characters, though of course in this case, it's all true. Power decides to finally put to use the advice in the self help books she loves, actually acting on the advice and not just thinking about it. Each month focuses on one book and we get to follow along as she puts the advice to use. Some advice "works" for her while other advice is less successful. The author shares her experiences, both good and bad, in an honest and entertaining way. Well worth giving this one a chance!

Thank you to Grove Atlantic and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this fun book in exchange for my honest review.
Profile Image for Ty-Orion.
404 reviews132 followers
November 12, 2019
Прозвуча ми интересно експериментът, в който участва авторката - да живее всеки месец в продължение на една година според съветите на различна селф-хелп книга. За съжаление още отначало изпитах антипатия и към Мериън Пауър, и към стила ѝ на писане. Невротизмът ѝ ми дойде в повече, а написаното - неискрено, може би измислено. Мина им модата на тези полуфабрикатни и шаблонни книги, при които авторът предварително осребрява чек от издателство за някаква идея, една година живее по някакъв изкилифинчен начин и накрая написва Книгата. Голям праз! Инстаграмърска му работа.
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