Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

Layman's Handbook, A journey to SELF

Rate this book
A journey to SELF. Layman's Handbook to life as I see it of course. Self-help being primarily how to help one's self.
Life can be strange and unusual for all of us. Is there something unique about any of us that can bring us to a place where no one else can understand? Is this just a feeling?
Through some of my deepest and darkest moments in life I have been placed in situations where I felt there was no way out. Digging deeper inside of myself I found some simple techniques to clear my mind and allow an emotional freedom take precedent over my life.
Layman's Handbook, shares with you some scenarios and techniques for a simpler life, a life that requires you to become content and dare I say it even Happy.

I hope one day we can chat and discuss how our lives can become better using a few simple steps.

350 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2019

1 person is currently reading
6621 people want to read

About the author

Aidan Mc Nally

3 books171 followers
Born Dublin Ireland, very much the countryside region of the wonderful capital city.
The 70's and 80's has proven to be the most awesome time to grow up.
I never set out to write it all out, it just happened in my life and there have been events that even I cannot believe ever happened. The highs and lows remain unimaginable.

With some time spent travelling and living abroad, many things and much of life has been observed and lived. It has all been put down to share in the first time book TWO sons TOO many.

Look forward to releasing a second book and for now am enjoying making great new friends through readership and authors alike.

Should you feel, a walk in the life kind of adventure coming on, then take the plunge https://www.amazon.co.uk/d/cka/TWO-so...

Also love to connect on facebook and twitter
@TWOsonsTOOmany
I enjoy supporting new authors like myself with shares, follows and retweets.

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
58 (47%)
4 stars
54 (44%)
3 stars
8 (6%)
2 stars
1 (<1%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
Profile Image for Stephen R..
100 reviews9 followers
November 25, 2019
We all need a little bit of guidance and clarity in our life from time to time and Aidan McNally does an excellent job of supplying that in Layman’s Handbook- a Journey to Self.

McNally approaches this book with an honesty and warmth that really helps it stand out from other self-books that are written in a similar vein. The book never comes across as condescending, instead, it provides practical, real-life advice for tackling a wide range of different and difficult topics.

The thing that shines out the most in McNally’s book is the sense of hope that exists throughout its pages. McNally writes from a place of experience and it’s this that helps make the book feel more relatable.

Layman's Handbook: A journey to self is the perfect book for those who are looking for a well-written self-help book that will you leave feeling a little more hopeful than before you picked it up.
Profile Image for Grady.
Author 51 books1,825 followers
November 21, 2019
‘LIFE is absolutely worth living’

Irish author Aidan McNally has written four books to date – TWO Sons TOO Many, 17 & LIFE, MY GRIEF THE LAST 3 YEARS and now LAYMAN’S HANDBOOK. With an infectiously uplifting quality of communication, Aidan shares his own challenging background – his teenage years of drug and alcohol abuse that led to incarceration and how that prison experience resulted in a cognizance of his life changes, a fractured relationship, the deaths of two sons – and with these examples of the darts life can throw, he shares his intuitive concepts about embracing life while offering moments of reality testing and the gaining of strength he has discovered and shares here.

In his introductory notes Aidan sets the course of his mission: ‘If you are like me and have many episodes in your life where you found yourself questioning LIFE, what it has in store for you and where it is all really going, then you probably have always wondered “how come there is no handbook for this?” I have never received any handbook either and thought why not share some of the simpler aspects of my day or life with you to help ease some of the questions in a way that can bring about a little inner peace and put an end to an overloaded mind of question after question…’A layman’s guide to Life’ handbook is not the almighty handbook of the year or in any way a set of rules to live by, just a simple sneak peek into ourselves from a layman’s point of view that could bring us to a better place in our daily living.’

In this immensely accessible manner, Aidan shares his thoughts and insights about SELF (Succeed Elevate Live Free), thoughts and emotions (‘When we think about anything too much it can consume us…’), ‘Life’ and ‘Living,’ learning to love ourselves, relaxation remedies, dreaming BIG, operating within society – many points we all face and attempt to understand, and with Aidan’s fine guidance those confrontations ease and become ‘natural.’

Conversations (and that is what reading these pages resembles!) such as this, with a man of the emotional maturity and grace of Aidan’s stature, make entering a more enlightened phase of live accessible. This is a bountiful book, warmly offered, and gratefully available to each of us. Highly recommended.
Profile Image for S. Jeyran  Main.
1,640 reviews128 followers
December 16, 2019
A Journey to self is a handbook written providing the tools for people who wish to make a change in their lives.


I have read two other books from this author, and so I was familiar with the literature style of writing and how he maneuvered between words to describe a notion of his thoughts. It was apparent to me that Aidan had been working on this project for a while because his previous books had also mentioned a lot of the same journey.



The book covers relaxation remedies, grief, how to dream big and discusses what classes as good or bad behaviour. The author has expressively mentioned that this book is for those who have questioned LIFE itself, and thus I feel that it is suitable for anyone who simply likes to read a feel-good book.



The author’s experience and life story are unique; however, it can easily be relatable to the ones that understand the core message embedded in the text.



The literature is easy to read and to understand. It possesses a storytelling style of writing to it and is one of those that you can put down and then come back to it.

42 reviews7 followers
December 1, 2019
I'm jolted with intrigue and desire to "Succeed, Elevate, Live, Free". This is a wholesome community of supporters to heal and be mindful. Aiden, the author is vivid in the portrayal of his own life and the hardening circumstances that led to his depth of self-discovery and work.

The narrative develops and unwinds unexpectedly as rock bottom - darkest tragedies the only way to survive is to go up. This is a crafty way to let your inner child emerge, heals from grief, old wounds, work stuff packed with every example and reaction every reader can accept.

But truly open your heart to be accepting. Self-work can only have progress with an open mind and dedication.
Profile Image for Red Apple.
20 reviews150 followers
December 13, 2019
I'm jolted with intrigue and desire to "Succeed, Elevate, Live, Free". This is a wholesome community of supporters to heal and be mindful. Aiden, the author is vivid in the portrayal of his own life and the hardening circumstances that led to his depth of self-discovery and work.

The narrative develops and unwinds unexpectedly as rock bottom - darkest tragedies the only way to survive is to go up. This is a crafty way to let your inner child emerge, heals from grief, old wounds, work stuff packed with every example and reaction every reader can accept.

But truly open your heart to be accepting. Self-work can only have progress with an open mind and dedication.
Profile Image for Aidan Nally.
Author 3 books171 followers
January 29, 2020
I enjoyed reading just as much as I enjoyed writing.
I say
Yay to me!
It's got the goods alright, it has the goods.
A very proud moment for me as a writer.
137 reviews15 followers
February 2, 2024
Good read

Layman's Handbook: A Journey To SELF by Aidan Mc Nally offers simple yet powerful tools to navigate life's challenges and find inner peace. With a focus on self-help, self-care, and self-love, the book provides practical advice on overcoming adversity, understanding emotions, and enhancing emotional intelligence. Mc Nally shares personal experiences and insights, guiding readers to embrace their journey toward self-discovery and empowerment. Through clear, easy-to-follow language, the book encourages readers to unlock their potential, succeed, elevate, live, and ultimately, be free. A valuable resource for anyone seeking to improve their well-being and find fulfillment in life
Profile Image for Francis Sherman.
7 reviews11 followers
June 5, 2025
Very nicely done!

I liked the first 10 pages more than the rest! Guilty!
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.