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Fit for Purpose: Your Guide to Better Health, Wellbeing and Living a Meaningful Life
As a society we have never had so much advantage and yet been so disadvantaged by this very same society which we have built for ourselves, by ignoring our basic needs when it comes to sleep, nutrition, movement, relaxation, relationships and purpose in life. We face a rising tide of physical health problems, such as obesity and diabetes, and mental health issues such as loneliness and depression. Our medical model is a broken, disease-based one which is not fit to meet our needs, particularly when it comes to preventing health and wellbeing problems. Just as secular society is often guilty of dualism when it comes to wellbeing, focusing on the physical but ignoring the spiritual, the faith community may make the same mistake in reverse, focusing on the spiritual whilst ignoring the physical. We need to combine all these different aspects to enjoy true wellbeing and a satisfying life.
The book explores what it means to be fit for purpose in life: physically, mentally and spiritually. It describes the problems we face, both individually and as communities, and succinctly summarizes the evidence for the key factors that determine our wellbeing. It lays down a challenge to avoid treating physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing as separate. Using knowledge and experience of the worlds of medicine, behavioral change and Christian faith, Dr. Pile presents real life case studies and provides practical recommendations for making changes whether for ourselves, our faith community or wider society.
The book explores what it means to be fit for purpose in life: physically, mentally and spiritually. It describes the problems we face, both individually and as communities, and succinctly summarizes the evidence for the key factors that determine our wellbeing. It lays down a challenge to avoid treating physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing as separate. Using knowledge and experience of the worlds of medicine, behavioral change and Christian faith, Dr. Pile presents real life case studies and provides practical recommendations for making changes whether for ourselves, our faith community or wider society.
296 pages, Paperback
Published May 25, 2021
3 people are currently reading
15 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 53 reviews
May 2, 2021
What I did admire about Dr Richard pile is in his first chapter he openly talks about his faith as a Christian, and talks a lot about himself which helps readers relate to the writer.
I put trust in Dr Richard Pile with his book Fit for Purpose Your Guide to Better Health, Wellbeing and Living a Meaningful Life, but I’m afraid for me I didn’t find that this book was much different from any other self-help books in book shops, in the way of sleep, diet, food and drink etc.
Some of the subjects did contain things that everyone knows about sleep, diet calories, and then there were certain other things mentioned that I didn’t know.
One very big difference about this book is that set with every chapter is in depth, a prose from the Bible, for example if the topic is about sleep, the end of the chapter will have a subject about what we can learn about sleep from the Bible, and this is the only thing that I found different from any other health wellbeing books.
My daughter reads the Bible everyday so I quite liked all the Bible references.
When I first see the this lovely cover I did think that this book might have included some refreshing fitness recipes, tied in with better health.
May 16, 2021
I'd like to start this off by thanking Readers First for a copy to read and review.
When it comes to self-help books, I really struggle to find myself enjoying them if I read them as my main book. So I put aside my current thriller and divulged in this in-between sittings...
Fit For Purpose isn't really the type of book I'd reach for out of my own free will. Though the cover can be deemed aesthetically pleasing, it certainly wouldn't catch my eye. However, I am glad I read it...for a number of reasons.
The main reason being - I felt more aware of myself when reading it... But I could also pinpoint that to not gelling with what was being said a lot of the time.
There are some interesting points in here. I like how in the beginning Dr Richard Pile was very open and honest about his own life, his family and other aspects of his own health, but when it came to the heavier stuff - I felt myself getting a little overwhelmed.
There were a few contradictions, to say the least, and there were some points that could definitely offend and came across as quite judgey. Because of that tone, any points that were made about changing your lifestyle and doing something - seemed somewhat aggressive and made me feel unmotivated.
Overall, I'm not a go-to self help book lover, so I can't say whether this is good or bad for the genre, but I can say this isn't a book I'd necessarily reach for again.
When it comes to self-help books, I really struggle to find myself enjoying them if I read them as my main book. So I put aside my current thriller and divulged in this in-between sittings...
Fit For Purpose isn't really the type of book I'd reach for out of my own free will. Though the cover can be deemed aesthetically pleasing, it certainly wouldn't catch my eye. However, I am glad I read it...for a number of reasons.
The main reason being - I felt more aware of myself when reading it... But I could also pinpoint that to not gelling with what was being said a lot of the time.
There are some interesting points in here. I like how in the beginning Dr Richard Pile was very open and honest about his own life, his family and other aspects of his own health, but when it came to the heavier stuff - I felt myself getting a little overwhelmed.
There were a few contradictions, to say the least, and there were some points that could definitely offend and came across as quite judgey. Because of that tone, any points that were made about changing your lifestyle and doing something - seemed somewhat aggressive and made me feel unmotivated.
Overall, I'm not a go-to self help book lover, so I can't say whether this is good or bad for the genre, but I can say this isn't a book I'd necessarily reach for again.
May 15, 2021
Sermon on the stump: a Book in search of an audience!
This book is yet another to add to the ever-growing ‘pile’ that purport to tell us, best, how best to live our lives, living them, as we currently are, in one of the most bizarre and alienating situations that could ever have been anticipated by ordinary mortals, (as opposed to governments!) But, leaving that aside, even in relatively ‘normal’ times, obsessing about our health and well-being, is contributing to lots of financial well-being for fitness gurus of all stripes, be they ‘New-Age’ types, or the bearers of somewhat more stolid, traditional, fayre, as in the present case.
It seems, we have a plethora of problems unique to us, because the modern World is unique to us. One latest estimate is that 11 million of us are starving, while the rest are storing up fat like there’s no tomorrow (British population is getting too fat for the planet (yahoo.com)). There is almost, quite literally, an explosion in the incidence of obesity in people across the developed world, and its accompanying health problems: e.g. Type II Diabetes. If you look at the statistics and plot the figures you can see that this appears to correlate with the growth in the number of world-wide McDonalds outlets. Okay, that was supposed to be ‘tongue-in-cheek’; we can’t blame it all on McDonalds; Burger King and Colonel Saunders et. al should take at least part of the blame. The fact is that burger munching, cola guzzling, fast (highly processed) food addicts have rapidly been swelling the numbers of those considered to be afflicted with ‘Syndrome X’; i.e. those with high everything; e.g. blood pressure, triglycerides; cholesterol and blood sugar. Our ‘couch-potato’ mentality has put many of us in danger of remaining horizontal on a permanent basis, earlier than might otherwise have been the case. Essentially, humans evolved at a time when food was scarce, and were forced to ‘starvation’ diet, in between gorging on the odd woolly mammoth. Our body biochemistry hasn’t evolved much beyond that in the 50,000 or so years since. However, our capacity to produce food on tap has, along with a growing propensity to stuff it into our faces as quickly as possible; hence the current increase in food related problems such as heart disease, various cancers, diabetes and so on.
So, our success in food production, or rather, the ‘developed’ World’s success, is also the reason for what ails us. Well, possibly one of the reasons, at least. According to the author there are several others, arising from the fact that we are spiritual as well as material creatures, and our spiritual lives are not what they should be. The author is a GP and a practising Christian. And here we have, possibly, the main reason why his book is a bit of a mess. He simply cannot make up his mind who his audience is. What, or who, is it that is not ‘Fit for Purpose’: is it we, as individuals, or as a collective, or as constituents of the various communities of which we are apart: e.g. society, ‘organized’ religious faith groups – or their leaders, individual medical practitioners – or their practices, the NHS, or, the government? Each of these is examined – and found wanting. But the somewhat preachy and pompous style of writing; part apologist, part autobiographical, part polemical, part pleading, is often so down-beat that this reader, at any rate, never felt convinced by his arguments, which are somewhat prosaic and utterly unoriginal. Possibly the worst tactic to adopt if you want to convince is to preach. Only the ‘converted’ usually swallow it!
When at last I reached the end, I simply felt like an understandably stroppy teenager enduring yet another teacher-diatribe, ‘dying’ for the bell to go and thinking, ‘yeah, whatever’.
This book is yet another to add to the ever-growing ‘pile’ that purport to tell us, best, how best to live our lives, living them, as we currently are, in one of the most bizarre and alienating situations that could ever have been anticipated by ordinary mortals, (as opposed to governments!) But, leaving that aside, even in relatively ‘normal’ times, obsessing about our health and well-being, is contributing to lots of financial well-being for fitness gurus of all stripes, be they ‘New-Age’ types, or the bearers of somewhat more stolid, traditional, fayre, as in the present case.
It seems, we have a plethora of problems unique to us, because the modern World is unique to us. One latest estimate is that 11 million of us are starving, while the rest are storing up fat like there’s no tomorrow (British population is getting too fat for the planet (yahoo.com)). There is almost, quite literally, an explosion in the incidence of obesity in people across the developed world, and its accompanying health problems: e.g. Type II Diabetes. If you look at the statistics and plot the figures you can see that this appears to correlate with the growth in the number of world-wide McDonalds outlets. Okay, that was supposed to be ‘tongue-in-cheek’; we can’t blame it all on McDonalds; Burger King and Colonel Saunders et. al should take at least part of the blame. The fact is that burger munching, cola guzzling, fast (highly processed) food addicts have rapidly been swelling the numbers of those considered to be afflicted with ‘Syndrome X’; i.e. those with high everything; e.g. blood pressure, triglycerides; cholesterol and blood sugar. Our ‘couch-potato’ mentality has put many of us in danger of remaining horizontal on a permanent basis, earlier than might otherwise have been the case. Essentially, humans evolved at a time when food was scarce, and were forced to ‘starvation’ diet, in between gorging on the odd woolly mammoth. Our body biochemistry hasn’t evolved much beyond that in the 50,000 or so years since. However, our capacity to produce food on tap has, along with a growing propensity to stuff it into our faces as quickly as possible; hence the current increase in food related problems such as heart disease, various cancers, diabetes and so on.
So, our success in food production, or rather, the ‘developed’ World’s success, is also the reason for what ails us. Well, possibly one of the reasons, at least. According to the author there are several others, arising from the fact that we are spiritual as well as material creatures, and our spiritual lives are not what they should be. The author is a GP and a practising Christian. And here we have, possibly, the main reason why his book is a bit of a mess. He simply cannot make up his mind who his audience is. What, or who, is it that is not ‘Fit for Purpose’: is it we, as individuals, or as a collective, or as constituents of the various communities of which we are apart: e.g. society, ‘organized’ religious faith groups – or their leaders, individual medical practitioners – or their practices, the NHS, or, the government? Each of these is examined – and found wanting. But the somewhat preachy and pompous style of writing; part apologist, part autobiographical, part polemical, part pleading, is often so down-beat that this reader, at any rate, never felt convinced by his arguments, which are somewhat prosaic and utterly unoriginal. Possibly the worst tactic to adopt if you want to convince is to preach. Only the ‘converted’ usually swallow it!
When at last I reached the end, I simply felt like an understandably stroppy teenager enduring yet another teacher-diatribe, ‘dying’ for the bell to go and thinking, ‘yeah, whatever’.
May 28, 2021
Self-help and wellbeing books are not my usual read, but this one looked interesting. The book explores the definition of wellbeing. Each chapter discusses the author defined components of wellbeing in greater detail using a fusion of anecdotal, case study, medical, personal and research experiences. There is also a Christian perspective for each chapter. It's an engaging book to read and gives the reader a reasoned perspective to consider, for their own health, lifestyle and wellbeing.
I received a copy of this book from Harper Inspire via NetGalley in return for an honest review.
May 3, 2021
An interesting title which promises this book is different
Don't judge a book by its cover, we are told. But I do and in this case, I am glad I did. Before you even delve into this book, take a moment to read the front cover and I mean read it, then do the same to the back cover. The front cover is subtle, with no celebrities promising you will be skinny if you follow their so-called expert advice. This book is real. It doesn't promise eternal good health as many do.
The book is written by Dr Richard Pile and endorsed by Dr Aseem Malhotra FRCP, so trustworthy credentials. This book is a resource kit to help you to "take control of your physical and mental health, no matter what stage of life you are at.” This quote which you will find on the back cover resonates with me and I will tell you why. Like many women, I fell into a trap thinking that the only way I could lose weight was to join weight-loss clubs. How many of us have handed over our hard-earned money to these cult-like clubs who have in return kept us trapped because their plans haven’t worked and of blaming them, we blame ourselves – we have been ‘naughty' and ‘fell off the wagon.’ Then we rejoin and create this never-ending cycle of misery. I was never comfortable with their methods and the recurring thought I had was why do I have to pay to know how to be healthy? Why was it a secret? Until one day, many years down the line and huge amounts spent on rejoining fees and financial penalties for missing a week, I had an epiphany. It was not a secret! I could do this with the right knowledge and skills. And it's here! This book gives you what those clubs don’t and never will. The knowledge and tools to improve your life and take back control – now isn’t that empowering?
Ok, I admit you do need to commit to working at it, but it’s you who is doing it for you.
The book chapters cover topics such as food, sleep, movement and some personal recollections from the doctor.
It is an easy to read book with, chatty conversation writing- style. Medical jargon is kept to a minimum and used only when to explain a concept.
To give this more context, the chapter on sleep is fascinating. Dr Piles discusses why sleep is important – not just for the body’s restorative needs, but also for the fantastic healing powers our brain undergoes when we are asleep.
A bit about the Sleep chapter
Dr Piles begins with a general introduction to his favourite 1980s film, Road House, and quotes his favourite line: ‘I’ll get all the sleep I need when I’m dead”. I like the humour!
He starts the serious stuff with a look at the hormones which trigger the sleep process. Let me reassure you, it is not jargon-heavy, nor does he go into the complicated physiological processes of sleep. Instead, he pinpoints two hormones: melatonin (our wake-up hormone) and adenosine (it’s time to sleep hormone). He provides an example – falling asleep when you are watching tv, or reading a book. Now I know why I nod off every evening! It is my adenosine hormone telling me it is my bedtime!
He covers myths and cleverly dispels them. He discusses what our bodies do when we sleep and it’s interesting. All I can say is that I now have an image of a vacuum cleaner cleaning out the dirt accumulated in my brain from the day’s work. You need to read it to understand it.
He explains the effects on our lives when we don’t sleep or get enough sleep.
I like the stylistic breakdown of information into easy-to-read manageable size chunks, broken down into subtitle and short paragraph: ‘My Prescription for enjoying better quality or quantity of sleep,' where he lists l advice in bullet form. Overall, the advice is common sense, but one or two will surprise you. They are little unknown tidbits of information.
The chapters are short and laid out with subheadings.
Dr Pile quotes from the bible and refers to Jesus. It is not something that bothers me. It will not change my opinion. But I know some readers will be uncomfortable with religious references.
Dr Pile shares stories about his family, especially his son with special needs. I felt a connection as I, too, have a son with special needs. I do not think it is easy to disclose information about your family publicly. I am so pleased he did. Not only it is a lovely personal touch, but it also helps to connect and consolidate his reader base.
It is worth reading and having a go. Read it from start to finish, or dip in and out. The chapters can stand alone.
Overall, I liked it. There are no hidden agendas. The book is arming you with the information and resources to take back control of your life and get healthy. What have you got to lose? in this way, it is as its title suggests: fit for purpose.
Don't judge a book by its cover, we are told. But I do and in this case, I am glad I did. Before you even delve into this book, take a moment to read the front cover and I mean read it, then do the same to the back cover. The front cover is subtle, with no celebrities promising you will be skinny if you follow their so-called expert advice. This book is real. It doesn't promise eternal good health as many do.
The book is written by Dr Richard Pile and endorsed by Dr Aseem Malhotra FRCP, so trustworthy credentials. This book is a resource kit to help you to "take control of your physical and mental health, no matter what stage of life you are at.” This quote which you will find on the back cover resonates with me and I will tell you why. Like many women, I fell into a trap thinking that the only way I could lose weight was to join weight-loss clubs. How many of us have handed over our hard-earned money to these cult-like clubs who have in return kept us trapped because their plans haven’t worked and of blaming them, we blame ourselves – we have been ‘naughty' and ‘fell off the wagon.’ Then we rejoin and create this never-ending cycle of misery. I was never comfortable with their methods and the recurring thought I had was why do I have to pay to know how to be healthy? Why was it a secret? Until one day, many years down the line and huge amounts spent on rejoining fees and financial penalties for missing a week, I had an epiphany. It was not a secret! I could do this with the right knowledge and skills. And it's here! This book gives you what those clubs don’t and never will. The knowledge and tools to improve your life and take back control – now isn’t that empowering?
Ok, I admit you do need to commit to working at it, but it’s you who is doing it for you.
The book chapters cover topics such as food, sleep, movement and some personal recollections from the doctor.
It is an easy to read book with, chatty conversation writing- style. Medical jargon is kept to a minimum and used only when to explain a concept.
To give this more context, the chapter on sleep is fascinating. Dr Piles discusses why sleep is important – not just for the body’s restorative needs, but also for the fantastic healing powers our brain undergoes when we are asleep.
A bit about the Sleep chapter
Dr Piles begins with a general introduction to his favourite 1980s film, Road House, and quotes his favourite line: ‘I’ll get all the sleep I need when I’m dead”. I like the humour!
He starts the serious stuff with a look at the hormones which trigger the sleep process. Let me reassure you, it is not jargon-heavy, nor does he go into the complicated physiological processes of sleep. Instead, he pinpoints two hormones: melatonin (our wake-up hormone) and adenosine (it’s time to sleep hormone). He provides an example – falling asleep when you are watching tv, or reading a book. Now I know why I nod off every evening! It is my adenosine hormone telling me it is my bedtime!
He covers myths and cleverly dispels them. He discusses what our bodies do when we sleep and it’s interesting. All I can say is that I now have an image of a vacuum cleaner cleaning out the dirt accumulated in my brain from the day’s work. You need to read it to understand it.
He explains the effects on our lives when we don’t sleep or get enough sleep.
I like the stylistic breakdown of information into easy-to-read manageable size chunks, broken down into subtitle and short paragraph: ‘My Prescription for enjoying better quality or quantity of sleep,' where he lists l advice in bullet form. Overall, the advice is common sense, but one or two will surprise you. They are little unknown tidbits of information.
The chapters are short and laid out with subheadings.
Dr Pile quotes from the bible and refers to Jesus. It is not something that bothers me. It will not change my opinion. But I know some readers will be uncomfortable with religious references.
Dr Pile shares stories about his family, especially his son with special needs. I felt a connection as I, too, have a son with special needs. I do not think it is easy to disclose information about your family publicly. I am so pleased he did. Not only it is a lovely personal touch, but it also helps to connect and consolidate his reader base.
It is worth reading and having a go. Read it from start to finish, or dip in and out. The chapters can stand alone.
Overall, I liked it. There are no hidden agendas. The book is arming you with the information and resources to take back control of your life and get healthy. What have you got to lose? in this way, it is as its title suggests: fit for purpose.
March 18, 2021
The author, Dr Richard Pile, of Fit for Purpose is a GP, Christian, husband and father, among many other things.. One of his four children has very complex needs with severe epilepsy which impacted the wellbeing of family members for many years. With his professional expertise and personal life experience he is well placed to write this book addressing our wellbeing as a whole and urging the reader not to expect the medical profession to be the only solution when our wellbeing is poor.
The topics of sleep, food, movement, stress and relaxation/mindfulness, relationships with others and having a purpose to our live are covered. They are probably not new to most who've considered this subject but they are all very relevant whether we believe our wellbeing to be good, average or poor. The author also believes that considering our spiritual health is as important as our physical , mental and emotional health. I agree very much with him on that but I did find the spiritual side in the book a little forced with Bible quotes backing up the topic of each chapter. I also found the spiritual sections and summaries of each chapter a little preachy and burdensome, especially when he is addressing church leaders and other leaders to ensure they practice what they preach. While this is indeed ideal I felt the way it was written was putting a guilt trip on those who haven't quite got there in the own wellbeing journey yet but are trying to encourage others.
In the main though, Dr Richard Pile, is clear that we need to accept people where they are and to not expect big changes but to embrace small ones which will eventually lead to a bigger change. He has some good anecdotes - I would have liked to see more with spiritual examples interwoven more seamlessly and less of the Bible verses 'backing' up his topics. I did like his light-hearted turn of phrase at times - I'm not sure I've heard anyone use the word 'piffle' in speech since my mother was alive who used to use it a lot! I also smiled to see wellbeing spelled correctly but acknowledged there is much debate on subject!
His experience as a GP is helpful and it was interesting to hear his views on statins, length of appointment times and the whole medical industry and why the way it operates is not necessarily in the best holistic interests of people needing help.
One or two things rankle as I didn't necessarily agree with them, including the use of some of the Bible verse interpretations. I was mildly amused when the paragraph after he stated that is was not unreasonable to take a 20-30 minutes lunch break in a 8am-7pm working day started "Don't honour work martyrs". Towards the end he says "Everything in moderation, including moderation" which I think is quite spot on. Going all out to be the best at exercising, eating healthily or whatever is rarely sustainable and doesn't encourage others. Aiming for the small changes is most likely to lead to better wellbeing and I wholeheartedly agree with the author's book recommendation (he has many) of Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg.
Fit for Purpose is a book with reading and then maybe putting aside and rereading sections from time to time as you make small changes and keep aiming for even better wellbeing no matter what your starting point. I would urge the reader to make notes to remind you to take action on topics that strike you personally as relevant or easily doable.
With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
The topics of sleep, food, movement, stress and relaxation/mindfulness, relationships with others and having a purpose to our live are covered. They are probably not new to most who've considered this subject but they are all very relevant whether we believe our wellbeing to be good, average or poor. The author also believes that considering our spiritual health is as important as our physical , mental and emotional health. I agree very much with him on that but I did find the spiritual side in the book a little forced with Bible quotes backing up the topic of each chapter. I also found the spiritual sections and summaries of each chapter a little preachy and burdensome, especially when he is addressing church leaders and other leaders to ensure they practice what they preach. While this is indeed ideal I felt the way it was written was putting a guilt trip on those who haven't quite got there in the own wellbeing journey yet but are trying to encourage others.
In the main though, Dr Richard Pile, is clear that we need to accept people where they are and to not expect big changes but to embrace small ones which will eventually lead to a bigger change. He has some good anecdotes - I would have liked to see more with spiritual examples interwoven more seamlessly and less of the Bible verses 'backing' up his topics. I did like his light-hearted turn of phrase at times - I'm not sure I've heard anyone use the word 'piffle' in speech since my mother was alive who used to use it a lot! I also smiled to see wellbeing spelled correctly but acknowledged there is much debate on subject!
His experience as a GP is helpful and it was interesting to hear his views on statins, length of appointment times and the whole medical industry and why the way it operates is not necessarily in the best holistic interests of people needing help.
One or two things rankle as I didn't necessarily agree with them, including the use of some of the Bible verse interpretations. I was mildly amused when the paragraph after he stated that is was not unreasonable to take a 20-30 minutes lunch break in a 8am-7pm working day started "Don't honour work martyrs". Towards the end he says "Everything in moderation, including moderation" which I think is quite spot on. Going all out to be the best at exercising, eating healthily or whatever is rarely sustainable and doesn't encourage others. Aiming for the small changes is most likely to lead to better wellbeing and I wholeheartedly agree with the author's book recommendation (he has many) of Tiny Habits by B.J. Fogg.
Fit for Purpose is a book with reading and then maybe putting aside and rereading sections from time to time as you make small changes and keep aiming for even better wellbeing no matter what your starting point. I would urge the reader to make notes to remind you to take action on topics that strike you personally as relevant or easily doable.
With thanks to NetGalley and HarperCollins UK for a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 13, 2021
As a society we have never had so much advantage and yet been so disadvantaged by this very same society which we have built for ourselves, by ignoring our basic needs when it comes to sleep, nutrition, movement, relaxation, relationships and purpose in life. We face a rising tide of physical health problems, such as obesity and diabetes, and mental health issues such as loneliness and depression. Our medical model is a broken, disease-based one which is not fit to meet our needs, particularly when it comes to preventing health and wellbeing problems. Just as secular society is often guilty of dualism when it comes to wellbeing, focusing on the physical but ignoring the spiritual, the faith community may make the same mistake in reverse, focusing on the spiritual whilst ignoring the physical. We need to combine all these different aspects to enjoy true wellbeing and a satisfying life.
The book explores what it means to be fit for purpose in life: physically, mentally and spiritually. It describes the problems we face, both individually and as communities, and succinctly summarizes the evidence for the key factors that determine our wellbeing. It lays down a challenge to avoid treating physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing as separate. Using knowledge and experience of the worlds of medicine, behavioral change and Christian faith, Dr. Pile presents real life case studies and provides practical recommendations for making changes whether for ourselves, our faith community or wider society.
The book explores what it means to be fit for purpose in life: physically, mentally and spiritually. It describes the problems we face, both individually and as communities, and succinctly summarizes the evidence for the key factors that determine our wellbeing. It lays down a challenge to avoid treating physical, mental and spiritual wellbeing as separate. Using knowledge and experience of the worlds of medicine, behavioral change and Christian faith, Dr. Pile presents real life case studies and provides practical recommendations for making changes whether for ourselves, our faith community or wider society.
July 7, 2021
I received a free copy of this book from Readers First in exchange for an honest review. I haven’t ready many self-help/lifestyle medicine books before so I was intrigued to look into this one. Although I think this book had a lot of relevant information, I felt that it was in some respects trivialising certain medical conditions, effectively writing them off as curable if you practice a mindful lifestyle, and to me this is a dangerous approach, especially coming from an author who is a GP. I still think these conditions need to be thoroughly checked out to ensure they are not masking anything more sinister or are being left to develop into more chronic medical complaints. I tried to keep an open mind when reading this book but I found it a proper mission to get through and I don’t think any of the information was particularly new. To me, the book was just recycling things that have already been said, given the official stamp of a practising GP author, and given an extra checklist from a Christian point of view. The book did not immediately indicate that it was going to be religious so this was also slightly off-putting for me. There are constant references and biblical quotes throughout but also don’t have enough in-depth discussion behind them to flesh out the points the author is trying to get across – they just pepper the text but don’t really contribute anything of practical use which is what the book is supposed to be all about. I think these elements were what gave the book an excuse to be different so it could get published but, despite occasional interesting statistics that made sense and were interesting, overall there was just something lacking for me.
August 19, 2021
This is a change from my normal reading material, but it was something that really appealed to me. It is written by Dr Richard Pile, who is a GP, husband, Father and Christian. As an Atheist, I was slightly wary when the first chapter was talking about the author's faith; however, although it features regularly in the book, it did not affect my enjoyment. I did particularly enjoy one of the early sections in the book where he talked about his life up until this point, it certainly made him more relatable and I felt more connected with him as an author.
This book explores what it means to be fit for purpose in life: physically, mentally and spiritually. It covers exactly what you would expect in a book of this type, including food, movement, sleep, relationships and more. I can't pretend that it is groundbreaking, but then it doesn't claim to be. At the end of each chapter, it is summed up with a 'prescription' for both individuals as well as organisations. There is a whole chapter on HOW to go about making these changes.
As the author acknowledges himself, this much information in one go can be overwhelming, so there is encouragement to take notes and take small steps. This makes it feel manageable and I found that I finished the book feeling motivated and ready to start implementing some small changes into my life.
There were a few parts that made me cringe slightly and that felt a little condescending, although I don't think this was intentional.
Overall, it was a good book and I'm pleased I've read it, but all very much common sense advice.
This book explores what it means to be fit for purpose in life: physically, mentally and spiritually. It covers exactly what you would expect in a book of this type, including food, movement, sleep, relationships and more. I can't pretend that it is groundbreaking, but then it doesn't claim to be. At the end of each chapter, it is summed up with a 'prescription' for both individuals as well as organisations. There is a whole chapter on HOW to go about making these changes.
As the author acknowledges himself, this much information in one go can be overwhelming, so there is encouragement to take notes and take small steps. This makes it feel manageable and I found that I finished the book feeling motivated and ready to start implementing some small changes into my life.
There were a few parts that made me cringe slightly and that felt a little condescending, although I don't think this was intentional.
Overall, it was a good book and I'm pleased I've read it, but all very much common sense advice.
May 2, 2021
The author attempted to define what happiness is in people's lives. Many of it stands for wellbeing, and most of us associate it with medicine rather than our way of life. Dr Pile discusses ways to change one's lifestyle and how it relates to us. The entire guide is written in a light tone, with many anecdotes and contrasts to make the key message more readable. Individual wellbeing is divided into three critical spheres: physical, social, and moral health. There are no dull numbers, charts, or bars in this section. The entire guide is built on self-examples and key points carefully selected from available study and practice. I believe it is important to note here that Dr Pile's advice is based on his own experience, his journey through life, and how it has affected his health. As a general practitioner, Dr Pile was able to observe how the environment approaches new patients, what cannot be achieved before it is too late, and how to avoid injury when it is too late. There is a wealth of information available on sleep, food relationships, fitness, isolation, suffering, and surviving in a pandemic. If you're looking for a guide that will carefully describe what needs to be changed to change your life, this book is for you, particularly if you've just started your path to a healthier lifestyle.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 18, 2022
First things first, I have something to confess...
This book was a DNF for me.
From the first impression, I thought it was going to be just the kind of non-fiction book I would vibe with. A book that took it's reader seriously and respectfully and add onto the current plethora of self-help out there.
And to be fair to the author, it is by no means an awful book, it just didn't really add anything to what I already know and expect from self-help as a genre.
Also, nothing about the cover, or blurb stress how religion heavy this is? So if someone was picking it up just based off the external look, they'd likely be confronted by this and personally, it served as off-putting.
Sure, the author does share some good, sensible tips- get good sleep, take care of your body via fitness, eat a balanced, healthy diet- but there's nothing new or special really being discussed and having each chapter pushed via the eyes of a religious stand point (there's bible quotes what feels like all the time) wasn't for me.
If you're brand new to self help, with absolutely no idea what to start with, you may find a few little bits and bobs that resonate with you if you dip in and out of just the sections you want to focus on but if this isn't your first rodeo, it might be one to pass on.
This book was a DNF for me.
From the first impression, I thought it was going to be just the kind of non-fiction book I would vibe with. A book that took it's reader seriously and respectfully and add onto the current plethora of self-help out there.
And to be fair to the author, it is by no means an awful book, it just didn't really add anything to what I already know and expect from self-help as a genre.
Also, nothing about the cover, or blurb stress how religion heavy this is? So if someone was picking it up just based off the external look, they'd likely be confronted by this and personally, it served as off-putting.
Sure, the author does share some good, sensible tips- get good sleep, take care of your body via fitness, eat a balanced, healthy diet- but there's nothing new or special really being discussed and having each chapter pushed via the eyes of a religious stand point (there's bible quotes what feels like all the time) wasn't for me.
If you're brand new to self help, with absolutely no idea what to start with, you may find a few little bits and bobs that resonate with you if you dip in and out of just the sections you want to focus on but if this isn't your first rodeo, it might be one to pass on.
April 15, 2021
Todays world is a hectic place, with fast and busy lifestyles that demand more without an understanding of the hidden costs to our health. We are distracted mentally by technology and by the lives of those around us that appear to have it 'better' than us. We have diets that accommodate fast food and high sugar and we have less understanding of our nutritional needs which affects us physically.
Dr Richard Pile looks at how we can change our lives mentally, socially, physically and spiritually and at ways to balance them all to improve our general health for the better. He discusses the pitfalls of modern medicine where pills are given to patients that are suffering from loneliness, loss of purpose in life and poverty in place of a more suitable remedy. I myself would prefer to find different routes to improve my health rather than unnecessary medications that the human body would than rely upon consistently to carry on day to day.
This book gives the reader an understanding of mental and wellbeing conditions that a range of different lifestyle changes can be used to help with challenges alongside the good quality care of medical doctors and medicines.
Dr Richard Pile looks at how we can change our lives mentally, socially, physically and spiritually and at ways to balance them all to improve our general health for the better. He discusses the pitfalls of modern medicine where pills are given to patients that are suffering from loneliness, loss of purpose in life and poverty in place of a more suitable remedy. I myself would prefer to find different routes to improve my health rather than unnecessary medications that the human body would than rely upon consistently to carry on day to day.
This book gives the reader an understanding of mental and wellbeing conditions that a range of different lifestyle changes can be used to help with challenges alongside the good quality care of medical doctors and medicines.
June 20, 2021
I was kindly provided with an advanced copy for review. I am a big believer in lifestyle medicine and have read quite a few similar books. However, I think there is a danger that certain medical conditions (including many chronic conditions) are not taken seriously as many doctors now put things down to lifestyle rather than investigating the proper causes of the issue. When it comes to books on lifestyle medicine, they seem to be coming out at the speed of light at the moment, so it is difficult to distinguish between them and find the good ones.
I read this one with an open mind, however, I must say that I did not enjoy this book at all. Whilst the book says that it is not religious, this quite honestly is not true. There are many many references and quotes from the Bible throughout and faith is constantly mentioned by the author. I appreciate the author is very religious, so this book reflects this, but I have found this off putting.
The book itself does not come up with any new ideas -- it seems to recycle things that have been said many times before. There are better books out there on lifestyle medicine.
I read this one with an open mind, however, I must say that I did not enjoy this book at all. Whilst the book says that it is not religious, this quite honestly is not true. There are many many references and quotes from the Bible throughout and faith is constantly mentioned by the author. I appreciate the author is very religious, so this book reflects this, but I have found this off putting.
The book itself does not come up with any new ideas -- it seems to recycle things that have been said many times before. There are better books out there on lifestyle medicine.
April 15, 2021
Having read this book in the midst of a pandemic truly was one of the best decisions I could have made. What’s better than being at home and having a book which perfectly lays out the vitalness of taking care of our bodies, mentally, physically and spiritually. The book really encourages knowing and understanding the need to be spiritually aligned and to truly feel your very best. I’m sure at some point in the past year and a half full of tense news hits, lockdown rules and being deprived of family and friend contacts must have taken a toll on everyone, not matter how spiritually assembled and aligned. This book will really help you gather yourself and believe that life is nothing but a course, something that you need to take care of to the very best that you can, for your own mental wellbeing. So trust me on this one, reading this book will reallllllly help you and inspire you to do your very best! Cliche!!
April 20, 2021
I was given a copy of this book by Readers First.
This book is written by a doctor and is divided in to twelve chapters. Each chapter covers a different area to focus on, i.e sleep, food, movement etc. Unfortunately this book is not what i expected and as it covers what we hear scientists, doctors, dietitions tell us all the time. The information in this book is what you could read in a lifestyle article in any magazine or online (get enough sleep otherwise sleep deprivation can contribute towards bad mental health, eat a balanced diet, everything in moderation to keep your body fuelled). At the end of each chapter it highlights the main points of that chapter and gives a quick basic reminder. After these little paragraphs there are also sections from the bible, i.e what does the bible say about eating and drinking?, what can we learn about movement from the bible. I skipped these parts as it is not of interest to me.
This book is written by a doctor and is divided in to twelve chapters. Each chapter covers a different area to focus on, i.e sleep, food, movement etc. Unfortunately this book is not what i expected and as it covers what we hear scientists, doctors, dietitions tell us all the time. The information in this book is what you could read in a lifestyle article in any magazine or online (get enough sleep otherwise sleep deprivation can contribute towards bad mental health, eat a balanced diet, everything in moderation to keep your body fuelled). At the end of each chapter it highlights the main points of that chapter and gives a quick basic reminder. After these little paragraphs there are also sections from the bible, i.e what does the bible say about eating and drinking?, what can we learn about movement from the bible. I skipped these parts as it is not of interest to me.
April 22, 2021
Bookshops are full of self-help books, does this mean we as a society are in dire need of such titles, or have publishers/authors perpetuated the belief that we must read such titles for 'betterment'? That we have a need we're not aware of?
I've read a few over the years, not because I had any dire need or there was something missing in my life, and in all that time only one title and it's contents made any sense to me. So you can see I've gone into this book with a certain amount of skepticism.
For me the book lacks any real plan for achievement, it's more a background of getting your mind in the right place to enable you to tackle the more practical solutions. Perhaps I'm not the kind of person this particular book is aimed at and unless I'm in that situation the guidance for me is just meaningless. I wish there'd been more practical advice - there were the occasional paragraphs which did make sense and were interesting, but overall it just lacked something.
I've read a few over the years, not because I had any dire need or there was something missing in my life, and in all that time only one title and it's contents made any sense to me. So you can see I've gone into this book with a certain amount of skepticism.
For me the book lacks any real plan for achievement, it's more a background of getting your mind in the right place to enable you to tackle the more practical solutions. Perhaps I'm not the kind of person this particular book is aimed at and unless I'm in that situation the guidance for me is just meaningless. I wish there'd been more practical advice - there were the occasional paragraphs which did make sense and were interesting, but overall it just lacked something.
April 27, 2021
This book is not terribly however I did find it was slightly similar to many of the other books in the health and self-help genre. I do like that this book is actually written by a doctor so it actually gives some sound and sensible advice. I think that it's not too preachy which I really like as so many of these books. I find that it has sections about the bible which I wasn't really sure was necessary and I think that may stop some people from relating to it as much. It covers a lot of topics that is just in a more basic way.
I liked the layout of the book and the chapters are nicely layout. I think it would be an OK book for new beginners to healthy lifestyle however it is just rather basic in its information and I think a lot of this advice is available on the Internet. It does consolidated this information in the same place.
Not for me but others may enjoy.
I liked the layout of the book and the chapters are nicely layout. I think it would be an OK book for new beginners to healthy lifestyle however it is just rather basic in its information and I think a lot of this advice is available on the Internet. It does consolidated this information in the same place.
Not for me but others may enjoy.
May 2, 2021
I got this as I thought by the blurb it sounded really interesting and maybe beneficial and helpful to me but I was a little disappointed.
Some of his theories and ideas I found fascinating and they sounded really sound, I especially liked the sections on sleep, meditation and that kind of self help, I might even apply some of them into my lifestyle.
But what really irritated me was the excessive religious and Christian references.
I understand that’s the author’s personal belief and faith and I respect that but it was touched on quite a lot within the book and not just kept to a minimum either so to be honest that put me off a little.
Although with these kind of book you take out of that what you find applicable to your personal life an situation so maybe for some readers the heavy religious references wouldn’t be a bother.
Overall though as I said I did quite enjoy it as a read and picked up some good hints and tips.
Some of his theories and ideas I found fascinating and they sounded really sound, I especially liked the sections on sleep, meditation and that kind of self help, I might even apply some of them into my lifestyle.
But what really irritated me was the excessive religious and Christian references.
I understand that’s the author’s personal belief and faith and I respect that but it was touched on quite a lot within the book and not just kept to a minimum either so to be honest that put me off a little.
Although with these kind of book you take out of that what you find applicable to your personal life an situation so maybe for some readers the heavy religious references wouldn’t be a bother.
Overall though as I said I did quite enjoy it as a read and picked up some good hints and tips.
May 16, 2021
this book starts of well i found the parts about his family life interesting and could of quite happily read more, sadly after that for me it went down hill fast, it was full of great advice like we should sleep more, eat better and manage our stress & time better, but with no solid advice on how, i also found contradictions (and slightly offended by some) such as overweight people should not be leaders (of groups or be nurses etc) as it sets a bad example, yet god loves us all and doesn't care what we put on our folks, i found parts of the book very judgey, the book feels like a self help book with no real help except a long list of reference pages for other books, most of what i read you could easily pick up in a magazine while in a dentist / doctors waiting room. instead of feeling empowered to change i simply feel flat, the religion aspects of the book didn't bother me but at times i struggled to see the relevance
July 8, 2021
Although I found the book interesting it forms ideologies for a world that just isn’t achievable, we live in the present and life for many is just too busy, the premise behind it is a wonderful concept and the thought of being able to combine spiritual mental and physical Health is fantastic. I think for those who are emerging from lock down feeling neglected in any of these areas to give this book a go. A real positive was the spiritual side of the book, it is so often neglected and should be take note of more often. It really is the starting part to a great path in life.
I like the personal nature of this book as you feel a connection with the author as he talks about his family and from this you feel that the book is really being aimed at you and your life.
I think those picking up this book with the right mind set it will have a huge impact on their daily life and well being.
October 5, 2021
Overall I enjoyed this book, it didn’t offer me anything new or groundbreaking; but it did give me the reminder that I need right now in terms of self care and longevity.
Eating clean and wholesome, moving more - but not necessarily in an strenuous fashion, achieving a quality sleep - are all things I did know, but haven’t prioritised. So I feel this book gave me the boost I need.
My expectation on this book re: spirituality- was that it would be snippets of several religions, picking the best bits from a range which enhances those self care habits. As the author is a devout Christian, there are scriptures and bible references throughout.
I find this very brave for the author - as it’s not to everyone’s taste. I enjoyed this at first, but found myself skipping some pages as it was a bit overbearing. Others, will embrace this element.
Thank you Netgalley for my free ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.
Eating clean and wholesome, moving more - but not necessarily in an strenuous fashion, achieving a quality sleep - are all things I did know, but haven’t prioritised. So I feel this book gave me the boost I need.
My expectation on this book re: spirituality- was that it would be snippets of several religions, picking the best bits from a range which enhances those self care habits. As the author is a devout Christian, there are scriptures and bible references throughout.
I find this very brave for the author - as it’s not to everyone’s taste. I enjoyed this at first, but found myself skipping some pages as it was a bit overbearing. Others, will embrace this element.
Thank you Netgalley for my free ARC copy of this book in return for an honest review.
November 23, 2023
I thought this book was ok rather than excellent. The main thing that lets it down is that, despite the author's best intentions, it is literally quite "preachy" because of the multitude of references to the Bible, praying and God. That is all well and good for Christians, however as an atheist I was not keen on this aspect of the book. I enjoy health, lifestyle and medical books, and this book did have some good sections on certain aspects of health, however it was let down by the overly religious content. I also didn't like the way he was quite rude about veganism; I've been a vegetarian for over 30 years and have very good health, and whilst I am not vegan, I know many very healthy vegans and there is no need to be disrespectful about this dietary choice.
If you want a brilliant read on lifestyle medicine, I can highly recommend Rangan Chatterjee's books.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
If you want a brilliant read on lifestyle medicine, I can highly recommend Rangan Chatterjee's books.
2.5 stars rounded up to 3.
April 15, 2021
Its very informative and useful especially for someone who has an underlying health condition.
I am quite an advocate for physical and mental wellbeing and I believe this book is a big eye opener and really helps within these areas.
As someone who is always quite ill, this book has really helped me manage my illness more better than medications which most GPs usually recommend and often those medications have side effects and result into more health issues . This book has helped me keep a more healthier lifestyle mentally and physically.
I strongly recommend this book as it will truly benefit you. It doesn't matter how old you are or how young you are - this book is beneficial for all especially for people who endure alot of stress or have an intense work load whether its working from an office or having exams at school - this book will truly help you.
I am quite an advocate for physical and mental wellbeing and I believe this book is a big eye opener and really helps within these areas.
As someone who is always quite ill, this book has really helped me manage my illness more better than medications which most GPs usually recommend and often those medications have side effects and result into more health issues . This book has helped me keep a more healthier lifestyle mentally and physically.
I strongly recommend this book as it will truly benefit you. It doesn't matter how old you are or how young you are - this book is beneficial for all especially for people who endure alot of stress or have an intense work load whether its working from an office or having exams at school - this book will truly help you.
April 19, 2021
There has been more media focus on our mental health and wellness over the past year than there ever has, but there is such an overlap with physical health too. Not to mention the fact that the pandemic has made so many of us question how we live our lives and what is most important. This book explains how vital it is to take care of our bodies, both physically, mentally and spiritually (which is often forgotten about).
We face so many problems, both individually and as communities, that can stop us from taking care of ourselves and Dr. Pile presents a really interesting argument for looking after all of these things from his knowledge and experience of the world of medicine, behavioural change and Christian faith.
Make the most of those last few weeks (hopefully) of being stuck at home and immerse yourself in how you can help yourself to do your very best.
We face so many problems, both individually and as communities, that can stop us from taking care of ourselves and Dr. Pile presents a really interesting argument for looking after all of these things from his knowledge and experience of the world of medicine, behavioural change and Christian faith.
Make the most of those last few weeks (hopefully) of being stuck at home and immerse yourself in how you can help yourself to do your very best.
Read
April 22, 2021 This book was an interesting read. Included within the pages is some great information and really helpful tips but if you’re fairly well educated / read in this subject there is also a fair amount of information that won’t be new to you. That said, it’s great if this is your first book on the subject or you are just starting your journey to learning around the topic. Perhaps if you are already well read and knowledgeable around the matter you may find the book a little uninteresting. Personally I know a fair amount on the subject and find it interesting and managed to gain a few ideas and tips from the book.
It seems well written, researched and layed out which makes it a pleasant read and very easy to follow. Overall a good book and certainly worth a read even if you are only looking for a few tips or snippets of information. It’s easy to dip in and out of.
It seems well written, researched and layed out which makes it a pleasant read and very easy to follow. Overall a good book and certainly worth a read even if you are only looking for a few tips or snippets of information. It’s easy to dip in and out of.
April 22, 2021
I personally found this book useful. Prior to being chosen to receive and review this book I had not heard of it, nor read anything from this author previously. However, I feel there are a lot of useful things embedded into this book that I may refer back to in the future.
That being said, it was very waffly and a lot of this could have been cut out to be more succinct. If people are looking to improve their health, it doesn't seem beneficial to me to be so long and word-y. Furthermore, being an athiest, a lot of this book refers back to religion, although I can appreciate this inspired the author to write this book, and I respect that it was towards the end of chapters so it could be skimmed over; I feel it may push people away from wanting to read this.
Overall, I believe it was helpful, not the worst or best wellbeing improvement book out there, but worth a read if you want to.
That being said, it was very waffly and a lot of this could have been cut out to be more succinct. If people are looking to improve their health, it doesn't seem beneficial to me to be so long and word-y. Furthermore, being an athiest, a lot of this book refers back to religion, although I can appreciate this inspired the author to write this book, and I respect that it was towards the end of chapters so it could be skimmed over; I feel it may push people away from wanting to read this.
Overall, I believe it was helpful, not the worst or best wellbeing improvement book out there, but worth a read if you want to.
April 23, 2021
I was lucky enough to receive a copy of this book to review.
I have heard so many times recently friends/colleagues/family talking about lockdown weight gain, lack of motivation and the need to get back on track with many aspects of daily life. This book is a great starting point for this and more. Dr Pile covers off key areas such as well-being, nutrition, sleep and movement. I found his writing style easy, engaging and motivating. I liked the personal touches about his own life and challenges rather than being purely textbook in style.
I read it initially from cover to cover and would recommend a reader to do so. You could then re-read specific areas and dip in and out as needed.
I would describe myself as pretty active, self motivated and following a balanced diet but I still learnt a number of ideas to incorporate into my own daily routine.
I have heard so many times recently friends/colleagues/family talking about lockdown weight gain, lack of motivation and the need to get back on track with many aspects of daily life. This book is a great starting point for this and more. Dr Pile covers off key areas such as well-being, nutrition, sleep and movement. I found his writing style easy, engaging and motivating. I liked the personal touches about his own life and challenges rather than being purely textbook in style.
I read it initially from cover to cover and would recommend a reader to do so. You could then re-read specific areas and dip in and out as needed.
I would describe myself as pretty active, self motivated and following a balanced diet but I still learnt a number of ideas to incorporate into my own daily routine.
April 26, 2021
I had high hopes and was really looking forward to reading this book by Dr Pile. I am interested in caring for ourselves particularly in these difficult times. Dr Pile talks about his background, training and family, which due to struggles at home prompted him to question his lifestyle. He writes about the areas of physical, mental and spiritual elements of our lives that he feels should be treated altogether, rather than separate areas. I did not realise when I picked the book that there would be so much around his christianity. Spiritually is a different thing and I did not enjoy the repetitiveness around religion at all. Maybe this is just my feelings with regard to the book and others may find there is more relevance within the writing that they can apply to their daily lives. I would definitely share this book but not one for me i'm afraid.
April 26, 2021
I didn't know what to expect when I started this as I think I had ore conceived ideas about self help books and that they won't really be that helpful but the blurb really caught my eye and it didn't disappoint.
Full of practical advice that aimed to not drastically overhaul your life but just to take small, baby steps to improves certain aspects.
I found this helpful and that I could apply some of the techniques to myself.
Broken down into bitesize chunks to deal with the topics such as diet, sleep etc it was easily navigable too.
The author is a Christian and though this came through strongly at times it wasn't in a trying to convert you kind of way and like with the whole of the book you can just take out of it what you will.
As a taster of self help books I found this a really good read full of useful hints and tips to just overall aid your day to day wellbeing.
Full of practical advice that aimed to not drastically overhaul your life but just to take small, baby steps to improves certain aspects.
I found this helpful and that I could apply some of the techniques to myself.
Broken down into bitesize chunks to deal with the topics such as diet, sleep etc it was easily navigable too.
The author is a Christian and though this came through strongly at times it wasn't in a trying to convert you kind of way and like with the whole of the book you can just take out of it what you will.
As a taster of self help books I found this a really good read full of useful hints and tips to just overall aid your day to day wellbeing.
May 6, 2021
As someone who works within healthcare as well as having Christian faith, I really liked the idea behind this book although I do not usually choose to read self help books or those focused on wellbeing. Given the stresses of the past year, when I won a copy of this book I thought it would be worth having a read and seeing if it might be useful. Fit For Purpose covers a wide range of issues which affect many people so it should have a wide appeal and offer something for everyone. I really liked the use of personal anecdote and stories as I felt this made it a lot less dry than it might otherwise have been. I suspect that the hint of a religious element might put potential readers off but I think it is worth trying to get past that as there are many messages and tips within this book which would be a shame to miss out on. I was pleasantly surprised - thank you Reader's First.
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