Gems of Wisdom Therapeutic Review and Giveaway!

When Angela Breidenbach contacted me to review her book, I said sure. I was thinking that I'd help influence for her book just as I have countless other authors. It was only recently that I was able to read her book (thanks to my vacation!) and I'm SO glad that I agreed to review this book for her and get the word out!

My site might very well be the most perfect place to review her book, Gems of Wisdom for a Treasure-Filled Life. The subject matter of her book is overcoming the obstacles we face in life. These obstacles--which Angie called "Pirates"--can be inherited, formed in early childhood, or created later in life.

Each chapter focuses on various Pirates and the preferable alternative. Angie includes all sorts of poignant vignettes about her own experiences with her mother who had schizophrenia as well as short stories from others that bring home the points she makes.

But not only is Angie's book good for self-improvement and better living, it's great for writers! This is the part I kept thinking about as I read and cried through portions of her book. Our characters inevitably have the same issues we struggle with, and Angie covers so many of what could be literary character flaws that your characters will benefit from layered motivations that undergird every action they make. For those familiar with Dr. Stan Williams' The Moral Premise, you'll love this book, because Angie gives you a template for a moral premise in each chapter. (i.e., "Fear and short-term thinking lead to sadness and hesitancy, but courage leads to joyfulness and confidence.")

I want to give you a list of the Pirates Angie covers in her book to give you an idea of what you-and your characters--are missing out on if you don't read this.

Injustice
Magical Thinking and Denial
Ownership
Fear and Short-term Thinking
Rumination, Destructive Scripts, and Assumptions
Martyrdom, Anger, and Unforgiveness
Ignorance, Emotion, and Reactivity
Worry and Perfectionism
Unreasonable Expectations
Fatigue, Chaos, Busyness
Self-defeating Behaviors, Frustration, Helplessness, and Pessimism
Shame
Impatience
Arguments, Confrontation, and Logic
Power and Control
Life Filters, Misconceptions

Think about all the books that have been written with characters who have these flaws to overcome by the end. I'm telling you--this book should be on your shelf not only to improve your life, but to improve your writing by getting behind what negatively drives people. I highly recommend it from my perspective of a therapist.

Angie has graciously agreed to give away a .pdf copy of this book to one lucky commenter below! Since I like my giveaways to benefit my readership, if you haven't already, please click the "Follow" button on the right and then leave a comment below, including your email address. Don't miss out on this great book!