Ali Michelin

Seriously Engaging!

Revisado: 03-04-25

I am a person who reads tons of this kind of non-fiction, scientific stuff, which I really enjoy, no matter how formal and scientific. However, James Nestor's writing in this book was so refreshing, in the way he offered visual descriptions of every scene, encounter and person he described. It was also really interesting and engaging the way he kept alternating settings like they do in shows. That just addresses the writing style.

The content was so vast and valuable that I'll probably read it a 2nd time. I had no idea the treasure trove I would discover reading this book, way more variety of information than I expected! Even having learned quite a bit about breathing and breath work in the past, I learned a LOT here, and enjoyed the experience.

Bottom line, highly recommend.

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Great Read for a Neurodivergent Human

Revisado: 03-10-23

I loved so many things about this book that I won't be able to write them all down. I struggle with reading comprehension and attention, but the writing style of this book helped me overcome those in a huge way. The chapters are small and easily digestible, with very clearly stated key points. It's great that she offers the option to listen to the abridged version by just skipping ahead every time she lets you know during the audio.

Everything was presented in a short and sweet, but potent way (I didn't find any of the unnecessary repetition as sometimes I do in other books). The emphasis on self compassion is HUGE and I love that she refers to the work of Dr. Kristin Neff and other professionals that stand behind ideas referenced in the book. I needed to hear all of that wisdom that was shared.

I also hugely appreciated how she shared about her own struggles with mental health, addiction, keeping house, etc without going on storytelling tangents, and just used them to offer specific examples and to support her points. That transparency was super validating for me and made the book even more relatable.

Overall, I gathered the concept that she was trying to drive home, which is that we all have different struggles so no one person's way is "right" and there is no advice that will apply to individuals completely, but that we need to come up with our own ways of simplifying things, that will serve our individual needs at the current time (and it's all based on kindness towards self, and non-judgment of our situations).

This book truly succeeded at packing a powerful message into a small package that made it so easy and quick to listen to. I am grateful that will make it really easy to go back and re-listen later! 10/10 would recommend for anyone who lives a modern lifestyle, or is striving to. We all could use a fresh perspective or "reset" as the author calls it. Well done!

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Required a lot of Patience (Also no PDF!)

Revisado: 10-19-22

I definitely learned from this book, but it took me a LONG time to get through it. I found it pretty tedious and at times quite patronizing to listen to, because although it is a "for dummies" title, I found it to be too simplified at times and VERY repetitive. The book could have been WAY shorter if it didn't repeat things over and over, such as reminders not to smoke while working with anything flammable, and not to leave coolant where animals and children can get it. Anything described about safety or environmental/"ecologic" practices was repeated over and over. That would make sense if someone was just using it as a reference book, but to read cover to cover there was a lot of redundancy. Abbreviations were always expanded too, like every time it said "ECU" it also included (Engine Control Unit) and after the 15th time or so I was like I GET IT!! GAH!

Also, I understand the author's desire to encourage a healthy lifestyle and low environmental impact, but the excessive focus on those things in this book detracted from the overall purpose, in my opinion. There were several times she encourages people to quit smoking, or switch to a more eco-friendly vehicle, which to me are personal choices (and sure, maybe it's fine to throw it in there but not so many times!).

The narration felt really slow to me, so I listened to it at 1.10 or 1.25 speed (thank God for the speed settings!) but it still was a really long read. I think some of the meat and potatoes of the info got lost in the minutiae and I could've come away with more takeaway if not for how diluted it was at certain parts.

Also, although this is a revised edition, many things described were really out of date, such as car phones, service stations, negotiating prices with businesses and using phone books to look things up. It made me wonder how up to date the mechanical information was too.

Lastly, the book referred to the PDF in just about every section, but there was no PDF included with purchase. I contacted Audible to ask about it and they said no PDF was provided by the author for this title.

Overall, I appreciated the detail with which everything was covered, but it could have been done more concisely. I wouldn't necessarily recommend this book, but wouldn't steer people away either, because it definitely has educational value. I just wouldn't read it again myself (but I'd love to have the PDF!).

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Incredible and Life Changing

Revisado: 03-15-22

I have studied Marshall Rosenberg's qork for many years and I have the paper copy of this book, but hearing it read by the author gave me a different experience. The stories he tells to support his teachings are very eye opening, and the way the information is laid out is easy to follow. Learning this philosophy and way of life has not only helped me communicate, listen and understand others better, but had helped and is helping me understand and communicate better with myself and approach the world from a more compassionate stance. I highly highly recommend this book for anyone who is willing to take an open minded look at how our ways of communicating and thinking could be improved to better enrich life.

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Wonderful

Revisado: 09-12-21

The book was super helpful for me as an adult with ADHD. It was narrated well and was engaging enough that I didn't get (too) distracted while listening. I would definitely recommend it!

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Hilarious and totally legit!!

Revisado: 09-06-21

Although I am a woman in a non-married, non-monogamous relationship, I still took a lot from this book and will definitely recommend it to my friends and partners. First off, the voice and style of the writing was super refreshing and the narration was awesome. I appreciated the swearing and casual language, because it was really relatable and down to earth (also really funny at times!). The points made in the book were very insightful and although not "common sense", they made a TON of sense and I totally agree, even with the parts that said "don't listen to your woman" (haha!). I think this information can be beneficial to anyone with an open mind, who wants to know where improvements can be made in their relationship(s) to lead to more and better sex. It was a quick and painless read, and I will definitely be passing it on!

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Not What I Expected

Revisado: 07-05-21

The narration was great and there were a few stories that I related to, but I didn't start taking interest in the book until over 3/4 of the way through. I felt at times that maybe I am "too ADHD" to follow the logic here or to really absorb what they were trying to present. This book was recommended to me by another ADHD friend, who really found benefit from it, so I'm sure the experience is different for everyone. I read the description of the book, and thought I would get a more practical guide, with information about how ADHD women operate and strategy for addressing it. Near the end of the book, they did present some strategy and even clearly stated that that was not the purpose of this book, but they included some as a bonus. I realize I may not have known what the purpose of this book was, during the majority of it. It seems the focus was on mindset about one's own ADHD experience, which for some might be really helpful. I gave 4 stars because I think what's here is valuable, but I would recommend it to others with the caveat that you will not find much fact-based information here or methods for addressing the real life challenges of living with ADHD.

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So Interesting and inspiring!

Revisado: 06-14-21

We all know exercise is good for us and improves our health. Sadly though, for me, knowing that has not always been enough to get me moving. This book gave me the "how" and "why" that I needed to hear, in granular detail. I have already begun my new exercise regimen, this time with the goal of affecting my brain and quality of life, rather than my physique or ability level (although I know those will improve too!). The book focused heavily on neuroscience, and also covered some interesting information about the brain that was not directly related to exercise, but it all tied in. The chapters covered the effects of exercise on anxiety, depression, ADHD, aging, learning and so much more that applies directly to all of our lives. The narrator had a nice voice with helpful inflections during reading. I highly recommend this book!

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The Book Title Doesn't Lie!

Revisado: 05-20-21

I highly, highly recommend this book. for everyone. If we all knew, understood and applied the concepts presented here, the whole world would be healthier, happier and more harmonious on every level. As a self-guided student of Ayurveda, I was already aware of much of the information presented here, but the way it was explained and laid out in the book was so clear and very enjoyable to read. I gained many nuggets of new wisdom and saw things in a new light here, even things I'd known about before. The guidance for practical application is very user-friendly. The narration was pleasant to listen to. I will definitely be reading this one again and I suggest for you to read it too!

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I'll have to read this one again!

Revisado: 05-14-21

This book was very eye opening and had a lot of scientific information, but also had a lot of wisdom from ancient teachings. There were some abstract concepts that I had a hard time understanding at certain points, and there were many words and people introduced that I had not heard before, so I'm sure I would absorb and understand more with a second listen. It was definitely inspiring and served as a great reminder of just how much benefit can come from yoga and even simple practices such as a few minutes of resonance breathing. I would recommend this for anyone who wants to learn and understand more about the philosophy and history of yoga.

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