Self-Help Book Reviews | Self-Publishing Review

Yes Yes Yes by Jeff Purser

A rhapsodic journey into personality, poise, and the power of self-knowledge, Yes Yes Yes: The Persuasion Playbook by Jeff Purser delves into the heady realms of emotional intelligence and interpersonal influence.

From lyrical anecdotes highlighting the importance of eye contact and the impact of quiet confidence to subtle strategies for earning trust and forming authentic connections, the book examines the underlying elements of charisma, presence, creativity, and ambition. The bulk of the book dissects personality archetypes, e.g., the Architect, the Dancer, the Mirror, and poetically defines their inherent strengths and unseen vulnerabilities.

By helping readers understand and classify their own […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-05-26T13:06:51+02:00May 26th, 2026|Categories: New Releases|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: Wait, Where Am I In This? by Lee Long, EdD, LPC-S

A revelatory examination of internal and interpersonal conflicts, Wait, Where Am I In This? by Lee Long, EdD, LPC-S is an insightful guide to help navigate, deepen, and strengthen relationships with other people, and with themselves.

Rife with unfiltered confessions and painful moments of recognition, the text examines why we think the way we do, and offers alternative pathways for our mindset, feelings, reactions, and behaviors. People struggle in their relationships for myriad reasons, whether it is shrinking themselves to fit a desired image, repeating patterns of abandonment from childhood, letting trauma responses drive reactions, living out unwanted narratives, or […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-07-23T11:15:07+02:00May 20th, 2026|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: Where Agency Belongs by Dr. Matthew Weinberg

A thought-provoking dive into the forces that drive us and subsequently move the world, Where Agency Belongs: How Control, Trust, and Authority Broke – And How to Place Them Again by Dr. Matthew Weinberg is a timely testament to individual strength and collective potential.

At its foundation, Weingberg’s engaging treatise asks us to interrogate the philosophies that govern our daily existence, what drives our decision-making, and our choices to speak up or remain quiet. In a destabilized world that is becoming increasingly authoritarian, more digital than personal, and more tolerant of willful ignorance, the strength and scale of personal agency […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-05-13T16:37:44+02:00May 13th, 2026|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews, Social Science Book Reviews|

Review: From Woodstock to Wisdom by Vicki Thomas

A thoughtful reflection on choosing happiness and remaining relevant, no matter how many candles are on your cake, From Woodstock to Wisdom: A Boomer’s Journey to 80 by Vicki Thomas is a nostalgic and timely roadmap to the good life.

In this collection of “snackable” essays, the author artfully offers the wisdom she has gained through the trials, travels, and tribulations of a humbly impressive life, with a focus on maintaining a purposeful and satisfying existence in your golden years. Marked by sardonic humor and the willingness to laugh at her own expense, Thomas has a pitch-perfect narrative voice, making […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-06-02T10:11:00+02:00April 28th, 2026|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: The Character Route Tree by Marc R. Schneider

A self-help guide focused on the development of moral integrity and internal strength, The Character Route Tree: A Memoir, a Method, a Mastery of Obsessive Character Development by Marc R. Schneider is an innovative manual for growth, resilience, and situational success.

Penned by an author with a lifetime of experience in navigating the challenges of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, this book is more than a strict resource for others with this diagnosis; it contains his remarkable personal story and the highlights of his life’s work, distilled into a usable reference for people of all walks of life, not only those with […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-04-02T13:32:22+02:00April 1st, 2026|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Memoir Book Reviews, Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: Down to Earth: A Way of Being by Brian Gregory

Exploring everything from childhood development patterns to humanity’s meaning and purpose in the universe, Down to Earth: A Way of Being by Brian Gregory offers a curious and compelling new lens for life.

The book begins with an accessible introduction to popular science, the nature of our universe, the unique history of our planet, and humanity’s immeasurable impact on it, coupled with lesser-known concepts – e.g., holarchies of evolution and developmental thought. These “holonic structures” refer to the ubiquitous interconnections between the whole and part that shape every aspect of life, from “atoms—>molecules—>cells—>organs” at the physical level to “core being—>inner […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-04-28T13:22:10+02:00March 27th, 2026|Categories: Book Reviews|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews, Social Science Book Reviews|

Review: Powerful Mind: 12 Simple Keys by Bill Harvey

A compelling, optimistic, and original approach to mental focus, Powerful Mind: 12 Simple Keys by Bill Harvey is an innovative tool for self-discovery and creative liberation. With the stated aim of helping readers to best utilize the skills and knowledge they already possess, this is an ambitious but undeniably edifying read.

Framed as a second essential piece of his “Mind Magic” methodology, this book explains why his established techniques have proven effective for tens of thousands of people in recent decades. Expanding on the author’s extensive experience working with the “Flow State” – namely, how to access this graceful energetic […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2026-03-11T14:14:16+02:00March 11th, 2026|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|

Review: Being Human: A User’s Guide by David Ellis

A timely consideration of the foibles, failures, and turning points that define our lives, Being Human: A User’s Guide – Past Performance is Not a Guarantee of Future Results by David Ellis is a revealing combination of memoir and self-help manual, and a testament to the liberatory power of self-knowledge.

As a psychologist of more than four decades, Ellis sets out to answer some of the biggest questions that have been brought before him over the course of his career. From uncovering the root causes of our myriad existential problems and seeing the positive side of mistakes to eliminating despair […]

John Staughton, Senior Reviewer2025-12-01T14:33:27+02:00December 1st, 2025|Categories: Book Reviews, Lead Story|Tags: Self-Help Book Reviews|