Rating: 
Summary: This book is a nice reminder
Review: I haven't finished listening to the audiotape, and I haven't read Simple Abundance. While this book does not say anything extraordinarily new, it's a nice reminder that we can be happy without achieving material gain, and we can be unhappy despite being successful as career women, partners, mothers and friends.
Rating: 
Summary: A Big Swing From "Simple Abundance".
Review: After having sold at least 50 copies everywhere I went in my initial praises of "Simple Abundance", I was quite disappointed at this book. After reading it, I personally knew of only one woman who would relate; a newly divorced woman with grown children. I sent her a copy and received a thank you note saying that the book was a life saver/changer for HER. Hmmm... So what happened? "Simple Abundance" appealed to me since it seemed to reach "everywoman". Tragically, it appears that the enormous success of that book changed the author's cozy life and "Something More" has a tinge of anger at her new solitary life. As such, I would recommend this book to single women or women with grown children searching for that "something more" - whether it be in career or relationships. But, if you are in the throes of a young family - you already have your "more than enough" and this book is not for you.
Rating: 
Summary: Uplifting
Review: I found Something More: Excavating Your Authentic Self very inspiring and very uplifting. She is not offering a cure-all, solve your problems type of information, Sarah Ban Breathnack is giving her listeners insights on soul searching, thinking about themselves and coming to terms by telling stories of other women who have questioned their role in life, questioned their feelings about home and family, as well as children, lovers, and friends. I found myself as I was listening to the tapes, say "that's how I feel!" After listening to her tapes I found I could say that my feelings about myself and others was real, was normal, was o.k. At 46 years old, I wanted to believe that my life has had meaning and has had a positive effect on others. Her stories re-affirmed what I already knew about myself, yet also made me take another look at myself and my life. I would recommend Something More to anyone who has felt overwhelmed by life and the obligations of being a woman. These tapes are a feel good, my life is alot better than I thought kind of listening.
Rating:
Summary: Didn't read Simple Abundance so....
Review: I can't compare this one. I will say that I found this book to touch the core of my life as it is at this point. I'm approaching 50, though, and I'm not really sure it's a book for women under maybe 40! I found the anecdotes of women's lives and experiences to be reassuring in the sense that we need to know we're really not alone in how we feel as, what we experience as and how we approach being women. Sarah's approach to being a woman mirrors my discoveries for myself and the woman I'm becoming. While I didn't agree with everything, i.e. I don't believe in soul mates at this point, I did find her insights into our needs, dreams, anxieties, foibles and even "angers" to be dead on based on the woman I happen to be. At times I felt she was actually encouraging leaving relationships, but I must admit that since I'm anxious to discover the moment that is right for leaving mine, I found her words somehow comforting. I do not believe, however, that she is encouraging all women to divorce their husbands, but to finally simply realize their worth as an individual. I think the point is that once we do that we can heal those relationships that are salvageable and finally see those that aren't for what they are. I can see how some would see it as selfish because to a large extent she is encouraging us to be selfish, but I think as grownups we can certainly decipher what she ultimately means by the kind of selfishness that we must move toward. This book might not be for every woman, but it's one that I'm heartily recommending to my women friends.
Rating: 
Summary: What a mixed up mess!
Review: After just finishing Excavating Your Authentic Self ,I have to wonder if this is the same Sarah Ban Breathnach that penned Simple Abundance?! She writes so self-absorbed,self-centered and pathologically needy in this lastest daybook. And her pic at the back of the book seems to visualize her neurotic self-importance.
Rating: 
Summary: The Fine Art of Whining
Review: Naively, I misunderstood the 'authentic self' in the subtitle, I was thinking in Jungian terms, that is, who we are in our souls and behind the materialistic layers and personas we wear. That's not what this book is about, it's about piling on the stuff. Still, never let it be said that I'm not fun. I looked around my house for magazines with glossy pictures, as required by the exercises. I found computer, investment, and environmental magazines...okay, I'm not fun. But still game, I did get as far as tearing out a few pictures of expensively-attired, skinny, teenaged models. I noted with some interest that not only did I not look like that, neither did the models, they were air-brushed. I wasn't sure if this meant my Authentic Self might be an Anime cartoon character, because around this point I got lost and just tried to read the book for its wisdom, and got further lost. It's not that it doesn't have any wisdom, some of the points taken by themselves are valid enough. I agree with the sentiment that all women deserve to be treated like queens. I'd also be agreeable if someone said we deserve to have lightening flashing from our fingertips. But the book is quite serious in its insistence that we all need to find rich young studs, who will coincidently also be our soul-mates, to do the treating, and that we should dump our husbands along with our worn-out undies pronto and get searching. Finding new underwear is excitement enough for me, I'm confused as to where we're all going to find rich young studs waiting for us to take advantage of them. Some alternate reality, perhaps? Besides, I'm extremely fond of my husband, and since Brad Pitt is now married (and probably leery of stalkers to boot), I decided to disregard the advice. This book presents the type of woman I most loathe, the greedy, self-absorbed, 'gimme-gimme' type. They have a desperation about them that's ugly. I was especially cynical about some of the buzz-words in the book. "Soul-mates' is one, I've heard too many people claim they've found their 'soul-mate' and had the relationship not last a weekend. And 'passion' should have a deeper meaning than naked lust. I'm not as clueless as to who I really am as this book would suggest and I can't imagine too many women are, unless they've been tied for years in a basement or have just awakened with amnesia. One positive thing about the book - I hated the shallow image so much that I was forced to look at my own faults, and resolved to be less demanding and whiny and more appreciative of my husband. In effect, I got from it the opposite of what I was supposed to.
Rating:
Summary: Outstanding Book for Women!
Review: I read this book about 2 mos. ago and have recommended it to many women since. My only regret is that I did not read this when I was much younger -- I think I would not have made as many mistakes in my life. A great book for women struggling to gain self-esteem and direction!
Rating:
Summary: Something More to learn about ourselves!
Review: In this eloquent & evocative workbook, you are invited along on the exploration of your life: its times, its relationships & its fears. Marvelous mysteries are unearthed & much healing occurs. The beauty of this book leaps out of the pages & its margins are now filled with notations from my own life. Something for every time you feel worthless, when your choices seem self-destructive, when you feel you have little faith & less courage. Wonderful stuff!
Rating:
Summary: a big disappointment
Review: After hearing some much about this author, I decided to readthis book. I am glad I didn't buy it but borrowed it from thelibrary. I found this book very boring and hard to follow. Some chapters were so incoherent that I couldn't make sense of what the author message was. I love reading but this book did nothing to make me feel it was worth spending my time on it so I put it down and returned it to the library way before its due date.
Rating:
Summary: Almost As Abundant
Review: "something More" is very enjoyable, however after Simple Abundance, anything would fall a little short. This book seems to be geared toward people with issues that REALLY need answering and not so much for the everyday gal. It was, however, humorous and did give some insights into solving the snags of everyday life.
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