Something More: Excavating Your Authentic Self

Rating:
Summary: Something More - Inspiring Reading
Review: I had already read Simple Abundance (SA) and found that very uplifting. I bought SA for my friends and mother. I just finished Something More and found it a wonderful book too. I was especially moved by SBB's section on the passing of the neighborhood child. Her writing seems so very personal and deeply moving to me. Each chapter and section gave me so much to think about. I loved it and would highly recommend it. Her writing has really changed my life for the better and for what it's worth my deepest thanks and gratitude go out to SBB for sharing the works with me. This book and SA really made a positive difference in my life.

Rating:
Summary: A disjointed, disappointing book....
Review: I have loved SIMPLE ABUNDANCE, Sarah Ban Breathnach's preceeding book, with a passion. She inspired me, uplifted me and helped me through a sad chapter in my life with her book. Unfortunately, just as Simple Abunandance lifted me up, I found SOMETHING MORE to be depressing, angry and very disjointed. I had a hard time following the author's train of thought. Was she expressing spiritual insights ? Where was she taking all these anecdotes ? Did she have a POINT ?

I realize that no one book is going to have all the answers for all people, but I have found this book to start down many fascinating paths, but explore none of them. I also found that the author's divorce was clearly reflected in the way she wrote this book. I heard a lot of anger and bitterness, which while understandable in a grieving woman, is unattractive and difficult to read in a book that's meant to inspire and uplift.

One particular anecdote involved a terrible tragedy befalling a family's loss of 6 year old daughter. I found the description of this to be profoundly peculiar and in very poor taste. I was struck somewhere between feeling deep empathy for a young mother in crisis and being disgusted by some make-believe rituals prior to burial.

I found there to be a few thought provoking chapters but overall, I simply didn't care for this book. I did find her title appropriate---this book left me wanting SOMETHING MORE !

Rating:
Summary: Refund Please!
Review: It did not take long for me to run back to the bookstore and demand a REFUND.
Obviously Breathnach has chip on her shoulder -- and used this book as a vehicle for its expression!

Rating:
Summary: Some valuable insights, but often frustrating
Review: Something More: Excavating Your Authentic Self is an unusual book. I have never read the author's celebrated Simple Abundance, so I had no basis for comparison with her previous work. Something More is different from most self-help books that I've read in that it's more of a meditation than a specific framework for solving particular problems.

The book's intention is to inspire women to search for "something more" in their lives through a collection of the author's personal experiences and examples from lives of other women, both fictional and real. She draws lessons from these assorted stories and presents them in a series of short, often one- or two-page chapters. There are also a number of exercises at the end of six sections of the book, aimed to give the reader an opportunity to rediscover her "authentic self."

I found the book to be frustrating at times. First of all, the short sub-chapters are often disjointed and there appears to be very little flow in the development of ideas. Rather, the entire book consists more or less of short meditations, some of which are quite insightful, while others are simply impenetrable. Second, the author was trying to resolve some deep personal issues while working on this book, and this unfortunately taints both the lessons and the overall mood of the book. Recently divorced, she was clearly still very bitter. For this reason, she can often come across as advocating selfishness to women, although I think that this is merely her way of dealing with a personal disappointment and struggling to regain self-confidence. Finally, the exercises that she suggests might be helpful to some (especially people who have saved many mementos from their childhood, since her idea of rediscovering your authentic self involves going through these old items), but they struck me as somewhat contrived and ultimately not very helpful.

Nevertheless, I did enjoy reading the book and appreciated some of its insights. Some of the discussion is quite thought-provoking and can certainly help one gain confidence, self-awareness, and resilience, especially in difficult times of one's life.

Rating:
Summary: Compelling...
Review: Unlike many of the more recent reviewers here, I did not read "Simple Abundance" before I started the sequel. Also unlike many of the recent reviewers, I found "Something More" to be incredibly insightful, wonderfully written and a true gift FROM as well as TO the Soul.

I found the life stories within this book to be beautifully encouraging and inspiring, rather than depressing and anger-filled as several have noted. Life is an adventure, fraught with disappointment and sadness, as well as all the other "cozy" feelings we seek and need. And I, for one, am glad she didn't pull any punches and told things just as they are.

Excavating, searching, looking and definitely *finding* your Authentic Self takes a lot of courage. We all have it. THAT's what this book is all about and it gives us some concrete tools with which to do this. Thank you, Sarah, for daring to speak your Truth and helping so many of us along the way.

Read it. You won't regret it if you listen to your heart along the way.