The irony is not lost on me… I chose to write my first Issuesgirl book review about the book that may finally put an end to my compulsive self-help book purchasing. Seems like a dead-end choice, I know. But while this is a thought-provoking, important perspective on the elusive path to happiness, I doubt it’s going to stop me from devouring some other self-proclaimed “expert’s” blabber. So fear not, IG Reader, there are more book reviews coming your way.

But I digress.

Is this book worth reading? Absolutely. The message of this book is, essentially, “think for yourself.” I like that message. Dr. Pearsall asks you to develop a “contrarian consciousness” as you read or hear new ideas, even his own. Even if ideas feel right, he says we should think about them, even argue against them, before we accept them. He also reminds us that the book business is just that - a business - and any given book’s contents and format might have more to do with sales than with psychology.

He also challenges some of our basic assumptions in the modern self-help realm. Pearsall suggests that co-dependence is not always bad, and is a normal part of healthy relationships; that at times it is appropriate to have a negative attitude or to give up hope; that getting in touch with and expressing one’s feelings is not all that important. This guy is like the anti-Dr. Phil.

Some aspects of this book rubbed me the wrong way, though. There is a whole chapter on why we should stop fighting the aging process, in which Pearsall bemoans botox and hair dye. And while I agree that “getting older is an accomplishment and a blessing” (p.174) and something we should accept, he completely ignores society’s gender-based double standard. I can’t help but wonder if he’d be so jazzed up about his wrinkles and gray hair if he’d been born a woman. I’m not suggesting that women should run out and botox away every sign of being 40-something, but I think we deserve some acknowledgment for the additional pressure we face when it comes to youthful appearance.

But all in all, I think this is a book that would benefit the brains of most Americans. We need to think for ourselves, worry less about our own feelings, and start paying more attention to the needs of those around us.