Annoyed with this book

halfway through reading a self-help book by a motivational speaker.
"SUMO" ya might have heard of him?
Wondering if he might be a bit of a narc or a bit of an arse or both or neither?
Just telling people to shut up and move on, even with a few half baked hints and tips and quotations from worthy works by very famous people along the way, could potentially do so much more harm than good to people who have experienced much worse happening to them than being made redundant!
Seems this particular "author" is primarily a business, sales orientated type who is very concerned with success (wonder how much money this book made him?). He says he “studied Psychology for fifteen years" but does not say in what way. Did he do a University Degree, Master, Doctorate, Phd in Educational or Clinical Psychology or other Post-Grad courses? Or did he just Google some articles and read a lot of “pop psychology” self help books like this one he has cobbled together?
I know this may be a "premature verbal ejaculation" as I have not read the whole book yet! I expected the worst but gave it a chance and in some ways it is better than I expected ( som e interesting quotes, wonder if he has actually read William James and Anais Nin or just pinched the quotes from somewhere?) but some bits are just as bad as I feared.
Basically telling an abuse victim to "wear a new t-shirt" and look at things more postitively and stop whining or being a victim without giving good enough advice about how to get over it is bad in my opinion. Then the person is invited not just to feel bad about what happened to them but to also feel bad about not getting over it!!!!
Hate this sale/business oriented self help stuff - and have my reservations about CBT too.
"If you don't get better after this it is YOUR FAULT - YOU DON'T TAKE ENOUGH RESPONSIBILITY YOU WERE NOT POSITIVE ENOUGH!!
Ok, rant over, will try to read the rest in as positive a frame of mind as I can muster and report back when done.

From what you have described that book certainly does sound annoying. I usually find it is better to read books written by people with some professional qualifications and therapy experience. Certainly when it comes to books on abuse and trauma etc there are a lot of good quality books written by professionals so it is not really like there is a lack of resources that means you are forced to read books that give out invalidating messages such as what you have described...

Well - have to confess I can exagerate for effect sometimes - and also to be fair I have not finished it yet.
But the basic premise of it is shut up and move on.
The kind of thing I do wish I could do - but this may not be what I need to do that.
I've put it aside for now - have other/better things to work on/read.
But a counsellor highly reccommended this one and I bought it!

Maybe once you have finished reading it will turn out to be ok. I will be interested to hear if your opinion is any more positive once you have read it the whole way through...

Yeah - if /when i finish it - if it turns out to be good - i will confess - and write a better "review".

Agree, It seems a weird approach by the author...

Hi
George L.'s message took me back to this thread.
To be fair to the author - I finished it and it was not as bad as it appeared when i wrote the earlier review. The author is a "motivational speaker" and is into trying to get us to let go of negatives and help us move on to more postive things in life.
However, I think it is more suited to a sort of business crowd who require alittle motivating and life than for anyone with mental illness because - as I proved - if you only read part of it , it is possible to feel you are being criticised for being down.

This is an objection I have to some CBT courses - and practitioners. The courses are often a bit short and simplistic and can be interpreted to be saying something like -
"Now that you have been taught this wonderful methodology for improving your life - that thinking positive thoughts will make you feel better emotionally and physically and translate into postivie action - if you do not immediately become bright and postive and happy and productive - IT IS YOUR OWN FAULT!"

But - again to be fair - CBT - and the author of this book - do not actually say that - but you can take it that way - if you are negative enough!