Book Reviews of Help Yourself: Finding Hope, Courage, and Happiness

This has always been my favorite book. If you ever feel like your life is bad or you start to feel down about yourself, take a peak inside the life of Dave.

Dave Pelzer survived one of the worst child abuse cases ever recorded in the state of California. His mother, a mentally disturbed alcoholic, tortured and abused him throughout his childhood--smashing his face into a mirror, forcing him to swallow ammonia, and making him sit on a burning stove, among other heinous cruelties. In his bestselling memoirs, A Child Called It and The Lost Boy, Pelzer recounts his horrific childhood, demonstrating how inner resilience helped him survive and even become a highly caring and accomplished adult. (He was eventually selected as one of Ten Outstanding Young Americans.)

Although Pelzer has a graduate degree in the school of hard knocks, he never got a chip on his shoulder. In this self-help book, Pelzer sticks with his warm and plainspoken narrative style to offer advice on how to help yourself overcome adversity and let go of the past. Wisely, Pelzer often deflects attention away from his overpowering story. Instead, he offers anecdotes that pertain to more common, everyday scenarios: you feel taken advantage of at work but are afraid to quit; you have unresolved issues with your spouse. His guidance is familiar, such as never go to bed upset and tackle problems as they arise--don't let them fester. It may sound simplistic, but sometimes that's just what we need--a trustworthy ally who can dole out "been there" advice in a straightforward style. --Gail Hudson

Awesome, Awesome book. Help yourself and read the book. I read all of Dave's books and you will be amazed how he overcame a childhood full of extreme abuse at the hands of a mentally ill mother.

Started reading but lost interest half way through. Not the same as the other books by the same author. This is basically a self-help type book.

Very positive self-help book

This book is the 4th book in a series. If you've read "A Child called It" and the other 2 books after it, you'll have to have this.

A powerful book from the author of "A Boy Called "It". He was abused mercilessly by his mother as a child, Dave turns his past into a positive by helping those who have gone through the same things that he endured.

An easy read that can truely make your life happy. Filled with recaps of his 1st 3 books, Dave Pelzer gives down to earth advice on how to handle situations in your life! A classic book!!!

In Help Yourself, Dave explains how we can move beyond a painful history, harmful negative thought, and innumerable setbacks by taking control and being accountable for our lives. Filled with his own history as well as the personal struggles of those who have followed his three-step plan for turning adversity into triumph, Help Yourself is a rousing call to people who want real answers to real problems.

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