(Book Review)

“Many of society’s “rules” simply don’t apply to us as individuals, and if we spend all our energy on trying to be, do, say, and act like society wants us to, we are simply wasting time we could be spending on discovering and connecting with our Best Self. Self-care is foundational to living your ideal life”.
Mike Bayer

Mike Bayer’s book is a popular science publication on motivational and psychological orientation. This brunch of literature has a great demand on the modern world book market because self-development topic is very popular recently years.

The book has thirteen chapters. At the beginning, the author explains why we seek to change our life, and what tools and methods we can use to achieve it. Mike Bayer offers to readers his concept of “Super-I” and “Anti-I” that helps us to control and analyze our positive and negative personality traits, to restrain emotional impulses. At the end of each chapter, the author gives tests that allow us to analyze one or another area of ​​our life and make conclusions about the need for changes in it. The publication also contains many practical tasks and questions. Their aim is to push the readers to rethink their attitude toward their own life and surroundings.

The target audience of the book is so varied ― from young people to the elderly; it can be a person of different genders, nationalities, and marital statuses. The author is unbiased about the personality of the reader. He covers different areas of human life. First of all, psychologists will be interested in the book, as well as everyone who is interested in psychological practices, exercises, and personal development. Important note: this book isn’t a substitute for consultations with a psychologist, but it can attract positive changes in your life in perspective.

The problems that exist in our lives are similar to many people on the planet. Many of us have troubles with self-esteem, aggression, strength of will, motivation in work and communication. So that is the reason why the thoughts and options for getting out of crisis life situations, which the author offers, can be useful for everyone.

In the book, the author often relies on the papers and research results of foreign psychology scientists. He also uses his own knowledge from his experience. He gives many examples from his own life and the lives of his patients, which makes the material easier to understand. In the creating book process, the author turned to specialists, doctors, nutritionists, and sports coaches, which made it possible to convey scientific information about our health to the recipients in the most accurate and understandable way.

So, the book mark is 6 out of 10, because of the presence of a lot of general information (“water” in the text) that overloads the text. Some chapters could be shorter and more clearly. But if you are into motivational literature, and you believe in the word power, you should read the book “Best Self: Be You, Only Better” for becoming the best version of yourself.