A relatable and insightful self-help book from a beloved author!

In this examination of the negative power of shame, Brown argues that when we try to conceal our perceived weakness with a carapace of strength, we can cut ourselves off from what is most important and vital in our lives. She advocates eloquently for vulnerability; by allowing ourselves to examine and admit our "weakness", we can uncover our true strength. All well and good, and effectively presented by a woman who clearly knows her stuff. But is it really news? Perhaps it is if you haven't read any self-help or popular psychology books, and perhaps this is the core audience for this book. For me, it presented some familiar self-help ideas in the "respectable" clothing of social science research - nothing wrong with that of course if it can engage a new audience with this kind of stuff.

I read this book in one sitting. A couple of days later, I started reading it again. I hadn't read any self-help books before this one. I normally think "what qualifies this author to advise me on how to live my life?" Well, reading this book was a different experience for me! Daring Greatly is the culmination of 12 years of research and is presented in such a personable manner that you feel like you’re reading advice from a wise and compassionate friend. Brene Brown supports her theories by using personal anecdotes to illustrate instances when she has put her own advice into practice. “Practice what you preach and prove to me what you are selling actually works”, we can’t ask much more of a self-help author.