Latest news with #selfHelp
The Guardian
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Guardian
‘Deliciously addictive', ‘dripping with suspense': the best Australian books out in June
Science fiction, Pan Macmillan, $34.99 What does it mean to build a new world from the wreckage of a broken one? This question lies at the heart of Jennifer Mills' mesmerising new novel, Salvage, which tracks the fortunes of two estranged sisters: gruff, defensive Jude and spectral Celeste. This is a work of speculative fiction, set in a near-future ravaged by war and climate crisis. To survive the chaos, Jude is convinced she needs to shed her past and avoid attachments. But she's wrong, and the arc of the novel tracks her realisation that building a new world requires care and community. Salvage is a timely and surprisingly optimistic manual for navigating our present polycrisis. – Catriona Menzies-Pike Nonfiction, Simon & Schuster, $36.99 Most self-help books are peppered with personal stories that illustrate their advice. Though the tone is light and chatty, with bullet-point takeaways, that's not what you'll get from The Introvert's Guide to Leaving the House, by frequent the Guardian Australia contributor Jenny Valentish. Instead the book reads like the memoir of a writer who has learned how to help herself. The mirror Valentish holds to readers is not always flattering. She explores tendencies toward grandiosity and the unpleasant impacts inwardness can have on other people. For that reason, her efforts to understand her limited appetite for socialising offer something rare for the self-help genre: genuine insight. – Alyx Gorman Short stories, Simon & Schuster, $32.99 Lucy Nelson's debut collection of stories is centred on women – of a wide range of ages and in many different contexts – who don't have children. Some have chosen their childlessness, others have not. While they differ in the intensity and kinds of emotions this provokes within them, it is never the defining aspect of their lives. Sign up for the fun stuff with our rundown of must-reads, pop culture and tips for the weekend, every Saturday morning Nelson is interested in models of family and of connection, in bodies and their betrayals and consolations, in the lives that women forge for themselves when faced by the unexpected. These stories are fierce and tender, often quirky and hilarious, and driven by great compassion. – Fiona Wright Fiction, Allen & Unwin, $34.99 Shokoofeh Azar migrated from Iran to Australia a decade ago as a refugee, having been arrested multiple times for her work as a journalist investigating human rights abuses. Her second novel is as vividly imaginative as her first, The Enlightenment of the Greengage Tree: it opens as a gigantic, mysterious tree suddenly sprouts up in the family home of teenager Shokoofeh, our narrator. No one outside the family seems to be able to see the tree but it brings with it mind-expanding freedoms – just as the Iranian revolution begins and reality grows violent. This novel is packed with ghosts, magical palaces, fortune tellers and folk stories; it could be described as magical realism, though Azar writes with a flair that sets her apart from the South American giants that have dominated the genre. – Sian Cain Fiction, UQP, $34.99 Thomas Vowles' debut is one of the most tense and disturbing novels I've read in a long time. Ash, new to Melbourne, has fallen in love with James, a man he met on Grindr. At a house party he witnesses a violent interaction involving James's new boyfriend, Raf. Ash is desperate to find out the truth about Raf – trouble is, no one believes him, and his unrequited feelings for James might be clouding his judgment and grip on reality. Vowles' background as a screenwriter is evident in the deliciously addictive – and stressful – way the story unfolds, with the narration becoming unreliable, and unhinged as Ash descends into madness. – Giselle Au-Nhien Nguyen Poetry, Giramondo, $27 What history forgets, families remember. In her debut collection, Chinese Fish, Grace Yee forged a bridge between the two and announced herself as a poet to watch. In Joss: A History, she continues that potent project – blending family testimony with archival fragments to trace her connection to colonial Bendigo. These are poems of grit and ritual, erasure and persistence, bureaucracy and grace, gold dust and Chinese cemeteries. Here, among the segregated gravestones, Yee captures the cruel, beautiful and ever-messy work of making a place in the world. 'What dreams weather beneath these mounds,' she writes, 'what fierce agitations churn the night.' – Beejay Silcox Science fiction, NewSouth Books, $34.99 Sign up to Saved for Later Catch up on the fun stuff with Guardian Australia's culture and lifestyle rundown of pop culture, trends and tips after newsletter promotion This is a really charming and fun reworking of the Dracula story that reimagines the Demeter – the ship that transports Dracula to London in Bram Stoker's novel – as a spaceship, 2,293 days into her voyage transporting humans from Earth to Alpha Centauri. The Demeter is a chatty spacecraft – in fact, she is our narrator, haphazardly trying to keep her passengers from dying at the hands of the ancient vampire who has made his way onboard. If you know the Dracula story, you'll find this enjoyable – there is a distinctly unhinged touch to the humour that I suspect Terry Pratchett fans will like. – SC Fiction, Simon & Schuster, $34.99 The pernicious pleasantries, the boardroom politics, the happy hours and the sad snack drawers: all the grinding machinations of office culture crescendo to a quivering peak in Sinéad Stubbins' very funny, very horrifying novel Stinkbug. An advertising agency gets restructured (likely story); everyone is sent on a work retreat (likely story); it might actually be a cult? (likelier than you think). Like a chunnering conversation with your worst colleague, Stinkbug is claustrophobic. Stubbins faithfully captures the cadences of corporate small talk and dials them up into a nightmarish cacophony of efficiency reports and pitch decks. You'll want to work from home for ever. – Michael Sun Fiction, Text Publishing, $34.99 Gail Jones is a prolific writer – this is her 11th novel – but The Name of the Sister is somewhat of a departure. Fans of her lucid, beautiful prose won't be disappointed, but this is a thriller, set in Sydney and Broken Hill. Familiar themes – identity, the nature of truth and memory – remind us of other books Jones has written (including One Another and Five Bells) but The Name of the Sister is dripping with suspense and intrigue. Driven by complex female characters, this novel is an intellectual page-turner. – Joseph Cummins Fiction, Ultimo, $34.99 When Eva Novak returns to Australia, mysteriously summoned by her long-estranged sister, she is shocked to find Elizabeta dead in her home. The pair haven't spoken for a decade, since the crash that killed Eva's young daughter; Elizabeta was behind the wheel and hadn't strapped Gracie in. Broken by grief and fury, Eva has two weeks to sort through the estate of the woman who killed her daughter – a task she sets to with a detached purposefulness that becomes increasingly devastating under Peričić's taut prose. But as she sifts through the house for all the documents she needs, Eva uncovers a far more complicated picture of what really happened that day – and how trauma can twist memories and recast entire lives. – Steph Harmon Nonfiction, Murdoch Books, $34.99 Nathan Dunne, an Australian journalist, was living in London when he decided to go night swimming in Hampstead Heath. In the cold water he experienced what is known as depersonalisation: a severe dissociative illness that left him unsure about who he was and what was real; a terrifying and debilitating state of having no sense of self: 'In a single moment, a split second, I had been locked away, condemned to wander in a body that was not my own.' This fascinating account charts his recovery, his research into a little-understood condition and his discovery of a whole community of people who have experienced it. – SC Fiction, Hachette Australia, $32.99 Historical novels set among the mid-century upper crust aren't that unusual but choosing an Australian prime minister's wife as a heroine certainly is. Though the novel opens with Harold Holt's disappearance, the 'year' in the title isn't quite accurate: instead Zara reflects on her memories of their entire relationship since 1927, in digestible, dialogue-heavy prose. Although you know from the outset that the story will take a tragic turn, the opening chapters of Kimberley Freeman's novel are fun and foamy. As Zara Holt was a fashion designer, there's a generous helping of very good frocks, too. – AG
Daily Mail
28-05-2025
- Business
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE Jim's Mowing reveals shock move nobody saw coming: 'It's real'
The millionaire founder of Jim's Mowing has expanded his business empire and now offers professional life advice to customers. Jim's Life Coaching was registered in March 2024, joining a more than 50-strong cohort of service businesses under the Jim's Group banner. Even though the business has been around for longer than a year, many Aussies are still wrapping their heads around the idea. 'This almost seems like satire,' one Reddit user commented. 'It's real,' another insisted. 'What doesn't Jim do now?' a third asked. Founder Jim Penman told Daily Mail Australia the life coaching business was no joke. 'We get all sorts of strange things being suggested to us. Some people even put up logos. There was one for Jim's Brazil Waxing and all kinds of things,' he said. 'But no, this is serious.' The business was first pitched by head life coach Sue Thomas, a former student of self-help author Bob Proctor. A cancer survivor previously beleaguered by mental health complications, Ms Thomas took the lessons learnt in seven years under Mr Proctor to heart. 'I did one of his short programs and it transformed my life,' she said. 'I was blown away to see that this could be taught to people, because I had struggled a lot with anxiety, depression and had cancer myself because of all the stress that was living within my mind.' 'And when I realised I could share it and teach it and help transform people's lives, I started doing it straight away.' The idea to take her life coaching services to Jim's Group came several years later, when she took on a Jim's Building franchisee as a client. 'When I saw the amount of people in Jim's Group, wow, they've got all these people in there I know need help, because the majority of people do. 'So I thought, "Wow. How could I get in there?"' A trained life coach and leader of a fortnightly Crossroads Baptist Church 'life group' himself, Mr Penman saw the vision - but not exactly the way Ms Thomas had pitched it. 'She had this system that was set up to be based on an American product, but it was fantastically expensive,' Mr Penman said. 'That was the biggest issue. The people doing it just can't find enough clients because the costs are too high, because there's huge amounts of money going back to this US corporation. 'So when she brought it to me, I said, 'Okay, what we need to do is for you to set up the system, but allow it to be done so that, you know, basically we own the IP so we can actually provide it cost-effectively'.' 'That's kind of where it came from. I know the idea. I love it. I know it works. It's very effective, but it just needs to be done in a cost effective manner.' Encouraged, Ms Thomas spent months creating a franchise model for a homegrown life coaching industry - one with Ms Thomas as head coach, responsible for selecting and training all franchisees. By design, Jim's Life Coaching so far has just one franchisee based in Ballarat, Victoria and, while it took a while to get it off the ground, Mr Penman said it was an early moneymaker. 'It's going slower than most divisions. I think simply because one of the things we're concerned about is that it's not quite like something like dog washing or mowing where it's easy to get a flood of leads. 'You've really got to be cautious. That the life coaching industry suffers from a lack of oversight and a less than desirable reputation is an open secret. Asked what she made of the venture, Australian Association of Psychologists president Sahra O'Doherty was unreserved in her criticism. 'This seems to be yet another organisation capitalising on a broken mental health system, where accessing a qualified and affordable mental health professional is already fraught with confusion and challenges,' she told Daily Mail Australia. 'Life coaches have existed for quite some time, but we know that the title is unregulated - anyone can call themselves a "life coach" or a "dating coach" or any kind of "coach" with any qualification, or no qualification at all. 'This creates confusion for the consumer, and places both them and the provider at risk.' But Mr Penman insisted it was important to keep in mind the difference between life coaching and traditional therapy. 'I would not see life coaching as an alternative to professional counselling,' he said. 'Most of our clients have no specific psychological issues but simply want to live more successful lives.' All Jim's Group franchisees are offered no-cost access to licensed therapists. Life coaching, he said, services another need. Ms Thomas agreed, claiming therapy is more focused on addressing past traumas and experiences, whereas life coaching tends to be more future-oriented. 'We start off with, you know... what would you like your life to be like? What would you like to be happening? 'The most common answer is: "I don't have a goal. I wouldn't know what I want in my life." And they just tell me all the all the reasons why they can't have anything they want in their life. 'And that's where most people's minds are at, stuck in the past, and they're not thinking about their future.'
RNZ News
27-05-2025
- Health
- RNZ News
Feature interview: How to overcome a victim mindset
Newsflash. No one's life is perfect. But we've managed to turn everyday suffering into social currency and being a victim into a competitive sport says renowned psychologist Dr Scott Barry Kaufman. In the age of TikTok therapy, typical difficult feelings are treated like a diagnosis. Dr Kaufman says that while some adversity is real, it can be the start of the story not the end of it. His new book offers insights about taking personal responsibility and embracing the idea that our greatest challenges can result in our greatest victories. The book is called Rise Above: Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself, and Realize Your Full Potential. To embed this content on your own webpage, cut and paste the following: See terms of use.
Daily Mail
26-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
I'm proof you CAN find your soulmate online in later life: KATE MUIR
In midlife, Kate Muir's life imploded when she left her husband, had an affair, and lost her job and her mother in the space of a few years. Here, in the final extract of her extraordinary self-help book, she reveals the ups and downs of dating online and why it really can be worth it...
Daily Mail
08-05-2025
- Health
- Daily Mail
For years, I was branded with one 'personality disorder' after another. At 41, I learned the shocking truth that had been staring me in the face the whole time: CORRINE BARRACLOUGH
The first time I walked into a psychiatrist's office, I was 22 years old. My first marriage was falling apart and I was drinking far too much. Of course, those two things were inextricably linked - I just couldn't see it then.
