Rating: 
Summary: Kind, Gentle Questions for Self-Knowledge and Connecting
Review: Novelists often decry the loss of self in modern civilization. Rather than reading a book that encourages you to feel alienated, how about using this one to become better acquainted with yourself and others?In a busy, hustle-bustle lives, there is too little time for human contact. Psychological intimacy becomes all the more valuable. But where to start? All About Me is a psychological profile of you, after you fill it out. I found it to be a heart-warming experience, to get back in touch with myself . . . especially sides of myself that even I don't see very often. I probably could not have come up with questions that would have worked nearly this well for myself. Then, I began to think . . . hmmm, what if the people I care about filled out one of these books too? I'll bet they would be thrilled that I cared enough to give them one, and I'm sure to learn lots of great things that will be the basis of many wonderful discussions. Then, encouraged by the book's introduction, I began to see the possibility of using these questions as part of a parlor game. You could do a sort of round-robin, and explain your answers and expand upon them as you go. That would certainly beat most cocktail and dinner party conversations. Then, I thought, you could just ask people these questions wherever you find them. They would make great icebreakers and would be very interesting. I think you get the idea. A single question can be the fulcrum to move the world, or at least your perception of it. What are the questions about in this book? Just about everything you can imagine: favorites, fruits of your labors, morals, God, opinions, family relations, friends, likes and dislikes, wishes and dreams, emotions (who makes you most happy?), memories, choices, fears (even measurements of them), psyche, your social relationships (called cat and mouse), sexuality, ifs, and views. The nice thing about the questions is that they are neutral, so you won't feel put on the spot. Instead, they open you up like the petals of a flower in the dewy morning. Let me leave you with a question. Wouldn't you like to have had a version of this book filled out by your parents and grandparents to remember them by? If you agree, you should do this for your children and grandchildren. If you don't want to share all of these things with them, make your own version that you do want to share. Banish your stalled thinking about the unavoidability of isolation in the modern world!
Rating:
Summary: A Sucker for Self Discovery...
Review: Okay...I admit it, I love things like this. Things that make you look deeper into yourself, to find the person you may or may not be aware existed. I bought this book on a whim, I had some extra time at home for the holidays and decided to spend a part of it "soul-searching." This book was the perfect remedy for that craving. It is interesting, and packed with questions that I would have never thought to ask myself. Upon buying it, I told my boyfriend, sure that he'd roll his eyes at the thought...instead, he was interested, and even willing to participate. Surprisingly, I'm ordering one for him very soon. Also, I'm planning to order it for a very close college friend, since she is interested in this type of thing as well. As we are graduating fairly soon and going our seperate ways I want to give her something to remember me by. The questions are fun, some thought provoking, but all are sure to make you think of something that is very dear to you: family, friends, and yes, yourself. I definitely recommend this for couples who have been a part of each other's lives for some time, even after years together it will show you sides of them you may have never known until now. Also, it makes a great gift for a family member, or close friend that you'd like to offer a sentimental present to that has more personality than a gift certicate.
Rating: 
Summary: Lacking
Review: This is a nice.. beginner journal about the self. It would also make a wonderful present for a teenager or someone who may want a more sillier type of question. It has quite a few questions that are one line answers, and questions to me that don't really seem all that interesting or needed for a true "About My Life" journal fanatic. Silly questions are the "How do you put the toliet paper on" type of questions. It may be a cute gift or research method if your starting to get serious in a relationship and you want to find out some facts about someone. However, if your looking for a journal that you want to be able to fill out, and pass down to generations to get a real sense of who you are, you should look elsewhere.
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