Review: An unrealistic self-help book...1 1/2 Stars
Rating: 1 out of 5
Date: 12 17, 2011
"The Flinch" is a short self-help book from author Julien Smith.This was a 855 Kb download from Amazon.com and was free at the time of this writing.Definition...'flinch'...to draw back or shrink, as from what is dangerous, difficult or unpleasantThis is a book that talks (repeatedly) about the natural human reaction to avoid  whatever it is that seems unpleasant or threatening to us...in other words, things that make us 'flinch'.And this is the message of the entire book, expressed over and over again with some minor variations of wording.Impressions...I had concerns for this book.It seems to assume that the goals of this book are easily accomplished with little effort. There may be some who may be ready or would be able to withstand the effort to mentally succeed at each and every flinch provoking event. But I doubt many, including myself, would have the stamina to fight every urge to conquer every perceived threat to one's usual pattern of doing things.  I don't think I'd have the energy or even the wish to combat every 'flinching' moment that I encountered in the run of an ordinary day.One of the first tests to try out your new commitment to not flinching is to take an ice cold shower, and once accomplished, repeat it every day for a week.  The question is why...why would I want to do such a thing?...just to demonstrate my new idealistic approach. I don't know about everyone else but I'm perfectly happy with my less than ideal, non-perfect flinching life-style.Yes, there are time when I stand up to what needs to be done, but there are other times that I try to weigh the cost before I commit to an act that may have significant repercussions. And you know what...I can live very comfortably within myself, with that attitude.These type of self-help, self-awareness books often have a great initial appeal because they sound like the 'correct' thing to do. However, having said that, I'd fathom a guess that most who try this regime will last only a short time. And there's nothing wrong with this suggested approach, it's just that I think it unrealistic for most over the long term. And the reason for this is that we are after all, only human beings, with our own and unique strengths and shortcomings. And that makes us who and what we are...flinchers.Cover art that is truly ugly...it accomplished its purpose and certainly caught my attention. Made me flinch.Conclusion:I felt the author was sincere with his ideas...that this was not just another money making scheme (the book was free to download). However the premise for the book puts forth an overly idealistic goal, one that sounds like it belongs in a Utopian state.There may be a few who could benefit from this technique...that would view this as a wake-up-call if you will, but even fewer I suspect, with the fortitude to maintain it.As it is...1 1/2 StarsRay Nicholson