How to Ditch the How-to

3.5 stars, rounded up.

In this book, Tieler Giles encourages people to consider the wisdom that the Bible offers for life, in contrast to self-help principles that lack the same understanding of human nature, and which cannot offer true grace, salvation, or Spirit-empowered paths towards life change. Giles explains a Christian view of the world, shares personal anecdotes, and compares and contrasts typical self-help principles with teachings from the Bible. She also concludes each chapter with some paradigm shifts or ...action steps, along with a memory verse that people may find helpful for reinforcing these ideas.

Although I enjoyed this book, I found it disappointing that Giles did not provide guidance for how people can still read self-help books while being discerning. I understand why she left the self-help world behind after her unhealthy immersion in it, but for many Christians, secular self-help books can be a useful source of information about psychology, life management skills, and emotional healing. I think that this book would be even more helpful if Giles had laid out advice and ideas for how people can faithfully engage with some self-help resources while still being faithful to Scripture and weighing the truth of what they hear.

This is a great book for Christians and spiritual seekers who are interested in exploring grace-filled, realistic alternatives to self-help ideas. This author's perspective will resonate with other people who have pursued self-help principles and worn themselves out on endless striving, and I would especially recommend this to single, professional women, who will relate to Giles's life stage and many of her experiences.

I received a free copy from the publisher, and am voluntarily leaving an honest review.

For a self-improvement addict, this book was an excellent and grounding read at the end of the year, as I prepared to head into 2025 with dreams and goals a-plenty. Amidst Biblical wisdom and insight for the reader, Tieler Giles shares her story of seeking to better herself, both before and after becoming a Christian. This is no glib “When I became a Christian, I only sought Jesus” testimony. No - Tieler is very real about continuing to look to mindfulness, energy alignment and manifesting to fulfil her dreams, even after she came to faith. It is here where I ...think a lot of us can relate - me included. It is so easy to get distracted by what the world offers, and how to get there, even when we are trying to pursue Jesus. This book gently encourages us to let go of reliance on our own ambitions, but instead to submit our dreams to God - knowing his plan is even better than the best we could aim for. It's probably not a book to read if you're going through a difficult season - the positive, optimistic tone is designed for those who are in a season of growth rather than bereavement or healing - and I'd personally have liked a little more insight into the Holy Spirit's role in shifting our mindset and fulfilling our souls, but overall a very enjoyable and helpful read.

This book discusses Giles journey of self-help and self-improvement methods that are popularly used within Western culture. Within her journey she realized that through each different strategy that she was using, she wasn’t finding the fulfillment, happiness, improvement or overall finding what she was hoping to within that season.
She then contrasts the message she was understanding from the self-help method with what the Bible has to say and overall the difference that was able to make in her life. Giles uses Biblical truth to help the reader understanding their identify in Christ and what that means related to their ...purpose.
This book would be a great read for somebody who is struggling with self-improvement and is looking to the world to understand how they can best improve. This can bring the reader back to remember the truth of who they are and their identity viewed through a lens of grace.