I'm sadly disappointed with this book. I expected more: more humor, more insight. Instead, each chapter is a very short anecdote that ends with a lesson or other such "wise words," none of which is necessary to understanding the anecdote.

I didn't find much humor in the book. The takeaway lessons from each chapter were nothing earth-shattering or even novel; these are things most people would know. In one case, the author completely contradicts the lesson from chapters only a few pages apart. One of them instructs to reader to rely on feelings and the other NOT to follow one's gut.

My thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

LIFE IS A FOUR LETTER WORD - Dr. David A. Levy

I received this free Kindle book from Net Galley for the purpose of review.

This was such a fun book. Each chapter was about one and a half long in my Kindle. Then there were various two line sayings that are actually very good.

The Shot: When you have to face the inevitable, it's best to just to get it over with.
Now, when you are in the doctor's office or hospital and you learn a shot is coming, the thought is perfect.

The Nature of Attachment: Doing the right thing can be painful.
A truth we all realize and another life isn't fair, - but easier with companionship.

I thought this next one was especially profound for children of all ages, 5-75 - You only know you've gone too far when you've gone too far.

And then there is the one we have all shared with our children and was probably taught us:
If it seems too good to be true, it probably is.

This little book would make a fun coffee table addition in your home or a great little book to discuss all these statements with your children taking one at a time and allowing them to give examples and you as well. Sharing with children is always a benefit.

I highly recommend this book. Just a fun book and quite enjoyable with his short stories.

Thanks to the publisher for an ARC in exchange for my honest review!

So this short book is essentially 40 situations from the author's life with short one sentence lessons that presumably connect to the aforementioned situation.

On one hand, the author writes clearly with a fair amount of humor (properly representing us Jews). It's a pleasant and brief read, I read the bulk of it during the drive to Manchester.

On the other hand, the vast majority of the lessons are fairly vague and not particularly revelatory. That is, "Try hard but not too hard" or "Love something enough to let it go", for example, did not give me a "whoah, I see life differently now".

This is truly a pity because the author has lived an interesting life. I would love to hear about how was it to study in Russia. What was it like to switch from theaters to psychology? How did the divorce impact his connection with the kids? There is so much to learn from this man but I don't feel like it comes from these lessons.

Being a wise ass, I can't help but go, "well no, that's not the lesson from that situation at all" constantly. Come on, knowing why you want to commit suicide is deeply important in order to solve it, the coach is saying those things because the players need to hear support, not technical advice in those moments, women really are different, and so on. This might be a me problem but yeah, I was bothered by that build.

This book is sweet and well written. I'm not quite sure who's the target audience (and yeah, for the future, reading a book of advice for young adults by this guy would be great) but I think if you're up for something light that will remind you of the basics, this book might be a good fit.

<b> What I'm Taking With Me </b>

- Dogs are always great, RIP Zorro.
- I really like Manchester and must return there.
- Am I a little wiser now?

I don’t remember laughing while reading any of these very short essays, but there are certainly things to learn here. As a 63-year-old woman, I feel like I’ve already learned or come to except most of these lessons already, so there really wasn’t anything “new” here for me, but a younger person who hasn’t gone through all the trials and tribulations of life might find it interesting and helpful.

Kudos to the author for making note of his life lessons and keeping track of them so he could share his wisdom with the world.

This is a delightful book of adages to live by. A short personal story accompanies each one. Great, uplifting, reading from a person who is “of a certain age” and embraces learning and common sense. We all have stories to tell that culminate in some sort of advice or learning and can relate to most of the stories.

This is a fast read. I read it in one sitting, but you could definitely take your time and savor it too. Each Life Lesson is something that the author has learned in his life that he illustrates with a short narrative. I found it enjoyable because I don't think there is such a thing as "ordinary people." I think we all have interesting stories to share.

This was a nice, easy read. Some of the "lessons" are similar to ones we all know, but the format is what made this one special. Stories are short and personal and brings each one to life. We all learn best through stories and this is no exception. I read the book straight through, but as a treasured keepsake, one could read the appropriate section that spoke to him/her. Definitely recommend this one. #netgalley #netgalleyreviewer #netgalleyreview #books #bookreview #bookreviewer

Short sweet and too the point. This book gives great life lessons in 90 second stories. I enjoyed this book and it makes you think.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this book in exchange for an honest review.
These short essays each have a life lesson within them. And each is very relatable, which I found appealing since some books like this tend to be somewhat unrelateable.

Super fast, interesting read. I found that I got a lot more out of this book than I was expecting. Pleasantly surprised!

I had high expectations from this book. A psychologist talking about his life is bound to get interesting, right? Wrong.

The book had a few interesting stories, especially the one about Zorro and being a coach but other than that, I wasn't able to draw any life lessons from those stories.

That's the thing about life lessons, they can creep up slowly until suddenly one day you get it. But if you talk about only the story, people won't get it because they haven't lived in your shoes.

I received a free copy of the book from Netgalley.

I loved the short stories throughout this book. It’s so relatable and the kind of book that sticks in your head after you’ve finished. Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this book to review.

Publisher's description: Laugh and Learn with These Life Lessons

Insights from a veteran psychologist: Dr. David Levy is a media consultant who has appeared on over 70 television and radio broadcasts, from CNN to National Geographic, to provide psychological perspectives on current events. His previous works have been published internationally, many of them becoming bestsellers. In this book, Levy approaches readers on a more personal level but carries the same expertise that he’s shared with viewers and listeners worldwide.

Valuable life lessons: Levy’s book takes a different approach than others in the self-help genre. Rather than being instructional, Levy shares bits of wisdom through telling his own stories. In other words, he offers life lessons without lecturing or preaching. Written in a style that is engaging and humorous, readers will find relatable truths in Levy’s uplifting stories and wise advice.

A journey to wisdom: The path to living a smarter lifestyle is not always smooth. Levy encourages readers to embrace all the feelings his book may bring out as they read his stories, from laughing to wincing, and learning along the way. Discover the power of positive thinking as Levy shares a lifetime journey of personal reflections, growth, and wisdom.

Dive into Dr. David Levy’s latest book, Life Is a 4-Letter Word, and find…

• 40 autobiographical essays, each one containing a relatable and applicable life lesson
• A unique source of both humor and inspiration that reassures readers that life is good
• A self-help book for men and women from a published professional in psychology

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What I expected from Dr. David A Levy's "Life is a 4-Letter Word" and what I got were miles apart. Based on the description and the reviews, I understood that this was a book of short essays, but I didn't expect them to be only 1-2 pages at times. That's not an essay. That's barely a vignette. And I expected a lot more humor, something to make me smile and nod, anything to evoke a reaction. The description says that the essays are personal reflections and not preachy. They were definitely personal reflections (to which I could not relate at all), but the "Life Lesson" at the end of each essay definitely made them feel preachy.
• "Empty threats are worse than none at all."
• "Things could always be worse."
• "If it seems too good to be true, it probably is."

While I can appreciate all that Dr. Levy feels he learned personally from these experiences, they were not situations that made me stop and reflect on my own experiences. Not a single one of these life lessons made me sit up and say, "Oh yeah."

This was an incredibly fast read since every chapter was short short short. I try really hard not to leave a book unfinished, so I was glad it was fast and I could just power through, but I would not recommend this.

Thanks to NetGalley and Mango for an advance copy in exchange for an honest review. This title is scheduled for release on January 14, 2020.

Excellent book! Wholeheartedly agree with all of his life lessons. I really liked the way the ideas were presented and they touched me in very personal, heartfelt ways. Having recently lost my dog, Zorro's story brought me to tears. I hope many young people take advantage of Dr. Levy's wisdom: it will save them a lot of pain.

A very conversational book in which the author speaks of episodes of his life and relates life lessons from the episodes. I enjoyed the book greatly. It is an easy read, also a wise read. Turns out, I read one of his earlier books decades ago, and it was nice to read his latest book. If you like reading about life lessons, if you enjoy reading about the travels we all have in our lives, and you enjoy reflection, humor, and a good cry, you will very much enjoy this book.

Life Is a 4-Letter Word contains several short essays from the author's life that taught him valuable life lessons. Each story is inspiring and relatable, with words of wisdom that can be applied to many situations. There were stories that made me laugh and some that made me want to cry (I'm talking about you Zorro). I appreciate that this book teaches the reader that every moment, struggle, or heartbreak is one he or she can take something from. It's made me become more aware about changing my outlook and look for more teachable moments.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.