A CBT based self help book that is to help build your resilience and believe in yourself.
It’s not necessarily something you read all the way through but pick out what you need at the time and refer back to it as needed.
Similar techniques used for depression and anxiety and I suppose it can all be interlinked so wasn’t exactly new information all of the time.
Some real life stories in there to support the narrative but those are never something I enjoy reading, I always just prefer to have the facts and info.

The author was fairly patronising and unsympathetic throughout this book. Telling people to just be happier and stop being getting upset about issues they face seems far too simplistic for those facing real issues in their life.

Shake it off!: Build emotional strength for daily happiness by Rafael Santandreu is a self-help book for those looking to bolster their mental health by changing patterns of negative thinking in daily life, thereby building emotional strength and resilience that will not only see you through the hard times, but also help you to see when the times are not as hard as you think...allowing you to save your mental energy for when you need it (phew!). I spent a lot of time with this book in part because I had conflicting feelings about it. On the one hand, as a librarian and reader advocate, I appreciated the accessible language used in this book, especially given the subject matter. However I also had a hard time sinking into the book because the language felt SO casual and at times almost salesy. Santandreu does a good job of quickly and simply communicating the main premise of the book, which is that negative thinking creates negative patterns, and that negative thinking can be changed. He uses many case studies to illustrate the finer points, however he admits that he doesn’t want to bog down the text with lengthy quotes, data sets, and citations (and in some cases uses his own experience with patients) and for me that made the cases feel less real and more like convenient examples polished up for the purpose. None of this takes away from the book’s thesis, or makes its tips and guiding principles less valuable, I guess I’m the sort of reader that likes quotes, data sets, and citations to ground new information for me. Readers who enjoy self-help books that use clear and direct language presented in an accessible, non-academic format will find this book useful, as will anyone looking seeking to understand how their thinking may be limiting their life potential (and I think that’s most of us).

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing an advance copy for review.

Great practical, pragmatic suggestions on how to increase your daily happiness.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for my ARC. All opinions are my own.

I have read a number of psychology titles that have been written by those in the U.S.  This title is by a leading Spanish psychologist.  It is a helpful book for those who are working on issues in life...aren't we all?  The approach is that of CBT, or cognitive behavioral therapy, which is currently a very popular treatment option.  The author intersperses stories about people and patients in the very readable text which also includes techniques and explanations.  Recommended for those who seek some help as well as their helpers, including their therapists.


Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this title in exchange for an honest review.

I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

This is the first self help type book I've ever read and I really enjoyed it. It's not the type of book that you sit down and read in a couple of hours though. I've taken my time with it and thought about each chapter as I've finished. It provided a few light bulb moments for me. I love the stories he's included and it made the material and ideas easy to understand and relatable. I also loved the bullet points at the end of the chapters. It helped to sum up the chapter in ways that help you remember what you read. I would recommend this book to others and will probably have my kids read it as they get older.

I will be reviewing it on Barnes and Noble, Kobo, under the name Oajareads and on Amazon it will be under the name Olivia.

Bestselling author Rafael Santandreu knows how to ensure our happiness in life. Teaching a philosophy of rational acceptance and emotional resilience, he allows us to use our capacity for logic to good effect in everyday life

Basically it is a great tool to help you Shake off the things that do not really matter. It is a great tool to add to your belt.

Written by one of Spain’s best-known psychologists, SHAKE IT OFF! is a powerhouse self-help book. The author explains how to be stronger, happier and more resilient through the use of cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). The strategy retrains the brain to counter self-defeating beliefs and behavior.

I love his warm conversational style and the use of case studies to show CBT’s lasting impact. Brief bullet points end each chapter, making it easy to recall key ideas. Highly recommended for readers who are open to changing their lives by changing their minds.

5 of 5 Stars

Pub Date 10 Jul 2020

Thanks to Arcturus Publishing and NetGalley for the review copy. Opinions are mine.

#Shakeitoff #NetGalley

This book was great to remind someone how to have emotional strength and to SHAKE IT OFF. The books gives some practical tips to have emotional strength and deal with daily issues.

Thanks to Artucus Publishing & NetGalley for a copy in exchange for an honest review!