Cover Image: Sabotage

Sabotage

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Member Reviews

Short yet surprisingly comprehensive, Sabotage provides an overview of what self-sabotage is, the four ways it can manifest itself, and some tips on how you can overcome it.

This volume covers the topic of self-sabotage in a relatable, easy-to-digest and memorable manner, making it easy to look for ways to apply the concepts to your own life, or reference back later if you need a motivation boost to stop the cycle of self-sabotage. Listening to this via audiobook, performed by the author, upped the relatability and digestibility factors, as her tone of voice and the short format made it feel like a podcast, or a friend giving you advice.

Though at times the coverage on the topic was a bit shallow, since this book wasn’t presented as a scientific overview of the psychology behind self-sabotage, but rather as a brief relatable survey on what it is, how it manifests, and how to overcome it, overall I felt the topic was delved into with an appropriate level of thoroughness, especially for such a short volume.

Overall, I would recommend Sabotage to those who are looking for a quick overview on the topic and how to address the issue of self-sabotage in their own lives, rather than those who are looking for a more thorough, extremely comprehensive exploration on the topic. This book feels most relevant to those a few years into their career and suffering from imposter syndrome, but could still be relatable to a much wider range of readers.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for providing a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

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This was a short and to-the-point audiobook packed with practical examples and tips to stop sabotaging yourself. Emma Gannon explained how “fear” could actually tell you it’s something you want so deeply you use it as an excuse to run the other way. That is my relationship with the whole dating process. I want to find my person, but instead of giving people a chance, I would tell myself why it “wouldn’t work.” When this pandemic is over, and it’s safe to meet and date again, I’m not going to allow myself to self-sabotage anymore. I’m going to be open and pay attention to the life events that bring “fear.” If this fear pops up, it means I’m close to something or someone I really desire. Another idea discussed was procrastination. Emma encouraged us to “just start” instead of waiting to be “in the right mood” to begin that project. I want to get a physical copy to reference and keep myself accountable, so I’m aware of these “self-sabotage” moments and avoid them.

Thank you, Netgalley and Andrews McMeel Publishing, for this free copy in exchange for my honest review.

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I wanted to know if I actually Self Sabotage, I don’t well not that often as a human being. I just like many many projects/experiences to dabble in outside of work hours.

This book is a compact account of Sabotage, why people do it as well showing the reader techniques to counteract doing so. The advice is correct and useful, very easy to implement without a lifestyle coach or therapist.

This book is great for those not spiritually grounded, who are finding their way as a young person at work or for persons with self doubt or older persons starting over again after a big life crisis.

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Sabotage is (unsurprisingly) about sabotage, self sabotage and how to counter this in every day life. A short and sharp book that I think it would be brilliant for those in their early twenties / people starting their careers, I am slightly too old for the majority of the advice but I am glad that books like this are available for the next generation.

The audiobook was well narrated and Gannon does a good job of voicing the passion and kindness in her words.

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I was unsure from how it started, but it soon his its stride. I appreciate that the author's research and insight is conveyed in a clear concise manner that should be easy for most people to follow. We get some personal examples of each form of sabotage, which weren't particularly helpful for *me*, but not everyone will already be familiar with them, (and the book doesn't blather on and on about it), so it's perfectly fine. The pattern seemed to follow- name a sort of sabotage, give one or two examples, go a bit deeper into the motivations for it and what research says, and then give some concrete examples of how you can alter the impulse/behavior. I think it works well for this topic.

Probably for me it was mostly just good reminders, rather than relevational, but that's helpful too, and I'm coming away with a few new bits. I think I probably just have the run-of-the-mill sort of unconscious self-sabotage impulses here and there though, so it would probably help someone that really struggles with this much more. Personally, for my own level of use and enjoyment, I would probably give it a 3.5 rounded down to a 3, but overall, I think it's well done and could really help others, so all together I'm giving it 4 stars.

I listened to the audiobook, narrated by the author, and she did a nice job of speaking as if she were discussing something in person, rather than trying to impress industry insiders, or giving a lecture.

I received an advance copy from NetGalley for reviewing purposes. All opinions are honestly given, and my own.

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Emma Gannon is amazing as ever! I loved this short, handy guide on how to be kind and get the best out of yourself. I loved that it wasn’t just about work, it covered things like friendship and boundaries too. Emma’s narration is brilliant and very soothing - I recommended the multi-hyphen life far and wide and will definitely be doing it with Sabotage too. The audiobook experience was great but I’m also tempted to buy the paperback (and the cover is lovely!).

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I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this. It covers a range of topics around self-sabotage; surprisingly this includes friendships as well as perfectionism and the fear of failure amongst others. I particularly enjoyed the inclusion of psychological thinking, references to other writers and use of Emma's personal experiences to illustrate points, which she shares openly. As a narrator Emma comes across as likeable, informative and practical - her tips at the end of each chapter are relevant and doable. This is an excellent gem of a book - I've listened to it twice and I would certainly dip into it whenever I felt I needed it.

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This was my first experience with audiobook. It was a nice experience, but I'd have absorbed more content with a paper version.
Some things that didn't help me: I'd usually listen to it while in traffic, because it's basically the only time I could find the time, and having to divide my attention between the book and driving left me with blank spots in the narrative.

About the content: It's a nice take on self-sabotage. One of my favorite quotes (that I'll take with me for life) is: "Self sabotage is aiming at the moon and shooting your own foot".
There were some points that were repeated so much it became a bit exausting. It felt like the author was struggling to come with new content, so she kept reusing the same ones. This made the book a bit shallow for me, and I was expecting a bit more of science behind it, but she mentions some times from professionals and her own experience, which makes the book a bit too much "self-help" for me, with somewhat empty content and beautiful words and lists. Despite of that, it brought me some nice reflections, which for me is worth the time spent listening to it.

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This book is well made and well read I found many things that I am doing and not doing and ways to make myself better

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I discovered this book title while I was on a mission to add more grace into my own life. It seems that I am not alone when it comes to ways to sabotage my life. Being in the business of behavioral change sabotage is one of the hardest things to overcomes. It shows up in so many ways. Therefore books on this subject are always attractive to me. This book outlines ways sabotage shows up in a person's life, what it presents itself as and how to make a change. The book doesn't get too deep on any topic. It is a good place to start when you are looking to let a bit more grace, self-love, and self-compassion into your life.

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A big thank-you to NetGalley, the author, and publisher for giving me a copy of this book for an unbiased review.

2/5 - Okay, but not for me.

Full disclosure - I had read this book after reading "Olive" which I also received via NetGalley and which I did not enjoy. So it is possible that my relatively low rating of this book is impacted by a negative halo effect, but I did try to be as objective as possible.

I listened to the audiobook. It is read by Emma Gannon, who has a soothing, sympathetic voice. The content is fairly straightforward and references several famous self-help books. There are some solid pieces of advice - for example, reminders of shine theory, encouragements to deal with your inner critic in a healthy way, etc. The overall message of the book is very positive and important. However, I cannot rate it any higher because I did not learn much from it that I feel I can take away or apply. The lessons in this book did not resonate much with me - and this does not mean it's a "bad" book, just that it's not something which struck me as relevant to my own life.

I'd still recommend this to anyone experiencing feelings of self-sabotage, or to anyone who struggles with burnout or procrastination.

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Sabotage was informative, fast paced and easy to follow. It felt more like a short podcast compared to an audiobook (under two hours). It was similar to Brene Brown's work on shame and vulnerability, but drew on some new information. Overall I enjoyed it and wish it was longer!

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for providing a copy for review!

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A wonderful book that speaks on and about sabotage but with a twist. As we all associate the term 'sabotage' in a negative sense, the author encourages us to see it in a positive attitude. While addressing incidents from her personal life, she has provided ample motivation to inspire the readers to affirm the good and bad of every situation in a lucid way. Her writing is also backed up with facts and proven psychological assertions which were quite leading.

This book was inevitably informative and written in such a helpful manner. Least to say, I breezed through it within a few hours. I appreciate how the author asks the readers to value themselves, their choices and emotions, consider to see each failure or success as a learning experience and not to evaluate or discount their emotions as next to nothing. She speaks proactively on how to accept and ease through the healing after getting knocked off balance by the mundane happenings. Every chapter consisted of inspirational and thought provoking topics. Hopefully the author will continue to write much needed books as this one.

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Sabotage is a great self-help book. Its to the point, with real life strategies to help you change your life. Its a short book but it packs a lot of information inside about the different ways people sabotage themselves and what to do for those unique habits. I loved how simple and helpful it was, it wasn't fluffy information that was vague or only applies to upper class people (ie take an expensive yoga class, buy organic food etc). This book is for anyone who deals with issues in sabotage. Even if you feel like you aren't sabotaging yourself, I would give this a read- as you may find that you actually are holding yourself back.

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I think if this was narrated differently I may have enjoyed this a bit more. There were a couple of insightful passages, but overall, this felt a lot like skimming a self-help book. I would have liked a bit more exploration of the topics discussed. 3/5 stars.

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I found the narration of this book to be well done, I enjoyed listening to this book. I think it was well put together and helpful to hear some suggestions on how to get out of your own way. I also think it was useful to hear different ways self sabotage can look like, sometimes I think its is one thing to be unconsciously doing something but to hear someone else talk about their experience makes it apparent how those same behaviors are showing up in our own life. I would recommend this to a friend.

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I listened to Sabotage via audiobook, and found it to be quite inspiring. It's quick--not much longer than your traditional podcast episode--but it packs a punch. Emma examines numerous ways in which we inadvertently (or otherwise) manage to self-sabotage. She discusses gender differences and how women in particular are socially trained to keep others happy, often at our own expense. The book also covers how behaviors like perfectionism and a compulsion to downplay our achievements can actually hold us back.

Make no mistake though, readers will also get a dose of tough love: The author touches on self-care and how it can morph into a way to coddle ourselves. We learn about they different ways we conjure excuses for ourselves (fundamental attribution error), and how our need for control paired with fear of failure can sabotage opportunities (because sometimes, it feels safer to mess something up on purpose, than to actually try and then be rejected).

There's a lot to like packed into this little book. These little lessons will help you get out of your own way so you can live a more confident, authentic life.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.<\i>

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Sabotage is an essay style short book following how we are often our own worst saboteur. This essay shares stories of the author's own experiences with self-sabotage and how anxiety plays a massive part in it. Imposter syndrome has also played a massive part in this author's life. While I love self-help books and everything they usually bring, this essay felt too short and a little generic if you ask me. The antidotes were nice, but overall it felt like everything else I've read before on self-sabotage.

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This is a great little book that explores important issues in a practical way. I really liked the shorter length and easy to understand advice. I don’t usually read or listen to self help books, but was intrigued by the blurb and am really glad I gave it a try. The narration is superb and very relaxing to listen to.

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Sabotage details feelings around anxiety and imposter syndrome and how they manifest in life to prevent us from achieving and unlocking what we really want.

This was concise and powerful. The author details the insecurities and sabotage that can happen as a result of anxiety. I found it really insightful, and the suggestions were helpful.

Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

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