I don’t think I’m really the right audience for this book so I don’t want to judge too harshly - I was expecting something a little different. Perhaps the cover was too good?

The information is basic and common sense at times, but again..: great for other readers.

How (not) to Do It All & Energise your Life by Emma Short
You might not predict what diseases you'll get, but you can follow the advice in this book to prevent them. Emma speaks my language. She doesn't do hacks, quick fixes or fad diets. She writes about evidence-based health advice and how to implement it into your own life to be healthier.

It's like having your own doctor in the room, telling you what to do to avoid chronic diseases. Emma knows her stuff, not only as a doctor in the NHS but with her unique stint in examining soft tissue under a microscope and being a GI pathologist. She literally examines diseased tissues for a living. That's about as close and personal to a chronic disease as you can get.

You can tell the author works in the NHS and normally writes clinically with the work being well-researched and thoughtfully laid out. At times, it can read more like a reference book with a lack of personal anecdotes or storytelling. But she does include some personal accounts from other people in each chapter which demonstrates how someone has implemented each topic.

Yes, you can get this information elsewhere. But there’s something special about getting the information from a Dr. that knows her stuff and works with disease at a cellular level. I particularly Iiked the chapter on the gut microbiome. This is a book for anyone on how to prevent a disease, but GP's would benefit from having it on their shelf to help their patient's create positive changes.

Thank you NetGalley and Parthian Books for sending this digital book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

I found this book very biased, fat-phobic and simply healthist (treating physical health as a moral value). There's nothing particularly different about it, just another flat self-help book that at times spews fad ideas, such as intermittent fasting. The only thing about it worth noting, was the rare emphasis on taking care of one's mental health and connecting with nature.

I liked the clear chapters in this book and as the author stated in the introduction it was easy to dip in and out of to find helpful hints and tips to energise my life right now. It would be a good book to keep for the future and revisit as life changes.

How not to do it all by Elaine Sharples is a great book for anyone just starting out on a health or wellness journey. Looking at everything from exercise, nutrition, meditation and sleep, Sharples breaks things down into simple, manageable tasks. I loved that the books started out by suggesting to immediately see yourself as a healthy person; a healthy life isn’t a big mountain to climb, it can very much be obtainable and I love that the book started by thinking about the destination as something already achieved.

My favourite section was on goal setting and defining the different types of goals. Outcome goals are something specific to achieve, ie lose five pounds. Process goals are something like cooking healthier or going to the gym, they can connect to the outcome, but are more about how to get there. Approach goals are things to include, avoidance are things to avoid. Create action plants for goals, such a as observations or insights (including difficulties or barriers).

This book was the healthy boost I needed. Thank you!

The book is really a short and sweet non fiction which describes how we can live an healthy life how we should be mentally, physically. The book talks about why one should exercise, have a balanced diet, how not to be a superwoman/superman taking too much tasks, ideas to practice mindfulness. How we can have healthy life being with nature and thanking for good things in our life. How helping others and being kind can help both receiver and giver.

There are lot of info and suggestion shared by the author who is in medical field and make us understand prevention is better than cure with her guide to How (Not) to do it all & Energise your life. This is written in simple language and sure a read for one who wants to live a healthy, happy and calmer life.

I guess this isn’t really the book I thought it was going to be. Based on the title and description I was expecting something more mental health related?

The advice covered in the book ranges from healthy eating and exercise to meditation, and learning how to not take on too much. None of it is really new or innovative, especially having read a number of books about diets and “lifestyles”. But other than the short section about not taking on too much, it seems like everything else is actually encouraging you to “do it all.” Of course any book about healthy lifestyles is going to offer advice on exercise, nutrition, even mindfulness and meditation. But all of that is easier said than done, and this didn’t really give any more helpful advice on how to make time and practically do all of those things in our busy lives these days.

I liked the real-life examples that were provided, and some of the parts about self-esteem and mindset, but other than that there was nothing else that really got my attention.

Thank you to NetGalley and Parthian Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

A good self help book for someone who has never read a self help book before. A very broad and basic primer that touches on lots of current health trends (Intermittent Fasting and HIIT exercise routines, for example).

This was a really interesting book. It covers a lot - and includes a lot of factual info as well as personal stories. I liked this combination. I enjoyed reading this book.

However, I felt that it was just trying to be too much! It covered such a huge range of topics I felt like it couldn't really dig into any of these with any depth. It felt a bit like whiplash! It was just a quick flash of something, and then it moved on.
I would have liked this book to have more of a focus.

Dr Emma Short is a British medical doctor specialising in histopathology and she has a PhD in cancer genetics.

While Dr Short is the principal author, she has included chapters written by friends and colleagues.
What I like:

Written for a general audience, this book is very accessible, with simple, clear writing and tips for effective change outlined in the text, in boxes, and then also in personal stories.

There's nothing new here, but the advice is sensible, aiming at helping readers make minor changes that add up to significant impact.

Dr Short's expertise shines through in the first part of the book. I especially loved the section that explain why exercise reduces inflammation and why this is important for overall health. It's the best description I've read in ages.

The chapter that discusses how we are pushed into over-achieving is excellent as well. Basic but thorough and very simple to digest.

What I don't like:
Some of the psychological theories referenced were debunked decades ago.

For example, the section on the value of socialising has sensible observations and practical advice but references and quotes Maslow's theory. Unfortunately, Maslow's work was based on personal observations. Studies have repeatedly discredited most of his theory. It's hugely problematic.

Similarly, there are references to personality research that could do with clarifying, updating and revising.

There's plenty of evidence-based theory to back up the advice, so I'm at a loss why that wasn't used. This issue detracts from the overall authority of the publication.

Summary: most of this book is an excellent practical read, but it includes debunked theory.

Short. Sweet. Always good to be reminded of the basics. I appreciate that the’ questions were laid out as more Q&A. Makes it easy to combat all the excuses as I’m reading.

If you’re anything like me, you’re running on fumes. You think that the more you do the better your life is. This book helps you break that cycle. It helps you see what you should be doing and what you can be doing. You don’t need an hour spin class every morning, there are more practical ways to be active in your daily life.

The author helps you reframe your thoughts and practices to get the most out of life while also being reasonable in expectations, time, and the need for rest.

*I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my review. All opinions are my own and reflect my beliefs.

A gentle, sometimes thought-provoking read with tips and advice on various lifestyle choices. Easy to dip in and out of as and when you need.

An enjoyable book that gives quick tips on how to take control and enegerise your life. However, I didn't find any of the suggestions particularly ground breaking. Of course, the principles of these sort of books is much the same, but I didn't come away feeling energised to make a difference in my life. I know I need to eat fruit and veg, exercise etc, so although this is a lovely neat and nicely presented book, with some real-world examples, I'm not sure it's doing anything different...

This is a must-have resource to help one improve health, resiliency, and live a more full and happy life. It is full of great strategies, advice, and easy to implement ideas. This is one I'll return to again and again. Many thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for the advanced copy of the book.

I think this would be a good starting place for folks starting from scratch in the heath and wellness department, but to me the content felt largely like information I’ve heard before. I think I was expecting something a bit less generalized based on the title.

As always, thanks NetGalley!

Thank you for the advanced copy, I enjoyed this, I like self help books especially ones that have some stories in them and you can dip in and out of.
This is a book that can help get you motivated and help you make life changes, it has information on all aspects of life from sleep to diet

Highly recommended

Nowdays life going so fast and we so often feel overwhelming with everything. How (Not) to Do It All Energise Your Life is a small reminder for busy readers to make better focus at life.

The writing style is gentle and encouraging. The topics are variable from nutrition until goal setting, all come with real life stories as inspiration. The book is help me to refocus and only take attention on something important for our life. There is nothing new you never hear before but it is nice to being reminding. Some gems are worth to hear thousands times. I believe this book is a small step and capable to help another people expecially the one who feel overwhelming in daily life.

Thank you Netgalley and Parthian Books for provided my copy. Such an inspiring read and my thoughts always my own.
This book will publish at 1 June 2023.

i liked that it has lots of true life stories of how to do the changes in lifestyle. i have done a few of those myself already and it helps a lot.

Now it does give advice on how not to get overwhelmed with too much compromises, that's important since sometimes I tend to try to over reach a lot and end up exhausted.

This is a pretty good manual on how to live healthy without going overboard.

I was really excited to read this book! The title really grabbed my attention and I liked the cover too. I enjoyed reading this book and would have probably preferred an audiobook. Typically I prefer to listen to self help books but this one was digestible as a book and I liked it! Nothing ground breaking but I enjoyed it.