We’re all pretty nice people, right? It’s just that occasionally we’re tempted to gossip or indulge in a little justified road rage . . . or snap at our spouse . . . maybe scream at our kids . . . I mean, if everyone else would get with the program, we wouldn’t be this way!But maybe the trouble isn’t with all those other people who aggravate us. Maybe we’re the problem–specifically, the way we … we react to inconveniences, accidents, and just plain old everyday life with negative words, thoughts, and actions. Because the truth is, when we stop focusing on how we’re being affected and start responding in kind ways, that’s when something remarkable happens: we actually feel happier ourselves. With humor, compassion, and encouragement, Nicole Phillips draws on scientific research and real-life examples to help us recognize unhelpful negative thought patterns, show kindness toward others even when we don’t feel like it, and discover how one little change actually changes everything.
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What a much-needed book this is! I love Nicole J. Phillips perspective and background about kindness, from her opening thoughts to the ending, the whole book has her unique style of writing and narrative that pulls you in and makes you really sit up and listen. She speaks from personal experience and I loved her story, I think so many people can see themselves in her story. I also believe that we all can use more kindness in our lives, and it all starts with how we treat ourselves like Nicole J. Phillips points out. We must be kind to ourselves before we can show kindness to those around us.
“They (people) need a way to feel powerful and important, and kindness can give them that feeling” (p.85).
The Negativity Remedy is one book I think everyone needs to read, it shows real life and how we need to make little changes each day to spread kindness to others; it is one book I know I will read again just to keep the ideas fresh in my mind and in the minds of those around me. I highly recommend this book and give it 5 out of 5 stars.
*I volunteered to read this book in return for my honest feedback. The thoughts and opinions expressed within are my own.
What a great book, especially right now in these crazy times. I can’t remember highlighting a book as much as I did this one – I need to go back and digest all the evocative ideas. Through sharing some very personal stories, the author weaves in many powerful, positive ways to change our lives. We are continually influenced by the world, people around us, and our “internal meanie”, all working to bring negativity into our lives daily. But we have the power to change how we react, and Nicole Phillips walks us gently through ways to change our perspective. “Hurry, worry, and jury” will stay with you after reading this book, and you’ll have kindness at the forefront of your mind.
Thank you to JustRead tours and NetGalley for a copy of this book. I was under no obligation to write a positive review; all opinions are my own.
I am not a huge non-fiction reader but I am getting better at it because really sometimes it is needed. This book is definitely very needed in today’s current events and the way society deals with things. I have always taught my former students and now my children that being kind trumps everything else. You not only feel good but you never know how that response may trigger a chain of reaction on the other person.
Nicole explains this in greater detail and to perfection in her book. She does so by sharing personal stories along with other people’s stories, so she makes the book relatable and easy to read because it is something that she lives not that she’s just spouting off to make a book. She touches on some very important and deeper issues of being nice to those that have hurt us but she also acknowledges that sometimes acts of kindness may not go as planned.
The conversational style makes it feel like you are chatting with a friend over a cup of coffee. I definitely recommend this as an addition to your non-fiction bookshelf.
(I received this book through Just Read. I was not required to post a positive review. All views expressed are only my honest opinion.)
I have always considered myself a pretty kind person. I always am as polite as I can be, and try to put the needs of others before my own, but I’ve never really sat and thought about my level of kindness, and where I lack, until I picked up The Negativity Remedy.
Most nonfiction books are easy to get lost in the information, but The Negativity Remedy is so engaging! Filled to the brim with personal stories from the author, as well as other acquaintances, you feel like you’re chatting in a coffee shop with friends rather than reading about these instances.
Though a bit redundant, and on the repetitive side, with a topic like kindness I believe this to be an unavoidable trait. Plus, the stories kept the book fresh and intriguing, which helps break up the repetition.
Since reading this book I have already caught myself unconsciously doing some of the things recommended, especially since COVID, and all of the negativity that is currently in our world, which has seeped into my own life, but I truly believe Nicole Phillips has found the best cure for negativity, and I plan to fight the negativity with kindness! Thank you Nicole Phillips for a positive, uplifting, and motivational read!
*I have voluntarily reviewed a copy of this book which I received from the publisher, Baker Books, through NetGalley. All views and opinions are completely honest, and my own.
I have been reading more non-fiction books this year. Its not a normal go-to genre but COVID has me reaching for all the self-help books. 2020 has NOT been my year… or my families. With a title like: The Negativity Remedy: Unlocking More Joy, Less Stress, and Better Relationships through Kindness – I had high hopes and this book delivered. I recently had similar expectations for another book in the same genre and was completely disappointed so reading chapter one ‘Lessons from Dinoland’ made me smile and instantly relating and invested.
Is kindness a magical cure-all? Kind of (in my opinion) … but the author says different. She backs up her claims by quoting other experts in the field and scientific data. I loved all the truths and personal stories thrown in with examples of both good and bad. Nicole claims to be a work in progress with an inner meanie waiting in the background just like everyone else, and she has a plan to keep it in check.
As soon as I started reading I began text friends and family and telling them about this book, reading passages and giving my own examples. I especially enjoy the part advocating for volunteerism. I loved it from the first page. I felt validated. It was like the author was speaking truths I have tried to impress upon my family for decades… but in a way that probably made way more since.
I signed up for a review tour, hosted by JustReadTours. I received a copy of this novel from the publisher. All opinions are my own, I do not need to leave a positive review.