Practically Perfect in Every Way

by Jennifer Niesslein

Book Overview

From Dr. Phil to the Fly Lady A level-headed, laugh-out-loud tour of the loopy world of self-help.'( Ann Crittenden, author of The Price of Motherhood and If You've Raised Kids, You Can Manage... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0399153918
• ISBN13: 9780399153914
• Release Date: May 2007
• Publisher: G. P. Putnam's Sons
• Length: 343 Pages
• Weight: 1.25 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.6" x 9.3"
• Age Range: 18 years and up
• Grade Range: Postsecondary and higher

Customer Reviews

Good writing, with a dollop of misanthropy

Jennifer Niesslein has reason to be content. She lives with her husband and son and two dogs in a nice house in a nice neighborhood in Charlottesville, Virginia. She is reasonably young (in her early thirties) and reasonably successful (Niesslein is the cofounder of Brain, Child magazine), reasonably happy (her "average" happiness is in fact a 6 out of a possible 10) and reasonably well-to-do (having married into money). She is also a more than reasonably good writer. Still, Niesslein thought her life could stand some improvement.... Practically Perfect is a type of book we seem to be seeing more of these days (unless I'm just noticing them more): the author undertakes a project of some kind--outlandish or unusual in some way--and invites the reader to come along for the ride through the magic of creative nonfiction. A sort of travelogue without the travel. Watch while the author reads the entire Encyclopedia Britannica, say, or spends a year cooking Julia Child recipes. It's a conceit, of course, but one for which I have a particular weakness. With the appearance of each of these new books I kick myself for not having come up with the idea myself. For her book, Niesslein--why didn't I think of this?--immersed herself for two years in the advice of an assortment of self-help experts, from Dr. Phil to Dr. Laura, from Cosmo to Oprah to Dale Carnegie to Dear Abby. She divides the spectrum of self-help possibilities into seven general areas--house, finances, marriage, mothering, community, health, and spirituality--and approaches these topics serially, exploring the programs of a number of different experts on each topic. Niesslein does not follow the various gurus' advice slavishly, but she is more serious about adopting their programs than most readers probably are. She journals her feelings for Dr. Phil, religiously cleans the "hot spots" in her house per the advice of her cleaning expert, and she exercises for 8 minutes every morning because Jorge Cruise told her to. There is a practical benefit to reading this book. Readers are introduced painlessly to a host of different self-help programs. Like me, you may find yourself Googling some of them to find out more. But with books like this I'm really just in it for the ride. I want to spend time with an interesting character who can entertain on the page: check, and check. Niesslein's personality is spiced with a dollop of misanthropy (which, frankly, I find attractive): "Just because I learned some tips on how to interact better with people doesn't mean I find it enjoyable or even worthwhile." She is wont to be riled by petty grievances: "One evening, Brandon walks into the kitchen and catches me, while I load the dishwasher, playacting the scene that will happen when the recycling bin thief is confronted. You had to have known that that wasn't your recycling bin, I snap. That nasty-ass green one is. My ire is contagious, and soon Brandon and I have, together, painted a devastating picture o

"Practically Perfect" is to self-help what "Supersize Me" is to fast food

I just reviewed this for LifeTwo.com and thoroughly enjoyed it. It is a humorous travelogue through the over-promising world of self-help. By the time Niesslein is done, you've gotten a primer on all of the big names in self-help including Oprah, Seligman, Bach, Weil, Orman and of course Dr. Phil. I thought the premise was hilarious and the execution was done well. It is a great book for anyone who is about to embark on a self-help regimen and perhaps a better book for the 99% of us who've bought a self-help book only to be disappointed. "Practically Perfect" puts it humorously in perspective while teaching us a thing or two along the way.

Come along for the ride!

As a big fan of Brain, Child (Niesslein co-edits the magazine) and a voracious reader of self-help books, I couldn't wait to read this book, and I was not disappointed. I was curious to see what would happen if someone actually followed all the advice, did the goofy exercises, etc. instead of merely reading the self-help and hoping it would rub off by osmosis (which is what I tend to do.) This author actually gets with the program (or programs, as there are many,) and we get to go along for the ride. Of course, things are not so simple-- life, in all its imperfection, intervenes at every turn, yet she perseveres and comes to some interesting conclusions. The writing is funny, honest, and intimate, and makes for a great read.

Read it. Read it now.

I just finished reading this book and I loved it so much it's hard to be coherent, but I'll try: Jennifer Niesslein spent two years honestly and unironically doing her best to follow self-help advice to improve herself and her life--but without abandoning her intelligence, skepticism, or common sense. She learned a lot and shares a lot of what she learned. The verdict, at least in part: Self-help programs can often help you, but they can't change you, and sometimes they can actually hurt you. Niesslein's writing is variously (and often simultaneously) hilariously funny, thoughtful, and moving. It's just a really, really good book. You should read it.

Funny and thought-provoking

I really looked forward to this book since I love the magazine that Jennifer Niesslein helped create, Brain Child. I was not disappointed. This is a funny book, and I laughed many times. For instance, here is the author, describing her imagined discussion with a Catholic priest: "I tried to picture the exchange between us, but the furthest I could get was a cartoon version of me standing before a cartoon version of him. We would have thought bubbles above our heads. Mine: Has he EVER had sex? EVER? His: Does she know she's supposed to be obeying her husband? This is also a thought-provoking book. Niesslein bravely delves into a topic that many people worry about but don't often discuss: mainly, what is happiness, do I have it, and if I don't have it, how do I get it? She pursues happiness, literally, by reading and gamely putting to the test various self-help books and methods, from Suze Orman on finances to Dr. Laura on marriage (not surprisingly, Niesslein's take on some of Dr. Laura's advice is hilarious). Along the way, the author goes from writing about the mundane (the disappointment of a master bedroom "littered with used dryer sheets") to the more philosophical (trying to arrange to have a "beautiful day" and concluding that such a day is "something I should keep behind glass, to be used in an emergency of bad mood.") Finally, the book is a good conversation-starter. I think that many of us muddle through life asking ourselves the same questions that the author poses (What is happiness, do I have it, and if not, how do I get it), but that few of us ever really open up about it or are brave enough to take real action to get there. The last part of Niesslein's book suggests, to me, at least, that real happiness can come from focusing outward rather than inward. As the author notes, this doesn't necessarily involve being religious in the traditional sense or even helping others in common ways. In the author's case, it was "something extra I volunteered to do," something that made her, in her son's eyes, "noble." The writing is impeccable; a perfect blend of readability, intensity and humor. Highly recommended!