I really didn't enjoy this book at all....maybe I'm not the right demographic...being single and childless, I can't relate to the husband/marriage/child/parent issues that Niesslein writes a good deal about. I didn't find the book particularly funny....mostly it's just her opinion of a bunch of different self-help books she read.

I actually stopped reading about 3/4 of the way through, realizing that my own life would be happier if I stopped forcing myself to read about 2 years in the life of this person that I couldn't relate to and don't care about. The book was too self-centered for me....yes, it's a memoir, but usually the things we like about such books are how we can relate to them and I couldn't.

I also wasn't a fan of the thought that any conservative idea that was in a book she read had to absolutely be FLAT OUT WRONG! She practically has a breakdown because she thinks the author is pretty cool until he has a conservative statement to make and then she has an identity crisis, because how could she have possibly believed the other stuff he said?! Give me a break.....that's not how you appeal to the masses. This book might have a niche market for people who are very similar to Niesslein herself, but since I'm not, I couldn't stomach it. ( )

Practically Perfect is a humorous look at one woman’s two year experience with the world of self help books. The author tries out numerous best sellers in the common categories (house, finances, marriage, children) to see what works for her and her family. I really laughed along with her as she described some of the silly advice found in these books. I think anyone who has read self help books, will find this an amusing and educational break. ( )

Practically Perfect In Every Way is a non-fiction book chronicling one woman’s attempt to improve her life with the advice from self-help books. Jennifer Niesslein, on the surface, seems to have it all. She has a loving husband, an adorable son, good health, and financial security. However, when filling out happiness quizzes, she only scores as “slightly happy.” To try and fix this, she starts combing through the complicated world of self-help and self-improvement.

The best thing this book has to offer is probably Niesslein herself. She is a clear, engaging narrator, brimming with intelligence and a genuine desire to prove her life. She isn’t brainwashed by self-help gurus, which allows her to actually analyze what the books and guides are saying. For example, when reading books about improving marriages, she points out the misogynist bent in some of them when they put all the pressure (and blame) on the wife. At the same time, however, Niesslein tackles her project with gusto. She’s cynical but not so cynical that she isn’t willing to actually open herself up and explore the paths her project may lead her on.

She divides her book into various sections, such as marriage, children, health, finances, etc. I thought that was a good idea because it allows her (and the reader) to really sink teeth into one idea at a time, instead of trying to juggle everything. I did find the beginning of the book a lot better than the end. I’m not sure why, since there was no real change in tone, and the ending was more dramatic and personal as Niesslein begins to struggle. Maybe it was because I felt like the book started losing steam? It did start to feel repetitive as the same concerns and issues were rehashed over and over again.

I still enjoyed it though, for its compelling voice and its intelligent approach. If self-help is your interest, you should give this book a try. ( )

As a reluctant self-help connoisseur, I looked forward to reading Practically Perfect. It's an account of Ms Niesslein's two-year exploration of the self-help mainstream. Feeling not quite perfectly happy, despite her youth, her adorable son, perfect husband, her satisfying work at the magazine, Brain, Child, and her large house in Charlottesville (one of the prettiest towns in the country), she decided to find out what the experts say. Over a period of two years, she concentrated on learning how to improve her house (Feng Shui, Real Simple magazine, and FlyLady), her money situation (David Bach, Suze Orman, and Vicki Robin and Pete Dominguez), her marriage (Laura Schlessinger and Dr. Phil), her mothering (a variety of sources), happiness itself (Martin Seligman), making friends (Dale Carnegie, Abigail Van Buren), health (Jorge Cruise, Andrew Weil), and religion and spirituality (Ann Lamott, Harold Kushner, and Oprah). Although Niesslein describes the range of advice that she read about, the book is chiefly a memoir. To enjoy it, one must be as interested in her as in her self-help adventures. She writes well and amusingly. If it weren't for the subtitle of the book (My Misadventures Through the World of Self-Help, and Back) I would have been surprised that it all ended with the development of panic attacks and her conclusion that her self-focus, caused by reading self-help books, was the cause of the attacks. Up until then, she seemed to be enjoying the project and appreciating some of the advice. You have to wonder whether she (or her publisher) wanted to cash in on the hint of an expose. In any case, her commentary is occasionally humorous and insightful. ( )

Are you as fascinated with the vast array of self-help books as I am? Having moved from Germany to the US, I couldn't help but notice that there are so many, and on such a big array of issues - from organizing your wardrobe to finding love! Despite my fascination, I remain doubtful about this literature. Do they work?

Intrigued by this issue, I was absolutely taken with Jennifer Niesslein's book. She seems to be leading a fairly normal life (husband, kid, dog, house, full-time job, etc.), but decides to see whether she can improve all of that with the help of self-help literature. For two years, she conducts a series of experiments on her house, finances, marriage, mothering, health, spirituality, and her social skills. She does not buy into the expensive self-help talks and seminars (which I found very likeable). Instead, she focuses on a couple of popular books for each area, supplemented by real-life advice from her friends and family.

Her journey through the world of self-help makes for an absorbing and often hilarious read. Niesslein shows lots of humor and good sense while trying the various experiments. She remains critical of the advice offered in the self-help books, and gives really smart comments on many of them. Good and bad aspects of trying self-help are brought up, and it becomes clear that, while e.g. having a somewhat more organized house may be nice, there can be serious downsides to looking into oneself all the time.

I enjoyed reading the book very much. It inspires the reader to think about the benefits and pitfalls of using self-help, while being very entertaining. I would strongly recommend it to anybody who's fascinated by self-help books, and even to critics of this literature.