Rising Strong: The Reckoning. The Rumble. The Revolution.

I have never read a book I wanted to highlight so much of. There is stuff in here that touches on every aspect of my life, and on making every aspect of my life better. It wasn't an easy read... there were "aha!" moments every few pages that had me putting the book down and going outside to pace around until the thoughts sparked in my head settled down and integrated. I kept running out into wherever my family was and saying, "You guys! Listen to this!!!" and then reading them hunks of it. The tools of this book integrate seamlessly with, y'know, life, but in such a way that even kids can engage immediately with the accessible wisdom they present.

I can easily see re-reading this over, and over, and over, as a reminder of how I want my show more life lived. And I'll be tackling the rest of her books as fast as I possibly can. show less

“Rising Strong” is the third in a series of recent books Brene Brown has written about the importance of vulnerability and authenticity in one’s life. Here she once again synthesizes her years of research, innate understanding of human behavior, and personal stories into a highly readable, relatable, and actionable self-improvement book.

In her earlier works, Brown references the times in our lives when we will all feel like failures, either personally or professionally. In “Rising Strong” she digs deep into that space between failure and recovery – the “Act 2” as she calls it – because she sees it being glossed over in our culture:

“On a cultural level, I think the absence of honest conversation about the hard work show more that takes us from lying face down in the arena to rising strong has led to two dangerous outcomes: the propensity to gold plate grit and a badassery deficit…We much prefer stories about falling and rising to be inspirational and sanitized…We like recovery stories to move quickly through the dark so we can get to the sweeping redemptive ending.”

With examples from her research and her own life, Brown outlines several case studies of people who spent a lot of time in “Act 2”, and the strategies they used to do the hard work required to really get back up and go on. She breaks these into three sections: Reckoning (recognizing something is wrong and getting curious about one’s own feelings); Rumble (reality-checking our first response to a problem and digging deeper); and Revolution (fundamentally transforming your story).

As I reviewed my notes from the book I realized that I had probably highlighted more sections in this book alone than I had in many other books combined. The material is completely engaging and her style is honest and authentic. 4 stars.

Thank you to NetGalley and Random House for a galley of this book in exchange for an honest review. show less

I read Daring Greatly but you don't have to have read Brené Brown's previous books to get something out of Rising Strong. It can stand alone. In the introduction, Brown summarizes the messages of her books; this was helpful to me:

Gifts of Imperfection: Be you.
Daring Greatly: Be all in.
Rising Strong: Fall. Get up. Try again.

Although they were not in the ARC, the final version of Rising Strong will have appendices that touch on her earlier work. I am looking forward to reading them.

The first half of the book covers the alliterative Reckoning-Rumble-Revolution process. This is a framework for recognizing when you are "getting hijacked by emotion" and figuring out why you feel that way, and then reconciling the discordance between what you show more think and where you actually are --- and then figuring out what all that means. This is not easy stuff! The next five chapters discuss real-life examples (most from Brené -- this almost qualifies as a biography!) of people rumbling with shame, expectations, perfectionism, grief, judgment, forgiveness, etc. The last chapter touches on how Rising Strong can be used in the workplace, community, and at home.

I know this book is based on Brené's research, but I most appreciated the stories she shared about herself. She is honest and vulnerable and messy and down-to-earth. I think the combination of research and self is what makes her work so powerful. show less

While we might know why we fall down and make mistakes, we might not know what are our true triggers. Identifying those triggers is what allows us to not only get up again but also to recognise them as pitfalls to be avoided in the future. Through precise steps, solid research and all sorts of personal and professional stories, Brown walks us through the process of becoming stronger people. Her terrific sense of humour makes the whole read an enjoyable, provocative learning experience.

I have read Brown's last three books, and also have seen and heard her in a number of presentations and interviews. I find there to be a deep meaning in her message. Often, I can find connections into my own life.

Some find her writing and storytelling repetitive. That does not bother me. Like a Malcom Gladwell book, she wrote variations on a theme. So I skim them to see what resonates, taking in the major message and not getting lost in the details.

As Brown continues to teach us how to overcome shame and to embrace vulnerability, this book is all about those moments of failure. We all fail. How we handle that failure tests our character. Brown's book is an opportunity to reflect on this for ourselves.

Brené writes for me. I am sure. I wondered if there could be more to say about vulnerability, shame, connection, and worthiness after reading [b:The Gifts of Imperfection: Let Go of Who You Think You're Supposed to Be and Embrace Who You Are|7015403|The Gifts of Imperfection|Brené Brown|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1369092544l/7015403._SX50_.jpg|7261277] and [b:Daring Greatly: How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead|13588356|Daring Greatly How the Courage to Be Vulnerable Transforms the Way We Live, Love, Parent, and Lead|Brené Brown|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1337110319l/13588356._SY75_.jpg|19175758]. There show more is so much more.

As I study loss in relation to life transitions for my own book, I encounter many writers who share insight and wisdom. While much of what Brené says is not completely new, her approach is singularly refreshing. This is especially so for Rising Strong as she unfolds personal experiences to illustrate her research.

She is relatable and occasionally raw in the way that makes me know she is real. Yes, I laughed out loud as she shouted, "Holy shit!" Context is crucial.

Here's another library book that I must now replace with a personal copy. Happy dilemma.

January 2021: Grounding and affirming and as wise and timely as the first read. show less

I really enjoyed this book and felt that it was full of practical help in recovering from life's disasters and disappointments. I learned the difference between guilt and shame and how to make guilt instructive and productive without internalizing it and destroying your own self-image with shame.

The best part of the author's advice was about confronting your own emotional morasses that keep you awake at night by classifying them "the story I'm making up." It turns out that "the story you're making up" about events usually has nothing to do with facts and everything to do with emotions and reading other people's minds. It's okay to "rumble" (as the author calls it) with negative emotions for a while, once you've correctly identified show more them ("reckoning"); in fact, dealing honestly with how you feel is the only healthy path through setbacks. If this sounds like a cliche, read the book and try Brown's techniques. show less