C. J. Golden
Eronel Publishing (2009)
ISBN 9780976470113
Reviewed by Lucia La (age 14) for Reader Views (11/10)
Inspiration and guidance that are effectively geared toward teenagers are hard to find, but this book does an excellent job of making words of wisdom interesting and engaging. It does not sound overly preachy and or as boring as a lecture. Instead, there are fabulous examples of how famous people adhered to virtues and made a great future for themselves, such as Whoopi Goldberg. Another fabulous and motivating example is that of J. K. Rowling who rose from the depths of her unfortunate situation and made her name known all over the world. The reader is able to learn the background of hard work and perseverance successful people have to go through before they can attain their goals. The clever way that the book is presented encourages teenagers to make positive changes in their lives. Fellow teenagers talk about their own mishaps so that others can learn from their mistakes, and the situations they find themselves in are likely to occur to the reader. The book is not all serious as there are some hilarious situations and comments found scattered throughout. The principles are categorized and broken down into simple, easy statements that are clearly marked.
The great philosophies of civilizations throughout the ages have been immortalized in this book. Some examples include the ancient Chinese concepts of “tao” and “yin and yang.” Mini challenges are proposed as to have the reader to reflect on the information that was presented so that he or she may contemplate on what his or her reaction would have been in such circumstances. Quotes are also included in this book from various contemporary personalities and songs. At the end of the book, there are a series of challenges of how to be a Tao-Girl, a positive influence on herself and others. All in all the book “Tao –Girls Rule!” is realistic and down to earth. It is not overly cheery and does not skirt around problems but deals with them straight on. It is a great read and a good choice for a self-help book for adolescents because it is short, sweet, simple, and to the point.
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