Book Review: Help Yourself by Dave Pelzer

As a boy Dave Pelzer went through horrendous emotional and physical abuse from his mother. He was robbed of the childhood he was supposed to have. He survived and lived to tell his story in several books, one of them called Help Yourself, Celebrating the Rewards of Resilience and Gratitude. In this book he talks about how he worked through his issues that arose because of his unfortunate childhood and gives suggestions to the readers on how they can work out their own issues.

In the first part of the book called “Get Rid of the Garbage in Your Life” the author emphasizes the importance of getting rid, as soon as possible, of whatever is troubling the person -- unresolved issues. Instead of becoming bitter while surviving the negative environment, Dave Pelzer learned to let go and made a choice not to hate but to forgive and help others do the same.

The second part of the book, “Know What You Want out of Your Life”, points out that the victim mentality will not get a person too far. The author gives direction on what to concentrate on to make things better as well as providing steps to take to make the impossible possible.

In the third part of the book called “Celebrate Who You are and What You Have” the author shows how what you say to yourself first thing in the morning affects how the rest of your day will go. He demonstrates the power of a positive attitude and gives suggestions on how to create your own positive environment. Throughout the book, at the end of each chapter, the author lists “help yourself” reminders.

All of us go through some pain and injustice, though perhaps not as severe as the pain and suffering young Dave Pelzer went through. Reading the horrible accounts of abuse in his life would make anybody feel grateful for the life they've been living. The resilience of this young boy to his circumstances can serve as an example. The power of his spirit and gratitude brought him to where he is right now -- living a happy, fulfilled and productive life as an adult in spite of all odds. He shared his wisdom in this book so others can also have a great life in spite of their own negative circumstances.