The Gifts of Imperfection by Brené Brown

 Brené Brown is a research social worker and a Ted Talk superstar.  In this book she focuses on learning to be "wholehearted" by accepting who we are and letting go of shame.  She explains her main terms in the beginning chapters, and then talks about 10 "guideposts" or strategies for embracing authenticity.  Her suggestions are based on a series of interviews she conducted about shame, and similarities that she discovered are shared by those she defines as wholehearted. 

This is a very readable self-help book with a lot of good ideas.  If someone could actually do all the things she suggests, they would probably have a happier life.  I read this with my husband, and we got a little tired during the "guideposts" section of her always saying "I discovered during my research".  We started keeping track and she said a variation on that phrase within the first two paragraphs of every chapter.  It might have been nice if she had been able to actually include anecdotes from her interviews, but she does not, probably because she promised confidentiality when she interviewed people. As a result, we just have to take her word for it that the conclusions she draws are legitimate. Still the writing is accessible and engaging and I would recommend it to someone looking for a life pick-me-up.(2010, 137 p)