Michael Alvear

Have been reading some books about self publishing which have been languishing on my Kindle and finally got to this one. It is a bit out of date now, as I've seen that a 2018 edition has superseded it.

One of the main things recommended is Google Adwords. As far as I know, this all changed some years ago and certainly if you try to access their Keyword Planner now, you need to login with your Google account and then begin to confirm various things about your business - as if you are going to set up an account with Google Ads. So I don't think it's now possible to easily test out search terms that can then be tried out in Amazon.

Another thing recommended in this edition - to recruit family and friends to post reviews written to a particular format - is completely out now, as it is against Amazons terms and conditions and will just get you banned from Amazon.

There are some pointers that are still useful such as what to consider when writing a book description, the need to have certain things done professionally such as editing the book and so on. The book is written in quite a lively/jokey fashion so is not a difficult read. It is probably more useful for non fiction writers although the author does attempt to adapt it to fiction writers: however, his background is as a non fiction writer.

Given the amount of material that is out of date, I can't recommend this although the 2018 edition may be more useful. I did look at the 'Look inside' on Amazon for that edition, and there is new material such as research on what people look at when viewing a book page on Amazon, but I would still be cautious. As that book dates from 2018, there is still a danger that at least some of it is now out of date and it is more expensive than most self published books. So in conclusion, this would have been more useful if it had been possible to begin my self publishing career earlier, but has to be treated with a lot of caution now.… (mere)

Grand Theft Weight Loss by Michael Alvear
How Stealing Scientific Discoveries Outside The Diet Industry Helps You Lose Weight

Becoming aware of “weight” issues in the late 60’s in the time of Twiggy-esque beauty, going on my first “diet” in the 80’s, and having been on and off diets since then I have read much, tried many eating plans, applied nursing school education to more recent science through the years, and always finding th topic interesting – I still managed to find some new and interesting ideas to consider moving forward in my quest for health and wellbeing. Over the past two years of the pandemic I have dropped fifty pounds using some of the ideas in this book and habituated my taste buds in ways that remind me of a suggestion in this book…before even reading it. This is a book that will definitely be of value to those interested in the subject whether they need to lose weight or want to assist others in doing and are newbies or old hands in the field.

What I liked:
* The writing style was easy to follow with enough science but not so much it would overwhelm the layman
* Information made sense, had scientific backing, and made sense
* Ideas to implement were doable, painless, and worth trying
* The charts, illustrations and photos were excellent…those plates of Oreos and the suggestion on how to reduce intake of them over time were…VERY interesting
* The idea that weight loss should NOT be the goal…why and what should replace it was intriguing
* Each chapter was succinct and well crafted
* There was a linear progression to the book
* There was a synopsis and chapter review at the end
* I was able to enjoy the information and understand it easily

What I didn’t like:
* Not sure it is a dislike but a personal question…can a person actually “stop dieting” and lose weight? Something for me to consider some more.

Did I enjoy this book? Yes
Would I recommend it to others? Yes

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC – This is my honest review.

4-5 Stars… (mere)