It's Not (All) Your Fault - by Sharon Podobnik (Paperback)

Book Synopsis

This could be the last self-help book you ever read.

Self-help books promise transformation and empowerment but rarely deliver real change. What gives?

Despite what we've been told, no amount of self-help, quick-fixes, or mind-hacks will get us where we need to go. We cannot transform our futures through willpower and hard work alone.

It's Not (All) Your Fault reveals the ways self-help-though well-meaning-is deeply flawed and keeps us trapped in stagnant cycles. It makes all of society's problems your problems.

Sharon Podobnik draws on extensive industry and personal experience to offer a fresh perspective on personal development and collective transformation, revealing their inextricable link and demonstrating that well-being depends on solidarity, not self-optimization.

Whether you're a self-help enthusiast, skeptic, or outspoken activist, this book is essential reading. Through captivating stories and insightful research, Podobnik reorients us to our power, provides radical strategies for growth and change, and brings conscious awareness to what we already know: the future is a collaborative effort.

Despite what the world has told you, it's not all your fault.

Review Quotes

"A wonderful chaser to our collective self-optimization hangover..."

Dr. Devon Price, social psychologist and author of the books Unmasking Autism and Laziness Does Not Exist

"Podobnik pulls no punches in her brilliant analysis...ultimately showing us that liberation is a collective project."

Renee Powers, Founder & CEO, Feminist Book Club

"Sharon's take on the self-help industry is refreshing and, as someone who has spent countless hours reading those books, made me realize that I'm not alone in my feelings of failure and inadequacy stemming from what's meant to be helpful. Turns out, it's not (all) my fault."

Maricella Herrera, CEO, Ellevate Network

"Rather than fixing ourselves, Podobnik invites us to recognize our shared humanity, articulate our deepest values, and work together to build the future we deserve. Hers is a vision of radical hope with the power to transform lives and society itself."

Shasti Conrad, political strategist, Chair of the Washington State Democrats

"This book is for any woman who's felt the weight of expectations and the requirement for constant self-improvement - and wants to let it go. You'll gain more freedom with every turn of the page - and you'll want to contribute to a greater collective freedom as well."

Heather Whelpley, keynote speaker and award-winner author of An Overachiever's Guide To Breaking The Rules and Grounded Wildness