Caroline Goyder is fast becoming one of my favourite self-help authors. I fell in love with her first book
The Star Qualities some time ago and reviewed it
here on my blog. Her new book is called
Gravitas and it has been on my to-read list for a while. As I am back in night classes once more studying a psychotherapy course, now seemed like a good time to read it. It was just what I needed!
Caroline has a very gentle authorial voice; she isn't pushy with her readers, commanding them to 'just do it'. Instead she comes across like a big sister, sharing her knowledge and pointing out the pitfalls to watch out for. She is a kindly mentor. As public speaking is one of my fears and presentations are a compulsory element of the course I'm on, I feel stuck between a rock and a hard place, but on reading Gravitas, I now have a vital box of tools to help me through the trauma of it all.
Gravitas sounds like a big word, a big deal. It sounds quite intimidating and I probably wouldn't have bought this book if I wasn't already familiar with the author's previous work. I have found The Star Qualities to be so useful over the years and I'm sure Gravitas will become my anchor in a sea of uncertainty.
We communicate everyday, on so many different levels, yet rarely are we taught how to do it effectively.If you have ever struggled to be heard in a meeting, or missed out on a promotion due to shyness, or you just need to speak with more authority over the phone then Gravitas is what you need.
I especially enjoyed the section where Caroline talks about 'the gremlins' - those people who try to undermine your confidence, sabotage you at work, nit-pick at everything or just drain you to the point of exhaustion with their garrulous conversation. Gremlins are the people who feed your anxieties and make your head spin so that you cannot think clearly and they can then hold the floor and work to their own agenda. Not only does this book teach you how to spot the gremlins in your life, it also tells you how to deal with them and neutralize their negative impact. I found this part of the book very reassuring - it's not just me being mean - these kind of people do exist and I have, in the past, invited them into my life. Thankfully I now know what to watch out for.
I have enjoyed reading
Gravitas and I am eager to see what Ms Goyder comes up with for her
next book.
Check out the link above to find out more about Caroline's work. You can also follow us both on Twitter;
@carolinegoyder
@marie_bruce
