I Wasn’t Going To But...

AHHHHH!!!!

I am not one to bash authors, myself being a small fish I have great respect for those who have their books in print.  However, I cannot stand to read another one of this author’s book.  Some people may have truly benefited from the advice she gives; I can honestly say she does make valid points, several actually.

However, I absolutely loath her writing style for she comes across as condescending, smug and self important.  That she is an Angel for parents with adopted children, and she alone (though she does reference others) can save us.  (I realize that I’m contradicting myself in the previous sentence, but this is how she comes across.)

If the above wasn’t bad enough, she constantly promotes her website, other books she has written, her magazine or newsletter, and herself.  The author is an adopted child, and we are given insight into her feelings about being adopted, which I am absolutely be fine with, and appreciate even.  But every time I come across another self promoting sentence I have to stop reading.  I can’t pick it up for several days, because she has just annoyed the crap out of me (Subtly is not her strong point).  She sabotages the information she imparts, cheapens it, by making one question the true purpose of this book.  Is it to help and inform parents, or soon to be parents?  Or is it just a gimmick to sell more books?

I can usually finish a book, especially one this size, in a day & that is with taking notes.  I am on day 22. 

In my opinion a good writer doesn’t need to self promoted to the extent this author does (if at all).  If a person likes and connect with a writer they will generally go in search of more of their books.  However, and yes I am saying her name here, Sherrie Eldridge doesn’t seem to understand this.  She slips her works into tips, solutions, ideas, resources, and every time she does I feel that she loses more credibility.  She speaks about being confident and yet she throws herself at readers with her hands in the air as if a kid shouting, “Look At Me!  Look At Me! I know the answers!”  Granted this is why I picked up her book from the library in the first place, though was hoping for a more objective view. 

I have one of her books on my recommended reading list, because it touches firmly on the loss and grief associated with adoption, and in her book (the one I’m reading now) “20 Things Adoptive Parents Need to Succeed” again touches again on grief, grief and wait more grief.  I am certain there are other subjects in there that I read, (Loss comes to mind) here but everything comes back to...you guessed it Grief.  I do appreciate the section on “Understanding your child’s heart language,” and the grief box idea was interesting, and I did take special note of both of them.   

With that said, I am sorry Ms. Eldridge but my brain will not allow me to EVER read another one of your books.  Your words of wisdom get lost in your desire to self promote, and I would like to learn from someone who doesn’t have such an obvious second agenda.

My advice to Ms. Eldridge is simply this; put your book list, website, newsletters, and a conference speaker for hire, etc... in a Resource section at the end of the book and leave them there.  And instead of using yourself to fill in blanks, reach a little further. 

To readers: if you want to read her book, be sure to have a pen and paper handy so you don’t have to go through them again.

As for this one, I am not going to subject myself to it any longer.