“Uncommon Courage” by Andrea T. Edwards will inspire you to think deeply about yourself, positively impact your emotions, and define what truly matters to you. As a woman who has lived an interesting and influential life, Andrea has great wisdom to pass on to her readers. Whether you’re a mother with a child requiring special needs, someone who wants to save the earth, or just find a way to expand your point of view, this book will speak to every part of you, and then some.
The author has an amazing spirit. Her positivity, care, and encouraging voice overwhelmed the pages and made it easy for me to connect with her. Although she doesn’t share many of my personal views, I found her to be mostly accepting of other viewpoints and be everything you would want your opposite to be. She promotes open thought, gentle debate, and inspires positive interactions and understanding amongst all peoples. As our world becomes more and more inclined towards censorship and silencing debates, I found most of what she had to say very enlightening, and I wish more people would follow suit with this line of thinking.
I also really enjoyed her approach to self-improvement. While many self-help books will give you a list of things to do, Andrea instead goes right to the source, which is you. How can you move forward if something inside is holding you back? I loved the way she teaches you to analyze your emotions and figure out what is causing the negativity. We all could use this sort of personal analysis, so I applaud her for focusing so much on this neglected area of our lives.
The range of topics she discussed was pleasantly surprising. While some might consider the number of topics she touched on lacking in focus, I found it kept my attention, even if some topics did not really apply to me. One chapter might focus on attracting your perfect life partner (something she has experienced personally), while another may center on the environment, raising children, or how to improve your thoughts with positive thinking. I found the mix of topics relevant and applicable to many types of people.
Nearly every chapter has exercises at the end to help you engage with the topics and achieve personal growth, so people who enjoy homework will not be disappointed. Most of her advice applies to everyone, so I enjoyed the level of inclusivity she achieved. If you’re looking for a book that combines advice and wisdom with fun and surprises, look no further. This is a great book for anyone who wants to make themselves a more positive force in their sphere of influence.
The guide is long, but it stays highly digestible, with short chapters that can be consumed while riding down an elevator, taking a break from chasing the kids, or in a more concentrated, meditative manner. That approach seems by design: Edwards’ structure allows readers to dip in and out according to their interests or needs. The guidance can be deep or breezily superficial (“buy wine that’s at least four years old”); like all good advice, it can even be irksome when she hits the right button and tells a truth you might not yet want to face. The book’s busy, with some potentially distracting elements—such as the adages Edwards calls “wisdoms” that relate to another project, unconventional hashtags, and QR codes introduced for further reading—but Edwards takes pains to expose readers to fresh ideas and possibilities beyond the purview of the average self-help book.
As Edwards introduces new habits and mindsets, helpful footnotes suggest opportunities for further research, and workbook pages encourage contemplation of the material. Her style is highly narrative, with dishy anecdotes bursting with practical advice delivered in her funny, straightforward, and entirely supportive fashion.
Takeaway: This wide-ranging, of-the-moment self-help guide urges readers to live with purpose and courage to make a difference.
Great for fans of: Shad Helmstetter’s Negative Self-Talk and How to Change It, Jon Gordon and Damon West’s The Coffee Bean.
Production grades
Cover: B
Design and typography: B
Illustrations: A-
Editing: A-
Marketing copy: A
“The first thing I remember about Andrea is that she was so helpful, from the moment we got connected. I was working for an upcoming tech company, she was in charge of analyst relations at Microsoft. Could she refer me to some of her contacts? Absolutely, she has never hesitated to help and support, ever. Thinking of a legacy - how do you want to be remembered? Hmm…
“Today, her book - #UncommonCourage - arrived. I said I would happily buy it on Amazon, but no, she sent it over from Phuket. It's in my hands now.
“I started reading it earlier today. Chapter 1: Get Out of Your Life. Similarly to Andrea, I ventured out of my native country (Finland) fairly early, and I can totally relate to what she writes about the potential impact of such a move. But hey, is this book for beginners? Maybe I don't need to read it? Chapter 2: Self-Awareness. Gotcha.
“Nonetheless, I move on with the Chapter 3: Self-Empowerment. What five things would I take along if I was stranded on an island?
“(Only later on do I realise she asked for which FIVE SONGS I would take along to keep me company - just how pre-configured are our minds to actually read what we expect vs. what's actually printed?)
“Nonetheless, I felt that thinking about objects to take along was kind of a fun thing to do. My instant thought was my hubby, but please don't judge me on objectification of men.
“Secondly, I was actually thinking of an instrument, so I'm pretty sure that would have brought me to the favourite songs fairly quickly anyway. So, yeah, I was still complacently thinking, I've got this (no Abba though, please). Do I really need to read yet another self-help book?
“Yet, something kept me reading.
“Chapter 4: Do You Have Voices in Your Head? (Self-awareness) Yes, absolutely - and over the years I've actually learned to listen to them in difficult situations, which has proven quite useful.
“Except when those voices aren't productive at all - when they come with a negative, worrying undertone. Or, when they are judgemental.
“Bang. You caught me. As you suggest, dear Andrea, I decided to take a holiday from worries, for a month. Because, 'Worry is a waste of time' (Chapter 5).
“But it gets even better.
“'Let People Be Dicks Sometimes'. Oh, I'm thinking of someone, very close. This might actually be the best life advice I've ever got. And we’re only in Chapter 6 - out of 100+.
“I'm sold. This book might not just save my holiday - another couple of weeks stuck on an island, as a matter of fact - but my very close relationships, my career and all other 'things' I hold dear.
“I shall be reporting back soon, but in the meanwhile - find this remarkable book on Amazon and buy it. Andrea says it as it is - now, listen to that voice. Let people be dicks, sometimes. #withoutbollocks”
“It makes you THINK
...and it makes you GROW
“It's a book written by my friend Andrea T Edwards, as we all coped with last year - she wrote. And what a blessing that is.
“I got my copy last week and I ❤️ it - it’s a compilation of thoughts, of wisdom from her own life and stories. All very relatable and very Andrea.
“📖This is a book for you and me💕.
“And I’ve been savouring it , and so I’ve got four take-aways to share with you already:
“🏆 Aim past the top of the hill ↗️- this one kind of blew my mind. What if you knew your goal, your top of the hill, and aimed past that - to even more? As someone who tends to be conservative in my goal-setting, that’s a mind-bender
“🏆 Embrace Social Media - now this is something that doesn’t come easy to me. Andrea sees it as a tool, as a means of amplifying what matters to you. A means of changing the world. 🔊 A perspective that is so much more empowering and inspiring.
“🏆 Get out of Your Life - in other words, your comfort zone. Get into others’ lives - experience what they experience, notice how they think and view the world - and you will grow. Always good to be reminded of this one.
“And this made me laugh, 🏆Let People be dicks sometimes’ - yep! And love them anyways. We’re all dicks some of the time! I know I am.
“This is an important book - if you know Andrea, you know that what you see is what you get. That is exactly what this book is - what you see is what you get. No jargon, no high flying concepts - but simple concepts that will change the way you view the world.
“And simple action steps you can take to practice them. (There is a free workbook you can download)
“It makes you THINK. And when you think, you GROW. Thank you so much for writing it Andrea T. Edwards.