I Used to Have a Handle on Life But It Broke: Six Power Solutions for Women with Too Much to Do

This little 5" X 7" book is packed with frustrations, irritations, confusions, and challenges faced by thousands of women who hold two full-time jobs: employee and mother. The magazines and newspapers are filled with stories about the difficulties women wrestle with every day. Women without husbands and/or children face the same issues. The message is clear: gotta be in control!Control. Organize. Direct. Internalize. Chaos. Responsibility. Stress. Ineffectiveness. Unhappiness. This flow is not going to good places. And that's what has to change. Mary LoVerde takes her readers through the process in a comfortable, conversational "been there" style that will be much-appreciated. The text is filled with comments, testimonials, emotional expressions and more from a wide range of women. I was amazed at how much was woven into this book to make it a really helpful tool for all those women who have tried to improve their life by tightening their grip. Change comes when you understand that control is often confused with power. LoVerde suggests that true power comes from six approaches: pose good questions, pay attention, predict your Achilles' Heel, partner with women, pause before judging, and position yourself. The book is filled with compassion. Women who follow the advice will find a new serenity. Side comment: a lot of men could learn a lot from this book, too. Couples reading it together risk finding a new level of happiness.

I have heard Mary LoVerde speak and it was a very insightful and touching talk, so I was quite impressed to see how well she transfered this wisdom into writing. This book is funny, very helpful and cleverly written. A delight.

Mary's new book transcends platitudes and offers genuinely original suggestions on how we can gain the contentment we seek by letting go of our compulsion to control everything and everyone. As she points out, the more we try to control life, the more out-of-control we feel. With real-life examples, laugh-out-loud insights, and tangible suggestions; the author shows us how to relax, connect, and enjoy our life as it unfolds instead of rigidly trying to predetermine every outcome. The book is divided into easy-to-access-and-apply read bytes so you can dip into it and derive value even if you're busy and only have a few minutes to spare. Read it and reap.

Mary LoVerde has a special skill for entertaining and educating. This newest book does not disappoint. Once again Mary offers keen insights into lives of the overwhelmed. She shows us all her special insights for working our way out of the chaos. A great book for women..and for men who want to better understand them and themselves.

I was really stressed out a few weeks back and picked up "I used to have a handle on life, but it broke." I love this book! It has very useable ideas and makes some points I had never considered. The book is small enough to not be overwhelming but packs a punch of information. I especially liked the chapters on the Powers like partnering with women and stop doing the behaviors (like filling in the blanks)that drain my energy and give me a false sense of control. I recommend this book to anyone overstressed and out of time. Great for men too!