Very disappointing: Most of the list prompts I looked at do not lend themselves to very long lists (nicknames I've had?) and some were just dumb (ways the full moon affects me?). I found the topical grouping to be somewhat arbitrary. In short, I returned this book and have decided to rely on the many list prompts in other journaling and self-help books. ( )

This book, if used thoughtfully and with the right intent could take months (perhaps even years) to complete!
I don't really know what I was expecting when I requested this book...but I saw it on Amazon and thought it "what a neat idea" -- my mind rushing with possibilities based on nothing more than the title and brief editorial description! When the book arrived at my door...I practically ravaged the packaging to get at the books (normally, I am excitable when it come to books...and I got all three in this List Yourself series: List Yourself; More List Yourself; and List Your Creative Self). Now I knew this was a book for you to fill in, but I was still surprised to find that after two very brief chapters (an introduction and "How to Use this Book") that it is virtually empty...most of the pages (14-297) are list topics. That is to say the very top portion of the page (about two lines worth) is a List Topic, the remainder of the page is blank lines to be filled in...allowing you to do exactly what the title says...List Yourself!

I found that the brief first chapters actually are more than adequate, this will be particularly appealing to individuals who do not have the patience for long-winded explanations or tons of in-depth analysis of this technique...there is just enough good information to get you going -- with a simple, easy "how to" your on your way to listing!

What is great about List Yourself is that it is not all "serious" or "proper," not all probing and full of angst...this book has lists that will help you capture ALL of who you are...even the funny and irreverent!!

Serious topics include:

"List All the People You Wish You Hadn't Trusted"
"List What Heals Your Aching Soul"
"List those Moments in Nature that Remind You of Your Connection to the 'Big Picture'."

Silly Topics Include:

"List All the Times You've Hit the Jackpot"
"List All the Foods, Candy, and Other Treats You Loved to Snack On" (as a child)
"List All the Foods You'd Eat if Guaranteed You Wouldn't Get Fat" (I must be hungry...lol)

and it goes on and on on for more than two hundred pages...there are lists about the past, the future....allowing you to explore EVERY aspect of who you are...from home and family to career; covering entertainment, your inner most thoughts to the funny and irreverent in your life! THIS is NOT your mother's journal! What you get here really allows you to capture who you are in a relatively easy to use listmaking format!

I truly believe the best use of this volume is for the time challenged journaler (or potential journaler)...you can keep this by your bed or near your favorite spot on the couch -- list yourself when your restless at night or when there's nothing very interesting on TV...keep it handy and out in the open and I can almost GUARANTEE you'll find yourself picking it up every now and again -- it's compelling in a way!

For the more "serious" journaler...List Yourself would certainly make a fun addition to your current journaling -- or a supplement if you like! The materials and methods certainly dovetail nicely into nearly any journaling style!

Upon completion, List Yourself will certainly be interesting to read over every few years...a gauge of who you were, who you are, and who you will be in the future!!

Sooooooooo...do I recommend List Yourself???? The answer is an definite YES! I most certainly do! As a supplement to "regular" journaling or as a stand-alone technique used for self-discovery -- I think it's invaluable!!

Do I absolutely LOVE everything about this volume...HECK NO...the hard bound format is annoying at best (my comments were less than "G" rated in this area...lol)...and size make this book hard to handle. Personally...for books I have to write in, I like a slightly larger size and this book would be MUCH better served with a spiral or library binding...the combination of size and binding choice are (to me at any rate) extremely annoying. I would also absolutely LOVE it if a date line had been included...it's certainly not difficult to simply add the date in at the top...but for neatness and uniformity -- a printed date line would be a nice addition!!

For myself (because of the format the book is in), I'm going to incorporate the lists into my regular journal -- recording only the date(s) that I make the list in the hardbound book...so that I can easily find a particular list later on...and if I do a list several times over the years...I'll know where to find each to compare and contrast them!!

Overall, this is a neat idea -- and the book DOES live up to the entire title! I give it an "A"+ for content and a "B"- for usability - the hardbound format does leave much to be desired.

I give list yourself an "A"- for price, coming in at 296 pages of great listmaking opportunities with a list price of $14.95 (Amazon currently has it listed at $10.47), I think it's money well spent!! ( )

#101, 2004

This is a book of lists to be filled out as an alternate way of journalling. There are lists which pertain to a variety of areas - things like business, personal, culture, men and women, growing up - all of which are supposed to help spark the imagination, and allow some self-exploration through writing. I really like the idea, and what I've done is copy out all of the lists into an LJ entry, with the intention of filling them out over time and posting them in my LJ. I've done a few already, and I find they are thought-provoking and interesting to do. ( )