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Style Statement - Live by Your Own Design
by Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte
Little, Brown and Company
ISBN 0-316-06716-4
Published April 2008 - Softcover - 256 pages - $24.99

On the cover of this book it says, "This is an invitation to make more powerful choices...to ceate your life with intention...to communicate who you are in all you do."  To me, this says I should be myself and follow my dream.  Now, I've said it many times before; you're either born with style or you're not.  However, after reading through this unusual book, learning to identify your own personal style is what it's all about.  I, too, am tired of the "style" we're all supposed to strive for, especially in the world of fashion, so whatever your style, accept it and embrace it.  This book helps us identify ourselves through a series of mini questionnaires, ultimately to establish two words that describe us.  One represents our foundation (80% of us), while the other is our creative edge (20%).  They say, "This is more about discovering yourself than it is about labeling yourself," and I wanted to discover more about myself than I thought I knew.  I also liked this, which they had to say: "Positive reinforcement will light a fire in your belly and get you across the finish line almost every time."  That's something I didn't grow up with.  Business partners and co-authors Carrie McCarthy and Danielle LaPorte are two different-yet-similar people, and have turned looking inwards and learning about yourself into something fun and reflective.  They also offer quite a few examples of individuals who've done this, which I found interesting and inspiring.  However, page after page after page of questions to answer became boring and repetitive.  So, sorry to say, I didn't get to find out what my foundation and creative edge words were.  In the meantime, I'm just going to carry on my honest and sincere approach to life.
Visit the authors' website at www.carrieanddanielle.com.
Conclusion - A little long-winded, but could be fun, if you have the patience.