Shut Up, Stop Whining, & Get a Life Review

It's impossible to miss the direction of Larry Winget's book "Shut Up, Stop Whining, & Get A Life"; the cover is in bold print, and Winget is crouching on the cover and pointing to the reader. He looks more like a member of Hell's Angels rather than someone who can help you with your life's troubles, but that's what works for him, and that's what sets this book apart from most self-help books.

Most books in the personal development section are designed to comfort, to inspire, sort of like a phone call to mom. In contrast, "Shut Up" is like a shove after being yelled at by a bully. The difference is that Winget wants you to help yourself, and the book stands out by telling you to get over yourself and move on with your life.

Winget begins his book immediately telling the reader to shut up. Not just to shut up, though...to shut up and listen. "It is impossible to listen while you are talking", he writes. He encourages the reader to listen to loved ones, namely spouses and children. Winget also instructs the reader to listen to teachers, to experts, to themselves, and to God.

Rather than simply offering tough advice, filled with sarcasm and directness that will make anyone squirm, Winget also admits his own faults. He's candid about past problems in his family that affected his marriage and his relationship with his children. It's somewhat comforting to see that he has trouble following his own advice.

The main exercise Winget employs in his book (other than telling the reader to shut up and stop whining) is strikingly useful: he has a list for the reader to fill out. He wants you to envision your ideal future (where you want to live, where you want to shop, how much money you want to make, and so on), and to write down exactly what you're doing to make it happen.