Discovering the IT Factor Within You

In a handbook for developing charisma%E2%80%94a captivating quality that lets your uniqueness as an individual shine through%E2%80%94activist and actress Rowland maintains that finding your talent and passion and manifesting charisma will lead to triumph over others in the field of your choice. The problem with this self-improvement manual is that Rowland fails to communicate her own charisma on its pages. Her name-dropping Hollywood stories feel self-important, stories of her difficult childhood are undeveloped, and diversions to side topics such as veganism and aura cleansing make her presentation disorganized. Her examples of charismatic people include the lofty and famous, such as Marilyn Monroe and Martin Luther King, rather than everyday successes. Much of the best thinking in the book comes from her friend Robin Cofer, described as a priest, who addresses the spiritual side with pithy wisdom. This murky mix of well-known self-help advice is complicated by the dubious framing that those who succeed in life are spiritually superior. This contradicts Rowland's claim that charisma is universally accessible, leaving the reader with more annoyance than inspiration. (BookLife)