The Girls' Guide to Conquering Life

The Girls' Guide to Conquering Life:
How to Ace an Interview, Change a Tire,
Talk to a Guy & 97 Other Skills
You Need to Thrive
Erica & Jonathan Catherman
(Revell)
ISBN: 978-0800729806
May 2018/304 pages/$14.99

Everything you need to know to be prepared, confident, and successful

As you grow up and make your mark on the world, you're going to run into plenty of situations that require you to be confident and capable. But it's hard to be either when you don't know what you're doing! If you want to have it all together, The Girls' Guide to Conquering Life is your go-to resource. With great illustrations and step-by-step instructions for almost everything a young woman needs to know, this book shows you how to

· introduce yourself
· change a flat tire
· respectfully break up with a guy
· leave a tip
· apply for a job
· ask for a promotion
· behave during a traffic stop
· create a personal budget
· wash your face
· clear a clogged drain
· iron a shirt
· wear a scarf
· shoot a basketball
· and much more

The world needs women of character who don't wait for others to do what needs to be done. With The Girls' Guide to Conquering Life, you'll be well on your way to impressing everyone around you with your skill, confidence, and grace under pressure.


Read an excerpt.


ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Erica Catherman has spent more than twenty years mentoring young women as a coach to middle school, high school, and college students. Committed to raising up the next generation to be kind, confident, and capable, Erica has served as a youth group leader, community volunteer, and advocate for gender equality in sports. She is a certified Yoga Alliance and Group Fitness instructor.

Jonathan Catherman is the author of the bestselling The Manual to Manhood and The Manual to Middle School. An award-winning cultural strategist and a leading education trainer specializing in the character and leadership development of youth, Jonathan speaks worldwide about the principles and strengths that empower greatness in children, teens, and young adults. Jonathan and his wife, Erica, live in North Carolina, where they work together to raise their family, which includes teenagers and a couple of big dogs. Learn more at www.jonathancatherman.com.


MY THOUGHTS

I rarely review non-fiction books, but this one intrigued me, particularly as the mother of a daughter who is learning all about "adulting," as many call it. The Girls' Guide to Conquering Life contains a plethora of tips for girls, presenting them in brief, easy-to read instructions, attractively formatted and illustrated. My only hesitance in wholeheartedly recommending it is knowing what age the authors are gearing it for. It is categorized as "Youth" which covers a wide span of years from middle-school preteens to high school graduates. Some of the tips are simplistic and catered to the younger crowd who have received minimal hands-on parenting or basic life skills, such as how to wash your face, how to wash your hands, and how to order from a menu. Others are geared toward older teens heading toward independence and are highly practical, including tips on managing a budget, how to use a variety of tools, how to jump-start a dead battery or change a tire, and basic cooking skills. I also appreciated the tips on what to do when you have an auto accident and how to behave if pulled over for a traffic stop. Overall, I would suggest this as a useful reference primarily for the older teen, with the caveat that they simply overlook those pages geared for the younger set.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a copy of this book free from Baker/Revell Publishers. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”