Keeseville Publishing Company
With the sheer number of so-called “self – help” books, it’s rare to run into one that stands out in any real discernable fashion. Chances are the author is just pointing out the obvious, things that would work for anyone, if they were even able to do them. What makes Merkinson’s book stand out is that she immediately lets the reader know just how low she had sunk before she realized that she needed to make a change, and she goes through the step by step of how she accomplished this.
Now, most readers aren’t going to have started out in the same position Merkinson did, addicted to methamphetamines, a single mother of two pre-teen boys, one of whom was kicked out of school for assaulting a teacher, and one autistic, and living off meager wages she was earning being a massage therapist in a not particularly law-abiding “spa”. That’s part of the genius of it though; Merkinson relates how one could get themselves to fight off their addiction to meth. while at the same time writing it in such simple declarative language, with step by step directions, that it would likely work with just about any addiction that the reader has.
And although many jobs may seem menial, and not particularly rewarding all the time, Merkinson shows just how similar the issues that arise from a house of ill repute are to those that arise in the office place. Maybe it’s that a customer or co-worker isn’t showing you the respect that you deserve as a human being, and sure, maybe you won’t be dealing with it using a dull knife and an ex-boyfriend, the ideas are all the same. At some point you have to voice your opinion that you need to be respected, as you are showing respect. Then, if that respect is not returned, you must not just let it pass as if it is not happening, that will solve nothing.
Some readers might say that the writing isn’t particularly enthralling and technically there are many issues with the prose itself but that’s part of the charm of it. Merkinson is not trying to act all high and mighty as many self-help authors do. She acknowledges that at times she relapses, and that alone helps make the reader feel good. If you are trying to lose some weight and eat a second serving of ice cream on a Friday night, there is something to be said about comparing that to someone who is recovering from chronically shoplifting and gets arrested the night before her youngest sons birthday party, missing it because she berated the judge in court.
While it reads more like an autobiography at times, it earns the right to be called a self-help book in so many ways. Merkinson is living proof that no matter what your situation, it IS possible to better yourself and better the world you live in. And while Merkinson is no Deepak Chopra, that’s part of why she deserves more respect. She is a woman who started out with nothing and, although she hasn’t reached the top yet, she certainly is working her way there, every day, one day at a time.
Ms. Merkinson has been kind enough to grant permission to publish an excerpt of the book at;
http://whatiwantstory.blogspot.com/2008/06/excerpt-from-if-i-can-do-it-so-can-you.html