Member Reviews

Having seen this spoken about on a website I thought I’d request it. An interesting read and contains some useful tips that I will try.

Was this review helpful?

Thank you to the author, publisher and NetGalley for providing an ARC of this book

Some useful strategies here that I plan to implement.

Was this review helpful?

I like the concept of a power hour, but do not think I could commit to 5am. Herbert gives lots of advice and tips on how to improve your mindset, for example some journal prompts. How to create powerful habits through prioritising how we want to feel in the future. I found the chapter on sleeping better particularly helpful..

Was this review helpful?

This book is basically about getting up earlier and making better use of your time. There is little that is “new” in the way of psychology and self development but the book is a well written, interesting read. Ms Herbert has a podcast and the book is a distillation of her main ideas. She has much in the way of self motivation and is trying to change you to a dynamic force of nature like herself.

I don't know if it’s the pandemic or the style of the book but I just didn’t connect to it. I don't use a snooze on my alarm clock but as a retired person, whose partner still works, I try to keep a routine as far as possible. I hoped this book would help me structure my day and although I did pick up a few ideas, it didn't resonate that well. I wonder if I am the wrong audience?

I was given a copy of the book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

Adrienne’s introduction to the book was interesting, she shared her own challenges and setbacks and the reasons why she decided to write this book.

Some of the information wasn’t new to me but it was useful to be reminded of them. Such as the benefits of having a growth mindset over a fixed mindset. Creating habits, however small and build them into your daily life. I now have a kettle bell in the kitchen to use every time I’m making a brew. MrTT has joined in on this one too.

For me, the last couple of chapters The Power of Purpose and Creating Your Own Power Hour were more useful. They got down to business and provided me with the detail I was looking for. Plenty of thought provoking questions and actions to takeaway and work on, as well as some motivational quotes to help get started.

Recommended to those wanting motivation to kick start new habits in 2021 (get out of those PJs. We're so over 2020 right!).

Was this review helpful?

Power Hour presents the idea of dedicating the first hour of your day to doing something which is going to have a positive effect on your goals, your state of mind and your life as a whole. Not only does Adrienne explain why the Power Hour is so beneficial, but there are also plenty of exercises to help you discover what you want to use your sixty minutes for.

Lots of people and their ideas were already familiar to me, however this wasn’t a negative. In fact, it was a welcome reminder of the work I’ve already put in, and a gentle kick up the bum to restart some of those good habits. For those people not familiar with some of the concepts, Adrienne explains them clearly and coherently, and readers have the choice of going away and continuing their own research.

The beginning of a new year is certainly a good time to be introduced to something like the Power Hour (although applicable at any time of year, of course) and I think there is a lot that can be taken away from the ideas, suggestions and exercises that are set out in the book.

Reviews posted on Instagram, Twitter, Goodreads and Amazon. Thank you for the ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Hmm ... a little disappointed by this book.

Basically all I need to do is set the alarm one hour earlier than normal, get up, do something and all my problems will be over ...

Was this review helpful?

Not a massive fan to be honest. I was expecting far more from this book than I actually found.
Nothing particularly original, so while it was an easy read with some good observations and advice it didn't motivate me. Sorry!

Thank you to Netgalley for an early copy in return for an honest review.

Was this review helpful?

If you struggle to manage your time and want to be able to do more but never seem to be able to find the time then you need Power Hour- How to Focus on Your Goals and Create a Life You Love, in your life. Read and informative read that gives you loads of helpful advice, Written in an easy style, it feels as if you are just reading a friends thoughts on the subject,
Great read!

Was this review helpful?

The premise of this book is that by waking up very early and devoting that first hour to your current goals or passions that you can move towards having a happier and more successful life.
One of my favourite quotes from the book is: ‘Asking questions does not highlight a lack of knowledge, it highlights your willingness to learn’. For me it wasn’t the concept of the ‘power hour’ that I found the most interesting but instead the idea of continual learning, with incremental improvements that can build to create a great change or reach a larger goal. The idea that hard work and consistent dedication were required. I really took away the idea that our actions need to match what we say we want. There’s no point in me saying that I want to be able to play guitar but not actually practicing how to play it.

I enjoyed the fact that the author never felt that she would let her lack of what others would term ‘advantages’ or ‘privileges’ to hold her back from achieving her own personal goals. The mantra of ‘you can do hard things’ is repeated throughout the book. The author has a fantastic sense of the importance of time, and of using it wisely.

I read an ebook version of this book, but the author runs a regular podcast and is a keen public speaker, so I imagine that the audio book version would be very enjoyable. The style of writing is very chatty and like a good friend sharing their advice and passion with you.

So don’t worry if the idea of waking-up early isn’t for you, there is still a lot of other things and ideas that can be taken away from this book that you can implement to make improvements in your own life.

Thanks to the publisher for gifting me an ebook copy.

Was this review helpful?

As a fully-fledged listener of the Power Hour podcast already, I was really excited to get my hands on this book and Adrienne Herbert did not disappoint. I found it very easy to read thanks to the fine-tuned sections of purpose, sleep etc. and I enjoyed the friendly tone of voice.

There are a lot of books if a similar vein floating around the book sphere right now and I enjoy that Herbert’s own method is well-researched, yet strongly has its individuality set in how she has sculpted it to benefit her own life. In her own words, ‘If I want to learn from someone, I will watch what they do before I listen to what they have to say’ and Herbert shows she practices what this book is created to preach. There are plenty of useful tidbits that have been repeated in countless other self-help books but the packaging of them in this book is easy to digest. Although I did appreciate the input of her interviewees or other influences she has used, it felt like the perfect balance of outsider knowledge and her own opinions.

It comes across as honest and passionate, giving you the impression the author really does care that you use your own Power Hour going forwards. In my opinion, that is the best way to engage the target audience of this book and it will be something they can return to again and again.

Was this review helpful?

I have come across power hour before and have tried to apply into my every day life, this is the first book where it was much more easily to digest and easy enough to immediately implement into my everyday life. An inspiring read and a book I will refer back to.

Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for the opportunity to read this and review with my honest thoughts.

Was this review helpful?

I loved the enthusiasm and energy of the author and found lots and lots of useful and motivating tips for how to get the most of our time. I'm most decidedly not a morning person and can't ever see me jumping out of bed at 5.30am, but I'm sure there's lots of advice I can incorporate into my daily routine . Engaging and inspiring.
Thank you to Netgalley for an ARC.

Was this review helpful?

Power Hour refers to both the title of this book and the first hour of each day, when the focus remains on habit implementation, productivity, and progression.

Throughout this non-fiction, author Adrienne Herbert coaches the reader in how to utilise this first hour for continued greatness and to ensure we understand that we all have the time to do exactly what we want with our lives, if only we are willing to carve out the time it takes to get there. I found the contents incredibly inspiring and loved the personal anecdotes that were littered throughout.

The first hour of every day in 2021, so far, has been dedicated to inward focus where I have spent time in finding inner-peace and controlled thoughts before facing the chaos of living through a pandemic. I am still a work in progress but feel far better equipped to take on 2021, with this book by my side.

I have been just as motivated by this book as I have by its other lovely readers, who have woken at 6.30am all week along with me, on Instagram. We have all read pages of this book together before discussing our aims and our goals. Knowing you are not alone in a reality where contact is so limited has been incredibly heartening and I am so grateful to have been a part of this power hour movement.

Was this review helpful?

I don’t often review non-fiction, self-help books although this a favourite genre of mine and reading Power Hour I think I am a little bit in love with Adrienne Herbert. Adrienne wrote Power Hour in 2020 and I was drawn in from the beginning, as I felt Adrienne was speaking to me. Adrienne loves “that new-year-new-start energy” (tick), she says she also loves lists (tick) and she loves making plans (tick), like Adrienne I have a paper diary where I write down lists for the year (for Adrienne it’s “goals and aspirations”). Power Hour was born in 2017.
I find Adrienne very motivating and Power Hour very readable. She suggests that to change our habits and attain our goals we should spend the first hour of our day doing something specific. Adrienne says that the first hour of the day is the most important for focusing on our goals and whereas “Power Hour is customisable” it “should be the first hour of your day.” Adrienne starts her day at 5.30am and her Power Hour has taken many forms, running, praying and journaling to name a few, however it is always the first hour of her day. (whilst I am now very motivated to incorporate a Power Hour into my routine, I don’t sleep well enough to get up that early). There is a very useful chapter on The Power of Sleep too. In fact, here was something that spoke to me in every chapter of the book and Adriene’s Power Hour took me longer than a novel would, because I kept pausing to take notes and bookmark relevant paragraphs and Power Hour is a book that I will read again. I have just bookmarked Adrienne Herbert’s podcast, also called Power Hour, which started in 2018 and tomorrow I will start listening.

Was this review helpful?

I picked up some useful tips about motivation and having time for myself as part of a busy schedule.

Was this review helpful?

Adrienne Herbert writes passionately in this book about motivation and how you can transform your life by working on your mindset and physical wellbeing. Although many of the concepts she talks about are well-known, especially if (like myself) you are no stranger to self-help books, she's clearly done a lot of research on this topic and talks about how you can apply these practically - which is always the sticking point. There are some useful go-to lists throughout the book which would be helpful to refer back to, so I would recommend a paper copy rather than the kindle edition. If you're a morning person, I can see how introducing Herbert's Power Hour into your life would be really beneficial. If you're not, the book is nonetheless jam-packed with great tips!

Was this review helpful?

Power Hour is a motivational approach book to read for empowering self advancement, for personal growth and advancement.

Was this review helpful?

This is a well put together and well structured look at the concept of dedicating one (early morning) hour to build the life that you want. The author is not the first person with this idea, but she has her own take on it - and has a popular podcast where she interviews fellow power hour devotees.

I thought the book did a really good idea of breaking down the idea and the way to make it happen and how to make it work for you in a really practical way that takes into account (most of) the variations in people's lives. I'm a shift worker and all to often when I read books like this, I feel like the author has never taken into account people like me - who often have to get up at 4am for earlies, or are up all night for nightshifts - and although obviously it's still not going to 100% work for me in my life, it is thinking about shifts and long commutes and making you feel like something like this *is* possible if you want it to be. It did feel a little repetitive at times and I would like some more further resources and links to some of the research that is being references, but generally this is a good resource.

Was this review helpful?

What an easy to read, interesting book. The author takes the reader through various questions about their life and explains how an hour at the beginning of the day will allow them to do something towards improving their life. She talks about waking up excited for the day and setting yourself up for success rather than hating getting up and having that manifest in how your day unfolds. She discusses purpose and passion and how they are not the same thing and how to have both.
The book gives the reader a lot to think about and a push to do something to improve their life. An hour of power first thing may just become the latest craze and it would be a good one for everyone I predict. Now I just have to convince myself to put it into action myself.

Was this review helpful?