I think I would have completely different opinion of this book if I had a physical or digital copy, and not an audiobook. I just did not enjoy the narrator. He seemed too self help guru/salesman/ infomercial. It made it difficult for me to digest the information. I also think it would have been helpful to be able to annotate this book, and go back and reread sections.

This book is a blueprint for dealing with the issues in our lives that keep us from living to our fullest ability. There’s an initial quiz that helps you pinpoint the “pillars of resistance” that are hindering you, then exercises throughout to target each pillar to unblock anything in your way. As the author suggests at the end, it’s not a once-and-done activity. Retaking the quiz and repeating the exercises is necessary for optimal results. Continuous improvement. There’s quite a bit to digest in this well-organized and well-presented book. If you have an interest in self-improvement, this is a useful addition to your library.
My thanks for the author, publisher, and #NetGalley for the opportunity to receive an advance copy for review purposes. It is now available, so order a copy today!

The 9 Pillars of Resistance provides a roadmap not for eliminating or managing stress so much as changing our relationship to it. Much of the book is focused on rewiring your thinking and beliefs around stress that were learned subconsciously at a young age. While the audiobook was well narrated, I do think this book is best suited for the print format, where readers could refer back to it when needed. There are a lot of exercises to try that were hard to keep track of or reflect back on later. For anyone going through trauma therapy, or those who work with individuals who may struggle with stress, this book would be a helpful resource to keep on the shelf.

Thank you to NetGalley, Brilliance Publishing, and the author and narrator for providing an advance copy for honest review.

This book has been so good, excellent in addressing the inner thoughts that keep you frozen in place instead of advancing, providing exercises to release stress at the moment as well as resources for times when stress strikes. I'll be re-reading the book with an accompanying journal as a daily meditation, so to be able to take advantage to the valuable teachings. I listened the audio version which was entertaining and adequately fast paced, but will probably be getting the electronic or physical version so to be able to mark up and analyse deeper at a slower pace. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking to improve their self image, understand and be more resilient, improve in general from the inside-out.

This is the perfect kind of audiobook to have on in the background. Sideroff asks us to remember to follow "the path" every day of our lives, but at 26 steps, I'm hard-pressed to remember the first, let alone the last. All the basic issues with self-help guides are also at play here. Every example is low stakes and assumes a certain socioeconomic background, family setup, cultural backdrop, etc. Life is too complicated and uncontrollable ... and ideally we'd have an angel on our shoulder, guiding us along this "path" of the author's. An added problem is that we're told to "go to Step #" or refer to a bonus PDF mid-play, which I doubt most will be able to do. I also have reservations about the references to spirituality and related pseudoscience, on top of the outmoded reliance of the gender binary (your friend is "he or she" but never they or ze!). The edge this one has is its replayability. It's genuinely nice to listen to. The narrator, George Newbern, is great.

Pretty solid read.
The author talked about a lot important topics all around resilience (some of them were relatable and really helpful to listen to those parts of the book). What I found difficult was to reflect/answer questions in between or take part in the exercises.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this eARC.

In the audiobook “The 9 Pillars of Resilience” by Dr. Stephen I. Sideroff, narrated by George Newbern, listeners are invited on a transformative journey to master stress, slow aging, and enhance vitality. Dr. Sideroff, with over four decades of expertise, presents a holistic methodology that is both innovative and practical.

The narration by George Newbern is engaging and brings a sense of calm and clarity to the content, which is crucial for a book that aims to soothe and empower. His voice acts as a guide through the nine pillars, making the complex concepts accessible and the personal guide and assessment tools provided in the audiobook feel like a personalized coaching session.

Dr. Sideroff’s approach is not about eliminating stress but rather transforming our relationship with it. The book is structured around nine key pillars that cover a range of strategies from maintaining brain health and emotional awareness to enhancing self-worth and maximizing energy. Each pillar is a step towards not just coping with the modern world’s challenges but thriving amidst them.

The audiobook is a masterclass in resilience, backed by scientific insights and enriched with actionable advice. It’s a commendable effort to address the evolutionary mismatch posed by today’s stressors and offers a path to a balanced life filled with satisfaction and happiness.

For anyone feeling the weight of today’s fast-paced and uncertain world, “The 9 Pillars of Resilience” is a beacon of hope. It’s an audiobook that adapts to your needs, and equips you with the tools to build a resilient life. George Newbern’s narration makes this audiobook a must-listen for those seeking to enhance their well-being and longevity.

Clinical psychologist Dr. Stephen Sideroff explains the science of stress, how to determine your optimal level of stress, and how becoming more resilient increases your window of optimal performance and the amount of stress you can tolerate without negative effects. He provides a stress symptom checklist and resilience questionnaire so you can assess your current resilience profile and observe how it changes over time. He then explains his 9 Pillars of Resilience and provides exercises for improving in each of these areas. Importantly, he spends considerable time addressing common obstacles to success, many of which relate to patterns learned in childhood.

While each of the 9 Pillars could easily be the topic of its own book, this book offers a nice mix of easily understandable scientific explanations and practical self-help to become more adaptable in each area. It requires considerable commitment to work through all of the exercises, but I appreciated Dr. Sideroff’s explanation of being On The Path or Off The Path and the signposts listed at the end of each chapter to help you answer that question. I particularly liked the discussion of how superstitions and other unproductive behaviors become habitual, and the “walking the plank” exercise.

The audiobook production was good, and George Newbern narrates clearly. Because the book includes assessments and many exercises, I personally found the content easier to absorb and work with via ebook. If you have a good memory for instructions and don’t mind pausing the audiobook to do exercises, then the audiobook would work. It is supposed to include a PDF you can download and refer to for the symptom checklist and resilience questionnaire.

I think anyone could probably benefit from reading this book, which is intended to help you improve your health, happiness, and personal success.

I received a free advanced review copy of the ebook and audiobook through NetGalley. I volunteered to provide an honest review.