2022/02/15

Mentors: How to Help and be Helped - Brand, Russell | 9781509850884 | Amazon.com.au | Books

Mentors: How to Help and be Helped - Brand, Russell | 9781509850884 | Amazon.com.au | Books



Mentors: How to Help and be Helped Hardcover – 29 January 2019
by Russell Brand  (Author)
4.5 out of 5 stars    632 ratings
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Could happiness lie in helping others and being open to accepting help yourself?

Mentors - the follow up to Sunday Times number one bestseller, Recovery - describes the benefits of seeking and offering help.

'I have mentors in every area of my life, as a comic, a dad, a recovering drug addict, a spiritual being and as a man who believes that we, as individuals and the great globe itself, are works in progress and that through a chain of mentorship we can improve individually and globally, together... One of the unexpected advantages my drug addiction granted is that the process of recovery that I practise includes a mentorship tradition.

I will encourage you to find mentors of your own and explain how you may better use the ones you already have. Furthermore, I will tell you about my experiences mentoring others and how invaluable that has been on my ongoing journey to self-acceptance and how it has helped me to transform from a bewildered and volatile vagabond to a (mostly) present and (usually) focussed husband and father.' Russell Brand

Mentors: How to Help and Be Helpeddescribes the impact that a series of significant people have had on the author - from the wayward youths he tried to emulate growing up in Essex, through the first ex-junkie sage, to the people he turns to today to help him be a better father. It explores how we all - consciously and unconsciously - choose guides, mentors and heroes throughout our lives and examines the new perspectives they can bring.

PRAISE FOR MENTORS

"Compact book with a huge heart" Guardian

"A manifesto for making mentoring mainstream" Sunday Times Magazine

"A book about how to work together and help each other - we are not meant to do it on our own." Marie Claire

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112 pages
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English
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by Russell Brand
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Review
Compact book with a huge heart -- The Guardian

A manifesto for making mentoring mainstream -- Sunday Times Magazine

A book about how to work together and help each other – we are not meant to do it on our own. -- Marie Claire
Review
Could happiness lie in helping others and being open to accepting help yourself? <i><b>Mentors </b></i>- the follow up to <i>Sunday Times</i> number one bestseller, <i><b>Recovery</b></i> - describes the benefits of seeking and offering help.
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Product details
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Bluebird (29 January 2019)
Language ‏ : ‎ English
Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 112 pages
ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1509850880
ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-1509850884
Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 13.5 x 1.1 x 20.5 cm
Best Sellers Rank: 23,208 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
26 in TV Shows (Books)
50 in Twelve-Step Programs (Books)
55 in Biographies of Social Activists
Customer Reviews: 4.5 out of 5 stars    632 ratings
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Russell Brand
Since rising to fame in 2003, Russell Brand has established himself as one of one of the world’s most celebrated stand-up comedians.

Aside from stand-up, Russell is also a phenomenally successful author, broadcaster, actor, podcaster, columnist, political commentator and mental health & drug rehabilitation activist.

He has 2 cats, a dog, a wife, a baby, 10 chickens and 60 thousand bees, in spite of being vegan curious.

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Top reviews from Australia
hfeynman
5.0 out of 5 stars What a book!
Reviewed in Australia on 14 June 2019
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I rarely write reviews of books...or anything else. This one is special.

Russell, you have written such a beautiful book. Thank you. I am sure a lot of people who are able to introspect will find some resonance with this book. Written by an expert in growing as a person and spiritually. Met Russell a couple of times with Amma in London and he is such a character! This book shows a different version of him, one who is a gentle soul.

Everyone should read this book. Mentoring is a great way to grow in life and whatever people say, everyone has had some mentors in life and has mentored someone in life. If you accept/give an opinion or advice or some directions, then you have or have been mentored.

Poignant with classic examples from his own life, Russell s able to convey how mentors can help shape someone life.

A must read!
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Kindle Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars A life changing read
Reviewed in Australia on 19 August 2020
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Russell made me consider all the people in my life who make me who I am and appreciate them. By midway I was giving thanks to the glory of life and all my blessings. His writing is entertaining and easy to read. It has a raw honesty that gives it an authentic quality that is spell binding.
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5.0 out of 5 stars Fantastic Read
Reviewed in Australia on 25 July 2020
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When I first heard that Russell Brand was preaching spirituality my initial thoughts were, not another famous person becoming enlightened and trying to make a quick buck. This book convinced me that Russell is far from a phoney and have now accepted that his intentions are pure. I could not put this book down, thank you Russell for your raw honesty, have not stopped thinking about this book for days.
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Dan
5.0 out of 5 stars Mentors
Reviewed in Australia on 11 March 2019
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Amazing, eloquent and inspiring! Would recommend for anyone, as anyone and everyone has the need for mentors as we all have the need to grow!
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thomas
5.0 out of 5 stars great read
Reviewed in Australia on 3 May 2019
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great product
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Nicki Kendall
TOP 500 REVIEWER
5.0 out of 5 stars An inspiring heartwarming read
Reviewed in Australia on 15 September 2020
Such a good book. Russell Brand gives some great advice about the benefits of both having mentors in your life and also in being a mentor to others. Told in his expectedly wordy manner, its both an inspiring and heartfelt read. Russell writes from his own experiences and growth with honesty and his insightfulness. ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐#russellbrand #mentors #tea_sipping_bookworm #bookstagram #bookqueen #greatreads #amazon#kindle #litsy #goodreads
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Adam
5.0 out of 5 stars It just makes sense. Guys a legend
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 February 2019
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I almost cancelled this order on the basis that it is quite obvious that we need mentors in every area of our lives in order to excel...do we though? I only realised my need for mentors in my 30s after my teacher/mentor told me to seek some out.
The book ended up being pretty useful and funny. I have underlined and scribbled on many of the pages.
I love that he lets us in and we see a real person who is vulnerable and flawed just like so many of us. Mainly it is nice to know that is possible to overcome addictions and learn if you are willing to put your ego to one side and put the work in.
I find Russel very difficult to watch. He has way too much energy for me but I LOVE reading his work and listening to his podcast. He is articulate. He is humble. He is very accepting and non judgemental. He is very open minded.
Interestingly I once saw Russel Brand many many years ago. When he was a different person altogether. Around the same time I brought a magazine that had a free bag with it that read 'Russel and I wear the same brand'. At the time I disliked him so didn't use it. I flaunt it now.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars An Endearing Search For Self Through Asking For Help..
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 27 January 2019
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"The World must become more fair..we ALL feel it,It is the intuitive knowledge that a better reality is trying to be born through us"..Russell is a seeker,a bipolar comet of Revolutionary light..part New-man,part hopeless romantic(in the true sense)..He allows himself here to be vulnerable to the point of self-deprecation which is highly appealing..He understands I think intuitively that in order to progress we will need Mentors..people with life and or spiritual experience..for those of us who go from one extreme to the other,a balance is essential or we keep burning our lives down..yep..me too!..at the same time he concludes what most of us know..that All is Love..or a cry for Love..and so I want to highly recommend this work..he isnt playing to the Gallery here..but this is still wryly amusing..its a book you can read in one but also revisit when needed..and it ties in with his Rebirth thing on Netflix..asking the questions we will all at some time be asking..loved It..x
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MR R G Case
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent text book for life. Brilliant read
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 24 January 2019
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Excellent book and a must text book to be read in all schools and universities worldwide.
It brings hope and encouragement about how altruistic we can all be. My mentor was my great uncle and my father in law both selfless in their dealings of others they inspired me to be the man I am today. Brilliantly written by Russell and a must read for everyone.

Richard Case
aka The Ghost Challenger
as on BBC Radio
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Louise Rigg
5.0 out of 5 stars How to help and be helped - helpful to everyone!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 2 February 2019
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How to help and be helped This is probably my favourite book by Brand to date. Could happiness lie in helping others and being open to accepting help yourself? Brand owns that he has mentors in every area of his life; as a comic, dad, recovering drug addict and spiritual being, some of whom were chosen consciously, others not. The point of the book, he wrote, is "to understand this process [of mentorship] and to improve it". Brand has really captured the reality of why we need mentors and shares a honest view of some of his. I’ve had a workplace/professional mentor for the last few years or so and each person has helped me immensely in my career, but as that chapter (9-5 office job) closes, this book has opened my eyes to the possibility of how much I can learn from people who motivate, encourage and inspire me. Whether that’s finding a mentor(s) in person, in an area of my life that interests me or reading books and admiring people from afar. Mentorship is vital. As well as getting the help, to then be in a position to help others is priceless. As a friend and mentor of mine once told me, “if you can’t pay it back, pay it forward”. Compact and thoughtful. You’d be hard pressed not to find a few pearls of wisdom or thought provoking ideas. Also, his podcasts, #UnderTheSkin are epic. Have a listen, if you like his work. Have a listen if you definitely don’t! You might surprise yourself.
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A
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome honest and very Russell
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 26 January 2019
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Russell has really captured the reality of why we need mentors and shares a honest view of some of his
He’s inspired me to get a couple
9 people found this helpful
====
Mentors: How to Help and be Helped
by Russell Brand
 3.74  ·   Rating details ·  1,853 ratings  ·  207 reviews
Could happiness lie in helping others and being open to accepting help yourself?

Mentors – the follow up to Sunday Times number one bestseller, Recovery – describes the benefits of seeking and offering help.

‘I have mentors in every area of my life, as a comic, a dad, a recovering drug addict, a spiritual being and as a man who believes that we, as individuals and the great globe itself, are works in progress and that through a chain of mentorship we can improve individually and globally, together . . . One of the unexpected advantages my drug addiction granted is that the process of recovery that I practise includes a mentorship tradition.

I will encourage you to find mentors of your own and explain how you may better use the ones you already have. Furthermore, I will tell you about my experiences mentoring others and how invaluable that has been on my ongoing journey to self-acceptance and how it has helped me to transform from a bewildered and volatile vagabond to a (mostly) present and (usually) focussed husband and father.’

Mentors: How to Help and Be Helped describes the impact that a series of significant people have had on the author – from the wayward youths he tried to emulate growing up in Essex, through the first ex-junkie sage, to the people he turns to today to help him be a better father. It explores how we all – consciously and unconsciously – choose guides, mentors and heroes throughout our lives and examines the new perspectives they can bring.

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Published January 24th 2019 by Bluebird
Original TitleMentors
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 Average rating3.74  ·  Rating details ·  1,853 ratings  ·  207 reviews

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Khurram
Feb 20, 2019Khurram rated it really liked it  ·  review of another edition
A good book. Don't judge this book by its size, this book. This book contains some condensed in some cases summarised versions of his book Recovery, but it is not the same book.

This is part Russell's thank you to people who have mentored him, and mainly the importance of mentoring and finding the correct mentor. He goes through the characteristics needed, as well as what he learned and then passed on to people he has mentored.

Their is a great chapter on his experience of parenthood, as well as dealing with every parents worst nightmare.

If you are looking for a quick easy read this is not the correct book. It is deep in some places, light hearted in others. Unlike in Revolution where Brand spoke of a revolution to come, but himself was not sure where he was not sure which side he would be classed on when it did come, he know exactly where he stands on the topic of mentoring. How important it is, what people should look for, and it works. He uses himself as an example to illustrate what mentoring has done for him and allowed him to do for others. Like a good teacher, a good mentor not only guides, but never stops learning from those he is helping. (less)
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Kylie
Jan 30, 2019Kylie rated it it was amazing
Look, lets get this out of the way first - Russell Brand is wordy. He strings out a sentence that could be condensed down into three words, but he does it in such a way that you know his brain has been slow cooking the thoughts for such a time that the meat of the sentence is falling off the bones and can only be held together with poetic expanse and entropic tangential lines of thought.

Oh, it seems I am a bit wordy too.

I really liked this one, I did not read Recovery, despite my addiction to writing longer sentences than necessary and my obsession with needing to know everything, I didnt think it was applicable to me. I may have to go back and read it, because if asked, I would have thought Mentors didnt apply to me either, but I got a lot out of it. I read the book in the same month that I started listening to Under the Skin, and so there was a bit of crossover. But the relationships he mentions that were either mentor or mentee at various stages of his recovery or his life, were beautiful to experience. Whether spiritual, physical, psychological or just based in friendship, Brand explores the people that have inspired him to become the bearded bastion of philosophy that is today.

I think fatherhood has had an enormous impact on Brand's view of the world, and it comes through in his recollections of past relationships and present experiences. The knowledge that the ultimate role of mentorship has been thrust upon him forever has given him insight into what it takes to allow yourself to be helped or guided by the wisdom of others, and what it means to pay that forward.

This is a book for everyone, and serves as a reminder to stop and think about the people that have - deliberately or not - become mentors to you on your own journey. Russell Brand is becoming one of my favourite voices in this mixed self-help/philosophy/motivation genre. (less)
flag23 likes · Like  · 4 comments · see review
Naaz
Feb 20, 2019Naaz rated it really liked it
I didn't read it, rather I listened to it - which is my preferred method when it comes to Russell Brand. He is wordy, which is to be expected. But he is also insightful, self-aware, endearingly flawed and full of fresh perspective. I enjoyed it and will probably give it another listen. (less)
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Sam
Apr 03, 2019Sam rated it it was ok
Brand discusses the importance of mentors both in our lives and being one to others. He begins by suggesting that this book will suggest how to help and be help and understand the process of being a mentor and how to improve it. This is where my expectations laid a path to ruin. If you’ve ever listened to Russell Brand he often talks in a convoluted way which sounds fancy but contains very little substance. I doubt he does this intentionally but essentially he’s just a waffler. This book is essentially a self-indulgent tour through Brand’s life and the few minor experiences he’s had with his own mentors and being a mentor himself. I went back over the chapters and essentially each one contains about one sentence of use and thus the book’s wisdom could be condensed to a pamphlet. If Brand had advertised this book as a memoir I’d be more forgiving in this review; don’t claim to delve into mentorship if you just want to talk about yourself. The nuggets of wisdom he did posit are as follows: trust a mentor and be open minded to being vulnerable and talking about your feelings; they often have something you want and thus know more than you do. A mentor can be someone who fulfils a role for you such as a nurturing presence or someone who asks questions that allow you to self-sufficiently reveal your truth and whose comments give you insight that you wouldn’t come to on your own. We all need mentors in our life to override our own neuroses as they provide us with different views to help override our default programming, such as the possibility of asking someone ‘should I do this? What do you think I should do?’. We need mentors in our intimate relationships to understand what we feel our role is and what we need the role of our partner to be, and how to communicate this vulnerability in a positive way. Essentially mentors show us how to behave, guide us with their words and give freely what was given to them and thus so should you to those who seek your mentorship. (less)
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Nada Majdy
Sep 04, 2019Nada Majdy rated it really liked it
Agree with him or not, you can't help but respect this man's effort to reach the truth. Russell, you're one of my mentors, thank you so much for this book. (less)
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Anshuman Domah
Mar 10, 2021Anshuman Domah rated it liked it
Heads-Up: Much contrary to the title, this book is not a self-help book about Mentors.

The issue that I find myself having with Russell Brand is that ultimately every piece of work that he produces or releases into the ether is essentially about one person and one person only: Himself. At first, stumbling on this book with such a title shelved under Self-help Books, I thought that I was about to try my very first non-biography from him. I couldn't have been more wrong. This book moonlights as a memoir, but with Russell's astute observations about his own mentors. For this reason, I have both loved it and had my aversions about it ... but, more precisely, I did not hate it.

When it comes to self-improvement books and manuals, I have witnessed a general consensus among readers to be embarrassed for delving into them. Rarely do readers or intellectuals admit to liking self-help because we all love to label ourselves as educated and self-aware while letting our fragile egos portray an air of all-knowingness... When we hear any kind of mawkish, self-congratulatory snake-oil rhetoric, we tend to see right through it and tag it as figuratively radioactive. The Jay Shettys, Robin Sharmas, Deepak Chopras of the world release books as their main source of promotion (or self-promotion) and these books contain more unsubstantiated theories than they do useful information.

Paradoxically, avid readers love to hate books of such kind, for, their very nature entails as a medium for these self-appointed mentors. What Russell has so skilfully, yet unwittingly, done here with this project is to interweave one of these so-called manuals with his own insights and experiences ... but without presenting himself as a Mentor to the reader.

Allow me to re-iterate: this book is not a self-help book about Mentors. As Russell so clearly points it out, it describes his steps towards nourishing the damaged inner child he still carries with the help of some key personalities he met, trudging along through life... Anyone who relates to that (i.e. everyone) could draw parallels to his/her own life and have similar epiphanies in finding his/her very own mentors. The human condition is basically a series of impulses on a spectrum of time and we are all nursing a damaged inner child in some form or the other.

This book serves as a mere mental lubricant in the quest for the sovereignty of the self. Basically, I mean: we’re all fucked and this book is about how Russell Brand is unfucking himself with the help of mentors. Why am I using all the big words and high flown language for a simple review? That is exactly the contagious style that Russell writes in. His use of language is so precise that he is like a watchmaker presenting you his work. Each sentence is built with unparalleled lexical accuracy. He is not only disarmingly comfortable with the power of language that he wields but also very comfortable in letting his personality flow through his words.

If you're all about self-help and want to inform yourself about actual Mentors that would help you out, this book will only help you achieve that to about 10% of your expectations. If you want yet another memoir about Russell Brand, this is a pretty okayish memoir (he does lead an incredible life, but it’s like his thousandth autobiography). BUT, all of that being said, what is good about this book is what eventually draws me back to content created by Russell Brand. It is witty, funny, extremely well-written, full of beautiful concepts and amazing prose. If that is what floats your boat, then by all means, grab this book and enjoy yourself a few hours of Russell-Brandish-reality. (less)
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yenni m
Jul 23, 2021yenni m rated it liked it
3.5

I'm glad this was short. It started great on a city walk but got long-winded and repetitive. I like Russell Brand. I'm happy to continue seeing him publish, explore and share. Simplicity might find him as he ages. Otherwise he'll continue as he is, doing honest and humble work. I feel he's a good cis male to respect and for the things he says to consider in my lifetime. (less)
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Emma
Mar 28, 2019Emma rated it it was amazing  ·  review of another edition
I came to this inspired by Russell Brand's recent podcasts, especially those with Gabor Maté and Fearne Cotton. I respect Russell's openness about his addictions, recovery path, and spiritual challenges. This book builds on that, illustrating how we do better at life if we go through it with others and allow ourselves to be guided by appropriate teachers (or mentors). Although the overall focus is Brand showing gratitude to the eight mentors featured, he also gives insight into his everyday struggles and how he has learned from his past.

Some of my favourite quotes from the book:

On mentors: "I can only guess that they, like me, when invited to fill the role of guide, access an aspect of themselves not only unsullied by failure but elevated by it."

On Pete, who would never, "yield to self-pity or rage" and had an, "incredible aptitude for positivity . . . I hold Pete in my mind as an antidote to self-pity. Perhaps if we spend time around positive people, being positive to one another, we can raise our common frequency as well as our individual well-being."

"Radhanath Swami, like Amma, has entirely rejected the possibility that the material world can bring satisfaction. He prioritizes eternal principles such as compassion and integrity over temporary phenomena like prestige and haircuts. I need to study this as I still have a foot in each camp."

"The word 'swami' means 'he who is with himself' . . . "

"By being open to suggestion, by letting go of my will in favour of the will of others, I begin to change. . . . If you learn how to listen to your fear, how to recognize your uncertainty, you can then invite the superior consciousness of a mentor into your life."

". . . a mentor, well chosen, can guide you to the frontiers of your Self." (less)
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chantel nouseforaname
Aug 26, 2019chantel nouseforaname rated it it was amazing
Shelves: cultural-commentary, favorites, high-impact-reads, self-improvement
Russell brand is actually really insightful. He seems like a greaseball but he’s more insightful than one might think. This book was concise and really really down to earth. There something that I love about his honesty and his self awareness. He highlights the importance of looking inward and analyzing the reasons why you might find yourself downward spiralling with this openness that acknowledges and tries to make peace with the ugliness within. He simultaneously guides you towards the reasons why you should look outside yourself when you feel lost and seek assistance from people who are capable and in the right space/frame of mind to help provide it to you.

This book made me think about the great things about some of the different mentors I’ve had in my life. Mentors also made me realize that the times where mentorship was not successful with me, and that has happened, it was because I wasn’t ready and that’s OK. When I was ready, I really did benefit from a non-judgmental approach and the knowledge of somebody who had experience of what I was going through. This book is special.

Highlights also include: his approach surrounding cutting people the fuck off and eliminating the toxicity from your life. Especially when you’re the one who put them folks and that toxicity there. It’s a great read. (less)
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Imogen
Feb 04, 2019Imogen rated it really liked it
I loved Recovery by Russel Brand and what a brilliant book to follow it. It is very wordy and he rights exactly as if he is speaking directly to you which I liked. I think we tend to think of people having mentors for specific skills or moments in their life but this book shows that at any point we all need and can be mentors. I also particularly enjoyed his statement that mentors do not need to be perfect, that they can have just one quality that you are learning from them.
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Sam Williams
Mar 04, 2019Sam Williams rated it it was amazing
As a disciple of Russell's "Trews" on YouTube and Under The Skin podcast, it's likely I'm being biased, but it seems every book Russell writes gets better and better; and this is no exception. Absolutely loved it. (less)
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Siobhan Caulfield
Mar 15, 2019Siobhan Caulfield rated it really liked it
I love Russell Brand and his unique way of communicating his truths , very insightful, interesting and honest. Enjoyed very much
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Onceinabluemoon
Apr 13, 2019Onceinabluemoon rated it really liked it
3.5 rounding up because I just like the guy! Since drug addiction he is constantly working on himself and very introspective, I admire that in him.
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Robert Jan
Dec 16, 2019Robert Jan rated it did not like it  ·  review of another edition
Shelves: startup-books
For a book about mentors, the word "I" is in there a bit too much. (less)
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Aria
May 10, 2019Aria rated it liked it  ·  review of another edition
---- Disclosure: I received this book for free from Goodreads. ----
Firstly, the reworking of the 12 steps he throws in at the end is f'ing fab. That's what they need to officially be changed to, as Brand's version is much more realistic & helpful than the standard/traditional form. So say I, anyway.

This book is one that needed to be written, I think. Brand has created a work that is accessible to many types of people, but particularly to those who have had to go through some sort of long-term, intentional work toward personal growth. Such experiences are always unique to the person, but certain necessary characteristics are normally required for such work to be successful. That being the case, it is therefore possible to talk about generalities of certain types one would find in that process, i.e. the mentor(s) & the mentee(s). More or less, that's what he does in this book. It is not a self-help book, a how-to guide, or any other such thing. It is also decidedly different from his past books, those being full of anecdotes regarding drug use, sex as a drug, rides on the roller-coaster of fame, etcetera. This is more a discussion about the roles of different people involved on both sides of any intentional learning process, which in Brand's case, is also a recovery & maintenance process. All kinds of people come in to play in such an experience, & the parts played by those people, deliberate or not, is what this book is about. Expecting otherwise from this book will only lead to dissatisfaction.

I won the cd’s & they were fine, but I have the advantage of having consumed a load of programs from the UK. As such, a lot of the terms he throws around were not completely foreign to me, but I can see how differently-exposed people might have some (slight) trouble w/ it. That being the case, for more, shall we say, insular persons, I recommend a print version that will allow one to easily re-read bits, & to read at one’s own pace. Brand occasionally gets into a quick rhythm that can really throw a listener off if they are unfamiliar w/ the terms & references to the UK-local names he whips about. To be clear though, the content is such that even if a term or name is not known to the reader/listener, it doesn’t really affect one’s ability to gather the point of what Brand is saying. It’s easy to let such things slip by & still carry on forward w/ the book. I’d sum it up as cultural flavor that could be confusing only if one allowed oneself to get hung up on not quite fully grasping the reference, rather than just letting it go by & staying focused on the overall idea or theme of what he’s getting at. Really, it’s no big deal. I just thought I’d mention it, being that a wide variety of people from all walks are going to come across this & make format choices.

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Ryan
Jul 24, 2019Ryan rated it it was ok
One of Brand's lessons for readers is to acknowledge when they have a problem, believe that things can improve, and ask for help. For some readers, this book will go deep for that framework alone. While I usually enjoy stories about guides, teachers, and mentors, these ones mostly dragged for me. Thankfully, the book is short. For Brand, mentorship is not necessarily about learning or being taught so much as a relationship that allows the mentee to realize themselves on a deeper level. Brand is candid about his experience as an addict, but he also discusses mentors that helped him to navigate relationships or athletics. It's obvious that Brand is grateful to his mentors and that he is trying to pay it forward by helping younger men with their addiction. I mostly know him from his role in Forgetting Sarah Marshall, and it occurs to me now that he may have been type cast. (less)
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Mark Farley
Feb 10, 2019Mark Farley rated it really liked it
As an additional adjacency to his brilliant self-help tome, Recovery, Russell introduces us to the many different characters in his life that has aided and abetted him (so to speak) throughout his spiritual improvement over the last decade or so. From sages to ex-addicts such as himself to business and medical professionals who guide and impart their wisdom, Mentors is full of great advice along with Brand's trademark wit. It's inspiring and thoughtful, tragic and sad in parts, but most of all, clever and impactful. (less)
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Anastasia Baka
Jul 14, 2019Anastasia Baka rated it liked it  ·  review of another edition
Very few people, especially ones that I don’t know personally, have affected my life as deeply as Russell Brand. First with his YouTube videos, then with his podcast, his live shows, his books, Russell’s output and his progression of character (or better his regression to Self) have accompanied and fuelled hours of introspection. Be it politics, religion, quantum physics, the meaning of existing in a corrupt, neo-liberal, capitalist system, he’s provided me with nuggets of critical thinking, philosophical aphorisms and brotherly advice. I am so grateful for his service and his beautiful soul. (less)
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