Review – Thou Shalt Not Whine by January Jones

Synopsis
Stop Whining – Start  Winning! It’s not just you. Anyone who goes shopping, watches TV, or has children knows there is a world-wide epidemic of whining that is out of control! January Jones surveyed a wide cross-section of people to find out why they whine and what they whine about. Armed with this information, she wrote Thou Shalt Not Whine, a humorous look at why people whine and how to cure it. January reveals the top ten whines from all age groups and shows you how to deal with them using cures that work. Thou Shalt Not Whine is guaranteed to make you laugh at yourself and others. For anyone with family, friends, or foes who complain, this book is a must-read!

Review
Everyone knows that the most common thing to say in idle chit-chat is “How about that weather?” or “Lovely weather we’re having” or something along those lines. But, have you ever noticed how often that leads to a conversation filled with complaints? And it’s not just talk about the weather, it’s everything. Until reading Thou Shalt Not Whine I hadn’t realized just how much of our every day life consisted of complaints.

Example
6:00AM Alarm goes off – ugghh it’s too early.
6:15AM Take shower – water’s never hot.
6:30AM Make breakfast – damn toaster always burns my toast.
7:00AM Drive to work – traffic’s terrible.
7:00AM Catch bus to work – bus is always crowded.
7:35AM Car-pool to work – Stupid Bob, he’s always late, his car is a mess, he used too much aftershave, his driving sucks and he drives me mad when he constantly hums along to the radio. 8:00AM … Etc. Etc. Etc. You get the picture.

January Jones has written a book about how whining happens and how to get rid of it. At times this book is very humorous, but many times it also comes across as very sensible. Some things that people whine about are complete crap, but sometimes a whine could actually be a complaint that can be dealt with in such a way that both “the whiner” and “the whined to” can reach an agreement and banish any whining for good (or at least for a while).

A good example of this is from the chapter Teenagers and deals with curfew. My boys were always whining about what time they had to be home, my rule was if it’s dark – you’re to come home. This solved the problem of them using the excuse that they had no watch, it’s not like they could deny the ability to look up and see whether it was a sun or moon above them. But still they whined, and I have to admit that in the winter when it gets dark early it is unfair. Anyways, January Jones suggestion for this particular whine, is to use the wonderful technology of cell phones. This was you can keep track of your kids, while they get a bit of freedom also. This was the solution I used a few years back, it was easy, sensible and so far (fingers crossed) we’ve had no major complaints. January Jones also points out that if you use this method, but your kids (who can sometimes be major pains in the posterior) decide not to answer their phones when you call to check up on them, remind them that cell phones can be equipped with GPS. (ahh technology is such a wonderful thing)

So who should read this book? And who can benefit from the whining cures that can be found in Thou Shalt Not Whine? And who can best use the explanations of how whining occurs? Take a look at this list:

• Children
• Teenagers
• Parents
• Couples
• Singles
• Baby Boomers
• Seniors
• Women
• Men
• Best Friends
• Grandparents

Now, think about whether you fall into any of those categories. Also consider how many people you encounter that make up this list. If you can put mental checkmarks next to any of these, then odds are you may enjoy this book!

Oh and if you are looking for a laugh check out the Appendix – Woe Is Me… I’m A Celebrity. Here you will find January Jones’ responses to many celebrity whines. Funny stuff, her sarcasm is golden. Below are my favourites of the bunch.
Note to January – I would totally read a 600 page book of these :)

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Johnny Depp: “I’m shy, paranoid, whatever word you want to use. I hate fame. I’ve done everything I can to avoid it.”  January Jones: “How about stop making movies?”

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Lindsay Lohan: “I hate when people call me a teen queen.”   January Jones: “Would out-of-control brat be better?”

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Brad Pitt: “Fame is a bitch, man!” “I’m one of those people you hate because of genetics. It is the truth.”   January Jones: “Most men would love your problems and your wife!”

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About The Author
January Jones is the self-proclaimed “Whine Tester” and expert on how to stop whining. She is a reformed whiner who lives every day in the No Whine Zone. January is a woman whose credentials for clever and cute cures come from her years as a woman, a wife, a widow, a mother and a grandmother. She is a published author who has done over 500 radio talk shows and television appearances promoting her theories. January Jones received the 1999 IRWIN Award and has been nominated for a Golden Headset Award. She is currently working with Steve Harrison of RTIR, Radio Television Interview Report, in his Quantum Leap Mentoring Program. She lives with her husband in California.

Published by Beaufort Books

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