I admit to being one of the extremely literal people who gets confused when a book that has THREAD in the title and skeins of yarn on the front contains no actual fibre related content. No threads were involved in the making of this book. That's okay. It is a very helpful book anyway.

I'm not good at books that are workbook style and have chapters with questions. It seems that you're supposed to read them one at a time, do the work, and then read the next. The author knows that people who need her book are not all the same, not all methodical types, and she tells us up front (introduction) that there are several ways to approach the book. Read it all at once and see what resonates with you? Sure. Read one chapter at a type methodically? Go for it. Skim the table of contents and see what speaks to your current needs? Absolutely. If you want to leave it up to bibliomancy, just close your eyes and open the book at random to see what the universe is pointing you to, that's valid as well.

The rest of the book continues to be flexible and easy to use. Each of her 20 short chapters introduces a single strategy, a small gem of thought that could be the idea that causes your life to take a new direction. They're interrelated of course. What if you start in the middle and didn't read chapter 3? No problem. Nicolette Blanco refers both back and forwards when an idea from elsewhere in the book would be helpful to the topic under discussion.

She says that being willing to accept imperfections is important (I don't remember the strategy number for that one), and in that spirit I'm offering this imperfect review of By A Thread (and not running upstairs to look up the strategy number) instead of continuing to not write a review while I dither about doing it perfectly. Also, I am breathing (strategy) and listening to myself and others (strategy). My life has improved already. By A Thread is not a perfect book, if there even is such a thing, but it doesn't need to be. It's an extremely helpful, honest, and very warm and friendly book. I highly recommend it. ( )

This review was written for LibraryThing Early Reviewers. I was given a free review copy of the book at my request and have voluntarily left this review.

"By a Thread: Resilience Strategies for the Partially Unraveled" by Nicolette Blanco offers 20 strategies to help deal with those times in life when faced with life's hardships, those difficulties ranging from grieving loss to facing the sometimes mountainous pile of little everyday annoyances. The author has put together a set of ideas for dealing with the challenges we inevitably encounter -- the book is worth reading.

Lest one think that the book is an overwhelmingly technical or complicated volume, each strategy is covered in just three or four pages, with the entire book being less than 100 pages. The strategies include things such as "Breathe," "Embrace Imperfection," "Forgive,", "Ask, 'What Can I Learn from This Experience?'," and "Connect to Something Greater." And while there are some cross-references in some strategies to other strategies, the strategies really stand alone and can be considered in any order.

Blanco's premise centers on a few key things: When one is down in the dumps or overwhelmed by life, heavy reading is not what one wants. Hence the brevity and simplicity. Her style, and her inclusion of some of her own life tales as examples, help to make the book a quick and easy read. Another premise she presents is that action is needed to overcome the doldrums. She readily admits that action is very difficult when dealing with life's problems, but she stresses in the strategies that even a little action is a start.

To help the reader toward that action, each strategy concludes with points for reflection. These help the reader both toward action and toward seeing how the strategy might be of benefit. Additionally, the author makes available to the reader a downloadable workbook in PDF format that provides space for notes about the points of reflection. That download is free, aside from the cost of giving up your email address.

As one who has now been around the sun more than 67 times, I have had more than my share of life's significant challenges during that time. While reading "By a Thread" I reflected on my own experiences and how I dealt with those, and reflected on how Blanco's strategies might have impacted things. My conclusion, from the perspective of experience and hindsight, is that her strategies are quite useful. Not every strategy is necessarily applicable to every person in every challenging circumstance, but they're quite valuable and well worth the read. ( )

I enjoyed this book, and it's simple and easy to apply! ( )

The author provides a number of interesting strategies designed to help people "hold it together" in an ever more complicated and challenging world. While the strategies are fairly straightforward, the overall plan struck me as a bit shallow and did not really go deep enough in terms of sustaining progress. But this is also something that requires more than reading a book alone to get to a place of resilience. Not a bad read; but it is nowhere near a substitute for professional therapy or coaching.

(Disclosure: I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.) ( )

I am grateful to have received a copy of BY A THREAD by Nicolette Blanco. It’s more than a book; it’s a self-support program for people who are experiencing struggles, frustrations, and recurring interpersonal troubles.

Each chapter presents a strategy for dealing with feeling “unraveled." Blanco presents a scenario, drawn from her own experiences and observations, and explains a strategy she has developed for managing the challenge. Blanco writes in a cheery, upbeat voice that will encourage readers to actually try her suggestions.

As its slim presentation reflects, BY A THREAD is best read in little sips, not gulps. Ideally, a reader will work through the book over weeks or even months, reading and reflecting on one strategy and then another — perhaps not in sequential order but as needed. The strategies are straightforward and eminently practical, but they do require time to internalize.

There is nothing earth-shattering in Blanco’s strategies, but their presentation is affirming without being smarmy or treacly. People who haven’t found other self-help books or counselling helpful might be willing to commit to Blanco’s gentle, low-stress program. A free companion workbook can be downloaded with which to do the reflection exercises.

Overall, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it for anyone who needs a little emotional support and compassionate advice.