This book is a self-help book that aims to be different than many others before it. Oftentimes, self-help books offer up an inspirational story from the author's life that seeks to motivate us. It's hard not to be motivated when reading about how someone overcame cancer, or worked their way out of extreme poverty, or overcame some form of disability. However, shortly after reading the book, the inspiration is forgotten and the reader is right back where he or she started. In order to create lasting change in a person that allows them to become autonomous, intrinsically motivated, and truly happy, you have to start with the person themselves. Livin' the Dream seeks to target the person's perspective and cause change that way. By combining classical philosophy with modern psychology research, the readers learn various perspectives and ideas on happiness which enables them to change their own perspectives. Because a person's perspective directly impacts how the person views the world, changing the reader's perspective effectively changes the world he or she lives in. To do so, the book discusses topics like choice, free will, death and loss, personality, and what is and is not under your control. Once the readers have done that, it's time for them to learn who they really are and then promptly overcome themselves and strive to always be better. This isn't a book that tells people what their dreams should be; it's a book that enables people to understand and decide for themselves what they believe their dreams should be and inspires them to live them every day.
About the Author: Andrew J. Brown is currently a fourth-year undergraduate student at Grand Valley State University in Allendale, Michigan double-majoring in psychology and philosophy. Born and raised in Michigan's great Southwest, Andrew attended Saint Joseph High School before graduating and beginning college at GVSU. After becoming increasingly involved in student leadership, he became the president of the GVSU Circle of Omicron Delta Kappa, the National Leadership Honor Society. Besides student leadership, he also worked as an intern in the Office of Student Life, a certified Peer Educator in the Counseling Center, and as a Lead Writing Consultant in the Writing Center. Due to the vast number of opportunities provided from the wide interests, he presented at several different conferences on topics ranging from body language to self-efficacy in writing to handling awkward situations as a peer tutor. For fun, he enjoys good coffee and craft beer, spending time with close friends, and watching nearly every sport on television. In addition to that, he is an avid cyclist and is training to run his first marathon in the fall of 2013. His writing career began in 2013 when he came up with the idea for his first book, Livin' the Dream: How to Overcome Yourself and Become Truly Happy. While working full-time during the subsequent summer, he also has ideas for at least two more books which will hopefully begin to take shape as time allows.