Official Review: There's a Rooster in My Bathroom!

[e-tasana-williams]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "There's a Rooster in My Bathroom!" by Trish Ostroski.]

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3 out of 4 stars

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There's a Rooster in My Bathroom!: A Quest for Meaning in the Bathroom, the Boardroom and Beyond, by Trish Ostroski

Trish Ostroski is an accomplished woman with experience in advertising, community development, theater arts and international travel. She has led a full life of service to others. In There's a Rooster in My Bathroom! she extends that service by encouraging readers to overcome difficulties, seize unexpected opportunities and reach out to others in their community and beyond. By doing this, she affirms, the reader will have a more meaningful and fulfilling life. As she writes in the book, "We all have meaning for other people, and we need to do a stronger job of protecting that and recognizing that." (Loc 718)

The book starts out as a retelling of happenings that the author has found meaningful in her life. About 1/3 of the way through it becomes more of a self-help book with autobiographical anecdotes. It is focused on the reader, but backed by the author's life experiences. Most of the chapters are similarly formatted: they open with a description of Ms. Ostroski's major life events, followed by a lesson she learned from those occurrences. They each conclude with relevant quotes to encourage the reader to use challenging or unexpected situations as opportunites to learn and succeed in life.

One of my favorite quotes from her book is "Going through disasters or tragic incidents brings out the awareness of the need for empathy and understanding."(Loc 501) Another one is "For every naysayer there is a yaysayer in the same situation getting it done." (Loc 783)

The author describes in one part of the book a missed opportunity and how she was determined never to let that happen again. I was impressed by how many wonderful experiences she has had based on that determination. When she becomes unexpectedly unemployed she uses the time to reinvent herself and to mark items off of her bucket list. One major item is joining the Peace Corps. Reading her reflections on her Peace Corps experience brought back memories of my own. I enjoyed her retelling of the cultural adaptations she had to make going to another country as well as returing home to the U.S. It was also eye-opening to have her perspective as a mature adult applicant and volunteer instead of the more common twenty-year-old's observations.

This book was really encouraging. I got the sense, especially toward the end, of how supportive the author is trying to be in writing this book. There were many times I was reminded of talking with my grandmother. The way she weaves international news through the retelling of her own circumstances makes the book relatable. It struck me that this book could serve two purposes: to be an autobiography to leave as a legacy to the author's family history; and to be an encouraging self-help book for readers in general.

The best parts of the book for me are the chapter dealing with the meaning of life, and the photographs. As Ms. Ostroski arrives at her answer to what the meaning of life is, she invites the reader to apply her answer or to find that meaning for themselves. I like that she does not assume the answer will be the same for all of us. The photos included in the book add an engaging touch and help draw the reader closer to the events mentioned. The reader gets the impression of a life well lived, as much from the photos as from the text.

People who enjoy autobiographies and self-help books would enjoy There's a Rooster in My Bathroom! I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. At times the flow of the writing was hampered; it felt more like a list of events happening one after another, and less like a cohesive story. Better transitions from one event to the next may have helped the book earn a higher rating. But overall I enjoyed reading There's a Rooster in My Bathroom! The author's enthusiasm, compassion, sense of humor and dedication to serving others shines through all of her stories. I'd love to chat over a cup of tea with Ms. Ostroski.

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There's a Rooster in My Bathroom!
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[kandscreeley]

I love that the author wants to be inspiring to others. It sounds like she mostly accomplishes her goal. I'm not looking for a self-help at the moment, but I'll keep this in mind for the future. Thanks.

[Meg98]

Self-help books aren't generally ones I go for so I think I will pass for now. I appreciate your thorough review though, and it does seem like a unique and heartwarming read. Thanks for sharing your thoughts! Cheers:)

[Rachel Lea]

I love that quote, "For every naysayer there is a yaysayer in the same situation getting it done." This sounds like an awesome book and I will definitely be checking it out. Thanks for your review!

[Ekta Swarnkar]

The book contains a great message. I am so much into books like this and am looking forward to reading more like this. Great review!

[Nizar Ali Shah]

"There is a Rooster in My Bathroom!" by Trish Ostroski. The author has spent her life doing welfare work for the cause of others and at the same time, she has diverse experience in marketing. advertising, community development, theatre arts in international level. The author's enthusiasm, compassion, sense of humor and dedication and serving others in a dignified ways is self explanatory.She is really a friend in need is a friend indeed come true and cares about others a lot so that their standard of living could improve and they should come out of difficulties.The book is useful for all adult men and women that could guide them to help others in times of need

[Kathleen Wolfe]

The title of the book sounded so comical I just had to see what it was about. I like that it carries a positive message but self help books aren't the type I go for so I think I'll pass on this. Thanks for the review!

[LeDiplomatique]

'There is a rooster in my bathroom', The title gives you enough curiosity to want to know what's inside the book. Great review.

[kdstrack]

The author's attitude and perspective are so motivating. Her mature advice is also encouraging. This sounds like one interesting book! Thanks for the recommendation.

[Nisha Ward]

My experience with self-help books is usually that they talk at you rather than to you. I like that the author takes a different approach, combining memoir and advice. It sounds like a good choice.

[enna_idEsrun]

The title of the book is quite curious; it certainly caught my attention. That the author's life was a commitment to service too, draws me to want to read this book. Not too excited about the issues with transitioning, but, will shelf it.

[Michael40]

The author encourages one to never throw in the towel. This is the meaning of life for me. It is a good thing to preach. Great review!

[ruthwaithera]

Thanks a lot ! You've helped me make a decision to shelf it as 'want to read' as it unveils on how life unfolds twists and turns and our perspective and reactions on the results we get.

[Claris L]

Your review of this book makes me interested in reading it, and so I'll put it on the 'want to read' shelf! It sounds uplifting, and it might be just what I need during these current times. Thank you for sharing this review!

[Amy A]

The title of this book is intriguing. Your review of this book has eloquently described the author's engaging way of encouraging others. Encouraging storytelling is so needed now. I'm adding this one to my shelf!