I've heard Chris Johnstone speak a little, and read some of his words. There's some good material about him on his website, and there was an earlier edition of this book. The thing that comes screaming through for me is how much he and his subject reflect each other: I feel that it is a sincere part of his mission to lead people on to becoming more powerful.
The background that he brings to this book covers four areas: his work as a drug and addictions therapist (helping people to overcome problems that may seem larger than they are), his work in positive psychology (the branch that looks at what it means to be mentally healthy and operating at our best), a long study in holistics and systems thinking (how large, woolly and complex systems fit and work together), and a talent for interviewing people in a way that brings out their experiences in a really helpful way.
On one level the book includes a series of precise and skilfully-created exercises, open-ended and powerful, that bring out problems and inner feelings, wishes, answers in areas such as articulating desires, discovering purpose and motivation, moving through fears, blocks and loss of momentum, how to be resilient when things go wrong, and - not least - how to enjoy when things go right. On another there's a background trend and message that is hopeful, supportive and encouraging. I felt gently led and guided into becoming more powerful.
One idea I particularly liked is the comparison of problems and challenges to the kind of adventure story where the hero grows in power, learns new skills, finds new answers over the course of the adventure, answers that he couldn't have imagined at the beginning. He refers to the multiple crises in all our lives around credit crunch, climate change, and resource problems. This was really helpful to me because it made it all right for me not to know, yet, all of the answers to all of my problems. My story is still unfolding, and I just have to keep heading in (roughly) the right direction.
So in the adventure of my life over the past little while, I deserve some of the credit for where I've got to and the growth I've made. And so does Chris Johnstone and this book.