Bryan Andrew Moore graduated from Winthrop in 2007 with a degree in psychology. He has gone on to receive his masters in psychology. He currently works as a clinical research professional at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. He also recently published a self help book titled, “You’re Still Not Doing This?!”
“I decided to write the book after a couple of months of career related soul-searching. Once I made the decision to write it, a combination of visualization techniques and sheer willpower pushed me to finish it,” Moore said.
The book delves into 25 self improvement tips. Each tip is backed with scientific and historical evidence. Though the tone of the book is funny and light hearted, Moore wanted to make sure they’re was still concrete evidence behind everything. He even had to cut certain tips because there wasn’t enough backing for it.
“Personal tips and tricks can be helpful, but sometimes it’s difficult to convince people to try something new unless there is hard, empirical evidence,” Moore said.
The tone of this book is unlike any other self help book. It’s informative and direct, but never feels preachy. The humor is never forced, but quite natural and truly makes Moore’s voice stand out. From the start he knew he wanted to take a humorous tone.
“I don’t know if I’m a funny person, but I love comedy and enjoyed the challenge of
working humor into each chapter,” Moore said.
The book is expertly illustrated by Jen Aranyi. Her use of color and unique style gives the book a world of its own. Aranyi, who is also Moore’s girlfriend, was integral to the process of creating this book aa Moore heavily relied on her feedback and encouragement.
“It was really cool that we got to work on it together and I think that the project strengthened our relationship,” Moore said.
The self–help genre was a major inspiration for the book, but Moore was also influenced by books and papers about philosophy, psychology, business, spirituality and medicine. Moore himself is an unapologetic lover of self-help books. “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” by Stephen Covey is one of his personal favorites which was introduced to him by Dr. Jeff Sinn in one of his psychology classes at Winthrop. Moore learned so much more in his time at Winthrop that went into the process of this book.
“At Winthrop, I learned how to conduct literature reviews and make sense of scientific papers and data. In researching for the book, I used some of the same research skills I learned at Winthrop,” Moore said. “Also, I wrote quite a few papers at WU so I’m sure that the writing experience and analytical thinking helped me as well.”
Even some of the material came from Moore’s Winthrop days like the “value of plant-based eating, holism, and creating meaning in life.” However, he could have definitely used his own tips when he was a student.
“I really wish I had known how to practice gratitude, visualization, and loving kindness
meditation,” Moore said. “Overall, I had a great experience at WU, but I also struggled with some significant personal issues while I was there. I’m sure my experience would have been much more enjoyable and productive if I had known about this stuff back then.”
This book is unlike any in its class. It takes great care of its reader while on a journey of self-improvement. It is practical, relevant, and an absolute delight to read. Moore has a few more book ideas in the works. After this masterpiece, they are sure to be highly anticipated.
