Play the Rules is the self-help book for people who hate self-help books! Offering a colorful mix between the semi-autobiographical, humor and provocative genres and advocating a counter-intuitive approach to life, Play the Rules delivers on its promise by defining its own category. This is a modern success story—an antidote to conventional fairy tales! Standing by what I preach, this book provides the ultimate tips and tricks from a lawyer (myself—indeed defying the stereotype by example!) who got bored with playing by the book and decided to write one instead. Through a no-nonsense, yet unfailingly humorous approach to our everyday messy lives, which are always full of surprises and where the only constant is indeed the unexpected, Play the Rules outlines 33 down-to-earth Rules aimed at challenging our most common stereotypes. Each novel turn (of page and of life) offers a unique chance to stop, rethink our next move and reinvent our own story. Each Rule and Charm directly calls upon the superhero/ine that each of us disguises: our true selves, awaiting to rise as our champions and take back control of our own lives. My ultimate goal? To reach those who are looking for inspiration to dare to live (not just think) outside the box, and to chase after their dreams! Dr. Monica Armillotta is a senior corporate lawyer, passionate writer and owner of a lively blog, daring you with a counterintuitive approach to life. Born in Italy and currently living in Germany, her travels across Europe, Asia and the US offer unspoiled material for her first semi-autobiographical, highly whimsical and defiant book: Play the Rules. Challenging conventional stereotypes and humorously defining herself as a "writer at heart, challenger by nature, and lawyer by profession (and chance),” Monica has worked with major multinational companies as a senior legal advisor and negotiator. \——— OFFICIAL REVIEWS MIDWEST BOOK REVIEW "Truly different … not only astute, but hard-hitting and funny, all at once … a lively read that offers comic relief and concrete observations about the process of gaining more empowerment in life." \——- Play the Rules Book One: Empowerment is a self-help book designed for those who don't ordinary turn to self-help guides, and adds a sense of humor into the mix of advice on how to understand and tap into empowering routines in life, adding them to personal approaches to success. Unlike other books on empowerment, Dr. Monica Armillotta utilizes narrative non-fiction to blend autobiography and humor as she presents over thirty 'rules' that can be used, broken, manipulated or tailored to support efforts towards achieving empowerment. Many stereotypes dominate both this subject and the self-help industry in general, which is why a number of readers might initially avoid these helpful insights in yet another book about empowerment. That would be a shame, because Play the Rules is truly different. From a review of the typical polarization between faith and fear and how to challenge that trepidation and redefine its limits to the side effects of indulging in magical thinking instead of proactive behaviors, Dr. Armillotta draws upon concrete personal experience to cement her advice: "Even knowing this might happen, I chose to try and will away the problem instead of preparing for the alternative. I chose to cling to my plan for a cozy weekend at home instead of embracing the unexpected detour. I was numbed by the false sense of comfort we often feel when we stick with the crowd, and while I stood in a seemingly endless queue of airport transfers, I realized that I was losing precious time I could have spent taking things into my own hands." From the lasting impact of stories and scenarios, which form foundations for subconscious decision-making not always to our benefit, to revising these stories to discover that belief may be based on shaky ground and needs revising, chapters draw out the common connections, concerns, and conundrums of daily living. They point out, through example, how many underlying patterns may be identified, confronted, and changed. The observations are often not only astute, but hard-hitting and funny, all at once: "Yoga enthusiasts are a mixed bag. There is the rare handful of enlightened ones—angel-like creatures projecting a kind of reassuring aura around them—along with the majority of us, who still hope one day to get there while pretzeling our way through the most challenging poses. And then there are those who are just there because it’s trendy. This last group is just there for another accessory practice so they get to look like they’re part of the in-crowd—wearing the compulsory Lululemons leggings and overpriced, matching tops of course. Basically, they’re the hardcore materialists, as well paired with spirituality as pasta would be with ketchup." More so than most self-help titles, the result is a lively read that offers comic relief an...