Book excerpt: How did a short, fat alcoholic become one of the most successful TV producers in the world? The self-help industry tells you that if you're positive, if you put your best foot forward and if you just believe in yourself you will find happiness. Let's be real, you can read all the inspirational quotes you want. You can spend your days giving yourself affirmations in your heart-shaped mirror and trying to learn to love yourself. You can say your mantra over and over again while sitting cross-legged on a yoga mat. But the truth is, you still won't have the life you want. That's where You're Not That Great (but neither is anyone else) comes in. This ruthlessly funny and straight-talking guide teaches you how to recognise your weaknesses, your regrets and your f*ck-ups in order to live a better life. No regrets? That's BS. If you have no regrets it means you haven't learnt from your mistakes. As JON RONSON says in the book: 'You are your insecurities. I wake up in he morning and it's anxiety that propels me to be my best'. Topics covered include: * How damaging (and stupid) it is to make your goal in life to 'be happy' * That you absolutely DON'T have to love yourself before you love someone else * How you have the power to make yourself feel like shit and how to use that power 'Any antithesis to the vat of self-book books that proclaim to deliver happiness by smiling more, is welcome. Here, Elan Gale takes a break from his day job producing US reality TV shows The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, to deliver a straight-talking guide that encourages you to find your weaknesses, regrets and your f*ck-ups in order to live a better life.' GQ Australia 'Elan's collection of insights is the hilarious, engaging and necessary dose of reality that's been missing from our lives' AMANDA SEYFRIED 'it'll take all your preconceived notions of "positive thinking" and "positive affirmations" and "everything happens for a reason" and flip them on their motherflippin' heads' MAMAMIA 'Anyone can write a self-help book, but not everyone who you wish would, does. Until now!' Elle Magazine 'energetic, honest, refreshing and also plain funny' POPSUGAR 'if Jean Paul Sartre were alive, he'd probably invite Gale to hang at the Sorbonne to critique life and all its miseries' EXECUTIVE STYLE