Elf Dust to Excellence
Diana Webb
Outskirts Press (2021)
ISBN: 978-1-977239761
Reviewed by Ashley Hooker for Reader Views (02/2022)
In her book, “Elf Dust to Excellence,” award-winning author Diana Webb looks at how humanity has resigned to look at themselves through the eyes of other human beings. Her goal is to help us understand that through self-examination and laughter, we can learn much about ourselves.
Webb’s book is formatted to be a 40-day sojourn. Readers are taking a challenge; making a commitment to face the challenges of life head on. The first day is titled “Is Hell Just a Sauna.” Immediately I was interested. The first day you hit with the challenge to look at yourself and decide if morality is on your radar. Are you lying to people to make yourself feel good? Are you living to please others or standing for your own convictions?
As the challenge moves further, Webb hits on many aspects of life. She talks about how we look at others only to size them up. Her focus on morality and how we define happiness is prominent. As the challenge draws to a close, Webb points out how we might grade ourselves in areas of leadership, strengths, weaknesses, and how we love others.
My favorite part of this book was the titles of each chapter or day. They were witty, sometimes hilarious, and thought provoking. I also enjoyed her placement of God in each day. As a Christian, pastor’s wife, and analytical thinker, it was refreshing to see how we can include God in all aspects of our lives without being overbearing.
The day that struck a chord with me was day 11. Webb talks about the gift of suffering and tells the story of a mentally ill woman serving a 30-year prison sentence. Immediately, I was interested because my recently deceased mother was mentally ill. On page 43, Webb says, “society frequently writes off the mentally ill and the elderly.” I agree and my prayer is that this attitude changes soon.
I could not list all the favorites I had in this book. What I can state is that there are more underlines and stars than most. It might look slightly mutilated to others who borrow my copy. I gave “Elf Dust to Excellence” four stars, only because there were days that seemed to drag, the point overdone. With that said, I would still highly recommend to readers who want a serious look at humanity and how they can be a part in changing it.
Reader Views Book Reviews 
This read is absolutely captivating. It gives an in-depth examination of conscience with a nice slice of humor. The individual stories which compose the collection are greatly varied which adds a substantial variety of interest and fantastic lessons for living a great life. Love it!
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You should only read Elf Dust to Excellence if you are willing to do some hard work. I think there are a lot of “self-help” books which are designed to make you feel better without asking you to improve yourself. Elf Dust to Excellence is not one of those books. The author, Dianna Webb, has written a book that is designed to challenge you in areas of your flaws. She has written a book that is like a mirror, which causes you to reflect on your life. You will be confronted with real challenges about your moral behavior, there are dozens of ethical questions in the book, and if you are willing, then this book will change you!
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