Brontë by Manuela Santoni opens up the life of the Brontë sisters and the risks they took as they strove to live on their artistic talents.

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THE BOOK
The author does a good job of reflecting the Brontë sisters' different personalities. Charlotte, Emily, and Anne Brontë all show different traits and perspectives to their work and family. The author also reveals the emotional turmoil the sisters went through while submitting their work to an industry that is full of men while caring little for women writers.

DISLIKES
I wish the book tells us more of what happened after the sisters found success via their artistic work.

WHO IS IT FOR?
Fans of the Brontës should not expect much, especially if they are already conversant with the sisters' background. However, this is a good introduction for those not familiar with them or their work.

Many thanks to Lerner Publishing Group for review copy.

If you have ever said something unexpectedly awkward or struggle with the right thing to say to people on various occasions, then you might appreciate In, written by a leading New Yorker cartoonist, Will McPhail.

In by Will McPhail is a semi-autobiographical work that looks at the subject of human interaction in relation to emotions. This is a book that examines the social rituals of communication, how some people take to it like ducks take to water, and how some of us struggle to connect with people emotionally.

THINGS I LOVE
The honesty on the pages is refreshing and makes it easy for the reader to identify with the characters in the book. The art is unique - the pencil work is sublime and compliments the subject of the book.

DISLIKES
The eyes on the characters look a bit creepy at times. That particular aesthetic limits the range of expression portrayed by the characters.

Many thanks to Houghton Mifflin Harcourt for review copy.

The Quick Fix by Jesse Singal examines the impact pseudo-science masquerading as self-help has on society. It describes why fad-psychology gains popularity and how it sometimes destroys rather than help people.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE BOOK
The Quick Fix uses historical examples to illuminate what happens when false ideas take hold in a society. From the ascendance "superpredator" meme in the 1980s (which falsely criminalises Black American youth) to the popularisation of the notion that our poses influence our behaviour, the author highlights the harm that half-baked behavioural science causes.

WHO IS IT FOR
Lovers of the self-help genre might find this helpful as it illustrates some of the dark sides of this category.

Many thanks to Farrar, Straus and Giroux for review copy.

 

The first came across Anthony de Mello's name over two decades ago when I picked up The Song of the Bird at a friend's house. The stories in that book fascinated me to no end that I ended up reading them over and over (more than four times, I think). I still remember a few of those stories and do tell them to my loved ones occasionally. Hence it was my pleasure to come across Stop Fixing Yourself and, with my busy schedule, I couldn't wait to steal some time away to enjoy the book.


THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THE BOOK
Stop Fixing Yourself has the clarity and simplicity of Anthony de Mello's other books. It is easy to read and littered with simple stories that illustrate various points, one of which is that there are no spiritual exercises or self-help path to finding happiness. The author says that the more we do these things, the further happiness moves away. On the other hand, doing nothing, he explains, is more likely to get us to our goal than our endless fixation on improving or fixing ourselves.

The themes in this book are timely and a counterpoint to most of what we understand about fulfilment and self-improvement today. Stop Fixing Yourself is a wholesome book to read in its entirety.

DISLIKES
None.

WHO IS IT FOR?
Anyone seeking knowledge and truth about human nature would have a good time reading Stop Fixing Yourself.

Many thanks to Beyond Words Publishing for review copy.

Connection by Kristine Klussman is the kind of book you pick up when you are looking for answers to deep-rooted questions. Having read it twice, I can say that it is not for everyone, but it does have a few pointers that might be of immense benefit to some.

Connection is an argument for fulfilment and joy through being in touch with ourselves and others. The author believes doing this will not only pull us towards self-knowledge but also enrich those we meet along the way.

THINGS I LOVE
The author's background as a psychologist lends this work much credibility. The examples offered in the book do a good job of buttressing the author's points on the importance of solitude, the value of starting small, and how to take joy in the smallest of things. The life problems the author brings up in this book are tangible, and the solutions she proffers aren't of a quick-fix variety.

DISLIKES
This is not an easy book to read, requiring focus and freshness of mind. Also, there is a bit of repetition here and there, but it is not enough to take away from the strength of the prose.

WHO IS IT FOR?
For people on a search for meaning. It is for those who have tried a lot of things that didn't work out but are still willing to give it another shot.

Many thanks to Sounds True for review copy.

Think Again: The Power of Knowing What You Don't Know by Adam Grant examines the act of thinking and conversation in relation to the acquisition or relinquishment of ideas. In other words, this is a book that goes into what it takes to change or retain strong opinions. It also looks at what we think we know versus what we actually know. The author also extols the importance of flexibility and the merits of not being wedded to what beliefs we hold most dear as a means of evolution of self and organisational innovation.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THE BOOK
The author's use of research in buttressing his points is what makes this book intriguing. With various examples, he highlights what we stand to lose when we do not open our minds to new ideas. The book also lays out how to treat opposing ideas and ways of communicating with people who are attached to them.

The writing style here is accessible and not stuffed with jargon. Anyone with a passion for knowledge would be able to get good value from this work without being bogged down by technical writing.

WHAT I DISLIKE
Think Again is a bit too long. While repetition is a good technique to drive points home, it can be overused. Unfortunately, this is the case here. I also noticed that there are a few examples that are drawn out for too long, covering more than 20 pages when just 10 might do.

WHO IS IT FOR
Think Again is for any adult with a vision of advance themselves in various aspects of life.

 Many thanks to Ebury Publishing for review copy.

 

 

Our minds rarely ever keep quiet. Day after day, it dredges up some past events or reminds us of some future. Some of us pay attention to these activities more than the others. Unfortunately, some of us also take these endless mind mutterings more seriously than we should... sometimes to the point of obsession.

Chatter by Ethan Kross brings a topic rarely discussed to the fore. This is an audiobook that looks at the advantages and disadvantages of the voices in our head. It explains ways they can sabotage us and what to do when it happens.

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THE BOOK
There is a good depth of research that seems to have gone into this book and it shows. I loved listening to the case studies and various other examples of people who were stuck on the voices in there head. It was interesting learning what those voices kept repeating to them and how it affected their outlook on life.

The solutions the author proffers to the problem of overthinking aren't too dissimilar from meditation, but each one of these solutions stands on its own merits and are backed by years of research. Having said that, it is up to individuals to figure out what works for them.

DISLIKES
None.

WHO IS IT FOR?
Chatter by Ethan Kross is for people suffering from debilitating self-talk, restless mind, and lack of confidence. This book could be game-changer for them.

Many thanks to Random House UK for review copy.

Be Mindful and Simplify Your Life by Kate James is a collection of tips on ways we can simplify our lives by living more mindfully. Kate explains the phrase "living more mindfully" as “paying attention to the choices we make, rather than operating on autopilot.”

1. The Importance of Struggling: 

Kate believes meditation can be a difficult task for the mind to endure. And since humans detest activities we struggle at, it is easy for us to give up when we fail at it. However, the author insists that the struggle itself is the point. She writes, "It’s normal for your mind to wander during meditation, and you may well experience boredom or restlessness. If you can learn to be with these feelings, you will lay down a foundation for accepting the challenges you encounter in everyday life."

2. Being Always On-The-Go Has Its Price: 

While our modern society admires anything or anyone fast and efficient, it is not always sustainable. With time, our speeding up the lane of achievement ends up wearing us down. Most of us don't even feel comfortable around people who live that way, especially as "being speedy... has an impact on the people around you. You know what it’s like to be in the company of someone who’s high strung—they’re not someone you enjoy being with for long periods of time."

3. Impressing Others Can Be Costly: 

Self-knowledge is powerful. It takes a lifetime to learn but its value to our wellbeing is enormous. Still, without being mindful and looking into the depths of our own minds, we cannot obtain this elusive substance. Without self-knowledge, we risk being carried away by other people's rhetoric - telling us what to feel, what to do, whom to speak to, etc.

Kate emphasises this point by writing, "Often when we step back and take a look at what will really make us happy, we realize that we’ve made our lives more complex than they need to be. We pursue goals that won’t genuinely fulfil us in the long run. We become swept up in ideas and habits that don’t necessarily fit with our personal values. We do things that look good to other people without thinking about whether they genuinely bring us peace."

4. The Impact of Negativity: 

Our brain naturally seeks negativity in things as a way to go about fixing it. This pattern of behaviour, when allowed to run wild, often cause despondency. The author explains that "speaking negatively, whether it’s complaining about life or gossiping about others, is a drain on your energy and the energy of the people around you. It contradicts living mindfully because it stems from making judgments, and often those judgments and our frequent complaining become habitual... Being grateful, on the other hand, requires slowing down and thinking about is going on or has gone on in our lives. In short, "If you’re feeling grateful, you’re being mindful, because you can’t feel gratitude without first bringing your attention to what you’re experiencing."

5. Be Open With Your Emotions, Especially To Your Loved Ones: 

Identifying what kind of emotions you are feeling and developing coping mechanisms is important. Since no one has access to your mind, it is better to give them information about what you are going through so they understand you better. Simply put, "If you’re frustrated, irritable or tired, you can let the people around you know." This beats acting out and making your loved ones walk on eggs shells when around you.

6. Learn To Manage Changes: 

Change is around and within us. It is always happening, whether we notice it or not. With this realisation comes the knowledge that there are things we cannot transform or turn back to what they used to be. This applies to life situations as well as people. There are folks that, no matter how hard you try, you cannot change their mind about what they think of you or what they believe about some issues. "In the end, you may find that you can simply acknowledge your differences and accept some flaws in the other person, just as it’s likely that they’ll be accepting some perceived flaws in you. You may need to agree to disagree on some things, and maybe you’ll need to accept that they probably won’t change. When you are able to do that from a place of openness and mutual respect, it’s the most liberating feeling in the world."

There will always be joy as well as suffering. Learning to accept each and live through these changes will open us up to interesting insights about ourselves and life. As Kate writes, "Try not to push away the difficult experiences or cling to the enjoyable ones. Make room for everything."

Many thanks to Andrews McMeel Publishing for review copy.

 

"...It is disadvantageous for thinker to be linked to any single person. When a man finds hiself, it is preferable that he loses himself again from time to time and then rediscovers himself once more."

Nietzsche by Stefan Zweig is an examination of the man, his life, and his philosophy. We are given a glimpse of Nietzsche's default mindset, the passion with which he pursued truth, and what it costs him. The book contains a number of his essays, dissecting their meanings in relation to what Nietzsche was going through at the time.

POSITIVES
I like Stefan Zweig's portrayal of Nietzsche's psychological profile. We are able to have a glimpse into his makeup and what sort of "madness" drove him to see the world as he did. This profile drives our empathy as well as understanding of why he behaved and wrote the way he did.


DISLIKES
None.

SAMPLE PASSAGE

"Finally he (Nietzsche) invents a dance, a dance of swords and, butchered, torn, bloodied, he performs his new deadly art to the public, but no one guesses the significance of these shrill jokes, nor the passion wounded to death that exists in this affected light-heartedness.

Without listeners or echo, the most extraordinary drama of the spirit ever granted to our troubled century is played out to its bitter end before an empty house. No one turns their glance even cursorily towards him, when the whirli-gig of his thoughts spinning on a steel point leaps exuberantly for the last time and finally falls, exhausted on the ground – ‘Dead by immortality’.

This aloneness with the self, this solitary state of being face to face with the self, is in the deepest sense the exceptional sacred affliction of that tragedy which was Friedrich Nietzsche’s existence."

Many thanks to Pushkin Press for review copy.