The no-fucks-given book you've been waiting for.
Dates Read: 16/05/2022 to 24/05/2022
Star rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
Word to describe: Straight-forward
Genre: Non-Fiction
When I was gifted this by my boyfriend I wasn't sure whether to be insulted by the title (maybe he was suggesting I was too sensitive according to my anxiety) or whether to be proud that he saw a book and actually bought it thinking of me. He passed it into my hands with big eyes filled with hope as he praised the book for being the best non-fiction he had ever laid his hands on. He also declared it life-changing.
I was initially hesitant. The self-help books I collect either focus on mental health, healing, or relentless sexual expression. This one was the complete opposite. From the offset throughout Mark Manson held nothing back, sprinkled with crude language and a fictional character made to have you laughing, he has created a self-help book like no other. True to the title this author didn't give a single fuck with his writing and presented a straight-talking, no bullshit, and brutally honest guide to the world.
Manson derives most of his lessons from his own life experience where he has learned the hard way to accept that most of the negatives in his life are down to his own actions and reactions. He splits the world into two categories: you either care too little (or try hard to appear that way by blaming everyone else when things go wrong) or you care too much (meaning you think everyone hates you because you think you're always at fault). These two personality types are on different ends of the fuck-given spectrum, and, as Manson describes in his book, are both terrible.
One of the reasons I fell in love with this book was how the author doesn't try to justify his past actions and he pushes his readers to do the same. By encouraging his readers to look past their own privilege and mind, he is single-handedly creating a collection of people that are emotionally balanced and can understand when they are (and aren't) at fault. His personal touch with the life lessons has humbled the shocking reality that Manson is putting forward. His past life proves as a great example of personal growth throughout the years.
After finishing this book I had to spend a few days thinking about the teachings I had just read. I didn't agree with them all, but the ones I did resonate with have only encouraged me to become more self-aware and present. If this book can do that for me (a perpetual headphones user who is an emotional wreck 24/7) it can certainly do the same for you.
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