The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

The latest in a series of "self-help" style books I've gotten from the library this year.

This one had by far the "loosest" prose. Probably because the author started as a blogger rather than an academic. But this style helped the "anecdote interspersed with lessons learned" pattern that these books tend to use feel less stale.

I do think the overall lesson of "you are mortal and therefore can only give so many fucks, so choose carefully what to give a fuck about" is probably more necessary now than ever and I'm so glad I read this one.

I'm pretty ambivalent about this book. On one hand it's clear the author has a gift to write in an entertaining way and there are some real life truths in the book. On the other hand the book as a whole doesn't hold together much and the style is blunt, sometimes too blunt.

I like some of the things he says about improving mental health by not judging by others and not always having to be the best and appreciating what you have. But I can't help feeling that "Not Giving a Fuck" is a very privileged position to be in. Those who are disadvantaged by circumstance or discrimination may not have the luxury of this position.