Jaclyn’s Review: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
written by Mark Manson
published by Harper, 2016

find it here: (affiliate links) Barnes & Noble, Amazon, Apple Books, Walmart, Kobo, Book Depository, Goodreads

Did I enjoy this book? I liked the first chapter of this book. I also liked the anecdote about the Sad Panda coming door to door to tell people harsh realities. That’s where the book should have ended. The author really droned on about things that could have been said much more succinctly. This was/would have been an excellent series of blog posts, but turning it into a book was overkill.

 

 

Would I recommend it? I’m sure there are plenty of people who would do well to read this book and adopt its philosophy. Perhaps I already live by this philosophy, and therefore the book just didn’t speak to me. However, I think you could easily get this same message from blogs or other books, rendering this one unnecessary. Also, I do not shy away from swearing. However, I thought the copious use of the f-word was gimmicky and didn’t add value to the book. As the book progressed, it started to make me uncomfortable (which is impressive, given my vocabulary). I would not recommend this book.
 

 

About the book – from Goodreads: In this generation-defining self-help guide, a superstar blogger cuts through the crap to show us how to stop trying to be “positive” all the time so that we can truly become better, happier people.

For decades, we’ve been told that positive thinking is the key to a happy, rich life. “F**k positivity,” Mark Manson says. “Let’s be honest, shit is f**ked and we have to live with it.” In his wildly popular Internet blog, Manson doesn’t sugarcoat or equivocate. He tells it like it is—a dose of raw, refreshing, honest truth that is sorely lacking today. The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is his antidote to the coddling, let’s-all-feel-good mindset that has infected American society and spoiled a generation, rewarding them with gold medals just for showing up.

Manson makes the argument, backed both by academic research and well-timed poop jokes, that improving our lives hinges not on our ability to turn lemons into lemonade, but on learning to stomach lemons better. Human beings are flawed and limited—”not everybody can be extraordinary, there are winners and losers in society, and some of it is not fair or your fault.” Manson advises us to get to know our limitations and accept them. Once we embrace our fears, faults, and uncertainties, once we stop running and avoiding and start confronting painful truths, we can begin to find the courage, perseverance, honesty, responsibility, curiosity, and forgiveness we seek.

There are only so many things we can give a f**k about so we need to figure out which ones really matter, Manson makes clear. While money is nice, caring about what you do with your life is better, because true wealth is about experience. A much-needed grab-you-by-the-shoulders-and-look-you-in-the-eye moment of real-talk, filled with entertaining stories and profane, ruthless humor, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F**k is a refreshing slap for a generation to help them lead contented, grounded lives.

 

 

 

* This post contains affiliate links.

** This post first appeared on Every Free Chance Books (everyfreechance.com) on October 24, 2019.