It is not very common for me to read self-helping books or in general any kinds of non-fiction books. However, a friend of mine recommended me a few books of that type, which led me to read Atomic habits by James Clear and now The subtle art of not giving a fuck by Mark Manson.
The description of the book from the publisher:
“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 modern 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.”
As already mentioned, I have not read that many self-improvements’ books and by far not enough to compare the advice that Manson gives to the reader to other books within the same genre. Personally, I do believe the book gave some great advice that helped me determine, what I should be spending my mental energy on. Many of the points and subtopics that Mark explains in his book, were things I was already aware of before reading it, and the same with his main point, which is that you yourself are responsible for your own life and what values in your life you choose to care about. So, for me The subtle art of not giving a fuck was not a mind-blowing book that taught me a completely different approach as to how I should live my life, but more a book that, must of the time, reminded me of the things I already knew. It also put some ideas that I have been thinking about, but were unable to describe, into words and it made general ideas of human behavior that made me realize that a lot of other people are coming up with the same “excuses” as to not change a behavior, as I sometimes do.
The subtle art of not giving a fuck has a very catching title as well as chapter names. From the tone of the title names, I was expecting a “down-to-earth” language and that is certainly also what the books has. Mark is very straightforward, direct, and honest in his book, and when providing the reader with advice and examples. I think this makes the book funny, and sometimes it almost felt like I was having a conversation with someone rather than reading a guy’s book due to the chosen tone, but also because I found many of the situations/examples described relatable. However, I do not believe that everyone will appreciate Mark’s attitude, and since he uses the same attitude throughout the whole book, I would not recommend it to anyone. I also think there is a bit too much swearing, especially in the beginning, which made the book seem unserious at times.
In The subtle art of not giving a fuck there is plenty of real-life examples, which works very well with the ideas/the theory that are being presented for the reader. Something that I would have liked having in the book would be chapter sum ups or a general conclusion to Mark’s most important points. I had multiple cases where I thought, “that is actually a good point he comes with right there”, but in almost half of those cases I do not remember now what this good point of his actually is. Therefore, it can be difficult to remember and pay attention to the ideas you agree with in his book, and thereby also a bit difficult to imply changes in how you behave or think.
As for now, it may seem like I have negative emotions towards The subtle art of not giving a fuck, but that is not the case. Despite all of the critique I have given, I really enjoyed reading The subtle art of not giving a fuck, and I would definitely still recommend it to others. Even if you already have, or think you have, Mark’s “mindset”, the book offers a fun reading experience with many great examples and perspectives.
Forlag: HarperCollins Publishers
ISBN: 9780062641540
Udgave: 1. udg. 13.09.2016
Sider: 212
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The subtle art of not giving a fuck er oversat til dansk: Kunsten at være f*cking ligeglad. Den danske oversættelse er udgivet af Memoris. Den udgave har jeg læst. Jeg er helt enig i Klaras anmeldelse og stjerner. Under billedet findes oplysningerne om bogen.
Forlag: Memoris
ISBN: 9788793681170
Originaltitel: The subtle art of not giving a fuck
Oversætter: Michael Jepsen
Udgave: 1. udg. 2018
Sider: 220
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