Mark Manson

When a big part of your brand is plain speaking (as the titles of both Manson's books suggest), it might be the height of hubris to pen "a book about hope" that references Plato, Kant, Nietzsche, and a bunch of other philosophical heavyweights to make its case. That Manson pulls it off is a testament to the clarity of this thinking on weighty topics of what it means to be human and how we can best navigate the world in which humans have to interact with each other. Read it for the discussion show more of the Feeling Brain / Thinking Brain debate (Kahneman et alia), for the fascinating observations about AI (it has already won. That's ok), and for the critical role that individual maturity and character play in democracy).

Heavy stuff, and beautifully done. show less

"Problems never stop; they merely get exchanged and/or upgraded. Happiness comes from solving problems."

There are SO many awesome quotes in this book, it was super challenging to pick just one to highlight. I chose this one because it represents the central theme of this book.

I've observed a ton of entitlement in the younger generations for decades now...they want it all and they don't want to work for it. Of course, I'm totally generalizing...but, you can't argue that social media has show more warped out the expectations of the kids who grew up watching children make millions from testing toys on their YouTube Channel or adults make billions by selling a lifestyle.

After a few chapters of this book, I realized I was entitled! I'm not the kind of entitled that expects to work a little and have a lot; I'm the kind of entitled that gets miffed when life isn't fair, when problems continually crop up, or when humans keep messing things up.

We're all reading the same global headlines and have experienced the past two years. Our collective butts have been kicked.

Add to that my move to Panamá last year and taking on the challenge of building a retreat here, and my butt has been pretty pulverized.

So, I asked my online book groups for suggestions of books to restore my faith in humanity and life. This book came up multiple times...and, it turns out, I had it in my Kindle library so I dove in.

PERSPECTIVE CHANGED.

Mark doesn’t say anything earth shattering in the book, but what he does say he says in a way that really resonated with me at this point in my life. And, because he speaks my (foul) language, it was fun to read about heavy stuff.

The biggest lesson I am walking away with from this book is that it’s absolutely ridiculous to expect life to go smoothly. Life is really just a series of problems and the key to happiness is doing what you can to make those problems be the kind you want to solve and then solving them.

As I read the book to the sound of monkeys and vision of a lush tropical landscape, I fully realized that I DID’ THIS! I have created an authentic and incredibly beautiful life for myself and I’m literally ruining it by acting like an entitled brat.

In terms of the state of humanity, my biggest problem has been giving WAY too many fucks. It's too heavy to take on all of the pain and struggles going on right now. This is a time of massive transition…hopefully awakening as many claim. But, as Mark Manson says..."giving too many fucks is bad for your mental health" and "...the world is totally fucked and that's all right, because it's always been that way, and always will be." What a relief! 😆 show less

Mark Manson writes like you're having a casual chat with a no-nonsense friend who tells it like it is. No fluff, no sugar-coating, just straight-up advice on how to stop stressing over things that don't really matter & focus on what truly does.
I love how he flips traditional self-help ideas on their head. Instead of telling you to chase happiness, he makes you question what's actually worth your energy.
It's refreshing, laugh out loud funny, & brutally honest!

This book blew me away. I had read a few other books in the pickup game genre, and was always left a little disappointed. But this book takes an opposite tack and he advocates being an honest, genuine, and authentic person. I wish I had read this book years ago. It would have allowed me to not only have more success, but also avoid many pitfalls of the dating world. Mark has a way of getting right to the point and providing advice that is so consistent and simple, that it almost seems show more obvious after hearing it. So many times I was left thinking, "Why didn't I think of that?" I recommend this book to absolutely anyone. I think even many women could benefit from hearing the lessons in these pages. show less