An intriguing book cover that unfortunately houses one of the most underwhelming titles I've read in 2024.
A fairly standard life advice book written by an Australian comedian, I think. Minchin regurgitates prescriptions for living that we've heard a thousand times before and will probably hear a thousand times again. Yet, the inconsistency in his thoughts and words were clear to see.
He wants to make sweeping claims about the meaningless in the world and the beauty/authority of science, all the while deploying a romantic vocabulary and espousing the purpose and meaning of his endeavors. He suggests the importance of continuously scrutinizing one's beliefs but seems to ignore his advice given the certainty in which he states his own.
I hardly made it close to halfway through this title, and I leave feeling that the only point of agreement I have with Mr. Minchin is that his book belongs in the bathroom or preferably in the toilet. I suppose not all books will be a home run or even make it to first base, but this ought to make us all the more grateful for libraries as those magical places that save us from wasting our money on literary duffers.
Let us finish on a positive note. One, perhaps, shouldn't judge a book without having read a fair amount of the content. If we had to give up on, say, anime in its earliest episodes, we would never have the chance to reap the incredible fruits that come later. I think I agree with much of what Mr. Minchin is saying, at least in parts, but kudos to some of the impressive life experiences that are scrawled across these pages. Give it a read, perhaps I'm missing something.