What’s it about:

A mix of memoir, life-philosophy and self-help book from a creative entrepreneur from the States. All the usual stuff is in there – dealing with failure, decision-making and, you know, rewiring your brain.

What Lynn learned:

·   Rewiring your neural pathways is exhausted and persistent, but it is (apparently, fingers crossed) possible to update your old beliefs.

·  Comparing yourself to others should be referred to ‘doing shots of Comparschlager’ (p. 70).

·  How to tune into the wisdom of your body through a series of questions, such as ‘Do I feel expansive or contracted when I imagine saying yes to this?’, ‘Does this feel joyful and fun?’, and ‘After I’m around this person, do I feel more energized or less energized?’ (p. 109)

Fave quotes:

·       ‘Quite simply, none of us were given an owner’s manual at birth. Our educational system doesn’t train us to harness the power of our thoughts, beliefs emotions and the wisdom of our bodies’ (p.5).

·       ‘I was confused, because, on the surface, most of the guys I worked with had achieved the trappings of ‘traditional success’. They had power and security, and were making millions. But on an emotional and spiritual level, many seemed bankrupt.’ (p. 20)

·       ‘Here’s something you can never hear enough: we all wipe out. Physically, emotionally, creatively, financially, socially – everyone does dumb s***. It’s inherent to the human growth process. But here’s the key: a fall is never final unless you stay on the ground.’ (p. 93)

·       ‘Your life is an ongoing act of creation and you’re 100 per cent in charge. When you make a clear, committed decision about something you want, it’s analogous to picking up the phone and placing a to-go order with the cosmos.’ (p. 125)

·       ‘We’re multipassionate creatives. We connect the dots between diverse and often seemingly disparate disciplines, spanning years and even decades.’ (p. 159)

Why relevant right now:

After much reflection, I seem to have fallen into a portfolio career. As much as many of us want to do A Profession, it sometimes doesn’t work out like that.

Interest factor: 3.5/5

Coffee table cred: 4/5

Ignorance of external world while reading: 4/5

Book cover design: 3.5/5

Help the existential crisis: 3.5/5