The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson Review

Let me start off by saying, I like self-help books. And I don’t go into books assuming I will hate them, because to me, that’s a surefire way to ensure you will. So although I went into this book with a bit of grimness, it was more amusement and curiosity than anything.

I kind of assume most authors of self-help books are a**holes to some extent, especially if they’re not PhDs or anything. Who else would be pompous enough to write a book claiming to improve your life if not someone who deems themselves worthy enough to do so? Manson is a blogger—formerly a dating advice one—and he’s by no means offering science-backed research or analysis on how to live a more balanced life. He just gets on a soapbox and preaches tidbits of wisdom he’s picked up during his life, with lots of swearing along the way. Original, I know.

Okay, but enough of me sh*tting on the guy. This book isn’t a complete waste of paper. Some of the insights are pretty good, when he’s not bragging about the women he’s f*cked, his worldwide travels, or his balls to quit his job six weeks in to pursue blogging—about dating, nonetheless. He reeks of insecurity when bringing this up, because who else would hide behind how many women he thinks he bagged if not someone deeply insecure? But at least he owns up to it, and lays out some of the home and family troubles he had, money problems when starting his blog, and a tragic accident that caused the death of his friend. He writes with clarity about the heart of this book: we all have problems. It’s essential to pick the right ones and leave the rest behind. He also folds in a bit of ancient philosophical ideology such as nihilism and Buddhism, but at least he cites it.

The book’s strengths tapered off by the end when my charitable outlook wore thin, and I was pretty done with hearing a white man preach at me and swear as a way of being quirky. And yes, this review is different than my usual tone, but I have to give him a little sh*t after his boldness with the title. Many, many, many people have read this (1.2M ratings on Goodreads!), but I suppose it’s up to you to decide if you give a f*ck about this one, isn’t it?