The Subtle Art of Not Giving A F*ck by Mark Manson: Book Review

The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck by Mark Manson belongs to the self-help genre. This is the third book by the author which hit the bestsellers rank pretty fast. The book has gained its popularity because of its title and the unique cover.

It is a guide on how to improve your lifestyle. Not like other self-help books, this one uses the kind of language which many of us are familiar with. Published in May 2016, this one sold over 8 million copies.

The Subtle art of not giving a F*ck was also featured in the New York Times Bestseller list for 179 weeks. The main aim of this book was to ensure that people can get a look at what they have been doing wrong so far.

It is a myth buster. Even if it doesn’t improve your life, it will improve your vision to some extent. All the readers will have benefit with this one. Its entire focus is not on positivity as other self-help books do. Instead, it will keep you interested and gripped till the end.

Marking Mason’s words, this book will help you realize what’s important in your life and whatnot. The understanding of the same can help you in limiting the number of fucks you give.

It is more like a guide which if followed will show you the right way to handle your problems. Simplify your life and the problems in it with this one. Moreover, this book is only 220 pages long which means you don’t have to dedicate hours to this one.

Meet the Author Mark Manson

Mark Manson is a 36 years old American author currently residing in New York City. His popularity increased at a high pace after the release of his second book.

He defines himself as a life enthusiast which is quite obvious as he travelled a lot for a few years in his life. It turned out to be well for him as he met his wife during his visit to Brazil.

Manson’s writing started with a blog. A few years after completing his graduation, he started an online business and also a blog which is now quite popular.  He says the blog commenced for fun but now it has reached skyrocketing heights. 

His interest in psychology and philosophy is since his teenage, which resulted in the vast knowledge he possesses now. He doesn’t work for anyone and is instead happy with his blog. He is popular for his writing style among people.

In simple words, it is unique, funny and, blunt. You won’t find any sugar-coated words from him and only the harsh reality instead. He keeps updating the lessons learned by him on various social media platforms.

Bless your feed with his work by following him. One can consider him a life coach as he has helped so many people out there with his books. Apart from books, he has consulted many people and helped them on their journey.

Previous works of the Mark Manson

• Attract women through modesty
• The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
• Everything is F*cked

Why choose “The Subtle Art of not giving a F*ck”?

In the first few pages itself, you’ll realize thatthe way of writing is good. The author has focused on putting up some eye-openers. The fact that the reader’s feelings are not hurt is taken care of while writing.

The use of perfect examples ensures that one understands what the point author is trying to make. Real-life scenarios are also targeted for better understanding. Even when you read the first chapter, you’ll feel interested in reading the whole book.

Mark Manson has tried to be interactive with the audience and has succeeded in that as well. While reading “The Subtle Art of not giving a F*ck”, you’ll feel like you are attending a seminar with an energetic and interactive host.

The book is popular because of how it offends so many people. But that too is because of the harsh truth is being said by the author. If you follow everything in the book you’ll learn something for sure and will make a little change in your life. You might have to go back to a few pages just to understand what mark is exactly trying to say.

Tip: take your time with this book. Don’t hesitate to re-reading a few pages because it is worth it. You will learn many new things that happen around us all the time but go unnoticed. “The Subtle Art of not giving a F*ck” is necessary for everyone as it highlights some important points.

What the pages behold?

Mark Manson has discussed all the things in a transparent manner. The chapters of the book have interesting and a suitable title. You will be quite excited to read the book just by going through the index.

You will find yourself rushing through the first chapter as you realize what the book is about. Misconceptions of the title are made clear at the beginning itself. Most of the chapters cover things that you may find interesting but halfway through the book, things start to repeat.

Apart from all that, the book is full of amazing quotes and lines that you may want to mark or keep an image of. One of the basic things which you’ll come across while reading is that pursuing negative experience is itself a positive experience.

Taking an example, the pain you go through in the gym will end up helping you in maintaining good health. This isn’t one of the feel-good type books but a self-evaluation instead. Some of the things may seem harsh but you can’t deny them as well.

The author Mark Manson will ask questions on behalf of you and for a minute you’ll feel this is what you were wondering in the first place. It feels like someone is talking to you the whole time. Some of the concepts stated are not backed up by solid proof but that doesn’t make them worthless.

By following the advice of the author and not giving a f*ck to the parts you don’t like, you’ll be all set. Before starting the read, clear up your mind and try to understand what the author is saying.

The most important lessons from “The Subtle Art of not giving a F*ck”

The phrase ‘not giving a f*ck’ means not caring about a few things. According to the author, when you give too many f*cks, you are only complicating your life. The author pressurizes the point that you need to limit the number of things you care about.

If you care about everything, you will only end up working for nothing. Learning what things to care about is an art that one can learn over a period of time. Another important lesson learned from the book is that whenever a certain situation arrives it is your response that decides what will happen.

If you take decisions in a rational way at the moment, you will end up doing great with it. There is a feedback loop from hell which means that you are stuck in the loop of your own thoughts. Many people face this situation and it is important to get out of it.

When you chase a positive experience, in itself is a negative experience. You will learn about all these concepts and phenomena in a proper way when you grab the book. Happiness can be a problem sometimes so it is important to keep in mind that happiness is always temporary.

‘Stop complaining!’ If you can do something to change a particular situation then go ahead and do it and if you can’t, accept the fact. Also, our struggles decide our success so it is in your hands that you are choosing the right thing to struggle for. You can choose your own struggles.

Synopsis of “The Subtle Art of not giving a F*ck”

The overall experience with this book was something mixed. At times it blows your mind while at some it will make you feel bored. The stories do come to the rescue in between but mostly it was like a pep-talk.

You may lose focus in between that will make you go back a few pages to re-read.  It is not suitable for people who get offended often. Even if self-help genre is not your kind, do read at least the first 50 pages of this one.

It will act as a base of whether you want to continue reading this one or not. Even these initial pages will give you a great idea about what you are looking for. If you finish these, you are good to go. But if you don’t apply all that you learned from this one then sorry to say because your 4 hours worth of reading are nothing but a waste.

You can learn why being honest with yourself is so important and stressed upon. The author’s attempt is for sure worth applause. It is a good read with plenty of insight. “The Subtle Art of not giving a F*ck” justifies as a little over-rated but some parts are worth the hype.

Suitable for all those who are stuck in the thoughts of ‘why me’ as it will broaden their horizon. You will take away at least a few things with this one. The main audience of the book is people of the age group 17-30. It will show best results with this age group.

Things I loved the Most

There are a few things in this book that make it different from other self-help books available in the market. All the facts stated by Mason are backed up by the examples. They give a better understanding of them. The book is painfully honest.

You’ll be amazed by a few facts as you start to notice them around you. Even if you are not a fan of self-help books, you’ll find the good read as have these tiny stories that appear from time to time. These will keep your interest intact in the book.

The titles used for chapters are apt and attractive. This book doesn’t give you hope but is rather a guide that will help you monitor your activities. It is suitable for almost everyone and needless to say, a must-read as it focuses on real life.

It is a myth-buster that will smack you in the face every once in a while. He has used many real-life examples and stories which keep the fun part intact. You can see for yourself how those stories work wonders for what Manson wants to say. 

Things that could be Better

There are a few things in the book which may not be suitable. The usage of the word ‘f*ck’ in this book is way too much. An average of 4-5 times per page is there. Even though it is not a big issue but you might feel a little irritated by its repetitive usage.

A few things in the book are used many times. It might be intentional but in the end, you are reading the same thing again. Some of the points are over-explained which may make you feel a little bored. Usage of rude language is also quite obvious in this one.

It may offend many people because of the same. The author has used examples to justify the main topic but in some places, the examples are over-used, which ends up distracting focus from the main point.

Hence deteriorating the main aim of examples. After a few pages into the book, you’ll find it similar to most of the books of the genre. Also, some points stated in the book are already repeated many-a-times by some of the famous authors. The twists from one topic to another too is quite common in the book.

Conclusion

All in all, it is a little offensive but is worth the time invested. You will find a few new things at least. Taking this one as a guide will help you in the long run for sure. 

Written in a unique way, it will give keep you interested and glued to the book most of the time. So sit back, relax, and get ready for this shaking book, which will soon challenge your belief system. It is a must-read for all those who usually give way too many f*cks about everything.

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