Hey, guys! Long time no see. It’s been a while since I posted a book review, although I think my most recent post reviewing books was on my YT channel about all the books I read in February. So, yeah, it’s been a hot minute since I posted anything—sorry!
Let’s jump right into all the updates I have for you guys and then we’ll talk about this book I just finished—the last time I posted I was still in school and studying intensely for exams. Since then, I finished the school year last week and finished taking my exams before then, in the first two weeks of May. Exams were so hectic and intense, and now I have nothing to do but agonize over the wait until I get my scores back in July. But, there’s nothing I can do to change them and I’m glad I’m finally done with studying myself to death. Also, I had a fun and bittersweet end to the rest of my classes, so I left the school year pretty happy and sad at the same time to be going away next semester.
I spent all of May in Philly, studying and taking exams, and then hanging with friends and family once those were over. Then, we all flew to Chicago for my eldest sister’s graduation. I still can’t believe she’s done with college and will get her first job and fully start her adult life in NYC. The graduation was rainy and some of the family weren’t able to make it, but we had a great time and then flew back to the boat, which my parents sailed during May up the East Coast to South Carolina. Having the boat in the US feels a bit odd, mostly because we’ve never done it, but we’re also showing my dad’s family, who live in South Carolina, the boat for the first time. We have a bit of a family reunion over the next week, and then begin sailing Daf farther up the East Coast to Connecticut.
Well, that mostly sums up my life over the past month so I don’t have to write a full-length (boring) summer post. Now I can focus on this super awesome book I read last week during the graduation. It’s by Adam Grant, who’s an organization psychologist, has written several other books, has a podcast, and teaches at Wharton Business School in Philly. I love reading psychology books and this one was especially interesting.
It focused on rethinking and opening our minds to opposing ideas, arguments, concepts, or discussions. This is such a universal concept that translates to every aspect of today’s world, and I felt that I learned so much important stuff reading it. Additionally, it’s a book that could benefit literally every person in the world because it’s about the universal human experience and how our brains attach to concepts and values that we need to rethink constantly. I learned how to approach conversations or people with more emotional distance, how to think more like a scientist, and how to value and understand opposing opinions.
Again, I think this book can change everyone’s opinions on arguing, the increased polarization we face today, how to approach others who have different opinions than you, and how to rethink your own values and opinions.
Genre: psychology, self-help, non-fiction
Age: 13+
Rating: 9.5/10