Reviews

Unlearn: 101 Life Lessons Without the Bullshit by Humble the Poet

promisevideo's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

This book is filled with good advice. Humble expands upon many ideas we already know very well (don't sweat the small stuff, the only constant is change, we all die in the end, etc.) but may often forget. Sometimes it's nice to have a reminder of all of these life outlooks.

I had two main reasons for not giving it more stars. Firstly, it is incredibly repetitive (which the author mentions) - the 101 'lessons' could have easily been condensed into about 25 due to how much overlap they all shared. Secondly, there were an alarming number of grammatical/structural errors for a published book (that was written by a former teacher). I frequently found myself stumbling over the writing, having to go back to reread parts three or four times to make sense of what he was trying to say. There were also many, many run-on sentences (we're talking entire paragraphs that were a single sentence).

Overall I enjoyed the book enough but was also happy to reach the end.

jessica_flower's review

Go to review page

4.0

4/5 stars

I read this book at the right time, and this is partially why I liked what Humble had to say in this book.
This is a book with 101 short essays, interspersed with quotes from said essays, that give some life lesson, anecdote, etc.. Along the way, Humble talks about his life growing up in Canada as a Sikh, his short-lived career as a teacher, and his decision to follow his passion for the art that he does now, to some of the amazing (and not so amazing) experiences he's had since.

I also liked how, at different points throughout the book, Humble reminds us that if we're feeling unsatisfied or discontent with some part of our lives, we can change it by making realistic life goals, by breaking it down into steps that we can follow through with, and by not letting ourselves be bogged down by the expectations of others and the ridiculous ideals society pushes on us.

That being said, the writing is not perfect, but then again, few things are.

I'd like to now share some of my favourite quotes from this book:

"You don't have to trust all the noise in your head."

For me, that means not listening to all the panicky, pessimistic, depressive thoughts in my head caused by my anxiety. That means managing my anxiety by asking myself "is there any evidence to what you're worrying about?" and by grounding myself in the present so that I'm not stuck in my head when it's not helping my at all.

"Anything we want to accomplish in life will be easier to manage if we break it down into tiny pieces and handle them one at a time."

And

"Don't let life be controlled by yesterday."

Kinda what I said before, that we can make changes to make our lives more content and not just complacent and passive just because the place you're in now is one you're familiar. Also relates to my anxiety, which is why I like it so much.


Also some other good ones:

"Speak your truth, even if your voice shakes."

"Very little is accomplished or achieved straying away from challenges."

"Don't be afraid of the time it takes to accomplish things. . . the more we understand and respect the nature of time, the better equipped we are to benefit from what it can offer."

vchiasson's review

Go to review page

5.0

Definitely a book to read again. Many great suggestions.

melissa_h's review against another edition

Go to review page

3.0

I liked a lot of his advice and outlook, but it was very repetitive and I realize he mentioned that in the beginning, but near the end I just skimmed it because it was copy and paste from the previous chapters almost.

minno's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

An amazing, uplifting book served in easily digestible, small pieces. Humble gives great wisdom, but doesn't tell you how to live your life.

aimzer's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Marked, reread and will encourage others to read! A must read for everyone!

andrealnrz's review

Go to review page

inspiring lighthearted reflective fast-paced

4.75

sienat's review

Go to review page

5.0

Absolutely love, loved it way more than the first book! Every chapter made me think of my own life and my own decisions and my own consequences.
More...