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A review by samarakroeger
People Change by Vivek Shraya
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
This short book read like a TED talk about reinvention. Personally, I hate the quasi-inspirational tone of TED talks; I often feel like the speakers are saying a lot of words dramatically without really including that much substance or nuance. I don’t think there are any revolutionary thoughts in Shraya’s book, and I don’t think she manages to support her argument with enough concrete examples, instead relying on vague generalities and half-baked anecdotes that feel kinda empty.
Short books are great, but this one is maybe too short to have an actual impact. I much preferred her earlier (and similar) book, I’m Afraid of Men, which felt much more personal and reflective. I really do think that specificity counterintuitively allows the reader to actually connect, empathize, and apply their own reflections on wider, more general ideas or struggles. Generalization and broad statements tend to do the reader a disservice.
Short books are great, but this one is maybe too short to have an actual impact. I much preferred her earlier (and similar) book, I’m Afraid of Men, which felt much more personal and reflective. I really do think that specificity counterintuitively allows the reader to actually connect, empathize, and apply their own reflections on wider, more general ideas or struggles. Generalization and broad statements tend to do the reader a disservice.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts