The Subtle Art of a Bestseller
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So, I decide I want to start reviewing books and other art with the goal of promoting and supporting independent publishing, and then I go and start by reviewing a huge bestseller that was/is annoyingly popular.
Shrug
Oh well.
It was what I was reading and nearly finished with. So, while I wait for indie authors to contact me and share their work, I'll start by reviewing whatever I want to talk about.
So, The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck
Next year it will be ten years old.
When it came out, I remember it bubbling to the top of best seller's lists and seeing it everywhere. I dismissed it as a dumb self-help book that was trying to be edgy. I attributed its success to that edginess. And then I forgot about it.
But, it stuck around. I kept seeing it on shelves and mentioned in various places.
I never knew anything about it other than the title and cover.
Eventually, probably around when I first learned there was a sequel, I was worn down enough to add it to my TBR list and read it (or at least DNF it) so that I could justify my disdain and move on.
Well, turns out, it's pretty fucking good.
It bills itself as an anti-self-help book. That aspect does a lot of heavy lifting for me. Instead of nonsense platitudes, Mark uses brutal honesty to inspire growth in his readers.
The quippy and vulgar language is refreshing. Not strictly necessary for it to be effective, but probably necessary for it to sell a bajillion copies.
What I liked most about it was Mark's ability to speak deep spiritual truths in a plain and straightforward manner.
If I ran a bookstore, which I guess I do on bookshop.org, I would place it in the Spirituality section and not the Self-Help department.
If you're interested in the nature of reality and how to navigate this life you find yourself inhabiting, try learning The Subtle Art of Not Giving a Fuck!
If you clicked on this wanting to learn how to write a bestseller, I think reading it might teach you some things as well.
You are Love.
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