Review of 'The Art of Non-Conformity: Set Your Own Rules, Live the Life You Want, and Change the World' on 'Goodreads'
5 stars
As someone who's adhered to rules for most of my life with a fervor rivaling Felix Unger's, I find someone who flouts the rules fascinating. While I find many of Guillebeau's choices too far out there, too impractical, or ridiculously absurd, my own choices haven't exactly dropped me in Xanadu. I guess I'm in the self-examination phase of life, and I appreciate the questions and challenges that this book brings.
The crux of the book, as I read it, is to do everything on purpose, because you choose to and it brings you happiness, not just because you believe it's what comes next in the sequence of life. That's not as selfish as it sounds--helping others brings happiness, for example, and Guillebeau has spent years helping impoverished folks in Africa. The book isn't about pursuit of self-gratification; it's about choosing your own rules for life and not just settling on …
As someone who's adhered to rules for most of my life with a fervor rivaling Felix Unger's, I find someone who flouts the rules fascinating. While I find many of Guillebeau's choices too far out there, too impractical, or ridiculously absurd, my own choices haven't exactly dropped me in Xanadu. I guess I'm in the self-examination phase of life, and I appreciate the questions and challenges that this book brings.
The crux of the book, as I read it, is to do everything on purpose, because you choose to and it brings you happiness, not just because you believe it's what comes next in the sequence of life. That's not as selfish as it sounds--helping others brings happiness, for example, and Guillebeau has spent years helping impoverished folks in Africa. The book isn't about pursuit of self-gratification; it's about choosing your own rules for life and not just settling on the paths dreams that others have outlined for centuries. Sage advice, and I'll probably reread it soon.