You Are Awesome

November 4, 2019
In this undercooked work, Pasricha (The Happiness Equation), 1000 Awesome Things blogger and host of the 3 Books podcast, offers nine concepts that, with mixed effectiveness, promise to initiate the reader into a “secret” life of inner strength. Pasricha’s nuggets of perceived wisdom range from decent advice (don’t relent “in the face of things that look immovable”) to the less helpful (the only possible movement is forward). Pasricha’s writing is punchy (“benign envy is contagious... it motivates others to improve their own performance”) but also tends toward oversimplification. Secrets he lets readers in on include “keep your options infinite,” “shift the spotlight” (direct one’s attention to what is important), see challenges as a “step,” and “tell yourself a different story.” Fans of the author’s blog will find his trademark style in evidence here; however, newcomers may find Pasricha’s prose shallow (“real growth doesn’t come through destruction. It comes from taking what came before and integrating it into a greater whole”), his claims poorly substantiated, and much of his logic worrying—as in the section on “always moving forward,” in which he treats his father’s refusal ever to return to his native India (with no substantive explanation), where he still has family, as behavior to be admired and copied. This is a slick but ultimately underwhelming production with little to appeal to the thoughtful reader.

October 15, 2019
Best-selling Pasricha walked out on a high-paid, soul-shattering job and failed at least six times in cyberspace before creating his successful blog, 1000 Awesome Things. Each time he stumbled, he learned something new about websites and about himself. In his most recent Awesome book, Pasricha presents nine secrets to developing resilience, which is the key to being awesome. It's resilience that keeps us upright and moving forward. The secrets include keeping options open, shifting the spotlight, being willing to lose to win, being a big fish in a small pond, finding space to get away from the everyday, and never stopping. Each piece of advice builds on the former tip and all are backed by stories from Pasricha's life and others'. His tone is light, but his message is thought-provoking and inspiring. We've all failed at something, according to the author. The important thing is to turn failures into life lessons. Under Pasricha's guidance, readers learn how to reframe their stories and put life in perspective, making the road to awesome not only possible but enjoyable.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2019, American Library Association.)