12 Rules for Life
by Jordan B. Peterson
Peterson's twelve rules, from standing up straight to petting a cat when you encounter one, are delivered with long excursions into mythology, psychology and his own clinical practice. The chapters on responsibility, honesty and setting your own house in order are strong; the digressions divide readers. It is a demanding book that many young men credit with turning their lives around.
Read it if…
you are drifting, want to be challenged, and can tolerate dense, meandering argument.
Skip it if…
you want a focused, practical read or disagree with the author's broader public positions; both are reasonable reasons.
Three things you will actually use
- Take responsibility for the nearest thing you can fix.
- Tell the truth, or at least do not lie.
- Compare yourself to who you were yesterday.
Do this first
Set your room in order this weekend, literally, before you try to fix anything larger.
Our verdict
Dense, divisive and influential; useful rules, long sermons.
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Intentional Living
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Warm and sincere; a book about giving back.
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