Thrive by Arianna Huffington

Thrive: The Third Metric to Redefining Success and Creating a Life of Well-Being, Wisdom, and Wonder by Arianna Huffington
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Those of you who know me in real life, or even from my book reviews, know that I am not easily impressed. Well, I'm impressed. I'm impressed by this book and the studious, thoughtful, lovely soul that wrote this book.

It starts off with softballs. She states the problem. Okay, we all know what a disaster the business culture has become. Then she makes a big case for meditation and sleep and exercise. This might feel obvious to people who have been trying to figure things out for a long time, but surely this advice the younger crowd needs, as many of us waste several tired unhappy years without mindfulness. It would have helped young me. But also around this time, you might become skeptical that you're reading another cheesy self-help book, albeit a very well-cited and scientific-sounding one.

It's not another cheesy self-help book. It's more like an owner's manual to being a complete person. An action plan for humanity. A philosophical work that perfectly captures this particular moment in time. A push towards spiritual enlightenment.

I would also say that if there's a part you feel like discarding or ignoring, check your feelings to see why. I had the experience in part of it as well, but I sat with my resistance and I think I'm wrong. If you're trying to disregard something she says, you're probably letting yourself off the hook for something you don't want to do. But Huffington's advice not wrong. This is because she's obviously read widely, thought deeply, and mindfully experienced a great deal.

Really 5+ stars.

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