I’ve heard so much about Derren Brown, but I’m ashamed to say that I’ve never watched any of his stuff or read anything by him. But, based on everything I hear, I’d love his stuff. So, why’d I read this book? Well, the other day I asked my followers for recommendations for mental health books, and someone swore by this book, so I checked it out. And hot damn is it good.

I’m so glad that this book has been read by so many people because it’s such a fantastic book. I was put off by how long this book is, but I breezed through it because I couldn’t put it down. Most of the book is rooted in the philosophy of stoicism, but Derren brings a wisdom to the book that is refreshing. He discusses the self-help movement and all the nonsense “cures” for sadness are out there and then goes into various challenges that we all deal with. Brown uses the lens of stoicism to discuss how we judge ourselves, judge situations, and judge others. He provides interesting anecdotes along with quotes from the ancient stoics as well as research throughout the book.

I just can’t put into words how awesome this book is, and it made me want to go read some of my other books about stoicism. This is one of those books that I’ll definitely revisit in the future, and I’m officially a huge fan of Derren Brown.