I have been a bookworm ever since I learned how to read. Maybe even before that. And I love all kinds of books; (true) crime novels and thrillers especially, but also some non-fictional, self-development books. But today, I actually want to talk about 5 of the worst non-fictional books I’ve read over the past couple of years.
Of course, the literature we enjoy is highly dependent on the person reading it. Like I said, I love reading thrillers. But some people might not understand why you want to spend your free time reading about horrible stuff being done to (fictional) people. The same is true for non-fictional books. I think it all comes down to the way we lead our lives.
If we’re feeling stressed a lot, a book about reducing stress is great. But if stress isn’t a problem for you, then that book can’t do anything for you. And I would like to encourage you to not finish the books (or articles) you don’t enjoy. It’s a waste of time. Give it a good shot, but if it doesn’t work for you, put it down. That being said, I think I finish 95% of books I don’t like, because I remain hopeful it might get better. It never does.
The Worst Non-Fictional Books In My Collection
Originally, I wanted to do a post about the best & worst non-fictional books I’ve read so far. But, starting with the ones I didn’t like, I quickly realized that it would be a heck of a long post. So I’ve decided to split it into two separate posts. And to build some anticipation, let’s get the books I didn’t enjoy reading out of the way first. Like I said, I have a “bad” tendency to waste my time, aka finish the book even though I don’t really enjoy it. Most of them I actually read, one I listen to on Audible. Non of them I recommend. But of course, if you have read them and enjoyed them, or identify with what it’s about, no offense. Just personal taste & preference.
1. Unf*ck yourself by Gary John Bishop
#1 out of 5 of the worst non-fictional books I’ve read is Unf*ck yourself by G.J. Bishop. The message this book is trying to bring across to the reader is a really good one, I have to admit. The author is basically telling you that the reason you’re not reaching your goals, dreams and ambitions, is yourself. And I 100% agree with that. The problem I have with the book: The way it’s written.
It basically felt like a mix of a TED-talk and somebody lecturing you on how bad a person you are. Not the vibe I am looking for when trying to improve my habits etc. It also meant I didn’t view him as the expert in self-development he is praised to be. But rather as a person that didn’t really know what he is talking about. (Not sure what that says about me, haha.) Therefore, I also didn’t really pay attention to the tips/lessons he was giving in the book. And in all honesty, all I remember from reading it is the fact how horrible (from my POV) it is written. But, I found this handy little summary. See for yourself whether the book is for you, or not.
2. The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware
Once again, the messages in The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying by Bronnie Ware are amazing – just poorly executed. Summarized, the top 5 regrets of the dying are:
- I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me
- I wish I hadn’t worked so hard
- I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings
- I wish I’d stayed in touch with my friends
- I wish I’d let myself be happier
Amazing principals to live by, right? Unfortunately, I found this book to be a little higgledy piggledy, a little bit all over the place, which is why it made it into the list of 5 of the worst non-fictional books in my bookshelf. The author describes her experiences as a care giver living with her clients/patients, and the wisdoms she drew from spending their last days with them. She also describes her own struggles in life, like the search of meaning, love, belonging, etc. And that’s where the problem comes into play for me: I struggled to put the things she is talking about on a timeline. I never really knew where she was in her life, what had already happened and what had not.
Maybe it’s my fault, maybe I didn’t read the book carefully enough. But then again, with a book like this, that is basically a memoir, I don’t want to have to be laser focused all the time. And, the regrets/principals written above are basically the essence of the book. If you want to, you can read the stories of the departing that made them realized their regrets. But I don’t think you have to. You’re probably ably to imagine why someone would say they wished they didn’t work so much/hard. I’ve just saved you 302 pages.
3. How To Stop Worrying And Start Living by Dale Carnegie
This one might offend a few people, because from what I understand, it’s a classic. But I really didn’t love reading this one. And for once it isn’t for the way it was written. But rather some of the messages it’s conveying. It has been a while since I read it, but what stuck with me is this:
- Sit down, rather than stand & lay down rather than sit
- If something requires your attention, stop whatever you’re doing at do that new thing
I’m sure there were a hundred good tips in this book, but those two are the only ones that I can remember. Not sure how you feel about it, but I don’t think either of them is very good.
The first one is horrible from a health-perspective. Now to cut the man some slack, he died in 1955, when people probably didn’t suffer from the sedentary lifestyle as much as they do now. But in a society that doesn’t get enough movement/exercise anyway, advising them to sit/lay down whenever they can sounds horrible to me.
As for the second one: In the book, he gave the example of a man coming to him, seeking advice on how to reduce stress. Carnegie proceeded to write that as the man was sitting down with him, telling him his problem about reducing stress, he had a phone call. So he asked his visitor to pause and answered the call. A while later, his assistent came in with another request. So once again, he asked his visitor to hold his thought and saw to the assistants request. Apparently, Carnegies visitor thought all these interruptions to be a wonderful thing, the answer to all his problems and a great reduction of stress.
I beg to differ. 1) I, as the visitor, would feel terrible unimportant, if somebody would constantly interrupt our conversation to do whatever. And 2) I, as Carnegie, would not ever get anything done. Humans are not able to multi-task. Period. It has been shown time and time again, that it isn’t possible to give attention to two different things at the same time. Of course, you can drive your car and listen to music at the same time. But have you ever noticed that you don’t actually listen to the song or even turn it down, if you’re somewhere you’re not familiar with, or try to squeeze your car into a tight parking spot? Because you cannot focus on both.
Needless to say, this book really wasn’t for me. I’m sure there were a lot of great tips in there. But unfortunately, only these two resonated with me.
4. Solve For Happy by Mo Gawdat
Writing about book #4 out of the 5 worst non-fictional books I’ve read, I come to think that I might have a bit of a problem with authority. Because Solve For Happy is written by Mo Gawdat, a former Chief Business Officer at Google [X]. Yes, that in and of itself is impressive. But he’s an engineer. Not a psychologist/scientist. And my snobby brain once again took that as a reason to not take him seriously. Why would an engineer know how to reach a state of happiness? Plus, there are a lot of anecdotes in this book. Which is great for telling a story. But having a scientific background, I couldn’t care less about anecdotal “evidence”.
Another thing that somehow really bothered me: there are so many pictures/cartoons/graphics in this book. And so many of them are redundant. I’m sure there are a lot of people that enjoy them. But for me, it makes it seem even less “scientific”. Even though he did put some actually studies in there.
The one thing I 100% agree with: To be happy, live in the moment. It’s so easy to dream about a better future, or reminisce adventures from the past. But to be truly happy, I think, we have to focus on what is happening right now.
5. The Courage To Be Disliked by I. Kishimi & F. Koga
Last on the list of 5 of the worst non-fictional books in my collection is The Courage To Be Disliked by Ichiro Kishimi & Fumitake Koga. It’s message: Regardless of what has happened in your life, what kind of trauma you have experienced, to be happy is entirely up to you. Yeah. Maybe. I’m most certainly not knowledgable enough in the trauma-department to determine whether this claim is true or not. But as somebody that fortunately has never had any traumatizing experiences, I would say that it’s true. I am responsible for my own happiness. Kind of on the same wavelength as Unf*ck yourself. So apparently, the message isn’t the problem for me. What else could it be?
… guessed it? The style it’s written in. It’s a dialogue between an older (seemingly a psychologist) and a younger man. And this is the book I listened to on Audible. I hated it. With a passion. It was simply terrible to listen to. (I have very strong feelings about it.) So much so, that I am only now understanding it’s message, that I reflect on it again. Maybe I should have read it. But somehow I don’t think that would’ve changed anything. Because once again, the older guy is seemingly condescending towards the younger one. Not a good vibe.
Closing thoughts…
Writing down my thoughts on 5 of the worst non-fictional books I’ve read, I have come to realize that they really aren’t horrible. They just aren’t for me. But that’s the thing with art: It’s not for everybody. Just like I’m sure my blog posts aren’t for everybody.
But writing about them has reminded me of a very important thing: My happiness depends on me and me alone. Even though I don’t like the style most of these books were written in, they do mostly have a good intention. I still wouldn’t recommend you go out and buy them. But maybe check them out on 4 Minute Books (found that page to be super helpful to remind myself what the books are about!).
In my next post, I’m going to be talking about the non-fictional books I actually enjoyed reading, so stay tuned for that!
Lots of Love,
Lena
Disclaimer: This post is not sponsored.
Pingback: My February Favorites: Beauty, TV Shows, Fashion & More! -