The Subtle Art of Not Giving A …. Book Review

I just finished reading Mark Manson’s The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. Don’t let the title scare you. My Mama was pretty sure I was turning away from Jesus when I told her I was reading it. She was additionally mortified that I put a picture of it on my Instagram. It’s not a satanical, f-everyone type of book. On the contrary, I found that it has refreshing clarity on life’s most important principles. Homesteaders, read to the end to see how this applies to you. (I didn’t do some random book review for no reason.)

Let’s begin with why did I order this book? Simple. The title. You know it caught your attention too. Pretty clever there, Mark. I saw the title of the book on someone else’s Instagram, looked it up on Amazon, read the summary and poof. Ordered. Pretty out of the ordinary for me. Not ordering off Amazon (I may or may not have dash buttons in every room of my house.). Ordering a “self-help” category book. My mother is a BIG believer in self-help books. When I would get in big trouble in high school, before I could go back out into the world, I had to read a self-help book. Not to toot my own horn, but they always seemed to  hark on and repeat over and over things that seemed to me were common sense. I hated them all. Even as an adult, I consider them a waste of my time.

Enter The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. I’m pretty sure I could have written this book. Finally, a like-minded individual wrote a self-help book. I’d label myself as honest and cynical. Others say strong and brash. And still others just say bitch. No matter to me, but do you know how refreshing it was to hear another person’s perspective was similar to mine? Cut and dry. Practical. Realistic. I didn’t need validation that my life angle was okay, but that’s exactly what this book did. It validated it, and I was appreciative. Now if you don’t appreciate dry humor and a witty foul mouth, this book isn’t for you. Mark intertwines it with clear, rational points about life while also interlacing engaging stories and scenarios in to help explain said points. No BS. It’s capturing, sensible and a quick, easy read.

Why do I recommend this book for homesteaders? Because if you’re anything like me, you hear a lot of noise. You hear others’ skepticism and judgements on this life you have chosen. It’s different. It looks too hard or too easy if it’s showcased right. Why does anyone need that many animals? Why do you grow your own food when you could just go to the grocery store? (We do both.) Everyone seems to have opinions in regards to your life. It’s human nature to want to share knowledge, and to these types of people’s knowledge, we’re doing life wrong. You have probably already decluttered most of the noise around you, but just in case you’re having trouble getting clarity, read this book.

[ You Can Order The Book Here: The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck: A Counterintuitive Approach to Living a Good Life ]

How does Mark say is the best way to approach life? Simply. Don’t overcomplicate it just because society teaches you to. It doesn’t lead to a happy, perfect life because no life is perfect and in a constant state of happiness. A simpler life does and will continue to provide great moments of happiness to accompany those wisps of sadness, but homesteaders, you already know that. 😉