**Insanely good.**Ohmygoodness. Philippa Perry’s _How to Stay Sane_ is an insanely good read. It’s simply mind-boggling how she is able to succinctly and satisfyingly weave together so many complex concepts of psychotherapy and neuroscience into such a readable, relatable, and resourceful little gem. Wow. (It’s been a few days since I finished this book, and I’m still amazed.)The heart and soul of this book is Philippa’s theory that human change and growth operate in four key areas in our lives which we have influence: self-observation, relating to others, stress, and personal narratives: “So how do we stay sane? We can develop our faculties of self-observation so that we can have the capacity to observe even our strongest emotions, rather than being defined by them, allowing ourselves to take in the bigger picture. Self-observation helps us avoid too much self-justification and getting stuck in patterns of behaviour that no longer work for us. We can prioritize nurturing relationships and allow ourselves to be open. We can relate—not as who we *think* we should be, but who we actually *are*, thus giving ourselves the chance to connect and form bonds with others. We can seek out ‘good stress’ to keep our minds and bodies fit for purpose, and we can be watchful of the stories we hear and the belief systems we live our lives by. We can edit our story at any time, to right ourselves if we veer off course either into chaos or rigidity.” (p. 127)Despite its small size, the book is monumentally impactful. Each word is chosen carefully, each sentence connected organically, each chapter woven seamlessly. If I had to give my psychotherapy clients one book to start out with, I think this would be it. Actually, I think I want to read it again myself. Yep, it’s that insanely good. The School of Life is a series of books launched by Alain de Botton or I think commissioned by him. Each book is unique and different in the sense that each book speaks of a different aspect of life – which either people do not talk of or just plainly ignore. These are lessons on how to live life better, not to be mistaken for a self-help series (though they do that at some level), but more like a lesson, a guide, something which can be tweaked to your choice or preference.The various books in this series are about how to think more about sex, how to find fulfilling work, how to worry less about money (this should be everyone’s read), how to change the world, and lastly the one which I will be reviewing right now – How to Stay Sane by Philippa Perry. The book works on a simple premise: In today’s world, we need more mental health than ever. We need to take care of it and not let go of it. The book just tells us how.“How to Stay Sane” just lets the readers know how to actually remain sane – connecting with the situation and at the same time giving a very objective view to the entire concept. The book is divided into small chapters – dealing with Self-Observation, to relating to others, to dealing with stress and finally rounding it with what is the story and a couple of exercises to actually work on being sane.While it appear to be a self-help book in most ways, How to Stay Sane is not in so many other. The writing is crisp, to the point and very subtly laced with humour and simplicity. The mind is studied most often and to figure why we get the way we do. The way our relationships function, the stress most jobs cause and how we can actually deal with all of it. A great book to be read without any prejudice or pre-conceived notions.
What do You think about How To Stay Sane (2012)?
Sincere and useful. But bland. Could have been more engrossing, given the topic.
—Savannah
Great little self-help book... includes useful exercises and homework
—mari
