Life Is Not Fair...: And Everything Else They Forget to Teach in School

by Bill Bernard

This is the one book that can end your adolescent's angst and show the world as it really works. Written in a clear voice that tells teenagers what the mean world is really about, Life is Not Fair… explains what they need to know and do to become happy, successful and mature adults. It explores complex issues without any mumbo jumbo, and teaches teenagers how to think about relationships, family, friends, sex, drugs, money, taxes, spin, timing and luck. Life is Not Fair… also encourages the reader to consider their place in the world, and how they can have more fun, make more money and be lucky by simply learning to think better. In brief, it is not what to think, but how to think, which makes this book unique and valuable. This is a book that parents can share with their children, and it includes the voices of young people who talk about the challenges and problems they face. Chapters

Paperback

First published August 1, 2004

Reviews

[Millie Muroi · Rating 2 out of 5]

Having recently completed high school, this book seemed like it could be a useful read. I mean, everything they forgot to teach you in school? Yes please😜

Well it turns out that I’m evidently missing the target audience by miles. Bernard’s book touches upon a whole host of subjects: finance, relationships, and perspective, but little of it remains unknown (even) to an 18 year old. It’s really not the author’s fault; it’s mine for having caved to the anticipation of an omniscient life manual of sorts, or philosophical analysis of the inequities of life.

I will concede that it did contain a few pieces of lucid and practical advice. I just can’t seem to see this book working very well with many 12-16 year olds (the age bracket that I assume Bernard is trying to reach). A lot of these lessons are ones you learn as you traverse the journey of high school, and whilst having a read of Life’s Not Fair certainly wouldn’t do any harm, I am sceptical of its effectiveness.

Furthermore, there were a few points that irked me about the author’s writing. The anecdotes are terribly overdoing it. I mean, I don’t know whether some of these 13/14 year olds would really be so insightfully aware of themselves. And yet what is with the excessive use of “like”? It’s as if the author attempts to bestow a sense of believability to these excerpts through overusing a superfluous filler word (stereotypically teenage jargon). It’s like a G-rated flashback to 50 Shades of Grey and really detracts from the otherwise reasonable points offered.

But you know what? As the book proclaims, Life’s not (always) fair - sometimes you get a killer of a book, and sometimes you get duds.

[Kataklicik · Rating 4 out of 5]

When you accept that life is unfair, things actually fall in place. Made me sit up and take notice haha.