11 Rules For Life: Secrets to Level Up

by Chetan Bhagat

MANDATORY READING FOR ALL INDIANS.



One summer afternoon, Viraj, a food delivery guy, brings lunch for an author named Chetan. He is late and appears to be in distress. When Chetan asks him what the matter is, Viraj breaks down.

'I hate my life. My career is going nowhere. My girlfriend left me. I have no future,' he says.

The author offers Viraj a deal. 'I can fix this for you. Come back every day, when I order lunch. Each day, I will tell you one secret I've learnt about life.'

Welcome to 11 Rules for Life, a no-holds-barred book that will transform your life.

In his most personal book yet, Chetan draws on his failures and triumphs, his many conversations with high achievers from all walks of life and over two decades as a celebrated motivational speaker.

Written in the inimitable style that has made Chetan one of India's top-selling writers, this inspiring, easy-to-read and straight-talking guide will help you rewire your brain for success in today's ultra-competitive and unfair world.

Ready to live your best life?If one book can change your life, this is it.

Genres: Self Help, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Business

221 pages, Kindle Edition

Published February 26, 2024

About the author

Chetan Bhagat writes op-ed columns for English and Hindi newspapers, including Times of India and Dainik Bhaskar, focusing on youth and issues based on national development. Bhagat is also a motivational speaker and has given talks in leading MNCs and other institutions. He quit his international investment banking career in 2009, to devote his entire time to writing. In 2008, The New York Times called Bhagat "the biggest selling English language novelist in India’s history". Bhagat, a graduate of Indian Institute of Technology (IIT) Delhi and IIM Ahmedabad, is seen more as a youth icon than as an author.

Reviews

[Reading_ Tamishly · Rating 1 out of 5]

What?! I just can’t take this book seriously. This is not fiction. It’s supposed to be a motivational self help book to elevate the life of the reader or at least for the reader be motivated while/after reading it.

The writing is so pretentious and no, you are mistaken if you think that a popular name becomes a brand and the consumer would automatically LOVE anything that the brand brings out.

I wish the writing was plain, honest, boring if it has to because the person who will be reaching out for this book will be expecting to learn some basic truths about the reality we would face or faced already.

Keep the drama and the masala kind of unrealistic “it happened to me and hence I tell you to behave or do like I did” for the fiction.

I genuinely liked the other nonfiction books by the author.

This one actually sucks. Right from the cover.

[Natalia · Rating 4 out of 5]

If the "Viraj" story was real or atleast half real this book would had a bigger impact on me. Still though, it was good.
Recommended for not lazy people and for those that intend to work hard for a better future even if it means a busy present.

[Karthick Manickam · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first saw this book in the bookstore, I was not sure whether I should pick up a self help by Chetan(Though I respect him for his amazing achievements as a writer and as an individual but a self help by him errrr) . But once started I finished it in one go. It was a lovely read and I was very pleasantly surprised by his content packaged in simple writing. I know this book can mean so many things to so many people.. for me it was a much needed read as I could relate with it very much. It has given me
Some food for thought

[Afreen Khalil Inscribed Inklings · Rating 4 out of 5]

11 rules for life by Chetan Bhagat📚

"11 Rules for Life" by Chetan Bhagat is a motivational self-help book that promises to transform your life. In this book, Chetan draws on his personal experiences, failures, and triumphs, as well as conversations with high achievers and over two decades as a motivational speaker, to offer readers practical advice for success in today's competitive world.

The book follows the story of Viraj, a food delivery guy who is struggling with various challenges in his life. When Viraj breaks down in front of the author, Chetan offers him a deal: to share one secret about life every day when he delivers lunch. Through this unique setup, Chetan imparts valuable life lessons to Viraj, and by extension, to the readers.

While I personally am not a fan of the self-help genre, I can see how readers who enjoy this type of book might find it inspiring and insightful. Chetan's easy-to-read writing style and practical advice make this book accessible to a wide audience, and his personal anecdotes and conversations with high achievers add depth and authenticity to his message.

Overall, "11 Rules for Life" is a motivational and inspiring read that offers practical advice for success and personal growth. Fans of the self-help genre are likely to enjoy this book and find value in its lessons.

Rating- ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

- Afreen Khalil

[Avryana · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️ While each topic/rule overview was very catchy, I wished this overall book was more in depth. It merely touched the surface of pivotal self help aspects. Doing this would’ve left readers with more to think about & more to apply to their own lives. Nonetheless, Viraj’s story of success, resilience, growth, & redemption, still made my heart smile. It’s an always a blessing to a blessing & I’m glad that Chetan could be that for this young man.🤍

I do intend to check out some of the resources that were mentioned by the author later on—particularly his YouTube channel. Perhaps I can learn more about him, his works, & ideologies there as well.

[Aditya Tah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Chetan's best book till date !!!!

This book is so pragmatic ,relevant and relatable that you can't put the book down until you finish reading it completely. A must-have book for those who are not doing well in life and even for those who are doing well in life . Grateful to Chetan Bhagat to write this book . It was much needed and many will resonate with what I have written here and relate to it once they have read this book .

[Rajsi Solanki · Rating 5 out of 5]

The most practical self-help book I’ve read. Most easy to apply and interesting to understand.
Definitely a try.

[Kanwar Anand · Rating 5 out of 5]

1. Great story telling despite being a non fiction, Bhagat knows how to get the reader interested and right off the bat he makes a great story landscape for everyone to choose and predicate their decision making on.
2. He never claims it is easy but it essential to do all of these things. Through citing examples from his own life, he masterfully explains what will work and why it work.
3. Though he is patient with the reader, it never appears as though he is being obnoxious or forceful, he is nurturing, especially if you listen to this on the audiobook like I did.
4. my main take away from the book include "eating the elephant" , "being a cockroach" and "avoiding low dopamine hit" and there are so many other lessons.
5. In just a few hours, Bhagat explains why and how the world works the way it does. What we have been programmed wrong. Even takes a whole chapter to explain money.

Loved it. I have read 50-100 non fiction books on self help. This is one of the best ones. I am surprised he is such a good non fiction author too.

[Dr Kashmira Gohil · Rating 4 out of 5]

I picked up this book to read with some reservations despite being fond of some of the author's previous books, as this was a self help book and not one of those typical Chetan bhagat's fictional story. However I was pleasantly surprised to find that the author has done justice to this book in his simple narrative style which would be an intersting read for the average readers. The book opens with the author's interaction with a food delivery boy and then he details 11 rules of life, chapter wise talking with this delivery boy, munching different food he ordered with him.
In general, he advised the readers to maintain fitness with diet discipline & exercise, master the emotions with self control, taking care of oneself first, learn to speak fluent English, get rid of cheap dopamine, chase hard things, eat the elephant, be like cocroch, network effectively, learn from mistakes and earn, save and invest to make it big in life in each of the 11 rules in brief chapterwise.The chaper on adapting resonated well with me. The author explained the divisions of classes of society as elite, middle class and rural. I think there's one more class of intellectuals that could be part of neither or either of this 3 classes.
Well, all in all, this book as it's promised by the author, make you learn with little entertainment in simple style typical of this author. 4 stars to this one.

[Aargee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very inspirational & motivational!! Found a lot of similarities between 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Steven Covey & this except that, this book is very practical, addresses 1.4 Billion of people in India & their lives. If excluded on some adult mentions, this book has to be in every school library & one of must read books for every teenager (earlier the better)

[Jimmy D · Rating 5 out of 5]

Awesome. Super easy read. Cool story with viraj too.

[Christeen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great 11 rules. I found many already adopted in my life and some which i will try to follow.

[Sam Brouillard · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very easy to read, real applicable lessons mention in a funny way.

[Ben M · Rating 3 out of 5]

Robin Sharma-esque. Quite the surprise, good, yet you feel its lacking, informative, with a style thats a bit not palatable enough. Worth the read, to be honest.

[Kimaya · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.3 ⭐️🤔
some things real other things real silly😅

[T. Laane · Rating 5 out of 5]

THE POWER OF STORY & RELATIONSHIPS. The book kicks off strong with a great narrative, which already tells me the writer knows what he’s doing and makes it enjoyable to keep turning the pages. The phrase about the girl who dumped The Courier guy - she was his life because he had nothing else in his life - is true, and honestly, that’s exactly how it’s supposed to be; every man should have his own mission that is important to him, not just living for his lady.
LUCK, FUTURE & SELF-RELIANCE. The author cracks a joke about how some guys think about other people’s success (job, career, car) as pure luck, and then asks if being slim and fit is just luck too - clearly making fun of that mindset. There are 29-year-old dudes claiming they’ve got no future which is pretty ironic, because they’ve got time and choices, it’s just up to them whether they let the future just happen or actually live a great life on purpose. Nobody’s coming to save you or help you - David Goggins hammers that idea home, and it’s a cold, hard truth.
CHOOSING YOUR HARD. Living a good life is hard, but living a miserable, self-pitying life is also hard, so we get to pick our flavor of difficulty - either pay up front in effort, or pay up later in endless suffering. If you want progress, get ready to put in the work.
FITNESS, DISCIPLINE & MENTAL STRENGTH. Getting physically fit isn’t just about muscles, it’s mostly for mental strength and the ability to get more done. Lower stress and better moods are part of the deal, too. Exercise is a cheat code to silence that “loser” voice in your head. Eating healthy isn’t just about what you put in your mouth; it’s about flexing your mental muscle by saying “no” to temptation and practicing massive patience every day.
LOGIC, EMOTION & DECISION MAKING. The author gets real about the fact that our brains make emotional decisions, and some of us are more logical while others are way too emotional - which can be dangerous, because at the extreme people start doing crazy things like dying for manipulative cult leaders without realizing they're being used. It’s not about turning off emotion, but training your logical brain so your decisions actually take you somewhere you want to go, especially for long-term gains.
PEOPLE & PERSONAL BOUNDARIES. People tend to do what their family or friends want, and it’s way too easy for their goals to gather dust because of serving only other people. The pizza analogy is good - when offered, the biggest slice for yourself, not because you’re greedy, but because your own long-term goals should come first. You can help your loved ones, but not if it stops your own hustle or drains your progress.
DOPAMINE, ADDICTION & PLEASURE. When your brain rewards you more for eating ice cream than tackling a work challenge, remember: the first ice cream is heaven, but the fifth or sixth is pretty “meh” - so spending your dopamine on cheap pleasures leaves you numb to real accomplishments. Modern life has overdosed us all on sugar, screens etc, serving instant dopamine with zero effort, ruining our taste for real satisfaction. The more time you spend on these easy addictions, the bigger hit you’ll need just to feel normal again.
PROGRESS & PATIENCE. Everything worthwhile is like eating an elephant - one tiny bite at a time, every single day. The task seems impossible if you look at the whole beast, but daily bites add up, while most people never even attempt to start on their biggest dreams. Also be adaptable - like the cockroach - able to thrive in any conditions.
NETWORKING. Networking isn’t about who you know, but who knows you, and the secret is to get people talking about themselves like you’re watching the best “movie” of their life. Everyone loves to share their passions, and you benefit just by getting them to open up.
GROWTH MINDSET & DESTINY. The best trick for killing self-limiting beliefs is to add the word “yet” to your excuses: I’m not rich… YET! I don’t have a six-pack… YET! It reframes everything. And remember, the only person you’re destined to become is the one you decide to be - thanks for that, Ralph Waldo Emerson.

[Venkateswara Rao Gidugu · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is yet another self help book. The speciality is its author.He is the most influential writer recognized by Forbes magazine.He is none other than Mr Chetan Bhagat .He is a highly educated,successful writer and entrepreneur..
What did I like most about the book is its relevance to the present day world.The frankness of the author gave authenticity to the rules he stated.
The narrative is similar to the teachings of Lord Krishna to warrior Arjuna in the form of Bhagavatgita in 18 chapters.Here the zomato delivery boy Viraj took the role of Arjuna. Obviously Chetan is Lord Krishna.
However , there are certain rules which I felt as exaggerates. For example, the author suggests cockroach as role model for adaptability against adversaries.We are human beings and cockroach has no biological similarities with us.It is hard to believe to acquire knowledge from a cockroach’s attitude.He also suggests to take extreme responsibility for everything that happens in one’s life.He also suggests to aim high goals and break the goals into tiny modules which are achievable with relentless efforts. Inspite of my utter disbelief about the efficacy of some of the rules , I decided to give a try due to my belief on the author.
Keeping in view of the simple but effective narrative of the rules, I recommend every Indian to study this book like a text book and implement at least 3 or 4 life changing rules. Let us see whether good or bad. No loss but there is a likelihood of good returns. Or we may end up with another different set of rules which are suitable for our life.
I give a rating of 4/5 to this book.
Why because,in my opinion this is like a first draft. This draft is kept in the hands of readers to try the rules give their version of understanding or implementation method to level up in life. The author to carefully collect the feed back and add some simple exercises for every rule. You might have read 100 days rejection therapy by Jia Jiang. Jia himself tested his theory by doing practical experiments which can be tried by any individual.
I believe before publishing second edition,some more practical exercises for each rule be added to make the rules more like “tested found ok” by the early readers.

[Salina Paudel · Rating 3 out of 5]

It’s been almost 6 years since I read my first English novel Half Girlfriend.


 I didn’t bother to watch the movie.

 The reason is simple:

 I just didn’t want to mess up the taste it left behind ~ a mix of sour and sweet that still lingers even after all these years.

 That book, by Chetan Bhagat, was my first english novel .


Years passed, and when I came across 11 Rules for Life, I felt an urge to judge the writer  to see how much he has progressed over the years, how much he has leveled up. 


So I picked it up.


Every time someone around me said, “Chetan Bhagat doesn’t write that well,”

 I used to defend him like he was my own brother  like I was in a war I had to win. 


To me, he was perfect for beginners. His writing is simple, not chaotic , subtle and perfect for someone who wants to start reading.


This ‘defensive mode’ began the day I finished Half Girlfriend without sleeping for two straight nights. On the third day, I wrote my very first short story in English —

 a benchmark moment for me.


So this book (11 Rules for Life) pinched me hard.


I’ve listed almost 20 takeaways from it  which I’d rather not share here  but what I will say is that this book made me even more determined to tell the world that Chetan Bhagat may not be the best, but he is a great writer.


To me,

 this book is a gentle REMINDER : He went through a lot, yet managed to change his life, become a writer, start running in his 40s, adopt new habits like co-working, eat life’s big elephants one bite at a time, break through iron gates, rise above family conditioning, change his whole perspective, study physical fitness, crack IIT, rewrite his first novel ,the one he believed in  and still, after all that, listen to brutal criticism and use it to grow.


And if he can do that  so can I.🙋‍♀️


I can do everything that has been living rent-free in my head for years and years. I will prove to myself what I’m capable of.


Dear Chetan Bhagat Sir,

I am grateful to be your reader  from 

Half Girlfriend to 11 Rules for Life, and many more to come.

I must say, I’m proud of you for writing this non-fictional book stepping outside your usual box.

You are truly great, and I adore you for being so unapologetically you in this book.


Sending love and only love.❤️🤗

[Aswin Balamurali · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did feel this book is inspired by 5Am Club, There it had a Successful Person giving out his advice to a failed Entrepreneur and a Artist, Here it is Chetan bhagat gives out his piece of suggestion to Viraj.

Each day they get a Advice at 5 AM in the Morning, Here it is at the Food Delivery.

Lets coming to the Book, This has major 11 principle to be followed to be successful..
1. Never ignore your fitness - When comes to Fitness, we do need to have proper sleep, Become strong and Eat Healthy, So we do need self control to keep outself fit.
2. Master your Emotions - Do Control your emotions & Do what your mind tells you to do not what your emotions do.
3. Put yourself First - Set Boundaries so others can know your needs, Do love yourself(Self-Love)
4. Master Simple English - Learn basic english and build your confidence to move up in your life to cross barriers.
5. No Cheap Dopamine - Never allow yourself to get satisfied in cheap dopamine activities, control yourself of your temptations.
6. Chase Hard Things - Never choose that gets the easiest, plan for the hard things and achieve it.
7. Eat the Elephant - Plan a bigger task, chunk it to smaller pieces, do complete all smaller pieces to complete your plans.
8. Be a Cockroach - Adapt to the situation and try to survive. Recognize and Adjust to yourself.
9. Learn to Connect with people - Make connections, Rather thinking what i can get from them, do think what i can do for them. May or May not at some point you might get back something from someone when are in need.
10. Its My Fault - Rather than pointing someone of mistakes, accept that its also your fault. Try to acknowlege it.
11. Earn, Save & Invest - Earn. Save more rather than living a lavish life. Invest it so you can have a better peaceful life in near future. YOLO is just a myth, Not a lifestyle.

Try not to go deep in search of meaning while reading this book, Go woth the flow try to grasp and try implementing it.

[Dr. Shahid Mahmood · Rating 5 out of 5]

"11 Rules For Life: Secrets to Level Up" by Chetan Bhagat is one of those rare books that comes into your life at just the right moment, offering clarity, guidance, and a much-needed push to become a better version of yourself. At 58, I find myself wishing that I had encountered this book 10, 20, 30, or even 40 years ago—my life could have been drastically different.

Chetan Bhagat’s straightforward and relatable writing style makes this book not only easy to read but also incredibly impactful. Each rule resonates with the kind of practical wisdom that many of us often overlook in our younger years. As I read through the pages, I couldn't help but see myself in Dinesh, the author's friend who believed in living for the moment, embracing the YOLO (You Only Live Once) philosophy. Like Dinesh, I have spent much of my life focused on immediate pleasures, often at the expense of long-term fulfillment.

But this book has given me a renewed sense of purpose. It has provided me with the motivation to make real, meaningful changes and to start leveling up, even at this stage of my life. Bhagat's rules are not just for the young; they are timeless principles that anyone can apply, regardless of age.

What I appreciate most about "11 Rules For Life" is its practicality. Bhagat doesn’t just preach; he provides actionable steps that anyone can take to start making improvements today. This isn’t just a self-help book—it’s a manual for living a more thoughtful, deliberate, and successful life.

I would highly recommend this book to anyone, whether you’re just starting out in life or, like me, you’re looking back and realizing that it’s never too late to make a change. If you’re searching for a way to elevate your life, "11 Rules For Life" is the perfect guide to help you get there.

[Ranjitha Rajesh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Chetan Bhagat's books have widely got criticism. But, I could understand why his books are still popular among the masses, when I read this one. As you’ll find it an easy read, even if you have a busy schedule and barely get time to read, you'll be able to manage it.

But, there are few things that stuck out to me while reading the book. First, I liked the fact that by bringing in Zomato guy as a character of the book his work was able to make me as a audience to be more conscious of the life of a Delivery person and their struggles. Also, I could easily connect to the character because who doesn't order food from Zomato nowadays?

Two, he wasn't subtle about the character description which had me little on edge while reading through those descriptions because I knew how Zomato delivery guy's uniform looks like. So, I personally felt a little subtle description would have worked better than a detailed descriptive one.

There were so many points when I felt a little disconnected with the character Viraj, who was the delivery guy. As the dialog conversation got limited as the chapter moved towards describing the 11 rules.

Otherwise, I liked the fact that these 11 rules he has shared were giving the readers a cruxs of the main highlighting areas of one's life. When you focus and work on these areas its easier to achieve results in life, as they are some basic principles of leading a better life.

[Ambarish Kanagarajah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my personal opinion and review of the book 11 Rules for Life by Chetan Bhagat.

I really wonder how I managed to finish this book in just 3-4 hours! I’m sure this book captivated me enough to make me sit and read it in one go—and I absolutely loved it.

While reading, I literally imagined myself as Viraj. It felt like Chetan (the author) was directly talking to me. It was so amusing to go through all the 11 rules, and I loved Chetan’s smooth and engaging writing style.

Even before I finished the book, I already had the thought of sharing my feedback.

I believe these 11 rules will definitely help anyone who reads this book. They’ve made me reflect deeply on where I currently stand in life and what I should do next. The book encouraged me to think rationally and control my emotions—not fully, of course, but at least enough not to overreact. It also taught me how to prioritize myself, how to tackle my challenges (“eat my own elephants,” iykyk 😝), and how to adopt a cockroach-like resilience. Additionally, it emphasized the importance of expanding my network and identifying and rectifying my faults.

(I’ve already started investing, so I didn’t mention that here. 😊)

This has become one of my favorite books among the self-development books I’ve read recently.

I definitely recommend this book to my friends.

Thank you, Chetan Bhagat sir, for this wonderful book filled with practical tips on becoming a Class 1 person. 😊

[AYUSH KUMAR · Rating 4 out of 5]

11 Rules For Life by Chetan Bhagat is a self-help motivational book mainly divided into 11 Chapters i.e. 11 Rules which can help anybody to cross their Aukaat. The story unfolds when Chetan orders some food from Zomato and the Zomato delivery guy gets late while delivering the food, on asking the reason for getting late he makes some circumstantial excuse, Chetan offers to come inside and discuss the real issue because Chetan notices that he is sad, depressed and broken at the same time, after knowing the real reason Chetan offered him to help and promised him to reveal 11 Rules For Life in next 11 days that will surely help him to change his status and achieve the unachievables. what are those rules? why there are only 11 rules? will those rules help the Zomato guy cross his aukaat? To receive the answers to these questions, you have to read the book.

The Conversation between Chetan and Zomato Guy was very intriguing and it unfolded many truths about life. 11 rules were very common but Chetan elaborated them very lucidly and in a very interesting way. The writing style was very simple and easy to understand.

If you read this book and execute the rules in your life, it will transform your current status for sure.

However, If we talk about self-help genre books, this book is not that much great but this book is surely one of the best works of Chetan.

[Rt_reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

So, I recently had the pleasure of reading "11 Rules for Life" by Chetan sir,and let me tell you, it was an absolute game-changer! This book truly touched my heart and left a lasting impact on me. It's not just a book to read and forget; it's a guide that you can keep coming back to whenever you need a dose of inspiration or a reminder of the principles that can lead to a fulfilling life.

In this book Chetan sir takes the time to address the challenges of our modern, ultra-competitive world. He acknowledges the unfairness that exists and provides practical strategies to navigate through it. It's like having a wise friend by your side, cheering you on and guiding you towards a better life.

The writing style of "11 Rules for Life" is another aspect that I absolutely loved. Sir’s words flow effortlessly, making it an easy and enjoyable read. The book is filled with nuggets of wisdom that you can easily apply to your own life.

After finishing this book, I felt a renewed sense of motivation and empowerment. It has truly ignited a fire within me to live my best life and chase after my dreams. I can confidently say that "11 Rules for Life" has earned a permanent spot on my bookshelf, and I will be recommending it to everyone I know.

[Meenal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have spent only a little time consuming Chetan Bhagat's YouTube videos and this is my first self help book by him, even though I have read his non fiction titles for young India earlier. I really enjoyed this book and more than enjoyment, the focus of the book was on rewiring the reader's brain to be successful and realising that sitting around thinking that you should have a dream life is futile when you can actually be doing the hard things in the moment that get easier with time and compound to make your dream life for reality. I like the idea of the rules being delivered 1 daily to the Zomato driver and him turning around his fortune in the ending. I have always liked his books, but I really value and benefit the most from his motivational content on YouTube and in the form of such books. I believe that by sharing his humble origins, he has established a connection with the reader and by planting the seed of the idea in their heads that they can elevate themselves to the upper social strata, he has already given them a gentle push in the right direction which now they need to capitalise on if they want to be the next Chetan Bhagat--not just a novelist, but successful man who turned his life around.

[Nikhil Kamath · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read a Chetan Bhagat book after almost a decade. The last one I read was Half Girlfriend in 2014.

I picked this one up as a gift for my sister, and ended up reading it before her.

It was quite refreshing to read this book with a classic Chetan Bhagat style of writing, making it very simple to get things into perspective. I love the fact that it is a self-help book, but it also has this element of a story in it.

The book is structured as a conversation between the author and a food delivery guy who is at the lowest point in his life. As the conversation progresses, the 11 Rules of Life as the title suggests are revealed and towards the end you see how the delivery guy's life takes a turn for good.

I liked that the author has drawn from his own personal experiences and that does not make the book sound preachy at all. There is the fact that author has admitted that he doesn't know everything and there are better resources out there.

11 Rules of Life is a good light read and something you get to learn from. It was a good experience reading the book and reflecting on how even I can level up!

[Parvinder Kaur · Rating 5 out of 5]

❤️Chetan Bhagat's latest, "11 Rules for Life: Secrets to Level Up," throws a curveball at the self-help genre.


❤️Instead of dry lectures, Bhagat weaves a story of Viraj, a down-on-his-luck delivery guy, who gets life advice served hot with his lunch by the author himself.

❤ ️Over eleven lunches, Bhagat dispenses a new "rule" each day, tackling everything from fitness and career goals to relationships and mental well-being.

❤️The beauty lies in its accessibility. Viraj is your average Joe, facing relatable struggles. Chetan’s signature conversational style makes you feel like you're eavesdropping on a wise friend offering honest (and sometimes funny) advice.

❤️ The "rules" themselves are refreshingly practical, not preachy. No lofty philosophical discussions here, just clear, actionable steps you can take to improve your life.

❤️It might not be for everyone, especially those seeking deep dives into self-improvement philosophies. But if you're looking for a lighthearted yet thought-provoking read with a healthy dose of motivation, "11 Rules for Life" delivers.

❤️❤️ Prepare to laugh, reflect, and maybe even jot down a few life goals yourself.

[Shailee Dixit Savalia · Rating 2 out of 5]

It’s not a great self help book if you are actually looking for one. Somehow my husband got his hands on it one day. So I gave it a try. There is nothing new per se and I found it a little preachy. I suppose if you have read other self help books like the 5 AM club or Atomic habits or Don’t sweat the small stuff and it’s all a small stuff or Non violent communication, if I can put that one here.. I feel you are not gonna be much impressed.
The title of the book speaks it all. Life has no written rules. There is no key that you can sell which will open all doors. Keys for different people have to be tailor made accordingly. Something might work for one person and not for the other. Discipline might help but rules?
But it was no shocker, was not expecting much. And I think he knows it, his target population is the 80 percent public in India- the class 3 in his three class model of the world. Which is still a good motive to write a book- to help majority of population. 2 stars are for that intention.

[Gwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

Just some few short thoughts on this short book:
This book claims to prioritise logic and reason over emotion-based decision making, yet it frequently relies on emotionally driven arguments to support its points. How can an author advocate so strongly for rationality while disregarding empirical data simply because an alternative "feels" right? This will put people on the wrong foot.

While there are some useful insights, they are quite rudimentary and lack real depth. The advice presented is either overly simplistic or, at times, directly contradicts well-established, science-backed principles! While the book was well written and a nice story, it was a very frustrating read at times due to the aforementioned points. Also, the writer worked with a writing quota every day, and this is notable at some points in the books. Still, it is clear the author worked hard on this book.

Overall, I would not recommend this book. It offers no new insights and, while a short book, feels drawn out at times.

[Bookish Keeda · Rating 5 out of 5]

📘 Book Review – 11 Rules for Life: Secrets to Level Up
✍️ Author: Chetan Bhagat
⭐ Rating: ★★★★☆ (5/5)
📖 Reviewed by: Bookish Keeda®

When I picked up “11 Rules for Life”, I wasn’t quite sure what to expect. Chetan Bhagat, mostly known for his fiction novels, steps into the self-help genre with this one—and surprisingly, he delivers quite well!

The book is a blend of personal stories, practical advice, and Chetan’s signature straightforward writing. What stood out to me was how relatable and digestible his guidance is. He doesn’t try to sound overly philosophical or preachy—instead, he keeps it real and conversational.

The tone is light, sometimes humorous, and filled with genuine moments from Chetan’s own life—failures, struggles, and lessons. It doesn’t try to be the ultimate life manual, but it does give you a good push in the right direction.

🔹 Best for: Beginners in self-help, young readers, and anyone looking for practical motivation with a personal touch.
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