You Don't Have to Have a Dream: And Other Life Lessons

by Tim Minchin, Andrew Rae (illustrator)

A whimsically illustrated celebration of life, art, success, kindness, love, and thriving in a meaningless universe, drawn from three iconic graduation speeches from beloved comedian Tim Minchin in a unique blend of Charlie Mackesy meets Kurt Vonnegut.Journey into life’s quirky truths with comedian Tim Minchin in this illustrated nonfiction book, that infuses his renowned comic flare with heartfelt wisdom. Minchin transforms three of his most adored speeches—including his viral “9 Life Lessons” speech—into a captivating book designed to inspire, amuse, and create a sense of wonder. In the same vein as The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse and The Tao of Pooh, this book is a delightful, delicately woven tapestry of life’s simplicities and complexities, all captured through Minchin’s unique humor and tenderness. He shares his guiding life principles such -Be hard on your opinions -Define yourself by what you love -Be a teacher -Exercise! -And so much more With stark honesty, Minchin reminds us that our existence on this earth is fleeting and all that matters is that you fill it with passion, creativity, and laughter. You Don’t Have to Have a Dream is your invitation to embrace the full spectrum of the human experience—from the mundane to the profound, the joyful to the sorrowful, and from the first breath to the last. Accompanied by Andrew Rae’s charming illustrations, this book is sure to be a celebration of life in all of its absurdity and is a testament to the beauty that arises when we dare to live authentically, love deeply, and chuckle at the chaos.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Self Help, Essays, Memoir, Personal Development, Psychology

128 pages, Hardcover

Published April 1, 2025

About the author

Timothy David "Tim" Minchin is an Australian-British comedian, actor, and musician.

source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Minchin

Reviews

[Colin · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're going to read life advice it might as well be short, illustrated and written in australian.

[Rawnie Whittow-williams · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of my favourite passages: ‘We seem to be in an era that wants to throw out old ideas just BECAUSE they’re old, and perhaps because they have failed to deliver utopia’

‘I hold a passionate - probably naïve - belief in art as the most powerful method by which we can share valuable ideas’

‘Stir in a couple of ideas like the Principle of Charity (listening to the views of others with the generosity you’d like to be listened to), and a dedication to rejecting in-group/out-group thinking, and you’ve got yourself a sweet little recipe for societal flourishing’

‘You don’t have to claim a soul to promote compassion.’

‘Science is not a body of knowledge nor a system of belief; it is just a term which describes humankind’s incremental acquisition of understanding through observation’

‘Home sometimes hurts’


Minchin has compiled three of his famous public addresses and provided each of them with a beautiful introduction, teeing up his mind and influences at the times of these speeches. Minchin has ability to take serious topics and breathe life into them. The book had been made a beautiful coffee table esque book which lovely supplementary illustrations.

[sophie]

you can tell tim wrote this for a cheque but i honestly respect that

[Rainbow Goth · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 🌟

Firstly this is short and I mean short. I was able to read it when my food was cooking. This book is a delightful blend of beauty and wit, perfectly capturing the essence of Minchin's unique style. His humour is both clever and thought-provoking, making for an engaging experience. However, I found myself wishing for even more of his personal insights and stories woven between the three speeches. These narratives would have added even greater depth and context, enhancing the overall richness of the content.

Despite this minor yearning for more, I thoroughly enjoyed the piece and appreciate the creativity and charm that Minchin consistently brings to his work.

[Ellie Heffernan · Rating 3 out of 5]

God he is such a wanker (self proclaimed, don’t worry) and yet I love him, his perceptions on life and the advice in this book. I just wish he went more in depth about his opinions rather than rehashing his commencement speeches. Did this on audio and it’s really short, so recommend for a walk or on a commute home.

[Bec · Rating 3 out of 5]

"Life will sometimes seem long and tough. And you will sometimes be happy and sometimes sad. And then you’ll be old. And then you’ll be dead. There is only one sensible thing to do with this empty existence, and that is: fill it"

[Jasmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed this snappy read by Tim Minchin. I’ve always enjoyed Tim’s quirky, authentic, talented take on life and creativity, and this piece of writing is perfectly in line with Minchinesque style. I spied the book while window/Christmas shopping, and enjoyed the creative layout of the physical book as well.

[Sharah McConville · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thought provoking and entertaining.

[Margaret · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Eu nunca tive nenhum desses grandes sonhos e defendo a dedicação apaixonada à busca por objetivos a curto prazo. Concentrem-se e trabalhem com orgulho no que quer que esteja à vossa frente… Nunca se sabe onde poderão ir parar (…) Se se focarem em algo que esteja muito longe de vocês, não verão aquela coisa brilhante pelo canto do olho”.

Não conhecia o ator, músico e humorista australiano Tim Minchin, mas posso já dizer que fiquei fã com este livro, que reúne 3 palestras que deu a estudantes universitários. O primeiro texto é sobre lições de vida, o segundo é sobre música e o terceiro sobre ser ator. Além de um cínico sentido de humor, Minchin dá uma perspetiva diferente do que significa ser bem-sucedido na vida. Não menospreza quem busca a fama, mas mostra que há sempre dois lados na mesma moeda.

[Helena]

My mum came back from shopping, showing off this book she bought for Harry (our lost sheep) and an hour later (during which Harry looked out a window) I update my Goodreads.

Liked that it was Australian, liked that it was selling kindness, humility and authentic sincerity. Didn’t like that sometimes the eloquent language was a bit too tricky to wrap your head around. It’s like eating crab. Such an effort to unwrap and then you finally get to the meat and it’s just like- it tastes like sea-flavoured chicken.

Y’know?

Anyway, I also think that Harry will not find help within this book because it’s targeted towards arts students and uses many sex metaphors and Harry… js not part of that audience.

It’s called You Don’t Have To Have a Dream, but barely even touched on not knowing what to do with one’s life so, slightly false advertising there. But you all know I’m going to tell my mum it was great anyway 😄

[Lauren Austin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Whilst this is just a printed version of three speeches in its essence, the forewords to each are great. Tim’s a genius.

[Sim ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

lived for every musical mention in this (and all the typical curly words Tim uses that I have no idea of their meaning)

[Joana Alves | Juca Mindscape · Rating 3 out of 5]

Não é nada de revolucionário mas foi interessante e com ilustrações chamativas.
É sempre bom ler aquele livro calmo e que nos relembra coisas boas.

[Laura Sinclair · Rating 4 out of 5]

Put in the world valuable ideas 💛

[Zak · Rating 4 out of 5]

The bulk of it is a release of content he's put out in videos of speeches already, but there's some good commentary in there that fleshes it out and it's interesting to see how some of his perspectives have shifted with time / fame

[Hannah Telfer · Rating 4 out of 5]

I adore Tim Minchin. This was short and sweet - a nice, funny, speech-style book.

[B · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book meant a lot to me before it was even published and it will stay with me for life.

[Zoe]

‘You will soon be dead. Life will sometimes seem long and tough and, god, it’s tiring. And you will sometimes be happy and sometimes sad. And then you’ll be
old. And then you’ll be dead. There is only one sensible thing to do with this empty existence, and that is: fill it.’

[Teo · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t know who Tim is, but this is exactly what I needed right now!

[Brit · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short, sweet and valuable! The kind of life view I want to surround myself with. 😍

[Caitlin · Rating 4 out of 5]

The title of this is everything.

“Life will sometimes seem long and tough and, God, it’s tiring. And you will sometimes be happy and sometimes sad. And then you’ll be old. And then you’ll be dead. There is only one sensible thing to do with this empty existence, and that is: fill it…It’s an incredibly exciting thing, this one, meaningless life of yours. Good luck.”

“Art is any expression of an idea into which you’ve put a bit of fucking effort.”

[Anna P (whatIreallyRead) · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick read to close out the year. I bought this book because of the title and pretty illustrations (I'm shallow like that). It's a really nice, high-quality edition, and a quick, fun read. I've never heard of the author before - but apparently he's a successful Australian musician, actor and comedian. This book consisted of his 3 inspirational speeches he gave at universities - packaged with a nice design and illustrations.

I liked the "9 life lessons" the most. The other 2 were more applicable to those who are musicians or actors, which I'm not, so they were less relevant to me. Still, easy to read in a day.

[Liisa · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tim Minchin’s first foray into non-fiction is as clever and quirky as you’d expect. A compilation of three commencement speeches, this slim volume is part pep talk, part philosophical musing, wrapped in Minchin’s signature wit. Illustrated with playful sketches by Andrew Rae, the book touches on happiness, luck, critical thinking, and the messy beauty of being human.

His advice is earnest and often endearing—“respect people with less power than you”, “exercise”, “be kind”—but also largely familiar. While Minchin’s voice shines through and the humour lands more often than not, these aren’t revelations so much as well-worn reminders, served with a wink.

The final speech, aimed at aspiring actors, narrows the audience a touch, but still offers thoughtful commentary on fame and success.

Ultimately, this feels more like a lovely keepsake or a graduation gift than an essential read. Inspiring, yes. Groundbreaking? Not quite. But for fans of Minchin’s work or those facing a crossroads in life, it might just hit the right note.

[Amelie]

didn’t realise tim was funny along with being a great composer. very lovely book to have on your coffee table and easy to read in like fifteen minutes when you’re bored at a family dinner.

[Andrew Sammut · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am the proud owner of a signed copy of this book by Minchin which blends the fiction within Minchin's mind and his reality so well.

I'm not going to lie and say that this blew my mind in any way, shape, or form. I didn't find it to be particularly insightful but I was very glad to see how much Tim and I have in common when it comes to our appreciation of art and the human experience. I love how logical of a person Tim is and his advice is of the sort which I already follow. I'm not trying to toot my own horn here since one of Minchin's cardinal rules is to be humble. Not comparing yourself to others is also a pretty cool way to live and I agree with such a notion. Although a lot of Minchin's thoughts resonated with me, I feel as though the artwork expressed Minchin's understanding of creativity much better than the text and I don't solely say this because the artist's name is Andrew. I truly appreciated how he encourages others to be teachers, to question everything, and that happiness does not equate to wealth and fame. If you're reading any of this and I understood your sentiment incorrectly pls let me know where I got it wrong Minchin.

It is true that we're all going to die, it would be a burden not to, and that we have to make the most out of the little time we get while remaining rooted, kind, and not stress out too much. What made most sense to me was how important it is to do that which you love and try to be unique so you're the best since you've eliminated any competition. In several ways this is what I'm trying to do with my youtube channel and the sort of philosophy with which I live my life. I'm not a musician like Tim is but when it comes to the imagination, creativity, and putting words in an order which will put a smile on someone's face, I'm the man.

Related videos linked below! Enjoy!

video review, https://youtu.be/cBj0F1uuPxI Enjoy!
my favourite moments from the book, https://youtu.be/mkqQewmqsdI Enjoy :)

[Mind the Book · Rating 3 out of 5]

Minchin signerade på Waterstones Piccadilly i september och det var kö runt kvarteret. Han lyckades lyssna på alla och småprata ganska personligt.

Varje år i januari väntar vi 'bofasta', som vi kallas, på de nya gästelevernas ankomst och då brukar vi studera genren 'commencement speech' i samband med motivationskapitlet i Led&Org-läroboken. Tim Minchin är alltid mitt bidrag - och han blev uppenbart glad att höra det. Nu är jag tacksam för att talet finns i bokform, även om den är lite 'blok'-artad, d.v.s. en produkt som kanske kunde förblivit i digital form.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=acVLq...

Att släpa ut sina åsikter på verandan "and hit them with a cricket bat" är så bra formulerat. De yngre säger att det är bra för dem att bli påminda om att "be pro-stuff, not just anti-stuff".

De flesta förknippar nog Minchin med musikalen Matilda, men kolla även hans intelligenta Beat-dikt, Storm.

[Kai · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shorter and quicker to read than I was expecting but contains some really helpful advice and well articulated ideas and nuggets of wisdom from Tim’s approach to life. I have followed Tim’s work since I was a teenager and always found his work funny and intelligent while also being comforting and real. This book is true to Tim’s form and one that I think would work well to re-read to get the full picture of what is going on. Read in around 2 hours. I would say the shortest book I have read that feels like it has value and felt worthwhile.

[Faye Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tim Minchin is a very funny, intelligent man but like he says himself in the prologue to this book, the three speeches contained here might lose some of their impact written down compared to the "carefully honed rhetorical flourish" of his live performance of them. They were quick and amusing to read, making me do a little huff of laughter here or there, but I probably won't recall many specific details in the future. He even states in his first address that he expects that "you'll definitely forget all of it within a week" so at least I'm meeting expectations!

[Brooke · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed how short this advice book was and how the text was designed differently on many pages as it allowed me to read it really quickly. I found some of the advice valuable, and also appreciated Minchin’s encouragement of critical thinking and insistence to question your own beliefs. This felt like a timely contribution in an age of misinformation. It was interesting to read how existential his speeches became, insisting that nothing happens for a reason and life has no greater purpose.
Overall, an okay, quick read.

[Renee Gordos · Rating 5 out of 5]

1 hour read. Learnt and laughed. Be “micro ambitious” , love that. Very useful.

1. You don’t have to have a dream. What a relief!

2. don’t seek happiness. Aka the happiness trap, this idea needs to spread like wildfire.

3. Remember, it’s all luck. Really important for the control freaks.

4. exercise! (Yes EVERY single one of us)

5. Be hard on your opinions (hallelujah)

6. Be a teacher.

7. define yourself by what you love (don’t be a hater)

8. Respect people with less power than you.

9. Don”t Rush (relief)