Lessons on Living: Finding Your Way Through Life's Ups and Downs

by Nigel Latta

Bestselling author Nigel Latta's simple psychological toolkit for life's ups and downs.


What do you do when you're told you only have months to live?

If you're Nigel Latta, first, you're going to eat a lot of ice cream. And then you're going to assemble a mental toolbox to deal with every conceivable conundrum the world could throw at you (the small ones and the big ones).

After three decades working as a clinical psychologist, Nigel has found there are just three principles you need to deal with life's ups and downs. Whether you want to be a better parent, build an empire or get through some tough times, these easy-to-carry principles will help you to do that.

Consider this book a guide to how to respond in any situation, drive your own bus, and do it all with resilience, joy and attention to what matters most.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Self Help, Biography

311 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 1, 2025

About the author

Nigel Raymond Latta ONZM was a New Zealand clinical psychologist, author and broadcaster. He has been described as "New Zealand's best-known psychologist".

Nigel Raymond Latta was born and raised in Oamaru, New Zealand. He attended Waitaki Boys' High School & he studied Marine Science and Zoology at the University of Otago, and completed a Master of Philosophy with First Class Honours in Psychology at the University of Auckland, along with a postgraduate diploma in clinical psychology.

Latta worked as a consultant in his field for private companies and government social service agencies, including Department of Corrections, the New Zealand Police and Child Youth and Family.

In the 2010s, he became known for his true crime documentaries and psychology-based television series, as the host of Beyond The Darklands, The Politically Incorrect Guide to Teenagers and The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show, and a science show called Nigel Latta Blows Stuff Up, among others. In 2016, Latta co-found Ruckus Films, a production company which produced several feature documentaries including Born This Way: Awa’s Story and Stan. He also began presenting general interest television shows, such as The Hard Stuff with Nigel Latta, which approached social and political issues,and You've Been Scammed by Nigel Latta which examines common types of scams.

Latta was appointed an Officer of the New Zealand Order of Merit in the 2012 Queen's Birthday and Diamond Jubilee Honours, for services to psychology.

In September 2024, Latta revealed that he had been diagnosed with "inoperable and incurable" terminal stomach cancer, and that he was undergoing chemotherapy that had shrunk the tumour by about 60 percent. Latta was told that he had 6 to 12 months to live. In February 2025, the prognosis was reduced to four weeks after a scan indicated that the cancer had spread to his lungs. However, Latta later said that, because of the treatment he was receiving, he believed he would continue to live for "years and years". In March 2025, he stated that he was no longer terminally ill. Latta died on 30 September 2025, at the age of 58 at the Mercy Hospice in Ponsonby, Auckland.

Abridged from Wikipedia, information about his death from the Stuff website.

Reviews

[James Docking · Rating 4 out of 5]

A welcome break from the narcissistic rants of many of our leaders

[Runningt Kavanagh · Rating 5 out of 5]

drive your own bus.
look for the space between your reaction and response.

an incredible leader

[Nina Parkinson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautiful book an some simple tips of how to live life well. I enjoyed this but Nigel is me hero so might be a bit bias lol

[Jan · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when you are told have months to live
Some tools to deal with any situation . ..
.

[Wendy · Rating 5 out of 5]

A bitter-sweet emotional read. What an amazing human being and what a loss.

[Josie Laird · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a bitter-sweet read, learning about Nigels efforts to stay alive and positive while knowing that he died.
He shares very personal stories. What a caring person he was, and so what a great loss it is to us all.
I hope I can remember his teachings.

[Bruce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting book. It covers a lot of ground and has a lot of personal insights and experience. His death is a great loss. His long tail was a bit short

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

As he says at the beginning there's no new thinking in his book, instead it's a lovely way of putting some big life and living concepts into a readable format using the backdrop of his life experiences. A very helpful book.

[Ruth Reid · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such a brave and inspirational man to even contemplate writing a book with the idea of helping others when he was facing his own mortality. You will be missed as will your knowledge and intelligence in the parenting forum

[Samantha Eyres · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone needs to read this book

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lots of wisdom and a solid dose of perspective. A great read.

[Jenny Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful read. So full of love and hope. I felt like I was having a coffee while listening to an old friend share their wisdom. Gentle and inspiring. fantastic.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely fantastic. Such a humbling read, especially by someone who was writing in his last years of his life.

[Parvati Rotherham · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautiful book. simple advice from a insightful, relatable man taken too soon

[Joan Grant · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very good advice, everyone should read it