Làm sao để trở nên thú vị

by Jessica Hagy

Trong thời đại đề cao cá tính, không ai muốn mình trở nên nhạt nhẽo cả. Mọi người đều muốn tỏa sáng theo cách của riêng mình nhưng không phải ai cũng biết cách làm cho mình nổi bật giữa 7 tỉ người trên Trái đất. Làm người nhàm chán rất dễ, trở thành người thú vị và được chú ý mới khó. Vậy làm sao để trở nên thú vị?

Không giáo điều, không triết lý cao siêu, LÀM SAO ĐỂ TRỞ NÊN THÚ VỊ của Jessica Hagy là phiên bản sách kỹ năng (self-help) tinh giản với những trang viết chỉ có một hoặc hai câu, với những sơ đồ và đồ thị đơn giản, nhưng kết hợp được nhiều bài học cuộc sống tươi mới và súc tích. Chỉ với 10 bước thôi, cuộc sống của bạn sẽ đầy nồng nhiệt, tích cực, thiết thực và cực kỳ lạc quan. Bạn sẽ bước ra khỏi vùng an toàn của mình và nắm bắt những cơ hội bất ngờ mà chưa từng nghĩ điều đó có thể xảy ra.

Thay vì cứ chạy theo xu thế, sao không thử trở thành người dẫn đầu xu hướng (trend-setter) với LÀM SAO ĐỂ TRỞ NÊN THÚ VỊ?

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Psychology, Personal Development, Humor, Inspirational, Communication

265 pages, Paperback

First published March 19, 2013

About the author

Jessica Hagy is best known for her Webby Award–winning blog Indexed. Her cartoons regularly appear in the New York Times, and she writes an online column for Forbes. Ms. Hagy lives with her family in Seattle.

Reviews

[Gavin · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yawn. Just a bunch of buzzwords/ideas strung together with the same Exponential graph illustration and Venn diagrams. Also a whole bunch of conflicting suggestions.
Absolutely fluff. No danger of being interesting after reading this book...just bored.

To quote Page 59: "...do not...sit through it...you will thank yourself."

Well; thanks self! You saved us from another 200 pages of this tedious filler.

Also, according to her book, my wife and I are both very interesting people; no wonder we enjoy each other's company so much.

[Melissa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Usually reading self help books make me feel pathetic but this one didn't, this book however made me feel extremely hopeful and gave lots of honest answers on what you should do to be more interesting.

My favorite one from the book has to be the "Do something, Anything" part where it basically tells you that sitting around and complaining is not an acceptable form of doing something, so go do something, anything.

I'd recommend this book to anyone looking to tweak somethings about themselves or maybe you want to enhance somethings about yourself.

[Steve]

So inter--so short I read it twice.

More encouragement than instructions. Some example pages I liked are

"Involve Others: You'll need help. You'll need advice. You'll need allies. So you have to tell someone how you feel and what you're up to. Let people in on what you're doing. They will champion and support you more than you ever imagined, and mock you less than you fear."

and

"Compliment Liberally: Kind words are quite precious and cost nothing; it's surprising that they're so rare. Laud what you enjoy. Praise the people who excel in novel ways. Do it publicly and often. Everyone needs more encouragement."

I hesitated to put this on my read list though; people might start expecting things.

[SaraLaLa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had several emotions when I happened upon this book:
1- Curiosity. How could someone tell you how to be interesting? That's preposterous! I must pick it up and see what they have to say.
2- Surprise. This book is cute and says things that makes sense. It's not saying anything that you don't already know, but it reminds you of concepts that you might have forgotten. It's also really assuring, very encouraging, and a little empowering.
3- Embarrassment. No one's noticing the fact that I'm picking up this book, right? God, I don't want people to think that I'm a boring loser that needs a book to make friends or something. I put it in the middle of the stack of books that I was getting.

Now that I've finished the book, I have decided that it'd be a great book to revisit once in a while, especially when you need a little pick-me-up. I could be feeling bored, cowardly, or unworthy, and I feel like this book will help me flex my emotional muscles and think, "Yeah, I can do this!"

Well, that's my two cents, and if you didn't find it interesting: A) I don't care, and B) Maybe I'll read it again and write another, BETTER review! :-P So there!

[Joe · Rating 1 out of 5]

If Austin Kleon's "Steal Like an Artist" is the good kind of creativity booster and inspiration source, Jessica Hagy's "How to Be Interesting" is its polar opposite. Shallow, tepid advice for sixth graders who don't know anything about being an adult. Useless.

[Abby Wilfert · Rating 4 out of 5]

'How To Be Interesting' is a wonderful read that is both caturing and halarious. I can honestly say that I throughly enjoyed this book.
It does not have a plot; in fact it is more of a manual than anything else.
I do want to mention, however, that there is slightly inapropriate language for the 'very young' (children) that occurs half a dozen or so times. Although, I myself am not one to look approvingly on bad language (swearing), I didn't think to much of the few words that poped up every so often.
So many people asked me about what I reading as the book was carried around and read by myself throughout the day. It is a VERY quick read (I finished it in a single day), but liked it none the less. I am already recommending it to literally everyone because there is no 'direct' audience and I think at least 9/10 people who read it are gaurenteed to like it too.
It is overall a very thought provoking book that gets readers thinking about how we can improve ourselves for the better, not just for others approval but for our own happiness.

[Bader Alzahim · Rating 2 out of 5]

It's obviously waste of time and money. I'd just grabbed it from the shelf in a book store when I was purchasing some books. It's like a special notebook for someone contains general instructions without any examples or stories. It's like chatting with someone you don't know in a public place just for spending free time and you will forget about it after awhile.

[Reem · Rating 4 out of 5]

كتاب ممتع استمتعت به A fun enjoyable book

[Chiara Barone · Rating 4 out of 5]

very cute, very practical

[KnownAsLavinia · Rating 1 out of 5]

A bunch of self loving pinterest posts. You might as well just search for pictures there and not spend money on this one because it doesn’t add anything to the all time rhetoric of “open your mind, be what you want to be and challenge yourself”.

[Yassmeen Altaif · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book is a quotes, quotes for you to read it and benefit to try something new and different.

It is like someone tell you going and move forward to change your life for more interaring by going to new places, metting a new person or do what you mind and many of things like adventure to your life maybe you are done some mistake when you are try but don’t shy from this in the final you are interesting.

The book is easy and you can read it in one day and the design for book is nice.

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's kind of ironic and maybe goes without saying that if you literally need a book to tell you how to be interesting, it's probably because you've been lying on the couch binge reading too many books to begin with and should probably put down the book(s) (slowly, slowly, ok now back the fuck away) and guide yourself through the front door and out into the weird, weird world instead of relying on another book, you damn junkie.

I was curious, though. How would one learn to be interesting from a book? I laughed when I heard this title because I'm exposed to the "books are boring" attitude in my other life. So from that perspective, a "boring" book instructing one on how to be interesting? How would that work? What would it contain? This is a set instructions? So, it's like a program then? Do I get steps like an alcoholic? Ways to ween myself off boredom? Will I need to ask forgiveness from family and friends for being so boring all these years? So, no. Unfortunately, nothing that demeaning.

This book was recommended to me as a (lite) way to work through a creative and/or writer's block and does not take itself as seriously as "An Instruction Manual" might suggest. The scrawling childlike handwriting and "circles" on the cover may be better indication of that though. Pretty silly stuff that triggers random thought associations to encourage creative mind wandering.

[Haniva Zahra · Rating 5 out of 5]

menurutku, ini tipe buku yang akan berulang kali aku baca. aku sedang jatuh cinta dengan tipe-tipe buku yang mengutamakan ilustrasi. semacam, buku yang menyenangkan untuk dibaca. walaupun di dalamnya penuh dengan diagram venn juga grafik-grafik hihi. butuh waktu juga aku untuk mencerna kalimat demi kalimat, apa ya maksud penulisnya. buku yang mengajak kita meninggalkan kehidupan yang membosankan. serta menjelaskan berbagai keuntungan menjadi pribadi yang menarik. menjadi pribadi yang bermanfaat bagi orang lain.

[Desinka · Rating 4 out of 5]

How do you rate a book that's solid gold but you should have read 15 years ago because now you know and practice 90% of what it preaches? Still witty presentation, concise and easy to read. I'll definitely be using it as a source of daily inspiration and means of reminding myself of what's important:))

[Nadiah Razali · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Star For Me

[Dr. Bower · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute but gets a little repetitive and trite

[Yuvaraj kothandaraman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title "How to Be Interesting (In 10 Simple Steps)" is straightforward and honest about what the book contains. Hagy literally presents ten steps or principles that she believes will make a person's life more interesting and worth living. The emphasis on "10 Simple Steps" suggests the book breaks down an overwhelming, complex topic (how to be an interesting person) into manageable, achievable pieces that anyone can follow. The title is a promise: if you follow these ten steps, your life will become more interesting. The word "simple" is key because Hagy isn't offering complicated philosophy or impossible demands. She's giving straightforward, actionable advice that ordinary people can implement immediately.

"How to Be Interesting (In 10 Simple Steps)" is a self-help book with illustrations designed to help readers live more fulfilling, engaging, and genuinely interesting lives. Jessica Hagy, best known for her award-winning blog "Indexed" and cartoons that appear in the New York Times, combines hand-drawn diagrams, witty observations, and practical advice to guide readers through ten principles for becoming the kind of person people remember and want to know. The book is short, visually engaging, and designed to be read in one sitting or returned to repeatedly for inspiration. Rather than being a dense self-help manual, it reads like advice from a smart, funny friend who genuinely wants you to live a better life.

Strengths of the Book
Honest, Anti-Pretentious Voice
Hagy’s biggest strength is her blunt, no-nonsense tone. She rejects empty positivity and directly challenges ego, posturing, and people-pleasing. This makes the advice feel authentic and refreshing in a self-help space crowded with sugary clichés.

Visual, Memorable Format
Hand-drawn diagrams turn abstract ideas into concrete, funny, and memorable visuals (like success as a mix of luck, skill, and privilege). The format allows readers to absorb key ideas quickly and gives the book a distinct personality.

Actionable, Do-Something Advice
Instead of vague inspiration, the book pushes concrete action—experiment, mix skills, meet different people, and stop overthinking. The focus is on movement over perfection, which makes the advice practical rather than motivational fluff.

Targets Root Causes
Hagy explains why people hold back: fear, embarrassment, conformity, toxic relationships, and internal criticism. By naming these obstacles, she helps readers understand what’s really blocking authenticity and engagement with life.

Compassion Beneath the Tough Love
Despite the sharp humor, the book is deeply supportive. Hagy validates past pain and fear while encouraging readers to move forward, balancing realism with kindness rather than judgment.

Weaknesses and Limitations
Advice Can Be Too General
Many ideas (“Do something. Anything.”) motivate but don’t help readers navigate complex, real-world decisions or deeply rooted struggles.

Short Length Limits Depth
Each concept is introduced but not fully explored. The book inspires action but doesn’t provide enough depth for lasting personal change.

Assumes a Level of Privilege
The freedom to experiment, take risks, or ignore expectations assumes financial and social safety that not all readers have.

“Just Do It” Can Feel Dismissive
The strong push toward action doesn’t fully account for mental health challenges like anxiety, trauma, or depression.

Unresolved Tensions
The book encourages confidence and visibility while also warning against ego, without clearly explaining how to balance the two.

Hagy opens by answering why anyone should care about being interesting. Her reasons are:
To limit regrets in your life
To respect yourself
To banish boredom
To leave a mark, not a blemish [a positive legacy rather than a negative one]
Most importantly, because you CAN
The introduction sets the tone: being interesting isn't about impressing others. It's about living in a way that you can be proud of and that makes your life fulfilling. The book is framed as personal integrity [acting in line with your values] rather than social status [position in society].

STEP 1: GO EXPLORING
The first step is about expanding your experiences and perspectives. Hagy argues that "the inside of the echo chamber is where all the boring people hang out." An echo chamber [a situation where you only hear ideas you already agree with] is where you surround yourself with people just like you, hearing only things you already know.

Instead, Hagy recommends:

Roll the Dice: Carry dice in your pocket. When deciding how far to walk, roll them. When deciding whether to take the train, roll for odds or evens. This simple tool removes the paralysis of decision-making [inability to decide] and introduces randomness into your day.
Turn Off Your Gadgets: Your phone and computer tether [connect] you to a world you already know. Turn them off to explore and discover yourself. Interact with people on your journey instead of scrolling through others' vacation photos.
Expose Yourself: Deliberately seek out embarrassment, ridicule, risk, strange events, wild ideas, and things that make you cringe [feel uncomfortable or ashamed]. This is the only way to grow.
Observe Details: Notice the flavor profile [combination of tastes] of your commute. Does someone else's detergent remind you of childhood? Why do all airports smell the same? Look at details and find the interesting stories in rooms.
Be Childlike (Not Childish): Recover the wonder you had before you learned to be cynical [believing the worst about people]. Marvel at things. Be curious. Ask "Why?" repeatedly like a child does.

The core message of Step 1: the world is more interesting than you think if you actually pay attention and seek out new experiences.

STEP 2: SHARE WHAT YOU DISCOVER

Once you've explored and learned things, Step 2 is about sharing your discoveries generously. Key points include:

Cross-Pollinate: Seek out people with different passions than you have. If you're a musician and they're an engineer, combine your expertise. What you can do plus what they can do creates new possibilities.
Don't Wait to Share: Don't wait for tomorrow or wait for an invitation. Share what you know now. Host parties. Make introductions between people. Become "the fulcrum [the central point on which something turns] upon which an entire community turns."
Your Knowledge Is Someone Else's Treasure: What's obvious to you might be a life-changing revelation to someone else. Your old fact is someone else's new lesson. An idea shared is multiplied, not diminished [reduced].
Be the Connector: Make introductions between strangers. Set up connections. Pass on what you know. You can get entire events and communities started just by inviting people together.
Give Compliments: Kind words cost nothing and are surprisingly rare. Praise people publicly and often. Everyone needs encouragement.
Expand the Group: Keep your door open. Welcome new people. You never know who might show up, but they might be wonderful and interesting.
Strike Up Conversations: People are only one phone call away from being connected to you. Start conversations. Ask what people are talking about. Every person has interesting perspectives.

The core message: sharing what you know and connecting people is how you matter in the world.

STEP 3: DO SOMETHING. ANYTHING.

This is the action step. The message is clear: sitting around and complaining is not acceptable. You must actually do something.

Eat, Sleep, Watch TV Won't Cut It: These are the default activities when you're sad and uninspired. Real life is happening outside, where the fascinating people are.
Do What Interests You, Not What Others Demand: If something is unappetizing, don't eat it, date it, or sign up for it. If the thought of it is depressing, don't major in it or devote your life to it. If it's not important to you, don't do it just because someone else thinks it's important.
The Plan Doesn't Matter: Even the best plans crumble. If you're stuck between options, flip a coin, spin a bottle, or trust your gut. Then go. Procrastination is the enemy.
You Need Help: Tell someone what you're doing so they can champion you. Join clubs, take classes, volunteer, host parties. Other people want to support you more than you think.
Success Comes From Showing Up: Luck, skill, and "Daddy's Money" all play roles in success, but "Showing Up" is the equalizer [the thing that makes opportunity available to everyone].
Drop the Pretense: Irony and pretense get in the way of actually experiencing life. Sing along to cheesy pop music. Enjoy things that are out of style. Make silly faces. Stop stifling your laughter.
Give Yourself Credit: You deserve a chance. You deserve to have fun. You deserve to be happy. You've got abilities and things to offer. Jump in.
Avoid Things That Drag You Down: Not every activity is worthwhile. Not every task is mandatory. Avoid things that make you weary, and if you must do them (laundry, taxes), do them with gusto and move on.
Engage With Wonder: Ask "How does this work? What makes that happen?" Poke things apart. Push buttons. See how things fit together. The world is interesting if you engage with it.
Find People to Learn From: Seek someone you admire. Learn what they do well and what they don't do so well. Choose role models carefully.
Protect What You Love: Don't let precious things lounge in the back of your mind. Fight for them. A love ignored will wither and die.

The core message: Stop planning and start doing. Action is how you become interesting and how you find out who you are.

STEP 4: EMBRACE YOUR WEIRDNESS

This step is about authenticity [being genuinely yourself] and rejecting conformity [going along with what everyone else does].

No One Is Normal: Everyone has quirks and insights unique to themselves. Don't hide them. They're what make you interesting.
Be Yourself Publicly: Dress how you want. Wear what makes you feel like yourself. Leave the house as yourself. Be yourself at work. Your weirdness is a badge of honor and a point of pride.
Your Difference Is Your Identity: To have a difference is to have an identity. To make it public is to be truly yourself. Authenticity is the opposite of invisibility.
Don't Hide Behind a Mask: Costumes, poses, false smiles, and forced conformity all get in the way of what's truly interesting. You are not wrong to be unique. You are not incorrect because you're different. You should not be sorry for being interesting.
Not Everyone Will Get You: Not everyone will understand you. Not everyone will appreciate you. Not everyone will embrace you. Don't change for them. Smile and move along.
Your Weirdness Is Valuable: It sets you apart and helps you find other people who will revel in your presence. You find your tribe [community of people like you] by being authentically yourself.
Follow Your Weird Impulses: Interesting people are motivated by things bigger than the status quo [the way things are normally done]. Do what you feel you must do, not what others expect. Getting sidetracked by your weird interests can lead you to exactly where you belong.
Don't Run the Rat Race: Run toward something enjoyable (a circus full of people living their dreams) instead of merely exhausting yourself running away from things.

The core message: Being genuinely yourself, including your strange and unique parts, is what makes you interesting and what allows you to find people who truly appreciate you.

STEP 5: HAVE A CAUSE

This step is about finding something you care about deeply and devoting yourself to it.

You Need Something to Care About: If you don't give a damn about anything, no one will care about you. Passion, purpose, and cause are essential.
Find What Moves You: Something that leaves you speechless, stops you in your tracks, or moves you to act and speak out. It could be a place, a person, a creature, a song, or an idea.
It Feels Good to Give: It feels great to give gifts. It feels spectacular to be a catalyst [someone who causes something to happen] to others' happiness. Being generous is satisfying.
Vote With Your Money: Consider where your money goes. What people and companies are involved in your purchases? Do you agree with their politics and practices? You can make change with your money.
Be Immersed in the Cause: Spectators don't make news. Observers don't steer history. Be vulnerable. Be serious. Be immersed in the work.
Push for Excellence: Ask "Is this the best that's possible?" Then ask "What is?" Spend your time working toward that. Amazing is rare because few people reach for it.
Risk the Ordinary: Risking the ordinary is the only way to get something extraordinary.
You Are the Author of Your Life Story: Perfect? No. Compelling? You can be, if your heart drives the plot. Be a character worthy of the ages.
Even Small Actions Matter: Anything is better than nothing. Find the fulcrum [the critical point where small effort creates big change] and leverage it.
Set Tables: Bring people together to help you. Share your energy, ideas, and cause. And have cake. Everyone loves cake.

The core message: Find something that deeply matters to you and devote yourself to it. This is how you become a person of substance and impact.

STEP 6: MINIMIZE THE SWAGGER

This step is about humility and genuine interest in others rather than self-promotion.

Egos Get in the Way: If your arrogance is more obvious than your expertise, people will avoid you. Ego prevents connection.
Accept Your Insignificance: Everything you'll ever know is only a fraction of a microscopic dribble in the great universe of information. Let this be comforting in its vastness. You're not that important, and that's okay.
Listen for More Than Words: Pay attention to what's said and what's left out, the tone of voice, sarcasm, and reverence [respect or awe].
Titles Don't Matter: Kings, queens, doctors, lawyers, prostitutes, librarians - the title doesn't matter. The person behind it does.
Don't Brag About Your Accomplishments: What you find impressive might be someone else's worst nightmare. Your prized possession might be trash to someone else. Be careful what you brag about.
Don't Take Yourself Too Seriously: Imagine your own caricature [an exaggerated version]. Your nose, walk, hair, teeth - they're actually pretty funny. Laugh at yourself.
Be Interested in Things Beyond Yourself: Interesting people are interested in things other than themselves. They're educationally omnivorous [eating or consuming many different subjects]. Take classes in things you don't understand. Philosophy, archery, accounting, painting, diving, fire-eating. You never know when you'll need a random skill.
Share in Others' Pride: Have you ever been overwhelmingly proud of someone other than yourself? It's a wonderful feeling. Get close enough to someone to try it.
Acknowledge Your Luck: Acknowledge the roles coincidence, chance, and yes, maybe luck, play in your life. You didn't do it all yourself.
Admit to Mistakes: Mistakes happen. Sometimes they're your fault, sometimes your misfortune. Freely admit to both kinds.
Be the Helper: Be the helper, adviser, assistant that others can't do without. Fame and value aren't as closely related as you think.
Get Amazed Often: The more often you are amazed, the better your odds of being amazing. If you never look up, how will you know how high to aim?

The core message: Minimize your ego, be genuinely interested in others, acknowledge what you don't know, and recognize the role of luck in your life.

Step 7: Give It a Shot

This step is about courage, acting despite fear. Growth only happens outside your comfort zone, so try new, even awkward things. Failure is not the problem; never attempting is. Do not kill your dreams with self-doubt or guilt. Give yourself permission to want more and reach for it. Defy expectations, absorb ideas from everywhere, show up fully, and stop procrastinating. Hard things scare most people away, which is exactly why they are worth doing.

Core message: Fear and failure are less damaging than never trying. Take the shot.

Step 8: Hop Off the Bandwagon

Do not blindly follow what everyone else is doing. Popular paths are crowded and late. Follow your curiosity, question tradition, and work in specific niches where originality survives. Redefine success on your own terms, not money or status, but satisfaction and happiness. Look for overlooked ideas, people, and spaces, and bring hidden ideas into the public world.

Core message: Find your own path and carve out a unique niche instead of copying the crowd.

Step 9: Grow a Pair

Being interesting requires courage. Your dreams matter mainly to you, so act on them. Stop wasting energy on pointless work, ask for what you need, set boundaries, and do not coast through life. Expect frustration and rejection, stand up for what is wrong, and keep improving instead of quitting.

Core message: Have the bravery to pursue what matters, defend your boundaries, and keep moving forward.

Step 10: Ignore the Scolds

Criticism often comes from people who chose safety over action. Cut off toxic people, places, and inner voices that hold you back. Take advice only from those you respect, ignore unhelpful criticism, and stop waiting for permission or signs. Your past and scars are part of what makes you interesting, and if you are alive, you can still change.

Core message: Ignore resentment and negativity, trust yourself, and keep evolving without seeking validation.


If you're looking for a quick inspiration boost with visual interest and concrete ideas to implement, you'll enjoy this book. You can read it in one or two sittings, and it will genuinely make you think about how you're living your life. The advice is encouraging without being preachy [giving moral instruction in an annoying way]. The illustrations are clever and make ideas memorable. You'll likely find multiple chapters that directly apply to your current life situation, and you may return to certain sections repeatedly for encouragement.

However, if you're expecting deep psychological insight or detailed guidance on specific life changes, you'll be disappointed. The book is inspirational and motivational, but not transformational in the way a therapy relationship or a more comprehensive self-help book might be. It's best used as a spark [motivation to start something] rather than a complete guide.

[Kris · Rating 4 out of 5]

:))

[Jahnie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I thought I was reading Austin Kleon. This book made me want to make Venn diagrams and graphs to illustrate life points.

[Paul Signorelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jessica Hagy’s playfully engaging book “How to Be Interesting (In 10 Simple Steps)” is fun, stimulating, and rewarding as it encourages us to think about those we serve as much as we think about ourselves; being interesting, after all, means producing something of value to others rather than simply striving to make ourselves centers of attention. Step 2 of "How to Be Interesting," for example, speaks to the artist in each of us: "Share what you Discover. And be generous when you do. Not everybody went exploring with you. Let them live vicariously through your adventures." Those words help remind us that we engage in training-teaching-learning, writing, drawing, or any other creative endeavor that appeals to us because we have been lucky enough to have a vision that we correctly (or, in less lucky situations, incorrectly) assume will be of interest to others. While there’s nothing revolutionary in what Hagy is fostering--anyone involved in creative endeavors for a considerable period of time will be able to look at each of Hagy’s suggestions and cite other sources for similar ideas--the book does encourage us to remember that each of us brings our own unique set of experiences and dreams and visions to what we do. If we effectively share those with others as Hagy encourages us to do, we will have reached the goal implied by her title and encouraged by her suggestion that each of us work to "put your own spin on it."

[جلجامش Nabeel · Rating 5 out of 5]

انها المرة الأولى التي اقرأ فيها كتب تطوير الذات وكان الكتاب هدية من الصديق العزيز ألبرت مرخائيل. راق الكتاب لي بصراحة وفيه أفكار لطيفة وجميلة مقدمة بطريقة سريعة وسلسة وسهلة الهضم. يمكن أن نقول أن خلاصة كتاب جيسيكا هاغي تتمثل في أن كوننا أشخاص ممتعين أو مثيرين للاهتمام يختصر في أن نكون مقبلين على المغامرة، وكرماء في مشاركة تجاربنا ومعلوماتنا مع الآخرين، وواثقين من أنفسنا وداعمين لها، وشجعان في طرق أمور وأفكار جديدة، وان نراجع ما نقوم به ونتجنب النقد السلبي وأن نتواضع مع غيرنا ونحيط أنفسنا بدائرة جيدة من الناس ونبتعد عن السلبيين وأن نقوم بما نحب ومن أجل أنفسنا – وليس بهدف ارضاء الآخرين – وأن نصر على أحلامنا ونعمل من أجل تحقيقها وأن ننظم أمورنا وخططنا ونكون منفتحين على لقاء أناس جدد والحديث إليهم. الكتاب يدعو أيضا لأخذ زمام المبادرة بدلا من الجلوس في انتظارها. كما تركز الكاتبة على فكرة التفرد وتبني غرابتنا وكل ما يميزنا والاحتفاء به بدلا من اخفاءه عن الناس خوفا من الانتقاد. الكتاب جميل ولطيف وأنهيته في أمسيتين فقط.

بعض المقتطفات التي راقت لي:

Your old fact is someone's else new lesson.
An idea shared is not diminished: it is multiplied.
Kind words are quite precious and cost nothing; it is surprising that they are so rare.
Never take in the welcome mat.
A love ignored will wither and die.
Spectators do not make news. Observers do not steer history. Be vulnerable. Be serious. Be immersed. If you want to matter, you have to climb all the way into the mess that is before you.
Waiting for a sign? Sorry, you have to paint your own

[Gary Paulson · Rating 3 out of 5]

The drawings are cute and the sayings are what you would expect from a motivational speaker. Maybe I just need more work to become interesting than these. If they were posted individually on Facebook or Pinterest I am sure they would get lots of likes & shares but a book full of them is like 1 too many cat videos.

blog: http://www.dogberrypatch.com/archives...

[Emily Reeves · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fun and easy read by Jessica Hagy, the creator of Indexed. Her views on life and daily observations are always spot on. This is one of those books that you will want to pick up and re-read once a week.

[yun with books · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished this.. I think I'm gonna keep it as my private magic-book. Very helpful and thoughtful. Well, I surely need to read this book over and over and over and over again.

My very 1st self-improvement book. And I love it.

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 2 out of 5]

Quirky book. Any of what the author suggests here- taken to the extreme- could be bad. But, I see how these diagrams could be uplifting and insightful in moderation.

[Christine Wallbom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super fun book :)

[Irina Garbuz · Rating 4 out of 5]

“If you don’t give a damn about anything, no one will give a damn about you.”

[Sheron · Rating 4 out of 5]

You know the book you pick up randomly, thinking it might not even be that influencial and you'll judt read it for a nice free empty headed time?
Was this book faaaar from that idea!?
Halfway through I had ideas running around me head, and plans going off my fingers to other people, heck, I even talked to two old friends after long by the time I was even remotely near the end.
For a book with so many diagrams and picture texts and a complete lack of any huge paragraph, this book really shifted my perspective.

And one thing I know now, is that I'll be returning to this book every 6 months for a renewal pack of my interesting-ness 🙊😂

Recommended for objectively anyome, but well, your pick, it is a short read but one which will make you want to change something (or anything!)

[Elizabeth Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some of my favorite quotes:

“Leave a mark, not a blemish” (p.1).

“Smile at sneers” (p.90).

“Encourage the uniqueness of others… The world expects compliance” (p. 100-101).

“Not everyone wants what you have” (p.140).

“Just because you’ve never been somewhere doesn’t mean you don’t belong” (p.171).

“Uncensor your personality” (p.183).

“Just because it’s everywhere doesn’t mean it’s good or worth participating in” (p.191).

“The smaller the niche, the less room there is for copycats” (p.195).

“If you’re not courageous, you’re going to be hanging around the water-cooler, talking about the guy who actually is” (p.211).

“Don’t fight for anything you don’t see value in” (p.215).

“Accept friction” (p.218).

“Jettison toxic cargo” (p. 238).

“Waiting around for a sign? Sorry, you have to paint your own” (p.251).

“If you’re not dead, you can still change things” (p.261).

[Riley M. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I found this book while browsing Overdrive. So I didn't exactly seek it out or know the author, but thought I'd give it a try as it looked like something I might like. I found it hard to finish, as it's a lot of REALLY short anecdotes with hand drawn sketches that are simple info graphics to go with the anecdotes. I think I'd just rather read a real book that develops its ideas into a more cohesive whole, building up with more detail about how to do things. Each page could work as a simple motivational image, but page after page of such gets a little tiring. I can imagine this working better as an Instagram account for people who want a cute motivational image every day. I don't think it really works as a book. The ideas contained within are good, but too underdeveloped to really work as a self development book.