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Unlearn: 101 Life Lessons Without the Bullshit
101 life lessons
288 pages, Paperback
Published October 30, 2018
63 people are currently reading
970 people want to read
About the author
Humble the Poet
16 books380 followersHumble the Poet (Kanwer Singh) is a Canadian-born rapper, spoken-word artist, poet, internationally bestselling author, and former elementary school teacher with a wildly popular blog with over 100,000 monthly readers. He has more than 930,000 social media followers, and his first edition of Unlearn is a Globe and Mail bestseller. He has performed at concerts and festivals including Lollapalooza and has been featured in major media including BuzzFeed and Huffington Post.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
February 1, 2019
Liked the book but it was in desperate need of editing - and nothing drives me crazier than spelling and grammatical errors in a published work!
July 25, 2019
What a great read!!! I definitely feel like it's the kind of book that can be read again multiple times. Not only do I love self-help sort of books but the short to one page chapters in this also made it so easy to fly through. Many of the chapters really resonated with me at this time in my life. Only bad thing was the editing, lots of mistakes!
February 9, 2019
He writes in a way that's easy to understand.
January 22, 2019
As with most self-published books, it needed a lot of editorial work. A lot of material, some poignant, most rambling, some just really unappealing (drug exploration). (Note to author: if you wanted to be part of the 27 CLUB, you are not humble.) Literally, took it back to the store.
January 16, 2021
Great easy read. Unlearn has a ton of relatable points and really keeps you wanting to read more!
December 27, 2020
This book actually IS about empty words and mantras. I did not enjoy this. It all felt like he was trying to get a cute little tidbit that someone would instagram to promote his book. Absolutely did not enjoy and felt it was a waste of my time to read. He did talk about his trip to South America that I found very interesting and I wish he would have expanded on! I would have preferred for the book to be just about that trip.
If he ever read this review I would be on my knees, crying, asking for his forgiveness.
If he ever read this review I would be on my knees, crying, asking for his forgiveness.
November 12, 2019
I actually enjoyed reading this book. I read 1/2 of it the first day. It’s no bullshit approach was refreshing and it aligns with my belief that we are all on a journey of awakening.
It was eye opening to see how he was perceived differently in each of the countries he visited.
An old soul in a young mans body! Keep up the great work!
It was eye opening to see how he was perceived differently in each of the countries he visited.
An old soul in a young mans body! Keep up the great work!
September 22, 2019
Lots of interesting perspectives. Definitely glad I powered through this. Makes you think.
May 9, 2020
Read this during my dedicated board studying. It was a nice simple read at the end of the day, had refreshing perspectives :)
August 31, 2020
3.5 stars
I really liked this book and thought it had some really great advice. I wish it was edited better and the lessons were discussed in greater detail as I felt more could be said.
I really liked this book and thought it had some really great advice. I wish it was edited better and the lessons were discussed in greater detail as I felt more could be said.
July 18, 2023
This was so insightful for me. Thank you so much for sharing your writing.
February 18, 2024
📚 ABOUT: This book isn’t about empty words and mantras, and I won’t ask you to stare in the mirror screaming affirmations (though that would probably help). This book, and the truths in it, is about way more than just believing. This book talks about knowing through understanding. This book is not about ignoring the negative voices that exist outside and within. It is about staring them in the eye and saying out loud, “I disagree!” Your struggles are real. If you thought reading this book will make things easier, you’ve got the wrong book. I’m not here to sell you the idea that anything can be easy, but I am here to remind you that you’re worth the difficulties that come with improving your life.
My thoughts, it was alright. There was some insightful things in there and I would recommend it to a friend who’s looking for blunt lessons on life.
A couple of quotes that stuck to me were:
« You’re worth the difficulties that come with improving your life »
« to feed our need for acceptance, being anything less than ourselves, won’t keep us full, we been saying for very long”
“Love is a gift , not a loan and we shouldn’t expect it to have it reciprocated every time “
“When you’re born, you get a free ticket to this freak show of a world “
“We all have the option to be extraordinary - it’s just a matter of deciding to committing to it. The outcomes won’t just happen overnight or over a week or even over a month. The larger than life stuff requires a larger than life commitment , and you have to be in it for the long haul”
“ Decorating our masks won't improve what we have underneath them. Instead, it'll just make us more dependent on those masks.
When we have a clear focus on what we want from life and work toward it without worrying about what other people think, eventually we won't need a mask or have the urge to show off to others.
Fulfillment will be its own reward.”
“I think all of my insecurities must have worked for the CIA at some point because they always knew how to disguise themselves so well”
“Confidence isn’t assuming everyone will like me. It’s knowing I’ll be okay if they don’t”
“People are loyal to their comfort”
“ surround yourself with open-minded people who are more curious than judgmental”
“social media isn't your therapist“
Publishing date: October 31, 2018
Number of pages: 287
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
My thoughts, it was alright. There was some insightful things in there and I would recommend it to a friend who’s looking for blunt lessons on life.
A couple of quotes that stuck to me were:
« You’re worth the difficulties that come with improving your life »
« to feed our need for acceptance, being anything less than ourselves, won’t keep us full, we been saying for very long”
“Love is a gift , not a loan and we shouldn’t expect it to have it reciprocated every time “
“When you’re born, you get a free ticket to this freak show of a world “
“We all have the option to be extraordinary - it’s just a matter of deciding to committing to it. The outcomes won’t just happen overnight or over a week or even over a month. The larger than life stuff requires a larger than life commitment , and you have to be in it for the long haul”
“ Decorating our masks won't improve what we have underneath them. Instead, it'll just make us more dependent on those masks.
When we have a clear focus on what we want from life and work toward it without worrying about what other people think, eventually we won't need a mask or have the urge to show off to others.
Fulfillment will be its own reward.”
“I think all of my insecurities must have worked for the CIA at some point because they always knew how to disguise themselves so well”
“Confidence isn’t assuming everyone will like me. It’s knowing I’ll be okay if they don’t”
“People are loyal to their comfort”
“ surround yourself with open-minded people who are more curious than judgmental”
“social media isn't your therapist“
Publishing date: October 31, 2018
Number of pages: 287
RATING: ⭐️⭐️⭐️
March 21, 2025
There's many good lessons in this book that it's important to know.
But it feels too much like "a personal diary that is trying too hard to get other people to read it".
Even though the author's backstory is interesting and can learn from, he focuses too much on promoting his status as a celebrity and it almost feels like this was an advertisement for his social media pages and his creative works.
But it feels too much like "a personal diary that is trying too hard to get other people to read it".
Even though the author's backstory is interesting and can learn from, he focuses too much on promoting his status as a celebrity and it almost feels like this was an advertisement for his social media pages and his creative works.
June 4, 2024
Haven't finished it, but it's a pretty fun read so far! You get to learn more about his life and his experiences. Pretty casual, cool pictures, overall it's pretty stimulating. I'll probably update this review once I'm actually done reading it.
May 23, 2024
His books are so insightful. Excellent read.
October 1, 2024
Grabbed this book on a whim as it was resting on the coffee table of a co-working space. I would describe it as a compilation of blog posts with some valid perspectives for growth in the areas of of business, self-love, confidence and interpersonal relationships. Poorly edited and repetitive, but I finished it because it was still a bit fun to read through, though I was happy when I reached the last page.
January 3, 2020
4/5 stars
I read this book at the right time, and this is partially why I liked what Humble had to say in this book.
This is a book with 101 short essays, interspersed with quotes from said essays, that give some life lesson, anecdote, etc.. Along the way, Humble talks about his life growing up in Canada as a Sikh, his short-lived career as a teacher, and his decision to follow his passion for the art that he does now, to some of the amazing (and not so amazing) experiences he's had since.
I also liked how, at different points throughout the book, Humble reminds us that if we're feeling unsatisfied or discontent with some part of our lives, we can change it by making realistic life goals, by breaking it down into steps that we can follow through with, and by not letting ourselves be bogged down by the expectations of others and the ridiculous ideals society pushes on us.
That being said, the writing is not perfect, but then again, few things are.
I'd like to now share some of my favourite quotes from this book:
"You don't have to trust all the noise in your head."
For me, that means not listening to all the panicky, pessimistic, depressive thoughts in my head caused by my anxiety. That means managing my anxiety by asking myself "is there any evidence to what you're worrying about?" and by grounding myself in the present so that I'm not stuck in my head when it's not helping my at all.
"Anything we want to accomplish in life will be easier to manage if we break it down into tiny pieces and handle them one at a time."
And
"Don't let life be controlled by yesterday."
Kinda what I said before, that we can make changes to make our lives more content and not just complacent and passive just because the place you're in now is one you're familiar. Also relates to my anxiety, which is why I like it so much.
Also some other good ones:
"Speak your truth, even if your voice shakes."
"Very little is accomplished or achieved straying away from challenges."
"Don't be afraid of the time it takes to accomplish things. . . the more we understand and respect the nature of time, the better equipped we are to benefit from what it can offer."
I read this book at the right time, and this is partially why I liked what Humble had to say in this book.
This is a book with 101 short essays, interspersed with quotes from said essays, that give some life lesson, anecdote, etc.. Along the way, Humble talks about his life growing up in Canada as a Sikh, his short-lived career as a teacher, and his decision to follow his passion for the art that he does now, to some of the amazing (and not so amazing) experiences he's had since.
I also liked how, at different points throughout the book, Humble reminds us that if we're feeling unsatisfied or discontent with some part of our lives, we can change it by making realistic life goals, by breaking it down into steps that we can follow through with, and by not letting ourselves be bogged down by the expectations of others and the ridiculous ideals society pushes on us.
That being said, the writing is not perfect, but then again, few things are.
I'd like to now share some of my favourite quotes from this book:
"You don't have to trust all the noise in your head."
For me, that means not listening to all the panicky, pessimistic, depressive thoughts in my head caused by my anxiety. That means managing my anxiety by asking myself "is there any evidence to what you're worrying about?" and by grounding myself in the present so that I'm not stuck in my head when it's not helping my at all.
"Anything we want to accomplish in life will be easier to manage if we break it down into tiny pieces and handle them one at a time."
And
"Don't let life be controlled by yesterday."
Kinda what I said before, that we can make changes to make our lives more content and not just complacent and passive just because the place you're in now is one you're familiar. Also relates to my anxiety, which is why I like it so much.
Also some other good ones:
"Speak your truth, even if your voice shakes."
"Very little is accomplished or achieved straying away from challenges."
"Don't be afraid of the time it takes to accomplish things. . . the more we understand and respect the nature of time, the better equipped we are to benefit from what it can offer."
August 29, 2021
101 Life Lessons Without the Bullshit by Humble the Poet was an inspirational read.
The book included important life lessons told from Humble Poet's perspective and each chapter ended with a quote that gave me lots to think about. One of the quotes that stood out to me the most throughout the book was, "Do whatever it takes to get what you want from this life. Just don't expect or hope for things to be handed to you." This quote was one of my favourites because it is an extremely good lesson to learn that will help me throughout life. This quote reminds me that if I want to achieve goals then I have to work hard for them, and to never give up when things get tough or when I am knocked down. In life, you can never just expect to get your successes handed to you, instead it takes hard work, perseverance and commitment. Another quote that stood out to me was, "Get out there, be uncomfortable, make mistakes, get embarrassed. It's not a big deal. We'll all be dead soon." This quote reminds me that you only live once so it is important to get out of your comfort zone and make the most of it or you will miss out on new experiences and opportunities to grow. We need to stop dwelling on the little inconveniences that hinder us because you don't want to waste your life away. Ultimately, this book was a good, easy read and it had many important lessons that I could apply to my life. I would rate it 3/5 stars becasue action packed plots are my preferred genre.
The book included important life lessons told from Humble Poet's perspective and each chapter ended with a quote that gave me lots to think about. One of the quotes that stood out to me the most throughout the book was, "Do whatever it takes to get what you want from this life. Just don't expect or hope for things to be handed to you." This quote was one of my favourites because it is an extremely good lesson to learn that will help me throughout life. This quote reminds me that if I want to achieve goals then I have to work hard for them, and to never give up when things get tough or when I am knocked down. In life, you can never just expect to get your successes handed to you, instead it takes hard work, perseverance and commitment. Another quote that stood out to me was, "Get out there, be uncomfortable, make mistakes, get embarrassed. It's not a big deal. We'll all be dead soon." This quote reminds me that you only live once so it is important to get out of your comfort zone and make the most of it or you will miss out on new experiences and opportunities to grow. We need to stop dwelling on the little inconveniences that hinder us because you don't want to waste your life away. Ultimately, this book was a good, easy read and it had many important lessons that I could apply to my life. I would rate it 3/5 stars becasue action packed plots are my preferred genre.
September 1, 2019
I originally started reading 101 Life Lessons Without the Bullshit, because it seemed like an easy read. I'm not really one to read self-help books, but I actually really enjoyed the book. Most of the lessons in the book came from real-life experiences of the author, Humble the Poet. All of the stories and lessons were very relatable. As well as this, the author did a very good job of mixing in a bit of humour. I actually took a lot from the book and his lessons. One lesson that I found really powerful was about how part of your life journey is the end, and there's nothing to be afraid of, it's part of nature. I hadn't heard of Humble the Poet or his music before reading this book, but once I finished reading I googled some of his songs, and they were pretty good. All in all, I would recommend this book to people who want to better themselves, but I also recommend it to people who already think they're the best, as one of his first lessons is about getting over yourself; realizing that you're not the center of the universe.
July 20, 2019
I enjoyed this book. I've followed humbles work back when he was only on twitter.... I like his writing style and the insight and perception changes he has had over the years and just the overall wisdom you can indulge in if you really are willing to absorb the information given. I liked it.
I would say the only "negative" thing I can say is that he had the same type of message in 3-4 chapters (in the sense of challenging yourself, he made a chapter about Peru and pushing his limits, I believe their was something similar to that earlier)
Great read!
I would say the only "negative" thing I can say is that he had the same type of message in 3-4 chapters (in the sense of challenging yourself, he made a chapter about Peru and pushing his limits, I believe their was something similar to that earlier)
Great read!
July 23, 2020
1000% recommend this glorious book!
The way Humble writes is very easy to digest and very enlightening. This book is a fantastic journey, I loved that he spoke a little bit more about his life in this book which made it very relatable and easy to follow along. Honestly, it felt as if he was speaking directly to me in the room and I loved how conversational it was to read.
My favourite chapters are I Threw a Stone at God and Suicide; both brought me to tears and I am so grateful to have read this book!
Thanks Humble ~
The way Humble writes is very easy to digest and very enlightening. This book is a fantastic journey, I loved that he spoke a little bit more about his life in this book which made it very relatable and easy to follow along. Honestly, it felt as if he was speaking directly to me in the room and I loved how conversational it was to read.
My favourite chapters are I Threw a Stone at God and Suicide; both brought me to tears and I am so grateful to have read this book!
Thanks Humble ~
November 30, 2020
2 or 3 years ago, this book inspired me think about my point and realised why I ought to take actions immediately. It explains a lot in many variety of situations but it's all about human relationship. It's like " You never reach your destination if you stop and throw stones at every dod that barks", the explanation of this with 101 examples. But some editorial mistakes during they process of publishing so It could confuse English learner in terms of grammar/word mistakes.
December 20, 2019
The life lessons in here are no joke. Sure, it’s full of things I’ve heard before, but the reminders are important as hell. And the “without the bullshit” part is also no joke. Humble tells it like it is and doesn’t apologize for it. After all, what do we have to apologize for? We’re all human just trying to do our best.
May 26, 2023
I did not finish this book. It's just another quasi-celerity (I assume, I don't know who he is) who thinks having the good fortune to "make it" means he knows the meaning of life. It's easy to 'not settle' and 'follow your dreams' when you have money, but I get tired of being told I am taking the easy way out by working a regular job and enjoying a regular life.
January 30, 2020
I love all of Humble’s work, he’s very relatable, I love the humour and experiences he puts throughout this book. I laughed a cried, it made me revaluate different things I do in my own life. 10/10 would recommend anyone to read!
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May 20, 2020I haven't read a book this fast in a long time. I never wanted to put it down. I usually avoid highlighting and writing in books, but I just had to for this one. So many thoughtful insights and that made me take a look at my life in a whole new way.
September 29, 2020
Honestly this book was really good overall and I really enjoyed it, there was a lot truths in novel. It made me think a lot about my own life and how I want to life it. There's alot that can be learned from this book!
February 2, 2021
I was not a big fan of this book. There are quite a few grammatical errors which is a huge annoyance to me in a book. I found a lot of the chapters seemed to just be filled or repetitive to hit that “101 Lessons” mark.
October 22, 2021
Rating is more based on the sincerity of the book over the substance. I gleaned quite a few nuggets of truth from this so mission accomplished. Also, kind of cool that Humble name drops very little and focuses more on friends and family.
November 29, 2018
More food for thought and a bit more personal than the first Unlearn.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews