What do you think?
Rate this book
Points of You: Four Friends from MIT on Growing Up
"Points of You" is a book about making mistakes and new points of view. It is written for teenagers and young adults in high school and transitioning into college.
In "Points of You," four friends from MIT share real and unfiltered accounts of what they wish they'd known while growing up. Each note is written as a primer for readers to reflect on rather than as an absolute truth.
Featuring fifteen chapters on everything from maintaining friendships and making tough decisions to honing life goals and dealing with hard emotions, "Points of You" is an intimate guide to getting ready for the next stage of life.
Through 2022, all net proceeds (sales revenue less marketing expenses, printing fees, and shipping costs) will be donated evenly between Khan Academy and Teach for America, two 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
In "Points of You," four friends from MIT share real and unfiltered accounts of what they wish they'd known while growing up. Each note is written as a primer for readers to reflect on rather than as an absolute truth.
Featuring fifteen chapters on everything from maintaining friendships and making tough decisions to honing life goals and dealing with hard emotions, "Points of You" is an intimate guide to getting ready for the next stage of life.
Through 2022, all net proceeds (sales revenue less marketing expenses, printing fees, and shipping costs) will be donated evenly between Khan Academy and Teach for America, two 501(c)(3) nonprofit organizations.
- GenresNonfiction
185 pages, Paperback
Published November 21, 2018
4 people are currently reading
239 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
July 4, 2021
To put it simply, Points of You felt like a refreshing book, in a way that it held a unique sense of value that I have never been able to observe elsewhere.
At any given point in one's life, there will be constant dilemmas faced in various aspects. This is especially prevalent in eras of change, in which we all face to differing extents. Currently, I am entering a new stage of my life with a transition to a new school, leaving me with countless unknowns and perpetual fear for what is about to come. From the conversations I have had with others, I know that this feeling is not uncommon whatsoever. Too many people are intimidated by the idea of confiding in others and gaining insight from them, myself included. With this, Points of You has offered a safe space with pieces within each chapter resonating with the experiences of myself and others.
Something interesting I encountered while starting this book was the feeling of unfamiliarity with being able to see multiple voices and personalities from each author. In all honestly, I did not appreciate this for the first couple of chapters. Despite this, I realized that this amplifies the experience of going through each page of this book. When navigating different stages of one's life, it is beyond essential to gain perspectives from several people, in a way that does not invoke additional conflict. Points of You is an optimal example of this. Each author provides insight that can be used in any stage of one's life which often gives varying views but ultimately comes together to give the reader a greater sense of fulfillment, taking away what is needed to feel guided in a more stable direction. Having these different voices with authors who have had different walks of life also allows a wider range of readers to feel a deep sense of relatability with what is being elaborated as well, helping to further achieve the objective of this book.
Another element I found 'refreshing' from Points of You was how raw the words in this publication were delivered. In other words, many pieces of advice included 'hit different.' It's interesting how pieces of advice often feel like they were written specifically for one's situation but that same piece could relate to others in completely different circumstances. One quote from Points of You that illustrates this is "Once we see failure for what it is, it's easier to take risks in our decision making." This also provides an example of how the insight delivered in this book could be considered as 'the hard truth' to some people. When seeking to others in our lives for such advice, they'd filter themselves to only provide what we think we'd want to hear although leaving the difficult parts out may help us to grow substantially. The words in this book have allowed me to grow, and I know that this effect can be seen in the lives of other readers as well.
In addition, several elements of Points of You have allowed this read to feel complete, despite having the reader find more thoughts and reflections within themselves as well. This includes details such as the way the words between each author were arranged, the closure brought with the chapter elaborating on what we see as "society," and the beautiful, meaningful illustrations added.
A vital part of living with growth to live a fulfilling life requires insight from others, like-minded and not. Points of You is a book that helps you find this, have conversations in your mind, and essentially, grow. The words spoken in this book could be of value to anyone, especially those facing changes and questions in their life. The 4 authors are still young and still have a lot to learn, but they are learning along with the reader which is simply a beautiful thing to witness.
At any given point in one's life, there will be constant dilemmas faced in various aspects. This is especially prevalent in eras of change, in which we all face to differing extents. Currently, I am entering a new stage of my life with a transition to a new school, leaving me with countless unknowns and perpetual fear for what is about to come. From the conversations I have had with others, I know that this feeling is not uncommon whatsoever. Too many people are intimidated by the idea of confiding in others and gaining insight from them, myself included. With this, Points of You has offered a safe space with pieces within each chapter resonating with the experiences of myself and others.
Something interesting I encountered while starting this book was the feeling of unfamiliarity with being able to see multiple voices and personalities from each author. In all honestly, I did not appreciate this for the first couple of chapters. Despite this, I realized that this amplifies the experience of going through each page of this book. When navigating different stages of one's life, it is beyond essential to gain perspectives from several people, in a way that does not invoke additional conflict. Points of You is an optimal example of this. Each author provides insight that can be used in any stage of one's life which often gives varying views but ultimately comes together to give the reader a greater sense of fulfillment, taking away what is needed to feel guided in a more stable direction. Having these different voices with authors who have had different walks of life also allows a wider range of readers to feel a deep sense of relatability with what is being elaborated as well, helping to further achieve the objective of this book.
Another element I found 'refreshing' from Points of You was how raw the words in this publication were delivered. In other words, many pieces of advice included 'hit different.' It's interesting how pieces of advice often feel like they were written specifically for one's situation but that same piece could relate to others in completely different circumstances. One quote from Points of You that illustrates this is "Once we see failure for what it is, it's easier to take risks in our decision making." This also provides an example of how the insight delivered in this book could be considered as 'the hard truth' to some people. When seeking to others in our lives for such advice, they'd filter themselves to only provide what we think we'd want to hear although leaving the difficult parts out may help us to grow substantially. The words in this book have allowed me to grow, and I know that this effect can be seen in the lives of other readers as well.
In addition, several elements of Points of You have allowed this read to feel complete, despite having the reader find more thoughts and reflections within themselves as well. This includes details such as the way the words between each author were arranged, the closure brought with the chapter elaborating on what we see as "society," and the beautiful, meaningful illustrations added.
A vital part of living with growth to live a fulfilling life requires insight from others, like-minded and not. Points of You is a book that helps you find this, have conversations in your mind, and essentially, grow. The words spoken in this book could be of value to anyone, especially those facing changes and questions in their life. The 4 authors are still young and still have a lot to learn, but they are learning along with the reader which is simply a beautiful thing to witness.
June 11, 2021
Points of You is an excellent book for anyone, but especially youths, who is feeling unsure about their future or themselves. The book offers some insightful yet reassuring advice about the many stresses students face about not only their academics but also their emotional and social wellbeing.
Personally, as a high school student myself, I am glad I read this book. While struggling with the whole college application process and the transition from high school to college, I have often felt very scared and unconfident in myself, especially because of all of this pressure to know what exactly I’m going to do with my life. But in reading the different experiences of the authors, I was able to see that I’m not the only one with these seemingly overwhelming worries and concerns. Although the authors are intelligent and amazing students who attend the well-known MIT, they are also human beings just like everyone else who have to deal with stress over academics, romance, friendships, and uncertainty about their futures. I believe that although some might not feel that this book is life changing, there is still something valuable to be learned in reading about their individual struggles and the various advice they give to the reader. I feel that this advice and the self-reflection that this book inspires has been greatly beneficial to me, regardless of whether or not I will remember to use this advice in the future.
Long story short, I recommend this book to anyone who is feeling unsure about college or about life in general. I believe that this book can provide some helpful guidance and reassurance, and that it is worth giving a read regardless of any initial doubts or concerns. And I promise it isn’t as cloyingly cheesy as those motivational self-help books :).
Personally, as a high school student myself, I am glad I read this book. While struggling with the whole college application process and the transition from high school to college, I have often felt very scared and unconfident in myself, especially because of all of this pressure to know what exactly I’m going to do with my life. But in reading the different experiences of the authors, I was able to see that I’m not the only one with these seemingly overwhelming worries and concerns. Although the authors are intelligent and amazing students who attend the well-known MIT, they are also human beings just like everyone else who have to deal with stress over academics, romance, friendships, and uncertainty about their futures. I believe that although some might not feel that this book is life changing, there is still something valuable to be learned in reading about their individual struggles and the various advice they give to the reader. I feel that this advice and the self-reflection that this book inspires has been greatly beneficial to me, regardless of whether or not I will remember to use this advice in the future.
Long story short, I recommend this book to anyone who is feeling unsure about college or about life in general. I believe that this book can provide some helpful guidance and reassurance, and that it is worth giving a read regardless of any initial doubts or concerns. And I promise it isn’t as cloyingly cheesy as those motivational self-help books :).
June 12, 2021
As I reach the end of my grade 11 year and senior year is knocking the door, Points Of You was a really important book for me to read. Although I knew many things going into the book a few chapters had parts that I really needed to hear. I can be pretty stubborn at times so it definitely opened my eyes to different perspectives on how I live my life. I’m the type to prioritize my own future and education over family and family events and when Vick Liu said that he chose to miss his brother’s birthday it really struck me that I need to slowdown.
Overall the book was a good 4/5. I give this a 4 because going into reading this book blind, I didn’t expect it to be the way it was. A book full of little paragraphs of experiences and lessons from each author while I was expecting, well ofcourse a story of a teen navigating life or college. Ofcourse this way readers got more diverse perspectives rather than one.
Now I say all of this with the utmost respect but Drew Bent’s writing wasn’t the most clear for about the first third of the book. I often found myself rereading his sections multiple times or trying to make sense of it but ofcourse this improved as the book went on.
Vick Liu overall is an incredible writer and storyteller. His writing style is so descriptive and clear! The imagery he uses makes it so easy to view his thoughts through his perspective and it makes me excited to read all of his sections. Everything he said and all his values truly resonated with me and my life.
I also LOVED how they left the swear words in the book. It definitely appeals to the teens and makes it feel more real authentic and casual (as if we are talking to one of our older siblings or friends).
Now I do have one thing to say, I have to disagree with DB on page 35, although it might be important to give other’s the benefit of the doubt at times, no person is obligated to “fix” anyone. If u dont trust someone it should be for good reason. You do whats best for your mental health even if that means ending the friendship. Trust your gut always. Sometimes people cannot be fixed and thats ok, they dont have to continue to be apart of your life.
The emotions, family, romance, communication and friendship sections were incredibly relatable for me and initiated alot of self reflection and made me think about how i struggles I face. It brought up alot of thoughts in me as I read because these are incredibly hard conversations to have and people generally don’t like hearing about where they are lacking. It made me reflect on my actions as a human, family member and friend and reevaluate how I currently function and what I need to change to ensure that i’m not neglecting my loved ones although it might be uncomfortable or time consuming in my current view.
The finding your purpose section was my least favourite not because it was written poorly but because those sorts of topics don’t necessarily interest me and I try to not think about them. The meaning of life, what is our purpose and more are usually topics I steer away from because I usually think time can be used more productively.
The artwork in this book is so so unique and adorable. Julia Rue did an incredible job at illustrating everything and they added a very unique touch to the book and stories inside.
On page 132 I have to disagree with DB again. You do not have to be friends with someone when your views differ on issues especially when they deal with human rights. An Arab and Jewish person who have differing views on Israeli and Palestinian issues DO NOT have to remain friends (not saying this is exactly what DB meant) because this is so much more than a friendship. One party believes that your people shouldn’t have rights... that doesn’t seem like a good friendship to me. Me, a woman wouldn’t be friends with a misogynist even though we have “differing views” on women’s rights. That’s not a good take at all and I felt as though I had to share that. No hate to DB but as he stated before bringing this up, yes, it is extremely controversial and I urge you to think a little bit more about what I mean. These issues are never black and white.
I agreed with most of what Mina Fahmi said. Their perspectives were always refreshing to read and I have nothing bad to say about them at all.
Overall Points Of You was great. Huge thank you to these four amazing humans for creating something for future generations to look back on when they feel extremely lost and alone.
Overall the book was a good 4/5. I give this a 4 because going into reading this book blind, I didn’t expect it to be the way it was. A book full of little paragraphs of experiences and lessons from each author while I was expecting, well ofcourse a story of a teen navigating life or college. Ofcourse this way readers got more diverse perspectives rather than one.
Now I say all of this with the utmost respect but Drew Bent’s writing wasn’t the most clear for about the first third of the book. I often found myself rereading his sections multiple times or trying to make sense of it but ofcourse this improved as the book went on.
Vick Liu overall is an incredible writer and storyteller. His writing style is so descriptive and clear! The imagery he uses makes it so easy to view his thoughts through his perspective and it makes me excited to read all of his sections. Everything he said and all his values truly resonated with me and my life.
I also LOVED how they left the swear words in the book. It definitely appeals to the teens and makes it feel more real authentic and casual (as if we are talking to one of our older siblings or friends).
Now I do have one thing to say, I have to disagree with DB on page 35, although it might be important to give other’s the benefit of the doubt at times, no person is obligated to “fix” anyone. If u dont trust someone it should be for good reason. You do whats best for your mental health even if that means ending the friendship. Trust your gut always. Sometimes people cannot be fixed and thats ok, they dont have to continue to be apart of your life.
The emotions, family, romance, communication and friendship sections were incredibly relatable for me and initiated alot of self reflection and made me think about how i struggles I face. It brought up alot of thoughts in me as I read because these are incredibly hard conversations to have and people generally don’t like hearing about where they are lacking. It made me reflect on my actions as a human, family member and friend and reevaluate how I currently function and what I need to change to ensure that i’m not neglecting my loved ones although it might be uncomfortable or time consuming in my current view.
The finding your purpose section was my least favourite not because it was written poorly but because those sorts of topics don’t necessarily interest me and I try to not think about them. The meaning of life, what is our purpose and more are usually topics I steer away from because I usually think time can be used more productively.
The artwork in this book is so so unique and adorable. Julia Rue did an incredible job at illustrating everything and they added a very unique touch to the book and stories inside.
On page 132 I have to disagree with DB again. You do not have to be friends with someone when your views differ on issues especially when they deal with human rights. An Arab and Jewish person who have differing views on Israeli and Palestinian issues DO NOT have to remain friends (not saying this is exactly what DB meant) because this is so much more than a friendship. One party believes that your people shouldn’t have rights... that doesn’t seem like a good friendship to me. Me, a woman wouldn’t be friends with a misogynist even though we have “differing views” on women’s rights. That’s not a good take at all and I felt as though I had to share that. No hate to DB but as he stated before bringing this up, yes, it is extremely controversial and I urge you to think a little bit more about what I mean. These issues are never black and white.
I agreed with most of what Mina Fahmi said. Their perspectives were always refreshing to read and I have nothing bad to say about them at all.
Overall Points Of You was great. Huge thank you to these four amazing humans for creating something for future generations to look back on when they feel extremely lost and alone.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 25, 2021
I’m not usually one to read books like these; horror or romance is usually the way I go. But Points of You was something that changed my mind on inspirational/self-growth books. The four authors all came from relatively different backgrounds so the advice in the book wasn’t all repetitive, and they used their own experiences as examples in a lot of the sections. Though, I must admit, some sections did indeed felt like reading 4 people give the same advice, but just all reworded differently. I know there’s a limit on how unique advice can be, being that all inspirational writing has been written and said before, but I found myself skimming through certain sections due to the dullness of the stuff being said. In a sense, some sections felt like reading those motivational quotes you see in a counselor’s room. But take my word with a grain of salt as before this book, I’ve always leaned far from this genre. One thing I really did enjoy about this book was the sections on finding our purpose; though it was a small section, a quote that really made me think was by Drew Brent, “There are two ways to be happy: do the things that you like, or like the things you do.” TLDR; Go for this read if you absolutely love this genre, but if you’re like me (someone who prefers horror and romance), go in with caution. I enjoyed this book even with all being said, and glad that I had read it since some of the advice WAS truly motivational.
June 10, 2021
Overall as a high school student I enjoyed reading this book. Although I wish there were more anecdotes and stories from the authors lives, so we could have a better understanding of the lessons they teach. I don’t feel that they went deep enough into each point, I would’ve enjoyed seeing a few concepts explored more. I still do feel that this book is relatable to what a teen experiences in high school, and it would be a good read if you’re looking for advice pertaining to your teenage years.
March 18, 2019
I think that this book is a good book for adolescents, as it is written from other adolescents. It allows readers to understand more about their surroundings, and also learn from "upper-classmen." Learning from other's misfortunes and experiences allows the readers to not make those mistakes themselves.
June 13, 2021
I think overall the book was really nice because it tapped into the experiences of the authors. As a high school student, it felt comforting to know about how others have felt and gone through events that occur as we grow. I don't usually like positive words because they often feel empty but the stories from the authors made up for it. The format of the book was really easy to go through as well.
June 18, 2021
I really enjoyed reading this book! There were a lot of things that resonated with me and I found a lot of the content to be really relatable. It was really interesting to see the different takes on each topic by each author and I would highly recommend this! Really enjoyable read :)
February 19, 2022
Best book I’ve read in awhile! A very open and honest book! Felt like an older sibling was saying this!
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews