What readers are ★ " Slow Down, Wake Up is a collection of poems that serve as little meditations in our very busy lives. Right now, as I am quarantined, I needed these messages of resiliency and of hope." ★ "Absolutely love this collection of poetry. And just to tell you how good I thought this book was, I had to order my daughter a print version of this book as she is an aspiring author and poetry inspires her. She loves the book. So this book was inspiring and profound to both a middle-aged woman and a young college graduate. A must buy for sure." ★ "What beautiful poetry, each poem is thought-provoking and true. You can use the poems as a meditation for the day or to lift your spirit. The poetry is very easy to read and the cover is both beautiful and soothing." The #1 personal development writer on the internet with more than 75,000,000 views, Nicolas Cole, and clinical psychologist Dr. Matthew Jones, bring you a groundbreaking book of morning meditations. Slow Down, Wake Up , is a book of 150 poems intended to help you “wake up to the joy of you—and the world around you.” Stories, thought-provoking questions, quietly funny moments, and imagery that will change the way you meditate forever, each poem is intended to be read, contemplated, and treated as the beginning of a short 10-minute meditation. As the authors share in the book’s introduction, “These were poems we wrote during some of the busiest years of our lives.” Dr. Matthew Jones was completing his Doctorate program, and Nicolas Cole had just taken the leap from his 9-5 job in advertising, caught in a whirlwind of adventure building a multi-million dollar Thought Leadership Agency for CEOs, Silicon Valley founders, Grammy-winning musicians, Olympians, NYT best-selling authors, and more. Every poem in this book was written in a cab, on the train, in an airport, a hotel room, or a quiet moment between demands from the day. Whether you are an expert in zen meditations, or searching for meditations for beginners, Slow Down, Wake Up is a reminder for you to carry with you throughout your busy day. In a quiet moment, flip open to a page, and realize what you are reading was written in a moment no different than yours. This is an invitation to you to slow down, and remember who you truly are.
These are interesting meditations. I've kind of skipped around to get a feeling for them and will continue to use them as "breathers" which call me to sit quietly during this time of COVID-19 uncertainty. My practice has become to take several stops in whatever I'm doing around the house to calm and center myself. These work well for that.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
I received a free digital copy of this book to review.
This is a book of poetry. I don’t understand why it’s marketed as ‘a groundbreaking book of morning meditations.’ I like books of poetry, but it was weird to have to adjust my expectations of this book a few pages in.
Slow Down, Wake Up, shows short and middle-length poems of two writers, Nicolas Cole and Matthew Jones. After a short introduction by both authors we dive immediately into the poems (this is where the marketing as a book of morning meditations lacked, because I expected a manual or invitation to use in a certain way after the blurb), Cole’s and Jones’ poems alternating.
I hadn’t heard of Cole before, but according to his website I must’ve read some of his articles. He is one of the most-read writers of the internet after all. I liked his style, and as a freelance copywriter myself I can relate to his perspective. Jones is a scholar and it shows in his style. I like academic English, as it’s a great device to convey abstract thoughts in a clear and concise manner. Having someone versed in this language write half a book of poetry is an interesting experiment.
What interested me particularly in this collection was that these poems were written by two friends, who used them as a way to discuss their busy lives and take stock of how they felt at the time. Unfortunately I couldn’t find any connection between the poems of the separate authors, as they appear to cover different themes and are written in distinctively different styles. You could say that they complement each other, but then you'll have a lot of readers who'll like only half of the book, like myself.
Regarding the poems, Jones’ didn’t really resonate with me. The style is a bit constructed and the themes he writes about (letting go of materialism and ego) are not things I feel connected with right now. Cole’s poems feel like they flow more naturally, and for me cut deeper emotionally and are less about smart stuff a mind came up with (although not always) and more about how something feels. He writes a lot about feeling vulnerable and chasing one’s dreams, which are themes I liked a lot.
I give this book three out of five stars, because I connected to some of the poems.
Absolutely love this collection of poetry. I have it in Ebook form and as I started reading I was highlighting the title of the poems that spoke to me but by the first 35, I realized I was highlighting 95% of them. But that is how good they are. This is one book you don’t want to sit down and read in 1 or 2 sittings. I found it best to read like 5 at a time and spend time really soaking them in to feel the power of the words. In fact many of them I would read more than once to pick up the little nuisances. Most of them are truly profound, others will make you think, some will have you shaking your head yes in the truth of them and a few will even make you laugh. Highly recommend this book for anyone that likes poetry or anyone that wants to be a better you. And just to tell you how good I thought this book was, I had to order my daughter a print version of this book as she is an aspiring author and poetry inspires her. She loves the book. So this book was inspiring and profound to both a middle aged woman and a young college graduate. A must buy for sure.
While I received an ARC of this book, I have made an independent decision to post this review. I found this book to be "PURE POETRY" - the kind that makes you stop and think. I truly loved this book!
Started DNF. I received a free digital copy of this book to read and review. While I appreciate the underlying message, this poetry just really did NOT speak to me. At all. nayyirah waheed set a really high bar for my poetry reading
I received an early promotional copy of this book:
This was a lovely compilation of simple mantras to foster connection and presence. The book is short enough to move through quickly and pick favorites for further use.
Was looking for a lighter, inspirational/meditational book. This fit the bill. Both authors are eminently qualified (clinical & PhD in Psychology) and the poetry was both lovely and inspiring. As with any collection, not all resonated with me; but, given the 150 options, I found the majority were worthy of being used for my daily meditations. I would love to see this as a small, night-table sized, flip book so I could focus on specific poems. Why buy this book over others? Elegancy & Simplicity. This is not poetry that is out to impress. It is poetry from the heart. From the beginning, the authors are authentically traveling a journey and invite us to share their joint insights and growth along with them. Both from a personal and professional perspective, this provides an honest look at how to perhaps change perspective and bad behaviors...or just learn to live in the moment. "A Day Is" was so darn cute. I found myself reading it over and over trying to memorize it before I remembered, I own the book. While many are insightful and profound, my favorite was #65 "Love + Coffee". If you are looking for a gift for someone who could use a bit of inspiration or support, consider this little gem. This is the kind of book I love to find, as it can be shared over and over again and bring a smile or at least some comfort when needed.