Published by Penguin Life, 2018, index, 264 pages, condition: as new.
In How to be a Human, Ruby Wax tries to come up with some answers to that niggling question about who we are. With the input of a monk (an expert on our inner lives) and a neuroscientist (an expert on the brain), Ruby explores how to find happiness in the modern world - despite the constant bombardment of bad news, the need to choose between 5,000 different types of toothpaste, and the loneliness of having hundreds of friends who we've never met and don't know us.
Filled with witty anecdotes from Ruby's own life, and backed up by scientific authority, How to be a Human is the only guide you need for building a healthy, happy relationship with yourself.
How to Be Human is the first book by Ruby Wax that I have read, and I'll start by saying I will definitely be reading more!
How to Be Human is a succinct, 'psychology 101' type book for any individual wanting to understand a bit about how the human mind and social interactions work. I know I just made the book sound dry - except it is anything but! Wax skilfully integrates scientific findings, anecdotes, jokes and stories (both autobiographical and other) to make this book a light, interesting and enjoyable read. Collaborating with a neuroscientist and a monk, each chapter ends with a conversation between the three where the reader is exposed to their varying views and queries.
The book is predominantly centred around the practice of mindfulness. I loved that the suggested mindfulness exercises are mostly found in one chapter towards the end of the book after reading the majority of the book. It avoids that feeling of having to commit to trying an exercise each chapter or anything of the sort, which, if you're lazy like me, will totally just have you putting that book down! The only thing I would suggest is when reading How to Be Human, keep you're thinking cap on, and question whether certain ideas really apply to you. I didn't give How to Be Human five stars because I agree with 100% everything written in the book. Rather, I gave it five stars because it is engaging and insightful.
