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A review by michael_taylor
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson
1.0
I try to go into all of the books I read with an open mind. Jordan Peterson's reputation precedes him. Either you love him or you hate him. I find myself strangely in the middle of the road. Some of his talking points I feel merit discussion, while some are total hogwash. It is interesting to contemplate just how the man got so famous.
After reading this book, I find his celebrity even more perplexing. It's WAY too long and stuffed with all sorts of meandering tangents. It's marketed as a self help book, but other than the general format (12 rules to live by), there isn't anything of real substance here.
My copy of this book was a library copy, and I think it was revealing of the kind of the typical reading experience of this book. The person who read their copy before me wrote in the margins of this book and underlined phrases they must have found impactful. What kind of animal writes in a library book? The same kind that underlines empty platitudes and short, buzzy phrases without actually bothering to try to confront the actual contents of the book. I can't say I blame them. To parse the really weighty stuff in here you need an education in religious studies, psychology, Disney movies, history of the second world war, and old Russian literature. I doubt anybody with less than a wall full of degrees would fully grasp all of this book. I certainly didn't. Unfortunately, the blame for this must be placed on the author.
This book needs an editor to say "Mr. Peterson, it's good that you're telling aimless young men to take some responsibility for themselves. Could you say it in half the words? Do we really need a another breakdown of biblical symbolism to drive that point home?".
It's apparent that Jordan Peterson is a very well read, educated man who has broad spanning interests. He's thorough in his research and must enjoy writing, but I never got the sense that he much liked people. The essence of the book is "Buck up. Try harder. Have some god damn conviction." Yes dad. I'm sorry dad. I'm a miserable little man baby and I'm sorry that I've disappointed you dad. Am I better now? Please love me!
A self help book should leave you inspired. It should make you want to examine your life and change your behavior. Here's my recommendation for anybody interested in reading this book. Look up the 12 rules. Write them down and make notes beside them for how you might integrate them into your own life. Write honestly about how you feel about each rule as it applies to yourself. That way you might get some self examination in. You'll also save yourself the boredom of this overlong book.
After reading this book, I find his celebrity even more perplexing. It's WAY too long and stuffed with all sorts of meandering tangents. It's marketed as a self help book, but other than the general format (12 rules to live by), there isn't anything of real substance here.
My copy of this book was a library copy, and I think it was revealing of the kind of the typical reading experience of this book. The person who read their copy before me wrote in the margins of this book and underlined phrases they must have found impactful. What kind of animal writes in a library book? The same kind that underlines empty platitudes and short, buzzy phrases without actually bothering to try to confront the actual contents of the book. I can't say I blame them. To parse the really weighty stuff in here you need an education in religious studies, psychology, Disney movies, history of the second world war, and old Russian literature. I doubt anybody with less than a wall full of degrees would fully grasp all of this book. I certainly didn't. Unfortunately, the blame for this must be placed on the author.
This book needs an editor to say "Mr. Peterson, it's good that you're telling aimless young men to take some responsibility for themselves. Could you say it in half the words? Do we really need a another breakdown of biblical symbolism to drive that point home?".
It's apparent that Jordan Peterson is a very well read, educated man who has broad spanning interests. He's thorough in his research and must enjoy writing, but I never got the sense that he much liked people. The essence of the book is "Buck up. Try harder. Have some god damn conviction." Yes dad. I'm sorry dad. I'm a miserable little man baby and I'm sorry that I've disappointed you dad. Am I better now? Please love me!
A self help book should leave you inspired. It should make you want to examine your life and change your behavior. Here's my recommendation for anybody interested in reading this book. Look up the 12 rules. Write them down and make notes beside them for how you might integrate them into your own life. Write honestly about how you feel about each rule as it applies to yourself. That way you might get some self examination in. You'll also save yourself the boredom of this overlong book.