4 out of 4 stars
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We all have defense mechanisms. Essentially, they are ways in which we deal with the challenges life throws at us. I’m sure we all have different terminologies describing them too. Mine are called ‘Ups and Downs’ (I’m working on a fancier term). In Jorge P. Newbery’s case, they are called Burn Zones. This, he had realized very early on.
As we see Jorge grow from a paperboy as a kid to a real estate tycoon as an adult, we notice that his writing also changes in a way befitting the situation. Jorge makes sure that his readers are hooked from the word go. His writing comes alive and makes the reader feel as if they’re living the story. The book is a slow-paced thriller where we are addicted to his successes as much as he is, if not more. Jorge himself remains proud but never boastful.
Even as he says and I quote that he was trying to ‘Do well and do good’ - which means that he was trying to make a lot of money while doing good to others - throughout the book, I never had the feeling that I was reading a book about money-making. Jorge’s enthusiasm and dedication to his work are infectious and his ideals are commendable especially in today’s world where everyone gets easily swayed to undertake delinquent practices just because someone else is doing it. Jorge is an intelligent businessman and a dedicated family man through and through. He is in every way, your ideal protagonist.
This might be an unpopular opinion, but according to me, Jorge's most relatable quality is that he gets weary of routines very quickly and is always looking for new challenges. I also find Jorge to be endearing because he is a reader and turns to books in the most trying times of life.
The book is exactly what the blurb promises, with Jorge going from job to job until he ends up becoming the hero of his own story. Even though I hoped this book would be more of a re-emergence story than a cautionary tale, it was never disappointing. This book is going into the list of the best non-fictions I've ever read. It's going to be hard to replace. I was hoping to not find any grammatical errors just so that I could give this book a perfect score. So here it is; I rate this book 4 out of 4 stars. People who are not fans of non-fiction but still want to give the genre a try, this one makes a real case for non-fictions.
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Burn Zones
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