Review of The Mindset

[Janki Patel]

[Following is a volunteer review of "The Mindset" by Ace Bowers.]

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5 out of 5 stars

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Going from being a janitor working for $6 an hour to being a millionaire at the age of 28, The Mindset by Ace Bowers is the author's journey of rags to riches with the help of a mindset that did not confine him to being a victim of his circumstances.

This short memoir definitely packed a punch. There were so many instances where I felt compelled to take notes. The author's childhood struggles left an indelible mark on him, which was showcased throughout the book. Growing up poor, he often tried to hide it with a cloak of lies to avoid being ridiculed at school. Adding to his poor financial status were his parents, who fought incessantly in an alcohol-induced state. For the author, those fights set a bleak example of adulthood. In the self-absorbed fights of the parents, the author was often left neglected, forcing him to grow up faster than other children his age.

However, the turning point in his life came sooner than later. I liked the way in which the author led the readers into this phase of his life, drawing parallels with baseball and also giving an anticipatory tension to it. It went on to describe the point in life where, in the light of approaching responsibilities, one has to decide between levelling up their game or succumbing to their ill-fated destiny. It was the former that the author chose to do and, for a lack of a better word, proved that hard work can be the solution.

The author also wrote about his relationship with his wife, parents, friends, and brother. The author's relationship with his friend, Anthony, was absolutely heart-wrenching to read, and I even shed some tears. More meaningful for me was the way the author reconciled with his parents later in his life. I appreciate the author for acknowledging the different lenses through which we tend to see our parents as a child and then as an adult. A major takeaway being that there are aspects of our parents we better understand only when we are adults ourselves.

With multiple life lessons learnt, I thoroughly enjoyed reading Bower's journey and commend him for his courage to relive his painful past in order to write this book. I have no complaints from the book and therefore rate it five out of five.

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The Mindset
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