3 out of 4 stars
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If you liked the positivity of The Secret and would like more food for thought, then maybe this book is for you.
The Truth of Your Reality by Nereeda McInnes is a self-help or self-development book with a touch of memoir that was published by Paper Raven Books in 2017. Like other good representations of the genre, the book has relevant quotes, personal anecdotes from the author, suggestions for the reader, and check points at the end of each chapter. My favorite anecdote of hers was about the year of shorts. It was a simple life teaching laced with humor. The check points are questions for the reader to ponder, such as, "What one thing can you do to cut through the noise and find time to examine your life?" They definitely gave me pause, although I would have liked more structure and steps.
The introduction starts with a disclaimer from the author that the truth of her reality, which she shares in the book, might change in the future. I liked the humility in her invite to the reader towards self-discovery by using the insights in the book. She welcomed partial application of the concepts while asking the reader not to discount the entire book simply because there are parts they may not like. Not being pushy endeared the book to me.
Subtitled "Insights in the game of life and how you choose to play it", the book follows the overarching theme of life being a game by phrasing chapter titles accordingly, such as, naming the last chapter "Game on". There are other analogies used, like wearing a coat to refer to a person's inner personality layers. Unfortunately, I felt that there were too many metaphors that sometimes they got mixed. Connecting the metaphors to the theme or title would have improved cohesion.
I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. It is well-edited and I liked the conversational tone sprinkled with British expressions. It is an easy read for those who like introspective pieces. I think it could be elevated more with a stronger hook in the beginning, plus the answer to the question, "Why should I read your insights?" The bit about the secret letter burn was a step in the right direction. In addition, I was hoping for a fresh take on the theme of the game of life. The length of the book is just right if the authorial intent is to raise some existential questions, yet its tackling of the theme is skin-deep.
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The Truth of Your Reality
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