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hellandhogwarts's review against another edition
challenging
informative
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
alexampersand's review
1.0
Good lord. This was honestly one of the most terrible books I have ever read. Usually if I struggle to finish a book, it's because it's gotten a little dull, or not captivating my attention. This one, however, I found difficult to read due to the sheer amount of eye-rolling occurring at every page, and I could barely manage one page at a time.
The premise is simple enough, and one that I actually agree with: there can be a lot of stress in life nowadays, so sometimes we need to learn to say 'fuck it' and care a little less about inconsequential things.
Right. Lovely.
Except what then follows is the biggest load of pretentious and privileged bullshit I've ever read.
Have an illness? Well, if you stop trying to cure it and stop caring about it then you will find it starts to heal itself.
Are you scared of, like, anything? Well, what's the worst that could happen? Nothing can actually harm you, and once you ultimately realise that, you will never be scared of anything.
Worried about money? No need, just remember that whatever happens, if you end up with 0 then you can just go on benefits and soon find a house to live in and then get a job and everything will be back to normal!
The book just comes across as sincerely tone-deaf; sure, the above strategies work in certain scenarios. But there are never provisions made for 'sometimes these scenarios are incorrect'. Sometimes the thing you are scared of is a legitimate fear, so telling yourself 'nothing is going to happen' is just plainly false. Sometimes illnesses require medical treatment. That's a proven fact. And some illnesses don't get better at all. And anybody who thinks 'just go on benefits' is a solution to not having money has clearly never dealt with the DWP, and has been avoiding all the stories about claimants who have been left to die due to unapproved claims.
But the best part about all this is the hidden disclaimer contained within the book: life will only improve if you say fuck it and ACTUALLY stop caring about things. As soon as you say fuck it just so that things will get better, then you are still placing meaning onto the thing and therefore you are still caring so aren't really saying fuck it, and therefore it won't improve. So life will only improve if you literally do not care about it improving.
I mean, I wish I was making this up, but the above things are literally what is written in the book. I'm not inferring anything or making wild leaps as to its implications. If I could bring myself to find the book and rifle through it for quotes, I would, because I could not believe that someone actually published this nonsense.
So yes. Sometimes you can say fuck it. But please, for the love of god, use your brain to work out when to improve your life by saying 'fuck it' and ceasing to care, and when to improve your life by actually caring and taking proactive steps to make life better.
Oh, and the best part? After getting through the 200 pages of this nonsense, there is then an advert for the 'retreat' that the author runs. Because as if an entire book wasn't bad enough, they also want people to pay go to to Italy for a week to learn how to not care about things. Uhhhh I think I'll pass.
The premise is simple enough, and one that I actually agree with: there can be a lot of stress in life nowadays, so sometimes we need to learn to say 'fuck it' and care a little less about inconsequential things.
Right. Lovely.
Except what then follows is the biggest load of pretentious and privileged bullshit I've ever read.
Have an illness? Well, if you stop trying to cure it and stop caring about it then you will find it starts to heal itself.
Are you scared of, like, anything? Well, what's the worst that could happen? Nothing can actually harm you, and once you ultimately realise that, you will never be scared of anything.
Worried about money? No need, just remember that whatever happens, if you end up with 0 then you can just go on benefits and soon find a house to live in and then get a job and everything will be back to normal!
The book just comes across as sincerely tone-deaf; sure, the above strategies work in certain scenarios. But there are never provisions made for 'sometimes these scenarios are incorrect'. Sometimes the thing you are scared of is a legitimate fear, so telling yourself 'nothing is going to happen' is just plainly false. Sometimes illnesses require medical treatment. That's a proven fact. And some illnesses don't get better at all. And anybody who thinks 'just go on benefits' is a solution to not having money has clearly never dealt with the DWP, and has been avoiding all the stories about claimants who have been left to die due to unapproved claims.
But the best part about all this is the hidden disclaimer contained within the book: life will only improve if you say fuck it and ACTUALLY stop caring about things. As soon as you say fuck it just so that things will get better, then you are still placing meaning onto the thing and therefore you are still caring so aren't really saying fuck it, and therefore it won't improve. So life will only improve if you literally do not care about it improving.
I mean, I wish I was making this up, but the above things are literally what is written in the book. I'm not inferring anything or making wild leaps as to its implications. If I could bring myself to find the book and rifle through it for quotes, I would, because I could not believe that someone actually published this nonsense.
So yes. Sometimes you can say fuck it. But please, for the love of god, use your brain to work out when to improve your life by saying 'fuck it' and ceasing to care, and when to improve your life by actually caring and taking proactive steps to make life better.
Oh, and the best part? After getting through the 200 pages of this nonsense, there is then an advert for the 'retreat' that the author runs. Because as if an entire book wasn't bad enough, they also want people to pay go to to Italy for a week to learn how to not care about things. Uhhhh I think I'll pass.
brandonc31's review against another edition
5.0
Now I must put this into practice. I was afraid this book would be just telling to be an asshole, essentially, but it actually a lot of sense on a spiritual level--it's just written in a relatable way for once!
elimalnar's review against another edition
4.0
This book was fucked up... i just wanted to say that..
I liked it a lot. I learned how to realx and how to be free. Trully amazing
I liked it a lot. I learned how to realx and how to be free. Trully amazing
whatsheread's review against another edition
2.0
I love snark, also called sarcasm. I tend to use it frequently, much to everyone else's chagrin. When I saw this title on NetGalley, I thought I would be getting a wonderfully funny, irreverent book with a tongue-in-cheek presentation of philosophy. In a way, F*** It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way is indeed that but so much more.
Touted as akin to Taoism and other spiritual beliefs, the main premise of the F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way philosophy is letting go. Indeed, there is merit in this idea of letting go and the freedom one uses the phrase. According to Mr. Parkin, "The one thing you'll always do when you really say, 'F*** It' is relax" and "problems can't exist in the face of total relaxation" (p. 88-89). Mr. Parkin wants us to say the phrase to everything we do because it releases us from attaching too much meaning, too much pressure, too many expectations to everything we do. If one sits and thinks about it, and considers all the times where one has flung up his or her hands and declared "f*** it!", Mr. Parkin is indeed on to something.
At first glance, it may appear that Mr. Parkin is attempting to tell the reader to ignore the laws and values of society, to just do his or her own thing. However, that is not true. Rather, Mr. Parkin is attempting to help the reader free him/herself from all the obligations and to allow one to enjoy everything has to offer. In essence, life is too short to stress about anything at all. Say "F*** it" (and truly mean it) and that stress disappears. It is not a giving up but a relaxation of one's expectations of one's job, society, and of life.
Parkin makes an excellent argument about his new philosophy. He uses children as a metaphor for life. Children notice every small detail and revel in them. They truly stop and take time to smell the roses. Somewhere along the way, they forget to relax and enjoy the details and get wrapped up in the big picture. As a result, they stop relaxing and stop enjoying life. Again, Mr. Parkin circles back to the idea of relaxation and letting going of meaning. Letting go of meaning is letting go of pressure and stress, which will in turn bring more good things to you. It's very Tao-esque, is it not?
Unfortunately, what starts out as tongue-in-cheek good fun takes a turn for the serious when Mr.Parkin starts exploring the idea of chi and forms. As soon as he moves on to this idea of movement and releasing chi, the book loses some of its charms. It is such a juxtaposition that it undoes any of the learnings from the previous first-half of the novel. I personally enjoyed the irreverence and humor of the first half of the book and felt a bit like Mr. Parkin began to take himself too seriously. He has some great ideas and provides plenty of food for thought, and I personally wish he would have left the forms and chi discussion alone.
I chose this novel on a whim and am glad I read it. I know that his ideas have some value because I have personally felt how calming it is to say "F*** it" in certain situations. It does release tension and stress and helps me focus my energies on more important things, i.e. things under my direct control. Those easily offended by profanity should not read this book, although I suspect that the title alone is enough of a deterrent in that aspect. Those who are willing to step out of the philosophical box will enjoy Mr. Parkin's ideas or at least come away with food for thought. In the end, F*** It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way may not be prize-winning literature, but it is enjoyable and worth the read for its fresh approach to life and all its demands.
Touted as akin to Taoism and other spiritual beliefs, the main premise of the F**k It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way philosophy is letting go. Indeed, there is merit in this idea of letting go and the freedom one uses the phrase. According to Mr. Parkin, "The one thing you'll always do when you really say, 'F*** It' is relax" and "problems can't exist in the face of total relaxation" (p. 88-89). Mr. Parkin wants us to say the phrase to everything we do because it releases us from attaching too much meaning, too much pressure, too many expectations to everything we do. If one sits and thinks about it, and considers all the times where one has flung up his or her hands and declared "f*** it!", Mr. Parkin is indeed on to something.
At first glance, it may appear that Mr. Parkin is attempting to tell the reader to ignore the laws and values of society, to just do his or her own thing. However, that is not true. Rather, Mr. Parkin is attempting to help the reader free him/herself from all the obligations and to allow one to enjoy everything has to offer. In essence, life is too short to stress about anything at all. Say "F*** it" (and truly mean it) and that stress disappears. It is not a giving up but a relaxation of one's expectations of one's job, society, and of life.
Parkin makes an excellent argument about his new philosophy. He uses children as a metaphor for life. Children notice every small detail and revel in them. They truly stop and take time to smell the roses. Somewhere along the way, they forget to relax and enjoy the details and get wrapped up in the big picture. As a result, they stop relaxing and stop enjoying life. Again, Mr. Parkin circles back to the idea of relaxation and letting going of meaning. Letting go of meaning is letting go of pressure and stress, which will in turn bring more good things to you. It's very Tao-esque, is it not?
Unfortunately, what starts out as tongue-in-cheek good fun takes a turn for the serious when Mr.Parkin starts exploring the idea of chi and forms. As soon as he moves on to this idea of movement and releasing chi, the book loses some of its charms. It is such a juxtaposition that it undoes any of the learnings from the previous first-half of the novel. I personally enjoyed the irreverence and humor of the first half of the book and felt a bit like Mr. Parkin began to take himself too seriously. He has some great ideas and provides plenty of food for thought, and I personally wish he would have left the forms and chi discussion alone.
I chose this novel on a whim and am glad I read it. I know that his ideas have some value because I have personally felt how calming it is to say "F*** it" in certain situations. It does release tension and stress and helps me focus my energies on more important things, i.e. things under my direct control. Those easily offended by profanity should not read this book, although I suspect that the title alone is enough of a deterrent in that aspect. Those who are willing to step out of the philosophical box will enjoy Mr. Parkin's ideas or at least come away with food for thought. In the end, F*** It: The Ultimate Spiritual Way may not be prize-winning literature, but it is enjoyable and worth the read for its fresh approach to life and all its demands.
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