Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by joelogsliterature
Can't Hurt Me: Master Your Mind and Defy the Odds by David Goggins
inspiring
fast-paced
1.0
Mostly tripe. It was painful to listen to at certain points, but I like to read stuff that doesn't seem like it'd at all appeal to me every once in a while. I see why this works for some people, don't get me wrong, but the actionable advice here could be summed up in like five cliché bullet points. OK but the story themselves should serve as demonstrations of how effective this radical accountability and whatnot is, right? Except the (not-so)-ghost writer writes really poorly, admittedly probably to match Goggins' voice, and also it is painfully obvious that the story is doctored.
At every turn, we are vaguely assured that due-diligence has been done, but it's awfully convenient that, after his apotheosis-like second-coming wherein he makes it to Seal training, Goggins never fails except for reasons justifiable in this world he's devised for himself: failed for injury where the doctors required he stay back, failed for literal muscle shutdown, failed for daydreaming and getting lost (lul). Now obviously Goggins' story is incredible, and obviously he is a living example of the sort of hard man he advocates for being---to suggest otherwise is stupid or ignorant---but it is frustrating that there is still this need to embellish. (Mind you, he apparently served with Chris Kylee, Jocko Willinick, and Marcus Luttrell, only one of whom ever claimed to have known him.)
OK, but suppose it really is just that beautiful of a story where everything fits together perfectly in this framework. Then it would seem he's had no falters since that monumental decision to change his life. Of course, he's failed, but only in ways somewhat excusable even to his own extreme mentality. That just makes for less useful reading.
There's also fundamental inconsistency in what's being presented. We're meant to be in awe and mimic Goggins' absolute devotion, but then he feels the need to go back and suggest gradual changes, to not work through injury, and to generally avoid doing everything featured in the book. There's also a gapping hole in giving any sort of advice outside of physical challenges, except that one must make time for it. He speaks little of his studying for the ASVAB and whatnot except that he'd rote memorize obsessively, which isn't great advice.
I did think the format of the audiobook was cute. I like it for this kind of book, although the in-studio conversations could've benefitted from more polish.
It's just so funny to think of the gap between the type of person who reads and loves this (and acts on nothing) and the type of person who embodies the advice.
At every turn, we are vaguely assured that due-diligence has been done, but it's awfully convenient that, after his apotheosis-like second-coming wherein he makes it to Seal training, Goggins never fails except for reasons justifiable in this world he's devised for himself: failed for injury where the doctors required he stay back, failed for literal muscle shutdown, failed for daydreaming and getting lost (lul). Now obviously Goggins' story is incredible, and obviously he is a living example of the sort of hard man he advocates for being---to suggest otherwise is stupid or ignorant---but it is frustrating that there is still this need to embellish. (Mind you, he apparently served with Chris Kylee, Jocko Willinick, and Marcus Luttrell, only one of whom ever claimed to have known him.)
OK, but suppose it really is just that beautiful of a story where everything fits together perfectly in this framework. Then it would seem he's had no falters since that monumental decision to change his life. Of course, he's failed, but only in ways somewhat excusable even to his own extreme mentality. That just makes for less useful reading.
There's also fundamental inconsistency in what's being presented. We're meant to be in awe and mimic Goggins' absolute devotion, but then he feels the need to go back and suggest gradual changes, to not work through injury, and to generally avoid doing everything featured in the book. There's also a gapping hole in giving any sort of advice outside of physical challenges, except that one must make time for it. He speaks little of his studying for the ASVAB and whatnot except that he'd rote memorize obsessively, which isn't great advice.
I did think the format of the audiobook was cute. I like it for this kind of book, although the in-studio conversations could've benefitted from more polish.
It's just so funny to think of the gap between the type of person who reads and loves this (and acts on nothing) and the type of person who embodies the advice.