A review by xcinnamonsugar
The Places That Scare You: A Guide to Fearlessness in Difficult Times by Pema Chödrön

5.0

This feels like it’s going to be the most important book I’ll read this year. I’ve really struggled to understand the whole mindfulness thing and why it’s so important. I’d previously tried reading Thich Nhat Hanh’s Peace Is Every Step, but found it too abstract to parse (and gave up after a few pages). Perhaps I’m still too deep in the quagmire of logical thinking, but reading about mindfulness has always felt to me like trying to interpret some characteristically vague religious scripture.

The Places That Scare You has been an absolute breakthrough read for me. It describes key concepts clearly and systematically, provides relevant examples, and explains exactly why it’s worth paying attention to your own (seemingly innocuous) behavioral patterns. I definitely need to revisit this one every once in a while.