From its title,The Gifts of Imperfectionsounds like a book for perfectionists.
And it is, but also so much more.
The titular gifts are courage, compassion, and connection.
This is part of Lifehackersbook reviewseries.
Thats a long list, but its also a lot of us.
This book is also for people who are ready to grapple.
There are no quick fixes or bandaids herethere are very few to-dos at all.
After years studying and writing about shame, Brown noticed a patternpeople who she called Wholehearted.
I heard stories about the power of embracing imperfection and vulnerability.
Being a researcher, Brown wanted to know what made these Wholehearted people tick.
So, she set out to change that.
The Gifts of Imperfectionis not a memoir, though.
Browns personal stories are interwoven with analysis and the work of other researchers, writers, and thinkers.
It rests on two triads: courage, compassion, and connection; love, belonging, and worthiness.
And Brown identifies ten common factors in Wholehearted peoples lives.
All in 126 pages.
I said this book was densely packed.
Whatisntin those 126 pages is much hand-holding.
In that way, this is hardly a self-help book at all.
There are very few exercises, prompts, or directives.
Thats what I meant when I said this book is for people who are ready to grapple.
(There were a lot of little flow-charts.)
The absence of that material here means you get to decide how you want to approach Wholeheartedness.
Our Take
This is a smart, sensitive, and challenging book.
It offers you big changes to your life, and leaves the nitty gritty of getting there to you.
But big changes are worth the effort, andThe Gifts of Imperfectiongives you plenty to get started with.
Even if you just take away a few small lessons, youll probably see meaningful results.
