The Question Book: What Makes You Tick? – book review

Dear readers,

I will use this rare update to review the following book:

The Question Book (What Makes You Tick?) by Mikael Krogerus and Roman Tschäppeler

This is simply one of the most useful books I have ever read. It does exactly as it says on the cover, asking thought provoking questions about who you are and your views on life, politics, religion, career, relationships, sex, past, present, future, emotions, death, birth, hopes, regrets…do I need to continue? You will explore yourself and know yourself and like yourself more, or on the other hand it could send you into an existential crisis. For me, it’s the former.

It functions in a similar way to a journal, I suppose, full of insightful prompts that will question who you are, a space to drop your ego or front and be honest with yourself. It’s like a stoic cleansing. And now I’ve finished the book, I feel I may have withdrawal symptoms of a sort.

Some questions will frustrate and others seem monotonous … but my gosh I’ve learned. The best thing about the book is that I found it purely by chance, but then again, I suppose we all find books through this method. It came into my life when I kind of needed it, and I can’t think of a book that has transformed me into a stronger person quite like this. I’m sure there are very similar books out there. But I recommend this, especially if you need to listen to yourself, especially if you can’t afford a psychologist to do it for you. I suppose it’s interactive in that you find answers to your own problems and issues, whereas a psychologist might suggest methods. And as I have learned in the past few months, chasing happiness doesn’t really get you anywhere. You often invertedly find it through solving problems and accepting certain things about yourself, which in a way lies in stoic/Buddhist principles.

It’s not the best written book ever, but I judge books on their importance to me personally and what I take from them. Therefore, like I say above, it’s one of the most useful books I have read, and certainly one of most dynamic self-help books (if you can call it that) I have come across. I feel I have self-helped myself.

Five stars well rewarded.

To conclude, and I take advice from other reviews of this book, keep it (and your answers) in a safe place and show no one. It’s yours and yours only, so you can help write your own book, and re-read to yourself at leisure.