An energetic, optimistic call to accept imperfections in ourselves and others.
A manifesto against the detrimental effects of perfectionism.
Collins and Molitor strike upon the theme of their collaboration early by introducing readers to the Japanese art and philosophy of kintsugi in which broken pottery is made both stronger and more beautiful through the process of repair. They counterpose this philosophy against the relentless pursuit of perfection they’ve each encountered in their personal and professional lives, hoping their book will serve as a guide for the reader to “find joy” in our imperfect selves without giving up on improving things. They refer to this flawed state as being “flawsome” and advocate the spreading of “flawsomism” in order to embrace not only our own flaws, but those of the world around us, citing the benefits of cultivating inner calm and self-worth. “When you start embracing your authentic self, just the way you are—and just the way you aren’t,” they write, “your sense of self-esteem will continue to expand and grow.” The authors frequently reflect on their own personal histories growing up in families with perfectionist expectations, where the “never good enough” messaging was painful. Consequently, several of their fast-paced and well-designed chapters have concentrations on parenting, where they focus on empowering children to become “happy, healthy, and confident adults, knowing they are enough and perfectly flawsome just as they are.” The authors’ call to “strive for excellence, not perfection” is a refreshing reminder of how corrosive self-criticism can be, and they make a strong case for “flawsomism” as a legitimate path to betterment. “Unless you embrace that imperfection in yourself—all those imagined reasons you’re not ready,” they write, “you’ll never start that business, that project, that piece of art you’ve been envisioning.” The obvious contradiction here between accepting flaws and striving to improve is weakly addressed and not always well served by many of the real-world examples they provide: like the Play-Doh company, for example, which grew to success by adapting to changing markets, not by accepting flawed product. Even so, their warnings against joyless perfectionism are worth heeding. Note: The authors recommend readers go to a website, complete a survey, download an extra book, take a quiz, qualify for a discount, and scan a QR code before reading the book.
An energetic, optimistic call to accept imperfections in ourselves and others.Pub Date: April 26, 2024
ISBN: 9781934229422
Page Count: 202
Publisher: WME Books
Review Posted Online: Oct. 15, 2024
Review Program: Kirkus Indie
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.
The veteran actor, comedian, and banjo player teams up with the acclaimed illustrator to create a unique book of cartoons that communicates their personalities.
Martin, also a prolific author, has always been intrigued by the cartoons strewn throughout the pages of the New Yorker. So when he was presented with the opportunity to work with Bliss, who has been a staff cartoonist at the magazine since 1997, he seized the moment. “The idea of a one-panel image with or without a caption mystified me,” he writes. “I felt like, yeah, sometimes I’m funny, but there are these other weird freaks who are actually funny.” Once the duo agreed to work together, they established their creative process, which consisted of working forward and backward: “Forwards was me conceiving of several cartoon images and captions, and Harry would select his favorites; backwards was Harry sending me sketched or fully drawn cartoons for dialogue or banners.” Sometimes, he writes, “the perfect joke occurs two seconds before deadline.” There are several cartoons depicting this method, including a humorous multipanel piece highlighting their first meeting called “They Meet,” in which Martin thinks to himself, “He’ll never be able to translate my delicate and finely honed droll notions.” In the next panel, Bliss thinks, “I’m sure he won’t understand that the comic art form is way more subtle than his blunt-force humor.” The team collaborated for a year and created 150 cartoons featuring an array of topics, “from dogs and cats to outer space and art museums.” A witty creation of a bovine family sitting down to a gourmet meal and one of Dumbo getting his comeuppance highlight the duo’s comedic talent. What also makes this project successful is the team’s keen understanding of human behavior as viewed through their unconventional comedic minds.
A virtuoso performance and an ode to an undervalued medium created by two talented artists.Pub Date: Nov. 17, 2020
ISBN: 978-1-250-26289-9
Page Count: 272
Publisher: Celadon Books
Review Posted Online: Aug. 30, 2020
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Sept. 15, 2020
PERSPECTIVES
An ebullient nature lover’s paean to birds.
A charming bird journey with the bestselling author.
In his introduction to Tan’s “nature journal,” David Allen Sibley, the acclaimed ornithologist, nails the spirit of this book: a “collection of delightfully quirky, thoughtful, and personal observations of birds in sketches and words.” For years, Tan has looked out on her California backyard “paradise”—oaks, periwinkle vines, birch, Japanese maple, fuchsia shrubs—observing more than 60 species of birds, and she fashions her findings into delightful and approachable journal excerpts, accompanied by her gorgeous color sketches. As the entries—“a record of my life”—move along, the author becomes more adept at identifying and capturing them with words and pencils. Her first entry is September 16, 2017: Shortly after putting up hummingbird feeders, one of the tiny, delicate creatures landed on her hand and fed. “We have a relationship,” she writes. “I am in love.” By August 2018, her backyard “has become a menagerie of fledglings…all learning to fly.” Day by day, she has continued to learn more about the birds, their activities, and how she should relate to them; she also admits mistakes when they occur. In December 2018, she was excited to observe a Townsend’s Warbler—“Omigod! It’s looking at me. Displeased expression.” Battling pesky squirrels, Tan deployed Hot Pepper Suet to keep them away, and she deterred crows by hanging a fake one upside down. The author also declared war on outdoor cats when she learned they kill more than 1 billion birds per year. In May 2019, she notes that she spends $250 per month on beetle larvae. In June 2019, she confesses “spending more hours a day staring at birds than writing. How can I not?” Her last entry, on December 15, 2022, celebrates when an eating bird pauses, “looks and acknowledges I am there.”
An ebullient nature lover’s paean to birds.Pub Date: April 23, 2024
ISBN: 9780593536131
Page Count: 320
Publisher: Knopf
Review Posted Online: Jan. 19, 2024
Kirkus Reviews Issue: Feb. 15, 2024
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