Maru Kun's Reviews > Meditations

Marcus gives us wise advice about using the Internet, particularly social networking sites:

“...because most of what we say and do is not essential. If you can eliminate it, you'll have more time and more tranquillity. Ask yourself at every moment, is this necessary…”

He shares his opinions on the worst types of modern professional. He does not approve of lobbyists and is rightly worried about their influence on the legislative process. We should heed his words:

“...so long as the law is safe, so is the city and the citizen…”.

He has harsh things to say about public relations executives;

“...to say what you don't think - the definition of absurdity…”.

He understands the modern office dynamic, reminding himself:

“...Not to be constantly telling people that I am too busy, unless I really am. Similarly, not to be always ducking my responsibilities to the people around me because of "pressing business"..."

Marcus has advice for politicians, which it is clear from this book he thinks are untrustworthy, illogical and prone to anger. He condemns unreservedly all their faults and the problems with the modern electoral system:

“...it makes you betray a trust, or lose your sense of shame, or make you show hatred, suspicion, ill will, or hypocrisy, or a desire for things best done behind closed doors.

“...A desire for things best done behind closed doors…” - Marcus is spot on in identifying a lack of democratic accountability, fostered by the CIA, NSA, GCHQ and the rest of the security paraphernalia, as being at the root of many of our current political problems.

In the UK there is a tradition for politicians, or at least for the posher type of politician, to study “PPE” or “Politics, Philosophy and Economics” at either Oxford or Cambridge University.

But despite such an expensive education our political masters don't have half the grasp on the classics that Marcus has, which is remarkable considering he was home-schooled. I wish Marcus would consider a career in politics just to show up our current representatives for the intellectual pygmies that they really are.

Marcus also gives us advice on a more personal level. I don’t know much about his background but I can be sure he is the father of teenage children! Can he really keep his temper?

“...they are drawn toward what they think is good for them, but if it is not good for them then prove it to them instead of losing your temper…”

Unlike other self-help writers he doesn’t flinch at reminding us about our own mortality:

“...Think of yourself as dead. You have lived your life. Now take what's left and live it properly…”

We should remember:

“...not to live as if you had endless years in front of you. Death overshadows you. While you're alive and able, be good…”

and also

“...how much more damage anger and grief do than the things that cause them…”

How refreshing if more authors of self help books would confront squarely the central issue of our own mortality and our negative emotions of anger or frustration instead of forever hiding from these topics.

So to end with my favorite paragraph, from book 10 paragraph 5. One for physicists as well as philosophers to puzzle over:

“...whatever happens to you has been waiting to happen since the beginning of time. The twining strands of fate wove both of them together: your own existence and the things that happen to you. ..”

I don’t normally read self help books. Often they seem full of cliches left over from the Victorian era. And in this book, which may have been modeled on the writings of Alain De Botton, Marcus mixes in a lot of philosophy and this just isn’t to everyone’s taste.

But with this short work Marcus, who is Italian, and his co-author Gregory Hays have brought the format right up to date by reflecting squarely on the types of issues that we all face today.

A great book by an author who - and this is no exaggeration - deserves a statue to be put up for him. I can only wish I could meet Marcus one day. In fact I’ll be checking out if he has any book signings lined up. If he has a decent agent I’m sure he has.