HOW TO BE FINE: What We Learned From Living By The Rules Of 50 Self-Help Books
By Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer
(William Morrow)
Authors Jolenta Greenberg and Kristen Meinzer have done the Lord’s work with this self-help reference guide. An endeavor first explored in the duo’s popular podcast By the Book, How To Be Fine takes readers inside their relentless quest to—for a limited time—live exactly the way self-help books tell them to, including such classics as The Secret and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck.
The wisdom gleaned from 50 titles is then KonMari-ed down into three succinct parts: “13 Things That Worked,” “8 Things That Didn’t Work,” and “8 Things We Wish More Books Recommended,” which becomes its own original self-help content, including gems like “Get Off Your Device” and “Admit You Are a Liar.” In this way, life-enhancing techniques are comically critiqued and divvied up into what is hooey and what is helpful. Spoiler alert: the best ways to be fine favored kindness and encouraged hobbies like learning a new language or reading your favorite magazine. (5/5)
By Whitney Dwire
This piece originally appeared in the Spring 2020 print edition of BUST Magazine. Subscribe today!
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