Top positive review
5.0 out of 5 starsUnique, Challenging, Change-Inducing
Reviewed in the United States on July 2, 2012
I went into reading No Straight Lines (NSL) with a sense that I would come away mildly disrupted in terms of my thinking and activity. In terms of context, I've been pursuing a life that doesn't really have a pre-sent destination, while hearing more often than not that I need to take the detour that looks like the familiar from those who are on their "straighter and safer" paths. What I found as I read NSL is that if you aren't willing to find not just your unique voice (you > world) but also your unique steps (you + world), that you will continue in the straight thinking and activities which don't push life forward, but slow down the intertia that should be preogress.
My generation is described as the first in this modern age to have a near-guarantee of a worse quality of life. But, I think that's because we've not been taught or re-visioned how to think. NSL served as another reminder of the challenge to not just discover that unique road, but also bring others along for the ride as we'll only make it to a better future when we do it together.
I read this via Kindle, kind of wishing that the Kindle service was able to share in some of the conversations which happened with the live-book version. As such, even the reading started getting me along the lines of thinking that there are some readings, or at least parts of reading which should be shared and incite the kind of creative attitudes and projects that bend what's normal. At least how I finished NSL, if you haven't found a reason to disrupt something that you've done before, or disrupt your manner of living for where you are now, life won't have the sense of completition and snowballing that should make for a better world for all.
Its been a few weeks since I've finished, but I end this review not so much talking about the review, but its effects. If you are challenged with seeing your world as realistic as it has been portrayed to you. Then read this. NSL will be a unique, challenging, and change-inducing viewpoint that either you leave from reading excited to do what makes sense for living, or you ignore what makes sense for the life that isn't fulfilling much for anyone at all.
