The Art of the Good Life by Rolf Dobelli is a self-help book that explores 52 questions designed to help readers cope with daily challenges and make better decisions.
Short Review
Author: Rolf Dobelli
Genre: Self-help
Year Published: 2017
Review Date: 2025/01
Rating: 5 stars
Recommended: Yes, worth re-reading
Writing Style: Persuasive, engaging, reflective
Why Read This Book
Each chapter offers a different concept that can be applied in life when approaching or solving a problem. Dobelli asks situational questions in hypothetical scenarios that allows one to assess and re-evaluate his or her priorities before making a decision.
Five Key Takeaways
Mental Accounting
We treat our money differently depending on where it comes from, which is why with an indifferent stash, we can save ourselves from energy drained over money.
Plans are nothing. Planning is everything.
There’s no perfect set-up, no fixed plan. We begin with one set-up and revise what’s not working continually.
Don’t surrender your mind carelessly.
We’re careful with food and medicine we take. Likewise, we should consume information with caution and think before we give our attention away unintentionally.
The size of the circle is not important, defining the boundaries is.
Competence is where one leverages strengths and capitalises on them. If the circle of our dignity is from ten thousand wounds; the circle of our competence is worth ten thousand hours.
Read it over and over.
Like music, we listen to a song more than once. We master a score with repeated practice. By reading over the same book, we discover new things and deepen our understanding of a subject matter.