This Week’s Book = Very Good Lives (by J.K. Rowling)
I’ve been on a bit of a J.K. Rowling kick lately. For probably the millionth time, I’ve been reading the Harry Potter series and it has successfully distracted me from all other tasks. J.K. Rowling is one of my favourite authors and Harry Potter is definitely one of my most favourite book series. As a counsellor, I feel like I can appreciate so many aspects and levels of that series – the psychological torment that Harry feels throughout, the grief of losing loved ones, and the Dementors being a physical representation of depression. But alas, this is not a post about the delights and nuances of the Harry Potter series.
This post is about a new release bearing J.K. Rowling’s name: Very Good Lives. It turns out that Very Good Lives is actually a commencement address that J.K. Rowling gave at Harvard University. She labels her main points in the speech as the benefits of failure and the importance of creativity and imagination. Anyone who has read about J.K. Rowling or read any of her books will know that she is well versed in both imagination and experiences of failure. However, as I was reading this book, I noticed that the speech is really a discussion of defying expectations, building foundations, learning through experience, and the importance of empathy.
This book is short and sweet…and I loved it. While it is not a psychology book, it brings to the forefront basic principles that we all need to understand in a most simplistic and genuine fashion. It is funny, heartfelt, and there are even some Harry Potter references for all the fans out there. Though graduation gifts are the most obvious reason aim for publishing this book, I encourage anyone and everyone to read it – it won’t take very long! It may even help you to gain some insight and perspective, while still being an entertaining read. Could you expect anything else from J.K. Rowling?
Interested in buying the book? Click here!
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