Give a F**k: A Brief Inventory of Ways In Which You Can

Former journalist and life coach Morse combats what she sees as a prevailing narrative that “the existential question we face is whether or not to give an actual f**k” in her spirited, welcoming debut. Asking readers to engage more deeply with others, Morse breaks her instructions into three main parts: caring about oneself, caring about one’s relationships, and caring about “infinity and beyond.” In the opening section, she offers breathing, self-care, and meditation exercises to facilitate getting in touch with one’s body and staying in the moment, sprinkling references to psychological research throughout: “Our minds can attend to 126 pieces of information a second—there’s always more that we can pay attention to in the right now.” The strongest section is the one on relationships, in which Morse tackles setting healthy boundaries, establishing meaningful communities and connections, and learning to accept compliments. In her conclusion, she addresses outside sources that affect one’s general well-being—such as the news, financial concerns, and one’s fundamental world view—providing useful routines for recognizing privilege and gratefulness. Suggested mantras and short moments of reflection appear throughout and provide moments for refocusing. Morse’s encouraging work will aid any reader looking to improve self-care in order to more effectively help others. (Sept.)