The Success Myth: Letting Go of Having It All

Narrow definitions of success and happiness have left a generation of overachievers burnt out and dissatisfied, according to this stale guide. Novelist Gannon (Disconnected) contends that an image-obsessed, materialistic culture has set readers on an endless race to success without a finish line, eroding their self-esteem, relationships, and mental stability in the process. Gannon calls on readers to revise their definition of success by following their intuition even when it cuts against other people’s expectations, and to simply enjoy life in the moment. Her advice includes abandoning an obsession with productivity; managing negative emotions through self-talk and other strategies; celebrating small moments of joy; and pursuing process-oriented rather than results-oriented goals (instead of deciding to publish a book, decide to write every morning). Gannon’s points about the damaging nature of today’s fast-paced, tech-driven lifestyle are solid but hardly groundbreaking, and truisms like “there is no such thing as a ‘wrong’ path because all of life’s moments have the potential to teach us something” can feel pat. This fails to stand out from the rising tide of guides to living more serenely in a hectic world. (Feb.)