There is a book on the New York Times best seller list that I have been intrigued about for some time.

Like many others, my interest in this book stemmed from its very eye-catching title.

The author of this book, Sara Knight knew exactly what she was doing when she came up with the title.

“The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck” attracts a lot of attention simply because of it’s vulgarity.

Due to its popularity, I assumed the content of the book was deep and meaningful. I also had great hopes that it’s deep and meaningful content would lead me to some epiphany that would enhance my life in some way.

Before buying the book, I watched a TedTalk given by Ms. Knight where she discusses her main idea.

I never read the book!

From the very beginning, I was uncomfortable with the amount of profanity that Ms. Knight seems so comfortable using.

For those who know me, you know that I’m no shrinking violet. I am quite comfortable on construction sites and I’ve had my share of vulgar exchanges.

However, there is something unsettling about anyone who goes before a large audience dropping f-bombs so loosely.

I was disappointed to learn that the use of this vulgarity was nothing more than a promotional stunt to help sell an otherwise meaningless book.

The author’s use of the four-letter expletive is nothing more than a substitution for “time, energy, and money”.

The deep meaning of this book can be summarized in a very simple sentence. Do not spend time, energy, or money on things and people you are not interested in.

I’m actually surprised that someone was able to develop a book from that one simple concept and I’m quite ashamed that I was drawn in by a vulgar title.

The premise of this book begins with the assumption that we all spend time, energy, and money on things we do not enjoy.

Another assumption made by this book is that we are somehow powerless against participating in those things and that we need some kind of coaching (or a vulgar mantra) to help us overcome our need to partake in these unwanted activities.

Perhaps I am alone in this, but I have never felt powerless against participating in such activities.

In fact, many times I participate in things that I have no interest in simply because it matters to somebody else. I don’t think the author gave much thought to those activities we partake in simply because it is meaningful to someone else.

Throughout my blog I have attempted to maintain a positive perspective and I would be remiss if this article turned into nothing more than a bash of Ms. Knight.

So to conclude this article, rather than close on how unimpressed I was with Ms. Knight, I would like to note two positives.

1. Having listened to Ms. Knight’s TED Talk it made me realize that there are many things I spend time, energy, and money on simply because they are meaningful to someone else.  That, in and of itself is satisfying.

2. In stark contrast to Ms. Knight, I want to draw your attention to Drew Ducklow.  In my article Every Day Leadership I introduce you to a man who reminds us that simple acts we perform every day can unexpectedly make profound positive influences on those around us.

I hope you find these two contrasting perspectives far more compelling than the one put forward by Ms. Knight.

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