How I Found this Book: I Decided to Live as Me

I strolled along T3 at CGK airport a few weeks ago and stopped at the Periplus Corner. Usually, I spend less than 15 minutes scanning all the titles and checking the trend in book publishing. I skipped fiction, mostly because I used to be disappointed after reading the first pages. You shouldn't buy a book based on the cover illustration, as it can sometimes be misleading. 

After browsing different types of book genres for a while, I started comparing prices. The book price is soaring, and I couldn't believe the new book is in the 400K-600K range! Something I must consider carefully: I don't want to end up with a book that doesn't make me happy or confused, with a beautifully crafted cover and some highlight saying 'best-selling author,' etc. With a price like that, I have to be very selective with the genre and make sure that what I read really contributes to my personal and professional development. A win-win situation. 

After thinking what I feel want to improve, I decided that I need to get a book about zen, peacefulness, mindfulness, etc. I do have many books with such a title, but getting a new perspective from a different author should do no harm. So, I found a book by a Buddhist monk about that topic. But when I tried to look at a different copy from the shelf, I saw another book with a cute and catchy cover and title that were so me!

The book has an illustration of someone in the front, a lady, looking very relaxed, with her hands bent and one leg lifted. The book looks interesting! I examined the book and started reading the summary. The title itself is very intriguing, not to mention the tips on it. Later, I spent more than 10 minutes, conflicted between the peaceful and flower-covered Zen monk book and this cheeky lady on the cover with a strong exclamation: "I Decided to Live as Me!"

Over a decade ago, such a title would have raised concerns that people were becoming selfish, individualistic, and antisocial. But hey, with Gen Alpha on the way and being much more exclusive and isolated, I don't think the title is very concerning. While I was moving around in my career as a generalist, I was also getting tired of the hustle-and-bustle workplace culture. I suddenly want to be somebody who lives as myself and still delivers high-quality pieces of work. 

So yeah, goodbye, book about Zen culture; I will revisit it sometime if my budget permits. But now, to wisely spend my money, I have to read this book about living with my choices, which is published by a highly reputable publisher worldwide, Penguin Books. 

Anyway, I'm still discovering the essence of this book and will continue my review about it in the next post. 

Pekanbaru,