12 Rules for Life / Jordan B. Peterson

RATINGS

Overall: 3/ 5 stars

Text Level: Hard

Entertainment: Medium

Self-Help: Medium

Page Count: 448

Is this book right for me and my inmate?

Inmates that will enjoy an intellectual read explaining some basic principles to live a healthier life by may enjoy this book.

Buy on: Amazon

Finding balance through the chaos of life.

Jordan Peterson writes a book that tries to blend science, psychology and social behavior together in order to provide readers a better understanding of how to improve their lives. He bases his concepts off the natural state of order and chaos that exists in this world. His goal for the reader is to learn how to balance these states these states to find peace and become a better functioning member of society. In the end I found a lot of the information he shared to be interesting and helpful on reflecting about my own life.

I think as inmates that we often feel powerless to the world and our places in it towards making change. We want the best and are hopeful for futures, but when we meet adversities we become too quick to give up. I can speak for myself that this was the mindset that held me back for so long. Peterson's book gave me some great simple rules to remember and follow when life might become uncertain. The 12 rules he shares in this book will hopefully lead to a way of thinking that might actually avoid a lot of struggles we commonly find in life.

One section of the book that I found to be particularly powerful was Rule number 7, Pursue what is meaningful (note what is expedient). This reminded me so much of my past where I just wanted to rush on to the next thing without thought. No matter how many easy things I did I never found true joy. A lot of inmates I have met have the same thinking of just trying to grab what is easiest and righhy in front of them in life. This way always leads to being unsatisfied and searching for more which brings you back to places like this.

If you think your life has been filled with chaos maybe try this book and see if these rules help. I know they did for me.

Book Quotes

"Set your house in perfect order before you criticize the world."

"When things fall apart, and chaos re-emerges, we can give structure to it, and reestablish order, through our speech."