Book Review: “Go Ahead & Like It” by Jacqueline Suskin

“Go Ahead & Like It” by Jacqueline Suskin (2015)

Genre: Inspiration & Motivation, Personal Growth

Page Length: 72 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

An artistic, smart self-help book that prompts and inspires readers to write lists of things they like–a simple yet profound way to collect and remember the good in daily life.

This scrapbook-style art book is an invitation to write lists of things you like: small things that bring delight, intriguing things that excite, and meaningful things that make every day special. It’s a how-to guide, writing prompt, model for self-discovery, and beautiful inspiration for daily gratitude, with poet Jacqueline Suskin’s personal lists intertwined with photographs, illustrations, and instruction. It’s a self-help book for people who might not be drawn to standard self-help, and it’s creative thinking for people who might not identify themselves as creative thinkers (What does it mean to “like” something in today’s digital age, anyways?). Above all, it presents a simple, dependable method to notice the good that’s all around us–even in a traffic jam or waiting in line–so we can inhabit our world more fully and smile more in the process. (description from Penguin Random House)

Review:

Go Ahead & Like It is an innovative self-help book that helps readers to take joy in the small pleasures of life. It’s often common that we can take many things for granted, get caught in a slump, and complain about everything that is going on in our lives without taking the time to really enjoy life.

Suskin shares her simple task of creating lists and shows you how to turn these lists into instant pick-me-ups and self-reflections. What do you have to do? Just write a list of things you like! Whether you’re at home with a piece of paper or jotting down a list in your head, these lists are great for daily motivation and looking back on your memories.

I appreciated how the book is set up in a simplistic manner, and that there is a balance of text and photography on each page. The book is written in a conversational tone which sets a casual mood, instead of being a overly suggestive self-help book. Her photography is colorful and vivid, helping readers to visualize her personal lists which she shares in the book. Some of my favorite likes that she shares are: “waiting while the tea steeps”, “dogs that patiently wait for their owners”, and “finding little treasures on the ground”.

Another great idea that she shares in her book is that these “like lists” can be used at parties as a get-to-know-you game or as a introduction in a letter. It shows that these lists can also be used for something other than personal reasons.

I got inspired by the book, so I decided to write my own list of likes and share it with you: