Let me be clear. I never read self-help books. It has never been a genre that I've EVER had any interest in. Until one of my co-workers suggested Mark Mason's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck. The title alone intrigued me. Let me start by saying that if you are offended by profanity, this isn't the book for you. Mason freely drops f-bombs and other four letter words throughout the book. And, some of his examples and analogies, although hilarious, are often geared toward an adult audience. But, with a title like The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck, I would hope that it was clear that this wasn't a book to read to your kids at bedtime.

In a world where everyone says "think positive," Mark Mason delivers the argument that the truth to improving our lives is not about turning lemons into lemonade, but learning how to stomach lemons better. At its core, the book states that we should look to the things that truly matter in life and focus on them. This means taking a hard look inside to identify the trivial things that we care about, and what mistakes we've made that need to be changed. It is all about personal accountability. As Mason points out, "it's all about giving a f*ck about the right things."

If I was honest, I didn't find anything in this book that was some kind of new groundbreaking theory. I felt like I'd heard much of what Mason discusses before. What made this book so enjoyable was how entertaining it was to read. I found myself often laughing aloud at his choice of phrasing and his analogies. Sometimes, the raw nature of Mason's writing really drove the message home, leaving me to say "I never thought of it like that before."

Overall, Mark Mason's The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck is a well written, thought-provoking book, and if you can look past the profanity, you might find some great messages that will get you thinking. I'd recommend it.