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Unlearn: 101 Simple Truths for a Better Life
The internationally bestselling self-empowerment book from influencer, rapper, and spoken word artist Humble the Poet, now available in a new edition with a new foreword by the author. Unlearn offers short, accessible, and counterintuitive lessons for reaching our full potential.
Beloved for his sincerity, playfulness, and sage advice, globally famous rapper, spoken word artist, poet, blogger, and influencer Humble the Poet has traditionally shared his message of self-discovery, creativity, and empowerment with his fans through music and written word. That message has now been extended to this empowering book, offering insights and wisdom that challenge conventional thinking and help you tap into your best, most authentic self.
Humble sees life with unique clarity. In Unlearn, he opens our eyes to our own lives, helping us to recognize the possibilities that await us and the challenges that prevent us from realizing our dreams. With his characteristic honesty and forthrightness, he helps us shed the problematic lessons we’ve learned throughout our lives that limit us, from sabotaging habits, to fixed mindsets, to past regrets, and relearn new, unconventional ways of moving through life. Among his 101 lessons are:
Fitting In Is a Pointless Activity
Don’t Trust Everything You Feel
Killing Expectations Births Happiness
Comparisons are Killer
Baby Steps Add Up
You Decide Your Worth
Profound in its simplicity, Unlearn is the perfect invitation to a new beginning and to pursue a life of fulfillment.
Beloved for his sincerity, playfulness, and sage advice, globally famous rapper, spoken word artist, poet, blogger, and influencer Humble the Poet has traditionally shared his message of self-discovery, creativity, and empowerment with his fans through music and written word. That message has now been extended to this empowering book, offering insights and wisdom that challenge conventional thinking and help you tap into your best, most authentic self.
Humble sees life with unique clarity. In Unlearn, he opens our eyes to our own lives, helping us to recognize the possibilities that await us and the challenges that prevent us from realizing our dreams. With his characteristic honesty and forthrightness, he helps us shed the problematic lessons we’ve learned throughout our lives that limit us, from sabotaging habits, to fixed mindsets, to past regrets, and relearn new, unconventional ways of moving through life. Among his 101 lessons are:
Fitting In Is a Pointless Activity
Don’t Trust Everything You Feel
Killing Expectations Births Happiness
Comparisons are Killer
Baby Steps Add Up
You Decide Your Worth
Profound in its simplicity, Unlearn is the perfect invitation to a new beginning and to pursue a life of fulfillment.
320 pages, Hardcover
First published March 6, 2014
About the author
Humble the Poet
12 books360 followersHumble the Poet (Kanwer Singh) is a Canadian-born rapper, spoken-word artist, poet, internationally bestselling author, and former elementary school teacher with a wildly popular blog with over 100,000 monthly readers. He has more than 930,000 social media followers, and his first edition of Unlearn is a Globe and Mail bestseller. He has performed at concerts and festivals including Lollapalooza and has been featured in major media including BuzzFeed and Huffington Post.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 309 reviews
June 17, 2017
You can read this book the "normal way"; at the bus on your way to work or under the sun at a beach while you can hear little kids screaming in ecstasy like they've never experienced summer before.
You can read it with a pack of post-its in hand to take as many quotes out of it so you can be that person on Instagram [I am that person] or, if you are a monster, you can write on the book.
However, there are really three ways to go through the sayings of this book, and I chose the third one; spend seven Saturday nights drinking your green ice lemon tea (no sugar please) with a notebook and a pen by your side taking 26 pages of notes in a 285 pages book (feel free to change the numbers but don't add sugar in your tea).
See, if you follow Humble the Poet online, you pretty much know what to expect so you can't just read the book, you need to study the concepts he touches.
The book description is actually surprisingly accurate and you get what you pay for. There is nothing profound being said in the book and that's what makes it so unique. He is not the know-it-all type.
Don't read it as a how-to guide rather than a letter from a friend who wants you to do better. That is the best part of the book, he writes as he would (I feel) talk to a friend.
There are concepts like "get your head out of your ass", "you do you, let them do them", or "you are not the fucking center of the world" and, my personal favorite, "we're all gonna die, so don't settle for a life you didn't choose".
If this book was a YouTube video or an Instagram post, it would have millions of hate comments and I love that about it. It's so "normal" that it's controversial. It is authentic. It is a friend that will tell you to wake the fuck up and start living your life.
For me, it was the first time that a book made me want to write more than I wanted to keep on reading. It felt like a conversation, for some weird reason, I wanted to be part of.
It reminds you the things you forgot as you got older and tired of trying.
As I am writing this review, I realize that the style I am describing is that of a great teacher who gives advice to his students. Be open minded and read this book as an open letter from a boy, who lived through his challenges to become a man, and wants to help you face your challenges by sharing his journey.
You can read it with a pack of post-its in hand to take as many quotes out of it so you can be that person on Instagram [I am that person] or, if you are a monster, you can write on the book.
However, there are really three ways to go through the sayings of this book, and I chose the third one; spend seven Saturday nights drinking your green ice lemon tea (no sugar please) with a notebook and a pen by your side taking 26 pages of notes in a 285 pages book (feel free to change the numbers but don't add sugar in your tea).
See, if you follow Humble the Poet online, you pretty much know what to expect so you can't just read the book, you need to study the concepts he touches.
The book description is actually surprisingly accurate and you get what you pay for. There is nothing profound being said in the book and that's what makes it so unique. He is not the know-it-all type.
Don't read it as a how-to guide rather than a letter from a friend who wants you to do better. That is the best part of the book, he writes as he would (I feel) talk to a friend.
There are concepts like "get your head out of your ass", "you do you, let them do them", or "you are not the fucking center of the world" and, my personal favorite, "we're all gonna die, so don't settle for a life you didn't choose".
If this book was a YouTube video or an Instagram post, it would have millions of hate comments and I love that about it. It's so "normal" that it's controversial. It is authentic. It is a friend that will tell you to wake the fuck up and start living your life.
For me, it was the first time that a book made me want to write more than I wanted to keep on reading. It felt like a conversation, for some weird reason, I wanted to be part of.
It reminds you the things you forgot as you got older and tired of trying.
As I am writing this review, I realize that the style I am describing is that of a great teacher who gives advice to his students. Be open minded and read this book as an open letter from a boy, who lived through his challenges to become a man, and wants to help you face your challenges by sharing his journey.
March 16, 2018
DNF. So poorly written, so lacking in editing, so grammatically flawed and full of punctuation errors, it actually hurt my conscience to read. I thought if I started copy editing it myself, pen in hand, it might be a more fun experience, but all it did was make me feel like I'd wasted my money.
I was really excited to hear that Indigo now has their own publication company. I was heartbroken to find out that said company, apparently, does not have an editing staff.
I was really excited to hear that Indigo now has their own publication company. I was heartbroken to find out that said company, apparently, does not have an editing staff.
October 7, 2019
I loved this book. I have to admit that the editing needs a lot of work and it could get very repetitive, but the subject matter was great. There was a lot of useful information and thoughts to ponder and it is one of those books that you need to buy a copy of so that you can randomly read over and over again with a highlighter.
I just really like how I felt after reading this book. I felt so happy, optimistic and inspired. It was very motivational.
I just really like how I felt after reading this book. I felt so happy, optimistic and inspired. It was very motivational.
June 28, 2015
I picked this book up a couple of days ago and I'm probably not gonna put it down any time soon. I'm going to use it as something I can turn to whenever necessary (or just when I feel like it) to just get a little knowledge from Humble. Awesome book.
February 22, 2018
consider me humbled
April 24, 2019
A book that was simple, crisp and on to the point. Couldn't have asked for a better life lesson in words. Please give it a read.
May 8, 2015
Such a good book. So much wisdom in this. Great book if you've lost you're path in life. Definitely answers the questions I've always been wondering about life.
June 6, 2019
It's a quick read. A lot of the points are common, but it's nice to hear another version of the message. Great book!
November 3, 2019
Audio is the way to go with this book and I recommend reading one chapter a day and taking the time to fully grasp its possible application and implication.
January 14, 2021
This was a great, motivational and inspiring book to improve how you live your life. Unlearn is an easy read, whether you have an entire afternoon or just a few minutes here and there. Either reading the book cover to cover or picking a chapter at random, you will get well thought insightful read.
January 9, 2018
It's hard to articulate exactly how I feel about this book. I didn't read this book for my own enjoyment; I read it as part of my mission to find short texts that will interest high school students. I think the book succeeds in that regard: the style is informal, easy-to-read, and generally uplifting without being unrealistically optimistic (note: some profanity, but not enough to be a dealbreaker).
However, it's not a very impressive book if you sit down and read it cover to cover. Humble The Poet does a great job at following the mindfulness craze, but by the halfway point his words were already becoming repetitive. The book has a ton of padding. There are 101 chapters that are 1-2 pages each. And there's always an extra page dedicated to a quote from that chapter. Dude quotes himself constantly (many of them aren't even profound!) So basically 1/3 of the pages in the book are blatantly pointless and repetitive, and another 1/2 of the book is just repetitive. There were also some glaringly obvious grammatical mistakes.
I'm glad I bought this book on sale because it definitely isn't worth $23.99.
However, it's not a very impressive book if you sit down and read it cover to cover. Humble The Poet does a great job at following the mindfulness craze, but by the halfway point his words were already becoming repetitive. The book has a ton of padding. There are 101 chapters that are 1-2 pages each. And there's always an extra page dedicated to a quote from that chapter. Dude quotes himself constantly (many of them aren't even profound!) So basically 1/3 of the pages in the book are blatantly pointless and repetitive, and another 1/2 of the book is just repetitive. There were also some glaringly obvious grammatical mistakes.
I'm glad I bought this book on sale because it definitely isn't worth $23.99.
April 11, 2019
I am not the only person in the world. I am the only person with the world inside of me.
Poetry is utter trash.
The mind is constantly at work,
in harmony with cognitive core
and what is entrenched in secondary subliminal,
too, deciphering radiation matrix,
but one's studies must be allowed a respite,
a temporary state of grace.
#poem
Chris Roberts, God Yesterday
Poetry is utter trash.
The mind is constantly at work,
in harmony with cognitive core
and what is entrenched in secondary subliminal,
too, deciphering radiation matrix,
but one's studies must be allowed a respite,
a temporary state of grace.
#poem
Chris Roberts, God Yesterday
April 5, 2018
Somewhat repetitive, but the author notes at the beginning that all chapters can be taken on their own. I think this is a book you can come back to, pick up, and read again from any point to review and inspire the soul. The writing is strong and promotes non-preachy, to-each-his-own advice.
April 7, 2020
Simple and easy to read, straight to the point and filled with countless bite sized life lessons along the way. Great book to pick up day to day. 4/5.
August 18, 2021
Needed a read like this one so bad at this point in my life. Great work Humble!
December 2, 2020
This book has good quotes and is encouraging. I found it to be a little boring, but since it’s short I stuck with it. It doesn’t really teach us anything we don’t already know, but it does remind us of some important words to live by.
January 3, 2023
I won’t deny, I struggled to read this. Not that the messages were hard to grasp, quite the opposite, really. The writing is simply, too simplistic. So simplistic that the meaning lacked any gravitas. Then again, perhaps that’s the point? That these lessons should be peddled to the spoon fed masses, but are those people the ones who really read books?
Perhaps I set myself up at a disadvantage with checking this out at the library. This may serve better as a chapter a day type of lesson learning instead of reading it all at once.
And so, with each book I read, by the end I ask myself, “What did you learn?” And it is also in a chapter of this books about making mistakes. This book, in my opinion, needs to be edited. Even though it is not perfect, Humble still published his art. A lesson for you, fellow artists, perfection isn’t real and someone will resonate with your work. Just get out of your comfort zone, those of a like mind shall inevitably find you.
This is what stuck with me most:
“Every moment is a brushstroke on that masterpiece of your lie won't be complete until your life is complete. Fortunately and unfon. nately, you won't be here to see the final product.
That final product was never for you. You are simply a part of ths creation adding to the creation. We don't live in this universe; we are the universe.
"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of en ergy, frequency and vibration." - Nikola Tesla
There's nothing to solve, ponder, or search for. Energy, frequencies and vibrations are felt; they cannot be created or destroyed, they can only be changed. This is one of those brief moments when so ence and spirituality can hold hands. Listen to your feelings, trust your struggles-it's how everything in this universe tends to work.
Our realities exist within us. Our beliefs are simply belies, andered day impossible seems to be a temporary word. Youre going to med a myriad of folks who want to tell you your purpose.”
Perhaps I set myself up at a disadvantage with checking this out at the library. This may serve better as a chapter a day type of lesson learning instead of reading it all at once.
And so, with each book I read, by the end I ask myself, “What did you learn?” And it is also in a chapter of this books about making mistakes. This book, in my opinion, needs to be edited. Even though it is not perfect, Humble still published his art. A lesson for you, fellow artists, perfection isn’t real and someone will resonate with your work. Just get out of your comfort zone, those of a like mind shall inevitably find you.
This is what stuck with me most:
“Every moment is a brushstroke on that masterpiece of your lie won't be complete until your life is complete. Fortunately and unfon. nately, you won't be here to see the final product.
That final product was never for you. You are simply a part of ths creation adding to the creation. We don't live in this universe; we are the universe.
"If you want to find the secrets of the universe, think in terms of en ergy, frequency and vibration." - Nikola Tesla
There's nothing to solve, ponder, or search for. Energy, frequencies and vibrations are felt; they cannot be created or destroyed, they can only be changed. This is one of those brief moments when so ence and spirituality can hold hands. Listen to your feelings, trust your struggles-it's how everything in this universe tends to work.
Our realities exist within us. Our beliefs are simply belies, andered day impossible seems to be a temporary word. Youre going to med a myriad of folks who want to tell you your purpose.”
June 10, 2019
I would read this again and use it as a daily motivational. It is filled with so much about life and how we react to it and the people in it.
April 19, 2020
this book was difficult to get through. Humble would say it was because i expected more from the book than i got, so that’s in me. unfortunately, everything in this book is recycled from something else. all the big bold statements that have their own special page are cliche. trite. i wanted more. i wanted something to seep into my core, because i love books like this. this fell wildly short.
November 17, 2020
This book has nothing that you don't already know, BUT it is the much-needed reminder of all those important things that we tend to overlook when we are not very happy with our life! The chapters are small so you can read a few chapters daily.
November 8, 2017
A little too repetitive but the overall message is inspiring.
April 16, 2019
If everyone in this world would read this book what a different world this would be.
November 2, 2019
Far better to unlearn this pointless nonsense was ever committed to paper. A real bumwipe of a book
September 25, 2019
This is one of the best books I have every read and that’s saying a lot! This book simply helps you take a look at your current thought process in new way. For me, it helped me understand that most of the road blocks in my life began in my mind and I manifested them in my life. If one can make road blocks a reality then one can make dreams a reality. Let me be clear, this book does not sell you a pipe dream of everything will be roses, it give you hard truths and new way to look at life.I would recommend this book to everyone. It is a phenomenal read!
July 17, 2018
This is kind of like a self help book. It’s a collection of advice for life. I thought the author made a lot of valid points, and it’s a book I might be interested in owning. It’s the type of book where you could go back and re-read various sections; however, I found some parts a bit repetitive.
June 12, 2019
Humble offers nuggets of wisdom throughout this entire book. He never explicitly states this, but he does offer a lot of Stoic philosophy and insight gained as an artist and teacher. I will definitely re-read in the future.
January 2, 2020
I wouldn't buy this book, but I am happy Iit found at the library. No major revelations for me, but it might be just the book for the next person who picks it up. My favorite piece of wisdom, probably because I agree with it strongly is about expectations. "Expectations are a bigger enemy to our happiness than our circumstances; the fewer expectations you have, the better off you are." Now, not everyone may agree with that, but if you think about the holidays and how even adults find they have high expectations of holiday events and gifts, but these expectations can rarely be fulfilled. I see children negatively affected by their expectations and I find it to be sad.
May 24, 2020
I don’t vouch for people determining truths for others to live by.
That being said, these are HIS truths. A lot of his learnt lessons made sense to me and I value the fact that he’s taking positions.
So I vouch for this book and I invite the reader to make up their own mind on each chapter.
That being said, these are HIS truths. A lot of his learnt lessons made sense to me and I value the fact that he’s taking positions.
So I vouch for this book and I invite the reader to make up their own mind on each chapter.
January 6, 2023
I really liked it! Lots of really important things to think about in your life. Mindset, motivation and many other self improvement tips! I enjoyed it. I bought this book years ago and never read it, glad I finally picked it up.
August 22, 2019
Easy to read 101 short chapters that can be used randomly as daily inspiration.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 309 reviews