I loved, loved, loved this book. It was exactly the right book for me. I almost didn’t buy it, though. I’m on a must-resist-book-buying sort of budget, but my husband pointed this book out to me at the bookstore. After reading the “Ten Indispensable Things You Need to Change the World” on the back flap, I knew I had to buy this book. (#1 is “A cupboard. To put your TV in.” Something I know I should do but don’t.)

The book is structured around the author trying to get a better grasp on the serenity prayer, which she has carried with her for years:
“Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change
The courage to change the things I can
And the wisdom to know the difference.”

That first bit is where I get stuck. I feel this immense responsibility to devote my life to “changing the world” but I just end up feeling overwhelmed (duh, can you imagine?) and frustrated when I see that there’s no silver bullet solution to anything. This book spoke to me in a way that no one ever has. No matter how many times someone has said to me “There is no silver bullet” or “You can’t change the world in a day” or whatever, I nodded in agreement but didn’t really agree. Deep down, I truly believed that there is a silver bullet and I just had to find it.

But this book taught me that though there may be a silver bullet out there, devoting your life to finding out what it is isn’t nearly important as doing something that brings you joy and makes you feel as if you’re contributing something to the solution. I don’t want to ruin the ending, but I will if I say much more than that.

I just really, really loved this book. It’s exactly what I needed to read. Thank you, Isabel Losada, wherever you are.