I went into reading "The Act of Living" by Frank Tallis thinking I'd find lots of joy while reading it. However, sometimes books written by psychologists come out just a tad bit scientific and make the reading methodical. The author does do a great job of taking a look at life's biggest questions and delving into them, but in a less reader friendly format. If you're looking for a super in the feels book, this isn't it. But it has a different way of looking at things and great information.

This is an interesting and educational book that can feel a bit dry and like a textbook at times. It's a topic I love to read about but this particular book wasn't one I enjoyed as much as I hoped.

Very informative but reads more like a textbook. Was heavy going and the language was quite cold and stern.
There was some interesting information but for me it could have been told in a warmer, more user friendly manner

I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys psychology and philosophy. It was a fast read, but it was full of ideas and inspiration that I added several books to my "to read" list because of this book.

The Act of Living by Frank Tallis is a book written to help the reader find themselves and ultimately, fulfillment. I think the author provides an interesting viewpoint as a psychologist and believe this topic is very important, especially when COVID-19 has resulted in many reflecting on their lives. However, I found the writing style too formal when this is a book about living, I was hoping a bit more joy and hope would be injected in the writing. I also noticed some stories did not necessarily add to the book. For example, Chapter 1 seemed a bit disjointed and not relevant to the topic. Given the dense amount of information (particularly historical information about psychology) and the writing style, I would recommend this for more academic readers than the reader trying to glean some wisdom from anecdotes and have some exercises.

Many thanks to the publisher Perseus Books, Basic Books and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Unfortunately I DNF’d this. Not a bad book at all and Tallis writes well. I just felt I was back at uni preparing for a psych exam and wasn’t motivated to pick it up. It’s just not what I thought it would be based on the book’s blurb and title. However, in saying that it was not a difficult read and would definitely suit other lay readers. I didn’t want to give this a star rating as I hadn’t finished it, however need to for Netgalley.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and author for the opportunity to read this in exchange for my honest review.

The Act of Living is a book that provides insight into finding yourself. In order to find the fulfillment that each person seeks, you must first understand the different aspects that each person may possess.

This book is so informative and useful to anyone. I liked the recap on prior psychology trailblazers like Freud. There were so many points that can be applied to the act of living. Great read!