I’m not sure what I expected from this book but it was a surprise. The images are hugely diverse. Some are colourful, some are funny, lots have people, some don’t and many might be thought of as ‘boring’. The text is quite challenging and really makes you think.

The photographs encourage reflection and the narrative winds around them asking difficult questions. Think about who has hurt you. When did you give up your dreams? Why am I so lonely?

You wander through a discussion on how society is set up and find yourself in a discussion on capitalism. The School of Life is known to be trying to improve our well being by inspiring us to truly ‘look at’ ourselves and I enjoyed the way this book managed that while being entertaining. I’ll read it again.

I was given a copy of this book by NetGalley

Adulthood is a mystery. Having zero self-knowledge to face it is not a good idea. So, how could we learn?

Bringing a new series in 2024, "Self-Knowledge in 40 Images" is the first title The School of Life introduced for the "In 40 Images." This book is complementary to the previous "Self-Knowledge" book essay that was published in 2018. As the title has mentioned, there are 40 images to elaborate more about what the self-knowledge concept is.

The School of Life collaborated with photographers to choose 40 images that align with the self-knowledge concept and present them with a short essay. The reader would find the essay first before they see the image. That arrangement makes the images interpreted based on what the author wants. But still, readers can enjoy both essay and image slowly to be reflected to themselves.

I love how this book "explains" the self-knowledge concept with many aspects and points of view. Such as how to enjoy being old, how to not overthink something, about trauma and the process to overcome it. As The School of Life readers, it still has the touch of what I have been reading. And the images make the message even stronger and resonate more with my life.

I suggest you read it slowly, take a break, and ask yourself about the essay & the image. Does it resonate with you? Is it something that aligns with your values?

"Self-Knowledge in 40 Images" is not only a "picture book." It is something to be read over and over again every time we try to understand how our "self-knowledge" works.

(Thank you NetGalley and The School of Life for the ARC!).

I expected this to be more focused on the photos but there were serious essays with every picture. That made the experience more interesting and I'd recommend anyone reading this to go one picture at a time so you can think about the points being made. I'd recommend this as a coffee table book or as an adult bedtime book, so you can fall asleep contemplating confidence in your own life. Thanks to NetGalley for letting me read this