Review:

No matter what age you are as you read this or what experiences you have had in your lifetime, you can be pretty sure you have gone through a quarterlife crisis. It is actually a pretty funny thing to think about. If you were like me when I first read this book, the idea of a quarterlife crisis was completely foreign. I had recently graduated from university and a close friend of mine gave this book to me as a gift and introduction into life’s next chapter. I did not initially plan to read it, but one day I found myself with some extra time and decided to dig in. As is the case so often in life, what I discovered was not at all what I expected. It turns out that the idea of a quarterlife crisis is very real and a great majority of people in their twenties go through it one way or another. On one side I was a bit upset for having started the book in the first place since it was not until then that I realized I too was experiencing my own quarterlife crisis of sorts. Although as I continued on, it was comforting to know that some of the insecurities I was feeling as a recent graduate being humbled with a career search and lifestyle changes, was normal.

It is amazing that it often takes someone (or two people in this case) to decide to stand up and do something different and recognize an issue for others to relate to it. I have to hand it to Robbins and Wilner, the two women who wrote this book. I believe that it was their very own challenges as twenty- somethings and their need for comfort and answers that compelled them to write it. It is such a service to those readers who are going through the same issues and trying to understand them.

If you are in your twenties you may read this review and think to yourself “yeah I am sure there are plenty of people my age who have issues qualifying as a quarterlife crisis, in fact I can name a few right now, but I am certainly not one of them. I did great in school, I have a career lined up and I know what I will be doing for the next five or so years.” Then for those of you who are in your thirties, forties or older as you read this, you are probably thinking “that is one of the most bogus and naïve thoughts for a recent graduate to have.” That’s the funny part of every year of experience we gain. All we really gain is more understanding of the fact that there is so much we do not know. I was that twenty-one year old who graduated in the top of his class and had a very “clear” idea of what was next. It did not take me long to realize how wrong I was, and reading through this book greatly helped me understand these concerns.

I give the above example because I believe that everyone in this world can benefit from additional information in whatever they do. This is especially true for the less-experienced. Quarterlife Crisis does a fantastic job of brining to light so many of the things recent graduates had, have, or will have to face in their early roads to success. You can be sure that not all of the topics in this book will apply to you, but you can be equally sure that at least a portion of them will. And for the parts to which you cannot personally relate, I encourage you to still take note because chances are that at least some of the people are around you will be feeling those pains. Bringing these issues to light will not only serve you to better understand yourself but also to better understand those around you. And in a world where the path to success is paved with a firm and clear understanding of yourself and those around you, I do not see how you could afford to miss this first step of the journey.

-Reading for Your Success