I received this book as an Early Reviewer several months ago and have finally finished reading it. The book has several good ideas and could be very helpful for someone looking to improve balance in their life. That said, I found it very dry and had a hard time getting through it. It was very detailed. In some cases, I thought there was actually too much detail; for example, the historical examples, while interesting, could have been condensed a lot without losing the message the author was trying to share. One thing I really liked was the list of takeaways at the end of the chapter. This was a very condensed version of the chapter and made it more digestible. The author also made good use of quotes throughout the book.

Interesting read especially if you need further proof that money does not buy happiness but want ideas on what could. Well organized. ( )

Rapid technological changes, higher standards of living and culturally very high expectations of happiness - how do you still manage to stay in balance?

The best way is not to chase happiness. Permanent happiness does not work. Instead, it is worthwhile to use one's individual uniqueness and for a higher goal. People in the 21st century need above all to believe in themselves, says Mark H. Law and invites us on a psychological, philosophical and biographical tour in his guidebook.

Recommended are
- more harmonious relationships,
- less prejudice,
- a clear goal in mind that is compatible with one's own strengths and weaknesses
- and yet take the way there more seriously.

There is no need to indulge in the trend towards even more materialism and even "hornier" experiences. Something can be done to counter the substitute stimuli of the social media platforms: First and foremost, self-respect and self-awareness. And: extroverts can become a little more introverted - and vice versa.

Sometimes truisms, to be sure.
But well-founded and entertainingly presented.
My conclusion: easily digestible advice, but very helpful fare. ( )

Mark Law gives great perspectives on how to achieve the most in life with his stories of past influencers. From Henry Ford to Nelson Mandela, each individual highlighted in this book, had philosophies and continuous motivation to pursue their dreams and eventually make them a reality. I enjoyed reading the stories of these men and the others in the book and I learned things about them that I never knew. ( )

In his book, 21st Century Balance: Unconventional Wisdom to Enlighten Yourself and Inspire Others, Mark Law pulls together a wide variety of information and resources to make the case for aligning natural capabilities with external opportunities as the way to self-actualisation. He delves into wide areas of research, uses the lives of famous men to illustrate his ideas and takes side trips to the industrial revolution and the Dark Ages. Law's book was very different from the typical book on balance and enlightenment, taking a more academic approach than other self-help books. It is a fascinating conglomeration of material, and I found much of it interesting although ultimately the book was unsatisfying to me in several ways.

Considering the level of detail provided in some of the chapters, I was a little surprised at the short list of steps for practicing gratitude in the penultimate chapter on how to remain content. Developing mindfulness and practicing meditation are not quite as easy as he makes them seem. Suggestions of resources to use would have been helpful. This might also have been a point where Law gave some personal insight into his practices in order to connect more closely with his readers.

My biggest concern was Law's choice of people whose lives he felt exemplified balance. Making any such list is problematic--you can't hope to make everyone happy--but as we are in the 21st century, deciding to choose all men as your examples seems out of touch. The happiness research he cites were both studies of men. It is his book, of course, so he gets to choose what to include. I just wonder if he or his editors thought about the impact of their choices on readers? I can certainly learn from the lives of everyone but seeing myself in at least one of the exemplars would have made me feel a bit more included.

Henry Ford, in particular, seems an odd choice to use as an example of balance despite his innovation in the automobile industry. Law fails to address the problematic nature of Ford's life outside of the factory where he espoused anti-Semitism that he linked to labor unions and sought to socially engineer the lives of his workers. Here might have been an opportunity to choose a woman. I thought about Eleanor Roosevelt, a contemporary of Ford, who turned personal tragedies into public compassion and leadership and, I believe, found the kind of internal/external balance Law describes.

I appreciate receiving an Early Reviewer's copy of this book in return for an honest review. Law has done a massive amount of research and clearly cares about his topic and his audience. I struggled with the book, but Law’s approach and examples could, of course, resonate with others who are on the quest for balance. ( )