Book Review 2025.19: The Gifts of Imperfection, (2010), Hardbound 167 pages, November 25, 2025
This book was a gift I received after a talk I delivered at a corporate event and not a book that I choose to read. Having got it, I decided to read as I wanted a different experience of reading something that I had not selected myself.
Reading this book made me introspect and identify a few of my short comings. It was a timely reminder, as I have quite a few that I have to correct at the earliest. The most frequent and the one that troubled me the most is the fact that I get frequently irritated, which rightfully affects not only people around me but more important as soon as I realized my undesired behavior, it made me ponder over it for hours.
This is a self-help book to help the reader live a wholesome life. It draws extensively on the personal experiences of the author and how she overcame significant challenges that are common and many of us may be facing them. The book provides instructions on what to do and how to do it.
Organized in thirteen chapters, with the first three setting the context and the rest providing guidelines for overcoming challenges with specific prescriptions. The ten prescriptions are of cultivating Authenticity, Self-compassion, Resilient spirits, Gratitude & joy, Intuition and trusting faith, Creativity, Play and rest, Calm and stillness, Meaningful work, and Laughter, song and dance. What I liked about the book is its easy flow, simple language with short sentences and catchy phrases that stick to your mind.
My key learnings from this book include: 1. Knowledge must be used kindly and with gentleness. 2. You learn courage by couraging, like you learn swim by swimming. 3. Compassion enriches both the giver and the receiver. 4. The world is not divided into helpers and helped. All of us are both helpers and helped. 5. Guilt is the trigger of apology. 6. Perfection is about perception. 7. Anxiety and fear manifest as scarcity. 8. Hope is cognitive and can be learnt. 9. Ordinary is neither boring or meaningless. 10. Be slow to respond, but quick to think. 11. A smile says I am with you sans words. Like in all change process, knowledge is only the start, practice is what is required and tougher, but needs to be done.
This book is for individuals interested in introspection and reflection about making their life wholesome and fulfilling. I believe it is more of value to youngsters.
Happy reading as we strive for a more fulfilling life.
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