It's been a long time since I last reviewed a book here on the blog. However, after coming back from Japan, I thought that one of the books I couldn't get to back then would be quite appropriate to get to now, and that is Maneki Neko: The Japanese Secret to Good Luck and Happiness by Nobuo Suzuki.
*I have received a free ebook copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review, please note that this doesn’t affect my opinion of the book, nor my personal thoughts.
I'm definitely glad I ultimately decided to read Maneki Neko, as I enjoyed it very much. I suppose my recent trip to Japan influenced my perception of this book a lot, as I feel like I understood the meaning behind certain sections way more than if I'd read it before I went to Japan. Moreover, in my personal opinion, I don't see Maneki Neko as a self-help book, because it's so much more than that.
"What is luck?" is one of the many questions whose concept gets explored in this enlightening reading. Not only Maneki Neko ponders over the meaning of the word luck in great depth—did you know there are four different types of good luck?—by examining what role luck plays in our lives and in many of the decisions we make, but it also delves into different luck rituals from other countries, legends, and even lucky foods! I think my favourite part of this book were the stories, as they're what lies behind today's beliefs and superstitions around luck.
I would like to share with you one quote that completely struck me, as it felt somehow relatable to my current life situation and what I spoke of in my Major Life Update post. It kind of gives me hope that despites all the hardships that I'm facing—which genuinely make me feel so unlucky—things will eventually get better.
Those who were unlucky in life in spite of their skills would eventually rise. The lucky fool might have benefited from some luck in life; over the longer run he would slowly converge to the state of less-lucky idiot...
—Nassim Nicholas Taleb, Fooled by Randomness: The Hidden Role of Chance in Life and in the Markets
A very insightful read that shows how luck is a fundamental part of everyone's lives (whether it's good or bad), I definitely recommend it.
I can see how your recent trip to Japan influenced your perception of this subject and I think this is very positive because it made you appreciate what you read even more. It would probably have the same effect on me and that makes the book even more interesting <3 Also, I really like the quote you shared and I think I will add this title to my list!
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