| Name of the Book | 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos |
| Author | Jordan B. Peterson |
| Publisher and Year of Publishing | Penguin Allen Lane (UK), January 16, 2018 |
| Price | 699/- (Paperback) |
CHECKLIST RATING: 3.5/5
Reviewer: Yangerlong Jamir
Jordan B. Peterson is a clinical psychologist and professor of psychology at the University of Toronto, Canada. Firstly, let me make it clear that I am a huge fan of Dr. Peterson. And after watching countless interviews and online lessons from him, I finally decided to try this one out although I personally hate reading motivational/self-help books. But I assure you that I will try to be as unbiased as I possibly can in my criticisms and give credit where credit is due.
Order & Chaos | Yin & Yang | Testosterone & Oestrogen
According to the Author, in the famous Taoist symbol Yin and Yang, “Order is the white, masculine serpent; Chaos, its black, feminine counterpart. The black dot in the white and the white dot in the black – indicate the possibility of transformation: just when things seem secure, the unknown can loom, unexpectedly and large. Conversely, just when everything seems lost, new order can emerge from catastrophe and chaos.”
The first idea that permeates the author’s writing and ideology in this book is the concept of ‘Biological Essentialism’. That, an individual’s unique qualities (such as intelligence, creativity, masculinity, femininity, etc.) is a process in which biological and gender influences precedes the effects of cultural influences.
If you are a successful male, you have preferential access to the best places and highest quality food. You have limitless opportunities for romantic/sexual contact and people always compete to do you favours. Likewise, if you’re a successful female, you have access to the highest quality suitors. Tall and strong, creative and reliable, honest and generous.
By contrast, if you’re a low-status male or female, you have nowhere to live. Your food is terrible and you’re of minimal romantic interest to anyone. Even money itself may prove of little use because you wouldn’t know how to use it. Money is difficult to use properly, particularly if you’re unfamiliar with it.
Coda
This isn’t your typical self-help book, but the basic premise of the book is simple – The World is a terrible place filled with pain and suffering. Even when you’re not in pain, you always know someone else is. And the only way to make the world a better place is to start with oneself- As more individuals start bettering themselves, the potential for the world to become better ever so slightly increases.
Towards the middle of the book, it gets dense. To a point, it gets Bible study centered, it almost felt like I was in the middle of a sermon. Something I was not expecting. On the contrary, it isn’t like your typical theology class either. Rather, it felt more like a breakdown of certain sections and events from the Bible from the standpoint of a clinical psychologist to support his Rules.
Projecting, striving for competence and confidence. Making good friends with people who care about you. Not needlessly comparing yourself to other people. Pursuing meaningful and substantial things and not what is expedient. Assuming the person you’re listening to knows something you don’t. Bottom-line, just enjoying and appreciating the little things in life and focusing your energy and attention on what nurtures you and sustains you.
Overall, I give 12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson a 3.5/5 for readability. Though all the biblical references may get overwhelming at times, the best thing to like about this book is that it begins with small changes like improving one’s posture or cleaning your rooms which the author believes causes a rippling effect and eventually brings a positive impact to your life.
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