Review of In It Together (2nd Edition Hardcover from B&N)
Posted: 04 Feb 2023, 23:18
[Following is a volunteer review of "In It Together (2nd Edition Hardcover from B&N)" by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes.]
In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All is a philosophical book authored by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes. This nonfiction book is introspective, beginning with an opening quote, a letter, and a question. It segues into the deconstruction of what makes you yourself, reconstructs this torn-down image, and then offers eleven suggestions for a strategy to attain inner peace and identify the unity among us all. Familiar concepts will jump out at the readers, such as accepting things as they are without trying to change or control them, not taking things personally, forgiving others, and that material objects do not define you.
Reading both the eBook first edition of the book and the hard copy has allowed me to draw some noteworthy comparisons. The most significant is that there was a marked improvement in the organization of the book, reducing redundancies and repetitions where necessary. Something about the print version holds more appeal to me, and this something may be attributed to the layout or just the gratifying feeling of holding a physical book in my hand; I’ve read so many digital copies recently that my eyes seem to still see the screen when I go to sleep.
The reread also afforded me to focus on certain areas I missed at first. This led to my being able to select a segment of the book to call my favourite, namely “Suggestion Ten—Let go of restlessness and overcommitment. Do less, better.” I delighted in the metaphor about a dog being unable to simultaneously bark and bite, and I found Alan Watt’s quote about the lack of severity in nature humorous in its simple realism, but what got me the most was when Hughes advised readers to take a step back from their thoughts and find silence in the spaces between the words. I’m not sure how I skipped over this previously, but I genuinely got stuck on that part this time around, as I’m often plagued by the burden of overthinking. This was perhaps the most relatable aspect of the book for me.
Hughes utilizes a combination of pre-existing philosophy, analogous content, hypothetical scenarios, and quotes from celebrated and controversial historical figures to set his table for introspection before arriving at his main thoughts. Chapters are of a relatively short length, save for one or two outliers, which enable the material to be easily digested. I did catch a few formatting inconsistencies, but none was so glaring it was deserving of mention.
While I did find some errors in the book, these were on the minor side and not of a large number. The writing may, at times, be superfluous, but I believe this is par for the course with books that have a philosophical bent. The quality of the writing and the minimal number of errors have led me to the conclusion that this book has been professionally edited.
I rate In It Together five out of five stars. There is nothing about it that warrants complaint, and I really did enjoy the messages and lessons found within. As such, I would recommend it to readers who enjoy philosophical or self-help books. Hughes himself has affirmed that his book does not infringe on others’ beliefs, whether religious or otherwise, making it suitable for a large audience.
******
In It Together (2nd Edition Hardcover from B&N)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon
In It Together: The Beautiful Struggle Uniting Us All is a philosophical book authored by Eckhart Aurelius Hughes. This nonfiction book is introspective, beginning with an opening quote, a letter, and a question. It segues into the deconstruction of what makes you yourself, reconstructs this torn-down image, and then offers eleven suggestions for a strategy to attain inner peace and identify the unity among us all. Familiar concepts will jump out at the readers, such as accepting things as they are without trying to change or control them, not taking things personally, forgiving others, and that material objects do not define you.
Reading both the eBook first edition of the book and the hard copy has allowed me to draw some noteworthy comparisons. The most significant is that there was a marked improvement in the organization of the book, reducing redundancies and repetitions where necessary. Something about the print version holds more appeal to me, and this something may be attributed to the layout or just the gratifying feeling of holding a physical book in my hand; I’ve read so many digital copies recently that my eyes seem to still see the screen when I go to sleep.
The reread also afforded me to focus on certain areas I missed at first. This led to my being able to select a segment of the book to call my favourite, namely “Suggestion Ten—Let go of restlessness and overcommitment. Do less, better.” I delighted in the metaphor about a dog being unable to simultaneously bark and bite, and I found Alan Watt’s quote about the lack of severity in nature humorous in its simple realism, but what got me the most was when Hughes advised readers to take a step back from their thoughts and find silence in the spaces between the words. I’m not sure how I skipped over this previously, but I genuinely got stuck on that part this time around, as I’m often plagued by the burden of overthinking. This was perhaps the most relatable aspect of the book for me.
Hughes utilizes a combination of pre-existing philosophy, analogous content, hypothetical scenarios, and quotes from celebrated and controversial historical figures to set his table for introspection before arriving at his main thoughts. Chapters are of a relatively short length, save for one or two outliers, which enable the material to be easily digested. I did catch a few formatting inconsistencies, but none was so glaring it was deserving of mention.
While I did find some errors in the book, these were on the minor side and not of a large number. The writing may, at times, be superfluous, but I believe this is par for the course with books that have a philosophical bent. The quality of the writing and the minimal number of errors have led me to the conclusion that this book has been professionally edited.
I rate In It Together five out of five stars. There is nothing about it that warrants complaint, and I really did enjoy the messages and lessons found within. As such, I would recommend it to readers who enjoy philosophical or self-help books. Hughes himself has affirmed that his book does not infringe on others’ beliefs, whether religious or otherwise, making it suitable for a large audience.
******
In It Together (2nd Edition Hardcover from B&N)
View: on Bookshelves | on Amazon