Official Review: In Search of Yourself by John Oyadougha

[Craigable]

[Following is the official OnlineBookClub.org review of "In Search of Yourself" by John Oyadougha.]

In Search of Yourself is not a full-length book but rather a brief self-published instructional treatise of some thirty-odd pages. John Oyadougha, a young Nigerian not long out of high school, desires to foster youth empowerment through this introductory discussion of how to identify, understand, and exploit one's "God given talent."

The pamphlet is divided into six chapters, all of which elaborate upon different aspects of personal talent. Oyadougha first differentiates between the concepts of skill and talent--an obviously crucial distinction for his audience to fathom. The two subsequent chapters are devoted respectively to identifying and managing one's talent. Readers are then cautioned to avoid the dual pitfalls of overdiversification and of pursuing "other people's dreams." Finally, in the last chapter ("Talent and Passion in Action"), the author provides a set of six interviews with local notables who garnered success in various fields of endeavor, including writing, dance, fashion design, and charity work.

In Search of Yourself is presumably designed as a rudimentary introduction for teenagers and young adults. Despite the work's didactic nature, the tone remains casual. Indeed, Oyadougha maintains a friendly forcefulness of spirit throughout, resulting in a text that fairly percolates with the author's natural enthusiasm. There is a sincerity of purpose here that likewise cannot be ignored. This, it would seem, is no mere catchpenny tract.

Good intentions notwithstanding, In Search of Yourself regrettably falls far short of success. The text is plagued with technical shortcomings: syntax, grammar, and punctuation issues; spelling and usage errors; typographical errors; even formatting irregularities. Truthfully the pamphlet is more akin to a first rough--very rough--draft than a polished, publishable essay. What's more, the discussion is altogether too optimistic. It fails to address real-world issues facing those who seek to market their talent and lacks sufficient coverage of personal failure and its consequences. Essentially the work amounts to a light, informative pep talk.

If Oyadougha is the unwitting victim here of his own youth and inexperience--a common enough occurrence for budding authors--he is also the victim of what he innocently regards as sage advice given him by his mentor: "You don't need to construct good sentences . . . just write down something and the editors will take care of the rest." Whether Oyadougha can overcome the burden of such counsel and achieve success remains to be seen. Judging by this debut piece, though, his journey is likely to be a more challenging one than he suspects.

Presuming the author can eventually fashion his pamphlet into a marketable work, it is not likely to find a receptive audience in the United States thanks to market saturation. Nigeria, on the other hand, seems an ideal market since Oyadougha's personal anecdotes, cultural references, and interviewees all bear the stamp of his homeland. Limiting his audience to a single country may not satisfy the author's stated goal of "sav[ing] millions of youth around the world," but perhaps he can be persuaded to wait until his second book before rescuing the planet.

I rate this book 1 out of 4 stars.

***
View hassle-free sample of "In Search of Yourself"