Braving the Wilderness: Reese's Book Club - Brené Brown

Braving the Wilderness: Reese's Book Club

By Brené Brown

  • Release Date: 2017-09-12
  • Genre: Social Science
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 413 Ratings
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Description

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • REESE’S BOOK CLUB PICK • A timely and important book that challenges everything we think we know about cultivating true belonging in our communities, organizations, and culture, from the #1 bestselling author of Rising Strong, Daring Greatly, and The Gifts of Imperfection

Don’t miss the five-part Max docuseries Brené Brown: Atlas of the Heart!

“True belonging doesn’t require us to change who we are. It requires us to be who we are.” Social scientist Brené Brown, PhD, MSW, has sparked a global conversation about the experiences that bring meaning to our lives—experiences of courage, vulnerability, love, belonging, shame, and empathy. In Braving the Wilderness, Brown redefines what it means to truly belong in an age of increased polarization. With her trademark mix of research, storytelling, and honesty, Brown will again change the cultural conversation while mapping a clear path to true belonging.

Brown argues that we’re experiencing a spiritual crisis of disconnection, and introduces four practices of true belonging that challenge everything we believe about ourselves and each other. She writes, “True belonging requires us to believe in and belong to ourselves so fully that we can find sacredness both in being a part of something and in standing alone when necessary. But in a culture that’s rife with perfectionism and pleasing, and with the erosion of civility, it’s easy to stay quiet, hide in our ideological bunkers, or fit in rather than show up as our true selves and brave the wilderness of uncertainty and criticism. But true belonging is not something we negotiate or accomplish with others; it’s a daily practice that demands integrity and authenticity. It’s a personal commitment that we carry in our hearts.” Brown offers us the clarity and courage we need to find our way back to ourselves and to each other. And that path cuts right through the wilderness. Brown writes, “The wilderness is an untamed, unpredictable place of solitude and searching. It is a place as dangerous as it is breathtaking, a place as sought after as it is feared. But it turns out to be the place of true belonging, and it’s the bravest and most sacred place you will ever stand.”

Reviews

  • Another Brene beautiful BASH

    5
    By 66reg
    The Wilderness becomes a best friend because of the powerful, pragmatic and portable tolls Dr Brown gifts us with.

  • Wonderful !

    5
    By Treddv
    This book has shifted the way I see “true belonging”.

  • Repetitive and preachy

    1
    By danlwlf
    One strange aspect of the book and, it seems, Brown’s persona, is that she keeps talking about how she’s a researcher and how her findings are all research-based, but at no point does she cite any real data. Instead, she keeps referring vaguely to the expressed views of her research subjects. No numbers, no percentages, no specific questions and answers. This leads to the strong impression that she begins with her conclusions and then seeks out opinions to support them. Her message is ok, which is basically that we’re social animals who need a sense of belonging but we shouldn’t sacrifice our values or identity to “fit in.” But it doesn’t go much beyond that, and all her talk of rigorous research to achieve this insight seems bogus.

  • Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown

    5
    By Lynlouise
    I highly recommend this text! It’s engaging and offers clarity of current issues and tactics to address them!

  • Bread but no butter

    2
    By Heironymous Bot
    The heart of the idea is there but does not deliver in a way that is either new or deeply insightful. I was expecting to gain either a more systemic understanding to the central issues of belonging, or what it means to belong in a boiling climate of divisiveness. Instead it read as simplistic, repetitious folk-wisdom that characterizes the self-help genre. I would love to see the ideas re-cast in a work of fiction, as neither the author’s academic research or ability to present something new served this format.

  • Worst book I’ve read this year so far.

    1
    By Chip2008$
    At the beginning it was descent then it went downhill from there. Very disappointed, just another self help guru trying to sell as many books as possible.

  • Braving the wilderness

    5
    By *****************M
    Fantastic book! Very relevant for what’s plaguing our society.

  • Not so great

    1
    By 9944756
    This book is grossly overrated. The writers ego comes out much more than the message she’s trying to make. This book is very political and poorly represents an objective point of view. She tries to give off the impression that she’s attempting to be equal to both sides but her biases are obvious. The points she tries to make about strength and self growth are generic and weak. Honestly It’s not worth it.

  • Almost

    4
    By 4488662
    The beginning kept me interested then it seemed to fall off into a redundant self help book. Perhaps life experiences of people the author has not seen or interviewed and those who have walked well beyond the lives she describes may find the advice modest and pedestrian. Many autonomic functions we simply have no control over let alone the role hormones manage and control our lives.

  • Much needed tools for our times!

    5
    By kesmit3
    Excellent and grounded challenge for us all to look at the state of the world today and step up where we each can. The courage to be alone when belonging comes at price too high to pay for our humanity!!!

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