The Courage to Be Disliked

Why I'd hand it to you

Written as a conversation between a philosopher and a skeptical young man, this book introduces the ideas of psychologist Alfred Adler: that we aren't prisoners of our past, that most problems are relationship problems, and that happiness takes the courage to be yourself. The dialogue format makes big ideas easy to follow. Some readers will find it irritating, though, since the young man's outbursts get repetitive, and Adler's claim that past trauma doesn't determine us can sound harsh to anyone who has truly suffered. If you worry too much about what others think, it offers a real shift in perspective.

— Matt Jordan