This Is Water

“Learning how to think” really means learning how to exercise some control over how and what you think. It means being conscious and aware enough to choose what you pay attention to and to choose how you construct meaning from experience. Because if you cannot or, will not, exercise this kind of choice in adult life, you will be totally hosed."

That's a quote from This is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life by David Foster Wallace.
This is from a 2005 speech to the graduating class of Kenyon College. He reminded them that a Liberal Arts education is meant to teach one how to think. It was the only such address he ever made.

I received a copy of this book to review and I love the way it's written in short little paragraphs on each page, which made it so easy to read and savor and ponder. It's a very small, almost pocket-sized book which I think would make a great gift to anyone. You will find yourself wanting to read it over again and to share. This book so short and sweet, make you stop and review your path in this life journey which we all need to do constantly to ensure we aren’t just following along like zombies but making an effort to live fully and compassionately.
David Foster Wallace moved to Claremont, CA in 2002 to become the first Roy E. Disney Professor of Creative Writing and Professor of English at Pomona College. He was best known for his 1996 novel Infinite Jest, which TIME included in its All-Time 100 Greatest Novels list (covering the period 1923–2006)

He struggled with depression for years and committed suicide in 2008.

Pick up a copy today because it's worth the read. Consider it a gift to yourself. This is Water...

My review copy was provided by Little, Brown and Company is a division of Hachette Book Group, Inc. The Little, Brown name and logo are trademarks of Hachette Book Group, Inc.