Title: My Crazy Attempt
Author: Lanre Basamta
Year of Publication: 2021
Publisher: Aaron & Hur Publishing
Number of Pages: 237
Category: Self Development
Young adults are often caught up in circles after graduating from university. As they leave School, they are pressured to achieve certain goals, amid several expectations to succeed. Although they are often ready to venture into the world, they are unsure of what to do and less prepared for life after School. This could be overwhelming. Lanre Basamta was aimless and made countless mistakes as a young adult but has made it out alive. He tells us this and more in his book, My Crazy Attempt, and even better, he learned from his mistakes and he offers advice about the issues that today’s young adults face.
Basamta is incredibly passionate, sometimes funny and tough on himself, but always honest. His enthusiasm is contagious and helps to make his book easy to read.
Page by page we become aware of many of his conversations and mentoring that occurred over twenty years with young people. After a rewarding experience, he answered questions like: Why do I need to understand myself? How do I develop my emotional intelligence? What is career planning? But just knowing one of them doesn’t mean the world will reward you.
Basamta walks you through his thoughts and findings about personal branding in a way that leaves you feeling like you were present during many of his youth seminars. My Crazy Attempt is good at explaining the nitty-gritty of topics with abundant stories.
He quotes an African proverb: “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go in a group” and highlights the importance of collaborating with others in order to make headway in life. A lot of the book is about dealing with people: how to understand people, how to communicate with people, and how to make a good impression on people. Each chapter displays a new finding and how it relates to people management.
The author drew a lot of inspiration from a book by former American boxer and social activist Muhammad Ali, The Greatest. Basamta saw a way that he could expand on talking about finding your true self and standing out in detail.
He had plenty to say to aspiring young professionals. For one, it is important to make a career plan. Prepare for an interview. Research on the company and role. Basamta prepares you for the types of things that can go wrong.
“A change in behavior is the real sign of learning,” Basamta says. Just because you have acquired a lot of knowledge doesn’t mean it will create behavior change. So, how are your habits affecting your life? Face the hard truths and take charge of your life. The author spends much of the rest of the book around advice, and inspires you to greatness.
My Crazy Attempt book has provided important information for young adults on how to live by today to create a better tomorrow. While one may not agree with the author in everything he has written, the book is definitely worth reading.
About the reviewer
Titilade Oyemade is a business executive in a leading organisation and holds a degree in Russian Language. She’s the convener of the Hangoutwithtee Ladies Event and the publisher of Hangoutwithtee magazine. She spends her weekends attending women conferences, events and book readings. She loves to have fun and to help other women have the same in their lives. Email: [email protected] Social: @tiipree
