Great title, and a fantastic set of endorsements from a diverse range of characters, from Chris Evans to Ed O’Brien of Radiohead, from Fearne Cotton to Will Young. So most likely it’s either very good, or the author has a lot of celebrity friends. The teachings he presents have much in common with cognitive behavioural therapy. So what we often see as “I” is really just a ragbag collection of thoughts echoing in our heads. At the heart of the author’s approach is the image of the pendulum, where all we see when we are in our troubled state is the swinging of the end of the pendulum from one pole to the other. The book offers exercises and suggestions which show us how to see things from the top of the pendulum, where all is still, calm and untroubled. Later on the narrative moves on to a description of the elements in ancient Chinese philosophy, which the author uses in his successful acupuncture practice. It works very well as a self-help book but that would not be enough for Cygnus. In the final section the book engages with love, love for humanity and all that is, and this is what makes the book special.

Paperback, 208pp, 2016