I stumbled upon this when I searched for must-read books in your twenties. The title itself is pretty self-explanatory. I initially thought this was just going to be another pretentious motivation under the delusion of "self-help". However, I was proven wrong. Meg Jay writes about her experience as a therapist for the twenties generation, weaving together wonderful anecdotes and compelling dialogues along with contemporary research. Therefore, this book is in itself, a science.
I turn 22 this year. And I'm feeling kind of lost. This book describes the people who also feel lost. Talks of career, networking, relationships and having babies seem like somewhere in the far-fetched future. Something that tomorrow me has to endure but somehow things will magically happen and I don't have to work for it. This fallacy of "present bias" has led many twenty-somethings into the ocean of many possibilities only to realise that all those times they spent discovering, they are still lost at sea. The idea of giving up everything to stick with one decision is daunting. As an indecisive person, I know this very well.
One thing that catches my eye is the phrase "There's a difference between making your life at thirty and starting your life at thirty." The prefrontal cortex associated with forward-thinking is not fully developed until a human turns thirty. Twenty-somethings have fired-up neurons to absorb adulthood like a sponge. But the only way to go into adulthood is not to postpone it, but to go right into it. Learn as much as you can. Make errors. Take criticisms. Apply for the job. Start a relationship. Begin saving for the future. "I always start with the end." Imagine how you want your life to be and start working on it on your twenties.
