This is the first of what I hope will be many reviews about non-fiction books. I found 'The 5 AM Club' on a list of 50 supposedly life-changing books. The title compelled me immediately; it is fairly self-explanatory and yet I was curious to know what the author had to say. Besides, I have been having a hard time convincing myself to get back into getting up early, and hoped this book could provide useful insights.
The book is narrated in a storylike manner, following a suicidal entrepreneur and an artist who happen to be sitting next to each other at a talk by the Spellbinder, a renowned motivational speaker. This is a desperate move on the entrepreneur's part, who usually regards such events with skepticism. At the talk, the duo meet a man whose appearance suggests he is homeless, but for his Rolex watch. He claims to know the secret to inner peace, success, and prosperity. This is hard to believe, even if one is not as critical as the entrepreneur, but something about his words has her listening. On a complete leap of faith, the entrepreneur and artist agree to meet the homeless man the next morning at 5 a.m. When they do so, they are flown in a private jet to Mauritius, where they rise early every morning to learn from the homeless man, who turns out to be an influential billionaire.
Much like this book review, the actual book takes its sweet time getting to the point. While the anecdotal format is perhaps meant to make the content easier to read, it also detracts from the overall crispness of the subject matter. Despite that, the book has useful insights on a structured early morning routine that targets physical health, introspection, and constant learning and self-improvement. What I appreciate most about this book is its emphasis on building habits. There are also strategies on how to do this, including a schematic that explains that habits, when repeated consistently, take at least 66 days to become second nature. It is focusing on the process, rather than the results, that brings change. Some of the part about habits is also covered in 'Atomic Habits' by James Clear. This can be justified by the fact that the truth is universal, and people can only rephrase it.
'The 5 AM Club' idealises focusing solely on one's profession or passion to achieve tremendous success in their field, rather than dividing one's attention amongst several projects, causing the dilution of energy and efficiency. There is some merit in this idea. However, I think it may not be suited to everyone, because to lead a balanced and fulfilling life, several people, myself included, need to keep their various interests alive.
While imparting its lessons, the book simultaneously follows the lives of the characters. Sometimes I found the antics of Mr. Stone, the billionaire, to be a bit too much, but strangely, as the chapters went by, I found the characters endearing themselves to me. Sometimes, I felt that the book was trying to oversensationalise its principles, and the frequent repetition of the slogan 'Own your morning, elevate your life!' gave it a rather cultish feel.
I am torn about whether or not to favour this style of writing for a self-help book. In this particular case, it seemed like an obvious attempt to fluff up the content into something long enough to be a book. The presentation of this book might not be my favourite, but it undeniably has at least a few bits of wisdom I would like to integrate into my life, therefore, I have no regrets about reading it.