Book review: Mindfulness

Mindfulness by Mark Williams and Danny Penman

Review by Ben

What is the book about?

The book begins by asking you, why have ‘you picked up this book … the chances are you’re repeatedly asked yourself why the peace and happiness you yearn for so often slip through your fingers’. Intense words, but Williams and Penman create an easy to follow guide teaching one firstly, what is mindfulness, and secondly, how to learn it and incorporate it into your daily routines. Mindfulness aims to tackle cycles of anxiety, stress, unhappiness and exhaustion.

What are the author's qualifications? & How easy was it to read?

Professor Mark Williams, an Oxford academic, co-developed mindfulness therapy and Dr Danny Penman is an award-winning journalist and meditation teacher. Together they expertly bounce off each other’s’ specialisms and writing styles to create a dynamic and engaging mindfulness guide.

How easy was it to implement any recommendations?

The book is broken down into manageable sections of information denoted by chapters and ‘practices’, for example ‘Practice for Week One’, ‘Practices for Week Two’ etc. This makes for an easy read, one where it feels as if you are journeying into mindfulness with more and more information revealed to you. It is a nice touch, especially with a concept such as mindfulness which has the potential to be pretentiously explained.

Did you feel you benefited from the book?

I did! I am one to overthink and stress (idea’s Mark Forster’s ‘Do it Tomorrow also addressed). As such, it was comforting to be offered a solution to this. Asking for help isn’t a bad thing, it should be encouraged. This book teaches the importance of self-care, and I have found this to be an interesting idea going forwards.

Who would you recommend this book to?

I keep on saying it, but students! Students have a lot going on. Students often feel as if they are ‘failures’ when an essay goes badly or exam results drop and imposter syndrome may kick in. I am not an Oxford grad, but I can only imagine these feelings are intensified at a place such as Oxford. This book certainly addresses these issues and offers a fix.

Any other thoughts?

If you are a fan of Shakespeare film adaptations (I did English Literature at undergrad – they were lifesavers) then you’ll be glad to find that Kenneth Branagh has also endorsed the book. Further proof to check the book out.