Arisings is a self-help manual written by a 27-year-old Botswanan who describes himself as “an author and self-made entrepreneur.” His stated goal is to help readers “advance higher into success and triumph no matter the circumstances.”
The book is divided into four sections: “Arising & Falling by People,” “Arising by People,” “Arising by Oneself,” and “Arising by God.” Each contains a far-ranging spectrum of truisms intended to support the premise that applying certain principles or behaviors to situations will lead to prosperity and happiness in life. Author Advent AM Monyatsiwa includes advice on subjects as varied as self-esteem, relationships, home organization, finances, marriage, parenting, meditation, and religion.
The author’s enthusiasm for his subject is obvious. Yet his narrative suffers from several issues. The content is often unoriginal and obvious. It has the tendency to patronize, as if directed to a young teenager, as shown in these suggestions on self-management: “Always wash your dishes before going to bed. . . make sure to make your bed . . ” Or on finances: “to possess money you must know how to legally obtain it.”
Monyatsiwa also promises readers will “discover how I arose in situations where most would be falling,” yet he never offers concrete stories of actual entrepreneurial experience. And while he notes that he was an aspiring Olympic athlete, he doesn’t write about the challenges he faced in this endeavor (or even reveals the event he was training for), which would have lent credibility to his life suggestions. Instead, Monyatsiwa’s solutions for success seem adrift on a sea of vague and dislocated “magical principles,” encompassing terms such as “Positive Vague Action” and “Negative Dominating Thoughts.”
Arisings would have benefited from a rigorous copyedit to address the author’s often awkward use of English as a second language. As it stands, the book’s challenges limit its appeal for an American audience.
Also available in hardcover and ebook.
