Nonfiction Review: The Why Cafe by John P. Strelecky

              Rating (Out of 5): ~2.5 - 3

Publisher: Aspen Light Publishing

Spoilers?: No.

Goodreads Synopsis:

In a small diner at a location so remote that it stands in the middle of the middle of nowhere, John-a man in a hurry-is at a literal and figurative crossroads. Intent only on refueling before moving along on his road trip, John finds sustenance of an entirely different kind: in addition to the specials of the day, the menu lists three questions that all diners are encouraged to consider: Why are you here? Do you fear death? Are you fulfilled? With the guidance of three people he meets at the cafe, John embarks on a quest for answers that metaphorically takes him from the executive suites of the advertising world to the surf of Hawaii's coastline. Along the way, he discovers a new way to look at his life and relationships... and just how much you can learn from a green sea turtle. The Why Cafe will get readers young and free and older and entrenched to rethink their personal yardstick for success. Charming, simple, and inspiring, it will change lives.

Available on Amazon.

Review:

The Why Café is about a guy, John, who gets lost and stops in at this café, where he ends up staying a bit longer than planned, just to talk to the wait staff some more. He ends up talking to them about how some people get on their way to feeling fulfilled. How some people wonder what their purpose in life is, and once they find that out and begin working toward completing it, they feel more fulfilled.

Now, this is a very tiny book, at just over a hundred pages. And it’s interesting, but it’s not amazing. To me, at least. To some people, it might be a bit groundbreaking, like all of this stuff apparently was to John, since this is supposedly a true story. But this information wasn’t all that new to me. Maybe because I’ve taken a psychology class, and have read a lot, and have a controversial brother. It was still interesting to read, sure. And to other people, I’m sure this will be a lot more informative and intriguing.

But, yea, it wasn’t to me. There were a couple of things that I found interesting, like the green sea turtle and how people who know what they want to do with their life are apparently more lucky, but the overall concept wasn’t a new idea to me.

I didn’t not enjoy this book, and it wasn’t hard to get through, but the writing is pretty straightforward, and the book isn’t filled with action or info dumps. This book just wasn’t really for me, I don’t think, but I’m sure it is much more fascinating to someone else.

 A review copy was provided by Goodreads First Reads Giveaways. Thank you!