How Not to Be a Hot Mess: A Survival Guide for Modern Life
By Craig and Devon Hase
Shambhala Publications 2020;
176 pp., $18.95 (cloth)
Devon Hase serves on retreat teams for the Insight Meditation Society and Spirit Rock, while Craig Hase holds a PhD in counseling psychology. Now, in their first book, this husband-and-wife team draw on ancient Buddhist principles to expound six pieces of modern, interconnected advice: “Meditate,” “Don’t Be a Jerk,” “Give a Little,” “Say What’s True,” “Make Sex Good,” and “Stay Clear.” How Not to Be a Hot Mess reads like a heart-to-heart with a wise friend. The authors share anecdotes from their own lives; offer non-wonky research-based insights and explanation; and provide detailed guidance and meditation practices to support each concept. This book, ultimately, is about how to be your most authentic self. The Hase’s write, “When we stay clear, really clear, about who we are, what we’re about, and what we genuinely, truly want out of life, there is a lot less that can shake us up and make us crumble.”
