Life Will See You Now - Gavin Oattes

Why read this book?

I mean, why wouldn’t you… this book will make you smile, make you consider the important things in life, and make you feel like Gavin is your mate.

It’s funny, lighthearted and easy-to-read, but also a serious, thought-provoking and honest collection of thoughts and stories from the life of a slightly (OK, very) sweary Scotsman. What is there not to like?

On the fun side there’s the joy of massive crisps, ice lollies, sandpits and using oranges as marketing material. On the more ‘thinky’ side there are honest and touching tales of feelings, emotions and chasing success… whatever the hell success even is.

The author

Gavin Oattes has been a teacher and comedian, and is now a motivational speaker, author and Managing Director of Tree of Knowledge.

On one hand, he seems like a really normal bloke. He writes like he’s telling you a story down the pub, and by the end of the book, you feel like you really know him. Both the successes and the struggles.

On the other hand, he is absolutely not a normal bloke. He has infectious enthusiasm and energy, driven to help everybody embrace their inner kid and be a fantastic human. Absolutely not normal, average or ‘meh’.

What has this book encouraged me to do differently?

To think about success - what is it? What does it look like? What happens when you ‘make’ it? Just do your best people. Stop chasing a dream, especially if that means you become a dick along the way.

For me the main message of the book is to just concentrate on being happy, on what matters most, and be a decent human. If you can do that, while not taking yourself too seriously, having fun and embracing your inner-child, you can’t go too far wrong. And if you’re going to do something - commit to it, fully, all-in, every time, like a child.

It’s also an interesting, and very honest, insight into the thoughts of someone - who looks from the outside to be very ‘successful’ - to help you realise that we’re all just people, we all have struggles and crap thoughts, and there are many things and people that’ll help in those times. I think this book is something that’ll help in those times.

Go and read it.

And find a massive crisp while you’re at it.