Ephemeris of the Mind (Book Review) Mentors: How to Help and Be Helped
Time to read: 2 min read
Book Cover
If you survive your childhood with your spirit intact, if you get through the various disappointing institutions unextinguished at some point, if you’re lucky, you may have an encounter who an awakened soul, a kindred spirit. God, it might be a book, or a song on the radio, but for your sake I hope it’s a living, breathing mentor, someone who can see your light and has kept their own light burning.
Review
In this very New Age self-help book by the very New Age comedian Russell Brand, he dives into the various relationships with different mentors in various aspects of his life. He details how these mentors have helped him along his journey in life and how one can not only seek help, but also how to help others.
Beneath the New Age lingo and overly flowery language, Mentors dives deep into Brand’s intimate and deeply personal struggles, such as with addiction, with his midlife crisis, and with his relationships with women. Brand describes in detail his self-destructive behaviour and how his mentors have helped him become a better person. Most of the anecdotes aren’t really relatable for me personally but I did find some of them interesting, such as his spiritual journey with Amma, the Hindu spiritual leader known as “the hugging saint”. Brand does convey some positive messages such as not seeking fulfillment through the material (finding a “Higher Purpose” in life) and setting boundaries within mentor relationships.
Conclusion
Many of the New Age ideas, such as spirituality, didn't really resonate with me, but if anything this is an intimate memoir by a very interesting person.