Imagine if you will, a delightful and timeless book of wisdom that fits into the palm of the hand or your handbag. A hardback that looks at first inconspicuous and unimportant. And yet on opening this book you will unlock a treasury of wisdom that’s beautifully illustrated on high quality paper. One Year Wiser by Mike Medaglia is that book.
I discovered it in a bookshop in Auckland and was immediately stunned by how amazing it was. One Year Wiser features timeless wisdom by a diverse range of people from throughout history, that has been lovingly illustrated and matched to the 365 individual days of the year.
Mike Megadalia has selected wisdom from philosophers and leaders both modern and ancient. You will hear quotes by Anais Nin, Seneca, Ralph Waldo Emerson, Marcus Aurelius, the Dalai Lama and ancient Chinese and Japanese philosophers (to name a few).
It’s a compendium for life and all of its rocky, unpredictable and disheartening occurrences. This is a homing beacon and a reference book to scan through when you’ve had one of those days and you just want to cry. It’s a book to flick through when you feel untethered from happiness and floating in a sea of confusion. If you ever need a beacon of light on your journey, One Year Wiser is it.
These quotes and beautiful illustrations are all so universal, so uplifting and profound that even the most cynical members of my family couldn’t fail to be moved by them.
I have gifted this book to several people in my life who are (for whatever reason) yearning to find that hallowed place of quiet, solace and peace in their lives. However most of us don’t need to be going through something to enjoy a philosophical shot in the arm.
What I find really remarkable with this book, is the lack of popularity or publicity around it. Despite its remarkable high quality and philosophical weight, there are no London Review of Books or Guardian reviews out there. Shockingly, it seems that I’m one of the only bloggers out to have profiled this book and attempted to draw attention to it. All the more reason why it’s vital to get the message out there about it.
If you want an easy Christmas or Birthday gift for anyone who’s deep and reflective in nature – this is the perfect gift.
In the past I’ve bought One Year Wiser for friends and family on Book Depository, they offer free delivery worldwide and their books are significantly cheaper than buying in the shop. It’s NZD $22 instead of the hefty $40 at Union Books.
About Mike Medaglia
http://mikemedaglia.com/
One Year Wiser is the creation of artist, illustrator who illustrated the underground One Year Wiser series that was published by SelfMadeHero. The series includes a book of daily illustrated mediations, a colouring book and a newly released gratitude journal. Along with that, Mike draws comics and writes for The Huffington Post on topics like mindfulness, gratitude, Zen and modern life.
He has also worked as an art editor in the past producing a range of comics and graphic novels about topics like chronic pain, dementia, Aspergers Syndrome, PTSD and anxiety and writes a regular comic called The Mindful Life for Elephant Journal, you can read all the posts here.
[BTW this isn’t a paid advert despite the raving, overly enthusiastic nature of this piece. I am just genuinely in love with this book and wanted to share it in the hope others will discover it].
Content Catnip 