Easily one of the most useful and engaging self-help books I have read. Faultless.
The Commando Way is Bram Connolly’s third publication and his first non-fiction piece. It features real life stories from Bram Connolly’s time as a Special Forces Commander and the ways he personally obtained wisdom from different expeditions in war. His first two novels, The Fighting Season and Off Reservation, were also military themed yet they focused on a fictional character named Matt Rix and his role in fighting the Taliban.
It is clear how much the military service influenced Connolly’s life not only in these written works but also in his personality, his views on leadership, life and success. In each chapter of The Commando Way he humbly shares each of his failures and how they led him to grow as a person. There is absolutely no pomposity in this book, a refreshing change in the self-help genre selection.
He writes very concisely and succinctly with no waffling; each chapter is information-dense and there is no room at all to get bored or lose interest. It is possibly as fast-paced and purposeful as the many things he does in his life. The editing is perfection.
So, what exactly are the lessons taught in this text?
There are lessons around laziness, sleep, tolerance and boredom to name a few. Overcoming one’s feelings, battling one’s ego, the personal growth that only stems from failure and how a variety of incredible mentors in the course of one’s life results in an improvement of oneself are all relatable. More importantly, his suggestions on the way to go forward are filled with a practicality suited to any of us.
If you have grown weary of motivational texts yet still need a push in shaping your life in the right direction, then do yourself a favour and learn from WarriorU podcast founder Bram Connolly in The Commando Way. The standards he has demanded of himself in life are demonstrated in this valuable text, which is faultless in structure, brevity, guidance and appeal. Suffice to say, this is one of the most gratifying self-help books I have read, and it is without any hint of self-indulgence.
Reviewed by Rebecca Wu
Distributed by: Allen & Unwin
Released: August 2020
RRP: $32.99
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