Imagine a World Without Fear

Imagine a World Without Fear by Thich Nhat Hanh is a powerful book. However, one has to be careful with “How to Write a Novel”, because while it contains very important information on writing novels, there are many parts of the book that are extremely impractical. For example, one advice that Nhat Hanh gives is to write from the heart. I completely agree with this, and I believe that writers should write from their heart – however, when writing about issues such as war and killing, you cannot help but write from your heart. If you are not allowed to write about these and other things through the lens of your heart, then why are you even writing a book in the first place?

While reading this book, I realized that I have grown up with some bad habits that have prevented me from having a good life. One thing that I did as a child was to hide my feelings. Of course, I was afraid that if I let go of some of the feelings that I would be horrible and not liability would suffer. But in reality, hiding these feelings only makes you feel terrible. It is better to face your fears head on and accept them; it is much better than hiding them.

While reading this book, I realized that although being a writer does not pay the bills, it is what I love to do. Therefore, I believe that people should follow their passion. You will become a better person if you are happy doing something that you really love. This book is an excellent motivational book and at times is hilarious. The main character, Ha Nang Teo, captures the essence of what it means to be Vietnamese and how he came to write a best selling book in the English language without any type of writing training.