January 15, 2024
This encouraging if unoriginal program by rapper Common (Let Love Have the Last Word) dispenses guidance on bettering one’s diet and mental and physical health. Common describes how he discovered the energizing effects of working out while bulking up for his first movie role in the early 2000s, and how in his early 20s musical collaborators in the Nation of Islam introduced him to the idea that “eating well could be a spiritual practice,” inspiring him to give up fried foods for organic alternatives. Common includes insights from his doctor, chef, personal trainer, therapist, and pastor, but their advice is largely familiar or nebulous. For instance, his chef’s exhortations to “put some greens in your meals” and buy organic fruits and vegetables will surprise no one, and his therapist’s assertion that “you can’t have compassion for someone else until you have compassion and forgiveness for yourself” is well-intentioned but trite. Still, Common brings a welcome recognition that what’s healthy for one person isn’t always for another (“You have to do what’s right for you, and only you know what that is”), and his tone is uplifting throughout (“Your higher self is part of you, waiting to be called upon”). Common’s fans will enjoy the personal anecdotes, but general readers will be let down by the pedestrian advice. Agent: Kirby Kim, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc.

Starred review from January 15, 2024
The rapper, actor, and advocate blends self-help with activist passion. The idea of self-care could easily slip into privileged, Goop-type territory. While promoting his vegan chef's recipes that include not-so-kitchen-staples like nama shoyu, burdock root, and dandelion, one might be tempted to think, "OK, but what about the rest of us?" In his latest book, the author offers a refreshing response: Self-care is for everyone. It's especially important to him that the Black community internalizes this concept. "For Black women and Black men in America," writes Common, "self-care is a revolutionary act....When you're working against dark forces you've got to prepare yourself so that you can step forward with everything you've got." Everything is connected, the author tells us, and so are the four parts of the book: The Food, The Body, The Mind, and The Soul (the most powerful section). These four areas depend on each other, and the combinations among them make us who we are. Common's commitment to self-care is heavily inspired by his advocacy work. After all, he notes, you can't be an effective activist without being an activist for yourself first. Common notes the inequities of the American health care system and how Black people experience significantly worse outcomes than other groups. "To change these outcomes, the system has to change," he writes. "Until that happens, we have to do whatever we can to take care of our bodies and improve our own health....Our self-love is a shield we carry while we're out there doing the work to take care of our loved ones and working for change for all of those who are caught in this system of hurt." It's a heartening message for those who appreciate self-help guidance. Common asks readers to better themselves, empowering them with the grace and courage to do so.

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