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LAKESIDE & TIDE by Jimmy Tomczak

LAKESIDE & TIDE

Inspiration for Living Your Best Life Now

by Jimmy Tomczak

Pub Date: Oct. 3rd, 2016
ISBN: 978-0-9966323-9-3
Publisher: Wet Star Press

A debut self-help book dispenses advice on thriving through the ebb and flow of life.

As a young and enthusiastic entrepreneur, Tomczak has a knack for creative thinking and a desire to share it, which is exactly what he does in this manual. Whether read front to back or opened at random, the guide offers smoothly flowing essays and poetry tailored to help people “get inspired and do more of what really matters.” In some sections, the author relates personal stories, such as his financially tight childhood and his eye-opening adventures at the Burning Man festival. Other times, he simply reflects on life, sharing his conclusions and astute advice. Notable themes include finding out who you are and what your journey is about; looking outside yourself by caring for others; striving for a healthy diet, adequate fitness, and consistent sleep; and truly living while you’re alive. Returning often to the tide metaphor in the book’s title, Tomczak encourages readers to appreciate and embrace both the highs and lows of their odysseys. In his counsel, he is confident, affirming, and optimistic, with a firm focus on moving forward and not backward. As he asserts in one of his poems, “I don’t give up and I don’t give in / The future is not where the past has been.” The author displays a distinctive writing style, gently fusing prose and poetry in a way that is surprisingly mesmerizing. He often relies on repetition and wordplay to relay his messages (for example, “Everyone’s solving for x without asking for why”). This is usually highly effective except on the occasions when repetition becomes excessive (“No one cares” appears over 20 times in one section) or intricate sentences confuse rather than edify (“If you believe you already are whatever you want to be, you will be that, because you already are that”). The abstract nature of Tomczak’s musings may not jibe with those who prefer solid self-help steps, but the beauty of these ruminations is that they draw readers in from wherever they are in life. There’s truly something for everyone in this book.

An artful, useful, and refreshing motivational guide.