JOURNEY INTO YOUR RAINFOREST MIND

Prober’s (Your Rainforest Mind, 2016) latest book once again examines what it means to be a “rainforest-minded” person.

This volume works as a companion to the author’s previous work or as a stand-alone. In it, the author reintroduces her concept of “rainforest-minded” people, who are defined as being highly sensitive, empathetic, creative, and intelligent. This book has a more user-friendly approach than the last one, as it primarily compiles popular posts from the author’s website. Each chapter addresses a different topic, such as perfectionism, loneliness, worry and anxiety, and multipotentionality (or “having many interests and abilities”). Some of the topics were discussed in the previous book, but there are new subjects, as well; the chapter “Find Your Pips,” for instance, discusses how to create imaginary support personnel to provide encouragement when no one else can. Many chapters include questions to help readers determine how they fit into a particular category, suggestions on how to cope, or instructions for various activities. Prober succeeds in her stated goal to make this second book a “light-hearted” and “faster read” when compared to the first. She mentions some case studies, but overall, this text has less of a clinical feel, and the practicality and feasibility of the questions make it an accessible workbook. Prober also brings a great deal of levity to this text, including gems such as “a narcissist doesn’t worry that he’s a narcissist because he’s a narcissist,” and “my memoir will be much more fascinating if I make some ridiculous decisions.” The author’s inclusion of self-deprecating, age-related humor, however, doesn’t enhance the book and feels more bitter than lighthearted. The text ends with an uplifting epilogue and a list of further resources.

A practical follow-up with fewer anecdotes and more concise advice.