Recently I've been drawn to books which motivate me to look at myself, and hopefully make me a better "me". The Courage to Be Disliked, by Ichiro Kishimi and Fumitake Koya, has a title I just can't go past.

The book has taken Japan by storm, using the theories of philosopher Alfred Adler to create conversations between a fictional philosopher and a young man. The conversations cover many broad, interesting and sensitive topics. The philosopher character sticks by the theories of Adler, and explains how we are competent to determine our own lives, and be free of the influence of past experiences and others' expectations. It's a way of thinking that allows us to develop the courage to change and to ignore the limitations placed on us.

These often complex topics are played out in a conversational style between the two men. While it's easy to follow the conversations, the topics will knock around in your own head as you work out whether you sit on the side of the philosopher, the young man, or somewhere in between. The book is well-received by readers primarily owing to the fact that it presents two well-balanced viewpoints in the arguments. You'll find yourself doing household chores, or at your keyboard, unpacking all the information in your mind and coming to your own conclusions.

You will wholeheartedly agree on some points and want to throw the book at the wall at others. Its content is polarizing (两极分化) and I certainly don't agree with everything the philosopher or the young man says, but I think that's the point. The Courage to Be Disliked is there to start a conversation with yourself and do some slightly uncomfortable soul-searching.