Empowering Reading: Life - The Instruction Manual Book Review

Life: The Instruction Manual: The Practical Guide to (Almost) Everything, by Yago Blue. 2025. ISBN: 8397770240.

How to take criticism. How to make good first impressions. How to live a good life. This book is a toolkit filled with practical ‘adulting’ advice and exercises.

One of my favorite books for teens and young adults. Filled with fun, inspiring, and practical information and advice on just about any subject a young person needs to understand – and which is mostly not taught in school. It is well-written and encouraging in tone. Perhaps another name for the book is Adulting 101: Principles of Living Well.

This is a book concept I have written in my head many times over, but have never written because I have spent decades interacting with young adults in my job as a college professor. I have been a witness to some of the major cracks in our educational system, and I always tried my best in preparing graduate for life on their own – managing their finances, their housing, their personal lives, and their diet/lifestyle.

This is the book I would gift to every high school and college graduate. This is a book that offers practical advice on all aspects of life, from handling personal finances to health and wellness to nature and the environment – and just about everything else that affects us in living a good and happy life. It offers information and advice, but also tips and worksheets.

You might think the idea for a book like this is overly ambitious. How can you boil life down to 167 pages? But the point is not to be comprehensive, but to be complete… to cover as many important and useful topics as possible.

Yes, there is the internet and and AI applications that can provide answers to common issues young adults may face, such as fixing a leaking faucet or stress management techniques, but there is so much more here that might never be asked but for which there is a need, such as the importance of self-care and why to eat seasonally.

Life: The Instruction Manual is beautifully illustrated, well-organized, and truly is a practical toolkit for thriving at life. Even better, from my perspective, is that the advice follows a mostly holistic and natural approach, from cleaning supplies to essential oils to wellness.

Readers will find information across the spectrum of living life, including more than 100 exercises. The book is written in short bites and offers small ideas for changes and improvements that can result in big and positive outcomes.

The book has eight main categories of information/instruction:

• Home and Organization

• Kitchen and Food

• Finances

• Mind and Personal Growth

• Health and Wellness

• Creativity

• Language and World Culture

• Nature and the Environment

Each section includes multiple examples of common issues faced and includes practical tips, mini-projects, ideas, and illustrations for dealing with those issues.

Some of my favorite tools from throughout the book:

• Minimalism at Home

• Aesthetic Self-Care

• Purifying Plants

• A Healthy Home

• DIY Cleaning Toolkit

• Best Furniture Repairs

• Bicycle Repairs

• Essential Home First-Aid Kit

• Eating With the Seasons

• Home Preserving

• The Art of Brewing Coffee and Tea

• Practical Ways to Save

• Communications Styles

• How to Handle Criticism

• Reflecting on Your Emotions

• Mindfulness Basics

• Prompts for Meditation and Introspection

• Simple Rules for a Happy Life

• The Foundations of Healthy Sleep

• Spiritual Rituals for a Better Day

• Nervous System Reset

• Western vs. Eastern Medicine

• Colors and Their Meaning

• Fragrance Creation and Aromatherapy

• Basic Phrases in Different Languages

• The Symbolism of Numbers

• Life Philosophies

• Everyday Ecology: Conserving Water and the Environment

• Finding Directions Without a Compass

Final Thoughts on Life: The Instruction Manual

This book is a great graduation present, even if the recipient does not see the immediate value. And even if you have instilled all the ideas presented in this book, we know children often listen to advice offered by others over their parents… so think of this book as simply reinforcing your parenting.

Find more book reviews and advice for living a happy, healthy, and healing life here.