I've read books with similar titles that are actually about trivia or untaught history and science. This is not that. It's more in the self-help/ emotional intelligence vein, but it's very good in that field. Would be a nice graduation gift or a help for someone working through some issues (who isn't, right?).

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

Read this book but it felt awfully depressing to me.
Had to DNF it in the middle.
But thank you Netgalley for accepting my request.

I think 1 star is being generous for this book. I feel so sorry for the author/s. It seems that they had a miserable childhood and the entire book is about 1) how awful it is to be a child, 2) the way children are brainwashed is what makes people unhappy, and 3) how to break out of this awful situation.

Since I don’t believe either the first or second points to be universally true, the third point is unneccesary.

There were a few good lines in the book, but there wasn’t enough to redeem it.

I nodded so hard while reading WHAT THEY FORGOT TO TEACH YOU AT SCHOOL by The School of Life that I nearly knocked myself out. I was that earnest, straight A's student who could have used the wisdom in these swift, pithy chapters -- and had to learn everything for herself the hard way. I enjoyed the perspective, the level-headed and fresh view into an experience that often does not result in informed, educated individuals equipped to live well. While I did not necessarily agree with every single point, I did respect a new take on a familiar reality. I received an advance copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

I love the School of Life's ability to provoke thought and this book definitely did that. I thought it covered a lot of interesting topics and ideas such as the psychology of attachment and how our experience of school and homelife impacts our lives although I didn't learn anything new as such. It talks about emotions, friendships, relationships, gender, class and much more. I do recommend this audiobook to others wanting to understand better themselves and do some self evaluation. I found it a good intro to psychology and self help. If you're already quite far into your self development journey you might want to skip it.

Wish I had read this book when I was younger! Teenagers would benefit greatly from this book. Even if you don't want to tackle the whole book at once - you can pick the areas that relate most to you as you work your way through life. Valuable life lessons lurk within the covers!

It fell flat for me, I have a higher expectation before I started reading this kind of self-help book but still this book is a very enjoyable book. I like this and it's a 3 stars book.
Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC

A little disappointed in this book given the reputation of the author for really great content. I've enjoyed a few of their other books but just couldn't get into this one.

As mentioned by others it felt a bit like a book of sharable quotes you might see on a Facebook moms newsfeed. I didn't find the content that original or engaging.

Not quite what I expected, but a very interesting and useful read.
This book could be viewed in a number of ways - for me it provides a rich source of insight into the things that it has taken me a lifetime to learn. Whether it is personal relationships, career choices or how you view yourself, the book covers the full range. Depending on where you are in your life journey, it either provides guidance, or a reminder of what is important for a more contented life.
I'm not sure how these lessons could be taught in school, in fact, I think that you need to be reasonably mature in your personal outlook in order to be able to benefit from the messages presented. That said, anyone with an enquiring mind, wanting to live a calmer more contented life could do far worse than reading this informative tome.

I read this book in a sitting, but some parts were a bit useless and repetitive. I guess I expected a lot from The School of Life, and I'm a little bit disappointed. There isn't much to think over in this book; all the topic are somewhat familiar. Still, I believe it would make an excellent gift to a new graduate with lots of anxiety.

I got a digital version of this book via NetGalley. Like all the other books from The School of Life, this one is also to the point and comes with a lot of interesting advice for students and adults alike.

What I like about the book:

1. The advice shared in the book is sound and relevant for today's generation (for all generations, in fact).
2. The chapters are short and succinct, which makes it an easy read.

What is missing in the book:

1. Most of the advice, while sound, can be found in instagram or pinterest posts. There is no new insight or idea that makes the book innovative. I guess, what could have made this good book even better, would have been a "tips and tricks" section at the end of each chapter to make living the advice easier.

Overall, a good gift to a high school student on his way to college.

As an educator, I found this hard to read and quite anti-education. Perhaps I am just not part of the target audience for a book with this title.

What They Forgot to Teach You at School is a book of all the essential emotional lessons which, as its title suggests, are not taught to us at school.

Each chapter explores a different topic which range from forgiveness, kindness, worrying about other people’s opinions, being aware and so forth.


My first impressions of this book were very hopeful, as I am passionate about schools teaching vital lessons to prepare us for our adult life, as I truly believe this is something which was missing from my own education! Many times I have questioned why do I know how to do trigonometry, yet had to learn for myself that is not selfish to be kind to myself every once in a while?

The book is a short read, and whilst in some places I would have loved to see the topics be expanded on, upon reflection I am pleased that the chapters are bitesize. After all, not everyone is a big reader, and perhaps by the book being more of a guide it makes it more accessible to all.

Some people may perceive the lessons in this book to be ‘common sense’, or ‘nothing new’ however I love being reminded of the values taught throughout, because with how busy everyday life is it is so easy to push these things to the back of our mind. It’s also great for all these lessons to wrapped up into one book.

Overall, a great guide of some of life’s values, which are most simple yet often forgotten about. Personally, I would have preferred more detail, but I still found it very useful and would give it three stars.

Thank you to Duckworth Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book had an interesting premise - kind of “Give me a child until he is 7 and I will show you the man.” with all the things we aren't told at 7 (or indeed at any time during school age) and why not being taught certain things is a problem. I found the tone a little dark but then I like dark so it wasn't a problem for me. The author has an engaging style and I fairly raced through the book. I don't feel it broke much new ground but it did present a present understanding of our common psychological failures in an entertaining way.

I completely agree with the author on the importance of learning emotional alongside technical skills. This past year has highlighted for me my own setbacks in this field when encountering obstacles, and I look forward to continuing to grow and improve. Some sections that stand out to me after finishing this are:

-Specific traits that we learned as children - patience, stifling impulses, and looking for approval, should all be re-examined as adults. The older we get, our wants mostly become less foolish and more sensible, but we are still stuck in the same childhood mindsets.
-How to manage changes in mood more effectively. Specifically, differentiating moods that are tied to past memories and experiences from the present, recognizing but not giving way to the negativity, and honoring the body and respecting bodily factors that our lives might be dependent on (for me, sleep zzzzz).
-The argument for being more selfish. I am guilty of filling days with obligations to things that drain me, and often struggle to have time to indulge in anything vital to my spirit.
-The value of being aware. "We don't need to add years; we need to densify the time we have left by ensuring that every day is lived consciously.”

Most of the ideas in this book felt familiar to other self-help books (self-compassion, being kind, apologizing and forgiving, etc.) A lot of it seems like common sense, but can be tough to implement, and is always a good reminder to hear. But nothing quite as groundbreaking or inspiring as I was hoping for.

Wasn’t as interesting as I thought. Book could use a good edit. A lot could be condensed. Definitely isn’t in publishable condition.

This is a well thought out and well written exploration of the real life lessons that perhaps we don't get taught as children. Given what is being thrown at us at the moment, I found it really helpful to take a step back and think about things that actually matter to me and might help with clarity in dealing with stuff! I am an Alain de Botton fan and can hear notes of other School of Life videos and books in this. I would describe it as a great way to learn about what The School of Life teaches and would recommend. Thank you.

I am so sorry that I dnf'd it I just had the expectation that this book was going to be educational not more of a self help book.

Brief, dense and uplifting - this is a great introduction to the work of The School of Life. 'What They Forgot to Teach You At School' is a compelling and reassuring treatise on the lessons we learn far too late in life.

I’d hoped for an informative read but got a very lightweight, new age-y short book full of vapid platitudes instead. There’s not a lot here that isn’t going to be obvious to most people: the learning is lifelong, that we should follow our dreams, nobody cares if we succeed or fail so don’t let it hold you back from doing what you want, and so on. Maybe if you’ve never heard this kind of pep talk before this book might appeal to you but I’ve heard stuff like “the destination is the journey” and “be kind to yourself” too many times before to find this remotely powerful reading. I agree with a lot of the advice here - you should be kind to yourself, always learn, have a plan B, live up to your own expectations, not those of anyone else’s - but it’s all stuff that’s been written before elsewhere many, many times for this book to be worth anyone’s time, unless they’ve never heard it before.