Things No One Else Can Teach Us

Humble the Poet (Unlearn), a Canadian rapper and spoken word artist, blends memoir with standard self-help advice in this uneven work. Having previously worked as an elementary school teacher, the author taps the informal vibe of a cool authority figure as he casually reveals his hardships, low points, and unflattering thoughts to demonstrate how “you can’t be yourself if you don’t know who you are.” Each chapter opens with an anecdote, including accounts of difficulties producing music videos and stories of working with Pharrell Williams, that segues into general insights meant to guide readers away from negative thinking: “Purpose is not one-size-fits-all... the more deeply we dive inward, the more clarity we’ll have about what tickles our fancy.” The author asks readers to admit when they are being greedy and selfish, and provides poetry and pull quotes to punctuate his lessons. Conversations with colleagues and friends (including a particularly affecting discussion with a friend fighting cancer), as well as with his famous acquaintances, are often the vehicle by which wisdom is imparted, lending their voices an all-knowing quality. While the personal stories of brushes with fame and fortune provide the most entertainment, the unspecific lessons (“There’s no fun waiting for us after the work; there’s just more work”) feel unnecessarily tacked on. Fans of the author’s work will enjoy this peek into his life, but readers looking for solid advice will be disappointed. (Oct.)