Wisdom From a Humble Jellyfish by Rani Shah (Review by Madhura Mukhopadhyay)

Rating: 4/5

Did you know that dragonflies were the most efficient killers on the earth, with a prey capture record at 95%? Or that elephants live democratically, choosing their matriarch through popular vote? These are the seemingly random nuggets of information you can find in Wisdom from a Humble Jellyfish.

In this busy busy world, it feels like a luxury to be able to take time out for ourselves to simply rest and recharge for the next day’s battle. Mental and emotional health is as important as physical well-being and the author, Rani Shah draws on examples from nature to gently prod her readers towards the importance of self-care. For instance, if you’re feeling over-worked and stressed out, perhaps it’s time to learn from the sloths who’ve been around for almost 64 million years and just take things a bit slower. Or maybe you would prefer to be like the birds and not be too prideful to ask your flock for help when you need it.

This book has been categorized as ‘self-help’ and I find it admirable that the author writes without any of the preaching and self-aggrandizing that make most self-help books so obnoxious. What I most enjoyed about the book, is the research the author put into the some of the most fascinating animal behavior in the natural world, which led me down a rabbit hole of YouTube videos on these incredible creatures. Did you know that the Bolas spider catches its prey by using its spider silk as a lasso?

At the end of this book, the author talks about the greatest inspiration of all – our beautiful and humbling planet – the very same one we are on the verge of destroying. The book urges us to be mindful of our carbon footprint and make small changes to ensure we’re nurturing the planet the same way we nurture ourselves. Afterall, self-care begins at home and we have but the one planet we can call home.