Ambekar Samartth Atul, Assistant Professor, (samartthambekar15@gmail.com) Marathwada Mitra Mandal’s College of Commerce Pune.
When I brought home Do Epic Shit by Ankur Warikoo, I was anticipating another clichéd self-help book. I was pleasantly surprised, though. What makes this book stand out is its tone it’s less of a lecture and more of having a friend give suggestions over coffee. Warikoo writes in brief, compact segments instead of lengthy chapters, making the book convenient to read and even more convenient to snatch whenever you want to get a quick dose of inspiration. The book is not traditionally organized. There is no story or proper order. Rather, Warikoo presents lessons for life, observations, and advice in small chunks. He addresses five broad topics—success, failure, finances, habits, and relationships. Initially, this patchy writing style is confusing, yet you come to see that it is like life: chaotic, disorderly, and full of small lessons instead of epic chapters. What got my attention most is the honesty of his writing. Warikoo is not afraid to share his own failures without pretenses. He candidly admits where he went wrong, whether he lost money, had difficulty managing time, or made poor choices. In a world where people only showcase their polished success stories, this vulnerability feels refreshing. It’s almost as if he’s telling us, “Hey, I’ve messed up too. And that’s okay.” The strongest of the money and time ones for me were those. Warikoo does not only see money as money but as liberty. He also reminds us that money is not evil, but how we relate to it is how we live. When he speaks of time, he gives it as the most precious currency ever possessed. All these sound-like mere reminders, yet they hit so deeply when presented in his own experiences. What I liked is that Do Epic Shit is not peddling some unrealistic dream. The other motivational books that are marketing the “quit job, pursue passion” narrative don’t do it like Warikoo does. He’s not advocating that everyone should be an entrepreneur. He’s more about being thoughtful when it comes to making decisions—whatever they may be. That makes the book so readable for so many different types of readers whether you’re a student, new grad, or someone who is second-guessing life midway through. Sure, there are qualifications to the book. If you’re looking for in-depth research, thick theories, or mathematical models, this book isn’t for you. Parts of it can even become redundant if you read it cover to cover in one sitting. But I believe that’s precisely not the point. This book is to be a friend—a book which you can pick up at any instant to give you a quick reminder, some splash of clarity, or even a laugh. Essentially, Do Epic Shit is a state of mind and not a book. It requires you to abandon waiting for the perfect plan and simply do. It requires you to lean into failures, learn from mistakes, and construct habit-building rituals. And most importantly, it requires you to live with intention and bravery. If I had to sum it up in one sentence: Do Epic Shit is like being able to have a sarcastic, intelligent, brutally honest friend who puts you in your place and tells you to shut up and get moving. In short, Attitude is Everything is not a self-help book—it’s a life companion. It reminds us that incremental changes in the way we think, the way we speak, and the way we act can lead to monumental changes. Nourishing, inspiring, and grounded, it is a book for anyone who wants to live more positively, more boldly, and more confidently. This book impacted me deeply. I have undergone countless and endless transformations in my life. Personally. I would give this book 5/5