I respect Maria Popova a lot but this is a rather insipid collection of motivational quotes and vintage photos. Instead of reading it as a piece of self-help, look at it as a continuation of the Protestant work ethic: that our good works in the world put us in a state of grace with God. It&#x27;s just a modern twist on the idea that what you do is who you are, which I personally have always found a little reductionist, even classist.