Lets first start with the fact that I am not a Jocko fanboy. Yup, I listen to many of his podcasts and I admire his service as a SEAL and I find common viewpoints with his focus on self sufficiency and self improvement. That said, I’m not one to simply laud a work just because I enjoy other efforts of an individual and I am also more than just a bit critical when it comes to the written word, nor am I running around playing dress-up and in the gym 24-7 scarfing down supplements in an attempt to replicate Jocko’s physique or impression.
With that out of the way, perhaps we can put my commentary on this work in its proper place.
As an interesting novella (which is what it is, not really a full length novel) its worth running through. Its topics are nothing earth shattering—disaffected youth stuck in dead end jobs with no perceived hope of advancement or material improvement. I find no issue with the salty language, descriptions of drinking, or very cursory descriptions of sex either real or implied…those clutching their pearls over such items in the Amazon reviews of the book are not living in the real world nor have ever read Shakespeare, Hemmingway, Homer, the Bible or anything else worth a damn…Life is ugly, messy, and full of icky people doing icky things. Jocko is actually quite reserved in his language and portrayals. There is nothing prurient or juvenile here.
The structure of the work could potentially be offputting to some readers…its not conventional in that the reader is often put inside the head of the main character and rides along with brief snippets of thought. One or two word flashes of cognition are common and move the reader quickly from one page to the next. No need for long expositions, just moving from point to point as the characters make rapid fire decisions. You won’t find flowery metaphors here, just hard edged visuals and movement.
By the end of the work I wasn’t quite sure what Jocko’s position in writing it was. Was he saying that the “down on their luck” males that are the focus of the work should have made better decisions? Was he saying that he (Jocko) could have ended up on this same self-destructive path if not for certain choices? Was he saying we all deserve better than the lives we are commonly “stuck” with? I’m not sure. There are no heroes here, the readers (or at least I) don’t empathize much with Johnny the protagonist, and the topic of an America that has been left behind wishing for something more fulfilling than a brown-collar job stocking shelves is not really unplowed earth.
Is it worth a quick read for a high schooler looking for direction? Yeah, I think that’s who this might be best targeted at…someone who is searching for direction and a way out. I’m not sure it will result in the best course of action but at least it might get such an individual thinking of what they want their life to become. If it serves that purpose in a few cases, then Jocko likely should be happy with the end result. For me? Its a bit “fast food-ish” Quickly consumed, enjoyable the time spent with it, but not entirely fulfilling or weighty.