Trying not to be a philosophy book

Trying Not to Try by Edward Slingerland is described as a self help book, promising to show readers how to use ancient Chinese philosophy to attain the state of "flow" and to have a more harmonious, effortless life. Yadda yadda yadda.

That is a disservice to this book. More than anything, it is an introduction to two concepts from Chinese philosophy: wu-wey, the state of effortlessly doing, and de, the attraction we have to people who are in wu-wey. It is centered on the age old question of human nature (are we naturally good or do we have to work hard to be good) and shows how two opposing philosophical schools (Confucianism and Taoism) approach the question and how a third school tries to reconcile the differences into a actionable view. From there, Slingerland connects with more contemporary culture, showing how these concepts are related to "flow" and even to the Force. 

Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It is a very approachable introduction to Chinese philosophy and culture, showing how the idea of effortless perfection and the exhaustive training necessary to reach it developed. However, if I wanted a book that would help me implement those concepts, I would have been sadly disappointed. It seems that the editor decided that self help sells more than philosophy and adjusted the marketing plan to suit.