Review: Mr Spocks Little Book of Mindfulness

Star Treks favourite Vulcan takes us on a light-hearted tour of Vulcan wisdom in order to bring calm to a universe gone mad with words and illustrations by Glenn Dakin. Let’s take a look at Mr Spocks Little Book of Mindfulness.

From the author that brought us ‘Quibbles with Tribbles’ Glenn Dakin, we now have this delightful addition to the Hero Collector catalogue, Mr Spocks Little Book of Mindfulness.

It could be considered timely that Mr Spocks Little Book of Mindfulness has been released in the midst of a global pandemic, a time when indeed the world seems to have gone off the rails. It is fair to say that a lot of people are struggling and while the Little Book of Mindfulness is not going to bring order to the chaos, it will at the very least offer some much-needed escapism and while it should not be considered a serious guide it does potentially offer some hints and tips for dealing with the stresses we suffer on a daily basis.

Each chapter in Mr Spocks Little Book of Mindfulness is split between different areas of everyday ‘Human’ life and experiences with Mr Spock offering a Vulcan based analysis for each one. Chapter one is all about focus, chapter two is keeping an open mind and so on going on to cover love, family and even living in the moment. Intertwined with quotes from the TV series and films and the fundamentals of logical thinking, each chapter offers a Vulcan perspective on dealing with certain aspects of existence.

“An open mind is a vital asset in exploration, so it is logical for Mr Spock to keep one. That eerie glow that just appeared in front of your starship could be about to destroy you, or it could be a portal to another universe. Or it could be a living being in itself. Frankly it is very often the latter – and with an American accent too.”

Taking chapter two of Mr Spocks Little Book of Mindfulness as an example, the book looks at the advantages of an open mind and how this is particularly important in Mr Spocks case while referencing elements and characters from the TV series. We also get one of our first Vulcan folk tales that teaches that no matter what happens, we should not neccesserally look upon it in either a negative or positive way even if the subject of the tale is a little unfortionate. Having that open mind gives Mr Spock an edge in problem solving and although the examples might be set very much in the realm of science fiction and are played for comedic values, the ideas and even the metaphors behind them are very relatable and could be transferable to some real-life scenarios, like Mr Spocks Little Book of Mindfulness says, your work life might not be so exciting, but everyone has a story including the guy who changes the office plants every month. Who knows what is going on with him, but by talking to him it could just open the door to more knowledge and understanding.

Mr Spocks Little Book of Mindfulness continues in this vein and it’s a joy to read with each chapter offering more and more insights into the inner workings of a Vulcans thought process while trying to steer us all onto a better path. Of course, it’s not just a fun read but also a visual delight thanks to the artwork inside its covers which have also been illustrated by Glenn Dakin. The artwork reminds me very much of classic Roald Dhal books with artwork by Quentin Blake which for me offers a double whammy of enjoyment as, like most children in the UK, I was raised on Roald Dhal books.

Overall Mr Spocks Little Book of Mindfulness is a must for any Spock fans out there and while it won’t change your life it will offer a fun escape and will also be a nice addition to your collection.