 "How much does youth cost?" by Rosie Nguyen |
Rosie’s book somehow impresses readers right from the title as it seems difficult to find the answer to the question ‘how much does youth cost?’. She said: “I had a hard time finalizing the title as there were so many options such as “Each of us is the star of our own world', or 'Flying without wings’, etc. Then one day I came across a quote by late Singaporean Prime Minister Lee Kuan Yew, in which he said: ‘Young people, give me a year of your youth, I’ll give you a billion Singaporean dollars.’ Then I started to think if it were possible, would I agree to sell my one year of youth to him? If not, what would I do to make that whole year worth it? So I came up with the title to remind myself not to waste any precious second of my youth.”
Graduating from Ho Chi Minh City Foreign Trade University, Rosie Nguyen, whose real name is Nguyen Hoang Nguyen, used to follow a somewhat safe career path. She had worked for several international groups in Vietnam, reached a managerial position and gained the admiration of her family and friends. “I remember every Sunday afternoon, when I realized that tomorrow is Monday and I have to go to work, it freaked me out," she said, "Something inside me kept asking ‘Is that it? Is my life always going to be just like this? Is there anything out there that I can explore?’ That was when I decided to quit my job to start a quest to discover myself.”
Rosie’s quest of self-discovery is described in detail in her book, which is a collection of anecdotes related to everyday problems that she tries to solve with philosophy and pedagogy. The book is comprised of five parts, the first three of which depict how the author gained experience through learning, working, and traveling. From there, she discovers her true passion in life, which is writing, and describes how she pursued it in the fourth part. In the last part, Rosie shares with her readers some valuable tips on self-discovery, which she believes is the life-long mission of every person. “My journey of self-discovery started with books," she said, "On average, I finish 50 to 60 books a year. I also love traveling to different parts of the world and it’s my most favorite method of learning about myself. I love the feeling of being so small in a strange country and surrounded by strangers. It’s a kind of happiness that words cannot describe. I also take part in a variety of social activities, such as yoga classes, guitar classes, running clubs, boot camp training, etc. All these activities help me explore my capabilities, figure out my true passion in life, and help me step out of my comfort zone.”
 Rosie Nguyen |
Through her journey, Rosie saw a big change in herself, in which she found her own identity. She said: “The most remarkable achievement is that I can unify my inner self with the person people think I am. I used to be a very quiet student afraid of sharing my interests and thoughts with the world. But now I’m a little bit more brave and always keep trying to appear as close as possible to the way I really am.”
Rosie’s search for her inner self in ‘How much does youth cost’ won the 2018 Most Favorite Book Awards by FAHASA Publications. “This book is like a wake up call to me, a graduate who used to be shocked at the huge difference between university and real life," said Nguyen Thi Ngoc Anh from Ho Chi Minh City,"It taught me to always take control of my life by being practical and learning by real experiences rather than by what’s written on textbooks.”
Also from Ho Chi Minh City, Le Tu Anh said, “I see myself in this book. I’m at the same age as the author so I think at this stage of life, we have to face quite similar challenges. Sometimes we have to calm down, take a pause, and think carefully about what to do next.”
Phan Quoc Trong, another reader, shared: “What impressed me the most is the author’s high discipline in learning about herself. Materials for self-discovery are abundant on the internet and elsewhere, but not everyone can be strict enough to force themselves into it. It used to be impossible to me as well, but after reading this book, I said to myself that if she can do it, I can do it. I must try to make my youth as valuable as possible.”