You Are Awesome

Find Your Confidence and Dare to be Brilliant at (Almost) Anything

By: Matthew Syed, Toby Triumph

Narrated by: Matthew Syed

Length: 2 hrs and 27 mins

Publisher's summary

Children's Book of the Year 2019.

Sunday Times number one best seller.

This positive and empowering guide by best-selling mindset author Matthew Syed will help boys and girls build resilience, fulfil their potential and become successful, happy, awesome adults.

I'm no good at sport.... I can't do maths.... I really struggle with exams.... Sound familiar?

If you believe you can't do something, the chances are you won't try. But what if you really could get better at maths, or sport or exams? In fact, what if you could excel at anything you put your mind to?

You Are Awesome can help you do just that, inspiring and empowering young listeners to find the confidence to realise their potential. The first children's book from Times journalist, two-time Olympian and best-selling mindset author Matthew Syed, it uses examples of successful people from Mozart to Serena Williams to demonstrate that success really is earned rather than given and that talent can be acquired. With hard work and determination, practice and self-belief, and most importantly, a growth mindset, there's no reason why anyone can't achieve anything. 

Practical, insightful and positive, this is the book to help children build resilience, embrace their mistakes and grow into successful, happy adults.

Also available: Dare to Be You. Discover the power of diverse thinking in Matthew Syed's exciting new audiobook. Defy self-doubt, fearlessly follow your own path and be confidently you!

©2018 Matthew Syed (P)2018 Hachette Children's Group

Critic reviews

"An awesome book about becoming awesome. How inspiring it is to know that there's a path to awesomeness and that anyone - absolutely anyone - can go down that path. This book shows you how." (Carol Dweck, professor of psychology, Stanford University)

Reduced and regurgitate from previous books

I really like the books of Matthew Syed, but unfortunately, this book is simply a summary of the previous ones. I feel like I’ve missed an audible credit. Disappointed.

Even better as an audiobook

Our 10 year old son is an avid reader but even when he was given this book for his birthday he didn’t make it beyond the first few pages. He quickly lost interest.

However this audiobook totally captured him from the beginning. Matthew Syed reads it brilliantly and kept him engaged from the start to the very end.

Now our son talks about growth mindset and not being kid average, but being kid awesome.

He always used to say things like “I’m rubbish at that”... “I’m going to come last” etc. But not anymore.

Thanks so much to Matthew Syed for writing a book that really does engage with the young reader and helps them understand how to build confidence and give them a positive attitude and truly become that “kid awesome”.

Great bed time story parents should read your kids

adults,kids of all kinds should understand its principle-sooner the better. Then revisit it on a regular basis.

Promotes resilience and ambition in children

Encouraging and entertaining child-friendly look at promoting determination, resilience and ambition

My 7 year old might be slightly too young for this, but did listen with me and discuss it a little in the car. I was interested to hear if the author could talk to young people on their level about some quite mature issues.

From the offset, I was impressed. The imagery used, Syed's chatty tone (he narrates himself) with the reader, lots of questions and examples, and his own real-life story all combined to make this very relatable.

With scientific terms such as 'mindset' and 'neural pathway', it's never going to be easy keeping the attention of a young reader/listener, and I did check with my son as we went along that he was understanding everything. I'm pretty sure some of it went over his head, but really, it's the sort of book that I'd want him to revisit when he's slightly more older and some of the concepts are more relevant, when school/hobbies become more of a challenge and he needs some motivation to continue and succeed.

The story of Syed's own 'awesome vs average' journey is interspersed with real sportspersons and high achievers and the author makes it abundantly clear that it's through hard work and effort, and not good genetic luck and natural ability that they reached the heights they did. I approve this message whoeheartedly and appreciated his relevant examples - my boys' ears pricked up at the mention of footballers.

It is motivating, funny and worked very well on audiobook. My son even liked the Queen titles as chapter headings (he's a burgeoning fan!). The style suited a listening format, lots of chat and interactive sections where the listener is asked questions. Syed made an effective narrator as well, a clear speaker and engaging.

The ideal age for a reader would be 9-13, and boys or girls will find this persuasive stuff.

With thanks to Nudge Books for providing a sample Audible copy.

Superb storytelling about success

Matthew Syed deserves all the praise that comes his way for another brilliant motivational book.
Not very long but his just the right notes with personality and verve.

Every child should have this book!

Great book, a wonderful lesson for every child. I bought it for my ten year old and hope it inspires him to be even more awesome!

great book for teenagers

i didnt realise this was for kids. Good book for anyone looking to improve in any discipline.

Give it to any young person struggling with confid

It's mostly recycled and compressed material from "Black Box Thinking" and this is why its great - much easier to go through and understand for very defensive/vulnerable adults or younger people. Great story.

I am awesome

Simple
Easy to listen
Not sure Mathew the best vocalist but the content is awesome. How much we can do do do and should do. Motivational thank you.

Really good motivational book

Very good encouragement for me and a lot more people recommended
100% should read any time any day