Due to a sudden, unexpected passing in the family a few years ago and another more recently and my subsequent (mental) health issues stemming from that, I was unable to download this book in time to review it before it was archived as I did not visit this site for several years after the bereavements. This meant I didn't read or venture onto netgalley for years as not only did it remind me of that person as they shared my passion for reading, but I also struggled to maintain interest in anything due to overwhelming depression. I was therefore unable to download this title in time and so I couldn't give a review as it wasn't successfully acquired before it was archived. The second issue that has happened with some of my other books is that I had them downloaded to one particular device and said device is now defunct, so I have no access to those books anymore, sadly.

This means I can't leave an accurate reflection of my feelings towards the book as I am unable to read it now and so I am leaving a message of explanation instead. I am now back to reading and reviewing full time as once considerable time had passed I have found that books have been helping me significantly in terms of my mindset and mental health - this was after having no interest in anything for quite a number of years after the passings. Anything requested and approved will be read and a review written and posted to Amazon (where I am a Hall of Famer & Top Reviewer), Goodreads (where I have several thousand friends and the same amount who follow my reviews) and Waterstones (or Barnes & Noble if the publisher is American based). Thank you for the opportunity and apologies for the inconvenience

The download date was unfortunately missed, I would be happy to re-review if it became available again. I have awarded stars for the book cover and description as they both appeal to me. I would be more than happy to re-read and review if a download becomes available. If you would like me to re-review please feel free to contact me at thesecretbookreview@gmail.com or via social media The_secret_bookreview (Instagram) or Secret_bookblog (Twitter). Thank you.

I’ve often wondered what it’s like to get 'the call’ - the desire to drop everything and take up a spiritual vocation. I have a cousin who did get the call to be a priest when he had already finished training to be an accountant. At the time I thought it might have been nice if he’d been asked before all those years of studying, but I appreciate it doesn’t work like that.

I often pass the ruins of a monastery when I’m out for a walk, and I wonder what it would have been like to live there four or five hundred years ago. Spending your days serving others and seeking your own spiritual salvation. I've sometimes wondered what it would be like to join a Buddhist monastery but the closest I ever got was going on a silent ten-day meditation retreat in an old boarding school in Kells, Co Meath. I enjoyed it, and it left me feeling renewed, but I didn't experience what I’d describe as a calling.

In ‘I may be wrong’ Björn Natthiko Lindeblad does exactly that. After working as an economist, he gives up his promising career to spend
17 years as a forest Buddhist monk in Thailand and in this book shares what he has learnt in that time.

I liked how the book was structured. Chapters were often based on wisdom he had picked up along the way from his teachers, and he shared his understanding with us whilst talking about his own life experiences.

I enjoyed the various parables that he's learned from his teachers along the way, they illustrated how our lives aren't so different and we face many of the same problems.

What did he learn the most?

‘What I value most from my seventeen years of full-time spiritual training is that I no longer believe my every thought.’

As someone who meditates, and continues to have an attachment to thought, this is something I can very much relate to. Meditation is loosening those bonds to make us realise - I am not my thoughts. We have no control over what pops into our minds, but we can control whether we believe them or not.

You’ll find yourself highlighting passages in this book, but I’m going to share some of what resonated with me. There’s a lot of wisdom on these pages and I often found myself reading just a couple of pages at a time and then leaving it down for a bit to let it settle. It’s that sort of book.

The title itself is based on a talk given by one of his teachers when he told the class he was going to give them a mantra. The next time you felt an argument starting, or a conflict brewing, repeat to yourself three times the magic words:

I may be wrong
I may be wrong
I may be wrong

Easier said than done, but the next time I’m in a ‘heated debate’ I’m going to try to remember this advice. I can see how humbling the words are, and how they can defeat the ego. Life doesn’t turn out the way we want it to and we are essentially clueless.

I found the chapter called ‘It starts with you’ particularly effective. Being compassionate towards ourselves is something we find hard to do. I know I do, and the below resonated with me.

‘What does it take for us to feel we deserve human warmth from ourselves? How good, beautiful, or successful do we have to become? How long do we have to atone for our tiny mistakes……it would do all of us good to bear in mind that we’re doing the best we can. Others are doing the best they can, too.’

His calling to return to his secular life is just as strong as his initial feeling. I found it interesting how he took the lessons he learnt from his life as a monk back into 'everyday' life in Sweden. There's a period of readjustment, as you'd imagine, and I'm not going to say anything more on that.

I realise this book has been translated from Swedish, and a fine job they’ve done. But there’s one really clumsy simile in the book when Bjorn is talking about his health problems and how he ‘fell asleep like a clubbed seal'. Goodness me, in a book about mindfulness, compassion, and the life of a forest monk, surely they could have found a better simile than that.

That's a minor criticism. There's a lot of wisdom and comfort throughout the book.

‘I was never promised a long life. We, humans, are like leaves on trees in that respect. Most leaves hold on until they're withered and brown. But some fall while they’re still green.’

'I may be wrong' is full of humility and grace, and his writing style is warm and engaging. The book is based on talks he has given, and you can tell from the conversational tone of the book. It's like he's sitting beside you.

What a truly wonderful book.

Beautifully written, insightful and poignant.

So many parts of it resonated with me and I am still reflecting on it days after reading. It is true that our personal thoughts can be so destructive and negative. 'I may be wrong' is a very appropriate mantra to have when those thoughts can become utterly overwhelming and anxiety causing. This book is more than a basic book on meditation and mindfulness. It is an enlightening account of all the wisdom gained by Bjorn over his lifetime. It is never preachy or arrogant.

I found the chapters on dealing with death very moving and also soothing. I feel this is a book I will read again which I rarely if ever do.

What a beautiful book!

In a world with so much pressure for perfection, so much virtue signalling, it is refreshing to read a story about someone so human, so imperfect, and so open to life’s possibilities.

Björn’s story was told in such an open and honest way, unafraid of showing his flaws and difficulties, making him relatable and yet very wise.

This is a short book, yet so packed with wisdom that will probably be read more than once. Reading it made me feel so calm, so grateful, so open hearted. A little gem!

We all have our fears... scenarios where everything goes wrong and we are hanging out on an electric pole, metaphorically naked with the whole world jeering and seeing us for who we are. Sorry... that image might not be yours but you get the idea. While most of us are sometimes paralysed by these mental images, some do manage to transverse these dark alleys of the mind, shutting off doubts and following their own positive promptings to its conclusions. Lindeblad seems to be in this latter category.

I May Be Wrong is a book that chronicles Lindeblad's journey and how he found himself in a forest monastery in Thailand after leaving a promising career. The author tells us what drove him to a monastery, what he learned on his journey, and what impact these strange decisions have made on his life.

WHAT I LOVE ABOUT THIS BOOK
I May Be Wrong is a book that tries to avoid the clichés of a well-to-do young white man trying to find himself in a third-world country. The account here is honest, self-deprecating, and eye-opening as to the condition of the human mind regardless of where you live in the world.

WHO IS THE BOOK FOR?
This should be ideal for anyone seeking their own place in this world. This is a book that offers insight into human nature, our innate restlessness to assert ourselves in this world, and a way of finding a sliver of peace in the midst of it all.

Many thanks to Bloomsbury Publishing for providing a review copy.

A guide to letting go of your thoughts and living more openly from a former Buddhist forest monk facing the end of life
Here I forgot about my own life and was immersed in the world created by the author. I would recommend this book.

This book is part memoir part look at mindfulness meditation and Buddhism.
I have been doing daily meditations for some years now and some of the "lessons" I have heard before but they are told in a way that is really good to have handy to reflect on in a book. I found at times the author's own experience that led him in to Buddhism interesting but sometimes it seemed to lose my interest a bit as be moved around different monasteries and different people. There are certainly many experiences and ideas that are useful to reflect on and take with us on our own journeys.

A very interesting story about a Swedish economist who decides to become a forest monk in Thailand.

I made lots of highlights throughout this book - sentences and paragraphs that I want to go back to, to re-read and think more deeply about.

It''s a calming and enjoyable read. Although Bjorn becomes a Buddist monk, there isn't a heavy focus on Buddhism in the book, more about the texsts from the religion that he lea Irned from, and from which we can all learn. I was amused to read how difficult he finds meditation - if a monk finds it difficult, then it's perfectly okay if I struggle too!

Well worth reading. And I May Be Wrong is saying that, but I don't think so!

This was a lovely, heartfelt book that on several occasions brought me to tears. Björn has led an unusual life, living as a forest monk for 17 years before returning to Swedish society. He talks about the challenges and benefits of meditation, and gave some insight that helped me understand meditation better. The book feels very calming and it's a good lesson in slowing down and being more present. It's interesting to read about how his life as a monk is now helping him deal with his diagnosis of ALS and his thoughts and perspective on death. It's made me think about death, about meditation and life in general. A lovely, warm book that I definitely recommend you read if any of the above interests you.