Review: The Eagle That Drank Hummingbird Nectar by Aneace Haddad

Reading like a long-form parable for business professionals, The Eagle That Drank Hummingbird Nectar by Aneace Haddad is like no other book in its genre. Blurring the line between fiction, allegory, and self-help, this masterfully penned book probes into the stagnation that can strike anyone, from any life path, and then gently nudges readers into revelation.

Aidan Perez had risen to the top of his industry, achieving the coveted position of CEO, but after his personal life collapsed in tragedy, it radically changed his perspective on wealth and the pursuit of happiness. With his daughter in Singapore and looming loneliness ahead, he begins seeking and finding new dreams – real, abstract, and somewhere in between.

The book bounces back and forth in time, with each anecdote or vignette embodying key lessons the author has gathered along his path. Interspersed with the events of Perez’s life are chapters of the immortals, more philosophical and inexplicable in nature, which give the entire book a sacred air of secrecy.

Introducing ideas that may be entirely new to some readers, from Third Culture Kids to Kundalinic Awakenings, this book pushes far past the expected boundaries of a professional guidebook. The writing touches on cultural nuances that leaders must navigate, the challenges of maintaining a healthy personal life as a CEO, the anxiety of financial failure, the existential fear of unknowingly harming others, and so much more. Haddad doesn’t sugarcoat the hard moments, and this vulnerability earns readers’ trust early on, while also presenting long-lasting questions to mull over long after the last page.

Unlike so many other business or personal improvement books, this one doesn’t attempt to preach, proselytize or lecture to readers; the lessons embedded in the prose move to the mind via literary osmosis – subtly, but powerfully. The Nomads are a fascinating aspect of the story – a wonderful idea for commiseration and conversation – and one of the best crossover points between fictional narrative and non-fiction. For business professionals reading this unique novel, the issues discussed in these intimate C-level meetings will provide insight into their own leadership journeys.

That said, some of those interactions delve so deep into the weeds that some readers might lose interest, or be put off by the occasional redundancy of the points being made. Additionally, the prose is quite informal, with self-reflective questions embedded in the narration, making the text easy to read, but sometimes poorly paced. An eager editor would trim a good deal of the dialogue from certain scenes, allowing narration to step in and save time. The writing is clean, but crowded, and a more economical approach to language would make the text even more engaging. Though there is a structure to the book, there isn’t a clear structure of guidance, so readers seeking practical help may be frustrated at the vagueness.

Overall, however, this is a creative and genre-blurring book that has wisdom for everyone, whether entrenched in the world of business or not, for a uniquely eye-opening professional guide that is like no other.