Deep Heavy Stuff by Don Ake

An insightful collection of personal essays and thought-provoking anecdotes, Deep Heavy Stuff: Thoughts and essays for enriching your life by Don Ake is an inspiring work of contemporary writing that is alternately raw, funny, and hopeful.

Addressing some of the deep spiritual and social wounds of the modern age, this collection is in turn a pandemic journal, a revelatory memoir, and a call to action, detailing relatable traumas and struggles so many people have faced in the past few years. Ake shares his thoughts on everything from Christmas traditions and quiet miracles to corporate loyalty and the curse of not feeling “good enough,” extolling the wisdom he’s gained through a life of internal exploration, academics, and wordsmithing.

The author’s extensive work as a humor writer comes through in many of these essays, but the subject matter is generally serious and emotional, as the title implies. From generosity and the search for justice to resilience and navigating chronic stress, these anecdotal stories are sensitive and incisive reflections on universal experiences, both contemporary and timeless.

There are some pieces that feel redundant, or less polished than others, and the use of subtitles can make the reading experience a bit choppy, but these issues don’t detract too much from the message or meaning. Encouraging readers towards greater connection, unity, and joy, while reminding us that hope not only exists but permeates everything we do, this well-compiled collection is a reassuring beacon of positivity.