Frank Buckley's new book offers some important guidance for those of us who have emerged jaded from a year of social distancing. Curiosity, and Its Twelve Rules for Life (Encounter Books, 2021) is too playful and witty to fit into the genre of self-help, and it rewards readers with a vast range of literary, cultural and religious reference. Buckley's first rule is "don't make rules" - and by tugging away at the earnest and responsible publications to which its title alludes, Curiosity encourages that fascination with ourselves and our worlds that should lead to a life well lived.

Crawford Gribben is a professor of history at Queen’s University Belfast.

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