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Luigi Pascal's "[Re]discovering Wonder: Seeing the World Through a Child’s Eyes" offers an engaging look at how adults can rediscover their sense of childlike wonder and innocence while maintaining all the insights that come with experience. As the proof-reader of this brief book, I can vouch that it was excellently written and nimble to edit.
Luigi Pascal uses his life as a children's book author and storyteller to provide near-poetic view of the method child-like wonder blends with grown-up lives. The book shines in the weave between philosophy, psychological research and hands-on exercises. Every chapter focuses on a specific expression of child-like perception — curiosity and wonder, love or emotional purity, the passion of emotion in general, music as communication etc. providing solid examples for how this can be developed today it your very own behaviours each day with lists of guides to develop any aspect you need help with.
Especially noteworthy is the section on "The Power of Imagination," and exercises to rediscover creativity in adulthood. By including real-life instances and stories, like the story of Boyan Slat's venture to clean oceans or how Scientist Lionel Dahmer approached problem-solving at NASA puts these concepts into perspective.
Although the book topples occasionally into idealism, Luigi Pascal stays mostly practical in his optimism regarding growing up with a hint of wonder. The last chapter, about balancing grown-up wisdom with child-like wonder has a particularly lovely consideration of how to bring together two seemingly contrary ways of thinking.
But my only mild annoyance is that there were a couple of chapters in the book about authenticity and relationships it would have been nice for those to dig deeper into what genuine adult interactions actually look like. More varied and better case studies or examples would also have added to the strength of their argument, making it more relatable for an even broader audience.
But for adults desiring to rekindle their creativity, parents yearning for deeper connection with childlike simplicity or those who simply feel that life has lost a bit of its magic and wonderment this book is certainly worth your while. His writing style is actually very clear; his prose easily understood because he can convey difficult concepts in a way that the reader understand as being so.
Despite its brevity, this book is rich and tonic. It is a subtle nudge to us that real magic in the world remains if we only seek it and outlines how one may go about creating for themself, a brighter, more worldly life while never outgrowing their own childlike innocence.