2024-05-08
This "coloring book for adults" is supposed to release the reader's inner child and cheer worn and weary grown-ups. Full of funny pictures and inspirational sayings, the book melds New Age language ("when we color, we let go and enter a deep state of relaxation") with a good wallop of pathos. After all, there's something kind of creepy about a coloring book that features a picture of two people hugging, the caption reading, "Don't engage in casual sex. It's so empty and lonesome. Love is what you're really looking for, isn't it?" Not to mention vapid sentiments like "Life is no fun when your pants are too tight."

But what else can one expect from "a coloring book for adults who want to make their dreams come true"? It's a kitschy prop for people who've never grown up at all. When the reader colors the pictures and peruses the sayings, the "miracle" of faith is supposed to do its magic. But what Manzi fails to understand is that real spirituality requires more discipline than just coloring within the lines.

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