The Power of No

James Altucher and Claudia Azula Altucher argue that one small word, no, can be a path to healing, abundance and happiness. Over three years of writing, retreats, talks and online seminars they answered tens of thousands of questions about every part of life, and the underlying answer was that same word. Agreeing to what one does not want, they write, can bring resentment, poor work, less energy for what one loves and less money, and uses up another piece of a life. Drawing on their own stories and on feedback from readers and students, they defend the right to refuse whatever causes harm, standards that no longer help, people who drain creativity and beliefs that are not one's own.

Ryan Holiday, summing it up in one sentence for his list of 42 books that make a better person, said a life is shaped by how well one learns to refuse what must be refused.