Illogical: Saying Yes to a Life Without Limits

by Emmanuel Acho

Overview

Notes From Your Bookseller

The former NFL player, podcast host and bestselling author of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man writes about chasing your dreams despite the odds or limits we or others place on us. Emmanuel Acho has become a go-to guest on many shows and has the support of Oprah Winfrey through her publishing and social media platforms.

From the New York Times bestselling author of Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, a call to break through our limits and say yes to a life of infinite possibility.

You may know Emmanuel Acho as the host of groundbreaking video series “Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man.” Or as a New York Times bestselling author. Or as an Emmy-winning television broadcaster. Or as a former linebacker for two NFL franchises.

What you probably don’t know is that Emmanuel defines his own life with just one word: Illogical.

Behind every triumph, every expression of his gifts, Acho has had to ignore what everyone around him called “logic”: the astronomical odds against making it, the risks of continuing to dream bigger or differently. Instead of playing it safe, at every turn Acho has thrown conventional wisdom—logic—out the window. Now, in this revelatory book, he’s empowering us all to do the same.

Whether it’s creating the next groundbreaking startup, fighting for change as an activist, or committing to a personal passion, Illogical is the go-to book for all readers ready to become change-makers. With a step-by-step guide to finding our callings and shifting our mindsets, enlivened by stories from Acho’s life and other illogical pioneers, and the Bible, Acho asks us to replace the limits set for us, and which we set for ourselves, with a world of possibility. Our horizons, he shows us, are endless.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781250836441
Publisher:	Flatiron Books
Publication date:	03/22/2022
Pages:	256
Sales rank:	24,928
Product dimensions:	5.60(w) x 8.30(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Emmanuel Acho picked up a football and made it to the NFL. He picked up a pen and became a New York Times bestselling author for Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, followed by the #1 bestseller Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Boy. He picked up a microphone and won a Primetime Emmy for his groundbreaking online series, Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man, amassing more than 90 million views to date. All this by the age of thirty, because of his ability to think and act illogically.


Emmanuel, the son of Nigerian immigrant parents, grew up in Dallas with his three siblings. He is a 2021 Sports Emmy winner, Fox Sports analyst (cohost of FS1’s Speak for Yourself), and television personality. He is a former NFL linebacker and has a master’s degree in sports psychology from the University of Texas.

Editorial Reviews

01/24/2022

Acho (Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man), a Fox Sports analyst and former NFL linebacker, encourages readers to think illogically and reject convention in this optimistic guide. After Acho broke his thumb while playing with the Philadelphia Eagles in 2015, he made the “illogical” decision to pivot to sports media instead of returning to the NFL, and soon became the youngest national football analyst at ESPN. Pulling from his own life, from history, and popular culture, Acho gives advice on how to buck conventional wisdom, recommending that readers get comfortable with uncertainty and risk, remain open to changing their goals on the fly, follow their gut, and learn to not fear failure. For example, he uses Steve Jobs’s promotion of the iPhone to illustrate the power in believing in oneself, the Wright Brothers’ first flight to demonstrate how one can learn from one’s predecessors, and the biblical story of Peter walking on water to extoll the virtue of being willing to act alone. While most may find Acho’s suggestions unsurprising, his upbeat tone adds spunk and confidence to such self-affirming statements as “You are valuable, worthy, and beautiful.” Though Acho leans on common maxims, this brims with infectious positivity. (Mar.)

Publishers Weekly

"An accomplished athlete becomes a cheerleader" and calls it "a heartfelt guide to personal success." -Kirkus


"Acho, a Fox Sports analyst and former NFL linebacker, encourages readers to think illogically and reject convention in this optimistic guide." The review goes on to praise that "his upbeat tone adds spunk and confidence" and adds that the book " brims with infectious positivity." -Publishers Weekly

"Former NFL linebacker, Emmy–winning broadcaster, and bestselling author Acho provides a step-by-step guide advising readers on how to stop letting society's metrics or allegedly logical expectations determine their value, success, or greatness." -Booklist

From the Publisher

2021-12-29
An accomplished athlete becomes a cheerleader.

In 2015, Nigerian American linebacker Acho suffered an injury that caused him to be dropped by the Philadelphia Eagles. The footballer, who had been cut five times by the age of 25 and traded after his rookie season, faced a real dilemma: the need to reinvent himself as something other than a football player. Acho draws on that experience, biblical stories (David and Goliath, Noah), and the successes of people like Steve Jobs, Oprah Winfrey, and his own immigrant father to offer upbeat encouragement to anyone mired at a crossroads in life. Now an Emmy Award–winning sports analyst for Fox Sports and host of the podcast—and author of the book—Uncomfortable Conversations With a Black Man, Acho urges readers to follow their dreams, take risks, and refuse to let other people tell you that what you want is not logical. “Take the chance,” he advises. “Life is short and tomorrow is not promised. Do not live a half-filled life leaving yourself to wonder, ‘What if ?’ Just go do it.” He cautions against letting other people determine your value or success and even advises against aiming toward one particular goal: “If you open up your peripheral vision to different paths your impact is so much greater than crossing one finish line.” Children, he reminds readers, “just believe, they don’t overcomplicate things” by weighing the pros and cons of whatever they want to do. “My coach always used the phrase, ‘Paralysis by analysis,’ ” Acho writes. “Don’t overthink, just believe, and thus achieve.” The author urges readers to find their natural gift—something they’re inherently good at or thoroughly enjoy—and develop it through perseverance and hard work. Never let other people’s doubt stop you, he insists: “The moment you think to yourself, ‘I might be crazy,’ is the first checkpoint on your path to accomplishing greatness.”

A heartfelt guide to personal success.

Kirkus Reviews