I really enjoyed Mark's story and even found myself replaying a few parts more than once. I’ve already recommended it to a few coworkers—it's that good. The audiobook experience was definitely worth it!

In Uncommon, Mark Divine delivers a powerful and inspiring audiobook that urges listeners to break free from mediocrity and strive for excellence in every aspect of their lives. Drawing from his diverse experiences as an elite Navy SEAL, entrepreneur, author, speaker, and martial artist, Divine presents a compelling case for what it truly means to live an "uncommon" life—one where you push beyond limitations, learn from mistakes, and embrace a mindset focused on growth and achievement.

The audiobook is both motivational and practical, offering principles that are applicable to anyone seeking to improve themselves, whether in business, relationships, or personal development. Divine uses his background in military training, leadership, and eastern philosophy to craft a guide that integrates mental toughness, discipline, and introspection to cultivate a life of purpose and excellence.

Listeners will appreciate the depth of wisdom that Divine imparts, with specific exercises and insights designed to help listeners break old habits and push themselves toward achieving their highest potential. His calm, steady narration allows the material to resonate deeply, making it feel like a personal coaching session that challenges and encourages growth.

Uncommon is more than just a motivational speech; it’s a roadmap to achieving personal excellence by changing your mindset and habits. Whether you're looking to overcome obstacles, build resilience, or simply become the best version of yourself, this audiobook offers invaluable lessons and inspiration from one of the most accomplished individuals in the fields of leadership and self-improvement. If you're ready to step up and pursue excellence, Uncommon is a must-listen.

I am used to reading books by Navy SEALs who tell me that I am a loser and I need to toughen up and get my life together, which I guess I kind of like because I rolled my eyes when Mark said, "Speak my truth".

I am really glad I kept reading though and gave this book a chance. For anyone who does not like that typical ex-military attitude, you should try reading this book. Even stories from his SEAL days were a great addition. They weren’t just typical war stories. They actually helped explain his points about teamwork, perseverance, and leadership.

Mark shares a lot of practical advice and lessons about pushing yourself to be better, stronger, and more focused that really make you think about how you approach life and personal growth. He breaks down ideas like mental toughness and discipline into actionable steps that are actually doable. Not easy but simple.

It’s not just about physical strength; it’s about building mental clarity, emotional strength, and a mindset that helps you tackle any challenge. He even covers situational awareness which is not common for this genre and something I want to focus on more.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the Arc!

This book was kind of the typical self help book with a tough love spin on it. I really liked all of the military stories and examples. I definitely thought they added something different to the book.

Uncommon by Mark Divine contains all the information necessary to move towards living an uncommon life. The applications/exercises are easy to follow and promote changing one's mindset toward life.

It's difficult to objectively rate a self-help book. What provides incredible insights for one person may not click for someone else, so it's great for the first person and less so for the second. Therefore, I'm going with overall writing quality and structure for the star rating - the author is clearly an experienced presenter on this topic, and his narration reflects his podcast experience. While everyone's mileage will vary, in general I think this would be most helpful to people with the following qualities:

*You are financially secure and/or have few dependents and are considering a career change.
*Physical fitness is an important part of your life, or you want it to be.
*You are outdoorsy and/or live somewhere that is safe and pleasant to spend time outside.
*You are open to a small dose of new age concepts but aren't quite at the point of breaking out the crystals and incense.
*You are part of (or at least closely adjacent to) the dominant culture where you live, so you are likely to be graced with the benefit of the doubt and second/third chances in trying new things.

If that sounds like you and you're looking for some inspiration, give this one a shot.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC.

He says in the introduction "Some you may think I'm just another Navy seal loser telling you to toughen up but nothing could be further from the truth." He then proceeds to spend the rest of the book basically telling you to toughen up. At the start of the next chapter he says 'I'm making you sign a contract' He proceeds to talk about how obesity is a number one killer yet obesity is a made up term created by internalized fatphobic people who believe that the 'BMI' is a true indictation of health and have never believed in or listened to the research behind Health At Every Size.
What a terrible excuse for a book. If I could give it 0 stars I would.

"𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘭𝘰𝘴𝘦𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘵𝘩𝘦 𝘣𝘦𝘴𝘵 𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘰𝘧 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘦𝘷𝘦𝘳𝘺 𝘥𝘢𝘺. 𝘐𝘵 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘭𝘪𝘷𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘤𝘶𝘴, 𝘤𝘰𝘯𝘧𝘪𝘥𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦, 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘩𝘶𝘮𝘪𝘭𝘪𝘵𝘺. 𝘉𝘦𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘶𝘯𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘰𝘯 𝘮𝘦𝘢𝘯𝘴 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘳𝘯𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘩𝘰𝘸 𝘵𝘰 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘮𝘶𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘯𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘭𝘺 𝘢𝘯𝘥 𝘦𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘤𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦𝘭𝘺."

I actually don't read a lot of self help books because many of the ones I've picked up in the past come off as a bit preachy for me. But I really enjoyed this!

The author is a former Navy SEAL, but don't let that intimidate you. The full title is true in that his principles are rather simple. I didn't feel overwhelmed by suggestions and/or ways to improve myself. Everything I read actually felt realistic and doable. His principles are about "climbing the five mountains of consciousness to self-mastery in service to others" with your mountains being the following: Physical, Mental, Emotional, Intuitional, and Spiritual.

I went back and forth between my physical copy and listening to the audio. While I did enjoy listening, there are a few graphs and lists that I preferred to see on paper. But either way you choose, I think you'll find something in the book that you can apply to your daily or long-term life that will help you to be uncommon.

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me an ALC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

This was this thought provoking and interesting. Thanks for the opportunity to listen to and review this audiobook. I really enjoyed it.

What great wisdom! I want a hard copy of this book so I can write, bookmark, and make notes. There are some really great motivational tools and simple, practical instructions for making each day better. If you're looking for a call to action for your dreams, this is the book for you!