About the book 

An inspiring life story about the difficulties in breaking patterns, handling and understanding your emotions, and finding the way back to yourself in an overwhelming world. Now available in English, this openhearted book has featured on national television in Sweden.

Thomas Anderson is a Swedish entrepreneur, experienced leader, change manager, and life coach. In the middle of life, he was successful at work and had a family, a nice house, and a rich social life—everything looked good on the outside, and he should have been happy. But on the inside he was in a dark place, a whirlpool of self-doubt, stress, anxiety, and feelings of worthlessness. He was trapped in an emotional prison and self-sabotaging behavior. He still managed to be there for everyone else, in his relationship, with the children, at work—but he didn’t know how to be there for himself, and he was now on the brink of burnout. 

At this time, his gut feeling told him that something had to change—this was not the way he wanted to feel for the rest of his life. This marked the beginning of an inner journey, finding the way back to himself. The turning point for Thomas was understanding what it means to be a Highly Sensitive Person (HSP, as an estimated 15–20 % of us are). All the things he thought and felt, being overwhelmed—it now made sense. He is one of those people who takes in and processes more information; there was nothing wrong with him, he just hadn’t learned how to handle it.

The understanding of HSP and of how to handle emotions gave him courage and confidence in taking action and making the changes he needed in life: setting boundaries and creating space for his recovery and wellbeing, building healthier relationships, understanding his own patterns, taking ownership for his emotions, and facing the unaddressed conflicts. He re-evaluated and healed his past. With a new-found confidence he created the balance he needed in today’s boundless work life. With the tools to manage his emotions and thoughts, he created an inner peace that allows him to handle major life changes and stay centered in day-to-day life.

In this book Thomas openly shares his journey, in his own words from his diary over three years—from the brink of burnout to finding happiness. He shares his doubts, shortcomings, learnings, and experiences, the inner work and the strength that comes from being vulnerable. His purpose with being this open is to be a companion on your own journey to change. When he was in his darkest place he felt completely alone, and it was hard to seek help. But by hearing others share, he could share and break free. He hopes that taking part of his story will help you on your vulnerable journey, breaking free and reclaiming your life.

In The Vulnerable Man you get:

• A true and personal story about doing the inner work and how it can feel on the inside going through change.
• Experience, learnings, and inspiration to how you can break patterns and manage your emotions.
• A workbook for self-reflection that you can use by yourself or together with others.

Reviews

"Anderson's candidness is highly relatable, and following even a few of his suggestions can make for positive change. - BlueInk Review

"Intimate and informal, The Vulnerable Man is an inviting book that encourages the healthy confrontation of emotions.......Thomas Anderson's empathetic book The Vulnerable Man uses journal entries to illustrate regulating emotions in order to achieve self-improvement. - Foreword Clarion Reviews

"A heartfelt look at burnout and recovery ..... Entrepreneur and life coach Anderson derives inspirational life lessons from reflecting on his personal diary in this memoir and self-help book" - Kirkus Reviews

Reader reviews

"This book is like group therapy. Thomas shares his journey to a more thoughtful and enlightened existence over a couple years. I felt as though I was repeatedly talking to him out loud, saying “OMG, me too!”, “Yes!” and feeling more “normal”. If you’re an HSP, or if you love an HSP, this is a really helpful book. This isn’t the science-based approach like Elaine Aron’s excellent work. Rather, this is someone being incredibly brave, sharing his journey and helping all of us find our North Star…a guide for our journey, showing us the way, and helping us be kind to ourselves, without judgment. Highly recommend this easy-to-read and helpful book. - RM

"I found 'The vulnerable man' a very honoust and hartwarming book. Thomas takes you with him on his journey of becoming a stronger person. As being a HSP, he touches a number of particular HSP issues, like handling the sensitivity for other peoples moods and dealing with the emotional pain of rejection. With his great longing for a true and better live, he keeps asking himself the good questions and analysing these thoroughly. This book really helps getting clear insight en directions about how to improve your quality of life and find your true self. While reading, I felt the presence of Thomas as if a good friend accompanied me. I read the book in two days: it really got me. - Eva

Thomas Anderson's book is a must read for highly sensitive men and for anyone that knows or loves an HSP male. The book is a transparent look into Thomas' life during a particularly vulnerable and emotional period. He relates his story through diary accounts and commentary that are both honest and authentic. Struggling through key life events he reveals for the reader his transformation and acceptance of his highly sensitive nature and offers sage advice for those who are traversing the same course. His recounting of a trip through the Camino de Santiago is both a great real life example and a sound metaphor for his transformation. Highly recommend. - Bill Allen

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I can highly recommend "The Vulnerable Man". Both women and men, and in particular all parents of boys, will find a lot of golden nuggets in this book and increase their understanding of Highly Sensitive People. Mr. Anderson's book is one you'll read in one sitting. I didn't want to put it down once I had started reading. The format - a mix of diary notes and the author's reflections looking back at his old notes - makes this challenging topic easy to navigate and brings genuine insights.

The diary notes and reflections are intertwined with recommendations for further reading on the topic and practical tools for self help. It's a powerful package that will make the reader reflect on his or her own life choices. As the world is slowly coming out of a global pandemic, I believe many individuals will be looking for a different north star. Hopefully, many will make the wise decision to put this book in their Amazon carts! It will help anyone trying to make sense of what their "monkey brain" is telling them and decide what action steps are necessary to make change happen. Get this book today, you won't regret it! - Åsa