Here’s The Wild Sensitive Book Review by Barbara Allen–Williams
Are you part of the 50% of Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) who are also High Sensation Seekers (HSS)? Have you been pondering whether the new book by The Living Adventurers (Annet van Duinen and Randy Grasser) is right for you?
Barbara Allen–Williams is an International Consultant on High Sensitivity (ICHS) and a renowned HSP mentor and trainer. She has written The Wild Sensitive book review of a lifetime, highlighting key areas that resonated and her favourite quotes.
As an HSP/HSS, reading these key takeaways might aid in your purchasing decision.
The review is available on Barbara’s Facebook profile (as seen below). But for those of you not on the platform, this post brings the entire write-up to you.
The Wild Sensitive Book Review by Barbara Allen–Williams
The text below is lifted word-for-word from Barbara’s Facebook post.
I recently finished reading ‘The Wild Sensitive’ by Annet van Duinen and Randy Grasser (available on Amazon as a hardback and an ebook). This book aims to describe the experience of a life lived with the traits of both high sensitivity (HSP) and high sensation seeking (HSS).
There is a lot of useful information about the drives, challenges and joys of doing life as an HSP/HSS, plus the process of developing self-knowledge and differentiating (an essential element of all human growth and development, including for high sensation seekers).
This book takes a raw and unfiltered look at the potential highs and lows of being doubly rare, with personal stories from the authors. Half of HSPs also have the high sensation seeking trait (a love of novelty and adventure), so I was not surprised to see that the people and experiences described in this book represent a huge number of the HSPs I have met as clients, friends or colleagues over the years.
And interestingly, it was difficult at times not to apply the commentary on the process of personal development of high sensation seekers to that of all HSPs I have worked with.
For example, in my experience, all HSPs get bored easily (and this can especially be the case in relationships where mutual depth of communication is not so available); so boredom, even in interpersonal exchange, workplace and in general, doesn’t always stand out for me as just related to HSS.
However, frustration of a need to follow through with ideas, self-expression and actions in a timely way does make me think more of sensitive high sensation seekers and their innate drive for new experiences, intensity and depth.
There are very specific differences when HSS is added into the mix with HSPs, but the trajectory towards self-knowledge, the fine balance required between intensity and overwhelm, the challenges and complexity are the same, perhaps just managed or prioritised differently.
The book covers a wide range of potential challenges and ways forward for wild sensitives, so it is well worth a look.
Highlighted in the book are:
- The importance of balance and clarity
- How vital it is to understand your trait(s) and get good information
- How knowledge itself is not enough, that processing and insight develop over time
- Ideas for working with fears, challenges and identifying values
- Differences that arise in relationships when one or both partners are high sensation seeking, empowered or unempowered, and highly sensitive as well.
- Areas and roles where empowered wild sensitives can show up at their best
Overall, this book is very comprehensive and could easily be three books in one (be prepared for it to take a few days to read).
But if someone is highly sensitive and high sensation seeking, looking for a mirror, ideas about personal growth and life satisfaction, and wondering how to make the most of these two traits, this book will offer ideas and options for all of that; just pick what works for you.
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4 Quotes from The Wild Sensitive Book Loved by Barbara Allen–Williams
If you love to keep a collection of inspirational and relatable quotes about Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) or High Sensation Seekers (HSS), Barbara’s review shares a few.
Below are some quotes from the book that stuck with me, along with a wish to learn more about upcoming projects from Annet and Randy about high sensation seeking in the future.
- “When fear gets too close, our compass doesn’t stop working, it just points us toward false safety, instead of authentic direction……. over time we end up far from ourselves”.
- “….knowledge …. can either liberate or limit, depending on the questions we are willing to ask, and the values that shape our desire to learn. Insight alone doesn’t free us, it’s how we relate to it that determines whether we stay confined or begin to expand.”
- “Technique lets you stay sovereign in more situations, because you are not relying on ideal conditions to show up as yourself”.
Finally, this last quote below is inspiring and seems to underpin the aim of this book for sensitive high sensation seekers, the ‘Wild Sensitives’ – (and maybe other HSPs too):
- “This is what we want for you. Not to live like us, but to live like you, fully, boldly, gently, wildly.”
About Barbara Allen–Williams
Barbara Allen-Williams is a former therapist turned Mentor and Trainer working exclusively with Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) and the professionals who serve them.
With 30+ years of experience in the Personal Development field and having received HSP training from Dr. Elaine N. Aron, Barbara is one of the founding members of the International Consultants on High Sensitivity (ICHS).
She is also a regular co-host of the HSP Gathering Retreats – an annual 5-day meetup co-founded by Jacqueline Strickland and Dr. Elaine N. Aron in 2001.
Visit this page on Barbara Allen-Williams’ website to learn more, and then go here to see her new book for Highly Sensitive People (HSPs) – The Little Book of HSP Wisdom.
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With love and kindness,
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