The Coffee Bean by Jon Gordon and Damon West

A short fable about positive mindset in difficult times.

The Coffee Bean is a fable about the choice of what type of person you will be (a carrot, an egg, or a coffee bean) during times of adversity (boiling water). It reads as a story about a teenager named Abe and his commitment to being a coffee bean, which does not change itself in boiling water but rather makes the water better. I saw this short book in my husband’s office and was eager to read it. This was not faith-focused. It was about mindset and self-empowerment. I did, however, keep thinking of God as the coffee bean, so I was able to make a faith connection while I absorbed the message. It was enjoyable to read and was very short, so you could read it in one sitting. It was relatable in that we all find ourselves in the proverbial boiling water at times, and we know we have a choice of how we let these difficult times affect us. They could change us for the worse or the better. Also, we could stand firm in who we are and change the situation for the better. It was quite encouraging. The whole point is to illustrate a story of a person who, even in the most stressful of times, comes back to his dedication to being a coffee bean. I wouldn’t call this book thought-provoking. The point is simple, and this is merely a story illustrating the idea. I’ll admit I expected it to be more of a self-help with an explanation of the concept and then directives for implementation. This was my fault because the cover literally says “An Illustrated Fable”. Overall, it’s a little too simple and surface-level to get anything more than an encouraging narrative from the text. I do think I will continue to think about how I can be a “coffee bean” when times get rough, so the moral will stick with me. As far as recommending this, I think it would be a great go-to read for teens and young adults. It would be a beautiful mindset to develop for people while their methods of conflict resolution are evolving.