Reviewed by Asher Syed for Readers' Favorite

Hustle From the Heart is part memoir, part self-help guide, with author Joshua Rosenthal walking us down his path from academic misfit and religious conformist to building a global education company outside traditional systems. Raised in an Orthodox Jewish community in Toronto, Rosenthal describes questioning inherited rules and learning through the simple act of actually asking questions. A spiritual crisis in Berkeley leads to his arrest, psychiatric confinement, and a contested diagnosis that forces him to reassess authority and normal behavior. A trip through Asia further revamps his perspective before turning to nutrition, testing ideas through real experience. At thirty-eight, he founded the Institute for Integrative Nutrition with no capital or formal plan, relying on action and responsiveness. The book presents entrepreneurship as ongoing exposure to uncertainty that develops mental endurance through repeated decision-making, sustained effort, and self-regulation over time.

Hustle From the Heart: An Unconventional Path to Success for Feelers, Healers, and Sensitive Entrepreneurs by Joshua Rosenthal is a fantastic read, and as the child of Holocaust survivors, Rosenthal is able to beautifully reframe generational trauma as a starting point for agency. I'm so accustomed to guides being written with an academic slant that I often forget how fantastic a conversational writing style is. Rosenthal nails this with the ease of chatting with a good friend. His empathy comes through in the way he treats uncertainty as a shared experience, and his wish to be useful remains consistent throughout. I was most touched by a story he shares about a decision to step off a flight as family pressure closed in, which is written in such an open, unguarded way. That moment creates a sense of mutual presence between writer and reader. The book maintains this tone throughout, offering a read that feels human, attentive, and genuinely supportive.