How to Love Better by Yung Pueblo

In How to Love Better, bestselling author Yung Pueblo (Diego Perez) offers a quietly radical invitation: to deepen the way we love not by focusing outward, but by turning inward. Drawing from principles rooted in mindfulness, emotional intelligence, and self-awareness, Pueblo constructs a gentle yet powerful guide to building stronger, more compassionate relationships. This book is not a step-by-step manual, nor does it pretend to solve the complex terrain of human connection quickly. Instead, it is a meditation, a reflective companion for anyone seeking clarity and courage in love and life.

At its heart, How to Love Better is about growth—personal and shared. Pueblo outlines how healing one’s emotional wounds is essential before a true connection with another can flourish. His writing returns repeatedly to the premise that love begins within: “Everyone enters relationships with imperfections and negative patterns that block the flow of love, but when you embrace growth, the new harmony within you will flow into your relationship.” This self-work, he suggests, is not a luxury but a necessity for sustainable love.

The book moves thoughtfully through the various stages of relationships, from the tentative beginnings to the challenges of maintaining trust and openness over time. Pueblo delves into the pitfalls of ego, the importance of setting boundaries, and the art of conscious communication—always with a calm, steady voice that refuses to sensationalise or simplify. His prose, though accessible, carries the depth of lived experience and years of deep, consistent and focused practice.

One of the book’s greatest strengths lies in its universality. While much of the content will resonate with those in romantic relationships, its insights are just as relevant for familial bonds, friendships, and the wider community. Pueblo understands love not as a static state but as a dynamic practice—one that demands presence, patience, and an ongoing willingness to learn. His chapter on “selfless listening” alone is worth the price of the book, offering a clear-eyed look at how we often mistake hearing for understanding.

Though many of Pueblo’s insights may feel familiar to readers of his earlier work or followers of mindfulness teachings, the beauty of How to Love Better is not in novelty, but in resonance. These are truths that deserve to be revisited often. As Elizabeth Gilbert aptly puts it, this book is “a beautiful offering from the heart, to the heart.”

Whether you are navigating heartbreak, working through conflict, or simply seeking to show up more fully in your relationships, How to Love Better provides the compassionate mirror we all need at times. It is best read slowly, perhaps with a pencil in hand and a quiet room—each chapter offering space to pause, reflect, and realign.

Yung Pueblo has created a book that will linger long after the final page: a testament to the quiet strength it takes to love well, and the deep peace that comes from doing so with intention. Thoughtful, grounded, and emotionally restorative, this is a timely and timeless guide for anyone committed to love as a practice of growth.

Reviewer: Chris Reed

Penguin