BN Book Review: Crash by Sunkanmi and Tobi Adewusi | Review by The BookLady NG

Beyond providing 24 strategies for turning setbacks into setups, Crash is an exhibit bearing all the scars of an investment accident that almost cost the authors one too many losses. Not everyone is lucky to make it out alive from a financial crash. However, Sunkanmi and Tobi Adewusi did and so they shared the lessons to help others avoid similar experiences. 

As a memoir, this deeply vulnerable book recounts the ordeal of the power couple (as they are fondly called) as they navigate through a financial loss that shook them to the core. In 2017, the Adewusis ventured into the uncertain world of cryptocurrency with the mind of getting rich while helping others acquire wealth. However, they failed to assess the risks and mitigate them in spite of their good intentions. 

In less than one year, a ten-digit investment which included those of numerous other partners went down the drain in the bull-bear market of cryptocurrency. I might not be a sound financial advisor, but the bad calls made by the couple in this book were somewhat naive and left room for much castigating. In this lies the beauty of this tell-it-all that candidly lets the reader in on the mistakes they made with no holds barred. 

Call it another classic account of turning one’s lemon into lemonade and you wouldn’t be far from correct. Crash makes a case for us as humans to seek counsel and avoid ventures that seem too good to be true, as admonished by Tobi Adewusi in avoiding the shiny object syndrome.  In peeling back the layers of red flags they encountered, Sunkanmi and Tobi didn’t shrink from the unpleasant moments. They did not shy away from taking full responsibility and admitting the effects of the crash on their image and loved ones.

Of the twenty-four lessons shared in this book, two stand out – lesson 14 and lesson 21. Lesson 14 states that there are no sentiments in business. Think rationally and objectively even when dealing with family and friends. The insights in Crash are empowering. They will make you evaluate your decisions and put measures in place to do better.  

Storms would rise, and challenges would surface, however, the best approach is to equip oneself with the knowledge to tackle them. Lesson 21 highlights the indelible importance of “associating with people who have your best interest at heart” during a meltdown. As posited by Adewusi, the right people surrounding one during a crisis can make a world of difference irrespective of the type of challenge. 

A lot can be gleaned from the experience of the couple and how they managed to carry their children along without weighing them down with the emotional turmoil they faced behind closed doors. While acknowledging the need to “not underestimate the ability of children to understand dire situations at home,” this also calls for a balance – avoid turning them to your confidant. This bonus parenting tip proves to be true even outside of the context of the book. 

More poignant is the author’s journey to accepting the mess and the need to forge ahead. There are no better times to build character, resilience and intimacy with the maker than when things go south. Adewusis’ journey is a testament to what the human mind can do if it makes the defining decision to bounce back after daunting struggles.