Love is Bananas: One Man’s Journey to Discover the Most Important Word in the World by Author Trey Humphreys (New Degree Press, 2020) takes you on a journey around the world, and finally to your heart. And if you’re looking for a book that’ll make you laugh and cry, you’ll find everything and more here.
Trey Humphreys battled love all his life.
“We’re never taught how to love,” he shared, “and so I spent much of my life afraid of commitment.”
He couldn’t define it, didn’t know why he disliked his life or himself, and really didn’t believe in love. Then, eight years ago, a business coach asked him a simple question that changed his life forever – “What is your definition of love?” It blindsided him. His answer was awful, and it set him on a journey around the world to define what love means for everyone from a broken man with a romantic story in Yemen to a snake-handling preacher in Kentucky to a 28-year-old, a dying homeless girl in Nashville to 60s hippies still searching for it.
Trey’s story begins with an introduction to his therapist… well actually his business coach Jimmy who realizes Trey has much more to understand than simply how to grow his business. Jimmy quickly realizes he’s bit off a bit more than he bargained for when after stepping out for a coffee comes back to see Trey has scribbled five words on the whiteboard in their meeting room:
“Love is a painful hell.”
Upon returning, Jimmy scanned the whiteboard, took a deep breath, and replied, “Well I guess we should start there…”
And from there, we get a rambunctious look inside the hearts and minds of dozens of others looking for similar answers to these age-old questions.
You’ll feel elements of David Sedaris, a sprinkling of Dave Barry, and a bit of Ira Glass as you read. Humphreys is gifted and writes in a style that is approachable, vulnerable, and perfect for today’s readers (especially those of us reentering society after the pandemic trying to understand a new world of love, dating, and friendships.)
As one reviewer shared, “Trey handles the most delicate of interactions and conversations with humor and intention – I simply could not put this book down. Every, deliberate word shapes these beautiful stories to remind us of our interconnectedness.”
It’s a fascinating, entertaining read that gets to the root of what it means. Love is Bananas takes you on a journey around the world and finally to your heart. Trey Humphreys battled love all his life. He couldn’t define it, didn’t know why he disliked his life or himself, but in the end, found the journey to discover love is just as important as the destination itself.
About the Author
Trey Humphreys is a serial seeker of love. An entrepreneur engaged in multiple successful businesses which include a dive bar and a party bus company, Trey has attacked his journey to find love in true out-of-the-box fashion. A self-proclaimed “disaster of a human being full of self-loathing and fear of commitment,” he professes that never believing in himself stunted his ability to give and take love. Taking a leap of faith, Trey began a two-year journey through 35 countries to explore human nature and discover the secrets of love. As a result, he is implementing global programs to connect people pursuing big dreams and transforming his own life and feelings about himself and others.