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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
I didn't expect to like this book. But it is a book that really addresses the issues of our time, of our lives.
Thoughtful, essential, unexpected, entertaining and inspiring must read. I am not one to read non-fiction, but this non fiction anthology has the type of characters and heroes that I admire. They are the type of characters that inspire us to aspire to be like them. Yes the are flawed, but we don’t celebrate their flaws we celebrate them because they learn to overcome their flaws.
It is the book about the grownup lives that we all hope to have, but are not sure we have the courage for. But it gives us the tools and optimism to get there with stories that engage us and entertain us.
Thoughtful, essential, unexpected, entertaining and inspiring must read. I am not one to read non-fiction, but this non fiction anthology has the type of characters and heroes that I admire. They are the type of characters that inspire us to aspire to be like them. Yes the are flawed, but we don’t celebrate their flaws we celebrate them because they learn to overcome their flaws.
It is the book about the grownup lives that we all hope to have, but are not sure we have the courage for. But it gives us the tools and optimism to get there with stories that engage us and entertain us.
emotional
hopeful
reflective
fast-paced
I think Anna Sale could read me literally anything and I’d give it 5 stars.
this book had a good premise : to open up conversations about hard topics (sex, death…)
while some experiences were interesting and some advices helpful, nothing truly amazed me
3/5
while some experiences were interesting and some advices helpful, nothing truly amazed me
3/5
Based on her hit podcast, the author covers a wide range of important life topics that can be hard to talk about: death, sex, money, family and identity. I liked her emphasis on how important properly listening can be just as important as the talking and how talking can really help us work through our problems. Notable chapters for me were the ones on money, sex and identity. I especially enjoyed the section where she included conversations with author Cynthia D'Aprix Sweeney and her struggles trying to live and work in New York, finding it hard not to feel inadequate and compare herself to people 'better off' who had inherited wealth. There's something in this book for everyone, definitely great on audio and highly recommend!
Favorite quotes:
"The most meaningful moments of our lives hinge on the hard conversations we have with our family, friends, coworkers and partners. Living fully and honestly depends on stepping towards these conversations despite the risk. Hard things happen to all of us."
"To feel someone listening to us is to feel deeply respected."
"Money is like oxygen, it surrounds us, flowing in and out of our lives, and when you're short of it, nothing else matters."
"We are asking from one person what once a whole village used to provide...We are expecting each other to fulfill more than ever at a time when we feel more free to define what love and sex can and should look like in our lives. Drawing up your own romantic model is liberating but there's also more room for ambivalence and uncertainty. All of us are having to become more skillful at putting words to what we want and need and to hear and respond to our partners in kind."
Favorite quotes:
"The most meaningful moments of our lives hinge on the hard conversations we have with our family, friends, coworkers and partners. Living fully and honestly depends on stepping towards these conversations despite the risk. Hard things happen to all of us."
"To feel someone listening to us is to feel deeply respected."
"Money is like oxygen, it surrounds us, flowing in and out of our lives, and when you're short of it, nothing else matters."
"We are asking from one person what once a whole village used to provide...We are expecting each other to fulfill more than ever at a time when we feel more free to define what love and sex can and should look like in our lives. Drawing up your own romantic model is liberating but there's also more room for ambivalence and uncertainty. All of us are having to become more skillful at putting words to what we want and need and to hear and respond to our partners in kind."
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
Thank you to LibroFM and Simon & Schuster Audio for an audio copy of Anna Sale’s Let’s Talk About Hard Things.
Let’s Talk About Hard Things is an extension of Sale’s popular podcast, Death, Sex, and Money. I’m a huge fan of her podcast and was very excited for this memoir. Sale breaks Let’s Talk About Hard Things into sections: death, sex, money, family and identity. Similar to her podcast, Sale weaves stories from her personal life with interviews and statistics to explore each topic.
The magic of Sale is how she manages to make difficult topics accessible. She reminds her audience that these are unavoidable topics and topics that are made easier when we realize that they affect us all. While it may be difficult to have financial or end of life conversations with our loved ones, Sale opens the door to the way in which we may broach these subjects and gives us examples of other people having these brave discussions. It gives us courage to take the same actions in our own lives and also makes us feel less alone.
Let’s Talk About Hard Things and Death, Sex, and Money are both excellent tools that can help anyone at any stage in life. Last year, I discovered a wonderful TedTalk by author Donna Jo Napoli, where she explains that stories prepare people for events that may occur in their lives and that through experiencing stories, we can imagine scenarios that perhaps could happen to us. I think this is the power of Sale’s work. You might not have had an illness or been a caretaker, yet by reading these sections, you can think about how a similar scenario could impact you in the future, in turn preparing you. You might not identify as LGBTQ, yet reading these sections of Sale’s book and hearing the stories of others, opens the door for listening and empathizing.
I highly recommend Let’s Talk About Hard Things. It’s filled with encouraging true stories on vital topics. The audio book, narrated by Sale, is fantastic, but I also plan to purchase hardcover versions to give as gifts. I can’t imagine a person who wouldn’t benefit from this book.
Let’s Talk About Hard Things is an extension of Sale’s popular podcast, Death, Sex, and Money. I’m a huge fan of her podcast and was very excited for this memoir. Sale breaks Let’s Talk About Hard Things into sections: death, sex, money, family and identity. Similar to her podcast, Sale weaves stories from her personal life with interviews and statistics to explore each topic.
The magic of Sale is how she manages to make difficult topics accessible. She reminds her audience that these are unavoidable topics and topics that are made easier when we realize that they affect us all. While it may be difficult to have financial or end of life conversations with our loved ones, Sale opens the door to the way in which we may broach these subjects and gives us examples of other people having these brave discussions. It gives us courage to take the same actions in our own lives and also makes us feel less alone.
Let’s Talk About Hard Things and Death, Sex, and Money are both excellent tools that can help anyone at any stage in life. Last year, I discovered a wonderful TedTalk by author Donna Jo Napoli, where she explains that stories prepare people for events that may occur in their lives and that through experiencing stories, we can imagine scenarios that perhaps could happen to us. I think this is the power of Sale’s work. You might not have had an illness or been a caretaker, yet by reading these sections, you can think about how a similar scenario could impact you in the future, in turn preparing you. You might not identify as LGBTQ, yet reading these sections of Sale’s book and hearing the stories of others, opens the door for listening and empathizing.
I highly recommend Let’s Talk About Hard Things. It’s filled with encouraging true stories on vital topics. The audio book, narrated by Sale, is fantastic, but I also plan to purchase hardcover versions to give as gifts. I can’t imagine a person who wouldn’t benefit from this book.
Over and over again I was pleasantly surprised by the authors Ability to Point out and discuss the new once in each of these tough conversations.
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced