Scan barcode
gracemainwaring's review
challenging
informative
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Really informative book about privilege and money in competitive institutions, made me reflect on my own advantages and Otegha is clearly brilliant
beckysbookshelf2826's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
medium-paced
4.0
neshasurya's review
3.5
i initially thought this was going to be a memoir and self-help book about how to effectively manage money, but it turned out to be a wonderful read that covered topics like entering the workforce, house-buying problems, generational wealth, race, and gender. love the social commentary and how she writes this memoir. sounds smart and witty.
claire60's review
4.0
Really enjoyed this, part memoir, part social and cultural commentary. Always fascinating at times the words fizzed on the page and I could sense the author's passion. Her thoughts on certain cultural icons and moments are the vital Black feminist perspective that is often missing in our culture. I also really liked the more personal reflections on the challenges of being a Black woman in the workplace, especially in 'boys club' environments. Her essay about money is also a timely polemic on the impact of the different socialisation that women often receive around money, self worth and especially in relation to negotiating around payment for work.
With thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
With thanks to netgalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review.
rachelemm's review
4.0
I went into this book expecting a guide on how to better manage my money and, while that isn't exactly what I got, I came away with something even more valuable. This memoir from Otegha Uwagba was a wonderful read which covered issues including getting into the world of work, (the woes of) house buying, generational wealth and that time in your life (late 20s, early 30s) when your future and that of your friends start to diverge as you forge your own path.
Uwagba was really honest in this memoir, which I loved, and shared a lot of her personal struggles and experiences. It was good to read that Otegha had a largely positive experience during her time as a student at Oxford University. Most of the stories, I read of the black experience in Oxbridge highlight a series of microaggressions that are wearing for black people to endure but Uwagba found her tribe, had a good time and looks back on her time there fondly.
Conversely, the chapter on her time working at Vice was really difficult to read. While I hope the toxic culture there has since changed, Otegha highlighted some important red flags employees should look out for in the work place to avoid some of the pitfalls she fell victim to.
Something Otegha addressed in the book that I found really enlightening was the different relationships people have with money and how attitudes instilled in us as children can go on to impact and influence how we behave with money in adulthood. It helped me understand my own relationship with money and why I behaved as I have in the past.
I read this via audiobook and, at the end, there was an interview between Otegha and her editor which added even more to the experience further building on the themes Otegha had touched on in the book. I would highly recommend listening to this on audio if you get the opportunity to do so.
Uwagba was really honest in this memoir, which I loved, and shared a lot of her personal struggles and experiences. It was good to read that Otegha had a largely positive experience during her time as a student at Oxford University. Most of the stories, I read of the black experience in Oxbridge highlight a series of microaggressions that are wearing for black people to endure but Uwagba found her tribe, had a good time and looks back on her time there fondly.
Conversely, the chapter on her time working at Vice was really difficult to read. While I hope the toxic culture there has since changed, Otegha highlighted some important red flags employees should look out for in the work place to avoid some of the pitfalls she fell victim to.
Something Otegha addressed in the book that I found really enlightening was the different relationships people have with money and how attitudes instilled in us as children can go on to impact and influence how we behave with money in adulthood. It helped me understand my own relationship with money and why I behaved as I have in the past.
I read this via audiobook and, at the end, there was an interview between Otegha and her editor which added even more to the experience further building on the themes Otegha had touched on in the book. I would highly recommend listening to this on audio if you get the opportunity to do so.
iina's review against another edition
2.0
So, I didn’t realise this was supposed to be a memoir until I was finished with the book… That sure didn’t help.
This was a mixture of personal anecdotes and histories, the author complaining about how all her friends are more rich and privileged than her (get new friends if it’s such a problem?) and facts and figures about money, gender, etc. I liked the less personal content more, as I felt like Uwagba failed to account for her own relative privileges — posh education, being able to quit her job and live at home to figure her career out, the fact that she could buy a home at 30 — whenever she talked about how everyone else is better off than her. Race, gender and class all of course account for a lot when it comes to money, but I feel like a lot of the more essay-style content here failed to make that last 10% push that would’ve turned it great instead of simply stating facts already familiar.
Still, there was some good stuff, too, and the commentary, when not too ‘woe is me’ was sharp and witty, so it wasn’t all bad.
This was a mixture of personal anecdotes and histories, the author complaining about how all her friends are more rich and privileged than her (get new friends if it’s such a problem?) and facts and figures about money, gender, etc. I liked the less personal content more, as I felt like Uwagba failed to account for her own relative privileges — posh education, being able to quit her job and live at home to figure her career out, the fact that she could buy a home at 30 — whenever she talked about how everyone else is better off than her. Race, gender and class all of course account for a lot when it comes to money, but I feel like a lot of the more essay-style content here failed to make that last 10% push that would’ve turned it great instead of simply stating facts already familiar.
Still, there was some good stuff, too, and the commentary, when not too ‘woe is me’ was sharp and witty, so it wasn’t all bad.