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Reviews tagging 'Religious bigotry'
Untamed: Stop Pleasing, Start Living by Glennon Doyle
28 reviews
deetabz's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
3.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Mental illness, Addiction, Bullying, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Grief, Alcohol, Body shaming, Eating disorder, Pregnancy, Homophobia, Infidelity, Religious bigotry, Lesbophobia, Xenophobia, Racism, and Sexism
Minor: Fatphobia, Mass/school shootings, Murder, Gun violence, Police brutality, and Sexual content
avasbookmark's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Eating disorder
Moderate: Religious bigotry, Homophobia, and Mental illness
writtenontheflyleaves's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
3.5
Untamed by Glennon Doyle đ
đđđâ¨
đThe concept: "Who were you before the world told you who to be?" This is the question Glennon Doyle finds herself asking when the Christian marriage and family that helped her achieve sobriety is stifling her and she falls in love at first sight with a woman at a conference. She finds that the voice that leads her towards fulfilment doesn't come from outside herself - from "on high" or a spiritual guide - but from deep inside herself, and sets off in pursuit of that voice.
I don't read a huge amount of self help-y books, and this was definitely jumping in at the deep end. The tone throughout was like a mix between Fight Song by Rachel Platten, a TED talk, and a CEO's LinkedIn post about a conversation with their child that ends with the phrase "let that sink in." Sometimes it hit on something profound, sometimes it felt more like she'd capitalised random words and hoped for the best.
The topics she discussed were wide-ranging and she didn't shy away from anything. There was even a chapter about racism, which was a bit of a mixed bag. It started with an irritating anecdote about Trump's election - a friend calling her, distraught, and Doyle doing the smug "woke" white woman thing of "Well maybe now FINALLY everyone will wake up!!!" And while I thought Doyle did well at explaining how she as a philanthropist balances a sense of personal responsibility and acknowledging her own racism with taking action, I wasn't fully convinced by her comparing anti-racism work to sobriety. I'm not sure how far I can get behind anti-racism as a form of self-help for white people, and it's symptomatic of the individualist lens that I felt characterised this book.
Overall, this was enjoyable and at times illuminating, but I'm not sure it totally convinced me!
đ Read it if you think best in metaphors and analogies because my god, does Doyle LOVE them. If you're in a time of real flux right now this would probably be quite reassuring.
đŤ Avoid if you have a low threshold for irritation or if any of what I've said above sets off alarm bells!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness
Moderate: Eating disorder and Religious bigotry
Minor: Vomit and Homophobia
kelly_e's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Title: Untamed
Author: Glennon Doyle
Genre: Non Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 10, 2020
T H R E E ⢠W O R D S
Digestible ⢠Reflective ⢠Empowering
đ S Y N O P S I S
Four years ago, Glennon Doyleâbestselling Oprah-endorsed author, renowned activist and humanitarian, wife and mother of threeâwas speaking at a conference when a woman entered the room. Glennon looked at her and fell instantly in love. Three words flooded her mind: There She Is. At first, Glennon assumed these words came to her from on high. Soon she realized that they came to her from within.
Glennon was finally hearing her own voiceâthe voice that had been silenced by decades of cultural conditioning, numbing addictions, and institutional allegiances. This was the voice of the girl Glennon had been before the world told her who to be. She vowed to never again abandon herself. She decided to build a life of her ownâone based on her individual desire, intuition, and imagination. She would reclaim her true, untamed self.
đ T H O U G H T S
I read Untamed in small weekly sections along with a handful of other women as part of an online group, and I am not sure if I would have picked it up otherwise. Reading and discussing it with other women really enhanced the experience as a whole and I definitely got more out of it than I would have had I read it along.
I decided the best way for me to consume this book would be by listening to the audio, which is read by Glennon herself. While I couldn't relate to many of the chapters and topics, the ones that I did relate to really struck a chord. Part memoir, part self-help, part essay collection, it is written in a way that is easily digestible. However, there really isn't a consistent timeline or flow to how it is organized. I didn't mind this, but I know it will not work for some people.
After listening to Untamed there is no doubt in my mind Glennon is an incredibly powerful activist and speaker. I could see how this book could easily rub some people the wrong way, yet for me there were parts which were empowering. I have since started listening to Glennon's podcast, and I would consider reading something else she writes in the future.
đ R E C O M M E N D ⢠T O
⢠BrenÊ Brown fans
⢠book clubs
đ F A V O U R I T E ⢠Q U O T E S
"She said this: 'I've spent the past week considering your question. I can imagine a thousand easier stories about mothers and sons. I can think of a million happier ones. But I cannot imagine a single story truer or more beautiful than the heartbreaking one I'm living now, with my boys.'"
"The truest, most beautiful life never promises to be an easy one. We need to let go of the lie that it's supposed to be."
"Perhaps the only thing that makes grief any easier is to surrender completely to it. To resist trying to hold on to a single part of ourselves that existed before the doorbell rang. Sometimes to live again, we have to let ourselves die completely. We have to let ourselves become completely, utterly, new."
"Depression and anxiety are not feelings. Feelings return me to myself. Depression and anxiety are body snatchers that suck me out of myself so that I appear to be there but I'm really gone. Other people can still see me, but no one can feel me anymore - including me. For me, the tragedy of mental illness is not that I'm sad but that I'm not anything. Mental illness makes me miss my own life."
Author: Glennon Doyle
Genre: Non Fiction
Rating: 4.00
Pub Date: March 10, 2020
T H R E E ⢠W O R D S
Digestible ⢠Reflective ⢠Empowering
đ S Y N O P S I S
Four years ago, Glennon Doyleâbestselling Oprah-endorsed author, renowned activist and humanitarian, wife and mother of threeâwas speaking at a conference when a woman entered the room. Glennon looked at her and fell instantly in love. Three words flooded her mind: There She Is. At first, Glennon assumed these words came to her from on high. Soon she realized that they came to her from within.
Glennon was finally hearing her own voiceâthe voice that had been silenced by decades of cultural conditioning, numbing addictions, and institutional allegiances. This was the voice of the girl Glennon had been before the world told her who to be. She vowed to never again abandon herself. She decided to build a life of her ownâone based on her individual desire, intuition, and imagination. She would reclaim her true, untamed self.
đ T H O U G H T S
I read Untamed in small weekly sections along with a handful of other women as part of an online group, and I am not sure if I would have picked it up otherwise. Reading and discussing it with other women really enhanced the experience as a whole and I definitely got more out of it than I would have had I read it along.
I decided the best way for me to consume this book would be by listening to the audio, which is read by Glennon herself. While I couldn't relate to many of the chapters and topics, the ones that I did relate to really struck a chord. Part memoir, part self-help, part essay collection, it is written in a way that is easily digestible. However, there really isn't a consistent timeline or flow to how it is organized. I didn't mind this, but I know it will not work for some people.
After listening to Untamed there is no doubt in my mind Glennon is an incredibly powerful activist and speaker. I could see how this book could easily rub some people the wrong way, yet for me there were parts which were empowering. I have since started listening to Glennon's podcast, and I would consider reading something else she writes in the future.
đ R E C O M M E N D ⢠T O
⢠BrenÊ Brown fans
⢠book clubs
đ F A V O U R I T E ⢠Q U O T E S
"She said this: 'I've spent the past week considering your question. I can imagine a thousand easier stories about mothers and sons. I can think of a million happier ones. But I cannot imagine a single story truer or more beautiful than the heartbreaking one I'm living now, with my boys.'"
"The truest, most beautiful life never promises to be an easy one. We need to let go of the lie that it's supposed to be."
"Perhaps the only thing that makes grief any easier is to surrender completely to it. To resist trying to hold on to a single part of ourselves that existed before the doorbell rang. Sometimes to live again, we have to let ourselves die completely. We have to let ourselves become completely, utterly, new."
"Depression and anxiety are not feelings. Feelings return me to myself. Depression and anxiety are body snatchers that suck me out of myself so that I appear to be there but I'm really gone. Other people can still see me, but no one can feel me anymore - including me. For me, the tragedy of mental illness is not that I'm sad but that I'm not anything. Mental illness makes me miss my own life."
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction, Drug abuse, Eating disorder, Alcoholism, Mental illness, and Body shaming
Moderate: Sexism, Racism, Police brutality, Homophobia, Misogyny, Infidelity, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Vomit, Grief, and Pregnancy
sjduncan's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Alcoholism, and Addiction
marisa_n's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
3.0
This felt like a book-length version of those cheesy quotes on Facebook that say things like "a flower cannot blossom without rain." Overall, the book was cheesy, superficial, and disorganized.
To be fair, it wasn't all bad. The author has clearly lived many different lives as she's worked to find herself. She's turned her story into a series of easily digestible anecdotes and life lessons. There were a few powerful reminders about self-love, romantic love, and parenting. There were some empowering messages about trusting your intuition, defining happiness for yourself, and challenging oppressive systems.
That said, the actual book itself was a mess. It was simultaneously overly formulaic and completely unorganized. Each chapter starts with a simple anecdote, has an a-ha!/ light bulb moment, and then ends with a life lesson to tie it all together. That said, the chapters were in no coherent order--neither chronologically or by theme. I'm convinced you could randomize the order of the chapters had have a fairly similar reading experience. It was incredibly frustrating to guess where you were chronologically. Moreover, the author was constantly learning a lesson, just to jump back in the timeline and re-learning the same lesson. It made the a-ha moment feel forced and insincere. Lastly, the strange order made the book feel incredibly repetitive, as no topic was given enough space within a single chapter to reach any depth.
The author should have put all the stories in chronological order. This would have helped clearly describe who she used to be, provide us a chance to root for her in her non-linear journey, and then display a character arc. Alternatively, she could have given a brief overview of her story in the introduction, then organized all the chapters (in chronological order!!) into sections organized by large themes, such as inner self, love, parenting, god/ religious institutions, community/activism. I think the messages could have been so much more powerful if she started describing her internal journey, and then how it changed her relationships with those of various proximity to her.
Overall, I think the book was fine. Perhaps I'm just not the target audience... This book might be written for women who are white, christian, politically moderate, mothers (who she used to be). To be fair, if she can reach those kinds of women and engage them on issues related to race, gender, sexual misogyny, etc., then that's a win in my book. That said, I have the feeling she's mostly preaching to the choir.
To be fair, it wasn't all bad. The author has clearly lived many different lives as she's worked to find herself. She's turned her story into a series of easily digestible anecdotes and life lessons. There were a few powerful reminders about self-love, romantic love, and parenting. There were some empowering messages about trusting your intuition, defining happiness for yourself, and challenging oppressive systems.
That said, the actual book itself was a mess. It was simultaneously overly formulaic and completely unorganized. Each chapter starts with a simple anecdote, has an a-ha!/ light bulb moment, and then ends with a life lesson to tie it all together. That said, the chapters were in no coherent order--neither chronologically or by theme. I'm convinced you could randomize the order of the chapters had have a fairly similar reading experience. It was incredibly frustrating to guess where you were chronologically. Moreover, the author was constantly learning a lesson, just to jump back in the timeline and re-learning the same lesson. It made the a-ha moment feel forced and insincere. Lastly, the strange order made the book feel incredibly repetitive, as no topic was given enough space within a single chapter to reach any depth.
The author should have put all the stories in chronological order. This would have helped clearly describe who she used to be, provide us a chance to root for her in her non-linear journey, and then display a character arc. Alternatively, she could have given a brief overview of her story in the introduction, then organized all the chapters (in chronological order!!) into sections organized by large themes, such as inner self, love, parenting, god/ religious institutions, community/activism. I think the messages could have been so much more powerful if she started describing her internal journey, and then how it changed her relationships with those of various proximity to her.
Overall, I think the book was fine. Perhaps I'm just not the target audience... This book might be written for women who are white, christian, politically moderate, mothers (who she used to be). To be fair, if she can reach those kinds of women and engage them on issues related to race, gender, sexual misogyny, etc., then that's a win in my book. That said, I have the feeling she's mostly preaching to the choir.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia, Biphobia, and Religious bigotry
Minor: Gaslighting, Death of parent, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Sexual violence, Sexual assault, Sexism, Religious bigotry, Racism, Pregnancy, Chronic illness, Colonisation, Abortion, Toxic relationship, Addiction, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, Sexual content, Rape, Infidelity, Drug use, Drug abuse, Alcoholism, Biphobia, Classism, Death, Fatphobia, Grief, and Gun violence
sarabookshelf's review against another edition
3.0
My two good friends recommended this book to me, and seeing how many celebrities praised it, I decided to give it a go. And in theory, I should have loved it. But it just wasn't for me.
I agree with most of the ideas stated, and there are several memorable quotes that really make you think. However, the way the ideas were presented and the way the book is written just didn't resonate with me. Sometimes I felt it was a bit emtpy, and that the author was just trying to check off every feminist issue, but doesn't really reach the point, and instead just writes buzzwords. It's a bit pretentious at times, and too many mentions of religion and spirituality for my taste. It's also quite repetitive.
At times I also felt like she was just advertising her charity, and at other times she is just talking about how amazing her life is, how much she loves her wife, and how smart and loving and intellectual her children are.
It might be a great book for someone, and it might truly help people who are at similar stages in life or going through the same issues as she did. However, at this point in time, this book is just not for me.
I agree with most of the ideas stated, and there are several memorable quotes that really make you think. However, the way the ideas were presented and the way the book is written just didn't resonate with me. Sometimes I felt it was a bit emtpy, and that the author was just trying to check off every feminist issue, but doesn't really reach the point, and instead just writes buzzwords. It's a bit pretentious at times, and too many mentions of religion and spirituality for my taste. It's also quite repetitive.
At times I also felt like she was just advertising her charity, and at other times she is just talking about how amazing her life is, how much she loves her wife, and how smart and loving and intellectual her children are.
It might be a great book for someone, and it might truly help people who are at similar stages in life or going through the same issues as she did. However, at this point in time, this book is just not for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Infidelity, and Religious bigotry
belladonnashrike's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
2.75
would be 3 stars if it werenât for the pacing for parts 1 & 2 of this book - they were so disorganized that I couldnât enjoy the writing until part 3 (which was the longest and definitely the most well-written of the 3 sections).
itâs a nice easy read and a good break from all the depressing books I always have my nose in, but it wasnât super profound to me. there are definitely some gems in there, though. the ending was a little flat and weirdly abrupt.
ultimately I donât understand the praise this gets, it was okay. not bad, but not the best piece of writing either.
not trying to rain on her parade at all. despite my critiques i am very happy she was able to flourish and now lives the life she wants to live without the societal & religious constraints that are bestowed upon us from such a young age.
itâs a nice easy read and a good break from all the depressing books I always have my nose in, but it wasnât super profound to me. there are definitely some gems in there, though. the ending was a little flat and weirdly abrupt.
ultimately I donât understand the praise this gets, it was okay. not bad, but not the best piece of writing either.
not trying to rain on her parade at all. despite my critiques i am very happy she was able to flourish and now lives the life she wants to live without the societal & religious constraints that are bestowed upon us from such a young age.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Eating disorder, Mental illness, Misogyny, Alcoholism, Sexism, Addiction, and Infidelity
Minor: Racism, Mass/school shootings, Homophobia, Religious bigotry, Police brutality, and Drug abuse
faythd's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
fast-paced
4.0
I think that overall this book is empowering and uplifting. Listening to the audiobook where Glennon narrates her own work was especially wonderful in getting to know her voice as a person and as a writer. My only real critiques are that some of the language is repetitive and it can veer a bit toward what we now recognize as toxic positivity, some echoes of Rachel Hollis's "Girl Wash Your Face." However, that seems too two-dimensional. Glennon inspires us to know ourselves, to find our truth and live in it, to give ourselves permission to unhear all of the voices that say "can't" or "shouldn't" in our lives and explore our own voices. I think that if you're already comfortable with hearing your own voice, it may seem redundant, but it's a good reminder. If you aren't comfortable with hearing your own voice, I think there's a great value in Glennon sharing some tips in how to listen. (copied from my Goodreads review)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Religious bigotry
sunnivab's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I loved this book. There were so many lessons I learned, things I resonated with that I didnât even realize I would have before reading and digesting it. I already know I will want to reread this book often to remind myself of the lessons in this book, to refocus on myself, who I am and what Iâm doing.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Homophobia, Sexism, Racism, Religious bigotry, Sexual assault, Body shaming, Drug abuse, Drug use, Eating disorder, Addiction, and Alcoholism
Minor: Miscarriage and Panic attacks/disorders