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974 reviews for:
Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living
Shauna Niequist
3.69 AVERAGE
974 reviews for:
Present Over Perfect: Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler, More Soulful Way of Living
Shauna Niequist
3.69 AVERAGE
I spent a good portion of the book slogging to find golden nuggets and there are some. Niequist crafts poetic text; some essays felt meaningful - like The Man in the Tuxedo and Walking on Water. And Niequist’s spiritual practices are fascinating and evolved, given her hard-core Christian roots.
But overall, this work lacked substance. It’s a series of sporadic journal entries - and self-reflection is best suited for the writer. Similar to Glennon Doyle’s style, but without Doyle’s funny feistiness. (They’re friends.)
Everyone’s life journey is meaningful - and offers learning. But privileged women writing about their awakenings through suffering is cringe-worthy and can come across as self-righteous, self-absorbed and assuming.
Book reco: Jenn
But overall, this work lacked substance. It’s a series of sporadic journal entries - and self-reflection is best suited for the writer. Similar to Glennon Doyle’s style, but without Doyle’s funny feistiness. (They’re friends.)
Everyone’s life journey is meaningful - and offers learning. But privileged women writing about their awakenings through suffering is cringe-worthy and can come across as self-righteous, self-absorbed and assuming.
Book reco: Jenn
I would probably give this more of a 2.5. I went back and forth between 2 stars and 3 for awhile. This journey and the lessons that can be picked up are honest and wonderful. It’s the repetitiveness that killed it for me.
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
informative
reflective
slow-paced
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
This is an absolutely beautiful memoir about how beautiful life is when we simplify, leave behind the hustle, and just focus on what and who we were created for.
I liked SO much of what she said and how she worded and expressed her experience. I just was done with it about halfway through.
Definitely a book geared towards the young Christian woman who desires to do it all but find herself seeking less stuff and more time. There were some great takeaways. Not the best writing, but it is accessible.
challenging
hopeful
inspiring
medium-paced
Some good nuggets in here and a good theme, overall. But super repetitive (super!!!) and felt a bit thrown together. Like, her editor called her to badger her about a new book and she said, "no! I'm done hustling! I'm taking a break and getting back to my core!" And her editor said, "great! Write about that! I need it in a week!" It has that messy, mid-journey memoir, right-in-the-thick-of-it feel to it. It very easily could have been (probably should have been) a magazine article.