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Dec 08, 2008

Tracy rated it:

This is an essay that reads like a high school or college graduation speech. Actually, at first, that's what I thought it was. It would make a great graduation gift... or a gift for a new mom, for the following section is what struck a chord with me as a mom:

"Sometime in the future, if you are young, you may want to be a parent. You will convince yourself that you will be a better parent than your parents and their parents have been. But being a good parent is not generational, More...

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Dec 10, 2009

Kate rated it:

I reread my copy of the book (How Reading Changed My Life), and then had Anna Quindlen on my brain. At a recent trip to Barnes and Noble, I spotted her similarly sized book called Being Perfect. As someone who has has those tendencies, but always fails in achieving them, I was captivated and made the purchase. It did not disappoint. It was true Quindlen: lovely, inspirational, and worthy of reading with a highlighter in hand. What I love about her essays is that she is never pe More...

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Oct 01, 2011

Katie Lynn rated it:

I think I need to read this one every week for a while.

Something about a black hole where your sense of self should be... hmmm...

"... Someday, sometime, you will be sitting somewhere. A berm overlooking a pond in Vermont. The lip of the Grand Canyon at sunset. A seat on the subway. And something bad will have happened: You will have lost someone you loved, or failed at something at which you badly wanted to succeed.

And sitting there, you will fall into the cen More...

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Jul 02, 2010

Jennifer rated it:

My Rating: 2 stars
Brief Summary: This 48-page book (half of which are photos!) is an essay on why we should all give up the burden of perfectionism.
Brief Thoughts (But Really A Rant): I can't even begin to tell you how annoyed I am that this "book" is being sold for $12.95 ($17.95 in Canada). And this isn't even Quindlen's first offense of this nature!!! She did the same thing with A Short Guide to A Happy Life (with the emphasis being on "short"). There is nothing More...

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Jun 29, 2010

Gina rated it:

I would read Anna Quindlen's grocery list and LOVE it!

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Feb 06, 2012

Sarah rated it:

I love Anna Quindlen. Her essay, "On Being Mom," was forwarded to me by email years ago and still sits in the bottom of my inbox, the modern-day equivalent of an ancient, yellowed newspaper clipping taped to the inside of the medicine cabinet -- one that is so faded you can hardly read it anymore, but which you know by heart anyway. As the friend who sent it to me said, "I need to read this once a month to keep my head screwed on straight."

But while "On Being More...

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Feb 05, 2010

Rachael rated it:

Another quick essay-book with pictures. I didn't like this as well as other things by her. It mostly promotes non-conformity and, while it certainly is a valuable message, I also feel like it doesn't address the more complicated issues of how to feel successful when you DO need to be like everyone else. Especially as a Christian, we adhere to a set of principles and commandments that bring happiness. Sometimes we need to reach for perfection, even when it's impossible. And sometimes we need More...

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May 07, 2009

April rated it:

First, this isn't really a book. I mean it is literally a book, but it's full of photos and is more like a very, very short essay or journal entry. A "gift book" if you will. That being said, it's great and may be one that I give copies of to others (heads up, others! hahaha). Anna Quindlen is a wise woman.

I, however, did not choose wisely when grabbing a book to throw in for my flight to Corpus Christi! That's the shortest flight ever, yes, but I finished the book More...

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Jul 11, 2010

Debbie rated it:

I read the entire book in less than ten minutes. It had some good points about being your authentic self and giving up on perfectionism, but a book this short doesn't have the room to go deep and it ends up sounding like a few pages of platitudes. Seems to have been written with the intention of filling the needs of those looking for a small, inexpensive graduation gift. It wouldn't surprise me if it was sold in Hallmark stores.

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Dec 08, 2009

Lisa rated it:

Could barely muddle through this book! It might make me a lesser human being for not loving this much-enjoyed quickie about Doing Good, but I felt like I was reading every graduation speech ever written. (I understand that's what it was intended to be -- but why must it be put into yet another little gifty book? Haven't we got it all memorized by now? Life's Little Instruction Books, Chicken Soup, etc. etc.)

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Jun 14, 2009

Lesley rated it:

I happened to grab this off the library shelf this afternoon, and decided to read a few pages before bed to see if it was a book I wanted to continue. It ended up being a very fast read, and a nice little boost with which to end the day. There were a number of nuggets in this book to think about when it comes to striving for perfection vs. taking chances and living life fully.

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Feb 10, 2010

Audrey rated it:

A short and bittersweet booklet that cautions against the perfection trap. Quindlen is a survivor of perfectionism, which she describes almost as darkly as one might discuss alcoholism or a serious gambling addiction. The mention of a "black hole" at the core of this dysfunction seemed so spot-on, I almost cried. As tragedy has taught us, the consequences of trying too hard to be perfect can be deadly.

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Aug 09, 2009

Nicole rated it:

Nothing totally profound here (read it at the library while the kids were at a program). I love the way Quindlen writes, so it's worth the read just for that, but I didn't take anything away from it. Same old stuff: Live in the moment, stop trying so hard, etc. Still, a nice little (quick) reminder of what is really important. Just not something to rush out for.

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Jun 14, 2011

Sara rated it:

Another quick audiobook. I have mixed feelings about this one. I have issues with trying to be perfect and I thought this book might help me see things differently and maybe help me get my priorities in order. I felt she brought up a lot of good points but left them unanswered and unaddressed. It was more like reading a blog post and left me wanting more.

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May 13, 2011

Diane rated it:

I purchased four copies and intended three to go to my nieces, Emily, Rose and Betsy...I game Emily hers and I still have Rose and Betsy's on my shelf...I forgot about it! Must send. Anna addressed Education Minnesota members a few years back at our professional conference and was wonderful and that is when I got these books.

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Nov 03, 2009

Emilia rated it:

This took about ten minutes to read and it was good.
Don't try to be perfect, try to be yourself.
Don't do something that isn't fun.
Follow your bliss.
But first you have to find it. Someone tell me how to do that and I will give their book five stars. Even ten!
Also, it had nice pictures.

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Mar 29, 2008

stargardener rated it:

This is an inspiring, easy read! With less than 50 pages (and about half of those with photos) I actually read it all the way through the night I picked it up from the library!

On the back cover there is quote from the author: "What is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself."

At this time of my life, this work is on my proverbial radar. Becoming yourself is like breathing, we all do it — every d More...

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Jan 04, 2009

Jen rated it:

I adore Anna Quindlen...love her Newsweek writing as well as her short books. Her novels for me haven't been as good since One True Thing, but her short books are always insightful and thought-provoking.

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Aug 05, 2011

Linda rated it:

You can start and finish this book in 15 minutes! I love that Quindlen encourages the reader to "look, every day, at the choices you are making, and when you ask yourself why you are making them, find this answer: Because they are what I want, or wish for. Because they reflect who and what I am."

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Feb 17, 2011

Julie rated it:

Ahem...I'm just sayin'...

I'm a recovering perfectionist. Been through the 13 Step Program (Note...12 would have been a perfect number! See how I've progressed!)

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Jan 16, 2011

Marcia rated it:

Basically a commencement address--but Quindlen is spot on as always. This was a good little pep talk to start the new year, get my head in order and set out to be my best self (Ok, that's Oprah, but it's all the same.)

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Aug 18, 2010

Julie rated it:

A short 48 page book that I did not find enlightening or inspiring...or whatever it was supposed to do for me. It sounded like a high school graduation speech.

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Jul 26, 2010

Melissa rated it:

I really like Anna Quindlen as an author of novels-stories into which I can get lost and connect to characters. This, however, was not such a book. It was a brief statement on perfection, living perfectly, and the fallacy of it all. While in some ways it was something I needed to read at this time in my life, I didn't feel connected to it and it did not fully resonate with me as I often expect with non fiction works by my favorite authors.

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Jul 29, 2010

Karima rated it:

What I learned you ask?
Nothing.
Picked this up thinking it might be a good gift for a recent graduate but I won't bother. Same old, same old.

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Dec 22, 2009

Christina rated it:

Brief treatment of the search for authenticity by a perfectionist. Good but not revolutionary. The Spirituality of Imperfection spoke more to me.

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Dec 12, 2008

Brandie rated it:

This book was a very quick read (one night before bed for me). It was a great reminder that perfection is ridiculous. ;)

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Jan 29, 2011

Jenny rated it:

Quite a sweet little book. I adore the black and white pictures throughout and the message is a good one to think over.

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Nov 16, 2009

Stefanie rated it:

Clearly, being perfect was not a topic that spoke to me...someone thought so though as they gave this book to me as a gift...

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Oct 04, 2009

Nancy rated it:

My mom bought this book for me. It is a quick read, one that I reread often. I picked it up again recently when I was between books. It is simple, touching and true. It has great photos, too.

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Jan 18, 2011

Andrea rated it:

A little book of great wisdom which I need to add to my library. "WELL BEHAVED WOMEN DON"T MAKE HISTORY".

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