The award-winning PostSecret project's most profound and stunning postcards to date
For the past three years Frank Warren has invited peopl... read full description
reviews
Jun 24, 2008
Janelle
rated it: 
Of the 3 follow-ups to the original, this is my favorite. The other themes were teens, and relationships. This one spans a lifetime, hence the title.
I still think the secrets changed once people knew they may appear on a website or a book, but it's still amazing what people share, how I relate to some, cringe at others, and shed tears for even more.
At this stage there are people that are sharing e-mails and postcards that talk about how PostSecret has helped them come t More...
I still think the secrets changed once people knew they may appear on a website or a book, but it's still amazing what people share, how I relate to some, cringe at others, and shed tears for even more.
At this stage there are people that are sharing e-mails and postcards that talk about how PostSecret has helped them come t More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Nov 01, 2007
Scott
rated it: 
If you've been living under a rock for the last few years, then let me catch you up on the basics of PostSecret.
1) I have a secret
2) I make a postcard with my secret written on it
3) I mail it to PostSecret
4) My secret might get posted on www.postsecret.blogspot.com
5) My secret might also get posted in one of the PostSecret books
6) People around the world read my secret, and hopefully, people can relate.
7) Those people put their secrets onto postcar More...
1) I have a secret
2) I make a postcard with my secret written on it
3) I mail it to PostSecret
4) My secret might get posted on www.postsecret.blogspot.com
5) My secret might also get posted in one of the PostSecret books
6) People around the world read my secret, and hopefully, people can relate.
7) Those people put their secrets onto postcar More...
2 comments
like
(3 people liked it)
Feb 10, 2009
Karla
rated it:
I LOVE THIS BOOK. I have to be honest here; I had never heard of the PostSecret blog before http://postsecret.blogspot.com/ but I checked this book out of my library and read it last night. It is phenomenal. The idea is that people send anonymous secrets on postcards to Frank Warren and then he has collected them as community art in books, exhibits, etc. One page would be heart wrenching and I would cry and then the next page was something that would cause me to laugh uncontrollably. I will defi
More...
Jan 30, 2011
Lisa
rated it:
I’ve read one other Post Secret book before this, PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives and I think I liked this one a bit better. The structure of the postcards going through the lifespan, from children to older adults, worked well.
Some of these are poignant, some funny, some inspiring, some tragic, but most are a bit tame, and some seem obviously crafted for the purpose of this project.
I did identify with several of the secrets, and the one I enjoye More...
Some of these are poignant, some funny, some inspiring, some tragic, but most are a bit tame, and some seem obviously crafted for the purpose of this project.
I did identify with several of the secrets, and the one I enjoye More...
0 comments
like
(2 people liked it)
May 08, 2010
Ashley
rated it:
I loved the layout and design of this book. Displaying the cards in a series of lifetime progressions was brilliant and added an extra level to the book. It amazes me the things people keep bottled up inside themselves. These PostSecret books have helped me to realize that there are far worse things out there in a life and have really helped to put some of my challenges and trials into perspective. Some of the secrets that are shared are things that must have taken so much courage, even knowing
More...
May 04, 2010
Alan
rated it:
Even if you've never sent a postcard or email of your own to Frank Warren in Germantown, Maryland, your secrets probably appear in this or another of the PostSecret books (this is the fourth collection in the series). That's because, as even a cursory perusal will tell you, the secrets we hold close to our personal chests tend to be common ones. You'll recognize yourself on some of these pages—I can guarantee it. You may be surprised by this, but the appeal of this book is not so much to voyeuri
More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Oct 28, 2009
Rhonda
rated it:
Warren has created a compilation of his PostSecret items ranging from submissions from the very young to the quite-a-bit older. It goes to show that secrets and regrets cut across our entire lifetime, and age doesn't necessarily make them any less or more painful or funny.
The book starts out with secrets that many of us have had or experienced at some time in our adolesence... "I love him. He loves her."; "Dad, I can do anything... as long as your working by me." More...
The book starts out with secrets that many of us have had or experienced at some time in our adolesence... "I love him. He loves her."; "Dad, I can do anything... as long as your working by me." More...
Mar 02, 2009
Amy
rated it:
A Lifetime of Secrets is a non-fiction quick pick. People were asked to mail in postcards giving away some of their lifetime secrets. The postcards seem to be in random order, which makes them more real and apart of our lives. Many of these were very eye-opening. Some post cards were very close to the heart and gave away something that the person who wrote it would never really tell anyone at that point in their lives. Some post cards were really humorous. Some were enlightening. It is
More...
Jun 26, 2009
Jillian
rated it:
For those who don't know, the concept of postsecret is that people write their (supposedly) deepest secrets on a postcard and mail them to the Frank Warren, the man who manages the website. Warren then sifts through them and posts new secrets online every Sunday. The idea is that people identify with others' secrets and in turn, feel more comfortable sharing their own. Warren has also made many generous donations to suicide prevention organizations.
I have followed the postsecret webs More...
I have followed the postsecret webs More...
2 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Feb 20, 2008
Crystal
rated it:
I visit the Post Secret website once a week to read people's secrets. Most are sad, some are funny and they definitely make you take a second to think. This book was just like visiting the website.
I have to admit that there was one in there that really took my breath away and made me wonder if it was written to me or if a certain person in my life had at least thought what the postcard said. I think everyone will be able to relate to something inside this book.
I have to admit that there was one in there that really took my breath away and made me wonder if it was written to me or if a certain person in my life had at least thought what the postcard said. I think everyone will be able to relate to something inside this book.
Aug 18, 2010
Kyle
rated it:
PostSecret is one of those guilty pleasures of mine. I can't help but read these things whenever I chance across the blog. Since the content isn't really something over which Warren has an immense amount of control, the organization and arrangement of these stories is really the driving force of the collection.
The way these are placed together seems to create tiny narratives at some points, or better yet, opposite outlooks on similar life situations. I'm not going to say much about this b More...
The way these are placed together seems to create tiny narratives at some points, or better yet, opposite outlooks on similar life situations. I'm not going to say much about this b More...
Nov 03, 2009
Spoonbridge
rated it:
Like Found Magazine, PostSecret has become a bit of a daily routine for me, checking out the websites. Each offer insights into the lives of normal, everyday modern people and in my opinion help to build empathy for other humans. Unlike Found, PostSecret invites people to create their own condensed feelings on their lives, triumphs, tragedies, and everything in between and since I love postcards, the project has an added aspect for me. "A Lifetime of Secrets" is one of the best post se
More...
Nov 06, 2009
Evie
rated it:
I sat in Chapters and read the whole thing cover to cover: guilty. I've seen on the blog how people often say they have found secrets in PostSecret books in store. I was surprise to find one in the copy I picked up. It read: "I'm suicidal and I cry every night. I feel better when I'm around books."
There is no way you can read a PostSecret book and not be touched by the humanity it contains. Some secrets I relate to, others are as foreign to me as I can imagine. All in all, More...
There is no way you can read a PostSecret book and not be touched by the humanity it contains. Some secrets I relate to, others are as foreign to me as I can imagine. All in all, More...
Oct 07, 2009
Terry
rated it: 
This book is just the most recent anthology from the website project, so if you have read previous collections and/or follow the website, there's nothing really "new" here.
I personally enjoyed the book and I like the idea(s) behind the whole project. I saw one postcard that I could have written; I saw one postcard that literally made my face scrunch into tears; I saw one postcard that jarred me into realizing something about myself that I'd never really thought of concrete More...
I personally enjoyed the book and I like the idea(s) behind the whole project. I saw one postcard that I could have written; I saw one postcard that literally made my face scrunch into tears; I saw one postcard that jarred me into realizing something about myself that I'd never really thought of concrete More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Mar 07, 2009
Lesley
rated it:
This was another interesting journey through strangers' secrets as part of the PostSecret project. I feel like a voyeur when reading these PostSecret books.
Some of my favorites from this particular book:
* When I was 14, someone told me: "I'm excited about your life!" Thank you. Those words have stuck with me. They keep me going. I won't disappoint you. And I keep passing them along to others.
*The day I turned eleven, I waited all day for the letter written in em More...
Some of my favorites from this particular book:
* When I was 14, someone told me: "I'm excited about your life!" Thank you. Those words have stuck with me. They keep me going. I won't disappoint you. And I keep passing them along to others.
*The day I turned eleven, I waited all day for the letter written in em More...
Jan 23, 2009
Angela
rated it:
Throughout time we each have little thoughts that burn inside us. If we each could just express our true feelings, the strees in our lives would be limited to none. Frank Warren tried to help the nation by giving them an opportunity to be free.
This book not only revealed the secrets of others but it also helped me relate to others. The thought of just wanting to relieve myself of anything that I didn't want to share with others is cleansing. People may not want to share with other More...
This book not only revealed the secrets of others but it also helped me relate to others. The thought of just wanting to relieve myself of anything that I didn't want to share with others is cleansing. People may not want to share with other More...
Jun 01, 2009
Kelly
rated it:
I struggle with how to classify this book. It's part memoir, part art, part sociology, part psychology, part voyeurism: a look into the most private lives of strangers. However you classify it, though, it's fascinating.
There are recurrent themes among these cards: infidelity, abuse, self-hatred, denial, and so forth, most of them sad or even tragic. I found myself crying many times like when I read the postcard with a picture of Stabler and Benson from Law & Order:SVU (sex crimes) a More...
There are recurrent themes among these cards: infidelity, abuse, self-hatred, denial, and so forth, most of them sad or even tragic. I found myself crying many times like when I read the postcard with a picture of Stabler and Benson from Law & Order:SVU (sex crimes) a More...
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 27, 2007
Robin
rated it:
The postsecret website is one of the ones I faithfully check every Sunday and so I looked forward to this book a lot. I find that the secrets were not as poignant as the ones on the site. However, the organization of the secrets and the time line they are set in was a wonderful addition.
Aug 08, 2011
Miss.terri
rated it:
There is a world of hurting people and this was one way of trying to let go of their pain. Some of the secrets are trivial and most others are heart wrenching. Everyone has secrets. This was an awesome way to release that pain. Reading these books made me re-examine how I spend my time and how I handle people. Being in a faith-based ministry, I believe it was timely for me to read these books. My heart goes out to those who are hurting and while I cannot always be the one who brings peace
More...
May 03, 2011
Autumn
rated it:
After finishing reading all the books published to this date, i couclude that ..
-Secrets are part of us
-they make who we are,but does not define us
- we are not nearly as odd as we think we are.. there will always be someone who shares that secret with you... and that.. makes you special.
-EVERYONE has secrets. may it be silly, insecurities, past wounds.. we are all entitled to them, and thats ok to have them..
-"there are two kind o More...
-Secrets are part of us
-they make who we are,but does not define us
- we are not nearly as odd as we think we are.. there will always be someone who shares that secret with you... and that.. makes you special.
-EVERYONE has secrets. may it be silly, insecurities, past wounds.. we are all entitled to them, and thats ok to have them..
-"there are two kind o More...
Apr 28, 2011
Chris
rated it:
The secrets that people send in to Frank Warren are enough at times to make anyone laugh or cry. Some of the memories are of past regrets while others are painful memories that are just to hard to let go. For anyone reading them, there are some that people can relate to.
The Post Secret effect is one of sharing a memory or wish or experience that has affected you your whole life. One one book I read, someone posted their own post secret at the end of the book, making for a more real More...
The Post Secret effect is one of sharing a memory or wish or experience that has affected you your whole life. One one book I read, someone posted their own post secret at the end of the book, making for a more real More...
Sep 22, 2011
Shannon
rated it:
For something with a premise that at first seems purely voyeuristic, this was one of the most interesting, touching, and introspective works of nonfiction that I've ever read. I am amazed, and at the same time not surprised at all, that so many people would be willing to write a secret on a postcard and send it to a total stranger. And I'm also amazed at how well the author put the postcards together in this book. They flow almost seamlessly from one life stage to another, even though they we
More...
Nov 03, 2008
Rebecca
rated it:
If you love the website, you'll love the book more because it's an abundance of secrets all at once! I love that it's arranged in chronological (age) order.
0 comments
like
(1 person liked it)
Dec 13, 2011
Lori
rated it:
What an amazing idea, and so very cathartic, to send out a postcard to a mailbox and not have to sign your name. There were funny cards, poignant cards, and cards that made me cry and will stick with me forever.
I read this in one fell swoop sitting on the floor of the bookstore but I would buy it anyway -- flipping through it can be a reminder of how things might not be quite as you thought in your life, or you might be inspired to send out a card of your own.
Lori Anderson More...
I read this in one fell swoop sitting on the floor of the bookstore but I would buy it anyway -- flipping through it can be a reminder of how things might not be quite as you thought in your life, or you might be inspired to send out a card of your own.
Lori Anderson More...
Sep 03, 2010
Kate
rated it:
After reading the first PostSecret book, I requested a bunch from my library. I wasn't sure how the others would differ from the first, but this had a very clear difference. The postcards come from people of all ages and are arranged in the order of a "life." There were postcards from children, from teens, from young adults and the middle aged and the elderly. This book actually made me cry over my breakfast. Several lifetimes of regrets and happiness and secrets can do that to a
More...
Jul 21, 2009
Amanda
rated it:
I really loved how this book chronicled secrets about childhood all through life until old age and about death. It put a nice perspective on how we grow and age and how things become more important or less important as we grow older. Some secrets made me tear up, some made me laugh out loud and a few even angered me. You never know what will happen when you read someone else's secret, how it will make you react. And that is what brings me back each and every Sunday to see what new secrets pr
More...
Feb 07, 2009
Jenni
rated it:
I liked how this version was organized, starting with secrets from children and moving on up through different age ranges. It was a little bit of a bummer though to get near the end of the book and have several pages of secrets that were basically about death. The other downer is that this book (and his others) contain a lot of secrets from people who attempted suicide. I don't mean to be unsympathetic but after the tenth secret about it, you start to become numb to the idea. It was interesting
More...
Dec 03, 2008
Needleroozer
rated it:
I am currently (December 2008) with these PostSecret books. I read two yesterday, and I want to read all of them. (I have reserves on a couple of them that my library owns)
I really dig the honesty within these pages. I wish we could all tell each other our secrets, not just write them down and send them to a stranger.
I think the the most heart wrenching secrets are the ones written by people who are sorry for hurting other people. Those secrets must be really hard to live More...
I really dig the honesty within these pages. I wish we could all tell each other our secrets, not just write them down and send them to a stranger.
I think the the most heart wrenching secrets are the ones written by people who are sorry for hurting other people. Those secrets must be really hard to live More...
Jan 22, 2011
Melody
rated it:
I love the concept, I love the website, I love the book. I was only disappointed that there wasn't a secret tucked into the book from some other library user.
The layout was mostly good, except I'm not a real fan of books that randomly change orientation. I read in bed, mostly, and trying to arm-wrestle a big book back and forth (yeah, whine, whine, whine, I know).
I love reading people's secrets, the sad and the happy and the pathetic and the triumphant. I adore the artwork t More...
The layout was mostly good, except I'm not a real fan of books that randomly change orientation. I read in bed, mostly, and trying to arm-wrestle a big book back and forth (yeah, whine, whine, whine, I know).
I love reading people's secrets, the sad and the happy and the pathetic and the triumphant. I adore the artwork t More...
