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Good Enough Is the New Perfect
by
Becky Beaupre Gillespie (Goodreads Author),
Hollee Temple (Goodreads Author)
We're the generation destined to have it alla great job, the perfect family and the time to enjoy both. But between the conference calls and soccer practices, do you feel like you've lost track of what really makes you happy? And are you finding out the hard way that you can't do everything?
The truth is that you can have it all.
The secret is creating an "all" that you lov
...morePaperback, 320 pages
Published
April 19th 2011
by Harlequin
(first published April 13th 2011)
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First I must admit one thing: I haven't read the entire book. It is so full of stories from mothers who describe their struggles to find balance, but it also includes helpful suggestions for moms who are struggling right now. And if we're honest, I'd have to say we're all struggling right now, today and everyday. Just like laundry, there is no end to the balancing act we must perform. Each morning will present new challenges to our best-laid plans, and it is our ability to find ways to weave tho...more
are you tired of reading my book reviews about these work/life balance books yet? because i am tired of writing them. i really need to make a conscious effort to stop reading these kinds of books, because they're not relevant to me that impairs my enjoyment of them. this is another book that interviews a whole bunch of working moms (the lion's share of whom are successful, well-educated professionals, ie, not really your average mom off the street, which automatically limits the book's appeal &...more
I have read the whole book, and it's does a very good job of describing the types of conflicts and situations that people run into when they are trying to balance work and family. It was wonderful to me because it does a very good job of describing the types of tensions, and conflicts that I encounter every day. I found their inclusion of intergenerational conflicts wonderful, and it helps me see where my mom's generation is coming from a little better.
If you just read the first chapters, you'll...more
If you just read the first chapters, you'll...more
While this is slanted towards women who become moms with high powered careers vs. women who become moms in all working scenarios, (The surveys and research were only on moms in positions with a high level of education such as doctors, lawyers, etc.) I found the overall message of finding that place where you are happy with being good enough instead of perfect all the time to be positive. It's easier said than done, though, and I wonder how others, like me, who are not in 6-figure career situatio...more
I'm going to start this review with two important admissions:
1. I am not a mother.
2. I consciously decided not to finish the book.
Allow me to explain why you may think these two things are very important, and why I think you are wrong. :)
1. I am not a mother, so any time I don't like a book (or anything, for that matter) about motherhood, I am told, "You just don't understand yet. When you have kids, you'll get it." But here's the thing: This book was about so much more than motherhood. It was a...more
1. I am not a mother.
2. I consciously decided not to finish the book.
Allow me to explain why you may think these two things are very important, and why I think you are wrong. :)
1. I am not a mother, so any time I don't like a book (or anything, for that matter) about motherhood, I am told, "You just don't understand yet. When you have kids, you'll get it." But here's the thing: This book was about so much more than motherhood. It was a...more
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Enh--not my favorite, but interesting reading. I found myself agreeing frequently, but came away a little dissatisfied. It's all well and good to say that we need to reevaluate our expectations of ourselves, make sure we're not living up to outside expectation that don't mesh with our own family, etc. etc. But, sometimes, it's NOT about doing what feels right to ME--it's about sacrificing my own career aspirations for someone else's or buckling down and doing the hard work for a season even if I...more
This book really annoyed me. I was hoping for a book for "real" working Moms like me who need to figure out what is important and what is not in trying to balance our careers and families. Instead, it was nothing but a bunch of doctors, lawyers and self employed entepreneurs whining about finding balance. Balance which generally involved hiring help. Most all of the women in the book were married to men in the same lucrative professions. I only recall one single mom, who was well off enough to r...more
This book has brought so much understanding and peace to my life! If you're a mom who was born in the 70s or 80s, I highly recommend you read it! I was truly encouraged and inspired by everything the authors shared. In a nutshell, it's a message to women raising children in the 21st century. Our opportunities are almost limitless, but that wasn't so true for our mothers' and grandmothers' generations-- many of them were forced to choose between a career and raising a family, or (in our grandmoth...more
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. The authors point out from the get-go, that this is a book written for a very specific audience, and therefore not everyone will understand or appreciate the general viewpoint. But I fell at least close enough to the target audience that I related to a lot of what they're saying about being a "good-enough" parent. There is so much societal pressure, if you allow yourself to fully feel it (and God bless you if you can say "who cares?"!) to be a "perfect" parent. I...more
The cover on this book should have "NOT FOR MIDDLE CLASS WOMEN, AND JUST RUN IN THE OTHER DIRECTION IF YOU WORK BECAUSE YOU NEED TO" stamped on it.
It does state clearly in the introduction that this book is not for the uneducated, those who are working and barely survivng, those who must work, and those who can't afford nanny care. (Ok, I may have ad-libbed a bit there, but you get the idea.)
This is for high-earning, well-educated mothers who have options like in-home child care, flex hours, job...more
It does state clearly in the introduction that this book is not for the uneducated, those who are working and barely survivng, those who must work, and those who can't afford nanny care. (Ok, I may have ad-libbed a bit there, but you get the idea.)
This is for high-earning, well-educated mothers who have options like in-home child care, flex hours, job...more
This is a book written to make working mom's feel better about themselves. I did not see one example of a stay at home mom in the whole book. But I admit I skimmed at the end because the whole, 'get a nanny & a blackberry & it will be ok' solution was wearing thin after 150 pages. So I should have known by the sub title using the term, 'modern motherhood' that this book would not apply to a stay at home mom of 4 but I didn't. This book may be helpful or interesting to some but I was clea...more
Written by two moms who faced difficulties after having kids in terms of home-balance work, they set out to interview almost 1000 moms and then write about their findings. It seemed more suited to a long magazine piece, but the book is not without merit. The book contains long excerpts from interviews with some of the women. I might have enjoyed it more when I first had kids, but I don't have a ton of mommy guilt these days so while I found it interesting, I ended up skimming it towards the end.
An interesting look into being a working mom. I appreciate all that the authors share in their ideas on how to 'have it all' (kind of), however there are few good solid answers. To me, it primarily broke down to how you cope with life and an managing your schedule to fit you best, as much as will allow. I also thought it was unfortunate that this really focused on upper middle-class families. Working and motherhood issues cover so many classes and incomes.
Aug 03, 2011
Ada-Marie
added it
I really enjoyed this book and the narratives about women who are finding new solutions to age-old problems involving working and child-rearing. It was refreshing to read about other moms who juggle screaming kids and clients on conference calls at the same time. I think this book over-glorified "mompreneurs" without mentioning a lot of the risk, failure and economic burdens that most encounter. "Good enough" is my new mantra!
meh - fine to check out of the library as an e-book and read on the airplane. And I liked that the authors gave support to the idea that there's more than one path to life. But I'm not sure it's life changing, and the (admittedly upfront) bias that the book has towards well-off, well-educated women who are lucky enough to have lots of choices and flexibility in their life if a little annoying.
I read most of the parts I was gong to read when I first checked the book out then lost interest. It is not that I don't think it is a good book, but with so many stories taking my attention this summer, I was not as motivted to read a non fiction study of mothers. I might come back to it one day, but on to more lighthearted pieces at the moment. One quote stuck out at me - when they were trying to come up with a title and decided "Good enough in the new perfect", someone suggested "Suckie is th...more
Should be called Perfect Is the New Good Enough. Reading about women who cut back to working 50 hours per week or decide to get home at 5:45 pm every evening does not make me feel that my career is "good enough". Overall, it is disappointingly superficial. And way too much self congratulation on the part of the authors about getting a book contract.
Interesting book on working mothers and juggling family and career. They have good insights. The two authors surveyed women who grew up always with the notion of having a career and family as a given.
Really enjoyed this book, it hit home and probably would do the same to any mother who is trying to figure out what works for them when finding work/family balance.
Mostly a compilation of stories about moms juggling it all. Was hoping for more practical tips and advice.
My full review: http://www.cribnoteskelly.com/1/post/...
This was a very well-written and insightful book. I think I might present this next August to be considered for book club.
Nice interviews, but doesn't add much to the discourse.
Very good read. Sure made me feel better about all the things I have to juggle! :D
Category: Family and Parenting
Full review to follow when I'm not so tired!
Very anecdotal and didn't offer many concrete suggestions for actually making work/life balance changes. It was based on interviews and recounted highlights of those interviews. It would have been nice if it had more substance besides interview highlights.
I thought this book had some good advice about how to balance work and family. The authors suggest that people need to figure out what is important to them and try to set their own standards for "good enough". I think the book is particularly helpful for overcoming societal standards of perfection and formulating your own standards based on values and choices.
The best part of this book is the title.
Good book for new moms, both stay at home and working moms. I may add this to a whole bibliography I received from a mom's workshop. It seemed to validate the struggles of adjusting to motherhood.
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