The Joys of Much Too Much: Go for the Big Life--The Great Career, The Perfect Guy, and Everything Else You've Ever Wanted

by Bonnie Fuller

An unconventional guide for women on how to achieve professional and personal success advocates a "take charge" approach to managing one's career and family, recommending alternative approaches to handling stress, overcoming criticism, and more. 75,000 first printing.

Genres: Nonfiction, Feminism, Personal Development

240 pages, Hardcover

First published April 11, 2006

About the author

Bonnie Fuller is a Canadian-born publishing executive based in the United States. She was editor of Flare magazine, YM magazine, the first American edition of Marie Claire magazine, Cosmopolitan magazine, Glamour magazine (beginning in 1998), and Us Weekly. Her tenure at these publications was marked by a change in content towards a more sensationalistic sensibility, resulting in the desired increase in circulation. Always known throughout her industry as a tough boss, Fuller's detractors frequently characterize her as an insufferable bully. On May 13, 2008, Fuller, in a move media insiders believe to be an internal ousting, moved to being solely the editor in chief of Star.

Fuller was born in Toronto to a real-estate lawyer and an elementary school teacher. Her parents' divorce when she was in her teens resulted in serious financial difficulty for her mother and herself. She describes her younger self with "I'm truly geeky ... a Canadian Jewish girl from a dysfunctional family."

While working as editorial director of American Media, Fuller relaunched the former tabloid Star magazine as a glossy magazine. She has written an autobiography concentrating on her career, entitled The Joys of Much Too Much, extolling the virtues of a hectic but full career and home life, over simplicity and tranquility.

In 2008, Fuller created her own company called Bonnie Fuller Media which is based in New York and backed by investor Russ Pillar of the 5850 Group.

Reviews

[Mycala · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was just awful. She managed to offend me before I even got to chapter one by showing her obvious ignorance of simplicity. It has nothing to do with being afraid of the "big scary" world, but paring down one's life so that one has the time and resources to devote to their most important things. Unlike the author, my most important endeavors are not a career where I work 60+ hours a week, and a husband and family who seem a bit useless because she doesn't get to see them that much anyway working those kinds of hours. If this is the lifestyle she enjoys, good for her. This would have been better written as an autobiography (in which she certainly does toot her own horn enough) rather than a how-to book written only for people who have the *exact same* desires as her. I gave it a chance, but this book was a horrible waste of time.

[Moxie · Rating 1 out of 5]

A quick read, but not all that interesting. Same old advice, "Don't limit yourself", "Go after what you want", blah, blah, blah---it was sort of interesting in that she extolls being unorganized and sort of out of control and letting yourself be comfortable with that chaos. Chaos is a natural part of people's lives, and I think its a good idea to be able to roll with the punches and all that. But, all the people I've known who live in a constant state of chaos (which this author says is an okay existance to live in day after day, year after year) end up having serious breakdowns because they are too overwhelmed by the demands of their lives. The book left me wondering about the author's actual sanity because the picture she paints just seems too glossy and pretty to be actually true.

[Anna Casian-Musteață · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bucuria vine din lucruri mărunte, o știe fiecare. Se pare că pentru autoarea cărții însă, bucurie e atunci când ești îndestulat cu de toate și când te bucuri de succes în toate domeniile. Și nu e neapărat ceva rău, doar că mi se pare că aceasta acordă prea mare atenție dezvoltării profesionale, care vine la pachet cu bucuria de a avea și bani, și o familie, și renume. Pentru ea e bucurie atunci când își vede copiii sănătoși, dar asta numai dacă are succes și la serviciu. E oarecum ceva diferit față de ceea ce am citit până acum și, repet, e doar părerea mea și posibil ca altcineva să vadă în această carte un real ajutor.

Pe tot parcursul lecturii am avut impresia că autoarea strigă la mine: „Uite, femeie, ce am reușit eu să fac! Vei fi și tu ca mine dacă vei face ce-ți spun eu!”. Nu știu dacă am mai trăit vreodată această senzație pe parcursul lecturării unei cărți, dar m-am forțat să o citesc, chiar dacă nu mi-a plăcut de la primele pagini. Speram că spre final să îmi schimb părerea. Nu a fost așa.

[Karah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bonnie Fuller provided direct advice. She prefers the common sense approach. I appreciate her relatability. (I don't believe in a perfect guy but a great partner is possible.) Fuller advocates a thriving career. Her family's lifestyle diminished after her parents separated. The turmoil convinced her of a woman's need for financial independence.

I also appreciate her statement on p.151: "It's fun to mix the high and the low, the cheap and the expensive." I often battle with myself over enjoying ratchet entertainment. But I give myself edifying substance, too. So I think I'm all right.

[Elizabeth M. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bonnie Fuller, high-powered magazine editor, writes the decadent and delightful, The Joys of Much Too Much, as if it were a column in one of her magazines. The writing is pithy, witty and entertaining- chockful of clear takeaways that are made clearer by Fuller’s decision to bold certain ideas such as “You’ll get twenty no’s before you get a yes.” and “You need to embrace and learn to love your less than perfect self because she will wind up being your strongest ally.” This is good stuff that women need to hear. The complete title of Fuller’s book is The Joys of Much Too Much: Go for the Big Life–The Great Career, The Perfect Guy, and Everything Else You’ve Ever Wanted and believe me, she doesn’t leave any stone unturned in women how they can get there. Fuller shows you how, often by using her own life as an example. Who better to inspire than this woman who lives this life herself, everyday?

I love that Fuller links joy to having it all instead of approaching work/life for a more traditional standpoint of not being able to have it all. What a crock, says Fuller. She echoes Leslie Bennetts’ book, "The Feminine Mistake", in saying that you can be a good mom and work outside the home at the same time. And, that it is important to do so. It’s possible to do when we get rid of the perfectionist tendencies.

Fuller’s book is ideal for women who have become stagnant somehow. Whether you are bored in your job, your relationship or debating whether or not to have kids, Fuller’s book will offer a slew of instant, implementable suggestions, ideas and encouragement to help you go for it. Her messages of persistence, optimism, channeling passions, and giving up good for great will stay with you long after the last page has been turned. This is good stuff.

[Lain · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was looking forward to a book that would tell me HOW to manage it all... and that would share some stories (good and bad!) about another working mom who cares just as much about her power lunch as she does about taking snacks to her kid's soccer game. If anyone could do it, I figured Bonnie Fuller would be able to.

The book started off well. Like Fuller states in the early chapters, I am frustrated by the magazine stands full of headlines telling me to scale down, cut back, and simplify. (It's something I've strived to do for years with little success). I was also taken with the idea that this self-proclaimed Jewish Canadian geek would share her secrets about running with the big media dogs in NYC.

Unfortunately, little of the intervening chapters did much to enhance my knowledge of how to create -- and handle -- the life Fuller describes. Instead of hard-core details, we're offered platitudes like "Don't wait for a man before you begin your life" and "Stick to grey and black for professional clothes." Not exactly earth-shattering stuff.

I did enjoy Fuller's insider's look at the publishing business, scant though the details were. I really would have enjoyed a deeper book, rather than something that seemed to be written on her 20-minute lunch break.

[Akiho Tsugikuni · Rating 2 out of 5]

Ngl, for my firlst non-fiction it’s exeactly as i exepted it to be, a book that i don’t really need, as what i understood from it, it’s that you have to just do it don’t think, just do it. It’s bery much every self help book out there again and again. While if you are interested in Bonnie Fuller as a person, and i would reacomand it to you (for that) as it reads more as a memoir rather then anything else. Otherwise there’s no point in readong this one

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty motivational stuff, very girl power. It's a good one to pick up and read through from time to time when life seems to be stalled. It's a pretty quick read, especially because some of the sections won't apply to you if, say, you haven't had kids, etc. So you can read the chapters that are most relevant, give life a booster shot, and keep going.

[Beneth]

based on goodreads review, apparently it goes into giving up perfectionism. Interesting to me personally and from a sociological standpoint; I'm not sure I will agree with everything in it, but it definitely looks like it is worth checking out.

[Ambreen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Although a bit over the top, (uh, checking in your lettuce with your jacket at a dinner meeting?!), it was GREAT insight into how much women high on the corporate ladder work, and how insane life can get when you DO want it all.

[Kimberly · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fuller describes how woman can have everything -- and provides a blueprint for finding the right job, the man of their dreams, and for starting a family -- plus explains how to juggle it all at once. It is a quick read and a bit inspiring.

[Suzzette]

Bonnie is essentially saying that we can have it all and balance it all but we cannot take ourselves too seriously or think everything can be done perfectly. She is married, has 4 kids, and an amazing career.

[Stefanie · Rating 3 out of 5]

Meh. Really for someone just starting out. The advice was decent, but I'm not sure I was entirely on the same page as the author (ha!). Everyone needs to set her own priorities.

[Tami · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really makes you want to get out there and do EVERYTHING, but doesn't really go into the drawbacks or discuss anything negative about doing it all.

[Happy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting point of view

[Christine · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you are a woman in the media industry and you have not read this....SHAME.