I picked up this book after reading a few quotes from it somewhere. It is an immensely quotable book and follows an anecdote, platitude, repeat format. Unlike what I expected, the anecdotes where not from Eleanor’s personal life, but from the lives and observations of people she’s met over the years. (The fault seems to be in my expectations. Perhaps I should have read her biography instead.)

A few things to note.

1. This book is not timeless. It includes many references to current situations between the U.S. and the Soviet Union. It is also written in a time when it was acceptable stereotype roles of men and women (i.e., the difference in temperaments and roles between boys and girls).

2. This book is written for moms. So much parenting advice in here. Perhaps that was her primary audience at the time, but as a result, it missed the mark for me.