Ambition monster: a memoir

Everything Is Fine podcaster Romolini (Weird in a World That's Not) spins a cautionary tale of workaholism in this harrowing if somewhat glib account. Romolini begins in 2017, when she reached the peak of her career as a magazine editor in Los Angeles and her vocal cords suddenly stopped working. From there, she rewinds to her childhood, explaining how growing up in 1970s and '80s Philadelphia as the child of teenage parents cemented the unassailable value of work in her mind. During her risk-taking adolescence and hard-drinking college years, Romolini prized employment above all else, burying childhood traumas and self-loathing with professional achievements. After her first marriage fell apart, she moved to Brooklyn and decided to become a writer, dating men and making friends merely as a means to climb the ladder at publications including Glamour and Timeout, where she tolerated bad bosses and insane hours. The pattern continued well after Romolini remarried, started a family, and began to experience intimacy issues with her new husband. She neglected their relationship until she experienced the vocal cord episode that opens the book. By then, too much repetition and too many truisms ("Work was an eager lover I never said no to") have robbed the narrative of some of its potency. Still, readers struggling with their own work-life balance will find value. Agent: Nicole Tourtelot, Gernert Co. (June)

A personal look at the toxic underbelly of a successful corporate career. Romolini is the host of the Everything Is Fine podcast and author of Weird in a World That's Not: A Career Guide for Misfits, F*ckups, and Failures. In this debut memoir, she guides readers through the dark alleyways of corporate life, confronting the problems of viewing self-worth through the lens of a career. Born to teenage parents in 1973, the author experienced a difficult childhood; in adulthood, insecurity--both emotional and financial--drove an ambition that led to toxicity in various areas of her life. "Inside me," she writes, "is a hungry, terrified, security-craving goblin in the presence of whom I feel powerless; an ambitious monster who wants it all....I'm hard-charging toward a life I think I want, in a race to make something of myself, afraid that if I slow down even for a second, I might never be able to start up again." Looking back, Romolini examines her relationship to work as something of an addiction to external validation. "I believed a career was the only thing I could count on, the thing that would save me from the unreliable parts of life, what would save me from myself," she writes. This isn't a book for readers seeking to critically analyze the impact of toxic hustle culture and the changing-work narrative that continues to be redefined. It's an intimate story for those who wish to learn more about Romolini's life and feel a sense of comradery with a fellow burnt-out professional forced to pull back for their health. "It took me years," she writes, "to discover there's no dream job to chase, no have-it-all fairy tale, no happy ending in which to escape." A clear picture of a life yearning for a specific sense of accomplishment forever out of reach. Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.

Billed as an "anti-girlboss" memoir, this title is a superb reality check for anyone trying to climb the corporate ladder. Similar in theme to Anna Wiener's Uncanny Valley (2020), Ambition Monster reckons with the often-outlandish personal sacrifices demanded of those with lofty career goals. Romolini presents the story as a traditional memoir, documenting her tumultuous early life growing up in a working-class neighborhood in Philadelphia, her subsequent struggles with relationships and money, and her eventual rise to the heights of professional success as a content creator, writer, and editor. Her story is well-written and extremely compelling, packed with insight, humor, and radical candor. Romolini vividly depicts the daily grind of today's deeply harmful "hustle culture" in the workplace and the resulting toll on her physical and mental health. The final chapters and epilogue demonstrate remarkable self-awareness as she examines the factors that led to her burnout. This book will likely lead readers to examine their own ambition monsters as honestly as the author. Highly recommended for business collections. Copyright 2024 Booklist Reviews.

Everything Is Fine podcaster Romolini (Weird in a World That's Not) spins a cautionary tale of workaholism in this harrowing if somewhat glib account. Romolini begins in 2017, when she reached the peak of her career as a magazine editor in Los Angeles and her vocal cords suddenly stopped working. From there, she rewinds to her childhood, explaining how growing up in 1970s and '80s Philadelphia as the child of teenage parents cemented the unassailable value of work in her mind. During her risk-taking adolescence and hard-drinking college years, Romolini prized employment above all else, burying childhood traumas and self-loathing with professional achievements. After her first marriage fell apart, she moved to Brooklyn and decided to become a writer, dating men and making friends merely as a means to climb the ladder at publications including Glamour and Timeout, where she tolerated bad bosses and insane hours. The pattern continued well after Romolini remarried, started a family, and began to experience intimacy issues with her new husband. She neglected their relationship until she experienced the vocal cord episode that opens the book. By then, too much repetition and too many truisms ("Work was an eager lover I never said no to") have robbed the narrative of some of its potency. Still, readers struggling with their own work-life balance will find value. Agent: Nicole Tourtelot, Gernert Co. (June)