Being perfect

Book Cover
Average Rating
Publisher
Random House
Publication Date
[2005]
Language
English

Description

Anna Quindlen offers deep truths from her life to motivate and inspire you to become your most authentic self. “Trying to be perfect may be inevitable for people who are smart and ambitious and interested in the world and its good opinion. . . . What is really hard, and really amazing, is giving up on being perfect and beginning the work of becoming yourself.”In Being Perfect, Anna Quindlen shares wisdom that, perhaps without knowing it, you have longed to hear: about “the perfection trap,” the price you pay when you become ensnared in it, and the key to setting yourself free. Quindlen believes that when your success looks good to the world but doesn’t feel good in your heart, it isn’t success at all.She asks you to set aside your friends’ advice, what your family and co-workers demand, and what society expects, and look at the choices you make every day. When you ask yourself why you are making them, Quindlen encourages you to give this answer: For me. “Because they are what I want, or wish for. Because they reflect who and what I am. . . . That way lies dancing to the melodies spun out by your own heart.”At the core of this beautiful book lies the secret of authentic success, the inspiration to embrace your own uniqueness and live the life that is undeniably your own, rich in fulfillment and meaning.

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ISBN
9780375505492

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Similar Authors From NoveList

NoveList provides detailed suggestions for other authors you might want to read if you enjoyed this book. Suggestions are based on recommendations from librarians and other contributors.
Readers who appreciate Anna Quindlen's way with female characters and their relationships will equally enjoy Elizabeth Berg, who depicts realistic, recognizable women with compassion and eloquence. She, like Quindlen, addresses tough subjects with dignity. -- Shauna Griffin
Readers looking for witty relationship fiction that stars interesting women and isn't afraid to explore the nuances of complex, sometimes difficult emotions should explore the works of both Terry McMillan and Anna Quindlen. Quindlen's characters tend to be a bit more flawed than McMillan's more likable leads. -- Stephen Ashley
Both Anna Quindlen and Jodi Picoult write about tangled family relationships and sympathetic American characters grappling with ethical dilemmas. Picoult's books, however, are more conversational and generally move more quickly than do many of Quindlen's. -- Shauna Griffin
Marge Piercy is another woman-centered writer worthy of comparison to Anna Quindlen. A noted feminist, social activist, poet, science fiction writer, and essayist, Piercy demands a bit more of her readers. While Piercy has not enjoyed Quindlen's popularity, critics have highly recommended her perceptive and textured work. -- Shauna Griffin
Anne Tyler is to Baltimore as Anna Quindlen is to New York, creating a mirror reflecting the essence of a place while capturing individual people. Both authors write intimate, women-centered family tales with characters that are equally realistic in their foibles and oft-endearing human shortcomings. -- Shauna Griffin
Readers who like the family drama aspect of Anna Quindlen's work may enjoy branching out to other environs with Jane Smiley. A Midwesterner, Smiley has quite a different voice from Quindlen's but shares with her an impressive range of styles and a talent for capturing emotion. -- Shauna Griffin
Both Anna Quindlen and Sue Miller are adept at writing about white women struggling to find a balance between their own needs and the demands of husbands, families, communities, or careers. The issues drive the narrative and tackle complex subjects and the protagonist's journey to self-awareness. -- Shauna Griffin
These authors' works have the genres "relationship fiction" and "mainstream fiction"; and the subjects "mothers and daughters," "marital conflict," and "mothers."

Published Reviews

School Library Journal Review

Adult/High School-In this brief treatise, Quindlen attempts to deter readers from continually seeking perfection, which is by definition unoriginal and stereotypical. She believes that everyone needs to find her (or his, though the general tone and the illustrations seem to focus on female needs) own true self, especially for those moments when there is nothing else left. She describes herself as having been a true perfectionist throughout high school. After a semester or so at Barnard, she realized that she would never be the prettiest, smartest, or "est" anything, but she could try to find out who she was and not be afraid to try new and unusual routes through life. This realization was more freeing than she expected, and she encourages readers, young and older alike, to do the same. The book reads much like a commencement address, but both size and subject matter should appeal to teens looking out on the landscape of their lives. It is also a good example of an essay or short biographical account for those studying such literary forms.-Susan H. Woodcock, Fairfax County Public Library, VA (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Library Journal Review

A brief meditation on resisting the desire to be so perfect. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Library Journal Reviews

A brief meditation on resisting the desire to be so perfect. Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.

Copyright 2004 Reed Business Information.
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School Library Journal Reviews

Adult/High School-In this brief treatise, Quindlen attempts to deter readers from continually seeking perfection, which is by definition unoriginal and stereotypical. She believes that everyone needs to find her (or his, though the general tone and the illustrations seem to focus on female needs) own true self, especially for those moments when there is nothing else left. She describes herself as having been a true perfectionist throughout high school. After a semester or so at Barnard, she realized that she would never be the prettiest, smartest, or "est" anything, but she could try to find out who she was and not be afraid to try new and unusual routes through life. This realization was more freeing than she expected, and she encourages readers, young and older alike, to do the same. The book reads much like a commencement address, but both size and subject matter should appeal to teens looking out on the landscape of their lives. It is also a good example of an essay or short biographical account for those studying such literary forms.-Susan H. Woodcock, Fairfax County Public Library, VA Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.

Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.
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