Review: Yes Please by Amy Poehler

Yes Please

by Amy Poehler

329 pages

Published October 28th 2014 by Dey St.

Genres: Non Fiction, Memoir, Autobiography, Humor

In Amy Poehler’s highly anticipated first book, Yes Please, she offers up a big juicy stew of personal stories, funny bits on sex and love and friendship and parenthood and real life advice (some useful, some not so much), like when to be funny and when to be serious. Powered by Amy’s charming and hilarious, biting yet wise voice, Yes Please is a book is full of words to live by.

My rating stands somewhere at 3.5 stars, but as I listened to the audiobook, it was much more entertaining.

I didn't know much about Amy Poehlr when I started it, so I definitely didn't get upset about not finding more about certain aspects of her personal life or career. I was in for a good laugh, and I got it.

The beggining of the book was what I loved most, how Amy simply talks about things like childhood, the inner voice that tells you how imperfect you are, giving birth or several chapters later about her career and careers in general, motherhood, or drugs. I was surprised of how honest she was about her experiences, admitting her faults and mistakes she had made in the past.

The thing that bothered me was how it went on in certain parts with "I did this, and then that and they did this..." like the author couldn't wait to get to the next part.

I know I wouldn't have enjoyed it as much if I had read it myself, but as an audiobook, for the most part I felt as if I was drinking tea (or coffee) with Amy while she was telling me little moments of her life. It was funny and at the same time, inspirational.

“It’s called Yes Please because it is the constant struggle and often the right answer. Can we figure out what we want, ask for it, and stop talking? Yes please. Is being vulnerable a power position? Yes please. Am I allowed to take up space? Yes please. Would you like to be left alone? Yes please. I love saying “yes” and I love saying “please.” Saying “yes” doesn’t mean I don’t know how to say no, and saying “please” doesn’t mean I am waiting for permission. “Yes please” sounds powerful and concise. It’s a response and a request. It is not about being a good girl; it is about being a real woman. It’s also a title I can tell my kids. I like when they say “Yes please” because most people are rude and nice manners are the secret keys to the universe.”

“That is the motto women should constantly repeat over and over again. Good for her! Not for me.”

“Because what else are we going to do? Say no? Say no to an opportunity that may be slightly out of our comfort zone? Quiet our voice because we are worried it is not perfect? I believe great people do things before they are ready.”

“Hopefully as you get older, you start to learn how to live with your demon. It’s hard at first. Some people give their demon so much room that there is no space in their head or bed for love. They feed their demon and it gets really strong and then it makes them stay in abusive relationships or starve their beautiful bodies. But sometimes, you get a little older and get a little bored of the demon. Through good therapy and friends and self-love you can practice treating the demon like a hacky, annoying cousin. Maybe a day even comes when you are getting dressed for a fancy event and it whispers, “You aren’t pretty,” and you go, “I know, I know, now let me find my earrings.” Sometimes you say, “Demon, I promise you I will let you remind me of my ugliness, but right now I am having hot sex so I will check in later.”

“However, if you do start crying in an argument and someone asks why, you can always say, "I'm just crying because of how wrong you are.”

“Everyone lies about writing. They lie about how easy it is or how hard it was. They perpetuate a romantic idea that writing is some beautiful experience that takes place in an architectural room filled with leather novels and chai tea. They talk about their “morning ritual” and how they “dress for writing” and the cabin in Big Sur where they go to “be alone”—blah blah blah. No one tells the truth about writing a book. Authors pretend their stories were always shiny and perfect and just waiting to be written. The truth is, writing is this: hard and boring and occasionally great but usually not. Even I have lied about writing. I have told people that writing this book has been like brushing away dirt from a fossil. What a load of shit. It has been like hacking away at a freezer with a screwdriver. I wrote this book after my kids went to sleep. I wrote this book on subways and on airplanes and in between setups while I shot a television show. I wrote this book from scribbled thoughts I kept in the Notes app on my iPhone and conversations I had with myself in my own head before I went to sleep. I wrote it ugly and in pieces.”