Wurtzel, Elizabeth "The Secret of Life"

Wurtzel, Elizabeth "The Secret of Life: Commonsense Advice for Uncommon Women" - 2001

I found this book in the library, it sounded funny. It wasn't. Just the ramblings of a woman who seems to be unhappy with herself and the rest of the world. The kind of woman you wouldn't want to be friends with because all she does is talk about other people. And she always knows better than everyone else. And if you follow her advice, you end up being as miserable as she seems to be. Or maybe I'm just not "uncommon" enough. ;-)

From the back cover:
"Though she might not always follow her own advice, Elizabeth Wurtzel knows certain things to be true: Doing copious amounts of drugs leads nowhere you want to be; trying to be friends with your ex is always a bad idea; if you can’t afford to hire a mover, you can’t afford to move; and always doing the best you can is always good enough.

Here are Wurtzel’s succinct and clever rules for living your best life. Fulfillment is within everyone’s reach. Grasping it takes enjoying your mistakes, being strong, and having opinions. Today’s woman should:

• Be Gorgeous. Make the absolute most of what you’ve got. Believe that you are gorgeous, and you will be. It’s the only trick that really works.
• Embrace Fanaticism. Harness joie de vivre by pursuing insane interests, consuming passions, and constant sources of gratification that do not depend on the approval of others.
• Use All Available Resources. Let the M.D.s and the Ph.D.s help you solve your problems so that you don’t become everyone else’s problem.
• Never Clear the Table at a Dinner Party Unless the Men Get Up to Help First. Cleanup should not be gendered. Change the world, one dinner table at a time. Hold a sit-in.

One of the fiercest, funniest, and best-known essayists of her generation, Elizabeth Wurtzel infuses this modest gem of a rule book with a sharp wit and a real candor."