Review: Yes Please

{on Goodreads}

Yes Please, Amy Poehler's first book, is a recipe for inspiration and girl power. From her childhood in Burlington, Massachusetts, to the start of her comedy career in Chicago, to her hilarious roles and writing at SNL, Amy Poehler writes about her success and fame with humor and an honesty that's rare and raw. She looks back on her career with transparency; it wasn't all laughs, it wasn't all success, and it wasn't all-good-all-the-time. Case in point: during a high point of her career, hosting the Golden Globes with real-life bestie Tina Fey, she was also going through a heartbreaking divorce with husband Will Arnett. While she was making millions of people laugh with her skits on SNL, behind the scenes she was dealing with motherhood, her body image, and other issues that women deal with every day. She makes it clear that her successes were due to hard work, long hours, and sacrifice, but she also tells her story with a clear sense of gratitude for the friendships, opportunities and recognition that she's found along the way. She writes about her mistakes with humility and about moments that gave her perspective when she felt lost. Everything that Poehler has to say shows that she moves through the highs and lows of life with both grace and good humor, and that she is deserving of her status as a role model for women and young girls. 

My boyfriend gave this to me as part of my Christmas gift this year after he had patiently listened to me obsess over it from the moment that I first heard about it (you may remember it made it onto my list for November's currently coveting). Not only do I love the cover image, but I also love the messages that came with it. I am a huge fan of Amy Poehler (Parks and Rec is one of my favorite shows) and I especially love her work with Tina Fey (I may be the only person that can basically recite the lines from Baby Mama -- funniest movie ever). In essence, I am an automatic fan of everything that she does, including her work with Amy Poehler's Smart Girls. I find that she is one of those celebrities that just never loses her sense of real-ness, and as a fan I appreciate that she is open and honest about issues that all women face, especially those concerning career and family, body image, and perceptions of women in society. This would make a great gift for any time of the year, and is one that I think will appeal to a wide-ranging audience, from teenagers to mothers and grandmothers. It would also make a great last-minute gift for your bestie (or yourself) on Valentine's Day! (I've also seen it on a few lists of best books for getting over a break-up, for those who are currently anti-Valentine's Day advocates.)

Bottom-Line Rating: 5/5

The Stats:

Title: Yes Please

Author: Amy Poehler

ISBN: 0062268341

Price: $18 on Amazon (find more links to purchase online on Goodreads)

Format: Hardcover

Source: Gifted

Length: 329 pages