Susan

Wonderful, Insightful Book

Revisado: 12-01-13

I wish there were more books like this one. I loved it. The story is incredible, and it interweaves a lot of big names and historical figures you may not associate with Coco Chanel (such as Churchill). I loved the complexity. The book is stark at times, but the author has a light touch and includes many fascinating details throughout. There is so much more to Chanel than most people realize (both good and bad). I loved that the book wasn't just a total fan-girl type vibe like some books on Chanel, but still revered her persistence and creativity as an entrepreneur and artist, while recognizing her involvement with the Nazi party (truly amazing this has been overlooked by so many!).

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Very Enjoyable

Revisado: 12-01-13

At first, I thought this book might be a mistake. I wasn't too crazy about the opening chapter, and I wasn't sure if I liked the main character. I'm really glad I stuck with it though. The novel is sweet and adorable, and the characters are funny and realistic. I loved the dynamic between the two sisters -- it was familiar and made me laugh. The novel takes its time and sets up a lovely, cozy world that provides a wonderful escape.

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Good Stuff

Revisado: 01-13-13

I bought this book because I follow Julie Morgenstern on twitter and she always posts the most helpful tweets. This book was great too. Quick and to the point, smart, and insightful.

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A Little Preachy

Revisado: 01-13-13

This was a deeply heartfelt book, and I liked the writing style. I enjoyed this book, although there were points where the plot moved very slowly. I felt like it was preaching at me sometimes which was something I didn’t expect when I chose to read this book. It annoyed me. It’s okay with me if novels touch on the flaws of our society and issues of morality in a subtle way, but this book hammers it in over and over. I’m glad I stuck with it though. It takes on a sweeping narrative by the end and lets go of the narrow focus on that one summer to become much more. It lightens up a bit, which I appreciated.

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Highly entertaining

Revisado: 05-23-12

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Sure, it's not for everyone, but if you are the type of woman who loved Sex and the City, then this book is for you. I loved the different personalities of the characters and the tight friendships they shared. There were so many moments when I knew exactly what the characters were going through. The stories were so relatable and believable. It was a breath of fresh air. The narration was perfect too. I will keep my eye on this author for more books.

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Okay but not great

Revisado: 05-23-12

I bought this book after watching an amazing youtube video of her Ted Talk. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel like this book gave me that much more insight than her 15 minute talk did. The author kept referring to herself as a “researcher” but she didn’t include any of her research! She summed her findings up for us, but we didn’t get to hear any of the specifics. Instead, she talked about her own life (which is only semi-interesting). And she also spent a lot of time defining key terms, which also got old after a while. It was nice that she opened up and made the book personal, but it would have been more compelling to hear about other people’s stories and experiences (such as all those people she was supposedly researching) to help illustrate her points. Using her own life as the only example came acrosss as self-involved, and it really limited the whole scope of the book. She should have included her own story in the introduction as a way of framing her main points and then delved into the research in the body of the book.

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Very enjoyable

Revisado: 03-20-12

I especially loved the setting of New York in the 1930s. It was glamorous and gritty, and the characters were always going somewhere intriguing. This made the book a great escape for me. I liked the story and that it was unpredictable yet believable. At times, I felt the main character was a little aloof and I wished I could understand her motivations and personality a bit better. But the narration was lovely and the book was very enjoyable overall.

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Glad I stuck with it

Revisado: 01-19-12

The first few hours of this book, I had a hard time liking any of the characters and I thought the author’s view of everything was very dismal and a little smarmy. But I’m glad I stuck with it. This really is a sweeping story and it has beautiful moments of redemption that made it all worth it for me. I love the focus on family and love and community. The way it all came together in the end was breathtaking.

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Interesting

Revisado: 01-19-12

I am a fan of Jonathan Fields and think he is a smart innovator. I’m not currently starting a business or writing a novel or doing something personally risky, and so the advice in this book didn’t seem quite so compelling for me, although there were still some useful tips. I liked thinking about startup culture and innovation and feel like I’m a little more informed about making smart business decisions (if I’m ever in the position to do so). I had a hard time listening to the narrator’s voice, so that was an unfortunate downside.

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Insightful book

Revisado: 06-22-11

I love the overall message of the book. I needed to hear this. I’m glad I listened to it, but by the end, I have to admit, I was feeling a bit of information overload. There is a lot of repetition in this book, so it isn’t always easy to stay engaged. I would suggest buying this book and listening to the chapters you most need to hear – whether you are dealing with depression or constant frustration or anxiety or whatever. Listen to what you really need to hear right now, and save the rest for a later time. Focus on applying that one chapter to your life. It’ll be easier to absorb the information that way.

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