The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help
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Average rating4.3
Rock singer, crowdfunding pioneer, and TED speaker Amanda Palmer knows all about asking. Performing as a living statue in a wedding dress, she wordlessly asked thousands of passersby for their dollars. When she became a singer, songwriter, and musician, she was not afraid to ask her audience to support her as she surfed the crowd (and slept on their couches while touring). And when she left her record label to strike out on her own, she asked her fans to support her in making an album, leading to the world's most successful music Kickstarter. Even while Amanda is both celebrated and attacked for her fearlessness in asking for help, she finds that there are important things she cannot ask for -- as a musician, as a friend, and as a wife. She learns that she isn't alone in this, that so many people are afraid to ask for help, and it paralyzes their lives and relationships. In this groundbreaking book, she explores these barriers in her own life and in the lives of those around her, and discovers the emotional, philosophical, and practical aspects of the art of asking.
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After hearing Amanda's Ted talk, I was excited to hear she had a book out that elaborated on the topic. The title of the book makes it sound like it's in the self help genre, but actually this is a memoir using asking for help as a unifying theme throughout her life. The openness of the memoir, and the issues she faced were refreshing to hear. An optimistic story that left me feeling good and wanting to read more by Neil Gaiman (her husband).
Originally posted on bluchickenninja.com.
The first thing I think everyone should know about this book is that you don't need to be a fan of Amanda Palmer or her music to enjoy it. The book was advertised as a longer version of her TED talk however I felt it was more like an autobiography. The book tells the story of Amanda's life but it also shows the ways she has asked her fans and the online community for help, from finding somewhere to sleep to finding musicians to play on stage with her. Throughout the book Amanda shows that it is okay to ask for help, as she puts it “take the donut“. I genuinely believe that if you want your blog or any other artistic endeavour to become a full time job you should read this book.
No ground-breaking revelations for someone who follows [a:Amanda Palmer 1010543 Amanda Palmer https://d.gr-assets.com/authors/1297527121p2/1010543.jpg] around the internet, but a lovely chatty-style book. Very readable, enjoyable, and frank, with a few tears thrown in because of reasons.
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