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Hardcover
Publisher: Crown
Life is full of ups and downs. And while keeping your chin up may hide a double chin, it won’t improve your mood. Looking on the bright side will make you squint, which will lead to crow’s feet, and there is nothing cheerful about crow’s feet.
Listen, if you’re feeling down, it’s going to take a lot more to set things right than insipid platitudes about a cloud with a silver lining. (What is that anyway? Acid rain, or what?) In When You Need a Lift, comedienne Joy Behar and a host of her friends share the simple, silly, profound, and personal things they turn to for comfort when life gets hard.
For Joy, it’s her sense of humor and handbags. Not surprisingly, music legend Burt Bacharach turns to songwriting and performing. Kaye Ballard indulges with a big bowl of pasta. Beau Bridges counts his blessings. Former First Lady Barbara Bush finds solace in the work of Jane Austen. Tony Danza plays the ukulele. Larry King recommends laughter—tell a joke, read a funny book; every time you laugh, a little sadness slips away.
And that’s some advice you can actually use.
| Customer Reviews: |
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| Waste of time and money |
| Customer Rating: 1 out of 5 |
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What a disappointment. I wasn't expecting great things, maybe just a few useful tidbits. It's so bad it's almost funny. Some of the suggestions included a bizarre one from Pat Boone. He says he only wants to be with his wife when he is feeling down--clearly stating he wants no one else around. Jeez, I hope he doesn't outlive his wife or he'll be in trouble. He then states that he (and wife, of course)goes to his condo in Panama. Oh, that's useful information for the masses or maybe this was just for the elite who have condos to go off to.
In another one the contributor says he had an epiphany of sorts during which he realized dead people would love to trade places and live his depressing life. He actually used the words "rotting in their graves." Thanks for that uplifting image along with the idea that all dead people spend eternity wishing to be alive.
Other new and exciting ideas: eat a tuna sandwich, go swim at your athletic club, pet a cat, or clean your house. Each bit of advice contains a biography of the contributor as long as (if not longer) than the advice they provide.
To make matters worse I was listening to the audio version. Both readers appear to have attended the Casey Kasem (sp?) School of Smarmy Public Speaking. If Ms. Raudman had recorded the entire book, I might have used this when experiencing insomnia. She has one of those voices that lulls you off to sleep.
Okay, I must admit that I did not finish listening to the book. I tried. I really did. I almost completed the first of the three CDs. Alas, it is that bad. I just could not take any more. Don't waste your money or time. And, unless you are really angry at someone, do not give this as a gift.
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| when you're down |
| Customer Rating: 3 out of 5 |
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Joy has gathered responses from several of her friends to write about what they do when they're down. Its an interesting concept. I think some more responses would have helped this book be better.
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| Escape the Blues |
| Customer Rating: 5 out of 5 |
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"Helping others, getting involved in an important and purposeful cause is a very powerful antidote to sadness." ~ Kathleen Kennedy Townsend
Joy Behar asked 101 friends, associates and role models to contribute advice for her book. Not only is the advice about escaping the blues truly helpful, it is often funny.
Jamie Lee Curtis wrote a fun poem and Phyllis Diller shared her daily mantra. Some of the main solutions include: walking, cooking, getting a massage and avoiding the news. A few people talked about their pets and many said they looked to their faith in times of trouble.
I was actually surprised no one talked about writing in a journal. I did like Joy Behar's idea of getting a manicure and a pedicure. Most of the advice is practical and you can apply it to your life right away.
From my own experience, the happiest people find their purpose in life and follow their bliss every day. Even something as simple as reading a book and reviewing it can make you feel better about your life.
This is not a book that deals with serious depression, but if you have a bad day or a blue mood once in a while then the ideas might help you see the brighter side of life.
~The Rebecca Review
P.S. If you need more ideas after reading this book, write me from my site and I'll tell you about my 111 ideas for beating the blues.
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| Joy, Don't Give Up Your Day Job |
| Customer Rating: 1 out of 5 |
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I love Joy Behar dearly; her quick wit on "The View" is the reason I bought this book. But much to my dismay I found that none of the people who contributed were as funny and spontaneous as Joy. I would like to get my money back!
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| so not funny... |
| Customer Rating: 1 out of 5 |
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horrible book! don't buy it. i should have read more reviews before purchasing. i thought a book by a comediene would be funny. all it is is blurbs by 'famous people' about what they do when they are feeling sad. waste of money...
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