December 11, 2017
In a collection of reflections that are more sincere than eloquent, Shriver (Ten Things I Wish I’d Known—Before I Went Out into the Real World) meditates on finding a meaningful life. The award-winning journalist, former First Lady of California, and niece of President John F. Kennedy writes informally about her four children, four brothers, and 60 years of learning and praying. She pays homage to her mother, Eunice, and her father, Sargent. When the latter developed Alzheimer’s, Shriver became adamant about working toward a cure for the disease, and her work raising money and awareness is mentioned frequently. Each short chapter (of which there are over 50) begins with a quote from a speaker, activist, writer, or spiritual leader such as Maya Angelou, Louisa May Alcott, St. Ambrose, and even Shriver herself. Each chapter ends with a prayer that flows from her heart, if not so smoothly from her pen: “Dear God, don’t let me be caught in resentment or any other form of fear and hate. If they appear, please turn my thoughts into prayer for my enemy or someone in need.” Among the topics she covers are kindness, mental health, peace, time to reflect, grief, and power—of the mind, of women, of the pause, of empathy. The honesty of this uplifting book will please Shriver’s established readership as well as new readers looking for inspiration. Agent: Jan Miller, Dupree Miller.

December 15, 2017
An award-winning television journalist muses on how to successfully negotiate the challenges of living in the modern world.Shriver (Just Who Will You Be?, 2008, etc.) grew up a member of the storied Kennedy family. Despite great privilege, however, she has continually struggled with defining what constitutes a "meaningful life," especially in an age when we are all "inundated with news and information about how terrible everything is." This collection, which emerged from the author's "I've Been Thinking" column in her digital newsletter, The Sunday Paper, provides a series of short meditations on everything from the power of gratitude and positive thinking to the blessings of love and family. Each piece begins with quotations from the likes of Eleanor Roosevelt, Oprah Winfrey, and Gandhi and ends with personal prayers that reflect Shriver's deep devotion to her faith. The author begins with observations on the need for cultivating self-acceptance and "intestinal fortitude" to withstand a world that has become increasingly hostile and "unsteady." As she celebrates female empowerment, she also remarks on the need for people--and women in particular--to care for their physical, mental, and spiritual health, now more than ever. In speaking of the work she has done in her life as a journalist and advocate for Alzheimer's education, Shriver notes that motherhood, "the biggest, most powerful, most all-encompassing job on the planet," has been her greatest challenge. Her four children have been bearers of important lessons in "patience, kindness, and acceptance" as well as the most difficult but necessary lesson of all: letting go. What partially saves this well-intentioned book from reading like a series of trite platitudes is Shriver's underlying understanding of current events. Beyond positive thinking, what we all need are "leaders who bring us together" and citizens who can "listen with open minds...to find a common thread."A heartfelt but unexceptional book.

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February 1, 2018

Journalist Shriver writes about her quest for a meaningful life, borrowing from her digital newsletter, the Sunday Paper, along with "personal reflections, memorable quotations and prayers." She fully embraces the power of positive thinking, which sometimes makes for some rather lightweight affirmations. These include pithy recommendations such as, "Nothing like laughter to turn your day around" and "To keep going you must have hope." She does, however, encourage deeper contemplation on issues that stem from a mature life, such as the loss of parents, empty nesting, and social justice. Shriver shares nothing of her own brush with public humiliation; she considers herself a storyteller who opts not to share the intimacies of her public life and winsomely concludes that this book's singular purpose is encouragement--to compel others to think about what makes for their own meaningful life. VERDICT An optimistic reminder to be gentle with oneself.--Sandra Collins, Byzantine Catholic Seminary Lib., Pittsburgh

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