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A review by alexampersand
The Art of Asking; or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Let People Help by Amanda Palmer
5.0
I am a huge fan of Amanda Palmer, but that isn't why I think this book is important.
It's part self help book - except it gets so personal, you get wrapped up in the story and taken along for an emotional ride.
It's part memoir - except there's an underlying theme to every part of it, rather than somebody simply self-indulgently reciting their life story.
It starts off simply as a tale about a street performer, which in itself is fascinating to discover how this thing is actually done; but then it develops into a study in human emotion and connection; life and death.
The book is, essentially, a collection of anecdotes. Some are ten lines long, some are several pages long. They are, for the most part, chronological, although certain parts run throughout the book. But at the heart of each story, each moment from her life that is highlighted, carries with it a message all about human connection. Obviously the book is titled The Art of Asking, after the TED talk which did heavily revolve around her 'don't be afraid to ask' approach to the music business. But I would argue that within the book, it goes even further than simply asking for help. It's about the connection, and about humans.
There are parts of the book that made me giggle out loud (possibly just from being a fan, and recognising moments that are referred to in passing in passing), and there were a lot of moments that made me cry.
Parts of this book (mostly those involving Anthony) reminded me very strongly of Tuesdays With Morrie, and I think it sits nicely alongside that. It's a non-fiction work that is so deeply engaging and emotion-driven that it reads like intense fiction, and carries you away, and more importantly leaves you with a lasting impression.
It's part self help book - except it gets so personal, you get wrapped up in the story and taken along for an emotional ride.
It's part memoir - except there's an underlying theme to every part of it, rather than somebody simply self-indulgently reciting their life story.
It starts off simply as a tale about a street performer, which in itself is fascinating to discover how this thing is actually done; but then it develops into a study in human emotion and connection; life and death.
The book is, essentially, a collection of anecdotes. Some are ten lines long, some are several pages long. They are, for the most part, chronological, although certain parts run throughout the book. But at the heart of each story, each moment from her life that is highlighted, carries with it a message all about human connection. Obviously the book is titled The Art of Asking, after the TED talk which did heavily revolve around her 'don't be afraid to ask' approach to the music business. But I would argue that within the book, it goes even further than simply asking for help. It's about the connection, and about humans.
There are parts of the book that made me giggle out loud (possibly just from being a fan, and recognising moments that are referred to in passing in passing), and there were a lot of moments that made me cry.
Parts of this book (mostly those involving Anthony) reminded me very strongly of Tuesdays With Morrie, and I think it sits nicely alongside that. It's a non-fiction work that is so deeply engaging and emotion-driven that it reads like intense fiction, and carries you away, and more importantly leaves you with a lasting impression.