This book is exactly what it says on the cover. It's a self-help book for how to talk about awkward topics. It's divided into 5 sections: "Death," "Sex," "Money," "Family," and "Identity." I learned the most from the "Money" section because I've never had to share a bank account with another person. I've never thought about what would happen if my future husband's spending habits were vastly different from my own. I don't know if I'll ever get married and share a bank account, but now I know about the conversations that need to happen before money is merged.

The "Family" section is the most relatable for me. My family is a freakin' disaster. The book put words to problems I've only thought about abstractly. I'm not ready to storm through a family member's front door and have an unpleasant conversation, but the book made me feel less alone. Other people have the exact same problems as me! Yay!

(Amusing side note: There's a story in the "Family" chapter about a woman who's trying to reconnect with her stepfather. Whenever she goes to his house, he turns off Fox News because he knows it gets on her nerves. What is this wizardry?

My parents are hardcore Fox News addicts. It's on their TV 24 hours a day. I couldn't even get a break from it on my birthday! The sound is kept at a volume that will make your brain hemorrhage. Asking them to lower the volume is pointless because I'm "a snowflake who can't handle the truth."

I'm deducting stars from my rating of the book because it failed to teach me magic. You can't casually mention turning off Fox News and get my hopes up like that!)

Anyway, back to the point: I think this book would be a great gift for a recent high school or college graduate. It would prepare them for problems they might encounter later in life. Since I'm old, I didn't learn a ton from it. I've already floundered my way through difficult conversations and learned from experience. I wish I had this book 10 or 15 years ago. It would have been very helpful.