HEATHER HAVRILESKY is the author of How to Be a Person in the World and the memoir Disaster Preparedness. She writes the "Ask Polly" column for New York magazine, and has written for The New Yorker, The Atlantic, The New York Times Magazine, and NPR's All Things Considered, among others. She was Salon's TV critic for seven years. She lives in Los Angeles with her husband and a loud assortment of dependents, most of them nondeductible.
"Wise, wry essays on the false promise of self-help, the emptiness
of materialism, and the beauty of the 'imperfect moment.'"
—People
"What If This Were Enough? feels cathartic.... Havrilesky's book is
hilarious and pulls no punches, and its cohesiveness feels
fresh."
—Broadly
“A sharp, humorous, and heartfelt essay collection that explores
our culture's obsession with self-improvement, perfection, and
success, What If This Were Enough? asks readers to reconsider their
endless quest for the coolest, the biggest, the shiniest new thing,
and instead find happiness in what they already have.”
—Bustle
“The popular ‘Ask Polly’ columnist returns with a witty
collection encouraging readers to embrace their imperfections and
reject our culture’s self-improvement obsession.”
—Entertainment Weekly
“Deftly written…Havrilesky takes sharp and incisive stand against
the never-ending quest for more and for better that inevitably
leads many of us to feel restless angst.”
—Real Simple
“Always briskly observant, and often mordantly funny…brimming with
the author’s warmly diagnostic and incisive voice, the pieces
crystallize as potent blends of cultural critique, memoir, and
anecdote, which take a scalpel to the inured surface of modern
American life.”
—The Millions
"Insightful, intelligent, and with trademark honesty, the book (and
Havrilesky through it) seems to want to grant us all permission to
feel deserving of, and happy with, our lots in life."
—Guernica
“For the people who don't get to have their midnight crises
answered personally, there is this book…[Havrilesky] has written a
book of essays. But no book of essays has ever been so hellbent on
making you feel better.”
—Romper
“Think of Heather Havrilesky as your wisest girlfriend whose advice
is never wrong. (Seriously, read her advice columns!) In this
collection of essays, Havrilesky takes on our never-ending quests
for self-improvement and will make you feel a hell of a lot better
no matter your end goal.”
—Cosmopolitan
“A soothing and much-needed reminder to tap out of the digital
jealousy game and give ourselves and others TLC from the Cut’s
sanity-saving ‘Ask Polly’ columnist.”
—Vulture
“In 19 wry, insightful and compassionate essays, Havrilesky peels
back the layers of late-capitalism malaise that bind us to the
promise of some better version of ourselves lurking just beyond our
reach, and dares us instead to accept our current, flawed lives,
suffering and all, in order to settle into a less anxious and
resentful present.”
—Salon
“The essays in this collection are richly layered, emotionally
evocative and often profoundly funny.”
—The Michigan Daily
"Heather Havrilesky is a singular talent and an indomitable force.
When it comes to the tension between thinking and feeling, of being
out in the world and being alone with yourself, there is no one
sharper, wiser, funnier, most honest, or more insightful. In What
If This Were Enough, readers will find a splendid mix of
Havrilesky’s familiar and intimate 'Ask Polly' voice and the
authority and erudition of a seasoned cultural critic. I couldn’t
get enough."
—Meghan Daum, author of The Unspeakable: And Other Subjects Of
Disucssion
"There's an effortlessness to Heather Havrilesky's writing that is
incredibly rare. Her funniest sentences are still empathetic. Her
darkest confessions are still pretty funny. It doesn't seem to
matter what she's writing about, or what point she's trying to
make. She's just good at it."
—Chuck Klosterman, author of But What If We're Wrong? and Killing
Yourself to Live
"Heather is that dear friend you run into at a bad party at which
you’re stuck and you say ‘Oh thank God you’re here’ and spend the
rest of the night making dark and hilarious jokes about the party,
other attendees, and the human condition. Thank God she’s
here."
—Jake Tapper, author of The Hellfire Club and The Outpost
“[Havrilesky] wants Americans to ‘wake up to the unbelievable gift
of being alive,’ even though it means facing... the scary emotions
that are easier avoided. It’s a message she relates with insight,
wit, and terrific prose.”
—Publishers Weekly (Starred Review)
“Provide[s] a crucial analytical perspective on human
interactions…A fun, often insightful read.”
—Kirkus Reviews
“[I]n this quick-witted collection of essays, advice columnist
Havrilesky pointedly asks whether it is possible to be satisfied
without having everything our world of excess offers us…[T]here is
always a sharp edge to her observations…[S]he presents some more
personal stories about love and loss that tantalizingly offer a
glimpse into a more grounded way of life, leavening the dark
atmosphere with humor and hope.”
—Booklist
“Thoughtful, direct, and often funny, these essays are a lovely
blend of personal reflection and cultural critique.”
—BookRiot
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