Approval Junkie

Finished another friend’s favorite 2016 book, Approval Junkie by Faith Salie.  The book is about Salie’s pre-occupation with gaining the approval of others in various aspects of her life.  Salie, a comedienne and news reporter/journalist shares the most intimate details of her personal life: having an eating disorder, first marriage (and divorce), being single again, dating an alcoholic, marriage number 2, becoming a mother at age 40, losing her mother to cancer, the highs and lows of her professional life, and relationship with her siblings.  The book, which I listened to while driving upstate, had a number of very funny stories that made me ‘belly laugh”.  I had never heard of the author before but could imagine her doing well on the comedy circuit.  Her stories showed a vulnerable side and allowed the reader to find the human part of her.  Her struggles with acceptance is a real issue almost all of us face.  She is well read and intelligent.  Transferring from Northwestern University to Harvard (they don’t accept many transfer students!), and later her time as a Rhodes Scholar studying literature built a strong foundation for her to draw parallels in her work as a reporter on politics and human interest stories.  Her stories ranged from ultra-serious topics to the outrageous (learning how to give a man a hand job from her gay brother!)….  She referenced NYU hospital as her in vitro fertility clinic and how they helped store her eggs! This was a fun book that had moments that made you realize how important it is to go full throttle into what you do while trying not to have the need for others to validate it.