[TAC]≡ Read Present Over Perfect Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler More Soulful Way of Living Shauna Niequist Brene Brown 9780310342991 Books

Present Over Perfect Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler More Soulful Way of Living Shauna Niequist Brene Brown 9780310342991 Books

Download As PDF : Present Over Perfect Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler More Soulful Way of Living Shauna Niequist Brene Brown 9780310342991 Books

Present Over Perfect Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler More Soulful Way of Living Shauna Niequist Brene Brown 9780310342991 Books

I was drawn to Shauna Niequist's newest book, Present Over Perfect because its title seemed to indicate our current season. I quickly realized that Niequist's life and my life are vastly different. While I'm learning to live with a messy playroom, Niequist is finding balance by saying no to Big Opportunities and Flashy Job Offers. She's learning to settle in at home with a cup of tea and her family. Perhaps it's harder for someone with a lot of opportunities to say no and to find that balance. I'd imagine that the sparkle of recognition is tempting. In that sense, Niequist is open about her change in mindset and what that cost her family and her career.

However, as an average mom who doesn't have a Big Career to say no to, I had trouble relating. The big ideas were powerful but the details were privileged and narrow. Niequist leads an idyllic life: Vacations at a lake house, travel, tons of family support, the ability to reimagine her work-from-home job to more perfectly fit her family's needs. And I say this as a middle-class, educated woman of privilege. I wonder how people living paycheck-to-paycheck, without the ease of reinvention would relate to this message?

**I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.**


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Present Over Perfect Leaving Behind Frantic for a Simpler More Soulful Way of Living Shauna Niequist Brene Brown 9780310342991 Books Reviews

I wanted to like it, but it was boring. Nothing in it related to me. I left it in a hotel room. Maybe it will help someone else.
This author is pretty entitled. I relate to her priority shift but I don't know many in my world who relate to her lifestyle.
This book was a big disappointment. I read it with my accountability group thinking it would have insight of how to balance life in a God honoring way. Being marketed as a Christian resource, as well as the author being the daughter of a well known evangelical pastor, we thought this would be a valuable tool for us to use in our lives. We were wrong. Niequist uses most of her rationales based on emotions and feelings instead of Scripture. She had some good insights, but did a poor job backing it up besides the reasoning that it made her feel better. It felt like a very self-centered, fluffy, universalist memoir of her vacations. Would not recommend.
I tried to like it, I really did. But, I just could not relate. I don't have a 'spiritual advisor'. I can't just drop work projects. I didn't find any application for people who did not have her career.
Even as a guy, I find this easy to relate to, if a bit feminine with examples. That's fine - I don't think for one moment I'm the target audience. I keep this on my desk at work and read it more like a devotional than a true Christian living book. I may go weeks without looking at it, or read 5 chapters in an afternoon. The average chapter is 5 pages, so not a hard task.

Yes, she gives examples that I'm sure some can't exactly relate to, but the big picture principles stick. If anything this adds credibility to the principles she presents - in that they apply to both a nearly 40 year old author mom and, in many ways, to a male professional ten years her junior. I just finished a chapter on white dishes. What?? She admits that having too many dishes was a struggle and a distraction. Though I can't personally say that dishes are a struggle of mine, I have other forms of clutter, both physical and psychological, so what she says really makes sense. If you take the title at its word, "Present over Perfect," it really does help you to focus more on big picture concepts of your life, what you're here to do, who matters most, and gets you thinking about your top life goals.

And this comes from a guy reading a ladies' book.
Ugh.... two words for this book HUMBLE BRAGGING.
The first few chapters are her listing off all the many accomplishments she achieved and how she works harder than everyone else in her life “when I was 11 years old I decorated the store windows while my mangers had hangovers... when my family is relaxing on the weekend I’m cleaning and organizing and packing... I’m the responsible one... I even have a “yes” tattoo.... blah blah” like OMG... I’m sorry but, this book sounds like she is trying to explain to herself why she deserves to relax, listing off all the things she does. And then she goes on to say during some Hawaii vacation she turned to her husband and said “we can’t live like this anymore” meaning what? Meaning.... I don’t know what she is trying to say, but it just sounds like more humble bragging about their extravagant vacations and they second home at the lake??
Her thoughts just go on aimlessly and I wish so much that there was a clear direction for this book, but it’s just random thoughts of hers, bragging about her accomplishments or about her spiritual “ah-ha” moments.
Disappointed by this book because the reviews were high.
Stopped reading after about 30 pages. I was hoping to read some inspiring material and learn some helpful techniques. I am just a regular wife, mom, and employee, and the pressure to be all of those things perfectly all of the time is intense. The author contrasts her busy life of traveling, speaking, and writing, with her vacations at the lake. I have neither of those - I'm just trying to keep the house clean while my toddler wrecks it and remind myself (in between dirty diapers and my dirty hair) that perfection has nothing on being present with my baby. I just couldn't relate to her. So disappointing!
I was drawn to Shauna Niequist's newest book, Present Over Perfect because its title seemed to indicate our current season. I quickly realized that Niequist's life and my life are vastly different. While I'm learning to live with a messy playroom, Niequist is finding balance by saying no to Big Opportunities and Flashy Job Offers. She's learning to settle in at home with a cup of tea and her family. Perhaps it's harder for someone with a lot of opportunities to say no and to find that balance. I'd imagine that the sparkle of recognition is tempting. In that sense, Niequist is open about her change in mindset and what that cost her family and her career.

However, as an average mom who doesn't have a Big Career to say no to, I had trouble relating. The big ideas were powerful but the details were privileged and narrow. Niequist leads an idyllic life Vacations at a lake house, travel, tons of family support, the ability to reimagine her work-from-home job to more perfectly fit her family's needs. And I say this as a middle-class, educated woman of privilege. I wonder how people living paycheck-to-paycheck, without the ease of reinvention would relate to this message?

**I received this book free from the publisher in exchange for my honest opinion.**