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Stirring the Pot: My Recipe for Getting What You Want Out of Life
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
The View host and New York Times bestselling author Jenny McCarthy is like your favorite friend: honest, open, and oh-so-funny. She also speaks her mind and says what the rest of us are thinking, a characteristic that has won her millions of fans no matter how much she “stirs the pot.” Combining the secrets of her hard-won wisdom, witty observations, revealing notes to herself (including ridiculously wishful wish lists), and tales of both her best and most embarrassing moments, Stirring the Pot is McCarthy’s recipe for getting what you want out of life. From her wacky experiences in show business to her screwball forays into healing “therapies,” from her frontline reporting of single motherhood in midlife to a goofy attempt to reclaim her last name from Joe McCarthy, here are outrageous musings from the roller coaster life of everyone’s favorite professional blonde.
With a winning mix of storytelling, sisterly advice, sex appeal, and self-deprecation, Stirring the Pot shows us how a pinch of conviction (aka hardheadedness), a dollop of flexibility (being okay with Plan B or even C), and endless faith (in yourself, in your wildest fantasies, and in the general goodness of others) can mix to create the life of your dreams.
Advance praise for Stirring the Pot
“Whether she’s talking about work or play, family or friendships, her sex life or the lack of it, Jenny McCarthy never fails to make me laugh out loud. Who knew she could dish out advice so well, too?”—Andy Cohen, host of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live
From the Hardcover edition.
The View host and New York Times bestselling author Jenny McCarthy is like your favorite friend: honest, open, and oh-so-funny. She also speaks her mind and says what the rest of us are thinking, a characteristic that has won her millions of fans no matter how much she “stirs the pot.” Combining the secrets of her hard-won wisdom, witty observations, revealing notes to herself (including ridiculously wishful wish lists), and tales of both her best and most embarrassing moments, Stirring the Pot is McCarthy’s recipe for getting what you want out of life. From her wacky experiences in show business to her screwball forays into healing “therapies,” from her frontline reporting of single motherhood in midlife to a goofy attempt to reclaim her last name from Joe McCarthy, here are outrageous musings from the roller coaster life of everyone’s favorite professional blonde.
With a winning mix of storytelling, sisterly advice, sex appeal, and self-deprecation, Stirring the Pot shows us how a pinch of conviction (aka hardheadedness), a dollop of flexibility (being okay with Plan B or even C), and endless faith (in yourself, in your wildest fantasies, and in the general goodness of others) can mix to create the life of your dreams.
Advance praise for Stirring the Pot
“Whether she’s talking about work or play, family or friendships, her sex life or the lack of it, Jenny McCarthy never fails to make me laugh out loud. Who knew she could dish out advice so well, too?”—Andy Cohen, host of Bravo’s Watch What Happens Live
From the Hardcover edition.
Audio CD
First published January 1, 2014
26 people are currently reading
502 people want to read
About the author
Jenny McCarthy
49 books266 followersJennifer McCarthy is an American model, comedian, actress and author. She first appeared in Playboy magazine in October 1993 and was named Playmate of the Year in its June 1994 issue. She later began a career in television and film and has recently started writing books dealing largely with her pregnancy and motherhood of a child with autism.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews
August 25, 2015
I enjoyed listening to this but I like Jenny. If you don't know who she is or don't really care for her, don't read this. Listening is better. Jenny reads the book. I could relate to a few things she talks about.
October 6, 2014
I don’t know what made me pick up this book by Jenny McCarthy. Her name is familiar to me and I’ve seen her on a couple of episodes of Two and a Half Men, but other than that I don’t know anything else about her except what I can find on Google. So again, what made me decide to read this particular book? I think it was the humor hook in the book summary that was finally the deciding factor. As much as I’m a sucker for a good horror novel, I’m just as easily won over by anything that promises a few good laughs.
Well, I certainly had my share of hearty laughs while reading Stirring the Pot, but surprisingly I also felt very inspired after reading this. While addressing serious issues such as single parenting, intoxication meets social media (which definitely goes hand-in-hand for some), when to take the high road, trying anything once, and other such topics, there is always a lot of truth underneath her humor. I found that though I don’t know anything about her, she seems to be someone who knows and understands herself very well, and she shares her experiences without apology in an open and brutally honest way with the reader.
Some of what you can expect in this book:
- Girls Night In
- Five Things You Don’t Want to Hear at a Class Reunion
- If My Bed Could Talk...
- Ten Signs You’re Spending Too Much Time with Your Toddler
- Ten Signs the Guy You’re Dating Might Be Gay
- Date Night Etiquette
- Reverse Psychology
And much, much more!
There’s even an advice piece for men going through “manopause”. That was one of my particular favorites because it made me laugh so hard!
What also made it so easy for me to connect with this book is how much it resembled my own life in certain ways. I was struck by how un-celebrity-like Jenny came across. To me she seemed liked just a mom, just a woman, and in some ways also just a girl. She does all this with an incredible sense of humor and a deep understanding of what it is like to have to deal with everyday things I myself have to deal with, such as the demands of a household and being a mother, going to the grocery store, sorting the mail and paying bills, the amount of time spent at work and in the car going to and from work, and trying to fit in a little “free” time after a day that started at 5:00 AM and ends anytime after 11:00 PM. She gives sound advice on self-improvement, relationships, dating, and friendship, and her personal experiences carry weight because they are incidents that are relatable.
Overall, I took a lot more away from this book than just a few good laughs. It was easy to read, fun, made me consider some things, and taught me one or two new ways on how to reach my goals. Stirring the Pot is positively brimming with energy and will make a great conversation piece when women get together for a girls night in!
Well, I certainly had my share of hearty laughs while reading Stirring the Pot, but surprisingly I also felt very inspired after reading this. While addressing serious issues such as single parenting, intoxication meets social media (which definitely goes hand-in-hand for some), when to take the high road, trying anything once, and other such topics, there is always a lot of truth underneath her humor. I found that though I don’t know anything about her, she seems to be someone who knows and understands herself very well, and she shares her experiences without apology in an open and brutally honest way with the reader.
Some of what you can expect in this book:
- Girls Night In
- Five Things You Don’t Want to Hear at a Class Reunion
- If My Bed Could Talk...
- Ten Signs You’re Spending Too Much Time with Your Toddler
- Ten Signs the Guy You’re Dating Might Be Gay
- Date Night Etiquette
- Reverse Psychology
And much, much more!
There’s even an advice piece for men going through “manopause”. That was one of my particular favorites because it made me laugh so hard!
What also made it so easy for me to connect with this book is how much it resembled my own life in certain ways. I was struck by how un-celebrity-like Jenny came across. To me she seemed liked just a mom, just a woman, and in some ways also just a girl. She does all this with an incredible sense of humor and a deep understanding of what it is like to have to deal with everyday things I myself have to deal with, such as the demands of a household and being a mother, going to the grocery store, sorting the mail and paying bills, the amount of time spent at work and in the car going to and from work, and trying to fit in a little “free” time after a day that started at 5:00 AM and ends anytime after 11:00 PM. She gives sound advice on self-improvement, relationships, dating, and friendship, and her personal experiences carry weight because they are incidents that are relatable.
Overall, I took a lot more away from this book than just a few good laughs. It was easy to read, fun, made me consider some things, and taught me one or two new ways on how to reach my goals. Stirring the Pot is positively brimming with energy and will make a great conversation piece when women get together for a girls night in!
June 14, 2014
Wouldn't recommend to anyone. It wasn't bad, just wasn't insightful or memorable.
May 13, 2014
To be honest, I chose to read Stirring the Pot by Jenny McCarthy because I'm a huge Wahlberg fan and self proclaimed Block Head. I didn't have much in the way of expectations, but I actually enjoyed this book.
It was full of weird, food related analogies that I totally understood.
The seriously decent advice she gives is peppered with wit and sarcasm,yet
insightful and heartfelt.
One of my favorites is her description of swimming out to your ship instead of waiting for it to come in. And her reinforcement of visualization techniques was a great reminder of the power of the mind.
It was full of weird, food related analogies that I totally understood.
The seriously decent advice she gives is peppered with wit and sarcasm,yet
insightful and heartfelt.
One of my favorites is her description of swimming out to your ship instead of waiting for it to come in. And her reinforcement of visualization techniques was a great reminder of the power of the mind.
June 3, 2014
Most people can't stand Jenny McCarthy, but I've always liked her and thought her books were quick, entertaining reads. (I just ignored her when she went nutso about vaccines). Stirring The Pot was terrible though. She's really grasping at straws to come up with something to write about. I can't believe she's still a best-selling author.
June 8, 2015
If you were looking for some deep book on love, life, love, family and career well this is NOT it, but if you want funny, quick wit and funny a** anecdotes on love, life, love, family and career then this is IT. Jenny is funny and offers some tough love perspective on life and not taking it so damn seriously.
July 19, 2015
Hilarious ,I love jenny's sense of humor ,this is my second book and i am hooked on reading all her books
Her recipe for success is inspiring,motivating and I love her lighthearted approach to life .fun read ,lots of great and helpful advice ,witty remarks all over the place and just entertaining book that I classify as lighthearted self-help and memoir ,great mix :)
Her recipe for success is inspiring,motivating and I love her lighthearted approach to life .fun read ,lots of great and helpful advice ,witty remarks all over the place and just entertaining book that I classify as lighthearted self-help and memoir ,great mix :)
April 21, 2016
This book was a very quick read. Jenny gives advice for getting what you want out of life in a humorous way with funny stories of her own mistakes. This is a light read that makes you nod your head in agreement. Sometimes sarcastic, always funny, but a great mind.
May 26, 2014
Fabulous summer read filled with amusing bits and light advice!
July 8, 2015
I enjoyed this one! She gives some great tips and a couple of great recipes! I forgot how much I like Jenny McCarthy. She really is a Chi-town girl at heart.
August 6, 2020
I’m pretty sure Jenny just took a double dose of adderall, sat down and wrote everything that popped into her mind.
December 18, 2018
Jenny McCarthy's tenth book is a collection of essays with life advice concerning how she has learned to get what she wants out of her life--by "stirring the pot" from childhood through middle age. The author narrates the audiobook too. The book is organized by subject themes and in no chronological order. As the book progresses, each essay is incrementally more self-reflective reaching its climax during the final chapters--which center on the importance of family and learning to like oneself. Readers seeking an autobiography, a memoir, or a self-help book might be frustrated by the book's structure as well as its content because it is a loosely cohesive collection of essays about her current lifestyle. Readers interested in the content of her life might be more satisfied with her other books. Readers seeking a collection of humorous short stories about a Midwestern Generation X celebrity mother reflecting on middle age might be satisfied.
December 30, 2017
A collection of 'recipes' (real and imagined) as she shares her experiences. At times insightful and at other times navel gazing as she shares career experiences, mom experiences, former wife experiences, education, female issues and more. Swearing. Occasionally inspiring and at other times TMI.
April 28, 2021
I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. Grabbed on a whim for something easy to listen to while cleaning, I got an amusing surprise! I love that Jenny narrated it herself. Her personality makes this book shine. While some parts I didn't care for, others made me laugh. I appreciate how candid Jenny was in this, even risking putting herself in an awkward light.
June 8, 2014
My wife was out on the town with friends and ended up at a bar across the street from a theater. As it so happen, Jenny McCarthy wa there with her guy Donny walberg. The ladies knew what Donnie does, but nobody seemed to know what Jenny did. Coming across this book gave me some insight into what she does.
I stopped reading after she tells her brief story about getting into Hollywood. I'll summarize here. She went to college to be a special ed teacher and dropped out because she couldn't handle public speaking. An example she gave is when she ran out of a class that she had to introduce herself. She ran to her counselor suffice and vomited on the floor.
After her failed attempt at college, she lived with her parents where she had an epiphany. She recalls an experience at age 7 that made her dream if going to Hollywood. She wanted to represent that child and confront her fears.
This is the most ridiculous made up piece if shite I've ever read.
To prevent myself from vomiting, I stopped reading the book. After 6 pages.
I stopped reading after she tells her brief story about getting into Hollywood. I'll summarize here. She went to college to be a special ed teacher and dropped out because she couldn't handle public speaking. An example she gave is when she ran out of a class that she had to introduce herself. She ran to her counselor suffice and vomited on the floor.
After her failed attempt at college, she lived with her parents where she had an epiphany. She recalls an experience at age 7 that made her dream if going to Hollywood. She wanted to represent that child and confront her fears.
This is the most ridiculous made up piece if shite I've ever read.
To prevent myself from vomiting, I stopped reading the book. After 6 pages.
August 6, 2014
This was the first book of Jenny McCarthy's that I've read and it was about what I expected. It was relatively entertaining and I got a few laughs out of it. I enjoyed her witty observations and the funny (and embarrassing!) stories she shares (the most memorable for me was the Red Scare) much more than her wisdom and life advice.
I did feel at times that the book was a bunch of different anecdotes that didn't necessarily fit together but were thrown in there either because the book wasn't long enough or because the author liked it and didn't want to cut it.
This is great for a quick, light read and I enjoyed listening to audio on my ride home from a long day at work!
I did feel at times that the book was a bunch of different anecdotes that didn't necessarily fit together but were thrown in there either because the book wasn't long enough or because the author liked it and didn't want to cut it.
This is great for a quick, light read and I enjoyed listening to audio on my ride home from a long day at work!
October 6, 2015
This was a rather random collection of thoughts from McCarthy and though some were entertaining, most were pretty hit or miss. I have never read any of her other books, so I didn't really know what to expect, but I've been on a celebrity book kick recently and saw this one checked in at the library and thought I'd give it a try. It provided a few hours of mindless entertainment, but I doubt I will read any more of her books. Perhaps I would have been better off reading her first book first to get more of her back story and become more involved in her life, but I think this was more of a product of this being her tenth book and her really not having that much more to say.
May 27, 2014
In her tenth book, “Stirring The Pot: My Recipe For Getting What You Want Out Of Life,” is filled with McCarthy’s views on topics that top today’s headlines. From how to handle social media to how to be a single mom to getting back into the dating world after a highly-publicized relationship crash, McCarthy’s easy-breezy style of writing gives the reader an inside look at this funny but highly intelligent lady and how she handles day-to-day life. I really enjoyed reading this book.
June 10, 2014
Ehhh...it was ok. I LOL'ed maybe a few times. This was the first book I have read by Jenny McCarthy (and realized I have a few more on my bookshelves) and it was ok. It was a super quick read...I'm happy this was a free book I received from the RR Show. If you want something mindless and quick-I'd say to pick it up! Enjoy!
May 28, 2014
I don't often read out of my favorite genre, but when I do, it's usually for a funny book. This is the fifth Jenny McCarthy book I've read, and although it's not as great as Love, Lust, and Faking It, it's still pretty hilarious and has some great life lessons in there.
August 21, 2014
There's a lot if 1 & 2 star reviews on this book & I greatly disagree. It's a well thought out, honest approach to the way that Jenny McCarthy sees life...and is really funny! I loved it & can't wait for her next book. :)
June 15, 2014
Fun book
This book was very good and made me laugh. There were parts that I did take serious. It was nice to see how real Jenny is in her life and that she is just like the rest of us. Glad I read this book
This book was very good and made me laugh. There were parts that I did take serious. It was nice to see how real Jenny is in her life and that she is just like the rest of us. Glad I read this book
June 25, 2014
I think Jenny is hilarious and I love her energy! I laughed a lot while listening to this audiobook- the best part is hearing her voice and laughter!
She does have good advice, even though it seemed all over the place.
Overall it was just a fun book to listen to!
She does have good advice, even though it seemed all over the place.
Overall it was just a fun book to listen to!
June 30, 2014
Although I finished this book very quickly, I wouldn't recommend it as a self-help book. It's crass and shallow, despite the few pages that actually have any wisdom typed on them. If you're fan of McCarthy, it's worth picking up.
Read
July 6, 2014Not my favorite of her books but I had some laugh out loud moments. It's what I call a 1 night stand; was good for one night only and forgettable by the next night. Love me some Jenny though, so chances are I will buy her next book too.
September 20, 2014
I didn't hate it but didn't love it. Jenny's other books were much funnier. And there wasn't much that I thought was memorable. I would have liked it better...I think...with more personal stories rather than vague and generic references.
October 10, 2014
Jenny has an easy, humorous style of sharing her life and advice on all sorts of things. She's not afraid to say anything and very open about everything from sex to parenting. I enjoyed this one much more than "Bad Habits: Confessions of a Recovering Catholic".
October 11, 2014
This wasn't the funniest book by her that I've read, or the most original, but I enjoyed it. If you're looking for something funny and inspiring, look elsewhere. If you're looking for a good beach read with a bit more substance, give it a whirl.
January 9, 2015
Jenny's latest book was great! Loved it! Parts of it were hilarious. It had some very good life lessons and motivating words that I think made the book great. Especially loved the Pep Talk chapter. Loved this book like I did Bad Habits, and much better than Love, Lust and Faking it.
January 29, 2015
..... What did I just read?
Jenny McCarthy's books are always all over the place, but this one was just absolutely terrible. I have no idea what the point of this book was supposed to be at all, and I started skimming huge chunks of it by the end. What a waste of time.
Jenny McCarthy's books are always all over the place, but this one was just absolutely terrible. I have no idea what the point of this book was supposed to be at all, and I started skimming huge chunks of it by the end. What a waste of time.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 92 reviews