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Little Victories: Perfect Rules for Imperfect Living
The Wall Street Journal 's popular columnist Jason Gay delivers a hilarious and heartfelt guide to modern living.
“ The book you hold in your hand is a rule book. There have been rule books before—stacks upon stacks of them—but this book is unlike any other rule book you have ever read. It will not make you rich in twenty-four hours, or even seventy-two hours. It will not cause you to lose eighty pounds in a week. This book has no abdominal exercises. I have been doing abdominal exercises for most of my adult life, and my abdomen looks like it’s always looked. It looks like flan. Syrupy flan. So we can just limit those expectations. This book does not offer a crash diet or a plan for maximizing your best self. I don’t know a thing about your best self. It may be embarrassing. Your best self might be sprinkling peanut M&M’s onto rest-stop pizza as we speak. I cannot promise that this book is a road map to success. And we should probably set aside the goal of total happiness. There’s no such thing.
I would, however, like for it to make you laugh. Maybe think. I believe it is possible to find, at any age, a new appreciation for what you have—and what you don’t have—as well as for the people closest to you. There’s a way to experience life that does not involve a phone, a tablet, a television screen. There’s also a way to experience life that does not involve eating seafood at the airport, because you should really never eat seafood at the airport.
Like the title says, I want us all to achieve little victories. I believe that happiness is derived less from a significant single accomplishment than it is from a series of successful daily maneuvers. Maybe it’s the way you feel when you walk out the door after drinking six cups of coffee, or surviving a family vacation, or playing the rowdy family Thanksgiving touch football game, or just learning to embrace that music at the gym. Accomplishments do not have to be large to be meaningful. I think little victories are the most important ones in life.”
— From the Introduction
“ The book you hold in your hand is a rule book. There have been rule books before—stacks upon stacks of them—but this book is unlike any other rule book you have ever read. It will not make you rich in twenty-four hours, or even seventy-two hours. It will not cause you to lose eighty pounds in a week. This book has no abdominal exercises. I have been doing abdominal exercises for most of my adult life, and my abdomen looks like it’s always looked. It looks like flan. Syrupy flan. So we can just limit those expectations. This book does not offer a crash diet or a plan for maximizing your best self. I don’t know a thing about your best self. It may be embarrassing. Your best self might be sprinkling peanut M&M’s onto rest-stop pizza as we speak. I cannot promise that this book is a road map to success. And we should probably set aside the goal of total happiness. There’s no such thing.
I would, however, like for it to make you laugh. Maybe think. I believe it is possible to find, at any age, a new appreciation for what you have—and what you don’t have—as well as for the people closest to you. There’s a way to experience life that does not involve a phone, a tablet, a television screen. There’s also a way to experience life that does not involve eating seafood at the airport, because you should really never eat seafood at the airport.
Like the title says, I want us all to achieve little victories. I believe that happiness is derived less from a significant single accomplishment than it is from a series of successful daily maneuvers. Maybe it’s the way you feel when you walk out the door after drinking six cups of coffee, or surviving a family vacation, or playing the rowdy family Thanksgiving touch football game, or just learning to embrace that music at the gym. Accomplishments do not have to be large to be meaningful. I think little victories are the most important ones in life.”
— From the Introduction
224 pages, Hardcover
First published May 5, 2015
134 people are currently reading
3878 people want to read
About the author
Jason Gay
3 books72 followersJason Gay is The Wall Street Journal’s sports columnist and a humor columnist for its Review section. Jason was named Sports Columnist of the Year by Society of Professional Journalists in 2010, 2016 and 2019. He is author of the new book of essays, "I Wouldn't Do That If I Were Me" (Nov. 1 2022), and the 2015 bestseller “Little Victories,” which was a finalist for the Thurber Prize for American Humor. Write to Jason at jason.gay@wsj.com, and follow him on Twitter @jasongay.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 374 reviews
May 23, 2017
Little Victories could be called a self-help book in the same way Caddyshack could be called a golf instruction video. Jason Gay’s light-hearted little book is nominally meant to give advice and rules of thumb for navigating the modern world, but we all know it’s just a format for making jokes. It’s not entirely airy, though. He adds ballast with topics like his bout with testicular cancer and his father’s failing health. And every once in a while we’re led to think. But for the most part it’s all about the humor.
Gay’s current job is as a WSJ sports columnist. He’s also written for Rolling Stone, GQ, and Vogue. With everything of his I ever read, I end up cracking a smile. His humor is droll, observational, and self-effacing. He’s slightly edgier than Dave Barry, not as big into anecdotes as David Sedaris, and less of a suburban housewife than Erma Bombeck, but he correlates with them all. His likability index is high, too, which always helps.
I realized only after I was most of the way done that the best way to sell this book to friends would be with examples. Since I was too lazy to backtrack, I hoped that whatever I underlined from then on would be enough. Here are a few I came up with. You be the judge.
Asking a survey question to discern how smart phone-dependent you might be:
Talking about how orderly an aunt’s place is where they regularly visit in the summer:
Describing advice from an older sibling on parenthood:
On curbing the time kids spend with digital devices:
The book contains wise words about the value of friends, the joys of a good marriage, the excesses of youth sports and the importance of little things that should be appreciated for how they cumulate, even if imperfectly, into a life. At his best, he mixes earnest good intent with some chuckles. The only thing that didn’t wear well was a tendency to exaggerate with numbers. For example, he said, “I am so afraid of poisoning you that I will leave that chicken on the grill until 2042.” Or, once in a job he made “21 billion cheese sandwiches.” There must have been more than 16 thousand such instances and they ultimately made me cringe.
If you’re looking for a little palate cleanser between courses, and you want it light but still flavorful, this is one to consider. My laugh tally wassomewhere north of 63 million substantial.
Gay’s current job is as a WSJ sports columnist. He’s also written for Rolling Stone, GQ, and Vogue. With everything of his I ever read, I end up cracking a smile. His humor is droll, observational, and self-effacing. He’s slightly edgier than Dave Barry, not as big into anecdotes as David Sedaris, and less of a suburban housewife than Erma Bombeck, but he correlates with them all. His likability index is high, too, which always helps.
I realized only after I was most of the way done that the best way to sell this book to friends would be with examples. Since I was too lazy to backtrack, I hoped that whatever I underlined from then on would be enough. Here are a few I came up with. You be the judge.
Asking a survey question to discern how smart phone-dependent you might be:
Are you reading this copy of Little Victories as “an actual hardcover book, with printed pages, by candlelight, in a hayloft, above sleeping livestock, as people used to do in the 1990s?”
Talking about how orderly an aunt’s place is where they regularly visit in the summer:
My house, by contrast, feels as if a tribe of orangutans has gotten loose and opened up a case of Heinekens.
Describing advice from an older sibling on parenthood:
My brother, whose daughter is on the verge of her teens, treats me like I'm still in the first season of Breaking Bad. Wait until Season 4, he says, when it takes your kid two hours to dress before school.
On curbing the time kids spend with digital devices:
[…] if you hand a child a phone in a public setting, people look at you like you’ve just given your kid a sack of enriched uranium. You are lazy, you are ceding parenthood to the machines, you are not actively building organic fun. The parenting magazines and blogs tell you to set limits, and this is useful advice, but I am not setting limits on, say, an airplane. If it means a peaceful cross-country flight without dirty stares from every other passenger, I will let a two-year-old watch Scarface.
The book contains wise words about the value of friends, the joys of a good marriage, the excesses of youth sports and the importance of little things that should be appreciated for how they cumulate, even if imperfectly, into a life. At his best, he mixes earnest good intent with some chuckles. The only thing that didn’t wear well was a tendency to exaggerate with numbers. For example, he said, “I am so afraid of poisoning you that I will leave that chicken on the grill until 2042.” Or, once in a job he made “21 billion cheese sandwiches.” There must have been more than 16 thousand such instances and they ultimately made me cringe.
If you’re looking for a little palate cleanser between courses, and you want it light but still flavorful, this is one to consider. My laugh tally was
March 21, 2016
I love this little book. I love Jason Gay’s humor and heart. I want to buy multiple copies as gifts and I want to make it required reading for my book club so that we can all sit around taking turns reading the hilarious, as well as, the poignant bits of advice Gay provides. I’m now carrying this book in my handbag and rather than endlessly scrolling through my phone when I’m bored, I pick up this little gem and pick out any piece of advice and either laugh out loud or wistfully sigh. Believe me, it makes standing in endless lines or waiting for a doctor’s appointment feel less infuriating. Life is a comedy of minor furies, notes Gay, there is no strategy that will make you like life’s annoyances, but you can achieve little victories.
And it is these little victories, what he describes as creating small, perfect moments that bring about temporary relief and happiness that is the point of the book. He wants us ‘to achieve little victories because happiness is derived less from a significant single accomplishment than it is from a series of successful daily maneuvers.’ All happiness is temporary, there’s no everlasting bliss, just a lot of collected joyful moments, a compilation of little victories.
This is a different kind of advice book presented as rules, some of the advice is practical, maybe even wise, some outlandish, but mostly funny. Very, very funny. Laugh out loud funny. I’ll cop to a few snortles (my rare and terribly attractive snort/chortle combination). It is Gay’s endearing warmth and guile, however, that stays with you. His gratitude for the life he lives, for the people in his life and for the life affirming moments he shares with us.
‘Sometimes it’s easier just to believe that life’s path is chance, a fluke of randomness and yet it’s not really random, not when you think about what you are and what you wanted to be and all the miles in between. And I thought about all the people who had imparted advice to me…you think you are on your own, but you really are not. Nobody figures it out alone.’
Jason Gay’s advice, his little victories, might help you get through a tough time or maybe shed light on a situation, something you already knew or believed or, like me, he’ll brighten up a little corner of your day every time you pick up his book. Whatever the case, this is worth reading and sharing and no one has ever made me want to join the Twitter universe more than this author.
Thank you Amy for gifting me your advance copy! And thank you to the publishers who provided it to her, not to worry, you’ll get your money’s worth with all the additional copies I purchase.
And it is these little victories, what he describes as creating small, perfect moments that bring about temporary relief and happiness that is the point of the book. He wants us ‘to achieve little victories because happiness is derived less from a significant single accomplishment than it is from a series of successful daily maneuvers.’ All happiness is temporary, there’s no everlasting bliss, just a lot of collected joyful moments, a compilation of little victories.
This is a different kind of advice book presented as rules, some of the advice is practical, maybe even wise, some outlandish, but mostly funny. Very, very funny. Laugh out loud funny. I’ll cop to a few snortles (my rare and terribly attractive snort/chortle combination). It is Gay’s endearing warmth and guile, however, that stays with you. His gratitude for the life he lives, for the people in his life and for the life affirming moments he shares with us.
‘Sometimes it’s easier just to believe that life’s path is chance, a fluke of randomness and yet it’s not really random, not when you think about what you are and what you wanted to be and all the miles in between. And I thought about all the people who had imparted advice to me…you think you are on your own, but you really are not. Nobody figures it out alone.’
Jason Gay’s advice, his little victories, might help you get through a tough time or maybe shed light on a situation, something you already knew or believed or, like me, he’ll brighten up a little corner of your day every time you pick up his book. Whatever the case, this is worth reading and sharing and no one has ever made me want to join the Twitter universe more than this author.
Thank you Amy for gifting me your advance copy! And thank you to the publishers who provided it to her, not to worry, you’ll get your money’s worth with all the additional copies I purchase.
September 18, 2015
"Know this: cool is overrated. Freeing yourself from the relentless pursuit of cool can be the single biggest thing you can do to create personal happiness in your life, besides installing a zip line in your backyard or deleting Twitter from your phone."
By this account, my husband and three teens are the happiest people on the entire planet. True story. Well, OK - none of them ever installed the Twitter app in the first place. But still.
This is a sampling of Jason Gay awaiting you in Little Victories: Perfect Rules for Imperfect Living. Highly anecdotal, highly amusing. Then again, I'm part of a family that checks each morning's Wall Street Journal for Gay's column and looks forward to his Rules for Thanksgiving Touch Football almost as much - maybe more during some years - Thanksgiving Day football itself.
Gay relates to and opines on issues as varied as coolness, health, marriage, sports, gyms, manners, work, and kids. In each chapter, expect a story. Or a quiz. Maybe it's serious. Maybe it's humorous. But it's totally Gay. And it's followed by advice in bullet-point form - again, some serious, some tongue-in-cheek.
If you have any sense of decency, you will smile. You will read a sentence or two to the person sitting nearest you. You will tweet newly-acquired advice. (Because face it, most of us are still hanging on to Twitter, trying to be cool.) You might even laugh out loud. And if you're not careful, you just might pick up something worthwhile along the way.
By this account, my husband and three teens are the happiest people on the entire planet. True story. Well, OK - none of them ever installed the Twitter app in the first place. But still.
This is a sampling of Jason Gay awaiting you in Little Victories: Perfect Rules for Imperfect Living. Highly anecdotal, highly amusing. Then again, I'm part of a family that checks each morning's Wall Street Journal for Gay's column and looks forward to his Rules for Thanksgiving Touch Football almost as much - maybe more during some years - Thanksgiving Day football itself.
Gay relates to and opines on issues as varied as coolness, health, marriage, sports, gyms, manners, work, and kids. In each chapter, expect a story. Or a quiz. Maybe it's serious. Maybe it's humorous. But it's totally Gay. And it's followed by advice in bullet-point form - again, some serious, some tongue-in-cheek.
If you have any sense of decency, you will smile. You will read a sentence or two to the person sitting nearest you. You will tweet newly-acquired advice. (Because face it, most of us are still hanging on to Twitter, trying to be cool.) You might even laugh out loud. And if you're not careful, you just might pick up something worthwhile along the way.
July 29, 2021
Hilarious! Really great book with drops of wisdom here and there.
March 7, 2021
This is a comical little advice book that talks about family, fatherhood, weddings, heartbreak, and fashion—all while reminding us to celebrate each and every moment. The author encourages us to achieve little victories because happiness comes more from daily wins than big life accomplishments. The book gives us rules on how to find those small victories that are laugh-out-loud funny.
In many ways, this is an extension of the author's column in the WSJ. The short chapters were engaging, very clever, and super easy to read. This little book has humor...and heart.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/jas...
In many ways, this is an extension of the author's column in the WSJ. The short chapters were engaging, very clever, and super easy to read. This little book has humor...and heart.
To listen to my interview with the author, go to my podcast at:
https://zibbyowens.com/transcript/jas...
May 12, 2016
Very enjoyable audio book, read by the author. I think my 3 star rating would have been higher if I was a) male, b) a parent and/or c) into sports. Overall, I highly enjoyed Gay's humor and heart. The parts about his dad were particularly endearing.
October 12, 2015
"Little Victories is an incredible blend of humor and heart. Jason covers everything from being a new parent and the everyday challenges, to what songs you should play at your wedding and which fashion trends should die and never come back. These are rules easy enough for us all to live by and reminders that what's really important in life are the little victories we can sometimes take for granted."
- Lauren W. Doubleday Marketing Department
- Lauren W. Doubleday Marketing Department
June 18, 2017
I did not like this book as much as I thought I would from reading the introduction. Several chapters into it, I decided I felt that way because I wasn't really relating to or connecting with the author. I didn't relate to his lifestyle. I didn't like his potty mouth (I know it doesn't bother a lot of people, but it does me), nor his style of writing which was very casual and rambling. It felt like it was a bunch of what I call "random neural firings" (RNF's -- coined by Dave Berry in a book I read by him many years ago). It wasn't what I had expected in the way of a "rule book." When I reached pp. 130-131, there was FINALLY the kind of format I expected with his list of "10 Key Rules for the Thanksgiving Touch Football Game." I think if he had written the whole book this way -- with the rules listed and THEN his RNF's -- I think it would have felt more focused and I would have enjoyed it more.
That being said, there were parts I really did like -- some that really made me laugh (like the Thanksgiving chapter), other parts that were good commentaries on life in our society today (i.e., technology, stress relievers (soup!), raising children, and manners (I love his Aunt Genie!), and still others that were quite touching (his own health crisis and his dad's illness and death).
"If you're feeling stressed out, eat some soup. It's impossible to be anxious eating soup. . . . You just can't do it. It's just you and a bowl and a spoon and some soup. See, you're feeling less stress already. SOUP! It is magical." (p. 59)
"Nobody likes a visiting turkeyologist. . . . the person who, upon arrival in the host's kitchen, begins to propose an alternative cooking strategy for the turkey, based on a careful reading of a magazine article he or she perused on the train. . . .It is okay to stash this person in the garage until dinner is served." (p. 129?)
On Technology: (pp. 148-153)
" . . . so much of the agitation on the Internet is redirected loneliness. Social media offers an opportunity for instant reaction, and that reaction, like any intoxicant, is both euphoric and dangerous."
"Technology is rushing to reduce the routine of everyday human contact . . . . the biggest hazard go technology is how it is pulling us away from the present."
"Technology makes a dubious promise of something better and fresher than where you currently are."
". . . The phone didn't make you happy. The moment did. The technology offered a beautiful opportunity, but the happiness was being the moment."
And a final favorite:
"I'm going to make so many mistakes, but I know it is okay. I'll take the small steps. Marginal improvements. Little victories." (p. 204)
That being said, there were parts I really did like -- some that really made me laugh (like the Thanksgiving chapter), other parts that were good commentaries on life in our society today (i.e., technology, stress relievers (soup!), raising children, and manners (I love his Aunt Genie!), and still others that were quite touching (his own health crisis and his dad's illness and death).
"If you're feeling stressed out, eat some soup. It's impossible to be anxious eating soup. . . . You just can't do it. It's just you and a bowl and a spoon and some soup. See, you're feeling less stress already. SOUP! It is magical." (p. 59)
"Nobody likes a visiting turkeyologist. . . . the person who, upon arrival in the host's kitchen, begins to propose an alternative cooking strategy for the turkey, based on a careful reading of a magazine article he or she perused on the train. . . .It is okay to stash this person in the garage until dinner is served." (p. 129?)
On Technology: (pp. 148-153)
" . . . so much of the agitation on the Internet is redirected loneliness. Social media offers an opportunity for instant reaction, and that reaction, like any intoxicant, is both euphoric and dangerous."
"Technology is rushing to reduce the routine of everyday human contact . . . . the biggest hazard go technology is how it is pulling us away from the present."
"Technology makes a dubious promise of something better and fresher than where you currently are."
". . . The phone didn't make you happy. The moment did. The technology offered a beautiful opportunity, but the happiness was being the moment."
And a final favorite:
"I'm going to make so many mistakes, but I know it is okay. I'll take the small steps. Marginal improvements. Little victories." (p. 204)
May 13, 2022
Book has a good heart and a few bits and pieces of advice I’ll remember. Especially the stuff on friends and family.
He’s a natural and funny writer but can’t seem to stop himself from making jokes. Not every paragraph needs a joke or sarcastic comment!!! It honestly got exhausting.
The book is not about trying to excel and push your limits. I’m ok with definitions of life satisfaction & fulfillment that don’t include extremes, but being given permission to be marginal or accept mediocrity is not exactly what I’m looking for in an advice book…
He’s a natural and funny writer but can’t seem to stop himself from making jokes. Not every paragraph needs a joke or sarcastic comment!!! It honestly got exhausting.
The book is not about trying to excel and push your limits. I’m ok with definitions of life satisfaction & fulfillment that don’t include extremes, but being given permission to be marginal or accept mediocrity is not exactly what I’m looking for in an advice book…
November 23, 2015
Saw this gem on the top of a heap of Holiday books at my local Costco, and grabbed it. It has since grabbed me. I cannot stop laughing. If you're looking for the standard self-help fare, or advice on whether you should stay or split from your job/spouse/vegan diet or what have you, keep combing the shelves. This isn't that kind of book.
If laughing-your-ass-off-with-every-page qualifies as self-help, however, then you'll no doubt be taking a 'little victory' lap around whatever doldrums are sucking the life out of your days. From the entire chapter of "Nobody's Cool, Especially Me" to how important a good wedding song playlist is and beyond, this book guarantees a welcome escape from self-pity. I've missed a subway stop and walked into a door by virtue of not being able to set the book aside and pay attention.
Highly recommend.
If laughing-your-ass-off-with-every-page qualifies as self-help, however, then you'll no doubt be taking a 'little victory' lap around whatever doldrums are sucking the life out of your days. From the entire chapter of "Nobody's Cool, Especially Me" to how important a good wedding song playlist is and beyond, this book guarantees a welcome escape from self-pity. I've missed a subway stop and walked into a door by virtue of not being able to set the book aside and pay attention.
Highly recommend.
December 8, 2017
I enjoyed this book - it's basically stories from the authors own life organized in to sets of rules for life in general. I didn't detect any life affirming wisdom I hadn't read about or thought about before. But the metaphors and descriptions were witty and effective, and the book was overall amusing and satisfying. Well done.
September 2, 2016
This is an advice book like I would write, only written better by someone who has had more worldly experiences. It is told with a sense of humor, mostly cheesy, with glimpses of being profound.
November 28, 2020
A colleague has placed a series of recent WSJ columns by Jason Gay in my mailbox this year that she thought I would enjoy, and I have been pleasantly surprised to discover a sportswriter previously unknown to me whose writing I really do appreciate. He is smart and funny and irreverent and insightful, and that combination of traits makes for interesting newspaper columns.
When I discovered he had written a book, I immediately borrowed "Little Victories" from the local library. And, in many ways, it's an extension of his writing style in his columns. The short chapters were interesting and engaging and winsome and clever, super easy to read. I was disappointed by some of the language that wouldn't cut it in a newspaper, as a writer of his caliber simply doesn't need to resort to off-color laziness.
But, ultimately, "Little Victories" is a thoughtful demonstration of an important voice of encouragement in a world of negativity and divisiveness. Though Gay was also trying to make some deeper points about important things grief and family, some of which resonated more significantly with me than others, I think he would be delighted to know that I took his advice and started listening to Stevie Wonder immediately after reading the book, just because he said that I should. And he wasn't wrong, that more of Stevie Wonder in my life is a good thing. "Little Victories" wasn't profound enough that I'm recommending it at every turn, and it's not a book that has left a deep impression in my life, but it was fun and quick and sweet. I like what Jason Gay is doing, and I look forward to reading more from him.
When I discovered he had written a book, I immediately borrowed "Little Victories" from the local library. And, in many ways, it's an extension of his writing style in his columns. The short chapters were interesting and engaging and winsome and clever, super easy to read. I was disappointed by some of the language that wouldn't cut it in a newspaper, as a writer of his caliber simply doesn't need to resort to off-color laziness.
But, ultimately, "Little Victories" is a thoughtful demonstration of an important voice of encouragement in a world of negativity and divisiveness. Though Gay was also trying to make some deeper points about important things grief and family, some of which resonated more significantly with me than others, I think he would be delighted to know that I took his advice and started listening to Stevie Wonder immediately after reading the book, just because he said that I should. And he wasn't wrong, that more of Stevie Wonder in my life is a good thing. "Little Victories" wasn't profound enough that I'm recommending it at every turn, and it's not a book that has left a deep impression in my life, but it was fun and quick and sweet. I like what Jason Gay is doing, and I look forward to reading more from him.
March 7, 2019
Little Victories is a book with incredible heart and wit. It’s funny, insightful, inspiring and it never takes itself seriously. Jason Gay is that friend you need, uplifting you with his funny observations about everyday routine life. His humour is infectious and makes the book feel like a cool breeze. I wish he was a little guardian angel, perched on my shoulder, yelling his anecdotes out loud. This is a great book that you can pick up anytime, and read any page, and you’ll still find golden nuggets of advice. Here are some of my favourite bits:
• Let me be the ten thousandth person to point out that the house you grew up in does not resemble the house you visit as an adult. Its scale is lost, its proportions change, and the artifacts of your childhood have been rearranged or have vanished altogether.
• If you are twenty-two and in a panic about where you are right now…relax. You’re twenty-two. Sit down. You could go to jail for five years and half the office would not notice.
• Don’t go to jail.
• I begin to rail haughtily against the very concept of a gym. I’m not interested in spending my early-morning free time running in silence on a treadmill next to strangers. I am not a hamster.
• I’m already too lazy to make myself dinner or go out to eat dinner, and now I am too lazy to dial a handful of numbers on my phone and have a real human conversation. At the moment New York is awash in smartphone apps that promise alternatives to hailing a taxi. Hailing a taxi! We are not taking about building a log cabin in the backyard. We’re talking about walking outside onto any avenue and raising your arm.
• Let me be the ten thousandth person to point out that the house you grew up in does not resemble the house you visit as an adult. Its scale is lost, its proportions change, and the artifacts of your childhood have been rearranged or have vanished altogether.
• If you are twenty-two and in a panic about where you are right now…relax. You’re twenty-two. Sit down. You could go to jail for five years and half the office would not notice.
• Don’t go to jail.
• I begin to rail haughtily against the very concept of a gym. I’m not interested in spending my early-morning free time running in silence on a treadmill next to strangers. I am not a hamster.
• I’m already too lazy to make myself dinner or go out to eat dinner, and now I am too lazy to dial a handful of numbers on my phone and have a real human conversation. At the moment New York is awash in smartphone apps that promise alternatives to hailing a taxi. Hailing a taxi! We are not taking about building a log cabin in the backyard. We’re talking about walking outside onto any avenue and raising your arm.
October 7, 2021
Fun story-- one of my dear friends basically threw this book at me in a used bookstore and forced me to buy it. She thought it was a self-help book that would cure my perfectionism. It is not that. It is a memoir. And it's a dang good memoir too-- poignant and so, so funny. Gay's turns of phrase are some of the greatest bits of writing I've seen in a while, and he has pretty solid advice in here too. It's a fun read that tugs at your heartstrings. It reminds you of how beautiful and chaotic and unpredictable life is.
July 25, 2024
This book was as lighthearted as I hoped and still manages to address major, complex aspects of life. I think the people who this must resonate with the most are those at a similar life phase to him (married with young kids) though it feels targeted at those of us wondering what it will be like. Quick and fun with a very entertaining writing style, but I think this is best for those at a similar phase of life.
January 3, 2019
HYSTERICAL ! And moving, and eye-opening. Picked this up because it seemed like a good "New Year" book to read. I finished it in one day...laughing out loud, reading passages out loud, laughing some more with tears in my eyes. Very funny, spot on, and well written. Great food for thought for enjoying - and cherishing - this amazing life.
May 22, 2017
a fun, engaging read about being present and looking for the little things that make our lives and the lives of both our loved ones and complete strangers a little bit happier and easier. i read this over several sittings in one day and even laughed aloud a few times. 😊
January 7, 2018
Like a Dave Berry, but since Jason went to Wisconsin, he is even better! Loved this book. It’s funny, but tells a great story.
March 24, 2020
quick, hilarious read!!
August 29, 2020
Funny, funny man. Jason Gay's take on life is smart, endearing and laugh-out-loud.
January 7, 2021
Loved it. Exactly what I needed. Funny story after funny story. He nails life. And there are lovely feels as well.
August 31, 2017
A delightful little book. I went in expecting to have a fun, easy read with a few laughs. I did. But I also actually learned a few things. Mostly that you should just stop trying to be cool -- it's a fruitless effort.
September 26, 2019
Cute little book for those who love or hate self help books. There are a few laugh out loud lines especially about parenting and holidays with family. More entertainment than pop psychology.
May 14, 2019
Funny and poignant. A corrective for excessive reading of Scandinavian crime novels.
April 7, 2016
I received a galley copy of this book from the publisher in exchange for an honest review...and...so it shall be.
This book full of practical advice & is at times humorous.
Most chapters begin with a short story & are followed with bullet points of advice & observations on the chapter's topic.
A couple of chapters deviate from the format.
Only A Game (But Not Really) begins as an open letter written to the author's children's future Little League team followed by related bullet points. The letter invites young baseball participants to join the Zen Cubs, "the planet's least selective, low expectation and most emotionally balanced youth sports team" as an alternative to the All Star caliber team that will suck the parents' time & souls away over the years. The Zen Cubs will focus on the best thing about sports...fun without consequences. It's a fantastic satirical letter that effectively points out the obnoxiousness of the amount of importance adults place on children's sports.
Your Phone Is Not You is in the format of a multiple choice quiz/test. This is one of my favorite formats that I'm seeing more often in books. The multiple choice answers made me giggle while at the same time caused me to question & reflect on my own tethering to my cell phone.
Other highlights of the book include:
Thanksgiving & the Touch Football Game: "If fewer than three people cry, it isn't a real family Thanksgiving, and you have to start over." Some of us apply this rule to Christmas as well.
Music for Weddings and Babies and the Rest of It: "Yes. You're playing Brick House."
Travel and Snack Packs:
"One day I will launch my own airline called Air Uptight & Organized, which will come with an advance screening of all fliers on their packing ability." "There will be a test. You will need to be able to enter and exit a plane in less than three minutes."
"Air Uptight & Organized will become the most popular airline in the world. We don't even have to fly anywhere, actually-we can just sit there on the Tarmac in smug satisfaction." YES!!! Please!!! I think we all know that I would be one of those sitting in smug satisfaction!!! We are not all created equal when it comes to travel!
Aunt Genie Says Mind Your Manners:
Excellent chapter with excellent advice. Manners need to make a comeback! The "erosion of these common courtesies" is of a concern to me, the author, and his Aunt Genie.
Aunt Genie agrees with me! It's rude not to respond to a RSVP. Rude! Don't want to attend? Ok. Rather than ignoring an invitation from a friend...it's really simple..."leave a message & express your appreciation for being invited. Do not leave the host hanging..." Someone was kind enough to think of you & invite you...return the courtesy by providing them with a response.
Epilogue: Come Over Right Now:
Touching story about the author's experience with grief when his father passed away. It describes the confusion that is associated with not feeling what you think you should be feeling & when you think you should be feeling the loss. It's beautiful & will cause you to end the book with tears rolling down your face.
There's a lot of solid advice packed into the book's 200 pages.
These stories of little victories are helpful & humorous and will remind you that it's important to embrace little victories in life...and...maybe even high five yourself on occasion.
This book full of practical advice & is at times humorous.
Most chapters begin with a short story & are followed with bullet points of advice & observations on the chapter's topic.
A couple of chapters deviate from the format.
Only A Game (But Not Really) begins as an open letter written to the author's children's future Little League team followed by related bullet points. The letter invites young baseball participants to join the Zen Cubs, "the planet's least selective, low expectation and most emotionally balanced youth sports team" as an alternative to the All Star caliber team that will suck the parents' time & souls away over the years. The Zen Cubs will focus on the best thing about sports...fun without consequences. It's a fantastic satirical letter that effectively points out the obnoxiousness of the amount of importance adults place on children's sports.
Your Phone Is Not You is in the format of a multiple choice quiz/test. This is one of my favorite formats that I'm seeing more often in books. The multiple choice answers made me giggle while at the same time caused me to question & reflect on my own tethering to my cell phone.
Other highlights of the book include:
Thanksgiving & the Touch Football Game: "If fewer than three people cry, it isn't a real family Thanksgiving, and you have to start over." Some of us apply this rule to Christmas as well.
Music for Weddings and Babies and the Rest of It: "Yes. You're playing Brick House."
Travel and Snack Packs:
"One day I will launch my own airline called Air Uptight & Organized, which will come with an advance screening of all fliers on their packing ability." "There will be a test. You will need to be able to enter and exit a plane in less than three minutes."
"Air Uptight & Organized will become the most popular airline in the world. We don't even have to fly anywhere, actually-we can just sit there on the Tarmac in smug satisfaction." YES!!! Please!!! I think we all know that I would be one of those sitting in smug satisfaction!!! We are not all created equal when it comes to travel!
Aunt Genie Says Mind Your Manners:
Excellent chapter with excellent advice. Manners need to make a comeback! The "erosion of these common courtesies" is of a concern to me, the author, and his Aunt Genie.
Aunt Genie agrees with me! It's rude not to respond to a RSVP. Rude! Don't want to attend? Ok. Rather than ignoring an invitation from a friend...it's really simple..."leave a message & express your appreciation for being invited. Do not leave the host hanging..." Someone was kind enough to think of you & invite you...return the courtesy by providing them with a response.
Epilogue: Come Over Right Now:
Touching story about the author's experience with grief when his father passed away. It describes the confusion that is associated with not feeling what you think you should be feeling & when you think you should be feeling the loss. It's beautiful & will cause you to end the book with tears rolling down your face.
There's a lot of solid advice packed into the book's 200 pages.
These stories of little victories are helpful & humorous and will remind you that it's important to embrace little victories in life...and...maybe even high five yourself on occasion.
August 14, 2018
I became a fan of Jason Gay's during the 2017-2018 academic year when a former student and I were talking about the importance of reading established, credible news sources, and he shared with me that he read the Wall Street Journal every day (and he's 15). I started talking about some of my favorite journalists to read, and he suggested I start reading Jason Gay's columns. Even though I don't follow play by play sports news stories, I do enjoy sports columnists. I became an instant fan and then in a search for a column, his book Little Victories appeared in the search. I checked it out from the library and read it in about 5 days. For a 40-something, I connected immediately with his experiences and found his writing to be articulate yet conversational, which is a gift. Quick vignettes that deal with relationships, aging parents, raising young children, and coming to terms with changes in our lives that we weren't always ready for but still achieving (and celebrating) the "little victories."
February 14, 2016
I enjoyed every minute of listening to Jason Gay describe what it feels like to stumble into regular adulthood. It felt like having a long conversation with a friend who makes you laugh, not by trying to be funny, but simply by describing ordinary life in all its messiness.
It made my week better. I laughed out loud on the treadmill, in the car, and while walking the dog in the snow. I enjoyed it more when I decided not to hold back the laughter for the benefit of indifferent strangers.
I wouldn't expect to relate so easily to a sports writer for the Wall Street Journal, but the awkwardness of adult life is universal and he doesn't shy away from sharing candid glimpses into his experiences of vulnerability, illness, embarrassment, loss, and powerlessness. That's what makes his stories and advice so relatable.
When a book grabs my attention, I enjoy trying to think of friends who might also like it. With this book, however, I can't think of anyone I wouldn't recommend it to with confidence.
I'm sure reading it in print is as fun as listening, but hearing him read it added a layer of humanity that was refreshing.
If you're feeling worn down by all the polarizing news and presidential campaigning, I can't think of a better break than hanging out with Little Victories. It will help you step back and focus on what's in your control -- the uncool details of your imperfect life and the people you care about who won't be around forever. It will make you smile in recognition, laugh in public, and buy copies for friends.
I predict that it's going to be earn an enormous audience and that we'll be hearing more from Jason Gay. In the meantime, I look forward to listening to it again, spreading the word, and staying in the humanity game in spite of its endless comical, daunting challenges.
It made my week better. I laughed out loud on the treadmill, in the car, and while walking the dog in the snow. I enjoyed it more when I decided not to hold back the laughter for the benefit of indifferent strangers.
I wouldn't expect to relate so easily to a sports writer for the Wall Street Journal, but the awkwardness of adult life is universal and he doesn't shy away from sharing candid glimpses into his experiences of vulnerability, illness, embarrassment, loss, and powerlessness. That's what makes his stories and advice so relatable.
When a book grabs my attention, I enjoy trying to think of friends who might also like it. With this book, however, I can't think of anyone I wouldn't recommend it to with confidence.
I'm sure reading it in print is as fun as listening, but hearing him read it added a layer of humanity that was refreshing.
If you're feeling worn down by all the polarizing news and presidential campaigning, I can't think of a better break than hanging out with Little Victories. It will help you step back and focus on what's in your control -- the uncool details of your imperfect life and the people you care about who won't be around forever. It will make you smile in recognition, laugh in public, and buy copies for friends.
I predict that it's going to be earn an enormous audience and that we'll be hearing more from Jason Gay. In the meantime, I look forward to listening to it again, spreading the word, and staying in the humanity game in spite of its endless comical, daunting challenges.
January 12, 2016
Jason Gay’s column is worth the subscription price of the Wall St. Journal, even if you don’t read any other part of the paper. He provides a ringside seat to great sporting events. He’s enthusiastic with a true sports fan’s ardor, but he never loses sight of the fact that sports are mostly just a bunch of people getting paid huge sums of money to run around and act like school children. He doesn’t take himself too seriously either, always marveling that he actually gets paid to write a sports column.
In his first book, Little Victories, Gay gives tips on living life to the fullest. This may not be the book Gay once dreamed of writing, full of gravitas and tweed vests, but this type of book seems to better suit his style. Often silly, sometimes poignant, Little Victories provides some rules to live by that make you appreciate life’s small moments.
Great to see that Jason Gay wowed them at Book Expo America. Earlyword reports this one is an ‘unexpected gem.’ http://www.earlyword.com/2015/06/18/p...
I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.
In his first book, Little Victories, Gay gives tips on living life to the fullest. This may not be the book Gay once dreamed of writing, full of gravitas and tweed vests, but this type of book seems to better suit his style. Often silly, sometimes poignant, Little Victories provides some rules to live by that make you appreciate life’s small moments.
Great to see that Jason Gay wowed them at Book Expo America. Earlyword reports this one is an ‘unexpected gem.’ http://www.earlyword.com/2015/06/18/p...
I received an Advanced Reader's Copy of this book.
November 12, 2015
"As you get older, friendship becomes a maintenance thing. You don't change the oil as much. You run the tires down. You turn to it when you need it.(You pray the friendship is a Volvo.) And then moment happen that remind you why it's so important."
I picked this book up on a whim at an author's luncheon recently, and I'm so glad that I did. This book is like a conversation with a favorite pal; it's out loud funny, helpful, and though you may not agree with everything (I'm in Texas; kids' football is serious blood sport, not this Sandlot stuff... is he kidding? Save the good times for baseball, bike riding, or even soccer...), you'll wish you had more time with it when it's over.
I'm recommending this book to all my friends because its just fun and heartwarming. I hope to read more from Jason Gay soon, as long as it's not youth sports related. Though I happily concede that I might be the weirdo on that subject. ;)
I picked this book up on a whim at an author's luncheon recently, and I'm so glad that I did. This book is like a conversation with a favorite pal; it's out loud funny, helpful, and though you may not agree with everything (I'm in Texas; kids' football is serious blood sport, not this Sandlot stuff... is he kidding? Save the good times for baseball, bike riding, or even soccer...), you'll wish you had more time with it when it's over.
I'm recommending this book to all my friends because its just fun and heartwarming. I hope to read more from Jason Gay soon, as long as it's not youth sports related. Though I happily concede that I might be the weirdo on that subject. ;)
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