Settle for More

by Megyn Kelly

Whether it’s asking tough questions during a presidential debate or pressing for answers to today’s most important issues, Megyn Kelly has demonstrated the intelligence, strength, common sense, and courage that have made her one of today’s best-known journalists, respected by women and men, young and old, Republicans and Democrats.

In Settle for More, the anchor of The Kelly File reflects on the enduring values and experiences that have shaped her—from growing up in a family that rejected the "trophies for everyone" mentality, to her father’s sudden, tragic death while she was in high school. She goes behind-the-scenes of her career, sharing the stories and struggles that landed her in the anchor chair of cable’s #1 news show. Speaking candidly about her decision to "settle for more"—a motto she credits as having dramatically transformed her life at home and at work—Megyn discusses how she abandoned a thriving legal career to follow her journalism dreams.

Admired for her hard work, humor, and authenticity, Megyn sheds light on the news business, her time at Fox News, the challenges of being a professional woman and working mother, and her most talked about television moments. She also speaks openly about Donald Trump’s feud with her, revealing never-before-heard details about the first Republican debate, its difficult aftermath, and how she persevered through it all.

Deeply personal and surprising, Settle for More offers unparalleled insight into this charismatic and intriguing journalist, and inspires us all to embrace the principles—determination, honesty, and fortitude in the face of fear—that have won her fans across the political divide.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Politics, Biography Memoir, Autobiography, Audiobook

352 pages, ebook

First published November 15, 2016

About the author

Megyn Kelly is an American journalist and former corporate defense attorney. She was a news anchor at Fox News from 2004 to 2017, and a talk show host and correspondent with NBC News from 2017 to 2018. Politically, Kelly identifies as an independent. She was included in the 2014 Time list of the 100 most influential people. Kelly is married to Douglas Brunt, an American novelist and entrepreneur. They have three children, Yates, Yardley, and Thatcher.

Reviews

[Robert Miller · Rating 2 out of 5]

Early in this memoir, Megyn Kelly writes, “I was chief telemarketer,” referring to her brief stint as a phone worker at a “1-800 number” entity while a college student. She was excellent at this job, she exclaims, and would later hone and parlay (if this was possible) the skills learned there into the art of “deposing powerful, high-rolling clients in cases where millions of dollars were at stake.” This self-appraisal pervades the book from her days as a “popular” high school student, an award-winning law student (I was “the highest-scoring candidate they'd ever had”,) apparent superstar lawyer (she would have made partner but for her decision to pursue “journalism”), being a perfect mother, with perfect children, perfect husband (although on the effeminate side, he once demonstrated a willingness to rough up an older gentlemen who had verbally attacked Megyn after a tennis match her hubby lost), to her ratings-winning performances as a Fox News reporter and anchor. To hear Ms. Kelly tell it, there is not much that she doesn't excel at, and in many ways, the book seems like a 20-hour-plus infomercial on Megyn Kelly's greatness.

There are some redeeming paragraphs in the book. Kelly recognizes the woes of alcoholism and drug abuse and how addiction affects family members. The discussion of her father's early death and the impact that his passing had on her is touching. She appears, at times, genuinely sentimental, caring, and has a humorous and visionary side. But mostly, Megyn Kelly is for Megyn Kelly. The book reads well, but this does not save it.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't believe a string of people expressed hate by giving this book one star ratings without reading. I just signed onto good reads after a friend recommended, and now I will take the stars much less seriously as anyone can express "hate" through their stars without having actually read the book. Really? This site is a beautiful and a wonderful use of technology to join people over a common cause...reading books which humans took time, energy, and giant chunks of their lives to write, and yet their work is "up for grabs" by potential haters. It's a shame-I feel like good reads should be able to weed out this kind of nonsense.

[Anthony · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent read about a very tough, but fair journalist and what lead to her becoming one of the most trusted US journalists of our time. The book is so well written that it almost reads like a thriller at times. Definitely a page turner. I very much enjoyed learning how Kelly managed to move from a modest upbringing to hosting one of the most watched news shows in the US. I am almost as impressed by this book as I am by the journalism I have come to expect from Kelly. Highly recommended read! The author appears to be very open about her experiences which enables the reader to get a really interesting insight into the life of one of the most prominent US journalists of our time. A journalist that played a key role in reporting on the latest US elections whith a degree of integrity that is almost unmatched. I have rarely ever witnessed such a strong person on TV or generally in public life. Writing such an open and unmasked book about so very personal life experiences shows even more what Kelly is made of and how little she fears criticism...

[Kate Elizabeth · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5? ish?

I was excited to read this because I haven't known what to think about Megyn Kelly. I admire her ambition, her confidence, and the fact that she never backed down when Donald Trump was attacking her (and sending his minions to do the same). On the other hand, she worked for Fox News—an objectively harmful entity—and I was unsure whether I could trust or respect her as a journalist, especially since she'll now be at NBC (if not the ideological opposite of Fox, certainly at least somewhere on the other side of the political spectrum). Her memoir, I thought, could help me figure that out.

So. I guess it did. The short review is that I won't be watching Megyn Kelly on NBC, I don't respect her as a journalist, and her memoir is fairly off-putting.

THE LONG REVIEW IS THIS.

Oh...the long review.

The book begins with the infamous presidential debate that sparked the feud between Kelly and Trump, but it segues pretty quickly into stories from her childhood, adolescence and young adulthood. Her family sounds fun (I especially like her mom and her Nana), but the overarching theme of the book is clear almost immediately, and that theme is: Megyn Kelly Is Awesome!

Among the things we learn:
- Megyn Kelly was super popular but got bullied really badly for one year in seventh grade. Megyn Kelly is not sure why she was bullied so much, but it stopped abruptly and she resumed her reign of popularity.
- Megyn Kelly is super smart.
- Megyn Kelly really likes to use the phrase "to this day."
- Megyn Kelly was the smartest law student her law professors had ever seen!

After graduation she works as a lawyer for ~9 years, then realizes that her life is unfulfilled and she should go into broadcast journalism. She starts a sort of de-facto internship, learning how to "do the news," and almost immediately lands a full-time gig at a network affiliate in DC. She's there for like five seconds (literally, a few months) before landing a reporting job with Fox News covering the Supreme Court.

Credit where credit is due: that's impressive. It's an incredibly fast rise to the ranks of high-profile news.

Buuuuut.

Kelly maintains throughout the book that she is a serious journalist, y'all! She says this with a mostly straight face even while using phrases like "mainstream media" (to dismiss any criticism she gets for being on Fox News, of course). She maintains this viewpoint even after saying she gets "paid to be devil's advocate" (not a thing that journalists do or say). She insists throughout the book that she's politically neutral — but I don't believe that a politically neutral and independent journalist would choose to go to Fox News, given their ideological viewpoint and their one-sided narrative. (Obligatory disclaimer: Fox News does have some good journalists, including Chris Wallace and Shep Smith. You'll know them largely because Trump supporters routinely demand their firings on social media.) Some of her reports, she said, were electrifying and standout and some of the most important moments in recent presidential elections (specifically, when she walked down the hall to the Fox control room to see if Karl Rove understood math). It just seems...weird and delusional?

(Example: "As a news anchor, I would never take a position favoring or opposing entitlements. I get paid to play devil's advocate. This is my job; it's pretty straightforward." Literally in the same quote she's saying two different things. I can't.)

And that's kind of my whole thing. I can admire Kelly's hustle, but I can't admire her so-called journalism. And I don't know that I can admire her as a person, given these outtakes:

"I told her I am not a feminist. Sheryl (Sandberg), one of the preeminent female role models in America, passed no judgment on my feelings about that term. An example for our younger generation, some of whom openly booed me on Stephen Colbert's Late Show for saying I do not consider myself a feminist. I almost scolded the young women then and there. Is there no room for ambivalence about that term? We need more room in the sisterhood tent, not less...My problem with the word 'feminist' is that it's exclusionary and alienating. I look at a lot of the self-titled feminists in this country and think, 'If that's the club we're talking about, I don't want in.' ... I also reject the feminist messaging that treats gender issues as a zero-sum game - that assumes that to empower women, we must castrate men ... as the mother of two boys and the wife of a loving supportive man, I object."

Yeah so that makes me want to bang my head on the keyboard? This view of feminism is so incorrect and so very wrong and so damaging, and Kelly could have tried to educate her damn self about it before putting this crap in her book for millions of people to read—especially since other statements she makes, notably in the final chapters about her experiences being sexually harassed by Roger Ailes, MAKE IT PRETTY DAMN CLEAR THAT SHE IS, ACTUALLY, A FEMINIST.

Her misunderstanding of this point spreads throughout her life. She cites a handful of instances where she was dismissed or mistreated because of her gender, then responds to each of them by saying, "But it didn't bother me. Weird!" She sort of acknowledges that she is where she is in large part because she is white and blond and attractive, but she also shrugs off that privilege, noting that hard work is the key and anyone who works really hard can do anything and you can combat workplace discrimination by just working hard and eventually your boss will notice, even if you are a woman, because hard work speaks for itself. That's a nice story, but real life is not that simple. Hard work is important, but we start from—and can end up in—very different places depending on our gender (and gender identity), race, ethnicity, sexual orientation and physical appearance. Should it be that way? No. Does it happen to every woman? Certainly not. But if it doesn't happen to you, does that mean it doesn't exist? OF COURSE NOT.

She also makes "safe spaces" and trigger warnings a punchline. That's fine—it's a trendy thing to make fun of and I understand the ridicule—but this is, again, not something a serious, independent journalist would do. And in some instances, the digs are just odd. For example:

"Thatcher came along twenty-seven months after Yardley. I call him my walking cupcake. Not like the cupcakes on our nation's campuses who need safe spaces. Like a walking ball of sweetness."

Okay...?

I'm not sorry that I read this—it was informative and helpful, in that I now know I don't need to turn to Kelly for news or opinions—but it does make me kind of sad. Kelly is a force, and with a little education, she could be a powerful voice for women. As is, I'm not sure she really understands most of us.

[Scott Rhee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I admit: I was somewhat shocked at how much I liked this book and, upon finishing it, how much I respected Megyn Kelly. Not that I had any particularly noxious preconceptions about Kelly. I actually knew very little about her other than that she is an anchorwoman on FOX News and that she recently found herself in the line of fire of Donald Trump’s irrational vitriol and knee-jerk sense of victimhood. Prior to reading this, I’d say that I had respect for her simply based on the few exchanges I saw between her and Trump during the candidate debates and in subsequent interviews. Kelly was not afraid to ask Trump tough questions, and she did not seem to lower herself to his immature level or be visibly affected by his lewd, inappropriate responses. She kept it classy at all times. Reading her book merely confirmed and bolstered my respect for her.

Kelly’s memoir, “Settle For More” is immensely readable, enjoyable, and inspiring, especially to young women navigating their way through a world still dominated by annoyingly sexist men. Far from being a male-bashing feminist manifesto, however, Kelly’s book lets women know that there are plenty of good men in the world---many of them in positions of power---but that domineering, sexist, and predatory men will always try to bring a strong woman down. Her inspiring message to women is to never play victim, never give up, and always strive to settle for more. It is, indeed, her mantra. Hence, the title.

It is, perhaps, no coincidence that Kelly is friends with Sheryl Sandberg, the COO of Facebook and author of “Lean In”, a contemporary feminist tract for women in the corporate world. Kelly’s book reads like a more user-friendly and accessible version of “Lean In”.

Kelly writes joyously of her middle-class upbringing with her fun, liberal parents. Her late father was a college professor who loved to play guitar (a hobby she picked up in honor of him) and had a particular fondness for John Denver. Her mother was a nurse with a biting wit. Her parents instilled in her a strong work ethic and the sense that no one is entitled to anything in life, one has to work hard for everything.

This Kelly family philosophy took root in her from an early age. It’s what got her good grades in high school and college, and it’s what enabled her to move up in a law firm as an attorney, a job that she loved. For a time.

Unfortunately, ridiculously long hours, a tremendous workload, and no chance to spend time with friends, family, or her husband at the time eventually took its toll. She decided on a divorce from both her husband and her job at roughly the same time in her life. When an opportunity arose to jump into journalism---a field that she had been interested in since high school but didn’t pursue---she took it for the change of pace.

Being a Kelly, she took to journalism like gangbusters, eventually moving up to being a TV anchorperson. Her intelligence, poise, and spunk (and, to be fair, extremely good looks) quickly netted her a job on the fairly-new FOX News network.

She writes positively of her FOX News family, especially Bill O’Reilly and Roger Ailes, whom she credits for giving her some extremely useful advice starting out.

Her relationship with Ailes, however, took an ugly turn when she started noticing that he was making sexually explicit comments and even attempting to make unwanted sexual advances on her, none of which were reciprocated, of course. Strangely enough, Ailes never threatened her job or made any repercussions after her rebuffs so she quietly swept them under the carpet and filed it under “he’s just a dirty old man from a different generation of men”.

When other female FOX News employees, however, started complaining, publicly, Kelly made the decision to go public with her own experiences.

The experience with Ailes was, sadly, not her only run-in with predatory sexual behavior from men in her life. For several years, Kelly had a stalker that made her, and her family’s, life a living hell. Going to bed with two armed guards patrolling the perimeter of her house every night became a norm.

Then there was Trump, who targeted her after she pursued him on a line of questioning he didn’t like during the first candidate debates. Ironically (or not), the question that kicked over his hornet’s nest was about his history of berating, degrading, and insulting women.

This was a topic, thankfully, Kelly never stopped pursuing.

Kelly never resorts to a “woe is me” attitude in her book. Not that she doesn’t write about the difficulty, fear, and depression that she understandably felt during her experiences with her stalker, Trump, or Ailes. She just never let all of that define her. She’s not a victim. She’s a fighter. Albeit one with a strong support group that she credits lovingly any chance she gets: her husband, Doug, her three children, her mother and siblings, and the many friends and fans that she has acquired over the years.

“Settle For More” is an excellent book about a strong woman standing up against social injustices toward women in, and out of, the workplace. Needless to say, it’s probably not a book many Trump supporters will be reading or endorsing. All the more reason to read it.

[Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm not a really a fan of Megyn Kelly to say the least but I was given a copy of her book and I was curious about it. I do admire how she can hold her own in a very sexist industry and she works really hard, which I appreciate. I have recently started reading more non-fiction books and I really enjoy memoirs so I was ready to be blown away from tales of Megyn's career.
However, Settle for More is mostly about her childhood and there's not a lot of behind the scenes stories from her career or dirt on those she's interviewed or worked with.
There is a good chunk of chapters on Donald Trump and even though I wasn't surprised by the stories Megyn has of him, I thought it was interesting.
Overall, I thought this book was interesting even though I wasn't totally into all of her childhood stories (if you're a fan of Megyn, you'll probably love that aspect of the book) and the first half was a bit boring. Settle for More hasn't changed my thoughts on Megyn Kelly but I do respect all her hard work and for being a boss lady in corporate politics. That's not easy and she's achieved lots of success. If you're a fan of Megyn, this is definitely worth a read. If you're a women looking to make a career in politics, I think this is worth reading as well.

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Well, that was a waste of time. I guess I would recommend this if you want Megyn Kelly to tell you, in as much detail as possible, how perfect she and her family are. I will come right out and say that the repeated commentary on her children and how they are the smartest was not only pointless, but nauseating. I don’t need to know that you bought a Gucci dress for a job interview. I don’t care who made your wedding gown, or that you met Taylor Swift at a party. And for the LOVE OF GOD, stop including your DIARY ENTRIES.

Ironically, she talks about her women’s therapy group in one section and how they were the first ones to make her realize that her “perfect personality” is off-putting. She was, of course, shocked because she can be perfect at being vulnerable, too. She explains that she’s always worked harder than everyone else, and so making friends has in some ways felt like another job interview. Frankly, she comes across as disingenuous.

Her memories of her father’s death at a young age, and her recounting of the 2016 Election events are the best parts of this book. Each one could have been a powerful article, but don’t really belong in a book. The result is this weird, forced memoir in which she talks about changing her career, getting divorced and re-married, and the juxtaposition of reporting the news vs. being in the news.

I didn’t have an opinion on Megyn Kelly before reading her story, but I do now. Thankfully I only spent $2.99.

See more of my reviews: Blog // Instagram

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelly writes about her growth as a person and professional. She shows the loving family and the childhood experiences that shaped her. Throughout she shows her determination, ability to see the big picture, an understanding of her standing wherever she is and the influence of her mother’s wisdom and humor.

Kelly had a normal middle class start in life but two experiences tore at the solid framework her parents provided. One was being bullied and excluded at school and the other was having cross words with her father hours before his sudden death. Throughout the book, she revisits these experiences so you can see how they shaped her.

She knows where Albany Law School stands in the big world, but she was accepted there and could afford it. She didn’t make law review “on grades” (90%) so she put in the extra work to get there. Unlike most interns she was not offered a position at the firm where she interned, and being embarrassed, she admits to lying that she turned down their offer. Just like overcoming the bullying and the miss “on grades” she forges ahead and gets a clearly better job. You have to love her spunk.

She shows the grind of working towards partner, the lack of time, the pressure and the toll on her marriage. There are memorable anecdotes about life in a top legal firm and how she came to pursue a career in journalism.

Her pre-2016 years at Fox are not as well examined as her earlier years. A lot is left unsaid. For instance, she tells how Arlen Specter took her to his office and that she had to text Major Garrett to figure out what to do. I doubt that she was that naïve nor that Specter was her only romancer; my guess is that there are others who are still alive and Kelly is discrete when it counts. (More is hinted at when she writes of something that occurred in a job she had as a teen… but maybe it was some other time.)

Her legal experience put her light years ahead of her journalism colleagues and her pay was a come down. She was assigned to the legal beat which at Fox means covering Anna Nicole Smith and the Duke University rape case. She does not sneer at this, then or now in this book. This gives her screen time and builds her audience (my perspective, not hers) which builds her career at Fox. Later she adds more cred (again, my perspective, not hers) denying that she is a feminist, drilling Bill Ayers and Ward Churchill in interviews, etc. (“Santa Claus is white” which she doesn’t mention), and she pays her dues (again, my perspective, not hers) by appearing weekly with Bill O’Reilly and at times with Sean Hannity even after she is a star with her own show. She is wise to do this, as we see in the future.

When she gets to her “Year of Trump” her writing comes back into stride. Her experience gives insight into Trump’s character and the dynamic at Fox. As presented here, Ailes, O’Reilly, Hume, and Hannity, are not enamored of Trump and are supportive of Kelly. They need Trump for ratings. As long as she kept her ratings (which never wavered) she was safe at Fox… but not safe from the “fans” Trump unleashed. Fox provided security as they did when she had a stalker in her earlier in her career. It must have been horrible.

While the section on the fall of Roger Ailes is short, you can glean a lot about Fox’s organizational culture. Careers can be destroyed by a hint of displeasure with Fox or Ailes. There is surveillance. Kelly describes her own experience, how menacing it was and what it took to say no, after which there were no problems. She, probably like other women, thought they were to only one so harassed. No one would breathe a word of criticism until the Gretchen Carleson lawsuit. There is a brief outline of how this unfolded.

While there is a lot here for those who follow the news, this can also be a “reality based” inspirational book for teens. It shows that when you fail at things or are unhappy, it's not the end of things and if you apply yourself, it can be the start of something better. There is a lot of humanity and self-awareness in the writing. I love the can-do attitude the writing exudes. I came away with a lot of respect for Megyn Kelly.

[Allison · Rating 5 out of 5]

Originally reviewed at The Book Wheel.

Megyn Kelly – how much do you know about her? If you’re like me, the answer is not much except for the fact that she hosts her own show on Fox News and that Donald Trump released his rage on her during the presidential election. The attacks she was subjected to leaves many of us extending our sympathies to her, but before you feel too bad for her, know that she doesn’t play the victim card. Instead, she is choosing to use the experience to lift her upward and onward, and the lessons within her memoir, Settle for More are ones that all of us need to hear.

Contrary to popular opinion, Kelly did not grow up with money. She came from humble beginnings in upstate New York and had a very happy childhood. There were no trophies for participating, which served her well later in life, but her parents were loving and taught her that the most important thing she can be in life is herself, even if that meant she wasn’t extraordinary. In fact, her own mother never expected her to be so successful, which she knows because her family has always subscribed to the “radical honesty program” and told her so. Nonetheless, her mother now brags about her in her own hilarious ways and its clear they have a great relationship, made even stronger by the early death of her father, whom Kelly was very close to.
Picking up on her mother’s self-deprecating humor, Settle for More is Kelly’s life story, from her childhood to her first job to her marriages and, of course, Donald Trump. She shares how she was bullied in middle school and how that impacted her path forward in life, as did her father’s death, even reading from her journal entries throughout her childhood and adulthood. Threaded within the story are the lessons she has learned, many of which are applicable to every single woman in the workplace, from handling men in power to persevering in the face of incredible obstacles. From stalkers to sexual harassment, Kelly has fought through the pain and found herself on the other side every single time and while the wounds Trump inflicted are still raw, she knows she will come out okay. Because at the end of the day, what matters most is that she knows who she is and has family and friends to support her – the rest doesn’t matter. 

What’s most telling in this book is that Kelly came up short many times in life but chose to find another way (not to mention sometimes suffers from imposter syndrome). When she didn’t make it into journalism school, she chose another major that still landed her in journalism. When she didn’t make the law review, she wrote herself in. When the internship she had didn’t offer her a job, she found a better one. Over and over, she stumbled but she got back up and kept moving forward. There’s a valuable lesson for all of us in this, especially because getting up again can be so difficult, but Kelly reminds us that there’s always another way.

It’s also clear that Kelly is kindhearted. She speaks fondly of her college boyfriend and the impact he had on her confidence in herself, and the same goes for her stepfather and, yes, even Donald Trump and Roger Ailes. Despite all of the hate and rhetoric, she chooses to see the good in others, as well as the positive influence even the most horrendous experiences can have on a person. She condemns our obsession with public shamings, acknowledging that there is a difference between professional and personal failings and we shouldn’t assume to know anything about someone’s person life.

But the most important thing in Kelly’s life, more so than her career, is her children. She is a devoted mother who wants her children to thrive in a world where they are free to be themselves. For her, life is divided into before and after by her step into motherhood and she discusses the difficulties of being a working mother. She does, however, believe that there are biological differences between men and women with regard to parenting, and while I don’t have strong feelings on this particular subject, I did take issue with the section in which she details why she is decidedly not a feminist. 

Kelly doesn’t think of herself as a feminist because she believes men play an important role in women’s lives. She believes you get opportunities through “performance not persistence” and while there’s a truth to this, sexism is a live and well. What’s interesting about her claim is that her actions prove otherwise. She pushed for better wages for herself, advocates for paid maternity leave, and fights against sexism in her own ways. She condemns our culture of victim blaming and sexism. She even discusses the pressures of women doing it all, arguing that women have more guilt leaving their children to go to work but ignores the fact that this could be socially constructed (but does recognize that sexism, itself, is). So while her actions scream feminist, her words suggest otherwise. 

Throughout the book, Kelly maintains that she is apolitical, and while she works for Fox, she has no problem arguing for paid maternity leave and calling out poor behavior on both sides of the aisle. She even discusses a conversation she had with Jon Stewart, where she called him to task for a piece he did on her that read much more into her comments than was perhaps warranted. She clearly enjoys and appreciates her time at Fox but recognizes that her status grants her more freedom and flexibility than others, which became apparent when she came forward about Ailes’ sexual harassment – something lower level women have done anonymously because they don’t have the status to keep their jobs. 

As for Trump, there’s a long section about him and rightfully so. She shares her early experiences with him (positive) and their final conversation before he stopped his relentless attacks, but also the toll it took on both her and her family. She describes how she knew when she hit rock bottom and, once again, decided to get up and move forward, anyway. She gives her husband a lot of credit for getting her through it, and it’s clear that she loves him dearly and found her perfect match (which is no easy feat considering their first kiss was seen by armed guards because she was being stalked by an ex-felon). 

Her “Year of Trump” is clearly the most harrowing for her and she doesn’t hold back on her opinions of him and his actions, asserting that he went after her because she had power. She also calls out the media, alleging that there were many anchors that either prepped Trump for tough questions on their shows or accepted what can only amount to bribes for him. She outlines how much free media coverage he received. She describes her final meeting with him like a hostage meeting her taker, where the perpetrator finally sees his victim as a human. That said, she is uncomfortable with the attention she is paid and role she played in the election and refuses to see herself as a victim. But through all of it, it was the “Gut her” tweet that got to her the most – it was so pointed and vitriolic. 

By the end of the book, what is abundantly clear is that Kelly is human. She has feelings, she has failed, and she has triumphed in the face of adversity. She laughs at people when they trip, she gets sick, and she worries about her looks. But more importantly, she is a survivor. She survived watching her dreams almost slipping away from her. She survived Roger Ailes. She survived Trump. Part of this is because of her upbringing, but also because she reminds herself that bad times are temporary and others have it worse off. And more importantly, she knows who she is and will always Settle for More.

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 1 out of 5]

“But spending your life pretending you are something other than what you are is unsustainable.”
― Megyn Kelly, Settle for More

This is only the second time that I have gone from rating a book written by someone in politics from a high rating to a low.

I originally rated this a four. And I did enjoy it at the time.

however, knowing who Megan kelly is now, there is no way I can in good conscience let my glowing review from many years ago stay.

It is mind boggling to me that someone who was abused by Donald Trump as much as she was, seems angrier at the people who defended her than she does him.


I get that she was kind of sort of canceled by mainstream media. From what I’ve heard she does a podcast now, but I sometimes see her name in political articles, and she seems to get some kind of sick pleasure out of bullying women on the Internet particularly Meghan Markle.

I have no idea why. In the book Megyn is very vulnerable. And in fact, there’s a scene where she goes to therapy and she starts to weep because she realizes women don’t like her and she has no friends. I was very admiring at the time because she was so open in her book but I mean, maybe there’s a reason for that?

She seems to reinvent herself every few years, but the problem that I have with that is it makes one wonder if she really has any opinions of her own or if she is just a mindless Fembot willing to say, and do anything for a little bit of cash.

It’s particularly bewildering because the woman is already a multi millionaire so it’s not like she needs the money or anything.

In our very divided, world, I guess she has to be this way or maybe this is always who she was. But when I see her laughing at people, for no reason that I can tell and mocking Rachel Maddow, it bothers me. I imagine it’s envy, which seems to drive bullying from anyone.


And of course, most bullies and I’ve no doubt Kelly is the same, would never say the stuff face-to-face. I have a feeling if She ever ran into Rachel Maddow. She’d be sweet as honey pie.

But she verbally attacks lots of women of color. And no matter what the issue is, . She always comes down on the side of Donald Trump always. That would not be so bad if she didn’t claim to be a moderate, but so far as I can see, there’s no difference between her politics and Sean Hannity’s or Tucker Carlson’s.

I don’t say this with malice by the way. Megyn Kelly is tremendously gifted person, intelligent, and charismatic. But the woman you will hear from in this book is not the same woman that you will hear from in today’s times. It’s a crying shame.

[Marianne K · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not owning a TV, I don't watch Megyn Kelly. I picked up this book at my library wanting to hear her side of things I'd read about online during this election cycle. Wow, all I can say is Megyn Kelly really likes Megyn Kelly! Such admiration! Such fawning! Such adoration! You'd be hard pressed to find a more devoted fan! I learned how Megyn was the Best at everything she did. She is the best at her job, has the best husband (who gave up his career to be a stay at home dad even), and three of the best fear-less outgoing I'm-going-to-set-the-world-on-fire kids!

This was a dull read and along with the repetitive nature of her self-aggrandizement, an unenjoyable read. I was left not liking Megyn Kelly much.

[Susan Becraft · Rating 3 out of 5]

I expected more, but settled for less.

A memoir written by a 45-year-old woman with potentially half her life ahead is almost destined to disappoint me. Megyn Kelly's book was no exception. Because I had previously read of her rise from childhood to lawyer to lofty position at the Fox News Channel, I admittedly purchased "Settle for More" for the inside scoop on Ms. Kelly's run-ins with Donald Trump and Roger Ailes.

Despite her stardom at FNC, I found Ms. Kelly's life and, by extension, her story to be unremarkable. In comparing her life to the first part of mine and some of my accomplished friends, I discovered more similarities than differences. A generally happy childhood, a good education and a compulsive work ethic defined me into my fifties. Not interested in journalism, I took my chance with a small group of young engineers and started a high tech company that was eventually purchased by IBM for $2.35B.

But I digress. After slogging through page after mind-numbing page, I finally reached the chapters about Trump and Ailes. Because much of this content had already been revealed by reviewers and Ms. Kelly herself on the talk show circuit, I was underwhelmed yet again.

Despite mediocre writing throughout the book, I did draw conclusions on Ms. Kelly's famous dust-ups. What surprised me most in her chapters about Donald Trump was that she seemed surprised by his behavior. In several biographies (including a book that won the Pulitzer Prize), he is described as a thin-skinned bully. He describes himself as a fierce counter puncher. When she asked her now-famous first provocative and excellent question, my immediate thought was, "Game on!" Trump lived up to his billing; he was vicious, as were many of his supporters. I cannot imagine being the recipient of such hate. Even she had to admit, though, that her program's ratings rose, although I hope she would have chosen steady viewership rather than vitriol and threats. During this period, I admired her strength; many a lesser would have caved. I sensed that she had little support from certain other FNC stars, which appalled me when it happened (Bill O'Reilly, are your ears ringing...wink, wink?).

My admiration for Megyn Kelly took a nosedive when she met with Trump and subsequently featured him on her program. Along with most of America, I looked forward to the interview with her aggressor. She exuded pride and cockiness in the book about what I thought was a terrible interview. What happened to hardball Kelly? Did she succumb to this nasty force of nature, yet boast in her book about a great coup? After the hell he had put her through, I could not wrap my arms around an odd love fest. For the record, I do not like Donald Trump, but I tried my best to be objective.

My respect for Ms. Kelly plummeted when she wrote about Roger Ailes. I continually wondered why her career was more important than working for a sexual predator. Her not-so-subtle dig at Gretchen Carlson showed a nasty side of Megyn Kelly, which surprised me. In my opinion, Ms. Carlson showed great courage by going public. Why Ms. Kelly showed no support for her was mystifying. She had to know that there was truth behind Gretchen Carlson's allegations, yet she remained silent. Troubling.

Once an avid fan of The Kelly File (the only program I watched on FNC), I no longer watch. This decision had NOTHING to do with politics. Rather it was her change in style. Her decision to be more of herself was most likely a healthy choice, but gone are her excellent interviews with guests from all political persuasions. In place of interesting and educational discussions, she has adapted a giggly, girlish persona. One of her finest hours occurred when she went live to Dallas during the riots and murders of the four police officers. This was truly breaking, horrific news. Megyn Kelly rose to the occasion with no time to prepare. She not only provided riveting and skillful reporting, but she showed a human side I had not seen before. This book might not have been her shining moment, but I will never forget the night I spent with Megyn Kelly in Dallas. I want that highly talented, skillful woman back.

Having read other reviews on Amazon, I echo the words of reviewers who have chastised those who have judged "Settle for More" solely on FNC's conservative, pro-Trump stance. Megyn Kelly is much more than Fox News. Please judge the book on its merits.

[Jean · Rating 3 out of 5]

I decided to read this book after listening to an interview with Kelly discussing her new book. The other trigger to read it was the shame and disgust I felt when I learned Amazon had to take down hundreds of fake negative reviews about this book. I just had to find out what was causing so much hatred. Amazon said that reviewers had not purchased nor read the book.

I had not heard of Kelly until she was attacked by Trump after she asked him a question he did not like during the campaign. Kelly has a dramatic opening of the book telling about the threats and harassment she received from Trump in the four days leading up to the first televised presidential debates. She tells about her asking the question to Trump about his calling women names and says that everyone then became aware of his attacks on her, but she survived. Kelly tells about her early life and becoming an attorney then going into journalism. I found her encounter with Mr. Ailes interesting in light of all the charges about him. The ending of the book does go into the details about Trump’s harassment of her. She told of the vindictive harassment by Trump and his followers. The hate mail, emails and twitter she received and the death threats. People trying to get into her home and following her and her family around. Fox had to hire body guards to protect herself and family. She never responded to any of the attacks by Trump or his followers. This went on for almost a year before she met with Trump face to face to negotiate an ending to the bullying.

Kelly does an excellent job narrating her own book. It is great to hear the words directly from the author.

[Charlene · Rating 5 out of 5]

Everyone who wants to understand Trump should read this book.

The reason this book gets a full 5 star rating from me despite the fact that Kelly remains largely unaware of her privilege is because her take on Trump (and to a lesser extent Roger Ailes) was worth at least 5 stars. I am so very glad I broke down and finally read this. I only wish I had done it sooner. when starting this book, I didn't imagine I would be taking as many notes as I do when I read a science book, but I have notes that are pages longer than many of those notes.

Minor Criticisms:

Kelly thinks that if she can faced adversity -- father died while in high school, went through a divorce (not because she was abused, but because they just grew apart) -- and push through it, so can anyone. In reality, she was brought up in a nice but modest neighborhood and house in NY and went to a school that fully prepared her for college. She started at or ahead of the starting line. Since she began on or ahead of this line, the adversity she faced, both early on and later after she was successful (being targeted by Trump) allowed her to persevere and become stronger. She likened her experiences to working out. When you work out, muscles tear and then become stronger when repaired. Meanwhile many young women are in neighborhoods that are run down, have no job availability for parents to make a modest income, schools are run down and often lack textbooks and teachers, making them ill prepared for success in college-- even if they do get lucky and finally get a scholarship to help pay for their education. These people are starved for food, culture, education, and stability. The lack of stability on every level does not help promote stable family situations. The constant presence of police in those neighborhoods, largely aimed at controlling rather than helping, those citizens, does not help either. They start behind the starting line. Using her workout analogy, since they start behind the line, it would be like someone with a neuromuscular disorder who can not do weight bearing or weight lifting exercise working out and ripping muscles that do not repair. They just keep getting ripped and the person keeps getting weaker, never building new, healthy muscle.

Jon Stewart said she championed only the things that effect her. Even though she could not self-reflect and recognize this, is absolutely true. She wants to fight for maternity leave because she personally had kids and knows what it's like to not want to leave them. She wants to champion women in sexual harassment cases because she personally faced sexual harassment at the hands of the very powerful Roger Ailes. She seems to gain empathy for things she has personally gone through but continues to lack a fundamental understanding of what it's like for people who have gone through far more adverse circumstances than she has. She really needs to read the book, Mistakes Were Made but Not by Me, so that she might better understand the limitations of her own biased thinking. She is a hardworking powerful woman. There is no question about how hard she has worked. But does she really think that if every woman worked as hard as her (even those growing up in the projects), they could be where she is now? I know women who have 3 jobs and take care of their kids without a nanny. They *have* worked as hard as she has. The really great opportunities are just that, great. But, they are rare and wonderful, and mostly unattainable for many, no matter how hard they work.

At times, to make her point about liberals, she cherrypicked various extremists to represent liberals. She attacked academia by cherrypicking college professors who are as extreme and unrepresentative of ordinary college professors as possible. This was anecdotal evidence that was generalized. She should know better than that.


Heaps of Praise:

Megyn Kelly *really* understands how Trump operates. Intricately detailing her jaw-dropping year, Kelly recounted actions that are now all too familiar to anyone watching the news these days. Long before he became president, Trump began trying to control the media. Kelly shared with her reader a long and disturbing list of shockingly unethical behaviors that went on between Trump and journalists and higher-ups in new outlets. If you want an inside view, this book will give it to you. Trump did everything he could to ensure people never asked him questions that made him look bad. Offering his public praise (say what you will, Trump really is a ratings machine! So, public praise from him means exposure to the masses), offering trips, gifts, and even apartments. If that failed, he publicly attacked anyone who didn't cover him favorably (can you say dictator?). As Kelly put it, many journalists were so afraid of Trump, they would go to Trump beforehand and say, "I have to ask you this tough question in order to seem fair. Kelly emphatically offered, "You don't act the part of an independent objective host and secretly rehearse your exchanges with the candidate, ever!" She called it, "Absolutely a breach of ethics" and said it's very easy to tell which hosts were doing this because Trump is famous for punching back but with these "pregame attacks" he never hit back.

Prior to running for president, Trump called Kelly for months, sent her cars and invitations, acted like a fan. She never used the word psychopath but anyone who has studied psychology knows that they first try to charm and make you think it's about you, but it is always about them. If charming does not work, they threaten. That is Trump's MO, every time. He could not get Kelly to go along with his dictator brand of Press and he soon turned to threats. Any journalist or news outlet that did not comply with his brand of journalism (Similar to Putin and Kim Jong-un "praise and flattery only" policy) Trump would take every action available to him to attack these journalists and news outlets. (I am waiting for him to get mad at Fox to such a degree than he tries to censor them as well. Might not ever happen, but it's interesting to think about).

Prior to the first republican debate, Trump, having gotten nowhere with Kelly, called her bosses, called everyone he could. This is just like him asking Comey to back off and then asking Coats and Rogers to ask Comey to back off. Deja-vu. Her bosses, including Ailes, refused Trump's requests, but someone did feed him questions from the debate (remember how mad he got when it was rumored Hill got some questions beforehand? Hypocrite). He asked that she not ask him that first question (he even knew the order in which the questions would be asked). After she *did her job* and asked a reasonable question, he attacked her relentlessly for a very long time. She received death threats, had people come to her home, and had no peace from Trump supporters out for blood. At no time in history has a president ever attacked a journalist like this for asking them a tough question. Trump brought brought Bill's sexual assault accusers to a debate, but Kelly asking a question was out of line? It's all just so unreal; it feels as if we are all being punked.

A good portion of this book is about her many interactions with trump and they are essential to read. Even if you followed it in the news, I can assure you, no account is as clear as this one. This book is a must read.

Kelly also did a great job of covering her experience of sexual assault with Ailes. When she came forward, she was at the top of her game. She only had something to lose and absolutely nothing to gain. That is what gave her such street cred at the time. Unlike the other women, most of whom lacked any real power and were on their way up the ladder, Kelly was powerful and her words meant the difference between those women being taken seriously or them being blamed. Ailes is definitely a fan of ,"Grab them by the pussy." No wonder he and Trump got along so well. They view the world in the same way.

No matter the things I didn't care for in this book, it was simply outstanding.

[Wayne · Rating 3 out of 5]

Settle for More - While very touching in parts and honesty a major theme, a major drawback is the need to constantly have her ego stroked, either by herself or have others sing her praises. And her admission that she "became good at reading powerful people and managing their egos" and her "knowing how to handle men in positions of authority was easily one of the most valuable" skills she learned. In other words, she was good at manipulating men to get what she wanted. And yet we are told throughout her book that her accomplishments were due to her "hard work" That is hogwash. Her meteoric rise in journalism was in large part due to the HUGE, (she admits it) help she was given along the way i.e Meredith, Bond Lee, Bill Lord and let's face it, being in the right place at the right time. While she does bear her innermost feelings, you can clearly gather that being attractive gave her real advantages, being smart enabled her to build on those advantages and being good at "managing men of authority" is a skill she admits was used often and honed to help her get where she is.

I think those who reviewed her book could have done a better job. While putting a positive spin on things, her credibility suffers from her overblown descriptions of her marriage and assigning adult like values and attributes to her children that are beyond their tender years. Her relationship with Trump helped her considerably. She endured his insults and parlayed them to her advantage. Kudos to her for that. The thing with Ailes is troubling. She stayed with Fox long enough to have him help her rise up the ladder and then turned on him - not admirable. Why did she stay if she is so strong as she tells readers. Was this blind ambition? And she shows pretentiousness by her telling readers of the many party invites and the famous people she knows while claiming she is not affected by the attention she has received.

In all, not a bad read. Egoistic, somewhat hypocritical, touching in parts about her father but repetitive here. Dynamic and introspective, the book enables readers to gain insight to the world of high power law firms and journalism. Not bad but not a Bill O'Reilly quality book - she has sights set on him.

[Sarah at Sarah's Bookshelves · Rating 4 out of 5]

A delightful surprise! Lots of girl power and good, solid values. Not a lot of politics (actually, not really any politics).

[Sarah · Rating 3 out of 5]

For someone who claims not to be a feminist, Kelly spends a lot of time talking about how to be a strong woman. Mostly it involves keeping your head down and working twice as hard as your male colleagues so they can't help but notice how good you are. If you've read Lean In you might not be surprised that Kelly and Sheryl Sandberg are friends. I have many of the same quibbles with her that I do with Sandberg - obviously hard work is the first step in making a name for yourself in any career, but as long as (often unconscious) institutional biases are in place women will always have to work harder than men in order to make the same progress and that is not true equality.

Throughout the book she reminded me of some often given marriage advice that the way to have a long-lasting successful marriage is to be a little deaf. This seems to be the way Kelly has often dealt with sexism in the male-dominated fields she's worked in. Depending on your surroundings this can be a successful strategy, but discounts those faced with misogynists who simply don't treat "no" as a "no".

Frustration with her not-feminism and blindness to injustice that doesn't directly affect her life aside, Kelly is a strong woman, tough as nails, firmly adhering to her convictions and journalistic integrity. We may disagree on many issues, but at the end of the day, I generally respect her for being a class act and challenging my point of view without demonizing either side of a debate.

The book contained charming stories of her childhood and stories of the sacrifices she made to work through college and her early career in law. She's an engaging narrator and this seemed like a good place for her to practice taking off the combative edge she often takes on the Kelly File, but seems to want to leave behind on her new softer focus show coming up on NBC.

At the end of the day, Kelly managed to genuinely challenge my worldview with her determination to stick to the middle-right, rather than just drive me to blind rage. I definitely disagree with her sometimes, but I still respect her and want to see what she'll do next.

2025 Edit: Well this review has aged weird. Clearly Kelly's NBC show didn't go great and I now see the blatant self-promotion that filled this book. It was still an entertaining read. The section on her childhood really was charming, but I have a really low tolerance for hustlers who hustle simply because their self-absorption won't let them do anything else.

[Joe · Rating 2 out of 5]

Disclaimer: I have a huge number of reservations - or possibly a number of huge reservations - about Megyn Kelly as a social commentator, after she produced opinions including, "By the way, for the kids at home, Santa just is white, but this person is arguing that maybe we should also have a black Santa. Santa is what he is, and just so you know, we're just debating this because someone wrote about it, kids.... Just because it makes you feel uncomfortable doesn't mean it has to change. You know, I mean, Jesus was a white man too, but, you know, it's like — We have — He was a historical figure, that's a verifiable fact, as is Santa. I just want the kids at home to know that." Leaving aside her doubtful personal opinions, I will try to judge this book on its merits - as a feminist manifesto, it is variable. She seems to insist on the importance of both facing great obstacles (unlike the "tender snowflakes" who use trigger warnings) and of compromising with your opponents, and potentially ignoring past attacks on yourself. This stance seems inconsistent to me; why seek that challenge, if you expect to be defeated by it? If you have to rationalize and reframe what you were originally pursuing, is it, as she claims, "settling for more", if in obtaining your final outcome you achieve something less than you had set out to achieve?
In summary, this book may have been more effective as a PR vehicle for Megyn Kelly, than as a defence of her choices. But, dear readers, feel free to contradict me in the comments.

[Ann · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reservations on this one. A worthy read, if only to hear what she had to say about Roger Ailes - head of Fox News - and Donald Trump (and we all know who he is). Story of her life is well-told, admirable, but how in the 'h' did very intelligent well-degreed female end up at Fox News? Guess go where you can get the best deal, most money, and ride it for what it's worth. Her looks surely haven't hurt. All of this said, I do admire her intellect, her ambition, and her achievements.

Book is well-written, well-edited, informative and entertaining. So, a good 'read'. I would think an accurate narrative on what women are dealing with and achieving at this point in time; however I had the nagging feeling that Ms. Kelly may have done a bit of 'selling out' and not stayed totally true to her convictions (this more of a comment on the person and not the book). Overall well-worth reading.

[Don Watkins · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read it cover to cover in a day and a half. It's a great book and I recommend it to anyone. I'm not a regular Fox News viewer. I watch the Kelly File whenever I can and I pre-ordered this book when I heard it was on the market. I'm glad I got it the day it was released and glad to have read it. I found it fascinating and deeply moving. I cried in parts of the book and laughed like hell in other parts. I think it's well worth your time and a must read.

[Alexw · Rating 2 out of 5]

So presumptuous to write your autobiography at the tender age of 46 and was this was proven to be right when only a scant 2 years after publishing, Megyn was let go from her job at NBC when her views on blackface were revealed on national TV.
I was looking for hard hitting reporting on individuals that she interviewed but was mostly about her coming of age, her 2 husbands and raising her 3 kids(yawn).
FYI-her husband, Doug Brunt is a published writer on Goodreads.

[Brianne · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5. I waited to review a day after finishing because I needed to figure out what I really thought. This book is full of contradictions, and I finished feeling conflicted. To start out with, I do not watch Fox News. I've never watched The Kelly File, and what I knew about Megyn Kelly came from clips or articles mostly about Trump's feud with her. I read this because I was interested in her story and wanted to know if she was legit (as I don't feel like Fox News is legit). I came away not really knowing any more about her. Sure, I know her family life and some of her background, but I feel like she kept a lot closed off. She withheld judgment on many topics, citing that she's an independent journalist, but then went off multiple times--in a condescending way--about what she deems the "cupcake nation." I'm not sure if she was going for tongue-in-cheek, but it wasn't funny. And while I don't have a personal opinion on the issue of "safe spaces" on college campuses, I found it odd that this is where she chose to take a stand. I also disliked that she seemed to pander to the right-leaning audience of Fox by choosing to say she was not a feminist. She clearly is. And that's OK. But she can't go on about how she and her husband (who is the best! obvs) support each other to have a thriving family unit, or lay out how to best help women succeed in the workplace without being a tiny bit a feminist. Again, I just found her denial an odd spot to insert her opinion. And the closing chapters dealing with the sexual harassment case against Ailes are part of what left me feeling conflicted about this book.

Additionally, it is obvious that Megyn Kelly's number one fan is Megyn Kelly. I get it. You have to have a healthy dose of self-esteem and self-pride to even get where she is and succeed to the level she has, but her tone was really off-putting. She seems like a nice-enough person, well-grounded, and a loving mother, but her humor was lost of me most of the time, and I didn't really enjoy the writing. She has some good axioms, and I feel like her upbringing grounded her well to most of reality. But I could have done without her parenting advice. It mostly just sounded patronizing.

I appreciated the way she portrayed herself as an independent journalist (she really wants to be one), and though I find it hard to believe she in an independent since she worked for Fox News, at times I did feel like she really was searching for truth or at least the straight facts so people could then decide for themselves. It will be interesting to see how her delivery or content changes while working for NBC. I, mostly, respect her for her encounters with Donald Trump because that all sounded like the worst and just made me dislike Trump even more. I was a little shocked she went to make amends and then just put it all behind her. I think perhaps some of her knowledge and experience could have added to the national conversation more. But maybe I also get her just wanting to move on? Idk.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am the furthest thing from a Fox fan so even I was surprised that I read this book. But I do enjoy biographies of people that are currently facing challenge and change in their lives and this book was available via the library, so why not? Megyn Kelly has led an interesting life and while she was not born into the most priveledged of households, she made her way (many would argue that her good looks and color of skin certainly helped). I do respect her for making a significant career change in her 30s (and again I do think while challenging, she had the means and privilege to do so). I respect her even more for standing up to Trump and being on the right side of history for how she handled sexual harassment charges of Roger Ailes. I also thought she seemed extremely fair and balanced (no pun intended) in how she described interactions with both of these men - I would be far less generous. As far as inspiration goes, there isn't anything too new or unique in this book... just a lot of reminders. I think parts of this book would really resonate with working moms as well.

[Wendy S. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Couldn't stop reading it!

Not sure I buy the middle school bullying. I mean - do you really go from class loser in the 7th grade to head cheerleader in the 8th? Dubious.

That being said, I do believe the loss of her father at a young age played a huge role in her persistent tenacity. I like her overall message which is the title of the book, 'Settle for More.' I also like that she truly leads by example (after example after example).

Megyn Kelly is certainly a strong woman & a risk-taker who has worked to earn her place in modern day journalism. Yet, the cost of covering herself in warpaint on a regular basis has most certainly taken far more of a toll than she seems willing and/or adequately able to convey.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Just finished Megyn Kelly's book now, Settle For More. While I'm not a huge fan, I admire her strength, focus and confidence. She's intelligent and built her career through hard work: her accomplishments are all her own. She reveals hurts, losses, self-doubt and pain, as well as expressing gratitude for the many joys in her life, first and foremost among those, her family. I love the genre (memoir), and think this would be a particularly inspiring book for a young woman starting out in her chosen career.

It's a quick read, written in a conversational style - you can hear her strong voice, proud and confident, defiant and feisty at times. There is some salty language which I thought unnecessary.

I recommend this book for young women entering the workforce, pursuing their dreams, making their way in an increasingly complex world. Navigating corporate politics, managing work-life balance, and maneuvering that fine line as a woman between self-assertion and the strength that puts male colleagues off - sorry, it may be 2016, but it's still tough to be a woman competing in the workforce - these are serious challenges. Kelly offers some valuable insights as to the formula she developed on her own, with some mentoring, to great success in two professions as well as law school. Three and a half stars.

Some quotes:

“By the way, to all women, whether you have a stalker or not, read The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker. It is life-changing. Please, just do it.)”

Excerpt From: Kelly, Megyn. “Settle for More.” HarperCollins, 2016-11-15. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/i8pbcb.l

“But I had found what business consultant Laura Garnett calls the “zone of genius,” meaning the place where one’s top talent combines with one’s passion—with what one really wants.”

Excerpt From: Kelly, Megyn. “Settle for More.” HarperCollins, 2016-11-15. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/i8pbcb.l


I preface this by saying that while I respect Ms. Kelly's intelligence and admire her confidence, I'm not a huge fan. I do love memoirs, though, and Megyn did an amazing job hawking her book, releasing enough poignant details from her childhood, including the loss of her Dad at a young age at Christmas (we share that; my Mom died a few days before and was buried on Christmas Eve). Her drive and focus was intense, her work ethic strong; we have that in common as well. But I lack her protective hard shell, and her at times "whistling-in-the-dark" self -confidence, which borders on bravado. So - I find myself riveted and also wishing I were a young woman just starting my career. Young folks it seems aren't much for reading, and this book is long (723 pages n my iPad) but if you know a young woman who's willing to put the time in, I recommend this as a good set of guidelines for finding your passion, knowing your strengths and acknowledging weaknesses, and figuring out that anything worth doing requires work. But nothing is out of reach.
I'm Ok, back to the book. The writing is conversational and clear. This book draws the reader in.


“Some described me as “fearless” throughout these events. But I wasn’t. I was fearful at times—for my safety and that of my family. For what the attacks might mean to my career, my relationship with my viewers, and some of my professional relationships. And yet I knew I had a job to do. And doing it felt empowering. In showing up at Trump Tower that day and later interviewing him for my special, I was taking control of my life, refusing to accept the status quo. Fear did come, but so did courage. If you can muster courage in the face of fear, you become more confident. You become tougher.”

Excerpt From: Kelly, Megyn. “Settle for More.” HarperCollins, 2016-11-15. iBooks.
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Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/i8pbcb.l

“Remember who you are.”
In other words: What defines you? Is it this latest stressor, or is it who you are as a person? Your relationships with your spouse, mother, father, daughter, son, sister, brother, friend? Your principles? Will those things be around even if this situation ends badly? Will you still be you? Who is that? Are you on the line? If not, then it can’t be that bad. “Remember who you are” is the rip cord that releases me from almost any dark situation, because it reminds me that what I really value is almost never at stake.”

Excerpt From: Kelly, Megyn. “Settle for More.” HarperCollins, 2016-11-15. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/i8pbcb.l


Reading Megyn Kelly's book now, Settle For More. While I'm not a huge fan, I admire her strength, focus and confidence. She's intelligent and built her career through hard work: her accomplishments are all her own. She reveals hurts, losses, self-doubt and pain, as well as expressing gratitude for the many joys in her life, first and foremost among those, her family. I love the genre (memoir), and think this would be a particularly inspiring book for a young woman starting out in her chosen career.

“By the way, to all women, whether you have a stalker or not, read The Gift of Fear by Gavin de Becker. It is life-changing. Please, just do it.)”

Excerpt From: Kelly, Megyn. “Settle for More.” HarperCollins, 2016-11-15. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/i8pbcb.l

“But I had found what business consultant Laura Garnett calls the “zone of genius,” meaning the place where one’s top talent combines with one’s passion—with what one really wants.”

Excerpt From: Kelly, Megyn. “Settle for More.” HarperCollins, 2016-11-15. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/i8pbcb.l


I preface this by saying that while I respect Ms. Kelly's intelligence and admire her confidence, I'm not a huge fan. I do love memoirs, though, and Megyn did an amazing job hawking her book, releasing enough poignant details from her childhood, including the loss of her Dad at a young age at Christmas (we share that; my Mom died a few days before and was buried on Christmas Eve). Her drive and focus was intense, her work ethic strong; we have that in common as well. But I lack her protective hard shell, and her at times "whistling-in-the-dark" self -confidence, which borders on bravado. So - I find myself riveted and also wishing I were a young woman just starting my career. Young folks it seems aren't much for reading, and this book is long (723 pages n my iPad) but if you know a young woman who's willing to put the time in, I recommend this as a good set of guidelines for finding your passion, knowing your strengths and acknowledging weaknesses, and figuring out that anything worth doing requires work. But nothing is out of reach.
I'm Ok, back to the book. The writing is conversational and clear. This book draws the reader in.


“Some described me as “fearless” throughout these events. But I wasn’t. I was fearful at times—for my safety and that of my family. For what the attacks might mean to my career, my relationship with my viewers, and some of my professional relationships. And yet I knew I had a job to do. And doing it felt empowering. In showing up at Trump Tower that day and later interviewing him for my special, I was taking control of my life, refusing to accept the status quo. Fear did come, but so did courage. If you can muster courage in the face of fear, you become more confident. You become tougher.”

Excerpt From: Kelly, Megyn. “Settle for More.” HarperCollins, 2016-11-15. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/i8pbcb.l

“Remember who you are.”
In other words: What defines you? Is it this latest stressor, or is it who you are as a person? Your relationships with your spouse, mother, father, daughter, son, sister, brother, friend? Your principles? Will those things be around even if this situation ends badly? Will you still be you? Who is that? Are you on the line? If not, then it can’t be that bad. “Remember who you are” is the rip cord that releases me from almost any dark situation, because it reminds me that what I really value is almost never at stake.”

Excerpt From: Kelly, Megyn. “Settle for More.” HarperCollins, 2016-11-15. iBooks.
This material may be protected by copyright.

Check out this book on the iBooks Store: https://itun.es/us/i8pbcb.l

[Paula · Rating 3 out of 5]

I go between 2 and 3 stars.

I was taken back that this book was written by a journalist, whose job is to convey stories with words. Perhaps because it was written word and not animated is why the lack of demonstration?

I think she leans more liberal than most of her colleagues at FOX (maternity leave, people's right to voice their own opinion even if you don't agree with them; "freedom of speech", proving someone incorrect or even more so pointing out their ignorance, etc) to that in which I agree with her. I did find it ironic that she pointed out, I believe it was Hanney commenting that people are out there writing false things about him, Kelly, and others and how you cannot let it bother you. My thought process is, if they know people are writing false things about them-there are surely those (including in the FOX house) that write false things about the liberals. Kelly even provides info of Trump doing it to her.

I also agree with many others who have rated this book...Kelly appears to do nothing wrong, having no mistakes. Everything is perfect. Though I am happy that her life has turned out good, I doubt there are no flaws to her or her life-marriage, work, kids, etc. I think there is a disconnect in that aspect to the general population and she'll lose that empathy.

Overall, eh...your life is not going to be fulfilled if you read the book. Just as your life is not going to be devastated if you do NOT read the book.

[Shandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

3 for the story as a whole, but a solid 4 for my personal enjoyment.
I enjoyed this immensely, even though I did find some of it repetitive and uninteresting. I do feel like I have a better understanding of Megyn Kelly as a person. I love her, and have missed watching her on the news. While I got snippets into what was going on during her interactions with President Trump, this really opened my eyes to some of the "behind the scenes" issues. Just...wow. All in all, I think very highly of Megyn Kelly and enjoyed her take on life, strength, and being a professional woman.

[Bill Pence · Rating 5 out of 5]

The star of Fox News’ The Kelly File tells her story – from growing up in upstate New York with loving parents to becoming a successful lawyer on the way to partnership, to a career change that led her to becoming one of the most recognized news personalities hosting her own show on Fox News and her relationship with President Elect Donald Trump. Along the way she comes across as confident, yet transparent about her insecurities. She reads well the audiobook version of the book.
Kelly was born in Champaign, Illinois in 1970 and her family moved to the Syracuse, New York area shortly after. Her parents were devout Roman Catholics. She writes lovingly of her university professor father, who loved religion and philosophy, and her humorous (both intentionally and unintelligently) mother.
She was told to be who you are. There was no false praise growing up. Her father loved the song “Today”, made popular by John Denver.
She writes of being overweight and an “ugly duckling” growing up, and being bullied in the 7th grade, which would foreshadow attacks she would get from Trump years later.
She tells of an argument about an expensive high school class ring she had with her father just before Christmas. She went up to bed angry at her father, who would have a heart attack and die a few hours later. She still has regrets about her final words with her father, and led her to realize how little time we really have here.

Kelly would attend Syracuse University, where her Dad had taught, and later Albany Law School. Her first job as a lawyer was at Bickel & Brewer, later moving to Jones Day. She would meet Dan, a doctor, and they would be married. However, both devoted a lot of hours to their careers, to the expense of their marriage. Kelly wasn’t happy nor fulfilled. She didn’t have meaning in her life.

She would often watch reruns of Oprah at midnight. Dr. Phil McGraw was a guest on one of those shows. Something he said spoke personally to her. He said “The only difference between you and someone you envy is you settled for less”. She took the advice to pursue being a journalist/broadcaster, eventually being hired by founder, Chairman and CEO of Fox News Roger Ailes for Fox News in 2004. Brit Hume was her supervisor and has been the greatest influence in her career in news. She would eventually be promoted to America’s Newsroom with Bill Hemmer, America Live, and in 2013, The Kelly File.

She writes of a significant stalking situation, and indicates that it will not be the last time she was physically threatened.

She met her second husband Doug Blunt, now a best-selling author, on a blind date. They have three children, ages 2, 5 and 6. She writes that becoming a mother is the most profound thing that’s ever happened to her. Being a mother has helped enhance her relationship with God.

Kelly spends a good deal of time on the 2016 Presidential campaign, which started with the first GOP debate in Cleveland in August of 2015. A few days before the debate she addressed a report that Trump had raped previous wife Ivana. Trump wasn’t happy and told her that he would unleash his “beautiful Twitter account” against her, which he would in fact do, and often, inciting his followers. This would begin one of the most difficult years for Kelly, what she refers to as the “Year of Trump”, which included death threats.
She writes of being sexually harassed by Fox News’ Roger Ailes, “the most powerful man in news”, beginning in 2005. She brought the issue to a supervisor at the time, who encouraged her to avoid Ailes. After that, the two would work together without incident for nine years. However, she would eventually bring this information forward in the 2016 Fox News investigation of Ailes. She writes that she “paid it forward” to the women coming up behind her.
What are we to think of Megyn Kelly? I enjoy her television show and like her even more after reading this book. She comes across as confident, yet vulnerable, openly sharing her insecurities as she writes about dealing with adversity. However, even though she states that she goes to church most Sundays, she did live with both husbands prior to marrying them and started dating before she was divorced from her first husband. She admits that she and her first husband focused more on their careers than their relationship, leading to their divorce. Perhaps she has learned from that. On the other hand, she comes across as a very caring mother, and we can learn from her about following our true calling. Kelly includes some adult language in the book, which she refers to as “dropping a good swear”. Despite some minor concerns, I really enjoyed this book and would recommend it to Kelly’s fans and those interested in politics.

[Bill · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.0 Stars

BORING!

Prior to the 2016 presidential debates, Megyn Kelly was a complete unknown to me. I never watch Fox News and am far removed from the legal profession so my first and only intersection with her was the fateful presidential debate she moderated in August 2016 when she challenged then presidential candidate Donald Trump on this treatment of women. The media explosion sold me on the book. I had very high expectations. I now have buyer’s remorse! I was very unimpressed and never got fully engaged in her story. It was … boring!

Be clear, Kelly is an accomplished lawyer, broadcaster and journalist. She worked very hard to achieve her place in life. After a stellar and lucrative legal career in which she was a top notch lawyer, the long, grueling hours of the legal profession and the loss of cherished family time led her to make a career move and pursue her longtime desire to be a journalist.

Kelly grew up in a comfortable suburban setting in upstate New York. Her dad was a university professor, encouraging her to read and think for herself. After graduating with a political science degree from Syracuse University, she received her law degree from the Albany Law School. She faced the same issues most of us face during our lifetimes … burdensome college debt, work-life balance, a pack of high school bullies, the loss of parents at the very young age. She shared these experiences with the banality of a lawyer reviewing a case file and perhaps it was the tough veneer of trial lawyer that kept me at arm’s length.

The segments covering the interactions with Trump during the debates, the online attacks against her by Trump and his legion of supporters after the debates as well as the sexual harassment charges against Roger Ailes a Fox were interesting and insightful but comprised such a very small portion of the story.

Her rejection of the label of feminism is interesting given her label of America as a “Cupcake Nation” of liberalism. Her solution to sexism and racism in the work place … “Just do better. Be better.” … is equally interesting given the physical sexual harassment at Fox News.

I had a very tough time finishing this book. Perhaps this is a simple case of expectations exceeding reality. My understanding is this book was in the works long before the presidential debates took place. Without the furor over the Trump confrontation, I wonder if it would have made it to market. Not much here for me.

[W. Whalin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read The Fascinating Inside Story From This Well-Known Journalist

While I have watched Megyn Kelly on Fox News, I knew little about her life story. SETTLE FOR MORE is a transparent series of interesting stories about her journey. The title came from when she was watching a Dr. Phil show on television and he encouraged people not to settle for less but to settle for more and make different life choices. At the time, Kelly was a successful litigator (attorney) and decided to make a career change to broadcast journalism.

While much of the press about this book has been sensationalized, I enjoyed learning about Kelly’s family background and the friends that have influenced her choices and life. Also as a long-term journalist, I appreciated Kelly’s commitment throughout the book to be fair and professional and impartial. While in the storytelling, Kelly details how some well-known people have tried to lure and tempt Kelly, I admired her determination to remain impartial and untainted by such lures. As you listen to this book, you will gain a new appreciation for the challenges in broadcast journalism.

Kelly definitely has her detractors. I noticed the second day of the book release had over 220 Amazon reviews (and many of them one star—but obviously from people who had never read or listened to the book—so worthless reviews in my view). Through my listening to the book, I gained a new appreciation for Kelly’s experiences and insights in SETTLE FOR MORE. I heard the audio version of this book from cover to cover. It is well-done and Kelly reads the entire book—right down to the credits where she thanks her colleagues and even cautions against any copyright violations. These little touches show her commitment to getting the details right and the craft and care which went into SETTLE FOR MORE.

I highly recommend this audio book.