Girl Logic: The Genius and the Absurdity

by Iliza Shlesinger

From breakout stand-up comedian Iliza Shlesinger comes a subversively funny collection of essays and observations on the secret genius of irrational behavior.

Have you ever been pissed because you're not pretty enough, and then gotten even more pissed that someone didn't find you as pretty as you think you are? Have you ever obsessed over the size of your thighs while eating dessert, all the while saying you'll work out extra tomorrow? Or spent endless hours wondering why you have to bear the brunt of other people's insecurities? I mean, after all, I'm pretty great. Why cope with insecurities I don't already have?

That last one's just me? All right, then.

But if the rest sounds familiar, you are experiencing Girl a characteristically female way of thinking that appears contradictory and circuitous but is actually a complicated and highly evolved way of looking at the world. You end up considering every repercussion of every choice (about dating, career, clothes, lunch) before making a move toward what you really want. And why do we attempt these mental hurdles? Well, that's what this book is all about.

The fact is, whether you're obsessing over his last text or the most important meeting of your career, your Girl Logic serves a It helps push you, question what you want, and clarify what will make you a happier, better person. Girl Logic can be every confident woman's secret weapon, and this book shows you how to wield it.

Genres: Nonfiction, Audiobook, Humor, Memoir, Comedy, Biography, Self Help

264 pages, Hardcover

First published November 7, 2017

Reviews

[britt_brooke · Rating 1 out of 5]

There are so many things I didn’t like about this starting with the title and cover. I’d pick it apart, but I don’t want to waste my time. If this had been a straight up memoir, it would’ve been so much better.

[Jessi ❤️ H. Vojsk [if villain, why hot?] · Rating 3 out of 5]

“The truth is that women are supposed to be everything to everyone. And guess what?
That’s impossible.
We’re expected to be continually kind to our fellow women, caring toward children, respectful of the elderly, supportive of our coworkers-while simultaneously making every dude around us super horny. Oh and we should always stand up for ourselves, while also being likable.”

This book is about empowering women, being confident and believing in yourself.
It’s written in a funny and entertaining way (even if sometimes a little messy) and you can sympathize with the author really fast, because she writes like she’s your friend/roommate/colleague.
I really enjoyed this book!

[Igrowastreesgrow · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful book with a lot of life lessons, wisdom, and hilarity. Would recommend 1000%.

[Bess Ophelia Haase · Rating 2 out of 5]

100% honesty - I downloaded this on Audible, which is usually where I buy books that I want to read, but don't want to physically own, books that I'm embarrassed I want to read, or books that I know I might hate but don't want to pay full price to find out.

But I wish I had a hard, physical copy of this forever because DAMN is it inspiring. Everything she put into "Confirmed Kills" that threw even her most adoring fans a little off, was poured into this book to push women forward. It's incredibly worth it. Please go buy it.

[Alison · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not the super funny memoir of how she got started like most comedians do. This is more like her take on why women think through all the options before getting dressed and how that can help us (and sometimes hurt us). There are some funny stories from her real life and some background on how she got to where she is now. She comes across as very smart and savvy and like she is trying to help us understand the truth of how the world works and how to make it work the best for ourselves. Its really focused on women-centric topics, like dating and fashion, but also takes on standing up for yourself and talking shit (or not) about other people. It’s a fast read and I enjoyed it enough that I texted funny quotes to my friends. It did make me feel like we were BFFs, so she should probably watch out for crazed stalker fans now.

[Rebecca Wettlaufer · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed Iliza's stand up, so I thought I'd enjoy her book. I was wrong. This book is not at all funny.

Actually, it is frustratingly contradictory.

Just a few examples: she touts being tough and standing up for yourself, yet calls others who do so "bullies" (pg 230) and "assholes" (pg 231); she's all about "corrective procedures" that make women "feel more confident" referencing her nose job, but then craps on women who get plastic surgery "for themselves" (all on pg 51); sometimes she emphasizes being kind, but then again "sometimes others are so dense, you're pretty sure clubbing them over the head might be the only thing they'll understand" (pg 238)

I could go on, but I won't waste your time like this book wasted mine.

"A majority of people don't question anything ever" (pg 223): Well, I question why I felt compelled to actually finish this book.

[Purple Country Girl (Sandy) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I received a copy of Girl Logic from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

I’m no stranger to Iliza Shlesinger and have enjoyed her brand of humor in the past. When I saw Girl Logic, complete with an introduction by Mayim Bialik, on Netgalley I was excited to read it. Girl Logic is amusing and entertaining. Shlesinger writes about understanding and embracing everything there is about being a woman, even the contradictions. Sometimes, her thoughts seem a little disorganized but she also can be thoughtful and insightful. I did enjoy reading Girl Logic but I don’t think I’m the intended audience as it reads fairly young and I couldn’t relate to some of her topics. That said, it's worth a read for fans of Shlesinger, especially if you are a younger fan.

[Nicole · Rating 1 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this look. I mean, I bought four copies of it and distributed it to family/friends for Christmas as I was convinced I would love it. Unfortunately, I didn’t. I found that it rambles on quite a lot about things that don’t really matter in life (how to text people who you don’t think like you Etc). Again, I wish I loved it as I adore Iliza as a stand up
Comedian. Ah well, each to their own. Hopefully I am a one off. I am about 3/4 of the way through, but I can’t do any more than that.

[Gloria · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is for ladies in their 20s or maybe 30s. It's a lot about dating. It's not laugh out loud funny, but has a few funny parts. The audio was good as she's a comedian and can perform it well. This isn't life changing - it's part memoir, part observation, and it reminds me a bit of Bossy Pants. I think I would have enjoyed this more if I were in the target age group and related to what the bulk of the book was about. But, alas, I'm in my 40s, happily married, and not trying to figure out how to respond to a match.com guy's text ;). Thank god for that too! At times the author comes across as conceited, but then insecure and vulnerable. I had a hard time figuring her out. The intro leads you to believe she's super intelligent and will give you insight into the female mind and experience. That was not my takeaway.

[Natasha Niezgoda · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️👏🏽 Iliza basically knew every word my over analytical brain needed to hear. So umm yay fun pseudo therapy session 🤣

[Anna lost in stories *A* · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was a fan of Iliza’s Netflix specials so when I learned she published this book I was curious enough to pick it up… I decided on 4 stars for this one… I liked how it gave us a bit more depth to her as a person… the book feels like a bunch of essays that are connected to her personal life and she shares eough of details to make them relevant and help get some points across to readers :) since we are similar in age I feel like I could relate to quite a few things in this one… although my twenties definitely weren’t like the ones she described ;) she does have a specific way of talking / writing, so I would definitely recommend this one if you are already a fan of hers, but if you are new, get a sample first to make sure it will be enjoyable for you :)

XOXO

A

[Cher 'N Books · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5 stars - It was really good.

Women are both afflicted and empowered by something I call Girl Logic. GL is a characteristically female way of thinking that appears to be contradictory and circuitous but is actually a complicated and highly evolved way of considering every choice and its repercussions before we make a move toward what we want.

I only recently discovered Iliza, but she’s incredible. If you haven’t watched it yet, I highly recommend her Netflix special, Elder Millenial.

I couldn’t relate to a lot of the dating stories (I’ve been with my husband for over half of my life and can’t even comprehend what dating today would be like), but the majority of the book was insightful as well as being humorous, especially the back half. I really enjoyed the pictures she included at the end as well. The point is, this book deserves far more recognition than it has received.

What I love most about her style of humor is that beneath the laughs, there are sharp, perspective observances and explanations. She’s not just funny and beautiful, she’s also intelligent. Smart people are awesome, funny people are awesome, but when you get both in one package, it’s a beautiful thing.
-------------------------------------------
Favorite Quote: You teach people how to treat you. If you don’t like someone’s behavior towards you, educate them.

First Sentences: Women aren’t crazy. We are not crazy. We are conflicted.

[Holly · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! Not a page went by where I didn't laugh! I am still laughing over the section "When and How to Dump a Man via Text." I'm totally going to use the fried shrimp tactic. I recommend this book for any woman who needs a kick in her self esteem and any woman stuck out in the dating world. It could also be beneficial to some of you guys out there who might need a hand understanding us females. Iliza's confidence is infectious. Great read!

[Amber’s Bookish Journal · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book and I'm so glad I decided to get the audiobook. Shlesinger is one of my favorite comedians and she brings her comedy flair and evaluates the way that women look at the world. It's easy to see that this is something she deeply cares about and that with every chapter, she has put a lot of thought into conclusions. A great read and a perfect graduation present for high schoolers and college age kids.

[Tori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love her stand-up, and really enjoyed this book. Definitely had some LOL moments, along with some advice/observations that hit home for me. Chief among them, that it’s ok to be the way we are (see: overthinking, sensitive, questioning); to stand up for yourself; and for the love of Jesus start not giving two fucks about what others think of you, one because it’s just a good practice that will open you up to more things when you stop worrying about how you will be received (too much? Too little? Not enough?) and two because in the end those people are generally not even thinking about you, because they’re wrapped up in themselves and what they’re doing. Also failing is ok, and necessary to grow.

[Leah · Rating 3 out of 5]

Iliza is one of my favorite comedians, however this book didn't really resonate much with me. I guess I never really had the style of thinking which she labels "girl logic". I found this a bit rambling and at times quite hilarious but overall it was just ok.

[Lindsay Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I oscillated between “omg! I’m not the only one who thinks that/does that” and “holy crap, this is THE BEST feminism book” and “omg this is offensive”

[Maria Angelica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Eu adorei o jeito da Iliza. O livro traz uma mensagem muito boa de ser verdadeiro consigo mesmo. Ela faz uns desvios desnecessários no meio do livro, falando muito sobre homens, mas ela retorna com força no final e finaliza bem.
Vale a pena você saber que existem outras mulheres que pensam exatamente como você sobre a vida, amores e trabalho.

[Abu Hayat Khan · Rating 5 out of 5]

finally, I realized why a man finds it so difficult to understand women. nothing can explain it better than these lines (from the book):

------------

“GL can go a little haywire when forced to reconcile the sheer volume of expectations society places on women. See, being a woman is hard…The truth is that women are supposed to be everything to everyone. And guess what?

That’s impossible.

We’re expected to be continually kind to our fellow women, caring toward children, respectful of the elderly, supportive of our coworkers—while simultaneously making every dude around us super horny. Oh and we should always stand up for ourselves, while also being likeable. DON’T FORGET TO BE LIKEABLE!

We’re supposed to look eternally young while aging gracefully, and look hot while remaining “respectable.” We’re supposed to be open and vulnerable but without getting “too emotional,” be sexually empowered but not “slutty.” We’re encouraged to eat whatever we want while our bodies are scrutinized for unruly curves, because men like a woman who eats, not a woman who looks like she eats…

One simple way to illustrate Girl Logic is with the common mealtime question, “What do you want to eat?” Most men will, perhaps unthinkingly, perhaps out of an attempt to accommodate, blurt out whatever sounds good and easy. To them, most things are black and white: “Pizza sounds cool” …But women live in the gray, bathe in the gray, and summer in the gray.”

--------------

GL stands for Girl Logic, but I think Gray Logic sounds little better.

Iliza denied but in all respect, this is an autobiography. she wrote this book when she was only 34 years old, too young to write an autobiography though. but, as a successful woman in a predominantly male territory, I think she has something that worth sharing. she talked lightheartedly on how her GL evolving and influencing different aspect of her life: being single, dating, sex, friendship, relationship, rejection, career, etc as she was a growing teenager until her adulthood.

if you’re a woman confused and distracted over your thoughts, it would be an interesting reading. this book, as Iliza explained meant to be your guide, on occasions when to apply or refrain from GL.

Iliza is a brilliant comedian, you can find her stand up shows on youtube. she narrated the audio version of the book and it is extraordinarily funny and refreshing. she is awesome.

[Elyse · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.

I found it interesting that Mayim Bialik wrote the introduction to the book but has said on numerous occasions that we should not be referring to adult women as "girls" and this book is all that. GIRL Logic. How about Woman Logic. Or even Lady Logic if you're into alliteration. I would much rather be called a woman than a girl.

Anywho, I couldn't really relate to this book. It's mostly about how a woman's brain deals with being single and dating and men and other women. Not scientific, of course. But the reason I couldn't relate is because I've never dated. Much like I couldn't relate to Modern Romance. I didn't "live it up" in my 20's. I've been with my husband since we were 18, just after high school. We got married and bought a house at 25. We bought our second house (hopefully our forever home) at 29. We live in a small town in rural New Hampshire. That is vastly different than Shlesinger's experiences. And I am definitely glad I didn't have to date then OR now! It seems pretty awful.

I wanted to like this book more than I did. I was disappointed in it. Shlesinger has some conflicting thoughts in this book. A better editor was needed. Some parts were funny, some parts I did relate to. This is not a memoir. She just relates some personal anecdotes as she explains girl logic. I like her stand-up but this was different and unnecessary.

[Mehrsa · Rating 4 out of 5]

She's funny and the book is good. I'm probably not the ideal audience for this (i.e. way too old), but I love reading books by awesome female comics and this is among the better ones. It's not really about girl logic, but a memoir, which is fine with me. I especially found it interesting at the end where she talks about some of the specific difficulties of being a woman in comedy. It was a fun, easy, light read

[Justine Pendergast · Rating 5 out of 5]

laugh out loud. my favourite comic.

[Erin Higgins · Rating 4 out of 5]

She’s my fave comedian

[kylie clark]

Just remembered my era of dnf’ing memoirs by comedians because what I actually like is standup <3

[Lauren · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book made the internal voice in my mind finally feel normal. While our experiences are vastly different, I found a camaraderie with Iliza Shlesinger in her book.

From topics of the importance of female friends and the struggles of women, the unique comedic experience of the audiobook is a must.

This funny take on taking back what it really means to be a woman, especially a funny woman, I appreciate her honesty on life and how we as women reason with GL (girl logic). Even when girl logic is wrong.

This book is a reminder you can be a strong, witty female and that doesn’t make you a bitch. It is also a reminder that every woman’s goals for life are different. Most importantly, it was a reminder to me that you don’t have to care all the time; that sometimes it’s healthy to just not care. Thank you!

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I'm about 25% through the book and so far I'm agreeing with most of the reviewers who suggested a straight-up memoir would have been better. Perhaps I'm being premature, but she's not veered off course yet. As such, I'm guessing the rest of the book is going to stay in the same vein and I'm going to have to adjust my expectations. I was hoping to laugh and instead, I just want to crawl onto my couch and binge watch something mindless for a while in order to shake off the depressing points she makes (sans any real humor to buffer them like she does on stage).

While I like Iliza's brand of comedy, her physical humor on stage and the adorable voices she makes, I'm not able to relate much to her in this book. She's a professional comedian; that's what I was expecting - humor. I keep hoping to gain more personal insights or the occasional laugh-out-loud moment, but I haven't had one yet (a laugh). Instead, she's championing for womanhood. Normally, I'd be all about it. Sure, she's making valid points about how society is unfair when it comes to women: the double standards, our appearance, the unrealistic expectations, etc.. but Iliza honey, you're not telling me anything new as an unmarried, educated, curvy, 40+ something egalitarian feminist from the south. I'm exhausted and depressed just listening to you. I bought the audiobook version as part of the deal-of-the-day via Audible.

I agree with the points you make especially about clothing and appearance standards being askew, and how wrong it is to judge a woman more on her appearance than her education or personality. Your approach to "girl logic" is, I'm sure, meant to be somewhat a play on being humorous in light of the seriousness of your topic. I appreciate the laundry list of issues you are trying to cover, but it is not particularly entertaining. IT IS DEPRESSING.

And yup, I loved Whitney Cumming's book that came out shortly around the same time yours did. It was mostly dark and gritty, but her's was a memoir about her struggles with mental illness and severe codependency. So far, you've let us know about how you were sure to win a bikini contest at 13 because you had boobs and how you lied about an injury to disguise the fact that you had a nose job before college. I'm not saying you have to endure abuse to be interesting, I'm simply suggesting a memoir approach (to the aforementioned boobs and a nose job, and how hard it is to be beautiful), would have been better than intermingling them as points in your girl-power diatribe.

[Sammie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Confession time: I have loved Iliza Shlesinger's standup since I accidentally stumbled across it while binging Netflix. Since then, I have spent a slightly unhealthy amount of time watching her standup and shows. Because I live under a rock (clearly), I hadn't realized she had published a book, but the moment I did, I bought it. No regrets. Girl Logic is funny, witty, insightful, and just real, in the most terrifying and crazy sense of the word.

In Girl Logic, Shlesinger attempts to make sense of the confusing, frustrating, and often contradictory life experience that is being female. From dating to looks to life pursuits, she covers it all. The book exhibits a lot of the snarky humor that Shlesinger is known for in her standup, but more than that, it calls on women to realize that it's okay to just be them. It's inspirational and thought-provoking about the things that matter most in life while still being wickedly funny.

In some of the best parts of the book, Shlesinger shares her own anecdotes and life experiences, from struggling with being an outsider growing up, to trying to be happy with the way she looks, to finding a place as a female comic in a world of men. In Girl Logic, Shlesinger celebrates the things that make women, well, women—admitting that they can be confusing and be deterrents, at times, but they don't have to be.

While Girl Logic is obviously geared towards women (duh, it's in the title), there's a lot that men can get out of it, too. In fact, a lot of the advice, while written from the perspective of a woman, is applicable to any gender. The struggles Shlesinger faces are ones many people face, and while she speaks from the perspective she is familiar with, I believe anyone could enjoy this book and find something relatable and positive from the experience.

All in all, this book definitely delivered on laughs, inspiration, and some very real moments that made it a very enjoyable read. Would definitely recommend this.

[Laura · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the sound of Shlesinger's part memoir, part humorous take on life. With a funny collection of essays and observations on women's approach to many aspects of life, I thought this would be a light-hearted read that I could nod along to.

'Girl Logic' refers to the logic that us women have, where we obsess over tiny details in every situation, mostly about things that men might not necessarily notice. Now I can look over the fact that Shlesinger has generalised all women and lumped them into the same category, as I chose to pick up this book and read it. What I was faced with however, where some vaguely humorous observations, but nowhere near the 'subversively funny' I had been promised. Maybe it would have helped if I was familiar with the author's comic stand-up work before having read this book.

There was a major detail that put me off early on in the book; as a huge advocate for mental health, I can't abide the misuse of mental health terms. When Shlesinger (very inappropriately) made reference to a multiple personality disorder: "In so many TV shows the main character suffers from a multiple personality disorder - a wife, mother, cop, alien..." - now those who are familiar with mental health will know that a multiple personality disorder is not a thing, and I hate to see these terms used incorrectly. I would hope that Shlesinger would take note and reconsider using such terminology.

I'm afraid this book just wasn't for me - perhaps I had far too high hopes for something much funnier than it turned out to be, so that's not to say you won't fare much better with this book.

(Thanks NetGalley for this copy).

[Kat O · Rating 1 out of 5]

This book was truly terrible. What was this book about? This book was about nothing! And not nothing as in 'this is a show about nothing-Seinfeld funny," but literally this book had no substance to it whatsoever.

It reads like a 12 year old girl's diary: lists of observations that are not especially insightful, stupid rehashing of problems that you've had throughout the day, and trying to but not fully diving into psychoanalyzing your family dysfunction.

I told myself I would stop reading it after the third chapter and I sti6llhave no idea why I continued...

I thought it was super suspicious when I read the preface by Mayim Bialik and she was being so incredibly vague about her praise for the author. That was the most "here's my polite nonpromo, I'm not excited to brag about this book, I don't really feel strongly about this author" foreward that I've ever read. It was a red flag and I'm just lazy enough this summer too have ignored it and happy going. What a mistake!

[Sherri · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think that this book is all the better if you listen to it — Shlesinger reads like she's performing a stand up act, and while a lot of this book is certainly hilarious, it's not all rainbows and sunshine. Because girl logic is messed up and oftentimes contradictory, and to survive in this world with a voice in your head that simultaneously wants to tear you down at times because we constantly internalize all these things that we should be while also reminding you that you're better than some dude's bullshit, it's hard. A lot harder than to have the internal voice of a guy.

What I particularly liked about this book is that she took a term — girl logic — that is so often used disparagingly and built it into something complex. At the same time, she doesn't try to explain away girl logic: she simply embraces it. We can be irrational, but that doesn't make us crazy.

Definitely recommend giving this book a listen!