Not Sorry: Vergeuden Sie Ihr Leben nicht mit Leuten und Dingen, auf die Sie keine Lust haben

by Sarah Knight, Sybille Upleger (Übersetzung)

Sind Sie gestresst und überarbeitet? Sind Sie enttäuscht vom Leben? Haben Sie es satt, allen zu gefallen, statt an sich selbst zu denken? Dann gilt auch für Sie: Sorry, but not sorry. Hören Sie auf, sich zu entschuldigen. Vergessen Sie die Meinung der anderen. Machen Sie sich frei von ungeliebten Verpflichtungen, Scham und Schuld. Beschäftigen Sie sich lieber mit Leuten und Dingen, die Sie glücklich machen. Ob Familiendramen, Winterspeck oder die Beförderung in einen (noch) öderen Job: Die Not-sorry-Methode von Sarah Knight hilft Ihnen dabei, Ihr Leben zu entrümpeln und auf Unwichtiges zu sch***en. Machen Sie sich frei - und gewinnen Sie mehr Zeit, Energie und Geld für alles, was Ihnen wirklich wichtig ist.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Humor, Audiobook, Personal Development, Psychology, Mental Health

222 pages, Paperback

First published December 29, 2015

Reviews

[Kelli · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't give a f*ck about reviewing this book!

[Cat · Rating 2 out of 5]

I took this book's advice and stopped spending time I don't have with an authorial persona I find vaguely irritating reading this parodic self-help guide that offered neither sufficient laughs nor sufficient guidance to merit completing it. All of the best parts of the book are condensed into this interview, which I suggest you read instead: http://idealog.co.nz/workplace/2016/0...

It's a great parody idea and actually the tip that you give your daily task, commitments, and worries and decide which could/should be dismissed or at least minimized is an excellent one. But Knight adopts an affected Bridget-Jones-esque pose in listing her own proclivities and peeves that feels forced-funny to me rather than funny-funny, and it just goes on for too long. Also, though I quite enjoy using the word f*ck a lot, turns out I find it rather boring to read repeatedly.

[Amanda · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a parody of the bestselling organization book The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing. Instead of physical clutter, Knights's book focuses on mental clutter- letting go of too many obligations, being protective and selective with your time, money, and energy.

*Warning: Avoid this book if you are highly offended by or sensitive to the "f" word because it's used a minimum of a half a dozen times on every single page.*

In 2015 author Sarah Knight quit her job at a major publishing house to begin her own business as a freelance editor and writer. "I was almost thirty when I began to realize it was possible to stop giving so many fucks, but I was nearly forty before I figured out how to make it happen on a grand scale."
Personally, I think there is a natural progression to this mindset after living almost four decades on this planet.

Knight differentiates between being "an asshole" and putting her philosophy into practice. The basics she stresses are taking care of yourself first, allowing yourself to say "no," and releasing yourself from anxiety and guilt associated with saying "no."

There were no grand revelations here for me because I've drawn many of these conclusions already and put them into practice in my life. For example, I'm comfortable enough to run to the supermarket sans makeup. I am choosy with whom I spend my time, especially family (no need to subject myself to toxic people). I no longer feel any qualms about hanging up on a telemarketer. I even deactivated my Facebook account for a while because I felt it was mentally exhausting and a time drain. (I probably shouldn't mention this because according to Knight, not being on FB is "akin to being a Communist in 1950s Hollywood.")

I think that the author is probably a little more hard core than me. I truly believe that in society reprocicity is important. After all, I'm not charismatic enough or powerful enough to completely stop attending my friends' functions and expect them to support me. If I care about a friend, I would go to her baby shower (even if I dislike showers). And I'd probably buy my friend's homemade peanut butter (at least once).

I found this book entertaining, thought-provoking, and LAUGH-OUT-LOUD funny at times. I would have given it 4 stars, but I deducted one because of the excessive use of the "f" bomb.

Excerpt:

Fitting in. This- THIS RIGHT HERE- is why I wrote the book you are holding in your hands. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or expert no-fuck-giver, The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck is for people who are exhausted by presenting a façade of interest, enthusiasm, and conformity to the rest of the world. It is about empowering them (you) to feel free to be themselves (yourselves) and live their (your) best lives.

[Chris Roberts · Rating 1 out of 5]

I find Sarah Knight's work boring and contrived...

Each page is a bloodless artifice...

and she goes on about it for the sake of it...

to fill, pad, word count the pages...

It is a collection of dry musings...

I'd rather have a safe drop on my head...

Chris Roberts

[Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book! It's hilarious and actually quite helpful! I didn't realize that I already followed a lot of the advice she gives. I really disliked The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing which this book parodies, and was so tired of reading the word "tidy" in it, but if "f*ck" bothers you, you might have trouble with this. She uses it just as much. Anyway, I appreciated the philosophy behind it and I do recommend this book. It's well written and very clever.

Just wanted to add that I especially like Sarah's "personal policy" suggestion (see page 86). To minimize hurt feelings, say you have a personal policy against (and then fill in the blank). I think this is a brilliant way of getting out of something you don't want to do!

[Clumsy Storyteller · Rating 4 out of 5]

Apparently this is a parody of “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up“ I haven’t read the book, this was recommended to me by amazon when I was checking the subtle art of not giving a fuck by Mark Manson, I’m so glad I found this book. Although I can’t relate to some things listed here but I see her point. Sarah Knight describes her “nightmare” with giving a fuck about her wedding: the budget, the venue, the catering, the dress, the photos, the flowers, the band, the guest list, the invitations (wording and thickness thereof), the vows, the cake, and everything else—the list goes on. I guess quitting her job was a wake up call, she realized that it was a dead end and needed a change in her life.



The day I walked out of my high-rise office building—sliding down that corporate ladder faster than a stripper down the last pole of the night—I eliminated a whole category of fucks I had previously given to supervisors, coworkers, my commute, my wardrobe, my alarm clock, and more.
I stopped giving a fuck about Sales Conference. I stopped giving a fuck about “business-casual” and “town-hall meetings.” I stopped keeping track of my vacation days like a prisoner tallying her sentence in hash marks on the cell-block wall. you Go girl!

I have some rules of my own when it comes to giving a fuck about things; I always ask myself does it really matter? How much does it affect me? Does it make me happy? Is it really worth it? If the answer is no I just stop giving a damn fuck! Simple as that.

« So stop saying yes right away to please others and, instead, take a moment to question not only whether you give a fuck (i.e., care) aboutthe matter at hand but whether it deserves a fuck (i.e., your time, energy, and/or money) given to it as a line item on your Fuck Budget. »






i couldn't resist..i had to post those Spiderman memes because THEY ARE SO FUNNY! :D

[Gabi Coatsworth · Rating 1 out of 5]

I wanted to like this book, I really did. But I didn't give a F*&k about it. Luckily, the author won't care what I say about it since not caring about criticism is part of her credo. It could have been good, but she uses f*$%k so often (several times per page) that the novelty wears off. The usage doesn't work very well either, in my opinion. Here's just one sentence: There are a lot of f%$ks that impose on your time or energy, if not your wallet. See what I mean?

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

Truthfully, I really liked what Sarah Knight is saying in her self-help book: The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck. It's basically stressing prioritization of emotions and commitments but in a modern, casual way. She makes some good points and gives great examples for how not giving a f*ck can totally change your life. She discusses the difference between being honest and being an outright @sshole, and she gives readers much needed permission to say “no” and to stop saying “sorry” all the time. I think I would personally benefit from incorporating some of her suggestions within my life in a stronger sense than I currently do; however, I also think if I followed this book to a T, I would feel selfish and self-centered versus an individual with healthy boundary-setting skills. I don't think that is the author's intention, and to be clear, this is only my perception of how I think I would personally feel. On the contrary, I truly think Ms. Knight wants her readers to live the best, guilt-free, anxiety-free, and honest life possible. As with all self-help materials out there, use what you're comfortable with and let the rest go. Revisit the materials later if or when you're ready. Lather, rinse, repeat.

OK, lets talk about this book and profanity. I personally think cursing can be an art form in itself and I am known to spew it out when I am really pissed. Sometimes it sounds creatively lyrical and other times it sounds like I am just word vomiting. Otherwise, I throw around a word or two here or there and am generally unbothered by it in my music, film, and reading material...but seriously, the use of the word “f*ck” is quite excessive in this book. I get that it's in the title but it became flat out annoying after a while. Maybe it felt more grating in the audiobook experience versus how it would read off the page, not sure. Just putting that out there. I guess the author just didn't give a f*ck...

My favorite quote:
“As humans, we have every right to politely disagree with or not share someone else’s opinion.”

[Diane Barnes · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only 3 stars for writing and overuse of the F word. I have no objection to the word, but 20 or 30 times per page is a little repetitive. However, the content was excellent. Written as a parody of Marie Kondo 's book about tidying up your home, Knight advises us to tidy up our mental space and stop caring what other people think. There are exceptions, (family, boss, close friends), and she's pretty strict about not being an asshole while you're saying No. But she's funny, and the advice is perfect.

[Skorofido Skorofido · Rating 1 out of 5]

Τόση αμπελοφιλοσοφία μαζεμένη, μούλιασε το κεφάλι μου... Πρέπει πραγματικά να με μισεί η κάμπια που μου το έκανε δώρο... σε blog πεντάχρονου πιο ενδιαφέροντα διαβάζεις...
Διακόσιες σελίδες, διακόσιες σελίδες ρε φίλε, με τη συγγραφέα σε ρόλο όψιμου γκουρού να μας λέει:
"έχω τη λύση για να σας φύγει το άγχος και να ζήσετε τη ζωή σας, not giving a f**k σε κανέναν... τόσο απλά κι αύριο από αγχώδες σκορόφιδο, μεταμορφώνεσαι σε μακάριο βραδύποδα..."
Έλα ρε; Κι εγώ πώς δεν το είχα σκεφτεί; Βέβαια, πουθενά η συγγραφέας δεν μας λέει πως θα σταματήσουμε να δίνουμε f**k, απλώς σταματάμε...
Κι αυτό το f**k... κάθε δεύτερη σειρά, f**k, f**k,f**k κι ένα εξυπναδίστικο ύφος... του στυλ:
"Μαθήματα γιόγκα; Χεστήκατε!
Instagram; Χεστήκατε παντελώς!
Δεν νιώθετε ήδη καλύτερα;..."
Αμερικανιά του χειρίστου είδους, από τους ανθρώπους που ξαφνικά νομίζουν πως είδαν το φως το αληθινό και είπαν να μας το μεταλαμπαδεύσουν και σ'εμάς... προτιμώ το σκοτάδι μου... και το ένα αστεράκι, υπέρβαση είναι... αλλά ας όψεται που δεν υπάρχει το μηδέν...

[Heidi Wiechert · Rating 3 out of 5]

F-bombs aplenty in this parody of Marie Kondo's international best seller about tidying. If you can look past the obvious language thing, Knight gives some fairly solid advice. She counsels readers to not care so much about what others think and give that mental energy to yourself. You'll be surprised what you can accomplish.

"Please listen when I say that the shame and guilt you feel when you're trying so hard to not give a f***? It's usually not because you are wrong to not give that f***. It's because you're worried about what other people might think about your decision. And guess what? You have no control over what other people think."pg 26

See? She reminded me of a more foul-mouthed Byron Katie.

Sometimes she manages to string together two whole sentences without the F-word. Check it out: "You can sidestep the prospect of hurt feelings entirely when you view your conflict through the lens of simple, emotionless opinion. NotSorry (Knight's method) is all about simple, emotionless opinions." pg 31.

Beyond managing your own mind, she branches out to give advice to parents: "One mother responded from the perspective of teaching her own kids what to give a f*** about: As someone who grew up in a household full of guilt, I think it's important for our kids to know that they can make decisions about what to care about, and that they don't need to pay attention to the approval or condescension of other people in deciding how to live their lives." pg 92.

I can get behind that idea.

Then we move right along to shades of Eckhart Tolle and The Power of Now: A Guide to Spiritual Enlightenment with contemplating the meaning of existence and its temporariness: "The reality is, unless we've been given a ballpark figure by a reputable physician (and sometimes not even then), not a single one of us knows when we're going to shuffle off this mortal coil. It's morbid, but it's true. Tomorrow you could get hit by a bus, or mauled by a pack of wolves, or be scared to death by a clown. When you think about it like that, don't you want to make every second count? pg 184.

Sarah Knight's book, in my opinion, doesn't have the life-changing magic of the other book, but she's got some interesting thoughts that I believe are true and, sometimes, rather funny. But make sure to bring your sense of humor with you when you pick this one up because the author doesn't give a ... well, you know.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly loved this book. Laugh-out-loud funny and, yes, inspiring. Life-changing indeed!

[Maria Bikaki · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ξεκινάω κατευθείαν στα βαθιά λέγοντας ότι αν και κατά βάση προτιμώ συγκεκριμένα τα βιβλία αυτοβοήθειας να μην τα βαθμολογώ για λόγους που έχω εξηγήσει και εξηγώ και παρακάτω, ειλικρινά το συγκεκριμένο βιβλίο με εκνεύρισε σε τέτοιο βαθμό που θεώρησα απαραίτητο η κριτική μου να συνοδεύεται και από βαθμολογία. Και για να μιλήσω με όρους και από το βιβλίο, σου έριξα το μέσο όρο του βιβλίου Σάρα; Χέστηκες παντελώς. Η όχι;
Που λέτε ένας λόγος που προτιμώ να μην βαθμολογώ τα βιβλία αυτοβοήθειας είναι γιατι θεωρώ ότι είναι τελείως μα τελείως υποκειμενικό το ποιο θα σου μιλήσει και θα σε εμπνεύσει. Θεωρώ ότι στην πραγματικότητα τέτοιου είδους βιβλία δε σου λένε κάτι που ήδη δεν ξέρεις, δε μοιράζονται κάποιο νέο απόσταγμα σοφίας που σου είχε διαφύγει, αλλά αυτό που μπορούν να κάνουν είναι με τον τρόπο που θα σου καταγράψουν αυτό που ήδη ξέρεις να σε εμπνεύσουν για τη συνέχεια σου. Έτσι προφανώς το κάθε βιβλίο λειτουργεί διαφορετικά στην ψυχοσύνθεση του αναγνώστη. Μέχρι χτες το βράδυ λοιπόν θεωρούσα το πιο υπερεκτιμημένο βιβλίο αυτοβοήθειας το μοναχό που πούλησε τη Φερράρι του. Σήμερα το νο1 στη λίστα μου καταλαμβάνει με μεγάλη διαφορά από τον επόμενο τούτο δω το βιβλιαράκι. Βιβλίο αρπαχτή χειρότερη και από το 1 ώρας unscripted επεισόδιο που ετοιμάζουν τα φιλαράκια. Βιβλίο χειρίστου είδους που μέσα στις λίγες σελίδες του προσπαθεί να μας πείσει ότι δεν πρέπει να δίνουμε δεκάρα για τίποτα. Φωνή Ελένης Καστάνη από το τι ψυχή θα παραδώσεις μωρή: «Ελα δεν το πιστεύω, έλα δεν το πιστεύω»
Το θέμα δεν είναι ότι σου λέει κάτι το οποίο το ξέρεις ήδη, άλλωστε είπαμε και παραπάνω τα βιβλία αυτοβοήθειας δε σου λένε κάτι που δεν ξέρεις, αλλά ότι το κάνει με ένα τρόπο απόλυτα εκνευριστικό και μπλαζέ για τα νεύρα μου. Σε όλο το βιβλίο κυριαρχεί το εξής: Δε γουστάρεις τη δουλειά σου κουκλίτσα μου, δε θες να πας στο γάμο που σε κάλεσαν; Δεν μπορείς τις δημοσιεύσεις του ινσταγκραμ; Χέστηκες και τώρα που χέστηκες δε νιώθεις πολύ καλύτερα γι’ αυτό; Για πάνω από 200 σελίδες με ύφος μαμαδίστικο αλλά και εξυπνακίστικο ταυτόχρονα η μικρή γκουρού της ψυχολογίας προσπαθεί να μας πείσει ότι αν είμαστε με ένα χεστήκαμε στο στόμα από το πρωί, συγνώμη για το χεστήκαμε το μεταφέρω αυτούσιο από το βιβλίο θα νιώσουμε αυτόματα καλύτερα και η ζωή μας θ αλλάξει προς το καλύτερο. Δε γουστάρεις τη δουλειά σου πχ; Δε γουστάρεις τις συσκέψεις; Ε μην πηγαίνεις. Χέστηκες. Ε ναι καλέ. Θα παραιτηθώ, μετά θα γράψω ένα βιβλίο που θα λέω τι υπέροχα περνάω πεθαίνοντας στην ψάθα και μετά θα τρώω τις σελίδες του βιβλίου που έγραψα γιατί με τέτοιες πί… που θα έγραφα δε θα με αγόραζα ούτε εγώ.
Συνέλθετε life coachers. Στην θεωρία όλα καλά τα λέτε στην πράξη όμως; Σόρυ αλλά προτιμώ να μείνω με εκατομμύρια έγνοιες στο κεφάλι μου. Η ζωή προφανώς είναι πολύπλοκη επειδή κάποιες φορές την κάνουμε εμείς αλλά και ο εθελοτυφλισμός είναι το ίδιο επικίνδυνος. Χεστήκατε για όσα σας γράφω; Δεν νιώθετε καλύτερα; :p

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was one of the most enjoyable and funny self-help books I've read to date. Sarah Knight, inspired after reading The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up by Marie Kondo, decided to write a book to help you get rid of the mental clutter in your life - essentially, giving a fuck about things you shouldn't.

Although I did think at times that her use of the word fuck itself was a little bit overboard (okay, I get the point), the humour in this book was brilliant and something I could completely relate with. The book addresses four main categories: things, work, friends, strangers & acquaintances, and family. Knight leads you through examples of things in her life that she has decided she either needs to give a fuck about, or not, as well as the results of research she has conducted with the general public, and I could sympathise with so much of it! She gets you to write lists, narrow down your options, get rid of things, and even draw diagrams to show how much time, energy, and money you'll regain by re-prioritising your priorities.

Not only is this book fun, but I think it's also useful as an eye-opener to things you might be wasting your time, energy, and money on. I worry about a lot of things, and this book was a breath of fresh air in helping me open my eyes a bit and see that sometimes things just aren't worth getting wound up about.

If you like self-help books with a bit of a light-hearted approach, and with practical useful tips to implement in your life, then this is the one for you.

[Vanessa · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved Marie Kondo's book, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up, so I'm quite drawn to the idea of using her essential question, "does this spark joy?," to evaluate more things. In this book, Sarah Knight leads readers to ask this for everything that ever occupies our thoughts. You start with an inventory of all the Things, Work, Friends, Acquaintances, Strangers, and even Family that you feel pressured to care about or give your time/energy/money toward. Next, you evaluate one-by-one: does this bring me joy? Or does it annoy me? When you're feeling pressured by a friend's invitation to do something you don't want to do, do you cave and suffer through it by giving your time, energy, and often money just to spare your friend's feelings? Instead, could you politely serve your friend's feelings with a "no, thank you" and spare yourself the activity you don't want to do? Would you want your friends to suffer through things they didn't enjoy simply because you'd asked them?

Knight proposes a fundamental difference between people's feelings and their opinions, asserting we should respect everyone's feelings but we do not need to share the same opinions. You don't have to like what anyone else likes in order to be polite and treat them well. We can politely have a difference of opinion. I love this concept and found simply listing all the things I feel as if I'm supposed to give a f* about to be therapeutic. Wow! No wonder I'm so exhausted! Do the people involved in each of the things I'm concerned about even know that I feel obligated to them? Would they want me to feel that way? Wouldn't they rather I either dig in or peace out entirely? Probably! And if they do want me to do something I genuinely don't want to do and won't enjoy doing, should I even care about making them happy? Probably not.

This book is short, amusing, and littered with f* bombs. It was not life-changing, but I'm glad I read it and really glad I did the recommended exercises.

[Rachel Bridgeman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Sometimes in life you need the obvious pointed out to you in a simple, well laid out and humourous way. I ahve read many self help books in my quest to be less of a doormat, say 'No' with good grace ,conviction and no exposition and at the age of 40 was no closer to finding the solution. Until I read an extract of this book. I searched it out half heartedly at my small,local Smiths, remembering only that it had a swear word in the title and mostly expecting it not to be there. It was wedged between 'The Road Less Travelled' and 'You CAN change your life!' (both read, neither helped). This book resonated so much I felt like punching the air whilst I read it. It solidified a theory I had half been swirling around, namely that I am wasting far too much time on things that don't matter then guilt tripping myself over being neglectful in other areas of my life. So someone doesn't text back within 3 hours of me messaging, did the sky fall down? No it did not. Did the person who gave me that 'look' today becuase I probably did not have time to brush my hair before the school run spend hours thinking about that single moment as I did?
No, they did not. I call it Chicken Little syndrome, where it's like you are gazing down the wrong end of the binoculars, the wrong thing is always emphasised to be bigger and more important than what it is. This book guides you through a process of list making and realisations that from your inbox to your social media through to real life interactions the choices you make are allowing the very essence of your being to be sucked out of you. By freeing up the time you waste on oh so many distractions which in the cold light of day you really, really don't g.a.f about, you free up mental space for the things that are really important.
Set a F*** budget, stick to it, you'll be happier in the long run and never have to sit through/suffer something you didn't want to do ever again. No likes a martyr complex.

[April (Aprilius Maximus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

Got some helpful tips out of this, but I feel like there was so much 'this book is going to change your life - just you wait' and very little of HOW to actually give less fucks, ya know? But when she finally did get to the good stuff, it was pretty good!

[Renay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I already give fewer fucks.

EVEN MORE THOUGHTS: http://ladybusiness.dreamwidth.org/20...

[Ghengis · Rating 1 out of 5]

The author deserves a marketing award for the title of this book which prompted my
purchase of this crock of s***. I got half way through before taking the author's advice not to "waste my f**k budget on activities I couldn't give a f**k about". It it predictable and depressing that this book is squarely aimed at women (it seems men generally don't have a compulsive need to court approval and have no problem saying no, who knew?). It is also squarely aimed a particular sub set of middle class American women who are under employed for their educational level and trapped in suburban tedium. Things the author doesn't give a f*** about include basketball and cats of Instagram, things she does give a f**k about include lazer hair removal. Frankly if you are someone who needs to consider whether you give a f*** about cats of Instagram you really need to get a life. The book also includes some terrifyingly bad advice such as using the same password for all your logins as "using different passwords won't stop you getting hacked" and not bothering to pay attention in meetings, potentially problematic or even life threatening, if your job is, for example, brain surgeon or airline pilot. If you are concerned about your people pleasing activities simply practice saying no and save your money.

[Giselle · Rating 2 out of 5]

I need to start not giving a F*ck basically. This book is telling you to not care about anything and anyone that have no interest to you. *shrugs*

[Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Stars
I absolutely loved the concept behind this book. I often feel overwhelmed by obligations, filling my free time with activities I feel like I'm "suppose to" attend. Then when I turn down invitations, I ultimately feel guilty.

Coming in under 300 pages, I breezed through this book in a few hours, but it didn't provide me with much insight. As a satire, the advice is given tongue-and-cheek. Personally, I would have preferred a more serious tone, but I realize this is intended to be a parody. I just wanted more... substance. Great concept and I agreed with the author's concepts of a f-budget. I just wish I learned more from this book that I could apply to my life.

I just reread this on audio, which is an excellent way to experience this book. This book was just what I needed at the time.

[Dave Schaafsma · Rating 3 out of 5]

“I call it the Not Sorry Method. It has two steps: 1. Deciding what you don’t give a fuck about 2. Not giving a fuck about those things.” –-Sarah Knight

Sarah Knight lives in Brooklyn. She writes “fuck” a lot, maybe 6-7 times per page, sometimes more. For laughs. And maybe because she is New Yorker? Like, it’s just part of the local patois? I lived there for five years and it sure seemed so! ☺ Now, if you are more offended by that word than she is by a word such as, say, “tidy” or “neat,” then you may have to give this one a pass. But I liked it. And in the first few pages this swearing-for-laughs works, but then it pretty much wears off. And remains pretty entertaining throughout, as social commentary and satire and parody. The word “tidy” that Knight doesn’t give a fuck about comes from the book she parodies, The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing by Marie Kondō.

“The life-changing magic of not giving a fuck is all about prioritizing joy over annoy.” –-Sarah Knight

Now I am not a neatnik, as anyone who knows me or has every seen, well, anything about me. So I was inclined to smile at this book. I am somewhat of a clutterer, at least in some areas such as office organization. I’m not exactly a hoarder, but I do have many thousands of books piled up everywhere in my office and in various places in my house. Not a student of feng shui, maybe? And I am okay with that. But I achieve my bliss, such as it is, not being particularly tidy. Just saying how I approach this topic. And I do give a fuck about so many things I pontificate about on Twitter and elsewhere, but that's not the point of this book, to not care about anything at all.

Knight amusingly pokes fun of Kondo and the idea that being neat and organized will lead to something like nirvana. Her basic view isn’t about neatness, though, finally; it’s about the fact that we care too much about what people think. We live our lives trying to please others. And she is quick to point out that there are a range of people who don’t give a fuck, including children, assholes and people living transcendental existences. She doesn’t really side with any of these groups, not having or particularly liking children, clearly not being Buddhist in most recognizable ways, and she thinks it is important to point out that you not be a piggy, selfish asshole on the yellow brick road to don’t-give-a-fuckery.

Knight also says there are things she assumes people should give a fuck about, like the environment (whew), and she admits she does include a list of things she does give a fuck about that no on else might such as laser hair removal, coasters, Reese Witherspoon’s Instagram, and so on. She cares about what she cares about, as we will, but she doesn’t want to feel guilted into caring about what everyone else cares about.

“Fitting in. This—THIS RIGHT HERE—is why I wrote the book you are holding in your hands. Whether you are a beginner, intermediate, or expert no-fuck-giver, The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a Fuck is for people who are exhausted by presenting a façade of interest, enthusiasm, and conformity to the rest of the world. It is about empowering them (you) to feel free to be themselves (yourselves) and live their (your) best lives.”

So it really IS a self-help disguised as a parody.

Anyway, I thought this was all right, and she’s pretty fun and funny and was the first female president of the Harvard Hasty Pudding Theatricals. You have to be pretty fucking funny to be in that group, eh?!

[Steven · Rating 5 out of 5]

So many fucks I've given that I can't get back. This book really opened my eyes to the kind of shit I put myself through by feeling obligation to people who don't feel it to me, and similar situations with worrying and spending time, energy, and funds towards stuff I don't want to do.

So I'm going to be better. The magic really is life-changing.

[Jessica J. · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know how I feel about this. I can't really tell you how successful it is as a parody because I didn't read the original. To borrow a phrase - I don't give a fuck about Marie Kondo. My life is as tidy as I need it to be and I don't want to waste my time on something just because it's a trend.

I'm not sure how much Sarah Knight intended her parody to serve as an actual self-help book, but it was a middle-of-the road self-help book. It's one of those things that make sense in theory--essentially, just focus your mental energy on the things that bring you joy and stop expending that energy on things and people that you don't actually care about--but she doesn't actually offer much practical advice on living it day to day.

[Erika W. Smith · Rating 2 out of 5]

The title pretty much gives it all away: it's a parody of the KonMari method (now "The NotSorry method"), encouraging you to stop giving a fuck about things you don't really care about (weddings, work drama, going to the gym regularly, etc.) It would be cute and clever as an essay but the concept isn't strong enough to carry a 200-page book.

[Amirography · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great book. Fucking awesome piece of literature on a fucking important matter.
It is not as practical as "The life-changing magic of tidying up) But it lives up to the expectation and a lot more!

[Marika · Rating 2 out of 5]

Self important person with privilege outlines how she can continue coasting on her privilege and not lift a hand to help humanity. But she’s funny about it! And she’s not afraid to swear a lot! *sigh*

[Terry ~ Huntress of Erudition · Rating 4 out of 5]

Funny and realistic - the main thing I got from this book was that it is ok not to say yes to everything, as long as you are polite and honest about it. In other words, to quote the book, "Don't be an asshole" .

[Lina · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bored. Out. Of. My. Mind.

The more you use the f word, the less effective it becomes.

[Mimi · Rating 1 out of 5]

This sooo would have been a dnf if I'd had access to another book. Any other book...
The over-use of the f* word was quite off-putting, the droning on about the same thing over and over and over and the so outdated and irrelevant refferences (I actually checked when this was published, because the refferences seemed so....old).
It was a drag to read.
And maybe, just maybe, the author is actually some kind of genius. Her forced style, her trying-so-hard-to-shock-so-I'll-try-to-use-f***-as-often-as-I-can, and her egocentric approach, made me not give a f* about her book. Mission acomplished, I'd say.