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Amateur: An inexpert, inexperienced, unauthoritative, enamored view of life
Have you ever taken time off reading books because you feel you can't concentrate? Have you ever instead spent that time reading articles and things that are easier for your brain to digest? This book is a collection of essays through which the author shares her perspective of the world. It's meant to be a very easy read; not a book you read systematically from beginning to end but rather a book to read during those times you find reading a book overwhelming. How we choose to look at something is essential to our happiness, and the author, Dushka Zapata, hopes to leave readers with a little of that.
- GenresNonfictionSelf Help
288 pages, Paperback
Published November 4, 2016
29 people are currently reading
263 people want to read
About the author
Dushka Zapata
28 books276 followersAfter working for more than 20 years in the communications industry, Dushka noticed a theme.
People find it very difficult to articulate who they are and what they do.
This holds true for both companies and for individuals.
For companies, this is an impediment to the development of an identity, a reputation, a brand.
It makes it hard for customers to see how companies are different from their competitors.
For individuals, in a new world order of personal brands, it makes it hard to develop one that feels real.
This is the focus of Dushka's work: she helps companies and people put into simple terms who they are, what they do, and where to go next.
Her work comes to life through message development, presentation training, media training and personal brand development.
It comes to life through executive coaching, workshops and public speaking.
It comes to life through what she writes.
Dushka has written nine books:
How to be ferociously happy and other essays
Amateur: an inexpert, inexperienced, un-authoritative, enamored view of life
A spectacular catastrophe and other things I recommend
Your seat cushion is a flotation device and other buoyant short stories
Someone destroyed my rocket ship and other havoc I've witnessed at the office
How to build a pillow fort and other valuable life lessons
You belong everywhere and other things you'll have to see for yourself
Love yourself and other insurgent acts that recast everything
Feelings are fickle and other things I wish someone had told me.
Dushka writes every day on question and answer site Quora and has also published an e-manual that outlines step by step how to write a book.
People find it very difficult to articulate who they are and what they do.
This holds true for both companies and for individuals.
For companies, this is an impediment to the development of an identity, a reputation, a brand.
It makes it hard for customers to see how companies are different from their competitors.
For individuals, in a new world order of personal brands, it makes it hard to develop one that feels real.
This is the focus of Dushka's work: she helps companies and people put into simple terms who they are, what they do, and where to go next.
Her work comes to life through message development, presentation training, media training and personal brand development.
It comes to life through executive coaching, workshops and public speaking.
It comes to life through what she writes.
Dushka has written nine books:
How to be ferociously happy and other essays
Amateur: an inexpert, inexperienced, un-authoritative, enamored view of life
A spectacular catastrophe and other things I recommend
Your seat cushion is a flotation device and other buoyant short stories
Someone destroyed my rocket ship and other havoc I've witnessed at the office
How to build a pillow fort and other valuable life lessons
You belong everywhere and other things you'll have to see for yourself
Love yourself and other insurgent acts that recast everything
Feelings are fickle and other things I wish someone had told me.
Dushka writes every day on question and answer site Quora and has also published an e-manual that outlines step by step how to write a book.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
November 22, 2016
I bookmarked every page.
Ms. Zapata's intelligence and insight into her world, her people, her boyfriend, and San Francisco oozes off of every page, exactly like the eggs Boyfriend makes.
She takes you on a journey that you had no idea was waiting for you, and you hope it never ends.
Give the gift of this book to yourself. Wait for a rainy day, or a sunny day and find a comfortable place. You'll be there for a long time, absorbed in the grace of her words.
I envy anyone who hasn't read this book. A great treasure awaits you. I've read both of her books now, and I eagerly await her third.
Ms. Zapata's intelligence and insight into her world, her people, her boyfriend, and San Francisco oozes off of every page, exactly like the eggs Boyfriend makes.
She takes you on a journey that you had no idea was waiting for you, and you hope it never ends.
Give the gift of this book to yourself. Wait for a rainy day, or a sunny day and find a comfortable place. You'll be there for a long time, absorbed in the grace of her words.
I envy anyone who hasn't read this book. A great treasure awaits you. I've read both of her books now, and I eagerly await her third.
March 13, 2023
The title says it all. This book doesn’t come from an expert, and how relieved am I. These are heartwarming essays from a person I would love to know. I honestly wish, though, that some editor would organize these better. I keep reading about Dushka’s father’s dementia again and again - it gets repetitive and takes away the joy of reading when you are repeatedly told what you already know.
Some essays are heartworn pieces of life, and Dushka really speaks to my heart in those.
Some essays are heartworn pieces of life, and Dushka really speaks to my heart in those.
May 14, 2017
Basically, a bunch of bookmarks.
February 23, 2021
This book is like an abstract painting, in that the more you read it, the more you become introspective, navigating through, understanding, and valuing your life experiences and lessons.
February 3, 2017
Found Dushka writing on Quora and fell in love with her writing ever since. Amateur is a book of short stories and poems about death, divorce, miscarriage, beginning, her new Boyfriend and different perspective of life. Overall great book! I've read both of her books now, and now eagerly await her third.
February 10, 2019
Sweet like a lemon dipped in saccharine, delightful like yellow, this is perhaps the book that my soul silently craved for.
Are words beautiful? Can you smile in melancholy? What is it like to lose a parent to dementia?
What is adulthood?
I don't know if these are the questions that intrigue you, but this poetic prose reminds me of Kahlil Gibran and Paul Kalanithin.
Are words beautiful? Can you smile in melancholy? What is it like to lose a parent to dementia?
What is adulthood?
I don't know if these are the questions that intrigue you, but this poetic prose reminds me of Kahlil Gibran and Paul Kalanithin.
October 5, 2022
This book is like watching a small child having a hearty laugh, engrossed in his playful ways, being happy for no reason while you are busy planning and executing life the way you want it. That is, it is a reminder to create and find joy in most mundane stories.
It helped me question and recalibrate the lenses I wear to see life and made me realize how often than not I take all the beauty life entails for granted. I made bunch of bookmarks, just like other people who have written here. I feel this strong urge to meet Dushka, hug her tight, and thank her with all my heart for the gratifying stories she weaves through interplay of her words. Every word, every metaphor, is carefully chosen and makes my heart go all gushy. I am in awe with the lenses she has created for herself to navigate life. Having someone like her in my life would be an absolute joy!
Most of the chapters leave me with a big smile adorning my lips, others make me admire the writer for clarity she has over her relationships and her emotions and bunch of them prepare me for the glorious mess that life is. The Boyfriend character enchants me and anecdotes about bus travel makes me to resolve to ditch cab rides and hop on public transport more often. I can't stop wondering how we all are in same space, same time, yet in worlds so apart created by our tiny complex heads.
The repeated context in some stories irked me a little, I understand that they were picked from Quora answer and hence the context.
The lessons that this books leave me with is- To work on improving my relationship with myself, Appreciating others generously more often, Loving people and showing up for them, having curiosity in all the mundane things, venturing out and cultivating acceptance for the being I am!
It helped me question and recalibrate the lenses I wear to see life and made me realize how often than not I take all the beauty life entails for granted. I made bunch of bookmarks, just like other people who have written here. I feel this strong urge to meet Dushka, hug her tight, and thank her with all my heart for the gratifying stories she weaves through interplay of her words. Every word, every metaphor, is carefully chosen and makes my heart go all gushy. I am in awe with the lenses she has created for herself to navigate life. Having someone like her in my life would be an absolute joy!
Most of the chapters leave me with a big smile adorning my lips, others make me admire the writer for clarity she has over her relationships and her emotions and bunch of them prepare me for the glorious mess that life is. The Boyfriend character enchants me and anecdotes about bus travel makes me to resolve to ditch cab rides and hop on public transport more often. I can't stop wondering how we all are in same space, same time, yet in worlds so apart created by our tiny complex heads.
The repeated context in some stories irked me a little, I understand that they were picked from Quora answer and hence the context.
The lessons that this books leave me with is- To work on improving my relationship with myself, Appreciating others generously more often, Loving people and showing up for them, having curiosity in all the mundane things, venturing out and cultivating acceptance for the being I am!
December 21, 2018
The Quora rockstar's wisdom condensed in the random ramblings. Think of a wise, smart, and empathetic person you know of. Imagine having a best friend who is 10 times better and having the privilege of listing to her inner most thoughts, ramblings, blissfulness, emotional insecurities, and life advice. This is precisely that book! A quick delightful read!
April 5, 2023
Easy to read daily life experiences
Its a easy to read compilation of daily journaling, picking up nuggets of daily experiences and putting it all together.
Read it if you want to know the life of a modern independent working woman who is divorced and who is mourning the loss of the father which she loves so much.
Writing your feelings to an extent heals your pain.
Its a easy to read compilation of daily journaling, picking up nuggets of daily experiences and putting it all together.
Read it if you want to know the life of a modern independent working woman who is divorced and who is mourning the loss of the father which she loves so much.
Writing your feelings to an extent heals your pain.
August 22, 2019
Clarifying!
This book is written by a person who has been living an examined live and shares the priceless little and big things she's learnt and observed and tested. Couldn't recommend buying the book enough if you want to learn how to get better at life.
This book is written by a person who has been living an examined live and shares the priceless little and big things she's learnt and observed and tested. Couldn't recommend buying the book enough if you want to learn how to get better at life.
October 18, 2017
Delight to read.
I’d re-read it over a cup of coffee at a cafe in San Francisco sometime. I enjoyed the reading. Cheers to Dushka.
I’d re-read it over a cup of coffee at a cafe in San Francisco sometime. I enjoyed the reading. Cheers to Dushka.
August 1, 2020
I have followed Dushka Zapata's on Quora for a long time. I was often delighted at how she looked at her life events. She described, in utter simplicity, her life approach which I have often aspired and failed.
A long while back, I have decided that self-help books are not for me. I was sceptical when I picked up this book. Like her, I have never been into platitudes. Hence, I was happy that she chose to write a book which has anecdotes of her life rather than a list of things to do become or remain happy. Though, she does fail sometimes in her high goal of not giving advice.
It is a reasonably good breezy read.
A long while back, I have decided that self-help books are not for me. I was sceptical when I picked up this book. Like her, I have never been into platitudes. Hence, I was happy that she chose to write a book which has anecdotes of her life rather than a list of things to do become or remain happy. Though, she does fail sometimes in her high goal of not giving advice.
It is a reasonably good breezy read.
May 3, 2021
Reading the book was like enjoying a scrumptious dessert after a tiring day.
January 3, 2017
Having read and liked Dushka Zapata's first book - How to be ferociously happy and her answers on Quora, reading Amateur was a natural choice. I like her simple style of writing and frankness. Some things which I was finding difficult to weigh in my own life, were made pretty easy for me through these two books. I would recommend them to all those who would like to know a way to lead a simple yet impactful, non-pretentious, happy, sorted, loved and emotionally involved life.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews