Three Things I’d Tell My Younger Self

by Joanna Cannon

A very special FREE collection of advice for our younger selves, compiled by Joanna Cannon – the author of THREE THINGS ABOUT ELSIE and THE TROUBLE WITH GOATS AND SHEEP

If you could send a message to your younger self, what three things would you want to tell them? This inspiring, moving and frequently hilarious collection includes advice from – among others – authors, journalists, clergy, nurses and doctors; and their words will offer both solace and entertainment to readers at any milestone in life, from exam results and educational choices to love, health, friendship and careers. Here you will find the wise words of:

Ignasi Agell
Sue Armstrong
Hannah Beckerman
Ann Bissell
Dr Sue Black
Fern Britton
Wendy Burn
Joanna Cannon
Tracy Chevalier
Julie Cohen
Charlotte Cray
Dr John Crichton
Miranda Dickinson
Suzie Dooré
Janet Ellis
Nathan Filer
Patrick Gale
Sam Guglani
Dr Helen-Ann Hartley
Kerry Hudson
Mandy Huxley
Reverend Andrea Jones
Adam Kay
Erin Kelly
Dr Kate Lovett
Katy Mahood
Anna Mazzola
Lydia Elise Millen
Dame Helena Morrissey
Hannah O’Brien
Femi Oyebode
Lev Parikian
Nina Pottell
Jonathan and Angela Scott
Anita Sethi
Lionel Shriver
Graeme Simsion
Dr Laura Varnam
Kate Williams

Genres: Nonfiction, Short Stories

91 pages, Kindle Edition

Published August 15, 2018

About the author

Librarians note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.

Joanna Cannon is the author of the Sunday Times bestselling debut novel The Trouble with Goats and Sheep, which has sold over 250,000 copies in the UK alone and has been published in 15 countries. The novel was longlisted for the Desmond Elliott Prize, shortlisted for The Bookseller Industry Awards 2017 and won the 2016 BAMB Reader Award. Joanna has been interviewed in The Guardian, The Observer, The Sunday Times, The Times, and Good Housekeeping magazine, and her writing has appeared in the Sunday Telegraph, Daily Mail, and the Guardian, amongst others. She has appeared on BBC Breakfast, BBC News Channel’s Meet the Author, interviewed on BBC Radio 4 and BBC Radio 5, and is a regular at literary festivals across the country including Edinburgh and Cheltenham. Joanna left school at fifteen with one O-level and worked her way through many different jobs – barmaid, kennel maid, pizza delivery expert – before returning to school in her thirties and qualifying as a doctor. Her work as a psychiatrist and interest in people on the fringes of society continue to inspire her writing, and Joanna currently volunteers for Arts for Health, an organisation bringing creative arts to NHS staff and patients. Joanna Cannon’s second novel Three Things About Elsie is published in January 2018 and explores memory, friendship and old age. She lives in the Peak District with her family and her dog.

Reviews

[Noninuna · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's interesting to hear (read) what advice you would give to the past you. But by 3/4 of this, I got tired because some of these people just want to tell their life story rather than telling their younger self what to do & don't do.

[Adele · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was so excited when I heard about this on Joanna Cannon's instagram page just the other day. I pre-ordered it to automatically download when released just yesterday. Then today I saw it and thought yes! I must read this straight away!

Joanna Cannon has put together a collection of voices from her mother to authors, journalists and even a nurse. They all tell us three things they would tell their younger selves and sometimes that little bit extra.

I loved everything about this. From the general idea to every piece of advise I've taken from these inspirational people. This is a collection that everyone needs to read, and it is one that I will be referring back to every time I feel blue.

[Robyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A cute little book in which various adults - authors, doctors, clergy, publishers, and more - discuss the three pieces of advice they'd give to their younger selves. The release was timed to coincide with A level results day but all the advice is equally applicable to most people, young and old. Highly recommended to anyone going through a tough time.

[Gemma Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

A Fun Important Read

Five stars for this fab collection of advice from some of the best people around. Everyone should have a word with their younger selves after reading this. Would recommend

[Philippa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very lovely and uplifting read, lots of useful advice (and I noted with a smile that there were a lot of common entries in many of the contributors’ “three things” - namely, stop caring so much about what people think; cherish your good friends; and be happy/positive/strong, it’ll all be ok in the end). I think Patrick Gale’s contribution was my favourite.

[Rae · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Things I’d Tell My Younger Self by Joanna Cannon and friends is a short, inspirational collection of advice and observations that I can’t praise highly enough – and not just because it’s FREE! Go grab this gift as a reminder to focus on the present and stop sweating about the small stuff. Recommended for teens and those who still remember the angst of those heady pre-adult days.

[Ruth · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's about a 3.5* for me. I enjoyed so many of the words of wisdom, and many of them were so insightful and relatable.
I realise this was a free kindle book, but I think it would be nice if it had some illustrations and even cost something to buy. It would definitely be a treasure then.

[Gem ~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review to follow

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable short read that I downloaded for free on kindle. Some sweet and thoughtful words of advice.

4 stars

[Anne · Rating 3 out of 5]

It seems we're all the same, deep down. Same fears, same hopes, same insecurities. Once you'd read the first few bits of advice the rest were along the same lines. The idea was good but the range of advisors was limited. The subject is certainly something to contemplate for yourself though.

[Kerry · Rating 2 out of 5]

I enjoyed the messages people gave their younger selves - proof that we gain wisdom as we get older. However, too short for my liking, I would have liked more

[Anji · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving this little gem of a book so far. Reading it on ‘a chapter a day’ basis, which makes me think about what is said. Best for me so far? Nathan Filer

[Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This ebook short is full of inspiring words which may encourage those who received their exam results in Scotland last week and those getting A-Level results today, particularly if things haven't gone as well as hoped. Although, as we know, what teen ever listens to well-intentioned advice!

The book has diverse pieces of advice of varying lengths from, among others, authors, publishers, journalists, medical staff - oh and Joanna Cannon's mum! Some will make you laugh, some will move you and I expect many will have you nodding in recognition.

Almost everyone says to try to be more confident, something which is so hard in your younger years, and to try not to compare yourself with others. Interestingly almost nobody says 'don't do this particular thing' to their younger self. I think this recognises that all our experiences, good or bad, make us the person we are.

At the end, you will find the opening chapter of the wonderful Three Things About Elsie to give you a flavour of the book if you haven't already read it.

This is a lovely quick read which is entertaining, enjoyable and inspiring.

[Caroline Venables · Rating 5 out of 5]

Firstly I would highly recommend this book to everyone, no matter how old, your gender or position in life, it offers something for everyone.  Secondly grab some tissues.  This book made me cry, a lot, not because its sad but because its poignant and inspirational.
It’s only a short read, I read it in half an hour, but it will stay with me much longer.  I read it while my daughter was getting her nails done, and I sat there trying to hide the tears.  I read it again before I reviewed it and I have never highlighted a book so much. This book is going to be a go to when I need reassurance, guidance and a pick me up.
All the contributors to the book have each written a letter to their previous selves, some are long some are short.  What they all had in common is a lot of their lessons are very similar.  We are all much more alike than we think.  All our hang ups and anxieties that we think are unique to us aren’t.
If you are looking for a book that will make you cry and laugh and provide some great insight, read this.  It’s free and something quite wonderful.

[Sam Young · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you could write a letter to your younger self what 3 bits of advice would you give yourself? Well, Joanna Cannon asked friends and acquaintances to do this and has collated them in this short NF book.
It’s a quick interesting insight into other people lives and fills the reader with hope and realisation that life is up and down and to make the most of every opportunity and learn from mistakes.
A great piece of joy in the world delivered at a time when there is much anxiety out there as young adults collect exam results up and down the country.

[Anni · Rating 3 out of 5]

This helpful collection of wise words to the young is a nice idea, though somewhat weighted towards advice for girls, as only seven out of the forty contributors are male. Maybe it was thought that girls need more guidance (certainly I would have been glad of it). As such, much of the advice is duplicated but none the less valuable for that. I have to confess my favourite tip for (a financially secure) future life was the tongue-in-cheek one offered by Adam Kay: invest every spare pound you've got in Apple shares!

[MrKeyNotes · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved it

Loved it.
Countless advice on life, love, school, friends, whatever! Too many times we go through life blind without any guidance, this book provides some knowledge on how to make life a little easier

[K. Hasmita · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magnificent book which can completely change one's perception of who they are. This book is a compilation of answers to the question "Three things I would tell my younger self" by some wisest people from different backgrounds and who had their own fair share of struggles.

This book contains wisdom and advice acquired by these people over the years. This would be a perfect read for those who want to be focused and are facing challenges in life.

I love the way the book has been written. I took alot of notes from this book. This book isn't filled with research and studies, it provides answers from different people who started out ordinary and became extraordinary.

There is nothing that i did not like in this book. I don't think there's anyone who wouldn't benefit from this book. Truly a great and inspirational read !!

[T.A. · Rating 3 out of 5]

it was free…

So this book was free and it made me consider what I might tell my younger self, so it did a good job. That’s the pros of the book.

The downside 47% of the book, yes you read that right, is the first part of another book. Clearly this was released as promotional material.

The other thing is that the book itself gets rather repetitive, unless you are really into this kind of thing it’s a bit tedious. Considering how short it is (47% I didn’t even read as it was a different book) I should have read easily in one sitting but I couldn’t and I only picked it back up after a few days to clear it off my reading list.

It’s a free book that makes you think so that’s a good thing but wasn’t as interesting as I had hoped for.

[Adeeb · Rating 2 out of 5]

I like what this was trying to do. It’s really cute and thoughtful, and there’s a lot to benefit from.

I felt like a lot of the advices given here were repetitive and I think that while the effort and intentions were great and would speak to many, I personally want something deeper and more complex.

I very much appreciate the author for talking to the different people to compile different advices in this short book.

[Eli · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un libro que me gustó, los consejos son buenos. Incluso algunos se los daría a mi yo joven. Me hizo reflexionar sobre algunas vivencias que tuve en mi adolescencia y en cuanto algunas relaciones personales.
Algunos de los consejos se repiten, pero estuvo bien, pues hay quienes se dan ese mismo consejo pero por circunstancias diferentes.
Justo le recomendé este libro a un amigo, antes de terminar de leerlo 😉

[Nikhil Agrawal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Three Things I'd tell my younger self is a very short and sweet book. The language is simple and it conveys the meanings properly. It has opinions from people from all walks of life. This book is a perfect, short and crisp read for teenagers, and also acts like a combination of the 7 habits books and the Chicken Soups.

[daseptia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is about people with different backgrounds giving three things they would tell their younger self. They tell similar worries and advices, so, If you are still young this book is really good to read so you know what mistakes you shouldn't make and what advice that would make your life better.

[Jess · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked the advice from a huge variety of people, careers & ages. Sometimes it was more their life story more than some solid advice.

Some parts I could relate to and definitely settled some inner worries for me.

Though the rest of the book (about 50%) was promo for another book of the authors which was a shame.

[Lynn P · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a collection of advice from well known people. It's a quick read and one I will keep as a reference to remind myself of all the good advice in here. Interesting to read what famous people think looking back.

[El · Rating 3 out of 5]

A great idea and good to read but I felt it was a bit repetitive and rather female-based. Don't males need/want to share advice, too?! But it did inspire me to think of my own three pieces of advice to my younger self and to ask friends theirs so it definitely worked for me!

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nothing new - we all know that hindsight is a wonderful thing!! The best bit about this is that the first couple of chapters of Three Things about Elsie were tacked on to the end of it - and that was wonderful to reread.

[Kizzie Chadwick · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cheery and uplifting

Pleasant read that at times really makes you consider your own thoughts and actions. Very cheery and uplifting though some of the things people passed on were a bit samey

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really lovely, short read. As a 37 year old woman, I found it quite inspiring and will definitely (or at least try!) be taking on some of the suggestions. My only 'negative' would be that I'd like to see more of a variation of people, from all walks of life/careers. Free on the Kindle right now.

[Jule · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was a bit disappointed but I suspect I am a bit too old to apply the worthwhile lessons in the book.

That being said, Cannon’d book “Three Things about Elsie” was one of my favourite books of recent years - don’t miss it