FLEX!: a flexible approach to work, life and everything

by Annie Auerbach

‘A beguiling exploration of how flexibility can contribute to creativity, purpose and happiness.’ Justine Roberts, founder of Mumsnet




‘Straight-talking self-help… Inspiring words, practical help and a fresh way of seeing things that we’ll be forcing on just about everyone we know.’
Stylist




As featured in Sunday Times Style, Stella, Stylist, Grazia, The Sun, Bustle




Reinventing the rules for a smarter, happier life.



Flex is a creative, rebellious way to live. It’s about looking at routines (like the nine to five) and social norms (like women bearing the brunt of the ‘emotional load’ at home) and bending and re-shaping them.


Flex is looking within and understanding yourself, your body and the patterns of your relationships, and working out how to live, earn money and be happy in a way that is perfect for you and your unique talents.


Flex is knowing that the world is changing fast. The jobs we were trained for in school won’t exist in a decade. The career ladder has been replaced with the portfolio.


If you feel stuck, tired, not at your best, bored… this book is for you.
If you are burning with ideas but stuck in an environment that squashes them… this book is for you.
If you are a rebel at heart… this book is for you.


Flex is reinventing the rules for a smarter, happier future.

Genres: Nonfiction

192 pages, Hardcover

Published April 18, 2019

About the author

Annie Auerbach is a speaker, consultant, brand strategist, and the co-founder of trends agency Starling, which specializes in helping brands understand cultural change in order to stay relevant. Starling's clients include Pepsico, Nike, Google and Unilever, and Auerbach was named a 2019 Timewise Power Founder on #timewisepower50 alongside a range of flex working trailblazers who are changing the future of work. She has worked flexibly for twenty years in many different guises—part-time, remote working, freelancing, through a portfolio career and returning to work after having her two daughters. She lives in London with her family.

Reviews

[Onyeka · Rating 3 out of 5]

Decent, thought provoking read. Annie challenges how we approach work, housework (division of labour in the home), emotional labour (remembering people’s birthdays, sending gifts, etc.)…and it really does make you rethink how rigid gender norms are within society and what we can do about it.

It’s a fairly short read, but it honestly could’ve been a 5 part article in a women’s magazine like Stylist / RED.

[Linda Tomase · Rating 3 out of 5]

More like an extra long quality magazine article discussing the life as we know it in 2019. Interesting read, good compilation of various aspects of current life challenges.

[Olivia Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

So this was free at a local book swap and what a find it was!
This was very inspiring and I took away quite a lot from this little handbook.
Some parts of it were a bit far out but on a whole it was totally mint and I liked it a lot.
5*

[Sara Winnington · Rating 5 out of 5]

No conocía este concepto de Flexibilidad y me ha parecido lo mejor de no ficción que he leído este año. Recomendadísimo para quienes quieran leer sobre desarrollo personal.

[Janani Kalpathi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Some back story first - I won this book as a prize in a quiz at work on International Women's Day this year. And oh boy, I feel so lucky to have stumbled on it.

Now the review 😉
It's a short, simple and very effective read on taking a hard look at the status quo, questioning it rationally and flexing up in all aspects of lives particularly for women. I believe this is also for men, young and old drawing inspiration from same-sex couples, mommunes and non-traditional blended setups of today. Sounds like a similar self-help, non-fiction concept on which countless books are written, yet the content and presentation are spot on. Often, it's not what you say but how you say it. Love how the author, Annie Auerbach, uses data to drive home a point consistently through the book. There's so many nuggets of cool trivia and 'ah ha' moments that it's hard to pick a favorite and sum it up.

In a nutshell, highly recommend as the book itself is a star, independent of the 5 or 10 star reviews. Also, as much as I'm a 90% Kindle reader, I recommend picking up the hard copy of this book as it's so aesthically pleasing to read and colorful - truly written with authenticity in a 'flex' way!

[amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

An interesting detailing of the often overwhelming mess of modern life. FLEX: The Modern Woman’s Handbook is an excellent book to read if you are at all interested in the way gender issues, careers and relationships are affected by flexability. The examination of women's constantly changing roles has been thoroughly researched and presented in an accessible, engaging manner. Annie Auerbach discusses often taboo subjects in a fresh and nuanced way which really makes you consider the way in which you live your own life and how flexibility has the potential to improve it.

[Paul Ince · Rating 2 out of 5]

I saw this book referenced and it sounded interesting. When it was referred to there was no mention of ‘women’ so I was surprised when I received it, but read it anyway as I thought there would be parts that were relevant, regardless of gender.

Yes, most of it doesn’t relate to gender, and the parts that were gave me a useful insight.

However, I felt like it was a book written to say one had written a book. I didn’t feel it revolutionised my thinking. F anything, it would have been stronger had it focused more in gender inequalities.

[Claire · Rating 2 out of 5]

I think I didn’t enjoy this book as I’m not the target market for it… I’m not one of these down trodden women over worker running the house hold and unable to speak up or have common sense about flogging oneself in name of job home and family.

I can see it would be useful for some… but a modern woman doesn’t need this book as they are already doing this…

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting subject matter and well written, but this really could have been an article in a magazine rather than a book - I didn't think any of the chapters explored the issues in hand in any particular depth.

[Celine · Rating 3 out of 5]

My friend recommended (and bought for me) this book because she felt I NEEDED to read it. It's a great read that touches on the basics of navigating life as we know it, and puts what we already know in words. Felt like a magazine article at some point but interesting nonetheless

[Charlie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting and light read, not exactly what I was expecting but still worth a read!

[Julia Grosheva · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this book, very easy and entertaining, full of new ideas or ideas explained in different way. Makes you think about your approaches at work and personal life.

[Clare · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked the tone and sentiment. But I was thrown by the random placement of some of the case studies and stories as they were placed in the middle of chapters and broke up the rhythm.

[Chelcee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Very inspirational

[DALAL ABDULLAH · Rating 5 out of 5]

"We need to get the job done, but surely when, where and how is up to us" this book is inspiring.

[Elizabeth Attfield-Haines · Rating 2 out of 5]

Meh.

[Jmac · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great to infirm empathy

I purposefully read this book to help improve empathy to understand how a woman must flex in an often inflexible world, it did the job. Bravo

[Amelia Marilyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some interesting ideas, good weekend reading