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Never Play Dead: How the Truth Makes You Unstoppable
In Never Play Dead, Tomi cheers on anyone, especially other young women willing to speak their minds. She takes readers on a tour of the internet trolls, political correctness police, campus activists, and condescending elites who never pass up a chance to quash honest debate. And she skewers the self-esteem movement that ironically discourages people from speaking up for themselves.
She tells the story of how she worked her way out of South Dakota to television fame in LA, surviving social isolation, a truly terrible boyfriend, and awful workplaces. Along the way, she was tempted to follow everyone's advice to keep quiet and bide her time, but she never did.
This comes at a cost. Anytime Tomi posts a video or sends out a tweet, it makes headlines. A video of a stranger throwing a glass of ice water at her and her parents went viral, and the president tweeted about it. She was fired at The Blaze because she wouldn't toe the party line. However, it's fine to lose followers as long as you never lose yourself.
She tells the story of how she worked her way out of South Dakota to television fame in LA, surviving social isolation, a truly terrible boyfriend, and awful workplaces. Along the way, she was tempted to follow everyone's advice to keep quiet and bide her time, but she never did.
This comes at a cost. Anytime Tomi posts a video or sends out a tweet, it makes headlines. A video of a stranger throwing a glass of ice water at her and her parents went viral, and the president tweeted about it. She was fired at The Blaze because she wouldn't toe the party line. However, it's fine to lose followers as long as you never lose yourself.
256 pages, Hardcover
First published July 2, 2019
95 people are currently reading
543 people want to read
About the author
Tomi Lahren
1 book38 followersTomi Lahren is an American conservative political commentator. Lahren graduated from The University of Nevada, Las Vegas, where she earned her B.A. in broadcast journalism and political science. She currently serves as host of FOX Nation's daily programs First Thoughts and Final Thoughts. Her signature Final Thoughts recaps her views on the day’s top stories. In addition to her role on FOX Nation, Lahren is a contributor for FNC, offering political commentary across the network’s opinion programming, primarily on Hannity and FOX & Friends.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 125 reviews
September 2, 2019
I listened to the audio, and I promise, it was funnier than Mr. Bill. If you are a fan of unintentional humor, bow to your queen. Whether it is the INCREDIBLE tone deafness and cluelessness that can allow her to say that we need more civil discourse and seemingly five minutes later report that she called Mrs Clinton and Mrs Warren men and we need to get over it, it’s just an incredible ride.
She wants to be a role model.
She is a role model for those who don’t read, believe the rules don’t apply to them, and love to repeat themselves. Honestly, she mentioned her parents old cars so many times I was tempted to start a go fund me for them.
She has figured out how to make money preaching to the Fox choir. She won’t last. Based on the sales of the book, her ride is just about over.
She wants to be a role model.
She is a role model for those who don’t read, believe the rules don’t apply to them, and love to repeat themselves. Honestly, she mentioned her parents old cars so many times I was tempted to start a go fund me for them.
She has figured out how to make money preaching to the Fox choir. She won’t last. Based on the sales of the book, her ride is just about over.
July 1, 2019
To balance out the haters who are unintelligent. People are writing reviews saying the book is bad when their grammar is so horrible I bet they don’t even know how to read
August 23, 2024
I've long followed Tomi since her Final Thoughts started on Facebook. While I don't subscribe to the right wing/left wing circus, and consider myself a strong independent who verges on anarchy, I definitely respect her strength and resilience and how she speaks her truth. I used to love and appreciate Glenn Beck even before she worked for him, but he clearly fell under control of handlers and completely changed the style of his station. He used to be unafraid to question everything and entertained conspiracies for the sake of possibility, but he is now another elitist puppet, and I can definitely easily believe everything she says she experienced working for him. While she's obviously very conservative, I appreciate that she questions and has some atypical views, though I would advise her to research false flags. At times, she did come across full of herself and a bit exaggerated, for example when she felt Trump saw her Tweet and copied her terminology..I highly doubt he did, to be honest. It's appalling how people who disagree with her have treated her in public, and I do believe she would be perfectly nice and sweet if I met her in a bar or restaurant.
July 3, 2019
This little girl called Joe Kennedy a ginger and talked about his private parts, admitted kicking her dog, had pleasure watching kids getting teargas, badly disrespect woman fighting for women’s rights. ALL this chick does is play the victim and talk plenty og bullcrap without REAL FACTS, this book is nothing but LIES! But best part is calling people RHINOS when she in farted has had several abortions. Why would anyone take this little girl seriously when she provides nothing to the table.
July 19, 2019
Tomi clearly doesn’t have enough life experience to be someone else’s “inspiration” which she claims she wants to be, especially to young women who can’t find their voices to speak up. What she really means is she wants to inspire CONSERVATIVES to speak up although she claims her book is for “everyone” including liberals while contradicting that statement throughout the book.
Also, this book is so poorly written that I don’t think she even had an editor—or one that knew what they were doing—because I CONSTANTLY found myself correcting not only for grammar but for conciseness which she ironically claims to be along with “articulate.” This book could be condensed to about three-quarters its size just by taking out unnecessary garble.
Final note, I had more hope for this book, but Tomi obviously wouldn’t know what true grit is if it hit her in the face. All this book did was make me realize how blindly biased Tomi is regarding her “values” which doesn’t say much coming from someone who admittedly ducked and covered in two instances of people of color noticing her. It takes a special type of person to put an incendiary quote in their book that reads, “We have all these people who are homeless and shoving needles in their arm [sic] because they “followed their dreams” [sic].”
And the last thing this book made me realize is how easy it is to write a BAD book, publicize the hell out of it, and make a lot of dough doing so. I give this two stars because at least it was entertaining.
Also, this book is so poorly written that I don’t think she even had an editor—or one that knew what they were doing—because I CONSTANTLY found myself correcting not only for grammar but for conciseness which she ironically claims to be along with “articulate.” This book could be condensed to about three-quarters its size just by taking out unnecessary garble.
Final note, I had more hope for this book, but Tomi obviously wouldn’t know what true grit is if it hit her in the face. All this book did was make me realize how blindly biased Tomi is regarding her “values” which doesn’t say much coming from someone who admittedly ducked and covered in two instances of people of color noticing her. It takes a special type of person to put an incendiary quote in their book that reads, “We have all these people who are homeless and shoving needles in their arm [sic] because they “followed their dreams” [sic].”
And the last thing this book made me realize is how easy it is to write a BAD book, publicize the hell out of it, and make a lot of dough doing so. I give this two stars because at least it was entertaining.
July 5, 2019
I can’t support an animal abuser, tomi has no talent, all she does is bring other people down to sell herself. What has she done productive lately? Why isn’t she running for Congress in California? Because NOBODY like her, she make it seems like she high power, but all she is is a one trick pony doing the same tricks. She called Joe Kennedy a ginger and limp-d—-, she love disrespecting older people if they don’t agree with her propaganda. Last thing is she try to make her opinions the truth without factual evidence. All she does is yell inn TV, which has gotten old even Fox News gotten bored of. She s spokesperson for Nazi. Tomi Nazi Lahren is the worst person in US HISTORY. EVERYONE IS WAITING FOR HER TO GO AWAY FOREVER.
July 7, 2019
Tomi Lahren shared a lot about herself and about the situations the United States is in at the moment. She is such a strong women, and I loved hearing all about situations in her life. I would recommend this book to everyone who has been in hard times, especially women readers. But democrats and republicans alike would be able to take things away. Even though she talks about her politics it is not overwhelming. I don't have the same views on politics as Tomi yet I found it interesting. Avoid the readers who put the score before the books release date. It came out July 3, and I read it in two days and couldn't put it down.
July 21, 2019
I loved this book! And I’m sure if it were written anonymously, all the negative stars wouldn’t exist (if they even read it). Some people can’t see past their party. Yes, there are some politics in this book but it’s more about Tomi’s life and how to fight for what you believe in. Say what you want about her, this girl stands her ground and fights for what she believes in. A few of my favorite quotes:
“Standing your ground is not always easy. However, when you do it over and over, it becomes the way that you are, and that adds to your confidence.”
“...Once you live without fear, it doesn’t get much better. Do no harm, but take no shit!”
“When you’ve been dropped on your ass, don’t sit in the corner and feel sorry for yourself. Square your shoulders and tell yourself that no one will get the better of you. You can be fragile like a flower or fragile like a bomb. The choice is yours!”
“...People are going to try to bait you, to get you angry. They want that part of your personality to come out. But don’t respond. Mastering your ability to control your reactions is something I’ve been working on and something I suggest you work on, too. Take the long view. Have foresight.” ❤️#lifegoals
“Before you ask yourself why some people hate you, ask yourself why you give a damn. Worry less about who you might offend and pay more attention to who you might inspire.”
“Don’t ever let anyone reduce you, because when you do, you give them power. And the truth is this: the reason they’re saying you’re not enough is that you’re TOO enough and it scares them. That’s their problem, not yours!” ❤️❤️
“Standing your ground is not always easy. However, when you do it over and over, it becomes the way that you are, and that adds to your confidence.”
“...Once you live without fear, it doesn’t get much better. Do no harm, but take no shit!”
“When you’ve been dropped on your ass, don’t sit in the corner and feel sorry for yourself. Square your shoulders and tell yourself that no one will get the better of you. You can be fragile like a flower or fragile like a bomb. The choice is yours!”
“...People are going to try to bait you, to get you angry. They want that part of your personality to come out. But don’t respond. Mastering your ability to control your reactions is something I’ve been working on and something I suggest you work on, too. Take the long view. Have foresight.” ❤️#lifegoals
“Before you ask yourself why some people hate you, ask yourself why you give a damn. Worry less about who you might offend and pay more attention to who you might inspire.”
“Don’t ever let anyone reduce you, because when you do, you give them power. And the truth is this: the reason they’re saying you’re not enough is that you’re TOO enough and it scares them. That’s their problem, not yours!” ❤️❤️
June 3, 2020
Note: This was read via audible audio.
I was fantastically surprised how much I loved this book. America is a strange place where it seems that a women can be bold and outspoken but that's only if you follow the liberal media's agenda. If you have a differing view that could fall into the conservative box, then you'll get horrendous backlash. Most likely be called character damaging names, such as racist. Students who have conservative views must hide in the shadows at universities.
I read this book during an interesting time in America, where riots and violence have bloomed out of George Floyd's death. No one it seems has the logic or the guts to just say that all forms of violence, stealing, and property damage is not okay! There are definitely issues wrong that need to not only be addressed but also solved! Riots and violence just corrupt the real issue.
This book made me realize how important it is to keep your beliefs close to you and stand up for them even when the rest of the world says it's wrong for you do that because you are white and a republican!
I hope it helps all women with any kind of view to understand the importance of stand up for one's self.
With love,
Jamie
I was fantastically surprised how much I loved this book. America is a strange place where it seems that a women can be bold and outspoken but that's only if you follow the liberal media's agenda. If you have a differing view that could fall into the conservative box, then you'll get horrendous backlash. Most likely be called character damaging names, such as racist. Students who have conservative views must hide in the shadows at universities.
I read this book during an interesting time in America, where riots and violence have bloomed out of George Floyd's death. No one it seems has the logic or the guts to just say that all forms of violence, stealing, and property damage is not okay! There are definitely issues wrong that need to not only be addressed but also solved! Riots and violence just corrupt the real issue.
This book made me realize how important it is to keep your beliefs close to you and stand up for them even when the rest of the world says it's wrong for you do that because you are white and a republican!
I hope it helps all women with any kind of view to understand the importance of stand up for one's self.
With love,
Jamie
January 3, 2021
Can't believe trees were cut and money was spent on this unbelievably huge pile of fuming crap.
July 4, 2019
Tomi is a nasty disgusting racist bigot disrespectful troll, her only talent is to go after celebrities and people of color, this book is all her nasty racist thoughts! It’s a long list of Black people she keeps attacking. She a disgrace to woman, she a disgrace to conservatives, she a disgrace to millenniums and she s disgrace to white women who want no part of her bigotry. No matter if your an elder or severed in the military ( which Tomi NEVER SERVED) if you don’t agree with her your a snowflake, she in her book she wants people to stop the name calling. Hypocrite !!!!!!!! If you love your daughters or any little girl PLEASE don’t not buy this disgusting nasty bad written racist book.
July 14, 2019
If you hate this book then you are merely a Hillary loving democrat who can’t look at life from someone else’s perspective. I couldn’t put this book down (and I read a lot of books). Tomi tells it like it is. No sugar coating which I love!! All girls of college age should read this. There is so much positive about this book. I love how she admires a Democrat because they are a good person - like Oprah. Politics shouldn’t fill our daily lives. She recognizes that her parents made her who she is and taught her values that are so hard to find in most millennials. I’m 51 and I wish I knew half of what she’s already figured out in 26 years.
September 13, 2019
For the most part, this book is about standing up for yourself and what you believe in. It’s about getting hit but getting back on your feet, stronger and braver. Whether you’re a conservative or liberal, republican democrat or libertarian, Tomi lover or hater, there is a lot that can be gained from reading this book. Tomi is an American success story- no one can deny that. Though some parts were repetitive, or a little eh…pushy (?), I’m glad I read this book and I would definitely recommend it. I found this book to be enjoyable and inspiring.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Here are some takeaways from the book (not all of the chapters are accurate, and some quotations are not word-for-word from the book):
I wouldn’t take back a moment of even my worst experiences because they taught me how resilient I am and how fearless... they also made me grateful for every blessing I that I have and keep me laser focused on getting where I want to go. I go forth and conquer. I don’t let anybody stop my journey and neither should you.
Standing your ground is not always easy however when you do it over and over it becomes the way you are, and that adds to your confidence..it sets you free.
Once you make a habit of standing up for yourself it’s not so hard anymore
-the more you do it the more confident you get
You’re never going to look back and say I feel bad that I was myself today or I feel bad that I expressed myself today
I don’t care what comes at me today. I’m going to hit it and it’s going to be fine
Tell yourself no one will get the better of you
You can be fragile like a flower, or fragile like a bomb the choice is yours
Chap 2:
Are they really your friends if they don’t like you for your political views ?
I don’t try to win over haters. I’m not a jackass whisperer, and neither are you.
Chap 3
Everyone Gets jealous and insecure but you have to tell yourself I don’t want this feeling
Never make it about other people
People are going to try to bait you to get you angry They want that part of your personality to come out but don’t respond.
The best revenge is having enough self worth not to seek it
Don’t waste your time being jealous of anyone else because the moment you start worrying about other people, that’s the moment when you stop focusing on yourself and you start sliding. That’s when the crown slips. Keep your head down focus and keep your eye on your little piece of the pie instead of worrying about what other people are doing
Know what you bring to the table and do your own thing
Don’t use your energy to go after people
People will reveal their true colors you don’t need to do it for them
Ask yourself. Do you want people to agree with you, or do you want people to respect you? They are not the same thing.
People say these things because they want a reaction out of you. Don’t give it to them. Don’t let it disturb your peace. Just keep going.
When people are trying to get a rise out of you they want you to fall off your game. Why give them any attention?
Chap 4
If you walk into a building like you already own it, people pay attention
If you’ve done the work leading up to that moment you’re prepared
You rarely get hired for what you know and what you can do usually you get hired for what you’re eager to find out
Disappointment and failure fosters growth and success
Your Obstacles have been placed in your life for a reason. use them. Grow from them. Shatter them
I’m going to do everything well because that builds character
No one has ever accomplished anything waiting for a handout
Don’t let anyone tell you- you can’t do that. Look at them and say WATCH ME
No one is going to look out for you like you are going to look out for you. So make sure that you’re paying attention and controlling your destiny
Keep moving forward and seeing the big picture sitting back and feeling sorry for yourself is not going to do a damn thing
If something scares you run towards it as fast as you can
L The exceptional never fear change they embrace it
Confidence is when you’re not feeling like your best but you’re gonna go out and be your best anyways. Act like a queen even if you don’t feel like a princes
Confidence is when I feel weak today, but I’m going to be steong
If the validation of others dictates your confidence that’s not confidence
I told myself, this will not shake you.
This was God saying its transition time you got what you could from this experience, now here’s the next adventure
A network did not make me an in network could not break me
You will only succeed by following your inner compass
Part of being unfuckwithable is working hard even if no one is willing to help you you need to find it within yourself to make it happen
Fake the confidence if you don’t have itBecause the more you do it the easier it becomes
How you talk to yourself matters
Don’t apologize for the truth
Don’t let their bad behavior change the way that you act
Don’t put a lot of thought in someone you think very little of . If that’s not a person you’d wanna spend your time with, don’t spend your time on them... I wanna be a voice for the voiceless, not a voice for assholes.
I don’t do this for the {assholes} I do it for the 15 yr old girls that call me a role model
Chap 7
Worry less about who you might offend, and pay more attention to who you might inspire
I could either sit in the corner and cry or get to work being a victim is never cute it just brings you down
Why be a victim when you can be a warrior
If you can learn and reflect on the situation you no longer a victim of it
To some extent everyone cares what people think of them I prior to prioritize how I think of myself
Most people that insult you don’t think about how it will make you feel-they think about how it will make them feel
People hate me for who they think I am not who I am
Chap 8
I’m not a chess piece I’m a chess player
Power respect power
If you’re a true woman a man can’t give you confidence and a man can’t take it away
Let circumstances you don’t like motivate you to aim and achieve higher
Do you wanna be the popular girl in high school with all the friends and all the party invites or do You want to be the 25-year-old making $1 million a year in continuing to climb
Don’t follow your dreams, achieve your goals. Following your dreams mean you don’t have a plan...
You need to have foresight. I don’t think about what’s right in front of me.
You will be too much for some people those aren’t your people
If we find someone who tells us what we want to hear, we fall in love with that feeling. Not always with the person
People find your triggers and exploit you
(If I hadn’t been through those things) I might have become a woman who still allows people to tell her how to talk act dress think and live
(Thankful god pulled her out of a relationship) he jolted her out- sometimes it has to get that bad because if it doesn’t, you’re not going to leave. If it doesn’t, you’re not going to change
Don’t wait until youre successful to be proud of yourself. Be proud of who you are, and it will help you succeed.
Don’t ever let anyone reduce you. When you do, you give them power.
Whenever someone tells you that you’re not enough, what they’re really saying is that you’re TOO enough, and it scares them
Chap 10
DONT QUESTION YOUR JOURNEY
The moment you start to over analyze your life that’s an insult to God because you’re telling him he can’t handle your life
Why should I sit there for one minute and long for someone that doesn’t want me
Sometimes when you’re slipping into a place that God doesn’t want you to go to, he has to slap you in the face with something to get you to move on
its a powerful thing to realize that you can love someone that even if they love you
our earthly concerns are only temporary
Don’t be most people.
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
Here are some takeaways from the book (not all of the chapters are accurate, and some quotations are not word-for-word from the book):
I wouldn’t take back a moment of even my worst experiences because they taught me how resilient I am and how fearless... they also made me grateful for every blessing I that I have and keep me laser focused on getting where I want to go. I go forth and conquer. I don’t let anybody stop my journey and neither should you.
Standing your ground is not always easy however when you do it over and over it becomes the way you are, and that adds to your confidence..it sets you free.
Once you make a habit of standing up for yourself it’s not so hard anymore
-the more you do it the more confident you get
You’re never going to look back and say I feel bad that I was myself today or I feel bad that I expressed myself today
I don’t care what comes at me today. I’m going to hit it and it’s going to be fine
Tell yourself no one will get the better of you
You can be fragile like a flower, or fragile like a bomb the choice is yours
Chap 2:
Are they really your friends if they don’t like you for your political views ?
I don’t try to win over haters. I’m not a jackass whisperer, and neither are you.
Chap 3
Everyone Gets jealous and insecure but you have to tell yourself I don’t want this feeling
Never make it about other people
People are going to try to bait you to get you angry They want that part of your personality to come out but don’t respond.
The best revenge is having enough self worth not to seek it
Don’t waste your time being jealous of anyone else because the moment you start worrying about other people, that’s the moment when you stop focusing on yourself and you start sliding. That’s when the crown slips. Keep your head down focus and keep your eye on your little piece of the pie instead of worrying about what other people are doing
Know what you bring to the table and do your own thing
Don’t use your energy to go after people
People will reveal their true colors you don’t need to do it for them
Ask yourself. Do you want people to agree with you, or do you want people to respect you? They are not the same thing.
People say these things because they want a reaction out of you. Don’t give it to them. Don’t let it disturb your peace. Just keep going.
When people are trying to get a rise out of you they want you to fall off your game. Why give them any attention?
Chap 4
If you walk into a building like you already own it, people pay attention
If you’ve done the work leading up to that moment you’re prepared
You rarely get hired for what you know and what you can do usually you get hired for what you’re eager to find out
Disappointment and failure fosters growth and success
Your Obstacles have been placed in your life for a reason. use them. Grow from them. Shatter them
I’m going to do everything well because that builds character
No one has ever accomplished anything waiting for a handout
Don’t let anyone tell you- you can’t do that. Look at them and say WATCH ME
No one is going to look out for you like you are going to look out for you. So make sure that you’re paying attention and controlling your destiny
Keep moving forward and seeing the big picture sitting back and feeling sorry for yourself is not going to do a damn thing
If something scares you run towards it as fast as you can
L The exceptional never fear change they embrace it
Confidence is when you’re not feeling like your best but you’re gonna go out and be your best anyways. Act like a queen even if you don’t feel like a princes
Confidence is when I feel weak today, but I’m going to be steong
If the validation of others dictates your confidence that’s not confidence
I told myself, this will not shake you.
This was God saying its transition time you got what you could from this experience, now here’s the next adventure
A network did not make me an in network could not break me
You will only succeed by following your inner compass
Part of being unfuckwithable is working hard even if no one is willing to help you you need to find it within yourself to make it happen
Fake the confidence if you don’t have itBecause the more you do it the easier it becomes
How you talk to yourself matters
Don’t apologize for the truth
Don’t let their bad behavior change the way that you act
Don’t put a lot of thought in someone you think very little of . If that’s not a person you’d wanna spend your time with, don’t spend your time on them... I wanna be a voice for the voiceless, not a voice for assholes.
I don’t do this for the {assholes} I do it for the 15 yr old girls that call me a role model
Chap 7
Worry less about who you might offend, and pay more attention to who you might inspire
I could either sit in the corner and cry or get to work being a victim is never cute it just brings you down
Why be a victim when you can be a warrior
If you can learn and reflect on the situation you no longer a victim of it
To some extent everyone cares what people think of them I prior to prioritize how I think of myself
Most people that insult you don’t think about how it will make you feel-they think about how it will make them feel
People hate me for who they think I am not who I am
Chap 8
I’m not a chess piece I’m a chess player
Power respect power
If you’re a true woman a man can’t give you confidence and a man can’t take it away
Let circumstances you don’t like motivate you to aim and achieve higher
Do you wanna be the popular girl in high school with all the friends and all the party invites or do You want to be the 25-year-old making $1 million a year in continuing to climb
Don’t follow your dreams, achieve your goals. Following your dreams mean you don’t have a plan...
You need to have foresight. I don’t think about what’s right in front of me.
You will be too much for some people those aren’t your people
If we find someone who tells us what we want to hear, we fall in love with that feeling. Not always with the person
People find your triggers and exploit you
(If I hadn’t been through those things) I might have become a woman who still allows people to tell her how to talk act dress think and live
(Thankful god pulled her out of a relationship) he jolted her out- sometimes it has to get that bad because if it doesn’t, you’re not going to leave. If it doesn’t, you’re not going to change
Don’t wait until youre successful to be proud of yourself. Be proud of who you are, and it will help you succeed.
Don’t ever let anyone reduce you. When you do, you give them power.
Whenever someone tells you that you’re not enough, what they’re really saying is that you’re TOO enough, and it scares them
Chap 10
DONT QUESTION YOUR JOURNEY
The moment you start to over analyze your life that’s an insult to God because you’re telling him he can’t handle your life
Why should I sit there for one minute and long for someone that doesn’t want me
Sometimes when you’re slipping into a place that God doesn’t want you to go to, he has to slap you in the face with something to get you to move on
its a powerful thing to realize that you can love someone that even if they love you
our earthly concerns are only temporary
Don’t be most people.
January 12, 2021
Let me start out by saying I went into this book with an open mind. It first started out as a 3 stars, went down to 2, and then became 1. Here’s why.
- The Writing: The writing was very bad. There were lots of grammatical errors, lots of sentences that started with conjunctions (it’s ok every once in a while, but not every other page). It read more like a long rant than an actual book.
- Organization: I’ve read a fair share of memoirs. The ones I thought were good all had one thing in common: Organization. I was never lost, confused, and everything was well thought out. This one, however, was not at all organized. Tomi jumped from topic to topic, and randomly brought issues up out of nowhere.
- Repetition: Glenn Beck. The Blaze. How her feelings were hurt over a social media comment, or nasty words. Normally, I don’t notice repetition in novels if I’m enjoying them, but this book was extremely repetitive. It was very annoying, from a reader standpoint.
- The excessive use of explanation points: A good writer knows when to use an explanation point, and knows when it’s relevant. That’s all I have to say.
- Wrong use of italics: Italics is used to put more emphasis in a word. She used it, in my opinion, almost always the wrong way.
- Show, don’t tell: Tomi did a lot of telling. It made the novel seem childish, and added on to the repetitiveness.
Let’s talk about things I didn’t appreciate at all.
Here’s a direct quote from the book: “‘Bring the fear of God to their desert’, I said. As I often do, I said what people were thinking but wouldn’t utter out loud for fear of being called an Islamophobe. But I don’t care if you call me that, because you know what? You’re right! I have a fear of radical Islam. And I’m not afraid to say it. I’m also not afraid to say that there is a problem with Islam. After all, you don’t see Jews out there blowing up buildings and making pipe bombs, and you don’t see Christians executing people in cages and taking women as sex slaves. You don’t see buildings being shot up because someone drew a picture of Jesus.”
I also don’t think Tomi has ever heard of the crusades, colonialism, and more. The KKK. The Nazi party. The institution of slavery in the United States and how Christianity was used to defend it. Many people have done shitty things in the name of their religion because they’re shitty people. Insinuating only Muslims have done so in their history is complete and utter bullshit lol. Take up a history class, Tomi. You’d be surprised to learn how terrible people can be regardless of their background.
Say all you want about Islam, about any religion, but include facts and statistics along your claims. Have a good historical understanding. Otherwise, you just sound like an idiot.
The good things I have to say about this book:
It wasn’t completely boring. I was interested in learning about her abusive relationship, but I’ve come to one conclusion about Tomi: she’s a terrible human being. I don’t know whether that’s because of her ignorance, but it doesn’t matter. She’s a grown adult. She can do her own research.
She’s full of hate, but whatever. This book sucked. If you’re interested in learning about politics and conservative beliefs, don’t pick up this book.
- The Writing: The writing was very bad. There were lots of grammatical errors, lots of sentences that started with conjunctions (it’s ok every once in a while, but not every other page). It read more like a long rant than an actual book.
- Organization: I’ve read a fair share of memoirs. The ones I thought were good all had one thing in common: Organization. I was never lost, confused, and everything was well thought out. This one, however, was not at all organized. Tomi jumped from topic to topic, and randomly brought issues up out of nowhere.
- Repetition: Glenn Beck. The Blaze. How her feelings were hurt over a social media comment, or nasty words. Normally, I don’t notice repetition in novels if I’m enjoying them, but this book was extremely repetitive. It was very annoying, from a reader standpoint.
- The excessive use of explanation points: A good writer knows when to use an explanation point, and knows when it’s relevant. That’s all I have to say.
- Wrong use of italics: Italics is used to put more emphasis in a word. She used it, in my opinion, almost always the wrong way.
- Show, don’t tell: Tomi did a lot of telling. It made the novel seem childish, and added on to the repetitiveness.
Let’s talk about things I didn’t appreciate at all.
Here’s a direct quote from the book: “‘Bring the fear of God to their desert’, I said. As I often do, I said what people were thinking but wouldn’t utter out loud for fear of being called an Islamophobe. But I don’t care if you call me that, because you know what? You’re right! I have a fear of radical Islam. And I’m not afraid to say it. I’m also not afraid to say that there is a problem with Islam. After all, you don’t see Jews out there blowing up buildings and making pipe bombs, and you don’t see Christians executing people in cages and taking women as sex slaves. You don’t see buildings being shot up because someone drew a picture of Jesus.”
I also don’t think Tomi has ever heard of the crusades, colonialism, and more. The KKK. The Nazi party. The institution of slavery in the United States and how Christianity was used to defend it. Many people have done shitty things in the name of their religion because they’re shitty people. Insinuating only Muslims have done so in their history is complete and utter bullshit lol. Take up a history class, Tomi. You’d be surprised to learn how terrible people can be regardless of their background.
Say all you want about Islam, about any religion, but include facts and statistics along your claims. Have a good historical understanding. Otherwise, you just sound like an idiot.
The good things I have to say about this book:
It wasn’t completely boring. I was interested in learning about her abusive relationship, but I’ve come to one conclusion about Tomi: she’s a terrible human being. I don’t know whether that’s because of her ignorance, but it doesn’t matter. She’s a grown adult. She can do her own research.
She’s full of hate, but whatever. This book sucked. If you’re interested in learning about politics and conservative beliefs, don’t pick up this book.
October 19, 2020
While I might not agree with all of Tomi’s opinions, I definitely respect her as a person. She came from a blue collar family and worked extremely hard to get where she’s at. She wakes up every day trying to stand up for what she thinks is right, rather than make excuses.
“I don’t form my political beliefs based on acceptance by the self-appointed thought wardens of either political party and I never will. So you don’t have to like or agree with my thoughts, but you should at least know that they are my own and you don’t have to be a jerk about it.”
“Even if you don’t consider yourself a feminist or don’t associate with that movement, you may still experience challenges or have obstacles like these because you’re a woman. But I’m not going to say I’m a victim because of it and I’m not going to cause a big scene and get people in trouble. Yes, I was in this position experiencing something that men in my field don’t experience as much, but I’m not going to let that limit me. When situations like that arise, you have a choice in terms of how you react because you are responsible for your actions and reactions. You may feel like you’ve been victimized, discriminated against, written off, or put in a box. You may feel like you have limitations put on you for any number of reasons. Maybe it’s because of your gender, your skin color, your upbringing, the way you talk, where you live, or what field you went into. That doesn’t mean you should sit there and write a sob story.”
“I don’t form my political beliefs based on acceptance by the self-appointed thought wardens of either political party and I never will. So you don’t have to like or agree with my thoughts, but you should at least know that they are my own and you don’t have to be a jerk about it.”
“Even if you don’t consider yourself a feminist or don’t associate with that movement, you may still experience challenges or have obstacles like these because you’re a woman. But I’m not going to say I’m a victim because of it and I’m not going to cause a big scene and get people in trouble. Yes, I was in this position experiencing something that men in my field don’t experience as much, but I’m not going to let that limit me. When situations like that arise, you have a choice in terms of how you react because you are responsible for your actions and reactions. You may feel like you’ve been victimized, discriminated against, written off, or put in a box. You may feel like you have limitations put on you for any number of reasons. Maybe it’s because of your gender, your skin color, your upbringing, the way you talk, where you live, or what field you went into. That doesn’t mean you should sit there and write a sob story.”
May 27, 2020
I just finished and highly recommend Tomi Lahren's book, Never Play Dead! I think it's a MUST read for HS/college age girls. I know she's a controversial person, but her book focused so little on politics and so much more about how to be a confident young woman. I highly recommend Moms of girls reading it and then decide if it's a good read for their daughter! My friend who loaned her book to me highlighted, underlined and made cute little notes for her Senior daughter for when she shared the book with her!! It is a great read about inspiring girls to blaze their own trail, make goals and a plan to achieve them, become confident and true to who they are despite the social media girl hate drama and never settle for less than! If I had daughters, this would be on a "must read" list. I rarely rate a book a 5. My 5 isn't about the writing quality, but more about the content and it's potential to get young girls rethinking things. I believe the prose perfectly meets the needs of young woman, many who rarely choose to read a book, will benefit from the message!!
August 31, 2019
i'll start off by saying that Tomi Lahren and I have very little in common politically, especially when it comes to immigration. but it was because of that that i wanted to read her memoir: i'm a believer that if someone doesn't agree with you, the more that you have to hear what they have to say. or in this case, read what they have to say. i was curious to see what "the other side" was thinking and their justifications for it. i learned a lot, but this memoir focused mostly on her work ethic, and how to deal with adversity, and i quite liked it, surprisingly. reading this, i felt empowered and motivated. in fact, i feel like purchasing a copy and referring to it when i feel unmotivated and need that tough-love boost. even though i will probably still roll my eyes at what she has to say on her politics show, and disagree with many of the things she has to say, i have to admit that i respect her a lot for standing up for her beliefs and her hard work.
August 22, 2019
This is basically a tell-all book about her time at The Blaze. While not poorly written, nothing is really in any sort of order, so she jumps around the timeline quite a bit, which makes the story a bit all over the place.
I also felt like she spent A LOT of time talking about how she always tries to turn the other cheek or be bigger than the people who bully her, but that comes off a bit insincere because there are several dings at other conservative female commentators in this book that she doesn’t get along with.
Better than I expected, makes her more likable than her online persona, but nothing earth shattering so unless you’re a huge fan, you could probably skip this one.
I also felt like she spent A LOT of time talking about how she always tries to turn the other cheek or be bigger than the people who bully her, but that comes off a bit insincere because there are several dings at other conservative female commentators in this book that she doesn’t get along with.
Better than I expected, makes her more likable than her online persona, but nothing earth shattering so unless you’re a huge fan, you could probably skip this one.
July 3, 2019
I find it very disgusting that this social media troll has the nerve to come out with a book? She the most disrespectful person on earth. Her game is easy, she start fights with rappers then when they respond she play the poor little White Girl in trouble bit. She always the victim. She will only be famous for getting dogged walked by CardiB. Nobody will ever take this little girl seriously, no matter how many plastic surgeries she has. TOMI NOTHING BUT A LOUD MOUTH RACIST BIGOT!
July 28, 2019
“... be you... that’s what I hope you get from watching and listening to me... be bold enough to be authentically and genuinely you... question everything... find your own way... your own path... your own beliefs rooted in your moral fiber, your religion, your worldview...”
Who cares how old she is or who she votes for? This book is empowering, full of confidence boosters and inspiration for all. If you don’t like those things, don’t read it. And if you didn’t read it, don’t freaking rate it!
Who cares how old she is or who she votes for? This book is empowering, full of confidence boosters and inspiration for all. If you don’t like those things, don’t read it. And if you didn’t read it, don’t freaking rate it!
August 9, 2019
What a mess of a book from a know-it-all young woman who (after reading her thoughts in writing) is really a know-nothing. While I agree with almost everything Tomi Lahren believes (with the big exception of her pro-abortion stance), I find this book to be not only horribly written and non-stop repetitive, but a bitter response to her very limited rocky career where she caused many of her own problems before getting fired. Twice.
This is proof that political types, Christians, and media people can talk the talk but can't walk the walk. Tomi Lahren is a complete hypocrite in her claims of being welcoming of all viewpoints and always responding with grace. In this book she throws everyone way under the bus, some for good reason. It's refreshing to see someone tell the truth about what jerk Glenn Beck is like to work for (he's horrible--anyone who believes in Beck needs to read the many sections on him in this book). But in this case she repeats in at least four different chapters her story of getting fired, claiming she isn't upset by it yet giving enough details to let you know that her written daggers are out to slice him to bits in this pointed response.
She has lived so little of life so far that she uses most of the 232 pages to repeat the same few horrible work stories, the same anger at how she was treated, the same fake advice to turn the other cheek, and the same claims that she doesn't care about social media. Over and over again. Yet it's obvious from her non-stop mentions of views and likes that she lives for social media attention, good and bad. All that counts to her are the numbers. She goes overboard praising the Kardashians in two chapters as her heroes! Seriously?
Tomi Lahren deserves the wrath that comes her way. Not because of her views, but because of her lack of maturity in understanding the world, her inability to truly listen to others, her thinking that she has to spout everything that comes into her head no matter who it hurts, and for being two-faced. She comes across in this book as a complete media fake.
As to her stand on abortion, she claims to be personally anti-abortion but politically pro-choice because she doesn't feel the government as the right to regulate morality. First, pro-choice IS pro-abortion. Second, the government regulates all sorts of morality, including murder, stealing, lying, etc. She is totally on the wrong side of the abortion issue because she does not consider the fetus a person. If she did, she should be defending the rights of that person to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and not focusing only on the rights of the mother to kill that new person.
Most of the book is her rambling bitterness, but suddenly near the end she reveals a small peak into why she is the way she is. Her beloved Fox News-addicted grandpa killed himself when she was a teen. It appears that her drive comes from wanting to stand up for his beliefs and making his memory worthwhile. (Which gives a haunting meaning to the title Never Play Dead--she is resurrecting her what her grandfather taught her.) She also had a horrible college boyfriend who cheated on her and she wasn't strong enough to stand up to him. It seems that since then she has been trying to get back at him by releasing her rage on others.
She ironically ends the book talking about trusting God's plan. But the book is evidence that she doesn't actually trust God at all. In the case of her first TV job, she refused to sign a 3-year contract and they let her go--which she interpreted as God telling her to move on! Ha! She made the decision, not God. In the case of her filing the lawsuit against Glenn Beck, she claims God was leading her and she didn't want to hurt The Blaze or ruin Beck, yet that's exactly what a lawsuit does is legally attempt to hurt and penalize another. And God didn't sign that legal paperwork, she did.
This bratty millennial is delusional, telling college students to not listen to their professors and try to teach their elders by bluntly spouting know-it-all non-sense, when in truth she should humbly be listening to wisdom from others that she doesn't possess. Lahren truly represents all that's wrong with today's 20-something. She may be verbalizing the lop-sided conservative views that she learned in her grandpa's living room, but her brain isn't fully functioning and she needs to stop talking long enough to truly listen to others and God.
This is proof that political types, Christians, and media people can talk the talk but can't walk the walk. Tomi Lahren is a complete hypocrite in her claims of being welcoming of all viewpoints and always responding with grace. In this book she throws everyone way under the bus, some for good reason. It's refreshing to see someone tell the truth about what jerk Glenn Beck is like to work for (he's horrible--anyone who believes in Beck needs to read the many sections on him in this book). But in this case she repeats in at least four different chapters her story of getting fired, claiming she isn't upset by it yet giving enough details to let you know that her written daggers are out to slice him to bits in this pointed response.
She has lived so little of life so far that she uses most of the 232 pages to repeat the same few horrible work stories, the same anger at how she was treated, the same fake advice to turn the other cheek, and the same claims that she doesn't care about social media. Over and over again. Yet it's obvious from her non-stop mentions of views and likes that she lives for social media attention, good and bad. All that counts to her are the numbers. She goes overboard praising the Kardashians in two chapters as her heroes! Seriously?
Tomi Lahren deserves the wrath that comes her way. Not because of her views, but because of her lack of maturity in understanding the world, her inability to truly listen to others, her thinking that she has to spout everything that comes into her head no matter who it hurts, and for being two-faced. She comes across in this book as a complete media fake.
As to her stand on abortion, she claims to be personally anti-abortion but politically pro-choice because she doesn't feel the government as the right to regulate morality. First, pro-choice IS pro-abortion. Second, the government regulates all sorts of morality, including murder, stealing, lying, etc. She is totally on the wrong side of the abortion issue because she does not consider the fetus a person. If she did, she should be defending the rights of that person to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness, and not focusing only on the rights of the mother to kill that new person.
Most of the book is her rambling bitterness, but suddenly near the end she reveals a small peak into why she is the way she is. Her beloved Fox News-addicted grandpa killed himself when she was a teen. It appears that her drive comes from wanting to stand up for his beliefs and making his memory worthwhile. (Which gives a haunting meaning to the title Never Play Dead--she is resurrecting her what her grandfather taught her.) She also had a horrible college boyfriend who cheated on her and she wasn't strong enough to stand up to him. It seems that since then she has been trying to get back at him by releasing her rage on others.
She ironically ends the book talking about trusting God's plan. But the book is evidence that she doesn't actually trust God at all. In the case of her first TV job, she refused to sign a 3-year contract and they let her go--which she interpreted as God telling her to move on! Ha! She made the decision, not God. In the case of her filing the lawsuit against Glenn Beck, she claims God was leading her and she didn't want to hurt The Blaze or ruin Beck, yet that's exactly what a lawsuit does is legally attempt to hurt and penalize another. And God didn't sign that legal paperwork, she did.
This bratty millennial is delusional, telling college students to not listen to their professors and try to teach their elders by bluntly spouting know-it-all non-sense, when in truth she should humbly be listening to wisdom from others that she doesn't possess. Lahren truly represents all that's wrong with today's 20-something. She may be verbalizing the lop-sided conservative views that she learned in her grandpa's living room, but her brain isn't fully functioning and she needs to stop talking long enough to truly listen to others and God.
October 7, 2020
Tomi Lahren has 2 brain cells, both are working hard to prove one is dumber than the other.
March 16, 2021
First I want to start out by saying this may have some spoilers... but I LOVED THIS BOOK. While I am a conservative, she wrote this book in a way that anyone from any walk of life could read her words and be inspired. Let’s face it no matter who we are, all of us have a lot in common most of the time and I admit Tomi and I have a lot in common! I think we just became best friends! 🤣
I could tell each chapter was very thought out. It was as I said before very inspirational and when my girls are old enough I will have them read this book. She’s such a great role model for young women and women in general.
Yes Tomi Lahren is a conservative woman and many think she’s very controversial but what most call controversial I call brutally honest. I am like this so I can say with great pride that I appreciate her work and how she does things and the way she states her thoughts and tells the honest TRUTH.
Bare with me I have a lot to say.
Her introduction was great! I learned so many things about her I did not know. And though I don’t agree with her pro choice views I can respect why she is pro choice and I respect her for it. Honestly the things that happened to her because of her stating she was pro choice on the view was so ridiculous and so one sided which is exactly what the conservative movement should be about. Conservatives should be fighting for our first amendment rights and worry less about what fits a narrative or would lose followers. I will admit I lost respect for Glenn beck on this one.
In Chapter 6 you get to see what she really loves about her job! And I respect the hell out of her for “being a voice for the voiceless” I think that’s why most of her fans like her, she says what we were all thinking and wanting to say. She is being an advocate for police officers, soldiers etc etc. Which is very near to my heart as well as my best friend in high schools dad was a police officer and a very good man... and my dad was in the army during Vietnam as well as a few uncles and my husband was in the army as well and deployed to Afghanistan. He is now a veteran and sometimes veterans don’t get the recognition they deserve. If you ask my husband he doesn’t want recognition (God bless him) but I think they deserve all our prayers and respect, and so does Tomi. 💜
Tomi also has a whole two chapter dedicated to telling women to “set your price tag” and “you are enough” and I love that! Not too many women are supporting other women unless you believe in what they believe in or you fit a mold and she is just out here trying to tell girls to know their worth and don’t take any shit! I am thankful a book like this was written because I can’t even tell you how much I tell my three girls not to put up with peoples crap and not to let anyone make them feel unworthy or less than! I think it’s such an important message and I applaud Tomi for everything she has been through because we’ve all been though stuff that seems like it could break you but she tells you exactly why you shouldn’t let it all get to you and it’s in Tomi fashion and I LOVE IT!
The final chapter is also beautifully written and I seriously have no bad criticism for this book. I’m super impressed and happy I bought it and I get to re-read it if I ever need some inspiration in my life!
I could tell each chapter was very thought out. It was as I said before very inspirational and when my girls are old enough I will have them read this book. She’s such a great role model for young women and women in general.
Yes Tomi Lahren is a conservative woman and many think she’s very controversial but what most call controversial I call brutally honest. I am like this so I can say with great pride that I appreciate her work and how she does things and the way she states her thoughts and tells the honest TRUTH.
Bare with me I have a lot to say.
Her introduction was great! I learned so many things about her I did not know. And though I don’t agree with her pro choice views I can respect why she is pro choice and I respect her for it. Honestly the things that happened to her because of her stating she was pro choice on the view was so ridiculous and so one sided which is exactly what the conservative movement should be about. Conservatives should be fighting for our first amendment rights and worry less about what fits a narrative or would lose followers. I will admit I lost respect for Glenn beck on this one.
In Chapter 6 you get to see what she really loves about her job! And I respect the hell out of her for “being a voice for the voiceless” I think that’s why most of her fans like her, she says what we were all thinking and wanting to say. She is being an advocate for police officers, soldiers etc etc. Which is very near to my heart as well as my best friend in high schools dad was a police officer and a very good man... and my dad was in the army during Vietnam as well as a few uncles and my husband was in the army as well and deployed to Afghanistan. He is now a veteran and sometimes veterans don’t get the recognition they deserve. If you ask my husband he doesn’t want recognition (God bless him) but I think they deserve all our prayers and respect, and so does Tomi. 💜
Tomi also has a whole two chapter dedicated to telling women to “set your price tag” and “you are enough” and I love that! Not too many women are supporting other women unless you believe in what they believe in or you fit a mold and she is just out here trying to tell girls to know their worth and don’t take any shit! I am thankful a book like this was written because I can’t even tell you how much I tell my three girls not to put up with peoples crap and not to let anyone make them feel unworthy or less than! I think it’s such an important message and I applaud Tomi for everything she has been through because we’ve all been though stuff that seems like it could break you but she tells you exactly why you shouldn’t let it all get to you and it’s in Tomi fashion and I LOVE IT!
The final chapter is also beautifully written and I seriously have no bad criticism for this book. I’m super impressed and happy I bought it and I get to re-read it if I ever need some inspiration in my life!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2020
"Speak your truth & thrive"
While I think there are some good points Tomi tried to sprinkle throughout this book (speak your truth, work harder than anyone in the room, don't belittle others who disagree with you, etc), it did not make this book any easier to read. It felt very repetitive, disjointed in structure, with random anecdotes and support to her claims that you couldn't really follow. I think if she focused more on developing her personal story and less on preaching her themes, it could have been better.
While I think there are some good points Tomi tried to sprinkle throughout this book (speak your truth, work harder than anyone in the room, don't belittle others who disagree with you, etc), it did not make this book any easier to read. It felt very repetitive, disjointed in structure, with random anecdotes and support to her claims that you couldn't really follow. I think if she focused more on developing her personal story and less on preaching her themes, it could have been better.
September 29, 2019
The topic is interesting but I just don’t like the writing style. More editing would have made a shorter, more direct book. A different title indicating a memoir or personal journey would be more reflective of contents.
May 30, 2020
Very good, language is strong yet real.
April 20, 2021
never read the book, she’s just a racist who never shuts up on twitter
November 14, 2023
Regardless of your political views, this was an interesting read. I reviewed it on my blog: https://wineandhistory.wordpress.com/...
May 11, 2020
Somewhat repetitive, but she has some good messages and advice for anyone willing to take it.
July 8, 2019
This book was a good read. Despite the word I in this book several times making Tomi come off like a narcissist, I do feel there was a lot of interesting stories and motivational context. Tomi is young and for her to speak her mind the way she does is inspirational.
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