Chaos Theory: Finding Meaning in the Madness, One Bad Decision at a Time

by Leah McSweeney

The Real Housewives of New York City star, fashion-industry pioneer, entrepreneur, and mom Leah McSweeney breaks through the chaos of battling addiction, igniting the streetwear world, and disrupting reality television--all while being unapologetically, unrelentingly herself.

If there's one thing Leah McSweeney knows for sure, it's that life never quite gives you what you expect. Her road to success as an entrepreneur and Real Housewives breakout star has been paved with unexpected chances, soul-crushing challenges, and, for too long, chaos.

Now Leah shares her unique philosophy of Chaos Theory and how key moments in our lives can lead us to paths we never imagined. With unparalleled grit, resilience, and a take-no-prisoners attitude, Leah shares her story of finding her way by pushing back against the conventions of society, against the status quo of the fashion industry, and against the limitations of her own self-worth to create a wild, unconventional, and beautiful life.

From growing up in New York City in the '80s and '90s to her teenage years as a club kid and a rehab stint at fifteen to becoming a single mother in her twenties to the incredible rise of Married to the Mob, Leah has learned to throw a punch and keep her fists up. In Chaos Theory, her raw, candid storytelling offers inspiration and insight for embracing life's unexpected turns and finding meaning in the chaos.

Genres: Memoir, Nonfiction, Audiobook, Biography, Celebrity

235 pages, Kindle Edition

Published April 1, 2022

Reviews

[Sam Driscoll · Rating 3 out of 5]

As a RHONY fan, the idea of Leah’s memoir intrigued me. The first half was interesting learning about her struggles growing up - with partying, drugs and alcohol. After that things went a little off the rails in circles and the last few chapters felt like preachy sound bites. Found some typos and I’m pretty sure she left her mom out of the acknowledgments despite their closeness. Not a memoir I’d recommend - RH fans should check out It’s Not All Diamonds and Rose instead!

[Susan · Rating 1 out of 5]

Just the fact that there are six options to review this book kind of goes along with the title. She is chaos. This book just seemed like a justification for all of her bad behavior, before she was a housewife and during. I just finished Craig Conover's book a few days ago and he was interesting and honest about his drug and alcohol abuse. Leah says she is sober but there is something that just doesn't ring true in her narrative. Maybe the problem is that I just don't like her.

[Alyssa Gonzales · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Yes again another housewives book. Leah is my favorite housewife of the next generation. I have heard a little of her story because it was mentioned it her first season of RHONY. But there is a lot more that is mentioned in the book (Mental Health & Addiction). Overall a good book!

[Rachy Rach · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ooof, this has to be one of the most boring and surface level memoirs I’ve ever read. I’m genuinely surprised by all the positive reviews!!!

[Emmanuel · Rating 2 out of 5]

this felt like reading a wiki summary of her life. could’ve been better if we spent time in some of the scenes instead of breezing past. also could’ve been better if the book included a bunch of photos of her hot brother

[Keaton Lane · Rating 2 out of 5]

These housewives need stronger ghost writers

[Avery Koch]

needed a trashy audiobook and this was it….nothing groundbreaking tbh and could’ve gone my life without it but alas

[Heather Minier · Rating 2 out of 5]

While I didn’t dislike the book, I couldn’t suggest it to anyone who isn’t a fan of the housewives show. It piggy backs on knowing and liking her from the show and she offers some thoughtful insights but nothing new or remarkable or surprising.

[Hannah Sparks · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is for the Harmony Korine girlies.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love Queen Leah!!!! It was awesome reading about what shaped this badass bitch and I particularly enjoyed the stories from her youth. It got a little rambly during the end and felt like she was ready to wrap it up, but hey we've all been there. Overall fantastic read. I took away a lot about the importance of relationships in your career and following your gut. I'm so inspired by Leah and her fearlessness to live her truth. You go Leah!!!!

[Rachel Piazza · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bought because I love RHONY and I’m a fan of Leah’s on the show. However, this book didn’t deliver. It lacked a plot or any sort of substance and instead just went in circles with a flexible message. Not my favorite.

[Jacqueline Zimmer · Rating 2 out of 5]

oof. It's like half of what's in here was written by someone else. Too much optimism...too many platitudes.. so much of it reeks of insincerity. The authentic moments are shockingly few and far between. Disappointing. Not sure if it's a PR or an editing issue, but I'm not buying most of it.

[Kassie Parisi · Rating 3 out of 5]

Better than Teresa’s memoir but that gets five stars for prostitution wh*re.

[Emily Vossen · Rating 5 out of 5]

📖 Before Leah McSweeney was a breakout Real Housewives of New York City star, entrepreneur, and mother, she was learning about the world and taking on one challenge at a time. Leah shares her philosophy of Chaos Theory and how moments in our lives leads us to unexpected places.

Leah shares deeply personal stories on battling addiction, getting sober, having a baby, starting her business, pushing against conventions of society, and becoming a reality tv star. Chaos Theory talks about knowing your self-worth and creating a beautiful life in the chaos.

💭 Leah McSweeney is probably an all-time favorite housewife of mine. It was so refreshing to see a woman be completely and unapologetically herself and I think we need someone like her on TV. But I also think she has the potential to be a key figure in this new age of feminism ♀️

I also appreciate her raw and candid moments when talking about her battle with addiction. I knew about some of it when watching #RHONY but we really get a full picture of her truth and getting sober in her memoir. I'm sure this wasn't easy to talk about but it's such an important conversation.

I felt so inspired after reading this book to always be true to myself, trust my gut, and to be okay for the things I stand for because that is my authentic self.

I also want to add (and she talks about this too) that the Housewives franchise gets a bad rap when it shouldn't. I feel like seeing women express their thoughts and emotions, having female relationships, starting businesses, and being themselves is empowering. Yes, there are entertainment purposes but, believe it or not, I've learned a bit about how to be a strong woman and a good friend from these shows.

[Josh Banfield · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really liked Leah on RHONY, but I didn't have very high expectations going into this. It was a relatively entertaining quick read so it served its purpose, but I think it would have benefitted from at least a little bit more structure so it doesn't just read like she's writing about whatever is on her mind. For example, it's not entirely clear to me why in a book this short they felt the need to waste an entire section on her (not at all new or interesting) views on cancel culture.

I was also surprised to read the ending where she discusses how the writing process made her view herself and her journey more positively, and I wish that was reflected in the content of the book. Specifically in terms of her career, it felt like she portrayed herself as someone who just kind of fell into success in between benders, which might be true but I don't know that that was her intention (and that's not the perception I had of her before reading the book).

I appreciate that she talked about Housewives and it was interesting to read about how she got on the show, but in general I could have skipped this one.

[Leah · Rating 4 out of 5]

We share a first name and a fascination with Judaism, but that’s where my similarities with @leahmob end. And yet I adore her as a Real Housewife and as a human. Her book was a nice way to spend a few hours with her as RHONY hangs in limbo. I appreciate her honesty and authenticity, which make for a great memoir. But I think her ghostwriter might have polished her up a bit too much – I missed the rawer, funnier, kookier Leah we see on camera, and sometimes the philosophizing was a bit much. But overall I liked it, and I still love her. I leave you with one of my favorite lines from the book: “Not every sexy pic has to have a [feminist reclamation] message. Sometimes a thirst trap is just a thirst trap, and that’s OK.”

[Lynne M · Rating 2 out of 5]

It was only okay, for me.

I have to admit, Leah was not one of my favorites on Housewives. I understand she was dealing with a lot during her first season, but some of her behavior that has come to light away from the show (the whole incident with Michael Che, which she never addressed) has rubbed me the wrong way.

In the book, Leah still seems to blame her mother for a lot of her poor behavior and choices which I think is unfair. I also found it odd that she thanked her siblings and her father in the acknowledgements at the end of her book, but totally left her mother out.

Most of her story was already covered in her first season of Housewives, so there isn't very much here that is new or enlightening.

[Cormac · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 stars feels generous but 2 stars feels harsh. wanted to appreciate this as an addition to the cat marnell julia fox rachel rabbit white extended universe BUT it’s so surface level and girlboss-cliche-addled that i literally have a headache after finishing. i’m like ok Leah… you are NOT the inventor of women’s streetwear that is a crazy take to have about yourself. i mean, it STARTS strong — but then when she gets into “entrepreneurship” and RHONY stuff and it’s like ok whatever leah. i wanted the gross speed drive through downtown nyc and graffiti parties :( but idk easy airplane read if that’s what u need

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was an unexpectedly heartfelt read that sucked me in and I didn't want to put it down. I love my Real Housewives (MOST of them, I don't watch all), however, I am disinclined to read all of their books. With Leah's story on RHONYC, I just felt like she was not entirely understood and had been through a lot and I wanted to know more. More of the REAL story, not Ramona's rude comments and gossip. I appreciated her forthrightness in this book and how her life has been. Thanks for sharing your story and you are doing great now! Although, I totally miss you on RHONYC :)

[The Headless Horror · Rating 4 out of 5]

During the pandemic, I became a RHONY fan and binged the show up until the newer episodes with Leah and Eboni. Leah was closer to my age and I loved her chill attitude. The show goes into a little of her troubled past as a young adult, but with this book, we get the full history! Leah has always been a wild child and felt like she didn't belong, and it wasn't for lack of having a family that loved her. Some people must find their own path, and through many ups and downs, Leah was able to do that and become a success. I like how honest and humble she is, she doesn't take for granted that her family and Rob were a lifeline, especially after having her daughter Kier. The decision to convert to Judaism was a big one, and it seems that this change in trajectory has really been a positive change for Leah. We do get some behind the scenes truth from RHONY, but not in a sensationalized manner. I think I would have liked to heard some more stories about her interactions and friendships with the various RHONY ladies, which is why I've given this a 4-star review. In conclusion, if you like RHONY and want a short, interesting read, Leah's book is great!

[meejieweegie · Rating 3 out of 5]

kind of a weird one because i feel like you'd only read it if you're a rhony fan, but then everything in this book you'd already know if you saw leah's seasons. its v true to leah in that its a bit emotionally immature and kind of sloppy in its organization lol - just thought it would be like... more interesting

5/10

was not a waste of time but also dont really think i got anything out of it lol

[Emma Burger · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love Leah McSweeney and relate to her on many levels. I only wish she’d gone more in depth on basically everything in this memoir! It felt a bit like a timeline of the events of her life in order without fully diving in. Hopefully she writes another, longer one later in life. Definitely recommend if you’re Leahmob 🙌

[Brandi Griffin · Rating 3 out of 5]

I loved Leah on RHONY and was hoping to learn more about her life, but I felt like she only scratched the surface. I don’t feel like she gives readers anything more than what she gave viewers on the show. It was, however, written in true Leah fashion - bold, out of the box and unfiltered - with relatable humor.

[X · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not that well written and was sadly not an interesting enough read for me to get more than 34% read, according to my Kindle. It was all over the place, jumping back and forth between time periods for no reason, leaving out important details when discussing an event only to randomly include it a few pages or chapters later. Ultimately just felt discombobulated reading it.

[Brittany · Rating 2 out of 5]

I realllllly wanted to like this book. Leah’s story is interesting yet she doesn’t actually tell any details (e.g. casually drops using crystal meth for a week without any other information). This book jumps all over the place without any structure. I like Leah, but did not love this memoir.

[Abby Wilson · Rating 2 out of 5]

Very easy read. Listening to her addiction story was very compelling and highly relatable. She lost me towards the end when she started talking about cancel culture and feminism but overall enjoyed it. Love my housewives

[Charlotte Asta · Rating 3 out of 5]

I literally just finished Maria Bamford’s memoir so coming off the heels of my favorite bipolar comedian - this book wasn’t my fave AND - as a big Leah fan - take bravo for all they are worth, girl. you got this

[Megan Welshans · Rating 4 out of 5]

Leah was an amazing addition to RHONY and I really miss her on the show. Getting a deeper dive into her life only made me love her more! Her story really resonated with me and hope she’s so proud of all she’s accomplished.

[Christina · Rating 3 out of 5]

Super short, but it was interesting to read about her struggles in her own words and not just what was glossed over on RHONY.

[Phillip]

Not a bad book, but I wouldn’t recommend it to anyone. I did enjoy her story though.