Shonda Rhimes is the amazingly talented TV Producer responsible for popular prime time TV shows such as Grey's Anatomy, Scandal and How to Get Away with Murder. Each of the aforementioned shows feature a fiercely talented, beautiful, independent woman navigating career, love, family and friends.
In this non-fiction delight, Year of Yes, Rhimes decides to mimic decision making of the heroine leading ladies she scripts in her, now celebrated TV dramas. The Year of Yes by Shonda Rhimes follows her life for one year in which she commits to saying "Yes" to every opportunity that comes her way, despite fear of failure, rejection or her extreme introversion.
As a result, Shonda gives a major public speaking address at her alma matter, allows herself to receive help mothering her children, loses unwanted extra pounds, joins a club of powerful women and moves forward in letting go of hurtful friendships.
Rhimes is the author and voice behind the Audible addition. As a huge fan of Rhimes the person and professional, I must say this project is nowhere near as exciting as Shondaland. The writing is fluffy. This is somewhat to be expected of a self-professed extreme introvert. The intimate details shared in this book felt forced. In addition, most proclamations were laced in flat humor preventing the reader from really feeling deeply. The exact opposite of what we feel when Scandal's Olivia Pope is rescuing Washington D.C. while longing for her married soulmate, the President of the United States.
Rhimes' notoriety, in part, is due to something she refers to as ordinary: "[...putting regular people and regular stories on prime-time television]". Telling stories of all ethnicities, cultures and lifestyles has led Shonda Rhimes to build an empire of representation which doesn't go untapped in this read.
This is a quick read, easily digestible and sets out to inspire each reader to live a full life, try something new and feel confident in who they were, are and will be. I would recommend this book to anyone interested in Shonda Rhimes, television production or simply the transformational properties of applying a Year of Yes to their own lives.
Chapter preview:
Prologue
Chapter 1: No
Chapter 2: Maybe
Chapter 3: Umm, Yes...?
Chapter 4: Yes to the Sun
Chapter 5: Yes to Speaking the Whole Truth
Chapter 6: Yes to Surrendering the Mommy War (Or, Jenny McCarthy is My Everything)
Chapter 7: Yes to All Play and No Work
Chapter 8: Yes to My Body
Chapter 9: Yes to Joining the Club
Chapter 10: Yes to More Year of Yes
A Note about Time
Chapter 11: Yes to No, Yes to Difficult Conversations
Chapter 12: Yes to People
Chapter 13: Yes to Dancing It Out (with the right people)
Chapter 14: Yes to Who I Am
Chapter 15: Yes to Beautiful
Happy Reading Friends!
xoxxoxoxoxoxox,
ROTR
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