Lamp’s new experiences range from slicing up a whole pineapple to taking a sewing class to doing a police ride-along, and she relates their results with charm, humor, and candor. But she doesn’t go on this journey of self-discovery alone: she invites her readers along throughout by offering her own experiences as a jumping off point for theirs. At the end of each section of the book, she makes space for readers to brainstorm possibilities for novel activities in their own lives, offering a variety of ideas and resources for gaining new skills, making new friends, and breaking out of old and often limiting patterns and mindsets.
Lamp’s suggestions and tips are practical and inclusive, encouraging readers to look for small opportunities to broaden their horizons. Though she is positive and upbeat, she is also honest about her experiences, acknowledging that not all of the new things she did had significant or lasting impacts. However, she emphasizes with inviting power the value of trying new things, no matter what their outcomes. Though readers of retirement age may benefit most from Lamp’s reflections on her experiences, all readers can benefit from Lamp’s gentle, supportive push to experience new things in order to grow.
Takeaway: Fun, practical guide to expanding horizons and seizing possibilities.
Comparable Titles: Julia Cameron; Susan Jeffers’s Feel the Fear and Do It Anyway.
Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: N/A
Editing: A
Marketing copy: A
