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Never Say Never: Finding a Life That Fits [Hardcover]

Ricki Lake
4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)

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Book Description

April 17, 2012
The world first met Ricki Lake in 1988 as Tracy Turnblad in the film Hairspray. Weighing in at just over 200 pounds, the 5'3" teenager challenged what it meant to be an overweight woman in America: this fat girl got the guy, was part of the in crowd, and could sing and dance like nobody was watching. When she got her own talk show at twenty-four, Ricki had been transformed. She was a slender, mature woman whose long-running show changed daytime television forever. And when Ricki left it all behind to follow her heart and produce The Business of Being Born, we once again saw her in a new light, as a passionate advocate who wasn’t afraid to stand up for her beliefs and work for change.

Ricki Lake’s life has been a series of rebirths—from fat to skinny, married to divorced, rich to poor, and more. In her intimate, bold, and relatable book, Ricki shows us how her unique life in the spotlight offers wisdom to anyone who has ever struggled in her own skin. She takes us behind the scenes of her troubled childhood—filled with food issues, abuse, and an unabashed yearning for a better life outside of her suburban home. She pulls back the curtain on her talk show and her early days as a “fat actress,” and she shows how she reinvented herself as an author, filmmaker, and much beloved finalist on Dancing with the Stars. Ricki weathered near-bankruptcy and an extremely difficult divorce, but, as she writes, life always hands you the unexpected—so you should never say never. Much to her surprise, Ricki has dated some of Hollywood’s most eligible bachelors, appeared on the cover of Us Weekly magazine in a swimsuit, and fell in love when she least expected it. And now she’s ready to talk about it all.

Never Say Never is an inspiring, entertaining, and down-to-earth account of one woman who defied the odds and refused to give up. By trusting her gut and following her heart, Ricki Lake turned an unconventional life into an unparalleled triumph, and this memoir stands as a hopeful, hilarious, and honest exploration of how any woman can do the same.


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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A sometimes-humorous, self-reflective chronicle of a triumphant journey through a troublesome childhood, chaotic young adulthood and fulfilled middle age." —Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

Ricki Lake is an actress, television host, and the executive producer of the documentary, The Business of Being Born. She is also the author of Your Best Birth. She lives with her two sons in Los Angeles.

Product Details

  • Hardcover: 304 pages
  • Publisher: Atria Books; First Edition edition (April 17, 2012)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 1451627173
  • ISBN-13: 978-1451627176
  • Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.4 x 1.3 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (24 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #709,392 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

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Customer Reviews

Ricki was just not willing to let you guess how she feels. Felicia  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement
At first it held my attention, but then it became too wordy. Mrs. Miller  |  4 reviewers made a similar statement
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I sat down for just a moment earlier today and thought I would read for a few minutes. Hours later I finished this wonderful memoir. There were times that made me feel such pain for this little girl and then such joy for this fiesty spirit. I find it hard to imagine any woman who cannot relate to many experiences Ricki Lake describes. Maybe that is what makes her so special? Maybe that is why everyone seems to relate to her? Or maybe it is all because of her grandma Sylvia. This book is a great read and though not a tell-all or a self help made me feel like I know her better and has in some way helped.
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2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars Not What I Expected May 29, 2012
Format:Hardcover
I assumed, incorrectly, that this would be a tell all from actress and talk show host Ricki Lake. Instead, this was a book that was born from the heart and so easily relatable that it could be anyone's story, even mine. At time I got a little weepy, but more often I felt energized by Lake's candor and honesty.
From going from a cute little girl who experienced abuse from even those closest to her, her only safe haven her grandmother Sylvia Lake who always made her a star, and her ongoing problems with weight and self-image, it had elements which most women can relate to. By working hard to take off the pounds and quite literally come out of her cocoon, Lake is able to launch her own period of self-realization where she was able to define her true self and reach her own potential.
As all good stories progress, she also finds, beyond her own power and strength, happiness. She recently married the man that completes and enhances her, but more importantly also loves her as herself.
The subtitle 'Finding A Life That Fits' is a wonderful metaphor for Lake's journey. While this is not exactly a self-help book, it is inspirational to the extent that it talks about some serious external problems and internal problems and the process involved in working through the bad stuff to realize a life that 'fits'.
This book is well written, interesting, and gives hope to all of us who want to evolve and change to be our best.
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6 of 8 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars I laughed, I cried, I loved it! April 21, 2012
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I started the book feeling sad for this little girl who had been abused and neglected by the people she needed and most deserved love and attention from. Yet I ended the book wiping happy tears from my eyes with all that Ricki overcame and worked so hard to get and create in her life. From her own telling, Ricki's life had ups and downs and yet all of them are what got her to her happy ending today.

I loved so much about the book but a few points that stick out most to me include:

Her honesty with her body image and weight struggle, even as it continues today, is so relatable to anyone out there who struggles with their weight. It was sad to read how much time she spent hating her image and living in denial. But it was so powerful to read how once she got her weight under control, she gained so much more which ultimately gave her the freedom to truly accept herself, flaws and all. And this paved the way for Ricki to ultimately meet and fall in love with someone who could properly support, shelter, love and adore her just as she is.

It was so powerful to read- and feel- the transformation Ricki made when she stopped identifying herself only by her weight. Putting her focus and attention on the birth movement was incredible and had she not moved beyond the fat girl image she had for most of her life, the world would have been deprived. It was fascinating to read about her first experience giving birth and then to read about her second experience and then to see how that informed and ignited Ricki to make sure all women everywhere knew their birthing options. (As an aside, I watched the Business of Being Born and loved it!)

I loved the humor and realness throughout the book. Recognizing her judgmental tendencies and shallowness in certain situations made me laugh out loud. Things like the email break up from someone she had gone on two dates with, that has had over 500 dramatic readings since, caused me to take a picture of that paragraph and email it to my sister. Honestly, all Ricki's experiences with online dating were laugh out loud funny. And the way she was able to poke fun at herself made it that much more enjoyable!

I've always found Ricki Lake to be relatable and this book reinforces that. I really liked the book and found it hard to put it down. It's a fun and easy read and inspirational to see how hard she worked and continues to work to keep herself relevant and in the game.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars Spoild child...
I read this book and sorry I did. I used to really like Riki Lake until I read this book. She really hates her mother. Her grandmother Sylvia, brainwashed her to hate her mother. Read more
Published 2 months ago by tina marie bevis
5.0 out of 5 stars Great
I loved the book and hope to keep going with good books like that. Keep up the great work out there.
Published 3 months ago by Patricia A. Kurowski
3.0 out of 5 stars I
I thought it would be better than it was. Was rahter disappointed. I found that the writing was not good enough to keep my interest.
Published 9 months ago by Sylvia Barker
1.0 out of 5 stars Pathetically Judgmental, Blaming Others for Her Own Issues
Ricki Lake's book is sad and pathetic, where she blames her mother for all of her problems and claims to view life like a "Disney princess" while she demeans those close to her and... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Mediaman
5.0 out of 5 stars A Very Enjoyable Read
This memoir was very hard to put down. I love Ricki Lake's spunk and honesty in this as well as her very inspirational insights. Read more
Published 10 months ago by KiKi
3.0 out of 5 stars So far...eh
When I was a little girl I was pleasantly entertained by Ricki Lake's talk show. At five years old, I only enjoyed it because I looked forward to hearing "Go Ricki" because I... Read more
Published 10 months ago by Tammy
5.0 out of 5 stars So relatable!
I highly reccomend this book! I read it on vacation. There are a lot of parallels between her life and mine. Read more
Published 10 months ago by Valine Rogers
4.0 out of 5 stars Indeed a role model as a powerful woman of positivity
I fell in love with Ricki Lake when I first saw her in the John Waters production of "Hairspray" in 1988. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Craig Rowland
4.0 out of 5 stars Great audio read by the author herself!
I received this audio book for review from the publisher. Here is my honest review:

Wow. I had no idea about Ricki Lake's life at ALL. Read more
Published 11 months ago by Mickey Reed
5.0 out of 5 stars Never Say Never
I have always liked Ricki Lake and I found her book very interesting. Good Book to get. I buy
all my books from Amazon.
Published 11 months ago by Sandy
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