Customer Reviews

Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break

5 star:		(37)
4 star:		(24)
3 star:		(7)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(3)

 

 

Don't expect out right deep guffaws and belly laughs from Sherri Shepherd's memoirs. Sherri finds the humor in dark moments but relates her life, experiences and observations with class and gives herself some dignity along the way. And since Ms. Shepard professes a deep respect, love and devotion for God and comments frequently on her personal quest for spirituality, you will find nothing to fill bathroom humor requirements.

A nice, light pleasant read about a woman who tries to make the most of life's opportunities.

Sherri Shepherd's PERMISSION SLIPS is a hilarious take on learning lessons from your mistakes. Sherri takes you through the journey of her childhood, her struggle to pursue her dreams, and even her divorce. At the end of each blurb, Sherri encourages women to give themselves a permission slip when something does not go the way they intended. She addresses her addiction to food and her struggles with diabetes. Her permission slips are funny but laced with truth. Such as giving yourself permission to eat a slice of chocolate cake, only if you promise to make a doctor appointment to get checked for diabetes.

Laurie Kilmartin, the co-author, does a great job capturing Sherri's voice. This will have you laughing and crying at the same time. Sherri's pure honesty is so refreshing. She gives it to you in her tell-it-like-it-is kind of way. And the message is good. Women, look after yourself first. You cannot make anyone happy until you are truly happy. I highly recommend this book.

Donnica Copeland
APOOO BookClub
Sista Talk Book Club

I have a mixed opinion on this one. I've watched Sherri on The View, so I wasn't expecting highly intellectual material in the book, that's just not who she is. This book is pretty much how she is on the show and the positive is that you learn a lot about her history, her experiences and her thoughts. The negative (for me) is that it reads a little too close to a Cosmo magazine article. Too much "girl this and girl that" and massive generalizations, how women are all needy emotional domestic creatures and how men are all destined to be cheaters. Just too much female weakness for me and way too much hypocrisy. An example of a cringe-worthy moment reading it is when she asks herself what she could have done better in her relationship and this is what she comes up with "I should've put out more". Here is another line straight out of the 50's "Also, sex, like classical music, calms the savage beast, and sometime's that's all men are." She talks about her girlfriends in the book and it makes me wonder how good of girlfriends they are because maybe they should be pointing out to her why she attracts that kind of man in the first place? She sets herself up for it.
So, it's worth a buy if you have an interest in learning more about her background and experiences. If you are hoping to find any kind of self-growth or insights through the book, I'd make sure just to rent it at the library.

Sherri Shepherd's book Permission Slips: Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break, is a light, easy read full of entertainment and insightfulness into the life and pressures of women. Sherri's permission slips are like her notes to herself that it is ok to mess up, make mistakes, and give yourself a pass on things that happen in life. She wants women to learn to stop being so hard on themselves.

I personally loved this book. When I read it, it was like Sherri was saying it right to me. I could almost hear her voice and feel her presence coming from the page. She has a great gift that allows her to see the humor in some not so humorous experiences in her life. She talks about her childhood, growing up a Jehovah's Witness, her parents divorce, her career pursuits, her marriage and divorce, her premature son, and "the sugar"(diabetes). The book is uplifting and made me take a deep breath, look back at my life and my mistakes, and forgive myself my imperfections.

Some reviewers mentioned the strong religious undertones of this book. I wasn't at all put off by her discussion of her childhood growing up as a Witness or later finding God. She talks about how God talked to her how she didn't listen, and when she didn't want to listen he would talk a little louder or put people in her life to teach her what He wanted her to learn. If you think about it as just listening to your inner voice and being true to yourself then the God part doesn't matter. The message is to take care of yourself, so don't let the religion scare you away. Take what you like and leave the rest, as they say.

Overall I would highly recommend this book. It is a fast read and can be easily put down and picked back up later. It is uplifting and funny and made me feel good.

PERMISSION SLIPS
Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break
Sherri Shepherd
Grand Central Publishing
$24.99 - Hardcover
ISBN: 978-0-446-54742-0
Reviewer: Annie Slessman

Okay, I admit it...I may be the only person alive who has not watched an episode of The View. I didn't know the name, Sherri Shepherd or how famous she was for her comedy abilities. However, I will say that after reading her new book, PERMISSION SLIPS, Every Woman's Guide to Giving Herself a Break, I am a fan.

Providing a guide for women who take their lives to seriously, Sherri Shepherd, has written a book that every woman who takes her life and her responsibilities so seriously that she cannot give herself a break occasionally, needs to read.

Shepherd takes readers through her life to date and the problems, challenges and experiences that have made her the person she is today. Each segment offers not only some good advice, but laughs as well. The ability to laugh at yourself is probably one of the greatest Permission Slips that anyone - woman or man - can give themselves in life. And, laughing keeps the definition lines in your face at a minimum. Frown lines really do make deeper grooves in your face than laugh lines.

Because of a new career, I had to read this book one segment at a time. Each segment gave me a reason to laugh, reflect and yes, give myself a Permission Slip to not stay awake at night in order to finish this book. Sherri would be there for me tomorrow with a laugh and some good advice in hand. Thanks, Sherri; it has truly been a pleasure spending some time with you.

I enjoyed her on The View from time to time and thought this would be a lighthearted, pleasant read.
I have procrastinated reviewing this because it took me so long to finally get around to finishing this book(She's long winded and if you have ADHD and need to do a report on this book---you're in trouble!).

On the positive side, she makes the reader feel like her girlfriend with all the "secrets" she reveals and Ms. Shepherd is, for the most part, pleasant & lighthearted about it. But as another reviewer noted, the secrets were nothing unusual and there were no lessons, nothing profound in this book.

It truly was a mistake for me to purchase this because I'm not particularly religious and tire of trite excessive religious wording. Being that it was a mistake of mine to choose this book, I think it would be unfair for me to give it a 1 star, but I think 3 would be a bit generous

This is a really Light read.
U really can read this as if Sherri talking to you.
It comes from her experiences in life and without being melodramatic in any way about it she puts it in a fun easy way.
We all go through different phases in life and and have our own agendas and priorities but not everything works as planned.
This book is more like a friend talking to you telling u its alright.
Life does save the best for us anyway if we choose to see it.
I liked it.

A great funny read. Who would have thought? Surprises for sure.Was able to get this autoghraphed when I met Sherri.

Shepherd is a delightful story teller who manages to make us believe life's detours are just that, detours and not destinations. If anything, she underplays the amount of dedication and skill it took to get to where she is today. I just want her to stay there! Much deserved applause, and keep writing!

Permission Slips by Sherri Shepherd is a refreshingly honest and uplifting memoir! Sandwiched between the laughs Shepherd's memoir delivers a message that women need to hear. Namely, that it is okay to make mistakes and to continue to make mistakes.

Why are women singled out for this message? Because as Shepherd cracks:

I never met a man who obsessed about being a perfect husband, but I know plenty of women who want to be perfect wives.

It ain't happening. We women have start accepting that no matter what we do, someone's always gonna be cranky about it. Instead of feeling guilty, let's make it okay.

Amen!

Reading Permission Slips was like hanging out with a wise, candid, and hysterical best friend. She'll hook you from page 23 when she proclaims:

I've made every mistake that a decent person can make, and I'm still here, still learning. Probably like you, I could have given up about a million times by now, but I didn't. Hopefully, I've got at least forty more years worth of gaffes and mistakes to make. I can't wait!

You have permission to laugh, cry, nod in agreement, and enjoy mistake-maker-in-chief Sherri Shepherd's Permission Slips.


Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 5, 2009), 288 pages
Review Copy Provided Courtesy of Hachette Book Group.