Life is a game.
It’s you r choi ce
how to play.
Let’s Get.
Visit gutsy.world.
Take the gutsy quiz.
Live the gutsy life.AVAIL ABLE NOW
“Th is book is perfect for anyone
seeking to take control. Its honest and
accessible approach will guide you to
achieve the success that you desire!”—Gail Evans, author of Play Like a
Man, Win Like a Womanafter 9/11 and started their careers during a recession, says Emma Brodie, senior editor
at Morrow Gift, it’s possible, and not necessarily frivolous, to enjoy life. “By taking
care of yourself while existing outside of capitalism and patriarchal demands, you are
actually resisting, even if you aren’t outside holding a sign,” she notes. “Self-care
doesn’t let people off the hook, but it allows them to view conscious acts of relaxation
as part of their resistance cycle.”
In the gently satirical $9 Therapy (Morrow Gift, Feb. 2020), self-described lifestyle
gurus Nick Greene and Megan Reid say that even though late-stage capitalism may keep
many of their peers from attaining outward signs of adulthood success—a 401(k), a house,
West Elm furniture—that doesn’t mean life can’t be “a little bit less stressful, a little bit
better, a little more loving.” Their ideas include DIY projects to make bare-bones IKEA
furniture seem chic and tips for cooking Instagram-worthy dinners on the cheap.
Tongue-in-cheek humor notwithstanding, the book ends on a serious note. None
of the fun, mood-boosting activities is a substitute for therapy, they write, and despite
the issues of access and race- and gender-based biases affecting therapeutic options,
it’s critical to consult a professional if needed: “In a world that’s much more messed
up than any of our brains, there are more ways than ever to get help.”
In The More or Less Definitive Guide to Self-Care (The Experiment, Oct.), Anna Borges,
senior editor at Self, offers an A-to-Z compendium of assistance—astrology, coloring
continued on p. 34
readers, he writes, “headlong into the shit pile.” The author promises major
change for those willing to excavate and jettison whatever is holding them down.
Fuck No!
Sarah Knight. Voracious, Jan. 2020
In Knight’s latest No Fucks Given guide, she helps readers avoid giving what she
calls an “ill-advised yes” with templates for a “successful no.” Scenarios include
being asked to help assemble IKEA furniture, join a carpool, and hold someone
else’s stuff because they refuse to carry a purse.
The Middle Finger Project: Trash Your Imposter Syndrome and
Live the Unf*ckwithable Life You Deserve
Ash Ambirge. Portfolio, Feb. 2020
A self-described “bad influence on good girls who want to quit their job & do some-
thing different,” Ambirge encourages readers to take charge and stand up for
themselves: “You only have 12 fucks a day to give, so use them wisely.”
Unfuck Your Anger and Unfuck Your Boundaries
Faith G. Harper. Microcosm, Jan. 2020
Harper, a licensed counselor and the author of Unfuck Your Brain (2017) and
Unfuck Your Intimacy (2019), here expands on two of her previously published
zines. Anger begins with scientific research into the body’s response to the emo-
tion, and moves into what the author calls the “unfuckening” part: exercises to
help readers understand their anger responses and channel those feelings into
better relationships and social action. In Boundaries, she examines cultural norms
around politeness and people pleasing, positing that relationships can become
coercive without proper boundaries in place: “This is the serious heavy lifting of
conversations around topics like #MeToo and #TimesUp.” —J.K.