Wise Up, Karen Duffy
Wise Up, Karen Duffy
List: $24.99 | Sale: $17.50
Club: $12.49

Wise Up
Irreverent Enlightenment from a Mother Who's Been Through It

Author: Karen Duffy

Narrator: Karen Duffy, Francis Gasparini

Unabridged: 8 hr 32 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Seal Press

Published: 04/12/2022

Synopsis

A New York Times bestselling author shares wryly funny and heartwarming lessons on life, motherhood, and python attacks.

Named one of Oprah Daily’s 50 Most Anticipated Books of 2022

From becoming an iconic MTV VJ to starring in Dumb and Dumber to being diagnosed with a life-threatening disease, Karen Duffy has been through a lot. But it was only when she became a mother that she realized she had some pretty solid life lessons to pass down. In her new book, she offers advice on building a friend group that is weasel free, finding the love of your life, and determining how much to tip the waiter (as with everything—be generous!). With dry humor and maternal warmth, she shows how we all can learn from unexpected philosophers, even from Bulgarian dancing bears. There are times in life when we should turn to the wisdom of great thinkers. And there are times when you need the kind of enlightenment that only a former Coney Island Mermaid Queen can give. Wise Up offers wisecracks—and some profound insights—in a unique book of parental inspiration.    

Reviews

Goodreads review by Donald on April 10, 2022

This book made me laugh and I learned some things from it that I didn't even know I wanted to learn, including a surprising amount about bears. Duff is a treasure trove of useless information and funny anecdotes that she magically transforms into philosophical / self-improvement gold. It's great to......more

Goodreads review by Zibby on December 04, 2022

The book's thesis is based on a Stoic philosopher named Epictetus, who said if you make beautiful choices, you will make a beautiful life. This book is a series of letters the author wrote to her son Jack, where the reader feels invited in for a conversation. The chapters and stories are thoughtfull......more

Goodreads review by Erica on November 04, 2022

This is a great book for picking up a little bit of wisdom here and there. It was something I could set down and come back to and still feel satiated by reading a chapter every now and then. I enjoyed the format of each chapter being a letter written to Duffy’s son, Jack. Overall, I really appreciat......more

Goodreads review by Cooper on April 16, 2022

Bought Wise Up to read to my son after hearing about it on Oprah's 50 Most Anticipated Books List. It's a heartwarming, and humor-filled joy to read. The stoic wisdom is artfully accompanied by some fantastic illustrations (which are of course my son's favorite part). Highly recommend it if you're l......more

Goodreads review by Colette on April 22, 2022

I loved this book. Set up as a series of letter from a mother to her son, but secretly a funny jaunt through the basics of stoic philosophy and linguistics. This might be the first book I've ever read that I can't think of a "genre box" to put it in. Definitely put it on your list!......more

Quotes

“These profound and inspiring life lessons are delivered as a series of letters to her son, and they are as erudite and as entertaining as the former MTV VJ herself.”
 —Oprah Daily

“Reading Wise Up put a smile on my face. This book will change lives. Duffy writes seriously important books that she doesn’t take too seriously. I guess that’s the secret. Read this book or you will miss it.”—Bill Murray, comedian, actor, and sage of Hollywood

“Wise Up is a modern and hilarious interpretation of Stoic wisdom presented in compulsively readable letters. It is a captivating guide for living a life of purpose and leaves you with the unshakable belief that beautiful choices make a beautiful life.”
 —Carole Radziwill, New York Times–bestselling author of What Remains and star of Real Housewives of New York

“I was blown away by Duffy’s prose—it inspired me and resonated in every bit of my soul. I was so immersed in this book that I cried and I laughed and I often had to pause to reflect. The world will be a better place when everyone reads this book.”—Debi Mazar, actress, icon, and author of Extra Virgin

"What a beautiful gift Karen Duffy has given us, inviting us to peer over her shoulder as she addresses her teenage son.  Never before has a life philosophy informed by the ancient Greeks been conveyed with such zany enthusiasm and delight in language.  I laughed so hard I didn’t notice how much I was learning.  This is a book that should be read by anyone who is a mother, and anyone who came from one."—Beth Ann Fennelly, author of Great with Child

"Duff has a wonderful knack of putting Stoic wisdom into words.  Wise Up is a masterclass in how to make people smile and pay attention while you're imparting lessons worth learning about some of the most important questions in life."—Donald Robertson, author of How to Think Like a Roman Emperor

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