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Book Review: No Regrets- The Guilt-Free Woman's Guide To A Good Life by Kaveree Bamzai



Book: No Regrets: The Guilt-Free Woman's Guide To A Good Life

Author: Kaveree Bamzai

Pages: 200

Publisher: HarperCollins

Read: I was very kindly sent a copy of the book by HarperCollins. The review and thoughts are mine and are entirely honest.

Read in: 3 hours

Plot Summary: This is not a self-help book. It's a book that tells us what not to do, what to remember and what to forget. From being a mother to lessons learnt from our own mothers; managing money to marriage; coping with pain and anger to taking ownership of our health and growing old, Kaveree Bamzai, first woman editor of one of India's largest newsmagazines, a wife, and mother of two boys and two dogs, tells us how to live a guilt-free life, with a little help from a host of highly accomplished women. 

With sparkling advice from Naina Lal Kidwai, Arianna Huffington, Sudha Murty, Smriti Irani, Twinkle Khanna and Sania Mirza, among others, No Regrets is the go-to book as we fumble and stumble through life.


General Thoughts and Review: 

This is really not a self-help book. This is a very interesting collection of essays focused on women-centric topics, which basically, tell today's woman to not sweat the small stuff. 

Honestly, that's, easily, the best one-line descriptor of this book that I can come up with! 

It also includes words of wisdom and tips from stellar women such as Naina Lal Kidwai, Arianna Huffington, Sania Mirza etc. 

If you are suffering from mom guilt or are worried about living up to your mother-in-law's expectations or are unsure if you should quit your job, then this book is for you. You need to read this book and soak up every word of wisdom from some very wise, sorted women. 

Or even if you are not going through any of these things and are just a woman struggling with 'adulting' or on the verge of moving out on your own, this is a great book to pick up and breeze through! 

There is some very sage, pragmatic advice and life lessons offered up in this book. I loved the tone of the essays. None of them are preachy. It's like your favourite aunt sharing life lessons with you or a beloved older sister or even your mom (who is more like your friend and not an authority figure). 

The piece of advice that I most strongly agree with was- don't stop working! In a patriarchal society such as ours, we women need to be financially independent. Don't let anyone guilt you into quitting a hard-earned job. Talk to your boss, figure out a telecommuting/ work-from-option. If that is not possible, find something to do as a freelancer, but always, always make sure you have your own source of income! 

There is also a lot of good pointers about managing money, dealing with anger, maintaining a solid work-life balance etc. It is all good things! 

Honestly, if you're a woman, read this book. If you're a man, read this book to learn how today's woman is being mentored. 

Rating: 4/5 


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