The Joy of Doing Things Badly

Veronica Chambers
Broadway Books (2006)
ISBN 0385512120
Reviewed by Danielle Feliciano for Reader Views (7/06)


In “The Joy of Doing Things Badly”, Veronica Chambers has shared herself with the reader and has come out as an unlikely role model.  She is unlikely because in our world, perfection is everything.  We all strive to be the best and live in constant comparison to others.  Ms. Chambers encourages us to live the exact opposite way.  She says to go ahead and fail, and to learn from it.  She says to live life in an enjoyable way, not live it as a constant quest towards perfection that nobody will ever achieve.  She firmly believes that life should be lived full of laughter, love, friends and travel.  Much of this laughter is at her own expense.  She laughs at her inability to sing, yet does not let that stop her from belting out a song whenever the mood strikes.  She accepts that rejection is a part of her career, and admits that she hates it.  However, she does not let the inevitable rejections she will receive stop her from looking forward to the times her work is not rejected. 

Ms. Chambers writes from the heart, and opens herself up to the reader.  This book is a collection of anecdotes and examples of failures and triumphs.  It is filled with inspiration and hope. It is truly inspiring to read of a person who lives life so fully.  Throughout the pages of “The Joy of Doing Things Badly”, you see a person who is committed to living life on her own terms as much as possible, and to enjoying every minute of life.  There is hope for all of us who are not yet able to laugh at ourselves, but wish we could.  The most pervading emotion running throughout this book is joy; joy at having fun with life; joy at laughing at our own expense; joy at giving up on the quest for perfection and accepting that life will be full of mistakes.  It is up to us how we react to those mistakes.

“The Joy of Doings Things Badly” reads as smoothly as a conversation, yet subtly guides us on how to change our thinking just enough to get a bit more enjoyment out of our daily lives.  If we could all take a page out of this book and put it into practice, our lives would be enriched and we would all learn to find much more happines

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