Approval Junkie

Adventures in Caring Too Much

De: Faith Salie

Narrado por: Faith Salie

From comedian and journalist Faith Salie, of NPR's Wait Wait…Don't Tell Me! and CBS News Sunday Morning, a collection of daring, funny essays chronicling the author's adventures during her lifelong quest for approval

Faith Salie has done it all in the name of validation. Whether she’s trying to impress her parents with a perfect GPA, undergoing an exorcism to save her toxic marriage, or baking a 3D excavator cake for her son’s birthday, Salie is the ultimate approval seeker—an “approval junkie,” if you will.

In this collection of daring, honest essays, Salie shares stories from her lifelong quest for gold stars, recounting her strategy for winning (very Southern) high school beauty pageant; her struggle to pick the perfect outfit to wear to her divorce; and her difficulty falling in love again, and then conceiving, in the years following her mother’s death.

With thoughtful irreverence, Salie reflects on why she tries so hard to please others, and herself, highlighting a phenomenon that many people—especially women—experience at home and in the workplace. Equal parts laugh-out loud funny and poignant, Approval Junkie is one woman’s journey to realizing that seeking approval from others is more than just getting them to like you—it's challenging yourself to achieve, and survive, more than you ever thought you could.

Read it now

From work through all of the crazy things Life can throw at a person, faith takes a hard and candid look - with humor - at it all. I giggled laughed and cried. Great points and a beautiful story!

I love Faith Salie

Faith's funny smarts are on view here just as they are on Wait Wait Don't Tell Me. I recognized so much in her first marriage. Thank you.

Moving on

If you could sum up Approval Junkie in three words, what would they be?

life is hard, throws hard balls and you get hit, but keep moving forward

What did you like best about this story?

how she struggles to accept herself and not be what others want her to be

Which character – as performed by Faith Salie – was your favorite?

Faith

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

almost

Any additional comments?

love the phrase "washusband".

A Bold Self Reflection

What made the experience of listening to Approval Junkie the most enjoyable?

I always prefer listening to books read by the author, and the fact that this author is also an actress made the performance all the better.

What other book might you compare Approval Junkie to and why?

I thought it would be like Tina Fey's or Mindy Kaling's books, but it wasn't. This book is really all about Faith, her lowests lows, highest highs, and personal growth (and sometimes a lack of growth).

What about Faith Salie’s performance did you like?

The Russian accent gets top marks.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The beginning of the book when Faith describes her struggle with her appearance, and later in the book when she describes motherhood.

Any additional comments?

It's important to remember, while listening to this book, that the author's whole point is that she wants people's approval. There were parts of the book when I thought Faith was being shallow in her pursuits, but I had to remind myself that she's just being honest. She went to Harvard and was a Rhodes Scholar; she could have done anything, anywhere, and succeeded without being beaten up over her looks and her weight. But instead she chose showbiz. That's tough. She did not always reveal herself to her listeners in a flattering light, which is pretty brave. I thought her description of her struggle with anorexia was interesting, as she doesn't seem to accept her obsession with weight as being unhealthy. She knows she "should" say it is unhealthy, but she doesn't. Overall Faith stayed true to herself by not editing her thoughts on some of these issues and was willing to present herself as flawed despite her efforts to achieve perfection.

Faith is poignant, funny, and doesn’t hold back

Faith’s story is poignant, funny, and candid—a great read filled with personalities you recognize.

Saile’s narration is amazing

Not only does this autobiography tear at your heart but it also makes you laugh out loud. It’s like listening to a Broadway performance Saile’s narration is so amazing

🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹🥹

Gosh, this book had me laughing and crying! Thank you Faith. This book resonated so deeply

Funny and endearing wordsmithery

Late Generation X ladies with a good sense of humor, this is your book!

Not really for every reader

I got halfway through and just had to give up. This is a book for women. Had the description perhaps been more clear is not have wasted so many hours trying to learn something from this self-indulgent book that talks more about our protagonist than the ills she purports to attempt to cure. My fault as much as hers I suppose.