So You Need to Decide

De: Beth Lapides

Narrado por: Beth Lapides

How many decisions do you make each day? Ten? Twenty? Fifty? How often do you think about the way each of those little and not-so-little decisions reverberate through your life? And how often do you regret a choice you made and wish you could simply choose again?

“One of the better audio-comedy productions in recent memory … the project is a collection of probing interviews in their original audio, so none of the intensity or intimacy is lost in a translation to print.”—Vulture.

Hailed by the Los Angeles Times as the “godmother of alternative comedy,” Beth Lapides, creator of LA’s long-running UnCabaret, delivers a funny and heartfelt meditation on the power of decisions, the place for regret, and the space for grace in the Recorded Books Original So You Need to Decide.

This series of intimate conversations with a diverse group of comedians, writers, and cultural icons revolves around five universal experiences: family, work, love, moving, and spirituality. The decisions that come through in each of these moments are not about the rigidity of control, it’s about the fluidity of dancing with the chaos. Lapides invites us to join her and her friends in reflecting on how each decision changes us, altering our path and creating a wholly new journey.

Featuring original interviews with Margaret Cho, Isaac Mizrahi, Bob Odenkirk, Phoebe Bridgers, Baron Vaughn, Aparna Nancherla, Merrill Markoe, and Josh Gondelman, and with research assistance by Mathew Klickstein, So You Need to Decide ultimately challenges the listener to choose how they want to live—bigger or smaller, with artifice or authenticity. Would you rather plumb the depths or float near the surface?

That’s a decision only you can make.

©2021 Beth Lapides and Mathew Klickstein (P)2021 Recorded Books

Like hanging out with funny, reassuringly f’d-up friends

So it turns out that Beth Lapides isn’t just funny—she’s also smart AND wise, and she has thought a lot about the scary decisions, big and small, we all have to make in life. This book is all about that—told through her own experiences and her fabulous conversations with her funny friends. The vibe is warm and welcoming, the stories people share (fears! regrets! neuroses! triumphs!) are thoughtful and real, and the whole thing is like getting a painfree double booster shot of motivation and gumption. Listen while you’re out walking and you’ll look like a happy weirdo, nodding and smiling and laughing out loud. A+

Listen, laugh and learn

First thing to note here is that Beth has created an innovative Audiobook first approach. It's a blend between book and podcast, it really works. it's richer, more structured and has a clear arc that would be harder to deliver in a podcast or series. it's richer and more engaging with snips of conversations between Beth and well known artists, comics, that come through with authenticity and humor that would never translate as well in print. This format, audiobook, really works in a way that surprised me. instead of audiobook being a cheat for people who don't want to sit down and read, this really makes an audiobook something special and better than a book, or podcast, can do. Brilliant and exciting.

Second, I really loved the integration of Beth's story, conversations with celebrities and thoughtful life lessons. It works! Of course, the celebs are good story tellers, often funny. But the conversations are so genuine, and human. I wasn't distracted by the celebrity aura or jokes. I was drawn into and engaged with the human experience that these conversations revealed.

Beth is uniquely able to connect foundational truths of life, happiness, change, family, etc. with her humor. While a serious comic, she is at core an artist at bringing people together in reflection of our shared humanity.

Listen to this audiobook for the fun of hearing Beth's story and those of the huge list of other artists and creators she talks to. Listen for the humor and stories that will make you smile, laugh and feel good. Listen because you will learn something, affirm something and come out of the experience just a little bit better.

Engaging, fascinating, heartfelt and truthful interviews covering the big ideas we all struggle with every day

I loved everything about this book. Beth Lapides is a fantastic interviewer, allowing each person to shine and speak their truth. The book is filled with fascinating stories and perspectives told in an engaging manner filled with both humor and intelligence. I could not stop listening and finished in two delightful days!

Deciding to read a book has never been easier!

As someone that overthinks every decision, this is an extremely helpful resource in eliminating some of the pressure that comes with deciding! The guests are incredible at making you feel like you're not alone if you have a tough time deciding - this is something that everyone deals with! With much of the pressure lifted from most of my decisions now, it leaves the future open for more happiness, more mindfulness, and deeper connections with the world around me!

I can't recommend this book enough, as it has interviews with some of the most talented personalities and creators in the entertainment industry, and these only serve to put one more at ease and drive home the tips and tricks revealed throughout the book to set you on a better path to making those decisions easier, quicker, and with stronger confidence!

If you're on the fence, hopefully this serves to help you decide to decide!

Super Helpful Book

I enjoyed this book thoroughly. It's presented in a way that's very lighthearted and funny but the questions asked and the topics discussed are really quite deep . I found that I could relate to every single one of them. I will go so far as to say that the book offered me useable guidance
I just finished it and I am going to listen to it again