On Being Human

Publisher's Summary

An inspirational memoir about how Jennifer Pastiloff's years of waitressing taught her to seek out unexpected beauty, how hearing loss taught her to listen fiercely, how being vulnerable allowed her to find love, and how imperfections can lead to a life full of wild happiness.

Centered around the touchstone stories Jen tells in her popular workshops, On Being Human is the story of how a starved person grew into the exuberant woman she was meant to be all along by battling the demons within and winning.

Jen did not intend to become a yoga teacher, but when she was given the opportunity to host her own retreats, she left her 13-year waitressing job and said “yes”, despite crippling fears of her inexperience and her own potential. After years of feeling depressed, anxious, and hopeless, in a life that seemed to have no escape, she healed her own heart by caring for others. She has learned to fiercely listen despite being nearly deaf, to banish shame attached to a body mass index, and to rebuild a family after the debilitating loss of her father when she was eight. Through her journey, Jen conveys the experience most of us are missing in our lives: being heard and being told, “I got you.”

Exuberant, triumphantly messy, and brave, On Being Human is a celebration of happiness and self-realization over darkness and doubt. Her complicated yet imperfectly perfect life path is an inspiration to live outside the box and to reject the all-too-common belief of “I am not enough”. Jen will help listeners find, accept, and embrace their own vulnerability, bravery, and humanness. 

“On Being Human is beautiful and tender, profound and absorbing. I never wanted to put it down. In writing with such clarity and honesty about her jagged path to becoming, Jennifer Pastiloff has told the story of not only herself, but so many of us. I was consoled by this book and also inspired. On every page I felt the presence and the power of Pastiloff’s brave and gigantic heart. This is a book friends will tell friends they have to read for years to come. It’s an important, enthralling debut.” (Cheryl Strayed)

©2019 Jennifer Pastiloff (P)2019 Penguin Audio

Critic Reviews

“In this candid memoir, Manifest-Station blogger Pastiloff transforms from a troubled restaurant server at a celebrity haunt in Santa Monica, Calif., into a yoga teacher and maven for self-discovery.... Readers feeling stuck in their lives will devour this inspiring story of a woman finding her way.” (Publishers Weekly)

“This is an openhearted, therapeutic journey that's perhaps a little like one of Pastiloff's workshops in book form.” (Booklist)

“I devoured On Being Human in one sitting - nodding, laughing and connecting from the first word to the last. Jen Pastiloff is a brave and vulnerable leader whose book will help people take a deep breath, recognize themselves, and understand each other. What more can we ask of a book?” (Glennon Doyle, author of number-one New York Times best-seller Love Warrior and founder of Together Rising) 

“Jen Pastiloff is the only human ray of sunshine who could ever make me earnestly consider incorporating unpalatable things like ‘manifesting joy’ and ‘listening’ (UGH) into my life. This book is a treasure.” (Samantha Irby, author of We Are Never Meeting in Real Life and Meaty) 

What a beautiful memoir.

My heart is cracked open. What a memoir! Ugh I want to hug Jen. I love that she is the voice of the book. I feel such a connection. So authentic on being human. You have open the road to be honest and authentic. Thank you! Thank you for being a walking thank you and not being an asshole! I will cherish your book close to my heart. Amazing job Jen!

2 of 2 people found this review helpful

You’re going to thank me.

I love it when an author reads books. Not only is the book amazing and goes straight to your heart, it hits at an even deeper level hearing it read by Jennifer Pastiloff. I really felt connected to her throughout the story. I laughed and cried and raised my fist in the air while crying out ‘hell yeah!’ Take the plunge and dive in now! You’re going to thank me for suggesting this book!!

Beauty straight from the heart.

WOW! This book is incredible! Raw beauty and love can be seen and heard here, straight from the heart of the author, Jennifer Pastiloff. (side note: I also LOVE when the author narrates their own book! The reading comes alive in so many more ways. Thank you!) Thank you Jen for this book. Thank you for showing me your incredibly messy rollercoaster ride of a life. Thank you for your words of wisdom. This book, or at least the spots I have bookmarked, I am going to listen/read to over and over because the words go straight into my heart. I can feel the Love and the hug whispering Let go of your worries and fears. Embrace the I don't know. If you want to take that brave leap into a new life project or direction, if you want to connect deeper with your voice and community in order to experience connection and self love on a different level, then choose to let go, listen, and tell the truth. There are no guarantees in life. Be brave, Be bold. Be you!
Who are you to not be you?
Maybe you can be inspired to tell your story after listening to or reading Jen's story. <3

love. love. love.

loved every single chapter. i fell in love with you on Instagram, but your book solidified my love for you! thank you for sharing.

Better than I even imagined.

I was lucky enough to attend two retreats with Jen. I went to Costa Rica for one retreat and was so enamored that I immediately booked (shortly after) to take my best friend to another retreat in Ojai. This book blew my mind. She is so incredibly talented and real. Do yourself a huge favor (or I should say a huge gift of Self Care) and listen. You won’t regret it.