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lindsey_bear's review against another edition
reflective
fast-paced
4.0
I started this thinking I was going to hate it (haha). I was surprised to have found lots of common ground with Daum. I found her nuanced takes on identity politics and social justice movements compelling. I equally appreciated the last chapter, where she reflects on aging, personal growth, and how this connects with our opinions and mindsets changing over time. I found the sentiment that “the problem with everything” is meant to fuel us and the best parts of our lives (love, art, conversations, etc.) a nice, positive note to end on. Overall, a nice, quick read.
kariniwonderland's review against another edition
4.0
An interesting read about among other things call-out culture, wokeness, "badass" feminism and generations. Like the synopsis says “No matter where you stand on its issues, this book will strike a chord.” I don’t agree with everything, but it will definitely give you food for thought.
kennonstewart's review against another edition
2.0
The two stars were given because I enjoy Daum’s conversational writing style. The missing 3 stars were for everything else.
I loved Daum’s other work, but she spends the majority of this piece lambasting people who honestly just sound like her dinner party guests.
I get it. Her editors specifically call the book a “critique on modern feminism”, but I was at least hoping we’d get something new. Instead there’s just the tired old complaints about cancel culture and the fragility of this new generation (versus how tough we were in the 80s /sarcasm).
In her previous pieces, being edgy meant leaving NY for Nebraska. And then Nebraska for the west coast. Now, edginess (and book sales) come from a book full of pseudo-controversial clickbait….really? :/
I loved Daum’s other work, but she spends the majority of this piece lambasting people who honestly just sound like her dinner party guests.
I get it. Her editors specifically call the book a “critique on modern feminism”, but I was at least hoping we’d get something new. Instead there’s just the tired old complaints about cancel culture and the fragility of this new generation (versus how tough we were in the 80s /sarcasm).
In her previous pieces, being edgy meant leaving NY for Nebraska. And then Nebraska for the west coast. Now, edginess (and book sales) come from a book full of pseudo-controversial clickbait….really? :/
heidihaverkamp's review against another edition
4.0
I needed this book. Daum questions our current culture of outrage and the lack of nuance and complexity in our discourse. She's a Gen Xer, like me, which makes it more fun, admittedly. She reflects on the Gen X value for toughness (not, in fact, indifference) and the Millennial value for fairness. She warns us not to assign "The Patriarchy" more power than it really has. She gallops through all sorts of topics and asks questions which are truly refreshing to hear someone ask.
painalangoisse's review against another edition
4.0
I read this book in one sitting. It was compelling because it reminded me so strongly of conversations I’ve had with friends. Though many of those conversations have been with Gen Xers, I’m 19, which makes the central premise thin for me. Is it really a generational difference when two teenagers can sit down and have the same rant together? Much of this book was almost like comfort food to me: I appreciate Daum’s ongoing insistence on nuance and her refusal to join the ranks of those who don’t do the same. I am torn on how to rate the book because I couldn’t stop reading it, but at the same time it wasn’t particularly intellectually challenging to me. I get the sense that Daum would almost be disappointed in how inoffensive I found it. That’s not to say that I agreed with every point made, but I think I have a similar worldview to her, so I could see where she was coming from most of the time.
bootman's review against another edition
5.0
Almost 2 years ago, while building a social media presence to try and help people with their mental health by using my personal experiences, I found myself being canceled. Not many people will ever experience 100s of thousands of strangers attacking them online, but it was then that I realized that something really strange was happening. In The Problem with Everything, Meghan Daum makes a brave move by discussing the current culture wars, and her writing kept me hooked.
Meghan is a Gen X liberal, and she's seen how feminism and social justice has changed over the years. As a liberal myself, it bums me out to see our side destroy itself because so many can't have nuanced conversations. Personally, I think Meghan did a phenomenal job showing compassion to those who get hurt or offended by different situations, but she articulates the importance of the need for our society to be able to freely share ideas and opinions without it turning into something that can ruin your life.
Meghan is a Gen X liberal, and she's seen how feminism and social justice has changed over the years. As a liberal myself, it bums me out to see our side destroy itself because so many can't have nuanced conversations. Personally, I think Meghan did a phenomenal job showing compassion to those who get hurt or offended by different situations, but she articulates the importance of the need for our society to be able to freely share ideas and opinions without it turning into something that can ruin your life.
sophie_pesek's review against another edition
1.0
The author really outed herself when she said she spent entire days watching Jordan Peterson videos while going through her divorce… I feel like she got YouTube radicalized but is still trying to cling to her liberal identity and the result is incongruous. Disappointing rec from an Ezra Klein podcast