Book Review: Self-Inflicted Wounds: Heartwarming Tales of Epic Humiliation by Aisha Tyler

Description from Good Reads
Comedian, actress, co-host of CBS's daytime hit The Talk, and creator of the top-ranked podcast Girl on Guy, Aisha Tyler offers a collection of hysterical and unflinchingly personal essays about the spectacular mistakes she has made in her life and what those epic fails have taught her. A fun, revealing and savory read, Self-Inflicted Wounds is about the power of calamity to shape life, learning, and success-as well as a really funny book about a woman's lifelong collection of wonderfully massive screw ups

On the hit comedy podcast Girl on Guy, comedian and actress Aisha Tyler talks with actors, artists, musicians, athletes and iconoclasts about their path to personal and professional success, in forthcoming and sometimes shocking conversation. The coda of the show is Self-Inflicted Wounds-where Aisha's guests recount something they've done that was ill-conceived, dangerous, or just plain dumb-with hilarious or poignant ends. In her book Self-Inflicted Wounds Aisha turns the lens on herself, recounting spectacularly comedic mistakes and stories of crushing personal humiliation, along with what she's learned. Riotous, revealing, and wonderfully relatable, Self-Inflicted Wounds showcases a sharp comedic voice on the rise.

My Review 
I am a fan of Aisha Tyler. I enjoy her stand up, I semi-regularly listen to her podcast, and I sometimes watch her on television. And I really enjoyed this book.

It was so funny! I laughed out loud multiple times. I love that she is super smart, but self-depreciating at the same time. She knows when she messes up, and can laugh at herself about it. I admire that quality so much, because I'm not the same.

All of her stories are true, and hilarious. I kind of wish the whole book was about her dad, though- every story he was involved in was my favorite. 

Although this is not a "self-help" book, I bet this book could help a lot of people. Even if you just learn to laugh at yourself, sometimes that is help enough. Though I've heard quite a few reviews saying "she never learned anything" and "there is too much bad language in this book", I would like to argue the following: If you even knew about her, you would know about the language. And not everyone stops doing things just because they make a mistake- but at least she is acknowledging them and she knows them, unlike some people that continue to do the same thing over and over again not even knowing how detrimental it is to themselves. She knows, and acknowledges. And it is hilarious.

The book contains multiple stories about Aisha's "self-inflicted wounds"- that is, the times in her life she has done something that either is harmful to herself physically, emotionally, or mentally, and the price she pays for those things. The way she relays the story keeps the reader engaged, and wanting more. I know I did.

I highly recommend this book, especially if you are a fan of hers. But even if you aren't a fan, this is a well-written, funny book, about people hurting only themselves.  

You can purchase a hard copy of this book here, or a Kindle copy here.


FTC: I borrowed this book from my local library.
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