The 52 Weeks: Two Women and Their Quest to Get Unstuck, with Stories and Ideas to Jumpstart Your Year of Discovery

by Karen Amster-Young, Pam Godwin, Barbara Hannah Grufferman (Foreword by)

Overview

Edging into forty-something, Karen and Pam found themselves in a state of stuck. They had checked off many of their major life goals—career, husband, children, friends—but they’d lost momentum. After griping over drinks one night, they came up with a plan to face their fears, rediscover their interests, try new things, and renew their relationships. They challenged themselves to try one new thing every week for a year—from test-driving a Maserati to target practice at a shooting range to ballroom dance lessons—and to blog about their journeys. They quickly realized it was harder than they ever imagined but came through it with a sense of clarity and purpose that has them itching to share the possibilities with the millions of middle-aged women out there who feel the same way about one or many areas of their lives.

Getting "unstuck" doesn’t have to mean running a marathon, traveling the world, or ending a relationship with your partner. Through their experiences and a good dose of no-nonsense advice, Karen and Pam show readers how achieving small goals can give you a renewed sense of accomplishment and how you can keep growing, learning, and moving forward at any age. Interspersed with personal stories is expert advice from doctors, psychiatrists, artists, and even a poker diva (who also happens to be a Fortune 500 executive).

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781620877180
Publisher:	Skyhorse
Publication date:	11/05/2013
Pages:	296
Product dimensions:	6.00(w) x 9.00(h) x 0.90(d)

About the Author

Karen Amster-Young is a marketing and public relations veteran and has amassed many awards for her work in public relations, including a spot on PR Week’s “Forty PR Stars under Forty.” Karen lives with her husband and daughter in New York City.

Pam Godwin began her career as a caseworker for a nonprofit refugee resettlement agency. After getting her master’s degree in elementary education, Pam was a classroom teacher and literacy specialist in the New York City public school system. She lives with her husband and children in New York City.

Table of Contents

Acknowledgments vii

Foreword Barbara Hannah Grufferman ix

Note to the Reader xiii

Introduction xvii

Chapter 1 Trying Something New 1

Chapter 2 Wellness 17

Chapter 3 Just for Fun 44

Chapter 4 Arts & Culture 65

Chapter 5 Relationships 84

Chapter 6 Facing Fears 107

Chapter 7 Giving Back 128

Chapter 8 Reflection 150

Chapter 9 Changing Course 169

Chapter 10 Flying Solo, with Jami Kelmenson 193

Chapter 11 Your 52 218

Afterword 249

Meet the Experts 253

Changing Course Worksheets 266

Editorial Reviews

"We all want lives packed with both fun and fulfillment. With its humor, honesty and great insight, The 52 Weeks is a terrific resource for anyone who wants to get unstuck."
—Gretchen Rubin, author of the bestsellers Happier at Home and The Happiness Project

"This non-fiction book just came out and I love the premise! Two forty-something women decide to get 'unstuck' and try one new thing every week. I loved reading this book and their blog. We all need to heed their advice and try new things!"
—Top Books of 2013, GreatThoughts.com

"Did you like the book Eat, Pray, Love and wish you could devote a whole year to becoming a better person? Yeah, me too. . . . That’s where a fun new book comes in. The 52 Weeks: Two Women and Their Quest to Get Unstuck with Stories and Ideas to Jumpstart Your Year of Discovery was written to inspire readers to try new things no matter how crazy-busy they are."
—Parents.com

“In The 52 Weeks, a rollicking ride (and read) through Karen Amster-Young’s and Pam Godwin’s year of doing something new every week, the two married 40-something mothers each created their own list of 52 things to try in 10 different realms. . . . So, with January 1st not far away, pick up The 52 Weeks and instead of making a couple of New Year’s resolutions, really shake up your life and make 52 of them!”
—Vivian Rabin, Irelaunch

"We all want lives packed with both fun and fulfillment. With its humor, honesty and great insight, The 52 Weeks is a terrific resource for anyone who wants to get unstuck."
—Gretchen Rubin, author of the bestsellers Happier at Home and The Happiness Project

"This non-fiction book just came out and I love the premise! Two forty-something women decide to get 'unstuck' and try one new thing every week. I loved reading this book and their blog. We all need to heed their advice and try new things!"
—Top Books of 2013, GreatThoughts.com

"Did you like the book Eat, Pray, Love and wish you could devote a whole year to becoming a better person? Yeah, me too. . . . That’s where a fun new book comes in. The 52 Weeks: Two Women and Their Quest to Get Unstuck with Stories and Ideas to Jumpstart Your Year of Discovery was written to inspire readers to try new things no matter how crazy-busy they are."
—Parents.com

“In The 52 Weeks, a rollicking ride (and read) through Karen Amster-Young’s and Pam Godwin’s year of doing something new every week, the two married 40-something mothers each created their own list of 52 things to try in 10 different realms. . . . So, with January 1st not far away, pick up The 52 Weeks and instead of making a couple of New Year’s resolutions, really shake up your life and make 52 of them!”
—Vivian Rabin, Irelaunch

From the Publisher

Did you like the book Eat, Pray, Love and wish you could devote a whole year to becoming a better person? Yeah, me too. . . . That’s where a fun new book comes in. The 52 Weeks: Two Women and Their Quest to Get Unstuck with Stories and Ideas to Jumpstart Your Year of Discovery was written to inspire readers to try new things no matter how crazy-busy they are.

Parents.com

In The 52 Weeks, a rollicking ride (and read) through Karen Amster-Young’s and Pam Godwin’s year of doing something new every week, the two married 40-something mothers each created their own list of 52 things to try in 10 different realm. . . . So, with January 1st not far away, pick up The 52 Weeks and instead of making a couple of New Year’s resolutions, really shake up your life and make 52 of them!

Vivian Rabin

2013-10-01
A blog sparks more of a self-help attitude than a book. Readers who feel the need for a life coach can turn here instead--especially readers similar to the co-authors, two female friends in their 40s, both happily married and with families, who weren't exactly dissatisfied with their middle-class lives but felt like they were stuck in a rut. So they started a blog "as a fun idea between two good friends. Our plan was to get going again, get unstuck and just feel better. This book is our story, but it is also an inspirational blueprint to help others get going again." For all its good intentions, the book is repetitive and not especially deep. The key to getting unstuck is to get out of your comfort zone and try new things, which is a point belabored multiple times within each chapter. What new things? Go to a shooting range. Eat blueberries for breakfast. Try nude yoga. Test-drive a sports car. Study the cabala. Take time to reflect or even meditate. Give to those who are suffering or less fortunate. "If you listen to Bach," they write, "try the Beatles. If you listen to Beyonce, try Bach." This isn't a collection of blog posts, however; instead, it's more of what the authors discovered through their personal experiences, interspersed with testimonies from "52 Weeks Experts" and quotes from the likes of Dr. Seuss, Woody Allen and Ellen DeGeneres. Each chapter ends with bullet points and lists, and then there are much longer lists of suggestions at the end of the book. And worksheets. It likely worked better as a blog, but those who need a prod will find themselves prodded repeatedly here. Little of what's included seems like more than a one-time experience, providing diversion rather than transformational depth.

Kirkus Reviews