Why Bother?
Discover the Desire for What’s Next
Why bother reading this book? Because you’ll answer the most important question you’ll ever ask yourself.
In Why Bother? personal-growth expert Jennifer Louden challenges you to open your mind, your heart, and your life by following where the question leads. Through reflection and stories from others, Louden demonstrates how to bother when it feels impossible or like too much work, whether after professional defeats, heartbreak, illness, or life-changing loss. She shows why you must prioritize what’s calling you at any time of your life, especially when you’ve sidelined your dreams to raise kids, pay the rent, or take care of aging parents. And crucially, she shows you how tapping into your deepest desires can give you the energy to move forward—even when the world seems in such dire straits.
It’s time to reclaim the dignity and beauty of your desires. It’s time to
get your bother on.
Reviews
“Here is what I know about Jennifer Louden: she is a potent force for good in this world. Her life force is off the charts—girlfriend is alive. She does not bypass sorrow or rage but meets them fully and turns them into joy. She has single-handedly created a life of unique meaning, authenticity, and abundance that also happens to benefit countless others. If anyone ever asked, ‘Hey, want to read a book about how to be just like Jen Louden?’ I’d say, ‘HELL YES.’ And now here it is. This powerful, real, funny, wise book will show you how to stop tormenting yourself with self-doubt and start living your one true life—not by becoming someone else, but by finally being exactly who you are.”
“In Why Bother? Jennifer Louden shows with great honesty that feeling what is ours to feel is how we endure our way into a more authentic dream where who we are is more than enough. Without being prescriptive, this book is a strong and sensitive companion on the path of becoming fully human. It will help you unravel your entanglements and live.”
“I ended my own book with the words, ‘Now what?’ When I picked up Jennifer Louden’s book, I felt as if it were a follow-up to my own question. Why Bother? spoke to me as if I were speaking to myself (in a loving voice, instead of the jerky one) and it has become my guide, my map, my bible, my confidante. I want everyone I know to own a copy as tattered as mine.”
“A truly brilliant book. Jennifer Louden is warm, down to earth, and thoroughly practical as she explores the profound question of what matters most to each of us. It’s quite stunning how she weaves together personal stories, deep reflections, inspiration, and immediately useful actions. A gem.”
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“This book is a revelation. Why Bother? woke me up from my creative slumber and revitalized the desire I had pushed to the side in favor of ‘getting things done.’ Jennifer Louden’s words gave language to the areas of my life that felt stagnant, and immediately catapulted me into the action my soul craved. If you’ve been looking to tap back into your truest desires and deepest purpose so you can craft a life of meaning, this book will help you do exactly that.”
“I love this book like I love my closest girlfriends because just like them, it is funny and smart and brave. Like them, it is comfortable with the mess and the vulnerability—in me and in life. Like them, it digs into the details, the nuances of how we forge our paths, the stuff it often seems no one is willing to talk about. Whenever I put it down, I craved going back to it for more mentorship and comfort. It’s a truism among us personal-growth writers that everything we are writing about has been written about a thousand times before, but I’m telling you—this book has never been written before.”
“Why Bother? is for cynics and optimists alike. It’s a brilliant map from despair to devotion, and the story of a woman’s path home to herself. Jennifer Louden has created an honest account of what it truly means to question everything during our most painful times and emerge powerful and clear, without a self-help cliché in sight.”
“I have never felt so seen reading a book. Jennifer Louden is the coach you’ve always wanted. With the mix of humor and wisdom that has made her beloved to her many students, she removes any shame around stagnation, and cuts right to your heart with personal stories that normalize the ebb and flow of bothering in life. Jennifer is the coach who stands in the storm alongside you. Prepare to have your excuses lovingly disarmed, one by one. Before you know it, you’ll be feeling the glow of hope and taking steps toward what you really want.”
“I read this book during a why bother time in my life, and I’m so grateful I did! I ended the book in tears, reminded of both why I’m here on this earth and why it matters that I get my bother on. Jennifer Louden does a beautiful job of weaving together story and practical advice, which I experienced as a series of aha moments!”
“A unique take on how to get out of a slump when you’re stuck. Why Bother? will inspire you to find new and creative ways to get yourself moving again, so that you can find true happiness.”
“Chock-full of deeply vulnerable and courageous stories, Jennifer Louden’s latest book helps you understand, first and foremost, that you’re not alone. And that knowledge might be one of the biggest gifts, as she guides you to discovering your own answer to ‘why bother?’ A riveting book.”
“Whether we fail at something we care about, or reach the heights of success, we’ll all ask ourselves ‘why bother?’ at some point in our lives. Jennifer Louden’s book lets us explore that question as a search for meaning instead of a path to madness. She doesn’t give us a map with her answers, but a compass to find our own way.”
“Why Bother? is a reclamation. With curiosity, wisdom, reverence, and grace, Jennifer Louden shows us how to transform two simple words from the ultimate expression of futility into a path back to desire and, eventually, meaning. Read it, then live it.”
“Hilarious, honest, and real, Jennifer Louden is a masterful storyteller and truthteller. Read this book and take your energy back, find your thread again, and figure out how to make the most of the time you have. Jennifer Louden is your guide—back to yourself, your heart, and the reasons you’re here in the first place. Listen to what she says.”
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$19.95 CAD • $16.95 USD
Published May 5, 2020
Paperback, ebook