#GIRLBOSS is a non-fiction book by CEO and Creative Director of Nasty Gal, Sophia Amoruso. What kind of girl doesn’t want to be a girlboss? I’m an introvert and that idea still appeals to me (not the implication of being the head of a company, just the general badass ideal).
I bought this book based on a recommendation from a friend.
I also love non-fiction, especially from female voices, so it was a no-brainer for me.
Here’s the cover:
Here is the synopsis of #GIRLBOSS from Amazon:
“In the New York Times bestseller that the Washington Post called “Lean In for misfits,” Sophia Amoruso shares how she went from dumpster diving to founding one of the fastest-growing retailers in the world.
Sophia Amoruso spent her teens hitchhiking, committing petty theft, and scrounging in dumpsters for leftover bagels. By age twenty-two she had dropped out of school, and was broke, directionless, and checking IDs in the lobby of an art school—a job she’d taken for the health insurance. It was in that lobby that Sophia decided to start selling vintage clothes on eBay.
Flash forward ten years to today, and she’s the founder and executive chairman of Nasty Gal, a $250-million-plus fashion retailer with more than four hundred employees. Sophia was never a typical CEO, or a typical anything, and she’s written #GIRLBOSS for other girls like her: outsiders (and insiders) seeking a unique path to success, even when that path is windy as all hell and lined with naysayers.
#GIRLBOSS proves that being successful isn’t about where you went to college or how popular you were in high school. It’s about trusting your instincts and following your gut; knowing which rules to follow and which to break; when to button up and when to let your freak flag fly.”
Finally, here’s my review of #GIRLBOSS!
This is a fun read. I think it would be interesting regardless of how it is written, simply because Amoruso’s story is just so captivating. It’s literally rags to riches. Girl to girlboss. But it’s so much better than just interesting, because I found her writing to be good.
It’s definitely not one of those “rich CEO writes a book because they have had a noteworthy experience but are terrible writers” type of tell-all books.
However, some of the stuff she writes does cross the line a bit into the “preachy cliché you can do it if you put your mind to it” zone. I find that a lot of non-fiction books are like that. I find myself thinking, yes, I know that with hard work and determination you can go far, but I want to you know what you did specifically; that’s why I’m reading your book!
Those feelings didn’t overwhelm the great aspects of the book, though.
Other Noteworthy Stuff
I loved the structure of this book. The chapter divers include quotes and awesome sketches. Stylistic choices like these that go the extra mile really make me enjoy books, especially non-fiction ones.
Overall, 4/5 stars, good for any girlboss anywhere!
Happy reading!
– Paperback Patronus