Average is the New Awesome: A Manifesto for the Rest of Us

by Samantha Matt

Overview

A celebration of ordinary awesomeness, for all of us who were told "You can do anything!" and then found out we actually can't

Crappy homes, lame love lives, getting passed over for a great job (again)—not what we expected for our adulthoods. Americans tell their children you can become anything! But let's face it—most of us can't.

Sure, some of our peers go on to become astronauts or billionaires. But most of us don't. In Average Is the New Awesome, Samantha Matt offers encouragement to us regular humans. Full of hilarious stories and insightful advice, this is a manifesto for ordinary awesomeness—for the beauty that can be found when we acknowledge that good enough really is good enough, and that greatness is ours to define.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9781580059350
Publisher:	Basic Books
Publication date:	01/07/2020
Pages:	240
Sales rank:	1,051,993
Product dimensions:	5.40(w) x 8.10(h) x 0.80(d)

About the Author

Samantha Matt is the director of audience development at Reviewed, a USA TODAY website, and the founder and editor-in-chief of ForeverTwentySomethings.com. Her writing has appeared in Cosmopolitan, Women's Health, Seventeen, Good Housekeeping, USA Today, Esquire, Redbook,and more. She lives in Brookline, Massachusetts.

Table of Contents

Introduction: Help Me, I'm Average xi

Chapter 1 Average Doesn't Mean Unsuccessful

…and other thoughts about being mediocre at work and money 1

Chapter 2 In Praise of Subpar Social Lives

…and other thoughts about fair-weather friendships and sporadic get-togethers 43

Chapter 3 No One Is Judging Your Average Body-Except You

…and other thoughts about striving for healthy happy mediums 97

Chapter 4 Our Love Lives Are Pretty Unexceptional Compared to the Movies

…and other thoughts about ordinary relationships and good-enough love 125

Chapter 5 Is Everyone More Impressive Than You on Social Media?

…and other thoughts about overachievers Pinterest-perfect lives 175

Chapter 6 Why Does It Feel Like We've Accomplished Nothing When We Have?

…and other thoughts about life on the hump of the bell curve

Conclusion it's Okay to Do It Your Way 207

Editorial Reviews

Named a best self-help book for 2020 by Parade Magazine


Featured as one of the Toronto Star's self-help books to get you motivated in 2020


Named a book to watch by Porchlight Book Company

"Matt's witty book cuts through the misleading 'perfection' promoted in the arts, the media, and in our social media feeds with this empowering, actionable manifesto."—BookRiot

"Funny and strikingly honest, this book is one you'll hold close and relate to in every way you need to right now. Average is the New Awesome gives you an answer to that restless feeling you carry around with you, telling you that being average doesn't mean you have failed. Being average means you're doing just fine. Samantha Matt's advice, juxtaposed with hilarious personal stories, makes you feel like you're spending the afternoon with a close friend who is setting you straight and changing your life."—JEN GLANTZ, author of Always a Bridesmaid (For Hire) and When You Least Expect It

"A heartfelt pep talk of a book. A true reminder that when you're feeling average, you might just be extraordinary."—MEREDITH GOLDSTEIN, author of Can't Help Myself: Lessons and Confessions from a Modern Advice Columnist

"Samantha Matt nails the unique concoction of concerns that plague almost all of us — and even better, her wise, witty, warm advice offers practical solutions."—HANNAH ORENSTEIN, author of Playing with Matches and Love at First Like

"Samantha Matt's Average Is The New Awesome has struck a chord with me at exactly the right point in my life. It's clever and relatable — which I guess makes me average. But you know what? After reading Samantha's book, I'm okay with it!"—CHARLEE FAM, author of Last Train to Babylon

"A fun and refreshingly honest take on life for the social media generation. Holding yourself up to an impossible standard is so overrated, and Samantha Matt's always (thankfully) quick to remind us of that."
—SARAH SOLOMON, author of Guac Is Extra but So Am I

From the Publisher