Broken (in the Best Possible Way) by Jenny Lawson Summary
Overview of Broken (in the Best Possible Way)
Jenny Lawson's bestseller transforms mental health struggles into darkly hilarious wisdom. Sarah Knight calls it "a party for socially-anxious introverts," while Luvvie Ajayi praises its "vulnerability" as "a gift to anyone who has ever felt too different." Ever wondered if brokenness can be beautiful?
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Key takeaways
When Your Brain Becomes Your Frenemy
What if the very thing that makes you feel most broken is actually what makes you most human? Jenny Lawson can't remember entire vacations, loses shoes while wearing them, and once stood confused in her own refrigerator wondering whose house she'd wandered into. She's watched the same serial killer documentaries repeatedly, each time convinced it's her first viewing. Her memory is so unreliable that her e-reader has become an accidental time machine, revealing highlighted passages and notes from previous readings she doesn't recall making. She's solved the mystery in "Murder on the Orient Express" dozens of times, always impressed with her own detective skills. Yet this same forgetfulness has kept her marriage intact for twenty years-she forgets what they're fighting about mid-argument. Behind the comedy lurks something darker: dementia runs in her family. Her grandmother happily rereads the same Stephen King chapter weekly, forever discovering it anew. Rather than viewing this as pure tragedy, Lawson finds strange comfort in imagining all those forgotten memories locked away safely, still existing somewhere in the vast filing system of her mind. "If one day I look at you without recognition," she writes, "know that your importance remains real-the me who loved you is still sitting on that beach, forever feeling the sunlight."
The Grocery Store as Gladiatorial Arena
When Your Body Declares War on Itself
Woodpeckers, Electromagnets, and Finding Your Way Back
The Thread That Binds Us: Shared Mortification
Embracing Your Monsters: The Beauty of Brokenness
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
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"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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