If I'd Known Then: Women in Their 20s and 30s Write Letters to Their Younger Selves | 
| Author: Ellyn Spragins
Publisher: Da Capo Press
Category: Book
List Price: $18.00
Buy New: $6.66
You Save: $11.34 (63%)
New (37) Used (12) from $6.66
Avg. Customer Rating:  8 reviews
Sales Rank: 61829
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 192
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.6
Dimensions (in): 7.8 x 5.6 x 1.1
ISBN: 0738211206
Dewey Decimal Number: 305.42
EAN: 9780738211206
ASIN: 0738211206
Publication Date: April 21, 2008
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
If you could send a letter back in time to yourself, what would it say? Following in the tradition of the bestselling What I Know Now™ comes a new collection that will speak directly to young women. Editor Ellyn Spragins asked women under forty to write letters to the girls they once were, filled with the advice and insights they wish they’d had when they were younger. Readers will recognize familiar names as well as meet new voices in these wonderfully candid missives, including: author Hope Edelman; actress Jessica Alba; Olympic soccer gold medalist Julia Foudy; activist Zainab Salbi; actress Danica McKellar; and author Plum Sykes. A perfect gift at graduation or for any important young woman in your life, If I’d Known Then offers rare glimpses into the personal stories of extraordinary young women-and will inspire readers to live their best lives.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 3 more reviews...
Courtesy of Mother Daughter Book Club.com July 2, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Have you ever wished you could write a letter to yourself when you were younger to give yourself hope or encouragement to get through a difficult time? That's what the 35 women did who appear in If I'd Know Then, Women in Their 20s and 30s Write Letters to Their Younger Selves.
Readers will recognize many of the writers as well as receive introductions to remarkable women they may not have heard of before. The letters are all heartfelt, with the authors talking directly to the young girls they once were. It's a wonderful reminder that no matter how famous or wealthy or popular someone is, we all share many of the same insecurities, doubts, fears and self-imposed limitations.
This book is part of the What I Know Now series, and I think it's a great addition for younger readers. I was particularly struck by the story of Mindy Lam, who was labeled an unlucky child when she was born in China and treated harshly during her childhood. She overcame incredible hurdles to come this country, learn to speak English and find a way to support herself before stumbling upon an idea for creating jewelry that has made her successful beyond her imagining. All the stories are inspiring.
Moms in a mother-daughter book club can write letters to their younger selves as a meeting activity to inspire discussion. And girls could also think about issues they're dealing with now that they may see differently in a few years.
I believe girls in 8th grade and up would enjoy reading If I'd Known Then.
 Very weak... July 2, 2008
0 out of 1 found this review helpful
"If I'd Known Then" is a very weak collection of letters by famous (and semi famous) women, imagining what insight they'd impart to their younger selves. The concept is interesting enough (who wouldn't want to erase a few moments of their lives?), but the execution is nothing more than a piece of vanity publishing, with very little new to say.
Part of the problem is that most of the women featured are the exceptions in life, people who have beaten the odds and shot a few holes in the glass ceiling. Is there any universal application to the perspective of a plus sized woman who made it in sexist Hollywood, a female CEO of a Fortune 500 company, or a Middle American icon with a pornographic past? Their philosophies are not exactly relatable. And, more often than not, the letters are filled with self-congratulatory ruminations that don't rise above the level of platitude. This is supposed to be a book about regret, yet most of the participants are happy with the choices they've made.
In this culture, where books are lauded above other forms of pop culture, I'm sorry to say I learned more about life from that song "Everybody's Free (To Wear Sun Screen)" than I did from "If I'd Known Then."
 Everyday Wisdom, Helpful Reminders June 17, 2008
3 out of 3 found this review helpful
The by-product of a good book is one that keeps you thinking of the subject long after you finish. "If I'd Known Then" does that by stimulating the inner conversation we all need to have with ourselves. The everyday wisdom you'll find solicits the reminders we all need to constantly remember - about life and love, success and failure.
It's not about the book, but about what you do with it. And since you'll get out of it what you put into it, I suggest you take the author quite literally and encourage the young women in your life to write a letter to themselves. They'll wish they had and be glad they did.
Amazing Inspiration May 30, 2008
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
There are few things in life that can transend everyday distractions long enough to actually inspire me - but this book did. As a 30 year old myself, I felt a mirrored twinge of heartbreak, longing, confusion and self exploration that is written so poignantly by these women. I recommend it to anyone and everyone who wants a little reminder of how you became who you are today.
 embarrassed to give out May 26, 2008
2 out of 5 found this review helpful
I can't let my daughters read this book. I am so disappointed and embarrassed after reading the first letter written by Jessica Alba. As a Christian and a mother of three, I see her advice is very foolish as she addressed herself became a born-again Christian when she was 16. Well, my youngest daughter who is almost 17 can do a better job and agrees with me that what Alba said is totally none sense, not mentioned her personal life today in Hollywood demonstrates. I am disappointed and ashamed that we got such a bad example from this actress. Your daughters can not learn from her for sure.
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