Fat, Forty And Fired: The year I lost my job and got a life
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Product Description
Review
'Not only is this a highly entertaining book . . . It also offers a frank insight into marriage, family and the gender divide . . . A rewarding read for everyone' --Sunday Telegraph
'This book is "wake up your wife" funny, really funny, screamingly funny' --David Vickers, ABC
'This book is "wake up your wife" funny, really funny, screamingly funny' --David Vickers, ABC
Book Description
A frank and funny memoir about one man's story of escaping the rat race and finding his life.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
2 of 2 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
An extremely easy read, with a title that shouts out to blokes of a certain age and situation, I think. In the week I'm reading it, for example, Cheryl Cole would only qualify for one out of the three, and would no doubt pass it by. Which would probably be for the best, as this is very much a bloke's mid-life crisis book, as the author himself often cheerfully points out (no doubt telling himself that because he KNOWS and states that it is a mid-life crisis he's going through means that it can't be, really).
Five months into my reading year and this is the easiest book I've managed to get through so far. Very light in style, and as mildly amusing as it is mildly irritating, the author ruminates on the insane life that many middle aged men are committed to these days often through no fault of their own. Stuck with the self and society imposed "bread winner" role in the family, the "good father" role takes a back seat and the fabled "work life balance" goes out the window. Marsh only manages to get some work-life balance by giving up work and taking what it effect is a year out of the rat race to reassess his life. In doing so he manages to verbalise a lot of the nagging doubts about the life we find ourselves leading without coming up with many, or any, real solutions to the challenge of what it's all about. The fact is that there are plenty of solutions to choose from and none of them are ideal. Like he points out in the book, you can fly British Airways Economy from Sydney to London (because you're not working, broke but are having quality family time) or have a company pay you to fly Business Class (because you are working and a slave to the company clock and agenda.) Which is better? Take what you like and pay for it, as God is supposed to have said.
In the end, the book is a bit unsatisfying because it ducks the issue it is supposed to address. It raises some interesting questions that are worthy of more debate about men's role in life in this day and age, signposts them, and then moves on without really exploring the roads. Taking a year off wasn't that much of a challenge - taking ten, or even twenty, now that might have forced some real hard choices in his life. As it turns out, this was more of an extended, somewhat introspective, holiday at home.
Five months into my reading year and this is the easiest book I've managed to get through so far. Very light in style, and as mildly amusing as it is mildly irritating, the author ruminates on the insane life that many middle aged men are committed to these days often through no fault of their own. Stuck with the self and society imposed "bread winner" role in the family, the "good father" role takes a back seat and the fabled "work life balance" goes out the window. Marsh only manages to get some work-life balance by giving up work and taking what it effect is a year out of the rat race to reassess his life. In doing so he manages to verbalise a lot of the nagging doubts about the life we find ourselves leading without coming up with many, or any, real solutions to the challenge of what it's all about. The fact is that there are plenty of solutions to choose from and none of them are ideal. Like he points out in the book, you can fly British Airways Economy from Sydney to London (because you're not working, broke but are having quality family time) or have a company pay you to fly Business Class (because you are working and a slave to the company clock and agenda.) Which is better? Take what you like and pay for it, as God is supposed to have said.
In the end, the book is a bit unsatisfying because it ducks the issue it is supposed to address. It raises some interesting questions that are worthy of more debate about men's role in life in this day and age, signposts them, and then moves on without really exploring the roads. Taking a year off wasn't that much of a challenge - taking ten, or even twenty, now that might have forced some real hard choices in his life. As it turns out, this was more of an extended, somewhat introspective, holiday at home.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
As the author freely admits, he doesn't offer any solutions to the problems facing someone trying to balance work and a meaningful engaging relationship with a family, but he does highlight a number of the right questions, in a humorous, engaging, thought provoking and honest way.
I bought this book after watching his TED talk on Work Life Balance, (look it up, if his talk resonates with you, buy the book) and I was not in the least disappointed. I chewed through the book in just a few days reading on the train to and from work. I'm not sure if it's going to change my life (I'm lucky, I think I've got a pretty good work/life balance and have a great relationship with my family) but it has helped my resolve to keep fighting the workload so that I don't ruin what's important. Having finished the book, I feel like writing to the guy and thanking him for writing it, something that hasn't happened to me before.
If you have been sacrificing your personal relationships in favour of work, watch the TED talk (I've watched it at least half a dozen times and have it downloaded onto my phone to watch whenever I need to) buy the book and do what you can.
I bought this book after watching his TED talk on Work Life Balance, (look it up, if his talk resonates with you, buy the book) and I was not in the least disappointed. I chewed through the book in just a few days reading on the train to and from work. I'm not sure if it's going to change my life (I'm lucky, I think I've got a pretty good work/life balance and have a great relationship with my family) but it has helped my resolve to keep fighting the workload so that I don't ruin what's important. Having finished the book, I feel like writing to the guy and thanking him for writing it, something that hasn't happened to me before.
If you have been sacrificing your personal relationships in favour of work, watch the TED talk (I've watched it at least half a dozen times and have it downloaded onto my phone to watch whenever I need to) buy the book and do what you can.
Format:Paperback
Can't help but think of how this book mirrors the life's of so many friends I know, stuck on the treadmill not knowing how or being able to integrate a healthy work life balance for personal reasons or because of circumstances generally out of his control.
The author honestly concludes the book by stating "thinking it was one thing living it was another"
Great book funny, sad, moving in places, and a great insight into the modern day human condition should of kept on the Buddhist Path.
The author honestly concludes the book by stating "thinking it was one thing living it was another"
Great book funny, sad, moving in places, and a great insight into the modern day human condition should of kept on the Buddhist Path.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
Comical light read
I have to agree with the review by Mcgregor. Most of the book dealt with an extended comical take on what seems to be an extended holiday for most of the year in which he... Read more
Published 6 months ago by Todd Wade
FAT FORTY AND FIRED
This was a fun read with quite a few good laughs. It was one man's account of reconnecting with his family and himself. Read more
Published 12 months ago by EMMA M
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