Yes Please (Poehler)

Discussion Questions
Use our LitLovers Book Club Resources; they can help with discussions for any book:

• How to Discuss a Book (helpful discussion tips)
• Generic Discussion Questions—Fiction and Nonfiction
• Read-Think-Talk (a guided reading chart)

Also, consider using these LitLovers talking points to help start your discussion:

1. Amy Poehler comes across as modest and self-deprecating, especially when she says she fears that she hasn't "lived a life full enough to look back on." Think about that sentence. Is she right? Has her life lacked fullness, or has she lived a rather full life? Do you believe that you have lived a full-enough life to write about? At what age, or under what circumstances, have any of us lived long enough to reflect on and, perhaps, to offer solice or advice to others?

2. Follow-up to Question 1: Poehler also goes on to say in that same sentence (from above) that she's "too old to get by on being pithy and cute."  In Yes Please does she fall back on cuteness...or does she offer solid insights into her own life—insights which can serve as advice to others? In other words, what do you think of Poehler's book: is it cute, or is it substantive...or a bit of both?

3. Poehler seems to indicate that her success hasn't been a matter of luck or due to the kindness of others (yes, many people offered helped along the way) but rather the result of desire, hard work, and ability. What do you think of her claim? To what extent are any of us responsible for our successes...and failures? How much do we depend on sheer luck and help from family or mentors. On the other hand, how important is personal drive, focus, and ability?

4. In what way is Yes Please as much (if not more) a book about Poehler's path to maturity than it is about her road to success?

5. What insights have you gained in reading Yes Please? Is there any part of Poehler's experience that parallels your own journey in life?

6. One critic has said that the chapter "I'm So Proud of You," should be required reading in high school. Do you agree? Why or why not?

7. What about the chapter "Sorry, Sorry, Sorry"? Why was it so difficult for Poehler to admit her error? What does it reveal about her as a person? Has something similar ever happened to you?

8. Talk about the book's structure. Does it feel coherent, disorganized, over-stuffed with fillers...or just about right?

9. What does Yes Please reveal about the field of entertainment and the people who work in it? Has it altered your opinion of celebrities and show business...for the better or for the worse? Or has it confirmed your previous beliefs?

10. On the whole, how do you feel about Amy Poehler after reading Yes Please?

(Questions by LitLovers. Please feel free to use them, on line of off, with attribution. Thanks.)

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