If Someone Says "You Complete Me," RUN!

October 12, 2015
Goldberg, performer and cohost of the talk show The View, shares her wisdom on love and relationships in this no-nonsense guide to personal fulfillment. She denounces the false expectations engendered by popular music, films, fairy tales, and even Viagra commercials that depict an unachievable romantic ideal, imploring readers to "get your heads out of your butts." The title, originally a line from the 1996 film Jerry Maguire, refers to Goldberg's recommendation to have a full life and a complete identity that's wholly your own, for as Goldberg notes sagely, "If they complete you, they can deconstruct you as well." A chapter on "red flags" advises readers on bad behaviors to watch out for, issued along with the all-important and easily forgettable proclamation that "you can't change him." Goldberg's views on sex in and outside of relationships, particularly for older people, are progressive, sensitive, and spot-on. In between chapters, a running column called "Ask Whoopi" deals with specific relationship queries posed to the author over social media. Workbook exercises encourage readers to articulate their desire. This is a funny, conversational (at times rambling), and occasionally profane take on modern romance from a legendary humorist, and is an entertaining if not entirely necessary addition to the canon.

Comic Whoopi Goldberg dishes out wit and wisdom aimed at helping people learn to accept who they are and to avoid fulfilling other people's expectations. As narrator, there's no better voice than Goldberg's to deliver this material--her raspy timbre, energetic pace, and jovial, bemused tone are all her own. At times, it sounds like she's ad libbing or providing commentary beyond the actual text, and she regularly laughs out loud throughout her narration. These qualities give the listener the sense of having a personal interaction with the sharp-eyed advice maven. What's more, her personal anecdotes will have listeners in stitches. L.E. © AudioFile 2016, Portland, Maine