Rating: 
Summary: What a kvetch!
Review: If Carter isn't complaining about one thing, it's another. She's lived a fortunate and gifted life, but uses this poorly written book as a soapbox to catalogue her miseries. Where she could be uplifting, she is self-absorbed. Where she could be insightful, she is mundane. Given her brilliant career, I had hoped for so much more.
Rating: 
Summary: Hysterically Funny and Quite Moving
Review: My book club assigned "Nothing to Fall Back On," and reading it was such a pleasure! Carter's book is simply a wonderful read. She has a sharp, wry and distinctive voice-- she's your wittiest woman friend that you've known forever. The book chronicles some horrible events in her life, and in lesser hands the telling would sound whiny or melodramatic, but Carter has a gift for seeing comedy in the tragic without making light of her experiences. The portrait of the macho journalism world of NYC in the 1980s is also very interesting, and some of the gossipy anecdotes from that period are laugh-out-loud hysterical. A fun book that's smart and genuinely touching-- how often do you see one of those!?
Rating:
Summary: WONDERFUL!
Review: One of the best books I've read all year. You'll laugh, you'll cry, it's just a really great book. I loved it.
Rating:
Summary: If You Want To Be Inspired, Read This Book!
Review: Reading Betsy Carter's book was quite an experience. I kept thinking that even if one of the things she'd lived through had happened to me, there's no way I could have ever kept a sense of humor or a positive attitude about my life as Carter has been able to do. She was undaunted! I find it compelling that this author was able to spill the beans about her life without making me feel that she was bitter or complaining. It was just the opposite. I thought that throughout her trevails, she continued to be an optimist. I loved her writing. I felt as if she were my friend and that she was speaking to me on the telephone. There were also times when I was laughing out loud. I found this book inspiring, funny, very poignant and victorious. Betsy Carter beat the odds -- in all ways. I've just purchased copies for three of my friends.
Rating: 
Summary: And She Lived To Tell the Tale
Review: Whew. I just finished this saga and come away with very mixed emotions. Betsy Carter takes you up, down and around in circles. She's at once fascinating, annoying, funny and perplexing. This is a life that is indeed worth writing and reading about. She is truly a unique.The subtitle, "The Life and times of a Perpetual Optimist" is very appropriate. It's almost hard to believe the stories she tells about a bad car accident, her divorce and the discovery of a lump in her breast are treated as "lightly" as they are. I feel she just scratches the surface of the true emotion brewing within. Betsy, if you're looking for something to do in another workaholic phase, you have about four good novels in the meat of this book. "Nothing To Fall Back On" is an absolute misnomer. You are an amazing woman. Thank you for your honesty and for sharing your life.
Rating: 
Summary: Happy martyr
Review: While her resume sparkles, Betsy Carter does not live up to the promise of her editorial credits. The facts of her story are certainly interesting, but Carter's observations of her own fate are removed and somewhat clinical, rather than compelling and empathetic. Her story weaves back and forth between her childhood, young adulthood and careerhood in a poorly structured manner that is confusing to the reader and does the story no favors. My hopes were so high for this book and I was sorely disappointed. Readers are tired of the "woman overcoming adversity story." This one could have stood out with more emotion and less antisepticism.
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