This Is Not the Life I Ordered
Encyclopedia
This Is Not the Life I Ordered: 50 Ways to Keep Your Head Above Water When Life Keeps Dragging You Down is a collaborative non-fiction
inspirational self-help
book written by Deborah Collins Stephens, Michealene Cristini Risley
, Jackie Speier
, and Jan Yanehiro
. The book was first published in a hardcover format in 2007, by Conari Press. The first printing of the work was for thirty-five thousand copies, and a second printing is planned.
is a Congresswoman
from California
, and was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of California
in 2006. Speier survived five gunshot wounds when she was shot by members of Peoples Temple
in 1978 when she traveled to Jonestown
with Congressman Leo J. Ryan
. Jan Yanehiro
is a broadcast journalist
, and co-hosted Evening Magazine
which aired on San Francisco's KPIX. Yanehiro is a co-executive producer of "Pacific Fusion", a television magazine program featuring Asian American lifestyle, which airs on KRON.
Michealene Cristini Risley was Vice-President, group director of licensing and character development, at Sega Corporation
. She is also the founder and president of Fresh Water Spigot, a creative content company based in Portola Valley, California
. Deborah Collins Stephens is the cofounder and managing partner of the Center for Innovative Leadership. She is also the author of One Size Fits One and co-authored The Maslow Business Reader, with Abraham H. Maslow.
, tax return
s and how to create a financial plan.
for the second time in June 2007. The book also appeared on the NCIBA bestseller list, and was featured on the "Sacramento 07 Books" list, by the Professional BusinessWomen of California organization. This Is Not the Life I Ordered received a positive review in ForeWord Magazine
, where the reviewer noted that the work: "is more about 'turning ‘woe is me’ into action' than coddling."
Non-fiction
Non-fiction is the form of any narrative, account, or other communicative work whose assertions and descriptions are understood to be fact...
inspirational self-help
Self-help
Self-help, or self-improvement, is a self-guided improvement—economically, intellectually, or emotionally—often with a substantial psychological basis. There are many different self-help movements and each has its own focus, techniques, associated beliefs, proponents and in some cases, leaders...
book written by Deborah Collins Stephens, Michealene Cristini Risley
Michealene Cristini Risley
Michealene Cristini Risley is an award-winning writer, director and human rights activist.Risley is most well known for her recent work as the writer, producer and director for the film Tapestries of Hope, which follows social activist Betty Makoni in her efforts to help sexually abused young women...
, Jackie Speier
Jackie Speier
Karen Lorraine Jacqueline "Jackie" Speier is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2008. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and the southwest quarter of San Francisco.She is also a former member of the California State...
, and Jan Yanehiro
Jan Yanehiro
-Personal life:She earned a journalism degree from California State University, Fresno in 1970.She is the Director of Multimedia Communications at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.-Television career:...
. The book was first published in a hardcover format in 2007, by Conari Press. The first printing of the work was for thirty-five thousand copies, and a second printing is planned.
About the authors
The four authors were all friends prior to writing the book. Jackie SpeierJackie Speier
Karen Lorraine Jacqueline "Jackie" Speier is the U.S. Representative for , serving since 2008. She is a member of the Democratic Party. The district includes the northern two-thirds of San Mateo County and the southwest quarter of San Francisco.She is also a former member of the California State...
is a Congresswoman
United States House of Representatives
The United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
from California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
, and was a candidate for Lieutenant Governor of California
Lieutenant Governor of California
The Lieutenant Governor of California is a statewide constitutional officer elected separately from the Governor who serves as the "vice-executive" of California. The Lieutenant Governor of California is elected to serve a four year term and can serve a maximum of two terms...
in 2006. Speier survived five gunshot wounds when she was shot by members of Peoples Temple
Peoples Temple
Peoples Temple was a religious organization founded in 1955 by Jim Jones that, by the mid-1970s, included over a dozen locations in California including its headquarters in San Francisco...
in 1978 when she traveled to Jonestown
Jonestown
Jonestown was the informal name for the Peoples Temple Agricultural Project, an intentional community in northwestern Guyana formed by the Peoples Temple led by Jim Jones. It became internationally notorious when, on November 18, 1978, 918 people died in the settlement as well as in a nearby...
with Congressman Leo J. Ryan
Leo Ryan
Leo Joseph Ryan, Jr. was an American politician of the Democratic Party. He served as a U.S. Representative from California's 11th congressional district from 1973 until he was murdered in Guyana by members of the Peoples Temple shortly before the Jonestown Massacre in 1978.After the Watts Riots...
. Jan Yanehiro
Jan Yanehiro
-Personal life:She earned a journalism degree from California State University, Fresno in 1970.She is the Director of Multimedia Communications at the Academy of Art University in San Francisco.-Television career:...
is a broadcast journalist
Broadcast journalism
Broadcast journalism is the field of news and journals which are "broadcast", that is, published by electrical methods, instead of the older methods, such as printed newspapers and posters. Broadcast methods include radio , television , and, especially recently, the Internet generally...
, and co-hosted Evening Magazine
Evening Magazine
Evening Magazine is the name of various news and entertainment style local television shows in different markets.-The original concept:...
which aired on San Francisco's KPIX. Yanehiro is a co-executive producer of "Pacific Fusion", a television magazine program featuring Asian American lifestyle, which airs on KRON.
Michealene Cristini Risley was Vice-President, group director of licensing and character development, at Sega Corporation
Sega
, usually styled as SEGA, is a multinational video game software developer and an arcade software and hardware development company headquartered in Ōta, Tokyo, Japan, with various offices around the world...
. She is also the founder and president of Fresh Water Spigot, a creative content company based in Portola Valley, California
Portola Valley, California
Portola Valley is an incorporated town in San Mateo County, California, United States. The population was 4,353 at the 2010 census. It was named for Spanish explorer Gaspar de Portola, who led the first party of Europeans to explore the San Francisco Peninsula, in 1769.Portola Valley is one of the...
. Deborah Collins Stephens is the cofounder and managing partner of the Center for Innovative Leadership. She is also the author of One Size Fits One and co-authored The Maslow Business Reader, with Abraham H. Maslow.
Contents
In the book, the authors share advice gained from personal experiences on topics including family life, work, and love - and the difficulties of balancing these issues. As the title suggests, the book offers fifty ways in which the reader can stay focused and upbeat when misfortune strikes. The book is structured topically, with each chapter dealing with different types of issues such as dealing with misfortune, managing mistakes, understanding money and how to network with other women. Each chapter concludes with a "WIT (Women in Transition) Kit," which contains action plans and exercises related to the previous section. The chapter "Understanding Money and a Women’s Worth" provides "straightforward directives" on topics such as net worthNet worth
In business, net worth is the total assets minus total outside liabilities of an individual or a company. For a company, this is called shareholders' preference and may be referred to as book value. Net worth is stated as at a particular year in time...
, tax return
Tax return (United States)
Tax returns in the United States are reports filed with the Internal Revenue Service or with the state or local tax collection agency containing information used to calculate income tax or other taxes...
s and how to create a financial plan.
Reception
This Is Not the Life I Ordered reached the best seller list of the San Francisco ChronicleSan Francisco Chronicle
thumb|right|upright|The Chronicle Building following the [[1906 San Francisco earthquake|1906 earthquake]] and fireThe San Francisco Chronicle is a newspaper serving primarily the San Francisco Bay Area of the U.S. state of California, but distributed throughout Northern and Central California,...
for the second time in June 2007. The book also appeared on the NCIBA bestseller list, and was featured on the "Sacramento 07 Books" list, by the Professional BusinessWomen of California organization. This Is Not the Life I Ordered received a positive review in ForeWord Magazine
ForeWord (magazine)
ForeWord is a trade journal published six times yearly with the tagline, “Reviews of Good Books Independently Published.” The magazine is distributed primarily to librarians and booksellers to familiarize them with upcoming books from small, independent, and university presses, as well as...
, where the reviewer noted that the work: "is more about 'turning ‘woe is me’ into action' than coddling."
External links
- Conari Press, official page at Publisher's Web site
- This Is Not The Life I Ordered, preview of book, promotional video with Jackie Speier
- "This Is Not The Life I Ordered", article about the book by co-author Michealene Cristini Risley, at The Huffington PostThe Huffington PostThe Huffington Post is an American news website and content-aggregating blog founded by Arianna Huffington, Kenneth Lerer, and Jonah Peretti, featuring liberal minded columnists and various news sources. The site offers coverage of politics, theology, media, business, entertainment, living, style,...