Adulting: How to Become a Grown-up in 468 Easy(ish) Steps by Kelly Williams Brown

 

I bought this a while ago thinking it might be a funny, quasi-informative collection of essays about the struggle of being adulting, but no, it is an actual step-by-step guide separated into various categories about how to "adult," ranging from things like setting boundaries with your parents to treating LGBT+ and people of color with respect to basic and easy recipes on what to cook alone.

I thought this book was fine. It would be a good gift for someone 18-21, I think, but I can think of plenty of older people I know who would probably benefit from such a gift (although giving it to them might be construed as passive-aggressive, so I'd refrain). Some things in this book are common sense but it does seem to skew white, middle-class, and cis-het (see the section on how to treat trans people). Also, I have an edit to suggest on the off-chance that the author or the pub sees this: ending the how to be PC section with a "this book's spirit animal is a thank you note" joke comes across as a little tone deaf. I've tried to remove that phrase from my vocabulary myself because apparently a lot of Native people find it offensive.

So yes, this would be a great book for someone who is off to college or leaving home. The collection of recipes and list of basic pantry items is especially helpful and I like that ADULTING tackles difficult topics, like being there for others in times of grief, talking to your parents about wills and trusts, and how to measure the health of your friendships and remove toxic people from your life. I probably won't be keeping this one but I can definitely see the merit in it.

3 out of 5 stars