Rating: 
Summary: Good encouragement for a would-be author!
Review: Anne Lamott has helped another fledgling writer. Her book has given me the tools to rebuild when that feeling of de-construction comes. I will not be discouraged to the point of giving up--ever again. Ms. Lamott, in her humorous, folksy, very personal approach, allows us to know her and her writing style which, as she claims they SHOULD be, are one and the same. I prefer this book to Natalie Goldberg's "Writing Down the Bones," but I would recommend the latter for good ideas on writing practice.
Rating:
Summary: Tremendously entertaining ,funny and spiritual
Review: A peek into the mind of a writer, a crazy and very funny writer. Understanding the writing process gave me a greater appreciation for all good works. A good book for any student of literature. Operating Instructions, Rosie and Hard laughter all share the same insght and humor.
Rating: 
Summary: Advice from a self-absorbed neurotic
Review: Anne Lamott's book has some useful advice for writers. Unfortunately, this could be summed up in about 500 words. The rest of the book is supposed to contain profound and insightful advice on life. I suppose whether you like this will all depend on whether you want advice from a self-absorbed neurotic. I would suspect that if you are fairly well adjusted and can deal with life's ups and downs with dignity, you will find the author becoming more and more annoying as you progress through this book.
Rating:
Summary: Most inspirational book on the subject of writing
Review: Anne Lamott's book, Bird by Bird is the most inspiring book I have ever read on the subject of writing. It is both zen (look at the title alone) and hilarious. I found myself in her throughout the book. As an unpublished writer myself, I feel validated for the work I have done and inspired to continue. I would love to have lunch with Anne Lamott. Mik Hamilton, AUNTIEMAYA@aol.com, Danville, Ca
Rating:
Summary: Writing the Great American Novel? Read this Book First!
Review: After Operating Instructions but before Crooked Little Heart, Lamott captures in Bird by Bird,the way it feels to "have arrived" without finding the anticipated "my life is now complete" realization. The context of the narrative in Bird by Bird is the writer's life, and Lamott writes in a manner so easy/enjoyable to read that one would be hard put to dispute her being the writer she aims to be. The subtext, if you wanted to overanalyze this book, is that the journey, here becoming a writer, is as, maybe more important, than the destination/goal: publication. Her easy to understand/less easy to practice Nike-like advice amounts to: Just Write It. Her advice stuck with me, although its been almost a year since I read her book and am now finally attempting to write something (this review) for ?publication...well Amazon's Customer Comment page is sort of/almost like publication. Anyway, Bird by Bird is a wonderful wonderful book-- which incidentally proves to be and an exceptional procrastination device especially if read before writing the Great American Novel.
Rating:
Summary: Insight into the minds of writers
Review: I love books and I like to write. And, I agree with the author, writing is hard work (the mouse pad callous on the bottom left corner of my palm is living proof of that). But there are rewards to writing much more important than anything a publisher can bestow. Which is why so many people continue to take pride in their
writing, and take even mundane tasks (like writing letters to friends) very seriously. Anne Lamott describes writing as an act (forgive me) of love. The book
is a pleasure to read, you'll end up liking the author long before you finish the book, even if you don't agree with anything she sais.
Rating:
Summary: A terrific book for writers-in-the-making
Review: I have read (or attempted to read) many books on writing, and the fact that I not only was able to read this book cover to cover but also enjoyed it is a testament to Anne Lamott's terrific ability to relate the process of writing in a witty and truthful manner. Lamott uses her experiences as
a writer, a teacher of writing, a mother and a human being to illustrate the various aspects of writing. Not only does Lamott cover the turf we're used to seeing in books on writing (characters, plot, writer's block, etc.) but she also talks about tangential topics also important to the writer, like why being published isn't necessarily the greatest thing in the universe.
This book reminds me more of a very long, humorous
essay rather than an instruction manual. A nice change of pace from the usual "How-to," guides.
Rating:
Summary: Every Meet Someone As Crazy As Yourself?
Review: Reading Anne Lamott is like sitting down with a close friend who
shares all of your idiosyncracies and insanities, as well as your
warped sense of humor. Bird by Bird gives Lamott's view of the
writing life and confronts all of the little details and major crises
faced by anyone who's ever wanted to write. Filled with warm and
witty anecdotes from her own writing career and from the classes
she teaches, Lamott takes you gently by the hand and then
proceeds to push, pull, or drag you to the pencil or the keyboard
because you suddenly feel that you have to write something, right
now! This is a book to keep next to the bed or the computer, or
wherever else you're likely to be when you need a nudge to keep
going and a major dose of inspiration. Read this book with a
highlighter grasped tightly in your sweaty palm, because you're going
to want to come back to certain lines over and over again. Highly
recommended.
Rating:
Summary: Yes, a book that lives up its rave comments!
Review: Elsewhere on this page you will find all kinds of accolades about Anne Lamott,s "Bird by Bird." Trust them. I find the readers' comments could have just as well been my own. Why? Because Lamott knows how to find the common thread of humanity that binds us all. Yes, you DO begin to think of this book, and its author, as a "trusted friend," and you DO end up going back to it in times of elation as well as grief. For the past several years, colleagues, parents and friends have been trying to get me to write more about my personal experiences. After this book, I'm doing it -- not to get published -- but to live a fuller life. Nice little return on the few bucks spent, eh
Rating:
Summary: Anne Lamott nails the writer's life
Review: What's not to like about a book on writing that has a chapter entitled "Shitty First Drafts"? That's the truth about writing, but it's also permission to just -write-, then criticize, as opposed to the (unproductive) other way round.
I was lucky enough to attend a talk by Lamott four years ago. She was writing Bird By Bird then and described it as the sequel to Operating Instructions.
For anyone who thinks sequel=rehash, think again. It's really more like: Anne exposed parenting, now she'll expose writers.
In the same way Anne admitted what every parent has felt, both positive and negative about their kids, she delves into the process of writing: the jealousy, agony, stupor, elation, and defending stuff that's awful but that one has fallen madly in love with.
It's laugh-out-loud, laugh-until-you-cry funny, sometimes when it's also the most painful.
Terrific for writers at all stages, and probably would be helpful for friends and partners of writers, too.
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