F*ck No!

by Sarah Knight

I’m familiar with Knight’s other No F*cks Given guides and have recommended a few to friends, particularly The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck. Based on the premise that boundaries are important, but setting them is half the battle and defending them with Honesty and Politeness (H&P) is the the other, each book in the series embraces the idea that you are in charge of your life, and you get to decide how it will be. They’re written with a fair amount of profanity (which I very much enjoy) and a definitive sense of character from the perspective of the person giving the advice. The writing isn’t meant to appeal broadly and blandly to every reader; this is a person who is Very Much Herself telling you what she thinks you need to know.

The latest in the series, F*ck No, builds on the same core foundation of the others but the specificity rests on addressing situations wherein one might want to say no, but feels like one cannot. There are four main reasons or character types that create the “I should have said no but I did not” repeated behavior, and a ton of scripts and sample templates for gracefully and thoroughly saying “No.”

I read this book in an afternoon and enjoyed it, but I’ve already cleared a few hurdles in my ability to say “no” to things I don’t want to do. However, when I texted a picture of the book to a friend of mine who has identified out loud that she has trouble with declining, she was so excited that my offer to let her borrow it when I was done was accepted (heh) with many, many exclamation points. So while this book might not appeal to you if you’ve already shed a solid number of the fucks that you may have given in the past, you may know someone who would love a book full of cursing, sarcasm, and irreverent but thorough advice on how to decline just about every situation, including being invited to family gatherings you don’t want to attend.

Essentially, everyone’s boundary of “no” is different, and the consequences for “no” vary widely according to the situation, the individual’s privilege, family and friend dynamics, and of course finances. But so many people are inculcated and pressured to never ever say no, and that pressure is pervasive and insidious. So a guide that says, essentially, “‘Yes’ to all the ‘No’ you want to say, and here are several variations in how you can say them,” may feel very reassuring, especially when setting of boundaries and maintaining them is absolutely essential.

– SB Sarah

The no-f*cks-given guide to saying no to all the things you can’t, shouldn’t or just don’t want to do–without being an a**hole–from the bestselling author of Calm the F*ck Down, The Life-Changing Magic of Not Giving a F*ck, and Get Your Sh*t Together

Are you burnt out from taking on more than you can handle or accepting less than you deserve? Tired of giving in instead of sticking up for yourself? Sick of saying yes all the time? You’re gonna love F*CK NO!

No is an acceptable answer, and it’s time to start using it. Whether you’re a people-pleaser, overachiever, pushover, or have serious FOMO, bestselling “anti-guru” Sarah Knight helps you muster the gumption to say what you really mean without being really mean–or burning out for fear of missing out.

Life can be so much better when you say no with confidence–and without guilt, fear, or regret. F*ck No! delivers practical strategies that give you the power to decline, and concrete examples that put the words right into your mouth. You’ll discover: The Joy of No No-Tips for all occasions How to set boundaries Fill-in-the-blank F*ckNotes The No-and-Switch, the Power No, and much more!