This is the best (auto)biography I've ever read.
I love Amanda and I love Neil. And I love them together. This book provided more details about their relationship, which I've really enjoyed.
But, the most intriguing parts are about her career. Her band, her career as a statue and, what I loved the most, the stories about people. I just love how the people have been very kind to you and i cried so many times. Amanda, thank you.
And since it's April 30th, Happy Birthday. ( )

Truth be told, I loved the music most when I thought it was supposed to be played at 2x-3x. I really enjoyed the journey, and the stories. It's empowering to hear her successes, and realize that you can open so many doors just by taking chances. ( )

DNF

A great book about creativity, community, sharing, and caring beyond the art of asking. ( )

Very good. Almost an autobiography. A very interesting artist's perspective on her life and experiences. ( )

I listened to this on audiobook. I figured that since Amanda Palmer is a fantastic musician that this would be nice to listen to because there would be special attention paid to sound quality and whatnot. Nope. Wrong. I didn't finish because it sounded like she was mumbling most of the time and I often couldn't understand her. ( )

memoir/the human experience - on audio.
I think I found this book listed on one of those "best of audiobooks" lists and as the author was an accomplished TEDtalker (whose video I hadn't yet seen) and also a human statue(!) I thought I'd try it, so I put my name on the waitlist at my library and finally, weeks later, my eaudiobook copy was ready to download and borrow.

I was pleasantly surprised by how charming Amanda is as a narrator. Her stories are funny and fascinating and beautiful and sometimes sad, and her positivity and maybe even her vulnerability help me cope with other parts of the world being awful. Bonus: inside scoop on Neil Gaiman as a human being who grew up British and didn't know how to act around sick people--their love story and resulting marriage together also make lovely and interesting stories.
I don't know if this book is quite as charming in print (the audio version has all the extras of Amanda's voice, songs from her band, and even her ukulele accompaniment), possibly it might drag a bit, but I would recommend this to anyone looking for something both real and positive. ( )

After hearing Amanda's Ted talk, I was excited to hear she had a book out that elaborated on the topic. The title of the book makes it sound like it's in the self help genre, but actually this is a memoir using asking for help as a unifying theme throughout her life. The openness of the memoir, and the issues she faced were refreshing to hear. An optimistic story that left me feeling good and wanting to read more by Neil Gaiman (her husband). ( )

I had been wanting to read Amanda Palmer's book, The Art of Asking, for awhile, but I couldn't afford it, so when I found out about a deal at Audiobooks.com, I chose it as my freebie. There were so many other books on my wishlist, but Amanda Palmer narrates the book herself, and there's the "extra" of a few music tracks. So, I figured, if there's one book I'd likely enjoy as an audiobook, it would be this one. I'm so glad I chose it, instead of something else. This book is beyond amazing!

The entire book felt like a never-boring conversation between life-long friends. I listened to it while commuting to and from school (an hour each way), but also at every point in my day when I had a couple minutes to spare. That meant a book that, clocking in at 11 hours and 30 minutes, should have taken me 6 days to finish, only took 4 days instead. However, If I had been reading the hardcover, instead of listening, I think it would have taken much longer. There are just so many quotes that I would have had to stop and think about and then highlight and write notes in the margins, if not longer "notes" in my journal. There would have been moments when I would need to stop reading so I could let out all the feels this book brought on, and I would have stopped too many times to count in order to dog ear pages. I frequently thought that someone needs to come up with an app to "bookmark" passages in audiobooks, and there were several times when I came close to having to pull over so I could let the tears flow safely. I don't know how I managed to hold myself together long enough to get to school or home.

I loved The Art of Asking so much that I bought a physical copy. The boyfriend later made it a gift, when I told him that this book was the best non-fiction book I've ever read that I HAD to buy it, regardless of the hardcover price tag. His other reason might have been that I wouldn't shut up about the book, Amanda Palmer, or Neil Gaiman, and maybe paying for the book would finally earn him a subject change. I greatly look forward to rereading it, and I can't recommend it enough. I somewhat understand why it's labeled as "Self-Help", but I think it fits better into the auto-biography or memoir categories. Really, it's a one-on-one, sit down, with an endless cup of coffee or glass of wine, conversation with a best friend. Unfortunately there's no category for that in bookstores and libraries. ( )

I'll admit to never having heard of Amanda Palmer until I read an introduction she wrote to Cory Doctorow's book Information Doesn't Want To Be Free. I liked what she had to say, and so I picked this up. She, and her book, have inspired me. I don't say that lightly. I'm not a big giver of 5 star reviews, but I will say it about her. The book itself is a collection of moments, but they are well written ones. I'm not sure I could be so open, nor be open to the amount of abuse she gets, but it made me think about art, about being an artist and who gets to call themselves that. ( )

You know when people say that a book is so good that they just cannot put it down. THIS book was so unbelievably good that I could not put it down. Amanda has cleverly made a book that is autobiographical as well as something along the self development lines. Most of the ideas that Amanda has addressed in the book are thoughts that had been plaguing my mind for years, after reading this I not only feel better mentally but I think this book has quite possibly changed my perspective on things, this book has the potential to change lives and change them for the better.

I've worked in the book industry for a long time and it's been a while since I've been so moved by a book. I felt as if Amanda was inside of me, she knew all my deepest fears and after reading this I know that everything is strangely going to be okay.

I haven't listened to a lot of Amanda's music and to be honest it is something that isn't my particular cup of tea. I just found her to be a very interesting person, a woman who was married to my hero and I wanted to hear more about her. I think after reading this though I owe it to her to go back and listen to her artform.

I couldn't put it better than Caitlin Moran - "Amanda Palmer joyfully shows a generation how to change their lives."

Amazing. ( )

I should be too old, too jaded, too well-read, and too involved to get sucked into book that MAKES ME WANT TO BE A BETTER PERSON.

But...
well...
It happened anyway.

So before I get into the review, I just want to thank the writer for her openness and honesty. I want to thank her for revealing such heartbreaking intimacy to us. I was already a fan, but I wasn't part of the fen. That has changed. I saw something that spoke to me and revealed a level of courage that was more compelling than practically anything I've ever seen, heard, or experienced.

The key concept here is being courageous in telling the truth, regardless of the consequences. Secondarily, it's about asking for help and being able to receive it, but just because I've put this as second doesn't necessarily make it less important. It just means that its message might have been lost if it wasn't for that moment where the pages bled and my fingers smeared Amanda's blood all over my furniture and on my shirt and in my eyes as I unsuccessfully tried to wipe away my tears.

On to the review.

The message eventually ramped up to revolve around the revolution of Kickstarter, and I assume it was also the impetus that made the publishers want her story. Little did they know they'd be getting something so very human and encouraging, showing the rest of us introverts and artistic types that we aren't wrong in wishing for a world of connection on our own terms, that being dissatisfied with accepted modes of living isn't a sign that we'll never be able to be true to ourselves.

We are not meant to be lost and unable to cope with our lives. We are meant to find our real kin and be a part of their lives, as they will be a part of ours. The only way that is possible is by opening ourselves up and being truly able to receive the help when it comes. I know it sounds cliche, perhaps vaguely mystical, but in this book, it's absolutely emotional and breathtaking and visceral.

I want to be seen. I want to be in love with every human connection I make. I see you.

So simple, so persuasive.

And ultimately, it is the most personally rewarding book I've read in a long time that doesn't set its feet in the airy world. I feel as if I had a long and wonderful conversation with a true friend.

Fuck the review. I'm just going to say, again, "Thank you, Amanda."

If you ever read this, assume I'm giving you a hug.

Brad K Horner's Blog ( )

Brilliant, touching, endearing, intelligent, sometimes loud, happy, song-filled, incredible, and heartfelt. Good lord, I thought I had a crush on Neil Gaiman...! I think I may have to spread this crush around to them both.
Palmer may not be the best singer, she may have way different ideas than others do, and she may make bad choices in her life; but I still want to be her very best friend, and share every minute of her life. I wish I had known about her blog a long time ago.......I wish I had known about her tweets from the beginning.......I wish SO BADLY to have at least once time experienced the 8 foot bride. I'd also had no knowledge of her before her marrying Gaiman, my very fav. author, so I didn't know what to expect when I saw the video of her TED talk. I was at once entranced, and a little in love. Who on earth can love everyone so very much, and not burn out...? Palmer's unlimited capacity for love, and life, is endless and envying.
Please, if you can, find this novel on the audiobook form at your local library...! It's read by Amanda Palmer herself, with a forward and after by a couple friends, who love her dearly, also. It will change you, I think. It did, me.
This novel/audiobook cannot be more recommended, or more highly. I'd like to give it ten stars. A few books have made me tear p at the end, but this......this was different. It was more like I was the Grinch, and my heart grew a few more sizes that day......and Amanda Palmer did this. Please, read it? Better yet, experience it like I did. Give it a try, you might like it. I did. ( )

This is Amanda Palmer's famous book about, not as you may think demanding one's rights, but about being humble enough to ask for what you need. An anecdotal treatise calling for radical compassion as the underpinning of society, and a story about love and trust and being an imperfect human being - and making art. If you read this with an open heart it may transform you. ( )

I don’t remember the first song I heard by Amanda Palmer, as that exact point in time has disappeared into the haze of my memory. [I do know that I had been lamenting for some time not discovering an exciting new artist, and then suddenly Amanda was all over me.] I quickly order her newest CD, which featured full frontal nudity (as a flash to the past, ads had those old thick black strips covering her “nasty bits.”) Then, I discover she had a book … all right, a double discovery. The book expresses her general philosophy of asking for what she wanted, sharing, and her thoughts about love. It’s not your usual musician/singer’s book, as she’s a uniquely talented performer and writer of songs and text. I found the book fresh and honest. Thought provoking is a severely overused term, but one that fits Amanda perfectly.
She tells her history, how she struggled to make a living while performing as part of the Dresden Dolls (a punk cabaret duo) and by herself. She has a very colorful/creative background, helping to support her musical endeavors with performances as a stripper, but much more interestingly, as the eight-foot-tall bride statue that took street donations and gave out flowers.
Yeah, she was one of those street performers that some people do everything they can to evade and avoid, to pretend they don’t even see. Many others were fascinated, some even proposed, and while a very few assaulted her; she keeps putting herself out there. She wore whiteface, a funky old wedding dress (one that got even funkier on hot days), stood on a wooden crate, and got donations. She stood stock-still and silent, until someone gave a donation, and then she would smile and reach out to give them a flower from the bouquet she held.
There a blub on the book’s front cover from Seth Godin that reads: “Will change the way you think about connection, love, and grace.” There’s tenderness to this act that far outstrips how I normally think of street performers. Hearing her inner dialogue was fascinating. The giving and the sharing of the experience, the flowers, and the donations are all about putting herself out there. The themes of The Art of Asking also have much to do with how she financed one of her CD and its tour, to the tune of $1.2 million—being the world’s most successful music Kickstarter yet. She describes how she got grief for asking for this kind of financing, when she’s married to one of the major authors in the world, Neil Gaiman. Amanda is extremely independent and the book illustrates well how this author, singer, director, performance artist, activists sees life as a wealth of opportunities for doing something new. The stories of her musical performances are fabulously wild and entertaining.
Amanda and Neil have performed together on many occasions in song, readings, and interviews. These occasions are always interesting (you can find many online), as these are two very inventive minds. Amanda did a TED talk about the book that’s been viewed more than ten million times. Her website www.amandapalmer.net is a fun place for her blog, tickets, merchandise sales, maybe a new song, and many other things that she tosses up there.
This was a special and very positive book that should give many people a different perspective on how they can choose to view or live their lives. Certainly, she’s not the first person to speak of such things, but this book is probably the best-written one I know of on the topic. The book is very personal, entertaining, humorous, and insightful. It also made me want to have a drink with Amanda and Neil. ( )

Raw, beautiful, and fascinating ( )

3.5

I am a giver that has problems taking, and problems asking. Due to being heavy throughout my life I understand having people seeing me and not being seen. I agree with the authors distinction between the two.

I can also relate to the author on how her marriage works in terms of both space and finance. I, too, have separate accounts from my husband, cherish having my own space and time apart, and have trouble asking him for help.

I was also once a busker, selling poems to people I would write for them right there on the street, and asking only what they felt the poem was worth under the stipulation that they could only keep the poem if they paid. Mostly I wrote them for free. I never busked in too bad of weather. I also gave up after being insulted one too many times. Chimes of get a job (I had one) amongst other things had me giving up altogether. Even the moments of pure joy I shared with strangers didn’t seem worth sharing my art in this manner. I was a HORRIBLE busker. Most likely because I never quiet learned the art of asking. As you can tell, many things in this book resonated.

Several things also made me uncomfortable and made me question that discomfort, and even changed my opinion. Still, I’m not on board with Amanda’s entire philosophy on crowd sourcing in the manner she does. The author and I clearly have a different set of ethics.

As far as the author, well I have followed her and her music since almost its inception. I’m a fan of the Dresden Dolls, Evelyn Evelyn and Amanda’s solo music. With that said... man she seems exhausting (lol). Wow! She is a bit too needy (the voyeurism and constant spotlight seeking screams look at me, not just see me) , a tad narcissistic, but overall I think her heart is in the right place and I like (for the most part) how she treats and sees her friends as family. That very much came across in the book. I feel
She does seek that connection with her fam base, though I’m not entirely sure who gets the most out of it. I’d venture to say her. I also think people give her too much of a hard time, but such is the times in which we live. Many casting stones because the internet ally is dark enough that no one can see your face to know who threw them. Not to mention we live in a time where everything seems to be made a political outcry.

I recommend listening to this on audiobook so you can get a feel for the authors personality and understand her better. Also because you get treated to her amazing music. I will say this could have been edited down a bit. It was a tad long winded. Still an interesting story overall. ( )

For a "situational exhibitionist" Amanda Palmer has written a balanced book with important themes of community and trust. "Being Amanda Palmer" would be a more apt title since it's more a memoir of her creative experiences and the connections she's made along the way. Amanda's gift for connecting, interacting, and sharing herself with her online community is a major part of her DNA. Her cultivation of this community is really the base of her influence and it's something she's been able to fall into -- as a willing crowd surfer -- and draw on for help and inspiration. Her use of social media figures prominently, but she has a sense of faith and optimism in the world such that we shouldn't be afraid to ask for help in our broader communities as well. While the bystander effect is real, given the chance to help, many people will surprise you in a good way. Her honesty and openness about her hopes, fears, and anxieties makes the difficulty in the "Art of Asking" much more tangible, but she urges the reader to push on through. As a musician and as a performance artist, Amanda also provides a valuable point of view on art and how we support artists that's worth the read. ( )

I listened to the Audiobook version of this book. Mostly I *loved* it. While it had some slow(er) or reiterative moments, overall, this was a great look into Amanda's thoughts, feelings, experiences as a musician, performer and person. My favorite parts were when she shared personal experiences and anecdotes. She is a natural storyteller, and her personal reading of the book really added to the message and impact.

This book really enhanced an otherwise really stressful commute for the past week. I recommend this book!
( )

Amanda Palmer is a hardcore, majestic badass. ( )

An absolute page turner! I've been a big fan of Amanda Palmer's captivating realness since I was an early teenager. This book helped me delve even further into her explosive passion for human connection, art and understanding. I am completely in awe of this inspirational woman and am thrilled to be alive at the same time as someone so genuinely unique.

one of my favourite quotes from the book:

'When you're afraid of someone's judgement, you can't connect with them. You're too preoccupied with the task of impressing them.' ( )

This is one of my favourite books of all time, but I struggle to articulate why exactly I feel this way. Amanda's writing is at times like one long song, and her skill at connecting the dots shows in the way she follows the thread of her story and loops back whenever necessary. I've seen that it wasn't critically well-received at release, but I think that has to do with missing the purpose. The people who dislike Amanda Palmer's business (not her art, specifically the way she runs things) don't seem to understand that she pretends to be nothing. If you think of the author as an eccentric and beloved art professor, then you will come to this book with the right frame of mind, prepared for her flaws, contradictions and profound insights. This book is a conversation, you have to be prepared to listen. ( )

Thank you. ( )

I'm not a fan of Amanda's music. In fact, before her TED talk I hadn't heard of her. But I saw some reviews of this book, and thought I'd give the audio a try. So Amanda has been riding along on all my drives for the past ten days. Truthfully, she was there as I watered my garden and took off my makeup at night too. The book is that good.

I joined Twitter back before it became about selling products and services. It was about connection, and that's exactly how Amanda used it then and still uses it now. I feel a renewed longing for the old social media - without sales pitches. (To that end, find me on Litsy - new bookish app - @BarbaraTheBibliophage.)

Amanda also talks about the blender. When you produce art, write music or poetry does it go into your "blender" first? Or does it get served in big, raw, unfiltered chunks? How edited or blended is what you share with the world? She doesn't blend all of this book, so I felt like she shared and over shared most of her life. I commend her courage in that. It's not easy and it's not pretty, but it made for a great listen. Thanks Amanda!

***rethinking this review 1 year later: and revising it down from 5 stars to 3.5. It's still an enjoyable read, but based on memoirs I've read since, it's just not all that *** ( )

I consumed this book by audio book and honestly, everyone should. The combination of genuine story telling, music and emotion is heart wrenching. In the first 30 minutes I had cried at work nearly a half a dozen times as Palmer recounts a fear of asking and a shame of accepting help that I also struggle with.

This book is one third memoir, one third business advice and one third self help book (at least in my own eyes). Her anecdotes get to the core of human interaction, our need for connection to others and the wisdom that asking does not equal weakness.

I would recommend this book to anyone who is feeling introspective or anyone who struggles with themselves. This book is a new favourite and something I'll turn to for advice in the future. ( )