You Don't Look Your Ageand Other Fairy Tales

After seeing her name on every HBO Documentary Film, I was so hoping to be inspired by her (supposed) wisdom, to learn from her rise to the top, and enjoy the laughs that it promises. Instead, the author exhibits a Yale degree does not a classy lady make. Perhaps she mistakes vulgar values for humor. It is so not funny at all. An irresponsible waste of an opportunity to empower her readers. I’m stunned that this highly regarded story teller could write such an unintelligent book.

You Don’t Look Your Age and Other Fairy Tales”, is great ride and a godsend for women grappling with the challenge of making their way in a word where a woman’s right to succeed is never guaranteed. Touching, at times laugh out loud funny – often searing – and whip smart from start to finish, it’s an illuminating, engaging and, above all, honest look at the struggles all women face, as told by a woman who has spent a lifetime fighting her way to the top of the male dominated documentary film industry. It’s the kind of book that still whispers to you like an old friend long after you’ve finished it. I would urge all women to read it. And maybe a few men as well! Enjoy!

Decent, for a few laughs. The author uses a witty and engaging style, sharing vignettes of a 50-ish modern woman with the NYC-LA life. Fast read, good for trivial beach reading, better than a magazine.

Endlessly entertaining! With wit, compassion and unique artistic flair, Nevins shares the hilarious and unexpected stories of her life. I laughed and nodded in recognition - and learned a thing or two. The audiobook experience is priceless! Definitely a good listen after reading the book - adds a whole other layer.

Nevins is obviously a successful woman. But I suggest she read Stephen King's "On Writing" to understand what it is that
actually keeps the reader awake.

She made every mistake in the "book".

Had to give up half way through.

I was expecting much more. After hearing her talk about it on TV, I was anxious to read. There were some very good insights into life, but not really enough substance. It also seemed disorganized and really no poignant ending or summation it........just stopped.

Sheila Nevins is an amazing accomplished woman. I Immediately bought her book after listening to an interview on Charlie Rose. I thought her conversation was thought provoking and original. I wanted to know more about her. Her autobiographical short stories, however, missed her power. She focused most often on her concerns about how she looks as she is aging. I know, that's the title but I expected more from her. Sorry Sheila, heartfelt but vapid.

A surprising challenge for me at first with the changing of names but I have been both touched and have appreciated her taking the time to tell us these very personal stories. Looking forward to the last half. I know I will be sad when it ends!

Alas, Ms. Nevins has such a phenomenal resume, I expected a far more enjoyable book. I did not stop to consider that her powerhouse ability at producing award-winning documentaries at HBO might not translate into superb writing.

Don't think another moment about whether or not to purchase this book. I loved the candor and style of writing Sheila Nevins gifted me with her work. I'm enriched by having read You Don't Look Your Age. I encourage you to seek the Charlie Rose interview she recently did which will give you greater appreciation of who Nevins is!

I can relate to your stories, Sheila Nevins.
I laughed out loud and in the next moment, tears were running down my cheeks.
Pity my dog, who sleeps with me. I can imagine he was a bit befuddled. (I read in bed)
When I first saw you on the Charlie Rose Show, your stories connected with me.
You are beautiful, wise and unknowingly witty.

Ordered by accident. So sorry I did. I always finish a book even if I don't like it (it's the principle of the thing!). This one was an exception. Forcing myself to read any more than 10 pages would be a total waste of time!

I even loved the parts read by personalities I don't care much for. I was going to fast forward through these stories but couldn't resist the truthfullness, overdramatization, and relatabilty of the stories. I truly enjoyed listeneng to this audiobook on my commute to and from work and even recommended it to friends and colleagues!

Feminist writing often strikes a chord with boomer women. We've been around the block and have acquired a level of wisdom over the years. We see how much progress has been made, how much is still to be done and can relate to the journey of other women. That's what prompted me to read You Don't Look Your Age . . and Other Fairy Tales by Sheila Nevins. The author is HBO's President of Documentary and Family Programming and although she's slightly order than boomers, I figured her experiences would be worth a read.

The book is a series of essays about her life and that of women in her circle. Some people are disguised and others are revealed by name. I wasn't quite sure what to expect and was disappointed the book started off slowly. I almost quit reading as I'm not entirely interested in someone else's perspective on their own facelift. Seems a bit self-serving. But things picked up. I slogged on and I'm glad I did. Parts of the book are enlightening and share confidences about couples who sleep in separate bedrooms, the anguish of parenting a special needs child and the frustrations of aging. Some parts of the book are written in italics, in a sort of blank verse which is odd and could have been fleshed out into a decent essay. Nevins shared a lot but not enough. Her writing is smart and at times funny as well as being relatable. It was good but could have been better.

I was reading quietly and suddenly burst out laughing. My wife asked me why I was howling,
and I told her "I'm reading Sheila Nevins book "You Don't Look Your Age...and Other Fairy tales."
This tale was about a tail. While her husband is cleaning the cage of her son's pet hamster,
she uncomfortably holds the rodent by its tail and suddenly it falls back in the cage.
Yet she is still holding its tail. She pulled its tail off! It's hysterical."
Of course Sheila's book is much more than hysterical. It's honest, poignant, insightful
and full of wonderful surprises. I've known Sheila a long time but I learned a lot from
her book. I was fascinated by her chapter on her transformation from a woman under the influence of
Cosmo to MS and amused and moved by her opening chapter on the struggle with aging and beauty.
This book is not just for women, although I did buy 5 copies, 1 for my wife, 1 for my daughter,
3 for my sisters. At a time of increased scrutiny over the rules of the game in the
battle of the sexes, this is an uncensored and invaluable guide to what it's like for a
talented woman to work in a man's world. Through the years I've often thought Sheila,
who's probably done more to elevate the documentary and help usher in this golden age,
also deserved to be the subject of a documentary. Well she's done it herself.
The audio version is her all star documentary and it is sensational!

The ability to communicate is difficult.  The art of making that information entertaining is often impossible; unless, you are Sheila Nevins.  As of today, if you Google her name there are:  About 322,000 results (0.62 seconds). Who is she?  Why does her name sound familiar? You may even think you know her.  There’s a reason for this instant sense of thinking she’s an acquaintance, a former school mate, someone from a club you belong, or even a friend.  She’s that person the unknown documentary filmmakers seem to always give a shout out to when accepting their Oscars for Best Documentary Feature Film or Best Documentary Short Film, Emmy Awards, or Peabody Awards. Sheila Nevins is President of HBO Documentary Films and her programming content for HBO is credited with “Executive Producer, Sheila Nevins”.  The content she provides for broadcasting is authentic, emotional, balanced, and merits a mental digestion.  The medium is documentary film.  There are no scripts, no actors, nor guarantees a documentary film will be completed when it has been green-lit. Yet, with these negatives facing every project, Sheila’s completed projects far outweigh those she abandoned.   With an unsurpassed instinct for knowing what will be relevant a year or more from now, what is the common thread woven into her documentary films making them so highly acclaimed?  Sheila Nevins can communicate like no one else.  From the first frame of the film to the last, Sheila has been involved crafting the best way to convey the information for her audiences.  Once her films have been aired it may seem that every network is scrambling to capture the essence of her presentation with a “reality show” that probably is 99% scripted.  How does she do it?  Instead of reading all the articles Google might find to answer this question, I highly recommend reading Sheila’s new book of short stories based on her life or those in it. Most of the stories are brief enough to be read during a break at work, but they are so entertaining, sincere and unpredictable You Don’t Look Your Age is perfect for an all-day escape.  How do we process our life experiences? Can the effects of such experiences to one's life be measured? These questions are nowhere to be found in her book, nor are they asked in interviews.  The answers are revealed once the last word of the final short story is read.  Never one to spoon feed an audience, you’ll find yourself looking inwardly and processing your part of the Human Experience and how it is uniquely personal, yet universal. And if writing a book of short stories wasn’t hard enough Sheila then tackles the audiobook version by asking her friends to help her. The result is a who’s who recording a la “We Are the World” recording of entertainment and pop-culture icons. There appears to be no communication medium Sheila Nevins cannot master. Don’t just take my word for it, read it for yourself.

I truly enjoyed each of these essays. Some made me cringe, others made me mad, some made me laugh out loud and a few made me cry -- what more can you ask for a group of opinions and "based on real life" essays? I especially appreciated the wide range of narrators chosen, from Meryl Streep to Gayle King, Rosie O'Donnell to Whoopi Goldberg, Edie Falco to Ru Paul and so many more -- wow, what an all-star lineup! This audio book was a great way to pass a few hours in the car.

Sheila Nevins is that rare studio executive that really cares about the world and is willing to risk everything for her integrity and the integrity of her films and filmmakers. She has done more to shape documentary and politics in film today than virtually anyone. So I was looking forward to read this memoir with great anticipation and a bit of worry. What struck me so much is that this book is incredibly emotionally brave and insightful. I really appreciated getting to know the details of her life with such intimacy and honesty. It is also really funny and touching and easy to read. What seem at first to be simple everyday recollections reveal themselves to be much deeper when Sheila's ironic and straightforward voice emerges. She is witty, biting, no nonsense and candid. What I like most of all is her zen/New York sense of humor that rescues her when all else fails. This was an unexpected delight, each story moves with brisk sincerity. I highly recommend it.

-Josh Fox