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Overview
A powerful, patriarchy-defying manifesto that will transform your relationship to saying "no"--from the award-winning writer, founder of Jezebel, and former New York Times "Work Friend" advice columnist When was the last time you said "no"? Not, I don't think so, or maybe, or let me think about it; but a full-throated "NO"? And how often do you agree to do things you don't want to do? Most of us--especially those who don't wield traditional modes of power, or, at least, not as much relative to others--often find ourselves navigating around "no" and landing on "okay" or "sure" instead. The Power of No releases us from our white-knuckled grip on agreeability. In this eclectic yet empowering book, Atlantic contributing writer Anna Holmes explores why it's difficult for many of us to utter that two-letter word on its own, through an idiosyncratic mix of searing analysis, expert-led research, and stirring insights from the likes of Charlotte Bront to Shonda Rhimes. From the linguistic, to the societal, to the psychological--from our impressionable childhood to the revelations of middle age--to sex, desire, and bodily autonomy, Holmes playfully traces how "no" shapes our lives and, if exercised properly, can radically change the way we carry ourselves and move about the world. Equal parts heartfelt meditation and fiery manifesto, The Power of No is a call to embrace the invigorating truth that "no" is a complete sentence.
Details
- ISBN-13: 9780593444573
- ISBN-10: 0593444574
- Publisher: Crown Publishing Group (NY)
- Publish Date: September 2026
- Dimensions: 8.05 x 5.24 x 0.7 inches
- Shipping Weight: 0.53 pounds
- Page Count: 160
Related Categories
In The Power of No: A Celebration, journalist Anna Holmes, founder of the feminist website Jezebel, argues for the word no. Blending self-help, memoir and social science, Holmes lays out why it can be so difficult to say no, particularly for women, and what happens when we resist the impulse to accommodate others’ needs ahead of our own. Saying yes is the easy part for most people, Holmes notes in the book’s preface. But as for the word no: “As uttered by women, a provocation. Has there ever been a more fraught relationship between woman and word?” The book’s main sections open with brief meditations, followed by narrative describing some of Holmes’ life experiences; as a child and young woman, she experienced “no” all the time from authority figures. “But I never demanded ‘no’ of myself. . . . I had no idea if the things I was supposed to want were things I really and truly did want.” She reports on interviews with social science researchers like Deborah Tannen, whose work pertains to the word no and the negative. Holmes also looks into the linguistics of the now-familiar exhortation “No is a complete sentence” (linguists confirm that “No.” is indeed a complete sentence). And she describes how toddlers love to practice saying no before they understand what they’re saying, and how children hear the word more often after they start moving, an analogy she applies to women trying to chart their own course. Interspersed throughout are an array of quotes, some inspirational, some cautionary, from writers, experts and fictional characters, among them Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Gavin de Becker, Harriet the Spy and Melani Sanders of the viral We Do Not Care Club for menopausal women. Because of this format, short sections of narrative punctuated by quotes, this is a book that can be read in an afternoon or dipped into repeatedly. It also includes a blank section for readers to keep their own notes. Though a reader might wish for a little more memoir and analysis, The Power of No is an accessible, cogent and useful addition to the empowerment genre. It’s a celebration of “an essential tool for self-preservation, autonomy, and emotional health. For asserting who we are . . . and who we want to be.”
In The Power of No: A Celebration, journalist Anna Holmes, founder of the feminist website Jezebel, argues for the word no. Blending self-help, memoir and social science, Holmes lays out why it can be so difficult to say no, particularly for women, and what happens when we resist the impulse to accommodate others’ needs ahead of our own. Saying yes is the easy part for most people, Holmes notes in the book’s preface. But as for the word no: “As uttered by women, a provocation. Has there ever been a more fraught relationship between woman and word?” The book’s main sections open with brief meditations, followed by narrative describing some of Holmes’ life experiences; as a child and young woman, she experienced “no” all the time from authority figures. “But I never demanded ‘no’ of myself. . . . I had no idea if the things I was supposed to want were things I really and truly did want.” She reports on interviews with social science researchers like Deborah Tannen, whose work pertains to the word no and the negative. Holmes also looks into the linguistics of the now-familiar exhortation “No is a complete sentence” (linguists confirm that “No.” is indeed a complete sentence). And she describes how toddlers love to practice saying no before they understand what they’re saying, and how children hear the word more often after they start moving, an analogy she applies to women trying to chart their own course. Interspersed throughout are an array of quotes, some inspirational, some cautionary, from writers, experts and fictional characters, among them Jane Austen, Charlotte Bronte, Gavin de Becker, Harriet the Spy and Melani Sanders of the viral We Do Not Care Club for menopausal women. Because of this format, short sections of narrative punctuated by quotes, this is a book that can be read in an afternoon or dipped into repeatedly. It also includes a blank section for readers to keep their own notes. Though a reader might wish for a little more memoir and analysis, The Power of No is an accessible, cogent and useful addition to the empowerment genre. It’s a celebration of “an essential tool for self-preservation, autonomy, and emotional health. For asserting who we are . . . and who we want to be.”