I Feel Bad About My Neck

As a copywriter, it's important to have a breadth of knowledge on many subjects. It's even more important to understand how your prospects think. That's why I recently finished reading Nora Ephron's new book I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts On Being A Woman.

You see, many of the prospects I write to are women. Many of them are middle-aged women. And what better way to learn about how women think than read a Nora Ephron book?

(In case you're unaware, Nora Ephron and her sister wrote the movie scripts for When Harry Met Sally, Sleepless in Seattle, and You've Got Mail.)

Let me tell you, I thoroughly enjoyed the book. It's laugh-out-loud hysterical in parts. And at 137 pages, it's a very quick read.

I Feel Bad About My Neck is less of a cohesive story as it is a collection of essays and stories from Ephron's life. For instance, the title chapter, which is the first essay, is on female aging. "I Hate My Purse" is, of course, about the curse of carrying a purse. "On Maintenance" is about all that goes into staying fit and pretty. Etc.

But lest you think Ephron's book is all humor, I was pleasantly suprised to find that her observations on life are as poignant as they get.

Here are a couple of nuggets from her chapter called "What I Wish I'd Known":

"Block everyone on your instant mail." p.124

"Whenever someone says the words 'Our friendship is more important than this,' watch out, because it almost never is." p. 125

"If only one third of your clothes are mistakes, you're ahead of the game." p. 126

Anyway, I encourage you to broaden your horizons, get out of your comfort zone, and start learning how other people think. Reading I Feel Bad About My Neck is a great way to start.