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Any Ordinary Day
Any Ordinary Day: Blindsides, Resilience and What Happens After the Worst Day of Your Life | Leigh Sales
As a journalist, Leigh Sales often encounters people experiencing the worst moments of their lives in the full glare of the media. But one particular string of bad news stories - and a terrifying brush with her own mortality - sent her looking for answers about how vulnerable each of us is to a life-changing event. What are our chances of actually experiencing one? What do we fear most and why? And when the worst does happen, what comes next? In this wise and layered book, Leigh talks intimately with people who've faced the unimaginable, from terrorism to natural disaster to simply being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Expecting broken lives, she instead finds strength, hope, even humour. Leigh brilliantly condenses the cutting-edge research on the way the human brain processes fear and grief, and poses the questions we too often ignore out of awkwardness. Along the way, she offers an unguarded account of her own challenges and what she's learned about coping with life's unexpected blows. Warm, candid and empathetic, this book is about what happens when ordinary people, on ordinary days, are forced to suddenly find the resilience most of us don't know we have.
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Messiejessie
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‘Blindsides‘ are one of the scariest things we can imagine happening to us. This book is about what happens when life blindsides us, how people cope after deep tragedy and the potential for post traumatic growth.
It doesn‘t sound like it, but it‘s actually a hopeful book.

Crazeedi I added this book to my tbr before. I definitely need to find it and read 1y
16 likes1 comment
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Messiejessie
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keepingupwiththepenguins
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This is an interesting and reflective book, very well paced and highly readable. Next time you see a news story about a terrible event and find yourself thinking “I could never survive something like that”, you‘ll want to be able to turn to this book for proof that ordinary people survive the unthinkable every day, and most of us have buried reserves of resilience. Full review: https://keepingupwiththepenguins.com/any-ordinary-day-leigh-sales/

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Rissreads
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I used to think that if you are a good person good things will happen to you but now I realise that this is definitely not the case. It‘s all just down to chance. Fantastic book about life, death and humanity, it was so insightful and it made me realise how lucky I have been. And when someone in your life is going through tragedy you just need to show up. You don‘t have to have all the answers or say the right things. You just need to be there.

LeeRHarry The take home message I got from this book was definitely that it is better to say something rather than nothing, I‘ve tried to take it onboard - great read 😊 4y
Crazeedi Sounds like a book I want to read, thanks for great review 4y
Freespirit I haven‘t read it but it‘s on my list! 4y
Suet624 Great review. Sounds like a good message. 4y
Jeg Loved this book. Got her to sign my copy in those days of no covid. 4y
37 likes3 stack adds5 comments
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waybean
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mija333
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I couldn‘t handle this. I only got 100 pages in before giving up. The whole first 100 is about her interviewing people after traumatic events. I love Chat10 so I was expecting the book to be more about her. No no no!

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CarolynM
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#MusicalNewYear #AtTheEndOfTheDay

This book is about what happens to people after traumatic events and features interviews with Australians who have suffered great losses in circumstance that have attracted publicity. I think it is intended to be uplifting, highlighting resilience and the indomitablity of the human spirit, but it feels a bit voyeuristic and even exploitative to me. 👇

CarolynM A friend who has suffered a traumatic loss was given a copy. Her response was "It's not helpful". 6y
Cinfhen Oh wow! I‘m not sure how I‘d feel either. 6y
vivastory Yeah, some of the survival stories can unfortunately really be exploited. It's unfortunate. 6y
69 likes4 stack adds3 comments
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Joanne1
Pickpick

A thought provoking and extremely engaging book charting life after catastrophic disaster and how people cope when their lives are turned upside down. Of course, being Sales the research is extremely thorough and the people she chose to interview are add layers of meaning and depth to that research.

MrsMalaprop I liked this one too 😊. 6y
Jeg I really liked this book. 6y
34 likes1 stack add2 comments
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Joanne1
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My lunch break on a swelteringly hot day. Thank goodness the library is well air conditioned.

gradcat Swelteringly hot 🥵? Where do you live? 😂 We‘re freezing over here 🥶 (edited) 6y
Joanne1 @gradcat I‘m in Australia. We‘re bracing for temperatures around 42C. Four days ago I was in Washington and it was -5C. Quite a contrast. 6y
gradcat I figured you had to be in Oz, or thereabouts...I bet that was a rude reality check temperature-wise...DC to Australia—wow! 😊😊 6y
See All 8 Comments
LeeRHarry How are you enjoying the book ?- I‘m a huge Leigh Sales fan! 🤗 6y
Joanne1 @LeeRHarry finished it this afternoon and really enjoyed it, lots to think about. I‘m a Leigh Sales fan girl too. Are you a chatter by chance? 6y
LeeRHarry @Joanne1 I am indeed 😊 6y
Joanne1 @LeeRHarry always nice to meet a fellow cult member. 6y
LeeRHarry @Joanne1 for sure 😊 6y
52 likes1 stack add8 comments
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TheCuriousHousecat
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Pickpick

I‘m not a believer in karma. I know that if you‘re nice to people more than likely they‘ll respond nicely in return but as far as the universe rewarding you for a life well lived, well that‘s hilarious. It‘s all random and chaotic. And this book reiterates that in a rather readable way.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️from me.

MrsMalaprop 👍 I‘m with you on the karma. 6y
7 likes1 comment
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Clazzy11

Finished 5.1.19, the day I decided to write a book journal

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Clazzy11
Pickpick

It has elements of Option B, but is a better written, more explorative and less conclusive. Leigh writes well. The personal stories of those she interviews illuminate the multi-faceted nature of grief and how differently it takes its toll on individuals. I‘d return to it if I were going through a traumatic event and hope to remember that “optimism, extroversion, hardiness and a healthy ego” are protective factors when it comes to overcoming.

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Joanne1
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New year, new book.

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Abailliekaras
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An excellent book. Leigh Sales explores how we recover from sudden traumatic events, with compassion, curiosity and the skills of a seasoned journalist. Fascinating interviews. I loved her warmth and honesty throughout - it‘s like being in her company as we learn how to navigate life‘s ‘blindsides‘ or how to help a friend after a death, for example. It‘s both inspiring & practical about coping with tough times. Highly recommended.

WhatThePuck I need this! My family went through 2 life changing injuries last year. 6y
Abailliekaras @WhatThePuck I was impressed by how practical it was. And just a great read. 6y
Blaire This sounds great. I‘ve had a lot of loss and bad news in my immediate and extended family the last couple of years. #stacked 6y
Freespirit Sounds like a must read 6y
45 likes3 stack adds4 comments
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Abailliekaras
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I‘m really enjoying this. Interesting and well-written and Leigh Sales is a warm, engaging presence throughout the book. I like the mix of her compassionate voice with robust research and good journalism.

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Jeg
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Pickpick

Wonderful book , arrived at just the right time for me. Again the right book at the right time. At times a bit hard to read , I cried quite a lot but humans are so resilient my heart was singing also. @MrsMalaprop .
I‘m going to look out her other books as I found her writing style easy to read. I heard her voice in my head.

CarolynM I got this from my book group's Kris Kringle on Monday night. I hadn't been planning to read it, but now I have it and I know you like it...🙂 6y
14 likes1 stack add1 comment
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MrsMalaprop
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Pickpick

As stated on the cover, well known Aussie journalist Leigh Sales writes about “Blindsides, resilience and what happens after the worst day of your life”.

Combining real-life stories of tragedy that most Australians will remember with some facts and figures. A quick, thought provoking and moving read.

👍❤️📚 #oznonfiction

LeeRHarry Went to her book launch in Melbourne with a couple of friends - we are hoping to do a buddy read over the summer - glad you thought it was good 😊 6y
MrsMalaprop @LeeRHarry Buddy or book club read would be great with this one 👍. 6y
56 likes3 stack adds2 comments
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MrsMalaprop
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This is an insightful and engrossing read. Australian journalist Leigh Sales interviews people who‘ve experienced immense tragedy and asks them how they made it through. #currentlyreading

JennyM You look very cozy 😊 6y
Cathythoughts Yes looking decidedly chilled out 👍🏻 6y
MrsMalaprop @JennyM @Cathythoughts The warm weather finally seems to have arrived, so comfy rather than cozy, & with a fresh pedicure 🌞😁. 6y
RavensCarm This quote makes me want to read this book but just discovered it doesn‘t release until February here in Canada :( 6y
51 likes4 comments