Hmm... I'm a little ambivalent towards this book. I must admit that I went into this without knowing who Ruby Wax was, and without having read any of her previous works. I expected this to be a compilation of uplifting, informative, and compelling stories... I didn't expect it to be quite so memoir-like. Funny at times, however, I didn't get as much as I had hoped out of reading it. Might be my own mistake for not doing my research!

Not really sure what to say about this book other than i felt like it was a complete mish mash of things Ruby /wax has done in the last few years. Not entirely a biography as such, but a random account of her trying and failing to find comfort in sustainbility and other peoples hardships. It did not have any real emotion, thoughts or continuity and even though i found some of the information and points very interesting, overall i did not enjoy this book and found it quite strange to be honest!

And Now For The Good News is a trying to offset all the depressing news and opinions that are given publicity every day, and show how the future really is going to work out for us all. Interestingly, it was written before the pandemic hit the world, but this makes it, in my view at least, an even more enjoyable read. Written in true Ruby Wax style (I think the audiobook would be hilarious), it manages to link some very random ideas and thoughts into a cohesive book..

In the first chapter, for instance, we are introduced to Thubten, a monk who has his own ‘monastery’ at the top of her house, and to her friend, Joanna, who rents Ruby a shed (her Nano house) to write in. This then leads on to a discussion on how communities will evolve in the future.

A very good antidote to the times we are currently living in.

Having read Ruby Wax's previous titles, Sane New World, Frazzled and How to be Human, I was excited when I received the netgalley approval for this book. The previous titles had all been funny and informative about mental health and her approach to mindfulness and keeping an even keel and I was hoping this book would delve further into the topic of mental health but instead it's like reading a PR release for products and services that have emerged from the pandemic.

I'm not saying the things she covers in the book aren't "good things" that have been borne during what feels like a dystopian world, but I'm not really sure how they really relate back to the average person who is having a hard time through the pandemic.

Possibly more apt if we were through the worse of the pandemic, but with so much uncertainty still surrounding how the world is going to get out of this mess, feels a bit premature and unsolicited.


**Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for giving access in exchange for an honest review.

Really refreshing, brutally honest and hilariously funny, this book was an absolute tonic for these difficult times.

The book covers a wide range of issues, and ways in which good humans are making steps to solve them.

And Now For The Good news is filled to the brim with interesting ideas, issues to explore further, and inspiration to get involved. Marvellous stuff.

Many thanks to NetGalley, the publishers and author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
And Now For The Good News is available from all good bookshops.

Sophie’s third book this month was And Now for the Good News by Ruby Wax. Ruby Wax has been a well-known celebrity figure in the UK for decades but has recently become more well-known as a mental health advocate and promoter of mindfulness. In her latest book, she explores the good news going on around the world that is so often buried beneath scandals and other depressing headlines and shares short, anecdotal stories from her own life.

The book is divided into sections, with the first five looking at positive enterprises taking place across five areas: Community, Business, Education, Technology, and Food. Rather than simply sitting at home and Googling about this, Wax has traveled the world to visit these places, taking in a sustainable, eco-village in South Africa, student-led schools in Finland, and attending weekend retreats run by businesses looking to truly support their staff. Everything about these people and places is uplifting, reminding us that no matter how it may seem, there are still people out there fighting to make positive changes.

That being said, for a book whose title claims to be all about the “good news”, there’s a surprising amount of bad in here. Of course, much of that is arguably necessary to help put the good into context, but if you were hoping for a book to let you forget about the more terrible things going on in the world, this is not it. Included are harrowing accounts from refugees and reminders of the far-reaching control wielded by tech corporations like Facebook. However, when these sections are immediately followed up by others exploring how we are on the path to making things better, hopefully, you can walk away feeling inspired to help rather than simply numb and powerless.

And Now for the Good News reminded Sophie just how much we need to improve the world we live in, but left her wanting to dig in deeper and find a place where she can really make a difference herself.

This is exactly the time to be reading a book like this by Ruby Wax. She is a human dynamo, full of ideas and an excellent writer. I also love her self deprecating attitude. She is travelling all over the world in this one but never makes herself bigger than the setting and shows great humility and indeed on several occasions embarrasses herself for our amusement. Or to make you wince slightly. Her adventures volunteering at a refugee camp deserve to be widely read.

The purpose of the book is to show that regardless of the world situation with the rise of nationalism and selfishness there are pockets of beauty and wonderful people doing incredible things. She visits the people and the places and gives us all a little bit of hope. I also like the idea of Frazzled cafes and will look out for them when the day comes to rejoin the world.

If you are a bit in the doldrums then let Ruby Wax show you the better side of human nature and make you smile at the same time.

I was given a copy of this book by Netgalley in return for an honest review.

A lovely book that takes you through good times and bad. Definitely recommended to those readers who enjoy reading this type of book.

I received a copy of the book from Netgalley to review. Thank you for the opportunity.
An interesting and refreshing book, pointing out the brightsides to the many bad news we see every day
Waxs writing is sharp, funny but incredibly relatable. It feels as though she is speaking directly to you, the reader. There is plenty of content in this book to chew through and digest.
On the whole a good book.

I haven't read any books by Ruby Wax before, but I found that this book will definitely have me seeking more of her books.

This book is filled with some scary facts and it really makes you realise how humans have messed up the earth. And just when you really start to despair about what we have done, you are pulled back into the realisation that not all humans are selfish. There are companies with the most amazing philosophies on how life should be lived, there are schools that focus more on nurturing little humans than making them compete at academics, there are people who give up their lives to volunteer in refugee camps.

This book was an eye-opener that filled me with hope during what is a very difficult time. I highly recommend this if you need a dose of happiness or positivity in your life right now.

I love Ruby’s work, written and live, she’s a breath of fresh air. Found this book really uplifting, spin the negative and find something good in each situation.

I was given a copy of And Now For The Good News by Ruby Was by the publisher in exchange for a honest review. Ruby looks at bad news then adds some good news stories. Unfortunately I struggled to get into this book, it just wasn't for me.

And Now For The Good News........by Ruby Wax what a book...........We can all agree that last year 2020 was a year we all would like to forget but when Ruby's new book came Out the title and cover caught my eye. This is the first book I've read by Ruby and I loved it.....Its funny, true to her words and Blunt! She has written within this book what we are mostly thinking and haven't got the Balls to say it out Loud.

Not for the faint hearted!!!

Big Thank you to NetGalley and to Penguin Books

I received a free ARC of this via NetGalley in return for an unbiased review. I'd requested it because who doesn't need a little good news right now, and I thought Wax might be an interesting writer, in the same way I'd enjoyed Susan Calman's book on happiness. Sadly I didn't quite enjoy Wax's book in the same way. It felt too scattered - lots of talking and faffing, digressions and jokes, and then almost as an afterthought, some examples of people developing new projects/ideas. The history of food or ramblings on mindfulness in education weren't good news, just filler. Lots of people seem to have liked the book, which I'm happy about, but sadly it wasn't for me and I raced through to try and finish it.

I really enjoy Ruby Wax’s books , there’s something very comforting about how honest she is and how she explains situations.
And Now For The Good News is full of uplifting anecdotes and is exactly what I needed to read.

A little ray of sunshine in these dark and gloomy times, the right prescription at the right time.

This book is full of humanitarianism,, calling on the reader to view the world in a new light and take action towards a more sustainable and brighter future for all.

I feel so awful I love ruby wax on stage or tv but this book was just too hard to get into
I expected a light hearted look at the rubbish year we were having not a complicated, complex book full of massive things I know nothing about
I gave up after about 90 pages
Sorry again ruby but thanks net galley for privilege of reading before I bought

Ruby does it again, just the uplifting read I needed.

So open and honest, yet written with humour and hope.

Ruby begins with writing about herself and her own story is interspersed between the ‘Bad News’ and the ‘Good News’ throughout the book. In each chapter she gives a brief history of the subject, along with her own experiences and then provides examples of how things are improving.

Some of the information was new to me (such as shareholders being entitled to their profits), and other things I knew already. The book is certainly crammed with information but whilst it does contain good news overall, there is a lot of bad news to get through before the good stuff comes along!

I received this book from Netgalley in return for a honest review.

As with all of Ruby's books there is a compassion, expressiveness and empathy. The journeys that Ruby takes are written with such detail, you feel like a companion rather than a reader, Inspirational as well as interesting, it is in depth without ever feeling like you are out of your depth. The positive attitude and feeling of wellness stayed with me long after the book.