March 6, 2014

“Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?” by Mindy Kaling – Experimenting with Life’s Pathways

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (Book cover))
Most of you probably know Mindy Kaling from her role on the hit sitcom, The Office, and from what I gathered based on my viewings of it, she played the kind of character you either loved or hated.

Personally, I couldn’t stand every moment she spent on screen, and as a result I was extremely skeptical about purchasing her book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?… I only did so because of the number of good reviews and a personal recommendation which came from a friend.

I have to say, even though the book does leave to be desired in a couple of areas (more on that later), on the whole it was an experience which went above and beyond my expectations, providing me with a good deal of entertainment and even a few insights into the nature of our relationships between each other and in regards to living life itself.

So what precisely are you going to find in this book? It’s hard to pinpoint one thing Mindy talks about as she goes all over the place, with seemingly little care for actual structure, which is my first gripe with it.

I surely understand that the thoughts here were compartmentalized to some extent and that she is not trying to tell a linear story with a straightforward progression, but nevertheless this jumping all over the place can get a bit tedious in the sense that it is hard to follow.

However, as is the case with most good books who have such a problem, you get used to it and learn to value statements individually rather than place them in some kind of context.

The humor itself is much to my liking, with Mindy relying more on witty observations as well as intelligent and non-belittling sarcasm, satire and mockery. Her positivity pours right through the pages and into the reader’s lap, with there being virtually no swearing or aggressiveness (from what I remember), traits which seem to be the go-to formula for many lesser humorists.

She discusses what she learned and experienced throughout the numerous and very different stages of her life, what makes good friends, what kind of fame is the best to have, and as you could guess by the title, discusses some of the more widespread anxieties and fears we have.

Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? by Mindy Kaling (Book cover))
With everything taken into consideration, even though Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? isn’t really the kind of literature that will stay with you for years to come, it certainly is an interesting tunnel into the mind of a rather beloved celebrity, a mind filled with humor and unorthodox thoughts.

Regardless of whether or not you like Mindy’s work as an actress, chances are that her work as an author will keep you thoroughly entertained.



Mindy Kaling (Author)

Mindy Kaling


Mindy Kaling is known by most people as an American-Indian actress who portrayed Kelly Kapoor on the ever-popular sitcom, The Office.

What many do not know though is that in addition to that, Mindy is also a writer who has already published four books, including Questions I Ask When I Want to Talk About Myself and Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me?


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