The Body Is Not an Apology, Second Edition: The Power of Radical Self-Love
Written by Sonya Renee Taylor
Narrated by Sonya Renee Taylor
4.5/5
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About this audiobook
—Kimberlé Crenshaw, legal scholar and founder and Executive Director, African American Policy Forum
Humans are a varied and divergent bunch with all manner of beliefs, morals, and bodies. Systems of oppression thrive off our inability to make peace with difference and injure the relationship we have with our own bodies.
The Body Is Not an Apology offers radical self-love as the balm to heal the wounds inflicted by these violent systems. World-renowned activist and poet Sonya Renee Taylor invites us to reconnect with the radical origins of our minds and bodies and celebrate our collective, enduring strength. As we awaken to our own indoctrinated body shame, we feel inspired to awaken others and to interrupt the systems that perpetuate body shame and oppression against all bodies. When we act from this truth on a global scale, we usher in the transformative opportunity of radical self-love, which is the opportunity for a more just, equitable, and compassionate world—for us all.
This second edition includes stories from Taylor's travels around the world combating body terrorism and shines a light on the path toward liberation guided by love. In a brand new final chapter, she offers specific tools, actions, and resources for confronting racism, sexism, ableism, homophobia, and transphobia. And she provides a case study showing how radical self-love not only dismantles shame and self-loathing in us but has the power to dismantle entire systems of injustice. Together with the accompanying workbook, Your Body Is Not an Apology, Taylor brings the practice of radical self-love to life.
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Reviews for The Body Is Not an Apology, Second Edition
377 ratings18 reviews
What our readers think
Readers find this title to be a masterpiece, highly recommended. It reflects many of their own views and provides insightful commentary on intersectionalities and body shame. The book is described as powerful, inspiring, and necessary, with profound moments that have the potential to change lives. Readers appreciate the author's humor and find the audiobook especially powerful. They believe that everyone should read this book and consider it in the depths of their soul. Overall, it is a beautiful, inspiring, and thought-provoking read.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wow wow wow. As a long time skeptic and critic of radical self-love, this is the book that finally did me in.
I’ve listened to Brene Brown, read a few of her books, found her words somewhat helpful when it comes to accepting our “imperfections,” and yet I always felt kind of unconvinced. Perhaps bc of that background and having mulled over Brene’s words, I finally became convinced after reading this book. But this book takes Brene further. It is not just about accepting our imperfections, but embracing and loving who and where we are in the moment. Doing so collectively heals our wounded society that teaches us to hate our own bodies and the bodies of others. An acorn doesn’t hate itself until it becomes a tree. It doesn’t intend to become a tree. Wait for it to become a tree. It just becomes a tree. It can’t become a tree if we block the sunlight and water it needs to grow to its natural fruition. To say an acorn is failing when it is not yet a tree is silly. Same w our bodies. This book finally convinced me to begin the journey of not just accepting or tolerating this body of mine, but loving it and getting rid of the institutions, beliefs, practices that inhibit that love. I don’t want to be accepted. Tolerated. I want to be loved. I want to grow into the highest version of myself and that means accepting each phase in the process. That comes by just being.
As a skeptic of the influence one individual can have in collective societies, this is the book that finally convinced me to the movement. Paying attention to the companies and services we support w our time, money, and attention matters after all—unfortunately. Ugh. Loving our own and others’ bodies AS THEY ARE is revolutionary on the individual and communal level. Radical self love ain’t easy. It ain’t frilly. It ain’t flowery. It’s tough. A lot tougher than I ever thought. And yet not at the same time bc it requires us to just let go and reject that which holds us back from being our truest, most real selves. And once we do, we can breathe and simply be.
Damn. Another life changer. Thank you, Sonya Renee Taylor. I find myself a happier, stronger person when I listen to black women. When I follow their words and wisdom.4 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Really informative and super inspiring. The author is hilarious, making this an enjoyable listen! I’ve recommended this book to quite a few people all ready
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Wow, there are so many profound moments in this the audiobook was especially powerful hearing it from the author's voice. But I also had to buy a physical copy of the book so that I could make my own notations and work on myself even better I want every person to read this and consider it in the depths of their soul.
2 people found this helpful
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This book is for my past, present, and future. As a wholeheartedly Disabled, British-Pakistani, continual WIP, “The Body Is Not an Apology”, has further transformed my life in service of Radical love and collective liberation. I loved it! A masterpiece, highly recommended.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Five speechless stars.
Read it. Recommend it.
Be it. - Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Unglaublich wahr und der Start in ein neues Leben. Gedankenfutter pur.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Beautiful, inspiring, and exactly what I needed in my life!
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I absolutely loved this book. Powerful, informative, and empathetic. Sonya's narration is amazing.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5Good intersectional commentary on body shame, politic’s impact on bodies.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Absolutely incredible book and so very much needed. Everyone needs to read it. It’s a book I wish I had the physical copy of because there is so much I want to highlight and underline.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Powerful.
This book has made me question my assumptions about myself, my body, the society and all our body terrorism practices.
It is tough to hear from myself to myself that I need to do better. But we do it together.
Great read! - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5My mind was blown. Insightful, clear, and provocative. I loved it.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5A powerful resource! I've been deconstructing the body shame I feel, and the eating disorder I've had for years. This book has helped me learn to catch these feelings or thoughts, but also when I judge others. I am learning to love my body, and this book honestly helped a ton to get me making progress.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5This is a book everyone should read. Radical self-love is so important. Knowing you are enough as you are. Learning to let go and work through your judgements and baggage. Will read it again.
- Rating: 4 out of 5 stars4/5I thoroughly enjoyed this book. It reflected many of my own views and contained information new to me.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Insightful!
Reading about the intersectionalities was insightful. I had to catch myself sometimes with the unconscious biases the author pointed out.
Because I like to have physical copies of my audio books, this is a book I will certainly buy, as I like to highlight and underline.
Great listen, and well recommended! - Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5I am utterly changed by this book. The way the author shows us how the complexity of systemic oppression connects to each of us as individuals is amazing. It really reminds me that every action and conversation counts for something. And that when we change and love ourselves, we change and love the world.
- Rating: 5 out of 5 stars5/5Must read. Very inspiring and necessary. Question everything because it is all a scam.