Maybe You Should Talk to SomeoneMaybe You Should Talk to Someone
Score Modern
What it's about
Lori Gottlieb is a Los Angeles therapist whose world comes crashing down after a sudden breakup, and she ends up in therapy herself, with Wendell, a quirky, cardigan-wearing therapist who turns out to be anything but ordinary. As she helps her own patients, including a self-absorbed Hollywood producer and a young newlywed facing a terminal diagnosis, she learns what therapy looks like from both chairs.
Why it's worth reading
It spent 54 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It's funny, wise and honest, and many readers say it changed how they think about therapy.
You'll love it if you liked
The Body Keeps the Score
When Breath Becomes Air
Educated: A MemoirGood to know
It moves between Gottlieb's story and her patients', like a novel with several plots. Some of the patients' stories are very sad.
By the numbers
- Readers94 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics0 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Bestseller67 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #23 of the 119 science and ideas books we rank
- #54 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #145 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #280 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story, Thought-provoking
If you like this, read next
The Ride of a Lifetime
Elon Musk: Tesla, SpaceX, and the Quest for a Fantastic Future
The Undoing Project: A Friendship That Changed Our Minds
Option B: Facing Adversity, Building Resilience, and Finding Joy
Going Infinite: The Rise and Fall of a New Tycoon
The Emperor of All Maladies: A Biography of CancerExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Memoirs and biographiesTop 25 · 290 ranked
Science and ideas booksTop 25 · 119 ranked
Modern booksTop 25 · 1,573 ranked
Books of the 2010sTop 25 · 736 ranked
Fantasy booksTop 25 · 459 ranked
Mysteries and thrillersTop 25 · 555 ranked
Literary novelsTop 25 · 309 ranked
Science fiction booksTop 25 · 313 rankedQuick answers
Is Maybe You Should Talk to Someone worth reading?
Yes. It spent 54 weeks on the New York Times bestseller lists. It ranks #280 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 82.0 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Maybe You Should Talk to Someone about?
Lori Gottlieb is a Los Angeles therapist whose world comes crashing down after a sudden breakup, and she ends up in therapy herself, with Wendell, a quirky, cardigan-wearing therapist who turns out to be anything but ordinary. As she helps her own patients, including a self-absorbed Hollywood producer and a young newlywed facing a terminal diagnosis, she learns what therapy looks like from both chairs.
How long does it take to read Maybe You Should Talk to Someone?
About 11 hours (433 pages), or about 3 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Maybe You Should Talk to Someone?
If you liked it, try The Body Keeps the Score by Bessel van der Kolk, When Breath Becomes Air by Paul Kalanithi or Educated: A Memoir by Tara Westover.