Worthy
Original price was: $32.00.$12.09Current price is: $12.09.
Description
**The New York Times Bestseller**
**Parade magazine must-read books by celebrities 2023**
“I went through so many emotions reading this book. Reconnecting to one’s ancestors and truly feeling, not only hearing, their stories are fertile ground for true ecstatic embodiment of the self. We have to know where we’ve been to see where we’re going.” -Willow Smith
“[Smith] is candid and honest… For the first time she reveals the truth behind [the] happy images. An incredible read.” -Hoda Kotb, The Today Show
A gripping, at times painfully honest, and ultimately inspirational memoir from global superstar and creator of the Red Table Talk series Jada Pinkett Smith.Â
Jada Pinkett Smith was living what many would view as a fairy-tale of Hollywood success. But appearances can be deceiving, and as she felt more and more separated from her sense of self, emotional turmoil took hold. Sparing no detail, Worthy chronicles her lifeâfrom a rebellious youth running the Baltimore streets as an observer and participant in the drug trade, to the deep bond she shared with Tupac Shakur from the moment they met, to her move to Los Angeles and the successful career she built on her own terms, to becoming the wife of superstar Will Smith and mother to Jaden, Willow and bonus-mom to Trey . A rollercoaster from the depths of suicidal depression to the heights of self-acceptance and spiritual healing, Worthy is a womanâs journey to finding herself again.Â
In a media driven landscape that crafts narratives for our celebrities, Smith shares herself in an intimate conversation with readers. She answers questions about her difficult childhood, her marriage, her parenting style, her career choices, and the intense scrutiny that followed âthe slap.â An impactful and rare memoir that engages and educates, Worthy shows why adhering to the status quo has never been the plan for Jada Pinkett Smith and why labels and stories crafted by others strip women of their authenticity. Worthy teaches us who Jada is, and how to embrace our most lovable qualities. Complete with thought-provoking writing prompts and meditations on how to discover who we really are and nourish our self-worth.
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Additional information
Publisher | Dey Street Books (October 17, 2023) |
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Language | English |
Hardcover | 416 pages |
ISBN-10 | 0063320681 |
ISBN-13 | 978-0063320680 |
Item Weight | 1.24 pounds |
Dimensions | 6 x 1.01 x 9 inches |
Amazon Customer –
I love it and so glad I read it to have a better understanding of Jada and her family.
Amandeep Sidhu –
I was after a new autobiography and came across this one. I’m a great fan of Jada and it’s very touching to read her story. I learned things about Jada’s I didnât know existed or even happened in her life. Very exciting, touching, surprising and simply beautiful. WORTHY!
Natalie Mc18. –
I only knew Jada from the media and that she was Will Smithâs wife. Wow, she is so much more than that. This book shares her thoughts, her struggles and gave me a glimpse of her Badass self. I will strive to put more effort into my life, and try to see it more life a gift than a life sentence. It was kinda nice (in a sick way) to see that rich celebrities struggle with the same things that I do. Iâm a lifelong depressed woman who just got tanked up with high octane love, from the Divine. Great perspective on life.
Thanks, Jada.
Sue H, esua associate –
Right from the first page you know you’re going on a sad but uplifting journey with Jada.
I bought for less than $8 in Canada, she’s not all about the money. Refreshing concept that isn’t shared by Will who wants top dollar for his book – won’t be bothered because I am sure the honesty and openness won’t be equalled to Jada!
As a fellow woman with depression TY for taking me along on your uplifting journey Jada. I couldn’t appreciate you more.
Aylini –
Ich bin ein groĂer Fan von Jada und es ist sehr berĂŒhrend ihre Geschichte zu lesen. Ich habe lange nicht mehr gern gelesen aber dieses Buch hat mir die Freude am lesen zurĂŒckgegeben. Sehr spannend, berĂŒhrend, ĂŒberraschend und einfach schön. WORTHY!
D.K. Sanz –
I loved Jade Pinkett Smith on Red Table Talk. Even more so, I loved the way her daughter Willow was. Willow emanated beauty, compassion, and grace like some kind of earth angel. I saw this in Jada as well, to a lesser extent, so I figured Jada had something to do with that.
When Will had his Oscars meltdown, I hated that Jada was made the villain in all of that. I canât help but think thatâs why this book has gotten an overall rating of 3.8 when it deserves so much more.
Worthy is beautifully written and with so much insight and intelligence. I can relate to a lot of things Jada talked aboutâher love of all kinds of music, growing up with drugs and danger (the fearless freedom), her constant struggle to keep healing wounded parts of herself, and not giving up until she got there.
I found her fascinating with all her knowledge, interests, and abilities. And this is a woman who transformed her life, having been a child of two people with an addiction who were not present for her, growing up in a poor and dangerous hood, managing to get educated and achieve one success after the other.
She is hilarious in the last chapter, providing explanations for everything people had to say about her behavior on that awful Oscars night. Why she rolled her eyes after Chris Rockâs joke. How, despite peopleâs insistence that she gave Will the side eye signaling him to go beat up Chris, she has nowhere near that much power and control over Will Smith.
Nowhere in my reading of this book did I see where she embarrassed or emasculated Will. He comes off looking pretty damn good in this telling. The way she writes about him, you know how much she loves himâunconditionally. And you can see why.
Itâs obvious that headlines weâve seen, like âJade never wanted to marry Will,â have been taken out of context from her book or a story theyâd heard. Many stories seem to have been taken out of context. What she struggled with most of that time canât be minimized and certainly canât be dismissed.
Jade does takes accountability for her life mistakes and admits when she got things wrong. She has continued to grow. In fact, she writes like a person with empathy, one who realizes how vulnerable we all are. Sheâs had to deal with critics and naysayers but handles even that with kindness and grace.
For those who dismiss her as a self-proclaimed guru, please understand people sharing their struggles and earned wisdom isnât about trying to be some guru. It comes from a place of love and caring for fellow human beings. As a writer of my own recovery memoir, I promise you that we share with the hope that it might help someone. And we share it with love. There are just some people the world wants to fight with, and I think itâs because they represent a truth people are not quite ready for.
So, Iâm happy Jada Pinkett Smith wrote this book, and Iâm glad I read it. In fact, I wished I could give her a hug. I just love her.
And this is why I like to read memoirs. Itâs so important for us to relate to one another and understand each otherâs struggles. It always seemed to me that if we all understood one another better or tried to, the world would be a much nicer place. If we canât even do it individually, how do we do it on a global scale? How do we create a kinder world?
So. thank you, Jade. Your book is a gift.
Larry L. –
I would like to start out by saying that this book was very well written.
To be as fair as possible, I made a conscious decision to read from an unbiased perspective. Over many years of Jada and Will’s marriage being the subject of many public conversation pieces, I find it necessary to attempt to read the book while eliminating any personal feelings I have as an individual– a spectator of sorts, when it comes to personal feelings I may have about their marriage and familial relationships.
Since we live in a current society where feelings and emotions dominate logic, and interpretations of ones own experiences are considered personal “truths”,– while simultaneously telling actual objective truths are considered “bashing”, I would like to lay out an honest take on this manuscript.
As an author myself (The Bender of Odds), I found this work to be very well written.
It is an informative and entertaining memoir, written of course in 1st person POV, which is customary for this type of literary piece.
The manuscript chronicles the early life of Jada, and everything that represents significance in her upbringing.
The cadence of the book is casual, yet very interpersonal; the chapters are decorated with sporadic poems which give the overall body of work a hint of juxtaposition that gives a flavorful balance of artistic serenity- then theres the dark side of the streets–and of course Hollywood.
I’ve been a fan of Jada since “A Different World”. I’ve followed her career for many years. I’ve watched her grow as an actress from “The Inkwell” to “The Nutty Professor”, and so on and so forth.
This book gives details about interesting things we never knew about; like how 2Pac was in an altercation with the Hughes Brothers but still wanted her to do “Menace 2 Society”.
(Just a personal note, I think “Set It Off” is her Magnum Opus.
Jada IS “Stoney”-and Stoney is Jada).
Jada also brings back shared memories, when she mentions seeing fellow black actresses such as Nia Long, Queen Latifah, and Tichina Arnold at auditions.
When Jada said she felt when any of them got a role, it wasn’t just a win for the individual, it was a win for ALL of them, I remember having that same feeling as an African American many years ago in that same era.
This shows that Jada resonates with her audience.
This overall, is a very well written work. Even though I’m not a fan of any of the “Red Table Talk” stuff, or any of the drama that may follow that, if Will Smith can forgive his wife for anything she’s done that he didnt like,–that’s all that’s necessary. It’s none of my business.
But as an author myself, I can say honestly that…this book….itself….is definitely
WORTHY.
Cliente –
It’s the first time that Jada gets to tell her side of her story. In her own terms. It’s a testimony of what Black women have to go through to find peace. Anyone can see themselves in her journey, but I think this memoir will become a reference for Black girls and Black women. The book states how and why they may feel unlovable, but it gives hope that things will get better. “Worthy” shows love as a personal practice and how the process may take a lifetime. Just like bell hooks theorized. The beauty is in embracing the journey.