My favourite autobiography: “Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)”

[dropcap]M[/dropcap]indy Kaling’s Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) is hands down my favourite autobiography. Although, the main selling point of the book is that it’s not written like a typical memoir. 

Kaling, an American actress, comedian and writer, is known for her work on American version of The Office and her current TV sitcom, The Mindy Project. A lady of many talents, Kaling is of one of few prominent Indian Americans in pop culture today and the book allows insights into her life such her “chubby” childhood, her time as “freakin’ Jaws in a community swimming pool” (aka Dartmouth College) and her intentions for her funeral.

However, it feels more like you’re having a bestie catch-up session with Kaling over a bite to eat and taking the chance to ponder life’s essential questions: your favourite eleven moments in comedy, the best friend rights and responsibilities – there’s even tips on how guys can be great, like the importance of smelling nice (which is a tip that I thoroughly agree with).

It feels more like you’re having a bestie catch-up session with Kaling over a bite to eat…

In fact, when it comes to best friends, Kaling understands undeniable truths like the blessing of having a phone call disconnected as it takes “forever getting off the phone anyway.” Honestly this book has me fully convinced that Mindy Kaling and I would be great friends, especially since I’m clearly just as witty and brilliant as her. While I’m waiting, I can appreciate how Kaling clearly understands the power of a conversational tone and how this balances out her tendency to go off on slight, but hilarious tangents when making personal observations.

As lovely as the beautiful and charitable Angelina Jolie may be, a celebrity friend like her would just be too unreal. Nevertheless, despite the fact that you could actually imagine being friends with Kaling, she’s found that the public sometimes assumes her larger-than-life personality includes the traits of her characters.

As lovely as the beautiful and charitable Angelina Jolie may be, a celebrity friend like her would just be too unreal

I feel that her book works to make the separation clear, even with a typical Kaling approach of making a list. My one true love features throughout the book and it’s fun to hear little tidbits that both Kaling and her Office character, Kelly, would ‘choreograph and star in a music video’ or ‘spend hours following a difficult recipe’ to then throw it out in favour of McDonald’s.

Mindy Kaling’s book is effective at showing that she’s a normal person that just happens to be extremely funny and apt at making refreshingly honest, accurate observations put within the context of her own life.

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