‘Eat Pray Love’ Made Me Do It: Life Journeys Inspired by Elizabeth Gilbert’s Bestselling Memoir

With an introduction by Elizabeth Gilbert, this collection of 47 short essays on how her bestselling book changed the writers’ lives will be of interest to the author’s fans as well as to others wondering what the Eat Pray Love hubbub was (and still is) all about. The selections are varied, though a few themes run throughout. Like Gilbert, a number of writers left unhappy marriages, found the courage to travel to far-flung locales, or came to epiphanies on their bathroom floor. Others faced serious health problems, or abandoned unrewarding careers. Some contributors are parents; others are childless—some, like Gilbert, by choice. The stories shared are often fascinating, though readers may tire of the countless (and perhaps unnecessary) expressions of gratitude to Gilbert. Nevertheless, the collection clearly reveals the myriad ways in which her groundbreaking memoir has affected its readers. No doubt, like Eat Pray Love itself, this follow-up will inspire people, as Gilbert writes here, to step out of “their tired old selves” and follow their dreams.[em] (Apr.) [/em]