Sorry, Sorry, Sorry: The Case for Good Apologies

In this helpful guide, Ingall (Mamelah Knows Best) and McCarthy (coauthor, When Elephants Weep), cocreators of the website SorryWatch, use real-life and hypothetical examples to teach readers how to apologize better. Examples of good apologies include John F. Kennedy’s statement on the Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, in which he said his administration intended “to take full responsibility for our errors,” and Questlove’s apology for culturally insensitive social media posts: “I for one should never allow my cultural bias to take precedence over my ‘examined life.’ ” Case studies of what not to say include Ellen DeGeneres’s memo to employees about the toxic work environment at her talk show, in which she focused on her own feelings and blamed others. (There’s also a list of the five worst celebrity apologies, including Mario Batali’s response to sexual assault allegations, which ended with a recipe for pizza dough cinnamon rolls.) Ingall and McCarthy incisively discuss how gender, race, and class affect apologies, and weave in lucid explanations of psychological research and business and legal matters. Jokey asides mostly help the advice to go down smoothly, though some readers may find the tonal shifts jarring. Still, this is an accessible and well-informed resource for navigating difficult conversations. Agent: Sarah Burnes, Gernert Co. (Jan.)