Book Review: You Can Do It!: The Merit Badge Handbook for Grown-Up Girls

Amazon.com Review: Amazing things happen when Woman taps her inner Girl Scout. In You Can Do It!, Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas and friends present an engaging cast of female "mentors" who share their expertise in activities ranging from money management to firewalking. Fanning the can-do spirit kindled during her own scouting years, Catuzzi goes beyond the badge with this concept; wealthy information and the book's visual charm encourage women to embrace their aspirations and, in turn, to build self esteem. All who completed this commendable handbook following Catuzzi's tragic death deserve applause. Want to fly airplanes? Break a habit? Learn photography? Grandcolas demystifies 60 popular activities here. Low-key visualization and a biographical page featuring a talented mentor kicks off each chapter. Badge steps follow, conveying all the necessary how-to's. Margins contain revealing anecdotes, plus thumbnail definitions for mastering each skill's language. For example, the wine appreciation chapter offers brief descriptions of common whites and red, tips for ordering in restaurants, a glass guide, and suggestions for creating a wine journal. The final step--stocking your own cellar, in this case--concludes with a hearty "Congratulations!" and tips for venturing "Beyond the Badge." A pageful of resources including books, magazines, web sites, and related organizations completes each chapter. For those who groove on such things, 60 silver-dollar-sized merit badges await earning (okay, they're just really pretty stickers at the book's end). Never motherly nor professorly, You Can Do It! fuses straight talk and wry humor to keep the read enjoyable, and success within reach.--Liane Thomas nnProduct Information: You Can Do It! is the vision of Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas, a heroine of United Flight 93 and a woman who was an inspiration to all who knew her. Lauren's dream was to create the ultimate self-empowering resource, a book to help women of all ages realize their dreams. Inspired by her beloved Girl Scout badges, nurtured to publication by her family and friends—led by Lauren's two sisters, Vaughn and Dara—You Can Do It! is the merit badge handbook for every grown-up girl who's said, "I wish I could..." Jam-packed with practical advice, here is step-by-step instruction and kick-in-the-pants encouragement for achieving 60 exciting badge activities. Start your own business, go back to school, speak in public, play a musical instrument, fix the car—whatever the ambition, each activity features a female expert to mentor the reader and guide her to success with clear how-to, practical resources, and the wisdom of experience. Learn a new language with Susan Carvalho of Middlebury College, take a great photograph with Lauren Greenfield, climb a mountain with Annapurna expedition leader Arlene Blum. These 512 can-do pages are about dusting off fantasies, overcoming fears, and achieving long-held desires. And to top it all off, the book includes 60 colorful badge stickers—a fun reward for goals accomplished. With its warm and encouraging message, You Can Do It! will help women everywhere discover that, yes, they can!A portion of the proceeds from You Can Do It! will go to the Lauren Catuzzi Grandcolas Foundation, which supports charitable causes and scholarships for women. To view this book on Amazon.com, click here.