If you’ve never heard of Amy Poehler … well, if you’ve never heard of Amy Poehler, Yes Please might not be the book for you. But for those who are familiar with the comedian, writer and actress, Yes Please is exactly the kind of book you think it will be. With a mixture of memoir, advice and humour, Poehler is as vibrant and charming on the page as she is off it. She writes that it is difficult for her to sit quietly, without saying anything, and that never-sit-still energy is very apparent in Yes Please as she bounces from topic to topic.

This book will especially appeal to anyone interested in comedy. Poehler takes an in-depth look at her early career in improv (‘improvisation was about not being cool’, she advises) and details her time with both the Upright Citizens Brigade Theatre and Saturday Night Live. There’s also a terrific chapter on Parks and Recreation that provides an insider’s perspective on the creative decisions that built the show from its shaky first season into one of the most lovable comedy series on television today.

Yes Please is chatty, funny and engaging. Poehler is warm and generous about almost everyone she mentions (including her ex-husband) and candid about her own flaws, even devoting a whole chapter to a misstep she made on Saturday Night Live and her subsequent failure to make things right with the offended party for a very long time.

Poehler makes it clear in the book that she doesn’t believe in lucky breaks. She believes in hard work and talent, and Yes Please demonstrates just that; the funny stories and words of wisdom of a successful, multi-talented woman who has worked very hard to get where she is today. Buy this book for anyone in your life who needs a little inspiration.

Nina Kenwood