Keep It Simple, Stupid: You're Smarter Than You Look

By Judy Sheindlin

Book Overview

Today's definition of family is completely unrecognizable from what it was forty, thirty, even twenty years ago. Into the chaos that has become typical of the modern American family, judge Judy Sheindlin attempts to bring some order. With Keep It Simple, Stupid, Judge Judy addresses how convoluted family life has become. The traditional nuclear family has expanded to include exes and parents of exes, merging families, stepchildren, lovers, adopted children, in-laws the list goes on and on.

Complex issues naturally arise from the enlarged families into which we're born. There is the ex-wife who wants more child support from husband number one so she can stay home with new baby by husband number two. There are the parents who gave their daughter thirty thousand dollars as a wedding gift only to watch the marriage quickly crumble and their former son-in-law claim half the money. How about the adult son who runs out on his kids, leaving his parents to pay his child support? When it comes to families, Judge Judy has seen it all in her courtroom, and she knows stupidity when she sees it.

Tackling all the explosive issues that drive families crazy -- and into court -- Judge Judy shares her on-target, brutally honest thoughts on the chaos that is characteristic of today's American family and gives no-holds-barred advice on how to resolve conflicts and repair relationships.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0060195460
• ISBN13: 9780060195465
• Release Date: July 2000
• Publisher: Harper
• Length: 192 Pages
• Weight: 0.83 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.3" x 0.8" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

Judge Judy Best Writer!

Judge Judy tells it all and tells it straight. Once I read this book I read another one of her books, Don't Pee On My Leg and Tell Me It's Raining. You will never find another book as easy to read and meaningful as this. It makes you think and makes you realize how you should be as a person, the things worth complaining about and the things that are just a waste of time. Try them out, you won't be disappointed!

Expected cheese, and got...good advice!

Okay, so I was expecting this to be incredibly corny, but instead, I was pleasantly surprised. This is a relatively quick read, but it still manages to cover some fairly deep topics - everything from living together to divorce to children to death - and it features real world situations and advice. There were a few times that I didn't agree with the advice, but more often than not, I found myself agreeing completely.

Common Sense from the Queen of Common Sense

As a great admirer of Judge Judy's books, I have to say that they get better and better. When you look at the issues she addresses and then read her carefully thought out responses, so many areas of life that may seem complicated are actually so easy to understand and you wonder "Why didn't I see it that way?" Judge Judy is concise and fully stands behind her convictions that have made her opinions so popular around the country. In an age where "less is more" is a widely accepted desire, the judge lays out her case, makes her ruling, and moves on. Would that the court system in this country move as quickly! Court is adjourned.

Judge Judy Blasts Away at Harmful Behavior as Only She Can!

Judge Judy has a simple point here: We do it to ourselves by making bad decisions about how we interact with those closest to us. The reason is obviously because we all assume we are right, and cannot understand why everyone else doesn't see it our way. Rather, we should look at how it is from everyone's perspective (as a judge would) and make the best common sense choice. Works for me!Judge Judy brings a lot to this book. She is a mother, a remarried spouse, a step mother, lawyer, financial advisor, and judge. Occasionally, she also talks to you like a wise elder sister. At other times, she makes a convincing drill instructor in boot camp. The format is very interesting. She makes up scenarios from more than one case she has seen before. In so doing, she makes them just a little more complicated than they probably are in real life. This makes the situations so ridiculous that you have to laugh at yourself if you see yourself in some aspect of the scenario. That was brilliant. People are more open to change when they are laughting, than when they are angry. Like in the television show, the parties get to tell their beef. Usually, the second party explains why the first one was all wet in her or his explanation. Judge Judy then gets out her opinions and levels one . . . or the other . . . or both. Actually, I liked the book better than the television show because the scenarios are pretty funny, while the people on television are sometimes just pathetic. Also, you don't have to listen to a lot of ranting at each other. Judge Judy has edited it down to the minimum.Further, she explains some general philosophies that you would only pick up on by watching about 200 of her shows. Here are some of these:Living Without Benefit -- If you call this commitment, you should be committed. She suggests living together for no more than one year, splitting the expenses down the middle, and not buying anything expensive together. If any other money passes hands, put the promises in writing. Tying the Knot -- Measure ten times, and cut once. Get a pre-nuptial agreement. 50 percent of these marriages are going to fail. It'll save pain and money later.Married Bliss -- If life were fair, men would have stretch marks.Kids Happen -- Having a baby is easy; being a parent is hard.After the Ball Is Over -- Don't get mad. Get out. Move on.Tug-of-War -- Love your kids more than you hate each other.The Second Time Around -- For better or forget about it!The Family Bond -- Honor your parents.'Til Death Do Us In -- Where there's a will, there's a way.Keep It Simple, Stupid -- You're smarter than you look. "The bottom line is, it's up to you."Overcome your misconceptions that you can act like a two year old in your personal life without paying for the consequences with this sage, practical advice from the front lines of the vanquished. Judge Judy is a 2,000 percent stallbusting solution! By the way, you can sav

Judge Judy Rules--And It's Really Funny

Keep It Simple Stupid is an instant Judge Judy classic. Beauty Fades Dumb Is Forever concentrated on women. Keep It Simple concentrates on everyone! Families, couples, their dogs, their kids, it's all here. The writing is so razor sharp you keep expecting to find cuts on your fingers as you turn the pages. Keep telling it like it is Judge Judy. Savagely funny, scathing, and honest. It was lots of fun to read.