How to Be Golden

Lessons We Can Learn from Betty White

By: Paula Bernstein

Narrated by: Jodi Carlisle

If there's one thing the nation can agree on--we all love Betty White! This spirited homage to Betty captures her unique humor, timeless wisdom, and impish irreverence that's made her one of America's longest lasting and most beloved stars.

An unparalleled American icon, Betty White started show business in 1939 in radio and was a pioneer in the early days of TV. Over eight decades, she's appeared on countless sitcoms, game shows, and talk shows, including the iconic comedy hits The Mary Tyler Moore Show and The Golden Girls. Her accolades over the years include two Emmy nominations, a Grammy, and induction into the Television Academy Hall of Fame, while she had her best decade yet as a nonagenarian: becoming the oldest person to host SNL, starring in a Super Bowl ad, and winning praise with her popular supporting role in Hot in Cleveland. Through it all, her "don't take yourself too seriously" attitude appeals to legions of fans, spanning all generations.

How to Be Golden recounts her engaging life story while weaving in her words of wisdom and insight about love, friendship, work, family, sex, acting, aging, beauty, and more.

Critic reviews

With How to Be Golden, Paula Bernstein has crafted the perfect tribute to an American icon. In a format that parses through the entire century of Betty's life and career, this lively book informs us about her incredible past, and provides life lessons that we, too, can use to Betty-er ourselves.—Jim Colucci, author of "Golden Girls Forever: An Unauthorized Look Behind the Lanai"

The world doesn't deserve Betty White, but thankfully, she shares her wisdom, humor and compassion with us all. Paula Bernstein's joyful book brims with priceless life lessons from an unconventional woman who blazed trails while marching to her own beat. Indeed, we should all ask ourselves: What would Betty do?—Erin Carlson, author of "Queen Meryl" and "I'll Have What She's Having"

What a fun tribute to an American icon! Paula's book is insightful, and funny, just like the incomparable Betty White herself!—Alexi Pappas, Olympic Runner and author of "Bravey"

It’s obvious that we could all learn a thing or ten from the incredible Betty White. Thankfully, the funny and delightful Paula Bernstein has compiled a whole book of gorgeous lessons gleaned from the life of this spectacular talent. Get this book ASAP and buy an extra copy for your favorite person. Betty’s wisdom is universal. —Sara Benincasa, author of “Real Artists Have Day Jobs” and “Agorafabulous!”

I had no idea that the same woman who often played sweet, naive characters on TV was actually a brave feminist trailblazer in real life. This fun book captures Betty's positive outlook on life, and explains the reason she continues to be such an icon.—Melissa Maerz, author of "Alright, Alright, Alright: The Oral History of Richard Linklater's Dazed and Confused"

How to Be Golden is as delightful as its subject matter, Betty White. Even as a lifelong student of Betty, I learned a lot, and was inspired along the way by her life so fully lived—Jennifer Keishin Armstrong, New York Times bestselling author of “Seinfeldia,” “Mary and Lou and Rhoda and Ted,” and “When Women Invented Television”

Anyone who grew up watching Betty White on The Mary Tyler Moore Show or Hot in Cleveland or, of course, The Golden Girls, knows her ageless energy, beauty, sweet demeanor and bawdy humor. This book makes it clear her pioneering ways in the world of television and in the characters she plays are no joke –her humor, resilience, and refusal to live up to tired stereotypes at all stages of her career prove her to be an inspirational role model for all of us.—Lauren Marino, author of “What Would Dolly Do?” and “Bookish Broads”

A legend gone but not forgotten.

Betty White will always be in my heart and learning more about her life gives me comfort that all those years I confided in Betty Whote through her movies and tv shows especially the Golden Girls are still here and will forever live on. Now I mua day the narrator was amazing she did a good job but the one thing that peeved me was that the book got it wrong a few times when they mixed up the words for Rose saying “I don’t want to blow my own Vertubenflugen” they mixed it up with garconanokin which is the precise moment dog doo turns white. It was a minor mistake but one that a hardcore golden girl fan might be resentful to forgive. All in all I had a fantastic time and hope to find more books from Betty White or about Betty White. God bless y’all and always be a bombshell like Betty.

Good but author too crazy about Betty to be balanced presentation

Author is so gushy about Betty White that book can't possibly be a true representation of the real human being Betty White. I'd have preferred a more real-life, well-rounded view of Betty White. I didn't care for the quizzes at end of chapters. I want to be given information, not quizzed and scored. At the end, readers are even belittled if they didn't score high enough to honor Betty. I listened on Audible to the book. The book does a good job of presenting Betty White's career.