A Woman Makes a Plan: Advice for a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars | 2,691 ratings

Price: 11.81

Last update: 12-17-2024


About this item

"Warm, honest and true - A Woman Makes a Plan is full of insight as well as a good dose of humor, offering readers a lifetime of hard-won advice." (Diane Von Furstenberg)

The international supermodel shares personal stories and lessons learned from a life of "living dangerously - carefully"

Maye Musk is a fashionable, charming, jet-setting supermodel with a fascinating and tight-knit circle of family and friends - and is 71 years old. But things were not always so easy or glamorous - she became a single mom at 31, struggling through poverty to provide for her three children; dealt with weight issues as a plus-size model and overcame ageism in the modeling industry; and established a lifelong career as a respected dietitian, all the while starting over in eight different cities across three countries and two continents. But she made her way through it all with an indomitable spirit and a no-nonsense attitude to become a global success at what she calls the "prime of her life."

As everyone who follows her obsessively on social media knows, Maye is a fount of frank and practical advice on how the choices you make in every decade can pay off in surprising, exciting ways throughout your life. In A Woman Makes a Plan, Maye shares experiences from her life conveying hard-earned wisdom on career (the harder you work, the luckier you get), family (let the people you love go their own way), health (there is no magic pill), and adventure (make room for discovery, but always be ready for anything). You can't control all that happens in life, but you can have the life you want at any age. All you have to do is make a plan.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Boomerbroadcast
    5.0 out of 5 stars Maye Musk's new book is inspirational and a must-read
    Reviewed in the United States on January 31, 2020
    There are a number of inspirational women ‘of a certain age’ (baby boomers) I follow on social media. One of them is Canadian-born Maye Musk, a 71-year-old iconic fashion model and influencer. Musk is as smart as she is beautiful. She’s written a new book titled A Woman Makes A Plan, Advice For a Lifetime of Adventure, Beauty, and Success, and it’s full of inspirational stories and lessons learned in her colourful life.
    Here are just a few of her credentials:
    Registered Dietician with double Masters’ Degrees
    Former Chair of Consulting Dieticians of Ontario and Past President of Consulting Dieticians of Canada
    Domestic abuse survivor
    Raised her three children as a single mother with little income
    Mother of Elon Musk, Tesla and space entrepreneur , Kimbal who owns a chain of restaurants, and daughter Tosca, a producer of romance movies.
    Born in Canada, Maye moved with her parents and siblings, including a twin sister, to South Africa when the children were very young. They lived an adventurous life including annual camping trips across the desert in search of a lost city. While attending university in South Africa, she was talked into entering a beauty contest. The prize for the winner included introductory modeling lessons. This exposure gave her not only the confidence to pursue modeling as a second, part-time job, but provided extra income needed throughout her life.
    Pressured into an early marriage with a man she suspected would not make a good husband, she produced three children in three years. Her husband turned out to be controlling and abusive. After suffering at his hands for several years she finally managed to extricate herself from the marriage but never felt truly free until she moved back to Canada where her children wanted to pursue their education.
    It’s easy to assume someone who looks like Maye Musk was always slim, beautiful and affluent. This was certainly not the case. At one time she weighed 205 lbs. and more often than not she was broke trying to raise her children herself. But, as they say, those experiences that don’t destroy us can serve to make us stronger and Musk is happy to share what she’s learned along the way. She’s worked hard to create the life she now enjoys.
    In fact, Maye and I share a lot of the same philosophical ideas:
    Do not stay in a toxic situation. It’s not easy to get out, but make a plan and make it happen. “No matter how hard it is, you have to get through it. You have to get out.”
    Ask for what you want. “Some women can be shy, or lacking in confidence, or scared of rejection, so they don’t want to ask for what they want. Men don’t seem to have that problem. They think they’re fabulous and deserve a better job, a raise, more benefits, the corner office with windows, even if they’re obnoxious and incompetent. We’ve seen that way too often.”
    Remove food triggers from your kitchen. When there are no cookies or candies in your pantry, then you can’t binge.
    You don’t have to be stylish to dress well. You just need a stylish friend (to help and advise you).
    Networking is essential in business and your personal life in order to grow.
    Getting older is a good thing. “Every decade of my life has been better than the last.”
    My only complaint with Maye Musk’s book is that it was too brief. Her story is amazing and I wish she’d shared even more of her experiences and advice. I highly recommend A Woman Makes A Plan. I’d rate it 8 out 10 and only wish there’d been more content and more pictures.
  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow!
    Reviewed in the United States on November 8, 2024
    This woman is truly amazing! Honest, down to earth and tells it like it is. I can't believe how strong and resilient she is. Inspiring and heartwarming book. I highly recommend it.
  • Serb8850
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good Read
    Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2024
    Mrs Musk. Great book. Womens should read it. Teach you to value yourself. Take care of yourself. Eat good, dress good, stand straight.
  • mgoblue
    4.0 out of 5 stars Inspirational
    Reviewed in the United States on November 1, 2024
    Really enjoyed the stories about her parents and family searching for Kalahari. Some of the stuff was a little to "girly" in predentation for particular liking, but overall, hearing her story is incredible and inspiring. Her story is motivating for women (and anyone) who might find themselves in challenging situations. It's clear she has chosen her own destiny and you can too!
  • melanie vernon
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fabu!ous!
    Reviewed in the United States on December 7, 2024
    Every woman, no matter your age or station in life , needs to read this book! Especially if you're in busive relationship. But even Without that She has an important message to every woman. What a fabulous lady ! I am 69And now looking forward to a fabulous 971!
  • Lisa C
    3.0 out of 5 stars Strangest read
    Reviewed in the United States on July 27, 2022
    Okay, so the last few chapters Were much better, so I changed my rating from 1 star to 3 stars. I really wanted to like this book because I am so happy that Maye is showing that women can age beautifully. This book, however, is a hot mess. It doesn’t seem like anyone even edited it as the writing is so poor. I was hoping for inspiration on aging, but the book focuses on hair, make-up, weight, clothing, and some very hard-to-believe stories: her 15 year-old daughter sold her house, car, and all of her possessions as she traveled to Canada? Her parents allowed their kids to play with dangerous wildlife? I’m really hoping that it gets better as I’m just trying to finish it, but it is hard to follow and read. She definitely is impressed with herself and repeatedly states that. Her advice about parenting seems off as does her social skills. Anyway, even though I am not a fan of the book, I applaud her for staying fierce well into her 70s. She is rocking it. Thanks Maye!
  • Elianna James
    5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect sized book.
    Reviewed in the United States on December 4, 2024
    Maye Musk says just enough to get your brain going and your inspiration in gear. Many authors don't know when to stop writing. She does. Most inspirational book I have read all year.
  • Pat Bad
    5.0 out of 5 stars Wow, what a life!
    Reviewed in the United States on October 30, 2024
    Am enjoying read about the mother of Elon Musk. Print is somewhat small but the story is engaging and interesting.

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