Why Not Me? (Kaling book)

This article is about the Mindy Kaling book. For the Al Franken novel, see Why Not Me? (novel).

Why Not Me? is a 2015 humor book by actress and writer Mindy Kaling.^[1][2] The book consists mostly of humorous observational essays based on Kaling's life, and it also includes one chapter of fiction.^[3]

Why Not Me?

First edition
Author	Mindy Kaling
Language	English
Genre	Memoir
Publisher	Crown Archetype
Publication place	United States
Pages	240
ISBN	978-0-8041-3814-7
Preceded by	Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns)
Followed by	Nothing Like I Imagined

The book spent 16 weeks on The New York Times Best Sellers list.^[4]

Synopsis

The book is a collection of anecdotal essays written by Kaling about her experiences and observations about Hollywood.^[1] Carina Chocano of The New York Times noted that the book was "loosely fashioned around themes of approval and entitlement."^[5]

The book also contains a chapter that is a work of fiction about an alternative world where Kaling is a Latin teacher in a prep school on the Upper East Side of New York.^[3]

The final chapter of the book is a transcript of Kaling's 2014 speech at Harvard Law School.^[3]

Reception

The book received mostly positive reviews. The Atlantic called the book "a defense of hard work."^[6] Publishers Weekly criticized the book for skirting major issues such as her mother's death and relationship with B. J. Novak.^[1]