Raising Hell, Living Well

Freedom from Influence in a World Where Everyone Wants Something from You (Including Me)

By: Jessica Elefante

Narrated by: Jessica Elefante

Part cultural criticism, part rueful confessional, a reformed brand strategist brings to light the impact of influence on us and our society and offers an escape in this ironically persuasive case for not being so easily influenced anymore.

“A weirdly practical approach to some ancient questions that have become trickier lately.”—Jaron Lanier, bestselling author of Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now

We live in a world that is under the influence.

Our lives are being choreographed by forces that want something from us. Everything from ingrained family values to mind-altering algorithms create our foundations, warp how we see the world, manipulate our decisions, and dictate our beliefs. Yet rarely do we question these everyday influences of our modern times even as we go further down the path of unwell, unhappy, and unhinged.

A high-spirited exploration through the troublesome influences of our world, Raising Hell, Living Well, Jessica Elefante’s eye-opening debut, follows one bullshit artist’s journey, from small-time salesperson to award-winning corporate strategist to founder of the digital wellbeing movement Folk Rebellion, in coming to terms with how she was wielding influence—and the forces she was under herself.

With whip-smart writing and wry humor, Elefante’s collection of essays is a head-trip through her misadventures. From explaining productivity as a symptom of the influence of capitalism to how the wellness industry makes us feel more unwell or our unquestioning participation in oversharing, optimization, and instant gratification, she invites us to reexamine our world, our pasts, and ourselves through the lens of influence. Now a reformed brand strategist, Elefante lays bare her own culpability, sharing what she learned—and what she got wrong. She offers a new take on intentional living and provides a simple practice to deconstruct how the powers-that-be are attempting to modify our behaviors. Before you know it, you’ll be questioning everything from how you take your coffee to how our social institutions are structured. And you’ll learn how to live free from the influences around us—including Elefante herself.

The much-needed subversive voice to demystify these times, Elefante will make you angry, make you laugh, and make you think about how you’re really living. Unpretentious, sharply observed, and devil-hearted, Raising Hell, Living Well holds out a hand to help you climb out from under the influence.

©2023 Jessica Elefante (P)2023 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

“Jessica Elefante practices what she preaches by rising above complaints to confront modern, twisted problems right in the face. How do you know when you are yourself and not just a punching bag for algorithms and come-ons? Will you still be loved if you don’t do what you’re being told to do? Here is a weirdly practical approach to some ancient questions that have become trickier lately.”—Jaron Lanier, bestselling author of Ten Arguments for Deleting Your Social Media Accounts Right Now

“Eye-opening, illuminating, rebellious. This is for anyone who seeks to understand persuasive technology and pervasive marketing. Elefante helps us modify our behaviors to live the lives we deserve. Her fresh perspective pierces through the noise so that we can make decisions that are true to ourselves.”—Nir Eyal, bestselling author of Indistractable

“Jessica Elefante knows how the sausage is made. With insider’s acumen and a hearty acknowledgment of her own complicity in the dynamics she’s hard at work unpacking, she details exactly how the sky is falling, walking us through experiences that resonate with familiarity until we, too, are urgently pointing skyward.”—Margo Steines, author of Brutalities

Get UN-influenced

First of all the author narrates this book beautifully. You can tell Jessica really enjoy reading her own book aloud to us, it felt like she was in the car reading to me (or while I was doing the dishes!) which makes the book even better.

Also, props to the reminder that birth order influences so much (especially as a fellow 90’s teen) and all the other ways we are influenced through out the day.
I’ve been a fan since her *folk rebellion* days and this book is a great culmination of everything unhurried, unplugged, and present day living!

It’s a memoir

For someone who says “let’s jump right in” to end their chapters, she doesn’t “jump in” nearly enough.
Basically an almond mom with a non traditional life path writes a memoir. If you wanted to learn about the insidious secrets of the marketing industry, you’ll learn exactly one. Otherwise you will learn too much about this woman’s life (seriously, three pages about your underage drinking? Who cares?)