S2, Ep7 How to Fail: Tara Westover

How To Fail With Elizabeth Day

Sony Music

Society & Culture

4.7 • 9.6K Ratings

🗓️ 14 November 2018

⏱️ 53 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

This week, I bring you a truly incredible woman. Her name is Tara Westover. She wrote a memoir called Educated, which is quite simply one of the best books I have ever read: profound, moving, unerringly original. It tells the story of Westover's upbringing, born the seventh child of Mormon survivalist parents who didn't believe in public schooling or mainstream medicine. It wasn't until she was 17 that Westover decided to educate herself - with astonishing results.We talk about what it's like to love your family but to be estranged from them, and how the two ideas can co-exist. We also discuss how on earth someone teaches themselves algebra ('Yeah,' says Westover, 'that wasn't fun') and what it was like to refuse any pain medication despite having a dental abscess. Her failures include flunking tests, finding it difficult to make friends, her failure to believe in her family's religion even though she wanted to and her failure to make her relationship with her parents work. She also quotes John Stuart Mill on feminism and it's completely brilliant.This was one of those very special interviews where I felt my mind expanding just from the privilege of listening to her speak. I hope you enjoy it too. How To Fail With Elizabeth Day is hosted by Elizabeth Day, produced by Chris Sharp and sponsored by 4th Estate Books Educated by Tara Westover is out now published by Penguin Social Media:Elizabeth Day @elizabdayTara Westover @tarawestoverChris Sharp @chrissharpaudio4th Estate Books @4thEstateBooks Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Transcript

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0:00.0	This podcast is sponsored by Airbnb. Maybe you've stayed in an Airbnb before and thought
0:08.8	to yourself, this actually seems pretty doable. Maybe my place could be an Airbnb. It could
0:14.5	be as simple as starting with a spare room when you're away. Find out how much your place
0:19.8	is worth at Airbnb.co.uk forward slash host.
0:28.6	This episode is brought to you by Fevertree. Regular listeners will know that I am passionate
0:35.4	about a perfectly made margarita. It was my lockdown hobby. I basically perfected my margarita
0:40.4	technique. Well, I needn't have bothered because the clever people at Fevertree now make
0:46.4	these quality cocktail mixes that saves you so much bother. So finally, making fantastic
0:52.8	quality cocktails at home is just as easy as making a G&T. All you need to do is add one
0:59.5	spirit to a glass full of ice. So that's tequila for the margarita. And then you add your
1:05.0	Fevertree cocktail mixer. So the Fevertree margarita mix, they also do one for majitos.
1:11.1	Then you stir really well or you shake the margarita if you're feeling a bit adventurous
1:15.7	or want a bit more pizzazz. And then you add your garnish, a wheel of lime on the edge
1:20.7	of the glass. There is no need to squeeze copious amounts of lime or to buy initial occurrences
1:26.8	or syrups that end up being half used and gathering dust at the back of the cupboard. It is
1:32.3	a time saver and it is also a space saver. And even better, they taste absolutely delicious.
1:40.2	I should know. And it should come as no surprise given Fevertree's reputation for quality.
1:45.8	As with any alcohol, please do enjoy responsibly. Go and find these products in your nearest
1:52.0	waitros, sainsbury's or on a cardo now. Thank you so much to Fevertree.
1:58.4	Hello and welcome to How to Fail with Elizabeth Day. The podcast that celebrates the things that
2:18.6	haven't gone right. This is a podcast about learning from our mistakes and understanding
2:24.5	that why we fail ultimately makes us stronger. Because learning how to fail in life actually
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