I picked up Amy DuBois Barnett’s If I Ruled the World during a week when I felt stuck, not dramatically, just the quiet kind where every day feels like a repeat and you start wondering if there is more to life. The title sounded a little arrogant, which is exactly why I bought it.
Barnett worked her way up from intern to editor in chief at major magazines like Harper’s Bazaar and Elle. She is also a Black woman navigating spaces that were not built for her. The book collects lessons from her career: asking for what you want, handling rejection, and refusing to apologize for big dreams.
Each chapter focuses on a skill: networking, negotiating, dealing with criticism, knowing when to leave. She shares stories from her own life—getting fired, crying in a stairwell, realizing that waiting to be “ready” was simply fear. She does not pretend to have all the answers; she simply shows what worked for her and what she wishes she had known sooner.
One chapter stopped me cold: negotiation. Barnett writes about how women, especially women of color, are often told to “be grateful” and not appear too eager. She makes a clear distinction: gratitude does not mean settling. That line hit me hard.
Another section about mentors made me pause. She suggests you do not need one perfect mentor; you need a board of directors: different people for different aspects of life. Career advice, creative feedback, someone to call you out when you are being stubborn. I realized I had been waiting for a single person to fix things for me, and that is not how life works.
The book is practical, almost like a toolbox. Scripts for salary negotiations, how to follow up after networking, how to say no to draining projects—Barnett gives you the exact words. Some might find it basic, but I found it freeing. Sometimes that is what you need.
The chapter I enjoyed most is about failure. Barnett writes about learning to own her mistakes: “Your failures are not your flaws; they are your data.” That line truly stayed with me. I have wasted so many years feeling bad about what I failed at. Realizing that helped me understand that energy should be used differently—it should push me forward.
I read the book on a peaceful Sunday afternoon in a coffee shop I had never been to before. There was no sudden epiphany, but there was one small action: I sent an email to someone I had been avoiding, asking for their advice. They replied the next day. That small act captures the whole book—you do not have to conquer the world, just take the one step you have been avoiding.
If I Ruled the World is not literature. It is a practical guide for anyone ready to take that first step toward what they want.
