A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecret Book

by Frank Warren

New York Times Bestseller

The award-winning PostSecret project's most profound and stunning postcards to date

For the past three years Frank Warren has invited people of all backgrounds and nationalities to send him creatively decorated postcards bearing secrets they have never before revealed. He has shared these PostSecrets on his award-winning blog, in an internationally traveling art exhibit, and in three electrifying books: the bestselling PostSecret, My Secret, and The Secret Lives of Men and Women.

Now, in his most extraordinary book yet, Warren again delves into our collective confessions, presenting a never-before-seen selection of provocative and moving PostSecrets. A Lifetime of Secrets lays bare our private fears, hopes, regrets, and desires, from people as young as eight and as old as eighty. From painful admissions of infidelity to breathtaking revelations and endearing sentiments, Warren’s latest collection will shock and move readers of every age, revealing secrets that have haunted their creators for a lifetime.

Genres: Nonfiction, Art, Psychology, Adult, Memoir, Humor, Anthologies

288 pages, Hardcover

First published October 9, 2007

Reviews

[Jim · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is why I'm a poor man....I never get ideas like this! Imagine a scheme in which you advertise for people to anonymously send you, at their expense, a postcard divulging their innermost secret(s). Then you sit back for a few days and wait for the postcards to come in, sort them, and publish the best ones in a series of books. Then hire a guard to escort you and your money to the bank.

I feel a little guilty counting this as a book read, as it was put out with a minimum of effort by the writer; it's essentially a collation of work that originated with other people. Having said that, the book nicely accomplishes what it sets out to do in that it presents the postcards as a surprisingly effective art form for your consideration. Some are funny; others will break your heart. It's worth the couple of hours it will take to look it over.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I’ve read one other Post Secret book before this, PostSecret: Extraordinary Confessions from Ordinary Lives and I think I liked this one a bit better. The structure of the postcards going through the lifespan, from children to older adults, worked well.

Some of these are poignant, some funny, some inspiring, some tragic, but most are a bit tame, and some seem obviously crafted for the purpose of this project.

I did identify with several of the secrets, and the one I enjoyed the most was the person who said that the day they turned 11, they waited all day for an acceptance card into Hogwarts. Completely understood that one. I also loved the person that posted their secret on a bathroom stall door and came back later and found that many more people had added notes with their own secrets.

I am nosy and love knowing people’s secrets, so this type of book appeals to me. But, I want more, and want more believable secrets; it’s so hard for me to understand why the majority of people need to keep these things secret. I’m great at keeping friends’ secrets and would have gone nuts years ago if I’d been completely secretive about myself in any area at all; it’s sad to think that these people possibly told nobody at all their secrets until they wrote these postcards. However, there was a sizable minority that did make sense to me. And, I have secrets from many people but I have no real secrets; there is not a single thing about myself that I haven’t confided in at least one person.

I have this on my art and biography shelf; many of the postcards include art or some creativity (besides writing) on the part of the senders.

It is hard to be human.

So, I checked and I gave four stars to the other book so I guess I’ll give four stars to this book too since I liked this one slightly better than the other. But, I could also give it two for it’s just okay because something is lacking for me in these books. I enjoyed this but I think viewing these on the website would suffice for me. I’d never buy one of these books; there’s just not enough there for me.

[Scott · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you've been living under a rock for the last few years, then let me catch you up on the basics of PostSecret.

1) I have a secret
2) I make a postcard with my secret written on it
3) I mail it to PostSecret
4) My secret might get posted on www.postsecret.blogspot.com
5) My secret might also get posted in one of the PostSecret books
6) People around the world read my secret, and hopefully, people can relate.
7) Those people put their secrets onto postcards and it all continues.

This book is a collection of people's secrets.

[CarolG · Rating 4 out of 5]

My husband picked this book up at the library after seeing an episode on a news show about PostSecret.com. I went through it a few pages at a time and it was at times amusing, at times sad and at times thought-provoking and anger-invoking. I wonder what happened to some of the people who sent in their secrets. There was even a folded up scrap of paper tucked in the book with a secret on it. Not sure if that was the publisher, the library or a reader. Although there's not a lot of "reading" involved I highly recommend it.

[Kelly (Maybedog) · Rating 5 out of 5]

I struggle with how to classify this book. It's part memoir, part art, part sociology, part psychology, part voyeurism: a look into the most private lives of strangers. However you classify it, though, it's fascinating.

There are recurrent themes among these cards: infidelity, abuse, self-hatred, denial, and so forth, most of them sad or even tragic. I found myself crying many times like when I read the postcard with a picture of Stabler and Benson from Law & Order:SVU (sex crimes) and the caption: "I wish Olivia Benson and Elliott Stabler had been there to comfort me when I was molested." Or the one that sounded exactly like a suicide note.

Others are beautiful and touching, like the picture of three lovely young women and the caption "I adopted your daughters and I want you to know they're growing up to be terrific young women. Thank you, all three of you, for the greatest gift of all." The pictures are surrounded by words liek "strong, smart, unique, pretty" and so forth. Another is simply a single lit match and the line, "I'm going to change the world!"

My only negative comments it that the author doesn't remove those strips that the post office puts on the post card, the ones that are meant to be removable, and there are a couple of times the strips block key parts of the message. ARGH!

But over all, like the other books in the series I have read, the book is brilliant, simply brilliant.
(And boy is Frank Warren smart! What an easy and fabulous way to get other people to make up the bulk of a book you publish and not have to pay them! Not a criticism, I'm impressed. :) )

[Holly Noelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow.

I'm kind of flabbergasted over this book. It's such a simple concept, but I love how well done it is. Essentially this book is made up of the secrets we know in our hearts but can never admit. People write them down on a postcard and submit them - this book is all of their secrets.

Some of them were funny. They were things like 'I can't help but shake up fizzy drinks' to 'I baptized my dog in my living room.'

Others were heartbreaking. They were things like 'I am preparing for a life alone' to 'I handed the most important person in my life the drugs that killed him.'

Some just made me happy. They were things like 'I want to grow old and wrinkly with you. I love you' to 'For New Years I did not go on a diet. Instead I threw away my scale. It's the best resolution I have ever made.'

I even found some so poignant that I literally crushed the book to my chest: 'I'm starting to realize my indecisiveness is a far worse fate than making the wrong decision.'

While this has been done on the internet before, I encourage people to read this book instead. I constantly found myself looking down as though I would see a thread where people could respond to the confessions. When I reminded myself to just read the confessions and try to feel something on my own, I found it far more provoking.

It made me laugh. Some of them made me cry. The book as a whole was honest and that's more refreshing than anything else.

[Jan C · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was in my guest room this afternoon, looked down and saw an unfamiliar book. I thought "what is this book?" It was a wonderful surprise.

The author requested true confessions. This was his fourth book.

It was just wonderful. Someone left a surprise in it. I see that the GR friend that I got it from (but in RL) also saw this surprise. I thought I would leave a bookmark with a nice quote from John Muir for someone else to find when I take this for re-sale ... eventually.

[Kat V · Rating 5 out of 5]

Definitely one of the better books! 4.7 stars

[Jen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Never read this one before, but picked it up when it came to the store. The cards from kids were sad, but I have hope for all of them, as well as the adults who wrote in. I always imagine what I would send in, but inevitably, I find someone already sent mine in. We are all human, with the same hopes and fears. We need to remember that when we are fighting over social constructs. 5, I have hope for humanity, stars.

[Tamara Lane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, what a powerful project! Kudos, Mr. Warren. I hope the contributors of this book found some healing in the divulging of their secrets. It's upsetting to know there is so much heartache in the world. I'd like each secret teller to know Jesus is the ultimate healer.

[Janelle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of the 3 follow-ups to the original, this is my favorite. The other themes were teens, and relationships. This one spans a lifetime, hence the title.

I still think the secrets changed once people knew they may appear on a website or a book, but it's still amazing what people share, how I relate to some, cringe at others, and shed tears for even more.

At this stage there are people that are sharing e-mails and postcards that talk about how PostSecret has helped them come to terms with things, not feel so alone, or see the types of regrets that people which inspires them not to make the same mistakes. These excerpts are included in the book and it's great to see how art can impact and inspire people and what a cool support community Frank Warren has built through this project.

[Lauren Henderson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is very cool. But very emotional. I love the way that it is organized from the beginning of childhood to the end of life. Some of these are funny, some liberating, and some extremely depressing. I loved the stories that some people emailed about their healing process after sharing their secret. So neat! Great, quick read!

[Hannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Got this for a $2 steal at the St. Andrew's Book Sale.

[Honor · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really interesting look into the lives of everyday people some are funny, some are tragic. Some even are relatable.

[alittlelifeofmel · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was obsessed with the post secret books when I was a young teenager and I am glad the love of them has not faded. I've enjoyed revisiting these again.

[Karla Strand · Rating 4 out of 5]

I LOVE THIS BOOK. I have to be honest here; I had never heard of the PostSecret blog before http://postsecret.blogspot.com/ but I checked this book out of my library and read it last night. It is phenomenal. The idea is that people send anonymous secrets on postcards to Frank Warren and then he has collected them as community art in books, exhibits, etc. One page would be heart wrenching and I would cry and then the next page was something that would cause me to laugh uncontrollably. I will definitely check out his other stuff and have subscribed to his blog. Check it out - you won't be sorry.

Some of my favorites:
"The day I turned eleven, I waited all day for the letter written in emerald-green ink telling me I had been accepted to Hogwarts."

"I miss when you were just proud of me."

"When I was 14, someone told me: 'I'm excited about your life!' Thank you. Those words have stuck with me. They keep me going. I won't disappoint you. And I keep passing them along to others."

"Sometimes, life is really ridiculously repetitive."

"I'm starting to realize my indecisiveness is a far worse fate than making the wrong decision."

"I went to help them and they helped me in ways I didn't even know I needed."

[Alan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Even if you've never sent a postcard or email of your own to Frank Warren in Germantown, Maryland, your secrets probably appear in this or another of the PostSecret books (this is the fourth collection in the series). That's because, as even a cursory perusal will tell you, the secrets we hold close to our personal chests tend to be common ones. You'll recognize yourself on some of these pages—I can guarantee it. You may be surprised by this, but the appeal of this book is not so much to voyeuristic impulses as it is to that very sense of commonality.

Mostly sad and saddening, as one would expect—we tend not to hide happy secrets—but leavened with a hearty helping of honest joy, the postcards and messages in this book were chosen (more, I think, than for other entries in the series) with a focus on lifelong secrets—even if the life in question hasn't been all that long!

Like the other PostSecret books, A Lifetime of Secrets is a quick and sobering read, but a good one. As the final image says, "It all passed so quickly."

[Jillian · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those who don't know, the concept of postsecret is that people write their (supposedly) deepest secrets on a postcard and mail them to the Frank Warren, the man who manages the website. Warren then sifts through them and posts new secrets online every Sunday. The idea is that people identify with others' secrets and in turn, feel more comfortable sharing their own. Warren has also made many generous donations to suicide prevention organizations.

I have followed the postsecret website (postsecret.com) for a couple of years now. And I bought my sister a couple of his books for Christmas one year, but this is the first time that I've really sat down with one of his books. The layout and pictures are beautiful, and I enjoyed how Warren arranged the secrets in this book chronologically, as though they were following someone's lifespan.

I'd check out postsecret if you haven't already. Although it feels a bit like snooping into someone else's forbidden diary, it's still fun.

[Evie · Rating 5 out of 5]

I sat in Chapters and read the whole thing cover to cover: guilty. I've seen on the blog how people often say they have found secrets in PostSecret books in store. I was surprise to find one in the copy I picked up. It read: "I'm suicidal and I cry every night. I feel better when I'm around books."

There is no way you can read a PostSecret book and not be touched by the humanity it contains. Some secrets I relate to, others are as foreign to me as I can imagine. All in all, I think the PostSecret series is the best way to revel in and to feel better around books. Reading induces in me the same fleeting feeling as being completely comfortable in your skin.

This book in particular was structured in a pleasing way, beginning at grade school secrets and proceeding through a lifetime to autumn year revelations. I'm sure it's the only book about which I can say that I loved every page.

[Autumn · Rating 5 out of 5]

After finishing reading all the books published to this date, i couclude that ..

-Secrets are part of us

-they make who we are,but does not define us

- we are not nearly as odd as we think we are.. there will always be someone who shares that secret with you... and that.. makes you special.

-EVERYONE has secrets. may it be silly, insecurities, past wounds.. we are all entitled to them, and thats ok to have them..

-"there are two kind of secrets: those we keep from others and those we hide from ourselves."

-we are all connected in a weird, but reassuring kind of way, so before you cast a stone to pass judgement.. be sure to judge yourself with the same standards.

-‎"When you let go of what of who you are, you can become what you might be"

- secrets .. like their intriguing nature are very addictive!

[sev soreno · Rating 5 out of 5]

First of all, this book is absolutely beautiful. I read this a very long time ago, probably around the time it first came out. I remember going to my sisters room, since she's a big bookworm, and finding this exact book. I started looking through it, just looking at the pictures to be honest, but I eventually started to actually read it. This book is a very emotional book, although I didn't quite understand everything that was going on at that time due to it being published in 2007. But now that I'm looking back at those memories, I completely understand the struggles, memories, adventures, etc. these people have experience and placed on a "PostSecret". Their are triggering evens taken place in this book so please take some precautions before reading. Other than that, this is a beautiful and quick read.

[Hannah Mora · Rating 4 out of 5]

life goes by too fast…

[Macy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Beautifully artistic; I initially bought this to use for collages, but love it too much to cut into pieces. Postcards are done in a mixed media collage style, which I appreciate as a scrapbooker. Confessions range from silly, juvenile, and adorable to serious and tragic memories people had the courage to share, even anonymously. Glad to add this to my collection, and hoping to use it as a coffee table book someday.

[Jen Newby · Rating 5 out of 5]

My 13-year old told me about this book. She said it was in her reading class and the whole class was basically lined up to read it next. Anyway, it sounded really neat to me so I got it for us to have at home. It's beautiful, sad, heartbreaking, funny, lovely, happy, and any other emotional response you could come up with. I love this idea. I loved this book.

[katyjanereads · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this while sitting by the pool. It would make a great beach read. I get too distracted when I read so at a pool or beach there's little reading with me. This kept my attention well enough to read it.

[HERZ · Rating 3 out of 5]

المؤلف طلب من الناس يرسلون له اسرارهم واعترافاتهم بدون اسم عبر البريد. المحصلة كانت اكثر من ١٥٠ ألف سر! انشأ مدونة شخصية ونشر كمية كبيرة من الرسائل.
الكتاب يحتوي على جزء "مميز" من الاسرار اللي وصلته. تتراوح الاسرار بين المحزن والمرعب والكئيب والمضحك والمفرح.

ممتع ومتعب للنفسية!

[Jen · Rating 4 out of 5]

an enitre book of secrets that people sent to Frank on postcards....stayed up late reading this....a great friend gave it to me for my 30th birthday....

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

If you love the website, you'll love the book more because it's an abundance of secrets all at once! I love that it's arranged in chronological (age) order.

[Mollie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wine needed!

[Shannon Fay · Rating 4 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for these books. I LOVE postsecret, the whole idea of it, and I could purchase and read 20 more of these books if 20 more were published.