When my English class first began, we were given two choices for books to read. I chose Bird by Bird and I fully regret my choice. I found the book boring and useless. It was more about her life story rather than about writting. She taught me NOT to write because I will fail at it. She also taught me that most writers are mostly insane. Anne Lamott came off as a crazy woman who hates writing and is dooming herself to fail. If you want a good book on writing I recommend Stephen Kings On Writing. That is a good book to learn how to write.