The Ted Lasso Relationship Guide is Live!
The book is officially released RIGHT NOW!
I wrote my first Ted Lasso post back in January of 2023. I loved the show, and I wanted to explore some of the themes that made the show so important to me. As I was writing my way through season three, I knew that I wanted to write something a bit more in-depth than I could do in a Substack newsletter. So last summer, I sat down most mornings at my local Panera and wrote a whole book.
After rewrites and unending formatting woes and only one of the killer lemonades, that book is available for you to hold in your hands!
I’m really proud of this book. I love going back to so many great scenes from a television show that meant so much to me. I love the discussion questions that allow for deeper reflection on each of the chapters. I love that it is broad because I think that every relationship that we have impacts every other one.
I’m also really proud of the endorsements that I’ve received for this book.
“The Ted Lasso Relationship Guide is an essential read for any fan of the show who recognizes the miracle of how it models healthy relationships but isn't quite sure how to explain it to others. Alise Chaffins offers exceptional insight, warmth, and humor on the interpersonal workings of Ted Lasso's world in the way only a true fan could. I absolutely adore this book. It made me fall in love all over again with the folks of AFC Richmond. I can't recommend it enough.” ~Charlotte Clymer, writer and activist
“This book radiates the essence of true relationship: connection and vulnerability. Alise deftly weaves her thoughtful insights about Ted Lasso into both a retrospective and a primer on relationships. This is a book I will come back to again and again- both to enjoy the memories I have of the show, and to strengthen my own relationships!” ~Karen Haring, executive director and founder of Libera, Inc.
“The culture we consume has the ability to change who we are as a person. Alise Chaffins' work on Ted Lasso highlights how a popular culture phenomenon can be a vehicle for learning how to be better as humans - more empathetic to our friends, more attentive to our loved ones, and more emotionally secure in who we are as people. This insightful and engaging book will make you look at pop culture in a new light.” ~Dianna E. Anderson, author of In Transit and Body Phobia
“Diego Luna once said, ‘Cinema is a mirror that can change the world.’ It accomplishes this by asking the viewer to process things we otherwise would be unwilling or unable to do. This is showcased in The Ted Lasso Relationship Guide, as author Alise D. Chaffins skillfully pulls gems of wisdom from the TV program narrative to show the reader how they can have healthier relationships. Chaffins’ kind tone makes one feel you are not reading a book but chatting with a friend. You will laugh and cry as you read this book, and if you listen closely enough to the advice inside, you will come away a more whole person.” ~Byron Lafayette, Chairman, Independent Film Critics of America
“Ted Lasso fans, rejoice! Chaffins has penned a love letter to a show that was unabashedly optimistic about the possibility of change for the better. She pairs a wide variety of resources with careful attention to the show to put into words why we all became AFC Richmond fans. This is a wonderful gift for all of us who became accidental hooligans and ended up believing that we, too, can heal and grow.” ~JR. Forasteros, Lead Pastor of the Haven Collective and author of Empathy for the Devil
So go pick up a copy today! Plan a book club with your friends that can double as a chance to rewatch the show (I’d be happy to join by Zoom to talk about the book and the show)! And thank you so much for supporting me by reading this newsletter.