Eating Adverbs
A Recipe for Living Fully, Boldly, and Unapologetically
by Tommy Hensel
The eBook launched on Amazon on May 15 at $0.99 (first two weeks only). The paperback follows June 1.
About the Book
What would you do if you stopped waiting for someone to join you?
Eating Adverbs is a memoir-driven guide to building a life of deliberate independence, one you choose on purpose, not the kind circumstances back you into. Through personal stories, research, and practical exercises, it asks you to rethink the moments you’ve been putting off: the solo dinner reservation, the trip you keep planning with someone who never commits, the afternoon that belongs entirely to you.
The book is built around five categories of adverbs: Time, Degree, Manner, Place, and Frequency. Each section traces a shift in language and practice. Early chapters sit in the territory of Later and Someday. Later chapters reach the fluency of Regularly and Always. The arc is the point. Independence is a skill you learn, practice, and eventually stop having to think about.
This Book Is for You If . . .
- You’re navigating a life transition (divorce, empty nesting, starting over after loss) and figuring out what solo looks like now.
- You’ve been postponing experiences until someone else is available to share them.
- You already enjoy solo experiences and want to go further.
- You’re drawn to books that blend personal narrative with research and practical tools.
What Early Readers Are Saying
“A compassionate and evidence-based guide to one of life’s most profound transitions. By drawing on science, Tommy Hensel offers more than just encouragement; he provides a vital toolkit for anyone learning to navigate the world on their own and scaffolds reflection and action through adjustment. This book illustrates that reclaiming one’s autonomy isn’t about starting over, it’s about the deliberate, honest, sometimes even brave, act of remembering who you are.”
Prof. Yseult Freeney, Full Professor of Organisational Psychology and Behaviour, Dublin City University
“Eating Adverbs reads like a conversation with a friend who has spent years noticing the quiet moments the rest of us overlook. As someone who lives a lot of my life on the road, and often at a table for one, I felt the truth in these pages. It’s a tender, insightful reminder that the smallest words can either diminish us or set us free, and a beautiful celebration of moving through the world on your own terms.”
Lisa Rock, lead singer and founder of Close to You: The Music of the Carpenters
“Solitude is the soul’s holiday, a chance to take the first step to a fuller life, to embrace the luxury of new experiences, to learn how to enjoy your own company. Tommy Hensel’s critically important book embraces that reality and runs with it, showing the reader how to have their best life possible, alone.”
Vicki Quade, co-creator of the hit comedy Late Nite Catechism
“Never have I read a book that offered me such easily accessible personal insights and such clear paths to a happier future.”
Mallory Lewis and Lamb Chop – mallorylewisandlambchop.com
About the Author
Tommy Hensel writes about solo dining, wine, and the practice of independence. He spent seventeen years in performing arts programming, presenting artists including Chita Rivera, John Waters, and the Tibetan Monks of Drepung Loseling. He lives in Berwyn, Illinois.
Get the Book
The eBook is now available on Amazon at $0.99 for the first two weeks. The paperback ships June 1.