A Lifetime of Secrets: A PostSecret Book

by Frank Warren

A lifetime of secrets is a book not so much read as experienced, not so much written as shared and really not open for critique; people either like the PostSecret movement, or they don't.

The book is a collection of postcards featuring secrets that individuals have sent to Frank Warren. The visual display is captivating and the secrets invoke emotion, passion, longing and a myriad of other emotions. I teared up several times throughout this book. I'm a fan.

Happens Every Day

An All-Too-True Story

by Isabel Gillies

*CONTAINS SPOILERS* The perfect life. Loving husband, gorgeous house, two beautiful children; Isabel Gillies never saw the end coming.

This autobiographical account of a women's idealistic life falling apart when her husband leaves her, seemingly out of the blue, is touching and raw, told with humor and true introspection. Gillies lays it all out on the table, bearing her soul, her faults, her fears and her heartache.

Gillies is obviously not a writer by trade, but the style of the book allows the reader to overlook that. I got totally caught up in the story she was telling, and forgot about the words I was reading. Her emotions were palpable. Some of the events she recounts, such as her Summers listening to records with her brother, didn't really seem to have a place, other than to aid in making one feel like you KNOW this woman.

I would like to read a book from Gillies husband's perspective, because I was never exactly clear on why he had changed so much, so quickly. Truthfully, this book scared the crap out of me. If a beautiful, talented, smart, strong woman with a perfect life and marriage can get the rug pulled out from under her, how in the world can I hang on to my flawed, far from perfect life?

This book contains some harsh language.

What's He Really Thinking?

How to be a Relational Genius with the Man in Your Life
by Paula Rinehart

What's He Really Thinking? is a "field guide" into the minds of men. The book offers advice on understanding men by understanding yourself and the differences between men and women. The book delves into the relationships between men and women and the elements that contribute to healthy interaction and better communication.

Initially, when reading through a sample chapter on the Thomas Nelson Publishing site, I thought this book showed real promise. Rinehart's writing was not over complicated and it appeared to be the beginning of a wonderfully insightful guide into the male psyche. That being said, I was disappointed with this book. It was only 160 pages, but less than halfway through I found I was looking forward to the end.

The title of this book is promising, but somewhat misleading. Rinehart has some great ideas about what women should be doing, but never actually gets down to HOW to do these things. I felt that the juxtaposition of her professional insight, scientific explanations, and religion did not work well. The flow of the book began to dissipate shortly after the first chapter and the organization of the book seemed jumbled, perhaps because the author kept throwing in scripture and lessons on relationships with God. Also, I thought the way she discussed sex and intimacy was a little tacky and very unorganized. This book reminded me a lot of something from Laura Schlessinger, but a very poor imitation.

What's He Really Thinking? is lacking, but not completely deficient. There were some excellent personal accounts and points that made me sit up a little straighter in my chair, jabbing me in the stomach, saying "You knew that all along and now there it is in black and white." One quote in particular struck me like a slap in the face:

"If we hitch our sense of feeling good onto the coattails of someone else- especially a man- then, generally speaking, we'll feel anything but good. The weight of carrying someone else's emotional life can pull any relationship down."

My overall impression: Not necessarily a waste of time, but a second time through would be.

The Dobe Ju/'hoansi

by Richard B. Lee

I read this third edition case study to help Tyler with a paper for his Cultural Anthropology class. Initially, I was reasonable unenthusiastic as I am not overly fond of non-fiction and typically research papers made into books bore me to tears.

I was surprised by the lively, light writing of Lee and, although it seemed a little scattered because it was divided into sections by topic, rather than being a chronological record, it was extremely interesting. Often people in well-developed countries assume that those living primitively, by our standards, are unhappy, destitute and disease infested. The Ju/'hoansi (Zwe/wasi) make this assumption laughable as they are healthy, congenial and peaceful and value food, water and friends more than inanimate possessions.

This book was infused with traditions of a culture very different from mine. Perhaps the most interesting thing Lee discovered about these Kalahari- dwelling people is there way of keeping equality and humility among individuals. At first it may seem that they are harsh and impossible to satisfy, always complaining and ungrateful. However, this practice only assures that the people are not swelled up with pride and that no one is looked on as better or achieves a higher status than anyone else.

I wrote a five and a half page paper on this book and could have continued in relating facts and cultural traditions of the Ju/'hoansi for at least five and a half more. This type of book is one that I will strive to indulge in again as it was a huge eye-opener to the differences in other cultures that don't make them worse off, just different and, in many ways, better in my opinion.

This book was a very frank study of this indigenous people and that included marriage and sexuality. However, there is nothing graphic, inappropriate or crude in the conveyance of these facts.

I Didn't Plan to be a Witch: and Other Surprises of a Joyful Mother

by Linda Eyre

I happened upon this title and thought it sounded like a fun and, most likely, insightful, read. The beginning of the book lived up to that somewhat, introducing lively anecdotes featuring the mischievous exploits of the author's nine children. By the middle of the book, however, I found myself getting mad and only made it through the rest of the book by sheer desire to finish what I had started, rolling my eyes all the way.
Having nine children does not automatically make someone eligible to dish out advice like some sort of expert. The author, indisputably, has the experience under her belt, but not necessarily the perspective I wanted to read about. I was greatly annoyed as the mention of her second home in Washington D.C. and her summer cabin in Oregon became regular side notes in every chapter. That, coupled with the humanitarian trips her family took to Romania and Japan, and the years they lived in England struck me as boastful; there are ways she could have related experiences without flaunting her checkbook. This book in itself appeared to be a marketing tool for her other five or six books which, sickeningly enough, are all about child rearing techniques, which makes me want to shout my initial statements, reiterating the thought that perhaps someone with nine kids is not qualified to teach others about raising children simply because they have a large family. The breaking point was the chapter about weight and her insistence that losing ten pounds in a year was a great struggle and bane and that her metabolism was obviously extremely slow. Want to know what I think about that lady? *&%$)*&^%$#@!!

I REALLY don't ever want to read anything by Linda Eyre again. Even her writing bothered me. The number of exclamation points in this book was staggering. The writing itself was redundant and her style added to my impression that she is no expert or professional. She bugs me. The book has nothing inappropriate in it except several instances of babies falling on their heads due to this moron having more kids than she can handle.

Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea

by Chelsea Handler

This book was not at all what I expected. I had an idea that it would be a typical autobiography chronicling at least portions of her life from childhood to adulthood. Not so. This was a somewhat sporadic, if chronological, collection of isolated events and anecdotes throughout her preteens and, mostly, her twenties. That being said, I have never laughed out loud at a book as hard as I did while reading this one. She's a comedian, so of course these stories are told in a humorous way, but her blunt and sometimes crude depiction of her personality and life sent me into multiple rounds of hysterics. My favorite chapter was titled, Dim Sum and Then Some. She relates an experience of going to a spa and receiving a very shady massage, ending with the exclamation "My body, my choice!" Her fascination with "nuggets" and vodka is also hilarious as she expresses her thoughts on these most beloved indulgences. This book is great for people that don't get offended easily as it contains very straightforward depictions and language.

The Proper Care and Feeding of Husbands

by Dr. Laura Schlessinger

I could write a book about this book. It personifies so many values and ideals that our society has given up on, or even worse, fights against. There were many wonderful things that came from the women's liberation movement, but many valuable things were lost and overlooked in the process. The fact is, men and women are vastly different and there are things that women are inherently good at that men are not and vise versa.
The book is comprised of excerpts of letters and phone calls from Dr. Laura's listeners. It was heartening to see what men had written concerning the way they are treated by their wives. Dr. Laura, along with several listeners, makes the point that men are very simple; their needs are simple. Basically, if you love a man, respect him and feed him, he'll treat you like a queen. Most of the chapters go into great detail about these needs and how, by giving men their basic desires, a woman's life becomes so much more fulfilled.
Many women would fight against these ideas, as I did a little bit at first. It really said a lot about the things that society has tried to grind into us, seeing as I was not brought up in a feminist household. I think the key here is that it has become acceptable to be selfish in our relationships. Women have many tools to manipulate men, to gain power over them, and many times, they do. They may think that having the upper hand makes them happy, but what of their husbands? Are we really so blind and self-centered to think that we can obtain true happiness when the person we love is miserable?
The focus in this book was caring for HUSBANDS. This doesn't mean that wives should be in the background or that a woman's needs are less important than a man's, only simpler. In my opinion, the indisputable fact is that a man's divine role is to care for his family by providing for them monetarily and supporting his wife in her divine role, which is to raise and nurture children and support her husband and his needs. Both parties should show their love and commitment by honestly communicating and providing their significant other with an equal partner, having a constant consideration for the other's thoughts, emotions and role within the family. Women are complicated, having an excess of analytical thought and emotion, while men have basic necessities.
One of the most poignant things I learned was the importance of respecting my husband. I didn't realize that by trying to control every situation and make the "right" decisions, I was depriving my husband of his manhood and hindering his growth. How do we expect our men to be men and take care of us if we never allow them to make mistakes?
Overall, I think that every woman should read this book. If we could get back to those values that our grandmother's practiced so diligently, we would have such a better world to raise our children in. I have implemented many of these changes in my life and marriage. I have struggled to push selfishness away from me, to ignore those differences in my husband that I don't necessarily appreciate or understand, and show him my unconditional love and respect. It has changed my life and saved my marriage. It will take a lot more work and many more changes to fully embrace the principles that I have relearned in this book, but I know that it will make me happy with myself, a more loving mother and a more diligent wife.