Book Review

Title: From this Moment On

Author: Shania Twain

Publisher: Atria Books

Published: May 3 2011

Number of Pages: 409

ISBN: 978-1-4516-2074-0

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins

In this detailed, personal memoir, Twain documents all her triumphs and tragedies from her poor, small town upbringing in Northern Ontario, to her sudden stardom and fame and her recent divorce and second marriage. With great insight into personal tragedy, loss, and coming to terms with the past, this autobiography was a joy to read and I could not put it down. While usually quite a private person, she writes in the introduction that she chose to write about her life for a couple of reasons: she wants her son, Eja, to have an accurate record of her life from her perspective, and she believes that her stories may help others who have gone through similar experiences.

Book Review

Title: Filthy English

Author: Peter Silverton

Publisher: Portobello, Anansi

Published: April 1 2011

Number of Pages: 309

ISBN: 978-1-84627-169-4

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins

If you have ever wanted to know more about swear words, why we use them, their origins, and their evolution, this is an extremely enjoyable read that is both educational and highly entertaining. Silverton’s anecdotes, personal experiences, and contributions from friends along with in depth linguistic explanations and a bit of history make this book interesting in so many ways. And really, when the first chapter is titled “Sexual Intercourse and Masturbation,” how could it be a boring book?

The book begins at a logical point in the history of swearing: Steve Jones of the Sex Pistols saying f*** on a British talk show. This occurred in December 1976, and as Silverton says, things have never been the same since. The social acceptability of swearing has changed dramatically since then, and most people no longer make such a fuss if they hear the words on television or on the radio, or read them in a newspaper.

Book Review

Title: The Story of Stuff

Author: Annie Leonard

Publisher: Free Press

Date Published: Feb 22 2011

Number of pages: 267

ISBN: 978-1-4516-1029-1

Reviewed by: Tessa Perkins

Based on the ideas expressed in the viral internet video of the same name, The Story of Stuff gives great insight into the current processes of extraction, production, distribution, consumption, and disposal that are part of our society’s lifestyle of overconsumption. Having worked with Greenpeace on international waste trafficking cases, Leonard has a special expertise in the disposal aspect of the process, but also has experience and familiarity with all the other parts of this story.

All the statistics and facts that Leonard talks about in each section of this book show how ridiculous the current way of doing things really is. I recently saw a poster by Max Temkin that said “It’s pretty amazing that our society has reached a point where the effort necessary to extract oil from the ground, ship it to a refinery, turn it into plastic, shape it appropriately, truck it to a store, buy it and bring it home is considered to be less effort than what it takes to just wash the spoon when you’re done with it.” I think that is exactly the point that Leonard makes in this book, and she does it in a way that is empowering and hopeful.     

Book Review

Title: The Happy Baker: A Dater’s Guide To Emotional Baking

Publisher: Self-Published

Pages: 160

ISBN: 978-0-9811893-0-7

Website: www.thehappybakerchick.com

Reviewed By: Kindah Mardam Bey

A smart and sassy cookbook for women who like to date and bake their way through the love and pain of relationships. Erin Bolger, Make-Up Artist turned Baker, lays out her dating life for readers while pairing her experiences with baked goods like “It’s Not Me It’s You Sea-Salted Caramels” or “Just Me, Myself and Pie.” If you have tried out internet dating, long-term relationships that went nowhere, or holiday romances, chances are you can relate to both Erin’s anecdotes between the recipes and her insatiable sweet tooth.

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