Non-Fiction Book Reviews

Book Review: Permission Slips

By Sandy Amazeen May 25, 2010, 3:33 GMT

Covering topics such as "It\'s Jesus or Jail,""Marriage, the Hard Way,""Children: The Gift You Can\'t Give Back," and "All the Things I Don\'t Know...And All the Things I Definitely Do," stand-up comedienne, actress, and ABC\'s The View co-host Sherri Shepherd comically chronicles her struggles to keep up with the many roles-professional, wife, mother, daughter, and friend-that women must play in today\'s world. Sherri urges women to pursue their most important ...more

Stand-up comic and co-host of The View, Shepherd expands upon her triumphs and tragedies in this combination memoir/self-help book that shows women how liberating it can be to give themselves a permission slip not to be perfect. From her early experiences with boys including a painful lesson at the hands of church elders to coping with diabetes; from unsuccessful attempts to change her first husband to the joys and hardships of motherhood, Shepherd addresses it all with gentle humor and open honesty.

Chatty, light and packed with generalizations, this bubbly read claims sex is the glue that ultimately holds relationships together and paints women as driven perfectionists that need to loosen up. Despite the broad generalizations, this remains a fun, sometimes heartbreaking read as Shepherd reveals her darkest moments, taking them out into the open and turning them into life enriching learning experiences.