A book review of Directed by James Burrows: Five Decades of Stories from the Legendary Director of Taxi, Cheers, Frasier, Friends, Will & Grace, and more by James Burrows

Stars: ****

Ballantine Books (2022)
Memoir>TV
352 pages

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: Legendary sitcom director James Burrows has spent five decades making America laugh. Here readers will find never-revealed stories behind the casting of the dozens of great sitcoms he directed, as well as details as to how these memorable shows were created, how they got on the air, and how the cast and crew continued to develop and grow. Burrows also examines his own challenges, career victories, and defeats, and provides advice for aspiring directors, writers, and actors. All this from the man who helped launch the careers of Ted Danson, Kelsey Grammer, Woody Harrelson, Jennifer Aniston, Debra Messing, and Melissa McCarthy, to name a few. 

Burrows talks fondly about the inspiration he found during his childhood and young adult years, including his father, legendary playwright and Broadway director Abe Burrows. From there he goes on to explain his rigorous work ethic, forged in his early years in theater, where he did everything from stage managing to building sets to, finally, directing. Transitioning to television, Burrows locked into a coveted job with The Mary Tyler Moore Show, where he first observed and then started to apply his craft. Directing most of the episodes of Taxi came next, where he worked closely with writers/producers Glen and Les Charles. The three formed a remarkable creative partnership that helped Burrows achieve his much sought-after goal of ownership and agency over a project, which came with the creating and directing of the seminal and beloved hit Cheers. Burrows has directed more than seventy-five pilots that have gone to series and over a thousand episodes, more than any other director in history.

Directed by James Burrows is a heart-and-soul master class in sitcom, revealing what it truly takes to get a laugh.

Directed by James Burrows

As someone who grew up with most of these shows, I was interested in read this book. I like behind the scenes of TV shows and movie type books. It took me a long time to get through this book, not because it wasn’t interesting though. It’s large and isn’t a quick read. If you speed read you won’t be able to take from it what was intended.

James Burrows, as a director, is often overlooked when talking about TV shows. We focus on the actors for the most part. When you think of Friends or Frasier, you think of the actors not the director. However without the director the show wouldn’t come together.

It was very interesting reading about the start of the shows, like before the pilot. There is information on how they pitched the show to networks, how they picked cast including in some cases who almost got picked or the show names that almost got used.

The book is written like a memoir but includes dialogue from the shows in certain parts. Also the middle of the book has photos of James Burrows, sometimes alone, sometimes with other directors/producers and sometimes with cast.

It was very interesting.

Buy Directed by James Burrows at Amazon.com

A book review of Without Your Father by Jessica Lynne Henkle

Stars: *****

Unsolicited Press 2026
Memoir
136 pages

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: Five days after the sudden death of Jessica Lynne Henkle’s father, the phrase “when your father dies” seeped into her shock-sore brain, and for the next year, it kept pouring out of her. Half-blind with questions, she catalogued that year, in all its unmerciful unknowns, and ended up with a series of snapshots. Time passes, and yet, it doesn’t. Each day is distinct, and yet, it is exactly the same. Without Your Father is concrete, abstract, gentle, blunt, lighthearted, and deeply sad all at once. But then, so is grief. Written in the second person and with searing honesty, the book consists of 112 vignettes that depict the oddities and absurdities of navigating sudden loss, along with the utter devastation of it: the daily, sometimes hourly trudging forward in a life that has become unrecognizable now that one person is no longer in it. Some of the vignettes tell a story; others are more like prose poems.

The book can be read in one sitting, savored over several days, or dropped into at random for a dose of reflection, comfort, or validation. More than anything, that’s what Jessica yearned for during her time of terrible grief: the sense that what she was feeling was not alien, even if it was alien to her. Without Your Father seeks to mimic the grieving process itself and allows readers to enter its pages and move through their own losses, in their own ways. It is, at its core, an offering-from one grieving soul to another.

Without Your Father

This book is more than a memoir of a lost father. It’s written in an unusual way that is captivating and kept me reading even though it’s such a sad topic.

Each page in the book only contains one paragraph, some longer than others. They are numbered 1-112 and are further separated into sections. Each reads like an entry into a journal almost but not in a dear diary style. More like a memory mixed with raw emotions and showing the process of grief from recent death to a year past. The book calls them vignettes.

They are written in the second person as if it was your father that died. This I find, makes it hard to read if you haven’t lost your father because it makes a stark reminder that the day will come. However I plan to keep the book to reread after that fateful day. It’s that poignant and I think it will be comforting.

Buy Without Your Father on Amazon.ca

A book review of Becoming Homeschoolers: Give Your Kids a Great Education, a Strong Family, and a Life They’ll Thank You For Later by Monica Swanson

Stars: ****

Zondervan Books 2024
Education>Homeschooling
210 pagess

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: If you’ve ever wondered whether you have what it takes to homeschool your children, look no further. Parenting author, podcaster, and homeschool mom Monica Swanson is here to tell you: you can do it. In fact, it can be the most fun, family-unifying, character-building, life-equipping experience you and your children will ever have.

Becoming Homeschoolers tackles your legitimate doubts and fears about homeschooling, as well as the questions you want answered before you commit–questions like where to start and how to choose a curriculum, build social skills, teach what you’re not good at, and prepare for college. With humor and encouragement, Monica weaves her own story of homeschooling her four boys with step-by-step, practical advice. It’s time to trade fear for empowerment and insecurity for confidence as you live out your own story of becoming homeschoolers.

Becoming Homeschoolers

I picked up this book when ordering books online. I wasn’t specifically looking for it but I love reading homeschool books. This was a good book if you are a Christian interested in homeschooling or if you recently started homeschooling and feel a bit lost.

I don’t fit either of those categories as I’ve been homeschooling for more than 4 years but I enjoyed the book anyhow. The book is organized into three sections: Deciding to Homeschool, Preschool to College and Everything Else You Need to Know.

The Deciding to Homeschool section includes 20 Good Reasons to Homeschool Your Kids, 10 Things Homeschoolers Get to Avoid, 11 Reasons Families Don’t Try Homeschooling (or Don’t Stick With It) and 3 Simple Steps to Become Homeschoolers.

In Preschool to college, each chapter is devoted to an age group and specific advice is given in each chapter that pertain to that age/grade. This is especially helpful to find targeted advice or to avoid age groups you don’t have. Although I’d recommend reading the age groups your children haven’t gotten to yet and only skip the younger ones if all your kids are older and you aren’t having more.

Section three includes electives/extracurriculars, sports, variations on homeschooling, day in the life and the final nudge. Finally there are resources listed which you can find by going to a page on the author’s website.

Buy Becoming Homeschoolers at Amazon.com

A book review of The Mother Next Door: Medicine, Deception and Munchausen by Proxy by Andrea Dunlop and Mike Weber

Stars: *****

St. Martin’s Press (2025)
Child Abuse
272 pages

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: No bond is more sacred than that between a mother and child. And no one is more sympathetic than a mother whose child faces a life-threatening illness. But what if the mother is the cause of the illness? What if the sympathy is the point?

Munchausen by proxy (MBP) has fascinated and horrified both professionals and the general public since this disturbing form of child abuse was first identified. But even as the public has been captivated by these tales of abuse and deception, there remains widespread misinformation and confusion about MBP. Are these mothers unfeeling psychopaths, or sick women who need help? And more important, how can we protect the children whose lives are at stake?

The Mother Next Door offers a groundbreaking look at MBP from an unlikely duo: a Seattle novelist whose own family was torn apart by it, and the Texas detective who has worked on more medical child abuse cases than anyone in the nation. Readers ride along on three high-stakes MPB investigations; through riveting reporting and shocking stories from the family members, friends, and doctors caught in the blast zone of these unthinkable acts, a twisted portrait of motherhood and deceit is revealed.

With help from some of the top MBP experts in the world, Dunlop and Weber uncover the complex maze of psychological, systemic, and cultural issues that compound MBP and offer solutions for how we might find our way out.

The Mother Next Door

Munchausen By Proxy is a horrible form of medical child abuse that isn’t as well known about as it should be. It’s crazy how these parents get away with such shocking stories. It’s not just slowly poisoning or pretending their children are sick although they absolutely do that. They even manage to convince doctors to do unnecessary surgeries on their young children, even brain surgery! It’s crazy.

The book is written by Andrea Dunlop whose family has been broken apart by MBP allegations on her own sister. It’s also cowritten by Mike Weber who worked as a cop to help get to the bottom of the allegations and work to keep children safe.

While the topic is horrible, the book is written well. They know their topic and they do research when they don’t. They share it all and I read the whole book in 2 days. I would have read it in 1 if I could have stayed awake all night.

I think it’s important for others to read this, especially those in health care so they can be aware of warning signs.

Buy The Mother Next Door at amazon.com

A book review of Uniquely Human: A Different Way of Seeing Autism by Barry M. Prizant, PhD with Tom Fields-Meyer

Stars: *****

Simon & Schuster (2015)
Psychology
256 pages

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: Autism therapy typically focuses on ridding individuals of “autistic” symptoms such as difficulties interacting socially, communication problems, sensory challenges, and repetitive behavior patterns. Now, this updated and expanded edition of Dr. Barry M. Prizant’s Uniquely Human tackles new language such as shifting from “person-first language” to “identity-first language,” diversity of identity in the autism sphere, and the future of autistic advocacy by amplifying the voices of autistic and neurodivergent individuals.

“A must-read for anyone touched by autism…Dr. Prizant’s Uniquely Human is a crucial step in promoting better understanding and a more humane approach” (Associated Press). Instead of classifying “autistic” behaviors as signs of pathology, Dr. Prizant sees them as part of a range of strategies to cope with a world that feels chaotic and overwhelming. Rather than curb these behaviors, it’s better to enhance abilities, build on strengths, and offer supports that will lead to more desirable behavior and a better quality of life.

Uniquely Human

This was my second read through of this book. I read it years ago when we thought my son might have autism but now that he has a diagnosis I wanted to read it again. I’m glad I did.

This book gives you a different look on Autism, as a way a brain works, not something to fix. I want to support my son, not fix him, as he is not broken.

The book is separated into two sections: Understanding Autism and Living with Autism. Understanding Autism helps you see Autism in a different light than it used to be thought of (and still is today in some circles.) Living With Autism helps support the individual with Autism. The book is full of actual strategies to help with social skills or other areas where they struggle.

Buy Uniquely Autism from Amazon.com

A book review of Behind the Maltese Cross by Garrie Madison Stoutimore

Stars: ****

Mountain Aura Publishing (2025)
Memoir/True Stories
242 pages

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: Behind the Maltese Cross is a compelling blend of memoir and investigative storytelling that takes readers into the heart of the firefighting world. The sister of two career firefighters, Garrie Madison Stoutimore weaves personal growth with the raw, often untold stories of firefighters on the front lines, balancing moments of humor, heartbreak, and triumph, offering readers an authentic look at the realities of fire service life.

This isn’t just another book about fire engines and burning buildings. It’s a tribute to the silent heroes who run headlong into danger while others run away. From unforgettable calls that haunt a firefighter’s memory to traditions laced with honor and courage, these are deeply human stories about ordinary people who do extraordinary work- men and women who charge into chaos- not for glory, but for the sake of the people they serve. Their stories capture not only the excitement and danger of the job but also the quiet moments that follow- moments filled with reflection, grief, laughter, and resilience.

Some stories will make you laugh. Others may bring a tear. All will stay with you. Whether you’ve ridden the engine or simply wondered about those who do, Behind the Maltese Cross will take you behind the badge and into the fire

Behind the Maltese Cross

This book is written/edited by the sister of two firefighters and she interviews and shares stories from many different firefighters, fire chiefs and even the Fire Marshall.

The book was a little slow at first but shortly after got into the meat of the book which is the interviews. I like that instead of an interview format the interviews are shared as if she is just talking to you about the interview she did and sharing their stories in a digestible way. Interview format is hard to read and follow sometimes.

The book isn’t very big and it didn’t take too long to read it but some of the stories are heavy with emotion, both happy and sad.

You don’t have to be a firefighter or an aspiring firefighter to enjoy this book. In fact I think it makes a bigger impact on those who are NOT in the firefighter profession because if you aren’t in it, you don’t know what it’s really like. This is an eye opener into life as a firefighter.

Buy Behind the Maltese Cross at Amazon.com

This is a book review of The Guinea Pig Diaries: My Life as an Experiment by A.J. Jacobs

Stars: ****

Simon & Schuster (2009)
Humour/Essays
235 pages

Disclosure: This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: One man. Ten extraordinary quests.

Bestselling author and human guinea pig A.J. Jacobs puts his life to the test and reports on the surprising and entertaining results. He goes undercover as a woman, lives by George Washington’s moral code, and impersonates a movie star. He practices “radical honesty,” brushes his teeth with the world’s most rational toothpaste, and outsources every part of his life to India—including reading bedtime stories to his kids.

And in a new adventure, Jacobs undergoes scientific testing to determine how he can put his wife through these and other life-altering experiments—one of which involves public nudity.

Filled with humor and wisdom, My Life as an Experiment will immerse you in eye-opening situations and change the way you think about the big issues of our time—from love and work to national politics and breakfast cereal.

The Guinea Pig Diaries

I am well familiar with A.J. Jacobs having read two of his other book: The Know-it-All and The Year of Living Biblically. I also have another of his books I haven’t read yet. I love his books and this one is no different.

In this one he shares the essays he wrote for Entertainment Weekly where he used himself as an experiment to see what would happen with various things for example going undercover as a woman and impersonating a movie star. He goes all in with his experiments often annoying his very patient wife and taking things to the (funny) extreme.

Whereas his other two books were all about one experiment, this book covers 9 experiments. I loved the one where he outsourced his life to India. Hilarious. Although the book is old (considering 2009 was 17 years ago) and doesn’t include life with our faces stuck in our smart phones, the lessons he learned while experimenting with his life were not just funny, they were interesting and important.

Buy The Guinea Pig Diaries from Amazon.com

A book review of Evil at Our Table: Inside the Minds of the Monsters Who Live Among Us by Samantha Stein, PsyD

Stars: *****

Kensington Books (2025)
True Crime Memoir
272 pages

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest book review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: In Evil at Our Table, Samantha Stein, PsyD examines how society decides who is too dangerous to release and who may be given another chance. Grounded in real evaluations, the story unfolds in the space where psychology meets the law.

Working under California’s Sexually Violent Predator Law, Dr. Stein conducts evaluations that can result in indefinite incarceration or release. Each assessment requires close attention to behavior, personal history, and psychological risk, all while acknowledging the uncertainty inherent in prediction.

The book details how Dr. Stein listens to offenders’ accounts of their crimes, their upbringing, and their internal logic, weighing accountability against the possibility of change. She studies patterns of manipulation and remorse while remaining aware of how high the stakes truly are. Beyond the cases themselves, Evil at Our Table reflects on how repeated exposure to violence and moral ambiguity shapes her personal life. The story offers a rare look at how justice is navigated when certainty is elusive.

Evil At Our Table

TRIGGER WARNING: sexual abuse, sex offenders, sexual assault, mental illness

This is a hard book to review. With the subject matter, it doesn’t sound right to say it was a good book. It was written well. But the subject matter is not good. I think it’s an important subject to write about though, especially from the point of view of a forensic psychologist who worked with these types of people (sex offenders.)

Most people just hear the term sex offender and think they are all horrible people, evil monsters who deserve to die. Perhaps you will still think that after you read the book or perhaps you will see that there are also regular people who made bad decisions and are forever labelled a sex offender because of it. There is no “right” or “wrong” way to feel after this book. You may feel differently if you were abused or assaulted sexually. Either way, the book is eye opening and an eye opening read.

Am I glad I read this book? Yes. Was it well written? Also yes. Would I recommend it ao everyone? No. This book is not for everyone. If you are interested in psychology, especially in crimes, yes. If you want to know what is done with sex offenders after they are arearrested, yes.

About the Author
Samantha Stein Psy.D. is a forensic psychologist who specialized in sex offender and addiction treatment, court-ordered evaluations, and court testimony for nearly 3 decades. The author of a popular PsychologyToday.com column with over 2.2 million reads, her writing has been published in numerous outlets, including Flaunt Magazine, The Awakenings Review, Anxy Magazine, and The Guardian. A frequent speaker and teacher, she has presented at numerous conferences. She is also an avid photographer whose work has been exhibited in several small shows and has sold to collectors and individuals. She lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay Area. Visit Samantha at her website. 

A book review of Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds: 100 New Ways to See the World by Ian Wright

Stars: ***

Granta Books (2019)
Geography
208 pages

Disclosure: I received a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: A singular atlas of 100 infographic maps from thought-provoking to flat-out fun. And don’t miss the other books in the series, North American Maps for Curious Minds and Wild Maps for Curious Minds!

Which countries don’t have rivers? Which ones have North Korean embassies? Who drives on the “wrong” side of the road? How many national economies are bigger than California’s? And where can you still find lions in the wild? You’ll learn answers to these questions and many more in Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds. This one-of-a-kind atlas is packed with eye-opening analysis (Which nations have had female leaders?), whimsical insight (Where can’t you find a McDonald’s?), and surprising connections that illuminate the contours of culture, history, and politics. Each of these 100 maps will change the way you see the world―and your place in it.

Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds

This is no atlas. This book has interesting maps for things you wouldn’t normally see on a map. From more regular things such as “the astounding drop in fertility rates from 1970 to 2015” or “countries and overseas territories that each have smaller populations than Greater Tokyo” to really strange things such as “age of consent for heterosexual sex” to “how to write the date in different countries.”

I love the wide variety of map choices. The one thing that I didn’t like is that in some ways it shows the world but in other ways it’s very US specific. For example the “cats vs dogs” map is US only. I would have loved to see the world’s choices. “Homicide rates Europe vs the US” is not only US specific but I would have preferred North America vs Europe.

As a word nerd I really loved “longest place names” (the longest of which is 89 characters!!!)

I do love that the maps are in colour, that is a must for something like this. It’s a fun book I just wish it was less US specific and had more fun ones like the cats and dogs and less of the politics ones.

Buy Brilliant Maps for Curious Minds at amazon.com

A book review of Bent But Not Broken: Living Boldly with Chronic Pain by Sigrid MacDonald

Stars: ****

Self-Published (2025)
Memoir>Health
160 pages

Disclosure: I received this book in exchange for an honest review. This post contains affiliate links.

Summary: Following a head-on collision with a drunk driver 44 years ago, Sigrid Macdonald has lived with chronic pain. She had her knee replaced in 2024, hoping she could take long walks after dinner and relieve a significant amount of pain in that joint because she’d had a successful hip replacement previously. That didn’t happen. The knee surgery was a failure, and it blew up her life. Now she lives with extreme pain in her left leg, has great difficulty walking even on a walker, and had to give up her apartment to go into independent living. Bent but Not Broken, written with a quirky sense of humor and filled with footnotes and medical research on living with chronic conditions and taking multiple medications, is the raw, authentic story of Sigrid’s accident and knee replacement and how she rebuilt her life after surgery. Although this story is geared toward readers who experience chronic pain, it will appeal to anyone who has undergone severe loss or adversity of any kind with tips and tools for how to change what you can and radically accept what you can’t so as to optimize your physical and mental health

Bent But Not Broken

I read this book in one sitting, not just because it’s shorter but because it was interesting and I could identify with a lot of it (chronic pain.) She talks a lot about a knee replacement and that’s something that is probably in my future so I really wanted to see what went wrong for her.

I will say her knee replacement story might scare you if you are awaiting a knee replacement but it’s important to read the whole book to see the reasons it might have gone so wrong for her and she offers advice near the end to help you decide if it’s right for you or not. I appreciate that she doesn’t just say don’t do it despite her experience, but that she realizes it’s different for everyone.

The end of the book she gives a large list of things to try for chronic pain and why you shouldn’t give up on them even though they are simple. She also answers questions about her book and situation.

This book was helpful for two reasons:

1. I felt heard as a chronic pain warrior, I’m not alone.
2. I was given something to think about when deciding if a knee replacement is right for me.

Buy Bent But Not Broken at Amazon.com