PositiveThe Irish Independent\"It’s a fascinating portrait of American capitalism and gives readers an opportunity to peer into the finances of others ... At times, the anecdotes from her life can feel a little awkward. When her mother needs care, Chalabi says she thought of everything to pay for private support, including \'marrying a rich bastard\' — a statement that seems oddly generic and cliched ... It’s a vocal, passionate book that takes aim at the one percent and those who occupy the ever tinier percentiles of more extreme wealth. Chalabi argues for a fairer system that would put less pressure on everyone, rather than the current version of capitalism, which keeps us \'running and running and running.\'\
MixedThe Irish Independent (IRE)Slobodian and Tarnoff probe Musk’s business decisions and public statements. Their more abstract focus keeps Musk the character at arm’s length and makes the account a little dry ... Reminds us of Musk’s pernicious and often shameless influence on recent history. ... In all, Muskism: A Guide for the Perplexed reiterates, if that were needed, just how extreme and volatile Musk’s worldview is. It is the opposite of reassuring.
RaveIrish Independent (IRE)This memoir is an astonishing tour de force, blending Dunham’s characteristic self-revelation with her compellingly quirky voice ... Through most of the ups and downs of her account, Dunham’s weird humour prevails ... Full of fun lines, strange scandals and drama, recounted with Dunham’s unique levels of self-disclosure and honesty.
Mary Ann Sieghart
RaveThe Irish Independent (IRE)The book is enormously authoritative, knitting together academic studies with interviews of leading public figures ... turns up a raft of disturbing findings ... Sieghart is at her best when writing about politics ... Sieghart writes with empathy, clarity and passion. She admits that when she took a test for bias, even she fell short, and her results showed up preconceptions about men’s and women’s roles. It’s a trap we are all likely to fall into, as society unconsciously shapes our views ... Why is it important to push back against these tendencies? Sieghart’s evidence builds towards a compelling argument for women and men alike.
Deborah Levy
RaveThe Irish Independent (IRE)In this relatively short book, Levy offers a stream of profound observations ... dripping with quickness of wit and poetry. Somehow, even the simplest of household items are made beautiful, and acquire a meditative presence in the narrative ... Levy’s exceptional clarity of thought takes readers from Greece to feminism to motherhood, from New York and Paris to patriarchy ... far more than a memoir. It is a rich portrayal of what Levy says she values most – not exclusive residences and private property, but \'real human relations and imagination\'.
