"I Don't Know How She Does It" by Allison Pearson

I really enjoyed this book. It's entirely possible that we will never have children, but I will be working in the field of Marriages families and children-- so I figure it's important for me to do some "fieldwork."

The protagonist of this book is a workaholic who wants the best of both worlds. I can see how having a high-power, high-pressure job and being a mother are incredibly incompatible. Pearson hits on a lot of the things that go on in homes and in the workplace that make me feel like sexism is far from dead.

What did I learn? Families all run differently and there is a particular challenge to being a female breadwinner.

The only disappointing part of this book was that in the end, she gives up her high-power job. Having a husband, a nanny and a cleaner, she still finds it impossible to be a mother and an executive at the same time. It seems like with better help, she could accomplish all of her tasks more successfully.

Another thing worth noting is how she almost has an affair with a client she's emailing with. They send one another "love" letters and have drinks when she's in New York. Where I am now I can't imagine wanting to have an affair at all, but given the relationship that Kate has with Richard, I can see why it was tempting.

All in all, an enjoyable read.

"Love's Executioner" by Irving Yalom.

As my first book on my very exciting book blog, Yalom's book of short stories about his life as a psychiatrist was meaningful and awesome. Tarver has asked me what exactly I learned from the book. Mostly, I gained entrance into a therapy room. Besides the few I've been in for my own mental pains, I haven't seen how therapists work besides in the movies. And sometimes (believe it or not) the therapy sessions in the movies aren't exactly accurate.

Yalom talks a lot about the role of the therapist and his process. Whether or not he refers people into group therapy, or continues their therapy schedule or works on it himself. I think it's a book I would read again and again and again.

It was like a nice tour of therapy. I'm pretty happy about it. :)