Full Title:
How Full is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life 

Age Group:
Adult and Child

Genre:
Non-Fiction, Self-Improvement, Science, Sociology

Summary:
If you can imagine the metaphor of a bucket, then you can re-imagine your life! When your bucket is full and when you actively fill the buckets of others, you are on the road to drastically reducing negativity in your life and discovering true happiness.

In this collaborative effort, Rath and Clifton share with readers their philosophy on life. When we “dip” from the life buckets of others, no one benefits. But when we take the time to share positivity, to tell people how much they matter – to make every moment count – we are taking action to improve our relationships, health, and productivity.

My Thoughts:
In simple, straightforward language, Rath and Clifton unveil a unique and compelling attitude toward personal fulfillment. What I liked about this book is its accessibility. How Full is Your Bucket? is succinct and pleasant to read. It is free from theoretical jargon, with an inspiring focus on positive strategies.

This book is an uplifting choice for anyone who is looking for deeper satisfaction in their life!

Borrow How Full is Your Bucket? Positive Strategies for Work and Life from your local Vaughan Library today! For the little ones in your family, try How Full is Your Bucket? For kids.

Full Title:
Love Times Three: Our True Story of a Polygamous Marriage

With:
Brooke Adams

Age Group:
Adult

Genre:
American, Autobiography, Memoir, Non-fiction, Religion

Summary:
Meet Joe, Alina, Vicki and Valerie – a modern family with a twist! As Independent Fundamentalist Mormoms, polygamy is a key tenet of faith for the Darger family, who share their home with their 23 combined children. Alina, Vicki and Valerie are all “married” to Joe but he is only legally married to Alina. On the same day he also “married” Vicki. Some years later Vicki’s twin sister Valerie joined the family with her five children after experiencing a painful divorce.

The family, who experienced their fair share of hardships over the years, shares with readers the beginning of their families and their desire to be accepted in society. In an attempt to educate readers and de-stigmatize their lifestyle, the Dargers open up about all aspects of their lives, including jealousy, discrimination and many more personal challenges.

My Thoughts:
For fans of the TV shows Big Love or Sister Wives, Love Times Three is the next step toward making sense of a lifestyle that is both fascinating and immensely varied. Although this certainly was not the most well written book, it did not disappoint in its exploration of polygamy, providing a well rounded foundation of religious beliefs, in addition to the inevitable challenges of living the lifestyle.

The Dargers are a likeable family who reveal numerous details about their lives. From what I could tell, they are genuinely happy. At the end of the book, some of their eldest children share their thoughts on growing up in a polygamist family, and their opinion on carrying on the lifestyle. This is an interesting read from a human interest standpoint and definitely worth a check!

Borrow Love Times Three: Our true story of a polygamous marriage from your local Vaughan library today!

***************NATIONAL BESTSELLER***************

Full Title:
As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl

Genre:
Non-Fiction, Biography, Canadian, Gender Identity, Historical, Journalism, Mental Health, Science, Social Commentary

Summary:
In 1967, following a baby boy’s botched circumcision, his family agrees to surgically alter the boy to live as a girl. From there, Bruce became Brenda and under the vigilance of renowned doctor John Money, Brenda was nurtured to enjoy feminine things, such as wearing frilly dresses and helping her mom in the kitchen. Lauded as an indisputable success by the influential Money, Brenda’s case was revered in the medical community and became the impetus for future infant sex re-assignments.

But everything didn’t turn out perfectly for Brenda. Knowing that something was not quite right with her body, Brenda struggled to fit in with her peers at school. She was rough and tumble and never truly identified with girls. She would beat up her twin brother and play with her brother’s toys rather than her own dolls. Brenda turned into a despondent, angry child. Her grades slipped and she became increasingly wary of medical professionals, especially Money.

Finally at the age of fourteen, Brenda reverted back to the gender that she always felt at her core: boy. Narrowly evading suicide, Brenda became David, and went on to face corrective surgery, get married and raise three children.

The experiment that inspired generations of medical professionals was suddenly a failure. David, determined to save other children from the same fate, was finally able to face the world and share his sad story and his indomitable will to survive.

My Thoughts:
Fascinating topic for a book! You might remember David Reimer’s amazing story from a late 1990s episode of Oprah. Reimer’s life will make you think twice about gender identity politics. Following the debate surrounding nature vs. nurture, David’s case and others like him reveal that boys and girls are not always “made.”

Colapinto’s novel is at times less of a biography of Reimer, and more of a broader ethical discussion of infant sex-reassignment surgery. His journalism is painstakingly detailed and his stance is clear. At times, Colapinto’s portrayal of Money can be a little one-dimensional. Money is vilified as a staunchly stubborn and even perverse doctor. But after all the facts are revealed, you can’t help but feel that Colapinto is quite justified in his conclusions.

Borrow As Nature Made Him: The Boy Who Was Raised as a Girl from your local Vaughan library today!