Rating: 
Summary: Ups and Downs
Review: The author does a great job alternating between the funny and the sad. It's a life story ride that is just wild enough to make you almost forget it's real. The same kind of book as Running With Scissors and My Fractured Life.
Rating:
Summary: My favorite book of the year
Review: The review in New York Times Book Review, page 5 (or so) piqued my interest. Got a copy and read an essay or two right away. Read another over a bowl of cheerios before going to bed. She's just a funny woman who tells a great and warm story. I've read them all now and find myself cracking up during the day, thinking about her stylish grandmother or her liitle penny pooper. I wish I could hear her take on my family.
Rating: 
Summary: Mildly amusing
Review: This book is a solid 2 stars. Mildly amusing and no more. I can recall one laugh-out-loud moment. Frankly, I've been starved for a really good book. I picked up four from the library, based on reviews I've read here. I hope one or two of the others are better. I hate wasting my valuable reading time on such mediocre material.
The theme of this book is "poor me" by a self-absorbed rich kid who was given everything in the world, and had a few upsetting moments, with which she filled this book. Save time and read the inside jacket cover only - all the best material is there, and there isn't any more. You can be done with it in 5 minutes.
Rating:
Summary: She's Not Afraid To Tell It Like It is. I Like that.
Review: This book is well written, funny and a quick read. It's the kind of book you can take on a plane and finish it (even with interruptions) on a cross-country flight, and the person sitting next to you either sneaks peaks or asks you if it's good when he finds you smiling or even chuckling. Or, if your husband is on the other side of you, you set the book on his tray table and say, "read this passage!" knowing fully well it will crack him up. I particularly appreciated the author's honesty and her willingness to share these stories. I feel it took courage to do so. Bravo Ms. Kaplan, and thanks for the laughs. What's next? Submitted by the author of I'm Living Your Dream Life, McKenna Publishing
Rating:
Summary: Ohmygod
Review: This book was HILARIOUS! I laughed outloud and called my book-loving friends to read passages to them. This book flows and I finished it immediately and wanted MORE!!! I cannot wait to read more by Cynthia Kaplan!
Rating:
Summary: I read it in 2 nights...
Review: This book was so much fun to read, that I finished it in 2 nights (and I'm not a fast reader). One reason I read it so quickly was because I could relate to almost every story she tells. Another was that it was laugh-out-loud-funny even when the subject matter was sad. I loved that she was honest about herself and the experiences most of us have gone through ourselves, whether it be her painful adolescence, her struggles with infertility, or how her newborn affected her marital relationship. It's not just that it was an extremely well written memoir with descriptions of people and places that took you into her world and held you there until the story was over, but also that it was just so enjoyable to read!
Rating: 
Summary: odd, but good book
Review: Why I'm Like This by Cynthia Kaplan is a laugh-out-loud and easy read book. Cynthia Kaplan writes a few essays on her life that just put you in a good mood. Kaplan talks about her grandmothers, her gadget obsessed father, her mother, the psychiatrist she sees when her boyfriend dumps her, and of course her wonderful one-year old son. Kaplan's stories are easy to understand and enjoyable because they relate to a human being's day to day life. Kaplan's stories can be uplifting and encouraging, but some can be sad and dull.
One thing I liked in the book was the way Kaplan expressed herself. She didn't hold back on the words she used, and she said just what she wanted. She used eccentric words to explain her stories. She also made jokes to entertain the reader and simply made you laugh at the way she would explain her family members, and the things that would happen to her on a daily basis. Another thing I liked about her stories was that they were encouraging. She made me realize what not to do in my life and what to do.
One thing I didn't like about the book was the fact that at the beginning of every story she had to write a paragraph that didn't really relate to her and confused the reader. I also didn't like the fact that she used big words. Even though the book was an easy read some words were tough. Even though I didn't like one thing about the book this doesn't mean I wouldn't recommend it. Overall the book was amazing. It was a comedy and I want to recommend it to anyone who hasn't yet read it.
Rating:
Summary: A Hilarious, Heartbreaking Great Journey into Kaplan's World
Review: _Why I'm Like This_ is a collection of personal essays by actress/writer Cynthia Kaplan. The subject matter is completely Kaplan's life, although, of course the stories encompass greater themes (growing older, motherhood, self-esteem, etc.). Throughout the book, we meet Kaplan as a child, Kaplan as a teenager, Kaplan in college, and Kaplan as an adult. She covers a multitude of subjects, ranging from the comical (Kaplan dealing with the unglamorous side of being an actor: being a waiter) to the heartbreaking (the incredible difficulty of putting a loved one in a nursing home and watching their decline). She is a good writer, although it is easy to detect a bit of arrogance in her writing. She is also very skilled at being funny and at always portraying her life from her unique perspective (as opposed to falling into a trap of portraying a typical scenario in a typical way). Kaplan also has a knack for capturing life events perfectly, so that it is easy to imagine experiencing something yourself, even if you have yet to experience to event (her essay on getting pregnant was especially vivid to me - another reviewer noted that Kaplan went over the top with this one, but I disagree - it goes into detail about fertility treatment, but I never once felt that it was too much; it was simply true to life).
There is no overall theme to this collection, except that they are Kaplan's life stories. There is also no lesson to be learned or bigger point to be made, which I liked very much, as the stories stand on their own. There are a lot of smaller themes that are consistent throughout the story, however. Also, I thought that it may be difficult for a reader to like this book if he or she could not identify or empathize with Kaplan's point of view. I found many of her experiences hilarious because I often act that way myself, have the same thoughts, etc. If a reader does not have this insight, or is unable to imagine it, he or she might find be unable to appreciate its finer points and its humor. Overally, however, I would say that this is a highly entertaining window into someone's daily existence.
| 
