True Lies: The Book of Bad Advice — Mariko Tamaki

The unsuspecting public is in for a treat in this book as Mariko Tamaki shares humour, sensitivity, love, joy, pain, social commentary, and complaints (about everything and everyone and all places, spaces, evens and things). Her in-your-face humorous commentary on social life is innovative, clever, intelligent, artistic and sweet. The sweetness comes at the reader in a subliminal way, so that it is upon reflection that the warmth from the heart washes over you. Tamaki's love of the world and the people in it shines in her work. Even as she takes pot shots at social behaviour, there lies at the core of the work a feeling of deep, soft love. One moment, you will howl with laughter until the tears run from your eyes. By the next line of True Lies, you will find yourself reflecting on the social implications of the topics Tamaki raises. This writer's gift as an orator and writer lies in her capacity to disarm the reader, using humour as a great leveller. She brings the reader face to face with idosyncracies, prejudices, conservatism, hostilities, narrowness of vision and all of the small (and large) negative behaviours that make life difficult.