My Passion for Design by Barbra Streisand

A successful woman with oodles of money and time creates her own world to live in, down to the last bud on the last flower. Not since Joan Crawford published her advice books 40 years ago have we had a book written by someone so out of touch with the "real" world.

My Passion for Design is indeed stuffed with colorful photos and spreads to illustrate her gardens, rooms, closets, etc.; passages of comments from the author pop up throughout. Does she know what she talks about? Yes. Names, dates, and searches for what she wants are ponderously detailed. The issue is that only 0.02% of people can use this information. Can I whip out my checkbook and spend millions on chickens to lay green eggs? Or hire gardeners to come over and debate the nature of the color red for the perfect rose? In this economy, few people outside her fanbase of rabid fans are likely to buy this book.

One wonders if she makes her husband maintain his white hair so as not to clash with the decor. . . .

What could have saved the book from the cutout bin? Tone down the author's search for the perfect doorknob (hip readers will get my AbFab reference) and instead feature sections on "here is what you can do to spruce up your home and gardens with a limited budget. If I can do it, so can you with my help!" That way the average reader could relate to her and her book.

Ultimately, this is a handsome-looking book about. . . nothing at all.

I won't buy this book