When You Need a Lift

Joy Behar and 101 of her friends, associates, and role models share what they do when they get the blues. Their thoughts and strategies range from merely funny to personal and profound, and serve as an uplifting reminder that almost anyone can climb out of a bad mood if they want to. Go shopping, laugh, cook something delicious, call a friend, connect with animals, listen to music, or get away from home are some of the more familiar ideas offered by a combination of well-known and not-so-well-known people. Both David Drummond and Renée Raudman offer enjoyable, perfectly laid-back performances. Both their voices have enough appeal and contrast to carry listeners through the occasional segment that is less than interesting or inspiring. T.W. (c) AudioFile 2009, Portland, Maine

September 17, 2007
Behar, cohost of ABCs "The View, " doesnt have any advice of her own to dispense. Instead, she offers brief personal essays from more than 100 of her best friends (childrens author David A. Adler and comedian Anne Meara among them). These mood boosters include I look at my friend Chip deMatteos eighth grade picture (Bruce Hornsby) and My remedy is my ukulele. I sit and strum my blues away (Tony Danza). Danielle Broussard is a big believer in the idea that there is very little that a new pair of shoes and a Klondike bar cant fix. At best, those like Regis Philbin remind us that exercise reduces stress and releases endorphins. In the end, perhaps the best advice comes from actor Richard Anderson, The world is imperfect. Be cognitive. Work hard. Stay out of politics. But you might have figured that one out on your own. "(Sept.)" .

May 15, 2008
Surveying over 100 famous friends, Behar, a cohost of ABC's "The View", offers their personal strategies for beating the blues. Comfort food is the most proffered solution; exercise and getting into nature are also highly recommended. There seems to be some agreement that when nothing else works, "doing something kind for someone else" is the best solution. Only one person mentions that depression can be a serious illness needing professional help. While this compilation is not bad advice, anyone surveying 100 friends would probably get the same kind of response. Too much of a hybrid to be either good comedy or good self-help, this program, read by Renée Raudman and David Drummond, is recommended as an optional purchase for public libraries serving voracious celebrity watchers; it is not recommended for self-help collections. [Behar is the "New York Times" best-selling author of "Sheetzucacapoopoo" and "Joy Shtick".Ed.]Kathleen Sullivan, Phoenix P.L.

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