Ok, I do use this book in my memoir-writing class. It's not my favorite book to quote from, but it is pop culture. ( )

Teri Hatcher secured her place in America’s heart when she stood up to accept her Golden Globe for Best Actress and declared herself a "has-been" on national television. That moment showcased her down-to-earth, self-deprecating style -- and her frank openness about the ups and downs she’s experienced in life and work.

But what the world might not have seen that night is that Teri’s self-acceptance is the hard-won effort of a single mother with all the same struggles most women have to juggle -- life, love, bake sale cookies, and dying cats. Now, in the hope that her foibles and insights might inspire and motivate other women, Teri opens up about the little moments that have sustained her through good times and bad.

From the everyday (like the importance of letting your daughter spill her macaroni so she knows it’s okay to make mistakes) to the rare (a rendezvous with a humpback whale -- and no, he was not a suitor), the message at the heart of Burnt Toast -- that happiness and success are choices that we owe it to ourselves to make -- is sure to resonate with women everywhere. ( )

I love memoirs and biographies, so of course being a huge Desperate Housewives fan I picked up this book. I really, really, really wanted to love this book! I obviously should have realized that since part of the title is "And Other Philosophies," that it was not a memoir but more of an inspirational book. Her "philosophies" are very elementary and something I like to call common sense! I was originally going to give this book 2 stars but being a Desperate Housewives and Susan fan, I gave in and rated this book a 3. Yes, this book did make me laugh out loud here and there but not enough to overlook how much this book dragged on... I was continuously waiting for the light bulb to switch on or for some great epiphany to smack me upside the head. This book left me disappointed and feeling unsatisfied. ( )

If you want to know how much time Teri Hatcher has spent crying on her kitchen floor, read this book. Probably offers better advice for mothers than what I got out of it as she focuses on that aspect of her life a good deal. It's written more as a 'life lessons' kind of book than a memoir - you don't really learn a whole lot about her life - other than the crying on the floor parts. Yes, it was kind of interesting, but easy to put down between chapters. ( )

This book was so annoying! I found it full of contridictions and whining. I feel sorry for Teri Hatcher but the constant 'woe is me' attitude got grating. It does get points for the few entertaining non-whining stories and it was easy to read. I'd suggest it for a plane ride--it will kill time without too much thinking. I really wanted to enjoy this book, but the attitiude didn't work for me. ( )