Non-fiction book reviews part 10 - Barbie, inspirational comics and a different perspective on houses

 This is part ten in a series of non-fiction book reviews, based on the idea that the books I request tell you everything you need to know about me. Today we have an authorised (uncritical) history of Barbie, comics about anxiety and abandoned houses in Japan.

Worry Lines: You're Doing Really Well Given the Circumstances (Releases 7 May 2024)

I am old enough to remember when they started releasing books made up largely of blog posts. Now we've reached the stage of releasing books made up of instagram posts. Worry lines is very cute and has some lovely and sometimes profound things to say, but (with the exception of the introduction) it feels like each page is a direct lift from an insta post. So each page is a self-contained thought, which makes it all a bit hectic.

The introduction is great, a whole uplifting story over multiple pages, and shows how much better this could have been if it was an original concept, rather than an instagram account. That said, this would be a nice gift for a sad or anxious friend.

Free Houses in Japan: The True Story of How I Make Money DIY Renovating Abandoned Homes by Anton Wörmann | Goodreads (Release date 9 November 2023)

This one is from  YouTuber and intagrammer Anton Worman. I thought it was going to be a memoir, but it's actually a how to guide. Not how Anton makes money bu buying and renovating houses, but how we can too. I don't really want to become a house renovator, here or elsewhere, so many of the details (how to get internet in Japan for example) were not particularity interesting to me. Despite this Anton is an engaging writer, and now I follow him on Instagram because, while I don't want to renovate anything, watching someone else do it is quite fun. The book itself is a quite detailed "how to" guide, interspersed with anecdotes and facts about Japanese culture and Anton's experiences as a model, renovator and landlord. It is a little repetitious, but would be a valuable resource if you want to go down the path of buying a house in Japan. 

Barbie: Her inspiration, History and Legacy, Robin Gerber (releasing 16 April 2024) 

The thing to know going in is that this is not a critical book. It was "created in partnership" with Mattel, the giant toy company that owns Barbie. I knew that going in. It does not examine Barbie critically in relation to capitalism, consumerism, body image, gender politics or anything but the most basic, 90s style feminism - you can be anything, while wearing high heels. Yay? Which was what I was expecting. What I was not expecting is this reads as a marketing book about marketing and the history of marketing, as much as about Barbie. It's gets a bit weird in places. The chapter about "diversity and inclusion" is all about how society is getting more diverse and so is Barbie. I particularly squirmed at the phrase "differently abled". The disabled community has passed judgement on that one, and it's not OK. I definitely had questions when the book brags that Barbie now comes in "petite and curvy" dolls, because heaven forfend we have use honest words like short or fat (or worse, short and fat). I didn't want to read this book with a critical eye, I wasn't expecting a feminist manifesto. But I walked away feeling a bit icky after reading this reactionary marketing speak. There were some pretty photos.