THE DIVA DOCTRINE

Davis (Harlot’s Sauce, 2008) gives cheerful advice for young women.

Confidence is the only thing a diva should ever fake, writes the author, who certainly isn’t lacking in confidence of her own. Her latest book lists 16 life principles for women. Much of that advice is milder than one would expect from a book with the word “Diva” in the title, and some of it is thoroughly predictable. Built around a blog post Davis wrote to a younger friend who was experiencing self-esteem problems, entitled “From An Older Woman To A Younger One,” the books reads much like an extended blog post with personal ramblings and a bit of ranting. The author writes that her advice is suitable for all ages, but the style is aimed at a younger audience—e.g., her joke that middle-aged parents really do have sex. Davis also offers advice on friendship, but make of it what you will. She allowed a 20-year friendship to end when her friend “morphed into an alien,” but suggests that they were friends for the wrong reasons from the start. Davis is at her best when providing adult examples that can empower women, such as her own story of embracing risk to begin a business in Greece. She also advises women to take charge of their own finances. Well-intentioned, but nowhere near the deepest read on the shelf.