Official Review: Barbra Streisand: On the Couch

Rosemary Okoko · Post by **Rosemary Okoko** » 12 Aug 2017, 07:50

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of an ARC (Advanced Review Copy) of "Barbra Streisand: On the Couch" by Alma H. Bond, Ph.D.. Because it is an ARC, the published copy has been edited.]

3 out of 4 stars

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The book, Barbra Streisand: On the Couch, is written by Alma H. Bond, Ph.D. It is an interview given in a first person perspective by Dr. Darcy Dale, a psychoanalyst, who had the opportunity to have Barbra Streisand, the renowned singer, actress and movie director, as her patient. Barbra takes us through the journey of her life with a lot of humor that overshadows the sadness it comes with.

Barbra had a difficult childhood. She grew up believing that she was ugly because she was told so by those around her. Her mother discouraged her from undertaking her career because she was too ugly to be an actress. She recalls her stepfather buying ice cream for all her friends and leaving her out because she was ugly. This pained her so much that she now makes sure she has coffee ice cream stocked in her refrigerator at all times. Barbra lets us in on her rise to stardom, touching on her career, love life, motherhood and marriage. Acting in the movie, Funny Girl, as Fanny, was so familiar that she felt like she was acting her life experience.This book is a very enjoyable roller coaster ride of her life.

Dr. Dale is as funny as Barbra herself and this has contributed to making this book a page turner. I enjoyed reading this book and did not want to put it down. This book is very educative. It gives the effects of child neglect. Barbra developed tinnitus as a child and only got cured of it in adulthood when she had a dream about receiving love from her mother who had shown her hatred all along. A child grows up to be insecure if they were shown hatred. In this book, Barbra put negative energy behind her and embraced determination to achieve her dreams. If one has a dream, focus is the key to achieving those dreams regardless of the negativity received from those around them. This book helped me learn what psychoanalysts do. I got to know Barbra better and empathized with her.

It was rather obvious that if one has a problem they should talk about it in order to get over it and find closure on the matter. What matters is the approach taken. I learned that not all psychoanalysts are the same. Some may have effective remedies, and others may not. Barbra was disappointed that 30 years of visiting different psychoanalysts did not change her life. Her sessions with Dr. Dale eventually gave her closure.

Even though I enjoyed reading this book, I faced obstacles. The book I downloaded was not well formatted. Some lines had a single word. There were misplaced quotation marks and some sentences had omitted words. Reading this book with these minor errors did not detract from the interview.

I rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. I wish the author had sought professional editing for this lovely book. For this reason, I cannot give it 4 stars. I cannot give it a lower rating because it is a very educative book.

I recommend this book to people who have had a tough childhood as they will be able to relate to it. I also recommend it to anyone who would like to know Barbra Streisand’s real life story and those who would like to know about psychoanalysis.

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Barbra Streisand: On the Couch
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Quinto · Post by **Quinto** » 16 Aug 2017, 08:52

Wow! Lovely review. I gather this was an enjoyable read about the celebrity. Personally,it resonated. Viewing their current big persona, you would not imagine they had a rough childhood. Much less coming from a stepfather or biological mother! I need this book, if only for the inspiration.Thanks.

juliusotinyo · Post by **juliusotinyo** » 16 Aug 2017, 09:09

She rose to become one of the highest paid women in the entertainment industry. What a feat despite her background, thanks for the review.

Kelebogile Mbangi · Post by **Kelebogile Mbangi** » 16 Aug 2017, 10:24

Wow I knew none of this about Barbra! This sounds like a book I could enjoy. My mom and I love Barbra. Thanks for the review Rosemary.

Rosemary Okoko · Post by **Rosemary Okoko** » 17 Aug 2017, 00:20

Thank you for your comments. This book is a real page turner. I am happy Barbra achieved her dreams.

Anirudh Badri · Post by **Anirudh Badri** » 17 Aug 2017, 15:01

Looking at the interaction between a patient and her psychiatrist seems fascinating. Too bad about the formatting though. I find it extremely painful to read books that are badly formatted.

Rosemary Okoko · Post by **Rosemary Okoko** » 17 Aug 2017, 20:50

Thank you Anirudh for reading and commenting. The formatting was bad in the copy i downloaded. I hope the author will have it professionally edited to get more readers.

Manang Muyang · Post by **Manang Muyang** » 20 Aug 2017, 08:01

All I knew about Barbra was that she always had stage fright at the start of every concert. I wonder if this was a result of her ugly childhood. I also wonder if this fear has been overcome with Dr. Dale's help. I am anxious to read this book and eavesdrop on Barbra's couch confessions.

Thanks for sharing your helpful analysis, DR Rosemary Okoko! (DR for Dedicated Reviewer)

Rosemary Okoko · Post by **Rosemary Okoko** » 20 Aug 2017, 11:06

Thank you Miriam Molina for the new title. I really do appreciate! I know that you will not regret reading this one. Go for it!

lizasulit64 · Post by **lizasulit64** » 20 Aug 2017, 18:23

Wow ! Its a lovely review. This was an enjoiyable read about her.You would not imagine that she had a rough childhood .Thanks its inspirational.

Rosemary Okoko · Post by **Rosemary Okoko** » 21 Aug 2017, 00:31

Thank you lizasulit64 for stopping by and leaving a comment. I appreciate!The book is very inspirational. Hope you read it.

ritah · Post by **ritah** » 21 Aug 2017, 10:26

Wow, I didn't know all of that about Barbra. It's sad what she had to go through esp as a child. Thanks for the review.

Rosemary Okoko · Post by **Rosemary Okoko** » 21 Aug 2017, 13:12

Thank you ritah. Very sad indeed.

Izesicle · Post by **Izesicle** » 21 Aug 2017, 22:36

Hello, as thanks for frequently commenting on my reviews and contributing to my scorecard, I've shared this review on my social media. I hope you don't mind.

The Researcher · Post by **The Researcher** » 21 Aug 2017, 23:50

Nice review Rosemary! The books has many emotional roller coasters according to your review and the lesson it teaches is also profound. I am definitely going to read this book.