All About Love

I don't know much about bell hooks, I just happened to pull this book off the shelf because I recognized her name as a controversial author. I had no real intention of doing anything other than thumbing through the book to see what it was about. I couldn't put it down.

hooks' writing flows wonderfully. Her honesty and vulnerability is apparent on just about every page. Her own insights on love combined with the quotations from the broad collection of voices she pulls together are beautifully orchestrated. I especially appreciated her discussion of the importance of family and community. I also enjoyed her thoughts on her spirituality and how it's evolved over her lifetime.

I don't think this is necessarily a groundbreaking book, but I certainly feel uplifted after having read it. So, maybe hooks is controversial elsewhere but, by and large, this book exemplifies the ethos of the “Love Song to the Nation” series that it's part of.