When You Lie About Your Age the Terrorists Win: Reflections on Looking in the Mirror    by Carol Leifer Order:  USA  Can Villard, 2010 (2010) Softcover Read an Excerpt      Reviewed by Hilary Williamson I knew from its title that Carol Leifer's When You Lie About Your Age the Terrorists Win: Reflections on Looking in the Mirror was going to be funny, but I didn't expect it to be so wise, or so engrossing. I picked it up casually, planning to take in a paragraph or two, and ended up reading cover to cover. Leifer begins with her father, 'the reason I wanted to be funny and become a comedian and a comedy writer', and returns to him often. Her comment on his loss - 'that's the thing that truly sucks about death - no forwarding address' - resonated with me as I continually want to tell my dead father about books he would enjoy. Indeed I like her attitude to death in general. Leifer reminds us, 'This ends. We end' and asks 'why are you getting an eye job when eyes are supposed to crinkle up on the sides when you laugh?' Hear, hear! She makes another excellent point about being anti-scalpel - 'People don't come out so good'. It's a good mix of humor with serious topics - coming out; the joys of parenting; the rewards of loving animals; young women's lack of activism; 'A Dozen Things Men Should Know (but Most Don't'; a brush with breast cancer after a test where the technician 'quickly morphs into an X-ray machine-wielding S&M dominatrix'; the benefits of aging into 'I know who I am and know what I want'; how to let go of loved ones; and sharing the rich tapestry of life. Leifer finishes with 'the beauties of getting older' and getting through many things we used to fear - 'The bogeyman finally comes out from under the bed, and he's old and fat and just wanted a cookie.' If you're suffering the January blahs, or the blues at any time of year, pick up When You Lie About Your Age the Terrorists Win and look into Carol Leifer's mirror. You just might see your own face looking back. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more NonFiction books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews