The BlackBerry Diaries: Adventures in Modern Motherhood

The BlackBerry, says Kathy Buckworth in her witty new book, is truly the "whining toddler of technology," constantly buzzing, poking, and distracting its owner from whatever it is she’s trying to accomplish. In this way, it bears an uncanny resemblance to the uncooperative two-year-old hanging off a mother’s leg at the Motor Vehicle office. And is that BlackBerry holster really any different from a Baby Bjorn? No, according to the author. When either squeaks, Mom jumps. Still not convinced? Consider Buckworth’s irrefutable facts: Both "start up” upon entering the washroom. Both go off in the middle of the night, even when they’re supposedly turned off. Both require time alone plugged into a one-way communication device to be recharged: for the BlackBerry, it’s the USB cord; for the kid, the television set or GameCube. This comic guide to the travails of new motherhood shows the acclaimed humorist at her best.