FROM OUR EDITORS

The Barnes & Noble Review
The idea for a ￯﾿ﾽSatellite Sisters￯﾿ﾽ￯﾿ﾽ radio show was spawned in the depths of a mud bath during a sisters-only weekend at a California resort. The next thing Julie, Liz, Sheila, Monica, and Lian Dolan -- who have among them ￯﾿ﾽtwo parents, three brothers, thirty-five cousins, five kids, six nieces and nephews, three current and former husbands and ten in-laws" -- knew, they were on the air with one of PRI￯﾿ﾽs most popular call-in radio shows. From the days when they fought over the last pork chop and the family￯﾿ﾽs single telephone through the ￯﾿ﾽtransition years￯﾿ﾽ of sleeping on each other￯﾿ﾽs couches throughout 39 cities and becoming corporate dynamos (among many other vocations), they￯﾿ﾽve learned a thing or two. One is, as their Grandmother Klarman used to say, ￯﾿ﾽMany hands make light work.￯﾿ﾽ

So make your own load a little lighter with these wise words from the Dolan sisters, because in Uncommon Senses you￯﾿ﾽll learn all about what it takes to make the decisions demanded by all those potentially crazy-making situations and opportunities that come up in life. Should you move to a place far from home where you don￯﾿ﾽt know a soul? What will you serve at Thanksgiving this year? Is it time to settle down and get married? How can you best prepare for delayed flights and lost baggage? What career path should you pursue? How do you handle dating after a divorce? They say it all comes back to using and developing your uncommon senses.

What are these uncommon senses, you ask? See below: A sense of connection: how you coordinate a family gathering. You make sure you have that ￯﾿ﾽbuffer guest￯﾿ﾽ lined up. A sense of self: how you handle responsibility and do your part. You add paper to the office copy machine. (Make sure to read the story ￯﾿ﾽCarry Your Own Skis￯﾿ﾽ by Lian Dolan.) A sense of humor: how you become a ￯﾿ﾽfunseeker￯﾿ﾽ and not a ￯﾿ﾽfunsucker.￯﾿ﾽ You learn to make the best of any situation. A sense of adventure: how you make those life-changing leaps. You know it￯﾿ﾽs time to leave your job and you do. A sense of direction: how you find your way in life. ￯﾿ﾽWhile it was important to have good role models, I also had to listen to my heart as well -- and my fashion sense.￯﾿ﾽ Pass this book along to the Satellite Sisters in your own life. And throw in a batch of your fabulous triple fudge brownies, too... (Jennifer Forman)

FROM THE PUBLISHER

There are the five senses you're born with, and then there are the five uncommon senses you acquire when you grow up in a large family (5 sisters + 3 brothers = 8 children) that prepare you for life in the real world. Big Family Wisdom, if you will.

The Satellites have identified the uncommon senses as: A Sense of Connection; A Sense of Self; A Sense of Humor; A Sense of Adventure; and A Sense of Direction.

Therefore, there are five chapters in the book, one chapter per sense. Each chapter begins with an opening essay by one of the sisters, and then is comprised of various pieces by the sisters that expand on the definition of the sense. Their essays mine the wealth of anecdotes from their childhood and their modern lives, showing off their individual personalities, their distinct points-of-view, and their unique comic voices. Besides the lists, recipes, quiz questions, and position papers sprinkled throughout the chapters adding punch and variety, this book makes for a terrifically engaging reading experience. You need not be familiar with the radio show at all to appreciate the wonderfulness of this book.

About the Authors

Satellite Sisters was born when the five Dolan sisters—Julie, Liz, Sheila, Monica, and Lian—set out to create some work they could do together that celebrated the importance of sisterhood and friendship. Singing and dancing were out of the question, but talking seemed like something they could pull off, and so a radio show hit the air on April Fool's Day 2000. Produced with partners WNYC Radio, Oregon Public Broadcasting, and Public Radio International, Satellite Sisters has become one of the fastest-growing new programs on public radio, heard on stations across the country. Satellite Sisters' Uncommon Senses is the Dolan sisters' first book, but Lian has several unsold screenplays in her drawer and Sheila still has her high school poetry.

Among them, the Satellite Sisters have two parents, three brothers, two husbands, five children, four dogs, and no cats. They live in Bangkok, New York, Portland, and Los Angeles.

FROM THE CRITICS

Publishers Weekly

The Dolans are known to listeners of PRI as the engaging Satellite Sisters, living in four cities on two continents, who have a weekly on-air conversation about topics that people really talk about, from clearing up bad credit to finding a breast lump. Having grown up in a family of 10, they believe their experiences have given them a unique perspective on how to get along in life. In their tenuously connected reminiscences, lists of dos and don'ts and even a few recipes, the women advise readers to develop their five "uncommon senses" those senses being connection, self, humor, adventure and devotion. Each sister's life story emerges from her brief essays. Julie, the oldest, lives in Bangkok and has dealt with a dozen household moves during her married life. Liz, usually the sensible one, left a powerful corporate job to "get a life" by pursuing the nonprofit road. Sheila and Monica, closest in age, have been best friends and rivals since childhood, and Lian, the youngest sister, relates the perks and trials of being the baby girl. The authors extol the advantages of a large family, but readers may wonder about the unmentioned, inevitable disadvantages, such as the amount of attentive nurturing their parents could give them, or the resentment older children may have felt when forced into a parenting role. While the appeal and popularity of the Satellite Sisters' radio program is undeniable, on the printed page their collective wisdom is limited. There is nothing wildly entertaining or groundbreaking here, but there are many readers (and radio listeners) out there who won't care, and this book will make them laugh. Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

Library Journal

Springing from their weekly one-hour Public Radio show, this book brings the Dolan sisters' words of wisdom to the printed page. From New York, Portland, L.A., and Bangkok, the Dolans connect once a week via satellite hook-up to chat live among themselves and with callers about any topic that arises. In their book, they share stories of birthday parties, holidays with 25 cousins, vacations, trips, college, and divorce. The book also fills in the blanks regarding the authors' personal lives, telling how growing up in a family of eight has given them a gift of gab that they heartily exploit. Features in O magazine and Good Housekeeping will fuel interest in this feel-good book. For public libraries. Lisa Wise, Broome Cty. P.L., Binghamton, NY Copyright 2001 Cahners Business Information.

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