The sexual politics of a faculty wives dinner. The psychological gamesmanship of an inappropriate therapist. The emotional minefield of an extended family wedding . . . <br>&#160;<br>Whatever the subject, Emily Fox Gordon&rsquo;s disarmingly personal essays are an art form unto themselves&mdash;reflecting and revealing, like mirrors in a maze, the seemingly endless ways a woman can lose herself in the modern world. With piercing humor and merciless precision, Gordon zigzags her way through &ldquo;the unevolved paradise&rdquo; of academia, with its dying breeds of bohemians, adulterers, and flirts, then stumbles through the perils and pleasures of psychotherapy, hoping to find a narrative for her life. Along the way, she encounters textbook feminists, partying philosophers, perfectionist moms, and an unlikely kinship with Kafka&mdash;in a brilliant collection of essays that challenge our sacred institutions, defy our expectations, and define our lives.