The Full Catastrophe is an interesting collection of life’s interposed dramas written by Australian contemporary authors, comedians, TV presenters and cartoonists.

Each of the 32 contributors convey their own catastrophic personal experiences, in short four-to-five page chapters with almost disbelief that these traumas should happen to them.

You will read about Annabel Crabb’s Russian interference in the birth of her first baby, Juanita Phillips’ ghost, Kate McClymont’s management of mobsters, Emma Alberici’s brush with the ABC Chairman, Jeremy Fernandez’s frozen curries in his airport bag, Wendy Harmer and her Greek tragedy, Cathy Wilcox and her uncontrollable bowels in Paris and Robbie Buck’s attempt at 19 years of age to become a real man. These are just a few of the many catastrophes that readers will readily identify with.

I found this to be a very funny and enjoyable book, packed into 200 pages of everyday life, and in a great format that made it a good bed-time read.

Reviewed by David Clive