It's a Don's Life

Delightful ... it has the virtues of brevity, eclecticism and learning worn lightly ... Beard is a very funny and penetrating commentator on academic life - and has a fantastic knack for controversy. If they'd had Mary Beard on their side back then, the Romans would still have their empire -- Sam Leith * Daily Mail *
Enjoyable ... Beard is an exuberant communicator -- Dinah Birch * Observer *
Sharply observed, often hilarious slices of academic life -- Charlotte Higgins * Guardian *
Beard's studies of bygone times are infused with a peppering of wit that is unusual in an academic work, but given free rein here -- Julian Fleming * Sunday Business Post *
This collection of her posts is pithy and engaging. The casual, humorous tone is seemingly informal. But the rhythm and cadence of the short blog have been honed to a fine art ... Beard remains self-deprecatory, invigoratingly sane and zestful -- Frances Spalding * Independent *
The marvellously educative, hilarious It's a Don's Life by Mary Beard, the blogging queen -- Jane Gardam * Daily Telegraph *
Beard has a spry, pithy, conversational style ... a diverting read -- Edmund Gordon * Sunday Times *
Well-written, in short column-length bursts, it's the thinking person's loo book -- Alastair Mabbott * Glasgow Herald *
It's a Don's Life is, by turns, enlightening, funny, outrageous * Weekend Australian *