In Sweet Revenge: The Wicked Delights of Getting Even, Regina Barreca takes us on a romp through the landscape of contemporary culture as she explores the dynamics of revenge, illustrating how revenge is meted out for everything from a ruined relationship to a ruined tablecloth.

With her trademark humor and intelligence, Barreca reminds us that we are sold revenge everyday in steady doses from advertising slogans like Clairol's Gorgeous Hair Is the Best Revenge to the stories of retribution that become box office hits such as Thelma & Louise, The Fugitive, and Fatal Attraction.

We deny it and we're ashamed of it, but revenge is - and always has been - one of the strongest unspoken emotions of the human experience and a motivating force in almost everyone's life. Barreca manages to find universal truths in the complexities of revenge as she entertains and charms us.