Of all the myriad mental illnesses coursing through the world, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder may be the easiest target for ridicule, if only because the condition is so irrational, illogical, and frequently misunderstood. Emily Colas understands OCD firsthand. A recovering neurotic nut, Colas writes her book as part memoir, part therapy in progress. A talented writer with a cynical, self-deprecating sense of humor, Colas composes Just Checking as a series of short vignettes, told out of order but generally ending approximately where it begins: with Colas finally seeking the medical help she needs. But in between are brutally honest confessions that illustrate how complex her illness is and serve as a countdown to her marriage's dissolution. Just Checking is short, but it's packed with odd little details. Colas is afraid of many things, but contamination via blood and germs is a big one: Just Checking documents her sad routines, from an elaborate, painfully methodical way of taking out the trash to the way she monitors the use of the toilet, toilet paper, and knives. Other oddities include her obsession with small cuts (which can transmit AIDS), drugs (she's long been convinced that someone could be slipping acid or poison into her food), and dark stains (which could be blood). But Colas never asks for the reader's compassion. She's both spunky and stubborn, and aware of just how far gone she was before taking her medication. In fact, her most unforgivable transgression occurs after she appears to have a handle on her condition: She finally scares off her perfect, patient husband by having an affair. That she could do such a thing after forcing him to put up with her bizarre behavior for four years takes some amazing chutzpah, and Colas never attempts to justify her actions. Rather, everything she does is now part of her new way of living, and Colas makes no apologies for the sacrifices she feels she had to make to overcome what amounts to a severe disability. Her condition may be kooky, but she's no kook. What makes Just Checking worth reading is the lucidity of Colas' voice, revealing that even the most disturbed individuals might have something to say and the means with which to say it well.