Cherie Blair's no-holds-barred book, 'Speaking for Myself', has become controversial for its sensational revelations about her husband's successor Gordon Brown.

But away from political controversies, snippets from her daily life scattered through the 421-page book (published by Little, Brown) show how the Blairs, through their sheer ordinariness, changed stuffy Downing Street.

Cherie Blair not only developed her career as a barrister, but also gave birth to her fourth child after moving into Downing Street, initially drove to work (Tony drove too), continued her engagement with breast cancer charities and fiercely protected her children from the British tabloid press.

Photograph: Getty Images / Christopher Furlong