Ours Blog will cover with Biographies Memoirs Books Reviews. All of book are share here is about Biographies and Memoirs of someone. I hope you will enjoy what I share to you.
The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks >> Fascinating Story Wow This book tells the true story of Henrietta Lacks and her family s attempts at understanding how her cells have impacted science It is part medical research history part human interest and part science lesson Civil rights and patient s medical rights are also woven in throughout the book I w
Three Cups of Tea With Headphones Playaway Adult Nonfiction
Three Cups of Tea With Headphones Playaway Adult Nonfiction >> A Treasure There are few books in life that a person would forever keep at his side and of those select few I treasure this one most I find solace in the pages of this book especially in my most trying times and this is because those precious words contained within them remind me that difficulty is always
Liar s Poker >> Terrific portrait of 1980s Wall Street before the MBAs arrived If you want to know what the big Wall Street bond firms were like before the MBAs took over this is the book It s a great portrait of 1980s Wall Street the way that traders and investment bankers used to appear in the eyes of the young MBAs they hired and the ridiculous training that newcomer
Courage and Consequence My Life as a Conservative in the Fight
Courage and Consequence My Life as a Conservative in the Fight >> Setting Bush s record straight A well written clarification of the President s accomplishments and yes some significant mistakes A book like this from an insider who was so close to the facts is much needed to counter the reporting by a media that on the whole tended to be politically biased against President Bush
Author : Jay Kopelman Total Page : 269 Publisher : Thorndike Press Publication Date : 2007 05 16
From Baghdad With Love A Marine the War and a Dog Named Lava Thorndike Press Large Print Nonfiction Series >> Lava s Story This is the BEST book I have ever read Even though the story of Lava was so touching it gave a frank insight into the war This story is one that I d love to see on the big screen >> A Great Easy To Read Story Being an ex Army soldier of the OIF/OEF time I have a tendency to be drawn towards Iraq stories You could say that my draw becomes almost magnetic when it involves dogs With that being said the second I discovered From Baghdad With Love it skyrocketed to the top of my must read pile
Even with my biases this book was absolutely phenomenal It is extremely easy to read and has the feel of talking to a war buddy in this case LTC Jay Kopelman as he illustrates the journey of his 4 pawed buddy Lava s journey home to America The book may not be absolutely correct when it comes to writing and journalism There are a lot of right and like s in it but I think instead of hindering the story it brings you closer to it There s a bluntness to a soldier things aren t sugar coated or dazzled up and there s an understanding of war that many people can t understand LTC Kopelman doesn t bother to make sure what he s saying is politically correct he just calls it like it is which I also enjoyed
Soldiers are an interesting lot From a vet side of view I often read these types of books because we re not exactly normal in the head anymore and it gives me a long lost feeling of belonging So I immediately was brought to the familiar comfort of soldier to soldier war stories But I don t think you have to be a soldier or even a dog lover for that matter to feel the profound impact that this story will have on you deep inside
Whether you are looking for something that s easy to read or you just want an incredible story about a heroic journey this book hits it right on the head
>> A difficult book to read but overall a heartwarming story of rescue for both animal and man I honestly felt that this book was one of the most memorable and true to life books that I have read in many years I would recommend however that the book not be given or read to children or young teenagers because of the graphic descriptions of war injuries and how clearly descriptions of those injuries from bombs and other devices had left soldiers dismembered and near death so many times over during this war The one prevailing theme of a heroic soldier and his rescued canine angel absolutely made this book and its story one I will never forget or cease to be amazed at
Author : Abraham Verghese Total Page : 352 Publisher : Vintage Books Publication Date : 1995 01 01
My Own Country >> Given as a gift many times I read this book years ago and re read it every so often because of the way the story hits home about the beginning of the AIDS epidemic and the struggle of a doctor trying to cope with a difficult situation I think Dr Verghese does a marvelous job of capturing and conveying his feelings at the time and how it was to deal with this new disease Although at times a difficult book to read it has been my choice as a gift on several occasions for both friends and family especially where someone has been considering medicine as it demonstrates what lengths a physician can go to care for their patients
One of my all time favorites I also enjoyed his book The Tennis Partner though this one is I feel the stronger of the two >> Review for My Own Country It was delivered very quickly which I was pleased about However there was a small blood like stain on the book which I wish I knew about before purchasing >> Applicable in Many Different Ways Dr Verghese s book is a heartfelt tale of two stories his own foreign born family s inclusion and exclusion in a rural Tennessee community and the inclusion and exclusion of his patients within their own community Dr Verghese is an infectious disease doctor who predominantly treats HIV positive patients He did his residency in Johnson City TN and found himself to be much like his patients outcasts The book flips between the stories of his patients and those of his own family both the sad anger producing stories and those that make you cry
Verghese is a talented writer and captures a pull in me I highly recommend this story The lessons learned can be applied to anyone finding themselves excluded or in the minority
Author : Patrick Dillon Total Page : 544 Publisher : Broadway Publication Date : 2010 03 02
Circle of Greed The Spectacular Rise and Fall of the Lawyer Who Brought Corporate America to Its Knees >> Good Intentions Confounded or Cut From the Same Cloth The gloss starts on the cover of the book with the subtitle the story of the lawyer who brought corporate America to its knees Never even close to the truth while Bill Lerach certainly attracted the enmity of corporate America this hyperbole does nothing to answer the most interesting question why did this happen and how did he get away with it for so long
There is a great deal of debate over the efficacy of class action litigation as a means to keep corporations honest Given the state of the world it seems a good case can be made that they fail as a tool to curb wrongdoing It s also the case that for every Enron WorldCom and HealthSouth case there were a significant number of cases that were groundless but were settled to avoid the cost and distraction of protracted litigation At the end of the day in view of the enormous wealth acquired by Bill Lerach Mel Weiss and other members of the plaintiffs bar much of the benefit of the litigation seems to have accrued to the lawyers rather than the investors
I was interested to see that another reviewer concluded the authors disliked Lerach I reached quite the opposite conclusion They seem to put him on a pedestal lending credence to the position that his good works outweigh his unjustifiable conduct The truth of the matter is that greed is not confined to the executive suite or law firms for that matter It s difficult for humans whatever their station in life to not succumb and take the easy way out
The story did jump around and the sequence of events was occassionally hard to follow And there were some technical issues as other reviews have pointed out It is certainly an interesting story and a cautionary tale but one at the end of the day gives far too much credit to Bill Lerach He is a thief plain and simple >> Bill I Hardly Knew You This book is interesting journalism about a character who is bigger than life Bill Lerach is a brilliant individual whose creative theories and ruthless execution made his an enemy of many companies The authors decided to tell a story and they told a fascinating one with unbelievable characters The story really is similar to others in 1990 who started out with an effective business plan and then overdid and destroyed themselves In many ways Lerach was not different than the Enron folks who he clearly hated He was so caught up in the need to make money or to be powerful that he felt the normal rules of law did not apply to him He cheated to get cases It is unclear from the book whether he thought he could do a better job or that he was manic
Like so many people like him he either never had a moral compass or he lost it In any event he became a disgrace to the bar through his tactics
My issue with this book is that there is no effort to consider the real issues seriously I was hoping there would have been an more in depth consideration of Lerach s contribution to general welfare Also I missed any analysis by the authors of why they felt he acted as he did i do not believe that the authors made the case that people like Lerach reduce corporate fraud I think because they destroy respect for the system they give the abusers the ability to say the law is not fair so I am not doing anything wrong by abusing it Like Lerach explaining why he bought plaintiffs The lack of such an effort did not reduce the pleasure of reading this book I just felt cheated that I did not get to understand Bill better >> Compelling fascinating fair and insightful A tremendous book A gripping page turner that every reader will enjoy even people without a background or specific interest in politics or law Objectively and thoroughly reported the authors make complex subjects understandable and present the tale of a larger than life character in a tale that someone will certainly turn into a blockbuster movie
Author : Paul Johnson Total Page : 256 Publisher : Viking Adult Publication Date : 2010 03 04
Jesus A Biography from a Believer >> Great job personifying Jesus
Overall I really liked this book It was an easy read and did a great job personifying Jesus I was brought up Christian and am practicing today The first half of the book I d say was nice most of the stories recounted were those that you were taught in Sunday School It was a pleasant read but I didn t really learn anything However I found the last two Chapters of Jesus life very interesting and is the reason I gave the book four stars The last two chapters are about the Cruxification and the Resurrection What I found most interesting wasn t exactly how Jesus was crucified as we ve all learned about that before but the politics that were going on to allow for such an event and tragedy to happen I always wondered why a crowd that was so excited to see Jesus on Palm Sunday could turn on him so in one week s time and this book helped answer that The last two chapters also help you understand the relationships Jesus had with his disciples and the women in his life This book would also be great for non Christians who want a basic understanding about a man who has a whole religion based on his teachings
>> Score One for the Believers Mr Johnson has brought his formidable talents to bear in this supremely satisfying life of Christ a timely response to the latest publishing fad being book length diatribes by the supposedly learned and wise who denigrate religion and by not so subtle insinuation the Savior Jesus Christ As religious education wanes Jesus Christ has become to many not an object of veneration or daily study but a caricature or figurehead it is an unfortunate reality that too many believers fail to study their own beliefs and in this lack of appreciation they fall prey to those who mock religion The triumph of Mr Johnson s achievement is that he portrays the Christ of the Scriptures and is not interested in theological arguments so much as building faith and belief In speaking of the Savior believers of all types need more of this kind of approach the Christ was worthy of emulation in every respect
Mr Johnson argues that Christ lived a comfortable and educated life as a God with men and loved it His was a real life Jesus loved people loved a good meal He was supremely observant and compassionate He missed nothing and saw everything My favorite part of the book was Mr Johnson s telling of the miracle at Cana his portrayal of the relationship between Jesus and Jesus mother was illuminating The genius of the book is that it is not an explanation of why and how Jesus at once the most intelligent and powerful being to ever walk the earth allowed Himself to be made a sacrifice for mankind rather it is a biography a description of what kind of Man He was according to the historical record A deceptively difficult task that only a seasoned expert at the height of his powers could pull off as effortlessly as does Mr Johnson In summary Jesus was and is the perfect friend the epitome of unselfishness the example of everything good the author of the golden rule
The work is short and by no means exhaustive It makes conclusions that may be controversial to some but throughout the work you sense that Mr Johnson loves this man Jesus Christ and is in absolute awe and wonder of the divine intelligence exhibited in everything that Jesus said or did This reviewer will admit to the same bias I love the Christ and strive to live according to His example While it is the earnest hope of every believer to someday know more of He whom we seek to emulate Mr Johnson s little volume should be a welcome gift for anyone who seeks to follow the Master
Author : Dean Karnazes Total Page : 304 Publisher : Tarcher Publication Date : 2006 03 02
Ultramarathon Man Confessions of an All Night Runner >> Great Exposure to the Sport for Non Runners My sister gave me this book as a quick read and I will admit it managed to keep my attention for the better part of the day
I think without going into too much detail it would be best to divide the book into two sections Pt 1 the Author s Background and First Exposure to the sport of Ultramarathons Pt 2 Subsequent life for the Author since then
Part I is what basically hooked me Often as a runner it is quite hard to explain to others why I do what I do sometimes running in the rain ultra races trudging through snow to complete my 5miles for the day etc And I believe in this book the author does a great job at capturing his personal reasons for picking up the sport As he states off hand several times everyone has their own reasons for running and perhaps that is what captivated me reading one person s story and experiences all the ups and downs What I best loved about this section was the attention to details somewhat in what it is like to run extreme distances The pain the discomfort the bodily functions the joy the walls and the myriad of emotions in between As much as I would like to say it is as easy as putting one foot in front of the other the author here does a great job at showing it is that but also soo much more The time required the early and late night runs to maintain levels the diets the cramps and the strong desire at time to just say screw this and walk away His description up through his first 100mile race is worth checking this book out
Pt II however this is where I agree with other reviews it becomes apparent he is trying to market himself and promote this how I would describe it sense of superficial humility He is not the first to do all of what he has done nor is he the last The dialogues he has with friends and family often come across as completely fabricated in his defense it keeps the story flowing and I would have done without them It is here that I had to force myself to finish the book He blazes through the rest of his races without much detail other than self promotion for his belief of following his heart What he does not describe is the reality of the situations as he captured so well in the first half The author must be financially secure and then some for very few of the ultra runners I know can even afford to do what he does Trips across the country in a RV entry fees transpo all the while keeping his family in tow are costly and he makes it sound as though us mere normal runners do not do the runs he does because we are lazy WHen in fact the simple truth is one can not afford it Everything has its price and he glosses over this fact while rubbing in the readers faces that not only does he have a Mercedes a lucrative job with liberal leave but also an RV to bring his team along I am not trying to discredit the man he IS very good at what he does and he IS inspirational I was just disappointed because I thought the first half did an OUTSTANDING job at encouraging people and non active folks to get up and at least try
All in all I gave this a 4 star review It is a pretty quick read and if you re not tempted to run at the end you read it too fast I would recommend this book for the first half alone and say if you want to read the rest great but the first half is what I believe will capture and inspire the mundane person into challenging themselves for something great a pursuit of pleasure through a course of pain
Shoot inspired me to do my 50mile race in June 2010 >> Great Inspiration I purchased this book for my husband who has been running for several years and is looking to go to the next level and compete He read it in ONE DAY It is written in a comprehensive and entertaining dialogue that makes you feel like you know this guy Our 14 year old son who is also a runner is reading it now Great book >> Exceptionally Motivating I m one of those guys who tends to fluctuate in weight as well as fitness level and inherently my level of motivation determines both of those A former college athlete I was always in very good physical shape and could basically eat anything and be alright As the years have gone on heck I m only 28 I find myself having one poor eating day and gaining five pounds and finding it incredibly difficult to maintain my exercising motivation I have a 2 year old daughter a 7 month pregnant wife work all day play the role of husband and daddy all evening and in the winter months yes even in Arizona it s just so cold and difficult to become motivated at 4am
Enter Ultramarathon Man A good friend of mine plays the part of my motivator He s in excellent shape is incredibly disciplined in every aspect of his life Before heading out to Mexico last summer he dropped this book off at my door and said read it and enjoy Two days later I had read the book front cover to back and I did thoroughly enjoy reading the book I read it again and now 6 months later coming out of a rut I ll be reading it yet again
Why It s an enjoyable read that is incredibly uplifting and inspirational on several levels this superhuman that is Dean Karnazes is so humbled and down to earth about his accomplishments that you feel as though you re reading a book by your best pal or by your biggest fan He wants you to read his story and then create your own off of that I m not saying that he advocates someone 50lbs overweight to go out and run Badwater I m saying that he makes you want to challenge yourself to reach beyond what you believe you are capable of doing That s why I love the book As each chapter progresses I want to set it down lace up my shoes and head to the mountains for a run no matter what hour of day it is At the same time the book is so fast paced and enjoyable it s difficult to set down so you just keep reading
Will it go down in history as a literary masterpiece No But it s about as motivating as it gets
To the people who say Dean s not even the best ultrarunner out there but the book makes people think he is get over it The guy wrote the book and did a damn good job at that
Author : Rosalie Maggio Total Page : 512 Publisher : Prentice Hall Press Publication Date : 2001 09 01
How To Say It How to Say It >> Boss s Day Gift I gave this book to my manager and director for those moments when you are searching for just the right word or phrase >> How to Say it Book Review I found this book to be very helpful It covers a lot of different senarios Words are sometimes hard to find this helps me to get started >> Excellent Book Good book for improving Writing skills For those who would like to learn the guidelines for writing letters for personal and business purposes this book provides clear instructions and a variety of examples
Author : Carolyn Jessop Total Page : 448 Publisher : Broadway Publication Date : 2008 12 30
Escape >> Cheers for Carolyn
By far this is the best memoir I ve read in awhile and I m an avid reader Jessop s tale of freedom from tyranny will stay with you Her story of the FLDS cult and polygamist lifestyle is so shocking it s almost hard to believe but the fall of the FLDS and its members including her former husband Merril Jessop and the cult leader Warren Jeffs is well documented I was turned onto this story when I saw the Fall 2009 edition of the National Geographic which showed Merril Jessop his wives and his many many children on the cover The photos looked so staged and unnatural almost uncomfortable that I wanted to know more about the FLDS especially about the women in their long pioneer dresses and ridiculous hairstyles and found the answers I was seeking in Carolyn Jessop s Escape The memoir is well written definitely a page turner and surprisingly relatable Cheers to Carolyn for her outstanding work for her bravery
>> Escape This was an extremely well written story of this remarkable woman s life I never knew much about the Mormons or this more extreme branch The author brought me into her world and let me experience a culture and religion very different from my own
She starts out describing when she was a young child living with her parents While some of what she described seemed extreme to me it was nothing like what was to come From her unbelievable marriage to the things her husband put her through I kept expecting to get to the end of the book and discover it was fiction It was so foreign to everything I ve experienced its hard to believe its true
Her triumph through adversity is very inspiring and hopefully made some change in those states who choose to ignore the abuse without full investigation I hope it also inspired those who wished to leave as well
This book also offered some background into Warren Jeffs as well who became very well known through the news It showed yet another side of a man I can barely understand
Before you read this book please prepare yourself to cry cheer and experience an entire range of emotions You can go from one page to the next feeling angry and joyful all at the same time >> Excellent Book You will LOVE it I started reading this book on a Friday night at 7pm and had it finished by 10pm on Saturday I could not put it down The book is excellent I passed it on to my mother right away and she loves it also I kept forgetting that I was reading a true story it jsut doesn t seem possible that this is going on today in the USA You will love this book
More Blood More Sweat and Another Cup of Tea >> Good thing it was free I guess I didn t read the reviews well enough This is not so much a story as a bunch of diary entries Not impressed He doesn t seem like he enjoys his job very much
The Blind Side Evolution of a Game >> Casual football fans will love this book What a great book Michael Lewis not only knows how to put together a captivating story he does so with subtle wit and plenty of insight His meticulous research is obvious he ll casually mention a former player and then go into detail about that player s career and its importance to the history o
In Defense of Food An Eater s Manifesto >> Pithy and Powerful Eat food Not too much Mostly plants writes Pollan It s been a few weeks since I read the book and I still remember that Words to live by The book expands on those simple sentences in the subsequent chapters The book is short and well written and dare I say life changing I was already a f
With the Old Breed >> Good read Does a great job of putting you in the shoes of a grunt Didn t serve during WWII but have served in every conflict since Viet Nam and he nails some of the experiences HIs descriptions of what you see hear and smell are dead on Good book and it s on the list of required reading for Marines
Eat Pray Love One Woman s Search for Everything Across Italy India and Indonesia
Eat Pray Love One Woman s Search for Everything Across Italy India and Indonesia >> Another crazy divorcee writes a book How original If I have to read one more mind numbingly insipid novel written by some pill popping neurotic woman who can t keep her life together I will scream I am SO SICK of these women thinking they can write books I am just so tired of their pathetic attempts at humor They allll think they hav
