Buy it now Into Thin Air order it now

Author : Jon Krakauer
Publisher : Random House Audio
Publication Date : 1998 04 06

Into Thin Air
>> A gripping account
Into Thin Air is an absolutely gripping account of an ill fated trip to summit Mt Everest Krakauer s reliving of his experience is difficult to read yet difficult to stop reading A must read for any climber or anyone who dreams standing on the roof of the world
>> Why commercialising high altitude mountain guides is fatal
Imagine you are about to start climbing the world s highest mountain Everest having paid a large fee to one of the climbing guide organizations to get you there and you learnt that for the whole climb you would not be directly connected by a rope to any other climber plus you saw other paying members of your team with less climbing experience starting to wear brand new climbing boots they had not yet broken in

These two examples reflect many of the contradictions which this book evidences very well of the recent mass commercializing of an activity that by its nature will always be governed by the natural physical and prevailing weather conditions Mountain guides have existed for centuries but the mass exploitation of Everest shows how a simple concept can quickly lose the plot

As one of the two books written by people who were there at the time of the tragedy in May 1996 Jon Krakauer JK has come in for his fair share of praise and criticism and the latter is openly covered at the end of the book The book itself was written shortly after the 1996 events from a magazine article that was JK s reasons for originally making the climb While JK was a climber of many years experience though he accepts not at the very top levels of that sport his book is a very good account of what he saw and believed happened

The story is told in pretty much chronological order alongside coverage of the history of attempted Everest ascents Nepalese culture and Sherpas plus many other aspects including the attitudes of the different teams attempting ascents in 1996 and the range of mountain illnesses that can afflict anyone without warning Overall it makes for a well constructed story However by the end while I have never personally climbed mountains there seemed an almost fatal inevitability that high altitude climbing above say 20 000 feet and commercially guided expeditions are never going to be easy bedfellows unless perfect conditions prevail because

1 People s access to the commercially guided team option was based on money not skills and experience
2 The role of the guide was open to interpretation and operates variably as to what is required of them at such dangerous high altitudes from the evidence presented here
3 The commercial pressures lead to doing things that if climbing only with other professionals would never have been permitted the lady journalist requiring the transporting of a heavy and ultimately non functioning radio by a Sherpa being the most extreme but not the only such example
4 With little advance training unquestioning reliance was placed by team members on the guides always knowing what to do as right and an incorrect assumption that they would never suffer the health problems other climbers at that altitude did

JK does not ultimately pull all these self observed lessons together and in his final analysis seems to accept that matters will never easily change What does come across though again stated indirectly is that to succeed at this high level of thin air mountaineering requires a very clinical and focussed approach with self preservation being paramount to your making it back safely whether an experienced climber or not
>> I think the author is too self serving and biased
I was looking forward to reading Into Thin Air I love mountaineering and Mt Everest and the life death struggles that come with it and nothing like sad tragedy to make me feel alive and thankful
I read this book in 2 days but went from enthralled with the mountain drama to disappointed with Mr Krakauer s growingly evident biases

I wish he could have been more objective and less self serving
Once I sensed his own selfishness coming through the accounts of this journey the book and his writing turned me off completely

Cheapest price on Capitalism and Freedom is the best

Author : Milton Friedman
Total Page : 202

Capitalism and Freedom
>> A Masterpiece
There are few authors that can take such an objective and scientific approach to the free market system but Milton Friedman s short yet detailed tome is worth the read Despite the fact there is a fervent anti capitalist sentiment in some areas of the country right now if people read this they would recognize that the markets are in no way acting the way that Milton would have liked them to He openly blasts monopolies coercion and the Federal Reserve but because he is such an inherently curious and objective thinker he understands that they aren t going anywhere So rather than being a book of ideals it is much more about how we can live in an imperfect world and still be able to pursue our own goals with as little interference as possible for the negative forces that will likely never completely disappear

One of the many things that people these days are missing about the financial situation and capitalism on the whole is that no matter what system we have it will be run by imperfect beings This is also the reason socialism could never find any footing people are driven by self interest and expecting anything else is insane The invisible hand that Adam Smith described is as real today as it was in the 1800s Men cannot be angels and the fact that Milton understands that is what makes this book so great and his ideas so brilliant
>> Simply a great read
I bought this book because I understood that Milton Friedman was a leader in classical liberal meaning libertarian economic thinking Now I see why Pure genius This book appears to be written to the general public although I must say that if are a complete stranger to economics certain parts of this book may confound you I am a beginning student of economics and only 2 paragraphs were out of my grasp It s true some of this book was a little dry but those sections were short The scope of the book is surprisingly wide for it s size 202 pages in this edition yet it s level of detail is satisfying

Friedman s arguments were compelling and well constructed

If you are a progressive modern liberal socialist statist marxist or whatever else and want to know what free trade libertarians believe this is to book for you

If you are an economic conservative or a libertarian as I am and you want to read a great book that will make you smile this is the book for you

Overall a fantastic book
>> Excellent
This is a very important book but was hard for me to read the first time I tried I put the book down and read Thomas Sowell s Basic Economics which is also excellent and then after learning more about Milton Friedman and watching his 1980 Free to Choose documentary on Google Video I came back to this book with more motivation and found it easier to read

In order for Milton s ideas to be robust and widely applicable he presents them in a more abstract language than I m used to I would put this book in the philosophy economics and political theory category

I ll likely read parts of this book a second time

Milton Friedman is my favorite economist Thomas Sowell Russ Roberts and Eric Hanushek are some of my other favorites

I believe Milton is on par with Thomas Jefferson in his accomplishments and communication skills and this books is one of his greatest political works

I highly recommend searching YouTube and Google video for Milton s interviews and debates

Cheapest price on Who Moved My Cheese The 10th Anniversary Edition

Author : Spencer Johnson
Publisher : Simon Schuster Audio
Publication Date : 2009 01 06

Who Moved My Cheese The 10th Anniversary Edition
>> This cheese sure stinks
Wildly popular brainwashing tool for use by managers intended to prevent discontent among the serfs when corporate purges are launched The book is presented in the form of a cute kiddie story in order to make the displaced servants subconsciously feel that any negative reaction they may have to the changes is petty and childish

If your manager starts passing this book out at meetings be sure your resume is updated

I normally am opposed to book burning but in the case of Who Moved My Cheese I will make an exception I wish I lived in a world where poison garbage like this was never even thought of
>> Fine
I never used this product but it did come in perfect condition I was able to re sell it as well
>> Situations
This is a must read book for anyone who wants to understand how and why we must move out of our comfort zone It is fascinating as you read this book to wonder which one of the characters you are like the most or if you are a combination of several It helps you to understand yourself and to realize that decisions need to be made in our lives in order to grow

Save price for When the Game Was Ours is the best

Author : Larry Bird
Total Page : 352
Publisher : Houghton Mifflin Harcourt
Publication Date : 2009 11 04

When the Game Was Ours
>> One of the best sports stories I have ever read
I m from Michigan and followed Magic Johnson during his college career
I did not know who Larry Bird was until the NCAA tournament and the National
Championship game I admired him very much and have during his NBA career
The book tells a wonderful story about two great basketball stars
>> Two powerful stars not a review
If you grew up in this era you know the power of these two players and the impact they had on the entire game both collegiate and professional There is nothing in the book that was not seen on TV or has already been discussed The rivalry was important but the mutual respect between the two was fantastic They combined for a total of six NBA championships and had some great series In fact if you ask me they rekindled the spirit and rivalries in the NBA

I also liked the fact that the book took a look at their lives off the court including Bird s career with the Pacers It s been up and down Magic has had some success with his business deals and other ventures outside of basketball

Overall these two men are titans in the NBA and really awakened the fans
>> I laughed so many times
I wouldn t say I m the world s biggest fan of Jackie MacMullen s writing but the anecdotes and stories contained in this book from two of the most accomplished players in history are pure gold

These two fierce competitors followed each other more closely than either ever realized until long after they finished playing They measured their accomplishments by each other s success When it was time for Magic to enter the Hall of Fame he didn t pick Kareem or Worthy to induct him but turned to Larry Bird because in Magic s own words he never would have reached the heights he did without Bird to push him Bird obviously felt exactly the same way

When Bird won his first title against the Houston Rockets he was disappointed it wasn t against Magic When Magic watched Bird light up an Auerbach cigar on television to celebrate he grew so frustrated that he called a friend and went to the gym for a full basketball workout anxious for the day he would get Bird in the Finals The next day Quinn Buckner went to Bird s house still euphoric over their championship and wanting to share in the moment but Bird wasn t home he was out for his usual 5 mile run his wife explained Buckner incredulously asked Bird what he was doing when he got back Getting ready for next year Neither Magic or Bird ever thought they could let up in preparation because the other man was always on their mind and they believed HE was doing everything possible to get ready for their next meeting so how could you take a break

A great look back at a fantastic NBA era

Fast Shipping Infidel

Author : Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Total Page : 384
Publisher : Free Press
Publication Date : 2008 04 01

Infidel
>> Brave and Provocative
This autobiography of how a Somali refugee ended up in the Dutch Parliament and then expelled goes right at some of the most edgy issues of our day the intersection of women s issues and Islam the intersection of immigration and social policy the intersection of personal freedom and communal responsibilities Easy to read yet challenging to process intellectually and emotionally
>> rational political reformist of Islam
Memoir of a political reformist of Islam who grew up in revolution and restraint in Somolia Ethiopic and Kenya before fleeing to Holland where she became a member of Parliament Her reasonings for Islamic reform are not the rantings of someone who has been damaged by her experiences and is lashing out She wants her reasons to be judged on the validity of her arguments not as a victim

I enjoyed her mental process as she examined her culture as she experienced new things and different ways
>> Vivid insights from a breakaway female muslim
A friend recommended this book I found the book fascinating from the beginning We seem to hear about places like Somalia Ethiopia and Kenya only in the framework of a natural or political disaster A memoir such as Ayann Hirsi Alis offers rare insights into life in these places

The Muslim culture fascinates me and Ayann Hirsi Ali s memoir offers eye opening insights to the darker aspects of Islam as preached by Mohammed This is an important book for those who may desire to take a more liberal view of Islam and downplay the oppression of woman Ayann makes it clear that the oppression of women and there relegation to inferior status is an integral part of Mohammad s teachings and is still espoused by many strict Muslims

Finally Ayann demonstrates through her memoirs how an individual with fortitude and perseverance can overcome extreme cultural and physical barriers

Cheapest price on Complications A Surgeon s Notes on an Imperfect Science order it now

Author : Atul Gawande
Total Page : 269
Publisher : Metropolitan Books
Publication Date : 2002 04 04

Complications A Surgeon s Notes on an Imperfect Science
>> A Must Read for Every Doctor and anyone who has been is or will be a patient
I have read a lot of Dr Gawande s research and his book Complications is a great guide for the layman to understand why things often go wrong in medicine Dr Gawande does a great job at de jargonizing and unpacking the medical field so that anyone can understand why medicine is so complicated This book doesn t necessarily contain the answers see Gawande s books The Checklist Manifesto and Better for solutions but does a great job of laying out the problems Medicine is complicated and doctors are mere humans While it is easy to develop a system for dealing with machines humans are dynamic and every situation is unique No matter how much we may want to quantify a particular situation in medicine to lead us to the right answer it just cannot be done as every patient has his or her own set of circumstances and desires


>> interesting on several levels
the author is a very good writer pick up the book and skim for the anecdotal stories that form the central picture for each chapter just enjoy them as an interesting observation about learning to be a surgeon then read the last chapter the case of the red leg then decide if you want to read the whole book

it is interesting on at least 3 levels the first are these stories the second is the context for the stories the author s reason for seeing these events as important in his life/training not only is he an observant storyteller involving you emotional in his tale but he let s you see inside his head as to why this story and how does it fit but as is usual what really interests me is this high level thinking what makes a good surgeon what makes a good medical system that finds out what is wrong with people and fixes it right essentially the context of his experience of learning to be a surgeon in a hospital the context of the second level

take the last chapter the story is about a lady with a really bad infected leg a story well told persuasive interesting emotional involving it could end there reader s digest style but it doesn t because he writes for the new york times which calls for a bit more thinking thankfully how did the system work how did it almost not work right you know when the medical system doesn t work right people die but it is this 3rd level beyond constructive criticism of the system that fascinates me how exactly did he know these particular bacteria infected the leg and why did he push to demonstrate this knowledge

the way he tells the story he attributes it to that uneasy feeling brought on by a similar case in the recent past but i think it s more than that it is the idea that contrary to our dominate ideas of objective knowledge all knowledge is subjective and is attached to a person as polanyi stated personal knowledge we know more than we can say it is training this intuitive this up close personal who you are type vs what you can speak and consciously think about type that forms this top level how you become a surgeon above and beyond thinking like a surgeon neat philosophy intersects with medicine
>> New Yorker magazine contributor/physican writes like a dream
Dr Gawande is as likeable a physician as we re apt to encounter He is able to put the reader by his side and ON his side in this sometimes uncomfortably realistic examination of the both the wonderment and failures of modern medicine

Best price on Me Talk Pretty One Day is the best

Author : David Sedaris
Publisher : Hachette Audio
Publication Date : 2001 06 01

Me Talk Pretty One Day
>> the cat story is the best story ever
David Sedaris is an absolutely hysterical writer and this book does not disappoint His stories are always quirky but yet truthful and make me laugh out loud The only thing better than reading a story he has written is listening to the audio version of it b c there is just something about his slightly annoying voice that makes the stories sing
>> 2 5 stars I m on the Fence
I got Me Talk Pretty One Day with different expectations that I probably should have had I was expecting a novel but I got a bunch of short stories I HATE short stories but that s my own fault for not researching more before I picked it up right

So I grin and bear it for a few stories but then feel like maybe I m reading an Augusten Burroughs novel instead I know technically Me Talk came out at the same time as Running With Scissors both originally released in 2001 but the stories are so similar to Augusten s that I had to go back and check the covers Yup Sedaris Okay moving on

Yeah he s funny Sure he has some great moments But is he really as funny as HE thinks HE is

If I had read this book BEFORE reading Augusten Burroughs s books maybe I would have loved it a little more I honestly DID love Naked by Sedaris laugh out loud funny

But Me Talk just wasn t good
>> Not really that funny
This book is really honestly not as funny as the reviews make it sound It an ok read not boring by any means but definitely not great either i was disappointed after the bookstore helper raved about it just an fyi

Cheapest price for Just Kids order it now

Author : Patti Smith
Total Page : 224
Publisher : Ecco
Publication Date : 2010 11 01

Just Kids
>> Fascinating read even for non fans
I m not the biggest Patti Smith fan in fact I don t even own any of her music Yet after Rolling Stone ran an excerpt from this book I had to get it It s a fantastic read poetic yet accessible much like Patti herself Highly recommended
>> Read this book in 24 hours
Great story of the beginning/evolution of an artist I could not put this book down The story flows so beautifully it deserves all its accolades
>> A highwayscribery Book Report


Just Kids is just another Jersey factory girl runs to New York and hooks up with bisexual art pornographer on her way to rock n roll stardom story

It details Patti Smith s evolution from tentative neophyte to rock and roll poetess woven through with her unique relationship to Robert Mapplethorpe a triumphant artist whose own untimely ending alas makes for engaging literature

The place is lower Manhattan The time period is the mid 1960s and 1970s when Mapplethorpe and Smith are age wise a beat behind the reigning princes and princesses of rock s golden age

As such she is influenced artistically by the Rolling Stones The Beatles Jimi Hendrix Bob Dylan and Janice Joplin for whom she pens poetic cycles and while absorbing political pointers from Jean Luc Goddard s One Plus One

The life as artist anecdotes have a familiar ring hunger rejection perseverance and a healthy amount of name dropping

Smith has affairs with Jim Carroll Sam Sheppard and a guy from Blue Oyster Cult Allen Ginsberg mistakes her for a pretty boy in the Automat and Gregory Corso imparts stern advice to the budding scribe inside her

They are revealing tales that highlight Smith s achievement as survivor of an era peopled with fascinating characters demolished by addictions and carelessness

Just Kids is the portrait of a New York City not completely subsumed into the grid of overpriced realty before the Internet where artistic ambition had a geographic component and required settling into some dump on the mighty Isle

Here is art before its subsequent elevation to bourgeois respectability To an artist of today s saturated market the idea that you could install yourself at the Chelsea Hotel and initiate apprenticeships with living legends seems with the benefit of hindsight a no brainer

One can only assume that in those days choosing art meant the painful burden of rejection from loved ones and dangerous uncertainty on the path ahead

So as time capsule Just Kids is just great

But autobiographies should tell us something we don t know about somebody They can be intriguing when it comes to artists because they are usually reinvented characters very mindful of their own brands of what they show and don t show the world

And who does Patti Smith tell us who she is/was

For starters because it s really how she got started Patti Smith is/was American as apple pie thrifty industrious entrepreneurial and self involved her Rimbaud inspired disdain and punk rock posture notwithstanding

Here Smith describes her efforts in the opening stanza s of the couple s bohemian idyll

I scoured secondhand stores for books to sell I had a good eye scouting rare children s books and signed first editions for a few dollars and reselling them for much more The turnover on a pristine copy of Love and Mr Lewisham inscribed by H G Wells covered rent and subway fares for a week

And she is a fashionista of the first rank

Long before Patti Smith was confident enough to confront an imposing poetry world she parsed a personal vocabulary in clothing ensembles that 30 years on she remembers down to the last accessory

Here she describes a successful attempt at sartorially seducing Television guitar star Tom Verlaine to work with her band

I dressed in a manner that I thought a boy from Delaware would understand black ballet flaps pink shantung capris my kelly green silk raincoat and a violet parasol and entered Cinemabilia where he worked part time

And she is materialistic Not flat screen TV materialistic for sure but tightly tied to and moved by objects tactile and tangible

Before joining Mapplethorpe for a photography shoot she laid a cloth on the floor placing the fragile white dress Robert had given me my white ballet shoes Indian ankle bells silk ribbons and the family Bible and tied it all in a bundle

During the shoot she is stricken with anxiety that is eased by Mapplethorpe s knowing voice and a change into dungarees boots an old black sweatshirt

Smith interprets this evolution as an expression of certain ideas she and the photographer have discussed prior Ideas about the artist seeking contact with the gods but returning to the world for the purpose of making things

Her conclusion to the section does not surprise I left Mephistopheles the angels and the remnants of our hand made world saying I choose Earth

As for Mapplethorpe especially if you re a foot soldier in the art world he seems a rather common phenomenon ambitious and single minded in his craving for fame Patti s lazy percolation into what she would ultimately become makes for an infinitely more interesting yarn

One gets the feeling he might agree In one of the most charming parts of the book he tells her through a cloud of cigarette smoke Patti you got famous before me

She dubs Mapplethorpe her knight but this reader cared thanks to the love she invested in him

Mapplethorpe of course was an artist and all the writing about art in the world cannot replace the actual experience of it Perhaps he is shortchanged by the autobiographical form try as his muse does to honor him

Although we rarely accuse anybody of being too old to rock n roll anymore writing remains a mature person s game So it was Smith s good fortune to be a writer first a musician later and a writer now because she brings lit passion and a high level of skill to just kids

This is especially true towards the end of the book In earlier stanzas she is more a chronicler of the famous and idiosyncratic characters surrounding When the poetess describes the artistic vision purpose and goals upon which she ultimately settles the narrative assumes the force of that direction

We imagined ourselves as the Sons of Liberty with a mission to preserve protect and project the revolutionary spirit of rock and roll We feared that the music which had given us sustenance was in danger of spiritual starvation We feared it was losing its sense of purpose we feared it falling into fattened hands we feared it floundering in a mire of spectacle finance and vapid technical complexity We would call forth in our minds the image of Paul Revere riding through the American night petitioning the people to wake up to take up arms We too would take up arms the arms or our generation the electric guitar and the microphone

Pretty grandiose stuff

But she is in Just Kids nothing if not a dramatist scripting the play of her own life decorating it with universal symbols inserting Patti Smith into art history s larger arc

There are persons and outlets many in the cultural current Smith helped generate who find such self positioning both cloying and pretentious

Not highwayscribery

Worms squirm in the mud and we are all welcome to join them Walking with the deities is the tougher task and should be worthy of our admiration

Best price on The Best of Friends Martha and Me is the best

Author : Mariana Pasternak
Total Page : 416
Publisher : Harper
Publication Date : 2010 03 01

The Best of Friends Martha and Me
>> Shocking
Shocking in the fact that I cant believe a grown woman would go to such pains for Martha Stewart Friendship is one thing but M Stewart clearly bullied took adavantage of Ms Pasternak s friendship and she let her gladly Was she so enthralled with M S and her lifestyle that she was willing to be a Persian rug Apparently so So sad
>> Interesting juxtaposition of personality disorders
I really enjoyed reading this book First it was a peek under the covers of one of the most talented and driven people in business Martha Stewart Granted it was from one woman s perspective but it sounded much like what others have said about her behavior through the years Behavior aside she has contributed much to our culture in terms of the fine art of living graciously when much of it had been pushed aside It was fun to pick it back up again according to our own choices and we owe that to Martha

Many famous people have difficult personalities and bend the rules a little Martha was just one of them who got caught There are many guys running around on Wall Street and in our banking systems who actually really hurt The USA Martha wasn t one of them However she broke the law and served her time Would that we could get everyone who does that into federal prison

The author of the book had a strange dependent relationship with Martha that could be labeled as pathologic for both women How many of us would hang around to be used and abused for friendship This went on for years There was obviously a payoff for her in some way that let her continue to be a whipped puppy

So we have two people in this story one a frequent friend abuser and another staying around to be abused Both lived the high and interesting life That s what makes this story so interesting I d like to see someone make a good accurate psychological drama out of this book It would be amazing
>> a look at a friendship gone wrong
In Mariana Pasternak s book The Best of Friends she chronicles her twenty year friendship with Martha Stewart whose brand in homemaking has grown from strength to strength overshadowed only by Stewart s scandals In her book Pasternak reveals Martha s private sides the woman behind the brand Fresh from Romania and recently married Pasternak meets Stewart who has just moved in with her husband and they form a neighborly bond Their friendship evolves as that of couples though Pasternak ironically realizes that she has more in common with Martha s husband Andy than with her own husband Eventually Andy leaves Martha for a younger woman despite being the one to propel Martha toward her initial stardom which included the launch of her first cookbook and a hefty merchandising deal with Kmart After some time Mariana divorces her own husband citing Martha as one of their main sources of conflict

And it is as two single women that Martha and Pasternak form their strongest friendship As Stewart reaches new professional heights Pasternak trades in her engineering job for that of a realtor Being Martha s friend demands expensive taste and Mariana constantly struggles to keep up The two travel together to exotic places like Peru and Egypt where Martha s penchant for danger shapes their journeys Despite Stewart s popular image as the successful housewife she is shown as having a different side to her Pasternak reveals Martha s intimate sides that counter her professional image that of a competitive friend a fearless traveler whose experiences serve as work inspirations the betrayed girlfriend who throws a scene when her wealthy entrepreneur boyfriend cheats on her with a young blonde the lonely ex wife who strives to get her husband back and finally the smart businesswoman whose career suffers when she gets involved in the insider dealings Wall Street scandal Bonuses like Martha s personal house decorating experiences are also included

Overall I thought the book was well written The language is very descriptive and it tends to make you feel like you re participating in the action Pasternak and Martha are no longer friends but the book serves as an interesting reminder that sometimes friendships don t work out for a variety of reasons and it depends on both parties to rescue it before it disappears from their lives becoming nothing but an account of their shared past

Where to buy Left to Tell EasyRead Super Large 18pt Edition Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust order it now

Author : Immacule Ilibagiza
Total Page : 452
Publisher : ReadHowYouWant
Publication Date : 2009 09 17

Left to Tell EasyRead Super Large 18pt Edition Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust
>> Change Your Life
This is one of the most compelling books I have ever read It is spiritual without being preachy If you believe in a Supreme Being no matter what religious denomination or you don t believe at all this will change your life for the better God Bless Immaculee
>> The most touching book I ever read
As I said on title this was the most touching book I ever read and I read a lot of books You will discover the meaning of the words faith miracle forgiveness and love

Thank you for this book Immacul e Ilibagiza
>> Draws you in from the start
The book Left to Tell Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust is a difficult read I did enjoy learning about everything Immaculee had to live through but if you ever choose to read this book make sure to have a box of Kleenex on hand From the beginning all the way to the end you cannot help but root for the best for Immaculee She draws you in and makes you feel as though you are attached to the bathroom and frightened along with her Through Immaculee s strength and courage that she shows seven women were saved and God was once again able to be the center of her life
The Rwandan Holocaust claimed over 1 000 000 lives During Belgian occupation the Holocaust the Belgians came into Rwanda and split the people into two groups These two groups really had no true meaning but to the Belgians it was based upon arbitrary characteristics like your height or the width of your nose Most of the Rwandans did not even know which they were in truth
The two groups they were split into were called the Hutu and the Tutsi The Tutsi were given all the power by Belgium They were taller and had smaller noses so they were closer to the white s body structure They forced the Hutu s to work for them which caused too much suffering Eventually the Belgians left When they did they left the power to the Hutu In order to get back at the Tutsi for all the suffering they had caused the Hutu banded together to extinguish the Tutsi They went on a three month killing spree in 1994 to rid their world of Cockroaches
In the beginning of this book Immaculee Ilibagiza talks about how happy she was with her family during her childhood It becomes a little irritating yet sweet at the same time that her memory of her family makes them seem so perfect No one is that perfect but you still want to believe her It is easy to tell that she is not playing the pity card but rather she is just trying to portray her family in a good light to show how all her people were taken for no reason other than the hatred that spread For the first part of the book she explains that her family would pray together every night She makes it clear that praying was a way to keep strength in her family Her mother made sure they never missed evening prayer because there was no strength that was closer and more important than the strength of God
During the genocide in 1994 Immaculee was a student in college To attempt escape from the danger she and seven others hid in their pastor s house in one of his back bathrooms They were in there three months Immaculee did the only thing she could and returned to her roots through prayer As Immaculee shares in her book The struggle between my prayers and the evil whispers that I was sure belonged to the devil raged in my mind I never stopped praying and the whispering never relented 79
When Immaculee went into the bathroom with the others she was over 120 pounds When she was brave enough to make a run for it three months later she weighed only 80 pounds She spent the whole time just trying to keep faith even though she was greatly suffering She says that aside from the wardrobe that is blocked the bathroom door from plain sight the only other thing that made her feel more secure was that Jesus was shining a white light on the door to protect them She says she even had a dream one night where Jesus came to her saying be at peace and trust in me for I will always be at your side 111
This part was a little difficult for me to trust in but I want to believe her To dream of God would be an amazing feeling I can only imagine the comfort she felt by this No wonder she had the strength to trust Him and walk out of the bathroom I was even more impressed that Immaculee was still able to keep a level mind Even though Jesus had come to her to give reassurance she still realized that she needed to act with a level head but that God had given her the strength to overcome her fear Immaculee was very lucky to see these visions but unfortunately her family was not so lucky
After finding out that her family including all her small siblings had been brutally murdered I m not sure how she found the strength to forgive the Hutus Immaculee realized that her people had suffered enough They had all suffered Hutu and Tutsi alike Somehow she found the strength within God to help her forgive which I don t think is something I could have done If someone had murdered my brother I know I would not be able to forgive them It would take every fiber of my being not to hurt them back Immaculee s family was close to her just as my family especially my brother is close to me However I have no doubt that I would not have the strength Immaculee did I m not sure how she came up with the strength Even if she would not be as angry as to seek revenge I would at least think she would be resentful towards them I m impressed how much she is able to trust and forgive She almost makes forgiveness seem too easy

Cheap price for American on Purpose The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot is the best

Author : Craig Ferguson
Total Page : 288
Publisher : Harper
Publication Date : 2009 10 01

American on Purpose The Improbable Adventures of an Unlikely Patriot
>> You gotta love a man in a kilt
This is a wonderfully written memoir Craig Ferguson is just telling his story kind of like he would if you met him in an airport somewhere and asked about his life
>> Worthwhile
It was a well written easy read I thought it was funny and entertaining An autobiography on how Craig got to where he is today I think it helps to be familiar with Craig I am a fan but it certainly explains a few things I think anyone would enjoy it
>> I laughed I cried
Ever since I started watching Craig Ferguson s show I can t get enough of him He has a unique way of combining touching even heart wrenching moments with great humor and sarcasm all into one great package He is a very intelligent and witty man and these qualities really shine through in this book I highly recommend it

Best price for Neon Angel A Memoir of a Runaway is the best

Author : Cherie Currie
Total Page : 368
Publisher : It Books
Publication Date : 2010 03 01

Neon Angel A Memoir of a Runaway
>> You ve got to read it to believe it
I purchased this book because I ve been a fan of rock n roll for as long as Cherie has I had the Runaways first release on 8 track I remember a picture of the group gracing my bedroom wall along with those of many other bands of the seventies I ll always hold a bit of nostalgia for the music of my youth I figured to get the seedy inside scoop on life in a rock band But this book turned out to be so much more than just that

The array of ups and downs triumphs and tragedies that this woman experienced through the first seventeen years of her life were more than anyone could imagine over an entire lifetime I was stunned by what I read Occasionally graphic and disturbing this is not a book for children Cherie pulls no punches in detailing the events in her life It took a lot of guts on her behalf to do so Most of us wouldn t

It all makes for one heck of a read I flew through the pages because I couldn t put it down What happens on the next page How about the next chapter It never slows down

Cherie Currie is more than the former lead singer of an all girl teen aged rock and roll band She is a woman who persevered and fought her way back from the deepest depths of darkness And what a story she has to tell
>> Completely awesome
I loved this book I read this and now I am really wanting to see the movie It is very real and graphic I applaud Cherie for such an intense and breath taking memoir She is truly a survivor and to tell the tale of such an intense time I highly recommend to anyone who remembers The Runaways and the 70 s The end of an era
>> Sex Drugs and Rock Roll
SPOILERS AHEAD

Cherie Currie s memoir is a roller coaster ride that s far beyond what most people will ever experience She had more horrible things happen to her as a teenager than ten average people would have in an entire lifetime A lack of parental supervision a rebellious nature and life on the road as a member of the Runaways led to many experiences that will simply make your jaw drop I thought that Cherie losing her virginity at fourteen by being raped by her twin sister s boyfriend must be the low point of the book but incredibly enough it gets much worse After she joined the Runaways she had to deal with the sleazy Kim Fowley and other people and she fell into drug abuse which lasted for many years Her attempt at becoming a rock star wasn t nearly as successful or lucrative as it should have been but she somehow managed to survive her many bad experiences and drug addiction I m glad she made it through to the other side and got her life together and I m very glad that she wrote such a powerful memoir It s a stunning piece of work I m sure the new Runaways movie will show some of the dark side of her life but I m also sure it will be a Disney story compared to this book Buy this book and prepare to be astounded

Falling Apart in One Piece One Optimist s Journey Through the Hell of Divorce most popular

Author : Stacy Morrison
Total Page : 256
Publisher : Simon Schuster
Publication Date : 2010 03 23

Falling Apart in One Piece One Optimist s Journey Through the Hell of Divorce
>> An Insightful Poignant Funny Love Story
Although the book s tagline One Optimist s Journey through the Hell of Divorce might lead you to think this is a book about divorce don t let it fool you This is a story about relationship to oneself and to others It s a story about authentic intimacy and deep compassion It s a story about allowing About courageously stepping into and through fear About finding a place of no blame a place of expansiveness and peace

No this book is not about divorce It is really a love story It s about the love shared between a woman and a man a woman and her child a woman and her friends a woman and herself a woman and her life At least that s my take on it

In Falling Apart in One Piece Stacy helps us navigate the dangerous world of anger the paralyzing world of fear and the mysterious gorgeous world of love and everything in between Although I don t ever recall her using the word enlightenment I see this story as a model for my own belief about what enlightenment means opting for connection over separation moving from darkness into light choosing love over fear Every time Stacy lets herself feel her anger and then makes a decision to act out of love I am bolstered by her courage and able to see my own ability to make those life affirming choices

I m not someone who dog ears pages in books But if you could see my copy of Falling Apart in One Piece you d notice a whole slew of dog eared pages I couldn t help myself This book is beautifully written an awesome combination of raw emotion humor insight and story All my dog ears are places of insight that I want to return to over and over again One of my favorites is Life isn t black or white right or wrong good or bad It s everything all at once many shades of gray a beautiful poetic mess

In between all that insight and introspection is a whole heck of a lot of just plain good story You know like the kind of story where you truly want to know how the protagonist is gonna get herself out of this one And you just know she will

I highly recommend this book for anyone who is interested in opening themselves up to what is possible in life Stacy s story is written in such a way that I couldn t help but read it as an invitation Want to come to peace and joy with the inexplicable imperfect amazing life you re living C mon I ll show you the way

>> an entertaining read
Stacy Morrison s Falling apart in one piece one optimist s journey through the hell of divorce details the destruction of her marriage to Chris who decides to leave the author after ten years of their relationship Complicating the matters are numerous factors Stacy has just given birth to their newborn son Zack They bought a house they can t afford Their new house floods every time there s any precipitation Stacy has recently been fired from her full time job at Marie Claire magazine And now her husband is leaving her

Morrison doesn t hold anything back the sleepless nights the heartbreak and the construction of her new single mom identity The book also paints an interesting portrait of Chris the ex who can t cope in the real world and is tired of having Stacy make all the decisions for him He complains about his tech job secretly dreams of a screenwriting career and tries to spend as little time with his son as possible After he moves out Chris leaves Stacy to pick up the fragments of their old life all by herself Immersed in his dreams he blames everyone around him but gets nowhere near solving his own problems

In the midst of the crying baby the falling apart house and the crumbling marriage Stacy is chosen to be editor in chief of Redbook magazine ironically focusing on happy marriages and women in the household In other words if this wasn t a true story this would be the perfect setup for a movie about how one woman s life is just falling apart

However as reflected in the title Stacy tries to become an optimist and change the way she is coping with her new life Morrison flings herself into her new job and finds herself in a new world doing things like interviewing then President George Bush and his wife Laura for a cover story or presiding over an annual Redbook event where presidential candidate John Kerry was the big guest

Eventually Stacy solves most of her problems but her experiences make for an entertaining read
>> Reads like a great novel
This compelling book reads much more like a classic novel than most of today s quickly forgotten memoirs There were many times that the pain was so palpable that that I literally had to look away from the page for a while before continuing But there was also joy in many parts especially the joy that Morrison obviously feels in finally realizing that she is her own person for better and for worse but really so much more for the better an awesome and talented person who has now added great mom and great writer to the top of her resume

Best price for Paul and Me Fifty three Years of Adventures and Misadventures with My Pal Paul Newman

Author : A E Hotchner
Total Page : 256
Publisher : Nan A Talese
Publication Date : 2010 03 23

Paul and Me Fifty three Years of Adventures and Misadventures with My Pal Paul Newman
>> Great but very little on his movies
I am a huge fan of Paul Newman and was very excited when I heard this was being written If you re looking for insight into his Hollywood life then you may be a bit disappointed I was a little Would have loved to hear about Paul s thoughts on his movies The only reason it doesn t have five stars I m a HUGE fan of Newman s filmography This is mostly about Newman s Own and The Hole In the Wall Gang Camps I found it fascinating I learned so much about who Paul was as a person Anyone who doesn t respect or admire how Paul lived his life outside of Hollywood must not understand just how rare a person like Paul Newman is

Hotch has a great voice and there is a lot of humor The story about playing tennis with Newman and Redford was a favorite of mine He also captured some intimate moments in Paul s life the death of his son the start of the camps Paul s illness etc I was crying for the last fifteen twenty pages when Hotch was talking about Paul s illness and how he had to miss events for his charities It was hard to read but I m glad I did

If you have even the smallest interest in Paul Newman The Person then I definitely recommend this book Like I mentioned it doesn t cover much of his time in Hollywood but it s still worth the read
>> A great tribute
I was dumbfounded to see that the people rating this book one or two stars have not read it They just criticized the price
As for me I enjoyed it tremendously At last we have a book written by someone who actually knew Paul Newman What a change compared to so called biographies written by people who had never met him and who too often resorted to unsubstantiated tabloid stories to tarnish his reputation
Mr Hotchner has a great sense of humour and many anecdotes are very funny I laughed a lot But there are some moving moments especially at the end and also when he tells us about a conversation about Scott PN s son
This is a revealing intimate but not too intimate portrait of a kind and generous man I don t understand the people who have criticized the author for betraying his friend s intimate thoughts Nothing secret is revealed concerning PN s guilt about his son it was not a secret But when Scott died the stories made up by the tabloids were awful accusing PN of not giving a damn about his son Here the author shows us how much he cared for him Relating this conversation was necessary because it does him justice
Thank you for this lovely tribute I just found it too short
>> what did you think you were buying
review the book not the system this is a refreshingly non hollywood look at a big part of hollywood

Fast Shipping An Unquiet Mind A Memoir of Moods and Madness is the best

Author : Kay Redfield Jamison
Total Page : 240
Publisher : Alfred A Knopf
Publication Date : 1995 09 05

An Unquiet Mind A Memoir of Moods and Madness
>> Great Book Terrible Type Os
It seems inexcusable to have so many misspellings in the electronic edition of this wonderful book Did anyone proof read the copy Love the book hate the quality of the electronic edition
>> Flat and uninspiring
If this were a fiction book I would critique it on the basis that the main character is painfully one dimensional and as another reviewer wrote somewhat self centered The fact that this is actually a memoir is not a good sign since memoirs are an opportunity for authors to explore their own uniqueness and get beyond narrative cliches Its a pity that she has applied such a normative frame to understanding the complications of her life and unless you are totally comfortable with the narrow ambitions and desires of a normal bourgeois life you probably won t find this book compelling
>> beautifully written
A vivid and compelling look at an individual whose struggle with mental illness had a profound effect on her personal and professional lives This book was a real eye opener particularly for someone who has not experienced manic depressive illness in a family member or a friend

Where to buy Dead End Gene Pool A Memoir

Author : Wendy Burden
Total Page : 288
Publisher : Gotham
Publication Date : 2010 04 01

Dead End Gene Pool A Memoir
>> A triumph of humor and compassion over privilege and bitterness
The trick to money is to have a lot but not too much

What s too much

I could tell you I was once married to the daughter of the second or third richest woman in America but you probably wouldn t believe me Better that you find out for yourself Just start accumulating wealth When you have enough you ll feel great When you have too much some new friends gloom anxiety and a nasty sense of meaninglessness will show up and never leave Guaranteed

Speaking of misery let s consider the heritage of Cornelius Vanderbilt in his day the richest man in America Here s just one of his estates Wendy Burden is his great great great granddaughter It is astonishing given her bloodline that she could pull herself together enough to write Dead End Gene Pool It s even more astonishing that she s alive

When Wendy was six her father killed himself After that she writes I only spent time with my mother when she was getting ready to leave My brother and I had recently come to view her as a glamorous lodger who rented the master bedroom suite

It would be easy to write this memoir from the Valley of Bitterness but then you d have to live there Wendy Burden chooses to reside on the Mountain of Absurdity Smart move Why waste energy on hating your mother when you can rip off lines like this about Leslie Lepington Hamilton Burden dropping her young daughter at the airport and fleeing the jurisdiction She could make it downtown to Trader Vic s in less time than it takes to put on a pair of sheer black stockings and get the seams straight

So Wendy and her brothers fell by default into the care of their grandparents Mr and Mrs William A M Burden II He had been a successful investor Ambassador to Belgium oh how he craved the post in Paris and President of the Museum of Modern Art But Popsie and Gaga were not exactly homey their Fifth Avenue apartment had 14 bathrooms and 21 rooms The Burdens were ghosts only their servants seemed real

Bill Burden had a breakthrough art collection His wife was a modern woman only when it came to self medication By the time Wendy showed up their marriage consisted of gallons of wine rich meals afternoon naps cocktails and dinner parties William Burden s favorite word Mah velous Really You ll decide for yourself

Nature abhors a vacuum Wendy and her brother filled the absence of adult supervision with an unending series of pranks They were by turns destructive cruel stupid and funny I lump them all into another category life saving

When you pass unseen through rooms it s hard not to work at what Erik Erikson called negative identity the sum of all those identifications and identity fragments which the individual had to submerge in himself as undesirable or irreconcilable Mooning boaters who have slowed their engines to gawk at the Burdens house in Maine stealing every bit of food from the kitchen stretching Saran Wrap under the toilet seat the young Burdens did it all Do I have to add that Wendy also got terrible grades in school

Even if you re not of her world you ll guffaw at the descriptions of meals in Maine and vacations in Florida Her mother s marital history is a kind of hoot Wendy s first crush and her efforts to lose her virginity are damn funny To say nothing of Jacques Cousteau putting the moves on teenage Wendy on the Concorde And the descriptions of a great meal It was sublime like eating orgasms

Take the laughs where you can get them because you knew where this book is going adult diapers for William Burden rehab for Wendy s brothers more inappropriate marriages for her mother By the end if you re like me you ll find Wendy s survival nothing short of remarkable And you ll be glad she heads out into her adult life only kinda sorta rich
>> Mildly entertaining
In spite of the beautiful manner in which this book is written I found myself getting bored because NOTHING HAPPENS The anecdotes are amusing but no depth story or Insight into any of the characters I enjoy reading about rich people as much as the next person but when I was 7 when I was 8 when I was 9 can get tiresome

No way should this book be compared to Frank McCourt s Angela s Ashes
>> Highly Entertaining not for the socially conservative
I noticed another reviewer commented on the book not being well written which is false It s well written extremely entertaining and provides a lovely portrait of some fascinating people Yes true if you think people who drink or take drugs or are shallow are horrible and you despise them clearly this is the wrong book for you If you re a little more open minded or at least don t take yourself that seriously you will really enjoy this It s a fascinating rollicking story of the end of family wealth from the perspective of a child who comes to understand her world just as you come to understand it as the reader I personally love stories of interesting people doing entertaining things and by interesting and entertaining I mean different It s positively rejuvenating to read about people who have structured days with cooks and maids and have cars delivered and just live in a delightfully interesting world
I will say that I would have liked a longer book It s a very easy read very compelling and I just would have liked to read more It skips around at parts so you miss a lot of time and correlated information Obviously it s difficult with a memoir that involves family to strike that balance between telling your story and offending your family my guess is that s why there isn t more

Man s Search for Meaning on shop

Author : Viktor E Frankl
Total Page : 192
Publisher : Pocket Books
Publication Date : 2006 05 02

Man s Search for Meaning
>> A classic
This great classic illustrates how we create our own realities and can find purpose and meaning and a level of control in even the most trying of circumstances
>> Great seller
Book was delivered in the expected time frame It is in great condition as described by the seller
>> Logos
Very interesting account of one man s experience in a concentration camp Sans the detailed horror and gore of other WWII stories Frankl gives a compassionate telling of his experiences and examines man s choice in how he reacts to life s many diffulties He also introduces the reader to logotherapy which he developed as a result of his WWII years Logotherapy states that the root of depression and discontent is the person s lack of meaning in life

Save price for Ruby s Diary Reflections on All I ve Lost and Gained order it now

Author : Ruby Gettinger
Total Page : 192
Publisher : William Morrow
Publication Date : 2009 09 01

Ruby s Diary Reflections on All I ve Lost and Gained
>> A Book Meant To Be Skimmed
I was looking forward to reading this book just based upon the blurb because I had never heard of the author or her story before Finally I thought a person who s going to discuss what it s actually like to be a large person in today s society But I have no idea if this book actually contains that information because I got bogged down right in the beginning chapters The author just babbles and babbles There s wheat in among the chaff but I don t know if it is worth the effort to wade through her gushing about her wonderful this or that or how this thing or that thing is so meaningful to her or how wonderful her friends are yadda yadda yadda

A conscious decision was apparently made by the powers that be to write the book in Ruby s voice interspersed by bouquet letters praising her what she s accomplished and how she s helped others All very nice I m sure but I get the feeling that in real life she would be a rather fatiguing person to be around way too much high drama

I know alot of people are going to disagree with this review and that s okay I obviously didn t get the same thing out of this book that they did I ve never been a big fan of motivational books so perhaps that has colored my review I promise to make a good faith attempt to skim the book to see if I can glean any useful gems but as a plus size woman this book failed to make a connection with me
>> Poignant and a Little Sad
Ruby s Diary offers a further look into the life of Ruby Gettinger star of the well received TV Show Ruby This is the tale of a woman who at one time in her life weighed over 700lbs and has made it her goal to weigh 150lbs Currently at the end of last season s tv show she has hovered somewhere around 350lbs which is indeed an admirable turn around of a life that was headed toward an early end

The book/diary is much like the TV show It is very difficult not to like and even deeply admire Ruby She is an attractive articulate and kind woman People around Ruby have many wonderful adjectives to describe her A beautiful friend full of life happy an inspiration Ruby is indeed all of those things and more

Yet reading the book much like watching the TV show it is difficult not to wander into the area of disbelief Ruby reports constantly being asked How did this happen How did you come to weigh 700lbs and very seldom does she give an answer beyond I don t know Ruby claims not to remember her childhood and there is a common belief that there is some tragedy there that is a root cause

Even beyond that however reading the book I often feel like Ruby s nutritionist who it appears simply lays it on the line and says No No No Ruby If you gained all this weight then you were NOT following the meal plan No your scale is NOT broken No you are not following the plan as dictated My disbelief goes even futher you have all these devoted friends and family Ruby Your Mother Georgia Jeff how could they not have attempted to step in at 500 550 or 600lbs The only person in Ruby s life who seems to have attempted such an action is an ex boyfriend who told her that he could not remain with her if she continued down the path Unfortunately his break up of the relationship is seen more as a I won t be with you if you are fat explanation rather than one as a man refusing to accept and participate in what was obviously deeply addictive and destructive behaviors

After reading the journal my questions continue If your High School and college years truly were so happy why did the weight continue to rise Why Why Why Really it is not so much that I feel Ruby is lying to me when she says I don t know more a sense that Ruby is lying to herself Much like Oprah I continue to ask What were you feeding Ruby

Ruby very often compares her eating obsession to alcohol or drug addictions and that is probably a fair correlation as in my experience with addicts the pretense world of everything is happy and I love the world is quite common From watching the show and reading this journal I m not sure I can be as confident of her success as some When I watch and read her words I get the sense of a woman who is truly lost and in deep denial and sadly still just hiding it behind a wide smile

Still a very fascinating read and I wish the best for her
>> Ruby s Diary
I love Ruby I love the show I was hoping to hear something anything that hasn t already been on the show It was basically an overview of what I have already seen on the show I wouldn t recommend buying it although I will pass it around to my friends

Best price for Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly P S

Author : Anthony Bourdain
Total Page : 352
Publisher : Ecco
Publication Date : 2007 01 09

Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly P S
>> Goodbye New York Hello East Orange
I watch Bourdain s No Reservations television show on a regular basis His narrations always interest me they being sadistic off color perverse and need I add humorous His love of classical music that originated at CBGB s in New York only added to my interest But the real deal with this cook read the book and you ll find the meaning of this word is that he loves and appreciates food and those who prepare it His book Kitchen Confidential is an informative amusing and provocative look at the food industry As I read this classic novel I could hear his voice speaking the words as if I were having a conversation with the chef It is an absolutely must read for the Bourdain fan and anyone else who has found Monty Python s true meaning of life A great read from a great gastronomist Is this a real word
>> Prefer Food Poisoning
I wish I d read the reviews prior to purchasing I couldn t get past the first few chapters The writing was incredibly crude and created a totally repulsive image of what s going on in the kitchen If there are moments of hilarity they must be further along I didn t think it worth the effort to continue
>> Excellent book highly entertaining
At age 14 I started working in the restaurant industry Looking for a job I was hoping to get lucky and maybe land a dishwashing gig But the back of the house was short handed and needed someone on the line At the time I didn t even know what a line cook even was but it was the launch of the first career in my life as a cook I spent 5 years as a line cook and managed to work my way up to kitchen management doing inventory and ordering hiring and firing when I was a still a sniveling 17 year old I came to a cross road when I was 19 and seriously considering a culinary school or apprenticeship and get serious But I took another path and got an education and jobs working with computers networks and the like I decided that my chances of success as an aspiring chef might be limited And honestly the road was going to be a harder one then I wanted to go down I wanted a life I wanted weekends and nights free So even though I loved food I departed from that scene

Kitchen Confidential brought back a flood of memories for me and is so remeniscent of many of my own experiences Anthony has a gift the narrative way he tells the story brings you in You can almost smell and taste the things he talks about You can t help but laugh out loud and think how insanely true the life of a cook really is His utter candor about the difficulty in becoming a career cook or chef isn t over dramatic or overstated in any way It s an honest entertaining page turning book

Best price for Where Men Win Glory The Odyssey of Pat Tillman is the best

Author : Jon Krakauer
Total Page : 416
Publisher : Doubleday
Publication Date : 2009 09 15

Where Men Win Glory The Odyssey of Pat Tillman
>> An Important Account
This is a well written book that covers the details of Pat Tillman s life and eventual death the history of Afghanistan and the political climate around the war the US is fighting I like how Krakauer switches between those narratives
>> Where Men Win Glory
I had read this author prior to this and looked forward to the factual you are there style he had given us in the Everest story But the author makes the mistake of most celebrities or near celebrities and assumes that we give a rat s rear about the author s not the subject s politics He allows his narrative to devolve into an opinion laden political hatchet job the purpose of which seems to be to heap abuse on the 2nd Bush s administration I m no fan of the war but I wanted to hear what Tillman might have thought or felt and what his motivations might have been To the author I might say that you are entitled to your opinion but I really don t care to hear it Give us what the cover promises or take up fiction I would not recommend this book unless you really enjoy anything scathing regarding the 2nd Bush s presidency Unlike the author I will admit that this is just MY opinion
>> A Good Empathetic Narrative that Loses Sight of What it is Trying to Accomplish
Krakauer is an excellent journalist who is incapable of writing a bad book and this book is no exception While some have criticized Krakauer for spending most of the book on Tillman s childhood and life before Afghanistan I think the context this provides is a strength of the book Without all this prior exposition the tragedy of Tillman cannot truly be appreciated Krakauer s heartbreaking description of the bullets that deflated Tillman s head like a basketball is all the more haunting given the reader s understanding of all the contradictions strengths and quirks of Tillman s personality

The supreme irony is that Tillman s politics were far different from the right wing political hacks who attempted to exploit his tragedy And the background Krakauer provides permits one to understand the extent of the injustice done the Tillman family and the depth of their rage

But Krakauer does lose his way in the writing of book because he forgets what he is trying to accomplish His conclusion dwells on philosophical issues about alpha males and wimps and the winnabilty of a war in Afghanistan And much of the book consists of taking potshots at Rumsfeld and Bush All of this misses the point

What we have here is a striking instance of a man walking away from a highly lucrative football contract and from a happy homelife and sacrificing everything in favor of the ideal of military service What can the military do to tap into this kind of ideal and to honor this ideal Instead of loving the military Tillman is disillusioned by its hierarchy of rigid rank as opposed to merit Many of the men he serves with are weak louts and many officers are insufferable I would like to have seen more about the background of the other men entering the service and what could be done to reform the military so that the best and the brightest and the most patriotic serve

Is it truly necessary to have such a rigid rank system What can be done to make senior officers more accountable Would making the military more open to outside review destroy it as feared by the military or could it somehow make the military stronger How could it be possible to structure a military where merit and willingness to serve on the front lines is more rewarded

Tillman s story allows an exploration of all these issues But Krakauer does not follow through in this respect

Buy it now A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier is the best

Author : Ishmael Beah
Total Page : 240
Publisher : Farrar Straus and Giroux
Publication Date : 2008 08 05

A Long Way Gone Memoirs of a Boy Soldier
>> I believe Ishmael
A very disturbing true story that I feel everyone every kids should read War is a horrendous thing It kills lives destroys homes wipes out the glows in the eyes of the surviving people Ishmael s words are calm quiet almost nonchalant yet extremely powerful I had tears in my eyes reading it It was painful to read the book it was painful to even imagine what he has gone through in the war I m glad he survived the war and has a better life now There are still many too many people suffering in wars all over the world But one got out is better than none got out

I read about the controversy surrounding this book on the internet half way reading it It s up to people who and what to believe even with evidence just like Michael Jackson s trial And I believe Ishmael Beah I just do

A link to Ishmael s words on the doubts of his experience in the war


I gave the book a 4 star because it ended a little too abruptly How did he get to US Did the people in the Embassy helped him How did Laura become his mum I know in the book it told that Laura and Ishmael got close with each other during the conference But I would have like to know a little more detail after he got to US and stay with Laura And perhaps a little about his life then when he was writing the book Was he still being haunted by nightmares Was he able to get a good night sleep I m just wondering
>> Compelling Strength from a boy soldier
Wow words can not describe this memoir
Really was eye opening to read makes you re evaluate all the things that we tend to take for granted

>> A Long Way Gone
A very interesting book full of true horrors with the senseless destruction of entire villages at the hands of children who have been brainwashed and trained to kill

Cheapest price for Blue Like Jazz Nonreligious Thoughts on Chrisian Spirituality order it now

Author : Donald Miller
Publisher : Hovel Audio
Publication Date : 2007 09 30

Blue Like Jazz Nonreligious Thoughts on Chrisian Spirituality
>> A wonderful book to help put things into perspective
I really enjoyed this book Don Miller has enough humor that I grin the entire time I read his books and then he ll write something so profound that I sit there and think for a while I have struggled with different aspects of my Christianity and had questions that I was afraid to utter Don uttered many of these and helped me to feel less alone in trying to be a better person I m not there yet nor will I ever be but I now know that some of the things I think are not too strange or far off from what others are thinking
>> refreshing and liberating expression of christian spirituality
i love this book i feel a spiritual kinship with the author donald miller the writing is colorful and vivid so i was able to visualize each of the scenes in his encounters on his christian journey i also laughed a lot the author was brutally honest about his beliefs and feelings however very committed to being a healthy spiritual being and wanting to do the right thing for the right reasons
>> Donald Miller s book of apologies for beleiving in Jesus
If you were thinking of purchasing this book please save your money
I found myself at first drawn towards his descriptive writing style But soon I was turned off by his constant apologizing for beleiving in something as uncool as
Christianity Is this really a grown man who is so afraid that the pot smoking binge drinking college co ed s will make fun of him he almost denied Christ He spends most of the book discussing the love of Jesus He wants to love the whole world like Jesus does That in and of itself is honorable But he wants to love without judgement That is not the message that Jesus Christ died on the cross for It s as if Don having never really read or understood much about the bible has decided to write a book about it What is terrifying to me is that this will be the formula that will draw many to him and this book If Jesus came to love on everyone and not call anyone to turn and sin no more why did He have to die on the cross Why was there even a payment for sin if sin can be so casually ignored Shame on you Donald Miller You will lead a generation astray because you are too immature in your faith to feel comfortable with the uncomfortable parts of the Gospel Message Jesus does not need you to smooth over the rough edges What we need are more men and woman willing to stand up for something that they beleive in Even if it makes them uncomfortable or heaven forbid uncool

Supreme Power Franklin Roosevelt vs the Supreme Court order it now

Author : Jeff Shesol
Total Page : 656
Publisher : W W Norton Company
Publication Date : 2010 03 22

Supreme Power Franklin Roosevelt vs the Supreme Court
>> The Title Says It All
Mr Shesol has created a wonderful and readable account of politics in the 1930 s Even the chapter titles are colorful and implies the high stakes involved in the political showdown between the liberal President and the conservative Supreme Court The author does not begin his tale in 1937 the year of the court packing political battle but in 1932 with Roosevelt s election in a time of economic turmoil He clearly covers Roosevelt s first term with the New Deal programs that were overturned by the Supreme Court the 1936 landslide victory by Roosevelt and then his political decision to deal with all the 5 4 and 6 3 court rulings that he lost With 500 pages of text and 100 pages of supporting documentation/index this is an excellent work of political history

Confessions Of An Economic Hit Man Library Edition reviews

Author : John Perkins
Publisher : Blackstone Audiobooks
Publication Date : 2005 05

Confessions Of An Economic Hit Man Library Edition
>> First Half is OK
if you re educated about US latin america foreign affairs from 60 s to 80 s this book should not surprised you But it s an interesting reading and worthwhile reading First 4 chapters are more telling and rest of book is expendable
>> Everything was great except for the main character
I gave the book four stars for it s coverage of American empiricism in the 20th century Although there isn t anything new in this book Perkins does a credible job revealing how thinly disguised American foreign policy is for it s true purpose of gaining new markets for American private industry His coverage of Latin America and America s intervention is truly insightful I also enjoyed his portrayal of big oil s role in Asia and our role in building the Saudi kingdom

I took away two stars however for the author s endless moralizing throughout the book We have a saying in the west that an environmentalist is someone who already has his cabin in the woods The joke highlights the hypocrisy common in our culture Perkins embodies this hypocrisy but not in an amusing way He begins his career in the Peace Corps and ends it giving tours in the Amazon In between he managed to cash in on 30 years of enormous payoffs doing the very activities he condemns He endlessly repeated how he knew what he was doing was wrong but the money bought his participation He left repeatedly only to go back for the money He even started an alternative energy company only to sell it out to big oil for you got it huge money

In the end I found Perkins life story a detraction to an otherwise worthwhile book I don t know the man and won t pass judgment on him but the character in this book is easy to despise I know a few people like this character people who have million dollar homes 50 yachts and millions of frequent flier miles who claim to be concerned with exploitation of the poor and world carbon emissions Their concerns are genuine but their greed and sense of self entitlement is a far stronger passion Their hypocrisy makes them as endearing as something I d scrape off the bottom of my shoe with a stick

Well done Perkins you bilked me out of 15 bucks for which I received very little in return But then by your own account you are a professional
>> A total fabrication
I spent most of my working career overseas on behalf of the U S Gov t

There is no such thing as an economic hitman or any job resembling what Perkins claims he did

This is a total fabrication and Perkins is a con man

On Sale Three Cups of Tea One Man s Journey to Change the World One Child at a Time The Young Reader s Edition

Author : Greg Mortenson
Total Page : 240
Publisher : Puffin
Publication Date : 2009 01 22

Three Cups of Tea One Man s Journey to Change the World One Child at a Time The Young Reader s Edition
>> Awesome
Greg Mortensen and his family and extended Afghan families are as close to saints as there is It s amazing how much they ve accomplished for the children in Afghanistan and are continuing to do despite the constant dangers This book and it s sequel Stones Into Schools should be required reading A great gift for anyone Pass it on
>> Three Cups of Tea audio CD Young Reader s Edition
An informative and uplifting true story which engaged and inspired my two children ages 8 and 10 I also enjoyed listening and would highly reccomend it to any parent
>> i love it
ok first thing i LOVE this book i read the whole thing like in a couple of days i probally could have read faster if i was not busy well anyway i m 9 years old i think that this book is like for all ages becase my moms even reading it i really love diffently BUY IT

Cheap price on The Woman s Bible order it now

Author : Elizabeth Cady Stanton
Total Page : 416
Publisher : Northeastern
Publication Date : 1993 06 08

The Woman s Bible
>> Not a devotional bible for women
wanted a bible with some devotional elements this was not it would be best if there was a description before you buy even at free interested in the rewrite and commentary
>> No functionality whatsoever
This reads exactly like a book You aren t able to access the individual books of the Bible or do any searches All you can do is hit the next page and it takes forever to get out of the Prefaces and Author comments This is all well for those who want to go from next page to next page but if you want access to Revelation it s going to take you a long time to get there
>> The Woman s Bible
I was completely surprised and repulsed by its feminist stance I couldn t bear to read much of it as I believe the Bible is the unerring Word of God Women s stature in organized church has grown significantly and I would not want my daughter s and granddaughter s minds poisoned by these ideas I have several women friends who have gone into the ministry and have been very successful I know this is an old writing but it came off my Kindle the minute I saw the problems Stantan had been trying to express She must have been a terribly abused girl to have such bitterness

ON WRITING order it now

Author : STEPHEN KING
Total Page : 256
Publisher : HODDER STOUGHTON LTD
Publication Date : 2000 01 01

ON WRITING
>> You re a loser and Stephen King proves it
Forget about reading this book You d be crazy to spend money on it if you re an aspiring writer Call your grandpa and ask him if the job at the mill is still available

Stephen King leaves you in despair after this book Trying to help you become a writer Yeah right This dude s simply showing you his incredible writing talent with this book and will make you feel like the world s biggest loser

If John Grisham were to read this book he d start crying and renounce all the work he s ever done If Tom Clancy had to read this you can forget about another espionage thriller The dude would spend his days crying in the shower

This book s ISBN number is a better read than your best work will ever be If a man can write a book this good on writing flip man what the heck do you think you re gonna impress the world with

I mean take for instance that brilliant story you had in your head about the little boy who goes into a coma while his grandmother bakes cookies only to wake up 23 years later to his wife s cooking with a knife in his arm and a bucket of lentils on his head
Brilliant idea right NOT Stephen King s your daddy and his writing on writing is better than your story


FUGGEDABOUTIT
>> Reading as the Foundation to Writing
On Writing is for those of us who cannot help ourselves Writing is in our blood and permeates our being Writing can be a demanding mistress expensive calculating time consuming boring at times periodically wild and certainly insatiable Our efforts may often be more fulfilling than the product but money and fame would be acceptable

Mr King s brief Memoir incorporates factual and anecdotal back story regarding his development as a Writer to be sure But it also brings into specific relief the why and what regarding personal style and choices of genre I still disagree mostly with his stance on foul language But Stephen being Stephen has given me a much clearer understanding of his motivation in using such And I can appreciate that

There is a Tool Box if you will that each of us who presume to write seriously must put together
Vocabulary
Grammar
Elements of Writing Style King is big on Strunk White
The well written Paragraph not the sentence is the basic unit of Writing
Read a lot Write a lot Reading is the Creative Center of the Writer s Life
Novels of Worth contain Narration Description and Dialogue
Distrust the Plot People don t live by means of a Plot
Entertain What if Questions
Locale and Texture is more important than Physical Description
Be Honest in your Writing
Do your Research
Revise and Polish

Mr King speaks to us about the contents of his Tool Box giving concrete examples gleaned from his personal reading He adds to this some delightful jewels of his own invention to help us keep on track

He also addresses the business side of Writing
Securing an Agent
Building a Library of well chosen reference materials
Professional preparation and presentation of a Manuscript

There are good reasons why Stephen King is such a prolific and popular writer He is direct vociferous frightfully honest and brazenly amusing But one attribute he owns but rarely is being subtle In regard to the importance of Reading as being substantively basic to Writing Mr King offers the following opinion Reading takes time and the glass teat takes too much of it So if we presume to write Mr King suggests that we set a schedule both deliberate and firm remove the distractions of the day and get to it A great deal of Writing anything of merit is just plain ole hard Work

His book On Writing is at once an encouragement regarding that wonderful craft and just a lot of fun to read

Four Stars then for Mr King And a fair amount of applause

Russell de Ville
06 April 2010

>> Writing Memoirs
I discovered that writing memoirs isn t much different than other types of writing novels texts etc I picked up many techniques I was not aware of and a few I had unconsciously been doing For those I was already doing it gave me confidence Where I was not sure I learned what I was doing was a good or bad strategy An example technique was to put down the first draft for a period of time in order to revisit it with new eyes I have about five different subject memoirs presently in storage and wasn t sure this was a good thing to do Turns out it is Steven King s book gave me increased confidence

I also enjoyed King s personal memoirs as it relates to the trade how he got published the army of personnel involved Much more interesting and yes fun to learn