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 : Marshall Saunders Total Page : 268 Publisher : BiblioLife Publication Date : 2008 08 18
Beautiful Joe >> A must for animal lovers I first read Beautiful Joe as a youngster probably 40 years ago it broke my heart to read of Joe s beginnings with Jenkins in the opening chapters of the book but as I went on and he was rescued I found I couldn t put it down The Italian s tragic loss of his animals in a barn fire still brings tears to my eyes and Malta the cat remains a favorite character simply because she s a cat
I am so surprised and pleased that the publisher has re printed the story and that Amazon is offering it for sale because of the book s age well over 100 yrs old and the style of writing it used I had my mother s book given her by my grandfather when she was a girl so the grammatical style was still in the original I was sure it was one of those stories that would be lost in oblivion for just that reason
I do plan to purchase the book for both my daughter for Christmas as well as an additional copy for her former school s library Thank you so much Amazon for bringing this timeless story to us once again >> A note on the Kindle version formatting It s not a huge deal but this version has a large left margin The only impact is that this means you can t see as much text on the screen at a time If this bothers you there are other versions that cost just a few dollars that would probably not have this issue >> A book that changed the world Published in 1893 Beautiful Joe was the first Canadian book to sell a million copies and was extremely popular in America too selling almost a million copies by 1900 A work of fiction told from the dog s point of view it is based upon the true story of an abused dog in the tradition of 1877 s Black Beauty It reflects many of the unfortunate realities of society in those days but it had an incredible impact upon the Western world s ideas about humane treatment of animals Interestingly it is still published with the author listed as Marshall Saunders In fact it was written by Margaret Marshall Saunders and published using her middle name since it was felt that no one would want to buy a book written by a woman She was in fact the first woman to write a book which sold a million copies
There s also a website about the real beautiful Joe at beautifuljoe org
Author : James Frey Publisher : San Val Publication Date : 2004 05 11
Million Little Pieces >> Very Satisfied The book came just the way described Very happy with it Would buy from them again >> I need a long shower I feel dirty after reading this book I read this knowing full well it was fiction after the furor The plot is sophmoric Everything tied up so neatly Tiresome language And the treatment of the female lead is a deplorable exploitation It s hard to exploit someone who is not real but that might be Frey s singular talent Dreck >> Exploitation of addiction This was a strange little book on the one hand we have James Frey embellishing most if not all of his recovery from addiction misleading all readers and self aggrandizing his disease On the other this was admittedly a true page turner one which took me only a short time to finish I took this on with all the knowledge of Frey s delusion This dichotomy is what faces me as I try to objectively review this best seller
Maybe this perversion is what Frey originally had in mind and if it was assuming the reader can get past the untruths then this still is a work worth reading No literary marvel here again perhaps Frey s intent the reader is bombarded with straight ahead no b s prose that constantly attacks the senses and draws you in The character development is certainly un Dickensian but stays true to the vein in which Frey portrays this story hard to the point and all with a million flaws I ll wager that most who start this book will fly through it with gusto just to see how this haywire cast ends up and to see if Frey s impertinent approach to recovery works
So I have to say go on and take the plunge Knowing Frey s betrayal one should still read this for what it is a dark symptomatic account of addiction and recovery that hits you over the head and leaves you left me at least with a better feeling for what the dispossessed go through
Author : Alison Weir Total Page : 15 Publisher : Whole Story Audio Books Publication Date : 2010 01 01
The Lady in the Tower The Fall of Anne Boleyn >> Alison Weir does it again I always enjoy Alison Weir s books and this one is no exception She clearly lays out the facts and offers corroborative evidence to support her conclusions The story is told in a lively fashion It never bores like some biographies can >> A New Angle On The Tudors REALLY In this latest offering in the stacks of books written about the Tudors best selling author Alison Weir posits a new theory
The commonly proffered history has it that the aging and randy King Henry VIII was feeling the pressure of not having an heir with his current wife Anne Boleyn and sought the assistance of his principal adviser Thomas Cromwell to find criminal grounds for executing the Queen
In The Lady in the Tower The Fall of Anne Boleyn Weir skillfully presents the argument that it was Cromwell himself that engineered the demise of the popular queen Seeing Anne as a political rival Cromwell was determined to destroy her credibility frame her and alienate her supporters
One thing I noticed in this book was the readability though filled with places dates facts and published accounts of the day it was an easy read As a lover of all accounts of the Royals I have always enjoyed Weir s writing In this book it seems her writing style has definitely benefited from her recent foray into the world of historical fiction This is a great first non fiction account for those who loved her Innocent Traitor A Novel of Lady Jane Grey >> A wonderful surprise Having become fascinated with Anne Boleyn for years I bought this book with trepidation My collection has nearly every non fiction book on the Tudors and Anne Boleyn in particular I am always looking for some new nugget of information This book is a splendid addition to any Tudor collection It briefly covers the period the first five months of 1536 and the weeks in the tower the trumped up trial day by day I especially liked that each person who interacts with Anne and those who testified against her are carefully researched and their motives uncovered The book provides new insights into her spectacular fall from such heights It is clear that Henry began to dislike her after Elizabeth s birth that dislike was deepened as her failures to produce any further living children hardened his dislike into hatred Anne had no real friends who eould dare come to her aid including her own father In her time of trouble she was quite alone She was nothing The book s cover is a portrait of Anne from the Royal Collection of Her Majesty I highly recommend it
Author : John Moody Publisher : Shadow Mountain Publication Date : 2010 03 03
Kiss It Good bye The Mystery the Mormon and the Moral of the 1960 Pittsburgh Pirates >> A Great Read Don t Miss It I grew up north of Pittsburgh and was 6 years old when the Pirates won the 1960 World series I remember little of what went on at that time I have been a very avid basball fan of the St Louis Cardinals all of my life but I loved this book It is almost a dual biography of Vernon Law alternating with a young Pirate fan The baseball is great the life of Vernon Law was intersting the history of Pittsburgh was very interesting and eye opening The author wraps it up with anecdotes of his life and is a great writer I was particularly struck by the photos and descriptions of the polution and hard life that many Pittsburghers endured in the mid 1900 s I am a baseball book collector and have more than 1100 baseball books This one definitely belongs in this collection but even non baseball fans will enjoy it I heartily recommend this book >> A trip back in time This book took me back to those hot summer days listening to the Pirates on KDKA Good history of that wonderful season with a lot of insight into the players Also very good local history The only negative I found in the book was the amount of time that John Moody spent talking about himself and his family I bought the book to read about Vernon Law and the Pirates >> From a Dodgers Fan Kiss It Good Bye is a great story that kept me on the edge of my seat It was also a nice trip back to the America of the 1960 s my boyhood years The author is a wonderful writer and story teller I knew a little about Vern Law and enjoyed the background information about his growing up years in Idaho and how he picked the Pirates as the team to play for right out of High School I also loved feeling the emotion the Pittsburg fans must have felt going up against the Goliath Yankees in the World Series It had been the Dodgers against the Yankees for me I wouldn t have thought it possible to enjoy a baseball book based on one player one team and for the most part one season and one game But I did For me it was a home run
Author : Candice Millard Total Page : 432 Publisher : Anchor Publication Date : 2006 10 10
The River of Doubt Theodore Roosevelt s Darkest Journey >> Thrilling Adventure Theodore Roosevelt is definitely on my Most Fascinating People Ever list After reading both volumes of the Morris biographies and then finishing The River of Doubt I wish I could spend hours talking with Roosevelt and asking him countless questions only I m sure I wouldn t be able to keep up on the hike he d make us take together
The River of Doubt is a thrilling and interesting narrative of Roosevelt s post presidency exploration of a previously uncharted major tributary of the Amazon River While the book is a definite page turner the tales of poisonous frogs man eating catfish piranhas and caymans vicious natives starvation canoe crushing rapids and countless varieties of insects and parasites just waiting to feed on human flesh did not inspire me to travel to the Amazon region ever
Millard s writing flows more smoothly than the river The book is detailed well researched and simply fascinating I couldn t put it down >> No Amazon for Me First I am never taking a cruise anywhere near the Amazon river or its tributaries such as The River of Doubt which this book is about It is a stirring story of Teddy Roosevelt s trip to explore an unexplored land it nearly killed him This is some great book Gripping is an understatement Millard has done a masterful job
Frank Scoblete s new book Casino Craps Shoot to Win
>> Teddy Roosevelt Battles the Amazon Note it is extremely interesting to view the only movies shot of the 1914 Roosevelt Rondon Expedition currently on YouTube
River of Doubt is a rousing true adventure story that highlights the dangers of taking a trip too lightly and of not being prepared After losing his bid for a third term as President of the United States in 1912 with the failed Bull Moose Party Teddy Roosevelt was looking for new challenges He was invited on a speaking tour of South America and saw an opportunity both to visit his son Kermit who had been working in South America building bridges and to see the Amazon Roosevelt upped the ante when he found out about the River of Doubt which had just been discovered but had never been charted or navigated It soon became apparent that Roosevelt took his Amazon adventure much too lightly The expedition encountered killer rapids hostile indigenous tribes disease murder and death along the way Roosevelt hovers very near death himself and even seriously considers taking his own life to save the rest of the men
River of Doubt brings the amazing Teddy Roosevelt to an entire new generation of readers and you cannot help but admire the character of the man The book did raise a number of questions for me however The expedition nearly starves due to its inability to find game to hunt in the Amazon despite the fact that it carried two men with 25 years plus experience living and working in the Amazon with them Rondon and Cherrie Why did Rondon allow the Americans carry along such obscenely huge amounts of luggage Why did Roosevelt by all accounts an experienced adventurer allow the expedition to begin with such impractical and woefully inadequate supplies
River of Doubt is a terrific read but it left me with too many questions unanswered I wish the author had done more to explain the whys of the expedition s shortcomings
Author : J R Moehringer Total Page : 384 Publisher : Hyperion Publication Date : 2005 09 01
The Tender Bar A Memoir >> Bar none a good read Over the course of the year I have picked up and put down The Tender Bar at my local book store several times I was reluctant to read it because of my own childhood memories of living with an alcoholic and also avoiding any confirmation that I may have screwed up my son s psyche as a single parent Then on my commute home one evening I heard Andre Agassi discussing his decision to ask JR Moehringer to help write his own memoir and the reasons why he did on NPR I took the plunge and bought it for my weekend read Wow I m so glad I did Mr Moehringer s personal story is alternatively heartbreaking funny and triumphant I can identify with the child that tried to be perfect to the point that it becomes a little neurotic I loved and laughed so hard when he related the Shakespeare Firestone conversation between the bar patrons aka surrogate father figures it was on par with Abbott and Costello s Who s on First shtick at least to me I also felt delighted at his various personal triumphs like graduating from Yale or writing for the Times even with his setbacks and ultimately the realization that it was time to walk away and move on with his life I encourage anyone who like myself may have some hesitation to read this memoir it isn t a sob story or a conceited you too can overcome your past bromide It is a well written interesting recounting of insights gained and a loving tribute to people a place and time in one person s life Good stuff >> Poignant searingly honest memoir I really loved The Tender Bar Any book that can sweep you into a story and its beautifully rendered characters all the more beautiful poignant and powerful because they are real is worthy of recognition and I found this memoir to be fascinating and enormously moving It was also interesting from its snapshot of a slice of American and local history Manhasset Long Island in the 70s and 80s and into the early 21st century The author being raised by his mother in her father s dysfunctional home lived right down the street from the Publicans bar where his uncle worked and where the bar patrons became the author s family Telling the story cannot do it justice Moehringer s and his mother s run of bad luck and the consequences of repeated poor judgment could be too dark and depressing if it weren t for his uncanny sense of humor powers of observation and willingness to expose himself warts and all to the reader Yes there were times you wanted to kick him in the seat of the pants but it appears he finally found his own footing
My only quibble is that after a wonderfully rich telling of his childhood and early adulthood there is a conspicuous ten year gap as the story jumps abruptly from his first job as a journalist and what appears to be a downward slide towards alcoholism to the end of the book where he has clearly stopped drinking has become a recognized journalist and finally appears to have gained a healthy perspective on his past
The scenes in the bar and the many conversations over many years between Moehringer and the bar s zany wonderful patrons were filled with laugh out loud hilarity philosophical depth fascinating bondings and break ups and unspoken rules and behaviors that engendered fierce loyalty and unexpected tenderness The intersection of Moehringer s personal story with the events of 9 11 and its impact on the characters and the community were especially moving >> Please J R a Sequel Soon I don t know where this book has been in my life but I just finished it and wish I had the sequel to pick up right this moment He is an amazing writer with phrases that you can t decide whether you want to devour or roll around on your tongue like rich chocolate I actually avoided this book for a while because as a female I didn t think a book about a guy who hangs out in a bar could interest me at all I don t even know what finally made me read it but I was spellbound Like other reviewers I laughed out loud many times which was such a pleasure Thank you J R Moehringer for a great read
Author : John Bunyan Total Page : 76 Publisher : General Books LLC Publication Date : 2009 08 09
Grace abounding to the chief of sinners >> a blessing from God Amazing book I highly recommend it for anyone struggling with their faith in Christ a great personal look at Bunyan s great spiritual struggle to help you see that you aren t alone in yours >> Freedom From Anxiety If Bunyan were alive today and examined by a psychiatrist they would say he was struggling with Obsessive Compulsive disorder This book chronicles his wrestling with his own mind his own fears his own anxieties This is not to say that his battle is not also spiritual for indeed it is that
His fear is that he has lost his chance at salvation by cursing Jesus somehow committing an unpardonable sin No matter how many times he comforts himself with the truth it seems to be pulled away from him by other fears
Ultimately he determines that even if he is thrown into hell he will still honor Jesus Eventually he is freed from this mental torment after a couple of years
I was helped greatly by this book when in a period of intense anxiety in my own life It was a great help to know that someone else went through similar things I have also recommended this book to many who are currently struggling with anxiety
It is said that before using a man greatly God breaks him Bunyan s dark night of the soul is here recorded God would bring him to great weakness and then later use him greatly This book is worth your money and time
One side note the book is written in a style of English that is dated You can still follow it but it takes a little work >> Worth its weight This is a book for any Christian struggling with sin which ought to be all of them Bunyan believes early in the book that he has lost his salvation and is surely doomed Which one of us has not questioned this at one time or another I have found his experiances in more than one case exactly mirror my own Its encouraging to hear that a Christian of his calibre is struggling with the same things I am Its been easy for me to think about the apostles and other Christian giants of the past C S Lewis John Bunyan etc to have realized the truth early and just cruised through life due to thier incredible morale courage The truth is they struggled just as hard as we have and had to rely on God just as much as we do This book demonstrates that fact well at the same time giving encouragement to those of us who are struggling with the battle for our souls This book is fairly dificult to read due to it s 17th century script but taken slowly makes perfect sense Bunyans other books are worth looking into as well
Author : Dave Eggers Total Page : 368 Publisher : Vintage Publication Date : 2010 06 15
Zeitoun Vintage >> Heavy handed manipulation for naught I am simply flabbergasted by the rave reviews of this novel I ve yet to come across even a remotely negative reaction to this book on any online reader site So I suppose I stand alone in thinking that David Eggers Zeitoun is a slow plodding novel Worse I always feel as though I am being manipulated by the author s heavy hand as to how I should feel about everything that occurs
For instance I have no idea why the main character and his family have to be Muslim in order to illustrate the mayhem and tragedy immediately following Hurricane Katrina The inherant cultural details of the title character s country of origin Syria and his religion take up an inordinate amount of the novel as if these facts are crucial to the narrative I argue Zeitoun could be any religion to experience the events of this novel and frankly Eggers demonstrates as much himself through several minor characters Once Zeitoun s predictament is resolved it is clear that what happened to him had absolutely nothing to do with who he was but more that he was in the wrong place at the wrong time What happened to Zeitoun is what happens when a civilization falls apart not when a civilization falls apart in a country where being a Muslim is not popular with non Muslims
An historical novel that focuses on the details of an individual to convey the broader details of that history is a long time tradition of storytelling However while the thrust of Zeitoun s particular situation is always in the context of his nationality and religion there is never any payoff to these facts there is only insinuation I believe Eggers wanted to say a lot more about the US government under Bush the National Guard FEMA the justice system police and local government but he didn t have the guts So he resorted to winks and slight of hand irony and I m not buying it >> Don t waste your time What an unfortunate book What Eggers does is to exaggerate a foolish decision by an individual into a horror story of bias and discrimination The facts are simple enough Zeitoun failed to accept the warnings of New Orleans authorities and stayed in the flooded city after his family moved to safety In fact his family would have been better off much more comfortable and far less fearful had he looked after THEM as he should In fact he didn t save anybody He tried to help some dogs but they died Certainly there was racial/ethnic bias There s a big surprise We had been attacked Zeitoun was a member of one of the ethnic groups which attacked us We really don t understand how may Arabic speaking immigrants and their progeny we have in the US Danny Thomas was Syrian George Mitchell the son of Lebanese parents as was Dr DeBakey the heart surgeon The author of The Exorcist had Arab ancestry There have been many members of Congress who had Arab parents or grandparents Yet Americans persist in seeing them as a very foreign element more so since 9/11 Zeitoun knew this he had to And still he stayed For an Arab American like me the book is a horrible reading experience we are Americans I served in Combat in Korea and had a career as a US Diplomat because Zeitoun caused the bias to happen
Don t buy this book instead buy Hourani s A History of the Arab Peoples >> Devastating fascinating surreal heartbreaking a must read I grabbed this for a train ride without any expectations and could hardly put the book down until I finished it the following day I have never been to New Orleans and am not religious but this story of one Muslim man s efforts to save people and animals in the aftermath of Katrina and what befalls him is simply riveting I also agree with other reviewers that this is a very important book for all Americans to read from a human rights perspective Do yourself a massive favor and don t miss it
Author : Brian Weiss Total Page : 224 Publisher : Grand Central Publishing Publication Date : 1996 03 12
Many Lives Many Masters The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist His Young Patient and the Past Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives >> Has little educational value but its morals are worth considering anyway I appreciate this book s morals implicit and explicit in Catherine s trance state utterances I really do
But even if that patient s utterances AREN T pretense or delusion their paranormal educational value for lack of a better term is still low This is because author Brian Weiss suggests reincarnation and mind reading may both be real or either may be real And due to Dr Weiss s poor experimental conditions his patient observations can be attributed to either of those processes i e past life recollections or nonlocal mind reading remnants Thus his account MANY LIVES MANY MASTERS fails on its own terms It isn t a reliable study of either reincarnation or mind reading
I guess the lesson for other pseudo scientists is when analyzing past life recollections remember to first control for nonlocal mind reading when analyzing nonlocal mind reading remember to first control for past life recollections Also control for pretense and control for delusion Do not follow Dr Weiss s example of MANY LIVES MANY MASTERS not many controls
See it doesn t bother me that Dr Weiss investigated an eerie perhaps supernatural phenomenon I m just upset that he seemed to do it in a manner that stops us from genuinely learning about it >> Many Masters love this book but NOT that you gave out my phone number to some one trying to sell me something Will consider that before my next purchase on Amazon >> Excellent introduction to reincarnation and regressions If you are new to the subject of regressions and past lives this gives you a good introduction from a psychologist point of view Easy to read and very comprehensible
Author : Ira Stoll Publisher : Tantor Media Publication Date : 2008 11 18
Samuel Adams A Life >> An Under Appreciated Founder This is a very good book and is an essential read for anyone interested in understanding the motivations of the founders Samuel Adams is often overlooked and his achievements under appreciated Reading Stoll s biography fits very well into other books covering the period in particular it fills in some gaps with McCullough s 1776 Benjamin Franklin An American Life and The Real George Washington American Classic Series
Stoll does a great job illustrating the unique mixture of religious belief and the age of reason that characterized the American revolution Reading this book you get a sense of the importance that many of the founders attributed to maintaining the moral high ground Both Washington and Adams believed that as dire as things were at times their cause was just and that God would stick with a virtuous people Both perpetually advocated for days of thanksgiving prayer and fasting
Aside from the religious aspects of Adam s motivation was the sheer determination and effort that he put into the cause It s interesting to read of the numerous achievements accomplished by Samuel Adams He was one of the earliest proponents of independence a masterful user of the written word to disseminate information and raise the ire of the populace He took advantage of every British misstep to ensure that the most was made of it His attacks on the Stamp Act the Boston Massacre and other events kept the cause in the forefront of not just Massachusetts but other colonies as well
He served in both the first and second continental congresses where he worked tirelessly on countless committees taking up the slack for delegates that went home He never relented in his efforts
He was also and incredibly honorable man who never took advantage of his position for monetary gain He was incredibly frugal with public coffers when he served as governor of Massachusetts
In addition to his actions and roles the book also chronicles his relationship with other founders notably John Hancock his cousin John Adams George Washington and Thomas Jefferson
This is a relatively quick read but packed with interesting information I ve written a bit more at >> Good but too short Samuel Adams A Life by Ira Stoll is a very well written if abbreviated biography of the life of this famous founding father Known more today for the excellent beer named after him a legacy of his father s brewery which Samuel briefly ran after his father s death rather than his importance in the founding of our Nation Samuel Adams was one of the most outspoken advocates for Liberty and ultimate Independence from Britain He was one of the most patriotic founding fathers one of the most religious and carried the cries for Independence among a rather non committal continental congress during the early 1770 s The fact that he never served in national office or at a national cabinet level position though he was governor of Massachusetts for a while left him a bit of an enigma to later generations Now that the story of his cousin John Adams is becoming so well known to modern readers that of Samuel should also understood His moral for today is in the importance of smaller federal governments he was a true anti federalist along with Jefferson and contrary to his cousin While both the federalist and anti federalist legacy is important to our modern society we can currently use a good does of the state s rights and smaller federal government group Stoll s biography is a bit too short for me though Many aspects of Samuel Adams career are only briefly mentioned For a truly in depth biography another read may prove better >> Revealing Historical Fascinating SAMUEL ADAMS A LIFE is a remarkable story about a remarkable man Patriot founder revolutionary politician and statesman Samuel Adams was a light that burned very brightly during the tumultuous dangerous heady days during the birth of America
Time and time again revolutionary zeal faded to timidity and fear Patriots courage failed Plans went desperately awry And time and time again Samuel Adams and his close band of freedom fighters rallied themselves and others to the cause of liberty Tirelessly they labored far from friends and family to bring to fruition the fruit of their rebellion a unified country
As a man of faith Adams saw God s providential hand in the birth of a free nation out from under the tyrannical rule of English kings and potentates Whether the focus of his pen and fervor was the practice of religion for Protestants anyway the oppression of British troops or taxes Adams goal was always the same freedom
Freedom The potent liberating drink of free men and women to live their lives without interference from anything but their own conscience Liberty High and noble ideals of government by consent of the governed Was such a thing possible At what cost
To these noble virtues cast Adams Jefferson Hancock and others their names sacred honor and earthly fortunes The fires of rebellion burned brightly and none more brightly than the heart mind and mouth of Samuel Adams
To this day his contributions to the Massachusetts Constitution US Constitution and underpinnings of the Declaration of Independence live on No Founding Father contributed more or at a greater price than Adams
Author : Kathleen Norris Total Page : 352 Publisher : Riverhead Trade Publication Date : 2010 03 02
Acedia me A Marriage Monks and a Writer s Life >> Naming the Enemy Patience with Self In Acedia and Me Kathleen Norris provides us with a helpful exposition of the monastic idea of torpor or spiritual and mental sloth what the ancients called acedia Explaining how this term uncommon in our day has developed historically and theologically is a key theme of the book Norris surveys a vast range of monastic contemplative theological and other literary treatments of this idea helping us grasp how the recognition of this vice might serve us today in our own spiritual journeys
As noted by other reviewers Norris s autobiographical selections are particularly insightful While some may consider these digressions or departures from the central theme of the book I found them to be illuminating in that the realities of life contribute to the condition of acedia Norris s lengthy discussion of her marriage with her husband David his suicide attempt his personal struggles with depression and the abuse of alcohol and his later battles with illness that ultimately led to his death are full of emotion and clear introspection naming the challenges many of us face when losing those we love with precision Norris s ruminations on death add great value to this book Often death is a subject we are afraid to face as it will one day come to us all But Norris does so with boldness and clarity
This is my first exposure to Kathleen Norris s work From time to time certain theological nuances irked me such as particular nuances in her discussion of sin and human nature but overall I found this book to be engaging and enjoyable As a creative I also found the themes explored in this book to be helpful for my craft which is predominantly writing though I dabble in other artistic ventures as well I know what it means to lack care for my craft to fall into torpor to be slothful or apathetic mentally or spiritually And while these descriptors as Norris points out only begin to define acedia they are nonetheless helpful This is why I m thankful for this book Norris names a concept or idea that has been part of my reality illuminates both the source and a potential cure and leads me by the hand toward a more virtuous disciplined life >> Aimless and overwritten I m an avid reader of Ms Norris work but this one suffers from far too many digressions citations of the writing of others and rather turgid prose I feel that the book might have attempted a healing attitude toward acedia not becoming part of its cause A disappointment for me >> a lovely meditation A meditative walk through Norris s struggles with acedia her husband s depression the spiritual and writing life I think the distinction she tries to draw between acedia and depression is not at all clear and perhaps not tenable but lovely writing and food for thought
Author : James Brady Total Page : 272 Publisher : Wiley Publication Date : 2010 01 07
Hero of the Pacific The Life of Marine Legend John Basilone >> Disappointing book The author spends more time finding fault with and comparing other source material than telling the story of this marine hero Rather than clarifying the author merely confuses The story he tells could have been half as long and to the point >> Enlightening new look at a forgotten hero Mr Brady s Hero of the Pacific sheds some well deserved light upon a Marine hero John Basilone for those of us who might never heard of his actions in WWII It was great to read about Basilone s life prior to WWII in small town America floundering in life until he committed to military service While reading Hero I couldn t help feel like I was a kid again hanging out with my grandfather at my local American Legion/VFW listening in on their tales of life prior to The War and their time in service Those stories like Basilone s prior two biographies in hindsight were undoubtedly embellished by family and comrades in arms People s stories of friends and loved ones who ve passed tend to do this In Basilone s case as with countless combat vets his heroism truly didn t need embellishment I was happily surprised that Mr Brady took a critical look albeit sometimes petty at the previous biographies and the government s desire to create super heroes and not being content with just regular everyday heroes like Basilone A few of the other reviews have accused Mr Brady of shoddy writing in this book because of his critical tone of the two prior biographies helmed by Basilone s sister and nephew but I found this to be a logical approach and not done with any intended spite Gunny Basilone wasn t exactly a prolific writer thus any Basilone biographer is heavily reliant upon the prior entries as well as other Basilone family members and acquaintances Brady s biography wasn t flawless but I feel that it does a good job at trying to separate the man and the myth of a long gone American hero Manila John Basilone >> John Basilone spelled H E R O I generally liked the book My one criticism is why the author found it necessary to rebuke the stories of other authors Basilone s family members I think when he himself was drawing on second hand or hearsay information he should have avoided criticizing their stories What happened to literary license I think the fact that Brady was a former marine he could not resist by his criticism the fact that he knew firsthand what the average reader or authors didn t know about the subject of military tactics Ex Basilone was a machine gunner he would not have carried or used hand grenades on Iwo I did not have to read the book or any other book about GY Sgt John Basilone to see him as a hero I kept on asking myself why would a marine who had proven himself and awarded the nation s highest medal want to go back into battle when didn t have to What did he have to prove I say it was that he truly loved his country and his fellow marines
Author : Anonymous Total Page : 161 Publisher : Arrow Books Ltd Publication Date : 1991 12 05
Go Ask Alice >> Go Ask Alice was a terrifying unbelieveable book Go Ask Alice written by an anonymous teenager is a terrifying unbelievable book about a 15 year old girl who dives into the horrid torturous perilous world of drugs and it is all copied down in her fictional diary It all started when she went to a party and was served a soft drink laced with LSD Several months later she was hooked Trapped in a world that she had never visited before a world that took her from her comfortable safe home her loving adoring family to the streets of an unpleasant ruthless city Her diary reveals a journey that would rob her of her innocence youth and eventually her life
I found that this book was incredible but some parts in were very hard to understand because the words were a bit difficult to read I liked the way the character described things with a lot of detail I actually felt like I was on this journey with her In one part of the book she wrote down her first time experiencing LSD she said I had the most incredible experience of my life It sounds morbid when I put it in words but actually it was tremendous and wonderful and miraculous Another part was she thought there were bugs crawling all over her She started scratching herself all over and pulled out clumps of her own hair out It was very organized and detailed when I read that part in the book I could feel the pain and suffering she was feeling I also found in this book that make me so upset and disappointed that she promised herself over and over again that she would never use drugs again but she always gave in Another part is when she goes to parties she got stoned with complete strangers and half the time didn t even know what happened to her Anything could happen at a party and several times awful things happened to her but she took it very well It is a very sad disappointing story But I would definitely encourage people to read it it s a life changing event that really made me think and gave me information from a teenager s diary about the drug world Heather rc
>> Go Ask Alice was a terrifying unbelieveable book Go Ask Alice written by an anonymous teenager is a terrifying unbelievable book about a 15 year old girl who dives into the horrid torturous perilous world of drugs and it is all copied down in her fictional diary It all started when she went to a party and was served a soft drink laced with LSD Several months later she was hooked Trapped in a world that she had never visited before a world that took her from her comfortable safe home her loving adoring family to the streets of an unpleasant ruthless city Her diary reveals a journey that would rob her of her innocence youth and eventually her life
I found that this book was incredible but some parts in were very hard to understand because the words were a bit difficult to read I liked the way the character described things with a lot of detail I actually felt like I was on this journey with her In one part of the book she wrote down her first time experiencing LSD she said I had the most incredible experience of my life It sounds morbid when I put it in words but actually it was tremendous and wonderful and miraculous Another part was she thought there were bugs crawling all over her She started scratching herself all over and pulled out clumps of her own hair out It was very organized and detailed when I read that part in the book I could feel the pain and suffering she was feeling I also found in this book that make me so upset and disappointed that she promised herself over and over again that she would never use drugs again but she always gave in Another part is when she goes to parties she got stoned with complete strangers and half the time didn t even know what happened to her Anything could happen at a party and several times awful things happened to her but she took it very well It is a very sad disappointing story But I would definitely encourage people to read it it s a life changing event that really made me think and gave me information from a teenager s diary about the drug world Heather rc
>> Real Who Knows Enthralling Certainly Whether or not this is a real diary written honestly by a real teenager it s quite a compelling story that holds up across the decades What strikes me from a psychological perspective is just how many times the girl is tossed back and forth on the wagon and off the wagon in dealing with her addiction The grip of the substances is related in a very real way even if the trip details seem a little overblown And even though you probably know how the book ends as you re reading it you really wish it wouldn t end that way There seems to be a lot of hope amid the doom and gloom of this girl s life she has many redeeming qualities
One chief takeaway of this story is just how insidious addiction is in any form from drugs to any other substance Another takeaway and this one should scare us just as much from a sociological perspective is the fact that it was the girl s lack of acceptance that led her down the path of despair She felt her parents didn t accept her and she couldn t find friends at school Her first connection to drugs happened among people who accepted her just the way she was Heartbreaking
Author : James Shapiro Publisher : Tantor Media Publication Date : 2010 04 06
Contested Will Who Wrote Shakespeare >> Why Some Think It Wasn t Shakespeare I can t remember but I think it was Woody Allen who wrote the joke The plays of William Shakespeare were not written by Shakespeare himself but by someone with the same name The only reason the joke works is that for a couple of centuries there have been skeptics who have denied that Shakespeare s works were actually the works of Shakespeare In Contested Will Who Wrote Shakespeare Simon and Schuster it s not a surprise that James Shapiro answers the question in the subtitle the way he does Shakespeare did After all Shapiro is a Shakespeare scholar whose most recent book was a look at one year 1599 in Shakespeare s life and how the plays he was writing were formed by the political and social environment of that time So yes He would say that wouldn t he will be the response from the current skeptics all of whom have their own candidate for the position of Bard Shapiro s book indeed puts an unassailable case for Shakespeare of Stratford being the author but that is only at the end Everything that goes before is a history of the anti Stratfordian movement It is a wonderfully clear explanation of why skeptics started going wrong and have continued vehemently on their wrong paths It is an entertaining and often hilarious tale a path strewn as Shapiro says with fabricated documents embellished lives concealed identity pseudonymous authorship contested evidence bald faced deception and a failure to grasp what could not be imagined
There is no evidence that anyone in Shakespeare s time thought that the plays came from anyone else In fact it was only a couple of centuries after his death that doubters started piping up It was a response to a lack of knowledge about the man himself we don t have his letters or a journal so why not simply read the poems and plays to get glimpses of biography This was in harmony with the philosophy of the Romantics The cases against Shakespeare started with Delia Bacon an American intellectual and lecturer who picked Francis Bacon no relation who may have been a polymath but whose output shows no evidence that he could write plays and poems The idea of Bacon s authorship was taken seriously by many including Mark Twain who won over his friend Helen Keller into the Baconian camp The most popular counterproposal to Bacon is Edward de Vere the 17th Earl of Oxford A schoolmaster named J T Looney whose name has caused titters to non skeptics ever since proposed that the plays had so many details of such things as legal lore falconry and foreign travel that a mere actor from Stratford could not have written them Oxford however knew plenty about such things and had three daughters just like King Lear and his wife married at thirteen just like Juliette Looney made many converts chief among them being Sigmund Freud whose advocacy of Oxford got in the way of friendships and of the psychoanalysis of at least one patient who would not come around to the right way of thinking on the issue I have written flippantly in some of the above summaries but Shapiro is never condescending and makes earnest attempts to understand the cracked ideas that were taken seriously There was a slump in the Oxford camp in the twentieth century as its members used their brand of research to expand their boy s authorship not just of Shakespeare s works but also of those of Christopher Marlowe and Edmund Spenser and showed as well that he had been Queen Elizabeth s lover you can look it up The Oxfordians however took advantage of publicity in 1987 and afterwards of show trials in which the authorship of the plays was pled before such legal minds as Supreme Court justices Oh Oxford didn t wind up being judged the author but the publicity fed the idea that there was a controversy about the authorship and also that Oxford was the chief alternate This is despite the difficult fact that he died in 1604 and many of the plays are confidently dated as written after that It is not coincidence Shapiro shows that the rise in Oxford s shares has come at a time when there is a greater willingness to believe in governmental conspiracies and cover ups
It is a relief to come to the end of the book and see what a case can be made for Shakespeare himself Shapiro demonstrates that only a long term partner deeply involved in the joint workings of the stage could have written in such a fashion not an aristocrat working solitarily in a room and delivering the plays anonymously to the actors There are contemporary witnesses there are clues from printing houses there are many details that point to the conclusion that Shakespeare was after all merely Shakespeare In addition genuine Shakespeare scholarship is coming to understand that many of the plays are joint productions the Stratfordians are not loath to accept that their man could partner with other writers collaborations that the skeptics do not tolerate for their candidates The claims for other candidates is based on snobbery a hick from Stratford son of a glove maker could not have had the knowledge or the life experience to write such plays If Shakespeare the actor could imagine himself into plenty of roles Shapiro argues why could not his powerful imagination bring forth the roles in his own plays and sonnets Shapiro s book is capped with this advocacy but all that has gone before is a sympathetic understanding of why and how we subject the Bard as we do no other author to authorship disputes Contested Will is less a broadside in the Stratfordian s defense than it is a humane examination of an idiosyncratic bit of literary history
Author : Deborah Laake Publisher : Media Books Audio Publishing Publication Date : 1993
Secret Ceremonies >> alternates between boring and brilliant honestly this book had me so frustrated because i was alternatingly riveted and bored stiff with different parts of the book the first several hundred pages dragged on and felt overly lengthy whereas the last 200 pages flew by and thankfully made me glad that i had stuck with it if the book had been at its best throughout i surely would have given this a rating of 4 5 or 5 but the lulls really dragged me down
in the first book Eye of the World Jordan introduced to us his massive world of characters and lands our foundation now in The Great Hunt we naturally expect to build upon that and we do but not as much as i d have liked the story centers around the epic hunt for the horn but surprisingly the horn is in hand at the beginning of the book it is only when it is stolen that the real hunt begins in addition to the hunt we follow Egwene and Nynaeve the Two Rivers women to Tar Valon to begin their training as Aes Sedai as was the case in EotW the women are such strong characters that it is difficult not to appreciate them
There is an old saying here in the Borderlands Better to have one woman on your side than ten men
the character development continued to be good but seemed unbalanced weighing most heavily on Rand and at times Egwene and Nynaeve but there was much to be appreciated there particularly with the women the training in Tar Valon their friendships with Min and Elayne and in the end their hardships were by far my favorite scenes in the book in addition to the continued development there were some great new characters that were introduced but since i could spend days writing about each of them i ll skip that and just say that jordan is a master of characterization
however i was irritated that there wasn t much improvement in the maturity of the boys the Blacksmith the Swordsman and the Trickster i had really expected to see some standout development there but we still have plenty of time for that 10 books to be exact i suppose i m afraid that if it continues much longer though that i ll hate them by the time this is all over although i loved Perrin in the first book his character was stuck wallowing over his misfortunes and seemed nearly unimportant here and Rand and Mat bickering throughout didn t help either the best part of following the boys was the alternate worlds that jordan created with the Ways and the portal stones bringing a great sci fi/quantum physics feel to the books
POSSIBLE SPOILER ALERT
the primary underlying theme throughout all of the travels and character development was the recognition that Rand is in fact the Dragon Reborn as the title of Book 3 suggests his reluctance to admit to his destiny almost proved that he was the only one who could fulfill the role everyone that he met acknowledged that he was ta veren along with the other boys and although i understood his hesitation i wanted to shake him and hurry him along to become who he was destined to be however i did appreciate Rand s honest vulnerability regarding his power which he was slowly coming to terms with throughout their travels
He wanted to save Mat and stop Fain but he did not want to touch saidin He was afraid to channel and he hungered for it like a starving man for food
END SPOILER ALERT
all in all i enjoyed the book and will definitely be continuing on in the series however i really hope that Jordan is able to focus the writing a little more and provide some consistency in his brilliance there is no denying that he writes well and that when it is good it is great i hope that the boys really develop into noble men rather than the annoying boy heroes that they are and i can t wait to see what is in store for the women >> A very uneven read that s alternately exciting and bloated Continuing directly after EYE OF THE WORLD THE GREAT HUNT tells the story of Rand and the others Rand is still running from his fate both his ability to channel the One Power and denying that he could be the Dragon Reborn To distance himself from these prophecies fate and the Aes Sedai along with the gear of being gentled he chases after the Horn of Valere when it s stolen with Perrin and Mat Meanwhile Egwene and Nynaeve begin their own path to become Aes Sedai
For some reason I m much not as able to consolidate my thoughts on THE GREAT HUNT as I was with THE EYE OF THE WORLD Perhaps this is the result of liking some parts of the book so fiercely while disliking others just as fiercely I felt a lot of drag with TGH especially through the beginning and couldn t help but think that the novel could have been quite a lot shorter without sacrificing much Simply stated the book felt bloated and kept me swinging from excitement to foot tapping boredom as I waited for the next juicy bit
That s a problem of pacing and can be disregarded for now because I want to talk a lot about what TGH did differently than EOTW and what I liked/disliked
An appropriate beginning point is with the characters EOTW really attempted an almost egalitarian approach to coverage of the cast I think this was forsaken a little in TGH This story is mostly Rand s story with strong sub sections given to Egwene and Nynaeve For this story Perrin Mat and even Lan and Moiraine are marginalized quite a lot with a few very fun exceptions This split both worked for me and didn t Much like everything in this particular book I think Rand very much needed the development because I did complain in my EOTW review that he was bland dull boring Here at least he really embraces the role of reluctant hero and yes I do mean to be ironic/funny here it s nerd humor That being said I was really ready for Rand to plunge into action and heroics after EOTW so being treated to an extra 700 pages of I don t want it was a little hard on me Still I like Rand a lot better than I did before so I suppose the purpose was served Also I totally get a kick out of Rand s inevitable descent into lunacy It s probably just mean how much I look forward to this
I think the cast focus worked for Nynaeve too She s probably one of those characters one either really loves or hates I found that she universally thrilled me throughout this book Despite her ridiculous temper she s actually very wise Keeping in mind she s very accomplished for one so young I just enjoy having her around She s one of the characters I look forward to seeing grow But she s already had some very excellent scenes Particularly I loved the tests she had to endure of past present and future
I even felt that I could endure the teasingly little story I got building the incredibly strange jealousy and tension between the Moiraine/Lan bond because of the Nynaeve/Lan romance I want more of this please
I don t think the focus on certain cast members worked for Mat at all In fact the only things I can really remember for Mat other than a few bantering scenes are negative Especially coming from EOTW where Mat gets the short end of the stick and acts like a petulant child and ass for most of the book he needed more in TGH to redeem himself So for now I still am not going to be converting to loving Mat anytime soon Perrin may have faced a similar problem except I came away with such a positive feeling from him in the first book that it works to the opposite effect So lucky for Perrin not lucky for Mat Also Perrin has those adorably allies the wolves who I can never attribute anything negative to In fact when they revealed Perrin s name I was a mess Why am I such a mess when the wolves are involved I m not entirely sure Jordan just knows how to hit all the right buttons with me when he s involved I even forgive his reticence much more easily than Rand s
Although All the negatives here are matched by positives Compared to EOTW I think quite a few scenes in TGH were incredibly more memorable For one the dreams were quite a lot creepier eyeless Perrin and stabbed Mat and the What Might Be chapter was just made of amazing
But that s TGH all around for me I react really strongly on some things and just don t care about others at all >> An epic adventure in every way just as good as the first one Plot Summary Rand al Thor has faced the Dark One and lived and although he accepts his ability to channel the One Power he denies that he is the Dragon Reborn When the Horn of Valere is stolen Rand is desperate to escape the Aes Sedai so he joins the soldiers who vow to bring it back along with Mat and Perrin Meanwhile Egwene and Nynaeve travel to Tar Valon to begin their training to becoming Aes Sedai Their divergent paths converge at the end in another climactic finale
The scope of this series is already melting my brain and I m only two books in so far It s not the best fantasy I ve ever read but it s certainly entertaining and the sheer size of it lends it strength The Great Hunt is just over 700 pages and a lot of action takes place therein Action is definitely where Robert Jordan excels He crafts wonderfully evil bad guys who are always huffing down the necks of Rand and his friends The tension hums constantly and this is the second book to end with a big clash and bang I would have a hard time finishing these books in a timely manner if I wasn t propelled by the relentless plot Once I immerse myself into this world I become hooked
The character development is okay although it s a bit spotty in places For instance Perrin and Mat are in the thick of things but I don t feel like they ve progressed in any way They just go with the flow without growing personally Rand gets the most face time obviously but he spends much of this book in denial which is isn t my favorite way to spend time with someone I think Egwene and Nynaeve had the best story arc this time while Moiraine and Lan were barely present
I think the title of book three says it all The Dragon Reborn Book Three of The Wheel of Time I ll be glad when Rand isn t trying to run from his destiny because it s always more interesting when characters are proactive rather than passive
Author : Karen Karbo Total Page : 225 Publisher : skirt Publication Date : 2009 09 01
The Gospel According to Coco Chanel Life Lessons from the World s Most Elegant Woman >> OhNo on Coco not quite five stars This book was a lot of fun Karen Karbo does a great job of distilling the myths and stories around Chanel into a concise volume of the essence of Chanel s life and philosophy I shaved off a star because I wasn t quite clear on whether the author was trying to show how Chanel gospel impacted her life or whether the cute comments were just there to fill space Some of the humor fell flat only because I wasn t sure what the author was trying to tell me Was the book about Chanel or Karbo Maybe both That is a quibble though because the author digs up a lot of good info that the Chanel o phile will want to read Based on Karbo s quest for a real Chanel piece I went out and found myself a belt from early 1970s Pre Lagerfeld So bravo Ms Karbo >> Coco Rocks I received this book as a birthday present a few weeks ago and thoroughly enjoyed it It s funny and helpful advice from strong women has always been important and interesting to me and this book really hit the nail on the head >> Wonderful Karen Karbo hits another one out of the park
The Gospel According to Coco Chanel is a humorous look at the life of Coco Chanel filtered through the wit of Karen Karbo How to Hepburn Lessons on Living from Kate the Great The Stuff of Life Motherhood Made a Man out of Me
Essentially a meta biography Karbo takes us on a stroll through the world of Chanel Her whirlwind love life the amazing story of Chanel no5 her initial attempts to enter the world of fashion hats and her later successes amazingly credited to the invasion of France are all fascinatingly relayed with Karbo s signature wit and humor
If you are looking for more than just another dry bio of Coco Chanel this is the book for you
Author : Anthony Kiedis Total Page : 480 Publisher : Hyperion Publication Date : 2005 10 19
Scar Tissue >> Kindle for Mac I laughed I cried I pissed my pants But mostly I cried It far more about drug addiction and relationships than it is about The Red Hot Chili Peppers >> Scar Tissue As an avid reader I was attracted to the cover with the red pepper on it and then saw it was a biography of a rock band I had listened to briefly in the 1990s The story proper far from disappoints Anthony Kiedis has written a vividly descriptive narrative with a talent for capturing the essence of that particular genre The idea of these musicians having Nirvana open for them and playing with the likes of Smashing Pumpkins is amazing considering they are near 50 at this point They should be opening for The Stones but instead they carved themselves a perfect niche in the US and then the world with their unique sound and dysfuctional family Anthony Kiedis was born to be something special his childhood makes Augusten Burroughs childhood look like Beaver Cleaver Yet he maintained that glass is half full attitude and as a result it is no wonder he is still a top star in his field I love the part in the book where he talks about hanging with Sonny Bono and what a great guy he was I am only a little more than halfway through the book and felt a need to comment I am compelled to return and finish a bio that reads like a wonderful bizzarre fantasy story and how fortunate Anthony is for getting through to the other side to tell us his riveting story
Liz Hoban >> This book is rockin This book is so badass and rockin Anthony Kiedis really had a crazy life And when I realized that he was still 13 What a great book to know the history behind all of their songs Now if only Nick Hexum would write a book like this And Mariah Carey would be nice too
Author : Mackenzie Phillips Publisher : Simon Schuster Audio Publication Date : 2009 09 23
High On Arrival >> Awesome tough at times read I saw her on The Oprah Winfrey Show And always loved Mackenzie on One Day at a time I loved her recovery here in LA as well I didn t know the rest This book in very telling I loved her courage and her recovery I loved reading all the stuff i didn t know About a child star with a superstar Father and why she is the way she is A real Inside Hollywood scoop Even though it s a tough read at times a drug related tough I thought the recovery is amazing I related alot to It And it gave me a new understanding of how easy and popular drugs incest and family secrets can be And why they happen Hats off Mackenzie I m a true Fan >> A Cautionary Tale What a sad life Mack has had Perhaps it is not typical to read a memoir punctuated by low points rather than high points but that is what Phillips born in 1959 mostly gives us Born to a celebrity narcissistic father she is candid is telling us her tale of his starting her on cocaine at age ten That began her downward spiral into drug and alcohol addictions that she has found difficult to break If you want the real scoop on a cocaine junkie read this book it s an eye opener But her mother was an alcoholic and if you haven t heard the story about a child who never got properly parented then that is here also She gets raped she gets kidnapped she has a near death experience and she gets into a ten year incestuous relationship with her father which is what this book will be remembered for But she also features in American Graffiti and One Day at a Time being fired from the latter not once but twice Her first love is Peter Asher the British record producer but his being married and her infidelity put the kibosh on that relationship She sleeps with Mick Jagger then turns to him for avuncular advice She married her first husband who loots her for about 700K during their 7 month marriage During their honeymoon her Laurel Canyon home burned down along with her wedding presents and all of her possessions She goes on to have a miscarriage an abortion because it could have been her father s child and then a baby whose pregnancy was marred by her drug use during its first six months But Shane turns out to be a healthy boy Mack s only child and perhaps someone to redeem her But her marriage to the child s father fails and the book ends with Mack clean and sober but jobless and with an empty nest Please read this book for its open honesty and then hope that she has at last put herself out of harm s way >> A Survivor s Story I reluctantly read this book to my elderly father who had seen Ms Phillips on TV and thus became interested in her story Being the same age as the author I grew up with her in a sense I disliked Mackenzie on One Day At a Time as she just seemed like another junkie to me
Well I have to admit we enjoyed the book a lot and I have a new appreciation for her I admire the courage it took to tell this story and I didn t get the impression at all that she was being disingenuous at any point
The only knock I have is that the narrative is somewhat repetitive especially near the end but I suppose that s the way it actually transpired
The next time I see Ms Phillips at the local mall I will approach and shake her hand for she is indeed a survivor
Author : Augusten Burroughs Publisher : San Val Publication Date : 2004 04
Dry >> Reads like a script than a memoir Not as much a book as his previous RUNNING WITH SCISSORS it is an easy read and as entertaining as a short drama series He has a way of writing that makes you wonder where the words have spun off to But all this and it still is very much an interesting book For people who are into the usual strong fragranced memoirs with lots of description it is unlikely DRY will fill needs But for anyone who is already a fan Burroughs doesn t fail to answer the questions collected during the quiet and rather horrifying reading of his first book As an adult in DRY he is as sincere as any of us are going to get with his own problems and doubts that anyone can relate to even if not an alcoholic I did feel that towards the end it started feeling a bit played out and less like a memoir It was as if he was trying only to show parts of his life that felt in sync with one single part of his life Although I understand it is a book about his alcoholism it started feeling more like a one sided film It was as if he was trying to make everything play out as simple as possible and it doesn t have any of the chaos readers were welcomed into in Running with Scissors But I expect it was meant to be written in such a way
If you haven t read his first book I advise you read that first This book is not as bare and drawn in as his first book so I don t think he ll get as many fans with just this book as a single read I wish he hadn t written memoir on the cover But I m going to keep reading his books with hope that he won t write in the fictional and dramatised way he has in Dry He has a way with keeping the scenario afloat and keeping everything mobile and just like he mentions several times in Dry that is probably why he was good at his profession But that is something he should save just for his novels
And believe it or not I am a fan of the author so do try out his stuff if you haven t already >> Great Seller Amazing read The book arrived on time and in excellent condition As someone who personally understands the struggle of recovery this book was a refreshing source of strength giving humor to this insidious disease Augusten has gained a loyal fan P S I felt cheated I didn t get a stuffed animal at my visit >> Dry humor and honesty saves Augusten s life Had I not quit drinking 23 years ago I would not have been inclined to read this book Thank God I did Augusten takes the reader on his painful journey where all the adults are desperately in need of shock therapy What is so amazing is not just that he survived but that he survived with his sense of humor intact At times the images thrown at you will be difficult to face but that s one example of what a creative writer can do Pulling you into his world is the point of a writer s work
Author : Tom Wolfe Total Page : 368 Publisher : Transworld publishers Publication Date : 1996 10
The Electric Kool Aid Acid Test >> pretty good read If your at all interested in Ken Kesey and his merry pranksters then this is a book for you It was strange interesting and tripped out I liked it >> Good condition prompt arrival There were some creases in the front abd back cover but other than that I m very satisfied with my purchase >> Your ticket to Tom Wolfe is one of the most engaging and genuinely original storytellers I ve ever read The story is a hoot but they way he tells it is breathtaking
Tom Wolfe is the real deal he was there I know because I was there I experienced that drugged soaked summer of 67 and no one captures it better than Wolfe
Although some consider Wolfe a journalist he actually writes like a storyteller a superb storyteller
Author : Lansing Alfred Publisher : Blackstone Audio Inc Publication Date : 2007 01 01
Endurance >> Enduring Lansing s telling of the circumstances of the Endurance and E H Shacklton s Antarctic expedition is simply powerful Only a few words do justice to this incredible tale wow being one of them The reader truly feels the constant pain suffering and utter despair that plagued the crew throughout their stranding in the Antarctic ice floe The cold is palpable the wind echoes in your head the hunger twitches in your gut and the contact fear heightens the senses Throughout the story the reader cannot help but feel for the crew who are thwarted over and over again at every turn Each time you think things are getting better they only get worse This carries through to the very end The reader is caught in the despair of the crew who by their own strength never give up hope These men shine through as the true definition of survivors In times where we tale so many conveniences for granted these men dealt with circumstances that would crumble lesser souls This is an absolute MUST READ No adventure traveler or explorer should venture out without having first read Lansing s book or at least packing it along to remind themselves how bad things can really get and what it truly means to have the will to live HIGHLEY RECOMMENED >> Brilliant and breath taking An absolutely fantastic account of an ordeal almost beyond belief The reading was wonderful because the writing was impeccable Granted one can t really go wrong with a subject this fascinating Shackleton s voyage actually several voyages in one or so it seemed is something that is hard to fathom How he actually accomplished what he did in those conditions is something I don t think we ll ever really understand unless you believe in miracles And Lansing s account of it is flawless >> Endurance Definitely non fiction but written in an easily read manner Even knowing how it all turns out it was a great adventure
Author : Richard Phillips Total Page : 304 Publisher : Hyperion Publication Date : 2010 04 06
A Captain s Duty Somali Pirates Navy SEALS and Dangerous Days at Sea >> Brisk fun somehow noble I remember reading the news of this incidient with fascination The story had an addicting power to it because of what was unknown How would it turn out The US wouldn t let pirates get away with this but how could they stop them And then when the drama was over I still felt like I wanted more information How did the Navy pull this out
A Captain s Duty did not disappoint It answered most of my questions in a way that kept the story moving Details that emerge how the Alabama got away from other pirates how the initial fight on the ship resulted in a stand off and finally how Richard ended up on his own life boat while a pirate ended up with the Navy
There were new revelations as well so that the story goes beyond the news headlines In fact because I began the book already knowing how the whole situation played out I actually enjoyed it more
The obvious risk with a book like this is that a current event can thrust one man into the spot light and the obligatory book that follows fails to reproduce the excitement of the initial story This is not true here And the reason that Phillips succeeds is that the story moves quickly with appropriate detail and yet makes a deeper point In a non soap box way Phillips brings out his gratitude to the navy seals
The reality is that A Captain s Duty is not merely about a hostage situation and it is not merely about heroic and unbelievably skilled Navy Sailors or unbelievably poor pirates Phillips takes the reader deeper and lets this be a story about ordinary people who can do extraordinary things when duty calls By the end of the book I was encouraged about what people can do when they are faithful to do their duty The transcendent theme of this ordeal is that when a person is faithful to duty they can do so much more than they might have imagined
Most of my reviews are for Christian audiences so I want to add this Phillip s religion if he professes one is not in the story apart from some thoughts of his about death and the afterlife But what makes this story redeeming in the Christian sense is that at it s core it really is a tale of righteousness vs evil and the righteous in this story do their duty and are vindicated Even if Phillips would have died the point is clearly conveyed that it is better to be righteous and faithful to duty than evil and rich There is no moral ambiguity or Stockholm Syndrome here >> Good read very accurate There are very few books that I ve had to have the first day out this was one and it didn t disappoint This book is a good window into the life of a merchant seaman in general and specifically into life on a ship running along the East coast of Africa It was very interesting to understand the thought process of Capt Phillips while under attack and during his time as a hostage Best wishes to Captain Phillips and his family
Rich Madden Chief Mate Maersk Alabama Anchored off Djibouti 07 April 2010
Author : Joan Didion Publisher : Highbridge Audio Publication Date : 2005 10 06
The Year of Magical Thinking >> Kindred Spirit in Grief When my brother Bart three and a half years my junior unexpectedly passed away last October I was devastated I had just signed a contract to write a new book for Alfred Publishing and I was paralyzed with grief depression and confusion The only activity that kept me from breaking down at every other tick of the clock was to write about my brother My book assignment was gonna have to wait
Of course I received plenty of sympathy and empathy from friends and acquaintances and strangers alike My dear friend Caroline Johnson who had lost two family members earlier in the year instructed me in no uncertain terms to put down whatever I was reading at the time and delve into The Year of Magical Thinking So as I winged westward to attend my bro s memorial I focused on Joan Didion s beautiful and candid memoir recounting one tragic annum in which she lost both her husband and her daughter
While I couldn t quite relate to the luxury hotel rooms and the perspective of the pampered literary aristocrat the emotional landscape was recognizable right away Grief is a strange and alien place to live where memory plays tricks and a random left turn down an unfamiliar avenue might dredge up the most profound and overwhelming feelings I felt comforted by this wonderfully courageous tome I don t know if I ll ever completely recover from Bart s sudden departure But Joan Didion s essential book certainly helped to get the healing started
I ve now passed my copy along to my sister in law with same instructions Caroline gave me
Rand Bishop author of Makin Stuff Up The Absolute Essentials of Songwriting Success and Grand Pop
>> good read for tough subject I know many have already read this book or seen the play adaption I found it very helpful for her to focus on a year as her time length to share what she experienced Many of us think only of the first 2 3 months and then anniversary dates like birthdays holidays her candid and frank focus on missing the day to day exchanges with her husband on her negotiation skills with reality if only I think this keep these he will come back were validating and normalizing for the experience of losing an important person to death >> Grief seen through the lens of one of our most gifted writers The negative reviews of this book it seems to me come from people who seem to completely miss the point of the book This is ironic because in such classics as Slouching Toward Bethlehem and the White Album Joan Didion confronts those whose thinking seems to her to be completely beside the point
This book is not entitled the Year of Magical Feeling She feels bad folks He wasn t just her husband and the father of her daughter he was her working partner They disagreed and fought often and had struggles but they were always together and their respect for each other was apparent to all who knew them and some who didn t Perhaps that doesn t come through in this work perhaps I know that from other sources but I know it
Their daughter was adopted presumably after much struggling to have a biological child She was their only child and she was loved and indulged And they were always together on the East Coast and then on the West Coast and back to the East Coast they were always together
She felt really bad folks
But we knew that We could predict that We would expect that What kind of a story is that What insight and surprises does that offer
Ah but how did she THINK That s something else again She THOUGHT she couldn t get rid of her husband s shoes That is what we call an INSIGHT That is the kind of shared insight that some of us can relate to For five or six or seven years after my grandmother died I still wondered every Christmas what kind of gift I should get her
And how does she share those thoughts In gorgeous prose In terms of pure prose alone spare fluid rhthymic spot on prose there is noone like her She is one of the great American prose stylists of the modern era
And Didion also communicates acute observation because she is a writer and writers observe Everybody FEELS writers are no better at FEELING than anyone else but they are supposed to be better at OBSERVING
Finally the voyeuristic cathartic touchy feely outpouring that some of these reviewers seem to crave is not everyone s style Didion as her husband observed countless times as the doctor who called her a cool customer noted as you can see from her photo is a stoic in the best American WASP tradition The clash between her California frontier pioneer WASP demeanor and her husband s more raucous Northeast Irish Catholic style seems to have been a recurring motif in their lives The woman wrote an ode to John Wayne for Pete s sake
This may not be YOUR style truthfully it s not always mine and it may have faded from favor in this TMI let it all hang out keep nothing to yourself era of cheap trite overemoting but she represents a strong tradition of tough minded clear eyed American writing She prefers to show rather than tell
If you want to see people cry watch Oprah If you want an acutely observed and riveting description of how the mind and the perceptions of one very interesting woman were forever altered by the events of a very tragic year this is the book for you
Author : Donovan Campbell Total Page : 336 Publisher : Random House Publication Date : 2009 03 10
Joker One A Marine Platoon s Story of Courage Leadership and Brotherhood >> Awesome I would strongly suggest this book to anyone who enjoys reading combat memoirs or anyone interested in getting an intense insider s account of what it s like to be on the front lines One of the best books I have read in a while I have to admit I cried in several different parts of the book Simply awesome >> Joker one Good read People don t realize the great job our troops do in harms way >> Powerful Insight into Human Spirit I decided to pick up this book after reading Campbell s article in Guideposts magazine I wanted to see how his faith fared while he was immersed in the military/combat life In the book the faith/Christian themes are pretty low key however the insightful observations Campbell draws about the human spirit and LOVE in particular were for me a clear expression of his spirituality
This is the most balanced war memoir I ve read It s not about politics and it s not dripping with military ego/pride Campbell s ability to be straightforward and honest about his own shortcomings regrets and emotional state is truly compelling It s about his personal journey and how he is changed by what he experiences and he s not afraid to tell it like it is He s obviously driven and he s hard on himself which only served to make me admire him more not unlike the fictional military officer in my second novel
On top of that he s either got a natural knack for writing or he s got an incredible editor because this book pulls everything together in a way that other Iraq memoirs haven t and I ve read a number of them And that makes the book even more powerful Well done
Author : Jung Chang Total Page : 528 Publisher : Anchor Publication Date : 1992 10 03
Wild Swans Three Daughters of China >> Review of Wild Swans It s strange how things work out I randomly picked Wild Swans out from the list of 1001 Books to Read Before you Die I can t tell you why I chose it except that as I do with all of the books I read from that list I just scrolled through it and stopped and pointed my finger and that was the book I would request
Then I noticed that it was due back to the library so after reading my Book Club s selection of Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet by Jamie Ford I decided to move on to Wild Swans This was a good decision I knew nothing of China especially China under Chiang Kai shek and then later on Chairman Mao I got a glimpse of the hatred that one of the main characters in Hotel had toward the Japanese being from China himself but still had no idea the extent of the torture the pain and the horrible version of life going on within China s borders
After I began to read Wild Swans people around me started to talk about it without even knowing that I was reading it I was asked at my book club if I had read Wild Swans and asked by two random people I know through daily life if I d ever read this book Before I began to read it though I d never even heard of it
So I should talk some about the actual book since this is technically a review
First it s non fiction It s readable in its own way Although very densely packed with names dates places and events I was able to easily follow the lives of Jung Chang s grandmother her mother and herself through the changes of China
This is not an easy book to read and you shouldn t pick it up unless you are willing to be thoroughly invested in learning difficult names reading about difficult things and prepared to have your eyes opened to something that in my opinion is not taught about enough I ve always considered China to be a country of mystery one that I always hear rumors about and honestly if I hadn t been working my way through the 1001 Books I don t think I would have willingly chosen this book to read I chose to begin reading through the list for that very reason to expose myself to books I wouldn t normally choose and this book is a prime example of why I consider myself enriched by learning the stories of Jung Chang and her family and blessed to not have to endure even a small fraction of what they had to endure
There are times I believe that the right book comes along at the right time to be read and this was one of those books >> Unbelievably Enlightening I never imagined when I sat down to read Wild Swans that I would become so enthralled in it I found myself emotionally involved and in complete disbelief that this horrible atrocity was happening and the whole world either didn t know or looked the other way The strength and character that the Chinese must have come out of this with is amazing to me This is definitely one of the best books I have read in a very long time >> Kindle edition full of errors I doubt anyone read the text of Wild Swans after that fine book was scanned or ported into a Kindle version Dates are confusing since 6 s become 0 s Terns are garbled capitalist roaders become capitalist readers Shame on Simon Schuster and Amazon for presenting their customers with such shoddy work
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
