Sunday, October 31, 2010

The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness Buy Now


This book is a touchingly honest account the author's mental illness and the toll it takes on her life. Mixed in with that is her account of serious medical illness and the toll that takes on her life. I was particularly touched by the line, "When you have cancer people send flowers. When you lose your mind; they don't." I appreciate that Elyn R. Saks is courageous enough to reveal her experience and soul to the world. She presents it in such a way that it almost seems she couldn't possibly be mentally ill because her description of her disorganized thoughts is so, well, organized. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to learn about mental illness. I would recommend it to anyone suffering from mental illness. This book gave me hope and inspiration to find my life.Get more detail about The Center Cannot Hold: My Journey Through Madness.

Harry the K: The Remarkable Life of Harry Kalas Order Now


Harry the K, as somebody said, has narrated the memories of a whole city. Between the Phillies, NFL films and numerous commercial voice-overs Kalas' voice has been with Philly for 40 or so years. By all accounts, including this one, Harry was one of a kind...great company...outgoing...kind and in most ways a helluva guy. He was with the Phils through more than a few lean years and made it to see their last World Series; always with relentless optimism and high hopes.

The author doesn't spare telling us about the rough patches in his life. This isn't a hagiography. But even with all the warts, Harry still seems like a guy you'd really like to know.

The writing is generally good, but would've benefited from a stern editor who would screen redundancies and over-used phrases.

Its not War and Peace, but it is a darn good book if you care about Philly sports and especially about the Phillies. Mets fans would also benefit from reading the book; if only to see what a good organization looks like. (snicker)

Get more detail about Harry the K: The Remarkable Life of Harry Kalas.

Saturday, October 30, 2010

Intentions Decide Now


Its hard to put into word the beauty and wonder and humor of these for stories.

For the real follower of Wilde!Get more detail about Intentions.

Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels Right now


Ken's extensive tenure in remote mid east villages and his sensitivity to their culture gives him an unique insight into significant behaviors and meanings of words and actions of the people. He has an in-depth knowledge of the Roman, Greek, Hebrew, Aramaic, Arabic, and Syriac languages which gives him a fantastic ability to interpret the scriptures giving a clear understanding of passages that can be (and are) very confusing when reading current biblical translations.Get more detail about Jesus Through Middle Eastern Eyes: Cultural Studies in the Gospels.

Thursday, October 28, 2010

Save Devotion: A Memoir


I liked this memoir a lot. It details Shapiro's struggle to reconcile her
current spiritual practices with her background as an Orthodox Jew. I totally related although I was raised in a traditional Roman Catholic family. Like the author, I abandoned the practices of my family, but still felt the influences
and needed to find ways to integrate them into my current spiritual life. I too
practice yoga and meditation.
Shapiro's theme resonated strongly with me. Trying to bridge these worlds
is not an easy thing to do or to describe in writing- and she did an excellent
job. Some scenes are so beautifully written that I was moved to tears.

Get more detail about Devotion: A Memoir.

Discount Get Me Out of Here: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder


Diagnosed several years ago with Bipolar/PTSD, I was given the diagnosis of Borderline Personality Disorder about a year and half ago. Wanting to know anything and everything about this unknown to me illness, I bought Reiland's book. I angrily put it away as I could not and would not believe that I could have BPD and remained in denial for some time. Having been in weekly therapy for a year and half, I am thankfully making progress towards a healthier ME. I opened this book again about a month ago, and could not believe how much of what Reiland wrote resonated with me. I felt like I was learning so much about who I am now and how so much of my younger years contributed to my actions and reactions today. Every page was another light bulb going off in my mind....lighting the darkness of the past and explaining it in a way that makes SO MUCH SENSE.

Reiland had a truly amazing experience with Dr Padgett as her psychiatrist who helped guide her towards a healthy sense of herself and love for herself that she never had.

I am blessed to have found a well trained, caring and patient therapist whom I have given my trust to and who is continually helping me learn how to understand and nagivate my way towards recovery. It can be an extremely painful journey. Reiland's therapy was a very intensive Freudian based treatment. My therapy is more working with Dialectical Behavior (DBT) which has been very positive for me. But, after reading Reiland's book I realize that accepting and understanding the past is critical for of successfully treating BPD.

Anyone who has been diagnosed wih BPD or who loves someone with BPD should definitely read this book. It's heartwarming, encouraging, enlightening and honestly, reflects so very well how difficult mental illness can be to live with, but also how much proper therapy can make a huge positive change in someone's life.

Thank you thank you Ms. Reiland for sharing your story.Get more detail about Get Me Out of Here: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder.

Wednesday, October 27, 2010

Cheapest Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs


This ws a very interesting book about arranged under aged marriages in FDLS church.
It is amazing that this kind of thing can go on in this day and age. I do not understand how these people are above the laws of the USA. If it were anyone else, they would have been arrested and prosecuted years ago.
I am so glad that the author of this book felt the need to report what was going on and to subsequently write this book.Get more detail about Stolen Innocence: My Story of Growing Up in a Polygamous Sect, Becoming a Teenage Bride, and Breaking Free of Warren Jeffs.

Cheap A River Runs Through It


Great book. Kept me interested from the first page to the last. Much better than the movie!Get more detail about A River Runs Through It.

Tuesday, October 26, 2010

Buying It's Not Me, It's You: Subjective Recollections from a Terminally Optimistic, Chronically Sarcastic and Occasionally Inebriated Woman


It took me a bit to warm to this writer--the sort of "humorous" drop-out, ne'er-do-well drifter story has never appealed to an overachiever goody-goody like me, but then she started to get deeper than that, with stories of how her B/C/D-list stand-up comedian father let her down, the therapists she encountered (I've been there, too, sister). When I studied improv, they always said to avoid drug-taking scenes, because they were likely to be too boring, and maybe that's true here, but then she moved away from the druggie roommate, and got a lot funnier along the way. There are subtle callbacks--references to earlier parts of the story--that took me a sec to pick up on, and then I laughed out loud. Not something I do a lot when reading humor-writing....so it must be good.

Truth in Comedy, indeed.Get more detail about It's Not Me, It's You: Subjective Recollections from a Terminally Optimistic, Chronically Sarcastic and Occasionally Inebriated Woman.

Buy Through the Brazilian Wilderness


Theodore Roosevelt was a man's man. A New York kid whose taste for adventure was sparked in his boyhood by a dead seal for sale on a Broadway sidewalk. Harvard student, soldier, Rough Rider, youngest President ever and one who survived the assassin's bullet, maverick politician, Nobel Prize winner, hunter and conservationist, and finally the man who, at 55 years old, explored an unknown region of the Amazon river basin. Imagine one of today's former-Presidents undertaking a similar adventure. For six weeks, in 1914, Roosevelt and his party paddled and carried their canoes down a previously unexplored 950-mile river now called the Rio Roosevelt. Men died, boats were lost, food became scarce, dangerous animals and natives were about, fever borne by insects sickened many in the party (and led to Roosevelt's own death five years later). This is the stuff of "Through the Brazilian Wilderness".

Roosevelt's other works, including "The Rough Riders", are better known, and this one is not great literature. Instead, it is a remarkable adventure story by an interesting man. The book is essentially Roosevelt's trip diary, colored by his great enthusiasm for adventure and the natural world. Even before reaching the Amazon, Roosevelt stops at a Brazilian snake research lab that so captures his attention that he writes seventeen pages about it. At all times, he makes careful note of the wildlife he encounters, not quite with the depth of a professional scientist, but with the trained eye of a dedicated and experienced hobbyist. He squeezes in some amusing stories about piranha fish that he heard --and apparently believed. Naturalists of the day killed animals in the name of science, which places in context Roosevelt's joy in hunting and his comments: first on alligators ("They are often dangerous and are always destructive to fish, and it is good to shoot them") and later on conservation ("There is every reason why the good people of South America should waken... to the duty of preserving from extinction the wildlife which is an asset of such interest."). The book is most poetic in its description of animal life, and particularly in registering surprise that the myriad insects are far more pernicious than any of the better-known dangers such as alligators, big cats, or piranhas.

The book's is not perfect, and Roosevelt is not a great author in a literary sense, rather making up in enthusiasm what he lacks in prose and penetrating insight. There is no attempt at political analysis, he simply praises Brazilians as good hosts who have started down the road to democracy. He sees the land he travels through as like the United States of perhaps a hundred years earlier, so there are frequent predictions that a promising location is ripe for development. The limited foray into politics is to praise Positivism, the ideology of the Brazilian military class that emphasized modernity and structure, and that not incidentally justified the many instances of military intervention in Brazilian politics over the years. Finally, the one annoyance is the recurring theme (perhaps a dozen times in all) of the true danger of the journey. Over and over we read that the river has never been charted, that it is truly dangerous, that the explorers are not your armchair-adventurer variety, and that such voyages will necessarily be easier for those who follow in the future. We get that.

Roosevelt was an interesting man, his enthusiasm and taste for adventure are infectious. The book is not a literary triumph, but it is a fun read and an excellent journey through the AmazonGet more detail about Through the Brazilian Wilderness.

Monday, October 25, 2010

Purchase The Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome


i am a huge lover of greek myths and it was hard to read this, even though i only got the sample. i found it hard to figure out somtimes when something ended and started. i was half way through the story of zeus beating his father before i even relized it had started!Get more detail about The Myths and Legends of Ancient Greece and Rome.

Order An Education


I found this book interesting and engaging. It was a quick read that entertained me for an afternoon. I especially appreciated the way the author described her feelings and relationships with her family, and showed how those feelings educated her in her life.

I won this book as part of the Goodreads giveaway program.

For my full review check out my blog: [...]Get more detail about An Education.

Sunday, October 24, 2010

Where To Buy Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1)


I had been hearing about this book for about 3-4 years and for one reason or another did not believe it would hold my interest. Then, it was chosen as our book club selection last month. I was so surprised when I started reading it how it held my attention and I could actually picture the characters, the town, the grit of the mine and his relationships. I am so glad I read this book. It brought back all the imagery and excitement of the "Space Race", a period of time in which I grew up. I remember the Russians beating us in space and how the school system started demanding more math, science and telling the students that we couldn't let America down. It was a trip down memory lane I had long ago forgotten. Glad it came back to me.Get more detail about Rocket Boys (The Coalwood Series #1).

Shop For Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir


I just read Jennette Fulda's Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir. Fulda, who goes by the nickname of "PastaQueen", started as a successful weight loss blogger. Her blog, accessible at pastaqueen.com or from my blogroll, has enjoyed a seven year run as a one of the most successful weight loss blogs on the web.

Having read dozens of weight loss blogs, I've decided my top criteria for identifying the ones I'll follow is that the author tells a good story, and has a good story to tell. Fulda is great writer whose humor and use of analogies makes her story much more than a slog through her loss of 200 pounds. With expressions like joining the "fat person witness protection program" and "Nancy Grace wouldn't have come looking for my fat ass," Fulda makes the time pass while she's sharing her transformation.

Fulda's book concentrates on the journey, the metaphor of weight loss, rather than the tips and tricks of the process. I would have liked her to share what she did to lose weight - she refuses to disclose her actual eating plan - but she feels strongly that diets are personal and that hers works because she likes the particular vegetables and so forth she has learned to eat. At first, it seemed evasive, but avoiding the quick fix advice allowed the story to evolve.

What makes Half-Assed work is Fulda's complete lack of preaching. She tells her story and is self-deprecating without being insecure. This would never work if PastaQueen didn't have an amazing story to tell. Her life is, frankly, uneventful, but in the way that most of our lives are. The beige backdrop keeps from distracting the reader from Jennette. What comes through instead is a normal person - though clearly talented - accomplishing an extraordinary thing, and allowing the reader to feel what it is like to lose, to use one of Fulda's analogies, the equivalent of seven bags of cat food.

Congrats to PastaQueen, for telling a good story, and having a good story to tell. (reprinted from my blog [...])Get more detail about Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir.

Saturday, October 23, 2010

Of Mikes and Men: A Lifetime of Braves Baseball


There was nothing better than watching the Braves on TBS back in the day. What made it even better was the fact that the Braves had the best broadcasters in the business. There was Skip and Joe and then there was Pete and Don. I can close my eyes and hear any number of Skip's famous calls, Joe's jokes, Don's perfect analysis, and Pete's crazy statistics that no one else knew. In this book, Pete relives all of those memories. This is a great read from one of baseball's most dedicated voices of all time.Get more detail about Of Mikes and Men: A Lifetime of Braves Baseball.

My Trip Down the Pink Carpet Review


Well, to be honest I haven't had the chance to read this book yet.
But, as soon as I do I will give a review.
Looking forward to reading it.
Thanks.Get more detail about My Trip Down the Pink Carpet.

Friday, October 22, 2010

The Fellowship of the Ring (Isis Clear Type Classic) (Vol 1) Top Quality


Few can compare to Tolkien for fantasty writing. Every time I pick up this series I find myself astounded by the beauty of the writing and the richness of the characters. It's different now that I've seen the movies. I find myself trying to picture places and things from viewing them on the TV screen instead of relying on my imagination more. Once I finally start to imagine things again though it's like Dorothy stepping into Oz - full blown color, brilliant scenery and fantastic creatures that I've known since I was a child.

One of my favorite characters was left out of the movies and, while at first I was disappointed, getting reacquainted with him in reading was made even more pleasurable. Tom Bombadil, in Tolkien's own words, is an enigma. He does not fit the molds, fantastic though they may be, created for the other races and characters. In speaking to my dad about this read through I mentioned that it's incredible to me how Tolkien wrote in such a distinct way, not only in describing and speaking as individual people in the book, but also how sweeping he wrote about their races as a whole. When the Hobbits speak, they are Hobbits. The same with the race of man, elves, dwarfs and even the council-folk. Each voice carries the weight of history of their kind behind it and that's not an easy thing to accomplish and one that, in my opinion, is often forgotten about or overlooked.

I love re-reading these books. I still feel the same thrill when Elrond says, ".. This is the hour of the Shire-folk, when they arise from their quiet fields to shake the towers and counsels of the Great". I still quake with fear when the drums beat deep within the heart of Khazad-dum. I wonder at the description of Galadriel but still can feel a kinship with the longing for home and a hearth that Sam often wishes for. I could go on for house speaking of my love for this story.. but this is not the time or place for it.

If you haven't read it, I highly encourage you to do soGet more detail about The Fellowship of the Ring (Isis Clear Type Classic) (Vol 1).

The Fourth Star: Four Generals and the Epic Struggle for the Future of the United States Army This instant


It is an inside, dispassionate review of what went wrong in Iraq and what appears now to have gone right, and is thus a fascinating read. The central, though not only, characters are four generals who ultimately had high-level responsibility for Iraq and the larger theater. Prominent in their development were advanced degrees earned at academically demanding universities, including in one case the University of Jordan for which Arabic was essential. Considerable play is given to their preparation in the so called Sosh Department at West Point as members/successors to its noted Lincoln Brigade. Their progress in an Army demoralized by Vietnam, focused on a conventional land war in Europe as opposed to the asymmetrical conflicts in Iraq and Afganistan, and subject to the political focus of its civilian leadership keeps the suspense element of the story going.Get more detail about The Fourth Star: Four Generals and the Epic Struggle for the Future of the United States Army.

Thursday, October 21, 2010

The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life Immediately


I loved this book. The way she describes herself and her family cracks me up, and makes me giggle. Nothing is taken too seriously. I gave my copy to my sister, and she is a big fan now too.

Please don't call this chic lit. I see that in the tag section. Humor it is. Chic lit it is not.Get more detail about The Idiot Girls' Action-Adventure Club: True Tales from a Magnificent and Clumsy Life.

Who Was Walt Disney? (Who Was...?) Best Quality


My 9 year old son loved this book. This was one of three he read in the series. Walt Disney, Neil Armstrong and Albert Einstein. Each were great reads and he loved the information he got from the books. I enjoyed him reasing it out loud to me the second time he read it. My sons 4th grade class was assigned a biography book to read and report on. There was plenty of information as far as where they were born, how they accomplished what they each did and some sideline info on each of them that was interesting. However, the size of the words to a page and the difficulty would be more appropriate for 3rd grade not 4th.Get more detail about Who Was Walt Disney? (Who Was...?).

Wednesday, October 20, 2010

Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History Get it now!


The book was in very good condition and it came in very fast, within one week.Get more detail about Maus I: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History.

Evelina Buy Now


I was wholly ignorant of Frances Burney until I read about her in my 1001 Books to Read Before You Die- ha ha embarassing!!! Burney was the first real authorial discovery I've made through this system of reading classics. Burney is sharp- almost like reading a Brett Easton Ellis novel of the 1700s. Burney is known as being an influence on Jane Austen but I'd much rather read a Burney novel then an Austen novel. I can't believe they haven't turned EVELINA into a Reese Witherspoon starring Merchant n Ivory production. I really like this book and recommend it to classics fans.Get more detail about Evelina.

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age Between the Arabs and Israelis, 1956-1978 Order Now


I loved this book. You will enjoy this book regardless but if you have lived in one of those countries then the it becomes a real treat. I love the section on Saudi arabia. Mostly this book revolves around the 1960's and 1970's era lifestyle and politics of middle east. The only thing I didn't like was that the writer kept going back and forth between 1960-1975 and at times the bookk lost the fluid movement thru time and continuity.Get more detail about Crossing Mandelbaum Gate: Coming of Age Between the Arabs and Israelis, 1956-1978.

Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia (P.S.) Decide Now


As a college student recovering from anorexia I always felt alone and that no one in the world understood what I was going through. That is, until I bought this book. Hornbacher writes with such genuine, thought-provoking and touching words...that I now feel like this is a disease that I can keep overcoming. That there are people out there that have overcome the odds and beat this horrible thing. Hornbacher's easy to read narrative provides deep insight into the disease and hope for recovery.Get more detail about Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia (P.S.).

Sunday, October 17, 2010

Low Price Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--and the Journey of a Generation


As a female of this generation and a fan of all three women, I enjoyed learning personal background on them, but I find the choppy presentation annoying most of the time. I'm still working my way through it, wishing for fewer opinions from the author and a quicker pace. Still, it's a treat to glean inside information about these wonderful "girls."Get more detail about Girls Like Us: Carole King, Joni Mitchell, Carly Simon--and the Journey of a Generation.

Save Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God


Very informative, funny and entertaining. Shows you how God chooses the foolish things of this world to confound the wise... that it is usually the common people that creates lasting impact on the world.Get more detail about Cast of Characters: Common People in the Hands of an Uncommon God.

Saturday, October 16, 2010

Discount Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back


How does the number one overall pick in the 1999 MLB draft, go from can't miss prospect to drug addict? Why would someone with enough natural ability to draw comparisons to Mickey Mantle self destruct? What happened to cause Josh Hamilton to choose a life of drug addiction above a loving family? More importantly, though, how did he go from spending $100,000 in six weeks on a crack addiction to major league All-Star starter in three years. Beyond Belief is the inspiring story of Josh Hamilton's descent into the depravity of human nature and God's remarkable rescue.

I'm a Texas Ranger's fan and have been since the early 1990s. I love the team even though the wins are usually not as abundant as the losses. When Josh Hamilton joined the team in 2008, I knew very little about him, but that didn't last long. By the end of the season I owned a Hamilton t-shirt, knew he was a remarkable talent on the field, and a glowing testament to God's redemptive power. Though I caught plenty of sound bites about his past during the season, I'm grateful to finally read the complete story. It's shocking at times, sad at others, but in the end the hope that led to Hamilton's recovery is what this book is about.

To say Hamilton is a good player is an understatement. He's an amazing talent with truly God given abilities. I've watched many Home Run Derbies, but I'll never forget watching him launch 28 in 2008. When he's healthy, he's one of the most fun players in the league to watch. In 1999, he was an all-American boy when Tampa drafted him straight out of high school. It was never so much a question of if he would make it to the majors, but how quickly. Tampa was willing to pay this kid, two days out of high school, $3.9 million to sign with them. He was expected to be a major contributor, but things obviously went very wrong. Hamilton's story is inspirational on many levels. Not only is it honest in its approach to addiction, but also in the hope it offers others, and the glory it brings to God. While Beyond Belief chronicles the ups and downs during his baseball career and personal life, it has a greater purpose than just baseball or Josh Hamilton--it's about God, the big picture, and a remarkable rescue. Though not without fault or setbacks, in the few years since his return, Hamilton has been transparent with the media in a way that backs up the faith he mentions frequently. As stated many times throughout the book, Hamilton's journey is a God thing and to share it with millions of readers and baseball fans is not only courageous, but inspiring.

I know sports/athlete books are not for everyone, but I highly recommend this one. Like most in this genre, it's very easy to read and not exactly high quality writing. While it does contain some baseball/career information, for the most part it's a life story. By far the human element outweighs the sports related themes and I think people who simply enjoy inspirational stories will find this one interesting and engaging. I loved it. For parents, kids, addicts, friends and families of addicts, sports fans, MLB teams and their owners this book raises some tough questions while at the same time providing a measure of comfort, support, and encouragement. To his credit and without excuse, Hamilton takes full responsibility for his destructive behavior. There are important lessons to learn from his life, but ultimately this book is a story of relying on faith to overcome addiction. It's truly uplifting and again I'm grateful for the opportunity to read it.Get more detail about Beyond Belief: Finding the Strength to Come Back.

Cheapest Invisible Prey


Sandford is from Minnesota. We have read all his books and each provide riveting stories/mysteries. You won't regret buying any of John's books.Get more detail about Invisible Prey.

Friday, October 15, 2010

Cheap Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within


When I first began this book I wasn't sure what to expect... when I browsed through the book my first reaction was that it had short chapters. It was an easy read but it contained a wealth of information.

Some of the information I was already familiar with; but it was a review of the techniques that I had forgotten. It also reminded me of the simple things in life that I could write about and how easy it is choose a topic.

I really liked the idea of setting up a writing practice and Natalies's suggestion of filling a notebook per month is a suggestion that I will follow.

Overall, this book had many good suggestions for developing a personal writing practice, overcoming writer's block, and other writing issues. I would recommend it for the beginner, and intermediate writer.Get more detail about Writing Down the Bones: Freeing the Writer Within.

Buying Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters


Very good book. My wife bought this for me for Valentine's Day. I enjoys history and have the DVD book of the movie. I will buy the rest of the books related to Band of Brothers.Get more detail about Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters.

Thursday, October 14, 2010

Buy Are We Winning?: Fathers and Sons in the New Golden Age of Baseball


Like Daniel Okrent's classic "Nine Innings," this new book by Will Leitch (founder of Deadspin, now a NY Mag editor) presents the anatomy of a single game. Unlike Okrent, however, Leitch casts his book as a letter to his future son and thereby turns his inning-by-inning retelling of a Cards vs. Cubs game into a springboard for addressing broader life issues. In fact, the game at Wrigley is really a novelistic MacGuffin, i.e., the thing that drives the plot but the audience couldn't care less about. Yes, any Cards game is important to superfan Leitch, but of greater interest to him -- and to the reader -- is the opportunity that it provides the transplanted New Yorker to reflect on his life in the Midwest, his career, and, most importantly, his dad. By the end, you admire the relationship shared by the Leitch men as well as their capacity to consume a remarkable amount of beer. (Ms. Leitch gets less ink but the book includes heartfelt observations on the evils of breast cancer.) Some parts of the book are very funny and others are surprisingly perceptive. In particular, the chapter on Steve Bartman is wonderfully written and marked by a sensitivity not associated with Leitch's work on Deadspin or even in his previous "God Save the Fan." Bottom line: This highly enjoyable book signals that Bill Simmons has a serious contender for the title of best sportswriter of our times.Get more detail about Are We Winning?: Fathers and Sons in the New Golden Age of Baseball.

Purchase In The Company Of Heroes


The story of Chief Warrant Officer Michael Durant is one that many people could not survive or even believe could happen. Michael Durant, obviously with little writing background being a pilot in the air force, comes out of no-where with a story so compelling that it keeps you hooked from beginning to end. Durant was a pilot who got shot down in Mogadishu. Before then he had flown countless fights in many countries. Durant was a class act of a pilot, and had the friends and background to prove it. He had flown in multiple war zones two of which were Korea and Panama. Each time Durant learned something new about himself and his Job.

In the Company of Heroes is a book describing everything that happened to Durant from his crash in Mogadishu, to his return from captivity. Durant is able to throw background information about himself into the book. There are many instances in which Durant is tried both mentally and physically. He is a soldier who that was so brave he was able to complain and be humiliated, when he was interviewed and he gave away a tiny detail about his faction.

In the story, Durant crashes and explains what happened from the crash step by step minute by minute. He even gets wacked across the face with a severed arm from one of his dead comrades. Durant, to the contrary of what a person would think, was never tortured. He is even fed a meal at least once a day, sometimes even more which was more than what his captors could have. During his capture Durant befriends one of his captors and because of that Durant gets treated better. Durant writes the story very well for not being an author. He is able to use something most authors cannot use, he is able to mix in actual emotions and instances even thoughts about what was going on. This turns his writing from what could have been a boring recollection to a story in which the entire time the reader hopes he will live.

Durant is really able to get his point across well even though there was probably little thought and effort put into that idea. While the readers engage themselves in the book, they begin to think why are we not helping, or why is this happening? They will want to get involved and engaged with the support groups or whatever is around. They will just want to make a difference and help so that hopefully no one will suffer like Durant did.

Like everyone Durant does make mistakes, but this is acceptable for a first time writer. The book although compelling, is a little bit on the lengthy side. He spends a good amount of time in the book describing his past. Even though Durant's past adds a lot to the story, it takes you away from the story of his capture. This tends to become a little aggravating, especially when the reader is becoming intrigued with Durant's capture situation. Even though the book has flaws, Durant's story is a great read and should be recommended to any reader in middle school or higher.

Get more detail about In The Company Of Heroes.

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

Order How to Get Rich: One of the World's Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets


This book was so-so reading. I never ended it. I got the feeling that author tries to show how smart he is, how his decisions made him rich, but actually he got rich by luck - he was starving businessman until Bruce Lee died. He was lucky enough to have a book finished about Bruce Lee at that time. Sure, it's not enough to be lucky, but I didn't get much inspiration from this book, nor ideas. I'm a businessman too, doing fine, always looking into improving my own business. "Loosing my Virginity" by R. Branson was soo much better book.Get more detail about How to Get Rich: One of the World's Greatest Entrepreneurs Shares His Secrets.

Where To Buy Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America


A MUST READ for Americans and anyone who sincerely cares about the REAL threat of Radical Islam, and how it will be (and presently is) affecting the future of their country. POWERFUL - PERTINENT - SCARY!! It was a miracle the author survived her early life in the Middle East! She tells the TRUTH about Radical Islam. Read this book as well as "They Must Be Stopped" to see for yourself.

Get more detail about Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America.

Tuesday, October 12, 2010

Shop For The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron


The Smartest Guys in the Room is a thoroughly researched account of the rise and fall of Enron, one of the largest business failures in the history of corporate America. McLean and Elkind provide an incredibly detailed history of the company from its early beginnings to the eventual collapse and resulting horrendous impact on employees, pension plan participants and the vast array of stockholders who lost billions of dollars. While the book clearly describes the complex financial structures and lack of managerial competence, it could be somewhat confusing to a reader with limited knowledge of accounting and finance principles. The real meat of the book, the story that really compels you to keep reading, is the focus on the main characters involved in this saga - Lay, Skilling, Pai, Rice, Mark, the numerous finance and accounting staff who played key roles, the company's board of directors, and last but not least, Andy Fastow, the Chief Financial Officer of the company. The book presents most of the individuals in a fairly balanced light (i.e., they all played roles in running the company into the ground), however the authors really cast Fastow as the arch villain. This is probably the case, given the amount of personal financial gain he manufactured through his financial and accounting strategies, however, it is clear that many people smelled the rotting fish, but did nothing about it because they too also achieved spectacular wealth. No one wanted to shut down the gravy train. The rampant greed, coupled with the loose to non-existent ethical barometer that permeated the company, made the company's demise seem inevitable. A well-written book in the vein of Barbarians at the Gate and Den of Thieves.Get more detail about The Smartest Guys in the Room: The Amazing Rise and Scandalous Fall of Enron.

The Secret Scripture: A Novel


I absolutely loved this novel. It was so evocative and beautifully written. It transported me to another place and time. It was also touching and moving but without being sappily sentimental. Also eyeopening as to Irish and Catholic politics. Its rare to find a novel that does all these things. Hope I can find more books like this!Get more detail about The Secret Scripture: A Novel.

Monday, October 11, 2010

Warrior Soul: The Memoir of a Navy Seal Review


Ok read following SEAL training and several missions for Chuck Pfarrer. Not too many missions, more preparations for missions and then stand down. Too much detail about political history of Central America and Beruit. Some personal story with the author himself. Was hoping for more SEAL "action".

Would recommend: Lone Survivor: The Eyewitness Account of Operation Redwing and the Lost Heroes of Seal Team 10 by Seal Marcus Luttrell or The Warrior Elite: The Forging of SEAL Class 228 by Dick Crouch or Suffer in Silence by David ReidGet more detail about Warrior Soul: The Memoir of a Navy Seal.

Hitch-22: A Memoir Top Quality


I read the jacket of this book and got pretty interested. I have a very similar background and I was interested to see what effect it might have had on the author.

The book starts promisingly, with an amusing anecdote about why "Hitch" decided to write his memoir in the first place: he was declared dead in the caption for a photograph due to a typographical error. He then spends a few pages explaining how this brought his mortality home.

I wish the rest of the book were full of similar insights, but I struggled to find them. Instead, there is endless name-dropping, lots of quotes that are frequently only somewhat relevant, and no real indication of why I should care.

If you'd like to read the biography of someone who subscribes to the class hierarchy in British society, but claims otherwise while spending 50 pages telling you *exactly* which particular brand of leftism he subscribes to, this is the book for you. It's not the book for me - I couldn't get past page 150.Get more detail about Hitch-22: A Memoir.

Saturday, October 9, 2010

Partner to the Poor: A Paul Farmer Reader (California Series in Public Anthropology) Best Quality


This will be a short review, but as reviews are lacking for this new collection I thought I would throw in my two cents. This volume is fantastic as an introduction to Paul Farmer. It is comprehensive and less repetetive than some of his other published volumes (although there is still overlap in cases examples from work to work). The thematic sections greatly aid scholarship. Introductions to the sections and revision of many chapters make for a very solid volume. Recommend for any person in the medical profession and especially those interested in global, development, human rights, international law, or international policy.Get more detail about Partner to the Poor: A Paul Farmer Reader (California Series in Public Anthropology).

Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi Get it now!


One knows, from the beginning, how this story ends. But with Neal Bascomb's talented pen, the thrill of the chase never wavers. Exposed by his son's chance comment to a blind man's daughter, Adolf Eichmann's road to justice from his capture by the Mossad on Garibaldi Street outside of Buenos Aires to his trial 1960 and hanging in Israel in 1962 is more thrilling in real life than any mystery. Eichmann's ratline escape in 1950 from Europe, his life in Argentina, Mossad's planning, trial runs, checks and rechecks of Eichmann's identification, the El Al flight across the Atlantic to Dakar; all are packed with excitement and drama. Bascomb never overplays his hand or is biased; his portrait of the aged and captured Eichmann masked, lying on a bed ready for transshipment to Israel is sensitive. Eichmann's purposeful non defiant walk to his hanging - resigned to the noose - captures the condemned and at the same time the talent of this writer. Israel's commitment to bringing Eichmann to justice - in the face of international pusillanimity and outrage - is capped off by its hilarious understated riposte to the Argentine's foreign minister that the kidnapping was done by "a group of Jewish volunteers, including some Israelis." Bascombe's story draws from an outpouring of articles and books. His bibliography is detailed and informative. Not even the movie will capture this book's suspense.Get more detail about Hunting Eichmann: How a Band of Survivors and a Young Spy Agency Chased Down the World's Most Notorious Nazi.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Don't Sleep, There are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle Buy Now


This is excellent book providing insights on a non western non Abrahamic viewpoint of the world which in today's times is something people should reach and search for more often. If one wants to learn very intriguing and interesting details of newly found aspects of linguistics and at the same time raise one's intercultural competence, then get this book.Get more detail about Don't Sleep, There are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle.

Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion Order Now


Once I got past chapter four (I just am not into war) I couldn't put the book down and found myself emersed in Miles need to help others. Our local Episcopal Church adopted Miles book and her practice of feeding the hungry. We have since started a food bank and it doubles in size each month. It is so important to walk the walk of our beliefs and Miles shared a spiritual desire beyond that of many. A truly inspiring read.Get more detail about Take This Bread: A Radical Conversion.

Thursday, October 7, 2010

The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son Decide Now


This was an amazing book, and shows just how far parents will go for their children. I have encountered some mildly autistic children in my life, but only for very short periods of time, so it was fascinating to hear Isaacson talk about his son's autism. I was also fascinated to read a little bit about shamanism, and I am definitely interested to learn more.

This book shows a journey so amazing, it's hard to believe it actually happened. Not only does it tell a heart-warming story, it really makes me want to learn more about autism and shamanism.Get more detail about The Horse Boy: A Father's Quest to Heal His Son.

Three in Death Right now


As usual, Nora Roberts is up to snuff. Her Dallas policewoman is sharp, lovely, and gets her man (perp).Get more detail about Three in Death.

Wednesday, October 6, 2010

Lowest Price Cradle of Gold: The Story of Hiram Bingham, a Real-Life Indiana Jones, and the Search for Machu Picchu


This is a superb book which works wonderfully on multiple levels. I recommend it highly to anyone interested in the Andes, the Incan Empire, contemporary Peru or the history of archeology, or to anyone who likes a good yarn.

As book on the history and politics of archeology it is unparalleled, giving readers a nuanced look at the ways that the past continually reshapes itself according to contemporary concerns. Heaney's journalistic training really helps him here, as he is able to give objective accounts of both the Peruvian perspective on its own antiquities and the complicated outlook of Bingham himself. Heaney skillfully paints a lucid picture of an extremely complicated situation, one which has interesting resonances with parallel repatriation campaigns taking place around the world, such as Greece's ongoing efforts to obtain the Elgin marbles from the British Museum.

On another level, the book is by far the best biography to date on the complex figure that was Hiram Bingham, and in fact the best biography of -any- early 20th century archeologist or 'explorer' that I have yet seen. Through much digging in the archives, Heaney was able to unearth a number of fascinating facts about Bingham -- from his childhood in turn of the century Hawaii to his stint as a flashy (and possibly corrupt) United States Senator who would land blimps on the Capitol steps. Throughout, Heaney's account of Bingham struck me as exceptionally well-balanced, noting Bingham's good points and paying respect to his memory while not shying away from his snobbishness, ambition and rather bluff attitude toward Peru's indigenous past.

My favorite part of the book, however, was its flashbacks to the last days of the Incan empire. Here Heaney's writing is at its best, and at times he creates passages of real brilliance -- vivid vignettes of a fallen emperor fleeing from foreign conquest. These passages are wonderfully moving and are worth the price of admission alone.

In short, 'Cradle of Gold' skillfully weaves multiple narrative threads to create a story that is both marvelously entertaining and extremely nuanced. I can't recommend this book highly enough.Get more detail about Cradle of Gold: The Story of Hiram Bingham, a Real-Life Indiana Jones, and the Search for Machu Picchu.