Thursday, September 30, 2010

Gifted Hands [VHS]


This is one of those films that will make a lasting impression on the viewer. Every young person should see it, as it realistically presents the struggles that Ben Carson had to overcome. As a young black man from a single parent family, he has become the top brain surgeon in the world, and he is so humble about it that one cannot help but be thrilled that he is there, as well as be encouraged that if you or a loved one needed his gifted hands, he would not hesitate to help you, regardless of who you are or where you are from. Of great interest are the clips at the end where the actual Ben is interviewed. He mentions that the college graduation rate for young black men is 15%, and that this can be changed by discipline and hard work, as he did. Yet the film also portrays his Christian faith, unashamedly, but it is not offensive in any way; simply part of his life. He is truly gifted and an amazing person. Get ready to cry.Get more detail about Gifted Hands [VHS].

Wednesday, September 29, 2010

The Yankee Years Top Quality


This book is very dissapointing because if you happened to follow the Yankee regularly between 1996 to 2007, you'll learn next to nothing.
The question of trust between Torre and his players, between Torre and management is central to the book, so central in fact it's like a song played over and over again.

Spend your money on some other baseball book.Get more detail about The Yankee Years.

Confessions (Penguin Classics) This instant


Saint Augustine's "Confessions" is a work that is both intensely personal and purposeful, an intensely individualistic and intimate baring of the soul that is also intended to be a universal call to the Christian faith. Augustine confesses his sinful life where he is consumed both by worldly desires and false religions, but after long struggle finds himself saved by the grace of God. This is an evangelical formula that existed before Augustine and certainly exists today, but there is a certain rawness of emotion, an intensity and humanity that makes the Confessions powerful even today.

The first nine books are simply outstanding, as the conversion quite literally from sinner to saint takes us through the intense pain and remorse Augustine feels about his transgressions and the utter joy he feels upon being saved. I found myself constantly amazed that this work is some 1600 years old, as it was easy to relate to Augustine, who is no more or less a "lost soul" than most of us. I imagine there are few readers who do not visualize themselves when they read Augustine's confessions about his temptations and transgressions. Nicely interwoven in this tale is the story of his mother Monica, who suffers as she witnesses her son's slide into sin, finally having her prayers that he would be saved answered shortly before her death.

The final four books, however, seem out of place. From an "introduction to Christianity", the reader is suddenly plunged into a graduate course on theology, as Augustine dives into issues that are clearly of intense interest to him--memory, time, creation, etc.--but are of questionable interest to the reader who has just followed him through 200 pages of deeply personal, heartwarming confession and conversion. Though not uninteresting at an intellectual level, they seem to add little to the overall work (and are the reason why I give this classic 4 stars despite the excellence of the first 3/5 or so of the total work).

All throughout, however, the translation (by the curiously named Mr. Pine-Coffin) is excellent, although there were times (particularly in the latter 2/5 of the book) where some commentary or notes would have been helpful to the reader. Also, a minor stylistic issue, but personally I found it a bit distracting to have all the biblical references (many which are obvious to people familiar with the Bible, and likely irrelevant to those not familiar with the Bible) in italics; I assume this was not a feature in the original text. Overall, however, even though the last part of the book is a bit of a chore to get through, Saint Augustine's Confessions are an intense, fascinating read striking both for its naked intimacy and for its calculated appeal to the common man that can be felt even today.Get more detail about Confessions (Penguin Classics).

Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Staying True Immediately


I thought like the Sanfords seemed like the perfect all-American couple. I guess Jenny Sanford did too until she discovered her husband's infidelity. This book charts its way through her childhood, her courtship and marriage to Mark, and his rise to the highest office in South Carolina. I found it difficult to put down.

Prior to reading this book, I knew next to nothing about Jenny Sanford. I had no idea, for example, that she had a high powered career in the business world be for meeting and marrying Mark. She seems like and upstanding woman, and I am truly sorry for the way her family has been broken apart.

Many reviewers focus on the supposed "signs" that Mark offered throughout their marriage. Hindsight is 20/20 and I don't see how she could possibly have known that these things--which must have sounded like jokes!--were in fact true indicators of deep-seeded character flaws.

Jenny Sanford is a real American hero. A smart woman of good moral character who got the short end of the stick from her husband. I wish her all the best and I hope that she has true happiness in all the things to come.

I reccomend this book wholeheartedly.

Get more detail about Staying True.

The Demon-Haunted World Best Quality


Fantastic book if you are looking to gain a deeper understanding of the value of science and skepticism in this world.

So much so that it could be disappointing to the non-skeptic. Believe in ghosts? An afterlife? Alien abductions? This book will help you break those superstitions.

This book really is a Candle in the Dark, with all the conspiracy theories and such flying around these days.

The only small criticism I have is about Sagan's predilection for talking about Alien Abductions and UFO's. Half of the book was a debunking of this topic, which is fine, but by the middle of the book you're like "OK! Sagan . . . We get it . . . Alien abductions are hogwash. GOTCHA!"Get more detail about The Demon-Haunted World.

Monday, September 27, 2010

The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King - A Nonfiction Thriller Get it now!


OK - first of all, BLW Summer Book Club Rocks! But we all knew that. So what about The Murder of King Tut: A Nonfiction Thriller?

Well, overall I thought this book was pretty interesting - and obviously I liked it enough to read it all the way to the end (I never read past 50 pages if I'm not hooked by a book early). So in that sense I was pleased with Patterson's work here. BUT...sincethe subtitle says "nonfiction thriller" I actually expected to read a nonfiction account of King Tut's history.

Make no mistake, this book is clearly NOT nonfiction. It'a actually more of a formula-style historical fiction novel, complete with purely evil villains (the advisor to the king is plotting to usurp the throne!) and pure-as-the-driven-snow heroes (King Tut practically walks on the Nile he's so good!). The scenes reenacting King Tut's life often came across as fabricated and clumsy, almost soap operatic. Disappointing.

HOWEVER, I really got into the scenes about Egyptian expert, Howard Carter. Maybe because there's a lot more to the historical record about Carter, these section seemed more believable and interesting. (Of course, since Carter is a hero in this story, his many flaws are often glossed over...but still...)

As for the shocking "smoking gun" about the death of King Tut, I found the authors' theory to be flimsy and convoluted at best, and downright unbelievable at the worst. But that's a debate for more learned men than I.

Overall, I did like reading this though. If it had been advertised as what it is - historical fiction - I would probably have given it 4 stars. But since it makes that absurd claim at being "nonfiction," I just can't do that. So its 3 stars from me for The Murder of King Tut.

Rock On BLW-ers!Get more detail about The Murder of King Tut: The Plot to Kill the Child King - A Nonfiction Thriller.

The Necklace: Thirteen Women and The Experiment That Transformed Their Lives Buy Now


This is a truly inspiring book of 13 regular women in their every day lives getting together to share an extremely expensive necklace that becomes more than a mere materialistic purchase, but ends up awakening their individual lives all in a uniquely different way.Get more detail about The Necklace: Thirteen Women and The Experiment That Transformed Their Lives.

Sunday, September 26, 2010

When I Lay My Isaac Down Order Now


This book is so good that I have been sharing it with other members of my church. One lady read my copy, then asked me to order 3 more copies for her own. She is keeping one, giving one to her sister, and donating one of our church library.Get more detail about When I Lay My Isaac Down.

Pretending to Be Normal: Living With Asperger's Syndrome Decide Now


Willey has Asperger's syndrome, but never knew it until her daughter was diagnosed with it. She knew she was different from most people, and that some things were harder for her, but that was as far as it went. She was a high achiever in school, went through college and got her doctorate, married and had children. Asperger's did not stop her, and now, knowing why she is different, her past makes sense to her. This is her story of what life is like with Asperger's.

This is a very short book- shorter than any of the other books on living with Asperger's that I've read- and because of this there is a lack of detail about how she felt growing up and how she dealt with the challenges of not being neurotypical. I almost had the feeling that she didn't really feel that her Asperger's was a big deal. She has a very supportive family, both by birth and by marriage, and a few good friends, and that helps a lot when dealing with any health challenge.

While her personal story is interesting, the heart of the book are the appendices, brief articles on how to make one's life easier when one has Asperger's. Included are good ways to explain to the people around you, how to decide which people to tell, specific suggestions for getting through college with the various problems that come along with Asperger's, employment issues, keeping your home life in order, how to deal with sensory perception problems, and suggestions for the non-Asperger's who care about someone on the spectrum. This section is a short but packed full of useful information like a jewel box of hints.

Recommended for anyone with Asperger's and anyone with someone with it in their life.
Get more detail about Pretending to Be Normal: Living With Asperger's Syndrome.

Saturday, September 25, 2010

Slash Right now


If there are any people out there who loves slash's music must read this book. Slash's journey to stardom is an amazing one that all will enjoy.Get more detail about Slash.

Lowest Price ABOUT THIS LIFE


Barry Lopez is widely known for his books about the far north, ARCTIC DREAMS and OF WOLVES AND MEN, and for his frequent appearance in HARPERS where he has been a contributing editor since 1984. Lopez is part naturalist and part philospher and the direction of his writing circles constantly from outward observation toward introspection. Ever aware of the cultural biases that comprise our mental baggage when we venture across national, biotic, even temporal lines, he sees through the veils and helps the reader step outside assumptions that bind.
This assemblage of previously uncollected material does not disappoint. From the urban landscapes of his youth, the author carries readers to the four winds and seven continents, touching down in remote Japanese islands, Antarctica, Johannesburg, Seoul, Amsterdam, south Georgia, and among wolf packs in his old Arctic haunts. He climbs over linguistic walls, endures considerable physical discomfort, wonders at the oddments of terrain and biota, and returns again to the collective self. What are our motives? How can we better understand?
While he is best known for naturalistic jaunts, the author is nothing if not curious. What is this business of modern air transport? Start at the beginning: and so he does, visiting Boeing to watch the final assemblage of a 747 - 6 million parts that all fit, precisely. Thence to the skies: logging 50,000 miles in cargo bays and cockpits, reporting on the freight, the flights, the crews, the vibes, and always the terrain. Rockets expode far below over Chechnya, the steel grey ocean shimmers along the Siberian coast, ice runs off to forever
in the polar reaches, and new galaxies of electric illumination range across the planet. Steel pipe, ostrich meat, thoroughbred horses, Ferraris, sneakers, computers, flowers, gold ingots, frozen fish, tropical fish, and 132 tons of stage equipment for a Michael Jackson concert in Buenos Aires are the flotsam and jetsam of air transport these days.
"Perishable" has taken on new meaning as deadlines and fashion collide, making the latest shoe style as perishable as an unfrozen fish in the spoiling heat of just-in-time delivery.
A fine read, rich and alluring, thoughtful and deep.Get more detail about ABOUT THIS LIFE.

Friday, September 24, 2010

Low Price Angela's Ashes


I would recommend this to anyone. Recently I did a book report on this book and loved every part of it! I would want to warn you ut had funny parts and very depressing parts =DGet more detail about Angela's Ashes.

Save Summer at Tiffany


I picked up this book at the beach on a whim as I needed a good read while getting some sun. I'm slightly obsessed with Tiffany & Co. so a book on the inner workings of the store was very appealing. It wasn't quite what I expected, but it was still a good choice. The author does a good job of picking up very quickly with the main plot of the book and pretty much sticks to it. The characters were described very well; I really did feel like I knew them. That's about all this book is: a fun look at 2 friends having a crazy summer. That makes it a perfect read for those wanting something simple and entertaining. However, for those, like myself, who might want some "inside information" on Tiffany, this isn't that book. It's much more focused on the lives of these 2 friends, their boyfriends, sorority, and the war going on. All that is interesting and fun to read, but I would have liked to read a little more on their experience actually in the store. Overall though, I would definitely recommend this book as a cute story to enjoy for a couple days on a vacation.Get more detail about Summer at Tiffany.

Thursday, September 23, 2010

Discount Hungry: A Young Model's Story of Appetite, Ambition, and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves


I am more than twice Crystal Renn's age, but I am so taken with her intelligence and openness in sharing her struggle to shape her body into some ideal of perfect. I have truly learned something from Renn's story: the beauty images we're sold are all a myth, and not even the models can achieve them. I bought the book because I find plus-size models fascinating, but Renn is truly one of a kind. That she realized she wasn't crazy, the industry around her was crazy sets her apart and gives me hope that other women will see the same thing. I like my body and size a lot more now. Thank you, Ms. Renn.Get more detail about Hungry: A Young Model's Story of Appetite, Ambition, and the Ultimate Embrace of Curves.

Cheapest Pimpology: The 48 Laws of the Game


THIS BOOK SHOWS YOU TO HAVE A MIND OF A PIMP AND ALSO SHOWS YOU THE GAME IN A NUTSHELL..U HAVE TO SET YOURSELF ASIDE FROM THE REST AND IN ORDER TO DO THAT U CANT AIM TO BEAT THE NEXT BUT TO AIM TO BE THE BEST..IM TAKIN THIS GAME FROM THE U.S. TO OVERSEAS, FROM JETS TO JET SKIS, FROM CITY BLOCCS TO LUXURY YACHTS, FROM LUXURY WHIPS TO CRUISE SHIPS..ITS PIMPIN AT ANOTHER LEVEL!!!

~ARMANI THA P~Get more detail about Pimpology: The 48 Laws of the Game.

Wednesday, September 22, 2010

Cheap The Rise of the Fourth Reich LP: The Secret Societies That Threaten to Take Over America


I love the way Jim Marrs writes and the information he shares with his readers. This book gave me a thorough introduction into the 3rd Reich, Hitler, Nazis, etc... I would have had to read numerous books to get the same info. Highly recommended!!!Get more detail about The Rise of the Fourth Reich LP: The Secret Societies That Threaten to Take Over America.

Buying The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History


Here is a good read, but there are simply not enough details. It has already been pointed out that some of the chapters are only a couple of pages in length. One particular chapter, entitled "The Bulge" was less than 2 full pages, and it left me wondering what it even contributed to the story. Don't get me wrong, this is a good book (with a few minor grammatical errors) but I wanted more meat to much of the content. Just when you are hooked into a particular storyline, he breaks off and starts following another one of the Monuments Men.Get more detail about The Monuments Men: Allied Heroes, Nazi Thieves, and the Greatest Treasure Hunt in History.

Tuesday, September 21, 2010

Buy The Warren Buffett Way, Second Edition


You know that Buffett buys stocks based on a "margin of safety" concept, buys only a handful of stocks (focused portfolio) of companies that are simple and easy to understand, and buys for the long term. You won't learn much else reading this book.

This book talks more about the history of the companies that Buffett bought more than what led Buffet to buy the company. For example, we learn who founded the company and when, and how the company grew over the years, along with it's yearly ROE. We learn that Buffett bought Gillette after the company had been lackluster for years, then, for some unexplained reason, suddenly started growing and saw it's share price go up dramatically. We do not know what led Buffett to believe there was value in Gillette or why it was worthy of investment at that point in time.

Reading this book is sort of like reading a book about a master chess player describing certain moves he made during a tournament he won, without getting inside his head on what he was thinking or why he made certain moves.

For this reason, this book is of limited value. It doesn't explain how to evaluate a company, or how Buffett himself evaluates them. Period.

You're better off reading books by Graham, Fisher, and Peter Lynch, as they can explain exactly why they bought a certain stock or how to evaluate companies in their books.

Get more detail about The Warren Buffett Way, Second Edition.

Purchase Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith


Author Anne LaMott has walked a different faith road than the conventional writer of "inspirational" books. Like Madeleine L'Engle, a favorite among novelists for me, she has no ties to the Christianity that identifies itself with conservative political and social beliefs. Her life story includes alcoholism, battles with a co-dependent mother, single motherhood entered into by choice, and a passion for causes. In this volume of essays, she draws the reader into that life. She writes with grace, beauty, immediacy, and dark humor, and she kept me turning pages longer than planned each time I picked this book up.

My one negative comment is that despite agreeing with her about it, I became quite tired of hearing about the Bush administration. Otherwise, a good read by an author whose other work may well interest me!

--Reviewed by Nina M. Osier, author of "Love, Jimmy: A Maine Veteran's Longest Battle"Get more detail about Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith.

Saturday, September 18, 2010

Where To Buy Made for Goodness LP: And Why This Makes All the Difference


Book was in perfect condition when received and the shipping was super fast. I highly recommend this seller for all of your book purchases!Get more detail about Made for Goodness LP: And Why This Makes All the Difference.

Shop For I Was Told There'd Be Cake


This is a truly funny book for women in their 20's / early 30's who can relate to all matters of coming of age in our generation. From hiding a secret stash of plastic ponies to an often misguided urge to volunteer - I laughed aloud several times throughout this book - immediately emailing friends with memories of our own & recommending they pick up a copy right away.

I can definitely see how this wouldn't appeal to everyone but it's absolutely fantastic for all you quirky, slightly-disenchanted women out there looking for a laugh. I will definitely be reading this again! And cannot wait for her next book - **Please release on Kindle!!! ****Get more detail about I Was Told There'd Be Cake.

Friday, September 17, 2010

The Solitary Summer


N Seattle :
Initially, I thought this would be a journal or contemplative type of book. First clue it is not is the "Man of Wrath", as the husband is known. From there, I slowly became more captivated by the characters and happenings. By books end I realized how much I enjoyed my time with the characters and wished there was more.Get more detail about The Solitary Summer.

A Piece of Cake: A Memoir Review


I bought this book a few years ago for my sister who had gone through a lot of negative experiences in her life and I wanted her to read this story that I had heard was very inspirational. My sister passed away without reading this book two years ago and I now have the book. I started reading it last week and found it riveting when I first began reading it. I cried when she found her mother dead and cradled her while singing to her and I totally believed that the incident happened. After reading the next few chapters, I began to doubt that truthfulness of this memoir. First of all, it really doesn't make sense that a judge would give a child to the biological father who the very next day turns her over to a foster home. Cupcake mentions many times how her foster mother was receiving funds from the State of California to raise her. Well, that absolutely could not be true. The State had given custody to her father, why would they then pay for foster care. Her father could possibly have gotten welfare for Cupcake and her brother if he was not working, but they would not pay for foster care if he was the custodial parent. And if they were going to pay for foster care, her "Daddy" could've gotten her, or her uncle. After reading these chapters, it made me seriously doubt the other chapters.She claims to have turned her first "trick" at 11 years old after meeting a hooker the night she ran away. This story reads like a "movie of the week" and I'm sure it has been embellished. I haven't finished the book yet, but I will continue to read to see how the events leading up to her "metamorphisis" transpire. I will continue reading this book as a piece of fiction, not a true life memoir. By the way how could she possibly remember these events in such minute details when she was supposedly always in a drug and/or alcohol haze.Get more detail about A Piece of Cake: A Memoir.

Thursday, September 16, 2010

Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light Top Quality


Mother Teresa is a wonderful inspiration to us all. She is human and shows us her humanity with this book. I see and feel so much by reading this book! Wow!!!Get more detail about Mother Teresa: Come Be My Light.

Einstein: His Life and Universe This instant


If you don't know much about Albert Einstein and probably aren't going to get a PhD in Physics anytime soon, but want to know more about this historical figure, this is certainly the book for you.

I found Issacson's easygoing writing style to be very helpful during the discussions on Einstein's relativity theory and his philosophical battle against the randomness in emerging Quantum mechanics. In truth, one cannot understand this great man without some knowledge of these areas of physics, though a typical reader won't want to understand their entirety.

In addition to his genius, it was wonderful to learn about Einstein's astounding curiosity, his perseverance towards an academic career, his steadfast rejection of nationalism, his incredibly simple approach to his personal life, and his commitment to the idea that everything in nature has a purpose and an underlying structure- that "God doesn't play dice".

At the same time, Einstein was a man, and he had many shortcomings. It was particularly discouraging to learn about his failings as a husband and as a father. His outspoken naiveté regarding global politics also remind the reader of today's society where celebrities in one field often feel the power/right to voice their opinions in another where they have little in the way of training or expertise.
I found his assessment of America in a letter to his son, particularly timely, paraphrasing: "in America everything is mass produced, even lunacy. But at the same time, everything fades away very quickly."

This is a book that is for mature readers due to it's length, some of it's subject matter and some language.
Get more detail about Einstein: His Life and Universe.

Wednesday, September 15, 2010

Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan Immediately


Ever since I spent a ten-day vacation in Japan, I've been keeping my eye out for interesting books that might help me better understand the country. I've traveled to a lot of countries in the world, but Japan felt more alien to me than any place I'd been. This book by an American who worked as a crime reporter for a major Japanese newspaper (Yomiuri Shinbun) during the 1990s is a decent window into the Japanese underworld, through which readers can get a sense of how Japanese society differs from that of the U.S.

The popular American image of the crime reporter is one of a kind of investigator/muckraker/sensationalist/lone ranger, always looking for the lurid scoop, eager to make the authorities look foolish. The Japanese version couldn't be much further from that. First of all, the sheer number of reporters assigned to the crime beat is astonishing. Several times in the book, he recounts how when news of a murder would come through, you might see 5-10 reporters from a single paper converging on the crime scene! Even more interesting is the overt dependence of the reporters on the cops. Not only are they based in an office within the police building, but they seem to be almost entirely reliant on police press releases and inside tips for their stories. Moreover, they are exceedingly deferential when it comes to the timing of when they actually file these stories. And yet even more striking is the extent to which reporters visit their cop sources at home, bring gifts, and form strange quasi-friendships/patronages.

In any event, Adelstein's beat inevitably leads him into the not-so-murky world of the yakuza, Japan's organized crime. What's revelatory is the extent to which they operate in the open as corporate entities, complete with publicly listed headquarters, business cards indicating rank, and so forth. Similarly interesting is the extent to which they are deeply embedded in legitimate commerce, such as the residential and commercial real estate market. Adelstein recounts all this more or less as background to the central story of his book, which is his years-long investigation of their involvement in the visible and large semi-legal market for sexual services, and the only slightly less visible illegal market. This takes him all manner of hostess clubs, and eventually into the sordid world of indentured sexual servitude of mainly of non-Japanese women. This marks his transformation into a classic crusading journalist, who starts doing dangerous and unsavory things in pursuit of justice.

Oddly, for a professional writer, his English prose is not a very smooth. Part of the problem is one of style, as he sometimes seems to be striving for a kind of modern noirish streetwise patter, which can often veer off into cliche. But construction is a bigger problem; on a macro level, the book follows a pretty straightforward chronological arc, but within chapters, it can be pretty hazy as to the gaps in time between events, as well as the sequence. He'll often refer to events that take place years apart in a way that's quite confusing and makes it hard to track what's going on. There's also a kind of strange disconnect in regards to his personal life. The book is very much the story of his personal journey into Japan culture, the newspaper biz, and the underworld. Most of the time, he writes about himself in the "lone wolf" style and then, every so often, he'll toss in a paragraph or two about his marriage to a Japanese woman, or their kids. It feels off somehow. Fortunately, his topic is so engrossing that these book's deficiencies can be generally ignored.

The book is definitely worth checking out if you have an interest in Japan beyond the standard tourist trail. If you like it, you should also check out Karl Taro Greenfield's Speed Tribes, which is a slightly earlier look at the underbelly of Japan, covering the mid to late-1980s. One thing Adelstein touches upon, but doesn't get deeply into, is the extent to which yakuza has been intertwined with Japanese political life since World War II. This subject is covered in detail in Robert Whiting's Tokyo Underworld. Those with an interest in the yakuza life of the pre-World War II era should check out Junichi Saga's Confessions of a Yakuza. In any event, if you're interest in how journalism works in other countries, or in the true crime genre of nonfiction, this is worth a look.Get more detail about Tokyo Vice: An American Reporter on the Police Beat in Japan.

Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption Best Quality


One of the most inspiring stories and the human spirit and how it can recover and learn the love and trust again. I had the pleasure of meeting Ron Cotton and Jennifer at my son's school recently and heard part of their story in person. They are two amazing people.

Sincerely,

Dr. Christine BrunoGet more detail about Picking Cotton: Our Memoir of Injustice and Redemption.

Tuesday, September 14, 2010

The Negro Get it now!


W.E.B Dubois is most famous for being one of the founders of the N.A.A.C.P and for his critique of Booker T. Washington's Atlanta Compromise speech in his now famous The Souls of Black Folk which is required reading at most Black Studies Departments at universities throughout the United States in fact a typical United States History program may have you read it as well;however, DuBois book the Negro for which this review is about seems to be less popular and I find that many people have not read it and the historians who mention it rarely talk about it in detail, essentially the book gives a history of African people in Africa,America,and the Caribbean and talks about their accomplishments and struggles from ancient(5000B.C) to modern times(1915). After reading this book I now know why many programs rarely use this book I can't help but believe it is because the book is very Afrocentric in its structure.....I was shocked to find out that when it came to the history of ancient Africa Dubois has more in common with the afrocentrist Molefi Asante than many may realize and less in common with the more popular scholar Henry Louis Gates Jr.(regardless of whether he is a part of the W.E.B Dubois Department at Harvard) I saw Henry Louis Gates PBS documentary Wonders of the African World maybe about five years ago and I remember how skeptical he was about connecting Ancient Egypt to the rest of sub-saharan Africa......DuBois is not shy at all when he states that Egypt is indeed a part of Africa and that the people who founded Egypt were Negro(this was the word used at the time the book was written)Dubois was more radical than people realize he was one of the founders of Pan-African Congress I believe there were five in all, he would eventually leave the N.A.A.C.P abandon the idea of integration, become a socialist(The F.B.I had a file on him), move back to Africa and die in Ghana.....in fact Dubois would have more in common with his enemy Marcus Garvey(Dubois in his early career would criticize Garvey for his back to Africa movement)than he would realize. Its a great read for anyone interested in this African-American intellectual giant it may change your perspective on the man you think you know, but it should make you find him even more interesting. I will warn you that the book is dated it was written in 1915 so some of his theories are proven wrong, one example would be that Dubois at the time thought that man originated in the Middle East, thanks to the archaeological and DNA record we now know that man originated in Africa, but enjoy this book and may it increase our understanding of this great manGet more detail about The Negro.

Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner Buy Now


I think without going into too much detail, it would be best to divide the book into two sections: Pt 1 - the Author's Background and First Exposure to the sport of Ultramarathons; & Pt 2 - Subsequent life for the Author since then.

Part I is what basically hooked me. Often (as a runner) it is quite hard to explain to others why I do what I do sometimes (running in the rain, ultra races, trudging through snow to complete my 5miles for the day, etc). And I believe in this book the author does a great job at capturing his personal reasons for picking up the sport. As he states off hand several times, everyone has their own reasons for running and perhaps that is what captivated me: reading one person's story and experiences; all the ups and downs. What I best loved about this section was the attention to details (somewhat) in what it is like to run extreme distances. The pain, the discomfort, the bodily functions, the joy, the walls, and the myriad of emotions in between. As much as I would like to say it is as easy as putting one foot in front of the other, the author here does a great job at showing it is that but also soo much more. The time required, the early and late night runs to maintain levels, the diets, the cramps, and the strong desire at time to just say 'screw this' and walk away. His description up through his first 100mile race is worth checking this book out.

Pt II however...this is where I agree with other reviews, it becomes apparent he is trying to market himself and promote this, how I would describe it, sense of superficial humility. He is not the first to do all of what he has done, nor is he the last. The dialogues he has with friends and family often come across as completely fabricated (in his defense it keeps the 'story' flowing) and I would have done without them. It is here that I had to force myself to finish the book. He blazes through the rest of his races without much detail other than self promotion for his belief of following his 'heart'. What he does not describe is the reality of the situations as he captured so well in the first half. The author must be financially secure and then some for very few of the ultra runners I know can even afford to do what he does. Trips across the country in a RV, entry fees, transpo, all the while keeping his family in tow are costly and he makes it sound as though us 'mere' normal runners do not do the runs he does because we are lazy. WHen in fact the simple truth is, one can not afford it. Everything has its price and he glosses over this fact while rubbing in the readers faces that not only does he have a Mercedes, a lucrative job with liberal leave, but also an RV to bring his team along. I am not trying to discredit the man (he IS very good at what he does and he IS inspirational) I was just disappointed because I thought the first half did an OUTSTANDING job at encouraging people and non active folks to get up and at least try.

All in all, I gave this a 4 star review. It is a pretty quick read and if you're not tempted to run at the end, you read it too fast. I would recommend this book for the first half alone, and say if you want to read the rest great, but the first half is what I believe will capture and inspire the mundane person into challenging themselves for something great; a pursuit of pleasure through a course of pain.

Shoot, inspired me to do my 50mile race in June 2010.Get more detail about Ultramarathon Man: Confessions of an All-Night Runner.

Monday, September 13, 2010

I'm Staying with My Boys: The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC Order Now


I haven't read the book and don't plan on it as first person narratives are trite and presumptious. What I did find very entertaining and amusing were the number of reviews by Basilones relatives. Conflict of interest? Probably. I have no doubt that a lot of the extended family will bet a slice of any money that is garnered from the book or any future movie deals. The sad thing is that they hitched a ride on a lead balloon. The miniseries The Pacific is no Band of Brothers (BOB). It stinks. It stinks historically and it stinks in character development too. I never cared a wit for the characters they presented. Not like I did in BoB, and I have read Sledges, Burkins and Leckies books. The characters were cardboard cut outs of the real men. The angst protrayed by the Sledge character was moving at times but hollow. The actor playing J. Basilone was handsome enough but he protrayed a kind of mechanical bafflement. The bravado they protrayed of him on Iwo Jima was foolhardy not heroic. Did J. Basilone start to believe his own PR and think he was a "one man army" as Eisenhower said of him? If so the Japs showed him otherwise.

I'm mot belittling his courage and or bravado, we all know that youth instills a sense of invincibility. Those that survived know how naive they were going in.

I think what would be more interesting is publishing his letters and let he readers decide from his own words if he had doubts or if he was full of swagger and fooled by his own notoriety. I don't much like authors filtering or interpreting stuff for me. Its kind of the lazy man's way out. Kind of like going to church so the minister can tell you what the Bible means. Everyone has their own opinion and the majority of them are colored by their own agenda.

I personally wonder if JB wasn't a victim of his own reputation and forgot he had men to lead. Don't you think that a seasoned GySgt would have been a bit more of a leader looking out for his men, rather than getting himself killed the first day of a 5 week long campaign. Who looked after his men after he went down?

Saddly we will never know the answers.Get more detail about I'm Staying with My Boys: The Heroic Life of Sgt. John Basilone, USMC.

Beautiful Joe Decide Now


i love this book. i laughed, i cried. it makes you think. i think everyone should read this book. not so sure if a child should read it though. i would give it 10 thumbs up if i had extra hands. great story.Get more detail about Beautiful Joe.

Sunday, September 12, 2010

Believe It, Be It: How Being the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life Right now


This book was exactly what I'd hoped it would be - more about her change in thinking then a literal log of food & exercise. Ali describes how she got overweight, what it meant for her, and why she wanted to change once and for all. Most importantly, how she kept going after starting (the hard part!) and the effect it had on her life and relationships.
Very well-written and just the right amount of detail. I loved it.Get more detail about Believe It, Be It: How Being the Biggest Loser Won Me Back My Life.

Lowest Price Freddie and Me: Life Lessons from Freddie Bennett, Augusta National's Legendary Caddie Master


Tripp has created a wonderful collection of stories about the shaping of his life and a view of Augusta National from a caddies viewpoint. I personally knew many of the characters he writes about and Freddie and Me took me down memory lane in so many ways. I could not put it down. If you are a golfer or non golfer this one will hit home with you. I challenge you to be someone's mentor.Get more detail about Freddie and Me: Life Lessons from Freddie Bennett, Augusta National's Legendary Caddie Master.

Saturday, September 11, 2010

Low Price I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies): True Tales of a Loudmouth Girl


I enjoyed this book. I thought it was funny however, I think I made a mistake of reading it right after I read Chelsea Handlers, My Horizontal Life. I was expecting more laugh out loud moments but I just had a smile the whole time I was reading the book. It is funny, not hysterical.Get more detail about I Love Everybody (and Other Atrocious Lies): True Tales of a Loudmouth Girl.

Save THE SEA FAIRIES


This book is a real let down after reading all the Oz Books. It doesn't have anywhere near the sparkle and pop of Baum's other series and seems much more like a list of what-could-be sightings than a worthwhile story. That's truly a shame because I was hoping to "keep the magic alive" (as it were) for my young children after finishing all the Oz books.

The story line is simple - Trot and Cap'n Bill (both migrated to Oz after a few more books) are temporarily transformed into a mermaid & merman for undersea adventures. They get captured by an evil wizard and eventually freed. The drawback is that the sea offers less of a chance for Oz's remarkable imagination since he has to work with observable items and make them seem fantastical. He just doesn't have as much room to work with as he does in Oz, which offers boundless opportunities for his near-endless imagination.

Maybe a Baum completist would enjoy this more, but it wasn't for me.Get more detail about THE SEA FAIRIES.

Friday, September 10, 2010

Discount Twelve Ordinary Men: How The Master Shaped His Disciples For Greatness and What He Wants To Do With You


One of MacArthur's most renowned works, Twelve Ordinary Men, is an in-depth analysis of the twelve disciples, including Judas Iscariot. Exercising good scholarly analysis as well as common sense psychology, the author is able to give us insight into each men's characteristics - their faults, strengths, weaknesses, quirks, distinquishable traits, personality, etc. It does show to ultimately show how different each apostle was before their ultimate transformation into the godly men that they became, and how they have changed the world through their evangelistic efforts to bring the lost to Christ.

It may be a good book especially if you are trying to identify who you might resemble the most. The portrait of Judas Iscariot is a sad portrait of a false / unconverted Christian who is also someone to watch out for. By studying his case, one can have a good insight into whether their faith is real or not - whether they are truly Spirit filled followers or Spirit less frauds.

Although at times some of the analysis MacArthur makes about the disciples may be a bit on the conjecture side, it is still as good of a book as one can get about learning the apostles using just the Bible. The tale of the men serve as great inspiration, especially if you feel like the Lord can not do anything spectacular with your life. With enough knowledge, heart, and motivation, you can definitely change the world much like the apostles. Call on the Lord, and He will guide you to faithfully fulfill the Great Commission and be disciplemakers as well.

I recommend this piece.Get more detail about Twelve Ordinary Men: How The Master Shaped His Disciples For Greatness and What He Wants To Do With You.

Cheapest The Bolter (Vintage)


I loved this book. The story of Idina Sackville told by her grandaughter, takes the reader into the lives of the British aristocracy up until the second world war. Addiction, orgies, wife swapping,tgus story has everything. The historical research into the lives of the first white settlers in Kenya is facinating as well. I could not put this book down and now I cannot wait to read Lilly's Feast, the authors first book.Get more detail about The Bolter (Vintage).

Thursday, September 9, 2010

Cheap Whip Smart: A Memoir


Febos writes with rare beauty and fearlessness. She deftly captures emotions and moments that are extremely hard to describe. I was mesmerized. I'd highly recommend this book to anyone who likes memoirs or just loves a good story.Get more detail about Whip Smart: A Memoir.

Buying Rough Justice: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer


This workman-like account of the rise and fall of an ex-Governor of the Empire State is probably not of general interest, even though Eliot Spitzer might have been the first Jewish president but for his strange demons. Because only the most mischievous demons, or maybe one of the minor Greek gods a la Banville's Infinities, can essay to explain Eliot's squandering tens of thousands of dollars not to mention his career on base physicality. How disingenuous were his assertions to The New York Post that his bad habit was morally superior to a flat out affair? That Eliot rocketed to prominence, on the merits to be sure, and flamed out in the way in which he did, ought to reassure that intrinsic societal processes do or may adequately vet the nation's leaders. Possibly even JFK in the gentlemanly early 60s would not have survived outright call girl scandal. This book does not purport to be a psychohistory - query whether Peter Elkind, who lives in and writes from somewhere in Texas, very far away, possessed the aptitude or inclination to do so - and neither does Lloyd Constantine's more personal memoir about the same subject matter and time line attempt to psychoanalyze the principal.

Pols and wonks have long liked to talk about the first this or that president. Smart money was on Hillary, Obama came from behind, Schumer keeps his powder dry, and Cuomo now emerges as the Italian and of course the second Catholic. It says here that although AGs don't become governors, there's only one example in New York, governors do become presidents, while Senators most often do not. Who was the last one? That points to Andrew Cuomo. Elkind, with all his access to Spitzer, who doesn't like Andrew, doesn't understand this fundamental fact. If Elikind claims to be a contemporary historian, whatever that is, perhaps he should consider future "history," not a superfluous and redundant account of a bad apple who will never return to the national stage.

Get more detail about Rough Justice: The Rise and Fall of Eliot Spitzer.

Wednesday, September 8, 2010

Buy The Lois Wilson Story: When Love Is Not Enough


This biography is compassionately and masterfully constructed from intimate inteviews with Lois Wilson, vast archival material, and historical documents. William Borchert is to be commended very highly for his accurate, flowing, easy-to-read, and compelling portrait of Lois Wilson. She is often viewed as "second fiddle" to Bill Wilson, one of the Co-Founders of Alcoholics Anonymous. However, without Lois behind Bill, it is questionable as to whether he would have survived to co-found that Fellowship. This is a must read, especially for anyone interested in or researching the history of the Programs and fellowships of Al-anon or Alcoholics Anonymous!Get more detail about The Lois Wilson Story: When Love Is Not Enough.

Purchase Homage to Catalonia


An editor from Slate magazine stated that "Homage to Catalonia" was one of his top three non-fiction books. That's a strong claim, and also what motivated me to download this to the Kindle.

Orwell paints a vivid picture of the Spanish civil war prior to WWII. It is well written and a compelling read. Orwell travels from Britain to Spain and joins the Independent Labor Party and POUM [...] anti-fascist army in the fight against dictator Francisco Franco. His detailed descriptions of fighting on the front with ill-prepared comrades and antiquated weapons provide a palpable sense for trench warfare.

At a few points in the book, Orwell departs the narrative and provides deep political analysis of the interactions between the PSUC, PCE, POUM and the various societal components of Spain at the time (bourgeois, farmers, workers, the Basques, etc). For the detail-oriented buff of Spanish history, these would no doubt be valuable nuggets, but I admit that I found these sections pretty dry and that I longed for the return of the story line. Suffice it to say that the political and social landscape in Spain around 1936 was extremely complex on one hand, and yet simplistic with regard to the world view of the rise of fascism elsewhere.

Homage to Catalonia gave me perspective that I'd not had prior, and first-hand perspective regarding the views of Orwell himself. Recommended, but I'd fall shy of calling it one of the top non-fiction books.

-jGet more detail about Homage to Catalonia.

Tuesday, September 7, 2010

Order A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius


I think readers will either love or hate Eggers semi-autobiographical story of living in San Francisco during the dot-com boom. Dave holds almost nothing back about his adventures as a clueless single raising his eight year old brother; how he and his friends half-heartedly tried to revolutionize the world in between beer-drinking sessions.

I am the same age as Eggers, and can easily see people hating him for being such a vapid and spoiled product of suburban living. But I found his dry wit and snarky tone hilarious (even though I was worrying about mortgage payments while he was worrying about getting laid). I could not put the book down and kept wondering if he would ever grow up and see his brother as a real person and stop treating him like a pet.
Get more detail about A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius.

Where To Buy Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World


When the Archbishop of Dublin made this statement in a long article he wrote in 1821, just four years after the death of Jane Austen (1775 - 1816), he was recognizing the genius of a writer whose identity was unknown during her lifetime. Now, two hundred years later, with "Jane-mania" reaching epic proportions, Claire Harman writes a scholarly and readable analysis of the events over the past two centuries which have led to Jane Austen's increasing popularity, ultimately explaining "How Jane Austen Conquered the World."

Writing for the public was still a man's activity in the early 1800s, and Jane Austen spent most of her life writing privately, for family and friends. For twenty years, she wrote and, more importantly, rewrote her six famous novels, before Sense and Sensibility was finally published anonymously in 1811, when Jane was thirty-five. Pride and Prejudice followed in 1813, Mansfield Park in 1814, and Emma in 1815. Two more novels, Northanger Abbey and Persuasion, were published posthumously, in 1817. Her books did not sell a large number of copies, though she was praised by the literati, including dramatist Richard Brinsley Sheridan and Sir Walter Scott, who, in 1815, wrote a four thousand-word praise of Pride and Prejudice, Sense and Sensibility, and Emma.

After her death and public acknowledgement of her authorship, her work remained in print, and by 1840, Jane Austen was being compared to Shakespeare by Thomas Babington Macaulay. As the nineteenth century continued, Robert Southey, Samuel Taylor Coleridge, Edward Bulwer-Lytton, and others all praised her work. (Charlotte Bronte was a well-publicized dissenter.) In 1869, Jane Austen's nephew James Edward Austen-Leigh published a memoir about Jane which went into extra printings, and by the 1890s, the "Janeites" were almost a cult. In the 20th century, Henry James was regarded as Austen's "literary son and heir." The Bloomsbury group loved Austen, and Virginia Woolf became a "penetrating and sympathetic critic" of her work.

The biggest boost to Jane Austen's popularity came with the movies of the 1940s. Her books, regarded as romantic, have continued to gain popularity, and author Claire Harman believes that the current popularity of "chick lit" owes much to the fact that these books are often based on Jane Austen's plot outlines, with their "erotic potential." All of Austen's books have now spawned their own TV mini-series, gaining instant fans for Austen across the globe. Jane's fans will love this thorough, scholarly study, filled with anecdotes and thoughtful, new insights into Jane Austen's legacy. Harman's analysis of the trends which have made Jane Austen popular for almost two hundred years is sensitive to changing tastes while also acknowledging the universal characteristics which make Jane Austen so beloved by her fans today. Mary Whipple
Get more detail about Jane's Fame: How Jane Austen Conquered the World.

Monday, September 6, 2010

Shop For Party Animals: A Hollywood Tale of Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll Starring the Fabulous Allan Carr


This book would have better been suited to a magazine article as it dwells on just a couple key events in Carr's life, rather than a more complete tale of the times. If you call Grease and Grease 2 Rock N Roll, than this book is for you.
Lots of long drawn-out depictions of production details of TV shows and a couple flop movies is all you get. Save your money on this one unless you were there and want to rehash the events.Get more detail about Party Animals: A Hollywood Tale of Sex, Drugs, and Rock 'n' Roll Starring the Fabulous Allan Carr.

Good Morning, Holy Spirit


Benny Hinn is a well known charismatic preacher, loosely associated with the Word of Faith movement. This is a revised and updated edition of Hinn's bestselling "Good Morning, Holy Spirit". The book is part autobiography, part theology. Personally, I found the autobiographical parts to be the most interesting ones.

Hinn grew up in Jaffa in Israel, the son of a Greek father and an Armenian mother. He was nominally Greek Orthodox, but considered himself a Catholic, since his parents sent him to Catholic schools. When Hinn was a teenager, the family moved to Canada. There, Hinn eventually became a charismatic Christian, something which met with strong disapproval from his parents and brothers. In the book, Hinn mentions his struggle with the family, a number of religious visions he received (including visions of Jesus Christ), and a dramatic experience at a revivalist meeting featuring Kathryn Kuhlman. Hinn eventually managed to convert both his parents to the charismatic version of Christianity.

Frankly, I think Hinn should have expanded on this part of the book.

Instead, the rest of the book deals with the Holy Spirit from a more theological angle. It's obvious that Hinn isn't a trained theologian. Evangelical heresy-hunters will spot both tritheism and adoptionism in his formulations. (And no, I'm not saying that Hinn necessarily *is* a tritheist or adoptionist. But you could put that spin on it, if you wish.) Hinn also implies that both the Father and the Son have bodies, although not material ones. The Father has some kind of immaterial "form", and looks like a human when he chooses to appear in visions. This, too, will rub many theologians the wrong way, while perhaps being more in line with folk spirituality.

Hinn emphasizes the personhood of the Holy Spirit, something he believes many Christians de-emphasize or don't even understand. Rather than seeing the Holy Spirit as a concrete person, co-equal with the Father and the Son, people tend to see the Spirit as an "it", a nebulous force or cloudy thing of some kind. To Hinn, the Holy Spirit is emphatically a Person which should be adored and worshipped just like God the Father or Jesus Christ. Indeed, Hinn seems to believe that the Spirit is somehow more important than the Father and the Son. Both the Father and the Son are in heaven. The Spirit, by contrast, is still on Earth. As a sidepoint, I noticed that Hinn's preferred Bible translation is the NKJV.

"Good Morning, Holy Spirit" may be of some interest to people who study the charismatic movement and its theological speculations. Personally, however, I found the autobiographical parts much more interesting and intriguing.
Get more detail about Good Morning, Holy Spirit.

Sunday, September 5, 2010

Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran Review


Ms.Saberi's book is definitely worth reading. I would compare this book to Mariane Pearl's 'A Mighty Heart'. Much like 'A Mighty Heart', we all know how Ms.Saberi's story turns out. However, Ms.Saberi expertly writes a memoir that is so riveting, you may start to read it as if it is a piece of fiction...as if you don't know what her fate may be. You want to turn another page because you have to know what will happen next.

With that being said, the book feels completely authentic. She cannot say everything she would like to her captors, but Ms.Saberi provides us with her thoughts, which can both amuse and horrify. With these episodes the reader gains insight into Roxana's hopes and fears, but without melodrama. There are also helpful historical and cultural references throughout the book that provide great context, especially for readers unfamiliar with Iranian culture.

This is a great book, and well worth purchase. Read this book!

Get more detail about Between Two Worlds: My Life and Captivity in Iran.

A Moveable Feast Top Quality


Ernest Hemingway was a fascinating man, therefore his memoirs from Paris in the twenties make for captivating reading.Get more detail about A Moveable Feast.

Saturday, September 4, 2010

Medieval People This instant


Eileen Power's Medieval People sets out to study the Middle Ages not from the viewpoint of an Historical abstraction, but rather from that of the people who lived during the age. It is an account of six individuals who lived during the MA's; Bodo, a Frankish Peasant; Marco Polo, the famous Venetian merchant; Madame Eglentyne, prioress of Chaucer; an anonymous middle-class Parisian housewife; and two English merchants, one engaged in the wool trade and the other a clothier in Essex. The author has illustrated various aspects of social life of the era by drawing on such sources as account books, diaries, letters, records, and wills. She starts the work with a previously unpublished essay entitled "The Precursors," which describes the barbarian conquest of Rome. In this, she describes the lives of three men, Ausonius, Sidonius and Fortunatus and uses them to foreshadow the life that would re-emerge in the Middle Ages.
She starts by imagining a day in the life of the Peasant Bodo, in the time of Charlemagne. From her study of primarily economic documents from the Middle Ages of this time, she not only extrapolates but truly brings to life Bodo and his wife Ermentrude. From there, she goes on to the better documented life of Marco Polo, and also describes how he served as an inspiration for Columbus. Madam Eglentyne is next. Here, Power humorously details the inner workings of a gossipy nunnery and how Eglentyne would have gone about her life as an aristocratic women of God. She next details the life of a middle class Parisian housewife by studying the contents of the Menagier's Wife and validating many of it's points by citing other documents. She concludes by detailing the lives of the two Thomases; Betson and Paycocke of Coggeshall. Both are merchants and provide a chance for Power to really show off her grasp of medieval economics as well as an ability to compile disparate correspondences into a story of a life. This is a rare scholarly work that truly entertains while being read. One of the best books I've ever read.Get more detail about Medieval People.

How To Say It (How to Say It...) Immediately


I gave this book to my manager and director for those moments when you are searching for just the right "word" or "phrase".Get more detail about How To Say It (How to Say It...).