5 comments about I Am the Central Park Jogger : A Story of Hope and Possibility.

1. I bought this book several years ago--and just read it recently. The book kept me up at night reading it. I think Trisha is an excellent example of a truly awesome spirit. The book says on its cover a story of hope and possibility and that sums up how Trisha has decided to live her life. Thank you Trisha for the words I will try to live my life by. :)



2. I hate to sound hardhearted, but this book just didn't move me. Trisha Meili has an incredible and painful story to tell, but I don't think she did a very good job with it. Yes, hands down, she made an amazing recovery through her sheer determination and the help of many others who cared. But the point of the book seems to be to inspire others by her example, those fighting back from a traumatic brain injury. Since I am not in that category, I was interested not only in her personal crusade but also in the historical facts of the case. As the story first emerged, she was savagely beaten, raped, sodomized, and had her left eye knocked out of its socket by five young black and Hispanic teens who subsequently confessed to this "wilding incident" of group violence. They were all convicted, but their convictions were later vacated when a single man implicated by the DNA evidence claimed (after the statute of limitations had run out) that he was her sole attacker that night. The crime created enormous racial tensions when it was reported, with the minority community afraid that their own would be unjustly accused because the victim was a young and ambitious investment banker, white and of slight build (due, incidentally, to anorexia)--overall, a sympathetic figure. But Meili glosses over these compelling issues, only to say that she has no memory of her assault and holds no resentment toward the person or persons who maimed her. Plucky heroine though she may be, I regret that so much was omitted from her story.



3. An inspiring book. Helped to realize you can overcome adversary even if it means adjusting to some changes out of your control. I gave it to my Mom to read bc she was handicapped by an accident to let her know others have had to do what she has and understand.



4. I, too, lived in New York when this happened and we all wondered who this brave girl was. This book is amazing - Trisha writes with skill, humor and deftness. I completely understand her strength and grace. She shows how you can deal with tragedy and still have a powerful voice. She rose above hate, began a dialogue and refused to let those people who blamed her for going running let her down. What a journey and a portrait of courage and strength from such a senseless act of evil.



5. A difficult book to read. I followed this story from day one and found myself feeling the same feelings all over again. Well written with unbelieveable objectivity, the author has overcome so much. It makes me want to meet her and tell her I am proud.

5 comments about Three Little Words: A Memoir.

1. I'll preface this review by saying that I am a young man that does not normally cry, and although I managed to avoid tears, my throat has never felt so compressed as I held them back. On a hot summer day I visited a non-profit organization named CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates. CASA seeks volunteers, then thoroughly trains those volunteers to track and advocate for children under the care of the state. All of the children that are in custody of the government are referred to a Child Protective Services agency that is overwhelmed and understaffed. Thus, CPS agents routinely end up with dozens of children to watch out for and they often end up doing a poor job. CASA is there to make sure that these children do not fall through the cracks.
   
   Anyway, while at CASA, a lady asked me what I knew about the organization and more importantly, the thousands of children in foster care and orphanages in the country. I admitted that I knew little, if anything. She then grabbed a copy of "Three Little Words" from the book shelf and gave me a copy with the challenge that I read it at once. I did. Since, I have paid visits to all of the CASA chapters in my region and donate funds to them whenever possible.
   
   "Three Little Words" follows the plight of Ashley & Luke, siblings whose parents are in and out of trouble throughout their childhood. These kids spend time in horrible and average foster homes as well as orphanages for the next decade. Ashley does a wonderful job of highlighting the difficulty that a child has in grasping the changes in the world around her. How can a five year old child understand that her parents aren't fit to take care of them? How do they understand that adults are not meant to be feared when they are routinely abused and not looked after? As mentioned, this should be a MUST-READ for any foster parents-to-be, CPS personnel and prospective adoptive parents. It is a recommended read for everyone else.



2. I can't say enough good things about this young woman. I inhaled this book and loved every page. Her story was inspiring and completely heart felt! A must read for anyone wanting to learn more about foster care, anyone that loves a good memoir or anyone who appreciates great writing.



3. I read this book a few months ago. It was very inspring to me. I had a pretty great childhood minus my father drinking a little too heavily but he was never a bother. But this book has completely opened my eyes to the horrible things children sometimes face. I hate that most children have been failed by the system. I have read many memoirs lately about child abuse and it has sparked an interest in me to go back to school for social work or even abnormal child psychology. I want to help stamp out child abuse of every kind. I have a two year old little girl who is my absolute life. I would never in my wildest dreams think about ever hurting her in anyway. Three Little Words is very well written and is very heartbreaking. I am glad that Ashley was able to rise from a horrible childhood and become a healing tool for children and adults who have and are still going through the same ordeal. I very highly recommend this book. It will change your life!



4. Ashley Rhodes was only three when she was taken from her mother and put into the foster system. No one bothered to explain the whats and whys as the little girl and her year-old brother Luke were passed from home to home over the next decade.
   
   In some homes, Ashley was merely neglected; many of her "parents" were intent on merely making money off the system, and had way too many children to manage. But in other places - most notably the Mosses' - Ashley, Luke and over a dozen other children were actually abused. In the court trial that followed, the Mosses' former charges testified of horrors ranging from having hot sauce poured down their throats to being forced to squat for hours at a time.
   
   At 12, young Ashley had gone through more families than she could remember, and was actually relieved to have landed at a children's home, where she could retain some semblance of routine and normalcy. Then Gay and Phil Courter came into her life, wanting to adopt her.
   
   Even after the adolescent had made her home with the Courters, she was still unsettled. Adoption meant nothing to her; after all, she had seen countless other children, including her own brother, get adopted and eventually returned to the children's home. So Ashley continued to test her new parents, daring them to send her back. How much would it take? Where was the line? She felt sure there had to be one.
   
   Now in her early twenties, Rhodes-Courter strives to educate others about the realities of foster care -- one of her chief reasons for writing her memoir. She is an inspiration to all, and her book is an engrossing, witty read not to be forgotten.



5. Lorraine Rhodes was a single teenage mother who shared parenting duties of little Ashley with her twin sister. They lived in a trailer and worked different shifts. Their home became the cool teen party hangout since there were no real adults around. Lorraine's maternal instincts were casual (when Ashley was a toddler, Lorraine strapped her into a car seat but not into the seatbelt; Ashley once fell out during a drive). Lorraine hooked up with an abusive boyfriend named Dusty, and was soon expecting. That baby died, but Lorraine became pregnant once more, delivering Ashley's brother, Luke.
   
   The family moved to Florida when Ashley was three. There, Dusty ran into trouble with the law, and the two children were taken. Ashley was too young to understand that she would never live with her mother again, as she and Luke entered a foster home --- the first of 14 she would live in over the next nine years. No one explained to the three-year-old why she couldn't be with her mother. When she did finally see her mother, Lorraine said they would live together after she found a nice home and a good job. Ashley yearned for her mother constantly as she was moved from foster home to foster home, sometimes with Luke and other times alone. Lorraine visited occasionally, always promising that Ashley would live with her "someday."
   
   Ashley and Luke were able to stay at their grandfather's house in South Carolina where they were relatively happy, thanks to their grandfather's live-in lady friend, Adele, who enjoyed mothering them. Yet they lived in fear that they would be removed from that home because Adele and their grandfather weren't married, and because Grandpa was frequently in jail and had a history as a wife abuser. Despite the instability of the situation, Ashley was so happy she felt like she was in a dream.
   
   But when Grandpa got shot during an argument in front of the children, they were removed and sent back to Florida, where they entered Ashley's seventh home in two years. Their new "home" was packed full of foster kids, reeked of filthy diapers and was reigned over by screaming parents (as grim as this sounds, it was not their worst foster home, not by a long shot). Needless to say, Ashley and Luke were thrilled when they were sent back to Adele in South Carolina, where they were content until once again they were returned to Florida. During Ashley's nine-year stint in 14 foster homes, she encountered 44 caseworkers. None of these people, paid to help foster children, saved Ashley from living through sickening abuse at the hands of foster parents.
   
   Finally, one woman, a volunteer named Mary Miller, took a special interest in Ashley. Eventually, Ashley was adopted by a loving family, although she agreed to it with major reservations (the three little words from the title were her "I guess so" when the judge asked if she agreed to the adoption). Ashley believed that the adoption could never last; she is frank about her problems adjusting to her new life after years of hopelessness.
   
   Ashley Rhodes-Courter, who sued her most abusive foster parents, works tirelessly to help children in the foster system. She has spoken to the Senate, and many other groups, about the need for foster care reform. And in this excellent page turner, she gives vibrant voice to those voiceless, helpless children caught in this nightmare, giving us insight into a national tragedy. I highly recommend her heartbreaking and inspiring memoir.
   
   --- Reviewed by Terry Miller Shannon

No comments about Raoul Wallenberg: Library Edition.

5 comments about Ronnie And Nancy: Their Path to the White House--1911 to 1980.

1. I passed this book by many times before finally breaking down and buying it. Somehow, its title and dust cover just didn't grab me. Besides that, having already read several biographies of the Reagans and the Reagan family members, I was fairly well convinced that the book couldn't possibly contain much of anything new. Even after buying it, I still wasn't much inclined to read it. What finally convinced me to do so was when I read in the prologue that Colacello was a personal friend of Nancy Reagan and that Nancy had arranged for him to have unprecedented access to her personal files and to virtually all of the Reagan's living friends and associates and/or their children. How could I resist? This had to be a spectacular source of inside information. And it was!
   
   The early part of the book traces the lives of Nancy Davis and Ronald Reagan in parallel chapters. This section is interesting primarily for the light it sheds on Nancy's early life; her relationships with her mother, Edith Davis, and her adoptive father, Dr. Loyal Davis; and for the in-depth background provided concerning both Edith and Loyal.
   
   The book really takes off, however, in the mid-sections where it deals in depth with Reagan's and Nancy's film careers; Reagan's military service; his marriage to and divorce from Jane Wyman; his actions while president of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG), particularly in combating the Communist attempt to take over Hollywood's film industry; his, and other's, testimony before the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) - who was who and what was what; the members of "The Group" who induced Reagan into politics and the subsequent "Kitchen Cabinet" members (mostly wealthy, conservative, high-powered friends of Nancy or Edith) who guided, supported, and, it might be said with some degree of truth, made Reagan Governor of California and President of the United States; Reagan's abortive run for president in 1968; and the rationale for his run in 1976. From that point on, the book is hard to put down.
   
   In summary, this book contains inside information which can't be found anywhere else, making it a vital historical document. The information doesn't always reflect well on Ronald Reagan or Nancy, but it dispels a lot of myths and misinformation, and certainly provides a great deal of insight into what it takes for even a great leader, such as Ronald Reagan, to become President of the United States.
   
   The book certainly rates five stars for content. It loses something for readability, however, due largely to its repetitious descriptions of parties and dinners, including: who was invited; what foods and wines were served; what gowns the women wore and who made them; who were the women's hair stylists and what were their hair styles; etc. But that was a small price to pay. I give it four stars.



2. Some friends of ours in Australia started to read this on an Asian cruise last Fall and asked us to bring them a copy when we visited Cairns in August.
   
   They loved it and so did we, when we got to look at it prior to giving it to them.



3. As a Reagan supporter, I really wanted to love the Reagans and to see Nancy Reagan's reputation vindicated. Nancy, in her elder years, is very admirable. It is a bit creepy to read that Ronnie always called her Mommie, but no one can deny their mutual love. Bob Colacello is quite thorough in his research,fair and honest - no whitewashing here...the endless sniping and self-aggrandizement of Nancy's pals, like Betsey Bloomingdale et al? These women were all intimate friends, but were clawing at each other for primacy in the Reagan inner circle. Bloomingdale brags about her caviar parties and hobnobbing with the Paris set of sophisticates, but gets caught evading customs duties for lying about how much she paid for a new couture outfit in France. The other graceless, snobby chums of Nancy also seem like the idle, witless, rich that P. G. Wodehouse skewered in his books. The Kitchen Cabinet husbands are scary and only a tad less obnoxious. The book makes one feel queasy; Ronnie and Nancy seem bought and paid for by their cronies. Nancy herself comes off as self-deceiving and controlling - a shallow and manipulative social climber who rewrote her personal history;possibly she is portrayed as second only to Joan Crawford as Mommie Dearest. Ron takes up ballet as an adult. Patti has herself sterilized at 24 because she's afraid she'll be like her mother??!
   
   The book proves what most of us assume - being well-connected helps a lot with success and acts as a powerful "deodorant". Colacello is due to write a second volume on the Reagans. I will read it for the writing, the history and my belief in redemption.



4. Colacello deconstructs the Reagans like no other author has. He starts with the premise that their personal and social lives were inseparable from their political ambitions, and an essential factor in Ronald Reagan's rise to power. He goes on to explore how the couple's social milieu and interpersonal relationships influenced Reagan's political ideas and governing style.
   
   A fascinating portrait of Nancy emerges as well: Colacello sees her as supremely focused and determined to advance her husband's political career, but motivated by pure adoration of Ronnie rather than any overriding desire for control and power.
   
   The writing flows easily and is peppered with enough interesting anecdotes and revealing quotes to make the reader forget at times that this is, in fact, a serious political biography. A great read from cover to cover.



5. The perfect mix of gossip and history. Meticulously researched and carefully observed. You won't be able to put it down.

No comments about Sporting Lives.

5 comments about Attila: The Barbarian King Who Challenged Rome.

1. Pro:
   Extensive research
   Account of meetings with people and visits to places in contemporary time
   
   Con:
   Spends more time showing research than a cogent account about Attila
   
   In historical biographies I look for focused account about the historical figure. Exhaustive research, as done by John Man, is expected. Attila focuses more on John Man's studies than on the famous, or infamous, king, Attila.
   
   There is a subtle difference here that I can not over emphasize. If your expectation is to learn how a biographer collects research of a book, this is a good resource. The author provides much detail about places he visited and people he interviewed. Scattered in this are bits about the Roman world prior to Attila's ascent.
   
   If you are looking for a book where the author synthesizes his research into a focused account of Attila's life, including connected history prior to his ascent, this book does not do an adequate job. Examples of books on other topics that do include:
   
   --Elizabeth and Mary: Cousins, Rivals, Queens by Jane Dunn
   -- Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England by Alison Weir
   
   A budding or experienced researcher may find this book intriguing. It lacks a synthesis of substance for the general audience interested in understanding Attila.



2. As someone said, a solid biography.Quite good on the aftermath of the Huns. But did anyone notice that this book has a list of illustrations but no actual illustrations?



3. In this volume, Man explores both the biography of Attila- 'the scourge of G-D', who carved out a massive Hunnish Empire strching from the Caspian Sea to the Rhine, with it's headquarters in what is today's Hungary.
   At the same time. he threatened the very foundations of the Roman Empire.
   
   The book traces the origins of the Huns, from the area around what is today Mongolia, and their migration across Siberia and modern Russia into Europe.
   Man attempts to sort myth and legend from fact, and also deals with the differing imagery of Attila, from bloodthirsty monster, in Western Europe, to a national hero in Hungary.
   He covers much of the literature and myhtology of Attila, and explains why the Germans during the First World War, were reffered to by the British as 'Huns'.
   The peoples of Hungary and Bulgaria claim descent from the Huns, but the author does not deal in real depth with the question of Hunnic descent.
   
   Man explains the decline of the Roman Empire, and explores the wars and interactions of the Huns with the Roman Empire, and such peoples as the Franks, Burgundians, Allemani, Alans, Visigoths and Ostrogoths.



4. Attila the scourge of western civilization and icon for the barbarians is given a thoroughly enjoyable story as written by John Man. What we are told is palatable compared to the outragous legends and Christian dogma written about Attila. Attila did not have the vision of Ghengis Kahn and left his vast empire with no clear mandate after his sudden death. This books gives fascinating details on the probale origin of the Huns, the going ons of the Roman Empire at the time and the eventual decline of both the Huns and the Roman Empire. Also I found the explicit details on how the Huns fought to be fascinating.



5. 
   With little information available, Man gives as informative a book as might be expected. Maybe 1/3 of it is about Attila, including what is known of his family, his headquarters, his entertainments and of course his battles.
   
   While the history of Huns and the rise and fall of Attila are the themes of the book, the author presents this period of the Roman Empire in a very readable way. Last year I had read the Peter Heather book on Rome and the barbarians, and for description of Rome in this period, these two books complement each other nicely.
   
   Rome, overly large and waning in ability to defend itself, hires Huns, pays ransom $ to Huns, bribes Huns and fights Huns. There are diplomats, an assassination attempt, competition and integration of other peoples and tribes and turning points. There are marriages, hostages and proposals. There scorched earth seizures and battles.
   
   Man has interesting friends who share his passion for Hun history. The run museums from Mongolia to Hungary, dig up artifacts and study mounted bow hunting. He introduces us to them in diversionary parts of the narrative.
   
   The best part for me, aside from the description of the Hun compound, was the summation at the end. Unlike Ghengis Khan, Attila had no long term vision and built no adminstrative structure. Nothing much really followed him. Man has some interesting phrases for experssing the ephemeral nature of it all. Attila created a bunch of "speed bumps" in the building of Europe and that his life was "a perfect balance of pluses and minuses, signifying nothing."
   
   A chapter called "Aftermath" citing the numerous poems, paintings and songs that celebrate his image, however misinformed, has the best epiteph of all. Due to these cultural creations from the middle ages to Kipling and Wagner, his name resounds as an "archetype of a certain sort of power." Its really apt... "a certain sort of power."

1 comments about The Borrowed Years: 1938-1941, America on the Way to War, Part 2.

1. I am now celebrating my 50th birthday, and although my generation lived through the middle east conflicts and Vietnam; no wars in our lifetimes have been fought on the scale and intensity as WWII! It is fortunate that folks still live who remember these years, and the next best thing to actually living then is this book. Since it may be true that those who ignore history are doomed to repeat it, perhaps we should all try to understand how this horrific war came to be fought! This is an exiting story, well read by a narrator who brings the story to life, complete as the telephone sized book, and makes a great audio book with its advantages of ease of use, and portability. I admit I tried to read this first, and found that book a bit cumbersome, and the story just seems more interesting on tape. The Books on Tape edition is rugged and high quality, they are best known as library suppliers where audio tapes are played week in and week out, time after time. Genenerally their books are not for sale at my bookstore so I was glad to find this audio set here at Amazon for significantly less than the $220.00 MSRP! Best yet Books on Tape usually does pretty limited editions so if you do buy one, you stand a good chance of being able to resell it if you want to for what you paid.

No comments about The Audiobiography of Benjamin Franklin.

No comments about One of a Kind: The Story of Stuey "The Kid" Ungar, the World's Greatest Poker Player, Library Edition.

No comments about Proust: A Biography.