5 comments about Queen Isabella: Treachery, Adultery, and Murder in Medieval England.

1. medieval europe was a very rough place to be a woman of royal blood,you have less right than a slave.



2. This is the fifth Allison Weir book I've listened to on audio (after her books Eleanor of Aquitaine, The Six Wives of Henry VIII, The Children of Henry VIII and The Life of Elizabeth I) plus I've read another (The War of the Roses), and this one is definitely the weakest of the bunch for reasons I'll set forth below. But even weak Allison Weir is enjoyable and full of detail you won't get elsewhere, so as long as you go into it knowing her bias, it's still a worthwhile read, and the audio version of this one is particularly good and unabridged to boot.
   
   As other reviewers have noted, the book is a bit revisionist in its view of Edward II's wife, Isabella, who was nicknamed (well after her death) the She-Wolf of France. While we can certainly be sympthetic to Isabella's plight in life, being married to a man who was a terrible and unpopular king and was most likely involved in a homosexual relationship right under her nose, Weir ends up identifying far too much with Isabella and making her sound like an all-around great gal, which she most certainly wasn't. It's also a bit misleading to call this a biography of Isabella. More like a history of Edward II with a little Isabella thrown in for good measure. That's not entirely Weir's fault, as there isn't that much extant on Isabella's life and, in any event, you can't understand Isabella without knowing what was happening in the lives of the men around her. Still -- the audio version takes up 18 discs, and a great deal of it is lists: where Isabella spent the night on various dates, what she wore, who was in attendence, all interspersed with the larger, historical happenings in the kingdom. It doesn't always mesh together, particularly since on audio you can't skim over the parts that are thrown in just so we don't forget that this is supposed to be a book on Isabella and not one about Edward II. Also, as other reviewers have noted, Weir spends an awful lot of time surmising that Edward II wasn't really murdered but escaped from England and spent the rest of his life following his deposition as a hermit in Italy. And that's not the only surmising Weir does. The book is best when it sticks to the facts and summarizes the various theories surrounding Edward and Isabella, rather than offering poorly supported conclusions. Weir's views about conspiracies having to do with Edward's alleged escape, about Isabella's supposed pregnancies during the time of her affair with Roger Mortimer, and similar matters, simply aren't convincing. But oh those details -- they're just wonderful and not ones you tend to find in other 14th century history books.
   
   Of the five Weir books I've listened to on audio, all but one (the one on Elizabeth) have been superbly narrated. Lisette Lecat reads Isabella in a languid, upper-crust voice that took some getting used to at first, but which I grew quickly to appreciate as it never overshadows the material. My only criticism, and it's a slight one, is that she deepens her voice somewhat unaturally when reading passages of letters written by men, and I would have preferred that she just read them in her own voice. Other than that though, the narration is close to perfect, with the added plus that Lecat can correctly pronounce the numerous French place names. In the Life of Elizabeth I, the narrator not only sounded like the witch in a children's book, she mispronounced Catherine de Medici's last name every time, which took me right out of the narrative. Lecat, on the other hand, is impeccable with both her timing and pronunciation and so this was a pleasure to listen to from a purely audio perspective.
   
   If you've never read much on this time period I wouldn't recommend this as a starting place (Thomas Costain's four book on the Plantagenets are a great place to begin), nor would I recommend it as the first Allison Weir book to read (start with the Six Wives of Henry VIII). But if you are a Weir fan or looking for an alternative and sympathetic point of view about Isabella, by all means jump right in, especially if you need something good and lengthy to listen to on a long drive or commute.



3. It's been almost ten years since I left university, and after years of a staple diet of chick-lit, one of my new year's resolutions has been to read more - um - informational books written on a grade level that is at least on par with junior high! When I first moved to the UK I spent a lot of time refreshing myself on the monarchy, especially during the middle ages and renaissance, and while I remember hearing of Isabella as the "she-wolf" who was also the line to so many other historical happenings (Richard II and the Princes in the Tower, etc), I didn't know anything about her. Neither, obviously, did many other people, and thus, this book was a great way to swim in medieval England for a while and really learn the personalities of people involved.
   
   I grew to like Isabella very much, and was impressed with her as a woman of her time. But my thoughts of Isabella aside, i have to say that this book was definitely on par with all of Alison Weir's previous works. It wasn't always as riveting, and sometimes I felt overwhelmed with information, and there were times when I just couldn't handle more than 15 pages at once, but overall it was an informative read and parts of it were very fast-paced.
   
   I do wish there had been more family trees and maps - I found myself going to wikipedia all the time, and was grateful that I have actually been to Leeds Castle, so I know it's not actually in Leeds, but on nearly the opposite end of England! I think Weir might forget sometimes that a huge percentage of her readers probably don't know how long it would take to go from Islip to Gloucester to Canterbury. So if you don't know a lot about the monarchy and relations, or the geography of the UK, it would probably be a good idea to have wikipedia very nearby!
   
   Definitely a recommended read for history buffs and students alike. Very glad I read it.



4. It's not uncommon for a biographer to develop some sympathy for their subject. In this case, though, one gets the feeling that Weir developed her sympathy before writing the book, and, in fact, set out to do her research to redeem Isabella's reputation, rather than simply to write an account of her life. Which is not intrinsically a bad thing. My problem is that Weir spends too much time disproving one historical theory of Isabella after another when, no matter your bias, the evidence is just not there for a conclusive determination either way. And yet, Weir routinely calls any conclusion but the one she has drawn "speculative." As far as I can tell, her conclusions are just as speculative!
   
   Having said that, Weir is to be commended for the thoroughness of her research. It must be incredibly difficult to come up with so much material about a woman of that time, even one as notorious as Queen Isabella. And Weir does an admirable job of taking the dry account books and other records and turning them into an actual narrative, to say nothing of making that narrative compelling at times.



5. I have read other books by this author and enjoyed them even though they are very historically written. The book started slow and never picked up. I had expected better from a book about Isabella.

5 comments about Rothstein: Library Edition.

1. Although the 1919 Series is in the title, the book goes beyond that, so if you're a curious baseball fan this book might have more than you are game for. Pietrusza seems to know his New York criminal element of the era, and the books travels down spokes out from the Rothstein hub into these areas, which certainly helps to put Rothstein into perspective, at least from a "buisness" standpoint.
   
   I have uncovered additional info about Rothstein's personality with simple google searches, and in other books; the sources seeming to be reliable. Presuming these are accurate, they do help to supplement what we learn about Rothstein here. That's no big criticism, but the book left me with some unanswered questions about Rothstein's personality -- answers that might or might not be difficult to answer.
   
   Rothstein was not a well-kept secret, even in his era, and there seems to have been enough written about him that I would think it might not be difficult for an author to give us more about his personality. This author choose to focus on dozens of peripheral characters, and if you're a history fan that proves to be illiuminating, but does not always illuminate Rothstein, just places him in a context. Still, readers can argue the "business" of Rothstein and his fellow criminals is the compelling part of his personality, and speaks volumes itself.



2. A glimpse into history and a ruthless time in America. Not only a good baseball story but a great read for anyone wanting to learn more about the time period.



3. Without trying to repeat what has already been said, A.R. comes alive in reading this book. He really didn't have many friends, just business associates. His life was all business and that business was making money! He was the ultimate gambler seeing an opening and taking it (no matter who you were - family, friend or foe). A.R. was involved in all types of scams, legitimate and illegal, for the sole purpose of turning a profit. After reading this book - you also find out a few undesirable traits about A.R. such as him being a welsher, and not paying debts on time. He wasn't the most honorable among thieves. This was an interesting characteristic of the book for it isn't one-sided. It gives you the facts about A.R. whether good or bad. This book paints a true portrait of the extent of vice which involved politicians, mobsters, athletes, policemen and of course actors and actresses. There is extensive research with regard to who killed A. R. I found this part of the book to be very interesting to see all the facts and the "behind the scenes" work unravel. It reveals the motives: the who, what, when, where, why and how. The last chapter keeps you very motivated and wanting for more. There were some great quotes from some old timers and I think one can learn a few things from reading this book. The book is recommended to other readers.



4. 
   Tackling the biography is Arnold Rothstein is not like undertaking to deal with the life of most equally known men of even the same time. Rothstein was covered, as can be seen in the bibliography, in hundreds if not thousands of articles of the time in newspapers, magazines, books, and legends. The problem is not lack of words written, but lack of actual knowledge of the subject. Simply put, much of what has been written is legendary, apocryphal, repetitive, speculative or downright false, and it must have been an overwhelming task to wade through the junk to find the goods. Pietruszka has done as good a job of it as likely can be done at this remove.
   
   Further complicating the task is the personality of the subject, in this case a man who was clearly highly intelligent, charismatic, and industrious, but was missing some kind of chip to his personal makeup that would have made him fully human. Judging from the book, AR loved the multiplication of money in any way possible, judging everything and everyone useful or not useful based strictly upon the expected financial return. Associates passed in and out of his life and he had no compunction about lying to them or ripping them off or leaving them hanging out to dry, to take whatever heat might come down in his wake, and he'd pick them back up again if there was money to be made with no personal feelings entering into it. It must have been hard to resist his charismatic pull, but harder to actually like the man.
   
   Before reading this book I had known a little about Rothstein, mostly from the gambling/World Series angle. I had been unaware of his deep involvement in drugs and similar financial adventures. I wonder to what degree some of the crimes ascribed to Rothstein are simply a case of saying that because he was involved in this, with so-and-so, he MUST have been involved in that, with so-and-so. Notably, Rothstein's own little black book of records may well have been `edited' by the cops after it was found, and of course the missing sheets are missing. There seems to have been little actual written proof of much of anything Rothstein did, and there are so many conflicting stories and points of view it is hard to know the man's actual deeds with any certainty.
   
   Rothstein's relationship with his wife stands in complete contrast: the one person from whom he did not intend to make money he put on such a pedestal that he found himself unable to approach her as a wife, as a woman, and of course this created further suffering.
   
   I think that this man was a very one-sided genius, essentially an amoral machine. Pietruszka has done an excellent job of trying to separate fact from fiction of his fascinating subject.



5. Author David Peitrusza deserves plenty of kudos for his sweeping biography of Arnold Rothstein, the mad credited for fixing the 1919 World Series. In "Rothstein" we have an overview of the man and his times with perhaps too much of an emphasis on peripheral people and events. The reader will be regaled by stories of turn-of-the-century through prohibition era gamblers and big time criminals. Readers will acquire a greater knowledge of the East Coast underworld and some of the prominent figures who walked the line between criminal and legitimate. From casinos, race fixing and high society's degenerate gamblers to crooks both small time and big, "Rothstein" is an excellent account of the times of the famed gambler. Rothstein surely ranks as one of this country's most notorious criminal master minds.
   As much as I enjoyed the book I would have liked getting to know the man himself a little better. While readers will enjoy an opportunity to learn what AR, (as Rothstein was sometimes called) did, where and with whom he did it you cannot be sure to understand what made him tick. His childhood and early years are skimmed over while great detail is given his murder and its subsequent investigation. Hopefully someone can come along who will provide a fuller view of Rothstein. For that biographer and anyone interested in a man immortalized by F. Scott Fitzgerald in "The Great Gatsby" Petrusza's book is a must-read. Whatever "Rothstein's faults as a biography, it is still a good read and highly recommended.

4 comments about On The Road With Charles Kuralt.

1. I've never seen Charles Kuralt on television. This book is my only experience with him, and that may explain the review that is to follow.
   
   This is the most insipid, cheese-ridden pile of bushwah I've even had the displeasure of picking up. Perhaps Kuralt has an indefinable quality that somehow brings some authenticity to the words that are printed on these pages, but the material itself is just terrible.
   
   I was reminded of a Simpson's episode in which Bart Simpson wins admiration from everyone by peddling schmaltzy "human interest" stories on a children's news program they've started. Now, the fact that I watch Simpson's and am criticizing Kuralt may be indicative of a generation gap that is the root of the problem, but I don't see how anyone of any age could give credence to the heavy-handed moralism that Kuralt trots out, not just occasionally, but in virtually every single segment.
   
   A truly do appreciate the value of nuanced, small town life and the individuals who dare to go against the grain in some way. But is it necessary to spotlight someone who has given their nine children rhyming names (Terry, Sherry, Jerry, etc.)?
   
   There's something about Kuralt's line that seems insincere. Clearly, at times, he's stretching to find greater meaning in something that is maybe a little interesting, but ultimately meaningless. This leads me to think that all of it is insincere, that Kuralt is going to find the cuteness and greater meaning in everything, truth be damned. Even aside from the heavy-handed schmaltziness, it seems like a lot of the people portrayed in this feature are being capitalized on. Some of the people will certainly be ridiculed by most of the viewers; at any rate, they have had their quirky individuality processed and used for the very corporate interests that they flout.
   
   If you are a fan of Charles Kuralt, I think that the tv segments that you fell in love with should probably be where your love affair ends. Kuralt may be a winning personality and a good salesman; if that's true, I recommend that you stick with the news broadcasts, where you can enjoy him as he grew famous: a little bit at a time.



2. Charles Kuralt had the gift of seeing a story in the littlest thing. He took the thread of everyman's life and wove a tapestry of America and then gave it as a gift to us.



3. After reading this book, I felt a sense of renewal and satisfaction that there are still candles lending their beams to the world. I picked up this book for a report at school. I thought that it would be just another boring book that we are often forced to read in school. Wrong-O! I loved it! From the team that had lost every single one of its games to the train depot that served soldiers during WWII, I found myself emersed in each of the stories. Each of these average Americans had a not so average story to tell...



4. This is a wonderful book that recaptures the many stories from his on the road segments for TV. He finds the most interesting people and places; his stories tell of the inner passions of ordinary people. Another great book with similar stories--and great pictures--is Positively Connecticut by Diane Smith. She says she was inspired by Kuralt's work.

   Terry

5 comments about It Doesn't Take a Hero.

1. I picked this book up in a used bookstore and bought it because I was curious about General Schwarzkopf's life and how he became the man he is.
   
   His life is very interesting and I learnt a lot from it regarding leadership to the extent I used one of his war stories in my book " Your Attitude Determines Your Altitude."



2. This book was surprisingly good. It was straight forward. He said a lot of things that I hadn't expected to hear from a man in his position. My guess is that he received a lot of "poop" for it also.
   He has a lot of heart and a lot of good emotions.
   I have read some negative stuff about him also but all in all he seems to be a pretty good man - and a pretty good story teller.
   I haven't checked yet but if he has written something else, I would probably buy it. I think he has brains and insight and I don't think that he would be a paen to the established order - He would be loyal to his country of course - but I feel that he would tell it as he saw it without being afraid to be critical - if he felt criticism was necessary.
   I would like to see him write something on military history - past wars or battles or something like that.



3. "Cometh the hour, cometh the man" is an adage that was penned for men such as General H. Norman Schwarzkopf.
   
   It is very easy for Englishman to prefer British heroes over those from other countries. Some might say it is even easier for United States citizens to acknowledge the achievements of their own citizens whilst deprecating those of any other nation. Eisenhower, for example, was a great man - but so was Montgomery!
   
   This book, however, is about a man who is not in open comparison to any. He tells an account of his own life which, as others have already stated, is so honest as to be brutally so. How odd that the fickle finger of fate is able to steer any man towards his ultimate destiny. What if Eisenhower (or even Montgomery) had joined the Navy?, what if Norman Schwarzkopf had railed against his father's wishes and "not" joined the US Army?
   
   But they did and I am unable to avoid that cliché which demands that "the rest is history." Having said that, I would suggest General Schwarzkopf's contribution to that history is as great as any man's.
   
   Other reviewers have sought to express their views in their own ways and quite rightly so! Some of those reviews give the reader a quick impression - "it's a great book" and all that, whereas others seek to paraphrase the book and, is so doing give the reader a better impression of what is found within it's pages.
   
   Me, well, for the very first time in a long time, I feel as though I have read a book. Just think about that. Take a moment to look at any of my book reviews, then click on that button which says "see all my reviews" and you will see what I mean. Some of those books are on subjects I feel very passionate about. Some are great books and well worth the 5 star rating given. Others are less than ordinary and not even worth the single star one is required to donate to the charitable cause that best describes that particular offering in print.
   
   Then I find a biography from a retired general who came to prominence during the first Gulf War, the biography of a man who recognised it does not take a hero to order men into battle, the biography of an ordinary bloke who did good, served his country and the cause of freedom well and expects nothing in return.
   
   Buy it. Read it. Only then will you also appreciate what I mean by having "read" a book. There will come a time when you will read it again.
   
   NM
   Retired British Army major.



4. I went into this read thinking that this would be another in a long line of self-serving autobiographies from officer blow-hards that are so full of themselves it is disgusting. I expected, like I have read in so many other memoirs, a tale where the main character is bigger than the times he served in.
   
   Not so with General Schwarzkopf. He is truly an American hero who was given an impossible mission during the first Gulf War and he pulled it off partly due to a sense of history, in part due to political accument, and in no large part because this took a lot of balls.
   
   The General starts the book out with a touching portrait of his childhood; his formative years were spent living in the Middle East, learning the customs, an appetite for the cuisine, and the art of falconry.
   
   He is no Gen. Eisenhower, to be sure, but he is still a larger than life figure that served our nation during a pivotal time in our Middle Eastern Diplomacy.
   
   "Stormin' Normin" is neither falsely self-effacing, nor does he "toot his own horn." He is what he is, and his not only has his biography born testimony to his greatness as both an officer and as an American, subsequent interviews with the gliteratti have done nothing but illumine the brightness of his "star(s)."
   
   A great read for the history buff, or a lover of biographies of great Americans.



5. I thouroughly enjoyed reading this book. General H. Norman Schwarzkopf was brutally honest in telling his life story! I can see how a deserving general that he was. Honor, duty, country and yes a very just man. I just had some wishful thinking that if only South Vietnam had one or two men just like him to prosecute the Vietnam war! A fine man he is!

5 comments about Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia.

1. Marya Hornbacher is the mediator between the everyday human being and the world's most widely misunderstood creatures of society: the eating-disordered. In "Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia", she explains to readers that eating disorders are not just "phases" that teenage "girls" go through, but rather an intense, passionate desire for power that "strips you of all power" instead.
   Hornbacher, a freelance journalist who is also the author of "The Center of Winter" and "Madness: A Bipolar Life", developed bulimia at age nine, developed alcohol and drug issues at the age of thirteen, and became anorexic at the age of fifteen. After her release from a residential treatment hospital, she attended the University of Minnesota and wrote for the local paper, accepting her scholarship to American University later in 1992. She later developed other physical problems following her continued eating disorders.
   Although a rather sullen story of the highs and lows of her struggle with weight, Hornbacher addresses the point that eating disorders, cultural obsession with weight and body, food, and control have a lot in common. In one section of the book, she writes that an eating disorder is



2. Marya wasn't always the way she is today. She used to be the all American girl eating PB and J's while she watched her cartoons, but when Marya was eight years old something in her brain changed and since then she has never been the same.
   Author Marya Hornbacher beautifully illustrates her struggles with bulimia and anorexia in her autobiography Wasted. She shows a world that people hardly get to see and explains the life and ways of bulimics and anorectics that is both compelling and inspiring.
   Wasted takes you through 10 years of Marya's life as she slowly jumps back and forth between anorexia and bulimia. It depicts the everyday struggles of the disease; how the body slowly stops to care about what is occurring, the constant worries about food, and the fear that someone might find out and God forbid, possibly try to help you! It goes in depth about the psychological factors of the disease and explains it all in a way that is understandable and relevant. This book will both shock and sicken you as you discover what goes behind closed doors of these two heartless diseases.
   My praise is endless for this novel and I thank it for opening my eyes to the mysterious world that is impossible to fully understand unless you've experienced the ordeal first hand. Many people could benefit from taking the time to read Wasted, which will help to clue people in and provide a better understanding to the problems in our society and what goes on to the people who are enduring these struggles daily. However this book is not a constant thriller and amongst the eye opening and realization moments there will be a few parts that are tedious and almost seem to drag on. In spite of the occasional drowsy sections this book offers an incredible insight inside the secret lives of bulimics and anorectics and I would confidently recommend it to anyone who wants a brilliant and inspiring read.



3. The author dives deep into her life and the choices she made. She doesn't hold back. Up front and personal.



4. This book is amazing, it keeps you captavated from the time you start to read it. Im recovered and the things she discribed are so very true. If your looking for a book on eating disorders this is one of very few to read. Dont listen to the negitive reveiws for this one, Its well worth the money.



5. As a mother to a teenage girl with an eating disorder, I was able to identify (sometimes uncomfortably too close to home) with Marya Hornbacher. It was a good insight to see that this horrible illness begins at a very early age, how not to blame ourselves as parents, and how it is a daily battle for the person with the illness.
   I read this book over a period of a week and haven't stopped remarking on it to people I know, especially other parents of children/teenagers with eating disorders.
   This book came from the gut and goes directly into the readers'.
   Adina

No comments about TOUCHING SPIRIT A JOURNEY OF HEALING AND PERSONAL: A Journey of Healing and Personal Resurrection.

5 comments about Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out into the Real World.

1. This book would make a wonderful graduation gift. I wish I would've read it back when I was eighteen-years-old. Although I purchased this book over three years ago, I still come back to it from time to time. She offers so much insight and wisdom, but she also humanizes herself as a woman and teaches her readers that even she has experienced self-doubt and has strived to reach 'perfection' (something she teaches you not to do). She writes about how important it is to start at the bottom because it's where you learn the most and gain character. I especially liked reading about her husband and children. She and her family are so much more normal than anyone would ever think.



2. I am 56 and had I had this book to read in 1968 when I graduated high school I might have had the tools to do things a little better through my 20's and 30's. She gives you a rundown on what realistically to expect out of live, love, career and everything in between. I may have even been able to avoid my ex-husband!!!
   
   This is a must gift for any young person, maybe even younger than a high school graduate. It could actually put a kids expectations into the realm of reality without putting a damper on any of the joys of life. This is not a book that a conservative religious advocate would have to avoid. It contains simple comman sense about life and how it differs from what kids would often see on TV, movies, or any other media they would encounter. It doesn't tell you what belief system is best, just what life is most apt to hand you on any given day.
   
   It is easy reading and not very beefy, so even non-readers would benefit. They could use it as a reference book for a specific situation.
   
   Great Birthday or Graduation or Holiday gift and reasonable priced, too.



3. I bought Maria's book "What's Heaven" for my Granddaughter when her Grandmother (my mother) died 6 years ago. Now my Granddaughter will graduate from high school next year and Maria has followed her to college, with her last 2 books. Next I will buy my Granddaughter the Marlo Thomas books. As a Grandmother I believe it does take a Village. My Granddaughter will take 2 real good role models with her to college and now we have to set her free.



4. Maria did have some excellent points. The majority of the book is just an autobiography, though, and I skimmed through those parts. My advice would be to stop by the book store and look at the table of contents and then the very end where she gives a list of some other things she wishes she knew, because they explain themselves. A lot of her things I already knew, and she points out that she's not trying to help us avoid those things, just let us know we're not alone. If the great, talented Maria could get through life, then we can too! That was sarcasm.



5. After seeing and admiring the interaction between Maria Shriver and her mother on the Oprah Winfrey show a few months ago, I decided I wanted to read her newest book, "And One More Thing Before You Go." My library didn't have it but they did have this one and so I decided to take it home.
   
   What I appreciated most about this book were the tidbits of wisdom about humility, and the ways we should appreciate ourselves and not allow others to beat us down. I like how Shriver says that humility is about having a realistic self-image-- not beating ourselves up for not being good enough and not settling for mediocrity. I liked Shriver's advice that we are not superwomen (or supermen) and we can not be excellent in every area so we should decide what areas are most important to us and make realistic goals to strive for. It inspired me to think about what areas of my life I'd like to improve in and what areas can wait until a different phase in life.

No comments about Age and Guile Beat Youth and Innocence: 25 Years of P.J. O'Rourke.

5 comments about In the Footsteps of Jesus: One Man's Journey Through The Life of Christ.

1. What a joy to read the book and be given the idea that Jesus was joyful and loving, not like other Hollywood movies where Jesus never blinks and is very pious. This Jesus character related to the people he was here to save. Loved the book and the movie-which is word for word the Gospel of Matthew.



2. I bought this book for my book club. We usually read fiction but I had read this and wanted them to read it too. They loved it. The experience the author has as he plays Jesus, along with the cast and crew in making this move Matthew is truly amazing. The way they depict Jesus in the movie this book is about, is more like I like to think of who Jesus is and what he was like while he was here on earth. Truly inspiring!



3. It was an encouragement to me to read Bruce Marchiano's testimony about his amazing journey of following Christ and his life changing experience of portraying Jesus in the film "The Gospel according to Matthew". I enjoyed reading every page of this book because the love of Jesus flows through it.
   I recommend this book to everyone, especially those who loved Bruce Marchiano's presentation of the joyful Jesus in the film "The Gospel according to Matthew". After I read "In the Footsteps of Jesus", I had to watch the film "The Gospel according to Matthew" again and again. In my opinion, it is the best Jesus film I have ever seen! Check out the plans for Bruce's new film "The Gospel according to John".



4. In a book that chronicles one man's journey to discover the joy of Jesus, Bruce Marchiano blesses us with the joy of sharing in his personal journey. The reader walks along with Marchiano as he explores the Jesus that we all seek to know. We experience Marchiano's drawing closer to Jesus as his walk and journey unfold before us in every chapter. I would certainly recommend reading this book and then, view the `Matthew' movie, and come to know the full joy of Jesus as I did! Marchiano shares with the reader his discovery of Jesus as a touchable, loveable human who laughed and smiled and wept...who just simply loves each of us so very much! An amazing story of how the lives of Marchiano and of those involved with the film were touched by Jesus! I recently discovered that Bruce Marchiano has launched a mission to raise funds to put the Gospel of John on film! Anyone interested should check the web under Marchiano Ministries for details! Many thanks to Bruce Marchiano for inviting us join him in this new vision and for bringing us along in his journey thus far. In doing so, he brings us all closer to our Jesus that we seek to know so intimately!



5. The best portrayal of Jesus in any film was Robert Powell in the 1977 mimi series, "Jesus of Nazareth".. I thought Marchiano was waaaay over the top and that his performance fell more in the category of amateur. That being said, I thought the book was somewhat insightful but as I read on it kept reminding me that it was more about walking in the footsteps of Mr. Marchiano rather than Jesus. Not recommended

5 comments about Autobiography of a Yogi.

1. I will have to go against the flow, here. So, some people can actually perform "miracles" like talking and seeing gods, teletransporting themselves, materializing objects and even entire castles out of thin air, appearing in two places at once, bringing back people from death, fighting and taming wild tigers armed with only their kindness, levitating, predicting the future, healing wounds and fatal diseases with only their will, reading minds, etc, etc? Sorry, I don't think so.
   
   I am almost finishing the book and if it were sold as a fiction piece I would give it more credit. But since it is the author's "biography" and all the fantastic events in it described as truth... sorry again, I just can't.
   
   As a philosophycal way of life it is still very interesting, though.



2. Understand spiritualism and see the larger picture of life and existence through this autobiography, which breaks down barriers between religions.



3. Yogananda's message is potentially world changing. However, I got more out of the Autobiography of a Yogi published by Self-Realization Fellowship because it was full of added footnotes which I found just as important and meaningful as the text. Many explaining the essential oneness of western and eastern religions through biblical passages, etc.



4. This is a wonderful book. This book is valuable to me than all other books that I have read put together. This book has so much of wisdom that I cannot explain here in few words. This book is NOT about religion or is biased to any religion. Yogananda tells about the universal truth that everybody must be aware of. Please do not try to judge this book without reading, and you will know why after you read it. I am sure lot of your inner questions will be answered after you read this book. This book will definitely be an inspiration to seek the ultimate truth which can be attained by each and everyone of us.



5. Unbelievable I say not as a skeptic, but as a true rational person. This same skepticism opens up other horizons in one's thinking - is this all true? Yogi Paramahamsa, the author, renders in this charming and lucid storytelling, facts he came across in his life - like his Master being able to 'know' that they will have guests arriving in the middle of the night; another yogi predicting the author's arrival and telling him of what he did miles away and many more such incidents.
   
   All this makes one ask - is this all true or is the author lying? I would want to think, given the book's and the author's reputation, this is all true. Believing so also opens up different realms of possiblities defying all rationality. Who wouldn't want to attain a state where they can exists without eating or sleeping for days together OR having the ability to read clearly and correctly into another's mind? Knowing the power of meditation myself, I won't doubt the power of an absolute calm mind.
   
   Aside from the skepticism, I totally am enjoying reading this book. The storytelling abilities is that of a master and an erudite author. Just seeing photos of sages in the 19th century is itself inspiring. The book provides a great understanding of a young man's mind who seeks out and believes in spirituality. The power of written expression is to be truly found in this book. There is a charming nature about this book you won't regret reading it.