3 comments about Story of a Soul.

1. In terms of her ability to maneuver words in the written form, Saint Therese of Lisieux was not as established as other writers such as St. Augustine or Thomas Merton. For this trait, she often apologizes in her writing. However, her insight in developing a relationship with Jesus and her devotion to that relationship make a profound statement. Even in the littlest of sacrifices, she shows herself growing closer to Jesus. The message outweighs the writing style in terms of importance.
   
   The product of three separate journals St. Therese kept during her short life, the book can be divided into these sections: The story of her life, the letter written to Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart, and the notebook written for Rev. Mother Marie de Gonzague. While each of these writing tasks were given as an assigned task, they had a greater purpose and may have been the most important work of St. Therese's life. Even at a very young age, St. Therese showed strong devotion to the Lord. The story of her life makes up the greatest percentage of the book. Despite the death of her mother at a young age, St. Therese seemed happy and her devotion led her to pursue a devotional life at an unusually young age.
   
   In her short life, St. Therese saw the unbelievable and was touched by the hand of God. She showed her devotion even in the smallest of sacrifices. Still I believe that nothing is more touching than the initial pages of the book. It is perhaps one of the best explanations of God's love.



2. This is a wonderful book! It's St. Theresa's own story of her childhood, written at the request of her sister who was the Mother Superior of her Carmelite Monastery at the time. She tells about her mischievous activities as a charming little girl in the midst of her extraordinarily loving family. A most engaging story.



3. This is a lovely book by 'the greatest saint of modern times.' read any chapter and you will see the heart of Catholicism. You will learn catholic spirituality and the reason why Therese was a saint. Some men have said they are improved every time they read this book. It is true. Besides the Eucharist itself, St. Therese is the saint that drew me into the Church. Her Little Way gives me hope that perhaps we all have a chance of getting to heaven.

No comments about Dear Tom (Radio Collection).

No comments about Seize the Day.

5 comments about Battleship Sailor.

1. This is a very well written book about an enlisted man's life in the US Navy before and during World War 2. It really detailed all aspects of Theodore Mason's time as a Navy enlisted man aboard the USS California. It was interesting and exciting to read.



2. This is an excellent first-person account of the life of an enlisted man aboard an American battleship before and during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mason, a professional writer, writes from the point-of-view of his youthful self. His writing is organized, logical and unforgiving toward those he feels let him down as a sailor or as a man. One of the best first-person accounts of life in the old Navy, where form was more important than function.



3. This is a great look at life in the Navy just before the outbreak of World War II. Mason provides unique insight to a world that has been obscured by myth and movies over the past sixty years. It really gives a sense of a sailor's life in the old Navy, and his revisitation of the Pearl Harbor attack is simply riveting. A must-read for students of naval history!



4. My Dad was assigned to the USS California from 1936 until she was sunk on December 7th. The book reads just like the stories he would tell. My Dad past away Nov 2002. He spent 30 years in the Navy and most of the stories he told were when he was on the "Prune Barge". He played football and baseball on the ships team. I always wondered if the sailor Mr. Mason spoke to when he was touring the ship when first assigned was my Dad - he was a MM3 - "snipe" - worked in the engine room. It sure did sound like a response my Dad would give. One of the sailors awarded the Medal of Honor, Robert Scott (Zeke) was my fathers best friend on the California. They were "Battleship Sailors".



5. I really enjoyed this book.There is sure to be a massive wave of new found interest in the suprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the events surrounding it due to the upcoming movie, and anyone who wants to get a feel for what it was really like to be there on the deck of a battleship dodging bullets and bombs, this book is unequaled anywhere. What really makes this an outstanding book is not just the gripping account of the attack itself, but also of the time period just beforehand. Mr Mason does an excellent job of relaying the false sense of security and invincibility that we as Americans held before we were thrown headlong into the most savage and trying war in the history of mankind. Mr Mason's portrait of the life of a sailor in the days of the pre-war "Old Navy" is something to be treasured and preserved especially now that our population of veterans from that period is inexorably fading. I thought that the author could ease off on some of the "50-cent" words, as constantly having to consult your dictionary can interfere with your enjoyment of this book. Overall, a great read, and a must have for anyone interested in Pearl Harbor or naval history.

5 comments about A Good Life: Newspapering and other Adventures.

1. A superior autobiography by the managing editor of the WASHINGTON POST. Bradlee spent a good part of the latter half of the 20th century at the center of some of the most historical first amendment controveries, from the Pentagon Papers to Watergate (for which he served as mentor/father figure to ace reporters Woodward and Bernstein and later was portrayed by no less than Jason Robards in the now classic film ALL THE PRESIDENTS MEN). His book is written in a very conversational style, easy to digest and chock full of insights into Bradlee's life and career, his friendships with JFK and POST owner Kay Graham as well as an honest depiction of his often less than peaceful home life (he's been married three times). There's the heartfelt as Bradlee recollects the mysterious death of his sister-in-law Mary Pinchot Meyer (she was shot to death in a Washington DC park and her belongings were sought by the CIA) as well as the comical (Bradlee and ROLLING STONE editor Jann Wenner stalking Richard Nixon & Bebe Rebozo on a beach in St. Maarten). A good life and a great read.



2. Mr. Bradlee's book is a crisply written and most entertaining look at his family life and his life in journalism, from the period leading up to World War Two on through the Watergate Era. This is autobiographical writing at its best; honest, informative, funny, sad, hopeful, and never boring. I learned a lot from reading this book. I hope high schools and colleges are using this fine work as part of any course on post-WW2 U.S. history.
   
   A great book by a great writer.



3. Ben Bradlee and wife Tony lived on the same side of the same Washington, D.C. block as Senator John Kennedy, which is how they became friends with him and Jackie. After JFK's election to the Presidency, their friendship continued. He invited the Bradlees to Camp David, the family compound at Hyannis and for private dinners. At one glamorous White House function, Kennedy sat between Tony Bradlee and her sister Mary, who was also his friend. How close the two were was revealed much later.
   
   Some time after Kennedy's death, Mary was walking along a D.C. canal when she was grabbed from behind. Her assailant stuck a gun under her chin and pulled the trigger; she died instantly. Shortly after the funeral, Mary's best friend phoned Tony Bradlee, inquiring after Mary's personal diary, which she said had been promised to her. When the Bradlees went to Mary's home to locate the book, they encountered inside it the friend's husband, a CIA operative known as "The Locksmith." He said his wife had sent him to retrieve the diary.
   
   When they eventually found it, Ben and Tony were appalled to discover details in the diary of sister Mary's affair with JFK, one that lasted from early 1962 until his Nov. '63 death. They innocently handed the book over to their CIA friend, who promised to destroy it, and never at the time considered the implications of the two violent deaths and an interested CIA.
   
   This is just one of many remarkable stories in Ben Bradlee's A GOOD LIFE. From his teenaged recovery from polio, Harvard graduation, service on a WWII destroyer in the hazardous South Seas off Guadalcanal, City Editorship of a New Hampshire paper, a brief stint at the Washington Post then as a Paris-based foreign correspondent who traveled all over Europe and the Middle East, to a job as assistant to the American ambassador in Paris, to Newsweek and again the Washington Post, Ben Bradlee's "good life" was a full and eventful one, as well. A most fascinating and well-written autobiography. Highest recommendation!
   
   
   ALL THE PRESIDENT'S MEN, by Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, details their investigation as Washington Post reporters under Ben Bradlee of the biggest Presidential scandal in American history, that of Watergate, which led to the resignation in disgrace of Richard Nixon.



4. Here's the magic mathematical formula for writing your very own version of "A Good Life." Even better, you don't have to set foot in a newsroom:
   
   ("I banged famous chick")x 51 + ("I met famous person") x 2,453, divided by the number of times you tell your boss how things should be done ("0"), and - viola (an allusion to your time in France) - you've got your own self-serving autobiography! And it doesn't come larded with any of Bradlee's prose, something which should be apparent from the formula.
   
   Good luck with your work!



5. Ben Bradlee's book, "A Good Life: Newspapering and Other Adventures", is a warm, candid and entertaining look back over a remarkable career and personal life. His writing is honest, revealing and to the point. He indeed has had an interesting life. The Watergate and the Pentagon Papers experiences are covered in detail. I became interested in reading this book after reading the book "All the President's Men" and watching the movie of the same title. I would highly recommend this book! Ben comes across as an smart, honest and decent man who worked very hard to earn his achievements.

5 comments about My Lives.

1. The best thing about Roseanne's book, "My Lives" is the picture on the cover!
   
   I have always loved Roseanne because she is/was such a talented and courageous entertainer. Through her groundbreaking sitcom, Roseanne she showed the American family as it really was meant to be seen. But I also think there's a part of her that's really not all there. And, sadly she started to unravel around the time this book came out.
   
   "My Lives" was published 14 years ago, 5 years after Roseanne's first autobiography; the considerably less in-your-face "My Life As A Woman." But in her latest editorial debacle Roseanne lets it all hang out so to speak.
   
   Roseanne is intent on painting a very ugly picture of her life through this book. She was the victim of incest and sexual abuse by both her mother and father. She was forced to become a hooker because her and her first husband were living on skid row. She gave up a child that she had as a teenager. She never learned to trust men. She ate like there was no tomorrow and when gained success she became incredibly inebriated on her own fame.
   
   All of this comes off as so cliche and rather sloppy. It reads like a perverse National Enquirer article. But all of that cannot compare to Roseanne's most "startling revelation." She claims that she is the victim of Disassociate Identity Disorder (in 1994 when this book was published the "disease" was called "multiple identity disorder.") Yes, that's right Roseanne claims to have hundreds of personalities living within her one body.
   
   I can remember an interview that Roseanne once did with Arsenio. He was talking about La Toya and all of her hairball stories and Roseanne defended her saying: "I would rather believe a liar than a molester." Well I suppose anyone would. But that does not give her the right, just because she has a public voice, to go on national TV and trash people, the people who were the closest to her simply because she forgot to take her Prozac. And, when Roseanne finally got her head on straight there was never a big press conference or any media appearances to dispel these malicious lies. It's sad that truth isn't as appealing as dishonesty is.
   
   As you probably do not know (because it was rarely reported in the MSM,) A few years after this book was published, a newly divorced (and re-married again Roseanne) has "regained her sanity." This "new" Roseanne now recants all of those hateful statements in this book. But even to call those statements hateful would be doing an injustice. What would you call someone who makes up false allegations of sexual abuse towards her parents?
   
   Some would call this person a monster.
   
   Some would call this person an a-ni-mal.
   
   Some would call this person a conniving money-hungry crook.
   
   I just think Roseanne has made some very poor decisions as far as her personal life and her professional life are concerned. She laid her life out for the entire world to see and somewhere along the way she forgot who she really was and she forgot what the truth was. I suppose it doesn't help matters that she's always been as crazy as a loon.
   
   Geraldine Barr (Roseanne's sister,) wrote a rebuttal to this effluent, My Sister Roseanne. Unfortunately, through her many contacts and with all of the power and clout that comes with having the number one coast-to-coast television show in the Country, Roseanne was able to get the book collectively blackballed. Critics panned that book as a cry for money. These same critics didn't bat an eye when Roseanne publishes an autobiography only 5 years after her first one.
   
   If you're interested in learning about the real Roseanne, I recommend watching her TV show and some of her movies. I also recommend reading her first autobiography and Geraldine's book, as well as any magazine interviews that Roseanne has done over the last 7 to 8 years (anything between 1991 and 1998 are riddled with statements that Roseanne herself now states are "untrue.") But skip this book, unless you enjoy reading about trainwrecks.
   
   I do feel bad for Roseanne but from what I have read about her now, she is enjoying lucidity and is at peace. But more than that, I feel awful for her poor parents. I cannot think of anything worse than to have a child make up such false statements for the pure purposes of selling a book.
   
   Where is Roseanne today?
   
   Now going by "Roseanne Barr" once again, after marrying Ben Thomas twice and divorcing him twice Roseanne's now living happily single with her teenage son. She is currently performing in Las Vegas at the Sahara and when she's in LA or New York Roseanne enjoys stand-up from time to time. However, she has no plans of going back to series TV nor does she have any plans of writing another book. She just wants to put the past behind her and focus on the future. Roseanne is also a very proud grandmother and is very involved in her childrens' and grandchildrens' lives. In April, Roseanne and the cast from her show were reuinted for a TV Land Award; "Roseanne" was given the pop-culture award. In this latest persona, Roseanne appeared very subdued and even wore a fashionable gray forelock in her hair. Perhaps it's a sign that she really has changed. Or, maybe one of her personalities has an aversion to Lady Revlon?



2. I read Roseanne's first book. It was so awful, it was almost torture. This book is an improvement. Roseanne writes more lucidly the second time around. It is more biography than rambling mess, as the first book was. She covers her personal life as well as tid bits regarding her sit com. The sit com is one area where I do believe her. She had to fight (and it wasn't pretty) for control of her own show.
   
   I can see where many ideas for the show came from after reading her books. The problem is that the show was funny and Roseanne's life anything but funny. Roseanne Barr is nothing like Roseanne Conner. Not surprisingly, Roseanne Barr swears like a trucker. She has no filter and says anything and I mean ANYTHING that comes to mind. (I wish I could do this too, but ya just can't!). She was heavily into drugs, alcohol and even has sex with multiple guys for money. This is all while she was married with three kids. She talks about loving her kids, but was barely there to raise them. What a mess.
   
   She also covers the fact that she had suppressed memories of her parents abusing her, mentally and sexually. She states that this is what made her act out so badly all her life and she dealt with it through multiple personalities. She provides a list of each personality's name at the end of the book.
   
   Because her behavior has been so incredibly bizarre and over the top, it is hard to know what to believe or not. It's hard to see someone's pain as enjoyable. Like lots of people, she needed to write the book, but I'm not sure we need to read it.



3. This is Roseanne's second autobiography, the one in which she alleges childhood sexual abuse by both her mother and father. She also details how her younger sister fled her parents' house due to abuse (and now denies any abuse) and how Roseanne's daughter was also abused by Roseanne's father. Roseanne claims her weight issues stem from childhood sexual abuse. In a bizarre chapter at the end, Roseanne even alludes to having multiple personality disorder, as a means of surviving abuse.
   
   Roseanne also dishes about the formative years of her sitcom and her desperate struggle for creative control, as well as her romance, marriage, and creative partnership with Tom Arnold. She also describes in detail the infamous National Anthem debacle, from what her intentions were through the aftermath.
   
   I don't know if I find Roseanne 100% credible. She's outrageous and unbalanced and I can't help but feel that she skewers the truth to meet her own needs. If you can get past that, this makes for an interesting read.



4. I must say that I didn't exactly know what to think when I saw a book with Tom and Roseanne on the cover. But seeing as "Roseanne" is one of my favorite shows, I had to pick it up. This is Roseanne Barr-Arnold's second book; I have not yet read the first one. The book discusses everything between the start of her stand-up act through her marriage with Tom Arnold. She has lots of fun bashing all of the people she worked with on her hit sitcom and her ex-husband, Bill Pentland, who she was married to for 16 years and had 3 children with. The thing that is ironic about this book is how Roseanne talks about how much she loves Tom Arnold, when she divorced him the same year that this book was released. The book is actually quite interesting, however. We see that Roseanne Barr and Roseanne Arnold are definetely two different people. This Roseanne is sticking with her story about her father molesting her and her sisters. (The Roseanne Barr of 2004 is now getting along with her family.) I think that this book is a little one-sided, though. Roseanne doesn't seem to think about how her children must feel during this divorce. I do recommend it for those of you intrigued by Roseanne Barr-Pentland-Arnold-Thomas's life story.



5. I found this book in one of those factory second tables at the shopping centre, I thought it was a novel Roseanne had written, some cheesy romance thing but because I am such a huge fan I bought it anyway, God I loved it, So brutally honest and self examining, I loved the people she loved and hated those she hated.
   Great bio, the best I ever read.

No comments about Character Above All, Volume 7 (Character Above All).

5 comments about Beyond Uhura.

1. very worth reading, even if you aren't much into Star Trek stuff.
   
   Especially interesting for me was, of course, the struggle it was for a young talented black woman to get a space in a succesful TV show in the 60s. It seems astounding, from our perspective, that her story was so difficult, and that she almost wouldn't have remained in Star Trek at all without a chance encounter with none other than Martin Luther King.
   
   If you are interested in civil rights and/or showbiz intrigue, you'll certainly love this. What a lady!



2. This autobiography by Nichelle Nichols reflects upon her life, as a black actress, facing racism of her times and breaking them with certain amount of courage and skills. First half of the book retells the story of her life prior to Star Trek, her education, training and people whom she met, some who were helpful while others who were not. Her occasional slide into self praise is typical of many memoirs, not atypical.
   
   But for most people who read this book, they read it because they are Star Trek fans and second part of the book don't disappointed them at all. She goes into all sort of interesting tales about her experiences in Star Trek that brought her to the forefront. Her story on how Martin Luther King talked her into staying on the show, her frustration with the limited role she was having and her relationships with her co-workers while still fighting occasional racism at the studios proves to be an set of very interesting and telling stories. She continued on with her stories on the Star Trek movies as well as her work with NASA.
   
   Like Jimmy Doohan and George Takei books, Nichols seem to have problems with William Shatner. From the three of them, Shatner does not seem to be a very generous actor and by design or not, William Shatner often end up sounding like a self centered cad. Its interesting that almost every Star Trek actor have problems with Shatner. But she was generous enough to say that Shatner as a director of Star Trek V, was most wonderful person. Doohan and Takei had no kind words for Shatner in their books.
   
   Intersting reading material for all Star Trek fans. Story of Nichelle Nichols proves to be one of courage and determination that marked her a very special woman. In some ways, that make the color of her skin immaterial in the end.



3. I really enjoyed this book. Nichelle tells lots of great stories. A couple of times it would get a little bogged down in details about all her various gigs, but for the most the book moved quickly. She begins with her multi-racial family living thru segregation. She goes on to tell stories about how her carreer evolved, her brush with gangsters running the entertainment industry, her relationship with Gene Roddenbery, how insensitive Bill Shatner was to his cast mates, and by contrast, how egalitarian Leonard Nimoy was, and about her work with NASA recruiting astronauts. There are many, many fascinating stories in this book.



4. I just came from reviewing Walter Koenig's book and I'd like to take the chance to review Nichelle's book. Nichelle's is the 2nd ST book I've read this week.

   I liked Uhura on Star Trek, but after reading Nichelle's book I admire her even more. Nichelle is a brave woman and she had to put up with a bunch of [stuff] to get where she did. If you read her book, you'll see she met a few people that made racial comments to her and treated her badly because of her skin color. I don't know Nichelle, but I must say that I admire her bravery to put up with some of the stuff she had to put up with.

   Let me move onto her Star Trek days. I was entertained by the chapters talking about Star Trek. Like Walter Koenig's book, she didn't really talk about the issues with William Shatner. She skimmed the surface, but then I reach the end of the book where Bill wants to interview her for his Star Trek Memories book. She did sound upset that William betrayed her trust, but she didn't spend the whole book dissing him. It's just my guess, but I get the feeling when I read James Doohan's book that's when I'll see the dissing start. I like every Star Trek cast member, including Bill Shatner and I'm still going to like every member whether or not Bill did have a chip on his shoulder.

   Anyway, Nichelle's book is def. worth a read.




5. Hi ... as if my Review Title isn't "controversial" enough. Might I first note, with sick fascination, the overwhelming majority of occasions on which We Of Varied "Colors" wildly [ and customarily, VIOLENTLY ] flail away at each other ? Ruefully, therefore, even when Gayle Sayer's beautiful autobiography, I Am Third, was *not* out-of-print, hardly ANYbody, Black -or- White, decided it worth the time to read, among other chapters, Gayle's summary of his friendship with Brian Piccolo entitled "Pick." As my segue into some brief remarks on Nichelle Nichols autobiography, Beyond Uhura, might I specify: look to a verse in the Beautiful Beatles song "A Day In The Life" wherein Paul McCartney, I believe, sings "The Crowd of People turned *away* ... BUT I just *had* to look ... having Read the book." That's what I think, and feel, about Ms. Nichols splendid autobiography. What a wonderful Lady, and how very gracious, talented, lovely (in AND out), non-bigoted, non-judgemental, and holy she is ! Her autobiography is an invaluable, indispensable read for we who vituperously segment ourselves into separate "Races" ( check out the Graham Nash song, if you will, titled "There's Only One" ) and stick hurtful, derogatory LABELS upon anyone but OURSELVES. Nichelle, like Gayle, simply tells us the TRUTH, and like Mr. Sayers, Nichelle relates Truth to us like the genuine, loving Christian she is !!

No comments about Reflections of a Neoconservative.

1 comments about A Pilgrim Pope.

1. Pope John Paul II is the most widely traveled Pope, who redefined the role of Papacy through his pilgrimages far and wide. Within a few years of his election to the Papacy, his apostolic zeal took him to every continent with the Christian message of joy and hope. This book, "A Pilgrim Pope", is a collection of the Pope's messages given out to peoples of various cultures during the course of his travels beginning in Poland in 1979, up to Romania in 1999. Cardinal Achille Silvestrini who was the Prefect of the Congregation for the Oriental Churches, has edited this collection, giving a valuable introduction to each message from the point of view of the context and the relevance of the message. But the message itself is in the form of excerpts from the Pope's speeches. Cardinal Pio Laghi has written a forward to this collection. This book, as a whole captures the man and mission of this pilgrim Pope.