5 comments about In Search of Stones: A Pilgrimage of Faith, Reason, And Discovery.

1. This is a book I kept to myself and did not pass on, since I want to read it again in time. Satisfying, on a general enough plain of consciousness that I appreciated the insight much. The author and his wife have quite the trip and tell it honestly, even of the bad hotels they stayed in...



2. I read this book because I have an interest in prehistoric sites and wondered what a famous self help guru might have to say about them. I looked forward to a spiritual discussion of these ancient, enigmatic monuments. Unfortunately the book turned out to be more about Mr Peck and less about megaliths. If your idea of fun is reading a long list of complaints about food, hotels and the lack of refuse bins in train stations etc then this is the book for you. His views on Britain are a continual whine about how it is "not like home". When not complaining about breakfasts, the author indulges in long, self indulgent monologues about his family, beliefs, infidelities and smoking. Honest maybe but I ended up feeling very little sympathy for him. When we do get round to talking about prehistoric sites his "insights" are questionable to say the least. I can understand how someone can wax lyrical about a little known dolmen in a field, after all beauty is in the eye of the beholder. However his dismissal of the dramatic and beautiful Pentre Ifan left me speechless. If you want to visit prehistoric sites in Britain please don't use this book as a guide or you will end up missing some truly beautiful places. Just to set the record straight the reason that there weren't any bins in the station is because at the time of his visit, terrorists were planting bombs in them. If the author had stopped complaining for a few minutes he may have found this out for himself.



3. Appalling - I only kept reading because I just couldn't believe it was going to be so bad all the way through! Just a list of complaints about food, hotels, everything he encountered, from London and Cardiff to the Isle of Mull in Scotland. Basically, for him, nothing is as good as America so it would have been better if he'd just stayed home. Also, there are several mistakes, particularly in his use of Welsh. Why didn't he do some proper research? And who needs to know about his medical problems or all the affairs he used to have (because he got bored with his wife early in their marriage). This poor woman was still being dragged around with him to see the few stones he got around to mentioning, all those years later. I read up to the bit about how this ego-on-legs felt he was being used as an instrument of God and that was it - I couldn't stomach any more. (Try Julian Cope's "The Modern Antiquarian" instead if you are interested in standing stones with some legends thrown in. It's a wonderful book written by a truly sensitive and INTERESTED author.)



4. As advertised on the cover of this book, anachronistic me-generation guru Peck and his wife Lily set off on a tour of Britain's legendary stone circles, right? Wrong. Peck and Lily do visit some circle sites but this book is about 1% stone circles and 99% Peck going on and on and on and on and on and on about himself, his life, his beliefs, his personal health, and why faithful Lily forgave him for all the pain his freewheeling, skirtchasing lifestyle as one of the "it" crowd of the '60's and '70's self-discovery movement caused her. This is not about Britain's heritage sites, or even about self-help, it's about Peck patting Peck on the back for being such a smart fella. A bad book without any redeeming qualities. A waste of money and time. Oh, and Dr. Peck, Scotland is not, as you claim, "larger than all the rest of the United Kingdom combined." Jeesh.



5. I think Dr. Peck is quite a smart man with many interesting, relevant things to say. That said, I also think that if I met him in person I might not like him very much. Just a hunch. Does this have anything to do with the book? Yeah, of course. Because this is his PERSONAL book. It's not like "The Road Less Traveled," where he is mainly focusing in on case histories and using them as a starting point to Illustrate Great Truths About the World, this is the book where he launches his Understanding About the Universe from his personal life. Since they came non-stop, I found his egotism and uncaring attitude to those around him a bit aggravating. As I struggled through the book--I struggled through because in spite of his faults still Dr. Peck had some true gems to offer--I felt like I was encaged in a closet with my least-favorite uncle, being preached at all the time by a man who can't manage his personal life.
   
   The main fault I find with him is that he offers his personal observations as Fact. And if anyone doesn't agree with what he says, well, let God protect them, because he has some mean things to say. He may even call them Evil or Possessed.
   
   And he has a way of rationalizing everything he does himself while being extremely harsh on other people. I especially found his diatribe on his wife's depression very, very annoying. He makes it sound as though this woman intentionally chose to be depressed and ruin his life thereby. (Oh, did I mention that Dr. Peck is very big on Choice? Not that I'm one for lazy, irresponsible people, but Dr. Peck is just over the edge. In his book on exorcism, he says that a girl was possessed because she was sexually abused and then chose to repress that memory--because she chose not to see the truth, that she'd been raped horribly, she was possessed by Ultimate Evil.) I can cite a few possible reasons for her depression; one, Dr. Peck continually having extra-marital affairs, and not owning up to the wrong he did, and even using the book to justify his actions; two, Ms. Peck having grown up in another country, Singapore, and being of non-white descent, suffering cultural shock and living in a sometimes racist country; three, the fact her husband didn't have much to do with their children... I mean, those things seem possible, don't they? I'm not saying I KNOW the Why's, even if those things are true there are bound to be many other factors--I'm just saying, I don't understand how he can be so glib and judgmental. He has, as he states himself, led a pretty sheltered, easy life as a WASP born into a very rich family. Now people with such backgrounds have their pains and vicissitudes too, I know, but if I were him I would pause a moment before judging people not like him so quickly and with such an uncaring attitude, people who haven't had all the advantages he has had.
   
   Ah, Peck has a reason for everything. Why does he smoke? Well, this Prophet of Integration will tell you that it's because of a myriad of reasons; his biological makeup, his childhood, his job, blah blah blah. Why did he become an adulterer for so many years? Well, his biological makeup, together with his childhood, and blah blah blah... This is a psychiatrist who has many interesting insights to offer about other people, often quick to criticize; truly, we all have planks in our eyes when it comes to looking at ourself.
   
   He becomes angry at his children at one point, at how distant and angry they are. I felt sorry for him, but he just kept on justifying himself, how he hadn't exactly been the best of parents but that was because blah blah blah... Maybe, Peck, that has something to do with why they're angry. If you never say Sorry, people are bound to be angry sometimes. Sometimes the best thing to do is shut up about how right you are and just say 'forgive me.'
   
   And his views on racism? Quite glib. Barely mentions it, in fact. Interesting, since his wife is Asian and his children are half non-white. In one of his books, he brings up the case of an African-American woman who feels weighed down with responsibility for representing her race. He tells us that a man in her community-group thing wrote her a note saying "Don't worry so much about it, that's my job. --God." And then he and Dr. Peck hugged the woman. He then joyfully about how they did the right thing and how glad he is that the woman will now have a more balanced view of things. I'm sure the woman was over-joyed. It's true that now and then we need to take a lighter view on things, and smile now and then, but racism IS a real problem. That glib approach to such a huge, damaging issue was just not thoughtful and irresponsible. Like many of his other opinions, it was too pat and self-centered. Racism is, for many of us, an on-going, never ending issue that we have to confront all our lives. It is a BIG issue. You don't just learn to deal with discrimination by tossing your head and smiling a big smile.
   
   I just don't feel like reading anything more by Peck. If I need Insight and Relevations, I'll go to another writer. I just can't swallow any more hypocritical preaching by a man who sees the world from such a self-centered, smugly assured view. I don't need any more of this pontification. Despite all his assurances that he has "overcome" mainstream and that he's quite "above" culture, he isn't. Maybe he ain't standard American-white-male-fare, not quite, but he has his cultural prejudices and biases. His continual hyping of himself as a guru above the culture he was born into is simply not true and it's just so arrogant. It's also damaging, because by that image, he's selling his personal opinions and observations as Fact and Spiritual Truth, irreproachable by anyone.
   
   And oh, I know that Peck ain't gonna read this review or anything, but I'm sure that if he'd have lots of rebuttals ready about how much my dislike of his work or him has to do with my original sin, my lazyness, my genetic makeup, my childhood hurts, my smoking or non-smoking habits, my intellectual deficits and political beliefs. He'll probably say that I've recognized the inherent truthfulness in his words and my unconscious is reacting to hide myself from this damaging truth (wake up, Peck, Freud and penis-envy are out, dead, irrelevant.) Maybe he'll even say that I'm Evil because of it.
   
   Yeah, whatever.

5 comments about The Perfect Prince: The Mystery of Perkin Warbeck and His Quest for the Throne of England.

1. This is an extremely well-researched, well-written biography of an intriguing young man who may have been the rightful King of England. I give Wroe full marks for her fascinating, open-minded portrayal of a confusing and turbulent period of history that in other hands has often been handled so poorly that it's impossible to follow. Her work is highly readable, and her research is original, cutting-edge, nsightful and thought-provoking. If a reader is really interested in this period, then Ann Wroe's book must not be missed.



2. When I first saw the synopsis of this book, I was very excited. The mystery of Perkin Warbeck (was he or wasn't he the younger of the Princes in the Tower?) has one that has always intrigued me. Besides, being a staunch Ricardian who firmly believes that Richard III is innocent of his nephews's murder, I thought to myself, if there's even a possibility that Perkin WAS Richard, Duke of York, then it goes to prove that the Princes in the Tower were not murdered at all, by their wicked uncle or anyone else (theories abound on who that someone else may have been, or if there ever was a double murder).
   
   On that last point I very quickly found out that Ms. Wroe thinks no such thing. In the first pages she describes Richard III as having been cut down "like a dog" (when in reality he fought bravely against overwhelming odds due to great treason, and his death caused a "great heaviness" in York and the North). That was the first disappointment. Still, it was moot to the story of Perkin himself, so I ploughed on.
   
   Well, you do need to hang in there tight, the book is overlong and overladen with totally irrelevant details (who cares about trade between Senegal, Portugal and Spain, what does the Aeneid have to do with the story, why spend so much time on Margaret Duchess of Burgundy's illuminated Book of Hours and her "visions", etc.?). When it does come to Perkin Warbeck himself, the narrative is thoroughly confusing. It takes some mental gymnastics to keep it all straight, between the boatman's son, the boy who was Brampton's attendant, the Prince who showed up in several royal courts of Europe, and who did what to him when. Same goes for his wanderings before he gets to Scotland. The narrative just doesn't flow. The sheer dryness of the writing, the contrived prose, the irrelevancies and the confusion make for the other disappointments.
   
   The only (almost) straight piece of narrative is when "Richard, Duke of York" does try to invade England after having married one of the King of Scots' kinswomen, up to his capture and "confession". Here I have another bone to pick. Ms. Wroe's contends that, since this confession was made just before he died, it must be true. I don't see the logic of that. Being tried as a commoner, he was probably "coerced" (to put it mildly) into confessing to almost anything. Bertram Fields, in his book "Royal Blood", devotes a chapter to Yorkist pretenders who tried to overthrow Henry VII, in which he casts serious doubts about Warbeck's confession and points out some inconsistencies that might impugn its reliability.
   
   Well, I give the book 3 stars simply as a reward for so much painstaking research. It's a pity that, so as not to have her time and effort wasted, Ms. Wroe crams all the results of that research, relevant or not, into her book, making it unwieldy, hard to follow, and a very dry read. The stars also go to having tackled an obscure historical figure and tried to shed some light in a 500-year-old mystery.
   
   If you're a history buff and are interested in the small footnotes of history, by all means read the book. If your interest is more in history-as-entertainment and an easy read, seek elsewhere. There are other non-fiction books on the period that are a lot more digestible.



3. I found the Perfect Prince to be a well written and superbly research book on Perkin Warbeck affair that plagued King Henry VII of England duirng the last decade of the 15th century. The research goes deeply into this blond pretender who claims to be Richard, Duke of York who somehow survived his days in the Tower of London while his older brother was murdered. The level of deception proves to be so great that many great monarchs of Europe gave their support of him and many English men great or small gave their support as well as their lives for him.
   
   Ann Wroe investigates this interesting sideshow of European history, trying to determined the true nature of this blond fellow who fooled so many, often with their lives and his origins. The study of motivation of Perkin Warbeck, aka: Ricahrd, Duke of York proves to be an interesting and indepth look. One of the important side subjects of this book remains the fate of the princes of the tower, a subject that continued to interest many during the last decade of the 15th century as well as up to the 21st century.
   
   If there was a weakness in this book, I believed it had a lot to do with the fact that the book was over written. Too many petty details were brought out in the book, too tedious at times in some sections. I thought the book could have been edited more tightly.
   
   Still, this book proves to be an interesting read although it tailored to a specific subject matter. Anyone who got any interest in the fate of the Princes in the Tower should read this book. Of course, Henry VII make a dour subject matter but this booka also reflects upon his rule as well.



4. I am a history buff and an avid reader of anything written about the Wars of the Roses, and in particular, anything written about Richard III and the mystery of the Princes in the Tower. This book, however, was hard to finish. The narrative style is so rambling and incoherent that it is difficult to follow. Facts, dates, and quotes are muddled, sentance structure is meandering and the author never seems able to make a point. How this book got past a copy editor, I'll never figure out.



5. If you like real mysteries and have a taste for all the problematical aspects of real history and research, this is an incredible, masterful book. It is one of the most satisfying books I have ever read - satisfying on many levels and in many ways.
   
   I am surprised by some of the negative reviews. Obviously, there are people who did not read the book with suffient care and attention. For example, to quote Wroe on Perkin's final confession, as if this is her last word, is to show a woeful understanding of her style and the way the book works. This is not a short book, but it is a truly fine book. If you liked Barbara Tuchman's _A Distant Mirror_, you will love this tale as it is better written, more complex and mysterious, and about a historically more significant person.

1 comments about Martin Luther King: A Concise Biography (Pocket Biographies).

1. Harry Harmer achieves a great deal in a short space, covering the life of Martin Luther King largely by headline and the well known events of the day. The reading style of the narrator is very acceptable but not up to the standard of a professional actor. Harmer's style is factual and concise, and gives a coherent overview and analysis of King's driving religous philosophy and practical politics. Much background detail and human interest element is necessarily ommitted, but the overall effect is brisk and not too dry. King's one-line critique of Marxism is quoted to great effect. Harmer shows that King acheived the near-impossible - a radical, and radically effective, moderate political position which harnessed wide support and led to massive lasting social change for good. The proof of his rightness is strangely most evident in the opposition that King received. Neither the extreme Black Power groups who advocated violence, or the spineless wet appeasers who protested that he should temper his words and stick to preaching, came near to harnessing the lasting, positive, and effectual driving force for social justice that King did. Harmer maintains considerable objectivity throughout, and that in an area that arouses violent passion and debate to this day. He is not afraid to tackle the actions of the iniquitous vested interests of the day, for instance the role of the FBI, top politicians, and powerful white businessmen. This is a highly commendable introduction to the life and works of Martin Luther King.

No comments about Backstairs Life in a Country House (Reminiscence).

3 comments about Honest.

1. Ulrika Jonsson is one of those celebrities mainly known on her own territory -- namely, the U.K. That gives American readers of her autobiography, "Honest," a chance to take her as she is, without tabloids and rumors tainting it. Unfortunately, "Honest" as she is, the portrait she paints is not flattering at all.
   
   She was born into a troubled Swedish family that disintegrated, mainly because of her father's philandering -- a trait that she began copying when she got married. Though her husband forgave her, and they soon had a son, Ulrika dumped him in favor of a muscle-bound Gladiator.
   
   As this was going on, Ulrika's star was rising in the world, resulting in a weathergirl job, commercials, hostings and her own show. But she was in a series of bad relationships, with a crazed footballer, a cold-hearted German, and Britain's most famous coach. Then she found that her unborn daughter Bo had a serious heart defect that might kill her.
   
   The final eighth of the book is perhaps the most compelling -- Ulrika struggling to be a single mom, without emotional support, while her daughter is undergoing one surgery after another. Despite the lackluster prose of her biography, it's a moving story that gives the heartstrings a little tug.
   
   Unfortunately, the decisions that led her to that problem make Ulrika look dim and selfish. She apparently believes any absurd story she's told, such as "my ex-girlfriend lives with me, but only to houseclean." And it's hard to sympathize with her string of disastrous relationships, when she dumped a sweet, tender, loving Mr. Right so she could play the field with Bad Boys. Ulrika repeatedly tries to justify her infidelity by claiming that she couldn't help it -- that it was inevitable. Uh-huh, sure.
   
   Ulrika also has the disturbing tendency to dehumanize anyone she doesn't like -- she refers to an abusive ex as "Mr. C" for a long while, and later disdainfully refers to her lover Sven's girlfriend as "the Italian." Not her name, Nancy Dell'Olio. "The Italian," like a character from a bad gothic novel.
   
   On the flip side, she seems to retain a bizarre adoration for her abusive ex-boyfriends, including one who kicked her in the head, and another who abandoned her with a newborn baby. Additionally, there's a near-obsession with her children. At one point, she flips out because she might have to spend a week or two away from her son.
   
   While the story about her critically ill daughter is a winner, the rest of Ulrika's story is a string of grating affairs -- affairs that a smarter woman would have avoided. "Honest" makes Ulrika seem like a real person... but sadly, it's a shallow person with no backbone and poor taste in men.



2. Ulrika Jonsson is one of those celebrities mainly known on her own territory -- namely, the U.K. That gives American readers of her autobiography, "Honest," a chance to take her as she is, without tabloids and rumors tainting it. Unfortunately, "Honest" as she is, the portrait she paints is not flattering at all.
   
   She was born into a troubled Swedish family that disintegrated, mainly because of her father's philandering -- a trait that she began copying when she got married. Though her husband forgave her, and they soon had a son, Ulrika dumped him in favor of a muscle-bound Gladiator.
   
   As this was going on, Ulrika's star was rising in the world, resulting in a weathergirl job, commercials, hostings and her own show. But she was in a series of bad relationships, with a crazed footballer, a cold-hearted German, and Britain's most famous coach. Then she found that her unborn daughter Bo had a serious heart defect that might kill her.
   
   The final eighth of the book is perhaps the most compelling -- Ulrika struggling to be a single mom, without emotional support, while her daughter is undergoing one surgery after another. Despite the lackluster prose of her biography, it's a moving story that gives the heartstrings a little tug.
   
   Unfortunately, the decisions that led her to that problem make Ulrika look dim and selfish. She apparently believes any absurd story she's told, such as "my ex-girlfriend lives with me, but only to houseclean." And it's hard to sympathize with her string of disastrous relationships, when she dumped a sweet, tender, loving Mr. Right so she could play the field with Bad Boys. Ulrika repeatedly tries to justify her infidelity by claiming that she couldn't help it -- that it was inevitable. Uh-huh, sure.
   
   Ulrika also has the disturbing tendency to dehumanize anyone she doesn't like -- she refers to an abusive ex as "Mr. C" for a long while, and later disdainfully refers to her lover Sven's girlfriend as "the Italian." Not her name, Nancy Dell'Olio. "The Italian," like a character from a bad gothic novel.
   
   On the flip side, she seems to retain a bizarre adoration for her abusive ex-boyfriends, including one who kicked her in the head, and another who abandoned her with a newborn baby. Additionally, there's a near-obsession with her children. At one point, she flips out because she might have to spend a week or two away from her son.
   
   While the story about her critically ill daughter is a winner, the rest of Ulrika's story is a string of grating affairs -- affairs that a smarter woman would have avoided. "Honest" makes Ulrika seem like a real person... but sadly, it's a shallow person with no backbone and poor taste in men.



3. I enjoyed learning about her life, what her side of many press stories were. She is a beautiful woman, but that has haunted her when it comes to men taking advantage of her. She comes across as being a sad woman, who deep down just wants to be loved and cared for.
   
   I enjoyed this book a lot

No comments about Johnny Herbert (Grand Prix Heroes).

5 comments about Riding in Cars With Boys: Confessions of a Bad Girl Who Makes Good.

1. I agree with a previous reviewer. This book -- like many books these days -- could have used a few more drafts. I expected more from Beverly D'Onofrio ... and I really wanted to like this book. I grew up near D'Onofrio around the same time. So, I enjoyed reading about that time and place. But Ms. D'Onofrio could have gone deeper. She wrote about all her wildness, drinking, drug abuse. But what got her out of all that? Just going to college? Just growing up? I wanted more. Plus, I didn't think the writing was very good.
   
   I think part of the problem with a lot of books these days is that publishing houses don't have the staff they used to. So, writers really do not get edited like they used to. Books are being released when really they could use two or three (or more) drafts.



2. Riding in Cars with Boys is a great, easy and fun read. Beverly Donofrio really captures what its like to be in a "bad" situation. Her teen pregnancy, teen marriage, and teen divorce really make you think about your life and how tough it actually could be. What was thought to be her worst mistake (her son), ended up being the best. This book really touches you with humor, sadness, and reality. The ending really gives you hope that you can do whatever you want in life, and there really is nothing that can stop you! This really is a great book!



3. Let me first say that I think the author has a compelling story and potential as a writer, but she does not do her own story justice. Since Ms Donofrio has an MFA in creative writing from a top school, I expected a more polished book, instead I found myself wishing that she had slowed down and written a few more drafts and added a round or two of copyediting before releasing this book.
   
   Aside from the many technical missteps, what bothered me the most was the author's apparent lack of insight about her own actions and motivation, which is an important part of autobiography. She portrays herself as an anti-authoritarian pleasure-seeker with no deep or complex feelings for anyone, including herself. We never get to see her learn from her mistakes or grow emotionally.
   
   Apparently trying to place some blame for her many troubles, the author takes a couple vague and random potshots at her family (especially her brother and father) but is unconvincing because her characterizations of her family are too shallow (father - cop; brother - cop; mother - housewife; sisters - who knows?) Taking some time to show more of the interaction between the family members would have helped to reveal the deep family dynamics and add weight to her story.
   
   I was particularly bothered by her depiction of her relationship with her son, which in the first several years bordered on neglectful, and later seemed overly codependent. She says at one point that this is because she was so young when she gave birth (although 18 is not that young) and that they were "children" together. It doesn't seem as though she had any perspective on her role as a mother.
   
   Instead, what I read was the chaotic story of an angry, rebellious teenager and promiscuous, irresponsible young mother who gets a chance to attend two prestigious universities, but continues to have self-destructive tendencies and no understanding of herself. At the end of this litany of troubles, she congratulates herself on the fact that she obtained two college degrees and managed to get her son off to college. End of story.
   
   At least, that's all her book tells us. Did she ever find peace within herself? Does she understand who she is and why her life turned out the way it did? Does she have hopes and plans for the future? I would like to have known more and I'm sure there IS more to her story. The author was unafraid of revealing her youthful excesses and calamities; but it takes more than raw bravado to tell the more revealing story that unfolds in the heart. Who knows, maybe a few years down the road, Ms Donofrio, having honed her writing skills and learned to understand herself better, will come out with a sequel that will be more developed and insightful, and thus more satisfying to read.



4. This is a great book! An easy, entertaining read. My mistake was reading in bed at night, ending up staying up way too late!
   
   The author puts her readers in the "cars" with her as she tell about her life.
   
   It is a terrific read!



5. This was probably one of the best stories for women, I have ever read. I don't think there is a woman out there who couldn't relate to what this girl/woman went through in her life. The way this woman pursued her dreams no matter what life dished out to her. How she came to realize the things she was doing wrong without someone constantly telling her, even though they did, and how she took credit for the things she did right. Fantastic read!

2 comments about Debbie: My Life/2 Audio Cassettes.

1. Debbie brings you right into her life. You are there with her every step of the way. I have read the book and listened to the tapes several times and enjoy it each time.



2. i just listened to this audio book ......what a pure pleasure! debbie has a knack of drawing you vivid pictures ..with her words..of just how it is to live her life......the hours pass in no time as you listen to her story..of her life with her family, career, loves and losses...she is a joy to listen to......once again i say BRAVO DEBBIE.

3 comments about An Easy Burden: The Civil Movement and the Transformation of America.

1. Heard AN EASY BURDEN, written and read by Andrew Young--an
   early adviser and colleague of Martin Luther King who went
   to become the U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations,
   among other things.
   
   The book provides a stirring account of the civil rights movement,
   starting in the 1950s . . . it got me thinking about the role not only
   played by both King and Young, but by many other leaders of the
   time . . . in addition, it gave me a different perspective on how hard
   this must have been; i.e., to fight for change without being violent.
   
   The author is quite candid in his views . . . just has been the case
   throughout his life, he is not afraid to mince words (or opinions)
   and while some may disagree with what he says or the way he says
   it, you will gain an increasing respect for the man if you read AN
   EASY BURDEN.
   
   I especially enjoyed the ending:
   Everything I know now convinces me that the struggle to eliminate
   racism, war and poverty is a burden, but in America, with all the
   freedom and opportunity afforded us under our constitution--in the
   most productive society in human history--it is an easy burden if
   we undertake it together.



2. An Uneasy Burden is a wonderful read. One major reason is that this autobiography is not about self praise or telling a one dimensional story. I usually do not care for most autobiographies. Young is very honest and candid, often critical of himself and some events or occurences within the Civil Rights Movement.
   
   I really liked the spiritual themes that were so present within this book, "My Yoke is easy and my burden is light," and "For unto whomsoever much is given of them much will be required." If you are searching for purpose and growth within your life I highly reccomend this account from Young. This book made me think long and hard about what direction and what I can do for others who are in need or are hurting.
   
   One of the most interesting things is Young's dramatic account of the march in St. Augustine and Selma. I do not agree with all of Young's politics but I have really found him to be an inspirational and genuine person. Andrew Young was a man searching for purpose, and he found purpose in life. He has a lot of spiritual insight and delivers it in an authentic narrative.



3. Andrew Young, former mayor of Atlanta and official in the Carter White House, details his time as an assistant to Martin Luther King Jr. in this work. After some semi-interesting biographical background, we get a good view of the inside of the civil rights movement. Young shows all the conflicts within the movement and the spiritual values that kept it going in face of adversity. A very fine work on the topic for those of us who were not alive during the movement and also showing how hard it truly was on those involved. It truly made me realize how difficult it is to stand up peacefully when met with violence and oppression - numerous times I thought how poorly I would have reacted to such violence. For those who call King soft, nonintellectual, conformist, attention-seeking or weak, this book should dispel those myths.

No comments about The Audiobiography of Benjamin Franklin.