5 comments about To See You Again.

1. An avid reader of historical fiction and non-fiction, especially pertaining to the Holocaust, I found Betty Schimmel's story to be a strong, engaging read. The story of her survival in a concentration camp as a teenager is nothing short of miraculous, as well as the way she rebuilt her life in the years following the war's end.
   
   However, the one thing I *didn't* care for was Schimmel's romance with Richie Kovacs -- the key plot description on the back cover and the situation referenced by the title. Essentially, Richie is young Betty's first love. The two meet when she is only twelve, and their relationship intensifies by the time she is 14. When wartime relocation of Jews caused the couple to become separated, Richie is the only thing that keeps the traumatized Betty going. If only they could find one another, she believes, they'll have their storybook wedding and live happily ever after.
   
   Soon after the war's end, Betty meets Otto Schimmel, another young Holocaust survivor who begs her to marry him. She agrees -- largely because her family adores him, and she believes Richie is dead.
   
   As the years pass, Schimmel remains emotionally withdrawn from the marriage. Her husband slaves away, working endless hours trying to earn enough money to give her and the children a good life, but Schimmel seems to act like she's doing him some kind of favor by sticking around. Otto Schimmel is not Richie Kovacs and never could be, so obviously he's not worth any love or affection.
   
   Eventually, Schimmel does realize that her relationship with Richie is in the past, and that she has a good man in Otto. But overall, her "reminiscing" about Richie tends to take on the feel of sappy teenager, not really looking at reality. Perhaps Richie Kovacs was indeed Betty's "one true love"; or, more realistically, she simply idealized him, because he symbolized the happy life that was so horribly snatched away from her.
   
   Regardless, Schimmel's memoir *is* written in a strong, clear voice, and is truly a story readers are bound to remember for years to come. It would just be much better without focusing upon the Richie angle so much.



2. I have never ever read a book that touched my life like this one, I read this over 12 months ago now and it still has a place in my heart, I wanted the end to be different but I could understand why she did what she did, loved it that much, I am going to visit the area, to anyone thinking about reading this, don't think no more, it is the best book you'll ever read.
   
   Love Amanda



3. What an amazing true story. Incredible, I could not believe how Betty's life has unfolded. I truly great story to read and I highly recommend it.



4. I have read most of this book and it is amazing! Before i read or even heard about this story i met otto and Betty. Their stories are truly amazing and i believe it is wonderful that they are sharing with the future.



5. I am a high-school student in Arizona. We had to read this book for school, and the Schimmels came to our class to talk about their experiences as Holocaust survivors.
   I didn't really care that much about the Richie love story once I met them in person. Mr. & Mrs. Schimmel are people devoted to each other and, no matter how it happened, found an incredible love story of their own. I hope someday to have a relationship like theirs is now.
   Their survival really made a difference to the world, since they are here to tell their story. There are a lot of people my age that think the Holocaust never happened. I know it did because I met people who lived through it and spend all their time telling students about the war. It was really touching, and a lot of us were crying hearing about all the terrible things that happened to them and we were all thinking about how we might have been in the same situation.
   I guess the best part of the book is what people will do to survive, but the really cool thing is that Betty took the time to write it and tell everyone about her story.

2 comments about The Best of NPR : Biography and Autobiography.

1. I too was fool. This is NOT recordings of Richard Feynman and it is not BY Richard Feynamn. This is simply an NPR interview of the guy that wrote the book ABOUT Richard Feynman.

   However, it is basically another tape of high quality NPR interviewing. ... and I have read many great books, simply because I heard about them first on an NPR interview.




2. Like all NPR programs, count on high quality entertainment when listening to this tape. Yet do not be mislead, these are recordings of the biographers, not of the famous subjects on whom they focused. (This is NOT "on" nor "by" Richard Feynman as one could have misunderstood.)

5 comments about Angela's Ashes (AUDIO CASSETTE).

1. Was a gift for my daughter who rarely reads and she loves it. Read it through in a couple of days.



2. I though Angela's Ashes was a good memoir of a family during World War II. My favorite character was Frank because it was fun to see him grow up, and see how he changed over the course of this book. I thought that Angela did as much as she could to try and get her family through World War II, and I thought she did a good job, considering the help she was receiving. My least favorite character was Malachy. Malachy was always drunk, and he would always waste away the family's money. I felt that he only thought about himself. Unfortunately, most people who are addicted to drugs only think out for themselves, because all they are thinking of is getting drugs for them. I would definitely recommend this book, and give it four stars. I would recommend Angela's Ashes to high school students because it does cover a serious issue and the humor might not be appropriate for younger students. Overall I think the book is a winner!



3. A great read of mind candy and truth. Mr McCourt has great courage in telling all of the embarasing and private moments of his adolescence. The same types of things that happened to many of us but we'll never disclose.
   READ THIS BOOK. I could not put it down and read it in one evening and then went out and bought the 2 sequals Tis and Teacher Man and could not put them down either.



4. For some reason, and I don't know why, I had it in my head that Angela's Ashes was about Frank McCourt and his brothers returning to Ireland as adults and fumbling about as they tried to decide how to dispose of their cremated mother's ashes.
   
   It's not.
   
   Angela's Ashes is actually a memoir essentially detailing Frank McCourt's life from the age of three through nineteen.
   
   Born into a life of poverty, McCourt's immigrant parents decide to return to Ireland. Unfortunately, conditions are actually worse for them in Ireland. Add to the equation that McCourt's father is an alcoholic who thinks nothing of drinking away what little money they come across while his family starves ... well, the book gets more than a little depressing.
   
   And that's the real magic of McCourt's writing. For as awful as things are (and they get pretty awful), McCourt's wicked sense of humor has you laughing at things that shouldn't be the least bit funny. I actually felt guilty at times as I couldn't help but chuckle at McCourt's description or use of dialogue.
   
   Make no mistake, however, like in his memoir Teacher Man, McCourt does not try to deceive us into thinking he's the hero of the story. He's tough on everyone, but he's toughest on himself. He reports to us misdeeds and lewd thoughts that most of us would never dream of sharing, and that sort of honesty is quite refreshing.
   
   Though funny, the book was also so disturbing (especially McCourt's father) that I really wanted to get through it as fast as I could. I absolutely appreciate both McCourt's humor and charismatic writing, but I won't lie to you and say this was one of my favorite reads. But, life is hard and disturbing for many people, and my perspective of the world improved thanks to the Pulitzer Prize winning Angela's Ashes.
   
   ~Scott William Foley, author of Souls Triumphant



5. Angela's Ashes is a heartbreaking story about growing up desperately poor. It is a story about the underside of Irish Catholicism. It is a story of growing up in a totally dysfunctional family. It is an easy read and captures the reader.
   
   I question the validity of this as a memoir. It seems too harsh and too detailed on early life experiences. How much of this memoir consist of family stories that have been filtered by numerous retellings? How much of is diatribe against the English and organized religion? We will never know, but his seems to be the case.
   
   The book is a good and worthwhile read, but I really did not feel that it is too slanted by political correctness.

5 comments about His Excellency: George Washington.

1. There are many review about this book so I will not go into a lot of detail.
   First I will talk about the narration. One reviewer was very critical. He said the pace was very slow. I liked the pace and the reader has a very clear voice. The other review also mention he could hear the readers stomach or something. There are places like on the third disk where the reader takes long pauses after a paragraph and you can hear distracting noises. I think it is the reader trying to swallow or bring moisture to his mouth. I don't think it is his stomach.
   I do think Ellis had an agenda and stuck to it, sometimes in spite of the facts. Ellis tries hard to bring Washington down from the God like status he believes many hold of Washington.
   Ellis tries claims that Washington was in love with a married woman, Mary Fairfax, just before marrying Martha. He states the evidence for this is just in three letters that aren't very clear. Yet he claims anyone disagreeing with his conclusion most have had their minds alreay made up.
   Ellis criticizes the plans British leaders made in the Braddock incident. He justifies this because they made these plans without knowledge of the Ohio region. Yet when Washington does the samething later on it is evidence of a personality flaw. "Washington felt he was superior to his superiors." Washington had first hand experience, that almost took his life and did take the life of many close to him. I think he should be given a little more credit than Ellis does.
   Overall, however, I think Ellis did a good job. Ellis is human and I disagree with some of his conclusions. Readers need to realize historical writers are not divinely inspired and therefore are not free from error. Ellis did a good job in presenting the details and I just did not always agree with his conclusions.
   Ellis also had an objective. He wanted to demonstrate how Washington became the man that others would choose over what seemed like more qualified men like Jefferson, Franklin, Adams, and other to be our first president. He also wants to keep his work at a reasonable lenght.



2. I was very disappointed with the disrespect shown toward George Washington. If you remove the negative comments made by Ellis about Washington, the book would be shortened by one half. Throughout the book he makes accusations about Washington's motives. According to Ellis, almost every decision that Washington made was based on some sort of arrogance, pride or self-esteem issue. And all of this coming from a man who lied about his own past and was severely reprimanded by his employer. Washington was beloved in his own time and now. I certainly understand that people have their flaws...and Washington was no exception. In the final analysis, this was a slander of Washington's character - I would definitely not recommend this book.



3. My only real gripe about this book is that it was too short. Because Ellis has such an ability to produce readable history books, I believe a 700-page book on Washington would have been more valuable and not been too bogged down in detail. In fact, there is so much about the American Revolution that is not discussed in this book. That was a bit disappointing.
   
   On the positive side, it's a very quick read and informative. I learned a great deal about Washington's temperament and his relative sensitivity to criticism, which surprised me. The book was naturally pro-Washington, not that anyone could really justify an anti-Washington stance. Ellis gives Washington perhaps too much credit for liberating his slaves in his will; Washington could have made a greater impact by freeing them while he was alive. Regardless, this is a great book for someone with minimal history background because it's short and easy to follow.



4. "His Excellency: George Washington" by Joseph Ellis is a brief but illuminating view of founding father and first president, George Washington. It briefly tells about what little is known of his boyhood, and then quickly moves on to his first public adventures in The French and Indian War. Mr. Ellis follows Washington from his first retirement after that war to Mount Vernon, Washington's pride and joy. From there his frustration with British authority (specifically in commerce) is followed to it's conclusion by his part in the American Revolution. Washington then tries to retire again, but is called back into service (very grudgingly) as the new republic's first president.
   
   If there was anyway to categorize this biography, it is as a myth buster. Many of the ideas we have about George Washington are, while not lies or wrong, are not exactly completely accurate. He is also presented as not so much forging the new nation as lending his credibility to the other men who's ideas were more sound (like Alexander Hamilton's bank and treasury policies or George Mason's protests against the English monarch). He is also shown as much less effective in dealing with pet projects like emancipation of slaves and a more respectful treatment of Native Americans. On a personal front Washington is miserly and land hungry, and benefited by very aggressive land schemes and ventures that may seem unscrupulous by today's standards.
   
   But he is also proud and unbending in what he thought was right. When he chose a course he stuck to it usually no matter what the outcome may be (though usually worked in favor of Mr. Washington. He was a devoted husband and father to Martha and her two children. And he treated his slaves better than most; he refused to split up families despite the economic problem this produced.
   
   I have seen many complaints of this book, saying that Ellis is trying to destroy the reputation of this great man. I do not think so. I have not done the research that Mr. Ellis has done, but I trust that the evidence bears him out. The book was entertaining and thought provoking, and I am glad I read it. Most recommended to anyone with an interest in the early American history and it's founding fathers.



5. The thing that stands out as being most erroneous in this book was the beleif that Mr. Ellis has that Washington was not involved in the practice of slavery in any way on his own volition. According to Mr. Ellis, the slaves on Mount Vernon were his father's, his brother's and his wife's, but not his, and he had no authority to free these slaves, even though he privately opposed slavery. Mr. Ellis supposes that Washington opposed slavery, even though he shows not evidence to support this other than the fact that he did not work his slaves. In his book, Mr. Ellis has submitted that Mount Vernon ceased to be a working plantation not due to Washington's advanced age and possible exhaustion, but due to Washington's opposition of the practice of forced labour.
   
   I also found it very interesting that Mr. Ellis took pains to make Washington at times a deist, agnostic and even an atheist. Once again he submitted no hard evidence for this, but it is inferred from from the fact that Washington was not the most proliferative writer of theology of the Revolutionary era. Since Washington never wrote a major work of religious philosophy on the subject of Christ he must had not believed in Christ seems to be the opinion of the writer. But if Washington did have religious views outside the norm for those days, why didn't any of the numerous rivals that Ellis mentioned bring those beliefs to light? It was well known the Jefferson used the press to attack Washington, and Adams when he viewed them as political rivals and not as friends, but he never mentioned their faith.
   
   I also take issue with the idea that this book depicts Washington as a bloody-minded general in the mode of Grant, and not as a man who learned his limitations as a military leader. Washington seems to have come to the realization that he was no field commander, but was far more effective in the role of the face of the resistance, and Commander-In-Chief. Furthermore, due to the ineffectiveness, and questionable loyalty of his officers, as well as the loss of his men, he felt the need to commit to a very limited number of engagements in the war until the French military arrived, but Ellis feels as though Washington jealously held on to his commission at the expense of his men with the aim of enhancing his own glory. Washington's firm belief that the war would be won by the French military, and the French economy was missed by Mr. Ellis, but most other scholars have accepted this as a fact.
   
   Mr. Ellis seemed to miss the idea that Washington was a product of his time. Generals kept their command until death in those days, there was no transfers, and no reassignments at those times. Southern plantation owners owned slaves in those days, and that was how it was. And lastly, all members of polite society were fundamentalist Christians, even though Mr. Ellis prefer the founder of the United States not be. Maybe I should amend my review to recommend this book to anyone who wants to see Washington as a Liberal Northeastern Politician from the early 21st century , and not as a Christian/planter/general from 18th century.

5 comments about Colors of the Mountain.

1. This review refers to the abridged audio version of this book --
   
   UGH. I am fascinated with books about China and life under Mao. However, I couldn't get through the first tape of this book, for two reasons.
   
   One was the reader, Daxing Zhang. His stilted, halting and monotone delivery made it unpleasant to listen to. He evidently is not a professional narrator and it shows. Even a great book can be ruined by a poor reader.
   
   And, believe me, this doesn't even come close to being a great book.
   The storytelling is dull and self-pitying and the language is, in turns, overblown and cliched.
   
   My biggest problem, however, was the author's attitude. Don't get me wrong: I abhor what Mao and his "cultural revolution" did in China. But it's more than a bit ironic when someone from the upper classes (the author's family were landlords and owned several buildings) complains when their property, power and status is taken away.
   
   The author's stated contempt for farm work, for instance, shows the type of elitist attitude that spurred the revolution in the first place.
   
   Never once (at least in the part of the book I managed to listen to) did Da Chen appear to have any empathy for the working classes that were oppressed under the pre-revolution days.
   
   Again, I must emphasize that I do NOT agree with the goals of or methods used by Mao's Communist regime, but nor can I generate a great deal of sympathy for once-rich whiners who feel, for the first time in their lives, the sting of poverty and disenfranchisement.



2. I read a lot of memoirs precisely for what I received from this book, inspiration. The sentence that galvanized me was this one, "I had been studying an average of fifteen hours a day for the last ten months."
   
   Other reviewers have explained Chen's story, so I won't reiterate it. But I will say that when I think about what this man accomplished in pursuit of his dream, I realize once again how easy it is to excuse our failures as a matter of fate or luck.
   
   Da Chen teaches us otherwise.



3. One wonders why the communist system was swept into the dustbin of history. Da Chen tells you why. Intellectuals were purged in Mao's society and people learned very little. In fact, school was not even required of everyone. Only after Mao joined Lenin in a masoleum did intelligence and ability matter much.
   Da Chen relates his early life story about his early Chinese childhood in the rural south of China. He was discriminated against because he was a son of a former landlord. Peasants lorded it over him and his family. Da Chen relates his experiences of the Cultural Revolution and how the school system was devastated by the purges and reeducation.
   Da Chen escaped this poverty by using his intelligence to shine in the reform education system after Mao's death. He received a state education in English and went on to emigrate to New York. A nice rages to riches story and the tyranny of the Communist system.



4. Chen Da's bestselling COLORS OF THE MOUNTAIN is one of the more entertaining memoirs I've run across in recent years.
   
   In this volume, Chen recounts his life, growing up amid the chaos of the Cultural Revolution, through his acceptance into college. In the writing of autobiography, certain liberties are par for the course (memory is never impeccable), but I was overall rather impressed with Chen's determination, and his detailed, direct way of attempting to illuminate the day-to-day texture of life in an out-of-the-way part of China.
   
   Chen's approach is gentle - both accessible to Western audiences, and attentive in its' detailed depiction of his family's life, accomplishments, and the troubles those accomplishments brought (during the Cultural Revolution years); the occasionally mentioned poems of his grandfather were one of Chen's major motivators, and their eloquence was the model this entire memoir was constructed upon.
   
   Perhaps not the most literary, or the most historically rigid autobiography, but definitely one of the warmest.
   
   -David Alston



5. Da Chen's rendition of memories etched within his heart is very descriptive. I especially like this passage:
   
   "...The thoughts tortured me and I squirmed in shame and humiliation, but I had to face reality. The teacher could throw me out with a sneer on his face. That was fine, I had thick skin. A poor child couldn't afford to have thin skin. Only rich boys and well-to-do girls with cute little butterflies in their hair could afford to have thin skin"
   
   For a child of nine, to have such vivid memory of a childhood, is startling. The innocence and words crafted makes Colors of the Mountain, a reading worth investing time in. Reading between the words give you an insight to how deep Da Chen's spiritual values are.
   
   An amazing, funny and innocent book!

No comments about The Life and Work of Marcel Proust (Naxos Audio).

5 comments about His Bright Light: The Story of Nick Traina (Danielle Steel).

1. I give five stars plus to Nick's soul and one star, at best, to the book itself. By Ms Steel's own admission throughout the book, she recognized Nick had problems from a very young age. Perhaps if the author had spent more time doling out love and attention to her young child, and less time pumping out volumes of romantic fiction with a vain desire to increase her wealth, this book would never have been written. Money does not buy happiness; a son's smile does.
   
   The book is sad and heartbreaking, but so was Nick's life. In my opinion, the book came across as a vain attempt by the author to relieve her own guilt, as opposed to a tribute to her troubled son. Much of our adult life and who we become is formed within the first six years following birth. It is too easy for society to simply "blame the drugs" for many of today's wrongs. If a child, from a very young age, is nutured, loved, disciplined in a fair and loving manner, instilled with self-worth and self-esteem, the chances of that child turning to negative solutions to find happiness or whatever is missing in his/her life is greatly diminished.
   
   The book comes across as if the author is suffering from a "poor me" symdrome. Of course, she has a right to grieve, she lost a son, but what were the contributing factors? What was missing from Nick's life? The only one who truly knows the answers is Nick and, unfortately, he is not here to tell us or write his side of the story. Ms Steele will have the opportunity to continue on with her life, turn out best-selling novels faster than bees produce honey and make millions of dollars in the process. Unfortunately, Nick will not have that same opportunity.



2. I have read this book in curiosity as to what Bipolar might look like in infants and young children. It is very interesting to read about Nick's personality and high unusual intelligence. If I remember correctly, he was using full sentences at age 15 months old and was arguing with his mom about what he was going to wear at 15 months old, so this is like reading about one child who was eventually diagnosed as Bipolar, but in looking back, there were many signs, so if you are concerned about a young child who might show signs this book is a good read, not a diagnosis, but has many interesting scenes of the young Bipolar child.



3. This was my first Danielle Steel book. I am not a lover of fiction, so that is one reason that this was my first experience with Danielle Steel. I enjoyed this book. It was slow in spots, and a bit difficult to follow, but overall a good story. I wish that every person that suffered from mental illness had the ability to have the funding to live a more independent life. As an individual that has had a career working with children and adults with mental illness, I hope that this story will help try to find more resources for individuals with bipolar disorder.



4. A heart warming story of a stuggle of the heart. This mother and son had a bond so deep it was like they were one. Excellent reading and praise to the author for sharing her life!



5. I was a hard-core DS fan of 20+ years, but grew ever so weary of her redundant, simplistic drival a decade or so ago. At the library recently I decided to give one of her newer books another go-round and found it to be another very trite, hum-drum book. I was curious to see if had been so negatively reviewed by Amazon's readers and came across "HIS BRIGHT LIGHT". I had never known of this tragedy and was immediately compelled to purchase the book. It immediately gave me some insight as to possibly why her writing had gone downhill, (IMHO of course). I found the book to be tremendously sad. Just in looking at the cover of that smiling, handsome young man will do that to you. It is not meant to be a self-help book, so I don't understand why some reviewers are finding fault with it in that regard. It is simply her and her beloved son's journey together through his short life. She intuitively is aware that something isn't right about Nick and this is with her from the time of his infancy. She did everything she knew to do and perhaps this comes across as her appearing guilt-ridden, but as she explains even with all her "resources" help came far too late. I admire the writer, I respect and applaud her bravery in writing this book. And I pray that her beloved Nick is finally at peace. Could I critique the book more harshly? Yes, but this book deserves to be read irregardless. There is a lot to be learned from it,especially those who struggle or those who may have loved ones affected by mental disorders.

5 comments about A Knock at Midnight: Inspiration from the Great Sermons of Reverend Martin Luther King, Jr..

1. What a blessing to listen to these sermons of my brother in Christ Dr. King. Never throughout my life did I hear these. Why?
   
   America, wake up!!! You are a great nation, because of the freedom bestowed upon us by none other than Jesus, the Messiah (Christ).
   
   And those people, brought here as slaves (believe me I've heard it ad nauseam going through school, but just listen), have helped make us a great nation!
   
   Now listen - we are ALL slaves - every one of us. To who? To ourselves!
   
   If you think I'm a religious zealot - absolutely, freakin' not. I am a former slave, that's all. No more, no less. Saved by the blood of the Lamb. And now filled with the love of His Spirit, and loving my fellow man, regardless of color or background.
   
   I look forward to meeting you in heaven Dr. King!
   
   (Let's pray for Dr. King's constituents, that they would come to know the Lord, and love all, black and white, and gain God's strength as Dr. King did.... and keep loving one another, faults and all - 'cause we know we all got faults, but our hearts should be turned towards perfection! Thank you Jesus, King of kings and Lord of lords!!!)



2. Simply phenomenal added dimension of Dr king that the general public who know him as an inspired civil rights leader must come to know. He was nspired, energized and directed by the word of Almighty God and conscience. Oh for leaders today to be likewise constituted.



3. The sermons in A Knock at Midnight are both deeply moving and a powerful reminder of the greatness of Dr. King. This collection should be read and heard by everyone, especially the young of today who have been fed a Dr. King who somehow only delivered one speech ("I Have a Dream"). As a middle school teacher I found the sermons to be an excellent way for my students to move beyond the platitudes about Dr. King to a much deeper understanding of his life and ministry. To read and listen to these great sermons is an absolutely wonderful experience, but at the same time a sad reminder that today we have no great voice of moral authority like his. Fortunately we do have his words and voice preserved for us and our children.



4. Notice I refer to the cassettes and the companion book as an EXPERIENCE as I both listened to and read the REVEREND King! Although the media focused on the visible part of his ministry, the civil rights movement, his sermons are profound and awesome in their implications for today as well as their in their powerful delivery during the mid-1950's through 1960's. Although I will cherish both the cassette series and the book, it is through hearing the SPEAKING of Dr. King that really made me breathless! Thank you LORD God for sending us your messenger Dr. King to give us a wonderful earthly ministry for a brilliant and brief time (much like Jesus Christ). Simply awesome!



5. A fabulous collection of soul-stirring preaching by one of this century's finest preachers. Many people know King as a great political leader, fiery orator, and creative organizer. This collection of sermons will convince the world that King was first and foremost an anointed preacher. His sermons ring with authenticity and resound with relevancy. Kings messages speak profoundly to our troubled times and offer both prophetic insight and divine guidance as we attempt to find our way into the next millinium. This collection of sermons, with their superb introductions and commentaries, is perhaps one of the finest efforts of its kind. It will certainly be a source of pleasure and insight for generations to come.

5 comments about Never Have Your Dog Stuffed: And Other Things I've Learned.

1. Alan Alda titled his new book Never Have Your Dog Stuffed -- and Other Things I've Learned. But rest assured he didn't write it as a guide for self-improvement. He doesn't aim to be your guru. "I tried to tell as good a story as I could," he sums up. The resulting narrative, at 224 pages, is as lean as its author, and as engaging, and as flush with ideas and observations. "There are things that were very, very difficult to put into words," says Alda, at 69 an entertainment veteran actor who had written numerous screenplays but never a book. "That was what I had the most fun with - the things that don't want to go into words. "But the hardest part was how to take a life and make it one simple story, not just a bunch of anecdotes. I didn't like the idea of writing a memoir or an autobiography. I only put in stuff that moved the story forward." The story: One man's advancement toward accepting the uncertainties of life. Letting go, notes Alda, is a drawn-out process, "so you don't just decide to do it. You have to creep up on it. Practice it. Get used to it. "I think the guy who winds up at the end of the book would say, 'Destiny is just what happens. " Alda should know. A lot has happened for that guy this year. He got an Oscar nomination for his role in Martin Scorsese's The Aviator, a Tony nomination for his Broadway performance in David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross, and an Emmy nomination for The West Wing, in which he plays flinty Republican presidential hopeful Arnold Vinick. He continues this season on the NBC political drama, and, for its Nov. 6 episode, Sen. Vinick will square off against the Democrat (Jimmy Smits) in a debate aired live. Which candidate will succeed President Bartlet (series star Martin Sheen) by season's end? " I wouldn't spoil the surprise even if I knew," Alda replies when pressed for details about his contractual commitment to the series. But then, flashing his incandescent grin, he pledges to remain "as long as necessary to turn this great country around." When he isn't shuttling to Los Angeles to shoot the series, Alda leaves his Long Island home to hit the campaign trail for Never Have Your Dog Stuffed. Its first sentence establishes the book's matter-of-fact, often darkly witty tone. "My mother didn't try to stab my father until I was six, but she must have shown signs of oddness before that," Alda writes. He was the son of a mentally ill mother and an actor father, Robert Alda, who was subject to the vagaries of show business during a career that ranged from the hardscrabble vaudeville circuit to Broadway in the original production of Guys and Dolls. All in all, it was a dizzying childhood for Alan. But by age nine, he had decided he would be an actor, too, setting the stage for his push-pull life of embracing make-believe while defiantly inquiring into how things really are. He is a man in love with facts and verifiable truth (his decade as the gung-ho host of Scientific American Frontiers makes that clear). But he has also studied what it means to yield control to forces beyond reason.



2. I've been a fan of Alda's work for a long time. The man is so talented it's unreal. Now to be able to see where he came from and how he got into the spotlight is amazing. He uses certain elements in his life where, had it happen to you or someone you know, it would be depressing, and turns them into amusing learning experiences. I am a constant reader, however 99% of what I read is fiction, nonfiction never grabs my attention. But I could not put this one down. Please read it. You wont regret it.



3. Hard to put down, it was so fascinating and the writing is excellent.
   Very witty and honest. Highly recommend this book!



4. This is one of those books that is impossible to put down once you begin reading. It's like a conversation. The knowing tone and honesty with which Alda writes is extremely captivating. It's a rare honor to read a book written by someone interested in life and learning. I'll read it again and again I'm sure.



5. This is like having a conversation with the man, as if he was sitting across the kitchen table from me. Nice time.

5 comments about The Diving Bell and the Butterfly.

1. I was so inspired by the premise, and I wondered what beautiful prose a man "locked in" would produce. Unfortunately, I found it average. The most inspirational part of the book was his willpower to write it, in his condition. It is also valuable to note how much he could think under the circumstances.
   His situation however, was not unique, though his case was more extreme than most.
   His life was not particularly inspirational - he seemed to live for fine cars and fine food and travel. A nice book, but probably more meaningful to his family and friends than the population at large.
   Look elsewhere for inspiration.



2. This is in review of the english translation by Jeremy Leggatt.
   
   This is a difficult book to review. On the one hand, the chapter in the life of Jean-Do Bauby that this autobiographical piece captures is one which no decent person would wish on another human-being. Let alone imagine themselves having to live out. In this regard, this is a hero story of epic proportions.
   
   But as an author, and as the protagonist of the stories he chose to share, the Jean Bauby of The Diving Bell and the Butterfly is something else entirely.
   
   I began the book with infinite amounts of sympathy for the man and his plight. By the end of the book I felt I had just finished reading some of the lower-rated sections of the Michelin Travel Guide.
   
   And this is the troubling part - is a person who reads this book and is left feeling less-than-inspired heartless and unfeeling? Or is the rave reviews of the book more because of the feat and life lived to create it and less because of the book itself?
   
   In the end I was left with the impression that the Jean Bauby as presented in the book was a difficult man to sympathize with. I am not a fan of the Randian hero, so perhaps this flavors my feelings, but I came to feel that the diving bell was no new feature in his life. It just affected his ability to connect and relate to others before it came to afflict his entire body.
   
   Ultimately, as a book, it was disappointing. And as a window into his diving bell, I can only hope or assume that there was more to the man than came through.
   
   For those who knew him, I'm sure it was a gift. But for the rest of us, I think that the emperor is naked.



3. Its one of the few times that the movie adds to the book, both should be experienced and are inspirational



4. The word "unique" is probably overused, but here it applies. This book was written by a stroke victim who was paralized except for one eye-lid. He laboriously wrote the book with the help of a therapist who kept reading the alphabet and the author would blink his eye when she came to the right letter. In this way, he is probably the only completely paralized stroke victim who could transmit his feelings and memories. Since his brain and senses functioned perfectly, he was able to do this. If you think that this is a depressing book, you are wrong - it is really uplifting. The movie made from this book is also very much worth seeing.



5. I thought this was a wonderful quick read. I saw the movie and couldn't wait to read the book. How amazing that in all his struggles he was able to write this book. It shows you that even without body function the amazing strength of his will can go on.