5 comments about Not the Girl Next Door: Joan Crawford, a Personal Biography.

1. WONDERFUL READ - DON'T QUITE FOLLOW THE TIMELINE OF HER LIFE AND CHILDREN, BUT QUITE SATISFIED.



2. This perfunctory but hardly spectacular new Crawford bio doesn't have much to offer that is new, and relies far too heavily on "as spoken to" interviews with its conveniently dead subjects to make a literary dent. One gets the unsavory impression that the author just dreamed up the words & sentiments, then put them in the dead people's mouths.
   
   Atleast the bulk of it is harmless-- though after while, you may find yourself wishing it wasn't! Confronting chapter after chapter of overly-sanitized, pro-Joan propaganda becomes rather boring without any conflicts, or revelations about a woman I thought, until now, was complex. The most interesting accounts are from Douglas Fairbanks Jr. reminiscing about his married life with young Joan, although even that is devoid of any bombshells.
   
   I also agree with other reviewers that some of the film synopsis are grossly inaccurate, as are some of the captions. For example, there' a picture from "Dancing Lady" of Joan with Clark Gable with the caption, "Dancing Lady was made before Clark Gable had his mustache."--and he CLEARLY has a mustache in the pic!
   
   Despite these & other inaccuracies, "Not the Girl Next Door" is still a pleasant enough, if lightweight read,especially for Crawford novices-- with a fair to good photo section. But far superior are Bob Thomas's "Joan Crawford: A Biography" and Alexander Walker's "Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Star".



3. As much as I love and admire Joan Crawford as an actress, grand movie star & all-around Iconic-Legend, I must say that this is one heck of a poorly written bio.....just a series of "in 1923, she did this & such & such".......mixed in with excerpted "quotes" from various friends and associates and to top it off, the biggest annoyance to me is the constant interruption of the so-called narrative with descriptions of Crawford's movies, which should have been listed as an appendix at the end of this book.......My favorite portion of the book was the very interesting comments by director Sherman, regarding his affair with Crawford....also, the fresh perspective on the so-called abuse inflicted on her two eldest children, which I've always felt was totally exaggerated and full of lies.......all in all, I was really expecting a thorough and detailed account of Miss Crawford and her life as I've never read a bio of her before.......obviously, by purchasing this one, I did not make the correct choice.....I'll get the Bob Thomas one now that I've finished this mediocre read......
   
   Luigi ~ nyc



4. This book was a quick read - but I don't mean that in a good way. It was all fluff! The author did not tell the story of Joan Crawford. She merely quoted pages and pages of Crawford talking about herself and a few other people talking about Crawford. There's scant evidence of any real research here. Were any biographical details confirmed? This book would have been a great opportunity for someone to really research Crawford and put to rest some of the more unfortunate rumors about her. There's no mention of her first husband (before Fairbanks) or of some of the more common fables about her. It's just a rehashing of old interviews of people who would never say anthing negative about her. I think Crawford fans want and deserve the truth told in an objective manner with independent verification of facts, timelines, and details. There's no "there there".



5. I loved this book. For everyone who has scoffed at Joan Crawford for the Mommy Dearest debaucle of her ungrateful child, this is a must read. What a wonderful performer, a caring, loving and interesting woman who made a life for herself without apology. I am an avid reader of biographies of the silver screen and I enjoyed this one thoroughly.

5 comments about Tuesdays With Morrie : An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson (AUDIO CASSETTE).

1. Charming memoir done by a student of Morrie, now a famous sports journalist. He rediscovers his professor when he catches the tail end of a broadcast by Ted Koeppel and learns his teacher is dying but Morrie, no ordinary man, is making a study of death. Albom soon finds himself hopping a plane from Detroit to Boston every Tuesday to spend the day with his former professor as the only student in a course entitled "The Meaning of Life." Reads quickly and holds reader interest.



2. I'm sure you've read many reviews on how touching this book is, and I would say 'to each their own'. But an entire book written about a death-bed conversation can be a bit much for some people. Think of the scene in 'The Empire Strikes Back' when Yoda is dying and speaking his last words to Luke... well now imagine that scene was the content of the entire movie and you get a sense of what it was like to read this book. The first half was touching... Morrie - an old college professor was dying, passing on his words of wisdom to his dear ex-student. Well, by the second half of the book, I just wanted him to pass away so I can finish the book and start another. I'm sorry, some may say this is blasphemy, but how many tear-jerking eye opening last words of wisdom can you really absorb? And to be honest, I can hardly remember what they were after I closed the book.



3. I don't read a lot for leisure but this book came highly recommended. This book touched me so strongly that I could not put it down until I was finished. I have recommended this book to others and will be buying more copies for gifts.



4. Tuesdays With Morrie
   Danny Cubberly
   One could describe Mitch Albom in many ways. He's a good listener, a good student, and an emotionally deep human being. But most importantly, he was the student of someone he described as "a man who loved dancing and having a good time." This man was Morrie Schwartz. Mitch Albom wrote down the lessons that Morrie would talk to him about every Tuesday. Through those inspiring life-lessons came this story that teaches us all to live life to the fullest.
   All the lessons in this book were inspirational. Although Morrie was slowly wasting away with only months to live, he never felt depressed about his condition because he knew that this was his time to die. There were several half-page chapters that could be interpreted as meaningless in others, but if one reads between the lines, they can interpret the message being sent by Morrie. For instance, in one chapter, Morrie told Mitch that if he could be any animal, it would be a gazelle because they are "graceful and fast." This message can be interpreted as Morrie wishing that he could still have that energy he possessed before his diagnoses.
   This book has several strengths, but with it come a few weaknesses. Anyone who loves tear-jerkers and philosophical books should consider picking up this one-of-a-kind book. This book will make anyone think back and remember that one special person who influenced them the most throughout their life. Still, young people would most likely find this book sappy and dull, as it does not connect with the young, but more with adults and the elderly. Whether it be the healthy or the unhealthy, the young or the old, this book will convince anyone that life is something that we need to love because it is all we have. As Morrie's most famous quote says: "When you learn how to die, you learn how to live."



5. I had been given multiple recommendations from friends and family to read this simple, but heartwarming book, and I didn't decide to sit down and read it until recently. The author decided to take his career as a sports writer, and use his writing to tell the words of an inspiring man. Mitch Abom wrote sports highlights in the Detroit Free Press, and tried to write novels about sports instead. After not becoming successful with his first few novels, he decided to try a different type of book.
   
   Tuesdays With Morrie is about Morrie Schwartz, a retired history professor at Brandeis University who is dying of ALS, which is more commonly known as Lou Gehrig's Diesase. A former student of his named Mitch Albom hadn't seen his old professor in years but he saw the old man on Nightline. Albom decided to visit Morrie. After a few visits, Morrie and Mitch decided to meet every Tuesday to discuss the meaning of life and how to embrace life. More specific things like family and love were discussed and to be honest, hearing a dying man say such things was a little depressing. However, the morals that Morrie taught made me think more about life and how to live it to its fullest. In reading this book (which was a quick read by the way) I learned an interesting viewpoint on life. Considering the fact that the book is about a dying man, you can figure out how it ends, but it surely finishes strong, and with a powerful message. The writing was easy to understand, but at times, the book became tedious and depressing. Overall, the message overweighed the depressing parts of the book.
   
   Tuesdays with Morrie was published ten years ago, yet it was a multiple award winning novel. The story of Morrie Schwartz has been and will continue to be remembered by many.

5 comments about Personal History.

1. Absolutely perfect biography. Graham's book is frank in ways few would care to be. Her leadership of the Washington Post has been much talked about, and I'm a big fan of the paper, so it was a fascinating story. When she took over the Post in the 1960s, women could not be found in too many positions of power. She honestly discusses her difficulties, self doubts, and mistakes in ways one is not likely to find in many other places. Since I find politics interesting, I appreciated Graham's insights into the development of media over the twentieth century and her candid insider thoughts on some of the most important and powerful leaders of the 20th century.



2. It is long (642 pages), and the print is small. Why would anyone want to read it? Because every page has something of interest in it. And because this is not only the personal history of Katharine Graham, but a view of the United States from a woman reluctantly thrust into power by the death of her Washington Post husband. The time covered is from the early 1900s, when her parents met, through the early 1990s. Think of how life changed during that time.
   
   Mrs. Graham was raised by nannies in New York while her parents were busy helping out in Washington. She showed her independence by attending the radical University of Chicago and working before she married. When Katherine's father stepped down from management of the Washington Post, her husband, Phil, took his place. When Phil became ill and died, it was she who became president of the Washington Post Company.
   
   Constantly during this sweep through politics, labor relations, corporate management, the rise of feminism, the importance of communications, and much more, Graham weaves her personal growing consciousness of where she and other women stand in relationship to it all. She writes of the help she received and downplays her own acumen in becoming the only woman in the Fortune 500. Never does she flaunt who she was, who she became, and the power she held.
   
   Every page brings not only her personal insights about the (mostly) maturing of America, but also explains how she gains confidence while remaining concerned with and involved in her own family as well. An excellent read, but don't expect to finish it in one reading.
   
   by Judith Helburn
   for StorycircleBookReviews
   www.storycirclebookreviewsorg
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



3. This is a great book about a great woman! Interesting to see how even the privileged have difficult experiences in life and how it all only depend on us. We are very capable of achieving our goals and this book shows that even though it might not be easy, in the end, it can be very rewarding. This book shows a great insight in the history of newspaper business and politics.



4. My only regret is that I did not pay more attention to Katharine Graham and the Washington Post while she was alive. Through unveiling her own insecurities and illustrating how she moved into one of the most powerful women in the world, I learned US History and the trials of a CEO woman in the 1960s and forward.
   
   Ms. Graham reveals much about "inside Washington" and does a particularly good job of making the "players" come to life. I really hated to see the book end. Yet, Ms. Graham did what she set out to do -- documented a time in our history. Kathy Condon Executive Coach



5. Fantastic, gripping book, though it bogged down for me near the end with the minutia of labor/management disputes at the Washington Post. Still recommend highly.

3 comments about Saint Joseph Edition of the New American Bible: Complete Narration With Music.

1. I have listened to many audio Bibles and this is by far my favorite. There is subtle music in the background, and unlike most background music in audio Bibles it is not distracting and really adds to the experience. The narrator is marvelous - I just wish I knew who it is so I could see if they have recorded anything else.



2. The description for this item is a bit deceptive. It IS NOT the whole Bible, it is only the NAB version of the New Testament. I was a bit disappointed as I already have the New Testament on audio.
   
   I have not listened to this as I am trying to return it.



3. This is a wonderful narration of the New Testament. I listen to it in my car on the way to and from work, and I really look forward to hearing it. The narrator is not unctious or overbearing, but very expressive and interesting, and extremely easy to understand. And of course, you can't go wrong with the material! The numbering of each Bible chaper is noted, so it would be possible to follow along reading your own Bible. I just wish the St. Joseph people would come out with a narration of The Old Testament! This is well worth the money.

5 comments about Without a Doubt Audio.

1. Yeah, I am a white guy. And you can call me any names that you would like, but it is upon you to prove it. Marcia Clark has written a book and has laid herself open to all the negative attention and snide remarks that she endured during the case that IMHO was a gut wrenching travesty. Marica proves to me that she is a mighty fine lawyer, a great mother and even more important a real LADY that dealt with extremes with the utmost integrity and honesty. She should be held up as an American heroine for what she endured, doing battle daily for more than a year with the "Dream Team," and their race baiting and a judge that was oh so very weak. I can't remember ever reading a book that made me want to meet and honor such a very special person as I do Marcia Clark. The trial was all about race and nothing that the prosecution could do would change that. They are the heroes. But instead, they are held up to ridicule for what they did or did not do. Orenthal James Simpson is guilty of snuffing out two lives with vicious and bloody attacks and if you don't get that message from this book, you have a serious lack of comprehension or you just don't get it. It would be a great honor for me to be able to meet Ms. Clark, just to thank her for what she went through while trying to find some sort of justice while fighting all of the elements that she came across. Great book. I am proud to live in a nation that has people like Marcia Clark. being an attorney, mother or just a lovely person. Ms Clark. Good Job!!!!!!



2. Any reasonable person who listened to the evidence at the so-called "trial of the century" knows without out a doubt that O. J. Simpson killed his ex-wife Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman, the hapless waiter who was simply in the wrong place at the wrong time. Anyone who watched the announcement of the verdict and saw the shock and disbelief on O. J. Simpson's own face, as the not guilty verdict was read, would know that even the defendant knew he was guilty.
   
   The prosecution never had much of a chance, because the presiding judge, Lance Ito, was a bumbling idiot who could not control his courtroom and make sound evidentiary rulings. . Instead, Lance Ito allowed his courtroom to become a three-ring circus. As a career prosecutor, I was appalled at the time at what went on in that courtroom, and Lance Ito's courting of the media was reprehensible. It was also clear that he was awed by and enthralled with the celebrity of the defendant appearing before him. One need only look to the civil trial in the matter to see how an effective judge controlled his courtroom. There, Judge Hiroshi Fujisaki made sound rulings on evidentiary matters and remained in control of his courtroom at all times. Consequently, justice was obtained in the civil case.
   
   This tell all, no holds barred book is a well-written, engaging behind-the-scenes account of the "trial of the century". While Ms. Clark does include some personal information about herself, it is in the context of why she became a prosecutor and makes for a more fully fleshed account of how and why she may have acted as she did under the circumstances. She admits to some mistakes, and probably one of the biggest was having been lulled into a false sense of complacency about the competence of the criminalist assigned to the case, rather than going with her gut instinct to get whom she thought would be the best person for the job. Consequently, she was saddled with criminalist Dennis Fung, who for his incompetence in such a high profile case should have been summarily fired thereafter.
   
   As for the defense "Dream Team", having watched their antics on court TV during the course of the trial, it was clear that they were playing to the media for all it was worth, and the media was lapping it up. So much of what the defense did went beyond what was sanctioned by evidentiary rules and the rules of professional conduct that I was both amazed and appalled. That they got away with this kind of behavior was reprehensible. The only one able to call them on it, however, was Judge Lance Ito, and he failed to do so. The blame, therefore, for all the shenanigans that went on during the course of the trial lies squarely on Lance Ito's shoulders. He definitely gets the prize for one of the greatest failures in American jurisprudence.
   
   Still, one cannot forget prosecutor Chris Darden's ill-advised decision in proceeding to have O.J. try on the bloodied, weathered gloves found at the scene and at his home, rather than waiting for an exact duplicate pair to be delivered by the manufacturer. In light of the fact that the manufacturer had advised the prosecution that the original gloves would have shrunk as much as fifteen percent due to repeated exposure to dampness and extremes of heat and cold, it was downright stupid for Chris Darden to proceed to have the defendant try them on. While Ms. Clark had counseled Chris Darden not to proceed with this demonstration, but rather, to wait for the new duplicate pair, he did so anyway with disastrous results. As the lead prosecutor in the case, however, the fault for this debacle lies squarely with her on this issue, rather than Mr. Darden, because when you are the lead prosecutor, the buck stops with you. Ms. Clark need look no further than herself for this major faux pas and for the ensuing creation of Johnnie Cochran's famous, catchy sound bite, "If the glove doesn't fit, then you must acquit". Never mind that the new, duplicate glove fit O. J. to perfection!
   
   Notwithstanding the glove debacle, the forensic evidence against the defendant was overwhelming, despite the bungling of criminalist Dennis Fung. Unfortunately, the painstaking forensics case put together by the prosecution was lost under the smokescreen set off by the defense. The "Dream Team" played the race card to perfection to a sound bite crazed media that helped create a public frenzy, no doubt aided by the celebrity of the defendant. The defense team's cries of police mis-conduct and the Fuhrmanizing of the trial was a pulp journalist's dream come true. It was also a travesty of justice, as all the hoopla and media distortion masked what the trial was really about, the savage and wanton murders of two innocent human beings. Moreover, while much has been said about this being a crime of passion that the prosecution tried as dispassionately as possible, one must keep in mind that Judge Ito tied the prosecution's hands in large part, while giving the "Dream Team' an unprecedented free rein.
   
   This book will keep courtroom junkies enthralled with its war stories and sneak peak into the "trial of the century". Ms. Clark gives an excellent analysis of what went wrong, and while some of it may be a bit self-serving, she is right on the money for the most part. This is a riveting, page turning account, and she doesn't hold back any punches. Ms. Clark painstakingly goes through the evidence that was presented at the trial, as well as that evidence that Judge Ito, in his infinite wisdom, did not allow the prosecution to present. Anyone who reads this book will be outraged by the obvious miscarriage of justice, as it will be clear as a bell why O. J. Simpson is, without a doubt, guilty of the murders of Nicole Brown and Ronald Goldman.



3. I read four books after the trial. I read the Schiller 1000 page saga, Outrage, the present book and a book on Johnny Cochrane. Each book was different and gives us different insights.
   
   I think it is clear to any reasonable and unbiased thinking person that O.J. did in fact kill Nicole and Ron and it is just as it is clear that Lee Harvey Oswald shot JFK. Also it is clear from the other reviewers that Marcia Clark evokes a certain emotional response that colors their view of the book. If you still think O.J. is innocent then I think that is a personal problem or internal devil that you must deal with but it is not related to reality. As the title says "Without a Doubt" he was guilty.
   
   Johnny made buckets of money as a criminal attorney. Both he and Shapiro could make sums of money in hours that only the rest of us can dream about. Johnny drove a Rolls and Shapiro rubbed elbows with the LA movers and shakers.
   
   Marcia is more like the average citizen, working for the DA's office, probably driving a Chevrolet or Honda. She was a single divorced mother that commutes to work. After the trial she had decided enough was enough, and she wrote the book along with everyone else. And I say good for her! Make a buck or two! Its America.
   
   Now for the book. It is what you might expect. It is the story of her involvement with the trial. It presents some prior background on her life and earlier trials and then goes in detail through the O.J. saga and what it was like from her perspective. I think is a well written book and for the most part entertaining. "Outrage" is a bit more gripping and Schiller's "American Tragedy" longer and more comprehensive. But this book is what we would expect. It deals mainly with her role and it is a solid job. She was basically a civil servant and she was the front "man" facing a raft of America's most famous lawyers including the above mentioned plus F. Lee Bailey. Then to complicate things, the whole mess was presided over by the star blinded Judge Ito. Together they faced essentially 12 black female jurors who loved Johnny and O.J.
   
   Could she win? "Without a Doubt" she could not win, but it was nothing to do with her.
   
   Recommend. 4 stars.



4. It wouldn't have mattered who prosecuted this case. The jury were never going to convict OJ after the race card was played.
   
   Pretty good account of the trial, and an interesting insight into the author's ordeal in handling such a nightmarish case. She lays into Judge Ito & the cyncical tactics of Cochrane.
   
   You come away doubting that the jury system really delivers justice.



5. I have read most of the books written about the O.J. Trial. All have been more about setting forth that particular author's personal/ or political agenda and not about true analysis.

   What I fail to find in any of these books is what role did the media play in turning a simple crime of passion into the racial mess that this trial came to symbolize?

   This story is simple. Man and woman have a very sick/tormented relationship, where many sick games are played. One day man loses his head and murders woman and the poor guy who comes to her rescue. Man goes to trial. Man goes to jail for a crime of passion. End of story.

   Instead the SCLM (So Called Liberal Media) as described in the Eric Alterman's book, "What Liberal Media," enters the picture driven by the almighty dollar and turns this simple crime into the trial of the century simply for the profit margin.

   We still trust the media to inform us and they failed miserably as they have done in every important story of our generation. There is no liberal media bias. It's all about the money and polarizing the country to fuel the tragic story of the Simpson case was more important to the Media than actually telling the real story.

   They forgot that Nicole and O.J. loved each other and created two very lovely kids together. Race had nothing to do witth it until the media focussed on it.

   Marcia Clark lost her case, because she drank the Kool Aid from the media and followed their narrative as opposed to trying the case for what it was a crime of passion.

5 comments about I Thought My Father Was God: And Other True Tales from NPR's National Story Project.

1. Heard I THOUGHT MY FATHER WAS GOD, edited and read by
   Paul Auster . . . this is a collection of stories that came as a result
   of a call to listeners of National Public Radio's WEEKEND ALL
   THINGS CONSIDERED . . . more than 4,000 were submitted.
   
   I couldn't really tell whether they were fact or fiction; it really
   didn't matter . . . after taking me a while to warm up to them,
   I quickly became interested in what others had to say about such
   subjects as Animals, Families, War, Love, and Dreams.
   
   Some stories were mundane, but many others were quite
   moving . . . in particular, I was touched by the one involving a
   small boy's realization that his mother has pawned her wedding ring
   so that she can buy him a school uniform.
   
   As the author notes: [I was most interested in] stories that defied
   our expectations about the world, anecdotes that revealed the mysterious
   and unknowable forces at work in our lives, in our family histories, in
   our minds and bodies, in our souls. . . . I was hoping to put together . . . a
   museum of American reality."
   
   He has succeeded . . . my only criticism has to do with the
   narration . . . Auster handled the stories from male readers just
   fine . . . I would have preferred a member of the opposite for
   stories from female readers.



2. The sheer variety of life experiences gives the reader a new perspective on their own lives, seeing how sometimes simple events can have a profound effect upon oneself or others. Helps you realize today's "disaster" may be the event that leads to tomorrow's SUNSHINE. Covering the USA, I ran into a story from a nearby town in which a dear friend of mine was mentioned by first name only, but instantly recognizable because of her loving kindness toward a family member of the storyteller. Adults (young and old) can pick up valuable "life lessons" without the preaching that usually accompanys them.



3. I had heard about this book from a friend. I not only enjoyed reading it, as I did so it gave me a greater appreaciation for my own father. As my father laid dying, my brother and I took turns reading selected stories to him. It gave us a chance to tell him how much we (now as adults) appreaciated his years of parenting. I highly recommend it.



4. I love the stories in this book. I love how they are written by "real" people, not professional writers. I love how they are true, and how every one, no matter how short, makes you feel or learn something strong and beautiful.
   After reading each story, though, you will struggle with trying to decide if you should pause and feel the new emotion each one gave you, or if you should quickly flip through the next page, asking for more. I'm a greedy reader and I usually did the latter while reading this. But for the second read, I will force myself to reflect.



5. This book gathers some of the funniest stories I've ever read, which is saying a lot since they were written by laymen, not professionals. The funny stories were laugh-out-loud funny. The heartwarming stories were touching without being corny. All were provocative because they were authentically relayed by real people. The cynic who said s/he already read these in a "Chicken Soup" book obviously didn't read this collection. I defy anyone to read the story "Rascal" without having a vivid image of the day, laughing out loud from the belly, and being satisfied at the story of someone getting what he deserved! I have read this out aloud many times it's so funny AND rightous.
   
   the grass-roots nature of how the stories were collected adds to the mystique that a call on the radio lead to such a great great book. Don't be overwhelmed by the size: pick and choose which stories you read (like I favored comedy over heart-warming).

5 comments about Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife.

1. I was entertained by this book at first because her research covered many areas I was unfamiliar with. I enjoyed that part however I felt like there was much missing. The Author carefully picked the items that already fit into her previous belief system and then rejected everything else. I am glad I read it because I can learn something new from everything...
   This is overall a very incomplete study of the afterlife.........



2. I was expecting more. given her access tos a diverse group of fascinating but unconventional people, Spook rarely rises above pointing and giggling.
   
   Given the skewering Roach gives to her unwitting collaboraters, I wonder how many more books she can write before all doors are slammed in her face.



3. Let me begin by saying that Mary Roach is an excellent researcher and a deft writer. That's the good news. The bad news is that she is immature and there is way too much Mary in this book. Reading this book is like spending an afternoon with a precocious 12 year old boy. At first she is somewhat amusing, but quickly becomes ill-mannered, whiny, and rude. By the end of the afternoon, you are quite eager to return the boorish, annoying little brat to her parents. She has a mean streak, and when I say mean I'm talking Ann Coulter-mean. She makes fun of people's names, looks, dress, and how they talk. (As a researcher, this shows terribly bad form--you do not insult those who have been kind enough to help you write the book). She also an unsettling and frequent habit of including something gross every chance she gets. I lost count of the number of times she digressed into some tangent involving bodily functions. Then she has the nerve to write something like, "It's always underpants with these guys." No, Mary, it's always underpants with YOU. The title of the book is meant to mislead, by the way (I'm sure Mary snickered when the publisher informed her about the chosen subtitle as she knew it would pull in the "suckers.") The title should actually be "A Skeptic's Cynical Guide to Wackos who Believe in the Afterlife." Mary should not be allowed out of her room until she becomes a grown-up.



4. If you want to learn anything about pretty much anything, Spook is not the book for you. Whereas Roach's earlier effort (Stiff) was at once quite funny and packed with interesting details, Spook, though also quite funny, is pretty much totally lacking in the substance area. Why 5 stars then? Because it's a no-brainer to this reader, at least, that MR's principal purpose in writing is to entertain, and only a distant secondarily to inform or instruct. In short, I did not expect to learn much about science, the afterlife, or about approaches to the study of the latter by the former when I picked up a copy of Spook. What I did expect was to be amused, greatly greatly amused. Reading page after page of MR's wry observations and hilarious turns of phrase, I certainly was. Spook is a very fun read.



5. For as far back as history reaches, it seems that humans have considered what happens to the soul after death. Different cultures and civilizations have come up with diverse explanations for the journey that the soul might make once death occurs, and some of these explanations have become the basis for entire spiritual belief systems and religions. In her second book, Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife, author Mary Roach takes a skeptical look at modern views of the afterlife from all over the world, and researches what information it is that believers have presented as evidence for these views. Her journey takes her from a reported case of reincarnation in India, to the University of Virginia to explore Near Death Experiences; from trying to record the spirits of the Donner party in the Sierra Mountains, to Massachusetts to investigate research regarding the weight of the human soul.
   In one of the earliest chapters of the book, Roach travels to India to learn about reincarnation, and, specifically, a purported case of a young boy who is supposed to be the reincarnation of a dead factory worker. Right away, readers are confronted with the difficulty of applying science to the afterlife. As Roach says, "Like most psychological and philosophical theories, reincarnation can't be proved in a lab." With her Indian guide, Dr. Rawat, Roach visits the boy, Aishwary. Aishwary, his family, and many others, maintain that he is the reincarnation of a factory worker named Veerpal. The man had died a violent death from electrocution not long before Aishwary was born, and, as Dr. Rawat explains, violent deaths are often typical in reported cases of reincarnation. Apparently the child began talking about people from his previous existence around the age of three, which is also fairly typical as one researcher has found: "Ninety-five percent of the children in Stevenson's cases began talking about a previous existence between the ages of two and four, and started to forget about it all by age five" (Roach, 26).
   So much of this case, and other similar cases, are based on what young children have said and what their parents can recall them saying, since they often do not write down specifics. Researchers then have the task of trying to sort through all of this information and come to an objective conclusion. Not only that, the topic of the afterlife, and of course of the idea that a person's soul may live on in this world through reincarnation, is an emotionally charged and sensitive topic.
   However, Roach does an excellent job of laying out the situations she encounters for her readers. She never fully debunks any claims, yet never commits to any either: her book is more an exploration of the different views of the afterlife than a conclusion to which may be valid. As Roach says herself in the introduction, "I'm trying hard not to make assumptions, not to have an agenda" (14).
   This is especially clear when, at one point in the story, Roach delves into her research experience by enrolling in medium school. Because Roach does not have a true agenda, she is free to explore all types of avenues of thought through her book and research. She resolves to commit to trying to connect with her potential skills as a medium. She works hard within her medium classes, even if she is somewhat skeptical of her abilities and the abilities of her fellow classmates. At the end of her experience with the medium school, Roach reflects, "I have learned that I was wrong about mediums. I no longer think they are intentionally duping their clients. I believe that they believe, honestly and with conviction, that they are getting information from paranormal sources" (177). Though Roach is skeptical, she goes into each experience with an open mind and fresh interest. She not only explores the concept of a potential journey that the soul makes after death, but her experiences throughout the book also open her eyes to the world around her, and allow her and her readers to understand various beliefs and the people who possess them.
   Roach is extraordinarily curious throughout the book of the different takes on the afterlife, but maintains a skeptical, somewhat playful tone. She often has sarcastic side- comments and humorous insights that keep the book light, which is quite the feat considering the topic. Her footnotes are also not only informational, but intriguing, tidbits scattered throughout the narrative. Overall, the book is an entirely interesting, entertaining read that is also exceptionally well written. The book is less focused on the science of the matter itself than on the journey of discovery.
   Roach's narrative is for anyone who would like an engaging read regarding the human soul and the possibility of an afterlife. For those who might be wary to pick up a book shelved in the "Science" section of the bookstore for a recreational read, they should be pleasantly surprised at the ease and entertainment value of Spook.

5 comments about Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Meth Addiction.

1. It's hard to write an honest book when the book will reveal that you, its central character, are a helpless onlooker to the terrible waste of a beautiful person, your beautiful boy, your eldest son. David Sheff has written that book.
   
   David's son Nic was, is, special. He began winning writing prizes at an early age. He had a clear, tender visage and a brilliant mind. He was obviously destined for worldly success. All that promise died when, at age 11, he started using pot, then booze, then LSD.
   
   Then he graduated. To meth.
   
   Methamphetamine isn't a trendy drug. It isn't imported. It isn't a party favorite. It's manufactured in filthy garages by deranged addicts-turned-dealers, a trip of last resort for people who simply must go the downward route. It turns its users into raging animals, then passive wraiths, enhancing their sexual peaks and darkening their lowest fevered valleys. Nic, the sweet, smart, beautiful boy, became evasive, dishonest, a thief, a prostitute, a street person --- he sank and sank.
   
   David grew up in a generation that embraced the use of drugs --- pot smoking, in the Berkeley hills where he raised Nic and his two half-siblings, was completely acceptable. Not using drugs would have been abnormal. So the good, liberal dad anticipated that Nic might have contact with drugs and might need some guidance. He saw his son turn into a skeletal stranger, but he chose to believe it was just a little pot, just a little alcohol, just something that could be dealt with easily by counseling or, at the most, a period of a few weeks in standard rehab.
   
   For both father and son, it took years --- agonizing, tragic, lost years --- to understand that Nic was not going to emerge one day as a normal guy, finish college and settle down. Nic was unmoored. David learned that addiction begins with a predilection lurking way back in the genetic code. But what happens next are acts of will. The addict knows that he or she must break the addictive cycle, go into rehab and stay with the program. But over and over again, addicts like Nic refuse and reject that avenue of salvation. They are in a dance with evil, and often, for reasons no one else can understand, they want to die.
   
   David and his wife despaired when Nic would sneak in and steal their belongings or write bad checks on their accounts. They were exhausted by trying to care and yet be tough, forced to use every encounter with Nic as a confrontation to convince him to do something he didn't want to do. David lived through all the guilt trips --- it was his fault for divorcing when Nic was young, for not figuring things out soon enough, for not doing something that could have saved Nic. But what? Then came anger and resentment at being used, ripped off by his addict son; then Nic would disappear again and David would think with horror, "Nic could die." David knew that Nic needed to have a serious crisis so he could see the need for a change. He'd been told that for the change to take hold "you have to be alone, broke, desolate, desperate." Surely Nic had been all those, but he didn't come up and stay up. Nic's little half-sister Daisy put it wisely: "It's like Nic is like my brother who I know and this other guy who I don't."
   
   David realized one day that he missed Nic and wanted him back, but that the Nic he loved was gone already, and forever. Yet still there were those precious times, such as when Nic would come home occasionally and play with his half-sister and brother, or when David was immobilized after a near-fatal subarachnoidal hemorrhage and Nic was there, sitting by his bed, holding out a lifeline to his ailing father like a flickering promise. Such times keep a parent hoping, even when they find themselves collapsing in tears at an Al-Anon meeting, pouring out their story to a roomful of strangers.
   
   It took guts to write this book, and guts to live through what David Sheff has lived through. He offers the few tips he has picked up along the way, but he doesn't consider himself a font of advice. With Nic still in some stage of recovery at the book's close, David can only say, "I am confident I have done everything I could to help Nic. Now it's up to him...our relationship can evolve into one of independence, acceptance, and compassion, with healthy boundaries. The love is a given."
   
   --- Reviewed by Barbara Bamberger Scott



2. One of the best books I have read in the last year and one of the most riveting memoirs I've read in a long, long time.
   
   David Sheff is able to portray the frustration, anger, angst and incredible agony of living with a loved one who is addicted without being self-serving or over dramatic.
   
   Each time his son disappears, your stomach drops and you are almost there with Sheff while his worry and doubt eat away at him. Each time Nic fails, you want to shout at him and each time he gets back up you want to cheer for him.
   
   Sheff's hope and grief come through in every chapter and you are constanly left wondering "what if?"
   
   But while Sheff succeeds mightily in putting you in the room with him, he doesn't wallow nor does he force his readers to wade in self pity.
   
   I've already ordered Tweak and I'm hoping Nic has all of the candor of his dad and even half the story-telling ability.



3. In the back of all our minds when our beautiful sons and daughters are born is the realization of all the evil that can be laid upon them by society and by themselves. Those adorable, cute, huggable children face step after step of hazardous life --- made especially hazardous during the teenage years when being "with it" often means being dumb.
   
   This book is where many of us have not gone but know we could have gone. Sheff is a courageous writer.



4. Unfortunately the father/author spends so much time telling us about his idyllic life and self-importance that he fails at a thorough and genuine self-evaluation and revelation. I spent the time while reading the book wondering if he ever really listens (treats young Nic as a little adult and repeats the same by needing to explain Nic's addiction to his four-year old) and why he cannot give his son some space (He attends an AA meeting with his son as a gesture of support. I can only imagine what the AA group was thinking.).



5. After standing in line at Starbuck's for as it seemed, over a month, I decided to purchase this book on Amazon.com. I haven't regretted it. David Sheff offers an inside look at a Father and Son and a horrible addiction. The book made me both happy and sad and at times, and gave me a stomach ache because of the drug's powerful pull. It's such a HOT topic these days. For those of you who have thought about buying this book - do it!

5 comments about Adventures of a Psychic.

1. I've seen Sylvia Browne a few times on the Montel Williams show
   and have always been amazed by the gift she seems to
   have . . . so when I came across the CD version of her book,
   ADVENTURES OF A PSYCHIC, I decided to give it a listen.
   
   Doing so enabled me to learn about her fascinating life
   story . . . I also appreciated the point she made several
   times; i.e., that despite her desire to help others, her abilities
   have not enabled her to guide her own actions.
   
   Brown contends that all people have psychic abilities . . . I'm not
   sure that listening to and/or reading ADVENTURES OF A
   PSYCHIC will help you discover yours . . . yet if you're open
   to what might be a new way of thinking about yourself,
   you will gain better insight into the events that help shape your life.
   
   That Browne was also the narrator of this program added
   to my enjoyment.



2. What a load of tripe! This Browne lady is not only a felon, but a liar when it comes to her education, psychic abilities and being a non-smoker. She doesn't even write the books her name is attached to. Even watching TV is more entertaining than this garbage.



3. I have to say that I was somewhat disappointed with Sylvia Browne. I have watched her for years on the Montel Williams Show. When I first bought this book, I was disappointed once I started reading about Francine who I come later to know as part of Sylvia Browne's psychic abilities. By studying psychics like Sylvia Browne, I gain a better understanding of myself more than her. I don't agree with her a hundred percent of the time but it doesn't mean that I don't love her or admire her ability. She's here to help us. Her life has been traumatic, difficult, and messy at times. That's because psychics too are human and make mistakes. We're terrible with predicting ourselves but we can guide our family and friends to better lives if they only listen to advice. Maybe the book is beneficial in helping us unload the stress of our lives. No, being human and alive is not easy. Psychics tell me that I'm going to live to be about 90 and I'm scared. I don't want to live that long. I'll outlive all my family and friends and be all alone. If Sylvia Browne might be outrageous, outspoken, and opinionated, it doesn't mean that she gets it wrong most of the time. All psychics make mistakes and are not perfect. But if you love Sylvia Browne, you will love this book. But by reading it, i had to seek out my own knowledge and it's been a whirlwind adventure of trying to become more psychic, intuitional, and better atuned to natures and our surroundings. We don't have to pack up and move to find serenity, peace, and love. We just have to close our eyes and let your mind go there. This book and other books about the paranormal are not suggested for skeptics, atheists, and those who seek to disprove her claims. That's such a waste of energy!



4. A common sense approach to life-keep it simple.Many of the things she
   wrote about were things I felt I already knew on some level and this was the first time I had seen them in words.
   Reassuring,comforting,thought provoking and humorus.



5. Just because Francine says its sooo... doesn't mean it is. She has been debunked three times on CNN so really ... these adventures are more mischief than soul serving.
   
   The Mystical Life of Jesus: An Uncommon Perspective on the Life of Christ

5 comments about Awakening Heart: My Continuing Journey to Love.

1. In my opinion this book does not offer much new spiritually after the author's first book "Embraced by the Light", but rather it gives some insight into her publishing the book.



2. For the person/s worried that the bible and Christianity are diminished in this book, its message goes well beyond the bible and religions. Love embraces all religions yet exceeds all of them in its magnificent majesty. That universality and common humanity are the very fabric of what Eadie is discussing. Namaste...



3. I loved Betty Eadie's first book. It was excellent. But this book was uncomfortable for me as a Christian. It seemed she was getting into areas that were unbiblical. I know she is a Christian, but she is mixing new age with her Christianity. I feel that if you are a Christian, you may want to skip this book. It is not as good as her Embraced by the Light. I finally threw the book away when it conflicted SO MUCH with the Bible. I couldn't take any more. Book 1, Embraced by the Light is pretty good. Read and get the good and spit out the bones.



4. The beginning of the book reiterates some of the content of Eadie's first book, "Embraced by The Light." She continues to discuss how her near death vision affected her life. "Often our dreams are full of symbolism, but they are our own symbols, some so uniquely our own that only the dreamer has the key to them," Eadie says. And as dreams are for the dreamer, visions are for the envisioned. She says it best herself, " All of my interests had changed, and I was painfully aware that my life before had been very shallow. I had a new interest now, an unquenchable thirst for greater spiritual knowledge, but I didn't know where to find it. Old friends stopped coming by; the things we had shared before--gossip sessions, parties, shopping, and, of course, the afternoon soaps--no longer held any interest for me. I had never felt more alone in my entire life." Eadie relates how before she had kept her room off limits to her children so that she could keep it clean and keep her treasures without fear of the children breaking them. The children would stand in the doorway gazing into the forbidden room. Now she invites the children in where the room is a family sanctuary. She said her ego had played a larger part in the way she was raising her children and she needed to undo the damage she had done. She did not know what to do with the knowledge she had been given and felt lost and alone. She painted the walls of the house bright colors. She lost her hearing in one ear and became depressed and experienced anxiety attacks and agoraphobia but eventually became interested in serving others and in researching herbs. She experienced visits of angels with lights and singing. She experienced incidents in which she was not kind to people and was puzzled since she thought she would not behave in such a way after her near-death experience. She heard voices telling her to pray and decided that it was for herself and perceived God as a father figure. She was separated from parents and spent her childhood in boarding schools and said she did not experience unconditional love. Eadie began to experience enhanced ability to read other people and describes it as cellular memory. She awakened to her Native American ancestry. She experienced praying what she calls the mother's prayer she had seen during her near death experience and described as beacons of light reaching into heaven. She experienced other times when family needs were radical and says that prayer is the greatest gift we have for any situation. She became angry with God when her father, husband and son were all afflicted at the same time as if God had been responsible. She attended a hypnotherapy session with a friend and decided it was her calling. She received certification and set up her own clinic and gave presentations about her near death experience. The most touching part of the book is the dream she had concerning her father's death. A person's consciousness that causes them to dream scenes of the future is indeed phenomenal. Eadie relates the details of how she wrote the first book Embraced by The Light and the phobias she had to overcome in speaking and presenting her vision to audiences. She speaks often of the ripple effect which is the fact that everything we do has some effect on many people. She speaks about unconditional love in this way: "It doesn't matter whether we wear a cross around our necks or make the sign of the cross or light candles. Whatever manner in which we choose to communicate with God is not important; these are the mechanical touchstones that we use in our faith... But what is more important than anything else, ever, is simply that we make that communication with God from the very depths of our heart and, when we share it with another person, that we do so with the purity of spirit of unconditional love." She stresses the importance of being non-judgmental, no matter how diverse a person may seem. "We may see people facing one challenge on top of another and wonder whether they can take one more thing," she states. "Their growth is enhanced by their willingness to take what appear to be negative events and turn them into something very positive. These individuals continue to grow and expand at a tremendous rate, unlike others whose lives just drift along. We can learn from them, and we can grow by sharing our love in support of them... Through my own journeys I have learned that it often seems easier not to move on; even the muck and mire in which we are stuck often seems less fearful and challenging than the unknown path ahead... I have learned always to look for the next door. ...There is no reason to want to stop developing spiritually, because the wonders through each door are more beautiful than the ones before. Our journeys are their own rewards."
   Trish New, author of The Thrill of Hope and South State Street Journal.



5. I so loved Embraced by the light that I sought out other books by Betty J Eadie. This book gives the message of hope and love, but not like her first book. Still worth reading if you are a fan of Embraced.