5 comments about Detour : My Bipolar Road Trip in 4-D.

1. As someone who also suffers from bipolar disorder, this book hit very close to home. Lizzie Simon gave us a nice break from the typical scientific terminology, and replaced it with the emotional and mental hardships and experiences that people diagnosed with bipolar disorder know all too well. Her bipolar roadtrip provided comfort and understanding to all of us. Thanks Lizzie



2. I absolutely love this book! When one reads about bipolar, it is usually medical information describing the characteristics and treatments of and for this illness. This raw engaging view from a wise young woman gives the reader a first hand view of the interior landscape of bipolar illness. We go on a journey of discovery with Lizzie. And an amazing journey it is. There is so much misinformation and stigma on mental illness. This book helps to bring forth the reality of the illness and gives one hope. There is still much to unfold in the arena of mental illness, but it is like any other illness, it is an illness! It's so stigmatized because there are so many unknowns. Do we stigmatize cancer, epilepsy, diabetes?! I have a friend who is bipolar and have always struggled to understand it and now the door has opened. I am also currently in the wake of standing by another individual struggling with this illness and have gained greater compassion and coping skills from this book. My own family has a lineage of mental illness, though no one ever truly "coped" with it. I grew up in fear and misunderstanding. Thank you Lizzie for bringing forth truth, understanding and demystifying as best as possible the land of bipolar! This is truly a must read!



3. This is not a scientific book. It is simply one woman's attempt to help us understand what goes on in the mind of a bi-polar person. It helped me better understand but most importantly, sympathize with any one who has the disease. I recommend it if you want a personal account of bi-polar.



4. Lizzie is courageous & heroic! Her memoir of a young woman struggling with bipolar disorder is not only brilliantly & creatively written, but it's incredibly inspiring!!!



5. I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder in the summer of 2007, at the age of 41 after being hospitalised. In the years prior, I struggled with depression, extreme emotional turmoil, and a precise feeling of not fitting in, of not feeling normal. After I was discharged from the hospital I sought out books that I knew to be out there regarding others and their experience with bipolar disorder to sort of get a handle on what I might be dealing up against. While Ms. Simon writes from the perspective of an intelligent, beautiful, talented young woman in the glow of her youth, I felt a resonance with her stories and encounters that make up "Detour". She visits with several other people she meets on a sort of mental health road trip and compares notes. Out of that came a dialog of the diffences, similarities, and ultimately the uniqueness of each person's bipolar disorder. If you or someone you love is struggling with an understanding of bipolar disorder, Lizzie Simon's book, "Detour: My Bipolar Road Trip in 4-D" is essential to fascilitating your awareness.

5 comments about Breaking Clean.

1. Judy Blunt blew me away with this wonderful memoir. Details so crisp and clean, almost too stark. She reminds me of Annie Dillard in her ability to look at nature dispassionately while allowing the reader to absorb the sometimes horrifying details that challenge you emotionally. She also looks at her own life in that same dispassionate manner, giving the reader the same kind of space to make emotional connections. I love this book so much I talk about it when I teach memoir writing. It deserves more attention than it's getting.



2. Amazingly raw biography of a life about which most US citizens have no understanding. Eloquent breathtaking descriptive writing.



3. 
   Judy Blunt's Breaking Clean is a clear, concise picture we get from her life in northeastern Montana, a small town called Malta. She provides great detail with vivid memories and she uses the memories of others to connect with readers. The book was awarded thePen/Jeraud Fund Award for work in progress and the 2001 Whiting Writers' Award.
   
   She begins with her home, and engages the reader into a trip down memory lane. And if you have never read or experienced what a Montana blizzard is like, you will gain tremendous insight into one, the Blizzard of 1964, and its massive impact on the ranch and livestock. Blunt goes into enough detail and information that keeps the reader fully informed without asking more questions. A chapter on fighting fire was another of nature's forces she experienced.
   
   We learn about the school in a small town, horses, pets, teenage lifestyle, to marriage and harvesting and divorce. The sequence of stories is told well.
   
   This is an insightful memoir, descriptive, and emotional....MzRizz



4. eloquent...evocative writing.With the mid-20th century as the setting Blunt brings her land, her emotions, her experiences alive with an honesty that is at once brutal and tender. This is an all absorbing story of self awareness and liberation; I read the book through twice without stopping.



5. WOW. What a woman. I was especially curious to read this book since Jeff and his family are from Montana, and lived in Missoula for quite some time. It is too bad life still isn't like that in a sense. Seems more things have gotten in the way and it is falling apart. Kids don't know the meaning of "going to play".
   
   I applaud her for not sticking with the marriage. The in-laws were a bit much. Knowing the land would never be her's was a bit much.
   
   Good read but not one to be taken lightly and def not a beach read.

2 comments about The Hiding Place (Radio Theatre).

1. For a commuter who is too tired to read once finally home, this was an excellent way to "read" this book. It was awesome.



2. I have always found Focus on the Family's Radio Theatre to be well done, and this production was no exception. The voices, direction, sound effects, all were well done. From what I remembered, the story follows the book pretty closely. The one issue I might have is that the voices tend to be soft while the sound effects are somewhat loud, so one minute we are turning up the volume to hear people talking, and the next turning it down so we don't suffer hearing damage. Other than that, our family has a lot of fun listening to this drama in the car. We didn't want to stop listening when we got home! It pulls you in just like the book.

5 comments about Ordinary Girl: The Journey.

1. This review is late in coming, considering I waited on line back when it was released to attend a book signing, and yes I have my signed copy.
   
   This review serves a two fold purpose, first the book. For me, a long time, fanatic follower of Donna's I really enjoyed the book as it went into great detail about her younger years, From her childhood in Boston, to her teen years, to her early years as a performer, and finally onto Europe, I learned alot about Donna that I never knew before. Her early years were truly a journey, and few other people ever work their dream this hard.
   Sometimes when we form firendships as an adult, we like to learn about our friends past including their childhood. The parts of the book covering her early life filled in this information about my "friend unkown".
   
   Her years in the USA are better known, but here we learn more about the internal workings at Casablanca, and the machine that formed to make Donna a superstar. We have heard about the stresses and trials of this time, but here Donna also shares the joys of her reign as Disco Queen.
   
   Donna also fills in her story after she re-embraced her faith, and focused on being a full time, involved parent.
   This period also was filled with many trials and tests for her, and she shares with us the good, the bad, the happy and the sad.
   
   As I mentioned this review has a 2 fold purpose, and here it is. Donna addresses the infamous rumor, with a simple, elequent statement, "I have a true love for people" and it transends their race, sex, faith, or sexual preference. For me this represents my final word on the rumor.
   
   Ken



2. I found Donna Summer's autobiography to be completely inspiring. Although I was born after the disco era, I have always enjoyed her music. But this book was unbelievable! Ms. Summer has had so many incredible adventures such as traveling all over Europe, becoming a huge star and juggling various romances. I also liked the touches of spirituality mentioned throughout. Thank you Donna Summer!



3. Web site was easy to navigate and shipment was on time. Billing was also correct.



4. Right from the stunning cover photos, and the mass of photos inside, most of which I'd never seen, this is a great book.
   
   At last, we get to read Donna Summer's life story as told by her. I particularly loved reading about her life in Germany before she met Giorgio Moroder and was catapulted to mega stardom as the queen of disco.
   
   I also love that she takes responsibility for things in her life, such as the failure of her first marriage. Not digging up unnecessary dirt about people that let her down is, I think, a sign of class, humility, and maturity.
   
   I came out of reading this book with a renewed love, respect and admiration for this extra ordinary girl.



5. Ordinary Girl is Donna Summer's long awaited autobiography, after years of unauthorized biographies.
   
   
   It's the inspiring tale of her journey from a little girl in Boston, through her days in the rock group The Crow, to New York, to Germany where she first found success in musicals, to her music career.
   
   
   If you're looking for sensationalism, dirt being dished, this isn't the book for you. What you get is a joyous, triumphant story of hope. Full of loads of beautiful photos too which tell a tale of their own.
   
   
   A beautiful read.

5 comments about Blazing Splendor: The Memoirs of Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche.

1. This is a biography of the late, great Ati Yoga master Tulku Urgyen (TU)--via descriptions of interactions & legacies from his masters. As per much religious literature (Buddhist & otherwise) it mixes mythology, allegory, & historical fact--as much hagiography as biography. It stems from anecdotes/stories recorded by Erik & Marcia Schmidt et al under TU's tutelage. There are advanced teachings hidden amongst the exoteric & mythological--some being controversial: observations on Tibet's lack of preparation prior to Chinese occupation despite graphic omens p. 294: "It is amazing how a country like Tibet could have the merit to host so many great masters & at the same time lose everything;" pp. 179-80: the story of the river parting (like the Red Sea); & his uncle & root guru Samten Gyatso's statement p. 233: "One thing is for sure: there will not be any direct reincarnation. For that I have no wish. On the other hand, someone will probably come along capable of benefiting the Dharma & sentient beings, who will be given the title `Samten Gyatso's tulku.'" This certainly puts a different perspective on tulkus and reincarnation!
   
   There are also pithy observations--p. 114: "Chö is to benefit others by cutting through ego-clinging," p. 11: "When training in Mahamudra, do not busy yourself with virtuous deeds of body & speech," Milarepa explained, "because you risk losing thought-free wakefulness," p. 307: a master who acted childlike, ignoring social conventions upon reaching "collapse of delusion," p. 312: a master noting that "The Way of the Bodhisattva" is a rudimentary text, & Samten Gyatso's p. 101: "emptiness isn't anything you can possibly cultivate."
   
   There are also some interesting takes on preconceptions: p. 327: "Today's meat & cream is tomorrow's shit, p. 342: By abandoning activities you approach the nature of nonaction. That's the entire reason for staying in mountain retreats, & p. 387 note 172: Erik Schmidt--The hell realms are not real, physical locations but resemble horror movies played out in the minds of the beings there.
   
   It's a long book (especially if you aren't into hagiography & hyperbole), but if you persevere, there are gems herein. You have to dig to find the gold or wish-fulfilling gem. If you want some of his actual teachings, try his very fine Rainbow Painting: A Collection of Miscellaneous Aspects of Development and Completion or the collection of his pith instructions, Vajra Speech: A Commentary on The Quintessence of Spiritual Practice, The Direct Instructions of the Great Compassionate One or his lengthier As It Is Vol. 1 (As It Is) & As It Is, Vol. 2.



2. I'm thoroughly enjoying this book! It is full of beautiful stories about the lifestyle and people of the intense Buddhist spiritual culture in Tibet in the last century. So many anecdotes bring the whole scene to life. The flavor of that whole world comes through so clearly. I'm not a Nyingma practitioner - so I'm not talking as a devoted student per se - but it's such a rich read and I'd recommend to anyone interested in Tibetan Buddhism.
   I've hardly read anything that gives the same depth of detail and cultural ambiance as this.



3. I found this book fascinating. It gave me a window to view the way of life of an elite sector of traditional Tibetan society - the high-born lamas of Eastern Tibet - and their complete dedication to the pursuit of spiritual attainment within the context of the buddho-shamistic culture of their people. Written from deeply within the context of the Tibetan spiritual worldview, this narrative brings to life the character of many great masters from pre-communist Tibet, and puts the teachings that survive them within the context of their traditional way of life. If you are interested in awakening to Truth, the Dzogchen teachings, and traditional cultures, you are sure to find this an interesting read, providing that you are able to navigate the many dozens of Tibetan names and words that occur throughout the text (glossary included.) :) The greatest thing that struck me from reading this memoir was how profoundly the society of Tibet supported its spiritual practitioners - and in contrast how lacking our modern society is in this regard. Truly, despite all of its failings from a modern humanistic perspective, traditional Tibet was a sacred society.



4. Many reviewers have rated this book among the best because it tells the story of a great Tibetan teacher. Some of Rinpoche's students are well known teachers in the United States and other countries. This is a well told story that could, at one level, be a history of the lineage holders that compise the evaporating pool of knowledge of Tibetan Buddhist tradition and culture. On a deeper level, it is a teaching in the oral and Tantric tradition, and because the authors are careful to keep the narrative as told by Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, it has the feel of a story heard while sitting in his presence. My only complaint is that the endnotes are so fact-filled and important to understanding the traditonal background of the story, that they probably should be formatted as footnotes, just so that one does not have to continually flip to the back of the book. This is an important book for those who care about Tibet and all that it was and still is because of the living oral history that remains accessible in spite of, and maybe even because of, events that ocurred in the last century.



5. This volume is wonderfully fresh and accessible. It is like sitting, listening to stories told by a dear friend or relative. There are charming details, remarkable personal observations of many of the greatest lamas of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, down through Dzonsar Khyenste, Dilgo Kyentse and the 16th Karmapa. A deep theme throughout is that of the "terton", the gifted soul who uncovers "treasures" or "terma" hidden by Padmasambhava to be discovered when the time and times are correct. The author's great grandfather, Chokgyur Lingpa, was one of the last and greatest tertons, and the teachings thus uncovered - how and where they occurred, who was involved, the lineage of those who received these teachings, and so forth - is central to the story. I have found nothing like this in any of the many I've read on Tibet and the Tibetans.
   
   Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche tells stories of these events that go back a considerable ways before he was born, into the 19th century, when Tibet was a world unto itself. He ends the book with a relatively brief description of the work he undertook at the direction of the 16th Karmapa to build a monastery near the great stupa of Boudanath, near Kathmandu, many years after his departure from Tibet in 1955. One sees glimpses throughout the narrative of the coming debacle; remarkable prophecies, side by side with engaging tales of his encounters with masters of the Dharma. It is a unique account, not to be missed, especially by those who seek a deeper understanding of how the great lamas of Tibet in that time lived their lives, related to each other, maintained their lineages and looked forward to preservation of the Dharma in a changed world. Altogether enchanting!

5 comments about Married to a Bedouin.

1. I've only heard rave reviews of this book and was strongly encouraged to read it since I would be spending an extended period in Jordan. I think my expectations were too great. I had hoped to learn more about Bedouin traditions and culture and how a Westerner became a part of the society. I'm not a scholar of the Middle East, Arab, or Bedouin historty/tradition, but there was little information that was new for me. I found the book to be poorly organized, lacking of structure, and repetitive. Except for a few "chapters" when the author truly opened up to the reader, I felt as if I were reading a list of items from a day planner. From the anecdotes, it's clear Ms. Van Geldermalsen (Umm Salwa wa Umm Raami) led a rich life and experienced much that most of us will never know. I simply wish she had a better editor.



2. Having been to Jordan several times and hoping to go back (I am totally in love with the country) I picked up this book at the airport for an in-flight reading.
   
   I thought it would be just another account of a western person whining about the ''wrongs'' of Muslim life but I was so pleasantly surprised that I couldn't put this book down.
   
   Margaruite's story is a matter of fact account and no preaching. She writes it as she experienced it and offers us facts which we can then make into whatever we want. She offers no criticism of the lifestyle nor does she compare it to the western lifestyle as many of the similar accounts are written nowadays. She also isn't a ''hippie gone native'' as she says many people used to see her as.:)) She simply fell in love with a man and adapted to live her life in his culture. You will enjoy the funny details, and I especially liked her account of the trip back to New Zealand with her Bedouin Husband.
   
   I admire her story, not just for the story itself but for the way it was written.
   Although I have been to Petra several times, after having read this book I went again to experience it in a totally different way, not stopping to admire the ancient Nabataean city but the people who live there and around at the moment. And the experience was unforgettable. We do tend to forget observing the people when doing the ''touristy'' thing at the historical sites. And ashamed, I must admit that the first couple of times around I was annoyed by the ''Bedouins'' trying to get me to buy the ''ancient'' items - but this time around I had a wonderful experience enjoying their spirit.
   
   I don't want to give away too much.
   Read the book. You will not regret it!
   
   Hope it will get you to plan your next holiday to Jordan!



3. If you want to understand Arab culture no better place than to start here. You get a two for one. Petra is one of the great places on the globe and the people there are very special. Marguerite writes a cogent and charming account of her life from New Zealand to Jordan and her family in Petra.



4. Read this book right after touring Petra. It enhanced my feelings and memories if the place immensely. Well written. It gives a very good sense of what life was like in a Petra cave and being married to a very creative Bedouin man and his very large extended clan. Recommended highly, although I'm not sure how much I would have comprehended without having been there myself.



5. This New Zealand-born woman with her Dutch ancestry talks about how she wasn't brave or didn't do anything extraordinary: she merely fell in love with a wonderful, decent, funny, charming and intelligent guy -- who happened to be Bedouin and live in a cave in Petra. I met them in the teahouse across from the amphitheater in the spring of 1989 when Salwa was a little girl and the boys were toddlers. Marg and Mo became our lifeline there and secured one of the new government houses in Umm Sehun for us to rent -- with a hot shower and all. We returned in the fall for three more months, learning so much from Marguerite: how to weave a tent from goat hair, to make margluba in one pot and attend a wedding. Each year for the next 10 years (until 2000), we remet and rekindled our friendship, having incredible fun with my own bint (daughter). Now, reading her book, I cherish each page, understanding even more about their special lives and what it means to be part of a Beduoin family.
   It is a book that is so pertinent today in understanding another culture and how our American government is clueless about that part of the world and the vastly different outlook, superstitions, meanings, approach to everyday living that the local people have. Bravo Marguerite.

5 comments about Breaking News: A Stunning and Memorable Account of Reporting from Some of the Most Dangerous Places in the World.

1. I want to just add to the 5 star reviews. As a moderate I was pleasantly surprised by how balanced this book was. The author clearly struggled with his feelings and never acted superior. As you get deeper into the book it becomes as riveting as any book I can recall. Very highly recommended.



2. I couldn't put this book down, and read it in one day. Martin Fletcher takes you where most reporters won't go, or can't go. You'll read of the intense competition between the networks, and what ranks as "go" or "no-go" story; which amounts to the number of people dying or killed as being newsworthy.
   
   Stories of fellow journalists who are killed and wounded (including his own first-person account), in attempts to bring the stories of war and its victims to our television screens. How Fletcher identifies with the suffering of the victims of war in Somalia and the "Ethnic-Cleansing" of the conflicts in Rwanda and Kosovo; with his own family's suffering in The Holocaust.
   
   From the Arab-Israeli Wars to the present Palestinian struggle, to personal interviews with a warlord, suicide bombers and refugees (one very touching story of a young girl). There'll be stories that will make you laugh, cry, and some that will anger you. But they are all presented within a very personal and moving context that almost makes you feel as if you're right there, experiencing Fletcher's witness of history in the making. And that indeed, this is a very dangerous and evil world in which
   live.



3. An amazing, POWERFUL, insight into the world of Martin Fletcher. I read the book in two sittings, four days ago, and I am still thinking about it. He tells his story in a 'mostly' chronological order, leaving me breathless at the end. It's an incredible journey and I am so thankful he took the time to tell it!



4. This is a very different, deeply-impressing account by a very special reporter - and if this book hadn't been thrust under my nose with the recommendation to read it, I would have assumed it was the usual set of star-turn anecdotes from someone who thought they were the star-turn. Not a bit of it. Unlike some, Fletcher is never, ever bigger than the news on which he reports.
   
   If this was only the most brilliant account of exceptional, award-winning TV war-reporting journalism, which, incidentally, it is - then that in itself that would be something. But it's much more than that; it's about the moral and ethical dilemmas that people like Fletcher face daily on our behalf in reporting serious news - and, refreshingly, nothing to do with the soulless ephemerals of providing 'entertaining' so-called, 'news' features between adverts.
   
   Fletcher is one of the last vestiges of conscience and soul in the digital age when it comes to serious news reporting. Breaking News is likely - and rightly - to be considered core-curriculum stuff for anyone considering serious journalism as a career - but it's also likely a must-read for anyone who wants to share Fletcher's personal 'take' - and the chance to share in his very human enlightenment - through his reporting of a truly extraordinary series of world events over 30 years.



5. Hanging my boots up last year after my final trip to Afghanistan was one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make in my life. It was done at the insistence of my daughter and my knees. I finally had to realize that I could be a liability to those around me in a war zone. With that in mind, I was quite intrigued when friends contacted me and asked if I would read and review Martin Fletcher's book, "Breaking News". Martin was starting his career with the Yom Kipper (October) War of 1973 just as I was ending my Navy Combat Camera days with the very same war. Martin's account of this war is "spot on"! I wish he had written about this many years ago when I got asked to leave a Political Science class in college for telling the professor he didn't know what he was talking about. When the professor asked me how I knew, I replied with the only answer I could give, "because I was there"! Where were you when I needed you, Martin!
   
   "Breaking News" is a MUST READ for anyone interested in international conflicts and what it is like to cover these conflicts as a cameraman and as a broadcast journalist. In his 35 year career, Martin Fletcher has pretty much seen it all, and this book is his very personal account of what life is like in the day to day world of the Foreign Correspondent. Part of what makes this book great is that it does not focus on world leaders, and "their" stories. It focuses on the day to day struggles of the average person caught in the middle of these conflicts. It gives an excellent account of the journalistic integrity of one man working in the trenches of so many conflicts, Martin Fletcher.
   
   I am always reluctant to give too much detail in a book review because I hate to give out "spoilers". Once again, I will just say, "READ THIS BOOK"! Martin takes us on a journey of adventure and personal growth from the October War of 1973 to the Coup in Cyprus just a year later, to the Rhodesian War that gave us what today is known as Zimbabwe. He gives an excellent account of life in Paris for news reporters and takes us to Algiers and Iran for an insider's look at the Hostage Crisis in Tehran. From there he takes us to Afghanistan and covering the Afghan/Soviet War. He gives us a very telling account of life in Israel during the first Gulf War with SCUD missiles falling in Tel Aviv.
   
   I could go on and on about his coverage of the Middle East, Somalia, Rwanda, Kosovo, Bosnia and numerous other places of conflict and genocide. But, once again I will simply point out that Martin's book is really about his own personal and professional growth. There is some humor here, but there is a huge amount of sorrow and pain. One does not do this kind of work for 35 years without it taking a toll on your soul.
   
   Martin closes his book with the following: And I can only hope that Shakespeare wasn't referring to storytellers like me when he wrote "Life is but a walking shadow...it is a tale told by an idiot, full of sound and fury, signifying nothing"! Rest assured that Martin's book is anything but this! It is a glimpse into one man's continent crossing dedicated life as a Foreign Correspondent, a glimpse into hell, and hopefully an offered understanding of "conflict" on the average person, as well as what covering such conflicts does to those who report them.
   
   Please...READ THIS BOOK "BREAKING NEWS"!

5 comments about Someday My Prince Will Come: True Adventures of a Wannabe Princess.

1. Ms. Fine has a fantastically self-effacing sense of humor. The contrast between her upbringing and her desires could not be a more charming contradiction. I bought the book on a whim and read it in one sitting that same day. For anyone who secretly desires fame or dreams of a charmed life, this book has a double gift of showing that a charmed life is what you create for yourself, not necessarily what lands in your lap. And clearly Ms. Fine captures the sense that she has enjoyed the pursuit of a dream and all that unexpectedly unfolds because of it.
   
   The brilliance lies in the premise being at once so absurd and simultaneously believably possible -- and with that it is the true stuff of fairy tales. But of the best possible kind. The real kind.



2. Miss Fine's book was a wonderful read and a true testament to the hardships of following a dream against all odds. I wished for a happier ending (she should have gotten the man, not that Canadian girl).
   
   The only thing I can say is "great job Miss Fine", and wonder if a matrimonial agency for aristocrats might be in your future business plans???



3. I like to vary my reading diet, and this was a great bite in the chick-lit buffet. It was fun, honest and humorous -- keeping me glued till the end. For someone who's looking for a story to keep you happily distracted, this is the book for you. Jerramy Fine was extremely focused and dedicated to her dream, which is always refreshing. I finished it with a smile.



4. I was very impressed with Jerramy's honesty of her story and her ability to laugh at herself. She writes with such intelligence and wit while telling her story that it makes it difficult to put down the book as it left me wondering what was going to happen next. I found it very easy to relate to her story and her desire for something more. I also grew up in a small town in Colorado and found myself reliving my childhood as she spoke about county fairs, pick-up trucks with rifles hanging on the gun rack. I know exactly what she was talking about when she describes moving to a new, strange city where you expect so much right away. I also loved reading about the different men she was interested in and I'm glad to know that I'm not the only girl in the world who didn't get that call after the "perfect evening"! Haha!
   Thank you, Jerramy, for sharing your wonderful story!



5. I picked this book up before a long car ride, hoping for something light and interesting. While I did find this book interesting enough to at least finish, it was a sappy, insipid piece of work that made me greatly dislike the character, and as a result, the author.
   
   I agree with another reviewer that her character was flat, with no real growth in personality throughout the book - drink, party, drink, party, make out, get dumped, make fun of parents, drink, party. Does she ever really learn about love, friendship and the pursuit of something greater than being English Royalty? It doesn't seem so - the last chapter serves as an "epilogue" but the jump from the chapter before to that doesn't show that the author/character has actually learned anything.
   
   The sheer amount of alcohol in this book makes it inappropriate for teenagers (I'm surprised anyone thought it was), but really, this book is a waste of time for any reader.

5 comments about Raise Your Hand if You Love Horses: Pat Parelli's Journey from Zero to Hero (Western Horseman Books).

1. i am a big fan of pat parelli.i enjoy most everything i've read from him and his wife linda.



2. I'm a Parelli student, and have been for many years now. I really enjoyed reading this book and learning the in-depth story behind Pat and his journey to *now*. You get a sense of his life when he chats during his demos and seminars, but this book, with pictures, really helped me understand the chronology of his life and experiences. It's a quick read, and for anyone involved in natural horsemanship, and Parelli specifically, I think this is an interesting and fun book.



3. Very interesting reading, especially if you've ever attended a Pat Parelli
   savvy clinic, or are familiar with his work. He basically trains people in
   horsemanship as opposed to training horses. The book describes in interesting fashion how he got to where he is today. More informative
   than educational. Would recommend if you're already a Parelli fan.



4. I have followed the Parelli training methods for a couple years, so this book was interesting.



5. This book is exactly what I had expected. Not a "how to" but rather a more in depth look at Pat Parelli himself. I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about I Shouldn't Even Be Doing This: And Other Things That Strike Me as Funny.

1. While I don't read show biz biographies--heaven knows theres too many of them and those subjects are already over-idolized--I saw this one. Newhart has always been my favorite "clean" comic. That doesn't mean I don't like, say, Lenny Bruce. But, say, Eddie Murphy and George Carlin overdo the "let's be audacious" thing. Newhart doesn't need to do that.
   
   What's more, I've always wanted to learn a little about what makes a comedian's mind tick. (Though Newhart explains in one chapter that if he sees another book on the science of comedy, he's going to "throw up.")
   
   Actually, Newhart is quite eloquent. His vocabulary impressed me. There is, of course, name dropping, but it doesn't come across that way. He has a chapter, for example, on golf, those with whom he'd golf and witty anecdotes about other golfers, like Dean Martin--and an interesting story about Clark Gabel and Robert Wagner.
   
   Interspersed with the biography are many of his bits. But he adds to them. Like I've always liked his "airline and stormdoor company" bit. He adds a little about the real flight, on a C47 with seats bolted down--when the aircraft did cargo flights the seats were taken out.
   
   He does talk about both of his television shows. While I'm not a TV watcher and don't think I ever saw either of them all the way through, he even explains a little about how each show came about--and how his wife offered the plot of the finale of all of them.
   
   Oh, and the one I "read" was an abridged, CD version. I couldn't imagine reading this, but Newhart read it with his usual, stammering version, part of his bit. (Indeed, he distinguishes at the beginning of the book between stammering, which he does, and stuttering.
   
   Overall, it's a lot of fun. And you might even learn a little, about his background, about what makes things funny--and about the political correctness that pervades a bit too much of our society. (Yes, I even admit that!) As Newhart says, we need to laugh at ourselves too!



2. Fun book, easy to pack. Better for someone old enough to remember Bob Newhart era of 60's, 70's & 80's!



3. In years past, I enjoyed a bit of Newhart. He was always a "clean" comic to the best of my knowledge. However, when he spoke of his time as a draftee during the Korean War and how he manipulated the system to avoid overseas duty, I was completely turned off and view the man in an entirely different light. Instead of cheering me up, it left me sad and even a little mad.



4. I bought this book for my mom and dad because besides Bob Newhart Jack Lemmon is there favorite. My father laughed so hard no sound was coming out of him. We were laughing hysterically just watching him. Get this book! It is a great book even if you're not even sure who Jack Lemmon is. You won't be sorry! The seller is amazing and stands by there product 100%.



5. Being a long-time Bob Newhart fan I could hardly wait to buy this book. As would be expected, Bob tosses out his genteel type of humor in his telling. It's hard to put down.