5 comments about The Sorcerer's Apprentice: My Life with Carlos Castaneda.

1. I just finished Amy's book and, among the many question marks that have been asked by other reviewers, I wonder the most about what Amy was actually looking for?
   
   Yes, joining a path like this contains heavy deconstruction - never nice! The little ego having a hard time to die. But then this is why people follow this path, no? So why clinging onto that little ego so badly instead of using the chance and deconstruct?
   
   Along the same lines I'm also wondering if there has been any sort of structure-building, besides Tensegrity, i.t.o. subtle body . energy development. Or, not having practised Tensegrity myself, what is the purpose of all these hours of training? What was their world about in the end? What was the intention, the purpose of all that suffering? Its very hard to believe that it all just happened on the horizontal layer of the perceptions and interpretations of the ordinary mind?



2. In the workaday week of ordinary society, heroes are hard to come by, & I thought that I'd found one in Carlos Castaneda. But after his teacher don Juan left the scene, Castaneda, left to himself, created a cruel cult around himself, with himself as infallible hero. His success at writing several books about Native American sorcery seemed to go to his head. Amy Wallace, of "The Book of Lists" fame, was one of his "apprentices." She knew the inner workings of Castaneda's cult inside-out, & how it eventually fell into ruin, leaving many none the better. Her story is both tragic & triumphant, a sign of these times.



3. Allow me to put my two cents in on this. When I was younger, I read several of Castaneda's books, and they made a big impression on me. They were, and remain, terrific books. Beautiful and poetic. Having said that, when I read Amy Wallace's tell-all about CC and his groupies/followers, it was not a flattering portrait of a supposedly enlightened man. I've read the other reviews of this book smearing Ms. Wallace as "psychotic" and otherwise. This is typical character assassination of someone who had the courage to blow the whistle on a cult that was horribly cruel towards its members with Castaneda in the background, manipulating people and encouraging their antisocial behavior. As for the book itself, it's compulsively readable, but I also found the mind games and nonstop abuse to be very depressing.



4. Amy Wallace's 400+ page book is quite a disappointment to wade through. Her writing becomes increasingly self indulgent and tedious as she drones on about her theories of hormone imbalance, depression, romance and cults. All of this would be quite forgivable, if she gave some insight into Carlos Castaneda. But because of her mental instability and "political incorrectness" she was unable to penetrate the inner circle of Castaneda and his followers and was reduced to the role of mistress (one of many, apparently). Did Don Juan exist? Did Castaneda and the witches perform magic? Really, I have no clue after reading this. She wasn't there behind closed doors (other than when Castaneda took her to a hotel room!). There is no insight here, but plenty of self pity and misguided soul searching. Don't waste your time reading this.



5. Castaneda's trash-in-print has been in circulation for decades now and of course scores of dim-bulbs across the Western world have embraced this nonsense rubbish and utterly fraudulant set of "teachings" with absolute glee. "True Believers" of the Hippie/Flowerchild ilk and other assorted kooks have stated that they've experienced a profound feeling of having found "the light and TRUE way" to something or other by reading and attempting to follow Castaneda's loopy fairie tales. This type of response from the mentally unbalanced and unstable among us is merely natural, but so far as I'm aware there has been nothing all that significant in the way of an expose' offered in response to this preposterously fabricated garbage to set reasonable people straight - nothing that is, except a single, obscure book entitled; "Carlos Castaneda: Academic Opportunism and the Psychedelic 60's". BUT FINALLY THINGS HAVE CHANGED AT LAST!
   
   Finally people are given a look into the disgusting, revolting, and degenerate life of Castaneda and his crazed inner circle by someone who had the misfortune of being a part of the whole sad, sick, and sorry mess. This work of Ms. Wallace's will of course be ignored in the spirit of "DON'T BOTHER ME WITH THE FACTS!" by all the would-be "sorcerers" out there who have turned Castaneda's blather into their religion, but perhaps there might be at least some people on the fringe of this lunacy who are able to grasp what this book contains just enough to realize that they've been taken for a sucker's ride by the most popular New Age sham artist of them all - Don Carlos, himself! This book rips away the surface crud that long hid the appalling, revolting REAL LIFE of a con-man/ shyster/two-bit swindler who had an incredible capacity for deception that was ( if you can believe it ) easily surpassed by a capacity for psychological and physical abuse of those True Believing groupies over whom he held intimate sway.
   
   No, this book indicates that the REAL Carlos Castaneda was certainly no sorcerer in the sense of what a sorcerer was supposed to be according to his own books! The REAL Castaneda was just another one of those degenerates who appear in our midst every now and then to prey upon the stupid and foolish of our population. Sung Myung Moon, Jim Jones, and a spade of others occupy the same file that Castaneda should be placed in. After reading this book, there can be no doubt about that!
   
   And as is always the case, the actual underlying motivating elements in all cults are vastly different from how they are marketed by their founders. This book does a very good job in verifying this for the reader in quite a number of ways. By revealing the REAL and TRUE stomach-turning escapades of Carlos and his inner circle of full-bore loonies, Ms. Wallace offers us a reality check as to just how low human beings can sink while they're suffering from the fatal personality flaw of being capable of mindless True Belief while at the same time being incapable of any rational logic and skepticism. You have here a wide-open admission of how utterly devoid of reason some people can be, and how this condition can be exploited to the fullest extent by any glib charlatan who happens to be marketing some unique kind of sky-pie bubbling drool.
   
   Someone like Ms. Wallace should be commended for her bravery. She's come out with enough information to bury Castaneda and his "work" once and for all and she's done it by relating her own brushes with Carlos' peculiar brand of insanity. Three cheers for her! Of course, all the wannabe sorcerers out there will be turning purple with rage over this insult to their great Nagual and the idiotic recommendations he offered them which they feel are so true, but which he never bothered to follow himself! But this inevitable reaction on the part of Castaneda's True Believing hordes should come as no surprise to Ms. Wallace or anyone else in their right mind. Such hopless cases have been following Castaneda's system of life ( living like "Warriors" ) for decades now and have been getting "nowhere fast" as they try to shove a round peg into a square hole where reality is concerned. Hostile reactions on their part serve to indicate that they are simply incapable of recognizing the truth behind Castaneda himself or his decades-old "Toltec Wisdom" sucker bait. The would-be "sorcerers" are, in fact, beyond help or hope whatsoever - forever lost in Castaneda's make-believe fantasy world inhabited by flying Mexicans who glow in the dark.
   
   But those who will benefit most from this book are the other simpletons who haven't yet been completely suckered into this manure pile of swindles. Not only will they be able to see through the crazy structure of lies and stories which made Cult Leader Carlos wealthy, they might even be able to muster up some caution if or when they encounter the horse feathers they may be offered by any other Fast-Buck-Artist who pops up and promises them the moon in the future!
   
   At any rate, our society certainly could do with more authors like Ms. Wallace.
   This is a great book. Read it. It has things to teach you on many levels.

5 comments about Instant Replay: The Green Bay Diary of Jerry Kramer.

1. Born and raised in Fort Worth, I have been a Dallas Cowboys fan for decades. I was 13 years old and watched every minute of the "Ice Bowl", and still feel a twinge of regret over Bart Starr's quarterback sneak (helped by the blocking of Jerry Kramer) that won the game for Green Bay.
   
   I bought Instant Replay the year it came out, and I read it every two or three years, to get me geared up for the football season. My first edition copy is well worn and beloved.
   
   Indeed, reading the other reviews, I am struck by how many people also admit to re-reading this book. And no wonder. Mr. Kramer simply wrote a beautiful love-story about football. You get the feel of the locker room, of the players preparing for each game, and of the game itself. Names from the past float by, such as Alex Karras and Bob Lilly. Vince Lombardi is huge, of course, and the stories about him are simply fun to read (interestingly, Vince would not allow any photographs of him in Jerry's book, since Vince planned on writing his own book). As others have noted, the Packers were an aging team, and Jerry writes vividly at one point about how, as he gazed around the locker room, he saw players getting shots, getting taped up, etc., all evidence of their aging, breaking bodies.
   
   Instant Replay transcends team loyalty. Any fan of football will enjoy this book. Buy a good copy and be prepared to read it several times over the years.



2. This is a classic look at one of the greatest football teams of all time, headed by one of the greatest coaches of all time: the incomparable Vince Lombardi.
   
   The book started out with a desire to keep a journal of a year in football from training camp through the end. Serendipitously, this particular year turned out to be the third straight (and unprecented) championship year for the Green Bay Packers -- and featured a spectacular end-of-the-game play by the author.
   
   I wouldn't call myself a rabid football fan (that would be my husband), but this was an excellent book for anyone with a passing interest in football.



3. I read this book twice: once when I was a kid shortly after it was initially released, and again several years ago. It was just as interesting a read the second time as it was the first. I recently bought a copy of this re-released version for a friend. I thumbed through it and noticed some additional photo's have been added since the release of the paperback edition that I own.
   Anyone who has an interest in football will want to read this book, despite the fact that it relates to events that took place 30 years ago. If you're my age, it will bring back memories of the glory days of the Packers (back when a water bucket was a tin pail with a ladle on the sidelines). If you aren't old enough to remember those days, the names in the book will most likely be familiar to you as great characters in football history.



4. I am not a Packers fan, yet I found this book fascinating. Jerry Kramer has opened up the mystique of America's favorite spectator sport to the public in "Instant Replay." And what a cast of characters! So many legendary figures of the game participated in this single season: Vince Lombardi, Bart Starr, and Ray Nitschke, to name a few. After the fabled "ice bowl" league championship game against the Cowboys, the Super Bowl vs the Raiders was almost anticlimactic. Football fans of any age would truly enjoy this personal account of a remarkable team in their most memorable season.



5. Instant Replay is an essential book for every football fan. The tradition of the NFL and the inside story of the Green Bay Packers in the Vince Lombardi era come to life with a wonderful blend of humor and pro football detail in this great book.

5 comments about There's Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say.

1. Weird, in a good way, and charming juxtaposition of biographies of famous people and Poundstone's meandering thoughts on everything from motherhood to... well, everything. Plenty of laugh out loud moments and some interesting insights into the author.



2. I'm a great fan of Paula Poundstone, and have thoroughly enjoyed her televised comedy specials--and therein lies the problem. In this abridged reading of her book, she covers very little material that wasn't in her Bravo specials. Worse, her reading delivery is wooden and lacks the impeccable timing of her stand-up acts. All that said, this audio book is vintage Paula, and a pretty good companion for a long commute.



3. This book is an unusual mixture of hollywood tell-all, historical biography and stand up. But throughout, Poundstone is funny, charming and clever. Enjoyable to read.



4. I love Paula Poundstone, I think she is one of the best female comics of our generation. I love her humor, her delivery - just the way her mind works. And I so admire her getting through her much-publicized rough patch with drinking, and losing her kids, etc. I totally ready to absolutely love this book. As it turns out...not so much.
   
   I just don't understand why she wrote the book the way she did. She has taken what to me seem eight random historical/cultural figures - Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, Charles Dickens, The Wright Brothers, Beethoven and Sitting Bull - and mushed up her story and humor with their stories. What's up with that?
   
   I have no problem with her stream of consciousness style, I expected it, as that is often how she performs. And when she writes about her life, family and general observations she's hilarious - but when she writes about those other people it's boring and meandering, barely making sense!
   
   Maybe it just went over my head and I'm missing something, but I can't recommend this book.



5. This book is very funny. I could not put it down and finished the book so fast that I wanted more.
   
   Paula Poundstone presented a very popular stage comedy routine on the Bravo television channel. This book is an excellent extension of the stage routine. The book is even better than the Bravo television presentation.
   
   Read this book.

3 comments about Menagerie Manor.

1. I don't have anything interesting to add so will be brief. What occurred to me when reading this book was simply that it would be a good guide for students who are trying to improve their writing. Durrell knows how to engage his reader: his prose is involving and informed and in no way stilted. It's a marvelous, highly appealing style that conveys very important--and at the same time entertaining--subject matter.



2. Unlike most other Durrel books which speak of his expeditions to study and work with animals, this one talks of him setting up his own zoo in the Channel island of Jersey. This book overturns a stereotype of the zoo as a humourless place with unhappy animals in poor conditions, at least for Durrell's zoo.
   
   Much of the book deals with the characters he has become fond of - the "celebrity" animals in the zoo and the laughter and tears they have caused. It also speaks of the relationship between the zoo and the Jersey community - the initial reluctance followed by an outpouring of support. It also details many incidents that have occurred in the zoo, whether hilarious or touching.
   
   A great read for all who love animals, as the author's attachment to them is felt in every page - as well as a testimony to what zoos can be within the scientific/community/ecological and environmental scale of things.



3. This is a great book for all those who have a special place in their hearts for animals. Gerald Durrell takes us through his experiences in setting up a zoo in Jersey. It is a marvelous book full of humor. It sends out a message about saving wildlife. So, even if you are not the one to start a zoo, this book is a must read for you!

4 comments about My Husband, My Friend: A Memoir.

1. Neile Adams is a remarkable and beautiful woman who is as relevant today as she was as a dancer and actress in such movies as "The Pajama Game" and "This Could Be The Night". Her candid recollections of her private life with Steve McQueen is heart-rendering and courageous as it is honest. This is no sugar-coated book. Adams reveals her own short comings, as well as her suffering as a result of Steve's childhood trauma and it's life-long effects throughout adulthood with his destructive behavior. I write this as a huge fan of Steve McQueen and with the greatest of respect. The book is very well written and is frankly, hard to put down. Anyone who has suffered multiple losses will relate to Adams and hopefully be inspired that she is a survivor who continues to record as a singer to this day. A "must read"!



2. GOT THE BOOK VERY QUICKLY AND IN NEAR MINT CONDITION AS PROMISED BUT AT A DISCOUNT PRICE. VERY PLEASED.



3. I have always been a fan of Steve Mcqueen ever since I can remember. I always had a certain image of my idols and unfourtunately once you read about them and how they were as parents and partners or as a human being then it shatters that image not that I only like bad boys. I am glad I read this book because it just shows you bad is cool and to be honest its probably more interesting reading about what they did, in Steve Mcqueen's case sleeping with whomever came to him while married telling his wife that he only loves her and just F**** the others, how understanding of her to stay with him as long as she did.
   She writes very honestly and I enjoyed the book alot, I had heard things about this cool man but to read it first hand from his first wife and certain details it was a surprize.



4. I just recently read this book for the first time. Its a very interesting book and I'm glad Neile wrote it. She married Steve McQueen before he was Steve McQueen movie star. Neile was actually more successful than Steve when they married. She was the breadwinner for a while after they married. No one can accuse her of marrying for money or fame. After they married, she basically became his supporter and helper to climb that ladder of success and fame. She did a great job too. Steve always trusted her judgment, even after they divorced.
   
   Neile takes us from their humble beginnings to the heights of Steve's fame. She got to enjoy Steve's success for a few years with him before it really started to go to his head and poison their relationship, along with the drugs and women.
   
   Anyone who is interested in the life of Steve McQueen and his career can't ignore this book. Neile was Steve's first wife and longest marriage (15.5 years together) and the mother of his two children. She shares so many interesting stories of their times together. She tells of a cross-country car drive she and Steve made early in their marriage. Steve wanted her to see the US. Once they arrived in New York from California, Neile told Steve she finally knew what America looked like - a blur. Steve loved speed - as in fast cars and motorcycles. Later he came to love another kind of speed.
   
   There are so many interesting stories about so many interesting people - Frank Sinatra, Yul Brenner, Robert Vaughn, James Garner, Paul Newman. Also, Natalee Wood, Lee Remick, Faye Dunaway, Jacqueline Bisset, Suzanne Pleshette, all Steve's co-stars at one time or another. And of course, Ali MacGraw, his co-star in "The Getaway" who married Steve after his divorce from Neile. She was not the reason for the divorce and Neile always liked her and still does. She didn't know his third wife, Barbara Minty, very well, but thought Barbara looked like she could be Ali's daughter.
   
   Neile covers Steve's life all the way to the end when he died of cancer at age 50. I remember when he died in 1980. I was 23 and thought he was getting on up there. Now I realize how many more years he should have had and that he died young.

5 comments about Senior Year: A Father, A Son, and High School Baseball.

1. The customer reviews for this book are highly polarized -- mainly 1 star or 5 stars.
   
   I came with no strong preconceptions about Dan Shaughnessy. I live in the Boston area, so I have read many of his columns in the Globe over the years. But I don't have a strong opinion of him. I neither love him nor hate him.
   
   That's also the way I felt about this book. I didn't love it or hate it.
   
   I found the book easy to read and sped quickly through it. As the story progressed, I was eager to see how things would unfold for Sam Shaughnessy and his family. I laughed at many of Shaughnessy's anecdotes and observations about the politically correct culture of Newton, Massachusetts. I believe the book accurately describes much of the challenges and excitement of a budding Division I athlete navigating through his senior year in high school.
   
   My main criticism of the book is that the feel-good, family-first tone felt a little forced. I guess the prominently placed blurb by Mitch Albom on the cover should have clued me in to the homilies to follow.
   
   The way Mr. Shaughnessy describes his home, it is the epitome of all that's good about America. It seems that all the kids in Newton feel comfortable stopping by, sharing a meal, and sleeping over. The Shaughnessy home is always messy, noisy, vibrant, and happily chaotic. There don't seem to be any temper tantrums, slammed doors, or brooding silences. Also, the Shaughnessys seem to treat all their neighbors as part of the extended family. There are no meddling, nosy neighbors, no weirdos that the family studiously avoids. Despite Mr. Shaughnessy's busy work and travel schedule, he seems never to miss an important family moment.
   
   Maybe Mr. Shaughnessy's family life really is that good. Or perhaps he feels guilty about having missed so much of his life at home over the years and is applying a revisionist tone to his description of his family life. I guess readers are supposed to be inspired by the family values that Dan Shaughnessy and his family seemingly epitomize. But I think many readers, like me, will doubt whether things are really that good in the Shaughnessy home.
   
   Nonetheless, I did enjoy reading this book. With the reservations above, I still recommend it.



2. As an Indianapolis Colts fan, I should not even be reading a book written by a Boston Globe writer!
   
   I personally found the book hard to sit down. With a high school senior in sports, it was easy for me to relate to his experiences. I loved Dan's passion for baseball at an early age. When we were kids, baseball was everything.
   
   If you have a senior involved in sports, you will find this book entertaining. If you are not involved in sports and do not have kids, you may not enjoy this book as well as I did.



3. This book is nonfiction about Dan Shaughnessy's son's Senior Year and the stress he as a parent had. It gives insight into a parent's feelings and thoughts about raising a senior. The son was a ballplayer and the dad was very much into watching his games and hoping he would get a sports scholarship for college. The father often compares his son's actions and events to his own memories from when he was that age. It covers the following issues: grades, driving, prom, sports, choosing a college, sportsmanship, respecting the game. I think any parent of teens involved in high school sports would enjoy this book.
   
   --Karen Arlettaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"



4. I read this book after hearing good things about it from two members of my family. Many of the low ratings had scared me off originally, but I took the plunge and am glad I did. I should say that one reason I might have liked this book is that I could relate to so much of it: I was in high school in the Boston area at the same time as Dan Shaughnessy, and I have three children, one of whom graduated in the same year at Dan's son, Sam. My son was also a recruited athlete and is currently competing at the college level. Shaughnessy's chronicles of his life as a high school student and as a parent of a senior in high school rang very true to me. I also should say that I give the author credit for not white-washing the warts from his son's senior year. Sam was often painted in a less than favorable light, yet always with caring. Trying to deal with less-than-perfect children is what parenting is about for 99% of us, and Shaughnessy's loving angst was something I related to. I should say that I am not a big fan of Dan Shaughnessy through his columns, but I entered this book trying hard not to let it poison my experience reading this. It didn't, but I can't help but believe that most of those "one star" ratings come from people who began the book with a negative attitude towards the author. Otherwise, how do you explain the fact that about half the people rated this a 5 and half a 1, with very few ratings in between? I enjoyed this book, and it helped me reflect a bit more on my own family. It reminded me that I am not alone in both the joys and challenges of parenting these days. This is not a profound book, but worth reading.



5. This true account of how young Sam Shaughnessy and his father, Dan, handled the ups and downs of his senior year while pursuing a baseball scholarship is very enjoyable and a book I will read over again.
   
   Mr. Shaughnessy put together the entire senior year in pieces, detailing his son's teenage attitudes and views. The comparative looks back at Dan's high school days in the early 70s showed just how much things have progressed/regressed with a generation.
   
   I, for one, found the book to be entertaining, funny and ironic in more than one chapter! As our kids get older, begin thoughts of college and their careers, we need to enjoy it with them and provide our perspective (which they will think is pure drivel) as they make the choices which will shape their lives away from us.
   
   I'll be checking out the BC website to see how young Sam is getting along!
   
   A nice read and one which is meant to be nothing more than one family's story of a son's senior year. Excellent!

3 comments about Adoniram Judson: Bound for Burma (Christian Heroes: Then & Now) (Christian Heroes: Then & Now).

1. This book is written in a way that older children could read it, but so could an older person, and both would enjoy it.
   
   So inspiring!!



2. We like the other books we've read in this series, but many of the themes this particular book (Judson) were really too "old" for our nine-year-old and we chose not to finish the book. The graphic violence and sometimes disturbing theological themes may not be appropriate for younger readers. I would certainly not recommend this book as a read "alone". I would highly suggest a parental "read along" so that you can address any disturbing or controversial issues.



3. This book casts a long shadow-historically speaking. Adoniram's work is the only translated Bible in the Burmese language today. His life was an amazing adventure filled with the pain of loss and the victory of seeing the Holy spirit open doors. You will do yourself a favor to read this book. I loved it.

5 comments about My Life as a Traitor: An Iranian Memoir.

1. This searing, moving account of torture and imprisonment, as Patrick Clawson wrote in the Middle East Quarterly, could come from any totalitarian country where secret police meticulously record the activities of even the most innocent dissidents, apolitical people who simply want a little free space in their lives. Ghahramani's account of her interrogation in Tehran's Evin Prison is deeply personal and not particularly political in a grand philosophical sense. She comes across as someone who wants to be able to live her life to the fullest, not as a determined democrat burning to overthrow the tyrannical rule of the Islamist thugs who control Iran. Indeed, in her approach to life she seems very much like an average American university student.
   
   The contrast between Ghahramani and her prison interrogators could not be more extreme. She is thoroughly Westernized, fully committed to such Enlightenment values as individual self-worth and the inalienability of human freedom. Her interrogators are traditional Middle Easterners, valuing faith above reason, blind devotion above thought, conspiracy theories above facts, personal ties above the law, and groveling before authority figures above asserting their individuality. My Life as a Traitor lays bare the deep cultural divide running through Iranian society.
   
   The book also fleshes out why "totalitarian" is such an apt adjective for Iran's Islamic Republic. Ghahramani shows how the regime is determined to control even the smallest aspects of each person's life. She is shown pictures of her entering and leaving a male student's apartment--a grave offense against the state even though they were simply friends studying together. Comments she made in class that were implicitly critical of the regime were carefully recorded. And of course, partying is an unpardonable crime: Western music would be sin enough, let alone that the women may have been unveiled; people may have danced (even worse, possibly even as couples), and alcohol may have been served.
   
   In such a society, the very concept of liberty is subversive. Ghahramani's account makes clear the striking similarities between Iran's Islamic Republic and fascist Germany or the communist Soviet Union. The obvious differences in the ruling ideology in these three cases is in many ways less what makes them different from the West than the totalitarian control that the three share.



2. This is a story of a woman's ordeal of humiliation and torture for no reason other than she desired some small freedoms in her life and the lives of her people.
   With much of what we see in the news daily, it is easy to see Iran and its entire people as our enemy. This is not the case and we should never forget the people there who long to just be allowed to wear pink shoes and feel the sun on their hair.
   Well done Zarah, great book, I hope everyone reads it and I am happy to know that you have found freedom and peace. I pray that the country of Iran will also find freedom and that it's people will know the joy of pink shoes and sunshine.



3. This is an excellent, touching and mesmerizing story of courage and suffering. Ghahramani reveals her innemorst feelings throughout in a disarming way. Well written and interesting from the first to the last page. Brutality and torture are described vividly, yet not in a crude or brutal way. A good read and a must for everyone.



4. There are a number of good books out there on the atrocities that have gone on in the prisons of Iran and Iraq. What makes this book unique is that it explores in a very personal way the mind set of the tortured prisoner. The author does an excellent job of explaining her thoughts and feelings while incarcerated. She gives the torture she endured a very personal quality by explaining how even the smallest of psychological details were used to advantage by her captors, e.g., endless waiting and uncertainty, use of details about family to extract confessions, restricted personal hygiene, appeals to her vanity, etc. While the physical torture that she was subjected to was not as severe as that chronicled in some other books, it is clear that the psychogical component was inescapably devastating. A very open and honest recounting of human fraility and exploration of self. It will have you asking "What indeed is courage?"



5. The book is well-written and its a story that needs to be told---to help us understand oppression and the violation of human rights in today's Iran, and the dangerous conclusions arrived at by religious extremists who cause a inordinate amount of suffering in the world. However, it troubles me to know that this author, now safe in Australia, told details that could result in suffering for family and friends remaining in Iran. Zarah Ghahraman knows that the current regime tortures perceived ideological "enemies".
   
   Meanwhile, the Iranian government goes after adolescents who engage in age-appropriate teenage rebellions against authority. This is both ridiculous and dangerous and shows they are not fit to lead! The government's abuse is a far greater threat to their leadership than any student protests.

5 comments about Still Kicking: My Dramatic Journey As the First Woman to Play Division One College Football.

1. My review should probably be discounted because I know Katie, in fact the photo of her kicking the ball is one that I had taken for her. First about Katie, she is not the type of person to seek publicity for herself and she is an extremely honest person, integrity is important to her. I know her motive is to help young women (anyone for that matter) that have big dreams. I also know how hard the entire ordeal has been on her so I think writing the book was a bit of personal therapy for herself.
   
   What I did not know when I bought the book was how well written it was. Katie has a journalism background and it showed as I thought she did a wonderful job of describing her roller coaster experiences. In fact I was a little surprised how well she weaved her story. To me her book told how people in leadership roles can mold an environment. Student athletes at CU are no more good or evil than student athletes at UNM, or anywhere else, but the leadership can make a difference when it comes to what behavior is accepted and prohibited. Leadership creates it's own sub-culture, and the book did a nice job of contrasting two very different sports sub-cultures.



2. THis is a story about a young lady who benefitted from a coach which allowed her on the team despite being the worst kicker on the team (I think his name was Neuheisal) and did not deserve to be there. She became a national figure with Gary Barnett's ill timed comments and then became a New Mexico media element. She obviously was not a good kicker as she was ONLY able to kick ONE extra point in seven years of Div 1 kicking.
   The element that is disturbing is this: If in fact she was molested/raped, she has a CIVIL responsiblity to identify WHO, WHEN, HOW and prosecute the assailant. That would require a court case and potentially ruin her story if in fact it was proven to NOT BE TRUE. In today's society..we all have a responsiblity to report crimes.
   
   This young lady never did anything to speak of in football and should not even have been there. When will men be able to try out for Field Hockey? Why is there a dual standard? Men cannot try out for womens sports; why is the reverse admissable/? Save your $$$ and buy Buffaloed. It is a much better read.



3. Before my review, I've got several problems with the "statements" of the previous reviewer.
   
   First, you didn't read the book. If have difficulty with such, please have someone help you with my comments.
   Second, if you are to do a book review, you ARE supposed to read the book, not simply spew venom.
   Third, I work in the justice system and am aware of the complexities of these types of cases. You obviously are stuck in some time warp where you expect women to follow your idea of set rules for reporting criminal acts, especially those of a sexual nature. Things are not as simple as your agenda indicates.
   
   So let's talk about the book. It is a fine piece of writing. And it answered many behind the scenes questions I had about the situation in Colorado. I was especially interested to see how Ms. Hnida was attacked and smeared BEFORE the infamous press conference by Barnett. It seems to be a common thread in society- attack the victim if they dare speak out.
   
   The book follows a clear path and story line about how Ms Hnida came to the university and tried to achieve her dreams, only to be assaulted verbally and physically. The despair she suffered was painful to read, as it is one seen so often in crime victims- whether it is a crime committed by a stranger or even a family member. It's been my experience that victims often are silent, afraid to speak out and often resort to destructive behaviors. She stayed strong. Then to read about her persistence to push forward was inspiring. The team and coaches of New Mexico who took Ms Hnida onto their squad are to be commended. I would hope their actions are the rule rather than the exception. I especially took offense about the "Texas" comments made by the Colorado coach, by the way.
   
   I would recommend this book for all sports fans, parents, and would be athletes, especially young females. I hope other victims of violence find the courage to come forward. Ms Hnida is a true role model.
   
   Before closing, a few more comments to the previous reviewer. Please read the book before commenting. Its called honesty,something you might learn from Ms Hnida.
   
   And a correction of "facts". Ms. Hnida did not take a scholarship nor hold a scholarship from another player. She was a walk on. It is documented in the book from published news articles by Barnett, who called her the best kicker available in the list of potential walkons. And I'm still trying to figure out the "best friends" on the training staff comments. Players typically do not confide in non players, nor does the training staff participate or observe all that takes place on the field. And the rape took place in the off season. But then again, you would know that if you had read the book.
   
   I find Ms Hnida far from being a "gutless coward". In the world of free speech, you are allowed to call people names like little kids do on the playground...... (even calling Neuheisel a "clown" was VERY mature).
   
   Based on what I read, I'm sure Ms Hnida can handle your type. However, it is the other women who will still be uncomfortable and lack confidence in coming forward when attacked. You have tried to turn back the clock a few centuries. This book moves that clock forward. Kudos to the brave!



4. I first saw Katie Hnidea on television. Since I like books about women and sports, I knew I'd have to read this one. I must admit I was leery. So many stories of harassment fall into the "they done me wrong" whiny genre -- a boring waste of time. Remember Kelly Flinn, the USAF lieutenant who lost her career due to an adulterous affair? Her book did little to help her reputation; she came across as woefully naive.
   
   But Still Kicking really is a football story. From the beginning, it's obvious that Katiei Hnidai is a real trooper. She just wanted to get on a Divison I team and play ball. She loved practices. She was a team player in every sense of the word. And she's used to being a winner: in high school, she played soccer and football, getting crowned Homecoming Queen at halftime, still wearing her shoulder pads.
   
   Katie's a confident, strong woman. She describes growing up in a close, loving family, where her dreams were always supported. Living near Boulder, she wanted to play for U of Colorado. The head coach encouraged her but then took off for another job, leaving her to the not-so-tender mercies of a coach who would be fired following numerous allegations of rape and abuse associated with the players.
   
   Katie really tried to fit in, but she was taken aback by insults, verbal abuse and what might delicately be called inappropriate touching. She came down with mononucleosis her freshman year and remained ill for a good part of her time in Colorado.
   
   Eventually she ended up in New Mexico, a state where I used to live. She was fully accepted by the team and made friends there. She never became a starter and her time on the field was limited. But for a few all-too-brief years, she was an honest-to-goodness football player.
   
   Without making an explicit statement, Katie lets us see how a coach's attitude can influence a team. Her Colorado coach wasn't crazy about women in general and Katie in particular. The New Mexico coach asked bluntly, "Why would there be a problem?" Players picked up their cues accordingly.
   
   So what else could Still Kicking do?
   
   Monday morning quarterbacking gets tricky, on and off the field. When the Colorado head coach left, it's easy to say, "She should have begun visiting other schools." Indeed, Katie considered talking to other universities. And she would have received a warm welcome. But she loved Colorado and didn't want to leave her home state.
   
   As a career consultant, I've seen similar decisions in vastly different environments. "Go where you're wanted" should be the motto of every college applicant and career changer. In my own PhD program, one woman had turned down a generous fellowship to attend a program she felt was more prestigious -- like turning down a lower-ranked university to get a walk-on at a top Division I school. It's a risky strategy that rarely pays off.
   
   But overall Katie comes across as solid and likeable, without an ounce of self-pity. She doesn't make excuses or waste time wishing her life had gone differently. She lets us glimpse life behind-the-scenes of a couple of college football teams, giving us the female perspective (I like her story of sharing a smelly weight room with a bunch of guys).
   
   Perhaps because she's young, she delivers her story with a fresh, energetic, upbeat style that keeps the pages turning. I would have liked to see some more thoughtful discussion: "Looking back, I now see..." The first few chapters are cheery enough for a Walt Disney movie, broken only by her response to the Columbine High School tragedy.
   
   But overall, I'm impressed with Katie's maturity. If she'd attended a university as a member of a women's basketball team, she'd have been guided with mentors. At U of Tennessee, each freshman gets assigned to a "big sister" on the team: it's like a big sorority. Katie had to forge her own path, keeping her own counsel. She was always "on." And she takes the experience in stride, performing like a pro.
   
   Fans of women's sports and anyone interested in the role of women will want to read this book. At the very end we learn that about 2700 girls are playing on high school teams. Inevitably, some of them will sign up for college football.
   
   That's reason enough to read Still Kicking.



5. This is the story of a woman who was the first female player on a Division I college football team. She achieved her dream of making the team at the University of Colorado, but she was nearly destroyed by the sexism, sexual harassment, and eventual sexual assault that she experienced in the now notorious Colorado football program. Hnida eventually transferred to the football program of Rocky Long at the University of New Mexico. In the supporting and accepting UNM football program she became the first woman to play and score in a Division I college football game. Her story not only describes the courageous struggle and triumph of a remarkable young woman, but also illustrates some of the very best, as well as some of the very worst, aspects of college football programs. The seemingly endless reports of coaches and schools condoning sexual harassment and covering up sexual assaults by college athletes can easily give the impression that all athletic programs are bastions of misogyny and sexual abuse. Hnida's description of Coach Long and her teammates at the University of New Mexico reminds us that this is not the case. Much to the contrary, their warm acceptance and unconditional support illustrate all that is good about college athletics.
   
   Katie Inida's story of triumph over multiple adversities should inspire athletes of either sex and in any sport. It should also motivate university presidents and alumni groups to demand that their coaches and their athletic programs meet the standards set by Coach Long and the University of New Mexico.

5 comments about Circling My Mother: A Memoir.

1. This was a hard book to really critique due to the nature of the subject. On one hand, it reads rather fragmented, unorganized and definately hard to like the writer at times because of her intensely dark and resentful thoughts. But, on the other hand, her tormented thoughts about her relationship with her mother and her rage and vindictiveness towards the people who have cause pain and suffering for her mother(she includes her own behaviors)inevitably make this book a hard one to enjoy. Writing is undoubtedly beautiful and deeply reflective, and one thing for sure is that she is bravely honest in sharing her tormented feelings toward her mother's life, decay, and death.



2. I decided to take a chance on this memoir even though some of Amazon's reviewers thought that Mary Gordon did not really like her relatives or her mother and found that to be depressing. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I felt she loved her mother very much. Relationships are not easy and Gordon and her mother were there for each other most of the time. Sure they failed each other sometimes, but isn't that the nature of relationships?
   
   I found Gordon's analaysis of these imperfections to be compelling and rich. I throughly enjoyed this book and plan to read her memoir of her father soon.



3. This was a very insightful book about a complex subject -- mother-daughter relationships. I was moved by the author's honesty, especially during her mother's decline. Well worth reading.



4. Mary Gordon is a wonderful writer and brings alive the environment of a Catholic upbringing, never hiding her loving ambivalence or her mother's peculiarities. The first chapter overdoes the analogy to Bonnard paintings, but otherwise, a good read.



5. No one will ever fault Mary Gordon for a lack of frankness or honesty. In the past, she has mined her rather difficult upbringing and family life for short stories, novels, essays and memoirs. Now, with Circling My Mother, she shares intimate details of her often difficult relationship with her mother, a woman afflicted with polio as a young girl and who was looked down upon by most of her relatives despite the fact that she for long periods of time provided the bulk of their financial support.
   
   Rather than using a straight chronological approach to recount her mother's life, Gordon chose to focus on specific ways through which her mother related to the world. In separate chapters she discusses her mother and her bosses, her words and music, her sisters, her friends, her priests, her father, her world view, and her body. However, as Gordon "circles" her mother and explores a different aspect of her character in each chapter, the reader comes to know as much about Mary Gordon as about her mother, Anna. Nothing less is to be expected of an author of Mary Gordon's honesty and, in fact, it is the revelations that Mary makes about herself and her feelings that make Circling My Mother such a powerful book.
   
   Mary Gordon lost her father at an early age and, although her relationship with her mother was an uneasy one at times, the two were close. Mary suffered through her mother's often public displays of alcoholic self-pity and from her sharply critical way with words but, in the end, she is loyal to her mother's memory and defends her actions as only a family member can do it. She accepts criticism of her parents from no one, almost refusing to acknowledge that her mother and father were often as wrong as those she criticizes for causing them grief during their lives.
   
   Circling My Mother is Gordon's attempt to reconcile the guilt that she seems to feel for "abandoning" her mother to a nursing facility in her last years, a facility to which she dreaded to go for the horrible one hour per week that she spent with a mother who no longer recognized her or had control of her mind or body. Her approach to her mother's story paints a human face on a woman who was very much a product of her times but who still managed to achieve more than many women of her day. Anna spent a lifetime as a treasured legal secretary, raised a daughter on her own, supported her brothers and sisters financially until they could do it for themselves, was a staunch supporter of the more traditional Catholic church of the times, and had close friendships with several intellectual priests.
   
   But she could also be a vindictive woman and she resented the way that she was sometimes treated because of her handicap and "place" in life. Mary Gordon seems to have inherited that resentment and she does not try to hide it. Instead, she describes several key relationships in her own life, relationships which helped to make her into the woman that she is today but which she abandoned with little thought or guilt when she no longer needed them. Some of the people cut from her life, such as her truly horrible Aunt Rita, admittedly deserved that treatment but that others who at one time meant so much to Mary Gordon were treated the same way is as surprising as her willingness to expose this weakness in herself to her readers.
   
   Circling My Mother is not a sugarcoated, feel good memoir, the kind that often reads more as fiction than as fact. It is Mary Gordon's honest assessment of her mother's life and how she related to that life. It is the work of a woman not afraid to expose her own weaknesses as part of her writer's craft and, although it is the kind of book that often makes the reader uncomfortable, it should be read especially by those who find themselves caring for elderly parents of their own.