5 comments about The Bishop's Daughter: A Memoir.

1. In the memoir, The Bishop's Daughter, the life of Bishop Paul Moore is explored by his daughter, Honor. From an early age, Honor has tried to understand her feelings for her father. At first, she seems to worship him, describing how as a young man he had a religious experience that turned him away from his family's wealth and toward service of God. Being wounded in WW II seemed to cement his conviction in serving God as he returns a decorated hero, bearing scars from a bullet that just missed his heart. God has saved him, he believes, for a purpose, and he is chosen Bishop of the Episcopal Church, a man respected as a paragon of virtue, a spokesman for the poor and a defender of rights.
   
   Bishop Moore was a wealthy man, but not a happy one. His first wife described him as "the most unhappy man" she ever knew. He is estranged from Honor, the oldest of his nine children, and only at a late age, when he is diagnosed with a terminal illness, do the two strive to reconcile.
   
   While describing her father's two marriages, his fights against racial injustice, and his ascent through the church, Honor also richly describes her own battles. Sexual experimentation and secrets are threaded through the story as both father and daughter explore their bi-sexuality, their sexual freedom, and the consequences. The book explores in detail the efforts of both the bishop and his daughter to hide their secrets. After her father's death, Honor goes further, meeting his long-term male lover and trying to understand his reasons for hiding this loving relationship.
   
   This book covers many important issues of our times: race, sex, faith, politics, war, and family. A beautifully written memoir, it includes many elements of biography and autobiography. The writing is simple, clear, and enlightening. Some of the details are unpleasant, but honest. I was pleased with the way the two lives are explored and then joined together in a truth they could both understand at the end.
   
   by Rhonda Esakov
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



2. Honor Moore did a stupendous, much needed service for her father, Bishop Paul Moore, Jr., herself, her siblings, and all of those in our society who remain illiterate and prejudiced about any and all sexual orientations. Given the ugly consequences of ignorance and understanding regarding homosexuality, it is no wonder that Bishop Moore, like so many others, had to hide such a significant part of himself, his sexuality, or a vital part of it, in order to perform the life service that was another grand and vibrant part of himself, his church service for the good of the millions whose minds and lives he influenced for good. We must remember that homosexuals are usually given life by heterosexuals who in so many sad cases are then ready to throw those children away. We must remember that the caste system created by heterosexuals that forces bisexuals and homosexuals to live in suffocating, locked closets is the evil that promotes what appears to be the deceit or duplicity that bisexuals and homosexuals must then practice in order to also live seemingly freely, seemingly fully. Ignorance, fear, and phobia are the components of prejudice, all prejudice. We have a desperate need to enlighten the ignorance with understanding, replace the fear with acceptance and love. Only then will we see the dissolution of phobia finally evolve. And heterosexuals must pay attention to bisexuals and homosexuals to gain a wider understanding of sexuality. The opposite side of that coin is that bisexuals and homosexuals must be ready and willing to help heterosexuals learn. That will require bi-directional openness. Any of Honor Moore's siblings and any others who think she betrayed her father need to carefully study her memoirs to see how she truly provided Bishop Paul Moore, Jr., the "wings of a dove" he so painfully sought all his life. Now her memories and our knowledge of that great man, that man of clay, can allow him to function more freely and fully as shepherd of an even larger flock. Now Paul Moore, Jr., can truly "fly away and rest,"
   
   Gilbert Cantlin



3. In spite of one review that is totally inexplicable to me, I can't begin to express how beautifully wrought this memoir is, how honest and how moving. And--how courageous. I had the privilege of meeting Honor Moore last Sunday and it has added to the richness of the book, as how could it not? I am deeply impressed with this book and to be honest, it takes a lot to impress me when it comes to reminiscences (not the best choice of word) about one's family, one's place in it and what it means to take the risk and tell the story as one sees it, meanwhile honoring the Rashomon aspect of most anything in life that not everyone will necessarily perceive a life the same way. Brava, Ms. Moore! Many times over.



4. honor moore is a gorgeous writer--and this is her greatest work to date. a really important, moving book.



5. MY DEAD GAY BISHOP DAD - should sell;
   And what are parents for?
   I could not love thee, dear, so well
   Loved I not Honor Moore.

5 comments about Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life.

1. This book is fantastic - I couldn't put it down! I have been a big fan of Tony since he was the coach of the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, because of his presence on the football field. This book is an honest and inspiring account of Tony's life and the trials and successes he has encountered. Thank you Tony for a great read.



2. The autobiography, "Quiet Strength," of Tony Dungy is appropriately subtitled "The Principles, Practices, and Priorities of a Winning Life." Dungy recounts his life from its beginnings to the present as the Coach of the world champion Indianapolis Colts. A man of proactive faith, Dungy has been able to climb many mountains, from being one of the first black quarterbacks in NCAA college football to one of the first black head coaches in the National Football League.
   
   "Quiet Strength" details key formative relationships, those that helped him to become what he is today. They include his mother, The Most Athletic Dungy, who supported in him in a number of sports; his father who taught him what was most important - not the accolades and memories of success, but the way you respond when opportunities are denied; his high school assistant principal, Mr. Rockquemore, who took a great interest in him and Dungy claims things would have been different if he had not; and his first pro coach, Chuck Noll, who taught him how to win in the NFL and how to maintain family-career balance.
   
   Dungy always viewed his work in football as a means to do something more as a servant of God. When he was fired as the head coach of Tampa Bay, the firing itself was not the cause of shock, but rather, the thought that God was allowing this great experiment of using him as a head coach in the NFL to end. He wondered, what's next? How will God use him, whether in the NFL or not.
   
   I am grateful that Dungy went on from Tampa to win the Super Bowl as coach of Indianapolis. More than becoming the first African-American to win a Super Bowl, this extraordinary achievement provided an excellent platform from which to tell this great story.
   
   Dungy's story is inspirational, challenging, and encouraging - reminding us about what really is important in a world driven by the love of material success. He shows that one can live their Christian faith in the workplace and succeed - even in the demanding fish bowl atmosphere of the NFL. He is a living testimony of one man's faith in God.
   
   "Do you your best and let God do the rest."



3. Loved the book, many lessons to be learned, a little too much football at times but if you can look by that it is a quick and enjoyable read



4. Quiet Strength was a very enlightening story of Tony Dungy's career. Even through very harsh times, he seemed to discover the positive aspects of the situation. He always believed that god always had a reason for everything, and that every downward slump always meant that certain things would get better in the future.
   Tony Dungy started his career as a Pittsburgh Steeler. He was originally drafted as a defensive back (he played quarterback in college). After realizing that the NFL did not give as much opportunities as he expected, the head coach of the Steelers (Coach Noll) gave him the opportunity to be the defensive backs coach. This was the turning point of his career.
   From this point on Tony Dungy went to coach for the multiple other teams, until landing his head-coaching job at Tampa. When he took this position, he took in all the information from all of his former colleagues and coaches to help mold his team into a winning organization. He also realized that god played a major role in his success. He also took his fathers knowledge into consideration when he was creating a game plan for his team.
   Tony Dungy believes that his second season with the Buccaneers was his most successful season as a head coach for the National Football League. He believes this because that season, he felt the greatest bond between everybody on the team. He thought that because they started the season with tremendous success. They were winning games as a "team", not just as players.
   Once Tony Dungy moved on from the Buccaneers he continued to have great success with the Indianapolis Colts. They were even able to win Tony Dungy his first Super Bowl. But throughout Tony Dungy's life he will continue to live life with god in consideration.



5. This book was well written and a good read. I love reading good books on leadership and success. Sports and Life always a good parallel.

5 comments about This Is Gonna Hurt: The Life of a Mixed Martial Arts Champion.

1. This is an interesting story, especially if you're a fan of Tito, like I am. It's simple and an easy read.



2. Don't waste your money on this book. Written at a 3 Grade reading level, you can sit at a Borders and tear through this in 1-2 hours. Numerous references about his t-shirt company and his obsession with money. Rips into Dana White while touching on his up bring and relationship with Jenna Jameson. Clearly a book to make money since there are countless "filler" quotes by his mother, ex-wife, and Jenna. Save your money!!!



3. At long last, Ortiz was able to outdo Chuck Liddell at something. That something was writing a better book.
   
   Ortiz's life has been full of ups and downs, and he is straightforward about his struggles with women, drugs, and fame. A lot of times when people write their story, they tend to paint themselves in a better, more agreeable light. But Ortiz doesn't try to do this. He is revealing and honest.
   
   Interesting, informative, and insightful, this book delivers a KO to all the other MMA biographies that have been coming out in this past year. Far from being perfect, and far from being a role model, Ortiz reminds us that no matter how badly things are stacked against us, we can always just step into the ring called "life" and fight.



4. If your an mma fan or a big tito fan you will love this book. It goes through the ups and downs of his life and he also talks about all of his fights and the effects they had on him. definitely a great book for any fight fan. The only problem with the book is i thought it was to short and i don't read a lot of books. roughly 230 pages with large font. Other than that this book offers a revealing look into one of mixed martial arts most famous champions life.



5. if you just want to read the book you could probably do it in one sitting at barnes. the review by "geezerjock" sums it up for you. its a short book and a easy read in the way its written, the size of font, and shortness of the book. if ur a big fan u will probably enjoy it for novelty purposes, but if ur not then it might not be worth it to own. i bought it b/c im a fan but its pretty much a sob story from beginning to end.

5 comments about Scar Tissue.

1. Anthony Kiedis. Red Hot Chili Peppers. It was interesting to read Anthony's autobiography and understand the meaning beyond some of the lyrics he has written so far. I do need to separate book from "facts" however.
   
   The book: 465 pages in tiny print describing a life of excesses in every sense became at times a tedious read, mainly because Anthony's life is self-described and delivered by what I define a rather flat narrative. A repetition of events -and most often, a vicious circle, literally- that failed to engage me in full in a few parts. That does not mean that I did not "appreciate" the content. If anything, his is an often brutal testimony of what a serious drug addiction can do to a human being (I felt that this book was more about his drug addiction than about his life or the RHCP).
   
   The "facts": oh, I would have a thing or two to say about his upbringing, I am itching to do it. But. Anthony comes out to be so non-judgemental, so not-critical, so loving towards his family, which he clearly loves to bits to this day, that I am discouraged to say anything more about it. And I respect him for not pointing any accusing finger, about back then or later on. He is not blaming anyone, or at least, that's the way I have perceived the core of this book. In his words, it was mostly all about "the shortcut", which brought him to jump fences instead of walking on a proper path, figuratively and literally. The drugs, his love stories, his songs, the band, the friends he has lost to drugs, the rehabs, and drugs again... An indefinable sense of hopelessness, sometimes peppered with sober, more productive moments, where the love towards life shines in full. I think that it is at this point that he chose to write the book, after a few years of sobriety. And I hope the process of retracing his past has added to the self-healing and helped to stay clean and sober, appreciating life to the full.
   
   Would Anthony have become what he is without experiencing what he went through? I do not know. We are what we do, or so they say. But as much as this book conveys the dispiritedness, desolation and utter despair connected to drug addiction, it is uplifting to see that it is POSSIBLE to get out of it. Tough, difficult, hard, but possible. An inspiration for those ones who are still struggling.
   
   I read somewhere that Anthony recently had a baby (last year). Not an epilogue to his story, but another, wonderful, beginning.



2. I don't know why this book has gotten such a bad wrap.
   Every chapter is pretty entertaining and I now feel like
   I have a better understanding of where a lot of their songs
   came from.
   Anthony Kiedis is an extraordinary human being with some serious flaws.
   All heart.
   
   This book is a must read for any RHCP fan.



3. i don't really write reviews about books but Scar Tissue deserves one. i've only read 1/5 of the book (100 pages or so) but this is one of the most intriguing life stories i have ever come across. i'm having a hard time putting this book down because every page is filled with off the wall experiences and cleverly written life stories. tony has been places and seen things that i'm not extremely famaliar with but he doesn't sugar coat anything. he tells you who he is and why he is that way... one of the most honest and interesting books i've gotten my hands on in a while!



4. For a TRUE RHCP fan, this book is riveting. I read it the whole thing in one weekend, even while walking in the rain because I couldn't put it down. Anthony shares the story of growing up a rebellious youth, mostly due to his irresponsible father, and evolving into the beloved singer of one of the greatest bands of all time. He honestly addresses his very serious addiction to herion and coke and discusses how his girlfriends, like drugs, brought chaos and drama into his life. In reading the book CAREFULLY, one is able to understand that this is a man who has owned up to his faults and tried to grow as a person. He has learned that the only person he can control is himself, and that life is best if taken one day at a time. This story is about finding the beauty in what is given to us and helping others with what resources we have. As a person who has loved the Peppers since the 80's, it was great to read Anthony's commentary about the songs that I have listened to for years. I loved the book and would strongly recommend it.



5. I've been a fan of the Red Hot Chili Peppers for a while now and just recently decided to read Anthony Kiedis' book. I'm so glad I did (and wish I would have done it sooner)! What a highly entertaining, surprising, fascinating book! I literally couldn't put it down! I've always been intrigued by Kiedis' lyrics and the meanings behind his songs so it was very interesting to read how many of his songs were written and the true meaning behind them. Kiedis doesn't hold anything back in this book and is highly explicit and honest, which made for an absolutely excellent read. 5 Stars for sure!

5 comments about Yankee for Life: My 40-Year Journey in Pinstripes.

1. If you liked bobby murcer from the yankees then you will enjoy the book very much.When I heard he had cancer I cried he to me was one most popular yankees ever He is a great guy I met him when I lived in N.Y. It would be devistating if anything ever happened to him . God bless you Bobby my wife and I love you very much



2. Anyone who's been a Yankee fan over the last 40 years will enjoy this book...but it should also appeal to baseball fans in general. Bobby Murcer has long been an engaging, easy-going fan favorite as both player and announcer, and his "voice" is present on every page here.
   
   His personal story is also the story of the game as it's been played over the past 4 decades.
   
   Knowing about Bobby's battle with brain cancer, I was afraid the book would be sad and depressing -- but it turned out to be as sweet and upbeat as Murcer himself. His positive approach to life makes the book gently inspiring, and his recollections of his Yankee teammates and broadcast partners (especially Mickey Mantle and Phil Rizzuto) will bring smiles to the face of all Yankee fans!
   
   Genuinely enjoyable, highly recommended!



3. Bobby Mercer is one of the all-time Yankee greats, and became so at a time when the Yankees themselves were not always so great. His recent battle with cancer and his fight to return is made all the more amazing.
   "Yankee for Life" approprately discribes the story, and Mercer's is an amazing one. This one belongs on every Yankee fan and baseball fan's bookshelf.



4. Bobby Murcer says he lives a Great Life.
   
   He played baseball for his favorite team, married his high-school sweetheart and is loved and admired by millions of fans.
   
   This is a great book that chronicles the many stages of Bobby's career: from high school, to Major Leaguer, to Announcer... and now... Bobby's biggest challenge yet, brain cancer.
   
   You can't help but admire the Murcer family's courage (yes, his family plays a huge role in Bobby's journey), as they face a gigantic curveball, larger than any hook tossed by any major league hurler.
   
   You'll also love Bobby's hilarious stories about life on the field and in the broadcast booth. Don't miss Bobby's eyebrow-raising pick for all-time Yankee All-Star team (you'll be surprised at who he picked and who he left off.)
   
   My family has been a Bobby Murcer fan since his Toledo Mudhen days. But this book makes me view Bobby in a whole new light.. as a spiritual, family man courageously battling the most devastating of diseases.
   
   Read it for the baseball. Read it for the humor. Read it for the inspiration.
   
   Just make sure you read it.



5. "Yankee For Life", the new 320 page autobiography by Bobby Murcer proves to be an entertaining look back on the baseball life of one time allstar and former Yankee Bobby Murcer. As Mickey Mantle's baseball career was winding down in the late sixties, a young lad from Oklahoma, Bobby Murcer was to be the next yankee star. Just like Mantle, he was from the same home state, and started his career at shortstop, and eventually found his way to centerfield. Bobby never lived up to the Mickey Mantle comparisons, but he became a star ball player on some of the weakest Yankee teams in history during the sixties and early seventies. For a young yankee fan during that time period, he was all we had, until the arrival of Thurman Munson. Although he never put up Hall Of Fame numbers, Bobby Murcer was a solid player who went on to become one of the most beloved Yankees in history. He even hit Four consecutive homers against the Cleveland Indians during a doubleheader in the early seventies. It pained him a great deal, in 1975, when the Yankees traded him to the San Francisco Giants for Bobby Bonds. That trade backfired on the yankees, as Bonds was gone after one season. Murcer spent the next several years with the Giants and Cubs of the National league, still making allstar teams, but never happy about being out of pinstripes. During the late seventies, the Chicago Cubs made Murcer available, and George Steinbrenner brought Bobby home to the Yankees to finish his playing career. He chronicles in detail, the first game after Thurman Munsons tragic death in 1979, in which he drove in all five runs against the Orioles, as he honored his best friend with a game that will live forever in Yankee history. He eneded his career as the most productive pinch hitter in baseball. His baseball career however, did not stop, when his playing days were over. Bobby Murcer made himself into one of the most respected baseball play by play announcers in baseball. He was and still is an Emmy award winning Yankee commentator who remains as popular as ever with the fans. On a serious note, Bobby was diagnosed with brain cancer in 2006, and he goes into great detail about his battle with the disease, which continues to this very day. He makes no secret of his love for his family, friends and his fans. This book is written as only Bobby would allow it to be published, and that is a good and honest life story without the use of vulgarities. It is a book that you would let your children read, and not worry about unacceptable content. I've watched Bobby Murcer since I was a 9 year old Yankee fan in 1968, and I have followed him through his 40 year journey in baseball. He is a true gentlemen, and defines what class is all about. Bobby Murcer is still my favorite Yankee idol, and not because of his on field career, but because of his off field character and integrity, which makes him a role model for my own son. I highly recommend this book to anyone wishing to read a sports biography detailing the life and career of a Yankee legend.

5 comments about Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish.

1. I just didn't care for this book. I received this book as a christmas gift. I work at a dog daycare, so it is safe to say that I really love dogs. However, I did not feel connected to the dog in this book at all. The author wrote about his dogs as though they were saints. Come on, we love our animals, but they are not perfect. It's all those little quirks that make them memorable and special. In addition to the lack of character description, I felt like Levin's writing was poor. The sentences were constantly short and unnecessary. So much of his diction and descriptions added nothing to the story. This novel was not worth sharing or reading. Now don't get me wrong, any time an animal dies it is heartbreaking. To this day I can not think of my sweet Norman and not shed a tear, but this book was just not a proper tribute to a dog that supposedly touched this man's life.



2. I was very touched with this story. For anyone who has ever loved and lost a pet it will touch your heart.



3. This book should be read by everyone who has loved a pet. The book takes thru the circle of life, embracing the journey and making us feel we are there. Every feeling the author shares becomes ours. The book reminds us it is okay to have loved and lost, if not we would, as Garth Brooks says "would have missed the dance" - as we enter into a pet relationship we are glad we are not thinking of how it might end, if we were we would probably pass, and oh, how much we and that pet would have missed.
   Thank you Mr. Levin for sharing your journey.



4. I bought this for a friend who has a very sick dog they have owned for 8 years. We both read it, it is wonderfully written, sad and yet encouraging when you realize other people have lost pets and cared as much as you do.



5. Great story about a lucky dog and dog lovers whoe rescued him.
   It made me feel great about the love and dedication in rescuing a great dog.
   Friendly warning: If you start reading in late evening, you may not get enough sleep because it is hard to put down this book.

5 comments about How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else.

1. A friend of mine gave me this book so I felt like I HAD to read it.
   It was painful though.
   The fact that the author was an advertising copywriter is way too obvious in this, the longest infomercial I've been through.
   If I could get paid for every time "Starbucks" was mentioned, I would be rich now.
   Way too much focus on Starbucks products.
   Having gone through business school I very much appreciate Starbucks' innovative Human Resource management and I share their views, particularly that one of respect to everyone. In fact, I'd heard about all this in case studies before.
   The book however has blatant product placement. Why do we need to read lists of products, which cakes are carried, etc. No wisdom in any of these.
   I'm sure some naive readers may end up spending a lot more money in Starbucks or getting a job there (nothing wrong with that) but the book should be given away for free as it seems to be a recruitment ad.
   Spare yourself the pain



2. This is one of the best books ever written about mid-life career crisis. The story of the advertising executive who ended up cleaning toilets at Starbucks is filled with wonderful anecdotes that can be best appreciated by those who are middle aged and beyond. Young adult readers may not appreciate or understand the life-changing lessons (as seen by some of the one-star ratings from other Amazon reviewers) and some of the book comes across as almost too hard to believe. But the book is never preachy--just a narrative progression through a life that was changed due to corporate downsizing and personal selfishness. It is also very well edited, mixing the author's current progression at the coffee shop with his recollections of knowing Jackie Kennedy, Ernest Hemingway and others. The end result is a lesson in humility and the need for respecting others you would normally consider beneath you. It should be required reading for college career courses.



3. This book is one of the worst books I have ever read. Its suppose to be a memoir, but really it just brown-noses Starbucks. I think he wrote this book for ulterior motives. (I think he wanted some executive position and was hoping Starbucks would oblige after reading this book.) As I read the book, I kept thinking it would get better, a plot line would eventually unravel. It never does. He writes this book to feed his ego and the reader gets nothing out of it.



4. I bought this book to read at the beach -- not expecting too much -- but interested by the concept. The biggest problem is that the author seems to be writing at an elementary level. He clearly has an interesting story, but nothing that couldn't be written in a two-page essay. He used to be successful, failed, and realized that people find contentment in low-paying jobs too. The end. I can't understand how a book this poorly written was ever published.



5. I was going to jump off a bridge this morning, but then i read this book and decided to wait until tomorrow. Very sappy. Starbucks is wonderful, the people are wonderful, the coffee is wonderful, the benefits they offer are wonderfully...someone needs to tell this guy he needs to wipe the chocolate Starbucks brownie off his nose. All that aside there were some enjoyable moments.

2 comments about In the Hamptons: My Fifty Years with Farmers, Fishermen, Artists, Billionaires, and Celebrities.

1. I've been around as long as Dan's Papers and remember in the early years Dan Rattiner had several summer papers such as the East Hampton Summer Sun. the Sag Harbor Pilot etc. The stories Dan wrote were always great and my favorite was local history. As Dan's business grew all these local summer weekly throwaways were incorporated into one paper, Dan's Papers. With the exception being I believe the Montauk Pioneer. Anyway, This new book from Dan is great. I remember alot of this stuff from the 60's and 70's, as it appeared in his paper, but he has rewritten it and it is still an enjoyable read. A book I would highly recommend to anyone. I still long for the time in the 1960's, when I could pick up a copy of the East Hampton Summer Sun at the A&P on Newtown Lane, but that of course is not possible. Thank you Dan for 48 years of pleasurable reading. P.S. Was anyone ever electrocuted for copying that local map you use to have in the back of your newspaper?



2. Being a Long Islander who spents some time in the Hamptons and Montauk, I found this book interesting. Its chapters contained anecdotal stories of events and people. Nice, easy, summer read.

3 comments about Lost Boy: My Story.

1. Emptiness meets God's fullness. Sin swallowed up by Grace. Brokeness meets wholeness. Lost meets found. Read it in two sittings. Just don't eat pizza with this dude.



2. Great autobiographies - whether by statesman, celebrity, hero or scoundrel - have 3 elements. A great autobiography:
   
   1) has a compelling reason for being read: It always gives more than just the facts or details "behind the scenes". Not just a personal recounting of history, a great autobiography gives you such a sense of the "real" person that you can personally relate to them. The subject's foibles, failures and weaknesses are included with the requisite telling of their strengths.
   
   2) when you start reading, it makes you want to keep on reading.
   
   3) after finishing it, you know about more than just the writer's story. You know more about "life" - the human condition, life's possibilities, life's parameters, how the world "works" - than you did before reading it.
   
   "Lost Boy" by Greg Laurie, is a great autobiography. The reader is captured by the opening chapter, a description of Greg waiting to take the stage in front of 40,000 people who have filled Anaheim Stadium to hear him speak. Having spoken to over 4 million people in stadiums around
   the world, Greg should be on auto-pilot by now. But Greg Laurie has a reason for not being on "auto-pilot". The chapter then goes into short bursts of flashback, most painting a picture of how improbable it is that Greg Laurie could possibly be the guy about to take the stadium stage.
   
   Greg Laurie is not your typical church pastor. Nor is he a type of "TV evangelist". Avoiding the political traps and scandals of both the previous and current generations' religious leaders, Greg Laurie has proven to be a different kind of Christian leader for people to check out. Coming from a broken home (fatherless, mother divorced seven times), checking into 60's drug culture, cynical and untrusting in human relationships, Greg Laurie was not the kind of person who turns into a pastor at 19 years old. Certainly not a pastor who oversees a group of 30 people turn into one of America's first "megachurches", with over 15,000 weekly attendees. Certainly not the kind of speaker who combined cutting edge technology, culturally current music performances and understandable preaching to sold-out events at venues like Madison Square Garden. Certainly not the kind of person who Billy Graham would call the "evangelist of the future". And most certainly not a man profiled by the major TV networks and on the front page of the New York Times. Yet no one seems to understand that better than Greg Laurie himself. "Lost Boy" explains this unique life that has touched millions of other lives for the better, leaving the reader inspired and encouraged to personally dig further into the reason and message behind the book.
   
   A can't-put-it-down-like-a-mystery-novel kind of read, "Lost Boy" is a great gift choice for any reader.



3. Greg Laurie's book is his autobiography. It tells how he went from an unwanted child to the megachurch pastor he is today. I bought this book on a sunday (I go to his church) and was done with it by Friday, dispite the 30+ chapters. It was so interesting and really built me up spiritually as well as entertained me. After I was done reading it, all I could say was, "He is my hero." This is a book we all can relate to, no matter our circumstances or up-bringing.

5 comments about The Liars' Club: A Memoir.

1. Mary Karr is that most exceptional of non-fiction writers: one who went through exceptional tragic / comic circumstantial experiences as a child; who absolutely remembers them AND how she felt as if they were yesterday; and who grew up to become a literature professor who can write!! Wow! That's the only word for the book. I have never read an autobiography remotely like it.
   
   In simple terms, Mary, the younger of two sisters, was the daughter of a tough, take-no-prisoners, blue collar oil refinery worker Father and an ethereal, arts and drame culture-oriented Mother with her heart still in New York or Paris but with obligations in backwater southeast Texas. What a situation, and, to my amazement ... she remembers it all, seemingly day-by-day.
   
   The Liar's Club (her small child's view of hew dad and his friends and their times in the bar) is a memoir from her earlest years through late childhood (her later book Cherry carries the story forward through teenage years). You'll both laugh histerically and cry at the heartbreaking situations for the little girl and the family trying to keep it all together. Wow! Highly recommended!



2. This book caught me like a sucker punch. A roller coaster ride for sure.



3. A-1, I am a avid reader, this book "blew me away" and I want to share this book with family and friends. Such brutal honesty.



4. Mary Karr's memoir winds all over the place, beautiful prose, but it's everywhere at once. I found her style tedious, introducing an event and simultaneously introducing another, so the reader is constantly having to shift places, times, feelings. It felt to me like listening to someone who has all kinds of wonderful ideas and stories, gets you interested, then that reminds him of something else and he's off on that story, but you're still wondering what happened with the first story. The entire book reads like this from page one to 320.
   
   I didn't find it as hilarious as was stated, although there were funny moments, black funny moments. You have to be comfortable with the vagaries of life to find her story funny, but she does come off as a kid I would have loved to know. She's strong and smart and has guts. All of her characters are presented in their full light, and I found each major character delightful. I didn't find her mother all that crazy. I thought her father was wonderful. Her grandmother must have been terrible, but even there, Karr was able to present her as not all bad. Karr is able to write events, the dark, sad events, by reporting what happened in minute detail without inserting her current feelings, only the feelings she was having long ago as a child.
   
   I can't give the book more than 3 stars for a couple reasons: the prose, despite its beauty, is simply tedious - as big as the Texas sky, going on and on and on like the telephone poles along the highways, neverending, never changing, sigh, when are we going to get there, anyway?
   
   Two, I simply cannot believe her ability to remember the little pink nosegays on her nightie or underwear, the soft peanut shell on her fingernail, or her mother's beige silk dress with the Chanel belt. A young kid knows designers and remembers exactly what her mother was wearing? However, like several other reviewers have mentioned, her mother married at 30, her child was 9 when Grandma came home to die at "50," so how could she be so loose with that fact when she's so precise with the others? Perhaps her grandmother was 59, but it seems she exaggerated here for emphasis. What else is exaggerated for emphasis in the book?
   
   Although a major character, I didn't feel the book was specifically about her father, who was in the Liar's Club, so why did Karr use this title? Are all the characters storytellers of some sort? Is Mary Karr the biggest storyteller of them all? I believe her overall story, but I am left with enough questions that never allowed me to feel much about anyone in the book because there were too many specifics where it didn't count (pink flowers emerging from green leave-pattern on her underwear) and not enough where it did count. It was just enough to create a level of underlying suspicion for me that made me not care much about these people. I hate being lied to, you know?



5. "The Liars' Club" is a memoir that mostly focuses on the author at ages seven and eight. The details begin with a mystery and continue with vivid and horrific details. I found it worthwhile reading because its story was riveting, its language masterful, and its scope complete. There's no wonder that it won impressive awards and was on The New York Times' Bestseller List for more than a year. Still, contrary to others' testimonials, I did not laugh; not once. Perhaps you will. It doesn't matter. What does matter is the depth of emotions the author shares and the beauty of the prevailing human interactions. The traumatic events are conveyed well and the entire work is handled with explicit and clever simplicity. Mary Karr's journey was devastating and overall it is hopeful. I recommend this book.
   
   Even with all the "Not Rightness", beauty is a word that describes much of this book. Incidental delights alleviated some of the ugliness: bears foraged garbage, family meals were sometimes atop her parents' bed, she got to ride horses, and fields "spilled" with morning glories, bluebonnets and fireflies. But much more important than incidentals, was the intensity to which the reader becomes familiar with the family and extended family. They dramatically rose and fell to occasions... while a little girl and her sister grew up faster than anyone should have to grow.
   
   The author attentively makes the best of situations and in doing so she copes and thereby hopes. As a child, Ms. Karr observes. She evaluates. She has respect for her own idiosyncracies and she makes both understandable and wise decisions. When crucial, she relies on her life-saving (and also very young) big sister, Lecia. Years later, the reader gets to see that she does get answers to the childish hopes for explanations and we are grateful.
   
   Her family withstood challenges and love prevailed. In the beginning and throughout, Lecia (the sister) was deservedly appreciated. The ("Nervous") mother shared her art and worldliness. The father had good work ethics, created well-intended childhood events, stood up for his wife, and was proud of the author's ("Pokey's") accomplishments. The shared closeness of his "Liars' Club" friends (not the only liars of the book) was treasured. And in the end, those friends, mother, daughters, doctor, and even an old army officer was supportively generous. Finally, the author does get-together with her mother to resolve the mysteries that clouded traumatic times. And when all is said and done, we get an overview that is, in its understanding and acceptance, ultimately beautiful.
   
   The book's structure supports the theme. I liked that the author's formative years (1961, 1963) were presented as strong as they were and occupied the bulk of the book. Circumstances demanded that weight. Then I liked the jump to 1980 with child-to-parent and parent-to-child developments. Unpleasant though some of it was, the progression was satisfying. Again, the journey is worthwhile. Once you start reading it, I believe you'll be compelled to complete it, too.
   
   Further, the style is fine-tuned and honest. I marveled at the language and even the variable use of (and lack of) quotation marks. The tone is natural and, at the same time, it's brilliant. When the action is cruel, the heart-wrenching clarity works. Some raw descriptions were startling, while all of it rang true. Moreover, it helped that the book was obviously a joint family effort and that effort validated it's truth. Consequently, the entire approach -- language, style, honesty, and use of alternate memories -- kept my attention.
   
   Therefore, I highly recommend reading "The Liars' Club". The horrors are real. The caring runs deep. Kudos to Mary Karr for so openly sharing her life with the reader. You won't envy her youth, but you will probably become absorbed in the journey and admire some of the child she was and the woman she became. I give this book a FIVE-star rating.