5 comments about There Are Worse Things I Could Do.

1. I wouldn't consider myself a huge fan of Adrienne Barbeau, but this book was a great read. In fact, I had a hard time putting it down! The book was very engaging, genuine, and fun to read. Ms. Barbeau is a definitely a class act; and she seems like a good, down to earth person. That's hard to say about many actresses these days.



2. I have always enjoyed Adrienne Barbeau's acting, but this book has transformed me into a bona-fide fan. Ms. Barbeau shares stories of her Hollywood travels and her journeys toward personal identity and healthy relationships. It's an amazing read -- I hated putting it down!
   
   This book is definitely of a higher caliber than most Hollywood tell-alls, and Ms. Barbeau exudes class, authenticity and humor throughout. After reading it, one will want to sit down and get to know this remarkable lady.
   
   Also, Ms. Barbeau has signed a book deal to write mystery novels! So we will have more books from this amazing writer. Yay!



3. +++++
   
   "I went from being a musical comedy performer to a sitcom actress to a scream queen to a mother and a TV talk-show host and a book reviewer and a voice-over performer, and then back to the stage and back to musical comedy and back to television and concert halls and more films, and even into the recording studio for a CD and into my office to write this book."
   
   This is an excerpt from this page-turning autobiography by Adrienne Barbeau, a candid, funny, and self-deprecating autobiography that covers sixty years of her life. It is based on the journals she kept which she "began in 1955." She "wrote every day for the next forty years."
   
   The above excerpt tells you generally what the book is about. Along the way, Barbeau tells us about "relationships and love affairs, emotional highs and lows, friendships and loss."
   
   Highlights of this book include talking about her two hit TV shows ("Maude" and "Carnivale"), her major movies ("The Fog," "Escape from New York," "Swamp Thing," and "Creepshow"), her relationship with 1970's superstar Burt Reynolds, and her two marriages (the first to horror and science fiction director John Carpenter).
   
   The title of this book is the title of a major song Barbeau sung in the original Broadway production of "Grease" which was "a major turning point in [her] life."
   
   This autobiography is well written. What I especially liked was Barbeau's directness and the fact that you could easily follow the timeline of her life story.
   
   Included in the book's approximate center are over forty black and white photographs. My favorite is the one that has her character in the movie "The Convent" gunning down nuns (or as she says "blowing away nuns").
   
   Barbeau throughout her book doesn't come off as self-absorbed or an airhead. Instead she comes off as a smart, witty, loving, and giving person who, as this book chronicles, is a survivor.
   
   Finally, I did find a few problems:
   
   (1) I felt that Barbeau was holding back on certain details of her life story. For example, we are not told anything about the book's provocative cover photograph (shown above by Amazon). I learned that this is Barbeau's 1978 pin-up poster that actually rivaled Farrah Fawcett's poster of the same decade. Why are we not told anything about this?
   (2) Many of the stories in her book are not followed up and this might be frustrating for some readers.
   (3) She tends to sometimes flip-flop back and forth between present and past tense.
   
   In conclusion, this is a good, solid, witty, and revealing autobiography about an actor who has been in the "biz" for more than four decades. It is definitely better than the standard actor autobiography!!
   
   (first published 2006; introduction {entitled "The Journals"}; 40 chapters; main narrative 335 pages; acknowledgements {entitled "Thank You"})
   
   +++++



4. Adrienne Barbeau's first book is a wonderful testament to a life lived. Good, bad or indifferent she propels her readers to LIVE.
   
   Memoirs are always tough, and Barbeau nailed it! Even if I did not know her voice, from the many films, plays and TV shows she has been a part of, her written voice comes through so clearly. It is simultaneously kind, comic and sad without ever being maudlin.
   
   Barbeau has a wonderful ability to take the reader in as if writing each reader a note about the day to day, and then she turns things that note around. You are reading a note from a friend and then realize that: Yes she was married to one of the most notable directors of horror in the U.S, yes she had an affair with Burt Reynolds. And yes she has had many loves in her time. Wow! But rather than delivering a tell all revealing the warts of others - although we do read a bit about those warts - Barbeau manages to undauntingly keep the focus on herself. While laughing at herself, and her foibles as a person with loves gained and lost, she takes the comic and imbues it with such heart the reader can visualize how double sided comedy is within each us; as when we laugh at ourselves, there tends to be some sadness lurking - conversely she explores her own tragedies such as the passing of her mother and her best friend, and reveals hope.
   
   When reading this book, I was reminded of being lost on occasion. In THERE ARE WORSE THINGS I COULD DO, the reader, along with Adrienne, takes a journey. Barbeau reminds us that when we are lost we seek acceptance, regardless of what that acceptance might mean. But as we lose ourselves amidst gaining acceptance, we discover how within that losing, we can all find ourselves anew.
   
   What is so fantastic about this read is Barbeau's refusal to be consumed by circumstance.
   She keeps on going, keeps living, and keeps growing. For me as a woman, what is so particularly compelling about this book, is that she lets all women know that age truly, does not matter. And she does this simply by revealing her life, not by being pedantic. This is a message to all of us, to keep on keeping on. Ultimately she finds the love she so deserves, and rediscovers her muses: her children. Still, Barbeau reminds us that each day is a blank slate. and although Adrienne has found her muses, she keeps working at her life - understanding that with each day, ones life may need some reconfiguring. And that reconfiguring is a good thing...
   
   I was lucky enough to hear Barbeau read passages from the book, and the reading added a wonderful dimension to my understanding of her experiences. Her timing is impeccable, and I hope her publisher will push extensively for a nationwide tour with the author.



5. Adrienne Barbeau's "There are Worst Things I Could Do" is not your standard kiss-and-tell Hollywood memoir. Although she writes wittily about her affair with Burt Reynolds, her marriage to cult filmmaker John Carpenter, her liaisons with various Hollywood personalities, and behind the scenes mayhem during the filming of "The Fog", "The Swamp Thing", "The Cannonball Run", and her hit television sitcom "Maude", her memoir is more about her personal journey as a wounded woman who ached for peace and joy in her relationships with men.
   
   Her candor is refreshing. She does not flinch from sharing with the reader intimate details about sex, psychics, gurus, and her quest to heal the trauma of being abandoned by her father when she was still a child. The forty or so chapters around which she has arranged her material reveal a vibrant woman who wanted to experience life fully, to learn from her experiences, to heal her wounds, and to grow as an actress and woman.
   
   Though she deals candidly with "heavy" subjects, her style is never maudlin or judgmental or self-pitying. She is able to find humor and farce even in the most intense situations of life.
   
   So read this book as a Hollywood memoir full of juicy revelations if you wish. But the pleasure I got from it was not reading about her career arc but her personal journey as a woman through the rapidly shifting zeitgeist of the past five decades.
   
   In time, her well-rounded memoir will grow in stature.

4 comments about Digging up Butch and Sundance (Second Edition).

1. Digging Up Butch and Sundance is as engrossing as any fictional detective story, thanks to Anne Meadows' exceptional writing style and dogged pursuit of the facts. She brings to life the men behind the myth, and deals with a wealth of confusing and conflicting accounts with clarity and intelligence, spicing her story with numerous fascinating details about her and her husband's countless trips to South America in search of the truth. While her final answers may not have solved the mystery of the outlaws' fate with 100% certainty, she has done more than anyone else to come to a solution, which is certain to satisfy all but the most of skeptical of critics. May be the most complete (and accurate) book about their final days, and is likely to remain so. Highly recommended.



2. We loved the Butch and Sundance we saw on the screen. Their humor, looks and everything else. But sadly, we gained not quite enough information on the two except their robbing career, loves and their escape to Bolivia.(Ha!)
   So, for those of you who want to know more about the two outlaws, I strongly suggest Anne Meadows book, DIGGING UP BUTCH AND SUNDANCE.
   
   I am not quite done with the book yet. It's a big read. But from what I have read so far, I have learned a lot about the two. Anne Meadows takes us to a home and other places where Cassidy and the Kid were said to have stayed and visited. She gives us detailed information about their lives, robberies and even room to doubt about their final fight. There has been speculation about whether or not they died in the last battle in Bolivia and whether that battle even occured. I haven't reached that far in the book yet, but I like it so far and encourage anyone who is interested to read DIGGING UP BUTCH AND SUNDANCE.
   Anne Meadows did an excellent job in writing this book. Don't pass it up!



3. Meadows, an exceptionally skillful writer, takes you along on a fascinating adventure to uncover the remains of two of the old west's most colorful outlaws. You feel you are right there at the side of the author and her husband every step of the way as they try to solve the mystery of the famous outlaw pair's last days. It's a trip well worth the taking. Highly recommended.



4. I must admit that in my mind the myths around Butch Cassidy & the Sundance Kid were all tied up with the 1969 movie starring Paul Newman and Robert Redford. I had a vague idea that the characters were based on real people, but I wasn't very curious about them. Then I ran across this book. I meant to give it a desultory glance, but I got hooked by the charming George Leroy Parker aka Butch Cassidy and his hothead partner, Harry Longabaugh aka the Sundance Kid. I found myself peering at the photographs and thinking, "They were real!" I was particularly entranced with the mysterious Etta Place (if that was actually her name). This is a very entertaining account of obsessive sleuthing. The author and her husband even went to Bolivia and witnessed the digging up of remains of an outlaw purported to be Sundance. Ms. Meadows reaches no definite conclusions, and that's just fine with me. Perhaps if we knew exactly what happened to them, they wouldn't be so intriguing.

5 comments about Hobo.

1. this book is not a look into the life of a hobo. its just a story of one trip and his views from it. its a good quick read if you are a tramp or hobo, even if just at heart.



2. I loved the way the book started. It had great potential, but then he began to sound as if he were writing from examples he read in Kerouac 101. I wish it would have been a little better, but it was still a good beach read.



3. I started this book hoping that I'd read about what it's really like to ride the rails. I finished it with a sense that I'd been told what 'Eddy Joe Cotton' wants riding the rails to be like and that history had been airbrushed to fit the hobo myth.
   
   This includes the author's choosing to take a 'nom de plume'. Eddy Joe Cotton, why didn't you write as 'Zebu Recchia'?
   
   The book is strongest right at the beginning when he describes growing up with his Dad in Denver. This bit rang true to me. I lived there and Mr. Cotton/Recchia does a nice job of bringing the area around Colfax and Broadway to life.
   
   There's another book I'm sure in the transition from life on the road to published author and somewhere I'd be interested to hear about how the Yard Dogs Roadshow came into existence.
   
   What are you doing now Eddie Joe Cotton/Zebu Recchia?
   
   For a less idealized picture of 'riding the rails', read Ted Conover's book 'Rolling Nowhere'.



4. I really loved reading this book. Like the photos that accompany it, this story is grainy and blurred but at the same time artistically brilliant. Eddy Joe Cotton's unique talent to weave his poetry into a first class adventure story is magical.
   
   Eddy Joe took me back 30 years to relive the best times of my life when as a teenager I spent 3 years off and on tramping around the western states before I joined the 400. It made me nostalgic for those good old days, but at the same time reminded me of how the road can wear you down and make you bone weary.
   
   Put J.J. Cale's "travelog" and Lou Reed's "New York" in your CD player to set the mood and settle in for a good read of a story you won't be able to put down until you've turned the last page. I hope to see more books coming from Eddy Joe Cotton. He has a rare gift for creating an atmosphere in his story telling that left a lasting impression on me.



5. The author managed to keep my attention for most of the book, but at times his train of thought was very hard to follow. At other times,it was difficult to remember where exactly he was, geographically. This wasn't because he was travelling on a train, but because he'd say he was in Las Vegas, yet then talk about being in Mexico. A little bit too much introspection & "a hobo is this" and "a man is that" type of advice.
   The portion of the book where he's actually living among other hobo's is interesting. Unfortunately about 1/3 is devoted otherwise. (including the Glossary)

4 comments about The Tonya Tapes.

1. My husband Greg and I have known Tonya for almost 14 years, and have been with her through many trials in her life. Author Lynda Prouse, captures the depth of personal truma as well as triumph in Tonya's life. If you have had an opinion one way or the other about her, this book will either confirm or change that opinion. In all the years that we have been close to her, she has NEVER wavered from the facts, which you will read. This book is an inspiraton for anyone who has ever suffered abuse at the hands of another, and wants to give up. Tonya has gone through so much, yet through her Faith, has gone on, as she beleives there is a better life. Tonya should be cheered, not jeered. I recommend you read this book, as it will inspire you in so many ways.
   Linda Lewis



2. Great read. Couldn't put it down.
   
   This book will give you a better, more informed perspective of the life of a severely abused, neglected and disadvantaged athlete who became a victim of abusive circumstances.
   
   I am very impressed with the honesty of this book. I must admit I used to think Tonya Harding was a bad person because of what the media wrote and reported. Not any more - I think Harding was a victim of an abusively violent relationship, and, hence was a good person who was poorly betrayed by the media looking to cash in on bold headlines!
   
   I feel foolish for believing media reports. Based on her statements, to police and in her book, I believe she was not responsible for her psychotic ex's attack on Kerrigan.
   
   How sad that another abusive husband ruins the life of another person because of control issues. He admitted in a past THS interview that he and his partner were solely responsible for hurting Kerrigan. This is almost another OJ Simpson story - the story of a woman's life ruined by a psychotic ex - minus, thankfully, the tragic, heinous murder.
   
   Note - if, in 1994, Tonya had the image consultants that stars have today, she would have been tarnished, as badly, by the 1994 media.
   
   Great read! Five stars.



3. Geraldo said it best in an interview May 23 2008 on Fox News (right before Tonya appeared the same day), "She (Tonya) is white trailer trash". Nuff said. But really, it's a shame that this type of story dominates our media news cycle, I guess the train wreck is always alluring to read about for most; OJ, the fat chick who died of an overdose a couple of years ago, Britney, whatever... it goes on and on. Success is boring, only the tragic sells, it's a viscous cycle. My advice, just try to tune it out or at least balance it with a good bio like a Jesse Owens or Kareem A Jabbar, Fran Tarkington, Nancy Khwan, Jim Brown, something else other then this trash. Then the publisher self promotes it on Amazon, thats the nail in the coffin for anyone who is actually thinking with a level head. I mean we all know she is one of the ultimate train wrecks, she represented us in the Olympics and did that shoe lace thing is too tight in the middle of the performance, that may have be the last time I actually watched Olympic skating! So there you go, she did a whole lot of bad things to everyone she stood for. She's just a piece of trailer trash, as Geraldo had the guts to say. If you want to buy this go ahead, and you'll see her some more on the airwaves taking up valuable airspace that an uplifting story could replace.



4. In full disclosure, I am the publisher. But I am speaking from the heart when I say you will love this book, written by Lynda Prouse, an award-winning Canadian author. It is perfect summer reading. The format is exciting and engaging, and the editing of Dr. Kyle Torke and myself create a lucid, amazing story of a strong, independent woman. Not only that, but this story tells us much about America, and how we deal with our sports figures, and that is very revealing in itself as sociological study. I keep going back to it to re-read! The formatting of Matthew Ward, the pictures, everything is perfect. This book is great!

2 comments about The Captain's Log.

1. I loved this book. It is broken into self contained chapters so it's easy to pick up and put down. The stories are often funny, sometimes amuzing, and always delightful.



2. I enjoyed these 20+ stories written by from the prospective of the Captain and officers on a Cruise Ship. Several of the stories were exceptionally humorous; my favorite was called "The Duck Died". The Captain and his crew "borrowed" a duck from a pond in Sitka for the purpose of performing a practical joke on another crew member. They promised the local authorities that the duck would be well taken care of and returned safely on their way back from Sitka. The duck spent the remainder of the cruise in the bathtub of a deluxe cabin and to quote, "The duck was returned to her pond in Sitka, a celebrity amongst other ducks for sure, being the only one of her breed to have completed an Alaskan cruise."

5 comments about The Last Gentleman Adventurer: Coming of Age in the Arctic.

1. Of the many, many books I've read involving Arctic expeditions and experiences, this one is one of the best, among the ranks of Gontran De Poncins' 'Kabloona' and Vladimir Albanov's 'In The Land of the White Death.' I found it to have a lot in common with 'Kabloona': while the locations are rather far, the experiences are similar. 'The Last Gentleman Adventurer' also provides a lot of information about the Hudson's Bay Company, which is a fascinating chapter in northern Canadian history.
   
   At the time of the documented experiences, this young man was essentially alone (in the beginning among 2 others) in one of the most remote outposts on earth. His interest and respect for Inuit life develops and broadens throughout the book, and in his adventures he meets many different characters. What is delightful about this character is that he sees the Inuit with respect to his own morals, ethics and upbringing, but without judging them. He spends a number of years in Pangnirtung and moves down to Frobisher Bay. Curiously, his last year (alluded to in the novel to be spent at Southampton Island) was not documented in the book, and I am unsure of why.
   
   I found his relationships with the Inuit people in this book to be very inspiring; his encounters with the often harsh world around him allowed him to grow and adapt. While frustration was often present with one situation or another, he left his post at Ward Inlet with an incredible love and respect for his Inuit friends; while warned in the beginning not to become too wrapped up with "those people," it is the curiosity and willingness to learn that makes this novel, 'Kabloona' and also the adventures of Stefansson incredibly interesting. While whaling and exploration often exploited the talents of the Arctic people, there are few memoirs of people who sought to learn and survive with their knowledge.



2. This was an amazing story of the early years of the Hudson Bay Company and a year of young mans life at a trading post in the Arctic. I couldn't stop reading. I only wish the author had not stopped his story writing.



3. Fascinating story. Written in very genuine, matter of fact style. Author was completely open to learning all he could about Inuit culture, and this comes through in the book. A must read if you want to understand the culture and ecology of the arctic. Read this, then go watch "The Naked Runner."



4. In this beautifully written book, Edward Beauclerk Maurice takes the reader to a distant, cold land to experience heartwarming stories of adventure, love and loss.
   
   Maurice spent five years living with Eskimos (Inuit) on Baffin Island in northern Canada as a representative of the Hudson's Bay Company. He came of age there, starting as naive 16-year-old and growing to become an experienced leader by 21.
   
   Maurice tells his stories in an understated and humble manner. When he falls in the water, he makes a joke. When he nearly plummets to his death off a cliff, he blames his own clumsiness. When Eskimo women express interest in him, you can almost feel him blushing. You really can't help but like him.
   
   There's danger and adventure here, too. Maurice confronts wolves and polar bears. Storms tear the roof off buildings and threaten to swamp boats. Eskimos die tragic deaths.
   
   Particularly well-written is a story near the middle of the book where Maurice and an Eskimo come to the rescue of a village where people are dying from a contagious disease. It's a grim scene, and I could feel myself there through Maurice's writing.
   
   As a I read "The Last Gentleman Adventurer," I was somewhat wistful that neither I, nor anyone else, will ever get a chance to experience this sort of life again. It was an isolated existence, and Maurice and the Eskimos had to completely depend on each other and to live off the land. There was almost no communication with the outside world; a supply boat came just once a year.
   
   The book is divided into two parts -- the first includes highlights of Maurice's first few years on Baffin Island. The second is a more detailed description of his life at a base where he was the only non-Eskimo for one year.
   
   If you're wondering why I give this four stars, not five, it's only because in the second half of the book there are some flat parts where Maurice could have perhaps summarized and moved on. I also wish the book had a map.
   
   Despite those small complaints, I'd love to see someone turn this into a movie. It's not a big blockbuster story that would interest major studios, but I could see the BBC or PBS adapting this for TV.
   
   Readers who enjoy this book would also enjoy "Alaska Wilderness" by Robert Marshall.



5. I spent 9 years in Canada's Eastern Arctic in the 80"s and 90"s and this book struck a powerful chord with me. The author is perceptive enough and humble enough to gain a thorough understanding of the Inuit people and talented enough to bring his experience to life for us.
   
   I am a big fan of this man. He brings the Inuit to life with great compassion and truth without decending into the hero worship that sometimes inflicts visitors to the far north. These are real people and the good and the bad comes accross.
   
   There are also some fun adventures and honest reporting of how the experience transforms the author. I loved this book. I even wrote the authors family asking if he had other works to publish! That a book like this took decades to find a publisher when trash is printed on a daily basis speaks volumes.
   
   This book rings true with every sentence. Like all great books I was sad when it ended, like on the departure of a true friend.

5 comments about No Mountain High Enough: Raising Lance, Raising Me.

1. Reading Linda's story I instantly knew I'd want to lend this book to my Mum after I'd finished it. Are high achievers born or made? You won't find the answer in reading this book, but you'll see how a determined young woman who had every reason to fail succeeded and raised a champion. More importantly I feel - this story isn't just about Lance. It's definitely hers, it's quirky and charming, easy to read and definitely gives you a feel for her character. I preferred It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life - but I definitely recommend this as a great follow up read.
   Kirsty Dunphey, Author Retired at 27, If I can do it anyone can



2. Linda Armstrong started out with enough strikes to doom most to a mediocre life - daughter of divorced parents and a drunkard father (stopped drinking when Lance was born), married at 16, mother at 17, expelled from high school for being pregnant, and abused by husband whom she eventually left. Instead, she raised (inspired, cheered, protected, funded, and assisted his early development and becoming a champion, and then added her inner strength to Lance's during a devastating cancer encounter) a world renowned bicycling champion and major force in cancer research and support.
   
   At the same time Linda went on to complete her GED and worked her way up to a high-level position within a large communications firm. It was not all success for Linda, however - she also had to go through two additional failed marriages (a philanderer, and a drunkard), before finally finding her "true love."
   
   After reading the book it is clear that both Lance Armstrong AND his mother, Linda, are very exceptional and inspirational individuals. I wish I had read this book myself before becoming a parent - my approach and perspectives would hopefully have greatly improved.



3. I am glad Lance's Mom decided to write her story. After I read It's Not About the Bike, I was inspired and eager to learn how a seemingly super-human came to be. Now I know: his Mom exudes energy, enthusiasm, and optimism without bounds: who could lose with such incredible and selfless support screaming in your ear on each lap of the race.
   
   This is a book that focuses primarily on Linda Armstrong Kelly. Lance plays a pivotal but supporting role in the story. She is honest and forthright about the men in her life; other women have just shriveled and become bitter. She is unabashedly supportive of her son, in spite of his adolescent fixation with speeding and dangerous shenanagans with his pals. And... she raised a smart son who loves and respects his mother, especially shielding her from some of the pranks that would drive many parents to pack their son off to some military academy. The fireballs come to mind as I write this.
   
   She is a mom that celebrates Mother's Day, everyday. Now, if she can figure out a way to bottle and sell her optimism and energy! Enjoy the read.



4. A very well written book bringing the reader the life of an adoring Mother and her son. Neither would give up on their individual dreams in their respective pursuits of happiness in their lives. Enjoyable, insightful reading start to finish. Many congrats to both, and a special congratualtion to Lance for winning his seventh Tour deFrance.



5. Funny, sad, interesting, well-written, inspirational. I have great respect and admiration for Linda Armstrong Kelly. She is a remarkable woman with an incredible ability to adapt to any situation life throws her way. What a great woman!

5 comments about The Truth Book: Escaping a Childhood of Abuse Among Jehovah's Witnesses.

1. This book is extremely well written and I would highly recommend it. As a former Jehovah's Witness, I was able to identify with so much of the story - not the sexual abuse (although I learned of some sexual abuse that occurred and was covered up by the elders) but I have seen so many mothers who were like the author's mother. One of the reasons I first began to question the Watchtower religion was because of the way the children were treated - or mis-treated would be a better description. Kids spanked who were noisy during the lengthy adult services, pinched when they fell asleep at late night meetings on school nights, etc. etc. But that is mild compared to what the author endured. I enjoyed this book very much.



2. This book was a bit like therapy. It was helpfull to hear a story so much like my own. She is a powerful writer, and honestly portrays what can go wrong in the JW cult.



3. Joy's memoir is a stark reminder that abuse in all of its various forms is devastating to individuals and relationships. Because it is her story and she was raised by parents who were Jehovah's Witnesses, it includes much of that lifestyle, religious doctrine, and terminology. Joy does a fair job at explaining some of the little understood doctrines when they appear in her story.
   
   If you are looking for a diatribe or poison pen against Jehovah's Witnesses or the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society you may be disappointed. She neither attacks nor excuses them. She more often reflects on the confused contradictions she experienced trying to make sense of the wide gap between what was taught and how it was lived.
   
   Having studied the Witnesses and their organization for more than two years I was familiar with many of the ways they apply scripture to their lives and Joy's descriptions are fair. The fact Joy's parents and step-father clearly took some of them to the extreme only confirms they were unbalanced people. I have some close personal relationships with a few Witnesses but probably could not get them to read this book as they would likely view it as apostate writing.
   
   The book serves to remind us how men and women in any religious following who fail to use the good minds God gave them to discern good from evil but instead faithfully, but blindly follow a religious organization as proof of loyalty to God, can find themselves quite quickly in horrible circumstances.
   
   Joy's book also gives hope to those who seek a relationship with God rather than an organization.



4. I felt that the book was very well written and engrossing. Having suffered through a very similar situation in my youth with this particular religion it was a comfort to me to know that during those lonely years that I truly wasn't alone: Other people were going through the same confusion and frustration that I had been through. Mrs. Castro did a great job of explaining the JW thought process and the total lack of respect they have for women. They are very willing to place uneducated men to call the shots in their congregations. They allow these men to make decisions that they have had no training, no experience and no business in. The mere fact that they are men is the only qualification many of them need. I felt Mrs. Castro also did a great job of showing how manipulative the JW's are. The "truth" is not what they are interested in at all. Preservation of their beliefs, right or wrong is what fuels them. The book must have been difficult for her to write but I would think cathartic also.



5. I could not put this book down. The mental and physical abuse that Ms Castro and her brother received is unbelievable. As we move through her incredible life it is inspiring that she was able to rise above her circumstances and find peace within herself and create a loving enviroment for her son. I have no history with JW, but would recommend this book to anyone. Beautifully written. Can't wait for the next book by Joy Castro.

No comments about Do You Hear What I Hear?: An Unreligious Writer Investigates Religious Calling.

4 comments about A Texas Cowboy: or, Fifteen Years on the Hurricane Deck of a Spanish Pony (Penguin Classics).

1. Although his interesting childhood kept you glued to the first quarter of the book, the rest is just a basic cowboy's life written with little or no techniques to keep you compelled to read every word. It is interesting to read, however, since he was a true to life cowboy. If I had to do over, I'd saved my money.



2. This book has the answers. Exciting stories, concise writing (too concise sometimes). Siringo is honest about his faults. He obviously tries to capitlize on his tangential involvement with Billy the Kid (whom he knew and admired). Ever wished you could have a beer with a real Texas cowboy who was there when the cattle drives started? Well, here's your chance.



3. A long, stupid and boring story that you MUST read and memorize at college for quiz tests. I still wonder how studying this most unimportant account of a most unimportant guy is going to help me become a better Mechanical Engineer.



4. At the age of 28, when he wrote his memoir, Charles Siringo had already been a cowboy for 15 years. Born in 1855 on the Gulf Coast of Texas, Siringo worked in one job after another across the Midwest and Southwest, ranging from St. Louis to New Mexico. Still a teenager, he settled on cowboying at the time of the great cattle drives and was apparently very good at it, though no luckier than most at making a living from it. He worked for many years for the LX ranch in the Texas Panhandle, for a while rounding up cattle that had drifted away or were stolen. This occupation put him in New Mexico at the time of Billy the Kid, who was four years his junior. He never met Billy but knew men who did, and his imagination seems to have been fired by the stories they told about the pursuit and eventual shooting of this young outlaw. Though by his own account Siringo never shot a man himself, he was a dead aim with a six-shooter.

   His memoir was written, as he admits in his preface, to make money "and lots of it." It's not great literature, beginning with his earliest childhood memories and recounting the events of his life with no particular sense of compelling storytelling. It's just one darn thing after another. But a reader with some patience will be rewarded in the latter part of the book as his adventures begin adding up to something like a real narrative - working for the LX as a range detective - and he begins emerging as more of a coherent protagonist in his own story.

   And it's not all about the work of cowboying, herding and rounding up cattle, and taking them to market. There are some close scrapes and some fearless derring-do. And there are also matters of the heart, as the young cowboy falls in love with a string of sweethearts he meets along the way, finally marrying one he meets in Kansas and ending his career as a cowboy. I'm happy to recommend this book to anyone with an interest in the Wild West, cowboys, ranching in the days of the open ranges, and social history of the late 19th century. [The 1950 edition is worth having for the wonderful introduction by Texas folklorist J. Frank Dobie.]