5 comments about Always Running: La Vida Loca: Gang Days in L.A..

1. I had no choice when it came to reading this book. It was after all, required in my college english class in order to survive the masses of quizzes and essays. But I will say that although I did not want to read this book at first, once I read the first couple pages I was hooked. I no longer wanted to read it just because it was required, now I was reading it for pleasure. Although the book is strongly graphic especially on the sex parts, it is done in a most tasteful manner. As a young latina born and raised in America, I was very touched by what my people had gone through in the past, and it is knowledge I had ignored taking the liberty I have now for granted. I really recommend this book if you're up to take a good dose of eye opener.



2. I heard this book was good, but didn't know how good it actually was until I read it. There isn't a dull page.
   
   What's most alarming about the book is not necessarily the events that take place, as many movies about this lifestyle have been made since the book's first publishing, sort of numbing the harsh realities of gang life to even outsiders who grew up in secluded suburbs, but the age that Luis Rodriguez actually is when the events are taking place. Some of the day to day drama described in the book is so adult like that you can only picture the subjects of these tales being 18 to 25 years old, yet the reader is often reminded that the author was as young as 14 when some of them took place.
   
   What may also separate the stories told in this book from the stories told in typical 1990s west coast gang folklore, from hip hop to film to books like 'Monster', is the sexual situations Mr. Rodriguez describes that he took part in and witnesses, again, in some cases as young as 14. Some are romantic, and almost remind the reader of a time when romance was first discovered in their lives, yet there are some that are so disturbing that the reader is quickly brought down to earth, reminded that love and romance in a violent, drug infested environment is far different from the kind most Americans have grown to know, that is dictated by Hollywood fairy tales.
   
   Luis Rodriguez finding his outlet from the gang life through art and writing could give hope to any current gang member who happens upon this book. It's one thing for a suburban high school teacher to tell a 'homeboy' that he can express his views through art, it's another for an older 'homeboy' himself to tell him.
   
   A must read for everyone, from suburbanites with little knowledge of the gang life who would like another version than that given by media outlets and law enforcement agencies, where the knowledge tends to be limited to crime reporting and identification of territories and monikers, to kids and adults wrapped up in the gang life, and just looking for any story that can inspire them or give them some kind of direction to a better life.



3. What more is needed to say about this memoir? This is singlehandedly one of the most powerful memoirs I have ever read and that goes without saying. I was born and raised in the San Gabriel Valley, the same one that Rodriguez builds and describes and I can honestly say he is completely spot on. About? Everything. The racial, identity, and sexual struggle that Rodriguez weaves in this story is compelling and really grabbed me and immersed me into his life. This memoir says what there is to be said, and it says a lot.



4. this os the best book i have ever read next to tommyland very different but bolth very good books



5. I suppose one of the editorial reviews summed it up nicely.
   
   "...Mexican funerals, rapes and arrests, but his writing style renders much of that rich material forgettable."
   Copyright 1993 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
   
   I was very much interested in the topic, yet the rambling, writing style of Luis Rodriguez
   made for a disappointing experience.

5 comments about The Translator: A Tribesman's Memoir of Darfur.

1. Daoud Hari is indeed a blessed man to have survived capture and imprisonment- risking his life to tell the world of the human tragedy called Darfur. This book speaks volumes of his profound courage and of the brave reporters and others who ventured right into the line of fire so that the world will know. The heartbreaking descriptions of the carnage is hard to read at times, but I am most haunted by the child sitting in the grass who stopped crying and waved goodbye as Daoud and the news crew had to run for their lives. This is one man's tale of survival on a tragic journey and his willingness to fight injustice. He is blessed because there are those who must survive to tell the world. We can each make a difference.



2. I just finished reading Hari's memoir, having read "The Kite Runner", similar yet different. Hari's exposure of the atrocities in Darfur and neighboring regions is gripping and informative. His story of escape, tenacity, and faith is compelling in that it defines and redefines what it means to be human. He uses the notion of being HUMAN to plead his case, refocus country-men fighting against their own, and admonish readers to support present day initiatives in place for Darfur. Congratulations, Daoud! Keep living and keep writing.



3. Unfortunately, the only thing that 99.999% of the world associates with the word "Darfur" is death, hate and tragedy. Daoud Hari's small memoir reminds the reader that Darfur was once home to millions - a place of family, friend, play and work.
   
   That is the strongest asset of this short work - it puts a human face on a large tragedy. Written in simple, elegant English and with a wry sense of humor ("Most people like me, are tall - I am six feet - and are also a little thin because of all the walking, the hard work and the dieting that is one of the many advantages of poverty."[p. 108]), this book is an extension of Hari's way of fighting back against the forces that are destroying Darfur. Rather than taking up arms, Hari decided to expose Darfur to the world by escorting journalists from Chad into Darfur in Sudan.
   
   This was not a choice for the faint of heart. Journalists and their guides were considered to be spies by the government of Sudan. Hari and his journalists were exposed to gunfire, captured multiple times and eventually one group was captured, tortured and eventually released through the efforts of former presidential candidate and New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson.
   
   Before reading the book, I suggest reading "Appendix 1: A Darfur Primer" at the end of the text. It helps give his story some context.



4. This book has all the ingredients of a best-selling thriller, unfortunately though all of it is the true and real memories of Daoud Hari's experience of the genocide in Darfur.
   
   I want to thank the author of this book, Daoud Hari, for teaching me about the situation in Darfur. In the past, I've read newspaper and magazine articles, watched television and listened to radio broadcast that all had information on new events happening in that part of the world. After taking in this information I always felt just a little less ignorant, however I still didn't understand the big picture because as Daoud Hari has stated...This is not a simple genocide, but a complicated one. After reading his book, I understand better than ever the events that lead to this current and ongoing insanity.
   
   If you are like me, feeling helpless against the terrible atrosities that are happening in Darfur and other areas of the world, read this book, then pass it on, write about it and talk about it. Awareness is paramount. If enough people all over the globe voice their concerns, how can world leaders continue to stand silent?
   
   Collectively we all have to decide whether genocide is tolerated as a solution to conflict. What the world decides now will determine whether genocide will happen again somewhere else. It needs to be stoped now.
   
   Gladly recommend this book to anyone who continually wants to understand world affairs.



5. Riveting story. Well told with simplicity and even a sense of humor in a very humorless situation.

5 comments about Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance.

1. And, unfortunately, he's not that interesting. If he weren't running for president, I would have chucked the book after Indonesia. Black, white, black, white...whine, whine...yawn.
   
   This man has no acomplishments to justify anyone voting for him.



2. When I first heard the name Obama, I thought where did he come from, and I did not take him too seriously at first. I do not know if it is proper to mention politics here, but I am a staunch Democrat. Now, I have friends and relatives who are just as stauch Republicans, and that does not matter the least bit to me. I am just so thankful that we live in a country where we can vote according to the dictates of our own hearts and minds. Leaving that thought, I voted for Hillary in the primary and believed she would get the nomination. Well, the rest is history. After a few weeks, I soon realized with the coverage on the medica that Obama was not going away any time soon. Therefore, I went to Amazon to see what I could get to learn who he is. I bought this book and the Audacity of Hope from Amazon.
   I was amazed at how well written and interesting this book is by such a young man. He is so diversified in various cultures, and has a deep understanding of human nature with regard to expressing themselves in these cultures.
   He speaks of the difficulty of his youth with living in a white family while his grandfather taking him to the black bars for entertainment. He lives in Indonesia, and one gets an incite to the Asian customs which are quite different from us as Americans.
   He later goes to Kenya and gives us detail into the people and customs of that land. The struggles that face his people whom he has not known. He only saw his father once when he was ten years old.
   But the way he meets his siter Auma after they are both grown, and yet he connects with her is amazing.
   It appears to me that he is trying to be truthful and candid about such important matters. He gives us an insight into the deep feelings of people who are affected by proverty and race. It would be unkind of me to say I understand those feelings because as a white American, I have not experienced them. However, I have great empathy for those who must endure this life. Yet, I am seeing that today we have many white people who are living in the area of poverty and uneducated. I am now old and see a trend that I do not like.
   Obama chose willingly to serve in the Chicago area where he could see firsthand the poverty and see if he could make change. He did. He was persevering, tolerant, patient, a man on a mission to accomplish, and he did with much success.
   He has the leadership skills to lead our great country. He has a charismatic way, his speeches inspire and uplift. I think he is the most highly intelligent and educated person to be in the office of President since President Kennedy. President Kennedy came on the scene to give hope to the young and old with his speeches challenging the people to do something. President Kennedy was opposed by many evangelicals because he was Catholic, we have never had a Catholic in office before; however, the bias did not prevail.
   This race is a challenge we in America like to pride ourselves in the fact of being equal for all and past the racial crisis. However, I think we are seeing that America is in denial on this issue, and now many are having to deal with this issue head-on.
   Yes, this book answered my question as to who is he. I will be voting for him, and after reading this book, it is with great confidence I do so. I have not begun the Audacity of Hope yet but am looking forward to it if it is written with the same honesty and thought.
   I highly recommend.



3. I would not have had any intention of reading this book or any by Barack Obama as I viewed him with both distaste and a bit of fear feeding into the slanderous campaign being run against him and being a die-hard Republican. So why did I read this book? Well my boss has his Kindle on a business trip and knowing I wanted a Kindle he lent me his to read one night. He had this book in his Kindle, so out of curiousity I started to read it. I can honestly say I was blown away and determined to read the rest of the book. I wanted to know more.
   
   I finally purchased my Kindle(love it)and as soon as it came yesterday I ordered this book first and have been reading it since. My opinion has pretty much reversed on what I thought about this man, and I can say I am impressed and want to know more. I am not quite done with the book but decided to write this as a possible encouragement to someone who like me thinks ill of this man. Am I a total convert, not yet, but I will now listen more closely as to what he is saying and think long and hard about what to do in November. And those e-mails that were pure poison, I'll just delete them unread and make my own decision.



4. Was educational as to Barack's life. Just started another one of his books, "The Audacity of Hope".



5. Politically me and Senator Obama are pretty closely aligned for the exception of Sen. Obama being a litle warmer to the idea of government sponsored solutions to our nation's most pressing problems. In this book you see that way of thinking exposed at key moments. Take for instance when he is helping some folks with housing, in which he fails to call out that government sponsored housing has been one of the most socially disastrous actions ever undertaken. His stories are still profoundly moving and show how they shape the man that we see today. It is a must read if you are planning on voting! It quickly and strongly explains some of the nonsense that conservatives will cling on to in order to undermine him.

5 comments about Three Weeks with My Brother.

1. Warning. Don't read the front cover flap of this book. It is a plot buster.
   
   This book is for anyone who ever had a brother or sister or ever wanted one. It describes a trip around the world in three weeks to some of the oldest buildings on this planet. While it seems like they spent more time on the planes than actually in the countries, and they saw more museums than they could handle, they also stood in awe of the world's greatest man-made treasures. Interspersed with the stories of old buildings, there were stories of old relationships: between two brothers, to their parents, to their sister, to their spouses and to their own children. In short a great read.
   
   Just don't read the front cover flap before reading the book.



2. I am a huge fan of Nicholas Sparks. I have every book he has written. I used to read his early books and wonder why sometimes they seemed so sad. Now I understand. I read this book in two days. I could not put it down!



3. I own every Nicholas Sparks book there is, so I really enjoyed this book. I wouldn't recommend it to someone who has never read his books. I was interested in the type of person who could write such interesting books and I wasn't let down. I definately had laughs and tears with this book. If you like his books, read this one. It makes you appreciate all his other works much more.



4. This is by far one of the best books I have ever read. I couldn't put it down. Fantastic tale of two brothers and their stuggles in their life. I say this is a must read. You will fall in love with the book and the family. I totally recommend this book.
   Thanks



5. This book was a wonderful way to get to know Nicholas Sparks and his family. It was very interesting to go on the adventure with he and Micah, but I loved the childhood stories and finding out what Nicholas Sparks is all about! Read before you read any more of his books! You won't be disappointed.

5 comments about The Essential Barack Obama: The Grammy Award-Winning Recordings.

1. These audio books make for informative and pleasant listening while I am driving,working around the house or walking around my neighborhood. Barack Obama's narration is clear, interesting and expressive. I would recommend it to anyone.



2. The Grammy award winning recording of the Essential Barack Obama did not disappoint me at all. I wanted to read his 2 books and thought since he is such a great speaker with a dynamic speaking voice,I would get the recording of his books.I sit back,close my eyes and listen to his words and the ways he intended them to mean.I never bought an audio book before,so this was quite a treat to enjoy.



3. I bought this CD for my daughter as a classroom tool and she did use it, along with web clips of the other presidential candidates, in her English class. She tells me that Obama is articulate and has a beautiful voice so this CD is a joy to listen to -- so much so that she won't let me borrow it and the multi-disc set is packed away and going to Europe with her this summer. There are abridged versions of both his books and an excellent introduction on these discs. When I bought this, I didn't realize it was such a bargain. Highly recommended. I guess I'll be buying my own.



4. These two books together are a wonderful look at Senator Obama's life and his character. The "Dreams From My Father," reflects the character-building life that he led, thank to his mother, and grand parents, as well as the intelligence and standing of his father, who died when Barack was young. You get a great sense of his concern for mankind and his desire to help others.
   
   "The Audacity of Hope," describes his feelings about the pressures and potential pitfalls of running for and holding public office. He tells how he was able to keep to his ideals and the teachings of his mother and grandparents throughout his political career.



5. There is a reason that Barack Obama is supported so strongly by very educated people - this book. This is a front row seat to a sincere and admirable agenda. Be an informed voter, read this book - or listen to it on tape. He is funny and thoughful, and very sincere.

5 comments about Bunny Tales.

1. I read this book in 2 days... I really couldn't put it down! I don't want to give away too much, but I can't believe the rules the "girlfriends" had to live by. I think the "Girls Next Door" have it much better than the former gf's since they are making their own money now with the TV show. Oh and the thought of ALL that babyoil and Hef... yuck! LOL



2. This book reads exactly like what it is-- a gossipy tell-all written by a woman scorned. Although I was surprised by all of the the contradictions, typos, and grammatical errors--either the publisher was too eager to get this book on the store shelves to bother with an editor, or this girl really needs some lessons in English! The book really delivers the dirt on the sex practices of the world's oldest hedonist, and the playmate girlfriend hierarchy....and that is what we are really after anyhow! It makes a fun beach read for the summer, but that's about it.



3. This book was an atrocious attempt at trying to remain relevant after Hef booted St. James out of the house. Her publisher really did her a disservice in pushing this book onto the public. From attacking the other girls to attempting to paint herself in a different light, failing miserably, I would recommend this book only for a good laugh due to the inconsistencies. Holly, Bridget, and Kendra are desperate fame seeking whores while she truly loves Hef in one breath, the next she's talking about the fit she pitched when he cut their allowance for parties from 2k to about 500 because the girls were pocketing the cash in addition to their "allowance" for living there. Calling the other girls conniving cheats while admitting a chapter or two away the frequency with which she cheated on Hef. Overall, the book was boring minutia from someone who really could have just stayed quiet or auditioned to be part of the THS on Hef and come out looking better.



4. Interesting if you have ever been to one of the Mansions Parties or if you ever watch "The girls next door" you gotta read this. Lets say "there is always two sides to a story"
   Nice book



5. I got this from a friend, and because it was free I didn't feel like I had to get my money's worth out of it. I enjoyed it a lot and found it a trashy, shocking at times, strange, and engaging book that blows apart the image Hef tries to create for himself.
   
   The grammatical errors were all over the place and that drove me nuts, but the actual content was fun. Yes, she divulges bedroom gossip - but it was about the least interesting part of the book. I enjoyed the parts about the dynamic between the gals and Hef much more.
   
   By the end I was pretty sick of all the drama and silliness. In many ways, Izabella is right that Hef wasn't very generous or understanding at times, but I think she misses the point that they had a business arrangement, not a relationship. She admits herself that she never had any alone time with Hef to really bond with him, so why is she surprised that when she has to leave, for whatever personal reason, she doesn't get an allowance? Her naiveté is surprising.
   
   Overall this is a fun book to read if you are curious about that lifestyle, but the writing and story aren't quite compelling enough to make it worth the cover price. I'd borrow it from the library.
   
   If you want to read a book about the sexy life, try Callgirl by Jeannette Angell. Written with much more style and savvy, Callgirl has a lot more in the way of juicy details about what that life is really like.

5 comments about Mukiwa: A White Boy in Africa.

1. While traveling on an overland safari, I ran out of books to read. (Although I brought plenty, as an English teacher, I was devouring them as we drove through the African countryside.) Fortunately, one of the French girls in the back of the truck had just finished a book and was willing to lend it to me. She said that Mukiwa was captivating and that I wouldn't be able to put it down, and she was right. Having already visited Zimbabwe several times, I was fascinated to learn more about the white experience there, especially since I had recently read Catherine Buckle's African Tears, which also describes the current land invasions. Because many tourists don't delve deeper into Zimbabwe than a quick jaunt to Victoria Falls, Godwin's memoir is an important read. Godwin describes the reality of living in a country as tumultuous as it is beautiful. The reader can't help but gain a love of the country himself and come to understand why Godwin would risk his life in returning. Fortunately, I was able to experience a glimpse of the beauty of the country myself while visiting some of their game parks. It was on one of these drives in Hwange that I first fell in love with Africa and can understand why Godwin's parents would risk their lives by choosing to remain. I enjoyed the book so much that I purchased the sequel When a Crocodile Eats the Sun at the Johannesburg Airport. I follow the news in Africa online every day--especially the news of Zimbabwe and South Africa, and cannot express how much I value the insight that Godwin provides in both of these books. I also developed a fondness and empathy for his family as they endure the turbulent times that face Zimbabwe. Despite the many problems that face the continent, I am looking forward to my eighth trip. I have been discussing Godwin's book with my honors students and told them that I plan to read his other three--Wild at Heart, The Three of Us, and Rhodesians Never Die--before I leave.



2. All Peter Godwin's book, this one,and When a Crocodile Eats the Sun, are fabulous, easy to read, and so informative!



3. Our choice for April was especially meaningful to one of our members who had lived in Africa for over 12 years as a missionary. She was aghast at the author's mother leaving him while she did her medical duties and this was cause for a great discussion both of Africa and the decisions parents, especially mothers, so often have to make. We all thought the beginning chapters were the very best writing, just made us feel as the author had felt growing up. Especially powerful were his writing about wanting to live where it wasn't so dangerous for little boys! Lots of grief in this story, but lots of love, too.



4. Peter Godwin displays great skill in recounting his life and coming of age in Rhodesia. His personal life story touches many aspects of Rhodesian life from the UDI era through to the early parts of the ZANU(PF) Mugabe led Zimbabwe. Via his memoir you join him as a fly on the wall during the late years of Rhodesia through to the early years of Zimbabwe. Now I must say Peter Godwin weaves a beautiful narrative without interjecting any over bearing political beliefs. An excellent read!



5. Peter Godwin certainly has a story to tell. It's a story of an idyllic, if unusual childhood, a disrupted but eventually immensely successful education, military service and then two careers, one in law, planned but aborted, and then one in journalism, discovered almost by default. Listed like this these elements might sound just a bit mundane, perhaps not the subject of memoir. When one adds, however, the location, Rhodesia becoming Zimbabwe, the result is a deeply moving, in places deeply sad, as well as quite disturbing account of a life lived thus far. Mukiwa, by the way, is Shona for white man.
   
   The setting for Peter Godwin's early years was a middle class, professional and, crucially, liberal family living in eastern Rhodesia, close to the Mozambique border. I had relatives in that same area, near Umtali and Melsetter, and they used to do exactly what the Godwins did regularly which was to visit the Indian Ocean beaches near Beira. We used to get postcards from there every year, usually in the middle of our north of England winter. Envy wasn't the word...
   
   Peter Godwin's mother was a doctor and this meant that his childhood was unusual in two respects. Not many youngsters in white households had liberal-minded parents and even fewer helped their mothers conduct post mortems. Unlike most mukiwa, Peter Godwin had black friends. He learned the local language and got to know the bush. He also grew up close to death and then lived alongside it during the years of the war of independence. He describes how the war simply took over everything and labels himself as a technician in its machinations. It's a telling phrase, admitting that he did not himself want to fight anyone. Like everyone else, he was caught up in the struggle, required to actively perpetrate the violence and that is what he did.
   
   His education was disrupted. His family life was effectively destroyed. And how he managed to keep his sanity during the period I have no idea. He served most of the period in Matebeleland alongside other members of the Rhodesian armed forces and police who were not, to say the least, as liberal as he was. So in some ways he was already doubly a foreigner in that he was working in an area where he could not speak the language and was accompanied by fellow countrymen with whom he shared no beliefs or ideals. And yet he had to fight.
   
   I have never served in a war and hope I never will. But my relatives from the same area as Peter Godwin were also called up into national service and also fought the war. I had not seen them for fifteen years or so when we met after they, along with many thousands of others, as recorded by Peter Godwin, had already fled south. But for them also memories of war were deep and resented scars. It was a bloody and dirty war where, if you were lucky, you could at most trust your closest colleagues. It was a vicious conflict at times and left everyone angry. No-one won. Everyone suffered.
   
   Having eventually achieved the education he sought, Peter Godwin attempted to launch a legal career. But then, almost by default, he became a reporter. After independence, he learned of atrocities perpetrated by the Zambabwean army in the area where he had served during the war. He investigated. He reported. And then, on advice, he fled.
   
   But he did eventually return to all of the areas he knew and the last part of the book is a moving and deeply sad account of how little he recognised in the places he loved as a child. But within this, there is a moment of hope as he meets a former freedom fighter and, with humour and new friendship, the two of them realise that they had not only been enemies, but had actually been two commanders trying to kill one another on opposite sides of the same skirmish.
   
   But in the end, Peter Godwin is changed man, and his home and homeland, at least as he had experienced them, were no more. War had changed everything and everyone. No-one won.

5 comments about La Suma de los Dias.

1. Me gusto mucho el libro al punto que no queria que se me acabara y no lo podia soltar



2. Isabel Allende siempre ofrece un deleite literario, este libro es la continuación de "Paula", que pasó despues y como sigue la Familia que Pula dejó,,, o ¿sigue con ellos?. Una novela entre la realidad y el toque ficticio de la escritora. MUY RECOMENDABLE



3. As much as I like (actually adore) Isabel Allende's writings and style, La Suma de los Días is not in my opinion up to Isabel's standards. It felt weak and repetitive. But at the same time maybe that it is exactly what she was aiming for. Inner family matters and things of the heart and emotions tend to be weak and repetitive with a twist of hope and eternity. Having said that, I read the book in 3 days hoping until the very end that the next line would become the starting point for the ususally turn-page reading Isabel always brings to her readers. But this is not a worry at all. I consider myself the most common and ordinary of all her fans. Likely one that she will never meet but always will be with her waiting for her next master piece.



4. If you dreamt about meeting Isabel, look no further! Her book is warm and realistic. There is no need to try to imagine how she is in real life because the book allows you to meet her in the most profound way. With her extraordinary writing Isabel becomes your best friend, mother, daughter, son, or as she calls it "a member of her tribe". I am looking forward to her next book and wonder, what could be better than, La Suma de los Dias!



5. I have read every single book written by Isabel Allende who is one of my favorite authors. This new book is wonderful, as usual.

5 comments about Good Dog. Stay..

1. Short and oh so sweet!
   
   Yes this is more of an essay than a full blown novel, but the writing is worth every dime. There are so many phrases in the book that I read and re-read. Spend the money and keep this book for revisiting over and over.



2. This is a 45 minute short story about Anna's dog, Beau. I am not a fan of animal stories as they usually either end up getting hurt or dying. The same is true in this one. It is the life story of Beau and as all life stories, the end is death. That brings tears to me which is why I don't like these types of stories.
   
   I believe Anna wrote this as a way to heal from her lost of Beau more than trying to tell a readable story. This is not to say the story doesn't make sense. It does. I just hear in Anna's own words how much she and her family cared for Beau and how much his loss meant to them.
   
   As with all stories, there are the good times and the "bad dog" times, laughs and tears and general day-to-day life. If you want to hear about a good dog's life, this CD will provide that.



3. I bought this book for my husband as part of the grieving process after our 14-year-old black lab died. I expected Anna Quindlen's usual wisdom and frankly I was disappointed. The text was very short; not enough in quantity or quality to justify a book in my opinion. Worse, every page featured those awful cutesy stockhouse dog photos that seem the antithesis of the honest and straight style I expected based on reading her wise columns in the NY Times for many years. The book came across as a celebrity milking something very thin for some extra cash. Come on, Anna, you can do a lot better than this!



4. I think she is such a wonderful author and love her books. This was yet another treasure.



5. Loved this book - sounded just like what we went through with our yellow lab. Quick read - heartwarming.

5 comments about Get Me Out of Here: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder.

1. Terrible- a long whining expose of poor-poor Rachel's BPD. Frankly it struck me more like-Rachel's rather a spoiled rich kid brat who grows up to be nasty spoiled bratty wife. She blames all her issues on BPD. The book was poorly written, one long overly melodramtic tale of endless whining and self pity. Bleeeh....don't read it.



2. The book's title says it all - I'm the victim, and, damit, I want out! No mention of maturity or responsibility whatsoever. I'm a male BPD and am angry at the oblique, reverse bias so obvious in this book. She throws a tantrum and gets 'support'!?! I can only dream of getting all the help I need and can't get away with the things she does. Support is something I have to give myself in trying to recover.
   All I can say is that it must be nice to have money, and I'm not liberal. Seems that only women can show emotion - when men do it, they get thrown in jail.



3. I really enjoyed this book. The story is a very touching and moving one. I feel as if I had gone through the inspiring and at times heartbreaking journey with the author. I didn't think psychiatrists such as hers exist. If they really do, then anybody would be truly blessed to be their patient. The author is very lucky to have had the support system that she did, so we need to keep in mind that her story is an exception, not the norm. But nevertheless, I gained a lot of insight into this condition, and also into the 'human condition' in general. I highly recommend it.



4. There's something about reading a first hand account that's different. That's not to say that books written by doctors aren't worth reading, because they can be. But you get this sense of relief when you read a book written by someone else who suffers from the same problems that you do. It makes you realize that you're not alone. Others have felt the same way you do.
   
   I found Rachel's story to be honest, heartbreaking at times, but well worth reading. It really hit home, and it gave me hope to read about someone else who has suffered from this and "lived to tell the tale" so to speak.



5. I am a substance abuse counselor and work with a lot of people with co-occurring mental illness. This book was recommended by a client. It makes a huge impact on the reader. It gives hope to people who previously have been told they cannot be helped. I have recommended this book to several clients. It is an excellent book for professionals, clients, or anyone who wants to learn about this devastating disease.