5 comments about Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction.

1. While I thought the father's view of addiction on the family was interesting, there really isn't much to the book. The story probably should have remained the in the magazine-length format.
   
   Two things did disturb me:
   
   1. Mr. Sheff hides the son's addiction from the step-siblings until they are past the age when Nic started to use drugs. Don't hide your head in the sand a second time!
   
   2. Mr. Sheff allows his son to travel to Europe and attend college out of state when he knows of Nic's drug problems. While it is impossible to control your child's actions, it would seem prudent to provide additional guidance when you know it is needed.



2. David Sheff has chronicled his son's addictive lifestyle as well as his reactions to discovering the problem through his detachment with love. He describes well the emotions a parent experiences as they best try to help and step away from enabling at the same time and how that experience leaves you feeling.



3. This book was unbelievable. It was "SPOT" on to what we have been dealing with, with our son for the past 8 yrs. He is an alcoholic and fortunately, as far as I know not addicted to hard core drugs.
   
   We have had several bouts of rehab, jail, etc. He is still struggling. He is now 22 yrs old. It was a sad on one hand and a relief on the other to know that addiction affects families the same, no matter what the addiction is.
   
   Hitting bottom is the key, but what does it take to do that? I keep praying that our son will live long enough to hit bottom and turn himself around. It's a matter of time before we kick him out of the house for the 4th time.
   
   I've been watching "intervention" on A&E which also shows the same details as in this book. I've contemplated turning him into this show. The other day he talked about drinking 19 beers and a bottle of whiskey in one night.....he weighs in at 148lbs and is 6' 2"!!!



4. David Sheff helps others learn a lesson it took him years, and a brain bleed, to learn. That lesson is that if you let him, the addict in your family will take down everyone in his path in order to continue to experience the pleasure of his high.
   It's a heartbreaking journey, but at the end of the book, the son is clean, at the expense of the rest of the family. But the father has decided not to let his son rob the life from him, his wife, and other two children any longer. This seems even more important than the son's sobriety, as the rest of the family can be saved, and the son's life seems uncertain.



5. "Beautiful Boy" is a harrowing, well written, and honest look at drug addiction. It will be sadly familiar to anyone who has known a meth user. Although Nic Sheff fares better than some, his life is frequently derailed by his addiction. His father (and mother and stepmother, although they play less of a role) is driven to the point of a breakdown by fear and worry about when Nic's next relapse will occur, and what it will entail.
   
   David Sheff writes with the clarity and attention to detail that you find in quality magazine writing; I particularly liked the sections about other addicts he encountered... some of the hard luck cases living along Stanyan street in San Francisco and encountered in drug rehab programs. Nic, in some ways, is one of the luckier meth addicts. (And when you read the book, you'll realize what an outrageous statement that is.)
   
   I enjoyed the book all the way through, although I was mildly annoyed by the slightly too optimistic ending. Every memoir feels the need to end on a grace note, and I often find that jarring.

5 comments about A Long Way Gone: Memoirs of a Boy Soldier.

1. A Long Way Gone chronicles the life of a young teen in Sierra Leone who is fleeing the Rebels who are wreaking havoc in villages throughout the region. He falls in with a group of boys trying to survive, but since everyone is suspicious of groups of boys, they live a hard life. Eventually they, between the ages of 14 and 17, are conscripted into the Army to fight the Rebels.
   
   The book is very well written. It is intense, gripping and honest. You will be amazed what was transpiring in Sierra Leone less than a decade ago. This, like so many tragedies in Africa, didn't get a lot of press until after the fact.
   
   If you ever think you have a lot of problems or find yourself complaining a lot, you will gain a lot of perspective from this book. It is a short book (about 250 pages) and so engrossing that you will probably finish in just a few sittings. I haven't read a book this good in quite a while. Highly recommended.
   
   Caveat: this book is not for the faint of heart. If books got ratings like movies, this would easily get an "R" rating - the war it describes is not pretty. However, I felt the book was well done and does not unnecessarily dwell on anything unpleasant.



2. Surprisingly well written for someone with a background of being a civil
   war soldier at such a young age. His intelligence shines through. What this boy has lived through, and the ways he tries to overcome adversity, should be an inspiring story to anyone. Once I started this book I never put it down.



3. 
   CONTROVERSY
   
   This is an important, gripping work that brings attention to some of what's happening in other parts of the world.
   
   However ....
   
   ... if you read-up on this author, you'll find out about the ongoing controversy over the accuracy of events that occur in the book. (Look for articles in Slate, the New York times, among others.)
   
   As a result, several salient points emerge:
   
   1) Some of the work appears to have been written originally as _fiction_ with the aid of his Oberlin University Creative Writing teacher Dan Chaon, which was then changed to non-fiction.
   
   2) Having said that, the author probably *did* experience some of what was written about in Memoirs, although to a different degree than described. How much, unfortunately we'll never know.
   
   This means that:
   
   3) The book contains BOTH FICTIVE AND NON-FICTIVE ELEMENTS, the fictive elements (in the Creative Writing teacher's own words, captured on tape by an Australian journalist) added as "poetic license."
   
   And here is where I take umbrage.
   
   FACT VS. FICTION: WHY IT'S IMPORTANT
   
   With the relatively-recent publication and retraction of fake biographies (such as "Love and Consequences," a fake memoir of growing up in an L.A. gang, since discredited and pulled by the publisher), I think the blowback against this book is reasonable.
   
   There's a REASON we have categories such as "fiction" and "non-fiction," and why we keep them separate.
   
   Fact is the opportunity to examine the nuances of history and its consequences, and learn something from the net result. Fiction is highly subjective, one person (or group's) untested ideas of what might be (even if the fictive work is set in the past). To blur the line is to cheapen the lessons of history.
   
   SAY NO TO FACT-ION
   
   Faction has become a bit too rampant nowadays, from "historical movies" that invent unsubstantiated love affairs (think Truman Capote kissing Perry Smith in "Infamous," or Queen Elizabeth having an historically unsubstantiated affair with Sir Walter Raleigh in "Elizabeth: The Golden Years,") to books like "Dutch: A Memoir of Ronald Reagan," which blessedly received the ridicule it deserved.
   
   And perhaps it's true that it's the publishing houses -- or even the public's taste for only the most sensationalistic -- that are to blame, putting pressure on well-intentioned authors such as Ishmael Beah to color stories that are already horrific enough, for the sake of maximum marketability.
   
   By all means, read and absorb Ishmael Beah's tragic story.
   
   You can be sure some of these things happened to him, and certainly to others.
   
   COMMERCE ABOVE ALL?
   
   But let's start thinking about saying "no" to another machine, although one less horrific than the one Beah had to endure: the machine of sensationalism-over-truth, which encourages writers and publishers to color facts to maximize sales, thus potentially discrediting what is an important core message.



4. This is a compelling true story. A boy named Ishmael leaves his comfortable life in an African village to attend a rap music event with his brother and a few friends. While he is gone, rebel forces attack his village destroying his home and family life. He, his brother, Junior, and his friends then wander the countryside of Sierra Leone trying to survive and avoid both the rebel and government troops. Identifying the enemy is difficult in a country rich in resources and awash with government corruption. Ishmael is separated from his group and eventually attaches himself to another group of teenage boys all under 16. Eventually, the war catches up with him and he and his little band are conscripted into the government troops. For the next two or more years and armed with an AK 47 and RPG's, he kills, maims, and robs in the name of the government. These boy soldiers take many drugs to dull their feelings and allow themselves to participate in the inhumane slaughter. Finally, aid workers either buy the boys' freedom or settle with their army leader and obtain their release. They are taken into the custody of rehabilitation counselors where they are given an opportunity for redemption. Ishmael clearly a natural leader is selected to travel to New York to attend a U.N. conference on child soldiers. While there he makes many friends. I understand that he was taken in by one of them and that he subsequently attended Oberlin college.
   
   I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5, because it drags a bit during the years of army participation and killing. Further, Ishmael's parents are divorced, but he lives with his father. His family is Muslim and that may be why the father retained custody. Very telling in the book was a description on pg. 77 (hardback) of his formal naming ceremony. A huge feast is prepared. First the elders eat their fill, then the men, then the boys and lastly the women and children. I presume that if there isn't enough to share, the women and children starve. I don't know if the author realized what he revealed about his culture by this telling description. However, we never learn the basis of the divorce or why his father retained custody. Living conditions were somewhat primative. The houses were made of concrete brick or mud and they had tin roofs which were particularly noisy when it rained. Their diet was complete though not luxurious, and they were not hungry. However, they walked for miles to save bus fare and did not have electricity or telephones in their homes. Sierra leone sounds like a terrible place. The film, Blood Diamond, was about a similar subject.
   
   I really don't know if there is a solution when countrymen kill one another over money, resources, and power. However, perhaps, this book and the film, Blood diamond, will be the stimulus for a resolution.
   
   This book was worth reading, and I recommend it.



5. Incredible memoir...
   Easy to read, difficult to believe. Sometimes I wanted to stop because it was so painful, but I am really glad I pushed through those hard time because it is an amazing story and most important a true one. I feel it is vital to be aware of such atrocities to be both educated and balanced as a person. It is a story that really needs to be known. I deeply hope it is put into film so a wider audience knows of it.
   Wherever Ishmael is now I hope he is at peace and finding joy in his life. I want to hug him and shake his hand and tell him he is amazing.

5 comments about Same Kind of Different As Me: A Modern-Day Slave, an International Art Dealer, and the Unlikely Woman Who Bound Them Together.

1. A powerful testimony of how God works in the lives of His children for
   "His good". We certainly can't understand the process and the outcome is
   not what we would always desire, but God is in control and we must trust
   Him in all circumstances.



2. Here is a copy of an email I just sent my friends, and I want to share it with anyone reading these reviews.
   
   I'm reluctant to impose my spiritual beliefs, such as they are, on anyone - I wouldn't have made a very good disciple! - but I can't help but share this book with some of you whom I think would appreciate reading a very inspiring book called "Same Kinda Different as Me". I certainly will give a copy to each of my girls, knowing they may not get around to reading it for a while, but someday they will see it in their bookshelf up and say, "I wonder why Dad wanted me to read this." The book was suggested to me by a good friend in Texas, and I am thanking her by sending this recommendation along to you. It's a pretty quick read - I thought it was extremely well written and edited, and while not in the genre of your favorite page turning author, from Robert Ludlum to Dan Brown, I can tell you that I spent an entire Sunday sitting by a mountain lake reading until I finished it -- and I hope any of you who take my suggestion to read it feel it was worth the time and money. The book certainly gives new meaning to the fishing practice of "catch and release".



3. I thoroughly enjoyed this one - it's very thought provoking and insightful with many life lessons. I liked the way the narration went back and forth between the white man and the black man with their personal thoughts on the same situation. Very interesting and I highly recommend it for anyone.



4. I bought this book because of a recommendation by my late father's lovely 88-years-young lady friend (she recently quit tap dancing). FABULOUS read, and keep the tissues handy. This is such a wonderful, incredible story about two of the most unlikely men to ever become lifelong friends. One seems hopeless beyond repair, and spent the majority of his life working for no pay; he is black and named Denver. The other man is white, and has been lucky in life AND mostly lucky in love; he is Ron. Ron's wife is the "cook" who adds the ingredients of this friendship, and stirs it to make it happen. No one is more surprised by the results, than Ron and Denver and their entire community in Texas. This is a gift of a true story, that filled me with such pride and wonder, and gave me hope for the world. What an incredible woman Deborah Hall turned out to be!! Great book to give as a gift, especially to a friend who needs a mental boost! LOVED this story. Just an outstanding read. I especially loved the way the authors alternated the chapters they wrote.



5. This was the most captivating book I have ever read. I couldn't to go sleep until I had finished the book. A beautiful story. I think it would make a great movie.
   
   Peggy Van Hofwegen
   rpvh@alltel.net

5 comments about Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.).

1. Kitchen Confidential is a series of semi-chronological biographical essays(pre-Food Network) that begins as an exposé of the restaurant industry and end as an ode to the characters chef Anthony Bourdain met along the way to his dream job.
   
   Bourdain writes with the voice of a no-nonsense cowboy proud of his exploits - the constant references to drugs, criminal activity, and the bad language may be too much for some. Despite the moral ambivalence, we meet some truly interesting characters (including Bourdain himself) and may learn something about cooking/food generally and the restaurant industry from Kitchen Confidential. Despite the 300 pages, Bourdain's conversational style makes this book a fast read.
   
   Recommended for readers with strong stomachs looking for a rambunctious memoir of a chef and a few laughs.



2. I was a frequent viewer of Mr. Bourdain's program "No Reservations" on the Travel Channel so I purchased this book already knowing and loving his style as an edgy chef/traveler.
   
   This book did not dissapoint. Bourdain reveals some of his history as a "low-life" (he would not object!) struggling to make it in the food industry. He discusses his early life as a child and later cutting his teeth in the world of food. Much of the book is Tony passing along some hilarious, and some shocking, stories of the restaurant biz during his time in the kitchen.
   
   I recommend this book for anyone with at least a marginal love of cooking or eating. Basically everyone!



3. For anyone who's ever done any kind of commercial cooking this book, and it's earlier version, is a MUST read. I'm a retired line cook and I can assure all potential readers that Tony knows of what he speaks. For 'civilians', the avid home cook or the addicted restaurant patron, this clever work gives an engrossing, entertaining and sometimes scary peek behind the restaurant kitchen door. Chefs and cooks are, well, just people, but there is something special about people who want to please hundreds of anonymous diners; stay true to their own standards and achieve the respect of thier peers. As Tony says, it is one of the hardest, yet most rewarding, and crazy jobs in the 'every-day' world.
   Anthony Bourdain is one of my 'cooking gods' because he specialises in classic, time-proven dishes; he knows that all the world's great food is, basically, 'peasant' food, not the titivated, sculpted, value-added 'art works' on a large white plates -- and he's a good writer. I too write -- was once a food writer and journalist -- and I know how hard it is to combine the two jobs. This work is honest, controversial yet extremely fair in its assessments of the high-pressure world of the New York and American restaurant scene, then and now. I strongly recommend that you buy this book and then graduate to Bourdain's absolutely fantastic "Les Halles" cookbook. I use it, refer to it or just fawn over it at least three times every week. With over 25 years experience under my (large) belt, his Les Halles book 're-taught' me and gave me new inspiration to take up semi-professional cooking again, just for the pure joy of producing really special, simple, dishes. Please buy all his books; Bourdain is an honest, decent and admirable cook (I hate the term 'chef').
   (No I'm not Tony Bourdain!) Just a genuine fan who appreciates his sharing of a once 'hidden' and unsung profession.
   William Kenneth Halliwell
   Hobart, Tasmania, Australia



4. This guy rocks, and his books are as good as his tv show (No Reservations).;)



5. This is a great book, a MUST have for any chef!!! Bourdain is one of a kind.

5 comments about Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog.

1. Marley is a Labrador retriever, a wonderful " bad boy" typical Labrador style dog.
   I cried and felt every minute of his life unfolding in this book. Marley was 100% soul in motion like every other of his race.
   Unfortunately, his owner (like probably 99% of owners) had no idea what he got. Probably for Mr. Grogan a Yorkie would have been better...
   Marley, rest in peace.
   The 5 stars are all for you!



2. Whenever I speak to someone about my dog, the person invariably responds with some variation of one of the three following questions:
   (1) Have you tried hiring a professional trainer?
   (2) Have you tried using a _______ (insert canine control device here; i.e., Halti Head Harness, choke collar, anti-pull harness, zapper collar, citronella collar, dog whistle, clicker, etc...)?
   (3) Is he neutered?
   
   The answer to all three of these questions is yes, in whatever form they are asked. We have tried it all, and we still can't have houseguests without warning the people ahead of time NOT to wear open-toed shoes and, despite the fact that we live in Florida and it's 90-plus degrees, long pants would be advisable. Not suprisingly, we have very few visitors.
   
   My dog, Cyrus, has done all of the terrible things a dog can do. He flipped over a table he was tethered to at Starbucks, and then dragged it across the patio until it became jammed between two other tables he took out along the way. He has, much to the chagrin of her mother, humped a five year old in front of a large gathering of people (interestingly, that was the only person he ever tried it on). He has been rejected (yes, flat-out rejected) from a canine "boot camp," which we drove three hours to just for an interview. He has nearly jumped out of the car window while we were traveling at a high rate of speed. He has broken his leash and charged off in random directions to see random people, usually scaring the bejesus out of whoever he decided to go visit. And he has eaten every imaginable object a dog can possibly eat. And when I say every, I mean EVERY. Area rugs, shampoo, sleeves off of shirts, shoelaces (but never shoes themselves for some odd reason), underwear, tea towels, coasters, books, drywall (he chewed a hole through a wall in our apartment one afternoon while I was grocery shopping), window blinds, two broiler pans, Chef Boyardee cans, an entire set of steak knives (only the handles, though, THANK GOD), dirty Kleenex by the pound, toothbrushes, spools of thread, and all of the embarassing stuff that ends up in the bathroom garbage. And the best part of that is that whatever embarassing object it is will ALWAYS get stuck on its way out, thereby requiring me to assist in its removal. In public. There are few things more humbling that removing a feminine hygiene product from your dog's butt five feet away from your apartment complex's pool while several horrified people look on.
   
   My friend Barb still describes him as "the dog who ate a car stereo." And it's true. He did. Box and all. In his medical records, there is a note in the margin, handwritten by my vet. It says, "PICA?!?!" I would say, although he has outgrown it for the most part (except for the bathroom garbage), that the answer to that was, at one time, a definite yes.
   
   In spite of all that, or maybe because of that, I love him. I love everything about him. The way he smells when he needs a bath. The way he sneezes in my face when smoke from my cigarette drifts to close to his face. The way he snores so loudly that I have to have a fan on my nighstand running all night to block out the noise. The way he smacks me awake while I'm sleeping so I will lift up the covers for him to climb under them.
   
   And I also love the way he snuggles up to me at night, that he loves to sleep in late, the fact that he is always severely distressed by me crying, that he will give hugs and kisses upon request, that he will do anything to protect me, and that, no matter how much of a piece of crap I feel like, he is so excited to see me when I get home that dancing and doing laps around the house are the only adequate ways to express his joy.
   
   The reson why I love this book so much is that it finally proves my theory that there are other people out there like me--people who love a dog that someone else--okay, maybe the rest of the US population--would describe as "terrible" or "horrible" or, GASP, even "incorrigable"--a favorite of his last trainer. And despite the fact that he is not Cesar Milan-approved, he is still, to me, the best dog in the entire world. I would never trade him in for Lassie or Rin-Tin-Tin. I mean, how many times did Timmy have to rush Lassie to the vet at 3AM because she decided that the Windex she stole from under the sink looked delicious? Perfection is boring. It is our flaws that make us unique, and it is adoration of those flaws that make us loved. The same is true with dogs.



3. This was the first book I purchased for my new Amazon Kindle - and I could hardly put it down - from the begining John Grogan draws you into Marley's world of mischief. As I finished the book, i could barely see the words for the tears in my eyes - this is a wonderful heartwaming, laugh outloud story told by a master storyteller. I highly recommend it.



4. I loved this book. It made me laugh and cry (sometimes within pages of each other). The twists and turns of the story are John Grogan and his family's everyday twists and turns. That is the beauty of the story.
   
   As we live our "ordinary" everyday lives we are creating powerful memories that shape who we are as people. When we tell of our memories they can, as in Grogan's case, shape other peoples lives as well. Marley & Me is a touching story full of beautiful memories that are worth sharing.
   
   Hurley Dog Chew Toy: Aqua Blue (Large)Eco Slumber Pet Bed (XLarge)Tux Dog Treat Chew Toy: TangerineZisc Flying Disc Dog Toy: Granny SmithEco Nap Earth Friendly Pet Bed: Burnt Orange (Large)Orbee-Tuff Ball with Rope: Blue/Green (Medium)Orbee-Tuff Ball with Rope: Glow/Orange (Medium)Hemp Eco Friendly Dog Bone Toy: Chocolate (Large)



5. I was forced to listen to the audio book version of this. If you find Grogan annoying throughout the book, wait till you have to listen to his voice (yes, he reads it).
   
   Basically, the guy writes an autobiography. And his dog Marley was evidently a part of it. I might try the same when I get a dog because there is nothing special about this story so hopefully my ordinary life can sell a bunch of books too. It's not like this dog saves the world or anything. It's also not like he's that big of a terror either. The heinous acts of Marley are for a large part quite cliche and you could probably see them all by watching an afternoon of TV (the bedroom scene comes to mind...how often have we seen that?).
   
   The author complains about how awful this dog is, but it seems like he's probably the bigger problem. The dog was not trained or disciplined but constantly spoiled from the sounds of it. They 'gave up' on obedience school.
   
   Overall, skip this one. I'm not an expert on sentimental dog books but I bet there's a better one out there.

5 comments about Books: A Memoir.

1. Larry McMurtry (now age 72) has a long-established and well-honored career as an author and Hollywood screenwriter (including winning an Oscar for "Brokeback Mountain"), but for some reason it had never occurred to him that people might want to read about his joy of and for books, and collecting them. That has finally corrected with this book.
   
   In "Books: A Memoir" (259 pages), McMurtry brings his tales of how he fell in love reading books, growing up in Archer City, TX, and how that love eventually lead to becoming a book scout, dealer and eventually book store owner, Booked Up in Georgetown, in DC, starting in the early 70s. The book is a delight to read from start to finish, bringing out his love for reading (and writing) but just as importantly collecting. In that sense, this could be applied to many other fields (as I love scouring used vinyl and CD bins for that rare album find). The book is made up of 108 chapters, which fly by mostly in a couple of pages. His memories of what it was like to scout for books in the 60s and 70s are just a delight.
   
   McMurtry and his business partner eventually established the Booked Up store in Washington, more specifically on 31th & M in Georgetown. What memories this brings back to me. I was a grad student in Washington in the mid-80s, and remember going there, not buying much, but simply amazed at the wealth of books in the store. As McMurthy describes in the book, Booked Up left Georgetown (due primarily to rising lease expenses) and is now in his home town of Archer City, TX. Not sure that I will make it out there anytime soon. That said, "Books: A Memoir" is a fantastic read. Highly recommended!



2. If one of the purposes of a book is to leave an impression of one kind or another, McMurtry's "Books" accomplished just that. I found this book to be a satisfying and influential read that left me curious and desiring to be a book collector. The stories are entertaining, educational, vividly portrayed, and descriptive. Like most of his books, I felt drawn into the world of which he was writing and wanted to be a part of that world.
   
   This is a typical reaction to the writing of Larry McMurtry. Having met Mr. McMurty and experienced a conversation about books with him, I enjoyed hearing his voice in my head as he described the years of book collecting, buying and selling, and the multiple encounters with various characters. Without being preachy or philosophical, McMurtry tends to make the reader draw his own conclusions or judgments about people's actions and behavior. His objective and almost random interjections of difficulties and successes in book trading make "Books" a fascinating study in development of this admirable profession. Added to this study is a smooth prose with an eclectic and seamless blend of common and academic style--making it appropriate for all kinds of people.
   
   I found this book to be a fascinating look at book collecting with an obvious love of books shining forth from beginning to end. Although I did find the ending to be rather anticlimactic, typical of McMurtry's style incidentally, throughout the book I found myself wanting to be there and experience similar events.
   
   I am giving this book 4 stars due to the tendency to have too many names and events that didn't always add to the overall direction of the book. Overall, a worthwhile reading experience and I have yet to be disappointed with a McMurtry book.



3. I love almost all of McMurtry's work as well as books about books, so I was eagerly anticipating loving this book. It was a smooth and somewhat entertaining read, but I have to admit feeling a little let down.
   
   It is not a memoir in almost any sense of the word, but more of a collection of war stories about the buying and selling of books. There was some autobiographical material in the book, but not enough to satisfy me. The book seemed to peter out near the end and ended a little abruptly for me. The final chapter almost seemed like an after-thought.
   
   Still, McMurtry is an accomplished author and I'd probably read his grocery list if he published it. It was an enjoyable read that left me vaguely dissatisfied.



4. I just finished reading this book and I come away disappointed. While there are a few semi-interesting anecdotes, in total they do not make for much of a book. There are so many better books about bookselling and bibliophiles. Nicholas Basbanes is the master of this subject. I'm surprised this book was even published but I guess the publisher decided they could play off the McMurtry "brand" to an admiring but unsuspecting public. Larry McMurtry should have followed his own advice about writers writing past their prime.



5. Larry McMurtry writes of his long career as a bookman. He loves his personal library, the feel of hardbacks, and the small independent bookstores that dot the land. (There being fewer of these dots of late.)
   
   Having wanted to read at least one book by this noted author, I bought and enjoyed this one. While it is well written, its limited story line does jump around at the obvious whim of the author.
   
   I do not share Mr. McMurtry's dark concern that the common reader may just be fading away or his view that, somehow, small bookstores are central to the reading experience. So long as good books are written, I am confident there will be readers. Where they should choose to grab hold of a book is of little matter.

5 comments about Man's Search for Meaning.

1. In short, it's difficult to complain about life when getting a lesson on it from an Auschwitz survivor. It really puts things into perspective for anyone who feels lost or depressed or worthless or small. It gives depth to "if you can't change your situation, change your attitude."
   
   Frankl hits on surprisingly modern points about depression years before Prozac Nation and the transferring of therapy and medications to the mainstream--the normalization of not feeling normal. And he manages to provide a power-packed message in a tiny book; I found myself taking notes on logotherapy and Frankl's observations. And now I find myself trying to figure out how to apply his theory to my everyday frustrations. It's a good challenge.
   
   Feeling curious about the world, frustrated by your life, or lost? Take a weekend and read this book.
   
   My only gripes are the translation, which was crap in the version I read (but I'm an editor, so I get cranky about things like that) and that Frankl does paint himself as the all-answering, all-curing type who can walk into a room and fix any poor fool who's been suffering for years within minutes. I appreciate a degree of modesty. But I guess he's earned the right to feel righteous.



2. I've read this more times than I can count. The autobiographical part of the book is stirring. The details of Logotherapy wear a bit thin after many reads, just because of familiarity.
   
   I don't really relate to the idea of suffering as a life accomplishment - not because I devalue the trials of those who have no other choice, but just because I'm disconnected enough from it that I have trouble relating. I do continue to find the idea that a purpose is imposed on you rather than vice versa intriguing, although again, I'm not sure that I agree.
   
   It's a great book and everyone should at least make a lap of the biography to understand what the Holocaust looked like from an insider, particularly people like myself who have been affected by the death of loved ones.
   
   If you've never read it, it will be the best $7 you've ever spent.



3. Viktor Frankl has written an powerfull book about his years as a prisoner inside a nazi concentration camp. He worked as a psychologist and wrote on the subject of lifes meaning. The book is a powerfull testament to the will of humans to survive in dire circumstances. The book begins with the train full of prisoners rolling into the camp. At once they are stripped of all their belongings. Beginning with their clothes, and then glasses, jewlery and all other personal belongings. This is the first step in the process of dehumanizing them. So the struggle for these prisoners he writes is very much about struggling to keep the idea of yourself as a subject alive. To keep alive ones feeling of self worth was essential for survival. it was also important he writes to have the feeling that one had a spiritual center where one could retain some freedom even though one was imprisoned. Otherwise he or she will regress to feeling very small and in the end becoming a formless member of the herd, like an animal. Once this was achieved, when the personality and subjectivity had been broken and erased the person could be willed to do almost anything. The spirit only survives he writes, as long as the idea of hope does. That is why in the suffering one has to parodoxically have to try to find some meaning. If one dosent then the organism is in great danger of being annihilated. Only those who where able to somehow retain a sense of hope, that maybe somewhere someone was waiting for them, that someone who loved them was thinking about them, that god,even though it seemed impossible, saw their suffering.



4. Title says it all. The second half of the book has some really great tips & tricks for life. You shouldn't skip the first half of the book since it ties into and validates the teachings in the second half of the book.
   
   Sometimes the writing is a bit awkward and verbose (he does speak in technical terms at times), but go slow and really try to understand what he's saying. The book is a really quick read, but again take your time!
   
   For a while I really didn't understand this quote from the author: "Live as if you were living a second time, and as though you had acted wrongly the first time." But, after taking some time to think about it (like the time you need to read the book), it truly hit home what this quote means.
   
   I'd recommend this book to anyone!



5. Viktor Frankl, famed psychotherapist and a holocaust survivor, said: The spiritual dimension cannot be ignored, for it is what makes us human. Spirituality is at the core of who we are; it defines for us what is meaningful in life.
   Among all living things, only we humans can envision our futures and play out mental scenarios of how we will make our visions a reality.
   
   Viktor Frankl, survivor of the Holocaust, emphasized that the meaning of life is not what happens to us. It is what we do with that which happens to us.
   Viktor Frankl while interned in sub-human conditions in a Nazi concentration camp found meaning through meditating. He would overcome these horrendous and barbaric conditions by holding a mental image of him speaking to a group of International Psychiatrists at a special dinner event.
   
   His wife had been transferred to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp, where she died. On April 27, 1945, Frankl was liberated. Among his immediate relatives, the only survivor was his sister, who had escaped by emigrating to Australia. It was due to his and others' suffering in these camps that he came to his hallmark conclusion that even in the most absurd, painful and dehumanized situation, life has potential meaning and that therefore even suffering is meaningful. Meaning cannot be invented but must be discovered.
   
   Viktor Frankl wrote "Man's Search for Meaning" after surviving the worst conditions a human can experience during his imprisonment at Auschwitz.
   Viktor Frankl's Man's Search for Meaning - the classic best seller now considered to be one of the most important contributions to psychiatry since the writing of Freud. Frankl gives a moving account of his life amid the horrors of the Nazi death camps, chronicling the harrowing experience that led to his discovery of his theory of logotherapy.
   
   Viktor Frankl, to be sure, leaves a profound legacy. He wrote many books on existentialism and Logotherapy. Throughout his life and his work, he reminds us that we all have important work to do, that whatever we do is important, and that there is meaning everywhere, all the time.
   
   Human freedom, therefore, is the freedom of responsibility. Freedom without responsibility is something arbitrary, senseless and either leaves us directionless, or can lead to irresponsible, that is, lawless, immoral and violent, self-destructive ways of living. Human kindness can be found in all groups, even those which as a whole it would be easy to condemn. Because boundaries between groups overlap we must not try to simplify matters by saying that these men are angels and those others are devils.
   
   As far as happiness is concerned Frankl, said: Happiness must happen, and the same holds for success: you have to let it happen by not caring about it.
   
   If you want to get better acquainted to the work of Viktor Frankl " Man's Search for Meaning" is a good place to start.
   
   Raymond Le Blanc. Auhtor.Achieving Objectives Made Easy! Practical goal setting tools & proven time management techniques

5 comments about 365 Nights: A Memoir of Intimacy.

1. I was pleasantly surprised by this book. As a 30-something, married mom of three, I could completely relate to many of the challenges and struggles the author talks about. The title makes the book sound a lot more serious than it is - the premise of the book is a wife who gives her husband the option of sex everyday for a year as a 40th birthday present (they don't actually have sex for 365 nights, but they sure came close!). The book goes month by month throughout the year, each one starting with a conversation between the author and her husband, which leads into some funny anecdotes about experiences in her life that impacted who she is today and therefore what she brings into her marriage. Sometimes I wondered "Where is she going with this?" and then she would tie it all back into the broader story of the "gift". She doesn't talk about the actual sex at all, focusing more on the lessons she learned from making intimacy a priority. I think a lot of women will relate to her stories, particularly about body image and juggling the demands of work and home, which she delivers in a light-hearted, self-deprecating way (I found myself laughing out loud in a number of places). My husband actually read it (after I asked him to) and it has given us a great way to talk about the "elephant in the bedroom" since the book captured a lot of what goes through my mind, but couldn't put into words! All in all, an enjoyable read with a very important message.



2. This is a great read for anyone. Although I could not relate to being married with kids the book was both a fun read and educational! It read like a fiction book. I was sad to finnish the book as I felt that I was ending a friendship with Charla.



3. Don't look for all the explicit details--if you do, you've missed the point of this witty commentary on the constant juggling act most of us live as we try to meet the demands of our families every day. Charla Muller could be any one of us, trying to do it all but sometimes overlooking very important details of our most important relationships. Charla's sense of humor and writing style reminds me of a modern day Erma Bombeck. Definately worth the time!



4. This book is very much like watching Charla Muller on the shows promoting 365 Nights.Her personality really comes through.I really related to her life experiences even though i am closer to her mother's age. This is a great book to read and a great book to give as a gift.



5. I loved this book from the first page! It's the kind of book that I couldn't wait to finish, but was also sad when I thought about finishing it because I knew there'd be a void during the times I used to read it (sometimes in the middle of the night or early in the morning because I couldn't wait to get back to it!). I'm happy Ms. Muller decided to let us in on a year of her life, and in such a fun and humorous way. In answer to one of the reviews that says not to read this, I never knew you had to choose one book over another. It would be a shame NOT to read this book, in my opinion!

5 comments about Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History.

1. An intriguing insight into the Kennedy presidency. Mr. Sorensen writes a very compelling account of known crisis of that time, and many accounts of happenings only known by one who was there. It is an excellent historical book.



2. Counselor: A Life at the Edge of History I was very disappointed in Sorensen's book, primarily because about the only thing he gives JFK credit for is his hiring him! It is as if he believes he was the president himself. Most offending is that clearly he does not connect his speechwriting rules "less is more" to his biography. After almost every description of a positive development in JFK's, Sorensen adds a paranthetical note crediting himself or noting how he predicted the outcome, making it an aggravating read. Sorensen has forgotten that he was part of a team and should have left the credit with the subject that is interesting; JFK and his administration (and subsequent relationships).
   
   His opening comment is completely disengenous about his being uncomfortable about too many "I's". This is a man that is so full of himself...
   
   Sorensen deserves credit for his service to the country, as I am sure he is a phenominal individual and was instrumental in shaping policies to the benefit of his sponsor and the US. But he is not an individual that one should devote the first 90 pages about his upbringing and background about...he simply is not that interesting...he was not the president of the United States...and this book is not that interesting because of it.



3. Few would disagree that John F. Kennedy was one of our most inspirational presidents and that it was a tragedy that he was assassinated. Since the 1950s, it was well known that some of the most memorable words that Kennedy inspired us with were drafted if not written in total by Ted Sorensen, Kennedy's dedicated staffer who played many roles in addition to helping write speeches, books, and articles. Speculation about Sorensen's role was fed by Mr. Sorensen's humble deflection of praise that others aimed in his direction.
   
   Imagine what it would have been like to talk to JFK every day and to see him most days. Imagine, even more, if you were walking on history's stage in your role: You weren't just pouring him coffee.
   
   You could re-title this book as "Dream Job" and you wouldn't be far off.
   
   In Counselor, Mr. Sorensen reveals more than in the past about his personal relationship with President Kennedy, who did what and when, his views about Kennedy's decisions and legacy, and what the lessons for historians are from that era. In letting down his hair, Mr. Sorensen is a loyal heir to the Kennedy legend: He doesn't criticize more than an independent observer would who knew the surface facts. Naturally, he also defends where many would not (he's gentle on Kennedy for increasing the number of military advisors in South Vietnam and letting the military leaders there murder the country's political leader). Further, he seems to have amnesia about what any president did before Kennedy who was not a Democrat (he writes as though there was no space program before Kennedy took office).
   
   One of the most interesting episodes in the book comes long after President Kennedy was killed in the description of Mr. Sorensen's nomination to be CIA head by President Carter. The contrast between Kennedy and Carter could not be clearer in reading how this was handled.
   
   I think we should be generous with Mr. Sorensen. It's been many years. He's almost the last of those who served in those years who knows the inside stories. He also suffered a substantial stroke that affected his vision and made writing this book extremely difficult. I commend Mr. Sorensen for making the effort. There are many lessons here that new administrations can learn from.
   
   I also honor him for his service to the nation, to John F. Kennedy, and to my youthful idealistic dreams by inspiring them with his timeless words. Many will always remember him as a speech writer, but he was truly more . . . especially during those potentially deadly days during the Cuban missile crisis.
   
   Thank you, Mr. Sorensen.



4. This is the most moving, realistic depiction of JFK I have ever seen. Many will forever rant and rave over his personal peccadillos, but this man was a leader. His speech at American University, which was his way of dealing with Soviet & American feelings about nuclear war included the following. "For in the final analysis, our most basic common link is that we all inhabit this small planet; we all breathe the same air; we all cherish our children's future; and we are all mortal." I heard that speech as a young man. I am now 82 and it still rings in my ears. I was raised an avid republican, but I am proud to have helped vote him into office. His like hasn't been seen since.



5. Ted Sorensen subtitles his memoir Counselor as "A Life at the Edge of History." It is, in fact, a rarely candid and insightful account of a life at the very center of history.
   
   Sorensen is widely known as JKF's speechwriter, but he was much more. He was JFK's liberal conscience and go-to-guy for everything from the handling of the "Catholic issue" in Kennedy's run for the White House to the writing of the letter to Khrushchev during the Cuban missile crisis. The combination of keen intellect and inspiring idealism that anchored Sorensen at the center of JFK's political life is crystallized on the pages of a retrospective clearly aimed at bringing both the author and his country closure on the shattering of that brief window of greatness.
   
   Don't come expecting a tell-all from this member of the Kennedy inner-circle (not just JFK, but Robert and Teddy, as well). Surely Sorensen is the faithful keeper of many secrets. He traveled with JFK throughout his campaigns, competed with RFK in the White House, enjoyed a close friendship with Jackie, and jeopardized his own political future by helping the family "handle" Chappaquiddick; but beyond the general and widely known stories, you'll get nothing new from Sorensen. He remains, as he has always been, the loyal keeper of the flame. What Sorensen does provide is a clear-eyed and frank view of his own life and its sizeable impact on political history of our times.
   
   For anyone who still remembers where he or she was when the gunshots rang out in Dallas, this book is a behind-the-scenes revelation of a history we lived, but never really knew. For those too young to remember, the book is, as JFK himself would have wanted, a torch of liberal idealism passed to a new generation. To that end, Sorensen has accomplished with book the goal he set. He has completed his service to the President he loved.

5 comments about The Color of Water 10th Anniversary Edition.

1. This is such a good book. I thoroughly enjoyed it. It reminds me of so many strong women I know who raised their kids to the best of their ability regardless of their circumstances.



2. WOW! In addition to being a tribute to his mother, James McBride allows us to peek inside his incredible family history, his upbringing, and wrenching emotional conundrums. His extremely well-written and insightful book is a treasure trove of information. Words cannot express the positive impact that his story has had on me. The love of the parents for each other and the major contributions of both of the fathers was exceptional. When I got to the part about James's mother (who had hundreds of reasons to give up many times in her life) was enrolling in college, at age 65, to help others, I had to pause and send everyone involved a congratulatory mental-telepathy message of appreciation for all of their hard work, tenacity, abilities, and compassion for each other and the folks in their communities. I was delighted with the eventual world travels (of Mommy), huge family celebrations, and across-the-board positive - and extremely well deserved - outcomes for each of the 12 siblings. It's enough to encourage and uplift an entire nation, if not planet. Stunning!



3. This was the second copy of this book I purchased after the first disappeared into circulation among my friends. A timeless story interstingly structured and skillfully told. A worthwhile read.



4. Some reviews here say it all. This is indeed a remarkable biography/autobiography, so I would only add my praise for such a loving, touching homage to a very special lady and her remarkable family. I loved the forthright descriptions of this numerous mixed-race family and was touched by Mrs. McBride Jordan's personal tale, kept inside for so long. Her buried past and the author's own reminiscences entwine flawlessly, making this an emotion-stirring book. By writing it, James McBride is finally able to piece together his own past and that of his mother, thus quenching his desire to learn more about his origins.
   
   The difference with the original edition is an interesting Afterword, summarizing the 10 years since its first publication (1996) and the impact its success had on the author himself, his family and, above all, his mother. I shall not disclose anything here, but it is worth to look into.
   
   I truly think this is a standout among the various memoirs I have read so far, an inspiring and remarkable contribution to race-related literature.



5. I feel almost silly adding another review when others have said so much already. So, I'll keep it brief. This is an extremely well written book. It flows seamlessly back and forth between time periods and generations until, before you know it, it's over. And, contrary to what some others have written, it is not obsessed with race. Race, as McBride presents his struggles, can be seen as a metaphor for exclusion. McBride's experience brings to life the consequences of the unfortunate human tendency to separate people into in-groups and out-groups, and to denigrate those who belong to any out-group. Most of all, this is a heartwarming story about the power of love to overcome trauma. I recommend it to everyone, and most especially to anyone who has ever felt that they didn't fit into someone else's dichotomous box.