5 comments about The Road to Nab End: A Lancashire Childhood.

1. One thing that poverty didn't diminish is Woodruff's powers of recall. Though, as soon as he becomes literate, one senses he'll inexorably transcend his meagre beginnings which ring most vividly in this tale. I loved the regional patois as much as the rising political conscience of the working class boy. The years roll by with the daily grind, humilities accompanying the unjust disenfranchisement of workers; Dickensian conditions that were worse in Lancanshire than other industrial zones. Woodruff's effortless prose is as tough as his father's persistent presence and as nuanced as his mum's mercurial mood shifts. Fortunately for readers,'Nab's End' is no end, but a beginning to further tales from post adolesence. Having just closed the covers on Roy McFadyen's, 'at A Cost', I opened Woodruff to discover a parallel story in times bedevilled by poverty and dire economic depression. If you want to visit the comparison and find, at a pinch, an even more extraordinary childhood,'At a Cost' is published and distributed by its author @ 15 Maryann Street, Golden Beach, Queensland, Australia 4551.



2. I came upon this book after hearing brief snippets of it serialised BBC Radio 4 and the World Service.
   It had added interest for me as I know Blackburn (at least modern Blackburn) very well, it was later a surprise to discover I knew virtually nothing of the town.
   The book is evocative and stirring as you follow the authors journey from early childhood to his 16th year, when he finally leaves a deprived, economically and spiritual broken town for London, in hope of work and a better life.
   The journey in between is a rich array of colourful and long forgotton characters and ways of life. Most striking by far is the harshness of past societies in which the poor were virtually ground into the dirt and totally at mercy of commerce. Yet still the love and joy of these kindly, caring and sweet natured people shines through, it took a great deal to make them lose all hope. One cannot help but to think that these poor and hardworking forbares made more than a little of the muscle in the British national psyche.
   The Authors journey is one of love, loss and curiousity, his intelligence is meant for better things than the dust and grime of cotton mills but so hard worked are his people and he that this realisation is a long time coming.
   Highlights characters are Grandma Bridget and the lovley Aunts he visits in Summer. Quite a journey and very much a joy to read.



3. This is a wonderful book which, as an Anglophile, I loved reading. Just a word to those who feel it some of the terms are American. Remember, please, that the author is now living in the US, and new terms become automatically one's own after a while. And yes, there is a sequel to this book!



4. You don't have to have been born in Blackburn (as I was) to appreciate this wonderful true story of a childhood in poverty with all the wit and humour and honesty of the working class. Their hopes for a better and fairer future are vivid and the story ends with an emotional desire from the reader to know how and if this young man succeeds as he takes his steps away from Lancashire. Inevitably the reader will read the sequel Beyond Nab End which is even better but read this first.



5. William Woodruff and I have something in common; we were both born and reared poor in Lancashire, doubly lucky as Mr Woodruff puts it. The book itself is a reader, you pick it up and you can't put it down. There is always something else you want to read in the next chapter. It is a shame the book had an ending to it as it leaves you wanting more.

   Like one of the other reviewers I was a bit disappointed when the text was dumbed down, probably for our American cousins, as little discrepancies showed through the text. For instance, stating ten pennies instead of ten pence (we would have said it 'tenpunce') and the absolute glaring mistake of calling a tanner 6p when it should have been 6d and a dodger is 3d not 3p. Little details like this tend to eat at me.

   The book was easy to read and if you know a little about Lancashire, specifically Blackburn, you will find it fascinating.

   Tim Brimelow 19 May 2003

5 comments about Can I Keep My Jersey?: 11 Teams, 5 Countries, and 4 Years in My Life as a Basketball Vagabond.

1. I read a few of the reviews of this book and knew there would be some whining but come on! Every other paragraph was the author crying about religion in basketball and how he can not relate to any basketball players and this and that. I seriously thought about putting the book down halfway through it (when he was on the Bulls) but i decided to finish it. Bad move by my part. A word of advice, if you want to read 315 pages about a tall, i guess semi-talented (18 games- 1.8 points, 1.1 rebounds, 6.7 minutes)crybaby then pick this book up. I strongly recommend not getting this book



2. If you want to get a well-written book about playing basketball overseas, pick up "Paddy on the Hardwood" by Rus Bradburd. Paul Shirley "coulda been a contender" for author of a really good inside the sport book. But he lets his cynicism and narcissism get in the way at almost every turn. His journeys could have provided grist for some really interesting stories about parts of professional basketball that outsiders rarely get to glimpse. Instead, he uses them as an opportunity to cry and whine about how unjust life has been to him; a young, healthy and apparently intelligent young man. Too bad.



3. Disclaimer -- Paul is my cousin, so of course I am going to tell you to go buy this book, right now!! In fact, buy three copies. Keep one in plastic to sell on eBay in 20 years, give one to a friend, and read the third. :)
   
   That being said, this book gave me an unequaled insider's view of life in the NBA. Paul pulls few punches, tells it like it is, and doesn't worry about making friends with his assessment of players, coaches, and fans.
   
   I enjoyed his wry observations on life, though I did at times wonder why he keeps up with this lifestyle when it seems he isn't getting too much joy out of it (he does "sardonic" better than "enthusiastic").
   
   Overall, though, I was entertained and captured by this rare view inside the locker room. And I was relieved that he didn't skewer his extended family on the pages. :)



4. For all those people who didn't like this book because of the so-called "whining" and complaining - this book isn't really for them. I suggest they go to the self-help section of the bookstore and grab something there . . . or perhaps join the Oprah Book Club. For the people who've enjoyed Paul Shirley's blog over the years, you'd expect this book to be full of negative comments and complaints . . . as Paul himself said in the book, he writes better when the chips are down (p.54 - Jan. 12 entry) so y'all have been warned early on . . . However, as a pessimist and a cynic myself - I really didn't see his whining and complaining as such . . . it really is just an honest observation and being a basketball player that travels halfway around the globe - those observations are truly interesting and his witty remarks makes the book entertaining as well. It's well-written and would recommend the book to almost anybody (except Oprah and Dr. Phil).



5. I was sick and looking for something to take my mind off it when I picked up Can I keep My Jersey. It's the story of Paul Shirley, a basketball player who's really, really good. He's never gonna be a NBA star but he keeps trying and between NBA stints and his experiences with the CBA, the ABA and the European leagues this is a funny book. It has a few flaws of course, Shirley is a horrible snob and there were times when I found myself wishing that somebody when give him a good smack in the mouth but then all would be forgiven when he'd tell another story about the ridiculous aspects of life on the edge of the NBA.
   
   The chapter on his nightmare trip to Russia--horrible place--- is worth the price of the book alone. It's not the greatest sports memoir ever written but it's amusing and I found myself hoping that eventually Shirley gives up chasing the impossible dream and either starts a writing career or falls back on that engineering degree of his.

5 comments about His Bright Light: The Story of Nick Traina.

1. This book went straight to the heart. For any of you faced with challenging children, this book shows a mothers journey of never giving up through life's challenges with raising a challenging child.



2. This is not just one mother's struggle to help and understand her bipolar child, it is a commentary on the state of help for mentally ill adolescents. The one mother, of course, being the famous and wealthy Danielle Steel who had resources beyond most parents wildest dreams. Yet she encountered numerous educators, psychologists and psychiatrists who were incompetent and disastrous. But this book is also about unconditional love, being resourceful and never giving up. As someone who has worked in both mental health and education, I am so sad that when kids don't fall into the cookie-cutter mold (although Nick was far from that), there is such a hodge-podge of often inadequate help for them. I highly recommend this book and think Danielle Steel has really given readers a wonderful gift in sharing her story.



3. bought this book for girlfrind, she has a sizeable collection of danielle steel, an her comment when finish reading it was "that lady speaks from the heart" .she being one who knows her danielle steel,an commenting on them to me, this was one of her better recommendations. Enjoy!



4. This book is such a deep, feeling, compassionate true story of the pain and suffering Danielle Steele and her son Nick experienced. It is honest, very, very human and shows human suffering in such a clear manner that you can feel the pain of Danielle, Nick and the rest of the family and close friends. I have a son with a similar diagnosis as Nick, and it has helped me to better understand him and myself, and realize that I am not alone on this journey to support the son I love so very much through his painful experiences. Every person should read this to understand how love and bonding with others that have emotional problems is so painful - and if one is in that same situation, this book helps you relate and learn and perhaps realize there is no guilt, no blame - it is just the way it is and you can only do so much for an ill person. But what she points out so strongly is the bond they had and their love for each other, which gave her son the energy to be as productive as he was during his lifetime - and just so awful that the pain was so horrid that he had to end it all - But when you take this journey with Danielle and Nick through this book, you can feel the pain Nick had and understand a bit as to why. I recommend this to anyone who wants to understand humanity a bit more than they do - so they can help those who need the extra step of care and understanding to help them through their horrid journey of life when they are emotionally ill. How courageous and wonderful of Danielle Steele to share this with us, and open herself up to her feelings, her insecurities and her emotions. Thank you, Danielle - and thank you Nick and helping us understand your pain through your mom.



5. This really is the greatest nonfiction story I ever read with such a tragic ending. His life was so troubled, but it is truly inspiring. It makes you look inside yourself and those you love, and realize that there are some things we can not change. Those things that we can change, however, are often overlooked when the cries for help are accidentally ignored. This happened to Nick Traina. I do agree with other users that it seems that his mother, although full of love, does feel a lot of guilt. No one could have told his story better than himself, of course, but it seems unlikely that anyone else knew him better than his mother. Very touching, and I am happy that his legacy continues to inspire and live on. R.I.P. Nick.

5 comments about In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and Healing.

1. Having been tossed into an experience of a spouse of 30 years having a critically serious brain surgery, this book rung so true to the joys, deep depression, and aganizing experience of TBI. While my experience had nothing to do with a public figure as large as Bob Woodruff nor a war injury, the end result of a TBI aptly descriped the hell that the injured, as well as the spouse/caretaker walks not just immediately, but for the long haul. The caretaker, in this case, Lee Woodruff was brutally honest about the emotions and the sheer exhaustion that the caretaker undergoes. I read this book in less than two days. It also shone light on the truth of miracles of the human brain to "rewire" itself. I applauded both Bob Woodruff and Lee Woodruff for their unending honesty in dealing with the topic of TBI.



2. This is a love story. One might question this when a journalist has to fight for his life after being wounded while covering the Iraqi war, but not once you read Lee and Bob Woodruff's amazingly poignant story. This is their love story-the story of Bob and Lee, and how their love came to be and sustained them through a year of pain, hope, fear, recovery, and dedication.
   Told in alternating time frames from the dreadful moment when Lee is called and told that Bob has been critically injured to how they met and fell in love. Lee tells her account of their love story with passion and feeling, while Bob is as always the accomplished journalist with his fact based style of recollection. Both Lee and Bob are heroes in this story. Bob's valiant effort to handle his severe injuries mostly to the brain, and Lee's courageous, steadfast support and love throughout the entire process make up this amazingly miraculous story.
   Bob, only recently having been named co-anchor of ABC News, was in Iraq imbedded with troops covering the Iraqi war while Lee and their four children were at Disney World. While that may sound almost callous to many, this is the life a journalist and his family. When a bomb explodes and Bob is literally blown to pieces, not much hope seems to exist that he will survive as Lee is rushed to her husband's side. Telling about how she got the call and what immediately transpired, Lee aptly recounts their story first hand and truly earns the title of In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and Healing because that is what happened to this family in just one minute.
   In the above-mentioned alternating writing style, the story goes back to Bob's leaving a profitable law profession to pursue his dream of being a journalist. Bob's hard work and passion for covering the news takes him through the rank and file in many amazing places and stories as he works his way up in his journalism career. The part of the story of Lee and Bob's personal life is interspersed with the realities of Bob's day-to-day survival and recovery following the bomb in Iraq.
   Bob's 5 week coma, swelling of the brain, and many near death complications are told with detail and clarity so that the reader really experiences, as much as possible, first hand what this family went through. The never ending waiting to see if Bob will survive is a story of such devotion that in reality, you wonder just how someone can go through something like that. Lee tells this story in a way that makes you realize that you can never know, as did she, until you are tested, how you would respond in a situation such as this. At one point, after about five weeks, Lee crawls up into bed with Bob to try and hold him, with all his medical contraptions and tubes, and she tells him that he must fight for his life because she and their four children need him. Barely leaving his side, Lee is shocked when a few days later she walks into his room and he is sitting up and asking her where she has been?! It is at that point that the real fight begins for Bob to work hard to return to his life as he knew it. Meanwhile, Lee must juggle duel roles of parent and caregiver.
   This compelling story of love and devotion is told with honesty, humor, and hope. The friendships both Lee and Bob have, the love and family they share, guides one through an often graphic but also witty and very human novel. Get the book In An Instant and you will find it won't take much longer than that to be hooked and not want to put it down!
   Submitted by Karen Haney: Originally published Curled Up With a Good Book (www.curledup.com)



3. This is a memoir written by Bob and Lee Woodruff. The passages are divided between Bob and Lee, each giving their recollection of the way certain events unfolded. I found Bob's accounts to be gripping and interesting, maybe because he is the one who received the traumatic injury. I found Lee's writing akin to reading a bad soap opera script. It was almost unreadable at times. I understand that she is facing hardships with her husband in a coma, but it nothing like what your typical family has to face under the same circumstances. At one point, this Colgate educated woman wonders how she is going to pay the bills with her husband in a coma? When I read this, I got the feeling that she didn't know how to pay the bills, i.e. write out a check and mail it. I don't think money is an issue for this Westchester County, NY family. It was passages like that which detract from the book. I found Bob's account of his therapy and what he had to go through to get back to himself very interesting but too brief. In the after forward, Bob mentions he is working on a documentary about his journey and the journey GIs have to make in recovering from traumatic brain injuries. I don't know if this has come out yet, but it would be an interesting show.



4. This story recounts the miraculous survival of news anchor Bob Woodruff. More importantly, it exposes the fear, frustration, and fatigue that Woodruff's family experienced as they guided him through months of trauma.



5. This book tells the serious story of the tragedy and triumph shared by Bob Woodruff and his wife, children, friends and co-workers when he was devastatingly injured while reporting in Iraq. The trauma of his head injury is explained in a very detailed manner, and his subsequent recovery is followed mainly from his wife's point of view, describing the horrors they all went through. The ability to deal with all of this makes this book a very moving and uplifting tale of how Bob and also our brave soldiers are coping with traumatic brain injury (TBI) and why it is important for all of us to become aware and understand this signature war injury of Iraq and Afghanistan.
   
   The poignant and matter of fact telling of the process to recovery is sprinkled with humor and makes a great read for those interested in learning how to move through this difficult situation.

5 comments about Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror.

1. I have met and had lunch with Nonie Darwish. She gave me a testimonial for my forthcoming book: "Citizen Soldier Handbook: 101 Ways Every American Can Fight Terrorism". She is bright, courageous and insightful. She grew up in Egypt and learned at an early age to hate the Jews. Her father was a high ranking member of Nasser's (before Mubarak) Egyptian Army. was martyred in fighting against Israel. As a result, her family had great `honor' and position. But she started questioning why the Jews were hated. And how this perpetuated sensibility affected her life and the lives of others. Her education at the American University of Cairo opened her eyes to discussion and critical thinking. Even her own people had always considered Egypt a `Muslim' country - even though it was a country conquered by the invading hordes. After all, why is there Egyptian spoken language? She learned that Israel existed long ago and began asking more and more questions. She realized that Arab media was manipulative and excluded the truth.
   
   This book is more than just an autobiographical journey. She is taking us from a place of hatred to a place of understanding. She has had and still gets numerous threats for her writing and speaking. She appreciates America and Israel.
   
   Michael Mandaville, Author: "Citizen Soldier Handbook: 101 Ways Every American Can Fight Terrorism".



2. Ms. Darwish has written an amazing and personal account of what life is like under Islamic dictatorships. The lying, the anti-American and Israeli propaganda, and making their people (the Arabs) believe that it is everyone else causing their dismal situation. Ms. Darwish opens a door that is rarely seen in the Western world on how Arabs think and act and why it is so hard for Americans to understand the distorted prism through which many Arabs in the Middle East view reality. The only issues I really had with the book were some over simplifications of the Suez Crisis in 1956 and a few other political events that took place in the region. She also provided a great explanation for her group Arabs for Israel (which is not often heard about). Overall this is a fantastic book that should be highly recommended.



3. What an eye opener. For one who had little understanding about Muslims and what they believed I found this book most informative and certainly helped me to understand that just as Adolf Hitler misled his subjects, so does Islam do the same to its followers. If you tell a lie often enough your devotees will believe it in the end.



4. Nonie Darwish is one of the bravest women in the world. She goes where few dare to tread, exposing the hatred embodied in the Muslim world today. Born and raised in a high-society, Egyptian Muslim family, Darwish gives a rare insight into the complex mindset that condones terrorism and applauds honor killings. Darwish discovered the difference in how Americans think, and realized that what fuels Jihad is the indoctrination of young Muslims in hatred and the "evil eye."
   
   This is a fascinating book that will open the minds of complacent Americans to the very real threat of Sharia law over the entire world. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has the stamina to educate yourself about why we are fighting the War on Terror. In story form, Darwish gives unparalleled access into the thinking of the Muslim world.



5. I thought of this book when I saw the TV program "Honor Killing in America." I was somewhat prepared for such a horrifying attitude. The men and some women approve of killing female family members who break the rules set up by men. This is the law of radical Islam which some Muslims want to replace the laws in Western civilization.
   
   The book will give great insight into a world which is often hidden from Western people. Is she trying to scare us? Well, we need the insights she offers from her personal experiences as she moved from hatred to love. We need to understand her fears especially in the light of "honor killings." It would seem that the National Organization for Women would be coming to women's defense on this.
   
   I don't need to repeat what so many other reviews have said. I do highly recommend this as a real eye-opener. She has no reason not to be telling the truth. The negative reviews only clarify the fear these women must feel. I wonder how a woman president would handle "honor killings?"

5 comments about She Said Yes: The Unlikely Martyrdom of Cassie Bernall.

1. content:
   Cassie Bernall, 17, was being shot at the Littleton tragedy. Her mother describes the day her daughter was murdered, their last chat, the nail-biting wait for a lifesign from her. She also describes Cassies development as a teenager, her getting in touch with satanic thoughts and how this affects their family life. An unexptected and profound u-turn in Cassies life towards the christian faith changes her personality. Not only her mother, but other members of the family as well as fellow students and youthworkers report on Cathie both before and after her turning to Christ.
   
   spelling style: easy to read
   
   special features:
   Cassie wrote down many of her thoughts. The reader finds pearls for him- or herself in these thoughts which are quite deep for a teenager.
   I find the balanced presentation of Cassie to be remarkable. We learn about her negative sides as well as about the good ones. I can not see a martyr figure being illustrated.
   A handwritten letter from the family of one of the murderers is not only interesting but impressive.
   
   And the ageless message to do good to those that we love, is being written into the reader's soul.
   
   I guess I am not the only reader who would want to hug mother Bernall after having read about her incredible loss. I wish her peace and comfort for each day.



2. There is no doubt this book will touch and change the lives of many people. It is indeed a powerful testimony of a child who was delivered from the kingdom of darkness into the kingdom of God, and two loving parents who gave the best gift to their child, love. Yes, this book is about love. Say yes to God and you will be saved. There is a God who will judge heaven and earth whether you believe it or not. If you don't believe in God you're not smart, because the Devil believes in God and you don't.



3. The book annoyed me in the following ways:
   1. It's not true, from everything else I've heard and read. Another girl was asked if she believed in God. Not Cassie
   2. She could of made it more exciting, more intense. So we could feel her pain as Cassie's mother, but I felt nothing
   
   I did like it because I did learn about Columbine and how parents figured things out.



4. Because I'm in school to study some form of criminology, I started to research the Columbine shooting about 2 months ago. Having read roughly 500 pages of the Columbine Report (which is basically an 11,000 page report containing interviews and such from the teachers and students that were present at Columbine High School on April 20th, 1999), I knew that Cassie Bernall was NOT asked the infamous "Do you believe in God?" question so when I saw the title of this book, I was a bit curious as to why Cassie's mother would sort of "cash in" on the rumors/myths surrounding the shooting death of her daughter. I bought the book in hopes that it would answer my question. And here is what I learned.
   
   The truth is (and believe me, I'm not trying to preach about my views on religion... I'm trying to express my views on this book by debunking the Columbine myths that make this book not credible), a girl named Valeen was asked the "Do you believe in God?" question. She at first said no, then said I don't know, then said yes. When asked by Eric Harris why she believed in God, her response was something along the lines of "Because that was how my parents taught me". She was shot but survived. The only thing that was said to Cassie was "peek-a-boo". It is highly disturbing in my opinion that the ignorant public (led on by the media) including, apparently, Cassie's mother (in the book she says "People say that nothing happens without a purpose--that perhaps Cassie was fulfilling a divine plan, or that in standing up for her beliefs, she was being used by God to further His kingdom. At a certain level, I take comfort in these thoughts. They give meaning to what others have called a "senseless" tragedy, and remind me that a life cut short need not to be a wasted life."), attempt to make Cassie's death more admirable than the other 12 innocent victims. If Valeen had not survived, I'm sure that people would disregard the fact that she said "no" at first. Because, apparently, being religious makes one's death more honorable than those who are not religious.
   
   Look, the book isn't written badly. However, the title of the book and the deep inferences that suggest Cassie died because of her religion honestly disgust me. Those who do not know the truth behind her death will be lead to believe that she WAS asked the question, said yes, and ultimately paid the price by losing her life. This book is NOT supposed to be fiction. So to write it the way it was written make parts of the book lies.
   
   That being said, had the book been mainly about the alleged question she was asked and her answer, I would have easily given this book 1 or 2 stars. But because Misty explains everything from the highlights AND the lowlights in Cassie's life (including Cassie's struggles with wanting to murder her parents) and she admits that Cassie would be upset that people are labeling her a martyr, I found myself able to get through the book rather quickly. Further, "She Said Yes" made me think about my own life and what I would want people to remember me for. For that, I chose to give this book 3 stars.
   
   I'd recommend this book if you want to learn more about the Columbine massacre. The average person must know, however, that although Cassie might've said yes if she was asked the question, the fact is that she wasn't.



5. I feel that even if it wasn't actually Cassie that said I believe this is still so important to show the humanity of the people that were killed. I definately would NOT say it's a Christian myth that the shootings were at least partly blamed on religion. The boys did ask the girl beside her if she believed in God. And what about Rachel Scott. She was shot after confessing her faith. This was not just about trying to kill jocks or popular kids. These boys hated religion and mocked God and basically were saying if you believe in God let him save you. By letting the other girl survive it's almost their sick game of playing God and deciding who lives and dies. It's a terrorist scare tactic. But Cassie did believe in God and right before she was shot she was praying to God out loud to just let her go home. Then one of the boys pounded on the table she was under said peek a boo and shot her. If you don't believe her killing was motivated by her beliefs read Rachel's Tears and be assured it played a big part in who they killed.

5 comments about West of Kabul, East of New York: An Afghan American Story.

1. My first exposure to Afghani literature was "The Kite Runner" by Khaled Hosseini. Shortly after reading this book I picked up Tamim Ansary's book and could not put it down. I wish every American would read this book. Ansary's book is brilliant, informative and places you right in the heart of the struggle of the Afghani people from the Soviet invasion in 1979, to the seizure of power by the Taliban in 1996. Ansary weaves a tapestry of understanding that should not go untold in any household.



2. A fine, engaging book that offers insights into Afghanistan and its people and the current world condition. Along with The Kite Runner, the people of Afghanistan come to life for many of us who have no, or little, prior knowledge of this part of the world. On a larger scale, the book is touching and true about the human condition anywhere. Well written, often amusing, this is a warm memoir.



3. A friend who is working in Kabul suggested that I read this book. Another friend who saw that I was reading it told me that the author is the cousin of a colleague! It's a small world. The book is a good read and I would suggest that anyone who is interested in culture and learning about Afghan Americans read it. It's a quick read and worth the time.



4. this was one of the first books i read on afghanistan. come to find out quotes from this book are all over the web. it is apparently a well known work. the author does a superb job of explaining his life and past living in afghanistan prior to the state the country is in now. with well defined images of the area, people, and culture, the authors tale will keep you reading without stopping. there are also great clarifications of terms and language used that is not familiar to those who are not privy to the language of aghanistan. the travels the author takes as a grown adult also give great insight into other areas, such as algeria, and has tales of interesting interaction with those who follow varying degrees of islam. a great read even if your not heavily into the afghan cause or culture.



5. Wow! It is so rare to finish a book in just a few sittings simmply by lack of will-power to tear yourself away from it. Rare still is it to find a non-fictional book having that effect. Buy this one. If you like that feeling of not being able to resist reading "just 10 more pages" and having it turn into 50, you won't regret this book.

   In brief, it is about a hyphenated man - born in Afghanistan by an american mother (the first american mother ever to live in Afhanistan) and an Afghani father. By high-school, he has moved to America and 'loses track' of his Afghani roots - truly Americanized. The real 'blow by blow' of the book comes from a trip he took as a freelance journalist back to Afghanistan to write about it before/during the cold war, and his subsequent return to America, ending with his torn feelings over Sept. 11.

   The beauty of this book is that he remains sympathetic both to his Afhghani and American sentiments. While recognizing the hell that the middle east can often seem, he never fails to recall his fond memories of growing up Afghani. At the same time, he dances close to the conclusion that he is, for any intent or purpose, an American first and an Afghani second (without ever really imposing that choice upon himself).

   As the other reviewers will tell you, the sparkle that is this book came about after the world trade center bombings. The author, who writes educational childrens books for a living, decided to write an e-mail on Sept. 12 to 'set the record straight' seperating the Afghani fact from the Taliban fiction. Subsequently, the e-mail, which he mailed to 20 or so people, got forwarded enough times that it reached possibly 1,000. The e-mail (and you may have gotten it) is included as an epilogue, and he explains his feelings on the 'middle east question' in the prologue and last chapter of the book.'

   Like I said, though, the action is in the middle of the book, where he recounts his catastrophic trip to the middle east (where, among other things, they don't take American Express. Just read it and you'll understand!) From first page to last, this book will entertain, enrage, entrhall, and...dare I say...enhance you!

No comments about A Short Life of Trouble: Forty Years in the New York Art World.

5 comments about Riding the Bus with My Sister: A True Life Journey.

1. This book is an engaging, fast read. I was especially interested in Rachel Simon's flashbacks. We learn what caused her mental retardation, we see her experiences and Rachel's, we also suffer with the children as mom continues in a downward spiral. All of these flashbacks, distinguished by italic font, are worthy of a book all their own.
   
   Beth Simon is hard to like. She is loud, immature, unhygenic, and self-centered. She is also capable of holding down a job- she just chooses not to. What makes it worse is that she tells her fellow passengers that she doesn't work because she doesn't want to- always reminding them of her disability check. What type of endurance would you need, if you were riding the bus with Beth, heading to your job? Many people can't handle it. And Beth is oblivious to the reasons why people dislike her- she's a capable woman who won't better herself.
   
   In Rachel's relationship with Beth, the story is not sugar-coated. Rachel gets very annoyed with Beth: ' Damn it Beth, shut up! my dark voice erupts. Look at you- same expression, same seat, same stupefying conversation.
   and
   "When I started riding the buses, I remember, I thought of the people who didn't like Beth as insensitive and narrow-minded. Now I find myself more sympathetic to their point of view. Yes, some of them are coarse and offensively vocal. But she is so loud. And she talks all the time. About nothing. I know many of us babble on about nothing, too, but she does it over and over and over- and over and over and over- and it's really eroding the limits of my endurance. Dad used to tell us he came to dread their car rides to work for precisely the same reasons. That was twenty years ago."
   
   However, Rachel's interaction with every bus driver are so profound. She always seems to be learning something from them. And it's always about how they changed their philosophies so they could lead happier lives. Ugh, it was too corny and simplistic for me!
   
   Further, I was uninterested in how Rachel changed in relations to men and other people. I only wanted to see her relationship with Beth. Yes, Rachel Simon gives Beth and the bus rides credit for changing her life- but I really have no desire to know anything else about Rachel Simon in the late 90s (when the story takes place). Tell me more about Beth, including more altercations with drives and passengers, more about her obsessions with the drivers, more about her self-centered domination of every bus ride.
   
   " Beth is ignoring the parade of costumes in the street and gazing adoringly at Cliff- and with a jolt, I know what scares me.
   It's not just the same old crush with a new face, or the same olf song with the same wrong words. It's not just the pattern she doesn't see, or care about, and therefore cannot or will not change.
   It's that Beth seems to need a cataclysmic event for her to change in any way- an event like our mother's complete abdication of her responsibility to protect her own child, Juanita's rejection, or Rodolpho's abandonment. This seems true whether she's being called upon to develop resorucefulness, assertiveness, or just basic self-restraint. I look at her and feel a clutch in my throat. What will it take now?
   Is this all there will ever be to her life? "



2. This is not a book I would have chosen, but I read it for my book club and was pleasantly surprised. When I saw an endorsement from Rosie O'Donnell on the front cover of this book, I was expecting something more sentimental, along the lines of a Lifetime Channel movie, to lie within the pages. Instead, I found a powerful tribute to people on society's fringe and a meaningfully insightful story.
   
   The story centers around a workaholic writer/teacher, Rachel Simon, who runs out of ideas for her newspaper work and decides to spend a year shadowing her mildly mentally retarded sister, Beth. Beth has chucked working and living in a group home for a hedonistic life in her own apartment, filling her days happily riding the city's busses. Simon takes what could be a boring or sappy story and makes something marvelous out of Beth's mundane, repetitive life by her keen observation and analysis of the details of this routine. She does an excellent job of looking at life through Beth's eyes and of showing how the mentally challenged are at times similar to the rest of us and yet at other times vastly different and difficult to comprehend.
   
   Naturally Beth's efforts to live independently in the manner she desires create enormous frustration for her family and even the professionals involved in her "case." How to help someone in Beth's situation is complicated. How much help can family and professionals give versus how much help should they give? How many decisions can she safely, competently make on her own? Simon shows us that there are no easy answers, as she attempts to establish her own place in her sister's life.
   
   The book is beautifully written, hard to put down, and filled with insights and wisdom that would make Irma Bombeck proud. The author was surprised at how much she learned from Beth's limitations and her world, and you will be too.



3. I found this book to be very interesting and moving. It has really made a mark on my heart. I have a special needs child who unlike "Cool Beth" is not treated differently by many, yet sees some of the same prejudices. It was nice to read a book that shows how a person can live on their own and have the same things that so called "normal" people can. I appreciated that Beth knew right from wrong and is not afraid to express that to the world around her. We can all learn from that. The annoyance that Rachel gets from Beth is such a tough feeling for a sibling/parent, but a genuine one and written with such truth. This will not be enjoyed by all, but all can learn from it.



4. This book isn't for everyone, but anyone who lives with a mildy retarded family member will see this book as an eye-opening and touching memoir of the highs and lows of living and coping and dealing with a person such as Beth, the author's sister, with whom she agrees to ride the city buses with over the course of a year.
   
   The chapters are beautifully interweaved with flashbacks to the author's childhood with Beth, who is 18 months younger than the author. The parents' coping with Beth, and how the rest of the family deals with this headstrong and independent girl without once ever mentioning the words "mild retardation" and yet determined to keep together as a family in the early 1960s bring this book to life for many Babyboomers. Rachel did a lot of research on the subject to write for this book, and inserts statistics at logical moments without ever tiring the reader.
   
   Along with the encounters on the bus are small vignettes of the various and varied drivers who deal with Beth on a daily basis. Bus drivers are profiled coming from all aspects of society. Some like Beth, others do not, and many came forward to talk about Beth and her incessant chats while sitting in the front of crowded buses with strangers all around her. Bus drivers are her friends, are her mentors, are her romantic interests and Beth at times reminds us of our girlish teenage crushes...and she is 39 years old while the story takes place.
   
   Although this book mostly deals with Beth and her daily bus rides around town, the author also talks about her own failings; her recent break-up, her move to a new apartment, and we see how dealing with Beth, and talking with bus drivers, help Rachel find the answers for her own troubles.
   
   This book may not be for everyone. One must have a close experience with a person such as Beth to understand the many detailed and sometimes long-drawn-out episodes of city bus travel to truly appreciate this book. Beth is beautifully portrayed in this book, and with all her flaws and handicaps we can see a bit our ourselves through her daily bus journeys.
   
   Read this book with patience and understanding for the mildy retarded people in our society. We all know and have dealt with our own Cools Beths.



5. Okay, so maybe not the most original title in the world, but the story sure is. The author decides to spend some quality time with her mildly retarded sister, Beth, (whom she never fully understood). Simons basically takes a very long leave of absence from work and totally immerses herself in Beth's world - which consists mainly of riding the bus system in an unnamed Pennsylvania city. But this is not just a simple journey. She experiences how Beth has carved out a life for herself, the people she has connected with, the joyful outlook she has on life, and realizes that maybe Beth's life is fulfilling in its own way. This is also a journey through her childhood as she
   reflects on her memories, her relationship with her family as well as her sister. By slowing down her fast-paced existence and taking the time to experience a year with her sister, Simons certainly discovers a lot about herself, and comes away with a different, more appreciative view of her life. Hopefully you will too. I know I did.

5 comments about Seductive Poison: A Jonestown Survivor's Story of Life and Death in the People's Temple.

1. I have been fascinated with the Jonestown story ever since the first reports of the massacre emerged in '78. The combination of elements; the jungle, a charismatic leader, poisoned flavor aid and an assasinated congressman all made for an irresistable tale. The action plays out more like a novel than a real life event. The cult story has been told several times, but always by outsiders. Now we have an eyewitness account from Debbie Layton, a top officer in the People's Temple.
   
   Seductive Poison is not written in the professional style of other books, and it is all the more authentic because of it. Enough reviews have been written already, so I will not get into details, but will comment on a few aspects. First of all, this book will hold your attention and is never dull at any point. The ending will bring a stoic to tears. And if the description of Layton's escape from Guyana does not send shivers down your spine, you need to see a doctor.
   
   In the end one cannot help but reflect on all the victims and what could have been. Children could have grown, lives of a sort lived out in the Jungle or elsewhere. Instead over 900 were snuffed out in hours of madness, part of one the strangest events on record.



2. I had seen a documentary a while back on PBS, and Deborah Layton was one of the many former members and survivors who gave commentary on People's Temple and specifically the Rev. Jim Jones. In introducing Layton, there was a marker under her name that indicated she had written a book titled, Seductive Poison, on the infamous death cult. I ordered it. All I can say is that Layton's memoir is an altogether fascinating read that will keep you on the edge of your seat, because her very detailed account is absolutely all consuming, riveting in the best sense of the word when it pertains to memoirs; no stone is left unturned, and all the recollections are thoroughly laced together to form a disturbing portrait of how and why seemingly normal and intelligent people get emeshed in cults. And when they realize that they are in one it is often too late. Deborah Layton, among others, were the lucky ones.
   
   Jim Jones was the charismatic pastor of the Disciples of Christ, a liberal Protestant denominationin that was a member of the National Council of Churches; it too was the division that housed People's Temple. Combining Scripture and Christian dogma with Marxist and Leninist philosophies, he espoused the concept of Liberation Theology, in essence, creating a social Gospel where people of all classes, colors, economic levels, ages and education would be a part of. In addition to the questionable socialist teachings, Jim Jones love-bombed his congregation, telling them how special and unique and important they were in the eyes of Jesus Christ, how what he required was the will of God, for he was supposedly the microphone of the Holy Trinity. And who can fight that concept? Bit by bit, people gradually gave their will over to him, assuming that his Divine influence was beyond question. And gradually, they became automatons, shadows of their former selves doing the will of their Father.
   
   Aside from the fact that Seductive Poison is beyond exceptionally well written, it is the inside details that Layton offers that makes her memoir especially pulsating, particularly her details on the "white night", where members were so deeply indoctrinated that they on many an evening had practice drills to drink the cyanide laced punch. She also gives vivid details on the types of punishment used in Jonestone. The evil perpetrated upon children was especially disturbing: "...There was also the Well, a punishment used especially for children. They would be taken to the well in the dark of night, hung upside down by a rope around their ankles, and dunked into the water again and again while someone hidden inside the Well grabbed at them to scare them."--Page 176.
   
   The spying, turning against loved ones, cruel assorted punishments, disturbing and nonsensical harangues all kept people in line until they flew off Guyana, to the Promise Land. Yet it was anything but that, and many had to suppress their inner feelings of disappointment for fear of severe retribution.
   
   There is a lot to say about this work; it raises serious questions and offers important answers, paramount being that individualism is indeed a very good thing and following your own will is not something to be taken for granted. It also sheds light on why people join cults, to be a part of something bigger than themselves, to live in a community where those who have nothing have something of far greater worth: love.
   
   Seductive Poison works as sociology, history, a family record, psychology, autobiography; it works on so many fronts and conveys so much. Religion is a good thing, but sometimes it is best to appreciate it from afar.



3. I read this book in 3 days. I couldn't put it down. It keeps you wanting to know more! It made me sick how many people were involved with such a mind-freak! They didn't even recognize what was going on. This is a must read!



4. 
   Book came within a short time and was in the shape that seller told it was in and even better.



5. Originally bought as a source for a research paper, i had come into this searching for a simple first hand account of the Jonestown incident. However, once i began reading, Seductive Poison evolved into much more than just a primary source. What sets this book apart from any other literature on the accounts of Jonestown is Layton's honesty. She provides the reader with a background of information leading up to joining Jim Jones and finally wraps up with the eventual mass-suicide. Instead of focusing primarily on the final events of Jonestown and the actions of Jim jones himself, Layton tells her story, from beginning to end which will help others understand why anyone would have gotten up and followed a man such as Jim Jones.
   Before beginning this book, i was skeptical. I had many questions about the followers of Jones, their motives, their mental state, what they believed in and I was worried that Layton might try to sway the reader in one direction or another. However, that is not the case. Seductive Poison provides the reader with facts, journal entries, letters, and most importantly, Photos of the loved ones she describes throughout the entire book.
   Often the writing of memoirs such as this involving such an emotional attachment don't live up to the story itself. However, Deborah Layton is a talented writer which allows the reader immerse themselves in the content rather than focus on the pros and cons of the writing. From her steady attention to detail to the heartfelt commentary, Layton has truly pulled off a winner. Because of her first hand situation in the Peoples Temple, Seductive Poison is informative. Anyone interested in seeking the ways and workings of a cult, how cults come-to-be cults, why anyone would join one or just looking to read of a women's personal journey of coming into her own, should give this book a chance. I did, and I'm thrilled with my choice.