2 comments about Beyond Nab End.

1. This is a fast paced read. The story of an illiterate but hardworking young steel worker who had the courage to pull himself up from the level of a grunt worker all the way to Oxford University. This is fascinating English history, but more importantly it's a highly inspiring book which shows what courage will do for your life. Grab life by the horns! Grab this book. It will motivate you to live your own life to the max.



2. The audio cassette, like the book it is derived from, is very interesting. It picks up William's story from precisely the point at which you leave it in "The Road to Nab End".
   The early part of the story I found interesting, it certainly demonstrates that poverty in the early 20th century England was a nation wide issue, amongst the working classes; you could mistakenly believe it just effected the north had you only read the first book. William's journey through education and on to Oxford University, delighted me. But the book is politics heavy and if the history of the Labour movement is not your cup of tea, then you might find you lose your way a touch with this book. Keep on though, it is worth it, it just lacks the evocative magic of it's for runner for the most part. It does cleverly highlight pre-WW2 politics. Some of the early stories capture the old magic, particualry William's cyclehunt for his lost love in driving snow!

5 comments about Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran.

1. This is simply the best book I have read in a great while. Several issues are addressed: life in the US as a child of immigrants/exiles and how one conceptualizes (and mythologizes) "the old country"; life in Iran as an American-Iranian: someone who feels like they should (are obligated to?) belong but somehow never quite gets all the pieces to fit; and trying to tie these identities together into a whole person.
   
   With few Americans traveling abroad for more than 1-2 week vacations and little opportunity to be more than tourists where ever we go (or to ever be able to understand what it means to move your life to another country, let alone a country where you are considered suspect); this book moves people beyond thinking of Iran as simply "evil", "scary", etc. Life and people there, like anywhere, is complicated and many things to many people. The Western view of Iran has traditionally been to focus on the terrible and extreme or conversely to romanticise it and see only the mythical, the static ancient history.
   
   Whichever side of the coin most Americans tend to focus on, it is usually an uncomplicated, uninformed view of the nation and the people. This book allows the reader a peek into a small section of life there to see ugly, wonderful, beautiful, happy, terrified, hopeful, dispondent people.
   She never claims to represent anyone other than herself, she doesn't try to speak for Iran or Iranians or Iranian Americans- she just lets us look at the world through her eyes for a little while.
   
   Azadeh Moaveni also allows us to follow her in her search for a place and identity that seems perpetually just out of reach. Like the tale about the Simorgh, the journey to find this place and identity eventually leads her (and the reader) to look within.
   
   Unfortunately this review can't do the book justice- I highly recommend this book to anyone, period.



2. Azadeh Moaveni's "Lipstick Jihad" is interesting and well-written, but not captivating. Much of the criticism from other reviewers revolves around her well-to-do social status and her focus on the young, upper- and middle-class generation with which she seems to have spent her time. Is this an "authentic" description of contemporary Iran? Were this a work of journalism, this critique might be valid, for the book is fully absorbed in the Islamic Republic-style perversions of the otherwise recognizable drama of being a young adult. And one can hardly charge her with misleading the reader on this account, as I can't think of a more apt description of this book's focus than the subtitle itself: "A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran."
   
   The appropriate question to ask is not what the subject of her book is, but how well she has captured it. It is for this that I only give three stars. She rides from interesting anecdote to interesting anecdote, and when discussing her sense of being suspended between Iranian and American identities she can really shine. But her attempts to draw perspective often left me skeptical. She's fully capable of viewing her environment critically, but I'm not convinced she ever transcended it, looked back and encapsulated it for her audience.
   
   When I finished each chapter I was not compelled to start the next and only rarely found myself lost in its pages. I am glad I read the book, and learned much about the political and social dimensions of life in contemporary Iran. But a memoirist's role is larger - even, in some ways, dishonest. For a memoir must universalize the personal, must order and narrate a life that rarely comes with either. In Moaveni's abstraction of her experience she only puts forward an interesting read, not a great one.



3. I enjoyed this book and found it somewhat enlightening about Iran and it was interesting to read how the younger set manages to socialize despite the constant repression by their government. Before going to Iran to live for a time, the author has an idyllic remembrance of a visit there, coupled with the reminicenses of her family. Once she gets there she gets an education of what it's like to live in a society that is in no way free and is governed by religious fanatics.
   
   I was annoyed that she still felt so torn throughout the book - she wanted Iran to be so different, and seemed to consider herself Iranian, never once acknowledging her great good fortune of having been born an American. She never mentioned an appreciation for America, only yearning for a better Iran so she could stay there, and ultimately went to live in Beirut but doesn't say why. She could not have a fulfilled life in America?
   
   Another thing that bothered me was the narrow perspective. She wrote about how the people she socialized with didn't care at all about Islam and weren't religious, thus giving the impression that the only religious fanatics in Iran are the people running the government. She seemed to think that if Iran could go back to a secular government that Islam would no longer be a problem for Iranians. Also I would have liked more depth pertaining to the problems women experience in this type of environment.



4. I have no business writing this review, for I read Moaveni's "Lipstick Jihad" over eight months ago, and can recall little about it.
   
   Then why, you may ask, are you writing a review? If you can remember nothing about the characters sketched, the episodes related, the lessons learned, the style employed, etc. -- if none of these things has stuck in your mind, what could you possibly have to say about the book?
   
   My point exactly.



5. So many of the reviews I've read focus on the author's upper-middle class status or her secularism as if these things make her less Iranian and therefore less suitable to write a book about being Iranian. Let us not forget that this book is a memoir, it is one woman's story of living in Iran but never really feeling like an Iranian. It's not a history book nor is it political commentary, though it does delve into both subjects. It is, however, an incredibly honest depiction of an American-born journalist's life in Iran during Khatami's presidency.
   I know the reason I loved this book so much is because of all the parallels I can draw between the author's life and my own. "Lipstick Jihad" is the book I would write if I ever had the opportunity. It's almost eerie reading someone else's words all the while thinking they could be your own. No book, no picture, no film has ever made me ache for Iran like this book has. And I know this book won't and can't affect everyone the way it has me, but it is definitely worth reading to find out.

5 comments about He Leadeth Me.

1. This book, written by a man who underwent severe torture in the Soviet Gulag system, gives hope and strength to almost anyone who is suffering. It has helped many people!



2. Purchased book as gift for departing Catholic Father, I hope it is a good book as that was the image I hoped to convey. Sorry, I can't review contents for you, but there was no time for me to read it first.



3. I read this book on a retreat and had to buy it. The message of trusting in the will of God is so strong. No matter how many times I read this I know I will be helped each time.



4. Matthew Kelly (see [...]) recommended "He Leadeth Me" by Walter Ciszek, S.J., to me as it had a significant influence on him and his spiritual journey. The book has also had a profound influence on me - so much so, that I cannot get it out of my mind.
   
   In "He Leadeth Me," U.S. born Ciszek recounts his life as a Catholic priest who enthusiastically volunteered for preaching the gospel and administering the sacraments in communist Russia and ended up spending twenty three agonizing years in Soviet prisons, including five years of solitary confinement in Moscow's feared Lubianka prison and fifteen years of hard labor in Siberian prison camps.
   
   Upon his return to the US in 1963, as part of an exchange for two convicted Russian spies, Ciszek was asked over and over again how he survived. "He Leadeth Me" is his response. This book is about the faith he discovered and the simple truths he learned by trial and error. Truths he came to appreciate only after much anguish of soul and a great deal of prayerful reflection; truths that sustained him through the years of doubt and darkness, of hardship and suffering.
   
   The learned truth that threads its way throughout the book is that no one can know greater peace, no one can achieve a greater sense of fulfillment in his life than the man who believes in the truth of the faith and strives daily to put it into practice. "A spirituality based on complete trust in God is the surest guarantee of peace of soul and freedom of spirit."
   
   There are moments of crisis in every life, moments of anxiety and fear, moments of frustration and opposition, moments sometimes even of terror. Only by a lively faith can man live in peace among the tensions of the world. Faith is the fulcrum of our moral and spiritual balance - our powerlessness to solve the problems of evil, sin, injustice, suffering, and even death will not be a cause of despair or despondency when we have an unshakable trust and confidence in God.
   
   After great anguish, doubt, and repeated resistance by Ciszek, he submitted to the will of God realizing that every moment of our life has a purpose, that every action of ours, no matter how dull or routine or trivial it may seem in itself, has a dignity and a worth beyond human understanding. No moment can be wasted, no opportunity missed, since each has a purpose in God's plan. We need to strive to know God's will and to do it each day of our lives - working this out with constant effort and attention to just those persons and circumstances God presents to us each day. He expects no more of us, but He will expect nothing less of us, and we fail in our promise and commitment if we do not see in situations of every moment of every day of His divine will.
   
   God asks for the complete gift of self...absolute faith in His existence, His providence, His power to sustain me, and His love perfecting me. While it sounds all too simple, one quickly learns how difficult it is when they try to put it into practice. "Is this too simple or are we just afraid really to believe it, to accept it fully, to yield ourselves up to it in total commitment? This is the ultimate question of faith, and each must answer this for himself. But to answer it in the affirmative is to know peace, to discover a meaning to life that surpasses all understanding."
   
   "He Leadeth Me," first published in 1972, is a classic and continues as an all-time best seller. Ciszek has written a powerful testimony that will challenge your view of life and, possibly, a source of a transfiguration. "It is my hope, indeed my prayer that what I have learned and come to understand so slowly and painfully might be of service to others. God is a most patient teacher, even to the most stubborn of students."



5. Just a fantastic book. I am not sure what I can add to further comments already added other than this book hit the spot for sincerity, truthfulness, and captivity of worthwhile imagination. I have just sent it to a friend that teaches English in Libya as I am assured that a wonderful book like this can only enhance her "desert experience" abroad as well.

5 comments about Everyday Matters.

1. I was not expecting anything when I started this book...frankly, I'm not sure I remember ordering it. In any event, the parallels between this graphic memoir and my own life make this book read more like an answered prayer than merely another memoir.
   
   I take that last part back. It's not just that the author's experiences mirror my own life that makes this book notable. Rather, it's that Gregory manages to capture his own HUMANITY...without resorting to irony or the manufactured self-deprecation that seems to plague the modern memoir that makes this book so notable. I mean, finally!, someone has managed to write an HONEST memoir, one that does not require an attorney's Release of the Facts as a prologue.
   
   "Everyday Matters" reads like a private journal, without the pretention that comes when the author knows other folks'll be reading it. Gregory's sketches are likewise uninhibited and imperfect; together, the text and illustrations create a personal, intimate environment for the reader that is inviting and judgment-free; none of the "You shouldn't have looked (though I knew you would, so I gave you my best side)" business that is the meta-text of so many memoirs, but instead offers a reassuring, "Well, that's me, hair and all...what do you think?"
   
   A thoughtful, generous gift from Gregory to his readers.



2. A very enjoyable read and inspirational. I went out purchased a sketch pad and started drawing after finishing the book!



3. This is a great book! I read it in an hour and a half. I enjoy knowing the process people take in order to deal with life's occasional hiccups that knock the world out from under you. It helps to know that you're not the only one sometimes. It's always a relief when the person works it out positively and thinks enough to want to share it with others. Thank you, Danny!



4. love it, love it, love it !!!!
   a wonderful inspiring little book.
   perfect smaller size (6"x8") to carry along with your sketchbook to keep you encouraged in your drawing.



5. I suppose I had some misperceptions of this book. I was assuming there would be more inspiration that would cajole me into journaling and artwork. I also thought is was he who was disabled - it was his wife. There was little mention of how his wife's diability figured into the whole pictue of his life. As a disabled person, I thought there would be some insight into overcoming disability to do what you want. I do however, love the way he draws and journals. In the end I saw this as a simple journal that anyone might have done. I still have his other book and I have higher hopes for that.

5 comments about Waking: A Memoir of Trauma and Transcendence.

1. i am thrilled by the universality of this memoir and how it speaks to all of us, regardless of our physical status. with lyrical grace, humor and honesty, matthew confronts the messages of western culture and medicine regarding the relationships we have with our bodies. he reminds us to trust our own perceptions in a world where these are so frequently dismissed. for anyone who has known trauma, illness or over-work, this book will speak to you. -lauren elise daniels, prose editor



2. Matt Sanford is my hero!!! He has tremendous courage and wisdom despite being dealt some really tough blows in his young life. Somehow, he has managed through a lot of hard work to use what he's learned and share it through words that speak volumes to me about what's really important in life. I read a ton of books; this one is in my top 5 book ever. It made me cringe, wince, laugh, remember, cry, hurt, and most of all cherish my life in a deeper way than I ever knew possible.
   
   Even if you think that you don't want to read anything that would make you "hurt or wince", this is one of those books that also reminds us to appreciate our connection both to our inner selves and others.
   
   Thank you Matt. . . you're too awesome for words!



3. This memoir was a very fast read for me. I got very interested in the many directions that the authors life went. It awakened something in me as well. I will look up the authors website..to learn even more. This memoir was also very touching.



4. I have read this book now three times over. It is one of the best books I have ever read. It is one of those books that makes you stop and take a look at your life and make changes. The book is extremely well written. The way Matt tells his tragic story and adds his insight makes you admire him greatly. The way he worries about his family in the midst of his own tragedy makes you fall in love with him. The way the story turns out and the way he lives his life presently makes you want to meet him and tell him how much his story has touched you.



5. Incredible story. So sad and yet the dominant feeling is truly one of transcendence and the inner strength of Matt and his family. It certainly puts life in perspective and insires us to focus on the wholeness of our lives as he does, not what we sometimes perceive as lacking. It's a quick read and one that every yoga student should read.

5 comments about Celebrity Detox: (The Fame Game).

1. I have been a longtime fan of the talk show personality of Rosie O'Donnell, even tho' I do not agree with her personal views (let's just say I am more Elisabeth Hasselbeck than Rosie O'Donnell). As a talk show host Rosie was the perfect host because she made it okay for every day people to be intrigued with the celebrities she interviewed. After all, Rosie was into her guests as much as the audience. She was and is authentic and real, even with her extremely rough edges and all. Thus I enjoyed her autobiography CELEBRITY DETOX.
   
   This book is more a therapy session and a detox for Rosie once more coming out of celebrity and trying to find happiness and normalcy in her life. It is all over the board and abruptly goes from one thing to the other but not in an irritating way, rather in the way I bet she lives her life. Celebrity Detox makes it clear Rosie is a damaged, hurting victim of abuse still desperately seeking salvation from her wounds but searching in places salvation can not be found--in two celebrity heros/icons Barbra Streisand and Barbara Walters both of whom were also heros of her mothers. Tho' only alluded to, it is apparent that Rosie was not only abandoned by her mother when her mother died when Rosie was 10. She was also betrayed and unprotected by her mother--3 issues that have haunted her and continue to haunt her--abandonement, betrayal and unprotection. Rosie told her mom of the abuse in the only way she could...her mom humored her to the extent of literally cutting down the tree "bad man" climbed up, but when Rosie told her it didn't work, the bad man still comes in her room at night, her mom betrayed her by calling her a liar and implying Rosie would lose her love if she didn't drop this lie. So Rosie lived on with the abuse, defending herself by breaking her own bones to obtain not only attention but "nightime weapons" with the casts. Heartbreaking for any little girl to live through.
   
   I am not surprised that she was more devastated by Barbara Walters' betrayal than she was of Donald Trump's public annialation of her. She already thought of Donald Trump as a pathetic human being. He can only hurt her in the pocket book. She was devasted by Barbara Walters because she made Barbara her surrogate mother so much so she hoped Barbara would do everything RIGHT her mother did WRONG--i.e. protect her and definitely NOT abandon her nor betray her. By not defending her to Donald Trump and the public Ms. Walters did everything Rosie's mother did to her--left her once more alone, unprotected and open to abuse.
   
   All said and done, CELEBRITY DETOX is a fascinating read into the life of a damaged little girl grown up and turned famous ... twice. You'll feel compassion for Rosie, disdain for Donald Trump and sympathy for Barbra Streisand and Barbara Walters who love and admire Rosie but in their own humaness can not be everything Rosie hopes they will be.



2. I was so excited about getting this book for my vacation. I wanted something light, interesting and I was curious about the inside scoop around Rosie's time at The View. When I read all these reviews, I wasn't sure if I should bother. I went ahead and bought it anyway--I'm a daredevil! :)
   I got what I wanted. There were some kibbles of information I didn't know about her co-hosts and some other celebrities. That was fun. Rosie sure tells it as she sees it. I don't accept that as the whole truth but I like hearing people's sides of the same coin. I did have some trouble relating to her love of Babs...it came off as a little sad too me how much she idolizes some people even as she's telling her readers all the reasons why celebrity is an illusion.
   This was no "War and Peace" if that's what your looking for. This is no objective, weighing both sides, kind of memoir. This is Rosie talking about her life as she felt it. That to me, is interesting and I read this book in two sittings. I really enjoyed it and recommend it as long as you have properly aligned expectations!
   
   Tiffany Christensen, author of "Sick Girl Speaks!"



3. I think this book had a certain kind of honesty we would all appreciate in respect to celebrities... Rosie shows a "behind the camera" glimpse into fame, fortune and life as the Rosie O'Donnell. As a Rosie fan myself, I was not at all disappointed. She is Real, honest, and true to herself! I loved the book! I recommend it to all!



4. I read and enjoyed Rosie's last book: "Find Me". After watching her on the View and vaguely following the blow-up between she and her co-host, Elisabeth, I was curious about how that built up. When Rosie claimed she was writing this book to "answer those questions" about what happened that day and immediately after, I looked forward to her explanation. That's why I was disappointed by "Celebrity Detox". It didn't go there. In fact, there's hardly a word about the incident prior to the last chapter (about five pages). Instead, she focuses on ear transmitters far more than anyone cares to read (or know). She talks about the Trump scuffle but doesn't even do her position justice in her own book. I came away from those chapters wondering if her beef was with Donald Trump and his poor behavior or her hurt over a quote that Trump assigned to Barbara Walters. Shortly after that, she goes off on the ear transmitters and how she saw the other hosts (who wore them even after Rosie's refusal and wishes) slowly came to agree with her and speak their mind (implying that, prior to that point, they'd been getting prompting and feedback in the devices). In the last chapter, she only mentions Elisabeth by sharing that she'd sent her and e-mail of support only a week or two before that Elisabeth may have been put-off by (Rosie tells Elisabeth she loves her and is proud of her asking John Stamos to stay and do crafts). But, that's where it ends. She never goes into the background regarding how Elisabeth disrespected her by not defending her in another interview. She says nothing really tangible about the feud at all.
   
   However, if you're not looking for more insight on the squabble, then the book is okay. It's often repetitive. But, based on Rosie's art and poetry, it makes sense that she would have certain themes throughout the book. If you're looking for a perspective on how celebrity makes you different, then this may be the book you want to read. And, if you'd like to have a better understanding of why she left her own show, then I'd recommend this. Her reflections of 9/11 between she and her brother are interesting (and I've had my daughter read them as an example of how perspective is, at times, everything).



5. There is one word to describe this book and that is Wonderful. I was amazed. She put her life out there for all to read. She shared her personal feelings, almost like therapy. I loved this book. I love Rosie. I do suggest you read Find Me first. Fame is an addiction and I can understand that without ever being famous. I think Rosie truly is a kind soul and this book will reflect that.

5 comments about Twenty Chickens for a Saddle: The Story of an African Childhood.

1. While set in Botswana and praised by Alexander McCall Smith as a "striking portrait of one of the world's most beguiling countries," the deeper subject of Twenty Chickens for a Saddle turns out not to be Africa at all. Rather, Robyn Scott has written a searching portrait of the limits of individualism and an exploration of education in its several forms.
   
   Ordinarily, the problem with being idiosyncratic is that there you are, all by yourself. In this story, however, there's an entire clan of stark, raving individuals who totally delight one another and somehow come together as a family of eccentrics. I knew a family much like them when I lived in Botswana for three years in the 1970s, learning to speak Setswana.
   
   What constitutes a good education? What makes a family, a culture, a nation? How does the individual fit into these gathering units? What is the trajectory of a marriage? What are the limits of change? How is the dignity of a human being colored one way or another? Searching for Robyn Scott's views on these basic questions kept me reading. Clearly, this is more than an exotic memoir of a faraway country and people having nothing to do with the rest of us except to entertain.
   
   It is with a sense of homecoming that I enter Robyn Scott's Twenty Chicken world. Her family is one of a maverick breed of outlanders that has loved this country and contributed to Botswana's peaceful and harmonious development.
   
   Seven-year-old Robyn came to Botswana in 1988, about 11 years after I returned to the United States. She was homeschooled by her mother until 1995, when her formal education began. A successful adult, she appears to have suffered in no way from her early fluid education of learning by doing, by observing, and by being read to.
   
   Graceful asides define Botswana's history, culture, and challenges, including the AIDS crisis, which is told in frank language. Written mostly from the point of view of a child, this is a coming-of-age story of the best kind. As Robyn matures, she takes us through Botswana's changing fortunes in the Selebi-Phikwe area of the Limpopo River and later on a game farm closer to South Africa. This is an environment that both embraces her and allows her to grow up on her own terms.
   
   Twenty Chickens is particularly good at describing Botswana's plant life and wildlife and the freedom of the bush land. The narrative is complemented by photos, a rough map, endearingly drawn icons, and glossaries of Setswana and Afrikaans. An index would make the book even more accessible.
   
   One of my favorite sections is Chapter 16, The Whole Family's Half of an Island. Here, more than in other chapters, we are given a direct sense of Botswana culture and relationships and the heartfelt hospitality lavished upon extended family, even if part of that family is white. There is playfulness and ingenuity here, and a demonstration of natural Batswana diplomacy which is wonderfully revealing of this quiet people living in a vast land.
   
   by Janet Grace Riehl
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



2. Robyn has a beautiful descriptive style, painting such vivid pictures that I almost feel I've been to Africa. Some parts have an almost lyrical beauty, while others are deeply depressing or thigh-slapping hysterical. Her parents, brother, sister, and grandparents -- especially the absolute character of Grandpa Ivor -- are so intriguing you want each of them to have a book of their own by the end. I absolutely recommend this book.



3. If you enjoy Alexander McCall Smith's books based in Botswana, you will probably enjoy this book very much. It tells of a young girl growing up in a rather eccentric family in Botswana. Her father is a doctor who works in a number of small clinics, and her mother chooses to home-school, albeit in a very unconventional fashion, her three children. Their adventures (even when they weren't looking for adventure) will keep you laughing. I look forward to the next novel by this author!



4. I loved this book. I am so excited to see that there is another writer on a par with Alexandra Fuller. I enjoyed Robyn's descriptions of her life growing up in Botswana - she is incredibly funny. I especially liked her horseback adventures and her description of the ticks on her horse as being the "welcoming committee" was hilarious. Each time I picked up the book, I felt transported back to my own African childhood. I really respect the way the author writes without ego or judgement. I will definitely buy this book on audio CD and wait in anticipation for her next book.



5. After finishing this book I was left with a rather strange feeling of nostalgia for someone else's childhood. In part I think that's a testament to the quality of the writing, as the setting of rural Botswana, and the many colourful characters encountered in the book, are rendered with a vividness and eye for detail such that you almost feel like you've been there.
   
   The other aspect was a recognition that the type of childhood described in the book is all too rare. What kid wouldn't want to grow up in Africa being free to ride horses through the bush, keep snakes and monkeys as pets, and swim in rivers with crocodiles?
   
   The darker side of life in southern Africa is referred to as well, with entrenched racism, the looming economic collapse in Zimbabwe and the spectre of the AIDS epidemic described in anecdotes that bring home the personal impact of these issues far more effectively than statistics and news reports can.
   
   Overall this book serves as a great memoir of a unique childhood and a window into an Africa that many never get to see.

5 comments about Ronnie: The Autobiography.

1. Ronnie takes us all the way through his life. Interesting stories that are well told, funny & insightful. As well as his fellow members in the Stones, you get an idea on the personalities of other rock musicians which Ronnie shares with you & which you will also have a chuckle at. A well told interesting & enjoyable read.



2. This is a fun read. Just don't trust any of the dates past 1978. The chronology is definitely jumbled. Perhaps this is understandable considering the copious amounts of drugs that he admits to consuming. However, the fact that no editor corrected statements like Woody saying he did a show with Dennis Wilson in 1985 (he died in '83) is almost shameful...



3. THE WOODMANS LONG JOURNEY WEAVES US THROUGH THE
   LABARYNTHS OF ROCKS HALCION DAYS - ETCHED WITH
   CANDID IF NOT GRAPHIC FLASH BACKS TO THE MUSICS
   EARLIEST INFLUENCES TO WHAT HAS NOW BECOME TO ALL,
   QUINTISENSUAL CLASSIC ROCK.
   
   RONNIE IS FOR THOSE WHO LIVED THROUGH THE LATE 60'S
   ONWARDS - AN ENGROSSING READ!.
   
   THE CONSUMATE JAMSTERS ABILITY TO ADAPT HIS CHOPS
   TO SO MANY STYLES OF ROCK LUMINARIES THAT FINALLY
   CULMINATES TO HIS ASCENT INTO WITHOUT A DOUBT THE
   WORLDS GREATEST WORKING BAND IS REMARKABLE.
   
   WARTS - D C'S AND ALL THE 356 PAGES FOCUSES ON FAMILY,
   WIVES,CHILDREN,FRIENDS,PLAYERS AND LEGENDS - NOT
   ENOUGH ALAS WAS SPENT ON THE LONDON YEARS - NO
   MENTION AT ALL OF "THE SPEAKEASY" THE CLUB THAT
   HOSTED MORE HISTORIC ONE NIGHT IMPROMPTU JAM
   SESSIONS THAN CAN EVER BE IMAGINED,WOODY BEING
   IN NEARLY EVERY ONE..
   
   I WOULD OF ALSO LIKED MORE ON THE IMPORTANCE
   OF THE STYLE AND FEEL OF LONDON DURING THOSE DAYS.
   MORE ON GRANNYS - SWEENYS - COSTAS - RUSKINS AND
   OF COURSE THE CHELSEA COBBLER ..
   
   STRANGELY MISSING - HARDLY A WORD ON GLIMMER TWIN
   NUMBER TWO ? BUT THERE AGAIN"LOOSE LIPS MIGHT SINK SHIPS"
   
   WE WILL JUST HAVE TO WAIT FOR HIS MAJESTY TO PUT
   PEN TO PAPER,BUT DON'T HOLD YOUR BREATH.
   
   'YOU DON'T WANT ME TROUSERS TO FALL DOWN NOW DO YA"
   
   RONNIE ON THE P C ROCK BIO GRADE TWANGS IN AT A SOLID 7.
   
   WEAVE IT OR LEAVE IT - RONNIE IS DEFINITELY A WEAVER WORTH
   WEADING



4. First get me right here: as much as I do NOT like the Stones that much, this is a very nice and funny little autobiography by one of its members. He has had a much more interesting career as a member of the Faces and the Jeff Beck group among other things. However the very sympathetic way in which he recounts his past experiences make even the Stoens years interesting (OK, I guess they ARE an important group after all). The book is written with a great deal of wit and he comes over really well in this biography which is not the usual "my groupie and drug hell" kind of bio that everybody seems kind of keen on producing as of late.



5. Why this man is not classified as one of the true Rolling Stones is beyond me.

5 comments about My Losing Season.

1. In My Losing Season Pat Conroy chronicles his painful senior year playing basketball for the Citadel Bulldogs. Though Conroy's timeframe is limited to one year, this memoir melds the past with the present to bring reflection and perspective to the memories. The title forecasts a negative experience--on the court, with his team, and with life in general. It was a losing season. But a losing season may not be as downbeat as it initially appears. It's possible a losing season may be an opportunity for growth. That is Conroy's conclusion, but not the original story.
   
   The year was negative for Conroy; so negative he forgot many of the details. He used newspaper accounts of the games, and interviews with the other players to recall events. He found that his depressing experience was equally as depressing for many of the other players. Conroy shares his interviews with the reader--interviews with his middle aged teammates.
   
   Ostensibly Conroy divides chapters into wins and loses of the season, but the games are only an excuse for him to delve into the personalities on the team pitted against the callous behavior of their coach Mel Thompson. Why was Thompson so heartless? Conroy and his team mates try to understand. Conroy uses dialogue and descriptive body language to describe the coach and the players. His writing is so clear it puts readers into the action and emotion of the sweaty young men.
   
   The Losing Season goes beyond Conroy's life and becomes a joint memoir of a team of players. The story takes place during the Viet Nam War era in a military academy where athletes were not valued. None of the men had wanted to revisit the losing season, but once Conroy began the process they had an opportunity to examine what had happened, and try to make sense of a difficult time. These old men confess to each other. They absolve each other. They annoy each other.
   
   In his interview with Al Kroboth, the one Conroy says he feared the most, Conroy, who did not deploy to Viet Nam but demonstrated publicly against the war, listens to Kroboth's story. Kroboth recounts his capture, humiliation and torture by Viet Cong. The two men and Kroboth's wife cry together. Conroy acknowledges his shame for not fighting in the war. He says he should have protested only after fighting for the country. He calls Kroboth a hero. He said he now knew the country was good enough to fight for.
   
   Conroy's chapters are not only a play by play account of a basketball season, but real life reflected on by old men who had been young men together. Universal questions are asked. There are no definitive answers; questions remain, but the losing season was a success. Finally the pitiful team that had not bonded during their losing season came together with love and generosity. They are no longer a losing team, but a team bound by maturity, forgiveness, and hope. That is the success of Conroy's literary effort.



2. One of my favorite fictional books of all time is The Prince of Tides, by Pat Conroy. I enjoyed it so much I read all of his other books, which I had to confess were disappointing. Nonetheless, when I saw his memoir on the bookshelf, I thought perhaps it was worth a read. Unfortunately, I was disappointed again. In fiction, his characters can be self-absorbed and still be engaging. The character doesn't even have to be aware of this flaw as long as the reader and narrator are. And through imaginative plot development and counter characters, he can wring the melo out of drama. But in memoir when an author is held to perceived reality, and the narrator, author, and protagonist are all the same individual, Conroy's penchant for overstatement is embarrassingly revealed. Still, if you're in the mood for a sappy story that will grab easy-to-pull heart strings, go for it. Conroy does have his moments.



3. Amazon.com Book Review
   My Losing Season by Pat Conroy
   
   The difficulty and pain that military basketball players go through are shown in My Losing Season by Pat Conroy. Pat Conroy writes about his life as a Southern college student at The Citadel during the 19676 basketball season.
   Pat Conroy's father grew up in the South. His father is in the military and is constantly being sent to work at different places. This causes the author to attend many different high schools during his teenage years. These years are filled with the beatings from his father to his entire family. Pat Conroy is able to put everything he was into the basketball he plays at high school and college. These games and practices help keep Pat from killing his father during one of the many depressing times Pat has. After high school, Pat accepts a basketball scholarship at The Citadel, a military college. His first years at The Citadel are filled with the harsh practices from his coach, the sweat parties during plebe week, and the constant reminder of his father. When the author is a senior he doesn't start the first basketball games and isn't picked as a captain. Instead, he rides the bench with the Green Weenies. Pat battles with his coach, his father, and his college throughout his time at The Citadel.
   As time progresses, Pat goes through numerous challenges. The author is faced with the conflict of depression, and does whatever he can to survive the painful time it brings. Conroy is forced to deal with his father and his basketball coach. He is constantly beaten by his father. Pat is also benched by his basketball coach and yelled at for doing nothing. Pat has to somehow go through the challenge of living his own life happily. The author shows the pain his father caused him when he says, "The game kept me from facing the ruined boy who played basketball instead of killing his father" (6). Along with Pat's father, Conroy has to deal with his basketball coach, Mel Thompson. Mel forbids dates, laughing, or any fun a basketball player could have. This causes pat to go through most of life unhappy and causes him to do whatever it takes to become happy. The basketball that he played was one of the few things that solved his conflict.
   Pat Conroy is able to write in a way that makes one feel that they are attending the events that Pat Conroy is talking about. He is able to write in a way that shows what his life was as a child, but still make it interesting and exciting for the reader. He is able to show the things that he is feeling and the suffering he has as his college. Pat Conroy shows his writing when he describes his team when he says, "I felt my team coming together at last, the way teams are supposed to feel, the ones who you would go to the wall for, dive on the floor for, and shed your blood for" (331). Pat Conroy has the writing style that is very descriptive. The way he writes makes me feel I am watching a movie, instead of reading a book. I am able to see and feel the pain, depression, and rare happiness during the story.
   I felt that this is one of the best written books that I have ever read. This book made me keep reading and kept me from putting the book down. I felt that Pat Conroy did a very good job of writing about his college basketball career in a way that anyone would like it. I liked how he made his own life interesting and true. Also, I liked how nothing was hidden, and he told the truth like a clear jump shot from the corner.



4. Growing up Catholic in the 1960's and 1970's and playing basketball every day because we didn't have the money to go on vacation, are two of many drivers that singles out Pat Conroy's "A Losing Season" as the most talked about book among my friends in our New York suburb.
   
   Mr. Conroy's ability to balance brutal honesty with a sensitivity toward young men of our era, dwarfs my favorite writers such as Tom Wolfe in nailing the complexities of being innocent in a period that was conflicted with our feelings of supporting the beliefs of our fathers who were from WWII and the realities of the 60's and 70's.
   
   When a writer as strong as Pat Conroy takes on young men growing up in the 60's and 70's trying to figure out their catholic up-bringing, clashing with their generation's challenge to conventional beliefs - the result is explosive. Don't miss the best read of your life.



5. A rough life is an understatement for young Pat Conroy. His abusive father and enabling mother help make it an enduring test of character for Pat. He walks away a strong person and also a wise one. Mel Thomason awaits Conroy as yet another test of will power for Pat. Mel is a stubborn man looking to rule a team of basketball players. His ways of braking down a player only to rebuild them and smash them down again, is a test of just how much a man can take. Pat endures a very painful character building period.
   
   Pat Conroy tells a story like a god. Throughout the book Pat is inquisitive about what he will be after basketball is over for him. He lets us know that he has always known he was a great writer but was unsure of himself. He was at a loss for what it was he was meant to do. This book is not only about basketball, but also of self-inquiry. It is a journey of Pat's search for his life road.
   
   Along with Pat's struggles came reward. Pat felt as though he was coming into himself. He discovered life lessons and set life goals. He believes he learn more about himself his senior year at the Citadel then any other single year he as lived. Life is full of self-discovery, especially for Pat.

5 comments about Out of Sync: A Memoir.

1. OUT OF SYNC by Lance Bass is a thoughtful, honest piece of work from Lance Bass. The book is short and provides some definite insights into the man he is. Lance is 27 and has lived thru a lot during those years. He is also gay and with his innocent religious upbringing this was difficult for him to express. Growing up he knew 100% that it was true but he didn't even consider having the right to come out.
   
   His childhood is described mostly in regards to his history with and development of his singing. NSYNC and their journey take up a great portion of the book. Reading the history of the group is very interesting.
   
   I give this book 4 stars not because it is a huge literary achievement or because it is filled with immense soul searching revelations. Let me change thange. For Lance they are life changing, soul searching revelations. Why I give this book 4 stars is because it is truly the written word of Lance Bass. It is not toyed with to great extent by a publisher to make it more intense. It actually reads like a diary in the sense of it being the real Lance Bass. You experience his wonder, joys, pains and revelations.
   
   You also get the impression that Lance Bass has a huge heart. He is still innocent at 27 but has a good head on his shoulders and is well prepared to face his future. He wraps the book up with some deep insights and they are honest and touching.
   
   The media was prepared to attack him with the knowledge of his being gay. He had great respect for his family and how they may be affected. He handled the situation responsibly and did what he needed to do for himself. Writing this book I'm sure was cathartic for him but it also is for the reader. I thank him for sharing a part of his life journey openly and holding nothing back.
   
   His being gay is a part of him the same as anything else - he is still Lance Bass and by sharing his story I'm sure he will help other people, young and old, deal with their sexuality.



2. Lance was always my favorite back in the day when I loved NSync. I was really excited to find out he had written a book. I still remember the day in the Orlando airport I saw the magazine cover of him coming out. I ran right out to get this book. It is a very quick read at a mere 180 pages. I have to say, as much as I love Lance, I didn't really care for the book. I was disappointed in the length, lack of depth, and overall tone. I didn't expect lurid details, nor did I want them, but it just all seemed so superficial and fake. I wouldn't say Lance sold out, but the book does not really represent him very well. I loved the background stories of his family, growing up...but the rest of the book pretty much pertained to the troubles with their manager and the cosmonaut training. I just felt that it was overkill. The major events in Lance's life (besides Nsync and NASA) were brushed over in a paragraph or two...probably due to the short number of pages. I just didn't feel that I got to "know" Lance any better after reading this. I was just disappointed with it and glad I finished it in a day. I highly recommend that you save your money and borrow it from the library. I wish Lance the best of luck in all his future endeavors, but I would have to tell him not to hold his breath for an Nsync reunion. Trust in your self and your faith will take you far. After all, hard things are put in our way, not to stop us, but to call out our courage and strength.



3. If you read the review titled "Good Little Read" from October 2007, that pretty much says exactly what I would. Short book, didn't say a lot, kept it clean, didn't provide a lot of details, etc.
   
   I was surprised how short the book is. I got it out of the library Friday evening and finished it in a one and a half days-probably could have finished it less if I hadn't of been working. I thought that this book shouldn't have even been a hardbound, it should have been a supermarket paperback sold at the checkstand. Geez, anybody who pays $25 for this is spending a lot.
   
   I hope he uses his money well, as he will most likely fade into the past and find a second occupation as SO many stars have since the Golden Age of Hollywood and the Big Band era. No different now, except this generation seems to get screwed up easier. Hopefully Lance won't fall into that pit.



4. I must say thank you, thank you, thank you Lance Bass for this fantastic read. Allowing us insight to your world is greatly appreciated. Not once was I bored with this thoughtful book. From start to finish Lance kept me interested and inspired.



5. I received this book as a gag gift and read it purely to out-gag my friends (because who really uses gag gifts?). Knowing the book hasn't sold well, I dove into my reading with low expectations. It's possible that I enjoyed the book merely because I wasn't expecting much. Overall I felt that the writing was a bit juvenile, but it was a quick and easy read not without insight. It was interesting to get some perspective on the world of pop stardom- in the midst of teenage obsession it's easy to forget that the objects of one's affection are actual people with actual feelings and emotions. And while pop stars are somehow different from we normal folk, there were some parts of Lance's story that seemed so totally normal and down-to-earth as to make it impossible to ignore the fact that he, too, is human.
   
   I have to agree with other reviewers that I was expecting to read more about Lance being gay and coming out. On the other hand, perhaps it provides hope for equality in society if he can present his coming out and dating life as merely part of his story rather than the whole piece of it.
   
   As a side note, I saw Lance on a float in Mardi Gras. I yelled "I read your book!" in the hopes that that would give him incentive to throw me some beads; alas, it was not to be. So Lance, if you happen to read this... could you throw me something, mister?