5 comments about The Day the Voices Stopped: A Schizophrenic's Journey from Madness to Hope.

1. This book presents an incredibly honest insight into the experience of a paranoid schizophrenic. Ken Steele invites his readers into the most personal spaces of his mind and walks us through his life experiences. The book left me in tears. A must read for anyone who works as a mental health provider or seeks to understand what a friend or loved one is going through.



2. The book writtten in a simple style, is nonetheless extremely moving. It was very interesting to read how a schizophrenic views the world around him, and how we appear to him. An excellent read.



3. I recommend this book to all people who want to understand mental illness better or to anyone who just needs to be inspired. Ken Steele gives you such a gripping and vivid picture of his extremely difficult life as a mentally ill person, I felt like I was experiencing it with him. Never before have I been brought to tears from reading a book, nor have I ever felt so much hope that I can overcome adversity in my own life.



4. I chose to read `The Day The Voices Stopped: A Memoir of Madness of Hope' by Ken Steele and Claire Berman because I was interested in reading a book on the subject of mental illness. `The Day The Voices Stopped' is about Ken Steele's battle with schizophrenia; along with all the work he's done to better the care and treatment of mental health consumers. Before I read the book, I thought that the book would depress me, and that I would want to stop reading when some of the really bad parts came. But as I read, I got pulled into Ken's life. The bad parts still depressed me, but I kept on reading, desperately wanting to see Ken's happy ending. The book starts with the sudden arrival of Ken's voices; Voices that are constantly harassing and abusing him. Ken jumps from place to place, institution to institution, experiencing tragedy and joy. There are moments in the book when everything in Ken's life seems absolutely dismal, which makes his recovery and triumph over his illness all the more inspiring. The book doesn't stop on the day that Ken's voices stopped; it goes on to chronicle his advocacy for the rights of mental patients, and his struggle without the voices.
   
   I found `The Day The Voices Stopped' to be very enjoyable. Ken bears all, not sugar-coating anything in his struggles. It's a hard, truthful look into the life of someone with schizophrenia], and someone who has been constantly abused both by his voices and people around him. Ken's story is moving and inspirational. It makes one stop and look around at the world with new eyes. The story is written for Ken's point of view, sharing both his thoughts and what his voices said. He retells his story in a detached sort of view, distancing the view from his emotions he's feeling while looking back on his life.
   
   I highly recommended this book, but not to everyone. It is definitely not for younger kids, someone should be at least 15 if they are going to read this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who knows someone with a mental illness and anyone who has a mental illness themselves. It really shows the thought process and emotions of someone with a mental illness, and helps us to relate to them better. I think it would be a good idea for a parent to read along with the book if their child is reading it, to help explain some things that the child might not understand.
   The book is not meant to depress someone. It is meant to give people a window into the mind of someone who is mentally ill, to help them better relate to them, to offer hope. It's meant to move people without mental illness, and to inspire those who do have a mental illness, telling them that they can find their way out of the confusing fog in their minds. In sharing his experiences, Ken has given a voice to those who have been silenced.



5. I chose to read this book as part of a group project at school. I was slightly apprehensive about the choice at first, but I finally decided to go for it and I'm glad that I did. "The Day The Voices Stopped: A Memoir of Madness and Hope" is the life of Ken Steele, told through his own words, about his struggles with schizophrenia. It details his journey from place to place, hospital to hospital and along the very edge of suicide. It describes the abuses he suffers in mental wards and how people took advantage of his position. It also describes his recovery and his life afterwards as a mental health advocate.
   The book begins with the day the voices came to Ken. "The voices arrived without warning on an October night in 1962, when I was fourteen years old. Kill yourself.... set yourself afire, they said." I found this a very gripping way to begin his story. We get to see what happened from day one and what things the voices say to him from the start. I think that, by letting us in on all 32 years of his struggle, he lets us into a new way of thinking about mental illness.
   I thought that the book and its content would disturb me, but it didn't disturb me at all. The only thing it did was make me think and question my own views on the issue, which I find to be a great quality in a book. The book is slightly depressing, but Steele does offer the reader rays of hope throughout the text to keep it from being one large pit of spirit lowering material.
   The book helped me to develop my position involving the care and treatment of those with mental illness and helped me to understand mental illness better. He takes his current feelings out of the picture (most of the time) so that we focus on the moment and what he was going through at the time he's telling about and can understand the hardship mental illness brings to those who suffer from it and their families. I think that everyone should read this book, whether they have a direct connection with mentally ill patients or not, for this reason. "The Day the Voices Stopped" is a very eye opening book and lets us into the minds of the mentally ill so that we can have a better understanding of them. There is, however, some very adult content within the text so the book is not appropriate for children, and parents should also be there to discuss it if their teenager is reading this book. As a teenager, I felt that it was important to be exposed to this so that I don't form the wrong conclusions about the mentally ill and their care, and my parents agreed with me.
   This is definitely a book that I would buy, if not for the educational value of it, but for the story itself. Ken's fight for sanity and his miraculous recovery thanks to a new line of anti-psychotics, and his later fight for rights for the mentally ill is an amazing story. I was constantly wondering where he would go, what he would have to deal with, and what the voices were going to tell him to do next. In exposing his story and sending out his voice, he has become a real hero for many people who have been silent for too long.

5 comments about Lucky Man: A Memoir.

1. Michael J. Fox's memoir "Lucky Man" is a great and inspiring read. One thing I admire about Fox is that he's basically an average guy who was dealt some wild cards and has managed to thrive in life - including, not in spite of, his circumstances. One thing I found consistently striking and inspiring is Fox's courage throughout all of his life experiences to be true to himself. In some instances, this meant following his natural instincts in his career, and in others it meant hiding his disease from the public as a delicately-timed and balanced lifestyle. His honesty and lack of pretension is also refreshing; he talks not only of the Hollywood lifestyle he had when his career took off, but also of his self-doubts and fears.
   
   If you were also inspired by this honest perspective on enjoying life to
   the fullest, I highly recommend the books Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment, as well as Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: The 3 Simple Ideas That Can Instantaneously Transform Your Life, by Ariel & Shya Kane. The Kanes talk specifically about living in the moment as a way of discovering magic in your life - how to do it, how to not do it, and how it is easy and effortless. In his book, Fox talks about how "his 'job' is whatever he happens to be doing at the moment - whether it's giving a speech, changing a diaper, writing a book," etc. If you'd like to discover a sense of truly being here for each moment and living your life as wholly as possible (without having to experience a major tragedy or disease), look no further than these wonderful books.



2. I was amazed at what an excellent writer Michael J. Fox is -- his story was candidly written with insightful accounts of his incredible journey. I was also impressed that the proceeds from the book all go to research for a cure for Parkinson's disease. Way to go, Michael!



3. I bought this book on the recommendation of my Medical Terminology teacher. We were discussing neurological diseases and when we got to Parkinson's Disease (PD) she mentioned that she had read his book and how much she enjoyed it. So I got it. I was not a huge "Family Ties" fan but I have paid attention to Michael J. Fox's career especially of late since his disclosure of having PD. In the last few years he has been on a show here and there as a guest. He was on Boston Legal and I thought he was superb! You could clearly see that the camera did not stay on him very long but his acting was top-notch nonetheless.
   
   That said, his book is written with extreme openness, heart and humor. He has such a wonderful outlook on life especially in the wake of learning he has PD. He writes from a place that we wish more stars would be able to go - the very sincerest depth of his being - so much so that I found myself in tears a few times as I read. He writes as if he were telling you, the reader, the story in person. He is himself more in this book than I've ever seen him in an interview on TV. This is a very true, revealing, heart-warming story that definitely gives the definition of what it takes to be considered a Lucky Man today. I highly recommend the book.



4. Michael J. Fox opens his 2002 memoir in late 1990, in the moment he first notices the pinky-finger tremor that leads, a year later at age 30, to a diagnosis of Young Onset Parkinson's Disease (PD).
   
   Then he backs up for a hundred pages to describe his growing-up years in Canada and rising-star experiences in Hollywood -- including an interesting theory of "celebrity" (that it is a gone-haywire extension of the suspension of disbelief/emotional connection that are required of an audience during a performance). He devotes chapters to his PD diagnosis and treatment (including his concealment of it) and to his descent into career and personal crisis. Though it seems PD would top his list of problems then, he notices it doesn't even make the list which includes alcoholism. Fox finishes by describing his redemption, his "coming out" about PD, and his work toward PD research.
   
   The memoir's structure and writing exceeded my expectations and I wondered about a ghostwriter -- until I read Fox's acknowledgements, where he mentions the writing of it and thanks his writing-mentor brother-in-law ... Michael ("Omnivore's Dilemma") Pollan! Lucky Man is an informative, engaging, and insightful memoir.



5. I wasn't sure what to expect from this book. Would it be just about Michael J Fox's life or would it center too much on his Parkinson's disease. I'm not usually big on reading celebrity autobiographies and memoirs.
   This one is definitely worth reading! Mr. Fox shares his story with humor and humility and a wonderful honesty. He speaks honestly about his struggles with Parkinson's and trying to hide it in order to continue working. He also speaks honestly about his personal struggles with alcohol and depression. But the struggles don't dominate the book. There are many fun anecdotes about his years growing up in Canada and about the world of acting.
   In the end, what made the biggest impression on me was his gratitude. Gratitude for the life he was able to have as an actor, for his family, and ultimately, even for the disease that changed his life.
   This is a book that I would recommend for anyone who is interested in celebrity biographies. And I would especially recommend it for anyone who has Parkinson's disease or has a family member or friend who has this disease. When you have a disease such as this, it can be difficult to articulate to others just what it is you go through without sounding sorry for yourself.
   Now when I need to explain this to someone, I can just hand them this book and say, "READ IT. NOW."
   Thanks, Mr. Fox!!

5 comments about The Autobiography of Ben Franklin.

1. I have read this book myself at least twice. This book was purchased as a graduation present for a nephew. I wish someone had made me read this book at the age of 13. Franklin is quite the character. There are a lot of controversies surrounding his life, but for the purpose of instruction, I prefer to quit the debating society. This fellow is the first native born genius of record produced in this country. He may have painted a rosy picture of his life, but any of us would in an autobiography. If you want a critical examination of his life, check out some of the excellent athoritive biographies available. If you want inspiration, read this. Most inspiring are the roles that thrift and hard work played in his success and his practical approach to striving for "moral perfection".



2. This says Norton Critical Edition, so, of course, designed for academic study.
   
   A man that of course did a whole pile of stuff and came up with a whole pile more.
   
   Entertaining at times, and lecturing at others, as you might expect from someone that had been in a privileged position.



3. In many ways, this is, to someone coming to it for the first time, a very surprising book. For one thing, it is amazingly incomplete. Franklin is, of course, one of the most famous Americans who ever lived, and his accomplishments in a wide array of endeavors are a part of American lore and popular history. A great deal of this lore and many of his accomplishments are missing from this account of his life. He never finished the autobiography, earlier in his life because he was too busy with what he terms public "employments," and later in life because the opium he was taking for kidney stones left him unable to concentrate sufficiently. Had Franklin been able to write about every period of his life and all of his achievements, his AUTOBIOGRAPHY would have been one of the most remarkable documents every produced. It is amazingly compelling in its incomplete state.
   As a serious reader, I was delighted in the way that Franklin is obsessed with the reading habits of other people. Over and over in the course of his memoir, he remarks that such and such a person was fond of reading, or owned a large number of books, or was a poet or author. Clearly, it is one of the qualities he most admires in others, and one of the qualities in a person that makes him want to know a person. He finds other readers to be kindred souls.
   
   If one is familiar with the Pragmatists, one finds many pragmatist tendencies in Franklin's thought. He is concerned less with ideals than with ideas that work and are functional. For instance, at one point he implies that while his own beliefs lean more towards the deistical, he sees formal religion as playing an important role in life and society, and he goes out of his way to never criticize the faith of another person. His pragmatism comes out also in list of the virtues, which is one of the more famous and striking parts of his book. As is well known, he compiled a list of 13 virtues, which he felt summed up all the virtues taught by all philosophers and religions. But they are practical, not abstract virtues. He states that he wanted to articulate virtues that possessed simple and not complex ideas. Why? The simpler the idea, the easier to apply. And in formulating his list of virtues, he is more concerned with the manner in which these virtues can be actualized in one's life. Franklin has utterly no interest in abstract morality.
   
   One of Franklin's virtues is humility, and his humility comes out in the form of his book. His narrative is exceedingly informal, not merely in the first part, which was ostensibly addressed to his son, but in the later sections (the autobiography was composed upon four separate occasions). The informal nature of the book displays Franklin's intended humility, and for Franklin, seeming to be so is nearly as important as actually being so. For part of the function of the virtues in an individual is not merely to make that particular person virtuous, but to function as an example to others. This notion of his being an example to other people is one of the major themes in his book. His life, he believes, is an exemplary one. And he believes that by sharing the details of his own life, he can serves as a template for other lives.
   
   One striking aspect of his book is what one could almost call Secular Puritanism. Although Franklin was hardly a prude, he was nonetheless very much a child of the Puritans. This is not displayed merely in his promotion of the virtues, but in his abstaining from excessiveness in eating, drinking, conversation, or whatever. Franklin is intensely concerned with self-governance.
   
   I think anyone not having read this before will be surprised at how readable and enjoyable this is. I think also one can only regret that Franklin was not able to write about the entirety of his life. He was a remarkable man with a remarkable story to tell.



4. no doubt about it: ben franklin was a bright fellow. brigher than me, for instance. his autobiography, however, and despite what people on amazon are saying, is a shallow piece of fluff. nothing is touched in depth as he skims from one episode to the next like he is racing to finish an unimportant task. his wife? his family? forget them. all people in his life, in fact, seem deserving of no deep consideration to mr franklin. at times he brags about himself under the guise of modesty, and it is both silly and annoying. plenty of excellent biograhy work out there on this man, and one would be much better served to pick up one of those. it simply boggles my mind that anyone could consider this a 5 star piece of literature. there is not the slightest bit of passion in this writing. mr franklin doesn't even seem terribly interested in what he is writing about. amazon reveiwers seem to award 5 stars to almost anything they read, without the slightest trace of critical detachment. yes, this is a book you would not be wasting your time reading, simply because these are the words of benjamin franklin, but that's it. this is not great literature. not even close.



5. As everyone else has noted, Ben was a brilliant man and an entertaining writer. This is classic American literature, particularly in how it shows a "character" striving to rise up and better himself because that is the promise of the American Dream.
   
   I docked Ben one star because the unfinished ending is not satisfying to someone who comes across this book for the first time. Just so you know, if you get lost during the third part, Ben is discussing the French Indian War.
   
   The Dover edition is very nice and anyone should be satisfied with it.

5 comments about Faith of My Fathers.

1. I was impressed with John McCain's life, and his service to his country. His life is a shinning example of courage and honor. My life by contrast is more self serving. It was something for me to think about while reading this book.
   
   McCain's father and grandfather were in the military and were role models for him. John's mother, who is still alive is also a role model for him as well. I believe John gets his social skills from his mom, who can be quite charming. McCain makes friends easily.
   
   I enjoyed his sense of humor and his willingness to admit his mistakes.
   
   The time he spent as a POW was suspenseful. It was gut wrenching to read about torture and the inhumane conditions in prison. The small acts of kindness between the other POW's were touching.
   
   It was interesting to learn about Vietnam from Senator McCain. For instance the fedreal government and the military had different viewpoints on how to fight this war. McCain explains briefly how President Johnson, and how President Nixon handled the war.McCain's father helped led the war effort in Asian, so McCain has some in side information.
   
   The book was well written. I was disappointed that it ended so abruptly.
   He came home from Vietnam when he was thirty eight, but didn't write about his adjustment to civilian life or his time in the senate. I wonder if this book was written after he decided to run for president? The first edition was published in 1999.
   
   Perhaps John McCain will write another book, and hopefully I can find ways to be more of service to others.



2. I am not 100% behind McCain's politics. I think he is a great American but a terrible Republican. Though I admit, his character amazes me. He has suffered so much and has done a lot for the United States. His father and grand fathers have done a lot for the country and haven't asked for much. I am amazed. This book is also a lot about American military since Sen McCain comes from a remarkable family with a long history of military involvement. When I think of his daily beatings at the hands of N. Vietnamese, it makes me support him more than ever. He's a true hero while his opponent is a zero. Put a Liberal in Hanoi Hilton for 48 hours and see how they would act. I am not sure if a Leftie could endure as much as a purpose driven, faithful and strong Conservative like McCain did. I salute Senator McCain and wish him success in this campaign. This book is highly recommended to every one especially young people.



3. I was moved to tears while reading this book. This is a man that loved his country so much he suffered many years of physical, medical, and psychological torture at the hands of the enemy, even when they asked him if he wanted to be released. He put his fellow POW's first as well as his country. Certainly a better fit for commander-in-chief than any other candidate. Slow moving at first, but interesting just the same. He is a genuine patriot!!!!



4. No doubt, McCain will go about the usual business of feverishly "sacrificing" Americans at the black altar of an immoderate patriotism. McCain recounts how his father oversaw the U.S. Pacific Command during Vietnam, a war supposedly fought to stop the domino effect of communism in the east. Yet in his campaign, McCain maintains that "the Cold War was won without firing a shot." Tell that to the millions of dead Vietnamese. Tell that to the 700,000 people slaughtered in Indonesia in 1965 at the hands of the U.S.-backed, anti-Soviet dictator Suharto. Tell that to the dead in Afghanistan, Nicaragua, and the long list of "third world" countries that the two empires used as proxy war zones. The faith of McCain's fathers was a dark faith full of deception, mass murder, and hypocrisy. Witness Walter Bedell Smith writing to Dwight D. Eisenhower, confessing the nation's fundamental duplicity at the end of WWII: "The difficulty under which we labor is that in spite of our announced position, we really do not want nor intend to accept German unification" (December 10, 1947). Here's another faithful patriot confessing the deepest guilt imaginable: "the use of this barbarous weapon at Hiroshima and Nagasaki was of no material assistance in our war against Japan. The Japanese were already defeated and ready to surrender...In being the first to use it, we adopted an ethical standard common to the barbarians of the Dark Ages...Wars should not be won by destroying women and children (Admiral William D. Leahy, "I Was There: The Personal Story of the Chief of Staff to Presidents Roosevelt and Truman," p. 441. Aside from having been chief of staff to both presidents, Leahy, a five star admiral, presided over the U.S. Joint Chiefs of Staff and the Combined American-British Chiefs of Staff). President Dwight D. Eisenhower himself confessed America's secret guilt: "Japan was already defeated. Dropping the bomb was completely unnecessary..I thought that our country should avoid shocking world opinion by the use of a weapon whose employment was, I thought, no longer mandatory as a measure to save American lives. Japan was, at that very moment, seeking some way to surrender with a minimum loss of 'face'" (Dwight D. Eisenhower, "Mandate for Change," pp.312-13). Of course, even if we discount all the newly revealed evidence (as compiled by, for example, Carolyn Eisenberg and Gar Alperovitz) and retain the standard, politically correct version (the version provided to the American troops and public), it remains a martial abomination to destroy women and children -- indeed, in the tens of thousands -- for the sake of soldiers. In either case, to hide behind the word "faith" is an insult to all that is fair and just. As for authorship, it looks like the old man did the talking, Mr. Salter the writing.



5. I found the first four chapters a bit boring because I was looking for more about McCain. However, as I got into it further, I realized the need for this background. I see the importance of the connections he felt with his parents, grandparents, other people as the events in the "Hanoi Hilton" unfolded and what these connections meant to fellow POW's as well as to us today. He is a true hero who puts his country and his fellow citizens above self-interest. He gives credit to many other people. He has a pattern of serving interests larger than just his self-interests. We don't need to be told. We see this in action.
   
   I found that several emails circulating around the internet are true: support from a POW named Day, the secretive Christian encouragement, a kindness from a guard, etc. The horrors are un-nerving. How many young people today think of the Hogan's Heroes image of prison camps!
   
   When I got to the part about John McCain in Vietnam, I could not put the book down. We see rather than are told about the importance of faith in God, family and friends, and country. He isn't a hero just because of his suffering. He is a hero because of the way he handles life and the way he connects to people!
   
   They say one measure of character is to look at what makes the person angry. Is it petty things or important things? He has had cause to be angry about things which he feels are hurtful to our country! Even in his worst temptations, he didn't say "God damn America." He never was inspired by people who wanted to do harm to the USA.
   
   He was not my first choice in the primaries, but now I feel secure and hopeful in voting for him. This is not just influenced by the book but this book and other books about him have helped. I've also been helped by watching him in town hall meetings, getting more understanding about his not voting for something that sounded good except for "bad strings" attached to the bill, etc.
   
   I appreciate the insight this book provided. In spite of the seriousness of this book, there are some parts which are very funny.

5 comments about The Bond: Three Young Men Learn to Forgive and Reconnect with Their Fathers.

1. I read "The Bond" over two nights. What an incredible story! It tells the story of triumph over adversity. I recommend every parent; single or married; every teacher,teen-ager, male or female read this book!



2. This is a wonderful book, particularly for men and teen-age boys who have difficult relationships with their fathers. In their sequel to "The Pact," the three doctors -- Jenkins, Davis and Hunt -- give an open and honest account of how they learned to forgive and reconnect with their dads. In a unique twist, the fathers' stories also are told, revealing how a generational curse such as fatherlessness is hard to break. The women's guild of my church read "The Bond" for a recent book discussion. We had a great conversation with author Margaret Bernstein.



3. The Bond by the Three Doctors, as they are more affectionately called, is an extension of their first book, The Pact. In The Pact, Sampson Davis, George Jenkins and Rameck Hunt tell how they became friends in high school and ultimately, how they promised to stick together and graduate from college to become doctors. The Bond goes even further into the friendship of these three young men.
   
   Davis, Jenkins and Hunt were able to become friends because of what is considered a growing epidemic in the African American community - children growing up in single family homes. Each doctor tells the reason why his father was not present in his home. They also give their fathers an opportunity to share their stories. They learn that their fathers either grew up in the same circumstances or they did not know themselves, the impact they were passing on through each generation. The doctors discuss how they struggled to learn about developing relationships with women, building confidence, and peer pressure and to learn a simple task such as how to fix a tie or picking out a suit without the guidance of male presence in their lives. They also discuss their devotions to their mothers, who sacrificed to keep their families together. Despite not having a male role model, the doctors basically learned from each other. The Bond tells of their need and desire to understand the reasons why their fathers were absent and what they have done to begin to build relationships with their fathers. Dr. Hunt stated "even though they missed out on a portion of their lives, parenthood last a lifetime".
   
   The story was very compelling and thought provoking. The Doctors also describe the ways that they have set out to mentor other children who are growing up in similar homes. This is a recommended book that can be read by both males and females who are living in single family homes and are struggling to come to terms with an absent parent.
   
   Reviewed by: Priscilla C. Johnson
   APOOO BookClub



4. In Newark, Sampson Davis, George Jenkins, and Rameck Hunt met as fatherless children struggling to survive ghetto living without a male mentor or role model; they formed THE PACT in high school to help one another make it and they succeeded as each became a doctor.
   
   In THE BOND, the physicians look into the most prevalent disease destroying America's family: no father. The trio does this by seeking their dads, who never had a role in their lives. The threesome separately describe growing up fatherless and how difficult that is to overcome, but do not add any new insight than they already described in the PACT. However, their recommendations to youths suffering from this pandemic illness are solid especially to go out and find a role model to mentor you. However, the most poignant segments are the sections written by the absentee dads, who offer no rationalization as to why, but explain their failures in depth. Especially discerning is that each of them also grew up fatherless. THE BOND is a moving autobiography and though anecdotal should be must reading for everyone who wonders what has gone wrong with the American family unit as generational repetition is difficult to turn around.
   
   Harriet Klausner



5. "The Bond" is a story about three African-American doctors who lived in Newark, New Jersy. Drs. Hunt, Davis and Jenkins all show what srtuggles of inner-city life can bring.
   
   The three doctors have taken their time to discuss what has become a big problem in the U.S. and the world -- absentee fathers. Their fathers didn't "measure up" to their idea of what a father should be. Whether it was as a result of the fathers not being at home, unmarried, alcoholism, drugs, jail or simply not knowing how to communicate, one thing is for sure, it's not okay to bring a child into this world solely to fend for themselves.

5 comments about Mosaic: Pieces of My Life So Far.

1. I received this book for Christmas and read it in one night. I couldn't put it down. Amy's talent for writing songs is reflected just as well in writing this book. She is truthful, insightful, funny and candid about her life and her career. I have been a fan of Amy for many years and I was really interested in reading about how she got to this place in her life. I was moved by the emotion that was involved in telling her story and I found myself laughing and/or crying at various points throughout the book. I couldn't put it down. I definitely recommend this book to all (even some older teenagers). Amy proves the point that "Christians aren't perfect, just forgiven".



2. Even if you're not a fan of Amy Grant's gospel music, and even if you don't know of her midlife, second marriage to country singer Vince Gill, as a book browser you'd be tempted to pick up this book. The jacket pictures a smiling --- probably laughing --- and barefoot Amy, sporting a bohemian-style skirt and lacy shawl. The pose suggests that she's slightly vulnerable and inviting you into her life.
   
   The title and subtitle don't promise full disclosure or a running narrative. And the text truly is a mosaic --- thematic and episodic chapters and journal reflections that skip around in time, revealing "pieces" of a life. The back-jacket well describes the prose as being "varied in texture."
   
   Some chapters focus on her extended family: parents, sisters, nieces, aunts --- nearly all live nearby, clustered around Nashville. A tribute to an uncle killed before she was born feels like a eulogy written to and for Amy's family. This "Uncle Larry" chapter starts: "I love family. I love being identified in the context of my family."
   
   Other chapters stay in the professional realm. A chapter titled "How Did I Wind Up Here?" is targeted toward her ardent fans. It recounts Amy's career path, naming singers who influenced her and people with whom she has performed or schmoozed.
   
   The best material describes specific days and encounters: an impromptu visit to the Nashville home of an octogenarian fan; a day with her children at the Tennessee state fair; a personal encounter with a wild deer. A few of these narrative accounts give the back story of a particular song, such as "Hats" and "Missing You."
   
   It's obvious that motherhood and music are focal points of Amy's life. And her Christian faith, which has at times waned, is renewed. She talks of this poignantly in a chapter about motherhood, "On Children and Faith." She explains, "My most consistent prayer for my children has been, God, find them the way you found me. Give them faith to believe you." Here she describes a journey of grace and forgiveness in the midst of personal turmoil.
   
   Between chapters, Amy has interspersed the lyrics of more than 30 songs, including several that are new and unrecorded. The book includes 16 pages of color photographs, and small family photos enhance the opening page of each chapter.
   
   The last dozen pages of the book, "The Times of My Life," give a chronological life summary, which provides "a framework" for her mosaic pieces. She explains: "My intent is to show how quickly I was set upon a path I did not anticipate and how that shaped my life. If I do not have a unique stage persona that differs from the me who shows up at the grocery store, it's because I've never felt any demarcation between life and art, faith and day-to-day living." It's that persona that shows in the jacket photograph --- she looks like the artsy sister next door.
   
   --- Reviewed by Evelyn Bence



3. I just love to hear Amy talk. She is so real and expressive. She has such a way with words. The sound of her voice just adds so much more to the enjoyment of reading the book. I highly recommend the audio version, by itself, or to read along with the book at the same time. This is truely a priceless treasure for fans of Amy Grant!



4. I'm a fan of Amy Grant's music - Mostly her more pop stuff - and was interested in this book. So I ordered it, not knowing really what to expect. Well, it's a beautiful book written about Amy's life. She included song lyrics (new and old), poems and little stories about her career as well as her family. For those hoping for a tell-all, well, Amy is too classy for that, and instead focuses on the good and bad, and important parts of her life to convey deep and meaningful messages about love, family, children, God and life. Highly recomended!



5. I highly recommend this read. Although I enjoy reading biographies as well as appreciate the broad artistry of Amy Grant--singer, songwriter, actress, television host--this selection is a gem. Unlike the usual format of a bio, this one has much more...flavor. Grant's aptly named work, MOSAIC, intertwines intimate revelations with songs and poems that Grant has written--some previously unpublished. MOSAIC is such an enjoyable and inspiring read that I have read it, reread it, gave it away and had to replace several times already--and it's only been released less than a year!

5 comments about The Language of Baklava.

1. In the book's foreword, Abu-Jaber states that the facts should never get in the way of a story, that the essence of experience is in the heart. She then tells her life story, each chapter an independent vignette, strung together by her father's love of family and food. I have little in common with Abu-Jaber, the oldest daughter of a protective, over-the-top father, who never truly left his native Jordan; and a US mother, obscure in the background, a stoical cypher. But Abu-Jaber is right, the essence of a story is in the heart, and her book connects.



2. This is a great story - Abu-Jaber shares beautiful stories of growing up with a Jordanian father and an American mother. As someone close to Middle-Eastern expats, I recognised a lot of the feelings, emotions and social situations she describes: the longing for a long lost country that is one embellished from childhood memories, the importance of food as a source of comfort and a way to bring continuation to a new lifestyle in a foreign country, the importance of family, the unity between a family that is scattered around the world but whose heritage keeps them together. I thought it was very enjoyable and entertaining. It should be especially interesting to people interested in Middle-Eastern culture and those who are or know any expats/immigrants like Abu-Jaber's father. For a deeper and less light-toned stories, I also recommend Crescent, or West of the Jordan.



3. Terrific memoir, funny and moving. Pretty good recipes too! Highly recommend.



4. A lovely book, reminding me somewhat of my own childhood and my over-the-top overprotective father. The descriptions of her family's meals are incredible. I found myself rushing to make the recipes, looking forward to enjoying devouring them as I read, like I was sitting at the table with the author.
   
   One of those books that you think, "Ok, it's late... I'll just read until the end of this chapter," then you don't put it down.
   
   Well, if you're a foodie daughter of an immigrant like me, anyway.



5. Reading The Language of Baklava, I felt like I'd stepped into a 'lost world'-- the rich memories and sensations and stories were outstanding. This is my favorite kind of book, the kind that I have trouble finding any more, where I feel like you enter the heart and mind of a life and a place. I will never forget this book.

5 comments about Heart in the Right Place.

1. You can zip through this in the bookstore. Wholly lacking in character development and spiritual depth.



2. I enjoyed this book--even to the point of giving it as a gift to a friend. It's an easy read, with humor and inspiration. Given the options presented to the author, a lawyer on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC., she gives up her exciting career to return to her hometown in East Tennessee and help her aging father in his medical practice. The only negative was her use of her language--she would occasionally slip into the dialect of East Tennessee, which startled my senses. I found that it occasionally left me unsettled. Overall, the book was a delight and her characters worthy of the attention they received in the book. I'm recommending this book to my book club!



3. When I picked this book up at a relative's while visiting, I figured it was a "chick book." But, it was several hours later when I finally put it back down. It was such a real and compassionate story about every day heroes who care for (and about) America's hardest working blue collar men and women. A good book to bring you back to earth and help you sort out priorities. Great book for both men and women to read.



4. Heart in the Right Place is the story of one woman's return to sanity after the dizzying world of high powered success and big money. Carolyn honors those of us who choose to give our lives to the care of others and find ourselves blessed by the lives that touch ours. This is the story of a spiritual transformation. The author lifts us up with her insights and her ability to tell vivid stories. It is very much recommended.



5. Readers looking for something touching and personal will certainly enjoy this. It is a fast book to read, mixing humor and poignancy well. If you like A Prairie Home Companion With Garrison Keillor (30th Anniversary Season Celebration) then you will be interested in this. The book does tend toward over-long explanation, especially at the end. The tale could have finished on a more powerful note if it had been three chapters shorter. However, if you are tired of reading books that cram the heroine's love life down your throat, you will certainly enjoy the maturely understated love that may be blossoming for Carolyn here. Just a note of warning to the squeamish, there are graphic descriptions of accidents and surgeries.

5 comments about A Whole New Life: An Illness and a Healing.

1. THis is a great inspirational book for anyone suffering from a major life changing injury.



2. The best compliment I can provide is I'm buying more copies to give to friends. The book is thought provoking as well as extraordinarily uplifting.



3. Should be mandatory reading of all Medical Students and Residents. Disease process as seen and documentd by a patient. The physical, emotional, and spiritual swings a patient goes through during a long protracted illness.



4. 
   This is a book about severe illness and recovery. It is a true story of hope and healing told without self-pity. Price writes of being faced with a diagnosis of severe cancer of the spine. "Some vital impulse spared me needing to reiterate the world's most frequent and pointless question in the face of disaster - Why? Why me? I never asked it; the only answer is of course: Why not?"
   
   In the same candid, sometimes funny, yet always affecting words, the popular and prolific author tells of his battle with disease. First struck down in 1984, he suffered through surgery, days of agonizing pain and was eventually confined to a wheelchair, unable to function professionally or personally.
   
   He later sought treatment with a hypnotist at Duke University's psychiatric department with beneficial results. Throughout, Price gives credit to the power of prayer, which he calls "the first strong prop beneath my own collapse."
   
   This is not only the story of an illness and recovery, it is the saga of resolve when confronted with a frightening enemy, and it is a tale of family and friendships, the human network that supports us.
   
   Highly recommended.
   
   - Gail Cooke



5. A very honest emotional description of experiences while dealing with a cancer, a surgery, radiation, learning how to live with pain as a companion, learning how to live as a "gimp"--word used by the author, and many other superbly described experiences. Just the right touch, just the right doze. Very subtle and lithe. Joy to read.

5 comments about West of Jesus: Surfing, Science, and the Origins of Belief.

1. With dry wit and self-deprecating humor, Steven Kotler examines surfing from a Spiritual perspective, or is it Spirituality from a surfing perspective.
   
   This book answers all the big Spiritual questions in life:
   Why am I here?
   Why do I surf?
   
   Everyone who surfs can relate to observations like, "I was both addicted to surfing and terrified of surfing." But it's a great book even if you don't surf. I just wish my temple had better waves today.



2. I'm a surfer/extreme sport athlete. Also have a BS in psychology as well as anthropology. Kotler's blend of humor, story telling, and empirical data in his search for the big question is seriously phenomenal. BUY THIS BOOK!!



3. I didn't know what this was about, but seeing the word "Jesus" in the title above a flying surfboard grabbed me enough to check it out. Turns out, Kotler has put together a pretty interesting project in his book.
   
   I call this a project because it doesn't feel like a novel, an autobiography, or any other nonfiction piece. Kotler goes on a multi-continent journey searching for the origins of a particular surfing myth he was told after a bad wipeout, and along the way he tells us all about his research into zen, weather science, drugs, and human psychology. All of these aspects combine with his first person narrative of interactions with surfers from all over the world to create an entertaining read with all kinds of food for thought and future discussion.
   
   Sadly, while he wraps up the ending in a tidy little package, there's no real or satisfying resolution to his quest. After all the fascinating facts and theories and stories he unloads on his audience, he doesn't really deliver any answers. And maybe that was the point, but it makes me as a reader feel a little gypped.
   
   Still, it's a fun read with a lot of insight and many parts where I laughed out loud, so I definitely recommend it.



4. The book was decently written but I found myself wondering half way through what the book was actually about. There seems to be an attempt to tie surfing, philosophy and religion together in some way but it never really happens. It seemed the author picked a bunch of theories and tried to force some sort of analogy to his life and surfing but the connections remained unclear. The book does not have any significant conclusion. I forced myself to finish it just to catch the surfing stories which were ok but couldn't stand alone on their own.



5. Sometimes a strange disease changes the course of a life. For Steven Kotler, it was Lyme, described by one notable physician as "a very intelligent bacteria." The journey precipitated by these Borrelia burgdorferi lead the author of West of Jesus on a surf trip of sorts. Twin stories of a Conductor who can control the weather and "conduct" the waves, which he hears eight years and thousands of miles apart, lead inexorably to a space where physics and metaphysics converge. Here is an strangely exciting tale of coincidence and serendipity sub-populated with shamans, Tibetan White Buddhists, and kahunas at the intersection of Stoke and Karma - where the Surf Quest, for Kotler, is experienced as a disturbingly real search for the Holy Grail.
   
   Subtitled "Surfing, Science and the Origins of Belief," this is an alluring and stimulating tour-de-force that has more to do with mind surfing through the wonders and paradoxes on our times than with riding ocean waves. The book is replete with attractive speculations; like, that humans' competitive advantage in the animal kingdom is to be found most singularly in our long-distance running ability (we're born marathoners; we'll catch anything eventually). This book is a worthy companion for the journey.
   
   Kotler's story of the pursuit of the Conductor didn't click for me (it felt either like a literary device or a bad justification for a rather aimless surf trip). But the trip's the point anyway, and if you can bring along Einstein and Tom Stone and Rabbi Shifren and sundry commentators on altered states of consciousness, well - hey! West of Jesus resonates right along with its shelfmate, Dancing Naked in the Mind Field, by Novel laureate (and surfer) Karry Mullis. It's an enjoyable and enlightening ride, even if you don't get barreled.
   
   - Drew Kampion for The Surfer's Path [www.surferspath.com]