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

1. This has been a wonderful insight into one of our democratic candidates for the presidential election. Sen. Obama's writing style is wonderful and I have a much greater awareness of him. This is an excellent book for every one to read.



2. Gives an insight into the life and family of one of the most gifted politicians of our times.



3. 
   "I ceased to advertise my mothers race at the age of 12 or 13."-Obama writes, "Our rage at the white world needed no object...no independant confirmation; it could be switched on and off at our pleasure."
   
   OBAMA sounds like A RACIST to me!
   
   its a good thing for obama that "typical white people" dont read books; or this would of killed his chances long ago!
   
   Is this the kind of stuff that MLK Jr would have said or did? No...he had every reason to be hateful towards "other races" that "oppressed" him; but he wasnt...he simply went out and created the change he wanted to see; he didnt blame anybody or go to a church that talked about hate and blame...what kind of god would that be that tought such things?
   
   
   How come oprah left rev wrights church in less than two years....but obama has been there for over 20 yrs?



4. Obama's book is a must-read for those who want to know the Barack Obama, the man, his character and principles before he becomes our president!



5. enjoyed reading this first book by Obama. Moving story. Well written and gives further insight on an inspirational leader.

5 comments about Quiet Strength: The Principles, Practices, & Priorities of a Winning Life.

1. I'm writing this on behalf of my husband. He LOVED this book. He is not a church-going man, but Tony's sentiments really moved my husband, and he found it a very interesting read. He couldn't put this book down (which is amazing since the remote control usually takes up that space, ha ha)



2. I am a young person trying to break into the field coaching. I currently work for a division one program and some times I get discouraged. Coaching is a difficult profession to break into and some times my life gets discouraging. My father got me this book and told me to read it. It was after a particularly bad week that I decided to read this book and it lifted my spirits. Coach Dungy has the right idea in a profession full of wrong ones. Knowing people like him have made it gives me strength to keep going.



3. Tony has a great testimony! Makes a great gift or a great read, football fan or not!



4. Whether you are a parent, a coach or both this book is absolutely captivating. I have been reading it with our 12 year old son and found myself reading ahead after he went to bed. Tony Dungy is an inspiring man of God and his wisdom and experience will certainly give adults and young readers a new perspective on life.
   
   I am in the process of purchasing other copies of the book to give to clients and friends. It is a great story and is the best book I have read in years!
   
   Brett Morey
   Brentwood, CA



5. Tony Dungy's autobiography, "Quiet Strength" is a terrific book that contains a message that should appeal to any reader (not just football fans). Dungy speaks of leadership without intimidation, confidence through religious conviction and success through perseverance. The book has a religious tone, but Dungy gets his point across without being preachy. He draws from a stable upbringing by his parents and shares his thoughts about life, football, parenting, dealing with adversity, and being a man.
   
   There's a lot of football references so football fans and those who have followed Dungy's playing and coaching career will certainly enjoy "Quiet Strength". The book should play well in Pittsburgh, Tampa, and Indy because so much of the book deals with Dungy's career as an NFL football coach.
   
   The book is a testament about doing things "right" and treating people with respect in order to gain the same in return. And...as evidenced by the 2007 Super Bowl, nice guys CAN finish first!

5 comments about Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain.

1. My mother heard a lady talking about this book at the veterinarian's office and told me about it. I immediately ordered it on Amazon.com.
   
   It is a wonderful story about a man, his integrity, a committed wife, their children, and the Akita dog breed. Even if you are not an "Akita person" I am sure you would find this book very interesting. If you are an "Akita person" I am sure it will be on your shelf of favorites. I will be ordering more for gifts... it's that good.
   
   Thank you Mr. Morie (Mor ee ay) for preserving and developing my favorite breed. I have 3 living Akita's, 2 have passed away, and they are like no other dogs. Their intelligence, judge of character, and loyalty amaze me everyday.
   
   Thank you Ms. Sherrill for sharing this man's story with us. Thank you for sharing Kitako (Mr. Morie's wife) and their children's views also. Thank you for showing us an example of integrity and committment, even though it's not the easy road, it is always worth the journey.
   
   I LOVED IT!



2. A truly unique window into the world of a Japanese family. After the first chapter, I was so interested in this unique man and his wife that I could not stop reading the book. I think both dog lovers and history buffs will find this a worthwhile read.



3. Let's get this out of the way right up front... We are Akita owners so we are slightly biased. Martha Sherrill does a wonderful job capturing the essence of the breed and tells an amazing story. You rarely hear her voice in the telling, but you feel well guided through the tale. As an author she was wise to stay out of the way of this amazing tale of a man who wants, and ultimately led, the simple life. In "Dog Man", Morie remained true to himself and his particular view of the world. He was not without his faults, but his wife, dogs, and yes, even his children loved him. His legacy is one of creation. What Morie created, his dogs, mountain retreat and legacy of kindness resonates with those hoping for something more from the world. In fact, the book makes such an impression, that a different outcome for "Into the Wild" might have occurred had this book been available...
   
   For me... maybe one day my partner and I will end up with our own tin roofed cabin in a spot of the world that takes your breath away. Of course when I say "cabin of our own" that includes an Akita sleeping on the bed. Morie and Uesugi would not have approved of an Akita in the bed, but I bet Kitako would not mind so much!
   
   Thank you Martha Sherrill for writing this book. Even though it is only March, I now know what our friends will be getting for Christmas this year.



4. Martha Sherrill is an extraordinarily gifted writer across many genres. Here, her voice, muted and elegaic, captures a lost world with delicacy and economy befitting its subject matter. So much more than a dog story--although as someone who loves a good dog story I enjoyed it on that level too--it is an unexpected window into an often opaque culture and a love story that transcends a specific place and time..



5. This book is a rare treasure. As a dog lover, an amateur student of Japanese history, and a resident of Japan, I found it irresistable. It provides great information about a relatively unknown place in Japan, even to Japanese folks. It also chronicles a period of time in Japanese history from an unusual vantage point. The book is an excellent book for dog lovers, but it's about much more than that. It details incredible human relationships in tight, hypnotic verse, it tells about the most beautiful areas in Japan, and it tells about the changing dynamics of Japanese marriage. I read it from cover to cover, totally unable to put it down. A must read!

5 comments about Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood.

1. Please take the time to read this striking memoir and its sequel, Persepolis 2. The language is straightforward, as is the graphic style. Satrapi's very personal story speaks to both the difficulties of living in a straight-laced, dogmatically rigid society, and the many different stories and perspectives of those who live there. Iran is often portrayed in a reductionist manner in the West, and a close reading of these books serves to broaden and deepen our understanding.
   
   Additionally, Satrapi is currently near the end of a speaking tour in the U.S. IF you have the opportunity to hear her speak, take advantage of it. She is a cogent and compassionate speaker who will further deepen your understanding of the Iranian people.



2. "Persepolis" is a great read. In less than two hours, you'll know more about Iranian history than you probably ever did. I, for one, felt positively ignorant as I learned of the Shah, the Islamic revolution, the Communist sympathizers... all told through the eyes of a teenage girl who thinks she is a prophet. The book is informative, fun, and an easy read. It will dispel many stereotypes without resorting to political correctness. I'm very glad I opted for the book over the movie version currently in theaters. I'm often bored by animation, but the graphic novel is interactive and the story flows nicely. Read it... you won't regret it.



3. I read Persepolis the day it arrived from the bookstore. I sat down with a cup of coffee, some French downtempo, and proceeded to inhale the entire book, cover-to-cover, in a little over two hours. I reread it recently, and this time prefaced my reading with light research. I checked out an interview with Asia Source, took in a few literary reviews, and brushed up on the history of the ancient city of Persepolis, for which the novel's title is based. I tried to piece together the historical context of the book with the artistic process that inspired the author to write such heady material into a graphic novel.
   
   Let me preface by saying I don't think heady material is too good for graphic novels. I've read a few of these in the last few years -- this and Blankets are notable. I find graphic novels take the best of literature and film, combining them for an eloquent, visually striking experience. The use of light and dark as metaphor is the most compelling, and Persepolis uses this often, and best. The stark, unforgiving illustrations appear at once so bleak and in an instant so bright. In one frame the thick black gashes are the dark bags beneath a dead demonstrators vacant eyes, and in the next frame are innocent and child-like, a squiggling and unsteady black line framing a young Marji's equally gleeful, cherub face.
   
   Reading around I noticed this technique, both jarring and "immature", nearly turned off many a potential reader, and risked undermining the heady politics of the book. After reading Satrapi's interview with Asia Source, however, I understand its purpose: these thick swaths of black and white, with nary a shade of grey, are the same black and white rhetoric that shapes world politics and culture. The characters, sometimes barely more than a stick figure, are the caricatures politicians make of their foes. It's only in the subtle changes of facial expressions -- a widening of the eyes, a furrow of the brow -- that we can see some semblance of a human underneath, small but just as telling as the thought bubbles floating above their heads.
   
   The goal to separate and explain "the people and the terrorist/fanatacist/fundamentalist" stereotype is completely, totally achieved within the first two frames of the novel, where we are ambushed by a row of somber-looking little girls draped in black veils, the symbol of oppression and woman-fearing almost universally despised in the West. With one quick glance we could almost assume these are one portrait of one girl repeated over and over, except for the little whisps of bangs peering from beneath each of the shrouds -- some side-swept, some parted down the center, some curly, some straight. Within seconds we are reminded: these are real people, not soundbytes or 3-second video clips looped over and over for the horrified bemusement of Americans.
   
   Still, while Marji is shamelessly out to shatter the assumption that the Iran people or culture is fundamentalist or oppressive, she refuses to paint the people as shining examples of progressive open-minded goodness who have been unfairly categorized for the one or two freedom-hating fundamentalists. There is evidence of even the kindest, gentlest folk adhering to the more oppressive rules of the regime, but not out of a desire to oppress, but out of faith, tradition, and trust for those in power. Again, this is best exemplified only a few pages in, as we see an image of women demonstrating both for and against the veil. On one side the unveiled women stand erect and angular, eyes narrow yet full of furor, championing the freedom to literally let their hair down. Opposite, a row of veiled women "confront" them, their clenched fists slightly limp, their eyes closed and pious, little Madonnas suffering quietly our sins. The former look young and angry, the latter look almost ancient. They were likely a mixture of the two; there were just too many to tell.
   
   In the current political context, these images are the most striking: little clumps of dogged beliefs squaring off against one another, rows of protesters hurling rocks at soldiers, soldiers aiming guns at protesters, massacred demonstrators lying in the streets, ghostly figures pushing the Shah out of frame and out of power, hordes celebrating the exile of the Shah. Seeing this story unfold through of eyes of a young girl is a very singular, educating, and transforming experience, but even riveting notions like war-from-a-child's-vantage need a kick in the goods, and sometimes the blur of faces could snap me back to the reality the first-person singular was beginning to lose. Images of individuals of many ages, classes, and backgrounds uniting, and eventually overthrowing, a centuries-old monarchy gives a sense of urgency, audacity, and realness to this revolution, which was all but excluded from every single history book I ever read throughout almost two decades of schooling. It made it seem as huge as it was, and is, in a way that neither textbooks nor one little girl can quite describe.



4. I've been waiting for a book like this to come out for years...something about a modern girl, growing up in Iran, exactly during this time, presented in a unique way. Persepolis is perfect! I love the fact that Satrapi presented her story as a graphic novel--genius! All of her characters, the names, the places, the stories of her family and neighbors and friends, the atrocities, everything reminded me of the same names and stories I grew up with here in the U.S., told to me by my Iranian father and grandmother. I felt like Marji was a relative of mine, and found myself in tears in several places in this book. I read it with my daughter, too, because I thought that it was a good way to introduce her to one aspect of her heritage. She loved it as much as I did! Neither one of us could put it down. I look forward to reading the second volume of her life in Austria.



5. This book is about a little girl named Marji during the Iranian Revolution (Against the Shah) and the Islamic Revolution ( Against the Islamic Republic). In this book it jumps between periods of time. It starts out after the Iranian Revolution then goes back to the Iranian Revolution. The book then continues staying in the actual order of events. Another thing that is great about Persepolis is how it is a graphic novel memoir.The illustrations really help you visualize the events and lower the reading time.
   This book was great. Yet I wonder will I ever be able to understand what Marji went through.This book made me greatful for how we are not oppresed.

4 comments about Hiding in Hip Hop: On the Down Low in the Entertainment Industry--from Music to Hollywood.

1. An incredibly accurate portrayal of the industry. Those who make a living in hip hop know that it may only be surpassed by the closeted gay men in the entertainment industry of the Black churches. The book is truly an eye-opener to those who thought their "macho ganstas" were all that.



2. Like most people, I went into this book more excited about celebrity dirt. As you'll quickly discover, this is a book about a man's life, a true memoir. Yes, there's a little bit of sex here and there, and some celebrity references, but at the end of the day, this is a memoir about a man's search for identity and salvation.
   
   Terrance Dean receives an A+ for his brutally honest portrait of his real life insecurities, confusion and loneliness, making this book so worth reading. So much more than which celebrities are doing what, this book really brings to light the fight or flight mentality so many black gay men endure every day in every part of this country, just to survive.
   
   How I wish this book had existed 20 years ago.



3. This is a good look at some of the stars young people choose to look up to through this man's life.
   We choose who we want to be, whether we are the star or the fan.Ho-9
   Also check out the TRANSGENDER HIT
   
   GLITTER GUNS -N- BUTTER by DuReese Evers



4. 
   Yes, yes, yes, I know. This is supposed to be a serious book about a gay man's struggle to accept his sexuality, and love himself for who he is.
   
   And it is that.
   
   But I'm not going to lie, I bought it to find out which ones of these so-called gangsta hip hop stars is really homo. Be honest! Isn't that why you want to read it?
   
   There are a few names mentioned in the book, but it's mostly descriptions of the stars -- so thinly veiled you can guess who the author is talking about. I'm not a real for real hip-hop fan, but even I was able to guess four or five. And let me say (are you ready for this?), if I'm guessing correctly, one of the people mentioned played a large part in Karrin Steffans' book, Confessions of a Video Vixen!
   
   Can you believe it?
   
   I do!
   
   I'm not going to spoil it by posting my guesses, because 90 percent of the enjoyment of the book is figuring it out for yourselves. But another rapper mentioned is tatooed, and always rags on homos in his raps. Yep, yep, yep!
   
   I heard that the author is supposed to be on the Wendy Williams show on May 13th, and I can't wait!

5 comments about My Grandfather's Son: A Memoir.

1. Wow! An excellent book, and now we can all see where the mysterious neo-conservative black Supreme came from.
   
   As a lefty who loathes His Honor's politics and view of the law, I was taken by the writing and the story, but the real take away for me is that this is one angry, messed-up man, filled with bile and loathing for all things not in line with his viewpoint. Irony abounds. I expect that writing this book was LIKE therapy for Judge Thomas, but really he should be IN therapy, not sitting on the Supreme Court, inflicting his vile, angry, contemptuous view of America on the rest of us, via the law.
   
   Left, right, center - a great book. I'm left, and am left with a great personal respect for Judge Thomas, while maintaining little to no respect for his view of the law.



2. A truly dreadful book, in my opinion. Thomas writes a self-serving, whiney tale that draws a constant stream of drivel to his plight of being Black. His life would have to be hellish to endure all the perceived slights, insults and bigotry that apparently happen to him 24/7/365. Given how far he has come, it is very hard to imagine the kind of difficulties he describes, were a handicap The book was boring, tedious and ultimately insulting. He seemingly turns to God, but it felt like a sham to me. His writing is horrible and his tale, long-winded and I am more convinced than ever that Anita Hill was badly used.



3. My Grandfather's Son, has been out for several months now. I passed on my purchasing it many times, this was a mistake. Judge Thomas' autobiography is an easy, but interesting read.
   
   In the telling of his story, Judge Thomas, is candid about his excessive drinking, his difficult, if loving relationship he had with the grandfather who raised him, his strict upbringing, his almost constant lack of money, and the pain of his divorce. His personal experiences with racism and his views on racial issues in general are weaved nicely into his personal story.
   
   Not surpringsly, Judge Thomas doesn't have anything favorable to say about Anita Hill. However, to his credit, he mentions that she passed a polygraph. He also admits that is lack of judicial experience (just 15 months) was a legitmate argument to oppose his appointment to the Supreme Court.
   
   Where this autobiography breaks down, is at the end. He compares the Senate judiciary committee to a modern-day lynching. Yes, the process was extremely political, but to call it a "lynching" is beyond excessive. Doing so cheapens the meaning of the word. Comparing senators -- the same senators who write laws that a Supreme court justice may later rule on -- to a lynch mob should itself have disqualified him for appointment to the Supreme court.
   
   Still, while Judge Thomas overplayed the "lynch" metaphor, his book is a worthy read. My Grandfather's Son is not your everyday I'm-so-great autobiogrpahy. Don't keep passing this one up.



4. Even if you don't agree with his politics, you can't help but to admire this man for his fight and determination. His book does a great job of making his story to the top very personable as the reader share very intimate thoughts and decisions from the beginning til now. This book is filled with life lession he learned that was taught by his father, Aunt Tina, brother, and a host of other family and friends along the way. Interesting from the beginnin go the end, this book was hard to put down and I recommend it to those who are skeptcal of Thomas's views.



5. What an excellent autobiography. It provides great insite into the mind, life and thoughts of such a great man. For a man of such great stature and of such quiet reverence, this was a treat to hear about Clarence Thomas' life and trials. Very inspirational, very much worth reading!

5 comments about Reading Lolita in Tehran: A Memoir in Books.

1. After reading reviews I decided to give this book a try. Unfortunately I couldn't make it very far. This book was beyond boring and every time I picked it up it would put me to sleep. Maybe if I was able to push through the beginning of the book it would have gotten better but I just couldn't. Which is unusual for me because I try to finish all books that I start reading.
   I would definitely not recommend this book to anyone.



2. This is a great read, all women (and men) should read this and find out what really exists in the mid-east. This is written by a woman that lived there before and after the revolution.



3. 
   The main "character" of the book is Azar Nafisi. She teaches American literature to young Iranians at the University of Tehran, but when she gets dismissed for refusing to wear a veil, Nafisi decides to teach a select group of students at her house. I read the controversy and love they had towards books they read, which include Jane Austen and Vladimir Nabokov. Reading Lolita in Tehran is filled with Nafisi's explanations of how these books relate to the 20th century lives of her and her students.
   
   The things these women go through are unlike anything I've ever heard of before. I was astounded by the oppression they had such as, always having short nails, being in public with only their brothers or husbands, and not being able to read Western classics since they were taken away from book stores. I was depressed to learn about the lives of these women but it was good to know that they keep persevering. What seemed to keep them going was having weekly readings discussing fiction and becoming engrossed in stories and lives of characters that they knew they could never have. "Works of imagination that did not carry a political message were deemed dangerous." (Nafisi 277) Unfortunately, reading fiction was highly frowned upon in Iran because books that did not have politics in it were censored by the government. Not only did they discuss books, this was mainly a time for them to escape their lives and comfortably sit together and tell stories of the past, present and future. Although I enjoy non-fiction once in awhile, fiction is a great way of stepping out of your own life and becoming involved in someone else's. I don't know how I could live without having a good piece of creative literature and not being afraid of being punished because of it.
   
   Religion for these women play a huge part in their lives, it may even be the only thing they know. "The worst fear you can have is losing your faith. Because then you're not accepted by anyone--not by those who consider themselves secular or by people of your own faith." (Nafisi 327) Being attached to faith as much as these women are made me wonder if they somewhat became dependant on it. After all, religion was all they know and all they did. One of Nafisi's students, Yassi is worried if she ever were to lose it she probably wouldn't be able to sufficiently go on.
   
   Everything about their lives were powered by government and faith. Hardly ever did they get to things, at least publicly, that their heart desires. "She walked freely, hand in hand with Hamid, wearing a T-shirt and jeans. She described the feel of the wind and the sun on her hair and her skin." (Nafisi 326) This is a description of one's student trip to Damascus when she was able to walk on the street freely without being scared of going to jail. Reading this quote made me take for granted the fact that I'm able to walk outside in an outfit I wear because I want to not because I have to. There was so much emotion in one experience that it gave me the impression that she would probably not forget being free.
   
   "Peppering my account with justified and unjustified accusations against the root cause of all our woes: the Islamic Republic of Iran." (Nafisi 278) This quote sums up how these women were simply unhappy with the situation they had in Tehran. Reading this memoir gave me a better understanding of how lucky I am to live in America at a time when there is more women teaching, learning, working then any other time before. I have opportunities of traveling, marrying who I want, and even wearing a t-shirt instead of a veil. All of which these women couldn't freely do because of the Iranian revolution. It was a challenging book because it bounced back and forth between times and places. Also, I didn't have much of understanding of Iran's revolution and unfortunately the classic books, but I'm glad to say that reading "Lolita in Tehran" only makes me anxious to learn more about the two. The author now lives in America and a couple of other girls moved away from Iran to start a new life, but could they really leave it? "I left Iran, but Iran did not leave me." (Nafisi 341)



4. This book is remarkable, intense and thought provoking. I had to read it slowly to digest every chapter. Very well written.



5. I wish I could say I loved this book, but I didn't. I read it primarily to find out what life was like as a university professor in Tehran after the Revolution and after I had left the country. What I found out was that I am glad I left! The author does put a very personal face on the repression of women and intellectuals, and for that expose I am grateful.
   
   However, the book lost more and more of its punch the longer and longer it got. I think the book can't figure out what it wants to be...a personal memoire, an expose on repression, or a detailed and lengthy course outline on certain works of literature. The book would have been infinitely better if it had been condensed to 300 pages max and had left out the analyses of works of Joyce and James. I couldn't figure out what they had to do with the central theme, anyway. The contrast and comparison ot Nabokov to life in the Islamic Republic of Iran was right on, but the book just went downhill after that.

5 comments about The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World.

1. This is one of the best books I have ever read! There are too few stories about Sephardic Jews from the Middle East. I had no idea about Cairo being so cosmopolitan in the 1920s to 1940s. As an Ashkenazi Jew the Jewish stories I'm familiar with are mostly of Jews from Europe and Russia. This is extremely well-written and compelling. The characters are intimately portrayed, and the story moves along quickly. I couldn't put it down. This is a book that I'm recommending to all my friends and family.



2. This is a wonderful and tragic story of a Jewish family who lived in Egypt until the early 1960's when conditions made it very difficult for them to stay. The author tells the story of her grandparents and her parents in wonderful detail, and takes the reader with her on their exodus from Egypt to become refugees in France and then new immigrants to the United States. This book is a must for anyone who wants to learn about the story of Jewish life in Egypt in the 20th century, which came to a sad end as a result of the hostility of Egyptian government towards Israel. The author focuses on the personal story and avoids politics, and shows a graceful attitude without any bitterness towards the country which made her family leave.



3. I'd been meaning to read Lucette Lagnado's family memoir for awhile. Learning that the book had won the 2008 Sami Rohr Prize for Jewish Literature motivated me to actually pick it up. This past weekend, I finished reading the book. And it's an excellent read.
   
   Given what often seems an unending stream of memoir-related scandals, not to mention the primacy of what I'll charitably call the dysfunction narrative (and of course the interrelationship between the two), reading THE MAN IN THE WHITE SHARKSKIN SUIT is a gift. Not only does the author focus on a story that's truly fresh (in this case, the story of a Jewish family's history in Syria and Egypt and the massive dislocation it experienced in 1962 when emigrating from Egypt, first to France and then to the United States). Not only does she include authentic "evidence," including photographs, documents, and file citations from the social service agencies that worked with her immigrant family in Paris and New York. But she also presents rounded portraits of multiple "characters," especially her parents (her father, Leon, is the eponymous man in the white sharkskin suit) and grandparents (especially her two grandmothers). An exercise in navel-gazing, this is surely not. It's not until late in the book that the author's own life-threatening medical problems--which another writer, especially in this Age of the Misery Memoir, might have chosen to make the subject of an entire book, and which are artfully presaged in earlier chapters--take center stage. Even then, it's the effect of her illness on those around her rather than her own suffering that seems to matter more.
   
   What will you get from reading this book? You'll get a sense of the culture of a Levantine Jewish community, one that I, for one, previously knew only superficially (mostly through stories about the in-laws of one of my mother's close friends). You'll get some history, of World War II and the Suez crisis. You'll get stories of Jewish immigrants in France and Israel and the United States. You'll get the texture of Brooklyn in the 1960s and 1970s. You'll get the almost unimaginably shocking story of what happened to one of Lagnado's maternal uncles at the hands of Lagnado's own grandfather. You'll get the triumphs and the tragedies of her family, and you'll get, in particular, a sense of the deep bond between Lagnado and that extraordinary man in the white sharkskin suit. Don't miss it.



4. 
   Lucette Lagnado's moving memoir is subtitled My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World. It is a story of a remarkable father and his family movingly told with the feel of a novel as you share the experiences of this family who traveled half way around the world to settle in America. Lucette Lagnado, who is a senior special writer and investigative reporter for The Wall Street Journal, demonstrates both her skill as a writer and an investigator.
   
   The story begins with the marriage of her parents, Leon and Edith, in wartime Cairo. As the family establishes itself after the war, the position of the Jewish community gradually deteriorates until, in the early sixties they flee to Paris en route to their eventual destination. The strength of both parents and the details of the family's difficult journey is a story that this reader found intensely moving. The thought of being "stateless", as they were once they left Egypt, is hard to imagine. That they overcame this and survived is a tribute to their courage. This is a memoir that I will not soon forget.



5. A very interesting book about a middle class family of six in Egypt who is forced to leave Egypt because they are Jewish and find a new home in a foreign country with $212 allotted to all six of them. It shows the stark contrast between Egypt pre-Nasser and post and the contrast between Egypt and the United States. It also shows the pschological impact of a change in cultures for one of the members at an advanced age with significant health problems.

5 comments about The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club).

1. I grew up in the South and, when I was in high school in the early sixties, Mr. Poitier's two blockbusters, "Raison in the Sun" and "Lilies of the Field" came out. There was something about him, even then, that caught my attention. Who WAS this man? It always seemed he was a "thinker" - a "seeker" - a bit restless with himself.
   
   I recently picked up The Measure of a Man and my curiosity made me read it. Who IS this man - I wanted at last to find out.
   
   The book begins in Cat Island, the Bahamas where he was born and lived during his early years. As Mr. Poitier describes his youth, it is reflective and feels like an intimate fireside conversation with a friend talking about a loved one departed. There is gratitude and respect - a certain remorse for doing some "kid things" that are so hurtful to those you truly love - and a reexamination of some of the "truths" he was taught.
   
   Then the autobiography goes from there onto other stages in his life where he interacts with the realities and the illusions of life and comes to a sense of who he is and what is important. I guess I expected more of a "success story" about someone who is obviously very accomplished. What I got instead was a very touching and poignant sharing of a personal journey of a man making his way through life - no better and no worse than anyone else - immune from neither happiness nor disappointment - but glad to be alive.
   
   Because so much of Mr. Poitier's autobiography had to do with things both good and challenging that just showed up in his life, it reminded me of another book by Ariel & Shya Kane called Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment. In Being Here, the Kanes talk about things that have happened in their lives in a very light way that demonstrates how they and we can experience life more fully and more deeply - by just "being there" for what's happening when it's happening.
   
   I really enjoyed reading both of these books and recommend them



2. My husband(age 71)took this book with us to Hawaii. He couldn't put it down, which says a lot because he doesn't read very much. Reading usually puts him to sleep. But not this book! He found it totally engaging.



3. This is an awesome book, after you start you can't put it down. It is easy to follow. It a book of a man's life experiences and the lessons learnt from them. From trying as hard as possible to be an excellent actor, and survive as a human being. Also the book explains the meaning of the measure of man. I really appreciate this book.



4. He has lead such a fascinating life. I've always admired him, but now respect him even more for the great choices he has made in his life. He has taken the higher road. Good reading!



5. One of the most striking things about Poitier's life was his strong sense of self and how he followed his instincts and truth. I was surprised and impressed to discover that Poitier fell into his acting career out of need to make money (and a growing distaste for his initial job in New York as a dishwasher), rather than a desire to become an artist of some sort. He was not living his life to prove himself to anyone, make a mark, set a grand precedent for those who followed. Rather, he graciously and courageously followed the paths that opened up to him and subsequently became a significant figure in our culture. His ability to say "yes" to his life and the circumstances that presented themselves seemed to have produced one 'lucky' break after another for him. His story and who he is as a person is inspiring and compelling.
   
   This book got me looking at the choices I make in my own life and how so much is possible when I am honest and have the courage to follow my truth. Ariel & Shya Kane are two other authors who never cease to shed new light on the gems that can be found by living life moment-to-moment. They offer practical examples and support for living your life to the fullest and being truly present for it. I feel that each of us has the ability to be as great as those icons and heroes in our society like Poitier and when I read their book Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation, I have no doubt that it is possible.

2 comments about Muqtada: Muqtada al-Sadr, the Shia Revival, and the Struggle for Iraq.

1. "Stalingrad in Iraq" deserves to be a subtitle of this thin but illuminating volume. The US Army is as entombed in Iraq as the German 6th Army was in the Soviet city along the Volga. The end results are the same in both cases: strategic defeat. Not defeat yet to come, but defeat that is already an accomplished fact: none of the Army's tactical victories can or will alter the fact. I suspect much of the Iraqi resistance knows this while the US refuses to admit it; the Germans never did until it was too late to matter. Interestingly, the book's main character, Muqtada Al-Sadr, doesn't really make an appearance until the end. The author justifies this by stating that the man cannot be understood apart from his family history and the history of Shia Islam. Even before the war began I never believed that the US or its British poodle would have a snowball's chance in Hell of succeeding. Certainly the US experience in Vietnam, the French experience in Vietnam and Algeria, and the British experience in Iraq should have provided some clue to the Coalition's clueless leaders. The religious dimension is crucial to understanding the unfolding catastrophe. The emergence of Shia Islam in Iraq as THE major player alters the region's whole balance of power and threatens to destroy American predominance there for good or certainly for the foreseeable future. The Shias have a very long memory, as this book well explains: what happened 1400 years ago is as current to them as yesterday's news is to us. They never forget and know that their moment has come. Iraq is the spiritual and historical heart of Shia Islam. More than anyone else, so millions believe, Muqtada Al-Sadr exemplifies this conjunction of faith, power and political savvy. The US demonizes him as they demonized Saddam. There is one difference, Al-Sadr is the genuine article while Saddam was nothing more than a hapless egomanical clown--he was easy to knock over, Al-Sadr won't be. Like it or not, he is Iraq's future. this excellent book explains why.



2. As an account of the violent and tragic recent history of Iraq's Shi'a, I would give this book five stars. I learned a great deal about the Shi'a faith and the Sadr Trend as well as about the other major Shi'a factions such as the Dawa and SCIRI. It's a pity that this account was not available and read by the policy makers before the 2003 invasion of Iraq. It might have spared us some grief or at least explained a lot of Iraqi behavior that must have seemed inexplicable at the time.
   
   But I couldn't help but think that the book was a little bit thin about the man mentioned in the title, Muqtada Sadr. Given the fact that the book is only 204 pages long (and not 240 as listed here) and the fact that Muqtada is not discussed until well into the book, that's not that surprising.
   
   I also think that the book is less than authoritative when critiquing US policy inside Iraq. Unlike when he focuses on the politics of the Shi'a clergy, Cockburn doesn't seem to have done quite as thorough a job explaining why Paul Bremer and the other major American actors in Iraq thought and acted the way that they did.
   
   I also think that the book bends over backwards to excuse, minimize, and rationalize the fact that the Iranians causing trouble for us in Iraq, trouble that is getting some of our people killed there. Cockburn never really provides the documentation for his claims that what the Iranians are doing doesn't amount to very much. He just makes the statement and lets it hang there as if it was unchallengeable.
   
   But in the end, it's still well-worth reading. I just don't think that it's unbiased or the last word on the topic.