5 comments about Deconstructing Sammy: Music, Money, Madness, and the Mob.

1. Deconstructing Sammy by Matt Birkbeck provides the reader with an inside view of Sammy Davis Jr.'s life. It was obvious from the first page this would not be a light, fun-filled, flattering book. By page two, there was information that caused my jaw to drop and would not allow me to stop reading until I had completed the book.
   
   Birkbeck exposes how Davis' zest for life and desire to live and spend as though there was no tomorrow, wreaked havoc in the life of this huge talent. The author also paints an unflattering view of the entertainment industry and how it literally feeds off the largesse of egocentric entertainers. There were moments in this book when I actually had to read it again, unable to believe that family and friends would do some of the things indicated, such as literally stealing from the home of a dying man.
   
   Deconstructing Sammy, also exposes the frailties of his wife, Altovise, and tells in no uncertain terms how she dealt with her emotional issues with a jar full of vodka. I could literally feel the pain of this woman who lived in her husband's shadow, with no personal identity. There is also much mention of how Sammy squandered millions and ended up in debt to the IRS. This book could serve as Entertainment 101 on what not to do.
   
   I found Deconstructing Sammy to be fascinating and at times harrowing. I recommend the book to all who love biographies and those who simply want to know what a celebrity's life can really be, behind closed doors.
   
   Angelia Menchan
   APOOO BookClub



2. Sammy Davis Jr. was probably the most gifted multi-talented entertainer of the twentieth century. He was a great singer... dancer... actor... and his impressions of famous personalities were "spot-on" beyond belief. Yet when Sammy died from throat cancer at the age of sixty-four on May 16, 1990 he was almost penniless... in debt... and his wife... close friends... and employees were stealing him blind. As Sammy lay dying in his bedroom on a morphine drip... they were stealing Rolls Royce's, paintings, films, recordings, furniture... and more importantly... as the crux of this book is built around... the future use of his good name... likeness... and any intellectual properties... royalties... and residuals.
   
   After his death, by August 1994, Sammy's taxpayer debt to the IRS "WAS THE LARGEST SINGLE OPEN CASE OF AN INDIVIDUAL TAXPAYER DEBT IN THE NATION." The central character in the pursuit of settling the case with the government was Albert "Sonny" Murray. Sonny had gained national fame as the lead prosecutor that brought down E.F. Hutton. Because of Sammy's unpaid tax debt to the IRS... "SAMMY'S NAME AND LIKENESS WAS OWNED BY THE IRS. BECAUSE OF THE DEBT, SPECIFICALLY THE MONEY OWED TO THE GOVERNMENT, NO ONE WANTED TO DO BUSINESS WITH THE SAMMY DAVIS JR. ESTATE, KNOWING THE IRS WAS WATCHING. HENCE, SINCE SAMMY'S DEATH, THERE WERE NO MOVIES, RECORDS, OR VIDEO, AND VERY FEW BUSINESS DEALS INVOLVING THE NAME, LIKENESS, OR VOICE OF SAMMY DAVIS JR." **IT WAS AS IF SAMMY NEVER EXISTED**
   
   As Sonny invests year after year trying to find out why Sammy's estate has no money, the book uncovers deceit and debauchery, not only by Sammy, but by other famous household names ranging from Frank Sinatra - to - John F. Kennedy - to - the mafia - and believe it or not... inside information regarding the JFK assassination. How you may say? Well... Sammy literally hob-knobbed with Kings, Queens, Prince's, Presidents, and the Mafia. One day he was having lunch with a Mafia chieftain in Mexico... and the next day he was in the White House with the President. Sammy had a drinking problem and a serious drug problem with cocaine and amyl nitrate, and experimented briefly with Satanism and pornography. Sammy's heavy cocaine use caused his split with Frank Sinatra. Sinatra was all for booze and broads... but he wanted nothing to do with a cocaine user. Davis was also a heavy gambler and the "bosses" in Vegas were quite willing to keep fronting Sammy credit that he would be forced to work off with future gigs. So in addition to all the aforementioned vices and problems... Sammy had to take a six figure loan from the mob... and thus was at their beckoned call.
   
   A concurrent subject throughout this odyssey is Altovise Davis, who was Mrs. Sammy Davis Jr. at the time of Sammy's passing. Their marriage was, in Sammy's eyes, a way to satisfy the public that he married a black woman after his earlier marriage to May Britt, and his constant public pursuit of white women. By the end of his life Sammy slept with his live-in white girl friend while Altovise lived in another part of their house. Sammy also directed Altovise to have sex with other men and other women in front of him... while he was involved in seemingly constant ongoing orgies. Altovise becomes an alcoholic and cannot cope with being a down and out semi-homeless person... and even as Sonny dedicates years of his life with no pay... only a promise of a discounted rate payment... if and when the Sammy Davis Jr. estate makes enough money to pay off its IRS debt and be solvent... Altovise bites the hand that feeds her... and is an embarrassment to herself and others.
   
   This marvelously detailed book pursues the astonishing question of how could Sammy Davis Jr. been broke and in debt... after having had a career "THAT SPANNED MORE THAN SIX DECADES... AND GROSSED OVER *FIFTY-MILLION-DOLLARS*... AND EARNED OVER *ONE-HUNDRED-FIFTY-THOUSAND-DOLLARS-A-WEEK IN THE MID 1970'S IN LAS VEGAS CASINO'S."
   
   One of the answers reminds me of the lyrics from an old Bob Seger song: *"SURROUNDED BY STRANGERS I THOUGHT WERE MY FRIENDS."*



3. Matt Birkbeck writes powerfully in Decontructing Sammy of the tragic life and legacy of Sammy Davis, Jr. It is a heartbreaking "must read" book for every Sammy Davis fan, and anyone who thinks that achieving stardom is all it's cracked up to be.
   
   Birkbeck brings us a great story, tightly wound and beautiful spun. Leaving broken hearts around every corner of his life and death, Sammy Davis was the most talented entertainer in the world --- a man who was
   so deeply encumbered by parasitic characters that he literally had to dance for his supper. Critical to the story of victims and victimizers is Davis's third wife, Altovise, who moves effortlessly between roles.
   
   But, as in any well-woven tale, Birkbeck tells us about the real hereos. Rising above them all is Albert "Sonny" Murray, a former U.S. attorney who worked valiantly to restore dignity to Sammy's legacy. And, Sammy's children, for whom he had little time in life, and shut-out by his death.
   
   It's a heart breaker, a wonderful read, chock full of insider information, and the last place I would expect to find Donald Rumsfeld
   --- but he's there. A story of good and evil ... and, above all, honor.
   



4. If you are looking at this book hoping to find a happy read and light read, this is not it. While the book is interesting, it presents a lot of detail to digest and I found myself waiting for more human stuff about Sammy. I am happy I bought and read the book, but it wasn't what I expected, even with my Kindle preview.



5. Sammy Davis, Jr. was an immensely talented individual. His success came at a price - by having to play second (or third) fiddle in the famed Rat Pack, remaining indebted to the mob, and all the while having to fight hard against racial prejudice. Though he tried to be the big player that his friend Frank Sinatra was, he never gained that reputation. Unfortunately, his legacy also came at a price, as he surrounded himself with a shady cast of characters and was too willing to sell himself for more money.
   
   "Deconstructing Sammy" is a remarkable - and unflattering - tale that sheds much light on these sad events, which includes the shabby affairs of his estate in the years after his death in 1990. Author Matt Birkbeck traces Sonny Murray's efforts to settle the Davis estate's issues with the IRS, as well as redeem the sorry figure that is Altovise Davis, Sammy's last wife (in what can best be described as a marriage of convenience). Mr. Birkbeck excels at showing how Murray's effort was at once noble and naive, with the end result of mixed results. Murray was able to settle with the IRS and get some deals to infuse the Davis estate with some income (and gain it some much-needed respect), but in the end it cost him a wife, legal fees, and then was cast aside in favor of yet another cast of shady characters.
   
   In the end, we see that despite Sammy Davis Jr.'s immense talent, he was a flawed man. He burned through money chasing fame, dubious business pursuits, and destructive habits. He left a broken family who continues to argue with one another to this day. But worse, he put his trust in individuals who used and abused him. To top it all off, his marriage of convenience was to a woman who is ultimately an unredeemable soul who has perpetuated the degradation of the Davis legacy - despite the nobly naive efforts of Sonny Murray to make it right.
   
   This is a very strong book that I highly recommend. Not only would it be of interest to those who are fans of the Rat Pack and its individual members, but it is an important, cautionary tale of the dark side of entertainment that we see played out time and again in the present day.

5 comments about Enrique's Journey.

1. I picked this up, only to put it down after a few pages. The author's rather melodramatic approach made the story seem more like a cheap, badly-written novel than a nonfiction account. I just didn't see any sense that the author had 'connected' with the subject, and so I couldn't connect with it, either.



2. The book is about illegal immigration. I read it before my college-aged daughter for insight on what she needed to accomplish. It is an OK story, definitely makes you think twice about trying to get into the US illegally!



3. First things first: I need to address that I am reviewing the BOOK, based on my experience of reading it, and nothing else. I am not rating Ms. Nazario, or Enrique, and I am not making a statement about illegal immigration.
   
   Nor am I reviewing this book to provoke outrage or negativity. Think of this review as an invitation: if it speaks to you, the information is probably useful, and will inform your decision to purchase or not purchase this book. If it doesn't speak to you, don't read my review; no one is forcing you to. In either case, you have made the right choice.
   
   I'm reviewing the book. And I really didn't like the book. There's a few reasons for this:
   
   
   1) THE WRITING STYLE IS BORING
   
   No doubt Ms Nazario is a talented journalist, but I do not think that her style of writing is engaging. Unlike the writings of Eric Schlosser or Malcolm Gladwell--two journalists who I felt became successful at the art of writing longer nonfiction--Nazario's prose feels choppy and disjoint, unable to find its own rhythm or build momentum. Due to this lack of momentum, I found that I had to put the book down every few pages.
   
   Perhaps this style was unintentional--it would work well in a short newspaper article, where there is a very small space to write, and one can get away with a repetitive sentence structure and narrative "attack"--but Nazario's much longer (and larger) story suffers from the monotony of her style.
   
   The style reminds me of the camerawork on shows like CSI, where quick, jerky movements of the camera imply a constant sense of urgency, even though two characters are simply discussing the details of an autopsy (which, frankly, they do every day). Climactic situations deserve this urgency; the narration of a character's history does not. Nazario's style indiscriminately applies this sense of urgency in the same way that Fox News indiscriminately seeks to frame any situation in terms of a crisis. In America this style of reporting/camerawork is popular, but to me it is simply tiring.
   
   Some reviews of the book call it "Gripping." Those reviews are accurate. However, I don't need my attention to be constantly gripped. Which brings me to
   
   
   2) THE LACK OF MENTAL/EMOTIONAL DEPTH AND NUANCE
   
   Nazario, politically, does not present a one sided story. However, the book is one-sided in the way it frames Enrique's life in terms of lack, absence, and failure. Undoubtedly, Enrique lacks a lot, most importantly his mother. A better writer would be able to get away with this, but Nazario's prose gets stuck in the formulaic traps of standardized journalistic writing.
   
   This, coupled with the constant sense of urgency in her writing prevented me from seeing Enrique's situation as anything other than... well, urgent... and bad. Her train of thought rarely stops for imagery, metaphor, reflection, or interior monologue. When it does stop, it does not stop for long. The result is that rather than rather than "feeling" and "knowing" Enrique in all his pain, I merely caught a glimpse of him--literally and figuratively, as if I were looking through the window of a fast-moving train.
   
   There is almost no humor whatsoever, something that the aforementioned Schlosser does manage to squeeze in while tackling equally dark subjects. One might say that humor does not fit the storyline, but I disagree: everyone's life is a mixed bag. Life is not uniform, but variegated, a vast ecosystemic swirl of light and dark.
   
   
   
   3) THE STORY MOVES PREDICTABLY
   
   While I've never been to Honduras, I have travelled elsewhere within the Third World. I've also read a lot. Thus, I have a large amount of firsthand and secondhand experience about the difficulties people face in impoverished areas.
   
   Had I not had these experiences, I might like Enrique's Journey. But to me, it offers nothing new. I felt like I "got the point" of the book within the first two pages: "Enrique's life sucks, and he has very few choices, and that's a shame."
   
   Based on my experiences, I'm not arguing that these things aren't true--I'm reviewing the book, not people--but it leaves me wondering: why read the rest of the book if it's not going to teach me anything I don't already know?
   
   I already know how bad the external conditions are in these areas. I wasn't surprised to read about people looking for moldy bread in a landfill; that's reality for these people. It's also nothing new, nothing I can learn from.
   
   For anyone who can't find Honduras on a map, lacks media-literacy, or awareness of the ways in which multinational corporations take advantage of political corruption in the Third World, or of who works in the kitchen of their favorite restaurant... for that person, I can see this book being an "eye-opener." Ditto for American high schoolers, who lack the knowledge of these conditions.
   
   Enrique is unique. He's a person. No one will ever be Enrique. Had Nazario's writing taken me into the mind of Enrique, or at least subtly pointed as to his state of consciousness--a no-no in journalism, but a must in nonfiction--I would have learned a heck of a lot.



4. This book was hard to put down as well as hard to read. It evoked the full range of emotions. The inhumanity of some mixes with the incredible generosity of others. It is a story of the best and the worst that humans can be. It puts a human face on the problem of immigration. You will never look at undocumented workers the same way again.
   Sonia Nazario does a tremendous job of describing the immigration problem from many different perspectives. Although she focuses on Enrique's journey to the United States from Honduras, she also gives us a view of all of the people who are touched by immigration. She wisely gives us no answers. In fact, we are left knowing that there are no easy answers.



5. I happened on this book at church on Sunday morning, part of the United Methodist Women's Mission reading. I guess I was meant to pick it up and read it. I have not had much compassion for the plights of immigrants. Coming to the United States illegally. Flooding our society with push 1 for English every where you call. Teaching our children in grade school to speak Spanish if only a small amount. Getting services from welfare systems and even social security benefits........are those meant for United States citizens. Now I have a different view. The living conditions of these individuals is deplorable at best. The prices we have to pay to buy our children and grandchildren Tommy Hilfiger clothes when people in Honduras are sewing these clothes in sweat shops working 10-12 hour days and making $30 a week. And what they endure to even get here with the Mexican authorities treatment on the way.........There has to be a way to allow them the opportunity to apply for Visas and work permits for 6 months out of the year to come and work and make enough to raise their families.....................MY EYES ARE OPEN. An excellent read!!!!!

5 comments about In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom.

1. I bought this book based on an Amazon suggestion. After reading other reviews, I decided to purchase it. It was well worth the time and money. Ahmed presented a fully fleshed out, multidimensional view of people in Saudi Arabia. This was a compelling book to read and I couldn't put it down for several days. I highly recommend it!



2. One thing I've noticed, and taken advantage of, since the horrors of 9-11 is the increase in titles published in the U.S. pertaining to various Muslim cultures. I've read more than a dozen such titles in the last two or three years, both fiction and nonfiction, some written by Muslims and others by non-Muslims living in Muslim countries. I've learned something from each of them, but Qanta Ahmed's In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom is one of the most instructive of them all.
   
   Qanta Ahmed, a British citizen raised in a moderate Muslim family in the U.K., received her medical education in the United States and considers the U.S. to be her second home (she currently practices medicine in South Carolina). But when she unexpectedly found herself without the visa necessary to remain in New York she accepted a position in a Saudi Arabian hospital and set out on what she figured would be an exotic adventure, an opportunity for her to experience life in a country dominated by Islam. Ahmed remained in Saudi Arabia for two years during which she learned as much about herself as she learned about Islam and the culture in which she had immersed herself.
   
   Arriving at the King Fahad National Guard Hospital completely unprepared for the atmosphere in which she would be working, Ahmed was surprised to find herself being so ignored by the hospital's almost exclusively male medical staff. She quickly learned that she would be allowed to practice medicine unveiled, dressed in white lab coat and trousers, but that her medical opinion would almost automatically be considered inferior to that of any of her male colleagues.
   
   Ahmed found herself resenting, and being frustrated by, the limitations placed on the women of Saudi Arabia. She learned that these women, herself included, could only be seen in public if their dress conformed to strict Muslim law (never a strand of hair to be exposed), that they were not allowed to drive a car, that they could not leave the country without the permission of a father, brother or husband, and that "morality policemen," known as the Mutawaeen were more than willing to make sure that women strictly complied with what was required of them.
   
   But, as Ahmed learned when she grew closer to her female colleagues, all is not as it seems in Saudi society. Many women, because of the support offered them by their fathers and husbands, are being allowed to enter professions long closed to them and to open businesses of their own. They are raising their daughters to become confident, outspoken women who consider themselves to be the equals of their brothers in every way. She discovered progressive families filled with idealists and community activists determined to bring change to the Saudi system, change that will bring many Western liberal values to the kingdom.
   
   Ahmed, however, was shocked to find just how far Saudi Arabia still has to go in terms of its racism, anti-Semitism, and anti-Americanism. She found that even the large number of Saudi doctors trained by Jewish teachers, teachers they considered to be their personal friends, were still unable to get past their rabid anti-Semitism. She felt firsthand the personal hurt of watching close friends and colleagues celebrate what happened to America on September 11, 2001, some even going so far as to buy celebratory cakes for the hospital within minutes of the news.
   
   Despite her many dismaying experiences, Ahmed left Saudi Arabia feeling much closer to Islam than when she arrived in the country. Her friends patiently instructed her in the nuances of the religion and her completion of the Hajj inspired her in an almost magical way. Readers unfamiliar with what happens in Mecca during the Hajj will be fascinated by the logistics of that annual celebration as described by Ahmed, and will understand exactly how large numbers of people can sometimes die in the midst of a religious experience of this magnitude.
   
   In the Land of Invisible Women, particularly since it was written by a woman with a foot in two worlds, is a real eye-opener.



3. This is one of the best written and most interesting books I have read. Dr. Ahmed shares her insights into the culture of Saudi Arabia, both public and private, and into Islam. I bought the book after an intriguing interview with the author on NPR. I took an interest in the book because I am a physician, but it would appeal to anyone outside of healthcare as well. I hope that Dr. Ahmed continues to write because she is a very talented writer as well as a talented physician.



4. Qanta Ahmed tells her story about her time in Saudi Arabia, focusing for the most part on the lives of women in the country. Whether they are her colleagues, friends, maids, or women she encounters in the hospital, she discovers that her first impressions of Saudi women are not very often accurate.
   
   The reactions of the Saudi people are not always what she expects, especially in social situations. There are times when she commits unknown gaffes, and then times of unexpected kindness and generosity from those who know that she is not aware of what is proper.
   
   It was interesting to read an account from a western Muslim woman's point of view on living in Saudi Arabia, and dealing with the strict religious rules that are enforced there. It is impossible not to be outraged at the way the women are treated as lesser citizens, but I appreciated that the author also pointed out the negative effects the rules have on the men as well.
   
   Some of the subjects discussed in the book:
   
   Being stared at by men
   
   The hassles of being veiled
   
   The protection of being veiled
   
   An Account of the Hajj
   
   Racial prejudices within Saudi Arabia
   
   How the Mutawaeen enforce the religious laws
   
   Difficulties of romance when men and women are always separated
   
   Saudi Arabian reactions to 9/11
   
   The author did a good job of explaining the history of Saudi Arabia leading up to her stay, so that the reader would understand how things came to be the way they are now. She also gives an in-depth accounting of her first trip to Mecca (Hajj) and the profound effect it had on her faith as a Muslim.
   
   It was fascinating to learn that a lot of the rules that the Mutawaeen (religious police) enforce in regards to women, are relatively recent additions. The author makes a point of emphasizing the roles that women have had throughout history in Islam, and how they have had their rights, which are granted to them by Islam, stripped away.
   
   Overall I enjoyed reading this book. At times I thought the writing got a little bit too flowery, with many metaphors and similes used in her descriptions, but it was a very informative book about the lives of women in Saudi Arabia.



5. When Qanta A. Ahmed, MD. was a little girl, her and her family moved to England. Her family is Muslim. While growing up Qanta was free to live and dress how she wanted, although her mother did wear the traditional abbayah. Qanta attended the University of Nottingham Medical School where she earned her medical degree. To Qanta's surprise the government will not extend Qanta's visa to stay any longer. So she heads back to her homeland, where she experiences a culture shock.
   
   First there are the women covered from head to toe, women should not go anywhere alone as this is just asking for trouble, and the men are in charge of everything. For Qanta she was not used to this, so everything was a new experience for her, even though she was Muslim. Qanta kind of expected that when she returned to her homeland that she would be accepted right away and that was not the case.
   
   Qanta shares her journey as well as the lessons she learned in her memoir titled In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom. I found this in depth look into a country I knew little about to be intriguing. I got to read how the people there lived and how it was if you were a woman. Qanta is very courageous for standing up for what she believed in, as it was not an easy task. Qanta found herself in a country she herself has barley known. As far as memoirs go In the Land of Invisible Women: A Female Doctor's Journey in the Saudi Kingdom is a very good one.

5 comments about Let's Talk About Pep.

1. Let's Talk About Pep - by Sandy -Pepa- Denton is great! The book is informative, entertaining and interesting. I learned some things that I did not know about the hit group Salt-N-Pepa. I have always liked Salt-N-Pepa. I remember their hits Push It, Tramp and My Mic Sounds Nice. I reccommend - Let's Talk About Pep - written by Sandy - Pepa - Denton to all fans of Salt-N-Pepa.



2. I thought it was interesting reading about her life and the challenges she met throught out her life. I would like to see more of her and Salt.
   
   The Bobby Brown biography is also a good read.
   Imagine being in one of the most successful boy bands of all time, New Edition; Then leave the group to become one of the biggest pop stars in the world; Date some of the most world renown celebrities, such as Janet Jackson and Madonna....
   Bobby Brown: The Truth, The Whole Truth and Nothing But...



3. I read the book in 2 days. A great read and a gift for Christmas. I always loved Pepa's feisty personality. Also I loved when Salt-n-Pepa, and Spinderella hit the rap scene. My favorite songs are: My Mic Sounds Nice, and Shoop.
   
   They represented African-American women in the Rap Game by their determination, strength, faith, and willingness to be successful, as well as being mothers, juggling relationships, and working hard to have a normal life.
   
   Pep tells it like it is, and she is saying that she is only human.



4. My husband gave me the book as a surprise gift and I really enjoyed reading about Pep's life and her time in the group. S&P was one of my favorite groups. I can also relate to some of the things that she went thru and like myself she is a strong women.If anyone knows of a young lady going through some tough stuff (with men) give them this book it might just stop them from a lot of pain.I can't wait for season 3 of the show.



5. This books took me a while to finish, it was an okay read, wasnt what I expected. Pep did go through alot, which no one would have had any idea, because she covered it up so well. Keep being strong Pep!

No comments about The Road to Rescue: The Untold Story of Schindler's List.

5 comments about No Disrespect.

1. Sistah Souljah created an honest look at the truths of society. To call her a racist for being honest reporting her realities and what she has witnessed in her work and service to communities is mere ignorance. I do not fully agree with every word Sistah writes. However, I commend her honesty, her openness, and her consciousness.
   
   The book is a must read regardless if one agrees or disagrees. It is not to be used as a life manual. It is to be used as a mirror, or a stepping stone. If you are the person she regrets being or you want to elevate to another level the book will give you insight that may not be easily found in accessible literature.



2. I PURCHASED THIS BOOK BECAUSE THIS IS THE 2ND PART OF HER 1ST BOOK THE COLDEST WINTER EVER I LIKED THAT BOOK AND I FEEL THAT SISTA SOULJA LIFE EXPERIENCES ARE OF VALUE FOR BOOK READERS TO READ ....



3. This book was not that bad,There are things that agree with Sister Souljah on and things that I disagree with.But for her to be so intelligent and have alot of book sense...She lacks a great deal of common sense and I honestly think and feel that she has alot of issues within herself to deal with by judging of her actions in this book.



4. This book will hit you smack between the eye sockets as Sister Souljah describes her own upbringing in the projects, in the grips of a welfare system designed to convey feelings of inferiority, an educational system in which black children were given no reason to take pride in their colour, their origins or their past, life in college and as an activist. She discovers a class beneath the underclass where she grew up. Souljah writes of the desperation that gripped not only adults but children and the complete death of love between black folks (235). She calls welfare hotels urban hellholes where "African children were doomed. It was a recipe for extinction of my people. It was genocide." This story brings to mind an activist called Geoffrey Canada who tried to convey the urgency of the problem. Souljah nailed it beautifully. Man/woman relationships play a significant role in this story. Be prepared to be jolted out of your seat.



5. I decided to read this book after I learned that my favorite artist and a person I look up to read it, Tupac. This book was a eye opener. I loved how she went into a lot of the issues we as black people deal with on the daily basis and she didnt sugarcoat anything. She was so raw with everything she said and I loved it. I think every young black male and female should read this book. I agreed, disagreed, laughed, cried, and smiled while i read this book it got so many emotions out of me and a book has never done that before. I definitely recommend this book to anyone.

5 comments about A Piece of Cake: A Memoir.

1. Definitely kept me entertained, yet came across as being fabricated. For example, she talked about how the night before she got married, they partied so hard they didn't go to bed until 7. Huh....anyone that parties know you just stay up. Also, when she was talking about how skinny she was, and how she had to wear 2 pairs of pants and stuff so people wouldn't realize how skinny she was, when she was 5'5" and 120 pounds. Which is definitely thin, but it's still on the healthy side, I bet that's what she just wished she weighed. Plus EVERYONE she comes into contact with is some sort of cliche, there are no normal people anywhere. There is no way ANY employer would let someone get away with the stuff she supposedly did, like take off 15 days in a month. And the whole stuff with God and "god having a special plan for her" was hella annoying.
   
   I think books like this, and "A Million Little Pieces" can be dangerous because people read it and think "oh, well I'm not smoking PCP and crackrocks and taking every single kind of drug known to man" that I'm okay.



2. I really enjoyed this book. I could not put it down. I found it to be a very honest, emotional, and raw account of her life. I am just amazed at how she could overcome all of the things that she went through. Her story could certainly become a best selling movie!! The best book I read in a long time.



3. This book was so intresting from page 1. Cupcakes' life is amazing to me and I find it beautiful that was able to survive and find peace in her life. She deserves it after all the crap she went through.



4. I have to say, the cover of this book is what caught my eye at the store. Bright, in your face, and cheesy. But the inside, was filet mignon. It was AMAZING. I could not put it down. I missed nights of sleep, saying to myself, "go to bed after this next chapter" and yet at the end of each, I could not help myself from going to the next.
   Bravo Cupcake, you have written an amazing book. It was a fantastic story, moving , inspiring, and worthy of becoming a movie. The best part is, it is such an easy read.
   I will be reading it again soon.



5. For the first 250 pages this was the best memoir I have ever read. I touted it to all of my friends, neighbors, and anyone who would listen. When I got to the last 200 pages, however, I was bored by the writing style which seemed (forgive me) lazy.
   
   Overall, however, Ms. Brown's story is absolutely incredible and she should be commended for getting through adversity that would have killed anyone else. I loved the way she wrote so candidly.

5 comments about The Woman Warrior: Memoirs of a Girlhood Among Ghosts.

1. 
   The women ancestors of a geeky Chinese-American girl pile up impressive resumes, no worries ! They are kungfu heroines, joining peasant armies that overthrow the very Imperial throne. They are doctors who brave ghosts and come to America. They are mothers and grandmothers who remain staunchly Chinese in the face of the full press of American culture. They are sisters or aunts in Chinatown apartments or unknown relatives killed for following their hearts instead of the rules back in village China. Slowly, slowly, the background of the author (maybe) is depicted. You need some patience to realize what the author is doing. She doesn't give quarter. Readers who like everything spelled out will be disappointed. Ghosts play a big role in every section of the book. Ghosts train the warriors, ghosts oppose the student and the laundryworker. All Americans even appear as ghosts of a vast variety. Yes, it's one way of looking at the experience of immigration. You leave home, where everything is known, and come to a very foreign land where nothing is comprehensible. You understand nothing of the language or customs, but you have to make your way, earn a living, survive. Daring to sit and struggle with ghosts in a haunted Chinese classroom is similar to fighting with aliens in an alien land. So, you might interpret everyone around you as a `ghost'--scary, but propitiated or turned aside each in its own way. Women in China are treated like chattel, she says, but here women take control, control ghosts, control lives, control themselves. Is it a dream ? Is it another way of looking at Chinese women ? You will decide this for yourself after reading this highly original, lyrical book of tales of immigration, tales of women in a strange land, tales of "how I got to be me". It's got to be one of the most creative immigrant novels yet written.



2. Woman Warrior is among the most gripping lyrical-memoirs I've read. It is author Maxine Kingston's Chinese ancestry that teaches her that girls are half-ghosts that walk a tight wire: one wrong step and they transcend into full-pledged ghosts, with all memory of their existence erased from time. Girls in the history of her Chinese culture are regarded much the way Middle Eastern women are regarded today: burdensome and dangerous. The Chinese saying "When fishing for treasures in the flood, be careful not to pull in girls," conveys a message repeated to Kingston throughout her girlhood.
   
   Kingston is eternally haunted by one particular "no-name" ghost: her dead aunt, a woman shamed by her village, a woman forgotten, a woman whose name and memory are not uttered. Haunted by her nameless, faceless aunt, Kingston also finds herself displaced and alienated as she attempts to put together two worlds: her Chinese ancestry, and her new American life.
   
   Resentment builds in Kingston as she struggles to put together the secrets and hushed words of her ancestry. The only stories her elders will elucidate to her are ones meant to haunt her, but even these are not fully in truth. How is she to form an identity when she is refused knowledge of her past? When she can't define her self as being a solid part of any given culture? Without proper definition of place, one merely floats along, trying to make sense of it.
   
   Kingston also faces the difficult challenge of becoming an American female, which is much different than a Chinese female. Caught between what she's been taught gives a female value in Chinese culture, and what she is learning gives a female value in American culture. Her feeling of alienation deepens as she realizes that she no longer holds an authentic, cultural identity. No longer native Chinese, not quite American either. Even amongst her fellow Chinese-American Immigrants, she finds herself displaced as they all melt into the pot at different consistencies. "No other Chinese, neither the ones in Sacramento, nor the ones in San Francisco, nor Hawaii speak like us."
   
   The only refuge Maxine Kingston finds is in the archetype of the Woman Warrior, Fa Mu Lan. Fa Mu Lan is used as a metaphor for female choice, female purpose, female strength and power. Fa Mu Lan assumes both the traditional Chinese female role, and the American, career-minded female role. Fa Mu Lan returns homes to assume traditional domestic roles, only after she has been out in the world fighting, first! She fights, she is warrior woman, and then at the end of it all, she returns to her duties at home. Fa Mu Lan is a survivor of both worlds, and because she faces such danger outside of her home, the inside of her home may seem relatively less dangerous--the home of Kingston's past being a symbolically dangerous place, as it was for her no-name aunt.



3. Maxine Hong Kingston's The Woman Warrior is a powerful
   gem about the relationship between the author and her
   mother and other women in her family. It is a memoir
   but reads like fiction. I loved this book and especially
   how she utilizes symbols, particularly ghosts to represent
   people from different backgrounds, whom the author draws
   upon for wisdom, strength and remembrance.
   
   I usually have a tough time with "literary" fiction but
   the author writes in an almost conversational tone. I felt
   like I was there as the author told her story. This is
   an excellent book to read to learn about Chinese culture.



4. An excellent book, funny, insightful, poignant. Ms. Kingston brilliantly conveys how cultures can clash within the minds of those who straddle them. After reading this book I bought half a dozen copies to give to close friends.



5. This is a tremendous novel. The author threads the stories her mother told her when she was a child, through the retelling of her own life, using them to draw you into her own imagination. As she grows up, living half immersed in traditional myth and half in gritty reality, where mothers and daughters are only human, the reader grows up with her. The first person telling of her childhhood stories puts the reader directly in the shoes of a child/young adult working through the stories she has been told, using them to form her hopes and dreams and her understanding of the world.
   
   (N.B. You may not think that your childhood stories influenced the way you live, but if you think for a minute, I am certain some will come back to you and you'll realize that just the other day you did something based on or combatting that belief. Maybe you even still wish on stars?)

5 comments about A Hope in the Unseen: An American Odyssey from the Inner City to the Ivy League.

1. This book is another ghetto story that has a lot of rhetoric regarding "inner city" life that is packaged to appeal to those who have no idea that this is pure bulls**t. In the book the high school is described as a place where learning is discouraged and success is frowned upon. I was raised in Detroit (the real Detroit, not the suburbs) and I attended Detroit Public Schools. Furthermore I taught for Detroit Public Schools for six years and currently teach for Columbus Ohio City Schools. With about two decades of "inner city" school involvement as a teacher and a student, I have RARELY seen someone picked on because they got good grades. There are some serious issues with inner city education but it is not how they portrayed it. I have seen many students like Cedric and some of them were harassed. It was not because they were smart or had good grades; it was because they were socially clumsy and immature. Students who are socially immature are harassed in many schools, not just in the "inner city". Additionally, the book never mentions what happens to his classmates. The tone implies that they are stuck Southeast Washington. I understand that this book attempts to expose the trials and tribulations of a "inner city" student but it does so by portraying negative and untrue images. If someone wants to read the book to understand the life of an "inner city" student, don't read this book, go to an "inner city" school and see for yourself.



2. Written with amazing detail and sensitivity, "A Hope In the Unseen" manages to avoid making trite observations about race or poverty, which is uncommon



3. The protagonist makes no excuses for himself. I love that. I think he realised early on (after the book was written) that he wanted to be most of all "real." It wasn't to be about how he overcame, living in the ghetto etc but more importantly, the emotions and finding himself.
   At certain points, I am like this kid is not a very pleasant person but even with that I could understand where he was coming from. This made him real.
   He also along the way learnt he was in charge of his and only his destiny. He couldn't pull his siblings up. or his mom and I think for the longest time that must have irked him a lot.
   
   He had to also learn to let go of this incessant rage murking in his soul. He had to face these demons so he could finally interact in the real world in a full capacity. This was not easy for him to do and he had so many missteps.
   
   This is a tale not fairy tale perfect but gritty and still on-going, right now as we speak.
   
   Cheers,



4. Great book. It details the last year in high school, and the first year in college of Cedric, a determined, intelligent inner city black kid who fights to make it out of the ghetto and to the promised land -- an ivy league college where he won't be taunted, beaten and despised for being smart.
   I lost my first copy, and went out and bought a second. I loan it out to anyone I can. Cedric's story is very compelling and inspirational. I love to give it to people whose idea of a rough upbringing is that the family only owned one car . . .



5. A Hope in the Unseen was an engaging read and I absolutely fell in the love with the beginning. Cedric's life was put into a perspective that I could connect to and it was as if I could see everything through is eyes. It is a story that is uplifting and can be appreciated by people of any gender or color.
   
   However, I did find a few things to frown upon. One part of the book that bothered me was the constant racial labeling. Understandably it is one of the main themes throughout the story and it is what makes this book so appealing to many. You get to see a struggling young black man make it out of a situation where many others would have gotten swallowed up. Yet, to me it became annoying because when I would finally reach a moment when I could connect to the characters as people the writer, and sometimes Cedric, would draw the whole focus back to who was what race and where they come from. It is great to be proud of who you are and what your background is but it doesn't have to define you.
   
   During one of the later chapters we encounter Cedric and Zayd eating lunch. Zayd's friend, Josh, wanders over and immediately Cedric makes a remark about he should not be seen with two white guys. Whether he meant it jokingly or not it hurt Josh's feelings and created an awkward situation. Maybe it's because I just don't understand it but I think it was a little insensitive of Cedric. This was the only flaw that I had problems ignoring. It just seemed as if Cedric felt that he was entitled to be at Brown simply because he was a minority. Even if he wasn't in the minority, I sense a certain attitude that develops from attending an ivy league institution. It is almost as if by having your name on their roster that it makes you superior to everyone else.
   This is definitely not the case and if people to hold on to such a mentality is disturbing.
   
   Another problem I had with the novel was that after finishing such an uplifting story you start wondering what is next and if the system has ever changed. Sure, Cedric made it out and became successful but what about everyone else who was left behind? What about the students who were not as academically inclined or those who were not fortunate enough to have people supporting and pushing them like Cedric did? This book gives people an insight into a world that many are oblivious to. This could have been a great opportunity to open people's eyes about social injustice and to spark their interest in finding a way for more students to become like Cedric. I believe the author could have steered this book into becoming a link between the readers and social activism. Plenty of people have either had similar experiences or are now more aware of such situations and would be more than happy to support and contribute to any programs that are trying to turn this around. I believe more could have been done with A Hope in the Unseen in this regard.
   
   All in all, this story was fairly interesting and inspiring. It was definitely helpful to read about the transitions from high school to college and to see how one person dealt with the common worries of university life. However, I do not see myself recommending this to many people and I believe that it is highly overrated. I do not believe it is "formula shattering" as one reviewer described it. In fact I think it follows the basic guidelines to any underdog story. I felt as if I could have been reading any number of stories, except with a different setting and character. A Hope in the Unseen is good for classroom reading assignments or book clubs because it has many discussion points and may lead readers to be more aware of the various issues it touches on. Other than that, I must truthfully say that I would not have read this given the chance to choose it for myself.

5 comments about Rain of Gold.

1. This book is a magical story that most familes, no matter the origin can relate too. Good for teens - seniors (all ages). Every American and especially Mexican American should read this book. It is Victor Villasenor's best book.



2. Amazing story, amazing writer. Fall in love with the characters and the magic in this book. If you read Roots and loved it, you will surely love this book as well. Trials and tribulations of the mexican american family, and a great love story make this a great read.



3. I am Mexican American, and this book was reccommended to me by an Irish friend. I felt like I was reading my own history about my own family. Yes, there are scenes of violence and illegal acts, but that is not what makes any of us proud to be Mexican American. The faith in God and in family is what makes us proud of our heritage, and this book shares that while using the sour times in life to show just how sweet the sweet can be. I cried, laughed, and felt every emotion in between. I didn't want to stop reading, and I wish the book kept going. I am now inspired to find the stories of my family, and I am prouder than ever to be of Mexican heritage. I understand my family better, and I love my grandparents even more for what they went through. Thank you, Mr. Villasenor, for sharing this story with us.



4. I am a 57 year old gringo living in Southern Arizona and received this book from a friend of mine who is related to the author. I did not expect much and the beginning had me wondering if I would make it through all 500+ pages of small print. It did not take very long for me to realize that this book was well above ordinary. Prior to reading this book, I personally had gotten the most enjoyment from " East of Eden " and " The Agony and The Ecstacy " and place Mr. Villasenor's novel along side both. I cried and laughed like hell and as a lifelong Catholic, was deeply moved by the incredible faith of both of his grandmothers. Some of the other reviewers were put off by his technique, I was not. I very much agree with those who found great enjoyment from this book, as I had a difficult time putting it down and experienced a real sadness as I read the final words, I did not want it to end. Mr. Victor Villasenor is one heck of a storyteller and I feel blessed to have entered into his family through his written words.
   
   John Towle - Vail, Az.



5. This book was fascinating to me. It is a great depiction of historical events that I had not really known about regarding the Mexican people. It is very sad to see what an idyllic, beautiful and simple life these people had only to have it shattered by the revolution. Their beautiful and simple existence became a fight for life and a future of being treated like dirt by soldiers in their own country and by the U.S. when they tried to go someplace else. The author did a great job with imagery and emotion. I couldn't put this book down.