5 comments about Right Time, Right Place: Coming of Age with William F. Buckley Jr. and the Conservative Movement.

1. Excellent biography of an ingenious gentleman, who also loved peanut butter.
   I share this liking for PB, as well as for Buckley's vocabulary and wit. Such biographical data, on Buckley, are practically non-existent, so thanks much for the book, "Right Time, Right Place".



2. This was well worth the $1.24 it's selling for now, due to some local 60s color in the beginning, but it quickly becomes unreadable except as an unconscious account of what's wrong with so-called "conservatism."
   
   Brookhiser is one of those guys whose "conservatism" is not a matter of principles [that would be 'dogmatic' and 'old-fashioned'] but simply some adolescent impulse to gain-say whatever the Times or the cool kids at college say, then eventually giving in years later. His "conservative" odyssey starts by supporting The War by making stencils and throwing paint at hippies [rather than, say, going to Vietnam himself] but never gives any apparent reason for it.
   
   As the book continues Brookhiser acquires no principles [but does acquire a New York City Jewish psychoanalyst as a wife, which gives you some idea of his "conservatism"] but quite to the contrary, rather than learning anything he simply follows Buckley like a puppy dog as the latter continues his self- [or CIA] appointed task of neutering the "conservative movement." Everyone with ideas that might offend the Liberal Zeitgeist is first offered a place at the table so as to shock the Liberal Elite and then purged one by one when they get uppity; the ones who are already gone appear to Brookhiser only in the form of newsletters still mailed in from 'nuts' and 'racists' and 'anti-Semites;' more appear during his tenure at National Review, driven out in turn by Buckley or himself, until finally its his own turn, at which point he suddenly discovers Buckley is an unprincipled scoundrel.
   
   At no point does any actual idea occur, to say nothing of argument or refutation; instead, old friends suddenly become embarrassing at cocktail parties and so must disappear.
   
   I confess I stopped reading after the purge of Joe Sobran; really, anyone who takes "supply side" economics seriously [the economic equivalent of Brookhiser's unprincipled "conservatism": a non-theory promoted by non-economists to win elections against "da liberals"] is ill-qualified to denounce Sobran's harmless private hobbyhorse of Oxfordism as equivalent to "paranoia" and of a piece with antisemitism. I assume he still has the Jewish psychoanalyst to remind him of "the conservative movement"?
   
   In its own way, useful to future historians as an account, and even more, an example, of what Yockey [one of those 'nuts'] called America's "cultural retardation."



3. We have come to expect good writing from Brookhiser and this is no exception. But while Brookhiser usually writes about historical figures---all of these short, succinct biographies of founding fathers are worth reading---in RTRP he describes in great detail a modern figure, Bill Buckley, for whom he worked and acknowledges as one of what George Will called "the most consequential Americans" of the 2oth Century. Brookhiser has a great capacity for capturing the essence of great figures without the need to take hundreds of pages and thousands of words to do so. He not only describes Buckley's great contributions to modern American conservative thought but he gives a wonderful sense of the man, while not flinching from pointing out some of Buckley's odd foibles. While Christopher Buckley's book about both his parents is witty, I prefer this book as both personal, thoughtful and insightful. Time for one book on WFB, go for this one.



4. The relationship between mentor and apprentice is a fascinating one, and Mr. Brookhiser's compulsively readable memoir captures the nuances of this dynamic better than just about anything else I have read. The fact that the mentor in this instance was the larger-than-life Mr. Buckley makes this work of great interest to the two+ generations who counted Buckley as a constant presence on their TV screens and bookshelves. We benefit from the immediacy of this work: one gets the sense that the wounds of rejection (Buckley appointed and then dismissed--seemingly arbitrarily--Brookhiser as his "successor" at National Review) are still raw, which makes for a particularly searing read. And yet this is not a hatchet job: Brookhiser loves WFB as a son would love his father. Their relationship and, by default, the inner workings of National Review across four decades, is described in novelistic detail. The many conversational asides are always enlightening and often amusing, and overall the narrative flows along effortlessly. My only issue is with Brookhiser's strident defense of the Iraq war at the very end--a lapse into polemics in a book that is ultimately above all that. Recommended.



5. An insider's view of National Review and William F Buckley Jr. from the late 60s through the death of WFBJr. Nostalgic and appealing for an outsider who watched during much of this period. Not likely to appeal to someone who has never heard of National Review or of WFBJr.

5 comments about Travels with Myself and Another: A Memoir.

1. Terrific. I traveled in Africa and Russia during this same period of time and this is what I would have written if I had the ability to do so. She speaks with great honesty and clarity.



2. "Nothing is better for self-esteem than survival." So Martha Gellhorn introduces her travel memoir of her most memorable horror journeys in an entertaining and historical book, Travels with Myself and Another.
   
   I found this book a few years ago while browsing at Barnes and Noble. I rarely buy books, but the brief description of Gellhorn as the third wife of Ernest Hemingway and rare female journalist during WWII was enough for me to add it to my exclusive biography collection. Gellhorn witnessed the invasion of Normandy as a stowaway after getting kicked off the press boat and wrote over a dozen fiction and non-fiction books in her 60-year career. Travels with Myself and Another is a collection of "the best of the worst journeys," originally published in 1978 and spanning a swath of history from the WWII Greatest Generation to the 1970's counterculture revolution.
   
   "We are supposed to learn by experience;" Gellhorn reflects on her repeated travels in her introduction, "fat lot of good that does if you only remember the experience too late." We start out in WWII China with Ernest Hemingway as her unwilling "another," and end with her babysitting her helpless driver in East Africa. Her laugh-out-loud descriptions of lunches with everyone from Chiang Kai-shek and Madame Chiang in war-torn China to Mrs. Mandelstam in the oppressive Soviet communist regime provide an entertaining romp through history with someone who has been there. Her casual mentions of the countries in Africa and realistic dialect of the natives of the Caribbean made me pick up an atlas. Her character as a true free spirit who hires her own boats against the advice of locals shines through in her tight and un-politically correct prose. "I remember West Africa the way one remembers pain, as an incident but never the precise sensations." (Sixty-eight pages through West Africa are lifted straight from a found journal and were as hard for me to get through as it was for Gellhorn to get through West Africa. I recommend skipping this part if you also find it doesn't flow well.) But the rest of the book is a treasure of insight, history, and world travel.
   
   Travels with Myself and Another was one of the first books that brought home to me that real life can be just as entertaining to read as fiction. I found myself studying Gellhorn's quick and direct writing style, impressed by the amount of description she is able to capture in just a few words. I loved reading her stories that contained the honest appraisals of her thoughts and impressions. I often picked up her book, saying to myself, "Take me away, Martha." Travels with Myself and Another opened my eyes to the depth of knowledge in women's lives and stories.
   
   by Karen Ballinger
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



3. Martha Gellhorn's adventures take you on a reality trip. She doesn't gloss it over but has such dry humor and wit. She learns enduring flexblity to hang in there and she teaches you what the journey entails. I liked her!
   GOOD READ.



4. This is a book of Gellhorns recollections of trips thru China, Africa and Africa.
   Her writing is such,... so lacking in substance that you feel she is making it up. It doesn't feel genuine. PLUS! and here's the real killer... SHE DOESN'T REMEMBER!. All through the book she states how she doesn't remember this or that, so often that the whole book comes onto question. The trip to China with her then husband Ernest Hemingway was a total blow out. She wasn't sure about anything.
   The second story, her first trip to Africa, was the best in the bunch.
   The last trip to Africa was totally unbelievable. Fiction.
   
   She can not remember enough to make a coherent record of her journeys.
   
   Also for someone who loves to travel and has spent her life doing so all around the world-- she has no camera! No interest in them. No pictures.
   
   I've also read 'The View from the Ground' and wasn't impressed.



5. This is a truly delightful read...Gellhorn's wit and courage shine through. Her observations and insight are so interesting. You will enjoy this book.

5 comments about Molly Ivins: A Rebel Life.

1. but I had forgotten what a true fighter she was. I wish we had her voice now. The woman was fearless. What I didn't realize (or know) is her life story behind the columns. What a terrific read. Both on Molly and the state of Texas; the rise of big oil and the politics that have gotten us to where we are today. Thank you thank you thank you.



2. Molly Ivins was always one of my heroes, for her fearless, outspoken opinions and clever ways of phrasing things. We really miss her! It was interesting to read some background info on her life.



3. Someone gave this book to my husband who is a big Molly Ivins fan. Good grief! How anyone could slog through this book is beyond me. Molly Ivins certainly deserves better than this dull treatment!



4. I haven't finished it yet, but ran through another 70 or so pages last week while doing jury duty. But this book has so informed me about someone who was literally an icon in progressive thinking. If you can imagine Matt Drudge carrying anyone's column outside of the majority who are slightly to the right of Attila the Hun, then you have to know that Molly had the kind of authority -- earned baby earned -- and grit that few had. Her childhood in Houston, well off with a hard driving unforgiving father and a mother who simply did what dad told her to, to the early loss of the love of her life the book details her meteoric rise in the world of mainstrain (read Republican) newspapers in the Southwest and Midwest. Molly Ivins could say things like no one else could. She covered the Texas Legislature (the lege as she called it) when there were mostly D's and a handful of R's ... and believe me she was as scathing and on point about the D's as she ever was about the R's. When she saw folly, racism, bigotry, financial scams, idolatry whatever --she called it as she saw it. And she was always right on point! This is a wonderful book -- buy it, read it, sleep on it, and keep it in your library forever. It's that good. Written with her assistant and Bill Minutaglio, an author in his own right.



5. It stops frustratingly short of really letting us feel as if we had gotten to know the "real" Molly Ivins.
   
   But the biggest problem with this book is something that would be hard to avoid, which is that Ivins didn't write it herself. She was such a good writer, her voice so well-developed and indelible that some of us can and do still quote a favorite line or two.
   
   The authors here, though they keep your interest, just aren't as good. You feel like someone being mean to a dog for saying this, because these writers' hearts are clearly in the right place, but I think they've let down their craft.
   
   They say early on that they deliberately decided not to quote large pieces of Ivins' work readily available elsewhere; I can understand that. But it meant I prized those sections where she did pop out all the more, and hope for a full-fledged collection of her letters and other papers.

5 comments about The Storyteller's Daughter: One Woman's Return to Her Lost Homeland.

1. Saira Shah, a journalist and documentary film maker, has written of her travels to an Afghanistan celebrated in the stories of her father, Idries Shah, a Sufi teacher and writer of some renown. Saira Shah's journey was remarkable in that she went to Afghanistan when she was only 21 and Afghanistan was in the midst of its battle against the invading Soviet Union. She went back several times, including in 2001, when the US was hunting Osama Bin Laden and trying to eliminate the Taliban. I'm tempted to classify her book as "creative non-fiction," in that I believe she has "reinvented" some scenes and conversations from the first experiences. The rather disjointed nature of the book leads me to believe that it was recreated from journal entries. Some of what Shah writes certainly makes one wonder why in the world the U.S. believes it can nation build in this swirling cauldron of fiercely antagonistic tribes of men born and raised in warfare. Shah herself was raised and educated in England and brings a kind of wide-eyed liberalism to her story, which doesn't pretend to be a history or contemporary analysis. Rather, it's a story of personal discovery and from that standpoint it's an interesting and enlightening read.



2. A beautiful book. Well presented, well written and moving. One of the very few books I actually want to thank an author for taking the time to write.
   
   
   [taken from my blog]
   
   This book is intense, its fabulous, its emotional, it is well thought out, well written, it is one that I have had to add to my to buy list because checking it out is just not good enough.
   This book struck a chord with me.
   
   Some extra bonuses with the hard cover are thicker paper, and its not insanely bright white. When you have issues with colour and sight that is a god send.
   
   I converted to Muslim a few months ago, when i found this book, it was one of two with similar titles and I skimmed what this was about before adding it to my list not really thinking anything about it one way or the other.
   
   Saira Shah has blown me away.
   She takes you on her journey literally with her, there is no sitting by the sidelines and reading about it.
   You are filled with stories of a personal nature, combined with historical fact and legends.. Which is what (living)life is, or rather, what it should be.
   
   The book is filled with tibits that you will find yourself stopping to record for your own reflection later.
   It's definitely added to my to buy list. I am amazed my library had it and saddened I appear to be one of the few whose checked it out.
   
   This book has changed the way I think about a lot of things and identified some things I have been wrestling with lately. Things I have been trying to find on my own spiritual journey to Allah and know I know now more about what it is that I am seeking along the way.



3. This is a marvelous and descriptive story of a woman searching for her country and roots in Afghanistan. The "fairytale" from her father of this land didn't fully prepare her for the reality she found in this war torn country where the brutality of the terrain was matched by the brutality of fanatics that had taken over the culture and human rights, especially those of the women. Hard to realize that at one time Afghanistan was a country of sublime poets like Rumi in the devastated nation Saira went into as a journalist. Saira Shah's writing transports one into her journey in this land which we, in the West, must come to grips with and understand.



4. The Storyteller's Daughter is a tale of high adventure--a tough-minded, fearless and obviously incredibly fit woman travels with the mujahaddin in Afghanistan as they fight the Soviet army. What is even more compelling about this book is the insight we get into the growth of radical Islam and the woeful lack of understanding by western participants/observers as this struggle was going on--with enormous consequences for today, of course.



5. An absolutely delicious story! Afghanistan's lore and legend come to life in the author's own accounts of her bold adventures as a woman on the fronts of danger in Afghanistan. It being true made it all the more fun. I really could not put this book down; it is a fascinating tale that includes intrigue, suspense, and a uniquely satire sense of humor sprinkled throughout. Saira Shah transports the reader to a foreign land, a foreign way of life, a foreign way of thought. Yet, the tales echo familiar as she gives a spectacular presentation of the clash between mystical historical lore, modern day realities, and the blend of these two realms on humanity's culture, mind, and heart.

5 comments about THE LIFE OF SAMUEL JOHNSON, LL. D. --- WITH LINKED TABLE OF CONTENTS.

1. James Boswell's Life of Samuel Johnson is often called the greatest biography of all-time and may well be. Perhaps such a work can get no higher praise, but it is also highly notable as the first true modern biography - the first really resembling what we think of as biography today. Boswell set new standards for thoroughness, accuracy, and research, greatly expanding the very concept of what a biography could be. He was also very far ahead of his time in anticipating what was later called gonzo journalism - writers inserting themselves into real-life stories; it is of course not done in the same way as later writers, but the concept is similar. Most remarkable of all, though, is that the book is immensely readable, entertaining, and edifying over two hundred years later, which can be said of very few biographies. It is absolutely essential for anyone even remotely interested in Johnson, Boswell, or the late eighteenth century European intellectual circle.
   
   Johnson was perhaps England's best known writer during his last several decades and one of the most famous in the world besides being widely known and renowned for lexicographical and other accomplishments. However, this book's greatness and fame are such that he has long been known primarily via it. Many read it who have read very little or none of him, showing that, unlike nearly all biographies, it has earned a life of its own. There are many reasons for this, not least the fine writing. Even more fundamental is that the book vividly brings an exciting, integral, and profoundly influential era to life. It covers the late Enlightenment when many of the most important people to ever live were prominent. In addition to Johnson, we get first-hand glimpses of such illustrious personages as Adam Smith, Oliver Goldsmith, Pasquale Paoli, David Garrick, and many, many others. Numerous other heavyweights - Voltaire, Jean-Jacques Rousseau, King George III, etc. - are only slightly in the background. We also get contemporaneous accounts of major events like the American Revolution and the lead up to the French Revolution. In short, though ostensibly the biography of one person, the book is as vibrant, lifelike, and memorable an account of a supremely important era as any history book.
   
   Yet Johnson is always the focus, shown literally from birth to death. Anyone interested in him will find a wealth of information about all aspects of his life as well as his thoughts, feelings, influences, intellectual background, and far more. There is also a great deal of information about his work. Unlike nearly all biographers, Boswell actually knew Johnson well; he was his friend for many years and spent several months annually in his company, essentially interviewing him and making voluminous notes of his conversation. This last is indeed the book's heart and by far its most famous element. Johnson was perhaps his era's most famous conversationalist, revered for wit and argument; Boswell heard many hours of his conversation and reports faithfully. His style here was again innovative. Rather than sprinkling isolated quotes anecdotally, he went to great pains to reproduce full conversations, not only describing the setting and others present but even using drama-like name headings for full verisimilitude. We thus not only see what Johnson said but where, how, and usually why he said it. Many world famous Johnson sayings that would otherwise be lost - i.e., "Patriotism is the last refuge of a scoundrel" - are immortalized here, as well as some quotes by others. This alone would make the book of great value.
   
   Much has been made of how Boswell's presence affected this; knowing he would write the biography, or at least thinking it possible, he undoubtedly orchestrated much, drawing Johnson out when he might have otherwise been silent. Much of this would have been done in any case as he clearly admired Johnson and loved his talk, but there is no denying the question's importance. Some have condemned Boswell as a shameless celebrity whore or otherwise questioned his motives and veracity, but nearly everyone will consider this nitpicking, fascinating as the question is. For nearly everyone, it makes the book better - far more personal and engaging than biographies are usually even capable of being. Also, for what it is worth, such things mean the book in many ways tells us nearly as much about Boswell as Johnson, making it a sort of hybrid biography/autobiography.
   
   Boswell understandably focuses on the years he knew Johnson, meaning the book is greatly lopsided in favor of the later years after Johnson became famous and nearly all his major work was done. This will annoy those who want a more balanced overview, especially as Boswell makes short shrift of some important early events. Those wanting a more conventional balance should get one of several later biographies, especially as Boswell makes a few errors and, at least according to later sources, leaves out some highly interesting - if not necessarily essential - facts. He openly admits doing so at the start in order to protect Johnson's reputation, though much of what he says elsewhere is unflattering, but some of it may have been unknown to him. For most, though, this is the only Johnson biography that will ever be needed - and its greatness, influence, and importance are such that it is required for all readers with even the slightest interest in English and European literature and history and the art of biography even if they care little or nothing for Johnson or Boswell.
   
   As for this edition, it has a wealth of supplemental material, making it ideal for serious readers. An excellent, lengthy introduction gives substantial background on Johnson, Boswell, and the book plus some critical insight. There is also a worthwhile bibliography, a chronology, and a supremely useful index. As with other Everyman hardbacks, the book itself is also very high quality - clothbound with very strong binding and even a built-in bookmark. This is one of the best versions available.



2. This is the abridged version! Don't get this!
   
   I love Boswell's Life of Johnson, it is one of my favorite books in the world. (Definitely in the top five).
   
   It has altered my outlook on life, the universe, and everything.... in a permanently positive manner.
   
   But I absolutely hate, loath, and despise all pitiful "abridged" versions.
   
   And I could not find anywhere on Amazon's page that this is abridged!
   
   Now I have to send it back! What a pain!



3. 'No man but a blockhead ever wrote, except for money,' Samuel Johnson.
   Sorry, it is a hobby.
   
   Samuel Johnson the writer of the first comprehensive dictionary of the English language, which was a very big deal in his day as the elite felt the English language was in decline due to it being influenced by so many foreign influences and the marvel of Samuel Johnson's efforts and method of writing made him, according to Lord Chesterfield Lord Chesterfield's Letters (Oxford World's Classics), as someone to be deferred to as the "Caesar" of the English language. Samuel Johnson, along with his friend and former pupil David Garrick, helped place Shakespeare as the permanent king of the English language; further, Johnson was a great and singular essayist and has an eternal place as a minor poet of the English language. His dictionary shot Johnson into the inner circle of elite in English society.
   
   Boswell's "Life of Samuel Johnson" is a fascinating read as Boswell traces Johnson's life story. Samuel Johnson and Edmund Burke, a friend of his, and together the center of English political and cultural life with the 'Literary Club' that they had both started were big players in forming the English reaction to the major liberal events going on in their day and could be said to be the fathers of modern conservatism. They were alive to face the genesis of modern liberalism, in the form of Jean Jacque Rousseau along with the American Revolution, theirs was the conservative response. 'What hypocrites are the drivers of negroes to be demanding liberty,' Johnson in reference to the Americans. (It is funny that Samuel Johnson was against slavery while the more liberal Boswell was for it). Although, I know Edmund Burke felt England to be in the reconcilable wrong with the American Revolution Edmund Burke's Speech on conciliation with the American colonies,: Delivered in the House of commons, March 22, 1775; ed., with notes and a study plan ... I. Crane (Twentieth century text-books) the Doctor, Samuel Johnson, did not and felt the Revolutionaries hypocritical ingrates. What is good about conservatism lays with these two fellows, Burke and Johnson. It is also amusing that Johnson's conservativism included the observation that countries should be judged by the condition in which their poor lived, disapprobation given to the worse.
   
   Samuel Johnson came from very humble roots and his early life was spent in modest means, fortunately he was surrounded by books. His first years in London were quite a struggle, near pennyless, sometimes sleeping on the streets. The money he ended up getting for writing the dictionary wasn't much in the end, it was the fame that got him some wealth.
   
   A marvelous read. Giving advice about the legal profession, education: his advice - just do it; habits form early and habits are hard to break... lots of interesting views from how to conduct oneself socially (Boswell seemed in constant search of this) to political commentary (one of my favorite was his advice on being weary of those that wrap themselves in the flag)... too much to write about. Boswell, when he first meets Johnson is so filled with awe and reverance but it mellows out some, he even starts playing games with the Doctor; however, he always greatly respects him but the idolitry disipates.
   
   Although Samuel Johnson's conservativeness and strong opinions might turn people off I find it refreshing compared to the stealth tactics of politics today. Politicians don't say what they mean and that is also probably why the Doctor was discouraged from entering politics in his day by some close friends with ties in that area, somethings change only by degree. James Boswell, the author, didn't agree with the Doctor all the time but appreciated the hard, realistic way of looking at things and amusingly delivered (mostly by quirky analogies) that Samuel Johnson did.
   
   Then Boswell is a story in himself. Boswell's Rousseau-ist fever for the notions of the 'Noble Savage, Natural Man' The Noble Savage: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, 1754-1762 was interesting also; his generation caught it and he had strong sentiments towards it despite Johnson's arguments against its reasoning. This fever also, at the least, lent cover to the American Revolution.
   
   Johnson could only afford one year of college. Received an honarary Doctorate for his dictionary.
   
   One of the books one should read before they turn 20.
   
   The best synopsis of Rousseau and in his own words is probably 'Creed of a Priest of Savoy' The Essential Rousseau (Essentials)



4. If you feel obliged to wade through the canon once in a while, this won't be a waste of your time, though these days Gibbon's roughly contemporaneous history is a much better read, Boswell's extreme formality being a bit wearing over 1200 pages (in the edition I read).
   On the other hand, Boswell's telling of Johnson's life is sprightly and certainly not so tedious as the writings of Johnson himself. People who choose to read the Life will not be disappointed.
   On yet another hand, I can easily understand why the library copy I borrowed, though purchased in 1949, had not yet been read (the uncut pages showing me so): except to specialists, I would not recommend this book in lieu of, say, 1000 or so others.
   I guess this actually is a useless review: if you have already decided to read this, you shan't have gone wrong; if you're looking for a good read, you're probably not looking here.



5. I own the Penguins Classics edition but no matter. The story is wonderfully rich. Boswell really is a master story teller because at no point did the story become dry. I literally read and savored every single word.
   
   All I knew of Johnson is that he wrote the first English Dictionary. But I had no idea this man was full of wit. He had a temper no doubt and definitely went through periods of what sound like moderate to severe depression followed by periods of bursting with energy, joy and wit and incredibly prolific and productive in those bursts, enough so that he surprised most people with his abilities in those bursts of creative genius. I am biased as I am a psychiatric physician but it sound like bipolar disorder to me.
   
   Whatever the case may be, I drank this book up. I'm still reading it, have about 40 pages left and haven't put it down since I picked it up.
   
   A must read just because of the sheer wonderful story contained within!

5 comments about Dijiste Que Me Querias: Como Sobrellevar lo Impensable (Spanish Edition).

1. Un libro muy bien escrito. Me hizo reir y llorar. A veces me pregunto como un ser humano puede sobrevivir ciertas situaciones que los que estamos fuera de la situacion no comprendemos. Pero Maria Antonieta es una mujer muy fuerte y de un caracter admirable. No muchas mujeres harian lo que ella hizo. Me enseño que el amor es sacrificio y el perdon es paz.



2. es un ***EXELENTE LIBRO*** y no me aguanto para que salga su proximo Maria A. es mi heroina de la vida moderna, la gente que se encarga de criticar a esta MUJER es por que de otra forma no lograrian llegar a ella. la admiro y respeto mucho su trabajo sus libros(que los he leido todos) me han arrancado llantos, risas, pero sobretodo he aprendido mucho de cada uno de ellos sobretodo de este viacrucis que llevo cuesta arriva no se si hubiera tenido el coraje que tubo, lo recomiendo este y todos los demas mi hijastra que se ha convertido en tu fiel admiradora a sus 15 anitos y yo estamos ansiosas por que salga ya su proximo libro Sara Balibrera San francisco CA



3. La verdad yo no le diera ni una estrella a este libro pero si no le pongo la estrella no puedo publicar mi comentario. Me parece un libro en el que ella fue muy cruel con el esposo que estaba muriendo de cancer. En todo el libro ella se puso como una gran persona, un heroina. Me parece tan cruel que ella le reclamara acerca de el pasado cuando el estaba muriendo en el presente. Si ella lo hubiera dejado alguien lo hubiera cuidado igual porque ios pone angeles el el camino de uno.Si ella fuera realmente la gran persona que quiere parecer ser lo hubiera cuidado y ya.Que bueno que no compre el libro porque si no pediria mi dinero de regreso.



4. Uno de los mejores libros escritos por Maria Antonieta Collins. Es un excelente libro que ademas de contarnos la historia que vivio' la escritora, nos brinda informacion y consejos sumamente importantes para lidiar en situaciones dificiles.
   El libro trata de como Maria Antonieta descubrio la infidelidad y enganos de su esposo. En el libro, hay senales de alerta para darnos cuenta de cuando estamos siendo enganadas. Les recomiendo 100% este libro al igual que "Cuando el Mounstruo despierta" de la misma escritora.



5. I really enjoyed this book. I could not put it down! It teaches you about love, and loyalty through the worst of times. I cried three times while reading it. I also liked that it came quickly and that the price was very good. I am saving it for my mom to read when she comes to visit for the holidays. I know she will love this real life story. One of the best stories I have read! I highly recommended this book to all my friends.

5 comments about The Kitchen Readings: Untold Stories of Hunter S. Thompson.

1. It should come as no surprise that the personal stories of friends of HST and his antics are just as, if not more, entertaining as his books. Yet what we get here is more than just tales of Gonzo crazy...we get tales of another side of HST, one rarely seen or read about beyond the walls of the Owl Farm kitchen. A great read for any HST fan.



2. I devour anything about the doc, this was well worth it, giving insight into the life and the goings on at owl ranch. good read



3. The men who wrote this knew Thompson personally, so there's plenty of inner details about life on Owl Farm and the ways of the good doctor. Some of the stories I loved as they caught the man's feral energy, others carry a weight of sadness with them as they show a great talent winding down and ready to leave this earth.
   
   Would I recommend it? Oh yes, in fact I read it in a couple of sittings.



4. This book will be enjoyed for those that knew his work and his personality. It's more a collection of old friend's stories and diaries than a book. For those that don't good luck but it does come across as funny and crazy overall.



5. then this is a must read for you! For those of us that were never blessed (and cursed! :) to have ever met this great man and one of the truly greatest outspoken literary giants of our generation, this is as close as we will ever get to knowing the real man inside the "Gonzo" exterior. Written with love and great humor by Bob Braudis and Michael Cleverly, it is a warm tribute to their friend of many years and allows us inside the "inner circle" of the Owl Farm kitchen. I laughed and laughed, but mostly I cried for having not been able to buy the ticket and take the ride myself.

5 comments about The Night of the Gun: A reporter investigates the darkest story of his life. His own..

1. Reformed-junkie memoirs are common but New York Times contributor David Carr's The Night of the Gun is a nice change of pace, even if he a little too proud of himself.
   
   Carr uses very choppy and direct style while describing his progression from experimental drinking and dope-smoking to injecting cocaine and smoking crack. He struggled to maintain his career as reporters and editors. During his lowest point he also had twin daughters. Carr is sorry for his behavior that included neglect of his daughters and the abuse of his friends. Being in such a fog he searches for the truth based what he can find in the public record. This evidence reveals truths about himself and the nature of addiction. Like many addicts he fell back to his addictive behaviors becoming once again dependent on alcohol. He is sober once again.
   
   As one without an addictive mind it can be frustrating reading this book. You want to smack him upside the head many times. In the end, though, this book gives the reader an empathy for those with addictions. We all need such empathy if we are to ever change the way we treat the addicted.



2. Halfway through Carr's memoir I thought it was one of the best I've ever read, and appreciated his investigation into the notion of memory and how we tell the stories in our lives. He lost me about halfway when the story veered from his getting over addiction to his rising in the world of journalism. It's one thing to interview a friend about a lost night with a gun, and another to interview an editor who hired you--gee, why'd you hire me? Gosh, you had a history of being a mess but you were so talented and charming!--which gets tedious. Writing about covering the Twin Towers is an interesting story, but it's not THIS story. Carr mistakes autobiography for memoir--we don't want to know all the details of his life, just the ones that go with this story. Needed an editor. Once he slips back into addiction, ironically, we're back on track with the story. Courageous, brutally honest.



3. When I first went to the website for this book some time ago, I had expected to read the opposite of what it turned out to be. I was under the impression that Carr would use the actual historical record of his debasement and addiction to shine an accurate light on what truly happened to him.
   
   There is some of that, and yes, he did plenty of interviews - but they are no more a surefire record of the time he describes than his own memory. He uses SOME official documents to shine a light on certain events, but not that much, and often it's only vaguely enlightening anyway.
   
   Basically, he's a great, compelling writer - as evidenced by his long career as a reporter. But this book is what he promised it would NOT be - a navel-gazing apoligia.
   
   Maybe if I was a crackhead junkie, I could read this and get something out of it...maybe that's the audience and I should look at it like a self-help motivational book. I guess.
   
   But, this is just more of what I've seen in plenty of other accounts - "look at me, I'm David Carr and when I was a crackhead I had an awesome time, and hooked up with lots of girls, and went to lots of parties, and knew movie stars...but it's bad! Don't do what I did!" Whatever.
   
   Everybody he describes is saintly and forgiving, and every junkie he ever encountered was a real salt of the earth character who, in between hits, tried to help him out. Except for the mother of his kids, who I guess is still a wreck.
   
   And - I can't get past the fact that if his name was De'wayne Carr, he would be long forgotten in some jail cell somewhere. He got breaks from the cops, from the legal system, from his employers, from basically everybody he took advantage of for years and years (although most of them were junkies, too). He does acknowledge these lucky breaks now and then, but it doesn't seem like he appreciates them very much.
   
   Like I said, maybe I was the wrong audience for this book. I anticipated a very objective, somewhat distant examination of this period of debasement, and I think that would have been a valuable addition to the "junkie memoir." There's no shortage of first person recollections of a bad time in someone's life - this is just a slightly different version of something that's been done and done again.
   
   Finally, and most significantly, he'd only been sober for a couple years before writing this book - when the entire book deals with his constant backsliding. I guess that's part of it - he's 100 percent certain to have a relapse, so why wait until he's been sober for 10 years, since it will never happen.
   
   Very well-written, however. If you're a crackhead junkie and need some motivational support, I guess this book could help.



4. Great read! He takes you into the darkness of his past with the pacing and analytical eye of a talented journalist.



5. Memory is a strange, mysterious, and elusive function. That's the real theme of The Night of the Gun, by David Carr. How is it that one guy can honestly recall that the gun belonged to his friend and that it was his friend who used it? Yet, the alleged-gunman/friend remembers the same scene -- exactly in reverse.
   
   Secondary to Carr's fascinating revelations about the way humans remember the "details" of our lives, this book comprises a bold confession by a man helplessly addicted to any and everything he could get a hold of to alter his consciousness. In a litany of jaw-dropping revelations, this gifted journalist admits to raising his children in drug-infested squalor and exposing them to severe peril, all the while destroying nearly every relationship, job, and opportunity that came along, by pulling off of some of the most fool-hearty, insane, bone-headed stunts ever recounted in print.
   
   It's an inventive concept for an investigative reporter in recovery to attempt to reconstruct his own sordid past by interviewing the very people he hurt, ripped off, and deceived. I salute David Carr for airing his soiled laundry and unveiling his skeletons. There but for the grace of the pen go so many.
   
   Rand Bishop, author of Makin' Stuff Up, The Absolute Essentials of Songwriting Success, and Grand Pop.

5 comments about Seeds of Terror: How Heroin Is Bankrolling the Taliban and al Qaeda.

1. Read this book and weep -- You may find other books about
   Afghanistan that paint a picture that is as terrible. But, Peters's
   book will do more than most to help you understand how things could
   get that way and why they might get worse. Her explanation is that
   it's the money and funding that makes the Taliban possible, and that
   the money comes, in large part, from the drug trade and from
   smuggling.
   
   Peters explains Afghanistan by explaining the only successful
   institution and structure that it has: the drug trade, specifically
   poppy farming, opium production, drug smuggling, and the protection,
   money transit and laundering, etc that go with the drug trade.
   
   Some of the topics:
   
   * How the drug trade has shaped the Afghanistan conflict.
   
   * How drug money has enabled the Taliban to survive and succeed.
   
   * A description of a drug kingpin and the network he runs. It's an
   impressive and successful business.
   
   * The money trail -- Where the money comes from and where it goes.
   Especially important is who it funds and how they use those funds
   to maintain control.
   
   * The U.S. policy in Afghanistan (if we have one) and why it is
   ineffective and failing.
   
   * Some suggestions about how to do things right.
   
   It's all too easy to jump to the what-to-do section. But, it's
   important to understand why Afghanistan is such a hard problem and
   why there is no easy solution. Peters is good at explaining what
   makes it so difficult to "fix" Afghanistan -- Some reasons:
   
   * Poppy farming is the traditional crop and a way of life there.
   There are no or few alternatives.
   
   * The poppy production and drug smuggling networks are very advanced
   and well-organized. It's the only thing that works in
   Afghanistan.
   
   * It's a failed state. The central government does not have control;
   the police force is corrupt; there is no judiciary that has
   the respect of the people. There is a war going on, and there is
   little security and safety.
   
   * The profits from drugs are huge. Whenever there is lots of money,
   that attracts those who exploit it. And, since there is no or
   little police control, those who exploit it turn out to be
   criminals and terrorists.
   
   The prescription that Peters emphasizes most is: Go after the
   funding. That funding is what saved the Taliban and what enables
   them to survive and succeed. Her second order prescription is that
   an alternative way of making a living must be provided for Afghan
   farmers currently growing poppies. And, underlying that and
   necessary to make any program possible is that there must be good
   governance and security, which requires: (1) a successful central
   government that has control within its borders and can provide
   security; (2) a reasonably honest police force; and (3) a judiciary
   that has enough respect from the people so that it promotes
   law-abiding behavior. With that as a base, the following steps
   would attack the drug production, smuggling, and money at make the
   Taliban possible.
   
   * Arrest or kill drug kingpins and the mid-level smugglers in the
   drug trade.
   
   * Target the chemists and the drug labs that cook opium into
   heroin.
   
   * Target and bomb drug convoys going to the borders of Pakistan and
   Iran.
   
   And, here are Peters's prescriptions, what she calls the nine pillars
   of a complete strategy:
   
   1. Bring peace to the region -- No people can succeed in the midst
   of constant war.
   
   2. Conduct an effective counterinsurgency strategy -- The Taliban
   has been able to succeed even in inhospitable conditions; without
   pressure it will thrive.
   
   3. Blend intelligence and law enforcement.
   
   4. Conduct military strike against drug lords, heroin labs, and opium
   convoys.
   
   5. Create a farm support network -- Farmer who are currently growing
   poppies will need support to resist pressure from the drug network
   and the Taliban in particular who are earning a living by taxing the
   poppy production of those farmers.
   
   6. Run an effective public relations campaign against the Taliban.
   
   7. Disrupt the flow of drug and terror funds.
   
   8. Provide alternative ways to earn a living to those currently farming
   poppies.
   
   9. Do poppy crop eradication *only* when all else fails.
   
   Discussing or planning a strategy in Afghanistan without learning
   the lessons in this book would be a serious mistake.



2. As a journalist with a deep interest in Afghanistan, Gretchen Peters offers an extensively researched account of the evolution of the heroin trade within Afghanistan and Pakistan. The recent escalation of hostilities in the region and the resurgence of the Taliban can be directly attributed to the proliferation of poppy fields. Furthermore, Afghanistan can now be described as a narco-state that parallels the development of the FARC within Colombia more closely than the insurgency in Iraq. From personally meeting many of the major players within the opium trade to relentlessly obtaining access to confidential intelligence cables and documents, Peters has gone to great lengths to provide a substantiated narrative of the Afghanistan heroin trade.
   
   Response:
   
   While Peters has extensively researched the connections between the Afghanistan insurgency, the numerous regional actors, and the poppy trade, the book suffers from a lack of broader context. Little discussion is given to the flows of opium once it exits the region beyond a brief mention of Europe being the primary recipient. Without a complete understanding of the opium markets that Afghanistan fuels, policy solutions will suffer as opium markets adapt to one-sided efforts.
   
   This book is very much a journalistic account of the topic and suffers from a lack of theory. Peters largely neglects theoretical discussion of counterinsurgencies or counternarcotics operations. Many of Peters' conclusions coincide with counterinsurgency (COIN) doctrine and could have greatly benefited from incorporating principles of COIN within her work, giving it a more substantial theoretical basis. The U.S. Army/Marine Counterinsurgency Field Manual is excellent supplemental reading for anyone engaged with these issues.
   
   Several important topics could have used far more discussion and depth. For example, Peters quickly dismisses the initial strategy for the Afghanistan invasion as inadequate "with predictably unfortunately results. (105)" Since the awareness of COIN doctrine has been a relatively recent phenomena (the U.S. Army/Marine Counterinsurgency Field Manual was published in 2006), initial operations within Afghanistan may have suffered from a lack of theoretical understanding of the nature of the conflict instead of blatant strategic errors. For Peters to claim that the current situation in Afghanistan was predictable from the start, far more depth is needed.
   
   Peters's discussion of Iran is also cursory. Even though Peters does document several instances of Iranian involvement, Peters avoids exploring whether or not this involvement is the result of official Iranian policy or the result of a few Iranian actors searching for profit.
   
   In contrast, the connections between Afghanistan and Pakistan, particularly the ISI, are discussed extensively.
   
   Bottom Line:
   
   A pivotal book for understanding Afghanistan. Those interested in illicit networks, the intricacies of the Afghanistan insurgency, or the complexities of the Afghanistan-Pakistan relationship will also find this book fascinating. The book is also easily accessible for readers without a background on these topics.
   
   For more reviews and a summary of Peters' main points, find us at Hand of Reason.



3. i agree with another reviewer here. this could have been told in 5 pages. ms peeters says the same thing all the time using 200 different sources. that way i can also write a book. if you wanna read a really excellent book on terrorism financing, read loretta napoleoni's "terror inc.". that book gives you insight and knowledge from a broader perspective. the mindblowing facts and info are dripping from each page there. read 5 pages of that book and you'll know more than the 220 pages (net text) ms peeters wrote. then if you want a companion and wanna know how international terrorism really works, read the really mindblowing "war on thruth" by nafeez mosaddeq ahmed. cheers.



4. I was very excited to read this book to learn as much as possible about this important region but once I read the first chapter I realized I was reading the same thing over and over again. While this book is divided into chapters each chapter presents the same tired thesis and information. Over quoting people who are apparently knowledgeable in the field means nothing to me as the continuous name dropping and quoting is confusing.



5. A great book. I read it for school, and I thought the history in the book was really well described. It's interesting that the politicians are all ignoring the fact that drugs are financing all the terrorits. If you take away their money, you take away their power. Why don't they just stop it?

5 comments about Mr Playboy: Hugh Hefner and the American Dream.

1. If you want to find out why Mr.Playboy is who he is you will love this book. It is like a window into the making of the man that would become an icon.



2. Ever wanted to take a fascinating subject and make it a bore, but didn't know how? Watts shows you how. Hugh Hefner's life has always fascinated me. I can't imagine anyone not being interesting in him male or female. When I saw a dozen of these books at a bookstore on clearance, that should have been a tip off to what I was getting into. However, I choose to buy it anyway because, considering how interesting Hugh's life is, how can you mess this up? This book was written using 2 things. #1: Assumptions and guesses of what Hugh was thinking. Then ramble on for several pages about said guesses. It becomes very evident early on that the author at no time interviewed or spoke to Hef when writing this Biography. Why would he? He had #2. #2: Pepper the book with quotes from hundreds of other articles and books that others got from Hef. No need to interview Hef right? You can just read an interview Rolling Stones magazine and the others did with him, snatch the quotes and stuff them in your book. Then revert back to #1 and begin assuming and guessing. Throw in some filler composed of uninteresting and irrelevant details and bam, you've got a book.
   I wanted to hear about Hef's hardship starting the magazine. Instead, I got several pages of how the Kinsey Report MAY have had some dramatic impact on Hef's life. This very important aspect of his life is glossed over with basic facts surrounded by more theories. The whole starting the magazine is pretty much covered in 3 or 4 pages when you really break it down. Most of the book should have been the early years, but instead we get assumptions and theories on why Hef is the way he is. If you are still thinking of buying this book after these low star reviews, simply take the money you plan on using to buy it, flush it down the toilet, and you will have accomplished your goal. If you are concerned about the hours upon hours of reading this uninteresting drivel about a fascinating man that you had planned on wasting, then purchase some paint, apply to a wall, then assume an uncomfortable position and watch it dry. Rinse and repeat.



3. I was so thoroughly taken with this book. Hef is a very very interesting and unique character in my opinion. If you choose to read this book, I think you'll find it takes much more of a historical perspective on the influence of Hef and Playboy. The author mentions occasionally the mix ups Hef would get into.. but the sex mishaps are light and the focus is on the history of the man. It's unlikely this book will disappoint.



4. I found this a compelling biography as well as a sociological and psychological treatise. In paralleling the life of Hefner and Playboy Enterprises, Watts gives us a tour of five decades where the "American Dream" became essentially synonymous with consumer culture. The psychological sequelae are treated fairly without the hysterical screeching usually heard from the so-called conservative right or the pandering platitudes of the blathering left. Whatever you think of Hefner, he is certainly a person who has lived an amazing life as promoter of sensual pleasure, civil libertarian, and cultural trend-setter.



5. I could have used more fact and less guessing about what goes on inside Hefner's head, as if anyone could really know. A better history of his life can be found inside Gay Talese's book "Thy Neighbor's Wife" which is a great read. Find a copy of that and stay away from this one.