5 comments about Be True to Your School.

1. Reading this book reminded me much of my HS days. This should also be combined with "And You Know You Should Be Glad", these people 30+ years later.
   
   Here is one point to ponder as you read this book: Did these people EVER eat at home. It seems like all these kids did was eat at one fast-food shop or another and hang out together. Didn't their parents feed them once in a while?



2. "Be True To Your School" is a diary about Bob Greene, written by Bob Greene, in 1964, it was known as a national bestseller. It all started when bob's teacher, told him that the world's greatest writer started by writing in a journal. This pretty much explains everything that happens in a teenager's life. Starting by when they fall in love, have there first beer, first job, how much they hate school and much more. If you don't know who the Beatles are in 1964 they were pretty popular.
   
   They wrote many songs like "All My Loving," "Till There Was You" and more, they even went on the "Ed Sullivan" show. The "Ed Sullivan" show was another really popular thing back then. Like many others in 1964 Bob Greene was one of the Beatles greatest fans. He would go and buy there singles every time a new album went out. This book tells what happened to Bob Greene in 1964.



3. I read this book in one sitting at age 17. I was babysitting and remember sitting on the couch dazedly fanning the kids away as I plowed through this thoroughly engaging book, which began as a journal that Greene began keeping in hopes that the constant attention to the daily detail of life would improve his journalism skills. Perhaps my own scholastic career in journalism through high school and college, or my love of the Beatles, or my 17-year-old ability to relate to another 17-year-old, no matter how many decades he'd preceded me by, made me partial to this book. Whatever the reason, Greene's honest, untempered account reminds you not to glorify your high school years. Now 25, I have finally sought to own the book that has remained one of the best works I've ever read -- not for its uniqueness, but for its account of a wholly universal experience. One of my own life goals ever since has been to have the determination to write in my own journal every day for a year. Someday, perhaps, I'll actually do it!



4. Read this book in 1989 and I can still remember the difficulty I had putting it down. Tempted to buy another copy and read it again. This book will take you back to your youth regardless of your age or generation.



5. a diary of the early 60's from a teenager's point of view--not bad

5 comments about My Name Is Iran: A Memoir.

1. This autobiography is incandescent with the luminous spirit of the author.
   
   She is articulate and honest about the experiences and uncertainties she encountered in the journey of her own life to date. Look at the photographs in the book: she radiates intelligence, light, and compassion--and so do her words.
   
   The details of her Persian cultural legacy are fascinating, as are the dynamics of her supportive, closely knit family. The latter provides an example of how the values of immigrants can enrich the fabric of American society.
   
   If you are attuned to pick up the more subtle energies (so to speak) of spirit, this book will be quite rewarding for you.



2. Iran has a story to tell, story of a young woman coming to understand who she is and within that context I appreciated the book. I did not care for her need to name drop on so much of the book to establish her identity. At some point in the book Iran feels the need to mention that the grand father of the neighbor of her niece was someone important in US Navy and somehow unsuccessfully she tries to establish a link from there to her present partner. Some of these kinds of name dropping and her need to mention them seem completely out of place and takes away from her story. Over all it is an average book.



3. From an American perspective, Iran is a far-off desert land filled with oil fields and industry. Iran's rich history dates back thousands of years nearly to the beginning of civilization. Yet, we know so little about Iranian lifestyles, cultures and religions. To many, their people and their lives are a mystery to us. Interested in learning more about the country once known as Persia? Let me suggest an excellent place to start.
   
   Born in the United States to Iranian parents, Davar Ardalan is the perfect tour guide to this part of the world. Her fascinating biography, `My Name is Iran' has both literal and figurative meaning. Her proper first name actually is `Iran.' What a fine ambassador she would make for either country.
   
   Davar's book chronicles her quest seeking a true and self-satisfying identity. Her complicated and tumultuous life has seen her morph between a modern American woman and a subservient Iranian willingly locked into an arranged marriage. Her book follows her long search for a place to comfortably rest her soul. Although the perspective is from a personal point of view, Davan's biography also serves as an authoritarian primer about life in Iran.
   
   She has adopted many, many places as her home. A very complicated and diverse life she has led. Davan comes from an enormous family that was very influential in the establishment of modern society in Iran. Several family members of her generation migrated to The United States in search of a richer life. All have experimented with lifestyles both traditional and modern. Some chose one; others chose both. Davan could not decide.
   
   As you read, you will understand how her deep heritage in the Middle East has altered the direction of her life. She seems nearly taunted by both sides of her fence. During most of her young adult years, Davan could not resolve where to go or how to ultimately live. You feel her struggle. Her understanding of both her cultures is so full. If she could only embrace one to call her own!
   
   'My Name Is Iran' is filled with many studious footnotes further explaining the history and the stories behind the many people mentioned in her tales. The book is a masterwork. Not only is Davan a great student of her family's legacy and homeland, she shows sensitivity to her readers with in-depth explanations providing all the background you may need to understand her life in whole. Her tireless work has created a gem which may open her ancestral world to an audience otherwise blind to all of Iran's cultural wealth. It is an unusual and interesting read.
   
   This is not a dry and dusty history book. The tone is personal and passionate. Much is to be read about Davan's personal life: her two marriages (one to a second cousin,) her children, the beloved members of her family and all the things that bubble and cook in her pot of life. What a cast of characters are to be found in all her relatives! Follow her life as she matures from a young girl to a woman immersed in American culture. Later, she returns with conviction to a harshly structured lifestyle. In the end, she becomes a producer and correspondent for National Public Radio working with renowned journalists like Jacki Lyden and Daniel Zwerdling. Quite an amazing life!
   
   Invest some time and read this book. You will begin to understand the spirit within the souls of Davan's people. She'll take you to the site of Solomon's Mosque, the Alborz Mountains and the lands once ruled by Cyrus the Great. Learn about her father's renowned architectural blending of styles both old and new. Feel the excitement in a place half way around the world. Will she ever find balance between the two distinct cultures of America and Iran? Davan offers much to discover. Her pages combine into a journey you won't forget. Salam!



4. I know that a journalist is suppose to write only about facts when describing an event; However, I do expect more from a memoir, especially if it is written by a journalist. I cannot believe that one can go through life without coming with an insight of who she is, and what she stands for. From the book she appears as if she has no control over her destiny, she just follow the flow with no question of who she is. For her last page she justify herself through her boy-friend who tells her that he loves her, not through a realization of who she is, or what her name Iran means to her.
   Bette Davis, with only high school level education, came much more genuine in her book, than Ms Ardalan. She was shallow, and she did not try to pretend to be anything more than than. While Ms. Ardalan is shallow but pretend to have depth.



5. This book is poorly edited, and not very effective. The author's story is not that fantastic that it can stand on it's own, and as a producer for NPR, she's just not that interesting. She spends so much time tip toeing around anything that might cast her family in a bad light, that the book feels half baked.
   Yes, she went back and forth from Iran a couple of times and had a couple of bad marriages, but so what? She should have written the book about any single one of her ancestors, each of which had a more interesting life than she did.

2 comments about Siqueiros: His Life and Works.

1. The Centenary of Siqueiros' birth was in l996, and this book makes an outstanding contribution to a celebration of Siqueiros' life and works. It is a full political biography of the artist-citizen-socialist fighter, as well as an "art book" with 72 pages that present 134 photos and reproductions. These are discussed and explained in the text along with Siqueiros' theories about art and new realism. Philip Stein discloses for the first time the extensive FBI files meddling in the affairs of Mexican citizens. Siqueiros: His Life and Works has an extensive bibliography of the writings, exhibits and lectures of Siqueiros as well as background bibliography. (Reviewer's Bookwatch, January 1995). - "I am a citizen artist, not a Bohemian.I don't believe in a world where each artist is a little god, each one with his own philosophy, each one with his own little kitchen to fry his abstract ham and eggs. The only bad painting is the one dominated by the individual ego. Easel paintings whisper to the private few. Murals shout to the public." These words by Siqueiros embody the militant stance on art taken by one of the most forceful painters of the 20th century. Together with Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco, this triumvirate was the phalanx that led to the founding of the Mexican mural movement, the most significant advancement in art since the Italian Renaissance. This and much more is the subject of this book by Philip Stein an artist who spent a decade working with Siqueiros. It is a work of painstaking research and personal knowledge that is not only a biography of Siqueiros (l896-1974) but also a political history of the 20th century Mexican revolution and its aftermath. This book is a powerful argument for social commitment in art, a valuable source of education for all artists, yuoung and old. (Norman Goldberg, artist-critic). - This magnificent biography is a comprehensive study digging deeply into the historical roots and tempestuous conflicts that shaped Siqueiros into an agressive leader, including his Indian and Mexican heritage, union struggles, military action, political conflicts and his role in organizing cooperative groups of artists who would put their collective endeavors to the service of humanity. This biography is a remarkable work of art with a beautifully felt poetic prose. It is a wonderful restoration of the life of a complex artist. Documentation has a scholarly completeness, color photographs aid us in grasping some of the magnificence of his painting and mural accomplishments. This a biography of enormous importance and beauty, so rich one will go back to it again and again. (Anthony Toney, artist). Stein's marvellous book is a meticulous and inspiring study of a great artist. But more than that it is a cultural achievement in its own right. Throughout its pages Siqueiros is brought powerfully alive. Stein himself writes with the perception and sensitivity of an artist and presents a fascinating account of the artist's technique and methods. This is definitely not a "coffee table" book; nor is it aimed at the art expert. The style is always readable and accessible to the general reader. At times "Siqueiros" even has the pace and excitement of a novel. (Julian Holt, professor of literature, Lancaster, England).



2. The Centenary of Siqueiros' birth is in 1996, and this book makes an outstanding contribution to a celebration of Siqueiros' life and works. It is a full political biography of the artist-citizen-socialist fighter, as well as an "art book" with 72 pages that present 134 photos and reproductions. These are discussed and explained in the text along with Siqueiros' theories about art and new realism. Philip Stein discloses for the first time the extensive FBI files meddling in the affairs of Mexican citizens.Siqueiros: His Life and Works has an extensive bibliography of the writings, exhibits, and lectures of Siqueiros, as well as background bibliography. (Reviewer's Bookwatch, January 1995) --"I am a citizen artist, not a Bohemian. Idon't believe in a world where each artist is a little god, each one with his own philosophy, each one with his own little kitchen to fry his abstract ham and eggs. The only bad painting is the one dominated by the individual ego. In Europe a private market has determined a private art. Here (Mexico) our art is for an audience of millions. Easel paintings whisper to a private few. Murals shout to the public." These words by Siqueiros embody the militant stance on art taken by one of the most forceful painter of the 20th century. Together with Diego Rivera and Jose Clemente Orozco, this triumvirate was the phalanx that led in the founding of the Mexican mural movement, the most significant advancement in art since the Italian Renaissance. This and much more is the subject of this book by Philip Stein, an artist who spent a decade working with Siqueiros. This is a work of painstaking research and personal knowledge. It is not only a biography of Siqueiros (l896-l974) but also a political history of the 20th century Mexican revolution and its aftermath. This book is a powerful arguement for social commitment in art, a valuable source of education for all artists, young and old. (Norman Goldberg,artist-critic). This magnificent biography is a comprehensive stiudy digging deeply into the historical roots and tempestuous conflicts that shaped Siqueiros into an aggressive leader, including his Indian and Mexican heritage, union struggles, military action, political conflicts and his role in organizing cooperative groups of artists who would put their collective endeavors to the service of humanity. This biography is a remarkable work of art, with a beautifully felt poetic prose, comprehensively organized. It is a wonderful restoration of the life of a complex artist. Documentation has a scholarly completeness. Black and white and many color photographs aid us in grasping some of the magnificence of his painting and mural accomplishments. This is a wonderful biography of enormous importance and beauty, so rich one will go back to it again and again. (Anthony Toney, artist). Stein's marvellous book is a meticulous and inspiring study of a great artist. But more than that it is a cultural achievement in its own right, and an act of solidarity with the artist and the working people who were his subjects. Put another way, it is itself a work of socialist realism. The biography is written with a moving affection for Siqueiros who is brought powerfully alive through its pages. Stein himself writes with the perception and sensitivity of an artist and presents a fascinating account of the artist's technique and methods, his pioneering experiments with new materials and the numerous practical problems posed by murals and frescoes of the size and complexity of Siqueiros' creations. This is definitely not a "coffee table" book; nor is it aimed at the art expert. The style is always readable and accessible to the general reader. At times, "Siqueiros" even has the pace and excitement of a novel. (Julian Holt, professor of literature, England).

3 comments about Israel Through My Lens: Sixty Years As a Photojournalist.

1. I am an advanced amateur photographer who has been photographing for almost fifty years. On reading "Israel Through My Lens" there is an immediate connection between Mr. Rubingers experiences and those of any serious photographer/photojournalist. Through his remembrances the reader not only relives the history of Israel and the Middle East in the 20th century but also the very simple joy of being a photographer, getting the good shot. This is a simple story of his life and his relationships that have led to a brilliant career as a photojournalist. I enjoyed the book because I am able to feel his excitement in getting the picture. Rubinger is not a 'god' of photography, he is simply a talented photographer who clearly describes for the rest of us the fun and excitement of photography and photojournalism. All this while telling a wonderful personal story and national history.



2. David Rubinger has laid it out as he saw it and lived it. This is a VERY personal book with little if anything held back. From his youth to the present, Rubinger gives a verbal as well as photographic picture of himself and the Sate of Israel growing up, maturing and "getting on". From his time in the British army to the horrific death of a woman he cared for deeply, this book tells it all. It is easy reading yet compelling. I was carried into a very personal environment and felt as if I were at each event, meeting each person, taking part in each "adventure". David Rubinger's life appears to be a string of wonderful and not-so-wonderful experiences. And you are right there. The country comes alive through the eyes and life of this exceptional man. I have read it twice and have given it as gifts to friends. Oh, yes, I highly recommend this book!!



3. As a photographer, I loved this book. As good as the photographs are, the writing is even better. Great stories about working as a Time photographer in the Mid East, growing up in Europe during WWII, and wonderful vignettes about Israeli leaders. Highly recommended.

5 comments about Eleni.

1. This true story reveals humanity's deepest capacity for evil, and also its strongest drive to nurture, protect, and do good. It is a demonstration of the depths to which one can be pushed when survival is the basic need.
   
   A most important, riveting read. It should be required reading for any political science classroom or discussion on the nature of the human. I strongly recommend this for any book club. You won't be able to put it down.



2. I'm generally not into reading, but I decided that I would give this one a shot, expecting it to be as good as Face/Off. Boy was I mistaken. Cage should stick to acting. Do you remember in Snake Eyes when he punched that guy in the face? Do you remember in Boy in Blue when he punched that guy in the face? I enjoyed those moments more than I enjoyed reading Cage's book, or reading anything for that matter.



3. There are few books on the Greek Civil war that erupted after 1945 between Communists and the rest of Greece. During the war some 158,000 or more people died, many at the hands of the Communists. Yet most books on the subject in English are still sympathetic to the Communists (seeRed Acropolis, Black Terror: The Greek Civil War And The Origins Of The Soviet-american Rivalry,1943-1949) and refuse to condemn the red terror and the mass killings. This book goes a slight way towards setting the record strait if only because it shows the story of one peasant woman in a small village known as Lia in the mountans of northern Greece. But the story of how the vilagers were used as slave labourers by the COmmunists, starved and finally tortured and murdered is a story of what befel all northern Greeks during the Communist insurgency. Westerners present this insurgency as 'romantic' as only westerners can present genocide as 'romantic'. But this sad and disgusting train of thought is finally shattered by this excellent and daring book that tells the story not only of Lia but of the peasants who lived there and Eleni and of course her son who survived and who has lived to return to Greece to tell the story.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman



4. I have owned this book for over 10 years. Every time I read it I thought of my maternal grandmother (that was her generation) and all the other brave Greek mothers before her and cried like a baby. I passed it onto my second husband who is not of Greek descent. He loved it and really liked the name Eleni. That was about 5 years ago (we've been together over 6).
   Our second daughter was just baptised Eleni in the Greek Orthodox church. It was the only name we could agree upon. My aunt & uncle came from Greece and told me a story of when my uncle was a little boy. He was injured by an unexploded bomb and was taken to a hospital in Athens. His grandmother went to visit him. She had been born and raised in Athens, although now living about an hour outside of the city, so she knew the short-cuts to the hospital. On her way to see her beloved grandson she was shot dead, mistaken for a man in disguise. This was at the beginning of the civil war. I had not heard this story before, and had no idea who my paternal grandmother was. Apparently, her name was Eleni. I wonder if this is why I was steered to this book and so moved by it? Ain't life funny?



5. Author Nicholas Gage tells the story of the Greek civil war and how it personally affected him and his family. Most notably this book describes how politics, fear, greed, and desperation combined to culminate in the brutal torture and execution of his mother, Eleni, for the crime of merely saving her children from starvation or forced separation.
   
   My brother highly recommended this book to me. I was a little put off by its length and the obscurity of its subject (I had never even heard about the Greek civil war), but as the story unfolded I found myself completely engrossed in it. The first 100 or so pages were just a little difficult absorb because of the necessary build-up of the scenario and the characters. I also struggled throughout the book to get a grasp of the numerous greek names of people and places. However, these were minor inconveniences to pay for the huge reward of learning about this incredible and disturbing experience.
   
   Nicholas Gage very eloquently describes the cruelty and injustice that war tends to inflict on so many innocent victims. Everyone could benefit from learning about this story that he has so vividly portrayed in Eleni.

2 comments about Kasztner's Train: The True Story of an Unknown Hero of the Holocaust.

1. Anna Porter has done a great job in bringing this story of a hero of the Holocaust to her readers.



2. An expertly researched, captivatingly written and long overdue book about the courage, ingenuity, successes and ultimate sad persecution of a great but much maligned hero. Brava Anna Porter!

5 comments about Peter Jennings: A Reporter's Life.

1. Peter Jennings was taken from us at the pinnacle of his
   career. He shaped the news in many areas like the
   ABC Nightly News. The book provides many specifics about
   his life and career. There are memorable pictures
   contained throughout the book. i.e.
   o The Miss Canada Pageant of 1965
   o various political conventions
   o the Munich Olympics
   o the Clinton Presidential Inaugural of 1997
   o a meeting with Mikhail Gorbachev in 1991
   
   The acquisition would be perfect for persons interested
   in journalism, politics and government.



2. This book is purchased for our Book Club for next year's books. Several of our members had read it to be sure it was okay. It was difficult to purchase - first we had to wait till it was published (you know how THat goes!) and then the price was exhorbitant (that was overcome) and finally it joined the other books we purchased for the Club. Oh, and say, did I mention that this is a book for next year's selections? and that it will be much like "saving it for dessert?" I haven't read it yet either - just scanned through it, and therefore I know it to be the "icing on the cake."



3. I was never a regular viewer of Peter Jennings' news broadcast or any of his documentaries, but now I wish I was.
   
   This book pointed out all the great time, effort and blood, sweat and tears that Peter Jennings put into all segments of his broadcast and documentaries. He did not take his anchor position lightly and wanted all viewers to share his same passion and understanding of the subjects he was speaking.
   
   It also went into great depth to speak of the man that none of us saw on his nightly newscasts. One who was such a humanitarian and lover off people from all different walks of life.
   
   This book kept my attention and made me feel sad that I did not pay closer attention to his newscast while he was still with us.



4. If you loved Peter Jennings you will love this book. It was written in an innovative style by way of an amalgam interviews with his colleagues. If you are looking for dirt on Peter skip this book, but if you want to relive the hundreds of wonderful hours you spent with him on your TV, this book does the trick. Your memory might also be jogged when you read the many adjectives describing him in the book: charming, distinctive, exuberant, thoughtful, reflective, gracious, caring, sincere, whimsical, questioning, authentic, direct, gentle of spirit, warm, great sense of humor, intelligent.
   
   I loved the insight many of the contributors gave, as well as the quotes from Peter: "He connected with every person he met. He didn't use them." "He had this life force that seemed to surround him--his enthusiasms, his boundless energy and curiosity. He was one of those people that was just a great sense of nirvana to be around." "And when he was faced with the actual test, he instantly did the right thing." Peter: "Be spare, be precise, take your time, and don't say too much. Let each work carry the weight of the story....communicate in a concise way."
   
   Peter would ask, "What are we going to do today what will distinguish us?" He despised predictability, mediocrity of any kind, laziness." "Listening to Peter was...riveting." Peter WAS riveting, and so is this book!
   
   Bill Kizorek, CEO, Two Parrot Productions



5. When ABC newsman Peter Jennings died from lung cancer in 2005, he left a void in the industry that has yet to be filled. Along with the likes of Walter Cronkite, Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, Jennings helped revolutionize television news, sitting on both sides of the desk, transforming the genre from a 15-minute afterthought to a major component of network broadcasting.
   
   The editors of PETER JENNINGS: A REPORTER'S LIFE, including his wife, have collected the thoughts and memories of scores of family, friends and colleagues who are universal in their praise and turned these stories into an oral biography. It seems as if Jennings was almost predisposed to the profession. As the son of one of Canada's most respected radio broadcasters, he got an early start, hosting his own children's show as a nine-year-old. Formal education held little interest for Jennings; these days he might have been diagnosed with ADD. His success, despite dropping out of high school, was truly remarkable.
   
   Jennings was just 26 when he was handed the anchor assignment for ABC News in 1965, a job to which he admitted he was not suited at the time. He earned his stripes by going out into the field --- far, far afield to Europe and the Middle East where he thrived on the exotic surroundings and the action.
   
   The entries in A REPORTER'S LIFE reveal a man in a hurry, ever curious and always willing to do whatever it took to get the job done, even when that meant putting himself in harm's way. Jennings was no "Scud-stud," a term used to describe reporters who made a name for themselves during the first war in Iraq; he didn't even like to fly. But he impressed everyone, from his sound men to heads of state, with his ability to soak up information and present it to his audience.
   
   When he stepped down as an active reporter to once again take over the anchor desk for ABC News, he brought that same restlessness with him. He was a demanding boss, always expecting the reporters to do the same thorough job he did. But his humanity was always evident. During the coverage on 9/11, he wanted the audience to see the devastation of the World Trade Center rather than in-studio shots of him. And he was never afraid to defer to experts or admit he did not know every issue involved.
   
   Many of those interviewed said that Jennings never wanted to be the center of attention, which made his on-air revelation of his illness all the more conflicting. For him, it served as an abject lesson, another chance to educate his viewers.
   
   The format of A REPORTER'S LIFE both works and doesn't work. Since it's not a straightforward biography, it appears choppy at times, a series of mini-monologues interspersed with Jennings's own words. It is also understandably biased; you won't find too many speaking ill of him. On the other hand, these are the people who knew Jennings best, and the book serves as their final chance to pay him tribute.
   
   --- Reviewed by Ron Kaplan

5 comments about Messages From My Father: A Memoir.

1. This is a lovely endearingly funny book. I read it in just an evening but I'm sure it's a book I'll go back to in the future.



2. Such is Calvin Trillin's caliber of work you don't realize how good he is, and he is really good. This book touched me deeply; Mr. Trillinsky was not an emotional man and given to the touchy feely sort of stuff so espoused these days, but he gave his son everything he would need to have a fulfilling life, one of the main components being a deep, abiding and unconditional love; how lucky Mr. Trillin was.
   
   My father was an evil and stupid man who never learned from his mistakes and is now reaping the whirlwind; I believe Mr. Trillinsky would have I.D.'d him in five minutes flat, and would have had mercy on him, much more than I can manage now. If you are raising a child, or trying to figure out what in God's green earth happened to you during your childhood, read this book. Mr. Trillin's artistry is a delicious extra.
   
   I have read "Remembering Denny" and it has seared a place in my mind since. It explained so much to me. This is another book that is going to go on my mental bookshelf, probably till the end of me.



3. This book was a disappointment to me. Although it is only a slight volume I found it to be heavy going and very uninteresting. Avoid.



4. I don't know anyone in the Trillin family personnally, but I recognize them very well. I learned something I didn't know--that Jews landed some place other than Ellis Island. As a father myself, I appreciate what Abe did for his son. So did Calvin.



5. Humorist, journalist, food maven, the author of numerous books and a writer for The New Yorker, Trillin brings his blend of self-deprecating humor and thoughtful observation to this affectionate memoir of his father.

   Abram Trilinsky emigrated to St. Joseph, Missouri, from Russia at the age of two. When his wife hinted at a trip to Europe, his terse response was, "I've been." He was resolutely a mid-western American, a man who changed his name to Abe Trillin, and at the end of his life exhibitted the only prejudice his son ever observed - an impatience with "refugees," by which he meant people who clung to the language and customs of their country of origin.

   He was a stubborn man, like most of his family, described by his wife as "Mules!" "I sometimes imagined my father as swearing off things just to keep in practice," his son observes.

   He never swore although he collected colorful curses - "May you have an injury that's not covered by workman's compensation." His honesty was absolute - when a child turned 12 he paid full price at the movies even if he looked 9.

   He was unassuming. When Calvin was in high school, his father opened a restaurant and took to wearing yellow ties. "He said something about how most people don't stand out from the crowd, and how it helped to have a sort of signature." This seemed embarrasing to his adolescent son. "What was so great about having someone say, 'Oh, yes, Abe Trillin - the guy with the yellow ties'?" But years later at Abe's funeral, he's touched by how many friends asked for a yellow tie as a remembrance.

   His father was not a talker. One of his favorite jokes concerned a Jewish actor who finally gets a real part playing a Jewish father. The actor asks his father why he seems disappointed. " 'Of course I'm proud of you son,' " the father says, " 'But we were hoping you'd get a speaking part.' "

   Calvin writes, "What strikes me as odd now is how much my father managed to get across without those heart-to-hearts that I've read about fathers and sons having." Without it being talked about, Calvin knew his father was ambitious for him. "It was a given in our family that my father was a grocer so that I wouldn't have to be."

   One of their biggest arguments concerned Calvin's joining the Boy Scouts. He hated Boy Scouts but Abe regarded it as essential to American boyhood, a necessary step on the way to Yale, Trillin senior's university of choice, an idea he'd gotten from a novel read as a boy - Stover At Yale.
   
   Calvin went to Yale. Yale launched him out of Kansas City, never to return (also as Abe expected). The grocer's son would never be a grocer.

   In one (somewhat unrealistically) ingenuous chapter Trillin goes to a dinner of prominent writers and realizes that they all went to Ivy League schools as he did. Was there a connection? (Puleeeeze). "For the first time, I realized that my father's vision of how all of this was supposed to work out might not have been as simplistic as I had always assumed."

   This slim volume is deeply captivating and affecting. His father emerges as a man of indomitable will, will so strong he imposed it simply by being. He was a man who could afford to be easy going and funny, all the while adhering to a plan of grand ambition which embraced cross country automobile trips to broaden the horizons of his children and simple pronouncements: "You might as well be a mensch." Much of the book's power lies in the author's recognition of himself as his father's ambition fulfilled - a successful American who does his best to "be a mensch," a real human being.

5 comments about The 5 Year Journal.

1. I bought the 5 year journal on the eve of my 25th birthday thinking it would be great to chronicle those last 5 years of my twenties. So far I've loved it! Each month has a section at the beginning where you can write your goals for the month, then at the end of the month, there's a place for a review to see how well you did in accomplishing those goals. Each page has two dates, with lines for each year of the five years. My only complaint is that I sometimes run out of space! Each page also has quotes on it designed to inspire thinking and reflection. Yes this sounds incredibly cheesy and yes my family did make fun of me for buying this, but it's the best way for me to chronicle this time in my life. The author includes tips for using the journal which I've ignored mostly, but they seem pretty helpful. This is a great space to keep track of big (and mundane) events in your life and it's much easier to jot down a couple of thoughs daily than to write long diary entries. I completely recommend this item!



2. I started journaling in the 5YJ on January 1, 2008 and should be done in 2012. So far, it has helped to maintain my focus and force me to think of one good thing about my day no matter how hectic it gets. I have recommended this journal to my family and friends. It is such a wonderful way to look back at your accomplishments and the things that were so important to you in the past. Most of all, it is a wonderful tool for GROWTH!!!



3. I love this journal! I write in it everyday. I like it because it gives me a couple of lines to write my thoughts, ideas, and emotions. I do not feel like I have to pour my heart out or write a whole paragraph. I can put my thoughts down in just a couple of sentences. I love the monthly focus and the quarterly questions. Also, I love the fact that I can keep writing in the same journal for the next 5 years. It will give me the opportunity to see my growth and focus on my goals and dreams for the next 5 years.
   
   I would definitely recommend this journal and it was worth the price!



4. This is not the first time I have ordered this diary. In fact, I originally ordered this product 5-years ago. As it says, it is a 5-year diary and I decided to get another as I had just completely filled in my original 5-year diary. The first 5-year diary had a plain green cover, but the quality and workmanship could be seen. It was a great product when I first got it and decided to get it again as I liked the handy aspect of a summary all together of what the last 5-years of my life where. In addition, I liked the quality and workmanship. Unfortunately, they have not kept up with the quality they had with the original 5-year diary. In fact, the pretty picture is the only postitive of the new 5-year diary. When I ordered, I expected to get the same quality that was in the original 5-year diary. Unfortunately, I was sadly mistaken as the product is no longer as good as it use to be. The quality of the workmanship has been severely downgraded. In the original 5-year diary, the cover was a plain green cover with gold embossing to a plain paper cover with black ink printing and a picture. It feels more like a book now than a diary. In addition, I see a vastly downgrade of other original work. This book is similar to the original but not nearly as good. The original book size was 10 1/2 inches by 8". Now the book is down to 10 1/4 by 7 1/4. When talking about a normal book this is not much but with a diary it is allot. You have the same amount of lines on the page with allot less space. This means you must write even smaller and put less information on a page. Three lines is not allot of space to write in the first place. In the original, you could change one line into two if you had to, in this version, you really can't. One of my favorite features in the old book was a ribbon that allowed you to mark the pages. This ribbon is not in the new 5-year diary which makes finding you place in the book difficult and time consuming The paper quality on the old diary book was great and it had a slightly different paper that attached the book. This version of the 5-year diary has all white paper of questionable quality. In fact, I hope this is archive paper and will last. Unlike the original, it has the feel of regular paper that you get from Office Max for use in the copier and not the feel of paper used for writing in a diary. Hopefully, this will hold up like the original 5-year diary, but only time will tell if the downgrades of this once fine product will hold the test of time like the original. In my opinion, the individuals who took over after the death of Doreene Clements are not as interest in making the quality product as she was. Her e-mails over the last 5-years prior to her death showed her passion for her work and for her product. I wonder after seeing this 5-year diary whether the death of the creator of this diary means the death of her dream. With the current quality, only time will tell if the downgrades will also mean the death of the 5-year diary.



5. I have used this item daily for almost 2 years now for writing quick notes on what my kids doing, running times/training information, health, and travel logs. The format is great for rehashing what you were doing a year or two ago at this same time. It helps to find trends in allergies, cold, training schedules . . . that you would not get in a regular linear journal. The 3 sentence restriction forces me to keep it brief and managable. Just a few seconds before bed is all it takes. Just quick notes on those things you swear you will never forget (but do anyway). I love the subdued cover so it does not attract the attention of my kids.

5 comments about An Alphabetical Life: Living It Up in the World of Books.

1. This is a memoir about Werris's life journey through the book world. Werris started by working for her local, indie bookstore and eventually moved into the male-dominated world of publishers' representatives. Certain aspects of this story were interesting, including the inner workings of book stores and the relationships between book buyers and publisher's reps. Other incidents described in the book, however, seemed to be included only as a way for Werris to drop in names of famous people she's met along the way. This was not a bad book, but there are better choices (Lewis Buzbee's The Yellow-Lighted Bookshop).



2. I'd never heard of Wendy Werris, but this woman writes like someone who's been doing it all her life. It must be all those books she's read, a kind of osmosis. Her life-long love affair with books is so obvious that I immediately recognized a kindred spirit. But this is not JUST about books; it is a finely nuanced and moving memoir of the first order. Werris's descriptions of her unorthodox Jewish home life, her father's show business connections and success - followed by a long slide into oblivion - are all so perfectly rendered you can feel the joys and sorrows. And she doesn't shrink from the more painful times either - her personal battles with drugs and alcohol, her brutal rape by a stranger, the long slow declines and deaths of her parents, and the sad dehumanizing changes in the book business which she bears witness to over more than thirty years. In her on-line blog, Ms. Werris notes she's currently working on a bio of her dad, Snag Werris, once a chief writer for Jackie Gleason. Write on, Wendy. I'll read it. - Tim Bazzett, author of the ReedCityBoy trilogy.



3. Anyone who has worked in a bookstore or in publishing will find much that resonates in this book, especially the sales reps. Her stories of initiation by fire struck a chord with this former rep; I'm glad I'm not the only one to once show up without a pen (makes it hard to write orders, it does). Werris couples this inside scoop on how books are sold with her tales of her father's show biz connections and the horrendous ordeal of her rape. It took Werris a long time to grow up but she seems on the right track now.



4. I was attracted to this title after spending many years as a book lover to the nth degree as well as being a writer and a former publisher's rep. It seemed like a Reader/Writer match made in heaven, especially given the geography Werris and I share.
   
   Werris was a trailblazer, a professional female publisher's rep before this was common. She learned her stuff in the trenches while participating in all the expected revelrie of the 60's and beyond.
   
   The characters that accompanied her life journey were as colorful as the books they peddled, expertly and lovingly. The book brought laughter and tears, bittersweet moments as we saw the book industry change as we turned page after page after page.
   
   My only criticism was the boxy chronology. It was almost written as separate books - here is Wendy Book Rep, here is Wendy in the rest of her life. The parts that engaged me the most were her parents' deaths, her survival after a rape, little bits and pieces about her spirituality and then looping back around to the reunion of most of the original Pickwick staffers.
   
   I would have preferred to have more personal life stuff interwoven throughout, but that is simply my taste.
   
   Great quotes include:
   
   "We never know what may happen when we pick up a book to read. The turning of a page might actually change the course of our existence. There is something very miraculous about this. Truth strikes at the very heart of books and the readers who turn themselves over with great trust to finding the essence of them selves."
   
   "Life has revealed itself in a language known only to me, comprised of my own private alphabet. You, too, have such a language. The discovery of it is found in the sum total of every experience we have known - all the loves, losses, agonizing pain and ecstatic joys."
   
   And then there is the quote in the very front of the book, not from Wendy Werris but from Charles Bukowski:
   
   "Some people never go crazy. What truly horrible lives they must live."
   
   I shared this with Emma and we both laughed and nodded. How wondrous that a nine-year-old gets this!



5. A contender for "Best Read of 2007" and it's only March!
   Her anecdotes are funny where they should be, and serious where that's important. This one and Buzbee's "Yellow-Lighted Bookshop" complement each other perfectly for anyone who loves books.