5 comments about Because They Hate: A Survivor of Islamic Terror Warns America.

1. This is a very personal, emotional book to read - you have to prepare yourself. It is so moving, visual and shocking. Brigitte is an excellent writer and really knows how to express herself - you feel as though you're right there in the bomb shelters with her and her parents as they suffer unimaginable horrors. I'm so glad I was able to read this book because it is a real warning for America not to fall into complacency - that we all need to stay vigilant and know and understand our enemies. This story is so inspiring; it'll make you feel like you can accomplish anything after reading what she went through to beat the odds and become an American success story.



2. Brigitte Gabriel paints a grim picture of the islamic threat to U.S. and western civilization. Along with Noni Darwish's book Now, They Call Me Infidel Because They hate sounds an alarm that Americans should heed. Gabriel, a Lebanese Christian journalist details her experience under the Islamic Jihad that created the civil war in Lebanon. She also reveals that even the Christian maronite parochial school which she attended demonized the Jews and the Israeli's. So what else is new. The Christian faith continues to demonize the Jews. During WWII The Catholic Pope was the first foreign state to recognize Hitler. The Pope made a deal with him. If the nazi's left the jews converted to Catholicism alone, the Pope Vatican would turn a blind eye to the suffering of Europe's Jewish citizens. Now that Chritians too are under attack, they are sympathizing somewhat with their Jewish brethren. Too often in the past they were sacrificed as expendable to placate the hateful policies of other countries and nationalities including the Nazi torture and persecution of an entire people and civilization. Roosevelt knew what was happening and did nothing about it. Now as a nation we cannot afford to ignore the evil intentions of Israel's Muslim neighbors. As she says in her book "First comes saturday and then comes Sunday." This Arab phrase means "First we kill all the Jews. Then we kill all the Christians." Make no mistake. This is the fundamentalist intention. They are using our bill of rights against us. Spewing hateful speech to incite violence, they cite their first amendment rights to prevent any government action to stop it. While I applaud Brigette Gabriel's bravery in coming forward to speak publically about this threat, I do think she has gone a bit far. After reading these two books I not only support ethnic profiling, but I encourage it. Controlling discourse on campus and religious institutions is another ball of wax. Once we start down that slipery slope who knows where limitations on our 1st amendment rights of free speech, free press, and free religion will stop. Since the essence of a democracy is freedom of speech, press, and assembly, we could end up selling our American soul to preserve it. Then what would we have saved. Perhaps, more important would be to give equal funding and access to speakers like Noni Darwish and Brigitte Gabriel on college campuses and other forums. Gabriel's characterization of the entire democratic leadership as indictable for treason goes a bit too far. These comments indicate that she doesn't really understand the democratic process set up in this country. I gave this book 4 stars instead of 5 for three reasons. First, that she draws the line too far. Second, her prose is often repetitive, and thirdly, it is not elegant. I still think that this book is a must read for every American. This woman is in constant danger because of what she states publically. I think that she and Noni Darwish are alive only becasue they are women who are viewed as inconsequential in the Muslim culture. Assasinating her would give her credence. She lays to rest the western belief that female suicide bommbers are participating out of feelings of desperation. They are participating after being harrassed and cajoled and accused of honor violations for which they will be killed. Particularly telling is the incident of the Arab girl raped by her two brothers and then killed by her mother because she had sexual intercourse outside of marriage. Her mother suffocated and beat her for 20 minutes before she died. How can we ever hope to understand this culture and win it over by conciliatory means? They understand and respect only force and strenght. Gabriel puts and end to the notion of Islam as a peaceful religion. The issue presented is where do we draw the line to protect ourselves without giving up completely what makes us Americans. First, I think we should use the Israeli Mossad for security profiles and follow their recommendations on profiling. The petrochemical complex already uses ex mossad agents for their security. One is unaware of this heightened security when entering the plants, but it is there. Like England we need more video surveillance. We must pay senior intelligence and FBI agents competitive salaries so that we don't have agencies run almost entirely by 'junior pilots", because the senoir people have left for more lucrative jobs in private industry. We must see the fundamentalist muslim threat as immediate and real. We must be politically incorrect at times to deal with the danger. College campuses must remain vigilent that professors treat students of any faith or nationality with equal respect. If Arab professors present a pro Muslim viewpoint equal class time should be given to talented speakers presenting the opposing view. Thus, students will not be unduly influenced by a polarizing Jihadist, anti-western, anti-Israeli view. Most troubling to me was the chapter on the fifth column at college campuses. The students who will be our future leaders and captians of industry are at a very impressionable age. It is too easy to imbue a professor with mentor like qualities held up as an ideal to be followed. We must also be vigilent on the true recipients of charitible donations. However, when it comes to Mosques preaching hatred and death, we must tred carefully. Any law abridging such speech could also be used to curtail legitimate government critisizm, a hallmark of democracy. Certainly, Barak Obama's pastor's speech would fall under this umbrella. I deplore what the Rev. Wright and his progeny have said, but I defend his right to say it. Where should we draw the line and how? Gabriel gives some suggestions, but I think they go to far. I do agree with her section on profiling. We could present more options for patriotism in classrooms such as reciting the pledge of allegiance. We could keep books such as this one and the Darwish book on school and public library shelves. We could also place the books on recommended reading lists on high school and college campuses so that students are assured of getting both sides of the argument. Right now they are primarily hearing the pro-muslim side only. Keep up the good work, Brigitte. However, I think



3. Brigette Gabriel does an awesome job of showing what Islam really intends to do on a world scale. I have been researching Islam for over a year, and this book only adds the personal testimony of a person who has lived through the result of ignorance regarding Islamic intentions. I anxiously await the next book to be written. If Brigette comes to my area I will definitely go to see and hear her myself.
   Pastor Dave Aune



4. All I can say is WAKEUP Canada.Open your eyes and ears to a very real threat to your freedoms.



5. This was a very eye opening book about a subject that our schools and media don't talk about. I highly recommend this book and even bought the audio book version for my friend that doesn't like to read. I wish all of our government officials would read this book before meeting with countries in the Middle East.

5 comments about The Tender Bar.

1. Unbeleivably honest and extremely inspiring. Despite of what he has been through, he is now a successful journalist and a Pulitzer Prize winner. What is ironic is that his book ended up on the NY Times bestseller list. It is as if Moehringer is sticking his tongue out to the senior editors who previously declared him as "non NY Times material". It is a lesson in perseverance and endurance. One should always keep trying and never give up.



2. The less than 5 star reviewers are not understanding this story. JR's memoir is not about a bar, not about avoiding a life of achoholism, not about whining over misfortune, and not about overcomming childhood challenges. The real story here is sharing boldly and courageously what it is like to grow up fatherless. JR speaks for all of us men who grew up without fathers and his medium is great storytelling. While "growing up" we really were always searching for the right templates for manhood. We would grab ahold of anyone who paid attention! That could be good and that could be bad, but fortunatly for our author, the men at the bar were ultimately a good influence, not all of them as career path role models, but certainly as "man models" and that is what was needed. It is impossible (no criticism) for individuals who grew up with a father to empathize. This is not whining, it is just plain being honest and sharing what it is like. JR's memoir resonates with all of us "fatherless boys" and he must be reviewed from that perspective. For those of you who would like to know what goes through our minds and our orientation to the world, this is great primer/story. BRAVO JR.



3. I enjoyed reading this book, especially when J.R. talks about the book he wanted to write, especially the chapter in which J.R. includes a number of anecdotes & jokes he meant to include in the book he imagined. I enjoyed the process aspect of this book--the process through which we see Moehringer realize his insecurities and identify his alcoholism, problems with women, and the role the bar plays in his life. It's a little bit like watching someone you care about grow up.



4. This one almost makes you want to go back into those murky waters polluted by the likes of a Million Little Pieces and Running with Scissors. Almost, but not quite.
   To be sure, J.R. Moehringer, Yale graduate, national correspondent for the Los Angeles Times, Pulitzer Prize winner, knows how to write. His story, told with a certain Rocky-Balboa, only in America, ascendancy, begins with his father skipping out. Abandoned, uneducated and sickly, his mother is forced to eke out a meager existence for her child and herself in their hometown of Manhasset, Long Island, NY. Young JR loves his mom, wants to provide for her, but doesn't know how. He craves for a father figure. He eventually finds one in a bar called Publican's. Populated with misfits of every stripe, none are sufficiently complete to serve as mentor. Piecemeal, they have all the qualities any boy would want in a father. Steve is a natural leader. Cager is a prankster. Joey D is tough and fearless. DiPietro is smart and successful. And, Uncle Chaz knows horses, women, fights and baseball even if he is not so good at hoops. Selectively pieced together, they are like some sort of super-dad. When his mother moves them to Arizona, JR takes a job working as a cashier at a bookstore run by a couple of misfit book-worms. Having already mastered the art of selective composition at Publican's, JR manages to alloy Bud and Bill into a sort of Mr. Myogi for the aspiring Yalie. Wipe-on Gatsby, Wipe-off Rocky-Balboa. Wipe-on urbanity, Wipe-off Hicksville. If a Yalie knows just one thing about everything, then JR's book is here to tell you that composite fatherhood is almost as good as the real thing. He almost convinces. Almost.



5. This was an interesting read. It felt a bit lenghty at times - redundant. But overall, a satisfying read with some good discussion at book club.

5 comments about Chuck Klosterman IV: A Decade of Curious People and Dangerous Ideas.

1. Klosterman's work reflects creativity and interesting insights into American culture. His major frame of reference is modern-pop music. Interesting read with fascinating "what if" scenarios. Good basis for discussion with friends. Worth the quick read.



2. Contains previously published interviews and essays on personalities and topics as disparate as Britney Spears, Radiohead and the phenomenon of Latino Morrissey fans. Generally speaking, this is a pretty fun read. Klosterman's Advancement Theory is one of the most brilliant hypotheses I've ever encountered and it almost makes sense....kind of. At times, though, his analysis of social issues makes him sound a bit condescending and he has a tendency to over simplify issues (such as his take on international political dynamics). Fortunately, there's more than enough mirth and playful self-deprecation to make up for these slight lapses.



3. Chuck Rambles at Times. He is Also a Bit Crude.
   Yet All in All He's a Pretty Brilliant Writer.
   Fresh Read.



4. If you're familiar with Klosterman, then you probably don't need these review. If you're not, then I highly recommend that you start familiarizing yourself with either this book, or his "Sex, Drugs, and Coco Puffs." Both are quick, smart, and humourous books.
   
   Chuck's a talented writer. "IV' is his latest work. I'm eager for my next installment of Klosterman.
   
   If you're into pop culture and taking something pointless and moronic and emphasising its importance and influence on our lives (the essay from "Sex..." concerning "Saved by the Bell" comes to mind) then I hihgly recommend Chuck Klosterman. This might be his best yet.



5. I bought this book for my boyfriend for christmas, and I ended up reading a few chapters before I gave it to him! Klosterman is a hilarious author who really grabs the readers attention and holds it. In this book he writes about the interviews of famous people he has conducted and analyzes them in a humorous way.

2 comments about In the Hamptons: My Fifty Years with Farmers, Fishermen, Artists, Billionaires, and Celebrities.

1. I've been around as long as Dan's Papers and remember in the early years Dan Rattiner had several summer papers such as the East Hampton Summer Sun. the Sag Harbor Pilot etc. The stories Dan wrote were always great and my favorite was local history. As Dan's business grew all these local summer weekly throwaways were incorporated into one paper, Dan's Papers. With the exception being I believe the Montauk Pioneer. Anyway, This new book from Dan is great. I remember alot of this stuff from the 60's and 70's, as it appeared in his paper, but he has rewritten it and it is still an enjoyable read. A book I would highly recommend to anyone. I still long for the time in the 1960's, when I could pick up a copy of the East Hampton Summer Sun at the A&P on Newtown Lane, but that of course is not possible. Thank you Dan for 48 years of pleasurable reading. P.S. Was anyone ever electrocuted for copying that local map you use to have in the back of your newspaper?



2. Being a Long Islander who spents some time in the Hamptons and Montauk, I found this book interesting. Its chapters contained anecdotal stories of events and people. Nice, easy, summer read.

5 comments about Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise.

1. A truly enjoyable read. Ruth Reichl is more than an epicurean, she is a poet. Her memoir takes you through an intensively personal account of what it means to become the foremost food critic in America.
   People who love food will salivate reading her descriptions of many varied types of cuisine she enjoys in its best form,
   People who don't dine out at fine dining restaurants very often could learn a few things, namely:DON'T DINE AT A TOURIST TRAP



2. Reichl is a knowledgable food critic and a talented writer, however I was uncomfortable with her use of alter egos to get restaurant reviews. Her disguises went far beyond seeking anonimity; her true personality quirks were allowed out of their cages, where they normally are housed in polite society. Most of this was harmless, although there were times when she became quite catty. She belittled a person who had purchased her dining companionship for the benefit of charity. Even though the person was a bore, it was her duty to see the evening through without compaint, or she should have never auctioned herself off. I would have expected her to set some ground rules for the evening, rather than letting herself be abused (restaurant choice, length of the committment, etc.),then becoming resentful. It would have been easier for her to write the charity a check and excuse herself. On another occassion she dressed vampishly and led a man on. She was married and deceived a gentleman over the possibility of a deepening relationship, even though she paid for her own dinner. Her husband was uncomfortable with the deception, as was I.
   This book is a display of Reichl's self-absorbed, brattish behavior. Her reviews were fair and even inspired, however her behavior was not.



3. I found Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by former New York Times Restaurant Critic, Ruth Reichel as enjoyable as a warm plate of risotto paired with a glass of red wine!
   
   In Garlic and Sapphires, Reichel recounts the six years she spent contriving clever disguises to hide her identity as she gallivanted around New York City's restaurants and bistros writing reviews for the Times. Reichel's memoir focuses on three aspects of her life at that time: her personal life as a wife and mother, her restaurant patronizing as a critic, and her life as an employee of the venerable and mighty New York Times. Reichel's descriptions of her son are touching and heartwarming, her recounting of the extremes she went to in order to create and truly become her aliases are entertaining and amusing, and her telling of the behind-the-scenes goings-on at the Times are fascinating and fulfill the gossipy voyeur in all of us.
   
   Reichel is a talented writer and her truly joyous love of food, cooking, and eating are evident on each page of the book. The book is peppered with Ruth's favorite recipes and this adds a certain feel-good warmth to the tome.
   
   My only criticism of the book is that I had to be willing to suspend my good reason in order to believe that Ruth truly became the characters she created to the extent she described. According to Ruth, she was so immersed in these characters that she found herself unable to use her own judgment and mannerisms while inhabiting that character's persona. For example, is she was dressed as "Miriam" she was brash and rude and "Ruth" had no control over the rude things that came out of "Miriam's" mouth. This was slightly hard to believe - but maybe I just don't have the same amount of acting chops!
   
   The title Garlic and Sapphires is only briefly alluded to and comes from a poem written by T.S. Eliot.
   
   Overall, Garlic and Sapphires is a delicious romp of a memoir that I truly relished devouring - excuse the puns!



4. Reichl is a witty, smart writer who certainly knows her way around food. She has this uncanny ability to make food and the ritual of eating accessible to her reader, no matter how removed the reader may be from the actual setting. I recoiled in horror thinking about shrimp writhing as they died in the 'Dancing Shrimp' centerpiece in a chinese banquet, but nevertheless enjoyed reading her account of the events that unfolded on the evening in question.
   
   The characters that she works with are as colorful as the make-believe characters she invents, ostensibly to avoid being recognized as the restaurant critic of the New York Times. As she dons her various disguises, she adopts a whole new personality. The premise that adopting a new personality influences the experience of eating is as entertaining as it is revelatory. All in all, a refreshing, well-written book.



5. I love this woman. She writes books that are full of information and fun. Always a good foodie read. I just wish she would write faster!

5 comments about Travels with Herodotus (Vintage International).

1. This book steals the reader away from the present in a journey through time. Although his own stories and narratives are fascinating, Kapuscinski's enlivening of Herodotus becomes what holds you. You can't help but feel excitement for the reading journey ahead when you pick the book up after having put it down for a break. Furthermore, his analysis of a certain type of "traveler" (versus tourist) will haunt (or inspire) any of those who find themselves more the former than the latter. In the realm of memoirs, this book is of par excellence.



2. A poetic view into the experiences of a Polish man raised with Stalinist-era values, and how he deals with these values' total deficiency in helping him understand and cope with the rest of the world. A little-kid-in-big-city book. I can't dissociate myself from my classicist leanings enough to know what to do with his expansive interpretations of Herodotus, though. Try to enjoy them as fiction, as musings? Tough to do!
   
   Sadly, the book seems to me to lose steam halfway through: it becomes a regurgitation of Herodotus's stories about war (the LEAST interesting bits of Hdt., I think), literally paraphrasing Hdt. for chapters on end. I'm not enough of a literary gal to sustain the attention necessary to make these expansive retellings interesting as new literature. If I wanted to read Hdt., I would. And it would be far more interesting, because I'd get the neat ethnographic and mythological excurses mixed in with the boring accounts of battle formations.



3. The last book by this great journalist. It makes perfect sense that he traveled with Herodotus, and that this ancient Greek writer, the first historian, or the first reporter, was like a companion to him. History is stories. Kapuscinsky was most wise in always remembering this and he learned it from Herodotus. His writing is transparent. He writes so you can know. He never forgets that nothing is definitive. He has some very wise things to say about Africa. I like that he sees Africa as part of the world and not as a special case. Herodotus did too. Herodotus wrote before the psychopathology of racism became a kind of law. Kapuscinsky writes in the aftermath, as the damage trickles down. He narrates in vivid snapshots. In this book he tells you where he came from. He describes Poland after WWII. He describes life under Stalin. He shares his first travel experiences. India! Completely unprepared! Culture shock! In this book you get to understand where his abiding clarity came from. I just loved it.



4. Ryszard Kapuscinki's final book is a wonderful synthesis of historical musing and inquiry with his own observations during his travels as a journalist. He draws on Herodotus' Histories, quoting from them extensively while drawing the reader into his own fascination with the ancient writer's motivations and sense of wonder at the episodes he recorded. This aspect of the book weaves seamlessly with the author's equally entertaining descriptions of the people and places he is personally experiencing while traveling to some of the 20th century's dark corners of the world.
   
   A perfect blend of historical essay and journalistic reportage that is never boring.



5. Wonderful book, a must read for anyone who is a "global" traveler or even remotely interested in the mechanics of politics in today's world.

5 comments about Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72.

1. This book's setting is eerily similar to the current state of affairs going on in with the 2008 Presidential Election, with the Democrats picking themselves apart while the Republicans sit back and enjoy the show. Richard Nixon is shown as the abomination that he was and HST's writing is as animated and humorous as I have ever seen it. This book surpassed my expectations and was a surprisingly fast read at 496 pages. I was left begging for more political insight and HST wit. A must read for any HST fan or anyone interested in the inner workings ( mostly the dark side) of politics. A great book that shows that HST was and is probably better than his already sizable legend permits.



2. I read this book as an appetizer for the current US presidential election campaign. And what an appetizer it is - akin to a halopenio shrimp cocktail with mescalin! It would have been an even better starter for the 2004 election, with which the 1972 election (featured here) shared many features: An incumbent hated by all the progressives at home and everybody in the rest of the world, an opponent who stands for nothing but not being that incumbent (defeated in the primaries in 72) and a murderous, immoral and expensive war on the other side of the world, which nevertheless didn't cost the US president his job.
   
   When the great HST covers the 1972 campaign, the verb "cover" takes on a whole new meaning. He immerses himself in the broadcast of a pro football game in order to adopt the same mindset as pro football fanatic Richard Nixon. He almost drowns in the Atlantic ocean in Miami in sight of his friends at a democratic primary-night party. At the republican convention, he joins the young republicans and talks to them about acid (they think he is referring to proton donors, like hydrochloric acid). Not despite, but rather because of this famous "gonzo" style of journalism, HST's book is rich in insight about US politics and politics in general. He goes so much further than the horse-race type coverage commonly fed to the public. Thompson provides an intelligent assessment of the moods and trends in the US population and a really smart analysis of why people vote for whom. He has excellent insight into the dynamics of the individual campaigns and how they are molded by the characters and agendas of the candidates, the interactions with their campaign workers and their relations to the party apparatus. HST doesn't think of elections as some kind of stunt happening every couple of years, but he explains them as deeply interwoven with the social and demographic workings of the USA.
   
   Some of my most favorite political quotes are from this book. Thompson really loves his country, he says "it could have been a testament to some of man's best instincts", but he is in despair over the crocks (Nixon and cronies) who have taken it hostage. This emotional state of his and the worry about the direction the US will take in '72 got him to write an intense and fiery book.
   
   Do yourself a favor - stop following the electoral coverage on the corporate media for a week, use your time to read this book, and then go back to the current campaign and you will view it in a new light.



3. Another classic from HST, in fact maybe my favorite work of his. The setting for the book is the presidential campaign of 1972 pitting Gorge McGovern against Richard Millhouse Nixon. It begins with Thompson being sent by Rolling Stone to be the Washington D.C. correspondent for the magazine. From there the rollercoaster ride begins. HST chronicles the campaign from first, covering the Democratic primaries and running to the nomination of McGovern at the Democratic National Convention, and finally the Presidential election itself.
   HST pioneered his own unique style of gonzo journalism and this book, along with the classic Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, defined him and his craft. Stark in its style and approach, the prospective provided by HST of what it is like to be out there on the campaign trail is unique to my knowledge. A dramatic inside story of the battles of the campaign trail emerges and fills in significant gaps in other press coverage of the time. HST's quest for truth, politics, and the eternal buzz paint a picture that the straight press never could because of restrictions like `objectivity' and the like. The result is perhaps the best account to date on what is really going on behind the scenes of a campaign for the highest office in the land.
   The only drawback about reading HST is that it always gives me an incredible urge to drink and act in a semi-crazed style. It is says something about the infectious nature of his work and one often finds oneself wishing there were more gonzo journalists writing today.
   This book is essential reading for anyone interested in politics and the machinery behind it. Even if politics aren't your cup up tea, HST brings a new dimension to any subject that he writes about, one that can be appreciated for its raw truth as well as its unconventional delivery. Although HST only provides one way of looking at politics out many possible, readers would be doing a disservice to themselves by passing over this book. Other views are widely espoused by many journalists and pundits, but to my knowledge no one else has tread where HST has dared to go.
   This one gets 5 stars for being original, highly entertaining, and remaining relevant to this day.



4. As I write this review, a dozen and a half presidential candidates are revved up to fly around the US, spending (all told) billions of dollars of Other People's Money, talking out of several sides of their mouth, slinging more mud than a construction crew, and falling over each other to get into the TV and newspaper spotlight.
   
   It is astounding how much this book, written 35 years ago, can teach us about what is going on today. I have vowed to read this book again in 4-5 years.



5. For me this is Hunter's masterpiece - Its what crystallises all of his skill and insights as a writer. Fear and Loathing is an excellent book but its also a head trip which gives first time readers the wrong impression of Thomphson but its Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail that will show you the real Hunter in all his savage intelligence and wry observational skill - its a tour de force which shows so often the sharp mind behind the stories of drugs and debauchery - if you've only read Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas then you don't know Hunter at all - this is a good starting point.
   
   Its a picture of an America which has torn itself to pieces - the 1972 elections were a watershed in American politics, the death of Bobby Kennedy at the hands of Sirhan Sirhan in 1968 tore the heart of out the Democratic faithfull and was the major hinge of a series of events that led to the election of Richard Nixon in 68 when a country burned out on the divisive LBJ presidency voted Republican. The failure of the Democratic party to present a strong candidate in '68 led to the McGovern collapse in '72 as the party tore itself to pieces internally, consumed in infighting and political infighting that left it weakened and damaged.
   
   Thompson's insights into the system go beyond mer reportage, he has an ability to get inside the process and lay it bare and clear and at the same time present a picture of the US on the eve of a recession and worn out from a long and divisive war. Oh and somebody mentioned how Hunter seemed unfair on Humphrey in the book - On the contrary he more than explains his reasons why he dislikes the candidate and some reading on Humphrey and history would enlighten - for one thing he won the Presidential Nomination in '68 without winning a single primary - Thompson and other democrats were quite justified in seeing him as the a political hack controlled by the likes of Chicago's power broker Mayor Daley.
   
   Seriously. Read it. Distilled Hunter in so many ways and if youre expecting some sort of balance then youre in the wrong place - Hunter is here as always un comprimising - bitching about bias is missing the point - he never sets out to be balanced.

5 comments about The Know-It-All: One Man's Humble Quest to Become the Smartest Person in the World.

1. This book is a great read; interesting, funny, and not mentally taxing. I had to read it with 'google' close at hand- he mentions so many interesting facts that I constantly was looking them up to read more. If I had one complaint it would be that I get a little tired of Jacob's complaints on the difficult/ time consuming/ stressful aspects of reading the encyclopedia. Other than that it is great- Jacobs seems just like the kind of guy you'd enjoy having a beer with.



2. Once I started to read this, I couldn't put it down! It was a great read and provides a lot of interesting info about the Bible.



3. Essentially, Jacobs uses the Encyclopedia Britannica as a tool to describe a year of his life. Although nothing unusually interesting happens in his life during that time (albeit his wife becomes pregnant and he does appear on Who Wants to be a Millionaire), the book works because he seamlessly weaves his humor, philosophical musings, and encyclopedia entries with the mundane everyday happenings in his life. I also enjoyed the book because the idea of reading the encyclopedia from A-Z is something ridiculous that I would do (I once tried to watch all the foreign films at the local video store from A to Z in order - of course Jacobs does much better because I only made it midway through the As). Finally, I liked Jacobs' humor because it is similar to Augusten Burroughs. I'm looking forward to reading The Year of Living Biblically.



4. I purchased the audio version of this book as a gift for my 66year old father to listen while commuting to and from work. He said he thought the book was "Entertaining" and almost as good as Jacobs other book "The Year of Living Biblically".
   What more could you want from an audiobook? Really??



5. I finished his Bible project book several weeks ago and needed to read something else of his. He's witty, humble, entertaining, and his self-deprecating humor is an attractive quality. I was disappointed to finish it, because I wanted it to continue, which is odd because there isn't a plot line. He gives interesting comments on new knowledge he's gained. It might seem a dull idea for a book, but his commentary is insightful, smart, sometimes silly, and laugh-out-loud funny. He provides a picture of his life and family making the book even more interesting. Recommended, but some obscenties.

5 comments about Breathing the Fire.

1. The average American is too far removed from the reality of what the true cost of this war has been in human terms. I am a recently-retired Department of the Army civilian, and when my friends ask me what I think about the war, I tell them about my recent visits to various Army posts (e.g., Fort Hood & Fort Lewis). I describe the newly-added rows and rows of handicapped parking spaces to accommodate returning troops, as well as seeing too many young soldiers waiting in line at the Burger King with missing limbs, horribly scarred faces, etc.
   
   I also tell them about this book. It is of critical importance in raising awareness about what thousands of military and civilian personnel have had to endure because of the war -- a war that most Americans find too abstract to maintain any real interest or involvement. I know for a fact the book has already served as a catalyst for young soldiers who struggle with the decision to open up and talk about their own traumatic experiences.
   
   Early on she describes the scene on a Baghdad street as she lay bloodied and mutilated from a horrific bomb blast that killed three others and nearly killed her. You feel as if you are an actual bystander as she describes everything from that point on in such detail that the phrase "sugar-coated" would never spring to mind. She describes her victories, her setbacks, her fears, the mixture of helpful and not-so-helpful advice she received, and much more. She paints a picture most everyone of us can identify with, were we to ever be in her situation.
   
   I winced more than once while reading about what she had to endure on the road to recovery. I occasionally began to tear up, but there is humor and inspiration contained in her account as well. Again, her level of detail is amazing.
   
   After you read it you cheer for her ultimate success in beating the odds and recovering, but you are also reminded of the staggering numbers of other Americans who have suffered similar trauma. How many? The New York Times recently stated that approximately 30,000 U.S. military personnel have been wounded in Iraq and Afghanistan, and in the book Kimberly points out that 82% of them are believed to have suffered extremity wounds -- that's over 24,000 men and women, all with their own stories that we will never know.
   
   If you read "Breathing the Fire," you will have a very good idea of what those stories might be like, and you can then ponder the question: "What has happened to them?"



2. I found this book to be an excellent read. It was encouraging to know the type of wonderful caring treatment and concern of dedicated healers to men and women of America who are working in these kinds of conditions. It's a factual, sensitive, gripping story of the wounding and recovery of one of our beloved journalists covering the war in Iraq.
   God bless them and God bless America.



3. I pre-ordered this book because I have known Kim since college. I looked at the pictures but couldn't bring myself to read the book right away. I was afraid I couldn't handle the truth - another one of our college friends had visited Kim during her rehab in Baltimore and had told me how she was doing then, and I was scared of reading the whole story. So, I only picked up the book now, three months later. I figured it was finally time to find out the whole truth.
   
   It was not an easy read. But, as they say, "war is hell." And Kim takes us on her all too real journey and out the other side. She not only shows us how she survived covering the war in Iraq, but also how she navigated a medical system in which some professionals don't always listen to their patients, but also shows us how the best ones do. She exposes a news business in which women journalists are sometimes judged not only by their skills but also on their looks. She reveals her truth, which while not always pretty, is ultimately beautiful. She also admits her fear of failure, something many women of our generation have had to conquer, although perhaps none of us quite so vividly and with the world watching.
   
   Kim's book truly is a tribute to those who were lost that day, those who survived, and all those who help the survivors, including Kim. The truth of this war, indeed of any war, is an ugly one, but this book offers us a glimpse behind the curtain. It is vitally important that we look.



4. "Breathing the Fire" is an excellent, detailed, documentary of the rehabilitation process that many of our soldiers must go throught after battlefield injuries. This first hand account is done in detail by a professional reporter who suffered severe, life threatening trauma on that same battlefield. Her courage is astounding, and a tribute to her tough personality. I was astounded with her capability to "fact find" her ordeal in detail, leading to a self debriefing that would help heal the psychological trauma of this event. Amust read for those of us dealing with soldiers suffering battlefield trauma, and the associated psychological pain.



5. What comes through in BREATHING THE FIRE is Dozier's skill as a storyteller. She is a reporter through and through, even when relaying her own story. Without fail she delivers the telling detail. Her story of injury, recovery, loss, and ultimately hope needs no embellishment and she gives it none. A frank, compelling, and inspiring read from a courageous and insightful individual.

5 comments about Love Is a Mix Tape: Life and Loss, One Song at a Time.

1. It was 1988 and I was too young to know better. I picked up my girl from her pantyhose job at the mall and went to a Cheap Trick concert being held in the parking lot of a big box music store where the employees are more annoying than a one-hit wonder's self absorbed coke-head front man who's convinced he can do no wrong and that the world is hanging on every word the proceeds from his verbal-plenary inspired mouth. As soon as Cheap Trick hit the stage you could hear all the girls in the crowd ovulating in unison. Buford, who put the "freak" in "frequently drunk and belligerent" was there selling fake hits of `cid and looking for trouble in all the right places. That guy is Yacko, Wacko AND Dot. He'll smoke bats and bite the heads off drugs.
   Toot toot
   Beep beep
   Footnote: Sheffield, Rob "Love is a Mix Tape" p. 1 - 224
   
   I haven't read too many books in one sitting. "Love is a Mix Tape" is one of them. Not too many books have made me pump my arm and say "yeah!" This one did. Thanks Rob. You ROCK!!!!



2. This book made me realize how much I associate music with various points in my life. When I hear a familiar song, I am often reminded of who I was with at the time, what I was doing, and my state of mind. Sheffield's book succeeds in verbalizing a lot of this feeling.
   
   This book is about love. Sheffield uses music as a way to evoke the feelings he had for Renee, his ex-wife, at different periods of their relationship. This book takes the reader from the beginning of Sheffield's relationship with Renee, through their marriage, her death, Sheffield's mourning, and his eventual new romance. If one is familiar with the music Sheffield and Renee listen to, the book might be more powerful. But to someone like me with no real background of listening to that music, it still evoked the powerful feelings love and loss can awaken. I felt Sheffield's pain when Renee suddenly died. To lose someone you love so much is a blow that few people can recover from. I was wounded when I read about the lonely and aimless way Sheffield makes his way through life after Renee's death, everything and anything bringing up her memory. To anyone who has dared to love, the feelings in this book will bring up a case in deja vu. To those who haven't loved, it might give some insight as to why people act so crazy when they love someone.
   
   I can't recommend this book enough.



3. I almost didn't read this book, despite the praise two people whose tastes I trusted gave it. For some reason I didn't think I would appreciate it since I'm not nearly as into music as I was when I was younger. I quickly found that it didn't matter. Sheffield's loving, yet never sappy or melancholy, descriptions of Renee - and his life and love with her - drew me in. Hell, I almost found myself falling in love with this lady! What a wonderful tribute to her. I could see and feel her sense of adventure, her love of life, her impulsiveness and sense of humor. How tragic for someone so full of life to die so young. But how lucky the two of them were to share what they did, even if for a short time.
   
   Music was a deeply shared love of theirs, and I think we can all relate to the power of music to a certain extent. Who doesn't hear certain songs that evoke a memory or emotion, good or bad? I think we all do. I thought his unique approach in using his and their mix tapes to begin each chapter, and to tell the story, really worked. Maybe it wouldn't for all writers or all stories, but for Sheffield's story, I thought it was perfect.



4. This book is truly unique. Heartwarming and heartbreaking, Sheffield connects to readers by invoking reminiscent images conjured from mixtapes. By using such an intimate medium, Sheffield reaches readers through the method used for decades to serenade people with whom we've fallen in love, to create the soundtrack for a perfect drive, or to just string together songs we love to listen to. This book has played its way into my heart in a way that few other books have. I plan to keep this title on my bookshelf for years to come.



5. I don't generally care for memoirs, but several things drew me to this one and convinced me to try it out. I'm almost the same age as the author, and like him I grew up with indie music, made a gazillion mix tapes, and even lived in Charlottesville, Virginia for a few years, patronizing many of the establishments, and driving the same roads mentioned in his book. And I have to admit that when I saw that each chapter opened with a mix tape track listing, I was pretty sure this was my kind of book. Unfortunately, despite these positive indicators, it never overcame my distaste for the genre.
   
   It's a pretty straightforward book: a paean to the author's dead wife, which basically boils down to "she was awesome" and "it hurts." Which is fine, and no doubt very therapeutic for Sheffield to express, but ultimately not that interesting. Theirs was a case of opposites attracting over mutual love of music -- he a shy Boston Irish-Catholic music nerd, and she an outgoing Southern quasi-punk chick. Sheffield outlines his life prior to meeting Renee, his eight years with her, and the aftermath of her sudden death.
   
   This is all more or less done through the lens of the music they voraciously consumed. The mix tape track listings follow the chronology of their relationship, but don't serve any larger function, which was a bit disappointing. And even when Sheffield does write about the music, he never really captures it that well -- partly because he's wildly enthusiastic about pretty much every piece of music mentioned. This indiscriminate cheerleading for all pop music, ranging from his true loves, to so-bad-its-good stuff, to flip flopping on Pearl Jam (that's probably the moment he really lost me) make his love of music seem almost manic. Of course, to be fair, writing about music is really really really hard, and very few people are able to do it with any style and conviction.
   
   In any event, I never really connected with Sheffield or his sad story -- which probably has more to do with me and my dislike of memoirs than it does of the book. If you like memoirs, this may well hit the right spot. It's not all doom and gloom, there are some funny parts, and when the book moves away from all the pretentious hipster-cool stuff, it can be quite charming and moving. In this sense, I was greatly reminded of Joan Didion's awful, overrated, self-indulgent grief memoir, The Year of Magical Thinking, which was at its worst when she lapsed into name and place-dropping.