5 comments about The Grand Surprise: The Journals of Leo Lerman.

1. If you love gossipy books about the NY arts scene (music, theater, publishing, fashion etc.), this is compulsively readable. Seems like Leo knew everyone who was anyone for decades during the first two-thirds of the 20th century, from Maria Callas to Marlene Dietrich to the founders of the New Yorker. Loved this so much after I read it from the library I bought a permanent copy!



2. The diaries of Leo Herman are an excellent source for anyone who wants to know more about the unknown life of gay-jewish intelectuals in the us-american society over many decades.



3. Merveilleux, plein d'esprit, arrogant, frivole, exultant, ampoulé, artificiel, étudié, pompeux, vrai, adulateur, vain, important, indiquant, sarcastique, nostalgique, simulé, inspiré, long, accusateur, adorable, charmant, réminiscent, théâtral, musical, `dishy', abondance de bavardage, fascinants, amusement, révélatoire, `campy', vaniteux, rappelant, surélevé, parfait, détaillé, historique, focalisé, fastueux, élégant, méticuleux, explicatif, cavité, recherché, organisé, nom-chute, bien-écrit, lisible, accessible, peu compliqué, précieux, sincère, exultante!!



4. Eloquent, entertaining, frequently poignant. The book is less about the great characters of mid-century New York, glitterati and literati, than about Lerman's place among them. He is his own favorite subject, but that doesn't make him any less likeable or the book any less fascinating.



5. No doubt about it: Leo Lerman knew everybody who was anybody in New York's arts & literary scenes for almost 50 years. The cast of characters who stroll through his journals and letters (Marlene Dietrich, Maria Callas, Truman Capote, Leonard Bernstein, this list just goes on and on...) provides an amazing snapshot of life among the most notable figures of the 20th century. I wish this book was a more compelling read. When I recently read Chance and Circumstance: Twenty Years with Cage and Cunningham by Carolyn Brown, I came away dazzled at the opportunity to get close to key figures in music and dance, and felt tmy understanding of their work was enhanced. I felt no similar sense from Lerman's book, perhaps precisely because of the range of his acquaintances. For example, he meets Truman Capote when both are quite young, and Capote is writing his first book. The glimpse of the young author at that moment is priceless, but then the two lose touch, and Lerman moves on to other people. Moreover, Lerman's dizzying social life largely prevented him from completing any major work of his own, and his partner Gray Foy gave up a successful career as an artist. There are definitely some choice stories here, things that made me laugh out loud or gasp with a mixture of delight and dismay. But frankly, the best thing in the book is the introductory story about the butterfly called The Grand Surprise that gives the book its title. Almost nothing else has the texture and depth of that one vividly recounted anaecdote. As a result this memoir is a swirl of social activity without a center. If you don't mind frosting with no cake, you'll enjoy this.!

No comments about The Story Behind Danielle Steel.

1 comments about Muckrakers: How Ida Tarbell, Upton Sinclair, and Lincoln Steffens Helped Expose Scandal, Inspire Reform, and Invent Investigative Journalism.

1. Ann Bausum's fascinating narrative is a must for any educator who is currently teaching American Literature or American History in their classroom curriculum. First hand accounts, political cartoons, and photographs of America's greatest investigative journalists brings history alive for any student. Don't skip the forward by Daniel Schorr a legend of investigative journalism in his own right. The resource guide is impressive and Ann's website allows students to search for photographs and information on investigative journalism by accessing the Library of Congress! Bravo Ann! This book is a supplemental must for high school students who may currently be working on their Junior Thesis.

3 comments about The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery: Volume IV: 1929-1935.

1. The book arrived very quickly and was well packed and in like new condition. The seller was excellent to work with. The book is an important part of the History of the Prince Edward Island Canada as L.M. Montogmery was born are raised there. She is best known for her works Anne Of Greene Gables books. I would recommended this seller and these books.



2. I have read all the Journals published to this date and this one, in particular, held my interest and I could not put it down. It is amazing to me that L.M. Montgomery is able to spin her magic even in a day to day journal.



3. The difference between LMM's delightful work and her hard life never ceases to amaze me. This volume of her journals (the others are well worth it, too) highlights the changes in her life in her late years. During this period she wrote "Mistress Pat", "Anne of Windy Poplars" and "A Tangled Web" (among others); stories that are a little less idealistic, but the real-life situations have a bewitching "tang". The changes occuring in her personal life must have had an effect on her work. The aforementioned books weren't among my LMM favorites before I read this volume, but learning about her life during this period made me more appreciative of an author who was already my favorite. Who would have thought that reading a someone's personal journal could be so fascinating? I feel much gratitude towards her surviving family members for allowing her journals to be published.

No comments about Bad Girls Go Everywhere: The Life of Helen Gurley Brown, the Woman Behind Cosmopolitan Magazine.

5 comments about A Long Way from Home: Growing Up in the American Heartland in the Forties and Fifties.

1. If you like memoirs and are tired of hard-luck childhoods, this might be the book for you. It's not really a celebrity memoir, and it's certainly not a tell-all, as it ends with his marriage at 22. Brokaw was the golden boy of his high school--athlete (though not a star), student body president, and Boys' State governor. The only things he didn't excel at, besides sports, were music and Algebra II. He also had some difficulty getting the hometown girl he wanted, Miss South Dakota Meredith Auld, as she spurned him for "having a girl in every port" and for his irresponsibility during his senior year of high school and freshman year of college. He cleaned up his act, though, and even won over her prestigious parents, despite his own blue collar upbringing. His father was a heavy machinery operator for the Army Corps of Engineers, and Tom's mother worked at the post office and then later managed a shoe store. Brokaw was lucky in that he never lacked for good role models and mentors, including his very industrious parents. Still, his ego and affinity for partying almost derailed him at a time when he felt that he could do no wrong and would always be forgiven occasional lapses.



2. A wonderful, informative, interesting and honest look at the making up of Tom Brokaw. I felt as if I was there watching him and looking around at the scope of the land that was his home. I was amused at his smug self confidence of his youth, sort of reminded me of myself! Totally enjoyable account of his growing up years.



3. Tom Brokaw must think that people care about every facet of his dull life--because he has elaborated on it in so much boring detail in this book that even Brokaw fans will throw their hands up after hearing another insignificant story and say "who cares."
   
   Sadly, he comes across as a person who considered himself better than others and was incredibly insensitive when it came to class status. He often mentions in the book whether someone is "working class" and he claims that in high school "I was a member of the ruling class...it was a white man's and white boy's world" and writes about racism issues that deal with his going to school with Native Americans. If he thinks he is getting sympathy from the reader because he somehow grew beyond his bigotry it is hard to come to that conclusion through this book.
   
   Brokaw is trying to build on his past "Greatest Generation" reputation by painting a picture of his childhood on the South Dakota prairie. But the problem is that it was a pretty boring childhood. Camp, summer jobs, trips to Minneapolis, fitting in at school--almost nothing happened to him that was anything unusual.
   
   There are two exceptions that are worth hearing about. First, as a teenager he headed to New York City to appear on a game show with the South Dakota governor and ended up cheating on the show. Yes, he was part of the quiz shows scandals. This is something he probably should not have revealed.
   
   Second, the only good thing about the book is that it tells the story of how this partying college kid was "counseled" to leave school by a caring professor who told him, "Get all the wine, women and song out of your system." Though this should embarrass the future anchorman, his professor used it to turn Brokaw's life around. Tom dropped out of college then begged the professor to let him back in as a serious student.
   
   The book is also deceptive in length. It may look like a long book of over a couple hundred pages, but the types is double spaced and there are about 30 pages of picture-only pages mixed in the middle of chapters, so the actual length of the book would be about 100 pages in a normal book.
   
   After reading this book any favorable opinion people have of Brokaw should decrease because he comes across as a smug, arrogant, rich guy who thinks his lowly upbringing was something special. It wasn't--he was raised the same way most other people were in the Midwest and nothing really changed for him until that college professor gave him a verbal kick in the pants to change his life.



4. Tom Brokaw has always projected to his viewers a caring, sincere presence
   as he outlined the happenings of the day in our nation and around the world. Even if the news he broadcasted was sad or shocking he gave us the feeling that we could get through this together. This book offers the same
   warmth and sincerity in describing my similar experiences in growing up
   during and after WWII.



5. Been there and done that. Refreshing read! Stirred up many old memories and recollections.

5 comments about Bitita's Diary: The Childhood Memoirs of Carolina Maria De Jesus (Latin American Realities).

1. Bitita's Diary is the testimonial of a poor Brazilian woman named Carolina Maria de Jesus. Carolina grew up in the 1920s and 1930s. She lived in both the city as well as the countryside, and clearly recalls the rough living conditions she had to endure. This book dose not only describe what it was like to live in poverty, but also gives you the unique perspective of a poor woman in a patriarchial society. I found this book to be very informative. Carolina understandably writes about the terrible living conditions she had to endure, but also gave some thought to political policies, and their impact on society. While there was a lot of valuable information found throughout the book I feel that if the information was better organized into seperate arguments the book might be a more valid resource. I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to know more about women in latin America.



2. I felt that the book Bitita's Diary by Carolina Maria de Jesus was an excellent testimonial about a young girl growing up in Brazil during the early 1900s. As a young girl living in the favelas near Sacramento, she faced many hardships because of her race, gender, and class. She was discriminated in every which way because she was a women of darker skin who belonged to the lower class. Throughout all the obstacles that she faced in life, she still seemed to conquer the impossible. She recieved an education which helped to succeed in life. I really did enjoy this book because Bitita took you on a journey through her thoughts and feelings. She forced you to endure the suffering that she felt during her hard times, yet she also let you enjoy her happiness during good times. What I also enjoyed about the book is that by it being testimonial it challenges "offical history." Many time there is only one side to the story, but through Bitita's writing, one can see how a young girl of the lower class viewed the Brazilian Revolution of 1930 differently than others.



3. Bitita's Diary tells the story of a Brazilian mulatta, Carolina Maria de Jesus, also know as Bitita, and the struggles that she had faced throughout her life. This testimony reveals the hardships that Bitita had to endure regarding poverty and inequality. Not only does this novel give the reader a sense of what she had to go through, but also shows how strong Bitita was by never giving up. While reading, we are able to understand the conditions that she grew up in and also learn how she was rejected by her family and made fun of by others. After reading Bitita's Diary, I have a better understanding of the hardships that people go through in other countries, but I have learned that these people do not give up instead, strive for a better live.



4. I enjoyed this novel. It was very educational and related very well to class material. This novel helped to explain ideas such as discrimination by race and class, Latin American Culture, and feminism. My favorite chapter, The Godmothers, is very important to the rest of the novel because gives background into the rest of family. I would recommend this books if you wish to further explore Latin American culture and values.



5. "Bitita's Diary" by Carolina Maria de Jesus was a very interesting testimonial about a young black girl growing up in Brazil. Bitita had to face many obstacles throughtout her life, beginning in her childhood years. Many people in her onw family would (did) not accept her because of her dark skin and kinky hair. She was not allowed to enter the homes of her mulatto relatives. Bitita was treated different from her brother because he was of a lighter complextion. She was very curious as a child which irritated her mother and older relatives (she would constantly question different theories/aspects of life. As Bitita grew up she found that life was difficult, and she had to work very hard to maintain in society. For example, Bitita was very sick and was had an infection in her leg; yet she still worked on that leg as much as she could until she could not work anymore. In all, this book was a great exapmle of a testimonial. You were able to view the world as Bitita saw it and see the hardships that she had to face throughout her life.

5 comments about Bernard Fall: Memories of a Soldier-Scholar.

1. Great book, in great condition, a must read, especially if you're into Vietnam, foreign policies, or U.S. History.



2. I took a break from coding, wandered over to the internet and googled 'Bernard Fall'. I ended up at a website that asked for reminiscenses from any people who might have known the great scholar-journalist-soldier. I had never met Bernard Fall but always felt a kinship so I sent an e-mail and the next day received a reply from Dorothy Fall, his widow. She told me about her book and now I have read it.
   
   Mrs. Fall's account of Bernard's falling out with his professor brought home to me a truth that I have learned in life: once harsh words are spoken, something breaks inside that can never be repaired. Yes, you can reconcile but the trust -- the true friendship -- that was there is gone never to be regained. I have seen this too many times. Never humiliate or let your angry words cross the line that separates communication -- however heated -- and personal attack. If you do, your friend will become your acquaintance. If it is your spouse, your child, your mother or father, brother or sister, you will acquire a sadness and a regret that stays with you until you die.
   
   Except for my father and elderly relatives, I have never lost a loved one and the prospect has always been my greatest fear. But Mrs. Fall lost her dear one in such an abrupt way and at such a young age. The greatness of the man never diminishes but his fame does diminish with time. I can't imagine what it is like to live with the memory of such a man after over 40 years. I am grateful that she wrote this book to help keep his memory alive and I hope that it will point some young people in the direction of his books and thus carry his legacy to future generations.
   
   To the extent that Bernard Fall's major works can be described as scholarly in nature, they are of an extremely engaging and accessible type. If they can be called journalism, they are a rare form of scholarly journalism. I know his books are read widely in the military. I wonder if his works and his methods are studied much in journalism schools. They should be. The point here is that his observations were delivered not as simple reportage or advocacy but as the result of careful and thorough research. Would that all reporters today took that approach. Would that the men in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations had given him the time that he deserved. Some had a bunker mentality born of the realities of the cold war. They correctly saw that many on the anti-war left were not just against the war but were ideologically in sync with communism and hoped for an American defeat for its own sake. Their error was that they could not see that Fall was not one of them. He could have helped so much. Others were just arrogant.
   
   Another aspect of Fall's writing is his acceptance of the nature of war. Read 'Hell In A Very Small Place' and reflect on the affection that the French soldiers had for their 'quad 50's'. Fall understood that affection and related it to the reader unalloyed by moral reservations. Up until the end of the seige, French voluteers jumped into the valley and likely death. Again, Fall understood what motivated these men and this understanding comes through in his writing. Had he been in the service at the time, I am sure that he would have been among those who jumped.
   
   So why would a 61-year-old programmer end up googling Bernard Fall? I was a history major but went to study in Thailand in '66 while under the influence of the finest teacher I have ever met, political science professor Ralph Fretty. I bought Fall's books from a bookstore in Bangkok and read them all in my spare time. Professor Fretty taught me what true scholarship is and I immediately perceived that in Fall's writings. When I read the affectionate accounts of Fall's former students that Dorothy Fall included in her book, everything clicked. I hold Bernard Fall's memory dearly because he is, for me, a Mr. Chips. Like professor Fretty, he taught me the true meaning of scholarship. When the teacher is of such greatness, the devotion never dies.
   
   
   



3. I'll never forget that February day in Saigon when the message announcing Bernard Fall's death crossed my desk. It was unbelievable that Viet-Nam had finally consumed this man. All of us who'd been there in the early '60s and involved in our counterinsurgency effort had read his books and to us he was the one person who really knew something about the country. When Lee Lanning and I wrote our seminal book on the communist Vietnamese soldier we relied heavily on Dr. Fall's writings. Although his criticism of our government's policy in Viet-Nam put him into the company of some people whose anti-war motives I've always considered far more sinister than "educating" the public, Bernard Fall was always a loyal American, an honest scholar, a friend of the American soldier, and no communist. I knew that 40 years ago but it came as a shock to me to read Mrs. Fall's account of how the FBI spied on him. I was also unaware that he tried to bring pressure on the VC through Prince Sihanouk of Cambodia to release Capt. Humbert R. Versace from captivity. I knew Capt. Versace when he was an advisor to the Vietnamese 5th Infantry Division. Dr. Fall's intervention on Rocky's behalf, albeit unsuccessful, was an outstanding act of humanity typical of Bernard Fall. Those are only two of many fascinating insights this excellent biography brings to light about this extraordinary scholar-soldier. There are areas where one may disagree with Mrs. Fall's opinions about certain Vietnamese leaders and her husband's views on how we should've dealt with them. She does not seem to understand that the Viet Cong were nothing more than an extension of the North Vietnamese Politburo whose agenda and strategy were dictated from the very beginning by Hanoi. Also, the South Vietnamese people never rallied to the Viet Cong and the war was not won by popular resistance to Saigon but by North Vietnamese tanks and artillery after the United States Congress cravenly withdrew U. S. military support from our Vietnamese allies. Are there parallels here to events of the present day, as Mrs. Fall suggests? You bet there are. But this is not a critical biography in the way others have written about famous people or an analysis of the Viet-Nam war. It is the intimate, honest, and compelling story from an unique perspective of Bernard Fall's life. I've often wondered what Dr. Fall would've thought of the events that occurred after his death, the great Tet Offensive of 1968, the Paris peace talks, the final collapse of South Vietnam, the hundreds of thousands of desperate refugees fleeing communism, and the concentration camps into which the Vietnamese who trusted us were thrown. I don't think any of that would have surprised him. I don't think he'd have been very happy about it either.



4. This is a wonderful book. This judgment is with the knowledge that I would most probably not have liked Bernard Fall (French resistance fighter, scholar, writer, historian, professor) had I been privileged to have known him. He was too much the adventurer, often arrogant, too cocksure, and hell-bent in pursuit of the passions which cost him his life. But I admire his intellect and most of all the integrity through which he doggedly stalked the facts from which he drew unpopular conclusions and expressed, without reservations, what he perceived as the truth about the quagmire that was Vietnam for both France and the United States. For this, I believe, his work will live on for as long as nations fall prey to the lure of empire.
   
   All that aside, I fell almost in love with Dorothy through the words of this memoir in honor of the soldier-scholar who was her destiny. While she is a canvas artist by profession, she is equally an artiste when it comes to words in print. "Bernard Fall" is, at its roots, the story of a marriage, if sometimes a frustrating one. In its opening pages she candidly recognizes the competition of his mistress: the bizarre, baffling, and enigmatic attraction to Vietnam and to warfare into which it led him. At first it seemed a strange methapor by which to open a biography. But Barnard's love of both war and Indochina was so great that there was no better choice. She had married not only a husband but a mistress as well. And so there was no extraction. Even as she powerfully describes considerations of divorce, we know that it could never have happened. They are, as the writing of this book so long after the events which propels it illustrates, tied together beyond "until death us do part."
   
   The book, however, is more than a biography and a love story. It is a travelogue offering stunning descriptions of the sights, sounds, and essences of locales where she and Barnard lived or visited in Southeast Asia, a compendium of quotations from his writings and from their letters, and a book of art and photographs. A piece of Dorothy's art heads each chapter and numerous photos are scattered throughout. Of particular interest is a chapter on the FBI's investigations and surveillance of Bernard and Dorothy; phones tapped and agents parked for hours near their home in the quiet Hollin Hills neighborhood in Northern Virginia not far from where I have lived for years. Eerie when so close to home. J. Edgar Hoover thought him a French spy. But to the FBI's credit they seem to have finally cleared him and given up the chase. Yet it remains an example of the paranoia of our age.
   
   Perhaps, I am a little too harsh on Barnard for his cock-sure adventurism and his attachment to warfare even while so keenly analyzing the foibles and follies of both France and America in dealing with it in Vietnam. We are fascinated by and too often attracted to evil of which war is the epitome. More than forty years after experiencing deadly combat during World War II, I felt its seductive enticements again as I researched and wrote a memoir about it. Even Bernard Fall's scholarly bent failed to shield him from war's come-hither siren song. It seems doubtful if humankind shall ever learn to flee its alluring call.



5. If only the policy makers had paid attention to Bernard Fall during the run up to the full American combat involvement in the Vietnam war. So many lives could have been saved from destruction. Both Vietnamese and American. The basic ignorance and willfulness of the American leadership and their advisers led to this disastrous outcome.
   
   Dorothy Fall has written a very loving and realistic account of her life with the great French/American war journalist, Bernard Fall. He was a man of great courage and many accomplishments. However, she also gives a full picture. Not only his virtues, but some of his shortcomings as well, are depicted in book.
   
   I served briefly in Vietnam during 1968. I did so grudgingly with my eye on the exit sign during my abbreviated tour. Even at that time when I was at a very young age, I thought that the war effort by our side was probably doomed. The obvious hostility of the base workers from the local village--and this was supposedly a "friendly village"--did not bode well for the future. The lack of trust was a mutual condition. The average GI's attitude to the Vietnamese, that I heard, was often one of contempt colored with racist overtones. I think I heard "gook" used more often than "Vietnamese" in describing the Vietnamese. Hardly the stuff of "winning hearts and minds."
   
   The winning of hearts and minds, though, was the only way the war was going to be won by our side. We won the battles with our great military power, but the Vietnamese, in general, did not want to abide us or the corrupt South Vietnamese government.
   
   Bernard Fall understood all of this well before I had ever heard the name, "Vietnam." He knew that the French had lost their colonial war and that the Americans were making a colossal blunder of stumbling into the former role of the departed French. Ho Chi Minh was revered by most Vietnamese as the nationalist freedom fighter of Vietnam--much in the manner that we view George Washington. I think, we, the Americans were viewed by most Vietnamese as the new intruders and invaders of Vietnam. They saw us as the new, white colonialists. We really weren't though.... Instead, we were the great anti-Communist crusaders and containers of the Chinese. This motivation of ours is amusing given the great distrust and dislike of the Chinese by the Vietnamese because of the Chinese's long history of trying to control Vietnam. Another case of historical illiteracy on our part. Given the fierceness of Vietnamese nationalism and pride, I believe there really could only be one likely outcome from our involvement in the war.
   
   Relating this to the Iraqi war, it's also tragic that we've had such incredibly poor leadership in this country from the Bush administration. A competent administration would have informed themselves more thoroughly about Iraqi culture and history and understood likely outcomes. An honest administration would not have lied the country into the Iraqi war in the first place. A similar, if less blatant charge of lying, could also be directed to the Johnson administration for our entry into Vietnam.
   
   Dorothy Fall had a front row seat to view much of the follies of that Vietnam War era. Her husband, Bernard, should be honored by all of us who value hard work, clear and insightful thinking, courage, and absolute integrity. He was really an inspirational man. A very good book, well recommended.

5 comments about Tell Them I Didn't Cry: A Young Journalist's Story of Joy, Loss, and Survival in Iraq.

1. ASIN4563 Tell Them I Didn't Cry (Softcover)
   
   This book is incredible. I couldn't put it down. The author takes you to Iraq with her. It is so interesting and she is such a great story teller, you forget that this is all true -- it is not fiction. I'm waiting for her next book.



2. Jackie Spinner's absorbing account of her Iraq wartime coverage is a courageous story, not just in the obvious sense of exposing herself to danger, but in exposing the vulnerabilities of herself, her family, and friends. The Iraqi staff and Washington Post colleagues became her family, drawing her closer than even her twin sister back in the states. This refreshing honesty is rare in a journalistic account of a war. She avoids the temptation to give canned histories of the region and plunges into the daily grind of finding news on the streets and homes of an ancient country torn apart.



3. This one is a good read. It was hard to put it down. Spinner does a good job in talking about the people of Iraq, those whom she worked closely with in the Post bureau. It was interesting to see how she grew a relationship, sometimes obviously close.



4. This is a great read. This gives you the personal view of an American journalist in Iraq - you see the pathos, the terrible results of war, the friendships, the fear, the drive and risks of journalists, the love. And you may lose sleep over this book, since it is very hard to put down - until you have devoured every page!



5. "Tell Them I Didn't Cry" is a great book, and well worth the read. Although Jennifer Spinner gets a co-author credit, the vast majority of the book is her twin sister Jackie's story of her 10 months as a foreign correspondent in Iraq.
   
   This is not an in-depth analysis of the Iraq war. Rather, it is a deeply personal account of Jackie's growth from junior reporter for the Washington Post to acting bureau chief in Iraq, while dodging bombs, mortars and kidnappers. Jackie tells an unbiased story, pointing out the good and bad of Iraq, "calling them as she sees them." The book is full of interesting stories, including a poignant account of her Christmas in Baghdad, part of which was spent looking for a church safe enough to attend for mass.
   
   Although I am slightly biased (like Jackie, I am an alumnus of Southern Illinois University) I think this is a great read.

5 comments about My Times in Black and White: Race and Power at the New York Times.

1. I met Robin Stone at Warmdaddy's in Philadelphia during her book signing. I knew little about the book, little about the man the book features, and nothing about her. I hurriedly had her sign my book and we shared a few words where I promised I'd write a review on Amazon.com. Here it is Robin...
   
   I was so caught up in the story from cover to cover. Early on it was the typical Black American family saga of moving from the south seeking work in the north and making the necessary adjustments to survive. Reading how and why Gerald Boyd was raised by grandmom who provided just enough for him to become his own man could almost be considered everyday Black American folklore.
   
   The story started to engage me as Boyd detailed his college years and how he developed his passion for writing. As he took his first job it was obvious that he was a man that would not settle for a small role in anything he did and was stimulated by challenges.
   
   Those challenges came very early in his career along with opportunities to demonstrate his willingness to work hard and produce stellar results with the best of them. He openly shares the personal side of his life of how he struggled with relationships but he never let it affect his career which appeared to be his greatest love.
   
   Once Boyd joins the New York Times and particularly when he takes on management responsibilities he presents a clear picture of how office politics, ego, race and gender plays out in employee development, business growth and company reputation. Yet, he also shows how you can work effectively with people you don't like (or with people who don't like you) if you are committed to the same goal.
   
   For those of us who have been `played' by corporations, Boyd's story could open old wounds. I found myself getting angry and putting the book down at times as he shares how the workplace failed him by not supporting his decisions and opinions and I felt his pain when he described how colleagues turned their back on him.
   
   Gerald Boyd is obviously one of the great Black businessmen America has ever produced. Unfortunately, outside of the newspaper industry, he is not a household name. Thankfully, he followed his instincts and produced this book for guys like me to learn from.
   
   I look forward to sharing it forever.



2. Difficult to put down.
   
   From the beginning I couldn't help but imagine moving like a tennis PRO, watching balls coming at me left and right, from dozens of opponents playing me at once. Yes, it felt like a frenzied tennis match, as one of the balls coming at me was black, though it wasn't the ball I kept the closet eye on.
   
   In short, there are so many caveats embedded in this account (leadership, governance, family values, race relations, politics...) that the historical importance of this telling experience might needle more debates than contemplative inspection. The latter it truly deserves.
   
   Gerald is a trailblazer, a pioneer. Nearly every page rocks with raw emotion, though what stood out almost immediately was this immense sense of naivety... strikingly overwhelming, though not nearly as remarkably overwhelming as the passion he held out for journalism and the New York Times. I must admit however, though I shook my head frequently and challenged myself keeping up with the shifting timelines, it was this feverish enthusiasm for journalism that touched me most. Certainly kept me on my toes, and I picked up quite a few valuable `editorial' faux pas along the way too. Significant work.
   
   My Times in Black and White is my top pick yet of 2010!



3. Gerald Boyd's commitment to journalism and fairness is obvious here. The last 100 to 150 pages are a remarkable retelling of the internal chaos that followed the Jayson Blair revelations. But this book is not about Blair. Journalism lost an inspiring, honest and courageous pioneer far too early



4. Gerald Boyd writes with unusual candor and insight into journalism, Times office politics, and the struggles of being a gifted black man thrust into the role of trailblazer. There is a humanity and graciousness in his acknowledgment of mentors and ability to detail his own weaknesses and inconsistencies. I can see why he was a good editor from his style of writing. Boyd is at his most lucid when describing the big picture, and also when dissecting the personalities and motivations of his colleagues; these skills are likely what allowed Boyd to navigate his way to the top of the editorial staff and to, in particular, revitalize the Metro section and manage over several Pulitzer winning stories.
   
   Read this book. It will give you more insight into the politics of the highly successful newspaper editor, the life of a highly interesting man, and race politics from the angle of a "Jackie Robinson" type figure.



5. I attended a Robin Stone book talk at Busboys & Poets in Washington, DC before purchasing and reading this book. I wasn't strongly familiar with Boyd's life story (other than making the NYT & Blair scandal associations) at the time. However, in learning details at the book talk, it piqued my interest behind the assertion Mr. Boyd was most "hurt" by his termination b/c he felt attacked & betrayed by coworkers he believed to be his friends & family.
   
   As a journalist and one who's worked the New York market as well as Chicago, Houston and Seattle, I found it questionable how any high ranking editor could ascend to such a coveted position & be naive to what that reality "really means." All top newsrooms, from my experience and several other accomplished colleagues, are absolutely snake pits!!! Cronyism, cliques, nepotism, sexism, racism run amoke in the name of competition & supposed fair play.
   
   That was the notion I carried into my reading of this book and one that was otherwise sustained by Mr. Boyd, albeit, only after he'd been terminated. So I deeply consider this fact in rating this book given this context and perspective.
   
   The positives: this is a 5-star read if you consider the light tone & directness of the storytelling. It's definitely easy to see Mr. Boyd was of the newspaper persuasion AND not some silky tongued magazine scribe. So it's definitely easy to read and relate to. Much respect to the man also for his honesty and willingness to expose the man behind the title: a divinely human individual with a strong will, ambition & drive but also imperfect, and slightly disconnected with some cold-hearted tendencies at times. Most of us who read and write books could only dream to be strong enough to be so honest in public. Particularly if given the circumstances surrounding Mr. Boyd's dismissal from the NYT, this is a revealing look from all angles if one is reading this book for specific answers. In the end, you get the portrait of a man who sacrificed a lot and gave his heart & soul to a profession that ultimately turned his talents and ambition against him.
   
   The negatives: this is a 3-star read if you consider the expected one-sidedness in storytelling of lots of major issues that came to define this man's career. Much time is devoted to those who crossed him throughout his career, in effect pushing him to be the hardworking, accomplished editor he was. Especially by the time the later chapters hit the NYT Blair scandal, it becomes slightly tiresome that Mr. Boyd plays the victim to corporate politics. In all honesty, it does appear he was the "fall guy" for much larger issues like an ill-minded newsroom culture. However, when considering Mr. Boyd doesn't share how those same corporate politics might've benefitted his career at the expense of others (and i'm not referring to racial preference but the individual favor that must be gained by one coworker over another to ultimately reap the sweetest rewards from management), it does make his accusations about corruption, betrayal and disloyalty seem a bit dubious by only addressing these issues during his "free fall."
   
   All things considered, this is a book you'll enjoy, learn from but also read with understandable scrutiny.
   
   In the end, this was definitely a great read worth the time. Mr. Boyd seemed like a charming and driven individual who was just starting to appreciate true success -- the dream job AND the strong loving family most of us aspire to. It's a pity that just as he was started to reflect on his life, it was cut short.