2 comments about No Bottom: In Conversation with Barry Lopez.

1. Embarassingly, I had very little knowledge of Barry Lopez and his written works until recently. Having read Mike Newell's terrific new book, "No Bottom," I feel like I have now been introduced to this important American writer in the most fascinating of ways. The book, a journal of conversations between the author and the subject, is a wonderful glimpse into the world around us, and the marriage between our beautiful "host orb" and us, the caretakers of it. Newell's writing style is comfortable and insightful, and he succeeds in highlighting the historic footprints of this towering literary figure. Barry Lopez admirers will love this book. "No Bottom" is an excellent read, and I highly recommend it to all.



2. What the author has tapped into here is a rich vein of thought, and an extraordinary quality of mind, that is this guy Barry Lopez. The very idea of a "hope-full literature" could seem to be merely goofy in this life and time; but when that hope is got-to the hard way, with fine intelligence and a sure voice in a devoted writing practice like Lopez's, a reader can begin to see the shape of our next evolutionary step.
   
   I met Lopez once for a brief few moments, but long enough to recognize a writer/personage for whom the real work (in Lewis Hyde's sense) is the larger life-task of shaping the world in a smarter, more delicate way. Lopez is a Figure of Outward in the form of a man who started out simply wanting to write, then did so with such powerful grace that he now has a footing from which he can exert some measure of influence upon the mind of man and thus the larger course of global events. We should want our world to be so directed--smartly, softly, emphatically--by such a man.
   
   Reading Newell to better read Lopez is a happy task we should all undertake, if a larger arc of the world is of any interest at all. Hope is a small fire that keeps us alive through the night. Newell and Lopez are what you should read beside that fire.

No comments about Henry R. Luce and the Rise of the American News Media.

5 comments about Talking Back: . . . to Presidents, Dictators, and Assorted Scoundrels.

1. Talking Back: ...to Presidents, Dictators, and Assorted Scoundrels
   
   By Andrea Mitchell
   
   A Review
   By
   Colin J. Edwards
   
   Whenever possible I avoid reading autobiography. I rarely read fiction, and essentially autobiography is fiction. Who can resist fine tuning ones achievements or smoothing the bumps of a relationship; not to mention flat-out lies? If such a paragon of virtue existed, writing an autobiography would be an anathema to them.
   
   "Talking Back: ...to Presidents, Dictators, and Assorted Scoundrels", is an exception in so far as it is more a journalistic memoir than an autobiography. However, there are chunks of personal history that Lady Greenspan (Alan Greenspan was knighted by the Queen of England in 2002), chose to omit. Perhaps the most telling of these is the not inconsequential matter of a first marriage. There were also children, though non-biological, that she treated as her own. It is poignant that while she extols the virtue of her friends; even labelling their offspring as "...children she never had", she is silent about her own children. Would it be unreasonable to suggest that this might betray a propensity to edit out inconvenient truths? Alan Greenspan doesn't mention it either in his book "The Age of Turbulence". "But then statements of fact pertaining to both parties have been scrupulously edited and they don't differ even by a comma.
   
   That said, Andrea Mitchell describes her three or more decades of journalism in a modest, balanced narrative which moves along at an exhausting pace. She resists the temptation to `drop names', but she does inflate the purity of journalism. I wonder how many people would crave a career in journalism if their contributions lacked a by-line? I have the feeling that the insatiable desire for a scoop would loose its appeal if the story was anonymous.
   
   Ms Mitchell's volume does not betray anything about her. She tells us that she is Jewish. We can deduce that as a couple they are very rich because they don't spend any of their own money. Every event she describes; including her honeymoon, was funded by someone else. All their travel is tacked-on to official business somewhere in the world. If there is ant `self-funded' travel, she doesn't mention it.
   
   After reading her book, you come away with the impression that she is a very modest person in most things. There is one area where I perceived a little insecurity. She wants to be judged as an intellectual. She reminds us that she went to an Ivy League college. Whilst this is technically true, it is stretching the distinction a little. She tells us that she was accepted for a woman's college at Cambridge, but she doesn't tell us which one - and there are only three. Her attention for detail in other areas exaggerates her amnesia about Cambridge, even though she mentions it twice.
   
   Her writing style is predictably journalistic and a little tedious, but none-the-less an excellent commentary on current affaires of the last three decades. There are no attempts to take credit for successful events; indeed she describes everything with brutal honesty - warts and all.
   
   Ms Mitchell shares few personal details with us, and the work is the poorer for it. One is left with the impression that she is the definitive spinster married to the definitive bachelor. She does her thing and he does his and they meet occasionally at the White House for dinner.
   
   If you are already a student of current affaires, then this volume will add nothing to your fund of knowledge. However, if you need a crash course in the happenings of the last thirty years, then this is a book for you.



2. This is a fabulous read...you can hear Andrea speaking as you read ...descriptive, exciting and historically fascinating.



3. And people who are expecting a tell-all, fully detailed account of Andrea's life had better look elsewhere. This book is about her rise into the national broadcasting media. (If people want a detailed account they should read Magdaleine Albright's book "Madame Secretary.") This is not a book revealing every secret, ever detail of every person she interviewed or her feelings of all the events she covered. She's more "Just the facts, Sir" type of writer.
   
   Now, with that out of the way, this is an easy-to-follow chronology of events as Andrea Mitchell saw them starting her days as a Philadelphia reporter for KYW and then the Jonestown massacre in late 1978. But it was later with Three Mile Island in March 1979, her first national exposure as an energy correspondent that brought her to the forefront as an aggressive reporter. It was a line on page 46 that summed up Andrea's personality, when she wanted to be there to cover the Three Mile Island melt-down but was denied her chance to report because her supervisor, an elderly and paternal Sid Davis didn't want Andrea, as a woman of child-bearing age, be exposed to potential nuclear radiation: "Men's testicles were as vulnerable to radiation as women's ovaries. I was on a plane to Three Mile Island the next day."
   
   She was there for the rise of Ayatollah. She spoke well of Reagan as a gentleman, but also reported on his often-noticed fatigue, disorientation and his lack of detail which he delegated to his advisors. She was much less forgiving of Reagan's Chief of Staff, Don Regan.
   
   Had Mitchell written with greater detail there's no doubt that this book would have required many more pages. One thing I can fault her with is not revealing much about her personal life and how her profession often dictated her personal life. She was very careful not to reveal too much about her early years with her now-husband Allan Greenspan.
   
   The Paperback edition also provides additional reporting since the hardback book was published, which gives Condoleeza Rice much credit for her stance in the Middle East.
   
   I will agree with Bill O'Reiley when he described Andrea Mitchell as one of the more non-partisan reporters. This book reflects that.



4. If you enjoy a mix of autobiography, history and current events, this book will delight you. Andrea Mitchell covers the American scene through the eyes of a journalist who, as husband of Allen Greenspan, was, at times, participant. Fair and balanced. Goes well with a shade tree and glass of lemonade.



5. I thoroughly enjoyed the approach of this book, reading about her experiences as a journalist & working with various presidential administrations. I never felt mislead as some others have written, that she was going to write an autobiography; she calls it a memoir.
   This book seemed very objective until it hit the Clinton section. In my opinion, it became extremely evident Ms. Mitchell is not a fan of the Clinton's. That would not be an issue, had she not attacked them as she does, taken this section to also delve into her personal relationship & in future chapters, brag about White House get togethers with the Cheneys, Rumsfelds & Bush's.
   It's too bad Andrea lost her objectivity & took her jabs. She would have had an excellent book, had it been written in it's entirety as a journalist.

5 comments about The Exact Same Moon: Fifty Acres and a Family.

1. What may I say that the other reviewers haven't mentioned?
   
   I purchased The Exact Same Moon: Fifty Acres and a Family after reading Mrs. Laskas first installment Fifty Acres and a Poodle, which I would recommend reading first. After the author has established herself at Sweet Valley Farm she decides she wants more in life. Namely, a child. She and her husband Alex try to conceive, but they have no luck. They finally decide to adopt a child from China. I believe that many women will identify with this story & all the emotions Mrs. Laskas experiences.
   
   While this is a charming and enjoyable read, I preferred 50 Acres and a Poodle. This book felt a little forced to me. Obviously, this one wasn't as carefree and funny, as it dealt with more serious issues. It's still a great book and one I'd still recommend.



2. I read this book aloud with my husband. It was like reading a letter from a friend, sometimes laugh-out-loud funny and others wipe-a-tear sad. Although it's the story of moving from city to country life, it has relevance for anyone transitioning from one lifestyle to another. The situations are believable and the characters are funny and endearing. It's the kind of story that you know you'll miss when you reach the end. My husband has asked several times that I get the second book in what we hope will be a series by Ms. Laskas, so we can read aloud again.



3. "The Exact Same Moon" is the sequel to "Fifty Acres and a Poodle" (however, you can enjoy it without having read its predecessor). In the first book, Jeanne Marie Laskas recounted her journey from single life in the city to married life on a farm. In this follow-up, she describes her mother's illness and her own realization that she longs for a child.
   
   This book is not as good as "Fifty Acres and a Poodle". It lacks that book's purity of voice and breadth of consideration. It is a quieter, gentler story; it is clearly written by an older and mellower woman, one who questions everything in her life out of curiousity rather than confusion, and that makes this book less poignant than the other.
   
   Still, "The Exact Same Moon" is more than worth the read. It's a lovely tale, well-structured although true, filled with amusing character sketches and interesting little thoughts. It's a pleasant book throughout, intelligent and well-written and occasionally illuminating. Anyone who enjoyed "Fifty Acres and a Poodle" should read it; anyone who hasn't read "Fifty Acres and a Poodle" should read them both.



4. This is the kind of book that makes you feel so good, you want to press it on your friends. The writing is gentle and thoughtfully paced, and she writes about the kinds of everyday experiences and feelings we can all relate to.
   
   The first book is Fifty Acres and a Poodle, which I'd recommend reading first. In this second book, the author is surprised by her unexpected but profound desire for a child to love and to share her world with. Her adoption of a little girl from China is written about with tenderness and deeply felt joy.
   
   I can't wait for the next installment.



5. I always enjoy Ms. Laskas' columns and looked forward to this book. I was not disappointed. Humorous but realistically touching as she deals with issues another mother certainly understands!

2 comments about Refugees in Our Own Land : Chronicles from a Palestinian Refugee Camp in Bethlehem.

1. I'd love to find a book by a book by a Palestinian that truly seeks peace. This is not such a volume.
   
   Beginning from the preface, which in hysterical tones accuses Israel of committing genocide, to the last pages, this is a book loaded with code-words calling for Israel's destruction. It's full of "humiliation," "murder," "genocide," and the like.
   
   Had those things actually been perpetrated by Israel, I would be first in line to condemn them. But even the United Nations has concluded that Israel has not committed genocide, in Jenin, or anywhere else. As for murder, it seems that the only murder is taking place by Palestinians against Israeli civilians, and that whosoever amongst Palestinians has been killed has died either in battle, in the line of fire, or by accident, for which Israel has apologized. When, on the other hand, was the last time a Palestinian leader actually sought an end to suicide bombings, because they are evil, not because they are inexpedient.
   
   My biggest problem with this book is that for most of the events that Hamzeh reports, she relies on hearsay. There has been no scientific or objective attempt to verify the information, much less the veracity of the sources. Even that might be all right, had the reporter not assumed an hysterical tone. But Hamzeh is so willing to believe everything nasty she hears about Israel or Israelis, or Jews for that matter, that nothing escapes unscathed.
   
   I want peace, but books like this one--filled with blame and outright hatred--do nothing to promote it.
   
   --Alyssa A. Lappen



2. Few are the works that have given the personal touch to what it means to be living under the ugliest forms of occupation of modern times: The Israeli Occupation of West Bank and Gaza. Ms. Hamzeh's work is one of such works. Her diaries give a face to the people who are suffering on a daily basis faced with what an Apartheid-like situation - those people are the Palestinians who are being dispossessed and forced to live as refugees in their own land. Ms. Hamzeh's diaries and the additional essays give the personal touch and the political situation in the form of Oslo agreement that is shown to be nothing more than a mask that was intended all along to squeeze the Palestinians out of their land.
   This book should be recommended reading to students of Politics who risk losing sight of what it means to live under Occupation while reading Academic oriented works, and this book should be displayed as a testimony by all peace loving people against Violence and Racism and pure Murder that is being applied against Palestinians on a daily basis.

3 comments about Becoming Human: A Servant of the Map.

1. Really enjoyed the book. Gave me an insight into Mike's life. His descriptions, dialogue and details are unique. He is a great philosopher and I am looking forward to reading his next book.



2. When I thought about philosophers, I thought about men in Ivy League colleges or ancient Greeks. It was a wonderful surprise to find one in Mitchell, SD, in the Heartland of America. Randall's close observation of those around him and of himself has lead me to take a fresh look at the people and events in my life. Great book!



3. The author, a keen observor, appears to have lived an eventful life, full of travel and omnivorous reading. From the experiences of his military service, his work as a cop on the beat, the death of his brother and the stories of numerous people he met along the way, he draws thoughtful conclusions about the human condition. A polished wordsmith, he makes these tales come alive with importance for us even when most of the characters are ordinary people coping with daily living.
   A gifted story teller.

2 comments about Rolling Stone Magazine: The Uncensored History.

1. This fantastic book tells the tale of one of America's most successful publiciations while simultaneously chronicling its seedy underbelly. You'll laugh at the hijinks of Hunter S. Thompson one minute and get infuriated by the way editor in chief Jann Wenner chooses to treat fellow human beings the next. I highly recommend it for ANYONE who is interested in the music industry, the magazine world or fine music writing in general. It's a shame that this book is out of print, but on the upside, you can get a pretty cheap used copy without much trouble. A great read.



2. Robert Draper's Rolling Stone Magazine: The Uncensored Story is a stunning testament to the magazine which helped herald in an era, and has been here ever since. This book isn't about the artists that were covered; instead it's more about the staff, the writers, th editors, and especially founder Jann Wenner, almost biographically so.
   
   Now out of the 60's came many things good and bad but in the late 60's Rolling Stone the magazine was formed. However it's never that simple and Draper conveys that well. With inside information due to hundreds of interviews and just some good research he pieces together what life was like behind the cover.
   
   My only fault is that I wish this book could have been written in 2004 instead of 1990 so that I could learn about recent events. Overall this is a great book and I highly recommend it for musicians, journalists, and any Rolling Stone magazine avid fans out there.

2 comments about The Soldier's Friend: A Life of Ernie Pyle.

1. Ernie Pyle, a nationally newspaper columnist for Washington, D.C. and New York City newspapers before the war became more famous for his Pulitzer Prize-winning work during World War II, especially in the European Theater. As one of the soldiers quoted in this biography said, "He was...our spokesman. It was not that his column told us things we did not know or feel, but the fact that we knew you folks at home could read it, and get to know and understand."
   
   This book is printed by the Indiana Historical Society Press because Pyle was originally from the small town of Dana, Indiana, near Terre Haute. The Indiana Historical Society has access to literally millions of Indiana-related historical photographs and that library of pictures is put to good use in this biography. Most of the photos aren't just the standard posed shots, but they show Pyle interacting with his favorite soldiers - the G.I. (Infantry). You can see his relaxed style and his curiousity about everything - including looking down the business end of a 155 mm gun, cooking on a Coleman stove in France, walking among the rubble of the hotel that he was in when a German shell hit it, talking with nurses, officers, and even washing his feet in his own helmet.
   
   The book is actually intended to be a biography for advanced middle school students or high school students to read, but it is excellent for any student of World War II history, no matter his or her age. At the end of the text, 3 of his complete, unedited columns are re-printed, including the sparse and moving "The Death of Captain Waskow".
   
   Strongly recommended.



2. Written by award-winning author and historian Ray E. Boomhower, The Soldier's Friend: A Life of Ernie Pyle is a biography for young adults about Ernie Pyle, columnist who wrote about the rigors of combat endured by ordinary G.I.'s during World War II. For his skillful and accurate reporting of a "worm's-eye view" of the war, Pyle received journalism's highest honor - a Pulitzer Prize - in 1944. Chapters cover Pyle's childhood, personality, friends, and retirement, but the main focus is on his career as a reporter at the front. Vintage black-and-white photographs on almost every page illustrate this absorbing life story of a distinguished newsman, especially recommended for middle and secondary school library collections.

5 comments about Legacy: A Biography of Moses and Walter Annenberg.

1. Since James Annenberg Levee was my roommate and fraternity brother, I was curious about his famous family. The book is well researched, informative and readable. A great rags to riches saga.



2. Legacy does an accurate job of portraying POP the way he wanted it and believe me, he certainly controlled the content. As one who is most familiar as an insider, I can say that his goal was to build the image of greatness. Yes, Pop, you were great and no matter what the cost. In the end you won. To the family, you know how he was. Gbird if you get this, im still here, faithful as ever, yet still controlled by old walter from the grave.



3. After having read Legacy I had all of my beliefs about the Great Walter Annenberg confirmed. This man is truely a great and magnanimous individual. His donations are really unprecedented and you could say he has done more for education than any other American. I truely love this man. As an alum of the Peddie school I was astounded by his massive gift in 1993 and I do hope his actions will inspire other alumni to make similiar or even larger gifts.



4. In this engaging and wonderfully written biography, Ogden describes with consummate skill the origins, careers, hardships and accomplishments of two remarkable men, Walter Annenberg and his father, Moses. Facinating insights on business dealings (sometimes hardball), White House maneuverings (not always exemplary), politics, government, social discimination and class structure in America from the end of the 19th century to the present abound. The childhoods and early family environments of both Annenbergs (quite different for each) are well described. The complexity of the father/son relationship (partly due to very different temperaments) and its continuing influence long after Moses Annenberg's death in 1942 is especially poignant. One need not have a special interest in media empires to find this book engrossing; an interest in the capacity to endure, adapt creatively, and prevail in stunning and magnanimous fashion is quite sufficient. This is a distinctly American 20th century story of the highest order.



5. Just finished Legacy after a whirlwind of reading. Couldn't put it down. Each chapter of this brilliant biography flowed into the next. Author Ogden has done a magnificent job of weaving this father/son story together, managing to illustrate much of the American century through their compelling (and inspring) tale. Reads like a great novel. I will be recommending Legacy to everyone I know.

5 comments about A Dangerous Liaison: 2One Woman's Journey into a World of Aristocracy, Depravity, and Obsession.

1. I have read this book more than once, and do not agree with the one reviewer who states that it is a ludicrous piece of work. I think it's great but...
   
   The former Sheri Heller, now Baroness Sheri de Borchgrave, obviously meant
   not to speak about her fears for the breast operation over the telephone because she had an inkling the Baron then would not wish to carry on with the wedding plans. He was correct to accuse her of that. She should never have married him, and then to stay with him after he began his cruel
   mistreatment? Come on, people! She really enjoyed that nobel lifestyle!
   
   If she didn't, why did being called Madame la Baronne tickle her? Why did
   she go into length about the lofty titles of Belgium, the descriptions of the castles, and the many course meals with fine wines and all that?
   
   Sheri knew what she was doing when she snagged her Baron; it was just very
   convenient for her when he died and left her the Baroness for life!



2. Sheri Heller, a beautiful young New Yorker, met a tall, handsome, elegant Belgian on a plane. Soon Baron Jacques de Borchgrave had seduced her and treated her to exotic trips and expensive clothing. She was swept off her feet, but after they married (as is so often the case), her new husband's mask of gentility came off. This is a story of runaway narcissism and sexual deviance. There is a lot detail about some rather untypical sex, so it's not reading for the easily shocked. Sheri de Borchgrave is an intelligent observer of her own life, and the book is fascinating and well-written. I have never read anything like it.



3. I thought this was an excellent story. I don't recall quite how I stumbled upon this book but I am very glad I did. I also had the pleasure of seeing the Baroness on a talk show telling her story to the world. It is truly a fascinating story of good and evil. When Sheri meets Jacques you are very quickly caught up in their captivating romance. As he wines and dines her, buys her expensive clothes and takes her on exotic vacations this book at first seems like a wonderful romance novel. Then as Sheri falls for Jacques she begins to see a tiny hint of his dark side but she pushes it out of her mind because she thinks its just a difference of his European nobility and her American nature. I think many of us who have been swept off of our feet by Mr Wonderful can often relate to Sheri as she sees a warning sign or two but turned a blind eye because she wanted to believe the best in her prince charming.
   
   After Sheri moves to Belgium to become the Baroness she sees Jacques dark side begin to unveil itself and Sheri finds her self in a world of manic depressive behavior, incest, wild sex parties and mental abuse all of which seems to be covered up by Jacques family. It is entirely a world to which most of us cannot relate but you feel for Sheri as she realizes she is trapped in a marriage in a foreign country with a mentally disturbed person and this hedonistic lifestyle and she doesn't know how to get out. Will Sheri get out, will she be able to 'cure' her husband, what will occur next, just when she thinks she's seen it all she learns something else.
   
   It is a classic story of a rich family who's money and power covers up their mentally ill son and the poor woman who is romanced into the lifestyle and before she realizes it she is trapped and doesn't know how to get out and has no one to help her.
   
   This book will completely draws you in from beginning to end.



4. "This year's most fabulous book" -- those were the words of the New York Times Book Section. Quite an accolade... and I also remember the review said that the book was the most fun, the best summer book, and a terrific read. Naturally I was intrigued by such fulsome praise and bought the book -- and I was not disappointed! I think the reviewer above must be a friend of the Baron's family, otherwise one cannot help but get swept away into the beautiful romance and ultimate betrayal of a young, beautiful and innocent girl by the Jekyll/Hyde man that manipulated her.
   This book starts like a Harlequin Romance. Young Sheri meets the man of her dreams (and everyone's dreams) on an airplane -- the place your mother told you you would meet great men. She glimpses into the jet-set life-style of this aristocratic person. The story goes on, the romance continues to its fruition ... but then ---
   Hey, unlike the person above, I don't want to give anything away. Read this! It's entertaining and there are definitely lessons to be learned. I wish Sheri de Borchgrave well ... she deserves it after what she went through with the Baron!!!!!



5. The story of the marriage of the American Sheri Heller and a Belgian nobleman Jacques De Borchgrave.
   The problems begin when Sheri doesn't want to undergo the plastic surgery asked by her husband, who wanted a bigger bosom!
   This book is a festival of mud-slinging on her ex-husband and his family. They are, for the author, a bunch of lesbian and bisexual cuckolds. She didn't forget to add in the book photographs of the incriminated villains.
   How did the author find a publisher for this ludicrous and totally uninteresting story and for the horribly bad porn?