No comments about Isaac Bickerstaff (Large Print).

5 comments about An Aran Keening.

1. Let me begin by saying that this is a great book! McNeillie brilliantly captures the whole island mentality of isolation, seclusion and to some degree violence and also the inhabitants own form of self-government. I had the pleasure of meeting McNeillie personally and I must honestly admit that he sent shivers down my spine as he described the Galway and the Claddagh area of 1968, the year I was born. It really is a world removed from what I know now not to mention the Aran Islands, which I visited in 1998. His bravery in sticking the whole episode through of life on the island, to its conclusion is reason enough to buy this book. I could go on but it's simple, buy the book.



2. This memoir has been painstakingly crafted and perhaps over-written. In smaller sections, it captivates you with a sense of what it was like, in 1968, just before this then-isolated island got an airport and electric hookups to the global village, to spend a wet and windy winter on the edge of the Atlantic. But, as a whole, the authorial smugness and arch prose drag down a book in which nearly nothing happens. Not that this itself is a downfall, for in parts you realize what it'd be like to face yourself, as a young person shy, awkward, and introspective, who has taken yourself out of urban life nearly entirely for long stints. The pleasure of this account, in fact, is in its lack of the picturesque, the quaint, or the predictable travelogue produced by so many Irish visitors, short or long-term. The writer's failure to come to terms with even a fair try at the Irish language prevents him from appreciating more than a superficial understanding into a very crucial element of the Aran mentality. This transience distances him from his place. Certainly, this short book lacks the overwhelming erudition of Tim Robinson's hefty and valuable academic investigations of the island, but its lightweight quality itself's too ephemeral. (By the way, consulting Robinson's island map and comparing it to McNeillie's whereabouts, he seems to have boggled his true location, perhaps to protect the identity of his host family.)
   
   It reminds me of another outsider who came to stay for a time in the West of Ireland, Lawrence Millman's They'll Never See Our Like Again, which also added little but likewise floundered when the writer tried to assume a bit too hubristic attitude when it came to one who thinks he knows better than the daytrippers once he's mistaken by them for a native. Not everyone who well-intentedly visits a foreign place can afford to live there for a year, and such condescension diminishes the authority of those who stay longer but still (as McNeillie to his credit admits) will never really "go native" at least in the eyes of the real inhabitants. Very few of Inis Mór's natives seem to establish any rapport with McNeillie. This ironically draws for me a truer picture than many tourists hoodwinked by pub chatter and conniving characters into thinking they've gained some profound insight into Ireland.
   
   So, while his intent can be admired, this product nevertheless fails to live up to its intent. Far too often the pages float by with little ballast. He writes well about nature, but this could have been an essay, since it has no reason to be so drawn out for so little substance. If McNeillie wrote it to warn off his children against their father's example, it's not apparent here what harm this mundane sojourn one winter had on the author. He spends time in a drafty cabin, gets seasick, gets really sick, fishes, helps with farm chores, daydreams, drinks, and keeps a diary. Eventually he has to go back home come summer. Full stop.



3. Sorry. I mistakenly said in my review just submitted that the author spent 3 yrs living in the Aran Islands. He actually spent under just one year. He had been there 3 years previously. Sorry for the mistake.



4. The first chapter is very good. The last chapter is excellent. It's the 200 pages in between that are problematic. If you suffer from insomnia, rush out and buy this book. The only thing that kept me going is that I have been to the Aran Islands --... The story line skips around and seems to have no continuity or narrative flow... I still don't understand why the author, at college age, spent 3 years living on the island... What an odd glop of uninteresting stories, poetry, observations on corncrakes, and education on fishing lines and rabbit hunting. I did learn some new vocabulary words, though. Like "monody," which might be the kindest way to describe this book.



5. An Aran Keening is the personal and compelling memoir of Andrew McNeillie, a man who traveled to the Aran Islands off the Atlantic coast of Ireland and stayed there for eleven months. McNeillie is clearly filled with admiration for a land of profound natural beauty and an appreciative people who work hard to maintain their traditions and culture from one generation to the next. Unique, superbly written, highly recommended and rewarding reading, An Aran Keening is a book of considerable insight and justifiable reverence.

No comments about Childhood (EasyRead Large Bold Edition).

No comments about Albert Durer (Large Print Edition).

No comments about Echoing Voices.

No comments about The Life and Legends of Saint Francis of Assisi (Large Print Edition).

5 comments about The Lost Son: A Life in Pursuit of Justice.

1. This is an engaging, well-written memoir of a man who came from a disadvantaged background, a high school drop out who, with a little help from his friends, pulled himself up by his boot straps, eventually becoming New York City's fortieth Police Commissioner in 2000.
   
   Born to an alcoholic mother who worked as a prostitute and was eventually murdered, Kerik grew up in the mean streets of Newark and Patterson, New Jersey, and eventually dropped out of high school. A devotee of martial arts, he become a third degree black belt and joined the military, a career choice that was to give focus to his life. From then on, it was a natural segue into law enforcement.
   
   The book takes the reader on a trip down memory lane through Kerik's colorful life from his inauspicious birth to the 2001 World Trade Center attack. Kerik details his rise from warden of a Patterson, New Jersey jail to a member of the NYC police Department, then NYC Commissioner of Corrections, and, ultimately, NYC Police Commissioner. Police buffs will especially enjoy Kerik's war stories of his days as a foot soldier of NYPD, from his early days as a rookie cop to his faced paced, adrenalin rush days as a member of the DEA/NYPD Task Force.
   
   Very loyal to friends and family, Kerik is clearly a complex man with a lot of natural ability, a virtual diamond in the rough with an uncanny knack for rising to the top in whatever he does. Despite his lack of formal education, Kerik was always able to think out of the box and adopt new ways of looking at old problems. This, coupled with natural leadership ability, made him a force with which to be reckoned. His friendship with Rudolph Giuliani, in those early days when Rudy was running for Mayor of New York City, eventually helped secure Kerik a prominent berth in city government. Whether it was as the Commissioner of Corrections, where he was able to bring Riker's Island, a local NYC penal colony, up to snuff, or as Commissioner of NYPD, where Kerik did much to quell community dissatisfaction with the police, Kerik did manage to leave his mark.
   
   Still, there are little hints of an Achilles heel and chinks in the personal integrity of this man of supposed steel and honor that are revealed in this book. I was struck by the fact that Kerik, while Police Commissioner, seemingly thought it was alright to use resources of the NYC Police Department to try and unravel the mystery surrounding his mother's death years earlier in Ohio. Even though years later he was eventually made to pay back the money that those investigative efforts cost, I was surprised to see that at the time he was using members of the NYC Police Department as his own private investigators, he did not think that this was an inappropriate use of public resources for a private matter.
   
   Unfortunately, this little chink in his personal integrity would come to bite him on the butt when Giuliani recommended him in 2004 to President Bush for the position of Secretary of Homeland Security. A background check would reveal a number of problems, some of them minor, some less so. In 2006, Kerik eventually plead guilty to misdemeanors on state charges related to his ethics in having accepted about $165,000 in renovations to his Riverdale, NY apartment in 1999 to 2000 from a construction company with alleged mob ties. At the time, that construction company was seeking to do business with the City of New York, and Kerik is alleged to have used his connections to lobby on that construction company's behalf. Moreover, that same company also gave Kerik's brother a high paying job. This beleaguered former NYC Police Commissioner has now been indicted by a federal grand jury on sixteen counts of fraud and corruption.
   
   This is simply the story of a man who, through his own hubris, thought he could do no wrong, and in doing so, eventually lost everything.



2. On the plus side we do get a look into the workings of the NYPD which I found fascinating. But Kerik is a shameless self promoter. I was almost embarrassed to read some of his self praise. Of course his story is perfect for an American audience -- we love someone who achieves much more then his background would predict. But we would also like our heroes to be a bit humble while they achieve so much. Some of the writing is uneven, especially the storyline of his mother. Since he has so little data on his mother, its difficult for him to generate a very engaging story there. If you like police stories and can find this book on deep discount you'll be pleased with it.



3. I could not put this book down! Bernard Kerik tells his story by telling the story of the heroes he encounters along the way. His life experiences are sometimes normal, other times anything but normal and all make for a fascinating read.



4. I would have rated in 5 stars for the quality of the story, but now that I know the majority of it has elements of untruth, it gets one star, and only because I can't rate it any lower. He also left out a lot of things, like at least one marriage. How do you forget THAT?
   
   Based on the things that came out later, he probably should have been IN Riker's Island, not running it. He sounds like someone who gets promoted because nobody likes them and there isn't enough on them to get them fired.



5. GIVEN KERIK'S REPORTED MOB TIES, AMORALITY AND CASHING IN ON THE 9/11 TRAGEDY, IT'S NO SURPRISE TO READ THIS CON JOB PIECE OF FICTION. HIS GHOSTWRITER IS PROBABLY A FICTION WRITER BECAUSE ALTHOUGH IT IS WELL WRITTEN, THE STORY IS A FRAUD. WHAT REALLY HAPPENED IN SAUDI ARABIA? HE STALKED AND TERRORIZED WOMEN ACCORDING TO THE WASHINGTON POST. WHY DIDN'T MR. LAW ENFORCEMENT WHO CLAIMED TO BE SO HIGHLY SKILLED THAT HE COULD TRACK DOWN THE BIGGEST DRUG LORDS IN THE WORLD...TRACK DOWN HIS OWN INFANT DAUGHTER --THE ONE HE ABANDONED? HOW ABOUT THE TRUTH? HE IS A CON MAN, ABANDONED HIS OWN CHILD, IS EGOMANIACAL AND IS NOTHING MORE THAN A THUG. HE WRITES ABOUT SOME TEACHER IN SCHOOL WHO TOLD HIM HE WOULD NEVER AMOUNT TO ANYTHING. GUESS WHAT? HE WAS RIGHT. BERNARD KERIK IS JUST WHAT THAT TEACHER SAID HE'D BE. A BIG ZERO.

5 comments about Meant To Be: A Memoir.

1. I thought this sounded like a great book. It had all the makings for a great book but it just didn't get there for me. I enjoyed hearing about Walter Anderson's life growing up and I felt for him. I thought he was one smart and tough cookie. I think for me the book sort of fell apart at the end when he connects with his half brother. For me it just didn't live up to the build up that the reviews and book jacket gave it.
   I think I would have been a happier reader if the story had just focused on his success as a person and less on him finding his half brother.



2. Walter Anderson's story of his experiences as an abused child, son without a loving father, confused young man, Viet Nam soldier & veteran, young writer, seeker of his own personal truth, and seeker of a truth bigger than his own. This book goes beyond personal memoir. It is about the generation who came of age in post WWII, being the son of a WWII veteran who was abused in his childhood and tortured in war, and ultimately being the true offspring of a Jewish man his mother had an affair with during the war. There are many books about how childhood abuse impacts women. This book gave insight into how men are impacted by such abuse, cultural expectations of toughness and violence, and then the traumas of war....creating men who oftentimes become the men they swore they would never become, alcoholics who abuse those closest to them. I believe Anderson was able to escape this destiny because on some level he did think differently (perhaps like his birthfather), but also because of the love of three wonderful loving women: his mother Ethel, the teacher Mrs. Williams, and his wife of over 30 yrs., Loretta. I was most moved by Anderson's comments & statements when visiting the Soviet Union in the 1980's. His definition of soul and his courage in speaking out on behalf of Jews in Russia were the best parts of the book. Inspiring and moving.



3. Sad at times,but unable to put it down. The book draws you in...knowing/feeling the courage this person has. He reveals the truth about his life and tells this inspirational story..and you must read it.

   Also recommended: Nightmares Echo,Courage To Heal,Lucky




4. One of the most powerful narratives I've ever read.

   Not just because the author overcame great odds to go on and achieve great things, but because he honestly describes his lack of faith in God and then describes the day he comes to believe in the God of his real father.

   I can't say enough good things about this book, so, I'm just buying copies for all my friends, and letting them see for themselves.
   Marsha Marks, author of 101 SIMPLE LESSONS FOR LIFE.




5. I am completely in awe of this author and this book Meant To Be. So many lessons,teachings and above all courage through out this book
   I want to also recommend Nightmares Echo. It also has courage and determination.

No comments about A Spring in My Step.

1 comments about Letter To A Great Grandson: A Message of Love, Advice, and Hopes For The Future.

1. Imagine coming "to the realization that the more you learn, the more you expand the periphery of your ignorance" . . . that happens when you're 18, according to Hugh Downs in his moving LETTER TO A GREAT GRANDSON.
   
   Downs, who coanchored ABS's 20/20 and who hosted NBC's TODAY show for nine years, originally wrote this book as a letter to his great grandson . . . he meant it to be read at various stages of the boy's life.
   
   It made me realize how much we can learn from our family and made me want to know more about my dad's life (hint-hint to him, if he's reading).
   
   Downs discusses the joys, possibilities and challenges of infancy, young adulthood, middle age, old age, and everything in between . . . I particularly liked the fact that he helped me see that getting old is what we make of it, as evidenced by his own remarkable life . . . for instance, he went through the NASA space training that John Glenn did when both were 77.
   
   There were many insightful passages; among them:
   I tend to be a denier. This is not all bad. I tried to avoid the word "painful." I said my knee condition was "annoying." I did not want to believe the condition was (a) irreversible, (b) painful, (c) something that could diminish the quality of my life. The result was that, toward the last, if I walked six blocks in Manhattan, I found it "annoying" enough that I was ready to sit on the curb and wait for a cab.
   
   The only strong feelings I have that might be linked to a religious outlook are of overwhelming gratitude at being favored with such a good life. If people who have been dealt a bad hand--people who suffer, physically or mentally, or are the victims of great tragedy--can manifest real faith, it would be pathetic if I couldn't feel something long that line, considering my fortunate
   circumstances.
   
   About ten years before you were born I interviewed a number of centenarians who participated in a University of Georgia study. They were the cream of the crop, because the study was not about disease and impairment so much as trying to find out what changes there were in healthy people that old. These people, men and women, ranged in age from 102 to 106, and like any other age group, varied widely among themselves. But they had a couple of things in common: not one of them was bitter, or hate-filled, or complaining. I wondered if that had something to do with their longevity. And while they were mentally agile, and in some cases quite sharp, none of them was
   physically robust. You do not reach one hundred (or for that matter, eighty) and embark on a career as a star athlete.