No comments about Boss of Bosses.

No comments about Glorious Poverty (Isis (Hardcover Large Print)).

3 comments about Joycelyn Elders, M.D.: From Sharecropper's Daughter to Surgeon General of the United States of America.

1. I loved this book. It was exciting and very sad at the same time. Teaching our children about their bodies is very important. Dr. Elders dedication to her community and the mentally disabled young women needs to be applauded. When she said to the young lady "I want you to have two healthy babies" it made me want to cry, that was a very loving act. All you have to do is listen to the news and read the papers to know that the sexual behavior of politicans is why the had to keep her quiet! I say like the other reader, "YOU GO GIRL!"



2. I bought this book because I had heard many things about Elders that made me think, "God Lord, how did she ever become the Surgeon General, she sounds like a radical sex obsessed idiot." then i read the book, and it confirmed my previous hypothesis. And from watching Fox news, I've also learned that she is promoting a book about how pre pubecents should engage in sex and be given condoms in school. She has also previously tried to have Grade Schools teach MASTURBATION to children. She sounds like a lunatic who came into power not from intelligence or morality, but because of other reasons that I will not say because people tend to get up in arms about certain topics. I Found the book to be badly written, and though she only CO WROTE it, I can only imagine how it would have been if she had written by herself...



3. Dr. Elders memories are both inspirational and heartbreaking. She is truly a woman who came up from the depths of despair and poverty by her own bootstraps. She never backed down from those hypocrites in Washington and Arkansas and in her book she makes no apologies for anything that she has said or done. I feel like I know her better now that I've read her book, it is truly heartwarming and worth a read. The writing was well done and very well presented. This book deserves more than five stars. You go Joycelyn!!!! This book has made me believe that I want to dedicate my life to helping those of our country who are less fortunate, helping them will concrete goals and ideas, instead of empty promises that leave them hungry and homeless with no hope. Joycelyn is truly an American hero, and one of the greatest women of the century

5 comments about Q: The Autobiography of Quincy Jones.

1. Great book. I really enjoyed it, and I would certainly recommend it to others. No way this book is NOT five stars plus.



2. This is a dangerously important and uplifting book. It is subversive in the sense that it reveals one of the darkest secrets about the "real souls of Black people:" That music provides the streetlights that illuminate "the royal road to hope and survival."
   
   This book recalls in my own mind, during the same times that Q's musical life literally exploded (the two years from 14 to 16) -- the years when he literally went from "street urchin to musical genius" in one giant step, that it so happens that this was the same period that my stepfather and his returning army WW-II buddies were teasing each other about "combat boots" being their first real pair of shoes. Being essentially true made the joke all the more painful.
   
   Yet, all of these Arkansas farm boys were in college on the GI Bill; and most importantly, they could all play musical instruments and could sing and dance and read music - especially the Harmonica, the piano, and the guitar. I naturally grew up thinking that doing these things was innate. It came as a great shock to me: when after getting a harmonic for Christmas, it did not play itself. I could not play a single song on the darn thing? I naturally thought that there was something terribly wrong with me: Maybe I was genetically defective? Although I did eventually learn to play the trumpet after a painful and lengthy apprenticeship, it still mystifies me, as to how it was that those in my father's and Q's generation picked up music as if it blew in through the window from off the wind?
   
   That among other reasons is why this book is so terribly important: right after the war, music and sports provided the cushions for finding a semi-normal existence in a world gone mad with poverty and its racist rules and traditions. Q's life was different than most other inner city black kids only in the fact that his mother had to be committed to an insane asylum while he was young. This of course made the urgency for music in his life an even more important existential imperative: As he notes, his discovery of music became, not just his mistress (as it was for Duke Ellington), but also his mother.
   
   But that is only part of the uplifting story told here, somehow, poverty, depravation, and humiliation during the era of "full" American Apartheid, could always be turned on its head: Somehow, there were always unguarded existential escape routes to both sanity and occasionally to success. Q followed his heart and found his talents, which as it turns out were considerable.
   
   Living on the margins, on the outskirts of mainstream society, can either empower you or embitter you, or send you to the insane asylum as it did Q's mother. But either way, music and sports (and not the bible, the only thing that Q's mother took with her to the insane asylum) will help illuminate the way.
   
   Five Stars



3. I was amazed at how good this book is. This book makes you want to know what's going to happen next. I never knew Quincy Jones had a hard childhood. I think I would rather starve than eat rats. I love the fact that Quincy doesn't just talk about music all the time but Quincy went deep into his personal life. I admire the fact that Quincy never gave up on his dream to become a trumpeter. I'm surprised at how successful Quincy is with all the problems he had. Reading this book inspires me to always follow my dreams, no matter what. I recommend this book BIG TIME to anyone interested in his life!



4. I loved it! I'm learning the piano and thought I could learn something from the best. I learned more. I'm a big music lover and love Quincy and his music. He's worked with the best of the legends, Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Billy Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Dina Washington, Ray Charles, Michael Jackson etc. etc. He's had an incredible life! And not without tragedy and set backs and overcame them all. His family is beautiful. How he forgave the sad and unfair things done to him. Tears and laughter, so moving, especially about his brother Lloyd. Quincy's my hero. I knew he was great, but he's more. I'm so grateful he shared his life with us. I learned so much! Let the Light heal the dark places, and listen to God's whispers is where I want to be. Thank you Quincy!



5. I was extremely impressed. Scouting the library, I saw the book and I thought, Hey, this might be good. That night, I read 45 pages, with the school the following day: it was almost a priority. He really is a multi-talented fellow. Of his biggest accomplishment, (arguably, I mean besides his 29 Grammys) was Michael Jackson's Thriller album, but this guy can do anything. The stories are humble, the style down to earth and approachable, and above all, the stories were great. This isn't your ordinary 900 page presidential autobiography. I recommend it to anyone who appreciates autobiographies, truly something worth reading.

1 comments about The Autobiography Of A Super-tramp.

1. A timeless tale of a man who, by little fault of his own, finds the world has turned its back to him. The book is a true story, about the author's own struggle to exist, to exist and to write. A heart-warming account of how the penniless among society survive and sometime realize the dreams we all have within.
   A true starving artist. Davies really did starve for his art. He achieved an amazing feat by saved his meager pennies for long cruel and cold years and months. He lived homelessly or more properly `tramped about'. Davies realized his dream and paid for the self-publishing of his first set of poems.
   The preface by George Bernard Shaw after reading the works Davies sent him, recounted how Shaw found Davies living in a homeless shelter in London.
   Sadly this book is no longer in print but can likely be found in most libraries.

4 comments about Diana: Her New Life.

1. I love Andrew Morton's writing style. This is such a touching story. Highly recommended.



2. but just as good. This book is an update on Diana since her separation from Charles in 1992 and what the future could hold for Diana as a single woman.

   Unfortunately, only a year after her divorce, we got the answer, and it wasn't good.




3. Without question, this is a book sympathetic to Diana's side, and justifiably so. The grey-suited eunuchs of Buckingham Palace have never done the monarchy a favor by meddling in the marriages of the royal family. Morton tells the tale of Diana, her remarkable courage and resourcefulness, and her feelings of alienation, in the face of a smear campaign that would have shriveled us lesser mortals. Diana is a flawed, but nevertheless feeling, human being who did not deserve the ill treatment she received at the hands of her prince and his minions. This is an interesting book to read in light of what's happened since the book's publication in 1994. One can believe that Diana's death may not have been an accident.



4. I loved this book, I felt as if I was there writing the book as it happened,rather than reading the book years after it happened.

5 comments about Condi: The Condoleezza Rice Story.

1. I'm not American so I was not well acquainted with Condi Rice and her life, both private and political. I came to admire her very much after reading the very detailed book which contains a lot about her private life, and a lot about her professional life which takes up most of her time and energy. She would be a great president, she has the guts and the intelligence and the sobriety to represent America in a very positive way.



2. I thought this biography of Condoleezza Rice was very informative and enlightening. Particularly interesting to me was the fact that she had excellent guidance from her parents who encouraged her to pursue her education to the fullest. The books talks of her pursuing her diverse talents and her ambition to succeed. Although I felt that the book glamorized her life a bit too much and indicated that she rarely made mistakes, she is one who deserves everything she has worked hard for. She is truly an inspiration.



3. This account of Condoleessa Rice is most helpful in understanding her upbringing, her motivation and her significant abilities. The author appears to have interviewed a large number of persons: 27 in number. However, no persons of highest notoriety were interviewed. Instead those notable persons were quoted only from other sources. The author typically did not write about Ms. Rice's personal views which was disappointing.
   
   The book unfortunately leaves several important questions unanswered, namely:
   
   1. How was it possible that Condi could have leaped over the normal path of ascension that others historically were required to endure and instead be awarded the esteemed position of Stanford provost?
   2. Why did Condi leave her position as Stanford provost for the significantly lesser position of Hoover Institute senior-fellow? The author's answer given in the book is not credible.
   3. Why did the author never interview Ms. Rice for this book? What was Ms. Rice's response when she was asked for an interview?
   4. How did Ms. Rice's notable but inadequate credentials of being a college provost qualify her to be appointed as head of the National Security Agency of the most powerful country on Earth?
   5. Why did the author not discuss negative issues regarding Ms. Rice as that would have given the book a balanced assessment?
   6. How was Ms. Rice's pro-abortion stance received by the conservative presidents that she served?
   7. Why was Ms. Rice's step-mother interviewed instead of her father, especially considering her step-mother was not even mentioned until 3/4 of the way through the book? Since Ms. Rice gave her father the highest credit for her success, would he not have been the preferred choice?
   
   While the book is enjoyable, it does leave some hard questions unanswered.



4. Condoleeza Rice is unquestionably one of the major minds of our day. Her life history and accomplishments challenge any parent to love and support thier child to the best of their ability with God's help.



5. It was an incredible biography. It was especially poignat in that my children went to St, Mary's Academy in Denver. The book was well written and clear complete and concise. It was a testiment that blacks can compete and be sucessfull if the right environment and attitude, is present.

5 comments about Eating My Words: An Appetite For Life.

1. excellent recounting of her life as a reviewer, and more. great read, even for the non-foodie. wonderful summer read, too.



2. The book is generally well written and moves along at an interesting pace. Only occasionally does she shift too quickly or drag things out too much. She writes with a spicy style - often interjecting comments that catch you totally off guard. Some funny, some spicy and some racy.
   
   The book traces her life and work as a food writer and restaurant critic. Anyone interested in restaurants and what separates the good from the great would find something appealing in this book.
   
   There are some good business lessons for those aspiring to write about food, travel or fashion. In addition to being an expert in food who loved to travel to exotic places, she knew how to profit from her travels. She would capture her experiences and sell them to many different magazines.
   
   It is interesting to read about the various tricks she used to be an effective restaurant reviewer. It is also interesting to note that she was very independent and extremely committed to doing what was right rather than what someone thought would help the paper or magazine she was working for. While this may have caused her some short-term problems, it the long run it was what really set her apart.
   
   Not a must read, but fairly interesting if you have any interest in restaurants.



3. Along with her other book "Garlic & Sapphires" we non-pros get to see what life is like as a famous food writer with interesting anecdotes. I was pleased to get the impression that her power didn't seem to go to her head & found the author very down to earth in her perspective on food.



4. After reading Ruth Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires, I wanted to read more about the world of restaurant reviewers and how the process works, just for fun. I love to think and talk about food, though I am a pretty lowbrow cook and eater myself, I appreciate creativity and hearing about new things done with food.
   
   So picking up this book was a no-brainer. The book covers her life from college age to her career as NY Times restaurant critic, and she talks about the pressures and delights of that job. She doesn't go into a lot of drool-worthy detail about individual dishes, at least not to the extent that Reichl and other culinary memoirists tend to, but instead has a more matter of fact way of reporting the facts about her experiences.
   
   Her writing style is crisp and clear, so the book was constantly engaging and a pleasure to read. Unfortunately the clarity of her writing made it a little bit harder to drum up that passion that I so often feel while reading. Her love for the topic shone through brightly, and there was a lot of wonderful information, but I never got to the "can't put it down" stage, where the author's wit and enthusiasm catch me to the point that I don't want to stop reading.
   
   So four stars: entertaining, lots of interesting stories and information to ponder, clear writing style, and a good look at this career and what it takes to be in it. I liked it a lot but would recommend Reichl's Garlic and Sapphires over this one for its amusing detail about the costumes she donned, the feelings she had, and the dishes she sampled. This book was more straightforward and to the point, and while enjoyable, it lacked some of the verve that I have come to expect from culinary writings.



5. I loved this book!
   Ms. Sheraton is an interesting multidimensional woman. Her book is as her life filled with fascinating travel adventures, shopping, and eating. Some of my own favorite passions.

No comments about Vet in a Village.

1 comments about My Four Years in Germany (Large Print Edition).

1. Until I googled the author, I never would have guessed Gerard's hatred for Germany. Over the nine decades since WWI, Kaiser Wilhelm II and Germany have been scapegoats for the cause of WWI. Certainly Imperial Germany shouted the loudest, but WWI was caused by many other factors. Despite this, if you're looking for a book covering the last year before WWI and into 1917 in Germany, this is a pretty nice book. It grows a trifle tedious as the author writes chapter after chapter about the Prisoner's of War, but it's well-written. Free copies are available on the internet if you aren't keen on purchasing a hard copy.