No comments about Great Lawmen of the West (Curley Large Print Books).

5 comments about My Stroke of Luck.

1. Excellant book to help you understand what a stroke victim goes through. I would recommend this to everyone who has been touched by a stroke



2. I found this to be an easy read. I felt that Mike was speaking directly to the reader.



3. It sounds horrible, but as I get older, many relatives are prone to strokes. I've had three in the past couple of years. Each time, I have sent them this book. To some extent, a lot of what's in this book are things that he is largely repeating from some of his earlier ones; but it is condensed (without most of the autobiography of other works) into lessons for life, particularly after a stroke, that are inspirational and surprisingly uplifting, without being too treachly or trite.
   
   Sometimes people complain "why should ws listen to someone just because they're a celebrity?" This book is a counterpoint to that - it reminds us that just because someone is a celebrity, doesn't discount them from reminding us what real life is about.



4. This quick read (167 pages in the large print edition) reveals the life changing experience for Kirk Douglas when he survived a stroke at age 80. The veteran actor struggled to regain his speech and suffered the overwhelming depression that accompanies stroke.
   You get glimpses of his childhood interspersed with flashbacks to his movie and personal experiences with the screen's great stars.
   Although spared the swallowing difficulties and paralysis that make a stroke so debilitating, the loss of speech affected his self-worth. Speech is crucial to an actor, so Douglas had to relearn that ability through therapy. His triumphs along the road to recovery include acting in two films in his 80s and giving a speech when receiving an oscar for lifetime achievement in films.
   His stroke taught him "to be more compassionate, to work harder at my relationships with my loved ones, to value friendship more, to be aware of the world around me, to slow down and to have a richer spiritual life."
   Maybe readers can learn these life lessons without having their own "stroke of luck."



5. I have always admired Kirk Douglas and bought this book because of that. What I wasn't expecting was how informative and entertaining the book was.
   
   I don't personally know anyone who has had a stroke and so learned a lot about it from the author's personal perspective. He kept a good balance about it - just relating his experience without going into an endless stroke victim advocacy position.
   
   It was also interesting to read about his actor friends. He was not dropping names, but rather was merely mentioning them in the context of his friendships and how they helped him with his condition.
   
   The length of the book was just right.

5 comments about Miracle on the Mountai H.

1. This book was truely amazing. it shows you the power of prayer . when i read the letter i cried my eyes out i really felt for matt and his dad . i cant think what it would be like for them and there family. this is a billant boook to read.
   i admied there will to live on the mountain. i sure matt was really scared being left alone i couldnt do it . i whis the family all the best.



2. Wow...This book was amazing. When I entered the library I first picked this book up with reluctance. I'm of a rather un-religious nature, and I feared from the title that this might be a preachy book. However, in need of something to read, I checked it out anyway. Let me just say: wow. This story greatly displayed faith and survival in a way that touched the heart and kept my interest. It wonderfuly integrated religious teachings and a great story, one that really did make me think. I wish the best to the Couillard's in the future and reccomend this book to anyone who need proof that the impossible can be overcome if you keep trying and keep faith in yourself and others.



3. This book was cool and pretty accurate. It might make you cry though, I did. Definately worth reading. written by mel (matt's girlfriend)



4. Anyone who has a child knows the agony Mike Couillard faced as he made decisions in that mountain cave. One thing that I really got from this book is the power of prayer. Mike and his wife depended not just on a quickie prayer, but a true reliance on God's power. I couldn't put the book down as I envisioned myself on that mountain with my daughter. Anyone who enjoys a good survival story will be captivated by this book.



5. My family and I have been friends with the Couillards since 1983. We were part of the worldwide prayer chain who were praying for Mike and Matthews safe return. It was amazing to read the story of how God sustained Mike, Matthew and their entire family thru this ordeal. I encourage everyone to read this book. If you already believe, it will reconfirm that God does answer prayers and if you don't yet believe it will provide testimony that He is firmly in control of ALL circumstances.

5 comments about Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero.

1. I guess I didn't know much about the whole ordeal. I mean, I remember watching the "surrender" unfold on TV and hearing about the single mom, blah, blah, blah, but I didn't know too much. I think that is what made it such a page turner for me.
   This book is really good in the aspect of thinking about what you would do in this situation. As for Ashley, it states in the beginning of the book that the conversations are just what she remembers and it's not word-for-word. In reading this statement and then her story, I have to wonder how much of it she actually "remembered" and how much she made up. It just seemed a little too good to be true. I'm not calling her a liar, I'm just saying I'm not convinced. Don't get me wrong, it is a good book and she was very brave (you would have to be to be able to make it out alive,) but I just didn't come away from it feeling "inspired."



2. This was a very inspirational book. Just goes to show that most people do deserve a second chance in life!



3. Initially, I'd said that I'd NEVER read this story, but I was able to buy the book for a $1, so . . . IF Ashley's encounter with Brian Nichols is what it took to get her off drugs, make her a better mom to Paige, and strengthen her faith in God, then God bless her. I'm not judging, but I do have an opinion: Every story has three sides; this was Ashley's. We haven't really heard Brian's, and then . . .there's the truth. The story was probably great therapy for Ashley, but I think this is her version. I read it; it was ok, but I'm convinced that Ashley and Brian knew each other and a lot more happened in that apartment than what she wrote in the book. I wish the best for her and Paige . .. and Brian. He's guilty of killing three people, but there are probably some other folks out here who should feel some guilt for what happened. What he did was an act of a desperate man. Book - ok! Buy it somewhere for a $1.



4. I wasn't sure that when I started reading Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero, by Ashley Smith, that I was going to be able to stay with it. Sticking with a book for more than a page or two wasn't something I normally could do these days. But once I started reading it, looked at some of the pictures that are in the book also. I began to get close to the character, get drawn into her life. Once the situation turned bad you were going through everything with her to the very end. At one point I even went to my computer and looked up her interview on a famous news network and watched her talk about being taken hostage. There isn't anyway she could have come through it without God beside her each step of the way. It's truly an inspiring book,and teenagers,young girls going off to college especially, should have to read Ashley Smiths " Unlikely Angel". It would really make an impression on them.



5. Ashley, I loved reading your book. Your story is compelling. I appreciate your honesty in sharing with us, the readers, what was going on in your mind during such a trying time. It's great to see how your faith in God helped keep you focused, even though you admit that your daily life wasn't completely on track the way you would have preferred. The most important lesson I believe your book leaves with the reader is that it isn't where you are in life that is most important, but the direction in which you are headed.
   
   Good luck with your future, and that of your daughter.
   
   -- RuthAnn

5 comments about Sick Girl (Thorndike Press Large Print Biography Series).

1. I found this a compelling and provocative story. Silverstein never flinches when telling of her journey from type-A law student to a young woman ruled by a failing heart, and she gives voice to the anger people whose bodies fail them invariably feel. I gave the book to my daughter-in-law, a cardiac nurse, who passed it around to her colleagues. They all said Silverstein's story gave them insights into their patients they could not have had without it.



2. I'm kind of shocked at all the negativity being hurled at Amy Silverstein. What did she do but share her true feelings? Who are we to judge her personal growth arc and determine that she "should" be over her resentment by now? I can only assume that most who view her so harshly have their original hearts? Thought so. Might you then be willing to accept that you don't in fact know how she should be feeling by now?
   
   I, for one, was willing to listen to Amy with an open mind. Not only did I learn a lot of fascinating details about transplant surgery, it also helped me appreciate anew my own health, however imperfect. Mostly, though, "Sick Girl" is simply a gripping read from start to finish. The way I judge a book's worth is simple: how eager am I to return to it? This one scored off the charts on that score -- I couldn't wait to pick up where I left off each day. I hope Ms Silverstein writes another book; she's very talented.
   
   If you're reading these reviews, Amy, forgive my fellow readers for doing exactly what you feared your friends and acquaintances might do if you dared to slip off the happy mask: turn away from the ugly reality. Rest assured not all readers feel that way. Thank you for telling your story.



3. I just finished this book yesterday. What an irritating book.
   
   There were some interesting details about heart transplants... For example, one's nerves not being connected to the transplanted heart so that one would feel the effects of walking up hill or being frightened suddenly, minutes after the exercise/event, etc.
   
   I do undertand this woman's anger and her depression. Well, maybe...I get the feeling no-one is capable of understanding this woman, except for her cardboard saintly husband, and even he gets slammed. The opening chapter and closing chapter seemed deceitful. I never really thought she'd choose not to take her medicine and give up completely. It seemed like an attention grabbing literary device.
   
   It is never explained why she thought one lady was laughing at her (or if she indeed was laughing at her) or how Ellen's child was doing (it seemed like her character was just inserted to show that adopting a child was a better choice) or why her father would jump out of a car in the middle of this lady's crisis. Had her father 'had it' with her life long histrionics?
   
   Irritating, irritating book. The author herself got in the way of a good book.



4. I was intrigued by the lack of insight or growth experienced through Amy's ordeal. The constant self pity and victim mentality made a well written informative book very hard to read.
   
   I have dealt with chronic illness for over twenty years, and have mourned the loss of "normal" functioning. I have dealt with abusive doctors, people and family who have judged me, not understood and ignored it all. I understand what it is like to lose one's health at such an early age, and I only have empathy for Amy.
   I was dumbfounded though that her book only focused on the dark side of her experience. The loss of health at such a young age is devastating, yet can also open doors for true growth and inner healing. "Sick Girl" only focuses on the "sick girl".
   
   I had read an article with Amy, where she expressed thankfulness for her life. If this is true, she does not express any of these feelings in her book. This is Amy's story, and she can only tell her story the way she sees it.
   
   The picture on the cover, showing her scar with the title "sick Girl " over it, says it all. This book is overflowing with victim consciousness and self pity. I know that through what Amy did live through and continues to live through, she is anything but the victim she portrays herself to be. She is a strong, courageous powerful woman. I wish perhaps that she could see herself that way.
   
   A very informative, well written book about transplants. I would not recommend it as an inspirational book.



5. I don't know where to begin with this book. On the plus side, it was very difficult to put down. I read it in no time at all. It was compelling and suspenseful. I liked learning about heart illnesses, the treatment available for them, and the complications of these treatments.
   
   But I found myself absolutely disgusted with the author. Because she had a heart transplant, it took me awhile to even register my antipathy towards Amy. I was worried that I wasn't being fair to her and that I just didn't understand major illnesses. At some point, though, I've got to call a spade a spade. There is absolutely no excuse for the behavior she exhibited throughout her illness. And there's no excuse for the unbelievable whining she does throughout this book.
   
   If Amy's account is to be believed, she was incredibly unfair to her doctors. She blamed them for things they couldn't control. In some cases, she hated them just for doing their job. A choice sample: "But I can tell you, when you try to push this anger thing on me it just makes you look like a big idiot--standing there in your ivory tower, telling me what I feel. Don't kid yourself" (pg. 108). Here, Amy is chewing out an apparently well-meaning psychiatrist who's been trying to help her cope. She makes fun of his appearance, too. Some people might admire this "spunkiness" and "spirit." I don't--I think it's childish. Wallowing in her self-pity, Amy just refuses to put herself in other people's shoes. She even has trouble empathizing with her husband, Scott. It's all about her and her illness. If you're thinking about buying this book, you'd better prepare yourself for a ton of this.
   
   When Amy describes one of her first doctor's visits at the the beginning of the book, she recognizes that she's being immature. "My accumulated years began to fall away from me one by one until I landed in the safe haven of a ten-year-old girl--and a bratty one at that" (pgs. 28-29). What she doesn't seem to realize is that she remains a brat for the rest of the book. You can even tell in the language she uses to describe herself. Yes, yes, we know it's unfair that you got sick at twenty-four. The whining gets old after awhile. I kept hoping she would toughen up, but she never did.
   
   Something for the theologically minded: Amy describes one of her near-death experiences in a way that's supposed to disprove the whole idea of heaven. She says there's no light at the end of the tunnel. Yet she gets very preachy about the "true love" between her and her husband. It's too syrupy-sweet in the midst of her postmodern rantings. In short, she thinks she has the authority to deny God while affirming true love. She tries to shove her views onto the reader. I did not appreciate it. Just because she has a heart transplant, she's supposed to be our greatest expert on the universe?
   
   In short, the front cover is a very good indicator of this book's content. The cover photo seems to be saying, "Look. I've been through a heart transplant. That makes me better than everyone else. Don't you feel sorry for me? And don't you dare judge me. You don't know how it feels to have a scar like this." If you don't enjoy that perspective, steer clear. I like getting angry when I read, but not everyone does. I would NOT recommend this book to anybody facing a health crisis. Amy is suicidal and thinks killing herself is a viable option.

1 comments about Navy Wings of Gold.

1. Robbie Robinson's story is one of adventure and heroism, yet it also possesses a human touch that allows readers to laugh (and sometimes mourn) along with him. World War II buffs will love this book, as will anyone interested in aviation (particularly military aviation). As a bonus, the book includes shorter (but equally memorable) reminiscences by other servicemen (and by Robinson's own wife) that are finally, thankfully, being set down on paper. This book attests to the strength and courage of the greatest generation, and is a moving tribute to all who lived through that conflict. Readers should choose the second edition; the new material is not to be missed.

5 comments about My Life So Far (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper)).

1. In "My life so far" Jane Fonda opens her heart and her life to all of us and while doing so teaches us how to live and survive in these difficult times.



2. My Life So Far by Jane Fonda is a fascinating look into her family life and journey into womanhood. Very revealing look into her life as the child of Henry Fonda to "Hanoi Jane" and the criminal investigation waged against her by the government, to Jane the mother/wife, to the insightful woman she is today. She is her own woman. Never knowing much about her, I found this book intriguing, candid and educational.



3. Very Honest and inspiring. Just when she gets whiney she deflects you. A great read overall.



4. First of all, I would like to thank Jane Fonda for sharing so much of her spirit, self and life. Reading her book made me feel like I was a time traveler as she took me back in time to when she was a liitle girl and traversed along side her throughout her life and into her third act.
   
   I most definitely could relate to some of the same issues Jane Fonda dealt with in her life. For instance the lack of love, compassion and acceptance in the home while growing up.
   The uncertainty about her sexuality.
   Questions concerning the Vietnam War.
   Jane Fonda's relationship with her father or lack thereof. Unable to connect with her father on any level (no fault of her own). All these issues I to combatted in my life and just like Jane I am a fighter and a survivor.
   
   On another note, I have a favorite actress for each decade going back to the 30's. For instance Merle Oberon is my favorite actress of the 30's, Ginger Rogers the 40's, Kim Novak the 50's, and Jane Fonda of the 60's and 70's. I have not been able to choose one since Jane Fonda retired, but I am so happy to see that she is making a come back in movies. I so missed her presence on the big screen.
   
   In closing, I believe this book has something for everybody. I highly recommend "My Life So Far" to everyone.
   Thank you Jane Fonda for sharing so much of yourself with family, friends and fans.
   
   For a love story that is unlike anything you've ever read check out D. W. Gutridge's Captured by a Smile.Captured by a Smile "Imprisoned by Love": A Memoir of Young Love that Refused to Die.



5. Jane is a pretty misunderstood woman. People make judgements about her based on stories they see in the media, and based on the rhetoric of those who oppose her. I learned a lot about the real Jane Fonda in this book. Her childhood was not that pretty. Her relationship with her father was strained at best, and this book delves into that with the insight and sensitivity of a person who has learned to accept parents who are not perfect, and who has come to understand how those early years shaped her life and the decisions she made throughout.
   
   - C.A.Wulff, author of Born Without a Tail

5 comments about The Colonel and Little Missie: Buffalo Bill, Annie Oakley, and the Beginnings of Superstardom in America.

1. Echoing some of the other reviews - it's 'thin', disorganized and has a large Bill:Annie ratio. McMurtry's point is that, per the title, BB & AO were among the 1st superstars in America & he repeats it every other chapter or so. It reads like something that was whipped up over a weekend. The style & depth of the book are intentional on McMurtry's part but readers should be forewarned that this isn't a traditional biography.



2. This slender volume conveys the slightest amount of information about its subject in a confused, repetitive, meandering style. Surely there is more to the story than this.



3. This book is presented in true McMurtry style showing careful research, painstaking attention to facts vs. fiction, identifying what could be fictional about the people being discussed, and the wonderful McMurtry style we all expect with each publication. Having visited Buffalo Bill's gravesite and the small museum there, this book rounds out the images I have of the man, the performer, and the first superstar of North America.



4. Being a complete sucker for his western fiction, I was surprised at how slim a book this is. There a more than a few good stories to tell about Americas' first media star, but the chapters are so short, McMurtry never gets any momentum going.
   It's surprising too that while the book is supposed to be about the two title characters, Cody gets the lions share of attention, while Annie Oakley gets only a handful of chapters.



5. If you are a fan of the old west or not, this book will entertain you and make you one. I now know more about buffalow bill and annie oakley along with a deeper understanding of that last period of the wild west and the characters that made it such a wonderful exciting time in america.

3 comments about The Burden Is Light: The Autobiography of a Transformed Pagan Who Took God at His Word.

1. Here is my review from my blog, [...]
   
   I just finished an awesome little book about one woman's spiritual struggle and adventure in the 1940s & 50s in Chicago. Her name is Genie Price and she became somewhat famous from her writing and radio work.
   
   She had been living her own self-centered life, and always did things to extremes--she sounds so much like me! But the Lord found her, and even though she fought at first, she eventually found Him and found Life. Then she and a friend spent several intense months just learning all about the Lord and what it means to literally take Him at His word. They spent their mornings in Bible Study, prayer and silence before the Lord. Then they spent hours reading saints' works (Thomas A. Kempis, Brother Lawrence, John Wesley, etc. and many current Christian writers). They spent their afternoons in intercession (praying for others). And the Lord led them on the most adventurous life ever, working everything out for good, even their struggles.
   
   If you can get hold of this book, I highly recommend it. This is the kind of life I seek--His Life, where I totally and completely belong to Him, and not one bit to myself. Lead me, Lord!



2. I have enjoyed Eugenia Price's historical fiction over the years and was very interested in her spiritual autobiography. This book is very easy to read and interestingly presented. It is very inspirational to me as a Christian and challenges me to more fully take God at His word.



3. The reality of what a carnal Christian I have been was made clear to me after reading this book. The solutions offered according to God's Word were brought home to me in such a delightful way and is helping to bring about change in my day-to-day life.

   It seemed I could not grasp the reality of the truth that when I became a Christian-(born again), Christ really did come to live in me and I in Him. Eugenia Price makes it more plain to understand God's Word that says we must "die" to self daily and allow Christ that lives in us to grow. "As we decrease...He increases."

   Before reading this book, it seemed like I was often defeated in my Christian walk, but now with an increased understanding of my Savior and our walk together, I am taking baby steps at living a more victorious life in Him as I am learning to trust Him more and more.

1 comments about Forty Years in South China (Large Print Edition): The Life of Rev. John Van Nest Talmage, D.D..

1. I am a descendant of John Van Nest Talmage,who was a brother of the more famous T. DeWitt, the leading minister of his day (the late 1800s). John Van Nest Talmage was a missionary of the Dutch Reformed Church The wedding ring I wear was given to me by my grandfather whose grandmother wore it. She died in China; then Talmage married her sister. It's amazing to think how dedicated these people were to give up everything they knew to go so far away when travel was so difficult, and the language a great barrier.
   The book provides interesting documentation about another time and place.