3 comments about Demon of the Waters: The True Story of the Mutiny on the Whaleship Globe.

1. I read a glowing review of this on Salon. Later, looking at the Amazon website, I read a less flattering editorial review. I'm not sure either reviewer actually read the book. The story that it is ostensibly about is that of the mutiny on the whaleship Globe. The author of the mutiny was a sort of 'romantic' sociopath type (they're never particularly romantic when you know enough about them) whose plan was to go ashore and make himself king of some savage tribes. This story was scandalous in America when it happened; sort of the O.J. Simpson trial of the 1820s. There are easily a half dozen or so books on the topic.
   
   This one is by a rare book dealer who found a new manuscript relating to the mutiny; quite a lot of the book is dealing with his discovery of the new manuscript, and checking out various supporting pieces of evidence. It was the author's "find of a lifetime." He also had a fascinating interview with a tribesman of the island where the mutineer hoped to make himself king. This interview was appropos of nothing, really, but it made me happy to be an American (which is probably why it was included). Anyway, this book was quite fluffy; serves me right for buying something because Salon magazine said so. The magazine was never for mighty intellects, but post IPO, it has become pretty horrid. This book probably had the material for a couple of amusing magazine articles, but it wasn't worth the $25.



2. Grab this book! You're in for a wild ride!
   
   Demon of the Waters stands out from the rest of the books I've found in the whaling adventure genre. Gibson's research is unsurpassed. He provides such varied information on whaling to satisfy anyone's appetite for adventure and knowledge, providing background on how he came across the story of the Globe mutiny and what he discovered during the course of his quest to get to the root of the story as well as the history of whaleship making in Nantucket's heyday. Unlike many other books of this type, the author doesn't bog you down with chapter after chapter of excruciating biographical detail of every crew member aboard the ship. He skillfully chooses to include the relevant information that is pertinent to the story. The mutiny on the Globe is strikingly depicted; the story is unfathomable and never lacks for an unexpected twist. It will haunt you for many days after you finish the book!
   
   I much appreciated the chapters on the nitty-gritty of whaling terms and slang, and what went on step-by-step in felling a whale. Gibson merges thorough research with an incredible tale to create a must-read for any fan of whaling and adventure.
   
   Advice to future readers: notice that the middle section of the book contains illustrations and pictures. I discovered this a little late and would have liked to have noticed it earlier to aid my understanding. I wish Gibson would have referenced them in the text. Overall, an EXCELLENT whaling book. I HIGHLY recommend it. If you enjoy true tales of whaling adventure, I also recommend Nathaniel Philbrick's In the Heart of the Sea, Neil Hanson's The Custom of the Sea, and Robert Blackwood Robertson's Of Whales and Men.



3. I highly recommend this book to all who like to read about toll ships and see adventures.
   Painstakingly, masterfully written, book embraces detailed description of whaling ships and their role in making many Nantuckers rich, as well as many aspects of human life during the "golden" era of whaling for oil industry. But not only this.
   We have many historical details about early Pacific navigations and about competition for dominance in this region between France, Britain and Americans.
   We will learn with fascination how white sailors encountered first time and clashed with other cultures and tribes of Pacific islands; also, how the toll ships were build on Nantucket Island at the beginning of the 19th century and who was involved in those projects.
   And of course the main theme - gruesome events on the deck of the "Globe" and on the Mili atoll (Marshall islands), where two cultures met suddenly by surprise and got stunned - beautifully woven into the whole text.
   Masterpiece, Mr. Gibson, no doubt. It should be considered as continuation of "In the Heart of the Sea".

5 comments about Teacher Man: A Memoir.

1. After surviving a miserable childhood in Ireland and making his way to New York City as a young man, Frank McCourt shares anecdotes about his next 30 years -- teaching high school and community college English classes.
   
   McCourt's somewhat unconventional teaching style, he readily admits, didn't reach everyone or even succeed as often as he would have liked. Yet many of his classes, filled with students from poverty-stricken and hopeless homes, found real enthusiasm and understanding through such lessons as writing excuse notes for their own teachers, for setting recipes to music, and setting up impromptu ethnic feasts in the park.
   
   As no section of any person's life can possibly be extricated from all others, readers will find some familiar tidbits first mentioned in AA and 'Tis. This is, in my opinion, just light enough to establish familiarity with previous material; it is certainly not a recycling of the first two books.
   
   As always, McCourt is honest and humorous, giving readers a glimpse into the world that was and is uniquely his.



2. Hey everyone! I just wanted to let you know there is a GREAT event coming up almost a week away in New York City. The American Place Theatre's Festival: Literature to Life is performing a theatrical adaptation of TEACHER MAN by Frank McCourt on September 21st, 2008. Don't miss out on this wonderful opportunity to see this moving piece of literature come to life. Here's the information and can't wait to see you there!
   
   [...]



3. I don't believe there can be much more to be said about the Charms of Frank McCourt. Even when he is divulging his shortcomings, his wit and bare-knuckled honesty draw you in.
   
   "Teacher Man" is, to me, quite different than his previous two works, but completely enjoyable down to the last tale. I think it makes a great gift to every teacher who has ever struggled with their profession and the demise of their idealistic vision. It stands out as a shining beacon that you don't have to be "perfect" to make a life changing difference in the lives of a student.



4. A fellow teacher and friend recommended this book to me; I had never heard of it previously, surprisingly. I knew I would like it just by looking at the cover and first few pages: Frank McCourt's sense of humor and finesse with teaching really shows through with two photographs there especially. He takes the reader easily through the span of his teaching career with a string of hilarious anecdotes and shares invaluable, yet typical, insight along the way. McCourt really refreshed my sense of what teaching was, is , and can be along with putting teaching situations and education in perspective. As a teacher of high school Language Arts, I often wonder whether or not it's me, the kids, or both. Whether he intends to or not, McCourt reassures educators like me that educating youth is an ongoing, if not sometimes stifling, doubting, and frustrating struggle. Kids have always been kids, so to speak, and the best teachers have always been just that too. A true reality check for public school systems in a time of No Child Left Behind. It does a stunning and long-lasting job of reminding us that making kids think is what we yearn for and that, sometimes, we realize that yearning, in spite of ourselves. Thanks Mr. McCourt for revitalizing a part of me that had been a bit bogged down!



5. I am puzzled by this book. The first paragraph stated McCourt's pride over having made something of himself after a terrible childhood. He then proceeds to tell the story of his teaching as part of this. He admits himself that he felt like a fraud much of the time. I can see why! Most of the anecdotes cover stories of his childhood and he admits to not having control over the students. (He seems to waver between intense pride and self loathing.) Although I enjoyed many of his anecdotes(the assignments to write a suicide note, a excuse note to God from Eve, and reading recipes to music), I spent a lot of time wondering how he could have been a wonderful teacher and had kids flocking to the classroom. I must assume that there is something key to McCourt's charming classroom manner that he left out.

3 comments about George Burns and the Hundred-Year Dash (G K Hall Large Print Book Series).

1. WHEN I WAS A BOY, I THOUGHT THE FUNNIEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD WERE BURNS AND ALLEN, LAUREL AND HARDY AND JACK BENNY AND RODCHESTER. AS I GOT OLDER I ADDED GROUCHO AND W.C. FIELDS. BUT GEORGE BURNS AND GRACIE ALLEN WERE SPECIAL. THEY WERE LIKE SOME OF MY FAMILY, LIKE NEIGHBORS, LIKE, WELL, REAL PEOPLE. ADDED TO THAT WAS THE FACT GEORGE AND JACK BENNY WERE THE BEST OF FRIENDS ALL THEIR LIVES. THIS IS JUST A MARVELOUS BOOK AND I DON'T UNDERSTAND THE REVIEWER WHO SAW IT AS MAKING GEORGE LOOK SORDID. IT MADE HIM LOOK EVEN MORE HUMAN AND KINDER. HE WAS DEVOTED TO GRACIE, TO HIS FAMILY AND TO JACK. HE WAS A BRILLIANT AND KIND MAN ALL HIS LIFE AND ONE OF OUR NATIONAL TREASURES. READING THE BOOK WAS LIKE SITTING DOWN AND REMINISCING WITH OLD FRIENDS AND MARTIN GOTTFRIED SHOULD BE COMMENDED FOR HIS WORK.
   
   I RECOMMEND THIS BOOK FOR EVERYONE WHO IS A FAN OF BURNS AND ALLEN AND JACK BENNY, ANOTHER KIND MAN SADDLED WITH A REALLY MISERABLE WIFE, NOTED FOR SUCH THINGS AS THROWING A DECORATED MARINE WAR HERO OUT OF ONE OF THIER PARTIES BECAUSE HE WASN'T "HOLLYWOOD". BUT I DIGRESS, PLEASE READ THE BOOK, IT'S ONE YOU WILL KEEP AND READ AGAIN, ESPECIALLY IF YOU FEEL DOWN OR DISCOURAGED. GEORGE AND GRACIE, I LOVE YOU AND THANK YOU FOR ALL THE JOY YOU BROUGHT TO US THROUGH THE YEARS.



2. To the earlier reviewer : If you can't stand the unvarnished truth, why are you reading this book. If you want rose-colored platitudes, read People magazine. This book tells it like it was, warts and all. Isn't that what a proper biography should do?



3. In this world, it is rare that a man show as much love, kindeness, and humility as did George Burns. However, this book chooses rather to focus on the sordid details of his life. The sexual immorality, the dirty jokes off stage, the things that George himself varnished over. George had a right to varnish over the negatives. It is the soul of the man. It is how he made it to 100 years of age. This book instead punches him below the belt posthumously. I was and am a big George Burns fan, and I was sorely disapointed that someone could be so cheap and callous as to sully his image.

5 comments about Ambling into History: The Unlikely Odyssey of George W. Bush.

1. After having read several books and listened to hundreds of hours of TV dealing with President G.W.Bush;I almost passed up this book. For one reason,it was published in 2002 ,and certainly most people feel they know all there is to know about him.So,how do we know all this? We make up our minds based on our politics or on what we are fed by the media;and that is hugely biased on the editorial slant and agenda of the media we are listening to or following. It seems to me, that the reporters and op.ed. writers only ask questions for which they hope to get a reply that fits their political leanings ;or write a piece on something negative even when there is much that is positive that is more important.In my humble opinion,it should be the medias role to report the whole picture and to let the political hacks do the biased politicking.
   The author,Frank Bruni,covered Bush's presidential campaign for the New York Times, and in this book he has done an excellent job of giving the reader a remarkable insight into the real character of the President.The thing that really surprised me,was that I expected this book to more reflect the "thinking" of the NY Times ;and that would not be a balanced or conservative approach. I was hardly into the book when I realized that Bruni was making a genuine attempt to really show what kind of a person G.W. Bush really was.This did not change as he kept true to that principle from the time he closely followed him from before the Primaries till well after 9/11.
   Bruni spent endless hours with Bush and his family while on the campaigns,travelling ,press conferences,in his homes,and during a lot of down time and "off the record" conversations.He gives us endless verbatum quotes from Bush and you will be amazed at the openess with which Bush and his family talks.
   Where most politicians are consumed by unrelenting blind political ambition;you will see that Bush is an exception.He has his deeply held values and convictions that are far more important to him than political agendae.These beliefs can be troubling to many on both sides of politics,but as far as Bush is concerned,that is their problem;not his.When he found himself occupying the office of the President of the United States;he knew it would be difficult,but more important ,he would give it everything he had,and with the help of God and any other resources he could muster;he would try his best to serve and protect his country.
   One would think that in the world of politics ,a book like this would be dated by now, Not so.You may or not "like" him,agree or disagree with his politics or party;but after reading this book;you can sure see why he operates in the way he does.He knows he may not always be right and if he is convinced that an alternate path is correct,he will take it.
   The fact that Bush does not "fit" the Washington Beltway mold for a politican;is the reason that the media has such a problem with him.
   The reason I would recommend this book is that,regardless of your politics;Bruni has cut through all the fog and exposes the Bush's real character.
   Bruni gives us numerous personal quotes from Bush.One I liked was;
   "Well,there are some things over which I have no control and some I can influence, and I'm able to distinguish between the two."
   When you understand where Bush "comes from";you can see why he believes his prime responsibility with The War On Terror is the security of the country,and he will do whatever it takes "On My Watch!"



2. This book is a politically-motivated libel. The author tries unsuccesfully to hide his aversion to the Bush family, not only toward the President, but also toward his parents and his wife Laura. The book is not worth its weight in paper.



3. I liked this book because it paints the good and bad about George W. Bush. Bruni covered the Bush Campaign for the New York Times. In this book, he reveals the real George Bush and the close election of 2000. There were lots of colorful insight and also jokes played during this campaign. What this book revealed was an uncomplicated man who was seeking the presidency. Bush also could laugh at himself, including his fumbling of the English language. The Presidency was not his all consuming passion as it was for Al Gore. This knowledge validated my vote for Bush.
   Bruni covers only the campaign and the aftermath of the election. There is only a little background history of Bush before his presidential run. There are no photos in this book. The book is strictly a look at Bush's run for the White House in 2000.



4. Frank Bruni, a New York Times reporter, wrote a perceptive and eloquent book about the candidate whose campaign he covered in 1999-2000 and the president of the months previous to 9/11, when he was part of the White House press corps. With eye for the big and the small details, he tries a search for George W. Bush. But, as seems always the case in this kind of books, he succeeds, but only partially. Nevertheless, the answers to these failures stand clear in the book itself. I think it has to do something with misunderstimation.
   
   Analysts, journalists and all kinds of pundits, it seems, start at the wrong place: they measure Bush against the traditional political standards and, when he just doesn't fit into them, well, the problems begin. "In many regards, the Bush I knew did not seem to be built for what lay ahead. The Bush I knew was part scamp and part bumbler, a timeless fraternity boy and heedless cutup, a weekday gym rat and weekend napster, an adult with an inner child that often brimmed to the surface or burst trough". What Bruni and others see as limitations, I think, could well be the essence of the success behind George W. Bush in the eyes of many people. In a time where professional politicians are always so self-righteous and pretend to have the right answers to all the problems around, Bush and his unpretending and fallible human nature are a breeze of fresh air.
   
   So, when reading this book, you have to look for the real Bush, the one whose own self and voice keeps joyfully and intelligently jumping out here and there troughout the text, no matter what his disciplinarians (like Karen Hughes) do to enforce him, or the journalists (like Bruni himself) think about it.
   
   Bruni's book deserves five stars because he tries really hard to measure Bush against those all traditonal standards and, in the way, inadvertently discovers Bush to the reader. Another plus is his exceptionally intelligent assesment of the role the press plays in "constructing reality" and not just reporting it. Sure it does. And it's part of the misunderestimation of George W. Bush.
   
   Read it, you won't be dissapointed.



5. On the 3 July 2004 Fox News Watch member Neal Gabler implied that Frank Bruni was something of a cheer leader for George W Bush in the 2000 election.

   That is not something a dispassionate reader would claim after reading Bruni's account in this book, essentially a campaign journal of Bruni's travels on the 'Zoo plane,'and elsewhere during that frantic presidential election.

   Overall Bruni is mildly critical of his subject, but often in a funny way, particularly with the then Republican candidate's mangling of the English language -something that Bush is able to laugh at himself over (a good trait).

   The book is not a must-read, and is now dated being published in early 2002, but it does give some idea of how manic and maniac campaign life is for both journalists and candidates.

   Bush is revealed as a man with an impish sense of humour but also one that developed newfound gravity after the horrific attacks on his country, in September 2001, and a leader who takes the trappings of the presidency seriously. On one occasion he forgot to salute a marine as he boarded his helicopter, Marine One, to go to Camp David but once inside he remembered his failure and so returned to salute the startled guard!

   If you like a gossipy style account of elections then this book is an enjoyable enough light read

5 comments about Ice Bound: A Doctor's Incredible Battle for Survival at the South Pole.

1. Though this book is on the surface a story of her struggles of cancer and her situation, and no doubt this aspect of the book has been dealt with ad infinitem, I found this book very interesting for another reason.
   
   It was particularily interesting to see how closely bonded people can become with each other in an extremly dangerous isolated situation. And really made one appreciate what a "TEAM" is really meant to be, for they all worked together to make life possible and they all were completely interdependant.
   
   Descriptions for example of how they watched TV together were real eye opening into the human depths and needs. Or how much a single leaf of lettuce can mean between friends were cause to to make one think. It has a lot to say regarding how much we take for granted in our wasteful society. Perhap every wasteful person should spend a season in these conditions to appreciate just how much we have...or at least read this book.
   
   It was also a very "cool" look into antarctic life and the one minute shower and other curious details were really interesting. I have to say that I really enjoyed reading this. I have always liked antarctica material and this was certainly a great read for that and other aspects.



2. I was prepared to love this, but ended up disliking it for several reasons.
   
   Her voice is gruff and sounded good at first, but the pacing and reading started grating on my nerves by the end of the second CD. Like most cases, it would have been better to hire a professional reader.
   
   More importantly, I felt Dr. Nielson is an extremely emotionally immature person. She rails against her ungrateful children who "abandoned" her and her sociopathic ex-husband (who supposedly stranged a dog in front of her, and used to drive against traffic to intimidate her). At the same time, she paints herself as an innocent, noting only briefly she had an affair because she basically emotionally had to....of course, this sounds a bit crazy. Even assuming what she says about her husband is true, any time someone is hooked up with psychos for decades, something is a little wrong with them, too. I felt her complaints about her ex and children made her look worse and made me question her own emotional stability.
   
   At the same time, she describes her adventures at the Pole the same way I think a teenager would. She struck me as self absorbed, narcissistic and dramatic. There appears to be an enormous amount of socializing there, with all sorts of stupid parties all the time, movie nights, coffee clatches, etc. Also, I kid you not when I say that every single person and almost every single room, city, area, and numerous objects, etc. at the Pole has an annoying nickname. Another example? She develops an overt crush on someone married and doesn't hide it.
   
   Finally, I had thought she actually did the lumpectomy herself. All she does is a needle biopsy!!! I have experienced a breast needle biopsy and while I certainly had the benefit of a topical anesthetic (which I don't think she did), it was not a big deal. After that, she is air dropped chemo, and then does IVs of chemo, with assistance via satellite each time, and a friend to help do it. Then, she is airlifted out.
   
   Frankly, the pilots who air dropped the chemo and then airlifted her out (at the earliest, coldest time the pole had ever been flown to) are the real heroes here.
   
   If you want to read about self medical procedures, I would suggest the kid who cut his right arm off while hiking in Utah. I haven't read it but I saw the Tom Brokaw special about it, and it was very solid. It's interesting how the parents ultimately found the kid....



3. Jerri Nielsen's Ice Bound came highly recommended to me. While it initially began well, it soon became obvious that the author had a lot of growing up to do. Unfortunately, the South Pole experience didn't seem to speed up the process. She is so caught up in her interpretation of events that she fails to understand or see what others are telling or showing her. I wonder if this is at the core of her family problems. The final straw for me was after reading her doctor's email assuring her that her chances for longevity were still very possible, and she immediately writes to her own family and tells them just the opposite. The fact that she had the nerve to continue scaring her family and misrepresent the doctor's analysis made me lose any sympathy I might have had for her. Jerri's mom, however, must be quite a lady, as evident by her remarks comparing her daughter's perspective on her ice family to cult. Now, I'd like to read a book about her mom, but forget the daughter!



4. This book provides the "behind the scenes" details of the experience of Jerri Nielsen who was diagnosed with and forced to treat her own breast cancer using non-medical personnel while she was the only doctor stationed at the South Pole during polar winter. Much of the book is about her experience of life at the pole and her relationships with her fellow "Polies".
   
   As someone who began reading this with very little knowledge of the South Pole station, I most enjoyed the information about what life is like there for the brave and crazy folks who opt to winter-over at the coldest place on earth. They are unreachable by even the most advanced aviation because jet fuel turns to Jell-o in the horrifically cold weather they experience. It was interesting to hear description of what they wore, where they slept, how they kept warm, how they entertained themselves and how they remained connected to the outside world. At the time of Dr. Nielsen's employment (1999), they only had a satellite available for a few hours a day to exchange emails and contact with their friends and family. One interesting tidbit of information, while then-President Clinton visited New Zealand all usage of the satellite was reserved for him. I know so much about this because the book includes many emails. These are edited for length but otherwise replicated in their entirety. It becomes tiresome to read other people's email including To, From, Subject etc., but in some ways provides the only true insight the book offers into the experience.
   
   My personal response to this book is that I just don't feel that Dr. Nielsen is a reliable narrator about her personal or interior life. Whether this is her fault or that of her co-author, I cannot say. I felt that she chose to take a stance as both victim and hero as opposed to just a regular old person in a horrible situation. Her descriptions of her relationships with her estranged children and ex-husband strike me as disproportionately favorable to her as do the descriptions of her childhood, parents etc. It may not be true that she considers herself either a victim or hero, but that is what I felt the "voice" used in the book implied. It feels somehow like she is being less than honest about her internal experience of the events described or rather that her level of honesty and experience has somehow been retarded so that she is having the emotional experiences that someone would normally have much earlier in their life than at 47 years old. When compared to a memoir written by someone like Mary Karr or Jeannette Walls or even Roseanne Barr, there is a noticeable lack of honest reflection and self-awareness that should have been addressed by an editor or the co-author who, one assumes, is a professional writer. There was a great deal of telling in a narrative that should have been laden with insight, feeling and action. This absence is particularly noticeable when reading the emails from Dr. Nielsen's oncologist, Dr. Kathy Miller, which are filled with empathy, decency and passion. They give her a distinct "self" that no other person in the book has including Dr. Nielsen herself.
   
   I can only recommend this book as an introduction to life at the South Pole. I intend to find other, better books to increase my knowledge of that fascinating place and the people who work there.



5. This book is the story of Dr. Nielsen's time working at the south pole. It is full of anecdotes of everyday events that gave me a feeling for what life must be like in such a remote place.
   
   It reminded me a lot of science fiction and especially Kim Stanley Robinson's Red Mars. Robinson has another book on Antarctica that is said to be very similar to Red Mars. It's uncanny how similar Dr. Nielsen's account is to science fiction stories about space colonization.
   
   Maybe the idea of life on the frontier brings out these themes. The difficulty of life makes people work together and abandon some of the petty problems from home. That gives people a new perspective on the culture of their home.
   
   This story also made me consider how psychologically hard cancer must be. Dr. Nielsen says being in Antarctica in some ways made it easier because she didn't have to deal with daily ups and downs as the results of many tests came back. They only had the most basic diagnostic equipment in Antarctica.
   
   Nielsen is honest about her fear of her illness and the pain of being alienated from her kids. Although it's unlikely because of her history of cancer, I hope the powers that be approve her for more work in remote locations.

5 comments about Singing My Him Song.

1. This was a great book in my opinion. Although I am biased because I am Irish and loved all "the brother Frank" books. This sequel wasnt as great as Tis by Frank but still good. I couldnt wait to read Tis after reading "Angela's Ashes". After reading "A Monk Swimming", I was glad that Malachy got his act together. Being a recovering alcoholic myself, it was very refreshing to read how rewarding it was to Malachy to get clean. I recommend this book not just for Irish or alcoholics, but for anyone that wants to read a good story by a great story teller.



2. No, it won't be Angela's Ashes (though Malachy does tell the story of carrying the ashes back to Limerick in a defective airplane). The author is Frank McCourt's brother and shares with him the Irish ability to tell a good story.
   I haven't read his earlier book, A Monk Swimming, but this one can stand alone. In it, he wrestles with his alcoholism, finds the love of his life, tries to carve out a career as an actor, confronting his dreadful childhood and gives his opinions on American political failures of the past forty years. Somehow he melds all that together into a biography that holds your attention.
   Readers might also be interested in A Drinking Life by Pete Hamill.



3. Vintage McCourt! This is a good one but reminiscent of A Monk Swimming by the same author. Mallachy McCourt is good, but I prefer his brother, Frank. Poor man, I wonder how many times he has heard it. But it takes nothing away from the book. What genius of a family. Poverty in childhood has turned out into prosperity for posterity. Thanks McCourt Brothers.



4. After reading Angela's Ashes and Tis by Frank McCourt, I was looking forward to reading more about the McCourt family's lives from the perspective of another member of the family but Malachy McCourt definitely does not have the talent of his brother, Frank. He focuses too much on himself and I could sense his ego becoming more and more inflated as the story progressed. I'm sure he is charming and witty but an entire book by the author telling us just how charming and witty he is does get to be tiresome. And the fact that he is so proud to be such a total scoundrel is not admirable. I also read Malachy's book, A Monk Swimming: A Memoir, and in both books I was hoping to read more about the entire family instead 95% about Malachy himself and how pleased he is of his escapades.
   
   The book became tiresome to read and I had to force myself to finish it.



5. Frank McCourt wrote the famous bestseller, ANGELA'S ASHES. In this book, you learn about the personality of Angela and the events just prior to her death. His version of the Irish funeral 'doings' at a fancy mortuary in New York whre they partied with lots of beer is almost sacrilege. He had suggesting putting her ashes in a body bag and leaving them on the curb for garbage pickup. He and Frank were in financial straits at the time, but brother Alphie was doing okay. Frank became the possessor of her ashes in an old bean can.
   
   Bob Miller wrote this account from McCourt's avid remembrances. Like Eddie Fisher's BEEN THERE, DONE THAT, he reveals the bad with the good. Malachy's narration is spelled almost phonetically, the Irish sayings Americanized, which I guess his fans would get a kick out of -- it reminded me of the old man in 'Brigadoon.'
   
   Since I don't watch soap operas I have not recognized him as a young man, nor at the age of 69 when he was diagnosed with cancer. He had a sad life in Ireland, but after coming to America drank his way around the world to forget his past.
   
   Part of this book is about the retarded stepdaughter and the experimental program they agreed to at the Willowbrook State School for the Retarded on Staten Island. To get a place for her, they signed consent for her to be used as a guinea pig in a hepatitis program funded by the U. S. Army. The place as described resembled the one in the movie, 'Suddenly Last Summer,' in which Elizabeth Taylor is committed by a demented aunt and she wonders out on a raised landing above a mass of humanity "driven totally mad" by the place in which they were drugged, abused and locked. These things actually existed, and he and his wife Diana witnessed it first hand.
   
   He tried to expose the horrible abuse through the media (radio and t.v.). He said, "Media types will come to the 'field of dreams', but don't ask them to cover the plains of nightmare." Finally, they were able to get Geraldo Rivera to tour the back wards with a cameraman. It took them two years to get heard in Court in 1972. It was a historic case, followed by similar suits across the country, that all people have a right to decent human conditions no matter what their mental status.
   
   He made his mark in Hollywood and New York in movies and plays, and was host of t.v. and radio talk shows. So I'm sure he has a vast following of those who've seen him -- and read his previous book, A MONK SWIMMING.
   
   He was the Boston police lieutenant in 1978 'The Brinks Job' and was in 'Mass Appeal' on Broadway in 1982. Then his soap opera career started in 'Search for Tomorrow,' 'One Life To Live,' 'Ryan's Hope,' etc. Now he has embarked on a career as a writer, or at least a storyteller to beat all. All in all, his is a success story.

No comments about My Inventions.

5 comments about Luckiest Man: The Life and Death of Lou Gehrig.

1. service was excellent. and i am so glad
   i have this book. price exceptional.
   go to Cooperstown and compare price.
   this was a bargain. and i received it
   quickly...
   thanks.



2. I read this book while in middle school and it inspired me. Yes even a Red Sox fan enjoyed this book. This is not a book about a Yankee or baseball but a story about an amazing person.



3. Author Jonathan Eig has written a fantastic character study of New York Yankees great Lou Gehrig, a shy, Momma's boy who always followed the rules and didn't want to let anyone down. A proud man, Gehrig always handled himself with class. He had few equals on or off the field.
   
   Eig paints a sensitive portrait of Gehrig while discussing his relationships with his mother, his wife, Babe Ruth, Joe DiMaggio and his other teammates as well as Yankees management.
   
   Never considered colorful enough to merit the press' attention, Gehrig played in the shadows of Ruth and DiMaggio.
   
   Thanks to locating letters between Gehrig and his physicians at the Mayo Clinic, Eig is able to shed light on the relationship the Yankee great had with his physicians, what the doctors told him about his disease (ALS) and how he handled it.
   
   After reading Eig's biography, you'll have a deeper understanding of Gehrig, the man, and a better appreciation of Gehrig, the baseball player.



4. Lou Gehrig has always been an interesting subject for me. I'm a so-so baseball fan, but I am a fan of individual's who appear to have the same values and morals that I hold.
   
   Jonathan Eig does a very nice job in this book of focusing on Gehrig's baseball qualities and his qualities as a man. I really enjoyed the book that gave a tremendous insight into how Gehrig acted behind closed doors.
   
   A few things that really interested me:
   
   I didn't know he was nearly that good of a baseball player. If ALS wouldn't have ended his career he might have gone down as the greatest first baseman ever. Eig did a very nice job in citing statistics and comparing those to other players in Gehrig's era and in the modern era.
   
   I also didn't know that a number of times Gehrig would play an inning or two and get credit for a game. I appreciate the fact that the writer didn't get caught up in the legend of Gehrig and pointed out the streak and how it lived basically because of the manipulation of Gehrig and Yankee manager Joe McCarthy. That definitely diminshes the accomplishment of consecutive games played in my mind... not by much because Gehrig did play with a lot of injuries and issues.... but it does diminish it. It also puts that much more of a wow factor into the consecutive games streak of Cal Ripken because I believe he had to play 5 innings to get credit for a game.
   
   That said, Eig did a really nice job in pointing out that Gehrig really was much more than just "An Iron Horse" at first base. The stats, the clutch hitting, etc. were well documented by Eig.
   
   I also liked the detail that Eig provided on ALS and Gehrig's final years. As I was reading the book, I was thinking we are sure flying through his playing career and there is a whole lot of book left here. That was because Eig wanted to take some time to describe in detail Gehrig's final years and he did a very nice job.
   
   I would suggest this book to anyone wanting to know more about Gehrig, Yankees history, or if you just want to read a great account of a man who should be well-admired for his work ethic and moral values.
   
   A great book and great subject matter.



5. I'm a Yankee hater, but I loved this book. I always found the story of Lou Gehrig to be an inspirational one. Jonathan Eig did a great job of not only telling Gehrig's story, but also making you want to root for Gehrig to survive. At times I found myself forgetting that he dies in the end, only wanting to read more about his amazing feats on the ball field. A great book that everyone should read.

5 comments about The Sacrifice of Tamar.

1. The writing in this novel is exquisite. However, any reader who isn't familiar with the Orthodox Judaism will need a road map, a cultural dictionary and a Yiddish-speaking tour guide if they want to understand the book. The time line is also confusing as the story jumps back and forth between the present and the past.
   
   Author Naomi Ragen writes beautifully about the culture of religious Judaism, but she never lets the reader in on the secret, never decodes the lingo so that they can walk in Tamar's shoes, which is necessary if the reader is going to be able to empathize with the character. For this reason, the book is less than satisfying and I would hesitate to recommend it.



2. I absolutely loved and HIGHLY recommend this gem of a novel!
   
   The story of a young ultra-religious girl in 1950s Brooklyn having to deal with having been brutally raped by a African American man and unable to tell anyone or deal with the consequences, was gripping, intriguing and an extraordinary premise. Yet this book is about so much more....it is about friendship, beliefs, tradition, family loyalties, truth, honor and love.
   
   It is a book that will stick with you a long time after reading it and hopefully you'll feel as compelled as I to pass it along to friends/family.
   
   Despite its predictabilty, I would consider this a "must-read" and recommend it highly. For those of us who grew up Jewish, or at least familiar with Jewish culture/traditions, it will be extremely compelling and relatable....(I was proud to recognize/understand all those yiddish words I heard growing up!) However, I hope it finds a universal readership, across cultural and religious lines, as I believe it is through learning about other people/cultures, that we become a more tolerant society.



3. From the first page to the last I found this book to be a wonderful yet sad story. I'm generally not a fast reader, but this one went very quickly - I just didn't want to put it down. There were a few slow parts, but all in all I think it's a wonderful choice.



4. This was the very first book that I've read by the author, and I thought that it was absolutely amazing! This was such a compelling story, I read it all in one night. I've read other reviews here, and I totally disagree that Tamar's rapist was black simply because the author was trying to re-enforce the image of a "black criminal" or because she is racist herself. I think the fact that he was black was very essential to the plot. Had he been white, then Tamar would have had an option to pretend that the baby was her husbands. No one would question it, her husband would never suspect it, Tamar alone would know the terrible secret. Because he was black this was obviously no longer an option.
   In the begining of the book Tamar is seen as good but extremely weak woman. Ever since she was a child the decisions which directly affected her life, were made for her. First, by her parents, then by her husband. She has choices when faced with pregnancy, but can't decide herself, and still choses to do nothing. Her faith seems to be rewarded at first, but we see how that affects the rest of her life. I loved her transformation into a woman who truly accepts herself and takes control of her life. I would highly recommend this book.



5. 
   Tamar Finegold has a secure and predictable life , as wife of one of Brooklyn's leading ultra-orthodox rabbis , but when she is violently raped by an intruder , all of this is thrown into turmoil.
   She turns to two childhood friends , but keeps the secret from her family , until years later , a strange turn of events forces her to confront her past.
   
   Naomi Ragen's books deal with the struggle of Jewish communities and the various threats and dilemmas that face them.
   I had previously read The Covenant and The Ghost of Hannah Mendes.
   
   This book shows both the tranquility and beauty of religious life and the dilemmas faced. It is beautifully written and shows how Tamar deals witht he trauma of her rape by an intruder and how her life and that of her family develops, as well as that of her two friends, one who has wisely embraced all that is good in Judaism , and one that has divorced herself from her roots.
   A very compelling and easy read , that gives us a rare insight into ultra-orthodox communities and their ways of being and thinking.

3 comments about Starting from Glasgow.

1. This is a fascinating book about a woman who escaped death innumerable times, helped others, and I won't ruin any of the rest of the story.



2. 
   Originally written in 1946, Cyprys' account is remarkably free of the Judeocentric, German-whitewashing, anti-Christian, and anti-Polish tendencies of today. She devotes almost as much attention to German crimes against Poles as to those against Jews. Furthermore, Cyprys makes it clear that the Germans regarded the Poles as having no more inherent right to live than the Jews. Consider what happened when two Poles were mistakenly herded with Jews into a Treblinka-bound train: "Two gentiles in our wagon tried to explain to the Germans that they did not fit into this society and tried to show their documents. All to no avail. `Even if you are not a Jew, you are a damned Pole', yelled the German, and slapped the older woman's face, barking `Polish swine' and with his rifle butt drove her to the wagon." (p. 95).
   
   Cyprys reported a balanced range of Polish attitudes towards Jews (pp. 118-119, 127, 132), some of which varied within the same family (pp. 142-143). Ironically, she was helped by the obsessively anti-Semitic Mrs. Zosia, who felt sorry for the Jews and who aided them (pp. 220-221).
   
   In his FEAR, Jan Tomasz Gross presents a distorted view of Poles acquiring Jewish properties during the German occupation. In contrast, when mentioning how some Poles pretended to be Volksdeutsche in order to join in the German-sponsored pillage of Jewish properties, she nevertheless added: "The local mob usually guided the Germans to the rich Jewish houses and stores. With the deepest shame I must admit that there were some Jews among the scum." (pp. 25-26).
   
   One inflammatory Polonophobic Holocaust myth is the one about Jews, while being transported to the death camps and with full knowledge of their impending deaths, being forced to endure the sight of indifferent or gleeful Polish onlookers. Against such nonsense, we learn that the death trains had small, barred windows well above eye level, and with nothing to stand on in order to look out of them (p. 96). Viewing (in either direction) was nearly impossible. The author and her daughter were loaded on a Treblinka-bound train. It was only with the greatest difficulty that Cyprys was boosted up and enabled to cut through the bars to jump out and to have her daughter Eva (Ewa) get pushed out.
   
   The oft-quoted Polish remark about Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising "getting burned like bugs", although invariably presented as such, wasn't necessarily derogatory. After all, Poles used the same phrase to refer to themselves in the face of their defenselessness against German incendiary bombing during the Warsaw Uprising! (p. 200).
   
   The Germans strongly promoted alcoholism among Poles. This was done in order to degrade them (Lemkin elaborated on this) and to exploit this dependency as leverage in the denunciation of fugitive Jews (p. 174).
   
   Cyprys elaborates on the semi-collaborationist Polish Blue Police (Policja Granatowa): "There were policemen who would accept neither bribes nor ransoms but, for the sake of their ideology, would hand over the Jews. Looking at this group objectively, however, one has to say that among their ranks there were many Volksdeutsch volunteers. The activities of the Polish police aroused such hostility among the majority of the Polish people, that death sentences were passed on several policemen by the Polish underground organizations and executions were carried out by Polish lads...upon the orders of the Organization a detailed list of all policemen was kept in the Underground offices. These contained, apart from proved misconduct, evidence of their standard of living which ascertained whether a dark blue was profiteering from blackmail or extortion. These lists of evidence were kept till the Warsaw Uprising: I do not know whether they survived the insurrection." (p. 138).
   
   However, by no stretch of the imagination was the Polish Blue Police the main force in the roundups of Jews for their deaths: "On about 5 August [1942] all `workshop territories' were hermetically closed and the Germans and Ukrainians started a ruthless expulsion of anyone found outside these areas--always with the efficient help of the Jewish militia. Wherever a German or a Ukrainian did not venture the militia men would gladly fish out as many as possible of those still hidden in cellars and vaults, only to oblige the Germans." (p. 52).
   
   Most Polish blackmailers (szmalcowniki), "the scum of mankind" (p. 119), took only part of the belongings of their Jewish victims and didn't usually actually denounce Jews to the Germans (pp. 119-120). They sometimes excused their conduct by their poverty and even gave the Jews advice on how better to disguise their Jewishness (p. 140).
   
   Underworld Poles weren't the only ones that fugitive Jews feared: "The Jewish Gestapo men who remained alive were very dangerous. Their eyes were penetrating and Jews pointed out by them were lost beyond hope." (p. 165). Cyprys personally observed them shouting Jewish slogans or singing Jewish songs in order to provoke a telltale reaction in fugitive Jews among the pedestrians (pp. 165-166).
   
   Cyprys alludes to Zegota as follows: "It goes without saying that only a fraction of the Jews in hiding knew about the existence of this committee. Those who were in touch with the patriotic `Polish intelligentsia' or people who worked in the Underground were most likely to benefit. Everything was obviously carried out in the greatest secrecy, using all available means of security." (p. 150). Complaints about Zegota aiding only a modest number of Jews are clearly off the mark.
   
   In fact, Cyprys has a very sage understanding of ALL underground activities: "In reality underground activities were extremely stressful and required a great deal of steadiness and concentration. And because it had gone on for so many years, it was exhausting even to the strongest individuals and led to many casualties." (p. 184).
   
   Cyprys provides a level of detail about the Warsaw Uprising usually done by Polish authors. We read, for instance, about the devastating effects of the German nebelwerfer ("roaring cow" or "cupboard"), and the systematic destruction of Warsaw by Germans AFTER the Uprising.



3. My brother gave me this book because, like Rosemary Trollope, I had attended the Glasgow School of Art, lived in Glasgow and loved the city. Her love of Glasgow and it's people is apparent throughout these autobiographical vignettes. Glasgow, like most cities, is not a place you instantly fall in love with. You have to live there and after a while you grow to love this city and it's people. I lived there many years after she did and though I could not relate to her upper class existence, I enjoyed her stories nonetheless. It's a way of life that no longer exists and she makes no apologies for it; why should she? To think at a time when her family had indoor plumbing and telephones, my family were living in houses with earthen floors and no indoor plumbing. Indeed my Mother's first job as a young girl of 14 was to work as maidservant in these well to do houses. Though she is definately from the other side of the tracks, she tells her story with humour and understanding. Glasgow is a great place to start and reading this book I wanted to go back and start all over again.