5 comments about Eric.

1. I read this book in adolescence and it has stayed with me since then--over 20 years. I have thought of Eric's story many times over the years, especially now that I have my own son. I think that I will read this book again and add it to my permanent collection. It is very touching albeit very sad.



2. Eric is the heartbreaking, inspirational true story of Eric Lund, a seventeen-year-old boy who is diagnosed with Leukemia just days before he is set to leave for college. This book is a memoir written by his mother, Doris Lund, about Eric's unwavering will to survive, and about how his cancer affects not only himself, but everyone around him.
   
   When it's a story about a terminal illness, there can be no unexpected twist. As soon as I read the description on the back cover of the book, I knew basically how it was going to start and how it was going to end. But it's what happens in between that makes Eric Lund's life so interesting. What makes him different than many whose lives have thrown seemingly indomitable obstacles at them is that Eric refuses to give up. Even when the doctors, despite their greatest and heartfelt efforts, can offer only ominous warnings, it doesn't prevent Eric from living his life to the fullest. In this way, Eric isn't just the tragedy of a boy whose life deteriorates little by little. Instead, it is the motivational story of a man whose confidence, positive outlook, and exceptional will to live bring hope and joy to everyone around him.
   
   Of course, Doris Lund doesn't leave herself out of the picture. A lot of the book is focused on her own hopes and fears instead of Eric's, on which she can only speculate in many instances. She is also honest about her rocky relationship with Eric and the difficulties that they sometimes had communicating, which is something that most teenagers and their parents can relate to. I couldn't help noticing that there are places in the book where Doris Lund interrupts the flow of her writing, perhaps with a misplaced or awkward metaphor, but then she quickly remembers that this story is beautiful and memorable on its own without too many fancy words and phrases to distract from it.
   
   Even if you don't usually read this kind of literature, I still recommend Eric. It may be depressing, but it's not cynical, and it leaves you with the kind of hope that Eric held on to his whole life.



3. I have probably read this book 8 times since it first came out. The first time I read it was shortly after my brother had been diagnosed with a form of leukemia. This book is a wonderful tribute by Doris Lund to her son, and I highly recommend it to anyone.



4. This story is just a good read, and such a testimony of a young man struck with lucemia, his spirit his valor...emotions are stired to beyond words.



5. I hate to be the skunk in the five-star garden party, but I remember reading, or rather trying to read, this book when in high school some *cough* 20 years ago. I could barely get through it. Apparently I wasn't alone, because someone else had graffitoed on the (soft) cover, "This book sucks. Don't read it."

   Sometimes I think there should be a moratorium on grieving parents writing about their dead offspring. Aside from one brief moment when Lund catches her son checking out girls in a hospital corridor or waiting room, I don't remember a single aspect of Eric's personality aside from "Mama's Little Angel." And although my memory is vague on this, I seem to recall the book contains a fair amount of delusional mumbo-jumbo about "God's will" ('scuse me while I barf).

   If you want to read a superb book by someone who lost a child to cancer, read "Death Be Not Proud" by John Gunther. That book preserves every quirk of his late son Johnny's wry sense of humor and considerable intellect, and actually makes you regret that the son didn't live to take up the father's pen. Not only that, but Gunther deals with hard questions of mortality and loss without resorting to the kind of sticky sentimentality you'd expect from Oprah or the "women's channels" on cable TV. Cripes, even Marie Killilea's books about her handicapped (no, NOT "differently abled") daughter Karen are better than Lund's book.

   The entire genre, for obvious reasons, is for the most part manipulatively mawkish, but that's what sells, I guess. If you have an "I Believe in Angels" bumper sticker on your car, Thomas Kincaide "paintings" on your walls, and every CD Whitney Houston ever recorded in your music collection, go ahead and order "Eric." You'll cry your eyes out and write a five-star review.

No comments about The Price We Paid: A Life Experience in the Khmer Rouge Regime, Cambodia.

5 comments about Come, Tell Me How You Live (Common Reader Editions: Rediscoveries: LONDON).

1. This is the first Agatha Christie book I've read that was NOT a mystery. I was not sure if I would enjoy it but I did! One of the reviews said "it is impossible for Christie to write a dull book" and I now agree with that statement.
   Reading this is like entering another world. I never gave a thought to what an archaeological dig would be like, but now I have a very good idea. I'm sure that this book is dated and things have changed by now, but I really felt like I was a part of the time and place Christie and her husband occupied. I'd just love the chance to meet them now!



2. Agatha Christie wrote this delightful book of her travels with her archaeologist husband Max Mallowan in 1946. It was an entertaining and humorous back then, it still is. I picked this book up while browsing at a Salvation Army store, where I go often, as I like getting books and things for not much money. I leafed through the book, read the introduction by David Pryce-Jones and was immediately taken with Max. Then I continued on, reading the first fifty pages in that back of that Salvation Army store, among the books. Of course I bought it, you should too, because this is a book that will drag lots of chuckles out of you, will teach you a bit about how an archaeoligist worked six decades ago and to a certain extant probably still works today. Plus, above all, this is an excellent book.



3. Agatha Christie was a prolific writer who churned out one or more books each year for decades. She was invariably on the Best Seller lists in several countries at any given moment, usually had at least one or more plays running in London and saw several films made from her novels. One would imagine her life as divided between writing her novels in some comfortable English country house or attending various events publicizing her latest work or supporting some worthy cause. Instead of this life in the public spotlight for many years she spent every winter 'season' accompanying her husband, Max Mallowan, on archaeological digs in the Middle East, usually living in primative conditions and assisting him with his work. This book is her description of that part of her life, where she was not Agatha Christie, the world famous writer but Mrs Mallowan, the boss's wife.
   
   This chronicle, written and published against her agent's and publisher's advice was written shortly before WWII broke out and describes life on archaelogical digs in the Middle East. Christie gives us descriptions of areas that figure prominently in today's news, Beruit, Basura, Afghanistan. Events that shape present day headlines are recent events at this time, the Armenian massacres for example. While Christie mentions these larger events her focus is on the day to day lives of those around her, the interactions of Europeans, Arabs, Kurds and others. She describes a time when a twenty five mile trip into the nearest town could take two or more days, and where communication was almost nonexistent. In this exotic location she relates homey little tales of village life such as Miss Marple would know (though without the murders).
   
   As another reviewer has already mentioned these memoirs are reminiscent of Elizabeth Peter's Amelia Peabody novels both in setting and wry tone. For fans of Christie it is a treat to get a glimpse into this very private woman's private life. From time to time a situation or person that has appeared in her stories can be seen here 'in real life'.



4. This book has been my companion for a few nights now, just a little amusing reading while I prepare to drop off-- if only those dogs would move over and give me some room!

   Christie writes of a Middle East that few now can remember, and she is writing to entertain, not inform. There's a certain careless racism that caused me a little niggle of discomfort but, fear not, the Europeans come in for their fair share of ridicule as she skewers the members of the dig and their staff.

   Those who enjoy Elizabeth Peters' mysteries set in Egypt (at admittedly an earlier period) might also enjoy this glimpse into what a dig in the desert could be like.

   Just to put things in perspective, Mallowan (Christie's archaeologist husband) had begun his career digging with Leonard Woolley and Christie is writing oh so casually about events that underpin some of what is going on in that part of the world now. The massacre of Armenians and the differences between the Kurds and the Arabs are now writ large in our news reports.




5. Several times Agatha Christie accompanied her husband Max Mallowan on his archaeological expeditions to the Middle East. When friends kept on asking how she lived there, Agatha decided to write her adventures down in this book.

   The title, in fact, is a pun on "tell," the Arabic word for hill or mound, which is used in the Middle East to describe the hill-like shapes of buried archaeological sites.

   This book is probably the most humorous book the detective writer has ever written. She not only puts her own fame in perspective, but also acts as a keen observer of those little things that make humans such funny creatures. Although you never lose the impression that most of the characters in this non-fiction book are caricatures of real people, it still gives you a plausible impression of how life strolled on in the Middle East at that time.

   Do not expect a serious treatise on archaeological excavations, because you won't find any scientific information in this book. What you can expect is a rather messy hodgepodge of all-day situations that may bring a smile on your face. And that's fine with me, because that's all Agatha intended it to be: an easily digested chronicle written with love.

No comments about The Dream Begins: How Hawaii Shaped Barack Obama.

5 comments about Day at a Time: An Indiana Girl's Sentimental Journey to Doris Day's Hollywood and Beond.

1. "What kind of book could rouse such heated reviews?" was my thought as I happened upon this book on Amazon. Doris Day is an icon in American celebrity history, and as such, has prompted many to write books about her. Why would one more book solicit such venom from some, and praise from others? Upon reading the book, I didn't find any dirty little secrets about Doris, and it seemed that Ms. Barothy was simply giving us a peek into her world as she moved from being just a fan to becoming Doris' assistant. The writing seems to come from a love and admiration Barothy had for Doris, and not an attempt to disclose closeted information. It's always a pleasure to go down memory lane back to a time where we felt more innocent and safe, and that was the feeling I got as I read this book. It was a step back in time for me, and I thoroughly enjoyed Mary Anne taking me to that place in my mind. I thank those of you who gave such scathing reviews because I would not have read this book had you not stirred my curiosity.



2. 
   5.0 out of 5 stars A Remarkable Story, July 17, 2008
   By Margie Blumei (Atlantic City, NJ) - See all my reviews
   
   I just finished reading Day at a Time and thoroughly enjoyed it!
   
   While I've never had the privilege of meeting the beautiful and talented Doris Day, the next best thing was reading this fascinating memoir of someone who has! I found myself completely consumed in this compelling story of this young woman's dream to meet her idol.
   
   Day at a Time is filled with both cute antics and serious issues that the author experienced with Doris Day. A remarkable and loving bond developed between them and you will feel as though you were living this dream come true yourself!
   
   You will see how an earnest young woman makes her way to Hollywood and endears herself to her idol and how Doris reciprocates with admiration and seeks her assistance and ultimately her friendship. I was amazed how accessible Doris made herself to her fans. You will love it.



3. I have loved Doris Day since I was a little girl. So when I saw that a new book came out from someone who actually lived with Miss Day, I had to read it. I found it hard to believe some of the negative comments and they made me want to read the book even more just to see what all the complaining was about.
   
   I loved this book and have read it more than once. It gave me a sense of really knowing Doris on a personal level. I felt the author truly loved Doris and enjoyed being her right hand person. Doris Day is a very real person in this book and it makes me love her even more.



4. I am not sure why any publisher would have put this book out for anyone to read. The author is apparently a fan who once stalked Ms. Day. What I can not understand is why Ms. Day ever hired her. It smacks of utter betrayal by a close confidante who wanted revenge on her former employer after 30 some odd years. I agree with the people who thought this book was tabloid garbage, because that is what it is, and this sure shows alot of disrespect for a talented and beloved actress.



5. The entire synopsis of this book read like something straight out of a MGM vault; the author Mary Anne was a superfan, went to Hollywood and ended up living with her idol! Of course what formed was a loving friendship between Doris Day and Mary Anne.
   
   I know a lot of Doris Day's fans are slating the book and labeling it as 'an invasion of her privacy.' I didn't sense that anything was invaded. Doris penned her own autobiography 3 decades ago and went so far as to expose her 'persona' and her affair with a married man. I think the only thing Mary Anne exposes was that Doris had plastic surgery (and that is a bit obvious from photographs anyway) but apart from that what I sensed was an innocent bystander watching and picking up the pieces of her idols life.
   
   Some have said the author used a poison pen but if you read each sentence with an open mind you'll see that the original admiration and fan worship is still apparent to this day, it is more of a 'Doris done x,y and z oh no I can't believe she done it....this is why....' and there she is justifying Doris's sometimes lack of good sense or good intentions.
   
   It's a shame everything progressed as it did and one cannot help but wonder if another person had the final say, as we all know from Doris's own book and this one, that she was very impressionable and easily lead. Only the author really knows.
   
   This could have been made into a Mommy Dearest book but instead it reads like an A-Z of fan devotion and I liked it a lot.

5 comments about Unfinished Business - The Life and Times of Danny Gatton.

1. Very satisfied with product purchased from this seller. Fast delivery, honest description of product per seller and packaging was great. I bought this book for my husband and he enjoyed reading it. Thank you!



2. "Unfinished Business" by Ralph Heibutzki is a great read and provides great insight into the life of a not-so-well-known American guitarist. I was a fan of Danny Gatton before his untimely death and own 8 CDs by him. After reading Ralph's book, I ordered the other half of Gatton's canon (8 CDs and an instructional DVD) including a live soundboard recording by Evan Johns from the period when Danny was playing with Evan.
   
   As I was one that always wondered what would cause a "normal" guy like Danny to take his life, on the heels of Roy Buchanan taking his own life, the book provided much insight into those dark days. It also provided insight into his glory days, his love of classic cars, and his struggles with the music industry.
   
   The book was so captivating that I took it everywhere with me. I doing so, many folks inquired about it ... and more people in my town knew of Danny than I ever imagined. One friend was so impressed with my overview of the book, he requested to read it when I finished with it. Because I want to keep my signed copy intact, I'm buying him a copy as a gift.
   
   If you have any interest in Danny Gatton or any interest in an amazing American guitar hero, "Unfinished Business" is his story.



3. The book reinvigorated my interest in DG. I had a couple cds of his and knew him to be a hot shot guitarist, but never concentrated much focused listening time on his music. Reading the book has gotten me on a DG binge, and I've picked up a few more cds and some live recordings (Fat Boys 1974!) and have listened alot more closely. Before reading this book, I didn't know about his death or anything about any interfamilial squabbles, but the author presented them very even-handedly. I knew Gatton was a well respected and influential guitarist but I was still surprised to read about some of the other musicians who were influenced by or impressed by his music. And being a guitar player myself (big surprise) I feel motivated to try to learn a lick or two of his myself. Thanks for the great book!



4. As a musician, I was very fortunate to know Danny personally as he played in one of his earliest DC bands with my uncle, Rick Harmel. I recall that he took time to show me a few practice scales almost everytime I ran into him - no matter how busy he appeeared - and he was a warm-hearted, generous guy to the core.
   
   This book balances the abrupt, tragic end of Danny's life with the highs and motivations that made Gatton a player's player. It also spotlights many of the people (like Arlen Roth) that contributed their loyalty and friendship to Danny. Thank you Ralph for a great homage and superb, thorough account of the life of the Master of the Telecaster. A "must read" for all guitarists - and anyone else who enjoys a moving account of an accomplished human being.



5. The other reviewers have discussed the merits of Danny's playing, so I will mostly stick to extolling the book. Heibutzki talked to just about everybody, and found most if not all of the print material and used this in his thoughtful, comprehensive biography.
   As an interviewer, the author got his subjects to open up, and what they say frequently tells as much about themselves as about Danny. As a consequence, the reader gets a sense of the mileau of clubs, studios, band and record label politics, and Washington DC and Southern Maryland music and lifestyle from the 60's to the 90's. A great deal of attention is paid to Danny's interest in cars, and his family life, as well as his early days gigging in various teenage bands and with Liz Meyer & Friends before he became "unfamous".
   Also, the book comes with a bibliography and discography, as well as a useful index, showing the author's almost academic thoroughness.

1 comments about The Book of My Life (New York Review Books Classics).

1. Girolamo Cardano's THE BOOK OF MY LIFE is a very typical entry into the lists of the New York Review of Books Classics: fairly obscure except to Renaissance historians, Cardano was an enormously important Italian mathemetician, scientist, and astrologer who also wrote an account of himself, his nature, and his life. Cardano's experiences in 16th-century Italy are extremely complex and colorful, and he recounts not only his problems with his children and his many enemies, but also his birthsign, his experiments, and his encounters with supernatural beings. The book isn't quite as enthralling as you hope it might be, and in the foreword Anthony Grafton comments on the limitations of this translation (which hearkens back to the 1920s)--given this, you wonder why NYRB didn't commission a new and more faithful translation. The book is intriguing enough but doesn't exactly pass the time quite in the enjoyable way the NYRB Classics seem to be intended to do.

1 comments about Beijing Confidential: A Tale of Comrades Lost and Found.

1. Jan Wong returns with a second sequel of sorts to "Red China Blues" with "Beijing Confidential". This book, along with "Jan Wong's China, Notes from a Not-So Foreign Correspondent",(1999) returns to Ms. Wong's stomping grounds of Beijing. Beijing Confidential is the more personal of the two, as on this trip she goes to expiate the sin of ratting out one of her fellow Beijing University students who approached her about getting to America, at the tail end of the Cultural Revolution. She takes on the near impossible task of finding this woman, apologizing to her and finding out what her life has been like. Written in Ms. Wong's concise, funny and informative style, Beijing Confidential repeats some of the content of Jan Wong's China, but its personal reportage redeems it. Neither book is available here in the US, but if you like Ms. Wong's work (and I do) both are available at Amazon Canada, and are worth purchasing!

4 comments about Louis Pasteur: Founder of Modern Medicine (Sowers.) (Sowers.).

1. Beware, this seems like a regular informational book about Louis Pasteur, and is written in a way that makes it appropriate for school kids grades 4-8. However, this book contains quotes like, "This conclusion directly contradicted the theory of evolution. Instead, it supported the biblical account of Creation." The back cover of the book is marked as follows, "CHRISTIAN CHARACTER... A Most Precious Gift."
   
   I was absolutely horrified that a seemingly neutral and factual book about so famous a scientist could contain this kind of subjective interpretation. So Buyer Beware!
   
   If this kind of material had been excluded, I could have given this book 5 stars, but had to give it 2 instead.



2. I enjoyed this book very much. It kept my attention throughout it. There were so many things that I didn't know about Pasteur. This book covered it all. I am interested in people who discover the cure for diseases. Pasteur found a lot of cures. Too bad we don't have him around now. He could use his help.



3. This is a great book for every age.
   It tells a story that most of us have
   forgot, a very important story. It's
   easy reading, interesting and relevant.



4. My son loves these books! He is 9 years old, I try to make sure I read what he is reading. I love his taste! Wonderful character building book! Highlights the achievements and character of a man following his dream and God's will. We have now read most of this series and enjoy them a great deal.

4 comments about A Woman Soldier's Own Story.

1. Xie Bingying was many things. Unfortunately, her autobiography does not convey this well, reading like a nationalist propaganda piece. She also did not write much about the political context of the times in which she lived, although I suspect that was deliberate. Her story is still fascinating, however, because of how she navigated the shifting social intersections of China in the turmoil of the early twentieth century. To understand what women went through during this period, this is a valuable resource. I wouldn't recommend it for casual reading though.



2. I have just read this book for a Chinese Women's history class, and I have found that it is nothing more than a hagiography that oversimplifies many complicated facets of Chinese culture. These days, it seems to be the vogue in literature to publish books by Asian women portraying them as hobbling, footbound victims of patriarchy and oppression. While it is true that Asian culture is definitely patriarchal and something that needs to be reformed, this book is another hackneyed account of a young woman trying to escape "feudal" social structures.
   I have no love for this book or any book like it because its message has been written and rewritten in various books by authors such as Amy Tan and Maxine Hong Kingston. The translators say in the introduction that Xie is the symbol of transition from "old" to "new" China. By not clearly defining what these interpretations are, they leave it to their audience to define what "old" and "new" are based on individual interpretaion. Moreover, Xie Bingying's black-and-white, old-and-new, feudal-and progressive viewpoint oversimplifies many complexities that face women in confronting modern gender ideals. If you have read Amy Tan or any other hackneyed works, I recommend skipping this book because it is another example of the oversimplification of cultural identity today.



3. Few people in the West realize how extraordinary this book is and how much it has influenced generations of young Chinese. I used to own the original (Chinese) version of this book while growing up as a boy in South America in the 60s. I used to read it for guidance and strength in the darkest days of my youth. I must have read and reread it a dozen times before I had to reluctantly part ways with it. This is a true modern classic that is often ignored by contemporary historians of Chinese literature, who prefer the shallowness of the likes of Sanmo. The War Diaries, which were praised by none other than Lin Yutang, are also worth reading; the translators should make them the subject of their next project.
   Fine as the edition is, I wish the cover had been different. I have never seen a likeness of Xie xiansheng before and almost overlook the book because I was misled by the photograph of the woman in uniform to think it was a book about the Cultural Revolution. But I am glad the editors have included the photographs contained in the insert. I have always matched the feistiness of the woman soldier with a rather robust physique: I am surprised how fragile and delicate Xie xiansheng actually was.
   This book is correctly listed as an autobiography but it reads like a fine novel, with memorable scenes and episodes. Without opening this translation and reading a single line, I can name a half dozen right off the top of my head: the foot-binding, the escapes, the dying brother, the impoverished former army girlfriend, the love triangle, etc. This book is to the Chinese literature what the Ann Frank diaries are to the European; it definitely should not be missed.



4. It is a great book! this book portrayed how women were mistreated in the early 20th century in China. In that old days, girls were not allowed to be educated. They only learned how to spin cotton and embroider,, how to be an obedient daughter, and later a dutiful daughter-in-law. The reading materials for them were highly restricted to certain books such as Teach Your Daughter Traditional Rules. The worst thing was that girls had bound feet! However, there were still a few "lucky one" be able to escape from these old customs. Of course, it wasn't easy. This autobiography described an extraordinary woman, Xie Bingying who struggled to free herself from the traaditional Chinese society--received education, freed from an arranged marriage, became a soldier in the National Revolutionary Army, etc. Her experience was extraordinary!! I like this book because it is not only a truth story, it also pertains very rich information about the old Chinese customs.