5 comments about Up For Renewal: What Magazines Taught Me About Love, Sex, and Starting Over.

1. It's an appealing concept: what if you tried actually following the advice of women's magazines? Would it improve your life?
   Cathy Alter decides to find out. Cathy is a 37-year-old divorced woman whose life is in a mess. She does as little work as possible at her job, which is just subsidizing her freelance work and providing easy partners for cubicle sex.
   So she decides that she will choose one area each month on which to focus for self-improvement. On month, she figures, she can change her eating habits. Another month will be for entertaining, refining her wardrobe, or learning to cook. With a year of this under her belt, she'll be much better. She intends to get out of her miserable job and into a healthy relationship, and to succeed in whatever she chooses to do.
   I won't give away the ending, but I have to say that I found the concept intriguing, and I wish someone else had written about it.
   Alter has some problems as a self-help model. For one thing, she's extremely unambitious. The month for improving her eating habits actually comes down to one change: learning to wrap a sandwich correctly. The month for facing fears and getting rid of them boils down to spending a night in a tent. Most months are actually about shopping. It's hard to suspend disbelief long enough to pretend that there is anything very life-changing going on here.
   Another problem is that Alter doesn't actually improve much. She starts the book as a self-centered, shallow, whiny divorcee, and ends it as a self-centered, shallow, whiny -- oh, I nearly gave away the ending. I can at least tell you that Alter doesn't, show much growth or change, and the book ends up being more about changes in her circumstances than in herself.
   "To truly grow is to suffer these transition," she tells us, "getting out of a damaged relationship or a rotten job, enduring the illness of a loved one, etc." And it is mostly etc.
   The book is entertaining, and Alter shares some interesting stories. But this could definitely have been done much better.



2. This book is like reading a book about Carrie in Sex in the City. Just replace the name Cathy for Carrie.
   Carrie is a 39 (turns 40 during the book), single writer with a totally screwed up life. She is not happy with herself at all.
   After reading the first chapter, I didn't like Cathy very much. After that I realized that Cathy would be someone I grew to understand and adore. She used magazines to change her life one area at a time for one year. She tackles exercise, men, cooking, healthy eating, and sex to name the most prominent months.
   Thankfully, Cathy doesn't follow the magazine advice if it seems a little far fetched. She does retain her common sense. The magazines are just a small part of this story. The real story is with Cathy's transformation.
   This book isn't annoyingly short. It's just the right length, but I did get through it less than a week of reading in my spare time.



3. Like other reviewers, a few pages into the first chapter, I found the author so unlikeable that I almost put the book down. I'm glad I didn't. Alter paints a well written and compelling portrait of a woman who hits rock bottom, and decides it's time to turn her life around. So, why the 3 stars? I just don't like the people in the book. Most of them are selfish, self-indulgent,and self absorbed, not to mention nasty. It was hard for me to connect with any of them, although Alter did grown on me after a while.



4. I absolutely enjoyed this book - but will you? Key facts about this one that might help you decide:
   
   First off, you need to know that it is written by a woman who details how she coped with a period of time when she was trying to get past a divorce and felt unhappy, deeply so. By her own admission, she was making some poor choices and she is open about the details of her mistakes. Dating the wrong people. Eating poorly. Just generally...bumbling along.
   
   Then she has a moment of inspiration and decides (however crazy it sounds) to use magazines as a path to self-improvement. She chooses to follow the advice she finds in those magazines, focusing on various aspects of her life, one part at a time - from choosing jeans to learning how to be happier.
   
   Although I was skeptical and expected this book to be a rather superficial and light read, similar to many glossy magazines out there (all surface but no substance) I was surprised to find Up for Renewal to be far more charming and engaging than I expected. There were genuine nuggets of wisdom in the book - as well as plenty of humor and insight.
   
   At the same time, I do feel obligated to note that Up for Renewal will probably appeal primarily to female readers, particularly those going through a crisis...and perhaps those drawn to rather gossipy, self-help books. Would it have been my first pick of a book to read? Probably not. But it was well worth the time spent reading it.



5. Up For Renewal by Cathy Alter is one of those quirky ideas that naturally appeals to my sense of the bizarre. Take one woman whose life is in a chaotic limbo. Add some good intentions for change. Mix in a plethora of magazine driven advice. Tada! You have this book.
   
   When I first read the premise about a woman turning her life over to women's magazines, while appreciating the peculiar choice, I also had to roll my eyes at the inevitable self-destruction that would follow. What woman could possibly read a year's worth of women's magazines and walk away with her self-esteem still in tact? Although such magazines as Real Simple and O, The Oprah Magazine offered some balance, for the most part Alter was seeking wisdom from such resources as Glamour and InStyle.
   
   I kid you not!
   
   Month one, June, she gave over to eating more healthy meals which included her packing her lunch. I started falling love with Alter at this point. Her self-deprecating sense of humor was not so self-abusive that I felt uncomfortable. Her cultural references were often delightful. (Anyone who can make a correlation between learning how to wrap a sandwich with Kathy Bate's greeting her husband in Saran Wrap in the movie Fried Green Tomatoes is aces in my book.)
   
   Come July, I began to have some doubts. She had dumped a couple of dead end liaisons for a potentially permanent playmate, a younger man she had kissed by the end of the previous chapter. So when they go off on a camping trip I was pretty certain it would make for an interesting experience. Not so much. Not even a very enlightening month. So I hoped that August would redeem itself.
   
   Yeah. Not happening. By September's chapter, I was ready to just dump the book altogether. After all, she was begrudging one magazine's "hinky' math on one page then claiming that she and her boyfriend had been dating for four months. Last time I checked, June to September does not equal four months. And for a woman who supposedly was trying to find herself and get her life together, why the hell was she thinking of moving in with her boyfriend of only a few months (not four, no matter how hinky your math may be!)?
   
   The problem is that this book falls into the chick lit category and I am not a big fan of chick lit. I can't completely hate anyone who suggests that "sh**f***" is a mantra. I suppose I like this book about as much as I liked Fielding's Bridget Jones's Diary. The only difference is this is a memoir and I always end up measuring memoirs by one simple question: After reading this book, would I want to know the author?
   
   I don't know. I think I'd like to see her across a room at a party and just sort of watch her for a little while. Maybe sidle up beside a conversation she would be leading to overhear what she has to say and see if she is as funny in person as she is on the page. But I'm pretty sure I would want her to proofread my writing given her grammatical errors which were at least few and far between but still sadly evident. (Albeit, the conversational tone of the book may have been more important than grammar, an easy sacrifice to make when attempting to not sound pretentious with an aim at sounding familiar.)
   
   BTW, if there is a movie studio out there that hasn't signed on to make this book into a movie then someone is missing out on a perfectly predictable but potentially charming chick flick. Just narrow down her various friends to either a ball busting girlfriend or a laugh-a-minute gayfriend and they can talk and shop and it will be oh-so Sex in the City only with a narrower focus. And Sarah Jessica Parker could even star in the movie version of Alter's life. It seems somehow apropos. And sure I'd watch it when it comes on television. After all, I read the book, didn't I?

5 comments about Reflections: Essays, Aphorisms, Autobiographical Writings.

1. Benjamin is an extremely powerful writer. I bought this book specifically for Zur Kritik Der Gewalt, but I've enjoyed other essays.



2. There is much to love about Walter Benjamin. His is a supple, syncretic, synthetic mind, and his prose just sings-even in translation. Because Benjamin roamed about in whole territorities of thought, it's nearly impossible to draw together a representative selection of his essays without overlooking something important. The collection Illuminations is a delgith; Reflections, a kind of companion volume, includes much material that reflects the Benjamin corpus from a non-Illuminations trajectory.
   
   Benjamin's essay "Critique of Violence" is worth the price of the book on its own; while I disagree with his idea that a state must have a monopoly on violence (more likely that a state desires such a monopoly but has to play make-believe because it can't complete a monopoly...), Benjamin's analysis is crisp and precise. It's as good as the "Treatise on Nomadology" of Deleuze and Guattari, which covers the same kind of ground.
   
   This sounds cheesy, but I really think Benjamin's example of ranging far and wide and deep into detail when inquiring into something, not letting his hang-ups hinder his thinking, is something for an intellectual to aspire to. And he's a joy to read.



3. This collection of Benjamin essays was selected and introduced by Peter Demetz based on an order prepared by Hannah Arendt. It is a companion piece to Illuminations, a siimilar volume prepared and introduced by Arendt in the late sixties. Unlike Illuminations, which focuses on the literary essays Benjamin wrote, Reflections is intended to present a wide variety of subject and style.
   
   In his introduction, Demetz urges the reader to listen to Benjamin in a musical rather than a literary way. Indeed, this book works very well if you approach it as an impressionistic meander through the style and range of thought present in the essays. I would be hard-pressed to describe how to rationally link the autobiographic travel writing of "A Berlin Chronicle" with the aphorisms of "One Way Street" or the Marxist thought in the essays on Brecht. All the same, they feel linked as a reading experience. That linkage may be more on the sound than the subject-- the sound of a very smart man thinking very hard and with great elegance.
   
   Benjamin is never a dry writer. Some other reviewers have remarked on his humor, which definitely exists. It is also worth highlighting his keen eye for detail, his openness to self-examination, his practical advice about writing, and his distinctive turn of phrase which somehow survives through the translation process.
   
   It would be difficult to find a book that I would recommend more highly.



4. Reflections presents for the reader the great range that Benjamin had as a writer, critic and occidentalist. This collection further demonstrates Benjamin's acute awareness of the literature of his time, as evidenced by his essay on 'Surrealism', which is as fine a reflection on its themes as the manifestos of Andre Breton. Furthermore, his writings and conversations with Bertolt Brecht show Benjamin to be very close to the thinking of the author himself. Also included is his celebrated essay on Karl Kraus,"the Jewish Swift of Vienna". But what I like most about this collection are the amorphisms and autobiographical sketches of 'Marseilles' and 'One-way Street'. In his images of Marseilles Benjamin creates an "exegesis of the city" that is as fine as any poet could offer; spellbinding, acute, and beautiful. As well, his wit and insight into social phenomena is detailed in 'One-Way Street', and also in the piece on Moscow, which lets the western reader experience a rare witnessing of the Russian city in the years after the Revolution in a way that recalls Dziga Vertov. Finally, the inclusion of several pieces of Benjamin's philosophical-theological speculations show that he was a man of great breath and wisedom, and further showcase the wide range of his highly polished mind.



5. I think that this book is a forgery by appenine fascist youth. Like most of this book's readers, they took their master plan far too seriously. It's this inability to laugh which makes the work canonical, but nonetheless a product of unknown authorship.

5 comments about Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl.

1. It's obvious the difficulty slaves endured. Ironic, but she endures a great deal more than most. How her story ends is not predictable.



2. Concerning this edition (the book is a must read)... Dover's thrift editions are just that--thrifty. The text is close together and the overall readability of the edition is fair. It works, but I'd like to see Oxford or Penguin make a "classic" edition with a scholary introduction, footnoting and contextual information like 19th century reviews, etc... A good edition, needs improvement, but then it wouldn't have a "thrifty" price!



3. Harriet Jacobs' Incidents in the Life of a Slave Girl is unique in that it is one of the few firsthand accounts written by a woman. The book is a tribute to an extraordinary woman who spent much of her life fighting against slavery. She also provides details into the reality of this dark period of American history, constantly struggling with how a nation can be Christian and yet allow the practice to continue. It is impossible to read this book and not be impressed with the quality of this historical figure.



4. I used an excerpt from this book included in a women's literary anthology used in my women's literature class. It was one of the many classes' favorite reads. For their final they were allowed to concentrate on one class assignment, write a documented essay, and from it, give an oral presentation with visuals....several successfully replicated, small scale, the yard and house with attic where Jacobs describes as being hidden for years... an incredible true story for everyone of all ages!



5. Some say this isnt true, after reading it seems that some is fiction. Especially extensive quotes years after the events from someone who coulnt read or write at the time the events occured and would have no way of recording them for future use. Somewhat drawn out. Keep looking there may be something better out there on the subject.

5 comments about Things I Overheard While Talking to Myself.

1. Yes, sure, like everyone else over the age of 30 I, too, subliminally believe that Alan Alda really *is* Hawkeye Pierce. And I love watching him get down on the asphalt to sniff the exhaust from an electric car on Scientific American Frontiers. But, really? He's not much more than a competent writer, and at least in this book, he doesn't really have anything to say.
   
   Just in case you haven't picked it up from the other reviews, the bulk of this book is a lot of commencement speeches that Alda has given over the years, in which he tried to give crowds of 20-somethings the benefit of his insights into happiness and personal responsibility. These speeches may have been appropriate to the time and audience for which they were originally intended, but reproducing them in a book is pretty pretentious, particularly given that his advice isn't anything that we haven't already heard. Are platitudes about working hard, making time for our families, practicing some kind of social activism, and accepting happiness as it comes to us more valuable because they're uttered by Alan Alda?
   
   Here's a quick rule of thumb for those contemplating a memoir: if you don't have something truly unique to say, stick to telling interesting stories about your life. This would have been a much better book if Alda had just told the anecdotes he uses as padding between the speeches, although even those are often self-serving (we were actors! protesting! in the 70s! you should be more like we were!). Sadly, I find that I like Alan Alda a lot less after having read this book.



2. 
   Alda's down to earth brief sketch of his life and career was very enjoyable reading. After reading it I thought that Alda turned out to be a fascinating person in spite of being raised by a not with it mother and distant father. He gave some good ideas on how to live with his recalling of the graduation speaches he was asked to give along the way.



3. I reserve a one star review for books I just can't force myself to finish. And this book is one of those. This is a collection of commencement speaches Mr. Alda has given over his career as well as some stories that give background to them. If you love to sit through commencement speaches, this is the book for you. I have better things to do with my time. Sorry Alan.



4. Just a short note about Alan Alda's newest book; it's average. I adore Alan Alda and wish I could write something more glowing about this book, but it truly is a collection of speeches he has written and delivered along the way. Yes, you do get an occasional insight into his life, (and, that is the best part of the book) but it is only by way of introduction to an essay or speech he wants to lay out for you. As well, the speeches become redundant and somewhat conflicting as you get deeper into the book. I found myself thinking, "Oh, no, not another commencement address!" Just be prepared not to expect too much and you won't be disappointed. I still adore him...



5. Well,
   Alan Alda obviously loves himself. Nothing wrong with that. What we have here though, is a book that one would have thought was intended for his readers benefit, at least in part. Instead, we have huge doses of pretentious, self-serving and gooshy drivel served up by Alan about himself for all to see how award winning, financially successful, talented, charming, pseudo-intellectual and well-loved by all and well-thought-of by all he thinks he is (and how he successfully worked through his challenging middle class upbringing - yawn). Modesty? You must be kidding! He name drops unmercifully (Peter Jennings washed his dishes and his face was better known than Lincoln's due to his television series). He was asked to speak at many prestigious universities, occasionally by Nobel prize winners, no less. And he then reads his speeches and eulogies to us! Geez! A reason for the book, perhaps? - new mileage for old pretentious material (and it might sell!)- never mind that such material was only intended for its original audience. Where is your integrity, Alan? I couldn't finish it. This book may have some knowledge or wisdom that we humble readers might find provocative, humorous or even practical. I couldn't find it though, and, in my humble opinion, you are much better off using your heartbeats elsewhere. There are much better ways to be educated, amused and entertained. This book was a gift to me and I'm sorry that good money was spent for it - I couldn't even finish it. This book is even in audio form, read by, you guessed it, Alan himself.
   Now that would be torture...

5 comments about When I Was Puerto Rican.

1. An excellent read. Well written and touching. A must read for all Nuyoricans, both women and men.



2. Oh man. I enjoyed the story of this author, who tried to find a balance between her native home of Puerto Rican and cold, hard NYC. I always find it amazing that this author was able to craft something so beautifully and clearly in another language. That is a challenge I tell you! Her story came across as if her native language was English, she painted lots of pictures with her words! Beautiful. Other than the work of professional editors, her story really shines in this debut. Excellent.



3. I had to read this book for a class in college back when it was still fairly "new". I say "new" because it is the same tired formula of most contemporary Latin American authors.
   I currently, previously and, as far as I can tell, will continue to BE Puerto Rican and the "charms" of this story fail to grab me.
   Reading some of the glowing reviews for this book, I suspect I was never meant to be it's target audience.



4. When I first saw the title I was a little anxious to see why she wasn't Peurto Rican anymore. I really enjoyed this book from start to finish. It was hard for me to put it down and I usually don't say that about many books I have read. Esmeralda Santiago is a brilliant writer and has beat the odds after all she's been through. I mean I'm not going to lie about anything in this review. The book did have it's boring moments, but the action pick back up again after you thought everything was back to normal. I truly enjoyed this book.



5. i had to read this for a college class (urban development). this book really gives you the opportunity to reflect on how hard it is to get by in other cultures. the author of this book overcomes a lot of hardship and eventually obtains her phd in the u.s. it is powerful. i wouldnt have read it unless it was for class though. thats minus 1 star

No comments about How Starbucks Saved My Life: A Son of Privilege Learns to Live Like Everyone Else.

5 comments about Deep Drive: A Long Journey to Finding the Champion Within.

1. I bought this expecting it to be worth reading, and was not disappointed in the least. I admire the way Mike Lowell approaches life and baseball, and, now I feel I know the "person behind the jersey" a little better. I enjoyed it, and will definitely reread it.



2. In this book I found a man with character, integrity, honesty, modesty and strong faith and family values. A truly MVP in baseball and in the game of life.
   An inspirational book, a must read for the younger generation.



3. THIS BY FAR IS ONE OF THE BEST BOOKS I'VE HAD THE PLEASURE OF READING. FOR ANY TRUE RED SOX FAN, THIS BOOK IS A MUST READ. EVERYTIME I WATCH MY RED SOX PLAY AND MIKE IS UP TO BAT AND HE HAS TWO STRIKES - I WANT TO SAY TO HIM - REMEMBER WIFFLE BALL MIKE, WIFFLE BALL. READ THE BOOK AND YOU'LL UNDERSTAND!



4. I found this book very informative. It gave me a better understanding of just what people will do & go through to become who they were meant to be.
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in looking beyond the glamour...



5. The book makes you truly admire Mike Lowell for everything he's accomplished on and off the field. There are moments, where he talks about his cancer diagnosis, and his concerns for his wife and his newborn daughter, and all of a sudden you're on the verge of tears. Then he cracks a joke about Terry "Tito" Francona or David Ortiz, and you find yourself laughing nonstop.
   
   I don't get into books very often, but I thought this one was great!

5 comments about The King Never Smiles: A Biography of Thailand's Bhumibol Adulyadej.

1. Handley adds light about a monarchy whose details are unmentionable throughout the regime of Thailand.



2. Even a casual visitor to Thailand will not fail to notice the deep reverence the Thai people seem to have for their king. His Majesty's portraits are everywhere. Before a movie starts, everyone stands at attention when the royal anthem is struck and the king's face appears on the screen. Thai sportsmen dedicate their victories to the king. In some remote quarters, I have even seen offerings of incense placed before portraits of the king.
   
   Such reverence that the Thai people hold for their king is neither incidental or accidental. From the first few years in school, Thai kids have been indoctrinated with the 3 pillars of Thai society - Nation, Religion and King. The military channels seem totally dedicated to praising the monarchy. Official publications are full of words of wisdom from the palace. Like faithful followers of any influential religion, the vast majority of Thais never question these teachings and propaganda. Even fewer would bother (or dare) to discuss the more down-to-earth aspects of the "heavenly kings" who once ruled their great kingdom. Apart from laws that forbid anyone from showing disrespect to the king by criticising the institution, many Thais and even some well-educated, thinking foreigners who have seen the rest of the world seem to hold complete faith in the image of a perfect Dhammaraja.
   
   Paul M Handley proposes in his book The King Never Smiles, that dhammarajas are made and not born. And this dhammaraja was made by a large number of shrewd princes and military propagandists, not just to preserve Thailand's monarchy per se, but also to reserve for themselves, a huge slice of Thailand's power pie.
   
   The book begins at the beginning. The king's childhood in the US and Europe, his return to Thailand, Ananda's death, Phibun's thinly disguised plot to make a republic out of Thailand and Sarit's aggressive campaign to revive the divinity of the monarchy, turning everyone into obedient servants once more. The threat of communism, the Vietnam War, countless military coups to replace elected civilian governments, the great massacres of 1973, 1976 until the great Suchinda drama of 1992.
   
   In the official version of history, the king's influence is often left out in the daily running of the country. This is important. Unlike elected office bearers who are constantly under scrutiny to reveal warts and all, the perfect dhammaraja must only appear in the limelight at critical moments and his actions must put a period to any tense face-off. A flawless, living Buddha must only be seen performing acts of charity in a people-centred, apolitical way. Everything must be embellished and orchestrated to the finest detail. The exact opposite of reality TV. The act is imperfect, but it's enough to fool a basically monolingual population without a global outlook.
   
   In this book, Paul Handley attempts to put matters in perspective. Putting the king himself under scrutiny, he skillfully adds a critical piece to the whole seemingly senseless puzzle of Thailand's recent history and political developments. Even though Handley had no hidden camera installed in the palace, his profound observations, analysis and conjectures on the king's obvious intervention, lack of intervention and even participation in various less than glorifying happenings are absolutely plausible.
   
   With all the events in Thailand's recent history neatly woven together, Handley adds the important element of motive to all the massacres and abuse of human rights for which the military is often blamed. This makes the book a really engaging and sometimes shocking read. In spite of the tonnes of facts, figures and dates, it's really quite absorbing.
   
   However, apart from the more serious "news" that are reported in depth, there is quite a bit of "tabloid" info in the book. I feel that Handley shouldn't have devoted so much of the book to chapters like Family Headches and Annus Horibilis.
   
   When I first saw this book at the stores in Singapore a couple of years ago, I was instantly convinced that it would be banned in Thailand. True enough, the issue is still too sensitive in Thailand. Too many people worship the monarchy as if the king were a demi-god. Too many powerful people depend on this faith to secure their place in the kingdom. The peaceful situation in Thailand today rests a lot on ignorance. To many Thais, this book would seem like pure blasphemy, but I think anyone who wants to write a review on this book should first read it well and understand it as just another point of view. Nobody who has any involement in politics is perfect. There is nothing wrong with loving a king who isn't perfect.
   
   Travelers' Tales Thailand: True Stories
   
   Wondering into Thai culture, or, Thai whys, and otherwise
   
   Siam Smiles Secrets of the Thais
   
   Confessions of a Bangkok Private Eye: True stories from the case files of Warren Olson
   
   Thai Girl
   
   "Hello My Big Big Honey!" Love Letters to Bangkok Bar Girls and Their Revealing Interviews



3. For anyone already familiar with the Thai monarchy, the holes in Handley's work are two obvious and too numerous for it to be taken seriously. It's hard to believe it passed Yale editorial.
   
   Many of the aspects of the monarchy are spun in a ethnocentrically negative light. The same aspects seen from the typical Thai perspective are in fact oftimes positive.
   
   The definitive Bhumibol bio has yet to be written.



4. This book is scholarly and engaging; I have to believe that Handley was barred from entering the Kingdom as persona non-grata after publishing it. I gave it 4 stars only because it takes a lot of coffee to get through the minutia. But without that level of detail, the author would be at risk of being ridiculed for trying to do a hatchet job on Thailand's Royal Family. The reality is, the King is a product of his time, working in a country beset by ignorance and self-serving "influential families." Most Thais would be horrified to read this book, and will probably reject it out of hand. But their school system and indoctrination will never allow them to read this dispassionately. Having lived in Thailand, I understand why Thai's who have reviewed this book are horrified by it, but as a Westerner, I just view it as a solid piece of historical inquiry. I enjoy life in the Kingdom and the unique Thai conviviality and sense of fun; this book just gives me a better perspective on the reasons for Thailand being the way it is today.



5. When I first saw this book on the shelf, I had to go borrow money from my wife to buy it. I was immediately transfixed on this book and saw in it the makings of a well-written, and well-needed epoxy for the fragments of knowledge of the Thai King possessed by the average Westerner. That being said (and after reading the book in its' entirety), I can't help but question the motives behind the tenor set for this work.
   
   Though I agree that our common knowledge of the Thai Monarchy here in the West is sketchy at best, I take serious issue to the need for the author to "intimate" his so-called "revelations" regarding the falability and the humanity of the Thai King (both as a person and as an institution). If one looks at the total sum of King Rama IX's body of works with respect to the general Thai populace (even taken into account a probable healthy dose of dramatic inflation on the part of loyalists), there seems to arise no justification for this "attack of truth" that could have no other motive than to either try to damage the integrity of the Thai Monarchy, or (even less palatable) simply serve as a vehicle on which the author seeks some measure of notoriety and monetary benefit.
   
   There is a curious and institution-damaging notion in the West (one which the traveller possessing a modest degree of knowledge of non-Wester cultures will instantly spot as a weakness) that the general populace in a given society would be better served to be in the possession of "the whole truth and nothing but the truth" (as the saying goes) in all matters of personal, private, and even governmental matters. Somehow the state of transparency of all interactions has become (in many minds) a God-given right, a commodity that is owed to the general public. This curiously western view does not hold to all cultures, and (in my humble opinion) is one of the reasons I think Western Civilization will soon (historically speaking) see its demise.
   
   The general Thai person neither perceives the need or the desire for such information regarding governmental and Monarchical matters. This is one of the strengths of the Thai (and indeed South, and South-east Asian country's) cultures, and here one must not make the common mistake of equating a strong culture with a prosperous one. They don't spend the majority of their time trying to understand whether or not their leaders are justified in their actions, and I believe they are a much stronger society for it.
   
   That being said, there is some good historical and Monarchical information in this book as long as the reader is willing to wind their way through the mine-field of "attack the ideal of the Thai Monarchy" droppings that polute the literary grounds of this book.

5 comments about David Livingstone: Africa's Trailblazer (Christian Heroes: Then & Now) (Christian Heroes: Then & Now).

1. Throughout his life, David sacrificed all: his family, creature comforts, and his own health to open Africa to future missions. I suppose the reason others were disappointed in this book is because David was not a traditional missionary. However, God called him and he obeyed.
   
   David's missions were a huge success in my mind. The Kalahari, trecherous rivers, bug infested jungles, and mud swamps were not going to stop him!! He travelled where no white man had travelled before, was a kind man, and embraced the Africans. This was a monumental step in keeping communication open to future missionaries and opening up unexplored areas where new mission stations could later be established. He planted the seed of missions in Africa, if you will. It parallels the thought that as we share the gospel with others, we could simply be planting seeds and then others will come along behind and help that planted seed to sprout. We won't always see the fruit of our labors, and although David saw some fruit, he had just begun the task of introducing Africans to God. After he passed on, it became the job of other missionaries to go in behind him to help the seeds to sprout.
   
   I also see him not as a deadbeat dad, but as a man sold out to God. He and his children sacrificed in order that he may obey God. What more of a testimony to his children could he have given? After all, God doesn't say to obey only after the kids are grown and gone. We are to obey all the time no matter what. I was truly humbled by David's life and sacrifices and cried as the book came to a close.



2. Not quite what I expected when I read this. This book chronicles more of Livingston's ventures as an explorer, and less that of a missionary. In fact, at some point in the book there's this subtle shift from Livingston the missionary to Livingston the explorer, and while he should be credited for his efforts as an explorer, what happened to his missionary service? He all but abandoned it! And speaking of abandonment, one thing despicable about Livingston was how he would frequently abandon his wife (who had suffered a stroke earlier!) and his own children, to go off on lengthy ventures through Africa. This wasn't admirable, and I found myself actually growing to detest what seemed almost like an obsession of Livingston: turning his back on family to trudge through Africa with a band of natives.
   By the end of the book, when Livingston ultimately dies in Africa, the only sense of pity that I really felt was for his abandoned family. Livingston's insane obsession, and abandonment of his ministry, his wife and family, had ultimately left him dead, deep within the African continent.



3. I thought the book was well written and covered the highlights of Dr. Livingstone's life. After reading the book, I had no major questions that were left unanswered. But, while doing other research on the life of Dr. Livingstone, I found out there were a few other events that probably should have been included. David was mostly blinded in one eye through an accident. This could have been said in the book without taking up too much space and seems to have been an important event.
   
   I agree with another reviewer in that David was probably not the best role model for how missions should be done today and for how to treat a family. But one thing that needs to be remembered is that his life was not too different from many missionaries of the time. It was not unusual to send (or leave) the children back home for years at a time to be raised in a boarding school. Thankfully, as missionaries, we don't need to do that anymore. He lived in a very different time than we live in today and the fact that there are many great ministries in Africa today can be traced back to the pioneering work done by Dr. Livingstone.
   
   A well written book, even if you don't agree with the life of Dr. Livingstone.



4. David was exceptional across the board. My heart hurt for his family although I'm sure David was unaware of the treatment they received. His wife was deserving of better. However, if the way he treated his family seems bad to you, then read the story of Adoniram Judson. Adoniram's letter to his prospective father-in-law gives the bottom line. I'm sure it was in that spirit that David made his decisions. This book gives a perspective on Africa of colonial times that is helpful in understanding much of the time period. I would also suggest you read about the life of Mary Slessor if you'd like to better understand Africa's recent history (i.e. last 125 years).



5. After reading 5 other books in the Christian Heroes Then & Now series and liking them all, I have to say that this was a huge disappointment. I bought this book for my sons to read thinking that it could give them a great role model and hero.
   In my opinion, David Livingstone was neither of these. Not only did he marry when he knew he wouldn't stay in one place too long but he also left his kids, five or six of them, with his wife or grandparents for years and years at a time without any contact. For years he wouldn't even know where his kids were or who was taking care of them, or even if they were dead or alive. He never even met his youngest child, a daughter, until she was five years old, even then it was only for a brief time before he was off seeking adventure in Africa and never again laid eyes on her or his other children. This book was not about the great missionary and role model I had hoped for, instead it was about a dead beat dad. I was very unimpressed by his life choices, it seems that his priority was adventure not family. The other thing that bothered me while reading this book was that it mentioned time and time again that David Livingstone was the first white man to do this or that.
   After reading this book I felt his goal was to explore and be the first white man to accomplish many things but not neccessarily to minister to the tribes or be a good husband and father.

5 comments about The Seventeen Traditions.

1. This book is one of Nader's finest published works. It chronicles his life, and how he was raised. He takes the lessons learned as a kid growing up and puts them into seventeen specific traditions that are very easy to read.
   
   The rare and valuable part of this book is that it's one of the only times you can find Ralph Nader willing to talk about his life rather than about politics. There isn't much, if any, political discussion in this book other than a few instances of how his family used politics to bring home values.
   
   I highly recommend this book to all of my friends and family. He touches you with stories of how his parents immigrated from Lebanon and the lessons passed on to him and his siblings. The book will give you an appreciation for spending time with family, and does so in a way that is easy to read and enjoy.



2. This book offers greatly needed insight for a nation filled with antidotes, from fast-paced labeling of psychological disorders to quick fix prescription drugs and self-help book remedies. Ralph Nader takes the reader back to a slower paced society--a world enveloped by the wisdom of his parents. Chapter by chapter, Nader shares pithy, memorable maxims such as, "Jokes are to words as salt is to food" (81), along with other valuable scenarios which serve as life-enriching lessons. For a sampling of the earnest adult figure many of us may have missed while growing up, Nader's book is analogous in resource value (on a smaller scale) to The Discourses of Epictetus.



3. A short book that reflects on society, democracy, and the peace
   of a good life.



4. I've long admired Ralph Nader and have enjoyed some of his
   other books . . . so when a friend recommended that I read his
   latest, THE SEVENTEEN TRADITIONS, I made it a point to get a copy.
   
   My only problem came afterwards; I couldn't put it down . . . so
   some other projects had to be aside as I read about Nader's
   boyhood in a small town in Connecticut, and how that existence
   and the role of his parents affected the rest of his life.
   
   As he notes:
   * I am often asked what forces shaped me. Rather than trying
   to give a full answer to that question-which would take
   longer than a limited interview would allow-I often reply
   simply, "I had a lucky choice of parents." My brother, two
   sisters, and I had a remarkable father and mother, who
   cared for us in both direct and subtle ways. The examples
   of their lives set us on the solid paths we have explored
   ever since.
   
   As I was reading it, I kept thinking of how my parents were
   similar in so many ways . . . in particular, this passage
   could almost have been written about them as well:
   
   * Mother and Father each lived to be just short of a century
   old; we benefited from their seasoned perspectives and
   wisdom for many, many years. They were forever young,
   exemplifying my mother's strong belief in the importance
   of remaining "interested and interesting." And they succeeded
   in doing this throughout their lives, attracting ever-younger
   friends to visit, whether we children were home or not. They
   created the strong family base from which my siblings and
   I sallied forth into the wider world, full of new experiences
   and high expectations.
   
   In sharing the lessons he learned from his parents, Nader
   also gave this advice that should be heeded by anybody raising
   children today:
   
   * Perhaps it was my father who best captured their attitude. Once,
   when I told him that I'd done my best at something, he leaned
   over quietly and looked at me. "Son, never say you did your
   best, because then you'll never try to do better."
   
   As the holiday season approaches, methinks that THE SEVENTEEN
   TRADITIONS would make a perfect gift for anybody wanting to
   read about life back when his or her parents were younger . . . and
   how much of what took place then could still be put into effect now.



5. For the money, it was not much of a book. For the talent accepted for the author, it was not much of a book. Simple platitudes which are mostly captured in the first chapter, and the rest of the book just re-hashes that theme: My parents were great, I am great, why don't you do likewise! Of course it is too late to change parents, but it does give some good foundation thinking for people just starting out to raise a family, and who are looking for some parenting skills.