2 comments about Personal Record: A Love Affair with Running.

1. It seems like a trend for writers to write their memoirs wrapped around running these days. This one is interesting in its own way like the one written by Haruki Murakami. But if you are looking to improve your running and all that, pick up the one by Katie McDonald Neitz.



2. ... A very good, often funny, fast-paced read. I picked this book up partially because of Rachel's work in Running Times. This book will not give you any insight on how to train better, eat better, or race better. However, all that said, it reads very quickly and gives the reader a lot of insight into many of Rachel's vast experiences. Rachel is very well respected in the running community and it's comforting to know that a lot of what goes thru her mind about running - and about life pass through my mind as well. It's nice knowing I'm not the only one out there he is a little freaky about lacing up the shoes! The book is only 165 pages and perfect for a flight if you want something light, yet somewhat introspectful, and of course entertaining! Lastly, one very interesting thing I took away from this book was about the thing that really gives her satisifaction at the end of the day. I won't tell you what it is, but it's really nice to know it gives here such honest joy!

5 comments about Honey, Let's Get a Boat... A Cruising Adventure of America's Great Loop.

1. The first few chapters of this book made me laugh out loud,as the Stobs struggle to learn about their new boat and deal with the invariable problems with a new-used boat. Then the book settled down into a straight travelog, interspersed with a little strained humor. Worth reading. Gave me a new interest in cruising the Tennessee-Tom Bigbee.



2. This is a delightful book if you keep in mind what it is. It is informative, light, enjoyable to read, and creates a spark of fantasy in readers who may never set foot on a boat. For those who already have a boat or plan to buy one, it is an invaluable reference for a type of boating that is growing in popularity. Three cheers for the Strobs.



3. If your you're going to or are just thinking about boating the Great Loop you must read this book. A great read.



4. The title might set the wrong tone as this book is a colorfully written actual account of this ambitious trip taken by a husband-wife crew on a 40 foot trawler capable of 9 knots. It was their first big boat but they were a quick study and courageous. Bonus is an entire section summarizing all the resources they used to prepare for the trip with contact information and recommendations. He is a travel writer so you get a lot of the local flavor and history as they cruise.



5. Honey, Let's Get a Boat... A Cruising Adventure of America's Great Loop
   What a delightful read! Although the 'Stobs' made thier cruise 10+ years ago the story is timeless.
   If you are looking for a dynamic and exciting retirement, then this is the first book to read. The Stobs had little knowledge, or experince-but they did have a dream. A dream they have lived and loved! They have certainly persuaded us to through away the 'pipe and slippers' - we will have a bit of what they are having!
   See you all on the US Great Loop! If it doubt - just do it! Look at the stories to thrill the friends, children and granchildren!

5 comments about I Am Not Myself These Days: A Memoir (P.S.).

1. This book is both a small trip of New York and an intimate and skewed look of a man looking for himself and his place in the world. His somewhat shocking job, his transformation, his partying and his relationships. It is an interesting read, and you will often feel as if you were peeking trough a window and looking at something that you probably weren't meant to see.
   
   Overall a good read.



2. This book is a fast read, it is harsh, fun, sad, crazy and amazing. the writer's ability to take you into a world of drag queens, gay male escorts, crack addiction, S&M -- all with a sense of humor and honesty. The characters go through a lot in a short time, not even a year in NY and Josh had experienced tons of things.. good and not so good! I read the book in less than a week, it is a fast read, partly because you dont want to put it down, you just want to know what happens to these very flawed people. this is a great book, and one i'm very glad i was able to read.



3. I guess it always amazes me when people write books about their lives and just lay it all out there for the world and their mothers to see. Mr. Kilmer-Purcell pulls a chunk of his life from when he first landed in New York and covers the good--meeting a rich guy with a nice apartment, the bad--drug and alcohol addiction, and the ugly--the crash and burn when it all crashes down, a drunk drag queen the morning after, etc. As a comparison you could say it's sort of like Augusten Burroughs book Magical Drinking as they are both advertising copy guys who drink and drug a whole lot. It's funny how that particular career seems to have generated a number of writers and also amazing how they continue to drink and drug yet never manage to be fired or lose their jobs. I did enjoy the book, he has a light breezy writing style that makes the funny and sad material compulsively readable. Being a 7 foot, in heels, drag queen named Aqua definitely portends itself to riotous happenings and there are quite a few related to good effect here. But it's his addictive compulsive relationship with his hustler crack addict boyfriend that drives the story along to it's ultimate ending. The fact that he has recovered himself enough now to be a writer and columnist for Out Magazine seems like it could be a story in itself. Somehow you want to know how he managed to clean himself up after the extreme highs and lows he went through all in years time, hopefully in the next non-fiction book he does he will cover it. I do recommend this book, not only as an enjoyable read but a handbook of what NOT to do when you first move to New York.



4. There is really not much to say about Kilmer-Purcell's 'I Am Not Myself These Days'. Simply put, it is my favorite book, a beautiful book, a book that I have read to pieces, scribbled thoughts in, and highlighted to smithereens. This book changed my life (how cliche) and I have since passed it on to no less than 10 of my friends, all of whom have written in the margins and underlined passages that scream out to them.
   
   Read this book.



5. You will not want to put this book down. Look for Josh's next book which will be available in May.

5 comments about The Prize Winner of Defiance, Ohio: How My Mother Raised 10 Kids on 25 Words or Less.

1. This book was recommended to me by a friend and I am thrilled to have found this treasure.
   
   A wonderful, humorous and touching story about a family of 12 (10 kids) growing up in the 50's and 60's. With such a large family, an alcoholic father and a stay at home mom, money was always tight. Mom takes to contesting with writing poems and jingles to earn extra income and prizes to support her family. Her timing of winning was impecable and you found yourself rooting for her to win again to keep the family afloat. Evelyn Ryan seemed to find the good in everything, no matter what the circumstances and never seemed to dwell on their dire circumstances. She was certainly an amazing woman to be admired.
   
   Her poems and jingles and the details of the contests are discussed, adding to the humor and the charm of the story. I listened to the audio version of this book and the narrator does a great job bringing the story to life.
   
   This is non-fiction, but it reads quite like fiction. A truly inspiring story that I would highly recommend to anyone looking for light humor and inspiration.



2. This book is a real-life account of growing up in a large family with limited financial means and often rocky family dynamics. The matriarch of this clan is the prizewinner of the title. While raising 10 kids and keeping the wolf from the door, she hits upon a way to generate income by entering any/every contest that comes along. She frequently does win, of course, very often in the nick of time. The book was written by a daughter, who ably recounts the challenges and rewards of growing up in a family that lives so close to the edge. Her mother is a gritty, funny, honest-to-god domestic goddess. She is a prize-winner in so many ways--it makes this book uplifting without being sappy--good read.



3. I saw the movie based on the book first. Once I found out it was a book, I had to read it. I couldn't put it down.



4. I thought this was a wonderful book that came to my attention only after the author had died. The story revolves around a family of 10 kids, an alcoholic father and how the mother (sporadically) supports them by winning contests and jingles she (Evelyn) has written.
   
   While the story wouldn't hold up in this century - I thought it was a great slice of life of the 50's. Evelyn's journals and contest entrys are well preserved and entertaining to read. She must have kept everything!
   
   Underneath all the entrys and journals is a smart woman. She knows the power of the written word and also hooks up with a group a ladies that also enter such contests. These women are smart as whips - yet somewhat stymied by their roles in life - housewives. Contesting offers them a way to challenge their wits and writing.
   
   The father is a somewhat disappointing character - but somehow he even redeems himself, but you have to read the book to find out how!



5. I first heard of this book on the Today Show. Then I happened to run across the movie on HBO. It is a good quick read.

5 comments about Population: 485 (P.S.).

1. In many ways this book deserves the highest praise: well written, thought provoking, and in some cases very funny. Yet at times seemed justified for an average rating because it did seem to drag and Mr. Perry chose to wordsmith just a bit too much for me. However, I believe the book can offer every reader something of value and would recommend you take the time to visit Mr. Perry and the town of New Auburn.
   
   It should be pointed out that the book isn't intended for the weak. Perry's story's are graphic and hard hitting and if death bothers you; enter cautiously. From a personal perspectives this made the book for me and the authors ability to make me feel a part of each scenario added to my enjoyment.
   
   I travel on occasion on Route 53 heading North to Duluth.... I plan on stopping to take a look and catch me some food at the local diner. Thanks Michael for sharing your stories.



2. Michael Perry's every page drips with humor, intrigue, and dexterity. He is truly a master of words! His simple country bumpkin way of life stands juxtaposed to his extreme intellect--a beautiful combination that makes his writing style quite unique and thoroughly enjoyable. Even if the story seems at times a monotonous New Auburn history lesson, one should read it for the sheer joy of watching Perry turn a phrase.



3. Since reading this book, Michael Perry has quickly become one of my favorite authors. His writing style is humorous but at the same time heartfelt and sincere. Population 485 is about Michael's return to his hometown and his adventures on the volunteer fire department. The people in the town are the characters and by the end of the book, you feel as if you've know them yourself.



4. From the little I'd read about this book, I expected some warm, perhaps funny vignettes about life in a rural town. This book is much more! It's laugh-out-loud funny: I read several passages to my family. It also gives an insider's view of the world of volunteer firefighting and EMT/ambulance work. The author uses an impressive range of voices--from "local yokel" to knowledgeable medical professional, essay writer, and lover of poetry. My favorite book of the year so far!



5. MIchael Perry is a good writer. Any reader will feel instantly at home and comfortable reading one of his books. Population 485 accurately describes life in a small town. People know and care for each other. This emotion comes through in Population 485. If you want to feel good about the spirit of America, read this book.

5 comments about Dixieland Delight: A Football Season on the Road in the Southeastern Conference.

1. Loved the tour of the SEC-something I would love to do -think it's funny he dissed the Gators so bad the year they won the National Championship-the guy can't judge talent but he knows how to party! Go GATORS!!!!



2. I graduated from an SEC school, the University of Arkansas. That is why I read the book. While Travis gave an idea of an in-person game day experience at each SEC school, most of anecdotes about his friends should have been edited from the book because they got in the way of the book's main objective.
   
   Referring to the University of Arkansas, he was on target with most of his statements. When he mentioned that the women there, as a whole, should try to be themselves and quit trying to be like Carrie Bradshaw, he nailed the Greek versus non-Greek social clash at the U of A. I remembered dealing with snobs who had nothing to be snobs about while there. I agreed with the problem of Jefferson Pilot telecasts.
   
   I never heard of LSU fans smelling like corn dogs. It seemed that there were items included in the book to try to get a cheap laugh that distracted a reader of the book. The could have benn more serious because there is enough humor to be found in mentioning Toomer's Corner, calling the hogs or visiting The Grove, along with other SEC traditions.



3. I'm always searching through Amazon looking for the latest sports book. I bought this one based on some solid reviews I had read for it. I wasn't prepared for how much this book made me laugh. One time, I had to put the book down and walk away from because I couldn't control how hard I was laughing (one of those where you have trouble catching your breath). You can't have thin skin and read this, much like a South Park episode everything is fair game to be goofed on. But this author does everything in a smart and creative way, so I had no problem laughing along even when he made of the Big 10 (I'm a PSU grad).
   It's one of the best sports I've ever read, and no book, sports related or otherwise, has ever made me laugh more.



4. his book is a wonderful adventure through the various stadiums of the SEC Conference. One man, who is a passionate University of Tennessee fan travels across the South to visit every stadium. He takes part in all the festivities like the tailgate party, the after party, and any particular tradition that the home team has. He is a superb writer as the narrative flows with ever easiness and comical breath. This man who is a Vanderbilt law school graduate invites friends, family, and his wife along for the adventure. He logs hundreds of miles throughout the South in his search for college football. If you love college football, and especially the SEC this book is a joy to read. As I love going to Knoxville to watch the Vols, as I survey the field before the stadium fills, and as I hit the hands of the players on the Vol walk, I love as Clay Travis loves, the college football experience.



5. I loved this book alot. It really made me miss home and my alma mater, the Vols. Hits all the right notes in looking at fandom in the SEC from both the critical light, while still being written by a dyed-in-the-wool fan of the greatest conference in the NCAA.

5 comments about Self-Made Man: One Woman's Year Disguised as a Man.

1. I enjoyed this book as an adventure, wondering the whole time--will they buy it? Will she get away with it? And generally she does, though many think Nora's male double "Ned" is effiminate or gay.
   
   But this is not just some silly prank. The author gives the process a lot of thought, and she offers interesting reflections on the unique challenges of manhood. In spite of her own story as a lesbian who studied feminism in college, Ms. Vincent approaches manhood with an open and sympathetic mind.
   
   I found her insights as unique as her experiences.



2. Being especially interested in the study of masculinity, I was excited to read this book after hearing about Vincent's initial concept and consequent project. I held off buying the book for awhile, and only purchased it after it came out in paperback. After completing the book a few nights ago, I must say that I almost wish that I had forgotten to read it. In reading the book, I was expecting a courageous account of how difficult it was for a woman to navigate male culture in disguise, and further, how her ensuing journey would complicate simplistic understandings of gender roles in contemporary American society. Instead, I got gratuitous condescension heaped upon a wide variety of underdeveloped-male "characters" - the working-class man in particular, and the emotionally handicapped male in general. Vincent's work is by no means insightful, lacks any real tension, and was tedious to read. The only worthwhile part of the book was the author's discussion of her nervous break that resulted from her experiment. It was the only part of the book that seemed somewhat honest. Yet, while this final discussion elicited some emotional response from me, I could not help but feel a little manipulated - was this addendum a desperate move to add credibility to the banal observations that littered Vincent's work? I grant that Vincent's experiment was a courageous one, too bad the author could not break out of rigid stereotypes about both men and women to actually add something worthwhile to discussions of masculinity and gender in a world where such discussions are sorely needed.



3. While this book had some moments where it contributed something, it read much more like one long rant about how tough it is to be male, and how tough it was for the author to go undercover and attempt to be a male. Her skewered prospective of the absolutely miserable lives of her blue collar teammates (she all but encourages they to smoke and drink themselves into an early grave because they have such hopeless lives anyway) is just one example of her strangely slanted view of the world.



4. Good read, but the conclusions she reaches are a bit questionable. Largely, this is a good book if you want to know what it is like for a woman to pretend to be a man. It is not so good if you want insight on what it is like to actually be a man. Let's look at each of her experiences:
   
   1. Dating. She engages in primarly in either trying to pick up strangers or dating people she meets on Interent match sites. Naturally, she encounters much rejection with the former, and bad experiences with the latter. Well, what did she expect? It is always best to try to meet people in friendlier social settings and spend some time with them before asking them out. Naturally, this is not an option for Vincent, as her own social circles are closed to her as far as this experiment goes.
   
   2. Sales jobs. She tries out being a man in the workplace, but the problem is that she ends up working the worst type of job out there - the door to door salesman. The firms she applies reject no one, and everyone works strictly on commission, so her co-workers are not exactly the cream of the crop of society. Vincent complains about off-color and masogynistic behavior at work, and, again, what did she expect? These are very seedy environments.
   
   3. Monastery. Vincent joins an all-male community, and therein lies the problem. These people are not normal. The brothers actively shun females and choose to live a life of chastity and largely solitude (even pets are not allowed in the monastery). Naturally, these men will have issues.
   
   4. All-male retreat. A bunch of guys with daddy issues go to a retreat and try to get in touch with themselves and so forth. Again, this is not normal, and most men do not do this and have no need for this. So naturally, she is going to encounter guys with emotional problems.
   
   Here is a quote toward the end of the book. "Being a guy was. . . a series of unrealistic, limiting, infuriating and depressing expectations constantly coming over the wire, and you just a dummy trying to act on the instructions." Seriously, I do not know a single guy who thinks this. Now, naturally, for a woman pretending to be a man and not knowing how to act in certain situations, yes, this must be how it feels. But this is not what "being a guy" feels like to an actual guy.



5. Critics of this book argue that Ms. Vincent began at the outset of her cross-dressing, gender-bending adventure with a biased, anti-male outlook. This may well be true, as Ms. Vincent, if not biased against men, certainly battles with an almost omnipresent cloud of arrogance. However, it is foolish of the critics to expect an unbiased accounting of an event that in itself eliminates any possibility to be unbiased. This is not a distant observation of animal packs, but an author putting herself within the experiment and attempting to gain knowledge and insight into herself from her deceptions.
   
   On that subject, Ms. Vincent's year-and-a-half dressing and acting as a man seems to yield relatively few strong insights for outside readers. The analysis Vincent gives: That men act differently around men than women, that men are held to a different standard and that oftentimes this different standard damages men's images of themselves, that men are often not the single-minded, sex-driven animals some (like Ms. Vincent) believe them to be, fails to break much new ground. If anything, Vincent's triumph is illuminating these ideas with biographies and interactions with real people. One comes away from a first reading sympathetic towards the many men Vincent meets, condescends upon and redeems while incognito. The male supporting characters - not Vincent's fictional man - ultimately become the most intriguing and thought-provoking characters in Self Made Man, a fact that ultimately supports Vincent's argument that the "modern man" could use a good second analysis, for what first appears in Vincent's varied characters rarely holds true beneath the surface.

5 comments about Twenty Chickens for a Saddle: The Story of an African Childhood.

1. While set in Botswana and praised by Alexander McCall Smith as a "striking portrait of one of the world's most beguiling countries," the deeper subject of Twenty Chickens for a Saddle turns out not to be Africa at all. Rather, Robyn Scott has written a searching portrait of the limits of individualism and an exploration of education in its several forms.
   
   Ordinarily, the problem with being idiosyncratic is that there you are, all by yourself. In this story, however, there's an entire clan of stark, raving individuals who totally delight one another and somehow come together as a family of eccentrics. I knew a family much like them when I lived in Botswana for three years in the 1970s, learning to speak Setswana.
   
   What constitutes a good education? What makes a family, a culture, a nation? How does the individual fit into these gathering units? What is the trajectory of a marriage? What are the limits of change? How is the dignity of a human being colored one way or another? Searching for Robyn Scott's views on these basic questions kept me reading. Clearly, this is more than an exotic memoir of a faraway country and people having nothing to do with the rest of us except to entertain.
   
   It is with a sense of homecoming that I enter Robyn Scott's Twenty Chicken world. Her family is one of a maverick breed of outlanders that has loved this country and contributed to Botswana's peaceful and harmonious development.
   
   Seven-year-old Robyn came to Botswana in 1988, about 11 years after I returned to the United States. She was homeschooled by her mother until 1995, when her formal education began. A successful adult, she appears to have suffered in no way from her early fluid education of learning by doing, by observing, and by being read to.
   
   Graceful asides define Botswana's history, culture, and challenges, including the AIDS crisis, which is told in frank language. Written mostly from the point of view of a child, this is a coming-of-age story of the best kind. As Robyn matures, she takes us through Botswana's changing fortunes in the Selebi-Phikwe area of the Limpopo River and later on a game farm closer to South Africa. This is an environment that both embraces her and allows her to grow up on her own terms.
   
   Twenty Chickens is particularly good at describing Botswana's plant life and wildlife and the freedom of the bush land. The narrative is complemented by photos, a rough map, endearingly drawn icons, and glossaries of Setswana and Afrikaans. An index would make the book even more accessible.
   
   One of my favorite sections is Chapter 16, The Whole Family's Half of an Island. Here, more than in other chapters, we are given a direct sense of Botswana culture and relationships and the heartfelt hospitality lavished upon extended family, even if part of that family is white. There is playfulness and ingenuity here, and a demonstration of natural Batswana diplomacy which is wonderfully revealing of this quiet people living in a vast land.
   
   by Janet Grace Riehl
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



2. Robyn has a beautiful descriptive style, painting such vivid pictures that I almost feel I've been to Africa. Some parts have an almost lyrical beauty, while others are deeply depressing or thigh-slapping hysterical. Her parents, brother, sister, and grandparents -- especially the absolute character of Grandpa Ivor -- are so intriguing you want each of them to have a book of their own by the end. I absolutely recommend this book.



3. If you enjoy Alexander McCall Smith's books based in Botswana, you will probably enjoy this book very much. It tells of a young girl growing up in a rather eccentric family in Botswana. Her father is a doctor who works in a number of small clinics, and her mother chooses to home-school, albeit in a very unconventional fashion, her three children. Their adventures (even when they weren't looking for adventure) will keep you laughing. I look forward to the next novel by this author!



4. I loved this book. I am so excited to see that there is another writer on a par with Alexandra Fuller. I enjoyed Robyn's descriptions of her life growing up in Botswana - she is incredibly funny. I especially liked her horseback adventures and her description of the ticks on her horse as being the "welcoming committee" was hilarious. Each time I picked up the book, I felt transported back to my own African childhood. I really respect the way the author writes without ego or judgement. I will definitely buy this book on audio CD and wait in anticipation for her next book.



5. After finishing this book I was left with a rather strange feeling of nostalgia for someone else's childhood. In part I think that's a testament to the quality of the writing, as the setting of rural Botswana, and the many colourful characters encountered in the book, are rendered with a vividness and eye for detail such that you almost feel like you've been there.
   
   The other aspect was a recognition that the type of childhood described in the book is all too rare. What kid wouldn't want to grow up in Africa being free to ride horses through the bush, keep snakes and monkeys as pets, and swim in rivers with crocodiles?
   
   The darker side of life in southern Africa is referred to as well, with entrenched racism, the looming economic collapse in Zimbabwe and the spectre of the AIDS epidemic described in anecdotes that bring home the personal impact of these issues far more effectively than statistics and news reports can.
   
   Overall this book serves as a great memoir of a unique childhood and a window into an Africa that many never get to see.

5 comments about Coach, The A. L. Williams Story.

1. This is the story of the quintessential American entrepreneurial story. A group of inexperienced individuals did what books, articles, and regulators could not do. Change an old stogy industry.
   
   Though not the primary focus of this book, it does demonstrate that free-enterprise is the solution to a "monopoly", and not the government. Given enough time, freedom and motivation, someone will stick their head up and find a solution to a problem. The problem in this case is the overselling of "cash value" life insurance.
   
   A great read. Engaging. And interesting to see what transpired behind the scenes.
   
   However, if read carefully, it is NOT an endorsement of Primerica (the predecessor of A.L. Williams). In fact, when reading between the lines, it is clear that Art is NOT a big fan of PFS.
   
   Unfortunately, a lot of PFS'ers use this book at "advertisement", when it is in fact, not.
   
   PFS is NOT A.L. Williams. Citigroup is finally realizing this, and as of this writing is struggling to find a buyer for PFS.
   
   A great lesson of "Coach" is that when entrepreneurial companies become corporate, they lose their way. Microsoft is another illustration of this.



2. Art Williams shows in this book the strength of his character, the power of belief, and his ability to lea people on a crusade. I had a hard time putting the book down. He really helped open up and industry to new ideas and opportunities. His legacy will live on.



3. I am at least a dozen generations away from the original founders of Coach William's company but I feel as close to the top in desire and purpose as if I had started with them. Most time wish I had, just to prove my belief in his philosophy. I am not a great earner, nor a leader of many at this time, and for that same reason, I often revisit this 'bible' of the business to refresh my ire and stoke the fire that keeps me burning to be more sucessful and spread the TERM!



4. This book is clear, concise and a really fast read. It should be read by all those serious about going into business for themselves. There is no sugar coating here. It spells out, from someone who has done it, what it takes to win in business. Read this book if you just want to be somebody!



5. As a self-employed individual, I know that networking and referrals are the most effective ways to increase my business. Networking seems so simple but really is a learned skill. Al Williams is a pro. "Coach" gives a "start to finish" accounting of how it works and strongly emphasizes the old saying of "plan your work and work your plan." While I am at least 90 degrees from Williams' spiritual beliefs and political stance, those themes did not deter me from finding a lot of business-building style and posture.
   
   Strongly recommend the book to anyone who is thinking of starting his or her own business or wondering how to improve it. Particularly valuable to those on the service trades or network marketing.

No comments about Michael Parkinson Autobiography.