5 comments about My Story: Illustrated Edition.

1. I have always been a fan of Marilyn Monroe. I finally decided to read a little more indepthly about her and thought there would be no better place to start than with her own words.
   
   The book is just fascinating. Although parts were miserable (mostly about her childhood), it was such a brief glimpse that her light spirit remains intact. Since I find her absolutely fascinating, so this book was a real treat.
   
   The eerie entries that almost seem to foreshadow her gradual demise are so coincidental, I wonder if that was not her friend Ben Hecht embellishing after the fact. And even though some people say she could not have written this, I see her voice in the phrasing and choice of words. My only complaint that the book, like her life, was too short.
   
   Highly recommend.



2. Lately I have been on a Marilyn Monroe reading Jag (I do recommend "Misfits Country") that was brought on by watching most of her films. This book offers unique insights as it is Marilyn in her own words. She covers everything from her early childhood, to her rise to stardom, and her rocky marriage to Joltin Joe DiMaggio. There are nuggets here that explain much about how she went from Norma Jean to Marilyn Monroe, and some interesting foresight as to her demise. The books only weakness is that it is way to short, there is so much more I wanted to hear Marilyn talk about....



3. This book is amazing!! Marilyn vividly descirbes her good/bad expierences and her dreams of becoming a famous actress. When reading the book it feels like your going back in time and watching Marilyn grow into one of the most memorable, sensitive, and discredited actress of all time. During some parts I have to admit, I felt chills up my spine and was a little spooked. I have never been able to complete this book because I know that it will not have a happy ending and will forever be incomplete and that Marilyn will never have a chance to try some of the things that she longed for. I would highly recomend that you would read other books on Marilyn before reading her autobiography. You should know some of the people and events in her life because there are no explainations and a reader my get confused.



4. I was so impressed with this book I brought a copy for my friend, this book is really easy reading (great for bedtime) and quite an insight to Marilyn Monroe's own personal biography, the pictures are fantastic and this is a must for any Marilyn Monroe fan an absolute must for any fan's collection. Most enjoyable, if I hadn't broughtit already I'd buy it again.



5. I've read that this book was not actually written by Marilyn. Despite this, I do like the way the story was put together/told. Even though it leans toward depressing, it's still a very interesting read. This book would be better as a much smaller paperback with fewer photos. We know what she looks like. The space fillers can distract. They are great photos, but perhaps limiting them, making them smaller and fitting them onto smaller sheets of paper, or placing them at the end might be better. Smaller paperbacks are easier to take everywhere with you.

4 comments about Autobiography of Thomas Jefferson.

1. Written in 1821, TJ writes very quickly about his parents, childhood, and the time period before the revolution and spends way more time on the declaration of independence, articles of confederation, his presidency and the early 1800s.
   
   He does include an original draft of the declaration of independence which is neat. And his section on the articles of confederation shows the many problems the states had to deal with upon becoming independent.
   
   While Bill Clinton's autobiography was way too long, this autobio was way too short.
   
   But the perspective is one that the history books do not often show you.



2. Few autobiographies offer such a candid and vivid view of the mind of the author. In this, Thomas Jefferson's autobiography, there is no doubt as to the authenticity of the man, the revolutionary and the statesman: the virtue, wisdom and strength that is visible as Jefferson describes both the minor and major events and moments in his public life of service where his reliance upon the essence of the early Republic's laws and the spirit of the national consciousness were blended with the author's unique insight as to how to maintain the delicate balance of Federal necessity, states rights and the influence of the foreign powers and their affairs upon the young nation.
   
   Unlike the autobiographies of other founding fathers (Adams, Franklin, Hamilton, etc.), whose own accounts are more personal and revealing about themselves as well as judgmental and temperamental about their personal experience with their peers, Jefferson has crafted an autobiography, which is true to form: the form of the man and his beliefs, which influenced national policy without every being advanced to replace it, which served a nation selfishly without requiring anything else in return except for the promise of posterity to "preserve, protect and defend" the liberties achieved and to forever more "admire, relish and respect" the eternal need to defend and uphold, at any cost, both the people and the commonwealth for future generations to behold.
   
   I think it funny that today's democratic-socialists have adopted Thomas Jefferson as their "founding father". If anything, this book redeems the reputation and spirit of Jefferson, not as a democrat or democratic-socialist, but as a Republican, dedicated and sworn to instituting a democratic-republican form of government free from the tyranny of dictators and protected from the ill-conceived attempts of men and women from within to manipulate and pervert a form of government conceived as "one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all."



3. This brief "autobiography" is not a self-promotion, an expose, or a book designed for the purpose of keeping the reader turning the pages in suspense. In fact, it has very little personal information about Jefferson or his life outside of the political happenings in which he was involved concerning the American and French revolutions. Certainly, there is no mention of his black lover, Sally Hemings, and for that matter little mention of his "real" family. Nonetheless it was to me a gripping tale that kept me reading, as I felt privy to the inner workings of the Continental Congress and the French Revolution from an influential American who was on the spot (and in the midst) of the events as they occurred. Perhaps, as a direct descendant of a signer of the Declaration of Independence, of which Jefferson was the author, I had a natural interest in this book. But I think not, as it had been sitting gathering dust on my shelf as I read lots of classic American fiction that I thought would be more rewarding. Despite (because of?) its dry, blunt, intelligent but factual style, the debates and events are center stage, with Jefferson's occasional but not obtrusive opinions being much appreciated. My great experience reading Jefferson's brief book led me to pick up W.E.B. DuBois' The Suppression of the African Slave-Trade, which covers some of the same ground although from a different perspective, and is equally rewarding.



4. I was a bit disappointed in this book. Having read and relished The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin, I was anxious to read the native narrative of another of the Founding Fathers. Unfortunately, where as Franklin's book combines delightful personal details along with perspectives on the man's government service, Jefferson's autobiography is quite dry and seems to be more an official catalog of committee deliberations than a story about his own life. The rear cover of the books states, in addition to other things, that the book "...presents a detailed account of his young life..." and "...his life in retirement." I think that one would be hard pressed to identify more than a couple paragraphs in this 101 page book in which Jefferson describes his youth or his retirement. The book was interesting, though more from the historical and political perspectives than from any insight it offers into the inner philosophy or personal life of the man.

1 comments about The Lady in the Palazzo: An Umbrian Love Story.

1. Some people may enjoy this book. But I found the author self-indulgent
   and sentimental. I should add that I am an Italophile and have spent a couple of years in Italy--both for work and pleasure.
   
   I cold not recommend this to anyone.

5 comments about Storms: My Life with Lindsey Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac.

1. As a very, very longtime fan of Fleetwood Mac, I got this book as soon as it came out. I felt sure it would be one sided, as is the nature of autobiographies, but thought any book about my favorite band would be a fun weekend read nonetheless. And it was. I don't doubt Stevie was hell on wheels or that Lindsey was abusive, I think drugs, godawful quantities of drugs at that, make you do horrible things you normally may not do. There were also some very funny stories recounted by Carol and I thought it was a very interesting look into "life on the road." But I thought the book was horribly written and she made herself out so be such an innocent little lamb, it's gag worthy. And there are so many innacuracies, it's hard to take anything she says as truth. I mean, c'mon, she says she wrote this book using her old journals and tapes she recorded, but if she did that, how the hell can she get dates wrong? Not just wrong by a few days but wrong by years! If she can't remember dates of events she says she wrote about in a journal, how did she remember all these conversations, word for word, that she wrote in such such detail in this book? And some of the things she says ar just rediculous if you know anything about this band. The first thing that caught my attention is she writes that when she met Lindsey, he was so over Stevie and could care less about losing her. But Lindsey himself has stated several times that he was devastated by the breakup, is was extremely hard for him to move on and took him a decade or more to do so. Another part I found somewhat laughable is when she writes about one time when Stevie was "mean to her" and of course, she ran straight to Lindsey to tattle. So Lindsey says he'll talk to Stevie and get her to apologize. He leaves Carol in their hotel room, goes to Stevie's room and doesn't come back for several hours. Uh, Carol dear, open your eyes! I doubt they were "talking" about you for that amount of time. From all accounts SnL were still screwing around all through the 80's, they themselves have practically admitted as much. I guess what bothers me is not so much that she didn't acknowledge in her book that Stevie and Lindsey still had strong feelings for each other for many years, I'm not sure I would if I were in her shoes either. What bothers me is that even though she didn't mention it in her book and she made it look like Lindsey was so gaga in love with her that he didn't give Stevie a second thought, BUT she had no problem laying it all out a few months after the books release. Yes, Carol gave an interview after the books release saying she knew both Stevie and Lindsey harbored feelings of pain and regret over their breakup for many years and never got over each other and she actually said she knew Lindsey was still in love with Stevie all the years he was with Carol. If it's good enought for an interview, why is it not good enough for your book? IMO, you don't write an autobiography, then contradict yourself later. That makes your entire saga much less believable.



2. I suppose any literate person should have gathered this would be a "tell-all" book, which is bound to contain reams of gossip and irrelevant banter. However, there is also a great deal to be said for eye witness accounts, even if they may be a bit clouded from drug use. Carol Ann Harris introduces herself as down-home charming laced with infuriating learned helplessness in this revealing book.
   
   All evidence is delivered in a first person narrative, citing event after event that should/presumably would have made most people run for the hills. No amount of cocaine could make the horrors Ms. Harris claims bearable. After reading this book, one will probably never see the members of Fleetwood Mac the same way again, most particulalry Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks. The previously admiring lens which simply saw talented musicians will be shattered. The other three members maintain the personas most likely prescribed to them by most fans, but these two... wow. It's disappointing, another example of "reality" media, giving us more information than we really wanted. The writing style is also a bit disjointed, with quirky, although adorable, insertions of Ms. Harris' folksy internal thoughts ( lots of " Jeeze" and " friggin'), yet, at the same time, an attempt to strike a formal note with sentences beginning, for example, with " For I surely....", and redundent ruminations are plentiful. It is advised, however, that one plow through those moments, because Ms. Harris will plant an interesting, major detail square in the middle of one of those passages that almost puts one to sleep.
   
   If you are a Mac fan, it's worth getting for a lazy Sunday afternoon read. There is some sensational writing within, and one does have to question what motive Ms. Harris has, at this late date, for writing such a tell-all. Further, prepare yourself for a lot of forehead slapping, wondering " What was wrong with this girl! What part of this picture was so hard for her to understand!" This book does a fine job of humanizing the larger than life characters who form Fleetwood Mac.



3. eeehhhhh....ummmm. I just read this book. I love Stevie Nicks- but i realize that in her heyday she was probably a coked out bitch on wheels. That said, the writing in this book is awful, and I have a hard time believing that Carol Ann was the dumbass country bumpkin that she paints herself to be. Everyone in the book "turned ghostly white" and it was ALL SO SHOCKING!!! She never misses an opportunity to talk about how beautiful and sexy she was -all the while never even realizing it! "OMG I am going to stand in the middle of these bright lights and go all marilyn monroe on this fan and convince myself that everyone in the audience stopped staring at stevie to look at little ol' me!" Puke. She tried so hard to convince herself throughout the book that Lindsey wanted nothing to do with stevie -which may have even be true-but she didn't believe it for a second. All the talk of " beautiful insanity" and whatever other terrible metaphores she came up with made me cringe-she HATES these people-I can see right through her writing. Girlfriend is bitter!



4. Being a fan of Lindsay Buckingham and Fleetwood Mac only in the last several years, I was interested in what he was like in the band's heyday and this book delivered. He seems very much of an enigma and I learned so much about him from the author's stories. She didn't seem to have a hidden agenda for this book, which I appreciated. This book does not give much information about the band, however, which I didn't think it would, but for those of you buying it for that reason, don't. It basically told me one thing about Fleetwood Mac "back in the day." That is that they did a LOT of drugs. I haven't ever read a book written like this before, from someone so intimately connected to a celebrity that I was interested in, and finished it in just a few days. If you are a fan of Lindsay Buckingham, I say this is a "must read."



5. I was looking forward to an insider's look into the world of Fleetwood Mac and instead I got a look at my own life. Actually, I should clarify that and say it was my life of 10 years ago. I can identify with each and every phase Carol Ann Harris went through with Lindsey Buckingham. The sudden and inexplicable temper explosions resulting in physical beatings. Carol Ann endured those at the hands of Lindsey and although some of the other reviewers are doubting her truthfulness, I have to believe her when reading about all the other physical symptoms she suffered. The panic attacks, the absolute numbness to any feeling after being nearly choked to death, going back to Lindsey repeatedly because she was sure she had done something to cause the violence.
   
   It takes a tremendous amount of strength to leave a relationship where you become caught up in the cycle of abuse and reconciliation. Carol Ann was dependent on Lindsey for room and board, a fabulous lifestyle, and even love...when she could forget the torture. She got out, made her own life, never gave any interviews and has only now spoken about this. Some people may ask why she felt the need to unburden herself. I say, Lindsey should have thought of that when he was dragging her by the hair as he drove away from Christine McVie's house (a bit of violence witnessed by Christine, by the way.)
   
   The book is well written and does give some great Fleetwood Mac moments, aside from the nightmares with Lindsey.

5 comments about Hons and Rebels (New York Review Books Classics).

1. Hons and Rebels, a memoir of the life of the "commie" Mitford sister, Jessica, details the authors life from her childhood in rural England up until the time she lived in Miami in the 1940s. The Mitford clan of six sisters (Nancy wrote The Pursuit of Love and Love in a Cold Climate) and one brother was an unusual one, prone to playing tricks upon one another and outsiders. Jessica grew up to embrace the ideals of the communist party, while her sister Unity became a Fascist, hobnobbing with Hitler. Jessica then ran away with and married her cousin Edwin Romilly, later moving to the United States.
   
   It's a brilliant memoir, poignant and funny at the same time. Although Jessica's not always the most sympathetic character, she's always witty, touching her story every now and then with a hint of irony. Jessica describes everything in painstaking detail, from the Cotswold countryside to certain conversations she had with various people. The memoir is evocative of the time period in which Jessica lived in.



2. "I'm normal, my wife is normal, but my daughters are each more foolish than the other. What do you say about my daughters? Isn't it very sad?" Mary S Lovell has taken David Mitford's complaint to heart. She has a lot to say about his daughters. But after decades (it seems) of books on those mad, bad and sometimes dangerous-to-know girls, do we want to hear it?
   
   The six Mitford girls pursued lives which are footnotes to 20th-century history: Nancy, the socialist aristocrat, gentle satirist of the society she yet delighted in; Unity, conceived in the Ontario town of Swastika, destined to become Hitler's pet; Diana, whose marriage to Oswald Mosley set her at the fringes of acceptability; Decca, who ended up as a fiery Communist émigré in California; Pam, the country girl who married a scientist and lived quietly in Gloucestershire; and Debo, who declared her intention, and carried out the act, of marrying a duke.
   
   By drawing on new sources, Lovell presents a fresh version of the Mitford story. She fleshes out "Muv" and Farve" - the fictional Uncle Matthew and Aunt Sadie of Nancy's novels - and adds to our understanding of their progeny. David Mitford, "the most handsome man of his generation" according to James Lees-Milne, is as eccentric as his fictional portrait in The Pursuit of Love. He did regard almost all his daughters' suitors as "sewers"; but the word was Tamil, "soor", meaning pig. His wife, Sydney, achieves a Daily Sketch headline, "Peeress Saves Ha'pence", for her economies over home laundry (she used paper napkins).



3. I absolutely loved this book. I had just finished reading the very long and very good "The Sisters" http://www.amazon.com/Sisters-Saga-Mitford-Family/dp/0393324141 about the Mitfords, and wanted more when I was finished. Jessica ("Decca") was the most fascinating of all -- the one who ran away to Spain and America and became widely known for her politics and her book, "The American Way of Death." (and an Oakland resident, like myself, which is always intriguing!)
   
   "Hons and Rebels" is charming, witty, and in its pages is not only an interesting glimpse of life in upper class England between the wars, but a love story as well, as she retells the story the story of her romance with her first husband, Esmond.
   
   I never heard Mitford speak, but her voice comes through strongly in this book -- witty, determined, able to laugh at herself and family, but serious about her politics and trying to get by as a young idealistic couple in America. (And I imagine a very posh British accent...) What I also liked was how she treated the relationship with her closest sister, Unity, who, as a Nazi sympathizer, was the polar political opposite of Decca. What a family.
   
   Highly, highly recommended.



4. I was looking for a Jessica Mitford autobiography and discovered "Hons & Rebels". The original title of this (1960) book is Daughters & Rebels". Is anything other than the title revised/updated? I'm such a fan of Mitford, I'd rather read her memoirs than Mary S. Lovell's "The Sisters: The Saga of the Mitford Family", which is supposedly more detailed.



5. A view into the always fascinating Mitford family written by family member, and best-selling author, Jessica Mitford.
   The personal observations about the totally diverse life choices made made by the sisters boggles the mind and confounds the senses.

5 comments about The $64 Tomato: How One Man Nearly Lost His Sanity, Spent a Fortune, and Endured an Existential Crisis in the Quest for the Perfect Garden.

1. The writing in this book is excellent and it reads very quickly. Also, Alexander is at times funny. However, the entire time I was reading this I couln't stop thinking that this guy is just spoiled upper-middle class. I couldn't help feeling like he wanted the perfect garden without putting in much effort. And that, I feel, is just rediculous.



2. A entertaining read while learning all types of mistakes in gardening in the Northwest. Love love love.



3. I'm not into gardening, or have I ever attempted to build a garden, but you don't need a green thumb to enjoy this book! Bill encounters one headache after another. You almost want him to throw in his gardening gloves forever. It's admirably how he sticks with it and fights every battle, while his wife, Anne, calmly goes about enjoying the beauty of her flowers. Their children,Zach and Katie, could care less about the garden, unless of course they would like to eat fresh vegetables. I now have a new appreciation for this hobby. Gardening can be both romantic and nightmarish. The $64 Tomato is a fun,quick read for the summer. I haven't enjoyed a book this much in a long time. When I go for my walks, I check out the neighbor's gardens now,and I laugh when I see dead grass under their rose bushes.



4. I live in the Northeast and not too far from this guy's place. I have no fence. I use no pesticides nor fertilizer. I see deer, rabbits, woodchucks and opposums on my land all year. On average, if I spend 15 minutes a day working the soil then that is a lot! And my family and I have been eating from the garden for over two decades. I think the author should see a shrink because he, genuinely, needs help.



5. Yes......I've been there. So I can certainly relate to every page in this fun-to-read book. If you've ever tried to raise a tomato plant or two in your back yard and ..like me...keep thinking this year I'll really have some tomatoes...this book is for you. The author doesn't just plant tomatos,he tries everything from orchards to potatos to trying to create a pasture. Some of his plantings do fine even to excess but others refuse to even grow, much less produce.
   For fun, for a light-to-read summer book, for a lot of laughs ....read this book.

5 comments about Looking Like the Enemy: My Story of Imprisonment in Japanese American Internment Camps.

1. I agree completely with Cindy Lee's July 12 review of this book. I am also a sansei (3rd generation Japanese-American), and have heard only bits and pieces of my parents experience in the internment camp. The other bits and pieces I heard about these camps when in school were that they were for the "protection" of the Japanese who had migrated to this country and that it was a "good" thing.
   
   Even though this happened back in the 1940's, it was very frustrating and angering for me to read the account of how people of Japanese ancestry were deprived of all their rights just because of that ancestry, and also because they could be more easily identified by their physical appearance than the German or Italian people. You can see the same situation brewing now with people of Middle-Eastern descent.
   
   Ms. Gruenewald puts us right in the scene with her and her family as they undergo evacuation to the camps, and make do the best they can when they are forced to live there for several years.
   
   I would also like to say that I felt the author tried to be objective in her writings. Her feelings are expressed very well, but she does not let it degenerate into a black and white, one side is all good and the other side is all bad portrayal. There are good and bad guys on both sides, and she also does a good job of pointing out the conflicts within the internees as far as loyalties. This was a very difficult time for everyone and decisions were not easily made. Ms. Gruenewald gets that across in her narrative. She does not try to incite the readers by making anything overly dramatic, she simply tells what she saw and experienced, along with how she felt about it, and I am appreciative of her account. Very well done.
   
   On a side note: there is a reference to her website at the end of the book, but beware - it has been identified as a site that downloads viruses onto your computer. This was announced to me by my Firefox browser, which then allowed me to skip the page. Internet Explorer, which is not so secure, allowed me to visit the site at which time my anti-virus software warned me that the site was attempting to download viruses onto my computer, and it blocked them. Hopefully the author can get this remedied because I would like to visit the site and see what else she has to say.



2. I'm a history buff of sorts and alsways looking for books on American History. I've just started reading this book and it is already very interesting. We need to know how our citizens felt when they were treated like the enemy. We don't want to do it again.



3. I loved this book. As a Sansei, 3rd generation Japanese in America, I learned so much from reading this book. Both of my parents were interned during the war, but in all these years, they've only shared bits and pieces or vague generalities of their own experiences. Reading Mary Matsuda's vivid and detailed account of her own experience gave me a much greater appreciation and understanding of this traumatic, stressful period, along with a better understanding of basic Japanese customs and beliefs that have guided my own life. It has been a powerful step towards better understanding my own family's history, and I so appreciate that this story was shared by the author. It was beautifully written. I highly recommend this book to all.



4. A must. Extremely readable. Should be required reading for Junior or High School students. Evokes a sense of what it felt like to be Japanese during that infamous time.



5. My family was also sent to internment camps, actually some of the same ones as this author. We came from the same beloved Vashon. Being a child of a parental figure who came from that era and having had aunts and uncles, grandparents and great grandparents who had lived that experience but never spoken of it, this book has opened my eyes and helped me understand the severity of it all. I can understand now the turmoil emotionally and physically that they under went. I cried with this author. For even today, in this wide spread nation, I can still see the ripples of underlying current made from this time period and the choices made by our leaders. This is a wonderful book. You'll learn something, and if you don't, you should ask yourself some hard questions.

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 Rewind, Replay, Repeat: A Memoir of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.

1. Jeff Bell uses the metaphor of a tape player to describe his struggle with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder in his harrowing memoir, "Rewind, Replay, Repeat." Bell has been a successful radio personality for many years, which makes his willingness to come clean about his illness all the more remarkable. He is a doubter, who states, "I have all five of my senses, but tend not to trust any of them." Because he does not believe what he perceives, Bell mentally replays entire sequences of his life over and over again. He also revisits places to check that he has not harmed anyone or failed to do something essential. He calls his story "a tale of fear and torment and agony and shame."
   
   After experiencing a few OCD symptoms as a child, Bell enjoys a normal adolescence, goes on to college, earns an MBA, marries his college sweetheart, and starts a career in commercial radio. He and his wife, Samantha, have a little girl, Nicole. Everything is going wonderfully. Unfortunately, the peace of mind that he enjoyed for so many years is shattered when his OCD returns with a vengeance. He begins to obsess about a near-collision that occurs while he is piloting his father's boat. He spends hours worrying about some minor damage that he may have inflicted on someone else's cabin cruiser. Not only does he think about this event constantly, but he also visits the marina over and over to look for physical clues. This fixation on an unimportant incident takes over his life to such an extent that it begins to affect his marriage and his ability to concentrate at work. He stays up all night worrying, and his sleeplessness makes him groggy during the day. Rather than owning up to his condition, Bell makes a valiant effort to hide the truth from his colleagues, friends, and loved ones. He is living a double life and it is destroying him emotionally.
   
   Even after he reluctantly shares his secret with his family and agrees to seek help, the first therapist that Bell consults has no useful answers for him. Although his devoted wife is steadfast in her support of her beleaguered husband, she finds his behavior increasingly unsettling. After sixteen months of "pent-up rage," Bell curls up on the bathroom floor of his house and bawls like a baby. He is deteriorating and he has no idea what to do to make things better.
   
   "Rewind, Replay, Repeat" illuminates the agonizing world of doubters and checkers--those unfortunate souls who cannot leave well enough alone. OCD sufferers include: the woman who must unlock her front door repeatedly to check the stove; the driver who feels compelled to circle the block to make sure that he didn't run over a pedestrian; the terrified child who keeps asking his mother the same question a thousand times and is never satisfied with the answer; the washers who scrub their hands dozens of times a day until their skin is raw and painful; and the savers who hoard objects of no value until their homes resemble garbage dumps. Medical science has yet to pinpoint exactly what causes the brains of OCD patients to misfire.
   
   This is an intensely personal, painfully honest, and extremely detailed look at one man's journey into the abyss and back. After he learns that he has OCD, an incurable condition, Bell struggles for years to get his life under control with a combination of spiritual awakening, a support group, cognitive behavioral therapy, and drug treatment. "Rewind, Replay, Repeat" is an informative, touching, and vividly written first-person account that will give hope and comfort to OCD sufferers and their families. It is a welcome addition to other excellent non-fiction works on this subject that include the classic "The Boy Who Couldn't Stop Washing" by Judith Rappaport and "Brain Lock" by Jeffrey Schwartz.



2. I originally picked this gem up thinking it would be interesting to read from a psychological point of view. Once I started into it, though, I began to recognize certain elements of my own behavior. Though I would not say I am a full-blown OC, I do sometimes have obsessive-compulsive thoughts and behaviors (probably as most people do at some time in their life). Just the title and him referring to the tapes that keep replaying in his brain was enough for me to squash my own destructive thoughts. Whenever I start wasting time on obsessive thoughts, I just think of his analogy of the tapes that keep playing, then rewinding and replaying. I then choose to shut the tape player off. Very freeing! A courageous and interesting story. Thank you for sharing, Mr. Bell.!



3. Fascinating look into the world of OCD -- spelled out in an informative, entertaining fashion.



4. I cannot recommend this account of a person's journey into the terrors of OCD highly enough. I suffer from OCD and read as much as I can on this topic, and this is the best personal story I have ever encountered on this subject. Without whining or blaming, the author carefully and honestly shares his torture. With a reporter's skills, he has us on the scene with him, feeling his agony and rooting for his recovery. A close friend who does not have OCD and borrowed my book was equally in awe of the author as she read of his struggle and his eventual recovery. I would recommend this book to family and friends of OCD sufferers as Jeff shares what his wife, children and parents went through during the height of his disorder. Professionals who treat OCD sufferers will benefit from it as well. It will be a real eye opener into our world. You will not be disappointed in this heartfelt, amusing, and heartbreaking story. This is a book I found extemely hard to put down. Please read this book.



5. This book brought me to tears. It so reminded me of my daughter's struggle with anxiety disorders. One thing that all people need to be reminded of is, Jeff, nor anyone with anxiety disorders, is ever cured. It is not overcome. It is coped with - sometimes better than other times. Your life and those around you are still affected by the disorder. You still have symptoms but are better able to not let them control you. This takes energy. If someone you know has anxiety disorders, remember this.

3 comments about Big Man on Campus: A University President Speaks Out on Higher Education.

1. I can't wait to read this book. With the imprimatur of Doris Kearns Goodwin and Alan Dershowitz, it's a can't-miss!



2. What do Cal Ripken, Houdini, Edison, J. Pierpont Morgan, Churchill, Bismarck and Job have in common? Their qualities, combined, are what Steve Trachtenberg tells us are essential equipment for a university president. He shows why this is so in a book filled with wisdom, humor and numerous ideas about what university education means, needs, and gives back to students, their parents, and society. It's a graceful and fascinating work about one of our greatest American institutions.
   
   Particularly enjoyable are the autobiographical elements of Trachtenberg's upbringing and experiences, which are skillfully interwoven with his discussion of the figures and problems, joys and perplexities of university life and governance. His candor about himself, and his insights into the basic issues faced by universities, give this book an authenticity and reach that will make reading it a valuable and memorable experience.
   
   For parents who want to know for what they're paying a university, for students who want to know why they should spend important years of their lives there, and for everyone who wants an authentic view of what a university is like from the inside, and also to learn from and be amused by encounters of an interesting person with the world, this is a splendid book.
   
   Katharyn and Stanley Reiser



3. This is one of the most outstanding volumes on higher education I have read in quite some time. Dr. Trachtenberg's perspectives from his years in the business are quite enlightening. I highly recommend this highly readable and entertaining book.