5 comments about Down These Mean Streets.

1. This book was in perfect condition when I received it. My only issue with my purchase was when I received it. The only option for shipping when I ordered was standard shipping, not sure why?? Anyway it took about two weeks to get to me. All in all, it was worth the wait.



2. If you want to hear the truth about the old days, here it is. This was a perfect example of what many people in El Barrio saw and/or did. Its so real that if you read certain passages slowly, and then close your eyes, you could actually see how it went down. This book can help you look deep and realize that we, in this day and age, have it 50 times better than our fathers and grandfathers. Lets thank our stars and our parents. Praise to you "Don" Piri.



3. Down These Mean Streets is the story of Piri Thomas' journey into adulthood. The book is set in Spanish Harlem in the 1940s. The author's writing style is refreshing and lyrical. He uses some Spanish words here and there(readers might find the glossary in the back of the book helpful), and kicks in a few slang words as well, which makes the dialogs that much more genuine.
   
   Piri struggles through poverty, family troubles, and desperately wanting to belong. He fights with being a dark skinned Puerto Rican during a time when racism was strong, and trying to find his place as neither black nor white. Piri did some not-so-good things in his life, being in a gang, drug addiction, and armed robbery among other things, but throughout it all it is easy to tell that Piri is a good guy at heart.
   
   Overall, this is a captivating story. You might find yourself wondering what you would have done faced with the same situations. I even found myself rooting for Piri at times. This book is still a very accurate depiction of "the hoods" of New York, despite being published for the first time about 40 years ago.
   
   I was sad to have to finish the book, and in the end I felt like I knew Piri. I look forward to re-reading this book over the years. It is truly a classic. Everyone should read it. Anyone can find something in the story that they will be able to relate to.



4. This book really told me what it was like to live in Harlem in the 40s. The discrimination and racism is real and raw (although Mr Thomas does get a little jaded and think all white people are bad). The way he describes coming off heroin is realistic, colorful, and explosive. This whole book is very alive, as a memoir. It was funny to see the slang they used back then!



5. I've read this book more than a few times and have taught it to different level readers a few extra times. There was one high school student who came to me after the book was done and told me, "This is the first book I ever finished." Even if it's not the first book you've read, you'll find writing that is fearless, honest, and powerful. You won't forget it, and if you're really lucky, you'll get to share it with someone else.

5 comments about The Rabbi's Daughter.

1. If one is familiar with the religious Jewish life the book grabs you until the last page. A few small points are interesting however. If she comes from a orthodox family why does her father as a rabbi use a loudspeaker on sabbath and kiss other woman? sounds a bit strange.... in addition the very specific language describing in full detail the sexual experiences where not needed to make the book a fantastic book. All in all very well written! Looking forward to her next book.



2. I finished this book in a day and found it very hard to put down.
   It reads as the memoir of a woman who grew up in a religious Jewish household, left the fray to lead a lifestyle of sex and "liberation" and returned to join the ultra-religious Hasidic community. The book promised to highlight the struggles a woman faced in choosing between a religious lifestyle and a non-religious one. And that is my biggest issue with the book. The religious lifestyle she describes consists of a joyless virtually loveless existence full of empty rules, stringencies, and empty relationships. The "non-religious" lifestyle she chooses consists of adultery, promiscuous sex, drug use, lesbianism, more drug use, and more promiscuous sex.
   I had truly wanted to relate to the author, as I am a (mostly happy) Orthodox woman myself, but I do question what "life on the other side of the fence" might be like from time to time. I found it impossible to do so for two reasons. First the author's experience of Judaism was skewed, extreme, and not an accurate glimpse of mainstream Orthodoxy. Second, her non-religious lifestyle disgusted me and I have a hard time believing most secular people engage in half the things the author happily did in her pursuit of a "non-religious" way of life.
   Like some other reviewers I found some of the incidents related strained belief. A woman who repeatedly professes to love G-d so much she joins the most extreme and ascetic Orthodox branch happily recounts how she lost her virginity in a synagogue of all places.
   Her emotions just did not ring true to me. Nor did I really get a sense of genuine spirituality coming from the author.
   I hope anyone reading this book realizes the views of this author are extreme and her experiences are not shared by the majority of Orthodox Jewish women. Some of us do live balanced, fulfilling and happy lives, and interact with genuinely caring and loving people.



3. "The Rabbi's Daughter" is a fascinating journey from one woman's perspective. I was interested to see how many peole were completely turned off by this book. I believe that those who were disappointed may have been looking for 'answers' from a Jewish perspective. If the novel is read in that way, I can see why there would be confusion.
   
   However, this well crafted memoir, by a flawed, caring, idealistic woman, is far more in line with Elizabeth Gilbert's "Eat, Pray, Love" than a work of Jewish philosophy or theology. This isn't a theological work to bring enlightenment. It's a very raw and real story of one woman's search for inner peace. She looked for it in drugs and sex and being a part of the modern world. She looked for it in the most restrictive forms of Hassidic Judaism. What she finds along the way is knowledge and her own sense of self and balance.
   
   I applaud Ms. Mann's bravery for telling her story.



4. Reva puts everything on the line and does not white wash anything. This book was unbelievably cathartic for me. The descriptions of her feelings and locations were incredibly vivid. It brought me back to my years attending a seminary in Jerusalem. I understood her hunger for spirituality, her desire to suppress her blemished past, and her fantasy about wanting to live a pious life. Although I never got married, I have many friends who did and now live in the ultra-orthodox world in Jerusalem. I am still not quite sure how I escaped the grip of marriage. I wish there was a bit more resolution at the end but it is a memoir, she is still living. I wish her luck and thank you.



5. My feelings toward Reva ran the gamut as I read her book. I would have given it three stars but I read it during a succession of visits to the bookstore coffee shop and found myself thinking about it in between visits. This book is pretty much a memoir of growing up with low self-esteem and its aftermath. What makes this one unique is that much of it takes place in an insulated Hassidic community. I couldn't help thinking of another very similar memoir called Beautiful Stranger by Hope Donahue. Hope also grew up with a distant father and narcissistic mother. In order to fill her chronic void Hope, who is very pretty, becomes a plastic surgery addict. Same story different setting and coping mechanism.
   
   Reva had one thing Hope didn't, a mentally handicapped older sister. Eventually their mother gets tired of taking care of the sister and puts her in an institution far away. This devastates Reva and haunts her throughout the book, even though she doesn't seem to make much effort to visit her sister. Reva seems to feel that her anxiety and loneliness problems are somehow tied to her sister's trauma. It is my personal belief that her mother's narcissistic unavailability and preoccupation with appearances (such as bullying Reva into a nose job at 16) had a lot more to do with it.
   
   First Reva tries to fill the void with drugs and promiscuity. Later she joins a Hassidic sect in an effort to atone and straighten herself out. After a series of introductions by the community's matchmaker Reva marries Simcha. They meet in hotel lobbies and take long walks because physical contact is forbidden. A lot of the young people in this book seem to feel that religious observance will conquer all of their problems and hang ups. Reva is over sexed and feeling guilty about it and looking forward to marriage. Simcha has some hang ups about sex and is trying to avoid it. They both feel that religion will provide them this outlet. She expresses her disappointment on their wedding night. The two become intimate strangers and eventually the marriage falls apart. Reva is left feeling even worse since she feels that her community blames her for her marriage's failure.
   
   I don't want to spoil the ending but Reva's mother who made such an impression on me insists on committing one last selfish act. I would recommend this book along with Beautiful Stranger to young women suffering from low self-esteem, poor family relations and interpersonal skills. They should be read as cautionary tales about quick fixes, especially external ones.

5 comments about Palace Cobra: A Fighter Pilot in the Vietnam Air War.

1. After writing the superlative "When Thunder Rolled" about his early F-105 tour in Vietnam, Ed Rasimus, one of the most literary of all pilot-authors, turns his attention to his second tour flying F-4's. The result is "Palace Cobra" and it is another masterwork of first-person combat narrative plucked from the skies of Vietnam, Laos, Cambodia, and Thailand. Although I prefer "When Thunder Rolled" (mainly due to my affection for the F-105, an affection Rasimus shares), this still needs to be high on the reading list of anyone interested in the air war in Southeast Asia.
   
   "Palace Cobra" is good at differentiating changes that occurred in the six or so years between his two combat tours. The war became more managed, and Rasimus makes the case passionately for the warrior class to be in charge of combat operations rather than the careerist administrators that so often were. In the conclusion he summarizes the lessons that were learned (at least partially) by the military in the wake of the Vietnam debacle, and thoroughly discredits Lyndon Johnson and Robert McNamara's idiotic "gradualization" and managerial policies that eventually allowed the ultimate North Vietnamese subjugation of the nominally less corrupt south. This book is somewhat more personality-driven than "When Thunder Rolled" and talks more about off-duty exploits as well. Some of this information is interesting, and all of it is very unvarnished. To be candid, I would have preferred fewer unseemly details of the Thai nightlife, and more of tactical operations, but that's nitpicking a heartfelt and honest book.
   
   Rasimus is a very intelligent man, and frequently presents relevant quotations as introductions or summaries of important concepts. The quotes vary from well known to obscure, but they all are perfect enhancements to his own words and artistically set the tone for what follows. My favorite two are likewise representative of the obscure and the well known:
   
   "The aircraft G-limits are only there in case there is another flight by that particular airplane. If subsequent flights do not appear likely, there are no G-limits." -Frank Chubba, fighter pilot
   
   "War is an ugly thing, but it is not the ugliest of things; the decayed and degraded state of moral and patriotic feeling which thinks that nothing is worth war is much worse. A man who has nothing for which he is willing to fight, nothing he cares about more than his own personal safety, is a miserable creature who has no chance of being free, unless made and kept so by better men than himself." -John Stuart Mill (1806-1873)
   
   There is no wonder why Ed Rasimus chose that quote to begin the book's final chapter.
   
   This is a great book, and I highly recommend it.



2. Once again the author goes into combat above North Vietnam. This time in an F-4 Phantom. Although the plot is similar to his earlier book, "When Thunder Rolled", this one's different enough not to feel like a warmed-over rehash. The only thing the same is his fantastic ability to "tell it like it is". Chronologicaly, the events described came after his other book but you need not have read it to enjoy this. Along with Ken Bell's "100 Missions North" this has to be one of my favorites. You come away from it with a much better understanding of the complexities of the war from a strategic as well as tactical view. The mundane day-to-day stuff balanced with the terror they must have felt flying over the most heavily defended airspace known to man. The aircrews involved did a great job in spite of the adversities and this book tells one brave pilot's story superbly!



3. 
   Rasimus returns to Vietnam for a second tour after transitioning to F-4's. We are indebted to Rasimus for his courage and his intellect. The book is superb.
   
   The book covers the air war from the height of air war against North Vietnam and the massive B-52 raids to the dog days near the end of the war when the REMF's came to get their tickets punched. Rasimus captures it all, from the sweaty, terror filled minutes of endless Sam killing missions deep over North Vietnam to the days near the end of the war when US planes did not venture into North Vietnam. The friendly skies of South Vietnam brought out those who had avoided the air war in various Pentagon burrows to get their 201 files filled with combat flying. Rasimus sorts out the good guys like Robin Olds from the slackers with a sharp knife.
   
   What differentiates this book from many other fine books is Rasimus' intellect and writing skills . Highly recommended.



4. Whilst putting you very much in the cockpit Mr Rasimus has at the same time managed to produce a thoughtful, insightful, and instructive book that gives an excellent view of the experiences, feelings and thoughts of what it meant to be a fighter pilot in the later years of the Vietnam war. An excellent sequel to his earlier book. Highly recommended.



5. Outstanding commentary of a two tour aerial war veteran of the Vietnam
   War. We were winning every time he and I left Nam.

5 comments about If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name: News from Small-Town Alaska.

1. At first I found this book to be a fun, light read, something I could pick up when I just had a few minutes to sit and read. It reads like something you'd hear on NPR, small town tidbits. Yet, about 2/3 of the way through, the author slowly starts to delve deeper into her own thoughts, her own heart, and starts to reveal a part of herself that is not only dark at times, but is so honest you almost feel guilty, like you're listening in on someone else's confession.
   
   The last few chapters of this book are so beautifully written that I found myself reading them over and over, not wanting to let go of the imagery presented, the people i'd come to really be interested in...and in a way, a little afraid of what might happen next. Alas, the final journey (and end of the book) did take me by surprise, not by what is written, but at the emotional depth the writer is able to not only reach, but convey. This book is light, funny and fun...but it's also a wonderful journey into the soul of a woman who still asks 'what if' and 'why' and most importanty....'and why not?'
   
   I highly recommend this book not just because it will teach you about small town living, or Alaska, or even the author herself, but because it will make you stop and think about yourself as well...and in the end, isn't that the what great literature should do? Help us open up our windows just a crack more? - Vincent Yanez, Author of: It Doesn't Matter Which Road You Take



2. I lived for several years in Alaska and my wife thought I would enjoy this book, which she got through Paperback Swap. I read the book during a recent illness and only finished it because I felt I had to, not because there was any epiphany to be gained in the last few pages. I realized this early-on, but kept reading only to learn more of the well-described and interesting people that are part of Lende's social circle. Alaska seems to bring out the best some of its citizens- and I have known some really funky and admirable Alaskans. A story about them or folks like them would have been a better goal for Lende. She has the talent to pull-it-off and she certainly has the presence of mind to jot-down relevant comments made by others. Her recollection of quotes and comments borders on the spooky. I wonder if her friends will ever be so frank again. Her ability to use quotes to capture a "life" is exceptional.
   
   This book could have been edited better. A good editor would have guided Lende in a more cohesive arrangement of her content to support any one of the supposed goals of the book: a narrative about death as it shapes how we view life, a first-hand account of life in small-town Alaska, a collection of profiles of Alaskans, how marriage is shaped by life's experiences and challenges, the development of the conflict between her secular (permissive) view of social freedom and the role of prayer and religion in her life, how liberal or conservative views shape a culture or a small community in the face of modern challenges, or a narrative that explores gritty details of life from the feminine (or maybe liberal) perspective. Any of these goals would have been admirable, but not all at once. A good editor would have made her choose, and fully develop it. What she created was a collection of disjointed vignettes, with a heavy overlay of first person. It is readable and fun, but not a very important literary achievement.
   
   Her technique of using the Duly Notes column as a launching pad for each chapter was interesting, but not very helpful to the reader, since those details were not further developed by the examples in the following chapter. Further, the digressions placed in the middle of her profile-obituaries seemed like more of a distraction rather than a technique to introduce or bolster some larger meaning. Heather Lende's story about Haines is really a first-person memoir. All the vignettes, obituaries, and profiles seem to provide some direct reflection on Lende or her family, or seem to be used to validate her own social or political viewpoints. So it is not as much about Haines as it is about Lende's perception of how Haines reflects on her life. A true narrative about Alaskan life would have less first person pronouns in it. Her view of Haines is one from privilege; though it is endearing to read her self-critical commentary during her visit to the trailer of a native (in her Patagonia jacket) it falls short for the very effort she uses to convince us that she is trying to understand. Sensitivity towards modesty would have prevented her from dropping "elite" details of her life that set her apart from the mainstream. Those very details betray her motive.
   
   As other reviewers have mentioned, her version of Haines, and of small town life in general, is one of a well-healed community leader in one of the best places to live if your are a millionaire. But not everybody there will be a millionaire - we can expect a full-on pluralistic society. I imagine few folks in Haines have the resources to be flying in and out of Alaska as often as she does - even if you stretch all those trips over 15 years. Her story might make me want to visit Haines again, but what would I find? A town of "haves" and "have nots" So this book is a "teaser" in many ways. It trades the neutral excellence of a John McPhee with first person impressions of a narrator that gives us just enough of her opinion and emotion to betray her own credibility. You want a piece of Heather's Haines, but you'll never get it because you can't afford it.
   
   I recommend others read this book, but not because it will give them some Alaskan Lake Wobegon fix. Read this book to get a voyeur's glimpse of what small towns look like from an ivory tower viewpoint. Just don't be teased into believing it is possible to have it yourself.
   
   M.A.'s husband, Chris



3. Heather Lende is a freelance writer, commentator for National Public Radio, and obituary writer for the Chilkat Valley News in Haines, Alaska. "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name" is a portrait of life in Haines--a small isolated Southeast Alaska town dominated by awe-inspiring wildlife, majestic mountains, and 1,800 people (give or take) who manage to tenaciously hold onto their rugged individuality yet know when to set their individuality aside for the sake of greater goods (e.g. families in need of assistance, strong relationships with neighbors).
   
   Lende writes from a first person perspective and thus Haines life is told from her idiosyncratic point of view. Many anecdotes revolve around Lende's vocations of stay-at-home-mother, school board member, member of the local Episcopal church, environmentally-conscious citizen, and (especially) obituary writer. As she presents Haines life from these angles, she often juxtaposes the complex emotions surrounding Haines. She presents examples of the breathtaking beauty of her town, but then tells the story of how their son almost died of appendicitis as they raced through a blizzard to a Canadian hospital. She writes about her divisive attempt to institute a mandatory gay sensitivity workshop at the local high school, but then writes about the unity she experienced with one of her most bitter rivals as they cooked a benefit meal together to help defray the medical bills of another town resident. She effectively shows that life in Haines, Alaska, is as complex as life anywhere.
   
   A major theme running through "If You Lived Here, I'd Know Your Name" is death--or to be more accurate, the cycle of life. This should not be surprising since one of Lende's vocations is that of obituary writer (and every Haines death gets a full treatment). Writing about "good deaths" for people who lived life fully to a ripe, old age is easy; writing about a twenty-year-old who drowns when his fishing boat sank isn't nearly as easy; why? Each death is totally unique; each death fits the pattern of life-and-death that had been established since the world began; how is this reconciled? And then, how do the related issues of birth, ageing, growing, loving, and how one spends his life come into play? Lende manages to be poetically reflective even while she avoids the temptation of being simplistic about death. She allows it to be mysterious, fearsome, natural, and expectedly complex. Even still, her last chapter, "I Am Not Resigned" surprisingly ties up a lot of running themes and brings a feeling of completion without presenting "solutions."
   
   In my reviews, I try to present both positive and negative aspects of any book. For this book, Lende's memoirs, it is difficult to condemn her life experience. I never get the sense that Lende is being less than totally truthful (even when she portrays herself in a bad light). This reader appreciates her honesty, even to the point of admitting that those on different sides of various "issues" have valid points. Being one on the other side of these various issues, I do have trouble identifying with Lende at times. Crying, she comforts herself by imagining a future in which a homosexual from Haines becomes President of the United States; when writing an obituary of a Tlingit, she is overcome by "white guilt" because of what all the "people who look like her" have done to American Indians; she indulges in religious pluralism as she is a leader of her Episcopal church, seems to believe Tlingit creation stories, writes laudably about a wedding in which the "eternal spirits of the universe" are invoked, writes equally highly about a totally secular wedding, and experiences the joy of praying the Rosary. With all of these, this reader and Lende are so far apart, that I simply can't put myself in her shoes and say, "I understand what you're feeling, even if I disagree."
   
   However, as previously mentioned, this is Lende's life experience and it is well told. I was fascinated as she mused on life during the winter months (where the sun doesn't rise until 9:30 and sets by 3:00!) and summer months (where the sun stays out well past midnight!). Her relating tales on the process of smoking fish, picking wild berries, raising chickens, cooking meals for thirty from scratch, and the like are fascinating. She succeeds in getting this reader to envision what living in Haines would be like...and in fact envy the people of Haines (until I remember the lack of hospitals and winter sun). In all, this book is highly recommended as it provides a great balance of enjoyment and forces to the reader to contemplate things common to us all--life, death, family, vocation, and what's really important.



4. Though I enjoyed reading about Haines and parts of this author's life, the preoccupation with death throughout this book was overwhelming. Death of relatives, strangers, friends, animals. Accidental death. Death by falling, by weather, by cancer, by boats sinking, by airplanes crashing. Fear of death. Near death. Funerals. Researching and writing obituaries. Anniversaries of loved ones dying. Even when it seems a chapter is going to be about a different subject, within a few pages it seems like death always sneaks in there.
   
   I'd like to see another book by this author, this time devoted to life and living, instead of death and dying.



5. I have been wanting to move to Alaska for about 15 years but my family won't come with me, so after the kids are through college and I have put in 20 years on my job, (I have 7 years to go) Haines, AK, here I come. During the past 15 years I have been reading about different towns in Alaska and there is always something that turns me off. Not one thing about Lende's descriptions about life in Haines has turned me off. I am sure this is the place for me. I am going to take a road trip in the summer of 2008 to Alaska and will definately spend time in Haines. I can't wait. One thing for sure, I won't be getting on any planes there until I am ready to go meet my maker.

5 comments about Iran Awakening: One Woman's Journey to Reclaim Her Life and Country.

1. I am disappointed by this book. Yes, the author as a woman has suffered a lot as a result of the Islamic revolt of 1979 but she is not fit to speak for a nation. Shirin Ebadi, aka Ayatollah Ebadi among many people for her deep sympathies with the current regime, is unfortunately a narcissist and self centered person and this book is fully supporting that sense of narcissism. She reminds me of Al Sharpton the grievance leader of African-American community. Her bogus claim that Islam and Democracy can co-exist is a farce and should be laughed at. She fails to mention one truly democratic free Islamic country. How pathetic! Also, she has helped the Iranian regime buy more time in acquiring nuclear weapons through her sham human rights campaign. She's constantly giving legitimacy to the Iranian regime and opposing those who oppose the regime. Unfortunately this book is another sham trying to mask her sympathy with the current regime of Iran.



2. A woman of faith and conviction, with a stubborn determination to adhere to her principles of justice and fairness, Shirin Ebadi sets forth a boldly narrated memoir. Bold in blatantly ignoring likely repercussions by her enemies and their threats of assassination.
   
   Beginning with her childhood years during the reign and fall of Mohammad Mossadegh - Prime Minister of Iran, 1951 to 1953 - Ebadi recounts her life primarily in relation to the various changes in the Iranian political scene, from the once powerful, then deposed, Shahs of Iran, to the suppressing reign of the Ayatollah Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and finally to the democratic leader, Mohammad Khatami, who was elected president in 1957 and again in 2001.
   
   Ebadi, brilliant, and a self described intellectual, studied law and practiced as a judge during a more politically lenient period of Iran's history. Under the Ayatollah Khomeini, a female judge was relegated to menial clerk positions, power removed. Ebadi never faltered in her fight to attain and maintain justice for all who were oppressed or unjustly accused, male or female, not even during her brief period of imprisonment.
   
   Although Ebadi notes in her epilogue that "it is not a political memoir," one can hardly separate her life, after reading the memoir, from politics - politics not only in Iran but politics world wide as it affects Iran and its people. She has not, as she said, "attempted to offer a political analysis of how and why certain events came to pass," but through mere "factual" statements, one can detect a political intent or meaning. And what does one make of these, her words: "Now you are watching faded video footage of Donald Rumsfeld shaking Saddam Hussein's hand, smiling at the butcher who made our capital's cemetery a city. Now you are listening to President George W. Bush promise he wants to bring democracy to the Middle East. You are hearing him address the Iranian people in his State of Union address, telling them that if they stand for their own liberty, America will stand with them. Do you believe him?" Such questions, by their provocative nature, may be as overtly political as any blanket assessment. But at least it provokes thought.
   
   The ending chapter of the memoir is devoted to the highest honor achieved by Ebadi - the touted Nobel Peace Prize. Many Nobel Peace Prize choices are steeped in controversy and dissenting opinions. Ebadi's case is no different. Regardless, there is no doubt about the positive elements of Ebadi's moral convictions, and of the sincerity and strength of her aggressive actions in her pursuit of justice for all. If those are the prerequisites for a Nobel Peace Laureate, then justice is served here, too.



3. This was a very honest and insightful view into the hope and horrors of the people of Iran, as they transitioned from a dictatorial Shah to a dictatoral Cleric form of government. In the end, it's the people who suffer. Shirin Ebadi's story is very compelling. The book is a quick read (219 pages) that leaves a lasting imprint.



4. An excellent and honest if horrifying picture of today's Iran. I found Ms. Ebadi's book as fascinating as Hillary Clinton's. An extremely smart and brave woman, Ms. Ebadi clearly loves her country and is ready to sacrifice her life for Iran. I was happy to read about the few improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens as well as changes in women's education in the Islamic republic, but it pained me to read about the human rights violations, the killings, and the tortures used by the mullahs on their own people. I spent 7 years in Iran before, during and after the revolution and left when Iraq threatened to bobmb Tehran. I loved Iran, its ancient history, beautiful poetry, and lovely countryside. But most of all I loved its friendly, hospitable, and talented people and to read that the nation's suffering wasn't over was very hard for me. However, it made me happy and proud to know that Iran, once more, produced a gem, and this time it was a woman, who despite the terror of the Islamic republic was
   able to make her voice heard in the world and received a Nobel price!



5. This is the best and the most honest version of the modern history of my country from the eyes of a brave educated woman who is not afraid to fight for what every one else is afraid to whisper. In her memoir, she does not leave out any detail of the atmosphere governing Iran. Living in the circumstances she describes in the book, I genuinely respect her for who she is. She is an icon every woman can look up to and That is why she is a Nobel prize winner. She has a story telling gift, making the book absolutely attractive and easy to follow. This book is a must read; she risked her life writing it and it needs audience: Iranian women and children need Shirin Ebadi and people who think like her. This is an outstanding book, unforgettable.

5 comments about Creating Myself: How I Learned That Beauty Comes in All Shapes, Sizes, and Packages, Including Me.

1. Have to agree with previous reviewer who astutely points out that title/premise of the book is completely misleading. As presented here, Tyler may have had many problems--but, at least by her own admission, body image issues were not among them.
   
   And as unfortunate as her other challenges were (being the child of fast lane druggie music scenesters could not have been helped things), her "it's all behind me" attitude, while admirable, seems a mite premature, considering the repetitive nature of her previous substance abuse troubles. . . and the fact that she's not yet 30.
   
   Still, an interesting read for Aerosmith/Cyrinda Foxe/Seventies pop culture fans, most of whom will come away glad that they were raised far from the glam rock limelight.



2. I commend Ms. Tallarico for writing her memoirs. I'm sure it wasn't easy. But what I noted was her extreme impatience and lack of compassion for her mother, whom she lived with...but acceptance and gratefulness for her father, Steven Tyler. She criticizes her mother for not "getting it together" after her father dumps them off the boonies for several years, supposedly due to lack of funds...then finally divorces her when he wants to marry someone else. Mia asked repeatedly to go live with her father...but nope, that wasn't a good idea. However he remarries and has two more children...and it's okay for them (and his new wife!) to live with him. Mia never mentions whether she felt the injustice of this, but she mentions the injustice of plenty of other things that happened when she was child. Despite her mother's pleading to her husband, there wasn't much money in the household, or maybe it was spent for drugs...there was something very out of character there for her mom, this glamour girl who thrived on attention, to stay stuck in the woods for years without much contact with anyone. Why would she put up with that? Mia doesn't delve her mom's psyche, though it would have been interesting.
   
   Once she's divorced her mom gets it together enough to move back to New York, then Mia begins to run wild. Drugs, alcohol depression, cutting herself...her dad helps out from a distance or sends someone else to do it, and Mia seems impressed by this. She acknowledges she would have liked her dad around more while growing up - but he had an excuse, he was on drugs, touring, or in rehab...like a lot of children with divorced parents, the one who isn't there is sort of up on a pedestal. She gives the impression that it would have been so much better to live with her dad on a day-to-day basis than the hell that was living with her mom...I don't know. As she keeps saying, "be careful what you wish for."
   
   The memoir seems spotty in her younger years. I also find it a bit difficult to believe that every day she rode her bike into town to get the bus for school, climbing out her window because there was so much snow she couldn't get out the front door. She mentions her mom taking her to school and stopping at Burger King on the way. They're going through the drive-thru and her mom says don't roll down the window, I'm going to open the door. Her mom says if you roll down the window, it's so cold that it will break...well, if her mom is in the driver's seat, you would think Mia would be in the passenger seat (she doesn't mention otherwise) so her mom would be the one to order...nope, Mia has decided she wants to order and rolls down the window (hers, you would think, or else she would have had to reach across her mom's lap and the steering wheel), and it breaks. So how was she planning to order breakfast out of the opposite window? Her mom also picks her up at school in a decrepit $200.00 station wagon, which embarrasses Mia. Anyway, I didn't know what to believe - riding her bike to the bus every day, or that her mom drove her to school. She's vague. Mia also said that her mother had flowers in her hair at her wedding. But in the photo section, a picture of Cyrinda and Steven getting married shows: no flowers in her hair.
   
   Once married to Dave Buckner (no photo of him!)and living in California, she thinks she might be pregnant (they have not used bc for six months). However, she cannot get an appointment with a female doctor at Kaiser for four months. The alternative is to see a "clinician" which she doesn't want to do. She knows no doctor. Mia has tons of friends, but doesn't call on anyone for advice. INSTEAD, she flies to NY to see her sister Liv, who gets her in to see her gynecologist. Her pregnancy test is negative. She could have easily bought one of those herself in CA. She flew across the country to take a pregnancy test. Back in CA, she starts to bleed, calls a doctor (male) referred to her by the NY doctor, who tells her she probably had a miscarriage.
   
   Mia created a myspace page, and is inundated with mail from women who have or used to have low self-esteem. She wants to help other people, with her story, which is good. However, as much as she has been through, that she shouldn't have had to go through, she's still a little naive when it comes to relationships. Substance abuse tends to delay maturity. And despite the title regarding beauty and sizes, I didn't see any mention of her hating her body or obsessing over food. So that's a little misleading for those who may want to read her journey through that jungle.



3. Creating Myself: How I Learned That Beauty Comes in All Shapes, Sizes, and Packages, Including Me- By Mia Tyler. This is an amazing book that takes you on a journey of self discovery, real hurt and real people living life. This isn't a "tell all book" about her dad or life as a rock stars daughter, it is about how we as humans make mistakes, learn from them and if we are lucky enough we grow from them. Mia is a great story teller and a great role model. You can feel her pain and her triumphs. Great book all around.



4. I want to start by saying that I did enjoy the book. I am a fan of Steven Tyler so I decided to buy the book, and I have read about Mia in her moms book, however into the book I realized there are alot of similarites in my life and Mia and those kept me reading until the sun came up.
   
   My only problem with the book and its the reason i didnt give it 5 stars is because she seems to have no problem exposing her mom for the terrible parent that she feels she was, however she never even goes into why when she calls her father and asked him to live with him he said no. Why after the rehab could she not live with him? Where was he at any time? Why does she say that he did not like Dave as soon as he met him however he wanted her to marry this loser at his concert? Where is the parenting there? she seems to be a daddys girl, and I dont fault her for it, so am I, however this book is riddeled with horrid details of bad parenting on her mothers behalf, but pretty silent when it came to Steven Tyler. I understand he had a rock band, but she is his child, and if the Rock Band was more important than his daughters life and saftey why is this not an issue with her as much as it was her mother? Im sorry Mia, I have also been where your mom was, being divorced when you didnt want to be and being paralyzed from it, im fortunate not to have a child, but I cant imagine that I would be a good parent right now.
   
   I love a book that makes you feel, and this book made me feel... So thank you Mia...
   
   I went to Mia Tylers myspace page. I loved the pearl she speaks in the book " Not everyone who **** on you is your enemy and not everyone who gets you out of ****is your friend.... LOVE IT.
   
   Again Thank You Mia, for telling your story for helping others and for keeping me into your book from cover to cover..



5. What can I say? I normally LOVE memoirs...and try to read as many as I can. I suppose Ms Tyler's attempts suffer by comparison. I didn't like this book. To me the writing felt rushed and all over the place. I feel that the author treated some of the subject matter like "fluff"..even though addictions and suicide and " cutting" are ENORMOUS problems. She seemed to think her stint in rehab was more of an 'annoyance' than her dad's attempt to really get her some professional help. Lisa in CT

5 comments about Breathing the Fire.

1. This documentary of Kim Dozier's experience as a CBS correspondent in Iraq is revealing; not only does she discuss the experience of wounded soldiers but she herself becomes wounded in a bomb blast in Iraq.
   
   From discussing frankly what it is like to be a woman correspondent with a major news network to the treatment as patient, first in Landstuhl in Germany, then in the US, Dozier learns the hard way about the medical system and about terrible wounds and pain. You'll get very angry about her treatment in the US hospital (but from stories people I know here tell me, some of what she experienced is what happens day to day to anyone --from call buttons put out of reach, no one answering alarms on equipment to having her complaints--valid, ignored.)
   
   This is an unusual memoir--not only eyewitness to events in Iraq and the US but firsthand experience of being wounded. Though Dozier "becomes the story" rather than reporting the story, I think you can insert "any soldier" into her experience minus, perhaps, the experience of being a soldier sent into battle with a mission, and learn just a small amount about the terrible price our men and women are paying for volunteering for this duty. None of them will tell you about the pain and suffering but Kimberly Dozier can. A must read.



2. This is a great read. It brings another perspective on the war in Iraq.



3. First off, full disclosure. I have met Kimberly, and we have exchanged emails. I respect her as a journalist, and now as an author.
   
   Her book is a quick read, but not always a pleasant one. In her brisk style honed as a broadcast writer conveys a candid and authoritative narrative. I found three themes of particular interest.
   
   Her description of military medical practices is fascinating. She gives a detailed yet comprehensible explanation of the life-saving methods practiced by corpsmen and medics on the battlefield. Procedures immediately after the explosion are clearly spelled out, and I think that has to be a comfort to anyone who has a friend or relative in harm's way.
   
   She also tells us about the long and agonizing rehabilitation process from start to finish. Too often we only hear about the tragic incident and then the outcome, whether it's happy or bittersweet. The gut-wrenching middle gets left out or short-changed. But Kimberly clarifies the recovery process without being maudlin or grotesque. This book is highly recommended for anyone facing long recovery from serious injury (and for their family and friends).
   
   Kimberly's decision regarding the choice of psychotropic drugs versus counseling is instructive and can be a guide to others in similar situations. She recognized, or perhaps just sensed, that she did not need drugs. Of the three states of mental health problems -- stress, distress and disorder - she was battling the first two, but not the third.
   
   Her counseling references also are in stark contrast to the situation for many active military personnel. DOD recognizes other mental health professions for independent insurance reimbursement, but not certified counselors. This is a disturbing disincentive, particularly at a time when the shortage of mental health care services for military personnel and their families is well documented. Maybe her book will prod (or shame) the military establishment into making counselors more readily available to service personnel and their families.
   
   Her editors let her down in a few places (dropped words, redundant passages), but otherwise "Breathing the Fire" is a good story told well, with interesting information and revelations for just about any reader.



4. This is an excellent book, contemplative and moving in its detailed descriptions of a U.S. news reporter's first hand experience of war. Dozier's discussion of her near death and recovery from severe injury and loss is as captivating as it is frightening. Written in the prose style of a scrupulous reporter but with the rhythm of fiction, the book brings the reader into places of desire, anticipation, shock, betrayal, anger and triumph.
   Breathing the Fire is recommended for anyone concerned about the Iraq war -- a real war that permanently affects the lives of journalists and photographers, soldiers, translators, health care workers and their families.



5. I read this book thinking, "I am not sure if I can relate to this". War stories are not my reading genre of choice. But, I had met Kim over the phone one day and so received an e-mail from her letting me and all her address book addressees that her book had been published. So, I ordered one from Amazon not quite knowing what to expect. This book is so NOT a war story. It is the courageous story of a woman with a goal who achieved that goal, a goal which led her into combat where a life-changing event changed her life forever, as well as so many other lives. I was drawn in the moment I started reading. Kim's writing is clear, concise, factual, with just the right amount of emotion and personality. She lets people in to her very personal yet very public experience without a hint of self pity or any reference to a "poor me" attitude. The book is an inspiring one about a woman of intelligence, bravery, dedication, and love who dared to follow her dream, went through a nightmare, and is today a source of strength to people chasing a dream or living with their own struggle.

5 comments about Pretty Is What Changes: Impossible Choices, The Breast Cancer Gene, and How I Defied My Destiny.

1. This is an incredible, thought-provoking true-story of a young woman who has watched her mother die from cancer and then tests positive for a gene mutation that makes her nearly 90% likely to get cancer herself. What would you do if you had that knowledge?
   
   Author Jessica Queller eloquently takes us with us on her journey. Despite the heavy material, this book is an easy read - I read it in 2 days - because her writing is clear and the story is so engaging.... You want to know Jessica and are rooting for her all the way.
   
   This book is for EVERY WOMAN - not just those with BRCA mutations or with cancer in their family. It is for anyone who believes that true stories often make the best books, and are drawn to the extraordinary stories of 'ordinary' people.



2. I read this book in one day. It's a great read. Jessica really makes you think about your options. My mom is a breast cancer survivor and the BRCA test has always been in the back of my mind. It's definitely something that needs more discussing.



3. I am faced with the same genetic predisposition to breast cancer and it was a life-saver to read about another person's triumph.



4. The author explained her gene risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer in an emotional informative way. I purchased the book because my daughter, twin sister and myself had just been tested for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation. Our test results are that we all have a "variant" that is the same so it is genetic but it is a variant that the lab has never seen in the whole world thus it is "uncertain" what it means other than it is genetically being passed in our family. Reading this book helped me understand gene mutations. The author truly is "beautiful" inside and out.
   Joan Reams



5. This book is a must for anyone with the BRCA mutation or anyone who wants to understand a woman's journey after she finds out she has a BRCA mutation. It is brutally honest and therefore, absolutely compelling. As one who has walked this path, I can tell you that Jessica is very brave to lay it all out there for others to benefit from. I wish her health and happiness.

No comments about Foreskin's Lament.

5 comments about Red Azalea.

1. 
   From the start of the book the reader is enveloped with several odd concepts and aspects of communism and the Chinese culture that many may find simply odd. This is one of the books most fascinating qualities that make it partly likable. My problems with the book come primarily from Min's raw and almost poetic writing style. At times her simple sentence structure was a major drawback that led to a choppy feeling and rough delivery. I felt that her memoir would have been more appealing if she had spent less time dwelling on descriptions that were in many cases not necessary. Overall this book in my opinion deserved three out of five stars. I will undoubtedly recommend this novel to others for the reason that this story is one of a kind and at many points heartwarming.



2. Red Azalea is a compelling memoir, even though the writing is not always engaging. The prose relies on simple declarative sentences and often seems stilted. One observation follows closely upon another; thus, a description of setting might be followed immediately by a description of mortal danger, all in the same even, subject-verb syntax. You feel like you are reading a translation, and, in a sense, you probably are, since Anchee Min knew no English when she came to the U.S. in 1984, although the memoir was written in English. (Red Azalea was published in 1994.) Interestingly, she does not use quotation marks for a character's speech, but does use them for the numerous quotations from Chairman Mao, which has the effect of making Mao a powerful presence in the book. Two things make the book compelling. One is the sheer force of the events of the Cultural Revolution, particularly Min's depiction of her childhood and of her time on Red Fire Farm. The other is her eye for detail, like the bright red underwear hung out to dry in the spartan barracks of the collective farm. Min's recollections of sexual repression (and expression) during the Cultural Revolution are interesting. Such sexual puritanism is exactly what George Orwell's character Julia rebels against in the totalitarian society of his novel 1984, written in 1949, the year Mao came to power.



3. I'm not really sure what to make of this book. It was very powerful and personal. It's unlike any other book i've read because it something that has actually happened. The events in the book are mind blowing in a way that makes you want to keep reading. I would reccomend this book for someone who is ready to read a story that can overwhelm you.



4. I finished the book in 2 days...I could've finished it in one but I'm a student so I couldn't finish it as early as planned. However, I love this book! I love Anchee Min..she is definetly my favorite author. I bought almost all her books. One of the book I really liked is Empress Orchid.



5. Having read Empress Orchard I found this written in a more juvenile way. Perhaps the author was a younger and less sophisticated writer at the time. Good, but not fantastic