5 comments about Ron Jeremy: The Hardest (Working) Man in Showbiz.

1. Ron J is a porn star. Famous for being hairy and (of course) well built in the tackle dept. And not a pretty geezer, although arguably, he was when he was a young 'un. Jeremy is, by his own account, extremly talented - he says he's a classical musician (and provides scant evidence) - and this books is more of less a litany of minor mishaps and pratfalls for somebody wanting to break into the mainstream of acting who never succeeds. He knows everybody, but this is due entirely to his curiosity status as a pron legend, not to his acting ability, and in the end, you both envy him for his wonderful freedom and liberty in his sex life - it is apparent that having made it in porn early, he has absolutely no idea about conventional relationships at all - and for his utter lack of success on any other level, but about which he is painfully and honourably honest. He thinks he is a stand up comedian but never makes us laugh once, although we smile with and at him frequently for he is not a man to stand on a high horse. And so, through it all, you really do like him. He's trying to punch above the odds. He's had a good life. He's self-depreciating. He's not arrogant. He's a porn star who wanted more and grazed the surface. Basically he popularised porn as an icon. That is probably all he should have aimed for. At that level, Mr J is the best thing the industry ever produced. Not bad going, and it's a fun read. A tiny bit sad for his foiled ambitions - but he did not have to tell us about those - so in a way, we get the truth about who he is and what he wanted. I'd not swap his [...] for my brains even if many women I've met would, and maybe that makes him a happier man than many - its worth a read if you are open minded and curious. Possibly one of the most accessible works on the industry you'll ever be able to read.



2. More or less a tongue in cheek look at a life that is a surreal one to say the least.
   He has never had the responsibilities of most of us, and is certainly not one to be giving sex advice.
   For anyone that knows some old 80's porn flicks, there are a few laughs here and some behind the scenes look at some other individuals.
   Ron is obviously an intelligent man, but is somewhat deluded in his outlook on life and what standing he has in the general community.
   A good read, but not to be taken too seriously.



3. Everything you ever wanted to know about the porn industry and more, told by a witty and charming person, Ron Jeremy himself, the King Of Porn. You see or think of Ron Jeremy you think of adult entertainment, but surprisingly he's also a classical pianist and violinist, does stand up comedy, has a Masters degree in Special Education, was a teacher at the Crystal Run School For The Mentally Challenged, holds a brown belt in Kung Fu, and was honored by PETA as an Ambassador Of Goodwill. Surprise. He was also a boy scout.
   
   Growing up in a normal and supportive family, Ron Jeremy Hyatt wanted to be an actor, a real one. He stumbled into the porn industry by submitting a photo of himself to Playgirl magazine. His career took off from there, but he always tries for (and treasures) getting cameo and bit roles in legitimate movies. He's managed to spend his lengthy career staying away from the drugs and excessive alcohol linked to the occupation.
   
   This book is an explicit look at the porn industry, not holding back in describing scenes or use of language, so its not for the squeamish in that area. There's a 17 page black-and-white photo spread and a 16 page color photo spread included, plus black-and-white photos throughout the book and at the beginning of each chapter. No "naughty bits" are shown except upper torso. The color photos are of Ron with a surprising array of famous people. He's like a who's who of Hollywood. It was also Ron Jeremy who directed (and acted in) both of the movies made with John Wayne Bobbitt and his revamped equipment after his wife cut it off.
   
   While graphically describing scenes such as filming on a yacht where all the actors and actresses were seasick, a "swingers club" (basically a $ex club) in New York, and after hours antics at celebrity houses, Ron still manages to come across as romantic and sentimental. Plus, he has an amazing sense of humor. Another surprise.
   
   If you're not shy of delving into a sleazy industry, then I highly recommend this book. It's funny, informative, and entertaining. I'm not a fan of the porn industry, nor do I own any (though I've rented a few in my lifetime) and perhaps because of that I found the book interesting. It's easy to not put faces to such a faceless occupation, but Jeremy opens up the world and slaps us in the face with it.
   
   This book is a very fast read, even at 360 pages. The content is graphic but told in a humorous tone. It takes us from the 1970's through current day in the industry, and Ron even waxes nostalgic for the "good ol days". Make sure to read the prologue too. I highly recommend this book as long as your not offended by the content. Enjoy!



4. To me, Ron Jeremy epitomized the role of everyman, he's not in shape, not very good looking, yet he gets boat loads of tail and gets paid for it! Going into this book I thought it would be filled with sorded tales of celebrity sexcapades and "behind closed doors" type stories. Instead what I got was chapters filled with relentless name dropping and Ron's sob story about trying to break into mainstream acting. Here's a hint Ronny, Porn stars NEVER break into mainstream acting roles unless you count cameos or comic relief. Instead of choosing roles wisely like most actors with any talent do, Ron just goes through life accepting every low level, piece of garbage role he was offered. In a way I still admire him for getting paid to do what every man dreams of, but on the other hand I feel sorry for him because he is basically pigeon-holed in the fat porn star role for life.



5. Its nice to see the other side of porn and hear the behind the scenes stories. Ron is obviously a legend, and a great story teller as well. He has many stories to tell. Like I said, a fun read. A great biography of a great person mislabeled for his role in pornography. I recommend it!

5 comments about Another Place at the Table.

1. I wish this book was much longer--I wanted to know more. The story of a family with the resources to have a luxurious easy life, but chose to open their home and hearts to children who had less than nothing. The selflessness of this family is amazing. I just couldn't have done it. I couldn't have divided myself into so many pieces and have coped with the disorganization. But, I wholeheartedly admire the people who can. Such an inspiring story. Don't miss it!



2. What an amazing book this is. I was thinking about fostering children and this book was so helpful in my decision. Kathy writes with honesty and although I'm usually not one to cry, through the joy and pain in this book I cried three different times. I couldn't put it down.



3. This book is fantastic! It offers a realistic view of what raising fostor children is like. It shows the good and the bad, yet I have never wanted to be a fostor parent more!



4. This book is about Kathy Harrison's real life as a foster mother and the story about a couple of the children that came into her home. She talks about her true emotions and feelings as she tries to hold these "shattered" children together with, as she puts it, just love and "band aids."
   
   Augusten Burroughs (author of Running with Scissors) said about this book...."Shocking, brutal, heartbreaking and ultimately redemptive, This is the riveting and profoundly moving story of a hero, disguised as an ordinary woman. And like every hero, it's the children she is out to save."
   
   Unlike Augusten I did not find the book "shocking" but honest and realistic to what every foster mom goes through. I could not believe how close our stories were as I read this book. You could have taken out the names of her children and drop in some of mine, tweak their story a little, and it wouldn't ring any truer then what we have seen and gone through.
   
   I cried as she wrote about letting Lucy go to an adoptive home. She loved Lucy but not in the same way as the children she adopted. She wanted to keep her but also wanted Lucy to have that unconditional, total love she deserved. The pain of letting Lucy go tore open those feelings and what we went through with two little boys I had for three years.
   
   She writes about her desire to reach ever child that walked into her home and the heartbreak when she realized love, food, clothes, a home, and safety wont/cant heal all their wounds.
   
   She talks about the times caseworkers have such caviler attitudes to their lack of action that keeps a child in the system longer then need be, or keeps them off the adoption list longer. It reminded me of the unfelt and off the hand "sorry" and "oh, well" I have heard so often. But like her, I don't know how to change things, nor do I have the time to try because there is "another child coming through my front door that needs me."
   
   I understood as she talked about the times she stood tall and strong when she felt the weakest, because it was best for the children. Telling the emotions every foster parent feels behind closed doors. The love she has for the strength and unbelievable timing her husband had at being there when she needed him. I understood the times she wanted to yell at a parent for smoking around the baby in her care but struggles with what is good for the baby and the need to keep the communication open between them. The honest hate she felt for some of the parents that have abused the children in her care but at the same time struggle as she realizes that most likely the bio-parents were children in the same situation when they were young and haven't learned anything different. The hope that what she was doing would change things in some way screamed what every foster parent prays is true. It made me think she had a hidden camera in my home that could read my thoughts and feelings I never let others see.
   
   The hardest part of the book, for me, was the roller coaster of emotions they went on as they tried to adopt Karen. She is elegant in relating the fear of loosing a child that, in your heart, is already yours. A feeling that can't be explained or even come close to being logical. She maps out the joys of moving forward, the pains of more hold ups, the relief that the children are in your care, but the lingering dread that things could change in an instant. She revels how everything is devastatingly out of our control and we have to stay on till the ride is done.
   
   She is most honest about not being a saint, or perfect, or even close to perfect. I laughed so hard when she wrote about the attachment case workers visit. She says she remembers her weakest moments (when she said something she shouldn't of or didn't handle a situation the right way) when people call her a saint; so do I. It only takes one or two human reactions to realize we are not saints or perfect; but she honors us with "a warrior" doing our best.
   
   However, she also shows why we keep doing what we do for these children. The ability to see more in these children then others do and the wonderful feeling we get when the children reach not their potential (because it is rare we get to see this) but better then when they came to our door and father then others thought they could. This might be a simple smile, or a giggle, a sentence everyone understood, going a week with out an out burst, a day with out harming themselves, or the ability to care about something other then themselves for a second or two.
   
   I could go on and on but if you want to see what it is like to be a foster parent....read this book! If you are a foster parent and want to know you are not alone....read this book!



5. I loved this book. As a therapist who has just written a book about a teen girl in foster care I think it's important to focus on the incredible work that foster parents do. They are our unsung heroes! Thank you Kathy!!!!! For a fictional, uplifting account of the journey of a teen in foster care (inspired by the foster children I've worked with in the past) check out my soon-to-be released young adult novel, RETURNABLE GIRL. Maybe it will inspire you to bring a child home.

5 comments about 053803: Life at Fifteen.

1. This is a very surreal story of what is going on in today's prisons. It is horrifying, a completely different world. I recommend reading this book for an alternate perspective of how others are living.



2. Robert J. Gagnon has written a self-published book that is one of the best studies of the internal realities of American prisons to appear before the public. The book is so rich in texture and flavor, so informative and enlightening, and at the same time so entertainingly interesting to read that it deserves to be revised and published by a major publishing house, giving it the chance for the PR and distribution it so justly deserves.
   
   At age 15 author Robert Gagnon participated in a bank robbery to obtain money to support his drug and alcohol habit, a major mistake in the first place, made more consequential by the shooting of the bank manager. Even as a juvenile he was tried as an adult and sentenced to life imprisonment in Florida. It is this experience of moving from prison to prison from 1975 to 1985 when he was eventually paroled that serve as the diary or memoir of this stunning book. Written long after this life altering experience, Gagnon writes reflectively but with a keen sense of atmosphere and attention to detail that makes reading this book a mesmerizing experience. There is more to learn about the prison mentality from the perspectives of both inmates and law officers than other more famous novels about prison life.
   
   Though we know very little about the current life of the author, we can only appreciate that this man has developed into a sensitive chronicler with writing skills that would suggest this is not a first book. Perhaps writing the book years after the experience has given him insight and philosophical musings not readily apparent in the mind of a fifteen year old felon, but the degree of sophistication with which he relates 053803:LIFE AT FIFTEEN has moments of rather profound insight into the tribal life system that pervades the prisons across the country. 'Few people like to admit it but man is an animal before he's a human being. Animals have only two reactions to attacks, fight and flee. What makes people human is the ability to reason. An animal in a trap will chew off its own paw to escape, whereas a human knows to wait and see if it can fool the trapper'. 'Humans...have been away from the jungle a little but too long. Very few of us could survive without the most basic of tools, in the very least a knife. Since we've killed off or restrained most of our natural enemies, our worst threat is each other. The rules of civilization have domesticated people by using the fear of discipline to stifle the instincts of the masses.' But in addition to these reflections, Gagnon describes in raw detail the day to day life of the prisoner - details that include not only some fairly horrific events but also include an odd, twisted humor and the overall obsession of surviving the life that each of these men endure. It is frank, it is informative, it is gory, and it is all true. The fifteen-year-old Robert comes across as a rather amazing survivor and as a lad with skills of adjustment and intuition far beyond his years - even in an adult prison.
   
   Yes, there are problems with a self published book: despite a fine cover with a photograph of the confinement wall of the prison, the layout of the pages is cramped without the usual paragraph placement, the punctuation and spelling could benefit from an editor's hand, and the flow of the pages is often disrupted by illogical spacing. But the story is so very well written that this raw version of 053803:LIFE AT FIFTEEN could serve as a fine manuscript for a major publishing house to polish into what seems to be a surefire success on the wider market of bookstores and with PR in the right places. Robert J. Gagnon is a very fine author. Hopefully this book will flourish in a more refined format. It most assuredly deserves it. Grady Harp, July 08



3. I've got to say, this book is one of the few books that I was able to read cover to cover, without wanting to put it down. I was drawn into the world of a young man sentenced to life in prison at the young age of 15. From beginning to end, this book held my attention to see just how the author used his instincts and wit to get himself out of many questionable and potentially dangerous situations. Far from boring, you will read about the true life interactions between inmates of all races, statuses and ages, the good the bad and the frustrating. I must say I love the way in which Mr.Gagnon wrote this memoir. The dialogue was excellent and he leaves out no details. Whether my heart was pounding with anticipation, or I was laughing out loud at his many comical actions and pranks, I felt I always knew what the author was thinking at any given moment. Through the crime, the trials, the fights, the riot and much more, you will be glad you chose to read this book.



4. Listed in the National Criminal Justice Referral Service Library as a study aid for its social and educational value. Currently on the reading list at multiple Florida High Schools for its appeal to students that do not normally like to read.
   
   NCJRS abstract:
   
   Written in the first person, the author begins his story just before he committed the crime of armed robbery with his accomplice, Zig. At the age of 15 years, Robert Gagnon, the author, walked into a savings and loan bank in Fort Lauderdale on December 19, 1975 and robbed the bank. As he left, the manager attacked him from behind and in the midst of the fight, Gagnon shot and critically injured the manager. After he and his partner were questioned by police, Gagnon took full responsibility for the crime, even adopting the media account of what had occurred, in an effort to save his partner who was an adult. Gagnon writes that he was convinced the State would only sentence him to 1 to 5 years imprisonment, but instead he was sentenced to spend the rest of his natural life in a Florida State prison with a minimum of 3 years before parole. His story of life in confinement begins. He mainly focuses on life with his fellow inmates and the lessons learned from some of the "old convicts." He tells of learning how to take care of himself in the midst of dangerous offenders and of eluding the many "tricks" of law enforcement and corrections officers. Gagnon explains that convicts have different types of personalities and are referred to as "hustlers, dealers, players, and racists," to name a few; everyone is placed in a category. He recalls a prison riot in 1982 and about the lost feeling he had after being released following nearly 10 years in institutional confinement.



5. I personally know the author and got to know him prior to knowing anything about his past or the contents of this book. He is a loyal and true friend who would literally give you the shirt off his back or the last dollar in his pocket. The book is written the exact way that Robert would tell you the story, adding some humor and leaving out not one detail regardless of its content. I received the book yesterday and haven't been able to put it down yet! It's a must read! I am a high special education reading teacher who is considering using this book in my class this year. My student's love easy to read, high interest, true stories. Buy the book, it's worth every penny!!!!

3 comments about The Girl in the Italian Bakery.

1. Enjoyed the book immensely as I was the bookeeper at the Stadium Projects when the Author was just a young boy living there with his family...knew many of the characters



2. It's hard to believe that this is Ken's debut novel. He draws you in from the first page. His life unfolds in the Greater Boston area during the '70's and '80's. Ken grows up amongst chaos with 2 other brothers and a single mother in a rough suburb. He finds himself in and out of foster homes, being torn from his family, and mixing with the wrong crowds. At a very young age, the author experiences much loss and regret. He fantasizes about his future along the way and always wonders if he will ever be with the girl at the bakery. During a young life of constant upheaval, he manages to forgive those people most important to him and pushes himself to go on. This book is a source of inspiration. The author is truly a success story. As a mature young boy, he realized that he was accountable for his own actions and only he could make his life worth living. What is most amazing, is that I grew up only miles away leading a charmed, entitled life. You will laugh and cry as you read, I strongly recommend this book.



3. Kenneth does not hold back. You will read about his childhood & teen years growing up in a rough city and in foster homes. But having a tough childhood did not hold him back. It truly is a must read! [...]

5 comments about Two or Three Things I Know for Sure.

1. This is a quick read, but packs a lot of power. The author isn't afraid to lay her life out for you, and all her emotions, past and present. Its doubly touching to note, this book was originally an oral presentation she wrote.



2. Dorothy Allison's Aunt Dot said she only new two or three things for sure and added, "Of course,they are never the same things." This slim volume, a family history memoir, celebrates the way that women know and affirms that what women know is different from what men know. Allison not only tells an engaging story, she tells her story with clear compassion for all concerned. That doesn't mean she hedges around about the truth. It means that one of the things she knows for sure is that "if we are not beautiful to each other, then we cannot know beauty in any form." Compassion goes along with being beautiful to one another. This book is both honest and forgiving. and as such reminds us to look with an open heart on our life circumstances. Don't compound the hurt or the suffering with hate suggests Allison in a mere 94 pages. I suspect most people will want to read this book more than once. I pull it out when when I feel my heart closing and each time, the thing I come to know is never the same thing.



3. "Let me tell you a story," is how the author of BASTARD OUT OF CAROLINA begins her autobiographical journey, alerting the reading audience from the start that she is a storyteller first and foremost above all else: above her being a woman, a daughter, a sister, a lesbian, a survivor. Indeed, she creates and tells stories in order to better define those qualities she has, the labels she possesses, and with an effort towards cleansing her soul of ugliness in favor of beauty and hope.
   
   Originally designed as a performance piece, that she staged in San Francisco at The Lab in August of 1991, Allison reworked the spoken narrative into this flowing, written memoir.
   
   There are many inspiring, defiantly unsentimental portions of the book, which serve to display Allison's valiant attempts to heal herself while becoming an artist. Unfortunately, there are also Anne Lamott-type lapses into cliche and sap and faux-inspiring writing that fails to ring completely true. The pictures of Allison and the family she writes about that accompany the book are vivid and add an even greater genuineness to the text.
   
   A scene that encapsulates the tone of the book, as well as describing Allison's life-long struggle and that of the girls and women she loves, appears near the end of the book, when Dorothy is visiting her sister and pre-adolescent niece. "I looked into my niece's sunburned frightened face. Like her mama, like her grandmama, like her aunts -- she had that hungry desperate look that trusts nothing and wants everything. She didn't think she was pretty. She didn't think she was worth anything at all." Heartbreaking, real and a truth that haunts the women in Allison's family from generation to generation until... when? That's a question that the author refuses to deal with, probably more out of fear for its answer than anything else.
   
   On a side note, I saw Allison appear live at an event in Orange County in 2006. She was fiery, profane, fearless, and struck me as a serious truthseeker with a motivating message for aspiring writers and aspiring humanists. I was at first taken aback by her brashness, her unapologetic stance about people and politics and education. But as she continued on, she became less guarded, more sympathetic, and ultimately more loving than someone who's seen so much hatred and so much abuse should be expected to be. She was, truly, an inspiring figure up there on the stage.



4. Dorothy Allison:
   No one has put the struggle to be human in terms as stark, alive, and
   desperate and uncertain.
   
   This book is necessary because it reminds even those who don't want to believe it that we are in that terrible, possibly beautiful and desperate place--just trying to get our leg muscles to work, or our hearts.



5. Done originally as a theater piece, "Two Or Three Things I Know For Sure" is moving, a quick read, and educational. In other words, it's everything you'd expect from one of our finest contemporary writers. I didn't see it when it was performed as a show. As a memoir, it is very good. My only criticism is -- and it is not so much as a criticism as a wish -- that I wanted to know more, especially about Allison's Aunt Dot and her mother. The book is generously illustrated with photographs of Allison and her family through the years. There is a piece in the book family photographs in a box, pictures of relatives Allison knew little, if anything, about. I would have loved if that section were expanded upon, and maybe to have seen some of the photos. Succinct and thought-provoking (not to mention heart-tugging), this short book makes for a valuable reading experience.

5 comments about Plain Secrets: An Outsider among the Amish.

1. This book gives the reader a rare window into the world of the Swartzentruber Amish. I couldn't put it down.



2. I am from West Salem and having lived there and worked at the law office, I could pretty much pick out who he was talking about. I feel Mr. Mackall did a wonderful job of telling the true life of the Amish.
   
   I have seen the shunning of a young man in public, at a auction I attended. It broke my heart. It is not easy for them to just walk away from the only family and way of life they known.
   
   If the Amish interest you as they do me, then this book is the one book to read.Plain Secrets: An Outsider among the Amish



3. Neither a scholarly treatise nor a vilification, an idealization nor an exposé, Joe Mackall's PLAIN SECRETS is a narrative that explores one man's relationship to an Amish family and, by extension, a community.
   
   Mackall, who lives in Ashland County, Ohio, befriends the Shetler family: Samuel, Mary and their nine children (names changed by the author). Over the years, living in close proximity to the Shetlers, Mackall develops as close a relationship with the family as an Englisher might be allowed. What emerges is the peace, beauty and goodness of the culture, as well as the disturbing questions he finds himself asking about legalism, the rights of women and the protection of children. His friendship with the family also helps him learn more about himself. "I have chosen...to mine the raw material of their everyday lives in search of everyday truths," writes Mackall.
   
   It's an immersion into the world of the Swartzentruber, the most traditional and strict of the Amish sects. The Swartzentruber refuse to use reflective signs on the back of their buggies, leave school after the eighth grade, bathe only once a week and carry no insurance. The women are not permitted to wear bras and are not allowed to shave their underarms or legs.
   
   However, there are plenty of surprises. This conservative sect shops at Wal-Mart and loves the Dollar Store, and may enjoy junk food such as Milky Way candy bars and potato chips. Although they don't practice "rumspringa" like many other Amish sects, the Swartzentruber Amish let their teens go on "dates," in which a teenage boy and girl spend the night together, side by side, in her bed. Mackall skillfully weaves other information throughout the narrative: the history of the Swartzentruber, the organization of the church and the ordination of ministers, and Amish perceptions of African Americans.
   
   As part of his exploration, Mackall follows the story of Samuel's nephew Jonas, who leaves the Amish to join the English community. The reader will be alternately intrigued, sympathetic and repelled at how Jonas handles his new-found "freedom." To abandon Amish life, Mackall shows through Jonas's attempt, is to encounter immediate problems. How do you get a Social Security number if your parents refuse to let you have a copy of their marriage license? How do you find a job when you've never gone to school past the eighth grade? The Amish community's culture and rules, Mackall realizes, make it difficult for a child to leave.
   
   Living in close proximity to the Shetler family offers Mackall positive insights as well --- an appreciation and attention to the weather, a realization that he doesn't need as much as he perhaps wants. Mackall, a professor of English and journalism at Ashland University, beautifully pens one particularly haunting scene, which finds him rhythmically tossing butternut squash to Samuel in his truck as they get ready to go to an auction.
   
   "Perhaps it's because the weather is fair and the season is autumn, but suddenly I experience a paroxysm of joy --- sheer, sharp unadulterated joy. I'm suspended between two worlds, an outsider in an outsider's world. I'm here with friends who consider themselves separate from the world but woven into the earth, while we all throw fruits of the earth to one another: seeds planted, sown, produce reaped and cleaned, soon to be sold, bought, and eaten. Toddlers play, teenagers laugh, a friend loses his hat, my back aches, and through it all the beauty and heartbreaking brevity of this life pierce me with their stunning certainty."
   
   Other scenes are not so prosaic. After enjoying his rides in Samuel's buggy and telling others about them "as if I were playing a small part in some quaint drama most people could only watch", he must re-evaluate his thinking after another family's buggy is hit by a car and an eight-year-old girl is killed. This leads to a written personal tirade, which ends with, "Is sticking with your sacred buggies more important than the sanctity of human life? Can't you take care of your children?" Readers will have further concerns when Samuel takes his daughter to a veterinarian for medical treatment or, like all Swartzentrubers, refuses to immunize his children. Mackall's questions as he ponders the less appealing side of Amish life are respectful, vulnerable and thought provoking.
   
   Threaded throughout Mackall's book is Samuel's belief in God's will and how it affects his world. "He talks about God's will the way he reports how much it rained the night before or that one of his cows has the milk disease. God's will is like gravity --- it is rain and dirt and sun and snow and wind and fire and every other elemental thing. It is what it is --- no matter what we do." Despite Mackall's own disagreement with Samuel's theology, he finds himself strangely comforted by it when a disabled uncle dies.
   
   It's these conflicting perceptions that provide the necessary tension that holds Mackall's narrative together. Readers will come away with new perspectives about Amish life and some disturbing questions.
   
   --- Reviewed by Cindy Crosby



4. Plain Secrets was our choice for our book club this month. It was an informative read. Much info about the Amish of Ohio and a good conversation work.



5. Very enjoyable read. Mackall uses his sensitivity, humor and vulnerability to tell us a real story about real Amish people. Living next door and making friends with a Swatzentruber (very orthodox & traditional) Amish family, he is there for them in their time of need, and they welcome him in to their lives - to a certain point. Mackall smashes many of the popular, but inaccurate notions we have about the Amish and leaves us a little more informed and thoroughly entertained.

5 comments about Seducing the Boys Club: Uncensored Tactics from a Woman at the Top.

1. Like a man who likes to go on and on with "fascinating" stories about himself, the author goes on and on with "fascinating" stories about herself that are of interest to no one but someone also in her own profession.



2. I know a lot of people love the title. To be honest, I was a little turned off by it - sounded manipulative. But I couldn't help falling in love with the book.
   
   Nina shares a brazen, honest, politically incorrect look at what it was like for her moving up the ranks in the "boys club." I love that this is NOT about male bashing. There's really only one man in the whole book who she couldn't find a way to work with.
   
   The stories are priceless, and the lessons should be mandatory for every woman in the workplace. I so wish I had read this book 15 years ago! (speaking of priceless - it was great fun to hear the origins of that famous ad campaign.)
   
   The parts about where and when to use emotion are worth the price of the book.
   
   I know Nina is in advertising, which isn't as stuffy as some other corporations, but I wish more women at the top shared such honest feedback about their rise to the top.



3. Having grown up with three brothers, recollections of living with them came back to me as I read Nina DiSesa's book, Seducing the Boys Club: Uncensored Tactics from a Woman at the Top. At the beginning, I thought I was reading humor as she relates her childhood "...my long road to uncertainty started when I was twelve years old and lasted until the end of my thirtieth year, when I metamorphosed almost overnight from a shy and insecure loser to a first-rate conceited jerk." But once I realized that this humor helped her work effectively with the men in her organization, I began to pay closer attention.
   
   Another source of my confusion with DiSesa's premise came from her assertion that breaking the plexiglas ceiling involves women becoming more seductive and manipulative. To me, that sounded unfair. But having proven herself after progressing from writing resort ads for the Catskills to becoming chairman of McCann Erickson New York, DiSesa makes her points with these sometimes humorous, sometimes insane, but effective strategies for working with men. Using many examples, she shows how she spent her creative energies figuring out the men in her office. She writes, "It's like solving a murder mystery. Collect the clues, lay them all out, and you will solve the puzzle."
   
   Throughout the book, DiSesa shows how she struggled to be taken seriously by twenty and thirty-year-old employees. Once she used a high-powered water rifle to quell their inappropriate behavior. She reminded me of the time when my own children were teenagers and my daughter, annoyed by her brother's antics, asked whether sisters could divorce their brothers. But along with the humor, uncensored commentary, and good advice, DiSesa shows how her lessons helped change the climate of her highly-competitive workplace by identifying her masculine side in order to accomplish creative tasks, meet impossible deadlines, and gain the trust of her co-workers. And in the process, she helped her co-workers find their feminine side making the workplace more pleasant for everyone.
   
   Usually, DiSesa relates solving a particular situation, showing what she did and summarizing the lesson learned, but she is so eager to get to the next topic that occasionally she fails to tie up the threads of the narrative. But this is a minor flaw and may have been intended to keep the reader engaged. This book can help women who study DiSesa's techniques overcome the roadblocks to success by providing a proven path to follow.
   
   by Susan M. Andrus
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



4. Nina makes a lot of good points, and in a very easy to read format! She uses her experiences aka learning lessons to explain her theories and I enjoyed her witty humor.



5. This book does a great job explaining the male culture to women. This culture permeates locker room jokes, jockeying for position, the constant need for hierarchy. This book is one woman's view from the inside and it is great.

5 comments about Cry of the Kalahari.

1. I had to read this book for an AP Biology course and it was absolutely amazing!!! The way that they describe these encounters is simply amazing. Great Book easy to follow it's a book that you just don't want to put down until you finish it. I give it 5 stars no doubt I highly recommend this book to all. One the greatest books i've ever read.



2. I found "Cry of the Kalahari" purely by change at the San Diego Zoo and bought a copy after reading the glowing reviews that were on the back of the book. I enthusiastically agree with the praise and plan to read their other books. In fact, I dropped the book I was currently reading in order to finish this one. I was immediately attracted to the story of two young Americans arriving in Africa with modest funds but determined to do research not previously attempted. The story is all-the-more compelling given the fact that they were going into an area that people tended to shun as too remove and not even slightly hospitable.
   
   Mark and Delia Owens write incredibly well and do not waste words. They describe the animals, people and places with phrases that bring them to life.
   
   A sample picked a random:
   
   "A near total silence crept in on me when I opened my eyes and gazed at the Land Rover ceiling. A moment's confusion; where was I? I turned to the window. A gnarled acacia tree loomed outside, its limbs held up in silhouette against the grey sky. Beyond the tree, in soft easy lines, the wooded sand dunes descended to the riverbed. Morning, our first in Deception Valley, grew in the sky far beyond the dunes."
   
   One could cite many examples that stimulate interest and draw the reader into the experience of Mark and Delia as the alternate the telling of the work. Also the values held by the authors that they will leave as little a footprint as possible is one shared by those serious about conservation, so we share in their decision and agonize with them when they have to make a tough decision. When the lioness called Bones shows so badly wounded with porcupine quills I found myself cheering the Owens' on as they made the decision to lend some needed medical help rather than let her die. Perhaps interfering with nature but the authors are careful not to impose their presence when animals were hunting unless they were protecting an animal they had darted.
   
   Some readers may disagree with the close proximity Mark and Delia Owens have with some of the animals, and the "cute" names they give to some of the animals, but unlike some wildlife proponents the Owens' are allowing the animals to be curious about them and do not seek to befriend wild animals. They are not trying to prove that wild animals are safe and (although there are some tense moments when Mark seems to be getting too close for safety) the authors often retreat to their Land Rover.
   
   Beautifully written and illustrated with many black and white photographs, "Cry of the Kalahari" is a remarkable book



3. Wonderful book that enables one to live the experiences of this dedicated couple who gave so much to the animals of Africa through their research. This book tore at my heartstrings and made me even more excited about my upcoming trip to Africa.



4. Two grad students, having married shortly after their University of Georgia college education began their graduate studies in zoology in the Kalahari desert in Botswana. I've heard grad students' lives are poor and hard, but this couples' 7 year field study takes the mealie-meal. They carefully rationed water and gasoline and lived on mealie-meal (cornmeal), ostrich eggs, and antelope meat; they'd nearly run out of money and write grants to pay for their supplies only and with no money left to fly home. They survived on these paltry sums and did their research in temperatures that sometimes got as high as 120 degrees Fahrenheit surrounded by lions, leopards, and cheetahs in the midst of one of Africa's most inhospitable areas.
   
   This true story is truly amazing and I can't wait to read their other books about Africa. The book was published in 1984 and I wonder if their research had any influence in the IMAX film The Serengeti which is about the greatest wildebeest migration that happens in the Serengeti area in Tanzania and Kenya. In the back of the book is a brief recommendation for wildlife management in the Kalahari desert. In reading this, one can't but be reminded of Jane Gooddall's and the Adamson's work with wildlife in East Africa. It's also a survivors' tale, adventuresome and exciting, but most of all great research. Excellent all around!



5. I do not wish to write a review, other than to say I read this book many years ago and it has stayed with me. Mark and Delia's story was fascinating and I was enthralled with their descriptions of the Kalahari and the animals they observed. I wanted to rate this book, so that the rating could be used in making future recommendatipons for me.

5 comments about American Widow.

1. "American Widow" is the straight retelling of Allison Torre's short life with her husband Eddie, who had just started work at Cantor Fitzgerald at the World Trade Center on September 10, 2001, the day before the tragic 9/11 attacks. Allison recounts the events of that day, the details of her love affair and truncated marriage with Eddie, and of the child he was carrying that day who never will know his father. Allison's antagonists are not the terrorists who murdered her husband, but the mostly well-meaning people -- overbearing friends, intrusive grief counselors and the disorganized Red Cross workers. The financial aspects of the 9/11 families is touched on, mostly in the way that Allison and others were dogged by the painful indignity of answering questions about the worth of the deceased loved ones -- all this to collect promised money to pay the rent and feed their families.
   
   Seven years after the attacks, much of their intrinsic sadness and shock value have worn off. Allison Torre's experience, searing as it was, is like that of many others. A focus on the personal might have helped. How did she work through (or not) her grief and depression? Why was she upset with her husband on the morning he died -- hormones? Immaturity? How has she incorporated that day into the fabric of her life?
   
   I wish Allison well, and hope that writing the book was healing for her. And though I feel like a heel about saying so, "American Widow" did not draw me in.



2. I happened to come across this book at a bookstore not too long ago. I opened it out of curiousity, and ended up reading it entirely in one sitting.
   The subject of the book was very emotionally powerful for me, the story of a 8 month pregnant women whose husband is killed in the WTC on 9/11 and the ensuing struggle to cope with the tremendous loss despite the ongoing, stubborn everyday life that the world brings. Mixed in with the life story of her husband, it is a saddening yet powerfully revealing read.
   The drawing and art of the novel are beautiful and extremely well done.
   I am slightly amazed this book hasn't gotten more attention, which it is well deserving of.
   I clearly remember the emotions of the actual day seven years ago. The ensuing turmoil of political situations over the years to now have been only too clear. But reading this marked the very first time tears have been brought to my eyes.



3. I'm not much a fan of graphic novels, but this one was engaging, informative and moving. Easy to digest in one sitting and rewarding as well!



4. With time inexorably passing by, and amongst the far too many pointless narratives exploiting 9/11 to nobody's gain, here comes Alissa Torres' extraordinary book. The blessing of truth, unmitigated and at times scathing, as it emerges page after page in American Widow, does more for our collective and individual insight than any increasingly pale, and vain, anniversary celebration. And the splendid drawings make this book highly recommendable for any curious and intelligent child and for all New Yorkers, really.



5. 
   The events of September 11, 2001 will go down as the day international terror began to rule the United States and an era of battle readiness gained prominence. For Alissa Torres, and those left behind by the deaths of the thousands in the towers, a painful chapter in life began.
   On many levels, Torres bares her soul as she wades through the intense emotions surrounding the loss of Eddie Torres, her husband. Pregnant on September 11, 2001, the birth of her child by a dead husband put her into a situation even more intense. Betrayal, loss, anger, loneliness, and desperation ooze through in the sparse diary/dialogue laden narrative. The art by Sungyoon Choi is simple, and does not overwhelm the angst filled text.
   
   Content wise, most Americans will never get a more honest education in the politics of humanitarian aid, whether Red Cross, or government based. The frustration the survivors must have dealt with are intimidating in lowpoint emphasis. The transformation from wife, to widow, to victim, to charity dependent, and finally to independence is compelling.
   
   This will be a controversial book given the subject matter. Agree with Ms Torres or not, you will find yourself wanting to find out `the rest of the story'.
   
   Tim Lasiuta
   www.randomhouse.com

3 comments about Mexican Enough: My Life between the Borderlines.

1. When she finally buried her shovel in Mexican soil she had no idea how rich the ground might be. No longer satisfied with simply being considered a Latina on applications, Griest, who learned Russian to travel in the former Soviet Union and Chinese to live in China, decided it was finally time to learn Spanish by traveling Mexico.
   
   In her best and most heartfelt book yet, Griest documents both her amazing process of embracing the wild, dangerous, loving, and enthralling calliope that is Mexico and its volatile political and social atmosphere. Along her way, Griest meets farmers and activists, gay men and macho wrestlers, revolutionaries and victims of violence. Each encounter changes both writer and reader.
   
   All the while the main question is hovers in the sky: What does it mean to be Mexican? Can a woman from Texas with roots in rural Mexico and the Kansas prairie find her reflection in brown eyes or blue eyes?
   
   Read the book. Griest's journey resonates with all of us who struggle to define ourselves in a complicated world.
   
   --



2. I found this amazing book to be very compelling. This author always gets to the very core of the people, visiting areas where tourists do not tend to tread. In Mexico, she not only does not hide the bad and ugly, but also takes us into the private lives of the good and the beautiful. Reading her book was like being her travel companion on her personal quest for the holy identity Grail. I highly recommend this book for anybody interested in Mexico. We all share in its history, its people and its culture. I also highly recommend this book to anybody wanting to take a journey of discovery into their own ancestral motherland. Stephanie inspires one to do so.



3. 
   I loved this author's other books, so I was really looking forward to "Mexican Enough." It does not disappoint. She routinely throws herself into the craziest situations (like sneaking into a prison in Oaxaca, or spending the night in a Zapatista camp in Chiapas) and finds the most amazing stories. I learned so much about Mexico, from the impact of NAFTA and immigration, to pop culture like lucha libre (think: Nacho Libre). Some of the stories are pretty heartbreaking, but there is a lot of humor as well. Even though I am not Latina, I can relate to her questioning her cultural identity, and whether or not she is "enough." It also reminds me of this ongoing debate about Obama being "black enough." That makes this an especially timely book.