5 comments about Open Wide The Freedom Gates: A Memoir.

1. Dorothy Height's accounts in this book are nothing short of massive inspiration and how to peacefully create social change and equality during the Civil Rights movement.
   
   Her focus on creating new ways to reach people, pull together and band with others who also want to see equal rights in the most positive manner spans decades of tireless service.
   
   I grew up and personally witnessed the "race riots" happening in public schools in the 1960's and vividly remember the unfair treatment of men and women of color, as well as how difficult it was during this era for people to move forward in the face of massive racial, sexual and gender stereotype.
   
   We owe a debt of gratitude to Ms. Height's service. This book would make for excellent reading in schools to serve as an inspiration of what can be done, even when it seems impossible.
   
   Deserves 10 stars as a memoir for leadership, inspiration, determination and the courage to make a lasting difference in America.
   
   Barbara Rose, Ph.D. author of Stop Being the String Along: A Relationship Guide to Being THE ONE and Know Yourself: A Woman's Guide to Wholeness, Radiance & Supreme Confidence



2. This book is great for American history buffs interested in reading an account of the civil rights struggle. Instead of being a memoir elaborating on her personal experience, Miss Height instead delivers an account of her witness of history. A public experience. I am sorry Miss Height merely "sratches the surface" and fails to elaborate when she tells the reader about her relationship with Martin Luther King, Jr. and other prominent leaders during the civil rights struggle. This book is void of any mention of intimate relationships with family or friends. In the last few pages of the book, Miss Height unsuccessfully attempts to compensate for this lack of forthcoming throughtout book by briefly telling the reader that she was close to her family and she had some friends throughout her life she loved like family.



3. This book was fascinating, full of events that occurred in a time I lived through but never was aware of. It is like Dorothy Height was there behind the scenes connecting the dots of events and interweaving the people who were in the headlines. She has the gift of knowing the importance of bringing people of all kinds together and the skill to accomplish it. She never gave up when she was told not to do something because that is not how things have always been done or it is too risky.
   
   I learned the term "Cotton Curtain"and about the bravery of a group of black and white women who conceived of and carried out the Wednesdays in Mississippi Project in 1964. "The specific goals of the project were to establish lines of communication among women of goodwill across regional and racial lines, to observe the COFO student projects and discuss them with local Mississippi women, and to lend a "ministry of presence" as witnesses to encourage compassion and reconciliation."
   
   In talking with Fannie Lou Hamer, and knowing of the Heifer Project, Dorothy Height thought of the idea of setting up a pig bank in Mississippi. That idea was turned into a program with the advice of an Iowa farmer and the assistance of the Prentiss Institute. The National Council of Negro Women purchased 45 pigs. "Participating families were trained to care for pigs, to establish cooperatives, and to work together to improve the community's nutrition and health. Each participating family signed a "pig agreement", promising not to sell the pigs and to bring back two piglets from each litter to deposit in the bank."
   
   Dorothy Height has never stopped working on the problem of racism. "Our young people ask why we have to keep trying to solve the problem of racism. Other people move on to other problems, but if you're black, you don't have that option. Your options are clear and limited:you either give up and go into drugs, or you work on racism for the rest of your life. In our society every setp African Americans take is seen in political terms...."
   
   The recounting of the huge effort to buy the present home of The National Centers for African American Women at 633 Pennsylvania Avenue is inspiring and again speaks to Dorothy Height's tenacity. I am looking forward to visiting that building and the Bethune Museum and Archives to pay respect and honor for a life so well lived.



4. If you'd like to gain an appreciation for a female perspective of the civil rights movement, this is a book for you. I was born in 1957 and came of age during a time when the equal rights struggle for all Americans came to the fore---people of color, gays & lesbians, female--were trying to gain a voice in society. Ms. Height speaks plainly of her involvement in projects that brought about fundamental changes in society. She relates her stories about change as it really happens: one person at a time, one family at a time, one small community at a time. Read and learn !



5. A leader of profound courage & excellence is explained by her own words and features her lifelong attention to human dignity. You can't miss this window into the Civil Rights struggle of the century.

No comments about Richard Nixon: Speeches, Writings, Documents (The James Madison Library in American Politics).

5 comments about Empire Statesman: The Rise and Redemption of Al Smith.

1. In his short 1958 study of Al Smith, Oscar Handlin noted that "[t]he written word did not come as easily to Al Smith as the spoken word." Because of this, there it no great body of correspondence or private papers for Smith biographers to consult, ultimately hampering any effort to understand "the Happy Warrior." In this respect, Robert Slayton's book stands as a major achievement. Having conducted extensive archival research and interviewed the children and grandchildren of many of the key figures, he presents what is the most thoroughly researched work on Smith that we are likely to have, and easily the most definitive one currently available.
   
   Slayton uses this material to present a compelling interpretive portrait of his subject. Tracing his idealistic, even naive view of America to his upbringing, Slayton argues that Smith never grew beyond viewing the world through the prism of the lower East Side. This was not a problem in the context of New York state politics, where he rode the crest of a wave of change in the state, one which brought him into the governor's office as the first holder representing the urban immigrants who were to plan an increasingly important role in politics during the twentieth century. When Smith ventured onto the national stage in 1928, however, his naivete about America's essential decency and tolerance crashed up against the prejudices of an America still dominated culturally by rural Protestant values. Slayton sees Smith's defeat as a decisive event transforming his character, leaving a streak of bitterness that only grew as he saw Franklin Roosevelt - a man he dismissed as his political junior - capture the prize that Smith would never obtain.
   
   Yet for all of its strengths of research and analysis, Slayton's book suffers is in its writing. Throughout much of the book Slayton peppers his text with unnecessary slang, and at points such as when he is discussing Tammany or Smith's old neighborhood he adopts a more casual, colloquial tone. The effort jars with the more readable narrative of the rest of the text, appearing as if he were attempting to evoke the conversational style with which Smith was most comfortable. Instead of appearing atmospheric and creative, however, it comes across as amateurish and ham-handed, hobbling rather than helping the rest of the work.
   
   These compositional gaffes can distract from the overall quality of this book. Slayton as provided a biography of Smith filled with insight into his character and his times. It is a book, however, that doesn't quite embody the legendary nature of this political figure, who dominated Democratic politics in the 1920s and who heralded many of the changes that America would undergo. Until the book that can capture this is written, Slayton's biography is the best work available for anyone seeking to understand this fascinating individual.



2. Growing up in New York, it was hard to avoid the name Alfred E. Smith. The huge housing development on the Lower East Side is just one structure that bears his name. But it wasn't until I had read Leon Stein's "Traingle Fire" (for a college paper), when I learned something about the man himself. Later, as another reviewer mentioned, Al Smith was highlighted in the Ric Burns "New York" documentary. Intrigued, I picked up Christopher Finan's "Happy Warrior", which was a very good introduction. However, Professor Robert Slayton's "Empire Statesman: The Rise and Redemption of Al Smith" has completed the picture for me.
   
   Slayton painstakingly examines the complex relationships between Smith and many of the players in his political spectrum, especially FDR. How this contrasts with the simple but deep relationships he had with friends and family is astounding. One of Professor Slayton's main theses--that Smith embodied the best qualities of turn-of-the century immigrant New York--is smoothly argued. For New York, Smith was the right man at the right time. But then Slayton switches gears, with convincing authority, that Smith was the wrong man at wrong time for 1928 America. It is a devestating irony, and grippingly described.
   
   I found the final sections about Smith's reconciliation with FDR and America extremely moving. The entire "Finale" section, including the deaths and funerals of Smith's wife, Katie, and then Smith himself, had me choking back the tears. Finally, there is Professor Slayton's reminder of the legacy that Al Smith left behind, both for New York City and the nation. I cannot recommend this book highly enough.
   
   Rocco Dormarunno
   Author of The Five Points



3. The election of John F. Kennedy to the presidency occurred when I was in the seventh grade of my local parochial school. In the Catholic/Democratic atmosphere of East Buffalo, and probably in Tim Russert's South Buffalo as well, the resulting ascendancy of a Catholic to the White House was a vindication. We knew that a Catholic had run once before; in fact, he had been governor of our own state. The popular wisdom of the Catholic grass roots held that the first intrepid candidate had lost because he was a Catholic, and a lot of America did not like Catholics. It did not occur to a seventh grader that people vote for lots of reasons, and that this was true in 1928 as in 1960.
   
   Alfred E. Smith, a man of no small accomplishment, lost miserably to Herbert Hoover in a 1928 presidential election that added little to the American character. It may be true that his Catholicism was a major factor in his defeat, but biographer Robert A. Slayton provides a balanced study of Smith that gives reason to pause. We see early in this work that Smith [particularly when compared to Hoover] suffered from major deficiencies in his political upbringing that affected his judgment and contributed to a naiveté about the nature of the American electorate.
   
   Born in 1873 in New York's infamous Fourth Ward, there was no way that young Smith would not be baptized into the two religions of his neighborhood: the Roman Catholic Church and Tammany Hall. At his local St. James Parish he received his elementary school education from the Christian Brothers. It is doubtful that he absorbed any particularly subversive tendencies of church and state at St. James. Catholic schools of the time were a laborious financial undertaking for Catholic bishops of the day, who considered them a necessary refuge against the virulent anti-Catholic attitudes of many public school curriculums. What Smith certainly absorbed from his Catholic upbringing was New York's multiculturalism, a phenomenon not understood and generally feared in the predominantly agricultural and Protestant Middle America.
   
   Tammany Hall, one of America's most notorious yet beneficent Democratic political machines, would also demonstrate in Smith's day that same ability to adapt to cultural diversity despite its Irish heritage. Tammany was the incarnation of Tip O'Neill's dictum that "all politics is local." Slayton has no argument with this philosophy except to note that it is notorious bad presidential politics. Thus from the formative years Smith emerges as the Catholic/Tammany wounded duck.
   
   But Smith postponed his inevitable denouement for a long time. For much of his life his personality, loyalty, affability and attention to detail, not to mention his "made man" status with the Tammany war horses, were enough to see him through his political climb. Despite its size and stature, New York State government was Byzantine and unwieldy. The legislature itself was a purgatory for a man without some kind of particular agenda, and Smith found his in the very organization of state government. With little to do, he became that body's best studied member and probably the best informed of the lot; he had something of Bob Taft's feel for the paper of legislation but with a much more extroverted personality. His counsel became cherished and his respect among his peers flourished.
   
   And, he was lucky, though it is also true that men can make their own luck through hard work. On March 25, 1911 a fire at the Triangle Shirtwaist Company Fire in New York killed 146 workers. The dimensions of this tragedy and the accompanying neglect of worker safety made labor reform a statewide issue, allowing Smith to conduct emotional public hearings throughout the state. This exposure, and his public advocacy for a popular issue, put him into the New York State governor's mansion in 1919. With the invaluable help of Belle Moskowitz, Frances Perkins, and Robert Moses, among others, Smith continued his program of reform of the state constitution and generally pleased voters enough to maintain office more often than not in the dreadful decade of 1920's national Democratic defeats.
   
   When William McAdoo declined to seek the presidential nomination in 1928, Governor Smith was virtually unopposed within his party. Suffice to say that once he stepped onto the national stage, however, all of his assets of many years became liabilities. His New York bonhomie, his Catholicism, his parochial accent, and his enjoyment of spirits in the age of the Volstead Act doomed his campaign from the start. He was running against the extremely popular Coolidge legacy, against a candidate who knew how to avoid mistakes. To borrow a metaphor from this century, the "red states" were really red, and there were many more of them in 1928.
   
   Having said that, there is no denying that the 1928 campaign set the twentieth century low water mark for bigotry and ugliness. Slayton points out that the KKK of the 1920's was primarily an anti-Catholic movement; Jim Crow laws made Negro intimidation relatively unnecessary at the time. Catholicism was understood as a foreign invasion of lower class degenerates who drank excessively and usurped the jobs of present American citizens. The Democratic ticket was seen as an endorsement of this demographic shift, and voters turned upon the top of the ticket with a particular vehemence. Smith's parochialism had not prepared him for this, and the intensity of feeling against him, along with the size of the defeat, seems to have left psychological scars that remained with Smith for the rest of his life.
   
   After this grueling ordeal, it galled Smith all the more that the perceived savior of his party was a man he considered a political lightweight, Franklin Delano Roosevelt. As long as FDR lived, Smith would never get his electoral revenge. Coupled with the debacle of managing the day's tallest white elephant, the new Empire State Building, Smith's "redemption" makes only a cameo appearance in this work.



4. The book does a very nice job of describing one of the more important, but forgotten, figures in US political history. Smith's role as governor of New York and the various groundbreaking reforms he introduced, his mentorship of various figures from FDR to Robert Moses, and of course being the first Catholic to run for President would be enough to rank him right up there with some of the more widely written about icons of America. When you consider two of his top four advisers were women (this is the 1920's, mind you), his role in building the nation's tallest building at the time, his emergence as a spokesperson for the immigrant masses who became a political force during his era (and the subsequent, seismic shift this caused in the nation's political landscape - he was the first Democrat to lose the Solid South since the Civil War), his being one of the first politicians to speak out against Hitler, and that he did all this without even attending high school, Al not only deserves a high quality biography but perhaps a major motion picture as well. John Cusack in the lead!

   The book is occasionally "cheerleady" - superlatives come landing out of left field in the midst of other, more traditional descriptions of events. It is, however, critical and frank in other areas of Smiths career, so it reads in a balanced fashion overall. It is a great read and one that should be read by anyone interested in the US political landscape and how it got to what it is today.




5. there is a largely-forgotten statue of al smith on the lower east side at the corner of monroe & catherine streets, but i like to think of the empire state building as the true monument to al smith. at the time perhaps the building was a financial failure, but it was simultaneously a symbol of hope even during the depression when it was being built. only a man like al smith had the vision to help create a monument of such optimism during such bleak times - but more importantly, he did so with the intention of providing a symbol of hope to his fellow nyers. (a symbol, i might add, that has renewed importance in post-9/11 ny.)

   i appreciate & love the fact that reading lists in nyc have been expanded to include the writings & histories of all the races & creeds & cultures that have come to nyc. but as a white, working-class, catholic nyer, i have noticed a real lack of identity awareness or cultural heritage. this biography of al smith fills that void: by presenting al smith and his beliefs, it not only describes the immigrant experience of catholics at the turn of the century, but shows too how great men like al smith were key in helping the various catholic immigrant groups (irish, italian, polish, etc) to become mainstream, integrated americans in this formerly predominantly-protestant country. the anti-catholic impulse in america is largely forgotten, & in fact it is also forgotten that there was a time when white catholic americans were certainly not considered part of the white ruling class.

   in addition, i love the fact that al smith's life & legacy point to another subculture: the progressive catholics. this term is not an oxymoron; at one point in american history, catholics were on the frontlines of many progessive agendas. this book provides an insight into a church that might have been.

   i strongly recommend this book to anyone interested in american history or politics, but moreso to anyone who wants to examine the relationship of ny to the rest of america or how the aspects of class and religion (& not just race) influenced the poltical and cultural climate of america in the 20th century.

   al smith was a hero of the working class, a hero of immigrant groups, a hero for catholics, for liberals, for new deal democrats, and ultimately for all americans. it is a shame that most people - even nyers - don't even know his name. this book is a huge step toward remedying that tragedy.

   very highly recommended!

4 comments about Breaking Through: John B. McLendon, Basketball Legend and Civil Rights Pioneer.

1. Breaking Through: John B. McLendon, Basketball Legend and Civil Rights Pioneer-The ESPN presentation, "Black Magic" prompted me to purchase this book to learn more about John B. McLendon. Being an African American college student at an HBCU when TN State won the three NAIA chanpionships, I knew a little about Coach McLendon and TN State. The book made me aware of many of the things that McLendon accomplished during his life, both on and off the court, and how little credit he has been given for doing so. I strongly recommend it to all basketball fans and coaches at all levels.



2. This book is great reading not only for anyone interested in the game of basketball, or in learning how to be a better coach (of any sport), but also for anyone interested in the Civil Rights movement and all those looking for a story that inspires. Coach McLendon has a lot to teach all of us about courage and integrity. Author Milton Katz shares story after story that illustrate these points in his highly readable narrative. This book would make a great holiday gift for just about anybody.



3. It is a story about an underdog. A man fulfilling his dreams and facilitating the same for the many people he came in contact with. The story of John McLendon's life is a shining example of how sports and entertainment can be a microcosm for the rest of society and perhaps an easier barrier to elicit change. Many times, society remembers the culmination of a chain of events. In the case of John McLendon, he was the pioneer that paved the way for the likes of Glory Road and Jackie Robinson.



4. Milton Katz has humor, integrity, and wisdom to spare. He is one of the finest individuals I know. Those who cannot enjoy him in person can at least enjoy him in print. Mr. Katz knows how to tell a great story -- and like everything he does, he does it with a lot of heart. You can learn from this man -- and you'll probably have fun along the way...

5 comments about Jack and Jackie: Portrait of an American Marriage.

1. This is a little light and PEOPLE magazine-y in parts. But every now and then the author slips the needle in and lets you know he knows more than he's letting on. The catty remarks by Gore Vidal spice things up. I particularly liked the account of Kennedy's personal physician, Dr. Max Jacobson -- the legendary "Dr. Feelgood." Four times a week, right up until the assassination, the Doc was shooting Kennedy up with a special concoction; 25% vitamins and 75% pure dexedrine. Isn't it nice to know we had a speed-freak tweaker in the White House with his twitching fingers on The Button? (Funny how they didn't teach me these stuff in 6th grade History class.) Beneath Jack Kennedy's "vigorous, youthful" facade was a sickly man. And the same can be said for the whole shiney, air-brushed "Kennedy myth" and the rot just underneath the surface. They don't call it "the Kennedy curse" for nothing. Truly, the Kennedys are one of the sickest families to ever inflict themselves on the American body.



2. A fast read. Many details and secrets that probably would not have been published if either of them were alive.



3. This book brought to light so many things that I never really knew. Concerning, love, drugs, children and affairs. It was a great book, but I found the last 20 pages or so to be the most captivating. This book left me with a sad feeling, because the Kennedy's were finally beginning to truly love each other when JFK was shot. This just goes to show that life isn't always fair. This was a great book that I would recommend for anyone to read.



4. A fabulous account of the childhoods and marriage of Jack and Jackie Kennedy. Fantastic pictures of the famous couple. A Wonderful read!!!! FOR QUESTIONS OR DICUSSIONS ON JACKIE ONASSIS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT MellissaLD@aol.com. HPOE TO HEAR FROM YOU!!!!!!!!!!



5. As someone who was born in 1977, all that I know of the "Camelot" era has come to me second and thirdhand. This book was great at setting to rest some of the myths surrounding this famous couple and also presented some information I hadn't seen anywhere else about their private lives in the White House. I discovered many things about Jackie's life growing up that I did not know previously, and how those events factored into her decision to marry JFK.

   Sometimes the author's narrative style can be jarring ("'And what would be wrong with,' she asked coyly, 'that?'") but I do not find the dialogues related to be unrealistic. It was rather like reading a transcript of an extra-long episode of A & E's "Biography" television show. The book is an engaging account of a typical high-society marriage with a tragic "what might have been in this marriage" twist resulting from Mr. Kennedy's assasination so soon after the death of their baby brought the two much closer together.

5 comments about Death of a Dissident: The Poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko and the Return of the KGB.

1. I think it is important first to dispel the false image that this book is 'about' the poisoning of Alexander Litvinenko or even 'about' Litvinenko much at all. The book is primarily a memoir (and a good one) of Alex Goldfarb but apparently the publisher, perhaps rightfully so, thought it wouldn't sell if it were titled 'Boris and Me', which would be much more accurate. Thus the present misleading title and cover, complete with backward 'Russian N', capitalising on the murder of Litvinenko but spending very little time at all on it.
   
   As a memoir of an interesting fellow who has apparently been in important places at important times, and who undoubtedly possesses very valuable insights and perspectives on the USSR-Russian Federation transition, the goings on of Berezovsky, and the rise of Putin, I found it a very interesting and informative read and agree with most of the postive reviews here. It's also quite well written.
   
   Other than the misleading title, a minor downside is that because it is clearly Goldfarb's memoir, it is awfully self-serving and self-focused. In one random paragraph of four sentences, for instance, the author used "I" eight times. There seems to be no decision made anywhere concerning Russia that our man Goldfarb was not either a witness to or the main player in. The Yiddish term 'knocker' came to mind more than once while reading this book.
   
   Overall, I give the book (not the title) an 'A'.



2. Here's a really short review: It took me just a few days of reading this on the subway to finish it. If you are at all interested in Russia, the former Soviet Union and the characters in the news from those places, you will find this a fascinating read. Yes, much of the 'evidence' is circumstantial, but it left me with no doubt that much of what Goldfarb and Litvinenko allege is fact, particularly the FSB involvement in the apartment bombings and probably Putin's use of means even he has called immoral even to think of.
   
   Question for the other readers: How does this compare to Litvinenko's own book "Blowing up Russia" on substance and montage?



3. This is the story of former Russian intelligence officer Alexander "Sasha" Litvinenko, who in November 2006, was poisoned by the rare radioactive element polonium. Polonium is so rare that it is very hard to detect. In fact, in radioactive cases, hospitals do not try to search for it, and most health officials do not even know of it. It has also never been used in war or assassinations by any organization, whether governmental or terrorist. Russia is known to possess polonium, but according to the author, it is very hard to get a hand on it by individuals or terrorist organizations not supported by the Russian government. Polonium is only dangerous if ingested; it can thus be transported without risk. Only a minute amount is necessary to kill an individual. There are no antidotes. The reason it was detected in Litvinenko was because of his resilience and his survival time of a few weeks, which gave British health officials more time to solve the puzzle and detect polonium. Should Litvinenko have died quicker, the cause of death would probably never have been known.
   
   Livinenko, who defected from Russia and became a British citizen, became the first man in history to be the victim of a nuclear terrorist attack. Within days, because of the nuclear radiation, he had aged almost 20 years! A few weeks later he died at a London hospital. The FSB, the successor to the KGB, and the Putin regime were suspected. Traces of polonium radiation were found on some airplanes originating from Russia, suggesting the terrorists had traveled from there. A pub and the Sushi restaurant where Sasha was poisoned were closed due to traces of radiation. You may recall in the news seeing British personnel in yellow protective suits (to protect them from radiation) searching the sushi restaurant.
   
   Sasha's wife, who tended to her husband and was exposed to his vomit, was found to have been exposed to polonium. But the exposure was minimal and did not pose an immediate health risk to her. His children however were not exposed to polonium. According to the author, Scotland Yard knows who the terrorists are, and who is behind them, but the information is classified. Is it because of the political ramifications? Should such information be withheld from the public?
   
   Ever since 1998, when Litvinenko denounced the FSB for ordering him to assassinate tycoon Boris Berezovsky (who's story is told of how he made his billions), he had set out to exposing the FSB's darkest secrets. According to Litvinenko, the FSB were responsible for the assassinations of oligarchs (government by the few), politicians, and journalists. He believes that the FSB were also behind the assassination of Ukrainian presidential candidate Viktor Yuschenko who was poisoned during his campaign. He also exposes the dirty deeds of the FSB during the war in Chechnya. Litvinenko warns the west that the KGB is back with a vengeance. For these reasons, many in Putin's government viewed Litvinenko as a traitor, and, according to the author, may have wanted him killed.
   
   In an address to the Russian people, Putin flatly denied having been involved in the murder of Litvinenko, saying that Litvinenko is insignificant. But then all politicians lie, don't they? It is part of their job description.
   
   The book revealed to me so many traits about Putin that I never knew, but I don't want to use this book to pass judgment on the man. After all, the author does say that the beliefs and conclusion of the book are those of Litvinenko and his own, and that he does not claim to be a neutral observer.
   
   According to the author, Putin was on holiday during the Russian submarine accident that made headlines throughout the world. The west volunteered to help, but Putin refused any kind of help until it was too late. All sailors on board the submarine died many days later. They could have been saved by an immediate rescue attempt. During the whole incident, Putin remained on holiday. I found this shocking. Do his people mean so little to him?
   
   The author reveals more of Putin's character during the Chechnya war and the atrocities that took place there. He also accuses Putin for the Moscow bombings and killings of innocent Russians. Again, we should not take the author's word, but we should keep an open mind.
   
   The author also says that Putin never liked the west but only pretended to, and that when the occasion arises, he would separate from them. He also says that it was the Americans who kept him in power. You may recall hearing in the news a few months ago that Putin resumed his nuclear air patrol to protect Russia from a possible nuclear attack from the west. Is the tension of the cold war repeating itself?
   
   I really enjoyed this book, and it opened many questions I never thought of before. I don't want to use this book alone to pass judgment on Putin and the Russian government. This book opened for me a door to learn more about this ex-superpower that might turn out be a sleeping giant.
   
   This book also exposed to me the evil that man can do in the name of power. Do politicians sleep peacefully at night? Would the world be a better place without politicians? One thing is certain: in the name of power, man is capable of untold atrocities!



4. In essence, this is a real sad story about a mid-level KGB officer who made a wrong bet by deciding to sell himself to Boris Berezovsky. He had to escape from Russia and to get associated with "real friends" Berezovsky and his proprietary storyteller Goldfarb. I feel very sorry for Litvinenko. Goldfarb makes good profit on the story - keeps writing horror stories about Russia - junk.
   
   Read Paul Khlebnikov's "Godfather of the Kremlin" if you want to know who Berezovsky is.



5. Alexander Valterovich Litvinenko was a lieutenant-colonel in the Federal Security Service of the Russian Federation (formerly the KGB), who later fled to the United Kingdom, where he was granted political asylum. In November of 2006, Litvinenko fell ill and died under extremely suspicious circumstances. After his death, he was found to have been poisoned with the radioactive material, polonium-210. Alexander Litvinenko was the first man in world history to have been killed in an act of nuclear terrorism. But, who did it, and why?
   
   In this fascinating book, Alexander Goldfarb, a Jewish-Russian microbiologist and activist, presents his story of his time with Alexander Litvinenko and what he learned from him. The book tells Litvinenko's story from his recruitment into the KGB, through his time amongst the upper levels of Russian society, and on to his post-defection work in the West and his eventual death. Along the way, the reader is treated to a thorough look into what happened in post-Soviet Russia, including the rise and fall of the robber barons, the rise and further rise of the security services, and what was really going on behind the scenes in all of the major events in recent Russian history.
   
   Overall, I found this to be a gripping book, one that kept me spellbound for hours. Now, Mr. Goldfarb is not an entirely dispassionate critic of the Russian scene, and as such his view of events in Russia is bound to be slanted. But, that said, I found his history of Russia to be fascinating, and to be fully in accord with what many other commentators have said.
   
   As such, I must say that if you really want to understand where Russia is today, and how it got there, then you must read this book. I highly recommend it to everyone.

2 comments about Hitler: The Man and the Military Leader.

1. Wow, I never knew the human side of Hitler. He was a wiz with names and always took the time to pick out special presents for people's birthday. I think he is probably one of the most evil men who ever walked the planet. But he had some great leadership qualites, how else could this man rise from nothing to a man who lead a nation to unspeakable evil. Worth the read.



2. Adolf Hilter, a fascinating yet despised man of his times would be a hero to many, but a murderer to some. He has had the courage to lead thousands upon thousands of women, men, and children. He has changed my way of thinking and probably others who thing of Hitler as their hero.

5 comments about Ten Minutes from Normal.

1. Check your closets, she writes, so you will see the marvels of globalization, all because of her boss, Bush, whom she sees through rose-colored glasses for sure. I wonder if she knows our homes are now full of stuff made in China, which has caused the loss of millions of jobs, and MOST IMPORTANTLY, that China holds much of the american debt, perhaps that trillion dollars for a war which has not been paid for yet. This is a book of admiration for an emperor without clothes. It is scary that people like her actually work and have a say in White House affairs. And oh, Karen, read American history or Noam Chomsky instead of the bible for a few days and you'll soon realize what a cruel and uncivilized country America was and still is. This is a lady who holds her bible close to her heart, but heartily endorses war by anticipation, killing thousand without giving them a fighting chance. Wow, way to go Karen, just stay home and take care of your diamond ring and please no more over-the-top books, because you won't be able to find friends to even write good reviews.



2. I highly recommend this book.
   The negative reviews here are obviously from those
   who have a different political position than the author.
   
   How sad some can't look past partisan politics to enjoy
   a book. FYI: There are talented people in BOTH parties
   & I find it inspiring to read about those who choose
   to use their considerable talents in service to their
   country and what they believe is best for it.



3. I really enjoyed this book. It gives a good insight into a busy life of a politician..
   
   BEAWERE, Karen Hughes is a friend and a supporter of President Bush, so if you lack respect for the president you won't rate this book very high!



4. I really enjoyed reading this book! It is like having an inside look into the life of our president and some of the people who work closely with him. It is easy reading and very interesting. It is also very inspiring.
   
   Happy Reading!!!



5. This is a very well written and absorbing insight into the lives and goings-on of our government. I could hardly put it down.

5 comments about A Charge to Keep.

1. I've never seen another book that gets mostly just 1-star or 5-star ratings. That's how it manages the 3-star average. Don't bother reading the reviews. They depend only the political views of the writer, and not really on the book at all.
   
   However, it's worth noting that by far most of the bad grammar and spelling in the reviews are from the voters who gave the book 5 stars. I can't imagine that that has ever happened with another book.



2. This book was written during the pivotal time in Bush's life between serving as Governor of Texas and choosing to run for the U.S. Presidency.
   
   Without checking his facts or follow-through, the book fairly outlines several topics both personal and political where Bush feels passionately. In one sense the book is a fairly candid insight into the man -- I would say that his presidence is fairly consistent with the outline in this book -- and in another it's a fairly cozy memoir covering his daughters, his ownership of the Texas Rangers, his drinking and his courtship and marriage with his wife.
   
   In another sense there is very little balance between Bush the successful leader and Bush the mistaken official. Almost every report here gives off only positive vibes. He speaks of learning here and there and moving on from his mistakes but in retrospect perhaps the whole book was an outline of what to expect of him as president -- results, devotion and faith-enriched judgment.
   
   It's a history without a lot of pith meriting a read only because it is the man himself talking. Here and there he tells his side of things as only he can attest, but usually we're treated only to Bush's unflinching optimism and hand-wringing anecdotes of his rosy results.
   
   If it weren't for the source, this book is not one to remember.



3. first of all...you stupid libs down here spraying your political rants and insane lies...go critique a michael more rag will you!
   
   Some made the point this book doesn't give any new insights in the political mind of the president, and that's true, but it does a great job painting a picture of the man george W. Bush and his outlook on life...written before his defeating of enviromental cry-baby al gore the book talks about Bush as a father, husband, friend, neighbour...a side we don't see very often anymore after he took back the white house.
   
   The book helps people remember Bush is human like every-one else...we learn a bit about his character and what's important to him. We read about the things that matter to him, the things libs refer too when they call him dumb, like loving the outdoors, being part of a comunity, working for your money (that's the #1 liberal 'no!no!'), raising your kids right,...
   
   if you're a liberal, don't bother...this book won't help you "get it"...you don't have the IQ to "get it". If your interested in what bush is like in normal life, how he became the man (not the politician) he is today...read this book as an introduction to the life of the greatest president the world ever had safe for R.Reagan.



4. If I had read this before the 2000 election. I would have learned that Americans want a leader that posseses honesty, compassion, morals, and the courage of his convictions. I should have at least pretended to posses some of these qualities. Bush stole Florida in 2000 and Ohio in '04, if you don't believe me just ask John Kerry. And where did I come up with that stupid imaginary lockbox stuff anyway?



5. I recently saw someone reading this book which I had never heard of before so I looked it up on Amazon. This tome was so moving and uplifting it brought tears to my eyes. Okay, I admit it wasn't the book itself but the reviews. And they weren't tears of joy or hope but tears of hysterical laughter. There were three categories - each engrossing in it's own way: the honest critique, which universally panned the book as as hackneyed as the author himself (and his co-writer, apologist, Hughes); the spoof, which embellished on Bush's phony life making him a Nobel Laureate and corporate magnate; and the honest, heartfelt descriptions that prove that no matter how incompetent, corrupt and morally bankrupt a person is, there's still that percentage of the population who believe he's a good, sincere, visionary leader. With the fortune of hindsight, the latter group stands out though. If you haven't read this book but still want to after reading this and other reviews (unless your looking for a laugh) then God... er, invisible man in the sky help us all!

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