5 comments about Sliding Into Home.

1. Since the moment I heard she was gonna publish her book I got excited and happy, because she is someone I can relate to. Then as fast as I could I bought mine. I must say that Kendra is a great girl but her childhood was not what you could spect of someone like her... I mean that she had all kind of ups and downs but still she became in a very good person that is admired for a lot of people (including me). Also the way she`s living her life now make people have hope by believing that we can do or have better things in live... So Go Kendra!!!
   
   Once you have the book, you can not stop reading it...



2. I love this book! I am a huge Girls Next Door fan and Kendra show fan. This proves once again that reality tv isn't real! Thank you to Kendra for opening up and letting your fans know more about you.



3. This was a great book. I'm a fan of Kendra already, but this book provided a look at her at a deeper level. There is a lot I did not know about her until reading this book. Would definitely recommend.



4. This book is definately and "Excellent Read" if you are a follower of Kendra Wilkinson-Baskett, as I am. I received 2 copies of this book and unfortunately needed to return 1 but I am so happy that I did receive this book and I had it read in one weekend. Best book I have read in a very longggg time. Must Buy!!



5. When it comes down to it I am not really a fan of reality television shows, I actually don't watch a lot of television at all. Yet with a reality show there is always that awareness that the `character' portrayed is presented as a stereotype, a mere caricatures of themselves. Sliding into Home does not show us the fun and light hearted Kendra that those of us who have watched her reality shows would be familiar with - at least not to start with - instead the reader is confronted with the real story.
   
   If you had to summarise Sliding into Home in just one word, that word would be brave. The contents of this book are not something that Kendra had to share with the public. The retelling of her adolescence is in no way sensationalised, everything is discussed in a mature and reflective way. Kendra acknowledges her past actions, accepts that they have made her who she is today, and at no point blames anyone else for her rebellious and destructive teenage years.
   
   The retelling of her earlier years, before she became associated with the mansion, provides the reader with an understanding as to why Kendra often referred to Hugh Hefner as having saved her. She goes on to tell of her time at the Playboy Mansion - her relationship with Hef, her feelings towards Holly and Bridget, detailing what that part of her life was really like.
   I think my favourite part of the biography was the retelling of when and how Kendra met, and then began dating, her husband Hank. The conflict that is described felt real - it discusses the point in time that someone decides to give up the comfort and security they have, to replace it with a potential happily ever after. The transition to a very different sort of life to what she became used to was refreshing, nothing was glamorised, and it provides a great companion piece to the Kendra reality series.
   
   I really have to admit that the whole concept of Playboy is not my sort of thing, however that said the reality show Girls Next Door seemed like a concept just too interesting to pass up. I have watched every episode of the first five seasons Girls Next Door, and just completed the first season of Kendra's own reality show. I actually miss not having Kendra, Bridget and Holly together on one reality show anymore!
   
   I did not hesitate reading the biography of Kendra Wilkinson when it was first released - and I am glad I did. Reading Sliding into Home allows the reader to see the character they know as Kendra as a real person with her own thoughts and feelings.

5 comments about Angelina: An Unauthorized Biography.

1. Angelina: An Unauthorized Biography
   Andrew Morton begins this unauthorised biography by focusing on Angelina's dysfuctional early childhood and particulary the conflict between her parents throughout her life. The early history was a compelling read with great detail of both her mother and fathers upbringing. The picture conjured was Angelina abandoned and emotional deprived by her young parents absorbed in thier own narcasstic worlds, resulting in her developing a fiercely indepandant yet emotionally unstable and detached personality filtered with disturbing obsessions and rituals. Then suddenly there appears a shift of focus from Angies chaotic life and dysfunctional relationships, to her obsession with humanitarian causes, Brad Pitt, collecting children instead of knives, giving to charity and flitting all over the globe with her entourage. The depth of detail in last section seems to pale in comparison to the begining. Overall this read left a feeling of disappointment, yet a deep sadness for the future of all her children.



2. You've probably heard of Andrew Morton, the kingpin of unauthorized biographies (Madonna, Tom Cruise, Princess Diana, Monica Lewinsky). Well, you get the idea. This writer tends to focus on subjects that are very high profile, controversial, and going to sell a lot of his books. Of course, the books do sell although the words "An Authorized Biography" should be as large as the title because his pages are filled with quotes from those who hardly know the subjects, rumors, hearsay, and psycho babble.
   
   Take the case of his latest subject, Angelina Jolie (anyone doubt this would be a sure sell?). Morton wastes no time in detailing the infidelity of her father, Jon Voight, when Angelina was still a babe in arms. This marital misstep, according to psychiatrists who have never interviewed anyone involved, left a permanent mark on Angelina and unhinged her mother. During this crisis wee Angelina was left in the hands of sitters by a mother who couldn't tolerate the child's resemblance to her dad.
   
   Further Morton posits that due to this very early traumatic experience Angelina has a tendency to go after married or attached men, steal them away from their partners and then move on to another conquest. He's at a loss to explain her current relationship with Brad Pitt and their children, choosing instead to leave the impression that this coupling will soon be over and Angelina will be up to her old tricks again.
   
   Truth be told there's not much new in Morton's take on Angelina - a great deal of it has already been posted in tabloids and the actress herself has not been reticent about her past or present. Reading one of Morton's books is similar to lending an ear to the town gossip - you know what she's saying is often mean spirited, not quite true, yet it's spicy, and she might, just might have some really hot item to share.
   
   So, you know you want to hear this book - go ahead because the up side is the reading by Bronson Pinchot, a Yale educated Audie Award winner. With wide and varied experience in both television and films he has a well trained, modulated voice, pin point enunciation, and an easy listening style. We'd certainly give Mr. Pinchot 5 stars for his reading - sorry we cannot say the same for the writing.
   
   -Gail Cooke



3. I read the reviews of this book and was skeptical at first, so I checked it out at the library rather than spend money on something I wouldn't read. However, I found I could not put this book down. To me it gave a non-bias view of Angelina and her life. I have always found her to be a great actress and love her films. However, as far as her personal life, I was always weary thinking she is just too out there. This book made me actually respect her personally as well as professionally. I have a new found respect for her, her mother, & even her father! I think the book did a great job in telling her story and not just promoting the mindless gossip of the tabloids. This made me a true fan of hers. Yes she has made some questionable choices but who has not.



4. I would not say I am "fan" of Ms Jolie, but do admire her work both her film work but more importantly her charitable work and for children. I thought this was a good read, nothing strange (althouhg some parts of her sex life are more interesting for what they say about her than for the sex) or startling if you are a follower of the gossip columns. I thought the most interesting aspect of the book were the last few chapters and what the future may hold. I don't think Andrew Morton paints a bad picture of her but certainly raises questions of the person she was and the person she has become. If the first few chapters are correct about her childhood then I think it would be natural for any child to have issues. If she is trying to emulate the life of Josephine Baker and her rainbow of children then absolutely good luck to her, 12 fewer children in an orphanage is a life commitment that is worthy of true praise. You do wonder though if this is for the children or for her. You are left wondering what the future picture looks like and whether she is driven to prove she is the best or whether her family and her goodwill ambassador role are enough to help her recognise she has more in the world that most people have, its to love herself and those immediately around her that needs to be sustainable. I truly hope she can find it within herself to continue the reconciliation with her father, she has already lost her mother. You do get the sense that she is maturing and her life experiences going forward may take on a different dimension. However, you do get the sense that this could possibly flip at any time if she gets restless.



5. As usual, I was reading this book at the gym while riding an exercise bike to nowhere. Several fellow, sweating health club laborers noticed the book jacket and wanted to discuss it. One of them had just been reading a review of it in a magazine and was asking me how far along I was in the story because she had a lot of questions. Ditto for the Prudential Center Mall Food Court where I was also reading the book in order to escape the summer heat and humidity outside. Several people shyly asked about the book and I noticed other people at nearby tables eyeing the book and me. When they left they passed by me with their eyes glued to the book jacket. They were obviously interested in the book subject and probably didn't even know the book was available? Angelina is definitely an object of curiosity. In fact, she is like a human curio shop with large, steamy display windows filled her with knives and tattoos.
   When I started this book I was a huge fan of Angelina, Jon Voight, Billy Bob Thornton and Brad Pitt. I'm sad at what I discovered in this excellent biography. Our Hollywood celebrities are definitely not the characters they play on the big screen. Over all they are like a strange breed of aliens. They live in their own fantasy world that is totally removed from the world in which most of us reside.
   This book depressed me. It also shocked me. The most positive thing about it was that it confirmed my family's decision to move out of the slums of Beverly Hills and return Boston in 1985. We were living in Beverly Hills when Angelina was also growing up there. She went to a different elementary school than our kids, but they would all have been together at the Beverly Hills High School, the only High School in America with a beautifully decorated, camouflaged, oil well and derrick on the grounds that finances the local school system.
   We left the city because so many of our children's friends and playmates had fathers in jail for selling drugs. Drug use was rampant in the high school and free coke was sometimes handed out as birthday party favors by parents. This book only confirmed the wisdom of our decision. By age fourteen, Angelina was not only living with her boy friend Anton in her mother's Roxbury Drive apartment, but also sneaking out in the middle of the night to hang around with her gang of friends in Westwood Arcade. Angelina's first (of many) tattoo "was the word `Kanji,' Japanese for `death.'" The punk attired Goth teenager was anorexic, a drug addict as well as a "cutter."
   "That the first time she experienced the act of cutting gave Angie such a sense of honesty, of being alive, is typical of those who ultimately become `cutters,' addicted to slicing their own flesh...So for cutters, the physical pain is a welcome release, a kind of melting inside, and an escape from unmanageable emotional torment...cutters feel a sense of control..." Angelina's first experiment with cutting almost cut her jugular.
   "Those who saw her naked noted that the cuts were deep and almost entirely related to sexual anatomy--her breasts and inner thighs--as though she was revolted by her own sexuality, perhaps reflecting her sense of not being `clean.'"
   "'Angie couldn't risk expressing that primal rage against her mother, so the rage was directed against the self,' says psychologist Iris Martin. `What comes with that is suicidal thoughts and self-mutilation, as well as eating disorders like anorexia and bulimia. They are all assault on the self.'"
   When her father discovered the situation and tried to talk to her he was not allowed to do so by her mother who didn't find her daughter's activity all that unusual. She was the person who had suggested that 14-year-old Angelina's boyfriend move into her apartment so they could practice safe sex.
   Obviously Jolie's "mother was living through her daughter, just as her own mother had lived through her." While her mother, Marcheline Bertrand, usually called Marche, loved Angie and did everything a mother can do to help her succeed and accomplish both their dreams, she also permanently poisoned her two children against their father actor Jon Voight. Ironically, the book author points out the many ways that Angelina is more like her father Jon Voight, whom see barely sees or communicates with, than her "Stage Mom" who has passed away a lonely, lonely woman.
   The most tragic figure in this biography is Jon Voight. Because he had divorced Marche, his ex-wife became the poster child for how ex-spouses with children should not act toward their ex-spouses. She absolutely turned her young, impressionable children totally against their father. Her actions also turned Angelina against all men who would leave their wives or lovers for another woman. Once that happened they had demonstrated that they were as worthless as her father. "On some level, their behavior confirmed her preexisting contempt of men, `proving' them to be as unworthy of love and respect as her father." Ironically, Angelina has excelled at stealing her husbands and lovers from their wives or girl friends. This included Laura Dern who as a 10-year-old, had regularly babysat for toddler Angelina. But once she has achieved her goal, Angelina quickly loses interest in her conquest. Take note, Brad Pitt. Beware of the "Bertrand Freeze." Angelina doesn't use it as casually as her mother and grandmother did, but she does possess it. Once subjected to the freeze, the victim is never again allowed into the world of the user--including relatives and fathers.
   This is an exhaustive biography. It will provide the reader with more information about Angelina, her upbringing, her husbands, her career and her good works on behalf of the world's children than they will probably want to know. Angelina is a good actress because she becomes her screen character, both on set and off. Some of her characters have been clinically off the walls. Like most super stars she also gets romantically involved with her co-stars, both male and female and freely admits it, although she long ago discovered the value of "shocking the public" as a method of gaining publicity. That is one of the reasons she has encouraged and orchestrated the image of her as an insatiable and kinky sexual athlete. She knew her sexual exploits were a magnet for good press for her and her movies.
   She is now a super-mom as well as one of the most famous actresses in history. As two of her directors and photographers agreed, the camera loves her.
   This book delves into the motivations for her desire to emulate a famous dancing legend that adopted a dozen mixed-race orphans "whom she called her `rainbow tribe' as a protest against racism in America."
   She and Brad and their six children sleep in the same custom-built 9-foot-wide bed. And "Salt", the movie title, was also the name of Jennifer Salt, Jon Vought's lover that he dropped in order to marry Angelina's mom. Naturally, the book is packed with this type of fascinating trivia. How many homes does she own? How many full-time staff members and security guards are always with her? The reader won't be bored and will get their fill of very intimate information about all the book's characters, including the scoop (and photographs) of Jolie's famous below-her-bikini-line tattoo "Billy Bob Thornton."
   Unfortunately, the readers will never again be able to watch any of their favorite actors with the same rose-colored glasses. It may even make the readers give up learning anything about the personal insane lives of their favorite motion picture and television celebrities? It might be more enjoyable to watch them if the viewer knows nothing about their dysfunctional, astrology obsessed, drug addicted and freaky cutting and BDSM sexual lifestyles. The only two major characters in this book that came from more or less normal, functional families were Jon Voight and Brad Pitt. Most of the others came from incredibly weird family situations. It's absolutely amazing that Angelina has managed to survive her own demons and become all that she is. She has a strong, strong constitution and drive and is more than a little lucky. It will be interesting to observe the rest of her life. She is a perfect example of a celebrity who burns the candle at both ends--but unlike most of the others, she probably likes to then have the hot candle wax poured or dripped on her bare skin as she withers in ecstasy?
   Andrew Morton did a good job with the unauthorized biography. In its current form, it's doubtful it would ever have been authorized. It appears to be too brutally, depressingly accurate. But once started, it's difficult to put this bio aside and come back to the real world.

No comments about Life.

5 comments about Furious Love: Elizabeth Taylor, Richard Burton, and the Marriage of the Century.

1. I really enjoyed the book. I have always loved both Richard and Elizabeth. Who couldn't fall in love with either of them? Richard was so damn handsome-pock marks and all. I just wish it had a fairy tale ending "And they lived happily ever after." Such a tragedy--two people who loved each other so very much but just couldn't pull it together. I don't think there will ever be another couple as great as Elizabeth and Richard. I find the book rather haunting--I just keep thinking about it.



2. Overall, this was a good read, though I didn't learn much new. There were a couple of charming photos I hadn't seen, but I would have loved to see more. If you are interested in learning more about Burton, I would suggest 'Richard Burton: A Life' by Melvyn Bragg. It contains many detailed entries from Burton's diaries, which are only sketchily referred to in this book; also, lots of material about his life with Elizabeth Taylor.



3. The absorbing, titallating story of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton's great romance is truly a delicious treat for those of us who love the real inside scoop on our favorite actors.
   
   Although I was in rompers when "Cleopatra" was released, I had the good fortune to see Ms. Taylor on stage in "The Little Foxes" in London in 1982. Her performance was nuanced, sexy and every bit as riveting as Betty Davis' tour de force in the movie version. She even added a fascinating incest slant to Regina's relationship with her brother, Ben, played by Robert Lansing. From my third-row seat, I could feel the great Elizabeth's charisma and see her still-amazing beauty. And when she came on after the curtain calls to announce to an eager audience: "Ladies and Gentleman, a prince has been born." (Charles and Diana's first-born son), I still get chills at the memory!
   
   So I was itching to get my hands on this book, and it did not disappoint. Apparently the authors were given access not only to previously unreleased letters written to Taylor from Burton, and to Burton's unpublished diaries, but they conducted new interviews with many of the people still around to recount their memories of that over-the-top romance and marriage which practically created the terms "superstar" and "jet-setting".
   
   Their story is wonderful and epic and tragic. Ultimately, one may wonder if the Taylor/Burton union really was comprised mainly of booze and personal drama. Perhaps each was so damaged that real-life love was impossible. But they played out their lives in a public arena, and it is mesmerizing to see how it unfolded, and how it ultimately collapsed.
   
   I agree with other reviewers that both Taylor and Burton come across as sympathetic in the book, although Burton perhaps a bit more so because he does seem so very lost so much of the time. His life story is one of "what ifs" (i.e. What if he hadn't left the stage? What if he hadn't married Elizabeth Taylor? What if he could have quit drinking? What if he had won an Oscar early on in his career?) Burton really embodies much of the Aristotelian model for a tragic hero.
   
   I enjoyed this book immensely, and I whole-heartedly recommend it, with one caveat: if the subject interests you, purchase the hardback copy. The authors have included two long sets of wonderful photos in the book, which add a great deal to the experience of the book. These will not be printed as well in a paperback, and will not come across at all in the Kindle version. They really are necessary to your complete enjoyment of the book.



4. Captivating story of passionate love between two people, whose life in the public eye doomed their life together. This story mainly transpired when I was a young child, and I vaguely recall the press associated with this infamous relationship. The book is hugely sympathetic to Richard Burton, in particular. I especially loved the pet names that Rich (who hated to be called "Dick") had for E.T.



5. This book is a great read for anyone who believes in true love. Highly recommend!

5 comments about Oprah: A Biography.

1. This is a must-read book for all those who live and die by Queen Oprah! It's high time the Queen was knocked off her throne by giving us the truth behind the Great Facade. Thank you KK for not being intimidated by the Big O. Yes she's done many good things but is it really from her heart or is it just for the fanfare? After all, doing for girls in Africa when she doesn't relate to black? What's that about? Oprah does nothing if not for Oprah. She creates superstars of so many so they're indebted to her forever. The more she controls the less known her demons and her vices. What better way to be the master of your fate, the captain of your soul? Read it and be enlightened.



2. I took a shot and decided to check out this book at the library instead of purchasing due to the 50/50 reviews (positive/negative).
   
   I enjoy reading biographies whether they are by the actual person writing the book themselves, through a professional writer for them or an unauthorized biographies. I have read some interesting biographies over the past 30+ years and this book was the WORST of them all.
   
   I checked this book out of the library (had 3 weeks to read it) ... well I only got up to page 162. I convinced myself that it "has to get better" so I requested the book (again) from the library for another 3 weeks hoping it would get more interesting and finally finished this book. This book did NOT hold my interest whatsoever. Boring, boring, boring ... dragged on and on regarding Oprah's broadcasting days/history of all of her jobs in broadcasting ... who cares??? The book was all over the place bouncing back from her past broadcasting days to her childhood, her mom, dad, sister, brother, Stedman, Gayle, previous lovers, etc. it never just TOLD THE STORY or had a good flow to it to hold the reader's interest. I had to force myself to finish the book just to find out that it NEVER got better.
   
   This book is 445 pages plus over a 100 pages of Kitty's notes of "where" she got her information, etc. Based on the content of the information that Kitty had to tell regarding Oprah, this book could have been written 50 pages or less.
   
   I have not read any of Kitty's other unauthorized biographies and after reading this one, I have no desire to read any of her books. I am not one of those Oprah fans that worship her and go out and buy whatever they saw on Oprah or take everything that Oprah says as the gospel, but I have DVR'd her show now and then over the years if there is a subject or guest of interest and then end up fast forwarding through it. Most high paid celebrities are overrated, have enormous egos because "money talks" and they can afford to buy anyone/anything and they get special treatment/free stuff due to their status with the sponsors hoping for the celebrity to promote their products. So reading this about Oprah as well as other celebrities that were minorities and had a colorful past is nothing new. Oprah had a vision/dream of being "rich" and that is all that mattered to her. She believed in herself and was driven to do whatever it takes regardless of what other people thought of her. Yes, she had the "best of the best" to help her get there with their professional advice and support. Hopefully she has acknowledged and thanked them and paid them accordingly for their services ... if not, then it is her karma that will come back to haunt her. She must be doing something right because she continues to be at the top of the highest earning person according to Forbes.
   
   I do not recommend this book. Save your time and read another biography (and one not written by Kitty Kelley).



3. This book came as advertised. It was in excellent condition.
   
   The mailing was very prompt and I was enjoying the book in just a couple of days.



4. It is very apparent that Kelley has a grudge against Oprah by the way she portrays Oprah in this book.
   
   When I pick up a biography, I expecct the good along with the bad. I expect the author to be unbiased & only reveal the facts & allow readers to make their own judgments based on the facts.
   
   Kelley, is very good about pointing out the bad about Oprah and portraying her as an ego maniace, fake, liar.
   All the stories she relays in the book show the down side to Oprah. She never tells the positve.
   
   The book is long, repetitive, drawn out & a bore.



5. As with all of Kelley's books she is determined to take every good thing that she must print about her subject and turn in into a dark and sinister character flaw. And she did no less with her attack on Oprah. I still came away from the book liking Oprah better than Kelley. Kelley begrudgingly writes about Oprah's benevolence although she attempts, in every instance, to immediately overcome a good deed by attributing some nasty and conniving deed to Oprah. As usual, she makes innuendo and lists every quote a detractor has ever put on the record (or made off the record). I always have an image of Kelley as a batman character with fangs, horns and a menacing smile. I have to be honest and say that her work is well-researched, but in my judgment not well written. I would enjoy it more without all the venom. I think the reader is capable of forming their own opinion from what they've read.
   
   Even with Kelley having total control over the material, the writing, and the publishing, Oprah kicked her butt.

5 comments about uncharted terriTORI.

1. So my best friend loves Tori but it took me until recently to try her books. I have read all three and think her first was the best. Uncharted takes second place in my opinion. She really does have an entertaining and flowing style of writing. I found all of the books very down to earth and portrayed her as she probably intended....a real person who faces the same life struggles as most of us. I wouldn't pay full price for any of them though. I intend on continuing to read what she publishes, now I'm stuck waiting for the next one! I love the play on her name in all the titles, very creative.



2. I am an unapologetic Beverly Hills 90210 fan (the original, that is). There, it's out in all its embarrassed and shameful glory. As such, I am also a fan of Tori Spelling as well as her now defunct series So NoTORIous and the current Tori & Dean: Home Sweet Hollywood. Don't judge.
   
   I enjoyed Tori's first book, sTORI Telling. I found it to be much like So NoTORIous - - refreshing, able to make light of her own celebrity, laugh at herself and appearing honest. Tori is humorous and it came through in spades with sTORI Telling.
   
   Not so much with this effort. Not that there is anything wrong with Unchartered TerriTORI. The writing style and the tone keep in step with her first tome and there are some very humorous sections in this one, including the opening chapter with Tori on an airplane, headed back to Los Angeles (or better known as "the birthplace of Tori Spelling!").
   
   I liked the portions of the book that dealt with Murray (although keep a tissue handy), with the reliable and beloved Patsy and even the chapter on how Tori's former 90210 co-stars currently feel about her today. Just like high school, indeed.
   
   But truth be told, I could have done without the jab at Mary Jo Eustace, Dean McDermott's former wife. They are divorced, have been divorced, and I think it's high time that Tori refrain from reminding us that Dean left her and the state of their sex life at the time. It makes Tori appear petty and churlish.
   
   And if, like me, you watch Tori and Dean's Oxygen network reality show, much of the book will no surprise to you, as you've already seen it, from the cross country trip in the RV, to Dean's motorcycle accident to Mama Lola. That was likely the biggest disappointment to me - - that the book felt like a rehashing of what was previously aired on Oxygen.
   
   But like her previous efforts, Unchartered TerriTORI was a quick and breezy read, as light as cotton candy and ultimately as filling. The book is a cute read while immersed in it but you might be left thinking that Tori wrote about a whole lot of nothing by the last page.
   
   I would recommend it for Tori Spelling fans and for a light and pleasant beach read but would probably encourage a library rental versus a purchase.



3. So, I thoroughly enjoyed the first 2 Tori books. They were not a big escape from the show, but had some additional layers, stories, and were really funny. This book, though amusing and cute, had so much more depth than the others by far. I, too, lost my Dad about a year ago, and am a very hard working Mom, who constantly struggles with the balance that comes with that, and I felt for all of Tori's struggles. How you spend time with the kids when there is work to do? How you work when the kids need you? How does my husband not want to spend the day with the family when he has been away? And what am I going to make for the next school event that will show my love...and be fabulous?
   
   I found myself chocked up, and brought to tears a couple of times, while laughing aloud in between. Great job Tori!



4. I bought this as a gift. The price was great and, as always, the shipping was quick amd flawless. The person I gave it to "loved"it and said it was vey enjoyable. Once again the Amazon experience lived up to it's high standard.



5. I love Tori Spelling's 'out-there' persona. The book did not let me down like her others that I have read. Great book and lots of laughs.

5 comments about In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving.

1. I just adore this couple and since Tim McGraw and Sandra Bullock write in the book as well, it makes it very interesting. I am impressed by the way the Tuohy's raised their kids- looking for needs around them and meeting them however they could.



2. Well, I loved the story the Blindside, and was really looking forward to this book. Unfortunately, I didn't get past the first page of the second chapter. This is why....
   
   First of all, let me say I found the "Popcorn" theory of giving to be wonderful, and liked learning about Sean Tuohy's childhood and how his father influenced him. But in the first chapter, I started to notice a lot of bragging about materialistic possessions. For instance, the description of the Tuohy's richly decorated home, and the bragging about how many television sets they have in their "game" room rubbed me the wrong way. But...I trudged on thinking that surely there is more to this book and it would get "deeper" into the concepts of compassion and giving as the plot developed.
   
   
   The book took a disappointing turn for me on the first page of the second chapter titled, "Giving" and told from Leigh Anne's point of view. In the first sentence of the first paragraph Leigh Anne says, "I'm gonna be real honest with you: People ask some stupid questions. You can tell the short bus picked them up."
   
   I had to do a double take. I couldn't beleive she pulled out the "short bus" comment/joke in a book about generosity and giving. I don't have any special needs children, but was offended anyways. I read on a few more sentences until Leigh Anne decides to tell all of us that she thinks Sandy Bullock has fabulous "ta-tas". Again, I found this comment to be in poor taste.
   
   The crassness and disrespect of both of those comments made me close the book and wish for my money back. I realize that both the comments were supposed to be humourous, but the attempt at humor seemed to clash with the potential message of the book. I wish Sally Jenkins and the editors at Henry Holt would have explained to Mrs. Tuohy that "there is a time and a place"! What's funny in oral conversation isn't always funny on the page! (And unfortunately, in this instance it was offensive and insensitive.)
   
   I hear Michaal Oher is also writing a book. Hopefully, he gets better advice (and editing).
   
   I really admire what the Tuohy's did for Michael which is why I gave this book two stars and not one. I really would not recommend the book to anyone!



3. As an Ole Miss fan for many years, this was certainly an enjoyable book to read. However, even those who are not sports fans should be inspired by the incredible story shared in this book and should be challenged to become the kind of "cheerful givers" talked about by the Tuohys and encouraged in the Bible. I highly recommend this book.



4. I purchased this book on July 22nd. I got a message stating it would not be shipping until the end of July or first of August. I sent an email to them the second week of August and no one ever replied. It's Aug 23rd ... a whole month and I still do not know where the book is. BTW..they charged my acct so I guess I'll have to try a chargeback. Ughhhhhhh



5. Reviewed by S.G. Smith for Reader Views (08/10)
   
   There are few books that you can read which will greatly impact your life and make it better. This is one of those books.
   
   Have you seen the movie "The Blind Side?" Did you enjoy it? If so, you will definitely want to read this book. "In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving" is written by Leigh Anne and Sean Tuohy, and it is their firsthand account of how they got to the point in their lives that made "The Blind Side" possible.
   
   These remarkable people, and their three fantastic children, allow the reader a glimpse into their personal lives - the lives that they have so unselfishly given to others. Leigh Anne and Sean each write chapters on their childhoods, their meeting each other, and describe how they think they became the people they are today. Their children - Collins, Michael, and Sean - also add chapters describing how they grew up and why they made certain choices in their own lives. You learn that Leigh Anne and Sean were strongly influenced by the way their parents raised them. They have carried these lessons into their own role as parents and are now shaping the next generation of Tuohy/Oher children as selfless givers.
   
   After reading "In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving," you may realize what is missing in your life. You will learn that it does not take countless dollars or extensive periods of time in order to give... sometimes it is the mere smile to a stranger that can greatly change a life. When the Tuohy's hear that someone cannot do "big" things like they do, they tell them to "do something small greatly." It is a safe assumption that after you read the Tuohy's book, you will try to find ways to do something small greatly every day. This book makes you want to be a better person - a person like a Tuohy.

5 comments about Songs of Three Islands: A Story of Mental Illness in an Iconic American Family.

1. There are many puzzling things surrounding this book. Like why after a fluff-piece in the NY Times (paid for?), there are still only four reviews here. Like how Mrs. Monks managed to get this silly stream-of-conscientious drivel published (again, paid for?) And the utterly strange reviews of others. (One from the person who delivered the manuscript!)
   
   One might think that this book might shed some light on one or more of the following: 1) History of the Carnegies or Rockefellers. 2) History of the islands in question. 3) A family's struggle with mental illness.
   
   On counts one and two, you'd be hard pressed to say you've learned anything. On the most important matter of mental illness, you'd be much better served by any of a dozen books not written in the dreary and self-absorbed style of this terribly strange woman.
   
   It is certainly not the author's fault that she has lived her whole life with nary a concern about the financing of day-to-day living. This while saying nothing of the burden of medical bills that almost any one else dealing with a mentally ill family member might have. But she is truly clueless as to how the great unwashed live. Six months' treatment here, trips to Santa Fe to visit a psychologist there, school in England, a holiday safari....don't we all live like that?
   
   Obviously no amount of money can alleviate the painful childhood experiences at the hands of her mentally ill mother and ill-tempered father. And who wouldn't give everything they own for their child to avoid the misery of an emotional disorder? But all descriptions conveyed are wrapped-up in a pitiful & delusional triteness.
   
   Even in addressing the very salient point of how "bad parenting" was/is often pointed to as the "cause" of a child's mental illness, the author fails miserably to give any accounts that might serve to elucidate the reader. Only when a doctor's diagnosis enlightens Mrs. Monks does she pronounce, "...and all those times we were accused of being bad parents." (All what times?!?)
   
   But worst of all is the steady diet of astrologers, mystics, and other charlatans cited in her inner circle. Very hard to present a meaningful portrait when interwoven was zany thoughts (like the perceived plans to abduct her children by the house-staff,) explanations, and visions.
   
   In the end, one VERY clear and important message does permeate this book. The author's mother and other relatives displayed signs of mental illness. Her daughter likewise seems to have struggled continuously throughout her life. And Monks freely expresses (though, again, not very clearly) a lifelong battle with depression. One can ONLY conclude that MRS. MONKS HERSELF IS SEVERELY AFFLICTED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. For all the suffering of this family, great sympathy is due. But trying to get anything useful out of this book is like trying to learn the history of a mental institution by asking a patient to write it!
   
   Here's a couple of passages to illustrate how this book so severely missed the mark. First, Monks finishes one chapter with this:
   
   "Many years later, Sandra (Monk's daughter) sued for all the doctors' reports." Her psychiatrist had written: 'Sandra's focus is her desperate struggle with her brother over her mother's attention. The mother is a vacant vain person who is self preoccupied and has little to give to her children.'"
   
   This is so powerful and loaded but Monks doesn't think to delve into it. From the blame (some of it unfounded, to be sure), to the damage Monks suffered in childhood, to the (never-stated) sibling rivalry of her children, to the natural conclusion that she herself is quite disturbed, much could be revealed. Alas not.
   
   And this one which unfortunately shows a sad level of delusion:
   
   "A woman we had met at Sandra's......called to tell us [Sandra] was very depressed.....They had a cousin named Joey who was connected with an organization in the Catholic Church......They felt he should move in with her and help her......"
   
   "[At Thanksgiving] I seated Joey next to me at dinner. 'So, Joey, tell me about yourself.' Joey didn't miss a beat. 'Yeah, I'm a member of the NY Mafia. My brother carries the gun and the money, not me, and my father just shot up a store that was giving us trouble.'
   
   'You won't believe this, Joey,' I said, 'but we have something in common--fathers who shoot at things......[at a party my father] found a lovely young blonde and wanted to take her out on his boat'.....[In order to wake up the captain and first mate]....he got his gun out and proceeded to shoot the boat......I wasn't about to let Joey think we were a bunch of patsies.'"
   
   There is plenty more that is folly or delusional in this book, but no point beating it to death.
   
   Perhaps this catastrophe of a book should have been published by a vanity press for distribution to family and friends because it no one else could possibly derive anything useful from it.



2. The mother-author of this sad book skips over how old her daughter was when her second child, Angus, was born. When a child is too young to understand why she/he is no longer the center of the Universe and feels that her parents, especially her mother has abandoned her by having another child, there can be life-long feelings of abandonment and the belief that they are not loved. This sounds like the story of Sandra, the daughter who is both tormented and torments her parents throughout their lives: "a life sentence for us all" as Bobby, the father so aptly describes it. Although there are plenty of photographs of the author which illustrate her beauty and bearing, there are oddly no photographs of Sandra as a young woman or afterwards. Why is that? If the purpose of this book is an elegy written by a mother who wants absolution by illustrating her earnest pursuit of rightness from a spirit perspective, then she has succeeded. What is curious is that she just can't get herself to admit that she is furious that having this daughter and her problems have almost ruined her life and the happiness of her marriage. We are so inculcated in the cultural value of having to love our children no matter what, that the defensiveness in the book is as bipolar as what's really going on with the family all these years. I guess I don't really understand the source of the guilt--the never ending self-questioning about who was responsible and did they do enough. It sounds like they really did do their best but still feel guilty anyhow.



3. This is the story, narrative, journey of Millicent Monks. Call it what you will it is a fascinating story of, as she calls it "a story mental illness in an iconic American family." She is the great granddaughter of the brother of Andrew Carnegie. The book chronicles the lives of her mother herself and her daughter. As a therapist I found the book to be extremely engaging. Millicent chronicles the guilt and shame she experienced in being disengaged from a mother who at the best suffered from major depressive disorder and at the worst schizophrenia. Her mother is not alive to attempt diagnosis.
   Millicent recounts that she was born at the end of the dpression which would put her roughly in her 80's at this point. The book is written with an excellent grasp of the history of one's family. Specifics and details abound.
   Millicent (I feel I am so familiar with her life that I can refer to her by her first name) moves from her own life to the life of her daughter. Millicent posits a diagnosis of borderline personality disorder for Sandra her daughter. She chronicles the stays in various mental institutions and the ensuing alcohol abuse. This book is a study in the genetic/environmental transmission of mental illness. This disorder passed through three generations from grandmother to grand daughter.
   If you appreciate excellent writing you will thoroughly enjoy this book. The detail, the vividness, the ethos is brought out in every word. Millicent's journey through mental affliction herself is a journey of courage hope and strength. The use of words places one in the very spot she is portraying and helps the reader to appreciate that she knows of what she speaks. In my humble opinion a true wordsmith crafted this book. I understand editorial contribution but I don't think an editor could have suggested or even written in the vividness that encapsulates this book. If you have any compassion for those who struggle with mental illness you owe it to yourself to be come acquainted with Millicent's journey. I highly, highly recommend the book



4. Millicent Monk's current book, "Songs of Three Islands," raises four major issues for the reader to consider:
   
   1. The assertion that there is mental instability passed down in four generations on the female side. [Speculation]
   
   2. The writer's conclusion that her mother, Lucy, may have had borderline personality disorder (BPD), and possibly Aunt "Negie" before her, and that her daughter, "Cassandra," has inherited this disturbance. (See p.145, 20 and 218) [All speculation.]
   
   3. The problem of inaccuracies and misleading statements in the book that are damaging to family members, past and present.
   
   4. The problem for "Cassandra" is how to:
   (a)prevent publication; and
   (b)present a private and public objection to negative, damaging and speculative material in this book, within the constraints of a powerful family organization.
   
   In considering Issue No. 4, the reader should consider p.139:
   
   "Some years later, we came to feel we never should have left her ("Cassandra") at McLean, both because of my subsequent experience with the psychiatrist there and because there appeared to be no real improvement." Left between the ages of 15-21 with no real improvement? What is not said is, not only was there no real improvement, but real damage was done by McLean's treatments and lack of supervision, which included solitary confinement, sexual assault by a staff member, multiple psychiatric medications, including heavy doses of the neuroleptic, thorazine (p.131).
   
   [Note: Dr. Peter Breggin of Harvard Medical School has said that "All neuroleptics produce an enormous variety of potentially severe and disabling neurological impairments at high rate of occurrence, and they are among the most toxic agents ever administered to people."]
   
   "Cassandra's" extended stays at McLean damaged her physical, mental and social functioning; she entered McLean at age 15 when she was too young to make a responsible and informed decision as to the value of McLean's treatment. Her parents did not correctly assess the potential for damage at McLean; they permitted potentially dangerous psychiatric drugs to be administered for the better part of 6 years, isolating "Cassandra" from the normal world, friends, and family members.
   
   Issue No. 2, BPD: This diagnosis is entirely speculative. Frequent reference is made to "Cassandra's" childhood and adult outbursts of "rage" as being possibly linked to BPD. Outbursts of rage can be the result of neurological damage, at any age, i.e., a blow to the head; damage to the brain by drugs or medications; damage to the brain/nervous system by physical or mental violence, inappropriate treatments, including protracted use of psychiatric drugs, lengthy confinement in an institution, including physical restraints and solitary confinement, deprivation of normal childhood activities and normal companionship.
   
   It is not likely that mental illness was passed down in the family through Millie's Aunt "Negie" or Cassandra's maternal grandmother, Lucy. Millicent's speculation that Aunt "Negie" and Lucy were mentally dysfunctional because of BPD cannot be proved. It is far more likely that Aunt "Negie," whose husband died in 1886, leaving her a widow for 16 years with nine children, suffered from partial isolation, family stress, failing health, or a disease of old age. Millicent's mother, Lucy, must have been severely depressed at being married to a highly abusive, promiscuous drunk. A drunk who, privately and publickly, abused and disgraced her. Lucy's neurotic and depressive behavior was likely the outcome of marital experiences, and not necessarily a symptom of BPD. Millicent, herself, says that, as a child, she was isolated in a dysfunctional, violent household in Boston, and disturbed by her parent's fighting. She was physically neglected and frightened and began to live in a fantasy world, suffering depression, fear and disassociation. Millicent is her mother's victim.
   
   
   "Songs of Three Islands" floats in the half-drowned imagery of decay, violence and death. The good Carnegie name muddied by passing time and painful recollection; the islands become a retreat from reality and a reminder of death. It is sad that Andrew Carnegie's name is invoked to sell this horror story.
   
   Throughout the story, Millicent's daughter, son and granddaughter appear under pseudonyms. All are well known in their hometown, a venerable Atlantic seaport where gossip flourishes. Elizabeth, the Queen Mother, no stranger to family troubles, firmly advised her staff: "Some things are best left unsaid." Unsaid and unsung, she might have added.



5. Every human being who has ever had to face adversity can gain strength from this story...of wrestlings with the terrible angels of mental illness in loved ones...of solace from nature...including, in the end, human nature and its spark of the divine.
   
   Who among us can say we do not have the same story, to some degree? The degree here is extreme, hence the book's drama; but what transforms this book from mere reading into true human experience is its searingly truthful poetic writing.
   
   The mental illness this memoire describes is protean, much like the diagnosis of "borderline," yet this book describes unflinchingly the tolls that such a phenomenon can take on a family--and the truthseeking, soulsearching, and, finally, sanity it can yield.
   
   THIS IS GREAT LITERATURE. Compared to what? Compared to Homer, Proust, Tolstoy! It was my privilege to hand-deliver this manuscript to the publisher in Oxford. I wasn't asked to read it, but did take a look while on the train to my destination and could NOT put it down. I am familiar with the Literary Canon, but never has any book captivated me so completely. Arriving at Oxford, I went to the publisher's, but told him I could not relinquish the pages until I had read every word. There I sat in a waiting room all afternoon and well into the evening, turning the pages. Oxford could wait, but this book could not. Neither should you.
   
   Dear friends known and unknown, I urge you to experience this exquisitely expressed story of how sorrow upon sorrow, experienced with truth and courage, can produce a beautiful soul. It's a lyrical journey you must not miss.

5 comments about The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life.

1. Highly recommended biography of a businessman....very comprehensive so you get to understand who he is (or at least who he wants you to think he is).
   
   Key Take-aways for me:
   
   Focus is the key to success...and it requires discipline to maintain focus. Only a few folks in the world have this discipline (e.g. Buffett, Gates, Edison, etc.)
   
   Networking is important- Elephant Bumping is important to expand your ring of influence and opportunities ...even if you don't like dinner parties.
   
   Inertia can make you more money than action.....CEO's are typically action oriented, while investors are okay with passive activity and tolerance
   
   Philanthropic philosophies toward children seem to change with age...hypocrisy can be rationalized...like a jet
   
   Income from investments is taxed differently than income from working....so potentially a skewed view on reality of taxation.



2. I would recommend this book to those that have reading experience because the book is rather dry in many places and at points I was wondering if we were going to learn about how Warren (or one of his family members) wipe their noses or tie their shoe laces.
   
   For those that persevere you will be rewarded with a solid overview of Warren's history, life and the environment he lived in. The book is filled with insight, philosophy and you will undoubtedly retain more than one key idea that you can apply to your own life and career.



3. Despite any flaws other readers may list, this book is essential reading for those that want to understand how wealth is created, how someone achieved great wealth and still maintained a healthy attitude as best he could.
   
   While not being a technical roadmap to wealth, it gives you the overall feel, understanding of how one guy did it, and maybe you could too.
   
   This has greatly helped me understand a successful investor's mindset, and now how I understand (somewhat) how his victories emerged. While not to the depth experienced investors might like, it provides an accessible gateway for the rest of us. Highly recommended, should be required reading in business schools.



4. If you're interested in business or finance this is an excellent learning tool. I find that I learn far more from reading biographies than from reading manuals, and there is a lot here to enlighten and inspire. I recommend it to all my finance friends.



5. The book was an ok/fun read for me. Nothing against the author, but it I think she was inexperienced when it came writing a biography. Even so, it was a decent book that shed light on Buffett's life. I must say I thoroughly enjoyed it. If you are a Buffett admirer then pick up a copy, if not, then maybe check it out at your local library.

5 comments about The Bolter (Vintage).

1. RE: The review from the Washington Post is so typical of a crass little 21st century turd who can't comprehend a life unlike their own. Kill it. It's neither helpful, nor fair.



2. What a story - you have to get through the first 30 page or so - but from then on it's an amazing tale - sad but somehow full of the essence of life and ... loving and ... the dynamics of families.



3. Made good reading and gave insights into life in the colonies. Describes a very complex personality and her tragic search for love and happiness.



4. Boy, it must be fun to discover some interesting ancestors on your family tree. I mean, aside from a dopey dentist and a lazy logger, my family tree is composed of solid (read "dull") branches, who have marched through life without leaving much behind. Wouldn't it be great to have a genuine celebrity as a great-grandmother, as Frances Osborne does. Osborne writes the life of her maternal great-grandmother, Lady Idina Sackville, in her biography, "The Bolter".
   
   The term "bolter" really came into popular usage when Lady Diana Spencer married Prince Charles. Her mother, Frances, long confined to a marriage with the very dull Sir Johnnie Spencer and raising four children, "bolted" or eloped with another man. British divorce laws at the time gave custody of the Spencer children to their father. Frances had limited contact with her three daughter and one son until they were grown. Curiously, Sarah Ferguson, who was to marry and divorce Prince Andrew, was also the daughter of a "bolter". Her mother, Susan Ferguson, eloped with an Argentinian polo player, leaving her children behind. Being the child of a "bolter" did not seem to auger well for that child in her own qualifications for marital happiness. And so it proved for Diana and Sarah...
   
   Lady Idina Sackville was married and divorced five times. She was married first to a wealthy Scottish lord during WW1. Both were young, and neither was sexually faithful to the other. In the years after the war, she and society celebrated life with marital infidelity and drugs. She had two sons from her first marriage who she had to leave in her ex-husband's custody when she ran off to Afica with a fellow kindred spirit. She had no contact with the boys until they were in their late teens. She had a daughter with a subsequent husband who was shipped back to England when she was eight years old to live with Idina's brother and his family Idina was also famous for her "house parties" at her Kenyan bush houses. Parties fueled by drugs, drink, and sexual high-jinks.
   
   But the problem with Osborne's biography of her great-grandmother is that Idina doesn't emerge as a particularly interesting person. "Active", yes, "interesting", no. Idina never seemed to learn from her mistakes. I mean, you'd think that maybe by the, say, third marriage and divorce, she'd have had a thunder bolt thought and realised that marriage might not be right for her? But, no, she barreled into wedded unbliss another two times, and with the same type of man she'd failed with three times previously. When short of money due to her high living, she'd borrow from her brother, who managed to hang on to both his money and his probity a bit better than his sister. But, did she change her life style to reflect a differing financial reality? Nope.
   
   By her relatively early death from cancer at the age of 62, Lady Idina was estranged from much of her family. Both her sons had died during WW2 and she wasn't on especially close terms with her daughter. She was famous throughout England and the Commonwealth countries for her marriages and living style, but, aside from a few friends, she was alone. Her family shunned her because of her reputation, which they didn't want staining their own. The most interesting part of Osborne's book is of her immediate family and their connection with Lady Idina. Basically, no one wanted much to do with her. "Bolters" often die alone.



5. Yes, The Bolter certainly keeps you looking towards the next chapter as Idina leaps from bed to bed with each new lover. The main activity of her group who have too much money and too little else to do is to gorge on sex, rather like eating just for the pleasure of the taste. Idina looking for love gives her body indiscriminately in this endless search as she tries each new body that comes her way. Her life, and that of her rich friends, is interesting as we look at it from our contemporary standards. They splash money around the way we, these days, buy groceries. And the piles of money that they have enables them to possess houses, villas, even castles and to create activities and fantastic lives in beautiful, oppulent land expanses such as Kenya.
   I liked the book very much. It made me want to go to that old Kenya in spite of the present day political aspect. I liked Idina, she was not a bad woman. She was just a part of her "group". I felt sorry for her life's declining years and glad that Frances Osborne wrote about her