5 comments about Eat, Pray, Love.

1. The movie got so much media attention but it ended up being a flop. I got sucked into the marketing scheme and purchased this book to read while on summer vacation. Overall a good book, but also a forgettable one. I have yet to see the movie, but I will rent it once it's out on DVD.



2. (3.5 stars)I thought this was going to be a book about eating, spirituality and love. As it turns out, it's all of that and also about making mistakes, forgiving yourself and starting over. Gilbert's writing style is open and honest as she shares her journey of finding balance and contentment in her life. She does this through completely immersing herself in three different cultures. Italy is all about the food and the intimacy of sharing meals with friends, not denying yourself simple pleasures and giving yourself permission to do nothing. India is the spiritual part of her journey. Here she conquers the art of meditation and learns the meaning of some inspirational Sanskrit phrases. This part is especially interesting for those who practice yoga or meditation. And then there's my favorite section of the book, Indonesia. Its breathtaking beauty is the perfect backdrop for finding balance and love. Gilbert writes with a delightful mix of humor and wit in a style that is easy to read and flows nicely. However, there are several sections that are slow and slightly tedious, with too much descriptive detail and no movement in plot. In short, anyone struggling with divorce or feeling disconnected to their life will easily relate to and take comfort in reading this book. Travel journal enthusiasts will also find it delightful and a great escape or those on their own spiritual journey.



3. Great - the book is what I thought it would be. Shipping was on time and got here in perfect shape. Thanks - A+



4. I cannot understand why people like this boooooooring book. I painfully made it through Italy and started India...that's when I couldn't take it anymore and felt that stapling my hand to the wall would be far more interesting than continuing with this woman who never stops talking about the damn bathroom floor...save yourself and save your money! I hope I can get a few bucks for it at the used bookstore especially since I only read a portion. Seriously this woman quit her marriage for some reason that she won't share....umm ok isn't that part of what sent her out on this journey that resulted in an overly hyped up, waste of paper, diary of a cry baby? She roamed around Italy eating and talking a bunch of nonsense meanwhile not having to worry about money thanks to her book advance. What idiot publisher did that! I agree with many of the other reviews.....she is a spoiled lame. I will not even bother seeing the movie ugg!



5. I wanted to like this book. Everyone I knew loved it and said I had to read this book. I didn't make it past Italy. I was disappointed that she was paid to take this trip (book advance) and wondered how much of it was manufactured for the book. Also, to me, her tone seemed haughty and self-important.

5 comments about Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship.

1. Two intensely private writers who are also fiercely independent meet one day on a dog walk.
   
   They had actually briefly met once before at a writers' event some years earlier, but on this day, their real journey begins, as they walk their dogs.
   
   They connect on many levels: Gail Caldwell, the author of this memoir of friendship, is a Pulitzer Prize winning writer; Caroline Knapp had written a book that chronicled her struggles with alcohol. First they connect over their love of dogs and then with their writing journeys and their loneliness. Later, Caldwell will also share her own odyssey with alcohol.
   
   Caldwell grew up in the Texas Panhandle and then fled to various cities before finally settling in Cambridge, Massachusetts where Knapp grew up. In midlife, they have both settled in here and this is where their friendship journey takes off.
   
   Let's Take the Long Way Home: A Memoir of Friendship circles from when they met back to their various separate journeys and reveals a bit about their relationships, their successes, their challenges--and then zeroes in on the time they begin the friendship. What happens after the friendship has cemented itself is the biggest challenge they will face together: Knapp's diagnosis of Stage Four lung cancer. That particular challenge will require all the strength they each have, but will also show the solidity of their friendship.
   
   Through the days and nights leading up to Knapp's death, we are gifted with those thoughts and feelings that only someone on this particular journey can feel. Afterwards, we visit the loss, the challenges, even the events related to the dogs...and these moments carry us into the very heart of those feelings. Near the end of this tale, Caldwell writes something that I found wonderfully true: "I know now that we never get over great losses; we absorb them, and they carve us into different, often kinder, creatures. Sometimes I think that the pain is what yields the solution. Grief and memory create their own narrative...."
   
   And then Caldwell begins again, but as with all memorable friendships, she is forever shaped and altered by the bonds that connected the two of them.



2. I loved this book. I'm not sure if it was because I totally identified with the story or what but I have gone back and reread many passages.
   
   My Mom had barely died of ovarian cancer when both of my dogs had to be put to sleep and it was the loss of the dogs that undid me.
   
   I am going to give this book as a Christmas present to all my friends because it truly is a love story. A love story between two friends and a love story between a women and her dog.
   
   If you have ever had a good girl friend, lost a loved one tragically or loved a dog you will like this book.
   
   My Mom's name was Billie.
   
   M



3. I wanted this book since it came out, and it EXCEEDED my expectations!!!
   
   If you love Caroline Knapp, you will love this book.
   
   Just the read I was looking for! A beautiful and touching memoir. Perfectly written and completely engrossing. At times, a tearjerker; at one time, surprisingly, a thriller. But at all times, a masterfully written pageturner. You will not regret this purchase.



4. Sorry, I found this book to be less about a friendship and dogs and more about the authors own self-absorbed, and for the first half, alcohol-soaked memories. The use of "milieu" three times in two chapters? I found it sort of dull and tiresome.



5. If you are lucky, you may experience at least once in your life a soul-mate friendship, the kind where you find this magical version of yourself in the guise of another. Such was the case with Gail Caldwell and her late friend, Caroline Knapp.
   
   These single women writers (although Knapp did marry her boyfriend a few weeks before her untimely death at age 43 from lung cancer) came from quite different backgrounds but bonded through work, dogs, rowing, and recovery from alcoholism. Knapp herself wrote a 1996 bestselling memoir, "Drinking: A Love Story."
   
   The account of their growing friendship in Cambridge, MA through their mutual interests is engaging. The section where Caldwell describes her background and recovery from alcoholism deepens the story. Even richer is the period following Knapp's death where Caldwell so convincingly describes the exile of grief. In a devastating turn, loss echoes loss when Caldwell must put down her beloved Samoyed, Clementine, in an account that will break your heart. Read this memoir only if you want to feel deeply.
   
   The beauty of this book is how it well it captures the serendipitous spark of friendship, its growth and deepening, and its loss. It shows that although a life may end, the relationship continues.

5 comments about Three Cups of Tea: One Man's Mission to Promote Peace . . . One School at a Time.

1. Sadly, there are a small percentage of people reviewing this book who are simply cynical and mean-spirited. The message of this book is not about Greg Mortenson, it is about what one person can do when they put their mind to it. I've never been so hopeful and inpsired by one person's persistence. What he is doing is selfless and amazing and you cannot help but want to get involved. I will recommend this book to ALL my friends and family! I think everyone should be informed of this story and the work that's being done to help so many children. This book is also an excellent page-turner! It read like a movie and kept me on my toes of what was to come next.
   At the very least, you will get an up-close and personal look at what life is really like in Pakistan and at the most you will be inspired to commit some works of kindness yourself!



2. Greg Mortenson's love for the people surrounding K2 mountain is what drove him to the depth of care and concern that he could muster up to keep going back to a country at war, to provide schools for children who didn't have anything left but this. How sweet the story is of Greg's determination to reach out to a people, who from no fault of their own, at war with the world since the dawn of time, to enable their girls to feel a part of the human race and not subserviants to it. Thanks to the great people working with Greg to keep the fires burning and for luck on his side. If it weren't for luck, sometimes I wonder if Greg wouldn't have had the success he did. Or maybe it was the sheer fact of dumb luck that got him going. Sometimes you just have to believe that the stars aline, that something larger than yourself is listening in and guiding the way. And so you, too, can read this book and feel the intensity of the trip Greg took to make this happen. I highly recommend you to read Three Cups of Tea, one sip at a time.



3. Amazing Story. As inspiring and adventurous as this book is, it also leaves a lasting impression of the determination of human spirit. The concept of pluralism is well captured by the deeds and words of people involved....My personal connection to story came when I realized that I was hiking around Skardu in August 1995 while Greg Mortenson was planting the initial seeds of his good deeds by building a bridge several miles north. From my personal experience I can validate Mortenson journey and it remained real from start till end.



4. Amazing story of one man's mission to bring peace to the world, starting with one of the most difficult areas on the planet. I've never felt so inspired by a true story. He is so right, this is the way out of all the hatred and fear in the middle East. I think this is a MUST READ for every human being.



5. This well written documentary about the Muslim world helps to dispell the anxiety, suspicion and fear we may have toward Islam. It warmed my heart and I couldn't put it down.

5 comments about The Glass Castle: A Memoir.

1. Unbelievable delivery time-Ordered August 28 Received by September 2-will use seller when available even if not the lowest price



2. First off, I want to admit that I have NOT finished the book yet, but if my overall opinion of it changes as I polish off the final sentences, I vow to come back and change my review accordingly.
   
   That said, I think the book is wonderful. It's more than wonderful. Walls's story is heartbreaking and uplifting, frightening and life-affirming, oftentimes all in a single sentence. But what I have to say is less about my personal opinion of the book as it is about many of the negative reviews I've read, which largely focus on the incredible details of the story, "incredible" meant in it's traditional definition (as in they think Walls made them up).
   
   Many seem to find her story too far-fetched to believe. I understand that for the average WASP raised in the suburbs, or hell, even your average Poor Joe raised on the "wrong side of the tracks," some of the aspects of this memoir are hard to swallow. But take it from someone who feels he has much in common with Walls: there is nothing impossible about what is found within these pages. I'm not saying I had it as hard as she did, but I see many parallels in our early lives, and by sheer statistical probabililty, I know there have to be people out there who've been brought up in similar but even worse conditions. Jeanette's story is a case in the extreme, but that isn't a very good arguement for it being a falsehood.
   
   I can attest to the fact that a family unit truly can maintain itself (a better phrase would probably be survive) in such situations of destitution and despondency. I'm twenty-four years of age and can list at least as many residences. My father, who was a drug addict, had no job and did little to contribute to the raising of me and my brother. My mom left him when I was around four years old, and we continued to move from state to state, city to city for the remainder of my life in her care. While I can't say I went hungry as often or for as long as Walls did, I remember times when kethcup and crackers were all my mother had to offer us, and our body-weight would have probably sunk into dangerously low numbers had it not been for school lunches. Anyway, this isn't about me; I merely wanted to let it be known that the reason I believe the events in The Glass Castle to be true is not out of blind faith or gullibilty, but because I myself have experienced similar hardships, or have seen others do so with my own eyes. That being established, I wanted to address a few specific things people seemed to have a hard time believing...
   
   One reviewer found it too unlikely that a three year old could cook her own food, referring to the book's opening passages. First of all, what Walls described herself doing there can only be called cooking by a very loose definition of the word. If the reviewer will recall, all she was doing was boiling hotdogs, and not very well I might add, seeing as how it ends in third-degree burns. If my three year old nephew can operate a DVD player (which he can), then I assure you that any relatively intelligent three year old can be taught to fill a pot with water, turn the nob to HIGH, and throw in a couple hot dogs.
   
   The reviewer goes on to ask how a mother could allow such a young child to do so unmonitored, to which I respond, "You'd be surprised." I've seen with my own eyes examples of worse neglect. All you have to do is turn on the news to hear reports of mothers leaving their kids to fend for themselves for hours while they go downtown to turn a trick, or giving birth in a McDonald's bathroom toilet, or strapping them into cars that they intentionally let roll into rivers. Reading about someone letting a kid boil water is practically pedestrian in comparison, and therefor hardly incredible enough as grounds for calling a bluff.
   
   One person who gave a single star review on the basis of the unbelievability of The Glass Castle cited a situation in which the father throws a cat out of the window of a moving car, followed later by a situation where he gives a speach on animal rights. This person calls it an inconsistency. The point he misses, I think, is that what Jeanette was trying to showcase here was her father's tendency toward being a hypocrite. Lack of behavioral consistency is not necessarily a writing flaw, as it is evident in ALL people to varying degrees.
   
   I got the impression that some of the further "inconsistencies" he alluded to were the passages in which Jeanette spoke highly of her father's intelligence (engineering skills, mathematical prowess, nigh-comprehensive knowledge of astronomy and geology to name a few) compared with his financial irresponsibility and inability to hold down a job. I find this mildy offensive for one, but mostly just ignorant. Apparently, this person has never encountered someone of notable intelligence who simply never developed the social constructs in which their knowledge may thrive and better themselves. Let us not forget that the man was an alcoholic. A comparison I could make is to the idiot savant; someone born with incredible gifts in a certain subject, but otherwise undeveloped. These include people who can repeat complex musical compositions after one listen at age five, but never learn to tie their shoes. Men who, in their heads, can calculate pi thousands of digits in but still need the care and aid of their parents.
   
   Yet another reviewer doesn't seem to have any patience for the author's way of writing in fully-fleshed out dialogue, i.e. word-for-word conversations. He somehow took them as lies. I don't think Walls intended to imply that she memorized every one of these conversations verbatim. It's for the sake of narrative that she fills in the blanks. As long as she stays true to the spirit of her memory and the personalities of the people involved, and indeed transcribes what she DOES remember as closely as possible, I see no reason to complain
   
   But maybe I shouldn't be so bothered by these reviews. Maybe it's a GOOD thing that so many people find these things so unbelievable. It likely means that they've never encountered such meanness, hypocrisy, destitution, and plain ol' bad luck in their own lives. But I can't help but think that the ignorance of there being even a POSSIBILITY of these things must have some kind of negative effect on society. I think it leads to an overall lack of sympathy. Just remember people, not everyone is dealt the same hand. For every life of advantage, there is a life of disadvantage.
   
   One more comment regarding a complaint, not only common for The Glass Castle, but seemingly all memoirs: That it is too author-centric, e.g. "Look at all the bad things that happened to me! Look what I did with my life!"
   To that, I say, "Why the hell are you reading a memoir?"
   Really, if you don't like someone going on and on about what happened in their life, stick to novels and more scholarly non-fiction.
   
   As a final point on the matter, why would someone even write a memoir unless they had an unusual/exceptional life? Think about it. It's the INCREDIBLE lives that drive the people who lead them to write in down in the first place.



3. by Emily Placido, author of Julita's Sands: A Memoir
   
   This is the author's account of her childhood traveling from town to town with her dysfunctional parents. The story seems so unreal, like it has to be made up. But, as I read on I could believe the things that happned because I had seen worse. Besides, like they say, truth is stranger than fiction!
   
   Walls writes with such compassion, many times I wanted her to let it all out and bash her parents. She doesn't. The author writes in a non biased manner without anger and resentment. Some of the living conditions that she experienced as a child would be considered child abuse today. Her mother is only that in the biological sense, and her father was a dreamer who defied authority and the norm. How Walls and her siblings made it through virtually unscathed is a wonder. This is an enjoyable read and I for one loved it. Once i started I couldn't put it down.



4. Although a close friend who has similar tastes recommended this book to me, I absolutely hated it. It was just awful, and I felt like I did when I was reading "Angela's Ashes." I just kept waiting for some sort of redemption - something that would make me feel better for this poor kids - but it never came! I generally like to finish books I begin, but I believe this would have been better unfinished. I will never recommend this to anyone. Just awful.



5. I bought the book because it was only about six bucks from the friday outlet selection from amazon.
   
   
   I got very excited when I saw the ratings - four and a half stars with like more than a thousand reviews!
   
   I just started reading the book today. At first I didn't know what to expect because I knew nothing of the author and her life. I mean, that was the reason why I purchase the book - right?
   
   Lets start out with the positives. The book is an easy read - literally. An elementary student can fully understand what Walls is trying to say. There are no difficult words nor messages behind the story. It is straight up facts - this and that happened.
   
   As I read the story, I kept on thinking white trailer-trash. And this fascinated me, I never knew how they lived. The little knowledge I knew of the poor white class was from Hollywood, thus, I knew nothing.
   
   I felt that the story was a little TOO much. How can a three year old be cooking? What type of mother would let her child cook at that age? How does she remember her first encounter with gum but not the pain from the fire - she was supposedly burnt!
   
   The book is very contradictory. How can she give a piece of the hotdog to the dog if she was on a stool/chair (whatever it was) in order for her to cook. And how did the family make money? She says that they barely had money and when they did, the father would buy hard liquor. How is it that they can leave their trailers behind and travel to another location in their plymouth and find another trailer or rent a house?
   
   It amazes me how this book has such great reviews. Nothing makes sense. Its like bits and pieces of information from her life - but everything just seems too much like a Hollywood drama. Its even more dramatic than Korean dramas! And that's saying ALOT (for those that watch the dramas like I do!)
   
   DON'T buy the book! learn from my mistake. The book is emotionless... I feel as if the author is just trying say "poor me, poor me" and "look at what I did with my life".

5 comments about Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage.

1. I only tried to read this because it came free on my Sony e-reader. I was not a huge fan of Eat, Pray, Love and am even less of a fan of this book. It is dull, boring and I think in part- made up. Elizabeth Gilbert starts out the book apologizing over and over again (I'm not a historian, I'm not an anthropoligist) enough already, we know who you are- just write the book. She then goes into great detail about how this is a book about WESTERN marriage and then proceeds to start it off by talking about the Hmong women of Vietnam...huh? As a reader, I felt confused and duped. She gives two different examples of people who had more or less arranged marriages who could not remember meeting their spouse-(ie because it just wasn't that important), early courtship, etc. I find this highly unlikely. Partly because I AM a social scientist and know from interviewing many, many people that life-changing events such as meeting your spouse (in whatever social construction that might be) is remembered, in detail. The worst part is that she goes on and on, goes off on tangents and then you forget what she is even talking about in the first place. She is like a really boring, really chatty neighbor you just can't get away from. Well, I can get away from her, I'm not going to finish the book!0



2. If you can think for yourself, are passionate about questioning assumptions and open to a bit of subversion read this book! Here is your chance to have your mind opened if you will allow it.
   Gilbert gives herself to the conundrum of commitment as only a very bright questioner of authority could. She gamely challenges her own nagging doubts about the institution of marriage. She explores the twisted route (or roots) of its transformation, and maps its frequent changes over the last few centuries.
   If you are perfectly comfortable following the prescribed societal routines, if you are deep fried in any kind of fundamentalist religious beliefs and opposed to discovering historical context that might rattle your adamantine notions, if you expect this book to sing the praises of the bloated undertaking that is currently assumed to fulfill all a girl's princess-shaped fantasies, go elsewhere.



3. I hated EPL. Did not get at all how that book became such a world wide phenomenon. The woman bores me, frankly. And the only reason I am reading Committed is because I found it at a church book sale for 50 centimes. About 40 centimes too much as far as I can tell after 50 pages. Just as dreary as EPL.



4. I enjoyed this book more than Eat, Pray, Love. I loved EPL as well. This book was more educational. Young people should read this before getting married. It made me laugh and cry more than Eat, Pray, Love. I enjoyed learning about how other cultures think about marriage and people from other times thought about marriage. Before I got married, I had a preconceived, "Western" idea about what marriage is. And then I got divorced. After reading Committed, I am more open to different ideas of what marriage is.



5. In the foreword, the author said she had destroyed one manuscript and started over. This one feels a bit sketchy and unfocused. There are some great stories here, but mostly, she retreats into theory instead of focusing on the reality of a what it means to build a real, long-term relationship. I wonder if she felt uncomfortable writing about her relationship once she was planning to marry? That might explain why it felt too cerebral and less heartfelt.

5 comments about My Horizontal Life: A Collection of One-Night Stands.

1. Somehow, I thought this would be funnier. While she does sneak in some awesome one liners, overall, I was kinda disappointed as my brother had raved to me how funny this book was. Don't get me wrong, Chelsea is a funny, sarcastic force of nature but it seemed to lose something in translation to book form. I can see this more as a movie or stand up show rather than a book. Shrug. Still worth the time it took to read so "be good to yourself" and read about someone else's sex life.



2. I tried to hold in the laughter...I really did but to no avail. Then I decided that its okay to laugh because CHELSEA IS FREAKING HILARIOUS and anyone who dared to ask me what I was laughing at would be told that. Read it and then make someone you know read it. They'll thank you.



3. Very entertaining. I would recommend all of Chelsea's books. I understand her personality more on her tv show now that I've read her books.



4. I read this book after I read her second book, "are you there vodka, it's me Chelsea". Both were very funny, but I think the second one was funnier, maybe because it dealt with more subjects and the whole book didn't revolve around sex. I would still recommend My Horizontal Life for anyone looking for a funny, quick read, but you should also check out Vodka if you haven't! :)



5. I don't think I have laughed so much or so hard while reading a book. The stories that Chelsea recounts are very well told and are so humorous. Some of the things that happen to her are so happenstance that I can't help but question if they are embellished. I love that she is a compulsive liar when she drinks; the made-up stories she tells the men she meets are beyond hilarious. And the encounter with the midget is priceless. I absolutely love/hate her dad too. He is so quirky and beyond offensive!
   
   If you are looking for a light, quick, funny read, this is it! I thoroughly enjoyed all of her stories and her brilliant one-liners.

5 comments about Persepolis: The Story of a Childhood.

1. I first saw the movie and I thought the graphic novel was going to be exactly the same. No, it is much much better! You cannot stop reading it. It goes much deeper into who Marjane was and what Iran meant for her in the different stages of her life. Don't lose the chance of reading such a great book.
   
   Recommended!!!



2. Marjane's memoir of her years in Tehran from ages six to fourteen is a page-turning history of the events she witnesses. Her upper class liberal parents (she is the great-granddaughter of Iran's last emperor) demonstrate against the Shah. They are bitterly disappointed when the new republic is overtaken by the fundamentalist Islamic revolution. Despite the imprisonment and execution of friends and family members, her parents remain in Iran. The war with Iraq brings yet more tragedies. The book ends with her parents sending the fourteen year old Marjane to school in Germany. The author's black and white illustrations enhance the text. Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return continues the story.



3. Satrapi's graphic novel is an inspiration to expressing oneself in a medium other than words. Her illustrations are telling; giving hints of expressions and fabulous drawings that echo woodblock prints. My book club had some trouble transitioning from words to both illustration and words but found the experience worthwhile. We compared Satrapi's experiences to "Reading Lolita in Tehran," and "Infidel." We discovered that the artwork indeed added to the story, and concluded that the "graphic novel" is a legitimate literary form.



4. This books begins my foray into graphic novels. The exact definition of a graphic novel is debatable, but Wikipedia defines it as "a type of comic book, usually with a lengthy and complex storyline similar to those of novels, and often aimed at mature audiences." Technically, this volume is a memoir, as it's the true story of author Marjane Satrapi's growing up in Iran during the Islamic Revolution, told in comic-strip form. I figured, "Finally, a book that won't make me cry," but of course, I was wrong. Maybe I'm just a cry-baby.
   
   Though it took me only a couple of hours to complete, it was mesmerizing. I found it unabashedly forthright and ultimately heartbreaking. I appreciated Satrapi's illustrations which, in their broad-stroked black-and-white simplicity, were a stark, yet appropriate, departure from what most people recognize as that highly anatomical, Batmanesque comic-book style. I look forward to reading the sequel "Persepolis: The Story of a Return," and also highly recommend the Oscar-nominated full-length animated feature film of the same name.



5. In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi uses the graphic novel format to share her life story with readers. Satrapi grew up in Iran during the years that the Shah lost power and the Fundamentalist Muslims became the government authority.
   
   Satrapi was raised in a modern family that valued education and modern life. Her parents were part of the revolution that forced the Shah from power. They were shocked, however, when the ultra-religous government that took over soon made the freedoms they were used to and expected illegal. No longer could women dress as they pleased; they were instead forced to wear the veil. No longer could the Iranian people travel freely; the borders were closed for over three years, and even when reopened, passports were almost impossible to obtain. No longer could one count on an education; the universities were closed for over two years.
   
   Darker items were to follow. There were 3000 political prisoners under the Shah, but there were 300,000 political prisoners under the new regime. Satrapi's family had both relatives and friends that were imprisoned, tortured and some were even executed. Then the government got involved in a war with Iraqi. Bombings were common, and over a million people were killed.
   
   Satrapi's use of the graphic format is a perfect match to the story of a young girl whose life changes so dramatically and who tries to make sense of the things happening around her with a child's understanding. Satrapi ended up being educated outside of Iran in her teen years and later, and chose a graphic artist's career. This book was a perfect match for her talent, and her memoir is chilling. To see freedoms taken away gradually is difficult, and when one looks up and sees where the normality markers have moved to, it is eye-opening. This book is recommended to all readers who care about world events, and those who enjoy memoirs.

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.

5 comments about Are You There, Vodka? It's Me, Chelsea.

1. Initially I started watching a little of Chelsea's show on E network. I am a very sarcastic and smart a## person myself so I easily recognized a fellow one. After that I was hooked. I thought I would try out her first book after reading some of it on the amazon website. I loved it! On to this one and again, I loved it! She is so hilarious, wild and crazy some of the stories for sure but cracked me up regardless. If you have an open sense of humor and just want something to entertain you and make you laugh, then this would do it!



2. but I'm reviewing based on the one chapter I downloaded for my Kindle. Usually, I review after I've read the entire book, but that ain't gonna happen in this case.
   
   I'm easily distracted by historical inaccuracies, whether they be of pop culture or history. It didn't take me long to be distracted.
   
   First, Chelsea is nine years old in 1984 and talks like a teenager. Second, she uses words like "sweet" and phrases like "We totally get each other", which I don't think are very authentic for 1984. So let's just say they are. Tell me, how in the world did her father own a Yugo eleven years before its debut?
   
   I'm okay with a little embellishment in storytelling, but if you can't keep it realistic, you lose all credibility with me.



3. If you're a Chelsea fan this is a MUST read! She is SO funny! I had to stop reading a few times because I was laughing so hard!



4. I have read all 3 of Chelsea's books now and this one is by far the funniest. They are all funny but this one is a pee your pants kind of funny. I loved it so much I downloaded the mp3 version just to hear her actually read it. The stories are random from all ages and stages of her life. If you are a 30-something year old female like me, there will be several things in this book you can relate to and laugh about!



5. Chelsea Handlers books are hard to put down. I find myself laughing with every chapter.

1 comments about Promise Me: How a Sister's Love Launched the Global Movement to End Breast Cancer.

1. What an encouraging book. I know the book is about the Susan G. Komen for the Cure not for profit foundation and work, but it goes way beyond that.
   
   The first thing that caught my attention was the solid family that Susan and Nancy were born into. The first section of the book while telling the story of Suzy and her battle with cancer also tells the story of a solid Jewish family that is committed to each other. I am encouraged by their family values, their family cohesiveness and the love and energy their parents put into being parents and training their children.
   
   Suzy is like her father, fun loving, conservative, probably republican and dedicated to helping others and volunteering for anything and everything. She never met a person she couldn't become a friend to. Nancy is more like her mother, determined, driven, a democrat, cause oriented, fair minded, and willing to push the establishment, in a very good way.
   
   Yet as Nancy describes, even though her parents were total opposites in personality and politics they loved each other and never fought over issues. They taught their girls to look at issues and make up their own mind as to what they thought and then to respect others for what they thought.
   
   This training would take Nancy far when it came to the world of breast cancer awareness. She promises Suzy that she will fight to make breast cancer a thing of the past. But at the time of the promise no one, repeat no one wanted to talk about it, hear about it or publish anything in print about it. That was the early 1980's. We have come a long way since then.
   
   Much of the book gives stories about survivor's of breast cancer. About volunteers who give their lives to the cause. About the love of one sister for another that drives Nancy to put together an organization that is amazing. From the beginning of having just $200 an some names of people to contact for support, the Susan G. Komen for the Cure has now raised and donated more than 1.5 billion towards breast cancer research, and it is paying off.
   
   Another aspect of the book that I found amazing was the description and detail that Nancy gives about how her father, her mother, her time at Neman Marcus and eventually her husband, Norman Brinker, gave to her and education her about how to organize and run a business, not for the sake of the business but for the sake of people and the benefit it will bring them.
   
   I was overwhelmed with the description of Norman Brinker and his management style that endeared him to his employees. Here was a man who worked hard and knew that his restaurant managers also worked hard. So, on New Years Eve when every restaurant would be open and doing brisk business, Norman would be at his desk in corporate headquarters and would individually call every one of the 400 managers to thank them for their hard work and to ask them about how their families were doing. His employees knew that he loved and care for them. What a great lesson.
   
   Nancy came to the cause of breast cancer awareness because it cost her the life of her dearest friend, her sister Suzy. She watched the horrible treatments and how Suzy suffered. She was determined to find a cure, make a change, help other women.
   
   In researching the need she found a statistic that floored me. During the Viet Nam War over 58,000 service men lost their lives (I felt the loss of 5 friends). During that same 10 year period of time 339,000 women in the U.S. died from breast cancer. Yet no one was talking about this silent killer. I didn't know that statistic. But I agree with Nancy, that was wrong. Something should have been said long ago. Even with all the research going on there are still some 30,000 to 40,000 women a year who will die from Breast Cancer. The work needs to continue.
   
   You will be challenged by this great book. You will be given information that you won't be able to set aside and ignore. You will be challenged to make a response, will you contribute cash, become a volunteer organizer, join a research team or a Public Relations Advocate. After reading this book you won't be the same.
   
   I plan to see that others read this book, get familiar with it and then make some informed decisions about their involvement.
   
   Oh, and one last thing. The love story between Norman & Nancy Brinker is worth the price of the book. Two people who found each other, fell in love and pushed each other to great heights in their different business and all the time falling deeply in love with each other. They were made for each other.
   
   God was gracious to bring them together, because Nancy was going to need Normans support throughout this whole adventure to make it happen. He was always there with the right words of advice, the display of management that was needed and the loving family time that allowed them to wind down and relax after a hard day of work.
   
   Well, I have said a lot. There is so much more to say, so instead of me rewriting the book here, pick up a copy and read it. You will not be sorry. If you have ever had someone die from Breast Cancer this book will help you with the grieving process.
   
   If you presently have breast cancer, this book will prove motivational for you. You CAN SURVIVE, that's the point of the book. If you have a family member with Breast Cancer you will learn what your supporting role is and what to expect.
   
   You will learn about cutting edge treatments. You will learn about choices you have to make regarding treatment. Some get aggressive, some more conservative, which will you do?
   
   Well, I have gone on and on. I enjoyed this book and feel like I was let into a bit of heaven to learn about Suzy and Nancy's family, then to learn about the driven volunteers for SGK and how they all pull together even in the tough times because they are all dedicated to stop the cancer and save women.
   
   Please don't let the hype put you off from reading this book. Pick it up, jump into it and don't put it down till you're done. You will be a changed person and much more aware about breast cancer when you finish.
   
   Enjoy this fascinating read.