5 comments about Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker.

1. I was very eager to read Alice: Alice Roosevelt Longworth, from White House Princess to Washington Power Broker by Stacy A. Cordery. I enjoy reading about the Roosevelts and Alice was certainly one of the more colorful family members. But I found Alice uneven and a bit of a disappointment.
   
   The story of Alice Roosevelt Longworth is fairly well-known. Alice was the daughter of Theodore Roosevelt and his first wife, Alice Lee Roosevelt. When Alice was only two days old, both her mother and grandmother (TR's mother) died within hours of each other. Unable to deal with his grief, TR dumped baby Alice with his sister and escaped out west. Three years later, TR married Edith Kermit Carow and they brought Alice to live with them. Soon, Alice was competing with five half siblings. With her emotionally absent father and her stern step-mother, Alice learned to seek attention by rebelling. When her father succeeded to the White House in 1901, Alice became "the first female celebrity of the twentieth century." The press couldn't get enough of the first daughter and nicknamed her Princess Alice. Her father once said "I can either run the country or I can control Alice. I cannot possibly do both." Alice eventually married Ohio congressman Nicholas Longworth. With her keen intelligence, sharp wit, natural curiosity and political astuteness, Alice remained a mover and a shaker for her 96 years. Her DC house was a gathering place for powerful people.
   
   I thought that Cordery did a good job of covering the political aspects of Alice's life. Unfortunately, I felt that the details of her personal life were lacking. I reached page 200 and realized that there wasn't much that I hadn't read in other sources. There wasn't that much about her interaction with her siblings. Her daughter, Paulina, is largely glossed over. Alice had an affair with Senator William Borah and he was allegedly the father of Paulina. But after lots of pages, he seems to just drop away from the story. What really happened to their relationship? Also, I'm a stickler for details. Was there a funeral for Alice? If so, where was it held? Where is she buried? Her father's death receives only one paragraph. For a book that is advertised as "the first full biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth," there are major holes.
   
   I enjoyed reading Alice, but I was just expecting more.



2. As Teddy Roosevelt's oldest child, Alice was introduced to the lifestyles of the rich and politically well-connected early on in her life. She never got over living in the White House. To read her correspondence on the subject, it was forever hers. Alice was a diva. She was the original "it's all about me" celebutant. Very few people ever denied her, and when they did, woe be unto them.
   
   She was married to the Speaker of the House, had a child by a distinguished senator from Idaho and held political sway over the inner circles of Washington, D.C. until her death in 1980.
   
   Stacy Cordery's new biography is voluminous, coming in at 608 pages, not including the references and bibliography. Cordery has done a thorough and sincere job, but even her meticulous efforts can't make "Princess Alice," as she was called, a likable creature. She may have been admirable from afar, but up close and personal, she was selfish, self-centered and hated sharing the spotlight with anyone.



3. In this biography author Stacy Cordery succeeeds in making her subject come alive. Alice Roosevelt was the pop star of her day just 100 years ago and was the center of attention in Washington DC from the time her father was in the White House until her death almost 80 years later. Using primary sources, Alice's letters and diaries gave the writer the opportunity to paint a vivid portrait in words. This book is recommended for anyone interested in women's history or in political drama.



4. Excellent, thoroughly researched biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth, daughter of Theodore Roosevelt. If you suspect that things in Washington must have been different and better a century ago, this book is the cure. Great picture of the early 20th century in Washington, and the big social & political players, including Alice, who wielded considerable social and political power but never held office. Different and interesting views of Eleanor and Franklin D. Roosevelt, as seen by a cousin. The description of Alice's famously cruel "Eleanor imitation" (performed for the humiliated Eleanor at least once)is worth the price of the book.



5. The author of this book has chosen her subject well for it would be almost impossible to write a dull biography of Alice Roosevelt Longworth. Born two days before her mother's death Alice was her father's child in every sense of the word and was far more like her intrepid father than any of his other children. Unfortunately a lot of her outlandish behavior may have been a cry for attention from her father because he was not close to his eldest child until well into his presidency. Teddy just never really managed to deal with the loss of his wife and shortly after Alice's birth he left for an extended stay out west leaving the baby in the care of his sister.
   
   For most of her early life that left Alice feeling like she had to do things to grab her father's attention and she became quite skilled at it. Slowly but surely however her father came to see just how intelligent and observant she was and he began to lean on her as an advisor and as a good will ambassador to the world and when he sent her on a fact-finding tour of Asia she charmed the entire Eastern world.
   
   Alice had a White House wedding when she wed Ohio congressman Nick Longworth and she was sure that she would return to the White House either as first daughter when her father retook the office or as first lady when Nick became president but all of those dreams were just that. Nick did become speaker of the house but alcoholism ended all hope of a Longworth presidency. Long after his death however Alice ruled on as the queen of DC society and as one of the shrewdest political operators in the city. Alice was probably the most intelligent person that the Roosevelt clan ever produced and that is saying something.
   
   This is a nice and overdue biography of Alice Longworth and in places it is a superb biography. Mrs. Cordery does a magnificent job of dealing with Alice's youth and teen years but after that the story sags a little. That's not to say that the story gets dull or slows down once Alice is married but there are some glaring holes that just can't be ignored. For instance there is good evidence that Sen. William Borah was the father of her daughter but the evidence is not concrete or if it is the author fails to make it sound concrete. Still she proceeds with the story as if this theory is fact and while I don't doubt that it is I would like more concrete proof. Also lacking is much detail at all of Alice's relationship with her daughter. The daughter is seldom even mentioned and toward the end of the book the granddaughter gets more space than the daughter ever did. Alice may have been a bad mother or she may have been a wonderful mother but one can't tell by reading this book. One just never does get a really intimate feel for Alice in this book especially after she reaches adulthood.
   
   Overall this is a good biography and if the above-mentioned holes were filled in it would be very good. The writing is generally good although I did have to go back and re-read a sentence here and there to catch what the author was trying to say. There is a lot of new information to be found here and the author has researched her subject pretty well but I never really felt like the author completely caught the essence of her subject.

5 comments about Extraordinary Circumstances: The Journey of a Corporate Whistleblower.

1. Not a bad book, I enjoyed reading it. Sometimes she could go off on tangents and her language was at times over-simple, but her point of view and experiences were interesting to read about. Was good to read from an insider's perspective, specifically a "whistleblower's" (although she doesn't like the term), rather than what the media or directors of the company put out.



2. As I work as an internal auditor for a publicly listed company I think this is a great book and she was dealing with issues that I deal with on a regular basis - inability for management to give access to information, management not answering questions honestly, being patronized, trying to determine if the issues are relevant or not.
   
   However, Cynthia Cooper could have used this as an opportunity to more strongly criticise the regulatory system that internal auditors work under. The role of internal auditors did not change with Sarbanes-Oxley - it only deals with external auditors and CEO/CFO responsibilities - I think this was an opportunity missed so if you're reading this Cynthia I propose you say something in the introduction in the second edition. Section 404 of SOX just created lots of work for internal audit - we spent all our time writing up and documenting procedures(which really should have been done by management) rather than testing transactions. I wish she had come out and stated that they need to get rid of this idea of functionally reporting to the audit committee and administratively to the CFO or CEO - the internal audit function needs to report both functionally and administratively to the audit committee - the audit committee needs to use the internal audit function as a tool to find out what is going on within the company. She also did not discuss whether or not the Audit Committee Chairman was independent, or whether the other chairs were independent - I suspect not. Also, this idea that the financial statement balances are for the external auditors and the internal do not audit the balances that make up the financial statement is an argument I hear occasionally - the internal auditor is usually in a better position than the external auditor to identify account balance misstatement. Also, in the book Internal Audit is always treated like the bridesmaid never the bride, that is the emphasis is on what management and the external auditors have to say, not the internal audit department. Sarbane-Oxley really missed the point and I don't think controls have improved because of it.
   
   I also felt there were some issues that were not included in the book - I understand the fraud for the $3.8 billion moved from line costs to fixed assets but then she states the final adjustments were for $11 billion so what were all the other issues that were never discovered by her internal audit department.
   
   As to Bernie Ebbers she could of discussed that the standard used to judge CEO and CFOs is what allows these CEO/CFOs to get off the hook The US standard in court for CEO/CFOs is if the CEO does not know about something then he isn't held liable, however the standard should be if the CEO didn't know about something but he should of known then he is liable. The standard in the US needs to be changed.
   
   But it really is a great read - I preferred it to Smartest guys in the room even though the timeline is a bit disjointed at the start - also all the stuff about herself and her family I found a bit unnecessary but overall a great lady.



3. As an attorney who represents whistleblowers and as an accounting professor, I cannot say enough good about Cynthia Cooper's book. It's packed with essential lessons about life, life in real corporate America, human interaction and the workings of the criminal mind. Lots of great detail. Starts out a bit slow, but the slowness -- whether or not intentional -- is important to illustrate that not even ordinary people in a sleepy southern town can feel shielded from white-collar [...].
   
   The book also illustrates the importance of family ethical traditions and corporate ethical alliances. Cooper would have found it impossible to do what she did without both. I'm recommending this book to all of my clients and students. Everyone involved in corporate America -- employee, officer, shareholder or consultant -- needs to understand that Worldcom was not an anomaly. It can happen to anyone.



4. Cynthia Cooper was a true corporate whistleblower. She became famous, not by choice, but because of the WorldCom financial statement fraud valued at $11 billion. She was the Vice President of Internal Audit at WorldCom, a position that was not easily obtained. She almost single-handedly created the internal audit department at WorldCom, and her book Extraordinary Circumstances: The Journey of a Corporate Whistleblower details the struggle to get management to take internal audit seriously.
   
   Things started going wrong at WorldCom very early. The company went on an acquisition spree, and the merging of many small companies, managers, and accounting systems was a disaster waiting to happen. Cynthia says that WorldCom was much better at acquiring companies than integrating them, and that is clear.
   
   From an accounting perspective, it was next to impossible to create a properly controlled system. There were too many small systems being pieced together, and it was easy for numbers and authorizations to get lost in the shuffle. This struggle is well-documented by Cynthia, who no doubt painstakingly researched the various acquisitions in order to give such a complete history.
   
   At times the book seems to get a little off-topic as Cynthia goes through each player's background briefly. Honestly, that information isn't really relevant to the story and, while it was probably intended to make these characters relatable human beings, it really just serves to make the book longer than necessary. It prolongs the process of getting to the real heart of the story.
   
   I was drawn into the parts detailing the background of Bernie Ebbers and his early entrepreneurial ventures. I don't think Cynthia came right out and said that Ebbers wasn't equipped to run WorldCom, but that's exactly how it appears when you're done reading.
   
   Where this book is so good is in detailing the fraud and how it happened. I don't think most consumers know how and where WorldCom's fraud started: all in the "line costs." You don't need an accounting background to understand the details of the fraud once Cynthia explains how things went down. Earnings were too low and management was, quite simply, looking for a place to reduce expenses.
   
   When management realized they were paying too much for capacity that they weren't selling to customers, it became clear. Take some of those "line costs" and capitalize them, which essentially amounts to moving them off the profit and loss statement (decreasing expenses and increasing profits) and onto the balance sheet (increasing assets).
   
   WorldCom moved those line costs into something that the executives called "prepaid capacity." The company's financials instantly looked better, and CFO Scott Sullivan found that this was an easy way to rehabilitate the financial statements each quarter. Wall Street wanted lots of growth, and that's exactly what the executives delivered by the time the fraudulent accounting entries were completed.
   
   Yet the process of uncovering this fraud, as Cynthia and her team would soon find out, was grueling. Their investigation into the accounting shenanigans was long because the accounting entries behind this manipulation of the financial statements were complex. Hundreds of entries were made to a variety of accounts in order to confuse anyone who might later look at them. And the investigation was hard because management didn't want Cynthia and her people looking into the entries, for obvious reasons.
   
   After the fraud became clear to Cynthia and her team, there was a long fight over whether something should or could be done about it. Scott Sullivan was determined to find an accounting rule to justify the fraudulent accounting entries. It is no surprise that there is not an accounting rule that backs up what was done, because it wasn't done with the accounting rules in mind. It was done with only Wall Street in mind.
   
   And WorldCom's audit committee wasn't completely behind the internal auditors' investigation or results. The audit committee should be the independent group of individuals to whom an employee can voice concerns and be taken seriously. Yet Cynthia didn't seem to be given as much consideration as she should have been, and she relates this struggle nicely in the book.
   
   The story of the investigation comes to life through Cynthia's words. I found myself drawn into the story, and I could feel myself sitting there as the internal auditors were going through entry after entry, always watching their backs because the executives didn't want them investigating.
   
   Lots of clichés and heartwarming stories of family interactions are woven into the book. Again, these things aren't really all that relevant to the story and merely provided a distraction from the business at hand: the collapse of WorldCom.
   
   These minor criticisms don't take away from the book as a whole. It is a detailed account of what happened, and digs much deeper into the WorldCom fraud than I ever expected. The detail behind how the fraud occurred is told in a fascinating manner, and I found myself able to picture WorldCom executives sitting around and comparing the company's financial results to the expectations of Wall Street ... and making fraudulent accounting entries to meet those expectations.
   
   Congratulations, Cynthia, on a successful first book. And many thanks for being willing to stand up for the truth and fight to expose the WorldCom fraud.



5. Im in the telecommunications industry right here in Jackson, Ms myself. This book was a great read. It was fast paced and very entertaining, too. I love how it went all the way from the get go till the demise. It was interesting to read how Telecom was 20 years or so ago. Boy, has it changed alot since. I have reccommended this book to all my co-workers to read and friends and family, too. Not only for us in the industry to really learn alot about the big companies, the "last mile carrier", and so forth. But most importantly, the honest and ethical way to do and run a business. Very good job Mrs. Cooper. I enjoyed it very much.

5 comments about A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton (Vintage).

1. I bought this book because, as a former strong supporter of the Clintons through all of their thicks and all of their thins, I was alarmed at how angry I am becoming now at their current behavior in the primaries.
   
   It was described as "sympathetic," and I was hoping to find things there to admire in order to take a more moderate view of her and what seemed to me to be an almost pyschopathic campaign designed (at worst) to bring down the Party and or (even at best) to position herself to be the candidate in 2012 by destroying the man who might win in 2008.
   
   That didn't happen. I became more frightened than I was before of what might occur if she is elected president.
   
   There is instance after instance of REALLY bad judgment on her part (for example, when the 1994 loss of congress (considered to be partly due to the highhanded way she treated members of congress and others) forced her to back off from her role as Bill's main advisor, she turned the job over to (guess who?) DICK MORRIS.
   
   And she threatened Bill Bradley and Pat Moynihan with dire consequences if they even dared to question her healthcare plan. Then, she refused promising-looking compromises with Republicans that might have given us at least some kind of viable plan. And we have gone almost a decade and a half now with NO PLAN. Bernstein makes a strong point about her refusals to compromise and her arrogance about her own positions being above criticism. Can we really afford 8 years of that.
   
   The scariest part for me was the account of how she took charge of the "bimbo erruptions" by trying to paint Bill's mistresses as "stalkers" so as to dilute the possible effects of eye-witness accounts from people who had seen them together. It is hard for me to believe that feminists aren't disturbed by this bit of doberman-like behavior.
   
   The book is very interesting as a case study of an ambitious flawed woman who has expoxied herself to the fortunes of an equally ambitious, equally flawed man.
   
   But there was NOTHING in it that made me want to live throught 8 more years of wondering when the next shoe was going to drop and questioning how many of my doubts I would have to repress in order to defend them. Again.



2. I found this book to be one of the best written about Hillary Clinton. Carl Bernstein gives a fair and unbiased view of the Senator of New York. It has helped me decide who I will voting for in the presidential election.



3. Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R1I5MBGRHZYXY8



4. Your service was very easy to follow and very fast; I believe I received the
   book within a day and a half(shipped from a warehouse close to my home).



5. Carl Bernstein has done his homework through interviews, etc for this biography. It is an excellent informative read.

5 comments about Bless Your Heart, Tramp: And Other Southern Endearments.

1. I bought this book as a gift for a friend my age. After I had received the book myself as a gift, I knew she could relate to many of the stories in the book and would enjoy as much as I. It is typical of life in the south for people of middle age. Most enjoyable!



2. This is another fun romp with Celia Rivenbank, the Southern belle of belly laughs. Quick and fun summer read!



3. If you are from "The South" you will nod as you laugh until tears dilute your bowl of grits while you read this classic. If you are not from "The South" (bless your heart) you will still be captivated by Celia's hilarious view of life south of the Mason-Dixon Line. Everyone will love this one.



4. This is the second of her books that I have read and loved both! She nails our "southernisms" on the head. If you are from the South, have lived in the South, or know someone who has you'll love this. She talks of all things southern with the beauty and sharpness of a Cherokee Rose.



5. Rivenbark is so funny and right on! I cried with laughter at some of her essays (chapters?). She appealed to me as a Southerner and a woman. I classify her as a Southern, female Dave Barry (I find her funnier than Dave Barry and I like his writing a lot). She can be satirical and very biting in her work (I have all three books: Bless Your Heart, Tramp; We're Just Like You Only Prettier; and Stop Dressing Your Six-Year-Old Like a Skank--I highly recommend all three). Rivenbark is as good as, in a different way, Jill Conner Browne, the Sweet Potato Queen.

5 comments about I, Rigoberta Menchu: An Indian Woman in Guatemala.

1. It is common knowledge that this book is really a pile of lies. It isn't much of an autobiography and leaves the reader wondering which, if any, parts of it to really consider seriously.
   
   It is truly painful to read due to the unending redundant rambling nature of Menchu's storytelling.
   
   I cannot believe that this garbage is still being assigned as required reading. Worthless.



2. We give I, Rigoberta Menchú four stars because it was a good book but at the same time it was complicated to understand. For instead, it was a good book because she explains her life very well with details. Rigoberta also never gave up she kept going no matter as hard situation she'll face in her life. This book is complicated because Rigoberta just keeps repeating her self, is like we want to know more, something different. What we learn from this book, if we really truly want something we should never give up and when you feel like falling down for a moment, pick your self up and accomplish your dream.



3. I read this book years ago and re-read it again recently. It is still one of my favorite books. Rigoberta Menchu suffered unbelievable atrocities and incredible losses and still lived to tell her courageous story through an interpreter. I think the book is phenomenal and I recommend it to anyone with a heart. It helps explain a lot about the Guatamalen people and their strife. It also is a timely book since the illegal immigration debate rages on in this country on a daily basis. It paints a vivid picture of the suffering of indigenous peoples and helps us to relate to their need to escape their countries in search of a better life. I dont know what David Stoll had to gain by writing a book that contradicted Menchu's powerful account. She states at the beginning of her book that her perspective is hers alone and that her memories may have been clouded by the trauma. It makes me crazy when people pick apart one tiny aspect of a book and then, throw the entire thing out as a sham. The same thing happened with the James Frey book, A million little pieces. People tended to ignore the overall strengths of the book and his basic message of surviving drug addiction over a few little insignificant details. This book is the same situation. The overall message and story of rigoberta menchu is so powerful and moving, it must be read, even if there is a fact or two that someone wants to contradict.



4. I read this book shortly before visiting Guatemala, and I have to say it made my travel experience alot richer. I felt more sensitized to the currents of racism and political struggle still present in the country, as well as to the pain of a people recovering from a horror in the not so distant past. Nearly every Guatemalan that I met had some powerful story of the genocide, and this book gave me a good background on the facts and politics behind the peasant struggle.
   
   Though it has been criticized as being imbellished and realistically inaccurate, I think that it can still be used as a tool to learn about the native Quiche culture in past and present times. Their spiritual and political beliefs and their connections to the natural world are interwoven throughout the memoir. And most importantly, the horror of a major Latin American genocide that still scars the memories of peasants in the region today. Rigoberta was very matter of fact in sharing information about the torture and killing of her people in gruesome detail... so detailed that it was difficult to read at times, but nevertheless, essential in understanding the extent of the what happened to her people.
   
   Whether you read this book as fact or historical fiction, I think it is a good read for anyone interested in Latin American history, politcal science, peasant cultures, or human rights. It is a story that will stick in your mind... and your heart.



5. It is incredible that such human suffering went on, and in many ways is still going on, just a couple of hours (by pane) away from where I live. Rigoberta Menchu's book, written as dictated by her, is sad and tells of horrible situations.
   
   Guatemala is a beautiful country, the indigenous sill dress in their local garb, each unique to a particular village. Guatemala has been referred to as the most exotic country in the Western hemisphere.
   
   A good friend of mine, a Guatemala Indian, told me about the efforts of the Indians to get help from the United States. They sought out various Native American tribes in the U.S., that to them was seeking help from America. From what he told, it never occured to the elders of the Guatemalan groups to approach anyone other than Native Americans. And they did not receive help, because help was not available. But had they approached the U.S. government, they most likely wouldn't have been helped either.
   
   I have been in Guatemala so many times, I started to call it my second home. There is still a lot of oppression, and the indigenous still feel fearful of the police and the military. I have not been there in a couple of years and am yearning to return.
   
   The last time, the police/military made great efforts to change their image. Instead of stopping trucks and harrassing the passengers, they handed out white carnations!
   
   Menchu does not deal with the greatest problem that is keeping the indigenous in danger, that of language barrier. The Guatemala Indians speak over 20 local languages. The languages are so totally different, that communication is impossible. Though some books are written in the local languages, they cannot be read by the indigenous because they are illiterate. Division is a "great" tool to keep populations from binding together to fight a common evil. Spanish is the country's political language, but over 80% of the indigenous do not speak Spanish.
   
   I have traveled into the villages, into the hills and mountains where customs as ancient as the peoples themselves still reign. All of them have experienced evil. Their story did not end with Menchu's book. It continues, and who knows how much longer it will continue.
   
   
   

5 comments about All You Need to Be Impossibly French: A Witty Investigation into the Lives, Lusts, and Little Secrets of French Women.

1. I laughed all the way through this book. (Not in a bad way.) Very informative and entertaining!



2. This is the same book. The tittle has been changed for the US market, not sure why....I almost bought both until I read reviews on the British Amazon.



3. If you are badly dressed or look shabby, the French will not take you seriously. This is something every Anglo-Saxon supervisor working in France should take to heart, as 'not taking care of oneself' implies lack of intellectual rigor and self-respect, resulting in an immediate loss of authority.
   
   This is why Frith Powell's book is an illuminating -as well as funny and provocative - reading that will be useful to anyone interested in (even remote) contacts with French women. "What is the difference between English and French women?", asks the author one of her expat friends. His reply: "10 kilos!" This book discusses in entertaining detail the diet, dressing habits (with inordinate focus on lingerie), marital practices, child rearing etc., in France. Understandably, the author is almost exclusively concerned with Parisian women, who stand apart from the rest of the country and consequently are universally loathed. They of course are also great company.
   
   Can't miss with this book.



4. I absolutely adored this book. It's truly a gem. Witty, informative and very funny.
   A charming read.



5. In the wake of the very popular and successful "French Women" books by Mireille Guiliano, author Helena Frith-Powell rides the wave, researching her French counterparts as only a Brit can. Her goal? To discover what constitutes that je-ne-sais-quoi quality that French women possess that allow them to not only tie a great scarf and wear a pencil skirt with aplomb but make them so appealing on such a universal level that women around the world wish to emulate them.
   
   While Guiliano, in her French Women series depicts les francaises (with herself as the quintessential representative) as naturally chic, De Beauvoir philosophical and assuredly commonsensical regarding diet, apparel and romance, Frith-Powell analyzes them from an-across-the-Channel vantage point that sparkles with a playful wit that is part Anglo-Saxon criticism and part out and out green monster envy.
   
   Interestingly enough, I find Frith-Powell's observations about French women indicative of women in any microcosm no matter what their nationality or culture. Sadly, as Frith-Powell comments, the good old boy network that men seem to ease into naturally simply does not exist for women. A control issue of sorts comes into play where the subject woman views herself as the overseer of her domain. Any challenges to her supremacy are looked upon with great suspicion hence the necessity for the superlative attributes Frith-Powell eyeballs with such amusing thoroughness.
   
   A good male friend of mine commented to me recently that as the weaker sex from a biological standpoint, women's sole motivation in life seems to him to be the acquisition of a comfortable nesting place. Along these lines, more accomplished women attract more accomplished men where financial security is definitely a factor and an obvious discrepancy in age (much older men with much younger women) becomes a natural axiom. Frith-Powell's French women play within these simple rules with an apparent sophistication --- they simply know the game and equip themselves with the ability to more than adequately compete. Those of us brought up in an Anglo-Saxon environment, no matter what our ethnicity still maintain the naivety to think perhaps that women can be accepted for who they are rather than what they look like, what their pedigree suggests and what designer outfits they can afford.
   
   Frith-Powell claims that French women just aren't all that much fun to be around and with all that biological savvy and cat-clawing to maintain their supreme positioning, there does not seem to be any wonder why.
   
   Nevertheless, despite the underlying serious of this topic regarding women in general, "All You Need to be Impossibly French" delights in a multitude of ways. By interviewing key French mavens of style and success, Frith-Powell delineates some remarkable differences between them and us. She touches upon all the key womanly fascinations: weight control, fashion, the necessity of silk undies, the miracle of face and body creams, dangerous liaisons, friendships, men and success in a way that only a Brit living in France could. Following her guidelines, anyone can become an honorary French woman---but I beg the question - why would I want to as the fun-factor seems to be devoid?
   
   Bottom line: Helena Frith-Powell's commentary of French women entertains on many levels that are of interest to anyone who is attracted to chic sophistication. On a more serious level, the book suggests that all the powder and paint in the world perhaps creates a paranoid individual who is fearful of losing her domain. Recommended with caution to those who think this is the typical French-girls-have-it-all diatribe.
   Diana Faillace Von Behren
   "reneofc"

5 comments about Grace After Midnight: A Memoir.

1. I am very pleased and satisfied with my book, it came in a timely manner



2. A painfully honest but depressing look at what it is like to grow up under the worst conditions. The slum didn't grind her up but, until the wire, she caused grief for society. Help, to her, came from unexpected places and a wonderful set of foster parents. It is a story that we, who grew up in kindness and a clean environment filled with good role models, should read.



3. Felicia Pearson's memoir seems truthful, and she makes very little effort to put herself in a more attractive light. Surely her cowriter wrote a very large part of the book, but it consistently reads as her own voice. I think the book is worth buying, but most reader will finish it in well under two hours.



4. This book was interesting, it told the story of "Snoops" life as a child and her life style as a young women, it told just how strong she is and was, also it was very touching. I read it in one day, it was interesting, it was her autobiography. If you watch the Wire and you are a fan of hers you should read the book.



5. I brought this book a few months ago but kept putting it aside without even reading the first page. I decided to pick this book up today and could not put it down. This was a very easy book to read, and I read this book in one sitting. Snoop talked about her life as a crack addicted baby to her mom trying to sale her clothes for crack when she was just a little girl. I loved this book, and I am so glad that snoop made it to the top like she did. Snoop is real and everything she wrote in the book is real, so real you can feel it as you read. Good Snoop!

5 comments about There Is No Me Without You: One Woman's Odyssey to Rescue Her Country's Children.

1. This was a wonderful book! Having myself been to Addis Ababa recently (July 07) with my daughter to pick up her adopted Ethiopian baby boy (4 months old), you can just imagine how this story of one woman's love for so many orphans resonated with me. The book is a quick read -- something interesting in every chapter. The author intertwined Haregewoin's up and down story with bits of Ethiopian history and the unwinding spread and theories of HIV-AIDs plus added her own experience with H. and the adoption her own Ethiopian children -- which made the reader come away with a true cultural experience. H. is truly a "Mother Theresa" figure and an inspiration to all women. Thank you, Melissa, for introducing us to her. I really enjoyed having the photos of many of the children and their adoptive families to relate to. I will be sure that my daughter reads this book and I have suggested it to my book club in Boulder, CO which will read it in the fall. -- Gayle Weiss



2. I like what the story is about, however the book has so much detail it is hard to get through the first chapters.



3. I found the book There Is No Me Without You throughly enjoyable. I learned so much about the AIDS/HIV epedemic in Africa, how it's spread, the devastation of many African countries, the deplorable track record of the major drug companies in denying access of proven AIDS/HIV drugs, and the terrible tragedy of the millions of orphans now without parents. I also appreciated being able to follow the life of one woman who made a difference and how it came to be the Ethiopian orphans are now being adopted around the world. This book touched me personally. Just before Christmas our daughter and son-in-law traveled to Ethiopia and adopted two babies. These two precious children are deeply loved by their new parents, their three older siblings, and us--their grandparents.



4. There should be another Lady added to the Mother Theresa's of the world!
   
   Haregewoin Teferra, an Ethiopian who has helped many orphaned children. Children who have been left behind because parents either died or left to have a chance at life! This books shares the struggles of Mother Teferra who had a wonderful life with her family to a helping those children with AIDS and with no homes.



5. My wife was reading this at the same time I was reading Dave Eggers' fantastic novel What is the What. We were supposed to trade when we finished, but she couldn't read this book without wanting to tell me about each chapter.
   
   I finally read it a year later and am sorry I spent the previous year with just my wife's summary. Greene is a great writer --she mixes great storytelling with a reporter's eye for research and information. The book itself, based on any description of it, should be intensely depressing to read, but, because of Greene, I think, is actually very life affirming and energizing.
   
   I think it would be hard to read this book and not feel a certain, almost painful, overflowing love for the world. It's absolutely great.

5 comments about A Year by the Sea: Thoughts of an Unfinished Woman.

1. This was a well written book with many ideas that resonated within me. I especially liked how she started each chapter with a quote, a poem, some bit of writing from another author. I feel this book can help any woman looking to "find herself". While I've learned there is no treasure map that leads us to the "X marks myself", there are several good books that are guideposts, and this one could be counted as one of them.



2. It was the year 2000, I'd been married almost 20 years -- the kids were pretty much grown and I stood at the edge of my marriage - terrified that I'd jump off and terrified that I wouldn't. Okay, maybe terrified is a dramatic term, but that is how I felt. I truly did not know WHAT to do with my "self" even after many years of intentional inner growth, happiness and many blessings. I didn't know if I needed to be REALLY alone or how to be the ME emerging AND be married. There was no other man - no big outer change I sought...I just felt trapped. Thankfully, a friend told me about this book and I devoured it with gratitude. Joan Anderson is a ballsy, brave wayshower -- she's HONEST about the details I wondered about and I can't begin to say how grateful this wasn't a story about another man. Eight years later, I am HAPPY in me--my life and my marriage AND I am still learning - still growing. And now, Joan has THE SECOND JOURNEY out -- her story about the 10 years after writing her first book. Again, she helps so many as she helps her own life. For those who have found A YEAR BY THE SEA inspirational and helpful, please write to Meryl Streep (or her agent/publicist) or your favorite strong 50's actress to consider pushing this story to be made into a movie. This book has helped so many women, men and their marriages! Thank you Joan Anderson!!



3. This is a easy, great book to read. Great things come in small packages. Joan was able to take a usually negative situation and turn it into something very beneficial. It's all in your perspective. The best thing I got out of this book was "Don't force things, let them happen". You can let go of a lot of anxiety by doing this. Joan did this in her year by the sea. She was able to slow down and appreciate things in a new light. She discovered new ways to enjoy life and skills that she never imagined she would have. She recreated herself for the better and it was very inspiring to go along with her in her journey. She took a break from her life, rebuilt herself and provided her family and friends with a much stronger, vibrant person. This is a good, uplifting book that will help any woman feel empowered.



4. Very interesting journey and the following books written by Joan Anderson expand on her experiences.



5. Although Joan Anderson is a good and insightful writer at times, I have to side with the negative reviews of "A Year by the Sea." Her journey to renewed midlife identity isn't just narcissistic, it is as trite as they come. Looking to the natural world is hardly a new idea for metaphorical meaning. "To everything there is a season" has been around since Moses rode in baskets. The "stale marriage at midlife" is a big cliche as well. Then there is Joan Erickson, the old woman who appears in a fog and fills Joan Anderson with perspective. I mean, really? Why are elderly people always so insightful? There are plenty of old people who have no wisdom whatsoever.
   
   There is also the problem of the unreliable narrator. At one point, Anderson mentions that she is permanently estranged from her brother. She mostly blames his wife for this. Later in the text, Joan talks about strained relations she has with her two adult sons. The culprit? You guessed it, their wives. My conclusion is that Joan Anderson is a difficult woman herself. To not get along with so many in-laws is telling. She offers little insight into this in her self appraisals, though. I have a feeling the writer and the woman are two very different people. This is supposed to be a book about identity, but Anderson doesn't seem to know herself very well.
   
   This book reminded me a bit of "Drinking the Rain" by Alix Kates Schulman, which I liked a great deal more. I'm not opposed to "the sea is bringing me home to myself" concepts, but Joan Anderson's approach is flat and unoriginal.

5 comments about Confessions of a Video Vixen.

1. This book was full of gossip, she ratted out almost everybody in hollywood that she had been intimate with! She is a prositute and proud of it, if you like hearing about who she has been with sexually, this is the book for you, I didn't learn nothing that I didn't already no, I would'nt get her newest book!



2. I feel sorry for Karrine Steffans, but she CANNOT write! Her editor sucks! She should have had someone else edit her work because neither she nor her editor can proofread. She brags about being a novelist without going to college...that's BS. She clearly should have gone to college or taken some type of writing class, but since she didn't her book turned out like this. I felt like she kept saying the same thing over and over again...and I couldn't even finish the book. I was so bored with the content and the way in which it was delivered. This girl needs help...I do feel bad regarding the horrible things that have happened to her. However, she needs to get a life and this type of nonsense is not the way to go...I'm sure the second book was just as useless as this one...Let's get it together people!



3. I will admit that when I first read the book, I was in tears when Karrine talked about the abuse she suffered from her mother (shame on her mom for not believing her when she was raped, etc.). And I'm sure that her life experience should be a wake-up call to all of us, especially in the Black community, about the negative portrayals of Black men and women in hip-hop and the devastating results of the lifestyle led by the author.
   
   However, in light of recent interviews on radio and in print, it is very difficult for me to believe that she is a better person than the one she describes in her book. The only difference I see is that she is determined to make a more regular profit from her sexual exploits. She continues to have affairs with high-profile men (including Bill Maher and Darius McCrary), doesn't believe in traditional marriage (she had a 'committment ceremony' recently with Darius), and glorifies her sexual abilities on some of her radio interviews (ex. the Jamie Foxx radio show) How is this a good example for young girls? How can this possibly inspire them to do better?
   
   Are the men she slept with to be held accountable for their shabby behavior? ABSOLUTELY! For most of the men mentioned in her book, Karrine was certainly not the first woman they slept with, so they are no saints. I feel terrible for every decent, kind, loving, self-respecting African-American man (my wonderful husband included) who is misrepresented every day by these hip-hop pimps (what else can they be called?). They make it ten times harder for other black men to get respect in this country.
   
   But I also worry about what this book (and others like it) says about us as black women. Will this add to the stereotype of black women being money-hungry, sex-crazed savages and irresponsible baby mamas? I hope not! We have it hard enough already.



4. How are you gonna confess and you didn't really say nothing. If it is a confession tell it all. She said that she would not release some names to protect identies.....for what??? I need to know who you are referring to when you say that because I spent my money to find out. The book was ok but I guess she should stick to her previous job....making videos



5. I am alittle star struck with all of the names she named. I am glad she got some of her demons off her chest with this book. It was well writtened and perfectly timed. I enjoyed the book so much I reread it immedeately after I finished it. I am a fan of her now....