5 comments about Don't Bet against Me!: Beating the Odds Against Breast Cancer and in Life.

1. In a word? Inspirational. This lady has faith and talks freely about it. I believe this to be an ideal gift to share with someone facing this disease; they may well be comforted.



2. This is an excellent book about a woman's journey with breast cancer. Deanna Favre is the wife of Brett Favre of the Green Bay Packers. She describes her dealing with breast cancer, the aftermath of it and her struggle to survive and live with a deadly disease. Her and her husband have started a foundation dealing with breast cancer and continue to work tirelessly for the foundation. Reading the book brings forth a variety of emotions and I would recommend this book to everyone especially those who have been touched by breast cancer in some way.



3. This book is totally awesome. A great insight by Deanna from her life with Brett to her cancer and beyond. A book worth reading.



4. 1st of all I am a Bears Fan! My husband (a die hard Packers fan) bought me this book for Valentine's day. Not sure where he got the romantic idea! :) I liked hearing Deanna's personal story and she is indeed a very strong woman. I admire her very much. As a Catholic woman I was disappointed she shared very little about her Catholic faith but instead stuck to the Christian basics. Also, felt like most of the faith sharing was someone else's words. If you are a BIG packers fan you will indeed enjoy this book.



5. This is such a heart-warming book. I have borrowed it out and everyone that reads it loves it. A MUST READ!!

5 comments about Alice Waters and Chez Panisse.

1. I just finished the book and although I was engaged in the story the first half of the book, the 2nd half really dragged. Maybe if you have had the great pleasure to dine at Alice's restaurant, perhaps the story would have kept your attention better than mine. It's interesting to learn about the evolution of fine dining in this country and the recent movement for slow food. Alice Waters is a hero for her work way beyond the walls of her restaurant. However, the writing was inconsistent.



2. ...book about a woman and her restaurant - constantly on the verge of going broke in the early days but went on to become the most influential and inspirational person in the American restaurant business. A must for all foodies (although Alice doesn't like the word!)



3. I enjoyed reading this because of the subject's devotion to fresh, local, sustainable food, but was disappointed in the writing. The book is mainly a compilation of quotes from Alice Waters and her friends and people she's worked with - there's no synthesis provided by the author, no insight. It seems on the surface to be giving an honest portrait of the woman and her restaurant, but I just felt that there was a lot left unrevealed and unanalyzed. Instead of giving a clear-eyed assessment, this book fit into the mold of every project Alice has embarked on: She handpicked her biographer and gave him full access to sources so that it feels like a community effort, but she also made sure the book only carried the tone she desired - the tone she envisioned it should have - and was too impatient to provide or allow any introspection.



4. This is living proof that if we would only eat what is fresh and in season, we would experience flavor and taste, and "better for you" foods, as the food is FRESHER---this remarkable chef has treated food with respect-no contrivance here. Read and eat!



5. alice waters is truly an inspiration because she lives life with a passion for making a difference - a rare commodity in today's world.
   
   i'm not sure how i found out about chez panisse but a friend and i went to the bay area a couple of years ago for a culinary weekend and we started our tour at chez panisse's cafe. it remains as one of my most memorable meals ever - relatively simple yet the tastes and textures were absolutely sublime!
   
   the food alone makes chez panisse one of the world's greatest restaurants. but when you add in her commitment to sustainability and social justice, alice waters get the big picture!
   
   when i look at tv (i.e. the food network) and its easy-on-the-eyes celebrity chefs, i absolutely cringe because 99% of them can't hold a candle to alice waters, a real revolutionary who is still thinking outside the box 40 years later.
   
   like alice waters, eric tucker - the mastermind behind the world-class vegan restaurant millenium in san francisco - is also an inspiration as well. not only for the incredibly inventive food he turns out consistently at millenium but for taking sustainability to a whole another level!

5 comments about Summer at Tiffany.

1. This delightful memoir takes the reader to a lovely time and place. It's a great read and departure from today's harried and complicated world. Even though I didn't grow up in this era, Marjorie Hart does a beautiful job of transporting you back to her magical summer in New York City and making you feel like one of her best friends. I've bought many copies of this book to share with family and friends.



2. Inviting and quaint recollections from a woman who moved to NYC with her friend Marty for the summer of 1945 when she was a 21 year old college co-ed. The descriptions have an alluring nostalgia for an innocent time when ladies wore dirndl skirls and shopped for white gloves and uttered words like "golly".
   The author was one of the first females to work on the floor of the famous Tiffany jewelry store and her reminisces of that honor are what fuel this memoir. Judy Garland comes into the store and she experiences goose bumps just watching her from a distance. Dropping broken pearls in the private elevator and desperately and comically trying to gather them up while still keeping her composure. A highlight was the girls joining the two million strong in Times Square on VJ day.
   A simple and sweet tale told honestly and entertainingly.



3. I absolutely loved this book. I read it and have now recommended it to my book club so we will be reading it for February. I read several books a week and this one really stuck out for me. It was so well written and told the story in such a way that you felt you were there - or wanted to be there. It also had me calling my Grandma, who is 82, and I asked her about that time period. During my talk, I learned so much about my Grandma that I never knew. In fact, little stories no one knew. No one in the family ever really thought to ask my Grandma what she did and who she was before a mother and a wife. She worked in Hollywood! Who would have guessed!! I think this story shows a side of that generation that was slightly overlooked. What these amazing women did before they became our mothers or grandmothers. It's fun to read about their style and clothing, their desires, BOYFRIENDS, dates, jobs - all the stuff you kind of don't think about when you look at your cookie baking Grandma.
   Thank you to Marjorie. You inspire me, you have taught me and you have made me love Tiffany blue just that much more.



4. This book was a light, fun memoir. I did enjoy it, although honestly I was a bit disappointed. I found a bunch of mistakes (mostly grammatical, spelling, an extra word here and there, etc.) in the book, which I think is pretty distracting when reading. Also, the author would switch from past tense to present tense throughout the book, and although I think it was done purposely, I found it a little bit confusing. Overall, I think the story was good and simple, though maybe a little corny. It was almost too wholesome for my taste. It did contain an interesting description of the author's experience of VJ Day in Times Square- I think that was my favorite part of the book. The writing could have flowed better and been more polished, but I'd say this book is worth reading.



5. What a delightful book! Perfect for the ladies on your list. You really feel like you are sharing the girls adventures in New York City during their special summer. 1945 was such a different time. How lucky they were to be a part of it!

5 comments about Monique and the Mango Rains: Two Years with a Midwife in Mali.

1. As a social scientist working with, and on, indigenous people's issues I read a lot of contemporary ethnographies. Most that I read are largely out of date by the time they reach publication. This is simply because of the nature of the discipline: taking time to do the fieldwork, writing up the manuscript, finding a willing publisher, and the overall book production process all take time. As a result, in a world that changes by the day, more often then not when an ethnography is finally published the material within it is often dated. Social scientists have tried to work around this disciplinary "time drag" by focusing on particular cultural phenomena rather then looking at the culture itself as a whole. Monique and the Mango Rains is an example of one of these modern ethnographies, where the central focus of the book is on midwifery and childbirth in Mali, and the Minianka indigenous people and culture are more part of the contextual background then the actual focus of the book.
   
   Focusing on Fatumata - the author Kris Holloway's Malian name - and her Peace Corps experience among the Minianka indigenous peoples in Mali's southeastern region near the Burkina Faso border, the book is a deeply personal narrative about the rhythms of West African life and death. The Minianka (also known as the Mamara, Miniyanka, Minya, Mianka, Minyanka, or Tupiire) are an indigenous group speaking a northern Senufo language used by about 700,000 people in southeastern Mali and northwestern Burkina Faso. Mali is one of the economically poorest countries in the world - the average Malian earns roughly the equivalent of $210 US dollars per year. Compounding this extreme level of poverty is the fact that very few people in Mali have electricity, running water, telephones, or access to modern healthcare. Most women are married by the age of eighteen and have an average of seven children - the risk of death during childbirth and pregnancy is among the top ten in the world. It is here, in the remote southeastern corner of Mali that the author was stationed for two years, and where she met and befriended the local village midwife, Monique Dembele.
   
   mali.gif
   The relationship between Fatumata and Monique is what makes this book succeed as it offers a unique glimpse into the day-to-day lives of the Minianka indigenous people and their contemporary struggles. The rarity of this glimpse is that we are given access to a component of Minianka life not often shared with the outside world - the inner realm of womanhood, midwifery, and childbirth. "I couldn't believe that here, in this dilapidated box, Monique, with a sixth-grade education and nine months of medical training, was birthing babies. Lots of babies" (Holloway 2007: 8). However, as we learn, not only was Monique the midwife - and thus responsible for the future of her village - but she was also a doctor and respected elder. The larger role that Monique played in her village is revealed in the deeply personal narratives presented throughout the book. For example, several times throughout the book Monique confides in Fatumata about her struggles and frustrations: Monique told Fatumata, "He has had many attacks of malaria over the past few months. It has caused severe anemia, and now diarrhea. He is also malnourished. The mother didn't know what to do. She had not heard about malaria prevention and drugs. ... I can do nothing. I don't have IVs. I don't have serum. These women must bring me their children before they get so sick, then I have ways of helping them" (Holloway 2007: 30-31).
   
   Broken into thirteen chapters, the book chronicles Fatumata's relationship with Monique during several important cultural events for the Minianka indigenous peoples: the building of a new birthing hut, governmental revolution in Mali, and the death and birth of several community members. Filling an important gap within the contemporary literature dealing with indigenous peoples in West Africa, Monique and the Mango Rains is the perfect book for undergraduate classes, applied researchers and activists, or simply the interested reader.
   
   +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
   Indigenous Peoples Issues & Resources
   http://indigenouspeoplesissues.com



2. If you care about Africa, women's rights, birth, and making a difference, then this is the book to read. Hard to put down once you start. Wish you could work in Africa? Read this book and "go there"!!



3. I'm going to Mali next week to help build a school in a village there. I read this book in preparation for my travels. I could clearly visualize what everyday life is like in a small village in this country and the hurdles the people must overcome in order to live a healthy, productive life there. The midwife, Monique felt like a friend by the end of the book. I will not forget this story!



4. This wonderful book brought me back to my own time as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Mauritania. I have shared it with my family. Ms. Halloway's prose has given my family some idea what my life was like --20 years after my return home. Her book has done more for that understanding than all of my pictures and letters home Thank you for this treat. I am trying to get all of the students at nursing school to read it.



5. Monique and the author, Kris, are amazing and inspiring women. The story is told in such a way that the reader feels as though a friend is re-telling her experiences over a cup of coffee. The book touches on a number of important issues including women's health, the woman's role in the household in Mali, and the standard of living in Mali. I think it is essential for American's to read books like this so that we realize how incredibly good our lives are.

5 comments about Twelve Extraordinary Women: How God Shaped Women of the Bible, and What He Wants to Do with You.

1. We have been studying this for the past few months slowly due to only meeting once a week. We have discovered fascinating new details about some of the women of the Bible that we did not know. While we have found a few discrepancies, they are minor and we talk it out as a group. Overall, we are finding this study to be enlightening and are looking forward to the rest of it.



2. I have led numerous Bible studies, and this book has been a real disappointment. The writing lacks balance, is often disorganized, and even has an "anti-women" tone to it. I find myself having to work all week to plan our study, to supplement what he's written. I would not recommend this book.



3. It helped me so see and understand how important these women really were in the lineage of Jesus. How God can change the seemingly impossible. Wonderful book!



4. Dr. John's MacArthur's book, Twelve Extraordinary Women - How God Shaped Women of the Bible and What He wants to do with you - has proven to be an ideal textbook used in two women's study groups. His writing style offers many clear and picturesque descriptions of each of his 12 subjects. Personal applications abound as each life is protrayed Biblically and from a human standpoint. I highly recommend this book for individual reading as well as a group study textbook.



5. I had high hopes for this book when I bought it, and I was not at all disappointed. McArthur gives an enlightening short study on each of the women. It is enjoyable to read as well as informative. The women come alive as you read about their stories.
   
   I love all the cultural and historical background he gives. It really helped me understand the women better. I was better able to empathize with their choices and struggles. It also gives plenty of scriptural references. You can read it with your bible next to you. He gives insight on the women and their situations that I would not have thought about on my own. In each of their stories, he finds issues that are relevant to us today, and biblical teachings that are woven in the lives of each woman.
   
   I also like how he shows the bigger picture for the women. How their lives were affected by their past, and how their choices would affect generations to come. He shows how Christ is the central player in all of their lives, and how God is the Master Playwright. The women became real to me as I read their stories.
   
   McArthur showed his respect and honor for these women and the role they played in biblical events. He did throw in a lot of his own speculations on what might have been in areas that the bible is silent on. However, he has done a lot of research and always makes clear what the bible says versus what he thinks. Overall a wonderfully facinating read. I highly recommend it to anyone wanting to learn more about the women in the bible.

5 comments about The Spiral Staircase: My Climb Out of Darkness.

1. Written with much sensitivity (and courage), it induced much empathy with the author. A good read.
   
   I was less than impressed with some of her books on history of religion, but this autobiography shows where she was coming from, and helped me better appreciate what she was trying to convey in those other books.
   
   I look forward to the next installment in this autobio series. :-)



2. This is a remarkably personal and insightful journey which takes us through the loss of hope and faith and then back to a higher realm of love and understanding. Here are my personal thoughts about this book:
   
   1. By the end of the book, I felt a bond with her that is similar to something I have felt for some of my best professors and teachers who helped me understand complex things. Karen is extremely honest and open and able to describe emotions and reactions which many thoughtful people must have to orthodox religious training and dogma. She works so hard to do the right thing and yet she is unable to feel the connection to God and make the decision to accept things as they are. She is the opposite of the normal rebellious person who bolts. She is the long suffering special person who will follow the rules, sacrifice and do the right things over and over again to come up with the expected result of obedience and conformity. And yet, that brilliant and analytical mind of hers cannot allow herself to be tricked or cajoled into compliance. I feel that this is because she is brutally honest and pure.
   
   2. She lets us into her very private and sometimes sad life. We know her every fear and understand that she is shy, awkward socially, and backward, and as she heals and moves to the next level of understanding in her life, we root for her and admire the things she is trying to do. Her accomplishments are huge and she has done it virtually all alone with extreme patience and many setbacks as well as thousands of days carefully studying the history of religion, various poets and other important writers. The ultra close relationship we have with her every day struggles helps us comprehend her conclusions and remarks about spirituality, religion and life. She has taken the time to do what many of us would like to do but can't do because of other more pressing obligations and, perhaps, addiction to regular shallow life things.
   
   3. She is imprisoned by her unknown health problems, her religious obligations, fear and shyness, and yet we see her determination get her to a level of freedom experienced by very few people. She loses her faith, gains a cause to help others understand how religion at a certain level can be damaging, and as she reads and studies each of the three major religions, she gradually moves back to a spiritual understanding that gives her a new freedom and love of everyone. Along the way, she teaches us some of the basics about each of the religions and why we need to understand them before we assume that all others are incorrect and horrible. This gives us hope and makes us want to reexamine and study others and then move to that higher level that is taught by all of them. Certainly, it makes me want to study more about Judaism and the prophet Mohammed's teaching.
   
   I finished the book with a great and positive feeling that there may be hope in the world if we could take the time to truly understand each other. It's a great book. Thanks, Karen.



3. The Spiral Staircase is an honest and insightful account of Karen Armstrong's spiritual journey of painful self-discovery from the age of seventeen until she was, at long last, led to her true purpose.
   
   At seventeen, Armstrong decided to devote her life to God and entered the Roman Catholic Church. She became a conscientious novitiate but over time began to question the rigid tenets of her faith. In addition, the strictness and seemingly uncaring attitude of the nuns caused her health and mental state to spiral downward. She experienced sudden, frightening panic attacks and seizures which the nuns ascribed to her overly sensitive nature and childish histrionics.
   
   After seven years in the convent, distraught and deeply wounded, she accepted defeat and left a world she had cherished for many years. Not used to the outside world, she entered academia, another cloistered existence, and worked toward her doctorate. But, after years of hard work, her thesis was rejected.
   
   Armstrong is a writer of such skill and emotional depth that in reading her story I suffered with her. It was almost as though I had known and loved her from childhood and needed to know that her health had improved, that she had finally found what she was searching for. I turned page after page with a heavy heart as I read of her continued frustrations with all that she tried... her failed doctorate, a string of televsion documentaries that also led nowhere, her terrifying seizures.
   
   The life the author describes reminds me of my own past struggles to find myself, how I too poured my heart and soul into various jobs and relationships that did not work out, and to which I reacted with feelings of hopelessness, confusion, and a severe loss of self-confidence.
   
   But Armstrong had a problem far greater than any of mine. She was ultimately diagnosed with epilepsy. Though her symptoms were the classic symptoms of this illness, they were not taken seriously by the nuns; nor were they recognized by the psychiatrist she was seeing for many years. During a hospital stay many years later, a doctor diagnosed her illness correctly, and she received the medication that stablized her and enabled her to begin her writing career.
   
   Karen Armstrong has written numerous books on the sacred texts of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. Her work has been translated into forty languages. In The Spiral Staircase, she shares how she came to the understanding that living a spiritual life is not merely about the rigors of following the tenets of any religious order but about living with an open, loving heart. Her engaging personality coupled with the wisdom she has gained places this book among the most moving, inspiring and entertaining memoirs I have had the pleasure to read.
   
   by Duffie Bart
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   www.storycirclebookreviews.org
   Reviewing books for, by and about women



4. This book is as compelling as a novel as well as being challenging & inspiring. We used it for a study group and everyone enjoyed it & thought it well worthwhile. Everyone found it easy to read but not easy to put down!



5. I read the other reviews on this book, not because I wasn't going to buy it, but to see what others thought. Of course, I was going to buy it, after all this is Karen Armstrong we are talking about here. I am interested in what ever she thinks. I loved the book. I am always interested in stories about people overcoming difficulties. Karen Armstrong had to overcome a lot. It is interesting, to say the least, to know what the religous view of this writer actually is now after she's been through everything she's been through.
   
   The book takes us with her on her spiritual and vocational journey. It answers the question of "Why did she write all those diverse books about God Anyway" I would recommend this book to anyone who in their own spiritual search is looking to see how someone else came through it and ended up apparently whole. This is a book I will keep. I find the last chapter especially captivating and I will need to review it until I can internalize what she is saying so beautifully.

5 comments about Princess: A True Story of Life Behind the Veil in Saudi Arabia.

1. This was a very well chronicled and written book of a princess' contemporary lifestyle and despairing oppression in Saudi Arabia. I highly reccommend this book.
   
   Princess Sultana,
   You seem to be looking for the Western World to assist in your plight of simple, daily freedoms for your nation's women. Which, by your story, is understandable. When you have a sole, domineering, and restrictive religion entwined in a political state...the chance of change is greatly reduced; after reading Saudi Arabian laws documented in your story, there's hardly any separation of religion and state in your day-to-day activities; especially for women. Actually, the legal system in your country is downright offensive to even me, and I am not a citizen of Saudi Arabia. Truly, I'd rather be homeless, U.S. citizen with complete social, educational, political, religious, and civic freedoms than a Princess with lavishly decorated palaces, an infinite amount of money, and diamonds and gems that string a couple miles...because after reading your life...freedom is priceless. I pity your life and the only people who can change your demise is your own people with the same mindset. 1776.



2. I liked it. I didn't love it. The author skimmed over "the juicy stuff" and elaborated on every detail of political and social culture. It also ended rather abruptly. I half see why everyone waited for a sequel with bated breath: the book didn't have an end or any closure. It just Stopped.
   
   I am glad I read it, and it is an easy read, but if the author's goal was to do some good with the book, then it went nowhere. If the goal was to dish out the dirt, she could have done a better job. Sadly, after completing the book, I'm not sure what the goal was with the writing.



3. 'Princess' is a true story about "Sultana" a member of the royal bloodline, growing up in Saudi Arabia. One would think that as descendant of the great leader, King Abdul Aziz life would be luxurious with one opportunity after another..and for the males that's true..but as a female born and raised in the Royal family life was severe and restrictive.
   
   This book is very well written and you wont want to put it down. Most people have no idea what life in the Middle East is like. It will shock and sadden you to read about how cruel and harsh life is for females (children and adults) and the sickening double standards allowed for males. This book will open your eyes to the true nature of Islam and just how intolerant and incompatable it is regarding human rights.



4. I believe this book to be a sloppily written work of FICTION. I bought it thinking I was going to read a day-to-day account of the life of a Saudi princess. I would have been happy with a boring account of household chores and staring at the walls. However, I became suspicious at obvious omissions like details of the princess' first sexual experience and her survival of cancer. I was appalled at how such a life-changing experience could be glossed over in 2 or 3 sentences. The princess had no problems detailing the rape of a young Egyptian girl, but was uncomfortable discussing her own sex life or illness? The book is about her, so why not focus on these struggles through the eyes of a Saudi woman? How did the health system treat her? Did she get support from her relatives? The sale of young Egyptian girls by their mothers is not a new or shocking story to anyone who has lived in that country. It has recently come to my attention that this type of activity still takes place in Egypt. The detailed retelling of stories not related to the life of the "princess" gave the book a cut-and-paste feel. It was as if Ms. Sasson interwove her personal observations with gossip and other written accounts. I have been researching Islamic/Middle Eastern culture for a while and so, and I was surprised that I could easily remember text and word-of-mouth references for many of the "princess'" stories. My own research took place over 4 years through numerous sittings with Muslim men in Asia, who demonstrated their culture through their habits and statements. So, yes, the treatment of women is barbaric and honour killings are allowed/expected in some countries. Unmarried women are dishonouring themselves, and marriage is the ultimate symbol of respectability. Some of them object to being touched by women (not even handshakes), or eat food prepared in establishments owned by Jews. Many Muslim men and women have intercourse before marriage. The men expect to marry virgins because they want to have unprotected sex without the worry. I could go on and on. None of these Western-educated men think that there is anything backward about their beliefs. The point is, why did Ms. Sasson choose a "princess" to highlight the plight of women in the Middle East? There exist a wide variety of people from all walks of life that would have willingly offered the accounts she needed to write a very interesting and colourful account of life as a Saudi. The princess comes across as powerless, frustrated and somewhat bubble-headed. Some of her actions are illogical. She wants to do so much to help women in her country but uses her social clout to organise parties for royals and diplomats?! Here was a perfect opportunity to raise awareness of women's, nay, HUMAN rights issues in the Kingdom. She writes nonchalantly about enjoying unlimited use of her husband's jet, but is surprised when he feels some repugnance towards her after she has become disfigured because of a disease. Why would someone this vain neglect to get reconstructive surgery? If her husband can fly a medical team out to Saudia Arabia to help deliver their child, and if she is resourceful enough to steal millions of dollars of her husband's money, it could certainly enter her mind to physically transform herself. Also, why did she go back to her husband? Why not take all the money and keep the children, and write the book on her own? She could have claimed asylum in a number of countries or bought herself and her children new identities. By the end of this toweringly tall tale, I felt that Ms. Sasson may have written this book as a way of venting her disappointment over not having found herself a rich, handsome, Saudi prince. Had she never left Saudi Arabia empty-handed she would never have had the inclination to write this text. I think it is a shame that people feel it is fine to write negative stories about a culture just because it is closed to outsiders. There is no way for us to authenticate any of the stories in Princess (without subjecting her to death, torture, or ostracism) and so, I will give this book a 20% chance of being authentic. Likewise, I hope the author will understand my viewpoint as to the dubious nature of a text that can be constructed through careful research and attentive listening.



5. This is extraordinary book - a testament to one woman's courage (that of the Princess)as well as to the talent(that of Jean Sasson)which put it so powerfully on the printed page. Everyone needs to read this book. The demeaning cruelty with which some Arab women are treated is something that the world needs to be told about over and over again. Particularly when we are treated to the appalling sight of President Bush holding hands and dancing up and down with the Saudi leader, Prince Abdullah, while Irag and Afghanistan burn. But most of all, "Princess" is a deeply-felt reminder that what the world also needs a lot more of now is love...Zeus: A Journey Through Greece in the Footsteps of a God; The Summer of My Greek Taverna: A Memoir; Greece: An Illustrated History (Illustrated Histories)

5 comments about Service Included: Four-Star Secrets of an Eavesdropping Waiter.

1. I took this book camping and finished it in a day's time. Phoebe is really quite funny, and keeps your interest throughout the story.



2. This was an excellent book. I'd highly recommend it to anyone with an interest in the food world and in the effects of food on the human experience. Phoebe had me laughing from the first page to the end. Her writing style is honest and clever, and delightful to read. If you're looking for a biography of Thomas Keller or a historical account of the Per Se restaurant, go read an encyclopedia. This is, as the author describes it, "creative nonfiction," and in my opinion, this book is one of the best.



3. I picked up this book because I am a former waiter, chef and caterer owner. I have never worked in a 4-star restaurant, but have dined in a number of them. Having spent countless time in restaurants, it was fun for me to read about her experiences and they brought back memories. (Although I basically hated waiting tables, the fun began after work.)
   
   what I liked most about the book was when she wrote about eating high quality food that is organic, free-range and local.
   
   As an environmentalist who eats organic and local food, this was very appealing. For example, her description of artisan cheese from a small farm in Vermont was terrific.
   
   Author ofaward winning book, Harmonious Environment: Beautify, Detoxify and Energize Your Life, Your Home and Your Planet



4. The premise of this book seems to be a Kitchen Confidential for the front of the house- the polish and precision of a multiple starred restaurant set against the foil of real people- the employees, the filthy rich public and foodies. The story starts off promising with lots of detail about the insane dedication of the staff and their training gives glimpses into why some people eat to live and others live to eat, and that Per Se is a restaurant for the latter crowd. Phoebe Damarosch's writing is agile enough, and this a quick read with some fun and interesting talking points that will likely stick with the reader for a long time to come: how to woo a food critic, a job in the service industry can be a satisfying and well-paid career choice and you won't be the first or last guest to throw up on the polished bronze floor at Per Se. The story looses it's way in the last half of the book with a tag-along on the author's romance that doesn't reach a conclusion- did they stay together, is he really just a cheating bastard, did they move to a larger apartment, did they get a dachshund or a bulldog? The Famous Chef himself makes only a cameo appearance, and the anecdotes about the clientele are limp- man celebrating his 80th birthday falls asleep at the table, an engagement ring with a Faberge Egg, a couple that snorts cocaine in between courses, Per Se groupies that want to hang out with the wait staff. The best dishy comments come when you least expect it and make you wish for more- Thomas Keller's own food philosophy.



5. I'm still dragging myself through this one only because I spent money on it. I could live without the political opinions.

5 comments about Persepolis 2: The Story of a Return.

1. This is the only book that I have manged to read the entire of it in one day!
   It is a comic book, supper easy read and very educational in terms of knowing different culture.
   I like Persepolis 2 better than 1.
   U may wanna watch the movie, as well. It won and nominated for many awards in 2007.



2. A strong sequel to Satrapi's original autobiography, Persepolis, also told in graphic novel format. In part 2, Satrapi relates her time in Vienna and her return to Iran. She grows up, in short, and grapples with her exile, her nationality and universal coming-of-age struggles -- from experimenting with drugs, to finding love. As in the first novel, Satrapi's black-and-white illustrations contrast with the multi-hued complexity of the political and religious backdrop of Iranian culture.



3. Persepolis II takes us from 1984 to 1994 in the continuing story of Marjane Satrapi's life. As this episode begins, she is 15, alone in Vienna at the Catholic boarding school to which here parents sent her to escape war and religious conflict in Iran. Marjane makes her way through the foreign landscape, learns the language, makes friends and eventually loses her way, tumbling into a world of drugs and homelessness. Dispirited, she returns to Iran and to her parents, only to be oppressed by the rigid fundamentalism that gripped the country during this period. Nevertheless, she studies art, falls in love and marries, and then faces the loss of her marriage.
   
   Satrapi's great skill is in depicting herself with utter honesty. Whether it be her volatile and rebellious nature, the "beauty mark" on the side of her nose or her experimentation with drugs and sex, she comes completely clean about how she was and how she got there. Her artwork -- stark black-and-white graphic images -- seems rudimentary at first, but quickly establishes its visual appeal and ability to communicate. This book is less political than the original Persepolis, with Satrapi wrestling more with inner demons than with those in the world at large. Her depiction of the excesses of the mullahs -- beatings, executions, petty harassment -- is balanced with her admission that some mullahs were moderate, and even kind.
   
   Persepolis II, unlike some sequels, is as interesting and vital is the first volume. By the end, I was excited about the possibility of a Persepolis III. You go, Marjane!



4. Persepolis 1 was definately more funny and dramatic than this followup novel. This book seemed dark and brooding. I also found it harder to identify with the main character. It almost as if she hestitates from fully constructing her most profound difficulties and the storyline talkes over. Still a good book though I'd repurchase it in a HEARTBEAT!



5. Like the novel preceding it, Persepolis 2 combines stark, evocative art with powerful storytelling. Unlike its predecessor, however, the story is one of adolescence rather than childhood, and Marji grows from a spunky child into a searching, rebellious, and sharply intelligent teenager. Her parents, concerned about her welfare amid the turmoil plaguing Iran, send her away to school in Austria. There, she meets a group of punks and wins them over instantly with stories of the war. Free from the watchful eye of the Guardians of the Revolution, Iran's moral police, she experiments with sex, drugs, and "revolutionary anarchist parties," an exploration that ultimately leaves her in a miserable state and yearning for home. Upon her return, she must cope with the changes that have deeply shaken both her country and herself during her absence.
   
   The cheeky humor that peppers Marji's childhood perceptions matures into a cutting wit of which she makes frequent use in pointing out the hypocrisies of both the fundamentalist regime and the radical posturing of her European friends. When members of the religious police chide her for running in public, saying that her movements are "obscene," she loudly replies, "Well, then don't at my ass!" One has to admit that she has a point. Although the story of Marji's return unfolds against the backdrop of constant tragedy, the novel's humor does not seem out of place. In one of the book's most memorable scenes, Marji goes to visit a childhood friend who has been maimed in the war with Iraq. At first, the scene is uncomfortable, as she tries to hide her pity, but the wounded friend breaks the awkwardness with a darkly hilarious joke about the war. "That day," says Marji, "I learned something essential: we can only feel sorry for ourselves when our misfortunes are supportable...once this limit is crossed, the only way to bear the unbearable is to laugh at it."
   
   Persepolis 2 is as unforgettable as the original Persepolis, and stands as a coming of age memoir that is both uniquely Iranian and movingly universal.

5 comments about The Vixen Diaries.

1. Karrine has grown from her first attempt at being an author. I am immpressed with her second book. Although she is still trying to make a name for herself away from the tell all style of book she dosen't get too far from it to keep most of her fans intuned. I personally want to se her do a semi-fictional book using some of what she has been through to keep the story entertaning with the top 3 sellers(Sex, Drugs, Music Industry).



2. Ms. Karrine. If I wanted to read about drama then I should have picked up fiction instead. Is this what you call female empowerment? And the minute a person criticizes you of your work you have the nerve to tell them that they are jealous? ....How laughable! LADY PLEASE! I am 24 and own my own home and have a nice car. I did not sell out or use people to get what I needed. I have a wonderful career by working with troubled youths at a group home/facility for kids in the system. And yes, I put myself through college as well. I have two other brothers who went the same path as I did. Both of my parents were never there for us and worried about themselves instead. Yet my siblings and I all pulled through despite our circumstances.
   
   What I regret is ever reading your book. You spew out nothing but worthless trape about your sexcapades with other celebrities knowing full well that we live in the age of AIDS and STD'S. Oh and by the way, there are other INCURABLE STD's THAT YOU CAN CONTRACT EVEN IF YOU DO USE CONDOMS. STD's know no race color or background of any kind. Just ask some of the kids that I work with who were former streetwalkers and runaways. I only read your book because you were a fellow sister who I thought, deserved to be heard. I was fooled into thinking that you were a former bad girl gone good. But after reading about your lifestyle, I was angered because I work with minors who have your type of flawed mentality. And lady, do you know some of them know who you are and try to emulate you! Only to end up pregnant or with a couple of STD's.
   
   I despise vultures of your kind who are the reason why hard working successful black women are labeled under negative stereotypes. You are a liar and cheat because you fooled some of us into believeing you've changed. A liar because you stated that your first book was to warn young women not to give into the hype. And you are also cheat because this book is your cash cow and how you probably afforded a BRAND NEW Mercedes after scratching your other one. RIDICULOUS! Woman, are you mentally challenged? Even I have heard of some celebrities who were wise with their money and cleverly invested it to their benefit. Will Smith, Ashton Kutcher, and Michael Douglass, to name a few. Speaking of celebrity, since when has anyone *EVER* considered you an A-Lister? My brothers and I are movie buffs (courtesy of a T.V. raising us while our parents were out.)
   
   I don't see you trekking the globe doing humanitarian work like Angelina Jolie. You have never been awarded an Oscar or golden Globe like Halle Berry. You have not a single Emmy or notable award to your name. You have never done anything worth remembering except to name a multitude of sex partners and unfairly expose their private lives to your benefit. The only movie think I remember hearing you in was maybe that forgettable film called A Man Apart. Didn't you have a minor role? Back when I as a pre teen I nearly gave into that kind of hype. If it weren't for my brothers I could have been just as flawed and delusional as you are.
   
   Some of us young black sisters did not have to sell out and open our legs to every TOM, DICK, or HARRY in order to get whatever we desired. We are not fooled by you and your 'use what you got to get what you want' sort of philosophy Ms. Karrine! I worry about your son because he sees more than you think. I was a child once and my parents couldn't fool me if they tried. I agree with the one reviewer who asked the question "haven't you learned from Anna Nicole Smith" well Ms. Karrine? Haven't you?
   
   Have some class lady and Grow the heck up. You are the prime example of a living cliche` Ms. Karrine. And it's time you wake up from this nightmare that you believe is a dream. Hypocrites like you don't need to be preaching to anyone. You end up contradicting every word you say and embarrassing yourself. You are not a bestselling author because of your talent. You are no Tananarive Due, Terry Mcmillan, Alice Walker, Eric Jerome Dickey, Zane or any author with raw talent when it comes to their craft for story telling. The reason why your book was a best seller was because it gave people the ammunition and proof that they needed to bury your credibility, catch you in some of your lies, and snuff out whatever shred of dignity you have left. You are the laughing stock of every African American website out there.
   
   I am not criticizing young women who stipped their way through college or lived the life of hype in order to get through school. I am criticizing the young women who BOUGHT INTO THAT SUPERCICIAL kind of lifestyle at face value. And that very woman is you Karrine 'SUPAHEAD' Steffans. POINT, PERIOD, BLANK. You are like the Newyork Knicks on a game night. A constant SELLOUT to your son and yourself. You are no A-lister or a celebrity for the right reasons. You are a D-List celebrity who played games and ruined lives for a quick Dollar. Your celebrity is as 'BOTTOM OF THE BARREL' as Britney Spears and Tara Reid. You are exactly like your mother and you have no sympathy from me. NONE. My money will not line the inside of your wallet, Ma'am.
   
   Parents like you are the reason why children are thrown into the system over and over again. You keep the cycle going. Shame on you Ms. Karrine for making your shattered lifestyle glamorous to naive young women.
   
   To avid readers: Skip this book if you must. But If you absolutely have to read it. Borrow it from a Library or read it in one sitting at the bookstore.



3. The Vixen Diaries by Karrine Steffans is the sequel to Confessions of A Video Vixen, where Ms. Steffans discloses numerous famous men she slept with and the lessons learned. This time around Karrine did not do a lot of finger pointing, but switched things around and let the world know that she is not the same person. She wants to make the point that she has matured and grown by leaps and bounds, and has left the "Super Head" title behind. Has she or is she still trying to capitalize on juicy gossip?
   
   Now, she is not saying sorry for spreading her business around however, she enlightens us with quirky anecdotes in regards to how people have dealt with her since her newfound stardom. She tells about powerful icons who are leading double lives and handicapped former artists who have acted out of character. And, how she has bounced back and is now stronger than ever and capable of taking care of herself and her son.
   
   The scenes she describes are so vivid that I can actually picture her walking the red carpet or acting divalicious! My question here is was a sequel really needed? Did she feel that she had to justify her actions by apologizing to the famous people she outed? One thing she did touch on that goes on in everyday life, is if she was a man the things she has done or written about would not be perceived as wrong. But in fact would have made her famous in a positive light.
   
   In a few scenes, she tries to describe her growth and welcomes the riches as opposed to the rags and being homeless. But she still has a long way to go, she does not have anything to prove to me per se, but her life is definitely a work in progress.
   
   I recommend this to sequel lovers, so if you read "Confessions of a Video Vixen" follow it up with part duex!
   
   Reviewed by: Cheryl H
   APOOO BookClub



4. I thought Karrine's follow up would be good if not better than her first and all I found was repetition to the first novel. She is in constant bragging mode with most of her material.
   
   Speaking of material, she is every bit materialistic when you can scratch up a perfectly nice vehicle and instead of just getting it fixed, she goes out and buys a brand new one right off the lot.
   
   You can hire nannies to watch your son as you go and galavant all over town getting into the most exclusive clubs Hollywood.
   
   What an idiot that you couldn't think of anything better to do than to throw your riches up in everyone's face....bragadocious...and then in the same breath, complain about how having more money than you can ever imagine (selling sex) has made you humble.
   
   Sit your funky tale down and shut up!



5. Its true this is a quick read if you can stay intrested, an she may not be as revealing as she was in her last book,but she has grown quite a bit since then but she still seems like that little girl with a dream an often while reading this book i felt as if she wanted fame as if it was intitled to her, but other than that i thought this was a decent book if you liked her last book an you basically want to know whats going on with her now an maybe find out some things she seem to leave out in her first book then i would say read it....it also gives u a dim light on what hollywood wants us to think an how it really is she also touch base on the issue of men being on the Dow Low an how its affecting our women