5 comments about Bones That Float, A Story of Adopting Cambodia.

1. Our book group was lucky to have Kari Grady Grossman attend our discussion of "Bones That Float."
   
   Even though our group is known for our lively discussions, I have to say that the discussion of "Bones That Float" was probably the most passionate meeting we have ever had. She made us think and feel and examine our obligations as citizens of a world community and it was uncomfortable, revealing and empowering. For each one of us, this story brought out a myriad of powerful emotions and opinions that some of us have never expressed in public before. To my mind, that is the mark of a good book crafted by a good writer. Thank you, Kari.
   
   -Paige



2. I thoroughly enjoyed the individual stories woven throughout this book. The life stories of the main Cambodian characters were so powerful I couldn't stop reading about their lives. As a parent to children adopted transracially and internationally I could relate to many of the emotions and questions that Grossman raises. However, I do not believe this is a book that will resonate with most adoptees, birth/first parents or astute adoptive parents. Grossman takes liberties where she shouldn't frequently stating opinion as fact. There are no references listed or sources cited in this book. For example, she states that half of adoptees choose to search for birthparents and half do not. However, there are no references to back up that statement. Most troubling was the following on page 140 where she talks about the US ban on adoptions from Cambodia stating, "Yet after more than four years of State Department investigations and ample gossip of brokering stories, no birthmother has come back to reclaim an illicitly procured child. The women of Cambodia are poor, not stupid." Again, no citations or references are provided. As it turns out the first statement is not true, birthmothers did return to reclaim their children thankfully before they left Cambodia. Anyone can read about it in official public documents. The second statement is so offensive, Grossman owes an apology to all birthmothers globally who have been duped out of raising their children. One only need to attend a CUB meeting or with human rights organizations in countries like Cambodia, Vietnam, Nepal, India and elsewhere to discover that intelligent women have in fact lost their children to adoption following empty promises from unscrupulous facilitators. While I enjoyed much of the story, in the end I was disappointed.



3. My husband and I have four beautiful children who joined our family through international adoption. One of our children is from Cambodia. I bought this book to learn more about Cambodian adoption, but came out learning a lot more.
   
   I truly enjoyed this book on many different levels. Bones That Float is an amazing story of Kari Grossman's adoption experiences in Cambodia, and how she embraced the history and culture of her son's first country. The book really spoke to my heart. It is so important in our family for both parents and children to learn about the children's first countries (China and Cambodia) and to try to understand the circumstances that led to their adoptions. As an adoptive mom, I found this book invaluable. I also think it would be appropriate for parents of children of other countries - my friends with children from China are eager to read it too.
   
   The book really has three stories - the adoption story, a story of how the Khmer Rouge harmed/hurt/almost destroyed a family in Cambodia (and their ultimate survival), and the story of Kari's driver, who yearns for a better life. Because of Kari's personal connection with the latter two stories, they are quite real and affecting.
   
   Finally, Kari was able to establish a school in a rural mountainous area of Cambodia. This book is also about the ability for all of us to make a difference in this world.



4. I ordered this book because the author is going to visit our church for a discussion this Friday. It is moving, painful, and unbelievable and it will grab your heart. The simalarities of what happened in Cambodia to what the invasion of Iraq has started is startling.
   I don't think I will be able to forget the people in this book.



5. With unflinching honesty and well-researched facts, Ms. Grossman details the plight of Cambodia's children as well as her personal story of advocacy for them. This book emphasizes that heartfelt, direct action addresses what meaningless political rhetoric cannot.
   
   This book will prick your conscience and will have you asking "what's *my* Cambodia?"
   
   Very highly recommended.

5 comments about Marilyn Monroe.

1. When I think of Marilyn Monroe, I think of her troubling death. If you believet that she committed suicide, then this book is detailed enough for you about her poor life. One cannot help but feel sorry for her despite her unstable upbringing, her mentally ill mom and relatives. She was looking for a father figure in her husbands like playwright Arthur Miller and Joe DiMaggio. She spent part of her childhood in an orphanage because she was shuffled around from home to home. We know her first marriage was probably better than her marriages to high profile icons like DiMaggio who loved her as Marilyn and not as Norma Jean Baker and Miller who was in love with her as his muse. Marilyn wanted more than to be a movie star. She wanted to be loved. She loved kids who returned their love back because she never talked down to them. When she was Norma Jean is when I believed that she was the happiest. She has the vulnerability in her smiles and face. She desperately wanted unconditional love. A friend of hers, Jeanne Carmen stated that she was the loneliest girl in the world despite all her superficial friends, relatives, and acquaintances. Her fans to this day love Marilyn as the icon that she was created but we do not know the fragility of Norma Jean Baker who lived as Marilyn Monroe, the ultimate character. She wanted to act desperately to escape the misery of her life. The book glosses over her relations to the Las Vegas Mafia and the possible foul play of her death. Whether Marilyn was murdered or committed suicide, this book does not answer those questions at all. It's glossed over much like the cover of the book. I think it's still worth a read for any Monroe fan. I appreciated the author's research into the theatrical background of films, television, and theater in New York City where I think she loved to be and London where she filmed a film with Lord Laurence Olivier. Despite her difficulties on set and problems, was she worth it? You damn right she was worth every moment.



2. I am a Marilyn Monroe bio junkie, and this bio was good; however, I was disappointed in the ending.
   
   I felt the author tied up Marilyn's death too quickly, simply stating that the actress committed suicide. The reason this bothered me as a reader is because there are questions as to whether Marilyn really did commit suicide.
   
   This is a good book to learn about Marilyn's youth and her start in Hollywood, as well as her marriages; however, if you want to investigate the death of Marilyn, I recommend Goddess: The Secret Lives of Marilyn Monroe by Anthony Summer OR Marilyn Monroe: The Last Days by Donald H. Wolfe. Both books are thoroughly researched, and the authors inform their readers of how they obtained information.



3. This book is a very well written highly readable retread of everything you already know about Monroe.
   
   However, it does have a particularly strong emphasis on financial issues, contract negotiations and Monroe's money battles with the studios. This book contains far more detail about Monroe's financial dealings with Hollywood than you will probably find anywhere else. Not sure why though
   
   Besides giving the reader all they've ever wanted to know about Monroe's finances (it is unbeleivable by today's standards that Monroe was living in rinky dink apartments and using a party line after becoming a major star) the reader is given reams of detail on her early relationship with Aurthur Miller and Miller's homo erotic professional, personal and political rivalry with Elia Kazan. Miller and Kazan are given almost as much ink as Monroe in this book.
   
   Ms. Leamer tows the party line on Monroe. No one will argue that Monroe was not a tragic figure but it's old. There's more to Monroe's story than her tragic insecurity and her fragility and vulnerability (she wasn't so vulnerable when it came to negotiating her later contracts though nor was she so over wrought with sensitivity that she couldn't turn Milton Greene out afte all he'd done for her). Why was the most beautiful woman in the world alone so much? Could it be because she was tedious, draining, overwrought, consuming and manipulative? Maybe. But we can't look to writers like Ms. Leaming to explain.
   
   This book is well suited to a first time reader of material on Monroe. It is a good read that does a good job of weaving together the chain of events that led to Monroe's stardom. It fails, however, to put Monroe into perspective. It fails to veer from the well worn and explain to the reader why Monroe was living in a cluttered three bedroom bungelow when she was the biggest star on the face of the Earth. Has the myth of Monroe been woven since her death by people like Ms. Leamer? There must be some explanation in Monroe's behavior and relationships that explains why she died alone, in a middle class home, on a Saturday night with only her house keeper for company and why this is so incongruous with the surreal stature Monroe is viewed with today.
   
   We surely won't find out from books like this.



4. i am a huge fan of barbara leaming, she is the one the best writers and she has managaed to humanize marilyn as no one has before, the book was fluid and wasn't over-whelming as most marilyn books are, hurrah! barbara! if there is a chance that you are reading this, i would love if you wrote about dorothy dandridge, i think she'd make a great subject for you!



5. Film star, singer, model, oh, the life! Born on June 1, 1926, to Gladys Baker, a star was born. But it wasn't as easy as it sounds. Growing up in orphanages and foster homes isn't exactly the perfect childhood. Norma Jeane's mom was admitted to a mental institution at age nine, when she was sent to an orphanage. She later moved in with a family friend until she was sixteen. They couldn't afford to take care of her any longer so she had to make a decision: go back to an orphanage or get married. That's when she chose to marry Jimmy Dougherty (age 21) on June 19, 1942. He was sent off to the South Pacific after joining the Merchant Marines, so Norma Jeane had to find a job. She began to work in an assembly line at the Radio Plane Munitions factory in Burbank, CA. Yank Magazine photographer, David Conover, was the one who "discovered" Norma Jeane as a model. He began giving her modeling jobs as her new career. Norma Jeane divorced Jimmy Dougherty in 1946 because he made her choose between a career and their marriage. She chose career. On August 26, 1946, she signed her first studio contract with Twentieth Century Fox. Not too long after, she died her hair blonde and was told to change her name. Norma Jeane was soon to be known as Marilyn Monroe. And now, her movie career started! Her very first movie role was in The Shocking Miss Pilgrim, in 1947. She began starring in many other movies until she starred in Niagara, where is said to have jumped her career ahead. On January 14, 1954, Marilyn married a famous baseball star, Joe DiMaggio. They soon divorced on October 27, 1954 due to "conflict of careers." Marilyn owned her own motion picture company named, Marilyn Monroe Productions. On June 29, 1956, she married Arthur Miller. He wrote part of the movie, The Misfits for her. Starring Marilyn and her favorite actor, Clark Gable. That was to be their last completed film. On January 20, 1961, Marilyn divorced Arthur. Not soon after winning the Golden Globes award for female- World Film Favorite, she was found dead at age 36 in her bed on August 5, 1962. There is no real proof as to how she died, but all we know is that there was an empty bottle of pills found lying next to her along with a telephone in her hand. This book is one of the best books I've ever read. Biographies are normally boring, but this one is not. Barbara Leaming used her very vivid detailed vocabulary to describe the wonderful life of the newest sex symbol, Marilyn Monroe.
   This book is so wonderful because it actually shows and describes real life troubles of one of the most famous people of her time. Marilyn Monroe had a very hard childhood. Her mom was sent to a mental institution so she had to go to an orphanage and later to a foster home where they brought her up very strictly and religiously. Marilyn never had a stable place to live until she was pretty much forced to marry at the age of sixteen! It seemed that every time that Marilyn would find love, they would run away because her career didn't exactly fit the role of a "house wife." Marilyn wasn't accepted by anyone but her fans. And they just didn't understand the real her. Her whole life, Marilyn tried so hard to be someone that she wasn't. All she wanted was to be loved and no one accepted her for who she really was.
   Marilyn Monroe is a very good book because it shows how hard you have to work to accomplish what you want to be in life. Marilyn wanted to be a movie star all her life. Stardom was everyone's dream. But, it's not as easy to accomplish as you may think. Marilyn Monroe was turned down by many of people. Not everyone wanted to have someone who represented sex in their movies. Not everyone was looking for that kind of girl, most producers were looking for the homey kind of girl and Marilyn just didn't fit that role. Marilyn was suspended from her career without an income for a while because she just simply refused to accept the job without looking at the script first. People in the show business like to take advantage of everyone. Marilyn Monroe had searched every where for someone to help her with her acting. No one wanted to work with her. Until Lee Strasberg noticed her talent and helped her when she moved to New York City. Becoming a star isn't easy and this book shows you just exactly why it isn't.
   This book is also good not only because it shows you the troubles of being an actress, but it also shows you how wonderful being a star can be and all the benefits from it. In Marilyn Monroe's career she completed a total of 30 films and left one unfinished. She won many awards such as: 2 Golden Globe awards for being a Female World Film Favorite, she was titled Playboy "sweetheart" of the month, she was titled one of the 100 sexiest women, she was titled Best Foreign Actress numerous times, and many others. She was even so famous that she started her own motion picture company: Marilyn Monroe Productions. Marilyn Monroe was featured on a 32 cent stamp, she married many famous people, and she even got to star in a movie with her all time favorite actor, Clark Gable! What a dream come true. So, being a star isn't always about all the hard times. I would say that all the good things that came out of her stardom make up for all of Marilyn's misfortunes.
   All together, this book is one of the best books I've ever read. Part of that being that I'm a true fan of Marilyn's and part of that being that author, Barbara Leaming, has wonderful talent and made this book so worth reading. Just her vocabulary and wording helps you actually feel like you were there with Marilyn when she went through her whole life. I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in reading. This book is worth your time. Read it.

5 comments about Ingrid: Ingrid Bergman, A Personal Biography.

1. Having had a close, sweet friendship with Ingrid the last 12 years of her life, I can easily say that Ms Chandler's remembrances of Ingrid, marked by numerous interviews of family, friends & collegues rings very true!
   Being privy to many personal aspects of Ingrid's life, visits to Choisel, dinners in Paris & London, etc., I was swept with nostalgia & memories of dear Ingrid as I read this marvelous story picturing Ingrid as she really was in her life.
   Following a less than nice review of a play in London, Ingrid was appearing in, she wrote to me about that notice & said: "Let the dogs bark
   the caravan moves on!" Typical Bergman.
   Unpretentious, caring, sweet, natural, I loved Ingrid dearly, as a friend!
   This book says it all!



2. very disappointing no new facts or interesting untold published background on the star.



3. This book was purchased as a gift, and the recipient was very well pleased.
   It has great interest to people, women particularly, who were living during the period of Ingrid Bergman's stardom and scandal.



4. This book tells a very human story about the life of Ingrid Bergman from the time of her parents before she was born, to her early life after her mothers death, to being an actress in Sweeden Hollywood and Italy to being a wife three times and mother of four including Isabella Rossalini.
   
   Great Book, Very interesting life!



5. This was a well-written story about Ingrid Bergman...I had seen her in several movies but did not know about her background. Just things I had read and heard about her. The author really captured her fascinating life in detail from her birth until her death...and revealed how Ingrid Bergman felt about the things that were happening to her throughout her life. I thought the book was a page turner and I couldn't put it down.

5 comments about The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery, Vol. 1: 1889-1910.

1. Obviously this is for fans of L M Montgomery - if you know and love her writing, you will recognise among the friends and acquaintances of her youth the characters that people Anne of Green Gable's turbulent world. But this wonderful journal is much more than that - it is a fascinating insight into a world which is long gone.
   
   We read of Maud's complex family arrangements, her desire to be a good teacher and disappointment with some of her placements. Her small victories selling stories to publications, and the seemingly endless stream of suitors who proclaim love for her (my favourite is the hapless Mr Mustard). It is a tale of love found and not acted on (and the agonies that accompany it), familial obligations, frustrated talents and beautiful Canadian country side. It tells of heppiness, despair, joy and nostalgia, and is as engagingly written as any fabulous novel.
   
   By all means read this if you wish to understand the creator of one of the world's most engaging literary characters, but also to have a glimpse of a world none of us will ever see the likes of.



2. Although the famous author's last years brought her much sorrow and depression, she continued to depict the world as it once more became plunged into yet another world war. In her famous journals, she described movies she saw, including GWTW, air conditioning, and the frustration involved with generational gaps. It is a must read for those who followed the previous books.



3. IF YOU LOVE THE OTHER DIARIES YOU WILL ENJOY READING ABOUT HER FINAL DAYS. I ENJOYED ALL OF THE OTHER DIARIES BUT THIS ONE IS THE SADDEST. SHE HAS HER GOOD DAYS AND BAD, BUT SADLY SHE STOPPED WRITING IN THE LAST YEARS WHEN LIFE BECAME SO UNBEARABLE THAT SHE COUDLN'T EVEN WRITE ABOUT IT SO THIS DIARY IS INCOMPLETE. YOU WILL LOVE SEEING INSIDE THE LIFE AND MIND OF AN AUTHOR WHO ACHIEVED SUCCESS IN HER OWN LIFETIME AND LIVED TO WRITE ABOUT HER PERSONAL LIFE FROM CHILDHOOD TO HER LAST DAYS. THIS DIARY IS HER LAST, BUT LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE ON IN HER WRITINGS. HER DIARY WAS A WAY TO SHARE HER INNERMOST THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS THAT SHE COULDN'T SHARE IN HER NOVELS. YOU TOO WILL FEEL LIKE A KINDRED SPIRIT.



4. These journals, are beautifully put together. I remember when I found the first one and then each suceeding volume. I knew this one was coming. I even called the author at Guelph University to ask her how much longer I would have to wait.
   
   She said then that they had to wait for some of the people in the journals to die before they could publish them. I would guess Dr. Stuart Macdonald was one of them.
   
   They thrill me and make me feel closer to thise amazing woman. I've read everything she's written now. The sad thing is that once this volume is finished there is nothing new to read.
   
   My greatests thanks to L. M. Montgomery and to Drs. Rubio and Waterson for their great work.



5. Poor poor woman. I could scarcely put it down. But it brings up many questions. Why did she think that Mr. Leard, the Love of her life, was not worthy of her? Why did no one ask her husband Mr. McDonald what the heck was bothering him? Why did she not know in 5 years of courtship that something was terribly wrong with him? Poor, poor woman. The synthesis of this book is when she asks herself why a woman that she felt was mean and hateful was happy and she was not. Indeed, why?

No comments about My Life as a Radical Jewish Woman: Memoirs of a Zionist Feminist in Poland.

3 comments about Harriet Tubman: The Life and the Life Stories (Wisconsin Studies in Autobiography).

1. Several years back I was watching a documentary on Harriet Tubman in which one of her relatives was interviewed. I suddenly realized I had never thought of Tubman as a real person, with actual living relatives! Her legend looms so much larger than life that she hovers somewhere in the realm of Paul Bunyan.

   This book begins with a traditional biography, presenting the bare bones of Tubman's life. The section called "Stories and Sayings" puts meat on those bones, breathing life into someone who has nearly been lost to us in legend. It's a fascinating concept, and I think it works.

   Equally amazing is the Documents section, reflecting 10 years of research and which will be required reading for any future Tubman scholars because, as Humez herself says, "...my retelling of her life story cannot be definitive." Highly recommended.

   Curator, AfroAmericanHeritage dot com




2. Harriet Tubman: The Life and the Life Stories, by Jean M. Humez

   This book is a treasure. Eminently readable, impossible to put down, totally absorbing, this book will satisfy meticulous scholars and the general public. What a great way to learn U.S. history! Great quotes, critical appraisal of the work of earlier historians, new documentation, wonderfully illuminating photographs. A feast for the curious mind and eye.
   I have always wanted to know more about Harriet Tubman and as soon as I heard this book was out I dived into it. Harriet Tubman's life has been the subject of several biographers in the past, but in this work Humez convincingly argues that Harriet Tubman, who could not read or write, was able to produce a "self-authored life story" by carefully choosing the writers she collaborated with and exercising control about what stories to tell and how to tell them. This results in a fascinating and kaleidoscopic interpretation of Harriet Tubman's life, as seen through different authors and through Harriet Tubman herself.
   In the first section, "The Life," I learned about the salient facts of Harriet Tubman's life: her years as a slave in Maryland, seeing two of her sisters sold and carried away in a chain-gang, her successful escape from slavery in 1849, when she was probably 29 years old, her contacts with the anti-slavery movement in the North, the mutual admiration of Harriet Tubman and John Brown who referred to her using the masculine pronoum ("Harriet Tubman hooked on his whole team at once. He is the most of a man, naturally, that I ever met with"). It is also about the clandestine trips she made to Maryland to rescue her extended family and others, her military and nursing work during the civil war and her settling in Auburn, New York, in poverty, taking care of old and sick people of color and children-- the John Brown Hall project, as she called it.
   Interesting quotes from her dictated letters reveal details that throw light on her views on other issues, such as women's rights. For instance, in telling about the successful Combahee River raid in South Carolina, in which she worked with Col. James Montgomery and a band of 300 black soldiers, she states after her dress was shred that "...I made up my mind then I would never wear a long dress on another expedition of the kind, but would have a bloomer as soon as I could get it..."
   It is in the second part, "The Life Stories," that Humez makes the case that Harriet Tubman's gifts as a story-teller, singer, and performer and her reputation as an African-American celebrity ensured that her experiences as a slave and her deep spirituality would be preserved. Here, through a discussion on the politics of research, the dynamics between a researcher and her/his subject, and the cultural and social context that influences much of those dynamics, I felt Harriet Tubman's presence and resourcefulness vividly, towering above those who tried to capture her complex story and interpret her life according to their values and the racial views of their culture.
   The third part, "Stories and Sayings," offers a hypothetical version of Tubman's "autobiography" culled from every individual life history story Humez was able to locate from the earlier works. While all the stories and sayings are revealing and offer significant insights my favorite part was the "Stories of Clever Exploits and Tricks," probably because I always wondered how she actually carried out her rescue missions. In this section the intelligence, courage, and humor of Harriet Tubman shines through, like in the story "Avoiding Capture by Pretending to Read." It says: " At another time when she heard men talking about her, she pretended to read a book which she carried. One man remarked. `This can't be the woman. The one we want can't read or write.' Harriet devoutly hoped this book was right side up" (Tatlock, 1939a).
   The final section, "Documents" is a gift of primary source materials for future researchers and anybody interested in pursuing an in-depth study of Harriet Tubman's life.
   Read this book. See for yourself how illuminating the past and looking at history with a fresh eye can instill hope. This book is yes, about Harriet Tubman, but more fundamentally, it is a book about courage, dignity, persistence, and solidarity in incredibly harsh circumstances. What a gift for us all in these troubled times.




3. Harriet Tubman: The Life And The Life Stories by Jean M. Humez is an exhaustive biography of this celebrated and heroic woman. Grounded in exhaustive research as well as the complete texts of stories Harriet Tubman told about her life. Harriet Tubman: The Life And The Life Stories follows Tubman, who was born a slave in the American South, as she escaped to freedom in the North, and vowed to liberate her entire family. Her work to guide dozens of slaves to freedom, as well as her service as a spy and a scout for the Union Army, are also described in historical detail. After the Civil War Tubman settled in New York and founded a home for the indigent aged. an absolutely essential addition to academic library Black History and African-American Biography reading lists, Harriet Tubman's memory and legacy are cherished in this profound and all-encompassing chronicle.

5 comments about Lulu in Hollywood: Expanded Edition.

1. I first read LULU IN HOLLYWOOD long ago but I did not see Louise Brooks in a full-length feature until I bought PANDORA'S BOX on DVD a couple of years ago. I believe you have to see her on film to truly "get" her. While I don't agree at all with the French proclamation, "There is no Garbo, there is no Dietrich, there is only Louise Brooks", I was impressed by her performance and her intensely charismatic and erotic/quixotic presence. She should've become a superstar after this - but the times and her own idiosyncrasies were against her. She faded into obscurity, alcohol, poverty, ill-fame till the 1950's.
   
   LULU IN HOLLYWOOD is of most interest to Brooks aficiandos. I recently re-read the book and enjoyed it - but this time around I was more aware of the ax Brooks was grinding. Most of her essays are ostensibly about Hollywood stars and creatures of the movie business, but she is really writing about herself and what she writes is telling. Brooks had earlier written of herself that she was "selfish and stubborn" with a "rotten temper", and that's obvious, but she is also cleverly observant. While I agree with another reviewer that she tends to generalize and ramble, she can be poetic:
   "...he reduced reality to exclude all but his work, filling the gaps with alcohol whose dim eyes transformed the world into a distant view of harmless shadows." ("The Other Face of W.C. Fields")
   
   More than the book, I recommend the Criterion Collection's PANDORA'S BOX DVD package. The film is a classic. Brooks is captivating and the viewer instantly understands the uproar that ensued when the film and the star were rediscovered. This set includes the TCM production, LOOKING FOR LULU, Kenneth Tynan's profile, a 70's interview with Brooks herself, etc. Lots of extras.
   
   I highly recommend LOUISE BROOKS, the 1989 bio by Barry Paris. It's extremely thorough and well-written. Paris is very even-handed in his treatment of Brooks. He provides much background and documentation but leaves conclusions to the reader.



2. What made Louise Brooks interesting beyond just the typical celebrity she was unusually intelligent. She was an extraordinary beautiful woman but if that were all - she would have been just another face in the Hollywood crowd albeit a striking one. Her life was not so much one of just ups and downs but most generally straight down starting at the top. Lucky to have so much success early in life but maybe unlucky for her vision as to witness the folly of those who gave it. Louise's insights and critical assessment of her life and those around her were a " blessing and curse" but then again she had no choice but to follow her own mind as it played out to the end. She was certainly not one to parlay her attributes as a cunning femme fatale as it were but she existed as a passing player through a masquerade of "bread and circuses" orchestrated by those with lesser sensibilities. No, Lulu could have never been satisfied with the status quo, the mundane of the hoi polloi, the trappings of the superficial she was an individual who saw life in its raw form and played no game and for those who did not understand Louise - missed - that her only glory was the truth and its price to pay. She was an intriguing and talented woman who deserved more but would not sell her soul to gain it. Her book tells of her life and times and the pathos within it.
   I will recommend highly Barry Paris' biography of Louise Brooks as a necessary read for anyone interested in reading about the life and times of Louise Brooks. The book is excellent and engrossing. It gives a most informative detail of all aspects of Lulu's life. Actually Paris' book should be read first to gain a comprehensive overview of Brook's life before reading "Lulu in Hollywood." A better biography you could not read.



3. This book will be helpful for anyone interested in silent film. Brooks' insights about certain aspects of Hollywood are original. She has no fear of revealing some of the ugliest secrets of the past, and also has valuable things to say about why she believes certain directors and players created works of art. However, in my opinion she could have been a better writer if she'd had more education and/or editorial experience. Some of her essays are rambling and disorganized, and a number of her claims are unsupported. (e.g., that many actresses were pulled from the screen not because of the arrival of sound, but because they couldn't live up to Garbo, p.88.) She also tends to make bold generalizations (e.g., "Every actor has a natural animosity toward every other actor"), which, depending on whether you agree with them, are either smart and charming or arrogant and imprecise.
   
   Some of Brooks' cleverest comments are reported in the introduction by Kenneth Tynan, not in her own writings. My favorite was her joking suggestion that she and Marlene Dietrich write each other's memoirs: "'Lulu' by Lola, and 'Lola' by Lulu".
   
   Note: this is a collection of essays, which don't necessarily follow a sequence. The brief history of her family and childhood given in the first chapter fooled me into thinking this book would be an autobiography, but Brooks leaves much of her own story untold. (In fact, the epilogue is titled, "Why I Will Never Write My Memoirs.") Tynan's introduction fleshes out a little more of Louise Brooks' history, but fans will probably want to keep looking for other writings and biographies after they've read this one.



4. This book is a collection of Brooks's autobiographical essays together with an interview by Kenneth Tynan.
   
   It shows a Louise Brooks as a fiercely independent character, as well as her failure as a social creature, because of her open critic of people's false faces.
   But at what price? She survives as a kept woman by three lovers and ends in poverty, rejected and lonely.
   
   She characterizes her work in Hollywood's film factory as slavery and throws a shrill light on Hollywood's morals (the casting couch) and cynicism: the end of the silent period served as an excuse to terminate all contracts.
   
   The all important feature of her life was sex, not love: 'I have never been in love.' But, 'A person's sexual loves and hates and conflicts ... It is the only way the reader can make sense out of innumerable apparently senseless actions.'
   She considers that 'the most fateful encounter in my life' was a sexual one with George Preston Marshall.
   Nevertheless, she had some regrets: 'How often do we change the whole course of our lives in pursuit of a love that we will have forgotten within a few months.'
   
   She never wrote her biography because 'I am unwilling to write the sexual truth that would make up my life worth reading.'
   
   Barry PARIS did it for her, admirably. His book contains also a few corrections on Louise Brooks's statements in her book.
   
   A moving text with admirable pictures.



5. I remember when this book came out, but, unfortunately, it took me over twenty years to read it. Though Louise Brooks is far from a household name, in film scholar circles, she is an icon. Her rememberances here of certain individuals and events from her years in the "Dream Factory" are brilliant. Aside from the fact that these are names that most are familiar with, Bogart, Hearst, Pabst...it is her writing style and unique observations that make these recollections interesting. Where as someone as, say, Adela Rogers St. John, a famous reporter and contemporary of Brooks, wrote accurately of that long ago time, her dusty rememberances would only interest the most devoted of film student or fan. But Brooks writings are so fresh and witty and humourous, often at her own expense. She is not only unimpressed with most of silly society, but, she was equally unimpressed with her status as film icon. In those pre Hepburn-Davis times, she was a true rebel, who was more than willing to saboutage her career rather than do anything she didn't want to do. There is no remorse detectable in her memories of her fall from status. Though it would be unfair to imply that most film stars would not be expected to be good writers, it was surprising, then and now, to find that Miss Brooks was such a highly intelligent and captivating writer. In my review of her most famous film, "Pandora's Box", which isn't so much a review of that film as it is a homage to our Miss Brooks, I recounted my having met her more than once, when I delivered her prescriptions to her in my hometown and her final, adopted city of Rochester, New York. I was very young at the time, and though I had been told that she had once been a famous actress, which fascinated me, I am sorry to have to honestly admit that my memory of her is only of a shadowy figure who I remember with intimidation. How I would have loved to have been a little older, to possibly converse with this great lady, though she may have found what undoubtedly would have been my reverence to her "legend" as film icon to be obnoxious at the least, silly at best. Well, never mind. She was and is wonderful. And, as this book attests, a scathingly intelligent lady. Celebrities of her league are no more, now we have tarts, thugs, and arrogant, illiterate self-important jerks showing off their bling-bling. How sad. If you want to hear the entertainingly clever views of this great lady who, though she went from brilliant star to near- pauper obscurity, yet never lost her class, intellect, nor pride, then read "Lulu In Hollywood." One wishes she had written much more, and, left behind more films where her inate brilliance reaches out from the screen eighty years later. But, if all we have is this book and "Pandora's Box", that's legacy enough.

5 comments about Fat Girls and Lawn Chairs.

1. Oh my. If the cover doesn't clue you in to what kind of book this is ~ check out the cat in the wig & specks ~ then you're in for a wild ride. This book is a trip. Ms. Peck has a sharp sense of humor and isn't above poking fun at anyone, including herself.
   
   Originally self-published for her friends, her family, and her cat (a woman after my own heart!), this book is a fun romp through someone else's life. She pulls no punches in recounting the way she terrorized her younger sisters and peers by being driven to be the "first, fastest, loudest and best" in everything, and it's so refreshing to read about an overweight woman who isn't trying to fit into the heroin-chick mold everyone else strives to fill. She has no qualms telling it like it is, makes no excuses and offers no apologies, and you can't help but love her for that.
   
   In regards to the title, she says, "No self-respecting fat girl ever really trusts a lawn chair." She tackles everything from weight issues to peeing in the woods ~ nothing is sacred to her, nothing is out of bounds. And cat lovers will enjoy the few essays written from the point of view of Babycakes, her spoiled feline friend.
   
   One of the better memoirs I've read in a while. So many women will relate to Ms. Peck, regardless of their own personal sexuality. I look forward to reading more of her work.



2. I think everyone is way too hard on this book. Sure, it wasn't exactly what I was expecting, either. I guess based on the cover I was expecting the sections to be hilariously, uproariously funny like Laurie Notaro. But once I got past my preconceived notions, I was reading a warm, entertaining book.
   I found the poetry to be poignant, and I didn't think her usage of "girlchild," or her attitude towards her brothers was flippant or annoying. I just enjoyed it, and I will be buying her second book.



3. In Fat Girls and Lawn Chairs, Cheryl Peck breezily writes about the innocence of childhood, the perks of being the oldest sibling (i.e. tormenting her younger siblings), and loving herself no matter her size or age. This book is a delight. Peck has a charming way with words. She'll make you nostaglic for simpler days and remind you to see the humor in everyday situations. Fat Girls and Lawn Chairs should be on everyone's summer reading list.



4. While this book is not an utter garbage, there's nothing remarkable about it either, at least in my opinion. There's a certain wit and charm to "Fat Girls...", but that in itself doesn't save it from being mediocre. Even though miss Peck says that she's not a professional writer, by any means, it still feels as if though you need be a part of her family in order to enjoy this book. There's no humor in here, despite whatever reviews are saying - its just a number of observations on life, good ones at that, but I was looking for something else.
   Bonus points for an excellent books cover.



5. Be prepared to be unable to stop laughing! The title story was my favorite, tied with "Litter String" (which is one of several stories written from the POV of Babycakes the cat). I can't wait to read more by this fantastic writer!

5 comments about Bipolar and Pregnant: How to Manage and Succeed in Planning and Parenting While Living with Manic Depression.

1. Kristin Finn's book offers the reader keen insights into how she managed her bipolar disorder during her pregnancy. This book recognizes that some bipolar woman go off their medications--like Finn--while others remain on their medications. It's very helpful to read her first person account, and she does a nice job weaving journal entries she kept during both her pregnancies into the narrative to offer perspective on what she went through.



2. Kristin gives the reader concise details about what's it like not only to live with bipolar disorder but also what it's like to go off medication during 2 pregnancies. As a therapist I give Kristin credit for making sure she was monitored closely by her psychiatrist and Ob/Gyn. She didn't impulsively go off her medication and she did her research responsibly. She even states that this is not the best decision for everyone with bipolar disorder but that it was for her and she trusted her Doctors. Her accounts of her daily life with mania and depression give me great insight into what my patients also deal with. I believe this book encourages the pregnant bipolar patient to take care of themselves while off their medication and Kristin gave detailed examples of how she was able to do this. I would recommend it to my own patients.



3. As a medical doctor, this is what I would call a dangerous book. It assumes people with bipolar disorder will stop their medications, a potentially disasterous decision for mom and baby. It does not address how to safely stay on medications during pregnancy. I'm disturbed by this and will steer my patients clear. It is a pity because if well done it would fill a void on the topic.



4. I found it very helpful to hear about how a woman with bipolar disorder successfully managed two pregnancies. This book not only gives women and their families hope - it also is an easy to understand, informative and practical step-by-step guide. I also appreciated the valuable information written by the professionals. In checking Kristin's website, I found that the Cleveland Clinic Library gave the book a positive review which reinforced my opinion of the book.



5. I have a family member who is bipolar and is considering starting a family with her husband. After researching this topic with my sister we were disappointed to find there was hardly any literature on this subject. I can't tell you how excited we were to find a book written from the perspective of a bipolar parent. Bipolar and Pregnant provides great insight on the hurdles a couple must overcome to achieve a successful bipolar pregnancy. What we were most excited about is that the book offers advice on the decision making process, coping mechanisms during pregnancy and postpartum issues. My sister and her husband realize starting a family with a bipolar mother is a difficult one but this book has given them hope and inspiration regarding this important topic.

5 comments about Diary of Frida Kahlo (Abradale Books).

1. There are some people for whom life itself is art, tragedy and all. Frida Kahlo was-is one of those people, her entire life was art in motion. I feel very lucky to have a copy of this personal work. There's darkness, humor, despair, love, warmth, sensuality, inspiration... The authors give a sensitive perspective on the journal entries along with translations in the back. Some may find this morbid but for me it is intensely life affirming, vibrant and beautiful. This is a book to be savored and revisited again and again.



2. I loved this book! I can't seem to put it down I do have to say that I would recommend it for billingual readers you will get a better understanding of the book. It is translated in english towards the back but, spanish readers will benifit the most out of the book because you will be able to understand Frida's humor about Diego. The first part of the diary is all in spanish and was written by Frida. The 2nd half is the english translation that will show a small replica of her drawings with the english translation. Some words are better left in spanish because the translation in english will not do them justice. Frida expresses her feelings so well that you can't help but feel her burning passion for diego and her lonliness. Frida was an intersting individual and her art is magnificent. She was an artist and a poet. Frida's diary is very morbid to say the least but, I love it. She expressed exactly what she felt at that exact moment. Her explanation to the way she sees each color is fantastic. I have gone through her paintings to see how many times she used the color Yellow. Buy the book to find out what this color means. Her physical pain is obvious and her paintings speak out for them selves. There is no doubt she was madly in love with diego above all. I learned much more about her through this diary. Please buy the Frida movie starring Selma Hayek things will make more sense to you. The author of this book uses every day language to translate her art. It is a must have book, I will definetly read it over and over. The book is absolutely a must have for Frida addicts like myself. I sometimes get lost while I'm reading it because I feel as if I can see and feel what she is describing. I absolutely love Frida and her artwork. Don't hesitate to buy this book it is worth every dollar you spend.



3. This book is simply beautiful. I especially love that it's a full color reproduction and then an English translation follows. If you are Frida devotee, I suggest getting this book.



4. for those who love the work of frida kahlo this book has lots to look at im very pleased that i found it



5. Frida Kahlo's diary has amplified my admiration for her. Her beautifully disturbing drawings and poetic words in this book are more than what I had expected. Though her handwriting is hard to read at times, the translations in the back are a big help. I shall cherish this book for a long time.