5 comments about Borderlines: A Memoir.

1. I could not put this book down, as if I had been sucked into the void with Caroline. I knew it would end eventually and I had to read to that point to find out how she finalized things with Jane. I can understand much of what Caroline was sucked into as I was in an abusive relationship. That is what it was for Caroline, regardless of Jane's "borderline personality disorder." Just as in abusive relationships, you know something is not right but you are powerless because the abuser has taken the power away from you. It was still hard to understand how Caroline went from being independent and ambitious to being completely under Jane's power. Within the context of her mother's death, and her obvious feelings of needing to "save" her, it makes some sense. I knew little of such borderline personalities and feel I understand a little more after reading this book. It was well written and insightful. At the same time it was painful to follow Caroline's journey.



2. This book is an accurate book on Borderline Personality Disorder and all the struggles that patients with it go through. I was so happy to learn that I was not the only one that has the struggles. It was a relief to see an extremely accurate account of us and to see that there is a form of relief and sunshine in our futures.
   
   I was also happy to find that there were more questions that I needed to share with my therapist, and answers needed for my future to accept what had happened in my life. Thanks for this wonderful book... I would recommend it to both patients of BPD and family members who want to truly understand how a BPD thinks and feels.



3. I have just finished reading this book. It is amazing that a woman as young as Ms. Kraus can have such insight and wisdom about this horrific experience. The incidents of childhood deprivation, sexual and emotional abuse, loss, trauma, unresolved grief and other tragedies of life converge and elicit this dark and almost hopeless memoir. It is a testament to the strength of the human spirit that the author was able to extract herself from this emotional vice and proceed to process the experience. Out of it was born a masterpiece. If those suspectible to this seduction can heed her wisdom and are thereby spared an agony beyond comprehension, Ms. Kraus will not have suffered in vain. Many thanks.



4. This memoir is a page-turner, like the cat-and-mouse of a Hitchcock movie or a murder mystery. I assumed Caroline would survive her convoluted relationship with Jane, but had to keep reading to find out how. The effortless beauty and immediacy of her prose and her subtle psychological insights were compelling. Highly recommended.



5. Still grieving over her mother's death, a vulnerable young woman leaves her home in St. Louis to assert her independence out West. There she befriends a bookstore co-worker, Jane, who turns out to be a most unfortunate choice for a companion.
   
   And so begins Caroline Kraus' nightmarish saga. "Borderlines" reads like a suspense novel, despite being a non-fiction memoir. Unlike many tales of female friendships, this one never gets boring, and in fact the reader will invariably press on, thinking "What next?". Thankfully, Ms. Kraus includes an epilogue which brings us somewhat up to date on her life, as by then the reader sincerely wants to know.
   
   Jane, it turns out, exhibits a "Borderline Personality Disorder", though there is nothing clinical or psychobabbly about Ms. Kraus' book. Jane's relationship with the hapless Caroline is simply bewildering. She appears to have a strange stranglehood on not only Caroline, but others as well at one time or another. While as a reader it can be frustrating to not understand why Ms. Kraus doesn't just take the first opportunity to escape from Jane, upon more careful examination one may empathize with Caroline's dilemma. Her story also provides the reader with much to speculate on regarding the nature of human relationships in general. Ms. Kraus is very insightful and intuitive, and with the help of a no-nonsense therapist, survives her ordeal, which she relates without self-pity.
   
   "Borderlines" is an intriguing story, and one I can easily recommend to those with an interest in extraordinary human relationships.

2 comments about I'm just an ordinary girl : The Sharon Kinne Story.

1. If you want a book that grabs your attention from the get-go and won't let you put it down, this is the one for you! James Hays walks you through the criminal world of Sharon Kinne and her family, friends,and victims. This is truly True Crime at it's finest and most tragic. This book will cause you to look with suspicion at every little old lady over 70 greeting you at Wal-Mart or serving up your fries at McDonalds...making you wonder, "Could it be?"........



2. This is one of the rare books that leaves you speechless after you've turned the last page. James Hays does a wonderful job putting you right into the mind of a young and beautiful murderess named Sharon Kinne. I experienced every human emotion while reading this book. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is interested in true crime. I take that back, I recommend "I'm Just An Ordinary Girl" to everybody. But beware, the moment your eyes are laid upon the first sentence, you will be hooked! Be prepared to lose sleep!

2 comments about The History of Mary Prince (Penguin Classics).

1. Born in Bermuda in the late 18th century, Mary Prince was a Black woman who survived enslavement in the colonial world of the Caribbean. She orally told her story to a third party, who transcribed it. First published in England in 1831, "The History of Mary Prince, a West Indian Slave" is one of the most important narratives of the slave experience in the Americas.

   This book describes in detail the reality of the slave experience: the dehumanization of Black people, the moral degradation of their masters, and the ever-present violence. Prince's story is also an important early defense of the humanity of people of African descent. She notes that slave masters "think that black people are like cattle, without natural affection. But my heart tells me it is far otherwise."

   Prince tells of her labor in the salt ponds of Turk's Island, her conflict with a hired mulatto woman, her spiritual life in the Moravian Church, and many other topics. Ultimately, she celebrates the desire and hope for freedom: "All slaves want to be free."

   "The History of Mary Prince" does not quite attain the level of literary craftsmanship and psychological complexity as do some other classic slave narratives (I am thinking in particular of those of Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs). But it is still a powerful, authoritative, and important human testament. Mary Prince declares, "I have been a slave--I have felt what a slave feels, and I know what a slave knows." We of later centuries need to hear her words.




2. First published in 1831, "The History of Mary Prince" is an extraordinary cultural document. It is the first published account of a female British ex-slave. Mary Prince, a slave in the West Indies in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, tells the story of her life in an effort to awaken sympathy for the abolitionist movement in England.

   Mary particularly emphasizes instances of the arbitrary punishments meted out by her various masters. She repeatedly questions how the British, a civilized nation, could permit its colonists to treat its colonial work force like brute beasts. Mary elicits our attention and respect in the ways she manages to resist the brutality of her masters, both physically and vocally. She often shows herself speaking out against cruelty regardless of social taboos, accepted colonial norms of unquestioning obedience, and the image of the "benevolent" slave owner.

   Mary's narrative is also remarkable for her characterization as the "self-made heroine." Mary tells us extensively about her attempts to save enough money to purchase her freedom, and to engage, convert, and marry the man of her choice. As the editor of this edition points out, as Mary begins to learn the value of her labor, she more easily manipulates her owners into realizing their own powerlessness over her. A sort of Wollstonecraftian feminist hero, Mary Prince bases her self-definition on her ability to be financially, as well as physically independent, and to improve herself through education and religion.

   One limitation of "The History of Mary Prince" is the fact that it was only dictated by Prince. It was transcribed and published by British abolitionists, who may have suggested the emphasis on brutality and deemphasis on specifically sexual violence. It is impossible to know the extent of the editing process, which was out of Prince's hands. Nonetheless, this edition, edited by Moira Ferguson, contains many relevant historical documents which provide a rich context for Prince's narrative.

5 comments about If They Only Knew.

1. When Mick Foley wrote about the ridiculous pitfalls of having a ghost writer initially ruin his life's story in the early stages of what became his self-penned, runaway best-seller, Have a Nice Day!, it should have been a warning for at least slightly more artistic control by others when their stories would be chronicled in the ongoing WWF/WWE series.
   
   In this autobiography of Joanie Laurer and her character, Chyna, it sometimes packs a punch, but is weighted down by writer Michael Angeli, who seems to feel that her story of a tragic childhood and struggles to claw to the top in the wrestling industry requires sophomoric jokes and ridiculous imagery.
   
   Sadly, what is a powerful story cannot ultimately rise from the crass overproduction; like so many storylines in the professional wrestling according to Vince McMahon. This is an outstanding example of the series at its most over-the-top, which means it is never had a ghost of a chance to be a successful autobiography.



2. Say, did you know Chyna hates every single person shes ever met? Or that she can't express a rational thought? Or that shes compleatly out of her mind? You would if you had wasted the time reading this pile of garbage.



3. I have read two copies of this book to pieces and have loved to go back to certain chapters to re-read them, just for the laughs. My favorite chapter is her first workout with Triple H, in which she confides to the reader she didn't know whether this was "going to be a workout or a WORKOUT (wink, wink)". Also, she lets others give direct quotes in her book, including Triple H. Of those, again I recommend the workout story, in which Triple H admits that he couldn't press 315 lbs, and when he tried, he "blew one of my n*ts across the room". Yet, Chyna did her reps and went on to leg presses. ...sigh...good times...



4. I can say that Chyna is my favorite wrestler of all time,and I can also say that her autobiography was amazing,Most say it is poorly written,But I would say other wise...I found the book to be quite interesting and brought you closer to the WWE diva.It showed you how hard she had it growing up with her mother and father...and How she made her way into the WWF now WWE.She brings you in closer on her careers before wreslting and what it took to become the most celebrated diva in WWE history of her time.She proved she was just as good as the men if not better then most of them.She made you see who the real chyna is...The side we dont see,the side that is Joanie Laurer!!



5. The Canadian price for this book is 39.50, and anyone who would pay that much for this book is a fool. I picked this up for 8.99 in the bargain bin at a grocery store, and that's about all this book should cost. I'm what you would call an on-again/off-again wrestling fan, and tune in now and then to watch it. Some of the characters are intersting. I don't follow it religiously like some people do. This book was an intersting read, but it's kind of like reading the National Enquirer or any of the other tabloid newspapers: it's a fast read and kind of trashy. I wanted to learn much more about the backstage goings on and the behind-the-scenes stuff about the world of pro wrestling, not endless pages about her grudges against her mother and her dysfunctional upbringing, which wasn't that horrible in comparision to what other's have been through. Yeah, her mother yelled at her alot and was the typical dramatic mother. Big deal. Everyone has a mother like that. I also wanted to hear more about some of the other jobs she did before wrestling. I found the book jumped around alot, and just when she'd write about something intersting she'd cut it short... she'd start with an idea and then suddenly the topic would be changed and she'd go off on something else. The book is also not very well-written, with gramatical and spelling errors, and i suspect that a ghost writer had quite a hand in the writing of this book. There is quite a bit of swearing in the book, and this book is not suitable for younger readers, as there seems to be a more adult tone to the book. The fact that this book was written double-spaced probably explains the over 300 pages. The photographs are nice though. My advice is borrow this from the library or get it in some bargain bin. Don't pay full price for this book. I've heard there are many other books about wrestlers that are much better than this one and more intersting. This book i read more as a curiosity piece. Not bad, but not great either. For fans only or the curious.

No comments about Women Warriors: A History (The Warriors).

No comments about How To Pick Up Japanese Chicks And Doom Your Immortal Soul.

2 comments about The Doctor Wore Petticoats: Women Physicians of the Old West.

1. After reading Hearts West and enjoying it so much, I looked into other books by this author and discovered this jewel. It was an incredibly informative and interesting read. Chris Enss is a gifted writer. She gives the reader insight to a world that was so vastly different from that of today. After reading each woman's story in the book, I longed for more. That is my only disappointment; that I can't know more about each of these women Ms. Enss writes about. I highly recommend it to anyone who is even remotely interested in what life was like for women in the Old West.



2. I picked this book up to read around 8pm in the evening. I didn't put it down
   until I was finished reading it at 2:15am. Although I am able to speed read
   this book was so interesting and entertaining that I couldn't miss a single
   word. This book is an absolute must for anyone interested in the Old West.
   It combined humor, struggle and determination to give a very insightful and
   educating book. The book gave a very vivid picture of female doctors in the
   Old West. As a bonus it has a wonderful collection of "Frontier Medicine"
   listed in the back of the book. Remedies such as carrying an onion in your
   pocket to prevent smallpox and owl broth to cure whooping cough are just
   a few. If you pick up this book...clear your schedule because you won't be
   able to put it down until you have read every single page.

5 comments about The Truth About Hillary: What She Knew, When She Knew It, and How Far She'll Go to Become President.

1. Up front, I am a Clinton hater. No need to get into details. With this book, I found that I knew most of the documented facts inside already. The author attempted to place all these facts chronologically into a time line. So far- so good ...interesting read. Somewhere he turned into a mind reader and started explaining things he couldn't possibly know. In a certain "matter of fact" way, he turned his opinions into fact. He doesn't really try to hide what he does. It's like he thinks that's what I want to hear. So the book is really aimed at entertainment and not shining light on any newly available facts. The Clintons are criminals and it's easy enough to make a case without this fluff. Dick Morris is more able to pull off this type of "inside the mind of the beast" reporting because of his close experience with the Clintons. This author needs to objectify more.



2. For any British reader who fails to understand why a majority of Americans say they 'will never vote for Hilary', this book should go some way to clarifying things. Ruthless and privilaged, one of the most hated politicians in America may yet, once more, be occupying the seat of the most powerful man in the world.
   
   This book shows just how far Mrs Clinton is prepared to put on hold any sense of dignity or moral opprobrium in order to gain another eight long years in the White House. In particular, while her husband was busy having non-sexual relations with (i.e sexually abusing) a star struck young intern in the sanctity of the oval office, Hilary simply continued pulling the levers of government, doing nothing until the scandal broke and she realised it could scupper her own chance of eventually seizing full and legitimate control of America.
   
   Unpleasent reading indeed. But if you are an American and considering voting for Hilary, perhaps just to stop Bomb Bomb Iran, read this book, have a stiff brandy and then consider thinking again.



3. Shipment was prompt and book is in "like new" condition. Have never had a problem with a book purchased through Amazon!



4. About the time Bill Clinton was under scrutiny about Monica a former lesbian Aid was murdered at a Starbucks in Washington , DC. She was a outspoken Lesbian. At first there was speculation that maybe Bill Clinton had her done in. But in light of the book The truth about Hillary Clinton one might wonder if her opereatives snuffed out this girl. Everyone was killed in this shop. They think that silencers were used.



5. If you want to learn about all of the ways that you can criticise another person, deserved or not, please read this book. The author criticizes Hillary for sleeping, for not sleeping enough and for sleeping too much. He criticizes her for being too sexual and not sexual enought. It is crazy! He occasionally mentions her politics.
   
   I voted for O'Bama, but Hillary is an incredible person. It is bizzare to criticise her for being a person and sleeping! All of the rest is equally as illogical and self-contradictory.
   
   It is nothing but treatise on hate which is necessarily illogical.

5 comments about Monarch: The Life and Reign of Elizabeth II.

1. I have read numerous books about the life and times of Queen Elizabeth II/the British Royal Family and this is one of the best so far. It feels more like history than tabloid and is easy to follow. I also feel that it sets the record straight on many subjects, especially the difficulties with Diana. I truly could not put this book down! Read and enjoy!



2. I was preparing for a speech about Queen Elizabeth the Second, purchased this book and never looked back. Full of information but not over one's head, a very enjoyable read.



3. Enjoyable and educational - very well done. Lacey is a very good "royal watcher" - always seems to be honest enough without blowing his own horn.



4. I was kind of hoping that Robert Lacey did a follow-up to his earlier biography, Majesty but instead, he seem to rehashed many of the old material from that book while writing a whole new biography. So while this book proves to be an interesting read to those who have not read Majesty, you cannot help but to be disappointed by how the last 20 years of Elizabeth's reign have been written. Its almost appears to be a mini-biography of Princess Diana. I believed this spell out the major weakness in this biography of Elizabeth II. Some of the readers might questioned although others may praised the fact that Lacey did not treat Diana with any sort of adoration that seem to be so typical of many of the current writers.
   
   I thought the book could have better written, in more details and with more insights to Elizabeth's character as she grew older. There's probably not enough information on her husband in this book as well. He's probably more important to Elizabeth's life then Diana could ever be. The author's unwillingness to dig deeper for a more complete biography make this book somewhat of a compromise quality. There's really nothing written about Elizabeth in this book toward her last 20 years of reign that we couldn't pick up already from the mass media. Do we have to wait until after Elizabeth's death to get a decent indepth biography on her life??



5. Obviously, Robert Lacey is a dedicated biographer. His book is characterized by research, depth, and scope. What's more, he doesn't resort to cheap sensationalism to add a few more chapters. Yet somehow, "Monarch" is still one of those books that doesn't just capture you and leave you gushing about how wonderful it was.
   
   Lacey begins his book by attempting to chronicle the development of the "modern" royal family, beginning with reign of Queen Victoria and providing glimpses into several other monarchs' rule. It would be true to say that these "foundations" help one understand the current queen. Occasionally, this extended history lesson was just plain fascinating, too, imparting nuggets of history that any royal buff delights in.
   
   Unfortunately, the history lessons definitely became too textbook-ish at times, too. Lacey has an extremely unfortunate habit of seeming to bring up every single name, place, and government activity when talking about an event. This leaves the reader with an overly long and dull account of event that could have been summed up much more interestingly.
   
   The same analysis, to a lesser extent, holds true for the queen's own story in this book. At times, Lacey fabulously describes people and events, knows just where to place a well-chosen quote, and makes one want to read about the queen's life forever (as in the opening chapters about the queen's dealings with Diana's funeral). Yet the "bogged-down-in-boring-detail" problem still surfaced in this part (the parts dealing with the Margaret-Townsend affair were dry and too long).
   
   Lacey is certainly to be commended for his obvious knowledge about the queen, and it is also fortunate for readers that he is able to convey his respect for the queen while still offering up intelligent, constructive criticism. If you really must read everything about the British royal family or the queen, this is a solid offering, yet other readers would probably enjoy Carolly Erickson's masterfully written "Lillibet" much more.

1 comments about Wanda Gg: A Catalogue Raisonn of the Prints.

1. I hope anyone who is at all interested in the real Wanda Gag reads this book. It is a collection of many of her prints and examples of her children's books and some slices into her life after she was on her own in New York. She was very timid and very reserved as a young woman but as an adult in the Big Apple she became open to many things. She married but only to save her long time partner Earle Humphries from being fired from his job. Both of them had many outside bed partners that seems to have been ok with the other. She tried to write a book a year to give her time for her print making but her greatest source of income was her children's books. It gave Wanda and her family a life away from her near destitute beginnings in Minnesota. She never kept much for her self since she was the main source of income for the family until the next two older siblings began to work and that freed up Wanda to do more as she wished.
   This book is a bit disjointed as it is more or less in parts that are not connected well but her art and her diary entries make up for this. Highly recommended.