5 comments about Jokes My Father Never Taught Me: Life, Love, and Loss with Richard Pryor.

1. I will always remember Richard Pryor as one of the best and funniest comedians. He didn't even have to use the F word to be funny. I remember a skit with Chevy Chase done on a show that I can't even remember, but I howled with laughter and not one curse word was spoken. He was a genius. Rain wrote candidly and with humor. I found myself laughing at loud at times if only to remember a funny line that I had heard on one of his tapes. Of course, Rain wrote about what really happened and it was not all funny.



2. Candid, well-written and an easy read. Language is a bit rough - uses F--k a bit much, but so did her father.



3. If you want to know what this book is about check out the editorial review. If you want to know about Richard Pryor behind the scenes than read this book. It is unflaterringly frank and shows Richard Pryor to be a narcissistic individual who demonstrated some of the worst traits an individual can have. While reading it I felt bad for the daughter(Rain, the author) and some of the women in his life. He was really screwed up but a brilliant comedian. He was the the tragic figure that in the end was a pathetic, helpless person struck down with MS. I think this book was a cathargic release for Rain because I can't help but wonder why she wouldn't be as screwed up if not worse than her dad. I think writting this book released some of her demons. Some of the things that go on in the book are unreal to the average person. Some of the contents are so whacky that you actually feel sorry for Pryor and all the people he affected. On the other hand he made people laugh. Sometimes you have to cry to laugh. The book is a curious bit of writting, an easy read and somewhat entertaining; that is if you don't mind looking at other peoples dirty laundry. It's like looking at a car wreck on the freeway; sometimes you see things you wish you hadn't. The photographs were pretty cool and complimented the story so you could put a face to the story. If you like memoirs of Hollywood celebrities than you will like this book. It is almost like peeking into the National Enquirer; some of the stories are hard to take. There is lots of cursing since that was a staple of the Pryor lexicon. Read at your own risk.



4. I enjoyed this novel for its honesty and moving tribute to a man deeply loved but flawed man. I think nobody could do it better than his daughter Rain Pryor. Some of the accounts are disturbing but still she pulls no punches about his absent and lack of love affect her even more so from her mother who in her own way tried but fail.



5. Cons: From the end of the book, I'm pretty sure the author expected me to have this newfound respect for Richard Pryor, but instead, I felt indifference. It's disrespectful to say that about the deceased, but this book gave so many examples of Richard Pryor beating women, abusing his children, cursing at toddlers, and cheating. Those are four things I don't dig and they were pointed out repeatedly throughout the memoirs. Instead of wanting to know more about Richard Pryor, I found myself wanting to know less. There were some photos of Richard Pryor with his mouth wide open and looking sick; if I were him, I wouldn't be too thrilled to have those in a book for all to see.
   
   There were also some unnecessary spots, like the journal entries with all of the misspellings. They did nothing to help with the growth of the book. The dialogue with her during her "Fried Chicken..." performances were unnecessary for a reader considering everything in it was already explained in detail throughout the book, so it was like rereading the book again. I was glad those didn't last too long.
   
   Pros: I didn't know much about Richard Pryor before I read this book, besides knowing he was a controversial comic who used the n-word excessively and talked about sex a lot. This is why I picked up the book. I was interested in learning more about him because I know a couple people who are fans of his. Even though there was a lot of bad childhood memories, it was interesting to hear his daughter's take on the situation. And I was too excited when I figured out why she looked so familiar to me. I remember her from "Head of the Class" with the forever pouty lips and wild hair. The pictures were great to look at and she definitely made me rethink wishing I had curly hair. I enjoyed getting a better feel for how it was to grow up as the child of a comedian, who obviously didn't always want to be funny. I'm actually relieved that she made it through such a tough situation and I wish her the best of luck with her future in acting.

5 comments about The Shiloh Shepherd Story: Against the Wind--A Breed is Born (AUTOGRAPHED Limited Edition of 450 with Slipcase).

1. I strongly recommend this book to dog lovers who have been disheartened by the dishonesty and greed that is an all too common part of the experience when dealing with breeders. This book will re-awaken your faith in humankind and provide you with the assurance that there is still a breed of dog out there that is the intelligent and gentle hero that you have read about in story books, an ISSR Shiloh Shepherd. I bought my first ISSR Shiloh a few months ago and had her shipped to me from New York to Oklahoma. This dog is everything that was described to me and more. It was not until after I had my dog that I bought the book, now I understand that truely great things are not created without a vision and an incredible amount of sacrifice, determination and faith. Read the book, but don't be surprised if your next purchase is a Shiloh Shepherd.
   Michele McKenna
   Tulsa, Oklahoma



2. I own an ISSR Shiloh Shepherd. I loved reading about the history and all the blood, sweat and tears that have gone into developing the Shiloh Shepherd! I am truly inspired by Tina Barber's strength and perseverance.
   
   I definitely recommend reading this book! It is a very helpful tool to learn the truth about the Real Shiloh Shepherd and the breed founder.



3. This book gave a Shiloh owner insight into the intent of the breed founder. Tina has inspired us to do whatever we can to further her dream. She allowed us a brief look into her struggles that shows us how much sacrifice is necessary to live your dream. I am telling everyone I know about this book and letting them know it's a must have!



4. This is one of the most heartwarming stories I have read. I will be looking to get a shiloh shepherd in the future. A must read book.



5. As our family searched the web and library books for a dog to replace the two beloved "mutts" who had passed on after a good long life, we stumbled across references to the Shiloh Shepherd.
   
   Without much effort we came across Tina's website as well as some of her licenced breeders. The brains, brawn and beauty of what we saw and read left nothing else but for us to buy the book, and learn as much as we could about the founder of this breed.
   
   Needless to say, the story is motivating, at times heartbreaking, insightful, and a story that had to be told as the struggle to maintain and establish this reputable breed continues.
   
   Critics with personal vendettas or self-ineterest aside, no one can argue that Tina, as Breed Founder, has not always put her blueprint and belief in the proper development and evolution of the Shiloh Shepherd at the top of her lifetime agenda.
   
   This book details the 40+ years she has dedicated to the effort, and now as the proud owner of a Shiloh Shepherd pup that descended from her bloodlines through one of her Canadian breeders, here's hoping Tina (aka Ma Shiloh), and this breed, will eventually get the recognition and credit they deserves from the rest of the Dog World Community.

5 comments about Southern Fried Divorce.

1. This memoir of a bizarre marriage is both touching and hilarious, and the book offers a wonderful glimpse of pre-Katrina New Orleans at its rowdy best. A great read!



2. Judy Palmer Conner has a delightfully wicked sense of humor that keeps you laughing as you devour every page of her book, Southern Fried Divorce. She has the ability to capture the true spirit of the most unique of all Southern cities, New Orleans, and proves that love doesn't necessarily end with divorce. Judy's tales of her escapades with "that ex" and the brown dog are hilarious. You will find yourself reading her book again and again, and anxiously awaiting her next volume of "brown dog" tales.



3. There are good books, there are great books, and then there are books that you just don't want to end. Southern Fried Divorce is one you just don't want to end. I have probably read this book 10 times and I laugh and cry with the same intensity every time. Judy Conner's first book is a total smash hit. I have a few books that I never get rid of and this is one of them. She is funny, down to earth, and proves, once again, that love is not always enough to keep two people together.



4. I read this book before I read the Sweet Potato Queen's first book by her sister. Enjoyed both, but Judy's book has it hands down in my estimation. I had to put this line in here because of some of the other reviews I have read. Also, these two gals are so close it is probably hard to tell where the real derivation of the material comes from. At any rate, regarding Southern Fried Divorce, I have read it 3 or 4 times already. There is so much humor here but also so much bittersweet truth. I laughed out loud (snorting was happening here) but I also shed a few real tears as well. This was one of my favorite books in a long time. It is such a quick read, but try to read it slowly. You don't want to miss a word.



5. After reading and listening to all the Sweet Potato Queens books...my expectations for this book of her sisters were very high. Highly disappointing. The woman reading Judys story is horrible. The content very dry in most places and hard to listen to because of it dragging. Would have been better (when listening) if the author would have read it herself. There would have been an authenticity to it. Did not find it funny or really entertaining. Would NOT recommend.

1 comments about With the Weathermen: The Personal Journal of a Revolutionary Woman (Subterranean Lives).

1. I don't usually read books by or about the Weatherman faction of SDS from the 1960s. As terrorists they were an utter failure; they killed and hurt more of their own than they ever did their putative enemies. Ditto as to their political goals of making America a participatory democracy, ending the Viet Nam war, and eliminating institutional racism. To my mind they did no good at all, and missed by a mere whisker giving the Nixon administration an excuse for turning America into an official police state.
   
   Unlike most of the rest of the Weathermen (and especially those in its "leadership collective") Stern realized the futility of Weatherman's tactics, (i.e., 17 separate bombings, the Days of Rage street riot, and numerous other violent local actions). Says Stern: "Were we involved because of the power of ideas, or because of ideas for power? Were we in it for something completely different than our vision of communism-reasons that got in the way of visions that respected the integrity we had for each other, and wanted for all humanity?" [p.206]
   
   Stern's account of her life and times during this period is a valuable contribution to the ever growing compilation of the political and cultural history of the 1960s and I'd recommend it to those who are interested in those times. However if you are seeking a more comprehensive history of the SDS organization I'd recommend Kirkpatrick Sales' book SDS.

1 comments about Invisible Woman: The Story of Nelly Ternan and Charles Dickens.

1. How many millions of words have been written about Charles Dickens? Many thousands in one famous biography alone (Ackroyd). Nelly Terman is there as the Mistress character in most of those, but what do we learn about Nelly? Nothing - until this biography.

   It reads almost as a detective story as Tomalin uncovers not only the story of Terman-with-Dickens, but as much about Terman the woman as she can.

   Highly recommended.

No comments about Three Women of Herat: A Memoir of Life, Love and Friendship in Afghanistan.

1 comments about Autobiographics: A Feminist Theory of Women's Self-Representation (Reading Women Writing).

1. A brilliant, innovative treatment of the theory and practice of women's autobiography. A must read

2 comments about My Mother's Eyes: Holocaust Memories of a Young Girl.

1. This is a beautiful book where holocaust experiences are written in a simple and profound manner. It is not morbid. It is a very human story.



2. Anna Ornstein was my first psychiatry teacher in medical school, so that is my bias. When this short, powerful, articulate woman entered a lecture hall full of hypercritical American medical students like myself, what impressed me most was her courage. We were a tough audience of concrete-minded scientific reductionists, and she came with her heavily accented English and provoked us to think about feelings and the meaning of mind and emotions when we, lost and overwhelmed in a world of memorizing anatomical structures, metabolic pathways, and Nernst equations, were least ready for it.
   
   As I learned more about the work of Prof. Ornstein and her equally impressive husband, I came to understand why she wasn't the least bit intimidated by our sophomoric arrogance (we were often merciless to lecturers).
   
   The kindness and attentiveness of this short giant of a teacher, therapist, and theoretician, was equally as present, and most visually reflected in her strikingly bright, beautiful eyes that look like they miss nothing. (Yes, you detect the student's crush here.) What she and her husband have taught this poor student, as well as many good ones during their estimable careers, is the complexity and healing power of empathy. To have survived the holocaust and devoted a career to the study and teaching of empathy! Can there be a more powerful triumph?! Yet here is another; this wonderful little book.
   
   This book is a gift of deeply personal remembrances. They are at the same time universal in their emotional power, because of Dr. Ornstein's ability to use words to bring her experience very near to the reader. She integrates in simple, eloquent prose the texture and emotions of the experiences. The imagery is as powerful as film, no, more so.
   
   I cried my way through many of these memories. Though they were not my own, they were brought so close by Prof. Ornstein's words it felt as though they were. The tragedy that befell the Ornstein's and so many others, lost and surviving, uplifts and enriches as much is it hurts and warns. She has achieved her goal; those lost will not be totally lost because she has helped us to remember.
   
   The illustrations are works of art, beautiful, powerful as well, and are a complement to the word pictures which nonetheless stand on there own.
   
   Readers of this beautiful book will not forget these painful and beautiful pictures, seen through Anna Ornstein's eyes.

3 comments about Sexual Violence: Our War Against Rape.

1. IN THE FIRST OF HER SIX BOOKS, MS. FAIRSTEIN GOES INTO DETAIL ABOUT THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM, AND HOW IT HAS EVOLVED TO BE MORE RESPONSIVE AND USER-FRIENDLY FOR CRIME VICTIMS. SHE DESCRIBES HER START IN THE NEW YORK COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEYS OFFICE, AND MOVING UP THE RANKS IN AN OFFICE THAT HAD RELATIVELY FEW WOMEN ADAs AT THE TIME. IN 1976, SHE WAS APPOINTED TO HEAD UP ITS SEX CRIMES PROSECUTION UNIT (THE FIRST OF ITS KIND IN THE COUNTRY). OVER THE YEARS SHE HAS SENT MANY RAPISTS TO PRISON. HOWEVER, THRU THE YEARS, HER OFFICE HAS KEPT UP-TO-DATE WITH NEW CRIME FIGHTING TECHNIQUES (SUCH AS DNA AND FORENSIC SCIENCE)IN ITS BATTLE TO END VIOLENCE AGAINST LAW-ABIDING CITIZENS. SHE HAS BEEN VERY FAIR TO ALL PARTIES IN THE HANDLING OF CASES BY HER & HER UNIT OVER THE YEARS. THIS IS A MUST READ FOR ANYONE INTERESTED IN CRIMINAL JUSTICE, AND THE EVOLUTION OF THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM OVER THE PAST THREE DECADES.



2. This is the person who ignored hard evidence pointing to the guilty person in order to convict the Central Park 5. An undeserved reputation - but you can understand why her works of fiction are so good. An unprincipled careerist of the first order, impressively manufactures her reputation. Quite how victims of rape are served by the perpetration of further injustice against others is not explained.



3. Linda Fairstein has described the inner workings of the Manhattan Distric Attorney's office regarding rape cases during the 1970's. The laws and procedures have changed a great deal since that time and Fairstein was personally involved in many of the changes. The book is, of course, slanted a bit to favor her office, particularly in its canonization of D.A. Robert Morgenthau, but these attorneys do deserve credit for streamlining the system to handle the victims more sensitively. Fairstein's book would hold any reader with an interest in the law as well as anyone who has suffered from any form of sexual violence. It is the rare account of social change as written by one of its instigators

3 comments about Listening to Olivia: Violence, Poverty, and Prostitution (The Northeastern Series on Gender, Crime, and Law).

1. Listening to Olivia is the book that many anti-prostitution activists wish they had written. Ms. Raphael has the ability to interweave Olivia's true story with the extensive research documenting various aspects of the reality of prostitution. The book is a terrific resource for anyone researching in this area. If you care about women, you MUST read this.



2. Listening to Olivia is a tremendously important and compelling book written on the subject of prostitution. Ms. Raphael tells Olivia's story in a raw, forthright manner, flawlessly interweaving testimony and research. Olivia is courageous as she shares her story in the hopes of helping other young women avoid her path. This book is a must read for providers working with women and girls, policy makers whose work impacts this vulnerable population, and parents who hope to raise daughters who stay safe from The Life. For those of us who work in prostitution prevention and intervention, this book will be seen as a key resource for years to come.



3. The newest addition to "The Northeastern Series on Gender, Crime and Law", Listening To Olivia: Violence, Poverty, And Prostitution by Jody Raphael (Senior Research Fellow, DePaul University College of Law's Schiller, DuCanto and Fleck Family Law Center) is the personal story of Olivia, a woman who spent nineteen years of her life as a stripper, a prostitute, and a heroine addict. She left a troubled home at 16 and became involved in Chicago's subculture of prostitution, drug addiction, and abusive men. A resourceful woman of color, Olivia was able to eventually break with "the life" and now works to support drug-dependent women. Especially commended to the attention of students of Urban Sociology and Women's Studies, Listening To Olivia is a compelling, informative, and gripping autobiography that uniquely illuminates the life led by low-income, non-white, young women in commercial prostitution today.