5 comments about Not Quite What I Was Planning: Six-Word Memoirs by Writers Famous and Obscure.

1. I enjoyed this book more than I thought I would, and I loaned it to my daughter's 8th Grade English teacher who promptly assigned the entire class to write their own 6-word memoirs. It's fun to write a few of your own, and you could also apply the 6-word description to a vacation or other event. My memoir? Life improves with age and experience.



2. I read it and thought about so many of the memoirs. Some really told a story and some left you wondering, but it is well worth the reading time.



3. I read a review of this book in The New Yorker; it convinced me to buy the book. I am NOT disappointed. You can read it straight through, but it is also one of those books you can just pick up and read a few pages --great for guest room or bathroom! I have also showed it to many friends, and we have made a game of creating our own 6-word memoirs, and those of others we know--a lot of fun and conversation as a result of this book. I bought copies to send to faraway friends, too.



4. This book really made me think about putting my life into a six word memoir. There are so many cute ones - one of my favorites was (seventy years, few tears, hairy ears)



5. I've read the book through twice now, and I still find fresh bits of wisdom and newly amusing memoirs. My only wish is that Smith Magazine gave a teeny bit of insight into the authors themselves (even as an Appendix). Because of the glimpse into two writers' lives during the Prologue, their memoirs have had the most impact for me...and it makes you realize how much complexity and meaning six simple words can carry.
   
   Since 6-word memoir submissions are still being accepted at www.smithmag.net, I wait with anticipation for the next volume. Thank you for a read that will never collect dust on my book shelf.

5 comments about Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.

1. While daydreaming in class, do you ever place yourself in the shoes of another of another thirteen year old? Perhaps another teenager in a different historical era? "The Diary of Anne Frank" would allow you to do just that. This diary tells the story of a thirteen year old Jewish girl, forced to go into hiding during the Holocaust with her family of four. Making entries every day, Anne writes of her life in hiding; documenting her feelings of love, the noises of gunshots outside her house and the changes her body and spirit continue to experience as she develops into a teenager. She writes of normal "becoming a teenager obstacles" such as her parents treating her unfairly, the other family always picking on her and a lonely existence in the confined space. This book does a splendid job of describing the drama that enfolds with eight people living in tight quarters. Just as many of you may have felt trapped in your teenage life, Anne's is magnified in the "Secret Annex" of a room.
   
   I believe that this book is more real than any other narrative or memoir can be due to Anne's innocence without worrying about the outside critics. It leaves itself for you to easily empathize with the hardships of Anne with her honest accounts of observations, memories, feelings and troubles any teenager experiences, in addition to the complexity of her tragic situation. I highly recommend this book to any teenager who hopes to understand life's hardest lessons. If there was one negative about the book, it would be the repetitive nature of some of the entries. Many of the entries seem quite monotonous, but isn't this true of most teenagers' lives? Although this book is 304 pages, it is a quick read with it unlikely you would want to put it down. Published in 1993 by Bantam, it still applies this day to any teenager.



2. "Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl" is the diary (a non-fiction work) of a Jewish teenager who lived during the Holocaust and World War II. The book is 304 pages, which includes an introduction written by Eleanor Roosevelt and an afterword, which contains information about what happened to the Frank family after Anne's diary ends. Bantam published this edition in 1993, although a press in Amsterdam first published the diary in 1947. It was her father, Otto Frank, who went back to the place where the family hid for over two years, found the diary, and decided to publish it. Originally, parts in which Anne discusses and expresses her romantic feelings were cut out of the book, as the publisher felt they were too risqué; but when the diary was published in the U.S., these parts were put back into the book. This edition also includes photographs of Anne Frank, as well as photocopies of the actual pages of the diary. By including these, the reader is really able to get a sense of Anne's personality through her handwriting. The Reading level of this book is about an 8.2, meaning it is perfect for 8th graders, or those who read at about an 8th grade reading level, although it is a book you will read over and over, even after you become an adult.
   
   The diary is fascinating to read--Anne begins the diary on her thirteenth birthday, weeks before her family goes into hiding. As the war rages in Europe, Anne is forced to wear a gold star, designating her as Jewish, but her life continues in a relatively normal way. This all changes when a note arrives, stating that the Nazi's want her older sister, Margot. The Frank family hides, spending their next two years in a secret annex in the building where Otto Frank worked. Anne and her family share their space with four other people--Mr. and Mrs. Van Daan (business associates of Mr. Frank), their son, Peter, and Mr. Dussel. Anne is faced with the challenge of living out her adolescence in such a confined space.
   
   As you read her diary, you will be able to relate to the range of emotions Anne displays. She gets excited about events, she feels scared and nervous about her life, she falls in love and receives her first kiss while in hiding, she feels jealousy towards her sister, and she often feels anger and resentment toward her mother. If you did not know the context of her life, Anne might seem like a normal teenager you might know. Yet, as she wonders about whether Peter likes her or not, she also has to worry about if someone will betray the family. She lives in constant fear of discovery, and everyday, the seven hidden members of their Annex follow the news, praying for the defeat of the Nazis, so that they can once again live their lives. Ultimately, tragedy strikes Anne and her family, but Anne's words have given generations of teenagers a glimpse into what it was really like living through the Holocaust. I found this book to be so wonderful that I can't say anything bad about it, and I encourage everyone to read this dairy so that you too can understand what it was like to be a teenager living through the Holocaust.



3. ACH, DU LIEBER!!!!
   
   That's the biting phrase that can best epitomize my personal feelings at the disconnect between the expectation of Anne Frank's diary and the actual reality of reading it. The Diary of Anne Frank is very, very, very disappointing and a humongous letdown!!!! To wit, I must implacably question and hold in contempt the judgment processes of the many, previous, sycophant reviewers who've been exaggerating the "beauty" or "grace" or whatever politically correct term of flattery they can invent for this diary. The Diary of Anne Frank is one of the most caustic examples of herd mentality-syndrome and mass hysteria among the many positive-rating, Amazon reviewers. In truth, this diary of Anne's is just plain, bloody awful and doesn't deserve its classic status to say the least!!!! I suppose the hordes of five-star reviewers simply turned off their brains, refused to analyze Anne's diary critically, and just subserviently jumped on the bandwagon of conventional wisdom, where her diary is hailed a "classic." BS!!!!
   
   After having thoroughly read this, I can assure you that it's no classic and D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E-L-Y not worth your time or money...unless, of course, you get your kicks and jollies from plumbing the trivial and superficial mind of a fourteen-year-old. This stellar, brutally-but-intellectually-honest review of mine will analytically break down precisely what the hell's wrong with Anne's diary (plenty!) and warn you against reading it. If you're not narrow-minded and can take an analysis which intrepidly contravenes the discreditable conventional wisdom of the masses, then you'll be grateful for this review. If you're a hypersensitive sheeple, then I expect you to be appalled and shocked at the alleged "audacity" of this review, but that's YOUR problem, not mine. All I concern myself with is an intellectually honest review of this diary.
   
   I went into The Diary of Anne Frank because it came to my attention that I hadn't read it in high school, whereas many of my peers had indeed had it mandated for reading in school. I attended a Catholic high school, and it's not like Catholics have something even remotely to be shameful about concerning their treatment of Jews in WWII. Why, in fact, educated people know that even N*zi Adolf Eichmann confessed in his diaries that the Catholic Church in occupied Italy was the only organization that loudly protested and opposed the mass deportation of Jews from their "ghetto" in Rome. So, I wanted to catch up on this apparent "classic" because it was missed reading at my old, Catholic high school.
   
   However, I absolutely regret and curse this misjudgment of mine due to the appalling quality and shortcoming of the content of the diary. See, as a new reader, I perceptively went into the Diary of Anne Frank with the reasonable expectation that it would, you know, perhaps talk about her feelings relating to--I don't know!--the genocidal, N*zi occupation, which had forced her family and some acquaintances into an attic, where they lived like imprisoned animals under extreme duress. That would make for an interesting read obviously because one would delve into the psychology of a person in such duress and try to relate. Conventional wisdom has it that that's what her diary mainly relates to, but in actuality...her diary's actually filled to the nauseating brim with her infatuation (nah, kids these days would call it her "crushing) on her attic-mate Peter; endlessly boring stories about preparing and storing vegetables in their attic; girl talk about her prior crush before she went into hiding; lurid tales about her discovering her budding sexuality; typical teen-girl angst about how she's never really had close girlfriends; grumbling about the adults in the attic always rebuking her due to her forthrightness; and how she hates her mother like a typical EMO teenager, just to name a few!!!!
   
   Anne disappointingly spends precious few entries (the vast minority) on the more interesting and valuable ruminations, such as those on human nature, persecution of Jews, and the terror felt inside the attic that came primarily from being discovered, or from the sounds and sights of war breaking loose outside her attic (on a couple of entries, she even recounts stories of downed fighter planes and their pilots' fate). That's the unpardonable fault of her diary because only these kinds of idiosyncratic entries actually material to WW2 are what would elevate her diary above that of any other, mundane, teen girl's. That so much of her diary is precisely so ordinary according to what one stereotypically expects from ANY teen girl's entries is the real pity in this exaggeratedly hyped work.
   
   I found the purpose of Anne's diary much more useful in detailing how more wonderfully conservative society was in the 40s--rather than getting the reader to empathize with WW2-era, persecuted Jews--compared to today's liberal nightmare. In example, Anne's many entries where she's "crushing" on her attic-mate, Peter, involve feelings of sincere, simplistic affection and puppy love, maybe quaint but still adorable in hindsight. For instance, in many entries, Anne swoons over attic-mate Peter's confiding in her or the way he merely looks at her; to her as a girl in the 40s back then, that already qualified as a "fantasy." Contrast this to the inarguable fact that in today's world, many 14-year-olds in Anne's shoes would probably have infectious thoughts of desiring to sexually please their crushes (and then do so!) just so they could feel like "true women!" Another unmistakable motif in Anne's experiences that comes through as a confirmation of how more wonderfully conservative things were back then is the constant reference to schoolwork, and, by golly, actually doing well at it! In some entries, Anne actually *gulp* takes pride in getting good grades in school and measuring herself as a person based on her work ethic in class, again, wonderfully "old-fashioned." Again, contrast this with many 14-year-olds today who--especially if they're in the NEA's public schools--can't read, write or do any `rithmetic, yet can tell you all kinds of things about the b*tches and h*es in rap music!!!!
   
   This latest edition of her diary, The so-called Definitive Edition, includes inexcusably AWKWARD entries involving Anne's sexual awakening, which is also a discomforting sign of the incrementing liberalism that's occurring societally, whereas her dad, Otto, wisely omitted these lewd entries from the original publication. For instance, on page 162, she writes, "Once when I was spending the night at Jacque's, I could no longer restrain my curiosity about her body, which she'd always hidden from me and which I'd never seen. I asked her whether, as proof of our friendship, we could touch each other's br*asts. Jacque refused. I also had a terrible desire to kiss her, which I did. Every time I see a female nude...I go into ecstasy." Gross!!!! This egregiously has nothing to do with WW2, or a person's feelings of being imprisoned in an attic while hoping the N*zis don't discover her. The inclusion of this lewdness was utterly ill-advised.
   
   Surprisingly, though, some of Anne's entries include reflections which prove she possessed moral clarity and, unlike today's liberals (the arbiters of moral relativism), had the ability to judge between good and evil with regards to WW2. For instance, on page 334 (from July 21, 1944), she writes, "Now, at last, things are going well!...An *ss*ssination attempt has been made on H*tler's life, and for once not by Jewish Communists or English capitalists, but by a German general...This is the best proof we've had so far that many officers and generals are fed up with the war and would like to see H*tler sink into a bottomless pit..." Here, Anne clearly demonstrates that she confidently feels it's perfectly all right to be happy at the prospect of your enemy being killed in a war. Further, she also interprets the *ss*ssination attempt in a pro-Allies, anti-German way, suspecting that H*tler's generals are turning on him. Contrast that to today's dreadful, modern liberals who would have a hell of a hard time rejoicing about the prospect of Bin Laden's death or any terrorist's, for that matter, because they're too obsessed with getting them "legal rights" through habeas corpus and moving them onto the US mainland for detention purposes!!!!
   
   Still, Anne's diary is soooo disappointingly off-the-mark that I want anyone even flirting with the idea of reading a fourteen-year-old's musings to just boycott it. It's so dreadful because it mostly evades reflecting on WW2 and the hardships of attic life. Mainly, it reads like every other fourteen-year-old girl's diary from the beginning of time to infinity, and, so, is an absolutely superficial read!!!! To get an idea of how WW2 affected people, you can get a better read almost ANYWHERE ELSE. If you want to get inside a fourteen-year-old girl's trivial head--which Anne's diary is really mostly about: crushes, boys, resentment of parents, etc.--you should just steal your kid sister's. What's that? Don't have a kid sister?! Well, then steal the diary of your friend's or neighbor's kid sister because you'll get the same trivialities there as in Anne Frank's diary.



4. Great read, highly recommend for all jr. high and Sr. high kids. I read this book in high school (many many years ago) and wanted to read it again because of the movie "Freedom Writers" and it's integral part in the movie. I highly recommend it



5. A classic that we all should read when we are young, and again when we are older. It emphasizes the fact that evil does exist in our world, and that evil often comes from a government. It belongs in all of our libraries.

5 comments about The Sum of Our Days: A Memoir.

1. Isabel Allende has been one of my favorite authors since reading The Infinite Plan. She is a wonderful story teller and this memoir proves that her real life is just as interesting as her novels. Recommended.



2. I odered this book over a month and have not received it. Can someone help?
   
   Thank You.



3. The Sum of Our Days: A Memoir
   Just wonderful. If you're a fun of Allende you must have that title as well.



4. the sum of our days is an experience like no other. firstly, to belong to any family is tricky business, but to belong to , for the brief magical time one is reading this enchanted memoir, this family, or more accurately, as isabel calls her loved ones, this TRIBE, is to experience an open minded, willing, adventurous, and unfailingly faithful family. from the moment one begins this book, a journey of sheer recognizalbe living begins. nothing is held back, yet not a single mean spirited word is written. it is truth, the truth about those who are loved above all others, family and those friends who are chosen family.
   she writes with such passion, loyalty, color, humor, wit, intelligence, intuition, and i only know, when i finished the book this morning, having eeked it out over the recent two days because i never ever wanted to be parted from this woman's daring, wise, funny, sexy, proud,vulnerable and tender outlook, i cried and cried....it was like losing the day to day connection to a rare and irresistble spirit, as well her cherished loved ones who are painted with such detail and honoring, and felt in a most distant way, in a small way, what it is like like for anyone to lose a most precious loved one. it loss to ever finish an isable allende book, but, perhaps, thisone more than any other. who else is like isabel allende? how can one go on with everyday life when separted from her writing?? she almost ruins everyday living with her beautiful life force and questing strength.it is true grief to ever complete any isable allende book, but this one really packs a wallop of both fullness and missing when it is over, a gaping emtiness as one closes the book, while at the same time giving a new power to the reader, a given promise to one's self to try to live as courageously as does this woman and her entire tribe. in my acting classes, i always say, "who would you most like to share a dinner with?" for me, there is no one comparable to isabel allende. her courage, humor, boldness, her caring, her ability to still love life when life has dealt her the worst bad dream of all, is inspiraiton. this book is beyond exemplary, bolstering,inpsiring, vividly beautiful and utterly , wonderfully, compelling. THE BEST!!!!!!!!



5. The Sum Of Our Days is a family memoir based on Allende's idea that her deceased daughter Paula would want to know what has happened to the family since she died. Lacking in pretense and affectation, The Sum Of Our Days is an honest portrait of an unusual family, full of interest and charm.
   
   Told through a series of short stories that could be letters to Paula's ghost (and were in fact culled from letters Allende wrote to her mother in Chile), The Sum Of Our Days describes a family that has survived drug addiction, death, betrayal and divorce to celebrate birth, travel, friendship and love. The heavy subject matter has been blessed with perspective and humor courtesy of time.
   
   It's difficult to write about triumphing in hard times and not sound pompous or self-righteous. But who would lie to their deceased daughter? It's a clever way to tell a family story and the result for the reader is a good story well told.
   
   This book is also available in the original Spanish version.

5 comments about Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith.

1. There is so much about Anne Lamott that resonates with me. What I like the most is that her brand of theology is very uncomplicated. She gives each of us permission to find our own path and reminds us of what is important -- love, diversity, acceptance, helping others, and social justice. Her authenticity is refreshing. She is just as confused and flawed as the rest of us, yet she deals with sensitive subjects with humor and clarity. Some dislike her frequent condemnations of the Bush administration, but I find those passages particularly amusing and poignant as they set the context for the loftier discussions on what really matters in life.



2. A series of snack-sized yet nourishing essays on topics ranging from religion (but in a not-in-your face-kind-of-way) and politics to relationships and recovery, Grace (Eventually) subtly highlights what ultimately matters most in life. With honesty, humor, and humility, Anne reminds us that although we can't avoid the messiness of life, there are ways to stay awake, alert, forgiving, and somewhat sane as we stumble through all the muck. As she points out in her Lamont-language, grace and healing are not "abracadabra kinds of things" but instead "it's clog and slog and scootch...the lesson is in the slog." Perhaps the key to life is not in avoiding the muck--but in learning how to first plod through it and then gracefully de-gunk. (Eventually).



3. I had read a few of Anne Lamott's essays on Salon. I found them interesting, but because of the leftist leaning ideology that permeated them, just a bit tiresome. But I kept reading and hearing about her and picked up this book thinking maybe I needed to give her another chance.
   
   I must say that overall I enjoyed the book very much. One thing I do like about her is her brutal honesty. She does not weigh her words and then choose something that will be a little more palatable; she says exactly what she thinks. In fact, the first sentence in her Prelude says "There is not much truth being told in the world. There never was. This has proven to be a major disappointment to some of us." A sentiment to which I wholeheartedly agree. So she had me from the first sentence.
   
   At another point in the book she says "Our lives are filled with people who provoke us, especially people we love. They help us figure out our own stuff [paraphrase] and why we are here." And this I think is the basis of her popularity. In the hands of a skillful writer like Anne, these essays where she is trying to figure out her relationship with her son, examining her relationship with her now dead parents, and trying to choose a correct path in a world that has gone slightly crazy reach out and touch us in some fundamental way. Because actually this is what we are all doing in our own blundering way.
   
   Her essay "Samwheel" particularly spoke to me, as it was about her 17 year old son Sam and their rocky relationship since he hit the teen years. I have a 17 year old son at home now and found this essay particularly insightful. At one point she says "Recently I have begun to feel that the boy I loved is gone, and in his place is this male person who pushes my buttons with his moodiness, scorn, and flamboyant laziness. People tell me that the boy will return, but some days that is impossible to imagine." Yes, indeed.
   
   This book, despite its tiresome attacks on Bush and left leaning politics, is a book about community, family, and the heart.



4. Anne Lamott is my favorite writer on religious issues. She is grounded in the present but is aware of, and wrestles with, the spiritual realities. Thanks, Anne.



5. Anne Lamott reminds us of our humanity and that we don't need to be ashamed of our warts. God continues to love us even as we struggle to love ourselves.

5 comments about Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.

1. I loved this book! I learned about the genocide in Rwanda, as well as, I found Immaculée's story to be inspirational. Even though she was in a small bathroom with several women for such a long time, she rose above it by meditation and prayer. As a result of her relationship with God, she discovered her purpose in life. Immaculée truly soared above the suffering in Rwanda in many ways.



2. 
   I found this book very powerful and very moving! It is unbelievable that anyone could live through such an experience and come out a loving person!! I can't imagine how difficult it must be to forgive for such atrocities!! Loved loved loved the book - it's a must read



3. This book taught me more about the Spirit within all humans and how we can stay in one place and allow that spirit to be mamed or how we hold fast to the Higer Spirit and trust our future to that Spirit and triump over the evils and atrosicities in this world.



4. Fantastic book. Talk about forgiveness!! We can all learn from this remarkable woman.



5. This is a must read for everyone who has suffered pain and loss. Imaculata is amazing!

5 comments about Founding Mothers: The Women Who Raised Our Nation.

1. I just started reading this book last night and so far I am very pleased with Ms. Roberts' writing style. I appreciate all the research which went into the creation of this book. I love reading non-fiction; especially anything to do with History.



2. I made the dreadful mistake of trying to read this book. Are we honestly to be expected to take a work of history by Cokie Roberts seriously? I don't know why anyone would take her political commentary seriously, much less whatever she tries to pass off as history. There are plenty of serious studies of women in early America that do not feature this books flaw's. I suggest you turn to any of those. This book is poorly written. It seems to have no major theme or argument. It has absolutely no documentation, meaning that it is impossible to tell where the information actually came from. Give me a break!



3. Great ability to make these stories fascinating. Much info this Revolutionary Era buff did not know. The Women were great! I still do not understand why men were so fearful of giving Women the vote and the right to own property of their own. The book relates their stories effectively and with humor.



4. "Founding Mothers" tells the story of women, famous, not so famous and obscure, who contributed to the founding of the United States. In this, as in her other works, Cokie Roberts has told an excellent story.
   
   Some of the women, such as Martha Washington and Abigail Adams, we know well. Others, including Mercy Otis Warren and Eliza Pinckney, are mothers and wives of lesser known men, who influenced the crucial roles their sons and husbands played in the early Acts of the American Pageant. Some, such as Molly Pitcher, are so obscure that their actual identity is not known with certainty.
   
   This book is divided into sections pertaining to the Revolution, the writing and adoption of the Constitution and the establishment of the National Government. Some of the subjects, such as Martha Washington, play roles in more than one section.
   
   This book is well written and presents its stories so as to hold the reader's interest, regardless of whether the story is familiar or not, and central or peripheral to the development of the nation. I am always suspicious of books in which the author tries to make the subjects into something that they are not. I do not think that Ms. Roberts tries to do that in this book. Her renderings of the activities of the Founding Mothers are very believable. She seems to keep their involvement and influence, as significant as it is, within plausible limits. As readers of my reviews are aware, I have read several books about this era of our history. (See my Listmania Lists, "The Story of the American Revolution" and "Founding Presidents.") "Founding Mothers" presents, in an enchanting fashion, a perspective of the history largely absent from other books.



5. In general, I've found Cokie Roberts' book, "Founding Mothers" to be an interesting if not fascinating work: she has done an excellent job of digging into the frequently ignored role of women in the development of the American Republic during the revolutionary era; and has presented her findings in an easy to read and thought provoking narrative, structured as a series of mini-biographies of each of her subjects - most (but not all) of whom were prominent in the society of the time: women like Martha Washington, wife of George Washington; Abigail Adams, wife of John Adams; Peggy Shippen, wife of the traitor Benedict Arnold; and Kitty Green, wife of General Nathaniel Greene.
   
   Building mainly upon the correspondence each of her subjects exchanged with their husbands, families and friends, you get a real sense of what life was like at the time: the challenges these people faced as war ravaged their homes, and the homes of those they loved; how frustrated they were with the complete lack of consideration that the political system and society of the time had for women; their hopes that this new country would turn a new page and allow women a voice in the political arena; and how they sought to influence the men they knew and loved, most of whom had major roles in the revolutionary effort.
   
   While I find this book to be a very informative and interesting read, I get the impression from time to time that Ms. Roberts is stretching a bit to present the points she wishes to make. Some of the evidence she presents is a bit thin, and the arguments she makes based on that evidence sometimes goes beyond what I feel is reasonable. On the other hand, as Ms. Roberts herself says: women and their contrbutions to the cause simply were not valued, and so often were not preserved at all, or are very hard to track-down. So, I cannot fault her on this point, and feel that even when individual statements might go beyond the evidence, the central themes of the book are definitely clear, and compelling.
   
   These women were strong, intelligent, creative, interesting people. Cokie Roberts does a great job of helping us learn who they were, what their lives were like, and how contributed to the building of the American Dream. Great book!

2 comments about The Woman Who Can't Forget: The Extraordinary Story of Living with the Most Remarkable Memory Known to Science--A Memoir.

1. This is a fascinating glimpse into the world of a person who has a perfect memory. If you feel the slightest bit skeptical about this, Jill Price was put through intensive testing, along with several other people. Not only could she recall exact dates but the tiniest bits of info about what happened on those days, including every single second of her own life. She'd also kept a diary for years.
   
   Other people were also tested and diagnosed with this special, probably rare, condition...and this is what makes this book so interesting. Even though Jill Price isn't the only person known to have "perfect recall or memory", her personality is unique. She tends to see her inability to forget as a curse as much as a blessing, one that often haunts and torments her.
   
   I'd read books about other people with a similar condition but they were autistic, sometimes called idiot savants, and often lacked basic skills that were considered normal. Jill Price was the first person who seems normal in many ways but also has this extraordinary memory. I couldn't help wanting to know how a child copes with this and grows up being so different from those around her. This book was a fascinating biography as well as illuminating about the mysteries of memory, recall and the advantages of those with average abilities to remember things. Until I read this book, I often rued my inability to remember a person's name, face or a particular movie title. I've changed my perspective.
   
   Sometimes being able to forget can be a blessing.



2. We all have days we wish we could forget. If we think back, I'm sure we also have memories that have escaped us from long ago which we wish we could remember.
   
   Jill Price is a unique person, the first, who can honestly say she can't forget a single day, and has little or no problem with those memories the rest of us cling to.
   
   Jill has a memory condition called "hyperthymestic syndrome" and believe it or not she can recall headlines, deaths, birthdays, holidays, tragedies, worldwide news, and even her own everyday activities from every single day of her life since she was just 14 years old.
   
   In a recent interview with Diane Sawyer, Jill gave the dates and days of the week certain events happened that Diane called out at random from the death of Elvis to the date of Reagan's first inauguration. She is not always 100% right, but is usually not off by more than 7 days. Imagine being able to recall every single Christmas you've experienced, and all from memory.
   
   Jill's story is extraordinary. As you read her memoir, you'll ask yourself, "is this a curse or a blessing?" Is it a gift you'd want to be blessed with? Jill has adjusted well to it. Her life has been unique. She has loved and lost. Scientists have studied her, but through it all she has learned to cope and adapt to this bizarre wonder.
   
   You will be touched by her words, and you certainly won't forget them!

5 comments about In the Frame: My Life in Words and Pictures.

1. If you are a fan of Helen Mirren, you must buy this book.
   A very personal book that is more photos than text which allows us to know a little more about the woman behind the wonderful roles that she has played.



2. Helen mirren is a great actress, but she is not a great storyteller. The book jumps around with sections of her life then sections of pictures. It's worth it if you like her, but if you are not a fan, don't bother.



3. This was a wonderful present for a friend whose favorite actress is Helen Mirren. The book is a delight, the process of securing it speedy and the ususal service I expect from Amazon. Thank you.



4. What a fascinating read. If Ms. Mirren's acting career slows down .. hopefully never ... she can 'take up her pen' and write.
   
   MKD



5. Helen's book is fantastic. My husband is a huge fan of hers and it was purchased for him. It gives a wonderfully revealing look at this talented woman. She seems to be a very special person. If you like Helen, you have to love the book.

5 comments about Half-Assed: A Weight-Loss Memoir.

1. The author does a great job telling her story about her weight and then weight loss and is honest with the readers. A very straight forward book that "tells it like it is". The best part is that she doesn't hawk one particular diet over another but really focuses on the mind change to eating healthy and focusing on one's own body. Learning to shop and cook healthy, exercise, and mental feelings are the subjects here, not what type of soup to eat or pills to take. Only downside is that I'm a guy and while I know shopping for clothes is a bigger deal to most women than most men, having almost two chapters talking about clothes shopping was a little much for me. But she is a funny, smart, and witty person and I enjoyed the book. A lot better than some ten-step motivational book on dieting.



2. ...you'll still find plenty to identify with in Jennette's entertaining memoir. This isn't a self-help book or a diet instruction manual. There are enough of those already, aren't there?! Instead, it's an honest and funny look at the author's relationship with food and herself, and how she found out what life could be like when she ate better and moved more. A great weight loss memoir that you won't be able to put down (except when you go for a run, which Jennette might just inspire you to do).



3. What does it take to lose half your body weight? Lots of time, hard work and willingness. I love that Fulda looked at this endeavor as a project, a hobby of sorts, rather than a do-or-die proposition. Blog readers should be delighted to find the book isn't simply a reprint of the Best of Half of Me. We get lots more insight and background into both the why and the how of this amazing accomplishment.
   
   I'm inspired anew, not because Fulda is half the woman she used to be, but because she is so matter-of-fact about the process. Each and every success in life begins with the first step, and doesn't happen without all the steps following it. This book isn't so much a blueprint of how to lose weight, but a guide to having a good attitude about the process.



4. I've been reading a lot of weight loss related books this year as an inspiration to get myself moving on my own weight loss efforts. This one is very impressive. Not only is Jennette Fulda smart, funny, and self-revealing about her own journey to lose weight, but she has many insightful and thought-provoking comments to make about body image in our culture, size acceptance, surgical weight loss, and the changes weight loss brings that have nothing to do with the pounds. Some people who have lost a huge amount of weight (especially those who have done it the way Jennette did, through diet and exercise) are judgmental toward others who choose a surgical solution. Jennette is not. She expresses compassion for others who are struggling with obesity, and does not try to tell anyone else what to do or how to do it. I have highlighted many passages in this book that resonate with me and inspire me. I'm sure I will refer back to it many times to help keep me on track. I highly recommend this memoir if you are struggling with weight issues, or even if you just want to understand how it feels for someone who has tackled this problem.



5. What a wonderful and inspiring account! Jennette Fulda most certainly tells it like it is when it comes to her life as both a morbidly obese person, and someone who has now lost half her body weight. Her honesty, wit and humor as she tells her story of transition make this an insightful and entertaining read for anyone, not just those interested in weight-loss.

5 comments about Shattered Dreams: My Life as a Polygamist's Wife.

1. After the raid on the FLDS camp in Texas (April 2008), I set about to find out what these people and their religion is all about.
   I first read "Escape" by Caroline Jessop and I finally could breathe when she and her children were safe from the perils of living a plural marriage with her husband.
   "Shattered Dreams" was a book that I really got into as I lived and died each calamity of povery, loneliness, and hurt that Irene experienced in her 'marriage' to Verlan
   as he erroneously tried to control his burgeoning family
   until he could get them all into the kingdom of God.
   My heart went out to Verlan because he was living and working in all that he knew and his responsibility to
   each endeavor and to his family was just more than any one human should ever undertake. This is the error of the teaching of plural marriages.
   I probably will not ever get to meet Irene on this earth but thanks to her genuine conversion into Christianity, I know I will be living an eternity of time 'over there' where we both will be and I'd just love to give her a great big hug of love as my Christian sister.
   My word to Irene is this "Sister, enjoy whatever time of life you have on this earth for you have truly earned it and it is good to know that you finally have a person who loves you unconditionally just as Jesus loves us".



2. I really enjoyed this book. I couldnt put it down. It was amazing to hear about this womans struggles and hardships. It made me truely appreciate my husband and how blessed we are. I have recomended it to everyone that I know.



3. I can't say enough good things about this book. It was so enthralling that I read it in two days. A true page turner in every sense of the phrase. I read it and then eagerly passed it on to my book loving sister to read. She loved it as well. Seriously...BUY THIS BOOK!



4. Especially in view of recent events in Texas, this book is a should-read for everyone. I was a mainstream Mormom for 10 years, and THAT society is patriarchal enough, but what I found utterly chilling is that fundamentalist Mormonism is extraordinarily similar to many aspects of ISLAM. I wish everyone who feels inclined to accept 'freedom of religion' excuses, or who feels sorry for sect mothers in Texas crying for their children, would read this book, and Carolyn Jessop's "Escape" and Susan Ray Schmidt's "His Favorite Wife". Fundamentalist Mormonism takes freedom of religion WAY beyond individual rights, and mothers have a duty to protect their children from all kinds of abuse, and these three books just rip the lid off what really goes on (one of the books also makes clear that among other things, there is rampant, officially-sanctioned cruelty to animals going on for which there should be NO excuse). No great literary style but a great source of information. A Can't-Put-Downer book.



5. This was a great book! Irene details her live from her childhood to the end of her marriage with her polygamist husband. The book is not filled with strong words against polygamy per-se. Instead, Irene shows us, through her life, why polygamy is problematic. I wish it was longer!