5 comments about Black Ice.

1. This book is interesting, and the author actually spoke at my school (Temple University) which was awesome. She goes into detail within the book and leaves you guessing.



2. This book is horrible. The writing is badly done, and it is so drawn out and boring. It felt like one hour to read one chapter it was so bad.



3. 
   This review is for the students. The title of the book is Black Ice and the author of the book is Lorene Cary. To me I say this book was very interesting. The reason why was interesting, because it talked about how blacks and whites used to be segregated. They were both segregated and both races were treated differently. For example, the whites had better facilities then the blacks. That is why I thought the novel was interesting, but others who might have read this book over the summer maybe they did not think this book was as interesting. Therefore, I say this book is not made for everyone to read the masterpiece, just because one person may like the book does not mean that everyone likes the story. If someone who has not yet read the novel but would like to it would be better if they asked someone who has already read the book if the text would be a good novel for them to read or not to read. The student who has not yet read the publication would need to know what the text is about so they can determine if they would like to read the novel or not read it.
   The students who may like to read about how people different races are treated differently. They might like to read this novel to learn more about all of their backgrounds.



4. Dear peer,
   The first thing that you need to know about Black Ice is the author which is Lorene Gary. I liked this book because I learned that you can make mistakes of doing drugs, but you can quit just in time to have a better future.
   This book is about a girl named Libby; she went to a boarding school at St. Paul's High
   School. She once went to a forest to smoke weed and pot with a group of friends. Also in this text Libby was forced to have relationship with this boy. He gave Libby a necklace of engagement, because he really liked her a lot. But Libby did not like him, so she threw the necklace away and Libby's mom picked it up and she wore it on her neck.
   This story is short in length, but difficult to read. It was difficult because, a lot of event happens in every chapter and you have to read it carefully so that you could know what is happening.
   My opinion about this text is that it is very interesting and it kept me entertained while I was reading the story. That is my opinion and the reason I think this book is very interesting because, I like reading Auto-Biographies. I really enjoyed reading this publication about Libby life.
   Thank you peer for taking your time and reading this essay. I hope you make your decision and read this book. So that you could know everything that happens in this master pieace.



5. The author of Black Ice is Lorene Cary. This book is mostly about racism, and a young girl named Lorene being highly educated] and working with whites in a restaurant. I think anybody older than twelve and up will enjoy this text; Black Ice was mostly talking about Lorene's childhood.
   This book was quiet interesting. In order to see if a book is going to be good, read the reference page. If its interesting then read the first page. If you not, ask for assistance.
   This novel will be a good book for fifth graders. It will help them know more about the past between blacks, and whites. It will help increase your vocabulary, and give you more history out of the story. By a chance, you will probably enjoy reading Lorene Cary's autobiography of her childhood life.

5 comments about The Kennedy Women: The Saga of an American Family.

1. I did not want this book to end! It is a fascinating, fair, well-written book about all of the Kennedy women, their men, and the lives they led. I gained new insight, especially, into Kathleen Kennedy, Rosemary Kennedy, and matriarhc, Rose.



2. This book arrived in good condition and in a timely manner just like the seller promised! A++



3. I found this book about the Kennedy family women a very interesting read. The only problem with it is that it is so long. At over 900 pages Mr. Leamer could have written three books and had them in instalments about one pericular Kennedy family women instead of tying to write so much about so many interesting people.



4. This book relates details of the lives of the many Kennedy women, from Bridget Murphy Kennedy, born in Ireland, through Caroline Kennedy, John F. Kennedy's daughter. Leamer describes the rise of the Kennedy family from the hard luck tales of newly-arrived Irish immigrants through the dynasty years in Hyannisport. While the book presents many of the historical events of the lives of political Kennedys, the viewpoint is always that of the women, and how these events affected their lives. We hear about the Kennedy women's efforts in John's political campaigns, or how the stress of campaigning contributed to Jacqueline's miscarriages. Leamer includes both women born as Kennedys and women who became Kennedys by marriage. Much of the book, however, focuses on two women who married into the Kennedy family, Rose Kennedy and Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. The book is also about the family structure of the Kennedy's and portrays some of the sinister aspects of Joseph Kennedy as well as the positive traits.
   
   Many times I've heard the Kennedy family referred to as a "dynasty". However, it has never been clear to me why an American family would be called a dynasty. In this book, Leamer describes why this group of people is more than simply a family. He describes the relations between Joseph Kennedy's children, and how Joseph and Rose's parenting style contributed both to their children's closeness and competitiveness, and how their own aspirations were realized in the accomplishments of their children. He also relates the difficulties that Jacqueline had as an outsider in establishing a position in the family. The book provides a unique viewpoint on the political events of the 1950s and 1960s whose legacy continues to permeate our society.



5. "For the most part Rose grandchildren observed and respected and obeyed her, tiptoeing around her life as if she were an exquisite piece of porcelain. She had led such a decorous life, blocking out the untoward, the ugly, and the unacceptable, that her eyes no longer saw the darker colours of the spectrum. "Pat drank a bottle of wine in the morning," Rose was told. "That's impossible" Rose replied, Pat doesn't drink"

   I was glad that I read this book because it has helped me to understand so much more about this so much talked about family. In Mr. Leaner's book we get to know about the Kennedy women's personal thoughts and the correct stories of the daughters and daughters-in-law. Mr.Leamer has given us indept portraits of these women and my favourite is Rose Kennedy the Matriarch of the family. For Rose was a woman so strong and who suffered great disloyalty by her husband which she took all gracefully all for the sake of her family and what she supposed the public expected of them. She was a stern Catholic and gain her strength through her prayer and trust in God.
   Also portrayed are Joan Kennedy; Ted wife who had a problem with alcohol. Jackie Kennedy Onnassis; the President's wife who remarried after the President's death to a Greek tycoon. Pat Lawford; married to a Hollywood star and spent most of her time in Los Angeles. Eunice Shriver, who was always working for the handicapped and underprivileged and was one of the Kennedys with great patience and common sense. Ethel Kennedy, Robert Kennedy's widow and Jean Smith.
   The Kennedys pushed their tragedies to the inner recesses of their minds.They refused to let others see the negative side of their lives, and carried their problems and burdens inwardly taking pains not to show their broken hearts. To some this might seem pretentious, but they honestly had their reasons. After all they were special in the eyes of America.
   Whenever tragedy struck it was not unusual for them to suddenly get physical by taking walks, riding, swimming and any form of exercise. Rosemary the eldest daughter who was mentally retarded was isolated from the public eye and sent to Wisconsin where she was looked after by those of the Sacred Order. This book has helped me to understand so much more about the choices they made and the reason they made them, though tragedy seem to follow them everywhere.

   Mr. Leamer has pulled out all the stops in the brilliantly written book, and I would not hesitate to read anything by him in the future. Bravo! Bravo! Heather Marshall 04/04/04

3 comments about Amy Carmichael: Rescuer of Precious Gems (Christian Heroes: Then & Now) (Christian Heroes, Then & Now).

1. If you are looking for books that are in-depth and complex in their evaluation of events in the lives of missionaries, this would not be the one to choose. But if you are looking for an easy read, and want to be inspired reading about the life of a woman who has given her all to serve the Lord Jesus in a foreign land, this will be a great choice. I find this series to be wonderful--simple, informative, and breezy reading, perfect for a lazy afternoon and for sharing with the family. It is great storytelling for all ages. Amy Carmichael's life has been revealed simply yet with enough depth to satisfy everyone who delights in learning about the lives of missionaries in our world.



2. Amy Carmichael was an admirable woman who performed great deeds in India. She was devoted to God and did her best to serve him. Although she labored under some misconceptions and ignorance about Hinduism, it is possible to forgive her because she operated from a pure heart and a sincere desire to do the Lord's work. It would not be fair to judge her by today's more knowledgeable and open-minded standards.

   Without wanting to detract from Amy Carmichael's achievements, I wish the authors had taken the trouble to understand the reality behind some of her misguided beliefs. For example, the following statement (from pp. 77-78) is patently untrue: "Buddhism is a religion of many gods and many statues of gods. Buddhists often believe the statue itself is a god and not just an image of a god." A cursory look at just about any middle school social studies book should prove otherwise.

   The authors also depict the British contributions to India in a wholly positive light, although most scholars would agree that their legacy is mixed. Furthermore, their contention that "English rule ... brought roads, railways, industry, and education to India" (p. 96) completely ignores the richness of a great and sophisticated civilization that was the birthplace of some of the world's greatest religions, that gave the world the mathematical concept zero, that had a sophisticated infrastructure already in place (such as the Grand Trunk Road), traded extensively around the world, had a flourishing industry of handicrafts (which were part of the reason the British were originally attracted to India), and so on long before the arrival of the British. The arrogance of such a statement takes my breath away.

   Finally, the author's blanket condemnation of the "devadasi" or temple dancer tradition in South India is ignorant and misguided. From the Columbia University website:

   "The tradition of the ... devadasi in the temples of India, was one of dancer and sexual initiator. It is a tradition found in relatively recent times throughout the East, traditions as old as those in Ancient Greece and Egypt. The Devadasi was often trained in the art of dance from childhood and she would be officially married to the Temple God at the onset of puberty. The dance form was equally erotic and spiritual which is difficult for the western mind to comprehend. .... The Devadasis were not slaves as they are often portrayed but women of high social status, with accomplishment in all of the arts. However because the Western mind could only comprehend the woman as being married or celibate, the devadasi was seen as a prostitute by the British authorities."

   Except that they were not celibate, this is not so different from the position of Christians nuns who are also "married" to the God they serve. Historically, parents in Europe who could not afford to marry off or maintain their daughters also brought them to the church to dedicate their lives to God -- often against their daughter's wishes. I applaud Amy Carmichael for assisting those girls who did not want to become devadasis. But undoubtedly they were many who enjoyed their work and were honored to serve God. Carmichael, who was very much a product of her times and culture could not be expected to understand that. The authors however have a responsibility to be more evenhanded.




3. Amy Carmichael had a huge heart for God, and a huge heart for God's calling for her. She cared for many children and rescued them from a horrible life of being destined to temple prostitution. She made a huge impact on all of the children she raised, and showed them the wonderful love of Jesus. She's also a great example of a woman that wasn't bothered to serve God as a single woman. This book tells about the many ways God used her to reach people who desperately needed to know the freedom of Christ.

4 comments about Hungry Ocean, The: A Swordboat Captain's Journey.

1. I'm a longline fisherman in Italy.
   The book is very interesting and well written (my english is not so good but it was a pleasure to read it).
   As a commercial fisherman fishing the mediterranean, thousand miles from the north atlantic banks, after readed this book I could tell you that commercial fishing is the same in every part of the world, the same the people and the same the hard work.
   Read this book, it's a really good one.



2. I love the way Linda writes. I will read anything she publishes. I have learned so much and am reading this book again. If you read Perfect Storm you will understand it much better having read this book. Sebastian Junger did a masterful job writing 'Storm but Linda was on an identical boat owned by the same person. She also has many years experience. I can't recommend this book enough and all others as well. She has a cookbook too "Recipies From a Very Small Island" which she wrote with her mother. Super good.



3. If you are a fan of the hit TV series Deadliest Catch and just can't wait until late March to see new episodes than I suggest that you do read this book, it a very quick and easy read for the fans of that show. This publisher is trying to cash on the popularity of this series, by reprinting the book with a different type of cover art on it, which is clearly showing not a longliner type of fishing vessel, with this book is all about, but quite possibly a Bering Sea crab boat. While the cover art is a little bit of a misnomer, don't let that stop you from buying this book or reading it if somebody you know has it, for your time will be rewarded, and you will learn a few things in the course of reading the novel.
   
   This book tells the story of Linda Greenlaw, the captain of the fishing vessel, Hannah Boden, which would be her last trip fishing for swordfish. Now, Linda, gain some popularity with the novel and the movie "The Perfect Storm", so she cashing in her new found fame to tell her own story and her own personal experiences in this industry.
   
   While, this might sound like this could be a boring novel it not because of the style that Linda writes in this novel, very down to earth like you are having a conversation with her over a meal at a roadside dinner. Explaining a good majority of what it takes to get these boats prep and ready for a fishing trip, or what they call "Turing the Boat Around", the gear that they used, and the terms that they used to describe that type of swordfish that they are out there. Also in the course of the 31 day fishing trip, she take some time to tell some of the stories of her childhood, pervious trips, and there is also a section of the novel that tell the reader some of the superstitions that fishermen have.
   
   While, I did enjoy this book, I found out that her explanation of the gear that they use and the electronics were a little hard to put into picture without the visual aid. Also reading this novel I gain a new respect to the Captains of all of the fishing vessels that out there, because you have a lot tougher job then I first thought.



4. Linda Greenlaw achieved some measure of fame as a supporting character in the nonfiction book "The Perfect Storm" (and the more fictional movie that followed). Now, Greenlaw tells her own story in "The Hungry Ocean," a less thrilling but equally fascinating tale of a four-week swordfishing run over the Grand Banks.
   
   Writing with the casual, conversational style of a story told over coffee and breakfast, Greenlaw describes the details of preparing for and executing a swordfishing expedition. She describes at length the supplies needed and the work that must be done to prepare for the water. She explains the crew dynamics, worries about the persistent illness of one crewman and wrangles over the racist attitudes of another. She frets over the readings as she steams northeast in the ocean and fills in the logistics on temperatures, currents and competing boats. She admits to occasional lies regarding fishing conditions in her wake.
   
   She also recalls yarns from her earlier days, before she captained her own ship and sailed with others. She conveys the feeling of complete, utter exhaustion that is par for the course on a cruise of this nature. By the end of this book, you'll know how to clean a fish, whether you want to or not.
   
   by Tom Knapp, Rambles.NET editor

5 comments about The Lonely Empress: Elizabeth of Austria.

1. I enjoyed the book. It was well written and obviously well researched.
   I like the way it had info from personal writtings from the time, also.
   
   I enjoyed the gallery of pictures included in the text, as well.
   
   I will probably read the book at least one more time.



2. to me she should never married franz joseph i,she was to much of a free spirit.austria court was to old fashion for a soul like hers.she had the mother -in law from hell didn't help.



3. I was dreading that this book would be like all other's in that it would portray Elizabeth as a poor little spoiled, mis-understood rich girl. It didn't and I found that very refreshing.
   My only critism of this book is that there is only one occasion when the author translated the french, german, russian, etc. quotes that were used and I found that mildly annoying as I don't speak or read any of those languages.
   Overall a very good book!



4. I really enjoyed this book, there was only a minor matter which rather annoyed me. I wonder why nobody seems to have taken the trouble of checking the proper spelling of all those European names?
   As a native speaker of both German and Hungarian, I was quite
   distracted by reading Gödollo instead of Gödöllõ, to name just one of many blunders.
   Crenneville sometimes becomes Grenneville, Marie Vetsera turns into a Mary, Maria Theresia is always Maria Theresa, robbed of an i, the Ballhausplatz is shortened into Ballplatz, and while Hapsburg is not exactly wrong, it was apparently never used officially - and you don't often come across it even in Austria.
   Perhaps in future editions someone might provide corrections? I think the book is worth it.



5. Top of Form
   
   
   I was somewhat reluctant to first start reading The Lonely Empress because, from the some of the biographies I've read (but certainly not all!), they tend to start out interesting but then become dull and boring. It usually takes a talented author to write a biography on a boring royal. But even an unskilled author would have no trouble about sounding fascinating if their subject matter was Elisabeth of Austria.
   
   Born a mere daughter of a duke in Bavaria, Elisabeth had a fairytale (ish) romance. The emperor of Austria, Francis Joseph, was already engaged to Elisabeth's sister Helen when he fell in love with her. All of a sudden, to everyone's surprise, the Emperor started to rant about the grace and beauty of this younger sister, much to the dismay of his mother, the archduchess Sophie, who thought that Helen would become the perfect empress.
   
   Elisabeth was still a child when she became engaged to the Emperor. Suddenly, she wasn't allowed to run wild, like she had been when she was younger. Elisabeth had been known to skip her lessons and go out riding for hours. She inherited her father's peculiarity and was known to be her happiest when surrounded by less than royal people. Her father, Duke Max, was renowned for his strangeness. He was known to travel the Bavarian countryside to escape his duties and delighted in circuses. The poor Duchess Ludovica, Elisabeth's mother, must have had a terrible time with her daughter and equally childish husband. Because of her strangeness and wild country ways, the Viennese court look down upon Elisabeth.
   
   What makes this book more interesting is how the author has portrayed Elisabeth. She doesn't try to make her into a selfish, spoiled woman yet she doesn't spend the whole book describing her flawless beauty. Elisabeth seems to be a difficult topic to write about. As many people who have met the Empress say about her throughout the book, "She could be quite charming when she wanted to be. Yet she could also become cold and haughty."
   
   Elisabeth has you admiring her at times, like when she tries to help the Hungarian people regain their Constitution, and at other times hating her, the way she treated her husband and children, the woman whose husband spent fortunes building her three homes around Europe and who still wasn't grateful or satisfied. This woman traveled to countries far away so she could escape her duties as an Empress and her husband.
   
   But one feels for Elisabeth at how much misfortune she had dealt with in her life. She seems to be a caged bird, she seems to have those natures that cannot be trapped or caged. She needed wide spaces so she can spread her wings. The author portrayed Elisabeth excellently and made the book an enjoyable read.

5 comments about Covered Wagon Women, Volume 1: Diaries and Letters from the Western Trails, 1840-1849 (Covered Wagon Women).

1. After reading Lillian Schlissel's excellent book "Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey" I was stricken by the 'curiosity bug' and NEEDED to read more. I turned therefore to Mr. Holmes, a recognized name in this field.
   
   His series, "Covered Wagon Women", currently consists of 11 volumes, although this review is just about the first book. Volume One consists of entries from the very first period of westward migration: 1840 to 1849. The authors are women who write of their experiences in a way that reflects both their ages and educational levels -- and it is fascinating.
   
   For example, from Keturah Belknap we discover how families prepared for the 8 month trip. She tells of difficult goodbye's to family and friends; how she spun wool so that she could have a friend weave it 'just-so' to make good solid wagon covers; and even how she and her husband packed their wagons. And from many of the journals we find out how absolutely difficult it was to cross the mountains. How in snow and rain they had to ratchet the wagons up by hoists and chains to get over huge boulders, and then lower them down the steep declines with breaks on the rear wheels. There are also the sad records left by the Donner party participants, and those that witnessed the drownings and accidents along the way.
   
   To his merit, Mr. Holmes has left these records pretty much alone. He has not changed the writers creative spelling nor punctuation, except to provide [spaces] where the sentences are run on and the meaning consequently obscured.
   
   In addition to the original writings, Mr. Holmes provides background information for each diarist, and footnotes throughout. While I found the footnotes interesting and informative, the introductory material dealt almost exclusively with with genealogy (rather than historical backdrop) and so was not of much assistance to me in trying to understand the emigrant's experience.
   
   Here are the Chapter headings:
   
   Editor's Introduction
   Across the Plains in 1845, by Betsy Bayley
   A Letter from the Luckiamute Valley, by Anna Maria King
   A Brimfield Heroine, by Tabitha Brown
   The Donner Party letters [note: by Tamsen Donner and Virginia Reed]
   Two letters of Phoebe Stanton
   Letters from a Quaker Woman: Rachel Fisher
   The Diary of Elizabeth Dixon Smith
   A Pioneer Mormon Diary: Patty Sessions
   The Commentaries of Keturah Belknap
   The Diary of a Pioneer Girl, by Sallie Hester
   A Letter from California, by Louisiana Strentzel
   Running a Boarding House in the Mines
   
   Four Stars [B-]. The diaries and letters published here are valuable historical records that thankfully have not been tampered with: the reader gets the full flavor of the writers. There is one map showing the routes, but almost no pictures of the women involved. And annoyingly there is NO Bibliography in this volume, with sole exception of the one provided for the one Mormon entry. Sources are listed throughout.
   
   If you are a newbie (like myself) interested in this timeframe and in written records of women, I would suggest you read up on the period first, or concurrently, before beginning this series. Personally, I would not have gotten as much enjoyment out of this book if I had not read Lillian Schlissel's book first.
   
   Lillian Schlissel's book "Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey": Women's Diaries of the Westward Journey



2. The study of women's history has blossomed during the past several decades, and the result has been the production of several outstanding works on the subject. "Covered Wagon Women" is an important contribution to this growing field of investigation. It is a useful work that makes available to historian and buff alike several fascinating letters and diaries written by women involved in the westward movement of the 1840s. The editor, Kenneth L. Holmes and the publisher have undertaken an ambitious project, and, this work, and others in this series, represent a benchmark in this field's historiography.

   The material presented in this first volume has been arranged by the editor into twelve chapters with entries by fourteen women. These accounts are representative rather than exhaustive. However, there are important documents discussing the experiences of several intelligent and articulate women on the Oregon, California, Santa Fe, and Mormon trails. The editor chose his documents well. They are all primary resources, written at the time of the incidents described or immediately thereafter. More important, Holmes did not reprint commonly used diaries. I was pleasantly surprised that Susan Magoffin's diary of her trip to Santa Fe in 1846 was not included in the collection. It is an outstanding diary but readily available elsewhere. Instead, Holmes scoured the nation's archives and libraries, and solicited copies of documents from individuals, to assemble what should be considered an exemplary collection of manuscripts.

   Holmes's editorial work is also outstanding. He allows the individual writers to tell their own story without correcting grammar, punctuation, and syntax. He adds, moreover, useful annotations providing additional background information about key personalities and events without overediting, certainly no easy task judging from the number of edited works that suffer from this defect.

   The editor gives considerable attention to Mormon women during the westward trek to Utah. Holmes includes as a major piece within the collection a diary of Patty Bartlett Sessions, dated June 21, 1847, through September 26, 1847. The original, located in the Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, has been well used by scholars investigating the Mormon trek to Utah, the role of women in the Church and in western history, and the development of medical treatment, but its publication for a wider audience is most welcome.

   While "Covered Wagon Women" is a fine book of lasting historical value, it could have been made better with additional work. For instance, the editor chose to omit both a bibliography and an index, opting for the issuance of a cumulative bibliography and index in the tenth volume of the series. This decision will, of course, make the volume less usable by researchers in the interim. Additionally, Holmes is inconsistent in his editorial work. He is at his best in his treatment of the diary of Patty Sessions. First, it has an excellent introduction that draws heavily upon the research of such leaders in the study of Mormon women on the frontier as Leonard J. Arrington and Maureen Ursenbach Beecher. Second, it includes a useful dramatis personae, briefly describing characters mentioned in the diary. Finally, Holmes attaches a solid bibliography pointing the direction for further study. In contrast, Holmes's editing of other diaries and letters possesses nothing approaching the depth of scholarship he demonstrates in his work on Sessions. Most other entries contain only a cursory introduction, and none has either a description of characters or bibliography. It would have been commendable had Holmes been able to bring to the other accounts in this volume the fine editorial work he displays in his work on the Sessions diary.

   In spite of these shortcomings, Kenneth Holmes has compiled a well-balanced, enjoyable book that should be of interest to all readers concerned with the study of women, the frontier movement, the overland trail, and Mormonism. This type of documentary history, although until recent years considered somewhat esoteric, should be encouraged, for it can open entirely new avenues of investigation when handled by skilled historians.




3. Authentic, bold and openhearted accounts from 1840's emigrant women. Historians and the general reader should be so fortunate that these noble women took the time out of their busy, hectic days to write letters and diaries of their westward travels. Secondly, we should also be grateful that these narratives have survived for us future readers to somewhat comprehend their stamina, perserverence and gutsy character.
   Heartfelt accounts of river fordings, lack of food and/or water for livestock and people, Indian misconducts, wagon breakdowns, disease and death of loved ones, vivid landscape and countryside descriptions and the numerous day to day occurences for survival. To mention a few of the dozen writings:
   Betsey Bayley and Anna Marie King's accounts of the perilous 1845 Stephen Meek Cutoff.
   Tabitha Brown's 1846 account of emigration along the Applegate Cutoff.
   Letters from Tamsen Donner and thirteen year old Virginia Reed's trip with the horrific Donner Party of 1846.
   Patty Sessions who drove her own wagon to Salt Lake in 1847 and delivered several babies along the way (midwifed nearly 4,000 deliveries in her lifetime).
   Rachel Fisher's travels in 1847 who lost her husband and a child during the emigration.
   Elizabeth Dixon Smith's party of 1847 that lost several emigrants during their journey.
   Editing by Dr. Holmes is second to none.



4. I have read all 11 books in this series over and over, and I would recomend them all. It is like looking over the shoulder of the rugged pioneer women as they took time, almost every day, to document what would probably be the most important event in their lives. Tired,wet, and sometimes hungry, they brought stability to the west. I have also traveled and seen many sights that still remain as evidence of the Oregon Trail. We can't travel back in time, but this is the next best thing!



5. I got this book yesterday in the mail and it is already read. This book takes letters, diaries and other correspondence of women who shaped the frontier and gives the reader an insight into the hardships that their families faced making the long western crossing to the hope of a better future in Oregon and California.
   The author has tapped many sources in libraries all across the west to get this information together. He makes a point in the introduction that this is information compiled nowhere else. He deals with lesser known narratives except he does include a journal from Virginia Reed a child travelling with the Donner Party and Tabitha Brown one of the top 10 figures in shaping Oregon history.
   Very informative and educational! Can't wait to start the next book in the series.

5 comments about The Heart of a Woman (Oprah's Book Club).

1. Maya has such an impeccable method of penning and conveying her prose!! This was a wonderful installment in her biographical sequence(s). I recommend this book to ALL (those mature and aged enough to handle the sometimes-explicit subject matter) because it brings so many pieces of American history together in such a uniquely stated manner!



2. i was so excited to get this book. it arrived fast and was in good condition. thank you



3. Another slice of Maya Angleou's memoir, The Heart of a Woman, brings you through her hardships of raising her son Guy in California and continues during her move to New York City, her stint in the Harlem Writers guild, her intimate involvement in the Civil Rights movement, her marriage to South African Freedom Fighter, Vusumzi Make and subsequent move to Egypt, Ghana and ultimate divorce. A book that will speak to men and women on all levels, The Heart of a Woman is truly a phenomenal read.



4. I have just finished The Heart of a Woman and I could not put it down once I started it. Angelou lays bare for all of her readers her heart, her life and her truth. What an amazing life she has lived. I read some reviews that criticized her for her honesty in regards to whites during the 60s. It was the 60s, racial barriers where still up strong and bared anyone of color from living the lives they so richly deserved, why should she be criticized for this? Would it be better that she lied and said how wonderful life was for blacks in this country during that time? It wasn't and that is the point that she is making in this book. That is the point that she is making as an African American woman, called to the forefront in the battle of discrimination.
   I had to look on the cover to see when she wrote this book, it was 1981, how sad that in 26yrs we still see white America carrying the flag of superiority! I am truly glad that Angelou is still walking this earth to see that though the gains for civil rights are slow coming they are coming,regardless of what her criticizers are saying. Because if they are criticizing her for telling it like it was, then there is still a long path to journey to get us beyond the need for civil rights.
   If you want to know what the 60's Civil Rights movement & Aparthied in South Africa was about this book will give you an accurate picture of one womans involvement. Two thumbs up for Angelou!



5. The heart of a woman was not an easy read for me, i just couldn't get into it, it did not grab my attention.

5 comments about I'm Not the New Me.

1. I thought this book would be good--but I was very frustrated by this book. I tried on two different occasions to get into this memoir but I gave up each time. I know I won't try again that's for sure.



2. After viewing all the reader feedback, I was eargerly anticipating the arrival of this book. I'm sorry to say I purchased this one. For those of you who can tolerate frequent (not rare or even occasional) profanity in the form of "f" this etc...this book is one you can get through. This read more like a version of "Bridget Jones Diary" with occasional references to the weight loss journey. The author uses comedy to poke fun at her experiences and, I believe we can all find things to heartily laugh at in this book. But for me, comedy doesn't come in the form of crudeness, or belittling others so the one or two laughs didn't overshadow the more frequent cringes. I don't doubt some will enjoy this book. But for others, please know that if you're looking for a clean read, full of insights and exploration of a weight loss journey, this may not be one for you.



3. I thought this book was kind of cute. It has no tips on losing weight. It is just one woman's story about dealing with life in realtion to diet issues. It was not an inspiration to me but for the price. I thought it was a decent break from dealing with my own life.



4. Wendy's book is way more honest about the ups and downs of weight loss than all the "nothing tastes as good as thin feels" b.s. I've read elsewhere. I laughed all the way through this. If you're looking for a weight-loss cheerleader this isn't the book for you, but if you want to hear what the experience is like from the perspective of a sharp, witty writer, then read this book. Wendy dismantles the fantasy that weight loss suddenly transforms all of life's other worries; at the same time, she shows how her willingness to blog about her own experiences connects her to a huge community of other women. Great reading.



5. Just the Weight Watchers cards in the middle of this book almost make it worth the purchase price! They are SO FUNNY...
   
   But the rest of the book....ehh...just ok.

5 comments about How to Hepburn: Lessons on Living from Kate the Great.

1. I looked forward to reading this book, largely because I am such a Hepburn fan. However, I was deeply disappointed. Ms. Karbo is a wonderful, breezy writer. However, the lessons in this book aren't much more than her personal opinions backed up by Hepburn anecdotes. While it's clear Ms. Karbo admires Kate Hepburn, I was not inspired nor enlightened by the material. If you are interested in learning about the actress, I suggest one of the other biographies. If you are interested in life lessons, I suggest a different book.



2. I'm a woman who loves movies, loves Katharine Hepburn, and loves self-help wisdom. So when I picked up How to Hepburn, all 3 of these antennae were waving. I was taken by the Dick Cavett epigram on the very first page hinting at "some secret" of Hepburn's that made her so successful and content, and found myself in that greedy, plundering mode of reading where you look for something that can benefit YOU. I kept finding absolute gems. The first chapter, for example, is called The Importance of Being Brash, and right away you get what Karbo's doing: entertaining us with inside stories about and insights into Hepburn but also genuinely extracting important ideas for all of us. Hepburn started wearing pants and outraging people in grade school when girls and women in pants were unheard-of, and never stopped; she was the first girl to wear pants to class at Bryn Mawr, and in fact "they became her trademark... her baggies were so raggedy she held them up with safety pins, a style that, when combined with Hepburn's devotion to the pursuit of fun (smoking; skinny-dipping in the library fountain; breaking and entering), could best be described as Hobo Flapper." This really makes me want to cut loose. Maybe I will get some black jeans and wear kohl on my eyes like that boy I saw the other day in the museum.
   
   One of my favorite chapters is Fear Management, the Hepburn Way, mainly because it reveals that Hepburn's seeming fearlessness masked horrible stage fright. This is great news. Katherine Hepburn had stage fright? And went and did all that theater acting anyway? What Karbo says is "The flinty truth is that mostly things get worse, including our fears. Solace is found in acclimation: we may not overcome our terror, but we get used to the sensation of being terrified." This is a wonderful nugget that is not unfamiliar to those of us familiar with cognitive-behavioral therapy.
   
   Like Hepburn herself, this book defies categorization. It is bracing and thoughtful and a lot of fun. It's... well, it's inspiring. It would make a great birthday present for a woman of any age.



3. Anyone knowing anything about Katherine Hepburn knows, despite film roles and a public persona, that she was in a groveling and servile relationship with Spencer Tracy, the love of her life. No feminist would want to copy her.



4. As I was looking at the biographies section of my local independent bookstore, I noticed this compact book snuggled between much larger books about two screen icons who share the same last name, Audrey and Katharine Hepburn. Given the provocative title, I wanted to venture a guess as to which Hepburn the author was talking about since both women have inspired various levels of imitation and adoration even after their respective deaths. As I suspected, the book turns out to be about Kate on the not-so-coincidental occasion of her centenary. However, author Karen Karbo is not really examining the legendary actress's life in detail but rather taking a more cursory look at the cues in her life and memorable quotes that helped shape her enduring persona. Hepburn obviously lived life on her own terms, and Karbo sets out to define what the guiding principles were behind the actress's 93-year-old life.
   
   Toward that end, the author does a reasonably entertaining job of presenting the Hepburn philosophy, steeped as it is in self-mythologizing, but there is nothing revelatory here that would surprise fans. It's common knowledge that the woman was a difficult personality with a wealth of idiosyncrasies. At the same time, she continues to be a beloved icon for her unmovable sense of self and her non-conformist mindset just as much for her enduring career. Karbo's treatment reads a bit like a manifesto, which I'm sure is intentional, but without the cumulative context of Hepburn's life events, there is a lack of resonance to the life lessons presented. Several comprehensive biographies on the market offer theories on her life, though none more accurately encapsulates her philosophy than the subject herself in Me : Stories of My Life. Even better is the two-part 1973 interview Dick Cavett conducted with a 66-year-old Hepburn (mentioned briefly in the book and available on the first disc of The Dick Cavett Show - Hollywood Greats). With her crackling persona in full bloom, the legend threatens to make Cavett into a whipping boy with her unapologetic honesty and lacerating wit. That will give you a more vivid impression of Hepburn's outlook on life than this book really can.



5. I must admit I'm still a few pages away from finishing the book, but I had to write to say that I'm loving every page of it. It seems to read part biography, part love letter from a devoted fan, and part amazing graduate thesis in the way each part of Kate's life is analyzed and seen from a feminist's point of view. I so thoroughly enjoyed Karbo's personal comments, and at times comedic footnotes, that I think the author should take the book on the road and do a one woman homage stand up performance of it. If she did, I would be the first in line to offer any help on it in any way. The only reason I couldn't give 5 stars is the lack of any photos that is a must have for Hepburn fans like me, and the fact that it was too short, as I trust I will be sad to come to the ending. Thank you Karen Karbo for a fascinating new look at our never-to-be forgotten Katherine, as well as ourselves.

5 comments about Not the Girl Next Door: Joan Crawford, a Personal Biography.

1. I had read a book about Ingrid Bergman by Charlotte Chandler and thought that the book about Joan Crawford would be the same. It was not, it was much worse.
   
   From the title I thought that Charlotte Chandler would a least touch on the abuse that Christina Crawford detailed in Mommy Dearest. Instead the readers are given quotes from Myra Loy who said that she did not want children because of Christina and Christopher Crawford, as well as quotes by one of the twins Joan adopted in 1947 saying that there was no abuse in the Crawford household.
   
   One other thing that the author did not do was research. When writing about Joan Crawford's birth she listed 1908 as the year of her birth when there is evidence that she was born in 1905 and Christina Crawford says Anna (Joan's mother) told her that she was born in 1904.
   
   If you want to know more about Joan Crawford, do not waste your time or money on this book.



2. This really doesn't come across as a biography, it lacks the intensive research that one would generally associate with such an undertaking. Rather, it's Joan talking to Chandler about her life, and where there are no direct quotes available from Crawford, we can get them from her first husband, Douglas Fairbanks. Joan Crawford has many legends associated with her, and they are pretty much breezed over in this book.
   
   One thing I loved was the photo of the author on the blurb. I haven't seen a hairdo like that since the days of Marie Antoinette!



3. I always find myself disappointed in biographies of Movie Stars, and this was the same. Joan Crawford is a remarkable woman, who made herself into the person she wanted and thought she should be. Entirely told by the author in Joan's words, supposedly. Obviously alot of whitewash, which is in line with Joan Crawfords image of herself, but I could have done without the synopsis of all her movies that were included, it seemed like filler, and overall, I was disappointed.



4. WONDERFUL READ - DON'T QUITE FOLLOW THE TIMELINE OF HER LIFE AND CHILDREN, BUT QUITE SATISFIED.



5. This perfunctory but hardly spectacular new Crawford bio doesn't have much to offer that is new, and relies far too heavily on "as spoken to" interviews with its conveniently dead subjects to make a literary dent. One gets the unsavory impression that the author just dreamed up the words & sentiments, then put them in the dead people's mouths.
   
   Atleast the bulk of it is harmless-- though after while, you may find yourself wishing it wasn't! Confronting chapter after chapter of overly-sanitized, pro-Joan propaganda becomes rather boring without any conflicts, or revelations about a woman I thought, until now, was complex. The most interesting accounts are from Douglas Fairbanks Jr. reminiscing about his married life with young Joan, although even that is devoid of any bombshells.
   
   I also agree with other reviewers that some of the film synopsis are grossly inaccurate, as are some of the captions. For example, there' a picture from "Dancing Lady" of Joan with Clark Gable with the caption, "Dancing Lady was made before Clark Gable had his mustache."--and he CLEARLY has a mustache in the pic!
   
   Despite these & other inaccuracies, "Not the Girl Next Door" is still a pleasant enough, if lightweight read,especially for Crawford novices-- with a fair to good photo section. But far superior are Bob Thomas's "Joan Crawford: A Biography" and Alexander Walker's "Joan Crawford: The Ultimate Star".