5 comments about The Last Time I Wore A Dress.

1. Daphne Scholinski wore the label of "inappropriate female" for much of her life. As a tomboy youth, she was often mistaken for male. On one grocery trip, a clerk caught the "boy" for using the women's restroom. When the clerk confronted Daphne's father, instead of correcting the clerk, her weary father slapped her hand: "Bad boy. I told you to stop doing that."
   
   In 1981, at odds with her raging father and abandoned by her free-thinking mother, 15-year-old Daphne was committed to a psychiatric hospital, at which a treatment plan was designed to help her identify as a "sexual female." Over one million dollars (you read that right) of insurance money was spent on three years of make-up lessons, encouragement of flirtation with males, and points for hugging male staff members. Daphne was indirectly blamed for all her family's troubles and told that her depression and confusion were symptoms of her improper gender identification. Desperate for a mothering relationship, she latched onto nurses, begging to be adopted by the most compassionate one, and attempting suicide when her efforts were rebuffed.
   
   In a series of institutions, Daphne busied herself working the system to earn more privileges. To entertain themselves, she and other patients competed to shock the staff and get unusual diagnoses added to their charts. Their every movement was already analyzed and reduced into psychobabble, so why not? Daphne often embellished alcohol and drug abuse to make her case more interesting, but she realized she was out her league when she was transferred to rehab. All the while, a host of therapists and staff failed to identify sexual assault in Daphne's life, both before and *after* entering treatment. At age 18, when Daphne's father's insurance money ran out, she was discharged as no more "appropriate" a female than when she entered, but without a traditional high school experience or preparation for the world, and a few more years of victimhood under her belt.
   
   Daphne Scholinski survived institutionalization with her intelligence, sense of humor, and sassy rebellious spirit. Every time she was transferred, she felt hope few her new situation. She writes that she knows she was lucky to be middle-class and be offered treatment, instead of being kicked onto the streets. As an adult, Daphne channeled her traumatic past into an artistic career, and now lives as Dylan Scholinski in the San Francisco area (Dylan's identification as male occurred after the 1997 publication of this memoir). I only discovered Scholinski's gender identity when I started composing my review, and in many ways, Daphne's "actual" gender identity is irrelevant to this story of the failure of the mental health system to help a depressed youth and her family.



2. I enjoyed this book. I only give it three stars because it did get a bit redundant towards the end, thus boring me a bit, but it's an excellent read for anyone who has suffered through the trials of being trapped in mental health "treatment."
   
   I also felt that somewhere along the course of the book, the author lost her passion for telling the story. The descriptions became vague, there wasn't as much life breathed into the storytelling.
   
   HOWEVER, Daphne has all of my respect. She seems to have come out of this ordeal intact. She is accepting of who she is and doesn't seem to hold hatred or ill will for those who have harmed her. I never felt heat from her words-- she simply told it how it was. I salute her.



3. it disturbs me when people read memoirs, especially those geared at or focused in psychology, and take it upon themselves to diagnose the writer. that is not dylan's(daphne's) intent (dylan is fTm and is currently living in washington dc). this is a memoir, most importantly...a first-hand creatively written perspective and critique.
   
   having met and visited with dylan at his studio in washington dc, i know that the reality of a tormented past is ever-present. his art reflects this. not only does dylan wrestle with demons of his past, he still must fight against the close-minded bigotry that some people have portrayed in these reviews. my understanding of psychology has always been that of a people-science...a science committed to helping people live good lives. it is not a science of manipulation and judgments, such as the reality that dylan had to face.
   
   my only hope is that you read this book and realize that it is neither fact nor fiction, but one person's perspective on his reality. we cannot fault him for that...only applaud him for sharing his voice.



4. Scholinski attempts to attack the mental health field in her memoir "The Last Time I Wore a Dress." She asserts that she was held through her teenage years because she was not feminine enough in the eyes of idiot doctors. However, I found little evidence of her tomboy nature contributing to her hospitalization. Scholinski never considers the consequences of her actions, she is dishonest, histrionic, and self-absorbed. It is a lack of maturity, not femininity that causes Scholinski's downfall. Amazingly, Scholinski never sees her actions as having anything to do with the state of her existence. This short, simple, and repetitive novel is a memoir of denial.



5. Having come from an abusive home, I can relate to what Daphne/Dylan must have felt and how he behaved while trying to cope with his Gender-Identity and the far-from-sympathetic world around him in the 1980's. I came out as gay in 1970 and then as Transgendered in 1993, after having wrestled with "my self-knowledge - vs - what other people tried to make me act like" for MANY years prior -- it was a rocky hellish road at times, but (despite the abuse!) my parents accepted me (grudgingly at times) for who/what I was. I have nothing but kind words for those Tansgendered friends of mine, who like Dylan, persevered through their own private torment, and who accepted me for who I was and for how I identified myself.
   
   I applaud Dylan for having the inner strength to keep going - keep going, no matter the present torment, no matter how horrible the present situation is - keep going forward with your own goal in mind, no matter how clear-cut or nebulous it is. This book has and will inspire others out there who "think they are the only ones" going through this.
   
   We may have come far but in too many parts of this country, children and young adults -- who are trying to reconcile their birth gender with their personal gender identity -- are still being put thru a living nightmare; parents abusing, insulting dismissing them from their households, with no nurturance, no desire to understand their own offspring; even their classmates, teachers, strangers, even friends turning against them. It takes HUGE inner strength to rise above all that and to keep going, keep going forward.
   
   This book will shock, inspire and galvanize. I hope it also EDUCATES those who harbor any prejudices against transgendered individuals, ESPECIALLY those who treat patients with Gender Identity "Disorder".. Since the beginning of time,the spectrum of Masculine and Feminine has run through ALL genders in varying degrees, and not necessarily always corresponding to the individual's birth gender.
   
   In today's civilized and educated society, it is abut time that young people like Dylan are raised with compassion and understanding instead of with psychodramatic brutality. It is my hope that this book also reaches out to those in Child Protective Services as well as those professionals in the fields of Therapy.

5 comments about Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda.

1. I spent four years in Rwanda, at Mudende, less than 1/2 a mile down the road from where Roz Carr lived. My wife and I got to know her quite well. This book brought back a lot of memories. She was as good a hostess as she is a story teller. Her love of the country and its people truly come through in this book. She also paints a vivid picture of life there. I would recommend it to anyone who loves to read about winners and survivors.



2. A fascinating read and historical insight into Rwanda and it's neighbours. Ros Carr's fortitude and life described in the book was truly inspiring. To start up an orphanage in one's 80's is amazing. If visiting Rwanda a visit to her loved home and orphanage 'Mugongo' makes this book come alive. Great to see her good work continuing since her passing.



3. I chose this book to learn more about Rwanda and it's history. I learned alot in addition to the account of the author's life there. Even though we hear negatives about many places- it was nice to see both sides for a change. I think the more we learn about other countries and their history a better understanding we will have of the people.
   
   I plan to do more reading in this area.



4. Land of A Thousand Hills is an autobiography by Rosamond Halsey Carr. She lived in Rwanda from 1949 until her death in 2006. Originally the owner of a flower plantation, she went on at 82 to open an orphanage for children left parentless during the Hutu-Tutsi genocide.
   
   I had higher hopes for this book. Which isn't to say that Land of a Thousand Hills is a bad book. It isn't. It is certainly interesting biographically. Carr was a fascinating woman. The sheer strength of her decision to stay in Africa after the collapse of her marriage in order to run a flower plantation on her own is really impressive-- more so considering the time. At 82, I hope that I'm the kind of woman who will return to a war zone to start an orphanage. It was also fascinating to read her stories about Dian Fossey. Carr certainly knew some very interesting people.
   
   I suppose that I was mostly disappointed because I expected it to say more about Rwanda as a country. Given her obvious personal strength, I expected her to be a more unbiased observer. She clearly was not that, and to her credit I guess that she never pretended to be. I didn't feel as though I learned much about the politics of the time that she lived through. Worse, I didn't really feel that I trusted much of what I did learn.
   
   One exception to this is that so few people are willing to write about the Tutsi at all critically, following the genocide. Carr actually builds a hesitant case for the defense without excusing Huti excesses, something that probably took a fair amount of personal courage. That was interesting.
   
   The book is not terribly well written, although the prose is generally clean. They may have done better to have it co-written by someone with better credentials than being a relative of the primary author.
   
   If you have some time to spare, and are interested in the fading days of European empire in Africa, you may well find this a good use of time. But walk, don't run, to the book store.



5. I always read everything I can get my hands on about Africa, having had the luxury of visiting Kenya & Tanzania a few years ago. Once you visit, you'll always want to return, even if it is only through the eyes of others. This book is at the top of my list, along with Mark Ross' "Dangerous Beauty." I commend Ann Howard Halsey for helping her aunt write this story about life in Rwanda. What a treasure! With all the material things Ms. Carr lost during the tragic events of the genocide (and all the people she loved who were killed by senseless murders), happily, Rosamond Halsey Carr's heroic story will last forever! This book reads "like butter!"--beautifully written, yet deep and provocative; never boring. I only wish I could have known Ms. Carr and seen the beauty of her adopted country that she saw for over 50 years!! (I would have a thousand questions to ask her, too.) What a horrific, under publicized period of history she lived through (and miraculously lived to tell the story). Most of the book is of the 40-50 years she spent in Rwanda which lead up to the events of the genocide--there are plenty of happy times, but it wasn't an easy life. I enjoyed Carr's stories about her friend Dian Fosse, too--she didn't romanticize the truth! The authors do a great job explaining the politics and culture of the country as well. Bravo! This book is worth the read!

5 comments about Pandering.

1. Heidi Fleiss was not so unusual as a celebrity. If anything she represented a lot of sleazy yet common things in the world, but her defiance is what made a name for herself.
   
   Heidi was a privilaged Hollywood kid, one of several children by her wealthy doctor father in southern California. Her antics as a teenager were bad, to say the least. She had many brushes with the law over typical teenage mischeif (drunk driving, for example), until she dropped out of high school all together. She seemed to crave a more precarious lifestyle based around gambling at the local track. From there, she went into the scene of fast kids / adults in Hollywood, eventually finding her way into a circle of wealth and big time operators. She had a few relationships here and there with older men who introduced her to a more heady lifestyle, until she meets another Hollywood Madame who teaches her the tricks of the trade (no pun intended). Soon, Heidi found herself at the top of her game, as the most sought after Hollywood Madame in history.
   
   Now, I am a Midwesterner. We are typically stiff and stoggy types, and I am not a prude, but this is just plain bad. People who sell drugs or a sex service like Heidi did are looking to make a fast buck, live large, and get swelled egos about them. They use people and spit them out. What got Heidi into the most trouble was her big, fat mouth. She had attitude (and continues) to have attitude. She was like "How dare you come in here!", "All of you police are corrupt!". I wanted to smack her in the face and say "HeLLLOOO! What you are doing is ILLEGAL, lady! Yes, you have a wonderful life, but you got your wonderful life illegally! And the police have attitude?! Just because you're a celebrity you should be treated better than others?!?! WTF??!!!
   
   Heidi goes on to tell of how her arrest, conviction and prison experiences have affected her family, friends, and of course, herself. Is she a better person now? I have chatted with those (white collar and otherwise) who have been to prison and are not career criminals. They tell me that jail is certainly a detourant. You have to have eyes in the back of your head at all times. One perhaps said it best "If you don't believe me, go there yourself." And Heidi lives on the strait and narrow now, because she was scared strait and narrow. Do I think she fought some kind of system and won? Do I think she was made an example of something? No, I don't. There are plenty of big and small time operators out there who are doing what she does, but they do it better because they will never be caught. I look at stories like this and turn my nose up at them "Another one of these Hollywood brats in the news! Enough already!". Heidi was a part of celebrity culture and she gave the people what they wanted. Good for her, I guess. Makes you pride on your own upstanding values. So what if I'm a stuffy MidWesterner.



2. This is not so much a book as a scrap book. It is just a collection of news clippings and photographs that are arranged in chronological order without any detailed notes to accompany them. I am not sure if the editor was on crack when he/she/it approved it or if he/she/it just got their brains microwaved.



3. Anyone who does not find this book to be more than just a book, must have a problem with sex or Heidi Fleiss. Do not cast a stone, we all came from a womb. Sex is natural and normal. Heidi really paid a high price and she wasn't having sex. This book is not sugar coated. A girl who got on a path, conquered, and rode it out alone. I love you Heidi.



4. This book has been over looked and not appreciated for the format, layout & design. I'm an avid reader and had not heard much about PANDERING. Heidi Fleiss, like her or hate her, does not have to do with this book. This book is like an old song that reminds you of the past, a television show that evokes thoughts of time period. I'm surprised there has not been more attention & demand for this book.



5. One of the most conterversial women of the century. Easy to love and easy to hate. One thing for sure is the madam gets people worked up. Besides the fact that I pick up on different things everytime I look through this book. All the articles and goverment documents and a wild dimension.

5 comments about Dirty Blonde: The Diaries of Courtney Love.

1. I've always been a Courtney Love/ Kurt Cobain fan and looked forward to this book. I was VERY disappointed with it. It's supposed to be made like a "scrapbook" and there are handwritten notes, etc. throughout the book which would be nice if Courtney's handwriting were legible. It's terribly messy and the book is put together badly too. Everything is scattered, nothing is in order, pictures and notes are upside down, sideways, etc. having to turn the book every which way just to see things. Nothing makes sense in this book and she even says she didn't see the reason for doing the book at all. A BIG disappointment! :-(



2. This book is absolutely amazing. Very good design, editing....You don't get tired of reading it , watching it, stare at it. Very entertaining. The book is pretty big, I though it was smaller. Love the pictures, notes, poems, songs, letters, documents...
   
   Amazing. ***** 5 stars



3. The book is absolutely great and I received it with no problem.
   Courtney Love is a rock goddess and with this book you can follow her life from a young age to the Hole era.
   You can really get inside Courtney's head and looks at life through her eyes. The poems and songs are beautiful.



4. Is there any celebrity who provokes such polarizing reactions as Courtney Love? I, for one, am a fan, of both her work (as a musician and an actress) and of her persona. She's an enigma ... constantly defying expectations, contradicting herself, self-destructing and then rising from the ashes.
   
   As for this book ... as the Amazon review says, it's not really a diary as much as it is a scrapbook. And although the (excellent) graphic design of the book makes it look as if its content were pieced together with tape and scissors and glue, it's really a meticulously gathered collection of carefully chosen mementos that chronicle Courtney's life.
   
   After reading the book, my opinion of Courtney really hasn't changed so much. I've always thought of her as a sensitive, wounded, intelligent, ambitious, needy and occasionally vicious woman, and all that is evident here. As is her inability to decide whether or not she wants to be a frightening outcast or a high-society fashionista.
   
   If you're a fan, this book is probably worth buying. But instead of offering many answers, it only really contributes to Courtney's mystique.



5. Its good, but not as good as I thought it would be...
   It is exacally her journal pages, pictures & scribbles. And you can't read some of it because she has messy hand writing, but what you can is pretty interesting - she is very intelligent.
   2 things I didnt like:
   1; is they added some things to make it look more like a journal. ie- taped pages in, burn holes, cigarette butts. At first its nothing but i really got annoyed when they put cigarette butts on the page because they wouldn't have stayed in her book this entire time. And if they some how did, they wouldnt be all 3D and "perfect" as they were.
   2; its interesting, but not as interesting as i thought. its more of her feelings & thoughts than what she did or who she was with or saw. She never mentions Billy for the pumpkins, but she posted a news paper clipping...
   Lots of song lyrics, thoughts, feelings but nothing thats made my jaw drop yet...
   I would recommend you buy this second hand from eBay or a book store..

5 comments about Listen Up: Voices from the Next Feminist Generation, New Expanded Edition.

1. This book provides a very broad view of the struggles women face in every aspect of life. A new perspective is gained when reading the first hand experiences of those who have really struggled, as a result of merely being themselves. This book provides a lot of insight and is a must read for anyone who sympathizes with feminist struggles, or who just cannot yet grasp why there is a need for feminism.



2. Not sure how to rate this, as all the old essays are here and just as good as I remember them. However, I felt, for the most part, that the quality of the new pieces did not measure up to the old. It wasn't necessarily the abundance of four-letter words, but what it was (or wasn't) exactly, I couldn't quite put my finger on. I suppose you could say they felt more tossed off. If it's true, as a reviewer said, that the new authors are angrier, that's intriguing. Has nothing been accomplished in a decade, or are women just less shy about demanding change? I wish I knew.

   I did like the new essay from the woman who attended Smith as a Francis Perkins Scholar (I also went to school in that area) and was forced to also jump through the demeaning hoops of the state welfare system. Also interesting was "Class Feminist" - I'm not too (sadly) surprised that a teen would be ostracized for assuming that label, but that a teacher would by her colleagues....

   And I didn't think there was that much male bashing - but then, I am female.




3. Profound, eloquent articulate, wrenching. After the first reading, nearly every page has markings, passages I relate to, echoes of my life or thoughts, or points I find myself surprised or ashamed to have missed, overlooked or ignored. There are notes in the margins of every essay, authors or other figures I don't want to forget, awakenings that came at the end of a paragraph sentence, or even mid-sentence.
   
   In the essay by Curtis Sittenfeld, titled "Your Life as a Girl," I saw myself in literally every paragraph, from the early triumph of running the timed mile and beating not only all the other girls, but all but one or two of the boys, to the first time I gave up trying (be it a math problem or the precise spin of a football throw), admitting myself the weaker, slower or less intelligent. The year I spent perpetually chilled, wearing clinging fabrics to show the body I'd "worked" so hard for, while at home I piled on the layers and spent hours in front of the space heater, and nights dreaming of lavish meals I would never eat. The year upon year upon year spent camouflaging the giddy pleasure at being deemed worthy of brief attention by the object of my (temporarily) undying affection, followed inevitably by the crushing voice that convinced me that my poochy belly was the reason for my unrequited devotion. Most nights are now spent dreaming not of romance (at least not the kind they build novels around) or wealth, but of crossing that finish line to sit with the boys and gloat, watching all the rest straggle in after me.

   To wit, an essential read for any woman searching for a voice she relates to, but always coming up short of that perfectly articulated match. These are voices you can trust to speak clearly, loudly, angrily, humorously and with integrity and honesty about the challenges we still face.




4. The book was in good shape and it was shiped very quikly. i enjoy it.
   thanks for a good seller.



5. Now in an expanded second edition, Listen Up: Voices From The Next Feminist Generation showcases an outstanding series of essays by leading "third-wave" feminists on an impressive range of topics such as blending careers with feminists politics; the inability of a singular feminism to speak for all women, the intersection of traditional culture and third-wave sensibilities; feminist activism; sexuality; identity, gender formation, and more. Ably edited by feminist and women's issues expert Barbara Bindlen (Managing Editor, Family Fun magazine), Listen Up is a core addition to any academic and community library Women's Studies collection, and very strongly recommended reading for women seeking to learn contemporary feminist perspectives on important and principle women's issues of the day.

5 comments about How to Be Like Women of Influence: Life Lessons from 20 of the Greatest.

1. all these women did amazing things, we should strive to be more like them. Used this book in a Mary Kay book club where we reviewed one chapter each week.



2. I enjoyed Pat Williams' HOW TO BE LIKE WALT DISNEY so much, that I jumped to this book HOW TO BE LIKE WOMEN OF INFLUENCE next. I really like his style of presenting the woman, the facts...and then following through with how to take that story and make it a lesson for us all to gain knowledge and insight...so compelling, it's as if it were our own experience. Bravo!!



3. I have gleaned much inspiration and insight from this priceless repository of equally priceless experiences and wisdom of all the women described in this book. After surviving a stroke and brain surgery in the midst of having and rearing my 3 still young children while maintaining pursuit of my career goals, this book further reinforces a truth that has fueled my perseverance during these tempestuous years of my youth: "Impossible is Nothing!" (Quote by the Great Muhammad Ali)
   Also recommended: Faith In The Valley - Iyanla Vanzant



4. I really enjoyed reading the book and not only were the stories very interesting but also very inspirational. I got a chance to meet the actual writer Michael Mink and I greatly enjoyed his view of the ladies he wrote about and some of the behind the story of writing the book. I encourage everone to read this book



5. The book spine is cheap and separates some from the pages (without the pages falling out) - the physical quality of the book isn't among the best in the bookstore, but what's inside was surprisingly great--much better than I could have expected from the outside. Even if you know the stories of these women already, it's still great reading!, which amazed me.

5 comments about James Tiptree, Jr.: The Double Life of Alice B. Sheldon.

1. Alice's life is tragic. Julie Phillips does an fantastic job of chronicling the life of this brilliant and tortured figure. From a childhood she didn't fit into, to disguising herself to fit into the science fiction world, Alice's life is presented as a woman trying to find herself in a man's world.



2. They totally need to make a movie of "Tiptree"'s life.
   
   I also bought this for a relative, who appreciated it too.



3. This book was difficult to put down. Alice Sheldon is a tragic hero. The writer is so engaged with her subject that she makes Alice Sheldon's world come alive. The places that Alice's life cross history are fascinating. There is a sad disconnect between Alice Sheldon and the world. Her life as James Tiptree, Jr allowed her a freedom that she couldn't have as a bright, agressive woman. She got an advanced degree in psychology, she worked for the OSS, she traveled extensively and she experienced first hand the degradation of the untamed parts of the natural world. I recommend it to anyone interested in smart women and their place in the 20th century.



4. This was not an easy read. It took me over a month to get through it and I had to take it in small doses. That being said there were many chapters that helped me understand where modern day sci-fi originated from and it was always a thrill to read an author's name that I know and love. I would recommend it to any fan of science fiction.



5. This story of the life and times of Alice Sheldon is uniquely odd and well-written. Although I haven't liked science fiction since I was an adolescent, this life of a science fiction writer was engrossing and thought-provoking. Written with insight and affection, and an objective eye, we see the gyrations of Alice as she explores her formidable talents and fights her difficult demons.
   
   The biography has several levels - Alice's search for a self-identity, her struggle to define a relationship with her parents, her search for companionship, her search for commercial success, and her search to express her hope and despair in her writings. I found the fantasy themes dragged, and the gender confusion wore thin at times, but the biographical incidents more than atoned for the length of this tome.
   
   A very good biography for readers seeking a peek at a troubled yet impressive life.

5 comments about But Enough About Me: How a Small-Town Girl Went from Shag Carpet to the Red Carpet.

1. Jancee Dunn isn't your typical starlet. She's from the unglamorous New Jersey, where she lives with a bizarre family who snack on sugar sandwiches, and worship J.C. Penney - the store, and the man behind the store. Like I said, she's no starlet, but Jancee Dunn has enough spunk in her pinky finger alone to entertain the reader, and make you envy her as she takes on the entertainment world, one celebrity at a time, via her stint at the legendary Rolling Stone magazine.
   
   If there was one thing Jancee Dunn was from a young age, it was being obsessed with music. Her bedroom was cluttered with cassette tapes depicting everything from Madonna to Bruce Springsteen; her boombox was constantly blaring - much to her parents chagrin; and her weekends were full of music concerts. Music aside, however, Jancee was a typical eighties teenager, complete with a perm that was held in place with countless cans of Aqua Net hairspray; and tanning with whole bottles of baby oil. The oldest of three children, Jancee was a musical influence on her younger sisters, and tried to instill a love of song in the both of them - in-between her impromptu bedroom garage sales, that is. As Jancee gets older, she stops her late-night Jersey partying, snags a job at Rolling Stone Magazine, and begins hobnobbing with the rich and famous. Making peanut butter fudge with Loretta Lynne; scurrying around Star Jones' glamorous New York apartment; shopping with Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen; and being offered drugs by Scott Weiland of the Stone Temple Pilots. Even with her celebrity partying, Jancee doesn't forget her family, and spends much time communicating with them via telephone - in the midst of other things, of course, such as working at MTV2 and Good Morning America. But as years pass, and Jancee gets older and older, she realizes that maybe being a Rock Chick isn't something that should last past a certain point, and contemplates settling down - or, at least, cutting back on her partying.
   
   I will be the first to admit that I am not a memoir/biography reader. In fact, I rarely read anything but fiction. That said, there was something about Jancee Dunn's BUT ENOUGH ABOUT ME that called out to me, and reeled me in; refusing to release me until the last page was read. Dunn is, perhaps, one of the most humorous writers I have ever encountered. Her memoirs kept me up long into the night, giggling at each memory of her crazy parents, her eighties wardrobe, and her celebrity mishaps. Each of Dunn's bizarre encounters with celebrities provide a shocking, oft-times humorous glimpse into the world of how the other half lives; while Dunn's take on all of her interviews, as well as the advice she doles out regarding dealing with celebrities couldn't be more enjoyable. Celebrities aside, Dunn's family life, and talk of her childhood is just as humorous as her adventures in the entertainment world. The scenarios involving her worrywart parents are always humorous; while the appearances by her sisters Dinah and Heather make the reader just as much a fan of them, as Dunn, herself. BUT ENOUGH ABOUT ME was certainly not enough for me - I want more Jancee!
   
   Erika Sorocco
   Freelance Reviewer



2. Dunn gives her readers two books in one. She warmly writes about her childhood in suburban New Jersey during the 1980s. Her friends and family could easily have been cast in any John Hughes film of that decade. She reminds us that the 1980s were all about having an endless supply of cassette tapes for the boom box, Bruce Springsteen concerts, tanning with baby oil, and using an entire can of Aqua Net to keep your perm firmly in place.
   
   She also provides sly instructions on the fine art of the celebrity interview such as:
   
   How to sneak a peak inside Madonna's bathroom and Dolly Parton's kitchen;
   How to appreciate the grooviness of Lenny Kravitz and Lisa Bonnet;
   How to politely decline a rock star's offer of heroin; and
   How interviewing Barry White can heal a girl's broken heart
   
   Dunn knows how to get the story and, in But Enough About Me, she proves that she can deliver it as well.



3. This book had me giggling the whole way through. I grew up in a small New Jersey town as well, and Jancee reminds me so much of myself. At one point I think she described herself as a nerd with a little bit of old lady thrown in, which resonated with me perfectly. Woven into the memoir are celebrity interviewing tips, which are hilarious. And who knows-- maybe they will come in handy someday!



4. I loved this book. It's a nice story and laugh out loud funny. I've sent it to 3 people and they all loved it too.



5. Confession: I'm only 2/3s of the way through the book and for all I know it could go off the rails...but I really doubt it. Her story's a hoot. I'm not from Jersey but I did finish up high school in CT a few years after her and I've met her kind. Had I moved from California to Jersey instead of Westport, CT I probably would have a had a far better time or at least better stories to tell, although I wouldn't have let big hair happen to me.
   
   I'll be lending this book to my other gal pals who came of age in the mid to late 80s, and who also enjoyed an extended adolescence.

5 comments about Like a Lampshade in a Whorehouse.

1. As one might expect, Ms. Diller writes with warmth and good humor as she relates her life story. It's a good read for anyone who is a Diller fan or enjoys reading about the entertainment business and the world of comedy.



2. I really enjoyed Phyllis' unsparing tale of her life to this point. Her honesty and openess in sharing her ups and downs interspersed with her unique humor provided a warm and witty read. I have always loved her stage presence, and though not of her generation, I have always felt she is timeless. It was a quick, entertaining and absorbing read I highly recommend.



3. The book is an honest and open account of Phyllis Dillers life, written by Phyllis. In todays world many people have to face the same kinds turmoil she did. Leaving out the unfortunate details and circumstance's she faced, and sugar coating everything, would not have made the book a
   true biography. Phyllis was certainly a victim of circumstances, but her
   drive and openness, is what made her one of the greatest commedians who ever lived, and made her loved by many, many people.



4. I really wanted to like this book - Phyllis Diller was a fascinating person. But about halfway through the book I realized it was largely a list of famous names. While she occasionally gives a bit of depth, that's generally to savage people, not to tell much about their character or her relationship with them. The exceptions are her husbands, two of whom she tears to shreds and the third whom she adores. Which is actually perhaps the weakest point of the book - everyone is either an angel or a devil, with very little in beween.
   
   It would have been better if it had been half as long, and eliminated the sniping. Or said another way, worth checking out from the library, but definitely not worth even the very modest price to buy your own copy.



5. I grew up knowing that Phyllis Diller was a comedian from the "old school" but this autobiography showed me that she is so much more than that. Reading this book showed me how influential she has been for the female comedians that followed. She was also one of the first prominent "working" mothers. Unfortunately, she was also dreadful in her selection of husbands. Should Phyllis have come to the forefront now, I doubt we would be as impressed by her accomplishments, but she "grew up" in a time when virtually everything she did was uncharted territory. She was a working mother, with a worthless husband, abused, yet her work ethic and need to provide for her family propelled her into many new and different arenas in a time when it had not been done by a woman before. And not only did she do it well, she did it with blind determination and spunk. I am completely impressed and appreciate that she's sharing herself so intimately with her readers. This book is written simply, concisely and with very good humor. I was inspired and uplifted by her trials, tribulations, successes and dedication to making her life work. I expect I'm not the only one to feel inspired. My thanks to Ms. Diller for her frankness, great humor and determination to make all situations work to their best advantage.

5 comments about No Woman No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley.

1. Not everyone who is a fan of the late great ledged knew that his strength came from his wife Ms. Rita Marley. After reading No Woman No Cry, I felt like reaching out to Rita and giving her a high-five, then a great big hug for her strength and courage.
   
   Not every wife of a musical legend would have stayed by their side to the end and still carried herself as a lady. I applaud Rita for bearing her soul in this book. She did herself, her husband and the ledged of his name a great good!



2. I really enjoyed this book as I read it at the time of the 30th anniversary of the marvelous album "Exodus." Rita Marley reveals a different side to the Bob Marley story, seperating myth from the man,fact from fiction and adding to the legend of his life with unknown tidbits. Her first person account deals with her life primarily as she was Bob Marley's wife. I was unaware of the hardships that they endured before "making it." Their early years were quite trying. Than later when they achieved a certain success it seems Mr. Marley needed the attention of many other women but Rita dutifully stood by her man. I enjoyed the book and her account, in Jamaican-style-English of Bob Marley's rise to International fame. If you like Bob Marley you need to read this book for a better understanding of the man and his music. Rita Marley is to be commended for her contribution to the Bob Marley legacy.



3. I read this book this past summer and loved it - it was the first book i read about bob & i am glad i chose her book first....Rita went thru alot, i definitely see bob differently - i sense she did sugar coat the book at times, the book makes me respect Rita more and bob less. His woman had plenty of reasons to cry.



4. No Woman No Cry: My Life with Bob Marley is an awesome testimony of a woman of strength and virtue. I am a huge Bob Marley fan and Rita Marley told her story with love, passion compassion and truth, concerning her relationship with Bob Marley. Through her story she makes you feel as if you want to comfort, applaude and cry with her all at the same time. She reveals the very core of her struggles with Bob, his fame, his affairs, the business, the family and his death, and her life after Bob. And she writes not as a bitter woman but a woman who knew her destiny and her role as the wife of Bob Marley. I LOVED IT!



5. THIS BOOK WAS EXCELLENT! THE STRUGGLES THAT THEY HAVE BEEN THROUGH TOGETHER LETS YOU KNOW JUST HOW STRONG THEIR LOVE REALLY WAS. BEING A JAMAICAN WOMAN MYSELF, I KNOW HOW OUR JAMAICAN MEN CAN BE. BUT RITA HAD ALOT OF HEART STAYING WITH HIM ALL THESE YEARS EVEN THOUGH HE BLATANTLY FLAUNTED HIS WOMEN IN HER FACE. THE ONLY GOOD THING WAS HE MADE THEM PLAY THEIR POSITION BECAUSE NO ONE COULD TAKE HER PLACE. THIS WAS THE BEST AUTOBIOGRAPHY I HAVE EVER READ!