5 comments about Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise.

1. I found Garlic and Sapphires: The Secret Life of a Critic in Disguise by former New York Times Restaurant Critic, Ruth Reichel as enjoyable as a warm plate of risotto paired with a glass of red wine!
   
   In Garlic and Sapphires, Reichel recounts the six years she spent contriving clever disguises to hide her identity as she gallivanted around New York City's restaurants and bistros writing reviews for the Times. Reichel's memoir focuses on three aspects of her life at that time: her personal life as a wife and mother, her restaurant patronizing as a critic, and her life as an employee of the venerable and mighty New York Times. Reichel's descriptions of her son are touching and heartwarming, her recounting of the extremes she went to in order to create and truly become her aliases are entertaining and amusing, and her telling of the behind-the-scenes goings-on at the Times are fascinating and fulfill the gossipy voyeur in all of us.
   
   Reichel is a talented writer and her truly joyous love of food, cooking, and eating are evident on each page of the book. The book is peppered with Ruth's favorite recipes and this adds a certain feel-good warmth to the tome.
   
   My only criticism of the book is that I had to be willing to suspend my good reason in order to believe that Ruth truly became the characters she created to the extent she described. According to Ruth, she was so immersed in these characters that she found herself unable to use her own judgment and mannerisms while inhabiting that character's persona. For example, is she was dressed as "Miriam" she was brash and rude and "Ruth" had no control over the rude things that came out of "Miriam's" mouth. This was slightly hard to believe - but maybe I just don't have the same amount of acting chops!
   
   The title Garlic and Sapphires is only briefly alluded to and comes from a poem written by T.S. Eliot.
   
   Overall, Garlic and Sapphires is a delicious romp of a memoir that I truly relished devouring - excuse the puns!



2. Reichl is a witty, smart writer who certainly knows her way around food. She has this uncanny ability to make food and the ritual of eating accessible to her reader, no matter how removed the reader may be from the actual setting. I recoiled in horror thinking about shrimp writhing as they died in the 'Dancing Shrimp' centerpiece in a chinese banquet, but nevertheless enjoyed reading her account of the events that unfolded on the evening in question.
   
   The characters that she works with are as colorful as the make-believe characters she invents, ostensibly to avoid being recognized as the restaurant critic of the New York Times. As she dons her various disguises, she adopts a whole new personality. The premise that adopting a new personality influences the experience of eating is as entertaining as it is revelatory. All in all, a refreshing, well-written book.



3. I love this woman. She writes books that are full of information and fun. Always a good foodie read. I just wish she would write faster!



4. The subject hooked me in immediately - a famous NY food critic working in disguise, so as to experience the same treatment restaurants give to lesser mortals. Her reviews of these places gave well-deserved rebukes, and reading her newspaper pieces shows why she's a respected critic. Her palate is obviously exquisitely sensitive, and her knowledge of the business must be tremendous.
   
   But it's only in the short format of a review that I can read her writing with any enjoyment. In a book, all her defects of style become very tedious (despite her acknowledgments citing all the help she's had from top-flight editors!). She writes in a breathless, overblown manner, with no sense of narrative proportion. She introduces new characters in lavish paragraphs of purple prose, and then they vanish entirely from the book. Incidents of no importance are written up in minute detail, and parts that would have been worth developing are skipped over.
   
   Her descriptions of people (including her own disguises) call on every cliche in the romantic novel genre, and her dialogue plods along clumsily, stating the obvious at every turn. After a chapter or two I had to suspend the willing belief one normally brings to an autobiography - really, are we to believe that her late mother's friend nearly fainted on seeing her put on her mother's dress, because the resemblance was so utterly convincing? Or that her own husband failed to recognise her as soon as she put on a wig and some stage make-up? Reichl tells us firmly and at length that it happened, and since her writing is otherwise completely without irony, I gather she intends us to take it as fact.
   
   Overall, I finished the book wishing I'd followed my impulse and dumped it after the first chapter. I kept waiting for it to turn into the promised hilarious and charming piece, but I waited in vain. I was left with the impression of a woman self-absorbed, arrogant and shallow, who notices little and cares less about other people except as they massage her ego or give her fuel for showing her contempt. There is no attempt at developing a theme or plot, and no insight into her own or anyone else's character. If extravagant, adjective-riddled descriptions of food appeal to you, there's plenty of that - but even then, my vicarious enjoyment of the meals was spoilt by the feeling that she's only saying this to impress us all with what an infallible and sensitive judge she is. Yes, Ruth, I guess you are. That's why they employed you. But a little more humility and humour would make for a better book.



5. 
   Reichl is brutally honest about herself, which makes for moving stories. At one point she dresses up as her crazy mother and enjoys the freedom of being an obnoxious old lady. I read this last book in the series first and it prompted me to order and happily read all the others.

5 comments about Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia (P.S.).

1. Marya Hornbacher is the mediator between the everyday human being and the world's most widely misunderstood creatures of society: the eating-disordered. In "Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia", she explains to readers that eating disorders are not just "phases" that teenage "girls" go through, but rather an intense, passionate desire for power that "strips you of all power" instead.
   Hornbacher, a freelance journalist who is also the author of "The Center of Winter" and "Madness: A Bipolar Life", developed bulimia at age nine, developed alcohol and drug issues at the age of thirteen, and became anorexic at the age of fifteen. After her release from a residential treatment hospital, she attended the University of Minnesota and wrote for the local paper, accepting her scholarship to American University later in 1992. She later developed other physical problems following her continued eating disorders.
   Although a rather sullen story of the highs and lows of her struggle with weight, Hornbacher addresses the point that eating disorders, cultural obsession with weight and body, food, and control have a lot in common. In one section of the book, she writes that an eating disorder is



2. Marya wasn't always the way she is today. She used to be the all American girl eating PB and J's while she watched her cartoons, but when Marya was eight years old something in her brain changed and since then she has never been the same.
   Author Marya Hornbacher beautifully illustrates her struggles with bulimia and anorexia in her autobiography Wasted. She shows a world that people hardly get to see and explains the life and ways of bulimics and anorectics that is both compelling and inspiring.
   Wasted takes you through 10 years of Marya's life as she slowly jumps back and forth between anorexia and bulimia. It depicts the everyday struggles of the disease; how the body slowly stops to care about what is occurring, the constant worries about food, and the fear that someone might find out and God forbid, possibly try to help you! It goes in depth about the psychological factors of the disease and explains it all in a way that is understandable and relevant. This book will both shock and sicken you as you discover what goes behind closed doors of these two heartless diseases.
   My praise is endless for this novel and I thank it for opening my eyes to the mysterious world that is impossible to fully understand unless you've experienced the ordeal first hand. Many people could benefit from taking the time to read Wasted, which will help to clue people in and provide a better understanding to the problems in our society and what goes on to the people who are enduring these struggles daily. However this book is not a constant thriller and amongst the eye opening and realization moments there will be a few parts that are tedious and almost seem to drag on. In spite of the occasional drowsy sections this book offers an incredible insight inside the secret lives of bulimics and anorectics and I would confidently recommend it to anyone who wants a brilliant and inspiring read.



3. The author dives deep into her life and the choices she made. She doesn't hold back. Up front and personal.



4. This book is amazing, it keeps you captavated from the time you start to read it. Im recovered and the things she discribed are so very true. If your looking for a book on eating disorders this is one of very few to read. Dont listen to the negitive reveiws for this one, Its well worth the money.



5. As a mother to a teenage girl with an eating disorder, I was able to identify (sometimes uncomfortably too close to home) with Marya Hornbacher. It was a good insight to see that this horrible illness begins at a very early age, how not to blame ourselves as parents, and how it is a daily battle for the person with the illness.
   I read this book over a period of a week and haven't stopped remarking on it to people I know, especially other parents of children/teenagers with eating disorders.
   This book came from the gut and goes directly into the readers'.
   Adina

5 comments about Her Last Death: A Memoir.

1. I'm surprised by the mixed reviews of this book. As an avid memoir reader and wanna-be-published-memoirist, I thought Sonnenberg did an outstanding job of showing readers what a mixed bag of emotions and motivations her family members could be. She put that scrutiny onto herself as well, examining her own culpability along the way. Perhaps that's what some readers chaffed against: that until the middle of the book she herself is rather unlikable, disrespectful, sleezy, spoiled. But the sheer fact that Sonnenberg *presents* herself as such shows us she knows well what she's doing as an author, especially as she grows up and her real-life character arcs in the process. The writing was mostly clean and clear (a handful of sentences had some rhythm problems), and the book demands to be read once started. I'd recommend this book to a friend or bookclub.



2. The writing in this book mesmerizes, and must trump all mentions of plot events, sexiness, and craziness. (Not that it isn't plotted, sexy, and crazy.) In spite of many reviewers tendency to focus on the well-drawn but flashy props like affairs in airplane bathrooms and cocaine paraphenalia, it's the large issues that must convince the reader of this book's deep success. Sonnenberg cradles parenthood, abortion, love, addiction, and happiness in a deft and nuanced grip. As for comparisons to other recent memoirs, The Glass Castle is fragile and transparent compared to the lovely architecture of Her Last Death.



3. I liked this book well enough I suppose. The first half to me is a lot different and more interesting than the last half. I wish the ending had left more closure I guess you could say. ..



4. This was one I could not put down. The writing is wonderful and the stories are heartbreaking. I recommend it to everyone!



5. Brilliant. Mesmerizing. I know people with crazy mothers. I know people (including myself) who have done everything she describes in this memoir. Forget the reviewers who have the audacity to criticize and judge Susanna. Applaud her for the courage it must have taken to reveal all that pain on the page. Bravo.

5 comments about This I Believe: The Personal Philosophies of Remarkable Men and Women.

1. Short stories that share the reality and persistence of the common American. Some really hit home. Others are lighthearted and yet profound.
   Recommended.



2. A book that is worth the words that they are written on. Personal beliefs are unique due to individual lifestyles which are reflected by the inspirational essays making up this book. Spend your money and you will be very glad you did.



3. or would like to understand what America is all about, listen to this book. The voices are authentic and wise beyond measure. The recreated essays (folks who've already passed on and they couldn't find recordings) lend gravitas to already burnished reputations, but for me, the recent "little people" who see themselves as just doing their part and changing the world because of that commitment the gives me chills.



4. I reguarly listen to the radio series on NPR, and I teach English composition at a community college. Recently, I decided to have my students write their own "This I Believe" essays. Though I originally bought the book (and had my students buy copies) so that I could assign weekly readings from it, I have gotten a great deal of personal enjoyment from reading the essays myself, even the ones I don't assign to the class. This would be an excellent high school or college graduation present, as well.



5. An NPR fan, I found fresh perspective in this well-written collection of inspiring, thought-provoking essays. An interesting read, if approached with objectivity and open mindedness to varying points of view.

5 comments about I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings.

1. Definitely not what i thought when i was assigned to read this book by my professor. Maya Angelou definitely led an interesting life, but the way it was written makes her seem self- conscious and doubtful of hew own recollections, i personally did not like or understand it. i had to rely on sparknotes to guide me to the end of this most unique... book. i would not recommend it.



2. A narrative about overcoming the obstacles in one's life, Maya Angelou's memoir, I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, reflects on Maya's experiences as a child and teen and the racial discrimination she faces. The memoir is set in rural Arkansas, St. Louis, and San Francisco between the years of 1931 and 1944, At the age of three, Maya, along with her elder brother, Bailey, are sent to live with their grandmother in Arkansas, deep in the then segregated South, after their parents' marriage ends in divorce. Later, as a young adult, she and her brother are sent to live with their mother, both in St. Louis and in San Francisco. While growing up, Maya struggles with maturing into an adult, her parents divorce, rape, and pregnancy.
   While living with her mother in St. Louis, Maya is raped by her mother's fifty-year-old boyfriend, Mr. Freeman, at the age of eight. Although this issue is briefly touched upon through the book, one can see it made a great impact on her life, as she refused to talk for several years. With the help of Mrs. Flowers, a woman living in her town in Arkansas, she finally did begin to speak again. Later, while living in San Francisco, Maya begins to fear herself to be a lesbian, and as a result of this belief, she has sex with a boy at sixteen in hopes of convincing herself she is not gay. Three weeks after having sex, Maya finds herself pregnant. She hid her pregnancy from her mother for a majority of her pregnancy term, and it was only with two weeks left in the pregnancy did she decide to tell her mother. Angelou only briefly touches on her pregnancy, as if it is an insignificant issue in her life; however, during the 1940's, society looked down upon single, unwed, teen mothers. Despite all the elements working against her, she continues to persevere, eventually becoming the first black female street car conductor in San Francisco while still in high school, despite the racial discrimination opposing her.
   Although I wanted to connect to Maya Angelou's character because she is a female protagonist and much of the book takes place while she was a teenager, I was unable to. In Jeannette Walls's memoir, The Glass Castle, I was cheering for Jeannette to overcome her obstacles and achieve her goals in life, while I had little empathy for the issues Maya faced in her life. I found the language in the book relatively simple, but I was confused throughout the book, whether it was about character's ages, or the introduction of new characters. While reading, I would find myself needing to stop for a minute so I would be able to remember who a character was.
   Maya Angelou expertly sums up her experiences as a child in the opening of the book when she states, "If growing up is painful for the Southern Black girl, being aware of her displacement is the rust on the razor that threatens the throat." Although I did not love this book, it is successful in portraying a young woman who clears many hurtles and champions her dreams.



3. I read with my daughter who is in the 7th grade. Her teacher assigned to read as a book report. The students had to write about symbols, motifs, etc. and compare them to personal life experiences. But, as we read together, the words were very graphic beginning around ( i believe chapter going forward ) describing the rape by Maya mother's boyfriend, Mr. Freeman. The book stated that his private part " stood up like a piece of corn ". This is not a " youth friendly book ". PARENTS : Take time to read with your children. I gave two stars because there were funny, interesting points in the book at teh beginning. Other than that, INAPPROPRIATE !



4. I know why the caged bird sings is the glorious yet sad
   tale of Maya Angelou's coming of age as a young girl.
   I don't want to give away the story but it is rife with
   abuse, family conflicts, the power of forgiveness, the
   need to find meaning in one's life. It is slow but it's
   like an old friend, you'll want to take your time with
   this book and that's only a small part of what makes it
   a gem.



5. Maya Angelou's first memoir gives us a glimpse of how isolated segregation made Afro.-Americans during the 30's. But she goes to a wider range of experiences as she goes from rural Arkansas to St. Louis, where she experiences a terrible crime. But even through hardships she repeats her belief about literature saving her. She later goes to California where she becomes a young woman of determination and yet at the same time confusion. Maya Angelou makes very powerful statements when looking back on herself. I would recommend this for teens (15-up) because some themes and subjects might be too much for younger children.

5 comments about The Middle Place (Voice).

1. I recently read The Middle Place and found it funny, engaging and heartbreaking all at the same time. I haven't been able to stop thinking about the book. Kelly captures the essence of being a mother, child and friend all at once. It's a great read and I can't wait to read it again.



2. I really loved this book and connected to it immediately. I met Kelly earlier this year when a co-worker dragged me to her book signing in Maryland. Not only did I literally know nothing about Kelly or the book, I had never attended a book signing before! Kelly read some excerpts from the book and I immediately liked her. She was even more personable speaking with her one on one after the event and my friend and I commented that we both felt if we had grown up near Kelly, we could easily have been friends. Like other readers who have posted a review, I had a very hard time putting the book down. Reading some of the criticisms posted for this book was actually painful for me! I laughed out loud at many of the stories (loved the Rolling Stones concert story, guess jeans fight, Dodge Dart - which my sister and I had in highschool - to name a few), and also cried. I connected to so many of Kelly's stories growing up (I graduated high school in 1985) that I thought it might be hard for people in other generations to get "into" the book - but everyone I have spoken with from 25-65 who has read the book has enjoyed it (I just a met a woman today in her 60s who is going to recommend the book to her book club!). To top everything off, Kelly agreed to participate in our Book Club discussion via telephone and it was truly an amazing evening. Kelly entertained us with additional family stories. She is so honest, thoughtful, and a true inspiration! Thank you Kelly!! We can't wait for your next book!



3. My mother-in-law had breast cancer last year, so I kind of hoped this book would give me better insight as to what it's like to live through cancer treatments. But honestly, even though this story is told with many great details and loving anecdotes, I don't think Kelly Corrigan's cancer story is too much different from most people I know. Moreover, her loving biography to her dad is very sweet... but it would have perhaps been better served in a different narrative, rather than combining it with her own cancer story. It seems to me like Kelly's cancer story is important, but not really interesting enough to merit a whole book. And her dad sounds great, but not unique enough to warrant a book on his own. That's why she crammed to stories into one. But, it was still a nice story, and I hope Kelly and her father are both doing great!



4. Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (5/08)
   
   While giving her two young girls a bath one night Kelly Corrigan discovers a lump in one of her breasts. Immediately a flash of panic sweeps over her and her suspicions are confirmed at the doctor's appointments that follow her discovery. It is cancer. As if this isn't bad enough news she discovers that her father, whom she calls Greenie, also has cancer. In fact he also had cancer in the past which Kelly just found out now.
   
   "The Middle Place" follows both of their battles with cancer and alternates the present day events with flashbacks to growing up in the Corrigan household. Kelly has a very close relationship with her father and at times it seems that she focuses more on getting him the best treatment rather than focusing on her own malady. This book explores their tight-knit relationship in depth, back from when Kelly was young, all of the way up until today.
   
   Kelly defines "The Middle Place" as "that sliver of time when parenthood and childhood overlap." It is that time of your life when you are still someone's daughter but you are also a mother to your own children. Close in age to Kelly and having young children that are in the same general age group as hers, I can completely relate to being in "The Middle Place" as this is the phase of life that I am in as well.
   
   Kelly's story is a wonderful, touching memoir that is very hard to put down. The book is a fast read and although about illness is also about celebrating and living life to the fullest. Kelly is a very real person and she puts it all out there for us to read which makes for a very honest and compelling book. I enjoyed the alternating between current events and chapters about what it was like to grow up as a Corrigan. This format provided a lot of insight into how Kelly became the person that she is today. I recommend "The Middle Place" to anyone who is at that phase in their life, to anyone battling a disease, or to anyone who loves a well-written memoir.



5. Kelly Corrigan writes an honest and moving memoir that focuses on her evolving roles as daughter and mother. As she chronicled the joys and challenges of growing up I felt like I was re-living some of the highs and lows of my own life as well. My book club read The Middle Place for our April meeting and the members of our group unanimously loved Kelly's story. It seemed as if each of us found something that we could personally relate to in her memoir. This is a fabulous book that is almost impossible to put down.

5 comments about Persepolis Boxed Set.

1. What a fantastic graphic novel! If you normally don't read graphic novels (or comic books), don't be afraid, the pictures won't hurt you and the stories are only enhanced by this format. Buy the box set because the first book will only leave you wanting more.
   
   The books are composed of short stories of events in the author's life. Some of them seem really simple, but they all have an underlying message. It may be simply pointing out the joy of moment's of rebellion (getting an Iron Maiden poster was a huge deal to this girl!), or much more serious commentary on the imprisonment and execution of family or friends. Each story is short but each provides a picture into life in Iran in the late 1970s and 1980s.
   
   I confess to know nothing about Iran or its history. These books have introduced me to a culture that is both old and new. A lot of the extreme conservative movement is really quite young as you learn in this book and the stories show you that the people of Iran are like any other. Marjane wants what any young girl wants these days - freedom to pursue her dreams and self-expression. It is surprising to find that many Iranians felt this way in the 1970s. You also start to understand the patriotism that people in Iran have - not necessarily for the tyrants in charge but for the culture that has existed for so long. It is similar to how many feel today in the U.S. - you can be a patriot despite disagreeing with the policy of the country's leaders.
   
   The illustrations are very simple in form but have a great impact. For example, you feel the oppression that beards have when drawn as almost a wall of black bearded chins. The emotion is conveyed very well in these simple drawings.
   
   I recommend this book to anybody, even if new to the idea of graphic novels. By the way, some of the best literature comes out in this format.



2. I loved every minute reading this book. Being a comic or graphic novel, whichever one prefers, I was both invested in the life of Marjane Satrapi as well as the illustrations. The drawings really brought the whole story to life with her incredible enthusiasm of how the expressions on the faces really matched what was being said. The story of her life is so compellingly told that one is caught up in her passions and pains.
   
   I just loved it! I laughed with her. I cried with her. I cheered her on! She is a woman with a unique voice, both in her experiences of standing up for herself by being straightforward and blunt (and quite rational in her reasoning), but also in her own narrative. It is swiftly told, but not leaving it too general or to overlook any of the details. Being a Westerner and having little knowledge of Persian history, it was actually a very welcome introduction to what has happened in the Middle East. She is roughly my age so I identified with her and the time period she grew up in (despite the social climates being so different).
   
   Satrapi tells the story of things from her point of view. What I did enjoy about it was that she was fond of her own country, but also recognized its own shortcomings. Her fears were real and she stood up to them when she felt it most necessary. She challenged authority at every corner. And, if you ask me, she won!
   
   But I think what also moved me was that is was told in a graphic narrative. The illustrations, as I said, were spot on. I think her style of art supports her story and helps relate the happenings much better than if were just a book. To me it made the book more enjoyable and humorous.
   
   It has just been released as a movie and I am excited to see the film as it matches the style of book perfectly. I don't see anyone who reads even the first 20 pages would be able to stop. I am glad someone suggested the books for me to read as I now want to buy a copy for myself.



3. In Persepolis, Marjane Satrapi tells a story in words and pictures of her life in Iran. The first book covers Satrapi's life from early childhood, until 14, when she leaves to study in Austria, and the second book covers her time in Europe, and her return to life in Iran up to her late 20s. This period covers the last years of the Shah, the revolution that overthrew him, the consolidation of the Islamic Republic, the war with Iraq, and through to the present. A tumultuous time indeed.
   
   You would expect any account of growing up in Iran in the last generation to be heartbreaking and terrifying, and Satrapi's story is, but it is also funny in a grim sort of way that can only be told from inside a nightmare. Most impressive is that the author does not spare herself. She writes as unflinchingly about her own flaws, petty cruelties and bad decisions as she does about those of all those around her. The lessons learned are not idealized, and sometimes they are only partially learned, so her travel through life feels very real and very human.
   
   Part of the appeal of the story to Westerners, of course, is that Marjane is a very modern Iranian woman. Raised in a very modern family that is upper middle class by Iranian standards, she struggles with social mores and the education system and we root for her because Westerners (particularly Americans) love stories about individuals overcoming adversity to become their own person. But that doesn't explain all of the story's appeal. What makes it so satisfying is the insight into the issue of modernity, and how it manifests through the life of a interesting and all too human character. We come to understand that being modern and being Western aren't the same thing. The West is an undeliably strong influence on Marjane and other modern Iranians, but in the story, simply copying Western ways proves unsatisfying at a minimum, and sometimes disasterous.
   
   Ultimately, the story is about finding -- actually creating -- a life that is both modern and Persian. It is a tortorous path, and one that Marjane often has to tread alone. Marjane's friends follow the regime's draconian moral code in public, but break out the party life in private. Yet Marjane eventually comes to see this as a kind of adolescent rebellion against a parental force that cannot, at present, be overcome. An incident that illustrates this is her revelation to her closest friends that she's having sex with her boyfriend. Their shock and disapproval jars her into the realization that modern is a relative concept even amoung modern Iranians.
   
   Marjane weathers her trials and emerges with a sort of wisdom. We admire her for it because she earned it the hard way. But we also hope, fervently, that people like Marjane will thrive, for they are the ones who will lead Iran into the future.



4. I read these books consecutively - having bought them as a box set - and I really enjoyed them. It gives us a genuinely intimate portrait of what life was like growing up in Iran, first under the Shah's right-wing dictatorship, then during the Islamic revolution which led to a clerical state and through the war with Iraq. The two-part memoir takes us from 1980 when Marjane was 10 years old through the 1990s when she's become a woman who had endured exile at a young age and a return to her country.
   
   Because these are illustrated novels there isn't as much depth as there would be in a traditional novel. The characters aren't fleshed out in the narrative because we have the visual element available. And the visual element is wonderful. Through the relatively simple drawings the fear, turmoil, frustration and even humor of Marjane and her friends and family are easily identified and enrich the story tremendously.
   
   At first I had a problem with the writing style - with the direct and simple prose. However, the more I read the more I became comfortable with the style, pacing and rhythm.
   
   I would definitely recommend that these books be read together as a valuable introduction an overview of the history and traditions of Iran, as well as for the wonderful story of a little girl growing up in an impossibly complex and frightening environment.



5. I was really expecting the film that came out of this book and I have finally seen it. It is one of the greatest disappointments I have lived in a movie-theater for quite a while, all the more because I was expecting a lot from it. But I should have known better. The subject is too serious to be treated so lightly, yes lightly. What are her father and mother doing in Iran for them to have that much money, that comfort if not luxury, that durability that enables them to survive all regimes, all revolutions, all coup d'etat, when it is not simple religious putsches, and where did they get the money to enable her to live for several years in Vienna? The whole film becomes a collection of clichés, most of them purely existential. Let me give a couple. Cliché, the quotation of Lenin or Bakunin or some other names that bring nothing to the mind. Cliché, her boyfriend in Vienna who discovers he is gay and the relation is finished because of it: you have to be seriously concentrating on sex and only sex to make friends with someone and drop him as soon as he discovers himself unable to fulfill the sexual part of the relation. What about his personality, his originality? What about love and friendship in all that? Then the next one is seen in two directions and each one is a cliché: on one side he is a saint who ends up in bed with another girl; on the other side he is a monster who exploited the girl all along. She sure was a sucker and a dummy. But what does it bring to the film, to the story, to the ideas the film conveys, if it conveys any articulated idea? The point is not to say that the West sold weapons to both Iran and Iraq. That's normal since we are in a market economy and business is business: if I don't sell my weapons, my neighbor will sell his. So, what must I do? After all a French exocet missile was very effective in the Falkland Islands war in the 1980s ... against the English. If Kellog refuses to sell his corn flakes to me, I will buy the corn flakes of any other brand. But what were the causes of this war? Why did Iran and Iraq manage to start a war between them two instead of finding a normal solution through discussions and negotiations? The film seems to express some kind of nostalgia for the good old days when there were two clear cut sides. Unluckily the old USSR has disappeared, but not one word about the support Iran provided, along with the CIA among others, to the anti-soviet fighters in Afghanistan. This film is simplistic but it deals with extremely important issues, so it does not have the right to be that simplistic. Politics cannot be reduced to that superficiality. And the future of Iran is not in Paris. It is Tehran.
   
   Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University Paris Dauphine & University Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne

No comments about Doris Day: The Untold Story of the Girl Next Door.

5 comments about Life Without Ed: How One Woman Declared Independence from Her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too.

1. Life Without Ed: How One Woman Declared Independence from Her Eating Disorder and How You Can Too
   Good book. Recommended. Gave it as gift. Delivery prompt.



2. As a nutritionist specializing in eating disorders, I am always looking for books to recommend to patients. Life Without Ed is the only book I know of that truly tells the story of how the writer recovered from her eating disorder. Too many of the books out there devote most of their pages to describing the horrors of the eating disorder, but say very little about how the author recovered. Life Without Ed is different. Jenni describes in helpful detail how she recovered, what worked, what didn't. If you want help recovering from your eating disorder, this is the book for you. This is also the book that should be on every professional's bookshelf. Marcia Herrin, EdD, MPH, RD, LD, author of The Parent's Guide to Eating Disorders: Supporting Self-Esteem, Healthy Eating, and Positive Body Image at Home.



3. Ed is anybody's bad internal object - in my case (100 lbs overweight) Ed is the exact voice of my mother. Or, as comedian Kathy Griffith might say, Ed is the devil! SO USEFUL to have this finally quantified, their entire script written out! Takes the wind out of satan's sails... Sorry about going all huckabee on yer face - this book nails it.



4. This book literally changed and saved my life. I read it in the last hospital I was in being treated for an eating disorder. Never had I read anything I could relate so much too. The way Jenni seperated herself from her eating disorder was a new way that I had never tried and became interested in. After practicing and reading the book several times I became pretty good at seperating myself from my eating disorder and have been going uphill and working towards my recovery since.



5. I got this book for my daughter when she had a bout with an eating disorder about a year ago. She found it very helpful and is enjoying a successful recovery at this point. Great book.

5 comments about Seducing the Boys Club: Uncensored Tactics from a Woman at the Top.

1. Having grown up with three brothers, recollections of living with them came back to me as I read Nina DiSesa's book, Seducing the Boys Club: Uncensored Tactics from a Woman at the Top. At the beginning, I thought I was reading humor as she relates her childhood "...my long road to uncertainty started when I was twelve years old and lasted until the end of my thirtieth year, when I metamorphosed almost overnight from a shy and insecure loser to a first-rate conceited jerk." But once I realized that this humor helped her work effectively with the men in her organization, I began to pay closer attention.
   
   Another source of my confusion with DiSesa's premise came from her assertion that breaking the plexiglas ceiling involves women becoming more seductive and manipulative. To me, that sounded unfair. But having proven herself after progressing from writing resort ads for the Catskills to becoming chairman of McCann Erickson New York, DiSesa makes her points with these sometimes humorous, sometimes insane, but effective strategies for working with men. Using many examples, she shows how she spent her creative energies figuring out the men in her office. She writes, "It's like solving a murder mystery. Collect the clues, lay them all out, and you will solve the puzzle."
   
   Throughout the book, DiSesa shows how she struggled to be taken seriously by twenty and thirty-year-old employees. Once she used a high-powered water rifle to quell their inappropriate behavior. She reminded me of the time when my own children were teenagers and my daughter, annoyed by her brother's antics, asked whether sisters could divorce their brothers. But along with the humor, uncensored commentary, and good advice, DiSesa shows how her lessons helped change the climate of her highly-competitive workplace by identifying her masculine side in order to accomplish creative tasks, meet impossible deadlines, and gain the trust of her co-workers. And in the process, she helped her co-workers find their feminine side making the workplace more pleasant for everyone.
   
   Usually, DiSesa relates solving a particular situation, showing what she did and summarizing the lesson learned, but she is so eager to get to the next topic that occasionally she fails to tie up the threads of the narrative. But this is a minor flaw and may have been intended to keep the reader engaged. This book can help women who study DiSesa's techniques overcome the roadblocks to success by providing a proven path to follow.
   
   by Susan M. Andrus
   for Story Circle Book Reviews
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



2. Nina makes a lot of good points, and in a very easy to read format! She uses her experiences aka learning lessons to explain her theories and I enjoyed her witty humor.



3. This book does a great job explaining the male culture to women. This culture permeates locker room jokes, jockeying for position, the constant need for hierarchy. This book is one woman's view from the inside and it is great.



4. I'm a female copywriter/sweatshop worker at an agency that's a veritable glue factory of old-school, three-legged creatives, still riding the wave of their last great commercial (produced in '82). Admittedly, I was filled with glee when I spotted this title at the bookstore (great title BTW)...and absolutely elated when I saw that it was written by the chair(wo)man of McCann Erickson. I bragged to my family and friends, who are well aware of (and sick of hearing about) my personal struggles with the Boy's Club, "Get this--I found this book yesterday that was literally written for me!"
   
   I really, really, really wanted to like this book. But the reality is I couldn't finish it.
   
   First of all, the majority of the author's struggle takes place when she's already "made it." Not when she's an underling, working under men who incessantly steal her ideas. I wanted to hear how she handled that, not how she honed her management skills. And with all the, "When I was at JWT...hee, hee, hee...oh I used to work with him at Y&R...yuck, yuck, yuck...I hear on a daily basis at work, I could have done without Nina's "shout outs" to Boy's Club cronies every other page. Boys she hated at first, but now loves (well, it was nice of them to write five-star book reviews on Amazon for her.)
   
   Maybe I'm just bitter. I'll spare you the retort. I'm a bitter unsuccessful copywriter who writes long, boring reviews on Amazon. There you have it.
   
   (But I still didn't like this book.)
   
   Indeed, there are two kinds of copywriters. People who learned to write ads. And writers who work/ed in advertising. Nina Disea is the former. Augusten Burroughs is the latter. (Sorry to compare you to a man, but I know you can handle it).
   
   I'm still going to try to get through this book. What can I say? I'm a glutton for punishment.



5. This is a guide book for women about how to use their already inherent skills to make a difference in the world. It is common sense stuff polished and put to intentional use. Disesa has an uncanny way of writing that is both engaging and hilarious. Her candidness is a breath of fresh air. You feel as though she is talking directly to you and for you. Enjoy the read!