3 comments about Me llamo Rigoberta Menchú y así me nació la conciencia.

1. I am an intermediate level student of Spanish. This book keeps being mentioned and I would like to read it in Spanish. I can't find a copy where I can read a page or two to see if that might be possible. Does anyone familiar with this book have a recommendation?



2. Although I've read this book before, this time, as an older and wiser reader I was able to recall a lot more information and specifics that had slipped my mind since the previous reading. As a non-native spanish speaker, it was easy to follow, in a dialect I could easily translate if necessary. Plus, this book is useful in the spanish classes that I teach in portraying a realistic view of guatemalan history.



3. After reading this book, I realized how truly blessed I am. My problems are so minor compared to theirs. It also helps you to understand the suffering of the Indigenous persons both in Guatemala and in other countries throughout Latin America. I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about the world around them.

5 comments about Rex and the City: A Memoir of a Woman, a Man, and a Dysfunctional Dog.

1. This book is great!!!!!!!! If you love dogs you must read this book. Wonderfully written.



2. This book is great. I read it in just a couple of days, I could barely put it down. I carried it with me everywhere I went and would sneak in a few pages every chance I got.
   If you love dogs, New York City or just want a few good laughs, this book is for you. The love and humor that Rex brings into Lee and Ted's lives is heartwarming. As an owner of two rescue dogs living in a major city, I can relate to a lot of their experiences.
   Rex reall showed Lee and Ted how to give and receive love.



3. I cannot recommend this book enough! From the first page, I was immediately involved with these great characters. The book is non-stop laughs and sprinkled with endearing, heart-warming moments. I truly couldn't put it down! I was eager to see what would come to Rex and his "parents." It is simply wonderful!!!



4. OMG this was hilarious! but also tender and loving and wise and true. This woman is a terrific prose writer, and I would definately read other books by her. This is the story about rescuing an abused dog and bringing him into a teensy apartment in a bad neighborhood in New York City! who would have thought such a tough beginning (for the dog) would have such a happy ending. bravo! viva rex!



5. I had read excerpts of this in Bark magazine (yes I'm one of those dog nerds) and was charmed then, and after reading the entire book, remain so. The things I think I like best are, 1) its a really accurate depiction of the trials and tribulations of getting a shelter dog and that transition, 2)as well as how complicated dog ownership can be in an urban area. I mean, don't get me wrong, it's not heavy or serious, but it struck a chord in me- someone who has experienced both of those situations. It's not all sunshine and roses the first day, and no one warns you about that. But that is also where some good comedy comes from. I enjoyed this book very much and would definitely recommend it.

2 comments about The Answer / La Respuesta, Including a Selection of Poems (A Feminist Press Sourcebook).

1. The Answer/La Respuesta by Sor Juana Ines de la Cruz, is the best answer I have ever read. In the Answer to Sor Filotea de la Cruz, Sor/sister Juana Ines de la Cruz wrote her autobiography, in which she reveals her drive as a woman/human being. Her pursuit of -capital T- Truth gained her close friends and cunning enemies. She was way ahead of her own time. I recommend this book very much. I enjoyed it. WA



2. One of the finest recent translations of Sor Juana's "Response." The authors have done an outstanding job of translating and annotating the text. A "must read" for any Sor Juana scholar.

5 comments about Skywriting: A Life Out of the Blue.

1. The only shortcoming was that, because we have a bipolar daughter, I expected a bit more insight into the condition.



2. I'll be honest. I had Jane confused with Katie Couric when I picked up this book, but I'm certainly glad I got it. I was never a watcher or fan of Jane Pauley during her NBC years, mostly I suppose because I was always at work when she aired on the morning show. I did see a few of her Dateline shows probably, but don't remember much about them. But I was hooked from the first page of the first chapter. "The room was nice." Nice is a word my folks always used, a very "midwestern" word, perhaps - bland and hard to argue with. Yes, Jane is so obviously a midwesterner. Her Indiana upbringing rang a lot of bells with me and my Michigan childhood. SKYWRITING surprised me with its insight and absolute honesty. I believed her when she told how her phenomenal success just happened to her, that she never really aimed for or aspired to that level - it just came "out of the blue," as her subtitle indicates. Of course, I don't think her apple-pie good looks or natural charm hurt her any either. She just happened to come along at a time when network TV news was just discovering the value of a gorgeous women - "eye candy" for the news consumer. Look at today's morning major network news shows, with babes like Ann Curry, Meredith Viera, Diane Sawyer, etc. And the same is true on cable networks - more beautiful girls/women than I can remember or name. But perhaps the most interesting and compelling aspect of Jane's story is her treatment of her struggle with bipolar disorder. I noticed some of the book's readers complain that she doesn't go into enough detail on that aspect of her life and career. I will chalk that up to modesty and a sincere wish not to hold her family up to microscopic examination. (There is bipolarism in my family and I know it can be very difficult to deal with and is a delicate subject to talk about.) Since I haven't followed Pauley's career that closely, I'm not sure if her daytime talk show is even on anymore, but I don't think it is, because my wife watches so many of those shows, and I don't think Jane's is one of them. So maybe that "new career move" she talks about toward the end of the book didn't pan out. So what. I'm confident that Jane handled it. She's got class, this woman. I read this book through in just two sittings, so it must be "compelling" reading. Good job, Jane, and I wish you all the best in your life. - Tim Bazzett, author of ReedCityBoy



3. The book is bland and one should borrow it from the library. Jane may
   have had good intentions to come out of the closet on mental health issues but the book seems like she is guarded and protective of her
   image, her husband's celebrity status and her future employment prospectives. I do not think she is insightful enough about her experience and how her celebrity and wealth affect the entire process.
   I believe a waning career (mid-life crisis) and the onset of menopause
   had something to do with her health crisis. Menopause hormonal imbalances
   can create as much havoc as post-partum depression--including bouts of
   mania and psychosis. Not enough details in the book to help anyone or
   feel that you know Jane.



4. 
   While bi-polarism introduces the book and recurs, the theme is really Jane's career.
   
   Jane was catapulted to fame not by experience, her knowledge of public affairs, or even her rolodex, but by her looks, youth, midwestern charm and ability to make interesting conversation. She tells the story of this unmerited rise in a straight forward fashion. I remember Jane and Bryant as unrehearsed, positive, informed and amazingly entertaining. Despite the lack of a resume, she clearly rose to the occasion.
   
   The photos of her family, childhood house and home made clothes show the simplicity of her roots. The text reveals that she never lost this quality. Despite my enthusiastic read, I didn't give it 5 stars because Jane gives the issues all too light a treatment. Ironically, I held back 2 stars for the very simplicity I admire in Jane.
   
   One of these issues is the zeitgeist of Jane's rise. It illustrates role of women in news in the 70's. A sweet non-threatening personality was preferred over experience not only by the network execs, but also the audiences. She describes the fairy tale but the analysis is inadequate.
   
   Jane gives us some old fashioned values in discussing her style which is not to create gotcha moments or invade an interviewee's privacy. She alludes to the competition to "get". She does not discuss how this change is driving the personalities of today's journalists, and ultimately the character of the news, nor the outlook for a future personalities such as Jane.
   
   I'd like to know more about the issues raised in Jane's "brush" with Princess Diana. The American from the Great Plains and the British Aristocrat indeed had a lot in common. Both were plucked up at young ages and put before cameras with little training or preparation. Jane relates the story and the feeling in her plainspoken way ... and that is that.
   
   It looked like the Today show was to be a marriage of 3. All the signs and rumors were there and there was no straight talk from the execs with Jane. Jane, writes about juggling and guilt of a mom with a career. She did a pleasure/pain calculus and had the resources stay home. With career drop out of successful women being a hot media topic, I'd be interested to know if uncomfortable situations like the one Jane found herself in (Jane, not Bryant, Willard or Gene) are the common trigger for this reported phenomena.
   
   Jane writes of her children, but not of her marriage. This is provocative, because it seems so out of character... or out of the character that I believe her to be. Gerry is not just any cartoonist, but, one of the most controversial ones in my lifetime.
   
   There is more to know about Jane's bout with bi-polarism too. It is the stated theme of the book. It appears as an isolated thing in her life, which it surely could not have been.



5. A beautifully written account of Pauley's illness. As I have a son with bipolar disorder, I found this memoir very reassuring. I have hope that my son will, with the right treatment, reach his potential.

5 comments about The Empty Picture Frame: An Inconceivable Journey Through Infertility.

1. What a wonderful book! Thank you Jenna and Mike for putting words to all of those feelings that are so difficult to express. Being an "infertile" myself, this book had me laughing, crying, and nodding along the whole way through. I feel like running out and buying this book for all those friends and family who are either struggling with infertility themselves or struggling to understand a loved one who is going through a difficult time.



2. Struggling with infertility is challenging all by itself without the added emotional struggles that must be faced. In my personal situation I've found that not many people, even family members, can relate to or understand what I've been going through. Even a relative whose gone through IVF doesn't understand. I found that Jenna wrote this book not just for me, but for those who love me. Both myself and my husband breezed through the book and feel as if the stories are about us. My mom has also read it and developed a greater understanding of what we're going through. Next we'll have the family members who can't understand why we don't attend children's birthday parties or baby showers read it. Jenna gives such wonderful advice on all of these situations that make us feel so irrational...and reminds us we're not! This should be a MUST read for anyone who is just beginning their infertility journey or has been on the journey much too long.



3. One in six couples will experience difficulty conceiving a child, yet the isolation of infertility can be overwhelming. Jenna and Mike's story is uniquely their own; however, any infertile reading this book will be struck with the similarities to their personal journey. Jenna does a fantastic job of bringing to the surface the raw emotions (hope, despair, anger, jealousy, and shame, to name a few) that an infertile struggles with every day. Mike's contributions to the story give a welcome male perspective and show just how important a team effort is to surviving this disease.
   
   For those on the sidelines, this is as real as it gets. Jenna's depiction of a "typical" IVF cycle was dead on - from the Day 2 ultrasound, through the pharmacy of medications and their side-effects, to the longest wait of your life after which you find out if all you've invested (physically, emotionally and financially) has finally paid off.
   
   The list of "dos and don'ts" written for those close to someone dealing with infertility is, perhaps, one of the most important parts of this book. If you read The Empty Picture Frame because you know someone living with infertility, pay close attention to this section and take Jenna's words to heart.
   
   Thank you, Jenna and Mike for having the courage to educate others by putting your story out there for all to see. Best of luck to you both!



4. I first saw Jenna on the Oprah Winfrey show. I immediately felt connected to her because of her struggle with infertility. I could totally understand her pain. She was the first person I had seen that I honestly felt I could relate to.
   
   So when I saw that she had written a book about her story, I just had to buy it. This book is an amazing resource for infertility! It gives the full picture of what it's like to go through all the stages of infertility, from before "trying to conceive" all the way through many IVF attempts. Jenna has given the reader an inside glimpse into the life of an infertile.
   
   The way she tells her story (along with her husband's two cents every so often) is so compelling. It really was hard to put down.
   
   This book is not only a great resource to someone personally struggling with infertility but also to those who who know of someone else who is struggling with it.
   
   After I finished the book I gave it to my mom so she could get a glimpse of what I was going through. And most importantly, so she could read the helpful hints Jenna talks about at the end of the book as to how to best support someone going through infertility. These suggestions are so dead on! I wish I would've given it to her years ago.
   
   Overall, I just can't recommend this book enough!



5. This book tells the truth, the raw, unadulterated truth about what it's like to walk the path of an infertile couple, trying again and again without success. If you're not infertile, you'll realize empathy and compassion in these pages, and learn what not to say. If you're infertile, you will see yourself here. Jenna holds nothing back. She doesn't make it pretty or cute or lighthearted. She invites you to experience the emotions along with her. This book is an invaluable emotional resource for infertiles and those who care about them.

5 comments about Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress.

1. About: Ginsberg describes her long career as a waitress in restaurants ranging from her family's luncheonette to a country club. Plenty of vignettes about ill-behaved restaurant staff and customers here.
   
   Pros: The tales and interpersonal relationships she describes on the job can be amusing
   
   Cons: I read this book after reading Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter and found that Ginsberg's work paled in comparison. The chapter on waitressing in the media seemed like a tacked on writing class assignment, and her style lacked any "oomph" to hold my interest.



2. Debra Ginsburg's book is nothing less than an updated version of Melville's Moby Dick: an ode to the humanity of the ordinary working man and woman. The restaurant staffs (many throughout her life-long career waiting) are Ginsburg's shipmates. The great whale was for Melville a mirror by which we can look into the souls of ordinary working people, and this is what the working men and woman of her restaurants are for Ginsburg's great work of Genius. Ginsburg plays on the word "waiting" in a way that would have made Samuel Beckett (Waiting for Godot) proud (although Ginsburg is never heavy-handed with the pun), as True Confessions of a Waitress is also about people who are waiting for salvation from the miserable existence where they are forced to eke out a humble living while their dreams lie just out of reach. I read the book as part of a writers' seminar and fell in love with the book and with its author.



3. This is a wonderful, fast-paced read that will take you into the life of Debra Ginsberg, a woman who worked as a waitress for twenty years.
   
   If you've ever worked with the public in any capacity, this book is for you! And, if you patronize restaurants, you'd best read this book so you can see yourself as a customer through the eyes of those invisible people who serve you.
   
   Waiting: The True Confessions of a Waitress by Debra Ginsberg is a hilarious eye-opener. You'll never see waiters in the same way again.



4. I love this book and am currently enjoying it again after first reading it several years ago. Not only does Waiting deliver a strong sense of what it is like to be a waitress, it's also a strong story about what it is like to be Debra Ginsberg and to some degree what it was like to be in Portland, Oregon in the 70's and 80's.
   
   Highly recommended.



5. Oddly enough, I recieved a copy of this book, as a gift, three years ago. After rushing my education, recieving a Master's degree at 21, I found myself still employed as a server. Needless to say, I related to the story, which some may argue, is why I rated it a five. Most people take for granted, how many educated servers there are and how annoyed we get when you treat us like a "dumb server." If I have any hopes for this book, it's that some non-service industry types read it and get a better understanding of "the other side."
   I found this book to be a quick and easy read, but very enjoyable. She reiterates that common curtiousy goes a long way, whether you are a server or being served. Definately a must read for anyone that has waited tables and a should read for anyone that has or will ever eat out.

2 comments about The Muse of the Revolution: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren and the Foundingof a Nation.

1. A fascinating & entertaining account about one of America's forgotten outstanding women. I learned far more about the American Revolution and how it affected ordinary poeple by reading The Muse of the Revolution than I ever learned in my American history class.
   
   L.S.
   Manhattan



2. We make much of the Founding Fathers of our nation, with barely a nod to any founding mothers. There is the legendary composition of the American flag by Betsy Ross, but even if Ms Ross did so, no one pays attention to her ideas or opinions. We have Abigail Adams, whose recommendation to history was not just that she was married to John Adams, but also that she was a clear thinker and did not confine her frequent letters to domestic or matrimonial issues. And then we have Mercy Otis Warren. Who? Mrs. Warren is little known to our time, although she was well known in her own (and was known as "Mrs. Warren") for publishing plays and poetry with political and revolutionary themes, even though she had to do so anonymously, and for having close acquaintances among other writers and among the leaders of the age. She also wrote one of the first histories of the American Revolution, which, if it is not regarded as a classic, is still consulted by historians specializing in the era. That a woman of her time could have the confidence, perhaps the presumption, of writing history was a surprise to her contemporaries, and argues that she had some sort of greatness and is worth knowing about. _The Muse of the Revolution: The Secret Pen of Mercy Otis Warren and the Founding of a Nation_ (Beacon Press) by Nancy Rubin Stuart is a fine introduction to Mrs. Warren's life, and to the domestic and civil concerns of Revolutionary patriots.
   
   Warren was born in 1728, and besides getting the domestic education all girls got, she was exposed to the books of her brothers, and succeeded when she begged to accompany them to school. Her love of reading, and her introduction to Pope, Dryden, Shakespeare, and others would affect her eventual writing style, but of course she didn't get to go on to Harvard as her brothers did. She married James Warren in 1754. He was a gentleman farmer and politician who was well known by all the more famous leaders of the Revolution. Mrs. Warren became known in her own way, and chief among her friends was John Adams, who would be a mentor and correspondent to her for decades. Adams introduced his young wife Abigail to Mrs. Warren, and the correspondence between the three forms much of the quoted material within this book. Warren's works included plays, satires of the times lacerating the Britons in authority who were oppressing the citizens. It's not fair to say she was a feminist, or even a proto-feminist. Though she thought a great deal about the news of the day, she was deferential. In a letter to her great friend John Adams, having mentioned the subject of patriots opposing Britain, she wrote, "I ask pardon for touching on war, politicks, or anything relative thereto, as I think you gave me a hint in yours not to approach... anything so far beyond the line of my sex." In writing about Mrs. Warren's reactions through the years, Stuart provides delightful insight to the sorts of day-to-day matters that were on her mind. We get to follow, for instance, her involvement in the daunting inoculation process against smallpox, a cure that had many of the aspects of the fearsome disease itself. Mrs. Warren reminds us that no matter how much we cherish our Revolutionary heroes, she spied during the war "a total change of manners" among the rising materialistic class of her countrymen with a new vogue in "profusion, pride and servility and almost every vice," and she was shocked at the "privateering" by those who made their profits in the war.
   
   It is also refreshing to understand that many of the heroes in our bronze statues were but humans, as Mrs. Warren saw them. She was disgusted, for instance, by the ostentation of John Hancock in 1777, as he made his official travels in his gold coach accompanied by fifty horsemen from his private corps of cadets. This sort of throwback to the trappings of royalty was also to offend her when John Adams took power, and Adams was especially upset with Mrs. Warren's depiction of him in her _History of the Rise, Progress and Termination of the American Revolution interspersed with Biographical, Political and Moral Observations_ (1805). The rift was severe, and Stuart summarizes their sixteen letters back and forth on the issue. Only the year before her death in 1814 did Adams deign to correspond again and the friendship was renewed. Mrs. Warren's story is also a reminder that the Constitution that we take for granted was a controversial document even among American patriots. She did not like it, and although her authorship was not known for 140 years, she wrote a treatise critiquing the document. The treatise played a role in the eventual drafting of the Bill of Rights. Stuart's book shows a woman of her times, but one with self-made erudition and with ambitions and influence outside the domestic sphere. It is an excellent summary of the life of an important patriot who made a difference during the times of the Founding Fathers.

4 comments about Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor.

1. I think this is the classiest bio written about Elizabeth Taylor I really enjoy Alexander Walker as an author and biographer He presents Elizabeth's life as true to life as possible without resorting to foul language or any degrading comments about her life. His writing style will not offend anyone.



2. Elizabeth Taylor is a hard person to biograph -- she's been awash on controversy since her teens, and became infamous for her luxe lifestyle and many husbands. So it's an especial credit to Alexander Walker's "Elizabeth," which manages to be fair without fawning.
   
   Taylor was the daughter of American Anglophiles, who moved to Hollywood during WWII. Her mother Sarah (an ex-actress) managed to get her into films, and the rest is cinema history. She seamlessly made the transition from cute child star to teen idol -- right before marrying abusive hotel heir Nicky Hilton.
   
   He was the first of several husbands -- crooner Eddie Fisher, her late soulmate Mike Todd, Brit actor Michael Wilding, a congressman, and most famously Welsh actor Richard Burton. And her tumultuous life was full of gems, health problems, love affairs, and high drama in all she did.
   
   Alexander Walker seems to have a liking for beautiful, legendary actresses with personal problems, so it's inevitable that he would have written about Taylor. The difficult part is balancing her positive and negatives, without either fawning or dragging her through the mud.
   
   And Walker does an excellent job -- Taylor is not a vixen or a harpy, nor is she an angel. Instead, he studies her personality, with its tendency to replace one love with another, as well as seeking a controlling personality to make her feel secure. Whether it's adultery or financial problems, he doesn't judge so much as lay out the facts so readers can judge for themselves.
   
   Best of all, Walker puts a wealth of detail in here. There's plenty of information about her movies, including lesser-known ones like "Cynthia," and Walker describes scenes that mirror or reflect Taylor's talent in detail. He also frames her story with info about the audiences of the times. He even includes unedited, outraged letters sent in after Taylor got involved with Fisher.
   
   "Elizabeth: The Life of Elizabeth Taylor" is perhaps the best, fairest and most thorough biography of this living legend. Walker definitely hit the mark with this one.



3. I was mesmerised by this book. Of course, one often takes biographies with a grain of salt, but I was most impressed with the way that Taylor handled her career like a man -- how she was able to go on despite the pressures of her situation. The love story between Burton and Taylor shines through, and I think I understand a little more about love, even though theirs was a tumultuous one. She is a role model for people in the performing arts who turn their attention toward great and needy causes, and I respect her immensely. Also, the photographs in this book illustrate the fact that Liz was -- and still is -- the most luminous raven-haired beauty in Hollywood. Long may she rule as the last star of Hollywood.



4. In the book The Life of Elizabeth Taylor, Alexander Walker captures the extraordinary beauty's life in every way. Fans will absolutely love this book. It is a thorough in depth biography filled with more than 30 amazing photos of Elizabeth throughout the years.
   It starts from the beginning of her life in London where her mother's strong willed attitude pushes Elizabeth forward. Alexander focuses on her success in many movies such as National Velvet, A Place in the Sun, and Cleopatra. The Oscar winning performance she gave in Butterfield 8 and the two academy awards that made her a legend are depicted.
   Along with all the positive aspects of her life also came the long downfalls that have intrigued us over the years. Elizabeth's eight marriages are uncovered along with her conniving personality that broke apart other people's marriages. Her obsessions of jewelry, clothing, and sex are exposed. The truth behind her ongoing drug and alcohol abuse is revealed. Elizabeth's suicide attempt at age 29 along with the 73 total hospitalizations throughout her life is publicized. This book shows us the real Elizabeth outside of the glamour. The dramatic experiences with facing the public with the on going scandals and personal tragedies is drawn out for the readers.
   This book gives a true insight in Elizabeth Taylor's life. From the high points to downfalls, her life is captured by Alexander Walker to its fullest. Elizabeth's life has been an often-tragic fairytale that people have followed throughout the past 50 years.

3 comments about Catherine the Great: A Short History.

1. This book is so dry...very hard to finish. It tells very little about Catherine. Way too much about Russian history leading up to her rule.



2. A tad dry but a good history of a very complex woman who moved Russia into the modern era. If you want to know Russian history this is a must read.



3. Catherine is one of history's most complex, intelligent, strong-willed and resourceful women. de Mariaga's account is accurate and straightforward. Though she lacks the rhetorical flourish and eye-for-drama that makes Troyat's bio such a joy to read, de Mariaga pays closer attention to historical detail and gives the reader a keener sense of the political atmosphere Catherine faced and then recreated in her image.

   de Mariaga doesn't dwell long on Catherine's formative years, dealing with the entire period from German childhood to ascension to the Russian throne in the prologue. She does mention the effect that Plutarch, Tacitus and Montesquieu had on the fifteen year Catherine. When the Swede, Count Gyllenborg urged her to read these authors, Catherine acted on the suggestion by ordering the library of the Academy of Sciences and its bookshop be sent to her. The books, when they came, were over the head of a fifteen-year old, but she turned to them later in life. de Mariaga tells us that years later, while awaiting news from Potemkin during the second Turkish campaign, Catherine (along with her newest consort, Zubov) distracts herself by translating Plutarch' Lives.

   Catherine had to deal with many powerful factions when she came to power, following Peter II's secret assassination by the Orlov's. Some of the aristocratic members of her early cabinet, especially Panin, were hoping for a parliamentarian form of government, with a select few advisors wielding the majority of the power. Catherine, with the backing of the Orlovs, displayed her mettle early on in circumventing such notions. As far as she was concerned, Russia would remain an an autocrcy. Yet she was diplomatic enough not to appear heavy-handed in her decision-making and gave the impression, even to those she disagreed with strongly, that she was considering their proposals. She gave into Panin on his idea of a councl, but it was to be fashioned by her, so the old idea of service to the sovereign was reinforced. Even so it took her a good five years to consolidate her authority and spoil the ambitions of those who wanted to keep her a figurehead regent serving only until the czarevich Paul reached his majority.

   de Mariaga stresses the importance of the assembly of 1767 in helping validate Catherine's rule and cementing her government. The assembly was important in that it allowed Catherine to come in contact with a wide cross-section of the Empire, and allowed her to confer new status on previously disenfranchised segments of the population (except the serfs, of course), at the expense of the nobility. The nobility found itself unable to resist Catherine's power-grab, for she was now speaking directly to "her children" with the divine voice of the Enlightenment. To have denounced her plan before a national assembly would have been tantamount to denouncing providence itself.

   Catherine epitomized the "enlightened despot." She combined the "enlightened" political model of Montesqieu with her own brand of absolute power. A case could be made that she wasn't so much power-hungry as unwilling to share policy-making with those less-enlightened than she; namely, the Russian nobility whom she saw (correctly) as interested primarily in maintaining their wealth and status.

   Catherine corresponded frquently with Voltaire. She brought Diderot to Russia. She wrote voluminously on subjects ranging from political science to drama. She was a Rennaissance Man in woman's garb in an Age of Enlightenment. Her diplomatic skills were exemplary. She could be ruthless and iron-fisted when the occasion dictated it. She, like Peter the Great before her, forged a new Russia, less dependent on old superstitions and the whip, more attuned to education and the new humanism. While her sexual proclivities have been vastly over-sensationalized, it could well be stated that in the area of bedroom-diplomacy Cleopatra was her only rival.

   Again, if you are a reader interested in good story-as-bio, stick to Troyat. If you are interested in the political panorama of 18th c. Russia, de Mariaga is the best guide I know of.

5 comments about The Red Rose Crew: A True Story of Women, Winning, and the Water.

1. I am the proud parent of a stroke rower. This story, of very different women, from widely geographic and psychological backgrounds, all coming together to do something no one had done before, is mesmorizing and grabs at every heartstring I have. The forward is equally compelling. I have met one of the Yale rowers in this story, and believe me, if she did half the stuff she is credited doing, I have even more admiration for her. This book taught me a bit about rowing, some equipment nuances, and training techniques. It gave me several nights of wonderful pleasure, some laughs, some tears. Now that this sport, like most others, is so scientific, so over studied (I guess we have the east germans to thank for that), it largely selects the athletes by performance. But the 'Red Rose Crew' had that intangible: spirit and guts. That doesn't always show up on ERG scores, or height charts. I am so glad I read this, and was able to share it with my daughter. The writing is clear, concise, and both narrative and dialogue where appropriate. Great work.



2. I purchased the Red Rose Crew both as a rowing coach and coxswain. I had heard of the book before but never read it. While it was a relatively quick read, it did provide some good insight into how women's rowing has evolved since the 1970s. It gave some wonderful descriptions of the various struggles the women went through, as well as the individuals who helped them along their way.
   
   It would be really nice to see a sequel, or something similar, that documents what women's rowing has become in the past twenty or so years. There is a decent follow-up of the individuals from the team at the end of the book, but I feel like I could have easily stomached another 100+ pages of what has happened since then.
   
   All in all, a good read and a good book to have if you know anything about rowing, and specifically women's rowing at the collegiate level and beyond.



3. If you love rowing, if you love sports, if you're interested in historical moments .... this book is wonderful. I have read it and re-read it. I have lent it and gifted it. This is the true story of several remarkable women athletes. It is extremely well written and takes you through the story with grace and passion. I think I'll go read it again!



4. Books on rowing are rare these days so it is good to see a fine account of a boat being made and coming together. All the more so as The Red Rose Crew chronicles the early days of women's rowing.
   
   Overall, this is a fine and enjoyable read, the only distractions being a number of minor but aggravating errors, preplexing because Boyne is a rower. These are minor in the context of this otherwise fine book about rowing.



5. If Odysseus could have read Daniel J.Boyne's book `The Red Rose Crew" he would have had no reason to be tied to the mast to cox his ear-waxed crew through the Sirenum Scopuli unscathed. The Sirens would have gladly faced their un-timely end with the knowledge that women's rowing had a champion who took the time and effort to chronical a arduous voyage that will be remembered as the break though of woman's competitive rowing in the United States. In a time when story telling has been all but lost as a media to impart history or knowledge, a well-credentialed Daniel Boyne has wove a rich tapestry of facts, protocol, commentary, technical knowledge and colorful antidotes into a narrative that are easily remembered and re-called. Every sport has its legends; Babe Ruth, Billie Jean King, Pele', the utterance of each name conjures a vivid image of the particular athlete's prowess and character. US women's rowing has Ernestine Bayer, Carie Graves, Gail Pierson, and Harry Parker just to mention a few of the people Daniel J.Boyne has profiled as the "Who's Who" of US women's rowing. One of the many pearls of rowing information the author relates is how a good crew has the characteristics of a good baseball team. Rowers spend many hours debating the age-old rower's question of whether power, or technique is more important or why coaches' conduct seat races. Mr. Boyne's account of how the `The Red Rose Crew" was formulated is a wealth of information for any rower or coach looking for the literal and figurative gut wrenching answers. Rowers and coaches who have, or will have to weather the trials and travail of choosing and rowing into the seats of a boat will relate to the myriad of variables and anguish and elation. US Rowing is fortunate that Daniel J.Boyne has taken the time and energy to share his knowledge and insight of where US Women's rowing has been and the inevitable heights that it destined to rise.

   John Wall, Ancient Mariner Berkshire County, USA 6/10/01