5 comments about Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt: The Story of a Daughter and a Mother in the Gilded Age (P.S.).

1. a great read, full of lot's of details and insights. I learned alot about these women, this class of society and the Gilded Age.



2. Long book, but very good. Seems we've always been more than just a little interested in the private lives of the rich and famous in this country. From the description of the bridal lingerie of Consuelo in the newspapers to the reportings of celebrity "antics" today. Nice to know that she, and her mother, were aware of the changing world around them, and made contributions to society.



3. A fascinating glimpse into New York and European society at the turn of the century. I kept wanting to shout to Consuelo, "Run! Run as fast as you can away from your control-freak mother!"



4. In Consuelo and Alva Vanderbilt, Amanda Mackenzie Stuart gives her reader a glimpse into the lives of two fascinating women: Alva, the daughter of a less-than-400-family married into the fabulously wealthy Vanderbilt clan and made them into what they became. She was a forcefully dynamic woman who encouraged her children to be independent, yet stifled them. Consuelo, on the other hand, emerges as a more sympathetic character; married to the Duke of Marlborough at age 18, she was forced to give up the man she loved so that her mother's ambitions could be realized.
   
   The subject matter is fascinating, but I thought that the book was a little too dense at times; I thought that the author tried to bite off too much at once. Her original intent had been to make this book solely into a biography of Consuelo, but was misguidedly advised to include Alva as well. The result is that the book covers a large period of time and tends to wander a bit. Also, Consuelo's story covers about ¾ of the book, while Alva, who was probably a more interesting woman, is left in the background.
   
   There were little things that I didn't like about this book as well. First there were too many French words that were left untranslated. Second the author goes into meticulous and I might even add sleep-inducing detail over every. Single. Little. Thing, which took away from my enjoyment of the book.
   
   However, I truly enjoyed the subject matter. And I thought it was well-researched; it turns out that the mag rag Town Topics (an early precursor to the tabloid magazine) had a lot to say about the Vanderbilts, and believe it or not, sometimes their information was actually correct. I thought it was interesting, too, how society doyennes created the idea of a press agency, working the press according to their own agendas. It was kind of a Catch-22, in its own way.



5. Fascinating story well presented. This well-researched book has clarified several misconceptions about the Consuelo and Alva story.

5 comments about Sunlight On The Lawn (Beverley Nichols Trilogy Book 3).

1. This book is like Canada Dry Ginger Ale- dry, crisp, and refreshing. Beverley Nichols was a very arch and witty writer! A combination of Jerome K. Jerome and May Sarton. This book is about his cats, his friends, and his garden. There are some very funny parts and some very sad parts. Some are almost too sad to read, but that is the way it usually is with excellent books like this.



2. Sunlight on the Lawn is the third volume in the Merry Hall trilogy by Beverley Nichols. Where the first volume focused on the garden at Merry Hall and the second focused on the house, this volume focuses on the community, providing a humorous glimpse into English village life in the 1950's. Gardeners and fans of Mr. Nichols' spendthrift ways will be happy to know that large-scale projects continue apace in the author's garden.
   
   It is a mistake to read the foreword first - it casts an elegiac tone over the rest of the book. Save it for the end. Also putting a bit of a damper on things is the fact that we realize in this book that Our Beverley is something of a coward - he touches so lightly on the death of one of the characters (real people - this is memoir, not fiction) that the reader is left gasping, and spends the rest of the book wondering if he has mis-read. For these reasons I have knocked one star off of my rating for this book.
   
   Having said that, if you have already read and enjoyed the first two volumes, you will be eager to spend more time in the company of this author, and see what his friends and neighbors are getting up to. Mr. Nichols is a keen observer of people, and with his deliciously dry wit (and unsparing of himself) he turns everyday situations and relationships into real entertainment.
   
   Highlights of the book include the escalating but ever "civil" fued between Our Rose and Miss Emily, and how Bob helps extricate Miss Mint from a very sticky situation involving the tenants from hell.
   
   I'm off to order more books by Mr. Nichols!



3. Having read Trilogy1 and 2 of this series, I just had to get the third. It did not disappoint at all. A continuance of Beverley Nichols life with his beloved garden, and lifes ups and downs.Recommended reading.



4. Beverley Nichols had a rare talent. His writing is witty and humane and perfect for relieving the stress of life lived in the modern world. When you read this book you will be saddened that only two others of his sixty odd minor masterpieces are still in print. Buy this book if you love gardens, or old houses or simply reading well written stories, some of which are laugh out loud funny. Beverley Nichols writes like Oscar Wilde, except his subject is gardening and old houses and the curious people who dwell in them.



5. Some readers of Beverly Nichol's books have found his writing hilarious, but I do not. I find him amusing, and have read the trilogy plus his GREEN GROWS THE CITY because they sustained my interest, but he is not P.G. Wodehouse or John Mortimer for that matter.

   I cannot judge from Nichols books whether or not he had a particularly deep understanding of human nature. From time to time, he allowed himself to be drawn into odd misadventures with eccentric others, and he certainly had his conflicts with busy-body females, and as often as not he had charming female friends. His best friend in the world seemed to be Gaskin, his 'man' and his cats.

   The central theme of MERRY HALL, the first book in his trilogy, is the restoration of the grounds and gardens at his old Georgian Estate. LAUGHTER ON THE STAIRS covered the renovation of Merry Hall--the Georgian Manor house. His third book, SUNLIGHT ON THE LAWN, has people as it's focus--those who inhabited the area in and around Merry Hall when Nichols lived there in the late forties and fifties. First, there is the sad departure of Oldfield whose gardening days come to an abrupt end. Then, there are various episodes involving the ever meddling Rose, tea with Miss Mint, fractious neighbors, overgrown fields, and wells without water.

   As always, in a book by Beverly Nichols, there are cats. Nichols had a great love of black cats, and the cats often play a role in one of his tales. Most of the time the story is funny, but sometimes a cat meets a sad end. If you are a cat fancier, you may find his cat exploits familiar and amusing. This is a nice book for bedtime reading and a fitting end to the series.

5 comments about Ivy Briefs: True Tales of a Neurotic Law Student.

1. I can say without reservation that this book was not only snotty and elitist, but poorly written.
   
   Kimes cannot stress enough that she is, in fact, and IVY LEAGUE LAW STUDENT. Time after time she expresses disbelief that she might have to, say, put in a single week of pro bono work and have to sit in a plastic chair while doing work that is so clearly beneath her. She barely describes the actual work she ends up doing at "Lavish Law Firm" but instead talks about how prestigious it is as an institution, and how highly ranked it is.
   
   Kimes goes on to insult those that she takes the BAR/BRI bar review class with, believing that she will pass only because the other students, grads of lesser ranked law schools, will surely be the failures. A cursory note suggests that she might have learned the error of that type of thinking but the overall tone suggests her superiority complex remains firmly intact.
   
   Further, her description of one character's boyfriend, who also attends a lower ranked law school in NYC is consistent only in that he seems whiny and jealous at every turn. While this might be an accurate portrayal, Kimes seems to use it only to bolster her own self image as an IVY LEAGUE LAW STUDENT! a title she won't let the reader forget.
   
   The writing itself is juvenile and pedantic. Kimes is trying to make you laugh, and trying hard. But unlike the endearing missteps of Elle Woods, this attempt at humor makes Kimes unlikeable as a character in her own memoir. As such, it's difficult to feel badly for her when her best friend purportedly abandons her for her more intelligent Law Review peers. Kimes's husband also rarely appears to have his own agency and appears simply to bolster Kimes along in her struggle.
   
   Overall, I was appalled by Kimes's attitude. Yes, the law is a prestige driven occupation, but is it to the exclusion of humility? I wish I could return this book for a refund. I am writing this review in hopes of dissuading others from wasting their money. Zero stars was not an amazon.com option.



2. This book is more entertaining than some of the other former-law-school-student books I have read (cf. Barman, Brush With The Law, etc.), but ultimately not very informative about the process of getting into law schools, studying, passing the bar exam, or getting a job. There are a few scattered facts to glean here, if you are in the dark, but don't expect much. Incidentally, I was shocked at her disdain for the people she encountered at a family court where she fulfilled her mandatory public interest requirement for graduation. She comes off as callow, to say the least. Kimes is a good writer, and made me laugh out loud more than once, but as a prospective law student and fellow former philosophy major, I closed this book feeling a little hungry. If you are a prospective law student, read this book for fun, not information or insight.



3. I am a pre-law advisor. For years, I recommended that my pre-law students read the classic law-school memoir: One-L, by Scott Turow. Several of my students who have gone on to law school have told me, though, that reading One-L actually hurt them, because it scared them so much. They also found it somewhat inaccurate (probably because law professors are rethinking their use of the Socratic method since Turow's time). My new recommendation: Ivy Briefs. In fact, I will be making Ivy Briefs required reading in any class that is even somewhat related. It provides a look into how lawyers are socialized but it certainly won't scare anyone: Ivy Briefs had me laughing aloud.
   
   In short, after graduating from University of Wisconsin with a degree in psychology, Kimes floundered around about what to do with her life. Out of default, as she says, she went to law school. In fact, aided by a phenomenal LSAT score, she got into and attended Columbia. Because her decision had been made in haste, however, when she went, she didn't know what torts or commercial outlines or hornbooks or Law Review or Moot Court were. Ivy Briefs describes how she learned these lessons and went on to a successful career at Lavish Law Firm in NYC.
   
   This is a must-read for anyone contemplating law school.



4. Martha Kimes approaches the bench(mark) and exceeds all expectations in her debut novel, Ivy Briefs, a humorous accounting of her true-life days attending Columbia Law School. Martha Kimes' candid telling is like a cross between Legally Blonde, One L and The Paper Chase, in a humorous accounting of what goes on behind the Ivy League's vine-covered walls.
   
   Kimes brings the reader with her as she leaves behind her small-town roots in rural Wisconsin and embarks on her New York City Ivy League tenure on her way to her own Lavish Law days! All the while, she peppers the telling with her own brand of humor, which draws the reader in and establishes an understanding and connection (even when the understanding of law school and practices is as foreign to the reader as life on Mars).
   
   Pointed imagery and all-too accurate character portrayals create an Ivy League world that resonates with even the least Ivy Leaguer. Obviously choosing to re-name individuals (for legal reasons alone, would be good enough a reason) Kimes brings forth persons and caricatures of people that we all know too well, creating a cast of characters who we all can recognize from our own lives:
   The Sadistic Professor - whether in law school or just regular life, we all have had that one professor or teacher who just seems to be gunning for you and delights in torturing students with his/her variant of the Socratic Method.
   The Gunner - that annoying and irritating person who always has to show up the rest of the class/section at work by gunning his/her hand into the air and volunteering and sucking up to the professor/boss. C'mon, haven't we all endured that infuriating sycophant?
   The Do-gooder, The Boarding School B*stard and a slew of others round out the cast of characters we all know and "love" all too well.
   
   Martha's journey from shy Midwesterner to suave and controlled Ivy Leaguer is peppered with self-deprecating snarky witticisms and an all-too honest accounting of her ups and downs (including a fun and embarrassing Thanksgiving Dinner, freshman year, with new friends and a vino-induced turn with the Columbia Law School Facebook).
   
   Anyone who has ever endured stress at school, irritants at work or just been around the block can enjoy this read. With her style and panache Martha Kimes has written a compelling and laudable read for anyone - from farm girl to big-city boy - and everyone who is considering law school.



5. I survived one of my best friends going to law school and reading this book was like re-living that experience -- only funnier.
   
   Martha Kimes has a very funny, lighthearted and easy to relate to writing style. Her storytelling brings you in and captivates you. I read the whole book in one sitting and was disappointed when the book ended.
   
   Maybe the author should go to medical school and then write about that experience?

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 'Tis Herself: An Autobiography.

1. I've always liked Maureen O'Hara, especially in 'The Quiet Man', and it was great fun to read about her personal life, and her thoughts about what was going on behind the scenes in the different movies I have watched so many times. The chapter on her comments about the making of 'The Quiet Man' and about her friendship with John Wayne were my favorite part. Her writing showed her weaknesses and mistakes made in her life in a balanced way that made me like her all the more. If you like Maureen O'Hara at all, you will not be disappointed in this book!



2. Walt Disney's last dying gasp was to call Maureen the B word. Uh-huh. Riiight. That's all he had on his mind. That's what consumed his soul as he bid this world goodbye, his venom for Maureen O'Hara. Walt couldn't stand Maureen because Walt had wanted to give Hayley Mills top billing for The Parent Trap. Not (mind you) because little Hayley deserved it and ought to have been recognized. Oh no. Rather Walt the Schemer, Walt the Destroyer was intent upon keeping Maureen down by listing her name after Hayley's. Maureen had to stand up for herself. Maureen had to stand strong. Maureen insisted her name be listed first and Walt never, ever forgave her for gaining the upper hand in that situation. So, on his dying bed, his last concern was to call her a nasty word. And that's just the tip of the iceberg. This lady hates a whole lot of people.



3. The content of the book is not unusual. The same things happened to many female movie stars. They married husbands who were drunks, who physically beat them, psychologically tortured them, stole all their money, whored around, and refused to work. Movie queens were preyed upon by a certain type of man. You can read the same stories over and over again in the lives of Lana Turner (whose abusive lover was stabbed to death by her teenage daughter in her bedroom), Judy Garland whose husband used to slap her across the face in restaurants, Hedy Lamarr whose husband wanted to tie her up and burn her with cigarettes, Lucille Ball whose husband was an alcoholic addicted to sex with other women, Bette Davis who was beaten "many many times" by 4 husbands. Many of these actresses stayed for considerable amounts of time with these abusive husbands, putting up with it, and hoping for change, just as millions of women do who are not actresses.
   
   What happened to Maureen is nothing compared to what Doris Day reveals in her autobiography.
   
   From the way Maureen has written this book I take it that she used this autobiography to release all the resentment and anger at people who she feels betreayed her or abused her over her lifetime. Near the begining of the book, she writes "Allow me just a smidgeon of lattitude here. I've waited seventy years for this!" And then POW! A lifetime of rage comes pouring out. It's powerful stuff, and not easy to read.
   
   Repeatedly Maureen writes that what she was doing, and what was being done to her, was confusing. Her life was full of contradictions, some of which she has no answer or explaination for. The book is certainly thought provoking.



4. Having watched the Quiet Man again recently, I was interested in learning more about Maureen O'Hara. As I read this book I was rather surprised at the contradictions in her life.
   
   The woman who fought her own battles, some of which are legend, had difficulty in her earlier career saying no to men, and ends up marrying one man she had no interest in. He calls her to his apartment, and unbeknownst to her has a preacher there to marry them. Shocked, she felt her intellect was sitting in a couch on the corner watching her make a dreadful mistake. She boarded a ship to America several hours later, and never sees the man again.
   
   She later makes a similar ill fated and disastrous mistake with her second marriage. Ten years is a long time to put up with that kind of BS. Finally, with Charlie Blair she finds true love, but will fate intervene?
   
   Most surprising is the relationship with John Ford, the brilliant director who won five academy awards for best director. At times, she was his muse, and at times he was her tormentor, sometimes using her in his movies, sometimes interfering in her life, and getting her fired off one movie, and also directing her most memorable role. He would not hesitate to use his influence in a negative self serving way. A complicated relationship. His presence haunts this book.
   
   Less surprising is the friendship with John Wayne, and the book gets quite emotional towards the end, as you can imagine. This book is very readable and flows quickly, and has plenty of drama to keep it moving along. If you were hoping for any insight into her craft, as I was, you will not find it here. Nevertheless, this is an interesting read.
   
   I hope you find this review helpful, and if you do, please click yes.



5. 'Tis Herself - is a wonderful read for anyone interested in Miss O'Hara or in the "Old" Hollywood when stars were STARS.

5 comments about The Perfect Wife: The Life and Choices of Laura Bush.

1. At the end of this book, despite having interviewed plenty of people for it, this reader still doesn't really know who Laura Bush is. She comes off as very private, and seems to be doing a noteworthy job of her quasi-job - "First Lady", which we learns is a term she does not care for in the least.
   
   The author takes a few pot shots at President Bush ~ such as saying that the President has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ and Mrs. Bush has one with reading. She paints them as polar opposites, and I got the sense that the author was constantly shaking her head at what possessed Mrs. Bush to marry Mr. Bush. She also tries to suggest that Mrs. Bush is farther to the left than she would like to let on, but I don't necessarily buy that.
   
   Ms. Gerhart takes a chapter and dedicates it to the Bush daughters, and to their parents' parenting style, which suggests that the girls were brought up spoiled. She seems to nitpick every comment Mrs. Bush has ever publicly made about the girls, and this reader got the feeling that the author was shaking her head over the Bush girls' antics.
   
   Overall I didn't come away learning anything important about Laura Bush. Maybe someday she'll write her own story, in her own words. It would be fitting considering her fervor for the literary arts, and quite probably it would be without the sniping that the author sneaks in every few pages.



2. I'll admit up front that I am not a George W. Bush fan (does an American exist who does not have a strong opinion of him one way or the other?). But I thought there must be a deeper, more complex Laura Bush.
   
   Ann Gerhart's book is well written and I could not stop reading it once I started. There are lots of interesting tidbits (Laura Bush smokes cigarettes, but never in public) and revealing anecdotes and interviews. The chapter on the twins is ruthless. In another chapter, Gerhart describes in detail the tragic car accident that Laura Bush caused when she was seventeen, and what a traumatic experience it was for all concerned.
   
   So how does a woman who voted for Eugene McCarthy, who hangs out with liberal friends, and who loves her work, meet a guy who is running for congress on a Republican ticket and marry him six weeks later, giving up forever a career she has wanted since she was in second grade? I was certain that there was more to Laura Bush than meets the eye. After reading The Perfect Wife, I am convinced that there is less.
   
   Maybe she couldn't bear the thought of staying single into her thirties. I don't doubt that she loves George and that he loves her. It is obvious what George gets out of the deal. Less obvious is what Laura gets. One (male) interviewee suggested to Gerhart that George was irresistibly handsome and sexy. Please.
   
   There is little evidence that Laura Bush is an introspective person. She reads a lot, but seems to be as shallow as her husband. If she ever does evaluate her life and her decisions, I wonder how she will come to grips with having left the desperately important job of teaching at-risk children to raise a pair of self-centered and inconsiderate daughters. And with having supported a man who is dismantling the most important social programs this nation has. Will she ever speak out?
   
   Gerhart leaves a lot of questions unanswered, but by the time you finish The Perfect Wife, you will have enough information to form your own opinion about Laura Bush.



3. I read this book in October 2004 - an interesting time to be reading such a book, during the latter weeks of the US presidential campaign with Bush seeking a second term as president. The book dragged in places, the earlier and latter chapters being the more interesting. The writer seems sympathetic to Laura Bush - hence it is almost a shock to read the chapter on their twin daughters which is not at all sympathetic to them, and critical of the parenting they have received, such a contrast to the tone of the rest of the book (and perhaps also something of a relief?). A woman who says (and seems to believe) that supporting her husband is the most important part of her job, "whether my husband is president or not", and who gave up her own career as soon as she married him (after knowing him for just 12 weeks), a woman who has been able to refrain from voicing any of her own views and opinions - maybe that sort of woman is indeed the perfect wife for a President of the United States. I may have my own thoughts about what that tells us, but it is interesting to read about a woman with such a different outlook from your own and to try to see the world through her eyes for a time. I have considerable respect for anyone who has been through what she went through as a 17 year old (when she drove her car through a STOP sign at 50 miles an hour, crashing into and killing a very popular 17 year old male friend) and has managed to come to terms with it and go forward. And there is no denying the wisdom of this woman - whether it has come from her life experience or from her extensive reading - we can probably all take something from the lessons she teaches. Having read the book, I am no more enthusiastic about Bush and his policies than I was before, and have not been converted to a die-hard Laura Bush fan either, but I feel considerable respect for the choices she has made and for her commitment.



4. Laura Bush and her mother in law, Barbara, both reflect the enigma society has long created that women who have little or no income lack status or deserve no status, and therefore, have little or no value to society. The misconception arises from the hierarchy which values income level over social contribution and one that fails to recognize the value of marital support, childbearing and raising activities and housewivery. Women and men have been led to believe that unless they have substantial income, they have little value to society. Yet, First Ladies are always valued for their voluntary contributions, expected or not, but anticipated with enormous respect and anticipation with each new administration. Defying the logic that, by default, falls upon every female in this nation, or any nation, the income-based hierarchy of capitalism that fails to acknowledge the contributions of women to their families, to the community, and even to themselves, presents the most schizophrenic of economic philosophies to women, and the most difficult to digest over their lives. Due to the trend to adopt more women into the economic hierarchy of income earnings, Mrs. Bush represents the remnants of our civil society that once respected women for their presence, rather than the barbaric feudal world to which America continues to gravitate which defines women only by their level of income, as it does for males, and ignores their status as wives and mothers, deferring to the singular world where the benchmark of status is conferred by the status of the warrior, as measured by his conquest alone. That women allow this to happen is even more striking, and shows they lack the wisdom of the ages to allow themselves to be placed in so narrow a social box!



5. The woman KILLED a boy - she was driving her car down the street and of all people in town for her to accidently kill - she runs over her boyfriend!!! Talk about coincidence! There's a lot of bloodshed in that family. They're the new Kennedy's!! Let's open a dialogue about what a murderer Laura Bush is! Why didn't her husband send her to the deathchair???

5 comments about If I Perish.

1. Interesting story, too much focus on death. Too much dwelling on her thoughts and it becomes boring
   
   pc



2. I read this book many years ago as a teen and it has remained in my memory every since. It touched my heart to the core. Amazing story indeed!



3. Ahn Ei Sook was a living testimony of what a disciplined, prepared and faithful follower of Christ looks like. Her ongoing determination to gain control over her flesh, and also her courage in a time of extreme persecution made this book riveting to read and a true inspiration. The historical account of this time period (Japan and Korea 1939-1945) was also fascinating to read from an eyewitness account. This book was required reading for me, but how grateful I was to have the opportunity to glimpse this remarkable life. Since this book reads very much like a fiction, I had to keep reminding myself that it was in fact a very true and inspiring story.



4. I would just like to caution those who are interested in purchasing this book that it contains events such as people believing they have received messages from God.



5. a wonderful warrior for the lord who stood up for the gospel.

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

5 comments about When Chickenheads Come Home to Roost: A Hip-Hop Feminist Breaks It Down.

1. I recently went to a hip-hop symposium where Joan Morgan and a few other activists were speaking. When I first heard the title, I was a little turned off, but after hearing her speaks about her experiences and how they've shaped her perspective...I decided to purchase it. And I'm so glad I did!!! This book is excellent!! Additionally, she annotates so many other wonderful peices written about hip-hop, gender relations, feminism, misogyny, etc you almost want to buy the book to guide your future reading on the subject.



2. This book is a must for any 'older schooled' hip hop female heads worldwide. Morgan has a wonderful street/hip hop rhetoric that speaks to women who have a love for this thing called hip hop and life. Ladies pay attention to her words! She is rough, rugged raw and honest. Mama's, try this book out on your daughters, you may need to read it with them or break Morgans pearls of wisdom down for them as their heads bob in and out of the book either agreeing, disagreeing or shooting looks of confusion. She hits the chicken head directly on the head, there is a little bit of chicken head in every women, depending on how you define chicken head and your own personal beliefs pertaining to the f word.



3. This book effortlessly addresses the many issues that have infiltrated the minds of black women in the hip hop culture...Products of absentee fathers, failed relationships, and questionable loyalty to our black men...Jane Morgan gives it to you straight with no chaser, not afraid to share her own experiences to let her audience know that she is not just an observer of the conflicting issues that leave many successful black women wondering "what the hell is wrong with me", but allows her experience to serve as a reference to the countless women like myself who seldom feel alone in their thoughts, their struggles and their quest to balance their independence in the face of sexism that has plagued the hip hop culture. Salut to Joan Morgan!!!!



4. I believe this book is recommended reading for anyone who loves Hip Hope and/or anyone who questions and/or struggles with the place of Black women in this mordern Hip Hop age, while staying true to Black Feminist thoughts. I found myself agreeing with Morgan, but mostly enjoying her fun and playful writing.



5. I like this book in that the author, Joan Morgan, does not try to act like her book has all the answers for everything. Instead, she just tries to offer her view and let you take what you can from it.
   
   First she explores how feminism has traditionally been interpreted in Black culture, and how this limiting definition has evolved in the 21st century, especially as it relates to being a part of the hip-hop culture. She also explores how the history has influenced the current relations between black men and women, and their evolution into the strongblackwoman and endangeredblackman stereotypes. Joan also talks about the animosity between "chickenheads" and strongblackwomen, and encourages women to really be themselves.
   
   I especially like how Joan explores the relationship between black women and their fathers. She provides a unique insight and solution for this dilemma.
   
   This book is a timely message for "strong" black women who are looking for a way to absolve thier independence with their innate feminism.

5 comments about Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne.

1. Neither my wife nor I could put this book down with its fascinating description of the challenges of the royal Japanese household, also known as the "Chrysanthemum Throne".
   
   It reads almost like another Princess Diana story, but hopefully with a far better ending. At any rate, the potential is there for Princess Masako to make more of her life and position- it is now down to the royal court to allow this.



2. Think of the word princess, and more often than not there's the image of a lovely young woman, dressed in a long flowing gown, usually with a pretty little crown or tiara on her head, and a smitten prince at her side. Rarely this romantic view ever goes on to reveal what happens when the celebrations are over and the reality of life settles in.
   
   While the monarchies of the western world have managed somewhat to balance the public's curiosity about royal life and the royal's own need for privacy, there is one monarchy that has remained firmly shuttered to prying eyes. This is the last Imperial house in the world, that of the Japanese. Australian journalist Ben Hills takes a look at one of the more tragic stories of royalty gone awry, and tells it with equal measures of compassion and anger.
   
   Princess Masako: Prisoner of the Chrysanthemum Throne tells the unusual story of a young woman, Masako Owada, the daughter of a diplomat who grew up in various cities around the world, and seemed to be heading for an outstanding career of her own. She had been educated at Harvard, spoke more than six languages and was a pretty, rather popular girl who was intent to be the very best. While she was certainly very different than the typical Japanese woman, no one suspected that her life would take a very dramatic turn.
   
   That would occur in 1993, when after a rather stilted courtship following a chance meeting, Crown Prince Naruhito was finally accepted by Masako and she married him in a tradition laiden ceremony in Tokyo. And suddenly, Masako found her life surrounded by protocol, religious duties and the overwhelming pressure to have a child -- specifically, a male child, something that hadn't happened in the Japanese Imperial family for more than forty years.
   
   Ben Hills delves rather far into the mystery surrounding this family, at least as far as a Western journalist can dig, given the interference that the Kunaicho, the Imperial Household Agency, a bureaucracy that controls every aspect of daily life for the Japanese royal family. Hills refers to these shadowy bureaucrats as The Men in Black, a rather sinister connotation. And as we see in the story, the pressure to conform, and not to sully the image that the Kunaicho want to project, is pretty potent.
   
   The ultimate tragedy of the story is Masako herself. It's sad to watch this vital young woman being crushed by a system that simply does not care about her, except as her role as royal broodmare and a pretty picture to wave in front of the masses. We watch her struggle to concieve a child -- and after nearly nine years of disappointment, and possibly through the use of In-Vitro Fertilization, finally gives birth to a daughter, Aiko. There is the pressure to remain silent and self-effacing, and the toll that takes on Masako's health. While rumours persist that she may be in the grip of major depression, and Hills presents convincing evidence that she is, nothing can be really certain if she is or not.
   
   Which gets right down to the criticism of this book. The Japanese publishers suddenly pulled out of various publication deals for a translation once it was announced that the Kunaicho did not approve of it, and censorship reared it's ugly little head. Hills has received death threats, and the response to the publication is detailed in the epilogue that is in the trade paperback edition. Indeed, anything that can be deemed detrimental to the Japanese government, morals, or the Imperial family is regularly censored, rewritten or whitewashed by those in power -- a situation that most Westerners won't, and don't, tolerate.
   
   And regularly Hills makes backhanded swipes at his subject. His description of the Japanese ceremonial and dress verges on the Oh, isn't that cute!, and at times his narrative goes as far as mockery. That's something that I tend to deplore in writing of any kind, showing a snobbish attitude that is downright rude. Too, he litters the story with Australian slang, which is unfamiliar to most American readers, and while there is some sympathy for Masako, there isn't much left over for anyone else caught up in the drama.
   
   Besides the story itself, there are two inserts of photos, one in black and white, the other in colour; as well as a genealogy chart, a map, a list of resources, a glossary of Japanese terms, and an index.
   
   While I was certainly very interested in this story, it comes across more as a gossipy expose rather than a serious study of Japanese court life. So much is left out that all that remains is a damning screed against a culture that seems to be firmly fixed in medieval traditions, liberally laced with restrictions and corruption. It's interesting, but surely, there must be something better than this out there on this topic.
   
   Three and a half stars, rounded up to four. Somewhat recommended, but only to those interested in modern Japanese life and celebrity.



3. It is quite obvious that this author has little knowledge of Japanese culture and he makes many snide comments belittling the sacredness of some traditional Japanese customs. This arrogant style is used throughout the book and is highly disrespectful of Japanese traditions.
   He scoffs at the ancient Japanese religion of Shinto of which the Imperial family follows aspects of, and undermines the Shinto symbolic rites that accompany marriage. For Japanese people, Shinto represents the religious part of Japan's unique history, and many still observe Shinto practices such as visting Shinto shrines to pray etc. The author dismisses all this as archaic and antiquated and presumes it will be laughed at by "modern people such as Masako". I think only the author himself laughs as most people are able to respect the religious traditions of others.
   The author further shows his ignorance through mistaking the Japanese symbol of the crane with the Western Stork. He ignorantly translates the very traditional Japanese wedding symbol of the crane, which symbolises "celebration" to be the stork which only in the West means "Birth" and therefore as pressure on Masako to concieve.
   He also extensively quotes Yukie Kudo, who is of rather dubious repute, and the author has obviously has not conducted a background check on this source.
   I think this is worth two stars, because at least the author has collected a lot of information into one source. But it is only worth two because of the condescending tone he uses throughout the book.
   This book was translated into Japanese, but 60% of the information was deemed unsuitable for publishing and edited out of the Japanese version therefore this book is only available in English. I think part of the reason for this book not making it into Japanese print is not only because of the Japanese wanting to protect the reputation of the Royal Family, but also because this book comes off as ignorant and therefore not completely truthful.



4. the very real story of a princess who is not living happily ever after, why do all royal families seem to attempt to strip princesses-in-training, expecting them to relinquish their creative minds, goals and imagination, all attributes that would enable them to serve a royal family, as well as a country to their highest potential...did they not learn anything from the tragedy of the loss of Princess Diana, who was finally beginning to breathe again...



5. First of all,as a Japanese,I will not sit here and watch as an affair of my country is terribly distorted and misunderstood.Let me start by pointing out the most important fact unbeknownst to Western people:The majority of the Japanese people DO NOT sympathize with Princess Masako any more,because we already know the truth all too well.
   
   Although we used to regard her in the early days as an efficient but "unfortunate" princess just as this book claims to be,now almost every Japanese inwardly thinks that she is just a loathesome,power-hungry upstart with gilded academic backgrounds and a seemingly remarkable diplomat's career who married into a highest and noblest family she never really belonged to.We also think that she should be deprived of her title and dismissed from the Imperial Family as soon as possible--not because she is a "modernized" woman who is alien to our society,but simply because she is not doing her duty at all.In fact,also unbeknownst to overseas media,she keeps on betraying the people's expectation for her to live up to her title by refusing to attend almost all the public functions out of faked sickness,seeking only fun,squandering the taxpayers'money without a reflection.
   
   In other words,all she ever does is to pretend that she's so "mentally ill" that she needs "a long rest" and to "shop till she drops" on the people's back as she goes on needless vacations.(For example,she immensely enjoyed her visit to Tokyo Disneyland with her husband and daughter by riding various attractions this March,and shortly after it was reported in the media,there appeared many weblog entries denouncing her act.)
   As you know,a real patient of depression or of any other mental illness is never able to go out not only to work,but also to play however hard he or she wants to.Even though there is yet no clear evidence that her illness is false,there is a revealing fact that the Princess has never undergone a thorough mental health check by a third-party doctor,nor has her doctor in charge officially held a press conference to announce the proper diagnosis to this day.With all the inappropriate behaviour of the Princess above in mind,we have come to a conclusion that she is an utterly ineligible Crown Princess,a Marie Antoinette-like tax-spender,a sheer disgrace to our nation and to "the Chrysanthemum Throne" in the true sense of the term.
   
   So the point here is as follows:She is no "prisoner" to be "liberated" at all;all we have here is one delinquent who would universally be dismissed should she be a princess of some Western country,and that Japanese traditions or "the way of the Kunaicho(the Imperial Household Agency)" has nothing to do with the so-called "unfairness" of the way she has been treated.We only think of her as we naturally do,and the Imperial Household Agency has been only doing its job.
   Suppose an agency of Royal or Imperial affairs did not try to admonish a troublemaker in the Family,or it did not try to defend their lord in the face of a malicious slander,then of what use would it be?Naturally,if it takes the above actions when needed, that would be NO "violation of human rights" or "violation of freedom of speech" as the author Ben Hills alleged regarding the treatment of Princess Masako and the Kunaicho's protest against his book.
   Therefore,all the author's accusations against the Kunaicho and the other members of the Imperial Family are groundless,because those accusations are made on an unsound premise that they should be blamed for their own unique "inhumanity" and "feudalism" that never really exist in this particular case.Needless to say,a tradition should never be judged from an insufficient research or a subjective,narrow-minded viewpoint like the author's,especially when the allegations are untrue.
   
   
   Finally,please DO NOT ever be deceived by this bogus story of some Imperial oppression of a well-intended,"liberated" individual which never took place,not only for our sake,but also for your own sake,because this is apparently a book of propaganda full of intentional errors designed to undermine Japan's and the Imperial Family's reputation.With Japan being a former Axis and a defeated nation of WWII,it is not uncommon for the rest of the world to demonize the Emperor or the Imperial system of Japan by deliberately depicting it as a thoroughly inhumane existence despite its now-pacifistic nature.So,all wise and conscientious readers out there, stay open-minded,for an ignorant,unsuspecting "good intention" misled by malice could lead to true unfairness such as racism and destruction of a culture that is different from your own.