No comments about From Hoofbeats to Dogsteps: A Life of Listening to and Learning from Animals.

5 comments about Hell to Pay: The Unfolding Story of Hillary Rodham Clinton.

1. "Hell to Pay" tells the story of Hillary Rodham Clinton's life, from childhood on. We see her behind the scenes in Arkansas and Washington, pushing Bill to fight back from his sometimes political problems and accept Dick Morris' advice, and helping to squelch reactions to Bill's infidelities.
   
   More significantly, Olson reminds readers of Hillary's role in "Travelgate," selecting Bill's Cabinet appointees (including Janet Reno and Joceyln Elders), "Filegate" (FBI files used to find dirt on Bush I and Reagan appointees), likely obstruction of justice in blocking access to Vince Foster's files until her staff removed selected papers, creating HillaryCare (antagonized many through secrecy, inflexibility, and leaving them out, overly complex - 1,300+ pages, holding back pay for her ghostwriter in "It Takes a Village" for revealing that Hillary did not write it, trying to push V.P. Gore to an across the street office so she could have his W.H. spot, supporting the "sale of the W.H." - $ for sleepovers, etc., the cattle futures scandal, etc.
   
   "Hell to Pay" also portrays Hillary's "never say die" nature, and bits of her temper.
   
   The only bad news about the book is that the author was killed in the 9/11 airliner crash into the Pentagon, and thus unable to update the material.



2. This book was originally published by Barbara Olson in 1999 prior to her tragic death in the 9/11 terrorist attack on the pentagon. The timing is unfortunate in that if this book was just hitting the bookstores now (April 2008) I think it would prove to be Hillary's undoing, much as the Swift Boater's undid John Kerry with "Unfit for Command".
   
   This book is a real eye opener, following Hillary from her high school years through the Clinton White House to her election as a senator from New York. I think Ms. Olson might even have one up on Dick Morris in her documentation of Hillary's past. If even half of what Ms. Olson relates is true this woman should be sitting in a federal penitentiary somewhere, not running for President of the United States, a job she is about as qualified to perform as I am to perform open heart surgery. The book makes it clear that had she not been the First Lady of the United States she probably would have done some time in the slammer. From her shady an often illegal business deals and investments, to her blatant violation of the law by holding Hillarycare meetings in secrete, to funneling money to the PLO and Communist party, to lies, bribes, threats, insults, firings, perjury, blocking investigations, obstructing justice, hiring staff for the White House who couldn't get security clearances or required random drug testing, and altering public documents. Not to mention the fact that people who get too close to the Clintons have a bad habit of turning up dead. Ms Olson depicts Hillary is a one-woman crime wave.
   
   Shortly the American public will be asked to choose between Hillary Rodham Clinton and Barack Hussein Obama as the Democrat Party's nominee to run for the Presidency of the United States. Anybody who is even entertaining the though of voting for Mrs. Clinton needs to buy this book and read it! And quickly! It sure changed my mind.



3. In an effort to objectively write a key chapter in my book, America, You Will Be Destroyed !: Thus Saith The Lord - and Other Amazing Prophecies I read Ms. Olson's book as a part of my research. While many other Hillary books focused on her and husband Bill's scandals, Olson's book tried to capture the psyche and inner workings of the former First Lady.
   
   I felt that the little, seemingly insignificant or trivial details of her life and childhood helped me to paint a better mental picure of the driving forces in Hillary's life. As a former national and state licensed therapist, the little details helped me to create a case study snapshot. The influences of the feminist movement, her continued pursuit and espousal of radicalism and socialism, her upbringing under a driven father, the upheaval of the 60's, the me-generation of the 70's, the self-consciousness towards her own body (specifically her legs), the disdain and reproachful way Bill treated her... Whew, her issues of being driven, loathing of men in general, thirst for power/dominance and control, all make sense. as another reviewer said, "When peeling back the layers, we need to know this stuff to get at what makes Hillary tick."
   
   Looking at all the background and biographical details makes me realize (and hopefully others) that in her machinations we see clearly that she has not become more conservative or even centrist. She is a radical socialist to the core, and the most frightening thng in this revelation is that she seems to truly believe that she alone is right, that she alone is the people's champion and this sense of righteous indignation fuels her passionately to apire to the pinnacle of power at all costs.
   
   Like a true socialist, Hillary will do anything and everything to obtain power. She will reinvent herself over and over to do so. This book shows clearly that pragmatism is all a pose to make her attractive to the broad electorate. For her, the end (her obtaining power) will justify any means.
   
   By examing the actions/reactions of Hillary during key events such as Whitewater, the Travel agency firings, etc. The reader has an opportunity to see the venal, petty, cruel, vindictive, vulgar and violent side of a woman that is in a position of power and who is wanting yet more. Though all writer's have some non-altruistic motivation(s) for putting pen to paper, the work of digging out new details and reframing existing ones is crucial in the discovery phase of the case against HillaryThe Case Against Hillary Clinton (another work by a different author). There will be "Hell to Pay" if Hillary is elected.



4. One of the best reviews I have read on this personality, and I have read seven books. Underlines the development of her radicalization in politics and how her dysfunctional family of orgin undergirds her indefensible justification of her husband's sex addiction and thereby blaming Christians for his deeds.



5. Since Hillary's own "Living History" was such a sterile and lifeless academic exercise - at least compared to Obama's "Dreams of My Father," or even to Bill's "My Life" -- and thus did powerful little to reveal the real person behind the "political persona," one is forced to stoop (almost embarrassingly so) to "anti-Hillary tracts" (such as I thought this one would be), to peel back the veneer covering the "Hillary Rodham" mystique.
   
   Whether intentional or not, much to my surprise, this book is NOT an altogether uncomplimentary analysis of Mrs. Clinton's life. With many rich details that highlight the good, the bad, and the ugly -- along the often bumpy road her life has taken -- this volume, quite adequately "fills in the blanks" about who the real Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton is.
   
   Even though one can clearly see from the title that it was intended to appeal to the "I Hate Hillary Club," it turns out to be amazingly straightforward and free of the usual slander, political vitriol, and below the belt personal jabs that one normally associates with, and expects of books with titles of this sort. Nothing could have been more satisfying than to realize that I had misjudged this book based solely on its cover. I had indeed discounted its value, expecting it to be little more than a carefully disguised "attack ad." And even though much of the juicier aspects of its content seem to have been "culled" from other more respectable sources, it is still much more than just an "attack ad in disguise." It is meaty, coherent, and sticks tenaciously to the main task of trying to unravel, who the person behind the Hillary political persona really is. In short, those looking for an "attack ad" disguised as a book: Well, I am here to tell you, this ain't it. This is not the "National Enquirer's" version of the ex-First Lady's life. Ms. Olson can think and write, and has very high standards for her craft and exercises them all quite well here.
   
   The high points of the book lie in the careful way the author uses the details of her subject's life to outline, against the backdrop of the many layers of American society, the essential elements of Hillary's character and the motivation for her often difficult life choices. The ex-First Lady evolves from a "Goldwater Girl," to a "wide-eyed 1960s Leftist Radical," to Bill's "Hippy gal-pal," to a university Law professor, to a partner in a major law firm, to the ambitious "power grabbing money hungry" political predator that she is now thought by many to be. In the best of the American tradition, she "clawed her way to the top of the food chain."
   
   The public portrait of her is as a person seemingly willing to cut whatever moral corners are needed to advance herself; to protect her Golden Goose (Bill); to grab the brass ring for herself (the U.S. Presidency), and in the end" to find financial security for herself and her family. However, the author is careful to note that she is much more complex than just this demeaning portrait. Hillary does a great deal of good along this very treacherous and tortuous path, especially in improving education in Arkansas, with the Children's Defense Fund, steering Bill's campaigns and comebacks to victory, showing uncommon strength in "facing down" one scandal after another, and in raising consciousness about women issues.
   
   The low point of the book is watching the author get stuck chasing her own tail: Trying to graft her own self-created "Leftist Radical" image onto Hillary. No matter how many Saul Alinsky epigrams she uses, the graft simply does not "take." And the reason is because of the much larger, much deeper picture that the author's own analysis shows the ex-First Lady to be: Hillary, more than anything else, is an evolving political animal that is no longer easy to pigeonhole politically, morally or ethically.
   
   Yet, rather sadly, she misses her own most important lesson and contribution by failing to understand that the corruption of Mrs. Hillary Rodham Clinton, when seen in relief, is little more than a general critique of the American political way of life. For as she so aptly demonstrates, there is nothing unique about Hillary, her personality, her life choices, or her life journey that would make her stand out from the rest of us as predisposed towards political corruption, or towards becoming a "moral retrograde." Yet, as has been the case with so many others of American politicians, she lurched from "Right wing" idealist, to "Left wing" idealist, to a "co-opted and corrupt centrist," to a "bought-and-paid-for" pseudo-liberal democrat, and back into the closet again as a "Right wing Republican in "Democratic clothing."
   
   As a template of how to go from political naiveté to political maturity, Hillary's journey from idealist to corrupt political opportunist, could serve as THE model for anyone who gets caught up in the sausage grinding machinery of American government and politics. The sad fact is that the most likely, and the most probable outcome for any of us, is that we will be consumed by it, and will come out on the other side, grinded into unrecognizable moral mince meat -- a corrupt shell of our previous moral selves. Quite simply, we have a political system that eats and digests its young and spits them out as fertilizer for the next generation.
   
   What was most sobering about the book is that Hillary is the classic case in point. Her life's journey is an object lesson in what not to do. Through her, we can see how truly scary it is that for all but a handful of us, dealt the same hand in life as she, but for the grace of God, we too undoubtedly would have ended up in the same morally corrupt and bankrupt cul de sac that the ex-First Lady now finds herself in: with "unearned riches," dubious but exaggerated accomplishments, hanging on to a failed marriage, and still grasping for a meaningless brass ring, called the U.S. Presidency.
   
   While this is far from a balanced treatment, Hilary's own glossed-over treatment left the door wide-open for a hardnosed assessment, and this is it. Five stars

5 comments about Running With Champions: A Midlife Journey on the Iditarod Trail.

1. What a wonderful, wonderful book !
   
   This book tells the story of Lisa Frederic who comes to racing relatively late in her life. She volunteers for the Iditarod and gets hooked on the sport. Within 5 years, she is running in the Iditarod herself at the age of 42. Not only is the story inspiring, it is well written and interesting. She spends the first half of the book describing the process she went through to be able to run in the Iditarod (cleaning the dog yard, trainig the dogs, etc.) and the second half of the book talks about the race itself.
   
   Lisa conveys both the thrill and heartbreak of running dogs and you come away understanding just how tough this really is to do. For a 46-year-old mom from Indiana, all I can say is "WOW!". While running in the Iditarod is not something I want to do, I love reading about people who have done it. This book is an absolute must read for anyone who is interested in dogs, the Iditarod or taking chances and doing somethind different with your life.
   
   Other good books on this subject: "Winterdance" by Gary Paulson and "Race Across Alaska" by Libby Riddles.



2. After a tour through Danali National Park in June, 2008, one of the people told us that our driver, Lisa Frederic, had written a book. As we had been totally captivated by her as our tour driver, we bought the book when we returned home. Having met this charming, lovely woman in person it is totally fascinating to read about this amazing phase of her life. This is a book that totally pulls you in right from the beginning and never lets go. You feel the the love, pain, struggle, and the joy that permeates this book. After reading what Lisa went through to achieve her dream, and feeling as if you were in some way experiencing it with her, you truly have a sense of what it means to not give up and to do whatever is necessary to reach your goal. I hope there are more books in her future and that life is very good to her and her husband, David, who must also be a very special person.



3. I really enjoyed reading Lisa's book, "Running With Champions". I thought it gave a great "insiders look" at what it really takes to run the Iditarod. As a reader, it was overwhelming to read about the physical preparations it takes just to get your gear and dogs ready... the endless hours of running the dogs, and of course, learning how "NOT" to do things. That is ALL before you get to the Ceremonial Start in Anchorage!
   
   I thought that her writing style was engaging, and she was more than willing to share the ups and downs of her adventures. I enjoyed her sense of humor about the goof ups, and accidents she had during training. I thought her insights into living with and training with one of the "Big Dogs" of mushing, Jeff King, was fascinating. I have often wondered what makes these mushers tick.
   
   I have read other books by other female mushers, and by far, Lisa's book was the most engaged, and engaging. Very thoughtful, warm and fun... Thanks for writing this book for us middle-aged gals!



4. Lisa was the tour guide on our 9 hour Tundra Wilderness Tour in Denali NP in September and did a great job. Great on stories, history, and of course her dogs. The book is just like talking to Lisa. She has a very outgoing personality and a true love of Alaska - this comes through clearly in her book as well. This book also makes a great gift.



5. As others who reviewed this book, I too met the author and her husband, but not in Alaska, but in Belize, Central America of all places! After a sailing trip in a group, my friend and I had breakfast with them one morning. Off-handedly, she mentioned the experience and book. 7 months later after looking at some photos, I was reminded of it, and sent for it.
   What a nice surprise! I Loved it! Not only was it interesting and inspiring, but the girl can write too! I cried several times and cheered her on. I'm passing it on to my neighbor for her trip this weekend. My only regret is that I hadn't known about her or her book before we met briefly. I would have talked her ear off with questions. So, when's the movie coming out!

5 comments about Telling: A Memoir of Rape and Recovery.

1. This is an absolutely unforgettable book because of Francisco's honesty and openess, as well as the clarity and beauty of her writing. I read this book a year ago, and have read many books since then, but the author's story of perserverance has stayed with me.



2. This was the 1st book I read on my road to recovery 35 years after having been a victim. It helped give me the courage, strength and hope to move forward toward on my own journey towards healing.



3. As difficult as it was for me to read this book, due to it's similarity to my experience, I found it to be so extremely compelling--I couldn't put it down! Ms.Francisco has an incredible command of the English language and was able to communicate in painful detail, her inner-most thoughts and feelings, before, during and after the rape. As I read this book, I went through and highlighted many many many passages that I felt pertained directly to me.....so that my husband could read it and gain better insight into what I was and still am thinking. This is a wonderful, amazing book, that both rape survivors and non-rape survivors can benefit from.



4. This was truly a great book. I could identify so well with all that was said. I had all the members of my family read it and have recommended it to many because it is of such high quality.



5. What courage to share this experience for the benefit of many. As more women share the experience of rape and the devastating affects on the lives of the victims the more we can do to help. Another great story is Ultimate Power Enemy Within the Ranks by a woman officer in the Army. Both are telling and offer hope for the many victims who need help.

5 comments about Molly Brown: Unraveling the Myth.

1. It's wonderful and refreshing to finally find a book that speaks the whole truth about who this honorable lady was! I'm glad that I bought this book and I highly recommend it to all Titanic and Margaret Brown fans.
   Rosita Tanza



2. This book was requested and purchased for a retirement center library. I manage the retirement center and the library committee was most anxious to get this book. I had toured the Titanic in Branson in July and saw the book on display in the gift shop there. When I was telling of the Titanic Tour, all the residents were so interested in having Ms. Iversen's book for our library. So far, we have given it RAVE REVIEWS!



3. I bought this book at the Molly Brown House and Museum in Denver, a few weeks ago. I like biographies, autobiographies, and well-written historical fiction about the lives of women, so this one caught my eye. I was not disappointed.
   
   Dr. Iverson brought Margaret (Molly) Brown to life in context with the Victorian Age she part of. I delighted in all the little details of family and friends, fashions, travel, politics, and society that enriched this biography, for none of us exist in a vaccum.
   
   Margaret Tobin Brown, an interesting philanthropist and activist who was way ahead of her time, has at last been given the respect she deserves, rather than trivializing her as merely Molly Brown, the crude, opportunistic, unsinkable wife of Mr. Brown.



4. I thoroughly enjoyed this book on the "unsinkable" Molly Brown, probably the most famous Titanic survivor. There are some many myths out there about this woman, hopefully this book will help to set the record straight. For one thing, Mrs. Brown was never called "Molly" while she was alive, but "Margaret". She was a very generous, caring and compassionate woman and was definitely ahead of her times. She was independent and was not afraid to stand up for her rights and worked tirelessly toward women's equal rights. She also spent a lot of time, energy and money in helping the not so fortunate people. She was involved in many charities and philanthropic organizations. She even worked toward proving miners better working conditions even though her husband owned mines. She loved to travel and was passionate about learning different languages especially French, as she loved the French culture. Also, it was very interesting to see how the upper class lived, traveled and entertained in the turn of the century in Colorado and Newport, Rhode Island.
   
   The author Kristen Iversen does a splendid job in researching the life of this amazing woman and putting together all the facts without making it boring. A very interesting book on a very interesting lady!



5. As another reviewer points out, it is good to read a book with the facts on Margaret Tobin Brown. Iversen writes well. There is some academic women's studies-type jargon that doesn't fit in well, and makes me wonder if Iversen felt obligated to put it in.
   
   I would have liked to read more about her time in Leadville and her last years in Europe, both of which are covered pretty sparingly. The Titanic episode seems to be retold about three times, but I guess that's how you sell books.

5 comments about Maya Angelou: A Glorious Celebration.

1. This is indeed a glorious coffee table book. At present I've got a copy on my night table, on my kitchen counter, one in each of my bathrooms, and one for my patio table. The book store has ordered me a copy of the new water proof dust jacket so I can keep a copy down by the pool. I had been looking for a good picture book of my other favorite poets, Ezra Pound, Wallace Stevens, T.S. Eliot, and William Carlos Williams, but theirs were all out of print. I would keep my newest copy on my living room coffee table were it not for my copies of Hillary and Bill Clinton's autobiographies. This is really as extraordinary a book as one could wish for. Happy birthday, Maya. I hope to see you you at Barack's inauguration, again behind the podium, reciting another beautiful poem in that mellifluous voice.



2. A Glorious Celebration makes a wonderful coffee table book. Everyone who comes to my house gravitates to the book. Also makes a great gift for book lovers. May Angelou is just phenomenal in her writings. I recommend this book wholeheartedly.



3. I assumed that this book would include some of Maya Angelou's writings. It didn't. I enjoyed looking at the photos and reading about her, but I intended this as a gift to someone who had never read her writings.



4. I've never read anything about or by Maya Angelou that I didn't love.
   This book is the feature on my bookshelf.... I need another copy to keep next to my nightstand!



5. The latest testimony to the life of a gifted writer. Includes many historic pictures.

5 comments about A Lotus Grows in the Mud.

1. Goldie Hawn is one of Hollywood's more interesting stars, since not only has she more or less had a hit or miss track record with movies, but she managed to last over 30 years in a business where it was more likely for her to be a flash in the pan. But still, she's a gifted woman, possessing the ability to make you forget your problems and just laugh, if only for an hour and a half.
   
   That's why I was thrilled to read her memoir. Admittedly, she doesn't reveal much dirt about Hollywood life (though she does mention her personality clashes with Walter Matthau and Jonathan Demme), and at times it feels like she is holding back instead of being brutally honest. I strongly believe if you are going to tell your story, you have to do it all the way or not at all, but Goldie even admits she's going to hold back, for better or for worse, and does not apologize.
   
   More a collection of stories than one cohesive story, they are all wonderful and uplifting. The best ones are the beginning ones, about the days before she was famous. Some of the highlights include "Integrity," a story about how Al Capp tried to seduce her, only for her to refuse and have him tell her she'd never make it in show business (famous last words), and for her to make it before his show made the air, and others, such as one where the power goes out, and a bunch of strangers and her comfort each other in the dark of her apartment, with candles burning.
   
   Goldie Hawn fans may enjoy this more than others, and if you want a tell-all book dishing the dirt on Hollywood, this is not the book for you. If you want to read a collection of stories, with the theme of "what's less is more," you won't be disappointed.



2. Until I read this book, I knew Goldie Hawn as a funny and wonderful and lovable actress. After reading it, I realized she was much, much more. She is a wise, extraordinary woman.
   
   This book flows seamlessly between Goldie's memorable life experiences and her reflections upon these. She teaches by example a way to look at life with a perspective I found compelling because it includes gratitude and generosity not only to those around us but also to ourselves and those who came before us. Goldie shares her life challenges, doubts, and confusions as well as her joys. I felt the turmoil and triumphs of her relationships with friends, family, and the arts, especially dance, as her words carried me along with her on her captivating journey.
   
   This is not a "self help" book, but I found out more about myself as I learned more about Goldie's experiences. Her willingness to share fear, vulnerability, pain, as well as spirituality, love, and joy are so forthright that it was easy to make a personal connection with Goldie through the good times and the bad.
   
   One resounding message comes through that I can't be reminded about enough. Being a compassionate parent, appreciative child, a great friend or lover, offer us opportunities to give and receive unconditional love - a profoundly nurturing source of strength, comfort, and self-generosity.
   
   It was as if the more I read Goldie tell her stories, the more aware I became of my own. I now enjoy friends, family, and indeed each new day with a brighter smile - and I'm not surprised because Goldie's smile has kilowatts to spare.



3. I didn't know a lot about Goldie Hawn when I bought this book. I love biographies and since I had always had a great impression of her, thought it would be interesting. The pretty cover also helped!
   This is a wonderful book about a wonderful person! It was very interesting to learn about Goldie Hawn's childhood and career path. I was happy to know there is such a great person who struggled yet achieved so much, simply for trying to live a happy life.
   Goldie Hawn is a great example and role model of a person who truly appreciates life for what it is!
   This is an emotional, funny and inspirational book. Easy to read, I felt this is a true story written from the bottom of her heart. This book shows a humble, strong yet normal person just like a lot of non-famous people like a lot of us.
   It is great to know there are extraordinary people in the world, such as Goldie Hawn!



4. Goldie's autobiography is a spiritual journey through her life - its touching and sincere accounts of life-changing events gives the reader a unique view into the life of a movie icon. What you realize is that Goldie is one of us - yes, an amazingly accomplished actress, but also a loyal friend, a loving mom, and a genuine, down-to-earth person.
   
   Most noteworthy is the fact that Goldie did not find the need to disparage anyone from her past in order to accurately tell her story.
   
   If possible, I'm more of a fan after reading her book.



5. This is undoubtedly one of the best books I have read and the best "biography" I've seen!
   
   In a collection of "short stories," Goldie expresses to readers her joy for life and all that it has to offer! Through ups and downs in life, she tells those reading how to find the shiny side of any issue, though her own life journey!
   
   DIVINE! A must read, especially for anyone down and out!

3 comments about WOMAN GOD CAN USE, A.

1. I really enjoyed this book. It was very insightful on the Women of The Bible. Sometimes when you read certain stories you miss things. One of the stories was about Abigal & Leah and the difficulties that they had in their marriage. Alice Matthews pointed out how Leah turned from wanting the love of her husband to wanting and appreciating the love of God. Abigail was married to Nabal who was a very unpleasant man to live with. She dealt with this situation with the grace that God gave her. I am not married but it showed me how to appreciate what I have instead of focusing on what I do not have.



2. I have always loved reading the Old Testament and being fascinated with the stories of all the characters mentioned in the Bible. The book written by Alice Mathews with the emphasis on women in the Bible brought back fond memories when I first read about these characters many years ago. Only this time she distilled everything for me into bits that I could immediately relate to and with practical application - not just mere stories.
   
   A very interesting bit that mustn't be missed is the Proverbs 31 woman (I used to feel 'overwhelmed' each time I read about her) - she is as normal as any woman like you and me, but what makes her special? You'll find out in this book.
   
   God used these women mightily during their time despite their circumstances. The lives of these women: Ruth, Rahab, Hannah and many more (even Eve!), will inspire us to live boldly and purposefully for God. Whatever our circumstances are, whether in our normal daily living, or suffering from depression, or enduring abuse, etc., we are encouraged and will be strengthened just like these women of ancient times.



3. This seemingly unassuming book has caused so much thought and personal growth in my life. I found I was able to connect with Ms Mathews words, her descriptions, explanations, and connections with absolute assurance that she was sharing Biblical truth.

   I would recommend this book to any woman, of any age, who is looking to deepen her relationship with our Lord. Furthermore, the Old Testament seems to have gotten lost, almost forgotten, in our modern, Christian world....Alice brings it all back to us, and with such applicability.

2 comments about Again Calls the Owl.

1. Interesting, particularly when M. Craven talks about writing "I heard the owl call my name".



2. Margaret Craven really emphasized the fact that no matter what you go through you can still accomplish your goals. She got blind from an accident and then did what she could to fulfill her dream, to write 2 more books. One about the Indian Life and the last one about her childhood days. This book was just an enjoyable biography!

5 comments about The Lives of the Muses: Nine Women & the Artists They Inspired.

1. Prose's writing here is, as always, enjoyable, but despite all the awards this book has garnered, for the most part it just seems to go round and round, pretty much telling the same story 9 times: the tale of a woman who serves as inspiration to a self-centered male artistic genius of one sort or another until such time, of course, as the man no longer perceives any muselike benefits to be accruing to him from the relationship.
   
   The need/desire/failure of the muse to be recognized in her own right is a major issue in most of the cases discussed, but the fact remains that most people will recognize only a few of the muses for their own celebrity, much less for any enduring accomplishment. I'll therefore accept the risk of being struck by a lightning bolt here by listing the book's contents by reference to the men rather than the muses, and you can decide for yourself: Dr. Samuel Johnson (Hester Thrale); Charles Dodgson, i.e., Lewis Carroll (Alice Liddell, i.e., Alice in Wonderland); Dante Gabriel Rossetti (Elizabeth Siddal); Nietszche, Rilke & Freud (Lou Andreas-Salome); Salvador Dali (Gala Dali); Man Ray (Lee Miller); Edward Weston (Charis Weston); Balanchine (Suzanne Farrell); and John Lennon (Yoko Ono). If any of these folks are of particular interest to you, I'd encourage a reading of at least the chapter devoted to them, but the whole "muse" theme itself is not one that needs this much repetitive elaboration, even given the fact that the duos discussed span a time period where things supposedly have changed for women generally.



2. Francine Prose is a fierce, frequently eloquent and extremely intelligent writer. Her refreshingly snarky style makes this one of the most dare-I-say fun biographies I've read. Gala Dali, Charis Weston and Yoko Ono inspire the best of her sharp wit. There are even some lol moments: "...Charis Weston's marriage to the photographer Edward Weston...illustrate(s) what her sister muses were resisting: the unpleasantness that can result when a muse's duties change from posing nude in the sand dunes to cataloging negatives and shopping for organic crackers." That's so bitchy, I love it. Or: "In the early 1970's, Gala [Dali], approaching eighty, developed a consuming passion for an ethereal Midwesterner named Jeff Feinholt, who was playing the title part in the Broadway production of 'Jesus Christ Superstar',and who displayed a tendency to conflate himself with his stage role." And this, on John and Yoko's "Two Virgins" (gag): "The recording features whistling, caterwauling, groaning, wailing, moaning, shrieking, samplings of old records, the sound of guitars being tuned and strummed, background noise, scraps of conversation. The result is so dull that only incipient passion and the promise of sex (that is, some appropriate reenactment of the circumstances under which it was made) could persuade someone to listen until the end... One would have to be in the grip of a very high sexual fever to be charmed by this, or to imagine that it was art, or that it should have been distributed and sold. It's no wonder that Beatles fans... felt gloomy about the prospects of further Ono-Lennon collaboration." Ouch! Ballerina Suzanne Farrell gets the best treatment, as Prose believes (with cause) that it was Ballanchine who was Farrell's muse, not the other way around. Lee Miller, Man Ray's model/assistant, gets the praise she well deserves for her own art, but Prose never mentions the appalling misogyny of Man Ray's life and work, which might have been relevant to Lee Miller's troubles later in life. Similarly, in deference to his contribution to literature, she shies a bit around the very smarmy reality of Charles Dodgson's "hobby." Prose saves most of her ire for photographer Edward Weston, who comes across as a total jerk. I only wish she'd included the picture of Charis naked in the gas mask: "Clearly, Weston's view of his muse had come a long way - straight down - from his vision of the gorgeous, radiantly sensuous angel sprawled on the sand dunes at Oceano." In fact, my only complaint about this book is - I wanted more pictures. It's frustrating to read descriptions of art without a plate to refer to. And, though it's obvious why she limited herself to 9 women, there are others who might have been more interesting, perhaps, than Elizabeth Siddal or Lou Andreas-Salome. I'd have loved to read Prose's take on Scott and Zelda. And - for something more contemporary -- what about Eminem and Kim? Now that would be funny... This book is definitely not for everyone, but if you're interested in Women and Art, and you don't mind a twist of feminist lemon in your writing, you might enjoy it very much.



3. Unlike many other reviewers, who thought the author expected too much knowledge of their readers in terms of who the artists depicted in this book are, I actually enjoyed not knowing too much about them. I would think that if I had known much about them, I would have had some pre-conceived notions and may have looked more towards the life of the artists rather than the ones that are really taking the focal point in Francine Prose's unusual book - the muses.
   
   What is a muse? What does the word mean and what do we as readers in a modern society think of a muse? What is the muse's actual influence on the artist who they serve and do these special relations always include romantic notions? These are the types of questions the author tries to examine in the book. In order to do so, the reader is introduced to nine women who lived at different times, range in their age, economical and social status and have very different influence on the artists they serve. While the artist generally plays a minor role in these short examinations, the muse is examined through excellent research of historical data, letters and personal notes as well as the artwork they influenced. We get to know each muse extremely well and learn how she became involved with the artist, what her exact role was and how the artist used her in his quest for creation. Some women stumbled into becoming muses, some pursued being a muse. Some took a very active role in their "muse-hood", some were more passive. Some of these women used the power they had over their artist, while others were unaware of the their influence. Some became artists themselves and some pursued an ordinary life. These differences are what kept me interested in the book and its thesis.
   
   Francine Prose does a fine job at drawing lively portraits of the characters that fill the pages of her book, the social and economical situation they find themselves in, who they are as individuals and ultimately, what became of them. I found the book wonderfully organized with each chapter standing as a self-contained story. While together they draw a very encompassing picture of "muse-hood". I may not want to become a muse myself, but I certainly learned much about some of them and found their life stories worth spending time on.



4. I didn't know much about any of these women except Lou Salome and Yoko Ono before I read "Lives of the Muses," but I enjoyed learning about all of them. I found Lee Miller's ability to be both artist and muse especially inspiring.



5. This book aimed to sell on its claim to fame which hinged upon the juicy account of the lives of 9 femme fatale who purportedly launched the careers many great men in history. This book sucked precisely because these "juicy" accounts teetered toward tacky sensationalism; the writing no more refined than tabloid-style prose; and the manner in which the author attempted to connect the unconnected lives in a bid to justify the publication of the title was incoherent and done in poor taste. The book is an eye sore and an abomination...avoid it at all cost.