Eat, Pray, Love: One Woman's Search for Everything Across Italy, India and Indonesia

Book Description

This beautifully written, heartfelt memoir touched a nerve among both readers and reviewers. Elizabeth Gilbert tells how she made the difficult choice to leave behind all the trappings of modern American success (marriage, house in the country, career) and find, instead, what she truly wanted from life. Setting out for a year to study three different aspects of her nature amid three different cultures, Gilbert explored the art of pleasure in Italy and the art of devotion in India, and then a balance between the two on the Indonesian island of Bali. By turns rapturous and rueful, this wise and funny author (whom Booklist calls “Anne Lamott's hip, yoga- practicing, footloose younger sister”) is poised to garner yet more adoring fans.

Customer Reviews:

Good For A Dentist Office.......2007-10-09

Why does this book remind me of all the soul searching of celebrities going in and coming out of Rehab? I felt like I was reading the vapid travelogue of a LA Valley girl, not a New Yorker. Like it was especially written for Oprah. There's nothing new or really that insightful about the subjects or places she covers... If you're going to write about Divorce, Love and God, please tell me something new because it's covered ground - stamped down to bedrock actually. "Over-indulgent, cliched, search-for-self by well to do 30-40 something woman" is right. You would think that she might draw out the characters she meets - and they might be interesting - but they're all cute little caricatures on the blissful way to Bali. None of them are remotely real. It reads like a travel narrative that is worth picking up at the doctor's office, but not when you have so many other better books to read. Yes, I'm a man. But I worship other female authors. Karen Blixen, Virginia Woolf, Gertrude Stein; they have minds. Are we that lost that we have read this regurgitated self love spoiled goddess hippy lore and call it original? She should really get off the meds and think about what she's writing about. Not just write down drivel so she can feel happy about herself. But then she's laughing herself all the way to the bank.

Pleasantly surprised, and touched........2007-10-08

I was almost embarrassed to read this, given the book's sappy title and its inherent "Oprahness". I ended up enjoying it immensely. I admit, too, that I was deeply jealous of Gilbert (Italy, India, Indonesia...wow!), but I came to like her for her enthusiasm and her guilelessness. Many might find her spiritual quest a bit offputting, but this book is really less about finding your soul and more about learning to love life and love yourself. It's about making your life what you want it to be, and then letting go. Anyone who has been in an unsatisfying marriage, who has dealt with depression, who has cried out her guts on a cold bathroom floor (yes, it's a scene from the book)..should read this book. If I had more courage, and money, about a decade ago, I would have done exactly what Gilbert did, because I was in a very similar place. As I read this book, I slowly grew to like the author more and more, even when it's obvious she was being used by her Balinese friend, and even when she goes to great lengths (in oh-so-politically correct terms) to justify the crass greed that her friend exhibits. Gilbert puts her heart on a platter for her readers. She can infuriate, she can be a bit too self involved, and she can sometimes give us a little too much information. But she's given us a gift here. This book will be good for those it's good for. If you are intrigued by the subject, you will probably like it.

Assuming, of course, that you are female. I think this is a chick book exclusively.

The ratings.......2007-10-08

What's interesting to me is that 74% of the reviews (that's 368 out of 495) gave this book a 4 to a 5 rating. Most were 5 ratings. I believe 495 reviews on any book is exceptional participation. I also find it interesting that those who rated this book a 1 or 2 were just 90 people or 18%. A very few of you thought it was a 3. Wow......what is amazing to me is how most if not all of the lower ratings were vapid and cruel. That's pretty sad!

I'm a dedicated student of A Course in Mircales and I do a lot of spiritual reading. I don't claim or profess to have any part of the market cornered on evolution and becoming a more authentic person, but when the truth is presented in such a way that there is no reason to doubt, regardless of our ego's motivation to automatically do so, then that is what is called striking a chord. When a chord is struck and it resonates positive, then it is working at it's highest form. When a chord is struck and it resonates negative, then it's working at it's lowest form. I believe they call the highest form security. I believe they call the lowest form judgement. We have choices to make every second of every day. I try to select the positive as often as possible. It doesn't always happen that way. I'm at times a spiritual skeptic, but when the author talks about being in the palm of Gods hand and what that moment was like, that is true spiritualism at it's most innocent. That is authentic. I believe this lady is authentic. She also never claims that her journey is the only way to achieve that level of truth and honesty. It was her journey. You don't have to travel the world to experience the same thing. She claims there are three things we each can do every day, and that is:

1. Every morning ask yourself "what do I want today?". This can be about anything.
2. Every day chant your mantra. Perhaps something that accentuates the positive about yourself to the exact spot on your personal journey and destination.
3. Every evening before turning in for the night, recall the 1 happy thing from the day.

I think this is good advice. We can all do this and it immediately brings us into a better frame of right mindedness. That's the best place to be. I'm truly sorry for those of you who thought this was a waste of time and felt the need to attack. There are better places in our minds to function that requires no attack. It's much less painful. I believe that she has a lot to teach and we can always use another good lesson.

Peace!

Such shallow self-discovery should be saved for our teen years........2007-10-08

I picked this up at an airport while traveling and opened it on the plane. I started rolling my eyes on the second page and pretty much didn't stop rolling them until I stopped reading. This is basically the author's self-indulgent and clicheed 'search for herself' that reads like every other wealthy, overindulged 30 or 40-something woman's mid life crisis.

In the beginning she leaves her husband and marriage and indulges in a quick rebound relationship that (she will tell you, with some shock) did not work! Imagine. And then she decides to find herself by traveling to three geographical locations where she will indulge in some particular part of her inner self.

Along the way, she meets cardboard cut-outs. Well, she will tell you that they are people, but they are more like a combination of character-composites and wishful thinking. The old woman on the bench in the park who dispenses wisdom and then hobbles away into the mist. The young Italian boy who - as he struggles to learn English - also dispenses wisdom beyond his years and points her further along her path. If these were written as fictional characters you wouldn't believe them. Written as real autobiographical experiences, they are cringe-makingly annoying. And there are more of these 'characters' at every turn, she would have you believe! Though for the record, I don't believe she meant them as an insult to the readers' intelligence. Maybe she thought they were metaphors.

Anyway, her journey continues beyond Italy, and when I realized I had two more countries to visit with the author's angst and shallow self-discovery and pretend real people met with the express purpose of reflecting what she would like to 'learn' (lessons that most of us will have learned far earlier in life before more interesting lessons presented themselves) - I had to give it up.

I know it's categorized as autobiographical, but there's little reality or wisdom to be found here unless it is of a 'Cosmo's Guide To Finding Yourself - see page 131 for details!!!' variety. Actually come to think of it, it may have been perfect for that medium.

A travelogue, personal memoir and "turn your life around" credo all in one........2007-10-08

In my new book "Crafting the Travel Guidebook" I talk about different categories. There is the travel memoir/essay. There is also the self-help category that includes all those manuals on how to live a better life that are shelved over in the Religion/Philosophy/Self-Help section of a bookstore. And of course there is the autobiographical memoir that covers a portion of the author's life where a transformation takes place.

And then there are combinations--what I call the "magical, mystery tour" which can include books on finding oneself through travel and also travel guides to holy or uplifting places.

Eat, Pray, Love is the perfect pairing of the literary travel memoir and the modern "I have everything but I'm still not happy so I have to find my inner salvation" book. Self-fulfillment tomes can be a bore in some hands, but luckily Elizabeth Gilbert is a very good writer. She published several magazine articles and a novel or two before she started on this journey and her ability to limn characters (even her own literary one) is evident in her work. There is also the humor and those descriptions of food!

When I saw Gilbert on Oprah I was rather shocked by her appearance. I couldn't believe that this woman with blonde-streaked hair, wearing an off-the-shoulder black cocktail dress stayed at an ashram in India and a village in Bali! Luckily they displayed background shots of the `real" Elizabeth during her voyage and you could see a fairly plain Jane with brown hair done in a simple cut, and a standard issue white blouse. I guess the TV trainers insist that anyone appearing on Oprah has to have an instant glamour makeover.

Let's face it: most of us recovering from a doomed affair or a messy divorce do not have the money or the freedom from responsibility to go off for a year of eating, drinking, practicing meditation and whatnot. So I'm a little envious. And the fact that Elizabeth can attract people and make instant friends is a trait not found in everyone. They ought to put a little label on this book: Do not attempt to try this on your own. After all, the next American woman to set sail after a nasty breakup might find that her pocketbook is stolen in Rome, that she gets food poisoning in India and is attacked by religious fanatics in Indonesia!

But this is a worthwhile journey and most anyone who has gone through a heartbreaking affair or an empty marriage will find some empathy here. Gilbert wisely forgoes any nasty details relating to her marriage. Good thing too, because this book has become such a hit, that the ex-husband might sue for libel if anything had been said against him. And when it comes to minute description of characters and culture (rather than of nature and monuments)this woman is a master. I hope she goes on to other things and is not stuck churning out postscripts to Eat,Pray,Love for the rest of her life.

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream

Average customer rating:

Obama Stakes Out Centrist Ground
Hope and Compromise
A New Kind of Politics
Uplifting and inspirational
Five starts on the title alone

The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Barack Obama
Manufacturer: Crown
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

African-American & Black | Ethnic & National | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Congresses, Senates, & Legislative Bodies | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
State of Denial: Bush at War, Part III
The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)
Barack Obama: Working to Make a Difference (Gateway Biographies)
You: On A Diet: The Owner's Manual for Waist Management

ASIN: 0307237699
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Amazon.com

Barack Obama's first book, Dreams from My Father, was a compelling and moving memoir focusing on personal issues of race, identity, and community. With his second book The Audacity of Hope, Obama engages themes raised in his keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic National Convention, shares personal views on faith and values and offers a vision of the future that involves repairing a "political process that is broken" and restoring a government that has fallen out of touch with the people. We had the opportunity to ask Senator Obama a few questions about writing, reading, and politics--see his responses below. --Daphne Durham

20 Second Interview: A Few Words with Barack Obama

Q: How did writing a book that you knew would be read so closely by so many compare to writing your first book, when few people knew who you were?
A: In many ways, Dreams from My Father was harder to write. At that point, I wasn't even sure that I could write a book. And writing the first book really was a process of self-discovery, since it touched on my family and my childhood in a much more intimate way. On the other hand, writing The Audacity of Hope paralleled the work that I do every day--trying to give shape to all the issues that we face as a country, and providing my own personal stamp on them.

Q: What is your writing process like? You have such a busy schedule, how did you find time to write?
A: I'm a night owl, so I usually wrote at night after my Senate day was over, and after my family was asleep--from 9:30 p.m. or so until 1 a.m. I would work off an outline--certain themes or stories that I wanted to tell--and get them down in longhand on a yellow pad. Then I'd edit while typing in what I'd written.

Q: If readers are to come away from The Audacity of Hope with one action item (a New Year's Resolution for 2007, perhaps?), what should it be?
A: Get involved in an issue that you're passionate about. It almost doesn't matter what it is--improving the school system, developing strategies to wean ourselves off foreign oil, expanding health care for kids. We give too much of our power away, to the professional politicians, to the lobbyists, to cynicism. And our democracy suffers as a result.

Q: You're known for being able to work with people across ideological lines. Is that possible in today's polarized Washington?
A: It is possible. There are a lot of well-meaning people in both political parties. Unfortunately, the political culture tends to emphasize conflict, the media emphasizes conflict, and the structure of our campaigns rewards the negative. I write about these obstacles in chapter 4 of my book, "Politics." When you focus on solving problems instead of scoring political points, and emphasize common sense over ideology, you'd be surprised what can be accomplished. It also helps if you're willing to give other people credit--something politicians have a hard time doing sometimes.

Q: How do you make people passionate about moderate and complex ideas?
A: I think the country recognizes that the challenges we face aren't amenable to sound-bite solutions. People are looking for serious solutions to complex problems. I don't think we need more moderation per se--I think we should be bolder in promoting universal health care, or dealing with global warming. We just need to understand that actually solving these problems won't be easy, and that whatever solutions we come up with will require consensus among groups with divergent interests. That means everybody has to listen, and everybody has to give a little. That's not easy to do.

Q: What has surprised you most about the way Washington works?
A: How little serious debate and deliberation takes place on the floor of the House or the Senate.

Q: You talk about how we have a personal responsibility to educate our children. What small thing can the average parent (or person) do to help improve the educational system in America? What small thing can make a big impact?
A: Nothing has a bigger impact than reading to children early in life. Obviously we all have a personal obligation to turn off the TV and read to our own children; but beyond that, participating in a literacy program, working with parents who themselves may have difficulty reading, helping their children with their literacy skills, can make a huge difference in a child's life.

Q: Do you ever find time to read? What kinds of books do you try to make time for? What is on your nightstand now?
A: Unfortunately, I had very little time to read while I was writing. I'm trying to make up for lost time now. My tastes are pretty eclectic. I just finished Marilynne Robinson's Gilead, a wonderful book. The language just shimmers. I've started Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin, which is a great study of Lincoln as a political strategist. I read just about anything by Toni Morrison, E.L. Doctorow, or Philip Roth. And I've got a soft spot for John le Carre.

Q: What inspires you? How do you stay motivated?
A: I'm inspired by the people I meet in my travels--hearing their stories, seeing the hardships they overcome, their fundamental optimism and decency. I'm inspired by the love people have for their children. And I'm inspired by my own children, how full they make my heart. They make me want to work to make the world a little bit better. And they make me want to be a better man.

Book Description

“A government that truly represents these Americans–that truly serves these Americans–will require a different kind of politics. That politics will need to reflect our lives as they are actually lived. It won’t be pre-packaged, ready to pull off the shelf. It will have to be constructed from the best of our traditions and will have to account for the darker aspects of our past. We will need to understand just how we got to this place, this land of warring factions and tribal hatreds. And we’ll need to remind ourselves, despite all our differences, just how much we share: common hopes, common dreams, a bond that will not break.”
–from The Audacity of Hope

In July 2004, Barack Obama electrified the Democratic National Convention with an address that spoke to Americans across the political spectrum. One phrase in particular anchored itself in listeners’ minds, a reminder that for all the discord and struggle to be found in our history as a nation, we have always been guided by a dogged optimism in the future, or what Senator Obama called “the audacity of hope.”

Now, in The Audacity of Hope, Senator Obama calls for a different brand of politics–a politics for those weary of bitter partisanship and alienated by the “endless clash of armies” we see in congress and on the campaign trail; a politics rooted in the faith, inclusiveness, and nobility of spirit at the heart of “our improbable experiment in democracy.” He explores those forces–from the fear of losing to the perpetual need to raise money to the power of the media–that can stifle even the best-intentioned politician. He also writes, with surprising intimacy and self-deprecating humor, about settling in as a senator, seeking to balance the demands of public service and family life, and his own deepening religious commitment.

At the heart of this book is Senator Obama’s vision of how we can move beyond our divisions to tackle concrete problems. He examines the growing economic insecurity of American families, the racial and religious tensions within the body politic, and the transnational threats–from terrorism to pandemic–that gather beyond our shores. And he grapples with the role that faith plays in a democracy–where it is vital and where it must never intrude. Underlying his stories about family, friends, members of the Senate, even the president, is a vigorous search for connection: the foundation for a radically hopeful political consensus.

A senator and a lawyer, a professor and a father, a Christian and a skeptic, and above all a student of history and human nature, Senator Obama has written a book of transforming power. Only by returning to the principles that gave birth to our Constitution, he says, can Americans repair a political process that is broken, and restore to working order a government that has fallen dangerously out of touch with millions of ordinary Americans. Those Americans are out there, he writes–“waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them.”

Customer Reviews:

Obama Stakes Out Centrist Ground.......2007-10-09

I routinely give history books five stars, but I am compelled to limit this one to four. The political manifesto is limited as a genre, and I was not quite ready after Obama's last book to be brought back down to earth. The stories in this book, while by turns sad and funny, are no longer told for their own sakes like the ones in "Dreams from my Father," but to illustrate a point. Still, Obama manages to be polemical without being strident. When they deserve it in his view, he bestows credit and even praise on individual Republicans, and quotes the sage advice that President Bush once gave him -- that he was rising so spectacularly that people on his own side might come to see him as a threat. He also has a lot of praise for his staff members, listing the more senior ones by name and telling stories of things he and they discovered at the same time.

The leading characteristic of this book is that Obama strives to be Informed about every issue he comments on. Accordingly, he attacks those on the extreme poles of the debate on all these issues for encouraging their constituents not to be informed. He will frequently say, in so many words, that while Republicans need to acknowledge X, Democrats equally need to acknowledge Y. The eighth chapter, "The World Beyond Our Borders," indicates even if his more recent rhetoric did not that if you are looking for a candidate who will get our troops out of Iraq quickly, Barack Obama is probably not your man. He reminds me of no one, in fact, so much as Bill Clinton in his knowledgeable approach to the issues, bolstered frequently by statistics.

My favorite chapters were the third chapter -- in which Obama sets forth his view of the Constitution, and talks of his respectful meeting with onetime Klansman Sen. Robert Byrd -- and the sixth chapter, where he talks about religion and his race against Alan Keyes (having discussed most of his other political opponents in the previous four chapters). While he beat Keyes handily, Keyes made him more uncomfortable than the others for his implicit charge that Obama's faith is insincere or "adulterated," the word Obama uses. From this chapter, however, I gleaned that Obama's faith is hard-won. He had higher expectations of religion perhaps than most, a higher threshhold that he insisted it meet before he would embrace it; but he is sincere. Keyes has now entered the Presidential race (his third try for his party's nomination); I suspect that more than anything he wants another crack at Obama. In the last chapter before the epilogue, we see Obama as a family man, a side of him which didn't make it into his first book.

Obama writes far more readable and entertaining books than the Clintons do -- which doesn't necessarily mean he would make a better President than either of them. But I am glad he exists. He is one of those singular people who seek to prove we as a nation are who we say we are. If I was teaching American history in an inner-city school, and was not compelled to use the same books as everyone else in the state, Obama would be one of five or so authors I would assign. (Did I mention his insights on the need to completely restructure public education, shared in the fifth chapter, "Opportunity"? He's a bit short on details of his solution here, however.) As mentioned above, I give this book four stars.

Hope and Compromise.......2007-10-04

I am particularly struck by the contrast of Obama and George W. Bush. Obama stays in touch with the masses by talking in air terminals and wherever he finds them in public. Jim Wallis (author of "God's Politics: Why the Right Gets It Wrong and the Left Doesn't Get It") comments from his meeting the President:

"And he (George W. Bush) really did listen, more than presidents often do. He also asked questions. One sounded lofty, yet it resonated with those of us seated around the room: 'How do I speak to the soul of America?' My answer to that was simple: Focus on the children. Their plight is our shame, I told him, and their promise is our future. Reach them and you reach our soul. Bush nodded in agreement. The conversation was rich and deep for more than an hour and a half.

When the discussion officially ended, Bush moved around the room, talking with us individually or in small groups for another hour. I could see that his staff was anxious to whisk him away (cabinet appointments were being made that week and there were key departments yet to fill). Yet he lingered and continued to ask questions. At one point, he turned to me and said, with what I could only read as complete sincerity, 'Jim, I don't understand poor people. I've never lived with poor people or been around poor people much. I don't understand what they think and feel about a lot of things. I'm just a white Republican guy who doesn't get it. How do I get it?'"

Here, in Obama's book, Obama is an ordinary American who has entered a lofty position in Washington, but he has not forgotten the people, not only the people of America, but of Indonesia and Kenya as well.

Obama's style is assertive, with a stunning line or two for each chapter.

Still, I believe Obama isn't spot on. When he speaks of hope, for example, the word opportunity would be more exacting and prospective. While Obama speaks of compromise, it would be appropriate to examine areas of agreement, but work towards independent solutions rather than compromise.

A New Kind of Politics.......2007-09-30

"They are out there, I think to myself, those ordinary citizens who have grown up in the midst of all the political and cultural battles.....They are out there, waiting for Republicans and Democrats to catch up with them".

That statement sets the tone for Senator Obama's refreshingly honest look at policy and politics. In this book, you'll find Obama as open to pointing out flaws in conventional liberal thinking as he is to criticizing his opponents on the right. Likewise, he praises certain aspects of Reagan's policy as openly as he criticizes other parts of it, or as openly as he applauds Bill Clinton's policies. Obama's ability to empathize with a differing point of view, yet maintaining a firm belief in his own position is very endearing.

The most interesting aspect of the book, perhaps, is its ability to see today's issues in a historical context. When examining U.S. foreign policy, Obama first walks the reader through the positions taken by Washington, Jefferson, Woodrow Wilson, Nixon, Reagan and others in trying to preserve America's national interests through interventions abroad. Likewise, when looking at the role of faith in American politics, Obama starts by giving the readers a glimpse of the how America's founding fathers thought about these issues, and how the cultural and social changes in the sixties eventually led the religious right to start playing a more active role in politics.

Obama also talks openly about his family, and his experiences while growing up, that have shaped him as a person. While talking about racial issues, he is comfortable talking about personal experiences that offer him hope. He's equally comfortable talking about his initiation into faith, having been brought up by a mother who wasn't religious.

If you're looking to understand the details of policy that Obama would champion if elected President, this book doesn't offer you a lot. However, what it gives you is the framework of beliefs which shape how Obama thinks about politics and policy. It lives true to its title, and offers hope for a new kind of politics, one that would help us all get closer to the American Dream. All in all, a very enjoyable read, and highly recommended.

Uplifting and inspirational.......2007-09-22

Regardless of their political affiliations, it's hard to find a person who doesn't think Barack Obama isn't a decent guy. He never tries to oversell himself and doesn't claim to know everything. He's also very down to Earth and isn't afraid to admit when he's made mistakes. All of these qualities have made Obama a successful politician who may be rewarded with the ultimate prize in November 2008.

However, in addition to being a good politician, Obama also happens to be an excellent writer. I was very impressed with his first book, "Dreams from My Father," which is more of an autobiography than this book is. In "The Audacity of Hope," Obama explores some of the major issues facing Americans today. He does devote a chapter to politics, but also focuses on foreign policy, education, the economy, and family values. Obama peppers his chapters with personal experiences, pieces of American history, and an examination of the current state of affairs. He doesn't offer detailed, step-by-step solutions to these problems, admitting that he doesn't have all the answers. Instead, Obama presents his ideas logically, passionately, and sincerely. He has a very laid-back writing style that is very similar to the way he presents himself when speaking in public. Most importantly, he's very realistic. Obama addresses both sides of each issue and explains his views in a way that's very easy to understand and also illustrates that the senator has a lot of good common sense: something that many of his Washington counterparts are severely lacking.

I'm sure Obama must have at least been considering the idea of a presidential bid when he wrote this book, but "Audacity" isn't just a political text. It's a book about all the things that make America great, and it generates a sense of hope that things have the potential to get a heck of a lot better around here. That alone is enough of a reason to read this inspirational book written by a passionate man who was born to be a leader.

Five starts on the title alone.......2007-09-21

This is a gift for my father so I have not read it. The title and my impression are very positive but I can't help you.

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance

Average customer rating:

Dr. Gawande
Surprisingly Thought-Provoking Book
Great book for aspring doctors
A Surgeon's Notes on Performance
An excellent book about how to get better at anything

Better: A Surgeon's Notes on Performance
Atul Gawande
Manufacturer: Metropolitan Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Personal Health | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

General | Medicine | Subjects | Books

How Doctors Think
Complications: A Surgeon's Notes on an Imperfect Science
Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality
The Best American Science Writing 2006 (Best American Science Writing)
The Anatomy of Hope: How People Prevail in the Face of Illness

ASIN: 0805082115
Release Date: 2007-04-03

Book Description

The struggle to perform well is universal: each one of us faces fatigue, limited resources, and imperfect abilities in whatever we do. But nowhere is this drive to do better more important than in medicine, where lives are on the line with every decision. In his new book, Atul Gawande explores how doctors strive to close the gap between best intentions and best performance in the face of obstacles that sometimes seem insurmountable. Gawandes gripping stories of diligence, ingenuity, and what it means to do right by people take us to battlefield surgical tents in Iraq, to labor and delivery rooms in Boston, to a polio outbreak in India, and to malpractice courtrooms around the country. He discusses the ethical dilemmas of doctors participation in lethal injections, examines the influence of money on modern medicine, and recounts the astoundingly contentious history of hand washing. And as in all his writing, Gawande gives us an inside look at his own life as a practicing surgeon, offering a searingly honest firsthand account of work in a field where mistakes are both unavoidable and unthinkable. At once unflinching and compassionate, Better is an exhilarating journey narrated by arguably the best nonfiction doctor-writer around (Salon). Gawandes investigation into medical professionals and how they progress from merely good to great provides rare insight into the elements of success, illuminating every area of human endeavor.

Customer Reviews:

Dr. Gawande.......2007-09-26

I really enjoy Dr. Gawande's pieces in the New York Times and think his book is even better. He writes about specific cases that have relevance to me and my practice, and does so in an entertaining and captivating fashion. It makes me want to go back and read his New Yorker pieces.

Surprisingly Thought-Provoking Book.......2007-09-15

Initially, I was skeptical about reading this book; I started reading it feeling sure that it would be kind of hokey. Some parts of it WERE a bit hokey (like the afterword where the author gives his five ideas for being a positive deviant). But I was pleasantly surprised to find that there were many points in the book that made me stop and think a little bit more about the training that I am undergoing and what the ultimate goal of it all is. In particular, the chapters about physician involvement in executions, and the bell curve chapter concerning the performances of CF centers, really gave me pause. The book is a fairly short and quick read, but I recommend not rushing through it. I stopped after each chapter and just jotted down a note about what I was thinking at that point. It was interesting to go back later and discuss these issues with my classmates and some physicians, as well as to consider them further myself.

Great book for aspring doctors.......2007-08-27

After reading Atul Gawande's other book I was compelled to purchase his latest one and was not disappointed. Pretty much all of my reading has been medically oriented lately, but this book was fun and accessible for anyone. I recommend this book for anyone thinking of becoming a physician.

A Surgeon's Notes on Performance.......2007-08-24

The surgeon I got the book for as a gift reported that he found it very relevant.
and well written.

An excellent book about how to get better at anything.......2007-08-18

This book will be a great read for you if you're interested in the practice of medicine and how it could be done better. You'll love it if you simply enjoy lucid writing about the practice of medicine.

But this book also offers you great lessons if you want to understand how science and performance management come together as they should in business or any other field of endeavor. That's because the author sets out to answer a question that is as important for people in business as it is for people in medicine.

What does it take to be good at something when it is so easy not to be?

Gawande ways that most people, especially physicians, think that success in medicine comes from canny diagnosis, technical prowess and the ability to empathize. They think that progress in medicine comes from scientific breakthroughs and sophisticated equipment and procedures.

The reality, though, is quote different. Improved performance, according to Gawande, comes from

Diligence
Doing Right
Ingenuity

Again and again Gawande demonstrates how concentrating on patients and on performance leads to improvement for both individuals and for medical practice in general. He does this with a mix of historical examples, patient stories, statistics and stories from his own life and practice.

He divides the book into three sections corresponding to his three necessities for improvement.

In the section on Diligence the chapters are on washing hands, dealing with polio in India, and dealing with casualties from the Iraq war. The chapter on military medicine and the concentration on process improvement is worth the price of the book if you're in business. One of the most powerful lessons of this book is that process improvements can lead to dramatic improvements in performance.

The section on Doing Right deals with ethical issues that physicians face. The chapters are on medical malpractice, whether and how physicians should be involved in executions, when a physician should fight to keep a patient alive, and the problems and dilemmas of how the business side of medicine affects how medicine is practiced.

The central messages of this section are that "Choices must be made. No choice will always be right. There are ways to make our choices better." How to learn about making better choices is the subject of the third and final section of the book.

In Ingenuity or "thinking anew," Gawande covers measuring the comparative effectiveness of physicians and medical centers, relative and absolute measures of performance, the practice of obstetrics as a model of change, and how physicians in less developed countries get by without the technology and facilities that are characteristic of US medicine.

This section is about how to do better. You can sum it up this way: there is a bell curve in almost all human activities with huge variations in performance between the best and those in the middle of the pack. Measuring results is the way to get results that matter.

This book is about the practice of medicine but it's also about getting better at whatever it is that you do. Gawande's message is that "better is possible." It requires diligence and moral clarity, the willingness to try and measure outcomes, and the discipline to change what you do based on the results you get.

I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman

Average customer rating:

Really Funny
Great read, slightly depressing .
Not the fun read I expected
Waste of Time
I Feel Bad About My Neck...

I Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman
Nora Ephron
Manufacturer: Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Essays | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

Satire, General | Humor | Entertainment | Subjects | Books

General | Women's Studies | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

The Memory Keeper's Daughter
Snow Flower and the Secret Fan: A Novel
The Glass Castle: A Memoir
Suite Francaise
Crazy Salad: Some Things About Women (Modern Library Humor and Wit)

ASIN: 0307264556
Release Date: 2006-08-01

Book Description

With her disarming, intimate, completely accessible voice, and dry sense of humor, Nora Ephron shares with us her ups and downs in I Feel Bad About My Neck, a candid, hilarious look at women who are getting older and dealing with the tribulations of maintenance, menopause, empty nests, and life itself.

The woman who brought us When Harry Met Sally . . . , Sleepless in Seattle, You’ve Got Mail, and Bewitched, and the author of best sellers Heartburn, Scribble Scribble, and Crazy Salad, discusses everything—from how much she hates her purse to how much time she spends attempting to stop the clock: the hair dye, the treadmill, the lotions and creams that promise to slow the aging process but never do. Oh, and she can’t stand the way her neck looks. But her dermatologist tells her there’s no quick fix for that.

Ephron chronicles her life as an obsessed cook, passionate city dweller, and hapless parent. She recounts her anything-but-glamorous days as a White House intern during the JFK years (“I am probably the only young woman who ever worked in the Kennedy White House that the President did not make a pass at”) and shares how she fell in and out of love with Bill Clinton—from a distance, of course. But mostly she speaks frankly and uproariously about life as a woman of a certain age.

Utterly courageous, wickedly funny, and unexpectedly moving in its truth telling, I Feel Bad About My Neck is a book of wisdom, advice, and laugh-out-loud moments, a scrumptious, irresistible treat.

Customer Reviews:

Really Funny.......2007-10-05

I love the book. If I didn't laugh out loud while reading, I at least chuckled and giggled. The short essays are bright & witty.

Great read, slightly depressing ........2007-09-25

This book was funny and easy to read for anyone over 50 , if you're any younger you wont get half the jokes . It did get a little depressing towards the end , but some may just call it realistic ( about getting old and death ) .

Not the fun read I expected.......2007-09-25

Maybe it's just me, but I expected so much more from this book. I thought it would be wittier, more original, and use humor to inspire middle aged women like me. Instead I found it to be a negative read and it just brought me down. Sorry, no recommendation from me on this one.

Waste of Time.......2007-09-25

I really feel cheated out of several hours of time and the cost of the book. Instead of funny and insightful, it was whiny and shallow. I should have read the reviews at Amazon instead of seeing her on Oprah and thinking the bookI Feel Bad About My Neck: And Other Thoughts on Being a Woman would be worth my time and money.

I Feel Bad About My Neck..........2007-09-25

Quick and easy read. Entertaining and insightful of how we feel but haven't put our thoughts into book form. Nora did for us.

The Essays of Warren Buffett : Lessons for Corporate America

Average customer rating:

Perfect
Real Wisdom at a Good Price
excellent
Buffett's Favorite book about him
Lessons for Corporate America

The Essays of Warren Buffett : Lessons for Corporate America
Warren E. Buffett
Manufacturer: The Cunningham Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Corporate Finance | Finance | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

General | Investing | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

Consolidation & Merger | Management & Leadership | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Business & Investing | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

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Similar Items:

Intelligent Investor: A Book of Practical Counsel
Common Stocks and Uncommon Profits and Other Writings
The Interpretation of Financial Statements
One Up On Wall Street : How To Use What You Already Know To Make Money In The Market
Buffett: The Making of an American Capitalist

ASIN: 0966446119

Amazon.com

Buffett, the Bard of Omaha, is a genuine American folk hero, if folk heroes are allowed to build fortunes worth upward of $15 billion. He's great at homespun metaphor, but behind those catchy phrases is a reservoir of financial acumen that's generally considered the best of his generation. For example, in an essay on CEO stock options, he writes, "Negotiating with one's self seldom produces a barroom brawl." This is his way of saying that an executive who can give himself compensation totally disproportionate to his performance surely will. There are uncountable gems of financial wisdom to be harvested from these essays, taken from the annual reports he writes for Berkshire Hathaway, his holding company. Just to pick one more, here's a now-famous line about those he competes with when making stock-market investments: "What could be more advantageous in an intellectual contest--whether it be chess, bridge, or stock selection--than to have opponents who have been taught that thinking is a waste of energy?"

While Buffett has a policy of seldom commenting on stocks he owns--he feels public pronouncements will only lead to the public's expectation of more public pronouncements, and he likes to keep his cards close to his vest--he loves to discuss the principles behind his investments. These come primarily from Ben Graham, under whom Buffett studied at Columbia University and for whom he worked in the 1950s. First among them is the idea that price is what you pay and value is what you get--and if you're a smart investor, the first will always be less than the second. In that sense, the value of the lessons learned from Buffett's Essays could be far greater than the book's price. --Lou Schuler

Book Description

The definitive work concerning Warren Buffett and intelligent investment philosophy, this is a collection of Buffett's letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway written over the past few decades that together furnish an enormously valuable informal education. The letters distill in plain words all the basic principles of sound business practices. They are arranged and introduced by a leading apostle of the "value" school and noted author, Lawrence Cunningham. Here in one place are the priceless pearls of business and investment wisdom, woven into a delightful narrative on the major topics concerning both managers and investors. These timeless lessons are ever-more important in the current environment.

Customer Reviews:

Perfect.......2007-08-14

Lucid and brilliant, a clear lesson on capital allocation. The only objection would be the repeated content, but truthfully it helped the ideas sink in a bit.

Thank you for editing this collection Professor Cunningham.

Real Wisdom at a Good Price.......2007-08-05

I work for a financial services company, and I'm subjected to corporate gobbledegook on a daily basis. Warren Buffett gets to the point. His explanations of financial transactions seem so effortless, I can't imagine how others get so confused and obtuse. Here's a mind worth delving in to, and this book lets you sit on the shoulder of a modern genius to see how he thinks. Good stuff.

excellent.......2007-07-09

These are the actual words penned by Buiffett. Not as dry as one would think, he's actually a wonderful writer. The Oracle of Omaha can turn a phrase and while parts of this are slow going, I enjoyed it throughly.

I heartily recommend this book for those desiring wealth. I also strongly recommend The Millionaire Mind by Tom Stanley. The Millionaire Mind

Buffett's Favorite book about him.......2007-06-06

In the CNBC Liz Clayman interview with Buffett, he stated that of all the books written about him, this one is his favorite...it is an excellent read.

Lessons for Corporate America.......2007-05-14

This is a great book for people to understand the relationship between Corporate governance and business wellness. a must read for a long term investor.

Cultural Amnesia: Necessary Memories from History and the Arts

Average customer rating:

A difficult read,but worth the time
Absolutely Must Reading
Read it at your own perill
convoluted writing
Unsurpassed both for content and style

Cultural Amnesia: Necessary Memories from History and the Arts
Clive James
Manufacturer: W. W. Norton
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Essays | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Classics | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

Consciousness & Thought | Philosophy | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
Similar Items:

The Lucifer Effect: Understanding How Good People Turn Evil
God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything
Clive James' Reliable Essays: The Best Of Clive James
The Curtain: An Essay in Seven Parts
Twenty-eight Artists and Two Saints: Essays

ASIN: 0393061167

Book Description

Forty years in the making, a new cultural canon that celebrates truth over hypocrisy, literature over totalitarianism.

Echoing Edward Said's belief that "Western humanism is not enough, we need a universal humanism," the renowned critic Clive James presents here his life's work. Containing over one hundred original essays, organized by quotations from A to Z, Cultural Amnesia illuminates, rescues, or occasionally destroys the careers of many of the greatest thinkers, humanists, musicians, artists, and philosophers of the twentieth century. In discussing, among others, Louis Armstrong, Walter Benjamin, Sigmund Freud, F. Scott Fitzgerald, Franz Kafka, Marcel Proust, and Ludwig Wittgenstein, James writes, "If the humanism that makes civilization civilized is to be preserved into the new century, it will need advocates. These advocates will need a memory, and part of that memory will need to be of an age in which they were not yet alive." Soaring to Montaigne-like heights, Cultural Amnesia is precisely the book to burnish these memories of a Western civilization that James fears is nearly lost. 110 photographs.

Customer Reviews:

A difficult read,but worth the time.......2007-10-01

Although this book has an intersting premise,it is a difficult book to read.It is written in essay form,and the author's style is not flowing or easy to read.However the content is interesting and does make you think about how we got where we are to-day:by losing sight of,and forgetting the past and important peope in it.
You can read this book a chapter at a time, and leave it for a while since each chapter is an essay on one person.it is not a novel,but a collection of essay/biographies, and includes some very intersting people

Absolutely Must Reading.......2007-09-15

In fairness, I had never heard of Clive James until he appeared on Bill Moyers Journal on PBS. I was just blown away and ordered this book the next day. If you want to understand Western culture ... I mean truly understand the culture in which you live, you should read this book. What you learn here is that a whole lot of people you never heard of and a few you have made monumental contributions that you didn't know about. This is the kind of book every person should have in their library as a reference. You can read it at leisure and you should. You should savor it.

Read it at your own perill.......2007-09-11

If you never studied French, German, Italian or Spanish, you will be sorry you didn't. You will be made aware of all you are missing because you can not read the all those untranslated or untranslatable important writers that are fundamental to our civilization. If you know them you will see that for English speakers is very difficult not to be confused by Spanish and Italian. I have found misspelled Spanish words because the Italian spelling was used in the wrong place. Clive James is almost pushing me to start again with German, French and Italian.

convoluted writing.......2007-09-04

just found what I've read so far very digressive and convoluted. He is a much better speaker than writer. haven't given it a full read, but am daunted by the many digressions from the points I'm interested in. don't care about 10 other people whom I may or may not know who really don't have relevance to the person I'm reading about.

Unsurpassed both for content and style.......2007-09-01

This is an amazing book. Clive James was only a dim sound in my limited background before the book was presented to me as a present. When I finished this book, I made the unusual promise to myself to read it again, an unusual decision since I am not thoroughly committed to modern writing and have found nothing that quite measures up to it, either traditional or modern. The essays, it is made clear, were not written at the same time, but were the accumulation of some years of reading and study. The casual reader will be introduced to a number of people hitherto unknown or barely known, mixed in with giants like Tacitus, Keats, Proust, Kafka, the three Manns,and Camus. I cannot ignore James's prose style, which astonishes minute by minute. A must-read for anybody interested in history and the arts.

Average customer rating:

A "HOW-TO" for citizenship and political leadership
excellent
Call to Greatness
Current state of affairs for the middle class
Long-winded and Confusing Story

The New American Story
Bill Bradley
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Civics | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Public Policy | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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Political Parties | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

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U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Second Chance: Three Presidents and the Crisis of American Superpower
The Assault on Reason
This Moment on Earth: Today's New Environmentalists and Their Vision for the Future
Values of the Game
Einstein: His Life and Universe

ASIN: 1400065070
Release Date: 2007-03-27

Book Description

“Politics is stuck,” writes Bill Bradley, in this insightful, informative, and provocative book about America at a crossroads, but “idealism isn’t dead. It can be reawakened.”

What will it take to make America a better, stronger, truer country? asks the bestselling author, former Knicks star, and onetime presidential candidate. Bill Bradley believes that America is at a teachable moment when we are compelled to reevaluate our political system, our leadership, our agenda as a nation, and ourselves as citizens. With clarity and urgency, Bradley shows why the story we are being told now about who we are as a people is not true. He then offers a new story about our nation, based on America’s rich heritage and his belief in the character of the American people. Bradley explores what changes need to be made in our parties, in our politics, and in citizen activism to ensure America’s future. He asserts that the American people are ready for the truth and suggests that the party that chooses to embrace this new story will be in power for a generation.

Writing from his own experience in politics and drawing on his knowledge of history, Bradley shows how the Republican Party has built a solid pyramid structure since the 1970s, at the base of which are money, ideas, and media, whereas the Democratic Party’s structure is an inverted pyramid, with too much emphasis put on the need for a charismatic leader to hold the pyramid up. Each party, for different reasons, fails to deal with the real issues that now confront America.

This informed and inspiring call to action is addressed not only to the parties and elected leaders, but to citizens as well. Bradley proposes things every American can do to shape our nation’s future. He points out that if eighty percent of the electorate voted, instead of fifty percent, it would be the most important change in American politics since women got the vote. Now more than ever, he says, we need to embrace an “ethic of connectedness,” a combination of collective action and individual responsibility, to solve our nation’s most pressing problems, and he argues that the fate of all countries is bound together as never before. Writing today with the freedom of a private citizen, Bradley provides this transformative and eye-opening book about the danger and the promise of America’s choice at this crucial moment in the nation’s history.

Customer Reviews:

A "HOW-TO" for citizenship and political leadership.......2007-09-29

Why should you read this?

- If you care about our democracy and want to help make it strong again

- If you want to understand the big domestic challenges we face today

- If you want thoughtful proposals to addresses those challenges

- If you want to better the understand the Democratic and Republican parties; what makes them function, what makes them DYSFUNCTIONAL

- If you want to hear an insider's take on what makes our democracy tick, what makes it great, and what threatens its survival

This is a terrific book. If I had the money, I'd buy one for every member of Congress.

I listened to this book unabridged on audio, narrated by Michael Prichard. He does a good job capturing Bill Bradley's dignity, but to my ear doesn't quite capture his enthusiasm and passion for good government.

excellent.......2007-08-28

bradley is a truly brilliant man. the book is filled with hundreds of good ideas. hopefully he will stay involved in politics. the problem is that the people who need to read this book will not. our government is controlled by big business and greedy men with their own agendas. how soon is that going to change? i highly reccomend this book.

Call to Greatness.......2007-08-20

You'd swear Bill Bradley was running for office or dashing down court for a breakaway three-pointer. This one-time presidential contender and New York Knicks superstar writes with the energy and urgency of a man on a mission.

Read his book, The New American Story, and you'll be tempted to join him. Bradley has issued a powerful call to action--one that promises to rescue our nation from political infighting and restore America's leadership role in the world.

His is not a story of military might and moral superiority; it is the story of our nation's founding principles, written by the men and women whose active engagement at pivotal points in history assured the country lived up to its highest ideals.

We have a choice before us that could transcend our current state of affairs, says Bradley. A choice that puts country over political party, the common good over the distracting issues that divide us.

One of our nation's most admired leaders--Abraham Lincoln--knew a thing or two about bringing a divided nation together. When he was president, Lincoln would often sneak out of the White House on Wednesday nights to hear sermons of a well-known preacher at the New York Presbyterian Church. One night, an aide asked Lincoln what he had thought of the sermon. "The content was excellent. The minister had a strong voice and a good delivery," said Lincoln, pausing. "But he forgot the most important part. He didn't ask us to do something great."

Bill Bradley is asking us to do something great.

"The answers to our problems rest in our hearts as well as in our heads," Bradley says in the introduction to his book, "and until we understand that, we'll make marginal improvements, but we won't make the quantum leaps that our Founders made and hoped we would continue."

I am drawn to stories of ordinary Americans who overcame obstacles to achieve great things. Freedom fighters on the Underground Railroad. Journalists who exposed unethical business practices at the turn of the 20th century. The immigrants who built our transcontinental railroad. A country lawyer who became a United States Supreme Court Justice, America's chief prosecutor of Nazi War criminals, and the founder of international law. These are the stories I want people around the world to know about when they think of America and its unique contributions to the world. That's why my husband and I make historical documentaries for a living.

Bill Bradley's book had me from hello, or at least from the moment I read the book jacket blurbs written by David McCullough, David Halberstam, Doris Kearns Goodwin and Robert A. Caro, all Pulitzer Prize winners. Because I love history, and because I believe in the strength of our nation's collective character, I kept on reading.

There is no question the bold policies outlined in Bill Bradley's book will be hotly debated in the coming weeks. He takes both political parties to task, taking aim at the current administration's policies with the finesse of a seasoned athlete and senator. And while I don't agree with every single one of Bradley's strategies on health care, education, environment, tax reform, and national defense, if this American story is to have a happy ending, I, like all other Americans, will have to look for common ground, and make sacrifices for the greater good.

Bill Bradley has faith that, given the right information--the true American story--we will do the right thing.

Current state of affairs for the middle class .......2007-08-07

I confess I have read many other books on the current status quo and state of politics in our country before reading this book. If you have too, this may be a bit repetitive as most issues have been discussed before. What I do like about Bill Bradley's book is it is not simply a laundry list of complaints. He offers at the end of each chapter (designated to each issue) some thought out solutions. This is a good book for eye-opening for our major issues - health care, education, energy... and would recommend it to readers who want to learn more about the who, what and why our social issues are being ignored by government. I also recommend "War on the Middle Class" by Lou Dobbs or "Screwed: The Undeclared War Against the Middle Class -- And What We Can Do About It" by Thom Hartmann. I enjoyed reading those a little more.

Long-winded and Confusing Story.......2007-07-29

I'll confess right up front that I haven't finished the book yet, and I'll update this review when I do. I'm still slogging through lengthy, wandering passages that fail to make any points. I keep waiting for any kind of "here's a solution" or "here's what we should do" sentence, but I have yet to find one. He spends a lot of pages in the first 25% of the book telling the reader about the "story" that he says we're being told -- by whom? On every issue he seems to pick the most extreme right-wing position as representative of this "story" rather than the positions that the majority of Republicans and conservatives hold. And thus far all he's offered for his "new story" is idealistic pie-in-the-sky notions with no plan to get there. I trust that he gets there in the second half of the book.

Just one example of the poor writing and editing: In the section titled "Inequality" in chapter on The Economy, he goes on for quite a while about financial inequality, then about globalization and technological change, finally claiming that you can no longer get ahead by working hard. He then admits that that there is no way around benefiting the wealthy if you want to encourage investment. And then this sentence:
"But there is no excuse for failing to conduct rigorous oversight of and increase resources to education ... which in the long run will result in ... greater equality."
Okay, he tied it back into equality, but how did he suddenly switch from tax cuts and investing and unions to education in the middle of the same paragraph? Where did this out-of-the-blue accusation come from that someone isn't overseeing and funding education? I'm not agreeing or disagreeing with that accusation, just pointing out that it's completely out of place in any kind of logical or narrative flow.

And so goes this story so far. I'll keep at it and hope the writing and presentation of ideas tightens up. Maybe his publisher paid him by the word...

Average customer rating:

interesting read
Bill's strawman
I would love to have Bill as a dad
I Enjoyed This so much
The Hobo Philosopher

Culture Warrior
Bill O'Reilly
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

General | Social Sciences | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

The Mr. & Mrs. Happy Handbook: Everything I Know About Love and Marriage (with corrections by Mrs. Doocy)
Godless: The Church of Liberalism
State of Emergency: The Third World Invasion and Conquest of America
Rediscovering God in America: Reflections on the Role of Faith in Our Nation's History
Who's Looking Out for You?

ASIN: 0767920929
Release Date: 2006-09-25

Book Description

Bill O’Reilly is the very embodiment of the idea of a Culture Warrior—and in this book he lives up to the title brilliantly, with all the brashness and forthrightness at his command. He sees that America is in the midst of a fierce culture war between those who embrace traditional values and those who want to change America into a “secular-progressive” country. This is a conflict that differs in many ways from the usual liberal/conservative divide, but it is no less heated, and the stakes are even higher.

In Culture Warrior, Bill O’Reilly defines this war and analyzes the competing philosophies of the traditionalist and secular-progressive camps. He examines why the nation’s motto “E Pluribus Unum” (“From Many, One”) might change to “What About Me?”; dissects the forces driving the secular-progressive agenda in the media and behind the scenes, including George Soros, George Lakoff, and the ACLU; and dives into matters of race, education, and the war on terror. He also shows how the culture war has played out in such high-profile instances as The Passion of the Christ, Fahrenheit 9/11, the abuse epidemic (child and otherwise), and the embattled place of religion in public life—with special emphasis on the war against Christmas. Whatever controversies are roiling the nation, he fearlessly confronts them—and no one will be in the dark about which side he’s on.

Culture Warrior showcases Bill O’Reilly at his most eloquent and impassioned. He is an unrelenting fighter for the soul of America, and in this book he fights the good fight for the traditional values that have served this country so well for so long.

Customer Reviews:

interesting read.......2007-09-27

Well written book. I'm not sure of the validity of all the things he talks about because he is often defending himself, but I think he makes some very smart points. I can see some of the effects of the sp movement that Bill mentions in his book almost everyday.

Bill's strawman.......2007-09-25

Mr O'Reilly is somewhat of an enigma to me. I find his show entertaining. He sometimes speaks very rationally about current issues and presents his point of view very reasonably. But there are times when he appears to let his emotions completely overrule his logic, and then he looks foolish and petty. So it is with "Culture Warrior."

Bill blames nearly all of America's ills on secular progressives. The S-P movement (according to O'Reilly) wants to completely dismantle all that is good and replace it with atheistic, socialist programs that would undermine America's moral fiber and promote malaise and complacency.

Pure bunk! The truth of the matter is that Bill's Republican Party has held the White House for all but 12 years since 1968. In all this time, the party of "family values" and "personal responsibility" has done little, if anything, to improve our nation's social problems. A good argument could be made that many of those problems have actually gotten worse. And yet, here's Bill trying to shift the blame to some small minority of the population with practically no political power.

Of course, he's preaching to the choir with his simplistic scapegoating. If you're a Fox news fan and an O'Reilly-phile, you'll no doubt be blind to his flaws in logic and his stretching of the facts.

I would love to have Bill as a dad .......2007-09-16

My grandma read me this book.I thought it was good and it's fun too.It never gets boring and I feel like he is the greatest guy in the world.My grandma says she will read all the books he writes to me and that will make me real happy and I'm looking forward to that.

I Enjoyed This so much.......2007-09-16

This book is great from cover to cover.Bill has so many ideas and he should be making lots of money with this wonderful book.I also would like you to know about the great book he wrote just for kids.It should be on everybody's list for a birthday comming up or A present to some special kid.So far all of his books have been a joy reading.

The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-02

Bill has discovered a conspiracy. Now I'm a true believer in conspiracies so I can't knock him on that one. It seems that there are a group of people, living right here within the borders of the United States who are presently involved in the overthrow of "our" government. They are not doing this by means of a revolution or violent overthrow. They are too cleaver to come right out and fight like men. They are doing it by guile and persuasion and trying to sway voters and by real sneaky, underhanded, dirty methods like using their money to twist the media and the "truth". Bill has a lot of terrible names for these people but overall he benignly refers to them as Secular Progressives or S-Ps.
These S-Ps are a very cleaver group of evil and vile people and they have a horrible anti-American agenda; wait until I tell you about it, you won't believe it. It is truly beyond your widest dreams.
First and foremost these S-Ps do not believe in God; they are very anti-Judeo/Christian. They want to take all the money from the rich people and use it to make their version of a "better world". For example they want everybody to have their own home - with no mortgage; they want all children to have an education - for free! And that includes college; they think that everybody should make a living wage - whether they deserve to be alive or not! (my God! these people are horrible); they want businesses and corporations to act and conduct themselves in the world market place with a moral conscience (what a pernicious method for undermining capitalism and the American way); they want prisons to be reformed and drug crimes to be looked upon as an addiction to be treated as a sickness and not simply incarceration; they want any and all sick and even healthy people to have access to health care - even if they don't have a penny!; they actually want the United States to be attacked before the United States attacks anybody else; and one can only conclude from all of the above that these S-Ps would probably try to outlaw war if they could get away with it.
This book is powerful on emotion but very short on thought. If your ideas are on the far right you will love this. I was told by a friend that Bill is actually not on the far right but is really only moderately right. Since I didn't find much of what he had to say "right" in any way and many things very "wrong", I can't really find all that much to recommend . But Bill seems to be doing very well without me as a backer.

Average customer rating:

A great political book
Boorish!
Great Ideas Presented In An Entertaining Style
Talk show style of writing
Mildly Amusing from a pea brain with a big mouth

Somebody's Gotta Say It
Neal Boortz
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

U.S. | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

Book Description

With its outrageous brand of conservative talk, The Neal Boortz Show has been one of talk radio's hottest commodities for more than twenty–five years. Known as the Talkmaster and the High Priest of the Church of the Painful Truth, Boortz has been entertaining his rabid followers with his commentary on everything from corruption in Washington to the troops overseas.

Now, with Somebody's Gotta Say It, Neal gives us his biggest book yet–a hilarious but serious–as–taxes screed covering all the issues that get Neal and his millions of listeners hot under the collar on a daily basis. Among his subjects:

•The Tyranny of the Children: How we've ceded control to our bratty little runts . . . and how to take it back

•They're Government Schools, Not "Public" Schools . . . and they're killing us.

•The Dumb Masses: Say that really fast–and then have a look in the mirror!

•Socialized Medicine: Get ready for free crappy health care for all–Now, with Extra Taxes!

•Soccer Moms: The leaders of a culture where every precaution has been taken to make sure your son may never actually get hit! The wussification of America continues...

Full of irresistible wisecracks and irrefutable libertarian wisdom, Somebody's Gotta Say It is the next big conservative talk–radio bestseller.

Customer Reviews:

A great political book.......2007-10-05

This book was incredible. I found myself both in strong agreement and strong disagreement with Neal Boortz, but it was always entertaining and thought provoking. I strongly recommend it to everyone.

Boorish!.......2007-09-26

I could hardly get past the first chapter. I found this to be almost "tabloid" in nature and ordered it originally thinking I would be reading some intellectual quips, quotes, etc. I found instead that it is more basic and elementary than I wish to spend time on. Couldn't get through the entire book - sorry!

Great Ideas Presented In An Entertaining Style.......2007-09-09

This is a thought provoking and highly interesting book.

Neal Boortz does a superb job of outlining many of the numerous problems our nation faces. He also presents great suggestions which, if enacted, would make life much better for all Americans (except career politicians) and their children and grandchildren.

The author does not beat around the bush. He gets right to the heart of issues. It is sure to infuriate many readers. Those who are open minded will be challenged with some things that they would probably prefer to ignore.

Some of the issues that he addresses are as follows:

Education - "There is no greater long-term threat to our continued prosperity, economic liberty, freedom, and quality of life in the United States than that presented by teachers' unions. And that includes Islamic terrorists." Although I suspect he will not be invited to the NEA convention, he makes a great case for the tremendous problems we have in education. Of course anyone who has watched a clerk trying to make change (with the cash register's calculator not working) or watched Jay Leno's 'Jaywalking' is well aware of the scary level of ignorance being cranked out by the government school system. Fortunately, Boortz not only points out the problems, he gives workable solutions. He also provides an awesome list of things that should be taught in the public schools.

Voting - 'Instead of trying to increase that stock of knowledge, why not decrease the number of ignorant voters! Private businesses don't let ignorant employees decide company policy. Why should we allow ignorant voters to set public policy?' Not only would he limit who votes (the ignorant and tax consumers), but Boortz also presents a very radical proposal to change presidential selection. It is a revolutionary concept.

Boortz combines the best parts of libertarianism (liberty) with reality (terrorism, borders) to present a comprehensive plan for improving life in the United States. I highly recommend this book and also another book by Boorz, 'The Fair Tax Book' for anyone who desires to return America to its best.

Talk show style of writing.......2007-09-01

Neal Boortz is a libertarian, not a conservative, talk show host. He's in agreement with the economic conservatives on issues such as education, taxes and the minimum wage, but generally disagrees with the moral conservatives on concerns such as abortion, homosexuality, creationism and school prayer. (However, he's against totally removing religious symbolism from public life....) He uses a lot of energy bashing public education, calling schools "government indoctrination centers" and recounting horror stories of kids being required to pool their own school supplies.

He is very pro-individual, and generally against government regulation of business. Some of his positions are a little strange. For example, he is in favor of legalizing drugs, but then goes nuts over people smoking tobacco. The last chapter "No Way In Hell", is a synopsis of his political positions, some workable, some probably not, some kind of silly....

Although I've never listened to Boortz' show (to my knowledge, it is not played in Southern California). I do listen to a lot of talk shows, and this book seems to be written in an in-your-face, loud talk show host style. While that might be fun while sitting in traffic, when I'm actually reading, I prefer the more academic style of writing, with citations, a bibliography, etc.

Mildly Amusing from a pea brain with a big mouth.......2007-08-29

If your a thinking person - intellectual, academic, progressive, you will probably look at this book as if were written by a highly opinionated eight grader. Boortz thinks he "drives liberals crazy" as his trademark jingle says, however he leaves me thinking that I just bought a book consisting of nothing but opinion without reason, logic, or rationale. This book is not analytical, coherent, convincing, discerning, inferential, perceptive, relevant, or even sensible. However IT IS entertaining.

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog

Average customer rating:

An incredible tale
How fast the time goes with Crazy Pups
Beautiful! Touching!
a wonderful story
Marley & Me

Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog
John Grogan
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Memoirs | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books

Essays | Animal Care & Pets | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0060817089
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Book Description

The heartwarming and unforgettable story of a family in the making and the
wondrously neurotic dog who taught them what really matters in life

John and Jenny were just beginning their life together. They were young and in love, with a perfect little house and not a care in the world. Then they brought home Marley, a wiggly yellow furball of a puppy. Life would never be the same.

Marley quickly grew into a barreling, ninety-seven-pound streamroller of a Labrador retriever, a dog like no other. He crashed through screen doors, gouged through drywall, flung drool on guests, stole women's undergarments, and ate nearly everything he could get his mouth around, including couches and fine jewelry. Obedience school did no good—Marley was expelled. Neither did the tranquilizers the veterinarian prescribed for him with the admonishment, "Don't hesitate to use these."

And yet Marley's heart was pure. Just as he joyfully refused any limits on his behavior, his love and loyalty were boundless, too. Marley shared the couple's joy at their first pregnancy, and their heartbreak over the miscarriage. He was there when babies finally arrived and when the screams of a seventeen-year-old stabbing victim pierced the night. Marley shut down a public beach and managed to land a role in a feature-length movie, always winning hearts as he made a mess of things. Through it all, he remained steadfast, a model of devotion, even when his family was at its wit's end. Unconditional love, they would learn, comes in many forms.

Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans.

Download Description

The heartwarming and unforgettable
story of a family in the making and the
wondrously neurotic dog who taught
them what really matters in life

Is it possible for humans to discover the key to happiness through a bigger-than-life, bad-boy dog? Just ask the Grogans.

Customer Reviews:

An incredible tale.......2007-10-05

This book was wonderful - ignore the one star reviews, seriously. It was never intended to be an intellectual story with an incredible plot (or twist), and it certainly wasn't meant to make one feel angry at the author as you read it.

If you can open your mind (and heart), and read this book as a simple tale of such a basic relationship between dog and owner(s), you will be rewarded with such a funny, warm, heart-wrenching, inspiring tale that could well make you a better person.

I ENJOYED the moments of self-indulgence - where we got an understanding about who John was and what was going on in HIS life. I think the book needed that to avoid being entirely about a dog and his experiences - let's face it, no matter how great Marley is (or isn't), he wasn't going to warrant 200 pages of text (or was he?). It's this discussion of family, of growing up, of happiness and anger, that draws so many parallels between the life of a human being, and the life of a dog. It is summarized so brilliantly towards the end of the book and, as you wipe away the tears, you can only feel an incredible sense of optimism and hope well after you turn the last page.

Predictable ending? Well duh. You do know where it's going from the moment you purchase the book - from the moment you purchase a DOG. But HOW Grogan gets there is brilliantly done. His writing style is well-paced, conversational, yet entirely descriptive. I felt the warmth of the South Florida sun as I watched Marley play in the ocean, and I felt everyones shivers in the grey, cold winter in PA. Ultimately, I felt the utter sadness that an entirely family felt, and the power of reminiscence & focusing on those special moments in life.

Here's to you, Grogan. Your book touched my heart; and to Marley - your existence has touched millions of people around the world without you even knowing it. If that's not a successful book, I'm not quite sure what is.

How fast the time goes with Crazy Pups.......2007-10-03

I just finished Marley & Me.

The Best read I have had in a long time. It was like watching a GREAT movie, only better. I have loved and lost 1 best friend recently and the other best friend is now over 10 years....this book makes you think...remember.... and thank the heavens for allowing them to be here with us for their period of time reminding us that we are "only Human".
I loved the book and have 6 people in line to borrow it now that I am finished.
If you like to laugh, love dogs and appreciate terrific writing, buy or borrow this book!

A+ Marley will be with me forever.

Beautiful! Touching!.......2007-09-29

John Grogan brings a great deal of heart to Marley's story. It reminds one of how precious pets can be and how these little ones share so much with us as life goes on.
It's a beautiful, touching, and vivid story, and you'll just fall in love with it.
Thanks, John, for sharing such a great tale :-)

a wonderful story.......2007-09-25

You will laugh and cry. A great story for anyone who has ever loved a dog.

Marley & Me.......2007-09-23

A very Entertaining book, great read. This is a must book for all those that have a dog as a pet or all dog lovers, especially those of us that have had labs in our life. A laugh out loud cry out loud story.

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