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:
BRAVO Elizabeth!.......2007-10-10
I thoroughly enjoyed this book start to finish and plan to pass it on to my daughter and nieces. It was very disheartening to read the "slams" this author got from other women. I admire Ms. Gilbert; you don't get to where she is by being a slacker. That woman is well-educated and very disciplined. Writing a book is damn hard work and if any of the naysayers ever attempted one like this they would be eating their words. It also takes sheer guts to step out of the box like she did and brave foreign countries (alone, no less).
Don't knock it until you've tried it! (and succeeded)!
Exhibit "A".......2007-10-10
To those who can find mostly fault in this book and little good, I have included in this post a small but absolutely beautifully written passage from Ms. Gilbert's work that totally made me want to read the rest of EPL. It appears early on in the book, after her husband has finally signed the divorce papers after a protracted, hostile standoff, and she has arrived in Rome. To me it doesn't read like someone who is all about "ME" but rather someone who is aware enough to get to the heart of emotions that afflict all of us at one time or another.
"Depression and Loneliness track me down after ten days in Italy. I am walking through the Villa Borghese one evening after a happy day spent in school, and the sun is setting gold over St. Peter's Basilica. I am feeling contented in this romantic scene, even if I am all by myself, while everyone else in the park is either fondling a lover or playing with a laughing child. But I stop to lean against a balustrade and watch the sunset, and I get to thinking a little too much, and then my thinking turns to brooding, and that's when they catch up with me.
They come upon me all silent and menacing like Pinkerton Detectives, and the flank me--Depression on my left, Loneliness on my right. They don't need to show me their badges. I know these guys very well. We've been playing a cat-and-mouse game for years now. Though I admit that I am surprised to meet them in this elegant Italian garden at dusk. This is no place they belong.
I say to them, "How did you find me here? Who told you I had come to Rome?"
Depression, always the wise guy, says, "What--you're not happy to see us?"
"Go away," I tell him.
Loneliness, the more sensitive cop, says, "I'm sorry, ma'am. But I might have to tail you the whole time you're traveling. It's my assignment."
"Id really rather you didn't," I tell him, and he shrugs almost apologetically, but only moves closer.
Then they frisk me. They empty my pockets of any joy I had been carrying there. Depression even confiscates my identity; but he always does that. Then Loneliness starts interrogating me, which I dread because it always goes on for hours. He's polite but relentless, and he always trips me up eventually. He asks if I have any reason to be happy that I know of. He asks why I am all by myself tonight, yet again. He asks (though we've been through this line of questioning hundreds of times already) why I can't keep a relationship going, why I ruined my marriage, why I messed things up with David, why I messed things up with every man I've ever been with. He asks me where I was the night I turned thirty, and why things have gone so sour since then. He asks why I can't get my act together, and why I'm not at home living in a nice house and raising nice children like any respectable woman my age should be. He asks why, exactly, I think I deserve a vacation in Rome when I've made such a rubble of my life. He asks me why I think that running away to Italy like a college kid will make me happy. He asks where I think I'll end up in my old age, if I keep living this way.
I walk back home, hoping to shake them, but they keep following me, these two goons. Depression has a firm hand on my shoulder and Loneliness harangues me with his interrogation. I don't even bother eating dinner; I don't want them watching me. I don't what to let them up the stairs to my apartment, either, but I know Depression, and he's got a billy club, so there's no stopping him from coming in if he decides that he wants to.
"It's not fair for you to come here," I tell Depression. "I paid you off already. I served my time backing New York."
But he just gives me that dark smile, settles into my favorite chair, puts his feet on my table and lights a cigar, filling the place with his awful smoke. Loneliness watches a sighs, then climbs into my bed and pulls the covers over himself, fully dressed, shoes and all. He's going to make me sleep with him again tonight, I just know it.
I loved this book.......2007-10-10
truly one of the best books I have ever read
so inspiring .. couldn't put it down didn't want it to end
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.
Book Description
"I never liked jazz music because jazz music doesn't resolve. . . . I used to not like God because God didn't resolve. But that was before any of this happened." In Donald Miller's early years, he was vaguely familiar with a distant God. But when he came to know Jesus Christ, he pursued the Christian life with great zeal. Within a few years he had a successful ministry that ultimately left him feeling empty, burned out, and, once again, far away from God. In this intimate, soul-searching account, Miller describes his remarkable journey back to a culturally relevant, infinitely loving God.
Customer Reviews:
Miller's faith perspective rings true.......2007-10-10
Get Real: a spiritual journey for men
Blue Like Jazz is a beautifully written book that requires the reader to think honestly about issues of faith. Miller has moved well beyond the posturing and pretense that characterize too much of Christian apologetics. It's impossible to read Miller without being struck by his disarming candor and honest self-examination. Rather than introduce doubt, Miller makes sense, and he makes a strong case for a Jesus who is real and interactive in the world today. Like journalist Derek Maul's "Get Real: a spiritual journey for men," (2007) Blue like Jazz presents the Gospel as engaging, incisive, and deeply authentic.
Inspired Me to Read His Other Books.......2007-10-08
Blue Like Jazz is a sort of meditation on Don Miller's spiritual life so far (he's in his early 30s), sprinkled with a little Christian apologetic told by narrative rather than by theories or "spiritual laws" (Miller's "Search for God Knows What" is more along the lines of an apologetic though). Miller's writing style is accessible and easy, though he's prone to meditative tangents on the nature of God or faith or creation that may annoy the less religiously-inclined reader. Miller has a lot of credibility in the so-called emerging church movement for his narrative approach (and probably for his decidedly left wing politics), but his religious beliefs themselves come across as pretty standard evangelical Christian, which I was a little surprised by. It's not heavy theology by any means, and there's a lot of raw meat in Miller's book for the internet's theology attack dogs to tear apart, but the books resonated with me. After reading "Blue Like Jazz," I was inspired to read Miller's "Searching for God Knows What" and "Through Painted Deserts." My favorite moment in the book was the "reverse confession booth," where the campus Christians confessed the sins of the church to astonished students. For a new spin on evangelical Christianity, check out "Blue Like Jazz."
Re-thinking my original opinion.......2007-10-06
I am actually re-reading this book because I got so much out of it during my first read. I may have made a mistake by reading all these negative reviews here, but I'm finding I agree with some of them to an extent. It's funny because I am seeing both sides here, both good and bad, about the book. Yes, some of the stuff he wrote about is a little self-obsessed, but some of the stuff he wrote sparked real passion in me and furthered my relationship with God. I think I just had a moment of realization (an epiphany, if you will) that you cannot take ANYONE'S word for anything, except God's. This is just more proof to me that people, no matter who they are or what their intentions or how close to Christ they are, can lead you astray. To conclude; read the book (it has some good stuff in it), take from it what you will, and trust God with all your heart.
Offensive to jazz fans!.......2007-09-30
Donald Miller, I'd like you to take out the sheet music of Mood Indigo, which I'm sure you've studied extensively, and show me where it doesn't resolve--I think that harmonically it's one of the perfect all time pieces of music, and it resolves better than a lot.
Maybe he's talking about free jazz or bop or post bop or modal jazz or something, but I'm not sure he actually knows what those terms mean. It sounds to me like he's heard a couple of jazz songs at some point and decided that this makes him an expert. Yeah, man, he was turned on to this stuff by Tony, his beat poet buddy, man. Oh, that is so hip!
But even if you're saying on a technical level that jazz music, in some of its more far-flung explorations, abandons established notions of harmony, melody, rhythm and tonality, it can always be explained. You can always notate it, analyze it, study it, and explain it. You can break it down to vibrations traveling through the air and you can know exactly what those vibrations are doing.
You can't do that with Christian spiritual notions, because they're based on assertions of faith that require you to abandon the desire for statements of fact to be proved. It's cute, Donald Miller, for you to say that you're just not interested anymore in the intellectual/theological aspects of Christianity, but it's stupid and ignorant for you to use jazz as a point of comparison. Jazz musicians know exactly what they're doing and they can explain it to you in minute detail, and yes, they could write it down if they wanted to. It's not just getting up in front of people and blowing some BS through your instrument. That's what YOU are doing in your spirituality. Jazz music requires training, education, rigorous practice and relentless creativity. What you do requires a huge capacity for BS and evasive, circular arguments. Guess which one I respect more.
Any jazz solo can be studied note for note, analyzed, and explained. And the person who performed that solo can you tell what choices they made at every point and why, and they can base that on established musical concepts. Once you get to that point, it isn't mysterious anymore, but it is beautiful and special in a way that your unfounded, frightened faith can never be.
Friendly conversation over coffee.......2007-09-25
I don't read a lot of "spirituality" themed books because after a few chapters I feel like the author is trying to convince the reader that his views are right and the reader's are all wrong. This was given to me as a gift and I really did enjoy it. The author didn't seem so much as if he was throwing up his thoughts on you as the reader, but more talking to you about them in a coffee shop conversation. I'm a decently fast reader, but I took some time with this one, reading and re-reading passages and often whole chapters so as to really chew on what the author had to say. The author has a lot to say but says it in a digestible form. Not once did I feel like he was talking over my head. I rarely purchase books for myself unless the book strikes a personal chord with me and I know I will want to read the book several times over; however, I'm glad to play hostess to this book on my shelf.
Book Description
Readers captivated by Twilight and New Moon will eagerly devour Eclipse, the much anticipated third book in Stephenie Meyer's riveting vampire love saga. As Seattle is ravaged by a string of mysterious killings and a malicious vampire continues her quest for revenge, Bella once again finds herself surrounded by danger. In the midst of it all, she is forced to choose between her love for Edward and her friendship with Jacob --- knowing that her decision has the potential to ignite the ageless struggle between vampire and werewolf. With her graduation quickly approaching, Bella has one more decision to make: life or death. But which is which?
Customer Reviews:
AWSOME!!!.......2007-10-10
It was so awsome to hear someone read this book to you. I have never bought an audiobook before. I really loved it!!!
Excellent.......2007-10-10
I really have enjoyed this author. I like the whole approach of how she does her characters and the story lines really move right along. It is one of those books that you pick up and can't put down until you have gotten to the end. Then you're left waiting for the next one to come out.
Not too old to enjoy.......2007-10-09
I passed this series several times with my daughter and then decided to pick them up for myself. I really enjoyed this series and really don't want them to end. I'm looking forward to book 4 and also twilight from Edwards point of view. If Stephenie is ever feeling really generous, or her sister, she can pass that never to be seen book my way! Thanks for pulling me back into reading.
great story.......2007-10-09
I still love this series, faults and all. The characters are very intriguing and it is so refreshing to have a different perspective on the vampire/werewolf genre. The author truly found a different way of looking at something without being overly influence by previous novels and media. Yet, not so far away from our everyday thoughts to seem outlandish.
The only reason I give this four instead of five stars is because the OBSESSIVE devotion the main character feels for the vampire. To think she would die without him and cannot even function without him is insane. Although it does give an explaination for the title. Her relationship with him DOES eclipse everything small to large thing in her life. SOOOO not healthy. Just to leave on a good note, the by-play and competition between the vampire and werewolf was priceless. I loved it! and it made them seem more human than the human character.
Great Book.......2007-10-09
I think Eclipse may have been the best book yet, well other than the original. I think it was so awesome the way Stephanie Meyer's introduced the complexer stages of Edward and Bella's relationship. I thought in the first two books that it was a little to sappy. Also it was easy to believe that Bella's feelings for Edward were just a school girl's obsession with a really hot boy. In this book she actually had to choose between two equally great boys. I personally am way excited that she chose the one she did. I can't wait for the fourth book. I hope Bella really does go through with becoming a vampire. She's a unique human and should make a unique and fabulous vampire. Stephanie Meyer's has a great imagination and I can't wait to read her other stories, but personally I don't think I can handle the suspense of waiting for another book to come out about Edward and Bella. Hopefully the fourth will help wrap up their story. Though I would like to learn more about Alice and Jasper and the other characters. How they got their beginnings and their relationships. Great book and well worth the time and money spent. Every moment was enjoyable.
Book Description
In one of the most anticipated books of the year, Lee Woodruff, along with her husband, Bob Woodruff, share their never-before-told story of romance, resilience, and survival following the tragedy that transformed their lives and gripped a nation.
In January 2006, the Woodruffs seemed to have it all–a happy marriage and four beautiful children. Lee was a public relations executive and Bob had just been named co-anchor of ABC’s World News Tonight. Then, while Bob was embedded with the military in Iraq, an improvised explosive device went off near the tank he was riding in. He and his cameraman, Doug Vogt, were hit, and Bob suffered a traumatic brain injury that nearly killed him.
In an Instant is the frank and compelling account of how Bob and Lee’s lives came together, were blown apart, and then were miraculously put together again–and how they persevered, with grit but also with humor, through intense trauma and fear. Here are Lee’s heartfelt memories of their courtship, their travels as Bob left a law practice behind and pursued his news career and Lee her freelance business, the glorious births of her children and the challenges of motherhood.
Bob in turn recalls the moment he caught the journalism “bug” while covering Tiananmen Square for CBS News, his love of overseas assignments and his guilt about long separations from his family, and his pride at attaining the brass ring of television news–being chosen to fill the seat of the late Peter Jennings.
And, for the first time, the Woodruffs reveal the agonizing details of Bob’s terrible injuries and his remarkable recovery. We learn that Bob’s return home was not an end to the journey but the first step into a future they have learned not to fear but to be grateful for.
In an Instant is much more than the dual memoir of love and courage. It is an important, wise, and inspiring guide to coping with tragedy–and an extraordinary drama of marriage, family, war, and nation.
A percentage of the proceeds from this book will be donated to the Bob Woodruff Family Fund for Traumatic Brain Injury.
Customer Reviews:
IN AN INSTANT.......2007-10-05
TOTALLY ENJOYED THE CD OF THIS BOOK. A HEARTFELT STORY OF LOVE, PAIN AND RECOVERY.
Up from the trenches.......2007-09-29
This is a story of remarkable courage and love. Medicine and therapy have come a long way, but the personal strength of one person doing the hard work, and another staying by their side, is (I believe) what brings people back to a life worth living after so tremendous a trajedy. Other books about brain trauma: The Shiloh Renewal and I'll Carry the Fork! Recovering a Life After Brain Injury
One of the best books I've ever read!.......2007-09-26
What a wonderful & informative book. I really enjoyed all of the background information. It was a very touching love story. Having gone through 3 brain surgeries myself and my daughter's brain surgery also, gave me a fraction of knowledge on the recovering brain, but the book certainly gives an abundance of information. I've always thought Bob was absolutely fantastic, but I really enjoyed Lee's side of the story. Bravo and Good bless you both Bob & Lee!!!
Interesting book.......2007-09-09
Interesting book - I read it because I was curious what had happened to Bob Woodruff after his injury, because the of the lack of information regarding his condition. It is interesting to me that insiders in the media can control what information gets out about them personally; however others are not so fortunate - their names, faces and not-so-flattering images are splashed across news screens every day.
The book was interesting, but I felt that Lee Woodruff ends up protraying herself as a selfish wife who is annoyed first at her husband's career and then annoyed at the inconvenience his injury caused their family. She describes herself several times as a "single parent" because Bob travelled so much. As a real-life single parent, this completely offended me. A single parent not only cares for their children alone, they also support them alone. A single parent is not a wife of a guy with a six-figure salary who happens to work a lot. If Lee had left these comments out, the book would have been much more palatable.
In An Instant.......2007-08-23
This book was excellent. I thoughthly enjoyed it. My sister is not reading it.
Amazon.com
Are you just another AFC ("average frustrated chump") trying to meet an HB ("hot babe")? How would you like to "full-close" with a Penthouse Pet of the Year? The answers, my friend, are in Neil Strauss's entertaining book The Game. Strauss was a self-described chick repellant--complete with large, bumpy nose, small, beady eyes, glasses, balding head, and, worst of all, painful shyness around women. He felt like "half a man." That is, until a book editor asked him to investigate the community of pickup artists. Strauss's life was transformed. He spent two years bedding some fine chiquitas and studying with some of the North America's most suave gents--including the best of them all, the God of the pickup "community," a man named Mystery.
Mystery is an aspiring Toronto magician who charges $2,250 for a weekend pickup workshop. He is not much to look at: a cross between a vampire and a computer geek. But by using high-powered marketing techniques he's turned seduction into an effortless craft--even inventing his own vocabulary. His technique sounds like a car salesman's tip sheet: his main rule is FMAC--find, meet, attract, close. He employs the "three-second rule"--always approach a woman within three seconds of first seeing her in order to avoid getting shy. Other tricks: Intrigue a beautiful woman by pretending to be unaffected by her charm; also, never hit on a woman right away. Start with a disarming, innocent remark, like "Do you think magic spells work?" or "Oh my god, did you see those two girls fighting outside?" And finally, the most important characteristic of the pickup artist--smile.
After two years, Strauss ends up becoming almost as successful as Mystery, but he comes to an important realization. His techniques were actually off-putting to the woman he ended up falling in love with. And they never prepared him for actually having a relationship. After a while, he ran out of one-liners and had to have a real conversation. Still, The Game is a great read that may help some AFCs come out of their shells. --Alex Roslin
Book Description
Hidden somewhere, in nearly every major city in the world, is an underground seduction lair. And in these lairs, men trade the most devastatingly effective techniques ever invented to charm women. This is not fiction. These men really exist. They live together in houses known as Projects. And Neil Strauss, the bestselling author, spent two years living among them, using the pseudonym Style to protect his real-life identity. The result is one of the most explosive and controversial books of the year -- guaranteed to change the lives of men and transform the way women understand the opposite sex forever.
On his journey from AFC (average frustrated chump) to PUA (pick-up artist) to PUG (pick-up guru), Strauss not only shares scores of original seduction techniques but also has unforgettable encounters with the likes of Tom Cruise, Britney Spears, Paris Hilton, Heidi Fleiss, and Courtney Love. And then things really start to get strange -- and passions lead to betrayals lead to violence.
The Game is the story of one man's transformation from frog to prince -- to prisoner in the most unforgettable book of the year.
Customer Reviews:
Got so much more out of it than I could ever have imagined!.......2007-10-10
I was a depressed wreck before reading your book. Now I am a dating success. Another bestseller that I highly recommend- The Exclusive Layguide: When Dating and Having Sex with Incredibly Hot Women is No Longer Mirage Even If You Don't Look Like a Model or Don't Make a Fortune Both books are well worth the money!
Amazing Book!.......2007-10-10
It's 1:15 AM and I just finished this book. And I LOVED every page of it. I rarely read books if ever, but I read this one in two days.
A Fantastic Entertaining read!.......2007-10-08
This was one of the most fascinating and entertaining books I've ever read. Besides getting an inside look at the society of pick-up artists, I gained some interesting insight into human psychology. It's written in a wonderful narrative, story style which made it hard to put down.
It is a must read, whether you're interested in learning about how to pick up women or you're just wanting to read a great true story.
I highly recommend it!
Not a pickup guide - but worth the read.......2007-10-06
I recently purchased this book after reading the many favorable reviews on Amazon.com.
First off, this isn't a "how to pick up girls" book, though the process is covered in some depth. Instead, it is a story of a man's search for himself and purpose in life by learning the techniques of the master pickup artists. Sound shallow? I thought so too until I began to read some more.
What starts as an innocent enough goal (to be more successful with women) ends up becoming an obsession for the author, who is short, balding, and not generally considered to be attractive. Neil Strauss (who goes by the name "Style") makes the slow but steady transition from AFC (average, frustrated chump) to mPUA (master pickup artist).
As a single man in his late 20's, I can easily identify with the author's initial challenges. Approaching a beautiful woman is an intimidating prospect, especially for men with low self-esteem - nevermind that they have no idea what to say. However, under the wings of the mPUA Mystery, Style comes into his own and seems to have no problem picking up any woman he sets his eyes on.
Along his journey, the reader is introduced to a variety of strange characters, from pickup wannabees to psychotic women.
The book is great for anyone - men or women, who would like a glimpse of the pickup community.
One of the best.......2007-10-05
I've read a bunch of these books on how to meet women and usually I don't bother to write a review - they are so bad. I read The Mystery Method: How to Get Beautiful Women Into Bed and thought it was good. In hindsight it would have been better to read The Game first. It just seems like the books fit better together that way and you should definitely read both. The story in this book is what makes it worth while. Forget the advice; you'll get all that from TMM and more but this book is the story and that makes it all the better, as you get to see the techniques in use. Perhaps the best point in the book is "Juggler was right; humor is the best way to get women." That is an interesting point because while both books talk about confidence and humor and while Juggler and some other guys have it, most of the other guys, including the author himself, don't really develop it - they just rely on all kinds of lines and schemes to impress women. To that end along with this book you must read God Is a Woman: Dating Disasters, which is by a comedian and which does include lots of in-depth pointers on building real confidence and humor. Without a doubt, these are the three books to read on women and I truly appreciate these guys putting their embarrassing moments out there for the rest of us to learn from.
Book Description
“There are places that I have never forgotten. A little cobbled street in a smoky mill town in the North of England has haunted me for the greater part of my life. It was inevitable that I should write about it and the people who lived on both sides of its ‘Invisible Wall.’ ”
The narrow street where Harry Bernstein grew up, in a small English mill town, was seemingly unremarkable. It was identical to countless other streets in countless other working-class neighborhoods of the early 1900s, except for the “invisible wall” that ran down its center, dividing Jewish families on one side from Christian families on the other. Only a few feet of cobblestones separated Jews from Gentiles, but socially, it they were miles apart.
On the eve of World War I, Harry’s family struggles to make ends meet. His father earns little money at the Jewish tailoring shop and brings home even less, preferring to spend his wages drinking and gambling. Harry’s mother, devoted to her children and fiercely resilient, survives on her dreams: new shoes that might secure Harry’s admission to a fancy school; that her daughter might marry the local rabbi; that the entire family might one day be whisked off to the paradise of America.
Then Harry’s older sister, Lily, does the unthinkable: She falls in love with Arthur, a Christian boy from across the street.
When Harry unwittingly discovers their secret affair, he must choose between the morals he’s been taught all his life, his loyalty to his selfless mother, and what he knows to be true in his own heart.
A wonderfully charming memoir written when the author was ninety-three, The Invisible Wall vibrantly brings to life an all-but-forgotten time and place. It is a moving tale of working-class life, and of the boundaries that can be overcome by love.
Customer Reviews:
A captivating story of a harsh life.......2007-09-03
This book is full of the details of a life that many of us will never experience. The authors story of extreme poverty living in a large family with a hardworking but struggling mother and a distant and often abusive father is both horrifying and captivating.
While it sounds like this should be a depressing book, the details of the moments of hope and happiness lifts it out of the dark side of life in Lancashire and made me wonder about the future for the various key characters. The book is set before and after the great War, but it could be timeless. The central location is a street of two rows of houses facing each other with the 'jews' on one side and the 'christians' on the other. For most of the book there is almost no mingling between the two sides. But at times when their lives are most difficult, they do get together to support one another.
I don't want to give away the story line too much. Some of the difficult scenes are extremely hard to endure, but the details really light up this book even things are hardest.
I would not recommend for anyone younger than about 13, there are too many difficult details here. But for the rest of us, there's LOTS to learn about the silly things that divide us and the fact that despite religious difficulties our lives are more similar than we'd like to believe.
Poignant and profound.......2007-06-26
An absolutely wonderful book written by a 93 year old author who captures the very essence of anti-semitism in pre-World War I England through his own childhood experiences. The last chapter is so descriptive and poignant...really tugs at the heartstrings. I hope Mr. Bernstein continues to share his gift of the written word.
Excellent book.......2007-05-28
Wonderfully written. This book surprised me because of its unpredictability. I couldn't put it down. Mr. Bernstein's story is beautiful, it's a wonder why he waited so long to share it.
A read to get you thinking.......2007-05-25
My six member book club read this last month, and all of us, including our most critical member, found this book very enjoyable and enlightening. The inclusion of dialog easily puts the reader in the time period. The tone and style of the author encourage empathy and understanding of both populations on either side of the invisible wall. The author conveys his and his sibling's emotions in the gentlest of ways while the reader easily grasps that at the time they were much more. While not quite a page turner, my attention never lagged and I would have willingly read more. I would have appreciated more wisdom on the overall subject such as was found in Arthur's letter to Lily.
Vivid Memoir.......2007-05-25
Harry Bernstein writes in a descriptive manner that makes all the characters seem to be living right in front of the reader's eyes. The story is so interesting that I could not put the book down until I finished. It was hard to believe that a man at ninety years of age could remember so much detail and emotion back to his early childhood. The book was well worth reading. I look forward to Mr. Bernstein's next book.
Average customer rating:
- If you're a mom, this will make you cry
- Beautiful
- A Mother's Storybook Wish for Her Child
- touching, to say the least
- made me cry
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Someday
Alison McGhee
Manufacturer: Atheneum
ProductGroup: Book
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McGhee, Alison
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I Will Hold You 'til You Sleep
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Not a Box
ASIN: 1416928111 |
Book Description
A mother's love leads to a mother's dream -- every mother's dream -- for her child to live life to its fullest.
A deceptively simple, powerful ode to the potential of love and the potential in life, Someday is the book you'll want to share with someone else...today. The perfect gift for Mother's Day, Graduation Day or Any Day - share a copy with every special person in your life.
Customer Reviews:
If you're a mom, this will make you cry.......2007-10-10
Touching book about being a mom. I've gotten it for my mom friends as a gift, and they all found it very touching. It's geared toward mom/daughter, but the message is sentimental. Cry everytime I read it. Love this book.
Beautiful.......2007-10-10
I absolutely love this book and cry or get emotional almost every time I read it. I have purchased it as a baby book for every woman I know who has recently had a baby girl. Each one of them feels the same for it. It is a treasure.
A Mother's Storybook Wish for Her Child.......2007-10-04
SOMEDAY is a mother's heartfelt storybook wish for her child -- that her child will grow up healthy, experience great joys, and someday have a family of her own. It's also a wish that she will be lovingly remembered by her child ("Someday, a long time from now, your own hair will glow silver in the sun. And when that day comes, love, you will remember be.") The book is reminiscent of Robert Munsch's Love You Forever, but the storyline is simpler and more realistic. The illustrations complement the story beautifully. Highly recommended.
touching, to say the least.......2007-09-21
This book brings me to tears at the very thought of it. I got about 1/2 way through the darling pictures and wonderful, sweet words and the tears started. By the time I finished I was a mess. I'm sure it will touch every mother who reads it-it is definitely a book for a baby girl or daughter since the pictures depict a mother/daughter relationship.It's about the simple memories we make with our children that mean more than anything. It's also about the dreams we hold for them. I now have a FAVORITE new book, one that will definitely be bought for others as well. Don't miss this one!
made me cry.......2007-09-17
Takes you through birth-college-grandchildren-old age within a small book. As they say, kids grow up in the blink of an eye. Good for a pre-teen gift from mom to daugther. Very touching, probably how most moms feel about their daugthers.
Average customer rating:
- Did not live up to the first
- AMAZING!!!!!!
- The story continues.....
- Keeps the series moving along well, but not enough Edward!
- Obnoxious, actually, and yet I can't help but love them
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New Moon (Twilight, Book 2)
Stephenie Meyer
Manufacturer: Little, Brown Young Readers
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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Eclipse (Twilight, Book 3)
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ASIN: 0316160199 |
Book Description
Legions of readers entranced by Twilight are hungry for more and they won't be disappointed. In New Moon, Stephenie Meyer delivers another irresistible combination of romance and suspense with a supernatural twist. The "star-crossed" lovers theme continues as Bella and Edward find themselves facing new obstacles, including a devastating separation, the mysterious appearance of dangerous wolves roaming the forest in Forks, a terrifying threat of revenge from a female vampire and a deliciously sinister encounter with Italy's reigning royal family of vampires, the Volturi. Passionate, riveting, and full of surprising twists and turns, this vampire love saga is well on its way to literary immortality.
Customer Reviews:
Did not live up to the first.......2007-10-10
Too much Jacob not enough Edward! I found myself skimming over the Jacob parts. Bella becomes annoying in this book and looses alot of her charm.
Can not say I loved it but it was still an enjoyable read. I really did love the parts at the end of the book where Edward has returned.
Twilight is a far superior book and a much more interesting read. Please SM get back to what makes Twilight great!
AMAZING!!!!!!.......2007-10-08
More depressing than the first book, but with an even better ending. Gotta love vampires ('vaempairs)
<3 :D :D :D :D :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :) :D:D :D XD XD ;) ;) ;0 :0 ;) 0; ;0 ;0 0;0 ;0 ;0 0; 0; 0; !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ole! let's go! vamanos! run! correr! couiri! read the book! leer el libro. Lire la livre.
The story continues............2007-10-08
This book continues from where Twilight left off. In New Moon, we're reintroduced to Bella and her relationship with the Cullen family, vampires who are determined not to kill humans. Unfortunately, the Cullens did not appear in this sequel too much, due to an incident towards the beginning of the book that causes them to break ties with Bella.
This story is more of the growth of the friendship between Jacob and Bella ~ and of Bella having to learn to live her life without the Cullens around. This book does seem a lot darker to me ~ Bella's depression is deep and she's seemed to have lost her willingness to live. It's almost as if she has an uncaring attitude whether she lives or dies. Maybe she doesn't want to die, but she sure doesn't want to get up in the morning, either.
I really enjoyed the friendship between Jacob and Bella. They have fun together, including quite a few mischievous adventures that are probably best left unknown to Bella's father, Charlie. That being said, I still missed Edward and longed for him to reappear every time I turned the page. Unfortunately (or fortunately??), he reappeared towards the end of the book, along with the rest of the Cullen family.
I'd say this is a Very Good read. Usually follow-up books are disappointing to their predecessors, and this is no exception ~ but it's still good. I think the character development is excellent and I cannot wait for this story to continue. I'm looking forward to reading Eclipse and seeing what happens next.
Keeps the series moving along well, but not enough Edward!.......2007-10-07
I read the first book in two evenings, it was so good, and part of what I loved was the tortured romance and longing between Edward and Bella.
In this next book, Edward has left in order to protect Bella from himself and his family, and Bella turns to Jacob from the reservation. Their deepening friendship, and the complicated secrets that Jacob discovers about himself and his tribe, make it clear that Bella really is the danger magnet that Edward always suspected!
This book has a slower pace than the first one and less romantic longing, because while Bella loves Jake, she doesn't feel for him the same way that she feels for Edward, and so for me, it wasn't as big of a hit as the first one was. Still, after reading the first one, I doubt you will be able to resist continuing the trilogy and finding out what happens. I certainly couldn't!
Obnoxious, actually, and yet I can't help but love them.......2007-10-06
I am going to be dead honest in this review: I cannot for the life of me quite figure out why I liked this book save for one reason and one reason only. I find the characters less-than-properly complex and the plot silly and romanticizied.
And yet, like so many readers, I read this with an inability to put it down and I loved every moment of it.
To make myself feel better, I shall begin with the bad. Mrs. Meyer puts a lot of faith in the concept that her characters are all madly in love with each other. Honestly, I see no reason for their infatuations other than emotion. I have yet to see anything that would set off a concrete and stable relationship. It is as if they have no other reason than to live for each other. In fact, the driving force of this novel is that Bella is utterly depressed by the fact that Edward and the rest of the Cullens have left. My goodness, by her actions and the various chapters devoted only to the names of months, it's as if someone had died. She's a teenage girl, she should have the ability to eventually bounce back. Too bad she has very little personality outside her love for Edward. Then again, no one else seems to have much personality save for the rather loveable Jacob Black. And even he eventually loses it in favor of lots of teen angst.
Maybe it's just me. Maybe I'm just no longer a teenage girl. I'm sorry.
But look at my rating. 4 stars is pretty decent. And I believe my first paragraph was a paradox of my critiques and my love for this book.
The fact is that Mrs. Meyer has a gift with words. Her simple, hypnotic prose draws me in to the rainy, misty world of Forks with its vampires, werewolves, and beating hearts of passion. The emotion may be baseless, but it is strong, and she clearly does love her characters with the same love they feel for each other. I admit, the romance got me in the end.
I also admire her way with the vampire/werewolf mythology. It might be a little sugary, but I really don't mind it because it is complex enough without going the encyclopedia route. I also liked the way she dipped, almost Anne Rice style, into the question of vampires and God.
I do wish Mrs. Meyer would learn to give her characters personalities that exist without each other, but she is still getting money from me whenever she writes a book.
Keep up that pretty writing and that awesome vampire/werewolf mythology.
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
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.
"
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.
Amazon.com
Unhappiness in marriage often has a simple root cause: we speak different love languages, believes Dr. Gary Chapman. While working as a marriage counselor for more than 30 years, he identified five love languages: Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Receiving Gifts, Acts of Service, and Physical Touch. In a friendly, often humorous style, he unpacks each one. Some husbands or wives may crave focused attention; another needs regular praise. Gifts are highly important to one spouse, while another sees fixing a leaky faucet, ironing a shirt, or cooking a meal as filling their "love tank." Some partners might find physical touch makes them feel valued: holding hands, giving back rubs, and sexual contact. Chapman illustrates each love language with real-life examples from his counseling practice.
How do you discover your spouse's - and your own - love language? Chapman's short questionnaires are one of several ways to find out. Throughout the book, he also includes application questions that can be answered more extensively in the beautifully detailed companion leather journal (an exclusive Amazon.com set). Each section of the journal corresponds with a chapter from the book, offering opportunities for deeper reflection on your marriage.
Although some readers may find choosing to love a spouse that they no longer even like -hoping the feelings of affection will follow later- a difficult concept to swallow, Chapman promises that the results will be worth the effort. "Love is a choice," says Chapman. "And either partner can start the process today." --Cindy Crosby. This text refers to the Amazon.com Exclusive Journal & Paperback Book Set.
Book Description
Are you and your spouse speaking the same language? While love is a many splendored thing, it is sometimes a very confusing thing, too. And as people come in all varieties, shapes, and sizes, so do their choices of personal expressions of love. But more often than not, the giver and the receiver express love in two different ways. This can lead to misunderstanding, quarrels, and even divorce. Quality Time Words of Affirmation Gifts Acts of Service Physical TouchDr. Gary Chapman identifies five basic languages of love and then guides couples towards a better understanding of their unique languages of love. Learn to speak and understand your mate's love language, and in no time you will be able to effectively love and truly feel loved in return.Skillful communication is within your grasp!Click here for the Study Guide for Spouse and Group Discussion
Customer Reviews:
Everybody should read.......2007-10-10
This is a great book. It helped me look at the way I treated my husband and my children. I can now more fully express my love to my family in ways that they understand. I bought a copy for my mom and sisters.
Good Suggestions.......2007-10-09
I got this book in hopes of finding ways my hubby and I can connect. He read this book really fast and I'm still reading a couple of chapters at a time. Although the suggestions are good and we are using them to mend some issues in our relationship; it wasn't something that I just couldn't put down like hubby. For overall content I give kudos.
Helpful for all couples.......2007-09-27
This book was recommended to me by a colleague. It is actually used in premarriage counseling as well as couples therapy. I wish I'd read this earlier! A definite must have for understanding the two sides of relationships. I usually purchase a copy as a gift for close friends at bridal showers, etc. It is an easy read, and very helpful for old and new couples alike.
Good But With Religious Content.......2007-09-26
I found the book worthwhile to listen to. The author offered good practical advice to improving your relationship. I was disappointed that the last 1/5th of the program concentrated on the writings of Jesus. I do not believe that believing in a certain religion will help my relationship.
Great Relationship book.......2007-09-19
This is a Great relationship book for the young and old. Give you an understanding of how your past and present relationship. It will also be helpful on your future relationship. Can't wait to wait to read other similar books.
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Books Index
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Suite Francaise
