Book Description
Richard "The Iceman Kuklinski" led a double life beyond anything ever seen on The Sopranos, becoming one of the most notorious professional assassins in American history while hosting neighborhood barbecues in suburban New Jersey. Now, after 240 hours of face-to-face interviews with Kuklinski and his wife and daughters, author Philip Carlo tells his extraordianry story. Kuklinski was Sammy "The Bull" Gravano's partner in the killing of Paul Castellano at Spark's Steakhouse. John Gotti hired him to kill the neighbor who accidentally ran over his child. For an additional price, he would make victims suffer; he conducted this sadistic business with cold-hearted intensity, never disappointing his customers. By his own estimate, he killed over two hundred men, taking enormous pride in his variety and ferocity of technique. Kuklinski's story, once known, captivated the public and became the subject of three HBO documentaries about which the New York Times raved "Few viewers are ever likely to forget this thoroughly chilling portrait. As for possible movie competition, it would work on the level of The Silence of the Lambs." The Ice Man is the most complete portrait of a killer since Peter Maas' New York Times bestselling biography of Sammy the Bull, Underboss, or Gay Talese's Honor Thy Father.
Customer Reviews:
Awesome!.......2007-10-01
I recently finished this book and found it to be incredibly insightful, thought provoking and extremely gruesome - but I loved it!!
I think Mr. Carlo touched every aspect of Richard Kuklinski's life that you may have been wondering about - from his childhood, parents, wife, kids, etc. It's so unfortunate that all those people had to die, the families lives that were ruined (not to mention his own family), and the horrible beatings Richard had to endure - but this book did an excellent job portraying it all.
I couldn't put this book down. I have since lent it to a friend who can't put it down either.
Mr. Carlo deserves every 5 star review that's given!
Very little Credibility.......2007-09-30
I bought "The Ice Man" because I had viewed the HBO documentary, which was terrifying. I read this book once and gave it away. According to Richard Kuklinski, hardly a major killing took place in the U.S. during the 1970s and 1980s without his involvement. Among his incredible assertions are that he participated in the murders of Carmine Galante, Paul Castellano, and even Jimmy Hoffa. Had he been somewhat older, it wouldn't have surprised me had he stated that it was he, and not John Wilkes Booth, who assassinated President Lincoln. Since it's been some time since I've read this tome, my recollection of many of his allegations are somewhat hazy, but I do remember questioning many of them. Philip Carlo's writing is flawless and gripping, but Kuklinski's credibility, in my opinion, is somewhat debatable.
The Ice Man: Confessions of a Mafia Contract Killer .......2007-09-22
I saw a documentary on televison about this man so I was intrigued and bought the book. The book is excellent, but sad. It is a riveting story of so many lives lost. Excellent reading.
Chilling and compelling .......2007-08-31
"The Ice Man" is, by far, one of the most compelling, perfectly-written, biographical accounts I've ever read. Philip Carlo masterfully conveyed the most graphic details of Richard Kuklinski's criminal activities without repelling his audience -- an incredible feat given the unnerving subject matter.
excellent true crime read.......2007-08-30
This is a book that once you pick it up you can't put it down and you definitely do feel a pressure to talk to someone about it. It is so gruesome you have to have to be careful who you choose to talk to about it. I am a psychotherapist and from a psychological point of view it was facinating. Carlo was able to show the different facets of the man, a true sadistic psychopath. On the other hand he had some kind of "code" or sense of empathy with the children he rescued from sexual abuse. It is as if he could identify with them, something that psychopaths are believed to be unable to do not having a conscience. It seems that there was a small part of him somewhere that cared about those children. And he cared about his family, even though he also terrified and abused them. He said he would not kill a woman unless she was also a hit "person". But his cruelty to men had no bounds. He was not into sexual assaults which maybe is the reason he is not as well known as Ted Bundy and Jeffery Dahmer. He should be the most notorious of all serial killers. I agree he was the worst of the serial killers and it surprised me he is not the most well known. Carlo did a great job.
Book Description
Jen Lancaster was living the sweet life-until real life kicked her to the curb.
She had the perfect man, the perfect job-hell, she had the perfect life-and there was no reason to think it wouldn't last. Or maybe there was, but Jen Lancaster was too busy being manicured, pedicured, highlighted, and generally adored to notice.
This is the smart-mouthed, soul-searching story of a woman trying to figure out what happens next when she's gone from six figures to unemployment checks and she stops to reconsider some of the less-than-rosy attitudes and values she thought she'd never have to answer for when times were good.
Filled with caustic wit and unusual insight, it's a rollicking read as speedy and unpredictable as the trajectory of a burst balloon.
Customer Reviews:
Bitter Is Totally My Style.......2007-09-17
I enjoyed Lancaster's writing style, as I am a fan of snarkiness, bitchiness, and cynicism. However, about three quarters of the way through the book, it started to drag and all of the whining and complaining and bitching did begin to get to me. I started skimming a bit, eager to get to the end of this tale that probably could have done without 50 or so pages.
There were times while reading the book that her spoiled, rich girl/sorority girl, utter obliviousness with regards to manners, money, or tact attitude grated on me. However, her ability to make fun of herself for who she was and to reassure us of how far she has come and what a humbling experience she had kept me from disliking her. I actually would love to have martinis with her and make fun of people.
On the whole, I found Lancaster to be refreshing, fun, and easy to read and relate to.
Bitter I Bought It!.......2007-09-12
I made the big mistake of bringing ONLY this book on a Transatlantic flight. It turned out to be more annoying than the screaming baby sitting next to me! It read like a bad blog from a very unfunny, fat ex-high-school Thespian. I dragged myself through the first half, and then threw this waste of paper away. I instantly felt guilty, as the airplane lavatory was too fine a receptacle to be expected to hold this trash! Want funny? Read David Sedaris, Bill Bryson or even Nabokov. Skip this pabulum.*
*By the way, Jen, I also HATED the humor-free footnotes!
Someone owes David Sedaris an apology.......2007-08-17
Part of the reason I picked up this book was a quippy little review that said: "Jen Lancaster is like David Sedaris with pearls and a supercute handbag." Usually I try to avoid purchasing decisions based on marketing ploys that follow the line of 'if you like X, you'll love Z', but I AM a Sedaris lover, and I WAS in the mood for a laugh-out-loud funny read, and to that end Mr. Sedaris has never disappointed. But someone owes Mr. Sedaris an apology. The comparison is so far off-base, I think I would have rather spent the afternoon reading 200+ pages of Mr. Sedaris' thoughts ABOUT pearls and handbags, rather than Bitter is the New Black. Most of the major flaws of the book and the writing style have already been covered by other reviewers. Yes, Jen Lancaster is not nearly as amusing, witty, or clever as she thinks she is. Much of what we're supposed to consider humorous seems simply to be re-worked jokes and tired stereotypes we've all seen and heard before. Has this narrator really changed by the end of the book? Where are the moments of introspection, of realization that make us understand she's changed? The moments of true regret that finally win us over to her side, make us actually like and root for her, make us forget how jaw-grindingly irritating she is in the beginning? She never seems to dig deep enough, never goes beyond the obvious, never reveals enough of herself, or shares her true vulnerability with the reader to redeem herself, and thus, we don't really care all that much about her and instead tend to simply agree with the blurb on the book's cover: The [...] had it coming. Indeed.
She begins, for a few scant pages at the very end, to share the true source of her misguided materialism and and to show us the insecure girl from Indiana, but as soon as she touches on something real or tender, the book is over. We can all see through the bombastic personality and hipper-than-thou superiority from the beginning and recognize it right away for what it is: deep seeded insecurity and fear. The only problem is that Jen never QUITE admits it out loud, to us, her reader, and we're left wondering if everyone knows it but her.
What simultaneously disappoints and infuriates me is the sheer lack of polish and skill on these pages. Relying on cutesy 'footnotes', reprints of emails and weblog submissions seems to indicate a laziness on the part of the author, or more likely, a lack of confidence and undeveloped skill. She ardently professes her desire to "be a writer" and yet throughout the book I find myself thinking: then work on your craft! Where is the editor? Who let her publish this material in this form? This is the fifth sentence in this chapter that isn't even gramatically correct.' Some make the arguement that because it's "memoir" and not "fiction" the author is allowed free reign to write how she pleases. There are plenty of well-crafted memoirs that showcase beautiful prose, accomplished storytelling,and impeccable form, and are stitched together with threads so fine you never see the writer's handiwork at all.
Instead, this is another case of a would-be writer throwing together some thoughts, cocktail party chatter, mildly interesting anecdotes, a couple of blog posts, and assembling it under the guise of a book. You can practially see Ms.Lancaster furiously pecking away at her laptop in a rush to get her manuscript to her publisher, all the while wondering "who will play me in the movie?"
And to the protesters who argue, "But this is Chic-lit. It's supposed to be light, fluffy, and mindless," I agree, there's nothing like an enjoyable piece of fluff. And the best kind of fluff is good, strong story-telling at its finest. I'm so tired of picking up books lately, expecting a good read only to get 250 pages of bad, unskilled writing by "writers" who don't even seem to respect their reader enough to work hard at perfecting their craft. Blurting out your inner-thoughts and throwing them down on the page does not make you interesting, witty, deep, and least of all, it doesn't make you a writer. Please, you seem like you might actually have something to say. Work hard at improving your storytelling, because after another book or two, this one-note song will be over.
FUNNIEST. BOOK. EVER........2007-08-14
This was a book chosen for one of my book clubs. I loved it SO much I recommended it to my OTHER book club! I laughed so much I wet my pants! Tragic, but FUNNY!
Genius!.......2007-08-13
Very few books make me laugh uncontrollably, but this spectacular trip into narcissism made the list. The best part (aside from the side-splitting, completely unforgiving, honest humor) is that Jen is a terrific writer who respects grammar while casually departing from convention (footnotes? brilliant.) on a regular basis. This is a quick, easy read for the very busy who need to unwind and laugh...a lot.
Book Description
The truth about how to survive and profit in the competitive field of commercial real estate
Not a get-rich-quick, no-money-down fantasy, Confessions of a Real Estate Entrepreneur is a guide for investors who are ready to play hardball. James Randel focuses on commercial deals with the highest potential yields, presenting a model for aggressively generating returns many times greater than what people usually net from real estate investments. Loaded with candid real-life stories that demonstrate Randel’s strategies in action, this book fills you in on insider negotiating secrets, how to tie up properties with minimum risk, how to profit from options, how to use contracts with contingencies, and other priceless lessons.
If you're ready to move beyond basic buy-and-hold or fix-and-flip investing, Confessions of a Real Estate Entrepreneur is for you. Full of real-world wisdom from successful investor James Randel, this insider's guide is packed with detailed examples of real-life deals, demonstrating strategies to help you you avoid the mistakes that Randel and other investors learned the hard way. You'll learn about: Due diligence and researching properties Financing strategies that maximize your buying power Legal terms, issues, and conditions you should understand Profiting through option agreements the thirteen vital skills for real estate success "Confessions of a Real Estate Entrepreneur provides all the tools for analyzing, buying, improving and profiting from the investment in income producing properties."--Jeff Dunne, Vice Chairman, CB Richard Ellis "Jim's focus on the building blocks, the creativity, and the strategy of deal making gives readers a front row seat into this high stakes, and richly rewarding game."--Jim Fagan, Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield
"If you are or want to be a serious and successful real estate investor, this is a 'must-read' book... one of the best real estate investment books I’ve ever read. On my scale of one to 10, this unique book rates an off-the-chart 12." -- Robert Bruss
Customer Reviews:
Excellent book for the residential investor looking to expand!.......2007-09-21
This is an excellent book for an investor who has been investing in strictly residential property and is now looking to move into bigger commercial or industrial projects. After reading this book, I came away with a much better understanding of commercial and industrial real estate and I am now looking to invest in these types of properties. The book is easy to read, and easy to follow and understand. James' offer us some great examples of his experiences in this game and how he both made and lost money. I really enjoyed this book.
Realistic Take on Real Estate.......2007-09-20
As a practicing commercial real estate professional who has read many books on the subject, I found Mr. Randel's book to be one of the better books on the subject. The real life examples used in the book (he gives both the good deals and the not so good deals that he's done) made the book very enjoyable if only because he corroborated some of the practices that I use in managing my commercial properties. There was also enough insight to ensure I make the next deal better or don't make the same mistake twice. The book is not too technical in that it doesn't go through long drawn-out calculations on valuing property/deals however it does give you the important figures to watch out for so that you don't overpay or undersell. The most valuable thing about the book were the countless examples of how to improve the properties "value" to the next buyer. Mr. Randel seems very honest to say that most Real Estate deals are not get rich quick schemes and most take a lot of hard work and possibly time to work through. He is also humble enough to admit that a little luck doesn't hurt either. Several different types of Real Estate investment are covered in the book including land development.
I'll hope to see another book by Mr. Randel in the future.
Mindas.......2007-08-05
Wow, what a book. I'm a beginner in real estate investing, this was my seventh book.
It's good that it's written by real investor, but what makes it best and different he is also a lawyer. So he talks about everything from a different angle and with different approach. One of the best parts is how to lock a property/land with as little money as possible, and how to use laws and contracts in your favour and there are lots of other good information.
The best part of this book comes in chapter 19, none of the previous 6 books that i read talked about this and I think it is the most important thing in real estate investing, he calls it "The Art of Persuasion" or in other words how you connect with other people and your abilities to persuade them. Most of us know that good deals aren't found on internet or in newspaper classifieds, good deals are found connecting with the right people and getting information from them before anyone else does, and you need to know as many of those people as you can.
This book is a must read for any real estate investor or entrepreneur.
The real deal. Recommended. .......2007-05-20
James Randel is the real deal, an investor in commercial properties who tells you how he did some of his deals. Not some puff merchant telling you how to buy with no cash down. Write another please soon!
This is a must read........2007-05-07
This book is very complete, very interesting, easy to read, and flows well. The author gives a lot of his own practical experiences as object lessons. I highly recommend it for anyone considering purchasing or developing commercial real estate investments.
Book Description
In August 2004, Governor James E. McGreevey of New Jersey made history when he stepped before microphones, declared "My truth is that I am a gay American," and announced his resignation. The story made international headlines—but what led to that moment was a human and political drama more complex and fascinating than anyone knew. Now, in this extraordinarily candid memoir, McGreevey shares his story of a life of ambition, moral compromise, and redemption.
From childhood, McGreevey lived a kind of idealized American life. The son of working-class Irish Catholic parents, named for an uncle who died at Iwo Jima, he strove to exceed expectations in everything he did, meeting each new challenge as though his "future rode on every move." As a young man he was tempted by the priesthood, yet it was another callingâpoliticsâthat he found irresistible. Plunging early into the dangerous waters of New Jersey politics, he won three elections by the age of thirty-six, and soon thereafter nearly toppled the state's popular governor, Christie Todd Whitman, in a photo-finish election. Four years later, he won the governorship by a landslide.
Throughout his adult life, however, Jim McGreevey had been forced to suppress a fundamental truth about himself: that he was gay. He knew at once that the only clear path to his dreams was to live a straight life, and so he split in two, accepting the traditional role of family man while denying his deepest emotions. And he discovered, to his surprise, that becoming a political player demanded ethical shortcuts that became as corrosive as living in the closet. In the cutthroat culture of political bosses, backroom deals, and the insidious practice known as "pay-to-play," he writes, "political compromises came easy to me because I'd learned how to keep a part of myself innocent of them." His policy triumphs as governor were tempered by scandal, as the transgressions of his staff came back to haunt him. Yet only when a former lover threatened to expose him did he finally confront his divided soul, and find the authentic self that had always eluded him.
More than a coming-out memoir, The Confession is the story of one man's quest to repair the rift between his public and private selves, at a time in our culture when the personal and political have become tangled like frayed electric cables. Teeming with larger-than-life characters, written with honesty, grace, and rare insight into what it means to negotiate the minefields of American public life, it may be among the most honest political memoirs ever written.
Customer Reviews:
An Emotional Time.......2007-05-10
Read about the experience of New Jersey governor Jim McGreevey when he came out of the closet.
MIXED FEELINGS.......2007-05-02
I am glad he is at peace. I really am. But what about Dina? What about the fact that he would have been running for President right now - had he not been "caught."
I knew him for a short time. I also knew Dina. Jimmy still has a lot of work to do on himself. Very self-absorbed man. Hopefully this will help him live in a real world now. I think he's lived in denial for so long, he can't distinguish reality from lies. It's sad.
Dina, just a sweetheart. Always loved her. Deserved way better than this. A well written book, however.
The litany of a Liar.......2007-05-02
Absolutely amazing that this person can create excuses for all his behavior. He had one goal in life - to get to the Presidency - and everything he did was to advance that goal including marrying Dina his 2nd wife. This woman was in the wrong place at the wrong time and got enmeshed in the web of lies and avarice that ruled McGreevey's life. How incredible that everybody else is the cause of what he did - no responsibility from him, no true apology to his wife for what he did. He robbed his wife of the ability to trust anybody else and left his daughter with the legacy of her father's lies and continued hypocrisy. His sexuality has nothing to do with the morally corrupt person he is. He continues to lie and try to rehabilitate himself in the eyes of the public - remember this is what he has done over and over! Don't fall into the trap of believing any of his explanations; you may want to believe in the goodness of people but this man has no redeeming values at all. I am sorry that Oprah ever had him on her show - he was great theater at that time- but he is such a manipulator. This is so sad for Dina's daughter but also for his older daughter who is of an age to understand what has gone on.
Confession is good for the soul.......2007-04-06
I was prepared to fine McGreevey unlikeable and pleading. Instead, I found his story engrossing and his window to New jersey politics extremely informative to those of us not living in the Garden State. As a gay man who also came out late (although now many years ago) I fully understood his concerns and recognized the dilemmas he faced. Well worth the read.
I want my money back.......2007-02-06
Thank goodness that I didn't pay to read this book. Since McGreevey is bent on releasing his personal demons for redemption, how about he pays NJ taxpayers back? -- I was one of them -- when he forced us to pay for his boy-toy on staff -- a man who was absolutely not qualified for the job for which he was hired -- nor did he deserve the HUGE extraordinary salary he was given. We all seem to have forgotten this McGreevey tidbit. Why aren't we asking McGreevey to truly repent -- and pay back NJ taxpayers for arranging for this boy-toy on his staff -- who as we know -- was hired by McGreevey so that McGreevey could conveniently find him when he needed to frollic in bed. McGreevey's friend, Bill Clinton, never paid Federal taxpayers back for the $42 million we paid for investigating his "I never had sex with that woman" statement. Why did we have to also pay for McGreevey's denials of what he was really doing?
I could care less about the sex lives of these politicians. They may do whatever they wish as long as they do not do it in their place of business and remember that their position demands ethics -- it is their fidiciary duty to taxpayers -- as well as their duty to be a role-model for our nation's children. Any gay, purple, black, female or gorilla politician is fine with me -- they simply must stop stealing taxpayer money -- particularly for their perverted sexual pleasures! And if politicians like McGreevey do steal taxpayer money -- as when he hired Golan for a job this boy-toy was not qualified to work-- then McGreevey needs to be held accountable -- only then will his true demons leave and "cleanse his soul" -- if that's what he's into these days.
Now McGreevey is writing all about it. Boo hoo.
Amazon.com
It's hard to think of anyone more intense or opinionated, or who wears as many hats as James Cramer. In Confessions of a Street Addict, the man who first made a name for himself on Wall Street successfully managing his hedge fund--and then became famous on Main Street with his manic appearances on CNBC--tells the improbable story of his career as journalist, Wall Street pundit, Internet entrepreneur, and television commentator. For the most part, Cramer manages to avoid the self-congratulatory hype that mars so many books of this ilk; in fact, what makes Confessions so compelling are the shots that Cramer takes at himself, be it his now infamous capitulation during the stock market panic of October 1998, when he wrote a piece for TheStreet.com advising readers of an impending crash just as the market began to rebound, or the callous way he treated so many around him in pursuit of the next trade. Here's an informative, honest, and rollicking read for fans of CNBC, TheStreet.com, or anyone who has ever lost sleep thinking about their portfolios. Highly recommended. --Harry C. Edwards
Book Description
In the most candid look at Wall Street since Liar's Poker, James J. Cramer, cofounder of TheStreet.com, radio and television commentator, and for years one of Wall Street's premier money managers, takes readers on a no-holds-barred tour of life on Wall Street-revealing how the game is played, who breaks the rules, and who gets hurt.
Everyone on Wall Street knows Jim Cramer, and Cramer knows Wall Street better than anyone. For fifteen years he ran Cramer, Berkowitz, one of the Street's most successful hedge funds with a compounded annual return of 24% after all fees. In Confessions of a Street Addict he takes us from his fascination with the stock market as a middle-class kid in the Philadelphia suburbs to Harvard, where he began managing money. After an apprenticeship at Goldman, Sachs, Cramer set out on his own with his wife, Karen, the "Trading Goddess," as his partner. Cramer brilliantly describes the life of a money manager -- the frenetic pace, the constant pressure to outperform the market and other fund managers, and the shark-like attacks fund managers make as they circle a fund perceived to be in trouble.
At the same time that he was managing money, Cramer was one of the best-known commentators on the financial markets. A former president of the Harvard Crimson, Cramer had been a newspaper reporter before he began managing money. While he was a fund manager, he wrote for SmartMoney and other publications, making him one of the first money managers to offer insight and analysis from inside the world of finance. With the rise of the Internet and online publishing, he co-founded TheStreet.com, the online financial Web site. In one of the most fascinating chapters in this book, Cramer takes us inside the IPO of TheStreet.com, where he found himself a knowledgeable but helpless onlooker as his own Web site came on the market at an unrealistically high price that it never reached again, a harbinger of the dot-com disasters that would soon haunt the stock market.
Throughout the book Cramer is characteristically outspoken, outrageous, and candid about everyone, himself included. There has never been a high-wired, high-octane book about Wall Street like this one.
Download Description
"In the most candid look at Wall Street since Liar's Poker, James J. Cramer, cofounder of TheStreet.com, radio and television commentator, and for years one of Wall Street's premier money managers, takes readers on a no-holds-barred tour of life on Wall Streetrevealing how the game is played, who breaks the rules, and who gets hurt. Everyone on Wall Street knows Jim Cramer, and Cramer knows Wall Street better than anyone. For fifteen years he ran Cramer, Berkowitz, one of the Street's most successful hedge funds with a compounded annual return of 24% after all fees. In Confessions of a Street Addict he takes us from his fascination with the stock market as a middle-class kid in the Philadelphia suburbs to Harvard, where he began managing money. After an apprenticeship at Goldman, Sachs, Cramer set out on his own with his wife, Karen, the ""Trading Goddess,"" as his partner. Cramer brilliantly describes the life of a money manager -- the frenetic pace, the constant pressure to outperform the market and other fund managers, and the shark-like attacks fund managers make as they circle a fund perceived to be in trouble. Throughout the book Cramer is characteristically outspoken, outrageous, and candid about everyone, himself included. There has never been a high-wired, high-octane book about Wall Street like this one. "
Customer Reviews:
Fascinating read!!!.......2007-09-18
After having read this book I am no longer convinced that Jim Cramer is crazy. Hyperactive, eccentric - maybe, but not crazy. Fascinating read! I highly recommend this book!
In The Middle Of It All.......2007-08-03
This book is not about investing. Rather, it is about Cramer's interesting life and the millions he made and lost in the stock market in the past few decades. As a former journalist, Cramer writes well compared to most traders and the reader will have a hard time putting this book down once started. Cramer takes the reader from his days as a struggling journalist and Harvard law student to the hallowed halls of Goldman Sachs to his chaotic life as a hedge fund manager and media commentator. This book also provides good perspectives on the 1997 Asian financial crisis and the fallout of the collapse of Long-Term Capital Management as well as the dotcom madness of the late 1990s. In many ways, Cramer was in the middle of it all and thus provides good insights in buying stocks in hard times. This book should be read by everyone interested in a job in the financial markets because, love him or hate him, this book will not disappoint.
Keeping it Real.......2007-07-29
Cramer is a loveable egomaniac. If you can get past his hubris, you will get a real feeling of what he went through while managing his hedge fund. I particularly liked his writing style. Maybe it was the subject matter, but I think more so, his style, kept me turning the pages faster and faster. I couldn't get enough. Really.
I guess you could say it was a combination thriller, real life story, informational, documentary, etc.
As you can tell, I really enjoyed reading it. He's a wonderful writer with a first-hand knowledge of the stock market. Cramer is smart and wants you to understand the "inside" of the market. I think he succeeds wonderfully.
Jay Lowenthal
A glimpse into Jim's world........2007-07-21
You either hate Jim or love Jim, it is hard to ignore him and his antics. I generally liked reading his books. His books are very inspirational to me. They give me a glimpse of how hedge funds operate. I know in his books, he mentions how he had to live in his car during his not-so-rich days, and how from there, he went on to make over 100 million dollars. In his books he also touches on the human side of his journey, he talks about his wife supporting him all along and sometime it felt like he thought his wife was actually a better trader than him. That is obviously his humbleness, what he has achieved is not an easy feat. Reading the financial media (I was a subscriber of his website realmoney.com for a long time), he is dubbed a believer of fundamental analysis, and generally bullish on the market. His books reflect some of the same themes.
If you are a technical analysis person, this book is probably not for you, but if you want to get involved in a hedge fund some day, this book is for you.
Interesting book for all, not just financial types.......2007-07-16
I bought this book for my husband, who watches Cramer on TV religiously, and found myself reading it when he was done. It was very interesting so learn how Cramer came to be where he is today. A little boring in some of the pages where he gives very detailed information about some of the stocks and higher level market data, but the rest of the book is very good.
Book Description
Entrepreneur Stuart Skorman—the founder of Elephant Pharmacy, Hungryminds.com, Reel.com, and Empire Video—grew up in a retailing family in Ohio. He worked every kind of job, from cab driver to professional poker player to CEO. In this entertaining, personal account of his coming-of- age in the business world, Skorman gives an insider’s view of what it takes to start a business from the ground up.
Stuart Skorman offers his hard-won lessons in business for any entrepreneur or small businessperson who wants to create a company that has a heart and soul. He reveals what he learned about marketing while working a stint as a rock band manager and bares his soul about his failure during the dot-com bubble. He describes in vivid terms the roller coaster ride of the entrepreneur in good times and bad and explains how to survive in today’s uncertain business environment.
Customer Reviews:
Interesting Read but a Bit Light on Entreprenuership How To.......2007-06-28
Good quick read about a man that stumbled into being a lifelong entreprenuer because he could see opportunities and was not afraid to start businesses to exploit them. I admire the author because he is introspective enought to realize what he is good at and what he is not and how that effects his ability to start and grow companies. He admits his mistakes but gives you insight into what are the key lessons he learned. The author recognizes that fanatical focus on providing a great customer experience and customer service will build customer loyality that will allow you to overcome the mistakes that small-growing businesses make. Larger established companies should re-learn this lesson. The bottom line from this book is the Nike slogan, "Just Do It!".If you want to learn more about starting a business I would suggest other books like the Art of the Start The Art of the Start: The Time-Tested, Battle-Hardened Guide for Anyone Starting Anything, or the classic entreprenuership book by Paul Hawken, Growing a Business Growing a Business.
A great read.......2007-05-06
If you think you've got the entrepreneurial spirit and want to embark on the startup journey, read the book by someone who's taken the trip.
Even if you're not an entrepreneur this book will provide a window into how extraordinary people take business risks.
What a ride and a great read.
Thanks for sharing it.
p.s. in addiiton to a great startup story, if you are interesting in the process of startups there are some good tactical texts on how to avoid some of the bumps i.e. see: The Four Steps to the Epiphany or for pure strategy The Innovator's Dilemma: The Revolutionary Book that Will Change the Way You Do Business (Collins Business Essentials)
Laugh out loud funny!.......2007-03-31
Skorman gives an insider's view of what it takes to start a business from the ground up. He offers his hard-won lessons in business for any entrepreneur or small businessperson who wants to create a company that has a heart and soul.
[...].
Painful Entrepreneurial Lessons Reported in Good Humor.......2007-03-25
People who think they want to be entrepreneurs should read this book. In life, you can either fall down to learn all of your own lessons or you can pay attention to and learn from other peoples' experiences. I recommend the latter approach and Mr. Skorman provides an easy-to-read memoir that you can easily absorb. His range of experience will probably cover something that you are thinking about doing. I commend him for choosing to ask Catherine Guthrie to help him write the book; it flows more smoothly than 99% of the business memoirs you'll read.
I work with dozens of would-be entrepreneurs at any given time. Their motivations vary. Some want to create a huge business. Others just want to establish a business they would be proud of. Still others want to establish a certain kind of lifestyle. Some want to escape the humdrum qualities of their lives. A few have an idealistic vision of what a business could do for others. At various times, Mr. Skorman tried all of these approaches and candidly assesses the pros and cons of those perspectives.
When I first meet them, the would-be entrepreneurs have three things in common:
1. They have no idea of how to prepare to be an entrepreneur.
2. They don't understand the various processes to use in establishing a successful new business.
3. They are in a hurry.
In addition, most of would-be entrepreneurs have no understanding of how to think about customers and what might appeal to customers.
As a result, they employ what I like to call the "fire, ready, aim" school of entrepreneurship. That approach can work just fine . . . as long as you have enough energy, capital, and patience.
Most entrepreneurs are self-taught: They learn by accumulating bumps and bruises. That learning process is, however, so painful that they either don't want to talk about it or develop amnesia as time passes.
Stuart Skorman's memoir is a great resource for inexperienced entrepreneurs because he does remember how he got where he is and is willing to share with you. You follow along while he goes from starting up one venture to another and get a candid look at what he did right and wrong, and why that happened. In his biggest success, he freely describes how not paying enough attention to a deal he needed to make and to technological development cost him most of what he could have gained. You'll be there, too. When you are, remember his example.
I also find that would-be entrepreneurs think they will be married to their business for life. In drawing that conclusion, they deny themselves the opportunity to experience the joy of creation all over again . . . but with more resources and experience to guide them. I don't recall another book where an entrepreneur so often moved on to start a new enterprise and in another industry as often as Mr. Skorman has. You'll be fascinated.
Why is it that most entrepreneurs cannot repeat their success in another industry? Success is very much influenced by being in the right place at the right time with the right resources and skills. Miss one of those elements and the next enterprise may be a loser.
Mr. Skorman is also a very interesting fellow when he's not starting-up businesses. He spent the Summer of Love in San Francisco. He did a cross-country bicycle jaunt by himself. He spent two years earning a living as a professional poker player. He also managed a rock band. You'll enjoy those parts, too.
In understanding Mr. Skorman's perspective, it's helpful to remember that he is primarily a marketing thinker who sees deep needs that aren't being met and can conceptualize very extreme ways to improve on what exists. That talent is best exhibited in his experience with Empire Video where he conceptualized a whole new approach to video rental stores that greatly expanded the market in the geographies that he served. I suggest that you read that case with the most attention for what's needed to succeed. There were few false steps because he deeply understood the needs of video renters. I was so impressed with this case that I summarized it for some of my entrepreneurial students.
At the opposite end of the spectrum, read the case of Elephant Pharmacy to show you how wealth and comfort can induce bad habits into what may well be a good business idea. As the ultimate story of "ready, fire, aim" I commend his story of HungryMinds.com.
Although the chapters end up with entrepreneurial lessons, I suggest that you think of these not as general lessons . . . but rather as the lessons than you can draw from Mr. Skorman's example. He didn't study what other entrepreneurs do and don't do, so you shouldn't treat this book as a literal business text. It's more like an annotated series of cases.
As his career evolves in the future, I hope Mr. Skorman will favor us with an updated edition of this book at some point.
Inspiring and fun to read.......2007-03-13
This is one of those well written book that you can't stop reading. Stuart Skorman shares his story with tears and joys. Unlike some entrepreneur books shares only the glory, there are many humble confessions and valuable lessons to learn for both seasonal and start-up entrepreneurs.
Customer Reviews:
Great read, over and over.......2005-05-18
Before I read this book (years ago - it was at a bookstore in the clearance section for $4.95!), Aleister Crowley seemed pure myth. He was but a cryptic, faceless personality surrounded by what I'd later find out to be gross misrepresentation and ignorance - which, incidentally, I fell for, hook, line and sinker.
But upon reading his 'autohagiography,' the man was finally fleshed out and rendered human. And what a colorful and fascinating character! Hardly the evil scumbag people considered (and occasionally STILL consider) him to be. I found that he harbored views and opinions similar to my own about mob psychology and the like, and he had a way of expressing his thoughts, feelings and views which was nothing short of amazing. This is one of the most quotable books in the world, I feel. Crowley doesn't mince words, and he has a wonderful command of the English language (among other languages).
His accounts of mountain climbing and world travels are fascinating. His magical experiences are equally so. He approaches these subjects with great wisdom - often tinged with a priceless sardonic humor (which is what I appreciate most about the book). Crowley was a great wit.
I find that I can open this book to any page at random and start reading - and every time I'm hooked.
I have breezed through this review, so it isn't as incisive as I originally planned it to be. But the above is how I feel in a nutshell. If you are at all interested in this man, this book is a must. I recommend it very highly.
Wicked Uncle Al Does It Again!.......2005-03-26
I found the Confessions to be inspiring, irritating, tragic, and hilariously funny. Love him or hate him; Crowley was a unique individual whose accomplishments are not to be underestimated.
I was not bothered by the lack of magickal writing: after all, the book was never intended to be a textbook on magick. Besides, I have no interest in practicing magick.
Apart from Crowley's racism and misogynism (he was, after all, a 19th century Britishman. He couldn't help it), he had a remarkably progressive and universal view. He did the best that he could.
I delighted in the lessons that his strengths, weaknesses, virtues, flaws, follies and triumphs. One thing that he was was honest. Despite the possibility that he may have embellished the truth at times, he did so leaving the reader with the oportunity to see through him. He held himself and others to very exacting standards.
At times I found myself laughing out loud at many of his anecdotes. They were my favorite parts of the book; especially when he was presenting himself as either the fool or "The Wickedest Man in the World": with his tounge planted firmly in his cheek.
A good read. One of my favorite books.
A Great Read About a Great Beast-- But Don't Stop Here.......2004-11-09
Crowley's autohagiography is fascinating from start to finish: he was the supreme egotist in all things and a master manipulator of weaker souls (of which there was a limitless supply). So, read and enjoy, but ask yourself: did he really turn Victor Neuberg into a camel? Could he become invisible as he claimed? Did he copy down a book dictated to him by an Egyptian god? You get to decide whether he's a reliable source....
After you read this, you'll want a more objective view of the life of this remarkable man, and for that I'd turn to either John Symond's "The Geat Beast" (fair but credulous) or the much more recent "Do What Thou Wilt" by Lawrence Sutin-- an excellent, open-minded, reasonably skeptical look at Crowley's life and works. No matter what you decide about Crowley (genius, prankster, or madman), these are all entertaining and worthwhile books.
But begin with this one, straight from the magus' mouth.
An "autohagiography" from an ignored but important person..........2004-07-23
Aleister Crowley is perhaps one of the most interesting characters in all of world history. He attempted to synthesize the techniques of Western occultism, Eastern mysticism, and modern scientific thought into a workable system he liked to call "Magick." All the time he was trying to do this, he was hounded by people who branded him a charlatan, a Satanist, and "the wickedest man in the world." Even the famed Russian mystic George Gurdjieff, who was controversial himself, cursed Crowley's name after they met. Crowley's flawed character is very interesting to look at, especially from his own perspective, and this is why "The Confessions of Aleister Crowley" is such a great book.
My psychology professor loaned me his copy of this book, after we got into a discussion about Crowley one day. The case of my professor demonstrates how much Crowley is ignored, as his copy of "The Confessions" had sat on his bookshelf for years unnoticed. It was only when I mentioned Crowley and my professor read over the book that he understood my fascination with Crowley. Unfortunately, I was unable to finish the book, due both to time constraints and the fact that the book is rather boring in the middle, when Crowley begins to talk about his mountaineering adventures. I can, however, tell you my general impressions of the book, and Crowley, after what I have read of the book and several other books on The Great Beast.
Crowley's style is very lucid and descriptive, but readers without a dictionary should be warned; Crowley's vocabulary is immense and multi-lingual. Crowley makes some rather astute observations about the course of his life and his actions in the book, and he is able to psychoanalyze many of the people who one way or another became involved with his life, but this book, and his whole life, in fact, show one fatal flaw: a lack of self-analysis. Crowley's egotism contributed greatly to some of the errors he made. For instance, in reference to his feud with several members of the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn, he accuses many of them of having been jealous of him, going so far as to say that the great poet Yeats hated Crowley because Crowley was the superior poet. Any look at Crowley's poetry will prove this claim to be laughable, although Crowley did occasionally write wonderful poetry.
Crowley has long been ignored in Western society, although many of his ideas have influenced the course of the 20th century. Hopefully with the success of Wicca and occultism in general right now, Crowley will attain the position of great sage and artist in the larger world someday, as well as serving as a warning to all those who would tread his path. In closing, the reader of this book should bring with him an open-mind, intelligence, and a sense of humor (for Crowley's sense of humor is one of his often ignored qualities). With these qualities, he should be able to understand Crowley and learn from his ideas.
Best on the Market.......2004-06-20
This is by far the best Aleister Crowley biography on the mass market because the other books are biased and not very good. This one, however is straight from the author and he has nothing to hide, not even his sexuality as he admits he liked both sexes. His childhood was the most interesting part. The son of a brewer from a strict Christian sect that he rebelled against and inherited a small fortune is a key element in the book. He also details his many mountain climbing expeditions and was one of the best in the world. I also really liked the parts on his ascension to the head of the Golden Dawn, eventually having a falling out with Mathers and being expelled for moral depravity. If you were wondering if cats had 9 lives, Crowley details how he tortured a cat to see if it did. This part reminded me of Edgar Allen Poe's The Black Cat. Like I said, avoid the countless biased biographies from others. Those are the books his detractors like and are cheesey. An essential look at one of the biggest bad asses in world history.
Average customer rating:
- Not so good
- Not as good as I expected
- it gets 1 star for the cover of the book, which I liked
- Not a fan of Oates
- Joyce Carol Oates wrote this as Rosamund Smith!
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Foxfire: Confessions of a Girl Gang
Joyce Carol Oates
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ASIN: 0452272319 |
Customer Reviews:
Not so good.......2007-09-01
I wanted to like this book. It started out good. As I read on, I started to get bored. Borrow it from a library if you can. Save your money.
Not as good as I expected.......2007-01-21
Reading some of the reviews for this book led me to believe that this book would be a good read. I was wrong.
One of my biggest pet peeves is authors who ignore good grammar and proper punctuation, and Joyce Carol Oates is one of those authors. This novel reads like it was written by a kid in junior high. All the switching between first and third person narrative left me confused. The book is written from the perspective of the adult Maddie, but tends to read like someone observing the girls of Foxfire from afar, rather than a member of the girl gang telling how things were.
The characters, with the exception of Legs, get very little development and come across as one-dimensional. As the narrator, Maddie should have gotten more character development, but instead, she is used as little more than the voice of and for Foxfire.
The concept of a girl gang like Foxfire in the 1950's is ridiculous. This book would have been more believable had it been set in a different time frame.
If you've seen the movie, stick with the movie. At least the idea of a girl gang in the 1990's isn't so far-fetched.
it gets 1 star for the cover of the book, which I liked.......2006-08-02
This book was so horrible. It was given to me by one of my friends for Christmas. I'm so glad I didn't actually part with legal tender for this putrid novel. I forced myself through the book, not caring what happened to any of the characters who were flat and boring. It was the biggest waste of time (like something you'd read in a WGS class). And why is it that the only story I ever come across in anthologies by this woman is "where are you going, where have you been"? Is this her best story? How pathetic...
Not a fan of Oates.......2006-01-10
I have tried to read the work of this amazing writer and more often than not find myself closing the book completely uninterested in the characters and/or the story. Technically, I can appreciate and even admit to the awe she inspires. But for some reason her writing leaves me cold.
This was only the second of her books which I managed to finish and I genuinely enjoyed this novel very much. The narrator is flawed and vulnerable, tough and offensive, and I wanted to know what would happen to her and to her gang.
I like this book. I will continue to try to read Oates whenever the impulse presents itself. But I will also forgive myself if I am unwilling to finish what I start.
Joyce Carol Oates wrote this as Rosamund Smith!.......2005-12-18
Sometimes you see this book by Rosamund Smith, which is Joyce Carol Oates by another name!
Book Description
Forbidden Love with a Married Man; E-mail Diaries describes one couple's journey as they struggle with sexual identity and how it conflicts with right and wrong. More than 4 million women are currently or have been married to either a gay or bisexual man. Often the gay spouse feels forced by societal and family pressures into marriage, suppressing his true feelings in order to be socially accepted by appearing "straight." However, in secret these men cheat on their wives by conducting affairs with members of the same sex. This day-by-day memoir diary includes actual daily e-mails and correspondence between the author, Dennis Schleicher, and his 14-year married boyfriend. Will his boyfriend leave his wife and confess to her his love and desire to live with another man, or will he be trapped in his own insecurities and not move to a side of life he has kept hidden all of these years, risking the loss of his potential "soulmate"? Every married and single woman and male and/or those engaged in a relationship will learn the truth about two loving people who are highly challenged to reveal their innermost souls in order to "survive."
Customer Reviews:
Riveting, thoughtful and perceptive.......2007-07-18
Wow! Thank you Dennis for writing this thoughtful and unique tale of a potent topic. I am divorced for the past 6 years from an 18 year marriage and fell in love last year with a man who was married for 33 years. In fact today is the one year anniversary of our first phone call. So when I stumbled across this book I ordered it immediately. It arrived Monday and I finished the last page on Tuesday.
I found it riveting and insightful although, in certain parts, the style of writing reminds me of a cheesy romance novel. But when you find yourself living a romance novel then it's a case of life imitating art.
I've read that a sequel is in the works. I can't wait to see what happens to this couple and I look forward to any insights offered by the author's experience. Kudos.
Must read for those who suspect........2007-05-17
Because I'm not a gay male, I bought Forbidden Love with a Married Man to research for a novel I'm writing. The book gave me needed insight to understand some aspects of gay relationships, and consequently, I think anyone who even suspects their husband is gay should read this book.
I commend Dennis for his honesty in exposing his private life to help others affected by these relationships. I would have liked to see the next stage of the journey that Bryon and Dennis went through. Something along the line of How to Survive Your Boyfriend's Divorce. The reason for the 4 stars instead of 5 is because deciding to leave is different than actually leaving, thus a significant amount of the story is left out. Perhaps that was because of the need to get this portion of the story out.
Now that Dennis has shown us the journey in deciding to leave I hope he'll share his journey as the other man waiting for someone to leave and share Byron's difficult journey of coming out and actually leaving.
The Divine Plan: A Novel of Obsession
Very Jaclyn Suzanne, Ahead of Its Time.......2007-04-17
You have to read it in order to believe it. Truly amazing...
This book nearly saved my life.......2007-04-07
Forbidden Love with a married man:e-mail diaries written by Dennis Schleicher was the nourishment I needed going through the darkest time in my life. I am a married gay man that has been riddled with guilt because I feel that I created victims in my wife and children for selfish reasons. I got married even though I knew I was gay but I new what societies expectations were of me and I thought marriage would somehow heal those desires. They didn't and they never will for anyone. Dennis's book not only helped me understand that my intentions weren't to do harm but to follow societies narrow expectations they have for men and woman. I truly did what I thought was right. I now have hurt my wife and children and it nearly cost me my life until this book was given to me. I have since join Dennis annonymous group for married men and he is not only wise and insightful but very compassionate and has personally helped guide me back out of the darkness of dispair that I was in. This book WILL and SHOULD become a movie. Thank you Dennis for your inspiration. Most sincerely, Aaron
Forbidden Love With a Married Man: E-mail Diaries.......2007-03-12
Too many e-mails...why not just tell a story? Too muchy not enough substance.
Customer Reviews:
A psychologically sexual journey.......2006-05-30
Yukio Mishima is one of Japan's most famous modern writers, having written over twenty books, forty plays, ninety short stories, and numerous poems, and having earned three nominations for the Nobel Prize before he committed seppuku (ritualistic suicide) in 1970 at the age of forty-five. Confessions of a Mask was his very first novel (arguably semi-autobiographical), but it is still considered one of his classics. The story is about a nameless homosexual narrator and his attempts throughout his life, from a young child to a grown man, to try to understand himself, his desires, and why exactly he feels so different from everyone else. He comes to the conclusion that he can fit easily into society if he just hides his true self behind a "mask", but he soon finds out it isn't that simple, and before long he begins to lose his firm grip on who exactly his "true self" really is.
The book begins with the narrator describing certain instances from his childhood, memories that he feels have had a significant effect on who he is now. I thought this was just the story's introduction, Mishima's way of introducing the character and letting us get to know him better, but after many pages of these memories, I began to realize that this was the story. It doesn't have a clear beginning, middle, and end as much as it is just a series of events. After all, isn't that closer to the way real life is? Some of the events might seem random at first, but they are all strung together by the highly precise and articulate narrative.
However, even though I thoroughly enjoyed Confessions of Mask, it is definitely not for everyone. There is not very much action in the narrator's life compared to what is going on in his head. And every time something exciting or dramatic does happen, the intensity is constantly being cut down by the narrator's analysis of exactly what psychological or philosophical importance the event has, and occasionally he goes off on tangents that lead to another event entirely before making his way back to where he started. This type of narrative style could easily have been botched by a less skilled writer, making the story sound messy and awkward, but Mishima knows from the beginning where he is going, and he arrives there successfully, detours and all. His psychoanalysis of himself comprises a lot of the book, but he keeps himself from sounding too self-centered by also offering his philosophical insight into human nature in general, not just his own.
There are still a few times when his psychology begins to get tiresome or repetitive, but the beauty of Mishima's writing and the yearning to know what happens next still kept me reading without many complaints. Confessions of a Mask is depressing in how negatively the narrator views himself, but unfortunately the feeling of not fitting in is something that most everyone can relate to. The ending might not seem completely satisfying or conclusive at first, but it fits fairly well with the style of the rest of the novel. I recommend this fascinating and psychologically complex story to anyone who prefers reading books where there's more happening internally than externally, or to anyone else who is interested in trying something different.
Ideas concerning human existence..........2005-01-09
I waded carefully into this book, not knowing what the writing would be like. From the opening of the book the imagery and use of language were fantastic and captivating (some credit/blame may go to the translator).
The story itself - specifically the main voice, a young man (Mishima himself?) - never progresses. The same lack of form and function persists in the telling of the story, start to finish. Mishima muses and postulates about love and sexuality. The voice explores its secrets and thoughts carefully and meticulously. And while the explorations are clever for their language and style - they are not fresh and grow stale as they are reviewed cyclically.
Does he love a woman, does he not. Does he feel sexually attracted to women? No - but certainly aroused by men. But - nothing ever happens. His arousal for men is only truly brought to life in vivid fantasies of pain and suffering inflicted on the men in his mind.
And - still - at the close of the book - the character continues to avoid himself and chase after a girl he has used as his foil and who is now married to another man. He is the same person despite his years and experiences. This book has a potential for power - but feels sad and hollow.
Per Mishima, "It was like being given a gift of damp fireworks."
Good starting point into the world of Mishima.......2004-02-09
Reading other reviews of Confessions of a Mask, I see that many readers are looking at it from a perspective of "gay literature" and seem disappointed that Mishima is not really a supporter of the cause. But from my perspective, as someone interested in Mishima as a giant in Japanese literature, Confessions of a Mask is a great introduction into the literary world of Mishima Yukio.
Without giving away too much, the main forces that propel the protagonist in this semi-autobiographical work, are a secret lust for masculine beauty and an attempt at heterosexual "normalcy" attempted mainly through a painfully flawed try at loving a sister of his friend. Other reviewers have commented that the second half of the story flags a bit, but for me, the frustration and concealed emotion that is tangible in the conversations between the protagonist and Sonoko is both convincing and intriguing.
However, I would agree that the first half of the book is probably more interesting. Mishima's work is less about homosexuality (with the emphasis on sex) and more about an almost reverent approach toward masculine virtue and beauty. These ideas and the struggle within the protagonist start to flag as the war draws to an end and he becomes involved with Sonoko.
I have yet to read many of Mishima's works, but the two main things that appeal to me are his staunch commitment to an ideal or perfection of some sort, and also the amazing penmanship that his stories exhibit. As with most Japanese literature, this sort of subtle detail is lost in translation, so I encourage all who have the ability and time to read the originals!
Although I have a feeling this book will be hard-pressed to please everyone, as it is a bit too extreme for the mainstream reader but perhaps not strong enough for the alternative audience, for me at least it seems like a great insight into the mind and the works of Mishima. No study of modern Japanese literature would be complete without a look at Mishima, and although Confessions of a Mask may not be his greatest work, it is unquestionably an excellent starting point.
Explaining the sexual ambiguity.......2003-08-25
Yukio Mishima's Confessions of a Mask takes the 20th position among 100 Gay Literature fiction. However, after reading the book, I would say it cannot be truly catergorised as a gay literature. The book starts with the same-sex desire towards the classmates and some strangers of the narrator. In chapter three (the longest chapter in the whole book), he suddenly fell in love with a sister of his classmate, called Sonoko. At this point, a heterosexual desire is developing. The narrator tries his very best to distinguish the passion of love from the lust of sex. It is very clear that the narrator's relationship with Sonoko is purely platonic, and later in the book, the narrator tries to lose his virginity by calling a prostitute. Yet, this casual sex encounter proves to fail. The whole story continues towards the last chapter, in which the narrator meets Sonoko on several occasion even though the female has been married to a man.
As a reader, especially a reader reading this book as gay literature, I am very disappointed in the way that book should be better categorised as a heterosexual literature in which the narrator has a defect in sexuality. The same-sex desire of the narrator is purely based on sex, and the physical attraction of male's bodies. What is superior to this is the undying love between Sonoko and the narrator. The author uses over half of the book, clumsily, telling the readers where the heterosexual love goes, and in fact, it goes to no end. The heterosexual plot is the only part which tells the story continuously. The description on same-sex desire, in the first part of the book, is fragmented and the gay narrative lacks coherence and therefore also lacks unity in convincing me that this is a gay fiction.
The narrator cherishes the male's bodies and also does not want to let go his passion of Sonoko, but at the same time, it is obvious that he is sexually incompetent in copulation with a female. Should he be seen as a homosexual or heterosexual? The book does not really tell. Maybe he is a bisexual. However, if this book is read as an autobiographical work of Yukio Mishima, then this argument is defeated, as it is clear that Mishima is a homosexual, though he was married and had two children in his lifetime. What perplexes me apart from the sexuality of the narrator is the matter of the queer propaganda. Should the narrator be regarded as a traitor of homosexuality or heterosexuality? Is this book about a gay man who has a heterosexual tendency or about a straight man who has a hidden homosexual interest? Is the author celebrating gay love or heterosexual relationship? After reading the book, there are still lots of questions unanswered.
If you have time and intend to read truly gay fiction, go for the first 19 books before picking up Confessions of a Mask.
For further reading, I would recommend the following secondary source:
Mark Lily, Gay Men's Literature in the Twentieth Century. 1993. New York University Press. Washington Square, New York. Chapter 5, pp. 127-143.
hiding the true self.......2003-06-04
I've never been much a reader of Mishima. The only books of his that I had red before this one were Death in Midsummer and The Sound of Waves, and although I enjoyed reading both of those books they did not impact me as much as say reading the works of Tanizaki. That however was until I read this book. Not having read one of Mishima's biographies but knowing that he had homosexual tendecies I can not say if this book is semi-autobiographical or not, however, if it is it gives the reader a glimpose at his internal demons. The book seems to be more of a memoir than anything else. The writer speaks of his early years and his emerging homosexuality. It is quite moving in some parts because he depicts his inner struggles in good detail. However, his desires are also quite disturbing because of the way he self gratifies himself. he does not think of intercourse, but of inflicting wounds. Criteria of fantasy include stomach muscles that would look good with blood flowing down them. an interesting book.
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