Amazon.com
Oliver Sacks calls Temple Grandin's first book--and the first picture of autism from the inside--"quite extraordinary, unprecedented and, in a way, unthinkable." Sacks told part of her story in his An Anthropologist on Mars, and in Thinking in Pictures Grandin returns to tell her life history with great depth, insight, and feeling. Grandin told Sacks, "I don't want my thoughts to die with me. I want to have done something ... I want to know that my life has meaning ... I'm talking about things at the very core of my existence." Grandin's clear exposition of what it is like to "think in pictures" is immensely mind-broadening and basically destroys a whole school of philosophy (the one that declares language necessary for thought). Grandin, who feels she can "see through a cow's eyes," is an influential designer of slaughterhouses and livestock restraint systems. She has great insight into human-animal relations. It would be mere justice if Thinking in Pictures transforms the study of religious feeling, too.
Book Description
Temple Grandin, Ph.D., is a gifted animal scientist who has designed one third of all the livestock-handling facilities in the United States. She also lectures widely on autism because she is autistic, a woman who thinks, feels, and experiences the world in ways that are incomprehensible to the rest of us. In this unprecedented book, Grandin writes from the dual perspectives of a scientist and an autistic person. She tells us how she managed to breach the boundaries of autism to function in the outside world. What emerges is the document of an extraordinary human being, one who gracefully bridges the gulf between her condition and our own while shedding light on our common identity.
"There are innumerable astounding facets to this remarkable book...Displaying uncanny powers of observation...[Temple Grandin] charts the differences between her life and the lives of those who think in words."--Philadelphia Inquirer
Customer Reviews:
It doesn't live up to the hype.......2007-09-19
Yes, it is remarkable that an autistic person has written a book about autism and how autistic people see the world and process information.
But that's the only thing that makes it remarkable - if the book were written by a non-autistic person, it wouldn't have found a publisher, at least not without some serious editing. The subject is highly interesting, and the ideas in the book are really thought-provoking, and it's too bad that as a reader I found it hard to get really engaged in the book. It is sometimes rambling, with choppy sentences, and frequently highly repetitive -- sentences that are almost the same are repeated, ideas are restated over and over. It got to the point that I felt while the book could have been condensed into a fascinating article, as a book it was frustrating and bloated, and needed a good editor to prune it by at least a third. Maybe the stilted prose and repetition are meant to provide a valid simulation of how an autistic person actually speaks, but it doesn't make a book readable to the rest of us.
Don't get me wrong, I think Temple Grandin is an amazingly successful person and she should be commended for sharing her world and knowledge with us. I just wish the quality of the final published version had been better - she deserves it.
A Must-Read for Oliver Sacks Fans.......2006-10-30
As you would expect from a book subtitled And Other Reports From My Life with Autism, Temple Grandin gives us a fascinating inside view of what it's like to be autistic. What you might not expect is how deftly she weaves neuroscience, animal behavior, humane practices in America's animal processing facilities, biochemistry, and even religion into this bestseller.
In contrast to the "experts" who tell us that there can be no true thinking or tool building without language, she's here to tell us that her visual, computer-like method of solving problems and getting along in the world are just as valid as any language-based solutions. Inspired by the opening lines of the Lord's Prayer, for example, she explains that she grew up with a very clear image of God working at an easel.
What's not obvious from the title is that she holds a Ph.D. in animal science and has designed one third of all the livestock handling facilities in the United States. Sometimes her beliefs about her charges' thoughts and feelings would appear hard to confirm. However, when she applies her ideas to the many facilities she has designed, the animals become calmer and step through their paces more easily. Some readers may find her more gruesome slaughterhouse experiences hard to stomach. But she seems to be stressing the vast improvements she has made rather than trying to gross out her audience.
Sometimes funny, sometimes sad, and often insightful, Thinking in Pictures is a treasure for anyone who wants to learn more about these topics.
Moving, inspiring, thought-provoking.......2006-03-23
Temple Grandin is an autistic who refused to take early retirement from life. With the help of her mother and some forward-thinking teachers, she drew upon her own inner resources, talents and strengths to move into the world of people who think in words and in two dimensions, rather than in 3-dimensional pictures.
I especially liked this book because it was highly informative. Ms. Grandin not only has a lot to say about autism, but goes into detail about an area that is obscure to most readers: Livestock handling. From any other writer, this might be a terribly dry and even distasteful subject, but her writing tone is one of great patience. She has learned how to bridge the comprehension gap by explaining in detail how she thinks and accomplishes various tasks.
I'd be honored to meet this lady and am hoping to attend one of her lectures some time. She helps us to understand that autistic people aren't so different from non-autistic people...and vice versa.
Thinking In Pictures.......2006-02-24
This book provides a wonderful account of how one person with autism views herself and the world. It helped clarify some perceptions I had about people with autism and is a must for service providers.
Thinking In Pictures : and Other Reports from My Life with Autism (Vintage).......2006-02-20
A fascinating account of the author's efforts to overcome her
genetic defect through learning and understanding, and through education of others. I learned a great deal about Autism that I was ignorant of, and of how the mind works in some of its infinite variety of ways.
Book Description
“I thought I knew Terry McAuliffe as well as anyone, but this time he surprised even me. Who knew Terry could sit still long enough to give us a book this good? What a Party! is a must-read for all of us who love politics, believe in public service, and know that laughter is often the best survival strategy.”
—President Bill Clinton
“No one knows more about American politics than Terry McAuliffe. He gives
us some remarkable insights and knows how to make his accounts both humorous
and informative.”
—President Jimmy Carter
“I’ve often said Terry’s energy could light up a city, and readers of this book will know why. Terry’s excitement for politics—and life—is evident on every page.”
—Senator Hillary Clinton
For more than twenty-five years, Terry McAuliffe has been at the epicenter of American politics. Just out of Catholic University in Washington, Terry took a position with the Carter-Mondale campaign and quickly became one of the campaign’s chief fund-raisers—and hasn’t looked back since. The list of Terry´s former mentors, friends, and close associates in the nation’s capital reads like a who’s who of legendary Democrats: Tip O’Neill. Jimmy Carter. Dick Gephardt. Bill Clinton. Hillary Clinton. Al Gore. The list goes on and on. Terry has fought hard for the Democratic Party his entire life and, as Bill Clinton reveals here for the first time, he was the first one in the party to see opportunity in the Republican gains in the 1994 Congressional elections.
Without question the most successful fund-raiser in political history, Terry established himself as a heavyweight Democratic strategist and leader who was George W. Bush´s most vocal and persistent critic during the first four years of the Bush 43 presidency. He earned rave reviews even from former critics for his groundbreaking work as chairman of the Democratic National Committee from 2001 to 2005, pulling the DNC out of debt for the first time in its history. Terry has served as a confidant and adviser to President Clinton and countless presidential candidates, a mediator among party leaders, the chairman of a national convention and presidential inaugural, and a forceful spokesman for the party—all without losing his reputation as a colorful, fun-loving character liked and respected even by his Republican adversaries.
What a Party! is a fascinating, hilarious, and provocative look at the life of one of Washington’s legendary figures. From wrestling an alligator to running the Democratic National Committee to his friendship with President Clinton, Terry McAuliffe’s wonderful memoir covers it all and is, without doubt, the political book of the year.
Customer Reviews:
ADHD.......2007-07-26
The first hundred pages of this book almost gave me whiplash. When he claims to be hyperactive, I totally agree, because he jumps from story to story with no seeming connection. But once Clinton takes office, I assume he had the daily logs to guide him, and things got a little more linear.
That said, I loved every page for its entertaining stories and enterprising spirit. This guy really made a difference.
Best non-fiction book I read this year.......2007-06-15
For those who want real insight to politics over the last 25 years, with plenty of humour, Mcauliffe's recent book is a must. Written not by an elected official or a psuedo-philosopher, but by someone who was in the thick of the action in raising money and advising President Clinton and others in the Democratic Party since the 80's "What A Party" is a great read. Incisive and downright funny at times it is the best non-fiction book I read this year and far and away the best political memoir/commentary I have ever read. When I started I was sorry I wasn't in it and when I finished I was jealous I didn't write it. Buy it!
What a Blast.......2007-05-14
Great summary of the politics of politics. I could not help laughing throughout and it was enjoyable and easy reading. A must for every loyal Democrat.
Democratic Money Man.......2007-04-28
An entertaining auto-biography from a self-made millionaire who raises millions for the democrats. He's proud, but down to earth. A close friend to Bill Clinton. He's now Hillary's campaign manager. If you are a big fan of George Bush Jr., you'll have a hard time getting through this book.
A Brilliant Man's Journey.......2007-03-28
I picked up this book with lots of curiosity. I saw McAuliffe on Book TV surrounded by an army of celebrities (including Clinton and Bill O Reilly - what a combination!!) and expected a "usual" memoir backed with celebrity endorsements. Damn I was wrong. This book was fun to read and it sailed like a cheesecake.
I immensely enjoyed Terry's delightful style of storytelling. The book moves with a supersonic pace and I was surprised how fast I finished it.
There can be no arguments about Terry's passion towards "his" party and it's pretty apparent throughout the book. But, this book is more than his commitments to Democratic Party. It's about a hardworking, honest and a brilliant man's journey towards success told in a simple style that will sure entertain you.
Great read. 5/5
N.Sivakumar
Author of "America Misunderstood: What a Second Bush Victory Meant to the Rest of the World".
America Misunderstood: What a Second Bush Victory Meant to the Rest of the World
Book Description
The role we each play in our own downfalls create the profound--and profoundly entertaining--basis for this series of linked "meditations" as the author of The Abilene Paradox takes another irreverent look at the nature of life on the job. In this work, Harvey explores the ethical, moral, and spiritual dilemmas we all face in the modern world of work. But he does it in a most unconventional way. His is an approach that mixes equal parts humor, philosophy, and insight to make us laugh, think, and examine organizational behavior in a brand new light. The twelve essays themselves carry such spirited titles as "What If I Really Believe this Stuff," "On Tooting Your Own Horn," and "Ode to Waco." Altogether, it's an enthralling collection of wise and witty parables that illustrate the redemptive value of the truth in a voice that is ultimately understanding of human shortcomings.
Customer Reviews:
Harvey Tells It Like It Is.......2007-04-01
A must read! Harvey begins the book by relating and analyzing an event that happened when he was six years old. At once, the windows of my mind opened, and I began to be able to understand a lot of what has happened in my own life. I laughed out loud after reading on page 36 about the organizational back stabbing victim: "Blood flowing, he [ the Potential Victim] continues his journey into Real Victim status by retreating to the security of the organization's infirmary, which usually is located in the Human Resource Department, for an extended period of recovery." Been there, done that!
The views of a sage.......2006-09-01
I don't know what posessed me to pick up this book at the library. I'm not an avid reader and I was doing research on an unrelated topic. I suppose the title just grabbed me and I needed a break from my regular study. When I started reading this book, however, I didn't want to put it down. At age 39, I'm only just beginning to appreciate the wisdom 50+ years develops in some people. So when I started reading this very easy-to-read book, filled with "smart" humor and just the right amount of antedotal support, I was just soaking in everything I could. Maybe you have to be older to appreciate this book...but wouldn't it be great if you were smart enough to learn from it much younger....
Interesting ruminations on ramanagement.......2004-12-30
The book centers on a key concept - we victimize ourselves. Work is a political place, but most of the time, we see problems coming. If someone stabs us in the back, usually we get a warning, but are complicit by not assertively contacting the person doing us in. This idea of defeating poor office behavior through open and honest discussion is developed in depth throughout the book.
There are two downsides. First, this book perhaps has too much text for such a simple concept. Although this is good reading for a fan of Jerry Harvey (I am one!) the Abilene Paradox is a much more efficient (more ideas, less words) introduction to his material. Second, Jerry is perhaps oversimplifying the world. Office politics is best beaten by open book confrontation of problems, but life sometimes is more complex than that.
That said, this is still a worthwhile read.
Only for those who think..........2004-08-02
Jerry Harvey is great. The Abiline Paradox was wonderfully insightful and helpful and this one is also wonderful. His insights into spirituality, morality and human psychology are profound and helpful. This book is easy to read, it is fun and funny, but it is not a cookbook that tells you to do A, B, and C. It just helps you think deeply. If you want a cookbook there are a thousand books out there, I'm tired of them. Even the title of this book is thought provoking as is the rest of the book. Think for a change!
Open ended musings with no conclusions.......2004-05-24
As you've probably noticed from the other reviews, J. Harvey does a good job raising questions about morality related management decisions, e.g. backstabbing or betraying a co-worker.
My own enjoyment of the book suffered because there are no answers to the questions posed. Morality is not the sort of topic where one expects to the THE answer. However, I do require a speaker/writer to at least propose their answers, so I may compare and contrast them to my own views.
I recommend this book if you prefer an open-ended discussion with no suggested or implied solutions.
For new managers with their first inkling they might have a few misconceptions about what they've just gotten into, I recommend "Becoming a Manger: How New Managers Master the Challenges of Leadership" by Linda Hill.
Book Description
With the goal of promoting literacy (and with proceeds going to the Read to Grow Foundation), here are 65 spirited testaments to the transformative power of reading from 65 distinguished contributors, as compiled by bookseller Roxanne Coady and editor Joy Johannessen.
Books change lives, and if you have any doubts on that score, you need only dip into this joyous celebration of reading by 65 people who have distinguished themselves in various fields, from sports, to cooking, to journalism and the arts. In brief and lively essays, the contributors— wrestlers, actors, singers, monks, Nobel Prize winners, chefs, politicians, writers—tell about the single book that changed the way they see themselves and the world around them.
A sampling of contributors includes: Elizabeth Berg on The Catcher in the Rye; Harold Bloom on Little, Big; Steven Brill on The Making of the President, 1960; Da Chen on The Count of Monte Cristo; Maureen Corrigan on David Copperfield; Nelson DeMille on Atlas Shrugged; Tomie dePaola on Kristin Lavransdatter; Anita Diamant on A Room of One's Own; Linda Fairstein on The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes; Sebastian Junger on Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee; Wally Lamb on To Kill a Mockingbird; John McCain on For Whom the Bell Tolls; Lisa Scottoline on Angela's Ashes; Susan Vreeland on To Kill a Mockingbird; and many more. . . .
Customer Reviews:
A Window Onto Other Lives.......2007-06-17
In this book, 71 notable people, most of whom are themselves authors, write brief essays telling what books have had the biggest influence on them. Since each essay ends with a thumbnail biography of its writer, you get a double list of leads for further reading here. You get the 71+ books cited as being life-changing, and you get the works of the 71 people who did the citing.
Actually, you get even further lists of recommended reading from this book. That's because its editors post their own favorites lists on the last pages.
Quite a few of the essays here have a breezy, quickly-jotted quality, perhaps showing their origins as forms filled out in response to the editors' mailed requests to, "Tell us what book changed your life." However several of the essays, such as Da Cheng's recollection of "The Count of Monte Cristo" releasing him from his childhood oppressions in China - are perfect, polished little pieces in and of themselves.
The books that people said mattered to them cover a startling range, and are often unexpected choices. You will find everything from Frank McCourt's appreciation of the "jewels-in-your-mouth" words of Shakespeare's "Henry VIII," to Claire Cook's gratitude for the Nancy Drew Mysteries and Jeff Benedict's mention of "The Little Engine That Could."
There are a few striking qualities that these influential books hold in common though. I notice that almost none of them were required reading in school. Rather, these were books that their readers came upon privately, by almost magical serendipity, and often even in contexts that made them illicit pleasures.
Then too, almost all the books mentioned were fiction. No tracts of deeply political/economic philosophy turned up, of the kind that so many people in the past might have claimed decided their paths. There was no mention of Karl Marx or Adam Smith, or "The Federalist Papers." What people seemed to gravitate towards were other lives, lived in different, freer circumstances.
This book, with its short chapters, makes for easy bedside reading. In fact, you might want to make a point of taking this book in small doses. When I was a little girl, I remember reading one of Bennett Cerf's joke books. Occasionally, a little policeman would appear at the bottom of a page. My mother and I would laugh at this fierce little fellow, scowling and holding up his hand, warning us to "Stop!" He was telling us not to gobble too many jokes in one sitting, because they might become sating rather than side-splitting. It's possible that just such a little policeman should have appeared occasionally in this book in order to get you to pause to digest each contributor's recommendation and wisdom.
well worth the read.......2007-05-17
a joyous book. very enlightning. the variability of books is marvelous. this is a book to always keep coming back to.
Warning! This Book Leads to Buying More Books!.......2007-01-10
They should have a warning on the cover of this innocent-looking little tome that it leads to more book buying. After reading this book, you will most definitely run to your local bookstore (fortunately, I was sitting in Barnes & Noble as I read this book and ended up buying the two books that changed Anne Lamott's life along with this book).
Many of the authors' favorite books were predictable: "Catcher in the Rye", "The Lord of the Rings", and "Jane Eyre" to name a few. The most interesting part of these 71 little essays was discovering how the authors discovered these books and why they had such a profound effect on their lives.
If you love books about books, then this treasure is a must-own. It's on my "Do Not Ever Loan Out" list, it's that good!
Inspiring Book Talk.......2007-01-07
I love to read books about people talking about the books they love. -It gives me a good reason to read something I haven't read already, -and to see if/how it might change me, it's also a great way to come in contact with a new book. This is a great for all of that.
71 writers share here, and I really enjoyed reading about it. Written in short essay style with 2-3 pages per contributor. Some I've heard of, some I haven't, and there's a brief paragraph after each essay that tells you a little about the author and what they've wrote and are well known for. The book ends with a 'reading list of the books selected by the contributors' Which I thought was nice. Then, there are two more reading lists by the co-editors of the book. Also, there's information about the "read to grow" program, to which proceeds from the sales of the book will go toward buying a book for a child. -Another really great reason to buy this book!
There are always some writings/authors that will resonate with you and others that just don't. Regardless, of whether a certain writing 'speaks' to you, I found, with this, that it's still interesting to read what they all had to contribute to the 'celebration of books that matter most to them'.
Read, enjoy and contribute towards a meaningful cause.
Celebrate A Passion for Reading.......2006-11-11
The contributors were each writers who had appeared at R. J. Julia Booksellers in Madison, Connecticut. This book celebrates 15 years of business for this bookseller and Roxanne J. Coady asked these writers to tell a story about a book that changed their lives as a celebration--and reminder about the power of books to change lives.
The introduction explains the royalty for The Book That Changed My Life goes to buy new books for a program Coady began called Read to Grow,which provides books for parents to share with their children. The individual stories are fascinating even if the writer was unfamiliar to me and/or I didn't know the book that was selected. The writer's choice for a book was interesting--such as Senator Joseph Lieberman (remember it's a Connecticut bookstore) who selected the Bible or another Senator John McCain selected Ernest Hemingway's For Whom the Bell Tolls.
The story which I want to highlight in this review isn't from one of those writers--but it's from the editor of the book in her introduction. Bookseller Roxanne J. Coady explains how from a young age reading was her passion. And when she opened R. J. Julia Booksellers, "my dream was that the store would be a place where words mattered, where people would gather, where writer could meet reader, and where our staff would work hard to put the right book in the right hand. Dreams can come true. R. J. Julia has now been welcoming readers and writes for sixteen years. Every day in the store we see how books change lives, in big ways and small, from the simple desire to spend a few quiet hours in a comfy chair, swept away by a story, to the profound realization that the reader is not alone in the world, that there is someone else like him or her, someone who has faced the same fears, the same confusions, the same grief, the same joys. Reading is a way to live more lives, to experience more worlds, to meet people we care about and want to know more about, to understand others and develop a compassion for what they confront and endure. It is a way to learn how to knit or build a house or solve an equation, a way to be moved to laughter and wonder and learn how to live."
I loved reading this volume and recommend it.
Book Description
"I was late to school, and that's all I could think about. I started across the field. And then suddenly a fire flashed in my face and the earth seemed to move beneath my feet. I remember a shower of soil and then nothing. I woke up on the ground, surrounded by a crowd, men and boys...no women. They were all staring down at me with huge eyes. Their lips were moving, but I could hear no voices. All I heard was a loud ringing in my ears."
Farah Ahmedi is born into the world just as the war between the mujahideen and the Soviets reaches its peak in Afghanistan. Bombs are falling all over her country, and her native Kabul is swelling with hundreds of thousands of people looking for homes and jobs. The sounds of gunfire and fighter planes are as normal to Farah as the sounds of traffic or children playing are to a schoolgirl in America. When Farah steps on a land mine on her way to school, her world becomes much smaller than the dreams and hopes in her heart. She begins to learn--slowly--that ordinary people, often strangers, have immense power to save lives and restore hope.
The Story of My Life: An Afghan Girl on the Other Side of the Sky recounts an epic journey. It deftly interweaves a childhood in Afghanistan, where the classrooms are naked chambers with only chalkboards on the walls and are filled with more students than seats (and no books), with an American adolescence, where teenagers struggle to decide whether to try out for school plays, whom to take to the homecoming dance, and where to go to college. In Kabul, they cancel school because of rockets and bombings; in Chicago, Farah might have a snow day. In Kabul, a schoolgirl wears a black dress and a white headscarf; in America, girls need the right jeans and trendy tops.
Thanks to a number of good people who crossed her path at critical moments, Farah is thriving. She may be haunted by her past, but she is no longer enslaved by it. She is actively enjoying the realization of her childhood dreams; she's an Afghan American, free to learn, work, support herself, and choose her own path. She'll graduate from high school soon and is being recruited by some of the best colleges in the world.
Farah is living proof that not only can the human heart endure, it can also thrive. Even in war, there are miracles. Even when limbs are amputated, we are whole. Even in refugee camps, dreams come true. Even when fathers and siblings die young, there is love. The Story of My Life is our new great American memoir.
Customer Reviews:
This book will change the way you look at your life........2007-09-15
I am reading this book with my class at school. I love it! I look forward to it everyday. This is a story that every American needs to hear because it is living proof of how much we have been given. When you realize that many people in the world have had to deal with the things that Farah did, the everyday dramas in your life are put into a totally new perspective. This book is real. It happened to real people, it teaches real lessons, and that is why it leaves any hollow fiction or fantasy behind.
An extraordinary story.......2007-05-16
When seven-year-old Farah Ahmedi stepped on a landmine in her native Afghanistan, she thought her life was over. The hospital in her war-torn city only tried to keep her alive until German doctors made their regular monthly visit, airlifting the most crucial cases to heal in their own country.
Away from her family and culture, Farah fell apart.
Then, as she began to heal, she made friends with a German woman, who informally adopted Farah like one of her own. Gradually, Farah began to learn the language and enjoy the peaceful, beautiful country -- making it just as shocking when she was returned to her family two years later.
Suddenly, nothing Farah's family or country can offer her seems good enough. The little girl had become used to a better life, and she was determined to live it again.
That wish kept her determination driven over the next few years, when war ravaged her family and her home. Left with nothing but a crippled daughter, Farah's mother hovered on the brink of madness and wanted to give up. But Farah, who had had a peek of what life could be, believed the two were destined to live in America through a special program for Afghan widows and orphans.
After numerous obstacles - including 9/11 - the two finally get their wish. But their struggle is far from over, as they find themselves in the midst of a culture clash with the general American public. Farah's mother is still battling mental demons, and Farah herself not only has to learn to speak and read English, but read altogether, as her Afghan education had fallen apart during wartime.
Above all, Farah learns, there is always a higher power out there, willing to help you during your most desperate times, sending relief in the form of a person destined to cross your life's path.
This simply told story is a powerful testament to the atrocities that can be endured without breaking. Farah Ahmedi is one extraordinary teenager, destined to do great things.
A deeply, moving story from a country of war.......2007-04-09
I got Farad's audio book because we have been working in relief and development in Afganistan since 1984. It is a well narrated book, an uplifting account the suffering of a child and of people who come into our lives and believe in us, love us and walk with us through the difficulties of life in Afghanistan, Pakistan and in America.
Farad, a young, Hazara girl, has lived an unbelievable life before reaching the age of 15. Her story is a first hand picture of the devastation of a beautiful country destroyed by war and ethnic conflict. She and her family were caught in the middle. She stepped on a landmine as she was going to school in Kabul. She was in the second grade and things went downhill from there.
This is a story of suffering and pain but finding strength to respond when it seemed impossible. This is a story of faith and people practically living out their faith. It is the story of a young girl who has a dream.
Great and fascinating read!.......2007-01-15
This book is great reading for teeens through adults. It is an easy read - can be read in 1-2 days. The story is gripping and suspenseful and really gives one an understanding of life in turbulent Afghanistan and the difficulty refugees encountered to make their way out. My husband and I read the book and enjoyed it as did my daughters, ages 19 and 17.
This is a book that everyone should read!!!.......2007-01-04
I personally know the girl who wrote this book. She is an amazing person and has so many stories to tell. She was given the opportunity to share her story because she has gone experienced so many things. This really is a must read for everyone. For such a young person, she has gone through more than most will go through before they are middle aged and yet, she still thrives and lives for each day doing the best she can at everything she does. Enough said...buy this book!
Customer Reviews:
thehobophilosopher.......2007-08-12
Over the years I have read all about Clarence Darrow but this is the first time that I have ever actually "talked" with the man. This is a very personal encounter with a very great man. I am so glad that I ordered this book.
The book reviews a bit of his childhood and a good part of his legal career. But even with sufficent knowledge of Mr. Darrow's career, it is interesting to hear about it all from him and in his own words. From a writer's point of view he is an instruction in clear and straight forward prose style. He removes a lot of streotypes and rumors.
He is writing the book at age 75. He is very melancoly and the text is somewhat poetic at times - the ending especially.
I wish that I could have know Clarence Darrow but this intimate conversation will have to do, I guess.
Fighting the good fight........2005-01-09
Darrow takes the reader through some of his most famous cases and explains the philosophy with which he approached his career and the law in general. Any reader interested in the history of the period should find his accounts fascinating: Eugene Debs, John P. Altgeld, the MacNamara Case, the Loeb-Leopold murders, and the famous Scopes "monkey trial" case are just some of the points touched upon in the Darrow autobiography.
Darrow is a clean and competent writer, if not an artistic one. The prose is easy to read and understand. In places, the book can get frustrating because he leaves a topic well before the reader has lost interest. Future publishers would do well to publish this book together with some pointers for further reading.
The Da Capo Press edition is published with a very strange little introductory essay by Alan Dershowitz. In it, he seems more interested in rehabilitating the memory of Bryan than he does in introducing the book. The reader may want to skip it until after finishing the main book itself.
Beyond the obvious lawyer/law student audience, I would also recommend this book to readers interested in labor politics, the early history of the 20th century in the US, and social justice.
Pessimist by Profession.......2001-12-12
Interesting for style as well as insight into courtroom tactics, psychology of jurors, crime and muckraking. His basic premise about jurors: If he can get them to imagine, he can get them to doubt. So his approach, always personal, was perpetually appealing to imagination. It worked, mostly, even when clients were guilty. It's his reliance on reason that makes him a skeptic. Causation is the basis of his world and personal views. Seeing the effect of the law, he argues that judging is worse than judgement, and he would dispense with both. He is at some pain to describe what he gave up to plead, rather than the life he gained by it. His seriousness can be attributed to the injustices he saw, effects he attributes more to chance than choice. He espouses the theory of continental drift, in 1939! A sharp mind interested in everything. As he says himself, if he had to do it over, . . . he'd have been a scientist.
A Must Read Book for Lawyers-Want-to-Be.......2001-08-01
This book successfully captured the life of Clarence Darrow, who is no doubt one of the greatest attorneys of the early 20th century. His abilities to defend the indefensible are most extrordinary. I will certainly recommend this book to anyone espeically pre-law or law school students.
written in the comfortable style that is darrow's hallmark.......1998-12-11
definitely an excellent read. for those who have read "clarence darrow for the defence" and enjoyed it, this book may very well make you feel like you are visiting an old friend.
Book Description
Frank Bank's story is a sometimes wild, sometimes bawdy, often poignant, always funny account of a real-life Louie Louie who led a nation to California-dreamin'.
Customer Reviews:
Call Me Lumpy, I'M Full of Myself.......2007-08-30
I was very disappointed in this book, I expected it to cover his Leave it to Beaver days it does touch upon them very lightly at the beginning of the book but in a very superficial and unsatisfying manner. He basically declares who was "cool" and who wasn't on the show, big deal. Mostly he talks about his endless womanizing how he laid over a 1000 women, again superficially, how smart he is, how popular he is, what a great poker player he is, what a great stock picker he is, basically this is a self indulgent brag piece for Frank Bank written with the skill of a high school turn paper "what I did last summer". In my book this one would successfully compete for the title of one of the worst books of all times.
Could have been better.......2005-09-23
I was a little let down bt this book.
I bought the book expecting to read a lot about life on the leave it to beaver show.
but there is very little about beaver in this book. I think Frank could have made this book more interesting if he would of written more about the show and cast. I am now looking forward to reading Jerry Mathers book maybe I will read a little more on the show.
Good for the Lump.......2004-08-12
I enjoyed this light-hearted look at the difficulties of being a star on TV, in the good old days when the classic NIck at Nite sitcoms were being produced--which were also the bad old days when talented young actors were barred from getting residuals or misused in minor parts like Frank Bank. Well, he was living proof of the old adage that there are no small parts, just small actors, and he was never small.
An appealing potato-like boy, he wasn't really bad looking, he just paled next to the boy god Tony Dow, like the moon disappearing when the sun comes out. I'm not surprised he had so much luck with the ladies--just surprised he saw fit to reveal it all in this book which should be rated NC-17. And good for him for staying financially solvent when so many of his ilk went bankrupt. He had a head on his shoulders as well as a grin on his goofy face, Long live the "Lump."
I feel disloyal by writing this.......2004-03-13
I am not just a very big fan of Leave it to Beaver, but I am also interested in 1950's culture and nostalgia. I did like the first few chapters. Fred Bank (so I'm not calling him Lumpy) writes about some great LTB behind the scenes shenanigans that made what I paid for the book worthwhile. Chapter three is the beginning of the rest of the book, mostly about his sexual exploits and how he started every cool trend in California during his day. That's why I am only giving it two stars-- I can only recommend the beginning of the book.
I worried about writing this. I wondered, what if "Lumpy" reads this review?? I'm such a LTB fan!!! But then I realized after reading his book that his ego isn't in danger of being injured. So, I would recommend buying this book for the first two chapters only.
Now, if only Tony Dow would write HIS book! :)
Beaver-Lovers Beware.......2002-12-03
I only gave this one star because [Amazon.com's] format doesn't allow for zero stars. Frank Bank is like one of those irritating guys you meet at airport bars when your flight is delayed: on his sixth Scotch-rocks, won't shut up. Every topic that comes up he was there, he had the first one, everybody copied him, he had the best, the biggest, the coolest. What's saddest about this exercise in mind-numbing ego is that Bank apparently doesn't realize that the only thing interesting about him is his involvement in "Leave it to Beaver," to which he devotes very few pages and about which he gives absolutely no insight. He doesn't even get the details right in what little he says about the series: Wally and the Beaver did not go apologize to Mr. Rutherford after putting barrel hoops in his driveway, Ward (in a scene that takes place off camera) worked things out with Rutherford, which is the whole point of the show (since it was Ward who gave them the barrel hoop idea in the first place). But of course, accuracy is not anything Bank cares about, what matters to him is that this was the first episode in which Frank Bank appeared (one wonders if he ever bothered to read the rest of the script). Although Bank had a co-writer, Gib Twyman, "an award winning former sportswriter," this is possibly the worst written book I've ever read. There are no paragraphs, just short, repetitive, jargon-filled sentences (fills more pages that way, I guess). Jerry Mathers' book ("And Jerry Mathers as the Beaver") may not have been any work of art, but at least he respected what brought readers to the book. Bank does not. It's no surprise when, in a late chapter, he reveals that he's the President of the alumni organization of his high school social club, The Knights (the coolest guys on campus, of course). Bank -- emotionally and perceptually -- is still in high school. Don't waste your time or money on this flatulent, boring piece of self-inflation.
Average customer rating:
- See 'O'Lost:"....original Homeward Angel
|
To Loot My Life Clean : The Thomas Wolfe-Maxwell Perkins Correspondence
Matthew J. Bruccoli ,
Park Bucker , and
Arlyn Bruccoli
Manufacturer: University of South Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Authors
| Arts & Literature
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
| 18th Century
| 19th Century
| 20th Century
| African American
| Asian American
| Classics
| Collections & Readers
| Drama
| General
| Hispanic
| History & Criticism
| Humor
| Jewish American
| Letters & Correspondence
| Native American
| Poetry
| Short Stories
| Women Writers
20th Century
| British
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Essays
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Wolfe, Thomas
| ( W )
| Authors, A-Z
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Letters & Correspondence
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
All Titles
| Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Look Homeward: A Life of Thomas Wolfe
-
Look Homeward, Angel
-
You Can't Go Home Again
ASIN: 1570033552 |
Customer Reviews:
See 'O'Lost:"....original Homeward Angel.......2000-12-08
Correction-- treatment on Wolfe, is 330 pages. Read this,then collect..for posterity,l of the US greatest O'Lost" over 750 pages, (20000) ..also edited by Mat Bruccoli,foremost scholar on .Wolfe's m/s...for & about Asheville's....hero-novelist who they thought was...at that time..as if he were "Dr.Hunter S. Thompson"
Customer Reviews:
A very informative book!.......2007-09-21
I guess everyone knows or has seen Dolly Parton perform. She knows how to take a lemon and make lemonade out of life's challenges. I highly recommend the reading of this book.
Hoping for a sequel, though.......2007-05-23
The best thing about Dolly Parton's autobio is 'hearing' her VOICE come through the print. Eternally optimistic and carefully eccentric, there's no doubt Parton has one of the most blithesome star qualities in the biz. And why not - it's her business to be so lovable.
While she hedges (considerably) on her 'indentured servitude' with Porter Waggoner and speaks infrequently about her creative process (writing and recording), when she gets a topic that pleases her - such as her childhood exploits - Parton lets go like one of her coolest numbers. Her humanism seems unbounded.
Since the publication of this book, Parton, confounding all reasonable expectations, returned to the studio with a revitalized muse, producing some of her most credible work (Grass Is Blue, and onward). Hopefully, we shall 'hear' Parton speak of her artistic reinvention in a future volume.
A laugh a page.......2007-03-05
I knew Dolly Parton had a good sense of humor but I didn't know it was as far out as it is. Although I've been a fan for a long time, I'm a "lazy" fan and didn't even realize she had an autobiography out there until recently. Just to think I could have been laughing 13 years ago. Duh! If you're feeling down and need a laugh, get this book. Dolly needs her own TV show and if the people who run Hollywood had good sense, she would have had it long ago. Of course, they don't so they would have probably put the wrong writers on it and it would have been cancelled in a week.
Dolly And Friends..........2005-08-05
Dolly had a hard life growing up in the wilds of East Tennessee; she started out poor and indeed did have a 'coat of many colors' as her children's book explained. She wore hand-me-downs in the backwoods of Sevier County where my paternal grandfather's people lived. She's funny. Coming from the country, it took some doing and lots of help to get where she is today. She has re-invented her personality through the years from the young lovesick girl who write 'I Will Always Love You' to Porter Wagoner. After all, she was a young country bumpkin from the Knoxville area, and we inexperienced girls fall hard for the first person we can admire. He gave her the first 'big' break, singing on his show in Nashville.
She had been on local talent shows in Knox County, Cas Walker's for country music. She migrated to Middle Tennessee to sing on the Grand Ole Opry where she met my friend, Hal Durham, who was manager of that fabulous old show on radio, television and live. I once attended at the Ryman and he gave Zachary and me a backstage tour.
In Nashville and in the movies, she had a good life but suffered some setbacks and depression. The two photo secitons show how little Dolly the girl was transformed into Dolly the bombshell blonde. She is the richest person in this area as she owns Dollywood, the major attraction for people from all the states who visit the Great Smoky Mountains and from other countries.
In her 'thanks' section, she included her favorite makeup, Revlon staff, and favorite lingerie shop, Frederick's of Hollywood. She includes Terry Morrow, local entertainment columnist for the News Sentinel daily Knoxville newspaper, and Ligiea Saveanu (whoever she is -- I was going to name my daughter Ligeia). From the Grand Ole Opry performers, she includes Archie Campbell from the famous Civil War area in EAst Tennessee, Bull's Gap, Grant Turner, and Bud Wendell, WSM announcer. Game show hosts were Bob Eubanks and Huell Howser; how could she leave out Wink Martindale and Pat Sajacks, both Tennesseans? For some reason, she included the Knoxville Democrat Party chairman, Jim Gray, Al Gore, Jim Sasser, and Sandra Fulton (wife of Dick Fulton of Nashville). Movie stars included Kevin Costner, Jane Fonda, and Delta Burke, while singers were Mac Davis, Billy Ray Syrus, Whitney Houtston and Reba McEntire. She has Johnny Carson, Eddie Hill, and many many others -- too many to mention.
Like most successful people, she has humility when it comes to feeling indebted to others for her success. She showed he CBS anchor a thing or two when he enterviewed her ans commented on her most obvious attraction. She has talent galore, and I wish Dolly could live forever. She will in the figure on Sevier County Courthouse Lawn, as a young country girl. Dolly is everything to everybody.
*****A Country Superstar!*****.......2005-06-08
Put simply, I LOVE this book! I've just finished reading it for the second time and it's even better than it was the first time.
I read it when it first came out in 1994 and was so jazzed to find it a few weeks ago in a used bookstore. I had a few other things to read before I picked up Dolly, but now that I have, I don't want it to end!
I can't say enough good and great and amazing things about this biography. She wrote it herself and it's honest, down to earth and funny as all get out. Because of it, I even added some more Dolly Parton CD's to my music collection and it was a very much needed trip down memory lane.
Thanks, Dolly, for such an amazing, revealing look at what makes you tick. Now, what I want to know is: when is your next book coming out. :)
Average customer rating:
- Nice to read someone else's story
- Worth reading if you know someone with a brain tumor.
- Can't Put It Down, Great Read
- Great book that helps you deal with personal tragedy
|
Damn The Statistics, I Have a Life to Live!: Coping with a Brain Tumor My Personal Story
H. Charles Wolf
Manufacturer: 1st Books Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Memoirs
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Essays
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Brain Cancer
| Cancer
| Disorders & Diseases
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cancer
| Disorders & Diseases
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
Surviving Terminal Cancer: Clinical Trials, Drug Cocktails, and Other Treatments Your Oncologist Won't Tell You About
-
Brain Tumors: Leaving the Garden of Eden--A Survival Guide to Diagnosis, Learning the Basics, Getting Organized, and Finding Your Medical Team
-
Living with a Brain Tumor: Dr. Peter Black's Guide to Taking Control of Your Treatment
-
Navigating Through a Strange Land: 2nd Edition: A Book for Brain Tumor Patients and Their Families,
-
I Had Brain Surgery, What's Your Excuse?
ASIN: 1410786226 |
Customer Reviews:
Nice to read someone else's story.......2007-08-23
This guy has quite a story to tell. It's nice to read a journal of an another brain tumor patient. Having a brain tumor myself, this book makes me realize how good my situation really is. His story is inspiring, and I really like his writing style. I read this book in one night.
Worth reading if you know someone with a brain tumor........2006-02-07
I read this book when my mother was diagnosed with Glioblastoma Multiforme IV. It was very quick and easy reading, which is good during a time like this. It tells what this guy experienced from the beginning symptoms, through surgery, and recovery. It helped to reaffirm that what the doctors were doing for my mom was the "standard" procedure for this type of cancer, and helped to familiarize me with the terminology that I was both hearing from the doctors as well as reading simultaneously in this book. Although people experience different symptoms from this cancer, much of it is the same. Because this guy was able to write about what he experienced, it helped me to understand more of what my mom was going through... with the loss of words and thoughts, inability to do simple everyday activities that we take for granted, the craniotomy, and treatments - radiation and chemo. I would recommend this book to anyone who is caring for someone with this tumor.. It's affordable, quick reading, and it will help give you more insight on what the patient is going through.
I would like to say that my mom has undergone 2 craniotomies, she is walking again, becoming easier to understand, and has the best attitude towards life. She's got too much to live for to let this little thing called "cancer" get in her way. :-)
Can't Put It Down, Great Read.......2004-02-11
If you know someone that has cancer, this book takes you through the first year covering awake craniotomy surgery, radiation therapy, chemo therapy, and others. There are a lot of pictures.
Great book that helps you deal with personal tragedy.......2003-10-26
If you or a loved one is dealing with a tumor or a cancer this is the book to help you get through it. It details the authors personal problems and medical problems. It is a real page turner and very informative. A recommended read for everyone!!!
Books:
- To End All Wars
- Tumbling Blocks (Berkley Prime Crime Mysteries)
- Uncle Tungsten: Memories of a Chemical Boyhood
- While They're at War: The True Story of American Families on the Homefront
- Winterdance: The Fine Madness of Running the Iditarod
- You Hear Me?: Poems and Writing by Teenage Boys (Betsy Franco Yas)
- 1949: A Novel of the Irish Free State (Irish Century)
- A Crazy Little Thing Called Death: A Blackbird Sisters Mystery
- A Day with a Perfect Stranger
- A Lady At Last (de Warenne Dynasty)
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Managerial Economics & Business Strategy + Data Disk
- History: Fiction or Science
- Basic Econometrics w/Data Disk
- Beyond Line of Sight: A History of VHF Propagation from the Pages of QST
- Freedom from the Known
- Every Young Man's Battle: Strategies for Victory in the Real World of Sexual Temptation
- Empirical Evidence on the Efficiency of Forward and Futures Foreign Exchange Markets: Harwood Fundam
- Financial Accounting, Kimmel Accounting Cycle Tutorial CD-ROM
- Competition Policy: A Game-Theoretic Perspective
- Slo Mo!: My Untrue Story
Emergence: Labeled Autistic
Animals in Translation: Using the Mysteries of Autism to Decode Animal Behavior
Autism Spectrum Disorders: The Complete Guide to Understanding Autism, Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and Other ASDs
Let Me Hear Your Voice: A Family's Triumph over Autism
Developing Talents: Careers for Individuals with Asperger Syndrome and High-Functioning Autism
