My Old Man and the Sea: A Father and Son Sail Around Cape Horn

Amazon.com

David and Daniel Hays, father and son, designed and built a small boat together, then set out to sail it around the tip of South America, a journey that David had dreamed of ever since childhood. Along the way they fought and swore and sweated and shared triumphs large and small.

Book Description

A story of adventure on a small boat, for fathers, for sons, and for those who love them. On this voyage the father relinquishes control, the son becomes the captain, and before long they are utterly alone, with only the huge waves of Cape Horn, a compass, a sextant, a pet cat, and the tiny boat they've built together. "The account of the passage, related in alternating sections by father and son, will be read with delight 100 years from now."--William F. Buckley, The New York Times Book Review, front page; "A must read for sailors of the sea and of the heart."--Eco Traveler.

Over three months as a New York Times Bestseller. A Literary Guild and a Nautical Book Club selection.

Customer Reviews:

Do you have a father?.......2006-11-29

Do you have a son? Have you ever dreamed of a sailing
adventure? This is a book about fathers, sons and
adventures. David and Daniel Hays had a unusual
partnership. This father and son team built a sailboat
together and then sailed it through the Panama Canal
and around Cape Horn.

Just the thought of that accomplishment is enough to
stun me to silence. But wait, as they say on late
night TV, there's more. The narration of the voyage is
shared in alternate chapters by the two men. They are
each astonishingly engaging writers and very willing
to share feelings about this enterprise and each other.
There is no posturing in their writing, just the sense
of hearing the voices of a particular family.
And what voices they are! You would be hard pressed to
find two more engaging writers. Even Dan's account
of being rolled by a Brazilian prostitute is,you should
pardon the expression, infectious.

Ignore the snarky title. This book is much better than
that and would make the perfect Fathers' Day gift from
or to a man you would like to have share your adventures.

--Lynn Hoffman, author of THE NEW SHORT COURSE IN WINE and
the forthcoming novel bang BANG from Kunati Books.ISBN 9781601640005

Mildly interesting, turned off by language.......2005-02-18

I was enjoying this moderately until right about midway (between Galapagos and Easter Island) when the language got rougher than the seas and I deep-sixed it. After reading Joshua Slocum's "Sailing Alone Around The World", (a tremendous story!) this book seemed crude and sophomoric.

My old Man and the Sea.......2002-09-01

I listened to the audio version during a cross country drive with a friend. Along the way, we found ourselves laughing at times, crying at others. Our trip had a lot of ups and downs, much like their travels- of course the amenities of driving a car cross country cannot compare to sailing a boat around the horn!Anyway, my friend identified a little more with the older character, while I identified with his son- it made us think a little more about each others perspective. Definitely the best book on tape I've ever heard.

Inspiring!.......2002-08-07

David and Daniel Hays are the first Americans to sail around Cape Horn in a boat under 30 feet in length. "My Old Man and the Sea" is the inspiring true story of a father and son's 17,000-mile voyage in a 25-foot yacht named Sparrow to the bottom of the world and back.
Although David and Dan sailed the easier route from the Pacific into the Atlantic with the prevailing westerly winds and currents they endured horrific storms that included Dan being tossed overboard during Sparrows dangerous sideways roll.
The tale is even more impressive when you learn that they chose to sail simply, without an engine and used a sextant and compass instead of a navigational system. David explains, "Our sport is to tune our senses not our instruments."
David and Dan's eloquent descriptions of the magnificence of the ocean and the magic of sailing brought back fond memories of my own six-month adventure hitchhiking on sailboats in the Bahamas. Like them, I was inspired to write a book titled "Earth, the Forgotten Temple." Tales concerning profound encounters with Mother Ocean and her other wilderness places need to be shared.
Most moving of all, despite conflicts, the deep love between the father and the son shine through to warm us all.

A Good Sailing Yarn.......2002-08-05

I liked this book and found it to be a good sea story. It is well written and interesting. I especially enjoyed the father's recounting of his memories of boating with his own father before WWII and other random tales. And while I admire the courage of David and Dan's low-tech approach, I do not think this is something for us sailors to emulate; and indeed much has changed in the few years since the book was written due to GPS and improved communications.

The book has its faults. There is a bit too much patronizing half-baked philosophy and sentimental cogitating about personal relationships for my tastes, and the father/son-love-discovery bit gets to be cloying. The title is an indication of much of the off-the-wall, Woody Allen type humor that characterizes their writing. Sometimes their recounting of the jokes they play on each other, and the witty observations they make seem to be aimed at impressing the reader with how clever the authors are. I know they are wittier than I am, but instead of being entertaining, their superior wit left me brooding about my own inadequecies. (Note: Although Bill Bryson is very witty he never leaves the reader feeling inferior or inadequate.)

The actual voyage that the father and son made is not that remarkable and has been done by dozens of yachties. Nevertheless there are details, such as managing with a small motorless yacht, that make the story interesting. Dan and David are expert sailors and boatbuilders and there is much for the weekend sailor to learn from this book about boat handling and managing. Also I found the descriptions of the off-the-beaten-track places that they visited to be perceptive and engaging.

I would recommend this book to anyone interested in books about voyaging in small boats (and who has a tolerance for BS).

The Old Man and the Tee : How I Took Ten Strokes off My Game and Learned to Love Golf All Over Again
Average customer rating:

A hoot to read

Great book for anyone that has or lost a father.

Hilarious and Witty

Wonderful book on many levels!

Too much product hype, too much instruction - buy it anyway!

The Old Man and the Tee : How I Took Ten Strokes off My Game and Learned to Love Golf All Over Again
David Leadbetter , and Turk Pipkin
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
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ASIN: B000FUTQGE

Book Description

As a kid caddying for his father on the sunburned links of West Texas, Turk Pipkin had dreamed of great achievements in golf. Unfortunately, life got in the way. A lack of talent didn't help much either. It was not until his father passed away that Turk realized he'd forgotten his childhood dream and had lost the simple joy he'd once found in the game.
Deciding that the time for all his pitiful golf excuses was past, Turk embarked upon the golf quest of a lifetime. For twelve months, he'd ignore work and other distractions, and dedicate himself to the game. He'd seek instruction from golf's greatest teachers, put the best equipment in his bag, and play the world's finest courses. His seemingly impossible goal was to take ten strokes off his 16-handicap.

With lessons from David Leadbetter, Dave Pelz, and Ben Crenshaw, and with spiritual guidance from great old men like Willie Nelson, George Plimpton, and Byron Nelson, Turk's epic journey carries him from Pebble Beach to Scotland and back again, where he risks everything on one final round for his father.

Follow Turk on the journey of a lifetime, and learn to love golf-and life- all over again.

Customer Reviews:

A hoot to read.......2007-03-15

I really enjoyed reading this book. It is not a "how to book" about improving your game, though the author does delve into the mechanics of how he improves. To give away a bit of the book, you need to take a year off and really practice a whole lot, and make sure you get top notch instruction while you do it. Read the book to learn about the highs and lows of the author on his journey to his final destination, not as another golf mechanics manual.

Great book for anyone that has or lost a father........2006-03-08

This book should make you laugh and cry. A great read that moves along fast. In my case I had to slow myself down. I wanted to jump ahead to the final chapter to see what happened. Being a golfer I would have liked more details on the final round at Pebble Beach.
All in all a very enjoyable book.

Hilarious and Witty.......2005-03-12

I'm a huge golfer, but not a big golf book reader. When I picked this book up I thought it would be boring, like most of the golf books. I was pleasantly surprised at how quick I was enthralled with the book and the humor in it. Not only funny, but I could really relate to this book and feel like I'm standing right next to him while he is telling the story. It is a great read and I recommend to give to the golfer in your life. It is truly a joy to read.

Wonderful book on many levels!.......2004-11-28

First of all, I enjoyed this book as a golfer. To be honest, I expected that when I bought it. But maybe even more, I enjoyed this book as a son and as a father. Mr. Pipkin has made my Christmas shopping easy this year; I'm giving his book to every guy I know who loves his golf and his father. Or his son, for that matter. And right now, I'm reading it all over again...

Too much product hype, too much instruction - buy it anyway!.......2004-09-28

When it comes to instruction books and equipment, golfers will buy anything that lays claim to being able to improve their game. (See: Roy McAvoy, "Tin Cup".) Pipkin doesn't claim to improve his readers' games except by extension, since he tells us how he took 10 strokes off his own handicap in one year of concentrated lessons, practice, and travel to the great golf locations of three continents. Trouble is, who among us mere sloggers could cobble together such a year's schedule without the leverage of a decent reputation as a golf writer and the promise of a mention (or, in some cases, a paean) in a soon-to-be-published golf best seller?
Pipkin is up front about the custom Calloways and the Ledbetter lessons he gets in return for singing the praises of these golfing ultimates, and somewhat less so for the 30-odd other product placements (not including all the courses)that jump off the pages in what pretty quickly becomes an off-putting kind of way. He generously shares the lesson tips he gets (why not - they cost him nothing) but the golfer who trys to digest, much less apply, all the instruction points will find himself or herself hopelessly muddled.
Never mind all that. The book has some good golf stories and is, in large part, an instruction book with a lot of advice on what equipment can do, and if you're a golfer, you know what that means. Buy it.

The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World

Average customer rating:

I could hardly put it down.
Disappointed
It is a small world
A Tribute to a Father
Sad commentary on the American dream

The Man in the White Sharkskin Suit: My Family's Exodus from Old Cairo to the New World
Lucette Lagnado
Manufacturer: Ecco
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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The Septembers of Shiraz
Out of Egypt: A Memoir
Shadow of the Silk Road
Away: A Novel
The Yiddish Policemen's Union: A Novel

ASIN: 0060822120
Release Date: 2007-06-26

Book Description

In vivid and graceful prose, Lucette Lagnado re-creates the majesty and cosmopolitan glamour of Cairo in the years between World War II and Gamal Abdel Nasser's rise to power. Her father, Leon, was a boulevardier who conducted business on the elegant terrace of Shepheard's Hotel, and later, in the cozy, dark bar of the Nile Hilton, dressed in his signature white sharkskin suit. But with the fall of King Farouk and Nasser's nationalization of Egyptian industry, Leon and his family lose everything. As streets are renamed, neighborhoods of their fellow Jews disbanded, and the city purged of all foreign influence, the Lagnados, too, must make their escape. With all of their belongings packed into twenty-six suitcases, their jewels and gold coins hidden in sealed tins of marmalade, Leon and his family depart for any land that will take them. The poverty and hardships they encounter in their flight from Cairo to Paris to New York are strikingly juxta-posed against the beauty and comforts of the lives they left behind.

An inversion of the American dream set against the stunning portraits of three world cities, Lucette Lagnado's memoir offers a grand and sweeping story of faith, tradition, tragedy, and triumph.

Customer Reviews:

I could hardly put it down. .......2007-10-01

I have heard so much about my family's history, but could not picture it very clearly. The way Lucette Lagnado wrote her book gave me a better picture of what went on during the time of my family's exodus from Egypt.

Disappointed .......2007-09-29

While the story of this family is very touching, I can't understand the almost blind love and admiration the author has for her father.

The man was a self-centered, self indulgent, pleasure seeking individual with little regard toward his wife and even his family.

While Egypt took away everything from him and this family, like a child he pines away for the good old days when he would dance all night, leaving his wife at home to care for the children. Yet the country which gave him refuge he seems to disdain. America not only gave him and his family refuge, but the taxpayers picked up the bills.

This book has left me with a feeling of agitation at the ungratefulness that both the author and her father exhibit toward America. Her "homecoming" to Egypt is somewhat melodramatic as she almost swoons because one person shows her some kindness, yet expresses discontent and unhappiness for all the financial care her family received over all these long years from the country that gave them refuge

It is a small world.......2007-09-27

This is a Jewel of a book. I am so amazed how the experiences of the Egyptian Jews can be so varied yet so similar. It is an eye opener as well as an education for people unfamiliar with the forgotten refugees from Arab lands. Similarly, I have documented my life's story in the newly released book: "EXODUS II The Promised Land." It is for the reader who is seeking information on the History of Egypt and the resident Jews from 1945 to 1964.
Bravo Lou Lou for a well-written and exciting book.

A Tribute to a Father.......2007-09-24

This book was much more than I expected. In reading the other reviews, I knew that it had high marks, I knew that it was a book about fleeing one country and ending in another, I knew it was about Anti- Semitism, I knew it was about an old world family and Cairo at a time when it was the Middle East version of Paris etc., However, I was floored by the authors description of her relationship with her father. I think the book is more about that relationship while the leaving Cairo theme is 2nd. The authors description of that relationship was heartwarming and I was so emotionally touched. This book is indeed a tribute to her father.

On a personal note, and I do hope the author reads this, her description of her intimate and wonderful relationship with her father was very similar to my relationship with my father. The pride, determination etc., were traits that my father possessed as well. My father lost a long battle with cancer 4/07. This book helped me remember those good times we had, the walks, the "going to work with my Dad", the holding hands etc., I truly thank the author very much. This book was right on time for me. Thanks again!!

Sad commentary on the American dream.......2007-09-24

Lucette Lagnado's love and respect for her father is felt on each page. It must have been wonderful to live in old Cairo where different nationalities and religions could exist peacefully. This book tugged at my heart for her father, Leon, who was a prominent businessman that lived the cosmopolitan life and was free to practice his religion. When everything is stripped away from him with the fall of King Farouk and Nasser's nationalization politics, the reader doesn't have to imagine how rampant anti-Semitism is all over the world, America is not what is advertised. I think this book is timely since it appears we Americans have recently lost many civil liberties and thus our intergrity.

This Old Man and the Sea: How My Retirement Turned Into a Ten-Year Sail Around the World

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More content

This Old Man and the Sea: How My Retirement Turned Into a Ten-Year Sail Around the World
Robert S. Ashton
Manufacturer: iUniverse, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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How to Sail Around the World : Advice and Ideas for Voyaging Under Sail

ASIN: 0595389031

Book Description

Shortly after his retirement, author Robert S. Ashton buys a 1983 Nordic 40 sailboat. He names the boat Chandelle, not realizing at the time that it will be his home for the next ten years.

Along with his friends, Don, Roger, and Martha, Ashton soon joins a group of boats preparing to brave the Gulf Stream and adjacent waters from Norfolk, Virginia, to the Caribbean. During the next ten years, "Captain" Ashton sails to numerous destinations in his quest to circumnavigate the globe, including the Panama Canal, the Galapagos Islands, the Fiji Islands, Africa, and Australia. Ashton meets an eclectic group of people, experiences a variety of cultures, finds new members for his crew, and discovers the freedom of sailing the open waters.

This Old Man and the Sea is a must-read for any sailing enthusiast, revealing the highs and lows of extended life at sea with wit, wisdom, and insight.

Customer Reviews:

More content.......2007-05-07

I enjoyed the book although I would have liked a little more detail on costs along the way and more detailed charts. I would recommend this book to anyone thinking about sailinng around the world.

FRIGHTENERS (1) One: For the Love of Pamela; The Mask; Old Hether's Picture; Cera; My Very Good Friend; Lost Soul; Homicidal Maniac; If Thy Right Hand Offend Thee; Dissolving Partnership; And Now the Pact; The Quiet Man; A Walk Along the Beach; Catomado

Average customer rating:

Panic Freak?

FRIGHTENERS (1) One: For the Love of Pamela; The Mask; Old Hether's Picture; Cera; My Very Good Friend; Lost Soul; Homicidal Maniac; If Thy Right Hand Offend Thee; Dissolving Partnership; And Now the Pact; The Quiet Man; A Walk Along the Beach; Catomado
Mary (editor) (Kay Leith; Sydney J. Bounds; Joyce Marsh; Bernard Taylor; Pamela Vincent; A. E. Ellis; Martin Ricketts; Terry Gisbourne; Frances Stephens; R. Chetwynd-Hayes; Dorothy K. Haynes; Julia Birley; Adrian Cole) Danby
Manufacturer: Fontana Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Short Stories | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0006135102

Customer Reviews:

Panic Freak?.......2007-03-15

Have you ever known a child you felt was a little horror? Have you ever had noisy neighbours that just drive you crazy? If so this may be the book for you. contains 17 scary tales to tantalize your bedtime reading. All the stories are new works appearing in print for the first time. They vary in length from super short to medium. The longest read is 20 pages.

I had not read any horror stories since my adolescence so I picked up this book wondering if I was 'past it all.' To my pleasure I found these stories all held my attention, while some turned out to be quite original.

So be prepared for the horrible, the weird, and even the gruesomely funny.

My Old Man and the Sea (My OLD MAN AND TH SEA B DAVID HAYS AND DANIEL HAYS, NARRATED BY GEORGE GUIDALL AND JEFF WOODMAN)

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My Old Man and the Sea (My OLD MAN AND TH SEA B DAVID HAYS AND DANIEL HAYS, NARRATED BY GEORGE GUIDALL AND JEFF WOODMAN)

Manufacturer: Recorded Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio Cassette
ASIN: 0788704648

Product Description

My Old Man and the Sea (94657) MARC Record Unabridged Cassette (Product Type Info) 6 Cassettes Written By: David Hays , Daniel Hays Narrated By: George Guidall , Jeff Woodman Genre(s): Nonfiction ISBN: 0-7887-0464-8

Average customer rating:

Tedious
Read the first two pages.
Loved it ...
a quick but unsatisfying read
Sleazy picaresque drivel

My Old Man
Amy Sohn
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Run Catch Kiss: A Gratifying Novel

ASIN: 074323829X

Amazon.com

In My Old Man, sex columnist Amy Sohn's second novel, protagonist Rachel Block is a rabbinical school dropout who takes a bartending job in her Brooklyn neighborhood where she picks up where she left off--counseling the sick, weary, and wasted. What begins as an amusing tale of self-deprecating soul-searching rapidly turns into a series of salacious sex scandals, adulterous encounters, and the occasional book club gathering for post-menopausal mothers.

My Old Man essentially revolves around two congruent affairs, the first being Rachel's involvement with Hank Powell, a famous screenwriter old enough to be her father. The second affair actually involves Rachel's father, who is cheating on her mother with Liz, Rachel's upstairs neighbor and sex-obsessed best friend. As the novel progresses, Rachel's father strikes up a friendship with Hank, which leads to an odd doubles tennis match and a pasta lunch afterwards between this unlikely foursome. ("I didn't know which was more upsetting: that I was eating post-tennis lunch with my father, his mistress, and my fifty-one-year-old lover or that in the process my dad had discovered my penchant for being strung up to the ceiling.") However, once Rachel's mother stops folk dancing long enough to realize her husband isn't doing all those sit-ups for his health, the real drama starts and Rachel is forced to face the reality of her parents' crumbling marriage.

While Sohn's observations of single life in the city (and the boroughs) are obviously witty and often make for engaging anecdotes, readers may find it difficult to sympathize with any of her relatively pathetic characters. However, lucky for us, Sohn's voice is appealing enough to keep readers engaged for most of the novel. --Gisele Toueg

Book Description

From the New York Times bestselling author Amy Sohn, one of New York City's most provocative columnists, comes a hip, contemporary novel about sex, sin, and living in the same neighborhood as your parents.

When twenty-six-year-old Rachel Block started rabbinical school, she didn't think she'd be dropping out after a semester and a half. But when a sick man dies under her counseling, she realizes she's not cut out for the rabbinate. To make ends meet, she takes a job as a bartender in her Brooklyn neighborhood--much to her parents' chagrin. It's the quintessential quarter-life crisis, compounded by the fact that she's still living just blocks from her childhood home.

Then Rachel falls in love with Hank Powell, an iconoclastic screenwriter twice her age. Suddenly she's reassessing her values, her surroundings, and everything she's ever thought about the "right" kind of relationship. Meanwhile, her interactions with her father, with whom she's always been close, have become increasingly strange. Is he distraught that she's dropped out of school? Is he having his own, midlife, crisis? Something's up...and Rachel's increasingly convinced it might be her father's libido.

With Rachel's own relationship getting wilder and weirder and her parents acting like teenagers, it seems that everyone in Cobble Hill is going crazy. A fresh spin on Philip Roth's Portnoy's Complaint, My Old Man is a black comedy about a dysfunctional Brooklyn family coming apart at the seams.

Download Description

"From the New York Times bestselling author and one of the city's most provocative columnists comes a hip, contemporary novel about love, lust, and living in the same neighborhood as your parents. When twenty-six-year-old Rachel Block started rabbinical school, she didn't think she'd be dropping out after a semester and a half. But when a sick man dies under her counseling, she realizes she's not cut out for the rabbinate. To make ends meet, she takes a job as a bartender in Cobble Hill, her Brooklyn neighborhood -- much to her parents' chagrin. Until now Rachel has always been the perfect daughter, getting straight A's and dating nice Jewish boys. Now she's fending off come-ons from sleazy guys and trying to remember the ingredients in a Metropolitan. It's the quintessential quarter-life crisis, compounded by the fact that she's still living just blocks from her childhood home. To make matters worse, she's having trouble sleeping -- she can barely get through the night without being awakened by the amorous noises of her sexy friend and upstairs neighbor, Liz Kaminsky. Then Rachel falls in love with Hank Powell, an iconoclastic screenwriter twice her age (and a Gentile!) and finds herself acting more and more like Liz. Suddenly she's reassessing her values, her surroundings, and everything she's ever believed about the "right" kind of relationship. She begins dressing up in outrageous outfits for midday trysts, while hiding the dirty details from a newly modest Liz. Meanwhile, her interactions with her father, with whom she's always been close, have become increasingly strange. Is he distraught that she's dropped out of school? Is he having his own (midlife) crisis? Or is he upset over her mother's newfound independence, now that she's entered menopause and discovered the joys of a book group? Something's up...and Rachel's increasingly convinced it might be her father's libido. With Rachel's own relationship getting wilder and weirder and her parents acting like teenagers, it seems that everyone in Cobble Hill is going crazy. A fresh spin on Philip Roth's Portnoy's Complaint, My Old Man is a sexy comedy about a dysfunctional Brooklyn family coming apart at the seams. "

Customer Reviews:

Tedious.......2005-09-07

As another reviewer put it, this book was a chore to read. I don't know why I stuck with it, but I hate to not finish a book. The characters are so poorly drawn that it's impossible to care about any of them. They're also unlikeable for the most part. Others have commented on how Rachel continues to be drawn to Hank in spite of the fact that he's so mean and misogynistic. That's true, but I also can't see what Hank sees in Rachel -- I can't see the appeal. The dialog was completely unbelievable, and the story dragged. In all, a waste of time. In the end I dropped it in the trash, which I never do because I love books. I just wanted to protect other innocents from this drivel.

Read the first two pages........2005-08-30

And stop there. Because it's all downhill after that.

Loved it ..........2005-07-13

I don't have alot to say about this except that I thoroughly enjoyed reading it, right from its double-entendre title (which I presume was intentional) to the very end. As to comments by others about how well (or how poorly) her characters were "drawn", and how likable they may or may not have been, I can only say that I found the entire journey enjoyable and I love her writing style. Finally, while this is not really a criticism, but just an observation, I found that the book was affected the old conflict which is sometimes inherent in first-person narrative novels which relates to the dichotomy between the narrator and the writer, especially where the narrator is a deeply flawed character (such as in this case). In other words, on one hand, the author herself obviously wants to tell a great story and to do so, she must (and in this case does) employ great storytelling skills, as well as lots of humor and insightful observations--by no means an easy thing to do. On the other hand, the narrator through whom the author speaks, Rachael, is in many ways a total mess of a person with many "issues" to deal with. If Rachael really had all of Sohn's gifts, one suspects that she would not have had at least some of the problems she does.

a quick but unsatisfying read.......2005-05-27

While the premise of this book, Rachel Block's decision to drop out of rabbinical school and pursue a relationship with an older man, is an interesting one, the book never lives up to its promise. I found the writing to be so-so, the storylines to be a little hard to believe, and most of all, the characters to be extremely underdeveloped and one-dimensional. The story is neither character-driven nor plot-driven and so the book can be a bit of a chore to read. I must say I was also disappointed with Rachel's relationship with Hank, one of the main parts of the novel. What kind of a woman would stay with a man who treats her so horribly? Since there is so little set-up on the Rachel character, it's impossible to fully know. Hank is arrogant, utterly disrespectful, and downright mean, but Rachel simply accepts his rotten behavior and continues to pursue Hank despite his obvious lack of interest in her throughout much of the book. If we are supposed to believe that this is how women in their 20s approach love and romance, that's a pretty sad state of affairs - has Rachel, have women, no sense of self-respect? I was disappointed by this book, but for someone looking for a short, snappy, easy read with dialogue that is occasionally interesting and very graphic sex talk, this might be just the thing.

Sleazy picaresque drivel.......2005-03-22

I picked this book up because of the charming John Currin painting on the cover, but was very disappointed. Ms. Sohn is a sex columnist for the New York Press and New York Magazine, and I guess that makes her feel that she is the 2000's version of Erica Jong. "My Old Man" is supposed to be a picaresque, sexy romp but it comes across as cheap and the sex is both graphic and unerotic at the same time.

Main character Rachel Block is unconvincing depicted as a drop-out rabbinical student, whose lack of compassion has actually caused dying man to keel over dead (because she has failed to console him in anything approaching an appropriate manner). Unsure of what to do at this point in her career, she turns to bartending in the Brooklyn neighborhood she grew up in. Having a chance to meet the famous indie filmmaker, Hank Powell, she throws herself at him and they begin a coarse, entirely sexual affair devoid of any tenderness or romance.

Ms. Sohn name drops so much throughout the book (famous filmmakers, painters, actors), that I am certain Power is supposed to be a particular individual (or composite) but I couldn't tell who. His background of indie films sounds very like Woody Allen's, but the character is much younger. Unfortunately, Ms. Sohn chooses to write his dialogue IN DIALECT, which is one of the most irritating things in the entire book -- why Powell and not the other New Yawkers? -- but I guess it's to underscore his crudeness. If so, it works but only on that level -- Powell is so repugnant (ugly, fat, bald, rude, abusive) that no normal woman would ever be remotely attracted to him.

The character of Rachel is so poorly drawn that we have no idea at all why she ever wanted to be a rabbi, nor does she tell us about her feelings about giving up a career in the clergy -- she doesn't even seem to feel particularly bad about the patient she practically "depressed to death". In fact, she has no spiritual leaning at all, which seems odd in someone who went to all the time and expense to attend rabbinical school. This feels like a detail added to the story just to raise the titillation level -- she's not just a typical Brooklyn Jewess but a FORMER RABBINICAL STUDENT, so her descent into meaningless sex will seem all that more "shocking".

Well...it's not. The sex feels really gratuitous and designed to shock or gross out. I can tell the general theme of the book is to be breezy and funny, but it the desperation in it makes it depressing. None of the characters undergo any self knowledge or transformation...it's just crudely linked chapters that veer from one sexual encounter to another.

I don't think that erotic novels need to cover all the basics of safe sex, but I can honestly state I have never read a book, in this age of AIDS and STDs, that apparently comes out in favor of the "withdrawal method" (coitus interruptus) and non-use of condoms! This seems unbelievably irresponsible -- it's one thing if characters are depicted doing something self-destructive, but the author herself seems to be blandly endorsing this. [...]

I could say more, but am demurring due to space considerations. This was one of the more depressing and discouraging books I have read recently -- the kind that makes you want to take a bath afterwards and wash your hands with santizer. And never have sex again.

Airborne + Gypsy Moth Circles the World + My Old Man and The Sea + The Cruise of the Snark + God-Forsaken Sea + Sailing Alone Around the World (NAUTICAL CLASSICS - Limited Signed Edition)

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Airborne + Gypsy Moth Circles the World + My Old Man and The Sea + The Cruise of the Snark + God-Forsaken Sea + Sailing Alone Around the World (NAUTICAL CLASSICS - Limited Signed Edition)

Manufacturer: Easton Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Leather Bound
ASIN: B000CS2B5C

Product Description

NAUTICAL CLASSICS With Airborne personally signed by its author, Wiliam F. Buckley, Jr. From legendary tales like Gipsy Moth Circles the World to Cruise of the Snark and Sailing Alone Around the World, to modern classics such as My Old Man and the Sea and Godforsaken Seathis is the perfect gift for anyone who loves sailing.

ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION - Volume 13, number 5 - May 1989: Marid Changes His Mind; The Serpent of Old Nile; Not Without Honor; The Kill Fix; Monsters Tearing off My Face; Leap of Faith; The Goat Man; Kronos; Two Plotting Pods

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ASIMOV'S SCIENCE FICTION - Volume 13, number 5 - May 1989: Marid Changes His Mind; The Serpent of Old Nile; Not Without Honor; The Kill Fix; Monsters Tearing off My Face; Leap of Faith; The Goat Man; Kronos; Two Plotting Pods
Gardner (editor) (Isaac Asimov; George Alex Effinger; Charles Sheffield; Judith Moffett; Richard Kadrey; Rory Harper; Jack McDevitt; Peni R. Griffin; Marc Laidlaw; Ronald Anthony Cross) Dozois
Manufacturer: Davis Publications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000JNG4CG

A DAY'S WOOING - and Other Stories: Horse Thief; The Negro in the Well; Maud Island; Man and Woman; New Cabin; Martha Jean; August Afternoon; My Old Man's Baling Machine; The Night My Old Man Came Home; Handsome Brown and the Aggravating Goats

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A DAY'S WOOING - and Other Stories: Horse Thief; The Negro in the Well; Maud Island; Man and Woman; New Cabin; Martha Jean; August Afternoon; My Old Man's Baling Machine; The Night My Old Man Came Home; Handsome Brown and the Aggravating Goats
Erskine (selected by Henry Seidel Canby) Caldwell
Manufacturer: Grosset and Dunlap
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000H0DOVK

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