1 comments about When the Century Was Young.

1. Halloween hijinks and catching rides on the train going thru town (planning to get off at the next stop)getting thru the snafus of army life and finally reaching one's ambition-Agricultural School librarian at the University of Illinois. Then he began to gather together the materials for his famous book Bury My Heart at Wounded Knee. This is a wonderful first person true-to-life story of growing up in the early part of the last century-not so long ago, actually. This a short,varied,to-the-point narrative that I recommend to most anyone.I found a paperback in my collection that I had never read until now and liked it so well that I just bought a nice hardback copy.

5 comments about The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman.

1. I have been a fan of the movie forever. It inspired me and moved me ever since i have been a little girl! it's soo funny that i have had this book forever and i finally finished it. miss jane has such an inspirational story. thsi is a classic that no one should miss! for the longest time, i thoght miss jane was a real woman who lived and walked this earth for real. but i realized as i got older that her story is the story of my ancestors and i feel even more inspired! a great read, don't miss it!



2. This was a really interesting book, but it was a slow read and it wasn't very exciting to me. It was also very depressing. I did learn a lot from this book. For all you history and/or Civil War/Civil Rights fanatics, this is the book you need to read. For all you fantasy/adventure fans, you might want to read something else.



3. I read the Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman as an independent reading project for my English class this year, and I loved it. Although it was a little dry at times, it was a very thought-provoking book with a plot that made you want to keep reading. Although it is fictional, the author has a way of writing that will make you believe this story is a true autobiography. While reading, I could actually imagine being there with Jane, working by her side in the fields as a slave. It was almost as if I could feel the exact emotions she was feeling and all the pain that she was going through. Along with being entertaining, I also found this book to be educational. I learned so many things about the Civil War and slavery that I never knew before, but it was actually fun to read about. That's more than any text book can offer. My only warning for anybody who is planning on reading this book is that it's terribly sad in some parts. Some passages include a lot gory details, which I think are necessary to show what the characters are really going through, but others may find them to be a little excessive. In spite of that, I still ejoyed reading The Autobiography of Miss Jane Pittman. My next step will be renting the movie. If that is anywhere near as good as the book, I'm in for a treat.



4. This is the story of an incredible, 110 year old black woman, as told to a writer on tape. Jane, born Ticey, was born a slave on a Louisiana plantation and lived through slavery, with all of its cruelties, the Civil War, WW2 and the beginning of the civil rights movement. It's a fascinating glimpse into the lives of people born as slaves with no rights whatsoever, and follows them as they progressed through the following 100 years, learning to assert themselves, gain an education and aiming for better lives for themselves and their children. Some of the language was a little incomprehensible to me as a non American and I couldn't make out the meaning of a lot of phrases that local readers would understand immediately. I'll now try to find the movie on DVD to go with the book.



5. I realize this is classic American literature, or at least modern classic, but I didn't like it. The book isn't really an autobiography; Jane is merely a point of reference (a common element) in a story that depicts the changes in Southern American society from the Civil War to the 1960s. I think it is unlike other slave narratives in that the central character is not the one whose name is in the title. It is a story of characters, many black people, the people Pittman meets. And the antagonist is social construction. Pittman's life seems so very dull, even meaningless. Things happen around her. She is not a participant. Until the end, when she decides to march in Bayonne. In her old ago, she gives her life purpose by finally deciding to actively respond to the terrible things she has experienced. Style reminds me of Zore Neale Hurston --- it's just storytelling, complete with its vagueness, how and what one chooses to remember, digressions. It often becomes droll.

5 comments about Diana: The Last Year.

1. I have been reading books on Princess Diana since 1981 and this has to be one of the best. Diana, The last year has to be one of the better written books on Diana. It is worth the money and is the type of book that you will go back to time and time again



2. One gets the full story from Soto. You don't get every salvo from the war of the Wales.But does one need that? Important facts, such as Diana's understanding that the 10,000 bouquet from the public, was as important as her first, are there.

   I felt he understood Diana and her impact on people better than most. It' has a tenderness that's vital when considering her life.

   The book I recommend when asked about Diana books.




3. This is an excellent book that towers on the other biographies because this book doesn't dwell on tawdry scandal, but simply concentrate on the most important aspect of Diana: her charity work. No other book has covered her good deeds so well. The only problem with the book, and it is small problem is the somwhat heavy-handed use of poems.



4. A good accounting of Diana's last year as she was spinning out of control. When you read about all of her comings and goings you wonder if she had any idea of how it would turn out? Did she know it would soon end?

   One of my favorite books about her. I wonder about the Royal Family and how they manage to keep going. Is a puzzlement.




5. While Andrew Morton's "Diana Her True Story" and "Diana Her New Life" chronicled the Princess's unhappy life in the Royal Family prior to her 1996 divorce from Dumbo Ears (sorry, Prince Charles), Donald Spoto's account describes her life post divorce until her tragic and untimely death. In the process he highlights all the aspects of her character, both good and bad, that caused the world to fall in love with her forever. This is a great tribute to you, dear Diana. May you rest eternally in peace.

No comments about Lee Ezell.

5 comments about Like Mother, Like Daughter.

1. If there is one thing,but there were many,that I got from this book is that the Love of food and dining my mother has shared with me is healthy. For the rest of the women who are in the a constant state of "diet" Ms. Waterhouse explains that you need only trust you own body to find its balance. Very Zen



2. Having spent 14 of the 20 years of my life dieting, starving, compulsively eating, and purging, this book opened my eyes as to where it all stemmed from... My mother's own battles with weight and her fear of me growing up to be like her. This book brings to light shocking information on the damaging effects of dieting, gives supportive advice on changing dieting habits as a team with your mother or daughter, and stresses the importance of eliminating guilt and blame from the mother/daughter relationship. A wonderful book for either/both a mother and daughter.



3. Very insightful and helped me to realize things I didn't kno



4. This book is incredibly insightful. It describes how well-meaning dieting mothers can pass down weight and food problems to their daughters. More importantly it offers practical solutions on how to break the dieting cycle and prevent passing it on to your kids.



5. This book has eye-opening information, especially for women who are either chronic dieters or whose mothers were. My mother wasn't a dieter -- just a tremendously successful overeater. I found that this book has less information for overeaters than it does for people who continuously "diet". It is still a fabulous book, though -- I wish every mother in America would read it!

5 comments about Patti's Pearls: Lessons in Living Genuinely, Joyfully, Generously.

1. For 40 years as a singer, Patti LaBelle has mesmerized us with a style that many imitate but rarely duplicate. The stylistic rendering of this diva of song from her third Literary effort, Patti's Pearls: Lessons In Living Genuinely, Joyfully, Generously, are self-help inspirational guidelines delivered in a believable idiom much like her singing -- with invigorating energy that implores one to sit up and listen. After listening, I couldn't help but bring to mind my own upbringing, remembering much of the same logic being dispensed here. Written in tandem with her longtime friend, Laura Randolph Lancaster, this offering is in audio form which adds a different, if not compelling. version in light of Patti's stage machinations.

   If the intent is to truly inspire, cajole, and motivate, one easily wonders whether these "pearls" are a direct result from personal tragedy, mayhem, or situations from being there. One thing that I feel listeners will agree with is her candor and down-to-earth voice capturing valuable lessons. If you're looking for something different, perhaps you must take a look at yourself before giving this audio-book a chance, especially if it's perceived that they all are one and the same. I feel that to each his own, and one must give a meaningful listen to get the gist of what this author is trying to say. I recommend it¡¦listen for what it's worth. This would be "the perfect anecdote for the ultimate secret of happiness; to grow wise before you grow old" as Patti opined in one of her pearly delights. Give it a shot!




2. In Patti's Pearls, singer/entertainer Patti LaBelle with Ebony columnist, Laura Randolph Lancaster, gives her readers lessons, anecdotes, and pearls of wisdom that she has culled over the years. She takes incidents from her life as an entertainer, daughter, sister, and mother to reveal the fears, trials and joys of life.

   Each chapter is headed by a title that will grab and take hold of your senses and make you contemplate, such as "Many a false step is made by standing still", "If you can't be the tablecloth, don't be the dishrag", and "The best way to predict your future is to create it". She shares the heartaches of losing her sisters to illness and the fickle world of show business. She shares candidly the heartache of the end of her long-time marriage and the determination to move on, hopeful that the future promises a brighter future.

   This is a little book with big ambitions, not unlike many of the feel-good, self-help books that are offered by many entertainers who want to share their triumphs over adversities. This book is forthright but does not have a preachy tone that can be a turn-off as some other similar books do. I keep this book next to my bed to grab and read a chapter at will for a quick uplifting pick-me-up. Tell it Patti!

   Dera Williams
   APOOO BookClub




3. Patti's Pearls was a inspirational read for me. She shared
   some lessons of wisdom which was passed on to her.

   It was as if you were having a sister girl conversation and she was and did tell it like it is as she sees it .
   So much truth to the words of wisdom and great lessons to think about.
   I highly recommend Patti's Pearl for a fast and inspirational read. Who knows you might even learn something from her book of life. I sure did.
   You might understand some things in your life. Patti, 4.5* for sharing your words of wisdom .




4. What a blessing! This book will encourage your heart and soul.



5. Good morals in this book. It was at a great price and came in good condition.

No comments about David Copperfield; The Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin; Caesar and Cleopatra; Selected Stories of Guy de Maupassant (The 100 Greatest Books Ever Written).

1 comments about Voices of War Cassette: Stories of Service from the Homefront and the Frontlines (The Library of Congress Veterans History Project).

1. I felt that there was some liberal bias. They seemed to suggest that the Tet offensive was a victory for the MVA and that was not the case. They also suggested that the reason the Korear War and the Vietman War was lost was due to the enemies determination, instead of US political cowardice. However, I did like the coverage of the military nurses, which is long overdue. They saved many lives in terrible living conditions. It was worth buying just for that.

No comments about Epic Adventures: Stories from the Survivors.

5 comments about Old Friends.

1. This reads like eloquent fiction, but is in truth the story of Tracy's father. He doesn't say which character his father is, and he doesn't insert himself into the story. But what a wonderful, heart-bending story it is. At all times the sadness of the situation is eclipsed by the bravery and courage of people without hope; people who do the best they can, and it is more than enough. For any of us who will grow old, which is most of us, this is a must read.



2. This is a beautifully meandering story of two nursing home residents, their year spent in a growing friendship within the walls of "Linda Manor." And it's more than that-- In this story, Tracy Kidder involves a whole cast of residents, interacting in ways that paint a more creatively human picture of a nursing home than most would imagine is the case. They make up a community in and of themselves, even planning and taking part in a play put on for other residents, staff, & families. It's a place of friendships, laughs, worries, dread concerns, but mostly of friendships and the efforts of the elderly characters in reaching out to their fellow residents during the last chapters of their lives. I appreciated the realism Kidder offers in this book, clearly based on his own one-year experience at the actual "Linda Manor" in Massachusetts.



3. 
   After spending a year at Linda Manor, a nursing home in Massachusetts, Pulitzer Prize winning author Tracy Kidder offers no generalized discourse on the problems of aging in America, but rather a touching story of friendship, reconciliation, and peace.
   
   Joe Torchio is 72-years-old, a former probation officer, and has suffered a stroke. Bitterly railing against the losses that have beset him in life, the death of a son, the birth of a retarded daughter, Joe has forsaken his Catholic faith.
   
   At 92 years of age, Lou Freed is blind yet resolutely curious about everything. He is a Jew who is not terribly religious but is sometimes given to pondering theological questions.
   
   The pairing of this unlikely duo as roommates might bode bickering and discontent. Not so in Kidder's hands - we find a gradually blooming friendship which enables both men to live in their new environment and face limited futures with equanimity, courage, and grace.
   
   This is not just Lou and Joe's story, it may be your story or mine. Of course, it is a tale of old age and approaching death. It is also a toast to life.
   
   - Gail Cooke



4. I had just signed up for long-term nursing care insurance, a very expensive commitment. I had a number of books I had been waiting to read, and I picked up OLD FRIENDS, thinking I would read a piece of nostalgia.
   
   I was wrong. I picked up and read enthusiastically a book about nursing homes. Tracy Kidder's book makes clear what my long-term insurance is all about. No brochures could have described what he does here.
   
   I became enmeshed in the lives of the residents. I watched them become "nudnicks." I overheard their conversations about life and death. I, too, looked forward to Lou's rambling memories. I worried about Joe's toe and if he'd lose it.
   
   Both of my parents died suddenly, and as a result I had no experience with long-term care. I say "God bless" to all the workers in nursing homes and to Tracy Kidder who made this entire experience so vivid.
   
   I now feel prepared myself if I should ever need this care.
   
   Larry Rochelle, author of GULF GHOST, BLUE ICE and GHOSTLY EMBERS: VISIONS OF TOLEDO



5. This book chronicles a year in the lives of the residents of an ordinary American nursing home. From 1989-1991, Kidder spent much time getting to know the residents of nursing home on the outskirts of Northampton, Massachusetts. In this book, he describes some of the characters he met there, and some of the friends he got to know well. He describes some of the special events that occurred in the nursing home that year, but also relates much of the ordinary daily occurrences in nursing home life, from the morning bowel movement survey, to watching a demented resident try to pick the flowers in the carpet, to chatting with the guys in the breakfast club supervising the dining room set-up.
   
   Although Kidder tries to present a cross-section of nursing home residents, from the former vaudeville performer, to the bank vice president, many of his tales focus on the drama and antics of two roommates, Lou and Joe. The pace of the book can be agonizingly slow in places, as we wait for something to happen. The pacing is one way for Kidder to capture the sense of the place, a place where every day is more or less like the next--"Beautiful day," as one resident writes in her journal every morning. It's an eye-opening experience to read this book, and come to understand the heroic effort it takes to present a smiling face to the world when trapped in a body wracked by aches and pains while stuck in an institution away from family and friends, most often against one's wishes.