No comments about Every Breath You Take.

No comments about Jackie Robinson - A Biography Part 1 of 2 (UNABRIDGED).

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4 comments about Albert Einstein: Creator & Rebel.

1. One cannot seperate the man from his work and this biography branches into other people who touched upon A. Einstein as well as his science. The incomparable simplicity of his brilliant thought is driven home in the discussion of AT-LAB and GRAV-LAB. The story may be known or not. It deserves good re-telling. This audio book is well done and special thanks to the reader who handles the math examples (less than a handful) with precise language, grace, and accuracy. My complaint is that the book is too short. I woud have liked more of the interaction with subject in his personal life. But still a solid 8.



2. Why is this book so good? Its first phrase is:"We sketch in this book the story of a profoundly simple man." This could be done only by friends. And friends the authors are. Banesh Hoffman, a collaborator of Einstein's, happens to be a great writer, possibly the best as books for the layman are concerned. Helen Dukas, the other author, was Einstein's secretary for many years. The book is very beautifully produced, full of nice photographs. Relativity is really explained. A labor of love which deserves much more popularity.



3. I have read several biographies of Einstein, some of which are among my list of all-time favorite books. None however, approach the intimacy or sense of personal connection as Hoffmann and Dukas' 1972 classic "Creator and Rebel." Perhaps because of Helen Dukas' influence, this book contains perhaps the most intimate look at the man and, thanks to Hoffmann, the one of the clearest explanations of his science. Though other biographies are also must-reads for Einstein devotees (Folsing and Frank, for instance), this one goes to the top of my list.



4. not to say that einstein wasn't exceptionally clever, but i found the tone of this book to be leaning a bit to far to the 'worship einstein as a minor deity' side of things. any potential cause to think less of old albert is glossed over in an unapealing way. the examples that come to mind are the minimal treatment that poincare's accomplishments regarding relativity recieve, and the minimal information on his divorces. i wish the authors had stepped down from the altar of the holy einstein long enough to give him a human treatment. even the title is a bit much. creator and rebel? it would be funny if it weren't sadly earnest.

3 comments about Rasputin: A Concise Biography (Pocket Biography Series).

1. It is a profound investigation about the demoniac monk. This book can teach us a great deal about the dark side of the human soul. The contents tend to lean us to two extremes: painful feeling of great fear and strange enchant.



2. I wanted to get a brief introduction to the life of
   Rasputin and this book delivered very well. It's well
   writen, at times I thought I was reading the novelisation
   of a film rather then history as it sort of plays out like
   a movie.

   Rasputin is an interesting character and this book made me want to read something more detailed and in depth on his life and
   relationship with the Ramonavs. But I would suggest this book
   for those who just want to get a glimps of who this man was. You
   can read it in a couple hours.




3. Grigori Efimovich Rasputin was one of the most mysterious men in Russian history. It was difficult to understand his ways in life. Was he a holy man who was simply misunderstood, or was he a scheming sinner who manipulated the suffering of others? Was he a miracle worker or just a crafty manipulator of the Imperial Family? All of these questions and more are answered in Rasputin by Harold Shukman.
   
   To this day, Rasputin is a shadowy and enigmatic character; a person of contradictory personality traits. He was a suitable scapegoat for those who wanted to attack the Tsar's actions and decisions, but who wouldn't confront Nicholas directly. Rasputin was thought to have powers related to God. In fact, most people believed he was God.
   
   One of the most dramatic experiences in Rasputin projected these powers of God thought to be held by Rasputin. Rasputin had a very close friend, Anna Vyrubova. Not too give too much of the story away, but Anna was caught in a terrible derailment of a train in which she was almost killed. Although she survived the accident, doctors despaired of saving her life because her condition was so bad. Rasputin came to Anna and stood over her as she lay on her deathbed. He reached out and held her hand. Intensely focused, Rasputin repeated a prayer. Anna suddenly awoke from her coma; it was a miracle.
   
   People believed Rasputin had an uncanny control over the Tsar and his wife. Rasputin enjoyed the celebrity status this reputation gave him. He was soon hated by all. The story of Rasputin's demise is well known. His assassinator, Prince Felix Felixovich Yussupov, always portrayed his murder of Rasputin as a political act to save Russia.
   
   Rasputin was a man of malign and destructive force in Russian history. His religious teachings were unorthodox, and his alluring charisma aroused an illustrious response in many ladies of the St. Petersburg aristocracy. Shady financial dealings added to the atmosphere of decadence and scandal as he was considered a political threat.
   
   This book fulfilled every one of my expectations. I was looking for a biography of a person whose life I knew close to nothing about. This way, I could learn something new. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone. It features events formed in the novelization
   of a film, rather than in history context. The book is written so dramatically that I often was close to missing my stop while reading it on the train.
   
   Some points in the book I found to be rather biased. The author depicted Rasputin to be a man with an unhealthy influence. Very few times in the book did Shukman present Rasputin as an honorable holy man with ostensible beneficent purposes. One must view a person from two perspectives: the good side and the bad side. If we pay attention to what one person depicts another as, we cannot set our own opinions. Instead, we will follow society's norm.
   
   Rasputin offers a simple gist to Rasputin's life. If one would like to attain a detailed knowledge of Rasputin's life, then this book is not for them. This book can be read in a few hours. It has narrations and detailed events. Some pieces of his life are simply glimpsed. Nevertheless, it is a good read and I would recommend it to anyone.

5 comments about Cork Boat.

1. So what? Who cares? That was the basic impression I was left with after reading about two thirds of this sophomoric, self-congratulatory ego fest. I could not finish the book. The combination of his cliche-ridden style, his bursts of self-promotion, and his unchecked rants against his "friend" Garth was more than I could stomach. Any emotional capital he may have earned (his sister's death, the all-nighters to finish the boat) was just squandered. This would have made a great magazine article, but it makes a terrible book.



2. As a child, one of John Pollack's favorite bedtime stories was Holling C. Holling's Paddle-to-the-Sea, the story of a carved toy canoe that, over the course of several years, makes its way from the north shore of Lake Superior, through the Great Lakes, out the St. Lawrence river and, finally, to the Atlantic. Kind strangers aid the canoe's perilous journey and, in the happiest of eventualities, the man who was once the boy who carved the canoe learns of its progress.
   
   Cork Boat, a recounting of John Pollack's lifelong endeavor to build and launch a boat made entirely of wine corks, tells a similar tale of individual determination, a supportive community, and sheer serendipity.
   
   Pollack first turned boatwright at age six, building a craft from orange crates and firewood. It went straight to the bottom of the marsh at the end of the Pollacks' street. Undaunted, he decided then and there that his next boat would be made out of corks. His parents began saving corks, and thus the Cork Boat project began.
   
   By 1999, Pollack was in his 30s, disillusioned with his career as a Capitol Hill speechwriter, and ready to chuck it all in order to devote himself to building his cork boat. At the time, his parents' cork collection topped 3,000. Some quick calculations revealed that Pollack would need at least 60,000.
   
   He quit his job, kicked cork collection into high gear, and took on a partner - a young architect named Garth Goldstein, who soon upped the estimated number of corks needed to 100,000 (the completed boat would actually top out at 165,321 corks). Design work began in earnest, and design solutions (a hexagonal "disk" of corks held together by rubber bands) were stumbled upon entirely by accident.
   
   One by one, difficulties mounted and were surmounted by Pollack and Goldstein's creative thinking, personal connections, determination, and charm. When Washington restaurants and bars failed to come through with the corks they promised to save from the millennium New Year bash, Pollack secured a corporate sponsor - a cork manufacturer who donated tens of thousands of corks. When the completed boat was found to be too large to fit on the boat trailer hired to take it to its launch site, Pollack and Goldstein bought 10 furniture dollies, strapped them to the bottom of the boat, and hired a tow truck to take the craft to the marina.
   
   Not even the horror of September 11, 2001 could sink the dream of the Cork Boat. Though Pollack was certain that none of his volunteers would want to think of something so frivolous in the days after the attack, the opposite was true - volunteers came flooding back because the boat was frivolous. After 9/11, many people were looking for hope wherever they could find it, and the Cork Boat was a hopeful project.
   
   When Pollack's corporate cork sponsor proposed a voyage down Portugal's Douro River, the whole world took notice - everyone from major news networks to the most modest Portuguese villagers. Everyone was determined that the Cork Boat should succeed in winding its way through the Douro to the Atlantic, offering tips for outsmarting customs officers, and tows when the current was too forceful to row against.
   
   Pollack acknowledges that the Cork Boat will probably never sail again. The magic of its trip down the Douro came from the fact that the boat was so unique -- it's sort of a "been there, done that" approach. The story of the Cork Boat, recounted in this book, is an exciting, amazing testament to Pollack's vision and the power of community. Definitely worth reading.



3. The author, a former speechwriter for a Congressman and Clinton, quits his job to build a boat made out of 165,000-plus corks held together by rubberbands, which he then sails with friends down the Douro River in Portugal. It sounds like a fairy tale, and it practically is, a heart-warming true fantasy story of childhood dreams and adult sacrifice and priorities and adventure. Pollack is, of course, a gifted writer, adept at spinning a tale and interweaving personal remenisces, anecdotes and a few strands of history here and there. But it's Pollack's determination and optimism, though, that make this such a sweet story. After the descriptions of camraderie, community, despair and dedication, I felt like cheering along as they pulled into Porto on the final day.



4. While this book doesn't rank as great literature in my opinion, it did read well if one is already inclined to enjoy travel articles. Yes, some of the personal material was surprisingly embarassing in it's clumsiness, but the overall storyline made it a pleasant little read. Certainly not Paul Theroux for travel, but that would be a very high mark indeed. But c'mon: a boat made of cork? Quirky enough to like.



5. Self-promoting? Yes. Poorly written? No doubt about it. Filled with annoying, saccharine-sweet vignettes about one man's pseudo-problems and his triumph-of-the-human-spirit approach to overcoming them? Absolutely.
   
   But in spite of all this, I'm almost ashamed to say that it's still a really good book. This story is bound to appeal to everyone. Anyone who still has a childhood dream unfulfilled; anyone who sometimes yearns for a simpler time when life wasn't so complex; anyone who occasionally wishes that the world could be divided into just two groups - those who save corks and those who don't; anyone who thinks it would be fun to sail the Douro River while seemingly an entire European nation rushes to the river banks to cheer you on; anyone with a soft spot in their heart for sappy stories with happy endings is going to find some joy in this little book.
   
   You'll probably also found yourself rolling your eyes at times - like when it suddenly dawns on you that this guy is an awful writer but somehow managed to land a job writing speeches for the most powerful man on the planet. And you'll probably think at least once or twice that this is the guy that you always wanted beat the crap out of in high school because his attitude was way too positive. But that won't stop you from enjoying the magical journey that this book takes you on.

3 comments about Breaking the Ring.

1. I don't need 1000 words on this one......It's so damn good that I called in sick for 2 days (of course I was'nt sick). But no...literally folks, this is one of those "can't put it down" type books.....Bill Goldstein ...... billgold1@visto.com ................

   I'd love to get some e-mail opinions on this




2. What a scumbag, if spying against our country was not bad enough, this complete waste of a man drags his family and friends into it. All for like $ 1 per page, how did someone this dumb get into the position he was in to do so much harm? The story is very interesting, I could have even written the story and it would be entertaining. Luckily that did not happen and the author did a great job. He constructed the details and time line very well and easy to follow. The explanations of what info Walker was giving out was also presented well. If you are interested in this area then I would suggest getting this book, it is well worth the time and money.



3. This is a fascinating, well written book about the John Walker spy ring. The author does a great job giving the gory details about what it was that this guy did and how he finally got caught. It is amazing how a simpleton like Walker can get into a position of such authority. A breach of security on this level can really affect the lives of the young men and women serving in our military, to say nothing of our national security. I am not sure they can really come up with an appropriate punishment for a guy like this. The book also gives you insight into the workings of the KGB and the details about how these espionage operations work. You will enjoy it.

3 comments about Debbie - My Life.

1. I was not able to put this book down! It is so wonderfully entertaining, just like Debbie Reynolds herself! "My Life" is full of great Hollywood stories and focuses on one of the most interesting stories I've ever heard--Debbie's life story. It's funny and it brings you right in, as though Debbie is telling you the story, not just writing it. I HIGHLY recommend this stellar book, "Debbie:My Life."



2. Debbie tells her story with great energy....just like she has in all aspects of her life.......you want to laugh and cry with her....she is honest about her life and those around her....you walk away feeling good........just like you do after you've seen her on stage......Bravo Debbie



3. First, I must state that I am not overly fond of autobiographies in general and celebrity autobiographies in particular. I found this one in a used book store and added it to my stack of finds on pure whim. I am very glad I did. The book was actually quite readable and very enjoyable. I have always enjoyed Ms. Reynolds' work and after reading her story, appreciate it, the work, even more. The books is salted with many fine photographs of the subjects life and work and are well placed. The narrative is easy to follow and as I said, "readable." Quite a fascinating life. All in all, if you are interested in such things, I highly recommend this one

5 comments about Buzz Aldrin Reaching for the Moon.

1. We Love This Book ! With the space shuttle being on the news so much, my 4 year old daughter became interested in space. We got this book for her and now she wants us to read it every night.



2. Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. was the second man to walk on the moon when he followed Neil Armstrong on July 16, 1969, while Michael Collins circled the moon in the Apollo 11 spacecraft. In "Reaching for the Moon," Aldrin tells the story of his life that led up to walking on the moon, taking key episodes from his life and presenting them as life lessons to his young readers, such as sinking in a lake because he would not let go of a bucket of rocks he had collected ("I knew that if something was important to you, you had to hold on"). Aldrin also shows how various things in his life foreshadowed what he would do on the moon (e.g., his mother's maiden name was Moon and his first airplane flight was in a small plane painted to look like an eagle).
   
   The book follows Aldrin from his childhood and playing sports in school to graduating from West Point and joining the Air Force. After flying combat missions in the Korean War, Aldrin applied to the astronaut program and was not accepted until the second time he tried. The number two also comes up when Aldrin's first space flight was a Gemini mission. The description of the Apollo 11 mission is quite straightforward and Aldrin emphasizes the importance of what they were doing without every talking about how it came to be that he was the second man on the moon instead of the first (the reasoning was actually quite simple: Armstrong was a civilian, Aldrin was still in the military, and the U.S. government did not want a soldier to be the first person on the moon). Everybody remembers Armstrong's first words on the moon, but Aldrin recalls his own apt description of the moon as "Magnificent desolation."
   
   Aldrin's narrative ends with the plaque that he and Armstrong left on the moon and ends with a message promoting space exploration to his readers. Aldrin does not touch on the depression and alcoholism he had to contend with after leaving NASA and which he detailed in his autobiography "Return to Earth." But you cannot fault Aldrin for his choice of perspective in this book. In his dedication Aldrin calls the original astronauts explorers of the Mercury, Gemini, and Apollo missions to be the first generation of space explorers. The second generation would be those flying shuttle missions to the space station, while the third generation of future space explorers would be the young students who read this book. The paintings in "Reaching for the Moon" are by Wendell Minor, and older readers will note that in the two-page painting of the George Washington Bridge below the bridge on the New York City side is the little red lighthouse of children's book fame.



3. One of the greatest joys of this parenthood has been watching my four-year-old daughter come to understand that this is a true story, that men actually traveled to the moon and walked on its surface. Even though the moon landings were something I grew up with, the story grows more powerful with each retelling. It is one of her favorites and one of mine as well.



4. My 2.5 year old daughter loves this book. I read it to her a few times a week. It is just the right lenght for her to fall asleep.



5. The age range for this book is listed on the cover as 6-9 and not 9-12.

No comments about Fragments of My Life.