No comments about First Finds.

No comments about The Whispering Years (Radio Collection).

5 comments about The Extreme Makeover of Hillary (Rodham) Clinton.

1. For some reason this country has made a sport out of hating the Clintons and eradicating all memory of the good they have done while recycling every twisted, malicious rumor. At least some of it has to do with the fact that she's a woman in power, and absolutely loathed for it. (Countries around the globe, from Pakistan--a MUSLIM nation--to the Philippines and the Ukraine--have or have had women leaders, but this hypocritical misogynist nation can't abide it. Too bad.) I think anyone who reads this should at least read "Living History" by Hillary Clinton, and get it from the horse's mouth--then they can make up their minds.



2. This book was very helpful to my understanding of what makes Mrs. Clinton tick. It focuses more on her psychology than her behavior in public life. It claims that her overriding character trait is insecurity. It's especially strong in explaining how her mind works. According to it, she is a memorizer and regurgitator of information; she has an unchanging "consummate student" mindset, always eager to learn facts; and she tends to automatically make herself an expert on any subject she needs to understand (such as healthcare, in 1993). (From other reading, I know that this is exactly how Jimmy Carter worked. he was compulsive about memorization and preparation.)
   But the book goes on to say that this habit is Hillary's compensation for her weakness: she is not an original thinker, not a visionary (Bill is the opposite). Also, all her life she has been extremely impressionable; this is why, when in the White House, she was always taking advice from political advisors, New Age gurus, psychics, etc.
   
   The author of Extreme Makeover, Bay Buchanan, is conservative upfront (she is Pat Buchanan's younger sister), but is fair-minded and polite. It's not like reading an Ann Coulter book. Ms. Buchanan uses a folksy tone that gets slightly annoying at times, but it's not hard to ignore.
   
   I recommend this book, along with the late Barbara Olson's book *Hell to Pay*, if you seek to better understand Mrs. Clinton.



3. THE EXTREME MAKEOVER OF HILLARY CLINTON is a partisan sermon to the conservative choir. Bay Buchanan roasts "the old gal" for her stands on everything from national health care to the Iraq War and foreign policy. Unfortunately for the Clintons, they themselves have given her every reason to do so.
   
   I think Buchanan would agree that Hillary and Bill Clinton have lied about so much, so often, that they have come to believe the lies are true and the truth is a lie.
   
   Whitewater, cattle futures, travel-gate, 911 interviews about Chelsea, the vast right wing conspiracy, and on and on play into the hands of those who relish in her demise. The Clintons have lied to the press and the public about their transgressions; they shirk responsibility for their corruption. Hillary blames a "vast, right-wing conspiracy" for her husband's troubles as well as her own.
   
   Buchanan asserts that there is nothing Hillary Clinton will not lie about to further her ambitions. The truth seems to bear her out. Hillary has even lied about her name and where it came from! (Sir Edmund Hillary, her erstwhile namesake, climbed Everest six years after Clinton was named.)
   
   The central thesis of the book is that, in an effort to win the Presidency, Hillary Clinton has undergone a phony transformation from the left wing of the liberal party toward the center. Her real nature and values and views, however, remain militantly liberal. America is being presented a phony caricature: Hillary as a moderate candidate - in touch with and supportive of America's core values.
   
   Hillary Clinton is a liberal feminist, devoted to the cause of left wing economics: redistribution of the wealth through higher taxes and bigger government programs. She supports socialism although it has been discarded onto the ash heap of history by most thoughtful nations. He supports unrestricted abortions. She believes government is the answer for society's ills. She thinks the rightful role at the head of the family is the liberal vanguard (she and her friends) and the government.
   
   Americans are a forgiving group, by and large. Watchdogs like Bay Buchanan help us remember and recognize the obfuscation of history and be on our guard against the wiles of the enemy, lest we repeat the mistakes of the past.



4. This book is all about trashing Hillary Clinton which will appeal to some readers; however, the research is limited to information easily located with a fifteen minute Google search. The writing is sophomoric; as a result, Hillary comes off as a cardboard cut-out. I get the feeling Buchanan wrote this in a two hour stint on a Sunday afternoon when she was bored. Or maybe needing a little extra spending money. I am not a big Hillary fan, but she, like any literary subject, deserves fairness and accuracy. Read Hillary's Choice by Gail Sheehy instead. Carl Bernstein's book is also good but not as readable as Sheehy, although the Bernstein volume is more recent and addresses issues salient to Senator Clinton's bid for the presidency.



5. I have never been a fan of Hillary Clinton. I found this book well written. I was not sure that she really thought the American people were so gullible but this book stripped away all those doubts. It certainly made my voting decision easier for this coming election.

5 comments about Four Against the Arctic: Shipwrecked for Six Years at the top of the world.

1. I kept going with this book because I felt it just had to get better at some point-but it doesn't. As other reviewers have pointed out, this is a story about research, not about the four men who survived the shipwreck. I was hoping the polar bears would get the whole boring lot of them, but no luck with that, either.



2. It is difficult to understand why anyone would state as a COMPLAINT that "The book is about David Roberts and his research into a survival story." Yes, that is EXACTLY what it is. Roberts' story-within-a-story is accessable, immediate, often humorously self-disparaging, and it shows a drive for knowledge which one can only admire.
   
   I was captured by the end of the first paragraph of the introduction, and I couldn't put it down. Great stuff.



3. This book is NOT the story of the four Russian sailors shipwrecked for four years in the Arctic. It is the story of the author researching the story of the four Russians. He does uncover some interesting bits about early Russian and Norwegian Arctic exploration but it is all buried in 288 pages of the author's self importance.



4. While the parts about the Russian sailors are interesting, the book rapidly degrades into the author's ego trip as the book becomes more about what a clever researcher he is and less about the sailors. What a shame.



5. I got this book because the title seemed to suggest it would be a story about FOUR AGAINST THE ARCTIC. It's not. The book is an endless description of David Roberts research into the story I hoped to learn more about. While Roberts telling of his story is creative and his research thorough, this reader would have appreciated having a title that described what the book was really about. This is not the first time I have seen a book title by this publisher that seems to mislead readers just a bit. It's disappointing.

2 comments about The HIRED MAN'S CHRISTMAS, THE.

1. This very touching and insightful account of a boys' youthful memories touched many sensitive cords. Although the boys' relationship was bad with his Dad he had a wonderful relationship with his Grandfather. It reminded me so much of my own Childhood, growing up in Dryden (Gee Hill) area and going to school in Marathon, NY. I didn't know any of these people but feel like I know them now and knew many others just like them from the area. I thourghly enjoyed this book



2. What a wonderful story filled with warm memories of a time past. It will remain a favorite on my bookshelf. However, the temptation is to pass it on to others to enjoy. Not only does the author display great sensitivity in his story telling but he also has the unique ability to take the reader on the journey with him. I hope this is just the beginning for this author. By the way, the sketches done by his daughter that are peppered throughout the book are delightful.

5 comments about Class Action: The Story of Lois Jenson or the Landmark Case That Changed Sexual Harassment Law.

1. Like some other reviewers I came across this book after seeing the movie North Country. The movie though is just good entertainment pulling at the heartstrings and very loosely based on the legal problems of single mother Lois Jenson.
   
   The book, I'm pleased to say, is much more gripping and will keep you turning the pages until the end. I thought it raised various issues like:
   
   *Why did the legal aspects of this case take from 1984 until a settlement in 1998? In 1997 a judgement from the Eighth Circuit court commented on the 'inordinate delay' and that it simply was not possible for the parties to get justice 'when a final outcome is issued more than ten years' after the case was filed and more than fifteen years since Lois started her class action.
   
   *Why did the mineworkers union maintain such a male chauvinist view towards its female members? I always assumed that Minnesota folk, historically populated by hard working European immigrants in a hostile physical environment would have been much more sympathetic to the sexual harassment that went on year after year in the mines. In fact very few males come out of this story with much credibility, from the mine management down to the union, they are really shown to be sexist and ultra conservative when females start to (legally) work in their domain.
   
   *Why did it take so long for the mines main insurance company, who were going to be the ultimate payers of any compensation, to get to grips with the case? When they did get closely involved in 1998 the problems seemed to evaporate and the ladies got their money
   
   The authors write in a simple straightforward style fortunately avoiding flowery generalisations that seem a staple of non-fiction writing. The story unfolds in a logically time frame from March 1975 to the final financial settlement in November 1998. Early on there is an excellent historical overview of the Mesabi Range and the importance of the raw materials lying just under the surface. A nice touch I thought was the frequent explanations of points of law and how these affected the progress of the case.
   
   A couple of points occurred to me as a read the book: I would have liked to see a listing at the start describing the principals, frequently a name popped up and I wondered who the person was having seen a mention maybe a hundred pages earlier. So much of the story describes the mine and other buildings, a simple diagram of the plant layout would have been helpful.
   
   'Class Action' is a powerful narrative about a hostile working environment and the legal system and it reminds of a quote by Thomas Noon Talfourd:
   Fill the seats of justice
   With good men not so absolute in goodness
   As to forget what human frailty is.
   
   BTW. I wanted to see photos of the four heroes of the book, the wonderful Lois Jenson and her legal team Paul Sprenger, Jane Lang and Jean Boler and I found them all through Google Images.



2. I grew up on "da range" and I'm familiar with the mines. My hometown is Hoyt Lakes, not very far from Eveleth. My dad and one of my uncles worked at LTV Steel outside of Hoyt Lakes, I think even my brother worked there for a while. I don't remember hearing anything of the trial. Back in 1998 I was 9 years old. I became familiar with it, when they were filming the movie North Country while I was going to the community college in Virginia. I've watched the movie multiple times. Then this summer in one of my English classes we were required to read Class Action. By the time the class finished I hadn't finished the book yet, but that didn't stop me from reading it. This is a really great book, and I've had a hard time putting it down. Its so interesting to learn the facts of the case, and was even more surprised when I recognized some of the last names of the people. I haven't quite finished yet, I have about 60 pages to go. I keep finding myself getting irritated with the rulings of Judge McNulty. This is a very important book, and in my opinion everyone should read it.



3. I assume that you will have seen the Movie first. I would have never heard of this book, without references in the DVD. BUT it is not necessary that you see the movie first. AND if you see the movie after reading the book be prepared for differences. But aside from comparisons, this is a terrific read about the first successful Sexual Harrassment case in the USA. It is set in the North Country made famous by Mr. Zimmerman. In fact some of the scenes and some of the characters are from Hibbing. Hero is one of the many misused words in Americana. But hero could be safely applied to the Lawyers who defended Lois Jenen.



4. The book is so much better than the movie. It gives you a much truer sense of what the women went through. Which is to be expected, of course, but I was surprised at the changes in the movie.



5. Throughout my college career, I have become more and more aware of America's history in regards to inequality. Class Action brought up one of the most publicized forms of inequality in our nation, which is the inequality between men and women, especially in the workplace. Today, women are still only making $0.74-$0.76 on the dollar that every man makes, but that is only a mild form of the inequality that occurred only 30 years ago.
   
   On March 25, 1975, Lois Jensen begins work at Eveleth Taconite in the mines to earn enough money to support her young son so they both could get off welfare. While the pay was very good, Lois, and other women who worked at the mines, endured sexual harassment that ranged from sexual comments to inappropriate touching and coercion by the male workers. Twelve years later, Lois finally decides that the only way to deal with the sexual harassment is through legal action since none of her bosses in the mines will correct the male workers' behaviors. Unfortunately, Lois only endures more hardship through trying to gain support of the other women at the mines, retain her job, and keep her sanity while being harassed even more. Lois's commitment to "right the wrong" of how the men treated the women at the mines brings up many questions of our society and what is legal that reside within.
   
   Class Action helps us evaluate male privilege in the workforce, laws such as the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (Title VII) and how they were upheld, the immortal power of companies, and the human cost to achieve social change. It is astounding to read the type of harassment that these women endured and to realize that it happened in other parts of the country, and to some extent, still does today. The only things that Lois Jensen truly wanted was knowing that women would not have to live what she did through the company adopting a sexual harassment policy and an apology. She never got the apology, but thankfully, the former occurred on December 30, 1998.
   
   The was a great book if you are interested in Civil Rights history and activism, women's rights, the jural system in relation to gender, and the economics of inequality. While Lois, other women, and the mines settled in 1998, the women essentially lost. After all that had happened, to achieve this precedent for sexual harassment law the women had to sacrifice their lives. This ultimately brings up the issue of how we have to be martyrs to make any social change truly happen.

4 comments about The Way of a Boy: A Memoir of Java (Isis Series).

1. A decided to read this book after I heard the news that a movie based on it staring Jane Seymour will be filming next year. I read it only to better understand the movie, and was extremely surprised at what an excellent story I found it to be. It is told from the perspective of a little boy, about his struggles and triumphs, and the little things that help him cope with life in a concentration camp run by Japanese. If you think this is your typical "WW II survivor story", guess again. As I was reading I forgot the book was about a concentration camp. It became the story of a ordinary boy and his mother, and their day-to-day life amidst a horrific background. The harsh reality is it is a true story. I hope the movie does it justice. This book is extremely under-rated. It is up to par with Oprah's book club books. Please read it, and I think you will be surprised. If anyone knows how I can contact the author, please let me know.



2. The story is beyond an ugliness of human nature.How any one dare to challenge "How about Hiroshima ?" The boy is above all these and almost religius. The Japanese Emperor and the Governmentaologized for the undue cruelities inflickted on the internees, but the most interesting thing is that they did no do so to their own people who were victims themselves under the Japanese Military systems.



3. i am 16 years old and read this book for the first time last year. i truly enjoyed reading the book. i am not into books which have a difficult plot or a lot of long words but anyone can undersatnd this book. i cant imagine what the boy would have went through and had to keep on reminding myself that this actually happened. i definitely do not think that this book is given the credit in which it is worth. reading the book makes you realise what a good life you have compared to what the boy went through. so go out and read the book now. p.s. have a box of tissues ready!!!



4. When I was a very little girl, we lived in Indonesia and were in Japanese concentration camps during WWII.
   I was interested in reading this book, because my brother was taken away at 11 and sent to a men's camp all by himself. I wanted to know what he had gone through.
   This book will tell you a little of what we all went through in those years. It is written from a young boys view point and that was helpful to keep it less of a heavy read.
   I think very few people know how many of us suffered hunger and illness in POW camps under the Japanese. It is history and hopefully we won't have to re-live this.

5 comments about In Search of Captain Zero: A Surfer's Road Trip Beyond the End of the Road, Library Edition.

1. A very different kind of surfing story. For those that that are into surfing and travel it's pretty cool. It's a good adventure surfing story. I started reading it on an island in Panama durring a surf trip which gives me a different perspective. It definetly made me want to keep traveling/surfing. For the non surfing types, I have no idea how it would be recieved....



2. This book appealed on so many levels. Want a good surf adventure, you got it. Like a nice travelogue, it hits there too. Want an excellent character study, absolutely. If you want to shake your head while laughing out loud, you get that here also. It was a book that was fun and yet thought provoking, strongly recommended.



3. There's nothing like a surfing trip to Costa Rica with flashbacks to drug dealing days to make for a great literary achievement.
   
   The book may be $10.00, but the chapter on "The Boat" is priceless! I've bought at least 10 copies to give to my friends to read. It is a true classic.
   
   How this book has gone this long without being made into a movie is incomprehensible.



4. Anyone who is nostalgic about surfing, the beach, women, friends and the passage of time should read this book. It is hard to believe how well written it is. There are many interesting, sad and funny stories in the book. The scene about the large wave hitting their small beach house in Hawaii actually had me, dare I say, laughing out loud. I'm now reading the book a second time after a one year hiatus, and enjoying it just as much (a good activity until I can get back to the beach!).



5. I picked up this book after having read the fictional "Cosmic Banditos". It's the mind-boggling road diary of Weisbecker's trip off the grid. He sells off his life, grabs his dog and surfboards, and heads out with no real direction other than 'south'. His funny, relaxed writing evokes a storytelling session around a campfire on the beach.
   
   
   This is the kind of audacious drop-out from society that most of us will only dream about. After cringing at some of Weisbecker's more harrowing adventures, some of us will be glad we never took the leap. The story takes an uncomfortable turn when Captain zero is finally found, a turn which may cement your commitment to staying safely on the grid.

5 comments about The Orchid Thief.

1. This book reminded me of a story about the 'fishes':
   Curious about North Americans before moving to North America, friends of mine did all they could to meet a North American. He was quiet when they were discussing life with universal categories. When asked about what he is most interested in, the North American lightened up and told them everything he knew about the fishes, his hobby. He was experiencing, interpreting and loving life through fishes (or orchids, or anything that we are deeply intrigued by), and my friends heard the most interesting story, told with love, passion and knowledge, and remained quiet and speechless for a long time.
   The "Orchid Thief" is a fascinating book, and I truly loved all aspects of this journey - the visual language, the historical references, the characters and the whole gamut of their emotions.
   Some short stories though, were told long in the book, which makes you feel the fatigue in these parts of the narration.



2. Pretty quick read because it is totally, utterly engrossing. Orlean has a wonderful writing style, and a knack for just the right amount of metaphors and similes. Plus terrific descriptive abilities. Every bit as wonderful as the film "Adaptation" which was made from this book. I really liked this non-fiction book about obsession, collectors, orchids, plants, all things in southern Florida. She gets to the heart of a true collectors mind. La Rouche an unforgettable person. She makes us "see" him. To paraphrase one unforgettable line - "I hate hiking in the swamp with convicts who have machetes."



3. Excellent story,great writer and terrific subject matter for anyone interested in Orchids or the State of Florida and some of it's history.



4. Truly fascinating reading. A friend encouraged me to read this after I became interested in and purchased several orchids at a recent orchid show. This book is an engaging journey through the history of orchids and orchid collecting as well as a revealing introduction to the often mysterious and sometimes elusive people who have been drawn to and fascinated by orchids over time. If you have an interest in orchids, do yourself the favor of reading this well-written and meticulously researched work. In fact, even if you do not have an interest in orchids you will find this book well worth your time. You may learning something of yourself in the process of reading it.



5. So the movie of Adaptation was amazing and the overall story within this book is good, the themes and ideas hidden in there are good, but the writing, not so good.
   I was rather disappointed by the extreme lack of decent writing here. This book was not a pleasure to read at all. It opened up with a little mock interview that Susan gave to herself and it was really kind of bad, not creative, and sounds like it was written by a 16 creative writing student.
   All I can say is that the story was a good idea, the longing in some of parts was wonderful, but the writing, I am not a fan of.

1 comments about Frankie.

1. This is as honest an autobiography penned by a major sports figure in quite a long time. As a matter of fact, a reader does not have to be well-versed in the nuances of the "Sport of Kings" to appreciate the oftentimes wild ride chronicled by Dettori.
   
   A fascinating aspect is how Dettori approaches his race against a variety of demons - which lurks in the shadows for any athlete - and how he pulled himself from the brink of destroying a promising career. There are no pity parties of finger-pointing and the lessons learned by Dettori are valuable to anyone who faces adversity in any walk of life.
   
   Ultimately, though, it's his triumphs on tracks throughout the world which brings his life into a grand perspective. Dettori writes like he rides, as a special champion, from gate-to-wire.