5 comments about Warped Factors: A Neurotic's Guide to the Universe.

1. I've just got into Star Trek and decided to read some of the books the cast wrote. The first book I read was Walter's book. He told some hilarious stories, but yet he told about the serious stuff too.

   I've heard that some, if not all of the cast had issues with William Shatner. Walter could've made this a dirt book and tell about every dirty thing Shatner ever did to him. Walter didn't do that. He let it be known that he wasn't happy with some of the things Shatner did it on the set, but the whole book wasn't about that. I've read other books where stars and costars just let out all the bad feelings and the book turns out negative because it turns into 'I hate him because he did this and that, this and that, this and that- etc' I repeat that Walter's book ISN'T like that. It's worth a read if you are a Star Trek fan.




2. While a decent portion of the book focuses on Star Trek, most of it does not. This is a book about Walter Koenig, a self-admittedly neurotic actor. For me, this difference made the book very enjoyable. Here you will get a humorous look into the actor's life, complete with looking for work, working as a hotel package boy, dealing with agent's lies, and more. This book was a lot of fun.



3. Walter Koenig writes candidly about his experiences with Star Trek and many other topics regarding his career as an actor and writer. His recollections of his years on the TOS is quite interesting and provides quite a bit of "behind the scene" glimpses of certain episodes..Being a die hard Trekkie, I found this book to be a very enjoyable read! I have also read the other supporting cast member's books and feel that Walter's is one of the most articulate and amusing..some of his recollections of his "life on the road" with James Doohan and George Takei making video store appearances are hilarious!
   
   Walter also write deeply about his feelings toward William Shatner and reveals how hurt he felt on a couple of occasions..
   After reading the other cast member's books you can't help but feel that there was "something" going on there...It's kind of like if you worked for a company for many years and are treated as if you were "nothing" and just a body to kick around..
   
   I'm sure in life there are many who are placed into this role who feel extremely stressed and down..it's no different with actors I'm sure..However, Walter seemed to maintain his dignity throughout..sometimes in life you just have to live by "the golden rule"..Treat others as you would like to be treated.." I think if everyone followed this simple principle life would be grand!
   
   Star Trek has given pleasure to many fans around the world and it is quite interesting to read the memoirs of cast members to truly see how the show has affected their lives and to laugh at their interesting anecdotes! There are plenty to be found in this book and asides from talking about Star Trek, Walter talks about his career as a struggling actor in the beginning and his later career as a writer. Walter writes very well and I feel he should write more books on other topics! He definitely has a talent in this area!
   
   I've never watched Babylon 5 so I'm not familiar with his role as Alfred Bester but I have seen all 79 TOS episodes and all 6 of the films so I am quite aware of his work as Chekhov..It would be interesting to see Walter in some of his other work..As an example..I recently saw George Takei in "The Encounter"..a classic Twilite Zone spisode and was blown away by his acting! George's role was very powerful however, you were never really able to witness it much in Star Trek..I think that's why some of the other supporting cast members held some resentment towards Shatner because they felt that he was trying to minimize their contributions..hearing Shatner's take on it in the wonderful documentary, "Mind Meld" with Leonard Nimoy..you feel as if Shatner felt these claims were trivial and that he truly did not understand what these actors were going through..I really have a hard time believing that...Walter, although hurt by Shatner's behavior over the years still has a begrudging respect for him as do the others with the exception of perhaps..James Doohan.
   
   Anyways, if you are a Trekkie this book is a must read and an important one to have in your collection! It's very entertaining and insightful!



4. Everybody knows that all the actors in Star Trek did their autobiographies, so , I thought, why not read this one? I was in for a surprise! I usually don't comment a book I didn't finish but maybe Mr Koenig should have seen a psychiatrist longer than in his youth. Why write something like that? Jokes are cheap, writing is erring at best, thoughts are at random (an editor,please!!!!) not much to say, really... He does have an interesting career but must he explain all his doubts and neuroses too? It is honest , I know, but I prefer to read about Career & Life...
   I got fed up ... I would have read DeForrest Kelley instead...
   If you want something really interesting to read about the less "principal" characters in Star Trek OS, go to Takei's or Nichols books: THAT is worth it!



5. I don't think I've ever read a memoir or autobiography that didn't shine most in its early pages, when recounting the author's childhood. It's certainly true of this one, though perhaps I'm biased, because I too grew up in NYC, attending public schools that, even 15 years after Mr. Koenig's experience, bore a spooky resemblance to his, down to the sadistic second-grade and mannish fifth-grade teachers. On the other hand, I'm not sure I've read another autobiography that began to fray quite as quickly as this one did. My complaints, briefly:
   
   1) The edition of Warped Factors I read was published in 1997 by Taylor Publishing Company. Let's hope Taylor has a fantastic distribution system; that, or it took absolutely no cut from the income on this book other than printing costs--because I can't see that it did anything else that publishers ordinarily do, such as discuss coherence and continuity with the author, correct errors in grammar and vocabulary, or even read through page proofs. (There are lines in the book which lose their flush right margin all of a sudden, for no reason that I can see.) While the jumpy margins are just a strange printing phenomenon that might cause a reader to question an author's judgment but not literacy, literacy does become an issue over things like misspellings ("wildlife," not "wild life"), word choice ("formidable," not "formative," personality) and misquotes (I won't embarrass anyone here because I'm sure both the author and the publisher have had it pointed out already; if not: it's the quote that starts out Shakespeare and ends Robert Burns, and if that's still not enough, see me after class). Is it Los Angeles (see more below)? Is it that on The Coast, away from New York's literary elite, Mr. Koenig could not find anyone--a writer for the Simpson's, maybe?--who'd zip through his oeuvre and point out errors and awkwardness? Or, a more ominous thought, did he just want to do it his own way?
   
   2) This leads to the more dismaying point--the author himself. And here I have to confess to being one of those 12-year-old girls who thought Mr. Chekov was the cutest thing since Davy Jones. I continue to be impressed with his wit and humor. However, I am left with the strong impression that he is too smart for Hollywood, and his book--deliberately, I think--gives no clues to why he stayed, except to keep insisting that he's neurotic and loves the craft of acting. Another reviewer made a comparison of Mr. Koenig to Woody Allen, and there's some truth there. I grew up with boys like Woody and Walter in the back of my classroom (that would be PS 169); they were kids who'd today be zonked out on ritalin or the equivalent; they were funny (to the kind of girl who appreciated the Three Stooges) and smart, even if they were underachievers--Bart Simpson with brains. Of course they were neurotic kids; the world and their mothers didn't know what to do with them. But most of them figured things out. By high school they were hitting their stride and maturing. That's what it boils down to: A 6-year-old boy is cute; a 46-year-old boy is . . . not cute. I read the autobiography of Grace Lee Whitney, who played Yeoman Janice Rand; she had bigger problems and fewer advantages, and yet she seems to have made some forward motion towards growing up. (Yes, I know Woody Allen's line: "I used to be a heroin addict; now I'm a methadone addict.")
   
   I'm going to give Mr. Koenig the benefit of the doubt here. I'm going to assume that in private he's just as thoughtful, solid, grounded, and wise as any other man nearing retirement age. He made a decision in writing this book to eliminate information that would embarrass his family and friends but that might give the reader a clue to his personality and motivation as an adult. The result is a frolic of wacky anecdotes about a hapless, non-observant Jewish actor from New York who finds himself in Hollywood and who just never learns his lesson.
   
   It sounds like a life in sitcom form. Maybe it's time for the Koenigs to relocate somewhere where if life is going to imitate anything, it will be art, not TV.

No comments about Basil Brush.

5 comments about Bound By Honor.

1. The book as such is an easy read and has some amusing stories, it is, however, filled with appearent contradictions and self promoting spins on most of the events.
   The writer is clearly unable to put is own life into perspective and believes he has done no wrong........but that the government is at fault for hunting down organised crime, mostly himself and his father (who is depicted as the role model mobster).
   The book is worth reading if the subject itself is of interest to you. For most readers it will become clear that the writer is a complete and total loser.



2. I have read nearly every book written about the Mafia, both good and bad. Let me say this: Bill Bonanno's book goes beyond bad. It's absolutely awful.
   
   The title itself, "Bound by Honor", is soaked in irony. Where is the honor in breaking the law, going to prison, living a lifestyle that includes trampling on the rights and lifestyles of other people?
   
   My own father truly was a Man of Honor. He got up everyday and went to work and made an honest living. He may not have gotten rich, but he never served a day in prison or lied to save his own skin. But Bonanno has done both. Where is the honor in that?
   
   As I read one of the book's passages about a gunfight that Bonnano was in, it struck me that his vision of that shootout was rooted more in stupidity than in danger.
   
   While Mafia books do interest me, the lifestyle itself disgusts me and makes me glad that I live a clean life.
   
   My biggest regret concerning Bonanno's book is that I spent money on it- even if it was on sale. It was a waste of money written by a blowhard who wasted a college education and probably put a good wife through hell. Some Man of Honor, that Bill Bonanno.
   
   So the bottom line is this: don't waste your money. His story isn't worth reading, he isn't worth respecting, and there isn't one scintilla of honor to be found in the activities of his family.



3. I'll keep it simple. The Bonnanos are the worst liars I've ever seen. Bill and Joe are trying to rewrite history, and it's getting pretty pathetic.



4. This is a well written, interesting read. If you are looking for the typical "mafia" book full of violence and the stereotypical, almost mythical, portrayal of mob leaders, this book is probably not for you. This book provides one man's insight (a man who writes from an insider perspective) into many important events in our recent history, including the JFK assassination.
   
   One of the other reviewers mentioned that a true "man of honor" is one "who goes to work everyday" and that Bonanno was not a man of honor. In response to that I would only say that there are many lawful jobs that are not honorable. Is it honorable to work for a big corporation that exploits men and women for cheap labor? The second point is that the Italians (along with other immigrants) suffered discrimination when they arrived to the U.S. and had to provide sustenance for their families in any way they could. Furthermore, they certainly did not have a monopoly on organized crime as other immigrant groups were also forced into that lifestyle in order to survive economically.
   
   Overall, I would say this is a very interesting read and is one of the more well written books on the subject of the mafia in general and the Bonanno family in particular.
   
   It would be naive to assume that Bonanno does not present events in a light that is favorable to his family, but everyone engages in this sort of thing. Moreover, anti-mafia books have also engaged in this sort of hyperbole, presenting mobsters as demons who are not even human and enjoy violence for its own sake. I'm sure the truth lies somewhere in the middle. One thing is certain, the mafia cannot be understood outside of the historical and cultural context that spawned it.



5. This is a sort of watered down story of a mafiosa. The author does not disclose or detail some of the slimy backhanded sneaky criminal things that he surely committed an the book borders on a made for LIFETIME movie vibe.

5 comments about The Last Enemy (Superintendent Daiziel & Sergeant Pascoe Mysteries).

1. This is a beautifully written account of one pilot's participation in a crucial WW2 battle. The book does not fall flat because the author spent only a relatively brief period in action; his description of his privileged period at Oxford, and of fighter training at the beginning of the time, are worth reading in their own right.

   However, the real subject of this book is the recovery (sadly incomplete) he made from the horrific burns suffered after being shot down on the War's first anniversary. Burns treatment was crude before the outbreak of WW2, and shot-down pilots were the guinea pigs who enabled huge advances in this field to be made. (Hillary's plastic surgeon was the great Sir Archibald McIndoe.) Hillary's courage in fighting his way to this recovery, and the candour with which he describes it, make this book the best memoir I have read of the War.




2. This Battle of Britain pilot has left us with a real gem; a classically engaging description of his experience of training, being shot down, and his amazing recovery.

   One thing that makes this work great, and enables it to stand above other similar books, is Hillary's ability to describe his emotions; to explain his thoughts at the time, and those of his colleagues.

   This book puts things into perspective - it is the memoir of a true hero.




3. The Last enemy is a contemporary account written by an RAF fighter pilot who flew Spitfires during the Battle of Britain. Prior to the war, the author led a comfortable upper class lifestyle; he was attending Oxford, had numerous friends, rowed and fancied becoming a writer. Moreover, he had an interest in flying and was a member of the University Air Squadron. When the Germans invaded Poland, he and his friends in the Air Squadron were, after a short delay, sent to training units, and after Dunkirk, were hurriedly sent to operational squadrons. Hillary, given the choice, chose No. 603, a Spitfire squadron in Scotland. During the Battle of Britian, the squadron was sent south into the thick of battle; shortly afterwards, Hillary was shot down and severely burned. Divided into two sections, the second half of the book details his ordeals as he recovers and undergoes reconstructive surgery. The Last Enemy is by no means propagandistic tripe; it is a sincere and timeless account of life disrupted by war, and therefore a very rewarding read.



4. Richard Hillary's experienced voice reverberates in The Last Enemy, his memoir about life as a Spitfire pilot during World War II. Hillary details his battle encounters while recounting the events he witnessed, and the emotions he felt. Like other war memoirs, the author concludes with revelations that display his maturation in the crucible of conflict. He enters the RAF as a spoiled Oxford undergraduate, filled with youthful selfishness; by the end, however, death and violence have awakened him to the folly of his past egocentrism. More important, his role in the Battle of Britain and his death in action in 1943, although not included in the book, augments the work's importance.
   
   Despite Hillary's devotion to literature, The Last Enemy's historical value supercedes its literary qualities. His descriptions of the general mood of London and its citizens during the Blitz, for example, are as close to a primary document as the average reader will probably come. Moreover, interspersed throughout the narrative are journalistic, almost indifferent reports of the deaths of his comrades. His account of pilot training and midair dogfights may also arouse excitement in World War II buffs. And when he writes that "to love one's country is vulgar, to love God archaic, and to love mankind sentimental" (126), he expresses the apathy of many spoiled youths from his era. Essentially, Hillary's personal account fulfills the criteria of an effective memoir.
   
   His book is imperfect, however. A self-proclaimed dilettante, Hillary's prodigal upbringing allowed him to dabble in many leisurely pursuits-from literature to rowing. This eclecticism manifests itself in the digressions that often plague his writing. Yet the book's greatest flaw perhaps lies in the unrealistic dialogue, on which much of the book is founded. In a heated discussion after a mutual loved one's death, for example, a woman complains to Hillary about his "intellectual subterfuges and attempts to hide behind the cry of self-realization" (189). A reader must ask: "How often does a person's speech resemble such a phrase?" And the ideological discussions between Hillary and various others can be twice as highfalutin. Thus, Hillary occasionally abandons an exact, truthful rendition of events for the sake of a good yarn.
   
   Despite any flaws-which are, to an extent, the reader's own bias-The Last Enemy offers itself as a compelling addition to the canon of valuable WWII memoirs. Concise and personal, it could both introduce some readers to RAF fighter pilots' lot in the war and reinforce other readers' preexisting knowledge of the topic. War not only lessens Hillary's smug, selfish ways, but ultimately reveals to him the importance of such ancient values as courage and camaraderie. If his story were to do the same for any reader, it would be worth the investment of time.



5. I've read many, many WW2 memoirs, and while this one conjures up a few memorable scenes I really didn't like it very much. For one thing, Hillary was just an immature kid when he lived through much of the book, and only slightly more mature when he looked back upon it when writing the book. Too much of the book is like listening to two not very bright freshman debate religion or politics.
   
   I do agree that he paints a vivid picture of the early days of the Battle of Britain, when the kids didn't really know that most of them were going to die. On the other hand, Hillary doesn't seem to actually relate to all those others who had already died in France before his turn to fight came. Too busy rowing at Oxford it sounds like.
   
   The actual air combat portion of the book is brief, the hospital recuperation details only a bit longer. The rest of the book is his attempt to describe the growth in his own understanding of himself (i.e. "growing up"?).
   
   I much prefer books by grown-ups, where they've had time to develop a keener insight into their own past. There are plenty of better books by other RAF pilots from later in the war.

5 comments about Battleship Sailor.

1. I really enjoyed this book.There is sure to be a massive wave of new found interest in the suprise attack on Pearl Harbor and the events surrounding it due to the upcoming movie, and anyone who wants to get a feel for what it was really like to be there on the deck of a battleship dodging bullets and bombs, this book is unequaled anywhere. What really makes this an outstanding book is not just the gripping account of the attack itself, but also of the time period just beforehand. Mr Mason does an excellent job of relaying the false sense of security and invincibility that we as Americans held before we were thrown headlong into the most savage and trying war in the history of mankind. Mr Mason's portrait of the life of a sailor in the days of the pre-war "Old Navy" is something to be treasured and preserved especially now that our population of veterans from that period is inexorably fading. I thought that the author could ease off on some of the "50-cent" words, as constantly having to consult your dictionary can interfere with your enjoyment of this book. Overall, a great read, and a must have for anyone interested in Pearl Harbor or naval history.



2. My Dad was assigned to the USS California from 1936 until she was sunk on December 7th. The book reads just like the stories he would tell. My Dad past away Nov 2002. He spent 30 years in the Navy and most of the stories he told were when he was on the "Prune Barge". He played football and baseball on the ships team. I always wondered if the sailor Mr. Mason spoke to when he was touring the ship when first assigned was my Dad - he was a MM3 - "snipe" - worked in the engine room. It sure did sound like a response my Dad would give. One of the sailors awarded the Medal of Honor, Robert Scott (Zeke) was my fathers best friend on the California. They were "Battleship Sailors".



3. This is a great look at life in the Navy just before the outbreak of World War II. Mason provides unique insight to a world that has been obscured by myth and movies over the past sixty years. It really gives a sense of a sailor's life in the old Navy, and his revisitation of the Pearl Harbor attack is simply riveting. A must-read for students of naval history!



4. This is an excellent first-person account of the life of an enlisted man aboard an American battleship before and during the attack on Pearl Harbor. Mason, a professional writer, writes from the point-of-view of his youthful self. His writing is organized, logical and unforgiving toward those he feels let him down as a sailor or as a man. One of the best first-person accounts of life in the old Navy, where form was more important than function.



5. This is a very well written book about an enlisted man's life in the US Navy before and during World War 2. It really detailed all aspects of Theodore Mason's time as a Navy enlisted man aboard the USS California. It was interesting and exciting to read.

5 comments about The Last Days of Marilyn Monroe.

1. he tries in this book but fails and because he just researched the old story through the old hollywood lies but when he does mention nancy maniscalco her real daughter and in such a way as if she were related to the kennedy's it makes one sick what a sellout if he was that close to the reality and then went for the old crapola see www.marilynmonroefoundation.com for how to get the real uncensored story of the real woman and her daughter published by the marilyn monroe foundation



2. I share the concern of amazon reviewer Thomas Hughes that author Donald Wolfe accuses people close to Marilyn of being communists.
   
   This didn't detract much from Mr. Hughes' love of the book, but it sure gives me a problem.
   
   The 2005 movie "Good Night And Good Luck" spells out the danger of accusing people of communist tendencies. Donald Wolfe should watch it.
   
   I can try to defend just one of the deceased victims of Mr. Wolfe's witch hunt. Dr. Ralph Greenson was the best known psychoanalyst in California in the 1950s and 60s. He was a professor at the UCLA medical school in that era before David Geffen put his name all over it.
   
   I simply cannot believe that Dr. Greenson attended Communist Party meetings as late as 1962 when he counselled Marilyn as the last months of her life ticked away. He also supported JFK, so why support a leader who tries to overthrow communism in Cuba?
   
   UCLA probably was just as bureaucratic and underfunded in 1962 as it is today, but it's a real stretch to think that a professor at the medical school endorsed communism. Then I'm supposed to believe that he hired one Eunice Murray to spy on Marilyn on behalf of the party?!?
   
   Don't get me wrong, I accept that Jack and Bobby used women as toys including Marilyn. But the Communist Party could care less about that.



3. Nancy Miracle wrote the real story and Mr. Wolfe stole what he could the only real story is told and available through the marilyn monroe foundation marilyn monroe had a real life and that real life is available =through the marilyn monroe foundation only



4. Hi ! I may be wrong but I don't think Don got it right this time - his book on the Black Dahlia, on the contrary, is by far the most convincing that was ever written on the subject. What killed Marilyn is most probably a serial killer that I happen to have encountered myself. His name is nervous breakdown. But why for godsake did Peter Lawford introduced her as the "late" Marilyn Monroe at Kennedy's birthday party ONLY 3 months before she died and would for ever be referred to as the late Marilyn Monroe ? Was it a most cynical inside joke given the fact that - as we know it now - he and his brother-in-law Robert F. Kennedy are rumoured to have visited Monroe on the day she died ?



5. Every page in this book is rediculous. Try and find a credible source for many of the claims made in this Book...i dare you to.
   I have never, in all my years of researching Marilyn, read such horrible falsehoods and flights of fantasy than dished up by Donald Wolfe.
   It doesn't really matter because much of what Wolfe calls "evidence" is just complete nonsense. His sources include such con-people as Robert Slatzer and Jeanne Carmen and, most laughable, Marilyn's housekeeper's former son-in-law and handy man who suddenly claims "he saw it ALL"....what ALL entails is a convoluted mess of mystery sources and second hand accounts that don't amount to a hill of beans.

4 comments about A Postillion Struck by Lightning (Author's Autobiography) (Author's Autobiography).

1. In my opinion, Sir Bogarde is the most fascinating actor ever to grace the screen. His talent as an author is no less fascinating. He describes his early childhood with all the beauty and gentleness of a fairytale , accompanied by sweet , nostalgic sketches. As he proceeds , he describes the hardships he encountered later on with amazing frankness and clarity ,particularly a heartwrenching day of his life when he was brutally raped by a sadistic child molester. There is much strength , beauty , humour and sadness inside this amazing man. It must be an enriching experience to know him personally.



2. The first book I had ever read by Dirk Bogarde was AN ORDINARY MAN. I couldn't wait to read the rest of his books and now have a fairly complete collection. A POSTILLION STRUCK BY LIGHTNING is one the best, full of humor, insight into human frailities, and pure craftsmanship. I'd recommend it to everyone. When I first read AN ORDINARY MAN I wrote him a fan letter addressed to his publisher. Remarkably, they passed the letter on to him and I received the most charming response. We carried on a correspondence right up to the time he became ill. It was so sad to learn of his death.



3. What can I say? Bogarde's a genius, and this book, like all his others, is evidence of that fact. They broke the mold when they made the Dirkster, and the world is a better place for it! His light is so bright it'll blind you if you stare directly at it, just like the sun. Approach with eyes averted, as if humbly bowing down to the gods.



4. This book is the first part of an autobiographical trilogy and deals with Dirk Bogards childhood up to the age of 18. He and his sister spent the pre war years of the late 30's in an idyllic setting where everything was safe and gentle.Things changed however when he was sent to school in a harsh and unforgiving Glasgow to "whip him into shape".Then followed a few years where he tried to get into the theatre and finally to his call up to an Army camp. Everything rings perfectly truly and I can't wait to start book 2 ,"Snakes and Ladders".

5 comments about The Diary of Samuel Pepys.

1. I've long been a student and a collector of information on the personalities of Restoration England, growing out of a desire to know more about the background in literature classes. The Restoration crowd loved life, and in this volume (and presumably the next) you see how tenuous their lives were -- 5000 a week in the City of London dying of plague, two fleets of 100 ships each at war in a narrow sea, everyone so intent on feathering their nest and getting their next place, and an honest man rarest commodity of all. I love all these diaries. I've learned to ignore a lot of the textural (not text) notes that tell you if there was a blot on the page, or the symbol was not quite clear, but the footnotes are amazing and so is the information. Love Sam; he could have done pretty much as he pleased with me, I fear. But in his daily strolls of 5 miles and more I fear I could never have kept up as he went up and down the town, up and down the river. I've been to London and took the boat tour on the Thames from the houses of Parliament down to Greenwich to see the naval museum and Queen's house -- and he would walk, day or night, from London to Depworth, to Woolwich, to Greenwich (though he'd borrow the boat if he could) and pay attention to all he passed. What a companion!

   Unfortunately for my budget's sake I started buying these in 3s and am now having trouble filling up 1666-1669. I will persevere, though, and anticipate a re-read of all or part probably every summer (while TV takes a dive and there's good light to read by until long into the evening). The only thing I have wished for is more portraits of the people he is speaking of--and the portraits by Huysmans and Lely that he reports having seen fresh painted. However, financially that may not have been doable. Will have to keep searching for a companion Restoration Portraits volume to keep me happy.

   Great reading - do start from the beginning to get into the swing of things. A random paragraph doesn't put you "in the life" like the unrolling panorama does. A better map of London at your elbow (though there is one in the back of each volume) will also increase your pleasure.




2. There are on the Amazon site two excellent, informative reviews of the Pepys' diaries. They say far more than my own contribution.
   I have read in and out of the Pepys' diary more than once. I did this in part because I have read many times that they are the ' best diaries' ever written. Without contending with that I found that they were not for me the most interesting. This probably shows more about my own shortcomings than it does about the work of Pepys.
   Pepys' work is filled with description of the life of the time. It is rich in perception of the great city of London in Restoration times. It is filled with personal anecdote, gossip including that relating to his prodigious sexual appetite and activity. It is a busy, businesslike work. And it tells more about a world outside than a world in.
   In the diaries I most love there is the quest of the soul to deeply understand itself and its relation to other people, and God. I find that the flurry of activity in the life of Pepys does not lead to this kind of reflectiveness. And thus for me the 'diary' is not a highly significant work personally.



3. It is kind of hard to match up these reviews of the Pepys' Diary with specific volumes, probably due to the nature of ISBN numbers. However, this review is about Volume 10, the Companion to the 10 vol. set of paperbacks (complete edition) by the University of California Press. IT IS a valuable book indeed, being 1700 entries, alphabetically arranged, on the details about the people and places mentioned in the Diary. It has 626 numbered pages and genealogical tables and maps.



4. When I started reading the diary, I expected it to be extremely boring and very old fashioned (seeing how it was written in the 1600's) - how wrong I was!!!
   Samuel Pepys (pronounced 'peeps') is a human, funny, moody man who has his ups and downs like the rest of us. His narrative during the plague records his concern about neighbors, and his real sorrow when people he knows succumb to it. He also records his experiences during the great fire of London in 1666 and his first mention of it strikes me as entirely human - he says that his maids wake him as they have heard of the fire and as it is not near his doorstep he simply goes back to bed as he's tired. He has arguments with his wife, and has cast a lusty eye upon the kings mistress for years! He also has, what I call 'mini affairs' where he kisses and fondles women quite regularly, (including his own maids) and seems to have no guilt about this whatsoever. Most mornings he 'drinks' his breakfast and at one point is outraged that his new wig is teeming with nits! An historical and very human read. Makes me realise that after 450 years we are all no different at all........



5. Very entertaining and enlightening. Pepys gives us a glimpse of what life was like in that period before the "Glorious Revolution" in England which was so important in the developement of democracy in England and the United States. Pepys was on the wrong side of that revolution - a loyalist to King Charles II, although he was never convicted of treason. Good thing, since there seemed to be a lot of beheadings, etc. in that era. Occasionally, it is not absolutely clear what Pepys is talking about, and sometimes the vocabulary is not easily understood,as language and customs have changed, but that is to be expected.

3 comments about Mother Daughter Revolution.

1. Swell illustration of why so many teenage girls suffer losses in self-esteem as they get older. Shows that this can be prevented & is a "can-do" book, not a "girls as victims" books. Delves into the world of teenage girls & the challenges they face as they grow up & struggle to remain whole human beings. I do have to say, though, in the chapter about how beauty is used is women's false "power", using the Baby-Sitters' Club series as an example, especially the one about Mary Anne's haircut, was a poor example. Mary Anne gets the haircut & realizes that people react differently to her, BUT in the end of the book described in here, Mary Anne does come to realize that beauty is only a fleeting, superficial goal(especially since she's not very pretty, but is very bright) & comes back to earth quickly( especially when her boyfriend gets jealous & makes her cry!). The Baby-Sitters' Club series would be better used as an example of resistance to the status quo, as the girls in that book remain connected to each other & refuse to fall into the "chronic victim" mode despite peer pressure & haircuts & all. This book would have done better to praise the BSC, rather than criticize the series. If the authors wanted to use an example of negative images of girls, they should have gone after another series "The Fabulous Five" by Betsy Haynes. Now THERE was a series that used girls' appearances as "bartering" tools. Many of the girls in the "Fabulous Five" were not only appearance-obsessed, but too focused on what the boys wanted, & often were pitted against each other in competition for male approval. Otherwise, this book is very vivid & a strong guide for both mothers AND daughters.



2. Mother/Daughter Revolution should be standard issue - given along with baby's birth certificate - to any woman in this country who gives birth to a female child. It is that good. Drawing on numerous studies and sources, Mother/Daughter Revolution details the sudden drop in self esteem which girls in our culture experience as they approach adolescence, and the myriad of ways in which this is expressed. It also examines the underlying societal flaws which allow this to occur and the societal situations in previous generations which led to the current state of events. Many books have done the same, including "Reviving Ophelia" by Mary Pipher and "Raising a Daughter" by Ellium and Ellium. Where Mother/Daughter Revolution departs from these books (which are also must-reads) is in it's hands on analysis of how mothers can de-code the messages they recieved at the hands of their cultural mileu and how they can then join their daughters in resisting the influences of the patriarchy that seeks to deprive them of their essential selves. It describes the Mother/Daughter conflict in a new way, a way that circumvents all the psycho-babble about identity and the necessity of a girl child divorcing herself from her mother - and presents a new paradigm for being a mother and a daughter in this culture. When Mothers and Daughters become aware of the influences which seek to tear them from their main source of support (each other) they can work to become empowered, so the bond between them can help the daughter grow to maturity with her mother beside her, instead of growing to what society teaches women to expect - an adolescence where the daughter and the mother are constantly at war, with neither one emerging unscathed.



3. This is one of the most important books of our time right now. It addresses all that matters to women and girls and their relationships with each other. If ALL women read this we could have a complete and wonderful revolution.

5 comments about You're Out and You're Ugly Too!: Confessions of an Umpire With Attitude.

1. It's a light read, but Durwood is very colorful and sincere in his writing. I felt as if he was my Grandpa sitting next to me telling me these wonderfull stories. You'll enjoy it even if you're not a baseball fan.

   If you ARE a baseball fan. You'll hesitate the next time you "boo" an umpire at a game. (but only for a second or two)

   :)




2. Durwood Merrill just passed away today, after suffering a heart attack last Sunday. Godspeed, Durwood.



3. When I first bought this book, I wasn't quite sure what to think. I had heard a few negative things about it, and kind of had a prejudice against it. Boy, was that wrong! I found this to be a very funny, lighthearted read (for the most part). There's some really wonderful insights into what it takes to become a big league umpire - never quite realized all they went through in "Umpire boot camp" (my term). It's not all fun and games, there's a few stories about how an umpire friend of his was attacked and crippled on the streets of Dallas, and the latter part talks a lot about his charity works.

   A great book - funny, light, and to be honest, something that surprised me in a very good way. What was personally annoying was that after I read this (during the last month of the 99 season), I wanted to watch Durwood, and then he up and retires during the playoffs (and then died a short time later). Damn. Really wanted to see him after reading his book. Oh well. Check it out, a good light read.




4. Somebody messed up badly. Being an amateur baseball umpire I am biased towards umpires in general and those in baseball in particular but Merrill does not do himself and his profession justice. The ghostwriter, assuming there was one, must have been drunk and illiterate and the publisher too lazy, or do we call that cost conscious, to proof read the manuscript. I ended up reading a book that should not have been published and does not do justice to a man who became an umpire in a different and much tougher era. The book does not do him justice, god rest his soul. Maybe the publisher could be so kind and honor him with and revised edition.



5. I expected a little more humor from this book judging from the title.However it was still quite interesting. It was nice to read how he worked so hard for those less fortunate. Seemed like he was a guy I would have liked to have had as a friend.