5 comments about Falling Leaves.

1. ...with that whine? Self serving, whiney, horrible. I just don't get it. No comparison to anything by Frank McCort, Amy Tan or anyone like them.



2. The heartbreaking story of an unwanted, abused, neglected child who never ceases to try and earn her family's affections. If you have ever experienced these feelings,no matter what your race, you will LOVE this book. It moved me to tears and I could not put it down once I started reading it.



3. This book was beautifully written and gripping from the start. The reviewer who complained of Adeline's "whining" tone, is being unfair. I don't see her as whiny, but rather somewhat detached as she recounts the emptiness of her childhood. In fact, I want her to scream and kick and rebell, maybe even whine, yet she does none of that. Whining is even more emotion than I think she allows herself to feel. She endured a childhood with certain material wealth but vastly lacking in emotional wealth.
   Adeline takes the emotional abuse because she knows nothing else. Her father is the true villain for caring more about his trophy wife than his own family's happiness. He is oblivious to his children's emotional needs. He disappoints more than the stepmom for choosing to abandon children that he chose to bring into the world. He manipulates and plays them one against the other for his own selfish desires.
   After long periods of thinking about this book, I've come to my own understanding of why she managed to salvage a happy life out of such a miserable upbringing. It is the very belief, albeit blatently false, that her family would one day accept her, that makes her continue to push for their love and not give up. Children are frequently unable to find fault with their loved ones. It is that very "innocence" that protected her from worse harm, the knowledge that acceptance would never, ever, be forthcoming.



4. Although there are hundreds of reviews, I had to review this book because it had such an impact on me. I think this book is wonderful. It is a captivating story. I read it complete in one night, I just could not put it down!
   
   Adeline is a beautiful story teller, with an exceptional eye for detail. Although I loved the book, there was a strange voice that would creep into the story. Almost as if there was a repressed part of herself that could not hide from this book: it is a young Adeline still hoping to be the apple of her father's eye; and for her family to appreciate, love and respect her.
   
   It is a sad story that shocks readers with the inhumanity that families can inflict on one of their own. It is still beautiful and hopeful, even in its most miserable moments.
   
   Highly recommend



5. This book was amazing! It was so heartbreaking, but it is a great read. I had to read this book for my Sociology class and it definitely gives me a new perspective on family life.
   
   Thanks Adeline Yen Mah!!!!

5 comments about My Name Escapes Me (Penguin Audiobooks).

1. In this, the first of his two volumes (so far, I hope) based on his journal, the great actor Sir Alec Guinness makes writing and reading seem as effortless as his acting. His graceful, lucid prose is remarkable, as are his observations and ruminations on his life, on the craft of acting (he never lets one forget that acting is a craft with exacting standards of professionalism), on his reading, on his religious life, on the world around him, and on his family and friends. He is one of the sharpest yet kindest observers of the human comedy, and reading him is not only an unalloyed pleasure but nourishing to the mind and the heart. Readers of this book should scour used-bookstores for BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE and should also hunt down his new book A POSITIVELY FINAL APPEARANCE.



2. I haven't hear the audio version of Sir Alec's diary: don't need to since I can hear his voice in my head as I read. Gracious to a fault about his fellow actors, prickly about fans who invade his privacy (whether spying him at a museum or appearing in the back garden), exasperated at the Star Wars fame, he is a truly eccentric Englishman and proud of it. I love it when he admits he probably went on and on while telling a story; a common fault of the loquacious and the aging. Pokes fun at himself and endears himself all the more. Delightful.



3. sir alec must have been a kind and gentle man. i found in this book that he was charming and witty and deliberately effacing. it takes us on a journey to his many memories of movies,tv,politics, and a great cast of characters that he's met over the years. it's a quiet and calm book. a very relaxing and entertaining read. and what a since of humor!



4. "My Name Escapes Me" is a book of actor Sir Alec Guinness' personal diary entries from January 1995 to June 1996, which he wrote with publication in mind. I have to give Sir Alec credit: His diary is not as tedious as most people's would be. His writing has a nice pace, and the book is mercifully short. But there simply isn't anything interesting about it. Sir Alec was 82 years old and retired when he wrote this diary. He spent most of his time relaxing at his country home. If he were working, he might have had more interesting anecdotes to relate or perhaps some insight into the process of putting on a play or making a movie to share. But it takes a more talented writer to make something interesting out of the mundane. Sir Alec mentions music that he likes, plays that he sees, books that he reads, art in various forms, but he never expounds on these subjects, so we don't learn anything about the subjects or about him. He doesn't seem to be an opinionated person. Opinions, however trying, might make for better reading. All in all, "My Name Escapes Me" gives the impression of a man of moderate writing talent and moderate intelligence. It's really too bad that no publisher asked Alec Guinness to write a diary for publication earlier in his life. His style is both literate and easy-going. If it had been applied to the life of a working actor, an insightful and highly readable book might have resulted. But as it is, I think only obsessively curious fans of Alec Guinness will find anything of interest in "My Name Escapes Me".



5. Where BLESSINGS IN DISGUISE and A POSITIVELY FINAL APPEARANCE are more organized as memoirs, this is simply a sequence of diary entries prepared for publication. They show a great actor, the dean of Ealing comedies and (to his chagrin) the great Jedi Master, admiring the twilight in his retirement. This is a gentlemanly, sensitive, yet vibrantly witty writer who once described heaven as sitting with one or two friends, sharing a drink and savoring the silence. There are no peekaboo stories about celebrities or iconoclastic commentaries on the state of the world; just an appreciation for an interesting life well-lived, deliciously and intimately inscribed for us in these daily entries.

   For a more organized and literary memoir, the two titles mentioned above come highly recommended.

3 comments about Father and I Were Ranchers (The Little Britches Series).

1. This is a great true story for ages 6-105. A little bit of cowboy language but going to the park is far worse. Action, adventure, joy, hardship, love of family & friends,... it's all there. Very eye opening. I'm so glad audio versions are coming out so we can enjoy them together on long car trips or when sick in bed. Worth the money.



2. I am an elementary librarian and I read this book to my fifth graders every year. This is one of the best loved series of books in our school's library. The children relish each chapter and protest each time I put the book down. Parents, if you would like your child to read a book that has the same good old fashioned morals that are found in the Louisa May Alcott books, then buy this book. But better yet, read it aloud to your child. You'll love this series as much as your children do!
   
   The first book, "Little Britches," opens around 1910 or so, as Ralph and his family arrive in Colorado to become ranchers. Ralph's father who used to work in a woolen factory on the east coast has developed a lung condition and needs the dry clean air found in the state of Colorado. The family arrives with high hopes, but are dismayed to see the state of their "ranch." Ralph's father decides to turn around and ship the family back to the east coast, but as he speaks he starts coughing again and his wife realizing that this is his only hope of surviving his lung condition, puts her foot down. The family stays and bit by bit turn the place into a real ranch.
   
   There is plenty of action along the way to becoming ranchers. The day the family moves into their new ranch, their two old horses walk out onto the train trestle. One falls off and the other fall through and becomes trapped. Ralph's father, who is the real hero of this story, calmly figures out how to save them. The family also survives a twister, water wars, and a national bank failure that leaves the rest of the country penniless among other events.
   
   Ralph in the meantime gets into a fight, breaks nine of his toes, learns how to ride and herd cows, escapes from a flash flood, and under the loving guidance of his father learns the moral qualities that are necessary for becoming a man. Ralph's father shines throughout this book. Although the back of the book blurb, informs the reader that Ralph's father will die of his lung disease at the end of the story, it still comes a devastating shock to the reader. This story is Ralph Moody's loving tribute to his father.
   
   If I were only able to read one book to my own sons, this would be the one book that I would read.



3. My boys and I listened to this audiobook, then excitedly borrowed all the other ones in the series a few years ago. We're ready to listen to them all again, and I'd like to buy them this time--that's how good they are. Boys will particularly like the main character, who is a fine example and role model for our children.

5 comments about The Lives of the Kings and Queens of England [UNABRIDGED].

1. Well written and documented overwiew
   
   But it lacks a bibliography for further reading



2. My dad gave me this lovely book for Christmas back in '99, and I have used it as a reference ever since. Although it is a splendid read from cover-to-cover, I find that it is one of the best books out there to really whet the appetite for more in-depth research into the monarch, rebel or time period of your choice.
   
   The genealogy charts are fun to puzzle out, and the illustrations, including coats of arms, maps, tapestries and portraits, add extra personality to the history, which is, in itself, fascinating.
   
   Of course, a book of this length only scratches the surface of the noble, scandalous, shocking and never-dull lives of the British monarchs, their families, friends and enemies, so you must dig deeper if any one subject appeals to you. All in all, a well-written, organized and illustrated overview of a sizeable chunk of history.



3. As a lover of British royal history, I think this is a fantastic overview that 'sums' things up, devoting a few pages to tell the story of each monarch. Antonia Fraser manages to pass on a lot of information in short form. The illustrations are wonderful, as are the charts (although as someone else mentioned, they are missing some details for us serious fanatics). I consider this is a great compilation if you just want the big picture, or a starting point to jump off into detailed biographies of individual monarchs and/or houses.



4. I love this book. Even with all of the reading I have done on the British Monarchy, this book had never before seen pictures. My only complaint would be that it often focuses more on political events rather than personal lives. But, there is wonderful information in this book, and I have enjoyed every page.



5. If you enjoy and read novels, biographies or history books about England and Europe this is a must have reference book. Very condensed, dry and factual history but a tremendous help in keeping people, time and places in order and perspective.

5 comments about Spook: Science Tackles the Afterlife.

1. Better than Stiff and I thought Stiff was great. Mary Roach is someone I'd like to have to dinner. What a great sense of topic and humor. I can't wait to read Bonk.



2. I had high expectations for this book. But it ended up reminding me of Christine Wicker's "Lily Dale" book. And I didn't like that one. She seemed more prone to wanting to be witty and a non-believer than some one open to the paranormal. It was not what I expected from Roach at all.



3. I would agree with several other reviewers who note that Mary Roach is clearly ignorant of her subject, if it were true that the subject of this book was contemporary para-scientific research. In fact the subject of this book is Mary Roach, whose attempt to be familiar and conversational becomes unbearably irritating in the first chapter when she jokes lamely about being too progressive to wear a sari kindly offered to her by the Dr she has asked to interview--and this amidst several pages of complaining about the traffic in India (what is this book about again?). I tried to skim to the bits where she was simply describing what she was told or what she saw by paranormal investigators, but it's tough to find a paragraph unencumbered by her offensively provincial commentary. A shame that such an interesting subject was swallowed up in the writer's self-involvement. Unreadable.



4. I think that one of the best things you can say about a book is that it's entertaining and this one sure is. The author is very, very funny and makes learning about the various topics enjoyable. I'm going to have to get her other books as well.



5. I think Mary Roach is a hilarious writer. Ever since I read Stiff, I've been waiting in anticipation for her next book. In Spook Roach jumps from the physical to the metaphysical. Whereas Stiff examined the ultimate fate of cadavers, Spook looks to the soul. In particular, the book examines scientists' efforts to to offer measurable proof of the existence of the soul, and their attempts to understand what happens to immaterial parts of personhood after death. To give a full picture of these efforts Roach's research takes her across cultures and continents. She brings us the story of the woman who could vomit large quantities of fabric on demand in the name of talking to the dead. She writes of doctors who attached dying consumptives to giant scales. As with her other work, Spook is infused with Roach's sense of humor and her clear fascination with the bizarre. The stranger it gets, the happier Roach seems to be. This book is, without question, a rollicking good read. Beyond pure enjoyment, Roach book also shows just how enmeshed certain sectors of the scientific community have become, in the past two centuries, in matters of belief. The very premise of this book, and what unifies these stories, is an attempt to merge seemingly incompatible thought systems. Ever since the arguments in Kansas and the Dover, PA school board case, the ability, and the desirability of merging these two thought systems in the name of education has become an issue of political significance. Roach's study suggests that scientists and lay people have been involved in efforts to merge the physical and metaphysical arts. It shows that at significant points in the past, large numbers of people have been drawn to efforts to apply science to faith; see, for example, her chapter on spiritualism. The experts involved, however, (scientists, doctors, etc.) have ususally been marginal figures, on the fringes of their fields, or at least respected only in their work outside of the supernatural. Obviously, the scientific question of the afterlife is never going to create the firestorm generated by evolution/creationism/intelligent design. The general consensus remains that afterlife is a matter of faith, not science. Public schools have little need or desire to teach about the fate of the soul. That is the work of clerics and philosophers. But here lies the great irony. It is precisely because there is such widespread agreement in the western world on the division of body and soul, that attempts to bring science to bear of matters of the spirit and the immortal may be able to proceed without the criticism and argument generated by by similar battles in which the divisions seem less clear.

5 comments about I Thought My Father Was God: And Other True Tales from NPR's National Story Project.

1. I love the stories in this book. I love how they are written by "real" people, not professional writers. I love how they are true, and how every one, no matter how short, makes you feel or learn something strong and beautiful.
   After reading each story, though, you will struggle with trying to decide if you should pause and feel the new emotion each one gave you, or if you should quickly flip through the next page, asking for more. I'm a greedy reader and I usually did the latter while reading this. But for the second read, I will force myself to reflect.



2. I had heard about this book from a friend. I not only enjoyed reading it, as I did so it gave me a greater appreaciation for my own father. As my father laid dying, my brother and I took turns reading selected stories to him. It gave us a chance to tell him how much we (now as adults) appreaciated his years of parenting. I highly recommend it.



3. The sheer variety of life experiences gives the reader a new perspective on their own lives, seeing how sometimes simple events can have a profound effect upon oneself or others. Helps you realize today's "disaster" may be the event that leads to tomorrow's SUNSHINE. Covering the USA, I ran into a story from a nearby town in which a dear friend of mine was mentioned by first name only, but instantly recognizable because of her loving kindness toward a family member of the storyteller. Adults (young and old) can pick up valuable "life lessons" without the preaching that usually accompanys them.



4. Heard I THOUGHT MY FATHER WAS GOD, edited and read by
   Paul Auster . . . this is a collection of stories that came as a result
   of a call to listeners of National Public Radio's WEEKEND ALL
   THINGS CONSIDERED . . . more than 4,000 were submitted.
   
   I couldn't really tell whether they were fact or fiction; it really
   didn't matter . . . after taking me a while to warm up to them,
   I quickly became interested in what others had to say about such
   subjects as Animals, Families, War, Love, and Dreams.
   
   Some stories were mundane, but many others were quite
   moving . . . in particular, I was touched by the one involving a
   small boy's realization that his mother has pawned her wedding ring
   so that she can buy him a school uniform.
   
   As the author notes: [I was most interested in] stories that defied
   our expectations about the world, anecdotes that revealed the mysterious
   and unknowable forces at work in our lives, in our family histories, in
   our minds and bodies, in our souls. . . . I was hoping to put together . . . a
   museum of American reality."
   
   He has succeeded . . . my only criticism has to do with the
   narration . . . Auster handled the stories from male readers just
   fine . . . I would have preferred a member of the opposite for
   stories from female readers.



5. This is not a book by Paul Auster. It's a book by me. And you. And your smart neighbor. No, the other one, the smart, creative one.
   
   I know this because, if you're reading this review, you're that neighbor (and you have a neighbor or two like you). When you read this book, and you should, you'll read stories by folks who, like you, think once in a while, "I should write that down." "I can think in adjectives and adverbs about that, and that is something I think someone else might want to see, too."
   
   Someone has told you, "You should write a book," but you've never really sat down to do that because, even though your life is full and rich and there have been sorrows and amazements and happinesses and crime and death and dogs and your father's car on a hot vacation trip sitting next to your cousin, your life is too full to take the time to sit and do something as mundane and time-consuming as write.
   
   But these 179 people did just that. I have to warn you that you can't read this like a regular book. Its rhythm is single drumbeats, not cascades and bar after bar. Each story is itself. Each story is introduced in the first paragraph, which is so different from the last paragraph of the story before that if you allow yourself to read like you usually do, your eyes will simply register the individual letters of the next story while your mind is still absorbing the last. It will be mulling, savoring, feeling like the woman whose father heard her first words speaking of life's responsibilities after spending her first really full day at his mortuary, that last sentence seeping into crevices of your grey matter and prying out little (and big) thoughts and hopes and connections and worries hidden because you haven't yet had time to write.
   
   You'll need to stop your eyes moving halfway through that next story, because you'll have missed the first paragraph of these stories that are over in an eyeblink but carry weight, most just a little, some considerable, but in sum giving you the reason you've always needed to sit with your word processor and add to the tome.
   
   Go back and read from the beginning. It's worth the time and effort. Then sit and write another. -- rg

5 comments about Let Me Tell You a Story: A Lifetime in the Game.

1. I'm not the greatest John Feinstein fan. Sometimes he's really good, but sometimes he just seems like he's trying to be elitist. But when I heard about this book, I put it on my list to buy. Two years later I finally got around to it. My loss.
   
   Red Auerbach was the institutional memory of the NBA as well as the guy who created the Celtic dynasty. He was a master storyteller and collector of people. This book is the story of lunch with Red every Tuesday, 11am @ the China Doll restaurant. Just as importantly it is the story of the people Red collected and his influence on their lives.
   
   No one will claim this book is objective-it's not supposed to be. I'm sure Red had flaws, but I really don't care. For older boomers he and John Wooden define greatness in basketball. I'm just glad to have the stories.



2. I have never been a fan of the Celtics, but a big basketball fan none the less. Having said that, this book was perfect for me. It is a in-depth, personal look into the life of the greatest coach in basketball history, as told not only by the man himself, but the great writer John Feinstein. This book gives great insight not only the the makings of the Celtic dynasty, but into the beginnings of the games, and how Red has shaped the game into what it is today. Must read for all basketball fans.



3. Of all the Sports that Feinstein covers I think he covers Basketball Best.
   This is a superb tale of the Legendary Boston Celtic's LEADER. I was told that Red grew up in the DC area going to a Segregated Roosevelt High School. I wondered how someone coming from a Segregated Environment could draft one of the first 3 African Americans in the Now NBA. Also how he could select the first African American Coach. Well he grew up in Brooklyn in a multi-cultural Neighborhood. Fascinating stories about the Carnegie Deli area. He went to college in DC (GW) (Which I knew), and then later taught at Roosevelt (Which may have been where the confusion started.) I think it helped that I have been in the Chinatown Restaurants that are the setting for a lot of the stories, This an absolutely Great Read, and one of Feinstein's best.



4. great book awesome stories. i actual went by the restaurant wherte they eat. The game lost an amazing lifer.



5. but I loved reading this book. So much info in there about the history of the game and the Boston Celtics. We'll miss ya Red!

5 comments about Faith of George W. Bush, The.

1. Should begin that I am fan of Bush. He is admirable and courageous man, with enormous pressures. In this fascinating book chronolicling his faith development and its subsequent playing itself out in his life as our two-term president, it is said that he felt freed by his faith to live as he believes God has called and led him.
   
   While my theology certainly doesn't match at all with what is here depicted of Bush, I certainly have respect for his faith and his principles which guide his life. Certainly one can appreciate the burden of his inheritance, and his own subsequent path through his beloved wife and friends who were major players in God's call into his current vocation.
   
   My only wish which led to four and not five stars, was that it centered more on his own theology, rather than this personal theology playing itself out in politics. It is not like he is leading a church body. He is leading a country, which is not a church. This is major difference likely in our theologies, but this is my review.
   
   Good and touching read of the real person, not the hyped up view the liberal media want to place upon him unjustly and untruly. I think he will go down in history as a man of conviction and purpose and drive, not just to be popular in his own time, driven by pollsters. While criticized severely now, history will vindicate, especially history of eternity.



2. This book is basically a biography of Bush's life from a more religious perspective. In it they compare how Bush's beliefs supposedly shaped his life.
   
   While the book seems truthful it leaves out alot of facts. It does not mention the scadals going on at the time or screw ups he had made.
   
   The other problem is that the book is dated as it was released pre his reelection. The author might be writing a totally different book about how religion screwed up his presidency with the scandal and blunders hes in now.
   
   In the end it was a decent read thoug for facts i would rather stick to a less biased source. As i said this author seemed very much like a buddy of Bush's putting a book out for him.



3. Hey everyone. I'd like to talk about how, as a Christian, I feel that I have been used by George Bush. It's not my place to say whether or not Bush is really a Christian or not. But the Bible does say that you will know a person by their fruits, that is, you will know whether a person is bad or good by the things that they do.
   
   The 2004 exit-polls showed that faith and religious beliefs were the sole winner determining factor in the election. Bush told everybody that he was a Christian and would be a Christian president and defend our beliefs and protect marriage but he hasn't done any of that really. Under his watch the Ten commandments were pulled out of a courthouse. Under his watch ga-ys and les-bians were married across the country. The only thing he has done in office was the War in Iraq and Afghanistan.
   
   Now the war on terror is very complicated. It would be wrong to say that if we just left Iraq that Muslims would become peace loving allies and everything would return to a utopia-like past that never really existed. Something has to be done. But the war in Iraq has made no sense form the beginning. If we are at war why aren't we fighting it like a war. Why are our soldiers over there standing around waiting to be blown up like sitting ducks?
   
   In the mean time it's politics as usual in our country as the Democrats and Republicans take any opportunity they can to bad mouth the other and say how perfect their party is. Bush alone isn't tearing America apart, all politicians are. They are all corrupt as far as I can see. When an all-powerful oligarchy has taken over the countries political system what hope does democracy have? When both candidates in an election are members in a strange fraternity organization, Skull and bones, who are we supposed to vote for? A third party candidate that is probably no better and has no chance of winning?
   
   This book was probably just another publicity campaign tool meant to make Christians think they should vote for Bush because he was on our side. But who were we supposed to vote for? John Kerry? Ha! Al Gore? Double Ha! In hindsight I would have to had voted for a third party candidate and thrown away my vote.
   
   Well, at least we know that whoever we vote for, we're going to get a lying crook.



4. Regardless of what you think about George W. Bush, in my humble opinion, Stephen Mansfield has written an insightful biography of the role of religion in the president's life. While some reviewers may indeed criticize some of Bush's actions, what right do they have to judge as to whether or not he truly has a personal relationship with Jesus Christ?
   
   Mansfield, while appearing to be a Bush supporter, does not hesitate to describe Bush's struggles in his early years (rebellion, drinking, smoking, women, etc.) that ultimately led to his now famous walk with Reverand Billy Graham on a Maine beach shore that challenged him to redirect his life towards Jesus Christ.
   
   Mansfield also shows how the president's faith has led to his stances on various positions: abortion, 911, faith-based initiatives, etc. Whether or not you agree with the president, you cannot argue the obvious influence that faith has on his life.
   
   Anyone who reads this book, Bush supporter or not, will find this read to be very enlightening and transparent. Read and enjoy. Highly recommended!



5. I am so glad that other loving Christians have taken this book and one of our finest presidents to heart.
   Jesus may have said that we should turn the other cheek, but He certainly didn't mean that we should not seek revenge on the Saudis who bombed us on 9/11 by bombing Iraq and Afghanistan. Yes, thou shalt not kill, but only if someone else doesn't do it first. We are finally right in line with the teachings of Christ these days, thanks to compassionate religious men like G.W. Bush and Richard Cheney.
   Our nation's deeply held Christian values must be shared with the world, whether they like it or not. Sooner or later they will understand that there is only One God, and that He is Our God. When the Constitution talks about religious freedom, it means freedom to proselytize and keep military bases in almost every other country. It is clearly the will of God, and not the false prophets Allah or Buddha or Krishna, etc.
   Jesus would be so proud of our peaceful and loving Christian ways, and above all proud of His minion and faithful servant George W. Bush. Sure, he did a lot of cocaine but that was a long time ago, and he has been Forgiven, as he will soon forgive the millions who are in jail for the same crimes he was caught but never tried for. When your family is a little closer to God, good things can happen.
   While not quite as noble a President as Taft or Harding, GW will no doubt go down in history as a great man, a deep thinker committed to educating the world, and above all a committed Christian who has never lost sight of the compassion and love for ALL other people that Our Savior preached. If only Jesus would return before the end of Bush's term, He would confirm that our present foreign policy is not only deeply Christian but almost exactly what He had in mind when promoting peace, good will, and charity. Thank God Bush found Christ before he came into office; Lord only knows what a non-Christ-loving Bush would be up to.
   God Bless America, and George W. Bush. May his kind and loving Good Works continue to resonate in our markets and environment and national character long after he leaves office.
   Somewhere, Jesus is smiling at the picture of G.W. Bush on His heavenly desk.

5 comments about Autobiography of Ben Franklin.

1. As everyone else has noted, Ben was a brilliant man and an entertaining writer. This is classic American literature, particularly in how it shows a "character" striving to rise up and better himself because that is the promise of the American Dream.
   
   I docked Ben one star because the unfinished ending is not satisfying to someone who comes across this book for the first time. Just so you know, if you get lost during the third part, Ben is discussing the French Indian War.
   
   The Dover edition is very nice and anyone should be satisfied with it.



2. no doubt about it: ben franklin was a bright fellow. brigher than me, for instance. his autobiography, however, and despite what people on amazon are saying, is a shallow piece of fluff. nothing is touched in depth as he skims from one episode to the next like he is racing to finish an unimportant task. his wife? his family? forget them. all people in his life, in fact, seem deserving of no deep consideration to mr franklin. at times he brags about himself under the guise of modesty, and it is both silly and annoying. plenty of excellent biograhy work out there on this man, and one would be much better served to pick up one of those. it simply boggles my mind that anyone could consider this a 5 star piece of literature. there is not the slightest bit of passion in this writing. mr franklin doesn't even seem terribly interested in what he is writing about. amazon reveiwers seem to award 5 stars to almost anything they read, without the slightest trace of critical detachment. yes, this is a book you would not be wasting your time reading, simply because these are the words of benjamin franklin, but that's it. this is not great literature. not even close.



3. In many ways, this is, to someone coming to it for the first time, a very surprising book. For one thing, it is amazingly incomplete. Franklin is, of course, one of the most famous Americans who ever lived, and his accomplishments in a wide array of endeavors are a part of American lore and popular history. A great deal of this lore and many of his accomplishments are missing from this account of his life. He never finished the autobiography, earlier in his life because he was too busy with what he terms public "employments," and later in life because the opium he was taking for kidney stones left him unable to concentrate sufficiently. Had Franklin been able to write about every period of his life and all of his achievements, his AUTOBIOGRAPHY would have been one of the most remarkable documents every produced. It is amazingly compelling in its incomplete state.
   As a serious reader, I was delighted in the way that Franklin is obsessed with the reading habits of other people. Over and over in the course of his memoir, he remarks that such and such a person was fond of reading, or owned a large number of books, or was a poet or author. Clearly, it is one of the qualities he most admires in others, and one of the qualities in a person that makes him want to know a person. He finds other readers to be kindred souls.
   
   If one is familiar with the Pragmatists, one finds many pragmatist tendencies in Franklin's thought. He is concerned less with ideals than with ideas that work and are functional. For instance, at one point he implies that while his own beliefs lean more towards the deistical, he sees formal religion as playing an important role in life and society, and he goes out of his way to never criticize the faith of another person. His pragmatism comes out also in list of the virtues, which is one of the more famous and striking parts of his book. As is well known, he compiled a list of 13 virtues, which he felt summed up all the virtues taught by all philosophers and religions. But they are practical, not abstract virtues. He states that he wanted to articulate virtues that possessed simple and not complex ideas. Why? The simpler the idea, the easier to apply. And in formulating his list of virtues, he is more concerned with the manner in which these virtues can be actualized in one's life. Franklin has utterly no interest in abstract morality.
   
   One of Franklin's virtues is humility, and his humility comes out in the form of his book. His narrative is exceedingly informal, not merely in the first part, which was ostensibly addressed to his son, but in the later sections (the autobiography was composed upon four separate occasions). The informal nature of the book displays Franklin's intended humility, and for Franklin, seeming to be so is nearly as important as actually being so. For part of the function of the virtues in an individual is not merely to make that particular person virtuous, but to function as an example to others. This notion of his being an example to other people is one of the major themes in his book. His life, he believes, is an exemplary one. And he believes that by sharing the details of his own life, he can serves as a template for other lives.
   
   One striking aspect of his book is what one could almost call Secular Puritanism. Although Franklin was hardly a prude, he was nonetheless very much a child of the Puritans. This is not displayed merely in his promotion of the virtues, but in his abstaining from excessiveness in eating, drinking, conversation, or whatever. Franklin is intensely concerned with self-governance.
   
   I think anyone not having read this before will be surprised at how readable and enjoyable this is. I think also one can only regret that Franklin was not able to write about the entirety of his life. He was a remarkable man with a remarkable story to tell.



4. This says Norton Critical Edition, so, of course, designed for academic study.
   
   A man that of course did a whole pile of stuff and came up with a whole pile more.
   
   Entertaining at times, and lecturing at others, as you might expect from someone that had been in a privileged position.



5. I have read this book myself at least twice. This book was purchased as a graduation present for a nephew. I wish someone had made me read this book at the age of 13. Franklin is quite the character. There are a lot of controversies surrounding his life, but for the purpose of instruction, I prefer to quit the debating society. This fellow is the first native born genius of record produced in this country. He may have painted a rosy picture of his life, but any of us would in an autobiography. If you want a critical examination of his life, check out some of the excellent athoritive biographies available. If you want inspiration, read this. Most inspiring are the roles that thrift and hard work played in his success and his practical approach to striving for "moral perfection".

3 comments about CHARACTER ABOVE ALL VOLUME 3 STEPHEN AMBROSE ON EISENHOWER (Character Above All Series , Vol 3).

1. This one hour lecture by Ambrose is excellent. It provides a brief overview of Eisenhower's outstanding character. Ambrose also deals effectively with some of Eisenhower's lapses in character and leadership. I would recommend it to anyone interested in Eisenhower.



2. Ambrose edited the Eisenhower Papers project for many years and finally turned his talents on writing a large-scale biography of Ike. In this project Ambrose lectures for one hour on his favorite hstorical topic. The result are mixed.

   Ambrose has always been blatantly biased in Ike's favor and makes no bones about it. His first words are, 'Dwight Eisenhower was a great and a good man," which is undoubtedly true, but a biographer should take more pains to disguise their own feelings. There is very little criticism of Ike in Ambrose's work, which borders on the hagiography. Perhaps a bit more of Harry Truman's invective towards Eisenhower could have infused this tape.

   Still, Ambrose is a wonderful writer and his works are always fun to read and informative. This is interesting listening even if it is a completely uncritical examination.




3. Ike is a good role model for Mr. Ambrose, or anyone else. Until recently there hasn't been a lot of good, unbiased information on the Eisenhower the man. Although this tape is informative & entertaining it doesn't give you that. He talks in glowing terms on the inner Ike, his integrity, respect for subordinates, sense of humor & decency. Ambrose says Ike was no paragon of virtue but he doesn't believe that. Ike was a segregationist & women's rights were foreign to him. These faults & others are passed over lightly. If your only source of information on Eisenhower was Steve Ambrose then you would think Eisenhower was a good & great man. By the way I think so too.