5 comments about The Tennis Partner: A Doctor's Story of Friendship and Loss.

1. Dr. Vergesse has great powers of observation and uses them in a powerful way to record the demise of his young friend through cocaine addiction.

   For persons (especially medical Doctors) without intimate knowledge of the power of addiction this should be very informative. For those with personal knowledge (especially medical Doctors) it should also be helpful.




2. My doctor is an amazing person - not just a great doctor. We spend quite a bit of time talking about life, not just doing the clinical stuff. He recommended "The Tennis Partner" to me and I put it off for about a year before I dove into it. It's absolutely amazing. The depth of the writing is superb and the story captivates you from beginning to end.



3. Whether or not you have a background in medicine, this book will draw you in and keep you interested. The only parts that may seem a bit tedious to run through are some of the tennis sequences. This may seem odd coming from a tennis player, but reading about tennis is like watching grass grow. However, the sequences do bring other parts of the book together, and they are tolerable.
   My only other issue is Verghese's constant romanticizing of El Paso, neighboring Juarez, and their inhabitants. Having lived here for almost three years (*and* having worked as a physician in the hospital he mentions in his novel), I can promise you that the innocence, the bluster, and the graciousness of his side characters is almost completely fictional.
   I don't think it would have detracted from the book to portray the city and the people more realistically.



4. My first up-close experience with drug addiction occurred several years ago at the hospital where I work. The scenario was remarkably similar to that described by Dr. Verghese. A bright, warm, wonderful nurse anesthetist succumbed to addiction despite having attended a rehabilitation program.
   In recent weeks a family member has shared with me the frustration of living with an addicted spouse: the lies, the denial, the missing money, the worry about finding a lifeless body in one's bed.
   The Tennis Partner is not an optimistic portrayal of addiction, but it is an accurate one. I recommended it to my sibling, and to anyone else struggling to understand the addicted person.



5. The story started with a great suspense. I wanted to know what he (the Intern David) had done, who was he and what was about to happen when his pager beeped. I really like the author's style, the way he told his story. I just borrowed this book from the library but I ended up buying one for my collection. Its that good! I will be recommending it to our bookclub. Lots of emotion in the story.
   
   The ending was sad and I kept thinking what went wrong with David. Was it parenting? Or was it David himself. The story, the way it was told, left a lasting impression in my mind.Cold Eyes

3 comments about I Am Potential: Eight Lessons on Living, Loving, and Reaching Your Dreams, Library Edition.

1. Thank you for sharing your world, I learned so much. My son shares the same March 10th birthday as Patrick Henry. My son was also born with severe Bilateral Microphthalmia or small eyes, he is also blind. My son is now 19 months old and reading this book gave me some insights on what I might expect in the future. Reading about the struggles and hardships that Hughes family has tackled and overcome is inspiring. As a father of a boy with a similar condition - Patrick John Hughes insight as a father was enlightening. Anyone wishing to read a good book should sit down and read this story. I know my opinion is biased - but again it is only my opinion. It will be interesting to see what book gets written 20 years from now about the young adult life of Patrick Henry. I wish Patrick and his family the best. His optimism has helped my family and other families that I know that are dealing with blindness. Hopefully Patrick will continue to break down barriers and share his talents with all.



2. Thank You Patrick Henry!!! Thank you for sharing your wonderful story with the World. Thank you for allowing us to know you and your delightful family. Thank you for all that you have done to help the Crusade for Children, the March of Dimes, etc., etc.,. But mostly, thank you for inspiring both the physically able, and the disabled into being the BEST person we can be. God doesn't make mistakes. We were made the way we are, for a reason. I think, Your purpose is to share your many special gifts with the World. Through you, we see the World in a new light! Shine on, Shine on Patrick Henry!!



3. If you saw the Hughes family on the ABC TV show "Extreme Makeover: Home Edition" this past February (2008) you may have wondered who they were and why they where chosen. The bigger story is however much deeper and more loving and certainly one that is most inspirational. The book " I Am Potential: Eight Lessons on Living, Loving, and Reaching Your Dreams" is a wonderful true life tale as told to Bryant Stamford by Patrick Henry Hughes and his father Patrick John Hughes. It goes well beyond just telling you who this family is and what makes Patrick Henry so special - it gives depth to the family experiences and gives the reader a look at something very special indeed.
   
   This book is about how a young man, who has not only over come his disabilities, but inspired a community; and now, he inspires an entire nation with his positive zest for life. It also shows how his father coped and dealt with it and how the whole family made it work. This is one of those feel good stories that would make a great feature movie by Disney. The story is uplifting and not about what is wrong, or what someone cannot do. It is a positive message that makes the greater family of mankind feel better.
   
   I enjoyed reading the book but I also found it impossible not to love this young man and to wish him all the best. He may be in a wheel chair and unable to see with his eyes - but he is moving others at light speed towards something much greater within their own selves. The book has a spiritual message without any lectures or ego driven, self-serving attitudes - it is honesty and pure love!
   
   This book has gotten the highest book rating of FIVE STARS from "The American Authors Association" and is on my short list of recommended must read books! I give this my personal endorsement. This is a book that all family members can read.

5 comments about My Invented Country: A Nostalgic Journey Through Chile.

1. I guess one could describe this book as a beautiful woman's description of a beautiful country and its charming people. Let me get my prejudices out right up front: I have been fascinated by everything Chileno for over thirty years. The country has an amazing history, an incredibly varied topography (when God finished creating the world, he had a little bit of everything left over...so it He put it all in Chile) and wonderful people. Isabel Allende's nostalgic reminiscenses about her family and homeland are insightful, poignant and witty. The author commendably keeps politics to a minimum, but consequently barely touches on her country's troubled recent past and the healing process that is still a work in progress. Moreover, since Ms. Allende writes as an exile, one wonders whether her characterizations remain accurate in the aftermath of the rise and fall of Pinochet. Be that as it may, this is a delightful glimpse into the Chilean persona. This slim volume is not literature, but after reading Ms. Allende's paean to Chile, I was left with only two desires: to visit the country again as soon as possible and to meet the author. Fortunately the former is always an option.



2. My Invented Country is Isabel Allende's best book yet. This amazing biography takes the reader on a poetic journey though Ms. Allende's young life. Her writing is stellar and poetic. This book is to be savored for its beauty of language. Writers dream of crafting sentences like these. Lovers of language will adore this book for its symmetry and grace. Readers of all ages will love it for its beautiful and absorbing story.



3. She has a great way of making you feel like you are getting to know her personally; like you are having a conversation with someone that is going to become a your friend. "Paula" gave me the same impression. You can really identify with her emotions and see her perspective like she is some one you already know.



4. Slim and slight memoir rambles around Allende's (niece of the Chilean leader deposed by Pinochet in 1973) life, the country of Chile, and bits of current events.
   
   Interesting footnote: the CIP data suggests September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks as a subject for the book, even though only a bare couple of pages are devoted to it.



5. Well Isabel Ayende is great writer but this book I think is more than just a good novel, if you are interesting in know Chilean people from a very sharp and intimacy point of view. This what you should get.
   And for those of you are Chilean you will find fun and probably will recognize your self ins more than one page.

5 comments about The Circuit.

1. It starts out with this Mexican family illegally coming across the border into the United States. When they get to the U.S., they go to a labor camp in California. This first labor camp is probably the best one that they go to. The whole book is about this family moving around to different labor camps during different crop seasons. Every now and then, Francisco and his brother Roberto go to school. Along the way there are more people added to the family. The book doesn't really come to a good ending. It is also kind of hard to understand because it jumps three years into the future at times and then you don't know what's going on.
   This was a very good book at some times but most of the time the author put in way too many unnecessary details that make the book kind of boring. This book is exactly like it's sequel, Breaking Through. I would rate this book pretty low if like a lot of action.



2. This book is a great place to start if you are interested in learning about the life of someone less priviledged than yourself. Perhaps it will help you appreciate the simple pleasures in life and everything that you've got. When you reach the end of the book, you'll be glad Jimenez wrote a sequel (Breaking Through).
   Written in a language that is accessible to everyone from grade school to adulthood, Jimenez doesn't exaggerate details or go into a lot of long desriptions. It's simply his memories of his childhood in a migrant family. As all memories go, the book does not flow smoothly from chapter to chapter, but rather gives you snapshots of his life, so take it for what it is and don't worry about the chronology.
   As a teacher, this book really helped me appreciate the lives and struggles of many of my students (who lead lives similar to Jimenez in his childhood).



3. This book was very interesting. I loved the way this book shows how Mexicans suffer, struggle and work hard to get what they need to survive. This book has a good way of showing the different types of experiences the family goes through. It gets to a point where you get so into the book that you get frightened of what could happen to the family next. You don't know if the family is going to get caught by the border patrol or if you're going to be able to find a job for the next season. You just don't know if your going to be able to survive the only thing you have in your hands is hope and faith.
   There was nothing that I could hate about this book the only thing that I hated was to read about how bad this family suffered. It hurts to see how your own people gets discriminated but, it's ok because this family like many other Mexicans have still succeeded after all the things they have to go trough, like being discriminated. Other than that there is nothing to dislike about this book.
   I would definitely recommend this book for everybody especially for people who like this family is an illegal immigrant in this country. I would like for the anti-immigrant people to read this book so they can see that no matter what they do to try to stop the immigrants from succeeding the immigrants will never stop trying no matter what they do to try to stop them. This book is a great book I am sure that this story has repeated itself many times by other Mexican families. I am also sure that it will keep repeating itself for many years, but there is always a limit and the day will come when the Mexicans will be treated the same as everybody else in this country. There are many illegal immigrants that have been more successful in life than the people that are legal in this country, and it kills the anti-immigrants to know this is true.



4. This is a great family book.I am American Caucasian and my husband is a Mexican imigrant.We read this story out loud to one another,and while it is writen (very well) in simple English so that any reader could probably read it,we enjoyed it imensly.
   I can tell you that so much of this story corrolated with our friends and family and was very touching,but brought on a lot of chuckles as well.A great family read.



5. What's amazing is that this is a true story, true excerpts from the author's childhood. They are written without fluff and cheese, but the emotion is still strong and real. I like how it is written in the form of individual stories--somehow it makes these events all the more poignant. It's real, harsh, and opens eyes to the lives of migrant workers.

5 comments about Underboss.

1. book is very good in detailing La Costra Nostra in NYC during early 70"s. mostly 80's- enjoyed it.



2. I love the stories about the NY crime families. Obviously I didn't like the murders and the actual "taxes" they added to cost of so many goods and services.
   
   Sammy the Bull was not a good guy. However in a twisted way, we can learn a lot about dedication and hard work. It's too bad he needed crime to be successful, albeit temporarily. His work ethic could have made him a very successful honest businessman.
   
   In any event, this is a great book for those who remember the NY crime families of the 1980's - especially if you lived in Queens, Brooklyn, or Staten Island. I'm not saying that Mafia crime didn't happen in the other boroughs. It's just that most will remember the dumping grounds in Staten Island, the Bensonhurst section of Brooklyn, and Gotti's neighborhood of Queens as important areas to the Mafia.
   
   The NY media was obsessed with John Gotti. This book tells a different version of the story.



3. We all know by now the tragic story of John Gotti and Sammy Gravano. Here Sammy tells his side. I don't believe certain segments of this book because I know how the game goes and some things were not adding up. But he also admitted some things and did not seem to try to hide who he really was. All in all, it ends up with him flipping on John Gotti. But honestly, I don't think John left him any other alternative.



4. This is an interesting look at the mob from someone who was a made member of the Cosa Nostra. Sammy the Bull Gravano is no angel and he pulls no punches, as he regales the reader with his tale of growing up on the mean streets of Bensonhurst, Brooklyn as the dyslexic son of Italian immigrants. A high school drop-out, Sammy graduated from local street gangs to the Cosa Nostra, taking a blood oath of silence. So much for promises.
   
   This book is a series of taped interviews that are edited by the author, who interposes little analysis but serves to connect the dots. The feel of the book is gritty, and Sammy the Bull Gravano comes across as a reasonably intelligent person who made a knowing choice early on to enter into a lifestyle that was fraught with murder, larceny, greed, betrayal, and fear. The book documents his rise in the mob, until he becomes the underboss for the "Teflon Don", the ever dapper John Gotti.
   
   There is clearly little love lost between Sammy the Bull Gravano and the late John Gotti, who comes across as a narcissistic, egomaniacal, stupid, greedy thug. Of course, Sammy's take on himself, although a hard core made member of the mob, is that of a guy who was let down by the bosses who promised honor but did not know the first thing about it.
   
   While Sammy tries to whitewash himself, there is no getting around that he was a killer, a thief, and a thug. I doubt that Sammy would have talked, had he not felt that he was being set up by Gotti to take the fall for him. Clearly, Sammy's motive for blabbing to the Feds was not altruistic. Still, through his defection, Gravano was responsible for the conviction of many key mob figures. His impact on organized crime will be felt for some time to come. For those that are interested in reading about the Cosa Nostra, this is definitely a must read book for an insider's view of that lifestyle.



5. This book rivals The Valachi Papers and is even written by the same author Peter Maas.It gives a good insiders view of the lies and deceptions of the mob.Gravano was able to navigate the "mob" system,make alot of money and get out before either he or his family were killed.In addition by turning "States Evidence" as did Joe Valachi,he helped put a spotlight on the "Mob" and from a read of this book,"Cosa Nostra" would not be a life to envy or emulate.
   Gotti is portrayed as truly a media infatuated figure of the eighties,a mob superstar smiling for the cameras seeming to say,"Hey look at all the fun we're having and the law can't touch us"!Did his tailor also design suits for PTL's Jim BAKKER?(My own obsevation).With all the murder,lies and deceit in this book you would have to conclude that anyone in the Cosa Nostra is capable of any crime confessed to by Gravano.I must say a whole book filled with such unadmirable and deceitful characters you will have trouble finding.
   One small anecdote from the book sums it well.John Gotti proudly tells "Chin" Gigante that he has made his own son John Gotti Jr. a "made " member of the Cosa Nostra.Chin,also a "made" member, in an honest and spontaneous reply says,"Jeez, I'm sorry to hear that"!Gravano has done an excellent job and this book definitely rivals Maas' The Valachi Papers.This book does to the Gambino "Family", what Valachi did to the Genovese "Family".

5 comments about Hunting with Hemingway.

1. This book was a joy to read. The tales are basically told by Leicester as they were recorded on an old casette tape. The man is pulling your leg so just go with it and enjoy yourself. In the end you will find that the book is not about Ernest at all. It is about a daughter coming to terms with the passing of her beloved father. If you gain nothing more from reading this book than learning that Leicester was a fantastic storyteller then it is time well spent.



2. Its too bad Leicester Hemingway did not mine his own life for stories. I've never been able to find anything written by him other than "My Brother, Ernest Hemingway," and that was a fairly average read. Other than some insights and background it possessed to which only Leicester might ever have been privy it wasn't particularly noteworthy. Still, that book did hint that the talent in the family stretched beyond Ernest, and now Hilary Hemingway comes along to prove that fact.

   This book has been attacked in some quarters as being pure fiction and, unfortunately, Hilary destroyed the only evidence that might have help prove that the source of the many tales therein was indeed her father, Leicester Hemingway. The tales recounted within are reputedly those left behind by her father on an audiocassette. But Hilary destroyed the only copy which is, admittedly odd, given that the tapes also apparently helped her to come to terms with her relationship with her father.

   Hilary came into possession of the tape some fifteen years after her father commited suicide, a suicide which further added to the tragedy and myth of mental illness leading to suicide being an inherited trait in the family. Leicester was prompted to commit suicide when he lost his legs to diabetes. Hilary stuggled for years to forgive him.

   This book recounts both stories of her father's adventuring (some with his more famous brother, Ernest, and some on his own)and the story of the process of how she came to grips with her father's decision to commit suicide. It is a book both about her father's life and her personal process of healing after his death. As we see in reading this book, which is actually relatively short, Hilary is a very talented writer. Although I should point out her husband, Jeffrey Lindsay, was a co-author on this book so where Hilary's work begins and ends is not certain.

   Regardless, its a very compelling read whether the stories of her father are fiction or not. Frankly, most of them sound very plausible (a few do stretch the limits of credibility) and I guess we will just have to take her word that Leicester did indeed leave a recording containing these stories.

   I only hope we have not heard the last from Hilary Hemingway because she appears to have a true talent for writing.




3. This is a delightful book. Don't let the boorish reviews from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal (listed here on Amazon) mislead you. It's a charming story.



4. Why isn't this excellent Kirkus review listed on your site along with the less-than-favorable ones from Publishers Weekly and Library Journal? Here's what Kirkus has to say:
   
   Hemingway and Lindsay (Dreamland,1998) carry the Hemingway traditions of hunting family, and storytelling into the new millennium.
   
   After her mother's death in 1997, Hilary, the daughter of Ernest's younger brother Leicester inherits an audiocassette. On the tape is a recording of a fireside story telling session given by Leicester who had committed suicide 15 years earlier. Hilary transcribes these tales she has never heard before, weaving them with the chatter of his fireside companions and with her own feelings and the result is a book that rejoices in the simple beauty of a story. A huntsman and writer like his brother, Leicester describes adventures that he and Ernest experienced around the globe-with tales of nighttime crocodile hunts and slim escapes from stone- throwing baboons. Together, Leicester and his brother-often his savior-make a dynamic duo, and his tales are awesome, admirable, and a bit incredible. The pair escapes vicious packs of cannibal dogs, kills a king cobra, captures wild ostriches in Africa, and slays a Komodo dragon in the Far East. Or do they? As Hilary, Lindsay and their daughters listen to the recording, they just can't decide whether these are true stories or tall tales. Here, the story becomes a personal and touching one as well. Leicester Hemingway chose "the family exit" rather than suffer a double amputation make necessary by his diabetes. Hearing her father's stories helps Hilary finally mourn his loss and gain a new perspective on her family tradition.
   
   Hilary honors her father and celebrates her family legacy with this collection of fantastic hunting stories.



5. Just a bunch of made-up tall tales, allegedly based on a mysterious tape recording uncovered by the author after her parents' death. The tape is probably the biggest tall tale of them all. If you're interested in facts, skip this one. Sorry I wasted my money.

5 comments about Robert Anton Wilson Explains Everything.

1. It says:
   This Collectors Edition also includes three classic Robert Anton Wilson lectures: The Acceleration of Knowledge, The New Inquisition, and Religion for the Hell of It.
   
   That's completely untrue. The package only contains an interview with Mr. Wilson.



2. I own the tape version which does contain all it claims to. I guess I owe the reviewer below an apology, though I still feel it deserves more then one star, four or five still, but I can understand the disappointment of getting less then you thought also, probably would have bumped a star or two off for me too. I still don't understand how or why what was on four tapes,(which is the length without the two lecture tapes),is now on Five Discs.
   
   ANYWAYS DID EVERYBODY SEE R.A.W. HAS 2 DVDs "MAYBE LOGIC" AND "WILHELM REICH IN HELL".
   
   WRONG(reviewer below) this collection is Five CDs Six hours long total and it does includes three classic Robert Anton Wilson lectures: The Acceleration of Knowledge, The New Inquisition, and Religion for the Hell of It.
   I've owned this set for years now and have listened to it many times, at least 5 times; there is just so much here to take in. I don't know why but even without those 3 lectures this set would be worth considerably more then one star. I own the set on tapes and I thought well maybe they left the lectures off for whatever reason when they switched it over to CD format. I checked Sounds True, the publisher, website and they state it is 5 CDs Six hours long and that the three lectures are here and if it's 5 CDs six hours they are.
   I don't know why but the reviewer below either bought it used or a mishap at the manufacture and didn't get it all or a has chosen to Lie for whatever reason.
   This set isn't a book on tape, it's an interview with 3 lectures by Bob and it's great, informative, funny, mind blowing stuff. I've listened to it again this year and I wont be surprised if I listen to it again next year. This set and Terence McKenna's The Search for the Original Tree of Knowledge are the only sets I continuously revisit and learn something new from every time I do. Whether you are new to RAW in which case this will make a great introduction, possibly somewhat overwhelming but he explains his ideas, or a long time fan that enjoys being entertained by Bob this collection is Classic.



3. I just got this - it's four long interviews on five discs. NO lecture material. THIS IS AN INTERVIEW BOX.
   
   A friend of mine ordered this, same story, just the five discs.
   
   My guess is, they were going to include three bonus discs but couldn't get the rights, and it was too late to reprint the box.
   
   It's a good set. I especially enjoyed the autobiographical stuff in the first session. The material on General Semantics, "model-theism", and the Eight Circuits makes more sense in print ("Prometheus Rising"), and I didn't need an hour on Joyce and Pound, but this is an excellent intro to RAW's thought.



4. As others have said, this set, despite claiming to on the packaging, does not contain any lecture material. It is 5 discs, all between 70 and 77 minutes long, containing an excellent interview with Mr. Wilson. It ranges from his early years in New York, to Joyce, and on into conspiracy theories with tons of other of Bob's thoughts laced in between.
   
   If you're looking to get this set because of the lecture material, it's not here. Apparently it is intact in the cassette edition, if you can get your hands on that (according to another reviewer here). If, however, you're looking for a long, interesting, and amusing interview with Bob go ahead and pick this up.
   
   I hesitate to give this 5 stars only because it does not fulfill what its packaging says it includes. What is included, in my opinion, is excellent material.



5. The packaging claims to include the lectures Religion for the Hell of It, The Acceleration of Knowledge, and the New Inquisition, as part of a "collector's edition". The CDs DO NOT contain these lectures. Five CDs are in the package, as the package claims, but the lectures are not there.
   
   The interviews with RAW are excellent.

5 comments about Bad Boy: A Memoir.

1. Bad Boy
   By Walter Dean Myers
   Review by Kareem Joey
   
   
   
   Bad Boy .Hoops .Fly jimmy fly, what do all of these great
   Books have in common? They were all written by Walter dean Myers a high school dropout!
   
   Bad you are a thrilling book full of suspense and hard ships. IT starts while Walter was just a little boy. Even though his life was hard he somehow mad it through. The hardest part of waters life was probably his home town. Life in Harlem in the 1940s was rough. There was always crime and fights. The neighborhood was dirty and thee houses were rigtty.But Walter somehow made it thought. His main problem while he was growing up was his love for reading and writing. This is a problem because his bad and friends do not approve of his hobbies they begin to make fun of him and he begins to grow a hard outer shell.
   
   
   He than becomes a bully. Towards the end of the story his anger calms and he starts to not care what people think of him. He then follows and becomes a famous writer. Though his father still doesn't approve his mother tries to keep him inspired. This Book teaches you to follow your dreams no matter what people think about you. They should not a have a say in you're future because only can decide what you do in life



2. This book is a good book for teens to read. It's that kind of book that us as kids can relate to.....Once i read the first chapter i was hooked! I would strongly recommend this book to any of my closest friends! I am glad to give this book a good review.



3. "Bad Boy" the story of Walter Dean Myers life in the streets of Harlem and the challenges he faced from drugs, gangs and the feeling of having no hope to ever succeed. Walter jumps you head first into how the struggle of being a young African American and how you must survive. Walter at a young age was considered very intelligent his only problem that held him back was his speech defect. In which he was teased for and caused him anger in which brought him down the path of violence. Much of Walter's life was something he fought for or strived for, something that really didn't expect with a kid that had so much rage and anger he had such passion for reading and writing. Many times during the book he would talk about how he would lock himself in his room for hours and just read and write poems, stories or just about anything that he could think of. Walter Dean Myers paints a vivid picture of the challenges a young kid in Harlem had to deal with in hopes of finding himself, it is a story that will change the mind of everyone.



4. On the back of this book it says that teens will see them selves in Myers. Well they weren't lying when they said that, I saw myself completely in some of the contents of Myers teenage years. For example the reading, through out the book Myers discovered that he had a very good talent in reading and writing. He also was a class clown who always got into trouble, but why doing so he made the people around him laugh. Anyway Myers didn't want to be made fun of(don't we all) about being able to read and write so he hid it from everybody. Their are things that I am good at that I don't want people to know. Myers also told what it was like being a black boy in an integrated Harlem back in the 1930s and '40s. It was hard for him, and one of his friends in the book, whom was white, got invited to a Party, and the host wouldn't let Myers go because he was black. Myers had a hard bringing up, he didn't go to school often because he did bad and didn't want to do good. Look at him now though, he is an award winning author, and wrote other amazing books like Fallen Angles, Somewhere in the Darkness, and Monster. Myers showed us all how he was brought up and the problems he had, and with his writing he showed us who he is now. This powerful book can help a lot of struggling teens



5. Teens can really get inspired through Myers words. I also think that many teens will be able to relate to the different situations that he went through as well as learn how teens grew up in the 40's and 50's. The best part is learning the culture of Harlem as well as learn a first hand experience about the Harlem Renaissance.

2 comments about The Other Side of the Dale.

1. Having heard Gervais Phinn talk on an afternoon chat show describing his life as a schools inspector with humour and great dedication I was anxious to read his book "The Other Side of the Dale".

   It was one of those texts which you find incredibly difficult to put down. I laughed out loud at his desciptions of answers given by small children and was able to relate them to my own experiences as an infant teacher.

   He has the "gift of the gab" and enthralls his readers from the very first chapter.

   One can tell by his writing that he is an honest and sincere person whose very love of life is the reason why he does the work he takes great delight in.

   He shares every laugh & sometimes tear in a way that is as if he is an old friend and you are together catching up on news and gossip.

   His character descriptions are vivid and allow you to picture this wealth of strange colleagues very clearly.

   His romance with the "lovely Christine" is a joy to behold and I could hardly contain myself to wait for his second book to find out what happened.

   He writes of his experiences with a truthful and interesting style which carries the reader along with him on his journey through country lanes and among the hedgerows of the farming communities where he travelled.

   I felt that I was with him as he stood at picture windows looking out on the magnificent and striking views of the Dales.

   There is a childlike quality in the way he sees life - it is honest and open. He writes of things he sees with an element of awe and wonder [like a child seeing their first aeroplane, balloon, etc.] and colours the pages with his glorious grasp of language.

   I have read this text twice and listened to it being read by the author on audio-tape [A MAGNIFICANT EXPERIENCE! ]

   I have also been fortunate to have obtained a copy of his second book "Over Hill and Dale" which is also up there with the best. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED READING [not just for those in education]




2. Phinn clearly loves children, schools and Yorkshire. His pictures of the countryside, of its stalwart but reserved people, and of their dialect, invite favorable comparison with James Herriott. This is a special place, largely unspoiled by McDonalds and internet chat rooms, and that alone is a reason to celebrate while reading the book.

   Phinn observes and writes honestly, capturing with equanimity and good humor a range of personalities from child prodigy to tyrannical administrative assistant. Sure, there are dozens of portraits of cute kids who say funny things, and of dedicated teachers who have mastered the ineffable art of educating. These alone are worth the price of the book. But want a trenchant dissection of exactly what makes an annoying person annoying? Phinn lays it out, while maintaining his humor and emotional distance and never conveying any feeling that he is settling old scores.

   And yes, there is the thread of his sometimes-stumbling courtship of the alluring Miss Bentley. That also keeps one turning the pages.

5 comments about Pit Bull.

1. I was amazed at this guy. A lot of the practices he used then works now. Buzzy should be commended for putting his life story in such a vivid tale of success and almost death. I am thankful to have read this book. It has opened me up to another way of thinking and also validated a lot of the practices I do everyday. Buzzy, where is the sequel?



2. This book pretty much tells the story of a trader named Marty Schwartz. It describes how he got started trading and evolved into what Barron's called a master trader. There was a lot of "ego" to read about and I almost stopped reading but the story got better. Instead of spending the whole book telling me how smart he was, he started talking about some trades that didn't go so well too. I actually learned from him as he described his errors and how he recovered. It helped me reduce my "pig" factor when I day trade. There was some humor in the book too which kept it fun to read.
   
   So, this book isn't a how to book but it does indirectly give you some good advice to use in your trading. Its worth reading, I enjoyed it.



3. A very funny book on trading. The description of Michael Steinhardt as Porky is hilarious. You are not going to learn specific technique on how to trade. If you are hoping to learn some mechanical way to make money in the financial markets, you will be deeply disappointed. This book is for people who already know something about trading and who want to get better. Some advices are:
   
   1. Fit your trading habits to your personality. Everyone needs to understand himself so that he will find the "right" way to make money in the markets. Buzzy is a day trader because he loves to hear his cash register ring.
   2. Without a methodology for trading you have no edge.
   3. Become a winner by learning how to lose.



4. For anyone who may think trading is easy and the rewards are great - think again. Martin Schwarts makes it clear that 99% of trading success is hard work and discipline. There are no free rides in the market.



5. If you enjoyed the classic Reminiscences of a stock operator you will love this book. It tells the story of Marty Schwartz who started out as a stock analysts then decided to go out on his own and trade for a living. He went from the world of fundamental analysis to technical analysis and never looked back. On his journey he first proved he could make good money trading then he quit his job and bought a seat on the American Stock Exchange and was a floor trader. He was very successful and eventual moved to a desk off the floor. Marty made millions of dollars. He had a streak of making over a million a year for several years. He won the U.S. trading championship several times along the way. He also opened Sabrina Funds and traded over $70 million of other people's money for a brief time, but hated answering to people and went back to trading his own account.
   He loved trading S&P Futures, stocks and some options. His style was mainly day trading, rarely holding positions for more than a few hours or over night. He is one of the great traders of our time and you can learn a tremendous amount about how to really trade for a profit by reading this book. It is a highly entertaining read that is hard to put down.
   "..When the stress gets so great you think you might vomit, you should probably double your position, but only if you are then willing to use a tight stop loss.."
   ".. most people think that they're playing against the market, but the market doesn't care. You're really playing against yourself...Listen only to what the market is telling you now...The sole objective is not to prove you're right, but to hear the cash register ring".