5 comments about First Comes Love.

1. I'm disgusted I ever bought this book and would love to have my money back (someone in my book club chose it). All nine members of my book club HATED this book and found Marion Winik's actions/addictions disgusting. She offers no explanation for her self-absorbed, destructive behavior. I promptly gave it away after I read it (not to the library...doesn't belong in a respectable institution like that). Her actions that are documented in this "memoir" are despicable and could have had life-threatening ramifications on innocent children. Do not waste your money or your time.



2. I'm sorry. I'm aware of all the favorable comments regarding this book, and no one should question Marion Winik's writing abilities -- "First Comes Love" is a well crafted book -- but, being that it is a memoir, I must confess that I no longer like or respect her as a person. This is not a love story -- it is an expose of a woman who decides she is going to have what she wants, regardless of anyone else's needs. Neither do I see her as someone I should admire for courage or long suffering. Sure, she finally decides to care for him as he dies. That is the least that she should do, as far as I'm concerned. She robbed him if the rest of his life.



3. First Comes Love epitomizes the 90's era of self-indulgent memoirs over? (and please, let it be over) This is basically a book about someone who makes one bad, selfish decision after another, wreaking havoc on the lives of those around her and then, rather than hanging her head in shame, deciding that it makes her so interesting that she ought to write about it and share it with the world. In fact, it sometimes seems as if the whole point of many of her actions is to have something outrageous to write about. One can't help but feel sorry for her sons, though. Did she ever stop for a moment and think of the effect on them of reading about her incredibly dysfunctional life?
   This book is very, very sad.



4. Yes, the two main people in this memoir are self-indulgent, but there is one, and only one, thread that holds them together: Love. It cannot be sexual attraction, because one is gay and one is straight. And the thread of love holds and holds and holds and finally snaps. Marion Winik's writing held me from the first chapter to the last and never snapped.



5. I only read this book because our reading group chose it and, frankly, at first I wasn't sure I'd like it. I didn't feel that I could relate to Marion Winik's drug use or self-destructive pursuit of a gay man. But her writing drew me in and her story proved to be so absorbing because it was so well-written. Yes, she was self-absorbed, as addicts often are, and yes, she knew her love for Tony was bound to end in frustration, but she has no sympathy for herself, and asks for none from her readers. Her story, while moving, is not cloying or sentimental, and I really liked that. She is honest, often painfully so, and direct. She reveals what it truly means to love someone who cannot love you back the way you want to be loved. She faces her problems head-on, addresses her own weaknesses with candor. Her writing style is clear and its emotions sharply drawn. If you approach her story without judging her, you will come to know her and understand her. I liked her in spite of myself, and that says a lot. Like a good friend you care about, but who can drive you crazy, Winik reveals things to you that can make you roll your eyes or sigh in frustration, make you want to slap her. And then she opens up with vulnerability, revealing her inner turmoil and pain, and you want to embrace her. This is a tough story, hard to take sometimes. But a true love story, nonetheless. After I read the whole book, I went back and re-read its opening chapter. After going on Winik's journey with her, her words about her husband's final hours brought me to tears. I felt I knew them both.

5 comments about The War Journal of Major Damon 'Rocky' Gause.

1. "The War Journal of Major Damon 'Rocky' Gause" is a well-told, exciting survival and escape story of World War II. Lieutenant (at the time of the events related in this book) Gause was a pilot stationed in the Phillipines when General MacArthur was ordered to retreat. His plane being destroyed, he fought with the American troops to the bitter end of the defeat of Corregidor, and through the kindness of the Filipinos and natives of the South Pacific, escaped via a 3,200 mile route to Australia.

   This story may perhaps be the greatest survival and escape tale from World War II. It's full of close calls (a Japanese submarine surfacing next to their craft), thrills (a disguised Nazi officer trying to murder Gause and his companion, Lt. Osbourne, in their sleep), quirks (getting much-needed help from a leper colony) and hardships (their small wooden craft being thrown about in a storm). The book also has some truly touching moments--the kindness and loyalty of the Filipinos who were willing to aid Gause despite the risk, and the picture of Gause with his son, whom he saw for a mere few hours before his deployment and subsequent death in Europe in a training exercise.

   The book is written simply (but is not a simple book), and not too politically correct (which I don't think Maj. Gause would care for being, anyway). The story flows well, and the foreward and afterword by Maj. Gause's son are well-done. The book would be improved by the inclusion of more maps showing their route and a timeline, and perhaps the reproduction of some of the original ship's log pages.

   The book also has a prologue by Stephen Ambrose (whose imprimatur should promptly silence those questioning the credibility of the story).




2. Beautifully written and unpretentious, this book amazes and inspires! A classic World War II account!



3. Written in the first person, this is one of the better personal accounts of WWII that I have read. Despite the the author not being a professional writer, Gause has the ability to tell a story. If some of the stories have perhaps become blurred with the passing of time, it does not distract one bit from the overall deeds of the author and him comrades. I have had the wonderful opportunity over the years of talking with and listening to many veterans of this war and others, and having spent over twenty years in the service myself, I can pretty well spot crap when I see or hear it. This is honest stuff. Recommend you read this one and also add it to your collection.



4. 
   
   I dont doubt any of the details of Major Gauses escape story,its no doubt a great and authentic ocean survival story: but being written during the war, which Mr Gause did not survive, its perhaps fancifully fallacious in its account of the US defence during the Japanese invasion of the Philipines itself, in the tradition of wartime flag-flapping movies like 'Bataan', which attempt to make a glorious rallying cry of something pretty ignominious.
   
   If the campaigns of Singapore/Malaya and Philipines were Allied victories instead of complete, total, and lets face it, easy Japanese victories, we'd be deifying them as brilliant miraculous Allied offensives against a numerically superior enemy defence.
   
   As it is, and as I see here in some of these reviews, and as we understandably did at the time, we cop out and falsify the truth talking about 'overwhelming Japanese forces' in places like Corrigidor, Bataan and Malaya/Singapore, or similiarly excuse German walkover victories in 1940-42.
   
   the truth is, as all serious military historians certainly know now, and those in the know knew then, is that the Japanese forces that took half the Pacific and Asia as far as the Burma/India border in 1941-42 were not 'overwhelming' numerically, were in fact typically outnumbered overall by the US and British Commonwealth defending forces-add to that, the defenders typically were in possession of lavish supplies compared to the spartan Japanese.
   
   In context here, what Im saying in relation to the Gause account of Corregidor and Bataan, is I perhaps doubt the complete accuracy of his claims of Japanese killed in some incidents, as an ex-WW2 German said once of our war-movies,
   'if you had killed as many of us as easily and cheaply as in all these movies, we would have been already losing in 1939 and completely wiped out by 1940, instead of mostly kicking your arses for at least half the war and lasting 6 years against half the world.'
   
   its true. Some historians , Allied, have soberly admitted that Allied victory was in fact rare except where the ALLIES showed up in overwhelming numbers, where the Allies were either defending or attacking. And there probably were no Allied offensives from numerical inferiority, whereas, even with the Japanese, less than 50000 rampaging Japanese SOMEHOW took the Kra peninsula from at least 100000 British Commonwealth troops, and in the Philipines, it was about the same ratio Japanese to US.
   
   More honesty and credibility in some areas, please.



5. I read this book about 4 or 5 years ago when I was stationed in Germany. It is one of the best books about WW2 I have ever read. And what makes it so fascinating, is its a true story! I wrote the author after reading it to tell him how much I enjoyed it, and he wrote me back! Great guy. Highly recommend this book to everyone with an interest in the subject.

5 comments about Portrait of a Killer: Jack the Ripper -- Case Closed.

1. Why on earth did Cornwell spend a fantastically huge amount of money in order to produce this? Maybe I should get her to adopt me; I'd make better use of her funds.
   
   Other reviewers have already mentioned her lack of sources, her erroneous DNA conclusions, and the like. One of the things that really caught me was her assumption that a dark lantern provided hardly any light at all, simply because she experimented with one. On her patio. Not in the East End of London. She claims that a dark lantern was NOT the brilliant, illuminating tool shown in contemporary illustrations, but a weak and hotly burning liability.
   
   If that were the case, why would dark lanterns be issued to London's police force? Why would a lantern that, as Cornwell claims, can't illuminate an object only six inches away, be thought of as a helpful instrument? It wouldn't. Clearly, Cornwell's "test" was just as useful as the money she spent in "research". The $6 million dollar book. She'd have done better to try to create a bionic man.



2. Disturbing history of Jack the Ripper and disclosure of Cornwell's claimed resolution: The Ripper was Walter Sickert, an English artist who, claims Cornwell, painted some of the murder scenes in his art and wrote the Ripper letters to the police and newspapers.
   
   The argument appears convincing, although Cornwell, a famous fiction murder mystery writer, uses too much speculation and circumstantial evidence.
   
   Ultimately, if Sickert was the Ripper, as painted by Cornwell, the whole thing was very creepy. Don't read this book alone after dark.



3. I have never read any of Patricia Cornwell's mystery books, but if they are as narratively compelling as Portrait of a Killer, they must surely be page-turners. She knows how to characterize a psychopath; how to illustrate a depraved and violent mind. But I'm not convinced that Walter Sickert, 19th century artists and minor celebrity, was such a mind, or that if he was, he was the infamous Jack the Ripper.
   Cornwell is clearly meticulous in her research, but here she seems to have been meticulous with a purpose. She concluded that Sickert was the Ripper, and gathered the evidence that supported her theory, giving minimal attention to the evidence that opposes it. Her argument would have been more convincing had she elaborated on how she determined Sickert was the Ripper; what were the steps that lead her to that conclusion? As presented, her epiphany seems like a bolt from the blue.
   
   Cornwell's main pieces of evidence raise many interesting questions about Sickert. He had a deformity due to botched surgery that made him impotent, his artwork is largely misogynistic, many of the Ripper letters were written with artists' tools. All of these things indicate that he may have been a repressed and violent man, but not that he was Jack the Ripper. But Cornwell's case with these points makes fascinating reading. Her more tangible, physical proof is less fascinating. The only point in the book where my eyes began to cross was her descriptions of different watermarks in different 19th century stationary that Sickert and others used. More interestingly, several investigators are trying to get DNA evidence from the envelopes and stamps on the Ripper letters, but again, the most this could prove would be that Sickert (and many other pranksters) liked to bait the police.
   
   Still, Cornwell presents a richly detailed portrayal of a unique and disturbing individual. I had never heard of Sickert before reading Portrait, and I can see how he and his artwork would capture the imagination. Sickert, from Cornwell's research, seems to have been a dark and complicated man. And the London of his time was undeniably a dark and complicated place. It was an intriguing read, and I enjoyed hearing Cornwell's argument although I remain unconvinced.



4. I was unhappy with this effort from Patricia Cornwell. I found it repetitive, hard to follow and didn't find her argument that convincing.



5. I had a hard time putting this book down. I found it entertaining. I did not see all the connections between Sickert and Jack the Ripper, but there are many. I do not know all the facts, but she certainly did alot of research. This case will never be fully closed until DNA testing gets better and by then any samples will likely be too degraded.

5 comments about Oprah Winfrey: The Real Story.

1. I listened to the audiotape with great interest, right about the time I was writing the chapter on Depression in my own book. This clearly shows how even under the most adverse and seemingly hopeless circumstances, personal belief and confidence count for everything and can accomplish anything!! Should be a stirring wake up for those who suffer depression and feel they can't pull themselves out. In "The Care and Feeding of Your Brain" I talk about the various treatments for depression. Once the cycle is started, medical treatment is required. However among my own patients, it is usually something like an example showing "how it is possible" to get them to believe that the feelings of worthlessness are destructive lies from the inside. Once a person has this "proof of example" they acquire the inner strength to the corner with new found belief in themselves and their capabilities. Oprah has battled many adverse circumstances, and even after acheiving what society would term "phenomenal success". She comes through each disaster like a phoenix-bird up from the ashes. Say what you want about her various reputations for being tough and mean...people its a tough world, and it takes a confident and driving woman to concretize her personal dreams! This book has a simple plot: this one amazing woman faces enough bad luck from her truly humble beginnings for any "self-pitier" to write volumes on "my excuse for failure: how the world screwed me". She then consistently and gracefully flies through each challenge carrying seemingly inexhaustible inner strength and the focus of a laser-beam. She ignores all obvious outward indicators of hopelessness,impending doom, and instead of quitting each time when most of us would, she follows her own instincts. Like her or not, her life is an amazing story of what any American is capable of by shedding the shroud of excuses and tales of woe.....All the best to Ms. Winfrey and to Mr. Mair...though she may not be totally pleased with his candid depiction, and even if the stories are not completely accurate, this tome paints a very admirable picture of our greatest contemporary American success story...Kenneth Giuffre MD, author "The Care and Feeding of Your Brain"



2. I just finished reading this Oprah book, and I have to be honest. I love Oprah to death and I admire her greatly, but I think this book was poorly written and organized. There were many events in Oprah's life, but in reading this biography, I was confused often as to the exact particulars of many incidents. An incredible book could be written about Oprah's life, but I don't think this book does a very good job at it. I guess I will just have to wait for the day Oprah comes out with her own autobiography!



3. This is a good book from two points:
   One, it explains indepth teh business strategy behind Harpo Studios and those who helped Oprah not only attain her vision but expand it.
   Two, the earliest chapters have good information that she has publicly revealed herself about her beginnings in both life and business.
   Other than that, I think it's sleazy to write these kinds of books without someone's at the least tacit cooperation. Though this doesn't approach some of the sniping of say a Tamborelli book, there are still visble comments that one could attribute to a jealous/envious/salacious writer....



4. What I love about this book is how it shares the painful years of Oprah's life, and how she used her spirit of courage, optimism, faith, and passion to create the life she now has. This book is a tremendous inspiration for anyone who feels that life's so-called obstacles CAN be overcome, once you realize that you are bigger than any obstacle you may face. Oprah is an example of this life lesson. It is about turning your tragedy into triumphs, speaking out, having the guts to face and deal with the circumstances facing you, rather than crumble in the face of adversity. I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to read a real-life example of a human being that CAN triumph, no matter wht they have been through.
   Barbara Rose, author of, `Individual Power' and `If God Was Like Man'



5. An informative, tell-all book about superstar Oprah Winfrey. It was hard to put it down because it was so interesting. It gives a good deal of trivia about her life, especially her humble beginnings. Did you know that she was raised in Mississippi on a pig farm by her grandmother? And her name was meant to be Orpah, a biblical name, but was misspelled on her birth records?
   This book gives these types of facts and more!

No comments about Leadership.

5 comments about Wasted: A Memoir of Anorexia and Bulimia.

1. Marya is a fabulous writer! I am looking forward to reading her other book next. That being said, this book is very triggering for most!!!!! In fact, when i brought it with me to an inpatient ED Unit, and upon check-in, it was taken from me as "contraband". It triggered me on several occasions before entering the facility - but I was unable to put it down because it is such a captivating story. So, read with caution - that's all I can say. If you are newly recovered from an ED - or knee deep in its deceptive hold, don't look to this book for help. It won't help you. In fact, it'll probably set you back a few notches. This is probably best read by those whom are sympathetic to our disease, but not actually suffering from it.



2. I read this book when I was already in solid recovery, and for me it was not triggering. If I had read it in an earlier stage it probably would have been, but what would have triggered me would be the envy I would feel over her results, as well as a desire to compete, to be as good at it, and the most triggering thing would have been the absence of any sort of happy ending, I would have been left feeling there was no hope of recovery. However, I don't see so much of a problem with the thing many others have focused their complaints on, the "tips and tricks". Since, frankly, those can easily be found in other places if one wants to find them, and its nothing particularly new.
   
   What I both liked and disliked most about this was the way I could relate to it, there are so many things I recognize in my own life, from the early onset puberty, to the promiscuity in her teens, and especially her behaviour and personality. The reason I dislike the similarities of personality is of course that I didn't like her personality in the book, she does in my opinion come off as selfish, unlikeable, self absorbed, whiny, and the hardest part for me in reading about this is that 5 years ago, this was ME.
   
   Also, the general approach to eating disordered people when I first went into treatment kind of glorified "us", describing us as selfless, driven, hardworking people-pleasers, almost saints - and I never felt the label fit me, I felt like I was being ascribed a number of traits I didn't have. And to be honest, I was left feeling for a long time that I was probably not that sick, since I didn't fit the label, I was probably doing it "wrong". I didn't particularly like having to explain that I was not in fact a saint, I just happened to throw up my food, so for me I think Wasted described the disease excellently, the way I experienced it.
   
   Well, my personality has changed extremely since ED is no longer in my life, but I still look back with regret at all the pain I caused my family in those years, and the relationships and friendships I invariably destroyed, because when my ED was at its worst, I was impossible to live with, or like for that matter.
   
   As for the book glorifying EDs, I must say it does in some way feel to me like it tries to. OR rather, I agree that its very clear it was written by someone who was still far from recovered, and still very much in the ED mentality, still missing her ED, and I do feel there is an undertone of "see how sick I was", and a feeling sometimes that she is bragging. For me that's not a problem now, rather it makes the book feel more realistic, and gives a very stark look at an eating disorder from the inside.
   
   Ive recommended this book to family and friends who do not have eating disorders, since for me, it's a very good account of how I was, thought, felt, when I had my ED, it explains me better than I could myself. I like this book, but, I would not recommend it to someone still in the midst of an eating disorder, but to anyone else who wants to know what its like, yes.



3. This book offered me a lot of insight into an actual sufferer's life, rather than what clinicians say a sufferer's life should be. Of course, Marya states that her family was dysfunctional to some extent, but it wasn't how the doctors had cut it out to be. I think it helped me understand my eating disorder better.



4. i cannot believe how relieved i felt after reading this book. i myself have anorexia and connect on so many levels with the author. the anger, the superiority complex, the fatal drive for "just a little bit more"... I believe the point in time in which the author wrote the memoir was perfect, where she is still the cannonball firing herself into life. her mind was still in the element of anorexia which makes it all the more puncturing for your eyes to read, revealing the struggle keeps going and going. her following book, "madness", follows up on her life after the beginning of the illness and is also very good. this provides her later wiser point of view and her difficulties with bipolar 1.



5. Wasted is Marya Hornbacher's terribly disturbing memoir of her experiences with anorexia, bulimia, and other self-destructive behaviors. Her eating disorders begin at age nine and continue until about age 20. During this period her weight fluctuates between 135 and 52 pounds. She is hospitalized or institutionalized several times for extended periods. At age 19 she nearly dies. In addition to her eating disorders, Marya is a heavy abuser of alcohol and various drugs (pot, speed, cocaine, heroin) and is sexually promiscuous starting at a young age. At the time of writing (age 23) it is not at all clear that she has recovered.
   
   For readers who enjoy shockingly graphic descriptions of other people's deeply disturbed lives, this book is for you. May your number be small.
   
   For readers trying to understand the origins and triggers of eating disorders, this book offers a vast array of possible causes, so vast that it is nearly useless.
   
   For readers wanting to understand what an eating disorder is like, this book provides a truly horrible catalog of symptoms, behaviors, and consequences.
   
   For readers actually struggling with eating disorders, this book will probably do no good, and may do harm. In the Introduction, Marya states, "I am not here to spill my guts and tell you how awful it's been..." However, that is precisely what she proceeds to do. This book is about little else besides the grim awfulness of her eating disorders and her other self-destructive behaviors. It offers no hope whatsoever. Moreover, much of this memoir has a strangely neutral tone, as if Marya is unwilling to render any moral commentary on her own past, as if she maintains some sort of fondness for it and perversely enjoys the attention it brings her.
   
   The wisest and most helpful words in this book come from one of Marya's friends, who never had an eating disorder, but who tells Marya that she tried to make herself throw up once. But she stopped herself. She was "gripped by the sudden sense that what she was doing was wrong...a crime against nature, the body, the soul, the self."

5 comments about Killing Pablo.

1. A must read if you want to really know Pablo Escobar - the history, stats, numbers and some key people. Its so easy to read you wouldn't want to put the book down. Def. check it out!



2. The full story of the life and times of Pablo Escobar: from his early life of crime as a headstone thief to his brutal rise to the pinnacle of the Medellin drug cartel. Most of the story however, is about how the joint military and intelligence Task Force eventually cornered and killed the drug Kingpin. That Task Force, was led by Ambassador Morris (Buzz) Busby, Navy Seal and ex-DCM for the Conference on Disarmament under Ambassador Louis (Lou) Fields (while I served as part of the US delegation with him.)
   
   The US "Delta Force," in conjunction with the Colombian security forces in an operation called "Centra Spike" had to pull out all of the stops to finally locate and kill the elusive fugitive.
   
   Not since "Black Hawk Down" has Mark Bowden written such a gripping thriller. Anyone who liked Black Hawk Down will love this one too.
   
   Five Stars



3. Book was very informative. It did a very good job detailing the time period of Pablo Escobar's rise and fall. Written very neutral and represented both sides of the hunters and huntee very well. A very complex operation during a time that was much different then today. If only we had the capabilities to apply the pressure the columbians used then we could probably capture or kill Bin Laden today. Similar paralles although Pablo's vice was drug trade and money, Bin Laden appears to be religion and hate. Wished the book had a few more pictures that expandeed on the charcters and groups that represented Pablo and those that represented the government. Good book that I would recommend to anyone wanting to learn more about Pablo Escobar.



4. Once I begin a book I usually finish it, even if it's not that good.
   But I couldn't finish this book. I read about one third and then quit. It was so boring. It was more about politics than drugs. I guess I was expecting something along the lines of Doctor Dealer (a great read!).



5. This book went fast for me. The author's style is fairly direct, which is good given the subject matter (less direct approach leads to bogged down in names and who was where, etc.). On the negative side, occasionally he goes a little too fast and I missed important issues and people. In addition, this book loses a little perspective due to it largely being from the perspective of law enforcement - those who knew Pablo Escobear as associates are largely dead. Overall though, it's like a good piece of crime/manhunt drama.

5 comments about Oprah Winfrey Speaks.

1. This book really gets to the heart of what Oprah is all about. The book is filled with quotes taken from Oprah's childhood and throughout her entertainment career. The quotes are inspiring because they allow you to figure out ways to relate them to your own life. Janet Lowe's biography about Oprah is a very likeable book because it presents such topics as fame, fear, fortune, and family. To hear Oprah talk about her perfections and imperfections and how she is coping with them makes you feel like saying, 'If Oprah can do it, I sure can'. There is extensive research as her endnotes suggest. The book is an easy read and a good choice for people who are looking for a little more motivation in their everyday lives. The only thing that this book does lack is finding new, unique information about the talk show host/movie star/producer. Other than that, it is a winner! If you've ever watched her show on TV and heard Oprah say something that caught your attention, but ten minutes later couldn't remember it, then this book has it for sure. I recommend this book, especially for women. (Makes a great gift too!).



2. The boorish broad from Baltimore strikes again! What makes this book so insidious is the way that the heroine peppers her pseudo-intellectual do-goodisms with an underlying capitalist mentality. Given her background, she should know better. Shame on you girl!



3. Hello, My name is Sabuyen and I am from Hokkaido, Japan. ...Itruly enjoy this book becase Oprah Winfrey represent all strongintelligent woman in America. In this book you shall read all herinsight and charm. Perhaps I am more awareness becase of a childhoodin Japan, where it is vey different to be a woman.

   This is the firstlong book I have read in English. It took me a vey long time to read,but please belive, it was worth every minute. I am delight to alsodiscover that there is a "cassete" version of this bookavalable on www.amazon.com. I shall listen as I ride the bus orexercise.

   When you read this book you shall feel power and energyfrom Oprah. She think positive, despite a difficult background, andshe has work hard for what she have. Here Oprah does share her wisdomand intelligence. It is very plain to see.

   Oprah, if you are readthis, please know that you are my hero and roll model, and for everyother woman in America. You have give so much to all.

   If anyone wishto read more about me, please read my profile. Love, Sabuyen.




4. When I think of Oprah, I think of "awareness." Her presence on earth is to bring us all to the awareness of our potential. If you want to know more about her life, Janet Lowe will take you on a journey through Oprah's life. Within a few hours you will see Oprah in a whole new light.
   
   What I find most fascinating about Oprah is her love of reading and quotes. Those are things I can relate to well. Now it seems, I have been collecting "Oprah quotes!" Throughout this book you will find Oprah's wisdom presented in an organized fashion in sections so they relate well to the topic.
   
   Oprah speaks from a background of adversity. The events of her life have changed her, yet she has decided to take charge of her destiny and become a positive influence. Her background is almost shocking when you think of who she has become. The contrast is sharp and it is very apparent that she drew on an inner strength.
   
   The book begins with details of Oprah's roots in Mississippi and her educational background. There is a discussion of "Harpo" and how she deals with her fame and fortune. Her generosity is impressive and her efforts for children's rights are commendable.
   
   There are some things in life money can never replace. I was saddened by some aspects of her life and see how her own sorrow, abuse and lack of a loving relationship with her own parents early in life influenced her. Some of the best things in life are free. Money helps, but I don't think it heals the longing we all have for love.
   
   Oprah's love of reading has encouraged others to delve into knowledge and better themselves. She also enjoys writing in a "gratitude" journal. Janet Lowe brings out the positive and negative aspects of Oprah's life. With more than 22 million American viewers hanging on her every word, she continues to have the instinctive knack of feeding their desire to find meaning in life.
   
   Oprah started me reviewing because after seeing Gary Zukav on her show, I wanted to know more about the books she was talking about and knew others would also want to know more. I thought maybe I could help others see what was in his books.
   
   Oprah sent me on a journey to delve into the minds of our time. A journey of discovery I have just started on! For that I thank her.
   
   ~The Rebecca Review



5. I believe that books of thsi nature are to show and elucidate hwo certain kinds of peopel think and act. I think that the consumer shoudl remember that most of these books are gleaned and compiled from interviews, articles and TV quotes not the person directly. Which means that things can be taken out of context or contrary events can be exampled to a person's time static comment.
   All the same, this book is pretty good for insight in Oprah and her thoughts on some issues as well as maturely seeing how her opinion has grown/matured over the years.
   A good subject makes a good book but this isn't the indepth exploration of Oprah that one may hope. Perhaps in some ways she can't truly be seen in any other context as she has a show where she talks about herself and her experiences. Only a book absolutely written by her could ever truly reveal her. Someone truly interested in her thoughts will have to wait for that day.

2 comments about How to Supervise People: Techniques for Getting Results through Others.

1. The edition of this book that I read is part of the 'Sixty -Minute Training Series' published by the National Press Publications, a division of the Rockhurst College Continuing Education Center, Inc. It's the type of book that is handed out at two-day training seminars for new supervisors, i.e. heavy on bulleted lists and self-assessment quizzes, and somewhat light on content.

   What does it mean to be a supervisor at a large to medium-size corporation, trapped as we are between the rock of upper management and the hard place inhabited by the people we are supposed to supervise? For one thing, it means we don't get much respect. Here is a direct quotation from the feedback section of my company's March newsletter:

   "I see little contribution to our company's success when it comes to any employee in a supervisory/area leader role!"

   Supervisors also don't get very much training (my company is a refreshing exception to this rule-although I'm not sure it helped in my case). Many of us come up through the technical ranks without a clue as to how to manage people instead of computers or warehouse stock or company finances. Therefore books like "How to Supervise People" can play an important role. This particular book, written by Donald P. Ladew, has valuable (although terse) guidelines in areas such as demonstrating leadership, handling people, team-building, and communication. At the beginning of each chapter, the author tells us what we're going to learn. Then the bullets and summaries come flying at us. We are given a brief pause to write up a plan, or reflect on the qualities of a supervisor we admire, or take a self-assessment quiz. The chapter then ends with yet another summary of what we should have learned. Biff. Bam. Boom. The End---an example of what the back cover calls an 'interactive format'.

   I think books like "How to Supervise People" are particularly valuable for a quick review when I'm trying to solve a stressful, possibly long-term problem. It gives me a chance to organize my thoughts, come up with a plan to achieve a positive outcome (instead of giving in to my natural tendency to strangle the person who is causing the problem), and reflect on what I'm really trying to accomplish. Here is a list of the basic qualities that this book feels a supervisor should possess. I think it's a good one:

   "1. Be an advocate for the people who report to you. 2. Be fair without playing favorites or being a 'pal.' 3. Create an environment where work can be accomplished. 4. Provide stability during times of change. 5. You must have courage."

   Maybe I should post the above list on the wall of my cubicle, for those times when someone else claims that we supervisors make "little contribution"!




2. Donald P. Ladew's book is exactly the sort of manual that all supervisors should have. While the ideas are not generally new, they are effective. The book concisely presents many tools for supervisors. You don't need to sort through jargon - just turn to the thorough, step-by-step lists and scan them for quick reference. The simple and easy-to-follow techniques provide all of a supervisor's essential tools. Experienced supervisors can use this book to refine their skills and improve any weak areas, while neophytes can use it to supplement their knowledge as they gain experience. We at getAbstract recommend this book to supervisors at all levels and to employees hoping to be promoted to supervisory roles. If you keep this straightforward guide in your top desk drawer and refer to it regularly, you can sound like an expert anytime.

5 comments about I'm Only One Man!.

1. I watched my father write this -- longhand, in a spiral notebook, no less. (Dad can barely find the "on" switch for the computer.) I learned things about my family that I never knew. Anyone familiar with him, even if only through his work on television, can absolutely tell that the words are his. Poor Bill Zehme had the unenviable task of keeping him focused. And, he did a great job! It's a good, quick read. Get it. Read it. Pass it on.



2. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book. I learned things about Regis that you won't learn by watching him on TV. I enjoyed reading about his trials and tribulations of his career, from his early days to the present. I have recommended this books to others. Whoever has my copy, please return it! This is one book you can read again.



3. Reading this book is like sitting down with Regis and listening to him tell you stories. You will be able to look deeper into the man that engages in Host Chat with Kathie Lee everyday. This book is an example of how far Regis really came in life and how hard he had to work for it. This can almost be a self-help book in a way because it portrays the commitment to excellence put forth by Regis to achieve his dream....and did he ever!



4. Regis's book logs many of the days(incl some holidays) between 6/15/94-5/19/95 with some of the yesterdays prior to 6/14/94 .....Good intro by the Regis and Cathy Live staff at that time( Michael Gelman and Cathy Lee Gifford) Gelman still Gelman and Cathy Lee ,has moved on for even better someday.. ,plus there is much levity through out( It was given as a gift to me for Xmas 2000,I've skimmed through the entire book and got a few chuckles without even getting to much into the NY ,NY details(photos were great,& joke about Perry Como quite funny). It ends with smoothness and ease:as Regis, in his biography says to the reader" I've got to find my plane tickets,back my bags and get ready for the next show.After all,I'm only one man". 12/27/00 abj



5. Regis is one of my favorite celebrities! He is a down-to-earth family man who approaches life with good humor and a likeable manner. I enjoyed accompanying him as he talked through some typical days in his very busy life. Listening to him more than a decade after he shared these reflections gave the story an outdated feel, as a lot of the pop-culture personalities he mentions have disappeared from the scene, and the old-timers he reminisced about are way before my time. As well, now that he is paired with Kelly Ripa, he seems younger, hipper and more light-hearted than he was at the time he recorded this memoir. She brings out something special in him that Kathie Lee never did.
   
   The book is a nice representation of the entertainment business and pop-culture, made all the better when expressed by a personable and respected celebrity like Regis.