5 comments about The Sweet Hell Inside: A Family History.

1. I found "The Sweet Hell Inside" to be an illuminating, informative read! Being an African-American especially interested in the black/white dynamics of American history, I found Edward Ball's story of the Harlestons of South Carolina hard to put down!

   The in-depth story of how the black Harleston family began, prospered, endured, and survived;the digressions Ball made re African-American parts in jazz, art, the funeral-home industry;the "Harlem Renaissance";and the very human traits of all the various characters, combined to make "The Sweet Hell Inside" a voyage of discovery and enlightenment for me. I think most other readers will find it likewise! This book is a treasure-trove of family, racial, and American history.

   I especially liked this book because the author allowed the characters to "speak" through their papers, records, and other memorabilia, and via his sixth cousin,Edwina Harleston Whitlock!




2. I was dazzled once again by the depth and scope of effort and research put into a book by Edward Ball. I was such a big fan of his first book, Slaves In the Family, I was doubtful he could equal his own work. What a nice to surprise to find that as good as Slaves In the Family was, The Sweet Hell Inside was even better.

   The book follows generations of the Harleston family of South Carolina from the early 1800s to the present. Harleston was a white ancestor of the author who took a black common law wife with whom he had five children. Being of mixed blood the Harleston family lived a separate, more priviledged life than other black South Carolina residents, but one that was also very separate from the white residents. The family history is fascinating with members working in various performing and visual arts, participating in the Harlem Reniassiance, and educating some children who would grow up to be pioneers in jazz music. Its astounding that one family could have had such an influence in so many areas and that they have the documentation to prove it. Much of the documentation and oral history come from Edwina Harleston Whitlock a direct descendant of white Mr. Harleston and his former slave/wife Katie. The compilation of material provided from Ms. Whitlock coupled with Ball's narrative talent make this a must read.




3. As a genealogist researching my ancestors from South Carolina I felt compelled to read this book. It was fascinating, although I had read Slaves in the Family, I felt like this was a continuation not to be missed. I felt deeply for the members of the Hairston family. It was sad see how Kate lost her inheritance which she deserved. All of the other slights the family is dealt but still some how the family went on. Its an important aspect of American history which you don't always see.



4. Author Edward Ball comes from a long line of plantation owners from the Low Country of South Carolina. In his first book, National Book Award-winner Slaves in the Family, Ball set out to trace the ancestors of slaves once owned by the Ball family. Little did he realize that this research would lead to the discovery of his own ancestors of color, and what a fascinating tale this would be. This story is the basis of his second book, The Sweet Hell Inside, which is one of the most moving, poignant and haunting books I have ever read.

   The Sweet Hell begins with plantation owner, William Harleston. Harleston never married, but took a house slave named Kate as his common-law wife. Together, they produced eight children. After the Civil War, William purchased a house in Charleston for Kate and the children, and even left her an inheritance when he died (something rare in the 19th century South). The story of the Harleston family is a study of Charleston's high yellow society, or the black elite. Not accepted into white culture, they were also not comfortable among their freed slave brethren. Ball follows four generations of the black Harlestons. We see that they were educated, sent to college, trained in various professions, and lived a very comfortable life. The members of this family were also multi-talented. They became businessmen, sea captains, artists, musicians, pastors, photographers, and influential members of Charleston's black society.

   Much of the success of the Harleston family begins with Kate and William's son, Edwin. Edwin started the Harleston Funeral Home to provide upper-class black families with the same services offered by white undertakers (who would not handle black clients). The short history that Ball provides about the mortuary business is fascinating. Several other family members stand out in this book. Edwin's son, Teddy, becomes a classically trained painter. Unfortunately, he is needed in the funeral business and his painting career suffers. Edwin's daughter, Ella, marries the Rev. Joseph Jenkins. Together, they run the famous Jenkins Orphanage. There are a host of other brothers, sisters, nieces and nephews that make-up the tapestry of this wonderful story.

   But for as fortunate as this family was, they also suffered more than their share of heartaches including infertility, economic setbacks, illness, and early death. They also faced discrimination in their hometown. A musician moved to Europe to earn the respect he deserved as a performer and composer. Teddy had to travel north to enjoy classic artwork in museums (Charleston's museums were for whites only). Also, his own city never recognized his artistic talents until after his death. Pneumonia, heart disease, a ruptured appendix and TB were among the maladies that cut down family members in their prime.

   The Sweet Hell was a book I didn't want to end. There is a family tree and many photos of family, places and even Teddy's artwork. But I wanted more. So on a trip to Charleston, I visited many of the places mentioned in the book. First, I rode by Kate Harleston's house (the original homestead). Since the book was published, this dilapidated house is now being renovated. I discovered that I have passed the Harleston Funeral Home hundreds of times, but never noticed it before. It is still in operation, although no longer run by the Harleston family. I found the Plymouth Congregational Church, where most of the Harleston's worshipped. The most moving sight was the old Jenkins Orphanage. The orphanage and the Old Jail both share a block. It was eerie walking in this now quiet, residential neighborhood, trying to imagine what it must have been like when hundreds of orphans and hundreds of inmates were both in residence. Add a Jenkins band or two, and it must have been a happening place!

   All in all, I just can't say enough good things about The Sweet Hell Inside. Edward Ball's new effort proves that he is a writer with an incredible voice.




5. Edward Ball did a wonderful job with this book. The story is well written and very informative. I am of Creole Heritage and I found the book to be similiar to my ancestery.

1 comments about Here We Go Again My Life in Television.

1. This book is light, easy reading, but really boring. Betty tells the story of her remarkable career but the book is lacking. Where is the dish? Where are the juicy parts? Betty writes as if it is one big happy press release. She likes everything and everybody. Everything is hunky-dorey. She never minded getting fired from jobs, she never minded being uprooted, she never minded long, tedious work hours. Betty drops names of some of the most famous people in the world and barely comments on them. She gives her meeting with the Queen Mother one sentence in the whole book! She was married to Allen Ludden for 18 years, but until she mentions this toward the end of the book, the reader doesn't even realize that all of their experiences took place over that length of time. She was best friends with Mary Tyler Moore and her husband Grant Tinker and although she tells of many anicdotes, nothing delves very deeply. Betty was on two classic TV shows of all times, "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" and "The Golden Girls", yet she glosses over these experiences and doesn't go into any details about any of it. Apparently Betty's life experience is not able to fit into one book and trying to fit it in one book makes it all seem like an outline rather than a story. Readers will look for some juicy "Mary Tyler Moore Show" stories and some backstage gossip about "The Golden Girls", but they will not find that. They will get Betty's ramblings and squeeky clean attitude about not saying anything if you dont have anything nice to say.... apparently she had nothing nice to say so she glossed over much of her life. I really would have loved to know how she truly felt about her coworkers and how they interacted on and off stage. Some funny "blooper" moments would have been great and some real life gossip would make her seem more human. I love Betty White, I just didn't get all I thought I would from this book. But Betty truly is a Golden Girl, she has done it all

1 comments about Character Above All, Volume 4 (Character Above All).

1. The author of "President Kennedy: Profile of Power" gives an even-handed assessment of America's 36th president. Richard Reeves' 1995 speech was part of a lecture series examining presidential character from FDR to George H.W. (Poppy) Bush. Prof. Robert A. Wilson of the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas (Austin) organized the series and edited the presentations. The speeches were later collected into book called "Character Above All."
   President Kennedy valued courage above all, journalist Reeves tells us. He also appreciated irony. The hand of irony was heavy on at least two major events of the Kennedy Administration -- construction of the Berlin Wall and involvement in Vietnam. Despite understandable objections from freedom lovers worldwide, the Berlin Wall, of which Kennedy was practically co-architect, lessened the threat of nuclear war, Reeves reminds us. Alternatively, Vietnam gave added legs to communism, the opposite of what Kennedy intended, our author notes dejectedly.
   Due to his health and sexual history, JFK could not be elected in today's journalistic climate, Reeves surmises. Reeves calls himself a skeptic of contemporary character issues, saying they're often a cover for "rotten, dirty politics." He isn't saying truth, traditional morality, and personal history are irrelevant. What Reeves posits is that presidential character should be viewed differently than how we judge our family, friends, and co-workers. This reasoning squares up with Jewish wisdom.
   The ArtScroll Stone Edition Tanach's (Jewish Bible) introduction to the Book of Samuel states that the kings of Israel could not be the moral leaders of the people. That job necessarily fell to the prophets. Yet the kings were not allowed to divorce themselves from righteousness, being obliged to carry around a Torah scroll and read from it regularly.
   The lives of kings David and Solomon are full of intrigue and strife as they attempted to better the national interest. Difficult to maintain one's own morality under such duress, never mind being the nation's guiding morals conscience. Yet David and Solomon knew Israel's and the world's long-term interests were spiritual, leaving for the ages the Psalms, Ecclesiastes, Proverbs, and the Song of Songs. In the modern context, President Kennedy's speeches uplifted the human community.
   Further, the Chanukah story relates a time when men of the Levitical priesthood assumed duties of kingship. The commentators judged this to be an aberration and not a desirable one. Rabbi Shimon teaches in "Ethics of the Fathers" (4:17) of three crowns (implying a separateness) -- the crown of Torah, the crown of priesthood, and the crown of kingship. This isn't a blanket prohibition against religious people holding public office. Rather, it's warning that attributes that make one a fine rabbi, priest, pastor, or imam might make that person a lousy president or governor. If one is a righteous rabbi or layman then one really need go no further since Rav Shimon teaches that the fourth crown (that of a good name) is better than the other three.
   Despite some moral shortcomings amid noble striving, the streets of Solomon's Jerusalem were paved with gold. America's economic resurgence during Camelot (the Kennedy years) might be seen as a modern manifestation of this phenomenon.
   Another reason for viewing presidential character as distinct from its rank-and-file cousin is the fact that history books distort what it's like being president, Reeves says. Works of history tend to put events in the contexts of a life or ideas, he points out, yet the existential day-to-day functioning of the presidency is vastly different. The modern presidency is a non-stop ride that calls for regular diversions into complicated crisis management as Reeves demonstrates in recounting a day in the life of JFK from 1963 that included major speeches on the Cold War and civil rights, a public row between Chinese and Russian communists, Gov. George Wallace challenging integration by standing in the doorway of the University of Alabama, and the murder of black leader Medgar Evers.
   The greatest talent of JFK and other successful presidents is tapping what's unspoken in the hearts of the American people. Thus it is the character of the American people that is most important, Reeves wisely concludes.
   Ironically, JFK was both optimistic and fatalistic. More specifically, he was mostly optimistic about the American nation yet mostly fatalistic about himself personally (he expected to die young because of serious health problems he contended with all his life). Actual cause of death, sadly, adds to the irony.
   Kennedy's "iron will" gets extensive treatment from Reeves. That will bent people and institutions (JFK was the first candidate to use the primaries to lock up a major party nomination early, turning the focus away from the national party conventions).
   Discussions about The Will bring to mind the philosophy of Germany's Arthur Schopenhauer. Although fatalistic, Kennedy managed to avoid pessimism, the central tenant of Schopenhauer's worldview. Schopenhauer held that resigning one's ambitions is the price for avoiding emotional pain. Yet Kennedy seems to have used his physical pain as a spur to ambition. JFK's determination proves the truth of what Rabbi Avigdor Miller said on at least one occasion -- pain and/or a deformity in someone is a very great opportunity.

5 comments about The Inextinguishable Symphony: A True Story of Music and Love in Nazi Germany.

1. I listened to Martin Goldsmith on "Performance Today" (and still listen to his successor, Fred Child) for many years. This man who for years described classical music on the radio -- composers and their life story, pieces and their histories, in accessible, engaging, and lightly humorous ways, and even sometimes tied it in to his love of baseball -- he also has an extraordinary family story. It's moving and well-written, and makes me think about the extraordinary stories that must dwell in the depths of my own geneological past.



2. This story was impossible to put down and when you finish, it stays with you for a very long time. Its hard to believe that Gunther and Rosemary didn't make every effort to help their parents emigrate to U. S. What really bothers me most is, not being Jewish, what would I have done in Germany in the late thirties and early forties when I saw these atrocities happening?



3. What do we really know about our parents' life before we were born? That depends largely, I guess, on how much of an interest we show - and on how much they are willing to reveal. Because in the life of every person there are instances and times they rather wish to forget, and not revive time and again by discussion, even if only among their nearest and dearest.
   
   Such, in the lives of author Martin Goldsmith's parents, were the years from 1933 through 1941; so much so, in fact, that Goldsmith likens that time to the massive ash tree in the house of Germanic warlord Hunding, the setting of the first scene of Richard Wagner's opera "Die Walkuere:" Something looming large, yet never openly acknowledged. Because before George Gunther Goldsmith, furniture and home decorating salesman of Cleveland, Ohio, and his wife Rosemary, a violinist with the St. Louis Symphony and the Cleveland Orchestra, became American citizens in 1947, they had lived a whole other life - the hunted life of Jews in Adolf Hitler's Germany. And only years after his mother's death, on a trip to his father's home town of Oldenburg, did Goldsmith catch the first glimpses of what was hidden behind that massive ash tree, and George Goldsmith began to talk about the events which his, the Goldschmidt family had witnessed there; as well as the early life of Rosemarie nee Gumpert in Duesseldorf, the couple's first meeting in Frankfurt, and their later life in Berlin until their lucky escape to the United States. Beginning with this visit, Martin Goldsmith retraced his family's path to the early years of the 20th century, when his paternal grandfather Alex Goldschmidt took residence in Oldenburg, and his maternal grandfather Julian Gumpert settled in Duesseldorf.
   
   How intensely personal this voyage into the past must have been becomes clear in the account of Goldsmith's visit to Oldenburg prison, as a participant in a march retracing the path taken by the Jews - among them the author's grandfather - driven through the streets of Oldenburg in 1938 by Nazi thugs, to later be shipped off (at least temporarily) to Sachsenhausen concentration camp. But although he writes about his very own family, and now in full knowledge of their fate, Goldsmith's narrative is in no way sentimental. With a journalist's detachment he talks about Guenther and Rosemarie, Alex, Julian and their wives and other children; turning a nonfiction account whose outcome is clear from the very start into a heartstopping tale few would be able to believe if presented with it under colors other than that of the plain historic truth.
   
   Prominently featured in Goldsmith's account is the Jewish Culture Association, or Juedischer Kulturbund; as of 1933 the German Jews' only permitted artistic organization, in whose orchestra Guenther and Rosemarie had met and which had formed the center of their life until they finally left the country. One of the most controversial institutions of Nazi Germany, it reunited what was left of the country's Jewish musicians, artists, writers and composers - providing a modicum of shelter in an increasingly hostile environment, but also a convenient tool in the Nazi propaganda machine. Were the members of the Kulturbund instrumentalized to deceive public opinion, at home and abroad, about the true intentions of Hitler's government? By giving their Jewish audience a sense of comfort and "belonging," did they also prevent some of them from rescuing themselves when there still would have been time? The surviving members of the "Kubu" and their families, interviewed by Goldsmith, come down on both sides of the issue; and the fate of the survivors is probably as symptomatic as that of the many who ultimately did perish in Nazi concentration camps - chiefly among those the Kulturbund's charismatic founder Dr. Singer, who not only let himself deceive into returning to Germany after already having reached the safe shores of the U.S. but saw a mark of distinction even in his deportation to the "model" concentration camp of Theresienstadt.
   
   Yet, for Guenther and Rosemarie the years with the Kulturbund were dominated, above all, by the musical companionship they experienced. What does seem to have haunted them most for the rest of their lives, however, was their very escape to America, while their remaining family members were stuck in Europe and, one way or another, died in Hitler's concentration camps - and the feeling that with a little effort they just *might* have saved at least some of them. The letters of Alex Goldschmidt and his younger son Helmut, written to Guenther from captivity in France after their own unsuccessful attempt to flee to Cuba, are among the most chilling testimonials contained in this book; and the decision to translate and include them conceivably cannot have been an easy one for Goldsmith. Indeed, it apparently was the knowledge of his family's fate that, all talent and love of music aside, eventually compelled George Goldsmith to forever retire the flute which, in his life as Guenther Goldschmidt, had been the only item of true importance besides his beloved wife Rosemarie; thus punishing himself in a way no outsider could have done. Yet, the couple's gift for music lives on in their son, who in his own way has brought many hours of joy to radio listeners all over the U.S.
   
   Martin Goldsmith's "Inextinguishable Symphony" - named for Danish composer Carl Nielsen's Fourth Symphony, which sets music, as a parable for life itself, against war, terror and destruction - is as much a personal journey of discovery as a journalist's account of historic facts; seeking to understand rather than to judge. It deals with a time in which morality was thoroughly upset by a profoundly immoral regime, which cannot possibly have remained without effect on anybody who witnessed those events. In applying our own values to those facts, I think we would all do well in being careful to, likewise, make a thorough effort to understand before we judge. Goldsmith's insightful account is a great place to begin such a process.
   
   Also recommended:
   The Jewish Response to German Culture: From the Enlightenment to the Second World War (Tauber Institute)
   The Pianist
   WITNESS: Voices from the Holocaust
   Hitler
   Holocaust
   Conspiracy
   The NPR Listener's Encyclopedia of Classical Music
   The Beatles Come to America (Turning Points in History)



4. MG's story of his family during the early Nazi era is an unusual glimpse into the lives of German Jews during the period from 1933-1941. He writes about the Kulturbund, an organization created by the Nazis to (1) rid Germany of Jewish influence in the arts and (2) provide propaganda coverage of the maltreatment of Jews by the Third Reich.
   
   In my opinion the book is generally well written and seems to be the result of careful research. My one complaint is that MG frequently quotes conversations which I doubt have been recorded in any way. I don't like that in historical writing, but in this case I was willing to overlook it, because of my interest in the story.



5. My bookclub is entering into its Holocaust Month. Someone recommended this book to me last year and I thought, it sounded interesting enough to read. Interesting just barely describes this book. Haunting is more the word that I think of when I finished this book. Incredibly lucky are two more words.
   
   There are so many books out there about the Holocaust that it can be confusing sometimes to read what. This book definitely should be read simply because it's beautifully moving, tragically sad and not only that, it provides a different viewpoint of what happened during the early years of Nazihood in Germany and before the "Final Solution" was proposed to exterminate the Jews. This happened and I don't recall hearing much about any of this till I read this book. Before Hitler and Goring proposed the death camps and just while trying to get rid of Germany of the non-Aryan blood, they came up with a solution that provides entertainment and music/art/theater productions just for the Jews. This is a place for the Jews to retreat to. They were only allowed to play Jewish pieces written by Jewish artists/musicans. And they were left alone in the 30s and early 40s. Well, not quite completely left alone as they still had to follow the Nazi rules. But it was a place of refuge for the Jews, especially in Berlin.
   
   This book, while devoting a huge portion to the Kulturbund and its orgins, the author writes of his personal family history. His mother and father were musicans in the Kulturbund. And they suffered horrible tragedies as the war progressed over the years. However, they were young, in love and naive like a lot of people were. They did manage to escape Germany but they also managed to leave behind family members which have haunted them and their children even to this day. It is very intense reading at times and with hindsight on the reader's part, it is very hard to fathom their optimism that things will work out ok in the end. Not only that, this book brings up the question of whether or not the Kulturbund was good for the Jews or kept them compliant enough to keep them in Germany instead of escaping to other countries, so the Nazis could gas them too. This book is haunting and disturbing. The questions that the author may have unknowingly stirred are now raised in my mind ... and the answers are not easy to figure out.
   
   This is not your typical Holocaust book nor is it like the other books about the camps ~~ this book simply tells a tale of two musicans who were unfortunate to be caught up in the times that stirred Germany (and the world) ~~ but yet, their love of music has sustained them through the years before they left Germany. Are they heros? Not in the sense that we associate it with. They are more like survivors and like all survivors, they carry a burden of guilt that resounded through the years. But it is a book that honors the memory of those who were left behind in a time of turmoil that even today, still vibrates through the years.
   
   9-28-07

1 comments about 'Tis.

1. A most enjoyable follow up to his childhood memoir "Angela's Ashes", Frank McCourt, in "Tis", now lets us in on life as a poor young immigrant, trying to make his way in the jungle of NYC. Being told over and over, stick with your own kind(the Irish immigrants), Frank as is his nature, does things his own way, which don't always work out to well for him.
   
   When we last left off in Angela's Ashes, Frank had just arrived, eager for a new life in America(the place of his birth). Nothing seems to be going right for him. He is naive in the ways of the world, and learning some hard lessons.Still plagued by bad eyes and teeth, he lands a job, cleaning up in a hotel.He sees the college students, with their movie star smiles and looks, and yearns to be among them. With the war in Korea going on, Frank gets drafted and right away gets himself into trouble by just holding to his beliefs. Stuck as a company clerk, he masters the skill of typing! Later he manages to get into college,even without a High School diploma, which really speaks to his tenacity, and after much hard work between school and jobs requiring much physical labor, he graduates and becomes a teacher. He also somehow manages to marry the most beautiful girl, the envy of all in his college days.
   
   So now as an adult, with the responsibilities to his family and students, he makes us laugh and cry with the most wonderful funny and poignant stories of trying to learn the rules of life in New York, of being an employee, the military, a college student, a husband, and teacher.We are introduced to some new people that have affected his life in some way. He also goes back to Ireland to visit, and we are reintroduced to some of the people who shaped his early life. His mother is still very much a part of the story, and it is hard not to get emotionally involved with their relationship.
   
   We are still treated to his refreshing style of writing, in which he lets us in on all his thoughts, and subtly pokes fun at the ways of society and the system of life. It is the tone that is different. As well it should be. In "Angela's Ashes", we saw the hardships of life through the forgiving eyes of a child. It made that book maybe just a little more special. Now the look is that of first a frustrated young man, and then a more experienced adult. There are times, you may not like what he does or says, but this is his life story, and it is honest and life affirming.
   
   I'm very much looking forward to the third book of this beautiful memoir, "Teacher Man". If you loved Angela's Ashes, you will surely want to know what has become of Frankie McCourt. He will take you on more of his life's adventures,another enthralling read,and leave you smiling.....enjoy....Laurie

No comments about Go Forward With Faith Biography of Gordon B. Hinckley (audiobook).

5 comments about Living History.

1. A Memoir Review: Living History
   By Hillary Clinton
   
   Upon witnessing abridged television clips of Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign speeches, I made the ignorant assumption the Presidential hopeful was clueless: "she's the wife of a former President; based on what professional formation does she speak?" The impression was unjustifiable. I considered her candidacy an attempt to re-establish the family name given former President Bill Clinton's embarrassing impeachment. Politics, after all, is much more than meets the eye, and as I discovered via the woman's autobiographical memoir Living History, Hillary Rodham Clinton is certainly much more than meets the eye.
   
   My primary reason to pick up Clinton's book was to learn about her political career--nevertheless, the work covers her early life extensively. This is appropriate, and crucial to set the context of her years as an executive. The initial chapters are engaging: not only are they an insightful look into Hillary as a young woman, but also an insightful look at being an American youth in the sixties. Clinton's extensive resume is testament to her scholarly knowledge, and her presence behind the scenes at The White House contributes to an equally significant practical knowledge. Hearing of her pioneering speech at Wellesley College, the first student to have ever given a commencement address, her entry into the all-male Rose Law Firm, and her intertwining of typically hardball politics and compassionate child work made me recognize Hillary Rodham was bound for a high-profile political career long before meeting William Jefferson Clinton.
   
   Clinton's writing embodies humanistic qualities, as if she is still an accessible advocate for everyday hiring. This fact is emphasized by her commentary on routine activities, and her naming of each political associate with which she worked. This latter aspect truly fleshes out the memoir--regardless, the squat descriptions of her colleagues sound unappealingly phoney. Everybody in Arkansas seems to be a close friend of the couple: "As soon as Bill and I became a couple, they became friends of mine. And their sons became close to Chelsea" (Clinton 105). Speaking of partner Sara Ehrman, a member of Senator McGovern's legislative staff, "We sized each other up and decided we would enjoy the ride together, and it was the start of a friendship that endures today" (Clinton 60).
   
   Alluding to "businessman and longtime politico" Jim McDougal, he "was a character: charming, witty and eccentric as the day is long" (Clinton 87). Admiring former Mayor of Little Rock, "Webb Hubbell was a big, burly, likeable man" (Clinton 80). Referring to trip director Kelly Craighead, "she had a lot of insight, dedication and spunk." Clinton chooses three formulaic adjectives to describe each of her acquaintances, and the mechanical style soon becomes tedious. The technique corroborates the "safeness" of Clinton's autobiography: nothing shocking, nor a "tell-all"--simply reserved commentary of nationally and personally historic moments. Understandable, since she would be running for President six years later. In this sense, I do believe there were ulterior motives for the memoir's release; the 2003 year of publishing was opportunely timed for Clinton's 2008 candidacy. The latter stipulation supports my learning that a Presidential campaign begins as soon as one shakes hands with the lowest-ranking political official twenty years from an official convention, and that one's private life will be increasingly scrutinized and distorted.
   
   There is little mention of the financial burden statewide and national elections place on nominees, which I found surprising given Bill Clinton's numerous campaigns. This is insight I was looking forward to reading about, given its increasing importance in our visually driven and electronic society.
   
   Though I have not reached the chapters focussing on the infamous Whitewater scandal, nor her conversations with Eleanor Roosevelt, I have already changed my impression of Hillary Rodham Clinton: she is a well-informed Democrat, whose has consistently demonstrated her leadership skills. Clinton is an activist currently living in manner she has promoted all her life, literally living history.



2. For me, the book was particularly a big bore. It seems as though her autobiography is an attempt to glorify her years sidelined in the White House. The book can only be truly enjoyed by Hillary enthusiasts. I'm not a critic of Hillary Clinton, but specifically this book was written with very dry, shriveled style. If you'd like to read a decent biography of Hillary Clinton, I suggest Carl Bernstein's biography of her.



3. A very real, open look into the life of Hillary Rodham Clinton. She dares to be vulnerable in many areas of the book, while maintaining the class and dignity she is known for by her fans. A great read...I couldn't put it down.



4. Reading Hillary's book has given me a sense of the determination, courage, strengths AND faults of this strong woman.
   
   From her early days growing up in the Midwest, to her quest for leadership roles in Wellesley college and Yale law school, and her role in the Watergate impeachment investigation, as well as her days as first lady of Arkansas and the country, up until her role as senator in New York... this woman has been through a lot and has a lot of insight into this world.
   
   The only problem I had with reading this book is that you see that she did live (somewhat) in the shadow of her husband. I mean, he was the President; she was just the first lady. But you see that she tried to get involved in the issues she cared about, namely healthcare, which she continues to talk about in the 2008 election season.
   
   Hillary is an amazing woman. And her book is a great read too.



5. What kind of president would she make if she has to rely on obama to pay off her debts?! If elected it will give us over twenty years with the same two families in the White House, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton... God help us!

No comments about I Am Alive!: A United States Marine's Story of Survival in World War II Japanese POW Camp.

No comments about Red Scarf Girl: A Memoir of the Cultural Revolution.

5 comments about Anatomy of Greed: The Unshredded Truth from an Enron Insider.

1. I thought Mr. Cruver did a spectacular job bringing an insider's perspective to this story. Nice work.



2. Cruver worked on the trading floor as part of a new business group at Enron and his account in "Anatomy of Greed", built around his firsthand experience, offers a look at the company from within the ranks. This is combined with personal elements of his life, with reflections on corporate responsibility, employee relationships, and company policy. The result has something for everyone: those curious about Enron, involved in debates about what corporate ethics, or just interested in the financial slight of hand played by the buisness.
   
   Cruver begins by describing how he came to work for Enron. We are also given an introduction to how work was structured at Enron and a look at the infamous "rank and yank" employee review system.
   
   Cruver avoids most technical details on the financial wrong doings. A minor complaint is that Cruver doesn't go deeper into the financials. To really understand the nuts and bolts of Enron's version of Off Balance Sheet Accounting I suggest Conspiracy of Fools: A True Story by Kurt Eichenwald. If you are still curious about how it works read Hidden Financial Risk: Understanding Off Balance Sheet Accounting by J. Edward Ketz.
   
   The failure of Enron left over 4,000 people without jobs, and wiped out 20,000 employees and retirees savings and pensions. The company ended up owing over $65 billion dollars. And Ken Lay, as chief executive office, a man once admired, was charged with fraud by federal prosecutors.
   
   Enron is nicely laid out and has obviously been carefully edited.



3. Most readers will know that Enron was once the 7th largest company in the world. The same readers will know that its corporate collapse destroyed many lives. Those of us fortunate enough to be observing from afar wondered why, and how this could happen.
   
   There are a number of lessons to be learned from reading this book. The first, perhaps, is that corporate values are only words that need to be given meaning through congruent corporate actions. There was nothing wrong with Enron's actual stated corporate values : 'Respect, Integrity, Communication and Excellence'. The corporate culture was simultaneously fatally flawed yet deeply attractive on a number of levels to ambitious recruits. The frenetic activity and apparent corporate energy served to mask a great many flaws in accounting, accountability and risk management.
   
   Brian Cruver worked in Enron during its last year. His book is well worth reading by those with an interest in business ethics as well as those who need to be reminded of the consequence of failure of risk management.
   
   Hihgly recommended.
   
   Jennifer Cameron-Smith



4. Midway through Anatomy of Greed, as author Brian Cruver described the increasingly bizarre mood on the Enron trading floor after the company imploded, I began imagining this memoir as the basis for a very funny HBO movie. All the elements are there, particularly the farcical nature of life at the company as it went under.
   
   Mr. Cruver is to be commended for conveying the mentality of Enron, and all the hubris that came with it. That is, I think, the ultimate value of the book: as a testament to the culture of this company. And he doesn't shy away from a bit of personal indictment, recounting for example how he decided to - after being laid off - leave his utility bills, unpaid, at his desk.
   
   This is not the book to turn to for a definitive account of all that Enron did. Cruver is a bit too junior and a bit too late to the game. His account of Enron's many crimes is based on other sources.
   
   Some parts of the book are a bit disappointing. I was let down by his treatment of Enron's role in the California energy crisis, which basically reproduces the company's (now discredited) official line. He doesn't say anything about the vicious energy traders who monkeyed with energy prices, causing blackouts in the process. Nor does he mention Jeff Skilling's infamous joke about California. This is a shame, since Enron probably did more harm to California than it did to its own employees.
   
   Nor did I think the scenes with Cruver and his psychiatrist added much.
   
   The scenes I will take away from this book will probably be the conversations that Cruver had with his Wall Street friend Bickers. Bickers, a college classmate, periodically called Cruver up to ply him for inside information; Cruver would disinterestedly fend off his inquiries. It's truly frightening to think that Bickers would, in turn, use these conversations - between himself and someone who had bought hook, line, and sinker into the Enron Kool-Aid - as a basis for investment recommendations. Something to think about when you invest for yourself.



5. Brian Cruver has an axe to grind, but not where you would think. Cruver, a former Enron employee, takes aim at the corporate culture which led to the downfall of Enron (as well as Adelphia, Global Crossings and others).
   
   Though Cruver is on the inside of Enron at the time of its collapse, it is hard to term him an "insider." Instead, Cruver provides an even more valuable viewpoint - that of man standing at the precipice staring into the amoral abyss of corporate greed. Unlike his character of "Mr. Blue" he does not fall into that abyss. Cruver himself states that unlike Jeffrey Wigand there was no "heroic" insider in the Enron tragedy. Instead (and unfortunately), Cruver provides a sterling ethical post-mortem of the corproate greed which was Enron's undoing.
   
   The narration by Mel Foster is astounding. Foster speaks in Cruver's voice - accentuating humor, irony, and outrage. Foster is utterly engaging to the point that in the narration when you just know that person on the phone calling Cruver is his friends Bickers, you say "Duuude" in a New York accent in unison with Foster (Bickers typical greeting for Cruver).
   
   This book is highly recommended and should be required reading in any business and accounting class.