5 comments about Five Chimneys: The Story of Auschwitz.

1. We know it happened; many of us have read books by others on the same subject--and yet it is hard to believe what went on. People gassed and tossed into ovens (even though some weren't even completely dead...) Then you've got your so-called Dr. Mengele who performed castrations on patients (male as well as female) without anesthetics. It goes on. It's gut-churning, but needs to be read. Because if we don't read about what happened, and if we don't see films about it--not only to honor all the innocent who were murdered (six million of the Jewish faith, and another six million non-Jewish), but as a reminder to remain vigil, keep alert...because you've got wannabe little Hitler jerks all over the place who'd love to do a re-peat of what their sorry and confused, not to mention mentally imbalanced "hero" set out to accomplish back in the 1940s--and, thankfully failed.
   
   Makes you wonder what Olga Lengyel's life was like after she survived her ordeal. How do you go on, knowing that your husband, your two kids and both of your parents were senselessly slaughtered? How was she able to endure?
   
   I read somewhere that she died a few years back. Not much else about her on the internet.
   All I can say is read the book--and pass it on to someone else.
   
   R.I.P.



2. I was captured by this book. It is amazing what the human body and mind can endure. Also appalling what horrors humans can put upon each other. I was afraid it would be too graphic or depressing but it was quite the opposite. You get a very good idea of what it was like, i.e., the point is made. This book is a lesson about civilization and I could not put it down.



3. One of the top few books I've read about the holocaust. Riveting. Couldn't put it down. One of those "stories" that really hook you - you can't wait to see what happens next and you're a little horrified that you're reading it so avidly and enjoying it. At the same time you feel such sadness for the people who lived (and didn't) through it.



4. Incredible book! Can't stop reading once you start. This books is the prove "THIS SHOULD NEVER HAPPEN AGAIN!!!" Very heartbreaking. It will change your life.



5. This review is based on the original (1947) edition. Let's focus on some seldom-developed issues.
   
   Large numbers of Polish clergy were sent to Auschwitz in the early years of the camp. However, Lengyel reports many more arriving in 1944 (pp. 108-110). They were often put to death immediately; the remainder being subject to degrading humiliations and tortures. Polish children were frozen to death (p. 210) and mostly Polish women were used by the Germans for vivisection experiments. (p. 176) Ironically, the Germans forgot their racism when they included the use of Jewish blood for transfusions to save the lives of wounded German soldiers. (p. 176)
   
   Recent claims that Jews and homosexuals were consistently treated the most harshly are fallacious. Lengyel says: "It would be difficult to say which of the internees were treated worst. Most of us, whether political, racial, or criminal prisoners, were reduced to existence on the animal level. But the Jews and the Russians were treated cruelly. On the other hand, the German internees, whether common-law criminals, perverts, or political prisoners, benefited from certain privileges. They provided large numbers of the camp functionaries; and, no matter what their duties, were never chosen in the dreaded `selection'." (p. 44) In fact, homosexuals were also victimizers: "The prisoners, men or women, were frequently abused by the German barrack leaders, among whom was a high percentage of homosexuals and other perverts." (p. 185) The camp "beasts" included Irma Griese, an SS woman (p. 40) and bisexual, who forced her way on female inmates and then disposed of them when she got tired of them. (pp. 185-186)
   
   Lengyel describes the Sonderkommando revolt, as well as the escape of a Polish inmate with his Jewess lover (pp. 124). Unfortunately, the SS uniforms that they had stolen fooled the Germans for only a few weeks.
   
   Once finished with the Jews, the Germans intended to do the same to the Slavs. After describing gruesome experiments designed to perfect mass-sterilization methods (pp. 177-179), Lengyel comments: "Once we asked an Aryan German inmate, a former social worker, for the basic reason for the sterilization and castration. Before his captivity he had been active in German politics and had known many eminent people. He told us that the Germans had a geopolitical reason for these experiments. If they could sterilize all non-German people still alive after their victorious war, there would be no danger of new generations of `inferior' peoples. At the same time, the living populations would be able to serve as laborers for about thirty years. After that time, the German surplus population would need all the space in these countries, and the `inferiors' would perish without descendants." (pp. 179-180)

5 comments about Fallen Founder: The Life of Aaron Burr.

1. Since my basic criticism of this work has been ably represented by a number of other reviewers, there is no reason to belabor the obvious. Isenberg's attempt to give a contrarian viewpoint on Burr is botched by her obvious and blind prejudice towards her subject, resulting in an equally obvious and one-sided condemnation of every other figure of the time. You cannot raise a person by distorting facts to make everyone else look worse.
   
   It is a shame. A revisionist biography of Burr is needed and parts of this book are quite interesting. However, I found myself more and more prejudiced against Burr, ironically, the more unfairly Isenberg trashed other actors and ignored or misused facts.
   
   Take a copy from a library and read, but don't waste your money. And read with a high skepticism.



2. That is, in conjunction with other works such as Chernow's on Hamilton. My most wasted hours in High School were the idealized histories taught about the founder's. This book, and others, tell a much more compelling story of American History that our young people should hear.
   
   To the book itself: Burr like many of the prominent men (and women) of the late 18th Century, was ambitious. I believe the author focuses her thesis to strenuously on protraying Mr. Burr as a heroic victim (partly due to his early progressive-feminist beliefs), but this may be necessary to break the negative mind-set so ingrained in conventional history. The reader must also parse the "could have been" and "one could assume that" kind of statements where the author is conjecturing based on limited factual information. These opinions are where the "Rose-colored glasses" come in to play, however, there is compelling evidence supporting her argument without these interpretations adding dubious gloss to his reputation.
   
   The author does a tremendous job shedding light on the early politics and rancor that that suffused our country at its birth, and set the stage for the Civil War.
   
   Another highlight is the cavalier way in which rumor was disseminated by the press which makes one cognizant of how far Journalism has come (except, maybe, for the NY Times, and parts of the internet), and it's still great influence on the country. Imagine the impact the internet would have had on the election of 1800. It would have been interesting blogging indeed.
   
   Overall, the factual information in the face of the conventional historical interpretation of Burr, as well as the little known actions of otherwise revered founders in all their vindictiveness, ruthlessness and greed is worth the read.
   
   You don't have to buy into Dr. Isenberg's positive characterization of Burr to enjoy this book, but, if you truly idealize Jefferson and Hamilton, you may get a little indigestion along the way.
   



3. The myth of evil Aaron Burr is not the only myth demolished here. The larger myth of our founding fathers as philosophers and statesmen of an extraordinary stature has long dominated. These men who led the American Revolution were fighting to avoid taxes and other responsibilities in the British Empire which nurtured and protected them. They were not fighting for liberty although they claimed that. As Samuel Johnson queried: whence the talk of liberty from the drivers of slaves?
   
   Our Jeffersons and the rest were often partisan pipsqueaks, no better than Aaron Burr. They sought power and would resort to any scheme to do in their rivals and opponents. This myth of the providential and wonderful United States needs demolition and Ms. Isenberg, though her purposes are rather more narrow, has accomplished this quite well.



4. Much like other reviewers, I find that Isenberg's attempt at classifying Burr as a "Founder" fall a little short.
   The value of this study lies in the authors research and presentation of Burr's life before his arrival on the National scene of politics. The account of Burr's early political life gives a us glimpse of a gifted, progressive lawyer and brilliant orator. A man with so much flare for the dramatic that he stood apart from his contemporaries in a day and age where bombastic debate was the norm.
   With some deeper analysis we can also see that much of Burr's erratic and treachorous political maneuvering were inappropirate only for the day and age. Burr's ability to continously "play the middle" and make himself accessible to whatever faction served his interest can not help but remind us of modern politics. His progressive methods of campaigning and election strategy were foreign and seemingly "dirty" in the days of the disinterested politician. Perhaps it was Burr, more than any other character of the generation, that possesed the clairvoyance and foresight to understand what politics would become.
   Isenberg's constant attempts at exonerating Burr become tiresome and at some points it appears as if the author is grasping at straws. Nowhere is this more evident than in the authors attempt at clarifying Burr's intentions and motives for his ill-fated foray in the American West. Just as Isenberg seems to uncover a legitimate argument that pardons Burr's behavior, she digs up (unintentionally) another issue that repudiates her previous attempt.
   I might also add that I was disappointed in Isenberg's treatment of "the Duel". While this particualr incident has been studied ad nauseum, this book seemingly glosses over the interview at Weehawken.
   Though there has been a historic "piling on" of Aaron Burr, it is not without validity. Burr fits best in his role of ideological foil to the majority of the Founding generation. His personality and behaviors do not lend themselves to the portrait of Burr as casualty of conspiracy and political martyr.
   While it drags at times, this book is a pretty good read and excellent counter balance to the popular view of one of America's most fascinating villains.
   I would recommend that any student of early American politics and history give this work a read.



5. Poor Aaron Burr. For all of his adult life he was picked on, first in the Continental Army, then by the evil Federalists, and later even by those in his own, Republican, party. All because he was smarter, nicer, more urbane, and more progressive than they were. At every chance they were mean to him (history doesn't record whether they ever tried giving him a wedgie) and accused him of all sorts of terrible things for no good reason. And don't get me started on the worst bully of them all, Alexander Hamilton, who spent his every waking hour thinking of ways to ruin poor little Aaron, culminating in Hamilton's devious plan to trick Burr into killing him in a duel, thereby ensuring that it was his puss and not Burr's that would be on the ten dollar bill. Clever, that Hamilton.
   
   That pretty much sums up this book. At every available chance, no matter how strained, the author goes out of her way to make personal attacks on Burr's critics and to defend - heck, to deify - him. Either Burr didn't do what the meanies said he did, or if he did do it, well, everyone else was doing it too. Is she right? Darned if I know, I wasn't there, but after a while the constant praising of Burr gets pretty annoying. Isenberg would have made a stronger case for Burr if she'd come across as at least a little bit objective, but I guess it just wasn't in her. She simply couldn't miss an opportunity to paint him as one greatest of the Founding Fathers.
   
   What's that you say? He wasn't a Founder, great or otherwise? Well, let's see . . . Declaration of Independence? Nope, wasn't within miles; that was mostly that ingrate Jefferson's doing. Constitutional convention? No, Burr must have been busy that summer, maybe he had reservations at the shore. The ratifying convention in his own state, New York? He apparently had "other priorities," as a more recent vice-president would someday say. So why the book's title? Got me, she doesn't say. Maybe her editor just liked the alliteration.
   
   The book contains a lot of information, about Burr of course but also about the era and the other people of it, but the deeper I got into it the harder it was to give credence to anything the author said, given how obvious she was in defending Burr and assailing his critics. The book isn't totally worthless, but I'm sure you can find some other book that's more deserving of your time.

5 comments about Breaking Back: How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life.

1. Let me preface my comments by saying that Blake is one of my favorite tennis players. After having watched (and enjoyed) him in so many matches I was very interested in what he might reveal about himself in this book. While Blake certainly hasn't missed his calling by not being a professional writer, he nonetheless has crafted a readable and entertaining first effort with "Breaking Back." I was immediately engaged as I began reading this book because of Blake's relentless honesty - with regard to himself, the game, and the important people in his life. No pretense here. Blake isn't trying to impress, he's trying to convey a message about love, loss, and redemption; and in his own way he accomplishes his goal in an effective and emotionally touching way. To state the obvious, all of us either have or will face various adversities in life of one kind or another. But few of us will lose as much as James did, and even fewer will become stronger and better people for having undergone the experience. To summarize: A sudden convergence of events in Blake's life mounted a remorseless attack on everything that held meaning for him. Lesser men would have fallen, but Blake dug deep and he fought back. He overcame. And we're all better for it because he chose to share the experience with us. When I turned the last page of this book I was thankful to have spent some time with this gifted and special young man. As he relates, he has a number of close friends. I'd like to be one of them. Whatever his faults, this man has qualities that made his parents proud, as they should have been. And you'll be a better person for having invited James Blake into your life through a reading of this moving memoir.



2. This is a refreshing and inspirational story, one that leaves your mouth open as you witness and experience the challenges that Blake went through, as well as leave you with a smile and a pump of the fist as he slowly and steadily built himself back up. Most people would not overcome such devastating life experiences in such quick succession, at least not as well as he did. But this was what Blake did when, after he broke his neck, lost his father to cancer and came down with zoster, he was able to climb back in the rankings and do better than he had ever done before, winning two titles (he had only won one previous tournament in his career) and getting to the quarterfinals of the US Open, catapulting himself to a ranking of 23 from a low of 210 in 2005, then to 4th by the end of 2006 (with an additional 5 tournaments).
   
   This is an up front and honest account of Blake's personal life, bringing the reader into a world that is hard to understand. We get to see some of the inner workings of the tour, as well as some of what tennis pros go through in their day to day life, but not too much.
   
   This is, of course, not meant to be a day to day memoir of his experiences on the tennis court. Some may pick this up thinking they will get to read about tennis a lot more than is present, but this was never Blake's intention. After all, the subtitle of his book is "How I Lost Everything and Won Back My Life". So instead of a book crammed full with tennis thoughts on matches and other players, we get to witness through Blake's words what he went through, starting with where he came from and going through where he eventually got to at the end of 2006. It is clear that it was his father who played such a huge role in his life and this biography is an homage to him. Additionally, Blake reiterates how much of an impact his coach had on him through his philosophic style of coaching.
   
   I think this is definitely the way to go, besides not straying from what he intended to write upon, and has helped paint a picture of himself that is sure to gain him many fans and inspire many more. His writing is easy and enjoyable and flows from beginning to end. I've always been a fan of Blake, even before I knew what had happened to him in 2004, and after reading Breaking Back I am an even bigger fan. I definitely recommend this book to any interested.
   
   4 stars.



3. This is by far a must read for any person. Realizing the hardships and injuries for Mr. Blake to overcome is incredible. The best part about reading his book is the way you view life and to understand everything happens for the best.
   
   Towards the end of the book there is a chapter on his friends who he calls the J-BLOCK. People would kill to have something like that Today, and the best part about it is he is so great full to be where he is today.



4. Interesting, inspiring, uplifting story. Reminds us that there are still a lot of GOOD people in this world.
   
   A good and enjoyable lesson for people of all ages, athletes and couch potatoes alike. After reading, you will be a James Blake fan, even if you have never seen a tennis match.



5. The most boring tennis book I ever read.I bought almost every single tennis book Amazon has to offer, and this one is by far the dullest one.This book is not aimed at the serious tennis player.You'll learn nothing new from it.It's just a personal journal where he keeps trying to take the focus away from tennis. The only conclusion I arrived to is that Blake's life without tennis is boring as hell.

5 comments about Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford.

1. For readers familiar with the Tudor saga, this book is little more than a retelling. Author Fox tries oh-so-hard to convince us that she has new information and a fresh point of view, but she doesn't. I grew tired of reading passage after passage like this: "We don't know if Jane was a guest at the [INSERT EVENT]. But if she had been, she would have feasted on [INSERT FOOD] and rubbed elbows with [INSERT NAMES]." A big disappointment!



2. I enjoyed Ms. Fox's writing style. She does a good job of converting non-fictional material into a fictional-style telling of a story. However, the editing is HORRIBLE! By the time you get through wordy lines of text, poorly placed commas and interjected "by the way" thoughts, you've forgotten the intent of the sentence. Had the editor used more periods, the flow would have been easier to establish.



3. I agree with several of the other reviewers. It was a rehash of Tudor history with Jane being inserted into it. I quit after the 3rd chapter. Very disappointed!



4. I will admit that I know absolutely nothing about Jane Boleyn, the infamous wife of George Boleyn, other than what I've read about her in historical fiction books. This book pique my interest because I wanted to learn more about the woman who sent her husband and his sister to their deaths based on her testimony. Julia Fox worked to disabuse the reader of the old legends/myths that still prevail today.
   
   Jane Boleyn is a book written about a woman that Fox presumably did her research on. How much of this is historically accurate, I don't know. At this point, I don't care because this book was interesting and fascinating. Not only did Fox tell the story of Lady Rochford, she explained customs and ceremonies that went on in the Tudor times. Here is a woman of some means married to a man whose rising star was linked with his sister, who the king favored. This is a woman who danced with the king's own sister and his wives and attended to them during their years of being the king's wives. This is a woman who survived the great fall of the Boleyns and managed to escape the king's wrath till she overstepped her bounds with his fifth wife, Kitty Howard. Then she met her end, ironically like her husband's.
   
   This book disabuses of the popular notion that George Boleyn hated his wife and that she was a horror to those around her. She was a young noblewoman who was caught up in the schemes of more powerful men than her. Even her father, a respected peer of the realm couldn't save her. This is a woman who was in the midst of the court for many years and who kept her counsel wisely to herself. Fox just merely reconstructed her to show her argument that this is a woman who fought to survive those tumultous years in Henry's court and managed to slip up at the end only because of her inclination to help Kitty Howard. Fox presented the argument that Jane couldn't deny her queen and thus willing was sent to her death simply because she served her queen.
   
   It is a very interesting perspective on this woman and definitely enlightening. It is also a very fast-paced read and if there were a lot of grammatical errors, I didn't pay much attention to them. However, there is one thing that I did notice about this author's writing style, she tends to repeat herself several times in a chapter. That did get annoying after awhile, but not to rate it any less than a four star. It is very enlightening and entertaining reading. It gives a fresh perspective of what it is like to be an outsider of the royal marriages and still be privy to those secrets.
   
   5/27/08



5. Like others have said this is just a re-hash of Henry VIII and his wives. I would have enjoyed it if this was all it was about because it has so little of actual "Jane" in it that it's amazing to me that it's titled that way. There are just interruptions of: "Jane MAY have been there..." "Jane MIGHT have heard that..." "Jane MAY have thought..." I can't believe the publisher ever let this get through. What "true story" is she writing about if there isn't anything certain to tell? I skimmed and put it down. Truly disappointing.

5 comments about Hell's Angel: The Life and Times of Sonny Barger and the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club.

1. Ordered two books from Amazon. This review is for the 1st of the two. Order was relatively low priced. Delivery and shipment was good. Still reading and loving the book.



2. and a book about Satanic Architecture. But I didn't see any pictures of the Devil's House so I was disappointed. Anyway these guys are pretty scrungy. I wouldn't want the job of washing their underwear. Boy I bet they stink.
   
   The author was on a lot of drugs so I don't know how true his recollections are. Anyway .....
   
   I remember when I was living in West LA during the Iranian Hostage Crisis. One day Iranian supporters - mostly from Beverly Hills mansions - marched down Wilshire Blvd in support of Iran. They were beat up by a mob of motorcycle gangs, little old ladies from Pasadena, and irate Mexicans before they got very far. The cops stood by and laughed and cheered. The one time the Law and the Angels were on the same side. But I thought that was pretty cool.
   
   I liked the parts in the book where they stomped Anti-War hippies in Berkeley and beat up fans at a Rolling Stones concert.
   
   There is some justice and pay back - and so I guess they are kind of tarnished angels. But as bad as they are, they are a hell of lot better than the rich jerks that ship US jobs overseas just so we can all eat poison Chinese vitamins. (Some day the Chinese will make poison Harleys with tires that explode after 10 miles).



3. The microcosm birth of the Hell's Angels motorcycle club evolved in the Fontana/ San Bernardino, California area on April 1957. Ralph Robert Barger,(Sonny) who was only 19 years old, was the founder and leader of the Hell's Angels San Bernardino motorcycle club.
   
   Sonny Barger's book, "Hell's Angel" is the only authorized, genuine story about the, sometimes, but not always, controversial motorcycle club founded by the author himself.
   
   In reading, "Hell's Angel," the reader might disagree, agree and perhaps even sympathize with the story and history of the Hell's Angels' motorcycle club. More often than not different law enforcement agencies classified the Hell's Angels as a `criminal organization' for usurping the American legal system.
   
   It is up to the reader to make his or her own assessment whether those law enforcement agencies were correct in their judgment of the Hell's Angels; or if they were prejudiced in their appraisal of the motorcycle club (MC).
   
   Many believe the original Angels were members of the U.S. Army's 11th Airborne Division; an elite group of paratroopers trained to rain death on the enemy from above, drifting in behind the lines of battle.
   "They called themselves the Hells Angels because they flew on silk wings into hell itself, bringing a brutal hope for peace with 20 pounds of TNT strapped to each leg. The nickname was a badge of honor, a mark of invincibility, a wartime emblem pointing out the toughest of the tough. It was a totem to ward off the worst."
   
   "A handful of those original Hells Angels, and many other returning soldiers who had awakened to the nightmare of war, found it difficult to settle into the half-sleep of the American Dream. After living on the edge so long, they found only a depressing fatalism and monotony in jobs, family, mortgages, and college, suburbia and cookie-cutter houses with white-picket fences." And so they joined the MC.
   
   According to Sonny Barger, "The Hell's Angels is an organization; a group of people, who get together to ride motorcycles and have fun, and go to parties." "... Just because certain people in the Hell's Angels have committed crimes in the past does not make the organization a criminal organization."
   
   Under Barger's guidance, the Hells Angels chapters came together, hammering out bylaws, codes of conduct, outlawing the practice of using drugs, choosing patches, colors, tattoos and clubhouses. The Hell's Angel's made sure that no one used their "Patch" who had not been accepted in the MC, or who were not worthy of their motorcycle club. The MC is a close-knit motorcycle club who not only fights to preserve the dignity of their "Patch," but take care, protect, and stand by one another to the fullest.
   
   There were other motorcycle clubs, throughout the United States, who not only rivaled the Hell's Angels but tried to outdo them as well. However, law enforcement organizations did not excoriated those motorcycle clubs as they hammered the anvil of law enforcement against the Hell's Angels.
   
   The Hell's Angel reputation crashed into the public consciousness in 1954 when Marlon Brando starred in "The Wild One," a Hollywood sensation inspired by the rumble at Hollister.
   
   All the while, the Hell's Angels boldness more than irritated all types of law enforcement. And in the late 1970s and early 1980s, the government tried to pin an official organized crime label on the group, trying to prosecute the Hells Angels under laws originally designed to combat the Mafia. The alleged violations of racketeering, influence and corrupt organization (RICO) laws, however, were never proved, with two hung juries that were unable to decide on 38 of 44 separate charges.
   There were many high-profile accusations, arrests and acquittals - suggesting either the Angels are slippery or that police like to arrest them despite flimsy evidence. Many believe the truth lies between both theories.
   
   George Christie, longtime president of the Ventura, Calif., chapter, who is considered Barger's second-in-command and likely successor; admits the Hell's Angels are "not monks." Nevertheless, he insists that if they were as bad as police allege, they would've been jailed and disbanded years ago." George Christi adds, "...cops chase Angels because Angels are easy to chase. Finding real criminals is much tougher, and would require investigative initiative beyond pulling over every biker wearing the infamous winged death's-head."
   
   For their part, the Angels continue to deny all criminal charges, and in 1998 happily celebrated their 50th anniversary.
   The Angels have grown, in the past 50 years, to include many chapters in the United States, a presence in many countries and a worldwide membership estimated in the thousands.
   
   I recommend, to the interested reader, Sonny Barger's book, "Hell's Angel" before reading any other books, or magazine articles on the subject of the famous motorcycle club; The Hell's Angels.



4. Since he was old enough to wander out onto the streets of Oakland, California, Ralph "Sonny" Barger has done things his own way, viewing the world from his unique, American blue collar perspective. In his work Hells Angel, Sonny shares his life and opens the door to the world of the Outlaw Biker. It's as though the whole biker thing evolved as Sonny evolved, and these days Mr. Barger is held in the highest esteem as the premier elder statesman of the biker world.
   
   And why shouldn't he be? He's certainly earned it. After a life of living on the razor's edge, including drugs, beautiful women, police harassment, hard prison time, fast motorcycles, and keeping a club comprised of some of the most notorious and colorful individuals on the same page, anyone who considers himself a biker knows who Sonny is. If he doesn't, then he's not really a biker, he's one of the legion of wannabes that puts on a make believe patch, somehow trying to emulate what Sonny Barger and a few other hard cases started back in the day.
   
   I read this book coming away with the feeling of what it might be like to view the world from the Outlaw Biker perspective. I learned that many these free spirited men served their country with distinction, have conservative values of family and friends, and actually live the kind of freedom that so many in the non-1%er world fear, yet envy from the safety of their easy chairs.
   
   This book provided what I was looking for and more, and after reading it for the third time I still come away with the same feeling. Hats off to Sonny Barger for giving us a non-apologetic and in-your-face rendition of his turbulent life and times, and a glimpse of the Outlaw Biker world. This book is highly recommended.



5. Having grown up in the San Francisco Bay Area during the '60s and early '70s I became aware of the Hells Angels when members of the San Jose chapter trounced a friend of mine for coming back into an Angel hangout (bar) after they'd suggested (strongly) that he leave.
   
   A Hispanic car club, the "Royal Coachmen" (also out of San Jose) was shut down by the Angels when its numbers became a concern for the HAMC. Even then the Angels wielded a great deal of "underground" power and influence, as so well described in Barger's book.
   
   "Hell's Angel" is very subtle as to the shift of the club's direction which is described by Barger upon careful reading. Back in the day the Angels were unsophisticated in their tactics and techniques, and loosely organized. They were also very rough around the edges. Today the club is an incorporated organization with global wide chapters and affiliates, a strong legal network for its members and properties/enterprises, and very much the focus of international law enforcement on a daily basis.
   
   However, I knew the Angels had changed dramatically since the 60s when in Los Angeles on business in the early 90s I ran into two full patch members of the club at a nightspot on Hollywood Blvd. They were clean cut, well groomed, and their "colors" looked as if they'd come out of the dry cleaners that day. As I was leaving and was a bit ahead of them I held the door to the club open and both offered "Thank you" as they passed by.
   
   Yep, the early days as described in detail by Ralph "Sonny" Barger are now long ago lore where the Red & White is concerned.
   
   Barger makes no excuses about the criminal activities he's been involved with and convicted of. His is a well written, graphic memory of the Hells Angels with a look into the future of this organization coming from the man who created it. A "must read" for any law enforcement officer who deals with the 1% outlaw biker subculture - and who wants to be successful as an OMG investigator in terms of background and research.
   
   Finally, with Ruben "Doc" Cavazos' new book on himself as a Mongol and international president of the Mongols - one of seveal arch rivals of the Hells Angels - it is interesting to compare Barger to Cavazos in terms of their backgrounds, upbringing, and commitment to their chosen ways of life at the head of two of the Big Six outlaw motorcycle clubs globally.
   
   Say what you will, Cavazos is no Sonny Barger when it comes to old school outlaw values and traditions, and he is certainly not even in the same class when it comes to organizational abilities and vision.
   
   Hunter Thompson pegged Sonny Barger best in his own legendary best seller on the Angels - a companion book to Barger's tome that is likewise must reading for the best possible view of the brotherhood that is the Hells Angels.

4 comments about Bowerman and the Men of Oregon: The Story of Oregon's Legendary Coach and Nike's Cofounder.

1. Even though I am a big track and field fan, and I even went to the NCAA National T & F Championship meet at Oregon in 1962, I never realized how big an influence Bill Bowerman was on his athletes and on the whole state of Oregon.
   
   This well-researched volume gives the reader a true understanding of Bowerman-the-man, his roots and his impact on Oregon society. It was a wonderful read and an inspiring personal journey.



2. Bowerman was one of the best XC and Track coaches in the Nation. His story is captured in this books and tells remarkable tales of his life that will live in distance runners hearts for years to come. This is a must get book and is much better than any other book even Running with the Buffalos. Dont pass this book up!!!



3. This is one of the first biographies that I could not put down. Bowerman was so much more than a running coach. This is a must read for any runner.



4. This is an invaluable read for anyone involved with coaching. The first chapters on Bowerman's ancestors also offer some insights into Oregon life in the small towns in the late 1800's early 1900's. Finally, the book is well written and easy to read. All around a worthwhile experience!

5 comments about Mao's Last Dancer.

1. Li Cunxin has had a somewhat different life. He was almost doomed to obscurity like the vast majority of people in this world, living the life of a poor peasant in rural China, but for a stroke of luck when his teacher suggested him as a potential ballet student. This changed his life from one type of hardship to another with markedly different challenges, but one which left him lonely, confused about the dogma he had so wholeheartedly embraced and geographically isolated from his family.
   
   It is interesting to read as the young man goes from blind adoration of Chairman Mao and all the things that come with Communism, to a dawning awakening that the West is not the den of inequity that he has been led to believe. But is is the latter half of the book that has led me to offer 4 stars instead of 5 - I felt it was a little rushed, especially his well publicised defection, and efforts to settle in the west and raise a family. I guess we in the West are more interested in his early struggling years, but the challenges he faced as an adult are nonetheless fascinating.
   
   There is no doubt that this is a sincere and amazing story. It is written with a wry humour that makes the tales of wrenching poverty readable (I have no desire to ever taste dried yams!), and gives us an interesting insight into how difficult life was in China under Communism. Mr Li seems a happy and settled man now with a lovely family - I would say he has had a fair fight to get there.



2. I found that the first part of the book seemed endlessly depressing, the poverty and constant lack of food and near starvation was so overwhelming. But it was such an eye opener and I learnt much about a subject that I knew little about and it made me want to learn more.
   
   I thought that his personal presistence, drive and ambition was truly inspiring and an insight into the hard work and what it takes to be amoung the best in world, which I am sure is true in any sphere.
   
   His experience of living in the west and his decision to defect seemed in someways quite selfish but so understandable, but as an artist he had an overwhelming desire to be free to express himself which I think was as much to do with his decision as the desire to live a 'western' way of life. He was after all left almost friendless and without his family, I don't think he would have necessarily defected had he not wanted to dance and be the best in the world.
   
   After the early part of the book and the hardship he and his family had suffered it was a lovely feel-good warm ending and he well deserves all his success.
   
   It is not a greatly written book, but it is a really great story and a good read.



3. I am really enjoying this book, only have a few pages left. The glimpse into third world China from an entirely new perspective, those of the eyes of a young boy during Mao's regime who overcomes incredible odds as a dancer, is
   inspiring. A little slow but well written and thoroughly enjoyable.



4. I just finished this book today and it seemed like moments!
   
   Taking us from the traditional and superstitious marriage of his mother and father, the unimaginable poverty and oppression of China under Mao's communist rule, the one in a billion break to be a participant of Mrs. Mao's dance school, the extreme discipline of that school, defection to America, rejection by his country, and finally to the reuniting with his family; Li tells his life story in a colorful, sometimes humorous way that will make us appreciate the great riches and freedoms we take for granted.
   
   Descriptive, thought provoking, and extremely impacting, "Mao's Last Dancer" most certainly will not be a disappointment.



5. This book rates highly on my list. The determination this young boy had to succeed is outstanding. And the love he has for his family is heart-warming.
   
   Growing up in poverty in China, he was given an opportunity to become one of China's dancers. Although he had no desire to become a dancer, his mother said it was a great opportunity for him to make something of his life, and not become a labourer like the rest of his family, working for next to nothing to support his family.
   
   He trained long and hard, and the physical strain on his body was demanding. But the love he had for his mother saw him through all the pain. He just wanted to make her happy, and make her proud of him.
   
   He ended up becoming one of China's best dancers, and had the opportunity to train in the US.
   
   You don't have to enjoy dancing to love this book, because its not about dancing. Its about the determination to succeed.
   
   For anybody who has thought of "giving up", whatever the situation, this book will hopefully help you succeed in your endevors.

5 comments about Can't Buy Me Love: The Beatles, Britain, and America.

1. Keen insight abounds in this brilliant Beatles book. The descriptions and analysis of the music and lyrics really does make the reader rehear The Beatles anew. A seeming impossibility all these years on.
   Bravo on this stellar achievement Mr. Gould.
   You have become a deserving part of The Beatles legacy and lore.



2. Although I am not a huge Beatles fan, I found this book rather interesting in the detail that events are described. With notes on every Beatles album recorded, this book takes an enormous amount of data readable.
   
   I found this book very enjoyable to read, although somewhat depressing when reading about how the Beatles eventually broke up.
   
   BTW, without the addition of Yoko into Lennon's life, the Beatles would have been a much better band with a longer time together. Just my two cents...



3. This book was not what I really expected for a Beatle biography. Mr. Gould integrates very well how the Beatles fit into the history of the 1960s but, as well, how history also molded itself around the Beatles. For those of us that lived during this time, we are re-immersed in all that went on and not only what The Beatles were doing at this time. For those who are Beatle fans but came to them after they disbanded, it helps to see everything in its context. The Beatles were not in a bubble but were a product of the '50s and '60s. Beatlemania had just as much to do with the time in which we grew up as it did with the Beatles themselves. "Can't Buy Me Love" does an excellent job in showing us that, no matter what other music was being created at the time, however raw or tame one would consider their music, The Beatles were a success because of their timing in history, how they borrowed from others and yet had their own unique and inimitable view of what music should be, where it should be headed. They were defined by their times but also defined their times. Other bands came from Liverpool and were relative flashes in the pan. Other bands disparaged their music, their showmanship, etc., and yet quickly became dated, footnotes in pop/rock history, by following a different muse.
   "Can't Buy Me Love" is one of the most fascinating and engrossing books on The Beatles that I have read in quite a while and is a necessity for any serious Beatle Fan.



4. Unlike some of the reviewers here I felt that this book's major strong points are when the author goes into a sociological and/or cultural analysis of The Beatles phenomena. For chapters like this, the book deserves five stars!
   It's when he becomes a music reviewer that he delves into troubled waters. A few of his insights are interesting, but so many others are way, way over the top analysis-wise, and when he turns negative, whoa!
   Music is something so personal for a lot of people. It's expected that one appreciate other's opinions. Still, no matter how open-minded one tries to be, it can be a bit psychologically unnerving to read such an obviously intelligent and learned individual put down one's favorite songs as either "a muddled-leaden mess" or "awkward-sounding rewrite... with... dreadful lyrics" or "an outright gaffe". It's as if someone is putting down the clothes you're wearing or the type of friends you keep.



5. So much more than a 'fan' book, Jonathan Gould's Can't Buy Me Love (2007) is an astute blending of personal, historical, cultural and musical interpretation. It follows the "Fab Four" from their very earliest days, without undue emphasis on extraneous details of their childhood, up through their coming together as The Bealtes, and then follows their career up to the end of their life together as Beatles . What really strikes me about this book is the amount of insightful commentary on the making of the music, the meaning of lyrics and the context in which each of the albums was put together. Gould is not afraid to criticize certain of thre Beatles compositions or projects; neither is he trying to 'demyth' the Bealtes. This is perhaps the most balanced, engaging account of the Bealtes, their impact, their foibles and their successes I have ever read.
   
   I consider myself fairly knowledgeable about the Beatles; I have listened to them since I was five years old--yet I learned a great deal about them in this excellent book!

5 comments about A Small Place.

1. Antigua, an awe-inspiring vacation spot for Europeans and North Americans, takes on a different aura when discussed by native Jamaica Kincaid. Ms. Kincaid describes how the Antiguans feel about the tourists who visit: ugly people. Ugly because they invaded, then brought slaves to work for them so they could become rich while ignoring the needs of those who made them wealthy. Ugly because of what they've done to the island and the people who live there. Jamaica talks about the corrupt government and the hand that North Americans, British, Syrians and Lebanese play in that corruption. She describes how England paved the roads the Queen of England would travel when she visited, but left everything else in poor condition. Ms. Kincaid also mentions the drug dealers that the government ignores and those who build ugly condos for the wealthy and rent business space to the government who should be building their own space.
   
   In a very few pages, Jamaica Kincaid says what a lot of former slaves would like to say but are perhaps too politically correct to utter. She does the job for us. Ms. Kincaid does not mince her words when it comes to what the British Empire did to the people of Antigua and the world for that matter. Frequently, I found myself wanting to stand up and cheer as I read her words of disgust and anger. While Ms. Kincaid is specifically speaking of Antigua, her words describe the slave trade and the destruction and poverty left in the wake of it no matter what country. It is well worth reading - more than once.
   
   Reviewed by alice Holman
   of The RAWSISTAZ™ Reviewers



2. A major failing of this essay, which claims to be non-fiction, is Kincaid's sole reliance on her own memories of Antigua. As an eye-witness, Kincaid has the chance to provide a unique perspective on the issues of slavery, corruption, tourism, colonialism, and SIDS (small island developing states). Yet, she ruins this chance, in my opinion, with her complete disregard of any perspective other than her own.
   
   A Small Place presents a biased and incomplete account of many of the issues facing Antigua and other islands in the Caribbean. Some of Kincaid's criticisms are certainly valid; however, others have been blown completely out of proportion. If one really wishes to know the history of Antigua and to understand the lingering consequences of colonialism, I suggest looking elsewhere.
   
   What this book lacks in factual information, it does not make up for with a strong emotional appeal. Kincaid's story line is incomplete and unengaging. She repeatedly wanders from topic to topic and back again, giving no sense of what is most important or relevant. Additionally, whatever sympathy she may gain from the Western reader is repeatedly lost with her hateful generalizations.
   
   I am sorry that I have to write such a negative review of this book. I believe that it is important for people in the West to understand the plight of developing countries, especially SIDS. However, I do not believe that A Small Place is at all helpful in promoting this dialogue.
   
   It is important to understand the past. And I can sympathize with Kincaid's intense hatred of those who have and continue to oppress "her people". However, I think this text is short-sighted in its desire for change. After repeatedly criticizing tourists for their greed and laziness, does she really expect them to want to understand Antiguan society? I see the hatred and dualism expressed in A Small Place as a major obstacle in achieving a better tomorrow.



3. I had to read this book for a Multicultural Literature class at my Uni, and, far from being informative, all it did was fill with me a contempt of my own. I am not a racist by any means, but when confronted with such a bitter, snide voice as the one Kincaid displays, I find myself unconsciously getting defensive. When she says, "you are a tourist; you are ugly," I find myself saying, "Fine, I'll keep my money and let you trade with seashells and beads." Kincaid is a master of the self-fulfilling prophecy: she says Antiguans are so oppressed and so downtrodden and so angry, and rather than doing anything to help it, she's exacerbating it by using such a bitter, over-the-top voice.
   
   Other reviewers have stated that the vision of Antigua portrayed is a warped and extremely limited one, biased by Kincaid's apparent small mindedness, and I must confess that I'm glad to hear that. To think that the entire island is solely occupied by bitter people who imagine themselves to be ex-slaves would make me steer clear of the area any time I go on vacation.
   
   Because, yes, I am a tourist. And no, being a tourist does not automatically make anyone ugly, despite what Kincaid's bitter rant might say.



4. Published in 1988 Kincaid's "A Small Place" is an unflinchingly angry portrayal of post-colonial, post-slavery life on the island of Antigua. To put it simply: Kincaid is as mad as hell, and she's not going to take it anymore. If you're white and can shelve your defensiveness for a moment this book is actually really enjoyable, it's written in first person and directed at "you," the British colonizer and/or the fat white tourist. Kincaid's sense of humor is wonderfully dark, and there are a lot of moments of humor if you keep an open mind. Still, at the heart of the matter is the story of Antigua's decay, left to rot by the British colonizers, with a population that doesn't vote openly corrupt officials out of office. She openly points out the irony of the celebration of emancipation alongside the valorization of the Hotel Training School, which teaches the residents of the island to be servants. In the end Kincaid concludes that no one is to blame, that after slavery the masters are no longer evil and the slaves are no longer "noble," but that everyone is merely human. She problematizes the matter, but offers no solutions, which might irritate those concrete sequentials among us. Also, she refers to Columbus, and the explorers in general, so adored in American culture, as "human rubbish" on multiple occasions. You might not agree with Kincaid, but this is one topic someone should be angry about, and her unapologetic narrative is about as honest as you can get.



5. If you expect a well-reasoned and persuasive essay, look elsewhere. At best, this is the mindless rantings of somebody who's been through a lot and really needs to vent. The only thing she was able to persuade me by the end of the book was that I was an evil person.
   The book is divided into several chapters. The format is fairly simple: in every chapter, Jamaica Kincaid hates on a different group of people. In the first chapter, she rants about tourists. In the second chapter, she rants about British people. If she focused on one group of people, her argument might make sense, but when she focuses on them all it becomes clear that she just hates everybody. Because she writes the entire book in second person, every insult is directed straight at the reader. I left the book feeling extremely guilty, while at the same time not exactly sure what I had done wrong.

5 comments about Scratch Beginnings: Me, $25, and the Search for the American Dream.

1. A very good message, should be required reading for all, especially young adults.
   An easy read.



2. Hey Dad,
   Thanks for sending me that book. I just finished it last night, and although some parts were very cliché, it was quite interesting. I think the kid had some good points about hard work, saving money, and a "five year plan", but it's obvious that he is still a young, privileged, white boy from the south. I guess he got something right since he is my age and already published!



3. 
   I agree that this guy, as a smart, healthy, and white male with no criminal record, had some advantages that others would not have. Still, I give him credit for what he accomplished in such a short time.
   
   Some reviewers complained about the depth of detail about his job in the second half of the book. I actually found it to be quite interesting. Of course, maybe I'm just biased because this book had me laughing harder than any book has in a long time and a refreshing change from whiney Barbara.



4. My daughter and I read this book together along with her 8th grade class. We then had the pleasure of meeting Adam when he came to talk to her school. I was impressed with the book, but even more impressed with the author. He has proven that the American Dream is possible when coupled with traditional values like hard work, persistence, dependability, loyalty, etc.. He is a good man and this is an excellent book. I'd love to see the author of "Nickeled and Dimed" together with him for a debate on the accessibility of the American Dream. I highly recommend "Scratch Beginnings" to everyone.



5. I just loved the book. I am not one that has any trouble putting a book down and taking my time, but not this one. It truly was a page turner because you couldn't wait to see what Shep's next step would be.
   
   I was also amazed at how things were behind the scenes in a homeless shelter. He told the story so well that you felt like you were with him!
   
   Last, I admire someone who has a goal as large as this particular one and goes forth to accomplish it keeping a high spirit and letting no hurdle get in their way. I know that Shep will do well in all of his future endeavors.
   
   Susan in Jalisco, Mexico