5 comments about Joseph and Chico: The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told By a Cat.

1. This is a charming book about Pope Benedict XVI for slightly older children. It is released at a most fortunate time -- as the Holy Father will soon be coming to the US and is much in the news.
   
   I expected it to be for quite young children because it is "narrated" by the Pope's cat. It is written in a more mature style, however, suitable only for parents to read to their young children -- which is perfectly acceptable. The drawings are adorable and add a lot. I enjoyed it.



2. This tender book about Pope Benedict and his love of cats is very endearing and informative. It shows the gentle nature of a somewhat shy scholar who was reluctant when chosen Pope. His reputation as the stern head of the Holy Office preceded him. Now after these few years as Pontiff, he has become an beloved writer and thinker to so many.



3. With Pope Benedict XVI visiting in the United States, I thought it would be a good time for the kids to read more about him.
   
   After reading the reviews posted here, I purchased Joseph and Chico, The Life of Pope Benedict XVI as Told by a Cat and I must agree with the positive reviews.
   
   Told from the point of view of Chico, we learn about the life of Pope Benedict XVI, beginning with his birth in Bavaria up until his election as Pope. In a simple storybook form, it relates the major events of his life.
   
   Although it is rather long for a picture book, the lively prose and interesting point of view held my daughters' and my interest.
   
   While the bright, colorful illustrations are not exceptional, they nicely complement the text.
   
   The unusual point of view adds an element of fun as the cat makes humorous comments. This elicited laughs from my ten-year-old daughter on more than one occasion.
   
   A heartwarming story that is true, Joseph and Chico is a delightful read.
   
   Thanks for posting the positive reviews and inspiriting us to read it.



4. I expected this book to be much simpler - for very young children. I wound up having to "talk" the story to Kdg and 1st graders. Cat lovers may like this more, but there wasn't enough about Pope Benedict - particularly his daily life after becoming Pope.



5. This book uses the voice of a cat to talk about Pope Benedict XVI. Chico was the Pope's cat when he lived in Germany and Chico tells the story of the life of Joseph Ratzinger who becomes Pope Benedict XVI.
   This is a good book to read to your children and talk about the things that have happened in the Pope's life. The art in the book is beautiful and children and grownups alike will enjoy the book for different reasons.
   The children will like to see the pictures and share time with another person to have the book read to them. The adult reading it will enjoy the storyline and the time spent with the child. It is a large size book, 12 x 8, so it makes it easy to hold and share the pictures and writings with a little one at your side. All will benefit from sitting down with this great book.

1 comments about The Mysterious Montague: A True Tale of Hollywood, Golf, and Armed Robbery.

1. The title of Leigh Montville's new book tells you a lot about the story without ever having to read a page. John Montague played golf and schmoozed with some of the most famous of the 1930's Hollywood celebrities. However, something in his personal life would eventually turn his world totally around. This book will probably not win any literary awards, but it is entertaining, amusing, and at times, quite unbelievable. Golfers will love it, non-golfers will enjoy it.

5 comments about Forward From Here: Leaving Middle Age--and Other Unexpected Adventures.

1. Reeve writes about the power of day to day routines, how "dailiness" outlasts despair. She writes, "Daily life has a strength and staying power even more persistent than the terrible downward forces of catastrophe." I had trouble putting this book down. In her prose, the rhythms of daily life enlivens our ability to glimpse the bigger truth if we learn to see. A seemingly ordinary moment ... and then we see it. It happens while reading the book. There is lots more too -- amusing anecdotes; harrowing discoveries; and even a chapter about her newly discovered extended family and the impact of that news. "Forward From Here" is honest, yet upbeat; a treasure out of time.



2. I have to admit that I was bored by much of the ramblings and skimmed through alot of the book, but Chapter 19 was worth the price of admission.
   
   I am a woman the same age as the author, and alot of her perspective really hit a chord. I realized that my father was about the same age as hers, and similarly self involved with his own life. I always attributed it to the fact that my father grew up before women were given the vote. He never really thought of women as peers, just people who deserved the right to vote. A wife was a help mate,wifetary, homemaker, someone to take care of all the odd stuff so he could focus on his own career, similar to the David Niven character in "Please Don't Eat the Daisies". Afterall, there was no community property, his money was his, and often whatever a woman owned belonged to her husband, so women just went along with whatever kept the family stable. Unfortunately, stable, trophy ride, phillies was something in which her father indulged.
   
   I wonder why this book has so much flotsam, it's almost as if she needed 200 pages and just dumped in journal entries to fill space. She could have written a few chapters, cut to Chapter 19 and had a great book.
   
   Nomatter, there is sage thought and interesting biographical facts about her family. It was worth reading, I just wish I thought it was a good book!



3. Dear Reeve,
   
   I am hoping that you read the Amazon.com reviews, because I know of no other way to reach you and tell you how much I loved your book.
   
   I have to preface this review by telling you that I was a HUGE fan of your mother's writing, starting in the early 70's with her published diaries, and then on through her other works that had been published previously (Gift from the Sea, etc.) You clearly have her gift for accessing your innermost thoughts and feelings and expressing them so clearly and adroitly on paper. If there is a heaven, I'm sure she is looking down upon you with great pride. Perhaps to REALLY appreciate your writing, one must understand the history of the Lindbergh family - the secretiveness, shyness, and fear of publicity. All understandable, of course, in light of what your parents went through in the early 1930's.
   
   I loved most of your essays - especially the ones about your brain tumor, getting older, and your friends and family. As I said, you have the gift of your mother's "immediacy" - showing the reader what is IN your thoughts, and not talking ABOUT them. Thank you for the chapter in which you reveal your reactions to the news of your father's other families - I had wondered for several years since the news broke about your step-siblings in Europe how you had reacted. Having read your other books ("No More Words" is my favorite), I had a sense that you would "step up to the plate" and face the issue head on, rather than retreat into bitterness and melancholy afterwards. I will not reveal your actions here (so that other readers may see for themselves first-hand how you handled it), but suffice it to say that your character and courage is displayed in full measure throughout the book.
   
   I, too, miss your mother....but I still have her in her diaries and books, which I will treasure to the end of my life. I'm sure you feel about her as she felt in her diary "Locked Rooms and Open Doors" ,in talking about losing her sister, Elizabeth, when she quoted John Masefield's poem:
   
   "But gathering as we stray a sense
   Of Life so lovely and intense-
   It lingers when we wander hence
   
   That those who follow feel behind
   Their backs when all before is blind
   Our Joy, a rampart to the mind.
   
   Thank you, Reeve, for the joy you have brought to my life, as a children's author, poet, and memorist. It's the greatest gift that any reader can receive.



4. I was so excited to see that Reeve Lindbergh had written another book!
   I love her writings. I appreciate her for telling of her life and how she deals with the circumstances that come her way. So personable and down to earth. Everytime I sit down with her books, I feel I am visiting with an old friend.



5. "Forward From Here" is written in good humor tinged with irony: anecdotes about aging, insights about the natural world and observations on how the 'dailiness' of our lives can help us outlast any despair. The author, Reeve Lindbergh, combines revelation and commercial instincts. but with the philosophizing that comes from maturity.
   
   "Lindbergh" falls in the category of a never-to-be-forgotten name. At the age of five I was terrified by the stares of strangers in slow-moving vehicles, all because of the kidnapping of the Lindbergh baby. Newsmen seized on the frightening, sorrowful story of the loss of the baby with a voracious appetite almost equal to today's media.
   
   Reeve Lindbergh discusses her "fraught relationship" with her famous father. I am no psychologist but it has long seemed to me that explorers of this planet have a corner on certain personality traits. My own uncle who explored Antarctica in the late 20's & 30's, and much later as a climatologist in the Arctic, seemed to have a 'solitariness' not found in most men. Perhaps this develops as a bi-product of celebrity status?
   
   The author learned thirty years after his death that "Lindy" - - the nation's hero & her famous father, had fathered three other families in Germany & elsewhere in Europe. The reader is confronted by the sad reality of selfishness, of which we are all guilty to a degree. Reeve Lindbergh writes of the "unutterable loneliness" her father must have endured in his later years. It is a moving experience to read her conclusions about her parent's flawed personality.
   
   Readers will be equally moved and grateful for other chapters of her book. We can all wish to age with the grace that helps us "not to utter unkind words" - - and further, to "love the reality of wrinkles"!

5 comments about Many Lives, Many Masters: The True Story of a Prominent Psychiatrist, His Young Patient, and the Past-Life Therapy That Changed Both Their Lives.

1. I was given this book to read by a therapist a few years ago. She implied that it would really leave a lasting impression and be very helpful for my depression and anxiety. You know, it was readable and interesting I guess, but I don't recall any lessons learned or even what the book was about really. I do remember it wasn't particularly helpful or even believable. Give me a break! This book should not be in the self-help section, but the sci-fi section!



2. Loved it. I'm really into this stuff and it satisfied my thirst and left me feeling very hopeful.



3. Excellent capture of past life regressions by "scientist" with conclusions based on combination of personal observations and favorable results for the patient



4. I always have a hard time believing what I can't see for myself. I love this book for several reasons. First, I want very much to believe in reincarnation. Second, it's just a very good read. And third, I know Dr. Weiss. My father was a good friend of his in med school, and when I was little we'd sometimes stay with the Weisses when we visited Florida. And my dad wrote one of the blurbs on the back. It's always kind of neat to read this book and to see my dad's words on the back. Anyways, although I haven't seen Dr. Weiss since I was a child, I feel like it is easier to believe that these books are true because of that connection, even if it has been a while. And I want to believe in this. It's an amazing book, I just wish I could experience it firsthand.



5. I read this at the suggestion of a friend who had good intentions. But, beware. This is a carefully disguised attempt at spreading Mormon ideology. While other medical professionals have their reasons for discounting, I would ask that you do the research. . .you will find that it closely follows the teachings of the Book of Mormon. I almost got sucked into the good feelings that we all get "do-overs" in this lifetime. But, I know that is not the case. Christians, watch out for this book! It is dangerous!!!

5 comments about Bringing Home the Birkin: My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag.

1. This book is the equivalent of all those mountain climbing, desert marching, storm sailing adventure books out there, but in this case the sport is shopping. (A sport I like to participate in myself, but my level is junior amateur in comparison.) It is also very similar to chick lit except that in this case instead of the typical spunky, unlucky in love, career, etc waiting for the big break heroine, this hero(ine?) is an openly gay man. who manages to turn a love and a knack for shopping into a business as well as quite a nice life for himself.
   
   The book is subtitled My Life in Hot Pursuit of the World's Most Coveted Handbag. That handbag being the Hermes Birkin. I have heard a few stories of the famous Birkin waitlist and there was even an episode of "Sex and the City" that featured the same. I have only seen a few Birkins in person on the arms of clearly wealthy women, but they are distinct enough to be instantly recognizable. They are the ultimate elite status symbol.
   
   Mr. Tonello's business involved luxurious travel to major European destinations to purchase Birkins from Hermes shops and then re-selling them on E-Bay from his envy-inspiring apartment in Barcelona. His trials and triumphs are amusing and the hotels and dining he describes could serve as a travel guide. The story works because the author never takes himself to seriously or fails to realize what a charmed life he's leading. Mr. Tonello has an amazing positive attitude self described as "Always half-full, that glass, always." Which is from a section describing a stay in a hospital where he was treated for severe anemia.
   
   A family tragedy brings about the eventual end of his Birkin hunting in the way that kind of thing can do by making you take a look at what you're actually spending your time doing. He could no longer deal with "people who lacked for nothing, but who longed for more" and got himself out before he became that way himself.
   
   So, if you're in the mood for a light-hearted romp through the luxurious side of Europe I think you'll enjoy this one. I definitely did.



2. Mr. Tonello indeed is living proof that ANYONE these days can get a book deal. His book is full of half truths at best. Mr. Tonello details the trials and tribulations of acquiring a birkin from Heres. When the story begins we find him making a living as an amateur Hermes scarf seller. A lucky break in the form of a good contact results in him becoming the ultimate Hermes scarf reseller. At least according to HIM. Eventually he segues into selling birkins, but his beginning in that area is more than a little rocky. Throughout all of this he details the aspects of his blooming romance. I will admit the writing is somewhat amusing, how ever I hope everyone takes this stuff with a grain of salt. Mr. Tonello, sorry to say, has not cracked any "code" when it comes to Hermes. Please do not waste your money on this book. You can find information on the birkin on line simply by googling.



3. Some books are candy-like in terms of nutrition. We buy them because they have a decent hook, we read them quickly and five days later barely recall the characters or their exploits. I assure you, Bringing Home The Birkin is not one of those books.
   
   This is a wonderful, wild ride that spans years, continents and exchange rates; and most important, teaches us that absolutely anything is possible. You do not have to be confined to the state or the country in which you were born. You do not have to kowtow to the buying "rules" of a fashion empire, even one that makes over two billion dollars a year. Therein lies the hook. Michael Tonello finds out the Waiting List for the elusive Birkin bag is camouflage. An interesting invention of Hermes, the prestigious, privately held company that handcrafts these goods. When he discovers he can get Birkins, he becomes a sort of Robin Hood, allowing people around the globe to purchase them. But this book is more than the sum of its hook, it's an enlightening, hilarious read. Everything is described in a manner that literally make you want to pack your bags for Spain, France and Beyond to experience the food, wine and sights he recounts.
   
   Recently my two nieces came to my apartment for a sleepover. As usual, I try to introduce them to new things to even out the fast food, pop music, reality TV, Reality of Teenage Life. We ate sushi (which they now love.) Cognizant of college looming, I talked about finding a job that you love, thinking outside the box, and being open to new places and people. (Okay I don't see them much so I'm guilty of trying to cram a lot into one visit.) When they were wary of my speech, we talked books and I told them about Bringing Home The Birkin. I explained that it's a true story about a hair and make-up artist that did a job in Spain, realized he wanted to live there and moved. He didn't ponder over the negatives to the point of distraction or let people stop him. I told them he didn't speak Spanish and didn't know what a Birkin was but he educated himself and suddenly became a seller of all things Hermes. Not only did he make money, travel and find the love of his life but he Wrote A Book About It. I think they listened. It was hard to tell. At that point, we were walking by a clothing store and the music was blaring so whatever I said literally fell on deaf ears (why do stores have speakers that face outward nowadays?)
   
   The next morning I dropped the college future/career goals and dreams talk. I laid out breakfast, put on the TV and there, on the CBS Early Show, was Mr. Tonello being interviewed about his book! My nieces looked from the TV screen to the book on the table and suddenly everything I spoke of was real to them. If he could do it, why couldn't they do whatever `it' was they wanted to do?
   
   I thought Bringing Home The Birkin was an absolute inspiration. It made me laugh my face off. It educated me about food, wine and travel. It demystified the mystical Birkin Bag. It is making me seriously consider a move abroad, and it has already opened the minds of my nieces who haven't even read it yet!
   
   What more could I ask for?



4. I read this on a flight earlier in the week and finished the book that evening in our hotel room. On the return flight home my husband read the book and just finished it last night. Both of us (he was skeptical when i handed him the book) laughed out loud throughout the book and enjoyed the travel and food chapters (along the lines of "A Year in Provence") as well as the author's social commentary (the salesclerks are hysterically funny). I'm sending the book to my daughter in NYC to read on her subway commute (she loves those Shopaholic books). Easy, breazy, like a giant box of bonbons, you just don't want to stop reading and it's great fun all the way through to end. Highly recommended! (and Michael, if you read this, I'd love to have dinner with you in Barcelona)



5. ...purses do exist and lots of people seem to own lots of them, you'll enjoy this book. Michael writes a fun story of a time in his life when he "played" Hermes in order to make a living. That the women in the book - I assumed he changed names - spent so much money on purses, scarves, and other "name" items were the ultimate "Fashion Victims", is maybe what they deserved to be. But, well, it's their money and if that's what they chose to spend it on...Michael just helped them in their quests for the ultimate "croc".
   
   I enjoyed the book.

5 comments about Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.

1. The Truth: I'm a Girl, I'm Smart and I Know EverythingThe last time I really read the diary of Anne Frank, I was nine, in Sunday school in Connecticut and pretty miserable. I had my own issues-some of the girls made fun of me, I couldn't learn to read Hebrew (no one had recognized that I had a learning disability) and I wanted nothing more than to really belong. Anne's diary made me cry and feel even more miserable.
   
   This time, I'm a grown-up. In fact my kids are grown. I'm a psychologist in private practice, with an emphasis on positive psychology. That means I encourage hope and optimism in my clients. I help them look for their talents and even lost potential. And I just wrote a book in diary form, written by a 10-11 year old girl, to help girls and their moms get in touch with the best of themselves. Sooo, things are very different.
   
   My reaction to reading Anne Frank this time was as if I had blinders taken away from my eyes. Instead of just seeing a girl in hiding and feeling oppressed with the sadness of her unfulfilled life, I saw a profoundly real teen-age girl with unbelievable wisdom and hosesty. She seems to be the compliation of all the inner knowledge, wisdom, sexual and emotional development of all girls. She is almost like the western world's Shakespeare for girls. For example, as a psychologist and a woman who was once a teenager, I was enthralled with her intimate feelings and thoughts around her crush on Peter. Lots of girls fall in love or have a crush, but few know how to process their feelings. In fact that is why 'the girl' in my new book, The Truth, falls in love, to help kids learn how to share these sorts of feeling. Anne understood so much about the ego development of a person in transition from child to woman. What she is able to put into words about her crush should help any girl experiencing deep and complex feelings.
   
   I think every woman should take some time and re-read Anne Frank. You will certainly fall in love with her in a different way than the first time around. You may find yourself sobbing later, as I found myself, when her love of life and feelings and insights about growing-up, welled up inside of me with the realization that Anne never got a chance to do all the things that most of us women take for granted: the husband, the kids, the first apartment, friends over, pets, just getting out in the fresh air!
   
   Anne held on to her ideals and dreams and she hoped that there would be a time that she could carry them out. She didn't make it, but we have. And so if every woman who reads this book can just be a little more insightful, a little more caring, a little more loving, listen a little harder to kids and teens-then in a way, we have carried out, as best we can, her ideals. As a positive psychologist and woman, this is my opinion as to how to maintain hope, and fulfill not only her potential, but our own.



2. Anne Frank's tale is a snapshot frozen in time.
   
   Neither faded recollections nor hindsight feature here. This was written with the clarity of the present tense through the eyes of a young girl living through a terrible chapter of world history. This immediacy serves to empower the story further and move the reader in ways that so few books can.
   
   Highly recommended.
   
   Owen Zupp
   Author: "Down to Earth"
   DOWN TO EARTH: A Fighter Pilot's Experiences of Surviving Dunkirk, The Battle of Britain, Dieppe and D-Day



3. A classic that we all should read when we are young, and again when we are older. It emphasizes the fact that evil does exist in our world, and that evil often comes from a government. It belongs in all of our libraries.



4. Great read, highly recommend for all jr. high and Sr. high kids. I read this book in high school (many many years ago) and wanted to read it again because of the movie "Freedom Writers" and it's integral part in the movie. I highly recommend it



5. ACH, DU LIEBER!!!!
   
   That's the biting phrase that can best epitomize my personal feelings at the disconnect between the expectation of Anne Frank's diary and the actual reality of reading it. The Diary of Anne Frank is very, very, very disappointing and a humongous letdown!!!! To wit, I must implacably question and hold in contempt the judgment processes of the many, previous, sycophant reviewers who've been exaggerating the "beauty" or "grace" or whatever politically correct term of flattery they can invent for this diary. The Diary of Anne Frank is one of the most caustic examples of herd mentality-syndrome and mass hysteria among the many positive-rating, Amazon reviewers. In truth, this diary of Anne's is just plain, bloody awful and doesn't deserve its classic status to say the least!!!! I suppose the hordes of five-star reviewers simply turned off their brains, refused to analyze Anne's diary critically, and just subserviently jumped on the bandwagon of conventional wisdom, where her diary is hailed a "classic." BS!!!!
   
   After having thoroughly read this, I can assure you that it's no classic and D-E-F-I-N-I-T-E-L-Y not worth your time or money...unless, of course, you get your kicks and jollies from plumbing the trivial and superficial mind of a fourteen-year-old. This stellar, brutally-but-intellectually-honest review of mine will analytically break down precisely what the hell's wrong with Anne's diary (plenty!) and warn you against reading it. If you're not narrow-minded and can take an analysis which intrepidly contravenes the discreditable conventional wisdom of the masses, then you'll be grateful for this review. If you're a hypersensitive sheeple, then I expect you to be appalled and shocked at the alleged "audacity" of this review, but that's YOUR problem, not mine. All I concern myself with is an intellectually honest review of this diary.
   
   I went into The Diary of Anne Frank because it came to my attention that I hadn't read it in high school, whereas many of my peers had indeed had it mandated for reading in school. I attended a Catholic high school, and it's not like Catholics have something even remotely to be shameful about concerning their treatment of Jews in WWII. Why, in fact, educated people know that even N*zi Adolf Eichmann confessed in his diaries that the Catholic Church in occupied Italy was the only organization that loudly protested and opposed the mass deportation of Jews from their "ghetto" in Rome. So, I wanted to catch up on this apparent "classic" because it was missed reading at my old, Catholic high school.
   
   However, I absolutely regret and curse this misjudgment of mine due to the appalling quality and shortcoming of the content of the diary. See, as a new reader, I perceptively went into the Diary of Anne Frank with the reasonable expectation that it would, you know, perhaps talk about her feelings relating to--I don't know!--the genocidal, N*zi occupation, which had forced her family and some acquaintances into an attic, where they lived like imprisoned animals under extreme duress. That would make for an interesting read obviously because one would delve into the psychology of a person in such duress and try to relate. Conventional wisdom has it that that's what her diary mainly relates to, but in actuality...her diary's actually filled to the nauseating brim with her infatuation (nah, kids these days would call it her "crushing) on her attic-mate Peter; endlessly boring stories about preparing and storing vegetables in their attic; girl talk about her prior crush before she went into hiding; lurid tales about her discovering her budding sexuality; typical teen-girl angst about how she's never really had close girlfriends; grumbling about the adults in the attic always rebuking her due to her forthrightness; and how she hates her mother like a typical EMO teenager, just to name a few!!!!
   
   Anne disappointingly spends precious few entries (the vast minority) on the more interesting and valuable ruminations, such as those on human nature, persecution of Jews, and the terror felt inside the attic that came primarily from being discovered, or from the sounds and sights of war breaking loose outside her attic (on a couple of entries, she even recounts stories of downed fighter planes and their pilots' fate). That's the unpardonable fault of her diary because only these kinds of idiosyncratic entries actually material to WW2 are what would elevate her diary above that of any other, mundane, teen girl's. That so much of her diary is precisely so ordinary according to what one stereotypically expects from ANY teen girl's entries is the real pity in this exaggeratedly hyped work.
   
   I found the purpose of Anne's diary much more useful in detailing how more wonderfully conservative society was in the 40s--rather than getting the reader to empathize with WW2-era, persecuted Jews--compared to today's liberal nightmare. In example, Anne's many entries where she's "crushing" on her attic-mate, Peter, involve feelings of sincere, simplistic affection and puppy love, maybe quaint but still adorable in hindsight. For instance, in many entries, Anne swoons over attic-mate Peter's confiding in her or the way he merely looks at her; to her as a girl in the 40s back then, that already qualified as a "fantasy." Contrast this to the inarguable fact that in today's world, many 14-year-olds in Anne's shoes would probably have infectious thoughts of desiring to sexually please their crushes (and then do so!) just so they could feel like "true women!" Another unmistakable motif in Anne's experiences that comes through as a confirmation of how more wonderfully conservative things were back then is the constant reference to schoolwork, and, by golly, actually doing well at it! In some entries, Anne actually *gulp* takes pride in getting good grades in school and measuring herself as a person based on her work ethic in class, again, wonderfully "old-fashioned." Again, contrast this with many 14-year-olds today who--especially if they're in the NEA's public schools--can't read, write or do any `rithmetic, yet can tell you all kinds of things about the b*tches and h*es in rap music!!!!
   
   This latest edition of her diary, The so-called Definitive Edition, includes inexcusably AWKWARD entries involving Anne's sexual awakening, which is also a discomforting sign of the incrementing liberalism that's occurring societally, whereas her dad, Otto, wisely omitted these lewd entries from the original publication. For instance, on page 162, she writes, "Once when I was spending the night at Jacque's, I could no longer restrain my curiosity about her body, which she'd always hidden from me and which I'd never seen. I asked her whether, as proof of our friendship, we could touch each other's br*asts. Jacque refused. I also had a terrible desire to kiss her, which I did. Every time I see a female nude...I go into ecstasy." Gross!!!! This egregiously has nothing to do with WW2, or a person's feelings of being imprisoned in an attic while hoping the N*zis don't discover her. The inclusion of this lewdness was utterly ill-advised.
   
   Surprisingly, though, some of Anne's entries include reflections which prove she possessed moral clarity and, unlike today's liberals (the arbiters of moral relativism), had the ability to judge between good and evil with regards to WW2. For instance, on page 334 (from July 21, 1944), she writes, "Now, at last, things are going well!...An *ss*ssination attempt has been made on H*tler's life, and for once not by Jewish Communists or English capitalists, but by a German general...This is the best proof we've had so far that many officers and generals are fed up with the war and would like to see H*tler sink into a bottomless pit..." Here, Anne clearly demonstrates that she confidently feels it's perfectly all right to be happy at the prospect of your enemy being killed in a war. Further, she also interprets the *ss*ssination attempt in a pro-Allies, anti-German way, suspecting that H*tler's generals are turning on him. Contrast that to today's dreadful, modern liberals who would have a hell of a hard time rejoicing about the prospect of Bin Laden's death or any terrorist's, for that matter, because they're too obsessed with getting them "legal rights" through habeas corpus and moving them onto the US mainland for detention purposes!!!!
   
   Still, Anne's diary is soooo disappointingly off-the-mark that I want anyone even flirting with the idea of reading a fourteen-year-old's musings to just boycott it. It's so dreadful because it mostly evades reflecting on WW2 and the hardships of attic life. Mainly, it reads like every other fourteen-year-old girl's diary from the beginning of time to infinity, and, so, is an absolutely superficial read!!!! To get an idea of how WW2 affected people, you can get a better read almost ANYWHERE ELSE. If you want to get inside a fourteen-year-old girl's trivial head--which Anne's diary is really mostly about: crushes, boys, resentment of parents, etc.--you should just steal your kid sister's. What's that? Don't have a kid sister?! Well, then steal the diary of your friend's or neighbor's kid sister because you'll get the same trivialities there as in Anne Frank's diary.

No comments about Franklin and Lucy: President Roosevelt, Mrs. Rutherfurd, and the Other Remarkable Women in His Life.

5 comments about Rescuing Sprite: A Dog Lover's Story of Joy and Anguish.

1. Kind of a boring book. Too much about the man instead of the dog.



2. Not only is this author the best talk radio host in the world, but he writes very well. You feel like you are walking along with him as he experiences the events leading up to this painful decision of putting his beloved dog down. Let's face it, most of us at some time in our life will have to go through this, and its very difficult. I am also touched by the small details he adds about his family and friends. He is a family man who loves and cherishes them. We should all be so lucky to have someone like that in our lives. The book is wonderful, and so is the author. I just noticed i could have gotten it in the large print version. (damn)



3. First and foremost, I must say that I am a dog lover and bought this book because I have a twelve year old boxer dog that is beloved to me. He was my first child before I had my own children. I know that given his failing health, we don't have that much time left together. I bought this book thinking that reading about someone else's experience may make mine easier to deal with. I found that this book did not meet that need.
   
   I made myself finish reading this book, even though it really wasn't terrible "gripping" as another reviewer noted. I guess after all these great reviews, I really expected more. The author is obviously devoted to his dogs, but reading this book is like reading a middle schooler's diary. The language is simple and most of the time, quite juvenile. It almost reminded me of reading the essay of a 10-year old child that never ends: "I like my dog. He likes to play ball with me. He sleeps on my bed. He likes food from the table. We love him a lot. He got sick and we were very sad." OK - so it is not quite that simplistic - - but from the level of language used in the book, I would suspect that the target audience is intermediate level children and not adults.
   
   I am sure that this book comes from the heart, and may be very "therapeutic" to some owners who have just lost their dogs, but it is a little too simple for most adults and really lacks a "story" behind it.



4. I loved this book. It is very well written and gave me a whole different opinion of the author as someone who is very kind and tenderhearted.
   
   I cried all the way through. It had not been long since I had had to put my best friend to sleep so that probably made me more emotional, but being the dog lover that I am, I think I probably would have cried about as much even if I hadn't lost my angel.
   
   Thank God for people like Mark Levin who take in rescue animals instead of buying pure breds.
   
   I highly recommend this book...it's one of the best I've read in a long time in spite of the tears, and I'll always treasure it in my library.



5. So, am I dog lover? Well, yes. We used to have the world's greatest dog, a Dachsund-Jack Russell cross called Trixie who became an indispensible member of our family. And we are thinking of getting another. But this book almost puts me off....
   
   Here we have a dog lover with a very lovable pet who brought so much pleasure and fulfilment to his life. But in the end, this book really is the longest lament to a dog that passes away and I'm really looking for much more than that in the story of a relationship between dog and dog owner. I have every respect for Mark Levin and his pet. But there's so much anguish in this desperately sad book that I honestly would not recommend it. Sorry to present a contrary view to many other readers, but this book is not particularly well written either. Just read 'Marley and Me' and you'll see how it can be done.

No comments about A Freewheelin' Time: A Memoir of Greenwich Village in the Sixties.

5 comments about Dog Man: An Uncommon Life on a Faraway Mountain.

1. This book is a rare treasure. As a dog lover, an amateur student of Japanese history, and a resident of Japan, I found it irresistable. It provides great information about a relatively unknown place in Japan, even to Japanese folks. It also chronicles a period of time in Japanese history from an unusual vantage point. The book is an excellent book for dog lovers, but it's about much more than that. It details incredible human relationships in tight, hypnotic verse, it tells about the most beautiful areas in Japan, and it tells about the changing dynamics of Japanese marriage. I read it from cover to cover, totally unable to put it down. A must read!



2. Martha Sherrill is an extraordinarily gifted writer across many genres. Here, her voice, muted and elegaic, captures a lost world with delicacy and economy befitting its subject matter. So much more than a dog story--although as someone who loves a good dog story I enjoyed it on that level too--it is an unexpected window into an often opaque culture and a love story that transcends a specific place and time..



3. Let's get this out of the way right up front... We are Akita owners so we are slightly biased. Martha Sherrill does a wonderful job capturing the essence of the breed and tells an amazing story. You rarely hear her voice in the telling, but you feel well guided through the tale. As an author she was wise to stay out of the way of this amazing tale of a man who wants, and ultimately led, the simple life. In "Dog Man", Morie remained true to himself and his particular view of the world. He was not without his faults, but his wife, dogs, and yes, even his children loved him. His legacy is one of creation. What Morie created, his dogs, mountain retreat and legacy of kindness resonates with those hoping for something more from the world. In fact, the book makes such an impression, that a different outcome for "Into the Wild" might have occurred had this book been available...
   
   For me... maybe one day my partner and I will end up with our own tin roofed cabin in a spot of the world that takes your breath away. Of course when I say "cabin of our own" that includes an Akita sleeping on the bed. Morie and Uesugi would not have approved of an Akita in the bed, but I bet Kitako would not mind so much!
   
   Thank you Martha Sherrill for writing this book. Even though it is only March, I now know what our friends will be getting for Christmas this year.



4. A truly unique window into the world of a Japanese family. After the first chapter, I was so interested in this unique man and his wife that I could not stop reading the book. I think both dog lovers and history buffs will find this a worthwhile read.



5. My mother heard a lady talking about this book at the veterinarian's office and told me about it. I immediately ordered it on Amazon.com.
   
   It is a wonderful story about a man, his integrity, a committed wife, their children, and the Akita dog breed. Even if you are not an "Akita person" I am sure you would find this book very interesting. If you are an "Akita person" I am sure it will be on your shelf of favorites. I will be ordering more for gifts... it's that good.
   
   Thank you Mr. Morie (Mor ee ay) for preserving and developing my favorite breed. I have 3 living Akita's, 2 have passed away, and they are like no other dogs. Their intelligence, judge of character, and loyalty amaze me everyday.
   
   Thank you Ms. Sherrill for sharing this man's story with us. Thank you for sharing Kitako (Mr. Morie's wife) and their children's views also. Thank you for showing us an example of integrity and committment, even though it's not the easy road, it is always worth the journey.
   
   I LOVED IT!