5 comments about Masters of Doom: How Two Guys Created an Empire and Transformed Pop Culture.

1. My ONLY complaint and this is super picky, is that I wished they would have gone into more depth on the technical aspects of Doom and especially quake. I realize this isn't a technical book but it still would have been neat to read.
   
   Overall, this is an awesome book.
   
   cbmeeks



2. I got this book from my local library because it looked like an interesting perspective of the early days of FPSs. What I got was a very interesting view of two kids' escape from reality and ultimately their passion.
   
   This book is as much about business, persistence, focus, and fun as you will find anywhere. It also deals with the consequences of a fragmented childhood and perpetual need to show your parents that you can accomplish something, that you are important, that you are deserving of your parents respect, admiration, and...love.
   
   I found it disturbing that John Romero, though he made a promise to himself not to do to his kids what had been done to him, went back on that promise and unfortunately alienated his kids...who WILL grow up remembering that he was never there. This may not seem like much of a problem now, but as his kids grow older they will realize that their father cared for his gaming more than his own flesh and blood...how sad!
   
   The book does a superb job of conveying the realities of running a game development studio as well as the business side of publishing, distributing, marketing, and overall selling of the product. If you want a very good look at the VERY HOT video game industry then this is it. Though there is really no mention of console games, just PC/Mac games, it still applies to console games from a general perspective. I would recommend this book to anyone wanting to get a quick history of 3-D FPS shooter games and the technology that drives many of them. Most importantly though is the conviction that drove the "two Johns" to create one of the most incredible and objectionable games of all time.



3. This will be a short review and I must start off by saying that I DONT READ BOOKS.
   
   But... I got this book because of a class and when I started this book, I couldnt put it down. Its very informative and it actually inspired me quit a bit to be a game developer.



4. As an amateur game developer I found the story very compelling, and the way it's told (with the hilarious anecdotes packed in) helps to digest a lot of information. This is a must-read for anyone who has ever wanted to make a game and thought that one or two people wasn't enough.



5. Is it worth reading? Yes. Could it have been a lot better? Certainly.
   
   Masters of Doom tells the tale of John Romero and John Carmack, the primary forces behind the creation of id Software, the primary force behind the creation of the First-Person-Shooter (FPS) gaming phenomenon. With some biography and a lot of first-person accounts (pun intended) you'll follow these guys from their earliest jobs to their ultimately diverging paths.
   
   The first half of the book is far more entertaining than the second, which while appropriate does gloss over some of the more telling aspects of their personalities in light of a very different atmosphere. The side characters get short bios but are referenced far too often without telling us more about them through the changes or some of the deeper information that was surely behind their constant inclusion in the first place.
   
   If you come into the book with some knowledge of the characters and situations as I did some of the tale will seem lacking in the detail you were hoping for. Without spoiling it for those less familiar the denouement of one of the pair could have been more detailed while remaining dispassionate.
   
   *** SPOILER SUMMARY ***
   
   Romero was (is) a joke yet the author doesn't brutalize him as much as he should have through the collapse of ION Storm. This is fine as a journalistic approach, but telling this as a chronokogy for the most part is boring. Carmack's descent and idiocy is revealed but without a more biographical approach you don't get the flavor of the ripples he splashed into waves. The related tales of the rise of 3D Realms and Epic are equally missing despite their relevance to the world of Quake and Carmack's refusal to humanize his games.
   
   *** END SPOILER ***
   
   As a droning historical account the book works, but as an exciting tales of the heady days of id and the acts of its primary creators it was quite boring and lacking in the area of commentary by the side characters the author obviously had access to.

5 comments about No Momma's Boy: How I Let Go of My Past and Embraced the Future.

1. Often the family history of some one who has a mental illness is covered up. This almost happened in this mans family. His story lets us all know that to seek the truth brings healing to deep hurts. Leaving the truth covered never gets to forgiveness. As a Black family member this is particularly true. The unspoken code of Black families is to not ever uncover mental illness, just pray to deal with the issues. Additionally, most men do not speak of a difficult past, espically one in the public eye as this important well known news personality. The book was easy to read, and tells of wonderful forgiveness, and can help anyone bring their own hidden truths of abuse and mental illness into the sunshine of healing. Thank you Dominic Carter for telling your story.



2. NY1's top reporter/political analyst gives a painful recollection of his childhood with a schizophrenic mother and how he was able to overcome it to become successful, careerwise and personally. I thought his writing was sincere, not showy, and gave insights into the people and institutions that influenced him in a positive way. An interesting read.



3. All I can say is thank you Dominic for opening up your heart and allowing me the opportunity to read about your family secrets. From start to finish I was captivated by this story and I must say what a delightful person he is when you meet him in public. This was one gem of a read......you go New York 1 Political Commentator!



4. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) has included this as one of the best books of 2007. It probably did't hurt that Dominic Carter--a colorful media celebrity--served as grand marsal for the NAMI New York City walkathon, but the book deserves the distinction in its own right.
   
   It is an incredible book by a person who has lived an incredible life, and overcome odds that would defeat most people.
   
   Carter is a character written in bold and an inspiration. He grew from a childhood of poverty in the Bronx to become one of New York City's best-known news anchors and political reporters, interviewing Nelson Mandela and President Clinton and sparring with former New York City mayor Rudy Guliani. (If Guliani does become president, let's hope that one of the national television networks assign Carter to the White House press room; it would be great theater to watch and a service to the nation).
   
   Carter also lived with a secret of physical and sexual abuse as a child. After his mother died in 2001, he collected 620 pages of medical records and learned for the first time of her life-long struggle with paranoid schizophrenia. "I got hit with a double-barreled shotgun," he said in recent newspaper interviews. "As a child, I didn't know what was going on,"
   
   His autobiography is therapeutic. "I've been running from the ghetto...I've been running from my mother, and I didn't want to run anymore."
   
   In confronting the past, Carter comes to terms with his mother's mental illness and his own emotions. "My mother was not a demon, but she saw demons," Carter writes. "If a demon exists in this story, it is society's collective mistreatment and misunderstanding of mental illness."
   
   "In spite of her tragic life, I celebrate my mother for this one thing," Carter concludes. "She was a survivor...I am proud of my mother for not giving up...You become a real winner in life when the winds of fate knock you down and you manage to get back up. Many people, rich or poor, cannot get back up, but my mother did."
   
   "I am not ashamed to be called her son."
   
   The book is self-published and candid. To his credit, Carter resisted suggestions by mainstream publishers to sensationalize his story, because the basic facts and description of his childhood are upsetting enough. It is a memoir marked by pain, but also, an enduring love. It details Carter's successful career, but the unifying theme throughout is one of family. Its candid disclosures are also an act of courage, not unlike Mike Wallace's disclosure of long history of depression, or that of actor Joe Pantaliano, whose 2003 autobiography similarly reflects his mother's mental illness.
   
   Frankly, I'd love to see Dominic, Wallace and "Joey Pants" discuss their childhoods together sometime. They have much in common. They have much in common. They are larger than life characters, who love a good scrap and rarely censor themselves, except perhaps to usually hide the softer hearts of their nature.



5. Dominic Carter has written a deeply moving memoir framed around the horrific physical and sexual abuse he suffered as a young child. No Momma's Boy is not for the faint of heart. Some of the descriptions of the abuse that Mr. Carter suffered at the hands of his mentally ill mother, Laverne, are almost unbearable to read.
   
   Yet, ultimately, Dominic Carter's story is one of triumph over adversity. Laverne sexually abused Carter and tried to kill him when he was a toddler. Born with heart defects and pneumonia, Mr. Carter grew up in poverty on the mean streets of Harlem and The Bronx. Under these circumstances, it is remarkable that he survived, let alone thrived. "Prisons and mental institutions are full of people with backgrounds similar to mine," Carter opines.
   
   In a fast-paced, conversational style, Carter takes readers through the darkest days of his inner city childhood, his escape from poverty via graduate school in upstate New York, and his meteoric rise to journalist extraordinaire at one of New York's top cable television stations.
   
   A key factor in young Dominic's survival was the support he received from his grandmother, Anna Pearl, and his Aunt Inez. Laverne was in and out of mental institutions, and Dominic's father was absent most of the time. Anna Pearl and Inez stepped in to fill the parental void, providing love and putting steel in Dominic's spine, which served him well growing up and later in the cutthroat profession of television journalism.
   
   Mr. Carter is brutally honest about his volcanic temper and the subsequent emotional breakdown following Laverne's death which nearly ended his career. No Momma's Boy is not only an eye-opening read, it represents a cathartic healing of Carter's pain. After a lifetime of holding back powerful negative emotions relating to childhood trauma, Mr. Carter has found the courage to admit that "talking about issues that shame you is like giving CPR to your soul."
   
   Mr. Carter proudly displays bravado and does a lot of name-dropping. This trait is a double-edged sword. It is initially off-putting, but as Carter cogently notes, it is also a critical source of self-confidence that enabled him to overcome extraordinary adversity.
   
   He brags, but he has a lot to brag about. Mr. Carter is a top reporter at NY1, a premier cable television station in the nation's largest media market. He has interviewed world figures such as Bill Clinton, Rudy Giuliani, and Nelson Mandela. This would be a monumental achievement for anyone; it is absolutely amazing for someone who grew up poor and abused in The Bronx.

5 comments about We Are Their Heaven: Why the Dead Never Leave Us.

1. I loved this book. Allison DuBois writes simply and is not afraid to present issues and explanations that other mediums do not. I love her pure heart, how she relates to God and her insight to life inspite of all the madness and pain she sees and feels.



2. This was an exceptional read from cover to cover. It warms the heart and gives us hope. One can't help by smile in so many chapters of this book.



3. This book is useful to anyone who has recently experienced the loss of a loved one. It presents many interesting concepts about life after death.



4. I read the first book in 2 days. this book has been on the shelve for over a month now, and I have litle interest in reading i,as it is juststory telling-too repetitive.



5. I loved the book and it just intensified the feelings of life after death for me. She gives you so many real cases to read and their views on her reading. I will buy more of her books now.

5 comments about Do As I Say (Not As I Do): Profiles in Liberal Hypocrisy.

1. This book is a huge eye opener! It is good information to know especially since the media is so liberal and biased and we don't get to see the bad side of liberals.



2. No, not the book (which was great) but the stories. It's a tad repetiive but that just reinforces just how "consistentl" duplicitous the leftists in the book are in their endeavors.
   
   Before the left attacks and talks of a few pedophile priests or Rush Limbaugh popping painkillers, remember that conservatives:
   
   a) usually apologize
   b) are not harming anyone but themselves and their families and
   c) normally take stands on issues of high morality and virtuous principle, which are difficult to maintain in a society where G-d gives us all free will
   d) don't lie, fabricate, deny then sue when caught. they also are not afraid to debate and discuss those shortcoming. the left, especially folks like al franken and michael moore, refuse discourse or call names. they are the children they never had....
   
   Schweizer's book, as most who read it noticed, is meticulously researched. He has endnotes to back up all quotes and claims. These stories are totally true, and any google search proves it.
   
   It's lucky the left has fascist-like control of the media and academia or we'd all know that Michael Moore and Barbra Streisand, who claim America is racist, refuse to hire blacks for their films or pay more than $3 per hour to Latinos who work for them. Or that they own stock (and make millions) in the Military Industrial Complex and Halliburton, though they crusade against those entities as evil. Or about their (Ted Kennedy and Nancy Pelosi for example) rapacious anti-environmentalist lifestyles (because they need yachting space or land for a new golf course or hotel) and lack of interest in civil liberties (depsite both being huge into organizations like the Sierra Club and the ACLU).
   
   Or we might know Gloria Steinam, like most militant feminists, loves strong men and "selfishly" has been married. Or we might know that folks who deplore capitalism like anti-americans Noam Chomsky, Ralphie Nader and race-baiter Cornel West, actually make their millions purely off capitalism with their huge investments and off-shore tax shelters...and of course, charge huge amounts for their speeches before they retire to their 98% white twee suburbs in the northeast.
   
   Trust me, this book is great and eye-opening, specifically because the mainstream media is so in bed with the left that they ignore these travesties...and I didn't even have the time to write about the chapter on the Clintonistas.
   
   I am incensed reading every word, but then, with the aid of Schweizer's noteworthy conclusion, I relaxed.
   
   You see, the left-wing elite is just like elites should be. They have their enjoyments and policies. The difference is, these folks somehow feel the insecure need to lie in public about their goals and beliefs, often for votes, sympathy or money.
   
   So what if they like capitalism? That's why they're rich, and why America is great.
   
   So what if they hire the best folks for the job, and a majority are not "minorities"?
   
   So what if they live in the most secluded and wealthiest parts of America?
   
   So what if they won't hire unions for their work? The job will be done better and faster WITHOUT unions.
   
   And so what if they don't want the enviro-whacko policies to interfere with their ambitions and lifestyle?
   
   Again though, the point is, the left NEEDS the votes and sympathy of these people for their own personal gain---so they lie and act as hypocrites, as no one holds them accountable. Must be nice.
   
   They want to live like the conservative Americans they loathe, but don't want to admit it; thus they act a certain way and speak the other. Do as I say not as I do, indeed.



3. This is a great book. A right winger burns left wingers who for the most part deserve it. Its interesting in a world as insanely complex as ours western politics has such two distinct, opposing sides. A glaring reality of life is that there are two sides to every story and somewhere in between lies the truth.
   It is for this reason that I have delved as intently into right wing ideology as much as the left and I have seen eye to eye & learnt as much from a "right wing lunatic" as William L Pierce as I have from an "ultra liberal wacko" like Noam Chomsky, and of course much from the more "balanced" perspectives in between. I fail to understand why so few people fail to have an ideology that is a culmination and progression of the two.
   The most disturbing factor of the left/right circus is that people choose their team and stick to it, defending with religious fervour their chosen ideology despite flaws of policy & the flaws of the leaders or representatives. It seems in America that scumbags always have a way of floating to the top, so instead of saying something as absurd as "sure right wingers are hypocrites but at least they admit it" how about you crucify ANYONE who actually deserves it & dont stick up for people who dont deserve it, regardless of what side your on.
   Perhaps its the fact that your whole society is based around entertainment...television, books, magazines, radio, reviews, opinions, rants, exposes, complex issues nibbled at in bite size pieces with no progress ever really being made. Not even the most serious of affairs is aproached with true sobriety and frivolity is so ingrained in your culture that even if you are aware of it, (and perhaps despise it) you inevitably wallow in it & become a product of it. When idiots such as Barbara Striesand & Anne Coulter are people in the public spotlight who are taken seriously (or even just recognised or given a public platform or are being talked about in this book) isnt it time stop & ask yourself how the hell did we get here? Do you think that people such as these were given the time of day 100 years ago? Of course not....which is why America became all that it is (or was).
   Whether your from the right and you want to gloat at the indiscetions of sketchy lefties who have been caught out or your from the left and you like to get riled by typically simplified rantings of the right you'll love this book. Laugh about it, argue with people about it, stay up to date with the controversy about it.. keep treading water.



4. I always suspected we had a bunch of hypocrites influencing and running our country. But to be so blatantly two-sided! Wow, these people must be pathological liars!!
   
   Liberal or conservative, since reading this book, I will no longer unquestioningly believe anything I hear or read!



5. I've been known to offer up my views on everything from movies to CDs to books. It's been in the realm of book reviews that I've taken the most flack. Why? Because I offer a conservative viewpoint and admit to it. There isn't a person on this planet who can claim to offer a completely unbiased point of view. Your lifestyle, your upbringing, your education and your life experiences all help to form who and how you are. Thus we are all biased so lets be honest about it up front, eh?
   
   With that in mind I can tell you that I found the book DO AS I SAY NOT AS I DO: PROFILES IN LIBERAL HYPOCRISY by Peter Schweitzer to be one of the most honest and hilarious books I've read in ages. Yes, he does have that conservative view to his writings, but not to the point where it overshadows the arguments that he is trying to put forth as say Michael Savage does. Instead, Schweitzer takes cold hard facts and makes his argument.
   
   Just to deviate for a moment, I've read political discourse on both sides of the fence and the thing that amazes me most is that conservatives tend to use facts to make their arguments. Liberals tend to name call. Al Franken is the best example of this (and he is discussed in this book). Yes, some more well known conservatives resort to this now and then but not nearly as much so on a regular basis. If you would like to prove me wrong with a liberal author who makes a case using verifiable facts please write and let me know. I am always open to a good read.
   
   Back to the book. Schweitzer takes a look at several high profile liberals and the ideas they espouse and then compares them to the lifestyles that they actually live. I mean if you believe we should all do what we can to save the Earth, you should do the same things you tell others too, right? If you believe that big corporations are the root of all evil, you should do everything in your power to not support them, correct? Schweitzer takes these twelve examples and shows how they do exactly what the title infers which is tell you one thing and do another.
   
   First up is Noam Chomsky. Chomsky is an online God. You hear people in chat room and blogs hail him as the best thing since sliced bread. And every word that he says is held up as gospel when it comes to just how terrible a place America is. Everything from corporations to the industrial military complex are taken to tasks by Chomsky. And greedy Americans should be paying more taxes and inheritance taxes as well. So does Chomsky do the same?
   
   This leading socialist thinker lives in an $850,000 home. He's put his incomes in various tax shelters so that his children don't have to pay inheritance taxes. While teaching and writing, his paycheck was supported by grants from the U.S.Army, the air force and the office of Naval Research. And for someone who claims that we should have open and honest free speech, his speeches are far from free as well as all sorts of media that he holds dear. Copyright infringement is warned against in everything he does.
   
   Next chapter? Michael Moore. So much has been revealed about Moore that I'm beginning to think even the liberals of the country don't praise him as often as they once did. Preaching that he came from humble working class conditions in Flint, Michigan, it's been revealed he actually grew up in the more affluent middle-class town of Davison. Moore constantly talks about the workers of this country who are placed under the thumb of oppressive management. Moore constantly demonizes the United States saying that no one can make something of themselves there. Moore also claims that racism is rampant in this country and that he will hire blacks to work for him without the need for affirmative action.
   
   So what's wrong here? First off, Moore made something of himself but believes no one else can. He makes thousands of dollars for each personal appearance and the demands he makes at those are outrageous (special water to drink?). The same country he bad mouths gave him the opportunity to make millions. As for workers? Ask some of those who have worked for him and you'll see he doesn't pay well or at times even pay at all. Two writers were asked by Moore to work under the table for less to avoid paying union wages. As for minorities? Of 134 producers, editors, cinematographers, composers and production coordinators that have worked on the various TV series and films Moore has made, only 3 have been black. Oh you might also be interested to know that this same person who claimed that the stock market was a terrible thing has invested much of his money there. Not only that, many of his dollars were invested in companies like Halliburton (look at the back of the book sleeve to see a copy of that tax return).
   
   Are you beginning to get the picture? I could give more and more details about the book and each person covered but that would take the fun away from the reader. Schweitzer does a great job of mixing information that he gathered that is open to the public with the statements made by each of these people to show the two sided nature each of them shares. It's not him making the claim and saying its so because he said so but done with facts that are there for all to see if they look.
   
   Who else is among the twelve? Al Franken, Ted Kennedy, Hillary Clinton, Ralph Nader, Nancy Pelosi, Barbara Streisand, George Soros, Gloria Steinem and Cornel West. Each has their own claim to fame here from abusing non-union workers to not paying people who work for them to using a capitalists system to reap rewards while at the same time telling others they shouldn't be so greedy or invest anywhere. Ecology? Some own companies that are major polluters or have stock in some of the worst of the worst, but those must be all right for THEM to invest in while telling everyone else they should punish those same companies by not investing.
   
   Schweitzer writes well making this read easily accessible to the most novice reader. He puts things in simple form so as to make the point without clouding it with minute details, though the details are there. And he makes it humorous at the same time.
   
   I will be the first person to say that there are a number of hypocrites on the right as well. Conservatives who make claims and do the opposite as well. Schweitzer points them out in the first chapter. The difference is the way they respond when it's discovered. They repent. They admit to their wrong doings. They don't continue to demand everyone else follow their creed while at the same time saying they won't do it too. For the twelve selected in this book that doesn't hold true. Not only do they continue to preach how bad things are, they still do them behind not too closed doors at the same time.
   
   A well informed public is what this country needs. Books written about both sides should be read by all. Get both sides of the story. Don't blindly follow anyone. Seek out books like this one and others. The more you know, the better decisions you can make in the long run. And don't take these books at face value. Check the footnotes and see if they're honest. A good place to start getting informed is this book.
   
   One last piece of evidence that some people make uninformed decisions right here at epinions. I've had at least two people tell me they've had the same thing happen. Write a review with an opposing viewpoint, preferably a conservative one. To do so is to invite insult in your comments or worse yet a bad rating not based on the content of the review itself but because of your beliefs. Think conservatives are mean and hateful? Look at those ratings and comments. When 15 out of 16 rate it very good and one very bad and that person doesn't leave a name? Judge for yourself.

5 comments about It Happened to Nancy: By an Anonymous Teenager, A True Story from Her Diary.

1. My daughter read it in school and wanted it for home so she could read ahead. She loved it



2. "It was like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir began singing the "Hallelujah" chorus. ..."
   
   "... more spiritual than anything I had ever heard, even the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the ..."
   
   "... loud dissonant combo but . . . well, like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir singing the Hallelujah Chorus..."
   
   These lines are from three different journals supposedly written by three entirely different real-life teenagers.
   
   Er...supposedly...
   
   If Beatrice wanted to write fiction, why didn't she just CALL it fiction?



3. I read this book in eight grade english and I'm now a sophomore in college. This semster we were asked to make a list of all the books we have ever read and then name one of those that you still remember or is your favorite from the list. My list included The Glass Castle, Marquise of O, The Freedom Train, Hamelet(more of a play), The Merchant of Venice(again more of a play), The Dairy of Anne Frank, To Kill a Mockingbird, and It Happend to Nancy. When I looked at that list I just couldn't chose any of those books over It Happend to Nancy. It gave a realestic account of what it was like to be a teenager living with HIV/AIDS and diffenatley made me think twice before I made decision because for all I know I could've been Nancy or my sister could've been.



4. Nancy feels like she's alone and she feels like has no one to talk to, and some girls might feel like this in the type of situation Nancy's in. After Nancy tells her mom that she's been raped she gets a lot of help and most of the help comes from from her mom and most of her friends and family; young girls will get help if they confess in time. Collin takes advantage of Nancy when he's about to leave Nancy's house because he rapes her. Later she finds out she was infected with aids and that Collin is 27 yrs old. This book clarifies that things happen when they're least expected, but when they do happen you are not alone. there are people who can help you. When Nancy tells her mom she was raped and that impacts her mom drastically. She starts spending more time talking and taking care of Nancy.



5. This book is perfect! It's impossible not to fall in love with this book. Nancy's point of view is just like everyother teen. You'll laugh, cry, but you just can't put it down! Great book for every teen to read. It's informational in a touching way.

5 comments about 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny: Life Lessons from Teaching.

1. Mr. Done was my fourth grade teacher. I was positively THRILLED when I realized he had written a book. He was, by far, one of my most memorable teachers to this day. His book is amazing, and brought back a lot of awesome memories I have of elementary school. Excellent read.



2. If you teach, this is a MUST read!



3. If you want to laugh until you cry, then read this book! Phillip Done captures all the joys of teaching and expresses it in a way that is hilarious. As I tried to share passages with my family, I couldn't get it out because I was laughing so hard. Anyone who has taught or is starting their first year of teaching should definitely read this. You will be truly inspired!



4. As a third grade teacher I just want to say that Mr. Done has put my classroom into words-thank you, it makes me feel good to know that all third grade teachers are in the same boat, and enjoying the ride....most of the time.



5. Phillip Done portrays life as a teacher in a humorous, enjoyable manner. His writing style is engaging and easy to read. As a teacher, it's easy to relate to many of the stories he shares. I enjoyed the book so much, I bought a copy to share with my co-workers. A fun, must-read for all teachers dedicated to the task of helping children build upon their self-esteem as well as grow academically.

5 comments about Eleven Seconds: A Story of Tragedy, Courage & Triumph.

1. On Oct. 20, 1995, two of my friends and I gleefully took our seats in Walter Brown arena. We'd saved up the money to purchase season tickets (huge money for undergraduates), and couldn't wait to see the triple crown banner be raised. The beginning of the night was all of the heartpounding celebration it could be.
   
   And then only a short time later, that all changed--That night of joy became one of profound sadness as we watched a (then) unknown freshman player fall to the ice, motionless. It was the first and only time I've personally witnessed someone injured so severely.
   
   Since that night, I've kept up from time to time to see what Travis is doing, how he's doing, and am constantly amazed at how he's fighting. He is an inspiration, and his book should be on anyone's reading list.



2. In Eleven Seconds, a story about a young man at the age of twenty-one living life and one event happens to change it all. Playing in his first collegiate game of hockey, Travis Roy crashed the corner after a dump in, tripped, fell, and broke his fourth vertebrae and becomes paralyzed from his neck down. This single event changes the way he and his family act towards each other. The story goes through his amazing recovery and the heart and determination he had. The author portrays Travis Roy as a hero to those that are in deep pain or trouble. He accomplishes this by showing the good and bad times in his recovery stages. After a few months at the hospital, Travis Roy wants to get back into the world and show that this freak accident will not keep him down. He returns to college and tries to become a normal student, but this is impossible because he has become a well-known person due to the accident. The grit and determination of Mr. Roy and his family members through the hard times to get to a level of peace and acceptance of what has happend is amazing. This story makes you, the reader, feel that you just need to make the best of the hand that is dealt and that if anything goes wrong you just have to deal with it and make the best of the situation. Eleven Seconds is a great book and should be read by all.



3. Initially I was drawn to this book because it involved my passion, hockey. But Travis' story moved me deeply. Once I started reading this book I could not put it down. I was really interested in the affect his accident would have on his relationship with his girlfriend and I was rooting for them to stay together. I'll be honest I'm pretty bummed things didn't work out between them. But this was a great story of a very inspirational person. It truly made me want to make a contribution to his foundation which I plan on doing. I would recommend this book to anyone not just fans of hockey. Good Luck in the future Trav!



4. I read this book in two days! Travis Roy is an incredible person who has lived through a tragic experience. I applaud him for setting up a foundation to help other people with spinal cord injuries. As a teacher, I would love to have him speak at my school!



5. Travis Roy is an inspirational man, he tells everyone about the emotional state that he was through during the whole entire situation. He created a foundation that didn't just help him but helped others with the same situation. Before reading this I didn't know the process of paralysis victims, but after I was fully aware of what paralysis victims went through emotionally and physically.
   
   It is a great story for people that don't even really like hockey because any person could get paralyzed any given day. So after reading this story it made me aware of how a single mans pain can express the words of thousands.
   
   The reason why I recommend this book is because it is the story of a man that enjoyed everyday life before being paralyzed, then after 11 seconds of hockey his life completely changed, but he fought through the pain and lived everyday to the fullest and always kept his mind looking positively. He wants to walk again and keeps thinking that he can, one thing that could possibly just keep him going everyday.
   
   So this is a must read for everyone, I strongly recommend it because it makes people explicitly aware of what paralyzed people go through. After reading the book it will make you look at people in wheelchairs differently. If you do choose to read this book, enjoy it and keep in mind that Travis Roy is much luckier than many.

5 comments about Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter.

1. The reviews for this seemed positive enough to feed my interest in anything and everything Japanese. I was very disapointed! The book is written (I'm not sure if this is a translation issue) like something a middle schooler would write, if not for the foul language and explicit situations. Really, it does not do too great of a job describing Japanese culture, instead focusing mainly on the abuse of women. Further, the tone of the book is dull and uninviting. A real let down!



2. Perhaps it was a bad translation. Perhaps it was written in a rush. Or perhaps the author just isn't particularly talented. The last seems to be the case with Shoko Tendo's memoir about life as the daughter of a Japanese mobster. Many of the chapters ran like separate vignettes without much dramatic tension. There was little insight into the actual lives of the yakuza, and the reader is left trying to add pieces together. What keeps the pace is Tendo's interesting life, and the trials she must overcome to better herself. When she receives the full-body tattoo, it seems anti-climactic and, dare I say it, unimportant. The tone of the entire piece just doesn't have enough resonance to carry itself. For example, the trite (and very bizarre shift in the aforementioned tone) last line is this: "Thank you Mom and Dad." Like something out of high school essay, I felt deceived with such a simplistic ending. Some passages contained rich imagery, but they didn't last very long. Overall, with the subject and some of the narrative, the book had promise. But it seems carrying out the task proved to be too much of a task.



3. Whereas the samurai encapsulates the image of the pre-modern ideal of Japanese masculinity through his martial skill, stoic nature, self discipline, and code of honor, the yakuza, Japanese gangster, supposedly carries on a number of these traditions in the modern, or post-modern, world, especially the codes of honor and respect for not only his superiors but his inferiors. Wearing traditional Japanese garb, an expensive Western suit, or a loud aloha shirt, pockets full of money from sometimes questionable businesses, and carrying centuries of culture within his being, the yakuza has come to fascinate not only the Japanese populace, but the world at large through primarily his depiction in film and crime novels.
   
   Shoko Tendo is the second daughter and third child of the yakuza oyabun, Japanese gang boss, Hiroyasu Tendo and she witnessed his great excesses and eventual downfall, but she was not involved in the gang herself and therefore is unable or not willing to expunge deeply upon the topic of her father's involvement with the yakuza, but instead writes on her life and how her father's being a yakuza would affect her life for years to come. It is for this very reason that I believe that a number of Western readers are disappointed with Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter. They are looking for a memoir that will feed into their cinematic/stereotypical ideals of what Tendo's life should be like, but instead they receive a thin tome written by a woman who suffered from continuous abuse at the hands of men who were yakuza and these men, instead of being paragons of virtue, Japanese tradition, and honor are alcoholic, cowardly dope fiends who beat on those weaker than them and cower from those who are stronger.
   
   What Tendo gives the reader is a cathartic, honest account of a woman who is connected to the shady crime underworld and how it ostracizes her from mainstream Japanese society. Scoffed at by her teachers, neighbors, and classmates after her father is imprisoned, Tendo becomes a yanki, female delinquent and gang member, and finds herself growing addicted to a number of narcotics starting off with huffing paint thinner to injecting heroin daily all the while drifting from detention centers to abusive relationships. At times, it seems she finds peace, but eventually these fleeting moments are shattered by harsh reality.
   
   Another criticism that I have read concerning the memoir is that it is poorly written, and that it seems like a sordid tale written by a grade-schooler. Tendo herself apologizes about the writing in the book's afterward stating that she has next to zero formal education (she nearly ceased doing school work after elementary school, having become a yanki at 12). Leaving the quality of writing behind, Tendo does have the tendency to foreshadow in a sophomoric way and her moralizing is a bit weak, but the bare bones honesty of a woman opening her heart to the reader makes the overall read overcome its limitations in craft. A fine memoir that attempts to shatter some of the stereotypes associated with the yakuza, Yakuza Moon: Memoirs of a Gangster's Daughter makes for a quick and enlightening read on the subject of the Japanese underworld.



4. Yakuza Moon by Shoko Tendo is an excellent novel. Her memoirs kept me reading and shocked me at times. Her life is very interesting and intertwined with the Japanese mafia made it all the better. If your into true life stories, the Yakuza, and aren't afraid to be shocked then I recommend this book.



5. Her life story was interesting, sad, and compelling to read. I thought this book was a good insight to 1980's-90's Sub-Culture in Japan. This book was an easy read, and the writing is a little Below par, but don't let that make you not give this book a whirl. I give it a B. I have lent it to a friend, who also likes it as well*

5 comments about Eyewitness to Power: The Essence of Leadership Nixon to Clinton.

1. Politics is such a contact sport, with the opposing party trying to bring down the President. A house divided cannot stand, yet here in America we no longer rally around the President after the election. The losing party tries to destroy him.
   
   I have always like Gergen and I appreciate his wisdom in this book. Even the most liberal Democrat will find much to admire about Richard Nixon, Gerald Ford and Ronald Reagan if he reads this book with an open mind. Likewise, the most conservative Republican will find many positive traits about Bill Clinton, faults and all.
   
   These men were not perfect and they all had their weaknesses, which their enemies ultimately used against them. But these men all had what it takes to make great Presidents. Sadly, Nixon was forced to resign, Clinton was impeached, and Reagan survived the Iran/Contra scandal.
   
   Today in 2006, we hear that if the Democrats gain control in Congress, they might try to impeach the current President for his failings. Will we ever learn? Can a President ever serve an 8 year term without the threat of impeachment by the other side?
   
   All men have faults and we will never have a President that is perfect. In "Eyewitness to Power" we learn that anyone who becomes President must have leadership skills to be able to rise to this high office. Maybe future leaders can learn from the mistakes of past Presidents. They better because in today's political climate, the other side will be waiting for any misstep.



2. This book has been an eye opener to the strengths of even the most despised Presidents. I learned a lot about the importance of bipartisanship in getting a President's initiatives passed. It also made me realize that the press will not give me the real image of the "Big Guy." Going into an election year we need to realize that all of the slander politics are not as important as learning about the candidates' thoughts and hopes for their and our future. Reading the candidates' autobiography or biography may be a great way to really get an understanding about a person who thinks they have what it takes to run the most powerful country in the world. Look forward to seeing reviews on a few books from our upcoming candidates.



3. David Gergen provides important insights into leadership. He was worked for several Presidents and has observed what creates successful leaders. He lists his observations by President and concludes the following: Leadership is something one finds internally, it is driven by a compelling goal, it is successful when it persuades others, it requires understanding how the involved process works and how goals may be attained, it often uses an atmosphere of assurance from the beginning, it involving choosing and considering advice form good advisors, and it is able to inspire followers to work toward the goals. These are only a foundation of principles which do not assure success yet should be a guide to expand upon.
   
   The manner in which leadership is used does influence outcomes. A good knowledge of past experiences is valuable yet this knowledge must be used appropriately. The early periods of Presidencies often provide opportunities for achievement yet, simultaneously are also when some of the worst mistakes are made. David Gergen argues the Presidency requires someone who has an excellent knowledge of public affairs as well the proper temperament. He rates Franklin Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan as two of the best Presidential leaders.
   
   The book provides many direct insights from someone who worked for Presidents Nixon, Ford, Reagan, and Clinton. He tells how Nixon was inspired by DeGaulle to rely upon both intellect and instinct, how Ford was a strong believer in the truth, how Reagan upped the ante in the arms race so the Soviet Union could no longer compete, and how Clinton understood history and established policy victories. This is a good book that uses first hand information and uses it to explain what leadership principles worked and which ones did not.



4. Quick turn around and received the book, just as it was listed. Thanks. I'll look for your books again.



5. I was fortunate enough to hear David Gergan speak at my daughter's commencement last month. After hearing him in person, I couldn't wait to purchase his book. I am not normally interested in political history due to the dull reading of most, but David Gergan really makes the information come alive. His elaboration of the former presidents really gives you a tremendous sense of his deep interest & admiration of each of these men. While being truthful with the information, he finds the good to present to us in an honest way. I purchased this book for an upcoming young leader in our family, who I hope will gain insight & wisdom from reading this book. I only wish that he too will feel the same way & have the opportunity to hear David Gergan live. It is certainly rare for me to be just as interested in listening to a speaker at the end of their presentation as I am at the beginning of it. David is as good an author as he is a speaker. An excellent read for present & future leaders!

5 comments about The Wicked Wit of Winston Churchill.

1. I received this book as a birthday gift from my lovely wife. I loved this book so much I bought is twice more as a gift for a departing superior and for a friend of 10 years. Anyone who has a love of history (particularly this era) will love this book, anyone in possession of a sense of humor will appreciate this book as well.
   
   Recommended for a quick, witty read and as a gift for anyone you know with an 'off' sense of humor. We all know someone like that, are related or married to them, or publicly disavow any association with them. Regardless, buy them or yourself (ii case its you who is openly disowned) this book.



2. 
   The wise and witty words of Winston Churchill ring throughout the 20th Century.Any that knew him personally or had anything to do with him must have waited with anticipation of hearing what he would say anytime he opened his mouth.This held true for Kings,Presidents,Generals and yes even for his family,including his grandaughter.At times, his use of silence could be as cutting
   a reply as anything he could say.No doubt, he took as much enjoyment in his words as anyone he was aiming them at.It wasn't all one way either,he seemed to love a well delivered line,even if he was the object.
   He neither claimed to be nor in fact was an'educated man',he
   was similar to Mark Twain,in that he could cut to pieces,people of much greater formal education,if they tried to engage him in 'a battle of words'.
   In his book "My Early Life" he said."It's a good thing for an
   uneducated man to read books of quotations" and described how he read "Bartlett's Quotations".It is obvious that he often used and modified others quotations.
   His friend Lord Brinkenhead quipped,"Winston has devoted the best years of his life to preparing his impromptu speeches."
   "One of Churchill's most famous speeches is that of June
   1940:'We shall fight on the beaches,we shall fight in the fields and in the streets,we shall fight in the hills...' It is said that,as he paused in the great uproar that greeted these words,Churchill muttered to a colleague next to him,'And We'll fight them with the butt ends of broken beer bottles because that's bloody well all we've got!"
   A great little book reminding us of the words of one of the great voices of the 20th Century.



3. You do have to think about many of his quips, most are very funny in a dry, perhaps a bit cynical manner. It is sometimes difficult to place his statements in the context of WW-II (I was born in 1944 and I do have a memory of that era because it was the biggest event in my parents lives - they talked about it all the time).
   
   After a session with Mr. Churchill, I often wish American politicians had a bit of his prespective (though I reall doubt they would ever get elected).



4. I am a long-time admirer of Sir Winston Churchill. As a leader he had few (if any) equals, but I have always been impressed with his sharp wit and stinging retorts. One can learn much about the man from what is found in this little book, not only from the quotes attributed to him, but also from those zingers hurled his way by friend and foe alike.
   This book is an easy read. It can be picked up for a few moments' pleasure without distracting from the greatness that is Sir Winston Churchill.



5. A good review and background of famous quotes of Churchill. It also showed him to be a good husband and sober man, despite the rumor otherwise.