5 comments about The Secret Life of Siegfried and Roy: How the Tiger Kings Tamed Las Vegas.

1. I was lucky enough to see Siegfried and Roy's show at the Mirage, from a seat right in front of the stage. It was totally awesome, one of the most memorable shows I've ever seen. Curious about the duo, I purchased this book. Well...The first thing that must be said, is that it was written by former employees, who would seem to have an axe to grind. The second thing that must be said, is that former employees know where all the bodies are buried; in this case, literally. So how much of this book is true? Hard to say. What can be said is that it is almost as fascinating as their show. Lots of "dirt" about lots of people, everyone from Steve Wynn to Liberace. Eccentric behavior in full measure (and beyond). And what really did happen the night Montecore attacked Roy? It's all a bit creepy at times, but it's sure a page-turner. Take it to the beach, this summer.



2. You don't want to admit it but you're kinda curious about what goes on behind the scenes with S&R. This is a perfect little page-turning, guilty pleasure of a tome. The stories might be from bitter ex-employees, but who else is going to have the best stories? Well put together, fast, fun read- perfect for the Summer.



3. This book is easy to read. I was done with it in no time. It is full of fascinating information that, far from marring Siegfried and Roy's names, only paints them as fallible human beings like many of the other of us "mere mortals". Blind-loyalty fans will have a difficult time accepting the possibility of these "hidden" personality traits and incidents as being true.
   The tone of the book is hardly mean-spirited; in fact, the writers sound very much on Siegfried and Roy's "side". The content includes histories of such Las Vegas icons as Liberace and Steve Wynn, as well as a history of Las Vegas itself.
   
   My main complaints about the book are as follows: Siegfried's birthdate is written as being June 12th instead of 13th, the lions in a few of the pictures are mistakenly called tigers in the captions, Mastering the Impossible is quoted rather a lot in a few areas, and some of the information from it seems to have been changed slightly.



4. I loved author's cool and wit way of telling the story.
   Not trashing The Maestros, but an interesting story written with a great sens of humor.
   A+ for summer reading!



5. Well, I guess their lives will still remain a secret because this book has nothing new to offer! As former employees who claim to have had a long and close relationship with S and R, they really don't have much to say about their OWN on the job experiences. The book simply rehashes old tabloid and magazine stories about S and R--not much about their own accounts on anything! The rest of the book is simply 'filler' material about the history of Las Vegas, Liberace's sexual preferences, etc...--not much to do with S and R. There are a couple of chapters that are copied almost exactly from S and R's own autobiography as well. If you have followed the careers of S and R, believe me when I say that this book has absolutely NOTHING new to offer! Don't waste your time nor your money!

5 comments about How to Be Like Walt: Capturing the Disney Magic Every Day of Your Life (How to Be Like).

1. Alright, I confess. I wanted to be a jerk. I wanted to be the first person to give this book less than five stars, but I just can't do it. Sure, I could complain. I could say that the material in the second to last chapter should have spread throughout the book so there would be one summary chapter instead of two. Or I could focus on the lack of explanation as to WHY Walt chose to do some of the films he did. Because it sometimes pains me that I have to assume Walt's idea to animate Pinoccho came from reading it as a kid and liking it, without really knowing for sure.
   
   But I can't complain too much, since I realize that this ain't some half-hearted work here. It is a well-researched collection of hundreds of valuable stories. Each story tells us what Walt was like, the kind of things he did, and the kind of things he wanted to do. I was particularly fascinated with his vision of the futuristic city of EPCOT, where pedestrian and car would never touch the same ground, and a giant dome would keep the city's climate forever under control.
   
   Walt's obsessive dream of constructing a new kind of city is just one of many little tidbits of information the book has for anyone not already intimately familiar with his life. I mean, I had no clue that Disney created a popular cartoon BEFORE Mickey Mouse. And I had no idea his company was so often under the strain of severe financial woe. Heck, this book even told me the name of the 19 year old guy who invented electronic TV.
   
   As much as I would have liked to have read about the origin of that hilarious Donald Duck, I wasn't disappointed at all when the book instead brought up the time Walt turned a hat his wife hated into a flower pot and gave it to her for her birthday. Nor was I disappointed when I read about the earthquake that almost ruined the final scene of Fantasia.
   
   There's so much wonderful history to learn in this book, and so much leadership to be inspire you, that you can't help but love most everything in its pages. Williams and Denney really did a terrific job, especially when you consider my pre-conceived negative bias due to a previous bad experience with a co-authored book The Rock Says.... "How To Be Like Walt" wasn't written to make a quick buck by shoving out something with Disney in the title. It really was meant to show the amazing things Walt did, and how great of a guy he was. (Imagine going to get an ice cream at Disneyland and SURPRISE! Walt Disney himself is behind the counter giving you a huge freaking scoop. It's happened before, believe it or not.)
   
   You know what? I think I would like to be more like Walt. If I CAN'T give a well-written book about him anything less than five stars, perhaps becoming more like Walt is something I CAN do.



2. This book is 75% biography of Walt Disney and 25% self-motivational...but put together, it's so much more than that! Love how Pat Williams ends each chapter on how to LEARN from Walt on HOW TO BE LIKE WALT. Very inspirational...for everyone...!!



3. With my life-long admiration for the creative genius of Walt Disney, a book with the title "How To Be Like Walt" proved irresistible and became the first book I chose to read about Walt Disney. I couldn't be happier with my choice.
   Whether you are a Walt Disney fan - or a person who wants to live boldly and creatively - or someone looking for inspiration in adversity... this book is going to impact you in a beautiful way.
   Both biographical and inspirational, Pat Williams not only tells you the personal story of Walt Disney (which I found surprisingly full of difficulty and heart-wrenching moments) but weaves it into an engaging how-to manual on living your life fully and at full-throttle. Without getting preachy or fawning, the author (who's a pretty accomplished and unconventional guy himself) allows Walt's own infectious energy and joy to permeate the pages and the reader.
   I truly believe there isn't a soul who won't be better for reading "How To Be Like Walt"...because who among us doesn't have dreams lying dormant, waiting to come true? Who among us doesn't need a little more magic in our everyday? If a man who came from so little could find the will to accomplish so much despite the resistance of so many...why not you?



4. One of the best "self help" books I have ever read. The author uses Walt's real life experiences to drive his points home. I could not put this book down. You don't have to be a Disney fan to appreciate the messages in this book. And if you are a Disney fan, you will LOVE this book!!



5. This is the best book about Walt; and on how to get that magic in your everyday life. I strongly suggest this book for everyone looking to improve their leadership and make magic everywhere they go.

5 comments about Thin.

1. This book is the most honest book ive ever read on eating disorders. I have quite a few family memebers with anorexia and bulima. I watched them waste away, go into to hostpitals and come back from the time i was 5 untill 19. Most have recovered, or are still in recovery. One of my cousins put it to me this way "once an anorexic, always an anorexic" even though she is at a good weight (still 5 lbs underweight) and is now 29 she still has trouble and daily struggles. Most books ive read in this subject all kinda have the same ending, they are finally hospitalized, recovered and then last page is "THE END" which is far from the truth.
   Lauren Greenfield has truly Captured the Day to Day life with older, teenagers and young adults suffering from eating disorders. The details are graphic and the photographs in this book actually made me cry, but it was a eye opener. I reccomend this book to anyone who has a loved one or friend that has an eating disorder. Alot of people do not understand or can even commprehend why anyone would choose to starve themselves, This book can really give enlighting information to the desperate person trying to cope/understand their loved ones eating disoder. To anyone who is curious and just wants information in eating disorders. This is the book! the author holds nothing back. Excellent is all i can say! buy this, you will not be dissapointed. I hope this review was helpfull.



2. I have read this book cover to cover twice already & watched the documentary numerous times. The stories the girls share are believeable & heart-wrenching, & if you have or are suffering from an ED, you can really relate to them. The photos just pull you in & you want to know more & more about each of these women.



3. I read "Thin" a day or two after seeing the documentary, and it gave me a better sense of who the 4 women focused on in the documentary, especially of Brittany, the youngest of the four girls. Diary entries by Polly and a letter written by Brittany to her mother were honest and touching. The book also gives us a look at a number of other Renfrew patients who were not in the documentary except in the background. One of them is a woman whose eating disorder began in middle age. There are older women, women of color and a woman who is an overeater who was grateful that the underweight patients (the majority of the patients) were so welcoming to her (which I guess makes sense; it was their own bodies that tormented them). The photos are graphic, but not lurid or sensational; the photos are stark (some of them) but they are haunting as well; you won't forget these women soon. The text includes a lot of the statements made by the four patients who were the focus of the documentary, but it includes other stories told by residents that we don't get to meet in the film.



4. I saw the documentary first years ago and recently I picked up the book. The book is way better in my opinion. It was hard reading it because it was very graphic and depressing. I pray for these women to get better.



5. Based on the Lauren Greenfield's HBO documentary of the same name, Thin graphically presents the stories of several women receiving residential treatment for eating disorders at the Renfrew Center in Coconut Creek, Florida. The intense emotionality of these stories is captured best by eating disorder specialist Dr. Michael Strober who describes them as "gripping, poignant, bewildering, heart wrenching, incomprehensible, inspiring, sickening, disturbing, repellent, touching, infuriating, and so much more" (page 159). Greenfield's amazing photo journalism speaks as loudly as the words voiced by the women themselves in conveying the insidious, shocking, tragic, and lethal nature of eating disorders. Each and every page bleeds with the pain and despair of women who are literally dying to be thin.

5 comments about How Life Imitates Chess: Making the Right Moves, from the Board to the Boardroom.

1. Chess is a game of logic and pattern recognition. Business is a game of politics, political maneuvering, people skills, perception and chance. Similarities between the chess board and the boardroom are, therefore, not as broad as Mr. Kasparov perceives.
   
   I would even go as far as saying success in chess will not necessarily transfer to success in business, and that highly analytical and logical minds such as Kasparov's are probably at a disadvantage in the business world where EQ matters just as much as IQ. Highly logical and rational people are often not the best business people as they're accustomed to fixed and predictable outcomes that are the result of careful, deductive logic.
   
   At any rate, this book is more about chess stories than applying lessons learned from high level chess play to business. Kasparov's business experience pales in comparison to his chess experience, and it comes through as painfully obvious. Most of the book is filled with chess stories with little apparent "boardroom" applications, despite Kasparov's disjointed attempts at connecting the two.
   
   I can't remember anything useful I learned about business or life from reading this book, but I enjoyed it quite a bit and can recall many of the chess tournament war stories, particularly between Kasparov and Karpov.
   
   The quote I liked the most in the book was, "We can go through our day-to-day lives without changing our habits and nothing terrible will happen to us. The problem is that it is also highly unlikely anything at all will happen to us - including good things." (Page 168 of the hardcopy version).
   
   Read this book for entertainment and without expectations of anything else.



2. When I read this book I had no idea how hard core professional chess was. Six months games with players losing 22 lbs during the course of the game??! This is a good strategy book when read in light of sun tzu/clausewitz/others but I think it really shines in other places as well. If you take a look at some of the things Kasparov is doing to further democracy in Russia (to the point where his life is in danger) it seems surreal. As far as competitive excellence, Americans should put this guy up there with Michael Jordan and then imagine Michael Jordan running for political office!



3. The wisdom of the greatest chess player of our time in one book. Many readers will greatly profit from Kasparov's in depth knowledge in a highly competitive field, in particular on PEAK PERFROMANCE, DECISION MAKING, STRATEGY & TACTICS. The specific chess stories are short, mostly at the end of each chapter and therefore can easily be skipped by readers not interested in chess.
   
   Does life imitate chess? Yes and no. Chess helps the training of logic and concentration. Thus, any game that helps us building 'brain-power' is useful as long as one is aware of the short commings of the particular game. World-class chess players have incredible short-term memories and know combinations. It's a complete information game where nothing is hidden from either player. Chess also lacks randomness. Not real life environment ... while no game comes even close to 'real life'.
   
   Despite my partial disagreement with the book title, Kasparov's boke displays his wisdom throughout the book. Anyone who's in a competitive environment will love Kasparov's chapter; THE ATTACKERS ADVANTAGE. It's Kasparov at his best! Kasparov is world famous for being a very aggressive chess player. And when the greatest (and probably most aggressive) chess player of our times writes on 'attacking', we can only learn. In his words; 'I used to attack because it was the only think I knew. Now I attack because I know it works best'.
   
   Yes, Kasparov comes accross as a very confident person. Yes, he could have left the few paragraphes on politics out. No, it's still a GREAT book - after finishing reading, one can feel the presence of 'chess' greatness .



4. I do not intend to say that the book is useless. The author, Garry Kasparov, has used some humor and has some intuitive ideas in the text. You can totally see through the mind of this chess player as he writes, "Art is born from creative conflict." He looks at life and its beauty from perspective of a fighter. However, those who don't enjoy fighting or conflicts, such as me, won't appreciate this book all that much.
   
   Kasparov introduces some very basic understandings about the decision making process, most of which gave me the impression, "Of course, I knew that already." Some, for example, are let's not waste time, let's invest material to gain time, let's stay out of comfort zone, and other chess related ideas such as those. He even went as far as using physics laws! He shows the first law of thermodynamics - which is about conservation of energy - doesn't apply to chess because pieces promote, or their "energy" is not remained constant. This is another one of those ideas which make me say, "Of course, I knew that already!"
   
   Anyways, for chess lovers, fighters, those interested in business and marketing (which is another form of fighting), or politicians I recommend this book, and I think you will appreciate it. Others, including me, will find this book to have little use in daily life, as well in gaining a new perspective.



5. I picked up this book by chance, but it drew me in and I read it in a couple of days. Kasparov takes a fairly radical view that his aggressive, analytical and highly disciplined approach, so successful in chess, can be effective in business, politics and other areas of life. Understandably, he argues for an attacker's advantage and in general views life as a sort of competition (although it may make wince those who think of life in more romantic terms).
   
   My favorite parts of the book are the anecdotes from Kasparov's championships and especially the stories of the other Grandmasters and world chess champions. They were as different as any group of people, followed different training regimes and preferred different game styles. They all perfected their game and through training and competition achieved their personal best. In a way, this book is about playing your own game. Who wouldn't want that?

5 comments about Pre: The Story of America's Greatest Running Legend, Steve Prefontaine.

1. This is an excellent read for anyone. You don't have to know who Steve was to enjoy this book. The book has a lot of information and details that were not in the movies.



2. Taken too young from us - will always be a hero to us.
   Read this motivational book.



3. i am always interested in reading about successful athletes. pre was a great read, simple easy read, some great insight on pre from some of his running partners. i enjoy the statistics and he had many.



4. An avid runner, I enjoyed the book immensely. Read it before you hit the roads.



5. This is one of the few negative reviews I have ever given. But I bought this book because I think Pre is interesting and I love Track and Field.
   
   This book is sooooo boring. I forced myself to finish after a few months of reading it on and off. This is basically a book just listing times from races and people talking about how much they loved Pre.
   
   Do NOT buy this book!

5 comments about Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses.

1. I have read this book in installments. Why? Because I knew my mother would have a fit if she knew I had read it. Lusty, juicy, it's wonderful education for a curious young lady like me.



2. I have read "Paula" and there is no doubt that Isabel Allende is a talented writer. Her passionate tone seems to just find a way to your heart.
   
   Aphrodite is acookbook erotic-style... truly inspires fun ideas for both food and foreplay. Great historic facts on spices, a collection of rather comical stories and the recipes are to die for.
   
   If you are a hedonist. Get this!



3. This book weaves a beautiful tapestry of life, love and food. The information on the aphrodisiac ingredients is not very in depth but always accurate. And the prose reads as though it is tumbling straight from Allende's mouth. Although I have not cooked from the book, I love that she added a section of recipes.



4. This collection of stories reads like an erotic cookbook of sorts. There's even a recipe section!



5. John Updike once said that there are three great mysteries in life: sex, art, and religion. Isabel Allende has added food to that mysterious mix in a delightful way --- food is sexy and erotic and enticing in her book and is explored in a way that reminds one of lacy lingerie, seductive but mysterious at the same time. Allende, over fifty and still recovering from the painful loss of her daughter, writes boldly and bravely of how loss and all its pain is still concurrent with life's joys.
   
   As a writer myself who has written both a cookbook and about the erotic lives of people over fifty, I found Allende's honesty, sensuality, and joy utterly luscious and also comforting in that even as we grow older we have our senses and can celebrate them as long as we allow ourselves to. This is a beautiful book with wonderful illustrations including the sexiest peaches you will ever see. The recipes are intriguing. But more than anything it is an affirmation that our senses have the power to heal us and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.

5 comments about Paul: A Man of Grace and Grit (Great Lives from God's Word, Volume 6).

1. The author is probably a great guy personally, but his writing falls very short. The book does not even address Paul's views on the role of women, or on homosexuality--two areas where people of our times need guidance. It seems as if the author wanted to be "politically correct" and not offend anyone.
   He doesn't even address, with any authority, the conflict between Paul and Barnabas over John Mark. He just basically says they should have worked it out. I was completely disappointed in the book.



2. oh yeah, this book is wonderfull. Turned me into something like a Pauline. It gives great illustrations and its quite a good read; what I really got out of it was how Swindoll shows you a real person. Not just Paul the Apostle, not just him as one of the sons of judaism of that time, no beyond that. The man that we read about that filled his letters with so much understanding and knowledge, to be flesh. You read this book and I guarantee you, it will change how you look at him and Christ, and especially what kind of peoples Christ uses. from a man you read of in Acts through Philemon as a character into a man that struggled with his faith and had to take a shower at the end of the day just like all of us. Oh yes, it is really great, I encourage anyone to tear into this mug, and I hear its one of many books- so I really am encouraged to pick up one of Swindoll's other books. Hes a magnificent writer. 5 starsies all the way.



3. Chuck Swindoll is one of my favorite writers, though I am not in agreement with all of his theology. But this work on Paul is outstanding.
   
   Before reading this work on Paul, I had read several other volumes on Paul, and Swindoll gave me another perspective on Paul that I have greatly appreciated--the devotional touch to this work. As a pastor, I find this work to be encouraging. Swindoll writes with a pastor's pen. And I love that.
   
   I especially recommend this work to all conscientious pastors.



4. Charles Swindoll, gives an exellent expose' of the man Saul of Tarsus. His conversion and the affect it had on him, that lasted for the rest of his life. The continual conflicts, trials, and troubles he endured.
   Swindoll, also does a great job of filling in between the lines, from other text, and how we can learn from the examples of Pauls great, faith, strength and courage.



5. It was in excellent condition. The paper cover around it was also in excellent shape.

5 comments about Under a Wing: A Memoir.

1. There can be no doubt that Reeve Lindbergh's memoir is the most touching book about that family that I have read. Through her eyes we go beyond the covers of other books and see what it really meant to be a Lindbergh.

   They were almost a closed society onto themselves, yet they still experienced the same joys and sorrows as the rest of us. We find the man who was depised as an isolationist to be a concerned and loving father who read to his children.

   We dine with the children at their grandmother's house and we soar above the Connecticut house on Saturdays. The famed aviator at the controls and a bored child in the rear seat.

   After reading this book I felt very attached to this famous family. Being the same age as Reeve herself, my only knowledge of the Lindbergh's was the famous flight and the kidnapping as I read in history books. Now, after this book, I feel as though I have become part of them.

   It can only be summed up in one word, wonderful.




2. Reeve Lindbergh tells stories that we want to hear about everyday life with her famous, complicated father and her intelligent, artistic mother. Reeve's delicate, precise prose is reminiscent of her mother's style of writing. A reviewer said of Anne Lindbergh that she "combed" her life for meaning and the daughter seems tuned into that same compulsion. It helps that she writes with as much insight as did her mother. The passage that describes the hours mother and daughter spent together after the death of Reeve's child is heartbreakingly revealing of the private Anne and her anguish after the kidnapping and death of her own child. Reeve's reminiscences of flying with her father (she was not an enthusiast) and her longing for her enigmatic father are poignant. She does not avoid discussing Lindbergh's perceived anti-Semitism; she does not attempt to defend him but rather keeps her emphasis on the effect this controversy had (and has) on her connection with him. I challenge any daughter to read Reeve's account of her visit to her father's childhood home without weeping.



3. What I especially like about Reeve Lindbergh's memoir is its candid and utterly sincere tone. This is not a dusty historical treatise; it is a simple sharing of thoughts and experiences. The reader is drawn into the life of a young girl with remarkable and famous parents. We already had an idea of what it was like to live with Charles Lindbergh from the diaries of his wife, Anne Morrow. Now Reeve's book gives another view, helping to round out the picture. Along the way she presents us with snapshot images that offer glimpses into his character. Charles Lindbergh wasn't an easy man to understand; and if he is difficult for us adults to get a handle on, what was it like for his offspring? Reeve tells us in her straightforward and heartwarming manner. This book should be an essential part of any Lindbergh fan's library. I highly recommend it.
   
   Richard Salva--author of Soul Journey from Lincoln to Lindbergh [UNABRIDGED]



4. I really have enjoyed reading Reeve's memoir of her family. She has an amazing memory and can describe details of any past situation like it just happened minutes ago. I am always amazed by people who can do that (especially since I am not one of them). I come from a famous family too and enjoyed reading this book because I have always been fascinated at hearing about someone elses recollections of the past. Reeve's family experience isnt much different than my own family's and in some cases I laugh because some of the stories she has told (i.e. burping a fountain pen) is the same as my familys. My grandfather, who's stories are much the same as Charles Lindberg's, was also raised in Minnesota (St. Paul & Hallepin) so I was delighted to hear Reeve inform the reader of her father's recollections of this same period and place.
   
   Reeve writes her book in a way which makes you feel like your her best friend. She opens her soul to you and pours out all that makes her happy and sad. Although I am confident that this book will be considered one of the best memoirs of its time, I am sure that her family will be very glad she wrote it because she has unearthed the legends of her family's past and how it made them who they are. This is truly a great book...



5. Reeve Lindbergh gives a most interesting overview of her very famous parents - her father with his eccentric behavior - her mother with her focus on life through the eyes of a true poet. Her parents would be proud of her writing skills and her father would probably have given her rare praise for this particular book as well as her others. Kathleen Wyatt

5 comments about The Tiger's Child.

1. I am absolutely addicted to Torey Hayden`s books. Each book is a masterpiece that you can`t put down.



2. This is a follow up of One Child, I could not put this down. I wanted to she how Tory's impact affected her. It does go over in the first couple of chapter's some of the history of the child but If you read One Child first it explains a lot more of her past and give you a true understanding.



3. This is the sequel to One Child so it's best to read that one first. This book is fantastic. I loved it. It continue's the story about Shelia as a teenager and how she had blocked a lot of her childhood out. Her memories came back the more she talked with Torey. Also worked with Torey with some disturbed kids which was good for awhile. This book tells how Shelia overcame her very abusive childhood and how Torey encouraged and helped her long after she left her class. If you read "One Child," then you must read this one!
   
   Karen Arlettaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"



4. Sad story, will make you cry. Too bad some children have parents that abuse them and make them suffer.



5. In "One Child," Hayden first told the story of Sheila, a seriously abused, violent six-year-old who was placed in her special ed classroom as she awaited placement in a state mental hospital for setting a younger child on fire.
   
   Although just about everyone else -- including her own alcoholic father -- had given up on Sheila, Hayden realized the little girl was keenly intelligent. Doggedly, she began testing and teaching Sheila, all the while showing her patience, love and understanding. And despite the occasional setback, within months, Sheila was an entirely different child.
   
   Then the school year ended, Hayden took a different job out of state, and she lost touch with Sheila. Despite searching for her former student, Hayden was unable to connect -- until a coincidence reunited the two when Sheila was 13. Hayden was ecstatic -- and Sheila claimed not to remember the time they'd spent together.
   
   Undeterred, Hayden persisted, inviting Sheila to help out with a summer program for disturbed children she and another clinician were running. Soon the bond they'd once had seemed resurrected. Yet each time Torey and Sheila's friendship seemed to be going smoothly, something happened to test it fiercely -- interference from Sheila's father, or a facet of Sheila's own unpredictable adolescent persona. Despite her best intentions, Hayden often wondered why she persisted -- was there any point? Was she hurting Sheila more than she helped?
   
   Hayden's experiences with Sheila and her other students serve as complex and engrossing material for this book, a simple yet realistic portrait of the world's ugliness -- and the few, stubborn individuals who are determined to make a difference in others' lives.

5 comments about Crossing to Avalon: A Woman's Midlife Quest for the Sacred Feminine.

1. You know, I have to say - this book is awesome - especially if you are a woman.
   I am not.
   I am reading this as a women's studies requirement at a "womens centered" university I attend (what can I say?).I am struggling to read this book and find parallels to the male journey... argh. If you are a guy, skip this!
   I know all of you are going to click on the "no" helpful voting button for this review - I don't care.CLICK IT TWICE FOR ALL I GIVE A RATS TUSHY. I just spent more than 800 bucks AND WASTED 3 MONTHS OF MY LIFE to take this class called the 'Psychology of Women' that took me on a womans mid life spiritual quest. Men, stay away from this book. Women, bare your teeth and vote NO to this review because I am evil. Thank you.



2. Crossing to Avalon is part of the Goddess Movement that many women are finding after being raised in male-dominated religions such as Judaism, Christianity and Islam. The Goddess of Ms. Bolen is almost a material, earthy Person as opposed to the spiritual sky God. The author makes several interesting points about opening oneself to Spirit and accepting the Body as sacred as a monstrance or a shrine. Other reviewers have given their opinions on the strengths of this book, so I will not repeat them here.
   
   The book has many of the same weaknesses as others in the Goddess genre. Avalon posits that before the horrible men got into power and forced their horrible male gods on us, everyone worshipped a Goddess figure and celebrated female things like menstruation, menopause, birth, etc. There was little violence and women ruled over men with their profound wisdom and magic powers.
   
   It does not bother Ms. Bolen, who is a psychiatrist, that there was no writing from these times and therefore no way to really know what the people said or did about almost anything. Feminist spirituality devotees can write a novel about a little figurine that looks like a pregnant (or perhaps obese) female and turn it into the Venus of Willendorf. Reality on the historical front is not as important as creating a misanthropic mythology that puts the Female front and center. I doubt Ms. Bolen would be as open-minded about the medical information she reads in psychiatric review journals. She would want footnotes and facts and testing done, something that is not a part of Goddess History.
   
   I found Ms. Bolen's musings on pregnancy, birth, breast feeding, and menstruation to be fanciful. I doubt that it was "patriarchy" that decided to call menstruation "the curse." I imagine it was coined by women who were sick and tired of bloating and cramping every single month and feeling exhausted and bitchy. There is a reason the birth control pill that allows a woman to bleed only once or twice a year is wildly popular. A lot of male-created religions have menstrual taboos and I used to think they were ridiculous until I thought, "perhaps women started them to give us an excuse to take a break once a month. 'Make dinner? I'm on my period; you know I can't touch your food/go to the mosque/have sex with you for a week!'"
   
   Ms. Bolen's ideology of Body as Sacred ignores that it is our Body that we have in common with every other mammal, and it is only our Minds that have evolved beyond them. A dog menstruates, gives birth, and suckles. It is precisely our Body that gives us a disadvantage to men -- before antibiotics and hospital births, women died years and years before men. Before chemical birth control a woman could expect to become pregnant every year until menopause, and traditional families all over the world had more kids than you can count with your fingers. Before formula, children sometimes died because their mothers did not make enough milk to sustain them. Women are on the average smaller, weaker, and slower than men. This sort of feminist spirituality seems to take what makes us vulnerable to "patriarchal oppression" and celebrate it. It reminds me of Buffy the Vampire, where anorexic Sarah Michelle Gellar would fight off males who could have snapped her neck in a second and not broken a sweat. THAT is the reality of the female body.
   
   I admit that I hold to an Aristotelian view of the Primacy of the Mind and not the Body, and I am not an epiphenominalist as I think Jean Bolen appears to be. This influences the way I read books like this. I get the impression as I read that Ms. Bolen is soooo spiritual that she can miss that "sometimes a cigar is just a cigar." Women consoling each other becomes a Goddess infusion in her mind, rather than the very physical brain response that people and animals get when touched and comforted. The fact that the author is a psychiatrist interests me, since she does not appear to hold that emotions and responses are related to a physical brain but are instead part of a numinous Thing that lives within us, perhaps the Goddess.



3. I just read this book as I approach my 60th birthday and am having some discomfort with reaching that age. I had read Crones Don't Whine several years ago also by this author, but didn't connect it when I purchased Crossing to Avalon.
   I found this book so interesting, enlightening, and helpful that it will go on the shelf with other books I lend out but always want back. I was able to connect the Goddess ideas with the Jungian archetypes and then directly to how I feel personally in a more direct way than with any previous books I've read. I would highly recommend this book. I'm not sure if it would have made the same great impression on me if I hadn't earlier done some reading on these subjects.



4. This book was appreciated from perspective of a younger woman also, so not only midlife women will enjoy! Made me think!



5. This book DID literally hit me over the head - in a book shop! I was browsing through the books and this novel fell off the top shelf landing on my head before it hit the floor. At the time I was more interested in the books I had under my arm so I placed it back on the shelf....but 6 months later I regretted that decision and trackedit down.
   
   I have a large interest in Avalon - I find that era particularily fascinating and this book was a great insight but more importantly it was just a great read about one womens journey and connection to Avalon. There are so few books like this around (that I can find) - I am grateful this one smacked me over the head to be noticed, lol!