5 comments about Once Upon a Country: A Palestinian Life.

1. In the Palestinian struggle against an apartheid, territorially hungry (manifest-Zioinst-destiny) Israel, there has been a shortage of local leaders of wisdom, character, and good fortune. This shortage has been partially circumstantial and partially managed by Israel who has been "sowing the wind" for decades by imprisoning moderates and secretly cultivating Islamist extremists. That Nusseibeh has managed to be spared assasination by Israel or others is fortunate for everyone. We may hope that just as modern Israel has risen from the ashes left in the ovens of the shoah, a viable modern Palestine will emerge from the ordeal of Israeli presecution and imprisonment, and Nusseibeh's voice might be revered as both prophetic and instrumental. Otherwise, we might well see a second shoah (of the sort for which, unfortunately, many end-times enthusiasts seem to hanker). We must hope, indeed we should pray, that Nusseibeh's humanitarian good will and good sense are not too late and that his voice, now seemingly crying in the wilderness, will not have been a waste of breath.



2. This is a truly important book for anyone wishing to understand fully the Arab / Palestinian - Israeli conflict. It sheds tremendous light on very important events, thus far not fully presented from the Palestinian side, especially that of the non rejectionist Palestinian camp. Sari Nusseibeh is a truly visionary man with tremendous courage and is a highly gifted activist and indeed very clever politician despite his own denials.
   
   I have thoroughly enjoyed, and was often moved by, the first half of the book which dealt with the history of Nusseibeh's family and contained his even handed description of the events leading to 1948 and all the way through the 1967 war and his subsequent return to live in Palestine with his British wife. Nusseibeh's portrayal of the lives of the Palestinians between the wars of 1948 and 1967 was very helpful.
   
   In the second half of the book Nusseibeh hammers in, over and over again, on the tacit unspoken alliance of the extremists on both sides and shows how Israel supported the creation of Hamas as a counter weight to the Fateh and PLO. He coherently and very persuasively presents the thought process that he went through to move from the one state solution to the two state solution and demonstrates very effectively the threats that prolonging the conflict would cause to it.
   
   Nusseibeh was often right at the center of things or at least presents himself as such; we see him as a leading figure in standing up to the Israelis and to the Islamists, we see him as the key engine behind the first intefada, or uprising, and we see him winning the respect and approval of Yasir Arafat. In this, second, half, this book moves from being a truly exceptional account of the personal and family history more into an aggrandizing politician's memoir. This should not reduce nor detract from the tremendous personal sacrifice and commitment Nusseibeh made to his cause.
   
   I have heard of the peace work of Dr. Nusseibeh and read some of his articles and interview for some years and while I admire him more than any other Palestinian public figure, this book troubled me in a number of ways. Unlike the other three Palestinian memoirs, originally written in English, that I have read (Gada Karami, Fay Kenfani & Edward Said) Nusseibeh sought to justify every action he has ever taken, to defend his various historic positions and to settle the scores with those of differing views. Most unlike the other three biographies, the book contained virtually no retrospective sole searching whatsoever and important topics such as his obvious passion and skill for politics vs. his academic eccentric persona were packaged for the purpose rather than thought through. Nusseibeh repeatedly simply presented himself as the reluctant professor, yet left us wondering about his very savvy organizational, political and survival skills. He seemed to know exactly how to deal with wily old Arafat, Hamas, the Israeli intelligence and the various factions of the PLO yet retain the freedom to advance his own agenda as well as build important relationships with Israelis.
   
   The tremendous heights, in which, Nusseibeh holds his father, a former Governor of Jerusalem, ambassador and member of cabinet gives the feeling of an immature biography lacking in the distance to be objective. Indeed the first half of the book contains rework of the some of the father's own unpublished memoirs. Obvious points such as the father's commitment to an idealistic form of pan Arabism, albeit non Bathist and non Nasserist, and Nusseibeh own movement into being Palestinian nationalist, seeing Palestine being in natural alliance with Israel did not cause him to reflect further on the role and thinking of his father. A respectful critique and contrast of the views would have enhanced and not hindered the understanding of his father and need not be disloyal to his memory.
   
   Most grating perhaps is the competitiveness displayed with other Palestinian peace advocates and the various attempts at discrediting them. This was particularly evident in describing the efforts that led to the Geneva Accord, which Nusseibeh referred as the plan by the name of the Israeli negotiator, thus marginalizing the Palestinian partner. At some point Nusseibeh clearly fell out with Hanan Ashrawi and Dr. Barghouti, both articulate advocates of the Palestinian cause and for peace and coexistence with Israel, he made his disdain of them very obvious and has not troubled himself to analyze their positions even in retrospect.



3. If you want to understand the immense gulf between Israel and Palestine even among moderates, read this book.



4. This book forms part of a larger group of first person memoirs by wealthy Palestinians (Out of Place: A Memoir andPalestine: A Personal History andThis Side of Peace: A Personal Account and Strangers in the House: Coming of Age in Occupied Palestine). Sari Nusseibeh was born in 1949 in Demascus, and was descended from one of the wealthiest and most aristocratic Jerusalemite family (along with the Hussaynis, Nasashibis, Khalidis and Dajanis). He studied at Oxford and received a Phd in Islamic Philosophy from Harvard and moved to the West Bank in 1978 to teach as Bir Zeit University. Later he would be President of Al Quds ('the Holy') University.
   
   He has lived a life devoted to being anti-Israeli and at the same time a 'peace' activist. His memoir is one long diatribe about his reighteousness, his love of Islam("How could a civilized nation rooted in palestine for welel over a thousand yeats be so easily plucked out and chased away at gunpoint"-surely the Jews wondered the same of the Romans and the Byzantines of the Arabs).
   
   He speaks frequently of his "love for Jersualem" a city he did not grow up in, nor was he born in. For Nusseibeh the 'peace' activist Abdel Khader Husseini, who was a terrorist and ambusher of civilian busses, is "the great Abdel Kader el-Husseini". Nusseibeh, despite his obsession with Islam, marries a western woman named Lucy who he then converts to Islam.
   
   Nusseibeh's life is one of wealth and privilidge. While he was sipping tea as a young boy the Millions of Jewish refugees of the Holocaust and the other million tossed out of Islamic countries were living in cramped apartments in Israel. While he was as Harvard, Israelis were working in the fields and the factories. His was a classic life of a Bourgeoisie and like the children of White Russians who spoke of exotic 'mother Russia' and their desire to return, he too shares the yearning for a time gone by, for a new 1939, for a different outcome to the Second World War and the 1948 war. But his father, Anwar Nusseibeh, helped seal the fate of the Palestinians in 1948, Sari's account would have been more honest if, despite all the other factual errors, he at least noted the truth about his family's role.
   
   Seth J. Frantzman
   



5. The writer knows a country we know very little about. I loved learning about the people of Palestine and their culture from a non-politicized source.

5 comments about Exposing the Real Che Guevara: And the Useful Idiots Who Idolize Him.

1. This book is a quick and easy read. Obviously I am not a researcher and don't have time to fact check everything here. My sense was that most of what the author was recounting was true. It is probably true that in the end Che was a pompous, vain, ignoble wanker trying to pass himself off as the savior of the third world. It is probably also true that directly or indirectly he was responsible for the deaths of thousands, most of whom did not deserve it by any yardstick, revolutionary or otherwise.
   The delivery of these facts and anecdotes is so dripping with sarcasm and hatred that it takes away somewhat from being able to see it as a serious work. The author frequently references with disdain those who have written biographies, citing the references usually come from pro-revolution types who are anything but objective. Unfortunately, this work is so full of passion itself that while probably mostly true and accurate that it defeats his desire to be taken as seriously as other works. I would love to see a book that objectively and impassionately takes these events he describes and fleshes it out with more detail and perhaps a more sober attitude.
   I do have to admit that his lampooning of the Hollywood libertards regarding Che is hilarious. I gave this book three stars because I think it should have been more. That said, I did enjoy it and think it serves well as educational entertainment.



2. this book doesn't expose how truely evil che was. i'll allways remember his evil laugh while being tortured, i was one of the lucky ones who managed to escape during the revolution



3. Exposing the Real Che Guevara is an interesting text, and certainly sheds some light on a man who was a blight in twentieth century history. I learned some out of the ordinary facts in this text, and I would tell people to read it simply as a starting point to finding out the truth about Che.
   Having said that though...Mr. Fontova's prejudices come through, and he has a right to them. But in being so emotional, he gives his detractors something to point at and belittle. This allows people, and disingenuous reviewers on this site, to distort the book by attacking his obvious emotional bent without touching on the truth in this book. For the most part Fontova substantiates most of what he says, and some of it is truly shocking. Still, I keep coming back to my desire for a more scholarly approach to this text. The book suffers from redundancy and that again takes away from his thesis. This text is imminently readable, which I think accounts for some of the author's simplistic style choices, and I hope it serves as a jumping off point for even more scholarly research into the joke that is the myth of Che Guevara.



4. This book is so bias that it makes books by people like Michael Moore look truthful--and in all openness, I love Moore's books, I find them hilarious--but that's okay, if you can make some clear points and elaborate on them. However, in this book, that steams with the sated hatred Mr. Fontova has for Che and the people that like him and think him a Revolutionary, his points are too broad, and too outward against what is actually known. But I will be fair and show the points that he did make that are true.
   
   1. Che was a murderer.
   2. Che participated in acts of torture.
   3. Che was responsible for the murder of several male teens.
   4. Che aided in installing an egaltarian dictatorship--though much of communism is shadowed on egalitariaism, Castro's views are to the extreme.
   5. Che was not a chivilarous and kind person who only wanted freedom.
   
   All of these things are true about Che Guevara, he shouldn't be an icon of freedom. But the smart person sees him as one for Revolution. He was a revolutionary. He was not a psychotic, though he did suffer from paranoia, his acts of murder of the multitude of men that he did kill (quite a lot less than what Fontova has listed, 14,000, more like 4 or 6), came not from a callousness, but from a fear of being overtrown and killed (this is referenced in the change of voice in his journals through the times, several biographies, not to be biased myself, but Che A Revolutionary's Life is one great source). He did not murder children. He did murder boys--teenagers--old enough to take up arms that he felt a threat, or a support of the former dictatorship. He disowned the movement with Fidel after seeing what Fidel did with the power. Che Guevara did believe what he spoke and did believe in what he was doing, it made him a dangerous person, a person that would not stop until he accomplished his goals. He was willing to die for his cause. He was a revolutionary.
   
   I do not like Che Guevara, I think he's overhyped. I do not like this book. I think it's a poorly written, poorly structured, and even worst, poor lies--if you're going to lie to me, at least do it creatively and believably like Michael Moore. There are plenty of reasons to not like Che Guevara, but the facts in this book aren't one of them.



5. If Humberto Fontova's book were not so disturbing, I would call it a page-turner. And in as much as it grips you from the first sentence, it is still difficult to read of the first-hand accounts of such brutalities which, sadly, fill this book from beginning to end. Unlike Jon Lee Anderson's disgraceful and idolizing tribute to the bumbling, blood-thirsty butcher of La Cabana, constructed upon interviews with present-day communists still ruling in Cuba (Anderson wrote his book while living in Cuba), Fontova instead reaches out to the families and victims themselves to tell the story of the coward and mass murderer, Che Guevara. In fact, one of the great joys in reading this book was the masterful deconstruction of credibility he wields against leftist Che biographers like Anderson and Jorge Casteneda. Fontova eerily transports you to the blood-spattered execution wall where thousands of innocent Cubans were murdered as Guevara gazed down from his office window while dining -- a favorite pastime for Che. He takes you to the filthy dungeons where prisoners awaited their turn at any moment, day or night, to be dragged to the stake and shot. He also takes you to the dank, repulsive rooms where prisoners had almost two pints of blood drawn from their bodies moments before execution. This blood was, in turn, sold to North Vietnam as an export item for profit. In short, Humberto Fontova vividly brings the horrific world of Castro and Guevara's "revolucion" into your living room.
   
   Fontova's book finally reveals Che T-shirt-wearing dolts like Johnny Depp, Carlos Santana as well as every other useful idiot stupid enough to don them as they fools they truly are.

5 comments about An Infinity of Little Hours: Five Young Men and Their Trial of Faith in the Western World's Most Austere Monastic Order.

1. This book should be prized not only because it's a rare glimpse into the life of the Carthusians, but also because reading it leads one to a love of silence and solitude.



2. Reality, not hagiography. This is the best way to describe An Infinity of Little Hours: Five Young Men and Their Trial of Faith in the Western World's Most Austere Monastic Order, by Nancy Klein Maguire. I think it is appropriate to begin this review by stating from the start what this book is not. This is not the story of five "conventional" holy men although each one was "holy" in a particular and peculiar way. The author did not set out to inspire people to pray, to excite the faith of believers nor to draw a recruiting poster for the Carthusians - although it may indeed increase the faith of some and move them to pray more or to seek admission to this strict order--and that is always good. Nor is this book about the "technique" of contemplative prayer a la Chartreuse, nor a narrative of mystical, ecstatic events.
   
   An Infinity of Little Hours could be construed as an attempt at dispassionate, anthropological observation but without the jargon that accompanies this science. Nancy Klein Maguire has an obvious interest to find out what makes this tribe of men "tick" and how they coped with their unique circumstances during their travails at the Catholic Church's "most austere monastic order." She relied heavily on personal interviews which she coupled with her extensive research material and exceptional access to the Carthusian Charterhouse in Parksminster, England and her own observations, memories, and imagination to reconstruct for her readers the settings in which the eremitic lives of these five men took place in the early 1960's. As a child born in the mid-1960's who did not witness first hand most of the pivotal events of that decade, I find her reconstruction vivid and credible. She certainly held my attention.
   
   The five men whose monastic adventure the author narrates came from different backgrounds in Europe, Britain, Ireland, and the United States. Each one brought with them a passion, an idea, a budding vocation, and their own temperament to the task. Of the five, only one remains a Carthusian today but all of them, each in his own way and like former U.S. Marines, remain "Carthusians" to this day, forever marked by their experience.
   
   I found fascinating Klein-Maguire's description of the inner politics of the Charterhouse. She answered several pedestrian questions I had regarding the relationships forged and the conflicts that arose between men in this rarefied environment. If one is "silent" most of the time, what does one think? What does one do? How does that affect our perceptions of others? The author's findings were very illuminating: worldly concerns, the bread-and-butter issues of lay people, even those with a contemplative bent in the world, disappeared, subsumed in an environment focused on the pursuit of God. "Little things" such as singing in tune in choir, a careless gesture, a sustained, casual gaze on something or someone, a gruff answer, all acquired rich overtones often leading to misinterpretation, ill-will, factionalism and even spiritual, mental, and emotional disaster. Many vocations shipwrecked on these very human stumbling blocks.
   
   Her description of environmental stresses also caught my attention. The Charterhouse was a cold, damp place most of the year; the clothing and apparel often more a hindrance than an aid to prayer - although I freely concede that my perception is due more to my very American penchant for "improving efficiency" of all things material and spiritual and not from the just appreciation of ascetical practices in the Carthusian context. I mean, if a cell is so cold that it distracts one from prayer, why not get a more efficient wood stove and do away with the 14th century model? If manually cleaning a toilet distracts one from prayer and work, why oppose the installation of flushing toilets? Again, the author proves that when worldly concerns are removed from one's psyche, the mundane is amplified beyond size and reason in one's mind. The lesson I learned was that only those who are able to set aside even the little mundane things can succeed in their Carthusian vocation. Those who cannot will leave sooner or later; no matter how advanced they may be in the ranks of the order. Their subconscious distaste for their lives will burst forth unexpectedly, overtake them, and force them to leave. Finding that out was sobering to me, as I discover the repercussions of that insight in my own non-eremitical quest to seek the face of God.
   
   Klein-Maguire seems to lose her objectivity only once throughout An Infinity of Little Hours. That occurs Klein-Maguire described the exit of one of the five protagonists who discovered his homosexuality while in the novitiate. The reader can almost feel Klein-Maguire's condescending sigh as the senior monks counseled the novice that his same-sex attraction was akin to an "illness" and therefore not sinful by itself. She then wistfully describes how the novice embraced both an active homosexual lifestyle and Catholic faith due to his perception of "acceptance" by the post-Vatican II and even, becoming "partnered" later on, while barely acknowledging the "return of the conservative Church." As a discerning reader, I would have accepted the bare narrative of this man's life and travails without judging him at all for his life choices - and I still do that. But as a believing, orthodox Catholic I did not appreciate the author's editorializing. Her stance tells me that, as a Washington DC resident, Klein-Maguire looks to Georgetown and not to CUA (Catholic University of America) for clues about the moral teaching of the Church and the pastoral care of homosexual persons. Caveat, emptor.
   
   Yet, this disagreeable lapse in objectivity was minor compared to the whole body of the work. Klein-Maguire accomplished something I look forward to in every good literature: she made me live several lives without having to stop living my own life and learned from each one accordingly. She also moved me to deeper introspection and to discover that, although I do like solitude and quiet, I am essentially a very gregarious being who needs a constant interaction from others to crosscheck note, learn, and grow as a Catholic Christian man.
   
   The Lord has blessed me with a dear wife, a family, and spiritual preceptors who have helped me and continue to help me along the way. I need their constant contact. Despite my very secular inclinations, my admiration continues to grow for those select men and women whom the Lord have chosen to "burn themselves" in a living holocaust of prayer and sacrifice for the rest of us. Everyday I become more convinced that the destiny of the Church stands on their suffering shoulders. Blessed be God for them!
   
   And thank you Nancy Klein Maguire for this precious book. Will you be writing about the Carthusian nuns next?



3. simply excellent. Couldn't put it down until finished. profound, moving and direct. one has to admire her five subjects and others involved----and the author who told their individual and collective story.
   Jim Whalen



4. This contemplative, low-key text shone light into a realm unknown and unknowable to most people, and offered insights into the daily rituals and rhythms within this cloistered context. The men described were well-drawn, human, and treated respectfully, and each vignette offered different perspetives and angles on the experience inside the walls.
   
   I have recommended this book to friends interested in learning more about lives of meditation and solitude. I found it raised many points of comparison to the lives of Buddhist monks and nuns.



5. Reading "An Infinity of Little Hours," I was, somewhat to my surprise, drawn deeply into the ascetic world of this Carthusian monastery in England through the stories of the five men who entered in 1960. The book becomes an unlikely page turner as you wonder who among the five will be able to endure the silence, the alone-ness, the cold, and other privations in order to become closer to God, which was their motivation for joining this most austere of all religious orders.
   
   The small details and trials of contemporary monastic life, little changed from the order's founding in the 11th century, are precisely described here and form a compelling counterpoint to the men's psychic yearning for the spiritual. You might both experience the "feel" of a hairshirt yet also "hear" the sweetness of a chant well-sung. You can share the frustration of one musically trained monk with his tone-deaf brothers.
   
   Reader's tip: Keep a bookmark in the page that lists the monks' secular and religious names (it can be confusing keeping track of who is who).
   
   This book will appeal to the religious and non-religious alike who share a fascination with those whose search for God sets them apart from our materialistic and secular society. "An Infinity of Little Hours" depicts a world which few of us would or could enter but which is nevertheless as fascinating to observe as any other rarified culture.

5 comments about Hitman: My Real Life in the Cartoon World of Wrestling.

1. Like many people in the US, who love Bret Hart. I could not possibly wait for the US Release, when i could just as easilly order it on Amazon.com, anyway now onto my review.
   
   The book the whole world was waiting for, the word's spoken by the man himself the man who was most disgustingly treated in the famous Montreal Screw job. More appropriately simply known as The Screw Job, those three words spoken to any true wrestling fan and they will know exactly what your talking about. Bret The Hitman Hart in his own word's was screwed out of WWE by his bitterest rival (onscreen and in real life) The Heartbreak Kid Shawn Michaels, and his hated boss Vincent Kennedy McMahon.
   
   I was looking forward to this book before I even heard about it's printing, actually right after Mick Foley first book Have a Nice Day, I said to myself that a book by Bret Hart would be the best book I ever read, and honestly it did not disappoint in the least.
   
   The story was spoken openly and honestly with every bit of emotion you would expect from a man who has taken everything so personally that has happened to him over the years. He speaks about the tumultuous relationships with his family most specifically his sisters Ellie and Diana and there violent attitude towards him aswell as there business dealings behind his back trying to get there respective husbands Jim The Anvil Neidhart and British Bulldog Davey Boy Smith better contracts and pushes and when problems arose they would blame Bret.
   
   Bret talks openly about his personal life aswell specifically involving his ex-wife Julie, he discusses his lying and cheating on his wife multiple times over there near decade long marriage, his problems with steroids aswell as openly saying many others we're on it specifically his brother in laws Jim and Davey.
   
   He talks about his business dealings with Vince McMahon, how he came into the WWE in the first place as a jobber for over a year, his brush with success as a member of the Hart Foundation with The Anvil, his multiple reigns as Tag Team Champions, his first successes as a singles competitor including reigns as Intercontinental Champion and King Of The Ring leading up to his eventual multiple time reigns as champion.
   
   Bret talks openly about his hatred for many people and doesn't take any exception to who he takes pot shots at, even the dead... he calls Yokozuna whom he had some of his most epic rivalries with Fat and Lazy in the ring, he lets it be known his brothers Bruce and Smith specifically are jealous of his success and calling them both not very good in the ring.
   
   He speaks about his rivalry with Dynamite Kid in Stampede and Japan, aswell as there friendship and the ultimate destruction and disability of Dynamite Kid do to pain pills, steroids and unneeded stress on a already critically injured back.
   
   He talks about his hatred for his time in WCW and his dealings with Bischoff and Hogan. And his eventually concussion, stroke and neck injury he suffered after a kick from Goldberg. Bret talks about his retirement and his current life aswell.
   
   But what Bret speaks most passionately about and probably what I enjoyed reading the most as emotional as it was, Bret's utmost respect for his parents despite the torture he suffered from his father in the dungeon, and his mothers often alcohol binges. He also talks proudly of everything his brother Owen accomplished in wrestling and how much he enjoyed bonding with his brother, he also talks very emotionally about other close friends who have died such as Mr. Perfect, Elizabeth, Brittish Bulldog, Rick Rude and Andre.
   
   Bret ends the book talking about his hall of fame induction, his brief marriage to a Russian woman named Cinzia, the construction of his DVD, his meeting with Vince McMahon, and his foray into theatre playing the genie in Aladdin.
   
   I enjoyed this book thoroughly and despite all of the negatives involving drugs, sex, lies, betrayals, deaths, etc....I believe the way Bret talks about his career shows how much he truly loved it and enjoyed it especially starting out and making it to the WWE. Bret Hart is a man many whom look upto aswell as after reading this wonder why but after thinking about the whole story together they realize everyone has flaws, and we are all human, Bret was never the super hero we saw him as but just another human whom was lucky enough to play an awesome character we all enjoyed watching for many, many years. If I had to give this book a rating I would give it a 10, I just hope that after this book Bret has finally made peace with all of that in his past and will be able to continue working alongside WWE to make more DVDs, and maybe even inducting his brother into the Hall Of Fame.



2. I just got finished reading this book literally about 10 minutes ago, and I just had to write a review for it here: it's just that good.
   
   I've been a wrestling fan for as long as I can remember: some of my earliest childhood memories are of the early-90's cartoon WWF, cheering for Hulk Hogan, Macho Man Randy Savage, Ultimate Warrior, and the other major stars of that era of wrestling. But after them rose a new breed of wrestling champion: Bret "The Hitman" Hart, who, unlike the larger-than-life personas of Hogan, Warrior, and the rest, was distinctive in that he actually came across as a believable, relatable human being. With his pink outfit, sunglasses, down-to-earth character, and, of course, his spectacular and dramatic in-ring work, he was a champion who a young fan could really feel connected to. His struggles and hard work in the ring, in a way, inspired his fans to follow a similar example, believing in themselves and working hard against the challenges of life.
   
   What I can't help but realize is just how much, in a way, I admire him to this day for similar reasons as I did when I was a kid.
   
   The book is an enormous 550-page autobiography taken from Bret's personal audio diary taken during the travels of his wrestling career, and as such, the detail is astounding. There are so many fascinating stories to tell, from his childhood, to his early career in Stampede Wrestling and later the WWF, his travels around the world, his meetings with his fans, hilarious backstage ribs and pranks that'll make you laugh out loud as you read about them, detailed recollections of his matches (from his most famous 5-star classics to his largely unknown house show matches across the globe) the political backstabbing that goes on backstage, and more. It's all incredibly engrossing, making it one of the most detailed wrestling books ever written. There's humor, fascinating info, and plenty of brutally honest criticisms of some of his fellow wrestlers who have done him wrong (we're looking at you in particular, Shawn Michaels and Triple H).
   
   But what really is staying with me is just how much this man has overcome in his life. The hardships of a wrestler's life, both physical and emotional, took his toll on him and his friends in the locker room, leading many of them to cope with drugs, booze, and sex (the latter being Bret's most frequent vice of choice, which, as he himself states, ironically saved him from the substance-related health problems that would claim the lives of far too many wrestlers over the years). He dealt with so much political B.S. once Shawn Michaels and his buddies got swelled heads and started to play Vince McMahon like a harp. And then, of course, there was the ultimate betrayel at Montreal, along with languishing in WCW, a wrestling company incompetent enough to pay him millions of dollars after receiving him in the midst of one of wrestling's most historic controversies...only to do absolutely nothing with him.
   
   But it's after this, in the later chapters, that it becomes clear just how strong he is for what he's overcome. I suspected that the Hart family wasn't all the happy-sunshiny family life that it had been depicted as on TV, but I honestly had no idea just how much Owen's death tore that family apart in a whirlwhind of grief, anger, greed, and bitterness. It was terribly sad to hear how Bret had to clash with his own siblings in the midst of the controversy surrounding his closest brother's tragic death. I can only imagine how painful it must have been for poor Stu and Helen Hart to watch their children tear each other apart when they'd already suffered so much loss already. And as if that wasn't enough, Bret would, in the span of only 3 years, also suffer a career-ending concussion that prematurely halted one of the greatest wrestling careers ever, the death of his beloved mother, a debilitating stroke most likely related to his concussion, and finally, the passing of his father. It was all so much for one man to take, one after another, and I think it's just such a testament to Bret's personal strength and will that he's here today, battling his demons and still carrying himself with the utmost courage and dignity.
   
   And that, really, is what stood with me. Like I alluded to before, in a way, it's fitting. The Hitman character came across as a human being just like you and me, who never gave up in the face of a challenge and carried himself with the utmost determination and belief in himself. Years later, I believe that those same virtues that inspired me as a child are still being carried through in Bret's real-life hardships. He's been through so much injustice and tragedy in his life and is as vulnerable as any one of us, yet has carried himself through it with his head held high and his honor intact. Just as he was a great wrestler, he's a champion in life, and to this day, anybody, young and old, can be inspired by that.
   
   I cannot recommend this book enough. Thankfully, it's due for a release in the United States this fall, but I'd still recommend that you buy a copy ASAP. Wrestling fans all over will appreciate his stories and reflections on the unique world of pro wrestling, while also enjoying the incredible story of a fascinating and inspiring human being. Thank you for everything you've done, Bret: you're still my hero after all these years.



3. This is a fantastic book. Reading this book was the only time I never wanted my train rides home from work to end. I didn't want this book to end, period!
   
   Yes Bret does have a very high opinion of himself, loves to pat himself on the back, is still bitter about a lot of things, and will surprise you by how much of a mark he is (he took his work so seriously you got the impression Bret would fool himself into thinking it was all real), but at the same time Bret is also an honest, prideful man with dignity and he pulls no punches in this book whether he is discussing his fellow wrestlers, his infidelities, his occasional drug use, and most importantly his family. I have a lot of respect for the man. The life he lived during his career certainly wasn't an easy one.
   
   Bret's accounts of travelling the world are also fascinating to read.
   
   The bottom line is if you are a fan of Bret Hart or a wrestling fan in general you owe it to yourself to read this book.
   
   Thanks Bret for an awesome read.



4. This book has been hyped as an encyclopedic tome; the best wrestling autobiography ever written, and there are not understatements. Simply put, this is one of the best books, not just autobiographies, that I have ever had the pleasure of reading.



5. I am a huge Bret "The Hitman" Hart fan and when I read his book I was amazed. It really gives you an insight as to who Bret is and how he became this world wide phenomenon and how it all came down. He mentions his early life as a professional wrestler, how he met his wife...etc. Overall I really enjoyed the book. And if you are a fan of his I really recommend it. I really liked the pictures of his family. The book contains a lot of happiness, sadness, it's funny,...etc. Must read.

5 comments about A Treasury of Great American Scandals: Tantalizing True Tales of Historic Misbehavior by the Founding Fathers and Others Who Let Freedom Swing.

1. There seems to be a side of Americans that they do not want to believe the mud being slung at every election since it's birth. The message is not so much how horrible some of the icons of our history have been but how there really is nothing new under the sun. They were as human and as prone to use their power for selfish purposes as any modern day leader. Mr. Farquhar tastefully avoids recent history in an attempt to remain objective and not bring in the emotionally charged scandals of our own day. The stories he tells can garner a chuckle now because they are all relatively distanct memories to us at the most. If you would prefer to keep your heros on pedastals, you probably want to avoid this book. Some of the stories leave a lot to interpretation in determining if it was true or if Mr. Farquhar is telling only parts of the story that make it seem true - those you will have to judge on your own. For the most part though, Mr. Farquhar appears to offer dissenting opinion on matters and avoids pronouncing historic dogma. Most of the stories are rather petty familial disputes unrelated to matters of real corruption in government and such. Perhaps avoiding the more weightier matters of government is best in a light-hearted treatment of history like this one. The serious matters are perhaps better served in a serious history. Like it or not, this book is purely for a light-hearted escape at the expense of a few public families in our past.



2. Some of the scandals in the book aren't exactly scandals by today's standards or are so well known we regard them as hardly shocking. And indeed, some stories we already knew.
   But the lay out of the book is in such a way that it provides an ease with reading. A book with short stories on scandals is always a fun read. I'm often traveling on public transportation and find that it's nice to read when I have the chance, but find it frustrating to leave a good story in the middle of the tale because I've arrived at my destination or the break isn't long enough to finish the chapter. But this book, and the others this author has written, is set up so that leaving in the middle of a chapter doesn't happen that often. Plus, you can flip through and pick a topic at will.
   I really enjoyed this book, and have read his other two books and ejoyed them as well. I recommend it.



3. For everyone who's a history fan but doesn't necessarily like long and dry historical accounts, check this book out. It offers bits of history with lots of detail (and some wit) but not in a long format. And there's a large variety of people that are covered: politicians, explorers, presidents, lovers of politicians, and so on. I have all the books by Mr. Farquhar and enjoy reading them again and again. Something to read at the beach, on the subway, at any lull in one's day. It'll add to your knowledge of American history. Fun.



4. This book was hysterical. It exposed some of our most revered historical heros as the plain, living men they really were. Not perfect, but just like us. Only sometimes they liked to duel with each other to death. I don't think that would fly today.
   
   Now I want to read his book on Royal scandals!



5. This enjoyable book is a quick read, so here's my quick take on it:
   
   Reading the pithy, juicy anecdotes that Michael Fraquhar provides prompted me to read further about the characters and events portrayed herein.
   
   Yep, I learned MORE history than is contained between this book's covers! Nice work, Mr. Farquhar.

5 comments about Road Map to Holland: How I Found My Way Through My Son's First Two Years With Down Syndrome.

1. The book arrived and I read it in less than twenty-four hours and that was on a busy weekend of attending Paralympic events. I have been trying to decide what to write...other than "read this now if you are a mom". Sure, it is a book written by a mom of a special needs child, but her words resonate with all moms. Words of reality...words of frustration...words of love...read them.
   
   I keep thinking perhaps it is because of time spent in NICU with our oldest son...or the special needs diagnoses times three of our younger sons which my husband and I have faced that drew me into this book. No. It is Jennifer's honest words about the moments of fear and uncertainty of motherhood.
   
   If you are a mom, read "Road Map To Holland". If you are a mom of a special needs child...or perhaps like me, of several special needs children...read "Road Map To Holland". If there exists a writer able to more fluidly weave words...I've never read her work.
   
   Thank you, Jennifer, for sympathizing with and understanding me. You have indeed shared your spirit, and that is a beautiful gift.
   
   Note...For parents of children with Down Syndrome, the book's appendix offers a plethora of resources, additional reading titles and a glossary of terminology.



2. I couldn't put this book down.
   
   The author writes about her experience with premature delivery of twins, one of whom is diagnosed with Down syndrome, and the first two years of their life.
   
   This isn't just a story of a mom having to come to terms with that trip to Holland, but an honest mom's story--of balancing the arrival of twins with her preschooler, the affect that her situation had on friendships--both good and bad, her marriage, and her perception of herself as a woman.
   
   This is an excellent book--honest without being morose, uplifting without coming across as saccharine-sweet. A must read for all moms.



3. This book is wonderful! As a new mom with a son with DS, I cannot express how accurate this book depicts the wide range of emotions, confusion, feelings of being lost and guilt, and most of all love we all feel for our children. This book should be handed out in the hospital before you leave with your child. It would help to ease so much fear and help you understand, YOU ARE NOT ALONE! I was in tears so many times through out this book and remember thinking, "YES, that is exactly how I feel/felt!"....HIGHLY recommend to anyone and everyone! If you don't understand DS, read this and educate yourself!! Great book!



4. In ROAD MAP TO HOLLAND Jennifer Graf Groneberg reveals a lifetime of lessons learned in a very short time-span. Her message of hope resonates with the joy of her ultimate discovery that one of the greatest gifts she can give her children is to simply teach them how to love. Read this book, read Jennifer's blog, and join in a celebration of a unique family with a mom-writer at the helm who's gracious and generous enough to invite us all along on her ongoing journey of discovery.



5. This book took my breath away with its factual, emotional, and honest capturing of the journey through the birth, diagnosis, and early growth of a child with Down syndrome. Groneberg clearly displays the confusion, guilt, exhaustion, fear, and (later) unparalleled joy that the news, 'Your baby has Down syndrome' brings. I hope that all new parents of babies with DS will read this book and find validation, encouragement, and most of all hope as they walk through the initial maze of doctors' offices, therapy appointments and stacks of insurance papers. Groneberg rightly emphasizes that the delights and treasures brought to their family by their son with DS makes it all worth it.
   
   I think this book should be the first thing a parent receives from the hospital, along with the diagnosis of Down syndrome. If it were, so many new parents would be spared some of the misconceptions, confusion, and fear that often accompanies the initial diagnosis. If you are a doctor, family member, or therapist in contact with new parents of babies with DS, please consider giving them this book. It will do them a world of good.

5 comments about Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes (PMC) (Puffin Modern Classics).

1. This is one of the best stories for all ages to learn about and understand the tragedies and impact of war. It is a wonderful story and I recommend this book for anyone and everyone to read. The central message of the story is one that will be remembered by those who read it for a lifetime.



2. "Sadako and the thousand paper crane" is a good book to read. Its about a twelve year old girl name sadako who dreams in being the track team when she goes to middle school. Then one day, she collapsed when she was on her way to school. she was sent to the hospital the following day. When the testings were finished, sadako was diagnoised with leukemia. when sadako`s best friend came to visit her in the hospital she told her that if a sick person were to fold a thousand paper cranes they get a wish from the gods. Sadako began folding her paper cranes and with the help from her friends and family. Sadako died peacefully in her sleep. sadako`s classmates folded the rest of the cranes and buried them beside her grave. This book inspired me not to give up and keep on following my dreams. I recommend this book number one.



3. The 4th graders in my school read this book in their regular reading classes, and so they were ready to have some great discussions in art class about the book. We used this as a starter for an origami crane project, and we are going to donate the cranes to a woman who is struggling to fight cancer. This a a wonderful story and the kids were really interested in learning more about WWII after reading this book.



4. Sadako and the Thousand Paper Cranes
   By Eleanor Coerr
   Penguin Group
   1977 first published by G.P. Putnam's Sons
   1999 published by Penguin Group
   
   3.3 Flesh Kincaid reading level
   80 pages
   
   Historical Fiction
   
   Plot:
   Sadako is an eleven-year-old Japanese girl who lives with her older brother, younger sister, younger brother and parents in Hiroshima, Japan. The story takes place in 1955 after World War II. Like all young children, Sadako attends school, helps her family with chores, and has a best friend at school. Sadako loves to run and is chosen to participate in a race at school. While running one day she feels slightly dizzy. Sadako has heard stories about children being getting sick from the atom bomb dropped on Hiroshima in 1945. She is too scared to tell anybody about being dizzy, so she keeps it a big secret. One day while running Sadako collapses. She is taken to the hospital and the doctors tell her she has leukemia.
   While in the hospital, Sadako hears a legend from a friend that gives her hope of getting better. The legend says that if a person folds one thousand paper cranes out of paper they may be healed. Each day Sadako becomes sicker and sicker. However, she decides to fold one thousand origami cranes. Her brother helps her by hanging the cranes from the ceiling. Even though Sadako folds hundreds of cranes, she is unable to finish the project. She passes away having made only 648 cranes. Her friends from school hear her story and they fold the remaining cranes so that she is buried with one thousand paper cranes.
   
   Review:
   This book gave me lots of hope. I really loved to hear about Sadako and how she folded so many cranes. I wanted to believe that she would finish the paper cranes and she would get better. When she died in the ending it was very sad. Someone with so much hope and motivation doesn't deserve to die. The book also made me think a lot about why Sadako was sick in the first place. She was only two-years-old when the Americans dropped the bomb on Hiroshima, but she was still eventually killed from it. This book shows the long-lasting effects war has on a country and its people. It really makes you think twice about war.
   I really enjoyed reading this book. It was an easy read that I had a hard time putting down. Every chance I got I read this book! While it was sad in the end, it was great to hear about Sadako's life and how her friends finished her paper cranes for her. The plot was interesting and exciting. I really like the main character too. Sadako was a very brave, strong person that I wish I was more like. She woke up every day with the will to live and that gave me a lot of hope. I would recommend this book to anyone! It is a must read!!



5. This book was purchased for our 7 year old daughters first book club. It was an interesting book for them to read. They all enjoyed trying to make the paper cranes. It was a nice length of book for their first book club also.

5 comments about Oscar Wilde's Wit and Wisdom: A Book of Quotations (Dover Thrift Editions).

1. This collection of Wilde's greatest quotes is an easy read, and wonderful to keep around the house. Wilde's wisdom is displayed throughout this edition, and is a must have for any Wilde fan.



2. Everyone knows OW was a witty guy.

   If you want to find witty things he said in one small book such that you can try to emulate his wit, this book is for you.

   It's good for an hour's read where you will snicker, snort, and grin.

   It's exactly what i expected and exactly what I got. Whee!




3. "I can resist everything except temptation."
   "There is no sin except stupidity."
   "It is only shallow people who do not judge by appearances."
   "It is always with the best intentions that the worst work is done."

   These laconic aphorisms are just the tip of the iceberg of Wilde's impressive, yet oftentimes eclectic and nihilistic, use of the English language. Dover gives us 60 pages of brilliant witticisms and axioms to use over and over again for a mere dollar. You can't go wrong. Also recommended - Dover's Shakespeare quotes book for a dollar. Enjoy.




4. This sweet little book is full of Oscar Wilde's great little quips. I absolutely love it! I keep it next to my desk and pick it up for those sweet little chuckle breaks that we all must take to break up the dreary work day! Great little read! Promise!



5. Oscar Wilde was one of the most brilliant men to ever live and his oeuvre definitely deserves a quote book of its own. I realize that he has several but I bought this one recently and on the cheap (I got mine used from a z shop). Here the great playwright's observations are subdivided into chapters concerning men, women, marriage, youth, sin, religion, journalism, wealth, England, America etc. It's a concise collection but contains nearly 60 pages of priceless insight. Wilde sums up a large amount of human nature almost effortlessly via the words of the characters found in his works. In fact, if you ever need a source regarding just about anything cultural he's a wonderful authority. It's too bad he did not live in our times as his irreverence would have been better appreciated and celebrated--at least by those of us who are not politically correct. Rest in Peace, hero.

1 comments about Lady Liberty: A Biography.

1. This is a wonderful book about the Statue of Liberty. It is very moving and I am very impressed with it. I teach ESOL students so immigration is a factor in all my students lives whether they are living here for the rest of their lives or just visiting here for a couple of years while their parents attend university here. I am also a big fan of Doreen Rappaport who wrote wonderful picture books about Martin Luther King Jr. and John Lennon. Lady Liberty tells her story by covering life stories of major figures involved in the creation of the statue. This is quite effective. I learned more about the making of the statue than I had before and I felt very in tune with the people who made the statue happen. The French governments and the US governments weren't all that interested in the project, they had other concerns on their minds and it was more of a bother than anything anyone wanted. It was the pushing of some people from both continents to make it happen and the rest liked it. The courage of the creators was enormous because at any time, people could have convinced them to call it quits. Human creatively and determination is always a good tale.

5 comments about Can't You Make Them Behave, King George?.

1. I learned all kinds of things about King George, Queen Charlotte and others. It really helped me with my research on the Revolutionary war. In this book you get to learn the funny things about King George and things that happened during his time.



2. King George is considered to be one of the greatest opponents of the American Revolution. But does anyone ever really hear of his good traits until now. And in a childrens book! Well I know I didn't. And after reading this short story I found that ole George wasn't such a bad guy after all. All he wanted was for Brittain to become, well...richer. Couldn't those colonists help pay for some of his debts. Well maybe, if those colonists actually had any SAY in British matters then they should have to pay taxes. Well I still think he wasn't a BAD guy, he just tried to take the easiest way out.
   
   Tomie DePaola and Jean Fritz-I think-make the perfect team. His comical illustrations with her undefinable text make this book a classic.
   
   Fritz or Freedman '04. You decide.



3. I bought this book to read with my children (ages 8 and 10). I found the book interesting, and learned a bit about King George's youth. My children thought it wasokay, even though their father was forcing it on them. I even caught my wife sneaking a read.
   
   The writing style is nice and folksy, and the illustrations are charmingly naive. The personal spin it places on the American Revolution, coupled with the emphasis on the British perspective, is a refreshing contrast to some of the more serious books I've read on revolutionary history.
   
   All in all, a nice read.



4. Blushing and turning in my toes (just like George, Himself), I, like millions of others stand corrected about that arch-villain of our history, George III! As it turns out, he's a real person, just like the rest of us.
   
   Can't You Make Them Behave, King George? brings his story to life for young readers. There's a lot for parents and teachers to enjoy here, too. Huzzah for Jean Fritz, who knows how to tell "his-story" with a great sense of humor making it as enjoyable as it should be.
   
   This book is a pleasure to read.



5. Great little book. Both the writing and illustrations work really well. Humerous and informative. My kids(10 and 8) really enjoyed this book. As did I. An intelligent way to make history fun for younger readers.