5 comments about Soros on Soros: Staying Ahead of the Curve.

1. This book covers many facets of George Soros's life- his investment philosophy, family history, quantum fund, his own theories of investing, philanthropy, diplomacy, and some of his selected writings. Mr. Soros talks about macroinvesting and how leverage has given the quantum fund greater flexibility than a two dimensional portfolio. He surprisingly admits that he is a very critical person who looks for defects in him as well as others- calls himself an insecurity analyst. Mr. Soros also talks about the tension between his parents and how the Nazi invasion of Hungary influenced him. I would suggest that one read his book, The Alchemy of Finance to learn more about his approach to investing. Classical economic theory assumes market participants act on the basis of perfect knowledge, his philosophy is based on imperfect understanding. The Alchemy of Finance talks in detail about the general theory of reflexivity and boom/ bust theory. Using the sterling crisis, Mr. Soros emphasizes the need for Euro. Karl Popper at LSE influenced him greatly and Mr. Soros invested millions on promoting an open society in Eastern Europe. His foundations have failed in China and Russia. He does not want anything but the Central European University to outlive him. Mr. Soros talks extensively how the west failed the Soviet Union and states that it would have been better had it not collapsed like Yugoslavia It is a must read for anybody interested in philosophy, diplomacy ,and business.



2. This is a commissioned book. Basically, a self-indulgent pseudo-autobiography written in an interview style. "my own estimation of myself is more important to me than other people's" (P249)

   The interview style makes this work more accesable to the average reader by overcoming the intense, convoluted style of Soros' other writings. It also allows more topics to be covered in less technical detail.

   If you want to learn a little about Soros, this is an interesting book with fascinating pearls of wisdom. But don't think of it as an autobiography; rather a rumination on various aspects of his character.




3. George Soros was convicted of inside trading in December 2002. He engaged in inside trading of Societe General stock.

   "Mr Soros and three other defendants, the court found, bought Societe Generale stock when it was cheap, and cashed in their investment when the price rose after the bid became public.

   Two other businessmen implicated in the scandal - Edmond Safra and Robert Maxwell - have since died."

   Maxwell killed himself after his billion dollar scam/business was exposed. He dove off his huge yacht off the coast of France. He left behind billions in debts and thousands of British workers lost their pensions. Soros is known by the people he associates with.

   It is not to hard to "stay ahead of the curve" when you trade with inside information.

   For more details - go to the BBC news web site and search for Soros insider trading or Google and type Soros BBC insider trading.




4. I'll say this first: I am not a genius, and George Soros probably is. The book presented itself in an interesting Q&A format that made it easy to skip around and jump sections. That being said, it was still a struggle to finish.
   
   I did not like this book because it was hard to understand and mostly discussed Soros' high-level theory on investment strategy. His theory, which Mr. Soros is very passionate about, has something to do with the universe always being out of balance. If you are a finance whiz who thrives in theoretical analysis, or if you are a new age guru curious about a billionaire's spiritual mantra, maybe you will like this book.



5. Edward Teller and George Soros shared few common traits; nationality, religion, and globalization. Both were Hungarian, Jewish, hard workers, and stubborn thinkers. Teller dreamed of the Hydrogen bomb and believed earlier that a nuclear explosion might detonate the earth's atmosphere and ends civilization. Even with the fission bomb out-of-reach, Teller was living in the dreamland of the nuclear fusion. Soros is less fortunate in reaching his utopian dream despite his billions. Sociology isn't physics. Soros' players have emotions and beliefs that impact their decisions. The Russian robbers had outsmarted him, as they did with Napoleon and Hitler. Yet, his driven obsession with open society made him repeat the same mistake in Macedonia and Ukraine.
   
   Teller also confronted opponents, yet with like scientific minds and confronting limited physical constraints. Knocking down Oppenheimer was Teller's big chance to keep his status, though never became billionaire. In Soros's realm, there is no known opponent to knock down in order to satisfy his utopian dream of open society. His sense that his efforts might lead to lasting changes on the long term, even in his absence, might well be true. Ideas outlive people, though Soros' generation is unique in many ways.
   
   Soros's basic concepts center on reflexivity, fallibility, far-from equilibrium economy, and open society. His basic tools are economic and mathematical analysis of supply and demand. The greatest challenge to his effort to utilize his tools in achieving open society is the lack of concrete principles for predicting human emotion. Not only the little players like Macedonia, Albania, Iran, and Israel are driven by emotions, but also the American Superpower shares the ailment. Noticeably however, financial investors possess detrimental emotion as well. They must win in the first round or get out before another loss. Soros' judgment on the imbalance of receivables and production in the new Russia is an example of an impatient, selfish, and zealous financier looking merely for his immediate gain.
   
   In his comparison to the sudden decay of the Soviet empire with the British Empire, Soros cannot conceal his wishful desire of a mechanical history. He bitterly blames the West for betraying Mikhail Gorbachev and accuses the latter of being naïve. Yet, he admits that the sick mother of communism could not carry her fetus to full term. His paternal views that eastern European and third world nations need be or anxious to be told what to do when given financial assistance, omit national emotions. Nations have pride as do individuals. Coercive politics might hinder the progress to open society. Past Germany, Venezuela, Iran, North Korea, Iraq, Syria, Cuba, and Yugoslavia are examples of how imposing politics perpetuated long conflicts.
   
   Where does his utopian dreaming lead to? The Internet, he claims, is opening society and might seal the death of fascism, communism, and the like. However, anything could happen in the future since our civilization is fueled by energy which is getting scarcer everyday. His assumption that a new scientific breakthrough, such as carbonless extraction of energy from coal, or other innovations that secure renewable energy, could safeguard human civilization from inevitable catastrophe.
   
   Soros' resort to philosophy is driven by his economic undertaking. In order to make financial profit, he has to tackle the emotional factors of key players. Against the common wisdom of history and science, emotional policy-makers are still blundering national treasures and human lives. Defeat or victory in war is still the controlling principal in curtailing stray emotion of nations.
   
   Mohamed F. El-Hewie
   Author of
   Essentials of Weightlifting and Strength Training

5 comments about Persian Girls: A Memoir.

1. Persian Girls is the true story of Nahid Rachlin's experiences growing up in Iran during the years leading up to the Iran hostage crisis.
   
   I was particularly interested to read this when I learned there was an adoption theme to the story -- until she was in elementary school, Nahid was raised by her aunt Maryam. Nahid's biological mother had given Maryam baby Nahid to raise as her own, since she had been widowed without children and Nahid's biological mother already had several children. And interesting sisterly pact.
   
   But at the age of nine, Nahid was yanked from her peaceful existence as the only daughter of religiously observant Maryam to live with her estranged biological family.
   
   The story is a mostly sad one -- there are not very many happy endings in this book, partly because of the iron fist with which her father ruled her family, and because of the fall of the Shah and the rise of Ayatollah Khomeini. But it is an interesting portrait into life in Iran and what it was like to be raised as a girl in a country where daughters were, at least at that time, thought more of as chattel than individuals.
   
   My one reservation about wholeheartedly recommending this book is Rachlin's writing style. I have never read any of her fiction, but this book read more like a series of journal entries than a narrative story. I also kept waiting for there to be some sense of hope, but this seemed to be more a story of resignation than one of triumph -- a tale of the bonds of sisterhood and how the lives of Nahid and her sister Pari came to differ on many levels as Nahid eventually made her escape to America.
   
   While not every story is a happy one, and I certainly enjoy memoirs that aren't 100% happy and joyful, I kept waiting for there to be some relief in this tale about how lives were shattered and how families were torn apart. I found the writing style to be a bit disjointed in places, but not enough to keep me from finishing the book.
   
   For those of us who grew up in a time of new awakening and women's rights in America, this was a fascinating look inside patriarchies of the Middle East, the small roles women had in that society. There are some poignant story arcs that I don't want to spoil, but ultimately, Persian Girls reinforced the stereotype we have about how women are treated in that part of the world and the lack of value placed on women's lives.



2. The front cover of Persian Girls: A Memoir by Nahib Rachlin has a quote from a Boston Globe reviewer saying that the "memoir reads like a novel", which I felt was very accurate. Nahib has provided us with a peek into her world, spanning over fifty years, and immersing us in the culture of Iran and her family.
   Nahib pulls us quickly into her world, showing us her split childhood - life with her adopted mother for her first 9 years, and then life with her birth family. Nahib's birth mother, Mohtaram, was very fertile, she agreed to give a child to her sister, Maryam. It was when Nahib turned 9 that she was considered "of age", able to legally marry, and that is when her father came to get her. When her father took her from her adopted mother, Nahib lost an attentive mother, she gained a sister and confidante.
   
   Nahib's relationship with her older sister Pari is incredibly moving. Both girls loved American movies and the idea of new freedoms for women. I look at my daughters, and hope for them to continue their close relationship - one like what Nahib and Pari had. There were many times as I was reading Persian Girls that I wished I was reading a novel, and that the author could guarantee me a happy ending for everyone involved. The relationship between Nahib and Pari was so intense, and yet fraught with obstacles. Their middle sister, Manijeh, was their mother's favorite, and the obvious favoritism made for a lot of rivalry between them. As time passes, and physical distances between them increase, the bonds between them change and strengthen.
   
   The Iranian Government and its changing laws cast a shadow over the lives of Nahib and her family. Every choice they make has to take the laws and social mores into account. Nahib's brothers go to college in the US, which is seen as a very modern thing to do. However, her two older sisters are married traditionally - in arranged marriages. While all families worry about appearances, in Nahib's father seemed to worry even more than usual. His job as a lawyer seemed tied to how his family is perceived, and he must balance the traditional and the modern.
   
   Parts of Persian Girls feel like a mystery, and one that cannot be solved. Without an omniscient narrator, we only know what Nahib has experienced or discovered. I wish I could see into the heads of many of the characters, but there is an intimate feeling reading one person's memories, one person's truth.
   
   Nahib states at one point in Persian Girls that she feels like she doesn't belong in either culture. I know that feeling is common among many ex-patriots, but I have to wonder if the problems in US-Iranian relationships made her transition more difficult. I found myself identifying so much with Nahid, finding many universal truths within her words, no matter your background.
   
   I highly recommend Persian Girls to anyone who enjoys memoirs and non-fiction, as well as to anyone who enjoys women's fiction or literary fiction - it really is a memoir that reads like a novel. It pulls you in, with vivid imagery of Nahid Rachlin's world. Watch out, though, once you start it you won't be able to put it down easily! I look forward to reading Nahid Rachlin's other books.



3. Particularly in the current political climate, I was hoping that this book would provide a fascinating look into a culture that is, at best, underrepresented in mainstream English language books and, at worst, criticized, discriminated against, and even hated; the fact that the author is a woman made it all the more enticing as I simply can't read enough of how my fellow women live, survive, and thrive in other cultures.
   
   PERSIAN GIRLS delivers on all accounts and has made me want to learn more not only about this intriguing woman--cappuccino is on me if you're ever in southern Italy Ms Rachlin!--but also about Iranian history and culture in general.
   
   From Rachlin's difficult childhood with a mother who didn't seem to want her and a father who wanted only control to her struggle for independence and acceptance in America, PERSIAN GIRLS places the reader in the very heart and mind of the author as she rises to each successive challenge placed before her.
   
   From the time Rachlin was taken from the only mother she knew, I found myself cheering her on-a credit to an outstanding opening scene that transports the reader to 1950s Iran amidst a prayer rug, a Koran, rose water, a paraffin lamp, and hot summer nights spent talking about a golden ladder descending from the sky.
   
   And yet Rachlin's writing style isn't nostalgic or wistful. She presents her life with such an objective tone sometimes that I forgot she was telling her own life story--and this is not a criticism. To the contrary, I felt like what I was reading was a true, fair account of events, and knowing that I'm able to trust the author is so very important.
   
   At times, however, I did feel that there was just a bit held back regarding the working through of her feelings in some of her relationships, particularly the most difficult ones; the fact that some family members are still alive surely had something to do with this, but overall I don't find that this guardedness distracts from the memoir. Rachlin gives plenty of clues into her personality to provide the reader with a sense of what the author might've been feeling, and I don't think there's anything wrong with a little mystery in any book, even a memoir.
   
   On another level, Rachlin's expat status in America really spoke to me, and I'm sure to plenty of other expats as well--the feeling of being caught between two cultures, two languages, two ways of life. On whether she regretted her choice to go to America, in a subsequent interview, Rachlin said:
   
   I have never really regretted my choice to come to America, pursue my own goals. But I am always aware of a loss, a price to pay for the independence I have gained. I don't have easy access and closeness to people I love, because of all the distance between us.
   
   Indeed I wouldn't mind another memoir (or even a how-to!) from Rachlin on her marriage to an American and raising her daughter in a country that is a sometimes enemy of her own. I look forward to reading Rachlin's fiction as well.
   
   I wholeheartedly recommend this memoir to anyone with an interest in women's history, cultural differences, the Middle East, family relationships, love, or, you know, life.
   
   This review originally appeared on my blog here: [...]



4. Very interesting to learn about the Iranian culture from an author who is unafraid. I felt her writing portrayed her pain as well as her strength. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!



5. For me, the most interesting thing about Rachlin's very interesting memoir was the incredible strength she showed in forging a life for herself that was so different from the culture she was born into in Iran and for which she had very little or no family support. It is a very personal tale of courage. Rachlin was given to an aunt to raise shortly after her birth and then wrenchingly, for both Rachlin and her aunt, taken away from her when she was about 8. I suspect it was this horrible experience that later gave Rachlin the courage to leave her family to attend college on a scholarship in the United States and to live an independent, solitary and self-sufficient existence in the United States for awhile before she met her husband.
   
   If I am at all disappointed with this book it is because of the emphasis Rachlin places on arranged marriages as the cause of unhappiness in women in the culture she was born into. Rachlin's sister was in an abusive arranged marriage as were other women in her family. I know some couples who are in very happy arranged marriages and I know a lot of women who are very unhappy in marriages of their own making. The divorce rate in the United States certainly attests to that.
   
   No, I would not have liked my life and/or marriage determined for me. And I value the ability to chart my own course. But Rachlin goes too far I believe when she seemingly equates arranged marriages with unhappiness and abuse.
   
   But overwhelmingly, this is a very interesting, and although somewhat sad, nonetheless a charming book.

1 comments about 90 minutos en el cielo: Una historia real de Vida y Muerte.

1. It is very refreshing to read Don's description of Heaven in today's language. After and accident he was 90 minutes in Heaven before he came back to life. I storngly recommend this book
   
   Leer la descripcion que este pastor hace de los 90 minutos que paso en el cielo despues de un accidente de auto, es muy refrescante. Al usar el lenguaje de estos dias lo hace mucho mas real, mas facil de imaginar. Lo recomiendo de todo corazon para todos pero especialmente para los que estan pasando por una enfermedad grave y sus familiares o para los que perdieron a un ser querido.

5 comments about House of Abraham: Lincoln and the Todds, A Family Divided by War.

1. Abraham Lincoln is one of the most-written about men in the English language. As a long-time Lincoln-buff, I don't mind that there are so many books, but I have to admit, I occasionally wonder if we've reached diminishing returns. A lot of Lincoln books are what I'd call "old wine in new bottles."
   
   But House of Abraham really is that rare thing: a truly new and important perspective on Abraham Lincoln. Having read most of what there is on Abraham and Mary, let me just say what I think is new here: First, the author fleshes out the Southern wing of the Todd family for the first time. These are some seriously colorful characters: David Todd was arrested for desecrating corpses in a Richmond jail; Samuel Todd and Alex Todd were Confederate soldiers killed in action; George Todd abused African-American prisoners who had been taken while storming Battery Wagner; Emilie Todd, widow of a Confederate Brigadier, spent a week in the White House, despite the scandal; Margaret Todd smuggled contraband through Union lines, on and on. In all my reading I'd never known any of this.
   
   Second, the author connects these scandals to Mary's growing unpopularity in Washington. Many books have mentioned that Mary lost three half-brothers on the rebel side (the author proves that it was only two), but none have demonstrated so clearly why her family-ties became such a problem.
   
   Finally, while House of Abraham begins as a book about the Todds, it becomes more and more a meditation on family, on the nation as a family, and on Lincoln's evolving understanding of the War. Ultimately, the author convinced me that Lincoln saw the Todds as a microcosm of the nation and that he understood the war as a "mosaic of family crises."
   
   As some of the other reviewers have pointed out, the book isn't very long, but considering it limits itself to saying something actually new about the most-written-about-man-in-America, I don't think that's surprising. Team of Rivals (which I loved) was 900 pages, but not that much of it was new. It was really the framing that was so impressive. In fact, I'd recommend reading Team of Rivals and then House of Abraham in succession. They make a terrific pair.



2. Stephen Berry's work House of Abraham: Lincoln and the Todds, A Family Divided by War is a wonderful addition to the field of Lincoln historiography. His work is very insightful to the machinations of the Todd family. The Todd's were truly a family divided by the Civil War and its aftermath. The work is well written and researched throughly by the author. Lincoln's extended family, i.e. the Todd's were surely an embarassment for the president and his wife. However, even though many of the Todd's were confederate sympathizers, Lincoln always was supportive of his wife's sisters. This is a fine work on Lincoln and essential for Lincolnites to read.



3. This is an entirely new perspective of the Lincoln family, specifically that of his wife's. While there is much known about Abraham Lincoln's wife, Mary Todd Lincoln, as well as their oldest son, Robert Todd Lincoln, who was the only child to live to a ripe old age, I know very little about the Todd Family, and was especially intrigued that a book had finally been written on this little known side of the Lincoln family. Although the book was short, and, as admitted by the author, only a cursory story of several of the members of the Todd family could be done, it was admittedly an interesting book and whetted my appetite for additional information on the Todd Family. I found that the book added a few more pieces to the complex character and personality of Abraham Lincoln the man, and found further that his "melancholia" that is so much discussed was not solely due to the failures of many of his generals, the exorbitant loss of life in the battles of the conflict, the political intrigues of the Radical Republicans and the Democratic-Copperheads, but also partly due to the inner family turmoil that he and Mary experienced with their own family, specifically the Todds. Truly, Abraham Lincoln was quite prophetic when he said that a "House divided against itself cannot stand", and surely this could be said of the Todd family who themselves were divided with several family members serving in the armed forces of the Confederacy and the Union, several killed in battle, and one assassinated. I would recommend this book, and hope to see further detailed studies of the Todd Family in the future.



4. Their have been some good Civil War family biographies lately. The Whalen's book on the Fighting McCook's and this book on the Todd family come to mind. Family biographies can help us understand the human cost of the Civil War as no other histories can. As family members die, we understand the war's causalities in very personal terms gaining an idea of what this costs those involved.
   
   The McCook family had no conflicted loyalties, no question of who to fight for nor any hesitations in committing to a side. They were able to establish a record of service fighting for the Union that was unique. The Todd family had conflicted loyalties, questions on who to fight for and hesitated in committing to a side. A large slave owning family from Kentucky with an in-law in the White House would cause problems for everyone. Lincoln, his wife, her brothers & sisters their spouses created a series of confrontations, personal and political problems that make up this story.
   
   The author introduces the Todd family and the principle people giving us a solid foundation for the story. Lincoln tries to keep as much of the family on the Union side as possible. His efforts delay some members "going South" and produce some real political problems in 1861 for him. Each year of the war is a chapter. This allows us to follow everyone from assignment to assignment or battle to battle. Against this backdrop, Lincoln's personal life and family problems becomes worse and worse. Each newspaper story, each battle death adds to Lincoln's problems and Mary's woes. However, at Springfield as Lincoln is buried, the Todd in-laws stand as family.
   
   The author is easy to read and manages to keep all the story lines together. These are not likable people and he clearly does not like them. This come through in a number of places and may have colored the story. In addition, the author makes misstatements about the battle of Shiloh and the POW exchange. None of his mistakes are major but he is accepting of popular stories as opposed to good scholarship. A nice touch is to take each person from 1865 to his or her death. This is always something I look for in this type of book and feel is really important. The author does an excellent job on each person giving the reader a feel for who they were.
   
   Overall, this is a very readable book. The people are well drawn allowing us to see their world and have some understanding of their choices. In addition, the author shows how the divisions in Lincoln's personal family helped him reach out to the national family as reflected in many of his speeches.



5. Why did the majority of the Todds choose the South over the North? Their's was a border state that stayed in the Union. They owned too few slaves to have fortunes staked on the system. On p. 174 Berry defines the Todds as being "shrill with hatred... collapsed in self interest and grief". What drove them to this?
   
   Are they really "a once happy family" as Berry says? The litigation over their father's estate belies this. The litigation not only left their father's second wife (mother of 6?) dependent, but also disinherited those, like Mary, who had already had gifts from the father. Did early favoritism cause the rift as much as the war?
   
   Lincoln appears to be the model brother-in-law. Risking charges of favoritism and nepotism, Lincoln helps his Union oriented brothers-in-law (who also married Todds), giving one the ability to contract for provisions (which he exploits and when challenged threatens blackmail) and another a coveted army position away from the fray in the west. He entertains a Confederate Todd in the White House, and provides a pardon for another who will not take an oath of allegiance to the country that pardons her. His tolerance and charity towards his family recalls his tolerance of McClellan and a host of cabinet officers of similarly dubious motives.
   
   Mary personalizes the Confederate allegiance in her family as a fight against her. Maybe Mary was close to being right. Some seem to bask in the status of being able to malign a relative. Others just expect too much which can breed disappointment even under normal conditions. Maybe some of their intensity was a family rebellion against the one grown up who, by chance, had married into their family.
   
   While the book is short, it is not entirely focused. For a book on the family, too many of its precious paragraphs are devoted to sketching the war such as the battles of Manassas and Shiloh and the seige of Vicksburg. I would have liked a reference table in the beginning showing the birth order of the Todds and their marriages. Most importantly it needs some discussion on why the Todds did what they did.
   
   In a lighthearted afterward the author describes his research. While a lot went into this effort, I hope it is not thorough, because I would like to know more of these Todds.

5 comments about Ben Hogan: An American Life.

1. Only reason I'm not giving one star is simply because Dodson had access that no other writer was previously granted. I can only imagine what Curt Sampson would have done with all this extra information. The only reason I made it through this book is because I'm a Hogan geek. Anyone remotely well versed in Hogan's history will notice a factual error in just about every chapter. And for those not well versed in Hogan's history, there are many basic golf facts that don't make sense. I write this without the book in front of me, but one instance still stands out: Dodson refers to a 10 birdie round of 64 - with no bogeys. I know times have changed, but I don't recall many par 74 courses back in the day. By itself, this can seem like an innocent mistake, maybe even a typo. But when you pair it with the 100 other similar mistakes you lose credibility in the author. You also get the idea that Dodson himself isn't very familiar with the game of golf itself - the type of guy who keeps score on his wrist watch and uses 'golf' as a verb. The last half of the book I was just reading to find a decent quote or two. There's a reason Sampson's book was so popular and this one wasn't.



2. An outstanding insight to the life and times of Mr. Hogan. So much was presented that never came to the public eye. And even though a discredit was given by one reviewer in his May 9, 2005 review, based on the fact that 10 birdies in an US Open on a par 74 course was not possible, this individual did not do his homework. The US Open was played on a par 74 course in Savannah, Georgia in the early 1930s. A great book, a wonderful revelation, a must read for those interested in golf history.



3. I would greatly recommend this book. It is a very comprehensive study into the life of a true legend and is also a very incisive insight into America during the thirties and forties. In the course of reading about such an outstanding career the name Tiger Woods inevitably enters one's thoughts. Just how would Hogan have compared to Woods during the prime of his career. Woods continues his gallop into history but Hogan's name will always be the one who was responsible for taking golf out of the country clubs and into the municipal courses.



4. As both an avid golfer, and Ben Hogan admirer, I was more than satisfied with this book. Once i turned the first page I couldn't put it down. The information shared on the life of who I consider to be the greates golfer ever is unparalleled. Although this will instantly become a cherished part of any Ben Hogan fan's book collection, anyone who enjoys American history, sports history, sports in general, and golf in particular, as well as those who like true stories of sucess against all odds, will enjoy this book. It's a well-written portrait capturing all the good and bad of Ben Hogan and his life, and there was plenty of both. Anyone who thinks they know anything about Ben Hogan the man owes it to themselves to read this book. As Arnold Palmer himself said of the book: "I thought I knew Ben Hogan pretty well, until this book came along...". If you were interested enough in this book to read the reviews, you should buy it. You will not regret doing so.



5. I had read that Hogan would tell other golf pros that came to him seeking golf swing advice that they should "dig it out of the dirt" like he did. What sounded like a brush off may have been simply the truth. Hogan dug his swing out of the dirt by putting more work in on it that anyone else. Perhaps that was his real "secret". Hard work.
   
   This book puts a positive spin on a personality that was respected but was not uniformily well liked. Along the way the author gives enough well reseached detail to put human flesh and bones on an iconic figure. A good read. I recommend it.

1 comments about Christopher Columbus (Step-Into-Reading, Step 3).

1. Hi!:) This book is nice and informative without being too long and boring. It will most likely appeal to children around 5 or 6 through about 9 or 10. After that, they may want to read another, more in depth biography about this remarkable and fearless sailor and explorer.
   The illustrations are realistic and well done.
   I, as a parent, felt that the ending was a bit weak, but children will certainly gain a better understanding and clearer picture of the explorer, and his sacrifices, upon reading this book. Wording is simple and uncomplicated. A step 2 book.
   Good information, good book!~

5 comments about Money for Nothing: One Man's Journey Through the Dark Side of Lottery Millions.

1. Money for Nothing: One Man's Journey Through the Dark Side of Lottery Millions--an intriguing title for an intriguing book just out by Edward Ugel. So you like to gamble? Maybe just buy lottery tickets? Reading this non-fiction, astonishing book may be the best thing you've ever done for yourself. Ugel tells all in his story about his years as both a gambler, and a salesman, and then as an employee of a company that offered upfront cash to lottery winners in exchange for their prize money.
   
   You've all seen the commercial for some company that offers cash that is due to you. All of the people cry out from wherever they are that it's their money and they want it now. If that company, called The Firm, in this book, is one that caters only to lottery winners, however, there are oftentimes millions of dollars involved--and even though the winner may have won big, they may be as poor as ever!
   
   One of the key issues is whether the particular lottery allows a lump sum as opposed to long-term payments. Selection of a lump sum has not always been available. Additionally, when you see the picture of the winner getting a large check with a large sum identified on it, the amount is always the amount before taxes!
   
   Horror story after horror story for lottery winners are shared in this book--all names changed, of course.
   
   Ugel has tried hard to write in an upbeat fashion in telling his story. His chapter titles are catchy. He ridicules some of his own actions and invites the reader to smile and commiserate with his choices. But he's not really telling about a fun-filled life. The book, in my opinion, is very much an expose' of this type of financial company, albeit though they are acting legally. Additionally, Ugel's epilogue, written in a time schedule/diary fashion reveals exactly what the addicted gambler goes through each time he gives in to this vice.
   
   Ugel has been a gambler since the age of 19, working at jobs to earn enough money so he could go gamble. When he was called to a bar by a friend, where a potential supervisor was drinking and smoking, Ugel thought he had finally found the place where he belonged. Indeed, while his boss was there at the The Firm with him, he quickly moved into big money and promotions, each time his boss moved up. But no matter how far up he went, he at last began to hate working with the man and quit, even though he was offered almost twice his present salary to stay. Ugel struggled through the following time, until he was called and asked to return. His former boss had quit and he was being offered his job. This had been what he had always wanted. He believed he could do the job and was soon back at The Firm.
   
   Ugel did all right until his former boss opened his own business as a major competitor and quickly started winning potential customers away from The Firm. Ugel was finally relieved to be fired, for even though he was a super salesman, he realized that he had treated his job, and allowed his subordinates to also treat their jobs, as if each "lead" was merely a "gamble" and since there was always the potential for high commissions without working too hard, he realized that though being a better "gambler" than his former boss, he was not even close to being the kind of manager that his boss had been. As he said, "a gambler is a gambler is a gambler" (p. 212). He and his staff were quite willing to gamble both with their own money...and with the lottery winners' money!
   
   Many of us have our own addictions. If gambling is yours...read this book! If gambling is not your particular vice, read it...and insert your own predilection. For underneath the humor, Ugel has written a story that just may help you rethink what you are doing, to yourself, to your family, and on your job! Thank you, Edward Ugel, for sharing your life in such an open way and making us realize that Money for Nothing may be more trouble than anyone could imagine!



2. if you like gambling or vegas, then you'll enjoy this reading. busting vegas by ben mezrich and jonny magic & the card shark kids by david kushner were better.



3. As a counselor for problem gamblers. This is a prime example of PT Barnums saying- there's a sucker born every minute and two to fleece him.
   Although in this case there is a firm to fleece them.
   
   This is a model for gamblers to understand then even when you win you loose. I found myself feeling ill at the duplicity that is used on gullible people- Yes they have to agree to it but like banks and the stockmarket that charge high rates and hidden fees, this book lets you know the hidden backstory of what happens when you win the lottery.
   
   The author illustrates well greed is not good!



4. A humorous, quick, and easy read. At times, Ugel comes off as an adolescent in his decisions and values, but he puts it all out there for us to see.



5. "Money for Nothing" is a superficial, less than credible account of a salesman's life selling "up front" money for lottery winners with multi-year payments. The book references winners' haste to settle (not even inquiring as to interest rates involved), misleading sales pitches that focus on what the winner needs (rather than deserves) to reduce the payout, sudden divorces made possible by the new wealth, etc.
   
   However, few specifics are offered, especially on the financial terms involved. Instead, "Money for Nothing" provides lots of filler - eg. life prior to this job, getting this job, history of state lotteries, etc.
   
   Bottom Line: Buying "Money for Nothing" would be paying money for nothing.

5 comments about Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror.

1. I've always been very confused as to why so many Arabs hate Jews and Christians so much. If they put as much time and effort into loving their children and society as they do in spreading hate and violence, then they would be so much better off; as would we. Thank you Nonie for sharing your experience and insight. Reading this book helped me to understand so much about Arabs and their actions. I truly believe that if we spoke more about this culture in the mass media, there would be more indirect pressure put on the Arab countries to stop spreading a culture of hate. Our politically correct country seems to believe that if we don't speak about something, that it will fix itself eventually. Keep up the great work Nonnie; not just for us, but for your former country and its inhabitants.



2. This book is an education for everyone about the situation in the Middle East. It's a sobering picture of that area. Kudos for the author for her bravery in rejecting the Muslim party line. Her solutions for the problems there are - peace, not war - love not hate. God bless her.



3. This book is so important in our understanding of how the radical terrorists operate.Not all Muslims are terrorists and most peace loving Muslims, Buddists, Jews and Christians can't get thier heads around this type of political madness.



4. Nonie Darwish tells it like it is...her story is amazing and I applaud her courage and strength for telling it.
   
   As an American living in Iran for three and a half years leading up to the Iranian Revolution of 1978, I witnessed firsthand some of the frightening and unstable mindsets of those obsessed with jihad. I totally related to her story, especially the part when she returned to Egypt for a visit after 20 years. Because then she was seeing her country through the eyes of an American.



5. This is a book that every thinking American should read! Its insight into the Muslin world and the Muslims' way of thinking is imperative to our understanding of why we are having so much trouble trying to impose our standards on them. They are taught hatred of Americans from birth -- how can we hope to change that? If you want to improve your insight into the present conflict in Iraq and understand the problems there, you MUST read this book!

5 comments about George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War.

1. This is the best book ever. I highly recommend it, because it is easy to read, and gives you important information, the most history books leave out.



2. In preparation on a column that I am doing for middle and teen readers on espionage, I picked this title up at the library on the recommendation of the young adult librarian. What a great suggestion! Allen does a fantastic job of leading the reader through the incredible story of spying, double agents, and treason during the Revolutionary War. This book has it all - invisible ink, disguises, codebooks, hidden messages, and more. And readers are invited to test themselves at decoding, using a "mask", and other spy talents. Recommended for school use in American History units, and for anyone (gr 4 and up) that is looking for something really different and entertaining, while being completely factual! This would make a great read-aloud for teachers too.



3. This chronicling of the spies of the Revolutionary War (mostly viewed from the American side) was so interesting that I read it from cover to cover in one day. Even though it's targeted for 6-9th grades, I as an adult thoroughly enjoyed it. It's fun to get another view of the war from the espionage side. It made me appreciate the Patriots who fought for our liberty in a whole new way.



4. This small book is done just as if it were printed in Washington's time.
   The lettering on the jacket is touchable just like real engraving. The pages in the small book are uneven. The illustrations are all black and
   white, highly detailed, and just like what you would have seen in
   Washington's day.
   The names are sometimes hard to follow, but then the author gives you
   a clue and you are again able to understand it.
   The story gives you a real feel for how close the Colonies were to losing.
   If Washington had not been cleverly making it look like he was
   going to attack one place but actually hit them at another more vunerable place, we surely would not be free today.
   I plan to gift every grandchild with this book when they are old enough to
   really understand it. It makes the Revolution interesting, not stodgy.



5. George Washington, Spymaster: How the Americans Outspied the British and Won the Revolutionary War is a National Geographic book written by Thomas B. Allen. This young adult book is as informative as it is entertaining. In the books that I have read about the Revolution, the Patriot spy network isn't given much coverage.
   
   Allen starts during the French and Indian War when Washington was a young major. He was sent out by Virginia Royal Governor Robert Dimwiddie. Washington realized early on that he had to rely on intelligence gathered from civilians and the Indians to learn about French forces. Washington wrote "There is nothing more necessary than good Intelligence to frustrate a designing enemy & nothing that requires greater pains to obtain."
   
   When the Revolutionary War began, Washington built on those information-gathering techniques that he used during the French and Indian War. Washington became a "spymaster," handling large numbers of individual spies. At first, Washington wanted an intelligence network of military men. The first such group was the Knowlton Rangers, which eventually evolved into the modern Army Rangers and Special Forces. The Rangers got off to a disastrous start, and Washington realized that "Instead of relying on officers to gather military intelligence, he would do what the Sons of Liberty had done in Boston. He would use civilians--sharp-witted Patriots who could spy while making believe they were Tories."
   
   Thomas gives the reader a tutorial on spying and spies. He tells us the difference between an agent, a double agent, an intelligence officer and a snitch. He provides the code created by Benjamin Tallmadge for Patriot correspondence. He also hides messages throughout the book using this code. He details the tools of the spy trade from the 1700s including invisible ink, hiding messages in feather quills, small silver balls for hiding messages (they could be swallowed when captured), etc. Also, the Patriots were masters at forging documents and making sure they fell into British hands. One civilian woman relayed information to the military by the way she hung her laundry. But for all the information Washington received from his spy network, there was always the danger of dealing with double agents and traitors (Benedict Arnold).
   
   One thing I found especially interesting about George Washington, Spymaster is how many agents and double agents were not identified until well after the Revolution. It has taken until the 1900s and the opening of British papers for Americans to discover that some of their trusted Patriots were actually working for Britain.
   
   This may be a book written for young adults, but I certainly learned quite a bit from Thomas Allen in George Washington, Spymaster.

5 comments about The Life of Milarepa: A New Translation from the Tibetan.

1. As Milarepa tells his story, one of his disciples interrupts him and says that compared to Milarepa's effort, all of our spiritual practice and effort seems like a banal pretension.
   
   I tend to agree. The story will rekindle your dedication. A great book to get if you are feeling down or if it seems like your spiritual quest is too hard or going nowhere.
   
   It will rekindle your Inner Fire if you give it a chance.



2. I think Milarepa was one of the highest levels of enlightened beings ever existed on the planet. Considering the Miracles he did. He is one of the recent enlighten masters, and all this happened a few hundred years ago. He has received little Attention compared to Buddha, Jesus, Mohammed and Khrishna. There is defenately a lot to learn from this book, and what he did is worth reading about.



3. The book quality - new, but not excellent material. Prompt delivery. Thought as a gift, so I had hoped for more. If bought for personal usage, would have been OK.



4. This is a treasure of a book and is very sacred in nature. There are two editions of this book, the first in 1977. The introduction reveals the history of the text and its translations, and the fascinating history that surrounds the text. See "The Life of Marpa the Translator: Seeing Accomplishes All", by Chogyam Trungpa, for further information regarding its history (both texts were written by the same man). Anyway, the first English translation became available early in the 20th century by W. Y. Evans-Wentz.
   
   I am recalling most of this from memory, so my apologies go out to those who find my data incorrect. I highly recommend the new english translation of "The Life of Milarepa" for anyone seeking the life of saints.



5. This book is a very great book that one can not read it fast. One needs to digest the information. I am very happy to have been told by my teachers to read this book. I am so surprised that libraries don't carry such a great book. After I finish my book I donate it to the library so other people can benefit from it. If you are an spritual person and you are interested in growing your soul read this book.