5 comments about So You Want to be President?.

1. So You Want to be President? is an exciting book that everyone should want to read. It's a fun way to learn about all of the adventures at the White House. These fun facts will keep you hooked.
   Any one can be president. We've had presidents who were tall, short, fat, thin, athletes, dances, and soldiers.
   Some good changes that happen when you become president include changes in your diet, an awesome house, and no chores. Some bad changes may be changes in your responsibility. And you always have to dress up.
   Being president is not for everyone. While one president said how he loved the job, another described it as "the four most miserable years of my life."
   We really enjoyed this book. It's a fun way to learn some fun facts about being president, and about previous presidents. After reading this book ask yourself, do you think the job is right for you?



2. Firstly I think you should read the book So You Want To Be President because it's a funny informing book.
   
   Here are some good things about being president: If you are the president you are going to have a swimming pool, bowling alley, and a movie theatre. The President never has to take out the garbage. In the book there is a story about George H.W. Bush. As a boy George had to eat broccoli. When he grew up, He became president. That was the end of broccoli. Presidents don't have to eat yucky veggies.
   
   Here are some bad things about being President: You have to wear lots of clothing. One of the president named William McKinley wore a frock coat, vest, pin striped trousers, stiff white t-shirt, black satin tie, gloves in his button hole everyday! Another thing is that you have to be polite. And you have lots and lots of homework!
   
   I think you should read this book because it tells you lots of facts and some are funny and some are serious.



3. I feel that this is a great book for all ages. It is full of interesting facts about past Presidents. The book points out some good things and some bad things about being the President. I think that kids would be interested in this book because it gives real life details of some past Presidents that most kids can relate to. They may find that they have things in common with some of these past Presidents. This would be a great book to read around election time and on President's Day. It is a fun book to be enjoyed by all.



4. This was my granddaughter's comment as she read this book. It got her thinking about sexism and politics. She was familiar with Hillary Clinton and her campaign. I'd say this is a great book for elementary school aged kids.



5. A good book for the junior readers interested in presidents. An easy read and enjoyable for the younger reader.

5 comments about The Black Jacobins: Toussaint L'Ouverture and the San Domingo Revolution.

1. The French Revolution, as all great revolutions, had effects on world politics and the struggle of other peoples whom awoken to political life in the afterglow of that event. The fight for freedom in French Santo Domingo (now Haiti, the name that I will use to avoid confusion hereafter) led by Toussaint to a point just short of independence is a prime example of that effect. Without the revolution in the metropolis it is very unlikely that at that time the struggle in Haiti could have been successful. The history of the times was replete with unsuccessful slave rebellions. Why it was successful in Haiti and how that success was accomplished, mainly under the leadership of Toussaint in its decisive phases, is the subject of the eccentric Marxist, later Pan-Africanist historian C.L.R. James. Although originally written in 1938 Black Jacobin is still the best biography of Toussaint in English.
   
   The freedom struggle in Haiti, a tropical island well suited to intensive agricultural development for the new international market in those goods necessary for the embryonic industrial system, was above all the struggle for the abolition of slavery. The fight against that servile condition that even many revolutionaries, white and black, and former revolutionaries of the time broke their teeth on. Today that freedom struggle, successful in its way in the Haiti of the early 19th century, remains a shining example of the only really successful fight against slavery by the slaves. So it pays to pay particular attention to the fight.
   
   The forces which pushed the French Revolution forward in the metropolis had their its own set of priorities, among them the fight to move the population from a condition of subjugation to a monarch to citizens of a democracy. I have noted elsewhere how important that changed social status was to the historical and psychological development of modern humankind. Nevertheless that same psychology applies to the struggle in Haiti although even more so under conditions of chattel slavery. Thus, the events in French had their reflection in the colonies particularly in Haiti. One can observe in France the changes in attitude and policy from the early revolutionary days when all classes were good fellows and true through the rise of the leftist Robespierre regime based on the plebian masses, its eventually overthrow and establishment of the Directory and then the various manifestations of the regimes of Napoleon. That regime and its treacherous colonial policy attempting was a very far drop down hill from the early heady days when even moderate revolutionaries were in both places prepared to go quite far to eliminate slavery in Haiti.
   
   There is something of a truism in the statement that great revolutions throw up personalities fit for the times. Certainly revolutions shake up the traditional order of things and let some who might have stayed dormant rise to the occasion. That is the case with Toussaint. For most of his life he was a middle level functionary on his master's estate respected by not slated for greatness. Early on, as the struggle against slavery heated up among the black slaves he exhibited the military, social, political diplomatic and other skills that would eventual thrust him into the leadership of the liberation struggle, This is really saying something special about the man because in the context of that Haitian revolution with the initial disputes between British Spanish and French interests and then the conflicting interests on the island itself between white, black and mulatto would have driven a lesser man around the bend. That it did not do so and that in his errors that which at times were grievous, especially around his seemingly obsessive commitment to maintain the French connection, does not take away from the grandeur of the experience. A cursory look at the latter developments on the island and the seemingly never ending series of tin pot despots who in their turn devastated the island only brings out Toussaint's fascinating role, warts and all, in the earlier liberation struggle in broader relief.



2. My interest the book was kindled by Michener's reference to it in his book 'THe Caribbean' which I only read recently.
   
   When I would see black people holding high office in the US army I would see it as evidence of the enlightened attitude of the American society. I now know that that 'enlightenment' wast the result of a lesson taught by Haitians since the 1790's.
   
   An excellent work which should be read by all especially Caribbean blacks!



3. 'The Black Jacobins', by C.L.R. James, is so sodden with Marxist cant as to be nearly useless. He can't get the story straight through all the verbiage. A far better account of Toussaint is found in Richard Gillespie's book, Papa Toussaint.
   
   The other problem with James' book is he almost completely ignores military engagements. One can read the entire book and almost never learn of the War of the Knives. Given Toussaint's obvious military genius, this is a serious weakness. Again, Gillespie has the correct balance.
   
   I've written a book set in modern Haiti, though it is fictional. It's entitled Naked in Haiti: A sexy morality tale about tourists, prostitutes & politicians. It's about politics & sex tourism, but mostly it is meant as entertainment.



4. As a first generation Haitian-American I've always been fascinated by the culture of my ancestors. My father used to tell me if I wanted to understand Black America I needed to understand Haitian history. He would say, "How Haiti goes so go Black people". Reading Black Jacbins has given me a better understanding of the message he was trying to convey.
   
   The challenges Blacks in many countries around the world face today mirror those that originated within the Haitian revolution. Beyond the issues of freedom from slavery and imperialism, Haiti is provides a glimps of the beauty of an independent Black Republic as well as its challenges within the global arena. Although other works on 20th century geo politics can provide more detailed insight into Haiti's current political state, Black Jacobins will provide the back drop for the current international stances by nations on Haiti.
   
   Other reviewers have enjoyed the book but have written that it contains to much of a marxist slant. To them I would say, if you have ever been to Haiti you would know that even today the country is highly structured based on class. This is, as C.L.R James illustrates, a product of the european colonialism. I'll go even further to say, if those same critics don't believe we live in a class based society in America they are very naieve. Nontheless, I recommend this book to those who not only enjoy carribean history but world history.



5. Excellent!
   
   At time, Mr. James annoyed me to no end. But what kept me reading was he had the balls to write truth, though at times his constantly editorializing made me roll my eyes. His work has certainly added to my body of knowledge about Haiti, Toussaint and other players.
   
   The fact is that the Haitians kicked Bonapart and the French army's butt, coming and going! They lost over 50,000 men.
   
   The Black Jacobins deals more with Toussaint the man, and acquaints the reader with some of the other major character, i.e. Christophe, Moise, Dessalines, Rigaud, etc. .
   
   I highly recommend the book.
   
   Excerpts that moved me:
   
   "In overthrowing me, you have cut down in St. Domingo only the trunk of the tree of liberty. It will spring up again by its roots for they are numerous and deep.." Toussaint L'Ouverture
   
   "But today as then, the great propertied interests and their agents commit the most ferocious crimes in the name of the whole people, and bluff and browbeat them by lying propaganda".
   
   "The secret of England's impotence for the first 6 years of the way may be said to lie in the two fatal words, St. Dimingo."
   
   "Where imperialists do not find disorder, they create it deliberately."
   
   "That calm confidence in its capacity to deceive is a mark of the mature ruling class."
   
   "But Dessaline could not wait. On March 24th, the third day of the bombardment, the French captured a black man and a black woman. The man said he was blind, only the whites of his eyes could be seen and he could scarcely walk, while the old black woman with him said that she was deaf. Suspecting them to be spies the French beat them mercilessly, but they only sobbed and wailed, said nothing and lay as if unable to move. Lacroix, on his rounds, took pity on them, and asked that they should be allowed to go about their business, but not until the French threatened to shoot them did they get up and walk. As soon as they were out of reach, they began to dance, and ran to the fortress to give Dessalins' order to evacuate." This was so funny to me. I laughed out loud. Grandma and Grandpapa pulled the oki doke. Or as the kid say `faked them out!"

No comments about Giant: The Road to the Super Bowl.

5 comments about Twilight at Monticello: The Final Years of Thomas Jefferson.

1. Crawford's account of Thomas Jefferson's last years is a fine updating of the last volume of Dumas Malone's epic Jefferson biography, The Sage Of Monticello - Jefferson And His Time, Volume 6. Crawford recounts Jefferson's declining years with both sympathy and a critical eye, so that one feels at once sorry for and angry with the former president.
   
   Among the major issues with which Jefferson deals in this volume are the decline of Virginia's agricultural economy, the difficulties of his own blue-blood progeny in coming to terms with their straitened circumstances, and the failure of the Republican project for Virginia. (This last topic is also the subject of chapters 5 and 6 of my book, Virginia's American Revolution: From Dominion to Republic, 1776-1840 -- in which Jefferson is a significant actor.) Throughout, one cannot help but notice that much of the financial trouble encountered by Jefferson and his family flows directly from his storied devotion to fine wines, expensive books, top-flight artworks, and perpetual demolition and reconstruction of his famous, impractical abode.
   
   In short, this tome will be of interest to Jefferson aficionados, to people interested in the history of the Old South, and to people desirous of a clearer understanding of the background to the Civil War. It also has a thing or two to say, if only by implication, about the duties of fathers to sons and of the powerful to the weak.



2. I had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Crawford speak at VHS. I bought his book and had a delightful conversation with him on Jefferson on the misinterpretation in modern view. His book stands right beside J. Ellis' work and is worth a read to any Jefferson fan or even the Hamilton admirers who hate Jefferson with passion. The book slides deep into an overview of the later years. I suggest people first read an overview of Jefferson's life before taking on the view of Jefferson's last years.



3. I am a history buff and have read so much about Jefferson, I almost winced when my husband brought home Twilight at Monticello--what else can there possibly be said? Well, a great deal. We have a bad habit in America of taking someone who has done us a great service and putting them so high up on a pedestal they appear to be gods. (Anyone remember the Victorian print of Washington ascending to Heaven?) This leaves the "god" no where to go but down. Twilight has achieved the 'impossible' which is to render Jefferson as a brilliant but troubled man who helped to form a type of government which was completely at odds with government as then known and risked his life doing it.
   
   Jefferson and the others had no guidelines, no map, only a concept of what liberty should be. And, they did it. It wasn't perfect; we all know that. Nevertheless, they took the steps to achieve something that, even though flawed, gave us the liberty as time went by to amend their original ideas when they were incorrect. It works; it takes time but it works. After the Revolution, he inevitably became a god.
   
   Later he was pulled down from God status, and correctly so, by historians stating that he was a slave holder, a father who had trouble with the "empty nest", had relatives you could dress up but you couldn't take out, and, we can all be joyful that Hamilton did the banking part since Jefferson seemed to have absolutely no concept of accounting.
   
   Twilight is where Crawford has done Jefferson, and us, a service. He shows an old man who is out of the spotlight, mourning his chldren, madly in love with his grandchildren, making amends with old friends he has argued with, seeing comrades for the last time, worrying about slavery but unable to let go of his own slaves, desperate to pay his debts but still spending and borrowing (Mastercard anyone?), and suffering from poor health while moving on toward the end of his life. Crawford has done away with the god problem and has given us a real person, warts and all, and in so doing shows us a founding father who still shines brightly.
   
   That is the beauty of Twilight.



4. 
   This book discusses the extended family, the estate and the retirment activities of our third president. It's well written, but it's a once over lightly.
   
   While we meet the family members (a family chart is very much needed), we don't understand them. I thought I somewhat knew daughter Martha, but in the end she punishes a slave in a very unseemly manner which didn't fit any impression I had had. While there are character differences between the sons-in-law, their big fight and its aftermath seem to be wedged in, rather than a culmination of differences between the two men. Crawford does a very good job in presenting the story of the Hemings family, but again there is no way to understand them.
   
   The estate and its furnishings are well described. There is a floor plan for the main building and photos and drawings of the grounds and of the other residences. There is little on the slave quarters. A map locating all the family residences would have been helpful. Unlike many writers who cover the finacial past Crawford gives benchmarks to help in understanding the scale of costs and deficits.
   
   What is told of Jefferson's activities is good, but since the retirement spans 18 years there has to be more than what is given. Jefferson's work is always an extension of his philosophy, and Crawford's best work is here. He gives the clearest description of Jefferson on slavery that I have read (inclusive of his holding Britian responsible for rooting it in the new world) and his religious beliefs and views.
   
   While the above review has a lot on the negative side, I recommend the book. It reads very well-- in fact--- it reads so well that I would have liked to have read more of it!



5. An interesting perspective on Thomas Jefferson at the end of his life and his belief in his entitlement.

4 comments about Breakfast with Jesus.

1. http://www.findtruth.here.ws/
   
   Find truth here !!
   
   http://www.findtruth.here.ws/



2. Simple, quick, one to two page essays on key points of faith and focus on Jesus.
   
   Great way, essential way, to start each day with focus outside self and on the path.



3. This is one of the most inspiring devotional type books I have ever read. It is very-- to the point. It gets better every day. I would and have recommmend it to anyone.



4. Over the years I have read and studied the Bible. however it wasn't until I read Breakfast with Jesus" that I got true insight into passages I had read over and over, Mr Laurie makes so many of the stories and passages easy to understand.
   
   This really is a good way to start your day, each chapter is only 2 pages, it will lift you up and help you deal with the problems of your day...because you know you have Jesus leading the path for you.

5 comments about Flight of Passage: A True Story.

1. Rinker Buck is an engaging storyteller and this story is truly delightful. Touching at times and hilarious at others, Buck takes you along on he and his brother's amazing adventure across America in a Piper Cub. I would recommend this book to just about anybody, especially aviation enthusiasts.
   
   One note: you don't need to read the after word as it is a little sad and depressing after such a good read, and it doesn't relate to the story that much.



2. WARNING: the first few chapters are dry, I almost gave up on the book and I am glad i didn't because after the first few chapters the book is so interesting and grabs you.
   
   Very Funny and descriptive you will love this book even if you don't have an interest in aviation.
   
   it takes you through the boys journey and Rinker Buck describes everything in enjoyable detail. The book describes their flight across the country and back(although he really does blow through the journey back).
   
   The book reminds you of a different time in the world, 1966, when you could fly around without a radio and sleep on the tarmac at the airport.
   
   Anyone can enjoy this book and it is in story format, not biography.



3. This is a fantastic book! I've read it twice and will most likely read it again. It has so many compelling elements that it can't be fully appreciated in one reading. I think that the sheer adventure in Kern and Rinker Buck's 1966 coast-to-coast flight is what really seized me. I am the same age as the Buck brothers and struck out on my own the very same week they made their flight. Their desire to have an adventure, prove something to their father and master a pursuit reserved for skilled adults hit home with me. The book is funny, touching and insightful about family relationships.
   
   It is a great read and I, for one, am very grateful to Rinker Buck for putting this story down on paper all these years later.



4. I am a new private pilot and devour anything aviation related, so I very much enjoyed the flying theme of this book. But even without the flying aspect, it is a great story of how complicated father/son relationships can be and the bonding between brothers. It is a very touching story. Mr. Buck is a solid author as well, which is not always a prerequisite for writing a memoir.



5. Interesting and well written story of two kids flying across the country in a Piper Cub. Great adventure and an example of God's provision and protection even when people don't acknowledge His existence.

5 comments about Driving with Dead People: A Memoir.

1. Being from Monica's hometown, I initially wanted to read the book for fun- to read stories about our town and the people in it. What I didn't bargain for was the amount of self-reflection it perpetuated. Not only is it true that it is one of those books you can't put down (I finished it in just two days) but it is one of those books that you'll be thinking about for weeks after you are finished reading it.



2. I like some others, purchased this book thinking it would be a lighthearted read and it is; just about a heavy subject. I absolutely loved the book. It was expertly written, sad, funny, and moving. Everything you would want a book to be. Above all odds, Monica rose above the chaos. I just wish her dad and mom could get what they deserve; a long stay in a nasty jail cell. Bravo Monica.



3. I just finished this book, less than 24 hours after its arrival in my mailbox. The author has a refreshing sense of humor relating to topics such as death, embalming, and driving a hearse as a sixteen-year-old girl. I laughed out loud many times, and had to pick up the book again after my children left for school. As a mother, the lack of parenting in this book is apalling, but also a lesson in how much of a responsibility we as parents have to protect our children from harm not only outside of our nhome, but within it. I applaud the courage of the author to search her soul for unthinkable ugliness and gain strength from the family she made her own, those that truly cared for her. I highly recommend this book, in spite of its less-than-rosy reality.



4. I loved this book. It is such an incredible story written so incredibly well. It completely blew me away. Amazing. I'd recommend it to anyone.



5. that the support system you expected from your family is simply not there:
   
   "Knowing there is no cavalry is much better than hoping for a cavalry that never comes. I am strong because I have to be. I am the cavalry."
   
   This memoir of family dysfunction admirably traverses the path that brings the author to write those words.

5 comments about The Commitment: Love, Sex, Marriage, and My Family.

1. One of the things I liked best about this book was that Dan Savage didn't just destroy the arguments against gay marriage, but he also correctly criticized many of the popular arguments in favor of gay marriage for succumbing to the same double-standards as the opposition. What was left was arguments that are rational, clearly stated, and funny.
   
   Savage's personal story is well told, reflective, and entertaining.



2. An excellent sequel to Savage's The Kid. Funny, heartwarming, and thought-provoking all at the same time.



3. Take a closer look at the issue of same-sex marriage with this examination and criticism of both sides of the debate.



4. This one I liked; it was fun reading about D.J. and good to see he has done so well with his Dads. The issues with his mom made my heart ache, and I wondered how that would progress over time. But the theme of the book - commitment - made my head ache. Back and forth, back and forth with the marriage thing. Dan makes the angst sound funny, although it wasn't at the time, I am sure. Still, in the end - I never quite got the point. It was entertaining reading for sure. Dan Savage could write a book about brushing his teeth and it would be funny. It's just with so few heterosexuals caring to get married and half of those who do divorcing, why the yen to do this straight-y thing?



5. I found myself laughing throughout the book. Very snappy writing and a story that I could identify with within my own relationship. The story echos today's society and the struggle (conflict) that a lot of relationships go through whether gay or straight. I think I loved the reactions of his son the best. A must read for anyone conflicted about marriage or a commitment ceremony.

5 comments about Living Up The Street.

1. 
   Hey peoples, the name of this story that I am going to explain to you is called Living up the Street by Gary Soto. This story is an auto - biography about Gary who grows up on the streets near Fresno, California. The story starts when he is five years old until he is married and is visiting Mexico City. This book is funny and cool because there is one part where Gary, Ronnie, and his friend Scott, decide to steal from his sister. Scott's sister went on vacation to Yosemite National Park. That is why they decided to steal at that time. What I thought was funny is that his Scott's sister works for the government. Well after they stole everything, they went back to their apartment. Gary and Scott decided to leave town taking a train to San Francisco because they were all freaked out. Ronnie just stayed at the apartment and started freaking out. Gary and Scott bought tickets for the train ride to San Francisco and when they were in the train, they decided to return their tickets because they were broke and that's when they were certain to return all the stuff they stolen. Anyways, there is a lot of drama in the book, so you should read this masterpiece.
   This book has 167 pages, which is great because this story is not that boring. The thickness of this story is somewhat small, buts it is not that hard to read, so do not worry. If you like to read high and low reading level books then you will like this book because it is probably just right for you. If you also like reading auto - biography books like this one then you will definitely like this book. Once you start reading this story, you will not put it down unless you have to because it is compelling. Before I started to read the book, I was thinking that it was going to be the worse auto - biography book I have ever read because of the way the book looks and the thickness of the book. Actually, this story turned out to be better then I thought. Do not judge a book by its cover. Those are the reasons why I like to read Living up the Street. As a whole, this book is not going to take a long time to read, but make sure you read the book slowly so you will not miss out important information.
   The rest of the story, I do not want to ruin it for you. Well I hope that you would like reading the book Living up the Street by Gary Soto. See you later!



2. Living up the Street
   by Gary Soto
   Peer Review
   Living up the Street is an autobiography by Gary Soto. Those who love autobiographies will love this novel. One of the reasons I liked this book is because Gary has some very interesting events that occur in his life. Sometimes those events can be quite hilarious, and other times he makes you wonder why he was doing the crazy things he did. Gary not only learns from his mistakes, he also applies what he learns to other problems he encounters throughout his life.
   I generally like reading autobiographies because I get to see what another person's life was like and I get to see what problems they faced in life. Then I try to figure out how I can use their problem and solution to make my life better. Another thing I like about reading autobiographies is that it can be fun learning what happened on another person's life. For those of you who hate autobiographies, I think you will still like this novel because Gary's life is very interesting.
   The difficulty level was not very high at all because he rarely used highly sophisticated words in his writing. He randomly used Spanish words throughout the book. That increased the length of the book for me because there were some words I did not know the meaning to. Overall, I would say that the novel is not very long and it is very intriguing.



3. I had to read this nutjob of a book with the class as a freshman this year and the cover and plot review on the back of the book made it look like bird scratch but right when you start reading you'd notice it's pretty damn good. This is on of those rare books that start o be interesting from the very beginning chapter and have small chapters so you feel optimistic about reading alot of sections of the book and feel a sense of almost finished.



4. Living Up the Street is one of many autobiographies written by Gary Soto. It tells of the ups and downs throughout his childhood, adolescence, and even adult life. This realistic book is enjoyable to read because many people can relate to one of his experiences one way or another. Though the book it without plot, sequence, or continuity, it is interesting from the very first chapter you read. This autobiography is mainly about Gary Soto, and his poor Mexican family, growing up in Fresno, California, in the 60's and 70s'. It is fun to read because it is as if you are reading and viewing someone as they grow up and mature. Through Gary's mistakes, he's learns valuable lessons for life on his own. To give you a better understanding of the book, knowing some events that occurred in the beginning will help you know how interesting it is. In the introduction, the three main characters are presents, who also happen to be all siblings. Rick, who is 6, Gary 5, and Debra 4. Most of the beginning shows the everyday family struggles they had growing up and how when the Mom, when she was angry enough, hit them with a belt after they acted up. One of the first events which happened, is when the Mom had somewhere to go and left the children home alone unattended accidentally. Since the kids loved playing with fire, they managed to burn a few items on fire inside the house and have fun with a tomato fight also, ruining the entire living room and kitchen. This is just one of many events that took place in this novel.



5. Living up the Street (Book Review)
   
   
   A boy growing up without a father. The only thing Gary knew was violence. By the age of five he was already stealing, beating people up, and trying to set houses on fire. He'd get into fights with his brother just for the fun of it. Gary lives in a bad neighborhood with a lot of Mexicans. He's always getting into trouble by his mom and never listens to anybody. His Family have been living here for a long time ever since their mom and dad was a little girl. After a while Gary, surprisingly, tries to look for work. He doesn't really earn that much money but he still does it for a long time. Then his mom decides to send Gary to a catholic school because she said he was a little devil and needed to go to church. At first it didn't change him but slowly but surely he began to change. He became less mischievous and more polite. He didn't get into much trouble anymore and instead just entered in arts and crafts at the park where a coach taught them. Gary liked sports and he and his brother tried out for the little league baseball team. They tried out three times and never had they made the team. They thought they were going to make it but unfortunately they didn't. Gary eventually got on a baseball team but it wasn't little league. It was a recreation al league that only had two teams. Gary's team always lost to the same opponent over and over. Gary was a growing boy so eventually the hormones of puberty started to kick in. One week he would like one girl and the next week he would like another. When he was about sixteen he volunteered to help little kids at the playground kind of like a new coach. Even though he was a teenager he made lots of friends. The kids played with him like he was one of them. In high school Gary joined the wrestling team. He wasn't that bad at wrestling but he wasn't the best. During the summer he decided to work at his moms work that actually paid very well even though they were harvesting crops in the fields. His brothers and sister eventually joined him because they needed money for school clothes. One day Gary and his friend were being stupid and decided to rob a house. They did but had to leave town to not get caught. Their own guilt eventually lead them to return all of the valuable merchandise. Some while later Gary got married to a girl named Carolyn. They moved to Mexico and didn't make very much money. They still lived happily and that's the thing that counts. I recommend this book to people who like autobiographies and like adventure. This book is a fun to read book that a lot of people can relate to.
   
   The first reason I enjoyed this book was because of the detail in all of the events. For example when Gary tried to set the house on fire. It explained how all the kids were fascinated with fire and how fire basically hypnotized them. How the angry fire made them crazy and want to set everything on fire. The TV did the same thing. They would just sit there as lifeless that anybody could be when they're alive. The book explained how they would bring a bowl of chips to eat during the movie and by the time they finished watching the bowl was untouched. Last example is during the arts and crafts session. The book told how Gary enjoyed doing arts and crafts for the coach and how he wanted to win badly. Gary also thought he was the best of the best of arts and crafts.
   
   The next reason why I liked the book was the suspense. When Gary and his friend robbed the place they stayed longer than they expected. The whole time I thought they were going to get found out but noone came. They even left blood at the crime scene so I definitely thought they were going to get found out then. Even when they left something had to go wrong. A branch got caught under the car and made a whole lot of noise. Another time the book was suspenseful was when Gary's mom heated a fork red hot and threatened to poke them with it. I thought she was actually going to do it because of all the bad things that Gary had already done. She sounded like she was pretty close to doing it because she already whooped all the others for trying to burn the house down. The final example would be when Gary was about to ask a girl out. He was walking back and forth because someone had told him that she liked him. He was walking up to her to ask her out but then his friend came up to him and told him that she liked another Gary.
   
   Last but not least the final reason I liked the book was because of the action. One day when Jimmy was at the playground the playground bully told Gary to play with him or else. So they got into a fight that Gary lost and received a bloody nose. Surprisingly afterwards they made friends with each other even after the huge fight. Next would have to be when Gary was in the sixth grade. He created a gang called the "Mexicans" that consisted obviously all of them were Mexican. They lived by a code that was that you had to hate the "surfer" people. The "surfers" consisted of seventh grade wannabe surfers who probably have never seen the ocean before. One day both groups got into a huge fight that was only stopped because teachers were spotted. The "Mexicans" lost because they were way smaller and a lot weaker than a lot of the seventh graders. Finally the last event was when Gary tried out for the baseball team. He messed up a lot and didn't play his best but there was still action. Whenever he tried to catch the he'd have to dive or jump to get it. When it was his turn to bat he hit several fly balls but a lot of them were foul balls.
   
   People who like autobiographies will love this book. It's fun to read and very exciting. Even though Gary's life wasn't perfect he got around obstacles big and small. This book can teach a lot people out there to appreciate their own life because they are very lucky. Gary didn't turn out perfect but he tried as best as he could and that's better than most people out there. Gary didn't even have a father when he was young and he still turned out to be a very polite and honorable gentleman. So enjoy life because if Gary can do it then you can.
   
   D. Bennett

5 comments about Death Dealer: The Memoirs of the SS Kommandant at Auschwitz.

1. On April 16, 1947, Rudolph Hoess, the infamous Kommandant of Auschwitz was hanged in his former concentration camp for, "crimes against the Polish people." While awaiting trial, Hoess, who knew he would pay for his crimes with his life, sought to renew the spiritual connection he had eschewed as a youth. Accordingly, he recounted his time in the SS for his captors. His story is also that of the darkest side of the Third Reich.
   
   The book begins with a discussion of the, "final solution," of the Jewish Question. He tells how he was ordered to establish a camp at Auschwitz for the purpose of eliminating, "enemies of the state." Details of camp construction and experiments to find the appropriate gas he describes without emotion. Yet he relates questions asked by young SS soldiers and inmates as to how small children could be an "enemy." His "party line" response fooled some, but never himself.
   
   Hoess also describes the victims he tried to destroy. Jews had "strong family ties;" gypsies were, "childlike;" the Jehovah's Witnesses were worthy of emulation. The SS was challenged to have the same devotion to the Fuhrer as they had to Jehovah. In chapter 22 he describes the gassing process as only he could do. His primary concern was to dispatch his victims quickly and efficiently without displaying emotion that would affect young guards. Here, he admits, he hid behind an iron mask. Particularly interesting is the story of a young, extremely attractive, Jewish girl who fought back even as she was undressing for the gas chamber. Resistance was rare but in this case, effective, very effective!
   
   The book describes his early life and the events that caused him and many others to blindly follow the SS motto: "Fuhrer, you order. We obey!" Hoess gives a detailed description of the hierarchy of the SS. Men, who had been portrayed as super-human, are shown to have been far short of that ideal. Alcoholism and suicide rates were high; competence was low! Still, operations continued despite all difficulties because, "Orders were orders!"
   
   Death Dealer is a first person account of the operations of the most infamous death camp in history. After sending an estimated 2.5 million people to their deaths, the Kommandant, ended his life by doing one decent thing: he left his memoirs so no one could deny this ever happened. For that, the world owes Rudoph Hoess, the Kommandant of Auschwitz, a debt of gratitude.



2. There is another autobiography of Hoess titled "Commandant of Auschwitz: The Autobiography of Rudolf Hoess". I would be interested in reading that account but am curious how that could differ from "Death Dealer". Given the circumstances the man at the end of his life did not have a whole lot of time to write different autobiographies. My guess is the two books are essentially the same.
   
   As for Death Dealer itself it is not often one reads an account of the concentration camps from the "other side". I had read other summaries that portrayed Hoess as a mid-level cold-hearted bureaucrat whose account of his SS career was pretty much emotionless and he treated his activities in the same manner an accountant or a department store manager or a mechanic or (pick a career) would describe their career. I thought before reading the book that whatever one may say about him he would at least not grovel for forgiveness and would defiantly flip his middle finger at the world before climbing the steps of the gallows. After all, when he wrote his memoirs in 1946 and 1947, there was little suspense over what his fate would be. So sugar coating his past was not going to change his future.
   
   Although there may have been some shred of decency in the man one could not escape the feeling that he recognized himself as a war criminal only because his captors called him a war criminal. In other words his "mea culpa" would probably not score high on the sincerity scale. The victorious Allies were the new authorities over his life and if they considered him guilty and a war criminal then he was guilty and a war criminal. Whether he personally thought so or not was not relevant. And that was pretty much how he conducted his life. Whoever his authority was pretty much controlled his life. He was the commandant of the most notorious of all Nazi death camps because his superiors made him the commandant. He killed because he was told to kill -- just as he was to die because he was told he had to die.
   
   He admitted the horrible conditions of Auschwitz -- and other camps. It was not Hoess' fault. His superiors -- starting with Hitler and Himmler -- put impossible demands on him and did not provide adequate resources. The conditions were horrible and only got worse as the war progressed due to the lack of resources due to the stranglehold the Allies put on Germany. It was not Hoess' fault. The inadequate resources included inadequate officers, staff, and guards who committed many atrocities for which he had little or no control. It was not Hoess' fault. The inadequate resources included inadequate building material, latrines, barrack space, food, water, sanitation system, and medical supplies. It was not Hoess' fault. The concentration camp administration reflected the ideals of Thomas Eicke, the founder of the concentration camp system. It was not Hoess' fault.
   
   Although the man blamed others for the nightmarish hell of Auschwitz and other concentration camps he accepted responsibility because it was engrained into him that the commandant is responsible for all activities within the concentration camp.
   
   This may be as close as one may come to reading an account of the "other side". Although one's opinion of the Holocaust may not be altered by Rudolf Hoess he does share insight that one normally does not see about this dark chapter of the history of humanity. Most people know what it is like to be over tasked and under resourced. But most people do not know what it is like to be over tasked and under resourced in his particular career field.



3. After Dachau was liberated, Army intelligence interviewed a woman at the camp who claimed to have been Rudolf Hoess' mistress while at Auschwitz. What details they could check were confirmed, and her interview became part of a Seventh Army report issued a few weeks later, a report that has been republished as Dachau Liberated: The Official Report (ISBN: 1587420031). For those who want to understand the infamous Hoess, that interview of "E.H." provides a much-needed check on his obviously self-serving autobiography. Here's a short passage from her interview:
   
   "According to my recollection, on December 16, 1942, about 11 p.m. I was already asleep, suddenly the C.O. appeared before me. I hadn't heard the opening of my cell and was such frightened. It was dark in the cell. I believed at first it was an SS man or a prisoner and said, "What is this tomfoolery, I forbid you." Then I heard "Pst," and a pocket lamp was lighted and lit the face of the C.O. I broke out "Herr Kommandant."
   
   Hoess didn't mention this clandestine affair in his autobiography, but details she gave fit with his account and with conditions at Auschwitz.



4. My opinion is based on the comparison with the orginal publication in German, which I purchased in 1960 to provide essential information for the subsequent psychiatric evaluations of several thousand Holocaust survivors.



5. I give this book five stars because of its historical value. This work not only gives insight into the mind of the leader of perhaps the greatest death factory ever built, but also allows a clearing-up of some errors that have accreted in the decades since that horrible time.
   
   Hoess rejected God and the Church (p. 52-53, 57, 59, 72, 192), having rebelled against his father's wish that he become a priest. Like Himmler, he became an Artaman (pp. 202-203; a communal movement resembling the 1960's US communes, albeit Teutonic-centered) before switching to Nazism for his substitute religion.
   
   Hoess wrote: "Until the beginning of 1942 the main body of prisoners was Polish." (p. 128). Many Poles were murdered secretly (the cause of death listed as natural), "...because of political and security reasons..." (p. 224).
   
   During the Auschwitz Carmelite convent controversy, attempts were made to belittle the victimhood of Auschwitz Poles through the premise that they, unlike most Jews, were not generally killed upon arrival at Auschwitz. Hoess, in contrast, rejected any such dichotomy (if anything, praising the slow-death genocidal methods--as perfected by the Communists): "The Gestapo delivered the prisoners to the camps to be exterminated. It made no difference to them whether it happened by firing squad, gas, or by the horrible conditions in the camps. It was part of their plan not to improve conditions in the camps...Thus, the concentration camps were changed deliberately, and sometimes unintentionally, into large-scale extermination centers. The Kommandants received extensive composite reports from the Gestapo about the Soviet concentration camps. Escaped prisoners had made reports about the conditions and organization of these camps down to the smallest detail. They emphasized that by using forced labor methods the Soviets were annihilating entire nationalities." (pp. 168-169).
   
   Holocaust-uniqueness advocates sometimes claim that the genocide of the Polish intelligentsia, unlike that of Jews, served a rational purpose--the elimination of resistance. Actually, the latter was, at most, a hoped-for byproduct of this nation-destroying act: "I want to add this, that the general opinion at SS headquarters was that the total annihilation of the Polish intelligentsia would also destroy the resistance movement. [SS Major] Thomsen was an ardent defender of this theory." (p. 322).
   
   Initial plans to kill all Jews gave way to the sparing of some of them for forced labor (p. 34).
   
   Hoess discussed the Jewish Sonderkommando in considerable detail. Those Jews temporarily got to save their lives by dutifully assisting in the deception, gassing, despoiling, and cremation of their fellow Jews. He also observed Jew-against-Jew behavior by some Jews who had no hope of postponing their own deaths. As they entered the gas chambers, they told Germans the addresses of fugitive Jews back home. Hoess commented: "I cannot explain what motivated them to reveal this information. Was it personal revenge, or were they jealous because they did not want the others to live on?" (p. 160).
   
   In common with many Germans, Hoess attempts to rationalize his exterminatory conduct by equating it with the Allied bombings of German women and children. He estimates German civilian casualties in the several millions (p. 171), which is at least a 20-fold exaggeration.
   
   As for lebensraum, Hoess belatedly concluded that Germany could have achieved it peacefully (p. 182).
   
   Hoess suggested that crude propaganda such as Der Sturmer had hindered the development of scientific anti-Semitism (p. 140). He also came to believe that the extermination of Jews only brought hatred against Germany and increased Jewish power by discrediting anti-Semitism (p. 183).
   
   This volume isn't limited to Hoess' memoirs. The entire Wannsee Protocol is printed in translation. It is obvious that the choice of Poland as the site of the German death camps was based solely on practical considerations (minimalized transportation) and had nothing to do with real or stereotyped Polish attitudes towards Jews: "State Secretary Dr. Buehler declared that the government of Occupied Poland would welcome it if the final solution to this question would be started in Occupied Poland. His reason: transport plays no important role here and the deployment of workers during the operation would not cause any problems." (p. 380).