5 comments about Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of My Experiments With Truth.

1. I enjoyed this book. I wish this book was written sometime after India's independence as more important events unfolded later. I also think that the reader needs background on India and its culture to understand some chapters. Overall, a good one!



2. This book, the autobiography of Mohandas k. Gandhi, the father of modern India, is a must read. if you have any interest in Gandhi, non violence or just want a glimpse into the life of a spiritually guided person, then this book if a must read.



3. After hearing Mahatma Gandhi's grandson speak at University of Florida, this book was especially meaningful. If only all our world leaders would employ his wisdom!



4. Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of my Experiments with Truth, is a culmination of the life of one of the most famous peaceful revolutionaries and supporters of non-violence. The book is basically an entire list of the life experiences of Gandhi, all of which prove to contribute to his spiritual growth, and in turn, each go to influence his way of thinking. Gandhi's autobiography reveals a vast array of experiments he performed throughout his life, leading to his praise of truth as the ultimate underlying principal, contributing to his adaptation of celibacy (brahmacharya), adherence to fasting, and development of Satyagraha: his concept of non-violent firmness.
   Gandhi's autobiography stretches back to his youth in exploring all of his life experiences. Gandhi's inclusion of all aspects of his life in his autobiography illustrates the idea that each and every experience becomes an influence; which, in Gandhi's case, means influences leading to the development of a concept of non-violence to spear-head the Indian journey for Independence.
   The strength in Gandhi's autobiography lies in his adherence to truth even as he tells his life story. Gandhi hides nothing, allowing this display of raw truth to help readers examine Gandhi's uncensored ideas and thoughts, making it possible to understand what Gandhi was thinking in even some of the most significant moments in his life.
   The main weakness in Gandhi's autobiography, however, is his obvious omission of information where the information is most definitely needed. In order to fully understand a large number of chapters, an understanding of India and its culture is necessary, but not provided. Gandhi also seems to assume that readers have knowledge of the political situation in India, so if you lack any historical knowledge, you will find yourself somewhat confused. Because Gandhi's autobiography radiates the idea that every experience is an influence for the person he eventual becomes, it obviously is a challenge to include every experience and spend an adequate amount of time discussing them. But his choice to omit quite a few particularly significant experiences will not go unnoticed. He does not, for example, spend any time describing his experiments in South Africa, and instead instructs readers to consult other works. Lack of background information regarding people who Gandhi introduces and lack of historical information on the movements he involves himself in, may lead to an incomplete illustration of Gandhi's life.
   At the conclusion of Gandhi An Autobiography: The Story of my Experiments with Truth, you are left with the desire to take a trip to the library, because you have surely reached the conclusion that there is much more to know about the teacher and leader who made the world aware of India's struggle for independence. The autobiography gives you an in-depth look into the mind of one of the most influential non-violent role models that the world has seen, with a detailed understanding of the steps necessary to try to follow in Gandhi's footsteps if you so desire. Gandhi's autobiography leaves a lot out, but it also leaves you with a strong desire to find out more.



5. This is easily the most powerful book I have ever read. Gandhi does a great job of telling the story in his life in such a way that not only tells a story, but teaches lessons that go along with it. The title explains a lot, considering that Gandhi considered his entire life to be an expirement with the truth.
   
   He is very open about the mistakes that were made (such as his marraige and bigotry at an incredibly young age) and details how he took those mistakes to make his life as consistently honest as possible. The way he organized people to non-violence in two terrible situations in Africa and India are legendary, but the way he brings it home to the individual is under-rated, to say the least.
   
   Gandhi teaches that it doesn't take an army to learn the truth, nor does it take an army to become a part of that truth. His story explains that an individual dedicated to the empowerment of honesty and love can overcome any violence or hatred that can exist. It is within this context that one can use this book to change themselves.
   
   These ideas used in an individual's every day life will lead to the understanding that love is more powerful than hatred, and honesty more powerful than lies. His examples of these ideas and proof that they are true is the most inspiring part of this book.
   
   Even for those of us not religious (like myself) his use of religion is also motivating. He teaches lessons from religions and explains how to use this understanding as a way to love people of opposite religions rather than fighting them.
   
   I will leave the indivudal stories to Gandhi himself, but his life is something everyone in the world would benefit from knowing.

5 comments about Traveling Mercies: Some Thoughts on Faith.

1. Brutally honest, endearingly quirky, funny as the dickens, and turning on dimes to catch a reader's heart by surprise. This little volume is a treasure. From discussion of her formative years and early losses, through alcoholism and on into single parenting, Lamott holds nothing back. Her prayers, her curses, her neuroses, her blessings, are all laid out for inspection. Through it, despite her admitted self-absorption and bottomless fears, wisdom born of close attention and contemplation leaps off the page. More than once the reflected brightness lit up parts of my own life and character and motives that suddenly seemed to have lain too long in the dark. Breezy and deep are not two words I would commonly apply to the same essay. Here they fit.



2. Anne Lamott writes with tremendous vulnerability and sincerity. She opens her veins for us and spills the contents of her life onto the page--the good, the bad, and the very very ugly. Her words are raw and evocative.
   
   I must say that while this book resonates with many people, including myself, who have been hurt by life, disillusioned by the church, and a bit angry at things, I did not come away feeling closer to any tangible answers. I didn't think her crass and vulgar language added much to her message. It was kindof distracting, and I felt like taking a shower after wading through it.
   
   My generation is craving something more--something deeper. We want real answers for real problems. While I continue to read Lamott, I would not say this is her best work.
   
   Shameless plug--check out my new book Sex, Sushi, and Salvation: Thoughts on Intimacy, Community, and Eternity



3. This book is written differently than just your average book. It's a compilation of several life lessons all molded into one story. The short stories are really interesting and her humor gives it a fun kick. She tells her stories in such detail it feels as though you're experiencing it with her. The stories are so diverse that I guarentee someone finds some story in there that they relate to. No matter what your religion is, this book is a really powerful read. Prayer helps the author out in numerous ways that will prove to the readers that there is power in prayer. This book is touching and it really makes you think about life.



4. Anne Lamott recounts the stories of her growing faith from disbelief to belief in a God who crouches down and waits patiently for her to open the door and welcome Him in. Anne recounts a harsh life of challenges with addiction, love, family, and herself. She shares her simple yet profound spiritual conversion careful to incorporate the people who have had some of the greatest impact in her life.
   We catch glimpses of her faith story through the people she shares relationships with: her childhood friend, a Jesuit, the people (especially the older women) of her church community, and her son. We see in her life the mundane, the struggles, a person who can be gritty in one breath and sweet in the next. Anne Lamott tells her journey of faith, in a way that is not for the faint of heart. (or the straight and narrow) She packs this memoir with everything that life is made of and allows one to enter into her story and glimpse the God who unwearyingly waits.



5. In an e-mail exchange, a ministry colleague asked, "I have never read Anne Lamott. Do you recommend her?" I responded:
   
   Knowing your heart for broken people and for Jesus, I can recommend "Traveling Mercies" to you without qualification. I have only about 16 feet of easily reachable bookshelf, including my favorite reference books, yet this is one book that I keep avoiding moving to attic storage.
   
   Lamott is blunt about what she has gone through, how she has felt (especially about those of us who make a career of being nice), and her determination to keep Jesus out of her life at all costs. She is a product of multiple dysfunctions, and you can see why she'd have a hard time learning to love herself or to admit that perhaps God could love her. But I love the sentences by which she let Jesus come in; I have never otherwise heard such a simple prayer of conversion, nor one that is so true at the heart level.
   
   My daughter-in-law said that if I enjoyed Lamott, I'd also enjoy Kathleen Norris (The Cloister Walk). I did, but Norris is more cerebral. Lamott is at once pithy, practical, shocking, and profound. "Traveling Mercies" has confirmed in me, probably more than any other source has, an understanding of how varied, unexpected, and original God's work is in any one individual's life.

5 comments about Moose: A Memoir of Fat Camp.

1. The book arrived in good condition. It's a very good story; I'm glad that
   I ordered it.



2. I'm a fan of Stephanie Klein's blog and I loved her first book. This one was a pleasant enough read but definitely easy enough to put down when an interruption came.



3. In her second memoir, Stephanie Klein attempts to get to the root of the lifelong battle that has been her weight. At the age of eight she went on her first diet with the help of a local diet doctor in her Long Island hometown. At age 13 she attended Camp Yanisin, a summer camp specializing in helping young adolescents lose weight. Arriving at the camp nestled in the mountains of Massachusetts, Klein is already a weight-loss pro, a self-proclaimed "fat camp champ." She knows all the fads and the tricks, and is determined to shed her schoolyard moniker of "Moose."
   
   But MOOSE is not just about the author's struggle with her weight. It's also a treatise on pubescent awareness, self-esteem, and in Klein's case, a slightly precocious interest in sexuality, earning her the nickname "Porno Queen." She devotes much of her time conjuring up excuses to visit the boys' bunk rather than focusing on her health and quickly spots a hazardous pattern in her behavior: "Eventually, I'd give in, realizing I'd not only pleasured my way through the cranberry-walnut pie, but I'd inhaled the whole of our kitchen. It seems I didn't just do this with food, I did it with boys. I Crosby, Stills, and Nashed my way though adolescence and loved all the ones I was with. If I couldn't be with Adam, I'd be with everyone else." If she couldn't satisfy the hunger within with food, she'd try boys.
   
   Klein deals with family issues, like the distant, sometimes strained relationship with her strict father and remote mother, and her never-ending search for approval, acceptance and success, and how she thinks that she would've gained all of these if only she had lost the weight: "You're either likable or you're not. And some people just give you more chances if you were thin. Because after all, it was just as I'd imagined all along: thin could wear red and be a bitch and people would still like her."
   
   As an adult struggling with the difficult labor and delivery of premature twins, Klein attempts to leave her food worries behind her once and for all, not just for her own health but to be an example for her newborn son and daughter. But through caustic wit and humor, she admits that the years of counting calories have not taught her much in the way of wisdom. She continues to struggle with food and probably always will: "I haven't conquered any battles with food, with the bulge, or within myself. I still fight with my weight. Sometimes it fights back. It was messy when I was younger, and it continues to be. I can recite positive affirmations, trying to convince myself I'm no longer Moose."
   
   Through her humor and self-effacing charm, Klein imparts her struggles in a completely relatable way. Who hasn't struggled with self-esteem, especially as a teenager? Who hasn't thought of elaborate "I'll show them!" scenarios? The author is painfully honest (sometimes excruciatingly so) about her issues and opinions, and lays bare her behavior without apology. A person's foibles, for better or worse, don't define that person, but they do help build a certain character.
   
   Given the chance to go back and edit anything, Klein begs off: "That's the thing about being a former fat camp champ; when asked if I'd change my past if I could, I think for a moment and always answer no. the pain in being an overweight kid, the humiliation, makes you think twice before ever cutting anyone else down. There's something almost perfect in the ugly duckling syndrome. Something just. Something that just makes it mildly worth it. Because a sensitivity is tattooed on a part of you no one else can see but they can somehow guess is there. It's always with you. A scar maybe, some hurt that really does make you better."
   
   Stephanie Klein is no longer known as "Moose," but it's safe to say that the memory of that painful time, as well as the lessons she gleaned, will be with her forever.
   
   --- Reviewed by Bronwyn Miller



4. I really enjoyed reading this book. It kept me interested from start to finish as I learned about the authors struggle with her weight. It is very honest, poignant and insightful about what it was like to grow up overweight and issues with "fat camp". I'd highly recommend this book.



5. The book definitely shed some light on what overweight children go through. I think Ms. Klein is admirable for not being afraid to expose every detail regarding what she went through at this time in her life.

5 comments about Thinking About Memoir (AARP).

1. "What is memoir? How do you write one? What if you can't remember anything, or worse, what if you remember it all?"
   
   AARP has started publishing an "Art of Living" series, and this passage is the begins Abigail Thomas's excellent contribution. She shares lessons about how to get started and stay motivated in writing your own personal history.
   
   Thomas helps wannabe writers find a "side door" with writing exercises. It's great fun to watch her apply her hints in practice: "Trust the work to find its own way," Example: "take any 10 years of your life and reduce them to two pages. Every sentence has to be three words long--not two, not four, but three words long. You discover there's nowhere to hide in three-word sentences."
   
   Other useful hints: cut ruthlessly. "[H]alf of writing is deciding what to leave out.... Marriage, divorce, love, sex--yes, there's all of that, but often what takes up precious space is sleeping on grass, or an ancient memory of blue Popsicle juice running down your sticky chin."
   
   Write every day; make it a habit. Thomas doesn't like calling your notebook a "journal" because she believes it implies writing for publication (so what's wrong with that?). And, some folks, myself included, find composing on a computer easier than scribbling on paper. Whatever your medium, Thomas's basic message is "make a start".
   
   I really enjoyed this book, but keep it next to Writing Life Stories by Bill Roorbach. One of his first writing exercises was to make a map of the earliest neighborhood I could remember. It was fascinating to compare the map I came up with against an aerial map published by the government.
   
   These two fine books use a similar approach, but each writer has their own distinctive "voice", just as you will if you take their advice and just "make a start".
   
   
   Robert C. Ross 2008



2. A completely charming book about memoirs encouraging you to write your life stories. Captivating stories, fascinating vignettes, and superb writing combine to make this an inspiring book. Her writing exercise suggestions are interesting enough to tempt even non-writers and provide more experienced writers a great chance to warm up.
   
   "Writing memoirs is a way to figure out who you used to be and how you got to be who you are." Based on this book, I am looking forward to other titles in this AARP "Arts of Living" series. I only wish that this quite small book was twice as long!



3. I recommend That's How the Light Gets In: Memoir of a Psychiatrist by Susan Rako, M.D. Rako's book is fascinating, insightful, and an absolutely great read. The writing just flows.



4. This book was not what I expected or wanted. It's too basic and not very inspiring! It's not a book I'll keep and use. I was really disappointed.



5. Although a small book it is more thoughtful and deeper than the recent Natalie Goldberg tome. Thomas is a completely honest writer, very affirming for those of us who aspire to this style. When she gives the instructions at the end of each chapter it is clear that they are ideas and not the main point of the book.

5 comments about How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale.

1. THE BOOK WAS REALLY GOOD AND IN GREAT CONDITION. SHIPPING WAS SLOW FOR THE AMOUNT. BOOK WAS DELIVERED SOMEWHERE ELSE. CUSTOMER SERVICE WAS GREAT, ISSUED A NEW BOOK AND RECEIVED IT THE VERY NEXT DAY.



2. When searching for Jenna Bush's books this book is listed in the Bush bibliography. Perhaps it should be listed in an annotated bibliography of the Clintons?
   
   When you enter Jenna Bush and Laura Bush's names, why is Jenna Jameson's name referenced? Sorting can be more finely discriminated.
   
   I suggest moving this author and book to another listing.



3. Parts of this book were interesting. Others bored me beyond belief (the chats where she, her father, and brother reminisce were AWFUL). The pictures are beautiful. (Wow, this girl is photogenic!)
   
   Thing is, I really wanted to like her. I wanted her to be different than the stereotypical problem child turned porn star, but she isn't. As much as she talks tough in interviews this book is proof that she is just a victim.
   
   Bottom line, if you're a fan of Jenna already, then buy this book. If you are not a fan, but are curious about her life, then borrow the book from a friend or from a library and don't waste your money.



4. This book is actually REALLY interesting. I found that I enjoyed it more than I expected as it not only tells the story of her life but also how she got to where she is now - she's a pretty saavy businesswoman. It's a mixture of humor and drama.
   There are lots of pictures in the book to chronical her life; the ones with any kind of nudity are blurred out.
   I've read it twice now and found that it was just as interesting the second time around. Also, once everybody finds out you have it, they'll want to borrow it!



5. Jenna has had a colorful life and her story is written by the great author Neil Strauss. I would definately recommend this book to anyone who wants to read something new and fun.

5 comments about The Soloist: A Lost Dream, an Unlikely Friendship, and the Redemptive Power of Music.

1. The Soloist by Steve Lopez was such an excellent read. I related to the music side because I am a pianist and the mental illness side. I've never had Schizophrenia, but when feeling down I know how revitalizing music is. This was a warm, touching story that pulls you in and makes you care about Mr. Nathaniel Ayers. I could feel and understand his love for the music. I would like to know how he's doing and what became of him. I have never felt that way after reading a story. The story just touches the humanity in me and I think in everyone who reads it.



2. Steve Lopez writes an eloquent, very personal story of a homeless, mentally ill man with a brilliant, talented past. It is totally by chance that Lopez meets Nathaniel Ayers along Skid Row in downtown LA. Captivated by the music Nathaniel plays on a beat-up violin that is missing two essential strings, Lopez steps over the threshold into a world very unlike his own.
   As a reporter, Lopez's style is rich, tactile and complete. We follow Nathaniel's trail of breadcrumbs from humble beginnings in Cleveland to Julliard to the tunnel in LA where he sleeps.
   Lopez's visually evocative language creates a spell that shows us how the mentally ill are marginalized and along with him, we ride the magic carpet of great hopes for recovery and change and then plummet into the depths of Nathaniel's delusional brain chemical mania.
   All the while, Lopez allows us to experience his personal emotional struggle of managing a reporter's tettering job, a wife, a two year old daughter and his commitment to helping Nathaniel, once a musical prodigy, now brought down by schizophrenia.
   Poignant and touching, this book is a true story of people so real, you will wake from the page with music in your ears and in your heart.



3. Great story line. Towards the end, I began to read slower, then pick the book down for a few days, because I did not the story to end. I think this fall around October, November the movies based off this book is scheduled to come out, Starring Jamie Fox. Might not be a bad idae to pick this box up and read it before the movie comes.



4. Steve Lopez has written a moving story of a talent musician and, in the process, written an illuminating two-year autobiography.



5. "The book was better." Moviegoers are always saying that.
   Back in 2005, *Los Angeles Times* columnist Steve Lopez wrote a series of stories about a homeless man who turned out to possess orchestra-level talent on several stringed instruments.
   Lopez turned his columns into *The Soloist* -- and now it's being turned into a movie (an early Oscar contender, no less, to be released Nov. 21) starring Robert Downey Jr. as Lopez and Jamie Foxx as Nathaniel Ayers, the musician who suffers from paranoid schizophrenia.
   So why not just wait for the movie? Downey Jr. is a great actor, and Foxx, having played another gifted-but-disabled musician in Ray, just might pull off the mix of inspiration and delusion.
   Because books provide detailed, verbal pleasure, that's why. In real life, fore example, Lopez is married and very much involved in the life of his young daughter; in the movie, he's divorced. OK, so screenwriter Susannah Grant (*Erin Brockovich*) needed to streamline the narrative.
   But scenes recorded for the movie won't capture the author's commentary. Movie directors can compel our focus, but they can't enter into the characters' interpretations. At one point, for example, Lopez decides to spend a night on the streets as a homeless person alongside Ayers, who demonstrates how he taps a stick on the sidewalk at night to scare off rodents. And Lopez observes: "He's a classical musician who has taken a great fall and now finds himself fending off sewer rats, but when I look into his eyes, I find no hint of regret, no recognition of this nightly collision between beautiful thoughts and ugly reality."
   Most important, the process of reading through the months and months of coordination it took among several people to get Ayers off the streets and into treatment (tentatively, provisionally) -- the reader's act of setting the book aside, then returning to it days later -- mimics the one-step-forward, three-steps-back hassles that Lopez endured just to make Ayers' life a little better. Movies accelerate problems, then "solve" them in two hours.
   Director Joe Wright allowed us a glimpse, in *Atonement,* of a happily-ever-after ending that's severely undercut by stark realities. Reader-viewers of *The Soloist* will anticipate an ending that offers the hope of continued treatment for Ayers, not a cure. Lopez's book ends with the question of whether Ayers will be able to continue attending concerts at Walt Disney Concert Hall, let alone performing in them. No sentimentalized Hollywood endings are welcome here.
   If they intrude, then this Thanksgiving, you can stroll out of a cineplex somewhere and justly say, "The book was better."

5 comments about Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass.

1. My name is Jane, and I am a student at Parkview High school. I have been taught about slavery in many past history classes. As I read this book about Frederick Douglass, my view of slavery was moved tremendously. Douglass explains the horror and cruelty of slavery in every chapter of this book. As a child, he witnessed a brutal whipping that his aunt encountered. From this point on, he realizes what slavery truly is and how it dehumanizes African Americans. Douglass was moved from being a plantation slave to a house slave when he was under the age of 10. He enjoyed the life as a house slave because he was treated more like a human-being. However, this did not last long. The mistress, Mrs. Auld, who taught him how to read and write also turned into a cruel slave owner when Mr. Auld showed her the dangers of educating a slave. Douglass, however, continued to learn how to read and write. By his consistency, Douglass accomplished his dream and became a free man. The topic of slavery should not be lightly comprehended. Although, I am not able to put my feet in Douglass' shoes, he truly is an inspirational writer that not only touched me but the hearts of thousands across the world.



2. the book was cheap but missing the appendix,this is an essential part of the book, without it your missing a third of the history. I'm surprised it was published without this essential part.



3. The book was kind of short, and it was very easy to read and understand. Also, it had explanations for diffecult words on each chapters in the back of the book. Overall, pretty well- written book!



4. My order arrived before the estimated delivery date and was in great condition, as the seller said it would be. :)



5. I ordered this book for my daughter's summer reading program and started reading it myself. It's an amazing story of an amazing man.
   I recommend it highly!

5 comments about Alexander Hamilton.

1. Chernow's biography of Alexander Hamilton was a great read that included a remarkable amount of information on the man, as well as all the important characters who shared the stage with Hamilton during his 49 years. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book, which felt nothing like its length.
   
   It was an enlightening experience to read the book because much of my knowledge of Hamilton came from biographies on his many rivals or books on the period. Hamilton was an opinionated, controversial and insecure man, but he was quite ethical in his professional life. I was worried that a Hamilton book would be bogged down with too much economics, but Chernow did a great job of presenting that important information is an understandable manner.
   
   The reason I can't quite give this book a 5-star rating was its overly sympathetic nature. Yes, most bios are partial to the subject, but this one took that to the extreme. Chernow gave ample coverage to the controversial events in Hamilton's life, though he tended to make excuses for them. Every sentence written about Jefferson, Adams and post-1789 Madison were very negative, as Chernow selected the unflattering quotes from those men in a way that would elevate Hamilton. If you were to read the second and third volumes of Dumas Malone's series on Jefferson, and follow it up by reading Chernow's book, you'd think they were writing about completely different eras, or that they were family members of their respective subjects.
   
   But since this book is eye-opening and filled with so much information, in a beautifully written account, I highly recommend it. It made me see Hamilton in a different light and understand more fully why he was such a powerful figure in the early American republic.



2. Ron Chernow has written an informative, detailed, wholly engaging biography of one of the most interesting and controversial founding fathers. This book is a delightful read through the history of the forging of the United States of America.



3. The other reviewers of this book are right on -- Hamilton's influence in American political history is truly significant -- he is probably the most influential Founding Father never to have served as president. His vision for a unified country recorded in the Federalist Papers are truly remarkable and his influence on the economy of this country with his position as the first Treasury Secretary and his vision for a federal bank last to this day.
   
   I actually listened to the 10 set CD series of this book and the time just flew by -- the book is fascinating and Chernow does a great job of giving significant historical details on everyone who comes into contact with Hamilton -- from Washington to Jefferson to Jay and Burr. The portion of Hamilton's life which resulted in his affair are a great life lesson for every man, especially those in positions of leadership!
   
   Every student of history should buy this book (or listen to the CDs) -- Hamilton was a man history can not ignore.



4. It was my ambition in college to someday write a biography of the most neglected of the Founding Fathers, Alexander Hamilton. I talked about it, read a few of the biographies out there. Forrest McDonald's was the best, I thought.
   
   Then last spring I borrowed from the Meredith, NH, public library this book by the incomparable Ron Chernow. I read it on the our family trip to Virginia. Visiting Redoubt 10 at Yorktown, horribly neglected by Americans, was an intense emotional experience for me.
   
   I've learned from Dennis Prager that the best way to learn history is through biographies. None are better, I've found, than this. In fact, after reading it, I had to purchase my own copy.
   
   That's how much I value Ron Chernow's absolutely magnificent biography. Embracing Christianity at the end of Hamilton's life shows me what side he'd take in the cultural war. How we could use his exemplary industry and brilliance now! Only he could overshadow Mr. Jefferson, whom I've always adored.
   
   But Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Chernow, you are the best.



5. From what I learned of American history as a schoolboy, Hamilton was certainly considered as one of the founding fathers, but he was relegated to the periphery among the founders; and he and the Federalists, according to this teaching, needed to be constantly restrained by the wisdom of Thomas Jefferson or else they would have reverted the country back to a monarchy. After reading this book, I still think there is truth to the need for Jefferson's restraint, but overall, I think that my education was prejudiced and myopic. As the author notes, because Jefferson, Madison and Adams all became President (along with another Virginian James Monroe) and they had many more years to write about events, their legacy gained the upper hand and history has probably skewed their importance relative to Hamilton.
   
   This really outstanding book tips the balance of viewpoint in the other direction. Some have criticized the book because they maintain that it habitually depicts Jefferson, Madison, and Adams in the worst of ways, such as only showing the worst of what they wrote. They may have a point, but the author is showing what Hamilton was up against - sometimes unreasoning opposition; and he makes a very strong case that Hamilton more than any of the founders was responsible for setting up the American government as we know it today. Hamilton recognized, with a force that no one else could exert, that a strong union was the best hope to avoid all the evils and conflicts of Balkanization. No doubt that Jefferson and Madison provided a much needed counterbalance, especially since Hamilton did not recognize the importance of the Bill of Rights; and Washington also provided a needed check to his military proclivities. But Jefferson and Madison in their Virginian politics that favored a sectionalized state-empowered confederacy molded from a slave-based agrarian economy held views that have fallen by the wayside, whereas Hamilton set in motion the means whereby the United States could get a grip on itself and move into the modern age.
   
   It is a fascinating story of a life that leads to a well-known tragic conclusion. It starts in one of most beautiful of places but also one of the worst scenes of human degradation - the sugar trade in the West Indies. The fact that Hamilton's relatives could never succeed in such a place was probably a credit to them, for it must have taken an extraordinary brutality to keep a majority population of slave labor at bay. Hamilton left the place at the first available opportunity, and took advantage of the time and his abilities to make a continuing success of himself during the Revolution and its aftermath. Beside being blessed with a brilliant mind (John Marshall said that beside him he felt like a candle to the midday sun) and being a relentless worker, he showed that he was a man of principle, and all through his life he hardly deviated from that sense of principle. His enemies did not want to separate his personal life from his private life, but there is every indication that he hardly ever wavered in that regard, despite the folly of the Maria Reynolds scandal. Despite all the investigations, no one was able to find a shred of evidence that showed that while he was Secretary of Treasury and setting up the banking system - or any other time for that matter - that he did anything untoward or for his own benefit. In fact, he had to quit his post because he became too deeply in debt to support his family. Yet, the slander followed him everywhere, and a lack of restraint on his part encouraged the attacks. In the end, the need to clear his name and a strong sense of honor - so important to his politics - had set him on an irrevocable course.

5 comments about The Mysterious Montague: A True Tale of Hollywood, Golf, and Armed Robbery.

1. The book brings to life of an man, whom I was unfamiliar with, and brought to live America before World War II. The story is a fascinating journey that causes the reader to wonder what is true and what is legend. The stories will amaze you and the people who surrounds the man are legendary.
   
   Before there was Tin Cup.. there was Montague. (after reading, I realize that Tin Cup was a rip off of this great story!)



2. This is a good read, with an entertaining view of a time gone by that we have only read and heard about. John Montague is larger than life but stuck with the human flaws that the rest of us have. You don't have to know golf to enjoy this as Montville makes it a story for every one.



3. This is the fascinating, intriguing tale of a man who changed identities to start a new life in Hollywood and leave a criminal past behind - or so he hoped. It's one of those "only in America" stories - featuring golf and Hollywood celebrities such as Bing Crosby - with a surprise ending that actually seems fitting although justice isn't done, strictly speaaking.



4. LaVerne Moore was one of the more colorful figures in the world of golf in the 1930's and Leigh Montville tells his tale in all its boisterous glory in The Mysterious Montague, A True Tale of Hollywood, Golf, and Armed Robbery.
   
   John Montague, as Moore was better known, was a trick shot artist who could chip a ball into a highball glass or under the sash of a partially-opened window across the room. He reputedly knocked a bird off a power line from 170 yards and consistently drove the ball over 300 yards with a specially-made oversized driver the weighed twice as much as the standard club of its time. Most famously, he once beat Bing Crosby while playing only with a rake, a shovel, and a baseball bat.
   
   Montague had a secret, though. It was why he never allowed himself to be photographed and reputedly why he never entered any professional events. When that secret was revealed, it led to a sensational trial in upstate New York that turned into a celebrity-laden media fest. The secret is told in the first chapter of the book: Montague was wanted under his real name, LaVerne Moore, for the armed robbery of a roadside restaurant in the Adirondacks in 1930. The trial and its aftermath is an interesting window into the media world of the time.
   
   Montville entertains the reader with tales of Montague's prowess, although it's obvious many of them grew to legendary status mainly through the re-telling such feats engender. He also gives us a good look at the celebrities who flocked to Montague's cause. Babe Ruth, Bing Crosby, Oliver Hardy, W.C. Fields, Howard Hughes, Babe Didrickson Zaharias, and many more were tied to Montague one way or another. Sportswriter Grantland Rice was his biggest fan.
   
   The end of the book, which chronicles Montague's late-in-life attempt to break into the ranks of professional tournament golf, may be of the greatest interest to players of the game. Weakened by too many years of Hollywood parties and lack of practice, Montague was a miserable failure in his attempts to compete with PGA stars, who had disdained him from the start.
   
   Dave Donelson, author of Heart of Diamonds: A Novel of Scandal, Love and Death in the Congo



5. A detailed recollection of events in the life of a very mysterious person.
   Leigh Montville brings back a time when personalities were indeed bigger than life, and one that reluctantly stood out in that crowd is the subject of the story. As the reader enjoys amazing stories involving some famous hollywood names it becomes clear why our subject is not willing to share the spotlight. I found The Mysterious Montague a wonderful read, and recommend it to all.

5 comments about Willie Nelson: An Epic Life.

1. A meticulously researched and comprehensive biography of Willie Nelson. Great detail on his recording career and the country western music scene. My only complaint: the writing style is, at times, cumbersome...too many compound sentences that impede the flow of the story telling. Otherwise, this book is everything you ever wanted to know about Willie Nelson.



2. This is one of the finest written books I have read in a long time. The kind of book you don't want to put down.



3. Joe Patoski's book on Willie Nelson is full of information not only on willie, but many other interesting places and people.



4. Joe Nick Patoski has exhaustively researched the Man, and the book reflects his efforts. It's an entertaining read. Well worth the money.



5. I had the good fortune to not only live in Austin during the 70's "Willie" years but to have also been to his 3 day 1976 Gonzales picnic and to his 1980's picnic at his Pedernales place. I've also seen him play golf which is a site to behold. I'd always heard about his womanizing, drug use, and epic struggle to be a star but didn't know if all of it or even part of it, was true. This book puts all of those myths and rumors to rest. Yes indeed his first wife did beat him with a broom stick while he was passed out drunk! This book shows all of Shotgun Willie sitting around in his underwear. He's a mean drunk and a loyal friend. He's a drug abuser and a philanthropist. He's a "not there" father but a raiser of funds for churches, farmers, and friends with unpaid tax bills.
   
   At times this book can be tedious with detail particularly about Willie's early music life. And, as another reader said,overloaded with compound sentences. But strap yourself in, get your beverage of choice, and enjoy reading about this true Red Headed Stranger.