5 comments about Return to Dragon Mountain: Memories of a Late Ming Man.

1. If you are a fan of the quite learned professor Jonathan Spence or deeply interested in China's late Ming era, this is a book to buy and read.
   
   Having said this, I think most readers will find Dr. Spence's story about a 17th century historian's life journey fairly obscure. Without my knowing anything prior to this book about its central figure (Zhang Dai), it was hard to get excited about this long dead scholar's scattered thoughts on his various relatives (uncles abound) and political situations of the times.



2. This book is very well written and well worth reading. It depicts the life and the world of Zheng Dai, a well-educated bureaucrat (who did not go very high in the hierarchy but still managed to write the history of the Ming dynasty till its overthrow by the Manchus), but also many other interesting characters.
   An extract will show how much this book, though supposed to happen in the 17th century, is still very relevant today.
   "Within five years (...) this tea that Zhang and his uncle had named Snow Orchid had ousted its rivals from the conoisseurs' circles. But it was not long before unscrupulous businessmen began to market inferior teas under the Snow Orchid brand name, and those who drank it seemed not to know they were being gulled. A short time later, even the water source itself was lost. First, entrepreneurs from Shaoxing tried to use the water for wine making or else opened tea shops right by the spring itself. Next, a greedy local official tried to monopolize the spring's water for his own use and sealed it off for a while. But that increased the spring's reputation to such an extent that rowdy crowds began to gather at the shrine, demanding food, firewood and other handouts from the monks there and then brawling when they were refused. At last, to regain their earlier tranquility, the monks polluted their spring by filling it with manure, rotting bambo and the overflow from their own drains."
   Professor Spence is a great historian and we are all in his debt.



3. This book is an evocative depiction of Ming society in China through the eyes of contemporary historian Zhang Dai. It's not a history book or a biography, but rather a snapshot of life in the late Ming dynasty. Particularly fascinating are the details of everyday gentry life, particularly in its varied and colorful amusements and hobbies, such as staging plays, tea connoisseurship, how people celebrated holidays, music, boating, antique collecting, poetry, etc., and in the duties expected of gentry, such as studying for and passing the bureaucratic exams to hold office. Also very interesting were the descriptions of Zhang's various relations (grandfathers, uncles and cousins) who varied to extremes in character and revealed much about different expressions of human nature within the social norms of the times. I felt this book truly brought ancient China alive for the reader and that alone makes this book a worthwhile read.



4. According to the review by the Washington Post ,"historian Zhang Dai's long life, which began in 1597 and ended around 1680, spanned the Ming Dynasty's final, turbulent decades and its overthrow by the invading Manchus. His writings were an attempt to record a lost way of life. They include a Ming dynastic history, profiles of public figures and dreamlike sketches of scenes from his youth. Spence draws on these documents, additional research by other scholars and his deep knowledge of Ming culture to portray the inner universe of a remarkably versatile and sympathetic figure.".
   
   I have read many books by Jonathan Spence.His historical works on China in particular "Treason by the Book" are excellent.Spence said he took several years to research and write this latest work of his. Unfortunately he appears to have only scratched the surface. This is not a full biography.I finished this book knowing only sketches of Zhang Dai.In that respect i was disappointed with this book which i had earlier bought with great expectations.



5. I bought this book on a whim, partly because of interesting reviews.
   
   But once I got it, I got hooked. It is a very readable book about a man who lived in a very different culture from our own. It is organized by theme, rather than by date. That is, it is not so much a biography as a portrait of the man and his times and the culture in which he lived. There are mini-sketches of the struggle of the upper classes to pass the scholarly tests for admission to the bureaucracy (a struggle that sometimes consumed decades); of Zhang Dai's mini-adventure with a very special tea that he discovered; the role and prevalence of prostitutes in his culture; his trips to visit natural spots, shrines, and monasteries, and much more.
   
   I tend to dip into many books, but read very few cover-to-cover. This one I'm reading cover-to-cover and almost done. So on my scale of interesting-ness it rates high; much higher than I expected when I bought the book.
   
   It is a portrait of a very privileged but also a very human person. If the idea of spending a few hours with such a person appeals to you, then I think you'll enjoy this book.
   
   And if you're like I was -- only vaguely intriged -- I'd recommend that you give it a try. Give serendipity a chance to strike. :-)

5 comments about I Am Scout: The Biography of Harper Lee.

1. Maybe I missed it, but I didn't realize "I Am Scout" was just a "dummied-down" version of "Mockingbird"--i.e., that it was written for younger readers who might not be ready to take on the more adult version of the biography of Harper Lee, author of the world-renowned "To Kill a Mockingbird." Whether the disclaimer was there and I missed it, or whether it was simply left out, I was disappointed when I got the book to see it was just a younger take on the other book which I had enjoyed several months earlier. I am not sure the author needed to write a watered-down edition (the market demanded it) or if he just saw an easy way to make a lot more money, but either way, I felt jipped. I am not sure if Harper Lee has "authorized" either of these books, though I was just as eager as the next person to pry into her privacy. Though we don't have a right to know, inquiring minds always want to know the story behind the story, and I am glad we got at least some of the details. There's a lot more out there, though, that neither book touched on--but maybe that's no one's business but Ms. Lee's.



2. This could very well be the most serious children's biography I've ever read. Saying that probably runs the risk of making I Am Scout sound stuffy, but that's not what I mean at all. Charles J. Shields does not write down to kids. Period. I Am Scout bears every hallmark of a solid, respectable biography for any audience: no fluff, no sensationalism, no invented conversations for entertainment's sake, and no dodging of sensitive issues -- like Truman Capote's sexuality, for example, or Lee's mother's mental illness. Matter of fact, now I'm extra curious to read the adult version of this bio, to see just how and where he trimmed it down for young'uns. (I've read In Cold Blood, so I'm particularly hoping for more on Lee's role in how that work came to be.)
   
   In essence, the parallels between Harper Lee's life and her characters' are striking, and her response to fame and fandom made me cheer. Learning about Harper Lee from Charles Shields made me want to read To Kill a Mockingbird all over again, and that, my friends, is the sign of a good piece of non-fiction. Plus, I can't help loving a guy who writes non-fiction for kids that includes a heap of endnotes.
   
   The only potential downside to this biography is that it's a bit context-bound. Shields seems to write with the assumption that his readers are already familiar with To Kill a Mockingbird. But seriously, if you weren't familiar with To Kill a Mockingbird in the first place, why on earth would you be reading a bio on Harper Lee?



3. Unfortunately, I pre-ordered this before Amazon had any kind of description of it. I already have Mockingbird and this is the same book with a different title. Now it can't be returned. What a load! This is very upsetting and a waste of money.



4. As an educator who teachers "To Kill a Mockingbird", I have read both "Mockingbird" and "I Am Scout". "Mockingbird" is an excellent read and offers good background material for the teaching of Harper Lee's novel. "I Am Scout", on the other hand, is an excellent book for young people; as the author intended it to be. Mr. Shields, the author of both biographies, was kind enough to meet with and speak to my students recently. He spent the day speaking to four classes of Pre-AP, AP, Journalism, and Creative Writing students who had all read "To Kill a Mockingbird". Students were extremely interested in what Mr. Shields had to say about both books and about the writing process, and, he gratiously answered any and all questions. We were very honored to hear him speak.
   
   To better ready our students for the AP English exam, we at FMHS are trying in incorporate more non-fiction into the curriculum. I feel that my students will greatly benefit from using "I Am Scout" as a companion piece to "To Kill a Mockingbird". What better way to incorporate an interesting non-fiction read for young adults than with "I Am Scout"!



5. This biography of Harper Lee is the younger readers' guide to this great writer by the same author who wrote the more thorough (and adult) Mockingbird. Both offer exclusive glimpses into the reclusive author's past. It's neat that Shield offers two versions for different ages.

5 comments about The Lost Ravioli Recipes of Hoboken: A Search for Food and Family.

1. Lending libraries strong in culinary history, particularly American regional dishes, will delight in THE LOST RAVIOLI RECIPES OF HOBOKEN, based on the author's quest for a great grandmother's recipe for ravioli. Her journey takes her to family history and archives, surveys conflicting ideas of culinary history, and journeys from New Jersey's suburbs to her Italian ancestors' home. The result's a lively food history not to be missed.



2. I love this book! It is a little bit cooking, a little bit history, a little bit travel, a little bit genealogy, a little bit family drama. I had borrowed a copy from my local library, and I enjoyed it so much that I had to buy it.
   I am intending to try some of the recipes and make my own ravioli.(My all time favorite food)



3. Schenone has written a mesmerizing meditation on food that is a mystery, a memoir and a love letter to ravioli all at once. The book made me wish I had Italian ancestors, so I could go hop a plane and explore the mountains of Italy to track down secret recipes, and hidden family lore, too. Instead I made the walnut sauce--which was delicious. This book is a beautiful and honest memoir about a woman's search to understand her family and herself. Honestly, I didn't want the journey to end.



4. This is one of the oddest books I have ever read and I recommend it to anyone -not just food lovers. It kept me facinated until the end. One of those books which enlightens one to the small but exciting adventures people can find themselves caught up with. You don't have to be a movie star or run for president to find some exciting things in your own life. Laura Schenone did this and brought the reader along with her. I don't know this lady but it would be fun having her for a neighbor - especially for Christmas ravioli.



5. I ate this book up and still wanted more. I am 1/2 Italian as well, the same age as the author, have 2 boys as does the author, and have what I thought was the only mixed up crazy family. I chose education and career over learning how to cook, so I loved hearing about her search. Laura write a sequel! More pictures!

5 comments about Two Wheels Through Terror: Diary of a South American Motorcycle Odyssey.

1. While the title of the book and most of the comments focus on his stay with the Columbian terrorists, for me the most inspiring bits of the book were his descriptions of the parts of his journey through Mexico and Argentina. Now I want to visit Mexico and see if it is as wonderful a place as he described. Ditto Argentina, though it is not quite as close.
   
   A very well-written book by a talented and very versatile author. Much more than a tale of terror. You could skip the Columbian fiasco and still get your money's worth (and then some) from this book.



2. I bought this book for my boyfriend to read on the train after hearing the author speak on a radio program. My boyfriend loved the book, literally couldn't put it down.



3. Action packed true fact based chronicle of a motor cyclist's trip from Palm springs,CA down to the tip of South America and back. You will ride with him through splendid vistas, suffer with him during his capture by the ELN in Columbia and wonder how he would ever escape. You will learn from the psychologically trained mind how Greg Heggsted deceived his captures to eventually go on to complete journey. This is a must read.



4. I first came to know about Glen's journey through a tv documentary on the kidnapping, if you get a chance to see it, do so, it brings to life the book in real terms.
   Glen does an excellent job of describing the journey, his fears and feelings both before and after the kidnapping. It's not a "how to" book, it's an insight , in my opinion, to inner strength and positive thinking.
   Great read.



5. I bought this book because a friend and I intend to ride from North to South America in 2018 when all our kids have grown old enough not to miss us. I really hope that we don't have to live through what Glen did but who knows what the continent will be like in 10 years? This is a brilliantly written book with lots of good information and tips for travel. The section on Columbia is well done and doesn't overdominate the story. I wonder from Ted Simon's comments in 'Dreaming of Jupiter' after meeting Glen following his ordeal, if Glen has downplayed his emotional state a little. It must have been a totally awful experince and one I doubt I could have survived. It just goes to show that it helps to be strong when attempting a journey like this but like so many things at the end of the day its all about mental toughness. I take my hat off to Glen and he has inspired me yet again to start my own adventure.

5 comments about Padre Pio: The True Story.

1. I was very pleased that even though it was the week before Christmas, I still received my purchase within three days of ordering it! Thank you for your quick service!



2. I thoroughly enjoyed this very delightful and inspiratonal book. It was really very well written and I would recommend it to any reader interested in knowing about the saintly soul Padre Pio. I was not able to put the book down once I started reading it.I highly recommend it to any reader interested in knowing about a Christ-like man of the 20th century.



3. I just finished reading this book. Most of it was very well done, but the author who is non-Catholic had a bad habit of inserting irrelevant material relating to Martin Luther and other Protestant luminaries in order somehow to bridge the chasm between the holiness of St. Padre Pio and the religious experience of these other individuals. It all has the smell of an ecumenistic work, a suspicion given added weight by the liberal nature of the publishing company. St. Padre Pio was a great saint for modern times. Like all saints he loved all humanity, but his personal love for souls did not, in any way, include acceptance of the errors they espouse. It is inexplicable that this author, who apparently believes what he has written about the saint, did not at the end adjure the errors of Lutheranism and enter the Catholic fold.



4. This is possibly the best book currently on the life of St. Padre Pio. It is very well researched and well written that you honestly get a true glimpse of the man in my opinion.
   
   The book was written by a non-Catholic which can dispel some people's fears that the book is a fanatical work to boost the Padre Pio simply because of his faith.
   
   After reading this book there is little way anyone can doubt the amazing activities which took place around this man. Jesus was surely using St. Padre Pio.
   
   I highly recommend this book for religious and causal readers alike.



5. I've read several books about Padre Pio and was somewhat skeptical about this one because the author is a Lutheran minister. Perhaps that's why C. Bernard Ruffin took such pains to provide a well-documented and balanced approach to the tale of this great saint. Other books, written by Catholics, failed to tell the whole story of the Church's persecution of Pio. Ruffin lays it all out and it is astonishing! Pio's detractors were priests who were jealous of him and an archbishop who had a history of rewarding priests convicted of child molestation, selling church artifacts for personal profit, and questionable sex practices. When the truth was finally revealed, punishment was light. The archbishop was allowed to retire early with all benefits and a few wrists were slapped. But if Padre Pio had had his way they would have been forgiven totally.
   No matter how badly he suffered through this time, he never said anything to harm his "Mother Church" and he remained in complete obedience to Church authority. In fact he would be sad that I am pointing out the character of his detractors. Sorry, Padre.
   All in all this is a book I couldn't put down. Several pages of photos, including one of his parents, makes the book a good read.

5 comments about My Early Life: 1874-1904.

1. Definitely a good read! Churchill recounts his early years with subtle wit and elegant style. Even the battle scenes kept me interested, which was an unexpected surprise. A good view into the life of a middle-class British soldier before the World Wars.



2. This 372 page long book would be good, but no more, if it wasn't for the first 40-or-so pages, which are a gem. The book covers the first 30 years of Churchill's life and the first forty pages cover his childhood. Although Churchill had a miserable childhood - his father was distant, his mother more interested in lovers than in her son, and he was bullied at boarding school - Churchill narrates his story with unsurpassed wit and without any hard feelings for the ones that failed him. Some passages, like the description of how he was grappling with the beast called maths, are just hilarious. The first forty pages alone make this book a must read. In the rest of the book, the most interesting part is the story of Churchill's capture by the Boers and escape. You don't need to be interested in Churchill, the statesman, to like this book. Here he is at his most human and disarming.



3. His writing is great; his stories are told in a refreshing, whimsical tone; and one gets the sense that he loves his life. Even though I was very familiar with the event of his life before reading this, I found it thoroughly engaging and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in this extraordinary man.



4. I got this for my grandfather for Christmas. He was POW during WWII, and was wanting to read about Churchill's POW experiences. A big hit!! My grandfather couldn't put the book down.



5. If you want to know about Winston Churchill's early life and just how well he was able to write well then look no further. The prose is rich, his vocabulary is extensive and the phrasing is pure Churchill. This is a great introduction into his life and writing ability and many sayings and phrases Churchill is known for are given in this volume. Few, if any, are willing to risk potential embarrassment by stating as one of their life's accomplishments any book that they have read. However, if one is able to add having read this book among those achievements then at least that part of their life will not have been wasted.

5 comments about A Hummingbird in My House: The Story of Squeak.

1. Very beautiful photography and a touching story of how the author was able to create a relationship with a very tiny and fragile creature who otherwise would not have survived the winter.



2. which the talented and admirable writer, Arnette Heidcamp, leads the reader through - namely, the first months of a Hummingbird's life, from the beginning of winter to the advent of spring.
   
   Ms. Heidcamp has amazing expertise in both bird and plant life, and what one appreciates also is her great love of them both. One wants to thank her for this lovely book and for the precious photographs which accompany it.
   
   Throughout the book, the reader gets to know Squeak more and more, to understand the habits and traits of this darling hummingbird, and to realize what an intelligence it has. Ms. Heidcamp is dedicated and devoted and, yes, the ending is sad. I have to admit I shed a tear or two as a reader saying goodby. I can only imagine what an emotional time Ms. Heidcamp had to go through, after fostering this hummingbird so carefully and intimately, when the time came to set Squeak free.
   
   I have alredy got several of Ms. Heidcamp's other books lined up to read, and even signed up with Random House to get an e-mail notice when she has a new book published.
   
   I can't praise this wonderful literary and photographic pursuit highly enough. Reading this book was a true joy!



3. A heart warming story and a great read. If you enjoy birds or wildlife you will like reading this book. The quick thinking and commitment by the author
   saved this little hummers life.



4. We were given this book that is filled with wonderful close up observations about one hummingbird. The author shares how she learned so much when a hummingbird over stayed his summer visit and how she helped "Squeak" until the following spring. The book was very enjoyable. We are hummingbird lovers and feed them.



5. Early this spring (2008) I discovered a hummingbird nesting in the dwarf magnolia tree in our front yard. The nest was remarkably engineered and so well camouflaged that it was all but invisible to people walking by. I watched with fascination as the tenacious momma bird clung to her duties through the noise and commotion of an emergency sewer line repair taking place just five feet from her nest. The digging nearly cost us the tree due to the ground caving in around the trench. Thankfully, after the tractor operator learned of the hummer's plight, he was ever so careful to save the tree and her nest. The repair is done and now there are at least two tiny beaks poking up from the nest.
   
   A good friend sent me this book after hearing my hummingbird story. It was a delight to read such a well written examination of hummingbird behavior and the special interactions of one hummer with one human being. The photographs are stunning and informative. After reading this book, I felt like I had developed a special bond with the momma hummer in our front yard. I felt like I knew her on some special level that would have been otherwise impossible. I highly recommend this book for bird lovers and nature lovers of all sorts.

5 comments about Against the Tide: How a Compliant Congress Empowered a Reckless President.

1. Former Rhode Island U.S. Senator Lincoln has words of wisdom for both Republicans and Democrats alike, but mainly Republicans, in this thoughtful book.
   
   To illustrate the fact that he is straight-spoken, I take this anecdote from page 183, in light of his Senate vote against a flag-desecration amendment in the late summer of 2006, an amendment thrown up as election fodder.
   
   "In my opinion, some members of Congress desecrated the flag every day by wearing flag pins on their lapels while voting to divide Americans and restrict freedom. ... Using the flag for political gain was the real desecration."
   
   Chafee has a closely reasoned takedown argument for his former Republican colleagues in the Senate, for candidates who would follow the Bush-Rove method of campaigning and more: The game is up.
   
   Chafee, one of six Republicans who lost their Senate seats in 2006, repeated this message inside the GOP caucus long before that. And, he meant it as someone who was still trying to save the Republican Party from itself.
   
   He says he considered running as an independent in 2006, but just couldn't do that.
   
   Now, out of office, though, he is encouraging the idea of a centrist middle to take the third-party road, if needed. This is the one biggest shortcoming of the book.
   
   As a left-liberal who has voted third-parties in the past, I know the Constitutional system is rigged against them, unless one or the other of the major parties is in a time of turmoil. That last happened in the 1850s, when the Whigs shattered over the Compromise of 1850 and then the Kansas-Nebraska Act.
   
   Beyond that, outside apparatchiks like the Grover Norquists of the policy world and insiders, whether elected officials or strategists, will insist in maintaining GOP "message rigidity" enough that, while the party may shrink, it won't explode or implode.
   
   But, Chafee is committed to the idea, perhaps even idealistic about it, so I won't hold that against him.
   
   At the same time, with wistfulness, he recognizes his father's GOP is no more, and Humpty Dumpty can't put it back together. The former "Rockefeller Republicans" are lost; it is on them, and centrist-to-conservative Democrats, that Chafee appears to pin his third-party hopes.
   
   Otherwise, Chafee struck me as someone who actually brought two crucial things to his job as a senator: Due diligence and curiosity beyond accepting spouted platitudes.
   
   That's clear in his descriptions of his dealings with President Bush, Vice President Cheney, John Negroponte when he was ambassador to Iraq, Paul Wolfowitz and others.
   
   For Democrats, his biggest take is continued hypocrisy on the Iraq war. That includes pro-war voters like Harry Reid and Hillary Clinton visiting the state to campaign against him in 2006.
   
   And as for his opponent, now-Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse? Whether due to sour grapes or what, Chafee says Whitehouse had no cojones when he was a U.S. Attorney.
   
   Finally, for both Republicans and Democrats, he says we need a real Middle East peace process, and one that does not write blank checks to Israel.
   
   As a sidebar, I found it interesting that this son of a U.S. Senator worked for years as a horseshoer, in very much an "everyday" job. In short, contrary to the claims about a ranting tyrant from Crawford, Texas, you might actually want to sit down for a beer, a diet Coke, or whatever, with Lincoln Chafee.



2. Outstanding book written by a courageous man. I'm a centrist and not a far left liberal but, until reading this book, I never knew a Republican politician for which I was able to have even the tinest bit of respect. We definitely do need a third party, or better yet the ability for people that don't align with a particular party to have a chance to win an election. People like Chafee - people who put the best interests of America's citizens first rather than best interests of a party machine - would then be able to survive. Imagine a government of people like that! Spread the word about this book so people become inspired to demand this of our politicians.



3. Former Senator Lincoln Chafee has written an engaging book that connects anecdotes from his political life with thoughtful observations on ethics, power, and diplomacy.
   
   The Senator's disillusionment and disenchantment are thoroughly examined here. Although, as a son of the late Senator John Chafee, he was well acquainted with the realities of party politics in America, he went to Washington with idealistic notions about the possibilities of bi-partisan cooperation born of his experience in local government. Sadly, he was to find out exactly how regressive and obstinate both the national executive and legislative bodies have become.
   
   This is an admirable effort from a man who has managed to retain his ideals despite the disappointing realities he encountered. This book is well worth your time and money, and I recommend it very highly. We need more people like Lincoln Chafee in public life.



4. As a transplanted Rhode Islander living in New York, I understood why Lincoln Chafee lost his Senate seat in November of 2006 to the lackluster and uninspired Sheldon Whitehouse. An independent, moderate voice from the Ocean State fell victim to the Bush Administration's myopic paranoid agenda. At its best moments, Against the Tide, paints a striking portrait of idealogues centralizing power and marginalizing dissenting voices and their opponents time after time refusing to stand up and speak out for what they knew was right.
   
   Chafee often repeats stories (he was a blacksmith on the plains of Canada, if you didn't already know) and the prose is stilted in places, but the book as a whole is a success. I hope it gives my former neighbors a pang of guilt that we are no longer represented in the Senate by Lincoln Chafee and his sense of duty and principle. His replacement is not cut from that cloth.



5. This book is a must read because it describes how politics and government work or perhaps why it doesnt work. Mr. Chaffee's description of his experiences are told in such a direct and honest fashion. He interweaves his political experience as a local politician and that of a congressional candidate. He provides information regarding different foreign policy efforts of the current administration and why they failed, i.e., the palestinian and Israeli peace process. This is a refreshing look at our governmental system and the players in it. Mr. Chaffee's writing style made me feel as if he was telling the story directly to me.

5 comments about The Life of Saint Teresa of Avila by Herself (Penguin Classics).

1. This is one of the best works in the Catholic Christian literature. However, this particular translation is not a good translation from the Spanish; it is not entirely accurate. E. Allison Peers does a much better job translating and her translation is better spiritually.



2. The previous review for this book was obviously misplaced here, as this is the version by E. Allison Peers! I also noticed this same review listed under another translation of this work, where it was clearly intended to be. So unless I am missing something here, I suggest people ignore this mistaken review.



3. I've always marvelled at Bernini's statue, Ecstasy of St. Teresa, which seems to precede art deco by centuries. Since this Penguin edition shows it on the cover, I was naturally drawn to this book. Having cracked the cover, however, I couldn't put it down; it's gripping, amusing and eminently readable--everything we know so-called devotional literature is not.
   
   Post-moderns will find in this sixteenth century nun a like-minded comrade, as unlikely as that may seem. We, or at least, I could relate far more to her failures than successes, and there's an almost slapstick, which is to say light-heartedness running through these memoirs that has more in common with I Love Lucy than sentimental religious literature. The best known incident is when a horse threw her and she landed in a mud puddle. She looked up to heaven and said, "if that's the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few of them."
   
   If that doesn't make you want to read this book, what would? Completely against the tenet of modernism that everything is always progressing and "every day in every way we're getting better and better," here's a kindred soul from the sixteenth century who many readers will instantly relate to. Another way to view this book is as an exercise in journaling, which many people find more difficult than it sounds. Teresa was ordered to write her memoirs, not unlike students in an English class who find it so difficult to think of anything to write about.
   
   This book may not be to everyone's taste. But I would recommend it to readers who, like myself, are absolutely allergic to sentimental and devotional literature. I found it delightfully different and would group it with the few "classics" in this genre I have enjoyed, including Pascal's Pensees, Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress and St. Augustine's Confessions.



4. 
   I recommend this book, preferably a different edition, to those who are looking for a Christian relationship with God. The mystic nun of 16th century Spain, you can think anything you want of her, but she ain't ordinary. The spiritual experiences that "befell her is the central theme of the book" (intro. p.13). Her relationship with our Lord is honest and humble, sincere as any testimony that you'll ever hear. The way to approach this story is with respect, and also with humbleness, for that is the way she also approaches us.
   
   I noticed a little bias in the introduction by J.M.Cohen. Or maybe he doesn't have the facts right: "In the very cities where they (Teresa and John of the Cross) walked Mohammedan mystics, less narrow and exclusive in their beliefs than they, had flourished in the days of the Moorish emirates." This is simply untrue. Very much more narrow and exclusive, Mister. Read you Spanish history well (see my listmania). No need of political correctness when we all know how Muslims always have treated Christians (go and live even today in a "tolerant" Muslim country).
   
   Teresa's life is a great testimony for all denominations of Christians. Yes, she was a Catholic, and you will find the Catholic theology sprinkled everywhere; but most importantly she was real, I mean a real Christian. And if you read the text without prejudice -not like the Pharisees would ask Jesus- you will find prove of this. Her relationship is with the Lord, not with images. For example, she commends herself to Saint Joseph, but she always has it clear that it is the Lord Jesus who gives the favors: "The Lord seems to have given other saints grace to help in some troubles but I know by experience that this glorious saint helps in all", and "I clearly see (...) that if we are to please God and He is to grant us great favors, it is His will that this should be through His most sacred Humanity, in whom His Majesty said He is well pleased. (...) I have clearly seen that it is by this door we must enter, if we wish His sovereign Majesty to reveal great secrets to us. He will show us the way. If we consider his life, that is our best example."
   
   There's an episode that I liked particularly. The Lord gives her the grace of talking with angels; she hears: "I want you to converse now not with men but with angels". And so it happens, "For I have never since been able to form a firm friendship, or to take any comfort in, or to feel particular love for, any people except those whom I believe to love God and to be trying to serve Him. This has been something beyond my control; and it has made no difference if the people have been relatives or friends." Anybody feels identified?
   
   Check this one out, as example of good and sensible advice: "the proof that something comes from God lies in its conformity to Holy Scripture. If it diverges in the least from that, I think I should feel incomparably more certain that it came from the devil".
   
   Another fun note, this one about her tribulations with her confessors: "He (the devil) cannot do me any harm, but they, especially if they are confessors, can be most disturbing. For several years they were such a trial to me that now I am astonished that I was able to bear it." Beware of human confessors!
   
   A more curious note: "there is nothing the devils fly from more promptly, never to return, than from holy water. They fly from the cross also, but return again. So there must be a great virtue in holy water." Of course there's no virtue in water, but modern readers who are aware of it should still be able to sympathize with her.
   
   The book is full of commentary of this kind. They all portrait the love of this meek woman for the Lord Jesus. This book is so needed today in a world that has gone to the other extreme, that of devotion of evil, that reading it can feel almost like an ET encounter.
   
   Leave your pride outside before entering.



5. Want to read what it is like to be enlightened? I first read in 1971 and has remained ever since an inspiration for the purpose of life. Transcends Catholicism by describing the universality of higher consciousness.

5 comments about The Horse God Built: The Untold Story of Secretariat, the World's Greatest Racehorse.

1. I had high hopes for this book, but was ultimately disapointed. Like other reviewers, I do not know where the author was trying to go with this. There are a few nice stories about Big Red and his accomplishments, but most of it is about his handlers, etc. That was great for a page or two, but it quickly became tedious and then proceeded to ridiculous. It reminded me of a grad student who has fifteen pages of work, but needs to fill in the gaps with anything that comes to mind to get to the assigned fifty pages. Don't bother with this one.



2. AMAZING Book!!!! I would recommend it to anyone that wants to read about Secretariat! The bond between Eddie and Secretariat is so touching and real! So far best book I have read about a famous horses life, very real!!!



3. Mr. Scanlon's book was one of the best books written about the Thorougbred racing industry and it's key players, the horses and the people behind the scenes. It was so touching to hear stories I have never heard of about Secretariat ( and I have read every book written on him) and the heart wrenching love his beloved groom, Eddie Sweat had for him. I could not put the book down and was sad when it ended. There is so much lore to the racing world and the grooms that put their charges first before themselves will touch your heart!



4. I am so happy I did not read the reviews of this book before buying it. Some say they never could understand the premise of the book, but to me the lovely story of the strong bond between Secretariat and Eddie Sweat was captivating. The greatness of this wonderful horse has long been celebrated, but how often do we get to view that greatness through the eyes and experiences of those who were closest to him? It was a joy for me to celebrate the strong bond of love that can develop between a man and a horse. I salute the artist Ed Bogucki for capturing that mysterious closeness in his magnificent bronze statue at Kentucky Horse Park which includes Secretariat, his jockey Ron Turcotte, and his long unheralded groom Eddie Sweat. I think Mr. Bogucki would understand the point of this book. I HIGHLY recommend this book to any animal lover.



5. Lawrence Scanlan approaches the life & times of Secretariat and covers a wealth of angles in an industry that has yet to live up to the legendary accomplishments of this iconic champion.
   
   From the shooting-star fame of Big Red's groom, Eddie Sweat, the final minutes in the life of the champion - who apparently was treated like a pauper and not comforted like a king - to the destruction through neglect of the farm that was Secretariat's home and the plight of the runners who never perform at the highest levels of the sport, Scanlan covers much turf, but does it with style and class.
   
   There are more straight-forward biographies of Secretariat, but none roar down the stretch to bring the legend to life - and uncover the missed potential in "The Sport of Kings" - the way Scanlan's poignant reporting and timely tackling of current issues ultimately accomplishes through several strong surges to the wire, many lengths in front of the pack.