5 comments about How Race Is Lived in America: Pulling Together, Pulling Apart.

1. I read this for class the past semester and thought that while there are some really incredible circumstances discussed,(White quarterback, growing up multi-racial, and minority public servants) that some people were noticeably left out. Native Americans received a further blow of marginalization. (they were mentioned once as something of a prop) Also, the diversity among Black and Asian communities was very much ignored. I must say that it's obvious who the writers/editors are marketing towards in their readership, because many of the arguments continue some monolithic dialogues that haven't changed in 20+ years. Going into a work like this will take some serious analysis on the part of the reader to notice what I'm talking about, as it is written with an almost indistinguishable slant. The work has great potential for use as a teaching tool, but focus should remain on analysis rather than taking work verbatim.



2. I picked this up last night and couldn't put it down. Not only that, but after each chapter I just stopped and thought for a minute or two. Just incredible.
   Get it and read it.



3. How race is lived in america deals with the issues of race that we are still dealing with today and how race still does matter. The collection of new york times pieces deals with how race is played out. From race being a straign on frienships (a group of inter-racial friends making the transition from middle school to high school and two cuban friends-one white and one black-coming to america and facing different challenges) to race in the work place (looking at race relations at a tyson factory in north carolina to a black-white owned internet company). The book gives a rather good detail of where are in terms of race now.



4. This collage of independant stories revealed the courage of ordinary Americans doing extra-ordinary things. In each of these stories, the indiviuals challenged their own personal beliefs, and cultural and ethnic diffrences, to come together and build alliances that transcended race. This is the ideal of what true Americans are and the values of real patriotism and heroism foiled up into an amazing hardcover, that all peace-loving humanitarians should own. The NY TImes and Joseph Lelyveld, You get 2 thumbs up for this incredible work of art. My gratitude to you,
   Sincerly, Malik Padgett



5. I had the opportunity to read some of the testimonials and accounts that appear in this book when they were first published as a series in the New York Times. When I read the book, I had the chance to enjoy a few narratives that I had missed. This book makes a great effort to put into focus the dynamic of race relations in America. All the stories are touching and beautifully written. The reader is not led into any specific conclusion; once you read all the stories you will have a better picture and will be able to judge where you stand pertaining race relations. I identified myself with more than one of the subjects of these stories. Congratulations to the New York Times for this momentous documentary that surely will make history. No matter which race you identify yourself with, there is something for you in this book.

5 comments about Different Like Me: My Book of Autism Heroes.

1. I loved this book. I think it may be geared towards younger kids, 6-10. I bought it for my son, I then decides to donate it to the school library.



2. My son appreciated this book. He was aware he was different than other kids but didn't really understand himself. While teaching him about his autism, he got to thumb through this book and feel a surge of pride that some of the worlds most brillant and artistic men and women were and are... autistic themselves! Great book, highly recommended!



3. Having worked for years with children on all levels of the autism spectrum, I truly doubt many of those listed; i.e. [...], Andy Kaufman, etc. actually belong anywhere on the spectrum. Parents continually face denial and try to rewrite diagnoses to fit there own agenda. Autism is the symptoms of a disability or combinations of disabilities NOT a disability in itself. All autistics share the lack of social pragmatic skills but each suffer from their own set of neurological damage. Unfortunately, it continues to be the label du jour that parents can most readily accept.



4. The book Different Like Me: My Book of Autism Heroes is an excellent book with short biographies of people in the past who may have had autism. Its readibility and simplicity are good for elementary age students, especially those who are either related to or know students with autism.



5. This book examines the lives of Albert Einstein, Lewis Carroll, Temple Grandin, and other very successful people in history who are either known or strongly suspected of having an autism spectrum disorder. The title is a bit misleading (as is much of the text), because many of the people included are believed to have had Asperger's Syndrome or some other PDD, not necessarily autism. Keep in mind, the diagnosis for AS is really new, so no one knows for sure that Lewis Carroll had AS. However, that is beside the point. This book is an excellent early reader chapter book, especially for children who have an ASD or who have a sibling or parent with one. It gives them positive role models and something to aspire to. Furthermore, it can be very useful to have teachers read if they are going to have a child with an ASD in their inclusive classroom. There is still a misperception that a child with autism is doomed to a life of savantism, institutionalism, and repeating "Wapner starts at 11. Gotta watch Wapner" (not disparaging those with lower-functioning autism-just stating the stereotype). This is a great resource for those with high-functioning ASDs. Children like reading books that are about people like them, to give them hope and someone to look up to. This book may not be perfect, but it is an excellent first step.

5 comments about The Friendship of Women: The Hidden Tradition of the Bible.

1. In a day and age where individualism and self-sufficiency is prided as characteristics of success and power, a voice that reminds us of the true role and import of friendship needs to be heard - and Joan Chittister offers one such voice. Using women biblical figures as a springboard and chapter mastheads, Chittister develops a short reflection on what the true meaning of friendship is and how is should be cultivated today.
   
   From a refreshingly feminine perspective, Chittister approaches the topic of true friendship from the projected experience of the women for whom each chapter is named. While in no way a scholarly or academic work (most observed in the lack of authoritative scripture references, scholarly endnotes/footnotes or exegetical analysis of implicit scriptural references - although she does list the biblical passages at the end of the book where each woman could be found mentioned in scripture), this book is a wonderful meditative tool for one's own reflection on friendship.
   
   In the spirit of full-disclosure, I should note that I am a male in religious life (in contrast to the author, a female in religious life, and the audience which appears to be primarily women). This perhaps limits my ability to fully appreciate the impact this work has on a female reader. I can attest to the fact that two very close women friends have read and recommended this book to me and they have found great solace and inspiration from it. I enjoyed it very much and it has allowed me to reflect on both friendship and women in the Bible in new ways.



2. This small book is packed with information about the women in the Bible and how each personifies as aspect of friendship. There is a chapter on Ruth, a chapter on Anne, and some women that have received very little attention. There are interesting thoughts about each of them and how they represent different aspects of friendship. I am enjoying it so much that I only allow myself a chapter at a time to read and ponder. I think this will be the book I give to women friends this year. This is a keeper.



3. You may know about the women in the Bible that are written about, but the author brings you up to date with your own personal life...also a good discussion for small groups or a friend...another Chittister winner.



4. I gave a copy of this book to everyone in a group of women friends I have when we all went away for a weekend. We had fun reading about the friendship of the women of the Bible and why they are important in todays context, however we all wish that each story was much longer, more indepth and more detailed. Nice read for a weekend.



5. I have enjoyed every one of Joan Chittister's books that I have read. However this one truly spoke to my heart. I have only recently realized how important community is in my spiritual life. This books explains what I could never put into words myself regarding the special friendships of women. I have given it as gifts to five of my very special friends.

5 comments about The Magus of Strovolos: The Extraordinary World of a Spiritual Healer (Arkana).

1. I have often advised young people to travel the world, not as a tourist but for extended visits to immerse themselves in other cultures. If nothing else, the traveler encounters a diversity of beings and ways of living that change, to a greater or lesser degree, how one sees his or her normal life. New doors of perception open, new senses are enlivened, and when one returns "home" it is never quite the same as before. And that's what this book does to the spiritual or simply curious traveler.
   
   Through young Markides' eyes, we stay at the home of a true magus, that is, one who understands how the life force operates beyond our normal perceptions. For the magus, it's somewhat of a workaday world of dealing with elemental beings, karmic energies (which he sometimes consciously "takes on" as a gift of mercy to others), and other forces of which we normal people are most often quite unaware. A magus, or magician, may be black (harmful) or white (helpful). In this case, get to see how a conscientious, helpful healer operates in a commonplace setting, surrounded by regular people. No pointy star-spangled hats or boiling pots of newts and goat hooves here. You'd walk right by him on the street.
   
   This is a fascinating story sincerely chronicled by the author. We're given a peek behind the curtain of miracles and get a sense of how they happen, of what it takes (beyond the typical waving of a wand or sprinkling of stardust) to restore balance and healing where chaos and illness have prevailed. For anyone interested in the idea of natural or psychic healing, and to see how it happens in plausible, everyday circumstances, you'll really appreciate this story. Especially in this age of preposterous medical costs and the pharmaceutical shroud blanketing our health care system, it's encouraging to encounter a practice of real healing knowledge that's not only priceless, but free.



2. This is about Gods work through this amazing healer in a such a remote island, Kyriakides nailed this one !!!!!!great book!!an eye opener to spiritual seekers!!!!!



3. An extraordianary tale of a teacher from Cypress. A must read story for everyone interested in growing one self



4. This is an extraordinary read on the life of a "contemporary" mystic. I highly recommend it.



5. This truly exceptional and fascinating book delves into explaining karma, past lives, spiritual healing, going out-of-body (including how an advanced enough person adept at this skill could appear in more than one place simultaneously or the infamous 'doppelganger' phenomenon), the various layers of the spiritual realms, the manipulation of energy and matter, and much more in terms the lay or common person can understand.
   
   If you're into qigong, chi manipulation or research into the same, mysticism of any kind, the paranormal, spiritual fulfillment or development or the like you may well find this a must-read. It is not a tutorial nor a "how-to" instructional tome for developing the abilities demonstrated by the subject of the book, so don't expect that, but in a field where so many books and videos on the subject don't live up to their title, Magus of Strovolos is an extraordinary, enlightening work- one of the few that explains the how's and why's of many esoteric practices and beliefs.

5 comments about Girls of Tender Age: A Memoir.

1. I had a hard time putting this book down. I was sorry when the book ended. Mary-Ann developed all the people in her book very well that you felt by reading it they were part of your own family..and if not family member someone that that you knew a lot about. I thought this book was very good on many levels. Thank you for writing such a powerful memoir. Barb :)



2. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though it was a very sad but true story it was choreographed perfectly. I couldn't put it down. Having grown up in Hartford, Ct. I was very familiar with the setting of the book. It enabled me to really place myself in their footsteps and know the surroundings, without trying to create a picture them in my mind.



3. just finished this book. i liked it very much. it was touching, funny, sad, tragic and a lot more. Well written. would recommend it.



4. No one locked their doors. Few mothers drove cars. Kids walked to school, church, and the neighborhood grocery, and played under street lights at dusk. On the surface, Mary-Ann Tirone Smith's 1950's childhood was idyllic. But scratch that surface, and it quickly becomes apparent that nothing could be further from the truth. First, there was her remote mother, always on the verge of the then fashionable nervous breakdown. Then, her older brother, a manipulative, tyrannical child who never received an education or treatment because no one knew quite what was wrong with him. Mary Ann's first ten years were spent doing normal childhood activities but walking on eggshells and suppressing her own needs at home. Her description of American culture in that post war era are priceless, and she does it with humor, touches of sarcasm, and dead-on accuracy.
   
   Then, all at once. on the day of the 5th grade field trip to the electric company, a classmate of Mary-Ann is brutally murdered by a pedophile. True to the times, no one discusses the tragedy, and the kids are left to wonder about every facet of that terrifying crime. And to cope with its psychological consequences entirely on their own.
   
   Ms Tirone Smith wrote this memoir as a memorial to her friend, having summoned the courage to face the grief and the issues she had buried for decades. She traces the course of the apprehension, trial, and punishment of the killer in clinical detail. And she has succeeded nobly, writing with grace and distinction. Readers of Girls of Tender Age will long remember theheartbreaking story of little Irene with the "Loretta Young eyes."



5. I enjoy reading memoirs- idk why, I just do. So, at the first chance I read Girls of Tender Age. The first half of the book was a memoir of Tirone-Smith's childhood in a silent house- her older brother, Tyler,was autistic and could not stand noise of any kind- laughing, crying, and dog barking, to name a few. If Tyler heard such noises, he would knaw at his arm. We also are told of Tirone-Smith's family history, which is quite interesting, as well as a background of a killer. The second half consists of Tirone-Smith's attempt to recall, make sense of, and write about a murder that occured when Tirone-Smith was 10. Her classmate, Irene, was strangled to death with her own scarf. Despite what the bookcover says, Irene is not Tirone-Smith's neighbor or even friend. She was only a quiet classmate, and the book falls apart after her murder. I was disapointed, because up to that point I had been throughly enjoying it. It became quite uncomprehensible.

No comments about The Two Princes of Calabar: An Eighteenth-Century Atlantic Odyssey.

5 comments about Isaac Newton.

1. I really wish I had liked this book, but I didn't.
   First thing that I noticed is the small volume, I had just read IKE's bio by Ambrose and in comparison this book seemed more like a brochure than an inclusive biographical work.
   What I hated the most was the style. Too pompous for my taste, the author gets in lengthy descriptions on the period and the landscape that surrounded Newton while only giving Isaac himself a mere sentence here and there. I think the author was trying to appeal to a public that doesn't know who Newton was and did, and therefore finds it appropriate to remind us, on multiple occasions that 'yes, Newton is the one that invented calculus and before him there was darkness'. I gave the book away to somebody that could appreciate it, hopefully. Fortunately now I know not to buy "Genius: The Life and Science of Richard Feynman" by the same author, I would have been much more upset to read it instead of this book since I've been a Feynman fan for years.
   Numerous repetition in the descriptions of the era and in the contributions on Newton, I could not force myself to keep on reading. I do not consider this book a serious read, not on the subject Isaac Newton anyway.



2. This book is comprehensive in addressing the themes of Newton's life, though the introversion of the subject limits the detail which the author could provide. More simply stated, this book is well versed and written, so enjoy!



3. How can you sum up the life of Newton in roughly 190 pages. This is nothing but a pamphlet of one of the greatest lives of discovery the world has ever known. If your IQ is below 130 and you are looking for good reading go for it, but if you need meat and deeper substance about Newton, this is not where you look.



4. James Gleick has written some excellent books -- Chaos and Genius, but this book fails to clear that bar.
   
   Inside the front flap of the dust cover it reads "In this original, sweeping, and intimate biography, Gleick moves between a comprehensive historical portrait and a dramatic focus on Newton's significant letters and unpublished notebooks to illiminate the real importance of his work in physics, in optics, and in calculus." In my opinion, the book fails to meet this objective. The biography and other information is superficial and far from initimate -- the book is a good introduction to basic facts but no more than that. His biography of Richard Feynman in Genius comes much closer to the goal of an intimate biography.



5. Several versions of Isaac Newton's life have evolved in the three centuries since his death in 1727. They are the products of admirers, detractors, philosophers, scientist, and poets. Some have the virtue of being partially true. Indeed, Isaac Newton was brilliant, restless, creative, vindictive, and proud. That his image today is so disjointed comes as no surprise. James Gleick attempts to sort the wheat from the chaff, but his work goes far beyond that, to a splendid essay of Newton in his time.
   
   The 17th century was a curious time to be alive in England. Diarmaid MacCulloch, in his brilliant study of the Reformation, identifies Newton as the pivotal character in the swing from theology to science as the defining key of existence. But the old cosmologies were dying slow, painful deaths, while the new ones were generally infantile, utopian, or speculative. Even Galileo hesitated at first to turn his telescope to the skies, for fear of offending the divine, and when he finally caught glimpse of Saturn, the imperfections of his optics led him to announce "a planet with handles." [Newton himself had to disguise his mathematics of infinity under the cloak of annuity interest projections to maintain proper theological etiquette at Cambridge.] The new science, such as it was, required as much faith as the old religion. A few souls like Kepler understood that there might be logic at the root, but his mathematics were daunting.
   
   What makes Newton's life so interesting is the intellectual and philosophical journey that took him from the age of Galileo into the age of Einstein. He attended Cambridge in the aftermath of Oliver Cromwell but his Protestantism was not entirely appropriate as he harbored closet doubts about the Holy Trinity, finding no scriptural basis for it. His theology evolved from Aristotle as much as from anyone. He respected Aristotle's concept of First Cause, and he had enough innate oppositional defiance to approach his studies with a rigorous scientific method in the manner of The Philosopher, chips fall where they will.
   
   Newton excelled in mathematics, physics, and mechanics, and his interests were broad enough that he brought a philosopher's eye to these various disciplines. In a sense he began his life's work while still a college student, looking for a unifying factor or factors to all the known sciences and disciplines of his day. This was a gargantuan task, and its audacity took Newton to the virtual doorstep of the best of medieval theology. His quest became an obsession, and for several solitary years it led him down the dark alley of alchemy. Alchemy was highly suspect; its practitioners were considered either heretics for seeking divine secrets, or outright charlatans looking to create gold. Newton, however, was attempting to find a bridge between the stasis of matter and the observable flux of actual life.
   
   What seemed to bring Newton out of his cave was the appearance of a spectacular comet in 1681. A young astronomer named Halley, an early admirer of Newton's work, postulated that comets might be cyclic objects with elliptic trajectories. Halley's thesis on the trajectory of comets--rather easily substantiated even in his day by visual observation and Kepler's foundational math--was a physical puzzlement in an age when behavior of heavenly bodies was something of a psychological/religious given. Not even the telescope had shaken that. Why, then, would a comet make what amounts to a 270 degree change in trajectory as it passed the sun?
   
   Gleick traces with broad sweeps Newton's intense pursuit of an answer, which led to the basic laws of physics we call Newtonian. Gleick's economy is appreciated: Newton's paper trail is extensive and exhaustive; one key to his success was exactitude. [The economist John Maynard Keynes led an extensive recent effort to recover and catalogue Newton's body of work.] Although his publications in his day had modest circulation due to the highly technical nature--Halley, in fact, funded some of the publishing--there were two polarities permeating his theories that captured public attention and attracted considerable criticism in his time: his dependence upon the invisible, and the extensiveness of his claims.
   
   There is irony in the fact that Newton's passion for scientific verifiable method allowed room for what his enemies would deride as invisible forces. Gravity is the most obvious example, though here the difficulty was mathematical semantics: just as most of us labor with the material reality of e=mc(2), so too in Newton's day the mathematics and physics underlying gravitational force escaped even many professionals of his time. But in other areas of his work Newton claimed a certainty that was at best hypothetical and at times almost magical. So confident was he in the power of computation and observation that he promoted his ideas about atoms and light transmission, for example, as Gospel. The debate over the nature and transmission of light was an intense one during Newton's working years. Newton himself made major contributions in his work with prisms and improvements on reflecting telescopes. But his hubris and scientific acclaim led him into an alchemy of speculation which later scientists corrected.
   
   On the other hand, Newton was attacked by poets and artists for redefining the world in the cold jargon of scientific certitude. He was accused of stripping the human experience of mystery. Even some scientists worried that Newton had left nothing for them to do. In some cases these criticisms are the fruit of Newton's own exhaustive claims, and like many famous men, he did suffer in translation and adulation. Newton's personality--including his lifelong love of declarative sentences--did not facilitate clarification or negotiation. Having solved to his own satisfaction the mysteries of the universe, Newton turned to an even greater challenge: the English economy. In 1696 he was appointed Warden and eventually Master of the Mint where he essentially restored credibility to the coin of the realm. Little wonder Keynes would protect his memory.

5 comments about American Chica: Two Worlds, One Childhood.

1. I looked forward every night to reading Arana's way with words. Not only was the subject matter a great story -- duality on many levels, and she explored all the layers -- but she told her story with excellent prose.
   
   Having studied Latin America for years I've always been envious of my follow classmates & friends who have multiple identities...this book opened my eyes to the deeper challenges of multicultural identity, beyond the obvious racism/segregation to the more internal challenges; Arana's description of how she developed not just her gringa identity, or her Peruvian identity but her "faking it" identity fascinated me.
   
   I hope to see more of her work.



2. My wife grew up in Ecuador and moved to the United States 8 years ago, at age 31. I am always interested in better understanding her cross-cultural transition and that's why I picked up "American Chica". But actually this book is more of a family memoir, describing the difficult marriage of Arana's parents. The majority of the book is about her early childhood years growing up in Peru with her father's aristocratic family. The last couple of chapters do recount her family's move to New Jersey. But, while her father was miserable living the "gringo" lifestyle, Marie and her siblings appeared to make the transition quite easily - as children often do - despite facing racism as the only latino kids in their school system.
   
   I prefer my non-fiction to be straightforward, with clear and concise writing. But Arana tends toward artsy pretentiousness, with descriptions and details that I found to be flowery and overly wordy. Obviously, many folks like her style of writing, as demonstrated by the numerous positive reviews. But, for me, it just didn't work.



3. As a native Spanish speaker and ESL/bilingual education
   teacher I was surprised to find so many
   Spanish mistakes in "American Chica." Given Ms.
   Arana's claims of bilingualism, I don't understand how
   this could have happened. A Spanish speaker, for
   example, knows that the word for an indigenous person,
   regardless of gender, is always indígena. Also, no
   fluent Spanish speaker would omit 'te' from "Te tengo
   a ti..." Nor write "proprio," "creatura," or
   "estranjera." And the problems with written accents
   throughout the book are serious! This is not
   nit-picking. As students and speakers of Spanish
   know, an accent's presence or absence can completely
   change the meaning of a word.
   
   While these mistakes were probably corrected in the
   paperback edition, I find it somewhat disrespectful
   that Ms. Arana took such a cavalier attitude with
   Spanish, particularly in a memoir about biculturalism.
   This sloppiness, as well as the author's rigid,
   outdated observations about Latin America vs. North
   America and all that made-for-gringos exoticism was
   very irritating to this particular American chica.



4. This is a heartfelt book; I can't think of another book that spells out the bicultural life so clearly. Arana has cut a new path here. This is not so much about being Hispanic American as being a new and different kind of American: split, with differing loyalties, and with all kinds of doubts along the way.
   I've just read the galleys of her new book, "Cellophane," which make me think that she's building something something new in her opus. This is a strong American writer with a great deal to say about what it means to be a person of the hemisphere. There is much inclusiveness here. I am struck by the largeness of her world.



5. What a generous offering from a talented writer with a keen eye for the nuances of family life! Yes, she writes her own story, but she also writes her mother's and father's stories. And her siblings, though more sparingly drawn, also command her careful observation.
   
   She and her immediate family are described as they came up against the cultural norms, first in Peru in the 1950s, where the family spent 12 years, and then in the United States in the 1960s. Arana is a descendant of Peru's upper class, and while the story is one of growing up with economic 'privilege', we also see how that same class privilege imposes social restraints.
   
   One of my favorite passages describes Arana's observation that it is mothers who lovingly mold their sons into "machos", the archetype of the Latin male.

5 comments about The Kid: What Happened After My Boyfriend and I Decided to Go Get Pregnant.

1. This is an incredibly honest recounting of how the author and his boyfriend adopted a child. It was fascinating to read about "open adoption", at the time of the book only legal in three states, Washington, Oregon and New Mexico. This system is where the birth mother is allowed to choose the adopting couple and continues to visit the child after giving birth. Worried that no young mother would choose a gay couple, they still go through with the grueling application and review process and are rewarded by being the first couple in their orientation group to be picked. The mother is truly a fascinatingly real character and Savage does a wonderful job portraying her. The scene at the hospital when they finally take the baby is heart wrenching and the author beautifully explains how experiencing the mother's grief completely validates the open adoption approach. This simple book encompasses so much about the human condition it becomes a spiritual beacon of tolerance and compassion.



2. This is such a cute, humorous and honest story; a very entertaining and easy read.



3. I love adoption stories and after hearing Dan Savage on "This American Life" talk about the impact of TV on his young son I wanted to read this book. "The Kid" reminded me of Clara: The Early Years: The Story of the Pug Who Ruled My Life, in which the author relates the tale of adopting her son from Russia (despite the title). Adoption stories are often as long, complicated, and painful as stories of recovery from addiction. There is always a beginning of tenuous hope, a middle riddled with nagging fear, and finally, an end of joyful success which is only the beginning of a new life. Dan Savage writes with wonderful honesty and humor about an authenically scary life decision. His true talent as a writer shines forth in this book. It's a fun read and informative as well if you're planning to adopt.



4. The book was totally amusing - I found myself having to stop reading in several places to laugh out loud.
   
   Dan expressed so well the urge of all humans - gay and straight - to leave something of themselves behind in their children.
   
   For us straight people, it was a nice introduction to the world of gay people. Explaining the lifestyle - and how very much the same we all are.
   
   I'm very much looking forward to reading his other books now.



5. Dan Savage wrote an amazing account of the good and bad times of becoming a two-same-sex parent family. As a single gay man who is researching his potential of becoming a single gay dad, I definitely learned something from Dan & his partner's story. Dan's accounts drew a picture of possibility for me in a very funny way. Thanks Dan. If I wasn't sure about having kids before reading your book, I certainly am sure now!

5 comments about Mouse Trap: Memoir of a Disneyland Cast Member.

1. Working at Disney World/Land makes a good reference in the work-a-day world when our children are ready to enter the work force. The youngsters I've known enjoyed it so much - and who wouldn't?! This young man's appraisal of his work experience there projects the good (and possible bad) aspects of the various jobs within the park that he enjoyed. It all boils down to "attitude!"



2. The best thing about this book is the cover. It's colorful, whimsical, and makes me want to visit the "happiest place on earth". Unfortunately, the pages that follow are the "dullest read on earth".
   
   I expected an entertaining look at backstage Disneyland from a former cast member(which I've always wanted to be.) and instead got a tedious
   outline of employee rules and procedures. The backstage tour was so incredibly bland in detail that the minds eye had no way of picturing it. But I guess that's no big deal because the subject matter was so dull my mind wouldn't want to see it. I wanted the inside scoop on Haunted Mansion and Space Mountain and he's describing locker rooms and parking lots.
   
   Sadly, I cannot recommend this book to even the most die hard Disney fan. In fact, if you were to remove the attraction names you wouldn't even know that the author was talking about Disneyland.



3. Not the most fascinating or colorful book ever written about the inner workings of Disneyland. I find it interesting though, because it's REAL, it's what this particular Disney Cast Member experienced and thought about it. I admit, only a "Disney Nut" could find interest in this book, but I enjoyed it, I guess I'm just a "Disney Nut"!



4. It actually pains me to actually write a bad review on this item because Yee is so enthusiastic about telling his story. However, I actually felt cheated out of three days of my life, that I spent reading this book.(I continued reading it out of sheer morbid curiousity) I have Yee's other two books and found them to be very entertaining and informative. I expected more of the same. I was looking very forward to this book and actually pre-purchased it. Kevin Yee makes an honest effort in this book; I just think that perhaps he's not a very exciting person. He was a lead in a New Orleans Square restaurant. The book is centered on his microcosm of Disneyland. I'm not sure there could be a more boring area of Disneyland to chronicle than the restaurant division. The book describes mundane details of the behind the scenes areas, none of which is exciting. (I don't really care how you go about exchanging pants at the costuming counter.) Yee also uses so many codes and acronyms, that I felt I needed a decoder ring. I expected hidden secrets of Disneyland, or maybe some behind the scenes dirt. (Something like the book Mouse Tales. Which is a worthwhile purchase) What I got was to see what Kevin Yee's timecard looks like, and what a performance review looks like. Yee actually kept all of these items and pictures them in his book. (kind of weird) This is more Yee's auto-bore-ography than it is about Disneyland. It was a huge disappointment. In the final chapter of the book, Yee even states "There are thousands of CMs and former CMs that have more interesting anecdotes than I do, and I hope this book inspires them to record their stories as well." It's almost as if Yee knows that the book is terrible and this is his way of apologizing. I wouldn't waste my time with this book.



5. I am suprised on the bad reviews. I absolutely did not find this book boring, but engaging and a quick read.
   
   If you have read Mouse Tales and More Mouse Tales, you will enjoy this book. Whereas Koenig writes heresay stories, Kevin Yee has written a first hand account on a slice of Disneyland life.
   
   I will admit that the first few pages the naration seems to jump around, but Yee's style is not chronological, but brings one into the life of being a cast member. Starting with his interview, "casting" in Disney-speak, Yee introduces what many current and ex-cast members remember as orientation, indoctrination, or even brain washing. Moving on to Disney University, this is a rare glimpse into how Disney maintains the high standards we all expect.
   
   Further along, we learn why Yee, obviously a very intelligent man who could earn significant more money outside of Disney, remained at Disneyland for so long. He writes about the tight knit community, the "family" of his coworkers, and how Disney was not just a job, but can become a way of life.
   
   After many mini-stories about working at Disneyland, including a very poignant story about working the vacant resort on September 11, 2001 (Kevin, if you read this review, thank you for your thoughts and experiences that day), Yee talks about escaping the mouse trap, may be for his last time.
   
   If you ever want to experience a slice of life of a cast member, get this book.