5 comments about Autobiography of a Yogi: with bonus CD.

1. This book is a challenge to Western religious thought. Having been written not so many years ago, it is difficult to dismiss. I am grateful that Paramahansa Yogananda made it his mission to introduce the West to some of the truths of Hinduism. His work supports many of the claims of my own faith, Christianity.



2. This is one of the most important books I have ever read. It changed my life and is as current today as the day I read it many years ago. This is definitely a book for a spiritual seeker and will take you many steps along your path.



3. Several years ago, I was introduced to Yogananda and Self Realization Fellowship by my wife, who had been a member for a number of years prior. I'd read Yogananda's book from cover to cover several times - I have it on my PDA to read before bed or when waiting in line, etc. These CD's take his message to the next level. Expertly narrated by Ben Kingsley, they are the perfect companion while driving, working on the computer, walking, or whenever one needs an uplifting and thought-provoking interlude to a hectic life.
   
   For those that aren't familiar with Yogananda and SRF, and for those who are, I would highly recommend this set. 5 stars!



4. I rememeber this book in 1970 when I worked in a bookstore in Greenwich Village.It was popular then and it seems to be my karma to obtain a cloth version upon recommendation from a new friend in a local ashram.
   Besides have a great impact on my own spiritual life as it attempts to reconcile Christianity with Hinduism, it is startling to read the poetic and crafted wording used by the author to describe the world from his own spiritual state of mind.There are many miracoulous events that occur and it is fifficult to be cynical when they are described in such a simple and beautiful way with self effacement.The events have a profound effect upon the reader and the scientific part of the mind, generating cause and effect, is overcome.It is incredibly footnoted and as Herman Melville describes the history of whaling in Moby Dick, this yogi provides ample background of the spiritual and scientific paradigm is his life and the world around the time of the First World War.
   I recommend exposing your mind to the peaceful and poetic journey that awaits the reader describing this remarkable life.



5. Reading this book at the age of forty-two was one of the most exhilarating experiences of my life. From the beginning chapter, I felt like I had finally come home. This was the life I had always wished was possible but never dreamed it could be!
   
   I just now finished listening to Chapter 23 as I was driving to a restaurant. I've listened to the audiobook version, read by Ben Kingsley, a few times now and it never fails to thrill me. Everything in this book resonates in harmony with who I am and who I wish to be. I was already teaching classes on spirituality by the time I encountered this inspiring book and was amazed at how much deeper it took me in my knowledge and practice.
   
   Yogananda teaches that direct contact with God is possible through the application of scientific yoga principles. After practicing his techniques, which have been handed down for thousands of years by Indian sages, I have reached ever higher levels of peace, happiness and alignment with what Yogananda's beloved guru, Swami Sri Yukteswar, calls "that supreme intelligence which governs everything."
   
   May this magnificent book enrich your spiritual life as it has mine!

5 comments about Georgiana: Duchess of Devonshire (Modern Library Paperbacks).

1. I am currently obsessed with Jane Austen, came across a glowing review of "Georgiana: Duchess..." in the New Yorker, and couldn't resist reading this story of Regency England. Unlike Austen's heroines, the Duchess has a very dark side - she's a gambler, adulteress, liar, drug addict...I found myself wanting her to be happy (and to win against the evil Bess) in spite of (or because of?) these qualities. In the end, her charisma, beauty, fashion, gentleness, vulnerability, wit, privilege, and political engagement endear her.
   
   I loved the book, the story, the characters, the history, and the politics. Unlike some other reviewers, I found Foreman's writing incredibly engaging and easy to read.



2. I was wanting more of a historical novel but this book reads more like a text book. Almost every page has notes at the bottom of the page, this makes for very "choppy" reading. Interesting subject but not a cozy read. I had to make myself finish the book.



3. if some one told me what really happen 18th century upper crust i would not believe them.money,sex,adultery,hidden preganacy,lesbianism,royality,gambling and drug addiction.fashion theather social scandals,politics,betrayal, blackmail and war.it's a soap opera that really happen.even a evil bestfriend who bears two childern by georgina husband is through in.this book is addictive.i didn't put it down till last page.



4. I was never a biography fan until this book. Foreman does a dazzling job of bringing Georgiana to life. I could read this book over and over again!



5. Georgiana Spencer Cavendish, Duchess of Devonshire, was born in the eighteenth century and died in the early nineteenth century, but her life was very modern in many ways. She was an open activist at a time when women were supposed to stay behind the scenes, a bold and flamboyant hostess who used her social prestige to advance her political agenda, and a beautiful but ultimately self-destructive woman whose emotions helped shape British history.
   
   Georgiana was born into one wealthy and powerful aristocratic family and married into an even wealthier and more powerful one. The Cavendishes were bastions of the Whig oligarchy, which governed Britain almost continuously through the eighteenth century until the 1760s, when King George III forced them out of power. In opposition the Whigs became the progressives or liberals of the day, calling for curbs on the King's powers, protection for the liberties of the people, and for progress and social reform (with the ultimate aim of regaining power for themselves, of course). Georgiana was married to the Duke of Devonshire, who was retiring where she was outgoing, far more interested in living a quiet life with various mistresses than in helping to advance the Whig cause. Georgiana, frustrated with a husband who did not appreciate her, threw herself into politics, becoming a friend of Whig leaders like Charles James Fox and campaigning openly for him and others.
   
   Georgiana's private life was complicated. She and her husband were involved in a years long menage a trois with Lady Elizabeth Foster, who was simultaneously Georgiana's best friend and the Duke's mistress and mother of his illegitimate children. Georgiana was addicted to gambling and lost enormous sums which she feared to reveal to the Duke. Eventually Georgiana herself had a love affair which nearly caused her marriage to end and forced her temporarily out of sight. Although she returned to political life after some years, her health broke down and her influence remained diminished.
   
   Amanda Foreman has produced a work of great scholarship which reads like a novel. Georgiana's life is so fascinating that I've read this biography several times just to see what she would get up to next and how she would get out of one scrape after another. Foreman makes the good point that Georgiana epitomized many women of the eighteenth century, who were far more active and involved in politics than is generally supposed, as well as being a harbinger of the kind of power base to which women in the twentieth and early twenty-first centuries still aspire.

5 comments about The Narrative of the Life of Frederick Douglass, An American Slave (Barnes & Noble Classics Series): An American Slave (Barnes & Noble Classics).

1. I needed this book for an 11th grade summer assignment so I decided to purchase this version of the book. I loved how the price was good, and I loved the extra bits of information at the beginning of the book (like the timeline). I suggest anyone intrested in reading this book purchase this version...it definately was worth it!



2. This book helped me to see the freedoms that I now have. It also taught me to follow my dreams with all my heart. "Give me liberty or give me death" What a true blessing to read about this great man of GOD.



3. PUCHASED THIS BOOK FOR CLASS BUT IT TURNED OUT TO BE A REAALY INTERESTING READ..



4. This is more than an intellectual reading about slavery in America. It is a book that challenges the most basic assumptions we hold about justice, liberty, freedom, living out our faith, respect for human life and dignity. If the reader is honest, they will have to question their own prejudices as Douglass narrates his quest for freedom. Written well over a century ago, it is still essential reading if a white person is to be an educated American citizen. I recommend this book be read along with "Bullwhip Days: The Slaves Remember, An Oral History," by James Mellon.



5. This is one of the most violent books (an autobiography!) I ever read. It illustrates horrifyingly `that crime of crimes: making man the property of his fellow man.' It shows the horrendous `playing' field of blood and blasphemy, of flogging and callous skins, of hunger and nakedness, and even premeditated murder. `It was a common saying that it was worth a half-cent to kill a n.gger, and a half-cent to bury one.'
   
   system: mental darkness, hypocritical religion
   Forcing them to live in appalling living conditions (`nothing but a coarse tow linen shirt, reaching only to my knees, sleeping on a cold, damp, clay floor.'), the aim of the white man was to keep his slaves in mental darkness: `to make a contented slave, it is necessary to make a thoughtless one. It is necessary to darken his moral and mental vision and to annihilate the power of reason.'
   The white man's barbaric behavior was justified by unacceptable religious Phariseism: `the religion of the south is a mere covering for the most horrid crimes, a dark shelter under which the darkest, foulest, grossest, and most infernal deeds of slaveholders find the strongest protection.'
   F. Douglass poses the right question: `Does a righteous God govern the universe?' `He who proclaims it a religious duty to read the Bible denies me the right to read the name of God.'
   
   freedom
   All slaves dreamed of escaping to the free north, even at the risk of their lives, in order to earn a salary for themselves, to learn writing and reading and to live in decent living conditions.
   
   This story, of which certain aspects are still very actual, reminds us of one of the darkest chapters in the history of mankind. It is told with unforgettable emotional lucidity and visualized with violent realistic scenes.
   A must read.

5 comments about How I Play Golf.

1. great book that help us to improve our golf...
   and also give us a little taste of what is like been tiger



2. If you enjoy golf and spend enough time to beat balls at the driving range, this book will give you a lot of tips how to improve your skills.



3. An exceptional book with good illustrations & bought at a very good price. Postage time was VERY DISAPPOINTING - expected to receive within 3-4 weeks (standard Air Freight) but took 6 weeks!!! This was our 1st purchase on Amazon & we were concerned and had almost given up on it! Expect DELAYS on overseas purchases.



4. Excellent book. Not a how to of golf but rather a how Tiger plays. Helped my game immensely. Espcially my putting. I would recommend this book golfers of all levels.



5. Tiger Woods' book, How I Play Golf, is a thorough self-examination of his game, from green to tee (sic) and everything in between. Filled with fantastic photographs that do half the battle of ingraining the image of good technique into your mind, the book examines each element of the game and the swing, as Tiger plays it. He caveats at the beginning that his goal is not to tell us how to play, but rather to tell us how he plays and what works for him.
   
   The book is also filled with lots of fun anecdotes which, now that it's 2008, are practically historical given that 2005 hadn't even started at the time the book was published.
   
   It's definitely a practical book, filled with tips and advice to try and implement into your own game. Tiger starts with putting and moves back to the full swing with the driver, visiting chips, flops, high-irons and fairway woods along the way. He also talks extensively about the mental game and the importance of fitness.
   
   The only thing that I felt was missing was a comprehensive section on practice. While Tiger talks throughout the book about elements of practice there's no one place where he provides a simple outline of how he approaches practice or how we should approach practice. Granted it's different for someone who rolls out of bed every morning and hits 300 balls on the driving range in his backyard but amateurs like us could probably use some advice on effective practice technique.
   
   A great book that I've read once cover to cover and have already re-read a number of sections numerous times.
   
   Enjoy.

5 comments about Pilgrim at Tinker Creek (Harper Perrennial Modern Classics).

1. Find time to read "Pilgrim at Tinker's Creek". Annie Dillard writes about seeing--Seeing--and writes so beautifully about life seen clearly and meaningfully. It's an exquisite book that merges her observations on life in the beauty of the Blue Ridge Mountain Valley, and her experiences teaching the young, and her own surprising lessons in learning to See.
   
   Dillard is a brilliant writer whose prose is as agile and weighted and sonorous as poetry. Frankly, surprise, it often IS poetry--and essential.
   
   To the Amazon readers who didn't appreciate Pilgrim, "if at first you do not see, blink, and look again." This can be a life changing book; we don't want to live like cockroaches, do we? And to the reviewer who said the cat described on page one scratched the waking author: Well, no. The cat left bloody footprints on her because he was a tom cat who'd been out fighting or loving (or both) furiously and passionately and savagely. So, hey, let's wake up and re-read this one together. "What are we missing?" may be the perfect place to start.



2. Apparently, Ms. Dillard fancied herself being Henry David Thoreau -- she even named her pet goldfish Ellery Channing (Channing was Thoreau's lifelong friend). Structurally this book is organized similar to Walden, and it is Walden that Ms. Dillard tried to emulate.
   
   The book starts with a bloody, filthy and delirious little episode with a tom cat. Fortunately, the whole book is much more forgiving. There is no doubt that Ms. Dillard is well-read, as she gives us excerpts from Fabre, Edwin Way Teale, Marius von Senden, etc., stories about different animals, the Eskimos and facts about sciences (even Quantum Mechanics), which are quite fascinating to read. It is also no question that she has a flowering pen, her vivid descriptions of nature and events are scattered throughout the book and I especially enjoy the chapters "Flood" and "Stalking".
   
   However, to think that this book is merely an observation of the natural environment and the flora and fauna in it would be a mistake. For one thing, there are actually not that many narratives of first-person observations. The book consists of three main themes: 1. description of the natural environment; 2. anecdotes and stories from other sources; 3. the author's own reflection about theology and spirituality. The first theme probably only occupies one third of the book.
   
   In the end, what we have here is vastly different from Walden. Reading Walden gives one delight, hope, and a sense of liberation -- from the everyday quiet desperation. I don't get much of these from "Tinker Creek". Yes, Ms. Dillard is a keen observer and writes very well, but her main focus is not nature, but instead her religious ruminations. It is very much different from Walden, or Desert Solitaire, or many other books in this genre: in the other books the authors do offer some opinions and reflections, but they are mainly description of natural phenomena, the opinions and reflections are sparkles that give them life, an upshot so to speak. In "Pilgrim", the relationship is reversed; the narratives of nature comes second to, and is dictated by, the author's theological pondering. The book on a whole gives me the impression of a theological discourse rather than a nature book. I also get the feeling that the author is more inward looking, in a sense she is more self-absorbed, often delirious, and sometimes narcissistic. It is really a book about a "pilgrim"; that she happens to be at Tinker Creek is largely coincidental, and probably irrelevant.
   
   Another thread that keeps popping up in the book is her thoughts about a "creator" -- I don't mean to make this a "evolution vs. creationism" debate, but since this is in the book itself and carries much weight, I figured I have every right to comment on it. This is permeated throughout the book, but most strongly in "Fecundity". It is interesting that Ms. Dillard does not actually reject evolution; in fact, she gives us many scientific facts about biology (especially entomology), ecology, etc., one is inclined to believe that she actually accepts it. She goes on to say how "wasteful" nature is in creating a lot of things and then discarding them (which is true and she made a good case by giving us a lot of interesting facts), but then wonders how a creator can be so inefficient. Well, maybe the answer is right at your fingertips, Ms. Dillard, perhaps you should just do away with that first assumption, like Laplace did.
   
   I may be harsh in giving it 3 stars (I would give it 3.5 if I could), but my expectations were much higher (probably it had something to do with the Pulitzer Price).



3. Annie Dillard was way ahead of her time in the spend-time-doing-something-interesting-and-then-write-about-it genre en vogue these days due to its use by Elizabeth Gilbert (Eat, Pray, Love) and Barbara Kingsolver (Animal, Vegetable, Miracle). The place Dillard writes about is the backcountry near Roanoke, Virginia, with its many wonders of nature, especially insects, birds, fish, and small mammals. She sets out on daily pilgrimages, a predator stalking prey (for observational purposes only) wandering in the wilderness, where she observes plants and wildlife. Back inside, she reads and reflects (and writes). Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is filled with the details of her outdoor experiences, enhanced by famous quotes as well as thoughts and facts on religion, philosophy, and even evolution. The writing is really good: flowery, descriptive and detailed. But you can have too much of a good thing. It only took a few chapters for me to consider relegating the book, with its prolifically poetic prose, to the "Do Not Finish" pile. The thought of learning more about on an egg-laying praying mantis, the quest for a muskrat, or the water bug that ate the frog was enough (though barely) incentive to continue. Great stuff, but reading Pilgrim at Tinker Creek is liable to cause fancy prose overload, so is better taken in small doses. Similarly good: The Good Rain by Timothy Egan, Silent Spring by Rachel Carlson (both preachy, but fact-filled), The Highest Tide by Jim Lynch and Gilead by Marilynne Robinson.



4. I first read this book in High School. I was impressed but 8 years later re-read the book to my younger sister for a class she was taking. She wasn't getting much from the book. But as I read it to her, I realized how supreme this book is among American Lit.
   
   Dillard's book is the result of relentless observation. Chapter by chapter she radiates a worshipful view of the natural world. Those who miss the point will complain there is "too much description" all the while missing her acute observation and beautiful prose. I have read that she wrote 15 hours a day. It seems likely since the book seems to reflect an obsessed mind.
   
   Also great is An American Childhood. I think she is the second greatest American writer ever after Cather.



5. I found this book boring...I KNOW it was a Pulitzer prize winner. But, to
   me, oh, so boring...
   
   Annie Dillard is an excellent writer of course, and I loved her little
   book, The Writing Life.

5 comments about Lucky: A Memoir.

1. This book is powerful. I think every high school student should read it, boys and girls. The topic of rape needs to be discussed and understood by young and old people alike. This book really portrays all parties in a "human" light and it's truth is what makes it so powerful. I can't say enough good things about the writing style and the ease of reading, all the while, it draws you in and keeps you interested. Fantastic book!



2. Lovely Bones led me to this book. I really didn't want to read a book about rape, but I'm glad I did because it is so much more. The story is delivered masterfully and written with skill. Read this book for the writing.



3. 
   I don't recommend this book to anyone who enjoys prose or literature. Sebold's use of a stripped down, matter-of-fact tone desensitizes her story. Though her rape was a traumatic event, I couldn't feel for her. Perhaps it was her intent not to draw out feeling to avoid pity but personally, I think it was uneffective in conveying her complete story because a memoir needs an emotional plot as well.
   
   I wanted to put down this book before I was even half way though there were still many unfinished subplots like the conviction of her rapist.
   
   I would expect this book in the children's/ preteen section if it weren't for the detailed account of the rape.



4. Lucky is a thought provoking book that helps readers understand rape from the victim's perspective. Written in an honest manner, it explores the rational and sometimes irrational reactions of everyone involved - whether victim, friend, or family member.
   
   Seabold opens the book with a vivid description of her brutal rape. Initially, this makes it a difficult read because it forces readers to live through a brutal act. However, it also helps to expose a reader's preconceived notions and biases. Seabold describes her struggles to return to a normal life and she honestly discusses societal issues that favor the criminal and penalize the victim. This is a good read for anyone looking for some insight into a difficult issue.



5. From the opening pages, Sebold tells the reader a truly horrifying story of her rape in accurate and quite graphic detail. And whilst horrified at what she has endured, you want to read more - to see how someone survives an attack like that, and what life is like for a rape victim in the hours, days and week afterwards. I couldn't put this book down - a combination of great writing and admiration for the author, made this a compelling read.

5 comments about For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War.

1. I don't know if anyone will ever read this review for a 10-year old book, but I'm reading it right now and I really wanted to share about it.
   
   I truly appreciate the scholarship of McPherson on the Civil War and all the research he has done on the subject. For this book alone, he read hundreds of soldiers letters and diaries to understand what motivated them to put their lives on the line. A great many of them understood the issues of the day, volunteered for the war, and did not need a whole lot of incentive to enlist. A 1982 movie, "The Blue & the Gray," contains a scene where Union soldiers in 1861 are inspired to enlist with the help of a beautiful young lady singing a patriotic song. In actuality, most of these soldiers would not have needed such encouragement.
   
   Anyway, a book like this is highly important. It has become very popular to say things like "the war was not fought over slavery" or "the Civil war had nothing to do with slavery." This book goes straight to the sources and finds out why the men who were there did what they did.
   
   Clearly, for some of them, North and South, slavery was THE issue. In fact, I have long believed slavery was just an institution, but the real issue for many Confederates was the preservation of white supremacy. Many soldier's letters cited declare that they saw it as an abomination- even laughable to some- that anyone would want to free "inferior savages" they thought could not be educated or assimilated into American society. In fact, on page 109, a private of the 25th Wisconsin Infantry wrote home that some captured Confederates told them they were fighting because "You Yanks want us to marry our daughters to the n----rs." But this book does show that while slavery was a huge issue, certainly the source of political and territorial strife for so many years leading up to the war, it was not the only issue. The book shares the letters of immigrant Union soldiers who fought to secure democracy, something denied to them in their oppressive native countries. And many Confederate soldiers clearly say they are fighting in defense of their homes and families and because their states have been "invaded."
   
   I tend to think some people who want to minimize or dismiss altogether the impact of slavery- or really, the place that black people would have in America, North AND South- unfortunately miss the understanding of the Civil War and American History. Personally, the older I get, the less I'm concerned about why the war started and why it was fought than I am with what happened when it ended. All I know is, the Union was saved and slavery was dead. Unless all people in "the land of the free" have access to liberty, that "land" is a hypocrisy.



2. James M. McPherson's For Cause and Comrades: Why Men Fought in the Civil War aims to answer the simple question of what motivated the men who became solders in the Civil War to fight and die in this conflict. The simple answer according to McPherson was duty, honor, patriotism, ideological beliefs such as liberty and freedom, and religious beliefs. These ideals or ideas are pretty much the same motivating factors soldiers from other wars in the 20th Century or those historians of ancient wars give to explain why they fought and died. McPherson certainly did his homework by reading twenty-five thousand letters and two hundred fifty diaries from soldiers to come to his conclusion that it was truly duty, honor, patriotism, ideological beliefs in liberty and freedom, and religious beliefs that motivated these men to fight and die in the Civil War cause. As a reader I was hoping for something more or different than the tired and tedious five reasons that every soldier indicates as motivating factors for them. There is not a dispute that these five factors are for the most part true. The excerpts from the letters indicate these five motivating factors over and over. Even though these were excerpts and pulling text out of the original context of a document can significantly change its meaning, for the most part the excerpts painted the picture that supported McPherson's argument that, "Yet for Civil War soldiers the group cohesion and peer pressure that were powerful factors in combat motivation were not unrelated to the complex mixture of patriotism, ideology, concepts of duty, honor, manhood, and community or peer pressure that prompted them to enlist in the first place." (p. 13)
   
   The reading of For Cause and Comrades felt as though it was another book that put soldiers and war up on a pedestal of what a great sacrifice soldiers gave to their country by participating in the horrors of war and akin to a child's hero worship. For Cause and Comrades also seemed as though it was reiterating the tired and worn out American patriotic themes of liberty, freedom, duty, honor, and religion. The book generated visions from daily life on par with "The Few, the Proud, the Marines" commercials on television to recruit soldiers, or popular mass media inundating the masses with typical American ideology such as Superman standing for truth, justice, and the American way, or another person who feels a particular generation was the "Greatest Generation" above all others. Watch out Tom Brokaw, McPherson feels Civil War soldiers out does any other group of soldiers including your beloved World War Two soldiers in the area of duty, honor, patriotism, freedom and liberty loving, and devotion to a higher power. McPherson did mention through the words of the soldiers that war was a horrible affair, but then uses it to idolize these men in their accomplishment of overcoming adversity and "staying the course" instead of ever mentioning that war is lowest form and action of human existence and should be something to be avoided at all costs. A true hero is one that can solve problems without resorting to violence. A truly wise hero knows not only how to solve problems without violence but also knows that war that involves murder, gruesome mutilation, and destruction which result in unspeakable pain, misery, and suffering whether physical or the destructive psychological impact on soldiers and civilians of the society and is a course that should never be traveled.
   
   McPherson's expertise in writing about this subject is not disputed nor is his findings. McPherson has been a professor at Princeton University since 1962 and his entire academic career has been focused on many aspects of the Civil War era. He has been nationally recognized numerous times for his work in this field including receiving the Lincoln Prize for For Cause and Comrades. For Cause and Comrades has made an important contribution in historical research by giving a voice to people who can no longer speak for themselves and illustrates their experience to give a more in depth well rounded picture of history. Futhermore, everyone is entitled to their own perspective and interpretation on any subject. Unfortunately, for this reader, it was filled with too much hero worship, idolization, and the standard tired historical interpretations of soldiers and war as being something someone does if they have a sense of duty, are honorable, patriotic, revere freedom and liberty, and are spiritual. These themes should stay in fiction such as stories of King Arthur and the Knights of the Roundtable. People in the real world should find other avenues besides war to achieve the admirable qualities of duty, honor, patriotism, believing in ideals, and spirituality and it should be the responsibility of learned people to point that out instead of seemingly making war and people who fight in wars the pillar and standard for achieving all those admirable qualities.



3. This month marks the 147th Anniversary of the beginning of the American Civil War and the fight to preserve the union and end slavery.
   
   Any war, as a violent, organized explosion of human emotions, produces some very unnatural responses on the part of soldiers and civilians alike. James McPherson, undoubtedly now the preeminent American Civil War scholar has, in the words of his own introduction, tried to make sense of what was similar to other wars but also what was different about that experience for the soldiers on both sides of the divide in that war. Working from a plethora of soldiers' letters and other observations he has tried to explain why the citizen soldiers on both sides of that bloody conflict kept at it despite the grueling circumstances, including extremely high casualty rates.
   
   I make no bones about my partisanship for the Northern, Union and anti-slavery side in that conflict. However in war, and civil war in particular, one can note the attributes of bravery, honor and heroism of the opposing side without giving an inch on the political questions. If one thinks about it if one does not recognize those characteristics in the soldiers of the other side one places oneself in a very hard place. The Geneva Conventions, weak as they are, codify that understanding.
   
   McPherson goes into great detail about the phases of the war-the general bloodthirsty and energetic desire of both sides to get at it; the sobering effects of actual combat; the psychological traumas produced in men before, during and after battle. In short, the passion and anger that drive men to fight-and soldiers to reflect a bit afterward. He details the sense of patriotism, honor, manhood, shame and other virtues of mid-Victorian America that further drove these men. Probably his weakest part is an examination of the personal politics of the soldiers, although that may be, in part, a function of the fuzziness of their goals as they became overwhelmed by the other considerations previously listed.
   
   However, overall, McPherson more than adequately makes his point that many considerations entered into the calculations of those who freely volunteered for the citizen armies on both sides, fought tremendous and bloody battles and slogged on through thick and thin. I will stop here with one comment that struck me from a Northern soldier about his reasons for fighting. Admittedly this soldier was a high abolitionist but here is what he said-" I want to be able to sing `John Brown' [John Brown's Body, the anti-slavery hymn and precursor for the Battle Hymn of The Republic] in the streets of Charleston [South Carolina]." Yes, I can, indeed, get behind that sentiment as a reason for fighting.



4. This book is mainly for academics and true historians. It's a short book, which makes it a quick read, but it's not as good as some of McPherson's other Civil War books. (like "Ordeal by Fire"). His thesis is that Civil War soldiers, both Union and Confederate, fought for three different reasons (or "motivations"). These are related to reasons why soldiers chose to enlist (enlistment motivation), to fight (combat motivation), and to stay in the service (sustaining motivation). The book seems pieced together to me and the chapters are not put in chronological order like most history books are. He uses so many excerpts from soldier's letters and diaries that it was hard for me to follow. Even though I understood his thesis, I did not like the book's style. I would give this one a pass unless you have nothing else to do!!



5. I was very satisfied with the level of customer service that I recieved from Amazon.com. I love the low prices and the customer service.

No comments about Cheech & Chong: The Unauthorized Autobiography.

5 comments about No Ordinary Time: Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II.

1. Rarely does an excellent writer appear in the biography universe. Goodwin uses her amazing skills to weave the story of two remarkable and very human people into and through a momentous time in the world's history. While she sometimes gets slowed down by statistics of limited value (for example how many rubber bands were collected in rubber drive) overall the writer has found a brilliant balance between facts, feelings and remembrances. The book's main revelations center mainly on the enormous contribution ER made to race relations and labor relations during that desperate time. One comes to feel that if not for FDR's hyperactive, agitating wife little or no social progress would have been made during the war years. I have read several biographies of FDR and Churchill and was still enriched by the layers of detail Goodwin has brought to her work, highly recommended.



2. If you enjoy history, this book is a must read. Doris Kearns Goodwin makes history interesting. Many of the programs that were instituted during the depression are still in effect today. The Roosevelt's were an amazing team, Eleanor paved the way for many women in politics and business. It's the perfect book to read in our current economic situation.



3. I know another five star rating. But She deserves it. Doris Kearns Goodwin's best book. I felt as if I was living their lives through the words of Mrs. Goodwin.
   The very essence of this marriage made a story which is better than any fiction novel. The formative years of both Franklin and Eleanor's lives tells us of the impending marriage of convenience. The starting of a family, along with the tragedy of the death of one of their offspring, tells us of their early life together. The later relationship with Lucy Mercer exposes us to an altered marriage in which Eleanor becomes a truly effective politician in her own right who in turn effected national policy.
   Mrs. Goodwin should be commmended for this truly human account of the Franklin Roosevelt period. Her writing was accurate yet highly entertaining. I learned a lot of this Brahman Family. Winston Churchill understood this family as no one else did. It wasn't until Mrs. Goodwin explained this period of extraordinary American History that I really understood the effect of their lives on the American public. Read this Book!!!!!



4. Seemingly hundreds of books have been written about Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt. Books about Franklin, written from his point of view, can be critical of Eleanor - her tendency to nag, her seriousness, her lack of personality. Similarly, books about Eleanor, written from her point of view, can be critical of Franklin - his deceptions, arrogance, and self-centeredness. "No Ordinary Time, Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt: The Home Front in World War II," written by historian Doris Kearns Goodwin, provides a unique perspective in telling the stories of both Franklin and Eleanor, incorporating each point of view into the story, describing them both as individual people and as part of a troubled yet fascinating partnership. Written in narrative form, Goodwin chronicles the war years on the home front, beginning in May of 1940 and ending in December of 1945, combining the story of the Roosevelts with that of regular Americans to demonstrate the unique relationship that was created between government and the people, making this truly "no ordinary time" in American history.
   
   In "No Ordinary Time," Franklin Roosevelt is fleshed out as a charming and charismatic figure who comes to inspire the nation through his "ebullient energy" and unlimited confidence, not only in himself, but in the country. Although he came from a wealthy, aristocratic family, Roosevelt was able to empathize with the poor and underprivileged after a bout with polio left him crippled. Although he never allowed himself to be seen in his wheelchair, and most Americans did not realize the extent of his disability, Goodwin describes one poignant scene when the president went to visit troops in Oahu and specifically asked to be wheeled around the hospital ward slowly - to, in effect, put himself, his disability, and his vulnerability on full display, so that troops who had lost arms or legs could see "living proof of what the human spirit could do."
   
   His unique ability to transmit his own perpetual cheerfulness and optimism to others was what defined his leadership. According to Goodwin, more than any previous president, Roosevelt studied public opinion (reading newspapers, analyzing polls, securing different points of view), allowing him to understand the national temperament. Even more than that, he wanted to connect to the American people. Prior to one of his fireside (radio) chats, he asked Americans to buy a map to have before them as they listened to his speech. Americans rushed to buy maps, and eighty percent of the audience was listening to the radio as Roosevelt explained to them the situation in each part of the world, bringing the war to life, so Americans could better understand the challenges they were facing and be more prepared for a new kind of war being fought on every continent. Not only did these fireside chats allow Americans to connect with their president, they allowed Americans to connect them with each other. Describing the scene on the Chicago Midway during a fireside chat, novelist Saul Bellow explained how all the taxi drivers were pulled over by the side of the road with their radios on, so that he didn't miss a word of the speech as he walked by their cars: "You felt joined to these unknown drivers, [. . . .] not so much considering the President's words as affirming the rightness of his tone and finding assurance from it." Through his leadership, Roosevelt inspired a country that had just been through an economic depression and that was woefully underprepared for a global war to come together and re-establish itself as the world's preeminent superpower.
   
   Like her husband, Eleanor Roosevelt also forged a unique relationship with the American people. Although she too had grown up in a wealthy, aristocratic family, unlike her husband she suffered through an unhappy childhood, leading to a lack of confidence and various bouts with depression. She lived a conventional subservient life as Franklin's wife up until she discovered his affair with Lucy Mercer. At that point, she decided she would no longer depend on another person for fulfillment and happiness and embarked on her own independent life devoted to her own interests, including teaching, writing, and participating in various political causes. She was not a conventional first lady but rather "challenged the traditional sense of what was possible": she was the first wife of a president to hold a government job, testify before a congressional committee, hold press conferences, write a syndicated column, and earn money as a lecturer. She didn't limit her role to staying at the White House and hosting social events, believing, if she did, she "would lose touch with the rest of the world." Instead, she traveled the country, observing poverty in Appalachia and sweatshops in Puerto Rico firsthand, reporting back to her husband when she found workers making less than minimum wage in one town. She witnessed the devastation of the war herself, also, as she traveled to Britain and to the Pacific. After seeing "the mangled bodies, the stomachs ripped by shells, the amputated limbs, the crushed spirits," she fell into a depression, trying to come to terms with her "emotionally disturbing" trip. Like her husband, she empathized with the American people and, even more than him, was determined to raise the consciousness of our country, fighting against Japanese internment and for women's rights in the workplace, an increased role for African Americans in the workplace, and less restrictive rules to allow refugees into the United States.
   
   Characterizing Eleanor as the agitator and Franklin as the politician, Eleanor as the one who thought about what should be done while Franklin thought only of what could be done, and contrasting Eleanor's shyness and insecurity with Franklin's confidence and sociability, Goodwin makes it clear just how different Eleanor and Franklin were. Realizing their inability to fulfill each other's needs, they established largely independent lives where they turned to others for comfort - Franklin to his "real wife" Missy LeHand, his gossipy cousins, and his aide Harry Hopkins, and Eleanor to her young political activist friend Joseph Lash and a circle of feminist friends, including newspaper reporter Lorena Hickok. Even after Franklin grew lonely as Missy and Hopkins drifted away and turned to Eleanor in the hopes they could re-establish a more traditional marriage, she refused, later writing to Lash that she felt there was "no fundamental love to draw on, just respect and affection." Yet, Goodwin makes it clear that there was a bond between them that could not be broken. In one particularly affecting passage, Goodwin quotes from Eleanor's son, who describes the aftermath of his uncle Hall's death: "'Hall has died,' Eleanor told Franklin simply. Father struggled to her side and put his arms around her. 'Sit down,' he said, so tenderly I can still hear it. And he sank down beside her and hugged her and kissed her and held her head on his chest. . . . . For all they were apart both physically and spiritually much of their married life, there remained between them a bond that others could not break." This bond was not just from nearly forty years of marriage, but from the common cause they were joined in - to better the lives of Americans. In order to advance this cause, they drew strength from each other, together creating a far different America than the one that existed when Franklin Roosevelt first took office.
   
   While it is clear that Goodwin has deep admiration for Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, she also establishes them as fully-fleshed characters - visionary, courageous, and brave, but also deeply flawed. In fleshing out their characters, she also succeeds in creating a third character, that of the American people. When Franklin Roosevelt began his second term, one-third of Americans had no running water or indoor plumbing, more than half had no central heating, and only one-fourth had even graduated from high school. America was a "pyramidal society," with a few fortunate on the top and a great mass of people at the bottom. During the war, though, Americans moved from the farm to the factory, from the south to the north, from the east to the west, as war production led to the emergence of the middle class and created the "most profound transition in American history." Most importantly, through innovations like the minimum wage, labor protection, social security, and market regulation, a new relationship between the American people and their government was formed. Franklin Roosevelt's importance is felt most at the end of the book, as Goodwin poignantly describes the public's reaction to his death - "everybody is crying" - and the long railroad trip as his body is carried from Georgia to Washington, with Eleanor looking out the window of the train and seeing hundreds of thousands of people whose lives he had touched gathered along the way to pay their tribute. In recounting the lives of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, and their impact on America, Goodwin shows readers why this was "no ordinary time," creating a vivid portrait of what American life on the home front was like during the second world war and bringing this incredible time in American history alive.



5. "Team of Rivals" remains my favorite Doris Kearns Goodwin book. But this is a very close second. "No Ordinary Time" is a brilliantly written, information-packed book that provides great insight into the FDR White House and the minds of both Franklin and Eleanor.
   
   "No Ordinary Time" covers the Roosevelts from 1940-45, focusing primarily on how they handled the home front during America's involvement in World War II. It was interesting to learn about Eleanor's deep commitment to civil rights, how polarizing a figure she was throughout the country, and her influence on the president.
   
   I was also very intrigued by the relationships between both Roosevelts and their friends and family. Goodwin occasionally breaks from the time period of the book to cover important moments in their lives pre-1940. FDR's affair with Lucy Rutherfurd, and the rekindling of their relationship in his last years, through the help of his daughter, is fascinating.
   
   If I have one criticism -- and it's a stretch -- it would be that Goodwin sometimes gets bogged down in numbers, such as statistics about war production -- the amount of planes, tanks, guns, etc., that were produced and/or shipped to England and Russia. But while those sections may have somewhat slowed the progress of the book, they were important to the story she was telling.
   
   So I consider this a 5-star book. I know Goodwin justifiably received criticism a few years ago due to some plagiarism in a previous book, but few, if any, historians combine research and writing as effectively as she does. I highly recommend this book.

5 comments about Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World.

1. An interesting perspective on not just the poor cod but of all of the great creatures in the sea on which humankind has feasted over the centuries.



2. Kurlansky takes the reader on a voyage from the beginning of the cod fishing industry through its almost complete collapse due to overfishing. He explores the effect of the industry on colonization of the New World, the Revolutionary War, slavery and more. This book was written first to show the important place cod has in the history of the world and second to warn of what can happen to natural resources if they are limitlessly exploited. This book was well written and easy to read, it was almost like reading a novel. Kurlansky added interest by including six hundred years of cod recipes, putting one at the beginning of every chapter and a section at the end of the book. A main strength of the book was that it covered a significant amount of history in very few pages. The only weakness of the book was that there were no endnotes or footnotes which left me unable to easily find the origin or support of information presented. My overall evaluation of this book is that is was very informative while still being enjoyable to read. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in natural history, ecology, fish, or conservation.



3. Mark Kurlansky has created a truly enjoyable, historical narrative of a fish that has influenced many aspects of world history. Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World, is a book that any food connoisseur, history buff, fisherman, or someone simply interested in fish, will appreciate.
   
   The book's main strength is the integration of facets of history to support the idea of cod's impact on the world. Within are discussed the influences of cod on wars, discovery, settlement, technology, gastronomy, and the effects of the dwindling cod stock.
   
   The tragic story epitomized by cod is masterfully told by Kurlansky. Until recently, the mindset of society made it impossible to fathom that such a prolific organism could ever be depleted. The book exposes a poignant message about the increasing problem of overexploitation of resources, which I believe was the author's inspiration.
   
   The only weakness of Cod is that there is so much history included in this relatively small book that it is somewhat overwhelming. Nevertheless, I thoroughly enjoyed reading the book and have recommended it to others. After digesting Cod, one realizes that the codfish not only influenced diets and economies, but helped steer the course of world history.



4. Cod: A Biography of the Fish that Changed the World is a fascinating picture of the influence that cod have had on civilization and that civilization has had on cod. From the beginnings with Basque fishermen producing salt cod, through the Cod Wars between England and Iceland, and including the moratorium on cod fishing off of Canada this excellent novel gives a historically accurate look at the world market, politics, and conservation efforts. The fact that overfishing has destroyed what once seemed a limitless resource is an abrupt awakening to irresponsible human behaviors and their true effects on nature and on the future. Kurlansky expertly gives a historically, environmentally, biologically, economically, and politically correct, yet easy to read, account of the history of cod fishing. This is an excellent book for anyone interested in any of the aforementioned fields, particularly those with an interest in conservation. I highly recommend this book for the enjoyable and educational experience it provides.



5. Cod is an engaging history of the fish that changed the world. As an eye opening adventure, cod takes the reader from low impact commercial fishing of ancient Europe to the destructive power of modern fisheries. Mark Kurlansky shows his creativity and skill as he brings to focus the plight of cod. The author further illustrates the ability of super consumers to deplete a previously perceived inexhaustible cod population. In this biography is shown the effect cod fishing has had on individual lives, nations and the world. The book keeps the reader thirsting for more. The main weakness of this book would be the abrupt ending to the enchanting tale. Cod is for historians and scientists alike. Fishermen and those that enjoy sea food will appreciate this book. Cod is a book that should be read and reread by everyone as a reminder of mankind's dependence upon and responsibility to conserve earth's diminishing supply of natural resources.