5 comments about Schulz and Peanuts: A Biography.

1. As a life-long admirer of Peanuts, I could not put this book down. I found it at times profound, highly readable and full of insight. The use of the strip to illustrate the biographical material was masterful. David Michaelis has come under fire from the Schulz family, especially Charles Schulz's son Monte for his depiction of "Sparky" as a depressed artist, as well as dwelling on Schulz's late 60s love affair. But Monte Schulz's criticisms are unfair. Michaelis creates a portrait, his own, of both the artist and the meaning of the strip. That is all he can do. Truth is multifarious and memory, even among family members, is fluid as quicksilver.
   
   Michaelis does an admirable job of charting the thematic metamorphosis of Peanuts, from its early emphasis on the angst-ridden Charlie Brown to the later ecstatic id-antics of Snoopy. While not a work of art history, the biography makes a good companion to the Complete Peanuts volumes, revealing many subterranean currents of meaning. For Schulz to endure as the great artist and writer that he was, critical and serious works like this need to be read, even when people might not like what Michaelis has to say. For this reviewer, Schulz and Peanuts enriched my understanding of characters I have loved all my life, allowing me to appreciate them even more.



2. This examination of Schulz's life is done with heavy emphasis on how that life was reflected in his life's work, PEANUTS. By juxtaposing cartoons with different events in Schulz's life, Michaelis presents a man who cannot be separated from his work; that the bond between life and art was inseparable and through careful reading of the strip, you can chart the course of Schulz's emotional ups and downs. This is the premise on which Michaelis bases his biography and it makes for reading that is often compelling but perhaps overreaches. It seems to limit the scope of the biography considering Micahelis' unlimited access and he often bogs down into psychoanalyzing when a more straight forward approach would have been preferable. Upon finishing this book, the first thing I thought was, "I doubt the Schulz family enjoyed this." Schulz comes across as a bitter man, who never was able to enjoy his accomplishments; often petty and self-involved, he could be vindictive and passive aggressive. While I don't think that Michaelis completely missed his mark; many artists fit this same personality type, it just doesn't seem he has created a well- rounded portrait. Perhaps Schulz was this cut off from the world, wrapped up in his creation to the extent where all else suffered. But Michaelis' Schulz is too one dimensional to have created such an incredibly insightful and reflective work on a weekly basis. This Schulz seems to have found very little joy in life and that person does not seem to have the inner being to create this wonderful comic. I would have loved to see a better discussion of the process of creation and a deeper examination of Schulz'sthought processes. But biographies can rarely fulfill all the needs of the readers and I do feel that Michaelis has created an interesting if incomplete portrait of Charles Schulz, creator of one of the most beloved and influential strips ever.



3. Amongst the many reviews written on behalf of David Michaelis' "Schultz and Peanuts", some have been exclamatory while others have been critical of the author's approach to his subject. Apparently members of Charles Schulz' immediate family have also expressed bitter disappointment that the man they loved was not portrayed as they actually knew him. They believe the author has been arbitrary and has randomly used information from, and observations made during many interviews with the Schulz family and associates in order to fashion a story to fit his own theories. Indeed a lot of the criticism on all sides has been levelled at Michaelis' supposed psychological theorising as the life and behaviour of Schulz is followed from boyhood to old age. I note also that most, if not all the reviews have been written by American readers and fans of Schulz' cartoon 'Peanuts', and who may feel they have some ownership of both the artist and his many characters - enough in fact so as to expect a biographer to present work along the lines of their own understanding, and in a way that they themselves would like it to be.
   As a New Zealander (that beautiful little country south-east of Australia) I feel I have a unique position from which to review Michaelis' biography with some objectivity, and - dare I say it - with even more admiration. 'Peanuts' appeared regularly in New Zealand newspapers from the mid 1960s and gathered a following, but not quite the devotion expressed by American readers, the reason being perhaps that in those days we in this country were not exposed so much to US customs and views of the world, and therefore to me the characters appeared to be quirky, and the story lines somewhat difficult to follow. When I discovered relatively recently that a biography had been written about the man whose name was familiar to me only as the artist of these strange, spare little cartoons, I was at once interested and also wary, knowing that the cost of importing this book might result in a huge literary disappointment to me as well as hard earned money being wasted.
   I can only say that my money was not wasted, and I so enjoyed Michaelis' writing that I shall be looking for others of his books!
   I think that when judging this book you have to examine what you expect from a biography. If it is the 'once-over-lightly Readers' Digest approach, "Schulz and Peanuts" is not for you. If indeed you want to know all the intimate but ordinary details of Charles Schulz' life (ie what hockey team did he follow?) then I think you are going to be disappointed
   You have only to look at the first sentence in the preface to see where Michaelis is headed with the results of his research viz:"When Charles Schulz died, he left behind fifty years of clues about his life embedded in his cartoons" (p.ixP. And again in answer to an inquiry as to "...whether someone who had followed the strip from the outset'...could actually write a biographical portrait...?' Schulz answered ...'I think so...'"(p.xi). These are the observations that form the premise of Michaelis' work and they are those he perseveres with from beginning to end, using many of Schulz' cartoons to speak of their author and artist as well as the written word itself. Charles Schulz is brought to life as a warm and human personality, an observer, a very deep thinker and a man of vision and ambition who used what he did best as a means of not only interacting with his world, but also to make sense of it for himself and for others. That so many American citizens could also identify with his observations, shows that he was at once everyman in being able to touch on the aspects of American life that his followers recognised, as well as being unique in his expression of it.
   For me, on this side of the globe, Michaelis has clarified much of the esotric nature of Schulz' cartoonery, and in doing so has helped me to understand the genius behind it. Certainly the approach to try to discover the real Charles Schulz IS behavioural and for some I guess is a little too theorietical and/or analytical. But when the subject himself preferred if he could to melt into the background and give very little of himself away at times, what else is a biographer to do but to look at the behaviour exhibited not only by Charlie Brown, Lucy, Linus, Schroeder, Snoopy, Peppermint Patty and others, but also that of the artist himself and begin to ask 'Why?'
   Contrary to the end papers of the book, I do not think David Michaelis has written the 'definitive' biography per se. I am sure there are other aspects of Charles Schulz that could be explored - perhaps Monte Schulz might be the one to write a more personal memoir of his father in the way Chris Lemmon has done for his father Jack. But for this reader, Michaelis' book has been a revelation. Don't be put off from buying because of negative criticism from many quarters. If you enjoy good writing, good scholarship, an excellent read and an admirable attempt to relate creator and subjects, then spend your money without equivocation. Come to this book with an open mind and you will not be disappointed.
   Visit my page at http://barbaraceciliastewartbrowning.blogspot.com for further reviews



4. My guess -- and it's nothing more -- is that the truth lies somewhere between the claims of Schulz's children (who want to protect their late father) and Michaelis (who, as others have pointed out, seemed to first formulate his thesis, then write the book in such a way as to support it).
   It's not surprising that Schulz was a flawed human. Who is not? Is it shocking that he and his wife grew apart? Happens to millions, does it not? Or shocking that a wealthy celebrity would succumb to temptation and have an extra-marital affair? But it's something of a leap to portray him -- as Michaelis does -- as a cold, self-centered, uncaring man. And Michaelis doesn't just present that thesis; he drives it into the ground. The book becomes repetitive after a while.
   Finally, there are little things in Michaelis' writing that are annoying -- such as his twice calling Schulz a "scratch golfer with an 8 handicap". That's an oxymoron -- like calling someone "a straight-A student with a B average".
   Anyway, I still give it three stars because, among those hundreds of pages devoted to portraying Schulz as a pitiful man, there was a lot of good information.



5. Even though I have read the reviews of the disappointed readers, I still think this book was well put together.
   About 10 years ago, I saw a "Biography" type program on the life of Charles Schulz and it really portrayed him as very depressed. I've never seen the program again, so I think that this aspect of his personality is revealed often when interviewing the people who populated his life, therefore airing programs about him and releasing books hasn't interested the media and publishers.
   Anyway, I think the thesis of the book is to show that one can reveal aspects of Schulz's life when reading the comics he wrote, and this book does a decent job of illustrating this point. I, too, felt the era of the 1970's was a bit short, but when I learned the original research draft was over 1000 pages, I can forgive the author.
   I would love to see a movie or more books released about this iconic man of the 20th century. Charles Schulz really does deserve more attention and credit, so be careful in reviewing the book too harshly since the media is very fickle and will interpret this as a sign people aren't interested in him.
   In conclusion, the book really is a good read and the points are followed up by comic strips illustrating the points of the author, which I found very charming.

5 comments about The Professor and the Madman: A Tale of Murder, Insanity, and the Making of the Oxford English Dictionary (P.S.).

1. Many academics and scholars border on creative madness, take Kierkegaard and Nietzsche for example. This book is marvellous reading since the dull subject of dictionary making is enlivened by eccentric personalities and mental disturbance. It reveals how a dictionary as prestigious as the Oxford English Dictionary was put together. Any author who can make such a dry subject as exciting as a murder mystery deserves a good deal of credit and acclaim.



2. Absent the anti-Christian bias of his geological disaster books, Winchester writes a very good tale about a fascinating sidebar of history during the compilation of the OED. The madman was an American military surgeon (son of missionaries to Sri Lanka!) who served in the Union army during the Civil War, whose slow spiral to insanity culminated in the shooting of an innocent man in London 15 years later. The professor was the editor of the OED who corresponded with the madman for 20 years at the asylum outside London where he made a full-time career of volunteering word lists and quotes to the OED editorial team.
   
   How their histories shadowed and paths crossed, and how the OED came to be, make for a great story. The book was lavishly praised and worthily so, reading like a psychological thriller that can't be put down. I literally read through this in less than 24 hours in just a few sittings.



3. The first time that I had ever heard about the Oxford English Dictionary, I was a freshman at Bryn Mawr-- straight from the sticks. I had tested out of needing to take the freshman English classes, and had plunged straightaway into classes that were aimed at upper classman. While eventually that turned out to be fine, my very first class was with a peach of a gentleman who clearly found me an unlettered barbarian who should have been sent back to the freshman comp classes-- or even worse. I was not only an unlettered barbarian, but a *stubborn* unlettered barbarian and we fought about absolutely everything. A little bit over midway through the semester, he marked me down on a paper because I used the word "meld". He scribbled in the margin: "Not a word!" Furious, I went to the library and came back with a popular dictionary and I held the entry for "meld" under his nose during his office hours. He icily slammed the book shut and glared at me. "If it is not in the Oxford English Dictionary," he said, "it is not a word!"
   
   That began my lifelong love-hate relationship with the OED. At least with the idea of the OED. I've somehow never managed to acquire my own copy. (I keep telling B. that I'd love one for my birthday, but I'm pretty sure that he doesn't believe that I'm serious.) But still, The Professor and the Madman was kind of a natural for me. People have been recommending it to me ever since it appeared; I've had several offers to lend it to me (I don't borrow books); I've had it regularly suggested on Amazon. I finally picked up my own copy second-hand. And now, reader, I've finally read the book.
   
   And-- honestly-- it's a little bit anticlimactic. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice book. It's one of these new breed of nonfiction books that read mostly like magazine articles writ large. Winchester delivers a very good magazine article writ large. It is surely entertaining, very interesting, decently written and a good story. What else could you want?
   
   I would have *perhaps* wanted a little more about the history of the Dictionary and a little bit less about Minor. But this isn't a fair remark, as that was the subject of the book. But that would have added more substance, and if I have a criticism it is surely that the book is not very substantial.
   
   Know someone who loves words? This is probably an excellent gift. It's unlikely to be controversial, and they will probably get a kick out of it. Do not expect too much, and you will not be disappointed.
   
   (I really appreciated, by the way, that Winchester included a list of suggestions for further reading. I will definitely be following some of those up.)



4. Though it was written before "The Meaning of Everything" it could easily serve as a chapter or appendix to the book. Winchester does a superb job of telling both the early history of the OED while at the same time setting down the 'odd' collaboration between Professor JAH Murray (of Oxford) and the Madman Dr. WC Minor (or the Broadmoor Lunatic Asylum). Their relationship was to span forty years and affect the OED in a way that no other relationship did.
   
   Minor (who was an American Doctor and Civil War Veteran) had come to England to "try and get his head straight" after the horrors he saw during the Civil War. While in England he murders an innocent man and is sent to the 'Lunatic Asylum' for the rest of his life. While there he gets involved with the creation of the OED by sending in slips that demarcate word meanings and usage. His work (voluntary) is so specific and exact that he is asked by Murray to 'find' citations for certain words and to also look for earlier usages and meanings.
   
   Murray finally meets Minor after seven years of correspondence an is amazed at the work this so called 'lunatic' has been able to send into the OED over a period of years. They never become what you would call 'fast friends' but do establish a corresponding association that is both respected and admired by all those who work on the OED.
   
   I listened to this book on CD and found Winchester's reading of his own book to heighten the enjoyment of it. Knowing when to put emphasis on the proper parts of the book to specifically call your attention to a passage or section, made the book thoroughly enjoyabale.
   
   Zeb Kantrowitz



5. It is an interesting book, explaining how the Oxford English Dictionary was put together by volunteers supplying definitions and quotes for every word in the English language. In the back of the book is a call for additional volunteers to work on keeping the dictionary current! The man who made the largest number of contributions was Captain William Chester Minor, late of the United States Army, whose residence at the time he was making contributions was Broadmoor Asylum for the criminally Insane, Crowthorne, Berkshire. He was committed to Broadmoor for the murder of George Merrett in February 1872. Captain Minor suffered from what today would be diagnosed as Schizophrenia - although his problem was not diagnosed until 18 November 1918 after the British government formally returned the aged Civil War captain to the United States Army. Interestingly, the author makes the statement that schizophrenia, then called dementia praecox, is early onset Alzheimer's, or at least it was so believed in 1918.

5 comments about Young Stalin (Vintage).

1. 
   First of all this is probably the best non-fiction book I've read in recent memory. Montefiore's portrait of a young criminal virtuoso measures up favourably to some of the best biographies ever written, works like Sylvia Nasar's 'A Beautiful Mind' and Martin Gilbert's 'Churchill', .
   
   The style of writing is unique in that it is both direct and elegant, a combination of clipped factual biography and sensational prose that succeeds in turning a historical document into a novel that puts your modern day bestselling thriller to shame (I'm looking at you Da Vinci Code). Stalin's days growing up in a provincial Georgian town, from the traditional yearly town brawls, to being a choirboy in the church, to fomenting anarchy in the seminary after his discovery of Marxism (Stalin probably wouldn't have made a great priest anyway), the author's diligently researched work gives the reader an often hilarious portrait of a surprisingly likeable young Georgian who, with some luck and charisma, just happened to become one of the most callous and paranoid autocrats in the history of the Russian empire.
   
   I thought it unfortunate that the author didn't really expand upon the particular brand of Marxism that Stalin espoused. Although to be fair he does remark that Stalin could quote and paraphrase Marx effectively enough to convince anyone of the cogency of his arguments, which is probably more revealing than any ideological claims. Like most fanatics, he expropriated the facts that suited him. In any case the book is about the Stalin, and not the revolution or Marxism.
   
   Another difficulty that people might encounter is the deluge of Georgian and Russian names that flit in and out of Stalin's life. Spandarian, Shaumian, Egnatashvili, Davrichewy, Alliluyeva, Svanidze, Mukhtarov, Sverdlov, Lunarcharsky, Dybenko, Kamenev...keeping track of everyone is like being Kirstie Alley's nutritionist, the shear quantitiy and variety is overwhelming. Sometimes people show up just so they can get killed a few pages later, but I suppose we can blame Stalin for that and not Sebag-Montefiore. In any case the author is adept at separating the important figures from more minor actors, without wasting much space on repetition or lengthy digressions.
   
   A few minor editing mistakes and the aforementioned quibbles however, do not detract from the fact that this is a first rate work of scholarship and writing. Easy five stars.



2. I'm probably in agreement with most in saying this is one of the most entertaining reads about such a dreadful subject as "Soso". As with Potemkin's biography, Mr. Montefiore's ability to unearth biographical details gives life to the characters. I'll mention just a few juicy anecdotes about the book (in no particular order): the author manages to interview an old man aged 109 at the time who 100 years earlier had seen Soso bereave his first bride, Kato; he reveals that the Okhrana was foresightfully worried that airplanes, back then, could be used for suicide attacks on the seat of government; he walks us through the various fathers Stalin could have had; and he takes us to Soso's last, longest and harshest Siberian exile beyond the arctic circle.



3. This is great action/adventure in the same vain as Georg Lucas's Young Indiana Jones series. Follow the exploits and exciting adventures of a young Joseph Stalin as he travels the world with a cadre of friends, including an wacky funny version of 12-year old Leon Trotsky...and in regards to that, you will perhaps laugh uneasily at the forshadowing when the 14 year old Stalin jokes to his 12-year old pal: "if you keep making those bad jokes, I am going to have you killed!" I especially enjoyed the love interest of the young Stalin, 13-year old Ameila Earhart, who takes Stalin barnstorming as they steal one of the Wright Brother's early planes. This novel is suitable for the whole family, and I think it is only a matter of time before Disney or one of the studies pick this up and makes a family movie out of it!



4. I initially picked up this book with the risk that it would be yet another red-baiting diatribe. Boy was I wrong. The author definitely has his political opinions, but the book is so thoroughly substantive and scholarly that people of any political leanings will have a lot to gain out of this book.
   And watch out - you might just come out cheering for the anti-heroic Stalin as the "Boy Named Sue" we've come to love growing up. While the author tries in vain to psychoanalyze how Stalin came to be so brutal, you feel like you're sharing a deep secret with a brilliant man and a passionate organizer.



5. It's an excellent expose of the hitherto unknown childhood and young manhood of "So-So" (Georgian small form of Iosef, his given name)Stalin.
   The author and his brilliant narrative brings to life many of the unfortunate circumstances and events which undoubtedly had a profound effect on young Stalin, both during his formative years and in the turbulent decade preceding the Revolution.
   Rather than painting him as a Black Villain he treats young Stalin with the necessary objectivity to present him to the reader as a person who at least at the outset was able to feel emotion and tenderness for those few he loved and his land of birth. He also had a youthful love of the vibrance of nature and poetry.
   In essence, for those who care to understand who Stalin was, it is a "Must Read"!

2 comments about A Fortunate Life.

1. Wonderful Book. Funny and interesting. Will keep you reading well past your bed time. I highly recommend.



2. Robert Vaughn's description of the RFK assassination is excellent -- very few people are aware of the fact that the evidence shows there were other gunmen, and that Sirhan's gun did not fire the fatal shots. But his conclusion that Aristotle Onassis was behind it is a ruse that Vaughn has oddly fallen for. Onassis may have known who killed RFK, but it certainly was not arranged by him. He had no motive. However, through his intelligence connections, Onassis may well have found out very early on the truth behind both the RFK and JFK assassinations.

5 comments about Center Cannot Hold, The: My Journey Through Madness.

1. One of the best of all the books I have read over the 15 years my son has been struggling to find his place in a society that refuses to care for his needs. It gave me tremendous insight into his struggles, and I am now reading Sak's third book, "Refusing Care." I have suggested "Center Cannot Hold" to the local chapter of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, so that families can borrow the book, read it, and gain their own "insight" into the details our loved ones are unable to tell us about. It certainly will help me to change the way I interact with my son, as I learn to let go of my fears for him and encourage him to make his own choices in dealing with such a devastating brain disorder.



2. What everyone who reviews this book and Ms. Saks herself untterly fails to realize is the devastating affect that her two years with "Operation ReEntry" had on her emotional and psychological development. Spawned from Synanon, a destructive and cruel cult that borrowed its methods from Korean war era mind-control and brainwashing techniques, it had her brainwashed into believing that she needed to have her spirit broken down and "rebuilt" although she never makes clear in what way it was beneficial for her to have spent two years being yelled at, made to scrub the stairs with a toothbrush, cut off from normal teenage activities, separated from her peers and turned over to a group of controlling drug addicts. Nor how her spirit was supposedly rebuilt nor to whose specifications. Lots of people have done far more drugs that Ms. Saks did and are fine. But when your parents abandon you to a cult that turns sanity, reality and common sense on its head then makes you believe you are crazy if you challange it, truth gets twisted into such a Gordian knot that sometimes insanity is the only escape. The lady seriously needs to reexamine that time in her life to understand the damage that was done by her post-traumatic reaction to her semi-incarceration. I'm not saying that she would not have schizophrenia anyway. But the massively profitable "behavioral" programs that Synanon spawned have been the cause of much post-traumatic stress and suicide, not to mention the kids who died in the "programs" as a result of abuse and neglect. Although I admire her and her accomplishments there is a big piece of the puzzle missing here. I hope Ms. Saks will do a rigorous re-examination of this time in her life and write about it.



3. 'The Center Cannot Hold' presents an extremely admirable story. Professor Saks not only survives but thrives despite having schizophrenia. 'The Center Cannot Hold' shows Professor Saks to have an almost superhuman will power. Despite set back after set back Professor Saks returns to the ring time after time and finally triumphs. I think the real strength of this book is that it shows people with schizophrenia frequently to be decent caring people with a profound sense of justice. In terms of psychoanalysis, vis-a-vis Dr. Saks the proof is in the pudding, but psychoanalyis isn't really such a terrifc option for the vast majority of people with schizophrenia. Too, a similiar career path to the career path of Dr. Saks is largely out of the question for most people with schizophrenia. I think the main strenth of the book is to show than people with schizophrenia can be very very ill but at the same time fully human.



4. I struggled through this book. Surely Elyn would quit having so many psychotic symptoms; surely her meds would stop her symptoms; certainly she would realize that seeing an analyst was not helping with her symptoms. About two-thirds of the way through, I put it down thinking I would return it to its owner.
   
   However, a month later when I read some positive book reviews, I picked it back up hoping to read that she was free of psychotic symptoms. Instead, she continues to live inside her illness and hold onto her symptoms.
   
   As a person with a psychotic disorder, I know that recovery from these painful symptoms is possible. And it isn't just the meds that help one recover. The fundamental change in how I perceived and reacted to my world came from changing my thinking.
   
   Recovery is personal to everyone and obviously Elyn's idea of recovery is to continue living with her horrible symptoms and maintain the capacity to live a productive life. For me, I choose to find alternative ways to heal that include positive expectations for myself and the world around me.
   
   Elyn, the center CAN hold; the center DOES hold. It's all we have.
   
   If you are a family member of a person with a psychotic disorder and you want your loved one to suffer the rest of their life, then send them to a psychoanalyst. If you truly want happiness, freedom, independence and all the wonderful things life has to offer for your family member, then read Jill Bolte Taylor's, My Stroke of Insight. "Peace is just a thought away."



5. This is an amazing account of an intelligent woman who will not let one of the most devastating mental illnesses, schizophrenia, beat her. Her courage and honesty are amazing. What she has achieved is beyond what "normal" people can imagine. She has done so much for those with mental illness and their families by her brave account, not just in showing how it can be managed but the failures of understanding in the medical community.

5 comments about The Adams-Jefferson Letters: The Complete Correspondence Between Thomas Jefferson and Abigail and John Adams.

1. Out second and third presidents began their political career as friends, fell out, and then fortunately became friends again. In this wonderful collection of personal letters we see not only the men but the times until their deaths July 4, 1826. One of our most beloved presidents and most mis-understood are brought into reality by this collection. They were after all both remarkable men and human beings.



2. Have you ever wanted to be a fly on the wall and to be able to share in the thoughts and happenings of important places and people? Well, if your desires in that regard include the office of the Presidency of the United States and the early days following the American Revolution, that is exactly what this book provides.
   
   As was typical of statesmen of that day, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams maintained a lengthy personal and professional correspondance the subjects of which were both mundane and highly intellectual. This book takes that correspondance, chronologically arranges it and then groups it according the characteristics of the time and the themes of their correspondance. As an additional bonus, John's wife Abigail Adams is included as well.
   
   My attraction to this volume was to seek clarity and focus on several questions that are quite relevant to today. What was meant and intended by the concept of Separation of Church and State and what was the philisophic and religious thinking of there two important figures? There's no shortage of resources out there to tell you what these men thought, the context of their society and usually as an added bonus how these matters in one way or another support the agenda or perspective of the one putting the source together.
   
   At some point however, if you really want to grapple with these issues or just understand the times and importance of these two men, there is no substitute for simply reading and allowing them to speak for themselves.
   
   The added benefit of reading it through in its entirity is that you are not subjected to the judgement of another as to what is significant, what isn't and you aren't relying upon snippets and quotes that may or may not be in context and may or may not be representative of all that either man had to say upon a certain matter.
   
   Certainly, this is just a small cross-section of all that these two men wrote and by itself there is much more that should be added. However, more than any other correspondance preserved from that day that these men engaged in, this was an exchange between men who considered the other his equal and for whom, with exceptions in time periods that are noted, mutual respect and a desire to explain themselves to one another motivated a candor and depth of intimacy that is difficult to find in other sectors.
   
   Certainly, any student of American History needs this resource as a reference and as such it affords a ready means to add information and topically flip through the pages to see what each man had to say on a particular subject.
   
   Every such student though, in my opinion, owes it to themselves, at least once, to just sit down and read the entire volume. Do this, and you'll have a handle upon the style of communication of the day, a feeling for many of the issues of the day and how they were viewed by the participants who did not have the advantage of knowing at the time how something would resolve. Idiosyncrasies in language and social custom will become more self-evident and the chances of being mislead by a quote isolated from its context will diminish considerably.
   
   In short, for anyone who loves History, this is an experience not to be missed.
   
   The footnotes and introductory passages to the different sections in my opinion do a remarkably good job of providing the reader with just enough context and outside information so that the letters themselves make sense and are not misunderstood. The reader is not told what to think about the letters per se, but rather equipped to make a better informed evaluation and come to their own conclusions. Those elements make the book valuable as well.
   
   5 stars if ever there was a book worthy of 5 stars; again, this IS history.
   
   Bart Breen



3. What an incredible feeling reading the words of two of our country's founding fathers. To feel the respect and affection , as well as irritation, of these men is astounding. I am grateful that they have been made available to us to have and hold in our own hands and libraries and to pass on to our children.



4. This is a very intersting book. The letters are all preceeded by an introduction that gives the reader historical context as well as a description of the relationship at the time between the writers of the letter.



5. It is a very good book, the reading is really good!!! I loved reading the letters between Jefferson and Adams!!!! The letters are very good!!!!

5 comments about Marine Sniper: 93 Confirmed Kills.

1. I was in the Marine Corp in the late 60s but was fortunate not to make a tour in Nam. Lost quite a few good friends over there.
   
   Saw this book mentioned on the web and couldn't wait to get it. A great moving story of someone we should be grateful to. Many men and women sacrificed their lives for us back here. Just hope people appreciate it.
   
   Couldn't put it down. Well written and enlightening.
   
   Wally



2. This is probably the best book about snipers I have ever read. I loved it. The writing is excellent, and nicely discriptive. A great book if you want to know some things about snipers and what it means to be a sniper.



3. This has to the story of one of the bravest and most dedicated soldiers of all time. This book tells of the dedication to an art form that is need these days more than we care to realize. Not only the story of a soldiers efforts, but also of his struggle with illness and his own actions on the field of battle.



4. I wanted to read about Carlos Hathcock and was pleased to be able to do so. The book was very informative and enjoyable. I have lent the book to others to read.



5. Just amazing, This one of those books that you read and it plays like a movie in your head, you will find it hard to put down. If you like the role snipers play in war, this book is a must read. This is not just a first hand account of just some sniper, he was the best sniper in vietnam. Pick up this book today, you will be glad you did.

5 comments about Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur.

1. Tears of the Desert: A Memoir of Survival in Darfur by Halima Bashir is a very emotional and riveting book. I found this book very painful to read at times, yet I couldn't put it down, even though I was sobbing at some points. I was lucky enough to receive this Random House publication from the Library Thing Early Reviewer Program.
   
   It seemed that Halima Bashir was born lucky. She is from Darfur, a region of Sudan, and a member of the Zaghawa tribe, and was born into a family that was wealthier than most. For the most part, she had a happy childhood. She was the oldest child of an enlightened and progressive father. He recognized her intelligence early and had big dreams for her. She was sent to a city school because the village schools were not very good. It was there that she faced prejudices and social injustices for the first time . Even so, she excelled at school and went on to university and became a medical doctor.
   
   It was after she was finished with school that violence really took over her beloved country. Janjaweed, armed by the Sudanese government began attacking black Africans. Rebel groups were formed to fight back. Halima's willingness to treat these rebels got her in trouble with the government. She was forced to escape from her country and is fighting the injustice from afar.
   
   The terror and destruction these people have to live with is unimaginable. You need to read this book in order to comprehend it. One thing that struck me is the role that China has played and continues to play in the genocide that is taking place in Darfur. That gives me one more reason to avoid buying Chinese made products.



2. Dr. Halima Bashir's autobiography is a testament to the tragedy taking place in Darfur as well as a picture of her life. She begins with her happy childhood in her village - although the chapter of her "cutting time", when she underwent the gruesome ritual of Female Genital Mutiliaton, is wrenching, and progresses to her work as a medical doctor.
   
   Targeted just for speaking out against the violence, and for serving her people, Dr. Bashir is kidnapped and viciously tortured and raped, then released as the ultimate punishment since rape victims are shunned in her society. She could have suffered in silence, as so many women of her culture do, or at least kept her torment private to heal. No one would have blamed her. Instead she bravely speaks out about her ordeal in an attempt to both help her violated country, and to help other victims of sexual assault.
   
   I'm delighted that she has found joy in her marriage and child, and has been granted asylum in England, but as of publication, the fate of her other family members is unknown. I will not close my eyes at night without a prayer for her relatives and the people of Darfur, which also raises the question: WHERE IS THE WORLD??? Why is my USA, as well as the other countries who cried "never again!" after the Holocaust of the last century, so strangely silent? Dr. Bashir chose to become a voice for her oppressed people. The remainder of humanity has a moral obligation to join theirs to hers.



3. tears of the desert is outstanding, I really felt Halima's pain can you imagine something like this and how cruel they we're treated..I would also like recommend Slave also a great memoir..I truly wish Halima's family is okay and can one day be reunited...very touching



4. I purchased this book as a political statement, but found it interesting reading. worth the purchase.



5. A heart touching story of a young woman's experience in a a bloody war, which caused great fear for her and her family. Her memoirs from her childhood and her experiences during the war made for a book with great value, excitement and fear. Her continuous brave actions during the war show us a woman of great valor and charecter. I highly recommendment it.

5 comments about Fear and Loathing: On the Campaign Trail '72.

1. I read this book as an appetizer for the current US presidential election campaign. And what an appetizer it is - akin to a halopenio shrimp cocktail with mescalin! It would have been an even better starter for the 2004 election, with which the 1972 election (featured here) shared many features: An incumbent hated by all the progressives at home and everybody in the rest of the world, an opponent who stands for nothing but not being that incumbent (defeated in the primaries in 72) and a murderous, immoral and expensive war on the other side of the world, which nevertheless didn't cost the US president his job.
   
   When the great HST covers the 1972 campaign, the verb "cover" takes on a whole new meaning. He immerses himself in the broadcast of a pro football game in order to adopt the same mindset as pro football fanatic Richard Nixon. He almost drowns in the Atlantic ocean in Miami in sight of his friends at a democratic primary-night party. At the republican convention, he joins the young republicans and talks to them about acid (they think he is referring to proton donors, like hydrochloric acid). Not despite, but rather because of this famous "gonzo" style of journalism, HST's book is rich in insight about US politics and politics in general. He goes so much further than the horse-race type coverage commonly fed to the public. Thompson provides an intelligent assessment of the moods and trends in the US population and a really smart analysis of why people vote for whom. He has excellent insight into the dynamics of the individual campaigns and how they are molded by the characters and agendas of the candidates, the interactions with their campaign workers and their relations to the party apparatus. HST doesn't think of elections as some kind of stunt happening every couple of years, but he explains them as deeply interwoven with the social and demographic workings of the USA.
   
   Some of my most favorite political quotes are from this book. Thompson really loves his country, he says "it could have been a testament to some of man's best instincts", but he is in despair over the crocks (Nixon and cronies) who have taken it hostage. This emotional state of his and the worry about the direction the US will take in '72 got him to write an intense and fiery book.
   
   Do yourself a favor - stop following the electoral coverage on the corporate media for a week, use your time to read this book, and then go back to the current campaign and you will view it in a new light.



2. This book's setting is eerily similar to the current state of affairs going on in with the 2008 Presidential Election, with the Democrats picking themselves apart while the Republicans sit back and enjoy the show. Richard Nixon is shown as the abomination that he was and HST's writing is as animated and humorous as I have ever seen it. This book surpassed my expectations and was a surprisingly fast read at 496 pages. I was left begging for more political insight and HST wit. A must read for any HST fan or anyone interested in the inner workings ( mostly the dark side) of politics. A great book that shows that HST was and is probably better than his already sizable legend permits.



3. It is revealing that thirty-five years after this book was first published, it is still in print and going strong. Bear in mind that this was originally a series of magazine articles, written under pressure of deadline for Rolling Stone. I could read it (and will read it) again and again. Just think of Theodore White's "Making of a President" series. Just give Teddy a couple of hits of blotter acid and you have "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72" by Hunter S. Thompson.
   
   This could only be described as journalistic poetry. The passion rage and ultimate disillusionment expressed by Thompson throughout these pages are as moving today as they were when first written in 1972. Covering the doomed campaign between a crooked used car salesman like Dick Nixon and a statesman of George's McGovern's stature must have been a soul wrenching experience. Given the benefit of hindsight, especially what the months following its publication would reveal about the depths of the Nixon Gang's corruption, reading this book is all-the-more bittersweet. But it's also funny - screamingly so.
   
   It really shouldn't surprise anyone familiar with his work that Hunter would eventually be consumed by his own rage. It can't be easy for a person with so clear a grasp of the hypocrisies of the so-called American dream to live amongst us as a functioning, mentally healthy human being. How could it have been easy being Hunter Thompson?
   
   Tom Degan
   Goshen, NY



4. I have read a number of Hunter Thompson's books. Some were very good and some were just too "over the top". There are elements of both in "Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail 1972". This book focusses on the 1972 Democratic campaign for President beginning with the start of the primary campaign. Thompson has his favorites in the race and it is helpful that one of them, George McGorvern, wins the Democratic nomination. Along the way to the nomination, we are treated to Thompson's vile opinions of others in the race such as Edmund Muskie and, especially, Hubert Humphrey.
   
   Thompson's book is essentially a compilation of articles that were written for "The Rolling Stone" throughout the campaign. The articles meld together well. Thompson appears to have been treated nearly the same as other "main stream" reporters although there are times that he seems to be off on his own. The book concludes with a helpful insight to the reasons behind the catastrophic loss suffered by McGovern.
   
   I enjoyed this book for the insight and the recollections that it provided me. I was 20 year's old in 1972 and, thanks to President Nixon, able to vote in my first election. I was an avid supporter of McGovern back then. I understood his reasons for dropping his running mate, Thomas Eagleton, after disclosures of Eagleton's past mental health treatment became public. In the week that followed that revelation, the only news that the press seemed to write about the McGovern campaign was an on-going analysis of Eagleton's suitability for the office. With nothing coming out about McGovern or his issues, it seemed an unfortunate inevibility to have to cast aside Eagleton to be able to refocus on McGovern. Of course, that only made matters worse and McGovern's campaign never recovered from it. Thompson gives a fair amount of insight to that event that helped me to understand it better. There were other insights as well but that leads me to my objection of Hunter Thompson's book. There were enough scenes of the standard drug-crazed observations that made me realize that I couldn't be sure what was fact or what was a sort of morning after effort to recollect the foggy night before. Some things clearly seemed impossible to be true. Some things seemed clearly a representation of factual inside information. However, there were enough questionable accounts that I had to set aside because of Thompson's wasted pages spent building up his persona. Were these events real or imagined like the mescaline deal taking place outside his motel window? Were these quotaions accurrate or just as imagined as the various mind-altering drugs that Thompson was sure some of the various candidates were taking? The problem with Hunter Thompson is that you never know what to believe. He took on a worthy topic and had a lot to share. A lengthy transcript of one of his interviews betrays a fairly normal, intelligent journalist's questions of a candidate. If he had played it straight, this would have been a much more significant contribution to the Presidential Campaign of 1972. As it is, it's an interesting mixture of fact and fiction that a reader can take or leave.



5. On C-Span's "In Depth" program, Brian Lamb interviewed Richard Norton Smith and Douglas Brinkley. Richard Norton Smith is probably the most notable living historian specializing on the American Presidency, having had a part in many of the presidential libraries and so forth. Douglas Brinkley is widely regarded as the most prominent living American historian.
   
   Smith cited this book as the best work ever written about the U.S. Elections process, and Brinkley concurred. For those of you who know Smith and Brinkley by reputation, that says far more than anything I could write here. It's not only some of the best political writing of all time, it's some of HST's best work, too. Fantastic.

5 comments about Monster: The Autobiography of an L.A. Gang Member.

1. There are so many things that can be said about this book, because it makes you think on so many different levels. It's brutally honest, and no holds barred, violent and as ruthless as things can get but... Then there is more... And I to date haven't read a book to surpass this in actually putting one "There" in the life of a Gang Banger. It made me think about the loss of innocence, it also made me think about what would have happened if this same man had of been raised else where in a different environment? I'll leave that one to the philosophers and all but the conclusion I came up with is he would have survived no matter where he was planted. When I first read Eldridge Cleavers "Soul On Ice" I was shocked at the intelligence pouring from the pages. I had the same feeling reading "Monster" by Sanyika Shakur. Highly intelligent! This book reads like a birds eye view of his life! It even inspired me to write on the subject so I give credit where credit is due. If you want to know what is really happening in the streets and neighborhoods of America then read this book!!!!
   
   Raw? Without a doubt, but as shocking as all it is, there is also compassion revealed and revelations and for the man to live to write about it is a miracle to begin with.
   
   I think this book deserves far more than what Amazon has in levels to rate.
   
   To understand the real picture you have to see the underside...
   
   And this book reveals it as few have and is an important part of American Literature and a testimony of how it really is with no holds barred!
   
   And in addition to all the other things this man has been, one that he has certainly proven himself to be, without a doubt is an exceptional author and one who knows how to truly write something you won't have to worry about forgetting...
   
   Because you won't...
   
   Your Chance to Hear The Last Panther Speak



2. Love this book but this book left me wanting more like what happened after he left prison in 91.I learned alot from this book things i didn't know;very good book.



3. I've read this book several times over the years. Author Sanyika Shakur offers a sobering and disturbing look into the other side of Los Angeles.
   
   For anyone seeking understanding into what turns a young man into a hard-core gangster, this book is invaluable reading. The book is unapologetically violent and includes some graphic descriptions of an inmate-on-inmate assault inside the Los Angeles County Men's Central Jail.



4. Monster Kody Scott has been in one of the most ruthless gangs since age 11. He was drawn by the fame and respect that gang members in his 'hood received. Everything he did since age 11 was done to gain a reputation for his name and his set.
   
   When I purchased this book I was very excited to get an inside look at the life of a gang member from one of the toughest streets in America, South Central L.A. I have always been interest in gang activity and thought this would be a great read on that fact alone.
   
   For the most part the book was able to enlighten me on gang life, however, it wasn't able place me there, so to speak. The book was very very very dull and dry. There was no talk of emotion, from his first kill to his last. There was no talk about how stealing his first car made him feel, whether it be good, or bad, powerful, or paranoid I don't care which it was, but make it interest for the readers!!! I guess the hard streets have left Monster emotionally empty. Everything is stated very matter-of-fact manner, with minimal descriptions of events to make them coherent.
   
   As I said before, this made for an extremely boring read. After reading about his 100th raid, I found I could care less, they were practically all the same. This book has no depth and at the end it felt like a homework assignment, forcing myself to finish it. Which is a shame because given his status in the Crips, Monster Kody Scott, could have given one of the best if not the best accounts of gang-life in America.
   
   Over all I rate it 3/5. I know really only focused on the negatives of the book, but there are also good qualities. It is pretty rare that we get an autobiography written by a gang member, especially an O.G. It did add a level of authenticity that a D.A. or police officer would not be able to provide. All said and done, I would not recommend this book to a friend.



5. Even though Cody Scott pats himself on the back a lot, and it's obvious he is not finished with his foolish ways, I found the book useful in one way. I had a student I had known off and on since he was 5. He was bright and lively, and could not learn to read. He could make neither the visual or auditory connections with print . He couldn't remember what we went over with him . When you have both a lack of visual and auditory memory, it's not likely you are going to ever succeed at reading. It was unlikely my student, Alex, would ever be able to read. I received permission to use this in his case high interest book with this student. It was a last ditch effort. Alone with him in my office i would read a vignette, and just at the exciting part, I would refuse to read another word. But I would help him decode what was there. It was a struggle, but Alex did in fact succeed in learning to sound out, figure out, and remember what he read. So for that I am grateful to the author.