5 comments about Illuminations: Essays and Reflections.

1. 
   
   Benjamin is arguably the twentieth century's most important thinker--if there is anything left to say about our lives, it is surely in this book.



2. I picked up this book primarily for the purpose of reading Benjamin's critically acclaimed essay "The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction", as well as for his darkly poetic - and even apocalyptic - "Theses on the Philosophy of History". These essays are among Benjamin's most highly esteemed and are the last two selections in the book; regardless of whether you start with them or with the first essay, "Unpacking My Library: A Talk about Book Collecting", you are likely to be drawn into Benjamin's literary world quite quickly.
   
   In many ways, Benjamin's writing style is quite unassuming; reading even his most profound insights is like reading a letter from an old friend. His writing comes in layers; one must make time to savor his presence. This book covers a range of subjects, from critical literary essays (the aforementioned "Unpacking My Library", as well as essays on Kafka, Baudelaire and Proust), to more hermeneutical reflections ("The Task of the Translator"), to straight up philosophy/theory ("The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction" and "Theses on the Philosophy of History").
   
   The 51 page introduction by Hannah Arendt is absolutely fantastic. It does not simply provide an overview of Benjamin's life, but sets that life within the culture of early 20th century Germany, focusing especially on the time between the two World Wars. She notes the influences of Zionism and Communism (and Marxism) on Benjamin's thought, as well as the broader cultural influence of a quasi-secularized Judaism in a culture where non-baptized Jews were still kept out of university teaching posts. Her introduction, like Benjamin's own writing, contains deep touches of the intimately personal (she selected the various essays that make up this volume).
   
   In many ways, Benjamin was a deeply religious thinker. A friend of Gershom Scholem's (the founder of the modern-day study of Jewish mysticism), Benjamin and Scholem corresponded for a number of years. Although this particular volume pays little attention to his religious thought, "Theses on the Philosophy of History" (the final selection in the book which, in light of Benjamin's suicide, gives Illuminations a bit of a haunting finale), witnesses to Benjamin's poetic-religious insights:
   
   "The soothsayers who found out from time what it had in store certainly did not experience time as either homogenous or empty. Anyone who keeps this in mind will perhaps get an idea of how past times were experienced in remembrance - namely, in just the same way. We know how the Jews were prohibited from investigating the future. This stripped the future of its magic, to which all those succumb who turn to the soothsayers for enlightenment. This does not imply, however, that for the Jews the future turned into homogenous, empty time. For every second of time was the strait gate through which the Messiah might enter."
   
   Highly recommended.



3. I have nothing to add to the reviews below except to note for scholarly interest that the essay 'The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction' included in this collection is not Benjamin's final version. (Neither is this title a good translation of the German: 'Das Kunstwerk im Zeitalter seiner technischen Reproduzierbarkeit'. Zohn's translation in the selected writings is better: 'The Work of Art in the Age of its Technological Reproducibility'.) The text in this collection is the 1935 manuscript, as originally published in 1936; the text collected in the Selected Writings, Vol. 4 is the final 1939 version that, as far as I can tell, was not published in Benjamin's lifetime. The difference between the two texts is slight, consisting mainly of some additional sentences here and there and some changed words. At least one of these revisions is, I hypothesize, the result of Adorno's criticisms of his letter to Benjamin of 18 Mar 1936.
   
   Otherwise, for most purposes, this is the best collection of Benjamin's essays available for an introduction to his thought. This volume collects some of the best of his essays that are otherwise spread throughout the selected writings published by the Harvard U.P.



4. In 1940 Walter Benjamin committed suicide at the Franco-Spanish border fearing that he would be unable to escape the grasp of Hitler's regime. He left behind perhaps one of the finest collections of literary theory of his era, complete with lucidly brilliant essays on Kafka, Proust, Baudelaire, and general Marxist theory.
   
   In this wholly excellent collection of essays, a remarkable introduction to Benjamin's life and work is provided by the late philosopher Hannah Arendt, who overviews his political formations and literary output. It's a model form of critical essay writing.
   
   Perhaps the most famous essay in this collection is Benjamin's `The Task of the Translator,' widely regarded as one of the most important and thoughtful contributions to the field.
   
   "No poem is intended for the reader, no picture for the beholder, no sympathy for the listener."
   
   He argues that translation is a mode, and that the translatability of the work is the primary concern in the process.
   
   Also included is an analysis of the philosophy of history.



5. The depth of Benjamin's pessimism has, I think, been underestimated.
   
   "The story is told of an automation constructed in such a way that it could play a winning game of chess, answering each move of an opponent with a countermove. A puppet in Turkish attire and with a hookah in its mouth sat before a chessboard placed on a large table. A system of mirrors created the illusion that this table was transparent from all sides. Actually, a little hunchback who was an expert chess player sat inside and guided the puppet's hand by means of strings. One can imagine a philosophical counterpart to this device. The puppet called "historical materialism" is to win all the time. It can easily be a match for anyone if it enlists the services of theology, which today, as we know, is wizened and has to keep out of sight." Walter Benjamin, First "These on the Philosophy of History", p 253.
   
   One can measure how far the contemporary Marxist (better said, the post or semi-Marxist) left has fallen by how many books have appeared, since the fall of the USSR, enthusing over the radically Universal and allegedly 'Progressive' nature of early Christianity. Walter Benjamin, who was first to place the wise but ugly dwarf (Theology) in the beautiful puppet (Historical Materialism) would be amazed (or perhaps not, see the letters between Benjamin and Scholem) to learn that puppet and dwarf are on the verge of switching places! That is, now the ugly dwarf (historical materialism) wants to hide in (and of course direct) the beautiful puppet of Christian theology. ...Crazy, you say? But even Habermas, the Keeper of the Flame of Critical Theory, has on occasion made somewhat similar noises. The best place, btw, to start reading about this new 'political-theology' probably remains Jacob Taubes.
   
   But perhaps this emergent trend is really not so crazy after all. The only reason the Church became so cozy with Capitalism was its fear of Atheism. The collapse of the Soviet Union ended that fear. Now Christianity faces Capitalism alone. Or not, if the detente being proposed between the left and the Church is actually consummated. But every detente is a conspiracy of enemies to destroy an even greater enemy. The Church was with Capitalism because it had to defeat atheism. Now it is likely that the Church will join (a moderate) Socialism in trying to contain the 'soul-destroying' ravages of capitalism. This is only another move on the chessboard of History. ...But what did Benjamin think of History?
   
   "A Klee painting named "Angelus Novus" shows an angel looking as though he is about to move away from something he is fixedly contemplating. His eyes are staring, his mouth is open, his wings are spread. This is how one pictures the angel of history. His face is turned toward the past. Where we perceive a chain of events, he sees one single catastrophe which keeps piling wreckage upon wreckage and hurls it in front of his feet. The angel would like to stay, awaken the dead, and make whole what has been smashed. But a storm is blowing from Paradise; it has got caught in his wings with such violence that the angel can no longer close them. This storm irresistibly propels him into the future to which his back is turned, while the pile of debris before him grows skyward. This storm is what we call progress." BENJAMIN, Ninth Thesis on History, p 257.
   
   Picture this Angel, wings pinned back by the wind, shoulders forced back because of that - the Angel of History is almost in the position of the Crucified Christ; except that this crucification does not end. It is this tone of almost ontological despair that was new to the left. This Crucified Angel is the perfect image of the left-wing theoretical pessimism pioneered by not only Benjamin but also Adorno and Horkheimer that split the intellectual left into two camps: the revolutionary and the cultural. And though no one is likely to admit it, the cultural left has quietly come to think of revolution itself as but another 'progressive' force piling up bodies.
   
   It is one of the little ironies of history that this despairing fantasy described contemporary reality exactly. The Angel of History is the image of dialectical knowledge. Rather than seeing disconnected events this Dialectical Knowledge grasps History as One (single catastrophe). Always facing the past ('the owl of Minerva takes flight at night', Hegel said; meaning that dialectical knowledge is retrospective) the 'contemplating' Angel is overwhelmed by historical action - the storm that has been blowing since the expulsion of humanity from paradise - and can never Himself achieve effective action. His knowledge grows in lockstep with the accumulating horror, but each new historical event only results (i,e., gets 'caught in the wings' of our Angel) in more contemplation. So we see how theory (our Angel) is 'irresistibly' propelled into the future. And we also see that the Knowledge dialectical theory gains is precisely equal to the debris the storm hurls at our Angel's feet. With an irony that strives to be equal to the wind blowing from Paradise Benjamin ends this meditation by calling this storm progress.
   
   This is perhaps why Benjamin insisted over 50 years ago that the dwarf Theology must guide the puppet Historical Materialism. Theory can never be equal to action; circumstance piles upon circumstance so rapidly that theory cannot effectively act, and if it does act (presumably) it only adds to the debris. Thus theology (myth) must guide materialism's hand because theoretical knowledge is powerless to help. Benjamin quotes the following remarks of Willy Haas, with approval, in his large Kafka essay;
   
   "'The object of the trial', he writes, 'indeed, the real hero of this incredible book is forgetting, whose main characteristic is the forgetting of itself [...] The most sacred ... act of the ... ritual is the erasing of sins from the book of memory.'
   What has been forgotten - and this insight affords us yet another avenue of access to Kafka's work - is never something purely individual." (Benjamin, Franz Kafka, p 131.)
   
   (The last sentence was Benjamin's own.) Theology is a non-individual forgetfulness. Thus myth (theology) is the only forgetfulness worthy of the name. What needs to be forgotten by all of us is the unsurpassable fact of the futility of theory...
   
   It is difficult for most to look such despair in the face.

5 comments about A Treasury of Royal Scandals: The Shocking True Stories History's Wickedest, Weirdest, Most Wanton Kings, Queens, Tsars, Popes, and Emperors.

1. A Treasury of Royal Scandals is a compendium of all the deliciously, scandalously bad things kings, queens, emperors, and popes have done over the past thousand years or so. Covering adultery to homosexuality to alcoholism, torture, murder, and beyond, it turns out that the ruling classes of Europe, especially in France, England, the Holy Roman Empire, and Russia, were quite badly behaved at times. We're given, in short form, everything from Henry VIII and his six wives to the Babylonian Captivity.
   
   Farquhar provides the reader with several family trees and appendices, which include timelines and the various royal houses. The writing style is witty and lively, and I was very much caught up in the various stories, which tend to be told in short chapters.
   
   I didn't like the way the book was laid out--there didn't seem to be any kind of coherent organization (ie, chronological or geographical) to it. As someone who gets a bit of a voyeuristic thrill out of this kind of thing, I was delighted with this compendium. Because the book was written by a journalist, A Treasury of Royal Scandals isn't, perhaps, the most scholarly work of nonfiction (and some of the incidents and tidbits seem as though they're merely gossip). But it sure is fun.



2. As I walked past this book at the local mega-bookstore my interest was fancied and I bought it on impulse, and because it was an impulsive buy I most certainly not take the time to look at the author's credentials, or look at the research done. As such I cannot blame anyone but myself for reading a book based almost entirely on gossip and propaganda.
   
   Granted, there were some stuff that could be "proved", but much of what this book talks about cannot be proved one way or the other and is nothing more than a collection of he said she said gossip around the various towns or from the various nobles. And oftentimes the sources are the subjects sworn enemy! Of course the enemy is going to claim so and so is a pedophile, or was a murderous, tortuous monarch. Of course this isn't a means to ignore what they say or to discount it as a falsehood. Europe's past ruling families are known far and wide for their hobbies and past times, for their sexual desires and cruel interest in sport and torture, but Farquhar's book implies that this was how the monarchs and queens always acted and, as another reviewer states, ignores the good that many monarchs have produced (yes, even some of the murderous monarchs as well). Of course this would diminish the appeal that this book would draw upon.
   
   After all, who doesn't like to read a good gossip? This is exactly what Farguhar has compiled, and is most definitely the feel of the book as a whole.
   
   I give it three stars because it was a very light and fun read, something you can pick up while sitting on the toilet or as a light vacation read. I would not recommend to those looking for more a more serious look at history, even for those who are not familiar with the times at all. So, 3 stars for sheer mindless entertainment for a few hours.
   
   3 stars.



3. As an avid reader of historical novels I bought this book out of curiosity and I found it to be really funny and wonderfully written. Michael Farquhar has written in a such a humorous way, each tale about a historical figure is combined with shocking scandals and funny gossip.
   
   A great read. Highly recommended.



4. Well written and informative short stories about lesser known historical figures. Fun to read because you can finish a story quicklly, perfect for just before going to sleep at night. You will be amazed by these stories.



5. A fun read that will have you laughing from beginning to end at the wickedest, weirdest and funniest true stories and the witty way the author writes them right down to the funny titles for each chapter.

5 comments about A History of Histories: Epics, Chronicles, Romances and Inquiries from Herodotus and Thucydides to the Twentieth Century.

1. John W. Burrow is a professor of that somewhat orphaned discipline "history of ideas", or intellectual history. Burrow approaches 'A History of Histories' as an intellectual historian, and not a critic. That means you won't find critiques regarding historical accuracy. Instead Burrow emphasizes the general character of the historians achievement, relying on the work of specialized scholars and biographers: the biography lists many excellent "secondary" sources a few of which Burrow has relied heavily on.
   
   Burrows is, in a sense, a popularizer of some the most important histories, his goal being to "give a sense of the experience of reading these histories and what may be enjoyable about them"; he assumes that you have not read or even heard of the works. Such an approach, which mixes interpretation and summary, allows Burrow to cover a great number of works across time - from Herodotus to the late 20th century - but at some cost: a reader may feel they understand the significance of a work, but a connected developing narrative seems unclear; and while there are many block quotes (in particular with the earlier authors), often one yearns for more of a taste of the work.
   
   How can one create a narrative of a "history of histories"? Burrow examines the ideas of the past, and how today we stand in relation to those ideas as expressed in history books. These themes include the emerging conception of a distinct European identity contrasted with Asia; ideas of republican virtue in early Rome, supposedly corrupted by conquest and vice; the Bible's narrative of transgression, punishment and redemption; the idea of an early Germanic state of "freedom" as the ultimate basis for modern constitutional democracy; 19th century ideas of nationalism; 20th century divergences into many genres, none of which dominate.
   
   At its best, 'A History of Histories' conveys the imaginative energies of some of the worlds most famous and important historians. In the end books such as this really only matter if they send us off -- for the first or 10th time -- to read Gibbon's account of a Fall, Xenophon's travels through the desert or Parkman's epic of the New World. My copy is marked up with new histories to (re)discover.



2. John Burrow summarizes and analyzes a host of histories in this book, starting with Herodotus, and hitting most of the major western historical writers. I enjoy history, and I am interested in how historians do their work. I find that history itself is more interesting than the details of historical research, but John Burrow makes it all alluring and lively. The story deals with an academic subject, but this is a book for the general reader.
   
   The introduction and prologue deal with historical techniques in a dry, pedantic tone, and I was afraid that it would be heavy going, but in chapter one it picked up quickly, and I was hooked. Although the narrative never reads like an edge of the seat thriller, I found myself thinking about it longingly during work or other busy times. Burrow makes the historians and their stories come alive, until some of them feel like old friends. He includes generous excerpts of many writers. If you have an interest in history, or the craft of researching and writing history, you should read this book. It will stimulate you to read the original writings.
   
   Some reviewers have criticized the focus on western European history, and indeed that is the focus. I was untroubled by this. Burrow stays within his field of expertise, as a wise author should. This is a book that has earned a place on my shelf, and I believe that I will refer to it frequently during the years ahead.



3. A book which surveys the history of historical writing might not sound too appealing, but you'd be wrong to pass this jewel by just because of the somewhat forbidding title. A History of Histories is a treasure trove of fascinating information about the craft of historiography, from its early practitioners in Greece down to the late twentieh century's newest interpretations.
   
   Most people have heard of Herodotus and Thucydides, and they may have run across references to Livy, Tacitus, and William of Monmouth from time to time. John Burrow describes these historians, traces their contexts, and explains their interpretations and points of view along with many lesser-known but important historians like Xenophon, Gregory of Tours, and Michelet. The work is massive, nearly 500 pages, but it rarely bogs down or becomes tedious because Burrow has the gift of describing even the most complex interpretations succinctly. Even more important, he isn't afraid to make a few sardonic asides here and there, lessening the air of gravity which threatens to prevail at times. I chuckled over his comments on the family tree of the Herodians and his explanation for the names of his old school's houses.
   
   A History of Histories is to be read and savored both for its wealth of knowledge and for its well crafted language.



4. I have always been a history nut, reading history after history throughout my life. And one cannot read these histories without realizing that there is a difference between the way the historians viewed their subjects, and how they went about recording history. In this fascinating book, author and noted historian, John Burrow, examines the historians, putting them within their historic framework, and showing how they viewed their subjects.
   
   As each historian is unveiled - Herodotus, Thucydides, Zenophon, and on and on - you get an understanding of what the historian was saying and how he understood his subject. Even more, you get to see how the understanding of "history" has changed throughout the unfolding of Western society.
   
   Overall, I found this to be a thoroughly absorbing book. I really enjoy history, and now I see how a "history" is part of history, with a context to it. If you enjoy reading non-modern histories, you really should read this book. I does a great job of taking you behind the words, to what the author was truly saying and why. I think that this is a truly monumental work, one that is sure to please any history buff.



5. A History of Histories is an ambitious book that attempts to show the developments in the writing of history over the span of around 2,500 years. The author examines who some of these major historians were, what topics they considered worthy of recording, what their strengths and weaknesses were ,and lastly, how history became professionalized.
   
   I found the first section of Burrow's book easier to follow since I have read some of the works of the ancient Greek and Roman historians detailed here. I wasn't as familiar with the works of the later historians, though I have heard of several of these figures. This part was a slower read as my knowledge of these historians and their works was not as strong. The author has an impressive knowledge of so many of these figures and their works.
   
   The author does a good job in tracing the developments in the writing of history and who some of the representative historians from each major period were. Obviously it is also important to know a little about the world around them at their time and how that influenced their writings, which the author also touches on. Epics, chronicles, annals, universal histories, socioeconomic, cultural, political/diplomatic histories and the likes are all included in this broad overview. Indeed, the evolution in the writing of history becomes clear in this book. The author aptly concludes by stating this is a story that doesn't end. An erudite, but challenging read in places, at least for me.

5 comments about The Billionaire Who Wasn't: How Chuck Feeney Made and Gave Away a Fortune Without Anyone Knowing.

1. I saw this book reviewed in The Economist and could scarcely believe what I was reading. I recommend this as a great read, a great book club or church group read, and a good book to give out to the board of directors of any organization, whether for profit or not! Here is a unique insight into the upbringing, growth and mindset of one of the most well grounded individuals of the modern era. If you are interested in how to make the world a better place, drop what you are doing and read this book!



2. The story of Chuck Feeney is long overdue. Bright, modest, humble, he lives the Gospels without preaching them. By giving away his fortune he enlarged himself, which is the inherent nature of selfless living. Whenever we give away something in the pursuit to help others we are both benefactor and beneficiary. We grow in the process. Nothing is depleted.
   
   At least that is the lesson that was reinforced for me in this fine book by Conor O'Clery about a philanthropist who leads quietly and by example. We should all follow.The Gospel of Father Joe: Revolutions and Revelations in the Slums of Bangkok



3. Nice job by Conor O'Clery. Following Chuck Feeney around to gather the info for the book had to be exhausting since Chuck doesn't appear to stand still for more than a few seconds. Aside from the millions of lives Chuck has influenced through his giving, the difficulties of remaining nameless and faceless - and multiple other sub-plots - think SALES. If you have anything to do with sales you should buy this book for yourself and your team. Chuck Feeney is the quintessential salesmen, "the pure and concentrated essence" of a Level 5 leader and consummate salesman. He calls audibles at the line of scrimmage on every play - a perpetual no huddle, run and shoot offense on steroids. There is no five year (or five minute) business plan in his briefcase - just an uncanny ability to trust his gut and get buy-in from the people around him. This is already a longer review than Chuck would read so I'm signing off......long live prodigal generosity....



4. Very interesting story. I know the subject as I worked for his company (DFS) for about four years. This is a really good story, about an exceptional individual. Unfortunately the author is uninspiring. It gets boring in spots.
   
   Chuck Feeney is a very unique individual. We need many more like him in the business world, instead of the Nardelli's and that ilk.
   
   This should be required reading for any wealthy person. The Feeney way of living and giving is spectacular in its simplicity and heart.



5. In 1988, Forbes magazine's annual list of America's most wealthy listed Charles F Feeney as the 23rd richest American alive, whose personal worth of $1.3 billion was greater than Rupert Murdoch or Donald Trump. In fact, four years earlier Feeney had secretly given away almost his entire fortune to a philanthropic trust. He had enough to live on for the rest of his life, but no longer even owned a house or a car. He was, as Irish journalist Conor O'Clery phrases it in this powerful biography, `the billionaire who wasn't'.
   
   This is two books in one: the remarkable story of duty free retailing and its leading company, DFS, whose extraordinary growth and profits paralleled the rise of jet travel; and that of Feeney himself, a slightly shambolic businessman, linguist and traveller, who took the needs of the world on his shoulders and became a model philanthropist.
   
   It is nicely written and pulls you in like a novel. As a business biography alone, O'Clery's book is valuable, showing that huge money can be made from very simple business models. DFS's success could be put down to `four men in a room' working out what they would bid for airport duty-free concessions, and winning them. Once established, profits came easily. Feeney insisted that luck played a big role in the company's fortunes, that they reaped the benefits of being the first trusted brand in a fast-growing new field. Yet the book is also peppered with Feeney's advice to other to always `think big' (in both business and philanthropy), and in his restless desire to build a great business even the other partners admitted that Feeney had been its driving force.
   
   I liked this book so much I included it as one of the classics of philanthropy in my own book "50 Prosperity Classics: Attract It, Create It, Manage It, Share It - Wisdom from the best books on wealth building and abundance".
   50 Prosperity Classics: Attract It, Create It, Manage It, Share It (50 Classics)

5 comments about Get Me Out of Here: My Recovery from Borderline Personality Disorder.

1. I am a substance abuse counselor and work with a lot of people with co-occurring mental illness. This book was recommended by a client. It makes a huge impact on the reader. It gives hope to people who previously have been told they cannot be helped. I have recommended this book to several clients. It is an excellent book for professionals, clients, or anyone who wants to learn about this devastating disease.



2. There's something about reading a first hand account that's different. That's not to say that books written by doctors aren't worth reading, because they can be. But you get this sense of relief when you read a book written by someone else who suffers from the same problems that you do. It makes you realize that you're not alone. Others have felt the same way you do.
   
   I found Rachel's story to be honest, heartbreaking at times, but well worth reading. It really hit home, and it gave me hope to read about someone else who has suffered from this and "lived to tell the tale" so to speak.



3. I really enjoyed this book. The story is a very touching and moving one. I feel as if I had gone through the inspiring and at times heartbreaking journey with the author. I didn't think psychiatrists such as hers exist. If they really do, then anybody would be truly blessed to be their patient. The author is very lucky to have had the support system that she did, so we need to keep in mind that her story is an exception, not the norm. But nevertheless, I gained a lot of insight into this condition, and also into the 'human condition' in general. I highly recommend it.



4. The book's title says it all - I'm the victim, and, damit, I want out! No mention of maturity or responsibility whatsoever. I'm a male BPD and am angry at the oblique, reverse bias so obvious in this book. She throws a tantrum and gets 'support'!?! I can only dream of getting all the help I need and can't get away with the things she does. Support is something I have to give myself in trying to recover.
   All I can say is that it must be nice to have money, and I'm not liberal. Seems that only women can show emotion - when men do it, they get thrown in jail.



5. Terrible- a long whining expose of poor-poor Rachel's BPD. Frankly it struck me more like-Rachel's rather a spoiled rich kid brat who grows up to be nasty spoiled bratty wife. She blames all her issues on BPD. The book was poorly written, one long overly melodramtic tale of endless whining and self pity. Bleeeh....don't read it.

5 comments about Good Dog. Stay..

1. Loved this book - sounded just like what we went through with our yellow lab. Quick read - heartwarming.



2. I think she is such a wonderful author and love her books. This was yet another treasure.



3. I bought this book for my husband as part of the grieving process after our 14-year-old black lab died. I expected Anna Quindlen's usual wisdom and frankly I was disappointed. The text was very short; not enough in quantity or quality to justify a book in my opinion. Worse, every page featured those awful cutesy stockhouse dog photos that seem the antithesis of the honest and straight style I expected based on reading her wise columns in the NY Times for many years. The book came across as a celebrity milking something very thin for some extra cash. Come on, Anna, you can do a lot better than this!



4. This is a 45 minute short story about Anna's dog, Beau. I am not a fan of animal stories as they usually either end up getting hurt or dying. The same is true in this one. It is the life story of Beau and as all life stories, the end is death. That brings tears to me which is why I don't like these types of stories.
   
   I believe Anna wrote this as a way to heal from her lost of Beau more than trying to tell a readable story. This is not to say the story doesn't make sense. It does. I just hear in Anna's own words how much she and her family cared for Beau and how much his loss meant to them.
   
   As with all stories, there are the good times and the "bad dog" times, laughs and tears and general day-to-day life. If you want to hear about a good dog's life, this CD will provide that.



5. Short and oh so sweet!
   
   Yes this is more of an essay than a full blown novel, but the writing is worth every dime. There are so many phrases in the book that I read and re-read. Spend the money and keep this book for revisiting over and over.

5 comments about The Turnaround Kid: What I Learned Rescuing America's Most Troubled Companies.

1. This is a thoroughly enjoyable autobiography of Steve Miller, a rising Ford executive who became the go to guy for companies in crisis over more than two decades. At Chrysler, the Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Olympia & York, Morrison Knudsen, Federal Mogul, Waste Management, Reliance Group Holdings, Bethlehem Steel, Aetna and Delphi, he parachuted into companies on the brink of failure and tried to come up with the best solution. Sometimes the outcome is a roaring success, other times he has to settle for the best of a series of unpleasant choices, and other times he is ineffective.
   
   This book is more Miller's autobiography than a how-to guide to fixing broken companies. The book is only 230 pages long and each company's situation is only covered at a high level. Miller's strength as a businessman is his ability to take a fresh, hard look at the companies, face up to the cold reality and work with all parties to come up with the best possible solution. His book has many on the same strengths; he offers what appears to be an honest (sometimes brutally so) assessment of his own successes and failures, as well as those of the other parties in the drama.
   
   What emerges is the story of a leader who enjoys the excitement of trying to solve complex problems while trying, and succeeding, to do the right thing for his family and the people and companies that depend on him.



2. Mr. Miller comes across as a hard-working, pragmatic, unaffected and down to earth guy who sees the big picture and cares about people in it. We can only hope that there are more executives like him at the top of F500 companies. I would recommend this book to any MBA programme as a supplement to their business ethics programme or anybody who has ever struggled to calibrate his/her own moral compass under pressures from various constituencies.



3. I expected more. An exciting book that would provide insight on financial workouts. Well I didn't get, I wanted to close the book several times, but I hate leaving a book half read. If you are looking for a interesteing read, this isn't it.



4. THE TURNAROUND KID: WHAT I LEARNED RESCUING AMERICA'S MOST TROUBLED COMPANIES recounts the high points of the author's career rescuing American business disasters - and in the process offers college-level business libraries the opportunity to understand the evolution of a business genius. Blending business management concepts with a memoir, THE TURNAROUND KID shows how the author turned around his own life as well as businesses, reshaping and restructuring the very foundations of big business procedures in the process. An inspiring, enlightening account.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



5. Very interesting read--both the business as well as personal. I felt as though the author was speaking to me on a one to one.

5 comments about Beyond Band of Brothers: The War Memoirs of Major Dick Winters.

1. Major Winters' book adds some subtle detail to events outlined in the Band of Brothers from Ambrose, ex: exploits of Speirs on and shortly after D-Day. It also lets you know that there were some events in BoB not completely portrayed as they happened, such as what happened to trooper Albert Blithe.
   
   Major Winters does not elaborate on his own personal feelings, or expound much on what he thought other men may have thought or experienced. He should not have to do so. He earned the right to tell his story his way, and keep private whatever he desires. He explains events respectfully and thoughtfully, as you would expect from a dignified and quietly confident man. There is a great deal of their experience that is not communicable in any way other than experience.
   
   I do not understand any criticism of Major Winters in how he wrote this book, and I hope he earned some rewards from the book that he can pass on to his family. Buying his book is probably the only way that I'll ever get to say thank you...that and trying to follow some of his example.



2. True insight through the eyes of a great combat leader inspiring men to fight under difficult circumstances to protect each other on a none forgiving battlefield. Major Dick Winters is a man who understands the art of war and making the right decisions under pressure. A true warrior and a great American.



3. This is a great book .. if we had a country full of men like this it would be the greatest country in history.



4. I am hooked on the mini-series and can almost quote the dialogue. This book fills in a lot of the the missing parts and solidifies a lot of the truths of the film. A well written and very good reading book that is filled with facts and great memories. Probably should be read after seeing the series.



5. The moral character of Maj. Winters is impecable and unimpeachable. His book is one every kid in school chould read to learn what it is to stand fast in the face of fear and the enemy wether foreign or domestic. This is important now because we may be facing a time when we must once again face a enemy that is domestic. I would hope we would have leadership similar to that given by Maj. Winers.

5 comments about Marie Antoinette: The Journey.

1. If you are looking for a good histoical book on Marie Antoinette, this is it! It is well written and provides plenty of historical facts. Fraser also manages to paint a rather sympathetic portrait of Marie Antoinette as a human rather than a royal, without blurring the lines of history vs. folklore.



2. Over halfway through in a just a few days. I love this book! I'm definitely looking into purchasing others by the author.



3. I really liked this book and finished it in record time--even though I knew how MA's story would end, it was fascinating to see that she was not entirely the arrogant and unapproachable Queen of lore. Yes, she made some mistakes and was extravagant at times, but certainly no more extravagant than previous Queens of France. Minimally any reader will say after reading this book that it is sad she was a Queen who did not pay more attention outside the walls of Versailles so that she might be less oblivious--but even then, I'm not sure she could have escaped her doomed fate.
   
   The treatment of the family during their captivity and particularly the treatment of their children is startling (not to mention the legendary treatment of the Princesse de Lamballe). In the end, I'm not sure what was worse--the royal family or the revolutionaries.



4. Hard to get into. The movie is better except the movie leaves out one of the children and I am sure alot more. Maybe onday I will be able to get into it.



5. I have read many books on the Dauphine over the years and this is one of the best.
   It covers in detail all of the daily life of a queen and the sacrifice she made by becoming a queen.
   It seems that the paparazzi today are angels compared to what the people of France and all of Europe did to their monarchs.
   The book is well researched, and well done and like all good books on her, this one doesnt speculate but clarifies the life of this often misunderstood young woman.
   I recommend it highly.
   But be warned - it is very detailed and there are tons of people to keep track of,
   Even so, it reads well and you never get bored with it.

5 comments about La Suma de los Dias.

1. I have read every single book written by Isabel Allende who is one of my favorite authors. This new book is wonderful, as usual.



2. If you dreamt about meeting Isabel, look no further! Her book is warm and realistic. There is no need to try to imagine how she is in real life because the book allows you to meet her in the most profound way. With her extraordinary writing Isabel becomes your best friend, mother, daughter, son, or as she calls it "a member of her tribe". I am looking forward to her next book and wonder, what could be better than, La Suma de los Dias!



3. As much as I like (actually adore) Isabel Allende's writings and style, La Suma de los Días is not in my opinion up to Isabel's standards. It felt weak and repetitive. But at the same time maybe that it is exactly what she was aiming for. Inner family matters and things of the heart and emotions tend to be weak and repetitive with a twist of hope and eternity. Having said that, I read the book in 3 days hoping until the very end that the next line would become the starting point for the ususally turn-page reading Isabel always brings to her readers. But this is not a worry at all. I consider myself the most common and ordinary of all her fans. Likely one that she will never meet but always will be with her waiting for her next master piece.



4. Isabel Allende siempre ofrece un deleite literario, este libro es la continuación de "Paula", que pasó despues y como sigue la Familia que Pula dejó,,, o ¿sigue con ellos?. Una novela entre la realidad y el toque ficticio de la escritora. MUY RECOMENDABLE



5. Me gusto mucho el libro al punto que no queria que se me acabara y no lo podia soltar