5 comments about Basic Brown: My Life and Our Times.

1. Willie Brown, the unshakable Speaker of the House in California and then Mayor of San Francisco is one wild and crazy guy. I'm sure his off the cuff remarks and detailed recounting of political shenanigans will anger about as many as they amuse, but for the casual reader this is a very interesting glimpse into the world of politics. I'll never read coverage about the simple passage of a bill again without wondering what went on behind the scenes. Willie Brown was a gift to San Francisco who only expects everyone else to be as proud of the City as he is. PJ Corkerey has done a fine job of capturing Brown's energy and wit.



2. Basic Brown is, without question, the most entertaining and engaging political autobiography I've ever read. Willie Brown is a political animal extraordinaire, and on every page he revels in the intrigue and dealmaking, the pomp and circumatance, and the sheer fun of big time politics. The book is loaded with many memorable antecdotes that not only place Willie Brown front and center in California politics of the last 40 years, but teach pithy lessons about the nature of modern politics. Throughout the narrative, Willie Brown is always right. He's always the most skilled, best dressed, most adroit politician in the room, whether it's in the backrooms and august chambers of the Capitol in Sacramento, or in San Francisco City Hall.
   
   Willie Brown often refers to himself in the third person, and wears his massive political ego on his sleeve. But his prose never gets long winded or boring. And, through it all, the reader gets a behind the scenes glimpse into how a master of modern politics plays The Game. Willie Brown came to San Franscico as a poor, undereducated teenager from the segregated south. Through the sheer force of this personality, and his shrewd intelligence he made his way to Speaker of the California Assembly and, later, Mayor of San Francisco. Luckily for us, he has no qualms about sharing his insights, unfettered and unvarnished, so that the rest of us can learn from the Master. What a terrific book.



3. I bought this book with great anticipation: I read the chapter about Willie's political dates with women who accompany him to political functions. I read that excerpt on NPR. In that excerpt. Willie was honest, straightforward, and scintillating in how he described his working a room while a date waits for his attention.
   
   So I expected the rest of the book to deliver on the promise of that excerpt: to be scintillating, honest, and straight-forward. Except the all other parts of the book are cautious. I had the feeling the Willie is still playing to his friends and because of that, he held back. I was disappointed. It seemed like Willie's caution was tempered by his not wanting to piss-off his friends in case he needs them in the future for some political task. I think the chapter about his relationship with women was much more bold because Willie did not perceive that boldness potentially harming in at some point in the future.
   
   The rest of the book is somewhat standard political fare: master the rules, work hard, be scrupously honest, work for justice, have fun, etc. But that sort of mundane advice is obvious. What I wanted from Willie was his take on how and why and what the system really is to him. How we can make it work for us rather than for Republican lobbyists. I love ya Willie, but the second part of your book is too timid. The book should be read but only after in comes out in paper.



4. I always thought that Willie Brown was amazing, but Basic Brown shows that he is far more amazing than I could have imagined.
   I love the book!
   I originally borrowed it from the public library, but now I must have my own copy. My close friends share my views on the book. We love discussing, laughing about and learning so much from Basic Brown. May Willie Brown stay on the job for a long, long time to come!



5. I am only marginally interested in his politics, but this book is really a great read for anyone. Willie Brown has had such a fascinating life that anyone could appreciate this candid biography of one of the great "movers and shakers" of our time. Willie is so incredibly witty, classy and intelligent. He is truely a great man!! This book is so fun and amazingly difficult to put down.

5 comments about 32 Third Graders and One Class Bunny: Life Lessons from Teaching.

1. Mr. Done was my fourth grade teacher. I was positively THRILLED when I realized he had written a book. He was, by far, one of my most memorable teachers to this day. His book is amazing, and brought back a lot of awesome memories I have of elementary school. Excellent read.



2. If you teach, this is a MUST read!



3. If you want to laugh until you cry, then read this book! Phillip Done captures all the joys of teaching and expresses it in a way that is hilarious. As I tried to share passages with my family, I couldn't get it out because I was laughing so hard. Anyone who has taught or is starting their first year of teaching should definitely read this. You will be truly inspired!



4. As a third grade teacher I just want to say that Mr. Done has put my classroom into words-thank you, it makes me feel good to know that all third grade teachers are in the same boat, and enjoying the ride....most of the time.



5. Phillip Done portrays life as a teacher in a humorous, enjoyable manner. His writing style is engaging and easy to read. As a teacher, it's easy to relate to many of the stories he shares. I enjoyed the book so much, I bought a copy to share with my co-workers. A fun, must-read for all teachers dedicated to the task of helping children build upon their self-esteem as well as grow academically.

1 comments about Great Lives: Jesus: The Greatest Life of All (Great Lives from Godæs Word).

1. The insight into the life of Jesus in this book is amazing. You can tell that Mr. Swindoll was writing with the blessing of God. I highly reccommend it and can't wait to read others in the series.

5 comments about Teacher Man: A Memoir.

1. Decent book with good advice. I felt he rambled at times but maintained good humor throughout.



2. If you enjoyed either of his other two books, you will no doubt enjoy this one. He writes in the same witty manner and gives you a decent insight into how difficult teachers have it when trying to deal with high school brats :)



3. Before gaining worldwide fame and acclaim for writing his memoir of a terrible Irish Catholic childhood, Frank McCourt used the stories of his life to teach high school English for thirty years. "Teacher Man", his third foray into memoir writing, examines those years spent teaching from the very beginning to the bittersweet end. Scattered in between stories of the classroom are bits of Frank's life at those times, some comic, some searing, all of them evocative of his colorful life.
   
   After serving in the U.S. Army, Frank McCourt went to New York University on the G.I. Bill and decided to become a teacher, knowing that people back home would be amazed and respect him. He chronicles his struggle to get (and sometimes keep) a teaching job in the various high schools in New York, and his time wondering if he really wants to spend the rest of his life worrying about grading those 175 essays of 350+ words each. McCourt is a wonderful storyteller, and readers can easily understand how he could captivate classrooms, even the unruliest, with tales of his childhood. Anyone who has taught will appreciate his raw admission that he often felt like a fraud in front of the classroom, wondering why certain things (like how to handle unruly kids) isn't taught in those college education classes, and whether or not to admit they don't know the answer to something. Readers can also recognize the struggle that is common to everyone, of finally figuring out what they want to do in life, and where they finally belong.
   
   "Teacher Man" is a quick, honest, and sometimes brutal examination of teaching. So many are quick to dismiss teachers since they have the summer off, and teachers are treated as the lowest of the low on the professional totem pole. McCourt nails these feelings exactly, especially the image of his schoolbag full of ungraded papers sitting in the corner with eyes that follow you everywhere. Some people may find it hard to believe that he can recall the names of these students and aspects about their lives so many years later, but McCourt is right on when he talks about your life as a teacher: these lives stay inside your head, whether you want to give them that room or not. The struggles and glories of the classroom remain even as you try to go to bed at night, and will remain for years on end.



4. I only picked up this book one day when I was bored at work and a co-worker lent it to me. After reading the first chapter, I got up from my desk walked 5 blocks to the nearnest Barnes & Noble and bought the book. I had to finish reading it and I couldn't wait til she finished to borrow it. I could only wish to have had a Teacher Man like Frank McCourt when I was in school.



5. Frank McCourt writes about his teaching years and the students he remembers most. When I finished the book, I had the same question as with his previous books - "and then what happened next?" In other words I never want the stories to end, I could keep reading forever. His writing is unique, exciting, and brings to life everyone he writes about. I especially recommend the audio version - he records them himself in his wonderful Irish accent - they are just a joy to listen to.

5 comments about Loyola Kids Book of Heroes: Stories of Catholic Heroes and Saints Throughout History.

1. The writing style in this book is one in which the author has a conversation about the who's and why's of the saints with the reader. Solidly Catholic and different enough in style to make it appealing to even reluctant readers. We read a lot of saint stories, but this book is in my son's room being read each night-and without force I may add. He's enjoying it as much as I did.



2. This book is very well written and geared toward relating our beautiful Catholic saints to the lives of kids today. Amy Welborn knows children and manages to draw connections between decisions the saints had to make in standing up for their faith within the culture they lived, and how this same problem would present today. So the book helps to show how the virtues of the saints are attainable for us within the 21st century context. I love the book and I also learned a lot in reading it to my son.



3. I would actually rate this 4.5 stars if Amazon had that option. The reason I can't give the book 5 stars are as follows: (1) the author does not use proper capitalization for pronouns referring to God (i.e. she uses "his" when it should be "His") and (2) the saints' feast days are not listed under the chapter title for easy liturgical year reference.
   
   I really like how this book is organized by the 7 cardinal virtues of Faith, Hope, Charity, Temperance, Prudence, Fortitude, and Justice. I also think it includes a good mix of saints, blesseds, Biblical people, and other Catholics from throughout the ages. Some are very familiar such as Bl. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, Pope John XXIII, St. Paul, St. Peter, St. Patrick, St. Francis of Assisi, and so on. Others were unfamiliar to me having been raised in the post-Vatican II era and it's nice to learn their stories. The text is engaging and the author does a good job at presenting the stories in an age-appropriate manner (always a concern when dealing with the violence many of the saints had to endure).



4. This book has seven sections, each based on a virtue--faith, hope, charity, temperance, prudence, fortitude and justice. Of the 37 heroes who excelled in these virtues, some are from the 20th century--St. Mary Faustina, Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, and Maria Goretti. Each story is 3-4 pages long, and is introduced and written in a kid-friendly way. Good way to introduce children to real heroes!



5. This looks like a great resource, and we will continue to use it. I recommend you look over the material first. Be aware that the introduction includes the phrase, "They remembered how Jesus had been created by God in a special way inside Mary...." I do not think this was intentionally heretical, but one should be careful when speaking about Jesus, who was not created in any way whatsoever.

5 comments about A Piece of Cake: A Memoir.

1. This woman has risen above some terrible circumstances;I agree to this fact 100%, but with that being said her editor should have really taken a red pen to this horrible writing style. Considering Cupcake is now a lawyer I would think she would be a stronger writer? Also, something about her story feels exaggerated, as if they exploited her life even more. Overall there are a few golden moments in the book but many key characters are never fully developed or simply disappear leaving a lot of unanswered questions.



2. While reading this book, I found myself fascinated by the obstacles this woman has overcome in her life. By the book's end, I found myself questioning several aspects. I'm not sure how the author was able to recall so vividly the details that this story goes into. With the amount and number of years that the author consumed hard drugs and alcohol, I doubt if these details were actually remembered. However, I am not against a bit of poetic license to ensure the story flows and the meaning gets across.
   
   But...also by the book's end, I found the racial incriminations to be a bit tiresome. It would have been more striking if the author had taken more responsibility for her own actions and behaviors. While those actions are understandable given the circumstances, everyone has choices. To cast blame and set aside personal responsibility in order to play the race card is deplorable. While her race most certainly affected many aspects of her life to some degree, it is still not the main issue. When she shows up late or not at all to work day after day, and when she does show up, she is drunk, high, unbathed, and unable to perform her duties, then that is the reason she is fired, not because of her race.
   
   The book would have been more inspiring if the author had taken complete responsibility instead of elevating minor issues to a priority status. This book only encourages an attitude that we are currently fighting against in the country. That someone else is always to blame.
   
   Most likely, I would not recommend this book. While her achievements are wonderful, there are many other stories that better describe overcoming adversity than this one. By the time I had read 2/3 of this book, it was leaving a bad taste in my eyes!



3. I read this book over a year ago and highly recommend it.
   
   It is an inspirational story portraying strength, courage and determination.
   
   What irked me throughout this book was how the system failed her and in my opinion was ultimately responsible for the path that she followed. If only she was able to live with her father or uncle even, she may have experienced a normal childhood. After reading about her earlier years and what she endured it is no wonder she followed the path that she did.
   
   Just as she reaches rock bottom she takes a glimpse of her skinny self and realises her life needs to change. Not only does she get clean, she gets an education and is now working as an attorney in a top law firm. She also makes some valuable friendships on the way.
   
   It is good to read stories like this from time to time as it helps to put a different perspective on those living on the streets and not just tar them all with the same brush and assume that they have choices and want to be there.



4. I read this book and I was absolutely shocked...I'm still reading it but it is really shocking so far..I recommend this book to everyone!!



5. Well, Well, Well, What can I say that other reviews haven't. It's a truly inspirational story and it show that if you have the drive the determination you can get whatever it is you want. I thought the line that was most profound for me " I decided the type of seclusion provided by the dumpster would be an ideal place to get high, especially since no one looks for anyone in the trash" This goes to show you the state of mind she was in but once you get to the end of the book you can see how she brought herself up, and she didn't do it alone... She had so many angels that God sent to watch over her and guide her along the way. Cupcake Brown really got it together, the graduation at the end brought me to tears! It just an amazing story that she lived to tell because it's many places in her life that Cupcake could have died. But, God had a plan for her. If you ever think you can't do anything read this book it will give you hope and guidance.

2 comments about Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai (Frances Foster Books).

1. "The farms of Ohio had been replaced by shopping malls And muzak filled the air from Seneca to Cuyahoga Falls." -- The Pretenders, "My City was Gone"
   
   "As Wangari Maathai tells it, when she was growing up on a farm in the hills of central Kenya, the earth was clothed in its dress of green.
   "Fig trees, olive trees, crotons, and flame trees covered the land, and fish filled the pure waters of the streams.
   "The fig tree was sacred then, and Wangari knew not to disturb it, not even to carry its fallen branches home for firewood. In the stream near her homestead where she went to collect water for her mother, she played with glistening frogs' eggs, trying to gather them like beads into necklaces, though they slipped through her fingers back into clear water."
   
   But in the early 1960s Wangari Maathai left Kenya for five years in order to attend college in Kansas. It was during that time that Kenya gained independence from Britain. And in the manner with which Claire Nivola tells and illustrates the story, Wangari's return to Kenya reminds me of the old Pretenders' song. For there had been numerous and radical changes in the landscape of Kenya during Wangari's absence:
   
   "Wangari found the fig tree cut down, the little stream dried up, and no traces of frogs, tadpoles, or the silvery beads of eggs...Wangari noticed that the people no longer grew what they ate but bought food from stores. The store food was expensive, and the little they could afford was not as good for them as what they had grown themselves, so that children, even grownups, were weaker and often sickly."
   
   Meanwhile, the cutting of the remaining forests for wood to burn as fuel led to widespread erosion and the degradation of streams and rivers.
   
   And so it was that Wangari Maathai came up with her "simple and big idea" of getting tens, then hundreds, then thousands of Kenyans to grow and plant trees. Her idea evolved into the Greenbelt Movement and, in the long run, led to her winning the Nobel Peace Prize in 2004.
   
   Claire Nivola's watercolor paintings climax with a two page spread in which an endless stream of Kenyans carrying seedlings are seen traversing the mountains to a hillside where the forest is being restored meter by meter.
   
   The story is followed by an extensive Author's Note which includes information about Wangari putting her body on the line in recent years to fight ill-conceived government schemes.
   
   At a time when I am so often distraught due to the seemingly inevitable deterioration of the planet I am leaving my children, it is inspiring to read a book that so well illustrates how one person's singular vision, determination, and leadership can radically (and literally) transform the landscape.



2. Nivola, Claire A. Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2008.
   
   This beautiful story of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya launched by Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai details how she grew up appreciating nature and its bounty, attended college in America and studied biology, and then returned to her homeland only to find that new farming practices threatened the health and well-being of her fellow citizens. Although, the people were understandably inclined to blame the government for their deteriorating situation, Wangari encouraged the women to instead plant trees: to gather seeds, dig for water, and nurture seedlings. "All this was heavy work, but the women felt proud. Slowly, all around them, they could begin to see the fruit of the work of their hands. The woods were growing up again." Wangari "taught the children how to make their own nurseries. She gave seedling to inmates of prisons and even to soldiers." Since Wangari began in 1977, over "thirty million trees have been planted in Kenya" - an impressive feat. Lovely watercolor paintings illustrate this simple inspiring story: village scenes show women and children listening to Wangari explain her proposal, and an awesome double-spread shows a line of people marching in an endless line, carrying seedlings and tools for planting. This wonderful picture book evocatively spreads an important environmental message

No comments about Jonas Brothers Unauthorized (Star Scene).

5 comments about Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality (Vintage).

1. A moving narrative of Dr. Chan's professional life beginning as a medical student and then as a transplant surgeon. As a lay person I never appreciated a doctor's training and the emotional ups and downs dealing with death.



2. Thoughtful and moving essays by a transplant surgeon with roots in Taiwan, which cut to the bone of death and dying, or morbidity and mortality as the docs may put it.



3. Pauline Chen has written a touching memoir, one that captures the emotions of patients and their physicians that must confront their own mortality. From experiences with death as an adolescent to the daily experience of a transplant surgeon with life and death issues, Pauline beautifully captures her and her patient's emotions and courage with life threatening illnesses. This book should be required reading for all medical students and has a lot to offer for anyone interested in how physicians and their patients deal with life and death.



4. I picked up Final Exam from the "new" table while perusing a used bookstore. It spoke to me as I was struggling with the loss of a dear friend. While this dear friend was a canine, it brought to the surface the fact that I don't acknowledge one of life's most unavoidable truths very well.
   
   To think that doctors didn't either both scared and enticed me into the impulse purchase.
   
   Chen's writing is so adaptable, at once crisp and purposeful but never too cold or stale. From early on I was amazed at her openness and honesty, about a subject that clearly many of her counterparts would not appreciate as it would only call forward their own challenges and failings.
   
   The prime element of handling mortality is woven through HER story which she presents with interesting detail about childhood, medical school and clinical training. Interwoven are brief intimate looks into the lives of some of her patients, and you come away from the book feeling more human and more educated.



5. This book is a call for doctors to provide comfort to patients when cures are no longer viable. She urges doctors to engage with persons as a complex, integrated whole rather than as an impersonal clinical case. The book is a heart felt philosophical argument against medical deconstructivism that illicits almost knee-jerk "do something" responds to illnesses. Complicated ritualistic processes or treatment algorithms focus on the disease rather than the person who suffers. Dr. Chen is amazingly courageous in writing this much needed book and she openly questions herself as well as the medical culture and educative process that "made her."

5 comments about Jane Boleyn: The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford.

1. How could Julia Fox be given a book contract for "Jane Boleyn The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford"? Did an editor even read the claptrap the writer presents as "history"? Ms. Fox is probably the only student of Tudoriana to see Jane Boleyn as a "courageous spirit" and a "much-maligned figure whose life and reputation were taken from her".
   
   In a cowardly effort to save her own skin, Jane Boleyn gave Henry VIII the lies he needed to divest himself of wife number 2, Anne Boleyn. It meant death for her husband, George Boleyn, and sister-in-law, the Queen , but it didn't seem to bother Jane much. Blood relatives, like the Duke of Norfolk, the Boleyn sibling's uncle, also betrayed Anne and George, as did Anne's first love, Henry Percy. Betrayal was apparently the only way you could survive the snake pit that was Henry's court.
   
   I had expected an interesting juxtaposition between the saintly Thomas Moore, a man of principle, and his direct opposite, Jane Boleyn. The grooming of a traitor - now that would have been an interesting subject!
   
   But when I finished Julia Fox's book I knew as little about Jane Boleyn as I did when I started reading it. Ms. Fox doesn't know a whole heck of a lot more about her subject either - her book is filled with suppositions like "Jane was almost certainly an honored guest", " a few moments' reflection would have revealed to Jane", "Jane may even have helped Anne fasten (glittering stones) around her neck", "Perhaps Jane had witnessed", "Almost certainly, Jane was at her sister-in-law's side", "Jane was probably lodged", "It is most likely that Jane", "Perhaps Jane was wearing her favorite stocking", "That Jane was (a witness to Henry and Anne's wedding) is remotely possible but speculative", "for Jane, it was a chance to see", "it is unlikely that Jane actually saw", "Jane would have been gawped at too", "Anne, perhaps with Jane at her side", "Jane may well have", "We cannot be certain that Jane was with her sister-in-law, but it is likely that she was there", "this was likely to have been", "Jane probably did not travel", "We cannot be sure that Jane was present", "She may have remained", "She may have had a chance to have a word with"... and so on, and so on, ad nauseam.
   
   Julia Fox tells us four sure things about Jane Parker Boleyn: the woman was born, she married George Boleyn, served as lady-in-waiting to five of Henry's queens, and then she was beheaded.
   
   "Immaculate detective work"? I think not.



2. The 26.95 plus tax I spent would have made a nice cocktail hour. I am an avid Tudor reader. And not once in all my years of reading have I had to stop 165 pages in. It is my opinion that, if so little is known about Lady Rochford, then this book should not have been written. I have plenty of books about Henry and his wives. If I had known I was purchasing " Tudor History for Dummies". I would have gone out drinking and done my part to save a tree. If you love and RESPECT Tudor history, don't read this book. I feel it insults our intelligence.



3. Jane Boleyn:
   The True Story of the Infamous Lady Rochford
   by Julia Fox
   
   Published by Ballantine Books
   
   A Review
   
   
   There may come a time - not in my life certainly, when those clever people at Microsoft or Google, will build a time machine. Then, with a few deft keystrokes, anyone with sufficient funds to stump up the registration, will be able to travel back in time and confirm or otherwise the popular conceptions of history.
   Until then, we must rely on Julia Fox and her ilk to wade through the sources and present us with their opinion of what happened where and when. She does so with admirable perspicacity
   
   Julia Fox has been very courageous in choosing a subject that has been written to death (3 million internet hits), in both fact and fiction. However, as everyone has access to the same primary sources, it is not everyone that can tease out the plausibility from the preconceived notions as well as Ms Fox does.
   
   This is Fox's first book and it is beautifully written. From the first chapter it is apparent that she is an experienced researcher and teacher. She also has an eye for beauty. Her descriptions of the Tudor ladies wardrobes, betray an author with an eye for style.
   
   This is the story of the trials and tribulations and ultimate undoing of Jane Boleyn (née Parker), Lady Rochford, wife of George Boleyn who was Anne Boleyn's brother. Fox attempts to buck the trend and redeem the oft disparaged viscountess. She elevates her from the `Great Whore' and `Wicked Wife' of other publications, to innocent victim in her own.
   
   Opinions vary whether the lady brought wretchedness upon herself through treachery, or was just a victim of circumstance. Fox suggests the latter, and I am persuaded.
   
   In the life and death lottery that was King Henry VIII's court, you win some and you lose some. Losing was rather final as in Jane's, her husband and sister-in-law's case, not to mention a few hundred more, but Fox punctuates these personal dilemmas with beautifully drawn descriptions of the pomp and ceremony that occupied the space between the misery.
   
   It would be easy to conclude that when questioned about her Queen's and husband's alleged offenses, she betrayed them. That would have been dumb; then and now. And Lady Rochford was anything but dumb. She was a lady-in-waiting to five of Henry's wives before she lost her head. That would have required some nifty footwork.
   
   There can be little doubt that she was implicated in the machinations of Catherin Howard, but is anyone seriously suggesting that she should have popped along to Henry, and whispered in his ear (perhaps shouting would have been more effective), that his Queen was dallying with half his court?
   
   It must be said however that a majority of the evidence for or against comes from loquacious foreign diplomats. They may or may not have been sympathetic to the English court, and perhaps sprayed their odium where it was most likely to stick.
   
   Julia Fox's book is a riveting read. Her points are well made and convincing. Her tone is `matter-of-fact `and never drifts from know intelligence.
   
   I strongly recommend this book for a first and second reading, and wait with enthusiasm for her next work.



4. For readers familiar with the Tudor saga, this book is little more than a retelling. Author Fox tries oh-so-hard to convince us that she has new information and a fresh point of view, but she doesn't. I grew tired of reading passage after passage like this: "We don't know if Jane was a guest at the [INSERT EVENT]. But if she had been, she would have feasted on [INSERT FOOD] and rubbed elbows with [INSERT NAMES]." A big disappointment!



5. I enjoyed Ms. Fox's writing style. She does a good job of converting non-fictional material into a fictional-style telling of a story. However, the editing is HORRIBLE! By the time you get through wordy lines of text, poorly placed commas and interjected "by the way" thoughts, you've forgotten the intent of the sentence. Had the editor used more periods, the flow would have been easier to establish.