No comments about For Real: Bob Rockwell, the Man and His Collection.

No comments about Old Deseret Live Stock Company: A Stockman's Memoir.

No comments about Adam Smith's Lost Legacy.

5 comments about Sunnyvale: The Rise and Fall of a Silicon Valley Family.

1. I felt so connected to "the valley" while reading this book. I grew up in Sunnyvale and surrounding towns and knew exactly where the author was when he described the area. What for me seemed like "Anywhere, USA" became unique in my eyes for the first time. It has been an experience watching the area explode with change thoughout my life.
   Goodell does a great job of describing the pain in ordinary lives, and I could feel his honest emotion shine through without any gushiness or corniness: the experience of being human in our modern times. Thanks, Mr. Goodell for a great, meaningful book!



2. I didn't know anything about this story or author when I picked up this book; I just wanted to read it because I grew up in Sunnyvale (and still live in the Bay Area). I found that the story moves along quietly and rather gently while describing serious subject matter: a family is broken apart by divorce. Meanwhile, the vast promise of the Silicon Valley is the background. It was a very honest portrayal of life and troubles in this area, very authentic to me: my father was an immigrant, drawn to California and the Bay Area as the promised land, and he was very much like the men in this book, wanting success, to make something of himself, expecting the best from his children, pressuring them to succeed because how can you possibly fail when you live in an Eichler home in a place called Sunnyvale in the place that created the technological revolution? Like the author himself, I was not the least bit drawn to the computer industry, wanting instead to be artistic and creative. Therefore, I never belonging here. I've been trying to get out of this area for years; in the book, the lead character/author moves to New York. I never realized that those of us who grew up in Sunnyvale could have similar life experiences despite differences in ethnicity, family background, etc. Your hometown influences you and your family and every part of your life. How nice to read a book that illustrates this so effectively.



3. It sounds completely trite, but I could not put this book down. The true story of the author's family, this is a story that most middle-class Americans can relate to. It's a story of divorce, coming of age, confusion, madness and family bonds. It's heartbreakingly honest and a cautionary tale for how things can spiral out of control.



4. Here is some perspective: I am living in Sunnyvale now, as I have for ten years. I was born and raised a black male in the "low-income section" of Memphis Tennessee. I invite you to tell me that I have not seen worse than this family. I am now in high tech, and also active in Sunnyvale community service, and I am a successful musician in Sunnyvale as a second career.
   
   From my perspective, this family had something bad happen to them and they did not recover but simply unraveled and used that bad event as a target of blame. The book is selling successfuly because (1) the title captures the attention of a large number of people who tend to buy books, (2) the issue of broken homes is so pervasive in this society that the book is bound (so to speak) to resonate with a significant number of potential buyers, and (3) it is titillating to discover something negative associated with something that is usually portrayed postively.
   
   So despite being titled "Sunnyvale", the book is not about Sunnyvale really. The woman could have left for Procter & Gamble (OH), Dell (TX), or IBM (anywhere), would that have changed the story? Sunnyvale is a great and robust city, and I think it was a cheap shot to mention it in the title, but of course you are entitled to your own opinion.



5. Jeff Goodell's book about his family and life suffers from having boring and mundane subject matter. His domestic problems are summed up in divorced parents and dysfunctional siblings that are wholly uninteresting and generally unsympathetic. His love for his brother is forced into the book to make the narrator more sympathetic and thus more central to the plot. Finally, the prose is as boring as the story as it is both unimaginative and all too simplistic. Just because Goodell had a life it does not warrant him to write about it.

5 comments about Unseemly Man.

1. Larry Flynt is one of America's most colorful adult- industry businessmen. Starting with his dysfunctional childhood, Flynt's life reads like a tragic novel with a fairly happy ending. He spent his youth doing very unchild-like things such as selling moonshine and copulating with a mother hen. He ran away from home a few times; was molested by a man; spent time in the army; divorced twice at a young age; and entered the world of adult business where his life became a revolving door of courtroom appearances and, ultimately, triumph over the system.
   
   Controversy is something that has followed Larry Flynt around for most of his lifetime. Much of it, the combative Mr. Flynt brought on himself. He deliberately behaved in outrageous ways, just to challenge the rules and defy authority. His courtroom antics, in particular, went way over the top and shocked and amazed everyone, including those who felt they knew him pretty well. Flynt commitment such wild and crazy acts as wearing a U.S. flag as a diaper in the courtroom; spitting on a judge; cursing out loud; and throwing oranges when he got fed up with court procedures.
   
   This book tries to cram too much, in my opinion, into too little space. In a matter of a couple of paragraphs, Flynt often covers a span of several years of his life. He elaborates and explains some of his life events in more detail. But other events are just mentioned briefly, in a few sentences, making you want to know a little more. I assume that Flynt did this to keep the book from getting so long that people would not want to read it. Given all of the twists and turns in Flynt's outrageous life, this book could have easily been two or even three times longer.
   
   Many personal tragedies have befallen Larry Flynt throughout his lifetime. He witnessed the death of his younger sister, who was diagnosed with leukemia and died at the tender age of 5. He had two women betray him, shortly following his marriage to each one. He was shot by a white supremacist and was left paralyzed from the waist down. His third wife, Althea, died in the bathtub at home. He underwent a "born again" experience under the guiding hand of Ruth Stapleton (President Jimmy Carter's sister), and later rejected the experience completely. He finally had his shining moment when he won the Supreme Court decision over Jerry Falwell, but with so many negative events in one's lifetime, you have to wonder how the man kept his sanity.
   
   Larry Flynt's life as told in this book would make an interesting psychological case study. What impact did the molestation by the hitchhike driver have on Flynt's psyche? What about the two betrayals by early girlfriends? Did they scar him for life against making emotional commitments to women? Was the fact that Althea came from an even more dysfunctional (believe it or not!) background just a coincidence, or do these types of individuals commonly fall for each other? None of these questions is easy to answer. Flynt's life has all the makings of a research study for a Ph.D. psychology student.
   
   Most of the Larry Flynt saga includes information that I was already aware of, but hadn't heard in a long time. I already knew about the chicken incident, the poverty, the go- go clubs, the magazines, and all the court appearances in defense of free speech. I knew that he started in business right here in my hometown of Dayton, Ohio. But I had forgotten about Flynt's experience with the Delorean tapes (he got them from an anonymous source- they showed the FBI framing Mr. Delorean and then falsely arresting him on drug charges), so this was a refresher course on that subject. And I did not know anything about the experience with the hitchhiker or the dysfunctional life of his wife Althea. These were all new things for me to read about.
   
   Flynt makes some interesting observations about life, the law, and sexual repression and his own personal stories keep you entertained as you read. Some of the statements he makes might seem a little outrageous and difficult to believe, but I see no reason for him to be making them up. The chicken incident, for example, seems a little too wild to be true. But the fact is, I have talked to people who grew up in Kentucky in the 1940's and 1950's and they can vouch for what Flynt is talking about. It wasn't uncommon at all, in the state of Kentucky during this era, for people to do "things" with animals. It was also ordinary for every family to have at least one alcoholic and it was fairly common for family members to practice inbreeding. These were all acceptable ways of life at this time, in the state of Kentucky.
   
   Whether you like Larry Flynt or not, you have to admire his incredible tenacity and his relentless refusal to allow others to control his life and tell him how to live. Flynt has spent much of his life as a crusader for First Amendment rights, and he has sacrificed much of his personal time and freedom to fight for the right to be offensive. His autobiography is a true rags to riches story. From the sleepy hollows of Kentucky to a multi- million dollar business and a mansion in Beverly Hills, Larry Flynt has come a long way. He has fought for individual expression and paid a high price for pursuing his cause. He lost the woman of his dreams and almost lost his own life in the process.
   
   "An Unseemly Man" reads like a work of fiction. Much of it will shock and surprise the average reader, while leaving others feeling a sense of disgust. There is a fair amount of profanity, and Flynt is very outspoken from beginning to end, explaining his point of view in a direct and sometimes abrasive way. It's an interesting book to read, to say the least, and it will make many people reassess the way they view one of the best- known and most controversial businessmen in the adult entertainment industry, Mr. Larry C. Flynt.



2. Larry Flynt is one of Americas great unrecognized heroes. He stood for our constitution every chance he could and it cost him dearly. His story should be read by everyone who really wants to know the price of freedom in our country. My only problem with the book is it was too short skimping over things I would of liked greater detail on. Otherwise it was a good read and better than the movie The People V.s. Larry Flynt.



3. Flynt is a drunk, drug addict, pornographer, eighth-grade dropout, convicted felon, and adulterer who has a lot to teach us. I thoroughly enjoyed the book. While many people would cringe at the thought of reading his book, I would remind you of the words of Jimmy Buffet who sang, "Read dozens of books about heroes and crooks, and I learned much from both of their styles."



4. What can possibly be said about Larry Flynt that has not been said already? The guy is a one-man attraction at the side show of Americana. Pornographer, First Amendment hero, political gadfly, and more. The country would be a tad different place, for both good and bad, without him.
   
   AN UNSEEMLY MAN may not shed a lot of light on its subject, though, really, is that much of a surprise? After all, it is not that Larry doesn't have a dark side, but that he has already exposed it. Nonetheless, the book is worthwhile just to gasp in awe and disgust at that exposure. Like the sideshow attraction, we cannot look away at the public display of the previously unseen. It takes us from Larry's upbringing in Kentucky and his shudder-inducing first sexual experience all the way up to being top dog of his publishing empire. Along the way we get the legal battles, the paralyzing gunshot and all the other details that have made Larry a household name.
   
   The book, not surprisingly, is not a difficult read. Anyone capable of grasping the nuances of Hustler magazine's articles and editorials should be able to get through it fast enough. AN UNSEEMLY MAN may not be the best book on your shelf, but you'll get a kick out of it.



5. i had bought this for my boyfriend, i let a friend borrow it after he was done with it and she loved it so much she bought it too!

2 comments about Johnny Cash: He Walked the Line.

1. After countless biographies and two autobiographies published during his lifetime, there's not much left to write about Johnny Cash. So, Garth Campbell (note to author: Glen Brooks would have been a more convincing pseudonym), in this hastily concocted tome, elected to re-tell the Cash story by leaning heavily on four other works: Cash's own "Man in Black," June Carter Cash's "From the Heart," Albert Govini's "A Boy Named Cash," and Christopher Wren's "Winners Got Scars, Too." Campbell mentions all four in his acknowledgements, calling them "invaluable," but Cash fans familiar with these earlier books will come away from "He Walked the Line" certain that he'd read all of it before.

   To cite just one example: here's Wren's 1971 account of the day Cash and his sidemen, Marshall Grant and Luther Perkins, became Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two: "Cash walked in to see Marshall at work among his automobiles the next day. Sam Phillips had called, he said, wanting to know what they would name themselves.

   "`Why don't we call ourselves the Tennessee Three?' said Cash.

   "Marshall thought not. Since Cash would be doing all the singing, it really ought to be John Cash and the Tennessee Two, though in fact neither Marshall nor Luther were really from Tennessee.

   "Sam Phillips wasn't quite satisfied. With an eye to the teenage market, he suggested that Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two had a better ring. Cash didn't know. It might sound too young. Phillips reassured Cash that, at twenty-three years old, he could afford to be Johnny."

   Here's Campbell's version of the same tale: "The next day, John wandered by to see Marshall at work at the automobile repair shop. Sam Phillips had just telephoned and wanted to know what they were going to call themselves.

   "`How about the Tennessee Three?' volunteered John.

   "Marshall gave it an instant thumbs down. Since John was doing all the singing, it ought to be John Cash and the Tennessee Two he insisted, though, in fact, none of them was actually from Tennessee.

   "But Sam Phillips wasn't completely happy with that suggestion either. With an eye on the teenage market, he suggested that Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two had a better ring to it. John was puzzled. He thought it might make him sound too young. Phillips reassured John that, at twenty-three years old, he could afford to be `Johnny.'"

   Déjà vu? Nope, just good ol' American plagiarism; not surprising, perhaps, since the book was published in England. Sadly this isn't the only instance, nor even the most egregious. Even Johnny and June's own writing is lifted wholesale in places.

   You'd think after recent events (Jayson Blair, anyone?), someone at John Blake Publishing would have been more careful. Hopefully there are publishing lawyers scrutinizing this cut-and-paste biography of Johnny Cash. Perhaps one day `Garth Campbell' will find himself sporting a new moniker: a Boy Named Sued.




2. I waited months for this book to be released - wasn't worth the wait. I don't know about the plagiarism a previous reviewer referred to, but the book was a quickly written hack job with many inaccuracies. Example:
   Johnny Cash never sang "The Ballard of Ira Hayes". At first I thought it was a typo, but the error was repeated.
   The book says June Carter's first child came from her second marriage, to Rip Nixon. Must be a big surprise to Carlene Carter, June's daughter from her first marriage to Carl Smith.
   Mr. Campbell says: "A bond of friendship was never to form between the two stars (Cash and Waylon Jennings)". That comment is so stupid it's not even worth discussing.
   The name is Ferlin HUSKY, not Huskie.
   Was it really necessary, when mentioning money, to give the equivalent in English pounds?

2 comments about The House of Yamazaki: The Life of a Daughter of Japan.

1. I think this book is interesting, because it shows how a rustic girl could become a buisness girl in tokyo .She wanted absolutly get around the obstacles (tradition, way-life of japan girl, her father . . .), and fallowing Japan evolution in the modernity, she improve herself ;But if she lives now in a certainly modernity (occidentalisation), this is may be thanks to the Gods, which are indissociables of the japaneese life .



2. I think this book is interesting, because it shows how a rustic girl could become a buisness girl in tokyo .She wanted absolutly get around the obstacles (tradition, way-life of japan girl, her father . . .), and fallowing Japan evolution in the modernity, she improve herself ;But if she lives now in a certainly modernity (occidentalisation), this is may be thanks to the Gods, which are indissociables of the japaneese life .

5 comments about Bill & Dave: How Hewlett and Packard Built the World's Greatest Company.

1. Hewlett-Packard is most familiar to consumers as a brand of ink jet printer and digital camera sold in supermarkets up and down the country. Some may remember that they had a Watergate-type moment recently and a woman CEO who made a dogs dinner of things.
   
   I visited Boeblingen (near Stuttgart) - the European headquarters of Hewlett-Packard in the late 90s and left deeply unimpressed by a large but seemingly directionless technology behemoth. It wasn't the kind of place where I wanted to develop my career in marketing communications.
   
   Malone in his book Bill and Dave brings into perspective how important Bill Hewlett and David Packard were to the technology sector and modern business practices.
   
   From a PR perspective, I found facinating the way Bill and David self-consciously built their own personal legends which helped support and extend the HP Way. The company's culture was built, extended and modified in a deliberate, planned manner unparalleled in any other company.
   
   Packard and Hewlett wrote the book on corporate reputation without the help of big name agencies and invented the elements as they went along, combined with a wisdom worthy of Solomon.



2. The first several pages were a little dry, and I felt like the author intentionally used obscure words occasionally to lend an air of importance to the book. But then it became smoother and more interesting.
   
   One minor complaint is that a lot of people are mentioned repetitively in the narrative, and sometimes I wonder, now who is so-and-so?
   
   A lot of interesting tidbits of marketing brilliance, including that their first product name back in the 1930s the "200A" (instead of perhaps "100" or "100A") to make it sound like the company had been around a while. A practice enshrined by many software and hardware companies even today.



3. The history of Hewlett and Packard is extraordinary but the book is difficult to read. For example, the writer starts about a topic on the Second World War and then goes to the future to the eighties and comeback, so the reader get lost and loose focus on the subject that was reading.
   
   The history is great but wasn't written in order.



4. Bill and Dave complemented each other. This was not replicated in the eras of John Young or Lew Platt as they surrounded themselves with folks that are too much like them. Then, it went downhill after that. Really great writing and reading for all HPers, past, present and future.



5. As a child of one of the first 200 employees and also as a former HP employee myself, it brought back such good memories and feelings of a fantastic company. Sure hope they get it back to right soon! Great book, couldn't put it down.

5 comments about Disregarded: Transforming the School and Workplace through Deep Respect and Courage.

1. You have probably read enough of the previous reviews to grasp the content of Bender's book, Disregarded. However, if you also want to occasionally laugh, shed a few tears, and constantly search your soul, don't wait any longer to read this book. Fantastic reading!



2. A must read. Humor is great throughout. Great sentence Structure. Everyone must read this book.



3. Bender's journey of personal growth, chronicled with both setbacks and triumphs, is truly an inspiration. Disregarded is a powerful yet readable narrative that will fill the reader with hope.



4. Whether you are a student of conflict and want to gain insight into its mysterious innerworkings or simply want a fascinating read on one man's journey through personal conflict, Jack H. Bender's "Disregarded" will not disappoint.
   
   The subject matter of this recently published work was of keen interest to me as a mediator. I blithely picked it up with the intention of breezing through in order to gain a little more perspective on this aspect of human nature and the conflict we engender by virtue of being human.
   
   I got much more. I was presented with a book that immediately earned a place in the "classic" section of my personal library, and a book that has been marked up, read, re-read, shared and used as a springboard for further reading, reflection and knowledge.
   
   Bender has written a multi-layered book with two seamlessly interwoven narrative lines. As he unwinds his personal journey through a series of retreats called the Courage to Teach, he also relates how the conflicts in his professional life collide with the teachings of those retreats. Life imitates art, indeed.
   
   Each chapter's story contains a wealth of topics that suggest further exploration for the reader from a wide cross-section of disciplines: philosophy, spirituality, psychology, peacemaking and conflict, power, family, stress, relationships... Even in writing this I feel I have left something out, and yet the book advances effortlessly while tying the threads into a thoughtful package.
   
   There are meticulous references in each chapter as well as a bibliography that could easily serve as the syllabus for a course on human nature and conflict.
   
   I highly recommend "Disregarded;" it is not only a comprehensive discussion on human conflict, but also a memoir of courage and heart.



5. This book reads first as a mystery, then as a drama, then as a total reality check. Any experienced teacher will quickly recognize the situation the author is in and the struggles he meets in trying to make the public school a better place for kids, teachers and administrators.
   
   As in real life, there are no true winners, but Jack Bender's book IS a winner. I highly recommend every new and every experienced teacher read this book and pass it on to others. It is only through shedding light on what happens behind the scenes in education that we can truly improve the workplace.
   
   Jack's efforts to make a better place for all of us is not only touching, it is enlightening.

2 comments about Fifty Major Economists: A Reference Guide (Key Concepts).

1. Steven Pressman's book is the best place for anyone to start reading about economics. What you get here is neither the one-sided, smug, neoclassical viewpoint that most books on economics take nor one full of revolutionary fervour. Instead, this short book moves chronologically through the economic landscape, pausing to highlight the important economic thinkers, their lives and thoughts, and explaining both their lasting ideas and forgotten ones.



2. I purchased this book to help with a research project I am planning to assign to high school seniors. It is very helpful by giving a snapshot view of each economist's theory.