5 comments about Growing Up Under Hitler.

1. The book gives a new insight into every day life under Hitler through the eyes of child. It is truely absorbing and I could not put it down until I completed reading. I thank the author for this excellent book.



2. The book gives a new insight into every day life under Hitler through the eyes of child. It is truely absorbing and I could not put it down until I completed reading. I thank the author for this excellent book.



3. The book gives a new insight into every day life under Hitler through the eyes of child. It is truely absorbing and I could not put it down until I completed reading. I thank the author for this excellent book.



4. Mr. Knapp has presented a unique look into the mind of a dictator and how such a person was able to affect an entire population. Mr. Knapp is able to convey that not all citizens were negativly influenced by the Nazi propagnada machine. The reader is struck by the fact that the young Mr. Knapp is able to maintain both his humanity and dignity throughout a most difficult period in his life. This book is quite relavant in that similar regimes exist today, often without national boundries. A factinating read.



5. This was a fascinating read that gives a perspective on WWII that you seldom, if ever, hear. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in WWII history. I have come away from reading it with a broader understanding of topics that tend to be taught from only one point of view. This is a valuable asset, and I'm glad I had the oppotunity to read it.

No comments about Pinhoe: As Used to Was.

5 comments about The Years of Tears.

1. With all the recent church abuse cases you mostly can only guess what is was like for the children of abuse and left on their own, and with no parents to ease the pain years later. Now you can read a heart felt detailed account of two boys left alone to find their way through a church oprhanage. Great story about growing up alone and how they came through it all.



2. The Years of Tears describes the early life of two abandoned brothers trapped in a punitive, church run social welfare system. The cruelties inflicted on the two boys by those who use and abuse their power over them are vividly depicted. A few bright spots involve the unexpected kindness of strangers, but the overall picture is dark. The relationship between the brothers, particularly the protective and caring behavior of the older toward the younger,is inspiring. This story will surprise you, haunt you and involve you.



3. Once I started reading "Years of Tears", I did not put it down until I was at the last page! I wanted to know what would happen to Gabriel and Carlos next; would they receive any kind treatment after all the cruelties they endured? I always "knew" of orphanages, but I really didn't know the extent of the weak-minded authority figures that could be so cruel. The strength of the boys character, and their love for each other in the face of all they lived through is truly a miracle.



4. The biography of Carlos and Gabriel shows two boys who overcame all adversities to become the good souls they were obviously meant to be. The Years of Tears touched many of my own childhood memories to remind me that I am strong, and that I also developed alot of character from my experiences. Never is one horrible experience better or worse than another, so I am able to relate to both of these young men. Thank you, Edwin Abreu, for bringing back to me the realization that I can and will accomplish all that I set my mind to.



5. This is a truly inspiring story. I could not put it down. The story is exceptionally well written. The experiences of the main characters will make you cry, then smile, and then cry some more. It is very emotional, yet so easy to read. It is full of complexity; and you will be thinking about the story for many days afterwards. This is one of the best books I have ever read.

3 comments about One Dog Man.

1. I highly reccomend reading this book for anyone who considers themself an adult. For those who are children at heart, it will fuel the inner child. For those who have lost the inner child, it will give you a sincere taste for life again.

   This book is very easy reading. It puts on the front that it is a childlen's book but, in my opinion, is really a book written for the child within the adult.

   If you enjoy reading, if you enjoy philosphy or just reading fiction, this is a wonderful book. You will be glad you read it!




2. This book is written for the child (what little there might be left of it) in all adults. Written with the appearance as being a child's book, it will breath new life into your soul.

   If you enjoy fiction, philosophy, self help or want some innocent energy injected back into your life, read this book! Wonderful! :)




3. As a child in the Sixties, I read everything I could find--I pillaged the library and I went through nearly every book on my grandmother's tall shelves. I don't know who put "One-Dog Man" into my hands, but it instantly became one of my favorite books of all time. Sadly, I long ago lost the copy I had as a child.
   
   The story is the first-person tale of a little boy (we never learn his name, I suspect that's because "Ahmad" would have jarred Baby Boomer America--the book was first published in 1950) who acquires partial ownership of a feisty little dog, whom he has to share with his best friends, a pair of twins. These boys get into more scrapes and situations with bullies, police, mothers, fathers, siblings, and neighbors than any kids I've ever seen, but the story is completely compelling. The details include those of the times: there are thrashings and a certain kind of violence that kids just live through. And always, the dog is central to everything, but mostly it's a book about childhood, where nothing is sacchrine or sterilized or politically correct. Have I mentioned that it's hilarious? It's HILARIOUS.
   
   Refreshingly, there is no moral to the story-only impeccable storytelling.
   
   ... Ignore the cover--you cannot judge this book by its cover.
   
   It is a wonderful story, if you are a realist with a tremendous sense of humor. I love memoirs, and it's rare to find a childhood memoir this charming. The only thing that comes close is the fabulous book by Haven Kimmel, "A Girl Named Zippy."
   
   ...

No comments about Jew Boy in Goy Town.

No comments about Seed of Life.

No comments about A Decade Of Boyhood.

No comments about Guide to the Life, Times, and Works of Victor Hugo.

5 comments about Box Of Mustaches: The darkly funny, true story of how twin brothers survived their mother's madness.

1. This is a brutally honest, sometimes sad, often absurdly comical account of growing up (or attempting to) amidst constant turmoil and outright insanity. Evans brings you into the harrowing world of his childhood and adolescence. And despite the emotional rawness of the book, it is a surprisingly easy read. His ability to find any morsel of humor even in the most bizarre and dire circumstances has clearly served him well, both in surviving his tumultuous youth and in his work as a comedy writer.



2. There seems to be a fashion for memoirs from authors who had brutal and bizarre upbringings or early life experiences. The problem with many of these, however, is that they are cloying, pretentious, or both. One apt example is "A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius," which would more accurately be titled "A Mawkish Work of Staggering Pretentiousness." Evans avoids this trap by writing simply and straightforwardly, but with elegance, poignance, and wit. He doesn't wear his travails like a badge of honor or feel the need to inform readers that he is consciously shunning post-modern, self-referential prose and condescending to write a mere traditional memoir. He skips the self-aggrandizing nonsense and just writes a damn funny, touching book.



3. There is no question that the childhood of Stan Evans and his twin brother was by today's standards completely dysfunctional and often abusive. Life with a certifiable mother can never be easy, but the author manages to find humor in even the most heartbreaking situations. Told with mattter of fact candor and plenty of laughs this is one memoir on the dysfunctional childhood that looks for no pity.



4. I hate whiny "woe is me" books written by people who want emotional handouts. Give me an emotionally powerful yet funny journey and that's what you get with "Box of Mustaches". Not only can read about his mom Nutty Nora but other characters like Eldy and the Gas-O-Mat and "Crisco Marie". Mr. Evans writes books like Ray Davies writes songs. Dickens would have given his last beer to write like this.



5. They say a lot of the very best comedy comes out of tragedy, that people laugh so they don't cry. "Box of Moustaches" is a no holds barred revealing biography of a very funny and talented man I worked with on "Talk Soup". Whether he became funny in spite of the difficulties he dealt with growing up with his twin brother in a household with a crazy mother or whether these events shaped him and made him the amusing writer he is today as a way of dealing with trouble is a argument best made over a glass of cognac and cigars. The fact is this book is a very interesting read. Yes, there are many dark moments. But there are also some very funny moments that are exploited to their fullest comic extent. It's not your standard Bobsey Twins novel, that's for sure. No, this story is real. As in real good.

No comments about Pollys Contraption.