5 comments about The Man Who Made Lists.

1. A good utilitarian biography about a figure in history whose contributions are little thought about today. Roget, who created the Thesaurus at a time when there was nothing close to it and the need was great, also invented the modern slide rule led major scientific societies, and contributed to the natural sciences. A good handling of an unusual man, and well worth the time to learn about the man. My only real complaint is that Kendall seems to apply a 21st century sense of judgement on Roget's relationships (and difficulties therein). This sense may be somewhat due to the lack of cited evidence when such opinions are interjected.
   
   Still, a recommended read for a word maven, list keeper, organizer, or just to fill in a hole in one's knowledge of the movers and shakers of the early days of what became modern science.



2. [review of first hardcover edition]
   A good utilitarian biography about a figure in history whose contributions are little thought about today. Roget, who created the Thesaurus at a time when there was nothing close to it and the need was great, also invented the modern slide rule led major scientific societies, and contributed to the natural sciences. A good handling of an unusual man, and well worth the time to learn about the man. My only real complaint is that Kendall seems to apply a 21st century sense of judgement on Roget's relationships (and difficulties therein). This sense may be somewhat due to the lack of cited evidence when such opinions are interjected.
   
   Still, a recommended read for a word maven, list keeper, organizer, or just to fill in a hole in one's knowledge of the movers and shakers of the early days of what became modern science.



3. Interesting book abut the Peter Roget, the creator of the ubiquitous Thesaurus, but it is a dry read, jumps around. At times the book feels as if it were written by the Peter Roget it describes: emotionally absent the author simply narrates events in Roget's life.
   
   In the hands of a more skilled writer like Eric Larson this would have been a most excellent book. Like other reviewers have said, finishing it was a struggle, which I did out of interest purely in the subject matter.



4. I picked this one out because I loved The Professor and the Madman and thought the story of thesaurus-making might be similarly interesting.
   
   It's not.
   
   In fact, I bailed about 1/3 of the way through. The Man Who Made Lists turns out to be a fairly average biography with lots of amateur psychology and tales of young Roget's early life. His family was prone to depression and madness, his mother was clingy and lived her life through him (Behind every great man is a needy mother?) and etc. Pretty much the usual stuff, and not terribly well told. Oh, the prose is good enough, at least I didn't notice any glaring errors, but the author utterly failed to make me care at all about Roget or his list making.
   
   Pity.



5. Couldn't put the book down. Peter Roget's life was fascinating, there were many historical facts intertwined that made the book an even more interesting read.

5 comments about Nearer, My God: An Autobiography of Faith.

1. Interesting, but not riveting...I would say the best chapters are the first several - Buckley seems to lose his way through the book - what is he trying to convey to us in the latter chapters? He, himself says he took on and then abandoned the project (it sounds like a couple of times) before settling down to write it. His writing is always interesting - delightful 'turn of phrase' springs to mind...IMHO - not up to the Buckley standard (and admittedly - it is a high standard)



2. I'm suprised he's a Mr. Buckley instead of a Dr. Buckley.
   His philosophical defense on Christianity are as complex and as detailed as other leading doctorate Christian Apologetic defenses by such professors as William Lane Craig and Peter Kreeft.
   His book is more than just intriguing; it's a work of deep thought and faith.
   Although the extravagant words that Mr. Buckley uses (Many of the words he use are unfamiliar to Microsoft Word!) can be quite confusing, it's logical structure is superb.
   Mr. Buckley must have some very good knowledge on formal logic.
   I personally like how he seperates his defenses of Christianity and Catholicism, allowing this book to be tolerated for even the most evangelical Christian.
   That's another great aspect of the book, in my opinion. (I am not an evangelical) Mr. Buckley is obviously a conservative Catholic, seperated by the popular Christian evangelism that is sweeping through churches. Buckley put's aside the evangelical dogma, and shows Christianity on how it really is.
   Not by saying that every religion is wrong except for Christianity - the evangelical approach
   but by saying why Christianity is the right religion, and how he possibly could be wrong.
   Christian apologetic books like this make Atheists, like Sam Harris, beg for a chance to slow down and let them organize their thoughts.
   So instead of having Rick Warren and Sam Harris debate on Newsweek, let's see Sam Harris and William F. Buckley bust out their beliefs. But I do believe Mr. Harris would plead for a Dictionary somewhere in the middle of such a debate.
   
   The book is superb and I recommend it for those Christians who feel their faith lacks intellectual and rational standing.
   
   Great Book



3. Written in a gentle way without any super big words pushing you to the nearest dictionary. A statement of faith and belief. But spiritual questions remain which even the super intelligent can not totally figure out. This reviewer found the book enlightening.



4. I am not a Roman Catholic and never have been. My review is by an individual who is critical of the Roman Catholic Faith. The author of this book, William F. Buckley is a devout Roman Catholic and believes in the teachings of his church. The title of this work makes it sound like a devotional; it is not. The cover of the book calls the book an autobiography of Faith; It is not. William F. Buckley does share some personal experience in his life interacting with the Roman Catholic church. He also discusses thoughts of fellow Catholics in his life. It is not explanation or presentation development of faith through life experience or study. This book is about Roman Catholic doctrine. The original working title of this book was Why am I still a Catholic. William F. Buckley felt this title made it seem like he was or should be embarrassed to be a member of the Catholic Church; something he surely is not. The author uses the same intellect and serious thought to his religious faith as he argues his political views.
   
   The Catholic church is the ultimate arbitrator of Truth. This book defends the Pope's obligation to make biblical teaching clearer and easier to understand. The author details the churches' position on developing doctrine. Difficulties between Arnold Lunn, then at the time not a catholic, and friar Arnold. Included in the discussion is papal inerrancy , the inquisition and slavery , eternal punishment, indulgences, difficulty with Biblical interpretation and Biblical literalism. In other places in this work the author defends Mother as the Mother of God, the praying to `the saints', miracles at Lourdes, issues of no woman priests, divorce - annulments, birth control, and remarriage. Obviously I disagree with most everything in the defense of Catholic teaching but is done well. Ordination of Michael Bozell is told about. The principles of being a God Father and how the application in real life is discussed.
   
   Included are observations and experience with fellow Catholics. An example of this is Malcolm Muggeridge.



5. I wanted to get a glimpse of contemporary conservative thinking. After Mr. Buckley passing away I heard that he was a sort of beacon for modern Conservative political thought. There's no better way to get a lowdown on this than to get under conservative skin, i.e. going into the subject of faith, since this is a sort of underlying building block for conservative thought.
   
   Referring to the subtitle "An autobiography of faith", there is very little "autobiography". We get just a glimpse of Mr.Buckley's privileged childhood in the beginning of the book. But the major body of the text is a commentary on someone else's religious writings, filled with very generous quotations. From the initial premise of the book - "autobiography of faith" - I got an impression that it's going to be a personal account of how someone like Mr. Buckley comes to Catholic faith and what strengthens him in his beliefs. What you get instead is a very referential analysis of certain developments in the history of Catholicism and some current religious concepts. For example, Vatican abandoning the Latin liturgy in favor of modern languages (the author strongly disagrees with it), issues of contraception, the influence of church on the state, etc. In general, it leaves a strong impression that this book is written by a journalist, who wanted to mull over the current agenda, not by a person, who wanted to explore and share his personal relationship with God.

5 comments about The Place to Be: Washington, CBS, and the Glory Days of Television News.

1. Roger Mudd confirms what many print journalists have known for years...Television is filled with egomaniacal back-stabbers who are more concerned about 10 seconds of airtime than journalism, proving once again what the print media has known for years. American's who depend on television as their only source for news are sadly lacking in their knowledge of current events. His revelations about corporate headquarters being more concerned about politics and the financial bottom line than facts, shouldn't surprise anyone.
   I would however strongly recommend the book for an insider's view of how television news networks actually operate.
   Art Giberson
   Pensacola, FL



2. From the late 1950s to 1980 I, like countless Americans, was a devoted fan of CBS News. Anchored by Walter Cronkite, CBS News boasted a galaxy of gifted correspondents who covered those exciting, horrifying, puzzling years with unrivaled professionalism. To my mind, Roger Mudd was first among equals as regards a CBS team that included Dan Rather, Marvin and Bernard Kalb, Daniel Schoor, Eric Sevareid, George Herman, Bob Peirpoint, Bob Schieffer and so many other talented individuals. THE PLACE TO BE is Mudd's informative, witty and entertaining memoir of those glory years.
   
   As with 'Uncle Walter,' Roger Mudd always impressed me as an insightful, unflappable and discerning newsman. Beyond that he seemed to possess a touch of irreverence that sometimes revealed itself in a 'Do you believe this?' twinkle in his eye when he was reporting on the latest Congressional boondoggle. Those same qualities are in evidence throughout Mudd's book, most of which is devoted to the period from May 1961, when he became a CBS correspondent, to February 1980, when he walked because of the boneheaded decision to give Dan Rather the anchor position.
   
   Reading through THE PLACE TO BE is akin to revisiting all the important - and a few not-so-important - news events and personalities that shaped the American experience. We are immersed once again in the Civil rights struggle, the years of JFK, the Cuban Missile Crisis, LBJ and the Great Society, Vietnam, various political conventions, Congressional doings, etc.; the difference being an incisive, knowledgeable guide who helped cover and explain those momentous events to us then...and now.
   
   Obviously part of the delight in Mudd's book is the insider's view of the CBS newsroom and finding out what happened when and who did what. Given how poorly Mudd was handled as regarded Cronkite's succession, I think he did an evenhanded job in relating life at CBS News and in discussing the many people he's worked with over the years.
   
   THE PLACE TO BE is an easy read, funny and affectionate and sometimes surprising. All those men and women were a part of our lives - friends almost - and it's fascinating to see them in action and also find out what was happening behind the camera as well. And it is sad in reading through the 'Where Are They Now?' section to discover so many are gone.
   
   I'd give THE PLACE TO BE six stars if possible. It's a first-class memoir of some exciting times and talented people by one of the best correspondents to work for CBS. I can't remember when I've enjoyed a book as much!



3. This book takes me back to the time when watching the evening news was a big deal. It was something you did before dinner every night. Roger Mudd was always one of my favorites, with his seemingly casual and calm manner. Hearing about the news business from his perspective was interesting and revealing. Reading his book was a pleasure and I recommend it.



4. Back when television news was about news and not entertainment, Roger Mudd was one of the very best correspondents, and this is one of the very best books about television when it took its responsibility seriously.



5. Roger Mudd writes that he came across as `glowering and grim' on TV. Having lived in Ireland during the so-called "glory days of television news," I can't comment on that, but this book does lack personality which is its biggest weakness. Mudd worked in a massively interesting news era, ranging from Vietnam, the assassinations of JFK, Martin Luther King, Robert Kennedy and Watergate, but he fails to bring any of them alive or present any interesting insights into them.
   
   Mudd's comments about some of his co-workers are often less than complimentary especially Dan Rather who beat the author out to replace Walter Cronkite. I read the book because I wanted a better understanding of the US during these turbulent years. Not sure if I got that, but if you were a fan of Mudd, CBS or Cronkite during the 60's and 70's, this is a book you might enjoy as it is more about CBS and inside politics than anything else. In fairness, this is what the title suggests.

5 comments about A Clearing In The Distance: Frederick Law Olmsted and America in the 19th Century.

1. This book strikes a lovely balance between describing Olmsted's life and personal history and his creations, parks that span the United States.

   You may be surprised to learn, as I was, the vast number of projects he undertook. How Central Park was really his first significant project. How he had to fight political and economic battles to keep it from being ruined. How he was able to truly "get it right" with Brooklyn's Prospect Park.

   Through the fascinating descriptions of the landscapes, the author also provides great insight into Olmsted's life. What struck me the most was how Olmsted, as with many of his contemporaries (U.S. Grant, Mark Twain) worried for most of his life about his finances and his career.

   This is a first rate work, told in a clear and compelling fashion.




2. Olmsted and Rybcznski seem somehow destined together, and this book is a thoroughly readable and engaging introduction to both of them. If they had been contemporaries, they probably would have somehow connected as friends or collaborators or both. Through his work, Olmsted came to define the American public space as distinct from the English or French styles. Early on he was influenced by farming, the English countryside, naturalism, notables such as Carlyle and Ruskin, and by the American pursuit of happiness: our need for recreation and spectacle. In his works, he combined "economics, nature, aesthetics, moral and intellectual improvement, and salvation." He spoke of throwing "a garment of beauty around our homes."

   Author Rybczynski doesn't limit his chronicle to Olmsted the Designer, though. Rather, he devotes ample space to covering Olmsted as a man of letters, Olmsted's brushes with politics and social reform, his travels to the West, his marvelous mind for engineering (everything from pumps to drainage systems and pipes), and his varied and important organizational and administrative accomplishments. Of particular interest are the chapters in the book devoted to the slavery issue and Olmsted's voice in the anti-slavery movement; Olmsted was an idealist who felt that slavery corrupted society. He once leaned once toward joining a group of German settlers in Texas who did not recognize nor condone slavery.

   Olmsted is best remembered though as a designer who brought us the seeds of a national park system through a lifetime of projects, public and private: Stanford and Berkeley, Belle Isle (Mi), Prospect Park (Brooklyn), Central Park, park systems in Boston and Chicago, huge projects in Washington, DC, and many more. Olmsted also deserves credit as the creator of the parkway. The reader will find many familiar names mentioned here, evidence that Olmsted was an extraordinary man who lived in extraordinary times. James Hamilton (the son of Alexander), Charles Dana, William Cullen Bryant, Frederic Church, the Vanderbilts, and others all played a role in his life and work.

   Turf, trees, and lakes -- or grass, woods, and water -- to put it a different way, are the hallmarks of an Olmsted space. He abhorred clear distinctions and separations, flowerbeds and botanic beauty or decorative gardening. Instead, Olmsted embraced illusion and worked to "accommodate chaos and order." He incorporated science, theory, and art; accident and achievement. Architectural dwellings were minimized or hidden. There was careful composition of groups of trees against expanses of lawn. For us, we should be careful when visiting Olmsted's projects, for in the case of several, he lost interest due to squabbles and bickering with clients. Stanford University certainly stands out in this regard--to what degree is it considered a work of Olmsted's? Worn down by periodic bouts of depression and debt, Olmsted did not live an easy live and died from what is almost stated by the author as Alzheimer's disease. But for those that bear his mark, we can delight in the fact that they continue to survive.




3. Olmsted's life is fascinating and Rybczynski does an adequate job of presenting the highlights, but the writing style is something less than engaging. In addition, the author spends too much time on trivial matters while neglecting more important things. For example, he writes page after page about Olmsted's failures to connect with a romantic mate. Goodness, he wasn't much of looker or a lady schmoozer and this plagued him for years. There, I said it in one sentence. Had the author done likewise we might have learned more about the details of some of Olmsted's projects. If the author wanted to play up relationships to give the reader a fuller appreciation of Olmsted's psychological make-up, he would have done better to delve deeper into the parent-child relationship.



4. A Clearing in the Distance is a great biography about a man who had great strength and deep sorrows. The first half of the book covers Olmsted's life before becoming a Landscape Architect. He was basically a very talented man who could not find his calling. Once he found it, he pursued his passion with commitment and daring that changed the way that subsequent generations have thought about their environment and surroundings.
   
   The book provides valuable insights into both Olmsted the man and the world in which he lives. There are musings that are the author's thoughts and are obviously not historical, but they are interesting too in that they give us insight into the author's biases and interests.
   
   Overall, A Clearing in the Distance is well worth reading.



5. The life of Olmstead was a mystery to me. I read about him in the "Devil in the White City" I had to learn more.
   
   This is a capable biography, covering his life seemingly thoroughly. I didn't buy into the convention the author used when he would describe moments in Olmstead's life in a semi-fictional way. Otherwise, good really good stuff.

5 comments about Perfect Spy: The Incredible Double Life of Pham Xuan An, Time Magazine Reporter and Vietnamese Communist Agent.

1. Pham Xuan An was recruited by the Communist Party in Vietnam and sent to the U.S. in 1957 to learn journalism as a cover - long before the U.S. took a major role in the conflict. An quickly came to admire the U.S., did well in his studies (Orange Coast College) and internships, and was had several attractive offers for permanent work upon their completion. Yet, despite fear that he would be arrested by the South Vietnamese government upon returning to Vietnam, An returned, first reporting French troop actions, then also working for various government military figures (eg. teaching English to future VN spies; helping set up the Vietnamese spying service), and finally for various American publications - Time magazine in particular. Several times the CIA even tried to recruit An, with no success.
   
   Early in his career An risked exposure to save the life of a Time reporter captured by the VietCong in Cambodia because he knew the reporter had saved a number of Vietnamese children's' lives from various Cambodian army massacres. This conflict between his spy role and friendship with Americans continued up to America's last day in Saigon when An helped a Vietnamese friend who had worked for the Americans escape. These actions, however, did not dull An's effectiveness - his insights and reports based on conversations and documents played key roles in VietCong/NVA tactics and strategy development. After the war ended, An was promoted to Maj. General, and collected his ten top-level medals.
   
   An received no formal spy training - instead, he read a number of books by others who were past masters. Communications involving An were almost entirely one-way - towards nearby VietCong and much farther away NVA leaders in Hanoi. His methods were to use melted rice as invisible ink (revealed by pouring iodine over the paper), and secreting both the paper and film rolls in food materials handed off to a vendor.
   
   An's career spanned 30 years - longer than any other spy. Consequently, after the war there was considerable suspicion by the communists that this was due to his having played both sides. He was even forbidden from leaving VN to attend a post-war correspondent's conference in NYC.
   
   Some of the most impactful portions of "Perfect Spy" involved stories about eg. another VietCong spy who pushed the Vietnamese government to move peasants into more defensible self-contained villages. His rationale - he knew this would greatly upset the peasants and turn them against the government. An himself declared several times that the U.S.'s biggest failure was to develop a new cadre of leaders after Diem was deposed. It was also quite jarring to read details from the "other side" about so many areas that I had been to - Nha Trang, Siagon, Ban Me Thuot, Pleiku, Vung Tau, Khe Sanh.
   
   My one wish is that "Perfect Spy" included more planning details from the VietCong and NVA side. Unfortunately, even the author (Larry Berman) sensed several times that An left much more unsaid than revealed.
   
   Bottom Line: I was taken aback by An's working against the U.S. after having made so many friends here, how well the VietCong/NVA infiltrated U.S. planning, and how long ahead their thinking ran. The book also brings an eerie sense of wondering what is happening along these same lines now in Iraq.



2. This book is nothing but full of communist propaganda. To most of the Vietnamese people, I say not including the 2% of the communist population, An is a betrayer. Don't waste your time being brain-washed by communist ideology.



3. I might not be as forgiving as some people, but I certainly would have felt betrayed by this man. He seeks to justify everything by stating that he felt the Americans did not belong in Vietnam. Maybe so. But what he did was so deceiful.To just look at the fact that he often helped those closest and known to him from suffering any harm, neglects the hundreds of thousands who died and were wounded as a result of his actions. To top it all off he sent his family to the US when the Communists came !! No doubt for a better life !!This fellow must have been of fairly limited intellect , or at least uneducated.And don't tell me was educated in the US - they let him do some courses... big deal! Did he really believe the Americans would attempt to rule Vietnam the way the French did ? Yes, they would take advantage of economic opportunities ( who does'nt), but what did he think they would have done if the South succeeded ? A good insight into blind nationalism and deceit by one of the most two faced people I have ever encountered. I still cannot understand his mindset.



4. Great present for anyone interested in Viet Nam, reporting, true spy stories, and the like.



5. While it is relatively easy for us to weigh the pros and cons of the values of Pham Xuan An in the comfort of our home, this to me is one of those unique cases where time does not help give a clearer perspective. There is no such thing as a happy war or good enemies (duh!), war is not the kind of thing you can just turn on and turn off like a water fountain. I think all wars (not battles) have many phases to them and evolve if not mutate into something they were not and/or become only what they really were. The proof is in the pudding, because in war people die, loose body parts and some lose their minds. I know where I was born, now live, and will hopefully ..., do you?.

1 comments about Georgia Diary: A Chronicle of War And Political Chaos in the Post-soviet Caucasus.

1. Knowing little about the country, I was looking for some background reading on a recent visit. This book served a both a great introduction to the country/region and was very entertaining. I found myself having a hard time putting it down. The history could be a little more developed but that may take away from its overall readability. I have already bought and recommened this book to others traveling to the area.

5 comments about A Mighty Heart: The Brave Life and Death of My Husband, Danny Pearl.

1. This is a touching memoir. The epilogue letters are probably the most emotional part of the book. However, there are other touching moments throughout centering around the relationships she forms with the people who helped her through the tragedy of her husband's kidnapping and murder. It's clear she learned who her friends were and made many.
   It didn't seem to me that she lacked emotion, as the previous reviewer criticized. However, if there are times when she does, she makes it clear that she never wanted to give terrorists the satisfaction of her tears. People deal with emotions and adversity differently. She is clearly an exceptionally strong individual.
   The writing gave the feeling of a suspensful page turner despite knowing what the tragic outcome would be. An extremely sad narrative.



2. A very sad story. It also makes the anger towards these terrible people come out. I wish that Bush would stop being a sissy and go after these people. I also lost my husband but to an auto accident. Nevertheless, the pain is the same. I would hope that her story will stop people from going to these countrys for any reason. The US also needs to be more militant in going after the hostage takers.



3. "I signal to Danny to take the first (cab) since he is in the greater hurry. After he tosses his bag in, he cups my neck with his free hand, pulls me to him, and kisses my cheek."
   
   "In a matter of seconds, Danny is gone."
   
   Wall Street Journal reporter Danny Pearl was kidnapped then murdered by terrorists in Karachi, Pakistan, in February 2002. The person he kissed was his wife Mariane Pearl, co-author (with Sarah Crichton)of A MIGHTY HEART. I call this writing pure poetry.
   
   "There might be dozens of reasons for Danny to turn off his cell phone, but he doesn't usually. 'Your correspondent cannot be reached at this moment. Please try again later,' says the cheerily robotic, feminine voice... I will come to detest that voice."
   
   This is Mariane-as-narrator's first intimation something's wrong. As a reader, I know Danny's been kidnapped and soon will be beheaded, but her words "I will come to detest that voice" grabs my gut and shakes away that knowing. Maybe he'll be okay? Maybe the news was wrong?
   
   Marianne relates this beautifully poetic truth: "I call and call Danny's phone; it is never answered," and still I find myself turning the page, hoping Danny picks up. How does she get me to do this? By leading with her heart. My heart has to follow hers.
   
   Some writers lead with thier heart, excitement, fear, pain, joy. Read A MIGHT HEART for a glimpse of how it's done.
   
   Note: I read the book when its title was A MIGHTY HEART:The Brave Life And Death Of My Husband Danny Pearl. I don't like the new title. It doesn't say the book is a memoir. Perhaps this is a way to appeal to a broader audience.



4. This book is absolutely amazing! It's very well written and the movie doesn't do it justice.



5. Even after seeing Michael Winterbottom's compelling 2007 film adaptation starring Angelina Jolie, I cannot imagine the unrelenting nightmare Mariane Pearl, five months pregnant, must have felt for those endless weeks back in early 2002 when her husband, Wall Street Journal reporter Daniel Pearl, was being held hostage by radical Islamic terrorists in Karachi. It is a tribute to her as both investigative reporter and grieving widow that she has written such a moving and cogent book about her husband's kidnapping and expands the picture to include an unblinking portrait of the man responsible, Omar Shiekh. His conversion into a jihadi is treated just as comprehensively as Pearl's more personal account of her relationship and eventual marriage to her husband. I was particularly moved by her story about how they went to Cuba to return her mother's ashes to her birthplace. As a former reporter herself, she is never overly sentimental, but you cannot help but be touched by the loving portrait of her husband, a tough-minded reporter who was also a charming dilettante and avid mandolin player. Her lucid narrative paints a marriage of great passion and mutual trust, and she successfully articulates his mission of building understanding between Islam, Christianity, and his own Judaism.
   
   I have to admit some part of me felt Daniel Pearl sealed his fate when he chose such a dangerous assignment, risky not just for an American and all the more so for a Jewish-American. But his widow gives me a much greater understanding of his mission and the passion he had to carry his mission through the most horrifying circumstances. It has since been reported that he was fully aware of his inevitable execution and refused to be sedated during his final moments of life. This added knowledge makes her book an even greater abject lesson in courage, which she delineates in the most poignant yet clear-eyed way. This could have been easily sensationalized into a clarion call for anti-Islamic hatred stateside, but her book is remarkably controlled and free of self-pity. Mariane Pearl goes well beyond my expectations in documenting not just a personal tragedy and ultimate triumph in survival but a true lesson in reconciling one's immediate circumstances with the greater purpose of building tolerance. Beyond remarkable books like Bob Graham's Intelligence Matters or Michael Scheuer's Imperial Hubris: Why the West is Losing the War on Terror, it is her book that captures the power of the human spirit against terrorism and will continue to resonate well beyond the upcoming election.

5 comments about Give Me a Break: How I Exposed Hucksters, Cheats, and Scam Artists and Became the Scourge of the Liberal Media....

1. [Helpful? Not? Please vote.] :: This was as much "fun" as I've had with a book lately. I consumed it in one sitting, and was genuinely interested and engaged the whole time. A few of my (accepted) beliefs were tested, and turned on their ear by this guy's book. I love to see his TV segments because his style is so frank and down-to-earth. I don't need anyone to make me feel better about what they're saying while they're saying it. I prefer a sincere exchange of ideas, and if we need to discuss how we should feel about the delivery, that comes later. Stossel's writing style is much the same as his speaking style, clear and 'to-the-point' (no stuttering, which is a problem I never noticed he had...). He does not fall into the "verbosity-trap" many writers do, and instead misses few opportunities for brevity. A diciplined love for the sight and sound of his own words is something I particularly admire about Stossel. He seems to think a clearly-expressed few are most beautiful.
   
   Agree or disagree, based on style or content or even organization... That's for you to decide. I would suggest that you prepare to do some research to prove him wrong. If you just wanna disagree on principle, there are plenty of opportunities in this book where the author challenges the herd's wisdom. His premise that freely available legal recourse actually damages freedom of the individual and opportunities and innovations is my absolute *favorite* of his pet theories. You realize again for the first time why there are so many lawyer jokes ... not all of them are good people. Read this book! It won't cost you much time or even money at this point, and it's the easiest and most engaging read of it's kind I've seen in a while. It doesn't get bogged down in exhaustive minutia, but rather gives you lots of things to start thinking about, and then YOU can dig deeper if you want to into whichever of the topics interest you most. It was in my public library, and took me less than a day to read. You might disagree w/ Stossel, but you won't get bored with this book. Cheers!



2. I bought this book in this election year as a gamble. I'm pretty tired of the mud-slinging that replaces argument in most "popular" books about the current state of American society - it always seems to come down to Democrat vs. Republican - no in-between or alternate stances. Stossel, however, has done an honest and thoughtful job of it, from a unique, long-standing, and privileged position (privileged in the sense of being an eye-witness). This is not a political treatise favoring one party over another. It is altogether something different. I highly recommend it. It will make you think and look around.



3. Many do not understand the phenomenon that is Libertarianism, a political philosophy which is greatly like that that of the Democratic-Republicans of our nation's Founding Fathers, the thought of John Stuart Mill, and - to a lesser and slightly more conservative degree - that of Edmund Burke. Too infrequently do Americans even breach the subject of political philosophy with any depth, primarily thanks to our general tendency for pragmatism (if we are being positive) and superficiality (in a more negative sense). Stossel's light-hearted text does not aim to be a treatise on Libertarian thought but does function - in a wholly American style - to broach the subject of this political philosophy through concrete examples in his exodus from "social liberalism" (which is often just called liberalism today) to classical liberalism, that of the Libertarian.
   
   Stossel begins with his common, gut-level misperceptions of what the direction and aim of consumer reporting is. Though a series of stories, he came to realize that much of the sensationalizing which the media was doing (and the people were consuming) was nothing more than fear-mongering which actually diverted a great deal of attention from more important matters. In addition, this fear-mongering takes on a character of duplicity by both excoriating large entities (business and government) while calling for the same entities to take action (particularly government). From a series of such realizations, he came to realize that much common sense is found in the political philosophy of Libertarianism, in its dual pillars of laissez-faire capitalism and individual liberty. He proceeds in a non-comprehensive way to show that such freedom has been beneficial, particularly in the elimination of material poverty.
   
   Peppered with other light considerations of the meaning of liberty, Stossel's book serves as an excellent, albeit very, very light, introduction into Libertarian thought for American readers. It is engaging and enjoyable, therefore coming with my high recommendations in an age which has lost much zeal for liberty.



4. Best book I've read in a long time. I went into it with no expectations, and came out of it agreeing with almost everything the guy said. Absolutely worth the purchase price, or even check it out from a library if you're not sure you'll like it. I can't remember a book where I had this kind of a reaction. I'd say maybe 10% of the things John Stossel wrote I disagreed with strongly (which is fine, it still gives you something to think about) and another 10% I was very much torn between two viewpoints on, but the remaining 80% of the book I found myself unconsciously shaking my head yes and steadfastly agreeing with his viewpoints completely. His ideas and observaions are just so logical and plain-sense, it's amazing no one else writes like this. Recommended times a thousand!



5. Most Americans are what I call "default liberals". John was too, and he shows how most people, including me, have an epiphany of the faulty logic involved in modern liberlism, and make the slow, painfull transformation away from these feel-good yet harmful policies. This isn't a difficult or very acedemic book on libertarianism, but it is the best "starter" for anybody getting into politics I have ever read.

1 comments about The Godfather of Tabloid: Generoso Pope Jr. and the National Enquirer.

1. Jack Vitek has written a fascinating biography of the peculiar founder of The National Enquirer, Generoso Pope and, at the same time, a biography of the American icon that he spawned.
   
   Pope was the son of a powerful Italian-American who lived in New York. Pope senior was purported to be connected --- or as some people say --- associated with the Mafia. This connection would later provide seed money with which to start the National Enquirer.
   
   A young Roy Cohn was a friend of the young Pope junior. And he too would contribute money to found the paper. It is thought that the majority of the money came from the infamous Frank Costello, a New York gangster who rose to the top of America's underworld, controlled a vast gambling empire across the United States and enjoyed political influence like no other La Cosa Nostra boss. He was called "The Prime Minister of the Underworld."
   
   It is into this world that Vitek takes us right from the beginning of the book. Vitek is an associate professor of journalism and English at Englewood College in Madison, WI. So one would assume his interest in this subject would be his natural curiosity of this tremendously successful, yet little written-about publication.
   
   When I was a young freelance writer, I wrote for The National Enquirer. I was deeply impressed with the fact that it was harder to get a story published in the Enquirer than any other publication I wrote for, including the newspaper I was on at the time. The reason? They checked their facts so well. When I discovered that, I had a new respect for them and I tended to (and still do) believe most of what I read in the paper. Pope ran the publication with an iron hand.
   
   Every reporter and editor had a hot line, a private phone, on his or her desk. That phone was for a call from Pope. When a reporter got that call, he stopped doing whatever he was doing, regardless of how important it was. A summon to see Pope came before anything else. No one called him his nickname, Gene or by anything but Mr. Pope of G.P.
   
   In the beginning, Pope published gore. He discovered that was what people wanted and would pay for. He also published articles that may have had a grain of truth but no more than a grain. The paper later became somewhat more mainstream --- at least to the extent that it publishes true stories and it does check facts.
   
   That may be the reason the circulation is less than it was in its "gore" days.
   
   Pope was an illusive and private man. He had very little sense of humor. And certainly during his lifetime, he did not get the attention or respect that such people as William Randolph Hurst and Rupert Murdock got. Yet he accomplished as much and earned as much money. His was as important a publication as any in America.
   
   I generally don't enjoy books written by professors or people with Ph.D degrees as they tend to be academic and stuffy. This book, however, is well written. He did a number of telephone interviews with people who knew, and in most cases, work for Pope.
   
   The author does take the liberty to guess what might have happened in a number of cases. But he says things like, "It may have . . ." so you know he is considering a possibility and not stating a fact.
   
   The National Enquirer would, and will, send a reporter anywhere, anytime to get the big story. It will spare no expense. And it very often scoops other publications.
   
   When I was doing a story on Roe Messner and Tammy Faye Baker, I was in the courtroom. Next to me was a friend of Messner's former wife. She looked at me and said, "Are you with the National Enquirer?"
   
   "Yes", I replied.
   
   "I could tell. You dress better than the local media," she said.
   
   And that in essence is why the Enquirer can get the get better than anyone else. It pays well. Pope set a high standard. The paper may have been an investment and, perhaps even a tool, of the mob. But it was and is one of the greatest parts of the average American citizen's life.
   
   When the paper published a photo of Elvis in his coffin, it sold more papers than at any other time and the circulation continued to grow. It now is not doing well and stopped doing well right after Pope died and the paper was sold.
   
   However, the author tells us that mainstream publications and tabloid television have now turned to yellow journalism and that the National Enquirer is basically now mainstream and even respected by traditional media.
   
   Whether a person admits it or not, he is drawn to The National Enquirer. Pope was not the kind of journalist that Hurst was. But he knew his reader. And that knowledge paid off.
   
   Pope was a man of privilege but he split with his family after his father's death. He was close to broke when he started the publication. It was the investment of the Mob and Cohn that created his paper. But it was Pope who made it great.
   
   This book is a valuable and, I think, important book. It's a book that gives us a behind-the-scenes look at the power of one man and his publication. Pope was not a colorful man. He had little life outside his paper. He was odd. Yet for all that, his story "is" the story of The National Enquirer.
   
   This is a tremendously entertaining book and I highly recommend it.
   
   - Susanna K. Hutcheson

5 comments about Foreign Correspondence: A Pen Pal's Journey from Down Under to All Over.

1. I read this book in one day - it is beautifully, intelligently written with well developed characters and a true story that reads like fiction. It is a rare gem of literature that provides insight into the dreams of a young girl that many people can identify with - male or female. I have read a lot of books lately, but this was one of the finest books I've come across in a while.



2. Australian born Geraldine Brooks spent many years as a foreign correspondent covering the Middle East. I loved her book, "Nine Parts of Desire" which was about Muslim women, and I have followed her life somewhat as she is often mentioned by her husband, Tony Horwitz, in his books "Confederates in the Attic", "Baghdad Without a Map," and "One for the Road." I find her an excellent reporter and in this memoir, "Foreign Correspondence," she turns the spotlight on herself.

   As a child growing up in a lower middle class neighborhood on a street actually called "Bland Street", she yearned for a larger world. And so she developed pen pals. There was a girl from New Jersey, another one from France, and even one from an upper class neighborhood just a few towns away. And then there were two Israeli boys, one an Arab and one a Jew. As an adult, she found these old letters in her father's basement and, now more than twenty years later, she decided to look up each of these people. What follows is the result of her quest and some wonderful insights into world events from a personal one-on-one perspective. It was fascinating.

   As a teenager in the early seventies she was aware of the new consciousness developing, even reaching her in her protective Catholic school. She had an active imagination and the gift of using words well. It's not surprising that she developed pen pals and that they influenced her life so much. Her gift of words certainly reached me too. I shared her sense of wonder and enthusiasm as she looked forward to each letter. I felt her straining to break the bonds of her loving but restrictive world. I felt her hopes and dreams and frustrations. And then, later, I shared her discoveries as she searched out the people who had meant so much to her early life. She writes with a clear voice, painting a picture with details, taking me on her quest to discover the world and eventually to discover herself. The book is short, a mere 210 pages but she sure does pack a lot into it. It's a wonderful read. Highly recommended.




3. I bought this as an "airplane read" but couldn't put it down. Geraldine Brooks has done us a great favor by not only illuminating the process of finding one's long lost penpals, but also by educating many folks about Australia in the process. It's fascinating to see her perceptions of the world, and particularly America, based on the letters that come in her mailbox each month.

   While I read this one on my own, I have since leant this book to several friends and we've engaged in some interesting discussions about our own penpal experiences, so I recommend it for book clubs.




4. I have read several of Brooks' books (both her non-fiction and fiction) and I was excited to rec'e and read Foreign Correspondance. Unfortunately, I was deeply disappointed.

   The book has an outstanding premise---as a child growing up in Australia during the 1960s, Brooks was eager to experience the outside world. An avid letter writer, she found pen-pals in the U.S., Israel and France. As an adult, Brooks set off to meet and re-discover these people. So far so good. But the book peters out---with the exception of the American pen-pal (to whom she was closest), the characters lack enough detail to be interesting.

   Her meeting with her French pen-pal was especially disappointing. This was a girl who chose to remain in her native village (while Brooks became a world-traveler and global correspondant). I hoped for more insights and more discussion of the contrast and why they chose such radically different paths---despite coming from somewhat similar backgrounds (Brooks saw herself as living in a giant provincial village---the village of Australia). But there was little discussion and the meeting simply sounded painful. Her trip to Israel to meet her non-Jewish Israeli pen-pal would also have benefitted from a deeper discussion about one's choices and opportunities (there was some discussion of this but I wanted to know more).

   Had I not read Brooks' other books, I probably would have thought this was a fairly good book. But I know she can write such a better book!




5. Geraldine Brooks has written a book that I can empathise with. I think of how I might have had that life in Australia had my parents not returned to England in the 1930's. I wanted, and still do, very much to talk to the author and ask her questions as she is such a good writer with a warm personality.