5 comments about The Badge: Thoughts from a State Trooper.

1. Cops are People, Too!
   By John De Haven

   Happily, it's still possible to find your way to a good book now and then. And once in a while you can get lucky, and a good book will just sort of find its way to you. That's what just happened to me!

   We've all heard the jaded expression "You can't put it down." You know what I mean. You sometimes get that feeling of connection with the author or with the story (or both!) and adjust your posture, reload your beverage and maybe sink a little deeper into the couch with the welcome and soothing thought: "This is good. This just feels good. He's talking to me here, and I can tell I'm gonna like this." With some good books, it can happen early on. Sometimes, if it is to happen at all, it can take a little longer.

   In Jim Geeting's new one, "The Badge - Thoughts from a State Trooper," (McKenna Publishing Group) it happened to me in the first few seconds. No, I don't mean somewhere in the first chapter; it happened earlier than that. I didn't get any farther than the dedication where the author acknowledges his beautiful wife and young sons before I had a tear in my eye and solid confidence in my certainty that Jim's book was going to be a pleasure.

   Here, in the dedication, Geeting speaks to his sons, saying in part:

   You took a cop's blackened soul
   And taught it the joy of wrestling, giggles and unconditional love
   Of camp outs, good jokes and the wonder in a bug or a rock.
   Of the hero I could be - simply by being a good dad
   I dreamed of you both, long before God sent you.

   Oh, yeah? Please pass the Kleenex!

   Author Geeting is a veteran cop, a trooper with the Wyoming Highway Patrol. For some time he has written a column, "The Badge," which appears regularly in largest circulation newspapers in Wyoming. Bearing the same title, his book is a digest of some of Jim's (and his publisher's, no doubt) favorites from among a couple years' worth of these columns. Whether sorting out broken cars and bodies at the scene of a wreck, lecturing those who might choose to drink and drive or fail to buckle up, or basking in the pleasures of the school spelling bee or in any of the many places and experiences in between, each savory nugget in the banquet of a cop's and a family man's life can be consumed in barely a minute or two. But like the best of Thanksgiving feasts, the pleasure derived has a way of lasting.

   Trust me. The reading is the easy part. It's the pondering of the practical simplicity of this cop's ways and wisdom that brings the reward. Indeed, the digesting and enjoying of the nearly 75 columns included in his book (yes, I counted!) represent a much more touching and longer-lasting experience.

   Early on, I had the good luck to recognize Geeting's anthology was, for me anyway, really something of a confession... a generous slice of the "stuff" of law enforcement we on the outside always want to know - not what happens in the legislature or in meetings when the brass get together but, rather, the stuff that unfolds or (on a bad day) explodes out there in the street. Easily, modestly, credibly and with a refreshing clarity, Geeting conveys his genuine love and respect -- both for his chosen profession and for his colleagues and brethren within it. Most often citing examples from his lengthy experience behind the badge, he invites us to see it from his side.

   And there, on the inside, we are offered this good cop's view of many of the familiar and not-so-familiar facts, routines, surprises, fears and follies that conspire to make the on-duty life of a law enforcement officer so exciting, interesting, satisfying, humorous, rewarding, dangerous, at times sickening, heart breaking, misunderstood, under-appreciated, frustrating, occasionally frightening, and yet always so absolutely essential to our safety and the quality of life most of us enjoy every day.

   Still, that's only part of why I'm lucky "The Badge - Thoughts from a State Trooper" found its way to me. Jim Geeting is much more than the stereotypical policeman. He is also the perfect blend of hard-hearted cop, all business and always steeled against publicly showing feelings or emotion, and the kind of family man that you and I wish we could be, adoring and adored by his wife and children. In one particularly memorable vignette, Geeting describes how his wife and (now teenage) sons are both his motivation and his satisfaction, in the end acknowledging: "They and our home are not the reason for my armor, they are my armor."

   In fact, I'm not certain whether this new book is more about a humble and devoted and decent citizen, a family man who happens to be a cop or about a cop who is still married to his first wife and who views his role as a father and husband as the most important and satisfying in his or anybody's life. That's not to suggest it matters; it doesn't. Time and again, the insights into each are presented with a persuasive and almost irresistible clarity and candor.

   I promise you... Jim Geeting will grab hold of your heart, too! Many of his commentaries, brief though they may be individually, favor readers with a look at this "other" side where he reveals his gentle nature, his appealing yet hair trigger sensitivity, his vulnerability and his extraordinary love of and desire to protect children. His recognition of and determination to preserve as best he can the innocence and ultimate worthiness of every child, is a subject visited several times in "The Badge's" 130 pages.

   So get comfortable, be sure the Kleenex is nearby and pick up "The Badge - Thoughts from a State Trooper." You'll catch Jim Geeting's message all right. Or it'll catch you!

   And when you're finished reading this one, don't take it to the book barrel at church. Put it on the shelf by your easy chair or atop the magazine pile in the pearl room. Keep it nearby. You'll want to read it again.

   I did.




2. Thank you, Trooper Geeting - you made me realize why I got into this profession - and why I need to stay. You also showed many of our "customers" a side that is rarely seen. Keep up the good work!



3. This book is simply the most endeared book in my vast "law enforcement"
   collection. Jim Geeting is instantly your best friend. Reading his words
   is like having him at your kitchen table, coffee in hand, with a very
   warm, comfortable atmosphere!



4. This book is the first book in a long while that I picked up and never put down until I read it from cover to cover. Jim's words and stories make you feel at home with the book. This is "the real stories of the highway patrol." I can't wait to get the rest of Jim's books



5. Wow - what a book! An absolute "must read" for EVERYONE - not just law enforcement officers (but should be compulsory reading for them!!). A rare blend of excitement, humour, action, honesty and humility. One of the best books I have ever read (and I read a lot of books!!). I can't recommend it highly enough.

No comments about Letters from Legends and the Incredible Interviews that Inspired Them.

5 comments about Tabloid Love: Looking for Mr. Right in All the Wrong Places, A Memoir.

1. I enjoyed the first half of this book. It is an entertaining look at the New York dating scene. But as I progressed in Ms. Harrison's narrations of her dating successes and failures, I found myself less and less impressed with her. She is certainly not as shallow as some of the over the top characters she describes, but she is nonetheless more shallow than I had initially hoped. Her countless descriptions of her name brand outfits and how sexy she can be (the bathroom transformation on the airplane is particularly tiresome) made her unsympathetic in the end. While I recognize that this was part of the story - her failed and contrived attempts to play the New York game - it nonetheless did not make for a satisfying book. It was hard to continue reading a book about a woman in search of love who, in the end, I didn't really think had the raw material to sustain a healthy relationship. At the end of the day, we want our heroines to be sympathetic, and this one didn't deliver.



2. This book was amazingly funny. i absolutely loved it. i wish it was longer or she could make another one because this book is seriuosly the best ive read so far!U HAVE TO READ IT!!!!!



3. I hadn't been to New York in over 10 years until this summer when I was there on my book tour. While at Book Expo, I picked up Bridget Harrison's book, tucked it into my bag, and cracked it open on the airplane ride home. What a smart and funny read -- and a great way to recapture the New York I'd just visited! BH is a sharp and clever writer, and somehow manages to come off as resilient and fabulous in the midst of multiple dating disasters. What a pleasure to read!



4. I had many reasons to feel wary of "Tabloid Love," not least of which that it is described as "Bridget Jones Meets 'Sex and the City.'" I mean, seriously? I know that's intended as an upsell, but it sounds like my idea of hell. But, since I knew this was a true story and I was in a exploratory mood, I bought a copy. Much to my surprise, I loved it. This is more than just an examination of dating in New York City. It's also a very entertaining look at the day-to-day life of a tabloid reporter and a rumination on the mysteries (and myths) of companionship. I enjoyed Bridget Harrison's escapades tremendously and appreciated her lack of egotism and smugness. She doesn't pretend to have all the answers like Amy Cohen (author of "The Late Bloomer's Revolution") and doesn't get bogged down in vanity like Jane Juska ("A Round Heeled Woman"). I wasn't hugely crazy about the last third of "Tabloid Love," which details a summer Harrison spends writing about the Hamptons, but overall this book was a delight. I will be recommending it to a lot of people.



5. I am a NY media professional, so it was not surprising that when a slew of my NY Journalist friends or business acquaintances published books, I was eager to read one after another. Amazon is good for indulging that inner-book-worm...no sooner have you finished one book, but it's recomended another that seems right up your ally. I got into a great groove where I read books published by Deb Schoeneman of NY Mag (4% Famous); Tom Sykes of the NY Post(What Did I Do Last Night?), Ian Spiegelman frmly of the NY Post (Everyone is Burning), and finally this book by Bridget Harrison.
   
   No disrespect to the others, because I actually enjoyed each and every one of these books for different reasons, but I think I enjoyed this book most of all. Well written, smart, funny, and best of all self-depricating and true, the book details the couple of years she spent writing a dating and love advice column for the NY Post. Sound typical, generic, or not all that interesting? Well, as cookie-cutter as a Young-Woman-in-NY's-Dating-Memoir seems, TRUST me when I say it's worth it to give this book a chance...you wouldn't believe some of the hilareous situations she gets into, and beyond that, there is a deeper story of her maturation and her quest for self-acceptance that is truly heart-warming, the kind of thing anyone who's been through their late twenties/early thirties can surely relate to.

3 comments about The Miss Dennis School of Writing: And Other Lessons from a Woman's Life.

1. I purchased this book because I had enjoyed 'Without Reservations' so much. I often share books with my closest friend. By the time I had read the introduction and the first few pages, I knew it would not be enough to simply have her read it when I was done. I knew we had to read it together, taking turns reading it aloud (a new experience for us). Steinbach's musings on everyday life are insightful, laugh-out-loud funny, poignant, a true delight. I plan to buy several copies for Christmas gifts.



2. Alice Steinbach is a great writer! I have enjoyed each one of her books and this was no exception.



3. I had read and liked her "Without Reservations" and "Educating Alice." This collection of her columns did not disappoint and I kept going back to re-read what I thought of as hidden gems or things to think about in regard to my own life.

1 comments about The Kindness of Strangers: The Autobiography.

1. I am ashamed to say that I actually found this book in my office drawer, a parting souvenir from my predecessor and I thought to myself "who the hell is Kate Adie?" The back cover gave me all the initial information I needed. Beautifully written with a wit that left me chuckling on more than one occassion, the book is a testament to Adie's own winning personality as well as to the changing attitudes of society and the "media industry" to gender in the work place. I think that some of the British humor and references were lost on me at times as I was left with the notion that a certain line or anecdote would certainly be funny if I knew the person or the incident it was referring to. Nevertheless, that didn't stop me from enjoying the book, which unlike most autobiographies is presented with much humility and insight, leaving you wanting to be Kate Adie's friend just because you are guaranteed to laugh and learn at the same time.

1 comments about The Evening Stars.

1. This is actually a serious look at the role of TV anchors, done by someone who is a producer. I read the book several years ago, and I recall that there was an effort to look seriously beyond the personalities of the TV anchors, and into the role of the anchor. At that time, it was a glamorous profession, with Rather, Jennings and Browkaw. With the exit of all three from the anchor spot, and the considerable decline in TV's ratings power with the advent of the internet, this book captures a bit of the struggle for the top job, at a time when it meant something. She's not Ben Badikian, the well known critic who seriously explored media concentration, but she's not the National Enquirer either. This should be in journalism schools everywhere, at least for showing how little of TV anchor duties really have to do with journalism.

1 comments about Politicians Are People, Too.

1. Whether you are intereted in politics or not, this book is very informative about a lot of interesting people who make up a part of our history - from Joe DiMaggio to President Bush. Richard Benedetto also presents a very interesting biography of himself and how USA Today first started. He also gives you insight into his writing philosophy and how he depicts those persons in the public eye - with fairness.

5 comments about On Her Trail: My Mother, Nancy Dickerson, TV News' First Woman Star.

1. I thoroughly enjoyed this book on many levels. As someone who is catching up on my history of politics while paying closer attention to the present-day administration and world events, I loved the bits of history woven into this wonderful, messy, realistic story of a son's relationship with a famous, influential mother. As a mother of young sons who has struggled with the issues of work and raising a family, hearing a son's point of view was particularly compelling.
   
   John doesn't give any easy answers to the modern conundrum of how to balance work and family, nor does he place the responsibility solely on women; he makes it an issue for all parents, male and female. As he says near the end of the book: "Our story should not be mined for any confirmation about whether a woman should choose work or family. Those aren't the lessons I was looking for. I have tried to figure out my role as a person and a parent, figure out how to get the balance right between achieving something durable in the public realm and doing something important and genuine in the private one. How do I avoid the anxiety, indecision and regret of getting the mix wrong? I don't see that task any differently for my wife just because she's a woman who works and is a mother.... [We] have a better chance of balance than Mom did, in part because of what Mom and other women did to allow women the choice to shape a broader identity."
   
   No mother would want her child to take the path John did to find peace with his mother, but as a woman I can appreciate the agony of the choices Nancy Dickerson had to make between doing something she absolutely loved and needed for self-fulfillment, and taking care of the people she loved. There are no easy answers here for how to strike that balance, but it does make a case for every person's right to make a difference in the world, in a way that he or she chooses. Hopefully the decisions are less painful for all involved now than they were 30 years ago because we have more options and more social acceptance of broader life roles.
   
   Read the book for the insider's look at politics in the 60s and 70s, for a great story of a teenager who rebels against his mother and then finds his way back to her, and for a look at a strong lady who did a lot of good in both small and large ways.



2. One never knows what goes on behind the scenes with famous people. Having lived in Dickerson's neighborhood and gone to her beauty salon, I could appreciate this young man's disinchantment with his early years. For my friends and I it was a quick, interesting read.



3. John Dickerson's kind and honest account of his mother, Nancy Dickerson, makes a fine read. His book is no "Mommie Dearest." He exposes the hypocrisy of the male dominated Washington media world of the sixties and seventies when men and women were held to vastly different standards. Dickerson, like his mother, is smart and knows he is not likely to be "a perfect parent." His mature sense of humor informs, entertains and forgives. This is a "must-read" for working parents who know how difficult it is to have a job and kids.



4. "On Her Trail" is a great read if you have an interest in any of the following: The balance of career and family, The evolution of television network news, The personal insecurity of the famous, Washington high society, LBJ, Women trying to enter the work force in the 50's and 60's, Mother-and-son relationships, Edward R. Murrow and Eric Sevareid, The art of planning dinner parties for the rich and powerful, or The early televising of America's political conventions. John Dickerson's masterful book on his mother Nancy Dickerson, is a hybrid, two-thirds biography (her story), and one-third autobiography (his story of knowing and discovering his mom).
   
   John was born, as he writes, at the beginning of the decline of his mother's career and fame at NBC News. He artfully interweaves a bit of his early life with his mom, especially his discovery of his mother's world, and over time, his gradual realization of the way his mother worked and operated, a subject he knew little about until his research began in earnest after her death in 1997. He discovered in Nancy Dickerson's huge collection of papers many things he had no previous inkling of: Photographs of his mom with Jackie Kennedy, a photo of Nancy dancing with President Johnson, and notes to her from very famous people from an era that is now history. He had no idea growing up that his mom was a regular on the Today Show. He discovered fun little tidbits everywhere, like the story the campaign trail, when Lyndon Johnson visited Nancy late at night in her hotel room in his pajamas for perhaps more than just conversation. (The situation ended before anything happened, and after Lady Bird sent Bill Moyers down the hall to fetch her husband.) This book is filled with stories and insight, and allows the reader to learn more about how Washington operates, how the news business functioned and functions, and how a son gets to really know his mom after she is gone.



5. That's how George W. Bush described Nancy Dickerson. So at last we stumble upon something I can agree with The President about!
   
   I am just a few years older than the author, and was a very little girl when I saw Nancy Dickerson on TV. I found her fascinating, because she was the only female newscaster I had ever seen. (This was before Nickolodeon, and I watched whatever came on, including the news.) She had a deep, mellow voice and a very calm way of speaking that conveyed to my young ears that was she was talking about was IMPORTANT.
   
   Turns out she was as brave and as tough as I wanted her to be. Reading this book, I realized how hard it was for her to be the first girl in The Boys' Club. How hard she tried (if you've read the book, that will make you smile), both at work and at home. As if being a trailblazer on TV wasn't enough, Nancy married a widower and became instant mother to adolescent girls. Gulp! And she went on to have two kids of her own (including the author).
   
   Her son does a masterful job of telling her story both as a frustrated, disillusioned child of divorce and as a fledgling journalist himself, learning to appreciate his mother's accomplishments. This is no mean feat. I did, however, subtract a star for some silly errors. (JFK and Jackie married at Merrywood, and were already wed when he wrote Profiles in Courage. Our author is not only a reporter, he lived in that house for 20 years, you'd think he could get those facts straight.)

2 comments about Thirty Years in the Trenches Covering Crooks, Characters and Capers.

1. Drummond, a reporter with CBS-owned Channel 2 in Chicago for many years, is best known for covering the "Outfit" in Chicago. As any Chicagoan can attest, he also covered many characters and other crooks, besides the big fish that hogged the headlines. Although there is a chapter on Tony "Big Tuna" Accardo, Drummond wisely focuses on the little guys that many of us forgot. This is a smart choice, for much is already written about the big guys like Accardo and if Drummond wanted to cover them right, he would of had to have written a separate book on several people. The only thing missing in the book is more on Drummond himself, for if you are a personal friend of his, as I am, you know that he is more interesting than any of the crooks and capers he ever covered. Read this book and try to learn as much as you can about John Drummond - a living Chicago legend and a journalism institution!



2. What a fasinating book.I knew Chicago had a past history but to see through the eyes of one of the true beat reproters.Great reading.What a character Mr Drummond is.Just wonderful reading.

5 comments about The Cat Who Covered the World: The Adventures Of Henrietta And Her Foreign Correspondent.

1. Wren's story nicely captures the hectic pace of his family's life and of the often exotic atmosphere of the far-flung places to which Wren's work as a journalist took them, along with their apparently indestructable cat Henrietta. Wren's description of the exhausting, time-consuming and frustrating paperwork that goes with the territory of traveling around the world with a cat is mind-boggling. Because the family willingly took on this added burden in order to keep Henrietta with them, it's clear that they loved her dearly and that she was without doubt an important member of the family. I cheered their efforts on her behalf (even though I look askance at allowing a cat to roam busy city streets or tropical landscapes where predators may lurk), but I would have liked to have read more about personal interaction between Henrietta and the family. We're told she curls up on the daughter's bed at night. But we don't hear her purr, we don't see her lick the girl's cheek or nuzzle her neck. Henrietta certainly comes off as independent, resourceful and resilient and I got a kick out of her, but with a little more detailed description of her interaction with the family, she would have seemed like a more loveable and huggable cat.



2. When my local bookclub picked this book for our monthly selection, I wasn't sure what to think. I mean, how much discussion can be generated by a cat book? Thankfully I am a die-hard cat fan, so at least I'll have some funny cat stories to share.

   The Cat Who Covered the World tells the true of story of New York Times Foreign Correspondent (and author), Christopher Wren, as he travels around the world with the family cat in tow. Not a born cat-lover, Chris took his time warming up to Henrietta. Eventually, however, she became an integral part of the family. And when Chris was dispatched to his first overseas assignment, Henrietta was sure to tag along. This book paints a sweet picture of a man just doing his job and the cat who made it bearable for 18 years.

   As for the book itself, it's cute. The writing is for the most part simple, but I did tend to get a bit confused when the author reminisces about certain political happenings in the countries he lived in. If you're not up on your foreign history, be forewarned! However, the story as a whole is good; the cat, Henrietta, is a very endearing and sweet character, and I see much of her in my own two cats; and the different countries discussed will allow the reader to do some armchair traveling of their own. I recommend this book as a quick weekend read, but I believe it was written solely for the cat lover. All others may not find it as endearing or sweet, or may not relate to the relationship between author and family pet.




3. Being a cat lover, I've read a few books about the mischievous trouble making creatures. My personal favorite is The Cat Who Covered the World by Christopher S. Wren. Wren, being a writer for the New York Times, travels the world with his family, including the cat.
   From Cairo, to Paris, to Beijing, there's not a place Henrietta, the cat, hasn't been. Henrietta is the most amazing cat I've ever heard of. She has very prototype catlike qualities, intelligent, resourceful, cunning, just to name a few. She's like super cat. Her qualities as I've just listed, are doubled compared to any normal cat. She even has a refined taste; she'll only eat certain kinds of fish and other meats, not like other cats that just eat whatever is in front of them.
   Wren's style of writing is very interesting. He's very descriptive, and seems to know exactly what word would fit where. It seems like he's memorized the dictionary. He uses a lot of bigger words that I couldn't even figure out from context, for example the word "eschatological", which has some thing to do with death and what happens after. I've never heard of that word in my life. You definitely need to be an experienced reader to read this. I love how he describes the actions of the cat, and the cat herself. Everything he says about her is catlike and very descriptive, giving people a clear picture in their minds.
   People can learn things from this book. Like how people in different countries treat cats, and their opinions and superstitions about them. One example of superstitions would be that I learned that some people in China think cat's eyes have magical features. I now know more about customs of people in different countries and their views on Americans and reporters.
   One thing the Wren's had to consistently go through were baggage checks and customs every time they entered a new country. This seemed to be a problem for Henrietta. In some countries they made her visit a vet and were very suspicious about her having foreign diseases. The veterinarians at these places would poke and prod at her as if she was a stuffed animal. In other places they would love her to death and let her go through without a problem.
   Wren adds a sense of humor to his book as well. I think that's one thing that made it so captivating. Knowing the behavior of cats is an important thing to have stored in the brain to understand some of the humor. If people have never owned a cat they may not understand why something would be funny. Such as in one part of the book he has the schedule of Henrietta in the morning. It talks about what a cat does in everyday life. People can't possibly understand the humor of the cat's schedule unless they've lived with a cat or an animal with the same kind of behavior.
   Overall Wren did a great job on this book. I would recommend The Cat Who Covered the World to any cat lover or cat owner. I only wish more people would write books like this about their cats.



4. I love this book , by Christopher Wren about his beloved cat Henreitta and their travled together as a news correspondent around the globe. It's a must read for any cat lover. It's funny in many parts, moving , touching and sad as well.
   I'd recomend it to anyone. It's am enjoyable read for adult and children as well. For anyone who lvoes there feline baby very much this is the book for you.



5. An absolutely delightful book. I enjoyed it so much, I passed it on to cat lover friends and have just received an e-mail telling me how much they enjoyed it.