5 comments about Memoirs of an Unfit Mother.

1. I disagree with the Library Review's comment: "Only die-hard fans of Robinson will find this even mildly interesting." I am not a die-hard fan, but I could not put this book down. It is refreshing and even exhilarating to hear someone being honest about their own faults, especially when everyone nowadays wants to be the victim. Robinson does just that, pointing out that obviously her mother contributed to her life in negative ways as in positive ways, but her mother did not make her a drunk and her mother did not get her dry. Anne got to both of those locations herself, and candidly describes each journey. After reading this book, I HAVE found myself to admire this lady and even want to emulate her in many respects. I believe anyone with an open attitude towards her would have to say the same. Evidently the Library Reviewer was already predisposed to disliking Anne Robinson--a bad predisposition for journalists, in my opinion!



2. In this brisk, mostly no-nonsense book, Ms. Robinson lays out her life like a feature story in the Sunday Times. She paints a witty portrait of her mother (who deserves her own book), a domineering, beautifully dressed, luxury-loving, hard driving businesswoman and a protective overbearing mother. Interestingly, this description fits author Anne like a glove.

   In affairs of the heart, Anne calls herself a "belligerent doormat." I loved this phrase! I doubt that many of her long-term love interests would have agreed with the "doormat" part, but she felt/feels she takes to heart every criticism made of her and goes into a passive/aggressive mode. Though she seems very bare bones honest in reporting her emotional entanglements, there are strange gaps. For instance, how in the world did she make her second husband-to-be so angry with her that he testified against her in the custody trial for her daughter?

   "Memoirs--" is worth the price if for no other reason than Ms. Robinson's honest and bleak reporting of her crippling alcoholism and how she gradually climbed out of this life-threatening spiral of devastation. And it did ruin her career and almost kill her. Interestingly, Ms. Robinson, though she spares herself very little, is a champion grudge holder. She clearly has never forgiven the court for the judgment that caused her to lose custody of her daughter. Yet at the time, she was a non-functional alcoholic who was totally undependable.

   She turned her life around big time, and went on to become a highly successful reporter, radio and TV personality, which I found quite inspiring. I admit I have not yet seen "The Weakest Link," but now cannot wait to see her. I am sure Ms. Robinson can triumph in any and all situations. The book is well written, just what you would expect of a top-flight reporter. She has an excellent, if acerbic, sense of humor that makes her story even more enjoyable.




3. I always watch "The Weakest Link" here in Europe with sort of a fist in my mouth - how can that woman be so horrible to people, and what an utter delight it is when someone gets one up on her. This biography talks not only about the way in which a truly dedicated woman got to the top of her field, but also about the way in which this "unfit mother" really did turn out to be a wonderful mother, with a wonderful daughter and with a wonderful relationship with said daughter. I suppose that Anne Robinson must be feeling sort of like Boris Karloff these days - he wasn't really Frankenstein's monster, and she isn't really the iron-fisted dominatrix of the television show. I read every word with great pleasure, and I recommend the book to everyone. The reason for four instead of five stars is that there are about three paragraphs in the whole book about "The Weakest Link". I really would have wanted to hear a lot more about the author's thoughts about what is a phenomenal show. Other than that, though, it was a great, great read.



4. Like me, I think that many mothers have a nagging doubt that they're in some way falling short. In some way - 'unfit'. Ann Robinson's memoirs is an honest description of her own roller-coaster experience of motherhood. It leaves you feeling that if she could go through all that and still create a balanced and happy daughter there is hope for the rest of us!



5. Anne Robinson was the weakest link in her own life matters for a very long time.
   
   Her autobiography, which I've only read recently and is probably a bit outdated by now, is written as one would expect her to, a sort of mirror image of the character we are used to watch on TV. Lucid, cool, a bit acerbic with a hint of dark humour. And yet, here we discover the other side of the story.
   
   After an honest description of her Irish family and background, Anne takes us through a journey describing her life in England as a journalist, young spouse, mother, divorcée and, eventually, the spiral leading her to be hopelessly alcohol dependant. A drunk. The wound, immense, of having had her young daughter Emma, then aged two, taken away from her. We see her struggling and eventually coming to terms with her addiction, a years-long battle made even worse by the raw knowledge of loss. Loss of Emma's custody, loss of her work, loss of self-respect. Loss. But she struggles. And survives. And gets better and better. She marries again and a new life starts, the wheel finally turning in the right direction.
   
   This is also an interesting insight of the struggle of women in 1940's Ireland and 1960's England, despite feminism starting to take off back then.
   
   Back to Ms. Robinson, I am glad that her ordeal and battles against her alcohol addiction were successful and that throughout it all, she was able to retain Emma's love and respect, the most precious gift of all. Definitely NOT the weakest link any longer, well done.

5 comments about The NewsBreaker: A Behind the Scenes Look at the News Media and Never Before Told Details about Some of the Decade's Biggest Stories.

1. MR. GARRISON,
   
   AT LAST SOMEONE AS GROWN GUTTS ENOUGH TO BREAK THE CODE AND TELL THE TRUTH ABOUT WHAT IS HAPPENING EVERYDAY TO PEOPLE IN THE SPOTLIGHT AND USED BY THE NEWSMAKERS.
   
   MY NAME IS OFFICER JOHN R. FUTRELL I WAS THE OFFICER ON THE FRONT COVER OF THE LA TIMES AFTER THE BIGGEST SHOOTOUT IN LAW ENFORCEMENT HISTORY. " BANK OF AMERICA- NORTH HOLLYWOOD, CA"



2. At last all my questions answered. Great and truthful read. A pleasure to read what I wanted to know. Loved it. Read it.



3. As a news junkie, I had hoped this book would reveal some of the stories behind the stories. Alas, it was not to be. The book is more about promotion of Larry Garrison, his career and the story of how he brokers "news". It had little information to offer about news stories he has brokered and what is provided, for the most part, is already known.
   
   The most interesting chapter focused on Michael Schiavo and how he appeared, to Mr. Garrison, to be after money more than anything else. That may be true, and is mildly interesting, but really doesn't shed any more light on that story.
   
   In addition to being relatively boring, the book is not all that well written. The writing is more tabloid style, although that is appropriate since the stories covered are "tabloid" type stories.
   
   If you are interested in news and the stories behind it, look elsewhere. If you like tabloid journalism, you may like this book.



4. If you are interested in finding out who Larry Garrison is with a few good antidotes interspersed through a few chapters then this is the book you are looking for. The most compelling "behind the scenes" story was a recollection of a dinner appointment with Michael Schiavo, husband of Terri Schiavo. The photo section is full of photos of Natalee Holloway, the teen who disappeared on a trip to Aruba, but there is nothing written about the case except to remind the reader that Mr. Garrison wrote a book with Natalie's father called "Aruba". This was a very light read and seemed like it was thrown together over a short period of time. I would not recommend this book if you are really looking for a good intellectual read.



5. I'll save you some time. The "behind the scenes" looks end up with Garrison admitting that he does not know what really happened. What he does know is how good he is, how important he is, and how to promote himself (as he proudly proclaims over and over).
   
   Save your time and money and read the people who took the time to find out what happened before they wrote a book about it. On the Oklahoma City bombing, read The Third Terrorist: The Middle East Connection to the Oklahoma City Bombing. Jayna Davis worked for ten years to piece together this story. It is fact-bound and does not waste any words.
   
   The downing of TWA 800. Garrison doesn't know what happened, but someone else does, because he took the time the dig and figure it out. Read First Strike: TWA Flight 800 and the Attack on America.
   
   This is really an autobiography of a nobody, told in great and loving detail. It pretends to give you insight into how the news industry works behind the scenes. But most of it you know already: somebody knows somebody else who has a lot of connections. Garrison has lots and lots of connections, and he is happy to tell you about them.
   
   I see that some of them have posted five star reviews on this page. It's nice that Garrison has friends. But I am your friend, reader, and I advise you to skip this one. It has no redeeming qualities.

5 comments about Fuller, Wandering Pilgrim.

1. Murray analyzes Margaret Fuller's achievements as "America's first full-fledged intellectual woman," from child prodigy to crusading journalist to revolutionary agent in Italy, always struggling to make sense of the world around her and her own divided nature. Careful consideration of this Romantic woman writer's "gender / sex identity crisis" makes the book an original contribution to Fuller scholarship and brings us as readers face to face with a conflicted soul, never able to resolve all the contradictions of her mind and body. I recommend this biography to anyone with a serious interest in women's and gender studies.



2. Murray's study of the 19th century American feminist author and intellectual Margaret Fuller ,a creative,richly talented,conflicted, even bedeviled New England Romantic, is nothing short of brilliant. Murray weaves into the warp and woof of her complex Fuller tapestry a blend of criticism, history, literature, psychology, religion and theology, which together yield a finely nuanced picture of a brilliant but profoundly troubled woman who struggled valiantly though unsuccessfully to break free from the constaints of her strict puritanical upbringing and the oppression of a domineering father. Some may wonder whether anything worthwhile can be added to our understanding of Margaret Fuller after the publication of Prof. Capper's second volume. The answer: an emphatic "Yes". Murray's "Wandering Pilgrim" deserves a distinguished place alongside Capper's and the best of the other scholarly volumes on Fuller. A long time birthing, it should stand well the test of time. Murray's controversial interpretation of Fuller will not win acceptance by all Fuller scholars, but they can ill afford to ignore her. Her provocative biography is a must-read .



3. Margaret Fuller for Everyone
   
   Margaret Fuller, Wandering Pilgrim manages to be both a page-turning
   read and a richly dense one. The clear narrative will please and
   inform readers who know little about Fuller, a fascinating nineteenth-
   century author and thinker; at the same time, Murray's extensive
   research and careful analysis will be invaluable to scholars of both
   American literature and women's studies. The book balances
   psychological, historical, and literary background in a wonderfully
   successful attempt to explain the life and achievements of the complex
   woman who made a pioneering case for American women in her classic
   Woman in the Nineteenth Century (1845). Even as Murray astutely
   prepares us for the ending of Fuller's life, we keep reading to find
   out both what will happen, and why.



4. Wandering Pilgrim is an excellent study of one of America's most important and neglected literary figures. Murray writes of Margaret Fuller with compassion, complexity and professionalism. Her account of Fuller -- a bold and brilliant woman who enthralled both Emerson and Hawthorne, who used her as a model for Hester Prynne - is a lively and original reading of this memorable woman.



5. As acknowledged by the author, I was involved in the early going, but years later, now that I can sit down with Meg Murray's Fuller biography, I am thrilled. Very few books about literary giants do justice to the narrative. It either seems cooked or perhaps worse lumpy and raw. Murry's story is riveting. I recently needed stories about the Tiber Island hospital where Fuller served as a nurse during the Roman seige and found Murray's account very worth quoting. This is a superb work of scholarship AND a compelling story about one of America's most neglected giants.

No comments about Prohibido decir toda la verdad.

No comments about Not So Wild a Dream.

5 comments about Honest Dogs -OS.

1. Once in a while you come across a book that you are sorry to see end.Honest dogs was one of those books for me.The chapter on going over american summit was very exciting.When I was in Anchorage for the start of this years Iditarod I got to see and pet O'donogue's lead dog "Khan". in person After reading this fine book I want to move to Two Rivers,Alaska and take up Mushing myself

   .




2. This is an amazing book!--I had no idea what it takes to compete in a major sled dog race. All those pictures we see of the "romance" of sled dog competitions don't even begin to cover the fatigue (of dogs and people), the logistics and the problems. It must be an incredible experience to even finish in a race like this. I'm glad the author let me experience a little bit of it through his book.



3. In Honest Dogs: A Story Of Triumph And Regret From The World's Toughest Sled Dog Race, journalist and family man Brian O'Donoghue shares the story of his experiences upon entering the Yukon Quest Sled Dog Race at the age of 41. Brian writes with wry humor of sharing the trail with his Alaskan huskies Khan, Hobbes, Scrimshaw, and Cyclone, as well as a diverse collection of rival racers and resident bush rats. Honest Dogs is a candid, vivid account of a punishing personal journey and relates the strategies, dreams, and disappoints of the contestants, the antics of the furry canine athletes, the sheer drama of the race, and the unworldly wilderness setting in which Brian and his dogs found themselves. Honest Dogs is highly recommended reading for armchair adventurers and dog lovers everywhere.



4. The real problem with this book lies not in his treatment of his dogs, but in his treatment of other mushers. It is odd that he could be so critical of so many of the other mushers from the back of the pack. While not quite an armchair quarterback, he was definitely throwing some cheap shots from the sled runners. I had a suspicion while reading this book that he was searching for a way to justify his utter lack of speed, instead of just reveling in the moment. While it is nice to hear about a musher that cares deeply about his dogs (as most do), I felt that he simply did not have the rapport with his dogs that most succesful mushers have.



5. This book tells the story of one man's first experience of the Yukon Quest, and the problems and triumphs he encountered along the way. Very informative for some-one like myself (an armchair musher!)covering aspects which would never occur to me i.e. arranging food drops in advance!

   A real page turner, i finished reading the book in one day.

1 comments about Ambivalence, a Love Story: Portrait of a Marriage.

1. Donatich explores his roles as son, lover, worker, husband, and father. He grapples with the concept of manhood by examining unemployment, religion, gender relations, the immigrant experience, the pursuit of identity through lifestyle, and family life. With openness and honesty, he shares the bittersweet feelings of a "middle-aged, married, mortgaged, and mortal" man to celebrate and define the book's title. Ambivalence--and a good relationship--means being of two minds; having moral strength, not certitude; mindfully loving, not clinging to the blind faith of being in love.

3 comments about Camelia: Save Yourself by Telling the Truth-a Memoir of Iran.

1. "Camelia" is the vivid, moving, and candid memoir of Camelia Entekhabi-fard, a young Iranian journalist intimately familiar with the social and political turmoil of Iran under the Islamic Republic. Ms Entekhabi-fard's story takes us from her childhood and adolescence, to her career as a journalist and active participant in the Iranian reform movement, through encounters with famous and infamous personalities, to her imprisonment, release, and exile. Her keen observations and deep sympathy illuminate the complex cultural and political problems of Iran, particularly its young women, and bring to life some of the key events of the past thirty years. But what makes "Camelia" stand out among contemporary Middle East memoirs is Ms Entekhabi-fard's brutal honesty, particularly towards the moral dilemmas and personal choices she made in her struggle to succeed and survive. Her fierce candor will undoubtedly shock some readers, but it makes "Camelia" a refreshingly frank, lively, and moving memoir.



2. Camelia was six years old when the Shah of Iran was overthrown in her country: her family chose to stay in Tehran and saw two decades of violent change which affected their family. CAMELIA is for any who would understand the culture and politics of Iran: its autobiography recounts the author's life in the country, where she was a nationally celebrated poet as a teen, one of the youngest reformist journalists in Tehran by eighteen, and imprisoned eight years later. Her relationship with brutal interrogators, her ultimate survival and her struggle coping with freedom makes for a haunting document of repression which is a top pick for any general-interest or college-level collection strong in Middle East culture and history.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



3. I knew this lady back home ,the only ambiyious she had was to get out of iran ,and she did not care how .most of her writings are nothing new ,but again average americans like to read this self glorifiying fantasy .she was not known for her self piety ,and was not a poet at the age of 16 ,she used to teach bally dncing at her home ,and had a terrible reputation for using her .....to get to different places .

1 comments about Finding Annie Farrell: A Family Memoir.

1. I am not sure when was the last time I read a book with which I felt such a connection. The author's quest to understand her mother, who grew up in rural inland Maine in the 1930s, and who wound up a very depressed housewife in New York City, would be a compelling tale even in less able hands, but the wonderful writing here makes this an amazing book. I grew up in Maine, but in coastal Maine, and I think reading this book was one of the first times I truly understood the vast difference between coastal Maine and inland Maine, even after reading and re-reading the wonderful We Took to the Woods, written about the same time period as Harpaz's mother's childhood. Annie Farrell's sisters are both well drawn individuals and also so much like so many women I knew in Maine, especially during the times I spent in Aroostook County as a young adult. The gradual unfolding of family secrets, and the realization that some stories can never really be confirmed or disputed is something most of us have found in learning about family history, but few can tell it as well as this book does. If you love family memoirs, geneology, Maine, New York City, World War II stories, or in fact just good reads in general, I highly recommend this book!

No comments about The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid on Playaway: Ready-To-Go Digital Audiobooks.