2 comments about The Patron: A Life of Salman Schocken, 1877-1959.

1. This is a professionally-written biography of the late German-Jewish philanthroper Zalman Schocken. I learned many things from this biography that I hadn't known about his life: that he was actually from Prussian-controlled Poland and thus, was not a "blue blood" German Jew, about his innovations in commerce which lead to the massive successes of his department store chain, and his relationship with other German-Jewish figures in the Zionist movement such as Gershom Scholem, Hannah Arendt, and S.Y. Agnon. I learned that Agnon kept his right-wing and very anti-Arab attitudes out of his books because his 40-year patron, Zalman Schocken, told him to do it. I learned that Schocken Books published a whole line of Jewish-subject-related books in Germany after the Nazis came to power, even exploiting their sepearation laws to be a "Jewish publisher."
   
   Up until the Nazis come to power, Schocken appears to be a man of talent and relevancy, both in the realm of business and also in the realm of Jewish cultural revival. The last 25 years of his life are portrayed as those of a man who has had the cultural and business orientation ripped away from him by Adolf Hiter and in relying on his previously-used models of success and meaning,falling into irrelevance.
   
   The author has worked hard to understand all of the angles of Schocken's life: as a businessman, as a successful autodidact and lover of literature and philosophy, as a philathroper, and even a bit about his personal life and his relationship with his family. The author has also mastered the intellectural and political background in which Schocken's life occurs, both in Germany and then in Jewish-Palestine, which eventually became Israel.
   
   Zalman Schocken was certainally a character and personality of an exceptional and excentric order and this books comprehensively explores all aspects of his life, his business endeavors, his social visions, his philonthropic endeavors, his ideas about culture, Judaism, and his relationships with other people.



2. I have read a number of reviews of this book all of which praise Anthony David for his detailed study of the life of Zalman Schocken.
   David paints the portrait of a remarkable Renaissance figure, an innovative empire- building businessman , a great patron of the Arts, a humanist, Zionist builder of cultural life in the land of Israel.
   Schocken was born in Posen in Prussia, but built a business empire throughout Germany. His department- stores were forerunners of today's Malls. He combined in them a sense of the aesthetic ( Bauhaus architect Eric Mendlesohn was his designer) with a real understanding of the customers' needs.
   He also was an autodidact a lover of German and Jewish culture. The shock of his life came with the coming of the Nazis to power, and from then on he shifted most of his activities to Jewish cultural work. He also to a degree recreated a bit of the business empire he had in Germany, in then Palestine and the United States. 'Schocken Books' is one of his cultural monuments. He was the patron of Buber,Scholem, Elsa Lasker-Schuler, and most notably Agnon. Schoken had an eye for talent and an ability to support and sustain it.
   One of his major moves was his purchase of the newspaper 'Haaretz' as wedding gift for his son. This would become the Israeli equivalent of the NY Times.
   Schocken was also a great patron of the Hebrew University.
   Schocken contributed much to the building of Hebrew culture in the land of Israel, and Jewish culture throughout the world.
   A highly recommended work.

No comments about Double Vision.

5 comments about Love by the Glass: Tasting Notes from a Marriage.

1. I'm doing research for a series of romance novels about a family of winemakers. My friend, Gwen, recommended this book since she knew I was a neophyte where wine is concerned. I'm so glad she did. I learned a lot about wine, how to choose a good one, why wine changes from the moment you uncork it to your last mouthful.
   I learned about the regions where grapes are grown, and why some grapes grow better in certain regions. I learned that oftentimes how good a wine is depends not so much on the soil the grapes are grown in, but the patience, passion, and faith of the winemaker. Most of all, this book is about enjoying life. Dorothy Gaiter and John Brecher definitely know how to do that! They're inspiring. A truly heart-warming story. And I didn't have one potent potable while reading it! :o)



2. Gaiter and Brecher have employed their love of wine as a wonderful frame for the warm and touching story of their lives together. Both are people of incredible accomplishment who share their experiences and appreciation of wine in an uncomplicated, unpretentious, and understated fashion. While what they share about their evolving interest and expertise in wine is interesting, it is their own personal chronicle that is fascinating.

   This is a wonderful book for the neophyte/developing devotee of wine. They frankly point out their initially pedestrian taste in wine, and their continued willingness to try seemingly unsophisticated, "fun", or inexpensive wines. I experienced some mild nausea reading what a wonderful principled paragon of good journalism the "Wall Street Journal" represents (in light of its editorial page); however, its credibility jumped in my estimation while reading this book due to the admiration I developed for them and their advocacy of the paper. This book challenged my assumptions, in that the seeming journal of the privileged features a wine column ideal for the needs of regular people.

   "Love By the Glass" is a practical guide to savoring wine that doubles as a touching memoir. It is not a great book or a connoisseur's guide, but definitely is a fun and worthwhile read.




3. I have recently started to study the world of wines thoroughly. But when a friend gave me this book to read and told me that I might like it, I was a bit skeptical because I believed wine could be told only in technical and sometimes boring terms.
   I just had no idea it would be such a charming and enjoyable reading.
   
   The book is very unpretentious, written with lots of charm and fun - and especially with love. The story starts by explaining the long road the authors took before becoming wine columnists for the Wall Street Journal. It is delightful to discover how many years two people spent on discovering wines, learning about what they like, learning how to distinguish good ones from bad ones, and going on trips to wineries around the world. It is an honest and sincere story about how they discovered the unique pleasures wine can give. All that seasoned with their love for each other, and of course for wines.
   
   I have to admit that there are some parts in the book where I think they may have stressed their private lives too much -- such as how much they struggled to conceive their first child, or how much their houses cost. But the story remains above all a captivating telling about their love story and wine.
   
   I don't think there is anything more beautiful and enjoyable than a couple and their discovery of another shared love - in this case, the love for wine. But, of course, this is a very subjective view and wine plays a central role, and so I recommend the book only to those who enjoy reading about wine.



4. What a wonderful way to organize a book! Most life stories are organized around major life events. This memoir is organized around the small events that matter in the long run. The wine is the supporting actor/ress, never overwhelming the stars, but always rounding out the story.
   
   One day, Americans will drink wine with the same sophistication we currently save for sports, complete with fan clubs and tasting events, and of course, comptitions. In the meanwhile, wine is working its way into our family events, our personal acheivements, and intimate moments. This kind of "viral" change takes a long time. But eventually, wine will win.
   
   These are wonderful events and worderful in the life of an interesting couple. The place wine has in their lives is probably not unique, but the writing is easy (like a summer Chard) and interesteing.
   
   Get a glass of your favorite, whatever it is, and enjoy!
   
   To your health, good times, and good friends!



5. I just finished Love by the Glass. It's amazing escapist literature. There's actually very little about wine in it; instead, it's a pretty much straight-up memoir from the married Wall Street Journal wine columnists. And what a life! I had to keep reminding myself that this was non-fiction so different from my life is theirs. They jet back and forth from America and Europe, buy and sell multiple homes in Miami and NYC, take luxurious trans-continental train trips featuring cases of sparkling wine and drop tens of thousands of dollars on fertility treatments rather than adopt any of the improvised children that, ironically, their mainstream journalism focused on. No one aside from the cartoonish "Black Muslim" cares that they are an interracial couple.
   In short, it's the ultimate 1980's Yuppie Tale (which, to their credit, they cop to).
   I'm not suggesting that focus is a deal breaker though The book is written in an awkward third person voice which at first pushed me away as a reader, but then, I stopped thinking of it as autobiography and imagined it as a fairy tale - the description of an America that many of us would love to be part of, but very few of us will actually see.

No comments about Annenbergs.

4 comments about Change in the Weather: Life After Stroke.

1. I found Mark's book very informative. I am living with a father that had a stroke last year and it was interesting to compare the stroke and recovery process. The major differences between the stories is that my father is 81 and I found him within five minutes of the stroke so he was able to benefit from the clot busting medication. Many of the rehab exercises for my father are similar to Mark's. Until I read this book I had not been able to get this information from someone that had experienced stroke or was caregiver for a stroke patient. All too often when I spoke to someone that had a loved one suffer a stroke their story usually ended with a death shortly after the stroke. I'm thankful I found him so quickly and that he survived the clot busting medicine. They let you know when you sign the consent that your loved one might not survive it. That is an awesome responsibility for anyone. I've encouraged everyone I know to talk to their loved ones so they will know how you feel should they every have to make that decision for you.



2. 
   
   MarkMcEwen has written an excellent book for those who have had a stroke or are caring for someone who has had one. His positive message is one of hope for all.



3. CHANGE IN THE WEATHER: LIFE AFTER STROKE tells of a news anchorman at the peak of his life - and enjoying it - when he suffered a stroke. Mistreatment and misdiagnosis nearly cost him his life - and this memoir documents these issues, also following his rehabilitation from a massive stroke in which he lost some of his greatest gifts. A powerful account of triumph over harrowing physical issues evolves.
   
   Diane C. Donovan
   California Bookwatch



4. I had a cerebellar stroke in March, which caused this communications major and ex-Micrsoft college recruiter to become a disabled person who couldn't talk --overnight and very unexpectely, just like Mark..Mark's book is a good chronolgy of what that feels like and a good inspiration for recovery as he made a 100% comeback.
   
   While I don't have his connections with Bill Cosby or presidents (and admire his newfound verve to use those contacts to get the word out about stoke), I share and admire his drive to recover - and that of his wife to support him...Stroke is not well known, we hear so often about cancer and heart attacks but it is the number one disabler - 455,000 americans will be struck by it this year, or one every 15 seconds...I had none of the prediposing symptoms (high blood pressure/smoker/family history/overweight) yet I still had a stroke and it has changed my life - just like it changed Mark's life into a recovering disabled person who had to learn to slow down and value a second chance at everything..we did not die and there is a distinct silver lining to stroke, which Mark's upbeat book chronicles...it was an easy read and a good boost...a profile in a different kind of courage for friends, family and Mark himself...Unlike many afflications, you CAN recover from stroke...it takes time and oomph.

1 comments about Tales from Rhapsody Home: Or, Reporting Live from Our Last Resort.

1. This was his last book, I am SAD to say!!
   
   It is TRULY A MUST read for those of you who RESPECT your elderlys.
   
   He wrote this when he & his GREAT wife were in the nursing home. He was
   infuriated at the administration, and GOOD ol' JOHN WON his point, not the
   administration at the nursing home where RESIDENTS have to pay atrocious
   amounts!!
   
   OH, this book EXCEEDS a 5 STAR rating easily!!
   JOHN won the case!!
   
   PS: He was a friend of my cousin, and what a dry DOWNEAST sense of humor in this great gentleman!

5 comments about How America Lost Iraq.

1. Aaron Glantz, a Pacifica radio correspondent, painstakingly traces where and how the United States repeatedly messed up in Iraq. His title radically differs from other books on the subject, using multiple sources to deliver one of the most multidimensional and sophisticated critiques of Iraq.
   
   Specifically, he talks to the Iraqi people themselves to get their own perspectives on this event. Not surprisingly, they were initially skeptical of his intentions, but he built up enough trust to produce this book. It is disturbing that talking to the Iraqi people themselves is considered a radical action.
   
   Saddam Hussein was this infamous tyrant who appeared uninterested in his own people's well being so they were happy to get rid of him--until they also lost what basic services which they had been previously receiving. Glantz then writes that suicide bombings can be profitable for people who have been and are receiving little money otherwise in an allegedly rebuilt Iraq (pp. 119-120).
   
   Because I predominantly receive my own news about Iraq (and the Middle East) from American news media, I had not previously considered the economic incentives to participate in a suicide bombing. Some people are participating in these activities to feed themselves and/or their families, with many other options currently unavailable. I had honestly assumed that the people who participated in these events were doing this for socioreligious sincerity alone; however I guess it's easy for Washington officials to moralize and grandstand when they don't have to worry about their own children starving.
   
   Glantz also critiques us on the left for getting too in love with protesting against this very war. According to him, we are loosing perspective of the larger goal, again because we are also predominantly coming from and with an American-centric perspective.
   
   While we need to be concerned what is happening with American soldiers and tax dollars, we cannot forget that the Iraqi people might lack even the most rudimentary services which we take for granted. We talk about how hard organizing is, but many American activists (myself included) live in a country where we know that sanitation and electricity is working and we do not have to worry about roadside bombs as we travel around our cities. Perspective is everything in and to effective community organizing.
   
   There is considerable irony that President Bush and the Republican-controlled United States Government are so eager to talk about self-rule and democracy, but will not let the Iraqi people actually control their own lives.



2. Glantz punctures both left and right in this balanced analysis of what has gone wrong in Iraq. A powerful story that should be required reading for politicians and political groupies of all leanings.



3. Glanz shows in a progressive manor, through Iraqi opinions how things spun out of control. He shows occurances that have been well hidden. Long before the Abu Ghraib debacle, there were injustices that lead up to copmplete frustrated as illustrated by the Iraqi opinions. He does present things as he witnesses them and tries to offer no opinion, but there are some stories that are gut wrenching, and he admits that he cried often. That is the part I liked the best.



4. Mr. Glantz's book reads like a narrative of many of the events in Iraq told through experiential stories of conversations with every day Iraqi's. Mr. Glantz visits Iraq and travels through out the country talking with people about America in Iraq and how the Iraqi's he is talking to view the United States presence in Iraq.
   
   Mr. Glantz is careful to paint the picture in 2005 as a loss for the United States. This is prior to any with drawl of American forces in the region, and demonstrates a bias noting the leveling of Fallujah and the picking of a fight with al-Sadr as mistakes the United States government undertook.
   
   There is also an interesting perspective that isn't addressed in this book and that troubles me the most about Iraq and the discussion about the hardships of the average Iraqi in general. These perspectives in this book miss them completely.
   
   In Iraq, you have a country that has known only war and destruction for over 20 years. From a societal perspective, if you had skills, and were not in the weapons making business you did your best to leave Iraq. The brain-drain in Iraq has hurt the Iraqi people more than any single cultural factor and rightly so.
   
   Saddam has brutalized the Iraqi people until 2003 when the United States showed up and liberated the country from Saddam. The country suffered a horrible war against Iran where millions of people died and there were terrible exchanges of chemical weapons and all these horrible things happened to people in this country. Hundreds of thousands of Iraqis disappeared in the Middle of the Night as they may have been considered political dissidents. Their mass graves prove that a terrible tragedy has been committed against the Iraqi people.
   
   Given this unique circumstance, unique to the history of the world, the Americans have come to assist in the rebuilding of the country. When Saddam's regime disappeared, there were many plays for power in the local and regional governments. The United States made some difficult choices in the newly emerging democratic state and those choices were not supposed to be popular or easy decisions to be made.
   
   While the author is quick to criticize the US Civilian contractors in Iraq who have not had a perfect record that meets American standards in terms of production, the author misses a broader point. The local corruption of the Iraqi's and the sectarian strife associated with the vacuum left by Saddam's removal make companies like Bectel and Halliburton the logical choice even given the challenges.
   
   It fails to address the non Iraqi nationals flowing into the country and the inability of the sovereign Iraqi government to control its own borders as though America is supposed to be viewed as occupiers by the Average Iraqi when Syrians and Iranians are coming into their country to spread hate and violence and sabotage their own oil infrastructure.
   
   The apathy created by all those years of destruction creates problems for many Iraqi's and villages. It creates problems of trust. This book gives a very human perspective on some of those perspectives but should be taken into the context that although the United States is responsible for the removal of Saddam Hussein, the assumption of the United States government has been that freed people would rise to their own occasion and commit to their own civil service projects with their own money. This has not happened effectively in Iraqi due to the brain-drain. Saddam often killed smart people. It was a control mechanism of the old régime.
   
   Let us hope that this problem can resolve itself over the next few years, as this is not a problem that Mr. Glantz can take out of context of a few months. The historical precedents for this are rare if any and if you make comparisons to Germany and Japan, they did not have the Brain-Drain as we do in Iraq. That being said the Iraqi's were sovereign and operational with in a shorter time than either of those two countries. The Iraqi's in 2007 appear to be developing a sound oil policy for the entire world, which will help with oil companies and investment dollars.
   
   The Americans will come home eventually, when their job is done. Perhaps the Iraqi people should worry more about their own security now that they have control of their own country and the ability to have their own elections. The war is not lost by America. It was won. Saddam is gone. That was public law and the goal. The rest of the pros and cons are the United States doing Iraq a favor. Reconstruction is the American people doing their best to help the Iraqi's help themselves. That is hard to do with militants from other countries crossing the border and attempting to kill you in Iraq just because you are an American. What Mr. Glantz isn't talking about is Arab on Arab, Muslim on Muslim violence which isn't there because Saddam is not in power anymore-- there is a different social reason for that and I'm afraid that Mr. Glantz wasn't too fair in his book for addressing those cultural aspects on the ground level between Iraqi's.
   
   America has learned from those kinds of issues when we had millions of decent Americans fight for their civil rights. There were riots, massacres, violence, civil strife, and best of all heroes that came out of that. We are a great society because we were able to overcome our differences in many ways and have the ability to see each other as Americans and secularize our society. There was a lot of blood shed, involvement with National Guards, the Klu Klux Clan, and all kinds of other clashes between groups in this country. Ultimately it can be defined as great because if Mr. Glantz was writing the same kind of history about the American Civil Rights movement in the 1960's he would have called it a loss before it was really over...
   
   Mr. Glantz, give those processes of democracy a chance and provide a better forum to show the Iraqi's how to do that. America is great because we were able to do it... we have the Stewardship to show Iraqis how to do it too. They can because they are human beings. They have a chance because Saddam and his brutes are no longer in power. That is the decent thing for Americans to do...
   
   If that means eliminating Sadr in the political process through violent means, he is not a peaceful man. He should not be hiding in his Mosques taking shots at Americans like a coward behind those walls. He should show his followers a better way. He should lead them in a peaceful process to reform the politics of his newly formed country. Sunnis and Shiites have more in common than they are different and in that they should build their common framework for a new Iraqi society. Start by making the neighborhoods safe again. Take the violent criminals off the street...just as all civil societies do. Help secure the borders and eliminate corruption in your organization.
   
   Mr. Glantz should not pick on Halliburton or George Bush and the Administration. Pick on the Iraqi's for not doing what they need to do now in this time of transition for their better way of life. I realize this is not ever the dream of the 'Hate America First Crowd', however, let us at least level the playing field.
   
   Let us talk about some Iraqi heroes who are fighting for justice and freedom in their country for their compatriots...not about some folks who focus thier misfortune on the USA. That's always an easy scapegoat that fails to address some real purriahs in Iraq.



5. I was more than a little leery coming into this book knowing Mr. Glantz worked for Pacifica. I was afraid I might find a one-sided diatribe about how the U.S. invasion and the government is terrible and what a horrible crime the invasion was, but what I found was a balanced look at the situation and firsthand account from some Iraqis on how the invasion and occupation have affected them.
   
   One of the telling moments of this book for me was when Mr. Glantz talks about having problems with his editors only wanting stories that paint a certain kind of picture of the Iraqi situation. With U.S. media this is so often the problem; a story will be bent depending upon the people reporting the stories own political leanings rather than the unvarnished truth. So often the Right and Left are pulling so hard that the story, which is actually somewhere in the Middle, gets lost, and the people who end up getting hurt are the victims (Iraqis) and the people who are relying on these reports to understand the situation and make informed decisions based on this information (U.S. citizens).
   
   Mr. Glantz chronicles the failures of this administration and military leaders to understand the peoples they came to free. As I read his interviews with everyday Iraqis a picture emerges that should have been seen early on this occupation. Iraqis were happy the Americans toppled this mostly hated regime, but this enthusiasm would only go so far. It would only last so long. As the U.S. military continued to commit excesses and as life on the ground for ordinary Iraqis either deteriorated or remained the same, as under Saddam, that patience and enthusiasm wore thin until finally it broke.
   
   As the U.S. broke every rule of fighting a counter-insurgency in Iraq, I have to ask myself what did they expect would be the result of this policy? What did they expect Iraqis with no jobs, no money and no prospects to do?
   
   Here in the U.S. we too often forget about those we have chosen "liberate" and only focus on ourselves. Mr. Glantz gives us an Iraqi perspective that is sorely missed in our media today. He gives us a fair portrait of life in Iraq and for that he should be thanked. It is the stories from the Middle that are the most honest and important.

5 comments about Hello to All That: A Memoir of War, Zoloft, and Peace.

1. This novel jumps from present day Sarajevo in 1993 to, in the next chapter, Long Island in the 1980's. In Sarajevo Falk fights to stay alive and find stories as an inexperienced and naive freelance reporter, back on Long Island he fights a long and horrible depression that started for no reason and for twelve long hard years showed no signs of ever ending. John is convinced that no one can help him and all he can do is try to hang on and hope everything goes back to the way it was.
   
   Through the book, we see all aspects of his life and get to know Falk better than most of our closest relatives. It made me wonder how many of my close friends are secretly battling depression. John eventually does see a psychiatrist, and after a few different medications finally finds relief. After college, he sets off to find himself and ends up in Sarajevo alone again. However, with the help of Zoloft he knows that nothing is hopeless.
   
   As a depression survivor, I would recommend this to anyone that thinks that they are alone without hope or anyone that has ever been comforted, as Falk was at one point, by knowing that they can end their life anytime. I know I have made the book sound depressing but Falk is a wonderful writer and the novel has many funny and uplifting moments. The world would be a better place if more people were like John Falk.



2. I could not put this book down. I have struggled with depression for years. There is no book that explains depression more believably - Falk's feeling that life has no meaning echoes how I have felt for most of my life. He is the voice for the most cynical of all of us.
   
   The main thing that made it a brilliant piece was what he gave us in the end. Throughout the book, I was hoping for a giant piece of insight to pull me out of my own despair. About 3/4's through, he talks to the wise man who has seen it all in war-ravaged Bosnia. The guy responds with something like "Love is the answer." My heart started sinking as I almost predicted what was going to happen. He was going to take the wise man's advice and return to America, with renewed appreciation for the family that loves him. I thought: While this is a great ending for Falk, it leaves the rest of us in the lurch. What about the 'Roberts' out there who don't have anyone? Then, the wedding bells chime and it feels like there will be no answer. But just before the book closes, he drops a line: "Not one soul in that my [wedding] backyard did I meet while I was depressed."
   
   So his message is powerfully clear: Depression can really destroy a life, so that one ends up completely alone.
   
   I really think part of his remission is due to a combination of things - how his life was enriched by his experiences, but most of all that he is now surrounded by people that love him. I strongly got the feeling that he never really "recovered" until he found himself no longer "on the edges of other people's lives", but happily married. But in order to get there, he had to get on the antidepressants, which gave him the umph he needed to gain some new experiences. Perhaps those experiences enriched him as a person so that he was able to more successfully connect with other people. For man is a social animal, and without that sense of belonging most of us feel adrift and alone.
   
   The biggest piece of wisdom I gathered from Falk's piece is to what extent depression CAUSES life to go bad, rather than the other way around. For he found hard evidence in the fact that there are HAPPY people in a war-torn country. Unthinkable. While external circumstances can certainly destroy, he provided a clue to those of us who are hurting in spite of all the advantages. His non-condescending, measured tone will go a long way to make you feel validated if you are suffering from depression.



3. Chapter 1's leap into Sarajevo had me. Chapter 2's first expressions of adolescent depression put me off, and I thought I was going to hate this book (and its author) as another self-centered, whine-fest, but there was a drama there that kept me reading. By chapter 3 I had surrendered to Mr. Falk's story, and I eventually succumbed to Mr. Falk's charms as an author. At least until I started writing this review.
   
   "Hello to All That..." is harrowing, humorous, and compelling, but it also seems a bit glib in a made for TV sense. There's a need to entertain that subtly subverts the power of the story. "Hello to All That..." is a crisis memoir that addresses the search for self in the midst of profound depression, and the redemption of "cure" through drug therapy, and release from self. It's a privileged child's coming-of-age memoir that reminded me that privilege is not necessarily protection, and hardship is only romantic to the detached observer. It's also a war story in which the scenes played out in ways that added to a dramatic made for TV feel.
   
   My other problems with the book were in its alternating chapter strategy which caused a wrench in flow, and I wonder that Mr. Falk or his editors weren't able to develop smoother transitions; and the author's admission that the chronology was altered for dramatic impact. The chronological tinkering is the larger problem. I don't know if that's fair in a memoir, and given the recent controvery with James Frey's, "A Million Little Pieces," it's tricky ground to be walking on. Mr Falk's desire to create drama may also have something to do with the "let me entertain you," feel I got from the book. The admission is admirable, but I find it troubling nonetheless.
   
   "Hello to All That..." was a good read, in the moment, but quite problematic on reflection. As a "read" I'm giving it three stars, as a memoir I'd only give it two.



4. I saw the title in Borders one day and something about it just caught me. Maybe its because i was also 24, living in my mothers basement, and was on the better half of my own battle with depression, despair, and uncertainty in life. Either way, i went to the library a week later and checked it out.
   
   An easy read, and i definitely identified with it. I think the duality of the war and flashing back to 80's long island was a great way to write the story.
   
   It isnt a self-help book, its just a real interesting story. And easy to read and well written. Its really an inspriring coming of age story as well. The way he decided to just pack up and go to Bosnia was great.
   
   I only gave it 4 stars cause it wont change your life or be the best book you ever read, but it was very enjoyable. If you are going through a depression or hard times, id reccomend something by Dan Millman or Dr David Burns first, but anyone thats been there can really appriciate this book.



5. Author put his heart and soul into this memoir & it shows on every page.
   
   He not only went over to war-torn Sarajevo to pull himself out of his own deep, dark pit, but perhaps to do some good--if at all possible.
   
   It does get to you--on an emotional level & I've had to put the book down for a spell from time to time to collect myself; it is that touching.
   
   John Falk was truly the exception (to so many other journalists) who went over there for their own self-gain: ratings, a boost to their career & whatnot, never really giving a damn that the people of Sarajevo were under seige by the Chetniks and were being picked off like ducks in a shooting gallery (while on a desperate, daily quest for food, water and wood (to keep warm during severe winter months) He did what good he could do over there. No, he didn't stop the war, but he did enough; he did a lot more than a whole lot of other journalists, while battling his own demons.
   
   To reveal it here, might spoil your reading experience, so we won't say anything else about it.
   
   The other thing I did not fully understand regarding war correspondents who were over there (until I read this book) is that they had, pretty much, total freedom--at least to fly in or out of the country. So long as they had access to some money, these journalists could hop on a plane and fly to Italy, or wherever--to load up on great chow and drink--and then return to Sarajevo, where people were literally starving.
   
   I find this infuriating. This explains why the foreign correspondents always looked well-fed and nicely dressed. Hell; why not?
   They didn't have to scrounge around for food and/or water (and risk getting shot--well, some did get shot and even died over there, still...you get the pocture: they could hop on a plane whenever they wished and fly to Germany, Italy, France, etc., etc. stuff themselves silly and return to Sarajevo where misery prevailed for those trapped in the city and WERE NOT ALLOWED TO LEAVE)
   
   And the U.N? Forget the U.N--who pretty much made the suffering all the more possible.
   
   The only reason I did not give it five stars (which ordinarily I would have) is because the memoir would stay with the Sarajevo phase for three or four chapters, and then switch to the author's teen years and the setting in of his depression, but then just as you were getting into that part of it, the book would switch back to Sarajevo for another three or four chapters, etc. I mean I'd really be getting into the Sarajevo part, the people he encountered along the way and their various dilemmas & the memoir would, once again, switch back to his home down, college years, and all that.
   
   I understand, though, it was probably done this way because the author and his editor, no doubt, saw no other way of tackling the subject matter. It''s cool. It's still a terrific read and should give some people enough hope who may be suffering with depression as John Falk once did.
   
   Anyway, read it. John Falk gives you a unique take on what took place during the year he spent in Sarajevo.
   
   P.S.
   
   See SHOT THROUGH THE HEART, starring Linus Roache and Vincent Perez. Based on an actual "anti-sniper" Falk got to know while over there. Powerful stuff.

5 comments about Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose (8): A Memoir of Love, Exile, and Crosswords.

1. What can one say that will accurately describe this book?
   That it's a marvelous memoir that reads like a novel? Yes!
   That it's a special treat for cruciverbalists of the cryptic kind? Most definitely!
   That it's quite unlike anything you've ever read? Probably
   That Sandy Balfour should just keep writing more and more? Most assuredly!
   But, to sum it up in a phrase...?
   O.K. *A truly fun read (reed)!!![.]



2. I wish Balfour had concentrated more on his love of crosswords and less on the memoir. The crossword discussion and examples were fascinating and educational. I've learned a great deal on the art of solving the cryptic variety of crosswords. By the end of the book my chances of solving these clues had gone from none to slim. The deciding factor now is a matter of culture. So many of the clues in the British puzzles relate to British culture and/or slang as well they should. I'm fairing better with the clues in the Games Magazine cryptic crosswords which is a huge step forward for me.



3. At first impression this seems to be a wandering memoir focussed on the author's love of crosswords with a few personal details thrown in. But as you read on, it becomes clear Balfour is writing a long love letter to his girlfriend, who introduced him to crossword puzzles. As he explains lucidly how he slowly began to understand the way the puzzles were put together, he slips in more and more details about his girlfriend. As you wonder whether they stayed together, you learn that she is pregnant with their first child. Time passes on, he gets better and better jobs, and suddenly she is giving birth to their third child. This is a wonderful piece of writing and one I cannot recommend highly enough.



4. This is a clever, quirky little book. The cover says it is a memoir of love, exile and crosswords, but it actually defies categorisation. It isn't really a memoir - the writer is quite selective about which doors of his life are opened to the reader. We know he becomes a crossword afficianado and has a deep fondness for his adopted country (England, he is an ex pat South African) and for his "girlfriend", a title that becomes somewhat grating as the book progresses and she becomes central to his life and the mother of his chidren. But along with a few snippets about his professional life, that's about all he gives away about himself. The story is more a series of recollections of moments in time which he describes for their life importance and for their association with where he was at the same time, in his development as a crypiic crossword afficianado. The originality and cleverness of the book is in the way it is a history of the development of cryptic crosswords and and their setters, and a "how to do them" guide, (arguably a fairly dry subject) which is flavoured up with human interest by being embedded in some important events in the writer's life. Definitely recommended for those who love doing cryptic crosswords and those who aspire to do them. Probably of less interest to those who consider crosswords to be only for nerdy types who need to get a real life. (Pretty Girl in Crimson Rose - answer, rebelled - if you can't work it out and are itching to know why, buy the book!!)



5. Sandy Balfour, South African by birth, but foreign in other countries since his 21st birthday, writes his memoir which he links inextricably with crosswords. It has a strange disembodied quality to it. It is almost as though Balfour is narrating someone elses life. It is reflective of the crosswords he adores, that sometimes the clues have layers to them, just like his life seems to be. Nothing, like a cryptic crossword, is straightfoward.
   
   It is a slow and layered biography which seems to be at times oa series of interlinked anecdotes about what happened in his life and how it fits in with the crossword clues of that time. Even the title of the book is a crossword clue and reflects his life.
   
   For those clues he doesn't solve, or even the ones where the answer is in the text there is a page in the back which talks about how to solve the particular clue, in case you didn't understand how the answer of reached. So you get the double benefit of learning to solve cryptic crosswords, if you didn't already know.
   
   I quite liked this book. It was quite a different type of read but enjoyable and I found it oddly compelling. It wasn't that Balfour was a sympathetic character, or even Oprah-like in his confessions. It was such an unusual book and well written which made it so interesting. My only distraction was the at times jerky connection of events which, in the context of a crossword are fine, but didn't work as well for the connection of a series of life events.

5 comments about Raising Raul: Adventures Raising Myself and My Son.

1. Men have no reason to feel uncomfortable about reading and appreciating this book. I love Maria Hinojosa's memoir because it is easy to empathize with her efforts to become pregnant after past near misses. She writes about so much more than just pregnancy and motherhood, though. The book's richness resides in how honest and open she is about her struggle; and its impact on her relationships with her parents, husband, and friends. Even when she discussed painful topics and incidents, I detected no bitterness or sense of blame. Most of all, I appreciate Hinojosa's acknowledgement of spirituality as a constant pillar of her development. This is a rich, down to earth, and moving invitation into one woman's experience of parenthood, marriage, friendship, culture and love. Do not miss it!



2. Raising Raul was such a refreshing book to read because of Hinojosa's ability to keep me glued. I read it in two days. How did she manage to do that?? Her struggle to achieve motherhood is narrated in such a frank manner,with such flavorful intimate details;you just can't help but be drawn into her world. While the book in itself is wonderful I did have an objection. The name, Raising Raul, is a bit of a misnomer. I thought the book spent too much time on Hinojosa trying to conceive Raul rather than focusing on when she did have him which is what the title suggests.



3. My mother gave this book to me right after my son was born. She liked the general mothering idea it proposed - sort of a "whatever you do, so long as you do your best, all will be OK." It was wonderful to read Maria's thoughts on motherhood (and all of it's ups and downs) while I was still adjusting myself. I read most of it while breastfeeding (the early months can be marathon feedings)!



4. I read this book a few years ago and loved it so much that I am looking to buy a new copy so I can read it again. The writing is so VIVID and above all so HONEST, that you feel like she's sitting right in front of you. This book is definitely one of my favorites of all time and I would recommend it to everyone.



5. Initially I thought this book would be focused more on parenting, in the traditional sense. But this book is so much more: Maria's inner struggle as a Latina in America- wanting more of her own culture, and wanting to succeed here in America at the same time; finding a man who helped her know herself... how all of this and more molded her as a parent.
   I am buying a copy for a friend who is not even a mom because I know she will enjoy it.