5 comments about America's Bishop: The Life and Times of Fulton J. Sheen.

1. This is a book that has been ignored by the media which does not want to hear about good Catholic clergy. The media only wants to know about scandal in the church - because the Catholic Church and that which it really stands for(as contrasted with the deeds
   of the fallible priests,and lay Catholics that can be found within it) is the mortal enemy to secular humanism, sexual license, abortion and the "if it FEELS right, do it" philosopy that is held so dear by much of the media.
   The book is a great inspiration because Bishop Sheen, with all his human failings, is an inspiration to us all.



2. Thomas Reeves deserves kudos and credit for a very fine biography of a man much admired by millions. The high points of this book are as follows: the meticulous gathering of much information simply unknown by his admirers; the careful balancing of sanctity and human frailty of Sheen's character; the fascinating recreation of the Golden Age of Catholicism in America; the personal relationship between Cardinal Spellman and Bishop Sheen; a superb ability to synthesize and bring new insight from the wide variety of materials cited; a great bibliography and excellent notes. The weaknesses are minor: a tendency to repeat some stories, and the maddening tendency of Sheen himself to destroy and misplace correspondence or simply not document his personal life. Despite these minor drawbacks in the book, I was deeply moved by much of this biography and, indeed, brought to tears by the account of the last years of Sheen's life, his meeting with Pope John Paul II, and his funeral. Few will be disappointed in this book; it is a true accomplishment. Many thanks to Professor Reeves for this profound and necessary commentary on the life of a truly great person of the 20th century.



3. Fulton J. Sheen will never be canonized a saint in the Roman Catholic Church for two obvious reasons: his sins are bright scarlet and we know them too well. Sheen established a television intimacy with the American public in the 1950's that only a few individuals have achieved-Walter Cronkite and Johnny Carson come to mind-through his apostolic use of that explosive new video medium. I was a lad in Catholic elementary school when Sheen delivered his prime time homilies from 1952 through 1957. While I remember little of the content of those shows, I was captivated by the style. Sheen, I noticed, paused to let the audience think. None of my local priests did that, nor did they have Skippy the angel to erase the blackboard.
   
   Thomas Reeves is to be commended for the manner in which he tells the truth, the whole truth, about Sheen without defacing the Bishop's many good works and his positive influence upon a wide and diverse American public. Sheen's life was indeed a message "written with crooked lines" and one is reminded of Christ's words to the penitent woman, "her sins, many as they are, will be forgiven because of her great love." Though haunted by the pride and ambition that would seem to stalk nearly all television evangelists who followed, in the final analysis Sheen did love his God, though he himself ran a close second.
   
   Born in 1895 on a farm in rural Illinois, the youthful Peter John Sheen was devout, smart, and disdainful of manual labor and farming. He was hardly the first country boy to see the cloth as a step up from shoveling manure. We forget that he was originally a priest of the Peoria, Illinois, diocese, possibly because of his distinguished academic record at the Louvain.
   
   There is an air of mystery about Sheen's academic status, though. Desperate to escape a life in Peoria, Sheen joined the philosophy faculty of Catholic University in 1926 but never became "one of the boys" of the staff. In fact, tenure was denied him for some years, in part because the young priest was away from the campus three days a week for his growing number of speaking engagements. [In 1928 he hired a clipping service to track his press notices.] Catholic University itself was in academic, political, and organizational disarray. The school was frankly under-funded and underachieving. Perhaps to ease himself out of the philosophy department and into theology, Sheen invented for himself a second doctorate, an S.T.D. that suddenly appeared after his name in 1928 and which remained on his letterhead as late as 1966. Reeves speculates that Sheen got away with this massive deception precisely because it was so audacious and no one would have expected it of him.
   
   Reeves wonders if Sheen is under-appreciated today as a scholastic. Although brilliant and prolific, Sheen was not original, and added nothing of substance to twentieth century philosophy. Sheen's strength was apologetics: the presentation of Catholic faith and devotion in simple, straightforward, and yet cosmopolitan ways. For about forty years, from 1928 through 1966, Sheen was arguably the best preacher in the United States, dividing his time between public appearances, radio and television, prodigious devotional writing, and fundraising for the Society of the Propagation of the Faith [and, surprisingly, acting as an "observer" of sorts for J. Edgar Hoover, who admired his fierce anti-communism.] His work for the Society earned him the title bishop, appointed auxiliary to Cardinal Francis Spellman of New York in 1951. Reeves finds that Sheen was a holy priest who made a daily holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament and spent hours personally instructing converts, including numerous celebrities of the entertainment and publishing industries.
   
   Having said that, it cannot be denied that Sheen shocked his clerical brethren with a champagne lifestyle. While a faculty member at CU Sheen built a magnificent home in NW D.C.and entertained frequently and graciously. As a fund-raiser, millions of dollars passed through his hands, though there is no whiff of impropriety. Reeves does comment upon Sheen's total absence of fiscal management skill, his arrogance and petulance that insulated him from sound advice, his unfettered cash charity, and his pride of bestowal, so to speak. These factors, coupled with Spellman's own devils, led to an estrangement between the two that produced one of the strangest episcopal appointments of our lifetime.
   
   In October 1966 Fulton Sheen was appointed bishop of Rochester, NY. To church observers it was clear that Spellman had orchestrated the transfer for ultimate humiliation effect. In public, at least, Sheen put the best face on things, explaining that his tenure would be an experiment with the reforms of the recently concluded Vatican II. In truth, Sheen was a pre-Vatican II autocrat who alienated nearly every local constituency. His unilateral decision making cost him his priests, and his explicit criticisms of racial policies at Kodak the support of the city's largest employer. He was deeply wounded that Rochester did not recognize the celebrity in its midst, and within three years "America's best preacher" withered into retirement.
   
   If the Rochester years were his crucifixion, they also brought Sheen into communion with his best self. In retirement he publicly regretted his earlier opulence and vanity. He became less dogmatic and more open to philosophical systems other than that of St. Thomas Aquinas. Although not entirely shedding his theatrical instincts, he lived the last of his 84 years with an optimistic piety that belied the sufferings of multiple illnesses. Appropriately, he was found dead in his private chapel. Throughout this remarkable life, with its graces and glosses, Sheen's prayers were always sincere. His arrogance and sense of self-importance are perhaps the less desirable fruits of his utter certainty in the truth and goodness of God and the holiness of the Roman Catholic Church.



4. I really enjoyed this book. I thought that it did a number of things well. For one it helped me to get to know Fulton J. Sheen, a name I had heard about from the past and brief mentions from my parents, but had never known except the author of one book on my shelf ("The Life of Christ"). I felt that I not only got to know who he was, but also about the times he lived in. Reeves seamlessly blends the historical reality of Sheen's time with Sheen's actions as well as his thoughts.
   I felt that Reeves had presented Sheen as entirely human, he did not try to portray him as a distant saint, nor try to deconstruct him in a voyeuristic way. He attempted to accurately present the man and his message. Based on his liberal number of interviews and sources I think he did a good job. He stated that there was simply a lack of a good biography on Archbishop Sheen and I think that he filled it.
   I appreciated Reeves working in numerous quotations from Sheen's writings and talks which sent me to Amazon.com to see if many of these books were still in print. However, many are not, which seems a shame, because Sheen seems to me (as a 26-year-old) to have much to say about the current age.



5. A superb biography about one of America's most talented personalities. The book is a milestone in the annals of Americana. We will never see his likes again. The author has done a most splendid and complete job in his portrayal. Best bio I have read in years.
   jw
   nyc

5 comments about Rags to Riches: Motivating Stories of How Ordinary People Achieved Extraordinary Wealth!.

1. OK, I was expecting to read another "the millionaire next door" and I didn't find any trace of it: no guidelines, no universal rules, nothing. I guess the biographies are interesting in themselves but the classification of this book in the personal finance category is completely off, as it leads you to expect teachings whereas you only get examples taken from people's lives with no theory behind it....



2. These stories which are put together by Finance Columnists Gail Liberman and her husband Alan Lavine are about ordinary people like you and me who have come into extraordinary wealth.

   These stories presented to us people who overcame poverty and middle-class lifestyles, to achieve financial success to the highest degree.

   This book contains inspiration for everyone, but first let me say here that these people did not become successful by good luck charms or magic or by just simply having a 'godfather' or any such thing. The folk in these stories were strong-minded individuals with faith in the ventures they had set their sights on, and they all made it single-handedly. They were not from high-society backgrounds or people with influential friends who were always in the limelight, for they had tremendous struggles, fighting against great odds. Each of them had some handicap.....some stumbling block in their pathways. Eg. Jay Thiessens who built a five million a year business was an illiterate man......yet he was a great mathematician.

   These millionaires were especially challenged as children but most of them were given the encouragement from family members which allowed them inner strength and taught them how to make sacrifices and to be fearless of taking risks.

   Read this book of excellence and meet David Copperfield, Maya Angelou, David Geffen, Lisa Renshaw, Del Hedgepath, Juan Rodriguez and so many more. You'll definitely be motivated and hopefully your strong will too will carry you from RAGS TO RICHES. Highly recommended!!

   Nutface
   March 9th, 2002




3. I enjoyed the story of Chi Chi Rodriguez and how he over came illness & poverty, however, I lost interest when I read vulgar quotes from a gay recording mogul. I should not have to pay to be offended. I will not buy anything from these authors again.



4. If you think that you can not get rich because you don have what it takes, think again. In America everyone has a chance to get wealthy. Books like this show us how other people did it. You can do it too. Reading book like this is--motivating!

   Zev Saftlas, Author of Motivation That Works: How to Get Motivated and Stay Motivated




5. This isnt rocket science but it is great to keep you going when you doubt your direction. If you have great plans and are on a mission this book serves you well with short stories, you can read one a night and it'll let you know some people have had it worse than you ... I highly recommend it to keep your engine running in tough times of building your future.

5 comments about Reflections: Life After the White House.

1. I love old Babs but this work shows her to be shallow and with a dim little view of the big world she's privileged to be on. I know she's smarter than this. But sarcasm, snottiness, and lots of terrible grammar and endless, useless petty lists of people (she should fund an effort to teach herself some literacy) make this a waste of time. C'mon Babs give us yoour best - like the first book.



2. This is a thrilling book -- I especially enjoyed the early sections which deal with the Bush's business activities in Medellin and Cartagena. Imagine a Jimmy Buffett song as it might have been filmed by Quentin Tarentino and you have the general idea.



3. I found this book to be slow reading. The best parts of the book is when Barbara Bush talks about the over seas trips they take. I usually read a book in a decent amount of time. This book took me at least a month to read. I would pick it up and read a few pages then put it down. If you give up easy on reading a book do not buy this one.



4. I collect books about the Presidential Families of the U.S. I am especially interested in the period of 1900-Present. I enjoy reading trivia about the White House, the political process and what makes our Presidents, their advisors, and our Congress human.

   I am very impressed by the narratives our current first ladies have left us. As I write this I reflect on Jackie Kennedy's memorial (she died this day 10 years ago). Because of zelous secrecy on the part of her family -- the country does not have one good narrative by or about her. This is a shame. Our first ladies have all seen and done lots to help their husbands and their countries.

   Barbara Bush wrote an excellent book about her time as First Lady. It is refreshing, seemingly honest, and well written. This second book does not measure up to her first effort. I think I agree with the other reviewers that the book contains lots of trivia regarding her speeches and fundraising efforts. She also does come across as sarcastic and elitist, but at least she is honest.

   It is because of her honesty that I feel this book has a place in collections of first ladies. It does give the reader a feel for life on the speech-giving/spin-meistering/fund-raising circuit. I think she held back on lots of opinions and events because her son in now in office and was/is up for re-election at the time she wrote the book. Even though I didn't like all of her opinions, at least I got to know them, and that is very valuable.

   Mrs. Bush has the ability to write well. I hope that after her son's presidency is over, and God willing she is in good health; she will offer us another book. Perhaps the book she really wanted to write in the first place. I am hoping she keeps a journal with the intent that it be published; because of her age. None of us get to live forever, so journals are important as well as permiting her personal papers to be printed at her descretion. She is a lively, feisty lady.

   By all means by the book for it's historical place. There are gems between the lines.




5. I confess I didn't enjoy this book as much as her first one, Barbara Bush: A Memoir. Reflections was mainly a detailed activity of Mrs. Bush's life after they left the White House, i.e, I was invited to speak at such-and-such engagement and met such-and-such people, or such-and-such person spent the summer with us at Walker's Point. It was not as lively and a bit exhausting because you sometimes had to plow through seemingly endless pages of dinners, engagements, speaking engagements, etc., without a single interesting paragraph to hold your attention.
   
   Some bright spots in the book are numerous witty stories sprinkled here and there and the chapter covering the events surrounding 9/11. She said loyalty is a treasured quality in her family and it's something that's evident in the book: She tried to steer clear of controversies involving members of her family and never discussed issues that would put them in a bad light.
   
   Something else that's interesting is that she rarely says anything negative about anyone, even the Clintons. Not even with the books that she's read, and there were some you could tell that she didn't particularly enjoy, did she criticize the author, the writing or the storyline. It's perhaps her choice as she says in her book that this is her life as she sees it and it is very biased.

2 comments about The World's Richest Indian: The Scandal over Jackson Barnett's Oil Fortune.

1. With some writers, an abunce of detail is mind-numbing, as in the "begat" passages of the Old Testament. In contrast, Tanis Thorne uses a myriad of details as would a pointillistic painter to create a vivid and poignant biography of Afro-Muskogee Jackson Barnett, "The Richest Indian in the World".

   Barnett had belonged to the Muskogee faction opposed to individual land allotment, known as Snakes. On the Snakes' refusing to designate choice homesteads, allotments were issued in their names in the hardscrabble hills of Oklahoma. Barnett's 160-acre allotment ironically turned out to be centered over one of the world's great oil pools. Barnett was thereafter placed under state court conservatorship to limit the enormous flow of oil royalties to a meager living allowance.

   An attractive "adventuress" heard of Barnett's wealth, located his modest home and eloped with him the following day.

   A three-way battle erupted between the Bureau of Indian Affairs, the Oklahoma state courts and Anna Barnett for control of the fortune. Anna Barnett succeeded in prying free enough income to finance a move to a fashionable suburb of Los Angeles, where Jackson Barnett passed many of his days directing traffic. He became a regular tourist attraction.

   Anna ultimately lost after Jackson Barnett's death. The marriage was judicially annulled and Anna was evicted from the home. She died in poverty years later.

   Dr. Thorne uses the biography to portray the inherent clash between Creek values of generosity and sharing and the dominant culture of selfishness. Using this theme, Dr. Thorne segues into a brief discussion of today's Cobell litigation challenging the entire federal trust accounting of American Indian funds.

   This book is a valuable contribution to American Indian history. Beyond that, the book sets a high standard for combining historic writing with lively and accessible prose.




2. This book was interesting but BORING!!! I do not like books that hash out court trials and in particular when it revolves around money. That was 85% of this book. How many times can you go over what was done with this money or those funds. Penny pinching in print. I'm not interested in financial reports. I was interested in the world's richest Indian. I got very little of him, but I suppose there wasn't much to say about him. They gave his wife a really bad time, but like witnesses for the defense said, she gave him a better life than he had when she found him and helped him use his money to live a life someone with that much money should. Who was hurt by it? Why did everyone care so much? They wanted their share which they didn't deserve. It was really something how people acted. No different than today, 2006! But when EVERY page had some dollar amount on it-how can you keep track of what's being discussed? How many times can they doubt or affirm the sanity of Jackson Barnett??? The poor old guy lived to 90, so I guess you could say that 'living well is the best revenge'.

1 comments about The Prince and the Yankee: The Tale of a Country Girl Who Became a Princess.

1. This gem of a book deserves to be read by more people. Ostensibly this book is the story of a woman born in New England who goes on to become a princess in Germany and along the way play an important role in both the US Civil War and Mexican Civil War.

   But this book is more than just a simple biography of a remarkable woman. It gives the reader a very good sense of the US as a young Republic and the type of society it was then.

   It is interesting to read, for example, that on the eve of Civil War, the US, a Republic which was suspicious of a large standing army, had an army of only 50,000 men and had to depend partly on imported professional soldiers from Europe to sustain its war effort.

   Or that The White House was not an imperial place in those days and had open house parties for its citizens, some of whom were in the habit of snipping off bits of curtains as souvenirs.

   Robert White has done his research well, telling the story of a girl who from humble beginnings makes it to the top by sheer force of personality and a bit of luck, and doing it all in a racy, page turning, style. The story is well anchored in the social and political currents of the times, which were very much in turmoil.

   The book describes in detail a cast of colorful characters ranging from a pretender to the throne of Mexico to an assortment noble and evil people from the military and the aristocracy of both Europe and the US.

   The author, who hails from New England himself and who has travelled to the far corners of the world, writes with a keen eye for details of the locations and characters. One can discern in the book a sense of regret at the passing of an age, which for whatever its faults, was a more gracious era than the one we live and where people took their duties and responsibilities seriously, instead looking for reasons to evade them.

   The maxim for a good story teller has always been that he should "show and not tell". This book, by weaving the story of a real woman, educates us in conditions of nineteenth century Europe, America, and Mexico more than any history book that I have read.

   Readers who are interested in the formative years of the American republic, as well as those who are looking for a good story are well advised to go out and buy this book.

   N. Balakrishan - Hong Kong.

5 comments about Palm Springs Confidential: Playground of the Stars!.

1. Loved the book and it's many pictures and movie star history. Having grown up in Palm Springs, I found it especially interesting to read about the more glamorous side of a familiar town. Great book--well worth the money!



2. Based on other reviews, PALM SPRINGS CONFIDENTIAL seems like great dish along the lines of Kitty Kelley, with well-researched chapters about sex and scandal in Palm Springs.
   
   What Johns has produced, however, is more like a star map on steriods. Each chapter takes you house-by-house through a different old Palm Springs neighborhood, which could be interesting in the right hands. Johns does not have the right hands.
   
   The result is a choppy, schizophrenic mess of mostly trivial detail. There's nothing here that you can't find in other, better-written books on Palm Springs. Johns's bitchy barbs combined with his sophomoric prose and unnecessary commentary on stars's films, music, and addictions make slogging through this slop a real chore. I find it hard to believe that Johns could be the editor-at-large of a grocery list much less PALM SPRINGS LIFE magazine.
   
   Even more shocking is Johns's dark, homophobic tone when discussing gay celebritites, especially considering that the gay community practically runs Palm Springs. He carelessly tosses about phrases like "limp-writsed," "debauched," and "effeminate," completely oblivious to how offensive he is to anyone with a compassionate nature.
   
   Johns's nasty tone -- whether discussing gay people or not, his amateurish style, and his inability to weed out superfluous detail make PALM SPRINGS CONFIDENTIAL an enormous waste of time and money. There are much better books on Palm Springs out there. Don't make the mistake of buying this one.



3. Expensive for a softcover book with only B&W stock photos, but still a fun resource guide for Desert afficianadoes. Not-too-dishy gossip about some of the celebs and celeb wannabe's who have had residency in Palm Springs, California...both past and present.
   
   Author Johns obviously had some fun researching and writing this prosaic "Map to the Stars Homes" manual. Especially fun if you are a frequent visitor to the area or are planning a vacation there.



4. Is a complete waste of time. It reads (and looks) like a bad copy of the National Enquirer, but in a better cover.
   
   I've already recycled my copy.



5. Dreadful tabloid-level writing without even the titillation and absurdly flamboyant half-truths and lies of a good tabloid. The result is dull boredom, with irrelevant and uninteresting tidbits about minor "stars" and, even worse, very little about the houses and neighborhoods they lived in.
   
   Buyer beware on this one!

2 comments about Solved! The "Mysterious" Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King.

1. Roy De Souza solves nothing. The title is misleading and very disappointing. He has no real evidence or smoking gun only supposition.
   He also aludes to the drug dealing rumor but does not call it fiction as it is. Would not recommend it to anyone.



2. Solved! The "Mysterious" Disappearance of Jim Thompson, the Legendary Thai Silk King love it; or hate it. the persona, and the enigma of jim thompson. author roy de souza skilfully weaves a rich tapestry of intrigue set in the exotic far east. highly recommended!

No comments about Hollywood Steps 101: My prescriptions for dealing with addiction, depression, OCD, bi-polar disorder and anxiety..

5 comments about The King.

1. I am an Elvis fan and especially enjoy collecting quirky odd items. This book, of the coffee-table genre, certainly falls into that category. From the "rhinestone" encrusted title on the cover to the size of this thing >>it screams "King Elvis" like no other book! Just be sure that you have a sturdy, large coffee table to display this monster. It's jam-packed with rare pics, Elvis history, odd-ball facts & just generally a FUN Elvis book (It's almost as if he helped in designing it...) If you're an Elvis fan, you'll love this book! If you just like unique coffee-table books, this is one for the "oddities" collector!



2. That is all I can say about this book, buy it and you will see, but be prepare to have the table big enough to read this monster! The book deserves a special place to keep it because it's a museum!



3. This is a super piece of Elvis memorabilia at an unbelievably great price. If you have a friend who is an Elvis fan he/she is bound to treasure this book. This is the perfect gift for an Elvis fan. Buy this treasure now before it sells out and beat the Christmas shopping rush!



4. This is a big book. But well worth every dollar spent. I enjoyed seeing pictures of Elvis not only bigger but some I've never seen before. Wonderful additional information on Elvis. I loved reading and looking through this book and would highly recommend it to all who love Elvis like myself to buy this book.



5. A stunning book that sits on my coffee table. Friends and family who visit pick it up over conversation to flick through. It a conversation stopper! The conversation becomes about Elvis and they're converted immediately to FANS!!
   This book is worth every penny - decorative and fantastic quality!

No comments about Their Gilded Cage.