No comments about Albert Einstein: The Man Behind the Theories (Biography).

2 comments about Frances: The Remarkable Story of Princess Diana's Mother.

1. I can't recall ever coming across another book on the late Princess of Wales' mother, but this rehashes all the familiar stories of her famous divorce & lost custody battle, and tries to explain her tenuous relationship with her children. While a sympathetic character, she has always seemed somewhat mysterious and I can't say this has cleared much up in that regard. I'm unsure why she agreed to cooperate with this effort, unless she knew it was to be written anyway and thought she'd try and get her part right. She seems a lonely and isolated figure, partly by her own design, but nonetheless seems to have not had such a nice life after her first marriage. Her second marriage seems to have been ruined by her daughter's fame. I consider myself a bit of an expert on the POW, and unfortunately this book didn't tell me much I didn't know already.



2. I thought this biography told me a great deal about a person I knew very little about (except basically gossipy bits from other "Diana" books). It is well-written, sympathetic to the subject, yet fair. You learn that Frances was the warm-hearted child of a reserved mother & affectionate father; just a very nice girl, who unfortunately ended up making the mistake of marrying the wrong man (Earl Spencer) and basically has had to pay for that mistake, her whole life. Some of the mistakes of her own upbringing were repeated with her children, to the greater detriment of her two younger children, but one could argue she had no choice, having lost custody of them thanks to her mother & Earl Spencer's machinations, and the mores of the time. It's good to read "her side", after hearing so much garbage about how she left Diana's father and the reasons why. Also, Paul Burrell's book portrays her SO badly (and I believe most unfairly). Frances deserves the chance to tell her version of events & in Max Riddington she's found the means to do so -- Well done, very interesting, and a must-read for those who want to hear ALL sides of the story of Diana, Princess of Wales.

5 comments about The F Word.

1. I found this book to be a very good positive approach to handling family problems. Louie emphasizes being tolerant of family members and not being mean. I've used this technique quite often and found it to be more successful than being rude and mean. I've always had the ability to see humor in the worst situation, infact I laugh quite a bit at my family dilemma, even though it's really not that funny. I remember times when others have said, "you think everything is funny," I responded, "no not really, but it's better than the negative alternative, which is right out anger and hostility. Anything is better than taking the mean hostile route, the road to disaster. I'd rather laugh it out or simply leave before my coping ability expires. Louie suggests using this technique also, if you only have an hours worth of coping ability, don't try to stay the whole three hours of an affair and end up fighting. I appreciated the humor in Louie's book as well as his advice. Everyone should read this book whether they have family problems or not.



2. I've been a long time Louie Anderson fan and regard his first two books, "Dear Dad: Letters From an Adult child" and "Goodbye Jumbo...Hello Cruel World," two of the best books I've ever read. So I was naturally excited to hear he was writing a third book. In "The F Word," Louie tackles his relationship with his dysfunctional family, which has been strained by his fame and wealth (they resent him and/or expect him to help support them). He uses examples from his own family interactions to offer tips to others on how to deal with their dysfunctional family relationships. His advice is often too personal or oversimplified to be of good therapeutic use. However, Louie has an amazing ability to draw the reader into his life. Reading his books, I no longer feel like a fan. I feel like a friend. He does an amazing job of describing the unique personality traits of each of his 10 siblings and the problems they battle. Collectively, they have all been impacted in some way by their (deceased) alcoholic, abusive father. This book does offer some good down to earth advice and proves that everybody has problems that they struggle with and demons they battle, even celebrities. Overall, I found it to be a rewarding book, just somewhat less so than his previous books.



3. I really applaud and admire the work that Anderson has given us within this book
   
   The material that Anderson shares with us includes so much of his personal guilt, regret, and sadness
   
   However, he manages to share it in a way that is constructive, humorous, and easy to digest ---- he makes it easy to see the screw-ups we've made in our own lives, and helps to suggest ways of alievation, through his own narration
   
   Reading this book is almost an exercise in forgivness yourself ---- forgiving those around you and forgiving YOURSELF
   
   And best of all - it is all told in Anderson's classic humor - making this all very easy to digest
   
   Although the book is good, I truly recommend the audio version --- Anderson's narration is a perfect complement to a well done book
   
   thank you for reading!



4. Even before I picked up this book, I knew I was going to hate it. I mean look at the cover, a fat man with a depressing no-food frown. I then read the book but to no surprise it was a recipes to louie anderson's favorite meal. It wasn't even a recipe it was just "jar of lard." Then I started the book and i almost threw up. The first chapter is "how I swallowed my cat." I didn't read it for a few days then I dove back in for seconds. There wasn't even a second chapter it was just ripped and torn papers like louie was so bored of his own book he started to eat it. I guess you're wondering if this whole book is about louie's eating and misadventours while eating and the answer is yes. Louie once tried to swallow a bald guy's head because he thought it was a watermelon. How do you reddeem yourself after writing a book about that? How did this incolherent mess wind up published? Who Knows? Towards the end it talks about Louie on the "Family Feud." From his drug addictions to his submarine sandwitch cravings this chapter tells all. Sound like a book you want to read?
   
   PS: At the beginning it says "This book is deticated to my ham, my succulent, slow roasted..." I couldn't read the rests it was too wet from the drool stains.



5. For anyone who comes from a dysfunctional family (who doesn't out there... I'd love to meet you) this book will inspire you to rise above your childhood circumstances and be a better person. Whether you were the victim of child abuse, an alcoholic or mentally deranged parent, or suffered through the pain of obesity, (all of the above in my case) this book is for you. It's not therapy, but it's almost as good. Thanks Louie!

5 comments about La Grande Therese: The Greatest Scandal of the Century.

1. Having looked forward to reading this book, I was rather disappointed. There's not much more to Spurling's brief story than what you'll gather from reading the editorial and/or customer reviews. In my opinion, it could all have been covered in her Matisse book, if not in a footnote, then in a two or three page appendix. If you continue to be curious, I'd recommend trying the public library before spending your money here.



2. The book doesn't take long to read, but I found it inadequate to tell what is an intriguing story. Its chronolgy leaves something to be desired, and I at least would have appreciated more footnotes, more explanation of the importance of the historical figures who are involved in the swindle, and a more documentary-like account. In my (1958) edition of the Encyclopedia American there is a one-paragraph account of The Humbert Swindle, but in my (1940) edition of the Brittanica I find no mention of the affair. Is this because it involved people who were Dreyfusards rather than anti-Dresfusards? I really think this swindle deserves a better book, tho I suppose Hilary Spurling will say that she has told us all she could find on it. But in view of the extensive press coverage I find that hard to believe.



3. I am interested in the Third Republic period of France, and this book detailed another scandal from that period. The book details the life of Therese Daurignac who married a son of the founder of the Republic. It details how Humbert, his son Theodore, and his wife committed a fraud on the French nation by pretending to be rich when in fact they were peasants with no money. Eventually, their scheme of borrowing money to pay other creditors collasped, and Therese and her husband were sent to prison.
   If there is a criticism of this book, it is the brevity of it. 132 pages cannot bring to life how thousands of people were cheated out of their money, so that Therese could live the good life. For other books about scandals in the Third Republic, read Prisoners of Honor, The Dreyfus Affair by David Levering Lewis and The Panama Affair by Maron J. Simon.



4. Who was Thérèse Humbert? She was part Heidi Fleiss, part Frank Abagnale, part Don Juan, part politician, part Nelson Rockefeller, part Jackie O, part social Niccolo Machiavelli and part dumb lucky.
   
   The tale of Thérèse Humbert's ability to build a career of fame and fortune out of completely nothing is better than Spurling's ability to tell it. A better writer would taken this intriguing story and made it into a great book.
   
   To credit Spurling, she did her research well, but she writes with the method of a common feature journalist. The story is strong enough and compelling enough to keep any reader interested.
   
   The story, in the end of it all, is a historic tragedy -- a sad docudrama put to print. Quickly read, it totals roughly 150 pages with ample leading and margins.
   
   Anthony Trendl
   editor, HungarianBookstore.com



5. The story of a lady living far beyond her traditional means but with the extraordinary capacity to persuade people to give her money. The surprising thing is how long her scam lasted until she was finally caught, investigated, and sentenced to five years hard labour.
   
   This is a short fast read, but tells a little known story with insight and humor. Ms. Spurling seems to write like a journalist withgreat attention to detail but keeping the story moving right along.

No comments about Stars and Cars.

No comments about The Autobiography of Henry Merrell: Industrial Missionary to the South.

2 comments about The Boldness of Boys: Famous Men Talk About Growing Up.

1. This is a fun and inspirational read! I love to use this book as a way to talk about role models and how ordinary people find their talents and run with them!



2. Great for those tough kids. I can't wait to use it in my classroom. Found one cuss word in the front of the book in a poem, may ruffle some feathers, but it is just one cuss word, one that I hate, but not the worst. "full of piss and vinegar"

No comments about Dreaming Impossible Dreams: Reflections of an Entrepreneur.

No comments about Andy Warhol - A Life of Pop Art (Biography).

4 comments about Justice for Selena: The State vs. Yolanda Saldivar.

1. and I'm not being sarcastic. There is nothing "new and earth-shattering" about Selena or her family; it is what it says it is - a book about the trial. What you learn, though, is how much more there really was and how differently the trial appeared to be going from the prosecutors' and, my guess is, the defense's perspectives than it was from the media's. Mr. Valdez even lets us know what happened after the trial in the appeals that Yolanda filed and why she wasn't eligible for the death penalty.



2. Excellent book, but very long. (Held my attention, but took awhile to get through it.) This is not a Selena fan book - it's strictly about the trial of her assasin. If you are interested in court proceedings, and happen to be a Selena fan, then this is a great book for you.



3. This book is about the trial.Everything that happened at the trial,how they prepared for the trial.About everthing that was done to get Justice for Selena.I highly Recomend this book.



4. This is a great book. I was not able to put it down. If you are interested in what happened during the trial than I highly recommend this book. The book reveals in particular how easily the media was manipulated by the defense team and as a result the prosecution not only had to fight inside the courtroom but outside as well to find Justice For Selena.