5 comments about Sara and Eleanor: The Story of Sara Delano Roosevelt and Her Daughter-in-Law, Eleanor Roosevelt.

1. As a long-time student of the lives of Franklin and Eleanor Roosevelt, I am always eager to expand my knowledge of these two important Americans. Thus, when I stumbled across this book, I immediately ordered it. However, it didn't take me long to discover that this read more like a book report based on Geoffrey Ward's excellent biographies of FDR than an original work. I respect the author for her turning the viewpoint around and taking a sympathetic look at Sara Delano Roosevelt, but her historical perspective lacks rigor and does not agree with any of the other major historians who have offered razor-sharp looks at the lives of the Roosevelts. Indeed, this book reads like a piece of fluff and the author's uncompromising adoration of Sara Roosevelt leads to unsupported conclusions and apologetics in Sara's relationship with her son, daughter-in-law and grandchildren. Sara comes off in this book as simply too good to be true, a paragon of virtue, and an angel-made-flesh. There is little critical information related here, just a retelling of the same old story in a revisionist vein. This is not the book for serious students of history and anyone else seeking factual information on the subject.



2. I started to read this book with hardly any opinion about the two main characters. I soon started to realize the author's bias towards Sara and against Eleanore! She uses subjective snide remarks about Eleanore to promote Sara. In her book Sara can do nothing wrong while everything Eleanore does is questionable and fraught with ulterior motives.



3. I really wanted to like this book more, since I have several books about the Roosevelts (both the Hyde Park clan and the Oyster Bay contingent). I did enjoy the story of Sara's background and her interesting childhood, not to mention the history of the Delano family and the "color" of some of the events, like the royal visit. I also appreciated a text that did not demonize "Mama." Eleanor's half of the story, however, reveals nothing new--her sad childhood, her depression and insecurity because of it, her slow rise to independence--and suffers at the expense of the author's efforts to improve Sara Roosevelt's image. In addition to the historical errors mentioned in Sylvia Jukes Morris' featured "Washington Post" review, there is an extremely grievious one: Pottker talks about the events of March 1911, then follows with two paragraphs about the "next month," concerning an oceanic calamity: the sinking of the Titanic! Except the Titanic sank in April *1912*. Sloppy, sloppy, sloppy. Does no one edit these books any longer?



4. If this book contains any accurate information, it is, sadly, smothered in an overpoweringly cheesy sauce of conjecture, misrepresentation and fabrication.
   
   This book has oppositional-defiant disorder; every positive (and painstakingly researched) piece of information we have about Eleanor Roosevelt (from a long list of books written by a stable of better researchers and writers than Ms. Pottker) is systematically twisted, distorted, inverted and stood on its head in order to make Eleanor Roosevelt look like the wicked witch of Val-Kill while/by making Sara Delano Roosevelt appear to be the Mother Theresa of mother-in-laws.
   
   (Okay. That was an exaggeration. But, not a gross exaggeration. There are many facts in the book which are verifiably true: Sara Delano Roosevelt was FDR's mother, Eleanor Roosevelt was a woman, the three of them shared meals on at least three separate occasions, Eleanor's children were, in fact, Sara's grandchildren...etc... But it seems to me that an awful lot of the book is, to put it charitably, less than trustworthy.)
   
   However, you might want to take a look at the book in a library or bookstore in order to see what the "notes" on sources section looks like. I have never seen a more stunning example of incompetence or contempt for one's readers than this haphazard list of sources.
   And that's all it is: a list. No way to figure out which quote or fact came from which source, just a list. If Columbia could revoke degrees, this list of sources would be a powerful reason for the university to consider de-doctorating Pottker, and returning her tuition as quickly and quietly as possible.
   
   I still can not believe St. Martin's published this fictional revision of history and dared to call it biography.
   
   One can't help wondering whether Ms. Pottker has a daughter-in-law of her own and a very, very dull axe. (the kind that gets lots of grinding)



5. I am one of those that thinks that the Roosevelts' marriage would have been COMPLETELY different had FDR even ONCE, told his mother to lay off Eleanor. The Memoir of Norman Littell, Asst. Attorney General and confidant of the Roosevelts' daughter quotes Anna as talking about all the times when they were kids how at the dinner table Sara would talk about "all the pretty girls dad could have married" and Eleanor would leave the table in tears and FDR - the one person who could have brought it to a stop - let it happen. Eleanor must have thought after years of this that FDR agreed with Sara.
   
   FDR and Sara saw to it that the kids associated them with fun and Eleanor the sole dispenser of discipline. In fact, even in the White House FDR made Eleanor fire household staff he wanted fired and to do so while he was out of town. Clementine Churchill thought that FDR was the most self-centered, selfish man she'd ever met. That's saying something. And Sara was a big part of that aspect of his character.
   
   One reviewer here talks about the problems in the Roosevelt marriage and how Sara picked up the slack, but this view assumes that Sara's interference with the kids - regularly over-ruling FDR and ER in their discipline, etc. did not contribute to the disruption in the R's marriage or their kids' lives. This undermining of parental authority continued into the White House. Sara's generosity was not without its price.
   
   Groups of three are always unstable. Hell, ask the Supremes and the Andrews Sisters. They don't work.
   
   As others here have said: there's no purpose served at this point trying to use one to trash the other.

5 comments about Patti's Pearls : Lessons in Living Genuinely, Joyfully, Generously.

1. For 40 years as a singer, Patti LaBelle has mesmerized us with a style that many imitate but rarely duplicate. The stylistic rendering of this diva of song from her third Literary effort, Patti's Pearls: Lessons In Living Genuinely, Joyfully, Generously, are self-help inspirational guidelines delivered in a believable idiom much like her singing -- with invigorating energy that implores one to sit up and listen. After listening, I couldn't help but bring to mind my own upbringing, remembering much of the same logic being dispensed here. Written in tandem with her longtime friend, Laura Randolph Lancaster, this offering is in audio form which adds a different, if not compelling. version in light of Patti's stage machinations.

   If the intent is to truly inspire, cajole, and motivate, one easily wonders whether these "pearls" are a direct result from personal tragedy, mayhem, or situations from being there. One thing that I feel listeners will agree with is her candor and down-to-earth voice capturing valuable lessons. If you're looking for something different, perhaps you must take a look at yourself before giving this audio-book a chance, especially if it's perceived that they all are one and the same. I feel that to each his own, and one must give a meaningful listen to get the gist of what this author is trying to say. I recommend it¡¦listen for what it's worth. This would be "the perfect anecdote for the ultimate secret of happiness; to grow wise before you grow old" as Patti opined in one of her pearly delights. Give it a shot!




2. In Patti's Pearls, singer/entertainer Patti LaBelle with Ebony columnist, Laura Randolph Lancaster, gives her readers lessons, anecdotes, and pearls of wisdom that she has culled over the years. She takes incidents from her life as an entertainer, daughter, sister, and mother to reveal the fears, trials and joys of life.

   Each chapter is headed by a title that will grab and take hold of your senses and make you contemplate, such as "Many a false step is made by standing still", "If you can't be the tablecloth, don't be the dishrag", and "The best way to predict your future is to create it". She shares the heartaches of losing her sisters to illness and the fickle world of show business. She shares candidly the heartache of the end of her long-time marriage and the determination to move on, hopeful that the future promises a brighter future.

   This is a little book with big ambitions, not unlike many of the feel-good, self-help books that are offered by many entertainers who want to share their triumphs over adversities. This book is forthright but does not have a preachy tone that can be a turn-off as some other similar books do. I keep this book next to my bed to grab and read a chapter at will for a quick uplifting pick-me-up. Tell it Patti!

   Dera Williams
   APOOO BookClub




3. Patti's Pearls was a inspirational read for me. She shared
   some lessons of wisdom which was passed on to her.

   It was as if you were having a sister girl conversation and she was and did tell it like it is as she sees it .
   So much truth to the words of wisdom and great lessons to think about.
   I highly recommend Patti's Pearl for a fast and inspirational read. Who knows you might even learn something from her book of life. I sure did.
   You might understand some things in your life. Patti, 4.5* for sharing your words of wisdom .




4. What a blessing! This book will encourage your heart and soul.



5. Good morals in this book. It was at a great price and came in good condition.

No comments about Annenbergs.

No comments about I Don't Drop Names like Marilyn Monroe Just to Sell Books: A memoir by Richard Baer.

5 comments about Oh, No... Jackie-O!.

1. A whirlwind of never before told information about one of the most puzzling crimes of the 20th century. Truely captivating. Wonderful. FOR QUESTIONS OR DISCUSSIONS ABOUT JACKIE ONASSIS, PLEASE E-MAIL ME AT MellissaLD@aol.com. HOPE TO HEAR FROM YOU.



2. Ugh! What an awful book! It hurt to give it even one star. I guess people will believe anything.



3. I get tired of the other reviewers saying they disagree with the book. The fact is, this book is full of facts! If you can't debunk them, then keep your mouth shut!



4. I've read January Jones' other book on this subject, and again I have to say this is the most offensive thing ever put out. I'm sorry I can't give it a "0" rating.



5. the book, though not best in grammer, is still interesting and plausible. nobody wants to believe this because they still see jackie O as some goddess who was wonderful ina almost every way, which is far from true. if you've read the book A woman named Jackie, and how greedy, cold, and calculating she was, you'd be shocked! this woman was no sweetheart, and it may be plausible that she did orchestrate her own husband's death. I still even wonder why some documents she has on her husband's death she still won't open until the year 2067. jackie was no saint. this book may shed a new light on the murder of JFK, and all else if proven true. we won't know that until those files are opened. Jackie was no role model. if you want a good, nurturing example of a first lady, try eleanor roosevelt, barbara bush, or even nancy regan. they are true examples.

5 comments about Empire: The Life, Legend, and Madness of Howard Hughes.

1. Donald Bartlett and James Steel's book, "Empire: The Life, Legend, and Madness of Howard Hughes" is an excellent example of journalistic reporting converted into book form; the book is simply fascinating to read. The authors accomplish the gargantuan task of separating fact from fiction in the very complex life of Howard Hughes. "Empire" is impeccably researched and documented; It is a bona fide biography that reads more like fiction than real life-such was the world of Howard Hughes.
   
   "Empire" traces the rise and tragic fall of Howard Hughes; a man who wore many hats, he was an aviator, Hollywood movie producer, Las Vegas hotel/casino owner ... and a recluse. For one brief shining moment, Hughes was considered one of America's premier aviators, breaking flying records, but then falling out of grace with government and the aviation industry for breaking contract deadlines. In the long run, Howard Hughes would become a grand failure in the world of big business.
   
   Bartlett and Steel show the reader a man who had everything to live for, good looks, fame, fortune, power and prestige, but he was unable to triumph over his social and physical phobias that led to psychological, emotional, and physical illnesses and to his final descent into the dwellings of the insane. Hughes' deep mistrust of all people-even family, worked against him and led to his demise and the lose of his billion dollar empire by the very people whose job it was to safeguard him and his empire.
   
   By the time I finished reading "Empire: The Life, Legend, and Madness of Howard Hughes, I was much more accepting of my status as a non wealthy individual. Although Howard Hughes had everything a man could possibly wish for, he was underprivileged in peace of mind.... The authors do a superb job in separating fact from myth in the life of Howard Hughes. The book is worth reading.



2. The story of Howard Hughes, told superbly in this classic bio, is simply magnetic. How else could you describe a tale that begins with young Howard Robard Hughes, Jr. being born into one of Texas's wealthiest oil families (his father's company, Hughes Tool Company, held a virtual monopoly on drill-bits for many years), moving to Califoria to become a movie mogul, pioneering aviation, heading TWA, and then slipping into degenerative obsessive madness that rendered him completely in the hands of his manipulative underlings. Thus in this book we confront both the young, energetic Hughes (romantically linked to both Jane Russell and Katharine Hepburn) and the old, sick hughes - a nudist who left his hair and fingernails uncut for years, chronicly addicted to codeine, flitting between vacuum-sealed hotel rooms in diffent countries (Bahamas, Nicaragua, Toronto, London, etc.), yet whose name continued to command terror and respect among presidents and governors.

   As I read this book, there were many Hughes habits that I found deeply endearing, even as the weird details mounted. How can you not like a guy who, in the pre-VCR era, decided to buy the local Nevada TV station, just so they'd play the movies he wanted? Who - upon installing his home entertainment system - had an obsessive-compulsive need to watch the epic 1968 thriller "Ice Station Zebra" over and over again? (It's a good movie, after all.) Who bought up half of the real estate of Nevada in a doomed expectation of a world gold shortage? Or who lent his name to the ocean-dredging vessel, Glomar Explorer, to aid the CIA's covert attempts to refloat a Soviet sub? And there was something genuinely visionary about the way he built his aircraft and electronics empires. Indeed, despite the piles of carefully-compiled evidence of financial disasters at TWA, RKO, Air West and Summa Corporation, somehow I want to believe that Hughes was not the bungling sicko that emerges from these pages, but so what if he was, the story remains magnificent.

   As a postscript, every time you see a DirectTV advertisement, remember that it used to be a Hughes company.




3. After reading other books on Howard Hughes, I thought this book would be a waste of my time since I'd "read everything else" but little did I know that this book went into such detail of his life, exposing in great detail specifics that other books briefly mentioned.



4. The Life, Legend, and Madness offers an in-depth view into the secretive life of Howard Hughes. Unbiased in its writing, the book focuses on all of Hughes accomplishments and successes, as well as some of the darker aspects of his life. After reading this book, one can really see that Hughes is one of the few "larger than life" characters that ever lived.
   
   Hughes played an integral role in shaping this country, a role unknown to many of today's younger generations. Donald Barlett and James Steele do an amazing job detailing both his accomplishments and private life. Some of his endeavors are less obvious today than others, such as helping transform Las Vegas into the resort town we know today. Many people are unfamiliar with the Hughes Medical Institute or the creations from the Hughes Aircraft Company. Although the book does show his odd lifestyle behind the darkened windows and closed doors, it is fair in that it also accurately focuses on his important business dealings.
   
   The popular movie "The Aviator" seems to be scripted largely from the first half of this book. To fully appreciate the movie, I recommend reading this particular book first. Not only will it help clarify references that may slip by in the movie, but this book shows that Hughes was much more than a movie producer who flirted with Hollywood's divas of the day. He was a master engineer, expert businessman, and defender of Democracy (he furiously fought Communists). Innovative people like Hughes is what America is all about.



5. This book answers the question, "How did he get to be that way?" It delves deeply into his relationship with his mother (and lack of one with his father) and follows him into adulthood. He seems a little eccentric but still within the normal range for most of his early life. He lived lavishly, but his demons caught up with him eventually. The pity is it didn't have to be that way.
   
   I read this book when it was on the Best Sellers list. Howard Hughes was the subject of one of my papers for a psychology class and this book was my main source.

No comments about Creating Abundance: Visionary Entrepreneurs of Agriculture.

1 comments about The Barry Diller Story: The Life and Times of America's Greatest Entertainment Mogul.

1. Ok, for a business history of mergers, deals, movies, cable channels and so forth. It does give some glimpse into Diller's Jewish background and childhood, as well as, the vulgar and occasionally violent way he assaults his employees. However, it barely mentions his co-leadership of the notorious Velvet Mafia. Biographers of David Geffen, the long-time "associate" of Diller, are more forthcoming. Stephen Singular in "The Rise and Rise of David Geffen" discusses the Velvet Mafia and its bisexual media mogul leaders including Diller and Geffen. Tom King's "The Operator" flatly states the gay preference of Barry Diller. George Mair's book is well worth reading as is his biography of Si Newhouse, "Newhouse."

5 comments about From This Day Forward.

1. A boring book filled with narratives, possibly copied from an encyclopedia, about historical figures. Apparently, stories from their own lives could only fill a few chapters of this book.



2. I picked up this book for $5 at Borders, mainly because I enjoy listening to Cokie Roberts on NPR. I was curious to get to know her a little better.

   I thoroughly enjoyed the book. She and Steve take turns writing, as if they're dialoguing back and forth. I appreciated their commitment to their marriage in a day when it's not all that popular to stay married to the same person.

   I also enjoyed the glimpses into slave marriages and Old West marriages. I'm glad I picked up this book. It was a pleasant read for sure.




3. I always loved Cokie Roberts on TV and when I saw this book, I figured it would be fun to read about her marriage to Steve Roberts. I recommend this book highly to everyone thinking of marriage especially.

   From the beginning I was drawn into this couple's world and liked the way they each expressed themselves in separate chapters. I found the entire book exciting, informative, inspiring, and so thankful that they took time to write about their unique marriage and how they make it work.

   This is a refreshing book. A rare book about how a marriage can work. I've been married for fifty years and I know this couple will celebrate gold as well. Lots of love and best wishes to Cokie and Steve and thanks for sharing your busy happy loving life with us.

   You'll be glad you read this book too.




4. It takes a narcissist of tremendous proportions to foist this scrapbook off on an unsuspecting public. On the plus side, Cokie Roberts does more than her usual cut and paste from the work of others in From This Day Forward. When not pulling from the work of others, Cokie (and the compliant Steve) offer up tidbits that are supposed to inform the reader how s/he too can have a great marriage.
   Apparently the basic rule for a successful marriage is to live in your own little world the way kooky Cokie does. I doubt she realizes how racist she comes off in parts of the book. (Yes, Cokie, condescension is a form of racism.) Or how laughable most will find her book. Reading of the great "trauma" of her life, you realize this is someone who hasn't experienced many character building moments in her life. The great "trauma"? Learning that her new employer wouldn't provide a limo and that Cokie would have to take taxis around NYC. Oh, the horror! Oh, the shame! How did Cokie ever survive?
   (Had she been told to take the subway, one gets the impression Roberts would have called it quits right then.)
   A vapid celebration of what appears to be a vapid marriage isn't necessarily shocking -- what's shocking is that Cokie (and husband Steve) put their names to it. Had a child offered this slight volume as a souvenir to a wedding anniversary, we all would have "oooh"ed and "aaaawe"d over it. But for grownups to write such a book about themselves is the height of narcissism.
   The book works best as anthropological study of When Gigantic Egos Mate.



5. I work with Habitat for Humanity and we use a ot of Hardie Bd. siding. The Gecko set makes installation much easier and accurate. Buying it through Amazon was also fast and easy. Thanks

No comments about Expressionism (Art of Century) (Art of Century).