5 comments about Stages.

1. STAGES is the latest show book of Britney Spears. This book is fabulous! There¡¦re so many colorful and beautiful pictures inside the book. I can¡¦t tell how fabulous and wonderful this book is, I think fans of Britney Spears should not miss this fabulous book!!
   Although this book does not have a story, but it still got some words that Britney wanted to tell her parents and family members. The best part of the book is the free bonus DVD with a title called ¡§Three days in Mexico¡¨. The DVD shows you what happened to Britney before her final 2 concerts in her DREAM WITHIN A DREM tour, during the concert, during rehearsal the concert and what happened during the FINAL concert. And the book also came with a beautiful poster! By the way, I was surprised about the shape of that book! It¡¦s huge!
   I can also tell that this is the best book in all my collections. If you¡¦re fans of Britney Spears, what are you waiting for? But this book RIGHT NOW !!!



2. Get real. Britney is So out of date. Not anyone to follow. HA!



3. The DVD & poster are great bonus with book. Fully illustrated. I must have for all fans or collecters.



4. This book is awesome, its full of amazing pictures that capture the real britney. Even if your not a britney fan you will still admire all of the awesome pictures. This is a must have for any die hard britney fan like myself.



5. This giant coffee table book retailed for 30.00 US dollars, so the Amazon used/new price is very good. The pictures are pretty good, but not phenomenal. Britney is so photogenic that anyone could have done just as well, if not better. Also contained in the book is little messages (to Britney) from Britney's friends and family. These are kind of interesting, because they give you an idea of "who Britney is", as told by her closest friends/family members.
   
   If you buy the book, make sure you get the bonus DVD. I didn't find it as amazing as some of the other reviewers. I didn't like how they cut out just as things got interesting (such as when Britney is meeting with the tarrot card reader). However, there was some interesting moments, such as Britney's press conference with the Mexican media. I was amazed at how rude they were to her. They asked question's like "how much did you pay for your mansion", "can you get up and show us what your wearing; can we see you from behind" ?

5 comments about Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully - A Journey with Cancer and Beyond.

1. Diane Manahan loved life, lived it to the fullest, and shared it with family, friends, colleagues, and students to the end. She was an expert teacher of living a quality life and teaching the art and science of nursing. The authors of this book share her journey with cancer. The book is well organized and written in a compelling way that tells how life choices help "make lemonade out of lemons." As one of her friends I lived this story. I am so pleased that it is written so that those who read it can continue to learn through her deliberate and intuitive wisdom, caring, and gentleness of mind, body, and spirit.



2. Living Consciously Dying Gracefully: A Journey With Cancer and Beyond is a memoir reminiscing about and paying tribute to nursing professor Diane Manahan, a courageous, warm and loving woman. When she was diagnosed with breast cancer, she chose to blend complementary therapies and orthodox cancer treatments, and she lived a full and vibrant life for five and a half years until her death. Written by Nancy Manahan and Becky Bohan, life-partners who were both graced to know Diane, Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully isn't just about illness and death, but also life and spirituality. A heart-touching journey, and uplifting inspirational resource for anyone going through life-or-death trials or witnessing such challenges visited upon a loved one.



3. LIVING CONSCIOUSLY, DYING GRACEFULLY offers a sensitive and informative look at illness and life transitions.
   
   As a hospice volunteer I encountered a variety of texts and articles on death and dying, but there is a completeness to this book that makes it one I know I will return to as a source of comfort and guidance.
   
   The four core sections of the book focus on Diane Manahan's breast cancer diagnosis and treatment, her physical death, the lessons that continue to unfold with her family and friends, and a guidebook containing practical applications.
   
   Excerpts from Diane's journal give readers insight into the spectrum of emotions she experiences. We see her not only as a remarkable woman (nurse educator, wife, mother, friend, musician, athlete), but fully human as she acknowledges all aspects of her character in facing such a daunting challenge with courage, dignity and humor.
   
   Authors Nancy Manahan and Becky Bohan have written a loving tribute which inspires and educates.



4. Reviewed by Vicki Landes for Reader Views (1/08)
   
   Nancy Manahan and Becky Bohan team up to write a beautiful tribute to the life of Manahan's deceased sister-in-law in "Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully: A Journey with Cancer and Beyond." The authors hope not only to remember their loved one in print but to share her extraordinary passage from unthinkable diagnosis to dignified death.
   
   "Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully" is the touching story of Diane Manahan - wife, mother, grandmother, sister, colleague, and friend - and her deliberate pathway toward the unavoidable end of her life. Stricken with cancer, Diane received the short gift of remission before the disease returned with a vengeance and ultimately caused her death. Although countless families have had to endure such a painful ordeal, Diane's story brings an enlightened hope and calming peace as she looks at her situation with an unusual perspective. To most, death is the ultimate unknown - terrifying and avoided in conversation. Instead of settling in this mindset, Diane chose to live and love each day to the fullest while openly communicating her final wishes on most of her burial and memorial services.
   
   "Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully" is not only a deeply heartfelt story of a woman's life but a guidebook for those facing similar situations and would like to intentionally leave behind a beautiful legacy. Both Diane's story and the authors' lessons from her life touch the soul and encourage the heart to see death as more than merely `the end.' Manahan and Bohan write with such emotion and love that I found myself mourning Diane's death but conversely, rejoicing in her conscious life. They perfectly capture this woman's spirit with their style, one which brightly radiates from each page.
   
   Since death in inevitable for everyone "Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully" is a book many adults will find of great interest, especially those having to watch a loved one suffer from a terminal illness. Further, those undergoing a disease themselves and wanting to approach their deaths with more purpose would also greatly benefit from reading this book. I found that the most profound aspect of Manahan and Bohan's writing was that Diane - a non-violent person - didn't view her treatments as a `fight,' a `war' going on between her medicine and the invading cells, or that she was a victim of cancer. Instead and more positively, she was simply living with cancer - a peaceful journey full of love and mature acceptance even during her conventional and complementary therapies.
   
   "Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully" is probably the most profound book on death I've ever read. Manahan and Bohan present a beautiful story of their loved one while offering hope to others that may be facing similar circumstances. A life lesson for anyone wanting to leave a more powerful heritage behind, "Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully" tugs at the heartstrings, lifts the spirit, and pulls the conscious mind towards a more meaningful life and dignified ending.



5. Thank you Diane. We walked a different ether towards the same light.
   An old friend,
   Jane Elizabeth Wallace
   Chapel Hill , N.C.

5 comments about Lipstick Jihad: A Memoir of Growing up Iranian in America and American in Iran.

1. So many of the reviews I've read focus on the author's upper-middle class status or her secularism as if these things make her less Iranian and therefore less suitable to write a book about being Iranian. Let us not forget that this book is a memoir, it is one woman's story of living in Iran but never really feeling like an Iranian. It's not a history book nor is it political commentary, though it does delve into both subjects. It is, however, an incredibly honest depiction of an American-born journalist's life in Iran during Khatami's presidency.
   I know the reason I loved this book so much is because of all the parallels I can draw between the author's life and my own. "Lipstick Jihad" is the book I would write if I ever had the opportunity. It's almost eerie reading someone else's words all the while thinking they could be your own. No book, no picture, no film has ever made me ache for Iran like this book has. And I know this book won't and can't affect everyone the way it has me, but it is definitely worth reading to find out.



2. I have no business writing this review, for I read Moaveni's "Lipstick Jihad" over eight months ago, and can recall little about it.
   
   Then why, you may ask, are you writing a review? If you can remember nothing about the characters sketched, the episodes related, the lessons learned, the style employed, etc. -- if none of these things has stuck in your mind, what could you possibly have to say about the book?
   
   My point exactly.



3. I enjoyed this book and found it somewhat enlightening about Iran and it was interesting to read how the younger set manages to socialize despite the constant repression by their government. Before going to Iran to live for a time, the author has an idyllic remembrance of a visit there, coupled with the reminicenses of her family. Once she gets there she gets an education of what it's like to live in a society that is in no way free and is governed by religious fanatics.
   
   I was annoyed that she still felt so torn throughout the book - she wanted Iran to be so different, and seemed to consider herself Iranian, never once acknowledging her great good fortune of having been born an American. She never mentioned an appreciation for America, only yearning for a better Iran so she could stay there, and ultimately went to live in Beirut but doesn't say why. She could not have a fulfilled life in America?
   
   Another thing that bothered me was the narrow perspective. She wrote about how the people she socialized with didn't care at all about Islam and weren't religious, thus giving the impression that the only religious fanatics in Iran are the people running the government. She seemed to think that if Iran could go back to a secular government that Islam would no longer be a problem for Iranians. Also I would have liked more depth pertaining to the problems women experience in this type of environment.



4. Azadeh Moaveni's "Lipstick Jihad" is interesting and well-written, but not captivating. Much of the criticism from other reviewers revolves around her well-to-do social status and her focus on the young, upper- and middle-class generation with which she seems to have spent her time. Is this an "authentic" description of contemporary Iran? Were this a work of journalism, this critique might be valid, for the book is fully absorbed in the Islamic Republic-style perversions of the otherwise recognizable drama of being a young adult. And one can hardly charge her with misleading the reader on this account, as I can't think of a more apt description of this book's focus than the subtitle itself: "A Memoir of Growing Up Iranian in America and American in Iran."
   
   The appropriate question to ask is not what the subject of her book is, but how well she has captured it. It is for this that I only give three stars. She rides from interesting anecdote to interesting anecdote, and when discussing her sense of being suspended between Iranian and American identities she can really shine. But her attempts to draw perspective often left me skeptical. She's fully capable of viewing her environment critically, but I'm not convinced she ever transcended it, looked back and encapsulated it for her audience.
   
   When I finished each chapter I was not compelled to start the next and only rarely found myself lost in its pages. I am glad I read the book, and learned much about the political and social dimensions of life in contemporary Iran. But a memoirist's role is larger - even, in some ways, dishonest. For a memoir must universalize the personal, must order and narrate a life that rarely comes with either. In Moaveni's abstraction of her experience she only puts forward an interesting read, not a great one.



5. This is simply the best book I have read in a great while. Several issues are addressed: life in the US as a child of immigrants/exiles and how one conceptualizes (and mythologizes) "the old country"; life in Iran as an American-Iranian: someone who feels like they should (are obligated to?) belong but somehow never quite gets all the pieces to fit; and trying to tie these identities together into a whole person.
   
   With few Americans traveling abroad for more than 1-2 week vacations and little opportunity to be more than tourists where ever we go (or to ever be able to understand what it means to move your life to another country, let alone a country where you are considered suspect); this book moves people beyond thinking of Iran as simply "evil", "scary", etc. Life and people there, like anywhere, is complicated and many things to many people. The Western view of Iran has traditionally been to focus on the terrible and extreme or conversely to romanticise it and see only the mythical, the static ancient history.
   
   Whichever side of the coin most Americans tend to focus on, it is usually an uncomplicated, uninformed view of the nation and the people. This book allows the reader a peek into a small section of life there to see ugly, wonderful, beautiful, happy, terrified, hopeful, dispondent people.
   She never claims to represent anyone other than herself, she doesn't try to speak for Iran or Iranians or Iranian Americans- she just lets us look at the world through her eyes for a little while.
   
   Azadeh Moaveni also allows us to follow her in her search for a place and identity that seems perpetually just out of reach. Like the tale about the Simorgh, the journey to find this place and identity eventually leads her (and the reader) to look within.
   
   Unfortunately this review can't do the book justice- I highly recommend this book to anyone, period.

2 comments about At Seventy: A Journal.

1. May Sarton wrote poetry, novels, children's books, anthologies, and nonfiction, but she may be remembered longest for her journals. AT SEVENTY takes place in 1982, when Sarton lived in New England at her rural retreat with her vast garden and her two cats--one a present from Carolyn Heilbrun.

   Sarton begins AT SEVENTY with the arrival of the daffodils "a tiny bunch of miniature daffodils, blue starflowers, and glory be two fritillaries." She is back from a month of poetry reading in Connecticut and remarks that her friend Edith Haddaway has left a small bunch of roses for her birthday.

   Over the course of the book, Sarton describes her daily struggles with her garden, her typewriter, and her overcommittment to persons and events that seem to keep her from "solitude" and hence writing. Her journal is filled with the activities of a life fairly well lived, though she is not without some regrets and sad remembrances including the loss of her European homeland. AT SEVENTY provides the reader with a peak behind the scenes of how Sarton coped with growing older and the day-to-day necessary interruptions of living, and yet managed to create poetry and other writing.

   Sarton




2. May Sarton, noted "women's writer," journals her 70th year of life. The account records the seasons in Southern Maine while detailing the sometimes mundane (cleaning out a cupboard, visiting friends) and othertimes notable moments in her year. In Sarton's hands, even the mundane blooms and soars with wonderful phrasing and insight.
   Her life was rich with visits and correspondence with people both humble and noted. At times the references to people and places or to others' writings passed over my head, but overall the journal was pleasurable reading.
   Walking her dog Tamas, shoveling out from a blizzard, reveling in the spring flowers, celebrating her poetry with a reading to a receptive audience... the journal invites the reader to share in her life.
   This will appeal to anyone who loves nature, Maine, writing, or contemplative literature.

5 comments about Girls of Tender Age: A Memoir.

1. It's good, but it is rather slow. Most of the book consists of the author's family memoir. Very little is actually given to the murder. The biggest problem I had with it, is that the author's anger, at her mother, at the 50s, at the Catholic church, at the lack of services for autistic kids, at "the government," whatever, comes through loud and clear and continually. It's less like a book than like having your irate neighbor in to blow off steam at your kitchen table. Some people will probably like that about it. I felt that the author lost credibility there.



2. I had a hard time putting this book down. I was sorry when the book ended. Mary-Ann developed all the people in her book very well that you felt by reading it they were part of your own family..and if not family member someone that that you knew a lot about. I thought this book was very good on many levels. Thank you for writing such a powerful memoir. Barb :)



3. I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Even though it was a very sad but true story it was choreographed perfectly. I couldn't put it down. Having grown up in Hartford, Ct. I was very familiar with the setting of the book. It enabled me to really place myself in their footsteps and know the surroundings, without trying to create a picture them in my mind.



4. just finished this book. i liked it very much. it was touching, funny, sad, tragic and a lot more. Well written. would recommend it.



5. No one locked their doors. Few mothers drove cars. Kids walked to school, church, and the neighborhood grocery, and played under street lights at dusk. On the surface, Mary-Ann Tirone Smith's 1950's childhood was idyllic. But scratch that surface, and it quickly becomes apparent that nothing could be further from the truth. First, there was her remote mother, always on the verge of the then fashionable nervous breakdown. Then, her older brother, a manipulative, tyrannical child who never received an education or treatment because no one knew quite what was wrong with him. Mary Ann's first ten years were spent doing normal childhood activities but walking on eggshells and suppressing her own needs at home. Her description of American culture in that post war era are priceless, and she does it with humor, touches of sarcasm, and dead-on accuracy.
   
   Then, all at once. on the day of the 5th grade field trip to the electric company, a classmate of Mary-Ann is brutally murdered by a pedophile. True to the times, no one discusses the tragedy, and the kids are left to wonder about every facet of that terrifying crime. And to cope with its psychological consequences entirely on their own.
   
   Ms Tirone Smith wrote this memoir as a memorial to her friend, having summoned the courage to face the grief and the issues she had buried for decades. She traces the course of the apprehension, trial, and punishment of the killer in clinical detail. And she has succeeded nobly, writing with grace and distinction. Readers of Girls of Tender Age will long remember theheartbreaking story of little Irene with the "Loretta Young eyes."

5 comments about The Selected Journals of L.M. Montgomery, Vol. 1: 1889-1910.

1. Poor poor woman. I could scarcely put it down. But it brings up many questions. Why did she think that Mr. Leard, the Love of her life, was not worthy of her? Why did no one ask her husband Mr. McDonald what the heck was bothering him? Why did she not know in 5 years of courtship that something was terribly wrong with him? Poor, poor woman. The synthesis of this book is when she asks herself why a woman that she felt was mean and hateful was happy and she was not. Indeed, why?



2. These journals, are beautifully put together. I remember when I found the first one and then each suceeding volume. I knew this one was coming. I even called the author at Guelph University to ask her how much longer I would have to wait.
   
   She said then that they had to wait for some of the people in the journals to die before they could publish them. I would guess Dr. Stuart Macdonald was one of them.
   
   They thrill me and make me feel closer to thise amazing woman. I've read everything she's written now. The sad thing is that once this volume is finished there is nothing new to read.
   
   My greatests thanks to L. M. Montgomery and to Drs. Rubio and Waterson for their great work.



3. IF YOU LOVE THE OTHER DIARIES YOU WILL ENJOY READING ABOUT HER FINAL DAYS. I ENJOYED ALL OF THE OTHER DIARIES BUT THIS ONE IS THE SADDEST. SHE HAS HER GOOD DAYS AND BAD, BUT SADLY SHE STOPPED WRITING IN THE LAST YEARS WHEN LIFE BECAME SO UNBEARABLE THAT SHE COUDLN'T EVEN WRITE ABOUT IT SO THIS DIARY IS INCOMPLETE. YOU WILL LOVE SEEING INSIDE THE LIFE AND MIND OF AN AUTHOR WHO ACHIEVED SUCCESS IN HER OWN LIFETIME AND LIVED TO WRITE ABOUT HER PERSONAL LIFE FROM CHILDHOOD TO HER LAST DAYS. THIS DIARY IS HER LAST, BUT LUCY MAUD MONTGOMERY WILL CONTINUE TO LIVE ON IN HER WRITINGS. HER DIARY WAS A WAY TO SHARE HER INNERMOST THOUGHTS AND FEELINGS THAT SHE COULDN'T SHARE IN HER NOVELS. YOU TOO WILL FEEL LIKE A KINDRED SPIRIT.



4. Although the famous author's last years brought her much sorrow and depression, she continued to depict the world as it once more became plunged into yet another world war. In her famous journals, she described movies she saw, including GWTW, air conditioning, and the frustration involved with generational gaps. It is a must read for those who followed the previous books.



5. Obviously this is for fans of L M Montgomery - if you know and love her writing, you will recognise among the friends and acquaintances of her youth the characters that people Anne of Green Gable's turbulent world. But this wonderful journal is much more than that - it is a fascinating insight into a world which is long gone.
   
   We read of Maud's complex family arrangements, her desire to be a good teacher and disappointment with some of her placements. Her small victories selling stories to publications, and the seemingly endless stream of suitors who proclaim love for her (my favourite is the hapless Mr Mustard). It is a tale of love found and not acted on (and the agonies that accompany it), familial obligations, frustrated talents and beautiful Canadian country side. It tells of heppiness, despair, joy and nostalgia, and is as engagingly written as any fabulous novel.
   
   By all means read this if you wish to understand the creator of one of the world's most engaging literary characters, but also to have a glimpse of a world none of us will ever see the likes of.

3 comments about More than Petticoats: Remarkable Texas Women.

1. I really enjoyed this book and highly recommend it to others. For me it was a quick, refreshing, and interesting read. I still think about the characters and stories months after finishing the book. For my 12-year-old daughter, the book was inspiring. Of the many stories, the most inspirational for her was Sophie's refusal to be fired as the railway doctor because she was a women. The book tells the stories of many strong women, and I was struck by the variety of ways in which women can become leaders and role models. I hope more books like this will be written so that women's history can be preserved.



2. Greta Anderson provides a glimpse into the lives of ten women that possessed a true pioneering spirit in pre 1900 Texas.As opposed to some historical accounts that can get bogged down in facts, this book represents history in short stories that make for an enjoyable read. It is wonderful to find a book like this that can tell the tale of history through the eyes of a woman.Greta successfully puts flesh on the bare bones of history.I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in the role of women in history, particularly women of the south. I was inspired by this book and would love to see a second book containing more stories about the women of Texas.



3. These ten inspiring biographical accounts of 19th century Texas women who changed history are straightforward, well-researched, and so well-written that I would recommend the book even to young readers, though there is more than enough here to engage a curious adult. Of particular interest are the stories of Cynthia Ann Parker, raised by Comanches, Sara Estela Ramirez, a Mexican-born poet, and "Texas" Guinan, a nightclub owner and silent film star. Andersen's admiration and compassion for her subjects is evident, though she is careful to present the facts of their lives in an unbiased and impartial manner. More Than Petticoats is an important contribution to the existing literature on women's history and a must-read for anyone interested in Texas, feminism, women's suffrage, civil rights and pioneer history.

5 comments about By Myself and Then Some.

1. As others have mentioned, the "By myself" portion of this book was excellent. What a fascinating life, from her upbringing in New York City to her discovery and preparation for stardom by Howard Hawks, to life with Bogie and the years of work after his passing. She was very honest about herself, her frailties and insecurities. She's also very honest about the quality of some of the roles she has taken, which I appreciate. I must also note that she must have dug very deep to recount the last year, and particulary the last few months, of Bogie's life. This intimate account is crushing - it broke my heart.
   
   And like others, I was less impressed with "And then some". The sense that I got was that she was not necessarily name-dropping, but trying to impress upon the reader the importance of her friends in her life, and the void their passing has left. And as a mild liberal I may agree with some of her political viewpoints but would never consider hoisting my beliefs on others. I do not think that in she was skillful in conveying her point in this portion of the book.
   
   Nonetheless, I am glad I read the book. I might have missed it altogether had the newer edition not come out. What a life!



2. I am someone who did not read the first book. As such, this was all new to me. I can honestly say that the beginning of this book was the BEST autobiography I have ever read. Never, have I gained such insight into the things I longed to know about a "star" and their associates.
   
   When Lauren Bacall describes her growing up in New York I can see and feel all of those locations. I picture her handing out programs in the theater. I am in the room with her, and nervous, when she is meeting Bette Davis. I fall in love with Humphrey Bogart, just based on her descriptions of the early romance. She truly taps into my first love. As such, my spirit is crushed with her during his last days. I feel her upset, joy and bravery all through the book. This is outstanding, personal, and descriptive writing.
   
   I do agree that the last chapters of the book bring the book to a terrible halt. Still, this book is unfairly rated by those who read the earlier book without the stale ending. 75% of this book is still the earlier book-- the 5 star book. The ridiculously low ratings are especically unfair, when most are based on the Bacall's statements about our current president and have nothing at all to do with her book!
   
   I am giving 4 stars, and recommending the earlier (5 star) book simply because the ending of this one reads like an endless obituary. I will pass this one on and pick up the first one as I know I will want to read it again. It is wonderful!
   
   In fact, I dare you to try and read it without revisiting a Lauren Bacall/Humphrey Bogart movie and feeling like you are there.



3. Follow Betty Bacal, the shy daughter of a Rumaniam immigrant, as she becomes stage struck, trains as a actress, has an overnight success modeling for Vogue, and is transformed by director Howard Hawkes into Lauren Bacall, the newcomer who sweeps Humphrey Bogart off his feet.
   
   Bacall's tale is irresistible, and she tells it well. The story of her transformation at Howard Hawks's hands into the Slim of "To Have and Have Not" is all the more delicious because Bacall remains, while the cameras are not running, an inexperienced teen who misses her mother and her family in New York. Bacall's off-screen innocence contrasts strikingly and delightfully with her knowing on-screen persona.
   
   Bacall's account of her romance and marriage to Humphrey Bogart is graceful and moving. Bacall quotes Bogart's letters to her during their courtship: these reveal his stunned incredulity at finally finding love after a lifetime of romantic failures. Their marriage is a sweet reward to Bogart after years of domestic strife, and his gratitude at finding happiness and fatherhood in midlife is tremendously affecting. Bogart's gallantry and courage in his final illness reduced me to tears, as did Bacall's despair at losing the love of her life.
   
   By her own account, Bacall's second marriage to Jason Robards was not a success. She cares for her children (two by Bogart and one by Robards), but they do not appear central to her life. The great loves dominating Bacall's post-Bogart years remain her mother and the acting profession. Bacall's dedication to her craft is evident, both on stage and on screen, and she remains ever grateful for a good role-- a gratitude that grows more poignent as she ages.
   
   Any weaknesses? A few. Then Some, penned 27 years after By Myself, doesn't live up to the magic of the first installment, although one must admire Bacall's spirit in producing it. And Bacall's rather cursory depiction of her children leaves the reader wondering about the status of her relationships with them. But these criticisms are minor ones when measured against the charm and drama of Bacall's story.
   
   Lauren Bacall is now in her 80s. Her memoirs span over 60 years of cinema and stage history. Her story is well worth reading for those who appreciate American theater and film. Highly recommended, especially for those interested in the private side of the Bacall-Bogart saga.



4. A book that just goes on about herself and people she know's --if you are a Fan this is a must to own ..



5. I had read Miss Bacall's previous book, so thought to myself,for the price that Amazon was selling it at, so be it. I'm buying! What else could this great legend say however? A lot. The book was filled with many more personal stories and interests than I suspected it could be. It is an excllent book on one of the last of the great legends in Hollywood. I loved the book. Got her to sign it too, she was most gracious.

1 comments about Citizen: Jane Addams and the Struggle for Democracy.

1. This is a book about a woman who made a difference. It is also the story of a woman's triumph over Victorian ideas about a woman's place and over personal uncrtainties. Jane Addams became a leading humanitarian and spokesperson for women but she also led struggles which enhanced the notion of democracy in this country and the world. Ms. Addams did not see democracy as neoconservatives see it today. She was not a fighter for capitalism or Republican values but rather for participation and inclusion. She was also a crusader for world peace.
   
   Jane Addams and her colleagues were not like 21st century Americans. She was practically humorless and was moved by moral imperatives almost unknown to us. However, she, aside from being the "real thing", was famous for her kindness to immigrants and children.
   
   This book deals with her early life and her humanitarian efforts in the United States. It discusses the founding of Hull House, one of the first settlement houses in this country, and relates the operation of Hull House to the awakening of Addams' interest in many important causes.
   
   The book is a good read for those who are interested in women's history or in the history of reform and, indeed, radicalism in this country (for she was a radical). It is well researched and written and does not try to turn Addams into a midwestern Mother Teresa.

2 comments about Magda Goebbels.

1. And producing 6 beautiful children! This is indeed one of the strangest biographies you'll ever read, not to mention fascinating thruout! Magda was educated at a Catholic school, had charm, beauty, and polish in abundance, and was the stepdaughter to a Jewish father..Friedlander was her maiden name.She fell for a leading German Zionest in early 1920's, then married a leading German industrialist, and divorced him to marry one of the three most infamous Nazis (along with Hitler and Himmler). Traveling in the highest of social circles, she became the ideal German mother, producing a child about every year with Goebbels, who was known for his incredible infidelities, not to mention anti-semitism, and general nastiness. Even so, obviously he had charm and personality. Anyway, just look at the family photo Mr. and Mrs. Goebbels, and you may agree a more beautiful set of children, including 5 girls, is a true rarity. Also, do not miss the photo of the 1943 audience of Goebbel's "Total War" speech. The entire audience, including Magda and her 2 daughters, is completely bewildered, possibly scared, during this "Total War" speech. This book is about perfect in showing how a German woman could sell her soul to the devil, her hubbie and Hitler. WE all know the horrifying ending, but this is still a truly fascinating, unique, if sometimes repellent read throughout!



2. Very few people, even WWII expert, know a lot about this woman, Magda Goebbels. I was astounded to learn about her background, her relationship with Arloseroff during her youth, her flirtation with conversion to Judaism and her relationship/admiration with Hitler. The book seems to be thouroughly researched although I guess that there are quite a few "artistic" addition to make the book more readable. It flows very smoothly and you often have the feeling that you are reading a novel. A lot about Magda's life cannot be explained rationally although the author tries to make some sense of her actions. The fact that she murdered six of her seven children because "life is not worht living without the Fuehrer" cannot be explained by any rational person.
   I found this book fascinationg and frightening. It did give me an insight however into the mindset of the people who followed Hitler: empty, unfullfilled lives without any values, morals or goals, drifters who were looking for a "guru" to fill their empty shells.