5 comments about Speedbumps: Flooring it Through Hollywood.

1. Having seen many of Teri's movies I found her point of view very interesting. In retrospect she has really worked with some of Hollywood's heavy hitters. This was a very lighthearted look back on her career with funny stories about a wide range of a variety of celebrities. What suprised me most was her honesty about her insecurities about being an actress and how MS plays a role in all of this. Overall a very enjoyable read.



2. A very interesting life. Full of fun and hard work. She is tackling her disease with gusto, the way she has always aproached life.



3. Teri Garr is the type of person who you wish you knew personally. She is so down to earth in a celebrity world that is full of over prententious egos. I have enjoyed her movie roles and the interchanges that she had with David Letterman on his show were classic. The book is an entertaining look into life that demonstrated her tenaciousness to get what she wanted while keeping a wonderful sense of humor. She takes those two qualities with her as she fights multiple sclerosis. We all should have her attitude regarding the challenges that we face in life.



4. I have always enjoyed Teri Garr as an actress and thought her book would be enjoyable. But it went far beyond that! She is fabulous. I can only imagine knowing her "in-person" and what a blast she must be to have as a friend. She has a similar attitude toward MS that I would like to say I took toward cancer and she is quite a hero. Ms. Garr deserves to live a long, rich, happy and healthy life! Please enjoy the book!!!!!



5. What a great read. Teri has a quirky, sarcastic wit that comes through brilliantly in this book. I just wish it was longer.

4 comments about Golden Afternoon : Volume II of the Autobiography of M. M. Kaye.

1. At long last, the sequel to Sun in the Morning -- and as always, M.M. Kaye's writing is evocative, sumptuous, and addictive. (The Far Pavilions is one of the two books I always travel with -- the other is Gone With the Wind -- because I can start reading anywhere and become totally immersed, no matter how many times I've read it.) No one is better at evoking that time-lost period before the Second World War; the details are not only fascinating but reveal to us moderns what the world once was like (which in British India in many cases seems rather closely to resemble E.F. Benson's town of Tilling...). Since I owe not only my interest in, but my several-hundred-volume library on, India to reading The Far Pavilions, I must admit a certain partiality here -- and a burning desire to read the sequel to Golden Afternoon.



2. Ms. Kaye has the most wonderful way of describing scenes, colors, and events of an era never to be seen again. Her family led a story-book life of adventure and she makes it look so easy to overcome the forces of nature that were part of living there with very few, if any, modern conveniences. It was a delicious read and I hope Ms. Kaye is busily at work on the next book of her travels in China! I am grateful for this journey back into a gentler, quieter time.



3. This book is thoroughly enjoyable, with M. M. Kaye describing her idlyic days in India in a wonderfully interesting, humorous way, which makes this book a pleasure to read and a must own!



4. What a terrific book--nostalgic, romantic, funnny, poignant. I was utterly charmed once again by Ms. Kaye's writing. Her descriptions of visits to the Taj Mahal and spring in Kashmir are beautiful. I can't wait to read "Enchanted Evening."

3 comments about A Romantic Education.

1. I first read Patricia Hampl's I Could Tell You Stories when I took a 1st person essay writing class, and all of us in the class became instant fans. Her book provoked endless discussions about the reliability (or Unreliability) of memory and the role it plays in memoir writing. Hampl's A Romantic Education allows us to continue following her down her chosen path as she returns to Prague in search of her heritage during the gray pall of socialism. This edition of A Romantic Education is a reissue following the Velvet Revolution and is full of richly nuanced detail that we have come to expect from Hampl. It's an elegant piece of writing that allows us to taste and dabble in the trickling stream of history running beneath the surface of the everlasting riddle of personal memory.



2. Elegant, meditative, and special, Patrica Hampl's memoir of growing up in St. Paul and visiting her ancestral home of Prague deservedly won her a Macarthur genius grant, and remains a classic of its genre. When it was published in the early 80s, the gorgeous Bohemian captial of Prague was sheltered from the American line of vision by the Iron Curtain, and much less familiar to American readers than it is today; Hampl's book details her trip in the 70s to that loveliest of cities to visit her family's origins and learn something about her place in the world. But the book is also a beautiful meditation on another exceptionally romantic, and often still neglected, city, Hampl's hometown of St. Paul, Minnesota. Stunningly situated on the high bluffs overlooking a chasmic portion of the Mississippi, the home of F. Scott Fitzgerald and the Empire Builder James J. Hill, St. Paul has declined in cultural significance over the decades, overshadowed by its younger and more prosperous twin city across the river. But Hampl lovingly evokes what it was like to live in this atmospheric city of decaying Victorian mansions overlooking the downtown from the heights of Summit Avenue, both as a grandchild of Czech immigrants working as servants for the enmansed and as a young woman striking out as a student and a writer. It's an unusual, romantically-staurated memoir.



3. Being of eastern European descent, I found Hampl's book revealing and intriguing as it spoke of what my grandparents often alluded to when referring to "the old country."
   I felt myself travelling with her, trying to find out something, anything, about my roots.

5 comments about Me and My Shadows : A Family Memoir.

1. I read Luft's version of her own mothers story. A very good book, told from someone close enough to feel the total pain and agony that the rest of the world felt- only amplified as her daughter.
   Luft's book does paint a little fairy tale into the mix, but is a shocking story of watching your mother slip down a long dark slope.
   Luft tells about Judy's start in Hollywood which is equally as interesting as the photo's in the book. Luft paints that love story between her mother and father and leaves you feeling his loss for her.
   She also explains the relationship between her and sister Liza Minelli.
   It's a great boigraphy.



2. This is a great book and being a Judy Garland admirer, nothing about her life would make me not be a fan but it's more refreshing to hear what happened from someone who was there instead of a biographer who "makes up" stories of what he/she has heard.
   
   This is a great book - it's truthful, compassionate and real.



3. Its difficult to believe that anyone anywhere would get anything out of this auto biography. her whole point seemed to be that Sid Luft was the greatest man and has gotten a bad rap . Her book vindicates him, and she has a way of portraying her mom as a nightmare without actually coming across as being a rotten daughter. Very clever of her but unfortunately her book isnt as clever or well written to make up for the denial and genuine lack of insight or honesty in the book.
   Talking about your drug problems is NOT honest. its just common knowledge and quite acceptable in todays society.
   Lorna seems to reduce everything in her life to addiction, her mothers, her own and her sisters.
   As for Liza, well, i agree with another review, Lorna manages to talk alot about Liza's addiction while glossing over her own.
   And as for the quote on the back of her book
   " Lorna is the most talented of us all"
   Judy Garland
   well, i dont want to state the obvious but
   We know who we're talking about when we say
   JUDY or
   LIZA
   how many trys would someone have to come up with when they heard
   Lorna
   before they said Luft?



4. What is incredible about this book is Lorna Luft's first becoming acquainted, in her mid-thirties, with the theory of alcoholism as a family disease.
   
   It brings to mind Liza Minnelli's appearance on "Inside the Actors Studio" a year or two ago. She told the audience to look up alcoholism, because it actually is a disease!
   
   It makes one wonder whether these two were living under glittery, spangled rocks, or something.
   
   The book is an interesting read, but the many, many pages devoted to Ms. Luft's late-in-life revelations about her mother's and her sister's addictions are like patiently watching a child play with color crayons: You know you're doing the polite thing, but Gawd, it's boring.
   
   Finally, I wonder who edited this book. "Me and Joey," and "Me and Mama," and "Me and Liza," and so on. After the first few dozen, it's like reading a letter from camp.
   
   Is it to remind the reader of the title of the book he already has in his hand, or is it just plain bad grammar?



5. I recently read this book. Although it is not the best autobiography I have ever read it is not the worst either. It is a good interesting read. Ms. Luft is honest and straight forward with how she saw things. I have read other posts blasting her for false statements. And I have to ask those blasting her: Where you there? Did you live it?
   
   One reviewer is under the mistaken idea that Judy was forced to live in London at the end of her life. Not so. She went there quite often to do concerts and I believe was there to do a concert when she passed away. No one forced her out of the country if you read the book no one forced her to do anything no one dared!
   
   Frankly if you want to know the real Judy read this book from someone who loves and cares about her and was there with her constantly. As for cashing in on her mother I don't find that is the case here. I think she just wants to tell her side of the story. After all most books about Ms. Garland are full of false stories and written by people who really did want to cash in on her name. One that comes to mind is her last husband Mickey Deans, who only knew her for a few months not years. Talk about a garbage book.
   
   I didn't find that she was trashing her mother at all on the contrary she was trying to set the record straight. I had no doubt while reading this that she loved her mother very much. It had to be very painful to write this book. On many occasions in the book she says her mother was a great mother. These people blasting Ms. Luft are obviously people who have never lived with someone this dependant on drugs and this mentally affected by those drugs. As one reviewer says "sure she could be difficult, what addict isn't?" Difficult? She threw knifes at people on at least two occasions! This is a reviewer who has never had to deal with this type of problem. Thirty years of the volume of drugs Ms. Garland ingested is going to generate someone that is more than just difficult.
   
   To get on Ms. Luft's case for moving in with her father 10 months before the death of her mother is ridiculous. To say, as one reviewer did, at least the "sleazy hanger-on" were there at the end is ludicrous. Ms. Luft was a teenager. She should not have had to continue to live in that environment. It was not her responsibility to take care of her mother at that age. She did for many years, but it took its toll on her. It showed great strength to walk away.
   
   Reading some of these scathing reviews leads me to believe the people didn't really read the book. They are just Judy fanatics that cannot stand that there icon was not a saint. She was human with human frailties.
   
   Another reviewer blasts Sid Luft and his treatment of Judy and how he pushed her too hard. The book clearly says that Sid Luft did not want to be her manager that Judy wanted him to manage her, so he did. The book also states he watched out for her and monitored her pill intake so she would not take more than perscribed. From what is decribed in the book he had nothing but her best intrest at heart and would not do anything to hurt her.
   
   Everyone has a point of view. Growing up my memories are not the same as my sisters or brothers, but that does not make mine or their memories false just a different point of view. This is true of all families, whether you are famous or not, so the same holds true for Ms. Luft's memories of her family. She was there. This is her point of view on actual events that occured in her life; the reviewers here were not there, so if you want to learn about the real Judy Garland as seen through the eyes of someone very close to her read this book.

2 comments about Forgotten Voices of World War II: A New History of World War II in the Words of the Men and Women Who Were There.

1. There are any number of books written by people involved in World War II, most of them of course by Generals. This book is different.
   
   Like Steven Ambrose's collection of recordings from vetrans in this country, the Imperial War Museum has taped the accounts of thousands of ordinary participants from World War II.
   
   Here is the report from the young British sailor. He got a pass and with his friend picked up two girls to go to the movies. Suddenly the movie was interupted with a message for all sailors to return to their ships. They went to Dunkirk.
   
   Some of the recordings are from the Axis. A Japanese naval officer reports: "Our forces were ambushed by the American forces... My ship was hit by more than a hundred shells in, I think, about a two hour engagement. At that time I was quite high on the deck, and I was holding the binoculars with both hands. A splinter came up and cut off both my arms in the middle.



2. There is always so much imfo. in these war books that whenever one reads them it's impossible to take it all in. I read the first Forgotten Voices book (WW1) and most of it was about the Trench Experience. WW2 however was just so huge that you feel the author struggles admirably to get it all in and at the same time maintain the entertainment factor of the first book. Practically everything in the book is an account of something told by a survivor. Max Arthur obviously has to try and use accounts which are funny perhaps, or sad, or imformative or all three. The book just can't go into depth about certain things. There is a D-Day section, a concentration camp section, Market garden, Africa, Japanese etc. and there are books out there about these things in their own right. For instance I just read Armageddon by Max Hastings which is about the battle for Germany in '44/'45. But this book, Forgotten Voices, is not really about the war. It is about the ordinary people/children and soldiers fighting/existing in it so there's a big difference between this and all the others. On several occasions while reading it I've had to put the book down when reading of a situation someone had found themselves in- I've just put the book down and thought 'Oh my God!' and have needed time to think about it before continueing.
   It is a mainly British perspective with the occasional American/German/Dutch input etc. I would strongly recommend it and if you like these Forgotten Voices books then you would also like All Quiet on the Home Front. A similarly told book of mainland Britain during the first world war.
   Good reading!

5 comments about Edith Kermit Roosevelt: Portrait of a First Lady (Modern Library Paperbacks).

1. I read this biography as a companion to "The Rise of Theodore Roosevelt" and "Theodore Rex" -- partly because I wanted a different perspective, and partly because I wanted to know what happened to Theodore after 1908 and volume III of his biography isn't likely to be out in the near future. In the end I am glad I read the book, and I learned a great deal more about President Roosevelt and his family -- but I think for the serious or dedicated history buff you must also read the aforementioned books to get a more detailed, nuanced view of the Roosevelts' life and the times in which they lived.

   Morris's writing varies markedly from section to section, perhaps due to inconsistent editing rather than her own writing.




2. Her lifelong romance with Theodore Roosevelt is certainly the stuff that films (or at the very least, TV movies) are made of. She never stopped loving the brilliant, bellicose, captivating, exasperating "boy" she had fallen in love with at a very young age. She helped mold him into a man. How two strong-willed persons of such opposing personalities thrived in such a successful marriage is even more reason why their story in film would be interesting. If Edith, certainly one of the most private historical figures in our country's history, had not the burned thousands of letters from her "Teedie"/Theodore (wishing to keep their lifetime of thoughts and passions to themselves), their romance might be up there with John and Abigail. TR also destroyed most of the letters from "Edie"/Edith because of Edith's constant pleading to him to do so.

   What has survived through thousands of letters that friends and relatives did not destory and through Edith's 40+ years of private diaries (left to her daughter Ethel) is a portrait of a iron-willed, intelligent, passionate lady who survived many family crises and lived through enough U.S. political history for a couple of high school textbooks.

   She was often the mother AND the father of her large household of children and pets as TR would often leave to go on hunting trips, safaris, and political campaigns. She ran the household in every area mostly because she had to get control of the family finances. (TR almost had to sell Sagamore Hill before he married Edith because he had lost so much of his inheritance in the Badlands. His older sister helped him get through some lean financial years.)

   But, she knew that he would always return to her bed and to no one else's. She often looked down at her sisters-in-law, nieces, and female friends who had married "safely" and did not have a passionate, romantic partnership such as the one she shared with TR. In many ways she was as contradictory in her beliefs as her husband. She was certainly Victorian in her moral strictures, yet one of her closest confidants and friends in the later White House years was the not-so-in-the-closet homosexual chief military aide to her husband (and this gentleman, Archibald Butt, would later help many of the Titanic's passengers to safety before he perished).

   One of the most poignant chapters in the book deals with the sons getting ready to go off to fight in the Great War. Quentin, her baby, is eighteen and falling in love with the daughter of one of the anti-Roosevelts, the Whitneys. Edith and TR are concerned with their son falling in love with one of the "plutocrat" Whitneys. However, once they meet Flora they fall in love with her and take her into their family as one of their own. Quentin has to leave the safe environs of Sagamore Hill and the Long Island air training centre and be shipped off to Europe. The elder Roosevelts try to get passports for themselves to travel with Flora so that Flora can marry Quentin in Europe. They can't get passports to travel overseas during the war. Quentin is shot down over France, and TR & Edith have to break the news to her at Sagamore Hill. Flora would remain close to some of the family members until she died many years later.

   In short, this is a detailed biography of a great lady, First Lady, wife, world traveler, mother, and grandmother. The vivid detail of the White House during TR's electric eight years at the head of the country is worth the price and time alone. The Kennedys and Camelot had nothing on the intellectual and artisic salon that the Roosevelts inspired and supported during their many years in Washington.




3. During a recent visit to Sagamore Hill on Long Island (the home of the Roosevelts), this book caught my eye because it gave a such a different perspective of Roosevelt history. Though I am now only about 3/4 of the way through, I cannot say that I am at all disappointed. It reads like a novel and is extremely well written. I cannot put it down. While it is true that there are other books which better cover the details of TR's colorful political career (Sylvia J. Morris's husband's books accomplish this) and even TR's earlier family history (try "Mornings on Horseback" by David McCullough for this), this book is must for those interested in the story of Edith and her remarkable family. Also, the story does have a great deal of romance and some poignancy -- particularly in the death of TR's first wife, Alice Lee, and his troubled relationship with his daughter, Alice's namesake. I agree with one of the other reviewer's -- Edith's story would make a marvelous motion picture.



4. Being an admirer of the Roosevelt family (Theodore and his kin), I was amazed at how I much this biography. The insight into her life, the little they know (from diaries and a few letters she did not burn) is amazing and her love for Theodore (and his love for her) is so incredibly romantic, showing intense it became over the years as opposed to just dying out.
   Edith was an amazing woman, probably the epitome of the First Lady, wife, mother and a woman in general. She stood by her husband, helping him along, while still standing for what she believed in and caring for her large family.
   It's an excellent read about an excellent woman.



5. I agree with the other reviews who say there should be a movie about Edith Roosevelt. I didn't know much about her at all but the biography was well written and very informative. Everything about her would make for a great movie. Edith was an intellegent woman and possibly one of the best first ladies we ever had. She seemed very well organized and very efficient whether she was running her family household or the White House staff. I highly recommend reading this biography.

1 comments about Writing Women's Lives: An Anthology of Autobiographical Narratives by Twentieth-Century American Women Writers.

1. Cahill presents in chronological order writings from a disparate group of fifty women authors. She provides a brief and informative introduction to each writer with a biographical sketch that includes the author's motivation and history including family, education, career and works published.

   Whether or not you recognize the authors' names or publications, you will enjoy reading about their lives. You will identify with some of their experiences and you will be amazed to discover their secrets and truths.

   The excerpts of autobiographies are as diverse as the authors themselves. They give insight into these women's lives and personal experiences revealing them to be fascinatingly unique and at the same time ordinary. Their stories are enticing, humorous, poignant, informative, and genuine. They form an excellent illustration of the modern feminine experience. This book is outstanding.

4 comments about And Then I Met This Woman: Previously Married Women's Journeys into Lesbian Relationships.

1. When I picked up this book, I was out shopping with my first lesbian lover. I was nervous and thinking "These women won't be anything like me." I was never more wrong. There were quite a few women in this book that were going through situations almost identical to mine. Coming out is hard enough, but coming out when you are married is even harder. It was easier to explain to my husband and family, including my children after reading this book. I would reccommend this book to anyone that is having trouble coming out, or for those that have had someone they love discover that they are indeed a lesbian.



2. There aren't enough books on this subject which is why I'm glad this book exists. If you are in this situation yourself, just reading as many other women's stories as you can will help you feel less alone. The authors seem to have taken care to paraphrase as little as possible and keep the accounts in the women's own words; however, this makes the book difficult to read because the sentence structures are not always as clear as they could be. I think some additional editing for readability would have really helped.
   
   While reading the stories I was disappointed that the book was not helping me answer many of the questions I had about switching from one sexual preference to another. To be fair to the authors, they did not set out to analyze these women's stories, only to share them. Most of the women recounted events in their life but don't offer up any thoughtful remarks on why they did certain things or how they were feeling at the time. I was hoping some of the women would share their thoughts on questions I have such as, were women like us born gay and just didn't realize it? or did something change along the way?
   
   If you are looking for a little more psychological insight into how to deal with your situation then I strongly recommend you get the book "Unexpected Pleasures" by Tamsin Wilton (also available through Amazon) instead of this book. It includes nearly as many stories, but with more commentary on recurrent themes and advice on how to make the transition easier.



3. These are the remarkable stories of women whose lives have been transformed by intimancy with another woman. Many had lived a very traditional, heterosexual life up until that point - whenever it was - and made a conscious decision to change.
   
   The women in these stories are mostly middle-class and represent diverse occupations: an oncology nurse, a minister, an English professor, a topless dancer-turned-beautician, a computer programmer, a florist, a nurse anesthetist, teachers and counselors. Many are highly educated, six with masters' degrees and with four with Ph.D.s. They range in age from 27 to 65 and some have been married more than 20 years.
   
   Of the 36 women who tell their stories here, not one regrets her decision to change her sexuality - and her life. For many, making the transition from heterosexual wifehood to lesbianism was like "coming home," and they wouldn't even consider going back. -- from book's back cover



4. I was disappointed in this book for several reasons. The sentences were choppy and the stories lacked realism--they didn't bring me close to the people the way other similar anthologies have. Then, the majority of the stories were about women who were marrying in the 40's, 50's, and 60's. As a 29 year old woman, I've been wondering why it's so hard to find the stories of younger women. I skimmed most of the book and don't see myself picking it back up any time soon.

2 comments about The Tragedy of Mariam, the Fair Queen of Jewry: with <i>The Lady Falkland: Her Life</i>, by One of Her Daughters.

1. The particular importance of this book lies in the fact that it is the first edition to include the Tragedy of Mariam into its biographical context, by publishing the text with Elizabeth's Cary's biography written by one of her daughter. The editors include a very thorough introduction in which they strongly claim the richness and greatness of the text, not only because it is the first play ever written by an English woman, but also because of its investigation of paramount issues such as gender, politics, and race. In addition to this, the editors include an appendix where they give the readers a chance to know about the original source that Cary might have used in her play.



2. An interesting read, taking place in roughly the same time as Shakespeare's Antony and Cleopatra. Not quite as engaging as the latter author, but worthy of investigation nevertheless.

5 comments about Reflections of Eden: My Years with the Orangutans of Borneo.

1. Having spent time volunteering at Tanjung Puting, I felt this book was wonderfully written. Although The Professor (Birute) is not an open person, she willingly shared her personal feelings in this book. She tells us in a wonderful fashion about the difficulties of establishing Camp Leakey in Kalimantan. She discloses much about marriage and divorce from Rod, and raising Binti. Her account of Rod's efforts during 7 1/2 years at Tanjung Puting are wonderful in that she credited him with so much. I appreciate her assimilation into Indonesian and Dayak culture. At first glance it may be difficult for us to understand how she could marry Pak Bohap, a native Dayak who even admits to having eaten orangutans. But her writing about this relationship is so understandable. Overall, this is a wonderful book by a woman entirely devoted to the conservation of one of the world's great apes. The story of her life in Borneo is fascinating. A great read about one of Louis Leakey's proteges!



2. Wonderful book! Galdikas brings us from her very beginnings as a young woman studing Orangutans to a true scientist breaking new ground as Jane Goodall and Dian Fossey did. The information and descriptions she passes along to the readers is endearing, educational, and brings you to another world. Read this yourself, you will be enchanted, you will cry, you will be happy you experienced this book. Thank you Birute!



3. If you are inspired by dedicated peoplewith vision and or conservation this is a must read. Professor Galdikas is an amazing woman and is part of the Leakey sisterhood ie Fossey, Goodall and Galdikas, who have made life time studies of apes.



4. The next best thing to living in an Indonesian rain forest with these creatures is reading this account. The animals are of course, her main focus but the daily life and the reality of bringing a child into this forest are all examined and told with the same voice. The rain forest, sights, sounds and smells come to life through her vivid descriptions. I have reread this book along with all of Goodall's and the Fossey books and this is a necessary addition to the knowledge of great apes.



5. Dr. Galdikas study and care of the orangutans of Borneo is greatly appreciated. My friends and myself enjoyed this book a great deal. Long live Dr. Galdikas and the magnificant orangutans of Borneo!