3 comments about ...but I have promises to keep: My Life Before, With, and After Robert Taylor.

1. Nancy Reagan, Urusla Thiess's long-time and loyal friend does not exaggerate on the backcover when she describes Ursula Thiess as having had an "extraordinary life." This is more than just a rags to riches story; it is the story of a woman who survived harrowing blows to her self-esteem, the throws of WW2, and her very sanity, as events in her life knock her down time and time again. She has the strength of character and resolve that many of us can learn from.
   I enjoyed the book a great deal and would recommend it to anyone who is interested in survival against all odds, as well as a good Hollywood story!



2. I enjoyed this book very much. I enjoyed the authors candor about her life story. What a harrowing and incredible journey she has experienced throughout her life. I would recommend this book to my friends and have done so already.



3. Urusla paints a sad picture of Robert Taylor's long fight with cancer and the surprising hardships of filming on location around the world. Her children's successes and failures are laid out for us. Her next husband also died of medical problems with Ursula in the nursing role again. She had a major surgery but it was very successful. Their Hollywood friends, especially the Reagans, are talked about. Her WW II experiences in Germany were harsh. I read the entire book in two days because I was so interested in her children's lives.

No comments about No Backup: My Life as a Female FBI Special Agent.

2 comments about Letters of a Civil War Nurse: Cornelia Hancock, 1863-1865.

1. As an English civil war re-enactor, and a nurse by profession, Cornelia Hancock brings alive the horror, and difficulties faced by the wounded and the woman who choose to nurse them. The book is useful in its detail, and describes medical care at the battlefield, in hospitals, and the improvements made as the war developed. A book worth owning.



2. I wish the press had released the other version of this book. The introduction isn't very helpful.

5 comments about Spirited Waters: Soloing South Through the Inside Passage.

1. From the title I was expecting to read about a solo kayak trip from Alaska to Washington. What we get in the book is a series of shorter trips over a few years where the author is not even going in the same direction. As soon as any discomfort is looming the author heads to the nearest B&B, boat or lighthouse to scrounge a place to sleep for the night and a meal. She always introduces herself to strangers as paddling from Alaska to Washington which seemed to be a bit of an ego trip when in reality she was on a 1 or 2 week paddling trip. There were endless descriptions of seaweed to pad the book out. I ended up skimming the book faster and faster looking for something interesting to actually happen but it never really did. There are plenty of inspirational books on expeditions or trips, not this one though which is just one big disappointment.



2. Spirited Waters is not just another run of the mill, macho adventure story. Don't get me wrong, you'll find plenty of excitement, danger, and a wonderful guide to roughing it in the remote Pacific Northwest, but this book offers so much more. This is a moving journey of self discovery in one of the last great wildernesses of the Pacific Coast. Hahn is a true wild woman whose love of the natural world makes her stories lush with detail, a succulent feast for your mind's eye. I've finally found my ideal wilderness adventure reading, a beautiful narrative inspired by a passion for all things wild, and written from the heart.



3. I just finished reading Jennifer Hahn's Spirited Waters. I admire courage where ever I see it especially in the water since I can't swim! But Hahn's book is about more than courage. It's about the beauty of nature and the loneliness of a solitary adventure.
   
   I felt as though I was with Jennifer in that kayak experiencing the grandeur of the Inside Passage and navigating unknown treacherous waters at every turn. I loved her ability to convey her fear during a storm and her strength in rallying her inner resources to conquer it.
   
   Most of all, it was Jennifer's writing style and observations of things such as the wildharvesting and my amusement in her description of plucking seaweed for a snack.
   
   I will probably never be in a kayak much less traveling 750 miles in one in seventy days but Jennifer Hahn brought the experience to me in Spirited Waters. I marvel at her ability to breath life into her experience through the written word as well as the drawings that enhance the story. Reading about her adventure put me in the story with her.



4. For those who have ever dreamed of taking a trip through Alaska's Inside Passage, Jennifer Hahn's Spirited Waters might be the closest thing to making that dream come true. With every page reader's can feel the freedom, the thrill, even the tension and moments of fear that Hahn experiences--whether cause by acts of nature (predictable and unpredictable) or acts of people along the way (well-intentioned or otherwise).
   
   Motivated in part by the untimely deaths of her mother (when Hahn was a young girl) and then her brother when he was just 32 and in part by the persistent "whispers" of her own dreams, Hahn knew "it was time." "Dreams," Hahn says, "I've learned have the patience of Job. Like mushroom mycelium, they can live underground for years, laying a vast framework while awaiting an opportune rainstorm to waggle their fruits. Unbeknownst to me," she continues, "such a storm was approaching as I strode into my early thirties...Whatever dreams lay sleeping inside me; my intuition said I'd better roust them ASAP. For all I knew, like my adventurous mom and my brother, I might not live past my mid-thirties, either."
   
   Armed with the survival skills she had learned over the years and had been teaching for almost 15 years, as well as the tools of survival she could fit into her kayak, Yemaya, she set off--alone!
   
   "Kayaking, "she says, "offers the traveler one of the most holistic and sensual rides," largely because one can move "at a walking pace" in a kayak. At maybe three miles per hour (if there's no wind or current) the traveler can observe--see, hear, feel--the smallest details in the water, the flora, the fauna, even the wind and the water current.
   
   Hahn's adventure--72 days on the water--spanned two summers and two springs with breaks in between during the most unrelenting Alaskan climate. While she spares no details, readers flow through the pages and the chapters as smoothly and adventurously as Hahn flowed through the Inside Passage.
   
   As impressive as the thoroughly engaging and often poetic prose are Hahn's delightful, detailed maps and illustration of birds, plants, flowers, and animal tracks. This is a thoroughly enjoyable book, laden with wonderful insights, tales of trials and trails, and exciting accounts of seemingly endless adventures.



5. I read this book one winter day tucked safely and warmly under my bed covers. In the summer I signed up for a kayak trip with the author. Did the book inspire me--you bet! And I've been going on adventure trips ever since. I've bought the book for friends who love it as well. It's an exciting read but more importantly, for me, a life changer. Marilyn McLauchlan Bainbridge Island, Wa

1 comments about Wonder Women of the Bible: Heroes of Yesterday Who Inspire Us Today.

1. Wonder Women of the Bible: Heroes of Yesterday Who Inspire Us Today is an inspirational discussion of notable female figures in both the Old and New Testaments of the Bible. Discussing the biblical stories, including how God chose to involve each heroine in His holy plans, Wonder Women of the Bible offers a springboard of hope and a model for faithful living for Christian women of the modern day. From opening oneself to true wisdom and courage, as the Wise Women of Abel did, to preparing for battle when needed, as Deborah did, to embracing good works, as Dorcas did, Wonder Women of the Bible reveals a myriad of paths to self-improvement in both secular and religious spheres. An enlightening and spiritually uplifting guide.

5 comments about Simone de Beauvoir: A Biography.

1. The value of this biography is that it adds new facts andcorrects some of SdB's own mis- representations of her life. But it'stoo repetitive, often concentrating on insignficant chronologies of her trips, etc. Lacks sufficient explanation of the stultifying catholic education she rejected early in her life (was it guilt-inducing jansenistic sexophobia, the doctrine of a caring God, etc) or of the basic existentialist tenets which guided her life, such as the self-creating life project, absolute responsiblity for choices, etc. Badly in need of a final summing up chapter listing and analyzing the very disparate opinions about the contradictions and import of this amazing woman, eg was it unfathomable tenderness or simply self-delusion that enabled her to transform the ecstasy she felt with Nelson Algren into the sublimest and most poignant love affair? In many aspects of her life SdB could be a example for many women, but after reading this book one is still left wondering how and why.



2. Really, this book was a page-turner, a book of facts so well-written it made one want to know more, more, more, even when the knowing was almost painful out of de Beauvoir empathy. I wanted to read it as a companion to de Beauvoir's autobiographical series and was particularly grateful to Bair for pointing out incidents in which de Beauvoir "guilded the lily" when she recounted her own life. De Beauvoir's autobiography and this make perfect companions for a study on auto/biography and its subjectivication. (Also see Silent Woman by Janet Malcom.)

   I had read previous biographical material on de Beauvoir, but none I ever felt was so complete, and helped me to know her so well. I strongly recommend this as history, literary criticism, psychology and philosophy.




3. According to Claude Lanzmann there are several major errors which do occur in Bairs book, and basically it's gives a rotten and unworthy presentation of de Beauvoirs life and work.

   /Leah Greber




4. Bair works really hard at making it clear that Sartre and De Beauvoir were two sides of the same coin. Larger than life as always but deeply and painfully human too. Despite the eventual demise of their "professional" relationship, and the eventual move of Sartre to study Flaubert and De Beauvior to her feminist crusade, the two are inextricably linked. Did she really have as much control (specially in the end) over Sartre and his life? We will never know. What Bair does though is succeed in making her human more than all of De Beauvior's work ever could. Despite the fact that De Beauvior and Sartre are larger than life, and they always will be, Bair makes her subject - human, vulnerable and understandable. It is comprehensive and exhaustive journey (despite whatever errors there might be), one worth taking at any junction in the readers Existential journey.
   
   Miguel Llora



5. Turgid. There is no question this book is based on genuine and scholarly research. But the ordinary but informed reader is better leaving this one to the academicians.

5 comments about Empty Without You: The Intimate Letters of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok.

1. Eleanor Roosevelt has been an inspiration ever since I was a young girl, a terrific role model for political activists, humanitarians, and women and girls of all ages. But she is often portrayed in biographies (excepting Blanche Wiesen Cook's wonderful recent work) as a cold fish in her personal life. This is one of the reasons that any fan of ER should read these letters. ER is passionate, caring, needy, annoyed - real emotions from a real woman. We also get a look at Lorena Hickok - Hick - beyond the stereotypes, as a woman deeply in love and troubled by the lack of an exclusive relationship.

   One problem I have with the book, though, is not letting whole letters speak for themselves, revealing more of the political discussions that seem to have been a big part of both women's lives and their attraction to one another. Were they lovers? They were certainly "in love," and regardless of where they drew the physical line, this book reveals foremothers any woman, lesbians included, should be proud to claim.




2. As an avid reader of all things Roosevelt, I was rather disappointed in Rodger Streitmatter's Empty Without You: The Intimate Letters of Eleanor Roosevelt and Lorena Hickok. The story of how Eleanor and Lorena (Hick) became such intimate friends (maybe even physically intimate) is a fascinating one. Hick was a hard-nosed AP reporter who had a successful 20 year career in a profession dominated almost exclusively by men. In the course of covering FDR's first campaign, she found a kindred spirit in Eleanor. Both women were needy: they both had tough childhoods, suffered humiliations and tragedies, and were deeply wounded by those they loved. They struck up a lifelong friendship, although the intensity of this relationship waned after the first 3 years. During the course of this friendship, they wrote each other almost every day, and sometimes more than one letter in a day. Hick also lived at the White House for some of this time.

   What I found so disappointing about Empty Without You is that out of the many thousands of letters that Eleanor and Hick exchanged throughout their lifetime, Hick destroyed a good many of them-especially those letters from the beginning of their relationship when it was the most intense. There are not many surprises here, and those few that allow a peak at their level of intimacy have been extensively quoted in other Roosevelt books. Also, I found that the story itself is rather depressing. Hick gave Eleanor the knowledge and power to recast the job of First Lady so that Eleanor could better achieve her own political agenda. She encouraged Eleanor to give weekly news conferences with only women reporters invited. She also prodded Eleanor to start writing newspaper columns-monthly at first, and then her daily My Day column that ran for 27 years. Finally, Hick suggested that Eleanor write her autobiography before FDR's first term was even finished. At first, Eleanor depended on Hick to help her with her writing. But Eleanor was a quick study and soon no longer needed Hick. Unfortunately, in broadening her horizons, Eleanor had less and less time for Hick. To make matters worse, Hick was forced to give up her newspaper job because of conflicts of interest, and took on a job traveling the country on behalf of FERA to report on the progress of relief programs. Hick missed the career that had brought her great success, name recognition, positive reinforcement and financial security. Hick also suffered from depression and mood swings-especially when her time with Eleanor did not go as planned. Unfortunately for Hick, her ugly and frequent outbursts were an embarrassment to Eleanor and had just the opposite effect: instead of bringing them even closer, Eleanor started to pull away. Still, Eleanor never completely abandoned Hick and did much to take care of her (especially financially) as they aged.

   One thing that I did enjoy about Empty Without You are the reports that Hick wrote for FERA. Although she mostly gave snippets of these in her letters to Eleanor, boss Harry Hopkins was correct when he predicted that Hick's well-written reports would in the future become a window on the Great Depression. But overall, there is not much new or enlightening in this book. If you want to know more about the relationship between Eleanor and Lorena, I'd stick with Doris Faber's Life of Lorena Hickok: E.R.'s Friend.




3. If you read the letters and not the "explanations" of Streitmatter, you know that this was a classic love affair of the first order. Passionate, intense, full of high levels of emotion, intermixed with politics and social issues of the day. For anyone to read these letters and deny that these women enjoyed each others bodies as much as their minds is really outside the realm of human experience. The question of course that remains is the unequivocal statement by both John Kerrey and John Edwards in the debates in 2004 when they proclaimed that you are "born" a lesbian as they tried to make political points with the sexual orientation of Dick Cheney's daughter. Did Eleanor have a lesbian relationship with "Hick?" Most certainly. Was she born that way and have a "traditional" marriage with many kids fathered by FDR just as a cover? I doubt it, but who knows; which was Bush's much more honest answer in response to the "lesbian" question.
   Was FDR a liar of the first order? He ran in 1940 for the unprecedented third term on the basis of never "sending American men to fight foreign wars" while planning to do so at the same time. Someone so deceitful was most certainly well practiced in the art while having affairs with women at the same time Eleanor was bearing his children. Did she turn to other women for the love that FDR failed to give her, or did he turn to other women because she was really "born" a lesbian. We will probably never know the truth of their relationship, but the letters between Eleanor and "Hick" are pure honest love. The only reason I don't give this book five stars is that the author gets in the way of the story.



4. This well-edited book definitely preserves the intimacy of the relationship between ER and Hick. Regardless of your personal interpretation of their relationship, the book makes for fascinating reading. There are many "behind the scenes" details of the workings of the New Deal and other social and political events of the time. This book is nothing less than fascinating.



5. A woman I knew so little about comes to life in this book. I generally don't like biographies or autobiographies but this one is the exception!! Order from Amazon to get it quick!!

2 comments about Women of the Bible.

1. Women of the Bible
   Good book, we are currently using it in our women's Bible Study at our church. Good directions and offers questions that prompt discussion.



2. I bought ten of these books to use in our women's Bible study for the fall. I had one book which I showed the other ladies and they all agreed it would be a good study book. We have not started the study yet, but are looking forward to it in the Fall.

5 comments about Giants of Japan: The Lives of Japan's Greatest Men and Women.

1. This was the best book I read last year. Very informative and easy to read.



2. Giants Of Japan: The Lives Of Japan's Greatest Men And Women by journalist and author Mark Weston is an informed and informative biographical survey of great figures drawn from fifteen centuries of Japanese history. Ranging from the internationally famous writer Yukio Mishima and the film director Akira Kurosawa, to historical icons such as Shotoku (the prince who helped bring Buddhism to Japan), and the actress Izumo no Okuni (who created kabuki theater), Giants Of Japan effectively summarizes an eclectic collection of fascinating and remarkable lives revealed in an energetic and raptly interesting presentation. Very highly recommended reading for students of Japanese history and culture.



3. Giants of Japan is a very pleasant introduction to Japanese history, organized in a succession of biographies of the most influential figures in Japanese business, politics, arts and sports. In addition to being well-written, the book offers a good mix of key facts and anecdotes, making the reading both interesting and exciting.
   
   Beyond information about the country itself, Weston takes good care of extracting history lessons from his biographies. For example, it is edifying to learn how (with what vision, strategems, and tricks) Mistui developed from a sake brewry into one of the worldfs largest corporations, with what political purpose tea ceremony was used, and how a single author, Fukuzawa Yukichi, precipitated Japan's westernization.
   
   The book recounts the origins of Shintoism, Haiku, even Aikido (judofs creator, Jigoro Kano, is missing from the book). It depicts the spirit of feudal warriors (both samurais and ronins), and shows how Bushido has survived in 20th century Japan (exemplified by Mishimafs tragic death). It also deals with the dark pages of Japanese history, including Japanese military actions before and during WWII and modern political corruption.
   
   I recommend this book to anyone who has a yet unfulfilled interest in Japan; the biographical structure of the book makes it readable even to a busy audience.



4. Much has been written about the history of Japan from the point of view of society and group dynamics. This is understandable given Japan's interdependent culture. Mark Weston's Giants of Japan is one of the first that covers Japan from the point of view of it's great individuals. The subjects of the book range from well known industrialists (Konosku Matsuhita) and leaders (Tokogawa Ieyasu) to lesser known writers (Fukuzawa Yukichi) and directors (Ozu Yasujiro).
   
   The book is good for many different types of people. Those with a deeper knowledge of Japan can pick and choose from the individuals they wish to learn more about. Those newly interested in Japan can read the book cover to cover to gain a broad knowledge of the history and people of Japan.
   
   This book does not attempt to provide a comprehensive Japanese history, or in depth view of any aspect of Japanese society. There are other more suitable books in those genres.



5. This is the best book I have read in either Japanese or English that gives a comprehensive, easy to read and balanced overview of the lives of 37 people who contributed into making Japan into what it is today. The book presents people from diverse aspects of Japan: industry, traditional culture, history, modern writers and film directors. The people span from the first ever novelist in the world Murasaki (c.975-c.1025) to Morita Akio, the co-founder of Sony. The biographies are short and concise and are on average 10 pages long. It is not necessary to read the entire book at once, but read one biography and come back to another one at a later time. I have read and reread the book numerous times and have been inspired by the lives of each one of the people profiled.

1 comments about Leave Her Alone.

1. You have done it again, Megan McKenna, left me overwhelmed with insights, this time about myself and who I am as a woman loved by God. Maybe it was the comment about grandmothers bragging but that was one special chapter right there. As a sequel to Not Counting Women and Children, this book contains many examples of what is waiting between the lines and behind the stories in scripture. The examples from midrash and other traditions add womderfully to the values the women of the Bible are hoping to teach us, women in the Third Millenium after Christ. Will we ever learn?