1 comments about The Smithsonian Book of the First Ladies: Their Lives, Times, and Issues.

1. I expected more from The Smithsonian. This book contains a total of three paragraphs about Martha Wayles, Thomas Jefferson's wife; four paragraphs about Anna Symmes, William Henry Harrison's wife; five paragraphs about Rachel Donelson, Andrew Jackson's wife; eight paragraphs about Letitia Christian, John Tyler's wife; and only three sentences on Hannah Hoes, Martin Van Buren's wife. A high school research paper based on such a half-hearted attempt would have received a "D".

5 comments about Back from the Dead: One Woman's Search for the Men Who Walked off America's Death Row.

1. As a 'Moderate Conservative', my interest in this book was initially based only on two factors 1) the author was a native San Antonian and 2) the statistical analysis approach appealed to the math major in me.
   
   With that said, I can now say I have rarely read a book that caused me to examine my own deeply held beliefs, prejudices and opinions so honestly. Much like the authors mother, I have allways subscribed to the concept of 'an eye for an eye' and have believed in the good 'ol Texas version of justice.
   
   Mrs. Cheever very carefully and very methodically tracked down, researched and interviewed men that our justice system said should now be dead. She very candidly discusses those that the justice system may have been right about (those that continued to kill and commit crimes). But she also takes us into the homes and lives of men who were in fact 'rehabilitated' and lived (and still live) productive, law-abiding and loving lives. However, she does not glamorize those men, nor does she excuse the crimes they committed. At all times, she keeps the reader aware of the innocent lives that were lost and the family's that still deal with the grief of those losses.
   
   She raises the very valid question -can those sentenced to death as 'no hope for rehabilitation' actually be rehabilitated? While the justice system and arm-chair psychiatrists have strong opinions - Mrs. Cheever has used actual facts to unquestionably prove that 'Yes' it can be done and has been done.
   
   Due to a brief stay of execution afforded these men - the world has the opportunity to see what became of their lives - lives that should not have continued based on the death sentence they received for their crimes.
   
   After finishing the book, I cannot honestly say that I am yet opposed to the death penalty as a set-in-stone rule. However, I can say that I was immensely moved by both her passion, her words and her research. I can also say that I am glad that those men who were 'rehabilitated' were able to live their lives giving back to the communities, schools and church's that believed in them.
   
   The American Public has been given a great book to explore complex and painful ideas - I only hope that we take the opportunity to learn what lessons lie in it.



2. Tracking down 589 people is no small undertaking. Ms. Cheever not only does justice to any overwhelming task, but delves into the depths of the Class of '72, who received a second chance at life after having been sentenced to death. While on her journey to find what became of the "lottery winners" winners of Furman v. Georgia, Ms. Cheever touched their souls while exposing her own. In the end the author learns the meaning of forgiveness and becomes a "healer" in justice system wrought with injustice.
   The reader learns where and who some of the reprieved convicts are today with the added insight of Ms. Cheever's underpinings through snipets of her colorful Texas family. Just as the reader comes up for air, having met a former death row inmate, having heard the facts of his crime and punishment, the author teases the reader with a preview the next unsavory character. Putting down the book at this point is not an option. In the end there is much to ponder. Kudos to Ms. Cheever whose Notes are as good a read as the book.



3. For most people, the death penalty is a matter of the heart, and whether there are numbers to prove or disprove the belief is beside the point. Thankfully, author Joan Cheever is not most people, and in "Back from the Dead" she has done a masterful job of laying out the facts (documented with a journalist's zeal) and marrying them with a vividly told story of a compelling personal journey. In doing so, she has not only made an important contribution to the national debate on the death penalty, but she has also given us a good read.



4. I found the book interesting, but with some repetition throughout. It didn't fulfill my deeper interest in the psychological side of the subjects in the book. The significant point is to fully evaluate your personal beliefs about capital punishment - has absolute guilt been determined? ...and prisoner rehabilitation...can people change? Overall, an interesting book, but not quite enough substance for me.



5. In all this hyping and moaning over the inhumanity of executions, the fairness of capital punishment, and the redemption of the human soul, we forget that there is a reason that these "people" were sentenced to die, and it was not for stealing girl scout cookies! Each person on death row represents an innocent person who should still be alive. While Ms. Cheever does give some information about the victims, it is not enough! Society has paid a huge price for the Furman V Georgia decision in terms of crimes, destruction, simply the danger of having former death row inmates out on the street, and ultimatley in the death of more innocent victims by people who should already be dead. Let this story illustrate: Daryl Kemp was convicted in the 1957 murder and rape of Marjorie Hipperson in addition to several other rapes in L.A. He was sentenced to die. Marjorie Hipperson was a beautiful 24 year old nurse engaged to a doctor, SHE deserved to live, not Kemp. Kemp's sentence was commuted to life in 1972 and he was paroled in 1978. Four months later, 40 year old wife and mother Armida Wilstsey turned up dead on a jogging trail in Contra Costa County. In 2003 Kemp was tied to the murder and rape through DNA. He was found in Texas serving a Life Sentence for and aggravated rape in 1983 and he was suspected in several additional rapes in Texas. Because Marjorie Hipperson was not given the justice she deserved, Boyd and Jeff Wiltsey lost their wife and mother respectively, in addition to several women forever being scared by the horror of being a rape victim. Jeff was only 10 years old. Boyd Wiltsey hinted that had he not had his son he probably would have killed himself. He described his wife as "the living image of what you would consider a good person." Daryl Kemp is the epitome of evil. Marjorie Hipperson and Armida Wiltsey were the epitome of what is good. They are dead while Kemp is still alive, what is wrong with this picture? There are many other stories like this and it is sickening to think that because we showed mercy we never should have, innocent people died. If we abolish the death penalty today are you ready for these types of consequences? Remember that nearly 60% of everyone on death row in 1972 was eventually released, and only about 1% were exonerated ( which in no way means they did not actually commit the crime they were convicted of). Are you prepared to have 60% of everyone on death row today in YOUR neighborhoods, with your children, with your loved ones? I for one will be damned if thats gonna happen. I wonder if Ms. Cheever would like to have 60% of everyone on death row in her community. Remember the victims that these criminals brutally murdered. When they took innocent human life, they forfitted theirs.

1 comments about Mary Tudor: The Spanish Tudor.

1. you won't find a "bloody Mary" here because this book deals with the relations between Spain and England during the 1500's. Mary was the daughter of Henry VIII and Catherine of Aragon.Seeing as Spain and England would go to war on numerous occasions culminating in the Spanish Armada defeat in 1588,Queen Mary's selection of a husband from Spanish royalty,seems like it would have been very unpopular in 1554. And indeed it was,one has to wonder if the objection of the English to Phillip of Spain had less to do with his Catholicism and more to do with his suspected Spanish sympathies.Sometimes a royal marriage between 2 rival nations can unite,but in this case it aggravated the rivalry.In this book the burnings and religious persecutions are downplayed deliberately to focus on the political rivalries between France,England, and Spain and about a dozen or more other countries. Indeed it is hard to keep track here.Still though it must have given Mary,secret delight to see Archbishop Cranmer burned however because he was the main prosecutor of Mary's mother,Catherine of Aragon and Cranmer sent her packing in humiliation.Headstrong Mary or "Bloody Mary" as she is known made in retrospect an unwise marriage in the Spanish union,and when you're the head of a nation,that can be a disaster.being the child of Queen Catharine of Aragon(of Spain),Mary saw her reign as a vindication of her mother and her catholic faith.All this at atime when England was becoming a world power and the main competitor was Catholic Spain.This book seems to see Mary's reign as a brief step backward and the Queens inability to govern because of infighting over numerous issues of religion and politics.It would take the reign of elizabeth 1 ,Mary's half sister to finally get england moving again.Other books however have been written that stress Mary's achievements,but this book focuses mainly on the Spanish/English conflict over European hegemony.As Oscar Wilde said,"people who have to go back to their childhood as the reason for their problems are boring"but in Mary Tudor's case this quote would not apply. The first 1/2 of this book is pretty much devoted to Mary's traumatic childhood where she is exposed to huge amounts of cruelty from her father and his cohorts.Her mother and her religion were Mary's only balm.when she became queen by accident,the results were not surprising.with Ann boleyn's title of "the great whore" and Mary tudor's "Bloody Mary",how is it everyone but henry the eigth gets a bad nickname yet he himself doesn't.At least Henry the Alehound maybe.Seems he was even bloodier than his daughter,sending people to the block on a whim,and his reputation even more tarnished than Ann Boleyn's could ever have been."Great Harry"!I don't think the author even hints the title.

3 comments about The Secret Lives of Hyapatia Lee.

1. While this book is interesting it is ultimately disappointing. The disappointment comes in two areas. The first and simplist is that the book needs extensive editing. Simple proofreading should have removed numerous spelling errors and other problems with basic English. While these things do not prevent the understanding of the text they are distracting and reduce the effectiveness of any piece. A good editor would also have improved the consistency of the book. Characters are introduced with little explanation and names are adjusted in a confusing manner. Many areas cry out for more background. There are almost never any dates mentioned in the book so it becomes very hard to keep track of how long it is between events. One simple example of lack of details is the one sentence mentioning that it was a good thing the author had decided to home-school her children. There was never any background about how this decision was reached, who did the teaching, or what the results seem to have been. There is just so much in the story that received too little attention.

   The second problem is that the book purports to be a look behind the x-rated business and while it touches this the main point of the book is to complain about what had been done to the author by everyone she had ever met and to justify her actions based on this. If her first husband ever offered even as much as emotional support after their marriage it isn't mentioned. Even concerning her present husband there is nothing about what he has done to help her or how they love each other. He is introduced and married in a paragraph which is summed up by saying they dated for a year and then got married. The book sounds like a catharsis and that can be a good thing for the author but for the rest of us a more balanced story would fill out the portrait of the author. The book is not a bad idea but an extensive rewrite under the direction of a good editor would lengthen the book and make it a much better document.




2. I found this book to be very enlightening about the adult movie business, as well as the strip clubs and mens magazine empires. The book focuses more on the businesses than it does the author, although there is extensive personal information given. It seems that the information given is just enough to explain the actions the author took. It moves fast, so you must give it undivided attention to catch the details. I particularly appreciated the ending and the sumarization of the author's opinions. The review of the book before this one, I feel, does not understand the author's desire to keep her more personal life private. I can understand why she would feel this way, and I read it for the information on the businesses afore mentioned, not necessarily for an interest in the author herself.



3. Hyapatia gives a fascinating view into the adult entertainment business from a woman's perspective, as an insider who saw many changes in the industry over a period of about 15 years. You will learn of her struggle to overcome a painful childhood of neglect and outright abuse while keeping the strong spirit inside her alive. In fact, one of the strengths of this book is that it is inspiring - - Hyapatia survived to tell about her life, and in doing so, attempts to raise awareness to improve the lives of others who experienced similar treatment.
   
   Hyapatia reveals the truth regarding many myths and misunderstandings about adult film actresses - - their motivations, backgrounds, and a realistic account of how much money they earn. Much of it is surprising. Before you judge anyone for making the choice to become an adult film performer, you should understand some of the reasons that can lead a person to this way of earning a living.
   
   This book gives an honest assessment of the emotional and financial pros and cons of performing as an adult entertainer. It's a must-read for women who would consider going into this business. Hyapatia rightfully defends our freedom to watch and enjoy sexually oriented material, while lobbying for better treatment and respect for the industry's performers. After all, there should be mutual respect between audience and performers, since they cannot exist without each other.

5 comments about Castles Burning: A Childs Life in War.

1. This is one of the most moving accounts of that time that I have ever read. I admire the courage of the writer to recount it, I admire the fierceness of that little girl, so many years ago. Its haunting beauty stays with me.



2. Her memory and recall of detail, conversations, and feelings make her an excellent writer of a compelling story. I wonder if she wrote of her life after reaching Cuba.



3. Magda Denes was five years old, in 1939, when her editor father abruptly abandoned his family, transferring all his assets to the United States.
   The family was left with nothing.
   Persecuted and then hunted, Magda was determined not to give way to despair (as she was taken around to different places of hiding and had to hide under floorboards, in an oven, and in a cellar) . She lost her brother Ivan, who was a rescuer for the Zionist youth movement Hashomer Hatzair. The Zionists rescued many Jews from the Nazis, and were the backbone of Jewish resistance to Nazism.
   What results is a colourful classic of the sruggle for life in dangerous and frightening days of death, written with wry humour and biting wit.
   You will grow to understand, sympathize with and love Magda as you follow her story.
   Today influential voices are calling for an end to the State of Israel (which was in many cases built by holocaust survivors), which would certainly lead to a second holocaust aginst the Jews living there.
   It is up to us to prevent a second holocaust from occuring.
   To prevent a situation where Jewish children will be murdered and hunted, by fully supporting Israel in her struggle to survive and fighting anti-Israel prejudice.



4. This book is a Hungarian version of Ann Frank's Diary. It shows the world of a persecuted young Jewish girl through her own eyes. But it's also much more of an adventure story - and less introspective - than Ann Frank's Diary - and the heroine survived. It artfully portrays the family tensions - which, aside the extraordinary circumstances, were in a sense ordinary: yet they are beautifully and vividly portrayed. The author was obviously a character of great steel inside. Having myself lived many years in Hungary, the places, names etc. were all familiar which made it doubly interesting. A must for anyone seriously interested in Hungary.



5. This book shall remain in my library permanently. Do not mistake this as simply an "Anne Frank" copycat; it is not! Nor is this just another Nazi story. What make this book so incredible is her comments about life and loneliness. Interestingly, there is also laugh-aloud humor sprinkled throughout. The end of the book, unlike Wiesel et al., leaves one feeling upbeat. It is a remarkable, true account, written by a successful NYC psychiatrist on her deathbed due to breast cancer and published posthumously. THIS BOOK SHOULD NOT BE MISSED!

5 comments about Condition Critical.

1. This review comes from a non-reader. I read only if it keeps me reading. I read Intensive Care after a co-worker had given it to me and found a common bond with Echo Heron having been there myself. I bought Condition Critical when it first came out and she did it again. I left a hospital after the "assistants" came to help with our staffing problems. In this book, she tells it like it is and stands up for nursing--I wish she was still nursing and writing. We need nurses who can say what needs to be said and let the public know what's going on. All her books are entertaining and the real life one's are so funny, many a time I was laughing out loud!!



2. I loved Intensive Care and was thrilled to see Echo Heron's continuing story. The first two-thirds of the book had tales just as good, if not better, than the stories in her first book. However, her burnout and departure from nursing was an abrupt and sad ending. I hope that Ms. Heron has since reconsidered leaving the profession because it is obvious that she is a nurse with much to give. Though hospitals will never be perfect employers, there are many that are far better than "Redwoods Memorial" and I was disappointed that she did not try working somewhere else rather than giving up in disgust and despair. That said, I hope that laypeople as well as medical professionals read this book and see the things that are happening in medicine today that are driving so many excellent nurses out of the profession. Perhaps if enough people recognize the value of the contribution nurses make to medicine they can pressure hospitals into doing everything they can to recruit and retain the truly gifted ones like Echo Heron.



3. I found the book entertaining, because like Heron, I used to work as a nurse and am now a full time writer. I also lived and worked in the Bay Area, and know the hospital that she writes about. However, Heron seems to find enough people to lash out at, but she seldom mentions that nurses are their own worst enemies. Nurses rarely if ever stand up for themselves, they are great at complaining among themselves but when it comes to doing something about a problem--well, nobody wants to rock the boat. Nurses are great at backstabbing, they don't stick together--in short, nurses are treated without disrespect by doctors and hospital administrators because they tolerate it without a peep. So it always bugs me when high and mighty nurses complain about everyone under the sun except themselves. As for Heron's writing, it is okay but a little melodramatic.



4. This book is great. It really gives a very accurate portryal of what a "real nurse" is and does. A great addition to any nurses book collection that you should read over and over again throughout your nursing career. We all can relate to her tales of a typical shift.



5. So far this is the only book that I have read by Heron but its indeed the best picture of the critical care nurse's work life. Incompetent physicians, critical patients, demanding families, lazy co-workers, and of course the constant surprises, are all highlighted in hilarious quips. I love how Heron makes nursing sound as challenging as it is. I have been working critical care for only a short time but its amazing the power that your knowledge has over determining a person's outcome. Heron highlights different scenarios and what interventions she had to do to make sure that the patient's condition improved. She is an extraordinary nurse and an excellent author. This book would rattle many would be nurses, while getting an appreciative nod from experienced ones. Its a great book and Heron should be proud of this work. It really shows people how hard nurses work and that there is a lot of compassion in this field.

5 comments about Perdita: The Literary, Theatrical, Scandalous Life of Mary Robinson.

1. I'll confess I would never have looked at this book if it hadn't been for the fact that I decided to read the 10 nominations for Richard and Judy's Best Read 2005.This book has been the biggest surprise of the lot,because, to be honest, I was not really looking forward to it.
   How wrong could I be ? This is a dazzling story of a fascinating woman. I am afraid to say the other biography in the Richard and Judy list,"Feel" by Chris Heath, which is all about pop singer Robbie Williams, comes off a very poor second when compared to this volume. Sadly of course there's no doubt which book will sell more.I wish all Robbie Williams fans, or indeed the fans of any of the over-hyped celebrities of today, would read this book and find out that maybe their hero's or heroine's exploits are not so special after all when compared to what the subject of this biography got up to.
   Mary Robinson, whose nickname was Perdita, was married at 15 and her marriage was something of a disaster and included spending some time in prison with her husband. She then made herself into one of London's most celebrated actresses and was a friend of the outstanding theatrical figures of the day.She became a leading figure in the glamorous high society of the city, reputedly being the most beautiful woman in Britain.She voluntarily gave up her theatrical career to become the mistress of the Prince of Wales, thus heightening her celebrity even further. Reading about this time of her life it appears that she was just as famous or infamous as any contemporary celebrity.Maybe more so.There are many obvious similarities.
   In the second half of the book the plot changes almost completely as Mary, after being ditched by her royal lover, re-invents herself as a writer. She is so successful in this enterprise that she becomes one of the leading lady literary figures of the era. She is primarily a poetess, but also writes plays, novels and political tracts and she becomes friendly with both leading political and cultural figures.
   It is an absolutely fascinating tale, made more moving perhaps by the fact that she was not lucky in love, suffered a debilitating illness for many years and finally died young at the age of 43.
   All this is retold in an easy and entertaining way by Paula Byrne and I would thoroughly recommend this book to anyone.



2. For those who enjoy the Regency period and life of George IV, this is one of the most perfect books to introduce you into the life of the period. It was a brief, intense and fascinating life which pushed the established mores to their limits.
   
   The Prince of Wales (lat to be George IV) became enamoured of Mary Robinson in her portrayal of Peridita in Shakespeare's, A Winter's Tale. She was a young actress, escaped from a bad marriage and strange father. She took to the stage for some income (as many women of the period did instead of taking up prostitution as such)
   
   The Prince of Wales became known as Florizel to Robinson's Perdita and she was his first 'major' mistress. Their lives intertwined for a brief period in his early adulthood - the beginning of what is known as the 'extended regency'. Robinson was then mistress to many of the influential peers of the time, and was even friends with Georgiana, the Duchess of Devonshire;
   
   At a time when Georgian morals were of questionable value (everything in private, nothing in public)- when profligacy, spending, appearance and general splendour were the order of the day - Mary Robinson orbited on at the perimetre of acceptability. An actress, an abadoned wife, a mistress, and more.
   
   I found this book overlong, but worth the effort to read. It is one of a series of books about women on the edge of society in this period, and has been great to build up a picture of life and living in the late eighteenth and early nineteenth century. The author has gone to enormous efforts to track down information on Robinson, and it has paid off. There seems to be a good depth of research to back up the work. Overall a good read and well worth making the effort



3. For the eighteenth century, I suppose you could call her a great 'beauty' as she was privileged to be painted by the famous Gainsborough and other artists of that time. She was a social climber who had her own opera box complete with mirrors. As the actress portraying 'Perdita' in Shakespeare's "The Winter's Tale" she captured the fancy of George,the Prince of Wales, and became his mistress at the risk to her reputation and career. Had it happened in today's society, she could have married him and become royalty.
   
   Born in a former monastery in Bristol, England, on November 17, 1757, she was a notorious figure of society, theatre, and literary circles. She derived from Irish roots, she was the perfect 'Juliet.' After her betrayal (in which she produced letters to negotiate a future), she became ill with rheumatic fever and turned to writing Gothic novels. Living in the old ruins of a catheral as a lonely, introverted, sad child, she had a vivid imagination and used it in her books.
   
   She was a product of her time and used whatever wiles she had as a female to further her activities, whether in theatre, politics, royalty, celebrity writers or just her own poetry and fiction. She wrote a memoir of her sordid beginnings and sham of a marriage, which had allowed her to live a fashionable life in London for a short time, then to fall to the bottom of the ladder in debtors' prison. Her early years were one of abandonment and marriage one of infedilities. She had good teachers along the way.
   
   This was well researched and much effort put forth to show the truth, no matter how bad. Her triumphs were greater than her failures.



4. The late 18th Century is a fascinating period of contradiction. The circumspect lives of George III and his wife are at odds at the so-called crème de la crème of society, including the Prince of Wales. Mary Robinson's life story reveals the opulent lifestyles, decadence, and life of privilege of England's aristocracy and nobles. A great commentary on this period.



5. mary robinson lived her life on her on term ,when woman were told there was only one path to follow,wife and mother.

5 comments about Bipolar and Pregnant: How to Manage and Succeed in Planning and Parenting While Living with Manic Depression.

1. I have a family member who is bipolar and is considering starting a family with her husband. After researching this topic with my sister we were disappointed to find there was hardly any literature on this subject. I can't tell you how excited we were to find a book written from the perspective of a bipolar parent. Bipolar and Pregnant provides great insight on the hurdles a couple must overcome to achieve a successful bipolar pregnancy. What we were most excited about is that the book offers advice on the decision making process, coping mechanisms during pregnancy and postpartum issues. My sister and her husband realize starting a family with a bipolar mother is a difficult one but this book has given them hope and inspiration regarding this important topic.



2. I found it very helpful to hear about how a woman with bipolar disorder successfully managed two pregnancies. This book not only gives women and their families hope - it also is an easy to understand, informative and practical step-by-step guide. I also appreciated the valuable information written by the professionals. In checking Kristin's website, I found that the Cleveland Clinic Library gave the book a positive review which reinforced my opinion of the book.



3. As a medical doctor, this is what I would call a dangerous book. It assumes people with bipolar disorder will stop their medications, a potentially disasterous decision for mom and baby. It does not address how to safely stay on medications during pregnancy. I'm disturbed by this and will steer my patients clear. It is a pity because if well done it would fill a void on the topic.



4. Kristin gives the reader concise details about what's it like not only to live with bipolar disorder but also what it's like to go off medication during 2 pregnancies. As a therapist I give Kristin credit for making sure she was monitored closely by her psychiatrist and Ob/Gyn. She didn't impulsively go off her medication and she did her research responsibly. She even states that this is not the best decision for everyone with bipolar disorder but that it was for her and she trusted her Doctors. Her accounts of her daily life with mania and depression give me great insight into what my patients also deal with. I believe this book encourages the pregnant bipolar patient to take care of themselves while off their medication and Kristin gave detailed examples of how she was able to do this. I would recommend it to my own patients.



5. Kristin Finn's book offers the reader keen insights into how she managed her bipolar disorder during her pregnancy. This book recognizes that some bipolar woman go off their medications--like Finn--while others remain on their medications. It's very helpful to read her first person account, and she does a nice job weaving journal entries she kept during both her pregnancies into the narrative to offer perspective on what she went through.

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.

No comments about Asylum, Prison, and Poorhouse: The Writings and Reform Work of Dorothea Dix in Illinois.