5 comments about The Invisible Woman: A Special Story for Mothers.

1. Excellent book, even for men to read. Great seller, too.



2. This book affirms what we already know...that women can so often become invisible...or feel that way. Treat yourself to a deeper understanding of life as a busy woman.



3. This is an excellent book for women - especially young mothers who are trying to understand the importance of the work they do in caring for their families. I gave a copy to five mothers, young and old, for Christmas gifts. The author has wonderful insights into her perspective on this important work that mothers perform.



4. A friend gave me this just in time to give me a better way of looking at what I thought of as a "thankless" job. As I mused over the book, I realized the many ways in which I could apply the message to so many situations in my life. I shared it with a man I know who is a nurse caring for the elderly and whose job is a monotonous routine of caring for alzheimer victims and others. It is easy to see how he would feel invisible in his work and how it may discourage him. In fact, It helped him see the big picture and know that his is not a job that gets recognition and appreciation much, but that all his efforts ARE noticed by the ONE who counts. I wholeheartedly recommend this book to everyone!



5. If someone says this is a "boring book", they must not have children or understand our true roll on this planet. I found this book uplifting and having great meaning in my life. We are not alone. Even though, our husbands and children might not see what we do for them, we need to believe that the most important person does...God. We do not do these things for ourselves but for Him, in His Glory. I give this book every year to my Secret Sister at Church and every year I get a note of thanks!

5 comments about When Heaven and Earth Changed Places: Tie-In Edition.

1. Not having lived a very memorable life, my own writing has leaned toward fiction. Nevertheless, I tend to judge memoirs--and this is a good one--by the same standards I use for great literary fiction. One of those standards is the opener, or first line, in this case, "SUFFOCATE HER!" the midwife told my mother when I came into the world.
   
   This is what we in the business call a 'zinger,' the equal of Camus' "Mother died today." or Melville's "Call me Ishmael." What a beginning! On trial for her life right from the git-go. This opener effectively signalled the continuous trials and potential consequences Le Ly would face for the rest of her life. She would have to come from stern stock if she were to survive, and her mother held her genetic end up with her smokin' response to the midwife, "I will bury her when she stops breathing. Now get out of here."
   
   I have been a student of the Vietnam War since I first joined the Army as a chopper pilot in 1967--ironic because I've never set foot in that unfortunate land. I suppose I'm motivated by survivor's guilt. Anyway, Le Ly's fine memoir anchors a good bit of my newly won understanding of that longest and strangest of American wars. Coming from a Republican military family and growing up in the Cold War as I did, I believed at the time that everybody knew about and accepted the Domino Theory. And with my father a Korean War veteran (as well as WWII and Vietnam) I believed that any communists that were brazen enough to encroach from the north could be pushed back with a proper dose of American military muscle. I served in S. Korea myself many years after that war and things seemed to be plugging along rather nicely, thus preserving in my mind the validity of the Domino Theory. Then came Vietnam and the awful realization that we were not invincible. Hell, we got our butts kicked! Initial study from an unbiased source--General Westmoreland--suggested that America didn't lose the war, the South Vietnamese did. And he was right in a sense. Marvin the ARVN was quite content to sit back and let Joe slug it out with the VC and the NVA. I couldn't understand this. How could they take such a lackadaisical attitude about the fate of their nation when they had so much at stake? Did this mean they were for communism??? How could anybody with half a brain be FOR communism? I am not and never have been a practicioner of 'Jane Fonda logic' wherein if America makes a few mistakes, then the injured party must be lily-white, Q.E.D. I could see what rats the VC and NVA were. I knew they were just a front for a repressive dictatorship. Why couldn't the South Vietnamese see that? I was baffled.
   
   Well, along comes a nice lady with the incongruous name of Le Ly Hayslip, who writes a book about those very South Vietnamese who didn't care about their government, or their nation (at least as we Americans tried to define it for them), or to my great surprise, communism or democracy or freedom (again as we defined that term). All they really cared about was getting the rice crop in and raising a few sons to do the same. Then the VC came into their village and beat everybody up, so they felt obliged to follow communism. Most of them didn't really know what that meant, but if the VC would stop beating them up, they'd learn a few songs and dig a few bunkers, then get back to the rice crop. The VC would leave and the Vietnamese Republicans would come in and beat them up again. So they were obliged to pay a few bribes and act 'patriotic' so the new bully would go away and again they could get back to the rice crop. This bizarre pattern only seemed normal to them. Throughout their recent past they had always been plagued by one bully or another--the French with their Morrocan allies, the VC, the NVA, the Republicans, the Americans--they were all the same to them. There was always somebody trying to get between them and their rice paddies. Deep down inside they were as apolitical as the grains of rice they were so diligently trying to harvest. You can eat rice. you can't eat dogma. The rice had fed them for generations. The VC et al. only fed them baloney. I get it now, Le Ly. Thank you.
   
   --Ejner Fulsang, author of "A Knavish Piece of Work." Aarhus Publishing, 2006



2. Le Ly Hayslip has gone through one of the worst wars in American history. And she has lived. Past the rape, past the sexual inequality, past the emotional destruction of her family, past the threats and brushes with death. Le Ly Hayslip now is an accomplished author and owns several real estates throughout California.
   
   This is a powerful memoir and I will not rob it of that. However, the only reason I gave it 3 stars (an "It was OK" rating) instead of 4 is because I feel that Hayslip could have cut out about... maybe 1/6th of the book out and nothing will have been missed. Not that it didn't relate to the story, but Hayslip does occasionally go off about this or that, her re-arrival back to Vietnam as an adult also heads towards the digressing end of the spectrum a lot of time and sometimes she goes from reporting her troubles and potential sympathy to just plain whining. Perfect for the college kid looking to dig as much quotes and intangibles to write an essay (as was I) but as a reader I felt it was too much.
   
   Overall, still an excellent read.



3. An honestly told story by an author able to see both sides. This is a also a story of forgiveness. Her story is a heroic journey and the author gives the reader a perspective into the many ways the Vietnam War has affected Americans and Vietnamese Americans.



4. Recommended by my Vietnamese tour guide in October 2007, this book describes the dreadful plight of those Vietnamese families living on the border between North and South Vietnam in what the Vietnamese term the "American War". During the day, the villagers had to demonstrate allegiance to the South and at night the VC demanded their loyalty. The families would not leave their land as their ancestors are buried there. The authors, Le Ly Hayslip and her son James, describe her experiences in surviving the hell imposed upon her family by the opposing forces and her eventual emigration to the USA. The sequel, "Child of War, Woman of Peace", describes the difficulties she experienced as a Vietnamese in the USA.



5. This book is a page-turner, an amazing non-fictional look at the lives of people caught between the southern regime and the Viet Cong during the Viet Nam conflict. The protagonist herself gives an intimate view of her life that is too strange to believe.

5 comments about No Disrespect.

1. I decided to read this book after I learned that my favorite artist and a person I look up to read it, Tupac. This book was a eye opener. I loved how she went into a lot of the issues we as black people deal with on the daily basis and she didnt sugarcoat anything. She was so raw with everything she said and I loved it. I think every young black male and female should read this book. I agreed, disagreed, laughed, cried, and smiled while i read this book it got so many emotions out of me and a book has never done that before. I definitely recommend this book to anyone.



2. This book will hit you smack between the eye sockets as Sister Souljah describes her own upbringing in the projects, in the grips of a welfare system designed to convey feelings of inferiority, an educational system in which black children were given no reason to take pride in their colour, their origins or their past, life in college and as an activist. She discovers a class beneath the underclass where she grew up. Souljah writes of the desperation that gripped not only adults but children and the complete death of love between black folks (235). She calls welfare hotels urban hellholes where "African children were doomed. It was a recipe for extinction of my people. It was genocide." This story brings to mind an activist called Geoffrey Canada who tried to convey the urgency of the problem. Souljah nailed it beautifully. Man/woman relationships play a significant role in this story. Be prepared to be jolted out of your seat.



3. This book was not that bad,There are things that agree with Sister Souljah on and things that I disagree with.But for her to be so intelligent and have alot of book sense...She lacks a great deal of common sense and I honestly think and feel that she has alot of issues within herself to deal with by judging of her actions in this book.



4. I PURCHASED THIS BOOK BECAUSE THIS IS THE 2ND PART OF HER 1ST BOOK THE COLDEST WINTER EVER I LIKED THAT BOOK AND I FEEL THAT SISTA SOULJA LIFE EXPERIENCES ARE OF VALUE FOR BOOK READERS TO READ ....



5. Sistah Souljah created an honest look at the truths of society. To call her a racist for being honest reporting her realities and what she has witnessed in her work and service to communities is mere ignorance. I do not fully agree with every word Sistah writes. However, I commend her honesty, her openness, and her consciousness.
   
   The book is a must read regardless if one agrees or disagrees. It is not to be used as a life manual. It is to be used as a mirror, or a stepping stone. If you are the person she regrets being or you want to elevate to another level the book will give you insight that may not be easily found in accessible literature.

5 comments about Blonde Ambition: The Untold Story Behind Anna Nicole Smith's Death.

1. I am a firm believer that Larry Birkhead is a good Dad to this baby.
   I somehow have doubts in the "sex act" that supposedly took place with Larry and Howard. The obvious disdain that the two men have/had for one another make this unbelievable.
   I believe it to be true that Howard is sneaky, dangerous man who liked to control and manipulate, and not to be trusted. He very well could have been the one to take the lives of Daniel and Ana Nichole. Sad for this baby who now has no Mother to grow up with, nor Brother.
   Sad Book, Too bad they could not have had the intervention that they needed to save their lives.
   I think Rita did a good job writing this book. It does hold the readers interest, and moves pretty smoothly and quickly.



2. If you are a Anna Nicole Smith fan this is a book for you. I read the book in one sitting. This is a book that you can't put down. You will definitely enjoy it. It's worth the money



3. This book was a dreadful read, confusing, bias and with no cited sources to back up startling allegations. I was disappointed and turned off!



4. it took a while for this one to get going but about half way through it i finally started to get interested... not well written in the beginning, too much he said this but she said that but he said this and she said that, on and on... but like i said it finally made some points, but you are still left wondering what happened....



5. The book basically just tells you everything you already know if you've followed up on Anna Nicole Smith and her life and death. I liked the book better than Train Wreck, but I wished it had more pictures and better information.

5 comments about Insomniac.

1. I am so glad I found this book. This book is practical, informative, and gives a voice to insomniacs. The research in this book is very thorough, and the personal perspective balances out scientific information with human experience. I have been disappointed and frustrated with the medical community's treatment of insomnia, and it was such a relief to read that I am not the only one. In fact, we learn from this book how this a fundamental barrier to effectively researching and treating insomnia.
   
   As an insomniac, this book has helped me tremendously. I recommend it for anyone suffering from insomnia, as well as anyone who knows someone with insomnia, or anyone interested in the fascinating subject of sleep.



2. On every page, I kept saying, this is my life. Her information on the whole problem of insomnia and the sleep medicine industry was eye opening and right on target. so much useful information. And it reads like a novel! Fantastic book that should be read by all MDs in the field, as well as all people who have sleep problems. and all politicians as well.



3. This is a 300 page , 50 page book. The continous repeating of the same anecdotal comments about an insomniac soon leaves the reader wondering what is being said.
   The call for more research and a list of suggested research topics would have been sufficient and taken only a few pages.
   See Jim Horne's review in Nature, which I thought was overly generous.



4. Professor Greene's book, Insomniac, is a riveting memoir. As I read -- devoured, actually -- page after page, I felt vindicated, infuriated, dismayed, hopeful inspired, encouraged. This is a maelstrom of emotions indeed. The majority of books about insomnia offer the same hackneyed advice: regularize and restrict sleep, reduce or eliminate caffiene consumption, exercise, and ad nauseum. Not Gayle's book, however. As a lifelong insomniac, she has tried virtually every pill, treatment, technique that promises to "cure" insomnia -- all to no avail. In impassioned and somber prose, she guides the reader through a gripping and moving narrative of her lifelong battle with this "beast." She doesn't stop there, however. She shares the stories of other insomniacs --
   insomniacs less fortunate than she.
   
   Gayle is a tenured professor at a private liberal arts college. She has job security unlike the majority of insomniacs. Doctors and behavioral therapists exhort us to regularize and restrict our sleep and avoid so-called "sleep-incompatible" behaviors, but how, as Gayle asks, do you tell a single mother with children to feed, and struggling to make ends meet, to set aside time for what we insomniacs call "the program?"
   
   When Gayle set out to write this book and search for answers, she was disconcerted to discover that insomnia is a poorly understood and often stigmatized affliction. Even today, insomnia is widely considered a psychological, not a neurobiological, disorder. If only WE reduce the stress in our lives; if only WE restrict and regularize our sleep; if only WE exercise more; if only WE don't obsess about our sleep (or lack thereof); "If only WE... If only WE...." WE are to blame.
   
   As Gayle poignantly points out, however, narcoleptics were often blamed for their affliction. If only THEY had more will power; if only THEY weren't so indolent; if only THEY were more disciplined; "If only THEY... if only THEY...." But as it turned out, THEY weren't doing anything wrong. Similarly, WE may not be doing anything wrong. Why is this so difficult to see? And why is the medical and scientific world oblivious to this?
   
   An unfortunate penchant for parsimonious explanations permeates our world. The simplest of explanations is usually correct, we are told. Indeed, it is easier to believe that our broken sleep is the consequence of a psyche in distress rather than defect in our brain -- an astoundingly intricate neural forest. Amidst 100 billion neurons and 100 trillion synaptic gaps, where should researchers begin? As Gayle notes, sleep is more complex than we thought. . .
   
   IN THE ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE, parsimony reigns. IN THE ABSENCE OF EVIDENCE, humanity believed the earth was flat, the earth stationary, the universe geocentric. Humanity believed these things because they were easy to accept and it did not collide with our common, OBVIOUS intuitions. It was OBVIOUS that the earth was flat, it was OBVIOUS that the earth didn't move, it was OBVIOUS that the earth was the center of the universe, just as today it is OBVIOUS that insomnia is depression and anxiety. But as someone once said, "OBVIOUS IS THE MOST DANGEROUS WORD IN SCIENCE."
   
   I cannot recommend Gayle's book enough. Insomniacs, psychologists, psychiatrists, and sleep researchers will benefit from reading this book.



5. Finally, a book written by an author who totally understands chronic insomnia! This book is for those of us who have had this problem for years. Thanks Gayle Green!

5 comments about His Bright Light: The Story of Nick Traina.

1. This really is the greatest nonfiction story I ever read with such a tragic ending. His life was so troubled, but it is truly inspiring. It makes you look inside yourself and those you love, and realize that there are some things we can not change. Those things that we can change, however, are often overlooked when the cries for help are accidentally ignored. This happened to Nick Traina. I do agree with other users that it seems that his mother, although full of love, does feel a lot of guilt. No one could have told his story better than himself, of course, but it seems unlikely that anyone else knew him better than his mother. Very touching, and I am happy that his legacy continues to inspire and live on. R.I.P. Nick.



2. This book is such a deep, feeling, compassionate true story of the pain and suffering Danielle Steele and her son Nick experienced. It is honest, very, very human and shows human suffering in such a clear manner that you can feel the pain of Danielle, Nick and the rest of the family and close friends. I have a son with a similar diagnosis as Nick, and it has helped me to better understand him and myself, and realize that I am not alone on this journey to support the son I love so very much through his painful experiences. Every person should read this to understand how love and bonding with others that have emotional problems is so painful - and if one is in that same situation, this book helps you relate and learn and perhaps realize there is no guilt, no blame - it is just the way it is and you can only do so much for an ill person. But what she points out so strongly is the bond they had and their love for each other, which gave her son the energy to be as productive as he was during his lifetime - and just so awful that the pain was so horrid that he had to end it all - But when you take this journey with Danielle and Nick through this book, you can feel the pain Nick had and understand a bit as to why. I recommend this to anyone who wants to understand humanity a bit more than they do - so they can help those who need the extra step of care and understanding to help them through their horrid journey of life when they are emotionally ill. How courageous and wonderful of Danielle Steele to share this with us, and open herself up to her feelings, her insecurities and her emotions. Thank you, Danielle - and thank you Nick and helping us understand your pain through your mom.



3. bought this book for girlfrind, she has a sizeable collection of danielle steel, an her comment when finish reading it was "that lady speaks from the heart" .she being one who knows her danielle steel,an commenting on them to me, this was one of her better recommendations. Enjoy!



4. This is not just one mother's struggle to help and understand her bipolar child, it is a commentary on the state of help for mentally ill adolescents. The one mother, of course, being the famous and wealthy Danielle Steel who had resources beyond most parents wildest dreams. Yet she encountered numerous educators, psychologists and psychiatrists who were incompetent and disastrous. But this book is also about unconditional love, being resourceful and never giving up. As someone who has worked in both mental health and education, I am so sad that when kids don't fall into the cookie-cutter mold (although Nick was far from that), there is such a hodge-podge of often inadequate help for them. I highly recommend this book and think Danielle Steel has really given readers a wonderful gift in sharing her story.



5. This book went straight to the heart. For any of you faced with challenging children, this book shows a mothers journey of never giving up through life's challenges with raising a challenging child.

5 comments about Now They Call Me Infidel: Why I Renounced Jihad for America, Israel, and the War on Terror.

1. I thought of this book when I saw the TV program "Honor Killing in America." I was somewhat prepared for such a horrifying attitude. The men and some women approve of killing female family members who break the rules set up by men. This is the law of radical Islam which some Muslims want to replace the laws in Western civilization.
   
   The book will give great insight into a world which is often hidden from Western people. Is she trying to scare us? Well, we need the insights she offers from her personal experiences as she moved from hatred to love. We need to understand her fears especially in the light of "honor killings." It would seem that the National Organization for Women would be coming to women's defense on this.
   
   I don't need to repeat what so many other reviews have said. I do highly recommend this as a real eye-opener. She has no reason not to be telling the truth. The negative reviews only clarify the fear these women must feel. I wonder how a woman president would handle "honor killings?"



2. Nonie Darwish is one of the bravest women in the world. She goes where few dare to tread, exposing the hatred embodied in the Muslim world today. Born and raised in a high-society, Egyptian Muslim family, Darwish gives a rare insight into the complex mindset that condones terrorism and applauds honor killings. Darwish discovered the difference in how Americans think, and realized that what fuels Jihad is the indoctrination of young Muslims in hatred and the "evil eye."
   
   This is a fascinating book that will open the minds of complacent Americans to the very real threat of Sharia law over the entire world. I highly recommend this book to anyone who has the stamina to educate yourself about why we are fighting the War on Terror. In story form, Darwish gives unparalleled access into the thinking of the Muslim world.



3. What an eye opener. For one who had little understanding about Muslims and what they believed I found this book most informative and certainly helped me to understand that just as Adolf Hitler misled his subjects, so does Islam do the same to its followers. If you tell a lie often enough your devotees will believe it in the end.



4. Ms. Darwish has written an amazing and personal account of what life is like under Islamic dictatorships. The lying, the anti-American and Israeli propaganda, and making their people (the Arabs) believe that it is everyone else causing their dismal situation. Ms. Darwish opens a door that is rarely seen in the Western world on how Arabs think and act and why it is so hard for Americans to understand the distorted prism through which many Arabs in the Middle East view reality. The only issues I really had with the book were some over simplifications of the Suez Crisis in 1956 and a few other political events that took place in the region. She also provided a great explanation for her group Arabs for Israel (which is not often heard about). Overall this is a fantastic book that should be highly recommended.



5. I have met and had lunch with Nonie Darwish. She gave me a testimonial for my forthcoming book: "Citizen Soldier Handbook: 101 Ways Every American Can Fight Terrorism". She is bright, courageous and insightful. She grew up in Egypt and learned at an early age to hate the Jews. Her father was a high ranking member of Nasser's (before Mubarak) Egyptian Army. was martyred in fighting against Israel. As a result, her family had great `honor' and position. But she started questioning why the Jews were hated. And how this perpetuated sensibility affected her life and the lives of others. Her education at the American University of Cairo opened her eyes to discussion and critical thinking. Even her own people had always considered Egypt a `Muslim' country - even though it was a country conquered by the invading hordes. After all, why is there Egyptian spoken language? She learned that Israel existed long ago and began asking more and more questions. She realized that Arab media was manipulative and excluded the truth.
   
   This book is more than just an autobiographical journey. She is taking us from a place of hatred to a place of understanding. She has had and still gets numerous threats for her writing and speaking. She appreciates America and Israel.
   
   Michael Mandaville, Author: "Citizen Soldier Handbook: 101 Ways Every American Can Fight Terrorism".

5 comments about Mockingbird: A Portrait of Harper Lee.

1. As a result of Shields's biography of Lee, those of us with interest in her can know much more about her background, her challenges, and her successes than we did before. My respect for her has been enhanced considerably by reading this book. It's the next best thing to Lee's own memoirs, which perhaps will yet appear.
   
   For some time I resisted acquiring and reading this volume, bothered because it was described as unauthorized by its subject. Now, after reading it, I am very grateful to its author for the thoughtful and careful effort that went into it. It is generally quite sympathetic to its subject, and I would surmise that any passages which might offend her are few and far between.
   
   In one quote attributed to a sorority member at the University of Alabama during Lee's years there, Lee is described as someone who would today be called a nerd. This nerd reader was delighted to see her so classified.
   
   A minor annoyance with the book has to do with several geographical errors, errors which should have been detected and corrected by careful editing. Their survival in print reduces somewhat the reader's confidence in the overall accuracy of the book. An example is the reference to Evergreen's location as west of Monroeville, when it is actually to the east.



2. I enjoyed the book and would suggest it for others if you are interested in Harper Lee.
   It seemed to start strong, drag a little go through a furious pace with the publication of "To Kill A Mockingbird" then slow down again.
   Ms. Lee is a fascinating and of course reclusive person at least as far as the press and any attempts at interviews so Mr. Shields has done a great job in piecing together a biography without the cooperation of the subject.
   If you love the book and the movie you will enjoy this biography.



3. I really enjoyed reading about the life of Nelle Harper Lee. In fact, this author also interested me in the life of Truman Capote. Good job!



4. As a huge fan of TKAM, I have always wanted to know more about its elusive and very private author. I enjoyed the personal narrative style based on interviews. Kudos!



5. Mr. Shields admits in the introduction that cracking open Ms. Lee's world was a daunting task and the book is not as in-depth as he had wished. The notoriously private Ms. Lee not only did not cooperate, but made some minor efforts to persuade friends and acquaintances to give Mr. Shields the silent treatment. Ms. Lee's steadfast loyalty to the very troubled Truman Capote, despite the schnook's erratic and sometimes dreadful treatment of her, is never fully explained by the author. This is through no fault of Mr. Shields. The mysteries of Stonehenge would have been easier to decipher than getting to the core of Harper Lee. Even though Mr. Shields' book does lack certain salient points about what makes her tick, overall it is a wonderful biography and well worth the reader's time and attention. Unless an unknown written treasure trove of Ms. Lee's personal thoughts surfaces, I doubt anyone will be able to do a better job than Mr. Shields.

5 comments about Iran Awakening: One Woman's Journey to Reclaim Her Life and Country.

1. This is the best and the most honest version of the modern history of my country from the eyes of a brave educated woman who is not afraid to fight for what every one else is afraid to whisper. In her memoir, she does not leave out any detail of the atmosphere governing Iran. Living in the circumstances she describes in the book, I genuinely respect her for who she is. She is an icon every woman can look up to and That is why she is a Nobel prize winner. She has a story telling gift, making the book absolutely attractive and easy to follow. This book is a must read; she risked her life writing it and it needs audience: Iranian women and children need Shirin Ebadi and people who think like her. This is an outstanding book, unforgettable.



2. An excellent and honest if horrifying picture of today's Iran. I found Ms. Ebadi's book as fascinating as Hillary Clinton's. An extremely smart and brave woman, Ms. Ebadi clearly loves her country and is ready to sacrifice her life for Iran. I was happy to read about the few improvements in the lives of ordinary citizens as well as changes in women's education in the Islamic republic, but it pained me to read about the human rights violations, the killings, and the tortures used by the mullahs on their own people. I spent 7 years in Iran before, during and after the revolution and left when Iraq threatened to bobmb Tehran. I loved Iran, its ancient history, beautiful poetry, and lovely countryside. But most of all I loved its friendly, hospitable, and talented people and to read that the nation's suffering wasn't over was very hard for me. However, it made me happy and proud to know that Iran, once more, produced a gem, and this time it was a woman, who despite the terror of the Islamic republic was
   able to make her voice heard in the world and received a Nobel price!



3. This was a very honest and insightful view into the hope and horrors of the people of Iran, as they transitioned from a dictatorial Shah to a dictatoral Cleric form of government. In the end, it's the people who suffer. Shirin Ebadi's story is very compelling. The book is a quick read (219 pages) that leaves a lasting imprint.



4. A woman of faith and conviction, with a stubborn determination to adhere to her principles of justice and fairness, Shirin Ebadi sets forth a boldly narrated memoir. Bold in blatantly ignoring likely repercussions by her enemies and their threats of assassination.
   
   Beginning with her childhood years during the reign and fall of Mohammad Mossadegh - Prime Minister of Iran, 1951 to 1953 - Ebadi recounts her life primarily in relation to the various changes in the Iranian political scene, from the once powerful, then deposed, Shahs of Iran, to the suppressing reign of the Ayatollah Khomeini and the Islamic Revolution in 1979, and finally to the democratic leader, Mohammad Khatami, who was elected president in 1957 and again in 2001.
   
   Ebadi, brilliant, and a self described intellectual, studied law and practiced as a judge during a more politically lenient period of Iran's history. Under the Ayatollah Khomeini, a female judge was relegated to menial clerk positions, power removed. Ebadi never faltered in her fight to attain and maintain justice for all who were oppressed or unjustly accused, male or female, not even during her brief period of imprisonment.
   
   Although Ebadi notes in her epilogue that "it is not a political memoir," one can hardly separate her life, after reading the memoir, from politics - politics not only in Iran but politics world wide as it affects Iran and its people. She has not, as she said, "attempted to offer a political analysis of how and why certain events came to pass," but through mere "factual" statements, one can detect a political intent or meaning. And what does one make of these, her words: "Now you are watching faded video footage of Donald Rumsfeld shaking Saddam Hussein's hand, smiling at the butcher who made our capital's cemetery a city. Now you are listening to President George W. Bush promise he wants to bring democracy to the Middle East. You are hearing him address the Iranian people in his State of Union address, telling them that if they stand for their own liberty, America will stand with them. Do you believe him?" Such questions, by their provocative nature, may be as overtly political as any blanket assessment. But at least it provokes thought.
   
   The ending chapter of the memoir is devoted to the highest honor achieved by Ebadi - the touted Nobel Peace Prize. Many Nobel Peace Prize choices are steeped in controversy and dissenting opinions. Ebadi's case is no different. Regardless, there is no doubt about the positive elements of Ebadi's moral convictions, and of the sincerity and strength of her aggressive actions in her pursuit of justice for all. If those are the prerequisites for a Nobel Peace Laureate, then justice is served here, too.



5. I am disappointed by this book. Yes, the author as a woman has suffered a lot as a result of the Islamic revolt of 1979 but she is not fit to speak for a nation. Shirin Ebadi, aka Ayatollah Ebadi among many people for her deep sympathies with the current regime, is unfortunately a narcissist and self centered person and this book is fully supporting that sense of narcissism. She reminds me of Al Sharpton the grievance leader of African-American community. Her bogus claim that Islam and Democracy can co-exist is a farce and should be laughed at. She fails to mention one truly democratic free Islamic country. How pathetic! Also, she has helped the Iranian regime buy more time in acquiring nuclear weapons through her sham human rights campaign. She's constantly giving legitimacy to the Iranian regime and opposing those who oppose the regime. Unfortunately this book is another sham trying to mask her sympathy with the current regime of Iran.

5 comments about Slightly Bad Girls of the Bible: Flawed Women Loved by a Flawless God.

1. I always get a lot out of Higgs' materials. Her wit and wisdom (thru her own Bad Girl experience) never fail to show me new ways to grow in my faith.



2. Excellent book! It was very encouraging to see how even the "best girls" in the bible made mistakes, overcame them, and how God loved them and helped them through their mistakes. Loved it!



3. This is my favorite Bad Girls book so far! It is more applicable to real life for me.



4. This was my first Bad Girls of the Bible book to read. I must say it wasn't what I expected. I learned a lot more about the women of the Bible than I knew which means Liz does good research. I have taught for 40 plus years children and my teaching would have been different had I had all the background information and was able to compare it to today.
   I especially loved the way she brought it to how modern women today would be like those of old. I loved the fact that God can love flawed women and men as far as that goes. Because you learn also of the flaws of the men of God too. You learn they weren't perfect but yet God loved them.
   However Leah and Rachel left me wondering why God blessed Leah more than Rachel - an answer that still plagues me.
   As a Bible teacher, Liz has left me hungering to research and learn more about these women. It seems most all Bible teaching at church is focused at men and on men in the Bible. The women are left unseen and even men could profit from understanding the women of the Bible. After all it might help them relate to their wives.



5. Liz Curtis Higgs' Bad Girls of the Bible series is second to none, and in my opinion the audio is even better than the book, because Liz is the reader. She's an accomplished speaker and the injections of humor are so well done. I also enjoyed the audio of "Bad Girls of the Bible" although it was abridged, and I hope Liz will eventually do an audiobook of "Really Bad Girls of the Bible."
   Liz brings these women to life and shows that although they and we are separated by many centuries, we're quite a bit alike. There's much we modern-day women can learn from those ancient girls and their trials and tribulations, and in the process, we can strengthen our own relationship with God.