5 comments about Golda.

1. Burkett, Elinor. "Golda". Harper, 2008.
   
   Remembering Golda Meir
   
   
   Amos Lassen
   
   I doubt there are many people that do not recognize the name of Golda Meir. Many say she was more of a man then many men, others remember as the Prime Minister of Israel, some blame her for the disastrous Yom Kippur War in 1973. One thing is that there are few who have neutral feelings about her. She was quite a person and I have my own memories of her as she was Prime Minister for many of the years that I lived in Israel. In fact, when I lived in Tel Aviv, she lived right around the corner and we shopped at the same mini-market. Yes, Golda did her own shopping.
   Pulitzer Prize finalist, Elinor Burkett takes a look at Golda in her new biography of the former world leader. Golda Meir was the first female head of state in the Western world and without question a woman who exerted a great deal of influence. She was a founder of the State of Israel, helped to develop the infrastructure of the tiny country. She defended Israel as if it were her own child and she was utterly and completely devoted to keeping Israel safe. She changed the face of the politics of the Middle East in ways that are still felt today. She had the stamina of a bulldozer and when her mind was made up she did what she felt was the right thing to do. She also baked cookies and cakes and steeped tea She was the first to make the world aware of international terrorism and she could hold her own against powerful men like Henry Kissinger and others. Even as she pleaded for peace, she led Israel through the bloodiest war in its existence. Golda had the ability to raise funds and even while she, herself, was battling cancer, was able to steer Israel's ship of state.
   Burkett looks at the life of Golda (and she was always Golda) and writes of her victories and her disappointments, of her wins and her losses. We read of Golda as an idealistic girl in Milwaukee as a product of an immigrant family and we read of a woman who is what legends are made of. Golda had almost no definition unless we define her by her own contradictions. She was hard as nails and as sweet as sugar. She was the personification of the Jewish mother to a nation of people and she was also their leader She was tough and she was kind but most of all she loved Israel even though the populace did not always love her.
   Burkett has done serious research here including interviewing members of Golda's family who had never agreed to be interviewed before and she provides us with a picture of the woman who changed the course of history. I do not agree with all she writes but I find the book to be as honest as it can be. It is stylishly written and I t makes its point. The problem is that the legend of Golda Meir has been tainted by the terrible losses of October, 1973.



2. I heard the author discuss this book on my local NPR station. GOlda had always fascinated me so I purchased the book. I have almost finished it. It is very readable. GOlda was a complex woman, fiercely devoted to Israel, much to the detriment of her family. She was probably Israel's number one fund raiser, which enabled the country to assimilated hundreds of thousands of Jews from all over the world. Israel was also able to purchase the military hardward needed to defend itself against its hostile neighbors. She was the first woman head of state in the western world. Although she was flawed she managed to hold Israel together in trying times. I loved this book.



3. When I got this book, I was hoping for a personal look at Golda, the person. Having read it, I feel I learned more about Israel's long complicated history than about Golda as a person. Maybe that is because the woman did not have much of a personal life and her story was tied to that of her country. She lived and breathed politics and the book's lengthy description of Israeli politics (with countless parties and coalitions) is confusing and doesn't tell us much about her.
   
   It is as though the author couldn't find enough information about Golda's private life (which Golda guarded) and so the book becomes a history lesson in Israeli and Mid-East politics. No maps included which would have helped the reader a great deal in understanding some of this stuff.
   
   The author should have gotten more material from Golda's children, who didn't think much of Golda as a mother (she was MIA when it came to parenting).
   
   Time to read: It took me a little more than a week (with a lot of free time)



4. This is a well done and very readable book about one of the most important leaders of Israel and one of the most accomplished female political leaders anywhere, ever.
   The fact that Golda Meir was born in Russia in abysmal poverty as many of our families were in the time of the Czar, then emigrated to and lived in the United States and worked as a school teacher in Milwaukee and then later became the Prime Minister of Israel should be beyond any one book to fully capture. However this author Elinor Burkett has successfully accomplished a reasonable and comfortable presentation of history recreating the place of Israel and the Jewish people and the life, role and participation of Golda Meir. It appears the documentation and research is carefully done.
   
   Many of us remember Golda Meir because we lived during her time of conflict, most memorably the extraordinary 1973 war when Israel and the Jewish people were faced with tests and choices of the greatest danger and risk. When the then Defense Minister Moshe Dayan was unable to function and became incompetent (to this day I do not understand what happened to the mind of Dayan at that time) somehow this "Ich bin a Yiddischer tochter", who had become Prime Minister of Israel a land in perpetual war, was able to lead the Country and People. There are many extraordinary events, which although previously known are again recounted in this book. Some of them may bring you to tears.
   The story of the visits by Golda Meir as the then Ambassador to the Soviet Union from Israel, to the Choral Synagogue in Moscow during the time of the Stalin terror can leave you dazed. Tears and tears of joy are the memory of those Soviet Jews that haunts you. During one of her visits Golda Meir cried out "Thank you for having remained Jews". As is well known the Jews paid a heavy price for having done so. By the way the above quote "Ich bin a Yiddischer tochter" was from the wife of the Soviet Foreign Minister as one of the last words spoken to Golda Meir before Minister Molotov's wife was taken away and exiled to Kazakhstan.
   
   This is a worthy and useful biography of a significant woman who accomplished many things and showed great leadership and courage in defense of her people whom I believe she loved.
   It is unfortunate that political figures like her are all too uncommon in any country.
   There is much to commend this book as an introduction to times and places not that long ago yet which are all too easily forgotten. It is very easy to understand, follow and enjoy. You will not want to put it down.
   Kenneth Ellman email:ke@kennethellman.com



5. I learned a lot about the history of Israel and the plight of Jews through Golda.

No comments about Woman of Rome: A Life of Elsa Morante.

5 comments about Celebrity Detox: (The Fame Game).

1. There is one word to describe this book and that is Wonderful. I was amazed. She put her life out there for all to read. She shared her personal feelings, almost like therapy. I loved this book. I love Rosie. I do suggest you read Find Me first. Fame is an addiction and I can understand that without ever being famous. I think Rosie truly is a kind soul and this book will reflect that.



2. I read and enjoyed Rosie's last book: "Find Me". After watching her on the View and vaguely following the blow-up between she and her co-host, Elisabeth, I was curious about how that built up. When Rosie claimed she was writing this book to "answer those questions" about what happened that day and immediately after, I looked forward to her explanation. That's why I was disappointed by "Celebrity Detox". It didn't go there. In fact, there's hardly a word about the incident prior to the last chapter (about five pages). Instead, she focuses on ear transmitters far more than anyone cares to read (or know). She talks about the Trump scuffle but doesn't even do her position justice in her own book. I came away from those chapters wondering if her beef was with Donald Trump and his poor behavior or her hurt over a quote that Trump assigned to Barbara Walters. Shortly after that, she goes off on the ear transmitters and how she saw the other hosts (who wore them even after Rosie's refusal and wishes) slowly came to agree with her and speak their mind (implying that, prior to that point, they'd been getting prompting and feedback in the devices). In the last chapter, she only mentions Elisabeth by sharing that she'd sent her and e-mail of support only a week or two before that Elisabeth may have been put-off by (Rosie tells Elisabeth she loves her and is proud of her asking John Stamos to stay and do crafts). But, that's where it ends. She never goes into the background regarding how Elisabeth disrespected her by not defending her in another interview. She says nothing really tangible about the feud at all.
   
   However, if you're not looking for more insight on the squabble, then the book is okay. It's often repetitive. But, based on Rosie's art and poetry, it makes sense that she would have certain themes throughout the book. If you're looking for a perspective on how celebrity makes you different, then this may be the book you want to read. And, if you'd like to have a better understanding of why she left her own show, then I'd recommend this. Her reflections of 9/11 between she and her brother are interesting (and I've had my daughter read them as an example of how perspective is, at times, everything).



3. I think this book had a certain kind of honesty we would all appreciate in respect to celebrities... Rosie shows a "behind the camera" glimpse into fame, fortune and life as the Rosie O'Donnell. As a Rosie fan myself, I was not at all disappointed. She is Real, honest, and true to herself! I loved the book! I recommend it to all!



4. I was so excited about getting this book for my vacation. I wanted something light, interesting and I was curious about the inside scoop around Rosie's time at The View. When I read all these reviews, I wasn't sure if I should bother. I went ahead and bought it anyway--I'm a daredevil! :)
   I got what I wanted. There were some kibbles of information I didn't know about her co-hosts and some other celebrities. That was fun. Rosie sure tells it as she sees it. I don't accept that as the whole truth but I like hearing people's sides of the same coin. I did have some trouble relating to her love of Babs...it came off as a little sad too me how much she idolizes some people even as she's telling her readers all the reasons why celebrity is an illusion.
   This was no "War and Peace" if that's what your looking for. This is no objective, weighing both sides, kind of memoir. This is Rosie talking about her life as she felt it. That to me, is interesting and I read this book in two sittings. I really enjoyed it and recommend it as long as you have properly aligned expectations!
   
   Tiffany Christensen, author of "Sick Girl Speaks!"



5. I have been a longtime fan of the talk show personality of Rosie O'Donnell, even tho' I do not agree with her personal views (let's just say I am more Elisabeth Hasselbeck than Rosie O'Donnell). As a talk show host Rosie was the perfect host because she made it okay for every day people to be intrigued with the celebrities she interviewed. After all, Rosie was into her guests as much as the audience. She was and is authentic and real, even with her extremely rough edges and all. Thus I enjoyed her autobiography CELEBRITY DETOX.
   
   This book is more a therapy session and a detox for Rosie once more coming out of celebrity and trying to find happiness and normalcy in her life. It is all over the board and abruptly goes from one thing to the other but not in an irritating way, rather in the way I bet she lives her life. Celebrity Detox makes it clear Rosie is a damaged, hurting victim of abuse still desperately seeking salvation from her wounds but searching in places salvation can not be found--in two celebrity heros/icons Barbra Streisand and Barbara Walters both of whom were also heros of her mothers. Tho' only alluded to, it is apparent that Rosie was not only abandoned by her mother when her mother died when Rosie was 10. She was also betrayed and unprotected by her mother--3 issues that have haunted her and continue to haunt her--abandonement, betrayal and unprotection. Rosie told her mom of the abuse in the only way she could...her mom humored her to the extent of literally cutting down the tree "bad man" climbed up, but when Rosie told her it didn't work, the bad man still comes in her room at night, her mom betrayed her by calling her a liar and implying Rosie would lose her love if she didn't drop this lie. So Rosie lived on with the abuse, defending herself by breaking her own bones to obtain not only attention but "nightime weapons" with the casts. Heartbreaking for any little girl to live through.
   
   I am not surprised that she was more devastated by Barbara Walters' betrayal than she was of Donald Trump's public annialation of her. She already thought of Donald Trump as a pathetic human being. He can only hurt her in the pocket book. She was devasted by Barbara Walters because she made Barbara her surrogate mother so much so she hoped Barbara would do everything RIGHT her mother did WRONG--i.e. protect her and definitely NOT abandon her nor betray her. By not defending her to Donald Trump and the public Ms. Walters did everything Rosie's mother did to her--left her once more alone, unprotected and open to abuse.
   
   All said and done, CELEBRITY DETOX is a fascinating read into the life of a damaged little girl grown up and turned famous ... twice. You'll feel compassion for Rosie, disdain for Donald Trump and sympathy for Barbra Streisand and Barbara Walters who love and admire Rosie but in their own humaness can not be everything Rosie hopes they will be.

5 comments about The Road from Coorain.

1. I related to and thoroughly enjoyed this book. Conway's descriptions of Australia are beautiful. She has written a follow-up book which I would like to read also. And on second reading, I feel more and more that perhaps her mother had some chemical imbalance, because she changed so drastically. Either that, or her repressed emotions after the deaths of her husband and her oldest son in the space of five years, led her to the bitter old woman she became.



2. The wonderful autobiography entitled, The Road From Coorain, written by Jill Ker Conway is a must-read! Her engaging and rich detail gives an enchanting description of the Australian life-style from a very unique perspective.
   Beginning in the 1930's, young Jill Ker lived with her tightly-knit family on a ranch called Coorain, Australia. Isolated in the desert and located far from Sydney, Coorain, has created an unordinary life-style for not only Jill but for her two brothers, Barry and Bob. Maintaining the remote Coorain is the family's only way to ensure stability and in the eyes of Mr. and Mrs. Ker; the significance of Coorain is considered more important than a formal education. Though, when the dreadful droughts of the arid terrain continue to spontaneously appear, life becomes awfully challenging and difficult for the Ker family. Suffering from famine because of the lack of crops and animals, Coorain becomes involved in a downward spiral. As a result, Jill as well as other family members, encounter the enormous struggle of overcoming the concept of death and sorrow. As Jill grows into a young woman, she faces unfortunate events that set her back, creating various obstacles as she journeys down the unpredictable road of life. Faced with challenges romantically, intellectually, and within the family ultimately affects her career and talents, though somehow Jill miraculously manages to succeed.
   Choosing an academic career as a historian, Jill faced the constant struggle of chauvinism living as a young woman during the 1950's. Her passion and remarkable academic achievements clearly demonstrated her natural talent as a student. Unfortunately, the unfair privileges men had in contrast to women was a constant obstacle. Jill had potential and unlike some other women, had the possibility of attaining her high hopes and dreams. Her brilliance and intellectual capability distinguished her as an individual, though she was unfortunately not recognized with equality because she was woman. "But I received a blandly courteous letter thanking me for my interest. I was dumfounded. Milton and I had ranked first in our class and were to be awarded the University Medal jointly for our academic achievements. I could scarcely believe that my refusal was because I was a woman...I knew I was no more and no less intellectually aggressive than Milton and Rob. That left my sex and my appearance." Though Jill Ker faced multiple obstacles throughout her life, she clearly proves that hard work and perseverance is a powerful way to achieve one's goals.
   This engaging autobiography is filled with compelling and descriptive prose. Beautifully written, Mrs. Conway eloquently yet succinctly expresses the many conflicts one can be presented in life. Given her natural gravitation towards the subject of history, she enlightens the reader with interesting historical backgrounds of the many places she has traveled. Her simplistic, yet thought-provoking perspectives maintain one's fascination throughout the course of the book. Every moment I spend reading it was enjoyable. Mrs. Conway's, informative yet concise style of writing kept me actively involved. Her marvelously written descriptions, gave me an excellent understanding of the rural Australian life-style: "On the western side the mountains' gentler hills sloped down to rolling countryside; valleys covered with rich black soil sheltered streams winding westward. The gentle slopes rising from each watercourse were crowned with orchards in blossom, while below the contoured patterns of spring crops burst in brilliant green from the dark earth. I liked looking at this scenery with the dew still on it, well before the heat of the day." This autobiography filled with endless drama, love, and the hardships of life, is a definite must-read!



3. This beautiful book tells the story of one girl's childhood on an isolated sheep farm in Australia; that girl would eventually end up as the first woman president of Smith College, one of the finest universities in the United States (part of the Seven Sisters). Before that, she studied at the University of Sydney, moving on to Harvard University in the States. Much like the movie, "My Brilliant Career," the story follows the harsh living conditions of her youth and her meteoric rise to success.
   
   The part of the story that will speak to you most clearly, however, is that of the young girl with golden dreams who faces so much adversity and such little chance of escaping her isolating circumstances. Her father owned 30,000 arid acres in Australia and when the land succumbed to drought, he committed suicide; shortly thereafter, her brother was in an auto accident that resulted in his death. Faced with these tragedies, Conway's mother was overcome with depression and unable to help her daughter succeed. That Jill Ker Conway lets none of that prevent her from reaching a pinnacle of success that no one in her family or community in Australia could ever have imagined for her is the stuff of dreams.



4. Jill Ker was born in 1934 in the west of New South Wales, Australia.She grew up on a sheep ranch.She had her share of troubles: her father drowned, possibly it was a suicide, when she was 11. At age 14 her charismatic elder brother died in a car crash. In her 20s her mother began to lose her mental balance. Jill studied history at the University of Sydney and at 25 went to Harvard.Her childhood on a sheep station has some interest, but the details of her unremarkable academic studies are tedious.She comes across as an introverted person who found it difficult to make friends.She had little fun in life: no jolly japes, no humorous anecdotes.Her self-centeredness and lack of humor make for dull reading.



5. Not very interesting.
   
   There's not much else I can say. Everybody has a story, including author Jill Conway. Her life began in western New South Wales, Australia:
   
   "My father was elated as he surveyed the realization of his dream to own land and to raise his own flocks of sheep and cattle. For my mother, not born to the bush, my father's long-dreamed-of property was a nightmare of desolation" (p. 18).
   
   Conway describes her memories growing up on a 32,000 acre station they called Coorain. She learned from watching the land and its processes:
   
   "Why did God allow the crows to pick out the eyes of newborn lambs, I asked [my father], as we passed a bloody carcass?" (p. 82).
   
   Alas, her father drowned in a stock pond, the drought wrought hardship, and her older brother died in a car accident. But Conway's interactions with other schoolchildren at boarding school was problematic:
   
   "There was more than my appearance to worry about. My family and school friends agreed that I was 'brainy'" (p. 146).
   
   "My appearance didn't give me many opportunities to be bored by young men" (p. 145).
   
   "The causes of my shyness were complex. I didn't look right and couldn't blend with the crowd" (p. 156).
   
   As you can see, there was constant, constant reference to how she didn't fit in, and that she was considered by many to be "too intellectual." When she applied for a post with the Australian Department of External Affairs (their state department), her male friends got positions and she didn't. "It was all prejudice, blind prejudice. For the first time, I felt kinship with black people" (p. 191). Awkwardly, her interactions with the native people of Australia were obvious by their absence in her story. So life is fairly good until a socially awkward and "intellectual" person doesn't get a position with the state department, which causes the development of a kinship with the native peoples.
   
   What?
   
   This was a hard book to read. The first chapter was a long diatribe of landscape conditions in western New South Wales. Then there was a third of the book on life on a cattle station. Then there was the rest of the book, on life as an adolescent, traveling with her mother to other countries, and applying to graduate school in history in America.
   
   This really read as a book of very selective memories. Granted, they are Conway's memories, and she owns them. They are just not very... enlightening and illuminating.
   
   'Nuff said.

5 comments about Just Gus: A Rescued Dog and the Woman He Loved.

1. I absolutely loved this book. It was a quick read, but very moving. Another perfect example of how therapeutic and healing having an animal in your life can be. Bravo!!



2. This book, although sad, makes you feel so good. The devoted love an an unwanted dog helps a dying woman to get through her last two years of her battle with cancer. Written well and with photographs.



3. This was a nice read but was disappointed it was not more story than pictures. Too high a price for no more story.



4. Just Gus is basically a picture book for adults. A heavy picture book that's short but powerful. You can read it in 15 minutes but it'll stay with you for long after that. It's the story of a rescued stray and the love he brings to a woman in her final days. Read it and pass it on.



5. This writing is not particularly deep and was not meant to be, but it will touch you deeply. I loved it! It sits on my coffee table and I have had to wait for guests to finish before we can leave.

5 comments about Golden Girl: How Natalie Coughlin Fought Back, Challenged Conventional Wisdom, and Became America's Olympic Champion.

1. Based on the other comments, I thought this book would be a litany of complaints by Natalie. I assumed she would really bash her old coach. Instead, he is mentioned mostly in the context of the difference between his training philosophy and that of Teri McKeever. Ray Mitchell occupies part of a chapter. This leads me to believe that those who are outraged must not have taken the time to read the book.
   
   That being said, I thought the book was more about the Cal swim season with a focus on Natalie and McKeever. It was a fascinating look at a different approach to swimming - focus on technique, workout variety and team building. As one of the many burned out former age groupers who swam lot of 10K+ workouts, I think the whole swimming world should celebrate that coaches such as McKeever and Salo are willing to try something new. Natalie and the Cal swim program are proof that there is more to swim training than piling up yardage. This is really inspiring. I used to worry about whether I was doing the right thing by introducing my children to this sport. This book has helped to re-ignite my love for competitive swimming.



2. The swimming literature with which I am familiar - Gold in the Water, Champions, Four Champions: One Gold Medal, Michael Phelps: Beneath the Service, By a Fraction of a Second - satiate my interest for swimming-centered narrative, but, in my opinion, the genre, as represented by this collection of books, is one dimensional. I find that these types of books (I would include a few running, and football books among them) are purportedly about courageous young athletes that overcome and achieve through commitment, belief, and the support of teammates, family, and coaches. The narrative certainly appeals to the target audience - athletes, coaches,and parents, that are deeply invested in the system that is celebrated through these pleasing tales. In my experience, as an athlete and a coach, the narrative is fairly accurate. But there are other stories to tell, and Michael Silver tries to tell one of them. Silver, like no other writer that has told the tale of swimmer and coach, questions the hard-nosed-coach archetype. He also questions the culture, the competitive swimming culture, in which this type of coach thrives.
   
   The title of the book is Golden Girl. Its Natalie's show, and all of the inherent benefits and detriments accrue. Silver tells her story, and he is clearly sympathetic with her version of the story. Perhaps if the intentions and methods of the coaches are fair game, then so are the intentions and the methods of the writer. I, for one, understand that from an outsiders perspective the world of competitive swimming might seem as backwards and dysfunctional as we've been led to believe women's figure skating and gymnastics are. Silver, it seems clear, is an outsider, and though his view of competitive swimming must have certainly been filtered through the experiences of Natalie, he seems to me to have a fair amount of corroboration. And to be honest the corroborating anecdotes that he includes don't seem particularly damaging (excepting perhaps the stories of the Terrapin Coach badgering female swimmers about their weight). I think we all know that there are some hard-nosed, mean SOBS, coaching out there. By and large, we would agree that most of these coaches really care about their athletes. They've had their say. For swim coaches, its been chronicled in the annals of Swimming World Magazine and just about every book on swimming that has every been written. This book is about giving Natalie a say. This book is about giving McKeever a say. To some they may come off as bitter or dysfunctional or defensive. It only makes them human. Bottome line is they did it their way, and win or lose, they succeeded. A core precept of McKeever's philosophy seems to be the the journey is more important than the destination. That Silver, in giving this say, allows them to question competitive swimming's cultures, institutions, and some of its personalities, seems unavoidable and possibly an opportunity for the sport to engage in some healthy introspection.
   
   Just about every book on swimming that has ever been written tells a single tale. This book tells a different tale. Its a tale that's not all that different from one that has been told before, told by a coach, in his own words - Sprinting: A Coach's Challenge by Sam Freas. Its a different type of book - a mix of narrative and instruction - but if you liked Golden Girl you may want to check it out.



3. Golden Girl is an absolutely outstanding book that takes a good look at not only Natalie Coughlin's push toward Olympic excellence but also talks about subjects that many consider taboo: the politics of the sport of swimming and the need for more rational training methods. I just bought a copy for my daughter's birthday. She's an Olympian in Judo. I'm an international level Judo coach. I was fascinated by the book and can easily relate to it since the Judo community suffers from the same malaise that the swimming world suffers from. Being an unconventional coach in Judo, I'm not surprised by all the negative reviews from people within the swimming world. I get the same treatment from my Judo peers who like Terri McKeever's and Dave Salo's peers are too insecure or "know it all" to even look into alternative training methods. Since I am heavily involved in coach education, I will make this book a required reading for all Judo coaches. My advice to you, the prospective buyer of this book, is to ignore the negative reviews from the swimming culture that Golden Girl decries, unless of course you too are stuck on the conventional and can't handle outside-the-box ideas.



4. Being the father of two USA swimming daughters, I found this to be just an "okay" read. While I did find it rather annoying for the author to repeatedly bash the Terrapins, Silver did a good job portraying the pressure coaches are under to get a name for themselves by unnecessarily pushing their swimmers too far. Nonetheless, I enjoyed how the book described McKeever's unorthodox techniques and chronicled the behind the scenes march to the Olympics. In the end, it did leave me with a bit of a tarnished view of Natalie, which is a bit disappointing given the title of the book. I strongly recommend Gold in the Water.



5. Not everything Natalie has to say shows everyone in the best of light; that's because not everyone is exactly a "great" person. This is her book and her story--if she felt someone mistreated her or did this or that wrong, she's entitled to say. All of this is part of why she is the great athlete she is today, and that should be applauded.

5 comments about Zlata's Diary: A Child's Life in Wartime SarajevoRevised Edition.

1. I remember reading this book as a child and picked it up again as an adult. It was a quick read, but really showed how a child deals with war. It made me think of how children in Iraq are feeling right now. Very interesting.



2. Sheesh...this is the product of a child, not the work of a Pulitzer prize winning journalist. It is an excellent diary, an excellent primary source and an excellent text for a better understanding of the Yugoslav wars. Yes...it does only tell one point of view - hers - it is her diary! Some readers are offended because of the comparison to Anne Frank; a comparison that Filipovic and others make in the book. The comparison is totally fair. Both are intelligent children caught up in situations they have no control over during wars of ethnic cleansing and extermination. It is a testament to Zlata that she can make the connection to Anne Frank...obviously the rest of the world couldn't. They (We) abandoned the Jews sixty years ago and abandoned hundreds of thousands of Croats/Bosniaks/Serbs to genocide forty years later. Zlata remembered Anne Frank's words...the world didn't.



3. Filipovic, Z. and Pribichevich-Zoric, C. (1995). Zlata's Diary. New York: Penguin Group
   Zlata's Diary is about a young eleven year old girl who wrote in her diary during the Yugoslavian Civil War. The beginning of the book discusses each day and her exciting things that she did with friends as well as her family memebrs; however, as the dumb war began to affect more and more individuals she began to take note of the food and water shortage. She also began to notice the loss of family and friends. Was the world coming to an end? Would she be okay? Would she survive?
   This book can be known as the modern day The Diary of Anne Frank due to it's similarities as both girls discuss the harsh conditions and losses they encountered due to ignorant individuals. The book truly hit home for me since I lost family in this war and to read Zlata's story and compare to the ones my family memebers were telling is mind blowing. Zlata's words truly embrace the horrific results of this war.
   
   Completed by Z on 5/12/08



4. Zlata probably never imagined that her diary would be read by millions or that it would be published. Much like Anne Frank, I don't think Zlata ever intended the diary to be made worldwide. Unlike Anne, Zlata survived but not without internal scars and loss of friends and relatives and neighbors. In the beginning, Zlata writes about mundane, ordinary things about being 11 years old. Please keep that in mind when reading her diary is that she was only 11 years old at the time of writing in the beginning. She begins writing about her life as a child in Sarajevo before the war broke out. She writes about her father going to serve the national army reserves. She writes about her life before the war and how the war changed her life and others forever. One day, she writes about people leaving Sarajevo and heading into safe territory. She writes about the daily bombings, senseless deaths, and life under war. She is a child of course and she tries to cope with difficult circumstances like not having electricity for the first time in her life for long periods of time or the constant state of fear that she lives in for herself and for her loved ones. Zlata's diary is now widely read by students about her age. Her main objective was never to get published but to keep and maintain a diary that was quite personal at times. Children of war probably suffer a lot more than they should. Zlata grows up fast and not be choice. She struggles to survive for herself and for her family without losing sanity.



5. Thank you for your quick shipment. Book is in great shape, as you stated.

5 comments about Pretty Is What Changes: Impossible Choices, The Breast Cancer Gene, and How I Defied My Destiny.

1. This book is a must for anyone with the BRCA mutation or anyone who wants to understand a woman's journey after she finds out she has a BRCA mutation. It is brutally honest and therefore, absolutely compelling. As one who has walked this path, I can tell you that Jessica is very brave to lay it all out there for others to benefit from. I wish her health and happiness.



2. The author explained her gene risk for breast cancer and ovarian cancer in an emotional informative way. I purchased the book because my daughter, twin sister and myself had just been tested for the BRCA1 and BRCA2 gene mutation. Our test results are that we all have a "variant" that is the same so it is genetic but it is a variant that the lab has never seen in the whole world thus it is "uncertain" what it means other than it is genetically being passed in our family. Reading this book helped me understand gene mutations. The author truly is "beautiful" inside and out.
   Joan Reams



3. I am faced with the same genetic predisposition to breast cancer and it was a life-saver to read about another person's triumph.



4. I read this book in one day. It's a great read. Jessica really makes you think about your options. My mom is a breast cancer survivor and the BRCA test has always been in the back of my mind. It's definitely something that needs more discussing.



5. This is an incredible, thought-provoking true-story of a young woman who has watched her mother die from cancer and then tests positive for a gene mutation that makes her nearly 90% likely to get cancer herself. What would you do if you had that knowledge?
   
   Author Jessica Queller eloquently takes us with us on her journey. Despite the heavy material, this book is an easy read - I read it in 2 days - because her writing is clear and the story is so engaging.... You want to know Jessica and are rooting for her all the way.
   
   This book is for EVERY WOMAN - not just those with BRCA mutations or with cancer in their family. It is for anyone who believes that true stories often make the best books, and are drawn to the extraordinary stories of 'ordinary' people.

5 comments about Sojourner Truth: A Life, a Symbol.

1. When I read a book, I want to get a lot out of it, as I enjoy the reading of it. On the second point: this book is engagingly written. The author questions her own motives and information as she constructs a biography of a difficult life to document. We see Painter confront the challenges of performing biography. I found it a compelling literary device. On the first point, the book mixes biography with history and feminist criticism. This interdisciplinary focus produces a highly inviting book. Among other topics, we find out about the details of slavery in the North, 19th century religious cults, and the ways in which feminists and abolitionists of the time exploited Truth for their own gain, as well as how this appropriation of "Truth" continues to the present. On this point, we learn much about contemporary feminism and culture and its need for heroes-especially African American female heroes.



2. I THINK THIS BOOK IS VERY EDUCATIONAL. I REALLY ENJOYED READING IT. I LEARNED A LOT ABOUT TRUTH. PAINTER WAS A WONDERFUL WRITER. SHE DESCRIBED EVERYTHING TO THE MAX.



3. Painter's biography is excellent. She puts Truth in perspective with the challenges of her time. She sheds light on complicated relationships with noteable Abolishionists and with her own children. This book clearly presents the difficult life of one incredible woman who struggles to do her part to free all slaves, gain respect as a woman and be accepted as a human being.



4. For some reason, most Americans know, or think they know, quite a bit about the Civil War. But somehow the decades before the great drama of the 1860's are little known to most of us. It's almost as if everything between the Revolutionary War and the American Civil War happened under a cloud or in some shadowed universe that sends out very few signals to modern Americans. In reality, the country went through a time of near-chaos as competing political and religious movements battled for the minds and hearts of the American public.
   
   Sojourner Truth, the subject of this biography, experienced a good bit of this social ferment, and the story of her life gives readers a good opportunity to get a grip on this very strange and fascinating period. The author starts with the odd fact that the name and face of Sojourner Truth became very well-known, yet the real story of her life was obscured by her status as a symbol of the Abolitionist movement. The real woman led a surpringly adventurous life, and she did it in the context of a society that supposedly kept slaves, women and rural poor people firmly in their pre-ordained place. The story of how a courageous girl named Katherine, born in slavery and poverty on a Dutch farm in rural New York state, became the free woman and independent thinker called Sojourner Truth, is worth reading for its own sake. But the book also sheds light on the wild side of American religious and intellectual life during her lifetime. While reading this book, I felt like I was really getting two books in one-I highly recommend this book!!



5. This book is an excellent review and account of this great woman's life. Although it is rather disjointed in areas--there is a basic sense of the many challenges that Ms. Truth encountered. I found that it gave me a basic sense of her sojourn and it helped fill in the gaps left with other books. It was the basic information for an academic presentation I needed to prepare for one of my doctoral courses.

5 comments about Scars of Sweet Paradise: The Life and Times of Janis Joplin.

1. This is my fourth biography I've read of Janis' and by far the most well-written and informative. Instead of being filled with personal judgements and opinions it seems to document the happenings in Janis' life and the lives of those around her in a very easy to follow manner. Lots of history about other San Francisco bands and connections in the music world. Photos are great!!



2. I was never a big fan and I'm still not, but this well written bio seems to do full justice to its mythic subject. You don't hear Joplin much these days. Her voice is so over the top and she only managed to eke out three albums before she od'd on junk, so there isn't that much to hear. She didn't make it past 27, and it's no wonder, according to this account. She was either drunk or high most of the time. She didn't fit in in Port Arthur, Tx., but she did more than most of her generation ever managed. Bisexual and straight, Janis was a mess. You wonder where she'd be today if she'd lived. Of course, she'd never have been a misfit if she had been born a little later. Her quirks would barely register today. For that, in today's culture. Janis Joplin is probably one of the ground-breakers responsible.



3. An interesting read, both sad and sweet, about an interesting woman who lived during an interesting time in history. It lay heavy on my heart that such a tremendous talent as Janis, could never see it herself. This book would mean much to those who remember her and the time period. It would not mean much of anything to those who weren't part of those years.



4. If you want to know the basic facts about Janis Joplin's life and the cultural context in which she rose to fame and self-destructed, this book is perfectly adequate to fill you in. In some respects the book is quite exhaustive, especially in documenting Janis's relationships with various musicians and her series of bands. The author did a reasonably good job of showing how Janis fit in -- or didn't - with the cultural and political context of her day, and also gives some fun general background on the birth of the San Francisco rock scene. Most compelling was the author's description of Janis's tormented family life, and it was those sympathetic attempts to piece together her psyche that seem the most genuine. My complaint with the book is that the writing and editing are far from graceful. It reads more like an academic thesis, often dry, lacking in momentum, and wordy. I read a lot of biographies and I am sure it is very hard to write a good one, but it can be done. Writing about musicians is a special challenge because to really do it well requires deep knowledge and appreciation of the genre and a gift for metaphor. I found the musical criticsm aspect of the book particularly lackluster and it often sounded like the author was parroting others' musical opinions. The editing was a puzzle, too -- sometimes you would want more information on someone, sometimes there was just too much information. Not a page-turner, but I'm glad I read it.



5. There are a whole bunch of biographies of Janis, including the well known Buried Alive, but this late comer published in 1999 appears to be the most even-handed, well-researched, and scholarly. In fact Alice Echols is a scholar of the 1960s (without any personal connection to Janis) so there is a lot of contextual information to put the period in perspective - I've probably learned more about the 1960s San Francisco scene in this book than anywhere else, it's worth reading for that reason alone.
   
   This is my first "rock-star biography", a genre I have avoided because of the groaning shelves of narcissistic "tell alls". I choose Janis to be my first (something she would have loved) after seeing a couple YouTube clips: one showing her singing "Ball and Chain" live, the other a TV interview at her Texas hometown high-school reunion. In these clips I saw a deep, complicated and obviously brilliant person, her charisma on stage was memorizing and off-stage equally so. For me she became more than a raspy-kinda-scary voice on the radio from another era, and I wanted to learn more about who she was, and why she had become so famous and died so young.
   
   Joplin's personality was a wild horse who kept on the move, never finding but always seeking a new home and greener pastures, running from her personal demons while embracing her desire for living life in the moment to the fullest. She drank heavily (Southern Comfort), f...ed thousands of guys and hundreds of women, got in fights with Hells-Angels, shot heroin and was a mainlining speed-freak. She was a vulnerable, loving and kind child from a well-off Middle Class suburban family. She was a walking enigma. Her origins are with the beatniks and folksie scene of the early 60s, she was never fully accepted in the San Francisco scene as a hippie, yet she is widely imagined as one of its founding mothers with her "Perl" costume of boa-feathers, clunky bracelets and lots of beads.
   
   In the end her death was no surprise even to herself, she put her body on the front-line of the cultural revolution pushing the boundaries forward on many fronts. It is unfortunate she was largely forgotten in the 70s and 80s but I think with historical reflection on the 60s her life will find more prominence - if nothing else than an archetype of a generation, but also for being ahead of her time as a woman rock star in a male dominated industry.
   
   Echols does a good job of balancing the exterior fame with the interior truths of Joplin, a psychological profile that will remind the reader of other people they know like her, it's believable because she seems so "normal" (in a somewhat abnormal way). I came away both with an intimate understanding of Janis and a much stronger sense of the 60s having seen it through the life of a single person who was a central catalyst.