5 comments about Beyond The Whiteness of Whiteness: Memoir of a White Mother of Black Sons.

1. This book succeeds on two levels at the same time. Jane Lazarre has written a beautiful memoir of her life as a white woman who first marries a black man and then becomes the mother of black sons. She has reflected on her experience, and given it deep meaning, which she shares in this book, as well.

   This is an incredibly powerful book, which goes right to the heart of what it means to be white in America. Lazarre's experiences are her own, but the lessons she draws from her life are important lessons for all of us, especially those of us who are white. I recommend this book without reservation to anyone who wants to think again about race, ethnicity, and integrity.




2. All you people who write reviews on how great this book is especially on issues of race and gender and ethnicity etc etc did you even read the book??? SHE SAYS VERY CLEAR THAT RACE DOESNT EXSIST....most people know that...so how can she write so well on race if she says right off the top that there is no such thing???? hmmmmm

   For all those who havent read the book it is very interesting...im sure if she could sew her lips to bell hooks bum she would :)




3. Let's get something straight right up front; The book is well written but its' message will leave anyone not suffering from mental illness in a state of rage.

   The author is not just white but is more specifically Jewish which puts her claims of white privilege on their head.

   Here's another interesting nugget of information: She writes she was raised as a Communist by her father and imbued with the ideas of Marxism. Couple this with the fact she grew up tortured by not having her mother,died young,and you got the makings of someone with SERIOUS mental problems.

   Shorthly after the birth of her two sons she begins to lose her identity (hell I'm being nice, she outright becomes ashamed of 'being white) and begins to adopt the racial identity of being black; she makes the argument she is because her sons are black and her husband is black so she magically becomes black by association and ultra close approximation.

   Her pedantic is absolutely intolerable and reaches its' zenith when she asserts whites owe blacks such a huge debt that the only way we as whites can ever repay that debt is to stop being white (one is left with the ditinct impression she means as a race altogether).

   The only agreeable truth in this book comes at the end when she realizes her two sons are black and (thankfully, from her point of view) not white; she originally believed them to be biracial,a term she comes to realize is laughable and a fantasy. There is truth in this. Remember the recent 2002 Movie awards when Hally Berry won best actress? Hally's mother is white,her father is black. Which half accepted that award? Which half does Hally Berry see herself as?




4. I love this book and this woman because of the honesty. My father is white, my mother is black. Let me tell you, when one of your parents are black-you are black. Jane tells you this in so many words. This whole biracial thing is a lie because American blacks are a multiracial and biracial people because our blood has been mixed since we were brought from Africa. I love the fact that Jane is honest with herself and understands that her sons are black and they must be taught the pride in that. She is absolutely correct to ingratiate herself in to black culture because that is the society her kids will forever live in and she must understand and be a part of that-after all, she is their mother. Most people won't be able to wrap their minds around many of Jane's ideas, but they should definately try. Life changing book, if you haven't read it. Be honest and be real.



5. The author mentions more than once that she is ashamed to be white, and therein lies the impetus for this entire book. With this information you can see her trying more to come to terms with being white than trying to understand African Americans. Why she is ashamed of events that happened before her lifetime is worthy of psychoanalytic investigation and not for a memoir about race. My two best friends are both black, and I learned nothing about them from this. This author is flakey in her understanding of herself and the world around her. If you really want to learn about African Americans, read the Autobiography of Malcolm X. That at least deals with the kinds of things that his people think and feel, rather than what some white woman feels shame about.

5 comments about Federal Husband.

1. As a husband of 27 years and a father of six children, as well as, a serious student of the Bible, this book changed my life and my behavior towards my wife.
   
   Wilson sets forth the principles of a "Federal Husband" so clearly, that in the vast majority of instances, to argue with the points Wilson makes is to argue with God. Perhaps the most important lesson I learned is found on p 18 where Wilson states, "As Christ assumed responsibility for things He didn't do, so husbands should be willing to do the same for their wives."
   
   Essentially, I learned - unforgetably from this book - that I am responsible for the condition of both my marriage and my family. If anyone is to receive blame, it is to be me!



2. In my review for Nancy Wilson's book "The Fruit of her Hands", I mentioned how Ms. Wilson seemed constantly nervous about displeasing her husband. Now I know why; her husband is nothing short of sexist and controlling, not only of his wife but apparently of his entire church. His statement that the women in his church aren't allowed to read this book should be the first clue, but that's just one of several extremely offensive statements. There's hardly a thing in this entire book regarding women or marriage that I found helpful or even Biblical. Wilson indicated that we should question everything the modern woman does, even going to college! Does he really expect us to pull women out of college in the name of Christianity? But then, if he thinks women are made simply to get married and bear children, I guess it's not surprising that he doesn't think we should have educations. Here's a little shocker, Wilson: women are meant to do far more than marry. This is proved by the fact that Eve was given a brain as well as Adam.
   
   One of the main things that angered me about this book was that Wilson shamelessly ripped Bible passages out of context in order to support his ridiculously sexist views. As an example, he listed a passage in which God, while furiously addressing men in a certain village, said "Women rule over you and children oppress you." You get the sarcasm there? He was obviously accusing those men of being utterly spineless and saying they needed to stand up for themselves. Wilson, however, took his angry and very sarcastic words to mean that God doesn't want women to be leaders, ever. Um, WHERE did he get that? That particular Bible passage was addressing a certain group of weak men, NOT all mankind. The passage didn't even really have anything to do with women, so to rip that out of context and interpret it as God's words for all mankind is simply nonsense; only a man with an agenda could find such ridiculous meaning behind something like that.
   
   Calling female leadership a curse is one of the most lame things you could possibly do considering all the leading females in the Bible, including Deborah, who helped lead a battle, counseled men and operated as a judge, and had a song made in her honor. This book, unlike the Bible, is chock-full of images of spineless women. Before all the feminists get mad, though, let me assure you that Wilson gives plenty of bad advice for men too, even saying that the husband's solely responsible for any problem in the marriage and the household. Wilson even scolds men who let their wives work, saying that if men can't provide for their wives enough by themselves, they fail as husbands. I found this almost amusingly offensive; have you looked at the job market, Wilson? Haven't you ever seen good husbands struggling to provide for their families? Not only does he imply that women are simpletons who need caring for, but he seems determined to dump the world on men's shoulders and this is simply not right. Several times he acts as though he believes marriage to simply be a contract ("I'll provide for you if you bear me children") and he even goes so far as to say that sex is just a duty and doesn't need any spark to be enjoyed. Wilson gives the impression of a guy so sequestered in his own little church and beliefs that he's totally unaware of how the real world works, not to mention how real minds work. His matter-of-fact, almost dull tone in the book imply that he's just a guy laying out all the facts and we should act accordingly. I find it hard to believe that he expects us to accept these ideas as Christian behavior.



3. In this book, my longheld belief that the husband and father is not only the federal head of the home, but also the one who bears the responsibility for what happens in the home, was affirmed. Biblically. We are responsible for leading ourselves, our wives, and our children to truth, and not provoking them to the eternal wrath of God. We do this in various ways, beginning with the most basic. Teaching them in the Word of God, feeding them, clothing and housing them, and for the wife, providing sexual relations.
   
   Aside from addressing this enormous topic of a covenantal relationship between a man and woman as representative of God's covenantal relationship between Himself and Israel and between Himself and mankind, Douglas also addresses everything from pregnancy to piercings, the wielding of the sword to the wedding ceremony, and inheritances, occupations, discipline, punishment, women in combat, widows and countless other issues that arise out of or outside of the covenantal family relationship.
   
   A beautiful, well written book that I'm not quite sure how he accomplished within only 110 pages.
   
   You would be remiss to neglect a careful reading.



4. A few critics have already said what needed to be said. So I won't comment on the sad lack of substantiation of his comments on the modern movements, nor will I speak of the glaring logical flaws that beg the question or that develop a conclusion from a false premise, or rant about his bad approach to hermeneutics where he pulls passages or verses out of their contexts. What scares me is all the postive reviews on this book. I guess it shows the state of the church where good, solid Bible teaching and thinking is rare so that people will take this stuff hook, line, and sinker.
   
   He doesn't adequately prove that the husband must take the blame if his wife fails and sins. She is a sinner and a saint in her own right to do that. Federal headship in the marriage relationship doesn't mean that I become a "priest" taking on everyone's sins. Certainly, the husband in called to be the head of the home, but that means he is to set the pace for the spiritual condition of the family. His view also seems to say that the wife is to not think or do without her federal head's permission. This is done under the guise of love and protection under the covenant's role. But is it loving to insult her by saying that she can't think or do anything without his permission? Is it really biblical to insist that all information be disseminated to the wife only through her federal husband.
   
   I read this book because I've been around those who hold to Wilson's view and saw how this plays out in the church. Often the women do not go to church if the husband is not there with them. Even in taking communion, the husband takes the bread and then gives a piece of it to his wife. This is just dangerous as it takes away her position as a Christian in her own right as it also circumvents the Christ-ordained leadership of the church. The Bible says that all are to obey the leaders of the church, but Wilsom seems to suggest that women are exempt from this because they are to obey and submit only to their husbands. The views of this book are not spiritually healthy because they do not acurately reflect the teaching of the Bible.
   
   However, Wilson does give us some good advice (at least concerning the book). He tells the husband that his wife ought not read the book. I totally agree with that! My only advice is to say that no one should read if if you are serious about being a Scripturally informed husband.



5. "Federal Husband" is full of unsubstantiated (though sometimes hilarious) claims and sweeping generalizations, inviting its readers to play a game of logical leapfrog. It presents very little solid reasoning that is helpful to someone seeking a better understanding of Biblical teaching on husbandry and marital headship.

No comments about Journey in Search of the Way.

5 comments about Hidden Power: Presidential Marriages That Shaped Our History.

1. I haven't read the Clinton chapter yet, but on a whole the book doesn't seem to generate any bias. Her treatment of Nixon and Carter's wife seem fair. Each chapter seems relatively short, though, considering the context of history. Almost as if more detailed research could have been done on each wife. Overall the read is entertaining and positively predictable, written in a well thought-out pattern. The analogies comparing each one to the other, strengths and weaknesses are of value.
   
   I am pro-Nixon, but I never really understood the gravity of Pat's dysfunctional situation. The Checker's speech made her seem so shallow that it propelled her into mediocrity for decades. I didn't read anything much of value with Nancy Reagan.
   
   The Bush Sr. chapter is informative because I never really understood Barbara's role before....he was a weak leader in comparison to her rock solid attitudes. I recall during Reagan's presidency a poll demonstrated that about 70% of the public did not know their VP's name was.



2. I found this to be a good book for those of us who were not around when many of these first ladies were. This book can also be a stepping stone to picking up a complete bio on one or more of them.



3. This book is a bit too shallow; there is really nothing new or deep in it. I looked for some new insights into our recent First Ladies, but all the author produced was commonly held, popular views of them.



4. This book concentrates on the Presidential Marriages in the 20th century, and how they impacted the shaping of decisions made in the White House by the Presidents. It has been said thatthe White House made some marriages and destroyed others. This is amply illustrated in this carefully researched book. The analysis of the Wilson marriages, Eleanor and Franklin Roosevelt, as well as those who followed them, is very illuminating, and clarifies many of the events that occurred during the administrations



5. The reader will be engrossed from the first page to the last. Reads like a novel; but is factual. A real page-turner. I offer slight criticism with the overall scheme of the book: not including the Gilded Age presidents alluded to in the introduction. I agree that Mamie Eisenhower and Bess Truman did not play significant roles along with their husbands; but Florence Harding, Grace Coolidge, and Nellie Taft did influence their husbands....and significantly so. I hope that when a revision is done, the author will include chapters on these three presidential couples.
   
   The reader will be "hooked" after reading the first chapter on Woodrow Wilson and his second wife. Its refreshing to find that Mrs. Marton, the author, did not gloss over the cover-up that Edith Wilson perpetuated with Dr. Cary Grayson, Wilson's White House physician. Every stone is turned over, including the little-known fact that Grayson attended to Edith during her first marriage to Mr. Galt when she had a miscarriage; this is an important connection often over-looked by historians who have preferred to over-look the Wilsons' peccadilloes, including his affairs with the Princeton professor's wife and Mary Peck.
   
   Readers will be intrigued to learn about Woodrow's sharing of secret intelligence codes and allowing his wife to use them and the State Department documents which arrived encoded.
   
   The author does a good job explaining why it was Edith who turned Woodrow against his closest advisor, Colonel House, his personal secretary, Mr. Tumulty, and Secretary of State Lansing, and even Vice President Marshall...all of whom he desperately needed while desperately ill.
   
   Any serious student of presidential history needs this volume in their library. The reader will learn how a woman with only two years of formal education ended up secretly running the country in one of the most devastating cover-ups in our nation's history. Unlike the personal memoirs of Edith Wilson and Dr. Grayson, this is not a self-serving account.
   
   Not wishing to spoil the rest of the book by revealing too much, the reader will be engrossed with chapters on the other presidential couples to the present day. This is one book not to be missed.

5 comments about It Seemed Important at the Time: A Romance Memoir.

1. Dear Gloria Vanderbilt, i am enjoying reading your wonderful book. Thank you!! sincerely,
   Joan Clement



2. The book was much shorter than I thought, and the writing was a bit too scattered, too many side notes - but good. I would average it out to be a 3.5 and you will find it funny, interesting if you know the characters or have read much about them. When you think of them as people it becomes harder to grasp, but characters seems a more realistic yardstick to use. I love Gloria Vanderbilt, I admire her and feel that she deserves applause and praise, but this one didn't do it for me. Maybe a good book to take traveling.



3. I never received this book. A notice was sent to me saying the book was unattainable at this time.



4. This book lacks depth and leaves the reader feeling that we still don't know Gloria Vanderbilt. Also, why does she give the impression that she only has one living son? What kind of mother would disregard her two older children? Very sad.
   
   A much better book on the Vanderbilts is "Fortunes Children". I recommend it.



5. It is quite irritating to read and re-read comments about Gloria Vanderbilt being unloved by her mother, her 'less than lucid' mother, or being harmed by a self absorbed mother. Perhaps those who believe these descriptions would do well to read "Double Exposure" by Gloria M. Vanderbilt and her twin, Lady Thelma Furness. This autobigraphy relates her mother's side of what happened at the custody trial (when wealthy, connected Aunt Gertrude 'won' little Gloria she no longer had an interest in her), the court allowed heresy and libel to colour testimonies and soil the reputation of mother and widow Gloria Morgan Vanderbilt as 'unfit'. Gloria M.'s own mother, Laura (little Gloria's grandmother) testified against her daughter at this trial with outrageous lies and unmotherly love. Read more about Grandma Laura's unstableness, selfishness, and self absorbsion (she left her oldest daughter at school in Paris during WW1 bombing seige). Grandma jetsetted around Europe shuttling her children to various boarding schools; she allowed her twins to move into a Manhattan apartment by themselves at age 16 to live there basically unsupervised. This was in 1922. Modern medical knowledge would most likely diagnose Grandma Laura as suffering from a neurological disorder. One wonders if it was passed down through the genes.
   Learn of Gloria M's motherly love and pain of being torn away from her only daughter and the lies spun on both sides to keep them apart. "Double Exposure" should be offered in tandem with any Gloria Vanderbilt autobigraphy. Both sides of the story should be known before one can truly pass any judgement, and even then pause and ask yourself if either one is truly glorious and deserving of gushing praise for a life of having a 'good time' and 'getting lots of lovin'.

3 comments about Casa Nostra: A Home in Sicily.

1. As a fellow Brit married to a Sicilian, I can attest that Ms. Seller Manzo's insights and observations of life in Sicily are as authentic as the family's homemade tomato sauce. The flavours of Sicily are all there, seasoned with hilarious and touching anecdotes about the Manzo household and the author's daunting task of fitting into such a splendidly eccentric family.



2. This beautiful book brings Sicily to life, with its evocations of three generations of an Italian family, combined with fascinating descriptions of its history and culture, from the Greeks to the mafia and everything in between. I would recommend this book to anyone planning to visit Sicily, or simply looking to escape into its pages and experience the warmth of this family and their villa in the sun. I loved it!



3. 
   I thoughly enjoyed this book & would highly recomend it.Its amusing & informative about life in a Sicilian family where the days seem to revolve around food.
   Susan Ribeiro dos Santos

2 comments about Elizabeth I (Profiles in Power).

1. This short book is a good summary of Elizabeth during her reign. It focuses on eight different aspects of her life: the throne, church, nobility, council, court, parliament, military, and her people. It is not very detailed. If you want quick information on the queen, this is the book for you.



2. There are too many biographies of Elizabeth I out there--thankfully this isn't one of them. The author purposely avoided another one, and instead focused on the evaluation of the way the virgin queen used her power. Elizabeth was the last monarch of the Tudor dynasty, and had to rebuild the country after the disastrous reign of Bloody Mary. This book shows how she effectively maintained control of the public, the church, the nobility, the court, the council, and the military, and tells us why Elizabeth was able to hold the throne almost 45 years.

   Again, this is not meant to be a biography, so this book assumes that you already have a basic knowledge of Elizabeth's reign. If not, you'll find yourself lost, but if so, you'll learn all kinds of stuff and find yourself looking at this English queen in a whole new light. If you're a student of Tudor England, this one's for you.

No comments about Germaine de Stael and Benjamin Constant: A Dual Biography.

4 comments about Woodswoman II: Beyond Black Bear Lake.

1. Woodswoman II is the continuing biography of author Anne LaBastille, who found peace and solitude in the log cabin she built for herself at Black Bear Lake, in the Adirondack Park of upstate New York. This is the engaging, compelling, sometimes inspiring story of how Anne decided to retreat a half-mile father into the wilderness behind her main cabin and build a second, tiny cabin (fashioned after the one in Thoreau's "Walden") in which she could write and contemplate. Woodswoman II focuses on her renewed bond with nature, her companionship with two German shepherd dogs; and her sustained and sustaining relationship with a man fully as independent as herself. Highly recommended reading for anyone who has ever contemplating leaving the stress of urban life behind for the contemplative isolation of the wilderness.



2. This second installment of the 'Woodswoman' trilogy is a step up in maturity for Dr. LaBastille. "Woodswoman" (one), dealt largely with the purchase of land and the building of a dream cabin on a remote lake. This books becomes more real, as Dr. LaBastille begins to have to worry about trespassing intruders, acid rain and the real threat that the government can pose in this unique environment. Determined not to let these new problems destroy her outlook or her life, Dr. LaBastille begins to build a second cabin - further into the wilderness. Encompassing both the new thrill of building a more isloated respite along with some freinds, brings another insight into Anne LaBastille's life ten years later. Numerous elderly Adirondack guides become great friends, sharing their own stories of the wilderness. A new romance evolves and the author has to deal with the reality of having to deal with both worlds. This book speaks not only of the wilderness, but the grand people that make and keep it unique. Of course, Dr. LaBastille's dogs are always given star treatment and her love of these animals is heartfelt. More refined and a little less naive, this second 'woodswoman' book will break and warm your heart at the same time.



3. With the Adirondack setting, Woodswoman II, by Anne Labastille, captures a way of life most people will never know about. The way Anne talks about her life as a woodswoman pulls the reader into her world and life. There are also many good details. While building her second house, Anne faces many difficulties including temporary blindness when she gets cement dust in her eyes, and dropping a large spruce on her leg, injuring herself so she cannot walk for two months. As she chooses her dog, the decision becomes the reader's and the excitement is on them. Around Anne her beautiful world is disappearing to acid rain and people. As the reader progresses through this story he or she will find the true meaning of the woods. The setting and unusual way of writing brings this book together to make a fabulous story of Anne's life. Her unique way of writing shows who she is. She talks about smaller details in great detail, talking about the general one a small mystery. When Anne was building her house, she talks about when her boat flipped when carrying supplies to her cabin. She also talks about her feelings a lot in her autobiography. She explains how she likes her doctor more then why she was temporarily blind when she gets some cement dust in her eyes. Another reason I give this book five stars is the way she decries her surroundings and her land. When Anne is on a walk she Comes upon a cliff and transfer you there in to the fog and wet green moss. She plants a photograph in the reader's mind so that the reader can find every thing in Anne's cabin. As you see there are reasons to like this book. There is one and only one reason why I would not recommend this book is that it skips from one topic to another for example, she talks about building her house, she suddenly starts the next chapter talking about acid rain and polluting. This also happened when she got hurt and talked that in the middle of a chapter about her house. This reason is not bad enough to make this book a book I would not recommend. This book is a wonderful Adironacks story about a young woman and her dogs.



4. Another good read from Anne LaBastille, but the schtick is starting to wear a little thin. I loved Ms. B's first book, and was looking forward to this second installment.
   
   Don't get me wrong - I liked it enough, and I finished it with no problems. Anne's adventures start to wear a little thin after the excellent first book though ("Woodswoman"). She builds a second cabin, animals die, she hurts herself, she meets a man, etc. It its details, it is really very much like the first book, only a little more old-hat, and a little more preachy. However, if you are interested in following the author's story, it is of course, just what the doctor ordered. I find it a bit braggy, and a bit of a bore now and then.
   
   The book bills itself as "her decision to retreat further," which I certainly do not find to be the case. In fact, it is more like "her decision to retreat less."

2 comments about Life In The Struggle 2Nd Pb (Critical Perspectives On The P).

1. I really enjoyed this book because it put all of my history lessons on the Depression and the fifties through the sixties into better perspective. By following the life of Ivory Perry, a man who lived through these times, I was better able to understand the struggle that certain groups of people went through in their search for equality and fair treatment. I think this book is a wonderful teaching tool for anyone who has a difficult time with typical history books. It enables the reader to both enjoy history, and learn from it.



2. Like many biographies of American civil rights figures, A Life in the Struggle weaves a personal narrative into a setting of social contestation. However, this book diverges from such biographies in two important ways. First, Ivory Perry, the subject of the book, acts as a collaborator in the assembly of his story. Author George Lipsitz bases his research on interviews with Perry; newspapers, court documents, police reports, hospital records, military papers, and oral histories with Perry's family and acquaintances corroborate and fill in the subject's narrative. Thus the author combines traditional research methods with a familiarity of the subject's personality. Second, the subject's personality-while central to the story-does not dominate the narrative. Instead, the author uses Perry's life as a medium to discuss Antonio Gramsci's idea of the "organic intellectual," a social type which contests hegemonic cultures through an intimate and complex understanding of disaffected groups and of their traditions of resistance. In the various movements in which he participated, Perry held no high positions of leadership; his profile remained relatively low. He was uneducated, and throughout his life he struggled for subsistence. Yet because he remained among the dispossessed, Perry learned the mechanics of effective group resistance. This idea forms one of two components of Lipsitz's thesis.
   
   The second component relies upon the author's interpretation of Perry's narrative. Having constructed Perry as an organic intellectual, Lipsitz argues for an alternative interpretation of social opposition in American history. He cites the high standards for identifying viable group opposition which have been elicited by historians of social protest. For Lipsitz, the works of Aileen Kraditor, John Patrick Diggins, and T.J. Jackson Lears share the view that American radicals since the mid-nineteenth century have ultimately capitulated to the hegemony of "materialism, individualism, and privatism" which framed their experiences (p. 231). Lipsitz argues that such an interpretation ignores the dynamic nature of hegemony. Even unsuccessful groups have forced dominant institutions to make concessions and have thereby established an effective middle ground between capitulation and outright revolution. The author presents Ivory Perry's life as a model for treading that middle ground.
   
   This is an important book, not least because it offers an alternative to civil rights narratives. However, it is not only about the civil rights movement. It presents new possibilities for defining cultural hegemony, for viewing oppression, and for understanding the forms in which social contestation appears.