5 comments about Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street.

1. A decent read about the happenings inside Salomon Brothers during the 1980s. The author's writing style makes the book very readable and is quite comical at times. It covers the birth of Mortgage backed securities and the junk bond market. A good intro into what the training class at Salomon was like back in the day and tales of various practical jokes/pranks that were apparently commonplace.
   
   A good weekend read if you are in the mood.



2. Michael Lewis' Liar's Poker is a revealing account of his days as a bond salesman at Salomon Brothers, a bulge-bracket investment house. In the 1980's, bonds were in their heyday, and consequently, investment houses dedicated a big part of their operations to the almighty bond. Enter Michael Lewis. Fresh out of the London School of Economics, he relies on -- at least partly, anyways -- some chance connections to land a job back on Wall Street. Lewis has a knack for fully developing the characters that made Salomon Brothers and it is both enlightening and entertaining to revisit his life in the frenzied 1980s on Wall Street. As hilarious as Liar's Poker is, it also, in some respects, is a bit of a sobering read, knowing now how much Wall Street has disintegrated since Lewis' time at Salomon Brothers. bought this book for 1 cent (plus $3.99 shipping, of course) and it remains one of my all-time favorite books. A must read for anyone who has any interest in business/finance or anyone who wants a closer look at what life was really like as a bond salesman in the 1980s.



3. In today's economic climate this book remains a pertinent cautionary tale. We don't seem to learn much from our political approaches and faliures in monetary matters, perhaps because of greed and narrowness of view, and this book brings these historical matters to mind in relation to current problems. Perhaps this should be required reading for all in politics who can affect monetary, banking, and investing policy. The author manages to keep the readers interest, and despite the known and obvious conclusions to the tale, he makes it almost like a mystery raging to a bad end. Excellent read, pertinent today, and unfortunately likely tomorrow.



4. I was impressed about how fast this item was shipped to and actually received in Peru.



5. If you a dying to work in the industry or imagine the stock market to be a big mystery this book might be more engaging.
   
   Personaly I found it a little boring and hard to get through. I am not impressed by the stories at all, and found it like listening to a sales person in a bar.

5 comments about The Politician: An Insider's Account of John Edwards's Pursuit of the Presidency and the Scandal That Brought Him Down.

1. Like many others i read this book in almost 1 sitting- couldnt put it down and kept saying..."This can't be true, this can't be true" I am probably the LEAST judgemental person around but man, these people are horrible. I actually felt like i needed to take a shower after i finished it! Interesting read, no one comes off looking good and while I felt bad at times for the author I find it hard to believe he was so naive and so blind for 10 years...



2. I read a handful of political 'tell all stories' and really enjoyed Game Change and Renegade, and think The Politician is the best so far. I know Andrew Young is not a professional journalist or does he have any relevant experience in writing biographies or publishing. All that being said, the story is amazing, his writing is A+, and when you start reading this book you will not be able to put it down!
   
   I highly recommend this book to anyone that enjoys reading political dramas, or even books by Michael Creighton and/or John Grisham. It is the best!!!



3. Very fast reading. It's sad to read that John Edwards growing up a nice (kind of spoiled) young man with good morals, got caught up in the political game, and makes you realize that most people in Washington are out for themselves and not for the people in their state.



4. This book kept my interest, and of course I was disappointed when I read about the scandal that caused John Edwards to lose his candidacy for the presidency. I never thought he was sincere and it's a shame for him and his family that his political career had to end this way. This shows me even more how hard it is to trust any candidate. The power and adoration they receive does something to a politician, even if they start out wanting to do all the right things for the people, it ends along the way when they fight any way they can to win. I felt sorry for Andrew Young and his family, but he brought it on himself. It's a good book - well written, even if it disgusts you. Of course anything with scandal in it showing what happens behind the scenes does make you want to read it unfortunately.



5. One word of warning, (and meaning on disrespect to the author) those uninterested in the rather mundane details of the author's personal life, and his spats with Mrs. Edwards (and since in most cases the reader will have to fill in the blanks himself anyway to really determine what happened) not much is missed by skipping forward to chapter eight of the book.
   
   When the author implies up front that his motives are to tell the truth, make money, and settle scores (not necessarily in that order) then not much remains left to the reader's imagination. Despite this, the truth, to the extent it is to be found at all in this book, remains curiously buried among the many other priorities and inessential but elusive details - most of which are of the "he-said she-said" variety. The "meaty stuff" begins at chapter eight as the narrative turns to telling us how, with a calculated self-destruction difficult to understand, John Edwards began his tawdry affair with a new age space cadet and low-level party girl, Rielle Hunter. There began his ignominious, fiery and steep descent into political hell and possibly into political oblivion. One that so far has only been matched by Bill Clinton with Monica Lewinsky and Tiger Woods playing sexual Russian Roulette with his family, his health, and his multi-billion dollar career.
   
   How did the gifted, charismatic, ambitious, photogenic John Edwards do it? The short answer the author gives appears in the final paragraphs of the book. It is that in the glare of the public sun, the deeper flaws of Edward's character and personality began to reveal themselves and finally inexorably overtook him. The long answer is that it was a slow agonizing human progression: political death by a thousand little deceptions (self deception being the first and most important one); a thousand little white lies, and a thousand little betrayals: all minimized but yet accumulating to eventually tip the scales of Edward's own mental equilibrium.
   
   Some may consider it a side issue but usually when men are successful, the cliché would have us believe that it is the women behind them responsible. Is it unreasonable to ask: Where are these women when their men fail? Are they then like gods who share in the glory but not in the blame? It's just a rhetorical question that keeps being begged as these tawdry affairs continue unfolding among both "powerful and not so powerful couples."
   
   It appears that the number one lesson from this story is that the glare of the political sun quickly singes our erstwhile heroes' outer skins: consumes their exteriors, churning and turning charisma, political charm, hubris, good looks, blind ambition and talent into a kind of situational psychosis, a kind of cultural psychopathology that we keep seeing over and over again. Tiger blamed his descent on flawed judgment brought on by the intense glare. Bill Clinton did too. But this author's short answer seems to make the more sense in all these cases: Character inhibits from the inside out. Situations can challenge character but cannot overwhelm it. When character is there, the threat of the glare is averted. When its not, voila: Edwards, Clinton and Woods. In short, we might conclude from this lesson that character may be the only shield against the blinding sun of hubris, talent, fame, ambition and unconditional public adulation.
   
   The author claims to have held on for dear life on the roller-coaster ride down the steep decline because he believed in the Edwards vision: The price of loyalty was bought at the altar of a greater vision. But anyone who reads carefully between the lines might challenge Young's version of events, of his undying loyalty and even his own motives. After all he admits that he was well-paid, although he never even gave us a ball park figure. My calculations based on perks alone should have put him in the 200-300k bracket. If so, that's not bad for a ten-year career as a political functionary. He built two houses in ten years, at least one of which was on a lake. He also was getting a percentage of the funds he raised. Money like that can buy a lot of loyalty, vision or no vision.
   
   The author also claimed to have been innocent of the games the powerful and treacherous play, yet when he was finally dealt a winning hand at the table of the "big dogs" based on his guilty secret knowledge of Edward's affair, he had no problem playing it like a professional. This book is itself only exhibit two. Exhibit one was the author's anemic attempt at blackmailing the Edward's and his fawning before Edward's "big dog" contributors. This "acquired taste and skill in treachery" just may have been a case of "when in Rome do as Romans, "as the author suggests, or an imperative in the heat of battle to save his family income, but somehow one doubts it.
   
   The larger issue is this. Many of us supported John Edwards (and later Barack Obama) even though they saw as I did something sinister behind that sly insincere Southern grin that is difficult to trust. But what were the choices? The Chicago politician? Or one half of the couple who presided over but denied knowledge of Mena Arkansas? Or the Annapolis bad boy from Arizona? [You see my point?]
   
   From any angle in the American political and cultural firmament, we see cheapness, tawdriness, liars and conmen, most are like John Edwards, clad in sheep skin, pawning themselves off as respectable men and women but who cannot wait to turn their faces to the burning sun. Two stars

5 comments about Night.

1. Book was sent quickly and was in great condition. Would do bussiness with this business/person again.



2. When a teenager, Elie Wiesel was taken from his home, and he and his family were put in a series of concentration camps over several years. Night is the haunting record of that experience, as bleakly unflinching a memoir as has ever been written. Few can know the horrors of not only spending teenage years in such a place but also seeing family members and many others die and countless others suffer. Needless to say, Wiesel's own plight was also tragically great, and he unsurprisingly lost both innocence and faith. The experience touched him so deeply that he was unable to write of it for over a decade. When he finally did, he had great difficulty getting published; the events were still very close, and the world wanted to forget rather than being reminded. However, when published in 1960, Night was an international sensation, reawakening interest in the Holocaust and all it stands for. It was not only a literary triumph but the first step in Wiesel's core belief that we must always remember the Holocaust so nothing like it ever happens again.
   
   The book remains undeniably compelling, a masterpiece on many levels. Perhaps most immediately, it is a stark depiction of evil's height, showing humanity at its worst. This is valuable in every sense from philosophical to sociological but above all in destroying hollow optimism epitomized in the belief that things will take care of themselves and all will work out for the best. Night leaves no doubt that, left unchecked, human evil grows exponentially; it is our duty to curb it, and the awareness raised by such works is a very important part of this. Second, it is an invaluable historical document, one of the best - most thorough and readable - primary sources of the Holocaust's unparalleled miseries. As such, it is one of the darkest works ever - all the more so in being true; even the blackest imagination could not conceive such atrocities, which says all that need be said about this aspect of Night and the events it records.
   
   Yet there are several strong senses in which the book is not bleak. First, it is an artistic masterpiece; unwavering honesty and vivid description raise it above mere memoir, putting it with the most harrowing and unforgettable first-person accounts ever. Its biggest strength in this way is unadorned yet highly effective prose. Wiesel has no time for dizzying metaphors, lush descriptions, or other fancy writing; he has a bitter story to tell and tells it as plainly and - in the best way - as simply as possible. This makes it clearer and more memorable than it could ever have been otherwise, forcing us to focus on the events rather than the writing. The story speaks for itself as few can. Though barely one hundred pages, it has more of substance and significance than nearly any other book. The words are few but the implications endless.
   
   Perhaps more fundamentally, though Night is a savage condemnation of human evil, it is also a tribute to human endurance. Like a surprising number of others, Wiesel survived the Holocaust despite everything, showing just how far human beings can be pushed and live. Such determination and perseverance is truly incredible, a testament to the indomitable human spirit that is at least as astonishing in its way as the evil that confronted it and far more awe-inspiring. Wiesel not only lived but, in a long career starting with Night, has admirably devoted his life to exposing the Holocaust's monstrosities to guard future ages against recurring evil.
   
   Night is a profoundly important document in this and many other ways, a must for anyone even remotely interested in the Holocaust, World War II, Judaism, or the depths to which humanity can sink - as well as, in one sense at least, all that it can rise above. It is nothing less than one of the most important and valuable books of all-time. Though a very painful read, everyone should read it if only to see just how painful life can be - and hopefully to avoid passing the pain on to those lucky enough to have been born after the nightmares it faithfully records.



3. Some books, it seems, are almost beyond mere review. NIGHT is about Elie Wiesel's time in Nazi concentration camps. Really, what can one add? The description alone says an awful lot. So let us not focus on subject and instead focus on readability.
   
   NIGHT is very readable. It is not, however, a scholarly study. Many other books provide much better detail and history of the Nazi camps designed either to exterminate undesirables outright or, alternatively, work them to death. NIGHT, rather than being scholarly, is personal. It does not bring the concentration camps to life. It brings Elie Wiesel to life as he lived it in those camps and, more ominously, the life he led before them.
   
   That life before heading to the extermination camps is of equal importance to the life in the camps itself. A basic yet terrifying rule of totalitarian ideologies and the political movements that bring them to fruition is that they do not advertise the barbaric methods that will ultimately be employed in order to achieve their ideological goals. Concentration camps were such extreme institutions that, even given the generations of anti-semitism, they seemed beyond belief until it was much too late. Wiesel and his family (and others in his village) were indeed warned as to what was awaiting them. Yet the stories were so far out there, so incomprehensible, that they were scoffed at. That is perhaps the most important lesson of the book.
   
   At a little over 100 pages, NIGHT is actually a bit skimpy in its descriptions. Yet it provides enough. It provides the big pictures - endless work, ravenous hunger, brutality of the guards and other prisoners and, most distressing, the slipping away of one's own humanity as survival becomes so precarious that one's concerns even for loved ones slips away in the face of self-preservation.
   
   Part memorial, part warning, NIGHT was Wiesel's first book. It could have been his last and his reputation would still be significant. It is a dark but worthwhile read about a very dark time.



4. Elie Wiesel was a victim of the attempted extermination of the "Jewish Race" by the Nazi German State under the leadership of Adolf Hitler.
   
   Adolf Hitler actually had a bigger plan than the extinction of the "Jewish Race." His larger goal was to eventually rid the world of all inferior breeds and types of people - weather they were members of races or not. He was going to purify humankind of all of its miscreants. The Jews were simply first. He explains these goals in his book Mein Kampf.
   
   It always amazes me that here in the United States there has only been one political party that has ever been outlawed - the Communist Party. As far as I know even today, you can be a member of the Nazi Party but not a member of a Communist Party.
   
   In principle and theory the Nazi Party advocates the extermination of all inferior peoples for the eventual goal of the purification of the species.
   
   The Communist Party in principle and theory (despite the leadership of many misguided brutes and dictators and murderers) has advocated fair treatment for the poor and working class.
   
   In the United States we have outlawed the Communist Party but not the Nazi Party.
   
   Harry Truman in one of his memoirs states that in his opinion Communism was a worse philosophy than Nazism.
   
   To say the least I'm confused.
   
   But "Night" by Elie Wiesel is not a book about Nazism or Communism. It is a book about people and the human race.
   
   The copy of "Night" that I have was previously owned. And the original owner has written several of his comments or questions in the margins.
   
   On page four he writes; Why would you allow yourself to be shipped off? On page seven he writes: Total denial of worsening conditions by the Jews. On page 27 he writes; So many Jews and so few SS. Why don't the Jews just take over? On page 37 he writes: A psychological feeling of depression controlled the Jews. He has other comments but they get fewer and fewer as the book goes on.
   
   What do you think about these questions?
   
   I wonder why this last reader is questioning the behavior of the Jews and not the behavior of the Germans.
   
   There is not one question written in the margins of this little book asking how the German people could do such a thing to any group of people.
   
   Like the battered housewife, everyone asks; Why did you stay with him? Why did you allow him to treat you so?
   
   No one asks: What was wrong with this man?
   
   Is it because we as human beings are so conditioned to abuse and torture and mistreatment in this life that we see nothing unusual about the abuser?
   
   And this brings us to Mr. Elie Wiesel's constant refrain throughout this book; `Where is God? Where is He? Where can He be now?'
   
   As a philosophical student of the classical problem of the existence or non-existence of God, I find this argument basic. This is the moral argument against the existence of God - How can a moral God create an immoral world?
   
   Leibniz said that because God is good and moral - this is the best of all possible worlds. It must be. God can not make mistakes.
   
   Voltaire wrote Candide as the disbelievers' response to Leibniz.
   
   The believer will say that the evil of the Holocaust was not God's evil but the evil of man - it was created by the German people. This was human evil not Divine evil - as if human nature could somehow be separated from a Divine creation.
   
   Once again we see the victim getting the blame while the abuser is exonerated.
   This seems to be the human condition.
   
   To continue with this philosophy of "beating up on the victim," I suppose that the non-believer could say to the believer: Why my friend do you chose to believe in an abusive God?
   
   Books written by Richard Noble - The Hobo Philosopher:
   "Hobo-ing America: A Workingman's Tour of the U.S.A.."
   "A Summer with Charlie" Salisbury Beach, Lawrence YMCA
   "A Little Something: Poetry and Prose
   "Honor Thy Father and Thy Mother" Novel - Lawrence, Ma.
   "The Eastpointer" Selections from award winning column.
   "Noble Notes on Famous Folks" Humor - satire - facts.
   "America on Strike" American Labor - History



5. Elie Wiesel has not forgotten and through this text he ensures that the rest of us knows what happened - and do not dare to forget. Written in simple prose within a thin volume, "Night" speaks as loudly now for the murdered millions as it did when first published more than 50 years ago. It's a memoir but so much more than a recounting of a single life. The writer is subtle and economic in this tight history of the largest documented mass murder. By limiting full graphic depictions and allowing the imagination to fill in the gaps of conditions in the concentration camps, the reader counts and mourns Wiesel's family and neighbors as if they were our own. So well does he draw us into the scenes that while reading "Night" we smell the crematorium's smoke and feel its heat. Weisel's Noble Peace Prize acceptance speech is at the end of this new translation of "Night." Delivered in 1986, it is the perfect anchor to book. The speech addresses the injustices worldwide that followed the Holocaust and warns against allowing the holocausts that inevitably have come to pass between 1986 and now. "Night" is being read in many colleges. It should be required reading in high schools. Generations across the world should not be allowed to forget.

5 comments about Committed: A Skeptic Makes Peace with Marriage.

1. great book! every bit as good as ELP. she has such an enjoyable writing style. very relatable even tho our situations are not the same.



2. EPL quickly became one of my favorite books after I read it last year. I could not put it down - I felt that I was on my own personal journey with Elizabeth Gilbert as we ate our way through Italy, found our spirituality in India, and finally discovered our inner strength, calm and romance in Indonesia. Committed does not have the same carefree lithe that EPL possessed. This is not a journey through the selfish world of self-discovery, which made EPL a fast and ravenous read. Committed still describes Gilbert's inner thoughts, questions, concerns and "ah-ha!" moments, but she also takes a step outside of herself, making a place for Felipe's feelings and views as well, and really digging deep into the cultural, moral, religious, and historical facts about marriage. As someone who is struggling not to be a marriage skeptic at the moment, I devoured this book. Anyone struggling with thoughts on committed relationships and marriage could benefit from its wisdom - we live in an age when 50% of all unions end in divorce. Despite all warnings, historical evidence, and other cautions, people are still jumping into marriages, feet first. Committed takes a very honest look at the reasons why, and in the end, I know I felt more optimistic about the subject than not. Those who are not struggling with this topic may find Committed a bit more lackluster. In either case, no one can argue that Gilbert is a gifted writer - her prose easily flows from one thought and topic to the next, in verbiage that keeps you informed and interested.



3. Faced with the possible deportation of her love, Filipe, Gilbert has come to the conclusion that she must again get married. This is something that neither she nor Felipe thought they would do again. Having gone through an awful divorce (as witnessed in Eat, Pray, Love) Gilbert is very skeptical of the institution of marriage.
   
   I think this is the reason I love her. I can relate to her. Although I am married and haven't personally gone thorough a divorce, I was definitely jaded by my parents divorce and decided early on it is much better to be happily divorced than unhappily married. Yes, I am married, but I made sure that nowhere in our vows did it say anything about "till death do us part" because I just don't believe it. My husband is fully aware of my "issues" (both with marriage and otherwise). I have to admit part of me hoped that Committed would bring me some reassurance, and it kind of did. Gilbert seemed to jump into her research with a clear plan to "figure it all out." One of my favorite lines is after she is talking to her mother about things given up for marriage as opposed to things gained.
   
   "Therefore, the tidy ultimate conclusion is...???
   It was slowly becoming clear to me that perhaps there was never going to be any tidy ultimate conclusion here. My mother herself had probably given up long ago trying to draw tidy ultimate conclusions about her existence, having abandoned (as so many of us must do, after a certain age) the luxuriously innocent fantasy that one is entitled to have mixed feelings about one's own life."
   
   In Committed, Gilbert bounces back and forth between her stories--including conversations with people she met while waiting for Felipe to be allowed back in the United States and her extensive research on the subject of marriage. I found it fascinating to learn about the various histories and different rituals in other cultures. Gilbert has an incredible talent for recreating her conversations and adventures and I enjoyed every minute of it.



4. As many reviewers have noted, this is a very different book from Eat, Pray, Love. It really isn't so much of a memoir, although it does cover the period of Elizabeth Gilbert's life in which she and Felipe - the Brazilian she met and fell in love with at the end of EPL - are aimlessly traveling about Asia as they wait for U.S. immigration to clear them both for marriage. Much of the book is a sociological and historical analysis of the institution of marriage from every possible angle. The author draws on her journalistic expertise for this much more than in EPL, and the book is exhaustively researched. She does intersperse personal stories, and of course shares her own personal struggle to 'make peace' with marriage, as she indicates in the subtitle. But there is not quite as much emotion or humor.
   
   Personally, that is just fine with me. I loved the travel stories, the family history, the arguments with Felipe, and the research. In a way it is an extended personal essay on romance, marriage and relationships, and a very well-done one. Some of the history and theory got a bit long and tedious for my taste (hence the 4 instead of 5 stars), and frankly I just skimmed or even skipped through paragraphs when that got to be the case. But overall, as a 40-something married women who had severe doubts about marriage myself before committing, I think this book is right on target. Ms. Gilbert has documented the ever-changing nature of marriage, the shifts that are occurring now all over the world, and the particular challenges it poses for women. I think she does so in an even-handed and highly readable way. And I commend her for doing something so different from EPL, and yet connected, and so well.
   
   She says she doesn't want children, so I guess she won't be doing something similar about parenthood, which is too bad, but I look forward to whatever she does come up with next none the less.



5. absolutely impossible to miss. must read for any woman (married or not, with kids or not).
   will set you free...

5 comments about On the Brink: Inside the Race to Stop the Collapse of the Global Financial System.

1. Great job in explaining the complexities and the crisis nature of the near collapse of the world financial system. Great understanding of Hank Paulson and the near impossible job of working with congress to avert the collapse. Our congressional leaders do not have a clue except for their own personal self serving personal political agendas. One gains a greater respect for the team that Paulson assembled to deal with the crisis.



2. Paulson doesn't waste the reader's time with politically-correct posturing, nor does he play the blame-game and president-bashing so popular among the less mature. He states the facts as he sees them from his unique, hands-on perspective, and presents his analysis therefrom. This is an instructional read, not fluff. It holds the reader's interest.



3. An interesting insight as to how government works at the height of an emergency. A good read.



4. Worth the money but giving Paulson an objective "grade" on his book is not easy when you do not believe in "too big to fail ".



5. I found this book to be interesting - like it wasn't real life, but you realize all this did happen. More happened behind the scenes than we could ever imagine. I know some of it was over my head, but it was well written and kept my interest.

5 comments about Going Rogue CD: An American Life.

1. Reveals the details of her life and the reasons for her actions. Answers the many questions I had about her goals and ambitions.



2. I thought the last half was interesting. She told me what I need to know about her.
   
   I guess I misunderstood what "rogue" means. Apparently, it means denying, deflecting, blaming, whining, and presentimg disingenious "altrustic" motives. She presents herself as seeming to believe she is a powerless victum; something i think bears remembering should she again run for office.
   
   I'm offended that she seems to think she is worthy to decide who is and isn't a true pariot. There isn't much room for indiviuality here. She presents a classic example of reverse elitism.
   
   She spends most of the first half trying to prove just how down-home folksy she is. I live in the farm belt. We know it when we see it. We don't need it explained to us, and when we do see someone trying so hard, we have to question their motives.
   
   The book is full of product endorsements.
   
   I've come away with the feeling that this womrn must think most of us are either obtuse or idiots.



3. Sarah Palin reveals her private life growing up in Alaska and into her vice presidential campaign with John McCain. She gives us a peek at what goes on behind the scenes of a presidential campaign and her viewpoint is like many common Americans unfamiliar with that process. I appreciate her taking the risk and sharing herself and her family with us.



4. Guess what? You will have a whole different opinion of this lady once you read this book. I did! Nicely written, very nice photos. If nothing else you will get a real look inside national campaigns and learn what goes on in the campaigns. While I was not a huge Palin fan I think I now know much more about her and I respect her for how she handled herself.



5. Politicians write books to show how they excel as leaders and why they should be recognized as fit to represent the public in government offices, and this is what readers should look for when they evaluate their books. One thinks of the first President Bush's autobiography in which his most significant prior accomplishment seemed to have been the placement of new doors on the CIA building. If this is the best that the politician can write about himself when he is attempting to persuade us to vote to place him in office, one should be cautious about voting for him.
   The same consideration applies if the politicians write fiction or non-fiction that is not autobiographical. Whatever they write they write to get our votes. One thinks of President Kennedy's Profile in Courage, which was clearly composed to impress readers that Kennedy was courageous.
   The fact that Sarah Palin admits that her book was written by a ghost-writer does not alter how we evaluate her book. After all, she reviewed what was written and passed on what should be included. Kennedy's book was also ghost-written and so too were many other books by politicians. The issue remains: the politician put the best picture of her or himself forward; does it reflect an intelligent person who is knowledgeable about national and international issues, who is mature and concerned about the interests and future of the general population.
   The Palin book is well-written, but does not sound like Mrs. Palin sounds when we hear her speak. She describes herself as a concerned "mom" - the book's blurb touts, as if this was something significant, that she offers a "mom's-eye view of high stakes national politics." However, she fails to demonstrate a politician's political knowledge and competence. And, it is very disturbing to read about her strong religious convictions that appear to be unrealistic and elitist in the sense of "I know what is right and what I know is what all people should do." This is dangerous. There are scholars who are concerned that the United States entered the Iraq War because of President Bush's religious views about what is "right." Whether this understanding of President Bush is true or not, we certainly do not want something like this to happen to us and to our children in the future. Mrs. Palin states repeatedly that she is open to the views of others, but "she protests too much," and other statements and actions seem to contradict her protestations.
   It is disturbing also when she or her ghost-writer states that the need to confiscate her children's cell phones during the campaign was "scarier than anything the Obama-Biden camp could throw at us." Equally bothering is her constant attempt to describe herself as "an ordinary woman from a town at the top of the world," at a time when she is being criticized for being out of touch with political realities; the quote seems to show that she is insufficiently cognizant of this criticism. Similar is her naiveté when the book quotes her as saying that her speech writer "was very generous about letting me add my own words." Also, one wonders whether someone else, man or woman, would stress that she had to change her baby's diaper as "the last thing I did before heading down to give the biggest speech of my life" at the convention.
   Are these the kind of character traits that a wise politician shows those who are deciding whether to vote for her? And are these the traits that provoke our positive response?

5 comments about Son of Hamas: A Gripping Account of Terror, Betrayal, Political Intrigue, and Unthinkable Choices.

1. This book shares a very interesting and captivating story about the last 30 years of the Israeli/Palestinian conflicts, the experiences of two separate religious worldviews, and the undercover operations or two radically different systems of government. I recommend this book to anyone interested in the Arab/Israeli conflicts or Muslim theology vs. Christian theology.
   
   I have read the few negative reviews of this book and find them unquestionably tainted by the reader's preconceived notions of the history discussed in this book or possibly even by the reader's prejudice against one or the other of the parties represented. They hurl accusations at the author which are unfounded because he simply would have nothing to gain by making all of this up. As anyone who reads the book will see, the Mosab Yousef's life may actually be in greater danger now after having shared this story. And his relationship to his family is certainly strained now as a result of his decision to follow the Jesus Christ of the Bible.
   
   So forget the few reviews, read the many reviews, and dive into this intriguing, factual, previously unknown history of the "Son of Hamas".



2. "Son of Hamas" has its truths, however, it is not entirely true, which makes it that much more insidious. Like a titillating supermarket tabloid it promises to satisfy itching ears, in this case the itching ears of Christians who want another reason to hate and demonize Islam. However, in reality "Son of Hamas" is little more than political spin, and in a conflict already characterized by hateful, politicized rhetoric, this will only add fuel to the fire.
   
   Christians should be wary of the economic and political motivations behind such writing. Men like Joel Rosenberg, John Hagee, Jerry Falwell, and now Mosab Hasan Yousef play on popular fears and stereotypes, and twist scripture to support political agendas.
   
   For those who want a more nuanced understanding of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, I would recommend a book like "The Israel Lobby and US Foreign Policy."



3. As an Israeli who suffered greatly from the conflict, and lost friends because of Hamas and fought fiercely against them. I wanted to create a positive change. Instead of revenge, I have the desire to help both societies to reconcile. Hamas and others add great obstacles and this author TOO!! He increases the deep enmity between Israelis, Palestinians, and the Arab world. The narrative is interesting and complying but this author want a kind of final war between the God of Islam and God of Christianity. It seems that he go against all Muslims who disagree with his new belief in God. ( he now practice Christianity) Watch his interview with Christiane Amanpour at [...]
   After this interview i did not finish the book...i do not want to help people who masked humanity with hatred.
   
   Among the people who suffer the most in both societies, feelings of passion and hate are not going to be easily broken. In addition, repeated exposure to violence over the years, coupled with stereotyping and skewed perspectives has overwhelmed the voice of reason.
   
   Yet, this author try to project homogeneous enemy entity while manipulating the mind of many people. Clearly Hamas lie and manipulate its own people and often kill for no reason. It is a terrorist group. No question!! Yet it is not all Muslims.
   
   Television and newspapers as well as this author often present Muslims in such general way that the viewers or readers, think that Muslims and in particular Arabs, are terrorists, although Arabs represent only 20% of the Muslims population in the world.
   
   The perception gap among Israelis and Palestinians and for this mater between West and the Arab world--particularly between Islam and the West--is obvious. One needs to bear in mind that soon, a third of the world's population is going to be Muslim. It is extremely important to understand this topic and find ways to increase multiculturalism and tolerance. There is no single remedy for this, but there are a few options. This book is not one of the remedies...
   
   The author hatred to Islam is obvious and he contributed to a representation of Islam as fanatical and incompatible with civilized western values. This kind of generalization applied only to Muslims, since crimes by other religious people were not put in the context of their religion, but in the context of their citizenship!! Islamophobia
   According to BBC just a few days ago "An influential Muslim scholar has issued a global ruling against terrorism and suicide bombing.
   Dr Tahir ul-Qadri, from Pakistan, says his 600-page judgement, known as a fatwa, completely dismantles al-Qaeda's violent ideology."
   In a statement, Dr. al-Zawahiru, one of the leaders of Al-Qaeda, said, "We are in a battle, and more than half of this battle is taking place in the battlefield of the media."
   This author does a great service to Al-Qaeda because he goes against all Muslims. There are terrorists but there are millions more who are kind loving human beings who happened to practice Islam.
   
   There is no doubt in my mind that religions and cultures do try to depart from their patterns of conflict as they face extremists' ideologies among their people. While there is some realization that cooperation between cultures and pluralistic societies is the way to go, there is also bigotry and intolerance among large sections in many societies. This is indeed intolerance. On the other hand, there are various unofficial dialogues taking place around the world as well as between Israelis and Palestinians. However, Muslims who understand and appreciate the West often feel alienated and perceive Western images of them as unjust and biased and this author just push for war.
   
   The social fabric of relationships among both societies is torn apart by decades and generations of hatred. Building new perceptions cannot happen overnight. This requires careful planning to create the mechanisms by which Israelis and Palestinians can meet and work together, but it is the only effective tool for neutralizing radicalization. People need a place to express the trauma of loss and grief, and both societies need to begin to see the human on the other side. Only then can the peace process avoid manipulation by leaders at the extreme ends of the political spectrum.
   
   We need people to speak out louder for peace among ourselves and to our leaders while striving to do so without violence and destruction but rather with love and understanding.
   Here is another example:
   An Open Letter and Call from Muslim Religious Leaders to:
   A Common Word between Us and You
   "Muslims and Christians together make up well over half of the world's population. Without peace and justice between these two religious communities, there can be no meaningful peace in the world. The future of the world depends on peace between Muslims and Christians.
   The basis for this peace and understanding already exists. It is part of the very foundational principles of both faiths: love of the One God, and love of the neighbour. These principles are found over and over again in the sacred texts of Islam and Christianity. The Unity of God, the necessity of love for Him, and the necessity of love of the neighbour is thus the common ground between Islam and Christianity. The following are only a few examples:
   Of God's Unity, God says in the Holy Qur'an: Say: He is God, the One! / God, the Self- Sufficient Besought of all! (Al-Ikhlas, 112:1-2). Of the necessity of love for God, God says in the Holy Qur'an: So invoke the Name of thy Lord and devote thyself to Him with a complete devotion (Al-Muzzammil, 73:8). Of the necessity of love for the neighbour, the Prophet Muhammad r said: "None of you has faith until you love for your neighbour what you love for yourself."
   In the New Testament, Jesus Christ u said: `Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is One. / And you shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength.' This is the first commandment. / And the second, like it, is this: `You shall love your neighbour as yourself.' There is no other commandment greater than these." (Mark 12:29-31)
   
   In the Holy Qur'an, God Most High enjoins Muslims to issue the following call to Christians (and Jews--the People of the Scripture):
   Say: O People of the Scripture! Come to a common word between us and you: that we shall worship none but God, and that we shall ascribe no partner unto Him, and that none of us shall take others for lords beside God. And if they turn away, then say: Bear witness that we are they who have surrendered (unto Him). (Aal `Imran 3:64)
   The words: we shall ascribe no partner unto Him relate to the Unity of God, and the words: worship none but God, relate to being totally devoted to God. Hence they all relate to the First and Greatest Commandment. According to one of the oldest and most authoritative commentaries on the Holy Qur'an the words: that none of us shall take others for lords beside God, mean `that none of us should obey the other in disobedience
   2to what God has commanded'. This relates to the Second Commandment because justice and freedom of religion are a crucial part of love of the neighbor.
   Thus in obedience to the Holy Qur'an, we as Muslims invite Christians to come together with us on the basis of what is common to us, which is also what is most essential to our faith and practice: the Two Commandments of love."



4. I was reading "son of hamas" on my way from the U.S to Israel. The book is very interesting - giving a unique insight of the way Palestinians live today in the West Bank. Reading the book I tried to put my self as an Israeli in Mosab's shoes as a Palestinian, Muslim and an enemy of Israel. No doubted he did a very brave, challenging and moral decision becoming an informer of Israeli Shin-Bet. I know for sure that the places, events and details given by Mosab (which I personally know) are very accurate.
   He gave me a rare chance to see how my enemy looks like and thinks like. He gave me the understanding that on the other side the enemy loves and hates, and in general - on two sides there are people who want to live their lives.
   I thank Mosab for the opportunity to love my enemy as a Jew.
   This book is a "must read" book for anyone who wants to understand something about the brutal and bleeding region called The Middle East!!!!!!



5. While 8-year boys in other parts of the world played with toy cars, Mosab threw rocks at Israeli vehicles. By the time he was 18, he was filled with adult-sized anger and revenge, and was armed with military-style weapons. "My father had never taught me to hate (Israel), but I didn't know how not to feel this way," says Mosab Yousef, son of one of the founders of Hamas. (p. 63) He was arrested, imprisoned, beaten and tortured, all while trying to finish high school.
   
   This honest book will grip the reader's heart and stir the spirit. Mosab writes from a unique perspective: his double-agent involvement with both Islamic terrorists and Israeli spies. The information about the Middle East conflict is current, intriguing, and sometimes terrifying. He writes to stir the reader's spirit to compassion for the oppressed Palestinians and Jews. He candidly shares his spiritual journey of how God drew him--a terrorist--to humbly accept Christ as Lord and Savior.
   
   As the oldest son, he had a special relationship with his father and held an important role in the family. When his father was carted off to prison, he willingly stepped into the paternal role in the family. For years, he financially supported his mother and helped raise his younger siblings.
   
   Upon his father's release from prison, Mosab became his body guard, personal assistant, confidant, student, and friend. He was responsible for his father's life--still a high-ranking Hamas leader--and they shared a close and mutually respectful relationship. To Mosab, his father impersonated the side of Islam that reflects humility, love and mercy. No one imagined the tie between this father and son could ever break. Until Mosab met Jesus Christ.
   
   "The old hatred that had driven me to buy guns and to plot the deaths of Israelis was being displaced by a love I didn't understand." (p. 204) Mosab writes further, "As is the case with many followers of Jesus, my public declaration of faith broke the hearts of my mother and father, brothers, sisters, and friends." (p. 243)
   
   On the eve of the release of this book, Mosab received word that his father and entire family disowned him. Mosab could not have penned a more poignant closing sentence to this book: "I love you. You will always be my father." (p. 246)
   
   This is a story of a young man's conflict and terror, and his courage to choose freedom. "Having a loving relationship with a God who would help me love others is not only the source of my freedom but also the key to my new life." (p. 249) What a testimony of the tenacity of God's love and the power of His Word!

5 comments about The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.

1. Great read for anyone with interest in medical history. Very fair and accurate reporting of medical facts and the Lacks family.



2. I became interested in this book after seeing a review in the local paper. When I worked in a research institute, I actually worked with this cell line, it intrigued me to learn more, and I felt a personal connection.
   
   This book far exceeded my expectations. It was very well researched and written. I found myself fascinated with what had happened to Henrietta Lacks, her surviving family, and their progeny. There were many areas in this book that moved me to tears. The injustice done to Henrietta Lacks AND especially to her family really made me angry. Even a tiny portion of profits from the sales and resale of Mrs. Lack's cells could have made a huge difference in her family's lives. I was greatly saddened at the news of one of the key character's passing away. This individual should have been able to see the result of the many years of time spent telling their family story to the author. Even more sad was that she didn't get to enjoy the release of the long awaited book release.
   
   I went to the website that Rebecca Skloot set up, and was glad to see that they are in fact working on establishing the Henrietta Lacks Foundation, which should benefit the family through donations. Ms. Skloot should be highly commended for undertaking this not so small task of rebuilding the facts around Henrietta Lacks' too short personal life, and the long one of her immortal cancer cells. A MUST READ.



3. This book has a lot going for it: interesting science, written so it is accessible to the lay reader; fascinating ethical and moral issues having to do with cell research and profits from that research, as well as the meaning of "informed consent"; and disturbing (and deeply moving) issues relating to class and race. It is no wonder that it has found so many readers. It is a very satisfying book all in all.



4. I have been on the go and I am currently about half way through the book, and can't wait to get back to it. It is sooooo interesting and revealing of how she was exploited. A true depiction of what and how the medical world had gone over and beyond their boundaries as professionals. But at the same time you have to wonder had they not, would they had made the discoveries we take for granted today.
   
   Very Interesting and highly recommended!



5. An outstanding story well crafted and narrated. Clear and compassionate. Very high marks to both the author and the narrator, who does a remarkable job of bring the characters alive.

5 comments about A Bold Fresh Piece of Humanity: A Memoir.

1. After reading this book you can see how the character of Bill O'Reilly was being developed and molded throughout his growing up producing His no beating around the bush style He exhibits with his guests and opinions today!



2. Bill and I have similar backgrounds if 8 years apart. It was nice to remenisce about the Catholic school system from years ago. I appreciate his style as he explains his reasoning. Many on the left can't or won't. I have only one other man that I hold in higher regard and that is Mr. Charles Krauthammer. I have read his book "The O'Reilly Factor" and am currently reading "The No Spin Zone". You will enjoy this book if you enjoy The Factor.



3. I am almost to the end of this book, whitch I have not been able to put down! It draws you in. Best buy!



4. Bought this for my son,in the Army and deployed to Haiti. He had down time and wanted to read, he like Bill so sent him the book. Great reviews.



5. Perhaps this is out of place since I didn't purchase the hardcover edition on Amazon...rather, I purchased the audio version through Audible. I've listened to the entire book three times now and could do it again and again. I'm slightly older than Bill by about a year but that's an insignificant difference 60 years later. We took entirely different paths through our lives, but I think we've arrived at much the same point now as regards our irritation with nanny-state government policies, massive spending, and so on. To keep this short, I admire Bill immensely for what he's accomplished and his book is very entertaining and, for the most part, an insightful examination of where he came from. One character that stands out for me is his father. His "pithy" responses to things Bill did or said, are treasures. I've decided to adopt the one he used when Bill complained about the fan blowing hot humid air into his face. Precious! The next time my grand kids complain about the Internet connection being too slow, that's my response.

5 comments about Courage and Consequence: My Life as a Conservative in the Fight.

1. Who are some of these reviewers? DNC operatives? Come onnnnnnnn!...
   
   Courage and Consequence is worth every cent I paid for it- which is a pleasant surprise all by itself.
   
   Rove's telling of the 2000 election battle - as well as the inside story of the President's handling of 9/11, the Iraq war, and the Katrina mess are satisfying - but not the least bit surprising. He may not have felt like people knew the truth but millions did, and it was the same truth he tells in his book years after these things happened and have been marked as "Case Closed" by the monstermedia who still seem to think we are all brain dead.
   
   Although I was a Democrat in 2000, and had been for 35 years, that election made me a Republican. I decided to change my vote to Bush in the few moments while I was opening my ballot and picking up my pen in the polling booth. I had a hunch we were going to need a Patriot for President and Gore didn't even come close. I am glad I voted for George Bush twice. The Democratic Party that once was is sadly and frighteningly a thing of the past. Rove makes me proud that I made the choice to switch parties and I'll never change again.
   
   Rove makes the case that G W Bush is a good man and always was, imperfect no doubt, but always a good man. He also makes the same case for himself, imperfect though he may be as well.
   
   The thing I didn't realize was what a "nerd" Rove was and is, most likely because I didn't know eactly what his job was in the Bush campaign and Presidency. The most enlightening thing about this book is how he explains what it takes to put a campaign together, run it, and win.
   
   Rove doesn't get even remotely "petty" as he has been accused of getting - as a matter of fact he could have peeled the hide off any number of useless idiot politicians and didn't. I was actually hoping for a skinning. :-) He just tells his side of every story that has come out about him and the President. His story needed telling and I am glad it came out sooner rather than waiting and waiting. What he has to say is important considering what is happening in America today. He doesn't throw rocks at the current Administration as much as give a quiet warning, which makes what little he says more ominous to me.
   
   He served his President well and he serves his readers well. I hope there will be more than one book.



2. Rove sees the American people as a pliable piece of clay. He distrusts authentic discussion, prefers to manipulate behind the scenes, and creates useful fictions that he increasing believes, forgetting that he manufactured them in the first place. There is little courage here, but many consequents.



3. Government has so many variables and this book describes them from all angles. a Great book for political students and those wishing to enter the life of politics and good for college courses as a review.. a real eye opener to the hard edges to political change and life...Family of Secrets: The Bush Dynasty, America's Invisible Government, and the Hidden History of the Last Fifty Years



4. A great read, very compelling. I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in politics or current events.
   
   This obviously analytically driven man has the ability to translate with his own words the fascinating workings of his gift and his love for analyzing politics and political campaigns. His book provides a glimpse of a softer, kinder and very intelligent man doing what he loves and does well. Although very little detail is given about his family you get a sense of how costly it must have been for them living through those years and how much pain it caused him.
   
   The myths circling this man makes you ask yourself again and again what has happened to journalism in this country.
   
   The book was a page turner for me, enjoyed it thoroughly and was sorry when it ended.
   
   Enjoy!



5. Who knew Karl Rove was such a raconteur? This is a fascinating, close-up look at the man at the center of the Bush administration. It is well written, anecdotal, factual, humorous and, on occasion, very moving.
   
   Rove's rather starchy public image is contradicted by the hijinks of his early career, first in the College Republicans then with various campaigns. After a rather tragic childhood, this self-described "nerd" entered politics full of energy, enthusiasm and practical jokes. His rapid upward trajectory included meeting a number of famous people, including Elizabeth Taylor in her nightgown.
   
   Rove is, however, deadly serious about politics. He believes that a campaign must be "centered on big ideas that reflect the candidates philosophy and views." What a contrast to campaigns run on such pap as "together we can" and "hope and change." He is obsessive about the details because this how you win. In 2004 when the exit polls were strongly indicating a Kerry victory, Rove had the numbers to prove differently. He was able to protest with some success the media's premature coronation of the Democrat.
   
   A good deal of the book is devoted to George W. Bush and how the two men worked together both on campaigns and in the White House. The close-up, day-to-day descriptions of how things work in the "people's house" are worth the price of the book.
   Rove believes that history will be a lot kinder to Mr. Bush than his detractors would say, when enough time has passed for some objectivity.
   
   He paints incisive word-pictures of various figures, including the pompous and obsessive Patrick Fitzgerald, an hysterical Mary Landrieu after Katrina, pretentious phony Joe Wilson, elitist and condescending John Kerry, among others. The public hysteria and persecution he and his family endured during Fitzgerald's pointless investigation is a good lesson to anyone contemplating high level public service.
   
   The book deals with 9/11 in great detail, following Pres. Bush in the days and weeks after the attack. It shows a committed and compassionate president who understand what the attacks meant and didn't rely on focus groups and polls to tell him what to do. It traces the thinking about WMDs that led to the decision to invade Iraq, and the decision process behind the successful surge.
   
   My only complaint is that 520 pages wasn't enough. I could have read twice as much.