1 comments about Aristotle: Greece 384-322 B.C. (Audio Classics Series).

1. This audiobook provides a good introduction for 2.5 hours of a reader's time. However, with this much time one can only touch Aristotle. Too short. A proper basic introduction would have needed, at bare minimum, three to four times the time of this tape.

5 comments about I'm a Stranger Here Myself: Notes on Returning to America After Twenty Years Away.

1. Mr. Bryson's half-hearted curmudgeonly approach to life makes for another enjoyable read by this author. He covers a wide array of society's peculiar habits with a mixture of surliness and confusion. The only editorials that were creative but somewhat ponderous were his columns dealing with his computer. With the exception of just those few pieces, I enjoyed his book. Mr. Bryson is a funny, insightful writer who is a great remedy for a case of the blues.



2. nothing like looking at the US from the eyes of a stranger. What a beautiful perspective. There were many times I was laughing out loud when I read this book. Also a great gift for those who are travelers. you will not be disappointed.



3. After quite a number of years living and writing in England, Bill Bryson returned to his native land, the United States, with his family and apparently continued his writing career. Mr. Bryson wrote a series of weekly articles, a column, for a British newspaper, recording his experiences, thoughts and observations on his native land and his return after a long absence. This book, I'm A Stranger Here Myself is a collection of these articles which were printed in that British paper.
   
   I like Bryson. I enjoy reading his books. This one was no exception. I suppose the first thing I like about this author, is that we both have the same attitude toward life. We are both rather inept in many ways. We neither of us seem to take ourselves very seriously. I can relate to that. One of the big differences between is though, is that he has the ability to articulate his thoughts, attitude and experiences, in a way I never will be able to. They guy can write and he can write well.
   
   When I first picked up this book, I did with a bit of a sense of dread. I did not want another "lets get together and bash American" book. I need not have worried. Yes, he does point out some funny, amusing, odd and silly things about our culture, but he is just a quick to point out that these different little oddities can be found around the world, only in different forms and customs. Let's face it, there is a lot a bout this country that is absolutely great, in fact, most things are. The author is quick point this out. On the other hand, there is much about our culture, our people, our government and our lives in general that is, if viewed from a certain angle, absolute hilarious. Bryson is quick to point this out too.
   
   Everything is free game in this little work. Everything from the postal service, cars, diet, computers, holidays, work, play, language, government, family relationships, and so much more, are free game to his pen. Through all of his work though, he is constantly laughing at himself more than anyone else. Most of the articles are funny, many of them absolutely hilarious, and some of them are quite serious, simply due the subject matter. Each article the author has written (he even rather humorously refers to making money on his recycled work), makes up one chapter in this book. It is well written, easy to read, and, if you are like me, addresses subjects we all feel the same about, but just cannot say them in the way Bryson can.
   
   Enjoyed this one and it was a well written, relaxing read.



4. Having made previous aquaintances with some of Bryson's work I think that I can confidently say that this is a work of comical genius, from the completly accurate complaints of such things as spell check and setting up a computer to the zany tangles with attick hatches, Bryson keeps the reader engaged and laughing. Well done, Bill, well done once again.



5. This is my 3rd Bill Bryson book and possibly my favorite of his so far. The super short segments (compiled from past published articles) make this book extremely easy to pick up, put down and pick up again. His writing style is exceptionally intelligent, and he finds hilarity in the most mundane of situations. He has a way of making the reader reconsider just how silly much of our lives actually are, while interjecting a few heartwarming and philanthropical comments here and there. Would love a second edition of this!

5 comments about Personal History.

1. Absolutely perfect biography. Graham's book is frank in ways few would care to be. Her leadership of the Washington Post has been much talked about, and I'm a big fan of the paper, so it was a fascinating story. When she took over the Post in the 1960s, women could not be found in too many positions of power. She honestly discusses her difficulties, self doubts, and mistakes in ways one is not likely to find in many other places. Since I find politics interesting, I appreciated Graham's insights into the development of media over the twentieth century and her candid insider thoughts on some of the most important and powerful leaders of the 20th century.



2. It is long (642 pages), and the print is small. Why would anyone want to read it? Because every page has something of interest in it. And because this is not only the personal history of Katharine Graham, but a view of the United States from a woman reluctantly thrust into power by the death of her Washington Post husband. The time covered is from the early 1900s, when her parents met, through the early 1990s. Think of how life changed during that time.
   
   Mrs. Graham was raised by nannies in New York while her parents were busy helping out in Washington. She showed her independence by attending the radical University of Chicago and working before she married. When Katherine's father stepped down from management of the Washington Post, her husband, Phil, took his place. When Phil became ill and died, it was she who became president of the Washington Post Company.
   
   Constantly during this sweep through politics, labor relations, corporate management, the rise of feminism, the importance of communications, and much more, Graham weaves her personal growing consciousness of where she and other women stand in relationship to it all. She writes of the help she received and downplays her own acumen in becoming the only woman in the Fortune 500. Never does she flaunt who she was, who she became, and the power she held.
   
   Every page brings not only her personal insights about the (mostly) maturing of America, but also explains how she gains confidence while remaining concerned with and involved in her own family as well. An excellent read, but don't expect to finish it in one reading.
   
   by Judith Helburn
   for StorycircleBookReviews
   www.storycirclebookreviewsorg
   reviewing books by, for, and about women



3. This is a great book about a great woman! Interesting to see how even the privileged have difficult experiences in life and how it all only depend on us. We are very capable of achieving our goals and this book shows that even though it might not be easy, in the end, it can be very rewarding. This book shows a great insight in the history of newspaper business and politics.



4. My only regret is that I did not pay more attention to Katharine Graham and the Washington Post while she was alive. Through unveiling her own insecurities and illustrating how she moved into one of the most powerful women in the world, I learned US History and the trials of a CEO woman in the 1960s and forward.
   
   Ms. Graham reveals much about "inside Washington" and does a particularly good job of making the "players" come to life. I really hated to see the book end. Yet, Ms. Graham did what she set out to do -- documented a time in our history. Kathy Condon Executive Coach



5. Fantastic, gripping book, though it bogged down for me near the end with the minutia of labor/management disputes at the Washington Post. Still recommend highly.

5 comments about Stalin.

1. Having read this as an assignment coming into high school, it has been over six years since I've finished Robert Conquest's book on Stalin and the changes he wrought. You may wonder why I review the book now and not 6 years ago. The answer is that I didn't do reviews on amazon then, and have only recently re-encountered Conquest and been reminded of how good I thought his book was. Therefore, while my memory of this book's specifics are hazy, at best, I shall strive to give as good a review as I can.
   
   I remember the prose itself being refreshingly good; the diction and syntax were certainly for no simpleton, yet nor were they turgid.
   
   Given that this book encompasses Stalin's entire life and his nearly three decades of absolute rule in the Soviet Union in under 400 pages, it is obvious that Conquest cannot mention everything that ever transpired in Stalin's life or under his reign. Therefore, his method of giving a relatively brief, but incisive, account of Stalin's early life is quite useful and appropriate for this sort of book of this sort of length.
   
   Furthermore, Conquest gives various personal vignettes of Stalin, and these are judiciously chosen and not randomly inserted, because they all serve to explain a larger, base character trait of Stalin than can be applied more broadly.
   
   Although I said that I don't remember many of the specific elements of the book, the one thing that I remember most is the very end of the book, in which Stalin is lying on his deathbed in 1953. The way Conquest described the scene -- from Stalin's deteriorating condition to the chilling look his daughter remembers him giving to his closest Politburo subordinates (that sharp, piercing gaze that seemed to impugn all those around him as complicit in his sudden and suspicious death) -- was pretty masterful, and didn't come off as too sensationalist.
   
   In retrospect, of course, I would have liked to have learned a great deal more about the terrible, overwhelmingly artificial famine, induced by Stalin's policies, that killed so many millions of Ukrainians and others, or of the very interesting international relations Stalin engaged in with Churchill and Roosevelt. But an extensive account of either of those would have burdened the book and have taken the focus off of Stalin and his policies; after all, the book is titled "Stalin: Breaker of Nations". I also have recourse to read his other books dedicated to detailed accounts of certain of Stalin's policies, such as that of the Great Purges or of the one about the famine.
   
   (Note: I would have liked to have given this book somewhere in between 4 and 5 stars, but amazon does not have a more nuanced grading system.)



2. This is one of the most historically inaccurate books published on the Cold War, and in specific Stalin. Robert Conquest is the head of the "cold warriors" who simply re-wrote history to fit their propaganda purposes. Conquest actually worked for a division of British Intelligence in the 50's and 60's which created anti-communist propaganda, based on sheer fabrication and lies. This work is no different. It stinks of right wing anti-communist propaganda and fabrication. The original anti-Stalin propaganda first came into the US in the 30's via Hearst, who relied on sources from his good friend Adolf Hitler. For a more objective and less politically motivated look at Stalin I would reccomend "The Soviet Communist Party Reconsidered" by J. Arch Getty, "Life & Terror In Stalin's Russia" Thurston, "Stalin: Man Of History" by Ian Grey, among many others. Please do not take this book seriously!



3. There have been many biographies written about Josef Stalin. Many recent biographies of Stalin such as "Stalin: The Court of the Red Czar" by Montefiore and "Stalin and his Hangmen: The Tyrant and those who killed for him" by Rayfield focus only on the sexual depravity and crimes of Stalin's followers respectively. A person should only read those biographies only after they have read an introductory biography of Stalin and have therefore come away with an understanding of Stalin as whole. Robert Conquest's "Stalin: Breaker of Nations" provides such a biography with the vital information for one to build a basic stable foundation of the life of this twentieth century tyrant. In the introduction Conquest modestly says, "This book is not a dissection of Stalin's character, but a sketch". It is important to keep this quote in mind as one reads Conquest's book. Many reviewers unfortunately are hasty in criticizing "Stalin: Breaker of Nations" for its lack of length (a mere 330 pages or so). Nonetheless, Conquest's "sketch" proves to be more thorough than many of the "dissections" of Stalin available. Indeed Robert Conquest's work on Stalin has been so extensive that he was chosen to be the main history consultant for the 1992 movie "Stalin", starring Robert Duvall.
   
   Robert Conquest writes his book for the common reader who only has a minimal knowledge of Stalin and Stalinism. The book is nonetheless engaging enough for the serious Russian history buff. Anyone who reads "Stalin: Breaker of Nations" will at least come away with the conclusion that Stalin was the most prolific mass murderer in history (yes even more than Hitler). The purpose of the book is ultimately to stimulate enough interest for the reader to do some further research and reading. If one wants further information on Stalin's crimes, one can pick up Robert Conquest's book entitled "The Great Terror: A Reassessment".
   
   I strongly recommend "Stalin: Breaker of Nations" to anyone who wishes to have a firm grasp on the essentials of the early Soviet era. I especially wish to highlight Chapter 12 (entitled " War") of the book, which points how the Allies (Roosevelt in particular) were incompetent when it came to standing up to Stalin.
   
   If you want some further readings on Russian History, just remember that the best Russian historians start with the letter "R" (Robert Conquest, Richard Pipes, Robert Service, Richard Overy, Robert Leckie, and Robert Payne).



4. Stalin was a perfect dictator: he was above it all. He was above dogma, as seen in his rebellious activity in the theological seminary and his "creative socialism". Ever since his bank robbing escapades he did not mind being above the law. In the Tsaritsyn affair, he showed the penchant for being above authority. He was above any respect for science and arts, having arrested most of the members of the Writers' Union and interfered in a spectrum of scientific fields. He was above any Party allegiance: a half of the party members were arrested and a million of them died in his camps. He did not have any use for familial ties, having imprisoned and shot his own and others' relatives. Of course, he was above any morality.

   As much as I.V. Dzhugashvili was a notable character, Stalin also was made by the people around him. Lenin, a militant opportunist himself, found in Stalin a kindred spirit of his own extremism. Kamenev and Zinoviev saved Stalin from the fall (after the disclosure of Lenin's Testament) because they needed him in their struggle against Trotsky. Roosevelt and Churchill needed him to fight Hitler and turned a blind eye on what they did not want to see, such as Katyn massacre.

   Stalin was the most evil ruler in the history of mankind, he killed over 40 million of his own people (to put it in perspective, Hitler killed 20 million and Saddam less than half a million), and yet Stalin's specter is very much alive today. During the Ribbentrop-Molotov negotiations, Stalin raised a toast to Hitler. In 2000, Putin was drinking to Stalin. After meeting Stalin in Teheran, Roosevelt commented on the "sympathetic quality in his nature". And G.W.Bush, having looked Putin in the eye, liked what he saw. It is interesting how history repeats itself: Russian leaders keep toasting the humankind's worst tyrants and the leaders of the free world keep seeing good souls.

   As Conquest himself states, this book is not a "dissection" of Stalin's character, but a sketch. Written just after many Soviet materials on Stalin became newly available, the book feels like a period piece. Not having any source references and the frequent mention of "recent Soviet publications" only strengthen the impression. Unfortunately, Conquest's Stalin still remains fairly impenetrable. What was driving him: megalomania, paranoia, inferiority complex, dogma, self-righteousness, all of the above? Until the late 1920's (and the ripe age of 50) Stalin's persona in the book remains fairly obscure. The narrative does not really elucidate what led him, a good and pious student of theological seminary, become a professional revolutionary. Or how exactly he ingratiated himself with Lenin to the point of becoming one of the top Party functionaries. Or how in the crucial years after Lenin's death he was able to come unscathed from the many factional fights. The linguistic constructions are a bit heavy-handed which, along with the macabre subject of the book, makes for a somewhat strained reading. Rather than painting a portrait, the book reads like the author's struggle to piece it all together and understand its subject. On the other hand, it takes one to know one. So if we do not understand Stalin all that well - maybe, so much for the better.




5. Conquest has written eminent studies(the only in thier class) on the Great Famine(harvest of Sorrow) and the Great Terror. THese scholarly works have now been followed by a much lesser work. Clearly Conquest was responding from calls by his supporters to publish a book on the life of the monster, Stalin. But unfortunatly, instead of publishing a scholarly, in-depth 700 page study he has publish a rather paltry tale. Full of information it nevertheless lacks in several areas. It lacks mostly in the details of the post Great Terror. It lacks when describing the war. It lacks in describing the 'doctors plot'. it also lacks in the fact that it does not do justice to its title. Stalin: 'Breaker of Nations'. Conquest does not detail these nations. He tells nothing of the Jews, Tatars, Udmirts, Greeks, Germans, Armenians, Latvians, Lithuanians, Poles, Fins, and Estonians who were victimized by Stalin. Stalin was a breaker of nations but we dont hear about these nations.
   Read this book, but then go and read Volkogonovs 'Stalin: Triumph and Tradgedy'.

No comments about A. P. Hill: Lee's Forgotten General.

5 comments about Into the Wild.

1. This book left me feeling very sad, and my heart aches for his family. Many young people do foolish things like Alex did. Some survive (like the author), and some don't. I enjoyed the insight the author provided through his research. I thought he did a good job collecting information from people who had crossed paths with Alex. I still don't understand what compelled him to such an extreme lifestyle.



2. This is an amazing story that touches on every emotion contained within us all! I'm hard pressed to understand why this is only the second review but this is a story that will go down as one of the most powerful, enlightening, and heart wrenching ever told! Sean Penn has from what I have seen secured his place not only as one of the greatest actors to ever live, but also one of the greatest directors to ever live!
   
   I intend to own both the movie and the book and add them to my collection of books you just don't read once and movies you can always go back to when it becomes a necessary to be reminded of what truly matters.
   
   Lastly, I've seen the interviews and I take my hat off to the family for being so brave as to allow what I feel having learned of it, a must story to be allowed to be told...
   
   Not only do I believe Chris is looking down from Heaven with only pure love for his family...
   
   Part of me feels he is looking down on us all with love as well...
   
   With the ultimate respects to the Family, The Author, and Sean Penn and Eddie Vedder for from what I've seen, being able to bring this to life in such a way that it is completely fulfilling the ultimate beauty this story contains...
   
   Chase Von
   
   Also would like to share this with all involved...
   
   ~Vibrations~
   
   The sweetest of words
   Need not be uttered
   To be heard
   Unspoken Whispers
   Are carried to
   Their intended source
   By Messengers
   From Heaven
   That is why
   Loud Statements
   Often are not heard
   Or are vaguely
   Understood
   And why
   Silent Truths
   Delivered by the Angels
   Vibrate
   The Very Soul
   
   By Chase Von
   tlp
   The Last Panther
   All rights reserved
   
   I share that because
   
   I think this story will be vibrating mine
   
   Until I too leave as well as so many others
   
   With respect and love and light again
   
   Chase Von
   
   (As a poet I see so much of my own story reflected in this as well)
   
   Your Chance to Hear The Last Panther Speak



3. Into the wild is a story of a young man searhing for more out of life. He goes on a journey into the depths of Alaska but doesn't live to tell his tale.
   Krakauer decides it's his job to tell McCandless' story on his behalf. With only a journal and a few eye witnesses Krakauer pieces together McCandless trip from beginning to end. He even writes himself into the story eplaining his own mountain climbing trip to the Devils Thumb. He uses so much description that you feel yourself walking on thin ice, fearing that at any moment you could fall to your death.
   McCandless and Krakauer share many things in common for example they both went into the wild searching for answers but on Krakauer's voyage he didn't receive any of them. Another similarity they shared is their screwed up relationship with their fathers.
   Throughout McCandless pilgrimage he touched the lives of many people he met along the way. And they all had their side of the story to tell. They made had their doubts and opinions to why McCandless left in the first place but it never stopped them for keeping a special place in their hearts for him.
   The story is such a tragic one and while reading this book I admit I shed a few tears but no matter how hard it became to read about this unfortunate tale I just couldn't put it down. Every chapter Krakauer left you wanting more. I just had to know how it ended from the moment I started reading. We can all relate to this book because I think we all have a little bit of McCandless in us. No matter how we feel about the choices McCandless made we all have to confess this if probaly one of the best nonfiction books ever written and I must congratulate Krakauer for being able to pull it off so well. Thats why it deserves five stars.



4. "Into the Wild" is an engrossing read...it grabs and keeps your attention, traces an interesting story arc and covers a unique subject matter. That being said, the real draw and merit of this book is the character study enmeshed in the broader story.
   
   Krakauer's strong storytelling skills, his subject matter expertise and his in-depth reporting on the story of Chris McCandless combine to weave an engaging...and disturbing...tale. This tale addresses the "what" part of McCandless's journey into the wild, but it is the "why" part of the journey that really makes this book interesting.
   
   In addressing the question of "why"...why would McCandless do what he did...Krakauer draws on a number of other like stories to build an interesting and introspective character study.
   
   As with another book written by this author, Into Thin Air: A Personal Account of the Mt. Everest Disaster, Krakauer's own persona looms large. In the case of "Into the Wild," I found Krakauer brought his own experiences too far into the center of the character study aspect of this book. That being said, the author's perspective is interesting and relevant, just too front-and-center when compared to the other personalities paralleled over the course of the book.
   
   All in all, this is a good book and I recommend it to readers interested in a general entertaining and informative book, as well as to readers with an interest in a good character study.



5. Jon Krakauer's `Into the Wild' is a very interesting look into the late life of a college graduate who gives away all his possessions and becomes a vagabond: Only to meet his demise in an abandoned school bus in the wilderness outside Fairbanks, Alaska.
   
   The trip between graduation and death is a bizarre study of Christopher McCandless (aka Alexander Supertramp) and his 2 year journey across south-western and mid-west America, ending-up in Alaska.
   
   The book is a strong testament of a young man with an upper-class upbringing who becomes seduced by wilderness and adventure, only to ultimately become its prisoner. Krakauer's book is primarily testimonials of people who knew Chris and their experiences with him. Most were fleeting, few lasting for more than several weeks. McCandless' journey without any destination took him many places and cultures within the US. Yet his intent was to learn - then flee. An escape artist, his final destination to Alaska is testament that even the bright and educated can learn plenty from sheer experience. McCandless almost obsessive introversion and despondency of his father sets the stage for a disastrous ending.
   
   Anyone who has camped outdoors for any length of time will be amazed this man made it that far: Until finally, when the luck that protected McCandless' runs out. His meager writings found in the bus, initially show more cockiness than respect for nature. Later, when his body begins relying on itself for survival, McCandless becomes scared and aware of his imminent end. Only then does the educated idealist come to terms with the power of nature and the serious lack of planning on his behalf.
   
   Sadly, this is another testament to why no one goes into a forest without the necessities: A map, compass, shelter and food.
   
   I highly recommend this book. If there is anything one can learn from this book is what NOT to do outdoors, then this is it. The writing style of Krakauer is fluid and easy to ready. The character study of McCandless is much more abstract. I do appreciate the writer's attempts to rationalize the mentality and actions behind McCandless. Yet the writer, himself a seasoned outdoorsman, can't help but detail the futility of this misadventure. The writer's own outdoor experiences help paint a better picture of the enviroment McCandless experienced in his travels. I commend him on tackling such a complex character.

No comments about Marie and Pierre Curie (Pocket Biographies).

No comments about Landry.

2 comments about K.D. Lang: All You Get Is Me.

1. Before Ellen DeGeneres, there was kd lang and Melissa Etheridge who were the most famous "Out" entertainers. This is the only comprehensive biography of kd lang to date. It was published 10 years ago, so it is not current, but it is an excellent, detailed biography, nonetheless. Starr traces Lang's history starting with her childhood, her teenage years, and her struggle to break into the music business. Talented but strongly individualistic and proudly Out, it is not surprising "the Old Boy's Network" in Nashville boycotted lang and her "country punk" music, even though she had great songs, a tremendous voice and a huge fan base. Of course, kd did nothing to endear herself to the country radio DJ's or to the powers-that-be, which is unfortunate.
   
   However, people in the industry thought highly enough of her talent to colloborate with her on albums (most notable is Owen Bradley, Patsy Cline's producer), resulting in powerful and memorable music.
   
   The author presents a well-rounded portrait of kd, noting her flaws and mistakes as well as her triumphs. She writes objectively and clearly about her subject, without going into supermarket, tabloid trashiness that often accompanies biographies about controversial entertainment figures. If you're expecting to find steamy gossip about lang's personal life, thankfully you won't find it here.
   
   It is an articulate and interesting read, but in dire need of an update. Still, it is one of the best lang biographies and I highly recommend it.



2. The life story of a famous singer.
   
   Even if I don't like her music, I like k.d. Having on the odd occasion appeared barefoot on stage, she seems like a decent human being.
   
   A must-read for my sister, Julie, who's going through a very exciting time in her life now.

5 comments about Me: Stories of My Life.

1. I first became curious about the life of Katherine Hepburn after seeing how she was portrayed in the wonderful film, The Aviator, starring Leonardo DeCaprio. So, when I found her autobiography, ME, available on CD read by Katherine, herself, I jumped at the opportunity to buy it. Anyone who has respect and admiration for Katherine Hepburn should treasure this recording. Particularly endearing were the chuckles in her sweet voice as she read; her childhood memories of tree climbing; her memories Howard Hughes landing a plane on a golf course and finishing out a round of golf wth her; and her undying love for Spencer Tracy. The CD ended beautifully with one of the most touching descriptions of love this 52 year old man has ever heard. Her admiration for "Spence" has provoked me to explore his movies. Boom Town starring Spencer Tracy, Clark Gable, and Heddy Lamar came on TV the other night and I would have never thought to care for it had it not been for this CD. The movie was a delight! I am now a Spencer Tracy fan thanks to Ms. Hepburn.
   
   I highly recommend this CD for anyone who enjoys reflecting on the fascinating people who made their mark in society and helped to make our lives more enjoyable. In my opinion, Katherine Hepburn should be regarded as a national treasure.



2. Wow, how disappointing. The opening of this book leads you to believe you'll learn the true Katharine Hepburn, but it's all about how great, how loved she is, from her point of view. "oh they loved me", "Oh they thought I was beautiful", everything "was such fun" It's painful, very painful to listen to her chatter like a teenager who's so full of themself.
   Her brother commits suicide and even that was unemotional... pretend it didn't happen, that's Hollywood. She never exposes who she is, she acts throughout this book.



3. Listening to Ms. Hepburn's audiobiography now, what a witty and charming lady she was! We always knew she was so talented, and now we get to hear from her, herself, in her own words. She's a true star -- in every sense of the word!



4. Her life and her stories are so interesting and the way she tells them makes you almost hear her voice while reading the words. Her phrasing is almost like stream of consciousness (not like Virginia Woolf-stream of consciousness, just very fragment-y, incorrect grammar, etc.) I got the feeling that what she allows the reader to learn about is only a small fraction of what she really knows and has experienced in her life, not to mention that the stories are more than likely a little one-sided at times, as if the other person in the story, if you could talk to them, would have a completely different version of the same event. But that's part of the attraction of the book for me.
   Unfortunately, there's not a whole lot on Spencer Tracy, and leaves a bunch to the reader's imagination in that department (Spencer was married to someone else the entire time they were a "couple" and she alludes to the fact that they spent time living together; how did this work?). But you definitely pick up on her absolute reverence for the man and their relationship, which is why she doesn't reveal much.
   Overall it's a fascinating glimpse inside the workings of one of America's most famous, most talented, most enigmatic actresses with SO many quirks and interesting ideas and beliefs about life.



5. Katharine Hepburn was an amazing American actress and icon. Although you wouldn't think so reading this book, Kate doesn't think of what she does as anything to be ashamed of or boast about. I could still see her in the documentary after this book came out. She said Oscars are nice but they won't garden for you or something like that. She was a remarkable human being. I just have one criticism. She left out the Golden Pond but she also left a very nice page to her devoted platonic secretary, personal assistant and companion, Phyllis. I thought it was so touching that she wrote something so nice about her. It can kind of gives you goosebumps to the amazing person that she was. Sadly, she discovered her brother's dead body from a suicide. Her struggles as an actress and her relationship with the love of her life, Spencer Tracy, is also there for the audience. She clearly loved him so much and yet, they could teach today's celebrities a thing or two about being discreet but they were truly movie stars and gifted actors beyond my comprehension. Katharine, we miss you and this book provides us some of your voice.