No comments about Liz: An Intimate Biography of Elizabeth Taylor/Cassettes.

5 comments about Speaking My Mind.

1. This is a great collection. It lacks both a booklet and legible track listings. But the production is great, the intro blurbs are well done, and the speeches are just wonderful. He can still make the hair on my neck stand up, still bring tears to this commuter's eyes. He is not just going through the motions, he is trying hard to get every idea and emotion across.
   
   Listened to after Reagan in His Own Voice is revealing. In the early years before the Presidency, he is bouncy, energetic, feisty, tongue in cheek. It is mostly about the message, but partly about creating entertaining radio minutes.
   
   After he is elected, in Speaking my Mind, there is the flush of victory and the many do-able tasks at hand. After the Challenger and the Iran-Contra scandal, he tires. Some of the feistiness and humor is gone. You can hear that he knows that what he can accomplish is limited by the days left. But he can still bring it for the Normandy speech or "Tear down this wall, Mr. Gorbachev!"
   
   If you like this ("if?"), you should get Peggy Noonan's What I Saw at the Revolution and Peter Robinson's How Ronald Reagan Changed My Life.



2. This is a good set of abridged speeches. The edits are well done by fading in and out. The speech titles are extremely hard to read on the CD. Great for the ride to work, etc.



3. Our daughter gave me this CD set for Christmas. I have been doing a lot of driving lately, and have been listening to the CDs exclusively when in the car.
   
   It's odd that I waver back and forth between feeling incredibly uplifted by re-visiting ... through his own words and voice ... his faith, integrity, dignity, decency, character, intelligence, compassion and love of country. And yet, at the same time, I sometimes feel deeply depressed, occasionally to the point of tears, because we so desperately need someone of his caliber now, and yet the pool of 'leadership' from which we will choose the next leader of the free world is filled with pretenders whose credentials are on an entirely different, inferior plane.
   
   The 'Reagan Legacy' can be seen in the absence of the Berlin wall; in the dissolution of the Soviet Union; in the feeling of dignity and pride that was pervasive in our republic during his tenure in office; in the might, capability, effectiveness, and freedom-preserving focus of the American military, which was the unflinching standard during his watch; in the unparalleled sense of economic well-being that permeated the 80's; in the resurrected life that was breathed into entrepreneurial enterprise as a result of his low-tax/hands-off economic policies; and, perhaps most importantly, in the love and esteem with which those of us who followed his leadership held him. He was an unparalleled American treasure.
   
   We have so unappreciatively squandered his accomplishments and betrayed his example. I pray that we awaken to that folly before the light from the Reagan legacy becomes too dim to rekindle.
   
   Listening to his own thoughts, spoken in his own voice, brings that fact home in a very powerful way.



4. 
   In the introduction, President Reagan expresses the wish that these speeches would give the listener insight into himself as a president and a person: who he was, where he came from and what he believed. The speeches are not about policies and do not include any state of the union addresses. Almost every speech is introduced by Reagan with his reflections on the times and the issues, with his customary wit and humour.
   
   My only complaint about the CD-set is the absence of a booklet with a proper track listing. The speeches are listed on the 5 discs but in a tiny font size so that one needs a magnifying glass in order to read them.
   
   The first speech, from October 1964, in support of Barry Goldwater's candidacy, is particularly stirring. The sound is a bit crackly here but that only adds to the magic of this momentous speech. All the others are from the White House years. Here are the most memorable ones:
   
   1981
   Swearing-in ceremony/Inaugural address/Address to the nation on the state of the economy. Reagan was the first president to use a prop on TV - in this case a coin to demonstrate the effect of inflation/Address on the air traffic controllers strike, quite a powerful one.
   
   1982
   Magnificent address to the UK parliament on the values of the West and our historic role in the defence of freedom/Inauguration of the USS New Jersey/The national prayer breakfast, on spiritual renewal/Christmas day radio address.
   
   1983
   On the struggle for democracy in Central America/On the massacre of the marines in Lebanon/The magnificent Evil Empire speech/Martin Luther King Day.
   
   1984
   Hoboken, New Jersey election speech, to enthusiastic audience.
   Republican Convention Acceptance speech, also to enthusiastic audience/40th Anniversary of the Normandy invasion, a very stirring and uplifting one.
   
   1985
   On SDI (the Space Shield) to the political action conference.
   On the upcoming Geneva summit meeting with Gorbachev.
   
   1986
   Memorial service for the Challenger dead/On the Reykjavik summit/Centennial ceremony for the Statue of Liberty/Tax reform act of 1986, a breakthrough for economic growth and prosperity/Washington dinner honouring Tipp O'Neill, showing how gracefully Reagan acted towards his political opponents.
   
   1987
   Momentous speech at Brandenburg gate in Berlin on June 12th, 1987: "Tear down this wall!"/Speech honouring the heroism of ordinary people.
   
   1988
   Veterans Day Ceremony: Reagan restored the dignity and honour of Vietnam vets/Republican National Convention tribute to Nancy Reagan for her campaign against drug abuse. The last address to White House correspondents' annual dinner/Campaign speech for George H Bush in San Diego.
   Farewell speech on January 11th, 1989.
   
   Upon his death in 2004, the most moving tribute to Ronald Reagan appeared on the Belmont Club Blog, in the form of an old poem by Thomas Macaulay:
   
   " When the oldest cask is opened,
   And the largest lamp is lit;
   When the chestnuts glow in the embers,
   And the kid turns on the spit;
   When young and old in circle
   Around the firebrands close;
   When the girls are weaving baskets,
   And the lads are shaping bows;
   When the goodman mends his armour,
   And trims his helmet's plume;
   When the goodwife's shuttle merrily
   Goes flashing through the loom;
   With weeping and with laughter
   Still is the story told,
   How well Horatius kept the bridge
   In the brave days of old."



5. What better way to remember the Reagan legacy than by listening to Reagan's best speeches.

5 comments about Special Agent: My Life on the Front Lines as a Woman in the FBI.

1. I met with Candice when she bought the apartment I was renting in San Francisco last year. As we parted, she gave me her book as a gift. As I started reading her book, I could not let go of it until I finished it. Candice talks about her extraordinary life as a bright, energetic and successful female agent, and a single mother. The book is full of interesting stories, which shed light to the life in FBI. Despite of all her strengths, she struggles for the acceptance of her male peers throughout her career, but she never gives up. Among many interesting stories, she tells how she learned to shoot with a shotgun, which ended up dislocating her shoulder, which apparently never healed. Although the police-work naturally required lots of physical power, she managed to overcame her deficiencies as a female agent with her strong sense of humor, intelligence and knowledge. She became one of the best profilers - a task that requires significant data collection and analysis. The book is full of interesting FBI cases of serial murder, drug dealing, child abduction, and even specific cases we all remember from the media (such as the Tylenol case and Unabomber), in which Candice was involved to solve the mystery and to arrest the guilty party, which makes the reading even more thrilling and interesting. I strongly recommend this book not only as a fun and inspiring reading, but also as a book which provides lots of tips for public safety.



2. This isn't the best book I've ever read but it's a fun and interesting read about her career in the FBI. She wisely chose stories from her career (which must have been difficult with so many years of experience) and always included down-to-earth humor and humility when appropriate. When she entered, the FBI was still adjusting to having women agents but she remained strong, taking the high road on many occasions when she was not treated fairly. As a result, her career flourished and her life is a story worth hearing. She is truly a trailblazer. Just nobody call her Candy.



3. This book should be listed under "fiction," because that's what it is. Ms. DeLong is a legend in her mind and her mind only. Anyone who reads this and believes Ms. DeLong actually did the things she claimed to do is living in a dream, just like Ms. DeLong. Don't waste your money. Ms. DeLong is as much a real life Clarice Starling as Barney Fife is Elliot Ness. I would recommend the book if you are looking for a good laugh. I rated this garbage one star because I wasn't given the choice of zero or negative stars.



4. This was an interesting book about Candice Delong written by Elisa Petrini. Before becoming connected with the FBI, she'd been a nurse in a psychiatric ward. She was a divorced mother then, still something of a stigma in the early 1980s. In the late '80s she was assigned to the cocaine trafficing in Chicago.
   
   There was a drug pipeline which stretched from the South American country of Columbia, then the cocaine capital of the hemisphere, up through Mexico into Texas; from there to Chicago. I've been told that it went through Lawrenceburg, TN on the way North.
   
   There is a manadatory minimum 20-yr. sentence for anyone caught with ten or more kilograms of cocaine (about 22 lbs.). Each kilo is the size of a brick and worth $15,000 - 30,000 depending on the quality of the drug. Heroin is a lot more. She had some interesting times working with DEA in narcotics, even being tricked into babysitting for the informant on her first case.
   
   She was involved in the Unabomber case and the way they discovered it was a former University of California at Berkley (where Savage (Weiner) may have found his cocaine) professor. She was in on the specifics in Montana,trapping Ted Kaezynski in 1996. Then back to San Francisco, where Savage settled.
   
   She gives good pointers on how to handle home invastion or sexual assault. Always yell "Fire." There are almost twice as many sex crimes against women over sixty as certain killers go after the older women to act out their anger toward the strong female figures in their lives and the fact that elderly women are easier to control. Compliance is by no means the same as consent.
   
   Rape is all about power, not sex. A woman's goal is to survive the attack. About 41% of rapes and sex assaults are committed by acquaintances of the victim. Sex offenders don't think like normal men and are always on the alert for what they think of as "provacative" behavior or dress.
   
   After twenty years, she became a private citizen again and went on the lecture circuit. She is proud of her achievements and the privilege to work as a 'public servant' in the FBI.



5. What an excellent read! The characters and relationships are very intriguing-the author's world is filled with both obvious and subtle villains, as well as obvious and subtle heroes. Candice herself is fun, likeable and strong enough to give as good as she gets. Though she is being constantly second-guessed, undermined and underestimated, she ends up turning her "weakness" into advantage time and again. The author sets up the rivalry between the FBI and the DEA and her unique role walking between the two. Highly recommended.

1 comments about A Life of Shakespeare (Naxos Audio).

1. A new addition to the generally excellent series of Naxos Audio Books is Hesketh Pearson's (NA 221612). Here we have a 2:27 hour abridgment read by the now internationally known British actor Simon Russell Beale, with very short scenes read by David Timson, Daniel Philpott, and Caroline Faber.

   Many scholars might carp at the choice of authors, since Pearson takes things from an actor's point of view; and a good deal of his assumptions are based on the "fact" that running a theater back then differed little from Pearson's own experiences in that field.

   He tries to run a careful course between using passages from the plays as "proof" that Shakespeare must have thought thus and so and realizing that what a character says in a play may not (and probably doesn't) reflect the author's personal point of view. (Often the former method is valid. For example, Shakespeare almost never makes a positive reference to dogs or a negative one to highly spiced foods. One can reasonably assume he disliked dogs and bland food.)

   Yet Pearson often makes statements that rest on lines from the plays but do not really prove anything. Can we really take Othello's plea before killing himself as Shakespeare's own? Especially annoying is basing claims that the actor Shakespeare played certain parts on mere say so's that have been passed on from one generation to the other. It would be nice to know, for example, that Shakespeare acted the Prologue to "Henry V" so he could point to himself as "the bending author"; but this seems wish-fantasy on Pearson's part rather than even reasonable surmise. But Pearson is never boring and that is what also counts in a recorded reading such as this one.

   Beale's delivery cannot be faulted, nor can the short contributions of the three assistants. I know that I will play this many times again, especially on long car rides. I opted for the CD version (which I transferred to tape for the car), and there are enough tracking cues to make finding what you want pretty easy. Highly recommended.

3 comments about Great Classical Composers: Appreciating Their Lives and Music.

1. "Great Classical Composers" is nearly seven hours in length, but you'll find the time well spent if you are interested in classical music. Beginning with Bach in the 17th century and ending at the dawn of the 20th with Verdi, Strauss and Tchaikovsky, the tapes cover over two hundred years and arguably the greatest composers who ever lived.
   
   The stories are a combination of narraration, actors reading quotes from the composers, and excerpts from some of their most famous compositions. You will hear Handel's "Messiah," Mozart's "Marriage of Figaro," Beethoven's 5th and 9th Symphonies, Tchaikovsky's "Swan Lake" and much more. In addition, you will also learn the stories behind the works, often revealing details not commonly known.
   
   Overall, this was a very good program. There was a slight echo when some actors were quoting the composers, but this does not detract much from the overall excellence of the production.
   
   Four stars. Good stuff!



2. This book is boring. Reader speaks in monotone. Does not hold attention and runs in circles. More informative books available on this subject.



3. If you want to learn about these composers but don't feeling like reading about them, then this is for you. Each tape has 2 sides, containg information on a certain composer. Different voices are used to portray different people, and excerpts from some of the composers' most famous works are included on the tape.

5 comments about Churchill in His Own Voice.

1. As one not old enough to have heard Winston Churchill's speeches at the time he originally gave them, I found this tape simply marvellous.

   All one tends to hear nowadays of Churchill's speeches are short excerpts/the highlights. Instead of that, to hear his speeches in full and going back to before the war, is simply a revelation. Has there ever been a greater political speaker? I doubt it.

   A must for anyone interested in modern political history and with the added bonus of some brief excerpts from speeches by other notable figures of Churchill's time-eg Harry Truman, FDR, Eleanor Roosevelt.




2. SUPERB WORK AND FIRST HAND ACCOUNT AND NARRATIVE OF THE DESTROYER OF NAZI TYRANNY IN THE WORLD. ALSO THE NARRATIVE IS THE ONLY LEGITIMATE EVIDENCE OF HOW GRAVE THE SITUATION WAS NEVERTHELESS THE BRITISH PRIME MINISTER HAD WORDS OF HOPE AND SALVATION THRU HIS OWN MADE DETERMINATION TO SAVE THE NATIONS OVERUN BY NAZI TYRANNY BUT MOST UNIQUE HIS BLIND FAITH AND CONVICTION THAT ALMIGTHY GOD WILL DELIVER THE WICKED MAN UNTO HIS HANDS FOR THE MAINTAINANCE OF CHRISTIAN FOUNDATIONS ON THE WORLD.



3. I enjoyed the speeches compiled for this two tape series. They were quite informative, and reflected the mood of the man and the country before, during, and after WW II. I was disappointed the publisher didn't make an effort to clean up the radio static recorded. With digital editing these days, the static could have, and should have been removed.



4. Just after the tragic death of Princess Diana in August 1997, Mr. Churchill, a distant relative of the late Princess, began showing up in my dreams. Though I had never been much interested in history before, the dreams compelled me to consume every fact and facet of Winston Churchill's life, and his life has deeply inspired me.

   Months ago, I wished aloud that I had an audio tape of Mr. Churchill's speeches -- and then I discovered these tapes from Amazon quite magically. Coincidence? Perhaps. Or maybe the enigmatic Mr. Churchill still has influence in our world.

   The cassettes aretapes of Mr. Churchill's most famous speeches before, during and after World War II when he was the most important man in the world -- the prophet of truth and the architect of peace. The tapes also include some of the more famous speeches of Adolph Hitler, portrayed by actor Tonio Selwart. Other speakers include George VI, Eleanor Roosevelt, Goerge S. Patton and Harry Truman. Two of the world's most talented actors -- Sir Laurence Olivier and John Gielgud lend their talents in reading excepts of Mr. Churchill's memoirs.

   The tapes containstunnning oratories by Winston Churchill who reaches through the veil even now to inspire and support us through whatever battle of mind, body or spirit that engages us at any given moment. Mr. Churchill was a Visionary. He always saw the possibilities. He always had hope. His advice to us is, "Never despair!" And somehow, his words, his voice, his optimistic spirit will help see us through our own darkest hour and inspire us to be victorious over the forces of darkness, without or within.




5. It's interesting to use the word "read"; this cassette presentation of the immortal Winston Churchill allows the 'listener' to picture in her/his mind the late, former PM of England and to capture those great and perilous moments of early 20th Century history. Well done!

5 comments about Tuesdays With Morrie : An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson (AUDIO CASSETTE).

1. Several people in my family recommended this book and I managed to avoid it until yesterday because the one asking was a young person. How could I say no to a kid telling me to read a book she liked? What kind of ogre would I have to be to say no? It turns out I'm the kind of ogre that realized I could have lived without reading this. There's not much that's new here or that someone other than a rich, spoiled sports reporter wouldn't have known about the importance of family and the necessity to find your own path to the waterfall. My guess is that there are millions of people with the money to buy this book but without the most basic idea of how to be human. This book is just some basic, simplistic rules about how to be a good person. Nothing drastic or thought-provoking here. Again, I wanted to like it, but I can think of dozens of other books that have really touched me in many more ways than this one. Morrie Schwarz sounds like he was a nice man, but I think I would have gotten more out of one of his sociology classes or from spending an afternoon with him just talking than from reading Albom's book.



2. This is a quick, easy read, all about dying but not a bit depressing, uplifting and cheerful. Give it to somebody who is having a hard year or having a hard time remembering their priorities.



3. this book reminds me a lot of Conversations with my dog by Ziglar.....if I had to choose one book out of the two.....it would definetely be Albom. Both books offer life lessons about many things in life....thought it would be better though....i am getting the DVD to see how the movie does.



4. After reading so many spectacular reviews, I decided to give this book a whirl myself, and I'm so thankful I did. First of all, I hate to read. Well, let me rephrase that. I USED to hate to read. Doing so much reading in college leaves me with little energy outside of schoolwork to read, but I quickly polished this book off in two sessions.
   
   This book grabs you almost immediately and reels you in, and once you reach the first Tuesday conversation with Morrie, there's no turning back - you're anxious to see what lies ahead. In the midst of this beautiful story between two friends - Morrie, the former professor, and Mitch, his former student - you are taught valuable life lessons between the pages as Morrie battles Lou Gehrig's disease.
   
   The best lesson I took away from this book is that love and relationships are the most important things in life. This book has really changed how I perceive life. I, at 25, was so convinced that life still seems so lengthy, so certain, when in reality, it could end at any moment. How do I want to be remembered? That's something that Morrie's words really make you think about. I tell my friends and family a lot more often now how much I love them, and I've let a lot of bitterness about petty things go because this book has reminded me how small those things really are in comparison with the big picture of life, and life is too short to be anything but happy.
   
   In summary, this book reads quickly (so quickly!) yet there are hugely valuable lessons to be learned in its short length. If you're looking simply for a heartwarming story, this is the book for you. If you are perhaps one of those folks who takes life and those around you for granted sometimes, then this book is for you as well. You might even learn a thing or two. :)



5. Tuesdays with Morrie is about a professor (Morrie), his former student (Mitch), and their final "class" with one another as the professor is in the final stages of ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease). Mitch taped their discussions together and transcribed them into the book while throwing in slices of college memories of Morrie and other seemingly inconsequential moments that add to the humanity of this life-altering work.
   
   Tuesdays with Morrie allows the reader to glimpse into someone's mind who knows he is dying. We all know we are going to die, but we don't necessarily act like it. Morrie addresses what is really important in life and says that if people lived like they were going to die, they'd live differently. They'd live better.
   
   "How do you detach from the agony of physical and mental pain when you know you're going to die?" "How can someone with ALS be so incapacitated and yet still be happy?" "What would you do on your last day?" Morrie addresses these questions and they are what taught me the most from this book. I'll be writing on them in the coming days.
   
   Mitch was able to learn lessons from a man he admired. I have been blessed with such relationships and of these I am eternally grateful. Dr. Bill Greenwalt was one of these men. We met every Tuesday so that I could earn my license as a professional counselor. He would encourage my good ideas and chuckle at those he knew wouldn't work. I didn't care because I valued his insight. He was patient and always thought deeply about everything I said. These two virtues (patience and thoughtfulness) are hard to find. Dr. Bill Greenwalt died suddenly of a heart attack in January of 2006. I envy Mitch in that I was unable to tell Dr. Greenwalt goodbye and how much he meant to me.
   
   So we don't have to plow through every mistake in life, the Lord blesses us with people who can light our ways as we realize our potential. The person may be a teacher who always knows your name, or a supervisor who takes time for you no matter how busy he is. We need more people like this. I hope you will notice them around you and work to become one yourself.

5 comments about Firehouse.

1. The losses suffered by the FDNY on 11 September 2001 make it by far the most devastating day in the history of American firefighting. The mid-town Manhattan firehouse that is the home to Engine 40 and Ladder 35 sent 13 men to the World Trade Center that morning. Only one survived. This book is a tribute to the bravery and sacrifice of the FDNY and specifically to the men of 40/35, as this firehouse is known.
   
   This is not a detailed account of that terrible day, but instead a profile of the men who were on duty at 40/35 that day. Many were thinking about retirement, having had long, happy careers with the FDNY. Others were still rookies, just learning how to fit in. For each, being a firefighter was more than a job, it was a calling, a lifestyle. In the lives of these men, we get a rare inside look at what it is really like to be a member of the extended family of firefighters. These men knew their jobs were dangerous, and yet never did they hesitate when called.
   
   The final chapter profiles the survivors, the wives and parents left to cope with the staggering reality that their loved ones will never come home. Here we see that the burdens of a firefighter's job and life are carried by more than just the firefighter. They extend to the entire family, and the sacrifice paid by the families is almost too much to believe.
   
   Written with sympathy and simple clarity, this book isn't so much about the disaster at the World Trade Center as it is about the lives of the men who chose to serve the City of New York as firefighters. This is a powerful tribute to some of America's bravest men.



2. David Halberstam lived 3 blocks away from the 40/35 firehouse on Manhattan's West Side. He had never been in the firehouse or had met any of the firemen. He just carried that healthy respect that most NY'ers have for these men of bravery and courage. When planes flew into the WTC the 40/35 lost 12 of 13 men who had responded. This is their story. Lean prose carries their hearts and souls into ours and we will never forget them.



3. I don't think you will find any book in which both the author and his subjects are so evenly matched regarding the high quality of work they have put out over the years. Sadly, the firefighters met their match on that sad day where it was their job to run into the direction of tragedy while everyone justifiably were going in the opposite path. Great stories reflect the quality of these individuals and their desire to help others under the worse circumstances.
   
   The other tragedy related to this fine piece is the premature death of the author a few months back in a car accident. If you have never read a book by David Halberstam, please do so. I have read many different books by him on various subjects. He is one of the few people who can write on a subject that I would seemingly have little interest and make it a highly entertaining event just through sheer style and talent. He will be missed.



4. 
   Halberstam's lean prose is the appropriate style for this moving portrait of the men at Engine 40, Ladder 35, 12 of whom were killed in the line of duty on 9/11. Each man gets his moment; the portraits are evenhanded, the men shown as human beings rather than super heroes. The events leading up to their final call are incredibly emotional rollercoaster; the day of the disaster is recalled with a devastating clarity. As an examination of the courage of ordinary people faced with extraordinary circumstances, only its brevity keeps this from being a true masterpiece.



5. If you are looking for an all encompassing book that looks at the FDNY role on September 11th and the aftermath - this is not that book. (Try "Report from Ground Zero" by Dennis Smith.) If you are looking for a book that looks at 9/11 with a broad view of the significance of that day on several levels, this is not that book. (Try the 9/11 Commission Report.)
   
   What this book represents is small tribute - a thank you, if you will - to the men who lived in David Halberstam's neighborhood, if only in 12 hour shifts. In a narrow sense, it looks at one particular firehouse and the culture of that house. You are given a glimpse of each man and how they were viewed by their "brothers" on the job and in some cases, why it is that they found the FDNY to be their calling. Think of it as a series of extended obituaries not just for each of the twelve men who died, but also for the loss of what had been the culture fostered by all the men stationed in that house.
   
   By portraying each of these twelve men, in a broader sense I think Halberstam is offering up a glimpse of each of the 343 men who died. Each house that lost a member - and numerous houses lost multiple members - likely had someone who filled the "Sergeant Major" roles that Bruce Gary and Jimmy Giberson had within 40/35. I suspect most houses had a funny guy, or a quiet guy, or a guy who didn't easily fit the fireman stereotype. I knew several firemen who died that day (either directly or through my brother who is on the job) and I can see character traits of those I knew in the men profiled in this book.
   
   The quality of Halberstam's writing is well known and doesn't need commentary.

5 comments about His Bright Light: The Story of Nick Traina (Danielle Steel).

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



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



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



4. I give five stars plus to Nick's soul and one star, at best, to the book itself. By Ms Steel's own admission throughout the book, she recognized Nick had problems from a very young age. Perhaps if the author had spent more time doling out love and attention to her young child, and less time pumping out volumes of romantic fiction with a vain desire to increase her wealth, this book would never have been written. Money does not buy happiness; a son's smile does.
   
   The book is sad and heartbreaking, but so was Nick's life. In my opinion, the book came across as a vain attempt by the author to relieve her own guilt, as opposed to a tribute to her troubled son. Much of our adult life and who we become is formed within the first six years following birth. It is too easy for society to simply "blame the drugs" for many of today's wrongs. If a child, from a very young age, is nutured, loved, disciplined in a fair and loving manner, instilled with self-worth and self-esteem, the chances of that child turning to negative solutions to find happiness or whatever is missing in his/her life is greatly diminished.
   
   The book comes across as if the author is suffering from a "poor me" symdrome. Of course, she has a right to grieve, she lost a son, but what were the contributing factors? What was missing from Nick's life? The only one who truly knows the answers is Nick and, unfortately, he is not here to tell us or write his side of the story. Ms Steele will have the opportunity to continue on with her life, turn out best-selling novels faster than bees produce honey and make millions of dollars in the process. Unfortunately, Nick will not have that same opportunity.



5. I have read this book in curiosity as to what Bipolar might look like in infants and young children. It is very interesting to read about Nick's personality and high unusual intelligence. If I remember correctly, he was using full sentences at age 15 months old and was arguing with his mom about what he was going to wear at 15 months old, so this is like reading about one child who was eventually diagnosed as Bipolar, but in looking back, there were many signs, so if you are concerned about a young child who might show signs this book is a good read, not a diagnosis, but has many interesting scenes of the young Bipolar child.

5 comments about Ten Things I Wish I'd Known Before I Went Out into the Real World.

1. This book talks about the problems and difficulties you face when you hit adulthood. It also tells you things that might help you get through it all.
   
   I liked this book for several reasons. I liked it because I thought it was very educating. Also because I believe this book can help people start preparing for their future. Ten Things I Wish I'd Known-Before I Went Out into the Real World is a book that I think can help people on their way and to understand the point or meaning of life.
   
   In the end it's a very good book altogether and I recommend it to anyone and everyone who has troubles with preparing their future



2. This book would make a wonderful graduation gift. I wish I would've read it back when I was eighteen-years-old. Although I purchased this book over three years ago, I still come back to it from time to time. She offers so much insight and wisdom, but she also humanizes herself as a woman and teaches her readers that even she has experienced self-doubt and has strived to reach 'perfection' (something she teaches you not to do). She writes about how important it is to start at the bottom because it's where you learn the most and gain character. I especially liked reading about her husband and children. She and her family are so much more normal than anyone would ever think.



3. I am 56 and had I had this book to read in 1968 when I graduated high school I might have had the tools to do things a little better through my 20's and 30's. She gives you a rundown on what realistically to expect out of live, love, career and everything in between. I may have even been able to avoid my ex-husband!!!
   
   This is a must gift for any young person, maybe even younger than a high school graduate. It could actually put a kids expectations into the realm of reality without putting a damper on any of the joys of life. This is not a book that a conservative religious advocate would have to avoid. It contains simple comman sense about life and how it differs from what kids would often see on TV, movies, or any other media they would encounter. It doesn't tell you what belief system is best, just what life is most apt to hand you on any given day.
   
   It is easy reading and not very beefy, so even non-readers would benefit. They could use it as a reference book for a specific situation.
   
   Great Birthday or Graduation or Holiday gift and reasonable priced, too.



4. I bought Maria's book "What's Heaven" for my Granddaughter when her Grandmother (my mother) died 6 years ago. Now my Granddaughter will graduate from high school next year and Maria has followed her to college, with her last 2 books. Next I will buy my Granddaughter the Marlo Thomas books. As a Grandmother I believe it does take a Village. My Granddaughter will take 2 real good role models with her to college and now we have to set her free.



5. Maria did have some excellent points. The majority of the book is just an autobiography, though, and I skimmed through those parts. My advice would be to stop by the book store and look at the table of contents and then the very end where she gives a list of some other things she wishes she knew, because they explain themselves. A lot of her things I already knew, and she points out that she's not trying to help us avoid those things, just let us know we're not alone. If the great, talented Maria could get through life, then we can too! That was sarcasm.