3 comments about The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme): The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (Large Print Edition): The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire ... St. Thérèse of Lisieux (Large Print Edition).

1. In terms of her ability to maneuver words in the written form, Saint Therese of Lisieux was not as established as other writers such as St. Augustine or Thomas Merton. For this trait, she often apologizes in her writing. However, her insight in developing a relationship with Jesus and her devotion to that relationship make a profound statement. Even in the littlest of sacrifices, she shows herself growing closer to Jesus. The message outweighs the writing style in terms of importance.
   
   The product of three separate journals St. Therese kept during her short life, the book can be divided into these sections: The story of her life, the letter written to Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart, and the notebook written for Rev. Mother Marie de Gonzague. While each of these writing tasks were given as an assigned task, they had a greater purpose and may have been the most important work of St. Therese's life. Even at a very young age, St. Therese showed strong devotion to the Lord. The story of her life makes up the greatest percentage of the book. Despite the death of her mother at a young age, St. Therese seemed happy and her devotion led her to pursue a devotional life at an unusually young age.
   
   In her short life, St. Therese saw the unbelievable and was touched by the hand of God. She showed her devotion even in the smallest of sacrifices. Still I believe that nothing is more touching than the initial pages of the book. It is perhaps one of the best explanations of God's love.



2. This is a wonderful book! It's St. Theresa's own story of her childhood, written at the request of her sister who was the Mother Superior of her Carmelite Monastery at the time. She tells about her mischievous activities as a charming little girl in the midst of her extraordinarily loving family. A most engaging story.



3. This is a lovely book by 'the greatest saint of modern times.' read any chapter and you will see the heart of Catholicism. You will learn catholic spirituality and the reason why Therese was a saint. Some men have said they are improved every time they read this book. It is true. Besides the Eucharist itself, St. Therese is the saint that drew me into the Church. Her Little Way gives me hope that perhaps we all have a chance of getting to heaven.

5 comments about Brothers in Arms (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper)).

1. Much respect is due to Kareem Abdul-Jabaar for going after these stories and getting them in print for posterity. I admired you as a sports figure, but now I honor you as a man of principle. Much respect.



2. Terrible Narration with pronunciation errors (see below)
   A Number of factual errors
   Almost NOTHING about the major battle of Bastogne
   
   While I like the subject and generally liked the book, I found several items that should have been caught by a good editor: Factual errors (see other reviews), Should have had much more about the design, development and manufacture of the Sherman tank (a co-star of the book), Bastogne is barely covered, and the narration.
   
   I would never have purchased this book if I had known the narrator was so clueless. The reader's errors were distracting and painful to hear so many mispronounced words and not just obscure city names, but common words and names common to World War II: Pate-on for Patton (only one time), straff (rhymed with raft) for straf, personal mines for personnel mines, Ver-DUNE (rhymed with maroon) for Ver-done (Verdun), ambu-LANCE for ambulance, Ar-DEAN (rhymed with Marine) for Ar-den (Ardennes), Ba-vah-ria instead Ba-VARE-ia, GORE-ing (rhymed with snoring) instead Goering, Elbee (rhymed with sleepy) for Elbe, and for anyone with with the slightest experience with the History Channel the following is absolutely ludicrous looftwaff (no idea what this would rhyme with) for Luftwaffe.
   
   As for the people who say that we are nitpickers when we point out errors, just imagine if there was a book about Rev. King and they said that he was killed when shot at close range at a gas station in Chicago. HUH?? you would say. That's just crazy!! that would make me wonder about the rest of the book.
   
   I finally requested a refund and got it from Audible.



3. In "Brothers in Arms", Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Anthony Walton try to bring to life the personal accounts of the soldiers of the 761st Tank Battalion.
   
   The book begins by documenting the memories of the soldiers who faced their own battles with racism here in the United States. The flow of the book follows the natural progression of the soldiers from their days as recruits, armored school, and then through their combat exploits in France and Germany.
   
   Having previously read "Death Traps: The Survival of an American Armored Division in World War II", this book didn't contribute any new information about armored warfare. Despite numerous factual errors, the book does highlight the ugliness of racism that was prevalent in the nation at the time. All in all, this is a collection of stories that needed to be told.



4. There are all types of history books. Some are textbooks other historical fiction some autobiographies. This book is not of these and something else altogether. Not since I read "Manchild in the Promised Land" by Claude Brown at the age of 13 years, have I been moved as I have by Mr. Jabbar's effort. Brothers In Arms now ranks with my very favorite books. It is engaging and informative. It makes me want to buy a ticket and go to France and Belgium and retrace the footsteps of these heroic men. What more could you ask from a book. Yes there are inaccuracies, inconsistancies and errors in the book. But not where it counts. Obviously, Kareem sat down with some of these men and got their stories. First hand experiences. Those are the things that draw you in and make you want to know more. Those are the things that make you cry when one of them dies, even though it happened over 60 years ago. Yet you weep for them still. And in the end, when the book is done, there is a heaviness in your heart but an overwhelming pride fills your chest.
   
   This book should be required reading for all High school students along with Killer Angels, Catcher in the Rye and 1984. I could go on but you should simply read the book instead.



5. I really did like this book and found it to be very well done; I couldn't put it down. Kareem abdul-jabbar did a great job of tying the history of the unit into is his life (one of the main characters was friends with his father). It wasn't only intresting because of the whole Black Soldiers in WW II subject area, but was also a great read concerning WW II tankers in general (not just black tankers). Mr. Abdul did an outstanding job and I would recommend this book to anyone.

5 comments about All Too Human: A Political Education.

1. In this moving look into the White House, Stephanopoulos carefully treads the line between worship for his idealized boss who embodied all the dreams and hopes Stephanopoulos had for his country, and distraught disappointment at the human flaws that caused this man to dally with a certain females and to lie to his aides about it. For Stephanopoulos, the crime here is not the actual act, but the fact that his boss let his people lie for him - without even realizing they were lying. This lack of trust and respect was crushing to the young idealist and it shows through in every page of the book. He mourns for what could have been, but wasn't; he hangs his head for the mistakes made by his "all too human" boss. He does not, however, descend into mudslinging - he obviously still adores his former boss, even if he did turn out to be a little less large than life.



2. This book is interesting in two ways. The first is the rise of a working class immigrant's son to the position of political advisor of the world's most powerful statesman. The father of Stephanopoulos was an working class immigrant yet his son was able to become a Rhodes scholar and reach the position in politics he did. The American success story. It is also interesting, from a much more cynical perspective, in that Stephanopolous' political advice was all politically motivated and absolutely none (with emphasis on absolutely) had a basis in the actual non-political benefits or costs (or efficacy). Extremely cynical. One comes away wondering whether it is even possible for the political process to produce socially beneficial policies instead of just politically expediant solutions.



3. First, my standard disclaimer: I am a political moderate and social conservative. This book is an average look at what happens in political inner circles, specifically the Clinton white house. I was a little disappointed that Stephanopoulos did not take more risks to write about subjects that the general public did not already know. It seemed that much of the reason for the book was for the author to exonerate himself from any wrongdoing.



4. George Stephanopoulos' memoir of working in the White House during Bill Clinton's first term in office makes you feel like a fly on the wall of the Oval Office. Written in that hypersmart, jargon-fluent style familiar to "West Wing" viewers, "All Too Human" is an engaging, candid companion to readers of any political stripe, in part an impassioned defense of one of America's most infuriatingly bipolar personalities, in part a cautionary tale of power trumping principle.
   
   Among the best and brightest that made up Clinton's 1992 campaign staff, no one burned brighter than Stephanopoulos, a senior advisor to the President at the tender age of 31 whose charge included Congress (he formerly worked for House Majority Whip Dick Gephardt) and satisfying Clinton's critical liberal base.
   
   Stephanopoulos makes no bones about being a true believer. He likens his work with Clinton to being an altar boy for the Greek Orthodox priests of his youth. "It's Nazi time out there," Clinton explodes when the Republicans campaign against him in a special congressional election in Kentucky. Stephanopoulos seems on board with this Hitlerian characterization of the GOP.
   
   Yet Stephanopoulos' passion is tempered by a cool calculating side that finds much common ground with the president, too much, he comes to find. "The last temptation is the greatest treason/To do the right thing for the wrong reason," goes the Eliot verse Stephanopoulos keeps on his desk, in a cramped room he coveted for its proximity to the Oval Office. Even when he manages to get the president to save affirmative action or appease other liberal concerns, it all comes back to a base sort of pragmatism. Is Clinton doing it because it's the right thing to do, or for the political benefit? What about George?
   
   Stephanopoulos' candor is this book's greatest asset, candor about the calculating Clinton, his prickly wife Hillary, and especially himself. He recalls a moment in the first campaign when he caught himself telling a small child that her father is "a bad man" for lying about Clinton. Stephanopoulos wants us to see him, and his boss, as good people, but like the title suggests, with some intrinsic flaws.
   
   While the first half of the book is marginally more interesting as a whole, as the Clinton team finds their way into the White House amid bimbo eruptions and fights its own party to pass a budget through Congress, the second half has the book's most interesting figure, the one man Stephanopoulos paints in entirely black hues: Dick Morris.
   
   Morris could be a Dickens character, "a small sausage of a man encased in a green suit with wide lapels, a wide floral tie, and a wide-collared shirt." As unctuous as Uriah Heep, Morris twitters on about his access to the president, all the time sizing our narrator's back for a place to stick his knife. Stephanopoulos, who views Morris as nothing less than a Republican mole, does likewise.
   
   "I have no home. I have no one left to talk to," Morris tells Stephanopoulos at one point.
   
   Get a dog, Stephanopoulos finds himself wishing he had the nerve to reply.
   
   Morris has claimed Stephanopoulos misrepresented him, but I find the depiction very close to the bone from what I've seen of this fellow commentating on Fox News.
   
   There are flaws in the book, like Stephanopoulos' shorthand with the facts. He seems to assume the reader is as well-versed as he is about the Clinton years, which has him skirt over a lot of material or peripherally refer to things like Tammy Wynette being upset with the First Lady as if we all will know the rest of the story. There is also a fatal Yuppie self-absorption in how Stephanopoulos whines about his trials. A lot of people deal with mega-stress. Not so many have a movie actress ready to draw them a bath.
   
   But "All Too Human" is a good read, and buttressed by Bob Woodward's "The Agenda," one gets an immersive sense of life around Bill Clinton in his first term, a time of great possibilities, hopes, and, inevitably, more than a bit of frailty.



5. The subtitle of this wonderful memoir taught me more about politics in 400 pages than I'd learned in 40 years. A diehard liberal and a political fanatic, someone whose views would normally make me sneer and scoff, Stephanopolous paints a picture of the stresses, ins-and-outs, spin, activities and the vital scope of the world inside the Oval Office. Every newsworthy event or program is canvassed for its political ramafications; the very definition and refinement of the word "politics" is reinforced on every page; the mistakes that lead to triumphs, and the feel-good preparations that lead to disasters are all here in stark detail. Stephanopolous proves himself a very sensible man, and even his staunchly liberal views are sidenotes to the greater energies, arguments and preparations that occur inside the White House. I occasionally disliked S's speaking his own platform (which he did sparingly), or telling how political parties are constructed to blunt the other even when their plans are sensible, but all in all I learned more from this book about the workings inside the White House than from all my prior readings and public education.

5 comments about Mister God, This Is Anna.

1. This little BIG book was described to me as a "wahoo! book".
   I have nothing else to add.



2. This is one of my favorite books ever. Anna is a delightful little girl with a most tragic background, but she has all she needs to go back home! This book is simply wonderful.



3. A life-changing, heart-opening, mind-expanding story. I highly recommend it. I was dissappointed with my order though - the books were in perfect condition but in an unusual size - very small making the book hard to read - and the paper is not of good quality. I don't feel i got great value for money with this purchase.



4. This is a nice fairy tale, but no more true than Rousseau's Emile or Kipling's The Jungle Book. I've known many five year olds, including some very gifted ones, but Anna simply doesn't ring true. Her short stature, mysterious origins, and bright red hair all suggest that she is a figment of "Finn"'s imagination, in the tradition of stories of "the wee folk". In fact, Finn is a frequently used pseudonym of Celtic folk tales, somewhat like "Mother Goose" is the authoress of English folk tales. The words "a true story" emblazoned on the front left a bad taste in my mouth, like I'd been conned. Somewhere in the book there is a mention that "all fairy stories are true" and I realised that this was the author's disclaimer. This is a good story, but the author's sly attempt to pass it off as literal truth taints it all. Had it been presented frankly as inspirational fiction, like "The Little Prince", it would have gone over a lot better, without the bitter aftertaste.



5. I hate to begin a book and walk away from it without finishing. I did read the entire book but found it real struggle to hang in there.

5 comments about Land of a Thousand Hills: My Life in Rwanda.

1. I spent four years in Rwanda, at Mudende, less than 1/2 a mile down the road from where Roz Carr lived. My wife and I got to know her quite well. This book brought back a lot of memories. She was as good a hostess as she is a story teller. Her love of the country and its people truly come through in this book. She also paints a vivid picture of life there. I would recommend it to anyone who loves to read about winners and survivors.



2. A fascinating read and historical insight into Rwanda and it's neighbours. Ros Carr's fortitude and life described in the book was truly inspiring. To start up an orphanage in one's 80's is amazing. If visiting Rwanda a visit to her loved home and orphanage 'Mugongo' makes this book come alive. Great to see her good work continuing since her passing.



3. I chose this book to learn more about Rwanda and it's history. I learned alot in addition to the account of the author's life there. Even though we hear negatives about many places- it was nice to see both sides for a change. I think the more we learn about other countries and their history a better understanding we will have of the people.
   
   I plan to do more reading in this area.



4. Land of A Thousand Hills is an autobiography by Rosamond Halsey Carr. She lived in Rwanda from 1949 until her death in 2006. Originally the owner of a flower plantation, she went on at 82 to open an orphanage for children left parentless during the Hutu-Tutsi genocide.
   
   I had higher hopes for this book. Which isn't to say that Land of a Thousand Hills is a bad book. It isn't. It is certainly interesting biographically. Carr was a fascinating woman. The sheer strength of her decision to stay in Africa after the collapse of her marriage in order to run a flower plantation on her own is really impressive-- more so considering the time. At 82, I hope that I'm the kind of woman who will return to a war zone to start an orphanage. It was also fascinating to read her stories about Dian Fossey. Carr certainly knew some very interesting people.
   
   I suppose that I was mostly disappointed because I expected it to say more about Rwanda as a country. Given her obvious personal strength, I expected her to be a more unbiased observer. She clearly was not that, and to her credit I guess that she never pretended to be. I didn't feel as though I learned much about the politics of the time that she lived through. Worse, I didn't really feel that I trusted much of what I did learn.
   
   One exception to this is that so few people are willing to write about the Tutsi at all critically, following the genocide. Carr actually builds a hesitant case for the defense without excusing Huti excesses, something that probably took a fair amount of personal courage. That was interesting.
   
   The book is not terribly well written, although the prose is generally clean. They may have done better to have it co-written by someone with better credentials than being a relative of the primary author.
   
   If you have some time to spare, and are interested in the fading days of European empire in Africa, you may well find this a good use of time. But walk, don't run, to the book store.



5. I always read everything I can get my hands on about Africa, having had the luxury of visiting Kenya & Tanzania a few years ago. Once you visit, you'll always want to return, even if it is only through the eyes of others. This book is at the top of my list, along with Mark Ross' "Dangerous Beauty." I commend Ann Howard Halsey for helping her aunt write this story about life in Rwanda. What a treasure! With all the material things Ms. Carr lost during the tragic events of the genocide (and all the people she loved who were killed by senseless murders), happily, Rosamond Halsey Carr's heroic story will last forever! This book reads "like butter!"--beautifully written, yet deep and provocative; never boring. I only wish I could have known Ms. Carr and seen the beauty of her adopted country that she saw for over 50 years!! (I would have a thousand questions to ask her, too.) What a horrific, under publicized period of history she lived through (and miraculously lived to tell the story). Most of the book is of the 40-50 years she spent in Rwanda which lead up to the events of the genocide--there are plenty of happy times, but it wasn't an easy life. I enjoyed Carr's stories about her friend Dian Fosse, too--she didn't romanticize the truth! The authors do a great job explaining the politics and culture of the country as well. Bravo! This book is worth the read!

5 comments about The Pact: Three Young Men Make a Promise and Fulfill a Dream.

1. I could not put this book down. These 3 doctors stories are almost too impossible to believe. It is amazing what the human spirit can achieve with encouragement. I recommend this book to everyone who loves to read.



2. I picked up this book after my wife and I started a group reading with my son of the book; "We Beat the Streets." "We Beat the Streets" book was written by the same authors but geared toward a younger crowd (suggested ages 9 to 15y/o). The pact was a great book as a source of inspiration. Being an African American male near the same age range, I was able to relate to at least one aspect of each of the three guys. At points where Rameck had a chip on his shoulder and struggle to put the anger behind him I related to that anger when confronted by unfair situations and judgmental people throughout college. Times when set backs occurred related to bad choices, an ill family member, or failing to pass a critical exam on the first try reminded me how as a young black male you feel like you're on the edge of falling of track at any given moment. Regardless of race and sex when you spear-headed the family into a new level of educational/professional success you will feel the weight of a lot of dreams and hopes placed on your shoulders daily. Often as a young man I felt times where I just didn't want to deal with that kind of pressure.
   
   This story reminded me that it is important to stay focused and move through the rough periods in order to be in a position to help friends and loved ones. By example let them know that they can achieve there goals/dreams.
   
   Two key factors in this story will continue to give me the courage to move forward. Never forget the 3 D's; Discipline, Determination, and Dedication. Always remember that choosing the right friends may mean the difference between success and failure in my life's goals. Friends are crucial when faced with situations in life that are difficult. I am proud to say that my wife is my best friend with an ear to listen. As I pursue my second master's degree my thoughts turn to adding to my list of goals a doctorate. Thank you Doctors Davis, Jenkins, and Hunt for this wonderful gift of brotherly love!
   
   I give this book a, 5 out of 5 stars. If you're a Dad it's a must read with your son or daughter. All they see is the man you are now; let them know that God, Faith, and loving relationships got you where you are today!!



3. This book was meant for any child, teen, man or woman, who are living today without hope for a better future. The pact is about a brotherly commitment between friends to achieve their life long dreams. The reason that I use the word brotherly is because their pact was only as strong as the weakest of them. They became like family in support of one another and diligently worked together to achieve their dreams.



4. This book served as an excellent Read - Aloud for my middle school students in grades 6 - 8. I read excerpts from the book about each person and the students were in awe about the struggles and obstacles that these young men had to overcome. It was dripping with real life situations and real life solutions.



5. This book is a must read for every African-American male, no, not only Africian-American males, but any young man that has felt that the odds were stacked up against him. The message is: all things are possible if you keep striving.

5 comments about Sky of Stone (Random House Large Print).

1. If you have read Rocket Boys, it's imperative you continue with Coalwood Ways and Sky of the Stone. All are wonderful reads with great life lessons. Sky of the Stone was my favorite of the three but they build on each other. I look forward to reading Red Helmet in February!



2. Just a great part 3 continuation of "The Rocket Boys", AKA: "October Sky". I could hardly put it down. I really enjoyed this book, too.



3. I read October Sky a week ago and then grabbed this one. I haven't read The Coalwood Way but after starting Sky of Stone, don't think it's necessary. This book continues where October Sky left off, and in many ways people are introduced in this book that were never mentioned in the first book. In manyways this book seems to be derived from all the notes taken out of the first book. Sonny's father's character comes to light in this book and we see the continued tension between father and son, and the son's reluctant growth into adulthood when he accepts (or is forced into) adult decisions for the first time.
   
   Homer is a year out of college and he's slowly learning that many of the naive things he experienced in boyhood are coming back to haunt him. Where we all read about the fame and success of the six Rocket Boys, we now find that they are scattered across the country in college. With Homer, the grades in the first year weren't anything out of this world, or anything indicative of an aspiring rocket scientist. Without reading October Sky this book may appear to be a mystery, and I recommend reading October Sky first before attempting this one.
   
   It is unfair to compare one book to the other, although I am doing it right now. What the first book was in childish charm, this one is with mature awakening. The writing style is still superb, the narrative flowing. The built-up to the plot, however, takes longer. The rocket scientist is no longer a rocket scientist in this book, and we find Homer Jr more of his father's son as a summer miner, exactly what he never wanted to be while in high school.
   
   There is much more sadness in this book. The focus is on the death of a miner at the mine that Sonny's father manages. This book is more of a country suspense than it is a happy-go-lucky story like October Sky is. I think that this change in tone was necessary because the first book was full of optimistic, youthful naivete.
   
   The problem with sequels and trilogies is that to understand the whole picture, all books must be read. I have now read two of the three and don't plan on reading the second book.



4. A wonderful book that was not only an engaging story, but offered a glimpse into the life of West Virginia coal miners. Following on the heels of the "Rocket Boys" ( the book that inspired the movie "October Sky"), this book carries on the story of Rocket Boy and author Homer Hickam. You won't be sorry you read this book.



5. Sky of Stone, by Homer "Sonny" Hickam, is the sequel to his famous memoir, Rocket Boys, (October Sky). The story takes place in 1961, a year after his graduation from high school. Sonny, now eighteen, has just finished his first year of college at VPI, and is hoping to spend his summer with his mother in Myrtle Beach, lying on the beach, watching the girls go by, and dreaming about building rockets with Wernher Von Braun, the world famous rocket engineer. Out of the blue, his mother calls and says that he can't go to South Carolina; he to go back to Coalwood, West Virginia, the place he thought he was free from, to keep his father company. Sonny, shocked out of his socks, at first argues, but he eventually gives up knowing that he would not want to get on his mom's bad side. So, he heads up to Coalwood, filled with confusion pounding at his head. His father is a pretty stubborn man who can hold is own. Why would he need his company?
   Within the first few days of being in Coalwood, Sonny wrecks his father's car. In order to pay his father back for repairing the damages, Sonny has to do the one thing that he never dreamed he would do in this or any other life time: he joins the UMWA (United Mine Workers of America), which is the union for the Coalwood miners. He becomes a "track-laying man," one of the hardest jobs in the mining business. His father, completely enraged with this, as well as having the pressure of the Tuck Dillon case on his mind, threatens to cut off Sonny's college fund if Sonny doesn't stop working in the mines. Yet, Sonny, who is actually beginning to enjoy the hard work of being a miner, refuses.
   As the story goes on, Sonny slowly begins to find more and more information about the Tuck Dillon accident, and starts to wonder if his father might have actually killed Tuck. Sonny also has many other adventures during this experience of being a miner. He makes many new friends, some of whom give him very important advice and teach him life lessons; he meets a girl engineer who is older than he, and he starts to have feelings for. He also participates in a heated track-laying race with the other mining group.
   Sky of Stone, like Rocket Boys, is a beautifully well-written memoir, filled with such amazing images, you feel as though you are reading a novel. The fact that this is a true story about one man's experience is astonishing. Along with it being about Homer's life, it deals with the hardships of growing up, changing from a teenager into a young man, trying to find your place in the world, while dealing with reality and the new feeling of independence. Each page you read takes you further into this adventure, making you fall in love even more with the book. You feel as though you are with Sonny every step of the way, learning more and more from this new experience. Personally, having read October Sky, I love both books and think that Homer Hickam is great author. It is a wonderful book, for anyone, as it reflects on life and the many lessons it teaches us, "I knew then, as I faced the sky, that Coalwood would go on. Its buildings might be torn down, its mine closed, its people might even die, but Coalwood would persevere. There was something about this place that maybe, as the Reverend Richard maintained, God just liked. Coalwood had nothing to fear and I guessed I didn't, either. When I needed it, the old place of my boyhood would yet be there waiting for me with all its wisdom and purpose, if not in stone and wood and iron, then still in my memory and my heart. I closed my eyes and felt the rain against my face, and smelled the smoke of the defeated fire, and thought of Coalwood. Coalwood, as it was, and shall be. Coalwood my home. Coalwood forever." (354). As I got to the end of the book I felt as though I was looking back on memory, in awe and filled with respect. In conclusion, I think this is great book, and I highly recommend it to anyone.

5 comments about The Color of Water: A Black Man's Tribute to His White Mother.

1. This is a remarkably unsentimental portrayal of a black man's white, Jewish mother who finds a life with those of another race more sustaining than staying with her own.



2. This book had been on my shelf for a long time. Having just finished it, I can only wish that I would have read it much, much sooner.
   
   This book alternates chapters between the author's voice (the son, James McBride) and the mother's voice. He uses italics for those chapters in his mother's words and, while it seems this would be clear enough, I still got very confused in the first half of the book. I would begin a chapter knowing it was in the mother's voice because of the italics but, once I was heavily into the chapter, I would get confused about the family history because both her chapters and his chapters are written in first person. This is the only reason I gave this book 4 stars vs. 5, because it was otherwise an outstanding and truly touching read.
   
   This is the story of a white Jewish woman who marries a black man and raises 12 children (a combination of his children and her second husband's). Despite the fact that the family was desperately poor during much of their lives, all of her children went to college and most went on to be doctors, teachers, nurses, etc. She wasn't exactly the picture of a smiling, perfect Donna Reed-like mom; she was a tough cookie, but she fiercely loved her children and raised them to be good people. All of this while being completely shunned by her own family because she married a black man and left home against the wishes of her tyrant father.
   
   In my earlier adulthood, I definitely had a chip on my shoulder about my own childhood not being a piece of cake but, when compared with this woman's ordeal, my family was something out of a happy-go-lucky TV sitcom. I think anyone who is in a "my life is so hard" mindset would be well served by reading this book. Sometimes what we need is a healthy dose of someone *else's* reality to remind us that our own is not really all that bad.



3. I wanted to love this book. And I almost did. I was hooked at the beginning, but the further I read, the more discouraged I became. I could not really like any of the people and I was not impressed at all with "Mommy" or at least the portrayal of her. I think the story was good, but the telling of it was weak, unclear and toward the end, rambling. There were several spots where it could have and in my opinion should have, ended. Indeed, I set it aside for over a week with only 50 pages to go and only finished it when I had nothing else to read.



4. This book was recommended to me by a friend who also happens to be an English professor. I won't go into the story line as others have done so here already. Suffice it to say that it is a beautifully crafted book about love and the human spirit. Don't miss it!



5. I read this book when I was in the 11th grade, I simply love it. I actually had to reread the first 4 chapters twice, because I was so confused at first. Tha authors style of writing and they way the book was split leaves you a little confused, but then u realize it is his life and then his mothers. I simply enjoyed this book. It not only discusses what life is like for a black boy, but for a white woman engaged in an interracial relationship and the struggles she faced. We so often hear about the Black struggle...its good to see boths sides for once!

No comments about A Drinking Life.

5 comments about My Journey: From an Iowa Farm to a Cathedral of Dreams.

1. Reading this book should be an inspiration to anyone who has a dream to accomplish. It shows how faith and positive thinking can produce unbelievable accomplishments.



2. I was introduced to Dr. Schuller's "Hour of Power" in 1983 when my Irish Catholic mother was dying of cancer. As her conditioned worsened, she was unable to get to Church. One Sunday she stumbled onto the "Hour of Power" and found it a source of spiritual nourishment. She quickly became a weekly viewer and told all of her great discovery.

   I have watched "The Hour of Power" off and on ever since. I have been intrigued with the simplicity of his message and the corresponding expansion of his ministry to Europe, Russia, and now, the Far East.

   While Rev. Robert Schuller is unique in modern US Religious History, he is, more importantly, unique as a great US ambassador. Each week, he shows the world the goodness of this country. And though being grounded in Christ's Word, his spiritual outreach is for all faith traditions.

   This autobiography, "My Journey," tells his story. While a bit too detailed, and too wordy (515 pages), those that have an interest in this man and his ministry should find it a good read.




3. I didn't know much about Robert Schuller before I read this (he is a TV preacher who believes in the power of positive thinking), but I really liked his autobiography. It's a good book. I especially liked the retelling of his growing up on a farm, and his and his wife's early days with their "drive-in" church in California.



4. If Robert Schuller hasn't inspired you yet to think positively and trust in a higher power, this simple story of his life will. If you need proof that God has a plan for each of us, if you've ever questioned your own purpose on earth, if you are stuck in the rut of modern society, read the recollection of the trials and tribulations of the life of this simple, kind man who has done so much for so many. I've been a member of this church for a long time, but reading this story from his birth to the present has given me a new view of the awesome-ness of the mission Dr. Schuller and Arvella Schuller have built. I recommend this not only for viewers or followers of the church or Dr. Schuller, but also for the sceptics. I wonder if reading this man's journey will make you, too, look upon your own purpose and path in a different light. Above all else, I believe this is the motivation Dr. Schuller had for telling his own life story... to renew our own faith in positive thinking, ourselves and our God. Enjoy.



5. Dr. Schuller has been such an inspiration to me over the years. His sermons and books have encouraged me on numerous occasions. He helps me feed my mind the right substance. I identify with his migration to California from the interior part of the U.S. The way he tells the story is a true inspiration each time I read it. I was in the Crystal Cathedral in 2002 and it was liked standing in my dream. I was there, observing what I had read about and seen on television. In the American mythology, California is still the land of dreams.
   Dreams which are given by God are to be pursued, according to Dr. Schuller's teaching. That's logical. His life shows how it's done.