5 comments about Brotherhood of Warriors: Behind Enemy Lines with a Commando in One of the World's Most Elite Counterterrorism Units.

1. My very brief review: Well written, engaging, humorous at times, inspiring, educational and most importantly a testament to those that put the safety and well being of their countrymen above their own.



2. I got this book about 20 days ago and I just finished. If I can use one word to describe this book it will be "introspection". The author spends about 50% of his narrative on his Jewishness and his desire to be in touch with it entirely. A lot of the introspection is about his childhood and upbringing; moving to Israel; life in Israel; and his feelings/reactions to special operations in the IDF special forces (Duvdevan). The other 50% is very unrevealing in the way of military operations. Very little is conveyed in the way of tradecraft and what is revealed is very basic. He does provide a glimpse into IDF special mission units, but just a glimpse. Of course, he is protecting operational security and methods, but it leaves a lot to be desired of a book with such a title. It seems like the story glosses over missions and operations and then he abruptly ends the book with his exit from the Israeli Defense Forces. It then becomes a little preachy on the lack of American resolve post-9/11. Otherwise, a good book with something to be desired. I came away feeling like he could have written more.



3. A good read and a fascinating story, Cohen becomes a man in the IDF and makes it to a special unit. The story brought me back to my days in the IDF. Some details are a bit exaggerated for effect or inaccurate but it doesn't take from the quality of the story.



4. I found this book to be very interesting. It takes you thru the life of an individual who leaves CA to return to Israel to become a special operator. It was interesting to read of the differences between American and Israeli training methods. Easy to read, well worth the money.



5. Aaron Cohen is the epitome of strength and courage. He's a man who wouldn't let anything stop him from achieving his goal; making aliyah to Israel and joining the toughest counterterrorism military units in the world. The reader gets an inside view of Israeli special forces training along with Israeli history, culture, and values. Cohen tells it like it is, very in-your-face. It was very hard to put down and an intense fast read. One of my favorite moments was when Cohen returned to the kibbutz and Gali greeted him in Hebrew and treated him like a fellow warrior. Very touching, inspirational, and fascinating story.

5 comments about Fiasco: The Inside Story of a Wall Street Trader.

1. While the author worked only for a few years as a junior investment banking industry, his warnings about derivatives are on the mark. See current events.



2. Great read, educational about how risky derivative deals (the big money), entertaining, focused on the 90's, sprinkled with humor. recommenddddddddddddd



3. This book should be required reading for all business majors and MBA students. Partnoy takes you inside some of the biggest brokerages on Wall Street and blows you away with the realities of trader mentality. I only wish I had read this book before I worked among the traders in my previous job as an auditor at a major investment bank. I can see now how naive I really was!
   
   My only criticism is that the explanation of the specific derivatives deals is WAY too detailed. Although, I'm not sure Partnoy could explain it any other way since derivatives ARE naturally extremely complex.... perhaps some endnotes with a few brief definitions? I found myself flipping back and forth towards the end to try and understand some of it. Just a thought for the next publication.
   
   But overall, it's a very well-written and easy to follow. Enjoy!
   
   I also HIGHLY recommend: "Conspiracy of Fools: A True Story"
   by Kurt Eichenwald



4. The anecdotes alone around "I ripped his f***ing face off" is worth the whole book.
   
   And what a book! This is the narrative flip side to Merton's "Cases in Financial Engineering" where obfuscation is king, and getting clients to overpay for one element of some overly-complex structured product is the fee-driven sport to fuel a decedant lifestyle at the margins of "ethics." That it all happened at this whitest of white-shoe firms Morgan Stanley makes it so much the better.
   
   The single best book to read after Merton's "Cases in Financial Engineering."



5. The book was published in 1997. I found it and read it in a day. Now that we are in the midst of another derivative crisis and we are watching our politicians on both sides of the aisle falling over themselves to bail out Wall Street under the guise of helping the homeowner....I am thinking that this book should have been required reading before the more recent crisis. I don't know if Bernanke has read this but it might be a good idea for him. If the characters and motivation and compensation of these clowns are anything like this book suggests, and the news media suggest it is the case, the average American should be outraged. These salesmen have even forced the US Government to do their will. In any event a short, quick, well written and humorous read that seems strangely prescient.

1 comments about Pieces of My Heart CD.

1. I read and enjoyed the book this weekend. It was a fast read and I was able to identify with Wagner's feeling of loss when his wife Natalie died so suddenly at the peak of their happy life together. I, too, loss my husband when our lives were at full bloom. He was murdered in November of 1930 in Nassau. I empathize with his feelings and with his strenth in having to survive for his children. I applaud his bravery and I hope that he has found the happieness that he deserves with his new life. I also wrote my memoir to help me find peace with the loss. It is called "Forgetting the Hurt, Rememember the Hope." Sandee Carlisle

5 comments about They Poured Fire on Us From the Sky: The Story of Three Lost Boys from Sudan.

1. I particularly enjoyed reading the story of these brave young men who miraculously found each other from time to time, after undergoing such terrible hardships trying to find help. My church offered our extra parsonage to six of the "Lost Boys" and they were a part of our congregation for almost two years. Several became members of our church, and still attend once in a while. Truly God was with these children during that time of horror. They were more resourceful than any American child would ever be, and we pray none will have to suffer as these kids did. We are so proud of "our" boys who learned to speak American English, who learned to get around the city on bicycles, and later in their cars. Most have finished college now. I'm sure the stories of our young men parallels that of the three who shared their stories in this book. Ann Luna, Nashville, TN



2. My favorite little independent bookshop, Latitude 33, recommended I read this when they found out I was interested in African Affairs. Melanie, the manager, said that she and several of her book club customers read the book and loved it. That was encourgement enough for me.
   
   I was completely caught off guard.
   
   "They Poured Fire on us From the Sky" changed my life in a profound way.
   After reading this book about the Civil War in Southern Sudan, I felt compelled to do something on behalf of Darfur. The story told by Benjamin and his brothers is now tragically repeating itself with devastating consequences to the Fur.
   
   Thankfully, the editor used at light hand so that it retained the Dinka voice, which is the
   heart and soul of the story tellers.
   You will fall in love with these boys. You will pray for these boys, and you will thank the IRC for bringing them hope in the form of a mentor and friend, Judy Bernstein. READ THIS BOOK!



3. This book is on our UMW 2008 reading list. The book is very well written and takes you on this journey that these boys made. It is amazing that they survived and overcame all obstacles



4. It is hard to believe that in this 21st century, the atrocities that take place in Sudan are still happening and the rest of the world is blind to them. My heart goes to these strong boys that survive. I cannot imagine my own small son having to endure even a fraction of what Benson, Ben, Alphonso and so many other children had to live during their perilous journey.
   I hope many read this book and open their eyes to what goes on in other countries. Let's not be quiet about it... This is a must read for our own leaders in hopes they get some perspective of what international conflicts are really important to stop.



5. Harrowing. Intense. Disturbing. Raw. Emotional. True. Tragically hopeful. A must read among the well-to-do. This will put anyone's life and problems into proper perspective. It is a tale of survival in the midst of the worst affliction that any child could endure imaginable.

5 comments about The Prince of Frogtown.

1. This is another fantastic book! I love Bragg's work. It makes you cry, smile and laugh. The audio version, read by the author, adds to the value of his story. Beautifully written, beautifully read. Fine work!



2. If you have any "blue collar blood" in you, Rick Bragg's writing should appeal to you. In The Prince of Frogtown, he peers into the past of blue collar Americans, specifically mill workers and mountain people of the Appalachians. These are his relatives. Fighting, drinking and cussing are a way of life for them.
   
   This is a story of Rick's father, Charles, and the search for the reasons behind his father's alcoholism. It is a sad story of broken dreams. The author tries to find out what happened to the man his mother once loved.
   
   Charles Bragg was a man, who "it took patience to like even in the best of times." Typically irresponsible, Charles made a new start in Dallas, moving his reluctant family there. He was sober and employed for two months, keeping his promise that he would change. It was, however, the uncertainty of a future with Charles and the certainty of a $54 welfare check Rick's mother could receive if she returned to Alabama, that caused her to leave Charles and take her sons back to Alabama.
   
   Afterwards, Charles' life spiraled to nothing. Before he died, he said he was sorry for what he had done, and that he loved his family. But I don't think they ever felt it. Parts of the book will bring a tear to your eye.
   
   In between chapters, Bragg tells the story about "the boy," the son of a woman he's dating. Typically, techniques like this don't work, but it does in this case. Bragg sees much of himself in "the boy" and it's a touching sidebar.



3. Rick Bragg knows the South and writes with his heart. Excellent book, especially for those of us who remember what it was like to be a child in the old South -- before air conditioning.



4. Here master storyteller, Rick Bragg, tells his story about trying to come to terms with a father he barely knew and for most of his (Rick's) life, didn't want to know. It's also his story about getting to know a 10 year old boy who had just become his son, a boy who was vastly different from the child Rick had been.
   
   This is a wonderful ending to his trilogy that began with [All Over but the Shouting], the story of his mother and contnued with [Ava'a Man], the story of his maternal grandmother.
   
   All three tell of how hard a life it was for these people back in the mid 20th century. The Braggs weren't rich and influential, in fact many saw the wrong side of a jail. But many worked hard at a hard job, some in the mills of Jacksonville, Alabama, where maiming and death were a common occurance.
   
   In [Prince...], Rick finds a different side of a man that he always saw as a drunk and a no-good who was frequently being bailed out of jail with money that should have fed Rick and his two brothers.
   
   He finds a man who wanted to be what he should have been but ended up losing the battle to do so. And in himself, Rick finds that he can be that good man to a boy he just became a parent to and being a parent was not something Rick ever aspired to.



5. Absolutely Rick Bragg's best! I hated for the book to end. Holds attention throughout and very well put together. Could relate to several things in story. Must read!!

5 comments about One Drop: My Father's Hidden Life--A Story of Race and Family Secrets.

1. I liked this book. Not so much b/c I was interested in Anatole Broyard, but rather I found his family history and his daughter's struggles to come to terms with her father's and her own identity much more compelling. Bliss Broyard did a wonderful job of detailing her paternal history all the way back to 18c Louisiana. I felt her need to connect with her new found family and her pain when her family (while polite) did not fully embrace her. Highly recommended.



2. Bliss Broyard is amazing, and I am so glad that she wrote this book. I discovered her existence seeing an excerpt from African American Lives and became curious about her journey. I had just had my own DNA testing done to confirm or dispel a family story about us being American Indian and Scottish, instead of Irish as we'd been told. When my results came in, showing a strong subsaharan African and Egyptian Berber influence (in addition to the Scottish and American Indian parts) I was startled and surprised. I didn't know what to make of it, or how to incorporate this new knowledge into my self-identity. So, reading Ms. Broyard's book was amazing for me, because I'd gone through many of the challenges she spoke of. I was somewhat jealous of her ability to connect to relatives and gain so much genealogy information, as I've been doing these searches for 10 years and not gotten so much. Her book is a testament to rethinking the memory of her father and making meaning for herself. Her writing is exceptional, and she's honest, sincere. I wish there were more authors (or people in general!) like Ms. Broyard. Good for her for publishing this! I've passed on my copy to other friends who struggle with their multiple cultures and identities, and gifted a copy to a friend who's interested in his own genealogy. Go Ms. Broyard, and bless you for the courage it took to write this book!



3. Bliss' voyage was very special to me. I felt her pain and confusion and unfortunately could relate too closely to her tale. Her account is so honest and self-reflective that it was embarassing at times to be privvy to her thoughts. As a mother,I wanted to hug her and explain to her all the racial garbage that American society dumps on us. As a Creole of Color whose mother, grandmother and God knows how many other relatives passed while I couldn't, I can relate to her family stories and pain. Yet, this young lady taught me so much with her amazing historical research. If I ever drag myself back to Louisiana to my maternal home, I will have lots of tips to learn more about my family. For example, who is my Italian grandfather and does a great grandfather's portrait as a judge still hang in a county courthouse? I'd love to have her help me retrace my roots. I am amused at her stories of people discovering their black ancestry and I laugh at the thought that if people in the 30s only knew that my red-headed grandmother, a magazine cover girl, was actually black/Negroe/Colored/Creole or that my mom, the lady in the 60s Wonder Bread commercial, wasn't white. But the scars still remain with all of us. The lies, the denial of self still haunt the family. I am sending this book to my mom who prbably to this day experiences some guilt about not raising her eldest daughter because she couldn't pass in her white expatriate world.



4. I just finished reading a novel called Passin', by Karen E. Quinones Miller, and Broyard's father was mentioned in that book. What little I learned from Miller's book intrigued me, so I hurried up and purchased One Drop. It was a decent book, but not as interesting as I might have hoped.
   
   She had me mesmerized when writing about her father's life, but then when she goes on her own journey to learn more about her African-American roots my interest began to wan. I tried to figure out why, and then realized it was because she was writing about it almost as a disinterested character herself! She never drew me in, because she wasn't that drawn in. So why did she bother with this odyssey to find her roots, I wonder? Maybe to write this book?
   
   Also, and I saw this mentioned in a few other reviews, she seems to have some (residual?) racist views herself about blacks . . . and you out and out feel that she thinks it ironic that she's now part of a group she and her friends have always considered inferior.
   
   If anyone ever writes a full biography on her father, I'd love to read it. But this memoir left me feeling a little on the exploited side, myself.



5. One of the best biographies ever. Blyss Broyard blends two hundred years worth of family secrets to explain how and why racial identity can be so controversial. Her father, Anatole Broyard, kept his mixed race parentage from his children and the result of that decision is this marvelous book.

5 comments about Scattershot: My Bipolar Family.

1. I was trying to explain to my daughter what makes this such an amazing book. There are just so many things. The whole thing is laced with poetic language. The cadence is magical. And I was struck by how brilliantly organized it is. Amid his personal storytelling Lovelace gives historic background and scientific stats and info on the Bipolar condition in a seamless manner. And, the story just keeps going. Some of the scenes are just waiting for the Big Screen. I really could not put it down!



2. While Scattershot focuses on the heartbreaking story of a family struggling with Bipolar disorder, this is not some pity piece - Lovelace tells the story with sensitivity but no sugar coat, showing everyone's weaknesses and heroism. I feel like I started to understand the reality of being "crazy" at times and knowing it, along with the strange allure of the manic state. Told with humor and a poet's touch, Scattershot is readable - as well as sad, happy, and revealing.



3. The beginning in some memoirs can be drudgery , waiting for momemtum, but not so with this! I was intrigued immediately, and finished this in two nights. Some of my favorite scenes are in the waiting room, and the MAYBE HYPO manic, and the tender way he described his parents marraige. The 'lost friendhips' brought a sense of sadness for me. Teh role of art in their lives was really well written and interesting to me. I like the way his father was atheist , at one time,and what a burden the ever present ' dogmatic stabilzer' was in their environment. I empathized wholeheartedly with the synapse between being present for his children and wife and being 'stimulated' or clincially euphoric and ' grandiose'.
   My best read since The Tender Bar and an Unquiet Mind.
   
   
   
   Rebecca Holske



4. Unlike most other memoirs about mental illness, Scattershot isn't a complete downer. You finish with hope and laugh quite a bit along the way. I didn't end the book and feel exhausted or sad. I could relate to many of the experiences, since only a few were horrific ordeals.
   
   This is a fast, fun and sometimes harrowing read! If you read the opening chapter, you'll be hooked. As enjoyable as this is, it still chronicles the dissolution of of an entire family to a misunderstood mental illness.



5. I highly recommend this book. There have been some excellent creative non-fiction autobiographies to come out over the recent years and this rates as one of the very best. I've enjoyed Jonathan Franzen, Jeanette Walls, Haven Kimmel, David Sedaris, Augusten Burroughs, and Mary Karr and now David Lovelace has moved to the top of my list. Scattershot is immediately compelling (a two day read I could not put down) and once you're on his rollercoaster, you don't want to get off. The book is at once literary, well-written, entertaining, educational, harrowing, at times hilarious, poignant, and ultimately triumphant.

5 comments about Christmas with Paula Deen: Recipes and Stories from My Favorite Holiday.

1. This is my first Paula Deen book so i cannot compair it to any of her other books. I really enjoy this book. I first rented it from the library last year for Christmas and got such rave reviews from the recipes i made that i decided to buy it. It is a small size, but thats not a problem for me. I enjoy her family stories and tips as well.



2. I ordered this book for a gift and was really disappointed in it. I wish I had read the other reviews before I bought it. I would have saved my money. I will probably end up keeping it and purchasing something else for the gift. I can't believe how small it is.



3. First off...I have poor vision, that's right, and I wear contacts. If you've had failed lasik boo-hoo, and then pull out your magnifying glass. Not liking a recipe book only based on the size/cover/lack of photos is the STUPIDEST thing I've heard. How many of you reviewers have Joy of Cooking in your cabinets? Yeah, that's what I thought...
   
   All of the cookie recipes are GREAT and her holiday bow-tie cookies recipes are very good and she gives great advice too that even inexperienced cooks can understand. (The cocktail recipes will knock you under the table though so watch out.) I would recommend this for anyone who loves the holidays and loves baking and loves Paula Deen.



4. I love the Southern influence, and the stories, and the humor in this book. The recipes remind me of learning to cook beside my mother in a cramped and noisy kitchen. This brought back fond memories and several recipes that were very familiar from my upbringing but which I had forgotten. I am so pleased to have this book in my kitchen cupboard and I plan to use it for many years to come.



5. Paula is my favorite cook... I bought this book for me and my grandma.. I made the yummy6 cut out cookies... I also liked this book for the CUTE Stories that are inside.. The advice is great. LIke don't let anything stand in the way of family,, always go home for the holidays,,, I am 27 and listening to Puala about all of it,, she is so great!

5 comments about Is This a Great Game, or What?: From A-Rod's Heart to Zim's Head---My 25 Years in Baseball.

1. I like Tim Kurkjian. I listen to him on Mike & Mike in the Morning on ESPN radio. I see him on Baseball Tonight. He seems like an imminently likable guy. And, like another reviewer, I really wanted to like this book. I'd put off reading Game of Shadows until this summer and I thought, "What better book to read about the good side of baseball after reading about the, well, shadowy side of baseball of Barry Bonds and others cheating via steroids?"
   
   That said, I tried three times to finish this book but just couldn't do it. The stories are just too rah-rah, sis-boom-bah for me.
   
   Kurkjian clearly loves what he does and some of his stories are great. But others, whether they are true or not although I have no reason to doubt the gist of them, are just silly. For example, with a child's gleam Kurkjian goes on about how intensely competitive Cal Ripken, Jr. is; he's so competitive, in fact, that during his Iron Man streak he challenged steep steps in single bounds at the risk of turning an ankle and therefore ruining his consecutive-game streak. I'm not sure this story is one to be admired. Other stories include players that risk injury "for the love of the game." I shouldn't tell Ripken or any professional ballplayer what to do; my point is that Kurkjian's stories are so glossy that he fails to look objectively sometimes. Some of the stories of greatness could easily qualify the player for a diagnosis of OCD.
   
   But then, maybe that's why I'm a schmuck and Kurkjian is on TV and Ripken's a Hall-of-Famer.



2. This book was extremely enjoyable and I highly recommend it to any baseball fan. Kurkjian writes with passion and love for the game of baseball. His stories are delightful: from the player (I think Jay Bell)who never heard of Mickey Mantle to the kid who gets an autograph from "some guy Stan Musiel or something" to Cal Ripken's extreme competitiveness, you will laugh out loud. He also has a scary, but interesting chapter on hitters and pitchers who get hit by the baseball and how they react. I cannot recommend this too highly.



3. This is a great book. For those fans of Tim Kurkijan, you can't go wrong on this read. Bought it for my husband, not only did he enjoy it, but I did too. great wit and a real fun book.



4. 
   Long-time baseball writer and commentator Tim Kurkjian shares a great collection of off-beat and insightful baseball stories in his book. Kurkjian's love for the game and what he does comes through loud and clear.
   
   Kurkjian covers a wide range of topics, including scouts, coaches, managers, spring training, being hit by the pitch, humorous incidents and much more. His stories are fresh, tightly written and entertaining.
   
   This book focuses on all the reasons why you love baseball and why you know it's the best sport.



5. Tim K. found the essence of the game of baseball. His passion and love of the game come thru in this book. If you are any kind of a fan of baseball you will really enjoy "Is This a Great Game or What."

5 comments about The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story.

1. I admit it, this book made me green with envy. Like the author and many others, I've always been drawn to New Orleans and have dreamed of living there for years. At the same time this book will make you blue at the damage done by hurricane Katrina to this lovely, complicated city and sadly, blue over the future of our beloved New Orleans. The author definiely entertains with her story of how she ended up in New Orleans. I loved reading about so many familiar places and characters and also could relate to her home remodeling nightmare. What is humorous in hindsight, can be awful to experience, and remodeling in New Orleans is doubly difficult. Kudos to her loyalty to the city, her spirit and her hope for a better future. I hope we read more from this author.



2. The book and story in themselves are completely entertaining and
   informative. The reader realizes a much better understanding of some
   of the events and aftermath of Katrina. Also the life and times of
   Ms. Reed are there for all to enjoy. I read the review in the Ny Times,
   purchased it from Amazon.com, and couldn't put it down.



3. I have visited New Orleans a number of times, both before and after Katrina, which certainly helped me to appreciate and understand a little of Julia Reed's references and locations within the city. Without this, I believe a reader would be pretty lost. Even with my knowledge, I found myself getting confused a few times, not about the locations, but because of her tendency to jump from one subject to some rather detailed thought or personal memory that had a vague connection in her mind. This, along with her constant, detailed recollections of dining and boozing, eventually became rather tedious and annoying to me by the end of the book. Those were the bad points, which did not entirely ruin my experience in reading her book. They just made it more difficult to enjoy.
   
   But I did enjoy it, for the most part, though it was not a book that I couldn't put down. I read it over a number of days which I believe helped me to absorb it a bit better. As I pointed out, there was a lot of jumping between one time span to another, from her days as a youth, throughout the earlier days in her career (which led her to choose to settle in New Orleans), and then many different references to her friends and acquaintances, and her personal experiences, usually including the details of their dining and drinking, associated with those relationships. I felt it was a bit fragmented.
   
   Although much of her lifestyle would be considered very uncommon to most, I still found it an interesting read. She had and has a privileged existence and her viewpoint is not that of ninety percent of the population. Her experiences during the return and rebuilding after Katrina were pretty elitist and rare. I can't think that those that had lost everything would be rejoicing about a few bottles of wine or a restaurant reopening, but I'm sure these seemingly shallow actions do not completely reflect her day to day experiences. It was interesting to read about an "insiders" experience, even if it was a rich, rather self-absorbed, socialite's one (though she claims not to be). It is what it is.
   
   I will probably reread it and recommend it to those of you familiar to New Orleans that think you may find it interesting.



4. Being a native of N.O. and having moved away 20+ years ago it was great
   to re-connect



5. I enjoy memoirs. I enjoy history as well as current events. I thought I would love this book. I wanted to love this book. But, it fell short in so many ways.
   
   The beginning was promising-- before the storm. I enjoyed reading about Ms. Reed's trials and tribulations with her ne'er-do-well contractor. Having had my share of ne'er-do-well contractors parade through my own home, I found her descriptions of the experience and fury apt and hilarious.
   
   The tone and scope of the narrative changed as Ms. Reed described the preparations for and aftermath of Katrina. I read, appalled by what I was reading. Appalled by the decimation and disregard for a people and a way of life.
   
   I guess what I am getting at is this: As two separate books, the storyline may have worked better. I would have liked to have read more about all her house renovations and how it came together after the storm. However, that subject never reappeared in a major way. I would have liked to have read more about the storm and the community activism spurring on the clean-up. As I said, this book would have worked better as two separate books; I do not think it was well edited.
   
   I will not be adding this book to my collection as one that I would want to read again or even recommend to others. I may, however, pick up the author's other titles at the library. I enjoyed the narrative but hated the editing and I don't want to risk the money on another potentially disappointing book.