5 comments about What I Talk About When I Talk About Running.

1. I enjoyed Murakami's previous fiction work. I never realized he was a runner. So to my surprise, when I saw this book I was excited. It's a great read and inspiring - for both runners and not-so physically active readers...



2. Like many people I love Murakami. I don't have 1 favorite. It can be Windup chronicles, Kafka on the shore, Dance dance dance or even Hard-boiled wonderland and the end of the world. Yet, if you do like Murakami like me and don't want to be disappointed. I strongly suggest you avoid this book. It's autobiographic and has nothing of that magic of his fictional books. The only reason to read this book is when you run like he runs. If you want to read about other people preparing for a marathon this book has some insights you want to know about. If you don't run long distances and just like literature in general and/or specifically Murakami avoid this book. Don't spoil your feelings/associations/recollections by reading this book. Preserve Murakami as you know him!



3. I did not know Murakami's work at all before I purchased this book. I saw it in the running section at a bookstore and decided to give it a read. As I was purchasing the book the sales staff got very excited- turns out they were all huge fans. One person had even done her M.A. Dissertation on Murakami!
   
   I was expecting some running inspiration. What was amazing is that I found an honest exploration into why someone does what they do, written in a way that was simple, moving, and eloquent. It had been so long that I cried when a book was over because it was so good, until I read this.
   
   If you are a fan of Murakami, then the details of his life will be interesting, and are outlined very nicely by other reviewers here. If you are like me and not familiar with his celebrity, then what you will find is a moving memoir that is humble, insightful, and through its simplicities, leaves you changed. Even if you cannot relate to his perspective, you come to understand him and feel a sense of empathy.
   
   If you are a runner, you will love this book, as Murakami speaks of his running rituals and motivations as metaphor for larger life lessons. If you are a writer, you will love this book, as Murakami illustrates some of the insights he has into himself as a writer and his writing process. If you just want a nice, easy read that is entertaining and touches the heart, you will love this book, because it does just that.



4. Murakami-san books tend to be surreal and the endings could leave you in suspense. Hence, this non-fiction gives you an insight to him as a person and what goes through his mind as he runs the original marathon in reverse, his attempts in ultra-marathons and triathlon. Very interesting reading and his coming to terms that he can no longer improve on his timing and injuries resonates with runners around the world.



5. I'm an enormous fan of Murakami's work, and I'm also a long distance runner and a budding triathlete, so this book was almost tailor made for me. I think if you fall into any one of those three buckets you will find this book compelling and enjoyable.
   
   Murakami's insights into the significance of running in the lives of runners is perfect -- it's a very hard thing to articulate to the majority of people who think you are crazy for running and would never do so voluntarily.
   
   Also, the autobiographical tidbits are a joy for Murakami fans: they feel like clues to some of the mysteries in his novels.
   
   I'm not sure if I would take any training advice from Murakami, but I loved the book!

5 comments about Left to Tell: Discovering God Amidst the Rwandan Holocaust.

1. It is unbelievable that people could kill so many people in such a gruesome fashion. It is even more unbelievable that Immaculee could forgive those killers. This book is about more than just the genocide, it is about the power and absolute necessity of forgiveness. Ultimately, the only one Immaculee could really escape the genocide was through forgiveness. Wonderful book.



2. Amazing story. I strongly suggest everyone to read the story, it's profound and a real eye opener. As an American, the majority of us have no idea what it's like to be put into poverty and suffering as she and millions like her have experienced.



3. I love stories that tell how God works in the lives of His people. This story is among the best I've ever read.



4. Left to Tell is a powerful story of one womens tragedies and survival experienced during the Genocide in Rwanda. This book brought tears and joy to my heart; it inspired me to know that through any horrible and life threatening experience a belief and faith in God will transcend all atrocities man will commit. It is also about how forgiveness can calm and soothe the soul so life can move on with peace in your heart.



5. I think this is an excellent book, I could not put it down. I ended up reading till 3 in the morning.

5 comments about Kitchen Confidential Updated Ed: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly (P.S.).

1. Either the writer is an arrogant, obnoxious, irritating, attitudinal jerk, or he wants us to think that he is an arrogant, obnoxious, irritating, attitudinal jerk. Either way, I couldn't be bothered to finish this book. Sorry I bought it and thereby increased the guy's income.



2. Maybe because I am a chef I did not find the book hilarious as would probably a person who is not in the business. But, there were times when I found myself laughing out loud. Unfortunately, not enough times. I also found myself skipping paragraphs and a few pages. I did not find it boring but it was too cutesy of writing. I enjoyed how it showed his time line and if you put your mind to it you can succeed. After awhile I was tired of his long winded decriptions of whatever he was trying to describe. It was okay at first but then became trite. The book was 310 pages and it could have been successful at 200 pages. I had to nudge myself at times to get through. I enjoyed reading about his misadventures with incompentent owners which I could definitely relate to. Also, enjoyed the makeup of the different cooks.
   
   I would be reading and enjoying the book and I would think to myself that I was being too harsh on the author when I would get to the next paragraph and I would see that my original opionion of it only being 3 stars was correct. I would reccommend this book to everyone because everyone has different tastes.



3. In reading this book, I could actually hear Anthony Bourdain's voice in my head. Since this was written prior to "A Cook's Tour" and "No Reservations" I felt as though I was getting the uncensored, ungroomed Tony Bourdain.
   
   My ex-husband told me that I shouldn't read this book because if I did, I may never want to eat out again. Total crap. If anything, this makes me want to go out to eat more often, knowing how much work goes into preparing our meals. But the rule is simple, appreciate good food and the hands who prepare it and you can't go wrong.
   
   It might be offensive to people at times, but overall I found it honest and entertaining. Adding it to my permanent collection of stuff to read over and over again.



4. Being in the restaurant business for 23 years I thought I had stories. I couldn't put the book down. I feel like I worked with him. This is a must read!!



5. I like Bourdain, but was hoping there would be a lot more tips about what to avoid/look for in a restuarant. The book was mainly about his life as a drugged out chef. entertaining, but not educational.

5 comments about Waiter Rant: Thanks for the Tip--Confessions of a Cynical Waiter.

1. Thanks, from one waiter to another. I probably don't have another thing to add as all of these scenarios have happened to me. Great read with really good visual images. I was right there in the Bistro with you.



2. Working in a tourist town where eating and drinking are one of the main things to do, I really related to the writer. Cracked me up and may very well have made me more tolerant. Easy to follow, and fast reading, or you can pick it up anywhere. Not sure a customer who never worked that side of the table would change their habits/behavior. It is a service industry-to the maxx!



3. I think this book was excellent. It was a great storyline version of what it's like to be a waiter/waitress. I can totally relate to it and i think everyone should read it whether not your a waitor or even a customer to your favorite restaurant. Once you read it, you will appreciate being a waiter or maybe even appreciate the waiter/waitresses that you have when you go out to eat!



4. Drama: Without it we are soon bored. With too much drama, we are soon looking for peace and quiet. Waiters usually have no drama as they routinely do their jobs, so naturally the dramatic moments stand out. The Waiter who writes for the Waiter Rant Web site entertains us in this self-revealing memoir by sharing his highest and lowest moments serving the public in the New York City area.
   
   Now, life for waiters in New York tends to be more dramatic than elsewhere in the United States: New York diners are demanding, loud, and aggressive. I well remember my first meal in a nice restaurant with people from New York. It was in Boston. If our waiter didn't sprint to our table within five seconds of these people wanting something, they headed off in a jog to find him. If this meant pushing into the kitchen or pounding on the men's room door, so be it. I wanted to crawl under the table and dig a hole.
   
   Since then, I gotten used to dining with people from New York: There has to be a 30-minute heated discussion with the hostess over which table we will sit at while they threaten to take the whole party elsewhere (and often they do!). They usually don't even start thinking about what to order until after the waiter has returned six times to ask if everyone is ready. Everyone wants to order some item that's not on the menu and bitter complaints follow if that's not permitted. When the food arrives, they automatically send the entrees back to the kitchen to be redone while saying spiteful things about incompetence. The main table conversation is about how bad the restaurant is (led by those who picked the restaurant). Argh!
   
   I hesitate to imagine what it must be like to be a waiter in these places. It might make a person a little cynical; n'est-ce pas?
   
   The Waiter is one of those serving warriors who has done for this a long time. No, he doesn't plan to act on Broadway. No, it isn't a second job to support his family (he's unmarried and unattached). No, he isn't going to grad school. He does it to earn a living.
   
   How did he get there? The Waiter started out in seminary, wanting to be a Catholic priest. He got angry about the way things were run in the church (and didn't realize that Catholics don't have a monopoly on inappropriate behavior) and quit. He earned a college degree in psychology and worked in a series of forgettable health care environments run by very sleazy people.
   
   After losing a mental health job, he realized that he needed work to tide him over and avoid depression while he looked for a "good" job. Since his brother was working as a waiter part-time while he was in school, his brother suggested that The Waiter join him at Amici's, a suburban New York Italian restaurant. In the process, he learned that he had jumped out of the frying pan into the fire because Amici's was a very emotionally toxic environment, one where the survival of the fittest would have impressed Darwin.
   
   I won't tell more of the story, but you'll get your share of ugly customer behavior, callousness, poor management, bad hygiene, and ripping off the customer. These are portrayed in calendar order, interspaced with the seasonal challenges of various holidays (Mother's Day is the worst for servers and customers) illustrated by horror stories.
   
   The writing is extremely slick in the beginning, so much so that it seems like the stories are likely to have been "improved" as new journalism stories often are to be a "better" story. Amici's isn't quite to be believed, but you can make up your mind for yourself on that point.
   
   The bulk of the book is sited at The Bistro where The Waiter doubles as the restaurant's manager whenever Fluvio, the owner, is away (which seems to be all of the time). The squabbles between The Waiter and the rest of the staff and with Fluvio are straight from sit-com heaven. When Ken Blanchard is looking for his next coauthor to write a parable about what not to do in business, he should look up The Waiter.
   
   The craziness moves on nicely from episode to episode, but eventually focuses in on The Waiter's desire to escape waiting by becoming a writer. He begins to pay more and more attention to the Waiter Rant blog and dreams of writing a book. Well, you know how that turned out.
   
   I thought the most interesting parts of the book came in how he came to understand himself better through being a waiter. Think of that part of the book as "Confessions of a Snippy Waiter."
   
   Because of his psychology training, he's very good at explaining why waiting appeals to some people . . . despite the horrible drawbacks.
   
   You'll probably cut back on your fine dining after you read this book. There's a tendency to make all customers seem like infants who lack motherly love and are willing to spend ridiculous sums to get a little attention from someone who is willing to pander to get tips.
   
   Some (especially those from New York City) will be offended by the various guidelines for being a customer.
   
   I was shocked to learn that I was demeaning servers whenever I gave them a tip over 25 percent. Who knew?
   
   I would wish you bon appetit, but this book will probably spoil your appetite with its various stories about hygiene and getting revenge on customers.



5. As with any discourse on the increasing bad manners of John Q Public, I fear that the wrong people will read this book -- the same syndrome as people who are going to not silence their cellphones and text through a movie are inevitably those who come too late to see the reminder that that behavior is unacceptable. In Stewart Onan's Last Night at the Red Lobster, the faces behind the service staff were humanized, and far too few people read that book to gain some insight into a segment of society that usually remains invisible. This book, in particular the Appendices, should be required reading for anyone who picks up a menu, but I fear the people who don't regard service staff as more than punching bags will continue with their rudeness and sense of entitlement.

5 comments about Audition: A Memoir.

1. Audition: A Memoir
   A very revealing life story of a celebrity!
   Once into the book, it was hard to put down as I learned more and more about her life. Her success now once again shows how you can do anything you put your mind and efforts to.



2. I have been reading this book slowly over the past 2 weeks. Not because I read slowly, but because the book is pretty boring. I am now stuck in the middle of it questioning if I should continue. I find myself skimming pages to see if she is still talking about the same topic I just bored myself with for the past 10 minutes. Did I really need to read an entire chapter on the "Shah" and his tent party?? Did she need to write an entire chapter on her trip to China with Nixon?? I guess this was exciting for her but in my opinion it was not necessary to set aside a whole chapter for this. I am really bored with this book except for the stories of her personal family. When she finally comes into adulthood, Ms. Walters seems to come across as a self indulgent, self-centered person. She let 2 of her marriages collapse so far from what I read, and her daughter is being raised by two woman who are not related to her. I hope all of her dinners, parties and get togethers have made her happy because her family apparently was not enough. For example, she writes that she would be working all week, traveling all over the place and then choose to go to Connecticut for a weekend with just her husband (no kids), instead of spending it with her husband and child. I did not hear of one family vacation or fun outing as a family and I am half way through the book. I feel bad for her daughter who missed out on a lot. I hope her nannies fulfilled her as a child, because it is apparent that her real mother, Ms. Walters did not.



3. I've read two-thirds of Audition, and did a 180 degree turn in my opinion of Ms. Walters. Her life as a young girl echoes much of mine, with the exception of the financial security. Perhaps it was the time of "children are to be seen, not heard," that made her into a strong and sincere person dealing with her contacts. It was a time when we all had more empathy toward one another, and the "really big show people" having come from the bottom, were "really" big! Great life story! I'd recommend it any day.



4. I loved Ms. Walters' book. It was fun to learn the details of her young life and see how she developed into the journalist and TV personality she is today. The nice surprise is how exciting it was to experience again the important historical times she documented so well as she covered many really important stories over the years. We get to read behind the scenes happenings. For instance, years ago we saw her interview with Fidel Castro, but in the book there is so much more on the subject. Same thing about the talks leading to the Egyptian-Israeli Peace Treaty, etc.
   Ms. Walters was so careful to thank everyone who helped her in her personal and professional life--she seems like an extremely nice woman. I found myself cheering for all her successes, although she didn't shy away from admitting failures. I think the book is well-written and it was something I was happy to get back to in all my free moments until I finished it.



5. This was a very enjoyable read. The best part of the book involves her interviews with famous people. She is able to intersperse tidbits about world leaders, celebrities, politicians and newsmen with her own personal life. Also, she explores her early foray as a journalist and tv host during a time when television was just starting to make an impact. It was interesting to note that Barbara's father was famous in his own right as well and she honestly acknowledges that she got into her career through her father's connections. Of course, she had to keep auditioning to prove herself and eventually became a celebrity herself. Fascinating story!!

5 comments about Marley & Me: Life and Love with the World's Worst Dog.

1. I really enjoyed this book and I would recommend it to any animal lover. This a very, very good story of owning an pet and all the love, aggravation and heartbreak that usually comes with having one. The movie is coming out in December of 2008.



2. After reading so many crime novels, murder mysteries and chillers, I decided to purchase some "lite" reading for my daily three hour round trip commuter train ride. This book conjured up so many emotions it was at times impossible to contain myself. Anyone who has owned a dog for any amount of time can identify with this book. I have owned a Boxer named Max for the last 10 years and I can see Marley in him. John Grogan did an excellent job in writing about his relationship with his dog. I found myself laughing out loud at some of the antics of Marley and as I neared the final chapters I found myself getting a little "misty" eyed.... O.K....I cried. In part for John and Marley and in part for my own dopey, loveable and at times crazed Max. For me, any author who can bring out emotions in me, has a fan for life.I highly recommend this book for anyone who has yet to read it, who is thinking about owning a dog and for anyone who has a four legged best friend.



3. I love dog books and this one is very entertaining. It is a must read!! Get it before the movie comes out!!



4. When I picked this up I wanted something fun and light as I knew I had a busy week. Well I couldn't put it down. It was everyday stuff but yet so heartwarming. It was the story of a dog but also of a growing family. It was a story of what is important in life and that moments won't last forever. It was a story of love and commitment and making your mark on someone's heart. Really enjoyed it.



5. I cannot believe that someone else has experienced what I have with my own crazy dogs. 'Marley and Me' has taken me back down so many wonderful roads. It has reminded me of the wonderful love of my pets and it reassured me that I can face the inevitable. As I write this, I am living life with my precious boxer, Moses, to the absolute fullest. Mose has just turned 12 and her health is slowly declining. Through the wonderful words of John Grogan, I am able to reflect and accept.
   I'm sorry I did not pick it up sooner, but I know I chose it at this point in our lives for a special reason. Many thanks to Mr. Grogan and especially, Marley.

No comments about Multiple Blessings: Surviving to Thriving with Twins and Sextuplets.

5 comments about Louder Than Words: A Mother's Journey in Healing Autism.

1. Psychologist using Rimland's critera for autism know there are modifications one can make regarding the children's behavior. However, there is no cure. By definition, if your child is cured from autism, your child did not have autism.



2. I'm not going to spend a lot of time on this review, so in short, here are the two things that hack the rating down for me from 3.5 to 2:
   
   * Repeated use of the F word in conversation is semi-acceptable among those you know well, but repeated use in a book on Mothering and Autism is an indicator of crudeness. There is no need to drag the culture down any further than necessary, particularly in a book on Autism and a Mother's love. (I was in the military and I can swear with the best of them, thank you.)
   * Jenny McCarthy seems to think that ONLY mother's care about children with autism. Listen Blondie, just because your husband couldn't take it, and the ladies at the UCLA medical center hung out there all day long, doesn't mean that most Men don't take an active role in caring for their children's autism. I'm the one that does the majority of the active work for my son, and I take great offense at the remarks about men not being involved.
   
   As for the rest of it? It's always enlightening to hear about another parent's struggles with Autism, but her son's condition is certainly out of the norm for most kids on the spectrum, both in terms of the original symptoms appearing after massive seizures and in the amount of money she was able to plow into treatment. I'm glad her son is doing better, but a lot of the material in this book simply isn't useful for the average parent.



3. As a grandmother of a Grandson with Autism, I have read many books on Autism. I enjoy reading other stories of how families of children with Autism have dealt with them and what treatment they used. I was excited to read "Louder Than Words" because I had heard Jenny McCarthy on TV and knew her son was doing well. I am very disappointed with this book; the story is interesting but her filthy language has made me want to throw the book in the trash. I do believe she could have written her story without using the gutter words she used in this book, even if she said them in reality which I am sure she did. On one hand she is asking God for help and on the other hand she is using every trashy word she has in her vocabulary. Being a Christian, this totally turned me off to this book and I feel like it totally ruined the story. I do NOT recommend it to anyone!!



4. I am the parent of a son with autism. I am also a PhD scientist in public health. This would be the last book I would recommend to anyone who has a child with autism! What qualifications does she have to question the evidence-based diagnosis/treatment/care for our children? To me, it comes off as a shrill, histrionic, attention-seeking, denialist approach when your child is (maybe) diagnosed with a pervasive disorder that cannot be 'cured', only managed. Her personal foray into the cause of autism, in which she blames vaccines, is mind-numbing and embarrassing. She has no concept of science, medicine or medical research.
   
   I feel sad for the families of autistic people who will follow the so-called advice in this book.



5. As another parent of a child with autism, her uneducated, anything for publicity approach is offensive. If her non-medical analysis helped her child, that's great. THIS IS CERTAINLY NOT A SUBSTITUTE FOR TRUE MEDICAL ANALYSIS. Autism is really not that simplistic, that a Hollywood idiot can come up with the cure-all for autism, that over 50 years of medical research has missed.

5 comments about The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible.

1. As a self proclaimed agnostic, I have no clue what led me to pick up this book in an airport. But I'm hooked, and I've probably learned more about the bible then some that are "religious". In a fun, nonthreatening, no fire and brimstone, low key way. I give kudos to Jacobs for taking on this task and a year out of his life, even just for a book deal...and sticking to it. I give more kudos to his poor wife for putting up with him during this year. I can't wait to read Know It All.
   
   On a humorous aside, one of my assistants at work wanted to borrow it. He is in the process of reading the bible (new testament) and is pretty religious. I told him no because if he were to stop telling little white lies at work, we'd all be fired!! Rock on AJ, you are on my new favorites list.



2. This book is entertaining, funny, and thought provoking. Following A.J. on this journey made me change my perspective on a few things and I learned a lot. I highly recommend it.



3. This is a short one.
   
   I read his previous book and because of my interests and beliefs thought this would be an interesting book.
   
   And basically it is, to a point. And that point is when he gets to the New Testament.
   
   Here Jacobs lets his dislike for the politically conservative get the better of him as he links conservative Christians to the Republican party numerous times but never explains the connection.
   
   The point of living Biblically is try experience it all but he 'cops out' when it comes to the New Testament as he looks for reasons not to make the final leap to become a Christian. His idea of mainstream Christianity is to attend services at Jerry Falwell's church. which is doctrinally far away from how most Christians worship and what they believe.
   
   He has an issue with the way homosexuality is prohibited in the Bible and looks for 'advisors' who have the opinion that the Bible doesn't say what it clearly does. His dislike for people who do not agree with him on homosexuality is so strong that it makes me wonder if he has internal issues about this that he is trying to work out, regardless of his being married and fathering children.
   
   So while this books is well written, Jacobs personal issues shine through even more than he may have planned; having read his previous book and being 3/4s of the way through this one I have read enough of his opinions, thoughts and observations to think he needs therapy.



4. The author is a secular Jewish agnostic with a liberal worldview. He approaches the Bible to follow it literally, including both the Jewish and Christian testaments.
   
   The first half of the book is quite interesting as the author is exploring what it means to live biblically, and you share in his struggle. For the first 9 months, he is steeped in the Old Testament, and even visits Israel.
   
   The last 3 months are supposedly in the New Testament, but probably half of this content is focused still on the Old Testament content. Few examples provided draw parallels with his experience and the parables of Jesus; rather, a large amount of the focus is on the birth of his new children and Jacob's twins (from the Torah).
   
   Toward the end of the book, the author recedes from the climax with a very secular, liberal, "buffet style" religiosity that he calls cafeteria-style, picking and choosing what he likes and doesn't like. On many occasions he refers to the Bible's condemnation of homosexuality--but he cannot hide his bias--these parts are raised and emphasized in the section on the New Testament, giving the impression that religious Jews are fine with homosexuality while protestants (liberal or conservative) are not. So, there was subtle spin in the book.
   
   I expected to see more substance. But he ends in much the same way he began, only some of his habits have been replaced with biblical rituals. While reading, I kept wondering if the man would have an epiphany and see his life really change, but it seems that given his lifestyle and beliefs, he would revert back to his previous ways in another year.
   
   I would be curious to read an update.



5. I bought this book in the airport and started reading it in the airport. By the time I was 50 pages in, I was laughing out loud in the terminal. To the point that some random stranger told me that I made it look like it was the funniest book in the world.
   
   Which it is, at times. But as I got deeper in, I felt like Jacobs was constantly trying to remind me that he has another book...about reading the encyclopedia...and it's on Amazon.com...and gets great ratings...and, oh, by the way, did you know he's a writer for Esquire? I felt a lot of the references to being able to crank out Esquire articles, the first book and the stint on Who Wants to be a Millionaire were completely unnecessary. It's like the text was sprinkled with product placements for his complete life's work. It got a little old.
   
   Otherwise, a great book and easy read! I will probably still recomment that others read it.

5 comments about Anne Frank: The Diary of a Young Girl.

1. Shipping took longer than expected but the book was in new condition as was stated



2. As a young adult I had read articles on the book. I knew the story. I saw the movie made from the book. However, I had never read the book itself.
   The experience of reading the words of Anne as she lived for two year in hiding with her family, and others in hiding, was entirely different than just knowing the story. Reading another persons personal words as they were living the life that inspired them to write is a most intimate experience.
   In my adult life I am glad to have had the experience of actually reading Anne Frank's words. I recommend the reading of this book to young and mature persons who wish to understand what transpired in our world history on an intimate level.



3. I've read this book ten times and it never gets old. Every young adult should read this!



4. I have finally, at the age of 33, gotten around to reading Anne Frank's diary. There is little point in adding another glowing review. Everything has been said. But after reading some of the negative reviews, I feel compelled to respond. It seems there are two primary criticisms (Three if you count the ridiculous idea that the diary is a forgery, which I won't dignify). The first is that Anne doesn't talk a lot about the war or the holocaust. To this, I can only say, that's all for the better. She was a thirteen year girl living in total isolation from the rest of the world. She really had no special expertise or light to shed on these subjects. There are many excellent history books on both of these subjects. The second criticism is simply that the book is boring. She talks too much about her day to day life, her thoughts, her feelings, and so on. To this I can only say, what part of "Diary of a Young Girl" is ambiguous? The annex was her entire world. What do you expect her to write about?
   
   What a few don't seem to understand is that this is not a "book about World War II", or even about the holocaust. If that is what she had written about, the diary wouldn't even be a footnote in history. This is the story of one young girl, in her own voice, trying to figure out what it means to live, to grow, and to be human in the most depraved and inhumane circumstances. She wrote about her hopes, her dreams, her fears, and occasionally about peeling potatoes. But the thing that some people don't see is that even when writing about the most mundane topics, she was actually writing about people, about how they endure and falter, about how they come together and how they fall apart. And despite the enormous injustice she endured, she always made the case for optimism, for hope in humanity, and for love of life. I don't know that I can agree with her, having adopted a more cynical outlook, but that just increases my admiration for her and my shame in myself for not living the gift of live to the fullest.
   
   The other thing that stands out is the maturity of the writing. After reading just the first entry, I was blown away by the eloquence and clarity of Anne's writing. I could hardly believe that I was reading the prose of a 13 year old girl. She does write a lot about the trials and tribulations of being a teenage girl, but the voice of the writing does not feel childish at all, except perhaps in its optimism. The world lost a great talent and a brilliant soul to those murderous barbarians.
   
   This is a difficult book to digest, and two days after finishing, I'm still haunted by it. Anne's optimism, faith, and courage inspired me throughout, but made the knowledge of what would come at the end all the more a bitter pill to swallow. All that we can do is to honor her by making sure her story and the story of millions of holocaust victims are never forgotten and never happen again. So far, we're not doing so well with that.
   
   And there, I've done it. I've written a review. I didn't intend to, but I did. So go out and read it, if you haven't.



5. I knew that the Diary of Anne Frank was the second most purchased book in the world, the Bible being the first, but I still wasn't sure if I wanted to read it.
   In our eighth grade class, our teacher is big on the Holocaust. And when she first mentioned that we would be learning about it, I was excited; to a point. I know that most kids my age think 'ooh blood and guts and gore' and think it's cool or funny or a joke. They all watch horror movies that almost make them immune to real life experiences that involve real horror or real tragedy.
   So before we started learning about it, I wanted to know more in depth about how it was like to be a teen during the Holocaust. So, I summed up the guts and checked it out at the library. When I started reading it, I couldn't stop. Anne and I are so similar. She's always happy-go-lucky despite the terrible circumstances; she's very curious, careless, and sometimes a trouble maker. And even though I'm not Jewish, I think it's extremely easy to worm your way into her shoes. You learn so much, and it's really emotional, knowing that Anne Frank, this person you've grown attatched to, and her family, everyone except her father Otto Frank, has been killed. Slaughtered innocently by the Nazis, a cult led by Hitler that cornered them just because of their religion or their looks.
   I think that if anyone wants to learn about the Holocaust, this is a must read; it's an amazing journey that might not end so happily, but Anne never ceased to hope. It has such vivid details of everything that sometimes it's hard to believe that something like the concentration camps and Hitler and everything existed. The fact that it's in diary form makes it all the better.
   This non-fiction diary is amazing, and I think everyone, at some point, should read it.