5 comments about Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography.

1. "During her lifetime, Mother Teresa resisted having her biography written in full...in 1991, she gave Kathryn Spink, who had known Mother Teresa and been involved with her mission for thirteen years, to proceed with a full account of her life...It was also understood that the book would be completed only after Mother Teresa's death." This is part of the text from the inside of the front dust jacket of the book.
   
   Few authors received this imprimatur of Mother Teresa. If for no other reason, this reason calls the inquirer of Mother Teresa's "life and views and of the work" (front jacket) to consider the book seriously.
   
   It may amaze some Catholics to know that an authorized biographer of Mother Teresa is not a Catholic. Kathryn Spink is a Christian of sorts but not a Catholic. However, she loves the words and work of Mother Teresa and quotes Mother Teresa's opinion of the Missionaries of Charity as the, "most disorganized organization in the world" (Preface, vi). In that quote, it could be said, Mother Teresa was giving, indirectly, an answer to Christopher Hitchens caustic critique of her. It is hard for unbelievers to understand how disorder in the Church is evidence of the order of God--and yet it is, because God can write with broken pens.
   
   There are no footnotes, no notes at all. However, there are many quotes that are gems in the thought and work of Mother Teresa including her Nobel Peace Prize Lecture (Appendix B). Some quotes are what Christian readers expect, "I said that even if they helped one person, that was all right. Jesus would have died for one person, for one sinner" (p. 87). Others quotes only non-Christians will appreciate, "You call him Ishwar some call him Allah, some simply God, but we all have to acknowledge that it is he who made us for greater things: to love and to be loved" (pp. 155-56). There is a short but adequate Index.
   
   The style is intimate, enjoyable, and flowing from an obvious depth of knowledge of the subject addressed. There are a number of pictures in the center of the book that historically progress through her life as if taken from the family album.
   
   There are a couple of criticisms about the book that need to be addressed. First, it does not confront Mother Teresa's adversaries. There is only an illusion to Mr. Hitchens and not by name (p. 275). Second, there is a lack of comments, interviews, and commentary from colleagues and associates. Third, there is plenty of data about her life but the depth of how each subject is handled sometimes seems a little thin.
   
   In response to the second and third criticisms, authors are painfully aware of this formula, pages plus cost equal higher price plus less audience. Most people do not want to pay a fortune for a book and the numbers of books sold declines as the page number increases. In this instantaneous age, few have the attention span for longer books.
   
   Those interested in Mother Teresa's thought should inquirer into Kathryn Spink's book, The Miracle of Love. It is a shorter work but a fruitful read.



2. Spink has created a serious biography of Mother Teresa, which covers her life fairly comprehensively from birth to death. Mother Teresa's creation of the Missionaries of Charity, and her tireless efforts on behalf of the sick, and the poorest of the poor are well illumined by the book. Refraining from much criticism or praise, Spink also illustrates Mother Teresa's uncompromising stand against abortion, divorce and birth control. The style is a bit wandering and digressing (and as always I wish there were footnotes!), but nonetheless relays essential facts of Mother Teresa's life. The book is accessible, and recommended to anyone seriously trying to appreciate her life, in or outside an undergraduate context.



3. This is one of my favorite books about the Blessed Teresa of Calcutta. It is very descriptive and detailed. The book also includes many old photographs of Mother Teresa, as well. This is a beautiful book about a beautiful person.



4. What a great biography about this great Albanian nun.
   In her own words "I am Albanian by birth. Now I am citizen of India. I am also a Catholic nun. In my work, I belong to the whole world. But in my heart, I belong to Christ".



5. A life such as Mother Teresa's is deserving of an insightful vibrant and skillfully told biography. I found Kathryn Spink's "Mother Teresa: A Complete Authorized Biography" left wanting. It did not live up to the magnitude of Mother Teresa's life of service and giving throughout the world but especially in India's Calcutta in the formation and running of the Sisters of Charity.

   Spink's "Mother Teresa," reads, at times, like a laundry list of events with no coherent effort made to illuminate the person behind the events. The best biographies I have found don't rely so much on the cold hard history to build a story around, but rather insight as to who the person is and how they interacted with the world. I think of skillfully told biographies in which I walked away from the reading of them with insight, motivation, and the feeling that I knew the subject and was engaged in their life. Benson's "John Steinbeck: Writer," and Morris "Theodore Rex," come to mind as examples. Spink's "Mother Teresa," does not do the same.

   I credit the writer for tackling some tough issues in the last two chapters. She addresses criticisms of Mother Teresa and the Sister's of Charity co-workers and does so without sidestepping difficult points of contention. Some social work critics fault the work of Mother Teresa for not wielding her influence to address the root causes of poverty and only tackling the end-product of suffering in a simplistic manner. In addition, Mother Teresa was loyal to the Catholic Church and stood staunch in support of difficult traditional stances espoused by that organization to include pro-life in all cases. Spink's does a good job of pitting Mother Teresa's perspective of service and belief to explain why she did what she did and why she believed as she did. However, this isn't until the last two chapters of the book and this illuminating approach could have been begun on page 1.

   All in all, I would only recommend this book if you are attempting to delve deeply into the life and times of Mother Teresa and have read other books on that subject. If you want a good read and are just scratching the surface finding out what Mother Teresa's life was all about, look elsewhere dear reader.
   --MMW

No comments about The Widow Clicquot: The Story of a Champagne Empire and the Woman Who Ruled It.

5 comments about Zlata's Diary.

1. Zlata's diary is a an autobiographical representation of a young teenage girl, called Zlata Filipovi, and the daily living conditions that she experienced preceding and during military conflict in Eastern Europe - Sarajevo. In the course of her writing, Zlata described the conversion of her community from a moderate and relatively normal environment into an environment of chaos and devastation. Throughout her diary, Zlata navigated from one experience to another and along the way friends, family, foreign aid workers, and the local news helped to provide the backdrop for what life meant for those directly affected by the military conflict in Eastern Europe. Zlata's diary provided for an autobiographical translation of understanding what affects a person's life when the surrounding environment suddenly becomes unstable from conflict and the ruin of a social fabric.
   
   Written in the perspective of a child, Zlata's diary provided for a human understanding of the tangible differences that occur when important social structures of a community become broken. Here, the negative consequences that resulted from such collapse provided for the graphic portrait of the fragility of an otherwise stable economy and the real affect on individual behavior. Taken in context, Sarajevo does not stand alone as an island apart from the economic reality of a surrounding environment within Eastern Europe. Instead, as witnessed with the experience of Zlata Filipovi, the economic reality of Sarajevo and the occurrences that transpired during its crisis, one is provided with an example for the future examination of potentially destabilizing events and a better comprehension of how such events influence the opportunities for real persons who are directly affected. Lastly, personal reflections on the above mentioned issues are necessary to develop a personal connection with the meaning of economic development, prudent implementation, and the use of intervention for future events that take place around the world.
   
   Preceding the siege of Sarajevo in the spring of 1992, Sarajevo was part of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia and a previous host to the Winter Olympic Games in 1984. Yet, with the collapse of the `iron curtain' in Western Europe, an increase in democratic influence gave rise to increasing political instability within a non-democratic Eastern European region. As the most identifiable symbols of communism began to crumble with the Berlin wall in 1989 and the Soviet Union 1991, Eastern European countries struggled to manage a cohesive national identity and political framework. Thereafter, social pressures erupted into military conflict carrying significant consequences for the diverse ethnic populations of the region all of whom wanted greater control. Ultimately, repercussions from the conflict redrew the political boundaries dissolving the Republic of Yugoslavia into several separate nations beginning in the late 1990's until 2006. (Wikipedia)
   
   A striking example of the direct affect instability has on a person's life was identified in Zlata's diary by a young teenage girl who recorded her daily experience(s) preceding and during a drawn out military conflict in Eastern Europe-Sarajevo. Before conflict arose, Zlata described herself as a normal teenage girl from a "comfortably well-off" family who regularly attended school to receive a liberal arts education. By any reasonable measure, Zlata compared to a majority of American teenage girls in her cultural and social experiences. Like many children her age Zlata reminisced upon past experiential enjoyments and eagerly awaited her upcoming challenges; writing, "Behind me - a long, hot summer and the happy days of summer holidays...[and]...ahead of me - new school year", (1). Moreover, Zlata's candid writing about her affinity towards the family vacation home in the countryside and the relationships that she had with friends and family invite the reader of her diary to share in her experiences in the first-person. By reflecting on the experiences first hand, Zlata's diary passages also served to provoke a consideration of the effect of instability on a personal level as well.
   
   Even with such similarities of a common childhood experience, the most stark determination from the effect of war on Zlata was that the military conflict not only invaded her community but had also invaded her life; later, Zlata characterized herself as having a "wartime childhood" and writing that "war is now my life" (64). The military conflict in Sarajevo began in 1992, the effects of which occupied every page in Zlata's diary. From a peaceful, organized, and hope filled beginning, through the proactive response of her family to rearrange life and survive, to a drawn out existence in desperate disarray. First, as Zlata was introduced to military conflict in a neighboring area - Dubrovnik - her innocence is exhibited with a sense of juvenile remoteness. As Zlata's father is activated for intermittent, non-combat reserve duty, the preliminary fractures in social services were evident by long lines and hours spent waiting for gasoline (10). As pressure spread across the region, Zlata disclosed more self-awareness of her surrounding environment and focused on reporting life's daily proceedings that were removed from the evolving political events and daily crisis.
   
   As conflict neared and began to engulf her community, Zlata reported more on the closing of school(s) and the loss in her life that was caused by the chaos in her community, rather than focus on the path her life would lead. From an initial erection of barricades in her town of Sarajevo, to the witnessed patrol(s) of armed civilians, Zlata's perceived innocence and universal childhood experiences are quickly transformed into a foreign abstraction. In place, scenes of mass migration and refugees escaping from sniper fire and artillery shells paint a different portrayal masking previous impressions of a community that once harbored a teenage girl who, like a majority of American children enjoyed extracurricular activities and summer engagements-Zlata Filipovi studied fashion, played piano, attended school, and could vacation with her family in the countryside. In consequence to the effects of war the society, Zlata focused more on the loss of electricity, the lack of phones, a loss of water, and the experienced familial struggle(s). In this manner, Zlata's diary demonstrated the all too real impact of attacks on the economic and social constitution that served as an underpinning to her psychological wellbeing and human development.
   
   Tragically, the transformation of one's perception of Zlata is not just a turn, by the reader, from one abstraction to another, but rather, a recognition that the familiarity of life as Zlata had known was destroyed by the conflict of her community. Zlata's frame of reference for so much in her life was absolutely demolished from conflict; with a post office "devoured by flames" ...and... "shop windows, cars, apartments, the fronts and roofs of buildings" all destroyed from the fighting (40,41). The most explicit evidence of Zlata's tragic experience was her only salvation to take shelter in a cellar. Still, here, with each emergence, a landmark or previous reference of experience would cease to exist and a demolition of previous childhood memories were reported. Regardless of one's own outlook, the evidence is overwhelmingly clear that the military conflict not only invaded her community but had also invaded her life.
   
   With the human account of Zlata Filipovi, the understanding that social structures contribute a significant influence towards an individual's life can become better defined through the experiences reported in Zlata's daily passages. Accordingly, an impression can be determined to the extent that social structures provide for the underpinning of economic development and that these social structures are fundamental for human progress. This conclusion was most evident in the review of a deterioration of an already existent social system within Zlata's community. With basic infrastructure in roads, buildings, and schools, Eastern Euriope's erosion in social cohesion resulted in a downward spiral in the quality of life which came to the doorsteps of Zalata Filipovi in Sarajevo. Accordingly, an economic perspective can identify itself with traditional social development and the pre-conditions for take-off, as described in a classical model of economic development presented by Walt W. Rostow, (Todaro, 104). While it may not necessarily be the case that all countries must follow a linear path of development - as described by Rostow, Zlata's diary provided evidence that certain social structures certainly seem necessary for the `take-off' and sustainability of economic development.
   
   Herewith, the most surprising element in Zlata's diary was the fragile nature of the social structures that underpin a national economy. The alternative perspective of a teenage girl who resided in a moderately developed country - as opposed to a well-developed economy or developing economy - gave the impression that social structures are dependent on the security, safety, and ability for social interaction. Notwithstanding the immediate flight of persons out of her community resulting in an inadequacy of resources, Zlata reported that those who stayed behind had come to band together and function as a community, saying, "the neighborhood is our life now, everything happens within that circle..." (71).
   
   Despite a report of a black-market that functioned to substitute the city's bombed central market, such a report can hardly suffice as evidence that a free-market response is working towards providing a long-term solution, and if left to its own devices, will provide for the appropriate allocation of scarce resources. On the contrary, reports that a black-market operated is evidence of a market not able to respond to, and trade with customers, that, as reported, lacked and sought basic life sustaining needs, including water, electricity, gasoline, wood, phone, etc. In such conditions with an availability of labor the inability to allocate, produce, and deliver goods and services prove the failure of the market. Instead, the fundamental confidence from psychological factors that compose the social structures of a community, enable one to seek opportunities for growth, or trade, outside their own community, and, therein, must serve to underpin the progress of economic development and normal-proper function of a free market. Moreover, if social structures do in fact provide the impetus for long-term sustainable economic development, then, the uses of traditional measurements of economic productivity, such as GDP, fail to account for such elements. Instead focus should, also, be directed towards the establishment and measurement of durable and dynamic social structures in a community.
   
   In the case of Eastern Europe and Zlata, a response to address the erosion in social capital could be addressed by a promotion of religious and cultural tolerance, greater governmental transparency, more equitable representation of diverse ethnic populations, and the promotion of basic human-civil rights (see UN declaration) for all persons without discrimination to gender, race, education, health, or age. Here recent experiments in economic development have provided for a micro-response to support women's rights to attend schools, participate in sports, contribute towards the productivity of the labor force. For example, micro-finance lending/access to credit has empowered women and small businesses to actively initiate the empowerment of women to realize and create opportunity. Hence, the establishment of durable and dynamic social structures will not only require an improvement in the quality of life and standards of living of a community, but also require improvements in the volunteer nature of social contracts, including: adherence to legal obligations, respect for social norms, and a willingness to serve the needs of others for the betterment of the larger community, meanwhile, supporting individual pursuits.
   
   From the personal reflection of one child's life in war torn Sarajevo, the importance of social structures to a community are without question. The essential confidence in social structures, as examined with Zlata's diary, provided for one to experience a firsthand account of the effects of erosion in social structures that underpin an already functioning economic system. Given the personal narrative and familiar childhood experiences that one shared with the diary of Zlata Filipovi, the fragility of an economic system that constituted a community was all too real for the personal reflection of the diary's reported events and an understanding of the tangible differences that occurred from the collapse of social structures. Still, only through Zlata's experience can one be provided with an example for the future examination of destabilizing events and better comprehend how such events influence the life for real persons who are directly affected.



2. Thank you for your quick shipment. Book is in great shape, as you stated.



3. Zlata probably never imagined that her diary would be read by millions or that it would be published. Much like Anne Frank, I don't think Zlata ever intended the diary to be made worldwide. Unlike Anne, Zlata survived but not without internal scars and loss of friends and relatives and neighbors. In the beginning, Zlata writes about mundane, ordinary things about being 11 years old. Please keep that in mind when reading her diary is that she was only 11 years old at the time of writing in the beginning. She begins writing about her life as a child in Sarajevo before the war broke out. She writes about her father going to serve the national army reserves. She writes about her life before the war and how the war changed her life and others forever. One day, she writes about people leaving Sarajevo and heading into safe territory. She writes about the daily bombings, senseless deaths, and life under war. She is a child of course and she tries to cope with difficult circumstances like not having electricity for the first time in her life for long periods of time or the constant state of fear that she lives in for herself and for her loved ones. Zlata's diary is now widely read by students about her age. Her main objective was never to get published but to keep and maintain a diary that was quite personal at times. Children of war probably suffer a lot more than they should. Zlata grows up fast and not be choice. She struggles to survive for herself and for her family without losing sanity.



4. Filipovic, Z. and Pribichevich-Zoric, C. (1995). Zlata's Diary. New York: Penguin Group
   Zlata's Diary is about a young eleven year old girl who wrote in her diary during the Yugoslavian Civil War. The beginning of the book discusses each day and her exciting things that she did with friends as well as her family memebrs; however, as the dumb war began to affect more and more individuals she began to take note of the food and water shortage. She also began to notice the loss of family and friends. Was the world coming to an end? Would she be okay? Would she survive?
   This book can be known as the modern day The Diary of Anne Frank due to it's similarities as both girls discuss the harsh conditions and losses they encountered due to ignorant individuals. The book truly hit home for me since I lost family in this war and to read Zlata's story and compare to the ones my family memebers were telling is mind blowing. Zlata's words truly embrace the horrific results of this war.
   
   Completed by Z on 5/12/08



5. Sheesh...this is the product of a child, not the work of a Pulitzer prize winning journalist. It is an excellent diary, an excellent primary source and an excellent text for a better understanding of the Yugoslav wars. Yes...it does only tell one point of view - hers - it is her diary! Some readers are offended because of the comparison to Anne Frank; a comparison that Filipovic and others make in the book. The comparison is totally fair. Both are intelligent children caught up in situations they have no control over during wars of ethnic cleansing and extermination. It is a testament to Zlata that she can make the connection to Anne Frank...obviously the rest of the world couldn't. They (We) abandoned the Jews sixty years ago and abandoned hundreds of thousands of Croats/Bosniaks/Serbs to genocide forty years later. Zlata remembered Anne Frank's words...the world didn't.

5 comments about Trail of Crumbs: Hunger, Love, and the Search for Home.

1. I enjoyed the presence of recipes and food in this book. After a while, it seems that the author loses her flavor for food and passion. I liked the tales of food, of flavors from Louisana and the freshness of tastes from the south of France.
   
   However - the part of the book on Korea seems misguided. Flying in first class with your boyfriend doesnt seem to be a guaranteed way to find ones identity. Was she going for herself, or for him?
   
   For those of us who spent our twenties in another country, there certainly is a longing to find out who you are - and this is compounded when living and working in a second language. Clearly the writer was thrown into a role much older than she anticipated as a stepmother and madame of a flowing, vivid household.
   
   The book didnt have much about hunger, but certainly a lot on finding out who you are, especially when living overseas. I'd love more cooking and less drama in future prose.



2. It's not feasible for me to live for several years in Paris and Provence with a charming Frenchman. Nor will I ever be 23 years old again. However, Kim Sunée's book afforded me some of the same pleasures, mixed with a poignant description of some of the problems. Like "slow food," the book should be savored for its fascinating sights, smells, and tastes and for its honest portrait of a young woman who learns to speak Swedish and French, prepare unforgettable meals, and find her own way in the world.



3. OK, here's the deal. I get the quarterlife existential crisis, I do. But when you're suffering said crisis in Provence at your sugar daddy's villa, and you have no job, no responsibilities and no sense of humor--and then you write a mopey 350-page book about it--that crisis becomes unrelatable and obnoxious.
   
   While she's sunning naked on Corsica, she feels isolated and unloved. OK, that's legit, but her vague misery, as conveyed through Sunee's admittedly excellent writing, means that I don't even get to enjoy Corsica by extension!
   
   The sights and smells and tastes of Provence sound wonderful, but the extended descriptions of cunnilingus by her old, rich French boyfriendm and her interpersonal relationships in general are just tiresome, exhausting and as unfulfilling for the reader as they are for Sunee. As a rule, none of the humans in this memoir are drawn half as well as the dishes. You don't get a real sense of what the people look like, where they came from or what contributes to their various flavors.
   
   I found myself sympathizing with the mother she finds so critical and cold. The mother obviously is trying but failing to convey the absence of substance and maturity in her daughter's life, but Sunee is so angry (she claims her sister is the angry one, but it's obviously her), that she ignores the warning entirely.
   
   For that matter, I couldn't figure out for the life of me what she saw in any of her boyfriends other than privilege and heavy-handed, controlling gift-giving and empty promises of salvation. She was young. I get that, too. Almost all young women have made the same mistaken emotional investments, but she doesn't seem to learn anything, she doesn't have any wisdom to convey after having survived the suffocation of the bell jar, she isn't more interesting or wiser after it all, she just speaks French fluently and is passably continental.
   
   Basically, this book is too long, the author is too self-serious, and the life lived is too self-indulgent and spoiled to be genuinely interesting to anyone but the writer and her immediate family.
   
   I was expecting M.F.K. Fisher, Betty McDonald or Mildred Armstrong Kalish, but this woman, articulate though she may be, doesn't come close to achieving their level of perception, wisdom or general literary appeal. I don't recommend this one. Sorry.



4. What a fascinating book. Vibrant characters, vivid descriptive passages, a passionate love story, and genuine French recipes. I couldn't put it down. It left me wishing I knew what happened after the last page....we need more Kim Sunee!



5. Totally loved this book - Kim is a beautiful writer and brought me
   right into her world. She recaptured moments so fully that I
   experienced the momentous highs and gloomy lows right alongside her.
   Many times Kim opened up so vulnerably and honestly, it felt as if I
   was reading her intimate diary entries - a brave decision on her
   part, but very rewarding for the reader. Food is tied to all moments in her
   life, and the way she artfully involves the smells and tastes into her
   writing made me savor the book ever the more. I think Trail of Crumbs
   might be better received by the female audience, but it is a fantastic
   read and an engaging look into the world that is Kim Sunee.

5 comments about Leaving Mother Lake: A Girlhood at the Edge of the World.

1. Yang Erche Namu, born in 1966 is a professional singer, model, socialite, author and basically a very famous person in China. She has written eight autobiographies in Chinese, none of which have been translated into English. However, from what we can gather from excerpta most of them narrate together with her life story the many relations she has had with men all over the world, with detailed appreciations of their virtues and vices. She is actively interested in women empowerment in China and has been investing in hotels in her home region in Sichuan. In 2007 she wrote a public letter proposing to Sarkozy, but evidently he preferred Carla Bruni. Her fame in China does not march together with public sympathy, and she says of herself that Chinese hate her almost as much as Mao's wife.
   However, this discussed public personality has a very interesting background, that has drawn the interest of an appreciated anthropologist Christine Mathieu (1954) who undertook the task of reconstructing Namu's childhood. This biography written in first person is not actually written by Namu but by her "interpreter" Mathieu. Namu was born in the Moso ethnicity, one of the 56 Chinese recognized minority groups. The less than 50,000 Moso live according to a matrilinear social organization. Women detain property and through the so called "walking marriage" procreate children that more often than not do not know their fathers. A woman's offspring is usually by different men. This kind of social organization is very rare, but still survives in some parts of the world and determines a peaceful and non violent environment. Until the 1980's this secluded society had had few contacts with the outside world and maintained its peculiar characteristics and represented an anthropologist dream..
   The spirited and intelligent Namu was keen to escape her limited life in a Moso village, and this is the story of "Leaving Mother Lake". The story of Namu's youth ranges from the description of her family and friends, sibling rivaltry, an isolated experience among the mountains with her uncle and basically a conflictive relationship with her mother Christine Mathieu has reconstructed and rewritten Namu's childhood from long conversations and memories of the protagonist, and after completion of the biography she submitted it to Namu, who recognized herself in the tale. Can this lead us to call this is an authorized biography, a biography by proxy, a false diary, an interpreted memoir? The definition is difficult, and the genesis of this book, which has been a world wide best-seller, is I think one of its drawbacks. The personality of the young Namu has been westernized, and probably for this reason it gains so much empathy. In some points Namu's story reminded me of "Caddie Woodlawn" " or "The Little House on the Prairie".
   Independently however from the description of the protagonist's character and her personal facts, the book is an anthropologic text full of stories, episodes, historical and religious analysis and correlations with history and sociology of the evolution of modern China. I was personally more interested in this aspect and found that Mathieu knows how to tell a story, and has aptly chosen Namu as her vehicle for a social analysis of the Moso ethnicity. The memoir is followed by a chapter on the discussions on the evolution of the Moso ethnicity and its possible historical explanations and another with a two voice interview with Namu and Mathieu.
   This book is very readable, it breezes along conveying by broad lines the sense of this social group, it also introduces us to the strong personality of Namu. But I suggest to look her up on from other sources, one of which is Michel Palin's "Himalaya" and reflect on who she really is and what she represents in modern China.



2. A very inspiring and good book about moso culture. I highly recommend this book to anyone that wants to know a little bit more about it.



3. As with all young people, Erche Namu Yang--or just Namu--faced the traditional crossroads of forging her own identity when she was a teen in the early 1980s. While many authors have written about this important life turning point, Namu's book stands out because she faced her coming of age in one of the world's most unique cultures. As the book's extended titles notes, she experienced "a girlhood at the edge of the world." What she should have said was "in a Feminist Utopia"!
   
   Namu was born into the Moso (also Mosuo) people, who live near Lake Lugu (or Mother Lake) in remote parts of Sichuan and Yunnan Provinces, bordering Tibet. This area has been referred to as The Country of Daughters, with good reason. The Moso are one of the world's few remaining matrilineal societies. Mothers serve as heads of their families, daughters are favored, and property and leadership is passed down among the females. Sounds good! However, this culture has been described as a feminist fantasy as well as mistakenly understood as tribes of promiscuous women, because the women do not marry. They move from one relationship to the next when they wish, without any self-consciousness or guilt between either party. Male roles within the family structure are filled by the family matriarch's brothers and sons. The Moso believe that because the men in the household are all blood relatives, they will be forever loyal and helpful to their women kin. There's definitely something to that.
   
   No, I'm not making this up! The wealth of details Namu provides about Moso culture in her story will set the record straight about her people's lifestyle. Put on your cultural historian hat and remain aware that the Moso's socio-economic structure totally works for them, and you will learn a lot about an amazing group of people.
   
   Though it traumatized her family--especially her mother--Namu knew her destiny lay beyond becoming her family's next leader. This book is about a girl having the courage to fulfill her dreams and how these ambitions affect her relationship with her mother. The Moso cultural aspect provides a unique backdrop for a timeless story about personal growth.
   
   SIDE NOTE: I had the privilege of hearing Namu speak at the Shanghai Literary Festival one year. She is stunningly beautiful with a voice to match. She is so talented that she is successful at everything she does. When she couldn't sing anymore, she became a model. When she was too old to model, she became an author. To date, she has written 13 books--though only Leaving Mother Lake has been translated into English. Now she is trying to improve the quality of life in Lake Lugu and to be an ambassador for the Moso. She has opened the Namu Palace Hotel Museum at Lake Lugu, where artists can stay gratis if they create a piece to put in the adjacent art gallery and where guests can learn about Moso culture first hand. Hmmm. Definitely something to think about! But if nothing else, you can be inspired simply by reading her coming of age story.



4. A beautiful book ... truely inspiring ... no-one can fail to be moved into the (Moso) world ... so full of humanity ... I would recommend it to everyone .....



5. The lifestyle and cultural norms of the Moso people "one of fifty-six Chinese nationalities" of Tibet, who "number about 30,000" are much different than those of most developed countries. The women tend to engage in a series of monogamous relationships, resulting in matriarch family units with several half-sibling children. This one fact might cause people to describe them as sexually promiscuous and immoral. Others might look at the matriarchal, matrilineal Moso as an intriguing social entity not bound by the social constraints of most cultures. Although the Chinese government has encouraged marriage, the Moso people are overwhelmingly undeterred. Mothers tend to prize daughters, as through their offspring the family lines continue. Children may never learn the identity of their fathers, and if they do, will refer to them (as all men) as "Uncle." Children ideally remain with their maternal relatives their entire lives, dying in the same dwelling in which they were born. Men are needed "to herd the yaks in the mountains, to travel with the horse caravans to trade in the outside world, and to make the long journey to Lhasa to study the holy Buddhist scriptures and become lamas." Girls shift from childhood to womanhood by participating in a post-menarche "skirt" ceremony. They then move from a communal room to their own special chamber and are encouraged to engage in sexual relationships. Leaving Mother Lake is the story of Namu Erche, a member of the Moso tribe, who lived a life less ordinary. Her mother, "curious and restless," defied the norms of the tribe by moving from her own mother's home to settle in a village two days' walk distant. Namu cried so much as a young child that three attempts to trader her to other families were unsuccessful. An elder sister was instead traded for a male cousin, who was raised as her brother. At eight, she was sent to yak-herd with a great-uncle. Several years later she returned to her mother's home to participate in her skirt ceremony. When a group of Han Chinese visited her village to record traditional songs, they noticed her singing skills and chose her along with two others to participate in a singing contest. Successful in their first endeavor, they again succeeded in a bigger contest. Changed by her big city experience, she ran away from home to follow her dreams. She returned home, but only for a visit, after several years at a musical conservatory. Although Namu's story is fascinating, the writing seems overly simplified. Other good memoirs about lives less ordinary include: Angela's Ashes by Frank McCourt, The Twelve Little Cakes by Dominika Dery, and The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls.

5 comments about Plain and Simple: A Woman's Journey to the Amish.

1. I received this wonderful book as a surprise gift. Knowing very, very little about the Amish and certainly never having read about them before, I was fascinated by the glimpses of their lives offered by the author.
   I believe that the title is incorrect or at least, misleading. From the first pages of the book, I was under the impression that the book was about quilts and the journey with the quilt not a book about the Amish or women in general.
   I am surprised that so many reviewers were annoyed by Ms Bender. Even though I did not always like what she wrote, I appreciate her frank and honest comments, which at times read like a private diary.
   Is it necessary to love the personality of an author, or more to the point, may we simply enjoy writing for writing's sake and overlook the personality of the author?



2. After Sue Bender forcefully insinuates herself into an Amish home, she proceeds to criticize and judge the family. She comments on their "bad choices" - chief among them in my view is their decision to let her into their home. She is rude, condescending, preachy and shrill. She eats the family's food and then criticizes both the food and the woman who prepares it for her. She demands fabric for a "craft project" and then kvetches when her host doesn't respond. She proceeds to purchase 1/8 of a yard from 25 bolts of fabric from a polite storekeeper. I looked up halfway into this book and told my husband "God, I hate this woman". I hated this book too. The book mostly focuses on the author, not the Amish community that she invades. We learn that the author is self-absorbed and shallow with a healthy sense of entitlement. The author's fixation on the Amish "faceless" dolls is telling - they represent her void of self-awareness. More disturbing than the book is the biography listing the author as a "therapist".



3. I bought this book because it was mentioned in another book I was reading. I have always had an interest in the Amish from an anthropological point of view and this was not a disappointment at all. Sue Bender runs across antique Amish quilts and is fascinated by their unique simple designs and bold colors. For years she has her contacts on the look out for more examples of this beautiful "art" that is so functional. Then she discovers the "faceless" dolls that Amish mothers make for their daughters. The dolls have no facial features because the Amish proscribe to the "no graven image" commandment very strictly. She was delighted with the doll sent to her by an Amish woman with whom she started a correspondence. She then decided she wanted to live among the Amish for a time. She was told they would not take her in; however, a small ad in an Amish paper elicited a response from a family willing to have her live with them for a time. So her journey began. Her impressions did not always fit with her romantic illusions of the "simple" life and she learned much. After several weeks, she goes home to digest what she has learned. Then, she decides to go back and try the experiment again with a different (very different) family. She learns even more. All stereotypes are mostly shattered as she lives with a midwife, her large family and her chiropractor sister and she leaves much richer (emotionally) than when she arrived.
   
   I enjoyed this volume very much. It had an excellent layout and is a fast read. The impressions are honest and introspective and Ms. Bender is kind enough to wrap the most important lessons learned into a nine-patch quilt for us at the end. There are many fine ideas we can take with us at the conclusion of the story not the least of which is how much we have in common with the Amish as opposed to how different we are. It's a book I will return to again and again for insight.



4. I felt this was an extremely well written and moving little book, and I have recommended it to many friends. In fact, I bought copies and sent them out. It made you stop and think about your own life and how we complicate and prioritize.



5. This book is a very fast read but perhaps a bit misleading in its intentions. Or perhaps it's more that I felt misled about the contents. Either way, this book wasn't exactly what I was looking for, but it is still a nice, quiet little book that discusses the Amish lifestyle and its effect on the author.
   
   Sue Bender became fascinated with the Amish way of life during the 1980s and eventually found her way into the homes of two separate Amish families in order to experience more of their culture. She spends a good deal of time explaining how her journey is an analogy for the Amish quilts she admires. While the premise of the book is interesting, Bender lets us know as we read that her fascination is also a personal spiritual journey into more meaning for her own chaotic life. Expecting to find more on the day to day life of the Amish, I was let down when Bender chose to focus more on herself. However, the parts that do describe the Amish lifestyle are objective and well-done, and Bender shares her surprise at the many things the Amish actually can do within their community. Her visits do sound delightful, and she did seem to receive the peace she was looking for.
   
   If you are hoping for a book that delves into the Amish community and allows us as outsiders to see and understand the inner workings, this book only partially does that. However, overall it's an interesting little book that is heavy on personal feeling and light on the Amish.

5 comments about Living History.

1. What kind of president would she make if she has to rely on obama to pay off her debts?! If elected it will give us over twenty years with the same two families in the White House, Bush, Clinton, Bush, Clinton... God help us!



2. Reading Hillary's book has given me a sense of the determination, courage, strengths AND faults of this strong woman.
   
   From her early days growing up in the Midwest, to her quest for leadership roles in Wellesley college and Yale law school, and her role in the Watergate impeachment investigation, as well as her days as first lady of Arkansas and the country, up until her role as senator in New York... this woman has been through a lot and has a lot of insight into this world.
   
   The only problem I had with reading this book is that you see that she did live (somewhat) in the shadow of her husband. I mean, he was the President; she was just the first lady. But you see that she tried to get involved in the issues she cared about, namely healthcare, which she continues to talk about in the 2008 election season.
   
   Hillary is an amazing woman. And her book is a great read too.



3. A very real, open look into the life of Hillary Rodham Clinton. She dares to be vulnerable in many areas of the book, while maintaining the class and dignity she is known for by her fans. A great read...I couldn't put it down.



4. For me, the book was particularly a big bore. It seems as though her autobiography is an attempt to glorify her years sidelined in the White House. The book can only be truly enjoyed by Hillary enthusiasts. I'm not a critic of Hillary Clinton, but specifically this book was written with very dry, shriveled style. If you'd like to read a decent biography of Hillary Clinton, I suggest Carl Bernstein's biography of her.



5. A Memoir Review: Living History
   By Hillary Clinton
   
   Upon witnessing abridged television clips of Hillary Rodham Clinton's campaign speeches, I made the ignorant assumption the Presidential hopeful was clueless: "she's the wife of a former President; based on what professional formation does she speak?" The impression was unjustifiable. I considered her candidacy an attempt to re-establish the family name given former President Bill Clinton's embarrassing impeachment. Politics, after all, is much more than meets the eye, and as I discovered via the woman's autobiographical memoir Living History, Hillary Rodham Clinton is certainly much more than meets the eye.
   
   My primary reason to pick up Clinton's book was to learn about her political career--nevertheless, the work covers her early life extensively. This is appropriate, and crucial to set the context of her years as an executive. The initial chapters are engaging: not only are they an insightful look into Hillary as a young woman, but also an insightful look at being an American youth in the sixties. Clinton's extensive resume is testament to her scholarly knowledge, and her presence behind the scenes at The White House contributes to an equally significant practical knowledge. Hearing of her pioneering speech at Wellesley College, the first student to have ever given a commencement address, her entry into the all-male Rose Law Firm, and her intertwining of typically hardball politics and compassionate child work made me recognize Hillary Rodham was bound for a high-profile political career long before meeting William Jefferson Clinton.
   
   Clinton's writing embodies humanistic qualities, as if she is still an accessible advocate for everyday hiring. This fact is emphasized by her commentary on routine activities, and her naming of each political associate with which she worked. This latter aspect truly fleshes out the memoir--regardless, the squat descriptions of her colleagues sound unappealingly phoney. Everybody in Arkansas seems to be a close friend of the couple: "As soon as Bill and I became a couple, they became friends of mine. And their sons became close to Chelsea" (Clinton 105). Speaking of partner Sara Ehrman, a member of Senator McGovern's legislative staff, "We sized each other up and decided we would enjoy the ride together, and it was the start of a friendship that endures today" (Clinton 60).
   
   Alluding to "businessman and longtime politico" Jim McDougal, he "was a character: charming, witty and eccentric as the day is long" (Clinton 87). Admiring former Mayor of Little Rock, "Webb Hubbell was a big, burly, likeable man" (Clinton 80). Referring to trip director Kelly Craighead, "she had a lot of insight, dedication and spunk." Clinton chooses three formulaic adjectives to describe each of her acquaintances, and the mechanical style soon becomes tedious. The technique corroborates the "safeness" of Clinton's autobiography: nothing shocking, nor a "tell-all"--simply reserved commentary of nationally and personally historic moments. Understandable, since she would be running for President six years later. In this sense, I do believe there were ulterior motives for the memoir's release; the 2003 year of publishing was opportunely timed for Clinton's 2008 candidacy. The latter stipulation supports my learning that a Presidential campaign begins as soon as one shakes hands with the lowest-ranking political official twenty years from an official convention, and that one's private life will be increasingly scrutinized and distorted.
   
   There is little mention of the financial burden statewide and national elections place on nominees, which I found surprising given Bill Clinton's numerous campaigns. This is insight I was looking forward to reading about, given its increasing importance in our visually driven and electronic society.
   
   Though I have not reached the chapters focussing on the infamous Whitewater scandal, nor her conversations with Eleanor Roosevelt, I have already changed my impression of Hillary Rodham Clinton: she is a well-informed Democrat, whose has consistently demonstrated her leadership skills. Clinton is an activist currently living in manner she has promoted all her life, literally living history.

5 comments about The White Masai: My Exotic Tale of Love and Adventure.

1. I recently visited a Masai village on one of my visits to Kenya, and I have a friend who is Masai. I have to say that to dismiss this book in a couple of lines and give it one star smacks of being a touch unwordly. So let's get some things straight. This is a very good, but not sensational translation, but it is perfectly readable. The scenario is quite amazing. The story of how a European woman falls for an elegant Masai warrior seems incredible and I'll leave it up to you to decide whether she is infatuated with the idea of Lketinga and his life, or really has a deep love for him. I couldn't quite work this out. But I did find the book a gripping read as she does everything to try to stabilise a relationship that was always going to prove tricky. There is some wonderful detail about the way the Masai live and I visited huts just like the one she lives in. I just could not imagine swapping my Western lifestyle for such a nomadic venture, even for one day. If you have a romantic nature, or are fascinated by a fresh perspective on how a Masai tribe lives, you will thoroughly enjoy this book. It hasn't sold four million copies by being a one star book.



2. I first came across this book at the Dar es Salaam airport on vacation in Tanzania. I made a point to read it when I arrived home, out of interest in the Masai and also wanting to more about the "compelling love" between these two vastly different people. As other readers have, I found it difficult to relate to Corinne's decision to move to Kenya, etc., etc. -- but isn't that the point of reading a biography--to learn about someone else? As fascinating as I am (lol), wouldn't it be terribly boring to read about people just like ourselves all the time. It is decently written and translated. It is an interesting tale about cross-cultural love and moving to a difficult, untame place. In the end, I personally felt that it wasn't a story of a great love that was destroyed by these cultural differences. Obviously Corinne felt great attraction, but I was never convinced there was mutual love (or even real love on her part). It seemed more that she was at a point in her life or mental status where she needed change so badly she made some drastic decisions. In any case, this is a worthwhile read because it is enjoyable to see other points of view and to learn more about a life so different from our own.



3. I found this book to be quite interesting - interesting to learn about the Masai people, the struggles involved in accomplishing ANYTHING in a place like Kenya, and the love relationship itself. I was eager to see how it all turned out but I did find myself frequently annoyed at Ms. Hofmann. I understood her quest for adventure, the willingness to toss out her old, stable life for something totally different, but found it hard to believe she was willing to sacrifice so much for so little in return. As some of the other reviewers mention, she seemed somewhat naive, thinking that this relationship was really going to work despite the vast cultural differences. I had a hard time understanding why she loved this man so much, when he treated her so poorly and frequently ruined every attempt she made to build them a stable life - their cultural differences just seemed too vast and why she didn't figure that out sooner was a mystery to me. She often jeopardized her own health to stay in this relationship, as well as her financial security. I found myself very angry at her for jeopardizing the health of her child (before and after birth).
   
   I don't think she complained a lot as some of the other reviewers mention - I think she overcame extreme hardships to try to make this relationship work and was very resourceful at times. As far as the writing, perhaps it was in the translation but the "my darling" references did get old and the language was a bit flowery.
   
   I think if this book had been truly fiction instead of a memoir, I would have thrown it aside in disgust because I would have found it too far-fetched. However, I don't have to agree with someone's choices to find their stories interesting, and I think this book is exactly that. I gave it four stars because I did find it so interesting - not because the writing is spectacular or because I thought Ms. Hofmann had done something admirable.



4. I just returned from Tanzania and picked up this book because I wanted to know more about the Masai Tribe. The book was an excellent read and gave me a greater insight to the living conditions and how people managed. You have to have an open mind to read the book and absorb the information, but it is a quick easy read, and will make you think twice about your own life and how far you will go for love.



5. I have just finished rading this book. I really liked it, although I could never do what Corinne did. I think the bad reviews for this book do not take into accountance that Corinne was prepared to stay with the man she loved and sacrificed everything for - literally. I would call her anyhting but selfish. It was HIS fault she had to run. His jealousy destroyd everything. He was lazy and spent the money SHE earned on beer and some euphoric chewing plant. He did not want to discuss anything at any time. Do not blame her, but a man who was ill and obsessive. I admired Corinne for her courage and her creativity. They could have lived together very well because of her business mind set and hardworking nature. Her relationship with Lkentiga's mother was touching even though they could communicate. Thanks to this book I could learn more about the Masai culture. I do not have a feeling at all that she in any way undermined the Kenyan culture. She loved it and that is why she wanted to live there. Poeple get divorced because od jealousy evrywhere. She suffered more than any woman could ever take. I cannot wait to read the sequals.

5 comments about Just a Sister Away: Understanding the Timeless Connection Between Women of Today and Women in the Bible.

1. Renita Weems is outstanding! She weaves these wonderful stories of women in scripture known to many of us who are familiar with Bible stories. What she is so excellent at doing is helping us see these women in a richer, deeper way and managing to bring them to life for today. We can use our imaginations as we read between the lines and see these women in the context of the cultures in which they lived. And, beyond that, she helps us to imagine how women today can relate to them and brings relevance for us as we strive in relationships in our everyday lives. Reading the Bible as history is one thing; helping us see why it is important for us today, sister to sister is what makes Renita Weems important for us all. Read Renita Weems and be the richer for it!



2. We used this book for our church women's group. The idea was to read the entire book and then meet for a review session. Ha...so far we've been meeting every two to three weeks and have only managed to cover three chapters. Weem's provides such thought provoking characters and insights that one chapter at a time is all you can process in a two hour discussion session. Each character and chapter causes you to delve ddep into your personal thoughts and experiences. If you have an earlier version, go ahead and purchase this one, which has four additional chapters to stir your thoughts.



3. My book club really enjoyed this book. We had a great two-hour discussion about the stories in this book. The author touched on Bible stories that many of us had never studied before. Overall, it was a fast read and very educational.



4. This book is a book for soul searching. You will never look at yourself or any other woman the same. This book will make you do a self assessment and take inventory on your life. Sisters in Christ should read this book together in a group setting or for a women bible study. This book is also a book that can be given as a gift and should be very much appreciated.



5. If you've ever thought about or wondered how closely connected today's women are the Bibical women, then this is the book for you. Tastefully presented, thought provoking, and easily understood by any woman of today.

5 comments about Aphrodite: A Memoir of the Senses.

1. John Updike once said that there are three great mysteries in life: sex, art, and religion. Isabel Allende has added food to that mysterious mix in a delightful way --- food is sexy and erotic and enticing in her book and is explored in a way that reminds one of lacy lingerie, seductive but mysterious at the same time. Allende, over fifty and still recovering from the painful loss of her daughter, writes boldly and bravely of how loss and all its pain is still concurrent with life's joys.
   
   As a writer myself who has written both a cookbook and about the erotic lives of people over fifty, I found Allende's honesty, sensuality, and joy utterly luscious and also comforting in that even as we grow older we have our senses and can celebrate them as long as we allow ourselves to. This is a beautiful book with wonderful illustrations including the sexiest peaches you will ever see. The recipes are intriguing. But more than anything it is an affirmation that our senses have the power to heal us and there is absolutely nothing wrong with that.



2. This collection of stories reads like an erotic cookbook of sorts. There's even a recipe section!



3. This book weaves a beautiful tapestry of life, love and food. The information on the aphrodisiac ingredients is not very in depth but always accurate. And the prose reads as though it is tumbling straight from Allende's mouth. Although I have not cooked from the book, I love that she added a section of recipes.



4. I have read "Paula" and there is no doubt that Isabel Allende is a talented writer. Her passionate tone seems to just find a way to your heart.
   
   Aphrodite is acookbook erotic-style... truly inspires fun ideas for both food and foreplay. Great historic facts on spices, a collection of rather comical stories and the recipes are to die for.
   
   If you are a hedonist. Get this!



5. I have read this book in installments. Why? Because I knew my mother would have a fit if she knew I had read it. Lusty, juicy, it's wonderful education for a curious young lady like me.