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boring
i got into the 7th chapter of this book and i did'nt find it the least bit interesting what so ever.so i put it down,maybe it would have gotten better but as far as i got i was board out of my mind.

A Depressing but Important read
A very intriguing look at mental illness.A very sad story, that is about the death of one family that leads to the creation of another.

A Book That Stays With You
Not many stories, real or imagined, grip a reader like Julie Salamon's "Facing The Wind." I knew where the story would end - or so I thought. The murder is revealed on the book jacket, but the tale really lies in whether or not Bob achieves forgiveness and repentance. Does he deserve the second life he finds with his wife, clearly a damaged soul herself? What responsibility is shared by the doctors who released Bob and failed to monitor his intake of psychotropic drugs? How can we, The Moral Reader, react when a man who murders his family, including a helpless, disabled boy, declares he cannot feel remorse since he was mentally disturbed when the act was committed but at the same time declare his love for the dead?Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. Audio - Nonfiction    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Family violence    5. General    6. Murder    7. Murder - General    8. New York    9. New York (State)    10. True Crime    11. Uxoricide    12. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Editorial Review

This tender book about male friendship will probably surprise those readers who know Stephen Ambrose best for his histories of World War II and biography of Dwight D. Eisenhower. Born in 1936, Ambrose acknowledges in the introduction to his memoir that men of his generation do not speak or write easily about their feelings. Yet male bonding is a strong theme in all of his work, as selections from previous writings on Lewis and Clark, Richard Nixon, Crazy Horse, and General Custer that are included in Read more

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Different for Ambrose
Ambrose normally gives much detail to popular history when he writes, but this book was a very different approach. Some historic details were given, most of which can be found in his other books. The thing that was different about this one was the brief glimpse of Ambrose's personal life. We heard much of his relationships with other men. These are manly relationships, the kind we all need. It dealt with his two brothers and how they were close as well as some of his best friends through life. The most inspirational was the chapter that told of his relationship to his father. I wasn't deeply moved or anything, but I did appreciate the personal side of Ambrose. You will enjoy this written picture of proper male bonding.
Such Friendships!
"Comrades" is Stephen Ambrose's reflection on male friendships. He explores relationships among people he has known or whose biographies he has written.
Great Idea But Uncertain Execution
I so wanted to like this book.I had the right expectation.I knew it wasn't one of Ambrose's usual war stories.I didn't expect a lot of psychological jargon either.I knew that Ambrose was a man's man writing about fathers, brothers, comrades in arms and other fundamentally male relationships.But I was disappointed.There was no lesson.There was little inspiration.I met several men, great (Eisenhower) and small (Ambrose's brothers), but I really didn't get to know them or learn much from them.I didn't expect sentimentality, but I expected some meaning, some synthesis, some higher purpose.But this is just a nice little book about men and with a portrait of the friendships of several famous people interspersed with a few Ambrose family stories.I like the stories, but I didn't learn much.What was the father's life lesson he wanted to pass on?We aren't told.What is the great secret of male friendships?There are some hints, but not much.What can I teach my son about what it means to be a man or how to earn the respect of men?We have a few tentative conclusions and little that's new.The reader will enjoy meeting the men in this book, but its all about male bonding.The deepest lessons are left unsaid. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Misc. Nonfiction    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography    5. Friendship    6. Interpersonal Relations    7. Men    8. Men's Studies - General    9. Social Science    10. Sociology - General    11. Unabridged Audio - Misc.Nonfiction    12. United States    13. Family & Relationships / General   

Editorial Review

Snow White's stepmother looks like a pussycat compared to the monster under which Adeline Yen Mah suffered. The author's memoir of life in mainland China and--after the 1949 revolution--Hong Kong is a gruesome chronicle of nonstop emotional abuse from her wealthy father and his beautiful, cruel second wife. Chinese proverbs scattered throughout the text pithily covey the traditional world view that prompted Adeline's subservience. Had she not escaped to America, where she experienced a fulfilling medical career and a happy marriage, her story would be unbearable; instead, it's grimly fascinating: Read more

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Falling leaves return to their roots.
Adeline Yen Mah was born in a well-placed, moneyed Chinese family prominent in the elite of Shanghai and later on in booming Hong Kong. Her mother died shortly after her birth, and she was always blamed for her death. Her father then married Niang, a beautiful Eurasian who is evil (particularly to Adeline), but nonetheless a formidable force in the Yen household.
Do some people just like abuse?
It is difficult to feel sorry for this woman.
Falling Leaves
This book was very interesting and a easy read. I love the fact that the author conveyed historic events. I would say that she could have went into to more details about her life with her second husband. How did the latter events affect her marriage and family? I would love to read about what has happened since the death of the stepmother. Good Book! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography    5. California    6. Childhood Memoir    7. Chinese Americans    8. Ethnic Cultures    9. Women    10. Women physicians    11. China    12. True stories of endurance & survival   

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Building on biographies by Read more

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Excellent Book for Leaders and Executives
Most people recognize Alexander Hamilton from his name and face on the ten dollar bill. Rarely do people know the story of the poor orphan who rose from poverty on the island of Nevis to become a patriot, a self-made genius, a lawyer, a war hero, the first Treasury Secretary, or even the man responsible for envisioning and creating the industrial superpower that the United States is today.
180 people have already said this book rocks...
I am #181.This biography blew me away.Athough the duel and outcome were not a surprise to say the least (I live in Weehawken, for one), I found myself crying my eyes out for Hamilton in the end.Add a half a star to the 5 if you've been a New Yorker -- because your enjoyment will be that much greater.
Washington's indispensable man
I have enjoyed reading many outstanding biographies, but none have surpassed Chernow's "Alexander Hamilton".This "tour de force" is an enthralling read not only because of its fascinating subject in Hamilton and his inseparable relationship to the founding of our nation, but because it is a meticulously researched and wonderfully told story of perseverance, achievement, and irony.Of illegitimate birth, surviving a wretched youth in the West Indies during the 18th century, Hamilton escaped to New York through the generosity of early employers and a cousin to study at King's College.His superior intellect, obsession to distance himself from his past, and his energy and passion to distinguish himself honorably in his adopted land placed him at the right hand of General and then President Washington during the American Revolution, the founding of the Constitution, and the formation of a fragile new government.Yet he was labeled an elitist, aristocrat and a monarchist by his enemies with bewildering regularity and effect.He was a loving and tender husband and father, yet stumbled into at least one adulterous relationship that greatly crippled his political career.Although he never traveled to Europe he possessed a truer sense of European events and their implications, particularly the French Revolution, than did his more traveled and worldly contemporaries.He was long embroiled in partisan political battles with his antagonists from the Southern States, yet he was the Union's foremost defender when the prospect of Northern succession arose.He came to abhor the practice of dueling, yet he and his oldest son were both victims of its pervasive practice within a three year period.Finally, Eliza Hamilton, despite endless persecution regarding her husband's infidelity and other failings (either real or trumped up) from his political rivals and their vicious press allies remained resolutely and adoringly at his side.She tirelessly devoted 50 years of widowhood to preserving and promoting her husband's indispensable contributions to the formation of a great nation.It is largely due to her efforts that the slanderous and revisionist accounts of Hamilton's life by his contemporary rivals including Jefferson and Adams who greatly outlived him were effectivly challenged.Chernow has also made a significant contribution with this biography in preserving the memory and monumental accomplishments of this often neglected founding father. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1757-1804    2. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Biography/Autobiography    7. Hamilton, Alexander,    8. Historical - General    9. Historical - U.S.    10. Statesmen    11. U.S. History - Constitutional Period To Civil War (1789-1860)    12. U.S. History - Revolution And Confederation (1775-1789)    13. United States    14. United States - 18th Century    15. Family & Relationships / Parenting   

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A nice companion to his other work
"On the Big Blackfoot" is a series of readings and narratives by Norman Maclean and his son, John, plus an interview with Norman Maclean that I found to be the most interesting part of the recording.The focus of the discussions is quite naturally "A River Runs Through It," but they do go a bit beyond it.If you are a fan of any of Maclean's work, then hearing his voice is a treat. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. General    4. Parental Memoirs    5. Sports - General    6. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    7. Nature / General   

Editorial Review

Like Kurt Cobain, Nick Traina lived for punk rock (his bands made two CDs, Read more

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A Mother's Heartache
As a Danielle Steel fan since the dawn of her writing career, I've often wondered how she captures emotional anguish so vividly.In researching manic-depression while writing LOVING LARRY, I found the answer apparent in HIS BRIGHT LIGHT.From the heart of a mother she lovingly introduces her children, shares her personal history and bares her soul in this painful account of her son's struggle with manic-depressive illness and its effect on her family.The poignant portrayals she creates in fiction come--at least in part--from heartbreaking first-hand experience.

Steel's best work to date
Widely known for her romantic novels in far off places, Danielle Steel managed to create a career that likely exceeded her wildest dreams. Yet beneath the veneer of gentile refinement, the famous author struggled to help her son Nick Traina, a young man who was taken from Earth before his time. Lucky for him, and for us, Steel didn't let his passing go without triumph for those like him.
His Bright Light Can Save Lives
Danielle Steel wrote this book with a purpose greater than many may realize. As a pure and loving tribute to her son Nick's life and as a direly needed awareness among people about how BPD (Bipolar Disorder, or manic depression) is a disease that kills people, because they do not have proper medical diagnosis or treatment.
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Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Biography    3. Biography & Autobiography    4. Depression    5. Family relationships    6. General    7. Manic-depressive persons    8. Mental Illness    9. Parental Memoirs    10. Specific Groups - Special Needs    11. Suicide    12. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    13. United States    14. Women authors, American    15. Biography & Autobiography / General   

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Subjects:  1. 1858-1919    2. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Audiobooks    5. Biography    6. Biography & Autobiography    7. Childhood and youth    8. Presidents    9. Presidents & Heads of State    10. Roosevelt, Theodore,    11. United States    12. Biography & Autobiography / Presidents   

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Amy Tan begins Read more

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Easy-to-digest wisdom
Amy Tan's wisdom has always intrigued and enchanted me.I've absorbed it through her stories.Here it is undiluted, as she tells about her life, her parents, and her journeys, both outer and inner.

Uneven both in quality and in tone, although some essays are great reading
This book is basically a collection of essays, and to me anyway, it felt quite thrown together.The last essay might have explained this, as it revealed that Tan is suffering from Lyme Disease.I got the feeling that she wanted very much to put out a book, but just wasn't quite up to it, and so collected these essays, which did not quite add up.
As good as any fiction novel...
I absolutely adore Amy Tan's work, and have for over ten years now.However, it's taken me a long time to get to this book, simply because I couldn't help but think, "Amy's fiction novels are great, but how interesting can HER life really be?"Well, I'm only half-way through this book, and I'm wishing I hadn't waited so long to read it!Tan is hilarious, and this memoir is as good as any of her fiction novels.I love how she is not afraid to be herself.(She may not always want to be herself, but she doesn't let that stop her from doing anything that she wants to do.)She's not afraid to "live", with a "kiss-this-if-you-don't-like-it" attitude.She is brave to point out all of her imperfections for the whole world to see, and I commend her for that.There is so much to say about this book, and so much to learn about (and from) Amy Tan, but one thing's certain:Amy Tan's writing is enchanting. I very much recommend this book to everyone. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    3. Audio - Nonfiction    4. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    5. Biography    6. Biography & Autobiography    7. Chinese Americans    8. Editors, Journalists, Publishers    9. Essays    10. Family relationships    11. General    12. Literary    13. Novelists, American    14. Biography & Autobiography / General   

Editorial Review

There is a passage early in Augusten Burroughs's harrowing and highly entertaining memoir, Read more

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Mental Illness Is Not Funny
I picked this book up after I had read that the author had been declared by some media outlet as one of the "fifteen funniest people in America."
Yes...some of it really is funny...
...But!! Not enough to grab me by the collar!I agree with others here who said they liked some of the aspects of this "memoir", save for the disturbing sex scenes. I do believe it's hard to take in when a 13 year old is having a very adult relationship with a 32 year old. I found nothing tasteful about this. Nor did I see much humor in this. However, to be fair, there are very funny moments here. Love the scenes with the shrink's family. But by page 125 or so--the writing gets a bit sloppy and the story begins to lose its muster.
This book is an act of self gratification
I bought this on a whim because a few people had told me it was "hysterical" and it was a best-seller, so I figured it must be pretty good.
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Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Amherst (Mass.)    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Audiobooks    5. Biography    6. Biography & Autobiography    7. Childhood Memoir    8. Literary    9. Novelists, American    10. Personal Memoirs    11. Social life and customs    12. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography   

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Ten kids, No work-ethic
A gritty memoir of life in the white ghetto where tribal loyalty struggles with justice. A portrait of the struggle for personal responsibility a primer and how to use and abuse the system.

Accurate. From someone who didn't live in "Southie" but in "Old Colony" at that time!
You'll see some people chime in here about this book, from "Southie". But Southie and Old Colony don't equal the same thing. You can be from the point and not be anything like someone growing up in Old Colony. Old Colony wasn't the same as D street or Old Harbor.Secondly, my aunt is mentioned in the book as skoochie(sp?). I'm not particularly fond of being from Old Colony or having my aunt in this book, but it's who i am. Lastly, i was good friends with Tommy Veins before he got out of cotrol and died. It's a sad story overall, if tommysdad is here, i'd like to say that my condolences, but this portrayal is not far from fact at all. I was there and grew up where these things happened. And let me tell you, the book is pretty accurate. Slight details here and there might be slightly off, but for the overall idea, Accurate. Everyone knew his mom... she was an outcast for sure and he mentions this several times. I personally couldn't put my own mom out there, but kudos for him for trying to be accurate.
Sad but true
Growing up in Southie and now living in Florida it was good to look back. The book broke my wifes heart who is not from Southie but it was everyday life fo us. Good read! ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Entertainment & Performing Arts - General    4. Ethnic Cultures - General    5. Regional Subjects - New England    6. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography   

Editorial Review

Arguably one of the most profoundly important essays ever written on the nature and significance of "quality" and definitely a necessary anodyne to the consequences of a modern worldpathologically obsessed with quantity.Although set as a story of a cross-country trip on a motorcycle by a father and son, it is more nearly a journey through 2,000 years of Western philosophy. For some people, this has been a trulylife-changing book. ... Read more

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Not a good philosophy book
If you are looking for a new and SUBSTANTIATED philosophical view, this is not the right book. An excellent work of fiction, great writing, yes, these you will find in this book -- but not a strong philosophy.
"Walden" Meets "Easy Rider"
Anyone with moderate intelligence and sufficient leisure can work out their own private philosophy.The worth of such a philosophy should not be measured by comparison to the great philosophers of the past (or present); rather we should ask how well does it assist its creator in coping with life.Some personal philosophies are crafted in such a way that they help, not just their creator, but large numbers of their creator's fellow beings.Thus it is with the personal philosophy of Robert M. Pirsig, who laments that he has not had an original thought in years.
It is worth rereadng several times
I read this book several times over the years and each time I get something new out of it. I'm a Christian and though this book derives some of its underpinnings from Eastern philosopy, the book gives a great overview of Western civilization. How the book uses geography, the personal relationships, his past history, and Greek and Eastern philosophy to prove his thesis is fascinating. The book has problems. The main character does not follow his own philosophy in some ways. Pirsig makes too broad of generalizations about the Greek philosophers. Phaedrus's experience at the University of Chicago does not ring true to me. However, the book challenges the reader to think, to ponder life in general and contemplate on how the branches of knowledge tie together.
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Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    2. Anecdotes    3. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    4. Audiobooks    5. Eastern - Zen    6. Historical - U.S.    7. Life    8. Parental Memoirs    9. Voyages and travels    10. Popular psychology   

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how can I get you to read this book?
Fabulous from the start.So much intermingles in this book - history, politics, personal struggle, life in Africa, bi-racial familes, adoption - that to narrow it down to a memoir wouldn't be doing it justice.
Three cheers for Chipo!!!!!!!!!
This memoir goes to show on how faith and love can conquer all odds. It has opened my eyes on the issue of AIDS and the politically unstable country of Zimbawiae. A very touching love story of father and daughter.

Makes you wake up
In dealing with their personal frustrations, the author shows us the hurdles and challenges of wanting to help in nations that need it the most.It is a good read, heartwarming.But unlike most books, it left me in search of an organization that can break through and really offer help to children touched by AIDS. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abandoned children    2. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    3. Adoption    4. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    5. Biography & Autobiography    6. Case studies    7. General    8. Intercountry adoption    9. Personal Memoirs    10. United States    11. Zimbabwe    12. Biography & Autobiography / General   

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Subjects:  1. Biography    2. Biography & Autobiography    3. Biography/Autobiography    4. Case studies    5. Family relationships    6. General    7. Mental illness    8. Mentally ill    9. Personal Memoirs    10. Unabridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    11. Biography & Autobiography / Personal Memoirs    12. Health & Fitness/General    13. Unabridged Audio / Autobiography/Biography   

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The Education of Little Tree By: Forrest Carter
This book is about a boy orphaned very young who is adopted by his Cherokee Grandmother and half Cherokee Grandfather in the Appalachian Mountains of Tennesse during the Great Depression. He Grandparents named him Little Tree. He is taught how to hunt and survive the mountains the Cherokee way, taking only what is needed by his Grandfather. He is taught the joys of reading and education by his Grandmother. He also learns the way of white businessmen and tax collectors and how Grandfather scared the away. Little Tree is sent off to an indian boarding school run by whites. We learn of the cruelty of indian children. Little Tree learns how the world differs from the Cherokee way.
The WORST book I ever recorded...
When I was first chosen to narrate this book, I knew nothing of the racist past of it's author -- I knew only that it was the single worst book I'd ever been assigned.The negative AudioFile Magazine review of my recording (quoted here on Amazon) is completely fair.Reading the book to myself in order to prepare to record it, I found it annoying in the extreme -- the so-called prose is precious and poorly written, and the allegedly authentic colloquialisms are grating.When it came time to say it all aloud, for the first time ever (and I've narrated upwards of 200 audiobooks) I found it impossible to invest this piece literary flotsam with any emotional content whatsoever.As declining the job was no longer an option, I merely tried to stay out of the way and give it as simple and logical a performance as I could, but I was unable to compensate for the God awful writing, and unable to disguise my contempt for the entire enterprise.It remains the worst recording I have ever done, and I was, for a time, quite ashamed of it.Now that I discover more about it's hate mongering author, I'm actually pleased that the recording stinks.I now believe I gave this garbage exactly the reading it deserved.(I must add that I learned a valuable lesson: never record a book you loathe.I was subsequently offered the execrable "Left Behind" series for young adults, but having suffered through "Little Tree," knew better than to lend my voice to the spewing of "Christian" hate.)

Disappointing
This book was assigned school reading.I found it rather boring and the language used in the story became annoying after a while.Not recommended. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    2. Audio: Juvenile    3. Childhood Memoir    4. Ethnic Cultures - Native Americans    5. Regional Subjects - South   

Editorial Review

In this follow-up to his bestselling autobiography Read more

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nothing new, but still ok
i read Rocket Boys, which i loved, and then moved on to the Coalwood Way.i was rather disappointed when i started it. it wasn't that it was about a period of time covered in rocket boys - i knew that already.but what i loved about rocket boys was the portrayal of a small town, and the coalwood way basically repeats that subject, which i think was pretty well covered already in Rocket boys.
Interesting Memoir
Homer Hickman "Sonny" has had an amazing senior year in high school. With a mixture of friendship, love, and death the story is amazing.

Very Good.
I'm more of a World War 2 fan and read alot of WW2 stuff, but even so this book was excellent.Homer is da bomb.I saw "Rocket Boys" 10 years ago and this book was very similar to that movie, even though they are of different periods.I didn't know how good these books were, but should have after watching rocket boys.This book is great. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 20th century    2. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    3. Aerospace engineers    4. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    5. Biography    6. Biography & Autobiography    7. Childhood Memoir    8. Christmas    9. General    10. Novelists, American    11. Regional Subjects - South    12. Scientists - Astronauts    13. United States    14. West Virginia    15. Biography & Autobiography / General    16. Bargain   

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The Dull Knives of Pine Ridge
The Dull Knives of Pine Ridge tells the story of a Native American family and how they have been percicuted by the white man for centuries and their strugle to keep their culture alive.It shows how they were thrown offtheir most sacred land, the Black Hills, and their fight to keep get itback.Unlike many books The Dull Knives of Pine Ridge does not have theproblem showing just how brutal the settlers and the United StatesGovernment was to the Indian.For people that want to learn about thestruggles of a Native American family and what a bad deal they haverecieved in U.S. history this is the book for you. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. Audio - Autobiography / Biography    2. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    3. Audiobooks    4. Biography    5. Dull Knife family    6. General    7. Oglala Indians   

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Her brother Sen. George Allen is a Vicious Bully
Haven't read this yet, but am getting it.This book isn't just about George Allen the football coach, but also about her brother George Allen the Republican senator.She details numerous examples of severe abuse by George Jr. against his siblings.Sen. Allen is being talked up as a Presidential hopeful, so I am reading this book to find out what a sick psychotic freak he really is (in addition to a notorious racist)
Appalling, but very Republican
"George Allen emerges as a self-centered man who chose to sacrifice a normal family life for the sake of his career"
The Personal Football Book
As an avid football fan, George Allen is one of the greatest NFL Coaches of all time.Throughout the book, Jennifer Allen describes they storybook life of an NFL coach from a footbal and personal perspective. George's rough-and-tough attitude made two winningless teams, the Los Angeles Rams and Washington Redskins, into champions.However, his personality as a coach effected his role as a father, which created tension between him and his children.As the his only daughter, Jennifer tries to win her father's affection as she struggles of being a product of an NFL coach and well-known celebrity. ... Read more

Subjects:  1. 1961-    2. Abridged Audio - Autobiography/Biography    3. Allen, Jennifer,    4. Audio - Autobiography / Biography    5. Audio Adult: Books On Tape    6. Audiobooks    7. Biography & Autobiography    8. Family    9. Family Relationships    10. Football coaches    11. Sports - Football    12. Sports - General    13. United States    14. Women    15. Biography & Autobiography / General   

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A Lot of Courage Required...
A lot of people have been critical of Brooke Shields because she has an enormous amount of money and resources (that most of us don't have in order to get help), but I think that's the point of her story; despite the money, fame, and resources, she developed PPD.She was just as helpless as any woman suffering PPD and didn't know what to do. I think Ms. Shields was brave to write so candidly about her experience.Even though I didn't experience severe PPD, I did feel some depression after I had my baby. My birth was similar to Shields', except that I received a blood transfusion in order to save my life. After I came home from the hospital, I had irrational fears (that seemed so rational to me at the time) of having received contaminated blood, that prevented me from continuing to breastfeed, which further depressed me. I also cried in the shower because I thought I was a terrible mother for not breastfeeding, and I felt so alone and unworthy.My husband was supportive and tried to help, but he didn't know what to do to improve the situation. Fortunately, my depression gradually dissipated, and I felt happy, healthy, strong, and I knew then that I would be a great mom.
Baby Blues No Small Matter
This is a book I now keep in mind for my soon-to-be new mom friends just in case, that along with the numbers of womens' clinics at various hospitals and health centers that treat post-partum depression.