Biography Books

What's not to like about Anne Lamott's Grace Eventually? A collection of essays in which she describes moments of spiritual clarity and examples of the divine in daily life, the book is a treasure trove of writings about topics ranging from abortion to euthanasia and lots of good stuff in-between. Through Sam, Lily, her mother, her vast and motley crew of friends, and even those whom she casually encounters, Lamott teaches lots of lessons on grace and love.

Some of the writing made me feel sad (Gertrud's sickness), some mad (the carpet guy), some glad (chirren musings) and some scared (shadows scenario). Although she might irritate and even anger some people with her views on George W. Bush, abortion, and global warming, Lamott makes no claim to be a saint, but rather a person who's doing her best to see God in everything and to do her part in making the world a better place. After assisting with a special-ed dance class and learning that one of the dancers said, "I liked those old ladies! They were helpers, and they danced," Lamott decided on the words that she wanted on her gravestone: "that I was a helper, and that I danced."

I would recommend this book to anyone who has past issues that they have struggled with. This is a very candid account of one person's life and the way that they have turned it around. I really liked the honesty, even if I didn't always agree with her position.

Grace (Eventually): Thoughts on Faith I have enjoyed the books by Lamott because I can relate to them. Down to earth - up close and personal writings that most have experienced. Excellent - certainly helped me to realize that I was not atypical.

no question, i'm an annie lamott fan. more specifically, i'm a fan of anne lamott's non-fiction. i've tried her fiction, and continue to find it ok, but not brilliant. but her non-fiction: ooh.

traveling mercies, lamott's first autobiographical book about faith, remains in my top 5 books of all time (not that i actually maintain such a list; but if i did, it would be). and operating instructions, lamott's autobiographical reflections on her pregnancy and the first couple years of her son's life, should be suggested reading for all humans, and required reading for all parents (especially expectant parents). lamott's last non-fiction, plan b, was a bit of a let-down. i really wanted to love it. so i found myself loving parts.

but, other than a horribly repetitive titling and cover treatment (and, really, that's more of a publisher's gaffe than a reason to wag my finger at anne lamott), grace (eventually) brings us back nearly to traveling mercies (notice i say "nearly"). yes, some have complained that this book is another collection of mostly already-published essays. i say: i don't care. they're great; they hold together; and i hadn't read them elsewhere anyhow.

why do i love lamott's writing so much? well, i can't deny the fact that she makes me laugh out loud. and they're not those "slowly creep up on you laughs" that move from smile to tiny "huh" sound to low chuckle to pleasant and appropriate laugh. no: my occasional laughter while reading anne lamott is more the out-of-the-blue cackle, one that surprises me as much as it would anyone within painful earshot.

reason two for loving anne lamott's non-fiction: she is unevenly insightful. what i mean is, there are moments when i'm reading, and i have to stop and breathe for a moment, and think about the profundity of what i've just read. and then there are lots of moments in-between those moments that aren't so insightful. but here's the thing -- the uneven-ness of the insighfulness somehow works. it's almost as if it creates a reading culture where the insights catch me off guard that much more. i'm always hopeful of stumbling onto them, but never quite expecting them when they appear.

reason three for loving anne lamott's non-fiction: there are books -- maybe 1 in 30 books i read, where the very act of reading is joy. the choice of words, the structure of sentences, the odd metaphor, they leave me smiling or astonished. christopher moore writes this way. anne lamott writes this way.

I adore "Travelling Mercies." Having spent some time as a Christian, I expected some mature Christian thought from Lamott. Instead, I'm kind of horrified. Jesus was awful as a teenager? Praying to Mary? Yay for abortion? What Bible is Lamott reading?

I admire Lamott's raw honesty and the way she turns a phrase, but the "I hate George Bush" rants got really old. I may not agree with our President's decisions and I may not admire him as a person, but a certain amount of respect is due to the office of the President of the United States. It's one of the most difficult jobs in the world.

After reading Lamott's last three non-fiction books, I get the idea that Lamott doesn't have anything new to say. Although she occasionally has wonderful insights, I won't be buying Lamott's books again.

I bought this book sometime ago meaning to read it. But as I am in the 1st year of starting my new business (a pastry shop) I have not had time. But then I remembered Audio Books so I downloaded it and I am now in the process of listening to it. Julia's love of food is contagious if I was not already a lover I would be signing up for the next Cordon Bleu Class booking a plane ticket and flying to France. Her story makes me envious that I was born at the very end of 1969 and not much earlier and to experience Paris right after the war.

Her description of sole meuniere made me crave it that I began planning my next restaurant outing as a way to un-wind. Her determination to make a perfect mayonaise made me smile and relief to know that I am not alone in becoming obsessed in creating the perfect recipe.

If you love a good read (or listen) love food and you are a big fan of Julia Child this is the perfect book for you. It gives you insight into the woman who single handly changed how America's eat.

Bon Appetite!

I LOVED this book. With my continuing growth and love of cooking, Julia Child has become positively one of my favorite people on Earth. I had no idea what I was getting into with this book when I picked it up. I knew I wanted to read this specifically because it was really coming straight from her and not some researcher. These pages brought to me the real Julia. I never knew all the details of her French living life with her husband Paul. I now know that she and Paul clearly had such an amazing friendship and special bond with each other. One thing I hoped to see in this book was a lot of food talk. I was thrilled that so much of it revolved around meals she prepared, down to the exact ingredients each time. Hearing about her friends, her parties, her writing, her political views, I feel like she is someone I would love to have known and been friends with. If you like Julia Child and appreciate all her quirks, this book will make you love her. Read it.

Loved the book. I've read it twice now and liked it even better the second time. This give a great insight to how and why she started cooking. It paints a great picture of Paris during the late 40's. Her relationship with her husband was interesting and sweet which presented a different side to her. It shows a vulnerability that I wasn't aware of. Great pictures add a lot to the book. It made me want to know more about her life and buy a couple of her cookbooks Highly recommend it. My Life in France

A delightful book for foodies and Francophiles. At last a story of a happy marriage of two successful people.

This was a wonderful memoir about Julia Child. I especially found it interesting that she fell into cooking at the age of forty. Her passion to learn about cooking and gastronomy, as well as, her love for good food and wine were contagious. It made me want to get in the kitchen and whip something up. I think what Julia said at the end of the book, sums up what I learned by reading My Life in France, "Learn how to cook-try new recipes, learn from your mistakes, be fearless, and above all have fun!".

While I was reading My Life in France, I watched the video "Julia Child! America's Favorite Chef". I found it to be a good compliment to the book. It was like a visual summary of everything I had read.

This is not literature, even though the author poses as a writer. This is a girl's diary, and a bad one as that.
Marya, more as good marketer than a good writer, gives us voyeurs what we want: a peep hole into the life of someone extreme, a lifestyle that most of us, in our boring 9 to 5 lives, maybe would like to taste once in a while. We live in a world of celebrities, of gossip, of tabloids paying millions of dollars for the pictures of a newborn. Marya was very lucky to carve a niche, as the troubled teen who cuts herself, has promiscuous sex and a wild life. Who wouldn't want to peek into that? Had she tried to make a herself a name with a non-fiction book, she wouldn't exist as an author today.
But literature this isn't. The book is totally monotonous in its maniac self-absorption. Bipolar? Where is the depression? Where is the self-analysis that comes with a reflexive mood? Not there. It is just a succession of very superficial daily happenings, one after the other, and their superficial effect on the author. In order to build the story, the impressions she brings from her childhood sound totally fake and constructed. Who the heck remembers vivid feelings when you were a 8 year-old?
This is a lost opportunity for a reflection on the existential and philosophical aspects of bipolar disorder, on the role of the bipolar person in the world. Again, this is just a diary.

I wanted to read this book because I am a fan of Marya's and have read both "Wasted" and "The Center of Winter". Mostly I was anxious for this one because I've always suspected I myself was Bipolar, and was needless to say more than curious to read about a first hand account of living with this disease from someone I so admire. The book is certainly really intense. There is virtually no detail left uncovered, she spares no expense when describing her worst hells and best highs. She does seem to at times have a flair for the dramatic, taking seemingly innocuous events and making them into grandiouse experiences. But then again, I guess in a way thats exactly what part of being Bipolar means, right?

It was extremely informative and harrowing to read, and although she doesnt seek people's pity or sympathy, you can't help but feel for this woman because of all the stuff she's been through. Whether some of it was brought on herself or if it was from things she couldn't control. I experienced mild bouts of anxiety just reading this because it seemed that she had so many burdens at once at times. Just, wow. Its a lot for once person to balance and deal with on a daily basis. Needless to say I admire her even more because of this. She is an extremely gifted and eloquent writer, that much cannot be ignored. While I suspect I have a much more mild version of Bipolar, Bipolar II, I could definitely identify with a lot of what Marya depicted. The feelings of being invincible, untouchable at times....even though it was completely unwarranted and random. Wreckless and indulgent behavior, impulsive decision making with little to no care in the reprecussions. Depressions so low that I don't even want to think about the next day and the one after that. The way the two feelings can fluctuate and intertwine themselves so quickly and effortlessly, it's scary. You truly feel like you're no longer at the helm and something, someone bigger than you is steering and taking over.

This book was very helpful for me because it made me realize I need help to get this under control, if I want to ever live a healthy and functioning life, I can't just self medicate, self-diagnose, and turn a blind eye to whats become so obvious. There is a lot of information following the end of the book, as far as useful links and facts about Bipolar Disorder. She dispells a lot of myths and sheds light on many facets of the disease. There's long, long, lists of websites and the like to go to for info and help. Some of which I have already visited myself.

But the book- overall it was really good, maybe a bit lengthy and somewhat redundant at times, but the good far outweighs whatever bad there might be.

I have read both of Marya's books and while I do believe she has suffered from both a mental illness and eating disorder, I find parts of it to be either exaggerated or written for creative flow. Also, in a way it is like the same book twice as she covers the very same years she covered in her previous novel Wasted. Only here we hear nothing of her problems being realated to being bulimic or anorexic but rather she was bipolar from the age of 5 and no one knew.

What I find to be unbelievable is her recall verbatim from the age of 5. Who really can remember their childhood or even last year that vividly? Also, being in a state of disorientation begs the question again of how believable the incidents are in the novel.

I find that as in Wasted Marya tends to blame society, the health care system anyone but herself for the problems she has faced last time she wrote it was her against the diet industry, against the culture of being thin equates with beauty now it's the healthcare industry not recognizing mental illness for what it truly is a life debilitating illness with no real cure.

The most disturbing concept she brought forth that compelled me to review this is her theory of being bi-polar by age 5 and that by age 10 or 11 the psychiatrists she had seen couldn't see that, I am sorry there are reasons why a child is not given a psychological diagnosis a child's mind is still growing and developing and to suggest giving psychoactive drugs to a 10 year old is not only irresponsible but dangerous. I have a feeling this is not the last we will hear of Marya as mental diagnosis can and do change, I would not be surprised if she were to develop other personality disorders along the way.

I found this book to be extremely captivting. I could not put it down. I have a family member who is bipolar, and I really think this was a wonderful account of the disease. I would recommend this to anyone who wants an inside look at this disease.

I did not like the way this book was written at all. I also thought she was just rambling on and on. She allowed herself to live in so much madness for so long because she would not listen to her Dr.s advise and when she knew one of the Doctors were not giving her the right treatment by knowing she was indeed drinking to much or even drinking while taking meds at all then dismissing it altogether she did not seek someone else to treat her even though she knew her drinking was way out of control and it helped her mania become worse. She went through a lot as well as putting her family through a lot. Mostly it was because she would not do what she needed to do to get well and live a close to normal life that she could for so many years.

Seierstad begins the book with a foreword in praise of Sultan Khan, the bookseller she meets in Kabul. I (or the reader) is maybe expecting a warm account of family life amongst the unsettled times in Kabul during 2002, and after the terrorist attacks in America. Alongside that, a little history of Afghanistan and the political environment that saw soldiers burning his books in the street.

However...what we get is a disturbing account of everyday life for that particular family and others who are mentioned. The author tells us that this is not necessarily a picture of all Afghani families but a picture she gleaned from her stay with the Khans. It is clear however that there are many families that the women gossiped about who have a similar way of life.

It's sociologically interesting because Sultan's sons are a different generation and don't necessarily have the views of their father. They are are scared to go against him because he will disown them...and no matter what culture you are from it would hurt to be disowned by your family. Yet unlike more western cultures where you would remain in contact with some members of your family, the women in this account are so suppressed that they follow their husbands no matter what their own views.
It was sadly ironic to read of Leila's hard and unfair life to which she wakes every day "...to the sound of 'Allahu akhbar' - 'God is great'. A new day which smells and tastes like every other day: of dust."

How awful it must be to worry about things (the sex of an unborn baby, or an attraction to someone from the opposite sex) that are out of your control, for fear of how you or your children will be treated.

Although written in novel form, you are always aware that the people in the story, albeit with changed names, are very real.

This is the depiction of a real Afghani family written by a journalist that wound up in bookstore and developed a "friendship" with the store's owner. The journalist decided that it would be interesting to live with a family in Afghanistan and this bookseller opened his home to her. Previously, I used the word "friendship" lightly because as the depiction progresses, the reader gains insight into that traditional role of the male head of the family, and the journalist does not portray the bookseller in the best light.

The bookseller, Sultan, is the ruler of his family and also reigns over his siblings as well. His wife, Sharifa, is a good wife, but has gotten on in years, so Sultan decides to take a young 2nd wife. I found that most of the book underscores the struggle and surrender of women in this culture. As told by the author, women could not leave their homes except to visit relatives. Women hide when company comes over because they cannot be seen by any man who is not within the family. Girls are raped, powerless. If they scream, then the act would be seen and the girl would be ruined, a disgrace. One woman tries to seek freedom by enrolling in school, only to find that she must ask for permission, which she will never receive, so she remains a slave to her family.

The book is written during the transition after Taliban control. The Taliban destroyed Sultan's books time and time again and even through him in jail because of his illegal books. (Any book with pictures of living creatures was considered a violation.) One admirable trait in Sultan I must say is that although he may not have agreed with the message in many of his books, he thought that people should have access to others' ideas.

I found this book very insightful, an eye-opener. It is a book that I am very glad to have experienced. It gave me a glimpse of a life much different than my own.

This book provides an excellent portrait of Afghanistan. Very well written, easy to read. Great choice for book clubs; full of material for great discussions.

The bookseller of Kabul from Asne Seierstad.
Even before I could finish the lecture of the book - I stay around the midle -I can say that the book is readable but not exciting, outstanding piece or something really especial. To be honest I expected something more from a so exciting issue especially from a person who live this advanture in the first line. I cannot see the soul of the book anywhere.

This book has nothing remotely to do with books or love of books or looking at a culture or hard times from a bookseller's perspective or even simply selling books.
The book feels like a series of journalistic portraitures rather than a coherent comprehensive picture about life in Afghanistan. The author never gets over herself or her anger at injustice that she saw perpetrated (accepted as norm) in Afghanistan. The author's anger does does not help in clarifying the situation but drags the reader from one pointed incident to another pointless incident.
Maybe this is a sincere attempt to capture a moment, a tough moment in a country, but the pace is uneven and emotions even more so.

I really enjoyed this book. It is well written and very informative. I watch Deadliest Catch every day, and can't wait for the new season to start. Johnathan and Andy Hillstrand are to be commended for getting this book published. They are my favorite fishermen and I really like the crew also. I cannot recommend this book enough. It is excellent. I loved each and every word and could not in all honesty put this book down. I think I read this most excellent book faster and in a shorter time then any book I have read, and I have read hundreds of different books in my adult life. If you like the show, you MUST get this book.

Time Bandit is a wonderful read for Deadliest Catch fans. This volume isn't just fishing and crabbing, it is the Hillstrand family.

The book is intelligently written. It can be a one afternoon read or read chapter by chapter. There is some foul language and one inappropriate picture.

I am a huge fan of the TV series The Deadliest Catch. Therefore, I thought I would really enjoy this book by the Hilstrand brothers. Unfortunately, the author who helped write the book, uses language you would never hear the brothers speak! The stories they were telling were interesting but the language/descriptions of events just weren't realistic! I do not reccomend it unless it can be bought used for a buck or two. (I purchased a new hardback copy)

Whether you are a fan of the show or have never heard of the Bering Sea let alone the successful series, this book is a must. Written by two captains of the show, they share their lives from when they were kids to the present day. The book will, like the crab pots they use, ensnare you and hold you captive until the end. It is a fantastic read of what really happens to crab fishermen and what they go through to give us that sort after delicacy on the restaurant table. If you have seen the show, then this book is a must as the book is more realistic and more gritty. If you have not, then read the book anyway, just to get an insight of a day in the life of a crab fisherman.

One of the best books I have read in a very long time. I couldn't put it down!! If you are a fan of the Hillstrands and of the series "The Deadliest Catch", you will absolutely love this candid look into the world of crab fishing on the Bering Sea--one of the world's deadliest occupations. Johnathan and Andy share an intimate account of their personal and professional lives in a way no one else can. I can't recommend this book more highly.

Tatanka Iyotake - Sitting Bull - was not the killer of Custer. He was certainly no villain. He was a spiritual leader of our People. According to my ancestors, who handed this story down to my generation, Custer killed himself rather than take what he had coming - and had fully earned - at the Battle of the Greasy Grass / what the majority culture calls "the Little Bighorn". I'm a great-grandmother now, writing through my man's account, and I have no reason to doubt the truth of the story my ancestors told.
We kept it among ourselves because of the repercussions we suffered back then, and still suffer today. To this day, we Lakota out here in "Dakota" Territory are harrassed in every way, all too often. Not as openly as used to be, but it's still there - the coffee-shop talk, the disparaging stereotypes, stuff like that. I call it, "the Custer effect". My People beat the crap out of Custer and his goons that June day so long ago, and whites have been crying about it ever since, and trying to "prove what really happened".
Custer was no hero; he was a murderer of babies and women, unarmed warriors and the elderly. Sitting Bull was a man of great pride and honor and strength. This book is worth reading more than once. Thanks for writing it!

SITTING BULL
Bill Yenne

Sitting Bull by Bill Yenne is an interesting read. Yenne utilizes Stanley Vestal, Jerome Stillson of the New York Herald, Sitting Bull's Hieroglyphic Autobiography, and an assortment of first hand accounts to present this historic American Indian. For all of us "Custer People", there is a chapter on the Little Bighorn Battle in which Yenne writes "Custer probably feared that if he delayed his attack for another twenty-four hours - as he planned - then Gibbon would be a day closer and Custer would have to share this victory with him". There is an argument which establishes a good book. The book is filled with informative and controversial quotes. Yenne frequently dwells on Washington's government officials arguing over the necessary actions to solve their Indian dilemma. Politicians and red tape do not make a good western adventure, unfortunately that was their role in the history of the American West. I want to be with Custer out on the plains or in an Indian camp, not in an office in Washington.
Overall, the book was very good. Even the cover with Sitting Bull's picture and autograph is notable.

I bought this book for my brother-in-law for his birthday. It was the perfect gift for him and his interest in Native Americans. Great buy.

Purchased this for my husband who is Lakota. It is a lengthy book, but very interesting and well written.

Just finished reading "Sitting Bull." Enjoyed it very, very much. There are wonderful photos and maps, one including good old Highmore, SD. The book is a dramatic and scholarly accomplishment. Professor Yellowtail's glowing endorsement must feel like a crowning feather. Has he given the author an Indian name?!
I was surprised to learn that Sitting Bull was only with Bill Cody's Wild West in 1885 and never went to Europe, never performed for Queen Victoria. As the book points out, it was his deaf stepson, later known as John Sitting Bull, who toured Europe with Cody's Wild West during a few years after the turn of the century. Indeed, the popular confusion about this persists and resurfaced the other day at lunch with our tennis players. How nice to have it right!

I have bought over 30 copies of this book, as gifts to friends, colleagues, and relatives. I hope you readers see that that is the highest recommendation one can give.

It explains, in a very concise manner, major depression to those who have not experienced it. And an "Amen" from individuals who have experienced it.

Depression is perhaps THE under-diagnosed illness of our time (along with diabetes). Yet the medical profession really knows little, and it is near impossible for the suffering individual to describe exactly what is going on (chicken & egg?). William Styron is an award-winning, gifted, writer - who is able to put the indescribable into words that mean something to everyone. That is why this small book is important.

Everyone knows someone suffering from this disease, even if they don't recognize it yet. So, Everyone needs to be familiar with major depression. Science needs a Lot more work -- the current biological and psychological treatments are inadequate, to say the least -- especially considering the high risk of suicide with this disease. Everyone needs to know how to get beyond the crises. Lives can be saved.

Therefore, understanding - by sufferers and those who care about them - is key. Such understanding will help non-sufferers provide the assistance and support that he/she wants to give to the depressed person. Without such understanding, so-called "supporters" inadvertently make things worse.

This book is a quick, engrossing, read that may Really help. Highly recommended.

(This is from the recorded version, read by the author.) I have listened to this book several times over many years. I do think he does a fine job of describing the actual feeling of being depressed, and does a great service by saying it is at bottom simply indescribable, and also incomprehensible by people who have never experienced it. Thus the well-meaning admonitions to 'buck up', 'get a hold of yourself' and 'most people are as happy as they set out to be' are torture to the person suffering from depression.

However, much has been learned about depression since he wrote the book. It's so obvious that he was an alcoholic who went cold turkey in June and was still suffering from the effects of alcohol withdrawal in October, which can take months to subside. Then, to complicate things, he doped himself up with sleeping pills, so his system was flooded with foreign chemicals, replacing one he was adapted to with a new one. The result, a profound inability to function, and depression, would now be a surprise to no one but him.

His attempt to link suicide to sensitive artistic temperaments was more a roll call of alcoholics---Hemingway, Jack London, Poe, etc. There may be a link between all three (sensitive types, suicide, and alcohol), but it's a three-legged stool, and Styron is loath to acknowlege his alcohol use as the third leg. Maybe he feels depression is more romantic than alcoholism, or at least more socially acceptable.

The spectulation about repressed mourning, early death of mother, etc. is not nearly as important as his familial tendency to depression, his drinking, and his pill taking. Since he says the hospital did nothing for him but take away the pills, and he got better, that would seem good evidence for their role in his illness.

In his obituary in 2006 it was mentioned that he had to be hospitalized several more times after the first time described in the book.

In short, read the book to experience, as much as possible for an outsider, what depression 'feels' like, but don't buy the diagnosis of what causes it.

The writing is excellent as you'd expect from Styron. The story short and to the point. It delivers a powerful vision of what extreme depression and suicidal ideation actually feels like. That said, I was a little disappointed somehow. The fact that Styron was a well known writer, living a life that most of us can't relate to, in a period now gone, somehow robbed the book of the power it probably had when it first came out.

This book gives a deep insight into Depression. Knowing that someone can be that "far gone" and come back is so inspiring. A knowledgeable read!

This is a very slim volume, just 84 pages long, which started life as a lecture given at a symposium sponsored by the Department of Psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. It was later developed into a piece for Vanity Fair before being published as a book.

Styron was hit by serious depression at the age of 60, and describes most evocatively his own struggle with the life-threatening illness from first symptoms, through his treatment, his brush with suicide, hospitalisation to eventual cure. Along the way he includes the stories of friends and others so afflicted - many of them also writers.

It's the honesty of the book that makes it so compelling. It was one of the first "insider" accounts of depression, and captures extremely well just what it feels like. (You have to have been there to know.) I agree with him that the word "depression" is totally inadequate, sounding more like a mild case of the blues rather than something that fills your soul with dread and despair. (

The story of Brunelleschi's Dome is about a unique architectural accomplishment, one that has not been surpassed in the hundreds of years since it was built. The story is not just about the Dome, but about Brunelleschi and his competitors. It even gives us a glimpse of the era in which it takes place.

The book is short, only 167 pages. It is somewhat superficial; it does not delve too deeply into any one aspect of the Dome, the people or the time in which it was built. Readers with specialist knowledge or interest in any of those areas might be disappointed. Some of the descriptions of the building technics used and of the engineering of the Dome left me confused. More diagrams would have helped.

While this book does not have enough information in any one area to interest specialists, I thought it was a great read. It was an well written narrative on an interesting topic I would not have known much about otherwise.

No, this isn't a book about an Italian guy with a big head, although Filippo Brunelleschi certainly had a massive ego. Brunelleschi's Dome is about the city of Florence generally during one of the greatest periods of genius and creativity in human history. It is also, specifically, about the life of Filippo Brunelleschi, a classic genius of the Italian Renaissance, and his magnificent dome which dominates the skyline of Florence to this day. Like so many of his contemporaries, Brunelleschi had a high level of expertise in a variety of fields. He was an artist, an engineer, a craftsman, a philologist, and an overall solver of impossible problems. He was also a bit of a whack-job whose failures were nearly as spectacular as his successes.

With this book, Ross King has penned an engrossing popular biography of Brunelleschi, as well as a history of the construction of his famous dome. While the book goes into some detail regarding the engineering behind the construction of the dome, the prose is never heavy and is written so that the layman, such as myself, never gets bored or lost.

My wife and I visited Italy in 2000 and climbing to the top of the Duomo was one of the high points (literally!) of the trip. I wish I had read this book beforehand! I therefore highly recommend it to anyone who is planning a visit to Florence. It will give you that much more appreciation for the amount of work--and genius--that went into the construction of the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore.

King's book is historical, but it reads like a novel as it weaves Italian history in with the fascinating account of Brunelleschi's rise from nowhere to become one of the greatest architects and engineers in history. Having toured the Florence Duomo and wondered "How did they build that with no heavy equipment," it is amazing to find out how they really did. This book is reasonably short; well written; and very informative. Highly recommended.

No need to get long winded here. It's simply a must read before exploring the dome. Read it in one evening and couldn't put it down. Added immeasurably to the experience.

The dual papacy had been resolved in favor of Rome (1416). Florence was the interim home for the Pope while permanent quarters were being readied in Rome (1420). Florence considered itself the new Athens of the western world, and on August 19, 1418 Filippo Brunelleschi submitted his design for the dome of the city's new cathedral. His design pushed the technology of bricklaying to never seen before sophistication, producing a dome 143 feet in diameter; a dome which is still the largest masonry dome in the world. His radical design and construction techniques for the double-walled dome required no temporary central scaffolding and support.

The work was interrupted by disease, war and political upheavals. Finally, the octagonal dome was completed in 1436 and the lantern on top of the dome was completed in 1461, fifteen years after Filippo's death. Ross King weaves a wonderful story about this technological feat. This book should appeal to all art, architecture and history buffs.

This book is not well written--it's irritating how the order of happenings is jumbled, particularly concerning Dr. Carson's earlier life--but it's an interesting read about a fascinating person and his work. For those who think Dr. Carson comes across as arrogant--I think anyone who does what he does has to have a certain amount of arrogance!

This is an excellent read for young adults onward. Interwoven in all of Dr. Carson's stories is a testament to what GOD can do. Dr. Carson was child by societal standards was not supposed to succeed. He was raised in a single parent home with a mother who battled mental illness yet he overcame struggles by focusing on what he could do as opposed to what he couldn't do. This book will truly inspire you to be the very best in your God led profession. Awesome!!!

Amazing, this man knew what he wanted to do at an early age, with his Mother's hard work, he was able to fulfill his dream.

The book documents the early life and rise to medical stardom
of Dr. Benjamin Carson- a now famous neurosurgeon. The volume
begins with the childhood experiences and upbringing of Ben
and his brother Curtis. Ben tended to cram his studying at
the last minute. Nevertheless, he did well in grammar school.
Later, he would struggle in a marathon study session to
achieve a 97 in chemistry.

Ben attended Yale University and proceeded to the
University of Michigan to study medicine. He skipped a
General Surgery rotation to go straight to a Neuroscience
residency at Johns Hopkins University.
The volume contains a series of memorable pictures depicting
Dr. Carson MD as a neurosurgeon.

The presentation describes some very complicated surgical
procedures; such as, the hemispherectomy on the
patient Miranda. The procedure was lengthy and complicated
in this particular case because a part of the brain matter
had to be extracted. Ultimately, the procedure was successful
due to the skillful surgical manipulations of Dr. Carson
and a concept known as plasticity. The concept deals with
the ability of the brain to attain a similar mathematical
dilation or shape despite pressure deformation during surgery.
The patient was speaking shortly thereafter.

Brain diagnostics and surgery can be a complicated
undertaking due to a number of factors including the lengthy
time in surgery and extensive bleeding. Diseases of the brain
can have very technical distinctions; such as, cerebellar atrophy
and Marchiafava's disease. The presentation documents just how
far brain surgery has come through advances in the
art of surgery. The book makes a very interesting read for a
wide constituency of the general public and especially
medical practitioners.

This book has not only allow me to change my outlook on life, but I have also developed a more positive attitude towards myself. This is a very inspiring book and I wish there were more books on the market like it. These are the books children should be reading in class to help build their self-esteem.