Biography Books

A good easy read and another great perspective of the efforts of the soldiers of the 101st. Not written as boldly as some other easy company author's work but a good read`all the same. When comparing you do however pick up on how the wars affect was different for the individual soldiers of easy co.

Excellent story and book. Sgt. Malarkey played a major role in the Band of Brothers which I have watched at least 10 times. My Uncle fought in the Battle of the Bulge yet seldom mentioned what he went through...except he had frost bite up past his ankles. He never mentioned his medals: Two Bronze Stars, Good Conduct Medal and the Victory Ribbons. We learned of these from the VA upon his death at the age of 95.

Thank you Sgt. Malarkey for writing this book.

This book gives a pretty good look at the a typical member of the Band of Brothers...from his growing up, to some of his thoughts during the way, to how he dealt with the aftermath. I was five years and one month old when the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbor and all of my male cousins were involved in different branches of the service. I guess that is what got me interested in the war and people who took part in it. I just wish we had people as dedicated today...from my cousins to the "Band of Brothers." Our country would be a lot better off.

Great book from Malarkey. He has a open, honest writing style that gives you a very realistic look at the life of an Easy Company Soldier. You will not get fluff here. I have all of the men's books. I like Don's the best! His life back home after the war was very interesting too. If you follow Easy - read this book, you will be surprised by much of his remarks. I sent him my book, and he was kind enough to sign it for me.

This is my favorite book from any of the recent releases by Easy Company veterans. The writing style is smooth and the emotions are clear. This is the kind of memoir a person should be proud of and the personal narratives bring out a surprisingly sensitive side to the paratrooper sergeant that is the subject of this book. Highly recommended for anyone!

I first discovered Donald Hall when teaching high school English. Hundreds of my students, through the years, read his classic "My Son My Executioner" in my class, and since first discovering that poem at an AP conference, I've read everything I can find that he's written. This memoir is a gentle, moving, ultimately rather heartbreaking book. I recommend it.

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.

Susan told a remarkable story of her life as a child bride. It is truly amazing what these women and children have to go through and Susan takes you right into their world. Awesome book.

Excellent read. It really held my attentiona and I had a hard time putting it down. It was fascinating, compelling, educational and very interesting.

This book was very well written and kept my interest. It is terrible that such brainwashing in the name of religion is going on. It was a miracle that she and her chldren were able to escape. I enjoyed this book very much.

I loved this book! I couldn't put it down. I took it with me on vacation and found myself buried in the book on the beach instead of buried in the sand. Being a fan of the HBO show Big Love I wanted to do some reading and research on the subject of polygamy to shed some light on certain things in the show I could not understand. This helped tremndously. I even began reading it out loud to my husband.

A very interesting and sad side of false religion and how easily Scripture is twisted to fit man's rules, not God's commands. It is really sad that people actually think pologamy is what God wants anyone to participate in. It is sad as well as disgusting how cults work and have their way with women and men alike. Just because some man thinks he is hearing God when all he ever heard were demons giving him false facts.
To start a whole religion on lies is NOT GOD and certainly not the JESUS who is the TRUE SAVIOUR! And as if that isn't bad enough, then more men come along and start more lies and another cult branched off the first cult of the LDS movement which robs even more people of eternal life in Christ and in heaven reigning with Him!

I read this book in hardcover when it was published. I can't imagine a better book on the rigors, the deceptions, a true inside story of how campaigns really work. So insightful! The section on Joe Biden is certainly worth re-reading. He is an amazing man. His history is so helpful in looking at this election and comparing him to McCain's Barbie doll saviour, if any comparison is needed after her lame performance reciting practiced answers even though the answers were not to the questions asked. Duck and dodge, but the Katie Couric interviews showed she is lost in the ring and doesn't belong there. Shame on John McCain for subjecting us to the possibility of a Palin presidency.

If you haven't read this book now is the time! Whenever I am forced to chose only one book as my all time favorite What It Takes (The Way to the White House) by Richard Ben Cramer is the one...I read it when it was first published and still have yet to find another book about politics that is so enthralling..Lots of Joe Biden in the book so that alone makes it a timely book to read now...

This is a book people might shy away from since it deals with the 1988 campaign, and those candidates are basically ancient history (except for Biden). However, what the book really describes it literally 'what it takes' for any man or woman to believe they can be President.

We look at the people running today, and we see them as TV characters and sometimes buffoons, but forget that in their youth they were probably the smartest, most popular, most driven people we would have known. Just to get to a place where one can entertain the idea of running for President takes a life of very, very few wasted opportunities.

So, while this book doesn't talk about Obama or Clinton or Huckabee, etc., you can read it and at least get sort of a sense of what the candidates are like behind the masks they put on.

The best thing that can be said about "What It Takes" is that you will read it and you will appreciate that Presidential candidates actually are qualified, and while they might make terrible decisions, they really are the best we have.

"What It Takes" is an antidote for cynicism.

It's a great insight into the psyche of candidates, the jargon of campaigns -- and a demonstration of just how tough campaings are. (The author of this book is also a frequent contributer to Rolling Stone and Esquire. Some of the language in this book certainly isn't appropriate for younger readers).

Ben Cramer follows the major candidates in their races to become president in 1988. He reproduces their speaking and thinking styles in such an incredible way that you will never be able to think of any of these people (Bob Dole, GHW Bush, Jesse Jackson) in quite the same way you did before.

His intense focus on how the candidates act differently when in private than they do when they're out giving their stump speech makes for fascinating reading. If you're tired of dry books that are "nothing but the facts, ma'am," you'll love this well-written story.

We've read many books this year and I'd have to say this is one of my 6 year old's very favorite books. (She especially loves reading about "Moses the Kitten" and "Oscar the Cat".)
The illustrations are wonderful with a lot of detail but not so that they overwhelming. We've spent quite a bit of time going over the illustrations pointing out a lot of the detail.
I bought a used copy of this book. Had I known what an exceptional book it is, I probably would have bought a brand new copy.

I am a long-time fan of James Herriot's books. I worked in an independent book store when I found this jewel, and I have given it at every baby shower and young child's birthday since. It is a collection of stories taken from his books and illustrated. The stories are sweet, poignant tales of the literary veterinarian's encounters with four-legged friends in England.

If you are an animal lover or Herriot fan, this is a must- see. The illustrations are realistic with a touch of warmth and they bring life to the stories that graced these literary masterpieces. Many friends and family who recently have had children love this gift. It is a book to be cherished and read to/with your children for years!

The binding is solid with a dustcover I remove when reading with small children (who love to rip my dustcovers!). The papers is a tolerant high gloss that can easily withstand sticky little baby fingers. My niece and I have clocked many hours reading and cleaning this book!

The stories in here are not just bedtime tales. This is life-enriching literature with quirky characters and poignant emotion which you will treasure for years to come. I got as much out of reading these to our son as he did, and you will all enjoy the illustrations. As with real living, the death of a beloved pet is included in one of the tales, so if your children would be upset by this, you might discuss beforehand.

Our 3.5 year old daughter loves this book. The illustrations are beautiful and the stories compelling. They are on a level that she can relate to without feeling condescended to. The stories are interesting and fun for adults to read and they are great to talk about afterwards.

This is a great example of a living book. The stories transport the listener to another place, and the journey is a pleasure. My 5 and 8 year old daughters love these stories and their illustrations.

Alison Light clearly does her homework. "Mrs. Woolf and the Servants" is absolutely loaded with the products of her very thorough research. Not only does she tell us as much as humanly possible about the various servants who worked for Virginia Woolf, Vanessa Bell, and others of the Bloomsbury set, but she tells us about the lives of their parents, as well. Light strives to create a clear picture of these servants, including where they came from, how they lived, and how their lives drew to a close. In addition, she pays a good deal of attention to the conditions of life and stratification along class structure in England during the early 1900's. Initially, I was worried that the book would prove to be too dry, as some books which prove to be information dumps can be. Thankfully, Light paints vivid portraits of these famous (and not so famous) figures, bringing them to life while keeping the reader's interest.

My main criticism of the book consists of there being occasionally too much information. We don't necessarily need to know the smallest details of the lives of these servants' parents. In addition, Light does stray away from the main topic of domestic servants and simply focus on Virginia Woolf for a good portion. Since my main attraction to this book was my thirst for all things Virginia Woolf, I appreciated that. However, those looking simply for a critical analysis of domestic service might not be as pleased. Light certainly goes above and beyond in her approach to discovering exactly what Woolf's view of domestic service was. Not only does she turn to diaries, correspondence, and interviews for her information, but she goes so far as to do her own interpretation of servants in Woolf's literary work in a manner that is well thought out and truly revealing of the famous writer.

Whether you're interested in England's history of household servants or solely here for the Virginia Woolf insight, I definitely recommend this book.

Reading Chuck Palahniuk's collection of oddball 'strange-but-true' stories, articles written for various magazines about twisted people and their twisted little hobbies, is like watching "America's Most Terrifying Videos" or reading "Ripley's Believe It or Not." You feel guilty for enjoying the freak show... but not enough to stop reading. The book isn't that thick, and there are 23 chapters so each one makes a pretty good (and somehow appropriate) bathroom companion. There are chapters guaranteed to offend almost any sensibility, and yet there you sit still reading long after your business is done. They say knowledge is neutral, neither good nor inherently bad. But does that mean that every story has to be told?

Interesting true stories told well. One story offering some insight into the man? A departure for Palahniuk but one of my favorites of his.

Chuck Palahniuk out-does his own fiction writing, (which can be strange at times) with this collection of "True" stories.
Any fan of Chuck will appreciate this book. It lives up to it's title, and delivers it's helping of strange and obscure topics.
One of these topics is masturbation. And, he has much to say about this, including the reactions of the listeners when he read this story at bookstores around the world. And, let's not exclude the "Testicle Festival," the yearly event near Massoula Montana, that includes public nakedness, sex, and debauchery of all sorts. And, of course, the consumption of fried bull testicles. (dipped in ranch dressing)
So, get on...hold on tight. You may wish you hadn't, but, then again, if you are already familiar with Chuck's work, you probably would expect no less.

I was attracted to this book after reading fight club, choke, haunted and lullaby. So, of course, i had high hopes. I picked it up, and it was not any where near as good as I thought it would be. There are like 2 good stories but the rest are just bland. While i was reading, i kept thinking, "And why am i reading this?" try reading other palahniuk books such as choke. This, for me, was a dissapointment.

Many other reviewers have noted that some of the stories in this book are slow and dry. The drawn out descriptions of the castle builders immediately comes to mind, as does the personal story of Juliette Lewis. But overall this is a worthwhile look into the mind and life of one of the best authors of our time. I feel like I know Chuck Palahniuk on a more personal level now, and that's what I was hoping for. I find him a fascinating man, someone I would love to sit down for coffee with. With that desire in mind, I am very happy I waded through this book.

This was a difficult book to read. I am not saying its was a bad book it kept interest pretty much throughout. I am not saying this woman was not abused, in some ways yes, but I do not think it warrented a book about it.

the majority of the time the author basked in money, expensive clothes, vactions abroad, and money at her disposal. I am not saying money made it alright, it did not but it takes the sting out of it and there were times when her Mother was kind and decent and cared, she had emotional problems but throughout I never doubted she loved her children very much and gave them pretty much the best money could buy, and yes money does help.

My good friend was a abused beaten child and it was much much more horrific than this sugar-coated book. Her father beat her black and blue with the belt and her three younger siblings, he did NOT drink it was his real true personna he did this cold sober. He locked the kids in closests for hours, even one time in the trunk of a car, he would take them to a dark deserted field and tell them to "get out" because they had done something bad that day {normal kids antic's nothing terrible} he would call them horrible names, chase them around hitting them swearing and worst of all he would, and I will descibe this slowly, make the four kids kneel on their knees on hardwood floor with their arms extended out for an hour, if they lowered there arms they would get backhanded in the face! Back in the 1970's noone cared, it was like "disipline your children as you see fit" neighbors would see the children getting chased around the front yard and never called the police, they were on their own. The mother tried to protect, he never hit her, but failed he was so mean nasty rotten evil noone could stop him, he never sexually abused them, thank God, thats one good thing, but the emotional physical and mental abuse have hurt these kids throughout life, damaged jobs and relationships and has brought on panic attacks, depression and anxiety, this man was truly evil, he is still alive, the mother died young, and is STILL at it, never missing the opportunity to verbally abuse and yell, they avoid him all they can and hate him to this day.

They did NOT have money growing up, lower middle-class, no nice clothes, no expensive vacations, no wonderful caring grandparents who intervened and helped, etc.... they were abused poor and it was terrible, hellish.

My point is other people have had it way harder than this author, she had money and lots of it and yes it takes away the sting, not all together I agree, but it made it easier, just to "fly away to france" or the bahamas when things got bad with the mother and I felt she never actually beat the kids bloody, they survived and they did it rich and had other options. The family I described had no other options, poor and beatup is a horrible childhood, and the fact the father did this cold-sober and did not take drugs makes it worse, it was real, not alcholism related and there were not "presents and disney world vactions" to take away the sting, just more abuse and hatred and to this day it continues, through they are adult and can stay away, I pray one day these children can heal and recover, but his hatred lives on as he lives on at age 70.

NO abuse is good and I am not saying this author had it great because she was so rich, I am saying it took away some of the sting and allowed them more options to leave. No matter how you look at it, money DOES help in everyway, its alot better to have money than not and in this case it helped. I am sorry the author suffered through I don't feel she suffered that badly, and as you read above others suffer SO much more. It turned out good for her good husband, beautiful baby, trust fund, money etc.. she will survive. Perhaps my friend should write a book about her hellish childhood and make lots of money like the author, at least her cries would be serious. The book is good, a good read, but life was not as awful as it seemed for her. Perhaps abused poor children should NOT read it, it makes their situations so much worse being poor.

In HER LAST DEATH, Susanna Sonnenberg achieves what I believe the very best memoirs can accomplish. She paints a vivid, living picture, not just of a life but of her relationship with her manic but unbalanced mother, and she does so with prejudice and personal perspective. Memoir is not autobiography; at its very best, the genre tells us not the facts and objective observation of the events. Memoir takes us into the heart of the author's experience, and it is its very subjectivity that gives it power. HER LAST DEATH brings the reader into Sonnenberg's internal world, a tumultuous place where both a mother's love and her sanity are always in question.

Sonnenberg doesn't flinch from the light when it comes to examining her own stumbles and weaknesses, and when an understanding of her troubled mother's psyche eludes her, as it often does, the author doesn't engage in conjecture or armchair psychoanalysis. Instead, she allows us to experience this inexplicable world with her, and in the end, we are left not so much with a sense of who her mysterious mother might have been, but rather whom the author has ultimately become.

In the course of facing a difficult past and its ramifications for her future, Susanna Sonnenberg has shown herself to be an extremely talented writer, and I eagerly await more from her.

I don't think I've ever read a book where the reviews were so extreme - from those who loved it to those who were quite disappointed. Yes, this is a sexually graphic book. Yes, this seems to be a very honest book. Yes, there are some inconsistencies in the story. However, I was very impressed with the personal writing style. Susanna's acting out as a teen and young adult clearly seemed understandable. How many people who knew her had any idea of what she went though at home? I am glad that she told this story, even though it was quite disturbing at times.

I was very disapointed with this book halfway through. You can't help but dislike the author who seems to have no redeeming qualities. Predictable and self-serving, she seems to think she suffered more than her younger sister whom she abandons in a time of need. Lets hope "Her Last Death" is her last book!

I love memoirs and I found Her last Death to be hard to leave when I had to go to work, but I have a few quibbles.

The book started off wrongly in the preface where the author, Susannah Sonnenberg, warns us that the only "real" character in the book is her; everyone else has a pseudonym and people and events may be composites of characters and situations. That is not the definition of a memoir, in my opinion. Rather, I felt I was reading fiction into which the author had inserted herself. Therefore, I have no idea if what she wrote actually happened as described or if the people she wrote about, including most of all, her mother and sister and her wealthy grandparents, really existed. A memoir, at least since James Frey got reamed out by Oprah, is about real people and real occurrences.

I also must admit I didn't like almost all of the people described in the book, including the author most of the time. Her husband remains a complete enigma (leading me to believe he's boringly normal) but that he doesn't seem to buy into her dramas says a lot about him. Her father has some interesting qualities and more so as his neurological disease has progressed. The mother, of course, is singularly distasteful in almost every aspect and it seems she has similarly doomed the younger sister. Her story is one of rampant, unrepentant child sexual abuse, passive aggressiveness, and deceit intended for no other purpose than to hurt her children in ways I haven't seen anywhere before. Everything she did was so inappropriately perfused with sexuality in dangerous and unspeakable ways. Should the author rear her two sons to be honest, decent, responsible, and loving adults, that will be a monumental credit to her ability to overcome her dreadful family.

If readers discount the story and the people populating it as mostly fictionalized, then they will experience a well-written, fast-moving "novel" about a quite unsettling family they should never hope to meet.