Biography Books

How did Michael Beschloss get to be "America's Leading Presidential Historian?" I can only assume it is because he has a talent for getting himself on TV again & again...because it certainly isn't because of dreadful efforts such as this.

Setting content aside for a moment --- how can any literate person regard this as well written? It reads like a Power Point presentation, or more specifically, like research notes which were never revised into a coherent narrative. It's hard to have narrative at all when your chapters are only 5 pages long! Suffice it to say, I found the writing to be such an irritant that I ultimately never finished the book. Life is too short to read crappy writing.

As for the content itself, this is all ground which has been well-covered many times before and Beschloss' conclusions are generally quite unremarkable. When he isn't stating the obvious, Beschloss is dumbing down the subject matter to make it appear more simple than it really was.

Just as an example, I would point to Andrew Jackson & the Bank War. Exactly how is this courageous? Jackson was enjoying tremendous popular support when he went in for the kill against the 2nd BUS, and he was as convinced of his own rectitude as any man ever has. Also, it is grossly inaccurate to characterize the 2nd BUS as corrupt. Nicholas may have been a ruthless autocrat, but nobody could accuse him of corruption. That label would be more accurately applied to Jackson's "pet banks" into which Jackson put government deposits, and which were largely responsible for the catastrophic Panic of 1837. Does Beschloss provide anything more than the most shallow of analysis? Of course not.

I never would have purchased this in the first place, but it was part of a book club shipment which I opened by mistake, thinking that it was another (better-written) book. It was only the first of many regrets.

Like the rest of us, our Presidents have been flawed people -- each with his own limitations, prejudices, and conflicts. And yet, through our history, at times these men have risen above their limitations to exert extraordinary leadership: grasping a moral imperative with uncommon clarity, and finding the strength and passion to use the powers of the office to follow that imperative despite great risk to their own political fortunes -- and, in some cases, to their very lives.

"Presidential Courage" tells the stories behind nine such moments of courageous leadership. In none of them is the protagonist portrayed as an all-knowing superhero. In each, we see the President wrestle with a challenge in a profoundly human way -- beset by the uncertainties, self-doubts, pride and fear that are familiar to all who struggle with a moral dilemma. In each case, the President ultimately comes to the painful decision that the right course of action is contrary to what his advisors recommend or public opinion demands. And yet he chooses to throw himself into the breach.

The author's research is impressive, drawing upon unpublished papers and (for President Reagan) interviews with people who witnessed personal dimensions behind publicly reported events. As a result, the stories contain many human details that do not make it into our school curriculum or popular awareness. These details are not always flattering. Kennedy, for example, is portrayed as being dragged only reluctantly to the "right" side of the fight for racial equality. And for Truman, his own anti-semitic bias was a key obstacle that he had to overcome. But to a large degree it is precisely the humanity of the way these men struggled with -- and triumphed over -- their personal limitations that gives these stories such inspirational impact.

One aspect of the book that I particularly enjoyed was the transitions between chapters. The author searches out connections between these men, suggesting almost spiritual ways in which the legacies of past Presidents have in effect enabled them to reach forward through time to inspire their successors. It gives hope that the best moments in our presidential history will yet empower future leaders, at least from time to time, to rise above their limitations to achieve great things as well.

I had high expectations for this book. It let me down a little. It just wasn't that engaging. Some of it is very well known like JFK's battle with civil rights. I was looking for a good analysis on the different presidents and their actions. I didn't find that. I found that Mr. Beschloss just told about the different incident but didn't offer any new insight to it. I was hoping that he would even use them to give perspective on what is happening now but he didn't. I rated this book 3 stars because he does include several presidents and topics that I was unaware of. For that it was worth my time reading it. This is a very basic book so I would recommend it to people that are wanting to learn about the presidents and their thought processes concerning major events in their presidencies.

This is an interesting review of some history. Some of it was in high school textbooks but long forgotten. The author includes details that probably weren't in the textbooks. One aspect that I really like is the author makes links between past and present, e.g. the grandson of a person in one administration turns up in the another president's administration.

It is not dense history so a history-buff probably would find it too simple. But for most of us, it is a quick read (short paragraphs) that is interesting. We can see how difficult governing really is.

I recommend this book be read by everybody in America-in order to learn more about some of our finest Presidents. I was educated on things that I had not learned before-FASCINATING!

The book is a quick read, almost too short. At times I would have wanted a deeper look into this journey, feeling as if the author remained on the surface at times. The lay out is simple and straightforward and the narrative is uncomplicated. I wonder if the rough language wasn't the only thing scrubbed out of this obviously Christian-targeted book. That being said, I enjoyed the book and am thankful that Mike Yonkoski shared his experience in print.

The book is worth the read and a good place to start when wanted to put action to belief. It would make a great study topic for a church youth program.

I'm curious if this book was the catalyst that started the trend of young Christian man venturing into the world of the homeless for extended periods or if the Spirit is doing the same work in others like It did in the author and Sam, his fellow Christian homeless sojourner?

During a sermon, Mike feels the call from God to live on the streets of America. After much prayer and research, he and his friend Sam spend 5 months in several cities.

This book is interesting on several levels. It describes what it is like to be homeless. It talks about the Christian church's reaction to the homeless. It talks about what the individual Christian can do (and not do) to make a difference in the lives of homeless.

An eye opening look into homelessness and humanity. It confirmed some of my thoughts towards the homeless but softened my heart as well.

This book is awesome and it is for everyone. I considered myself to be a generally compassionate christian, but this book really made me do some deep soul searching. This is an amazing story and it is very well written. Don't pass this one up!

This book chronicles the "real life" journey of Mike Yankoski and his friend Sam through the streets of America. Putting his faith to the test he decided to live as the homeless in a number of cities across the country.

This book is enlightening as well as inspiring. It makes you think twice about passing someone up that you might be able to help. It also gives you a glimpse into the life of someone who is less fortunate. How does someone feel when they, for whatever reason, are left living on the streets. How much does it mean to them when somebody just shows that they care?

It was very interesting to read about the interactions these two had with regular people, including church folk. How they were treated, etc.

I completely enjoyed the adventure that Mike and Sam took me on, and would highly recommend it.

Arthur Vanderbilt II takes great care in researching and describing his own family tree. despite the fact that there are still many Vanderbilts that are missing, such as Frederick Vanderbilt who built the mansion in Hyde Park, NY, the book is a very good quick reference of the family tree.
This is a must have for historians of the Guiled Age and Vanderbilt family, as Arthur has compiled an extensive bibliography of re fences and primary sources that are immensely important for further research.

Extremely interesting account of the demise of the Vanderbilt fortune. Obviously, this will not be available at the Biltmore Estate bookshop!

Being a recent visitor to The Breakers and a past visitor to the Vanderbilt mansion on the Hudson River in New York, I am fascinated by this family and their lives.
I am still reading this book and find it quite interesting, but I would have liked to have a family tree just as another reviewer mentioned and definitely more pictures would have been appreciated.

I know that I will be purchasing other Vanderbilt books to quench my thirst for knowledge of this family.

It was like reading a trashy novel - but this is nonfiction. I found it fascinating to read how a mob mentality can take over a person even when it is "mobs" of money surrounding them. Greed and status overtook any common sense, or even love for their children. I now understand why Andrew Carnegie gave all his money away.

Since the book was written by a Vanderbilt, I dubiously expected a sanitized version and was delightfully surpised to find the author was brutally honest about the characters covered. This book was engrossing. I could not put it down. The portion about the Gloria Vanderbilt custody case was particularly engaging - what a piece of work the maternal grandmother was. But the book as a whole was a gem - I devoured every page and was sad to see it end.
I do agree with the previous reviewer who said a genealogical tree would have helped to refer to when reading about the characters and keeping track of how they were all related to each other, especially since the family was so fecund and so many of the men had similiar names. I think it also interesting the author does not mention precisely which branch of the family he is descended from. So perhaps he is trying to maintain some of his own identity. But all in all, this excellent read has whetted my desire to read more about the Vanderbilts, as well as other East Coast aristocratic families.

This is the book I used for my 1st college class in many years.
There are tools in here, such as "mind mapping", that I am still using and will continue to use in much of my academic future. Lots of information learned here can easily be applied to work situations as well. Highly recommended.

I used this book for a undergrad class and was not impressed at all. To me it came across as very vague and confusing. I do not believe that it should be used for undergrad studies.

This is a wonderful testimony to the love and caregiving that the author experienced while administering to his wife.A book that all caregivers can relate to--probably should be a read by the caregiver and not the afflicted. Unfortunately the quality of the binding is not at the same level as it's contents.Both volumes I purchased came apart at the seams and I had to reglue many of the pages.

My death and dying stage - the cover compelled me! And in this case, you CAN judge this book by its cover (center: an image of a woman smiling from under a large brimmed straw hat, circa 1940s, with a shadowy image of a solitary man walking away in the lower left corner)

Robertson McQuilkin was a college professor at a renowned seminary when his wife was diagnosed with Alzheimers Disease. She had always been the love of his life, and he struggled with the choices that come at the end -

This book is strengthening, uplifting, and encouraging - love is a commitment. This man gives up everything to help his bride, and gains it all back tenfold, through blessings from God. it details the anguish he feels and the deep sad love that carries him through every day.

I saw my grandfather in this all over the place, married 57+ years to my grandmother, and visiting her every day at the nursing home. He loves her. He wishes he could do and be more, but feels helpless.

Such a love! It's FAR BETTER THAN THE TITANIC!!

Wonderful Wedding Gift Material!!

A beautiful story of marital faithfulness and love in an age where there is precious little of the same. Only in Jesus can be found this quality of unconditional love. I also recommend McQuilkin's Life in the Spirit book and workbook. He truly knows how to live a life filled with the fruits of the Holy Spirit -- and can teach us how, too!

For a young single it's easy to fantasize about the joys of having a lifelong love - often at the neglect of counting the true cost of actually having one. This small but powerful book shows that cost, and how one man remained faithful to his wife despite it.

Robertson, a distinguished man high in Christian academic circles, is shocked when his vivacious wife Muriel is diagnosed with Alzheimer's. Gradually, she begins to succumb to its ravages and is forced to abandon her popular radio show and speaking engagements. As the disease takes its toll on Muriel, Robertson devotes more and more time to watching over her. He leaves his work and other pursuits to care for her because without his presence, she becomes fearful and agitated. Only with him near is she happy and content. Eventually she becomes totally dependent upon him, unable to perform rudimentary tasks or even converse.

But the heart of the story is that he remains with her gratefully, and with a loving attitude. He is not an angry or resentful caretaker. Of course, he is not thrilled to watch his lovely, intelligent wife slide into helpless dementia. But he sees his caretaking as a holy task, one entrusted to him by God. Indeed, she "took care" of him for decades, so he finds it a priviledge to return the favor. However, he is careful to state that his is not the "ideal" way to care for a severely ailing loved one. But I would say that his attitude and actions are examples for anyone, regardless of whatever caretaking path is chosen.

Elisabeth Elliot once wrote that marriage is the abandonment of self. Robertson lovingly exemplifies that principle in the midst of a heart-breaking situation - all for the glory of God. Highly recommended.

Good book for care givers of the ill. Encouragement to keep on loving in the midst of pain.

What is Pride ? Is it `Pride' to Review a Classic ?

I've always loved the movie version of `Out of Africa' with Robert Redford and Meryl Streep. Whether it was the character development, or the wild life, or the Mozart throughout the film score, the symbiosis of all of the above consistently moves me & holds my attention. Then there were the excerpted portions of the book I was introduced to in Literature class. Somewhere among the multitude of reviews of this book are plenty of words to describe how I `feel' about the prose and the somewhat dis-similar treatment by the movie.

But who can compete with the authors own words ?

"The discovery of the dark races was to me a magnificent enlargement of all my world."

From the view to promote the perspective of a tribal native, in this country or any other, I'd like to point out that Baroness Karen Blixen/ a.k.a. Isaac Denison has recorded some highly unique perspectives about the Kenya tribal peoples and their respective roles in the predator vs prey aspects of human slavery.

How the Mohammedans played the role of predators in concert with Arab slave traders to capture and sell Africans to the European slave ship masters is treated with pragmatism. The proud people of the Masai game reserve were sometimes assisting the Mohammedans, but if captured and sold themselves were unlikely to survive in captivity. The 'prey' class of social strata, named Kikiyu, who were beneath the 'marriage' qualifications that would suit the upwards-mobility of the Mohammedan women were yet accounted acceptable breeding stock as wives of the Masai, noble and proud.

These variations are irregular to the politically correct assumptions of our society, yet as real as they may be in middle eastern cultures, they were described in pre-World War I central Africa. What the American descendants of Mohammedan Africans might be 'sensitive' to or 'offended' by in our culture were matters of 'pride' to the Kenyans of the post Colonial era leading up to World War II. Some readers might enjoy discovering what praise Baroness Blixen had to report about her Mohammedan servant Farah, or the Holy man from India who visited her farm, or the virtues of the Mohammedan women in obtaining a husband.

Our culture is perfectly content to adopt a presidential canidate for the sake of lauding his skin color, without appreciating any of the virtues of the Kenyan ancestors who brought him to American territory. But this is one author who has uniquely appraised the strengths of the Kenyan people she knew, from living with them and learning to respect and love them. Consider a bit she writes about 'pride',

"...Very proud things were about, and made their presence felt...Pride is faith in the idea that God had, when he made us. A proud man is conscious of the idea, and aspires to realize it. He does not strive towards a happiness, or comfort, which may be irrelevant to God's idea of him. His success is the idea of God, successfully carried through, and he is in love with his destiny...the fulfillment of his fate."

"People who have no pride are not aware of any idea of God in the making of them, and sometimes they make you doubt that there has ever been much of an idea, or else it has been lost, and who shall find it again ? They have got to accept as success what others warrant to be so, and to take their happiness, and even their own selves, at the quotation of the day. They tremble with reason, before their fate."

[she distils a faith like to, but not to be confused as 'Christian' faith, thus]

"Love the pride of God beyond all things, and the pride of your neighbour as your own. The pride of lions: do not shut them up in Zoos. The pride of your dogs: let them not grow fat. Love the pride of your fellow-partisans, and allow them no self-pity."

"Love the pride of the conquered nations, and leave them to honour their father and their mother."

`Out of Africa' is filled with beautiful descriptive prose. But someone also learned from Africa and her people, and was good enough to leave us a chronicle.

Now eclipsed by the Streep-Redford film presentation that appropriated its title, Karen Blixen's memoir of life on her Kenyan coffee farm speaks movingly of the more benign side of colonialism in Africa and of one European's self-evident love for the land she had made her own.

Sadly, Blixen's lush descriptions of 'her people' are often judged too quickly by modern criteria of racial attitudes, a game that is like asking this early twentieth-century writer to wrestle with one arm tied behind her back. If it can be granted that there was anything good about Europe's colonization of Africa, then Bliksen (Isak Dinesen was her pen name) is its face.

She loved the land and its people, entering about as far as was plausible in her time into the remarkable rhythm of both. What more can be asked of any of us, all children of our moment and enveloped in its limitations?

This is a book for lovers of Africa, no matter whence they come. Blixen not only pushed an eloquent pen, she was herself shaped in the biblical and classical language of educated Europeans in a way that prepared her to bridge Africa and Europe in a day when few were equipped to do so.

Blixen's Africa no longer exists, as she already realized within the window of her writing of OUT OF AFRICA and SHADOWS ON THE GRASS. Yet the Africa Blixen knew has children, not to be disinherited for the generations that have passed and the unsavory disease that a legacy of failed leaders has wrought upon this great continent. Though the primary fruit of reaching behind the celluloid to *read* OUT OF AFRICA is the satisfaction of the read itself, it is also true that today's Africa and today's Africans can be glimpsed in the great-grandparents who knew and lived in proximity to this enigmatic and uniquely gifted Danish colonist in a land she mistreated only by calling it hers.

I came to this book expecting to read one woman's personal experience of living in Africa, and that's what I found. There is no sociology here, and very little historical context. She does not illuminate THE African experience. She records HER African experience. Certainly that is all she owes the reader? One woman's experience, one woman's life in a time very different from our own.

Do some of her observations shock the modern reader's sensibility? Oh certainly. There are things one simply does not SAY, and back when she wrote, she did. On the whole, her love and respect shine through when speaking of the people who entered her life as neighbors, employees and friends.

Dinesen brings to life a physical landscape that most of us will never get to see. She takes passionate delight in her work, her companions, and her surroundings. Even her setbacks are embraced, as they compose part of a life she knew was slipping away from her.

I was intrigued by what she didn't write. The book maintains almost complete silence about her husband, her health, and her relationship with Denys Finch Hatten. It is only in writing of his death that we understand how deep her feelings were. She writes around that love. Her discretion made my heart ache.

Very highly recommended.

I find most autobiographies to be masterbatory exercises in which the authors attempt to explain themselves.

But in Out of Africa, Denison does no explaining, no apologizing. It is love poem to the Africa she knew, and while she does display racist views, it is as she unashamedly shows her heartbreak over a world she loved and was lost.

Denison also wrote some very powerful short stories, most notably the ones in "Winter's Tales." "The Sorrow Acre," is technically one of the most masterly presented short stories I have ever read. Despite her later skills, though, Out of Africa sets itself apart as a masterpiece for its ability to elegantly show an individual's gushing sense of loss.

Underlying Blixen's tale of early 20th century Africa is the presumption that there was such a place; that is, a people or nation of peoples existed to which she went and from which she was forced to depart by economic circumstances. This presumption a priori allows her to reminisce about Africa the way it was or was supposed by her to have been.

As she observed, Africa was, in a sense, leaving her. Peoples were being moved around, new laws restricting tribal behavior were being passed, and the Ngong Hills were being laid out as a suburb of Nairobi. She was there, she professed, before all these changes began.

But was she? Was there a time and place, "Africa", or is this concept mainly her and the European view of the times? Blixen's Africa in fact was not any sort of original. Europeans had already produced vast changes: the tribes were by then being herded into reservations and European ways and goods prevailed. European reporters never reported Africa the way it was or had been. That information remained "dark."

The informational darkness is not entirely their fault. An observer always alters that which he sets out to observe. It is only a presumption that his observations are an approximation of the reality the way it would be without him observing it. That presumption is least justifiable in human affairs. We will never know what the original Masai or Kikuyu were like, or the exact configuration of flora and fauna among which they dwelled, or how they reacted to their environments or each other.

Similarly Blixen's little white light doesn't shine very far. We get some ethnic generalities as the vehicle of which she devises some stock identities, "the Kikuyu", "the Masai" and the like, which, on closer examination, turn out to be of European origin. Blixen manufactures masks and tries to get the Africans to wear them. Sociological and anthropological data are nearly entirely in deficit from these supposed traits. She probably is not alone in this process of inventing peoples. It accounts, perhaps, for why the Mau-mau insurrection caught the Europeans totally by surprise, as though you were to paint doodles on a sleeping man's body and he were to awake suddenly and demand angrily to know what you were doing.

What a wonderful little novel! If you love Italy as I do, you will love this story as it leads you through the day to day life of this interesting and colorful heroine throughout the city of Venice. Diplaced, lonely, living in this city that couldnt be further away from Saint Louis, Missouri in every way, she builds a new life for herself. The story is full of cooking, eating and enjoying the food of Venice as well as the people who live there.

The main character of this book Marlena, a chef from St Louis, is visiting Venice for one of the many times she goes there. This time , a Venitian ,as she comes to call him, notices her and her life changes forever. This memoir tells of her life setting up house with the Venitian, her forays into the markets and her recipes and meals. De Blasi has lovely words to describe the scenes and the smells and the tastes as she explores Venice with her new husband. Some of the description may be over the top but Melena lives life that way.

I love Marlena's Book, all of them! Please write more.... I'm waiting! This book, A Thousand Days in Venice, is another one of her magnifico writings, which is also a true memoir of her life. I like to read a book that is "real life" happenings! I've been taking two tour groups to Italy twice a year now for seven years. I also travel to Italy and France to the markets for my store. I love the markets, especially in Italy. And, Marlena describes them well. My extended Dad, is born and raised in Sicily, and now lives in Tuscany, which is wonderful! I am in Italy as much as the United States. Marlena describes Venice, as well as the many other places in Italy, so well. Reading her books, puts you right there with her, and that's a wonderful thing when reading! I also like the balance in her books; she doesn't talk too much about food, but keeps a balance. Lately, I've read too many books about Italy, that are so boring and too much like the others out there. Not Marlena's books, true stories of her life in Italy! They really entice me to keep reading and reading until the end! Thank you so much Marlena for sharing your life with others, especially those who are in love with Italy! You have probably seen me around Orvieto, Venice, and many other places, especially my big sign that reads, Decorate Ornate.com! That sign has been North to South many times. Keep up the writing, I have enjoyed your books so much! I highly recommended "all" of your books to my customers, especially those of them that go on my tours and love Italy! They have the same compliments too, wondeful book, and when is the next one?

Stephani Chance
Decorate Ornate
Gladewater, TX

This is a fabulous - - fiction or non-fiction - I am not sure which - book. Almost a fairy tale type book. It which makes those of us who have never visited Venice - yearn to do so. I wanted to walk where she walked and especially eat all the delicious foods she describes. A fantasic risk she takes in moving there to be with "the stranger" and the story winds through their getting to know each other in a daring yet believable manner. The romance of it all brought tears to my eyes many times. I loved it. Can't wait to read the next in the series.

This is the sort of romantic story you expect in the movies, not real life. To find your great love, almost by accident, in Venice, while walking through Piazza San Marco, seems impossible and yet that's exactly what happened to the author. Sharing this lovely story gives us all a chance to dream. And it isn't just ordinary sharing, but beautifully crafted description of a place that boasts an extraordinary amount of beauty. Not all is wine and roses for this implausible couple--eHarmony would never have matched them up--and yet it works on many levels and thanks to Ms. DeBlasi, we readers are allowed a glimpse into an inner life in Venice which leaves us wanting more--and luckily, following stories by Ms. DeBlasi provide that.

I just finished reading this book and highly recommend it.It is an inspiring true and personal testimony of a wealthy traditional Muslim woman who came to the faith through vivid dreams from God. As she journeys from Islam to Christianity, her salvation leads to her to a wonderfully intimate relationship with Christ. She is dedicated and obedient in all details of her life, big and small , and openly shares her struggles with temporal things, a sharp tongue, and pride and how she learns to overcome her flesh and walk in a true relationship with the Lord. It is void of the shallow Christianity that is so prevalent in our society today, and I found that very refreshing . It left me desiring a deeper level of intimacy with God as well as causing me to evaluate my own obedience and faith in Him . The presence of the Lord she experiences is rare, but so is the faith and trust that she has for Him.

Her simplistic faith, untouched and tainted by modern Christianity and its rules and doctrine is a beautiful testament of how the Spirit will teach us all we need to know about Him. As He gives her dreams, leads her into the Scriptures and speaks to her she learns His word and how to obey Him. Her obedience, even as her life is threatened, is encouraging. I love a part in the book where she tells the Lord she doesn't have what it takes to be a martyr, so she asks Him to make her death quick and painless! I laugh because I have often prayed that myself.


Being a Muslim living in the middle east, coming to the faith in Christ was worthy of death. She was ostracized by her family and threatened with her life, yet she held steadfast and unwavering to the Lord in spite of it.

This book was originally written in 1978 but has been republished and includes an after word from two missionary friends who were close with her and were used to disciple Bilquis in her walk with the Lord. The author is now with the Lord, but has left behind a shining example of what a true relationship with Christ is for today.
It is an easy read and one that would make a wonderful family read aloud. I will definitely be adding it to book our pile to read to my children.

Stephanie
www.ahighandnoblecalling.blogspot.com

I love this book. It has become a friend over the years. It is written in such a way as you are sitting down and talking with a dear friend and she is telling you about her adventure.

What a life changing book it is. Read it.....and pass one along to a friend.

This is one of the most amazing books of a biography that I have ever read, on the power of GOD to show his LOVE for His children.

I am currently taking a course on Islam and the anstructor thought that this book would be an interesting read as to how women in that society were treated from their perspective. My wife and I read the book together in ONE DAY, she read it out loud as we drove around running arrands and then as we arrived home we finished that evening. Neither of us wanted to put the book down as it had us captured from page one.
This book was obviously written by a well educated woman raised in the Muslim faith who started on the journey to Christianity through a carefully thought out spiritual process.
I would call this book a Must Read for Christians of today as we have lost this simplistic view of our faith that this woman had and our willingness to defend it to the loss of everything.
The book is yet in a very simplistic writing style that it reads much like one of Kipling's stories that the author quotes and obviously was raised on in Pakistan.

Bilquis' story of her search for God and the way He found her shows the depths of his love for lost sinners and the powerful way he draws men to him. As the story unfolds, you can see how God is working out everything in the background, through dreams, events, chance encounters and situations to orchestrate the salvation of her soul. This is especially revealed in the Afterword written by Synove Mitchell, the missionary that Bilquis' first consulted, the despair that was going on in her spiritual life at the time, and her fervent prayers to God to show her meaning in her ministry.

After her conversion, Bilquis learns to walk with God, to feel for his Presence and to follow his leading. This part is very humbling for me because I have not yet learned to walk as Bilquis has, perhaps because I have too much material, Bible study notes, commentaries, preaching, programs, that I have not learned to lean solely on God, and what he wants me to do. I pray that I can develop the sensitivity that Bilquis has, about moving in his will, staying in his presence and his fellowship and then obey. Even though she was shunned by her family, threatened by the villagers, and almost had her house burned down, Bilquis learned to trust only in God and his timing. She was bold in her witness, she did what God told her to do, and was used by him to bring other villagers to Christ. Bilquis also recounts times when she grieved the Spirit, when she let her old self get in the way, and her immediate sense of being further away from God.

Servants and neighbors observed the changes that God made in Bilquis' life after her salvation. Whereas before, she was imperious, prideful, and hard to please. She became gentle, gracious, and giving. After years of observing her, her Muslim servant received Jesus as Saviour because she too wanted to know God, and asked Jesus to come into her heart. They both "have tasted that the Lord is gracious" (1 Peter 2:3)

So it can be for you too, if you want to taste of the heavenly gift, then just ask God to show Himself to you. While visiting a hospital, she met a doctor who told her "there is only one way to find out why you feel this way. And that is to find out for yourself, strange as that may seem. Why don't you pray to the God you're searching for? Ask Him to show you His way. Talk to Him as if He is your friend.... Talk to Him as if He were your father."

For a memoir about promiscuity, there is surprisingly very little about sex. Loose Girl is so much more than a tale about a promiscuous girl. It is a gripping and courageous account of one woman's prolonged struggle with shame and insatiable need.

There is a certain element of seduction buried in the way that author Kerry Cohen frames her poignant story. Only a few pages in, I found myself hopelessly seduced by her impressive ability to captivate the attention of her readers. She is undoubtedly an extremely talented writer and a woman who has clearly mastered a tremendous amount of emotional and psychological growth. Luckily for her audience, she was brave enough to share the painful lessons of her own evolution so that others might learn from her mistakes. It's no surprise that this book has its fair share of critics, but hopefully readers will be wise enough to judge for themselves.

In my opinion, Loose Girl is worth well more than its entertainment value alone. It exposes not only the author's painful past but also the fundamental cracks within the human condition, by which we are all afflicted in some way. It acknowledges the realities of our frailties and dissects the incessant agony of our need, not necessarily in a sexual manner but in a human way. Anyone who has ever felt unworthy, unloved or unsatisfied in any way should definitely pick up a copy of this book.

I was disappointed by this book. It read like a catalog of sexual experiences with little insight or flair in the telling. The ending was abrupt and contrived.

I am not being flippant or obnoxious when I pose to potential readers the following question: "WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF SOMEONE CALLED YOUR MOTHER A SLUT?" A guy would probably punch the distasteful person in the jaw. A woman would probably knee the abhorrent individual in the groin "and" punch the person in the jaw. Ok... what would you do if your very own Mother not only called herself a slut... but shouted it out to the world, by writing a book that proved her claim a million nauseating times over. That's what this entire repulsive book does. It even has an acknowledgment, before the actual appalling story begins from the author/Mother to her two children... "Who I hope will forgive me someday for writing a book for all their friends to read about their Mother's sex life."

Calling it sex does it too much justice. I am a man who has shared "locker-room" talk with the guys... I've shared stories with other service men in peace and in war... and yet... I have never heard any man ever describe a female... so consistently... in such a manner... that so degrades... a woman... to such a "pride-less" piece of worthlessness... as the author does to herself.

There is absolutely nothing sexy or alluring in this entire book. In addition to being a slut (as she readily admits on page 148: "I don't need anyone else to tell me what a slut I really am.") she abuses cocaine, marijuana, and alcohol. By the twentieth page, the matter-of-fact personal debauchery, literally put a pallor on my very being. The only reason I finished the book is so I could give an honest review.

I am a Father, and a Grandfather, and believe me, I have not led a sheltered life. To any parents out there who may be considering reading this book: Did you watch the movie "Thirteen"? If you did, did you get kind of clammy and shaky thinking; "Man I sure hope my young teenage daughter isn't carrying on like this?" Well the behavior (the only decent word I could use here.) in this book, from before the author was thirteen, and non-stop from there on out... is ONE-THOUSAND-TIMES-WORSE! Parents... I guarantee you... if you read this book... it will not be enjoyable.

The author's actions are so repulsive that when she gets crabs... you find yourself rooting for the crab! Then of course there are the genital warts and scabies. A rational person would have to scratch their head and wonder why... anyone would write this and use their real name... especially with children???

Loose Girl: A Memoir of Promiscuity follows Kerry Cohen's harrowing trajectory from young, insecure, and confused girl to healthy, assured, and balanced adult. And what a journey it is. This memoir will leave you breathless due to the shear candor of Kerry's tale. Kerry bares her soul wide open and it isn't always pretty. Of course, that's what makes Loose girl so compelling.

Kerry spent her youth looking for love and acceptance in all the wrong places and in all the wrong ways. She tried to quell her intense need and anxiety by immersing herself in shallow, physical relationships with boys. It took many years of heartbreak, broken relationships (familial, platonic and romantic), physical maladies, and soul searching before Kerry found her way out of this dark abyss. She takes her readers along every leg of this intense journey with grace, candor and perceptive insight into her own past feelings and actions.

Kerry lets the reader take a good hard look at all the pain, insecurity and intense desire for acceptance experienced by teenage girls and shows how very wrong things can go for a young girl who doesn't have guidance, boundary limits and parental support. This memoir is as much of a cautionary tale for parents as it is anything else.

Loose Girl works as both a captivating story and as an important addition to the zeitgeist of contemporary non-fiction due to the insight it provides into the mind and motivations of a certain sub-set of teenage girls.

Loose Girl is important and relevant in much the same way that Koren Zailckas's ground-breaking memoir Smashed: Story of a Drunken Girlhood was - namely it can make us more tolerant, understanding and empathetic people because it is hard to be judgmental about controversial behavior once the motivation behind it is understood. Also, readers of these memoirs with similar circumstances might be able to gain enough introspection so as not to repeat the same mistakes- maybe, because as we learn by reading these memoirs, sometimes one just needs to take the journey and hope to come out okay once on the other side.

As an MSW student, I wanted to obtain a first-hand perspective of young female promiscuity and the development of sex addiction. Ms. Cohen's memoir is incredibly honest. She seems to avoid minimizing her (many) actions, and does not once beg the reader to sympathize with her for initially creating a train wreck of her life. However, her honest and forthright telling of the underlying emotional causes of promiscuity and the consequent development of sex addiction leave the reader feeling profoundly compassionate for this little girl (and young woman) lost, then cheering for her when she finally gains the strength to overcome the temptation of giving in once again to a nameless young man in a bar. Cohen's book is a must-read for those wishing to gain insight and compassion for those suffering from sex addiction.

Though it is going to sound like a newspaper movie ad, I cannot resist quoting the tag lines from others who have already reviewed this book:

1. "Masterful account of modern China"

2. "Superb"

3. "A book you can't put down"

4. "An exceptional book, exceptionally written"

5. "Extraordinary"

6. "I laughed, I cried" Okay, so I made up the last one.

The book beautifully (and usually depressingly) describes how China's past so heavily influences its present. I felt I knew everyone in the book because they were composites of the real life Chinese with whom I deal in my work as a lawyer dealing with China. It was a joy to read and it increased my understanding of China. To understand today's China, one must know at least the basics of China's modern history and, perhaps even more importantly, how that history has affected today's Chinese. This book definitely aids in that understanding.

Very easy to read. Great entertaining writing style with lots of very clever anecdotes. On completing this book I then had to a) read all the other reviews here and b) check the Washington Post for any further author work. The big question here is:

what happens to the five profiled students in this book?
Are they still friendly with the author?

If you enjoyed Jan Wong's Red China Blues, you'll love John Pomfret's Chinese Lessons. In this must-read new book, the author chronicles his history as an insightful China-watcher and "Old China Hand," from his stint as one of the first American students to participation in the newly opened student exchange program--he became part of Nanjing University's history class of 1982--until 2005. The book is a well-written account of his own decades of observations, but they form a backdrop for the real show: the fascinating interwoven tales of how the recent, devastating past has shaped the lives of five of his Nanjing University roommates. While there is much in this book that we've all heard before, Pomfret provides a greater level of detail and more analysis in his compelling book than many other authors have. Beginning with the tragedies of the Cultural Revolution, his classmates' life stories are not just presented but analyzed from historical, political, cultural, economic, and psychological standpoints. Pomfret offers five main, personalized stories of the events between the 1970s and now--plus numerous other interesting side anecdotes--with his own perceptive observations and interpretations of what his friends' various situations reveal about the past and what they might mean for China's future.

Through these five main stories, Pomfret attempts to understand the effects of the horrendous past on the present, and, more importantly, the future. As a result, this book asks the reader to consider some excellent questions. For example, how can people who have suffered so terribly put aside the past to live well in the present, and what does that present reality mean to them? What is the future of "communist capitalism"? How will the many contradictions that make up modern China be resolved? Can spirituality play a role in contemporary life? If so, what should that role be and how will it shape the country? What will happen when one-third of China's population is made up of senior citizens? How will China balance "progress" against her critical environmental problems? How will China bridge the ever-widening gap between the nouveau riche and the still desperately poor? Without a return to a moral value system, will China become not a superpower but a victim of its own corruption?

Few other books can match Pomfret's presentation of these issues and many others. While the story makes a great introduction for new expats or China travelers, Pomfret still might clear up a few "China mysteries" for Old China Hands. Chinese Lessons is entertaining, thought-provoking, well-written, and hard to put down. An excellent contribution to the field of "China-experience" literature, add this one to your "must read" stack of books on Chinese life and culture.
******************
Pomfret earned an M.A. at Stanford University in East Asian Studies and won a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Singapore. He was a long-time reporter for the Washington Post, and served as Beijing Bureau Chief. He is currently the Los Angeles Bureau Chief. In 2003, he was awarded the Osborn Elliott Prize for Journalism (an annual award for the best coverage of Asia).

THe author went to a Chinese university in the early 80's, met lifelong friends, had many ah-ha experiences with the culture, and saw many changes from his first arrival to including the Tiananmen Square "incident" as the Chinese refer to it. The author was a news correspondent for several years before being deported from China for his involvement with Chinese involved in this incident. He then went back years later to again cover China as a correspondent.

The best part of the book is his descriptions of keeping up with his Chinese university friends and how their lives wound through the complexity of the Chinese culture when their values had been so changed by university time experiences and the government controls at odds with their natural desires for freedom of action and thought.

Very insightful and timely. The author is a very good writer with much talent.

One doesn't usually consider "escaping" to China. John Pomfret did. It was a means of putting maximum distance between himself and his father. He thereby became one of the first US-born students to enter China and take up university studies. Geographical distance or no, Pomfret's genes hold some coding for journalism and he dutifully and expertly recorded his encounters with schoolmates. Lodged with seven Chinese men of various backgrounds, he engaged five of them in conversations about their lives. What resulted was this compelling account of life in China under Mao and later.

Fundamental to their relating their lives was the tumult created by the "Cultural Revolution" - an event that undercut any progress China might have enjoyed after the overthrow of the Nationalist regime. In the West, the enormity of the upheaval on the population of China by that ideological imposition is difficult to envision. Friends and family alike were led to denounce others. Sons betrayed fathers, mothers were led to believe their efforts at upbringing their children were falsely based and colleagues viewed each other as wrongly inspired, if not downright treasonous. Intimidation was strongly inflicted, even murder was condoned as part of the "purification" process. So caught up was the entire society by the fervour of The Great Leap Forward, that today, as Pomfret demonstrates, it seems to require an outside observer to adequately depict it. Even Chinese who managed to leave the country, granting them a fresh perspective, aren't fully detached from the events. The author notes the strong pull of China, which remains "home" to these expatriates who return if opportunity permits.

To his great credit, Pomfret doesn't take a lofty view in dealing with his contacts. An astute journalist, he teases the stories of people like Big Bluffer Ye, Little Guan and others onto his pages. He's there almost entirely as an observer, introducing himself into the narrative only enough to entice the stories from his classmates. The stories are at once bleak and inspiring. One classmate learned of his parents' murder through a chance conversation. Another entered the ranks of the Red Guard, even terrorising his home village before returning to the city to become a successful businessman - collecting urine for pharmaceutical firms. A young woman, caught in the web of repression, still strives to provide a life for her child. It's a testimony to human endurance and the will to survive and succeed.

Pomfret's advantage over many China observers is his living experience there as a student, and his return allowing him to recapitulate the intervening years. This dual approach provides more, and better insights, into the present culture than those who manage only one journalistic snapshot. Given that the Cultural Revolution was a social disaster of high order, why has the ruling Party not been overturned? Pomfrets intimacy with his contacts provide many answers, some of them grim, on how that retention of power has been accomplished. Big Bluffer Ye proves worthy of his name as he personally transforms a section of his city from dilapidated slum to an illuminated mall, giving not a thought to those displaced by his endeavours. He strives for success and knows how to attain it.

The author's personal story is woven through his narrative with finesse - appearing more evidently in the second part of the book. He can express his own feelings without intruding on those of subjects. They are almost amazingly open to him, rendering the myth of "inscrutable Chinese" untenable. He records them without inflicting us with any more judgement than a sense of awe at how alien they sometimes seem, even after his long-term association. Even so, it's clear Pomfret's underlying resentment at being expelled from China after reporting on the Tiananmen Square debacle remains strong. He remains a North American, not a Chinese. An engaging, if disturbing, story this book is one that anybody wishing to understand the rise of China on the world stage must read. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]