Biography Books

by a superb biographer. I loved the first edition so much that I wanted to buy the second edition with the new material and Mr. O'Brien doesn't disappoint. This is a sympathetic look at a complicated woman and a talent actress. Yet while the biographer looks at his subject sympathetically he doesn't make Kay Francis a saint. He brings forth a flesh and blood well-rounded human being with faults and foibles like everybody else, but who was essentially kind-hearted and misused by the studio in the later part of her film career. In the end Kay triumphs! and so does this well-written and researched book.

I cannot tell you how thrilled I am with this book that author Scott O'Brien did on a magnificent lady that I was
fortunate enough to have played her daughter in two movies..." I FOUND STELLA PARISH" and "COMET OVER BROADWAY" . I was Warner Bros first child star under long term contract so therefore knew much about what happened "behind the scenes". I have often cringed at some of the books I have read about some of my co-stars or very close friends that other authors have written about but Mr. O'Briens books show what lengths he goes to substantiate his stories and facts without filling in with apochryphal tales. He did this when he wrote a biography on my dear friend Kay Francis and I salute his very high morals as an author. Lets have more books written by Scott O'Brien!! Most Sincerely Sybil Jason

mr kooper has been at the correct musical intersections many times in his life. this yarn of the early years of the rock era morphing into the new reality is one of the best "art meets music biz" autobiographies around.

Kooper's back room view of the music industry is hilarious. One flaw that is understandable is that he errs on the side of being far too polite. Almost Canadian......After getting screwed over to that degree, anyone would have trouble keeping their yapper shut shut. He shows great restraint, given the circumstances. I wanted more dirt, but a great read, nonetheless. Very funny.

What a remarkable story of a near miss star. Al Kooper was some of the glue that held early rock together. While never a star in his own right he added so much to what he did play on, that is, more ground breaking hits than anyone I know of. Just being the first organ in Rock is enough plus the horn band idea with BS&T, wow! His work with Leonard Skinered was a career in itself. Too bad he let his ego take him away from the limelight he deserves. He seems bitter in the end. Truly a story of Rock and Roll itself with Al as a matrix. He doesn't seem to know just how lucky he was. Can't say he let any moss grow on him though.

Great book - I couldn't put it down. Here's some insight into some of the greatest acts in rock - Dylan, Mike Bloomfield, Hendrix - it's all there. Al Kooper is a funny guy and I enjoyed the book tremendously!

I recommend this book for everybody interested in the rock scene
of the 60`s and up !
Al Kooper has a lot to tell of the early days in rock music and is
a great writer .
A lot of good reading and dont forget:
Mr Kooper is still making really good music, listen to the newest
album Black Coffee and see what I mean...

In teaching my children to be good citizens of the earth I seek out books to help me instill these values. This is a book I will treasure always, and I know my children will too. It is an amazing story of a woman who has an idea and the belief that she can change her small part of the world after many years have changed the village she once knew. Not only is this a great book from that perspective, but it encourages the principles of environmental stewardship. Plant a tree! We can change the world!

This is one of the most wonderful picture books this year. It reminds us that we are all capable of recognizing problems and making significant positive changes by taking individual action, and it tells the story of an incredible, real life African role model. The artwork is detailed and captivating.

I've given this book as a gift to three children so far this year and plan to keep gifting it!

Planting the trees of Kenya is a keeper for all teachers k-12. every year we can remind our studnets of their value in this world by reading this book. science teachers could really take off in this book getting students to realize not only their part in a "global" world but what they can imagine for their small part of it. reading, social studies, world studies, economics classes could utilize this book all the way through high school. resources are listed. young girls and young women can see that there are unlimited callings and that they can make a difference, but this book is not just for girls it is a story that can inspire both young men and women. when i read this to my 7th graders one student asked, "How she do that?" good start for an essay or reseach paper, don't you think?????
acott
west virginia

As a child growing up on a farm in Kenya's Central Highlands, Wangari Maathai delighted in the beauty of the fig, olive, and flame trees that graced the landscape, and she valued the clear water of the stream that flowed near her home. Sadly, these conditions changed for the worse in just a very short time while Wangari attended college in the United States. Distressed to return home to deforestation, soil erosion, dirty water, and a worsening in people's well-being, Wangari resolved to become a part of the solution. Her simple but powerful idea to start planting trees grew into a national movement that ultimately led to over forty million new trees planted in Kenya. Wangari's activist efforts included educating women, men, and children about why it was so important to their livelihood to plant tree seedlings. In 2004 she won the Nobel Peace Prize, the first African woman to receive this honor.

Children and adults alike will appreciate this book for its powerful message, rich illustrations, and informative author's note. Numerous economics ideas are woven into the text, with particular emphasis on the consequences of scarcity, the replenishment of natural resources, and the strengthening of women's autonomy. Despite the weighty topic, the tone is gentle. Children will unwittingly gain an important lesson in environmental activism while they enjoy an interesting story.

Nivola, Claire A. Planting the Trees of Kenya: The Story of Wangari Maathai. Farrar, Straus and Giroux. 2008.

This beautiful story of the Green Belt Movement in Kenya launched by Nobel Peace Prize winner Wangari Maathai details how she grew up appreciating nature and its bounty, attended college in America and studied biology, and then returned to her homeland only to find that new farming practices threatened the health and well-being of her fellow citizens. Although, the people were understandably inclined to blame the government for their deteriorating situation, Wangari encouraged the women to instead plant trees: to gather seeds, dig for water, and nurture seedlings. "All this was heavy work, but the women felt proud. Slowly, all around them, they could begin to see the fruit of the work of their hands. The woods were growing up again." Wangari "taught the children how to make their own nurseries. She gave seedling to inmates of prisons and even to soldiers." Since Wangari began in 1977, over "thirty million trees have been planted in Kenya" - an impressive feat. Lovely watercolor paintings illustrate this simple inspiring story: village scenes show women and children listening to Wangari explain her proposal, and an awesome double-spread shows a line of people marching in an endless line, carrying seedlings and tools for planting. This wonderful picture book evocatively spreads an important environmental message

Whilst most TV audiences may only know the very gifted comic actor Mr Leslie Jordan as a regular guest star on "Will & Grace" (for which he won an Emmy Award) and "Boston Legal", there is oh so much more to him, as he reveals in his "autobiography" - MY TRIP DOWN THE PINK CARPET. The openly gay actor has had a very diverse career on stage, film and television. But indeed his life off the stage & screen has certainly been a wild ride, and one well worth documenting. Brought up as a Christian in the Deep South, self-tortured by his gay demons and unlucky in love, he turned to a variety of addictive substances that he thought would help him cope with life. Welcome to Hollywood! But he rose above all of that and now has his life and career well and truly back on track. He is happy and comfortable with who he is. As Mr Jordan says in his book, the secret of a healthy life is learning to love oneself. For those who like showbiz autobiographies - this is a great read. For those who might be having trouble coming to terms with their sexuality - this is a MUST read!

the stories are very funny, and I enjoyed the book. Even though the name dropping gets a little deep, his charm goes a long way! Buy this book, it really is a great glimpse into leslie jordans life, and you get to see some famous people from a different point of view.

A very funny and quick summer read. I picked it up in the morning and had finished it that same evening. I found myself laughing outloud several times. Tons of fun

This was definitely a fun read. Little man, big character, voicing what's lost and gained in life through struggles of sexuality, drugs, sobriety and spirituality. Being a gay man myself, the only non-funny part about this read was my own life reflected. Not yet sober, still falling, but the gravity always gets lighter with each new edification. The last chapter of this book really struck home. No better way though, than to deliver our blunders in a light of comedy. I hope to be as strong as this man someday.

Thanks, Leslie.

I am one of the survivors of the same generation as Mr. Jordan, even though we are in different walks of life and living in very different communities. I'm impressed with the author's ability to tell a story from his life with such accuracy while being both moving and funny. I hope volume two is on the horizon.

I have read and liked other books by this author, most notably his work on the Cali Cartel. This book was obviously rushed to meet a deadline with the movie on Frank Lucas and as a result it was poorly written, contained many typos, and added little content beyond a google search or wikipedia. If you have read his other books you probably appreciate the level or research but this book only offers a few tid bits of speculation that are not well substantiated. Its too bad that he rushed it out for what must be commercial reasons at the expense of his integrity as a writer.

This book was poorly written with many grammatical errors and misspelled words. The content was somewhat interesting, as it appears to contradict some of the movie "American Gangster."

What moron looked at the text before it went to print? Parents: Don't let your kids see this mess.

A great book that reveals the truth about Frank Lucas.

Harlem Godfather: The Rap on my Husband, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson I would also advise readers to check out Harlem Godfather: The Rap on my Husband, Ellsworth "Bumpy" Johnson to find the true story of the REAL American gangster, Bumpy Johnson.

After seeing the movie American Gangster, I was really interested in learning more about the story of Frank Lucas and finding out what details of the movie were true or false. Unfortunately, this book was a big letdown. This book seemed to be fairly well researched, but the way that the author presents the information, he seems to have a personal dislike towards the story of Frank Lucas. However, worst of all, this book is very poorly written, with many grammatical errors. You would think that it would have been proof read before it was published.

One of the best works of nonfiction we have ever read and a truly inspiring story of what genius + boundless caring can accomplish.

Loved this book, and especially loved the subject. Tracy Kidder is, not surprisingly given his track record, an accomplished and skillful writer. He tells the story of Paul Farmer and, while he is part of the story, he is careful to never become the story. The focus is always on Dokte Paul.

Paul Farmer is a character who will haunt you, if you have any inclination to serve others. He does so completely and thoughtfully and, at the same time, irrationally. He treats his patients in Haiti with dignity and passion.

I highly recommend this book. It's hard to resist the combination of a compelling subject and a masterful writer.

a really wonderful look at the work of Dr. Paul Farmer an amazing physician who has contributed greatly to help treat Aids and TB in parts of the world where noone believes they can be treated. This book will make you reexamine some of your beliefs about access to healthcare--both for the poor in this country and around the world.

An excellent story of the impact one dedicated person can have on the world around us.

Tracy Kidder's brilliant biography of Dr. Paul Farmer is at once disturbing and exhilarating: disturbing, as it points out all the inequalities in living conditions and health care between the rich and the poor and the staggering statistics about disease and the lack of available medical aid in many parts of the world, and exhilarating to read the selfless commitment of one man to change these situations. Not only is the information in this inordinately readable book fascinating but also the superb writing style of Pulitzer Prize winning author Tracy Kidder is some of the best to be published in recent years.

Kidder concerns his book with one Paul Farmer, a poor lad who grew up nearly homeless (unless one calls living on a riverboat a home) in Alabama, a gifted thinker who climbed out of his beginnings to discover the inequities in the big world, went to medical school at Harvard, and then proceeded to commit his life to changing the pitiful poverty and disease-ridded Haiti, establishing not only viable medical centers but also spreading his warm personality into the hinterlands of that little country making day-long walking housecalls for the poor families who as human beings deserve as fine a quality of medicine as those who live near the wealthy comforts of the major city medical centers.

How Kidder accompanied and observed Farmer as he sought funding and supplies and training not only in Haiti, where the diseases of tuberculosis and AIDS were decimating the population while the world just silently watched, but also extending his beneficence to Peru and to the prisons of Russia, attack tuberculosis and AIDS with the same ardor is the basis of this book. Farmer's accomplishments created the Partners in Health organization that in turn stimulated the World Health Organization to wake up to the disasters that reign in the third world countries, eventually supplying the much needed medicines, cash, buildings and personnel to begin to make a change in the world health care.

Kidder's gift as a writer lies not only in his detailed and well researched biography of a modern saint, but also in his ability to allow us to get to know the very human creature named Paul Farmer. He touches on his personal life, his struggles with his own diseases (he nearly died from hepatitis), and his indomitable spirit in facing a bureaucratic conundrum that prevented the poor of the world from receiving care. It is a touching story, it is a superlative investigation into one man's spirit and selfless commitment, and it is a book that demands our attention on many levels. Tracy Kidder's sharing of Dr. Paul Farmer's life is a poignant reminder that the individual CAN make a difference: it is a matter or devotion to an ideal that can become a reality despite obstructions the world places in the path. Highly Recommended. Grady Harp, December 06

this guy is the most annoying person on the face of the earth, it is truly amazing that he thinks people find neurotic self absorbtion entertaining, talk about being completely out of touch.

I loved this book. I could not put it down! I wouldn't suggest it to just anyone, though. This book is not for you if you are a sexually repressed, uptight person. The humor in this book is crude at times, but always intelligent, in my opinion. I'm an instant fan and can't wait until Mr. Schaeffer writes his next book!

Eric tells so many lies that he can't even keep them straight.
His fowl mouth and mind are only surpassed by his over inflated ego.
His movies are so bad that even shoe-ins like Parker and Stiller couldn't save them.
Inane is descriptive of him and his work.
Pass on by as you look for something worth reading.

i had been curious about this book for a while, but finally picked it and didn't put it down until reading the very last words. as a 27-year-old woman, admittedly i felt some discomfort allying myself with schaeffer's viewpoints at times, but in the end, no matter how self-centered he came across, i appreciated his honesty. maybe it's just me, growing up in ny, but aren't we all fairly narcissistic in our day to day existences? it's not like he claimed to write a book examining the current state of geo-political affairs, there it is in the title, this is a book about ME!

all in all, i appreciated the fact that i sat out on my fire escape for hours today reading page after page. perhaps it's my predilection for devouring the works of somewhat misogynistic authors (and i don't think schaeffer is one in the slightest): hemmingway, sartre. i relish reading pure unbridled emotion on the page; frustrations, anxieties, self-doubt because in the end we all experience a degree of those feelings on a daily basis. i don't understand the vitriol coming his way. not in any way comparing him to roth, because that would be absurd, but solely on the woman-hating tip - really? who is worse? is that a fair point? i don't really know, but as a great read, i firmly stand by it.

I must say... it is remarkable to me the level of vitriol that Mr. Schaeffer seems to incur in response to his art. I have seen all of his films. From my perspective, they range from entertaining (Never Again, If Lucy Fell) to brilliant (Fall, Wirey Spindell)... though, this is neither here nor there. As with this book, his detractors seem incapable of reviewing the effort rather than the individual. The consistency of this reality from both lay people and (for shame) professional reviewers leaves me astounded. The worst thing I can think of to say about Eric Schaeffer is that he has no pause button between his brain and his mouth. Do we really experience this as such a problem... especially in an artist? Quite frankly, I find Eric to have a lot of respect for people in general with not a no malicious intent whatsoever(except perhaps in the way he sometimes treats himself)... again, neither here nor there. No one is asking you to date the man... or to hang out with him. If you think he is a lousy filmmaker... fine. If you think he is a poor author... lovely. But who cares what kind of person he is? Yes, this particular book, and some of his films are inspired by his own experiences... though what artist is that NOT true about? The man takes more shots at himself than any individual could ever dream of doing. Within that fact is a deep humility and a fair amount of self-awareness... if only the rest of Hollywood could manifest the same. Okay, now that I have become part of the problem... the book is wry, astute, sharp and insightful. If you are interested in reading the well written diatribes of someone who has no fear of saying what the rest of us only dare to think, do yourself a favor. On the other hand, if you find yourself intimidated by the journey of truth... run.

The story of Nick Popaditch's combat performance, wounding and recovery ia a inspiring story of love of family, country and Marine Corps. It is a story without regret for the events that changed his life. These same events have caused some to wither in the face of those challenges.
Gunny Pop uses humor and raw Marinese to tell his story. I feel everyone should read this book, especially those who are facing adversity.
It is a trigger puller's story that points out that once you pull the trigger, you can't get the round back, you live with the results.

I've read a lot of books written about and by Marines and I rank this as one of the best. In the first place, it's very well written and edited so as to make it a great read that's tough to put down. In the second place, Nick's story is told with candor and humor that will strike a familiar chord with any former Marine. It reads like you're in the same room with him. Lastly, it paints a vivid picture of Nick's ordeal to recover from his wounds and drive on. Not many of us will ever have to endure what Nick has, thanks to him and thousands of other brave men and women who put their lives on the line for our Freedom. This book gives us a glimpse of their world and will make us more thankful for their sacrifices. I highly recommend this book.

Watch Video Here: http://www.amazon.com/review/R2147CDJLODOCD This is a Hollywood-style book trailer for "Once a Marine: An Iraq War Tank Commander's Inspirational Memoir of Combat, Courage, and Recovery," by Nick Popaditch with Mike Steere (Savas Beatie, October 1, 2008).

Make sure you watch to the very end for a "special" photo message from "Gunny Pop" Nick. I know you will appreciate seeing him.

Nick "Gunny Pop" Popaditch is a former marine Gunnery Sergeant, a Silver Star winner, a 15-year veteran of the USMC, and was widely known around the world as "The Cigar Marine:" (Google it.). His tanks captured Firdos "Saddam" square in April 2003 and pulled down the hated statue. Nick was severely wounded one year later with an RPG to the head, which was captured live by a media news crew. He had to fight his way through an incredible odyssey of turmoil, heartbreak, and bureaucracy to recover everything he had lost. His website is www.onceamarine.com.

Gunnery Sergeant Popaditch's experience, attitude, and willingness to share it is something amazing. He goes into great detail about how his career in the United States Marine Corps, his experience in combat, his family, friends, doctors, and his injuries come together to shape who he has become. This story is compelling and was difficult to put down once I started it. I found it to be a "page turner" while I was up late at night needing to go to sleep but wanting to read more.

His story is one that anyone with an interest in what is going on in the middle east and how it is affecting people that are injured must read. I just wanted to recommend: "buy it, read it, and share it with someone else" to everyone out there, especially those that enjoy military books. And to POP I wanted to say thank you for sharing the amazing story of you and your family and your recovery from your injuries.

Readers will no doubt get an accurate, matter of fact point of view from Pop. He tells it like it is. Always has, always will. Semper Fi.

The Terminal Spy, documenting the incident of an ex-KGB, Russian émigré's poisoning death in London, reads like the best espionage thriller, full of shadowy characters and murderous intrigue.

The one thing that Cowell never lets us forget however is that this book is different from spy thrillers in one chilling aspect - it's all real. Every place, event, action and most of all, every person is real.

Alexander Litvinenko's story was, in the long run, about parents mourning a child, a wife mourning a husband, children mourning the loss of a father, to paraphrase Cowell.

Cowell does a good job of outlining the history of all the key players related to the incident, including the poison itself. He does the same for the political history of Russia prior to and leading up to the incident.

While there was a lot of detail, I didn't find myself tired of it, but rather wanting to read further. With one exception - in a probable attempt to keep the main personage and what happened to him at the forefront of the reader's mind, Cowell has to find too many ways to refer to the day that Litvinenko was actually poisoned, and it did become redundant after about five or six references.

Nevertheless, I would recommend this book to anyone who wanted to gain a deeper insight into the Litvinenko incident, as well as anyone who enjoys a well-written, well-researched, solid piece of journalism.

This story could have been written in 20 pages. The author goes on and on with words that try to enhance the story in every detail. I will never purchase a book by this person again.

This is a page turner, a "can't put down" thriller of the London murder of Alexander Litvinenko on November 1, 2006. Thoroughly researched, carefully thought through, all its nuances and angles and dark pockets are explored and analysed leaving the reader satisfied but wide awake at night suffering from the heebie jeebies.

Mr. Cowell was a reporter for the New York Times when he covered the sensational murder of former KGB spy Alex Litvinenko in London. The book occassionally packs too much information in its attempt to be conprehensive for the "true crime" reader, but otherwise it is quite readable. While the Russians were clumsy in their murder which the author shows the ease which the police unravel and trace the nuclear poison, the book can not say with certainity who ordered the murder (there are no dearth of suspects). A good beach read for the summer.