Biography Books

What I have to say has already been said in several two-star reviews: for all its impressive length and alleged research, Gabler never gets a proper handle on Disney as either a man or a creative artist. The new Mike Barrier book is better. The old Richard Schickel book is better. The short chapter in Leonard Maltin's "Of Mice and Magic" is better. Heck, there are websites devoted to Disney that are better!

Somehow - I guess because of its length and sanctioning by the Disney organization - this has been annointed as the "definitve" Disney biography. But it misses by a mile. It's boring, pretentious, and very unsatisfying. You'll get much more of out the shorter, better-written book by Mike Barrier - a lifelong animation scholar who understands Disney in ways that Gabler simply can't.

Please believe me (as somebody who's read nearly everything about Disney, and has been a major animation buff/collector for 40 years) when I say that this disappointing book has been insanely overpraised!

Neither a love letter nor a scathing attack, Walt Disney: The Triumph of the American Imagination is an even-handed and thorough examination of one of the undisputed icons of 20th century popular culture. And written in Neal Gabler's clear, crisp narrative style, it's dense but enjoyable reading.

Gabler clearly has done his homework, and done it extensively (and, he notes in the afterword, he did all his own research rather than passing the legwork off on assistants). It makes for a cohesive look at how Disney decided animated characters needed to evoke emotional responses; created the first feature-length animated film; promoted both Technicolor and color TV in their infancies; became the first motion picture studio executive to work directly with nascent television networks; and, of course, redefined the concept of the amusement park.

At the same time, Gabler discloses Disney's involvement in the anti-Communist and blacklist hysteria; his reluctance to credit individual studio artists; and how, later in life, he became a tyrannical figure at Walt Disney Productions while simultaneously always pursuing innovative projects.

Especially important, Gabler shows how Disney consciously created (and even licensed to his own studio) a "Walt Disney" public persona while remaining intensely private -- and how he was never satisified with resting on his previous accomplishments and, in fact, seemed embarrassed that his legacy would be what he had already done.

While it takes a while to read, Neal Gabler has produced a biography that shows how Disney both directly and indirectly influenced how generations experienced entertainment -- and their expectations of it.

As with any major celebrity, there is fact and there is legend. With Walt Disney, the lines have become blurred as Walt the man has been supplanted by Walt the icon. Most people today have gotten to know the image of "Uncle Walt," the paternally avuncular picture of middle American success -- the man who went from animated cartoons, feature films, to television and Disneyland and its successors. Yet there was another side to Walt. He was by turns a workaholic, hard-driving taskmaster, visionary, storyteller, tinkerer and technical wizard -- a man who inspired and infuriated subordinates, colleagues, competitors. Ever the perfectionist, he sought to elevate entertainment above the simplistic to the artful.

Neal Gabler crafts a splendid examination of the life of this enigmatic man -- labeled by many as "An American Original." Going beyond the superficial press releases and stock images, he looks not only at Walt Disney the entertainer, but Walt Disney the man. He presents a well-researched, meticulous, balanced portrait of a unique individual -- a genius, who nevertheless possessed deep flaws and human weaknesses. We discover a man who, despite his upbringing (or perhaps because of it), rose to become a giant in the entertainment world. In the process, he became a symbol, alternately, of innovation, artistry, daring, conventionality, stodginess, and ultimately, an icon synonymous with happiness (albeit at an often hefty price).

The author explores his personal relationships with family and friends, including his brother Roy, his wife Lillian, and the animators and studio employees from whom he would later distance himself as he grew in ego and stature. Uncle Walt succeeded in reinventing himself in the image of the quintessential American of his own making.

Mr. Gabler chronicles not only Disney and the company that bears his name, but also an industry and an era long past, but whose roots still entwine the American imagination.

If you ever wanted to know virtually everything about Walt Disney and the Disney company, this is the book for you. The author has almost overwhelming detail of Walt's early upbringing and difficult life to his unfortunate early death while in the middle of planning out Disney World and Epcot. This book is not for the light reader on the subject, the biography is massive with over 600 pages not counting the notes and index. But you will come away from the book adoring the man that never stopped planning and making improvements from not just the way cartoons were drawn but by making them more artistic, utilizing new techniques and cameras with an analyzing eye for detail. Often on the brink of bankruptcy, Walt, with the huge contribution of brother Roy, continued to make improved products equiring outstanding loans throughout much of his career. Betrayed initially by a film distributor who not only stole, legally, Disney's Oswald character and stole many of his staff, Disney and his top artist Ub Iwerks, develop the life changing Mickey Mouse. But as Gabler tells the story, Disney's studio grows and so do the risks with perhaps the greatest risk at that time, Snow White, the first full length animation film. What almost seems like a pattern, Walt continues to make improvements, hire increased staff and take out loans as he produces more, works staff long hours to put out a higher quality package. The book also provides a sobering view of Disney as sometimes the pressure was too great for the great story teller and the advent of unions and the need for stock sales along with bankers starting to provide over sight leads to greater restrictions and frustration but then Disney thrives with less costly non-cartoon films such as Davey Crocket that become quite a rage along with the Mickey Mouse TV show and eventually his plan for Disneyland that was an attempt to fulfill his boyhood dreams of his small town life in Marceline, Missouri. Fascinating detail on such things as Ub Iwerks as the actual artist who drew the early Mickey, the need for Donald Duck as a charcter to offset the corporate wholesomeness now required of the mouse, Roy Disney who held the finances together to allow Walt to plunge on and and Disney's plan for developing not only Disney World with modern monorails but Epcot. The sad end of the book of course is Walt's death of cancer that is well hinted very early on by references to a hacking cough many years before. What is really unfortunate was Walt Disney's plan for Epcot that was never completely fullfilled that was to be more of a town with living areas for Disney employees creating a village concept that is actually being realized in many communities today (office parks with stores, landscapped lakes, and condos or apartments). Regretfully as Roy Disney said, the great plans for Epcot died with Walt. Primarily because Walt reached higher and higher, his ultimate plans with stringent notation to detail crerated a fascinating entertainment industry.

An absolute must-read for not just any Disney enthusiast, but anyone interested in the history of American pop culture in general. Gabler's effort to gather the most comprehensive research on the man behind the mouse is evident throughout, but even more important is his ability to weave that research into a page-turner of a tale which parallels the themes of the Disney features themselves, most importantly struggle against adversity, good versus evil, and the glory of success versus the misery of failure.

Enlightening, invigorating, and inspirational. A pleasure to read.

Well written book for people who would like to become Quant while their major is not finance.

Very (very) shallow on technical content. Bizarre and boring anecdotes about the politics of the big investment banks. Detailed stories about uninteresting aspects of the author's life. I kept looking for some real beef, but gave up at some point.

I wanted to get a better picture on how it is to work as a "quant" on Wall Street, not knowing much to start out with. The book certainly met my expectations. I was a bit surprised that most of the research effort goes into financial engineering (developing and analyzing new products) as opposed to trying to better understand/predict how already existing products will do. It was interesting to understand the relationship between "quants" and traders. Finally, a bit surprising that so little from physics was applicable.

Though I barely have a clue about the models presented in the book, the author provided a very informative and descriptive view of life as a Quant. It even gives a picture of working in Wall Street. I thank the author for his effort.

I enjoyed this book very much. It's like a memoir, but focuses on his professional life. He talks about his training in physics, and how hard it is to get satisfactory (to him) employment. He switched to being a quantitative analyst on Wall Street. He talks a lot about what that really means, how the quants fit into the structure of Wall Street, and he even gets into some of the technical detail (I would have liked a bit more of that). It's well written and fun.

We use this book as part of our home school curriculum (Ambleside Online) and love it... the stories are short, some illustrated and have historical significance (pulled from many sources, greek and roman history, bible, great figures in American and European history etc). James Baldwin's book are a SURE Thing when it comes to value for dollar. He write so simply, but yet, there is no "dumbing down" as it is called. He doesn't substitute easier words for the harder ones and my children's already large vocabulary expands every day we use any Baldwin book. Other books by him are highly recommended to help round out more "liberal" educational systems.

This wonderful little book was first published in 1896 (at least that's the one I have). It contains fifty short stories that were originally considered indispensable for the education of truly literate and well-rounded children. The fifty stories are classics of American culture, and as such are almost completely forgotten in today's America.

The stories teach such lessons as perseverance, self-sacrifice, compassion, diligence, and much more. And they star such once-well-known people as King Alfred of Britain, Pocahontas, Sir Walter Raleigh, Leonidas and the 300 Spartans, and Socrates.

So, if you have a young person who you would like to read truly educational stories to, then you really should consider getting this book. It was an important book then, and it is an important book now. I give it my highest recommendations!

"50 Famous Stories Retold" provides an excellent and age-appropriate introduction to many of the well-known tales from Western Civilization especially Greek and Roman history.

The one thing I found odd about this particular version is that there are extraneous hyphens all over the place. It happens several times per page.

Looking at the table of contents, this book is almost exclusively about male heroes and adventurers. Not good inspriation for young girls?

We use this as part of our homeschooling cirriculum and the kids always love the stories. So do I! I'm often telling my husband about what we read in the evenings.

Part I of this short but immensely powerful and provocative book is an autobiographical review of the author's experiences with the death of others, (that each of us can readily identify with in our own personal way) e.g. when as a young boy his 95-year old great- grandfather's dying is "the most natural thing in the world" while a little over a decade later, a roommate's sudden death from pneumonia shocks and enrages him, providing a "turning point in my life." Then, he brings insight to how he "became a minister in a meaningful way" when he conducted his first funeral, or was at the bedside of a dying parishioner, or called to be with people "at times of loss." The death of his father, Senator Frank Church, is a critical turning point as "he taught us how to die ... and, he taught us how to live." Part I ends with his responsibilities as a New York City religious leader in the aftermath of 9/11.

Part II begins with his October 2006 diagnosis of terminal cancer. This section collects the wisdom of all the learning and experience of his years of ministry to focus upon on Life and its meaning, and the "hinges of birth and death." It is marked by an honesty and an ease of expression that takes deep, powerful ideas and makes them readily accessible through felicitous metaphor and a mantra that you will never forget. (It also has the practical gift of an essay on "how to behave" when one is making a hospital visit.) This is a book about death that is filled to the overflowing with life, love and wit.

It is the gift of a lifetime.

This book is more about love and life than it is about dying and death. I finished it in two days, and will begin to read it again, more slowly to absorb its wisdom. I have just bought multiple copies to share with people I love. Let Rev. Church guide you in all of our journeys.

This is a MUST READ for anyone fearing their own death (and who doesn't?) or dealing with the death of a loved one. Written by a Unitarian Universalist minister dealing with his own impending demise, Forrest Church (son of the late Senator Frank Church of Utah) encourages us to appreciate the fact that we are very blessed to be alive at all, given the amazing series of events leading to our births.

Rev. Church acknowledges that, while he doesn't know what - if anything - awaits us after the death of our bodies, he is grateful to be able to simply wonder about it. His writings are drawn from his previous books and many sermons addressing this subject, along with the introspective thoughts arising from his recent diagnosis of terminal cancer. Most importantly, he reminds us that the love that we give and receive in this life is immortal.

He urges us to subscribe the following mantra:

Want what you have
Do what you can
Be who you are

I'm not interested in books about religion but this is a work of great philosophy, successfully tackling the age old questions of Why are we here? What do we do? And What happens when we die. A wise and witty must read for the curious life traveler.

If you are a person who reads the obituaries then this book is for you! And not because you have a morbid fascination with death, but most likely as a result of your interest in life. How long did they live? What did they accomplish? How did it end? Was it too soon?

This book is about living, or as Rev. Church says, "To live in such a way that our lives will prove worth dying for."

Having Church as a spiritual guide is not unlike going on field trip with Mark Twain, with observations such as "A proportional relationship exists between the fear of death and the fear of life" seamlessly sharing space with his great-grandfather's three major food groups (tobacco, baked beans and whiskey). When people tell him proudly that they don't believe in God, he likes to ask them to tell him a little about the God they don't believe in, for he probably doesn't believe in him either. Church has a deft touch whether he's talking about Princess Diana, civilization versus anarchy, sad movies, or Plato.

Longtime leading light in the world of Unitarian Universalism, Rev. Church has picked up his pen to tackle many subjects including the Founding Fathers, the Jefferson Bible, freedom from fear, and liberalism versus fundamentalism, but this journey of the mind, body and soul proves his best and most provocative. Though Church of course says it better: "Life is filled with danger. That's just the way it is. Finally, the Titanic always hits the iceberg. Hence this simple, if imprudent, bit of advice: Before it does, pick up the phone. Pick up the gauntlet. Do whatever it takes. Take a few chances. Dare to live before you die."

And I might add, Dare to read this book!

Doris Kearns Goodwin's biography of Johnson is not a lengthy tome, and it covers the life of one of the most interesting, practical, effective, troubled and troubling figures in American politics sometimes in too cursory a fashion. Anyone who has read what Caro has written (so far!) in his multi-volume biography of Johnson will naturally wonder how some critical events are almost completely absent from this biography, and others get only the slightest attention. But you can't be brief without cutting. Prof. Goodwin's insights into Johnson's character seem a little shallow compared to Caro's--sometimes, they sound a little too much like Johnson's own rationales. On the other hand, the book's rather positive tone on its subject is a worthwhile contrast to Caro's strongly critical take, and there must have been much to the charm, humor, and charisma of Johnson which is absent from Caro but reflects better here. Finally, in the absence of Johnson's years as vice president and president from Caro's epic--can I wait another ten years?--Goodwin's strong focus on those years is very useful. Of course she is an excellent writer and the book is a fun read; her understanding of the mechanics of the executive branch and the presidency's interaction with Congress benefits very likely from her close association with Johnson, and provides much illumination into how government can be utilized in the hands of a powerful, determined, energetic, and strong-willed leader. For anyone interested in Johnson, the successes and failures of the era, or the history of American government, it's a must-have and it is certainly an excellent, enjoyable read.

I liked this book and learned alot about 'the man' LBJ that I did not know. Is it over analyized from a 'psychology' standpoint - I dont know. I think it is important to understand the inner workings of a persons mind - even from that persons early childhood - to fully understand how a person will act later in life, especially in very difficult situations.

BTW I did not see anyone write in their review that this book was originally published in 1976 - only 3 years after LBJs death. Im not sure if the 1991 edition is revised. Interesting as well in the original 1976 edition the author has her name as Doris Kearns (not not Doris Kearns Goodwin) although she was already married to Goodwin.

When I bought this book, I was warned by a cousin of mine, who teaches history at GW, that the book would contain a lot of phsycology, and he was right.

Now, this is still a very good book, second only to Master of the Senate in terms of biographies about LBJ, but I found the phsycology a little bit boring. That is the only thing that prevents me from giving the book 5 stars.

There is a lot of interesting insight, helped along by the fatc that Goodwin knew LBJ, and interviewed him repeatedly. I would advise everyone interested in LBJ, the Presidency, Civil Rights, or Vietnam to read this book. It is great.

After finishing David Halberstam's "Best and the Brightest," I decided to learn what Goodwin had to say about LBJ. I was disappointed. This book does not even mention the word "Tonkin" in any way, shape, or form. How can you write a book about LBJ and not mention Tonkin? Well, that's where my 3-star rating comes in. For despite a superficial treatment of Johnson's White House years, Goodwin does succeed in communicating the enormity of Johnson's tragic ego-centrism and insecurity. First came Johnson, then Nixon. Which means the collective "we" elected two very sick personalities to the highest office in the land without nary batting an eyelash. Which of course is a comment on "us" and I believe that is part of Goodwin's thesis.

Although Goodwin's access to Johnson certainly provided for some incredible insights into the psychological mess that was LBJ, I am not a fan of historians who over-use psychoanalysis in the treatment of their subjects. Although Johnson certainly was and remains a candidate for a good shrink, I don't think Goodwin has the credentials to make a psycho-analytic case. And after finishing the book, I think she really didn't need to try. She could allow the reader to make up his/her own mind about Johnson by just sticking with the facts. The ironies and themes that keep popping up over and over would make such a case all by themselves.

Goodwin does a masterful job of relating the truly incredible story of Johnson's rise in local and national politics, in particular his successful seizure of power in the Senate. That story could stand all by itself. But if you're really interested in Johnson and Viet Nam, be sure to pick up Halberstam's book. Much of that information is glossed over or left out of Goodwin's work completely, making this particular volume light on detail and political insight while strong on bringing to life LBJ's huge ego. Which of course means what the presence of such usually means in an individual - that his self esteem was severly wanting.

Also, Goodwin could probably benefit from updating the fate of The Great Society. She leads you to believe that the whole thing was dismantled by Nixon. In fact, much of The Great Society remains intact to this very day, and much of it has, through its continued existence over time, been adopted as normative by both parties.

Goodwin takes on Lyndon Johnson in a biographical sketch that has a very familiar and intimate attachment for her. She served as an aide in his administration, 1967, and then later after him leaving office was asked to worked on his memoirs. There is no question that she liked and was fascinated with Johnson. Within her book she examines the power and coercive nature that moved him from small town Texas to the power halls of Congress, Senate and the Office of the President. Within the Congress and the Senate, Johnson's natural abilities really come to fruition allowing him to gain control over the Congress then the Senate. This allowed him to move legislation through faster and more efficiently than had previous been accomplished. Goodwin shows how, at this time and place, these branches of government were ripe for this kind of leadership to flourish. I'm not sure that this kind of individual control could or would happen again. Stalled in the Vice-Presidency under Kennedy, Johnson moved into the doldrums. After the Kennedy's assassination, he was brought quickly back into action and with decisive steps would bring the Nation back from mourning. His work on Civil Rights was tremendous and would have insured his place forever in the history books as one of the great Presidents but for Vietnam. Vietnam consumed him and Goodwin explains how the abilities that helped him in the Congress and Senate turned on him and would eventually run him from office. Out of office, with only the Texas ranch to occupy his time, he would deteriorate mentally and physically. Finally Johnson would succumb to death on January 22, 1973 after Nixon announced the dismantling of the "Great Society".

The book is a fascinating look at the political arena of the turbulent 60's and what was happening within the walls of the White house. It is an interesting look at the endless pursuit of power and decisions that created the roller-coaster ride of Lyndon Johnson. The one area that I felt that Goodwin lingered too long on was trying to psychoanalyze Johnson. She tries to determine what made this tremendously talented man function as he did and why he made such good and bad decisions. However she does the good biographer approach of not holding back the good or the bad but letting the readers see the man as he was. The book is well worth the read and addition to the history shelf.

I highly recommend this book for the information and the point of view which I think most Americans have never heard. Most Americans are not even aware that Palestinians include Christians as well as Muslims and we have grown up hearing how wonderful it was that Israel was "set aside" or "given" to the Jews as a homeland after the horrors of the Holocaust. It isn't that simple. It never was. This very personal story of Elias Chacour is told in a way most people can understand and empathize with and, hopefully, will add strength to the movement toward peace in that region.

Blood Brothers is a poignant biography of the experiences of Elias Chacour, a Palestinian Christian who lived through the violent and traumatic events surrounding the establishment of the state of Israel in 1948 and the ensuing political conflict that plagues the region still today.

I found myself teary-eyed at several points throughout this book. The most powerful parts were the detailed descriptions of how Chacour, his family, and his village of Biram, were led out of their homes by Israeli soldiers with promises that Biram would be defended against ravaging militants. When Chacour and his village returned they discovered that they had been deceived, and eventually, the village was bulldozed. Chacour tells the story of his own village, but notes that the same story unfolded in other Palestinian villages.

Chacour tells of how Palestinians and Jews lived in peace with one another for centuries before the early 20th century. With the success of the Zionist movement and the horrible atrocities of WW2 and the holocaust, European Jews began emigrating en masse to Palestine. Ironically, while Western nations strongly supported Jewish immigration into Palestinian on the basis that they needed a homeland (Chacour fully accepts that they needed a place to live in peace and security as they were clearly unwelcome in Europe), Western states refused Jews entry into their own nations.

Chacour emphasizes that between WW1 and WW2, the peaceful and violent tactics of Palestinians fail to gain them any sympathy in the international arena, whose leaders ignored Palestinian diplomacy while continually urging Palestinians to accept their Jewish brethren while European states had persecuted them and refused to make amends by opening Jewish immigration quotas.

Utterly mind-boggling is the fact that he has been called an anti-semite by some reviews on Amazon. Anyone who reads this book will see that he exhibits a deep love and admiration for Jews, and expresses heartfelt sympathy for the persecution of Jews throughout European history and culminating in the holocaust. Chacour points out that these sad facts only make the Palestinian plight more ironic.

At times, I felt Chacour depends too much on the kindness and good nature of human beings, and that this made his political opinions somewhat naive. By the end of the book, however, I concluded that this was not a fair conclusion. He understands very well that Palestinians were persecuted and that Israel has a right to exist, but he doesn't believe violence ever leads to peace. Whether this opinion is very naive or very wise is up to the reader to decide.

Lastly, one should always be skeptical when reading personal accounts of political conflicts. One man can only see so much, and if one wants to really discover the facts of the Israel-Palestinian conflict, one has to read several books. This is not a book of facts, but it is not intended to be. Thousands of books on the history of this conflict have been written, and any earnest and disinterested endeavor to learn about what actually happened will not result in much confusion as to what occurred (is occurring). Note that there is no devoid of personal stories and ethnographies either, although I would very people have ever read these, even though they would do everyone some good. But this is a rich addition to the literature, in that it successfully de-dehumanizes the Palestinian people and avoids anything but the most basic historical political facts.

This book as assigned to my son for reading for an online class. I picked it up and starting reading it to help him and got glued to its pages. Easy and quick reading.

This is an incredible, heart-touching book that helps one understand the Israeli and Palestinian conflict much better than just what you see on the news. Incredible morals are woven through the book too.

Blood Brothers is the story of a very brave family during an incredibly controversial time. This conflict between Israel and Palestine is an ongoing struggle and causes a large amount of change and strife on both sides of the issue. As native Palestinians this family, the Chacour's, are part of this difficult journey with their village. This struggle beginning with them being tricked out of their house to losing some village members and the heartbreak of knowing life could never go back to "normal."

This book revolves around a young boy who we see grow up throughout the book named, Elias Chacour. He is a Palestinian Christian, who lived in a small town Biram for most of his young life. This boy is full of life and a spirit that grows throughout the entire story.

His father, a peaceful man with incredible amounts of wisdom, plays a large role in this Elias's life as well as rest of his family and the village. At one point Elias's father and two brothers were torn from their family and taken away by Israeli soldiers. After finding their way back this is all he did, "turning those sad eyes upon us, `if someone hurts you, you can curse him. But this would be useless. Instead, you have to ask the Lord to bless the man who makes himself your enemy. And do you know what will happen? The Lord will bless you with inner peace-and perhaps your enemy will turn from his wickedness. If not, the Lord will deal with him.'"

The strength Elias's finds within himself and family to deal with these real issues that surround him is inspiring. This is a characteristic that we should all strive to have.

This book is the true story about Stephanie and how she battles losing weight at "Fat Camp." I think teenage girls would enjoy this most. I found it somewhat interesting, but it did not really hold my attention in the second half of the book. Not all that bad but nothing great either.

Stephanie is a woman who has always struggled with her weight. As an adult she is able to go back through her childhood experiences, drawing information from the diaries and letters she kept throughout the years to reconstruct her adolescent years.

This book details a summer Stephanie went away to Camp Yanisin, a "Fat Camp" where she was certain she would lose weight and become the beautiful and popular girl she was sure she was destined to be.

Although there are some interesting stories in this book, it just didn't come together for me. I was expecting Stephanie to have more perspective about her childhood, to be able to look back with wisdom and describe the things she'd learned. Instead, this book details sexual escapades, humiliation at the hands of her peers, nasty ways the author interacted with her parents, and various risky weight-loss strategies. I did like the stories, and found Stephanie's camp experience to be amusing and touching, but I was hoping for more.

Perhaps I expected this to be the story of a person who had gone through a great deal in adolescence but was able to overcome her experiences and live a healthy life. Instead, I felt that the author at the end was still struggling with the same problems she'd had at thirteen.

I wanted to love this book. I heard the author on NPR and she sounded interesting. It was also recommended in Women's Health magazine. After reading it, however, I was extremely disapointed.

The story of the fat camp experience was mostly good, but I have to say I was HORRIFIED when the author detailed exactly how she made herself throw up after eating too much. She seemed to recognize bulemia was a bad thing, but then gave detailed instructions on how to do it. Does she not realize that young people will read her book? So MAYBE I could look past that (probably not, but maybe) and then I got to the end of the book and it really didn't seem like the author had actually learned anything from her experiences as an overweight child. I was waiting for the epiphany, the bit about how she got over it and managed to live a healthy life, but it wasn't there. She talked about extermely unhealthy eating habits she still had as an adult, is still blaming her father for insensitive comments he made to her when she was a child, blaming her mother for not showing enough affection and had to be forced to eat more food when pregnant with twins.

Mostly, when I finished the book, I was just thinking that this person was someone I never wanted to know and that I hoped no one else would read the book and be influenced by her dysfunction. I hope her kids turn out okay if she can ever get over giving them butter on their bread, I hope she has a good pediatrician that explains to her that children need fat in their diets to develop properly, but mostly, I hope she doesn't write any more books. I know that I will NOT be letting my teenaged nieces or my daughter ever read this book.

I wanted to love this book. I heard the author on NPR and she sounded interesting. It was also recommended in Women's Health magazine. After reading it, however, I was extremely disapointed.

The story of the fat camp experience was mostly good, but I have to say I was HORRIFIED when the author detailed exactly how she made herself throw up after eating too much. She seemed to recognize bulemia was a bad thing, but then gave detailed instructions on how to do it. Does she not realize that young people will read her book? So MAYBE I could look past that (probably not, but maybe) and then I got to the end of the book and it really didn't seem like the author had actually learned anything from her experiences as an overweight child. I was waiting for the epiphany, the bit about how she got over it and managed to live a healthy life, but it wasn't there. She talked about extermely unhealthy eating habits she still had as an adult, is still blaming her father for insensitive comments he made to her when she was a child, blaming her mother for not showing enough affection and had to be forced to eat more food when pregnant with twins.

Mostly, when I finished the book, I was just thinking that this person was someone I never wanted to know and that I hoped no one else would read the book and be influenced by her dysfunction. I hope her kids turn out okay if she can ever get over giving them butter on their bread, I hope she has a good pediatrician that explains to her that children need fat in their diets to develop properly, but mostly, I hope she doesn't write any more books. I know that I will NOT be letting my teenaged nieces or my daughter ever read this book.

I read Stephanie's first book and loved it. Her writing style is/was exactly what I look for in a book, especially a memoir. I was waiting for this book to hit the shelves because I was very much looking forward to not wanting to stop reading. My husband bought this for me at Borders, hard cover, and that night I dove in. He mentioned it was in the nutrition section, which kind of caught me off guard. Regardless, I dove into it that night, and was surprised to find myself wanting to put the book down after the first 10 pages. Perhaps the subject isn't for me. After all, I wasn't an overweight kid. I guess I couldn't relate. And it wasn't just that -- I coudn't relate to how she wrote it. It was way too long -- and I know this because I made myself finish it (expensive hard cover that it was).

One of the best books I have read for someone who has experienced the death of someone dear to them especially for grieving the death of a child. Wolterstorff's honesty and ability to articulate the worst loss is exceptional. His wound is deep but he expresses hope in the faith that he has in God.

The author really captures his feelings in words. He brings spirituality to real life circumstances. My best friends just lost their 16 year old son very unexpectedly and I bought this book for them. Very relatable.

This book is such a comfort for anyone who has lost a loved one. I'd recommend it to anyone grieving and their close friends and relatives. The theology and prayer in this book is uplifting.

I have not lost a child. In fact, I'm not a parent. So, admittedly, much of the power of this book, as expressed by other reviewers, is simply lost on me. I cannot empathize with the author's experience in any way.

However, I am still glad to have read this compact book. Though one reviewer suggests that it is too academic, it is no such thing. Intelligently written? Yes. Academic? No. Instead, it is a strikingly authentic expression of the pain and suffering that the author experienced immediately after and further past the event of losing his 25-year-old son to a mountain climbing accident.

The greatest asset of this book is the author's brutal honesty. All Christians would do well to follow his example of opening our emotional landscape for God and others to see, rather than somehow trying to stuff our most "unChristian" feelings behind some facade of strength. When things hurt, I am confident that God allows His people to hurt. In fact, Wolterstorff suggests that God hurts with us.

This book is not filled with Christians platitudes, so spiritual sounding but ultimately so silly, that we often offer to each other to try to help with despair. Instead, it sits in that grief, analyzes that grief, admits the brokenness, and still reaches for the comforting hand of a loving God. Especially for those who have lost a child but even for any Christian who wants to learn how to honestly grieve, I recommend this book as worthwhile.

This book was recommended to me by a wonderful lady by the name of Mary who owns a bookstore in Sandwich, MA on the Cape. I was curious as to how it would fare due to how thin it was but I began reading it immediately. I could NOT put it down. I read it in one sitting as it's very easy to read due to it's journal style. Nicholas Wolterstorff is a master at writing about all the feelings one goes through after a loss. Feelings that leave you scratching your head and wondering how you arrived at them and yet mange to still function as part of society. Feelings that leave you numb and wounded from the heavy burden and pain. Feelings that if you wanted to capture you would struggle to form concise sentences from the sheer overwhelming nature of them. Nicholas manages all of the above and more. He will touch you with his heart-wrenching understanding of grief. I cried, I nodded my head, I marveled at just how much my pain was not only recognized but acknowledged and validated. My pain is still with me, you will never be rid of it nor should you want to be (a notion mentioned in the book) but I have a feeling of peace more so than before I read it. This peace I think comes from not being alone in my pain. And while I wouldn't wish the loss of a child on anyone, I'm so blessed to have had the chance to read Lament for a Son because it has allowed me to feel part of a community of mourners. A community where I am allowed to suffer and grieve, but also clearly be aware of why I suffer and that is because I LOVE. Sadly in the real world we are made to feel we must 'get over' our loss and as a result are outcast in society. Through his words Nicholas Wolterstorff shows just how much of a force death and grief affect the loved ones left on earth. This book is a gift for those in pain from loss and is also a gift for those who want to help family or friends but don't know what to say. My son was stillborn and while this loss is diffeent from losing a 25 year old child, it is still a loss that has forever changed me. Lament for a Son has helped me in my grief, and I hope it helps your pain too.

The book devotes one or more chapters to individual female leaders throughout history. The first "warrior" - Boudica - truly was a warrior queen. She receives the most coverage with 7 chapters (approximately 100 pages) as well as occasional references throughout the book. Also included are Zenobia (3rd Century Queen of Palmyra), Matilda of Tuscany, Maud (daughter of Henry I), Queen Tamara (late 12th Century Georgia), Queen Isabella of Spain, Queen Elizabeth I, Queen Jinga, Queen Louise of Prussia, and a few modern female leaders.

For the most part, the chapters comprise short biographies told in an easy-to-read narrative style. My only complaint is the strong female rights sub-theme or thesis. The attitudes are dated, albeit understandable since the book was first published in 1988.

The Warrior Queens serves as a good introduction to historical female leaders as well as an introductory biography for any one of the women covered.

Antonia Fraser superbly writes about Boadicea of Great Britain, Catherine the Great of Russia, Elizabeth the First of England, Queen Isabella of Spain, the Rani of Jhansi, and the obscure Queen Jinga of Angola. All are delineated with grace and fervour and this book is another welcome addition to the opus of Lady Antonia Fraser. It is very highly recommended.

Timothy Wingate Ottawa CANADA

Perhaps I expected more from this book than was present, but I could hardly get through the first few chapters and I am an avid historic biography reader. I found her methods tiresome and boring, having the preference to recite found facts rather than compile and share, she reads like a card catalog. I now know exactly what to read if I do wish to learn something of these women she eludes to, but after having put this book down, I feel I am less wise to the subjects then when I started. I need a chronological telling of a person and their movement, not a forty-three page explanation of exactly who has written such things in the past. Perhaps, I stopped reading three or four chapters before it got good, but I doubt it. I was very disappointed.

For all the exalted reputation Lady Antonia Fraser enjoys as a historian and writer, I expected this work to be far more informative and entertaining than it actually was. Despite her fascinating subject, Lady Fraser manages to flog it to death with endless historical references, obscure citations and literary allusions. I found the text to be so cluttered up and bogged down with arcane details and research notes that the actual subject matter was obscured by the author's very erudition. In a word: BORING. I hoped that after determinedly slogging through two opening chapters of explication and introduction, the body of the book pertaining to the fascinating women selected to represent history's Warrior Queens would pick up speed and capture my fast fading interest. Nope. Ponderous at best, the writing never seems to catch fire and I found myself hoping the next chapter would be better than the one I was reading. This is slow going and fails to reward the reader who actually gets through it. The last chapter of "summation" just repeats quotations and points made throughout the main text. Very disappointing and far from Lady Fraser's best effort. This more closely resembles the senior thesis of a graduate who has spent too much time in the library than the sparkling historical depiction of female political and military leaders throughout time which I was hoping to find.

This is not a pop-history book. I picked this book up expecting it to be a very easy read but was surprised when I found myself reading through a book that would not have been out of place in any of my college history courses. Fraser has painted a very fascinating picture of various warrior queens around the world. Though at times, the narrative drags through her meticulous statement of facts, that is to be expected. I was very disappointed at her omission of the Egyptian pharaoh-queen Hatshepsut, however. Nevertheless, the women that she picks to include in her analysis make up a very good overview of the various warrior queens throughout the world and through time. It was an extremely interesting read and I would recommend it for anyone who has an interest in historical women as well as the the patience to read a (mostly) scholarly work.