James's bookshelf: all en-US Sat, 05 Apr 2025 10:03:36 -0700 60 James's bookshelf: all 144 41 /images/layout/goodreads_logo_144.jpg <![CDATA["Are You a N****r or a Doctor?": A Memoir]]> 75262819
Crossed the Alabama state line for the first time at age 16 in 1962 to attend Howard University in Washington, D.C., and became the first college graduate in his family.

The details of Dr. Stallworth's life are evocative of friendships, falling in love, and marriages; and a great variety of occupations ranging from discovering and managing a famous music group to
driving a city bus on his first trip to Chicago, to becoming a doctor.

His writing style itself is clear and effective, quirky and compelling, especially the description of friendships from early childhood on and falling in love, and the humorous stories. There are sad times described, and traumas and problems, but Dr, Stallworth gives these a full range of emotions and I think the reader really feels what he felt, or close to it.

Probably more important, the reader can learn from it.]]> 325 Otto E. Stallworth Jr. James 1 4.10 "Are You a N****r or a Doctor?": A Memoir
author: Otto E. Stallworth Jr.
name: James
average rating: 4.10
book published:
rating: 1
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date added: 2025/04/05
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I have no idea why I bought this book. Something about the title appeal to me but unfortunately nothing in the book did. I made it to chapter 23 which was a struggle then I decided to come through the rest of the book to see if it got any more interesting; it didn’t. It remained tedious and self-absorbed. Too many unnecessary details to even care about. Sure he had humble beginnings in the Jim Crow era, but it’s not like he had a terrible childhood in which he had to overcome emotional and physical abuse. And who is he? He’s nobody I’ve ever heard of and I just don’t even understand how this book has gotten such outstanding reviews. I got halfway through and I just had to give up and I could see. I wasn’t gonna miss anything when I skipped ahead. Definitely a throw away.
]]> <![CDATA[All Fall Down The Brandon DeWilde Story]]> 25294348 207 Patrisha McLean 1938883411 James 0 4.00 All Fall Down The Brandon DeWilde Story
author: Patrisha McLean
name: James
average rating: 4.00
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/12/22
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]]> Wonderful Tonight 764063
She met the Beatles in 1964 when she was cast as a schoolgirl in A Hard Day’s Night . Ten days later a smitten George Harrison proposed. For twenty-year-old Pattie Boyd, it was the beginning of an unimaginably rich and complex life as she was welcomed into the Beatles inner circle—a circle that included Mick Jagger, Ron Wood, Jeff Beck, and a veritable who’s who of rock musicians. She describes the dynamics of the group, the friendships, the tensions, the musicmaking, and the weird and wonderful memories she has of Paul and Linda, Cynthia and John, Ringo and Maureen, and especially the years with her husband, George.

It was a sweet, turbulent life, but one that would take an unexpected turn, starting with a simple note that began “dearest l.�

I read it quickly and assumed that it was from some weirdo; I did get fan mail from time to time.... I thought no more about it until that evening when the phone rang. It was Eric [Clapton]. “Did you get my letter?�... And then the penny dropped. “Was that from you?� I said....It was the most passionate letter anyone had ever written me.

For the first time Pattie Boyd, former wife of both George Harrison and Eric Clapton, a high-profile model whose face epitomized the swinging London scene of the 1960s, a woman who inspired Harrison’s song “Something� and Clapton’s anthem “Layla,� has decided to write a book that is rich and raw, funny and heartbreaking—and totally honest and open and breathtaking. Here is the truth, here is what happened, here is the story you’ve been waiting for.]]> 321 Pattie Boyd 0307393844 James 5 3.70 2007 Wonderful Tonight
author: Pattie Boyd
name: James
average rating: 3.70
book published: 2007
rating: 5
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date added: 2024/12/19
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I’ve always been a fan of George Harrison & intrigued by his friendship with Eric Clapton with whom he shared a wife, Pattie Boyd. Pattie gives us a first hand account of both her marriages to these world famous guitarists who were best friends & the heartbreak & suffering she endured throughout both. Very readable & most enjoyable.
]]> Transparent 9740079
Never one to stop at the surface of the story, Lemon digs deep, exposing his own history with wealth and lack, with family secrets and painful revelations--and explains how those painful early experiences shaped his ambitions and gave him the tools of empathy and fearlessness that he brings to his work. Then Lemon turns the same searing honesty on the news industry itself, taking the reader behind the scenes of September 11, 2001, the DC Snipers, the epidemic of AIDS in Africa, Hurricane Katrina, the election of Barack Obama, and the death of Michael Jackson among other events.

With his clear and compelling storytelling and the rich detail of an Emmy-winning journalist, Lemon reveals his own painful journey from a little boy who dreamed of broadcasting in segregated Baton Rouge in the early 70s, to his current perch at CNN in a fascinating and compelling look at the world of television news and his own experiences reporting in it.]]> 220 Don Lemon 0982702787 James 0 to-read 3.48 Transparent
author: Don Lemon
name: James
average rating: 3.48
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/08/07
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]]> <![CDATA[One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich]]> 17125 The only English translation authorized by Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn

First published in the Soviet journal Novy Mir in 1962, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich stands as a classic of contemporary literature. The story of labor-camp inmate Ivan Denisovich Shukhov, it graphically describes his struggle to maintain his dignity in the face of communist oppression. An unforgettable portrait of the entire world of Stalin's forced work camps, One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich is one of the most extraordinary literary documents to have emerged from the Soviet Union and confirms Solzhenitsyn's stature as "a literary genius whose talent matches that of Dosotevsky, Turgenev, Tolstoy"--Harrison Salisbury

This unexpurgated 1991 translation by H. T. Willetts is the only authorized edition available, and fully captures the power and beauty of the original Russian.]]> 182 Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn James 0 to-read 3.98 1962 One Day in the Life of Ivan Denisovich
author: Aleksandr Solzhenitsyn
name: James
average rating: 3.98
book published: 1962
rating: 0
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date added: 2024/03/15
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning]]> 134156069 Read by Liz Cheney with 50+ audio source material clips included, Oath and Honor is a gripping first-hand account from inside the halls of Congress as Donald Trump and his enablers betrayed the American people and the Constitution—leading to the violent attack on our Capitol on January 6th, 2021—by the House Republican leader who dared to stand up to it.

In the aftermath of the 2020 presidential election, Donald Trump and many around him, including certain other elected Republican officials, intentionally breached their oath to the Constitution: they ignored the rulings of dozens of courts, plotted to overturn a lawful election, and provoked a violent attack on our Capitol.

Liz Cheney, one of the few Republican officials to take a stand against these efforts, witnessed the attack first-hand, and then helped lead the Congressional Select Committee investigation into how it happened. In Oath and Honor, she tells the story of this perilous moment in our history, those who helped Trump spread the stolen election lie, those whose actions preserved our constitutional framework, and the risks we still face.]]> 381 Liz Cheney 031657208X James 5 4.58 2023 Oath and Honor: A Memoir and a Warning
author: Liz Cheney
name: James
average rating: 4.58
book published: 2023
rating: 5
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date added: 2023/12/14
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I listened to the audiobook read by the author. It was riveting. I came to know Liz Cheney only during the aftermath of January 6, 2021. She is the true patriot because she was willing to put her country before any person, and especially her own career which she knew would be changed forever as a result of her courageous action. In addition, because of her father’s service to several presidents, Ms. Cheney made a number of warmhearted references to her father. I can finally appreciate that Dick Cheney & the Bushes, are pretty decent people compared to the scum that inhabiting the current GOP. I highly recommend this book. Ms. Cheney doesn’t give you her life story except in illustrative recollections but she gives you what you came for and more! A memoir would be premature; Ms. Chaney’s story has only just begun & I’m a democrat!!!
]]> Enough 139988291 Cassidy Hutchinson’s desk was mere steps from the most controversial president in recent American history. Now, she provides a riveting account of her extraordinary experiences as an idealistic young woman thrust into the middle of a national crisis, where she risked everything to tell the truth about some of the most powerful people in Washington.

Ever since a childhood visit to Washington, DC, Cassidy Hutchinson aspired to serve her country in government. Raised in a working-class family with a military background, she was the first in her immediate family to graduate from college. Despite having no ties to Washington, Hutchinson landed a vital position at the center of the Trump White House.

Her life took a dramatic turn on January 6, 2021, when, at twenty-four, she found herself in one of the most extraordinary and unprecedented calamities in modern political history.

Hutchinson was faced with a choice between loyalty to the Trump administration or loyalty to the country by revealing what she saw and heard in the attempt to overthrow a democratic election. She bravely came forward to become the pivotal witness in the House January 6 investigations, as her testimony transfixed and stunned the nation. In her memoir, Hutchinson reveals the struggle between the pressures she confronted to toe the party line and the demands of the oath she swore to defend American democracy.

Enough reaches far beyond the typical insider political account. It’s the saga of a woman whose fierce determination helped her overcome childhood challenges to get her dream job, only to face a crisis of conscience that more senior White House aides tried to evade and, in the process, find her voice and herself. This is a portrait of how the courage of one person can change the course of history.]]> 379 Cassidy Hutchinson 1668028301 James 3 4.31 2023 Enough
author: Cassidy Hutchinson
name: James
average rating: 4.31
book published: 2023
rating: 3
read at: 2023/12/13
date added: 2023/12/13
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This review is for the audiobook. I don’t know if all recordings were this way, but on the one I listened to, the beginning of each chapter had a sound hiccup which gave the effect of the author stuttering. That’s unfortunate because the author, as much as I admire her courage & grace, who sounds rather meek & fearful (rightly so) to begin with comes off sounding more so. This was a compelling listen but lightweight compared to Liz Chaney’s Oath & Honor which should be required reading along with Hutchinson’s tome. It left me wanting more but that would ultimately be satisfied Chaney’s book.
]]> <![CDATA[The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story]]> 57734237 539 Nikole Hannah-Jones 0593230582 James 0 to-read 4.66 2019 The 1619 Project: A New Origin Story
author: Nikole Hannah-Jones
name: James
average rating: 4.66
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2023/11/11
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention� and How to Think Deeply Again]]> 57933306 Our ability to pay attention is collapsing. From the New York Times bestselling author of Chasing the Scream and Lost Connections comes a groundbreaking examination of why this is happening--and how to get our attention back.

In the United States, teenagers can focus on one task for only sixty-five seconds at a time, and office workers average only three minutes. Like so many of us, Johann Hari was finding that constantly switching from device to device and tab to tab was a diminishing and depressing way to live. He tried all sorts of self-help solutions--even abandoning his phone for three months--but nothing seemed to work. So Hari went on an epic journey across the world to interview the leading experts on human attention--and he discovered that everything we think we know about this crisis is wrong.

We think our inability to focus is a personal failure to exert enough willpower over our devices. The truth is even more disturbing: our focus has been stolen by powerful external forces that have left us uniquely vulnerable to corporations determined to raid our attention for profit. Hari found that there are twelve deep causes of this crisis, from the decline of mind-wandering to rising pollution, all of which have robbed some of our attention. In Stolen Focus, he introduces readers to Silicon Valley dissidents who learned to hack human attention, and veterinarians who diagnose dogs with ADHD. He explores a favela in Rio de Janeiro where everyone lost their attention in a particularly surreal way, and an office in New Zealand that discovered a remarkable technique to restore workers' productivity.

Crucially, Hari learned how we can reclaim our focus--as individuals, and as a society--if we are determined to fight for it. Stolen Focus will transform the debate about attention and finally show us how to get it back.]]> 357 Johann Hari 0593138511 James 0 currently-reading, gave-up 4.22 2022 Stolen Focus: Why You Can't Pay Attention— and How to Think Deeply Again
author: Johann Hari
name: James
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/08/29
shelves: currently-reading, gave-up
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]]> <![CDATA[The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021]]> 60399106
The bestselling authors of The Man Who Ran Washington argue that Trump was not just lurching from one controversy to another; he was learning to be more like the foreign autocrats he admired.

The Divider brings us into the Oval Office for countless scenes both tense and comical, revealing how close we got to nuclear war with North Korea, which cabinet members had a resignation pact, whether Trump asked Japan’s prime minister to nominate him for a Nobel Prize and much more. The book also explores the moral choices confronting those around Trump—how they justified working for a man they considered unfit for office, and where they drew their lines.

The Divider is based on unprecedented access to key players, from President Trump himself to cabinet officers, military generals, close advisers, Trump family members, congressional leaders, foreign officials and others, some of whom have never told their story until now.
--penguinrandomhouse]]> 725 Peter Baker 0385546548 James 0 currently-reading, gave-up 4.46 2022 The Divider: Trump in the White House, 2017-2021
author: Peter Baker
name: James
average rating: 4.46
book published: 2022
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/08/29
shelves: currently-reading, gave-up
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]]> Discourse on Colonialism 86598 Discourse on Colonialism inspired a new generation engaged in the Civil Rights, Black Power, and antiwar movements.

Aimé Césaire eloquently describes the brutal impact of capitalism and colonialism on both the colonizer and colonized, exposing the contradictions and hypocrisy implicit in western notions of "progress" and "civilization" upon encountering the "savage," "uncultured," or "primitive." He reaffirms African values, identity, and culture, and their relevance, reminding us that "the relationship between consciousness and reality is extremely complex. . . . It is equally necessary to decolonize our minds, our inner life, at the same time that we decolonize society."

An interview with Aimé Césaire by the poet René Depestre is also included.]]> 102 Aimé Césaire 1583670254 James 0 currently-reading 4.44 1950 Discourse on Colonialism
author: Aimé Césaire
name: James
average rating: 4.44
book published: 1950
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/08/29
shelves: currently-reading
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]]> <![CDATA[Johnny Carson: A Taut Portrait of a Complex Man Revealing the True Johnny Carson]]> 18634797 A revealing and incisive account of the King of Late Night at the height of his fame and power, by his lawyer, wingman, fixer, and closest confidant

From 1962 until 1992, Johnny Carson hosted The Tonight Show and permeated the American consciousness. In the �70s and �80s he was the country’s highest-paid entertainer and its most enigmatic. He was notoriously inscrutable, as mercurial (and sometimes cruel) off-camera as he was charming and hilarious onstage. During the apex of his reign, Carson’s longtime lawyer and best friend was Henry Bushkin, who now shows us Johnny Carson with a breathtaking clarity and depth that nobody else could.

From the moment in 1970 when Carson hired Bushkin (who was just twenty-seven) until the moment eighteen years later when they parted ways, the author witnessed and often took part in a string of escapades that still retain their power to surprise and fascinate us. One of Bushkin’s first assignments was helping Carson break into a posh Manhattan apartment to gather evidence of his wife’s infidelity. More than once, Bushkin helped his client avoid entanglements with the mob. Of course, Carson’s adventures weren’t all so sordid. He hosted Ronald Reagan’s inaugural concert as a favor to the new president, and he prevented a drunken Dean Martin from appearing onstage that evening. Carson socialized with Frank Sinatra, Jack Lemmon, Jimmy Stewart, Kirk Douglas, and dozens of other boldface names who populate this atmospheric and propulsive chronicle of the King of Late Night and his world.

But this memoir isn’t just dishy. It is a tautly rendered and remarkably nuanced portrait of Carson, revealing not only how he truly was, but why. Bushkin explains why Carson, a voracious (and very talented) womanizer, felt he always had to be married; why he loathed small talk even as he excelled at it; why he couldn’t visit his son in the hospital and wouldn’t attend his mother’s funeral; and much more. Bushkin’s account is by turns shocking, poignant, and uproarious � written with a novelist’s eye for detail, a screenwriter’s ear for dialogue, and a knack for comic timing that Carson himself would relish. Johnny Carson unveils not only the hidden Carson, but also the raucous, star-studded world he ruled.
]]> 323 Henry Bushkin James 5 3.91 2013 Johnny Carson: A Taut Portrait of a Complex Man Revealing the True Johnny Carson
author: Henry Bushkin
name: James
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2023/07/02
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A rare & revealing glimpse into the private life of the notoriously private American late night icon Johnny Carson from someone on the front lines. Author Henry Bushkin was not only Johnny’s lawyer but for the most part Johnny’s EVERYTHING for about 18 years. Johnny expected a lot from Henry Bushkin; he got that & more. The relationship slowly deteriorated & was coldly terminated by Johnny via phone call. It’s a look at one of the most beloved figures in American entertainment history & it will come as a shock to some but no surprise to most. Of all the “biographies� of Johnny Carson, I believe this to be most intimate & credible. A fast & entertaining read but with one caveat: this is not a full Carson biography but a very detailed account of the 18 years Henry Bushkin spent with Johnny Carson.
]]> <![CDATA[It's Not Easy Bein' Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs]]> 135747 288 Rodney Dangerfield 0060779241 James 3 3.94 1995 It's Not Easy Bein' Me: A Lifetime of No Respect but Plenty of Sex and Drugs
author: Rodney Dangerfield
name: James
average rating: 3.94
book published: 1995
rating: 3
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date added: 2023/07/02
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I LOVE Rodney Dangerfield but this book was no bargain! It was a rather sad story told with Rodney’s typical upbeat humor. It should have been a fast read but took me longer than expected simply because it wasn’t very engaging. A major flaw is the frequent jokes sprinkled throughout. I had a hard time laughing at these jokes because of the often unfunny narrative accompanying them. A better method for reading this book is to finish the book, then go back & read the jokes. I’m sure they’ll work much better that way.
]]> <![CDATA[The Castle on Sunset: Life, Death, Love, Art, and Scandal at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont]]> 50895445
But despite its mythic reputation, much of what has happened inside the Chateau’s walls has eluded the public eye—until now. With wit and insight, Shawn Levy recounts the wild revelries and scandalous liaisons, the creative breakthroughs and marital breakdowns, the births and deaths to which the hotel has been a party. Vivid, salacious, and richly informed, The Castle on Sunset is a glittering tribute to Hollywood as seen from inside the walls of its most hallowed hotel.]]> 384 Shawn Levy 0385543166 James 2
Merged review:

Interesting yet boring. So many names dropped & lists galore that if you’re not paying complete attention (I was listening to the audiobook) you won’t even know who he’s talking about, nor will you care.]]> 3.64 2019 The Castle on Sunset: Life, Death, Love, Art, and Scandal at Hollywood's Chateau Marmont
author: Shawn Levy
name: James
average rating: 3.64
book published: 2019
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2023/06/06
shelves:
review:
Interesting yet boring. So many names dropped & lists galore that if you’re not paying complete attention (I was listening to the audiobook) you won’t even know who he’s talking about, nor will you care.

Merged review:

Interesting yet boring. So many names dropped & lists galore that if you’re not paying complete attention (I was listening to the audiobook) you won’t even know who he’s talking about, nor will you care.
]]> I, Me, Mine 35521 456 George Harrison 0811859002 James 4 4.04 1980 I, Me, Mine
author: George Harrison
name: James
average rating: 4.04
book published: 1980
rating: 4
read at: 2023/04/26
date added: 2023/04/26
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]]> <![CDATA[Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind]]> 23692271 512 Yuval Noah Harari James 5 4.33 2011 Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind
author: Yuval Noah Harari
name: James
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2011
rating: 5
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date added: 2023/04/26
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I listened to the audiobook & it was most enjoyable. The subject matter was fascinating & the author does inject some unexpected humor into his examples, some of which will make you laugh out loud. Expertly read by Derek Perkins. Highly recommended!
]]> In Pieces 37955748
One of the most celebrated, beloved, and enduring actors of our time, Sally Field has an infectious charm that has captivated the nation for more than five decades, beginning with her first TV role at the age of seventeen.

With raw honesty and with all the humility and authenticity her fans have come to expect, Field brings readers behind-the-scenes for not only the highs and lows of her star-studded early career in Hollywood, but deep into the truth of her lifelong relationships--including her complicated love for her own mother. Powerful and unforgettable, In Pieces is an inspiring account of life as a woman in the second half of the twentieth century.

]]> Sally Field 1549143077 James 0 listened-to 3.85 2018 In Pieces
author: Sally Field
name: James
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2018
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/03/28
shelves: listened-to
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]]> <![CDATA[In Pieces (Free Preview: Prologue, Chapter 1, and Selected Excerpts)]]> 40919932 FREE PREVIEW

In this intimate, haunting literary memoir, an American icon tells her story for the first time, and in her own gorgeous words--about a challenging and lonely childhood, the craft that helped her find her voice, and a powerful emotional legacy that shaped her journey as a daughter and a mother.

One of the most celebrated, beloved, and enduring actors of our time, Sally Field has an infectious charm that has captivated the nation for more than five decades, beginning with her first TV role at the age of seventeen. From Gidget's sweet-faced "girl next door" to the dazzling complexity of Sybil to the Academy Award-worthy ferocity and depth of Norma Rae and Mary Todd Lincoln, Field has stunned audiences time and time again with her artistic range and emotional acuity. Yet there is one character who always remained hidden: the shy and anxious little girl within.
With raw honesty and the fresh, pitch-perfect prose of a natural-born writer, and with all the humility and authenticity her fans have come to expect, Field brings readers behind-the-scenes for not only the highs and lows of her star-studded early career in Hollywood, but deep into the truth of her lifelong relationships--including her complicated love for her own mother. Powerful and unforgettable, In Pieces is an inspiring and important account of life as a woman in the second half of the twentieth century.
]]> 416 Sally Field James 0 3.90 In Pieces (Free Preview: Prologue, Chapter 1, and Selected Excerpts)
author: Sally Field
name: James
average rating: 3.90
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rating: 0
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date added: 2023/03/28
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]]> <![CDATA[The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair: Creation and Legacy (Images of America: New York)]]> 2803505 128 Bill Cotter 0738557455 James 0 to-read 4.00 201 The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair: Creation and Legacy (Images of America: New York)
author: Bill Cotter
name: James
average rating: 4.00
book published: 201
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/02/22
shelves: to-read
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]]> <![CDATA[The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, New York (Images of Modern America)]]> 18443206 96 Bill Cotter 1467121053 James 0 to-read 4.00 201 The 1964-1965 New York World's Fair, New York (Images of Modern America)
author: Bill Cotter
name: James
average rating: 4.00
book published: 201
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/02/22
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]]> <![CDATA[1964-1965 New York World's Fair 2010 Calendar, The (Historic Images Calendar)]]> 24697901 28 Bill Cotter 1439600619 James 0 to-read 4.50 201 1964-1965 New York World's Fair 2010 Calendar, The (Historic Images Calendar)
author: Bill Cotter
name: James
average rating: 4.50
book published: 201
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/02/22
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]]> <![CDATA[Lost Diary of George Washington: The Revolutionary War Years]]> 61266955 598 Johhny Teague 1592112005 James 0 to-read 0.0 Lost Diary of George Washington: The Revolutionary War Years
author: Johhny Teague
name: James
average rating: 0.0
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/02/14
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]]> <![CDATA[The Shepherd's View: Modern Photographs From an Ancient Landscape]]> 29938982 The New York Times bestselling author of The Shepherd’s Life, a breathtaking book of photography and wisdom that chronicles an ancient way of living that deeply resonates in our modern world. With over eighty full color photographs The English Lake District comes into full focus: the sheep competitions of the spring, the sweeping pastures of the summer, beloved sheep dogs in the fall and the harsh snows of winter. A celebration of a way of life still very much alive, The Shepherd’s View is a poetic, and artistic achievement from one of England’s most celebrated new voices.]]> 178 James Rebanks 1250103371 James 0 4.36 2015 The Shepherd's View: Modern Photographs From an Ancient Landscape
author: James Rebanks
name: James
average rating: 4.36
book published: 2015
rating: 0
read at: 2023/01/31
date added: 2023/01/31
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]]> <![CDATA[Solid Mental Grace: Listening to the Music of Yes]]> 38821768 232 Simon Barrow 0995738181 James 0 to-read 4.44 Solid Mental Grace: Listening to the Music of Yes
author: Simon Barrow
name: James
average rating: 4.44
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/01/28
shelves: to-read
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]]> George Harrison: Be Here Now 51717606
On hand from 1970 to 1972 for Harrison's blockbuster "Triple Crown"--the release of All Things Must Pass; The Concert for Bangladesh ; and Living in the Material World , which helped make Harrison the best-selling post-breakup Beatle, Barry became good friends with George during the three-plus years they worked together. Feinstein captured George Harrison at home, in his garden, onstage, and in the studio. Nearly all the images are previously unpublished.

The book contains never-before-seen ephemera related to these seminal releases during George's most richly creative time post-Beatles, including handwritten letters talking about album ideas, album-cover
thoughts, and putting together the Concert for Bangladesh. This collection also features beloved performers that George convened for that Concert for Bangladesh--where Barry was the only sanctioned photographer onstage--including George's friends Bob Dylan, Ravi Shankar, Eric Clapton, Ringo Starr, Leon Russell, and Billy Preston.

The book coincides with the fiftieth anniversary of All Things Must Pass . George Be Here Now is a deeper visual dive that the significantly large and passionate Beatles/George Harrison fandom will want to add to their collection.]]> 208 Barry Feinstein 0847867757 James 0 4.20 George Harrison: Be Here Now
author: Barry Feinstein
name: James
average rating: 4.20
book published:
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/01/28
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]]> Harrison 920325 240 Rolling Stone Magazine 0743235819 James 0 4.35 2002 Harrison
author: Rolling Stone Magazine
name: James
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2002
rating: 0
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date added: 2023/01/28
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]]> <![CDATA[Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America]]> 60387898 From the Pulitzer-Prize-winning New York Times reporter who has defined Donald J. Trump's presidency like no other journalist: a magnificent and disturbing reckoning that moves beyond simplistic caricature, chronicling his rise in New York City to his tortured post-presidency and his potential comeback.

Few journalists working today have covered Donald Trump more extensively than Maggie Haberman. And few understand him and his motivations better. Now, demonstrating her majestic command of this story, Haberman reveals in full the depth of her understanding of the 45th president himself, and of what the Trump phenomenon means.

Interviews with hundreds of sources and numerous interviews over the years with Trump himself portray a complicated and often contradictory historical figure. Capable of kindness but relying on casual cruelty as it suits his purposes. Pugnacious. Insecure. Lonely. Vindictive. Menacing. Smarter than his critics contend and colder and more calculating than his allies believe. A man who embedded himself in popular culture, galvanizing support for a run for high office that he began preliminary spadework for 30 years ago, to ultimately become a president who pushed American democracy to the brink.

The through-line of Trump’s life and his presidency is the enduring question of what is in it for him or what he needs to say to survive short increments of time in the pursuit of his own interests.

Confidence Man is also, inevitably, about the world that produced such a singular character, giving rise to his career and becoming his first stage. It is also about a series of relentlessly transactional relationships. The ones that shaped him most were with girlfriends and wives, with Roy Cohn, with George Steinbrenner, with Mike Tyson and Don King and Roger Stone, with city and state politicians like Robert Morgenthau and Rudy Giuliani, with business partners, with prosecutors, with the media, and with the employees who toiled inside what they commonly called amongst themselves the “Trump Disorganization.�

That world informed the one that Trump tried to recreate while in the White House. All of Trump’s behavior as President had echoes in what came before. In this revelatory and newsmaking book, Haberman brings together the events of his life into a single mesmerizing work. It is the definitive account of one of the most norms-shattering and consequential eras in American political history.]]> 597 Maggie Haberman 0593297342 James 0 4.03 2022 Confidence Man: The Making of Donald Trump and the Breaking of America
author: Maggie Haberman
name: James
average rating: 4.03
book published: 2022
rating: 0
read at: 2023/01/13
date added: 2023/01/13
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration]]> 8171378
Wilkerson tells this interwoven story through the lives of three unforgettable protagonists: Ida Mae Gladney, a sharecropper’s wife, who in 1937 fled Mississippi for Chicago; sharp and quick-tempered George Starling, who in 1945 fled Florida for Harlem, and Robert Foster, a surgeon who left Louisiana in 1953 in hopes of making it in California.

Wilkerson brilliantly captures their first treacherous cross-country journeys by car and train and their new lives in colonies in the New World. The Warmth of Other Suns is a bold, remarkable, and riveting work, a superb account of an “unrecognized immigration� within our own land. Through the breadth of its narrative, the beauty of the writing, the depth of its research, and the fullness of the people and lives portrayed herein, this book is a modern classic.]]> 622 Isabel Wilkerson 0679444327 James 3 4.45 2010 The Warmth of Other Suns: The Epic Story of America's Great Migration
author: Isabel Wilkerson
name: James
average rating: 4.45
book published: 2010
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2022/11/16
shelves:
review:
This review is for the audiobook. Much too long; could have been reduced by 1/3. I’m still not sure if this was fiction or non-fiction. The author talks about meeting with the three principal characters as though they are real people, but are they? It was an interesting book & filled with events that were beyond outrageous in the cruel treatment of southern blacks; that alone had me shaking my head in empathy & compassion that anyone would be subject to such injustice. The constant repetition of the principals� full names at the beginning of each section about them became rather tiresome. Equally tiresome were the quotes of each character spoken in exaggerated southern negro dialect. I wonder if these quotes were written phonetically in the actual book. If so, I’d have had an even greater problem reading it. Like a film with characters in a foreign country where the dialogue is initially in that country’s language but eventually they begin to speak English, that concept would have worked here as well. All in all, not a bad book, minor gripes notwithstanding.
]]> Autobiography of a Yogi 639864
Autobiography of a Yogi is at once a beautifully written account of an exceptional life and a profound introduction to the ancient science of Yoga and its time-honored tradition of meditation. The author clearly explains the subtle but definite laws behind both the ordinary events of everyday life and the extraordinary events commonly termed miracles. His absorbing life story thus becomes the background for a penetrating and unforgettable look at the ultimate mysteries of human existence.

Considered a modern spiritual classic, the book has been translated into more than twenty languages and is widely used as a text and reference work in colleges and universities. A perennial bestseller since it was first published sixty years ago, Autobiography of a Yogi has found its way into the hearts of millions of readers around the world.]]> 503 Paramahansa Yogananda 0876120834 James 3 4.22 1946 Autobiography of a Yogi
author: Paramahansa Yogananda
name: James
average rating: 4.22
book published: 1946
rating: 3
read at: 2022/08/18
date added: 2022/08/18
shelves:
review:
I wanted to read this book for two reasons: it was influential to George Harrison & the music he composed; it is also the basis of Yes’s four part masterwork “Tales from Topographic Oceans,� as realized by band member Jon Anderson. It was enjoyable to a point as the author interjects humor at certain points. However, for something called an autobiography, I came away knowing lots about other people but not so much about the author. There was a great deal of padding, for example, lengthy quoted narrative emanating from the author’s associates & guru. Some of the events described were very hard to believe and clearly broke the laws of physics. He referred to many living people as saints & their practices as miracles. One last point, I’m not sure how some of these people make a living if they’re constantly meditating, levitating, living on no food & always have a roof over their heads.
]]> <![CDATA[Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly]]> 33313 A deluxe, annotated edition of Kitchen Confidential to celebrate the life of Anthony Bourdain, featuring new photo inserts

Over two decades ago, the New Yorker published a now infamous article, “Don’t Eat Before Reading This,� by then little-known chef Anthony Bourdain. Bourdain spared no one’s appetite as he revealed what happens behind the kitchen door. The article was a sensation, and the book it spawned, the now iconic Kitchen Confidential, became an even bigger sensation and megabestseller. Frankly confessional, addictively acerbic, and utterly unsparing, Bourdain pulls no punches in this memoir of his years in the restaurant business.

Fans will love to return to this deliciously funny, delectably shocking banquet of wild-but-true tales of life in the culinary trade, laying out Bourdain’s more than a quarter-century of drugs, sex, and haute cuisine. Including a handwritten introduction and annotations done by Bourdain about a decade after the book was originally published, this edition also features previously unpublished photos to accompany the now-classic text.]]> 312 Anthony Bourdain 0060899220 James 1 It’s an endless litany of pretension & nastiness, list after list of meaningless drivel written by such a miserable, negative man. It’s so rapid-fire that I wondered if this was his only means of cardio. I listened to the audiobook read by the author, so I can’t swear by this but I’m sure there was a minimum of punctuation. That would be fine, if there was actually something worthwhile to read but let’s face it, this guy is NO Philip Roth. I really don’t need to know that you slipped onto the stairway for a smoke or hear an account of all the unhealthy garbage you ingested before your shift.
And then there’s the slinging all sorts of technical restaurant jargon around as though he’s determined to prove something to us. The only thing he proved to me is what a 1st class a-hole he was. This was truly the worst example of writing I’ve ever encountered, worse than Angelica Huston’s 2 tomes, who also filled her pages with endless lists of egotistical musings. One of the things that was stressed to me by elementary school teachers when composing say a 500 word essay was “no enumeration.� Mr. Bourdain must have had a required minimum number of pages for publication because these lists are nothing more than padding & filler which add nothing of substance to this book. I used to enjoy his “Parts Unknown� show on CNN. Now I wish I could have those hours back. ]]> 4.17 2000 Kitchen Confidential: Adventures in the Culinary Underbelly
author: Anthony Bourdain
name: James
average rating: 4.17
book published: 2000
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2022/06/01
shelves:
review:
This is one of the most offensive books I’ve ever read.
It’s an endless litany of pretension & nastiness, list after list of meaningless drivel written by such a miserable, negative man. It’s so rapid-fire that I wondered if this was his only means of cardio. I listened to the audiobook read by the author, so I can’t swear by this but I’m sure there was a minimum of punctuation. That would be fine, if there was actually something worthwhile to read but let’s face it, this guy is NO Philip Roth. I really don’t need to know that you slipped onto the stairway for a smoke or hear an account of all the unhealthy garbage you ingested before your shift.
And then there’s the slinging all sorts of technical restaurant jargon around as though he’s determined to prove something to us. The only thing he proved to me is what a 1st class a-hole he was. This was truly the worst example of writing I’ve ever encountered, worse than Angelica Huston’s 2 tomes, who also filled her pages with endless lists of egotistical musings. One of the things that was stressed to me by elementary school teachers when composing say a 500 word essay was “no enumeration.� Mr. Bourdain must have had a required minimum number of pages for publication because these lists are nothing more than padding & filler which add nothing of substance to this book. I used to enjoy his “Parts Unknown� show on CNN. Now I wish I could have those hours back.
]]> <![CDATA[How Sweet It Is: The Jackie Gleason Story]]> 1026590 214 James Bacon 031239621X James 2 3.66 1985 How Sweet It Is: The Jackie Gleason Story
author: James Bacon
name: James
average rating: 3.66
book published: 1985
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2022/06/01
shelves:
review:
A very affectionate and perhaps, a bit too familiar, biography of Jackie Gleason. I learned much about Gleason from this book, however James Bacon’s writing style is such that he comes across as being “in love with Gleason.� A little of this is fine but he really overdoes it. I assume he was good friends with his subject & if it didn’t meet with Gleason’s completel approval, that friendship might have gone up in smoke. Hearing about Gleason’s constant drinking (how many times do we need to be reminded of his drinking 6 double scotches at one time, no ice) & chain smoking (up to 6 packs a day) in such an romanticized way got old fast. A little more emotional distance might have made this a more interesting read but instead it becomes a yawn.
]]> <![CDATA[Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography]]> 56645907 An unprecedented behind-the-scenes view into the life of Anthony Bourdain from the people who knew him bestĚý

When Anthony Bourdain died in June 2018, fans around the globe came together to celebrate the life of an inimitable man who had dedicated his life to traveling nearly everywhere (and eating nearly everything), shedding light on the lives and stories of others. His impact was outsized and his legacy has only grown since his death.

Now, for the first time, we have been granted a look into Bourdain’s life through the stories and recollections of his closest friends and colleagues. Laurie Woolever, Bourdain’s longtime assistant and confidante, interviewed nearly a hundred of the people who shared Tony’s orbit—from members of his kitchen crews to his writing, publishing, and television partners, to his daughter and his closest friends—in order to piece together a remarkably full, vivid, and nuanced vision of Tony’s life and work.Ěý

From his childhood and teenage days, to his early years in New York, through the genesis of his game-changing memoirĚýKitchen ConfidentialĚýto his emergence as a writing and television personality, and in the words of friends and colleagues including Eric Ripert,ĚýJosĂ© AndrĂ©s, Nigella Lawson, and W. Kamau Bell, as well as family members including his brother and his late mother, we see the many sides of Tony—his motivations, his ambivalence, his vulnerability, his blind spots, and his brilliance.

Unparalleled in scope and deeply intimate in its execution, with a treasure trove of photos from Tony's life,ĚýBourdain: The Definitive Oral BiographyĚýis a testament to the life of a remarkable man in the words of the people who shared his world.]]> 442 Laurie Woolever 006290910X James 1 gave-up 4.18 2021 Bourdain: The Definitive Oral Biography
author: Laurie Woolever
name: James
average rating: 4.18
book published: 2021
rating: 1
read at: 2022/06/01
date added: 2022/06/01
shelves: gave-up
review:
Gave up, it was boring recollections by too many people to keep track of about a guy who sounded like a real A-hole!
]]> Kon-Tiki 790171 Kon-Tiki is the record of an astonishing adventure - a journey of 4,300 nautical miles across the Pacific Ocean by raft. Intrigued by Polynesian folklore, biologist Thor Heyerdahl suspected that the South Sea Islands had been settled by an ancient race from thousands of miles to the east, led by a mythical hero, Kon-Tiki. He decided to prove his theory by duplicating the legendary voyage.

On April 28, 1947, Heyerdahl and five other adventurers sailed from Peru on a balsa log raft. After three months on the open sea, encountering raging storms, whales, and sharks, they sighted land - the Polynesian island of Puka Puka.

Translated into over sixty languages, Kon-Tiki is a classic, inspiring tale of daring and courage - a magnificent saga of men against the sea.]]> 240 Thor Heyerdahl 0671726528 James 5 4.15 1948 Kon-Tiki
author: Thor Heyerdahl
name: James
average rating: 4.15
book published: 1948
rating: 5
read at: 2022/05/13
date added: 2022/05/13
shelves:
review:

]]> You Can’t Be Serious 56898257
You Can’t Be Serious is a series of funny, consequential, awkward, and ridiculous stories from Kal’s idiosyncratic life. It’s about being the grandson of Gandhian freedom fighters, and the son of immigrant parents: people who came to this country with very little and went very far—and whose vision of the American dream probably never included their son sliding off an oiled-up naked woman in a raunchy Ryan Reynolds movie…or getting a phone call from Air Force One as Kal flew with the country’s first Black president.

With intelligence, humor, and charm on every page, Kal reflects on the most exasperating and rewarding moments from his journey so far. He pulls back the curtain on the nuances of opportunity and racism in the entertainment industry and recounts how he built allies, found encouragement, and dealt with early reminders that he might never fit in. And of course, he reveals how, after a decade and a half of fighting for and enjoying successes in Hollywood, he made the terrifying but rewarding decision to take a sabbatical from a fulfilling acting career for an opportunity to serve his country as a White House aide.

Above all, You Can’t Be Serious shows that everyone can have more than one life story. Kal demonstrates by example that no matter who you are and where you come from, you have many more choices than those presented to you. It’s a story about struggle, triumph, and learning how to keep your head up. And okay, yes, it’s also about how he accidentally (and very stupidly) accepted an invitation to take the entire White House Office of Public Engagement to a strip club—because, let’s be honest, that’s the kind of stuff you really want to hear about.]]> 368 Kal Penn 1982171383 James 2 4.20 2021 You Can’t Be Serious
author: Kal Penn
name: James
average rating: 4.20
book published: 2021
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2022/02/13
shelves:
review:
One of the most boring books I've ever read. I can't recall a book that made me feel like dozing off with every other sentence. He says a lot of things that are supposed to be funny but he's really not nearly as funny as he thinks he is. I originally wanted to read this book because I learned Kal Penn is gay but even that was a disappointment. He never once mentions grappling with his sexuality throughout adolescence or young adulthood, never a mention of dating, romance, childhood crushes, conflict or any such angst almost all gay people go through. But somewhere around his late 20s he begins to talk about dating guys as though we've been privy to this information all along. What a cop-out, especially considering how taboo being gay can be amongst the Indian community! Oh and one other thing...... FOOTNOTES, unnecessary, annoying and not very funny footnotes on every page! Something I remember about Barack Obama's book "A Promised Land," was what he said about footnotes, "I hate footnotes!" Kal should have taken that approach from his former boss.
]]> <![CDATA[Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump]]> 54916250 This book almost didn’t see the light of day as government officials tried to bar its publication.
The Inside Story of the Real President Trump, by His Former Attorney And Personal Advisor—The Man Who Helped Get Him Into the Oval Office
Once Donald Trump’s fiercest surrogate, closest confidant, and staunchest defender, Michael Cohen knows where the skeletons are buried.

This is the most devastating business and political horror story of the century. As Trump’s lawyer and “fixer,â€� Cohen not only witnessed firsthandĚýbut was also an active participant inĚýthe inner workings of Trump’s business empire, political campaign, and presidential administration.

This is a story that you have not read in newspapers, or on social media, or watched on television. These are accounts that only someone who worked for Trump around the clock for over a decade—not a few months or even a couple of years—could know. Cohen describes Trump’s racist rants against President Barack Obama, Nelson Mandela, and Black and Hispanic people in general, as well as the cruelty, humiliation, and abuse he leveled at family and staff. Whether he’s exposing the fact that Trump engaged in tax fraud by inflating his wealth or electronicĚýfraud by rigging an online survey, or outing Trump’s Neanderthal views towards women or his hush-money payments to clandestine lovers, Cohen pulls no punches.

He shows Trump’s relentless willingness to lie, exaggerate, mislead, or manipulate. Trump emerges as a man without a soul—a man who courts evangelicals and then trashes them, panders to the common man, but then rips offĚýsmall business owners, a con-man who will do or say absolutely anything to win, regardless of the cost to his family, his associates, or his country.

At the heart of Disloyal, we see how Cohen came under the spell of his charismatic "Boss" and, as a result, lost all sense of his moral compass.

The real "real" Donald Trump who permeates these pages—the racist, sexist, homophobic, lying, cheating President—will be discussed, written about, and analyzed for years to come.]]> 439 Michael Cohen 1510764704 James 3 4.09 2020 Disloyal: The True Story of the Former Personal Attorney to President Donald J. Trump
author: Michael Cohen
name: James
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2020
rating: 3
read at: 2022/01/11
date added: 2022/01/11
shelves:
review:
It was a different kind of tell-all. It's admirable how honest and telling the author is regarding his own atrocious behavior in the name of Donald Trump and how much he wanted him to run for president. It's hard to feel much compassion for him because he didn't seem to have any problem inflicting pain and suffering onto those his client targeted. At the same time it's remarkable how much of the book is devoted to his whining. The last few chapters left me wanting more. I felt he left many things out which occurred between his conviction and the present. It was as though he wanted to wrap it up quickly and get it published before any preemptive lawsuits ensued.
]]> <![CDATA[Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty]]> 56382342
When eleven-year-old Cornelius Vanderbilt began to work on his father’s small boat ferrying supplies in New York Harbor at the beginning of the nineteenth century, no one could have imagined that one day he would, through ruthlessness, cunning, and a pathological desire for money, build two empires—one in shipping and another in railroads—that would make him the richest man in America. His staggering fortune was fought over by his heirs after his death in 1877, sowing familial discord that would never fully heal. Though his son Billy doubled the money left by “the Commodore,� subsequent generations competed to find new and ever more extraordinary ways of spending it. By 2018, when the last Vanderbilt was forced out of The Breakers—the seventy-room summer estate in Newport, Rhode Island, that Cornelius’s grandson and namesake had built—the family would have been unrecognizable to the tycoon who started it all.

Now, the Commodore’s great-great-great-grandson Anderson Cooper, joins with historian Katherine Howe to explore the story of his legendary family and their outsized influence. Cooper and Howe breathe life into the ancestors who built the family’s empire, basked in the Commodore’s wealth, hosted lavish galas, and became synonymous with unfettered American capitalism and high society. Moving from the hardscrabble wharves of old Manhattan to the lavish drawing rooms of Gilded Age Fifth Avenue, from the ornate summer palaces of Newport to the courts of Europe, and all the way to modern-day New York, Cooper and Howe wryly recount the triumphs and tragedies of an American dynasty unlike any other.

Written with a unique insider’s viewpoint, this is a rollicking, quintessentially American history as remarkable as the family it so vividly captures.]]> 317 Anderson Cooper 0062964615 James 3 listened-to 3.74 2021 Vanderbilt: The Rise and Fall of an American Dynasty
author: Anderson Cooper
name: James
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2022/01/06
date added: 2022/01/06
shelves: listened-to
review:
It came off like a vanity project about Cooper's ancestral history, which is fine since he came from such a storied family. The drawback is that he seemed absolutely bored by it and as such it was a pretty boring read. It should not have been and I'm disappointed in him.
]]> <![CDATA[Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could]]> 58203328 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER â€� The vital inside account of American democracy in its darkest hour, from the rise of autocracy unleashed by Trump to the January 6 insurrection, and a warning that those forces remain as potent as ever—from the congressman who led the first impeachment of Donald J. Trump“Engaging and informative . . .Ěýa manual for how to probe and question power, how to hold leaders accountable in a time of diminishing responsibility.”—The Washington PostWith a new afterword by the authorIn the years leading up to the election of Donald Trump, Congressman Adam Schiff had already been sounding the alarm over the resurgence of autocracy around the world, and the threat this posed to the United States. But as he led the probe into Donald Trump’s Russia and Ukraine-related abuses of presidential power, Schiff came to the terrible conclusion that the principal threat to American democracy now came from within.ĚýIn Midnight in Washington, Schiff argues that the Trump presidency has so weakened our institutions and compromised the Republican Party that the peril will last for years, requiring unprecedented vigilance against the growing and dangerous appeal of authoritarianism. The congressman chronicles step-by-step just how our democracy was put at such risk, and traces his own path to meeting the crisis—from serious prosecutor, to congressman with an expertise in national security and a reputation for bipartisanship, to liberal lightning rod, scourge of the right, and archenemy of a president. Schiff takes us inside his team of impeachment managers and their desperate defense of the Constitution amid the rise of a distinctly American brand of autocracy.ĚýDeepening our understanding of prominent public moments, Schiff reveals the private struggles, the internal conflicts, and the triumphs of courage that came with defending the republic against a lawless president—but also the slow surrender of people that he had worked with and admired to the dangerous immorality of a president engaged in an historic betrayal of his office. Schiff’s fight for democracy is one of the great dramas of our time, told by the man who became the president’s principal antagonist. It is a story that began with Trump but does not end with him, taking us through the disastrous culmination of the presidency and Schiff’s account of January 6, 2021, and how the antidemocratic forces Trump unleashed continue to define his party, making the future of democracy in America more uncertain than ever.]]> 537 Adam Schiff James 4 4.52 2021 Midnight in Washington: How We Almost Lost Our Democracy and Still Could
author: Adam Schiff
name: James
average rating: 4.52
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at: 2021/12/25
date added: 2021/12/25
shelves:
review:
This review is for the audiobook read by the author. I highly recommend this in audio format because Adam Schiff puts so much emotion and honesty into the reading. It does cover the Jan 6 insurrection but not in as much detail as Trump's first impeachment. Otherwise, I would have given 5 stars.
]]> Jeannie Out of the Bottle 10309013
A magical, heartwarming memoir from one of Hollywood’s most beloved icons
Ěý
Over the past four decades, the landmark NBC hit television series I Dream of Jeannie has delighted generations of audiences and inspired untold numbers of teenage crushes on its beautiful blond star, Barbara Eden. Part pristine Hollywood princess and part classic bombshell, with innocence, strength, and comedic talent to spare, Barbara finally lets Jeannie out of her bottle to tell her whole story.
Ěý
Jeannie Out of the Bottle takes us behind the scenes of I Dream of Jeannie as well as Barbara’s dozens of other stage, movie, television, and live concert performances. We follow her from the hungry years when she was a struggling studio contract player at 20th Century Fox through difficult weeks trying to survive as a chorus girl at Ciro’s Sunset Strip supper club, from a stint as Johnny Carson’s sidekick on live TV to tangling on-screen and off with some of Hollywood’s most desirable leading men, including Elvis Presley, Clint Eastwood, Paul Newman, and Warren Beatty. From the ups and downs of her relationship with her Jeannie co-star Larry Hagman to a touching meeting with an exquisite and vulnerable Marilyn Monroe at the twilight of her career, readers join Barbara on a thrilling journey through her five decades in Hollywood.
Ěý
But Barbara’s story is also an intimate and honest memoir of personal tragedy: a stillborn child with her first husband, Michael Ansara; a verbally abusive, drug-addicted second husband; the loss of her beloved mother; and the accidental heroin-induced death of her adult son, just months before his wedding. With candor and poignancy, Barbara reflects on the challenges she has faced, as well as the joys she has experienced and how she has maintained her humor, optimism, and inimitable Jeannie magic throughout the roller-coaster ride of a truly memorable life.
Ěý
Illustrated with sixteen pages of photographs, including candid family pictures and rare publicity stills, Jeannie Out of the Bottle is a must-have for every fan, old and new.]]> 288 Barbara Eden 0307886948 James 4


Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone]]> 3.65 2011 Jeannie Out of the Bottle
author: Barbara Eden
name: James
average rating: 3.65
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/11/14
shelves:
review:
I was a huge "I Dream of Jeannie" fan as a pre-teen boy in the mid-60s. A friend's email about Barbara Eden turning 90 got me thinking that even though she's not the biggest star, she has certainly kept herself "out there" and taken great care of herself because she looks fabulous. And based upon my boyhood obsession with her, it inspired me to seek out her memoir, "Jeannie, Out of the Bottle," which was a quick and delightful read. I found it at my local public library. Her story was certainly worth telling, again not because she was a huge star but because she was probably one of the hardest working people in show business, and because she had to be! Hers was not an easy life as I learned while reading this book. She had a very loving and supportive husband in Michael Ansara, whose acting career had dried up, so it was up to her to keep an income coming in, even at great personal sacrifice. I have a great deal of respect and admiration for her because through it all she always tried to do the right thing, even if it often didn't work out as she had hoped. The book was published in 2011 and on the last page she says, "All I know is that I intend to be working until I'm ninety." And so she has! Truth be told, I haven't watched an episode of IDoJ in decades, nor have I any interest in buying it on Blu-ray or DVD, but it does hold a special place in my heart as something I truly loved as a young boy. It's a fun, heartfelt and inspiring story that will bring a few hours of enjoyment to any Barbara Eden fan.



Sent from my Verizon, Samsung Galaxy smartphone
]]> Peril 58546518
The transition from President Donald J. Trump to President Joseph R. Biden Jr. stands as one of the most dangerous periods in American history.

But as # 1 internationally bestselling author Bob Woodward and acclaimed reporter Robert Costa reveal for the first time, it was far more than just a domestic political crisis.

Woodward and Costa interviewed more than 200 people at the center of the turmoil, resulting in more than 6,000 pages of transcripts—and a spellbinding and definitive portrait of a nation on the brink.

This classic study of Washington takes readers deep inside the Trump White House, the Biden White House, the 2020 campaign, and the Pentagon and Congress, with vivid, eyewitness accounts of what really happened.

Peril is supplemented throughout with never-before-seen material from secret orders, transcripts of confidential calls, diaries, emails, meeting notes and other personal and government records, making for an unparalleled history.

It is also the first inside look at Biden’s presidency as he faces the challenges of a lifetime: the continuing deadly pandemic and millions of Americans facing soul-crushing economic pain, all the while navigating a bitter and disabling partisan divide, a world rife with threats, and the hovering, dark shadow of the former president.

“We have much to do in this winter of peril,� Biden declared at his inauguration, an event marked by a nerve-wracking security alert and the threat of domestic terrorism.

Peril is the extraordinary story of the end of one presidency and the beginning of another, and represents the culmination of Bob Woodward’s news-making trilogy on the Trump presidency, along with Fear and Rage. And it is the beginning of a collaboration with fellow Washington Post reporter Robert Costa that will remind readers of Woodward’s coverage, with Carl Bernstein, of President Richard M. Nixon’s final days.]]> 512 Bob Woodward 1982182938 James 3 4.09 2021 Peril
author: Bob Woodward
name: James
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2021/11/14
shelves:
review:
Somewhat disappointing. This book was filled with anonymous statements and made me wonder why anyone would even care to read them, not knowing who actually said them. I'm a democrat and I loathe Donald Trump but his chapters of the book were far more interesting than the Biden ones. That said, I'd much rather have a boring president than the constant chaos we endured on a daily basis during the Trump years. But I digress. Statements in this book attributable to both 45 & 46 are made but the book claims neither one contributed to the book. I suppose it was anonymous sources who supplied them but that really calls into question the credibility of such statements. I trust both Woodward and Costa to do better than this and here they came up short.
]]> <![CDATA[Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-time Eater]]> 6449638 The New York Times restaurant critic's heartbreaking and hilarious account of how he learned to love food just enough after decades of wrestling with his weight

Frank Bruni was born round. Round as in stout, chubby, and hungry, always and endlessly hungry. He grew up in a big, loud Italian family in White Plains, New York, where meals were epic, outsize affairs. At those meals, he demonstrated one of his foremost qualifications for his future career: an epic, outsize appetite for food. But his relationship with eating was tricky, and his difficulties with managing it began early.

When he was named the restaurant critic for the New York Times in 2004, he knew enough to be nervous. He would be performing one of the most closely watched tasks in the epicurean universe; a bumpy ride was inevitable, especially for someone whose writing beforehand had focused on politics, presidential campaigns, and the Pope.

But as he tackled his new role as one of the most loved and hated tastemakers in the New York restaurant world, he also had to make sense of a decades-long love-hate affair with food, which had been his enemy as well as his friend. Now he’d have to face down this enemy at meal after indulgent meal. His Italian grandmother had often said, "Born round, you don’t die square." Would he fall back into his worst old habits? Or had he established a truce with the food on his plate?

In tracing the highly unusual path Bruni traveled to become a restaurant critic, Born Round tells the captivating story of an unpredictable journalistic odyssey and provides an unflinching account of one person’s tumultuous, often painful lifelong struggle with his weight. How does a committed eater embrace food without being undone by it? Born Round will speak to every hungry hedonist who has ever had to rein in an appetite to avoid letting out a waistband, and it will delight anyone interested in matters of family, matters of the heart, and the big role food plays in both.]]> 354 Frank Bruni 1594202311 James 2 I swear, every time I picked up this book, I was fighting to stay awake moments later. I blame the author's sing-songey writing, which favors style over substance, and comes off as pretentious and self-absorbed. Could the recollections of conversations with family and friends really have been that witty and rapid-fire as written here? To its credit, I will say it spoke to me both as a gay man and one who has struggled with compulsive overeating his whole life. And it was certainly nice to have such a memoir finally written by a man when so many eating disorder tomes have been penned by women. To me, its greatest strength was relating the almost life-long sacrifice compulsive eating, distorted body image and the resulting self-loathing over each takes on the possibility of meaningful intimate relationships. Even after getting himself on the "right track," physically, it seemed the author, despite yearning for a long-term relationship, never really had one, at least not for long. This could be due to some deep-seated reluctance he never addresses in the book or like the fabulous food and variety of which he is paid to eat, none is ever enough to meet the need for constant stimulation. At various times throughout his life, he avoided intimate relationships out of fear that he wasn't physically attractive enough to even make it through a date, yet once he felt confident in pursuing men, seemed to dispose of them as quickly as the evidence of last night's binge. At book's end, there does seem to be a significant other in his life, but as the ones that came before him, you're not confident that this one will last either. This book was a quick read and did make lots of key points, but could have much better without being "weighed down" by his excessive descriptions of food at family gatherings, restaurants and late night binges.]]> 3.68 2009 Born Round: The Secret History of a Full-time Eater
author: Frank Bruni
name: James
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2009
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2021/10/16
shelves:
review:
The Cure for Insomnia!
I swear, every time I picked up this book, I was fighting to stay awake moments later. I blame the author's sing-songey writing, which favors style over substance, and comes off as pretentious and self-absorbed. Could the recollections of conversations with family and friends really have been that witty and rapid-fire as written here? To its credit, I will say it spoke to me both as a gay man and one who has struggled with compulsive overeating his whole life. And it was certainly nice to have such a memoir finally written by a man when so many eating disorder tomes have been penned by women. To me, its greatest strength was relating the almost life-long sacrifice compulsive eating, distorted body image and the resulting self-loathing over each takes on the possibility of meaningful intimate relationships. Even after getting himself on the "right track," physically, it seemed the author, despite yearning for a long-term relationship, never really had one, at least not for long. This could be due to some deep-seated reluctance he never addresses in the book or like the fabulous food and variety of which he is paid to eat, none is ever enough to meet the need for constant stimulation. At various times throughout his life, he avoided intimate relationships out of fear that he wasn't physically attractive enough to even make it through a date, yet once he felt confident in pursuing men, seemed to dispose of them as quickly as the evidence of last night's binge. At book's end, there does seem to be a significant other in his life, but as the ones that came before him, you're not confident that this one will last either. This book was a quick read and did make lots of key points, but could have much better without being "weighed down" by his excessive descriptions of food at family gatherings, restaurants and late night binges.
]]> <![CDATA[The Reckoning: Our Nation's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal]]> 56124858
For four years, Donald J. Trump inflicted an onslaught of overlapping and interconnected traumas upon the American people, targeting anyone he perceived as being an “other� or an enemy. Women were discounted and derided, the sick were dismissed as weak and unworthy of help, immigrants and minorities were demonized and discriminated against, and money was elevated above all else. In short, he transformed our country into a macro version of his malignantly dysfunctional family.

How can we make sense of the degree to which our institutions and leaders have let us down? How can we negotiate a world in which all sense of safety and justice seems to have been destroyed? How can we―as individuals and as a nation―confront, process, and overcome this loss of trust and the ways we have been forever altered by chaos, division, and cruelty? And when the dust finally settles, how can we begin to heal, in the midst of ongoing health and economic crises and the greatest political divide since the Civil War?

Mary L. Trump is uniquely positioned to answer these difficult questions. She holds a Ph.D. in clinical psychology specializing in trauma, has herself been diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder, and happens to be Donald J. Trump’s only niece. In The Reckoning , she applies her unique expertise to the task of helping us confront an all-encompassing trauma, one that has taken an immense toll on our nation’s health and well-being.

A new leader alone cannot fix us. Donald J. Trump is only the latest symptom of a disease that has existed within the body politic since America’s inception―from the original sin of slavery through our unceasing, organized commitment to inequality. Our failure to acknowledge this, let alone root it out, has allowed it to metastasize. Now, we are confronted with the limits of our own agency on a daily basis. Whether it manifests itself in rising levels of rage and hatred, or hopelessness and apathy, the unspeakable stress of living in a country we no longer recognize has affected all of us for a long time, in ways we may not fully understand. An enormous amount of healing must be done to rebuild our lives, our faith in leadership, and our hope for this nation. It starts with The Reckoning .]]> 208 Mary L. Trump 1250278457 James 3 listened-to 4.00 2021 The Reckoning: Our Nation's Trauma and Finding a Way to Heal
author: Mary L. Trump
name: James
average rating: 4.00
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at:
date added: 2021/10/09
shelves: listened-to
review:
It was okay but it jumped around a lot after the first half which was mostly a history lesson about Reconstruction, Jim Crow and other terrible periods in US history. Actually much of what she covered in that section was not in the history books I had in school,, so it's good to bring these things out in the open. The parts about Donald Trump didn't say much more than we already knew and did jump around a lot. It was just okay.
]]> <![CDATA[The Black Prince: My Life in Bodybuilding: Muscle vs. Hustle]]> 17324183 212 Robby Robinson 1453717870 James 4 4.50 2013 The Black Prince: My Life in Bodybuilding: Muscle vs. Hustle
author: Robby Robinson
name: James
average rating: 4.50
book published: 2013
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/09/14
shelves:
review:

]]> Driven: My Secret Story 49420164 305 Tony Pearson James 4 4.50 Driven: My Secret Story
author: Tony Pearson
name: James
average rating: 4.50
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2021/09/14
date added: 2021/09/14
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year]]> 58411199 The definitive behind-the-scenes story of Trump’s final year in office, by Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig, the Pulitzer-Prize winning reporters and authors of the #1 New York Times bestseller, A Very Stable Genius

The true story of what took place in Donald Trump’s White House during a disastrous 2020 has never before been told in full. What was really going on around the president, as the government failed to contain the coronavirus and over half a million Americans perished? Who was influencing Trump after he refused to concede an election he had clearly lost and spread lies about election fraud? To answer these questions, Philip Rucker and Carol Leonnig reveal a dysfunctional and bumbling presidency’s inner workings in unprecedented, stunning detail.

Focused on Trump and the key players around him—the doctors, generals, senior advisers, and Trump family members� Rucker and Leonnig provide a forensic account of the most devastating year in a presidency like no other. Their sources were in the room as time and time again Trump put his personal gain ahead of the good of the country. These witnesses to history tell the story of him longing to deploy the military to the streets of American cities to crush the protest movement in the wake of the killing of George Floyd, all to bolster his image of strength ahead of the election. These sources saw firsthand his refusal to take the threat of the coronavirus seriously—even to the point of allowing himself and those around him to be infected. This is a story of a nation sabotaged—economically, medically, and politically—by its own leader, culminating with a groundbreaking, minute-by-minute account of exactly what went on in the Capitol building on January 6, as Trump’s supporters so easily breached the most sacred halls of American democracy, and how the president reacted. With unparalleled access, Rucker and Leonnig explain and expose exactly who enabled—and who foiled—Trump as he sought desperately to cling to power.

A classic and heart-racing work of investigative reporting, this book is destined to be read and studied by citizens and historians alike for decades to come.]]> 592 Carol Leonnig 0593298942 James 5 4.33 2021 I Alone Can Fix It: Donald J. Trump's Catastrophic Final Year
author: Carol Leonnig
name: James
average rating: 4.33
book published: 2021
rating: 5
read at:
date added: 2021/09/11
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery]]> 55655068 ** THE INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER **

Kompromat n.--Russian for compromising information

This is a story about the dirty secrets of the most powerful people in the world--including Donald Trump.

It is based on exclusive interviews with dozens of high-level sources--intelligence officers in the CIA, FBI, and the KGB, thousands of pages of FBI investigations, police investigations, and news articles in English, Russian, and Ukrainian. American Kompromat shows that from Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, kompromat was used in operations far more sinister than the public could ever imagine.

Among them, the book addresses what may be the single most important unanswered question of the entire Trump Is Donald Trump a Russian asset?

The answer, American Kompromat says, is yes, and it supports that conclusion backs with the first richly detailed narrative on how the KGB allegedly first "spotted" Trump as a potential asset, how they cultivated him as an asset, arranged his first trip to Moscow, and pumped him full of KGB talking points that were published in three of America's most prestigious newspapers.


Among its many revelations, American Kompromat reports for the first time

- According to Yuri Shvets, a former major in the KGB, Trump first did business over forty years ago with a Manhattan electronics store co-owned by a Soviet �migr� who Shvets believes was working with the KGB. Trump's decision to do business there triggered protocols through which the Soviet spy agency began efforts to cultivate Trump as an asset, thus launching a decades-long "relationship" of mutual benefit to Russia and Trump, from real estate to real power.


- Trump's invitation to Moscow in 1987 was billed as a preliminary scouting trip for a hotel, but according to Shvets, was actually initiated by a high-level KGB official, General Ivan Gromakov. These sorts of trips were usually arranged for 'deep development, ' recruitment, or for a meeting with the KGB handlers, even if the potential asset was unaware of it. .


- Before Trump's first trip to Moscow, he met with Natalia Dubinina, who worked at the United Nations library in a vital position usually reserved as a cover for KGB operatives.


- In 1987, according to Shvets, the KGB circulated an internal cable hailing the successful execution of an active measure by a newly cultivated American asset who took out full page ads in The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Boston Globe promoting policies promoted by the KGB. The ads had been taken out by Donald Trump, who, Shvets said, would become a "special unofficial contact" for the KGB, that is, an intelligence asset whose role has been compared to that of the late industrialist, Armand Hammer.
A number of America's highest national security officials have said they believe Trump is a Russian asset, but neither the Mueller Report nor the numerous congressional investigations throughout Trump's presidency pursued that vital question. American Kompromat does.

In addition to exploring Trump's ties to the KGB, American Kompromat also shows that from Donald Trump to Jeffrey Epstein, Russian kompromat operations documented the darkest secrets of the most powerful people in the world and transformed those secrets into potent weapons. It also


- How Jeffrey Epstein and Trump jostled for influence and financial supremacy for years. A college dropout let go from his prep school teaching job, Epstein became a millionaire in part with the help of Ghislaine Maxwell's father--media tycoon Robert Maxwell, who allegedly served as a Soviet and Israeli spy and likely gave Epstein a sum estimated between $10 and $20 million before his death in 1991.


- How the Jeffrey Epstein-Ghislaine Maxwell sex-trafficking operation provided a source and marketplace for sexual kompromat - dirty secrets of the richest and most powerful men in the world. While Epstein had a rule when it came to selecting women, namely, "the younger, the better," he also knew that a multimillionaire -or future leader - caught committing adultery is nothing compared to getting caught on video in the act with a minor.


- How the Epstein-Maxwell ring helped enable young women with possible ties to Russian intelligence to gain access to the highest levels of Silicon Valley and the worlds of artificial intelligence, supercomputers, and the internet. This, at a time when Vladimir Putin has asserted, "Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere [artificial intelligence] will become the ruler of the world."


- How Epstein had ties to Russia through sex-trafficking. Epstein partnered with Jean-Luc Brunel, head of MC2 modeling agency and a major sex trafficker, who, in turn, had worked with Peter Listerman, the celebrated p...]]> 368 Craig Unger 0593182537 James 3 3.84 2021 American Kompromat: How the KGB Cultivated Donald Trump, and Related Tales of Sex, Greed, Power, and Treachery
author: Craig Unger
name: James
average rating: 3.84
book published: 2021
rating: 3
read at: 2021/08/16
date added: 2021/08/16
shelves:
review:
It was just okay; at times, a dizzying litany of names and who's who which didn't always add up to much. Many allegations were made without credible substantiation. A missed opportunity at best.
]]> A Promised Land 55364115 A riveting, deeply personal account of history in the making - from the president who inspired us to believe in the power of democracy.

In the stirring, highly anticipated first volume of his presidential memoirs, Barack Obama tells the story of his improbable odyssey from young man searching for his identity to leader of the free world, describing in strikingly personal detail both his political education and the landmark moments of the first term of his historic presidency - a time of dramatic transformation and turmoil.

Obama takes listeners on a compelling journey from his earliest political aspirations to the pivotal Iowa caucus victory that demonstrated the power of grassroots activism to the watershed night of November 4, 2008, when he was elected 44th president of the United States, becoming the first African American to hold the nation’s highest office.

Reflecting on the presidency, he offers a unique and thoughtful exploration of both the awesome reach and the limits of presidential power, as well as singular insights into the dynamics of US partisan politics and international diplomacy. Obama brings listeners inside the Oval Office and the White House Situation Room, and to Moscow, Cairo, Beijing, and points beyond. We are privy to his thoughts as he assembles his cabinet, wrestles with a global financial crisis, takes the measure of Vladimir Putin, overcomes seemingly insurmountable odds to secure passage of the Affordable Care Act, clashes with generals about US strategy in Afghanistan, tackles Wall Street reform, responds to the devastating Deepwater Horizon blowout, and authorizes Operation Neptune’s Spear, which leads to the death of Osama bin Laden.

A Promised Land is extraordinarily intimate and introspective - the story of one man’s bet with history, the faith of a community organizer tested on the world stage. Obama is candid about the balancing act of running for office as a Black American, bearing the expectations of a generation buoyed by messages of “hope and change�, and meeting the moral challenges of high-stakes decision-making. He is frank about the forces that opposed him at home and abroad, open about how living in the White House affected his wife and daughters, and unafraid to reveal self-doubt and disappointment. Yet he never wavers from his belief that inside the great, ongoing American experiment, progress is always possible.

This beautifully written and powerful book captures Barack Obama’s conviction that democracy is not a gift from on high but something founded on empathy and common understanding and built together, day by day.]]> 27 Barack Obama James 5 4.39 2020 A Promised Land
author: Barack Obama
name: James
average rating: 4.39
book published: 2020
rating: 5
read at: 2021/06/09
date added: 2021/06/09
shelves:
review:
Let me say right from the start that I LOVE Barack Obama! This review is for the audiobook and if you love him as much as I do, it's the ONLY way to go. This is the third of his books that I've listened to. It's a very long book (27 CDs) but never boring. Since he probably has no further political aspirations, he is completely unfiltered here, truly human yet always dignified. Yes, there are a few well placed F-bombs. It's a straightforward book briefly revisiting some territory previously covered in "The Audacity of Hope," such as his early political career but with a fresh perspective having served two terms as president. Most of the book details his time in the Senate, the 2008 presidential campaign and his first term in office. His style is light and breezy, but never at the expense of serious incidents like mass shootings, war in the Middle East, and struggles with an opponent Congress. There are more than a few times when it's laugh out loud funny. He has great comic timing especially when discussing personal matters. All in all, a MOST ENJOYABLE read; I cannot recommend this book more highly and I eagerly await Volume II.
]]> <![CDATA[Call Me Debbie: True Confessions of a Down-to-Earth Diva]]> 18090001 288 Deborah Voigt 0062118277 James 2
Hers is an interesting story but unfortunately these things I mention really get in the way of the real impact it may have provided. She takes us through her struggles with overeating and weight gain, toxic relationships and sexual addiction, and finally alcohol addiction. They are all interrelated and one feeds the other. Unfortunately, it is not until the final chapters that she begins to take recovery seriously. That's too bad, because this is a story where you should really be rooting for the protagonist, and sadly I found myself without much empathy for her. I think if she had approached the book in a more mature way, I may have felt more in alliance with her. ]]> 3.86 2014 Call Me Debbie: True Confessions of a Down-to-Earth Diva
author: Deborah Voigt
name: James
average rating: 3.86
book published: 2014
rating: 2
read at: 2021/05/20
date added: 2021/05/20
shelves:
review:
I was really looking forward to reading this because I like Deborah Voigt, but I'm sorry to say it was a huge disappointment. Ms. Voigt tries so hard to come across as "down to earth" that it becomes downright annoying. I lost count of how many times she refers to herself with that phrase and reminds us how un-diva-like she is. And the number of times she uses silly childlike names for things to tell a story got old very fast. At first I thought it was just because these stories took place during childhood, but they went on far later with even more silly names to come and even bringing some of the old back for old time sake. In this case, down to earth often translates to crass & immature. She also has an irritating way of using the same catchphrases and cliches repeatedly, like "living in sin" to describe cohabitation. It comes across as very adolescent. What's more she "dumbs it down" at every turn with needless explanations in parentheses. Some examples: heldentenor ("heroic tenor"), not sure why the quotes were needed; Weiner Staatsoper (the Vienna State Opera). No translation help provided for Bayerische Staatsoper, however. One especially pretentious example is when she is in Vienna and tells us her teacher spoke fluent Deutsch, rather than simply say German.

Hers is an interesting story but unfortunately these things I mention really get in the way of the real impact it may have provided. She takes us through her struggles with overeating and weight gain, toxic relationships and sexual addiction, and finally alcohol addiction. They are all interrelated and one feeds the other. Unfortunately, it is not until the final chapters that she begins to take recovery seriously. That's too bad, because this is a story where you should really be rooting for the protagonist, and sadly I found myself without much empathy for her. I think if she had approached the book in a more mature way, I may have felt more in alliance with her.
]]> <![CDATA[Confirmation: The Hard Evidence of Aliens Among Us]]> 173907
The possible existence of extraterrestrial life is a phenomenon that has sparked more debate, controversy, fascination, and passion than any in recent history. Outpourings of UFO sightings, alien abductions, and covert government activity point to a truth which-as much as some people would like to-simply won't die. Now, in this provocative new book, bestselling author and UFOlogist Whitley Strieber boldly explores the vast territory of alien encounters, uncovering the most conclusive evidence of physical evidence that aliens may really be here.

Marvel as Whitley Strieber tells his own compelling story-and those of countless others-while you

-Shocking new close encounters, many involving groups of people
-Thousands of sightings worldwide, many captured on video
-Shocking evidence of five mysterious implants surgically removed from human bodies
-And much, much more!

The most compelling question in the universe has remained unanswered for centuries. Now, finally, there is... Confirmation.

With a gallery of thought-provoking photos!]]> 324 Whitley Strieber 0312967047 James 2 3.52 1998 Confirmation: The Hard Evidence of Aliens Among Us
author: Whitley Strieber
name: James
average rating: 3.52
book published: 1998
rating: 2
read at: 2021/05/13
date added: 2021/05/13
shelves:
review:
The first half of this book was interesting; the second half was incredibly dry, overly scientific and just a chore to finish. I came upon this book sitting in a "book exchange box" at my office. I took it thinking it was Communion. Several years later when I decided to read it, I realized it was not Communion. So not wanting to read the sequel before the original, I purchased Communion, then read this immediately after. Neither book hit a home run with me but were still with enough merit for me to finish each, the first being the superior tome.
]]> <![CDATA[Not here. A queer anthology of loneliness]]> 35582714 Timothy Thornton, Alice Goodman, Charlie Porter and David Hoyle.
Not Here is the debut publication from Pilot Press, founded in London by Richard Dodwell to shed new light on contemporary queer lives.]]> Richard Dodwell James 0 to-read 3.97 2017 Not here. A queer anthology of loneliness
author: Richard Dodwell
name: James
average rating: 3.97
book published: 2017
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2021/05/01
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Saving Freedom: Truman, the Cold War, and the Fight for the Future of Europe]]> 51450358 The host of MSNBC’s Morning Joe reveals how President Harry Truman defended democracy against the Soviet threat at the dawn of the Cold War.

Harry Truman had been vice president for less than three months when President Franklin Roosevelt died. Suddenly inaugurated the leader of the free world, the plainspoken Truman candidly told reporters he, “felt like the moon, the stars, and all the planets had fallen on me.�

He faced a hostile world stage. Even as World War II drew to a close, the Cold War was around the corner. The Soviet Union went from America’s uneasy ally to its number one adversary. Through shrewd diplomacy and military might, Joseph Stalin gained control of Eastern Europe, and soon cast an acquisitive eye toward the Balkans—and beyond. Newly liberated from fascism, Europe’s future was again at risk, its freedom on the line.

Alarmed by the Soviets� designs, Truman acted. In a speech before a joint session of Congress on March 12, 1947, he announced a policy of containment that became known as the “Truman Doctrine”—a pledge that the United States would “support free peoples who are resisting attempted subjugation by armed minorities or by outside pressures.�

In Saving Freedom, Joe Scarborough moves between events in Washington and those in Europe—in Greece, where the U.S.-backed government was fighting a civil war with insurgent Communists, and in Turkey, where the Soviets pressed for control of the Dardanelles—to analyze and understand the changing geopolitics that led Truman to deliver his momentous speech.

The story of the passage of the Truman doctrine is an inspiring tale of American leadership, can-doism, bipartisan unity, and courage in the face of an antidemocratic threat. Saving Freedom highlights a pivotal moment of the Twentieth Century, a turning point where patriotic Americans worked together to defeat tyranny.]]> 272 Joe Scarborough 0063029715 James 2 Not as important but still worth noting, the book contains many typos and overused words of which I knew not the meaning, such as dais & matériel. I'm very interested to learn more about Truman's legacy but this was not the book to serve that purpose. I'll be checking out David McCullough's Truman tome soon. ]]> 3.68 2020 Saving Freedom: Truman, the Cold War, and the Fight for the Future of Europe
author: Joe Scarborough
name: James
average rating: 3.68
book published: 2020
rating: 2
read at: 2021/05/01
date added: 2021/05/01
shelves:
review:
This book is 218 very slow moving pages solely about the Truman Doctrine, that 1947 piece of legislation designed to provide post-war aid to Greece & Turkey with the primary aim of preventing the spread of communism to those countries. This is basically a "copy & paste" book, so overpadded with irrelevant & lengthy quotes and backstories that the original manuscript could not have been more than half the book's length. This is ncredibly boring writing, reading more like a script from a History Channel program. My main beef is that Truman was a significant president, presiding over major events like the two atomic bomb drops on Japan, the Berlin Airlift, the Korean War & the start of the Joseph McCarthy anticommunist witch hunt yet barely a mention is given to those subjects.
Not as important but still worth noting, the book contains many typos and overused words of which I knew not the meaning, such as dais & matériel. I'm very interested to learn more about Truman's legacy but this was not the book to serve that purpose. I'll be checking out David McCullough's Truman tome soon.
]]> Communion: A True Story 294285
Six hours later, he found himself suddenly awake... and forever changed.

Thus begins the most astonishing true-life odyssey ever recorded—one man's riveting account of his extraordinary experiences with visitors from "elsewhere"... how they found him, where they took him, what they did to him and why...

Believe it. Or don't believe it. But read it—for this gripping story will move you like no other... will fascinate you, terrify you, and alter the way you experience your world.]]> 320 Whitley Strieber 0380703882 James 3 3.51 1987 Communion: A True Story
author: Whitley Strieber
name: James
average rating: 3.51
book published: 1987
rating: 3
read at: 2021/04/21
date added: 2021/04/21
shelves:
review:
This book was okay for the first 200 pages but he really lost me in the final 100 pages. In reality, the last third of the book may have been his best writing and something rather poetic but it was so different from what preceded it, that it was lost on me. Whitley Strieber is primarily a writer of fiction and perhaps this last section was more in line with that genre but for me it was tough going.
]]> <![CDATA[Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man]]> 53318245
In this revelatory, authoritative portrait of Donald J. Trump and the toxic family that made him, Mary L. Trump, a trained clinical psychologist and Donald’s only niece, shines a bright light on the dark history of their family in order to explain how her uncle became the man who now threatens the world’s health, economic security, and social fabric.

Mary Trump spent much of her childhood in her grandparents� large, imposing house in the heart of Queens, where Donald and his four siblings grew up. She describes a nightmare of traumas, destructive relationships, and a tragic combination of neglect and abuse. She explains how specific events and general family patterns created the damaged man who currently occupies the Oval Office, including the strange and harmful relationship between Fred Trump and his two oldest sons, Fred Jr. and Donald.

A first-hand witness to countless holiday meals and family interactions, Mary brings an incisive wit and unexpected humor to sometimes grim, often confounding family events. She recounts in unsparing detail everything from her uncle Donald’s place in the family spotlight and Ivana’s penchant for re-gifting to her grandmother’s frequent injuries and illnesses and the appalling way Donald, Fred Trump’s favorite son, dismissed and derided him when he began to succumb to Alzheimer’s.

Numerous pundits, armchair psychologists, and journalists have sought to parse Donald J. Trump’s lethal flaws. Mary L. Trump has the education, insight, and intimate familiarity needed to reveal what makes Donald, and the rest of her clan, tick. She alone can recount this fascinating, unnerving saga, not just because of her insider’s perspective but also because she is the only Trump willing to tell the truth about one of the world’s most powerful and dysfunctional families.

Narrated by the author.]]> 8 Mary L. Trump 1797113860 James 4 3.80 2020 Too Much and Never Enough: How My Family Created the World’s Most Dangerous Man
author: Mary L. Trump
name: James
average rating: 3.80
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/04/19
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Witnessed: The True Story of the Brooklyn Bridge UFO Abductions]]> 2123027 415 Budd Hopkins 0671569155 James 4 3.83 1996 Witnessed: The True Story of the Brooklyn Bridge UFO Abductions
author: Budd Hopkins
name: James
average rating: 3.83
book published: 1996
rating: 4
read at: 2021/04/14
date added: 2021/04/14
shelves:
review:
Either the best alien abduction story ever documented or a complete work of fiction. This is the fourth book by Budd Hopkins I've read and the most engaging. This is his only book to deal with one sighting and the lives of individuals involved. There were times when I literally could not put the book down. I would have given it 5 stars if not for some very hard to believe aspects of it. I have a very open mind about these types of things but even I was challenged to believe all that was described in this book. Some of the testimony of witnesses to this sighting were letters written to the author. The language, phrases and ideas conveyed by the letters and the words of the protagonist Linda Cortile were awkward and detracted from credibility as well as just being downright annoying. I guess my feelings about this book could be summed up in a famous quote from The X-files: "I want to believe."
]]> Melania and Me 54435884
After Trump won the 2016 election, Wolkoff was recruited to help produce the 58th Presidential Inaugu­ration. Melania put Wolkoff in charge of hiring her staff, organizing her events, helping her write speeches, and creating her debut initiatives. Then it all fell apart when she was made the scapegoat for inauguration finance irregularities. Melania could have defended her innocent friend and confidant, but she stood by her man, knowing full well, the author says, who was really to blame. The betrayal nearly destroyed Wolkoff.]]> 351 Stephanie Winston Wolkoff 1982151269 James 4 3.23 2020 Melania and Me
author: Stephanie Winston Wolkoff
name: James
average rating: 3.23
book published: 2020
rating: 4
read at: 2021/03/25
date added: 2021/03/25
shelves:
review:
I am no fan of the Trumps, so knowing the publicity that preceded this book's publication, I knew it would appeal to me. I was not familiar with the author and protagonist Stephanie Winston Wolkoff, except from the promos for the book which I saw on major cable news shows. What Ms. Wolkoff offered me from the very beginning was an alliance with someone I found very sincere, respectable and likeable despite her own alliance with Melania Trump. I felt empathy and compassion for her throughout the entire book. I'm often a tough critic, so even if I relate to an author's plight, it's no guarantee that I'll be left feeling a true connection with the author as I did here. I had a pretty good idea of how the story would play out. I did learn a bit about the former FLOTUS even if there were few suprises. I commend Ms. Wolkoff for having the courage to tell her story, knowing the aftermath many endure who dare challenge the Trump legacy. And because her family was a constant source of support to her, I thought it was especially heartfelt and meaningful to include the acknowledgements at the end of the book.
]]> <![CDATA[Sight Unseen: Science, UFO Invisibility & Transgenic Beings]]> 2294144 The New York Times bestselling author of Witnessed, Intruders, and Missing Time -- three groundbreaking books on the UFO phenomenon -- returns with astonishing evidence that other-worldly beings are a very real -- and growing -- part of our lives.

In Sight Unseen, Budd Hopkins and coauthor Carol Rainey show how fascinating discoveries in modern science support the plausibility of the UFO phenomenon.

Featuring sixteen never-before-published cases, Sight Unseen probes two newly uncovered patterns in alien abduction: cases of UFO "invisibility" and reports of genetically altered alien beings who interact with humans during their routine lives.

The "invisibility" accounts detailed by Hopkins include numerous daylight abductions in densely populated urban areas -- all apparently unseen and accomplished through a technology of invisibility.

Two air force non-coms are snatched from the tarmac of a busy military airfield.

An Australian family is levitated up into a hovering craft while the father remains paralyzed on the ground with a camera to his eye. The resulting evidence on film is discussed in terms of our own scientific advances.

In the second series of cases, abductees report encounters with beings who appear human but apparently possess paranormal powers and stunted emotional ranges.

Three young women, unknown to each other, are mysteriously summoned to "job interviews." In ordinary office settings, they encounter human-looking beings who lead them into baffling UFO abduction experiences.

A Wisconsin farmer meets "Damoe," a man with odd behavior who closely resembles his son. Damoe eventually reveals himself as an accomplice of UFO occupants in a startling abduction of the farmer and his wife.

Five-year-old Jen is abducted at night to a nearby playground. There she must teach the techniques and skills of "play" to twelve seemingly identical, quasi-human children.

Along with these bizarre, first-person stories told by credible people, Hopkins and Rainey explore cutting-edge advances in our own technologies and scientific theories that show how these new UFO patterns could have a concrete basis in contemporary science.

Included are an examination of cloaking devices for aircraft, mind-control technologies, and teleportation achieved in the lab. Perhaps the most compelling argument to support these cases lies in the startling and controversial new science of transgenics that actually allows for the creation of alien/human beings.

]]> 416 Budd Hopkins 0743412184 James 2 3.85 2003 Sight Unseen: Science, UFO Invisibility & Transgenic Beings
author: Budd Hopkins
name: James
average rating: 3.85
book published: 2003
rating: 2
read at: 2021/03/21
date added: 2021/03/21
shelves:
review:
Skip the chapters by Carol Rainey! I've read both Missing Time and Intruders by Budd Hopkins and both were much more enjoyable than this joint effort by him and his then wife Carol Rainey. Ms. Rainey often refers to herself as a filmmaker but on IMDb the only credit she has is for a film called Touched as "camera and electrical department." I think it's a stretch to call yourself a filmmaker if that's the only credit you have. She doesn't even have a Wikipedia page. What's more, what qualifiers her to write the pseudo-scientific drivel contained in her cliche-laden chapters. They start out okay referencing what Mr. Hopkins has written in the previous chapter but 3 pages in, I find it a struggle to read on, only to page ahead and learn that it's yet another 20+ page chapter. I actually found it validating to learn that their marriage ended a few years after this book's publication. Poor Budd! Yes, skip this one!
]]> <![CDATA[We Return Fighting: World War I and the Shaping of Modern Black Identity]]> 45011112 A richly illustrated commemoration of African Americans' roles in World War I highlighting how the wartime experience reshaped their lives and their communities after they returned home.

This stunning book presents artifacts, medals, and photographs alongside powerful essays that together highlight the efforts of African Americans during World War I. As in many previous wars, black soldiers served the United States during the war, but they were assigned to segregated units and often relegated to labor and support duties rather than direct combat. Indeed this was the central paradox of the war: these men and women fought abroad to secure rights they did not yet have at home in the States. Black veterans' work during the conflict--and the respect they received from French allies but not their own US military--empowered them to return home and continue the fight for those rights. The book also presents the work of black citizens on the home front. Together their efforts laid the groundwork for later advances in the civil rights movement.

We Return Fighting reminds readers not only of the central role of African American soldiers in the war that first made their country a world power. It also reveals the way the conflict shaped African American identity and lent fuel to their longstanding efforts to demand full civil rights and to stake their place in the country's cultural and political landscape.]]> 160 Kinshasha Holman Conwill 1588346722 James 3 4.25 We Return Fighting: World War I and the Shaping of Modern Black Identity
author: Kinshasha Holman Conwill
name: James
average rating: 4.25
book published:
rating: 3
read at: 2021/03/02
date added: 2021/03/02
shelves:
review:

]]> Intruders 684503 318 Budd Hopkins 0345346335 James 4 3.84 1987 Intruders
author: Budd Hopkins
name: James
average rating: 3.84
book published: 1987
rating: 4
read at: 2021/02/25
date added: 2021/02/25
shelves:
review:

]]> Missing Time 684504 MISSING TIME tells how the people who have experienced abductions retained no memory of them -- all traces of the trauma were effectively erased from their memory. Yet, under hypnosis, many abductees were able to recall in vivid, convincing detail, the harrowing experiments that left mysterious scars on their bodies, the eerie interiors of UFOs where they were held captive, and the astonishing faces of their alien hosts.
The stories of seven victims of these otherworldly intruders are told here -- in detail at once dispassionate and dramatic, fully supported by scientific documentation. They are stories that could belong to anyone: your neighbors, your loved ones, even you.]]> 255 Budd Hopkins 0345353358 James 3 3.96 1981 Missing Time
author: Budd Hopkins
name: James
average rating: 3.96
book published: 1981
rating: 3
read at: 2021/02/18
date added: 2021/02/18
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency, and Trust]]> 53965276
James Comey might best be known as the FBI director that Donald Trump fired in 2017, but he’s had a long, varied career in the law and justice system. He knows better than most just what a force for good the US justice system can be, and how far afield it has strayed during the Trump Presidency.

In his much-anticipated follow-up to A Higher Loyalty, Comey uses anecdotes and lessons from his career to show how the federal justice system works. From prosecuting mobsters as an Assistant US Attorney in the Southern District of New York in the 1980s to grappling with the legalities of anti-terrorism work as the Deputy Attorney General in the early 2000s to, of course, his tumultuous stint as FBI director beginning in 2013, Comey shows just how essential it is to pursue the primacy of truth for federal law enforcement.

Saving Justice is gracefully written and honestly told, a clarion call for a return to fairness and equity in the law.

A Macmillan Audio production from Flatiron Books]]> 0 James B. Comey 1250799511 James 4 3.82 2021 Saving Justice: Truth, Transparency, and Trust
author: James B. Comey
name: James
average rating: 3.82
book published: 2021
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/02/17
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Secret Baltimore: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure]]> 56798408 208 Evan Balkan 168106068X James 1 2.75 Secret Baltimore: A Guide to the Weird, Wonderful, and Obscure
author: Evan Balkan
name: James
average rating: 2.75
book published:
rating: 1
read at:
date added: 2021/01/29
shelves:
review:
It's like a 200 page Baltimore Magazine article, and that's not a good thing. The book is 186 quirky & obscure things to see in Baltimore. Each attraction takes up two pages with a photograph or two. The author uses much of the same cutsie language and approach that is typical of Baltimore Magazine articles, ones that are usually featured on the cover to get you to buy a copy. Except when you do, you realize that you could have read the whole article while waiting to pay for your groceries, and that may have been a waste of your time too. This book is just like that. It actually makes me embarrassed to admit I'm from Baltimore. I've lived here all my life and didn't know about much of what's featured in this book, and I'm still not interested in seeing any of it. Most of the stuff in this book is so mundane that it's not even that unique to Baltimore. I'm sure every major city has much of the same "hidden gems." It's really reaching and you'd do best to not reach for this one.
]]> <![CDATA[Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music]]> 51624108 Crafting smash hits with Van Halen, The Doobie Brothers, Nicolette Larson, and Van Morrison, legendary music producer Ted Templeman changed the course of rock history


This autobiography (as told to Greg Renoff) recounts Templeman’s remarkable life from child jazz phenom in Santa Cruz, California, in the 1950s to Grammy-winning music executive during the �70s and �80s. Along the way, Ted details his late �60s stint as an unlikely star with the sunshine pop outfit Harpers Bizarre and his grind-it-out days as a Warner Bros. tape listener, including the life-altering moment that launched his career as a producer: his discovery of the Doobie Brothers.


Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music takes us into the studio sessions of No. 1 hits like “Black Water� by the Doobie Brothers and “Jump� by Van Halen, as Ted recounts memories and the behind-the-scene dramas that engulfed both massively successful acts. Throughout, Ted also reveals the inner workings of his professional and personal relationships with some of the most talented and successful recording artists in history, including Steven Tyler and Joe Perry of Aerosmith, Eric Clapton, Lowell George, Sammy Hagar, Linda Ronstadt, David Lee Roth, and Carly Simon.

]]> 463 Ted Templeman 1773054813 James 4 ....and here's why:
Ted Templeman tells you in great detail the way many of the songs he produced came to be, then literally invites you to listen to the songs and hear exactly what he means. And THAT is a MUST for maximum enjoyment of this book. So it's best to have YouTube cued up and a decent set of earbuds handy.

Ted and I had crossed paths many times before this publication, so I was thrilled when I learned he had written a memoir. 1976 was my first exposure to him with Carly Simon's "Another Passenger." This beautiful album included session work by Little Feat, (soon to become my favorite band), Doobie Brothers, Dr. John, and husband James Taylor. The following year, Ted would turn up in my house once again when I discovered Little Feat themselves, as well "Living on the Fault Line" by the Doobies.

Now on to the book. Ted relates his earliest musical interests while listening to 40's jazz records in his grandfather's music shop. He began playing drums and together with his friends formed a band called The Tikis, eventually morphing into the sunshine pop band, Harper's Bazarre, who recorded for Warner Brothers. After disbanding, he began working for Warners as a "tape listener" of demo recordings and before long he would not only be producing but discovering some of the biggest names in music. Two of his longest associations were the Doobies and Van Halen. To be honest, Van Halen was never a band in which I had much interest but after learning the genesis of their songs, I really came to appreciate them for the great musicians they were. Something that I've always felt about Ted is that while his work always has a certain degree of excellence, it never manifests itself in a way that makes one artist sound like another. He brings out the best qualities of each artist without ever compromising their unique identity. That's true whether it's Little Feat, Carly Simon, Van Morrison, Doobies, Nicolette Larson, Van Halen or Aerosmith, and many others. Quite a range of musical styles there!

SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT:
I'm taking away one star and this may be a little unfair because it is after all a book about his life in music. However, I just felt there was a missing personal component here. He shared next to nothing about his wife and children and the strain that giving 100% to those he produced must have created. He was literally on call to these artists 24/7 and for many years only saw his family on weekends as they lived several hours away for the sake of his children's health and education. I know there must have been problems but we never hear about that. Yet he talk sabout having Nicolette Larson and his kids out to his waterfront home at Arrowhead Lake nothing of his wife in those remembrances. Also he does from time to time, talk about his excessive use of drugs and alcohol. After being fired from WB after 32 years of dedicated service, he descended into a depression exacerbated by drugs and alcohol, while still living in his LA condo. He tells of being on a constant diet of cocaine and alcohol, at times not even getting out of bed for more than a quick swig and a bump, for days on end without eating or showering. It was really sad to read but never did he talk about seeking the support of his family during this dark period. I couldn't understand why he wasn't with them full time by then. He had plenty of money, multiple homes and no real need to stay in LA. Wouldn't the support of his wife and children been beneficial in helping him get back on his emotional feet? These are just some of the questions that lingered after finishing the book. Still a most enjoyable read and highly recommended. ]]> 4.22 Ted Templeman: A Platinum Producer’s Life in Music
author: Ted Templeman
name: James
average rating: 4.22
book published:
rating: 4
read at: 2021/01/29
date added: 2021/01/29
shelves:
review:
Take your time with this one......
....and here's why:
Ted Templeman tells you in great detail the way many of the songs he produced came to be, then literally invites you to listen to the songs and hear exactly what he means. And THAT is a MUST for maximum enjoyment of this book. So it's best to have YouTube cued up and a decent set of earbuds handy.

Ted and I had crossed paths many times before this publication, so I was thrilled when I learned he had written a memoir. 1976 was my first exposure to him with Carly Simon's "Another Passenger." This beautiful album included session work by Little Feat, (soon to become my favorite band), Doobie Brothers, Dr. John, and husband James Taylor. The following year, Ted would turn up in my house once again when I discovered Little Feat themselves, as well "Living on the Fault Line" by the Doobies.

Now on to the book. Ted relates his earliest musical interests while listening to 40's jazz records in his grandfather's music shop. He began playing drums and together with his friends formed a band called The Tikis, eventually morphing into the sunshine pop band, Harper's Bazarre, who recorded for Warner Brothers. After disbanding, he began working for Warners as a "tape listener" of demo recordings and before long he would not only be producing but discovering some of the biggest names in music. Two of his longest associations were the Doobies and Van Halen. To be honest, Van Halen was never a band in which I had much interest but after learning the genesis of their songs, I really came to appreciate them for the great musicians they were. Something that I've always felt about Ted is that while his work always has a certain degree of excellence, it never manifests itself in a way that makes one artist sound like another. He brings out the best qualities of each artist without ever compromising their unique identity. That's true whether it's Little Feat, Carly Simon, Van Morrison, Doobies, Nicolette Larson, Van Halen or Aerosmith, and many others. Quite a range of musical styles there!

SPOILERS BEYOND THIS POINT:
I'm taking away one star and this may be a little unfair because it is after all a book about his life in music. However, I just felt there was a missing personal component here. He shared next to nothing about his wife and children and the strain that giving 100% to those he produced must have created. He was literally on call to these artists 24/7 and for many years only saw his family on weekends as they lived several hours away for the sake of his children's health and education. I know there must have been problems but we never hear about that. Yet he talk sabout having Nicolette Larson and his kids out to his waterfront home at Arrowhead Lake nothing of his wife in those remembrances. Also he does from time to time, talk about his excessive use of drugs and alcohol. After being fired from WB after 32 years of dedicated service, he descended into a depression exacerbated by drugs and alcohol, while still living in his LA condo. He tells of being on a constant diet of cocaine and alcohol, at times not even getting out of bed for more than a quick swig and a bump, for days on end without eating or showering. It was really sad to read but never did he talk about seeking the support of his family during this dark period. I couldn't understand why he wasn't with them full time by then. He had plenty of money, multiple homes and no real need to stay in LA. Wouldn't the support of his wife and children been beneficial in helping him get back on his emotional feet? These are just some of the questions that lingered after finishing the book. Still a most enjoyable read and highly recommended.
]]> <![CDATA[The Second Jungle Book (Jungle Book, #2)]]> 128518 142 Rudyard Kipling 140694632X James 4 listened-to 3.74 1895 The Second Jungle Book (Jungle Book, #2)
author: Rudyard Kipling
name: James
average rating: 3.74
book published: 1895
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2021/01/13
shelves: listened-to
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Willin': The Story of Little Feat]]> 16043517 Fronted by the charismatic but doomed vocalist and brilliant slide guitarist Lowell George, the band recorded such classic studio albums as Sailin� Shoes and Dixie Chicken , as well as Waiting for Columbus , which many consider to be one of the best live albums of all time.

Acclaimed journalist Ben Fong-Torres—working with Little Feat’s surviving members, their friends, and associates—wrote Willin� based on hours of brand new interviews with the key players. The result? The first definitive biography of this beloved rock ’n� roll institution.]]> 296 Ben Fong-Torres 0306821311 James 0 3.55 2013 Willin': The Story of Little Feat
author: Ben Fong-Torres
name: James
average rating: 3.55
book published: 2013
rating: 0
read at: 2020/12/26
date added: 2020/12/26
shelves:
review:

]]> Rage 53949849 An unprecedented and intimate tour de force of original reporting on the Trump presidency from Bob Woodward.

Rage goes behind the scenes like never before, with stunning new details about early national security decisions and operations and Trump’s moves as he faces a global pandemic, economic disaster and racial unrest.

Woodward, the #1 internationally bestselling author of 13 #1 bestsellers, including Fear: Trump in the White House, shows Trump up close in his entirety before the 2020 presidential election.

President Trump has said publicly that Woodward has interviewed him. What is not known is that Trump provided Woodward a window into his mind through a series of exclusive interviews.

At key decision points, Rage shows how Trump’s responses to the crises of 2020 were rooted in the instincts, habits and style he developed during his first three years as president.

Rage draws from hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand witnesses, as well as participants� notes, emails, diaries, calendars and confidential documents.

Woodward obtained 25 personal letters exchanged between Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong Un that have not been public before. Kim describes the bond between the two leaders as out of a “fantasy film,� as the two leaders engage in an extraordinary diplomatic minuet.

Rage will be the foundational account of the Trump presidency, its turmoil, contradictions and risks. It is an essential document for any voter seeking an accurate inside view of the Trump years—volatile and vivid.]]> 480 Bob Woodward 1982131764 James 0 4.27 2020 Rage
author: Bob Woodward
name: James
average rating: 4.27
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/12/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth]]> 53345186
While other leaders were marshaling resources to combat the greatest pandemic in modern history, President Donald Trump was watching TV. Trump watches over six hours of Fox News a day, a habit his staff refers to as “executive time.� In January 2020, when Fox News began to downplay COVID-19, the President was quick to agree. In March, as the deadly virus spiraled out of control, Sean Hannity mocked “coronavirus hysteria� as “new hoax� from the left. Millions of Americans took Hannity and Trump's words as truth—until some of them started to get sick.

In Hoax, CNN anchor and chief media correspondent Brian Stelter tells the twisted story of the relationship between Donald Trump and Fox News. From the moment Trump glided down the golden escalator to announce his candidacy in the 2016 presidential election to his acquittal on two articles of impeachment in early 2020, Fox hosts spread his lies and smeared his enemies. Over the course of two years, Stelter spoke with over 250 current and former Fox insiders in an effort to understand the inner workings of Rupert Murdoch's multibillion-dollar media empire. Some of the confessions are alarming. “We don't really believe all this stuff,� a producer says. “We just tell other people to believe it.�

At the center of the story lies Sean Hannity, a college dropout who, following the death of Fox News mastermind Roger Ailes, reigns supreme at the network that pays him $30 million a year. Stelter describes the raging tensions inside Fox between the Trump loyalists and the few remaining journalists. He reveals why former chief news anchor Shep Smith resigned in disgust in 2019; why a former anchor said “if I stay here I’ll get cancer;� and how Trump has exploited the leadership vacuum at the top to effectively seize control of the network.

Including never before reported details, Hoax exposes the media personalities who, though morally bankrupt, profit outrageously by promoting the President’s propaganda and radicalizing the American right. It is a book for anyone who reads the news and wonders: How did this happen?]]> 350 Brian Stelter 1982142464 James 0 4.07 2020 Hoax: Donald Trump, Fox News, and the Dangerous Distortion of Truth
author: Brian Stelter
name: James
average rating: 4.07
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/12/03
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Betrayal in Dallas: LBJ, the Pearl Street Mafia & the Murder of President Kennedy]]> 11760090
With incredible detail and documentation, Mark North pieces the puzzle together to reveal how, in late 1961, US Attorney General Robert Kennedy and his brother John, who hated LBJ, initiated a covert Organized Crime Task Force investigation of the Civello mob in Dallas. Johnson, through Wade and local federal officials he had placed in power, learned of the plan and cooperated with the Civello mob to have JFK killed. Johnson did this, in part, because he had the power to control any subsequent federal investigation via FBI director J. Edgar Hoover. After the Mafia killed JFK, Johnson stopped Robert Kennedy’s prosecution of the Dallas Mafia.
Betrayal in Dallas is unlike any book written on the JFK assassination. Because its conclusions are based on classified federal documents unknown to the public and research community, it will startle and convince all those who read it. Betrayal in Dallas is what the American people have been waiting for since November 22, 1963.]]> 320 Mark North 1616082364 James 0 to-read 3.91 2011 Betrayal in Dallas: LBJ, the Pearl Street Mafia & the Murder of President Kennedy
author: Mark North
name: James
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2011
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/11/18
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder]]> 41940280 Pink Flamingos, Polyester, the original Hairspray, Cry-Baby, and A Dirty Shame, is one of the world’s great sophisticates, and in Mr. Know-It-All he serves it up raw: how to fail upward in Hollywood; how to develop musical taste from Nervous Norvus to Maria Callas; how to build a home so ugly and trendy that no one but you would dare live in it; more important, how to tell someone you love them without emotional risk; and yes, how to cheat death itself. Through it all, Waters swears by one undeniable truth: “Whatever you might have heard, there is absolutely no downside to being famous. None at all.�

Studded with cameos of Waters’s stars, from Divine and Mink Stole to Johnny Depp, Kathleen Turner, Patricia Hearst, and Tracey Ullman, and illustrated with unseen photos from Waters’s personal collection, Mr. Know-It-All is Waters’s most hypnotically readable, upsetting, revelatory book—another instant Waters classic.]]> 372 John Waters 0374214964 James 0 3.91 2019 Mr. Know-It-All: The Tarnished Wisdom of a Filth Elder
author: John Waters
name: James
average rating: 3.91
book published: 2019
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/09/05
shelves:
review:

]]> American Dirt 45046527
Lydia lives in Acapulco. She has a son, Luca, the love of her life, and a wonderful husband who is a journalist. And while cracks are beginning to show in Acapulco because of the cartels, Lydia’s life is, by and large, fairly comfortable. But after her husband’s tell-all profile of the newest drug lord is published, none of their lives will ever be the same.

Forced to flee, Lydia and Luca find themselves joining the countless people trying to reach the United States. Lydia soon sees that everyone is running from something. But what exactly are they running to?]]> 459 Jeanine Cummins James 0 4.32 2020 American Dirt
author: Jeanine Cummins
name: James
average rating: 4.32
book published: 2020
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/09/05
shelves:
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Richard Strauss's Elektra (Studies in Musical Genesis and Structure)]]> 4827181 Elektra was the fourth of fifteen operas by Strauss and opened his successful partnership with the librettist Hugo von Hofmannsthal. Gilliam's study of this major work examines its musical-historical context and also provides a detailed analysis of some of its musical features. He establishes a chronology of the evolution of the opera and places it in the larger framework of German opera of the time. His detailed examination of the sketchbooks enables him to offer fresh insight into Strauss's use of motifs and overall tonal structure. In so doing he shows how the work's arresting dissonance and chromaticism have hidden its similarities to his later, seemingly more tonally conservative opera, Der Rosenkavalier: not only does Strauss exploit in both a variety of musical styles to express irony, parody, and other emotions, but both are in fact thoroughly tonal.

]]> 284 Bryan Gilliam 0193132141 James 0 to-read 0.0 1992 Richard Strauss's Elektra (Studies in Musical Genesis and Structure)
author: Bryan Gilliam
name: James
average rating: 0.0
book published: 1992
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2020/06/25
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic]]> 16248047
The result of this intriguing study is not only to recapture the original message of this gospel, but also to provide us today with a radical new dimension to the claim that in the humanity of Jesus the reality of God has been met and engaged.]]> 342 John Shelby Spong 0062011308 James 5 4.09 2013 The Fourth Gospel: Tales of a Jewish Mystic
author: John Shelby Spong
name: James
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2013
rating: 5
read at: 2019/12/30
date added: 2019/12/30
shelves:
review:
This is a very enlightening deconstruction of the Gospel of John. John Spong takes you through this gospel chapter by chapter looking at every aspect and character in a non-literal way. In this age of people using scripture as a way to discriminate, exclude and even persecute those who are different from themselves, I wish more biblical interpretations were done in this manner. Spong's writing is clear and accessible and chapters are relatively short and easily digestible.
]]> The Goldfinch 18266071 32 hrs 30 min

The author of the classic bestsellers The Secret History and The Little Friend returns with a brilliant, highly anticipated new novel. Composed with the skills of a master, The Goldfinch is a haunted odyssey through present day America and a drama of enthralling force and acuity. It begins with a boy. Theo Decker, a thirteen-year-old New Yorker, miraculously survives an accident that kills his mother. Abandoned by his father, Theo is taken in by the family of a wealthy friend. Bewildered by his strange new home on Park Avenue, disturbed by schoolmates who don't know how to talk to him, and tormented above all by his unbearable longing for his mother, he clings to one thing that reminds him of her: a small, mysteriously captivating painting that ultimately draws Theo into the underworld of art. As an adult, Theo moves silkily between the drawing rooms of the rich and the dusty labyrinth of an antiques store where he works. He is alienated and in love-and at the center of a narrowing, ever more dangerous circle. The Goldfinch is a novel of shocking narrative energy and power. It combines unforgettably vivid characters, mesmerizing language, and breathtaking suspense, while plumbing with a philosopher's calm the deepest mysteries of love, identity, and art. It is a beautiful, stay-up-all-night and tell-all-your-friends triumph, an old-fashioned story of loss and obsession, survival and self-invention, and the ruthless machinations of fate.]]> 32 Donna Tartt 1478952733 James 2 I listened to the audiobook of The Goldfinch for 32 painful hours! Yes, this is a needlessly LOOOONG and boring book. I won't go into plot details; there are plenty of places where those can be found.

Told in the first person by Theo, a 13 year old orphan as a result of a bomb blast (about which we never learn any more) that kills his mother and a car accident which kills his alcoholic father, Ms.Tartt goes into explicit and minute detail over just about everything, most of which does little to advance the narrative. The second part of the book jumps ahead by 14 years. We learn little of what has happened in those years. Theo seems unchanged, not at all matured by whatever has occurred in the intervening years; not grown up, not matured and certainly not interesting. His character relies on verbal cliches to create a sense of intelligence, using analogies relating to World War I, old and obscure movies of which a person his age would never have an interest, etc. It's just hard to believe the words coming from his mouth are those of a 28 year old heterosexual male. This book is devoid of any likeable characters, certainly not Theo for whom I had no empathy. If there's no hero to cheer for what's the point? About the only decent character was Hobie, the elderly antiques dealer who comes to Theo's rescue after several harrowing years on his own.

Regarding the audiobook, the reader David Pittu, is terrible at voicing some of the other characters, a Russian friend named, what else, Boris, duh! The worst accent you'll ever hear, and you'll hear it endlessly. And also his father's girlfriend Xandra, who he had speaking as though she's been a 3-pack a day smoker since the day she was born. I'll stop there...I didn't like it all. ]]> 3.69 2013 The Goldfinch
author: Donna Tartt
name: James
average rating: 3.69
book published: 2013
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2019/11/09
shelves:
review:
The story of a whiner!
I listened to the audiobook of The Goldfinch for 32 painful hours! Yes, this is a needlessly LOOOONG and boring book. I won't go into plot details; there are plenty of places where those can be found.

Told in the first person by Theo, a 13 year old orphan as a result of a bomb blast (about which we never learn any more) that kills his mother and a car accident which kills his alcoholic father, Ms.Tartt goes into explicit and minute detail over just about everything, most of which does little to advance the narrative. The second part of the book jumps ahead by 14 years. We learn little of what has happened in those years. Theo seems unchanged, not at all matured by whatever has occurred in the intervening years; not grown up, not matured and certainly not interesting. His character relies on verbal cliches to create a sense of intelligence, using analogies relating to World War I, old and obscure movies of which a person his age would never have an interest, etc. It's just hard to believe the words coming from his mouth are those of a 28 year old heterosexual male. This book is devoid of any likeable characters, certainly not Theo for whom I had no empathy. If there's no hero to cheer for what's the point? About the only decent character was Hobie, the elderly antiques dealer who comes to Theo's rescue after several harrowing years on his own.

Regarding the audiobook, the reader David Pittu, is terrible at voicing some of the other characters, a Russian friend named, what else, Boris, duh! The worst accent you'll ever hear, and you'll hear it endlessly. And also his father's girlfriend Xandra, who he had speaking as though she's been a 3-pack a day smoker since the day she was born. I'll stop there...I didn't like it all.
]]> <![CDATA[The Day Gone By: An Autobiography]]> 1722090 396 Richard Adams 0679401172 James 4 3.77 1990 The Day Gone By: An Autobiography
author: Richard Adams
name: James
average rating: 3.77
book published: 1990
rating: 4
read at: 2019/11/09
date added: 2019/11/09
shelves:
review:
This is as close to Watership Down as any other book will take you! The Day Gone By was an especially enjoyable read for me since I had the honor to meet Richard Adams a short time before his death in 2016. The man had a very sharp sense of humor and it's on full display in this delightful memoir. It's helpful to be acquainted with certain works of literature as Mr. Adams uses analogies relating to Dickens, Shakespeare, and Gilbert & Sullivan among others. I did not find the WWII chapters nearly as interesting as those that preceded them. But the aftermath of war section was quite poignant as he returned home to find many of his friends perished in the war. It's unfortunate he didn't write a second volume as this one ends just after WWII. Highly recommended for anyone who has enjoyed the writing of Richard Adams.
]]> Presidents of War 38511614 Ěý
“Fascinating and heartbreaking . . . timely . . . Beschloss’s broad scope lets you draw important crosscutting lessons about presidential leadership.”—Bill Gates
Ěý
Widely acclaimed and ten years in the making, Michael Beschloss’sĚý Presidents of War Ěýis an intimate and irresistibly readable chronicle of the Chief Executives who took the United States into conflict and mobilized it for victory. From the War of 1812 to Vietnam, we see these leaders considering the difficult decision to send hundreds of thousands of Americans to their deaths; struggling with Congress, the courts, the press, and antiwar protesters; seeking comfort from their spouses and friends; and dropping to their knees in prayer.ĚýThrough Beschloss’s interviews with surviving participants and findings in original letters and once-classified national security documents, we come to understand how these Presidents were able to withstand the pressures of war—or were broken by them.
Ěý
Presidents of War Ěýcombines this sense of immediacy with the overarching context of two centuries of American history, traveling from the time of our Founders, who tried to constrain presidential power, to our modern day, when a single leader has the potential to launch nuclear weapons that can destroy much of the human race.

Praise forĚý Presidents of War

"A marvelous narrative. . . . As Beschloss explains, the greatest wartime presidents successfully leaven military action with moral concerns. . . . Beschloss’s writing is clean and concise, and he admirably draws upon new documents. Some of the more titillating tidbits in the book are in the footnotes. . . . There are fascinating nuggets on virtually every page ofĚý Presidents of War . It is a superb and important book, superbly rendered.â€� —Jay Winik,Ěý The New York Times Book Review

"Sparkle and bite. . . . Valuable and engrossing study of how our chief executives have discharged the most significant of all their duties. . . . Excellent. . . . A fluent narrative that covers two centuries of national conflict.â€� Ěý —Richard Snow, ĚýThe Wall Street Journal]]> 0 Michael R. Beschloss 1984827065 James 2 listened-to 4.19 2018 Presidents of War
author: Michael R. Beschloss
name: James
average rating: 4.19
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at: 2019/07/30
date added: 2019/07/30
shelves: listened-to
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster]]> 40538681
Chernobyl has become lodged in the collective nightmares of the world: shorthand for the spectral horrors of radiation poisoning, for a dangerous technology slipping its leash, for ecological fragility, and for what can happen when a dishonest and careless state endangers not only its own citizens, but all of humanity. It is a story that has long remained in dispute, clouded from the beginning in secrecy, propaganda, and misinformation.

Midnight In Chernobyl is an indelible portrait of history's worst nuclear disaster, of human resilience and ingenuity and the lessons learned when mankind seeks to bend the natural world to his will - lessons which, in the face of climate change and other threats - remain not just vital but necessary.

Now, Higginbotham brings us closer to the truth behind this colossal tragedy.]]> 538 Adam Higginbotham 1501134612 James 3 listened-to 4.35 2019 Midnight in Chernobyl: The Untold Story of the World's Greatest Nuclear Disaster
author: Adam Higginbotham
name: James
average rating: 4.35
book published: 2019
rating: 3
read at: 2019/07/30
date added: 2019/07/30
shelves: listened-to
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman's Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster]]> 34964868 The Trauma Cleaner is a love letter to an extraordinary ordinary life. In Sandra Pankhurst she discovered a woman capable of taking a lifetime of hostility and transphobic abuse and using it to care for some of society's most in-need people.

Sandra Pankhurst founded her trauma cleaning business to help people whose emotional scars are written on their houses. From the forgotten flat of a drug addict to the infested home of a hoarder, Sandra enters properties and lives at the same time. But few of the people she looks after know anything of the complexity of Sandra's own life. Raised in an uncaring home, Sandra's miraculous gift for warmth and humour in the face of unspeakable personal tragedy mark her out as a one-off.]]> 291 Sarah Krasnostein 1250101204 James 1 gave-up 3.88 2017 The Trauma Cleaner: One Woman's Extraordinary Life in the Business of Death, Decay, and Disaster
author: Sarah Krasnostein
name: James
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2017
rating: 1
read at: 2019/07/30
date added: 2019/07/30
shelves: gave-up
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood]]> 33156573 "Nelson Mandela once said, 'If you talk to a man in a language he understands, that goes to his head. If you talk to him in his language, that goes to his heart.' He was so right. When you make the effort to speak someone else's language, even if it's just basic phrases here and there, you are saying to them, 'I understand that you have a culture and identity that exists beyond me. I see you as a human being.'" (Trevor Noah)
Attuned to the power of language at a young age - as a means of acceptance and influence in a country divided, then subdivided, into groups at odds with one another - Noah's raw, personal journey becomes something extraordinary in audio: a true testament to the power of storytelling. With brutal honesty and piercing wit, he forgoes an ordinary reading and, instead, delivers something more intimate, sharing his story with the openness and candor of a close friend. His chameleon-like ability to mimic accents and dialects, to shift effortlessly between languages including English, Xhosa, and Zulu, and to embody characters throughout his childhood - his mother, his gran, his schoolmates, first crushes and infatuations - brings each memory to life in vivid detail. Hearing him directly, you're reminded of the gift inherent in telling one's story and having it heard; of connecting with another, and seeing them as a human being.
The stories Noah tells are by turns hilarious, bizarre, tender, dark, and poignant - subsisting on caterpillars during months of extreme poverty, making comically pitiful attempts at teenage romance in a color-obsessed world, thrown into jail as the hapless fall guy for a crime he didn't commit, thrown by his mother from a speeding car driven by murderous gangsters, and more.
--audible.com

8 hrs & 50 mins]]> 9 Trevor Noah James 4 listened-to 4.60 2016 Born a Crime: Stories from a South African Childhood
author: Trevor Noah
name: James
average rating: 4.60
book published: 2016
rating: 4
read at:
date added: 2019/07/29
shelves: listened-to
review:

]]> Becoming 38746485
In her memoir, a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling, Michelle Obama invites readers into her world, chronicling the experiences that have shaped her—from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, both public and private, telling her full story as she has lived it—in her own words and on her own terms. Warm, wise, and revelatory, Becoming is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations—and whose story inspires us to do the same.]]> 426 Michelle Obama 1524763136 James 4 4.42 2018 Becoming
author: Michelle Obama
name: James
average rating: 4.42
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2019/04/30
date added: 2019/04/30
shelves:
review:

]]> Washington: A Life 8255917
Despite the reverence his name inspires Washington remains a waxwork to many readers, worthy but dull, a laconic man of remarkable self-control. But in this groundbreaking work Chernow revises forever the uninspiring stereotype. He portrays Washington as a strapping, celebrated horseman, elegant dancer and tireless hunter, who guarded his emotional life with intriguing ferocity. Not only did Washington gather around himself the foremost figures of the age, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Adams, and Thomas Jefferson, he orchestrated their actions to help realise his vision for the new federal government, define the separation of powers, and establish the office of the presidency.

Ron Chernow takes us on a page-turning journey through all the formative events of America's founding. This is a magisterial work from one of America's foremost writers and historians.]]> 904 Ron Chernow 1594202664 James 5 listened-to 4.14 2010 Washington: A Life
author: Ron Chernow
name: James
average rating: 4.14
book published: 2010
rating: 5
read at: 2018/09/16
date added: 2018/12/29
shelves: listened-to
review:

]]> Settle for More 32990375 The Kelly File, Fox News Channel's Megyn Kelly writes her much anticipated book, a revealing and surprising memoir detailing her rise as one of the most respected journalists working today. From the values and lessons that have shaped her career, to her time at the center of the chaotic 2016 Republican presidential primary, this book offers an inside look at an uncompromising woman's journey to the top of the news business.

In the two and half years since her show The Kelly File premiered on the Fox News Channel, Megyn Kelly has cemented her reputation as one of the most respected and hardest hitting journalists in America. Tackling issues from both sides of the aisle, live in prime time five nights a week, Kelly has embraced difficult questions―fearlessly pressing for answers as she redefines the face of news for her more than two million nightly viewers.

Now in her debut book, Kelly goes behind the scenes of the stories and the storms that have made her one of the most talked about public figures in America. From growing up in a tough love family where she had to earn her praise, to her father’s sudden, tragic death while she was still in high school, to the news stories that launched her journalism career, Kelly traces the values and experiences―both good and bad―that landed her in the anchor chair.

With the same bold and brave voice that has won her fans across the political divide, she opens up about the controversy that made her a household name, telling her side of Donald Trump’s feud with her, while sharing never-before-heard details about the infamous first Republican debate, its challenging aftermath, and how she persevered through it all, winning widespread admiration while maintaining her professionalism. Speaking candidly about the career-changing decision that led her to "settle for more"―a motto she credits with leading her to a better life at home and at work―Kelly also discusses how she approaches gender in the workplace, demonstrating how her success is rooted in Steve Martin’s old adage: "Be so good they can’t ignore you."

Throughout her meteoric career, Megyn Kelly has been a source of fascination and speculation. Men and women, Republicans and Democrats, viewers of Fox News and the network’s most diehard detractors have all sought to understand what she stands for and what matters to her. With this deeply personal account of her life, she answers critics and fans alike. At once humorous, uplifting, and revealing, Settle for More offers unparalleled insight into one of the most charismatic and intriguing television personalities in a generation, and will be one of the most talked about books from an influential voice unlike any other.]]> 11 Megyn Kelly James 3 listened-to
The high points of this book are when Ms. Kelly speaks of matters relating directly to her work, for which I felt a great deal of respect towards her. I also felt great empathy for the trials she has endured with a stalker and with fallout over her dealings with Donald Trump and his supporters. Nobody should have to go through what she has been through just for doing her job and doing it damn well! Unfortunately these moments are much less numerous and completely overshadowed by the more prevalent ones when I felt I was listening to a Megyn Kelly Infomercial. During these times, she came across as shallow, superficial and adolescent. She tries much too hard to be a comedienne, especially when telling stories about her mother or her "Nana" using some sort of Brooklyn accent for both, which I didn't understand as they lived in Albany NY. To me these efforts just fell flat and her delivery of other "humorous" (to her) stories came across as overdone and over-rehearsed, and completely lacking any spontaneity. She spends far too much time gushing about her 'beautiful children,' relating stories that only a mother's closest friends/relatives would find interesting. In a similar vein, she reminds us countless times of how handsome her husband is. So overall, I was expecting more, but I would up settling for less!]]> 3.88 2016 Settle for More
author: Megyn Kelly
name: James
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2016
rating: 3
read at: 2017/05/01
date added: 2018/12/29
shelves: listened-to
review:
I'm not a fan of FOX news, so when Ms. Kelly left FOX news I gained some instant respect for her. I watched some of her interviews on the other news networks promoting her book and was rather impressed. I began this book with higher than normal expectations, but I must say I was quite disappointed.

The high points of this book are when Ms. Kelly speaks of matters relating directly to her work, for which I felt a great deal of respect towards her. I also felt great empathy for the trials she has endured with a stalker and with fallout over her dealings with Donald Trump and his supporters. Nobody should have to go through what she has been through just for doing her job and doing it damn well! Unfortunately these moments are much less numerous and completely overshadowed by the more prevalent ones when I felt I was listening to a Megyn Kelly Infomercial. During these times, she came across as shallow, superficial and adolescent. She tries much too hard to be a comedienne, especially when telling stories about her mother or her "Nana" using some sort of Brooklyn accent for both, which I didn't understand as they lived in Albany NY. To me these efforts just fell flat and her delivery of other "humorous" (to her) stories came across as overdone and over-rehearsed, and completely lacking any spontaneity. She spends far too much time gushing about her 'beautiful children,' relating stories that only a mother's closest friends/relatives would find interesting. In a similar vein, she reminds us countless times of how handsome her husband is. So overall, I was expecting more, but I would up settling for less!
]]> <![CDATA[Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History]]> 34150849
Called "disgraceful," "third-rate," and "not nice" by Donald Trump, NBC News correspondent Katy Tur reported on—and took flak from—the most captivating and volatile presidential candidate in American history.

Tur lived out of a suitcase for a year and a half, following Trump around the country, powered by packets of peanut butter and kept clean with dry shampoo. She visited forty states with the candidate, made more than 3,800 live television reports, listened to endless loops of Elton John’s "Tiny Dancer"—a Trump rally playlist staple.

From day 1 to day 500, Tur documented Trump’s inconsistencies, fact-checked his falsities, and called him out on his lies. In return, Trump repeatedly singled out Tur. He tried to charm her, intimidate her, and shame her. At one point, he got a crowd so riled up against her, Secret Service agents had to walk her to her car.

None of it worked. Facts are stubborn. So was Tur. She was part of the first women-led politics team in the history of network news. The Boys on the Bus became the Girls on the Plane--but the circus remained. Through all the long nights, wild scoops, naked chauvinism, dodgy staffers, and fevered debates, no one had a better view than Tur.

Unbelievable is her darkly comic, fascinatingly bizarre, and often scary story of how America sent a former reality show host to the White House. It’s also the story of what it was like for Tur to be there as it happened, inside a no-rules world where reporters were spat on, demeaned, and discredited. Tur was a foreign correspondent who came home to her most foreign story of all.

FROM THE RECIPIENT OF THEĚý 2017 Walter Cronkite Award for Excellence in Journalism]]> Katy Tur 0062694855 James 1 listened-to 3.87 2017 Unbelievable: My Front-Row Seat to the Craziest Campaign in American History
author: Katy Tur
name: James
average rating: 3.87
book published: 2017
rating: 1
read at: 2018/02/19
date added: 2018/12/29
shelves: listened-to
review:
I enjoyed Ms. Tur's reports from the campaign trail, so it was with eager anticipation that I began listening to her audio book of "Unbelievable." Unbelievable was an excellent choice of name for the book but not for the reasons Ms. Tur would have you think. What WAS unbelievable was how unprofessionally written this was. I found her self-centered, childish & angry rants quite tiresome and the endless and unnecessary use of the f-word and all its variations, offensive to say the least. At times it seemed she knew she wouldn't have enough material for a whole book, so she padded it with detailed descriptions of food buffets, family history, how much work it is to be a woman because of hair, makeup, and the hassles of life on the road. And the book jumped around time periods for no apparent reason which only served to make it more unfocused than it already was. She puts herself in the company of other women journalists such as Andrea Mitchell, yet I couldn't imagine Ms. Mitchell ever signing her name to something like this! I expected more from someone I once respected. Don't waste your time with this adolescent drivel.
]]> <![CDATA[Fear: Trump in the White House]]> 41804224 Listening Length: 12 hours and 20 minutes

THE INSIDE STORY ON PRESIDENT TRUMP, AS ONLY BOB WOODWARD CAN TELL IT

With authoritative reporting honed through eight presidencies from Nixon to Obama, author Bob Woodward reveals in unprecedented detail the harrowing life inside President Donald Trump’s White House and precisely how he makes decisions on major foreign and domestic policies. Woodward draws from hundreds of hours of interviews with firsthand sources, meeting notes, personal diaries, files and documents. The focus is on the explosive debates and the decision-making in the Oval Office, the Situation Room, Air Force One and the White House residence.

Fear is the most intimate portrait of a sitting president ever published during the president’s first years in office.]]> 12 Bob Woodward James 3 listened-to 3.88 2018 Fear: Trump in the White House
author: Bob Woodward
name: James
average rating: 3.88
book published: 2018
rating: 3
read at: 2018/10/28
date added: 2018/12/29
shelves: listened-to
review:
I expected more, literally. When I got near Chapter 48, I realized it was almost done, yet I felt there was much more time I needed to cover. I thought perhaps the audio files didn't all load, but when I checked the actual book, this was all there was. Content-wise, it was okay but everything I listened to, I had already heard on the news. And certain things I expected to be in the book were not, despite those events happening within a reasonable time prior to this book's publication.
]]> <![CDATA[The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations]]> 36497780 #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER“History matters to McCain, and for him America is and was about its promise. The book is his farewell address, a mixture of the personal and the political. â€I have loved my life,â€� he writes. â€All of it.â€� The Restless Wave is a fitting valedictory for a man who seldom backed down.â€� —The Guardian (US)“A book-length meditation on what it means to face the hard challenges of long life and the sobering likelihood of imminent death…A reflection on hardship, a homily on purpose, a celebration of life â€� and a challenge to Americans to live up to their values and founding principles at a time when both are in jeopardy.â€� —The Boston GlobeIn this candid political memoir from Senator John McCain, an American hero reflects on his life and what matters most.“I don’t know how much longer I’ll be here. Maybe I’ll have another five years…Maybe I’ll be gone before you read this. My predicament is, well, rather unpredictable. But I’m prepared for either contingency, or at least I’m getting prepared. I have some things I’d like to take care of first, some work that needs finishing, and some people I need to see. And I want to talk to my fellow Americans a little more if I may.”So writes John McCain in this inspiring, moving, frank, and deeply personal memoir. Written while confronting a mortal illness, McCain looks back with appreciation on his years in the Senate, his historic 2008 campaign for the presidency against Barack Obama, and his crusades on behalf of democracy and human rights in Eastern Europe and the Middle East.Always the fighter, McCain attacks the spurious nationalism and political polarization afflicting American policy. He makes an impassioned case for democratic internationalism and bi-partisanship. He recalls his disagreements with several presidents, and minces no words in his objections to some of President Trump's statements and policies. At the same time, he tells stories of his most satisfying moments of public service and offers a positive vision of America that looks beyond the Trump presidency. The Restless Wave is John McCain at his best.]]> 417 John McCain 1501178016 James 4 listened-to 4.22 2018 The Restless Wave: Good Times, Just Causes, Great Fights, and Other Appreciations
author: John McCain
name: James
average rating: 4.22
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/10/31
date added: 2018/12/29
shelves: listened-to
review:
I listened to the audiobook short after Senator McCain's death, which deeply saddened me. The bulk of the audiobook was read by actor Beau Bridges whose voice neared a reasonable likeness to McCain's. The book focused mainly on the years from his second presidential run to his illness and death. After beginning with the 2008 primary season and his eventual defeat by Barack Obama, it jumped back to the George W. Bush years and lost its momentum for me. He spoke of his many trips to the Middle East, usually with his best friend Senator Lindsey Graham. He also spoke of his friendships with Vice President Joe Biden and Senator Joe Lieberman. He doesn't mention Senator John Kerry which surprised me as I thought they were good friends. Little mention is made of Sarah Palin and that which there is complimentary. He does impress upon the importance of reaching across the aisle, something which will always be part of his legacy. I was hoping to hear something about his 2008 campaign manager Steve Schmidt for whom I've come to have the utmost respect, but he did not get a mention. Little is said of Donald Trump. The Senator certainly takes the higher road and never broaches the disparaging remarks made about him by Trump. A little disappointing but certainly far from a wash.
]]> Full Disclosure 42116159
How did Stormy Daniels become the woman willing to take on a president? What is it like to be reviled by some, held up as a beacon of hope by others, and to be an object of fascination to all?

In this book, Stormy Daniels tells her whole story for the first time: about how she came to be a leading actress and director in the adult film business, the full truth about her journey from a rough childhood in Louisiana onto the national stage, and everything about the events that led to the nondisclosure agreement and the behind-the-scenes attempts to intimidate her.

Stormy is funny, sharp, warm, and impassioned by turns. Her story is a thoroughly American one, of a girl who loved reading and horses and who understood from a very young age what she wanted―and who also knew she'd have to get every step of the way there on her own.

People can't stop talking about Stormy Daniels. And they won't be able to stop talking about her fresh, surprising, completely candid, nothing-held-back book.]]> Stormy Daniels James 4 listened-to
As for the book, it was most enjoyable. Although not read by her, actress Kate Burton was a good fit for Stormy's voice and most of the time I felt it was Stormy speaking directly to me. The book is touching, lighthearted and at times, laugh-out funny. The lady has a GREAT sense of humor. She is also a committed parent, something for which I have a great deal of respect for her. Yes, it often reads like a diary but she's not trying to win any Pulitzer Prize here; she is just telling her story in her own words. VERY ENTERTAINING!]]> 3.74 2018 Full Disclosure
author: Stormy Daniels
name: James
average rating: 3.74
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/11/25
date added: 2018/12/29
shelves: listened-to
review:
I love Stormy Daniels! I love her for several reasons but mostly because she has raised the consciousness of many people to see those in the adult entertainment business as REAL PEOPLE and NOT FREAKS! I also love her because she makes no apologies for how she has made her living. She is a very real and honest woman. I also love her because she DID NOT ask for any of the publicity that has made her a household word. The non-disclosure agreement (NDA) between her and Donald Trump, with whom she had a sexual encounter in 2006, was revealed NOT BY HER but by The Wall Street Journal.

As for the book, it was most enjoyable. Although not read by her, actress Kate Burton was a good fit for Stormy's voice and most of the time I felt it was Stormy speaking directly to me. The book is touching, lighthearted and at times, laugh-out funny. The lady has a GREAT sense of humor. She is also a committed parent, something for which I have a great deal of respect for her. Yes, it often reads like a diary but she's not trying to win any Pulitzer Prize here; she is just telling her story in her own words. VERY ENTERTAINING!
]]> Seven Days in May 1153485
Seven Days in May is a political thriller novel written by Fletcher Knebel and Charles W. Bailey II and published in 1962. It was made into a motion picture in 1964, with a screenplay by Rod Serling, directed by John Frankenheimer, and starring Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas.

The story is said to have been influenced by the right-wing anti-Communist political activities of General Edwin A. Walker after he resigned from the military. The author, Knebel, got the idea for the book after interviewing then-Air Force Chief of Staff Curtis LeMay.]]> 341 Fletcher Knebel 0060124350 James 3 4.23 1962 Seven Days in May
author: Fletcher Knebel
name: James
average rating: 4.23
book published: 1962
rating: 3
read at: 2018/12/26
date added: 2018/12/29
shelves:
review:
I didn't even know I had this book until I went to my bookshelves, looking for something to read, and pulled it out. At my office, we had a book repository where you could drop books off you no longer wanted or take books out that you might want to read. That's where this old book came from! This is the first edition, published in 1962 but set in 1974. It is a speculative political thriller about a potential coup within the United State government. The authors based the story on actual characters and events. While the writing style is somewhat dated and lacking in color, it is no less applicable to the current political climate. I must confess I am a slow reader and prone to distraction, but for the most part, the book kept me interested and at some points during the last third, was an actual "page turner." I liked the way each chapter was labeled for different times of each of the "Seven Days," rather than being numbered. I also liked how it was at various times it was told from the respective protagonist's point of view. It truly felt like an "ensemble cast." It was made into a successful film in 1964 with Burt Lancaster and Kirk Douglas, which I have not yet seen. Worthwhile reading.
]]> We the Animals 40142471 Now a major motion picture by Jeremiah Zagar

This novel tracks three brothers as they tear their way through childhood, growing up in the shadow of Paps and Ma and learning a kind of love that is serious, dangerous, unshakeable, glorious. A stunning exploration of how we are formed by our earliest bonds, We the Animals bears witness to Justin Torres’s serious talent.
]]> 160 Justin Torres 132863907X James 4 3.58 2011 We the Animals
author: Justin Torres
name: James
average rating: 3.58
book published: 2011
rating: 4
read at: 2018/09/17
date added: 2018/12/29
shelves:
review:
I read this book shortly after seeing the film of the same name. It was mostly similar to the film but it did have a different ending. The book is autobiographical and depicts the authors childhood and adolescence as the youngest of three boys of highly volatile and dysfunctional multi-racial parents, one white, the other Hispanic. It's the story of a family who moves from Brooklyn to upstate New York to seek a better life. Unfortunately, the problems of the parents are never dealt with and the children, particularly the author, whose character is "unnamed," are the ones who pay the price. To say anymore about this very brief book would be to reveal spoilers, so I'll just leave it at that.
]]> <![CDATA[The Third Man and The Fallen Idol]]> 3705 The Third Man is Greene's brilliant recreation of post-war Vienna, a city of desolate poverty occupied by four powers. Rollo Martins, a second-rate novelist, arrives penniless in Vienna to visit his old friend and hero Harry Lime. Harry is dead, but the circumstances surrounding his death are highly suspicious, and his reputation, at the very least, dubious.

Graham Greene said of The Third Man that he "wanted to entertain [people], to frighten them a little, to make them laugh" and the result is both a compelling narrative and a haunting thriller. The Fallen Idol is the chilling story of a small boy caught up in the games that adults play. Left in the care of the butler, Baines, and his wife, Philip realizes too late the danger of lies and deceit. But the truth is even deadlier.]]> 160 Graham Greene 014018533X James 4 3.73 1949 The Third Man and The Fallen Idol
author: Graham Greene
name: James
average rating: 3.73
book published: 1949
rating: 4
read at: 2018/10/28
date added: 2018/12/29
shelves:
review:
These are an 'odd couple' of stories. They are both derived from the films of the same names which were both directed by Carol Reed. Yet, they are each somewhat different than those films. It is almost as though Greene was trying to improve upon perfection. The Third Man, a novella, is told in a slightly removed first person narrative by Callaway, which if you've seen the film, will most likely have Trevor Howard's wonderful voice speaking to you. It's an interesting style that serves as a reminder that this is more than just a screenplay. The writing here is brilliant and I found myself rereading certain passages because of the beauty of the language. I would classify this work as typical Greene which I mean in the most complimentary way. The Fallen Idol, here just a short story, is told in a straight third person narrative. For its brevity, this is a story that didn't entirely hold my interest. I found it slightly opaque and hard to follow and there seemed to be an underlying purpose which I was missing entirely. There were also minor differences in the characters but telling the same basic story. Nevertheless I would certainly recommend this pairing to anyone with an interest in Greene's work or Greene devotees who somehow missed these stories.
]]> The Jewish Problem 1557706 The Jewish Problem traces the history of antisemitism, positing that Christianity was responsible for enduring anti-Jewish prejudice, which stemmed from the charge of deicide, and was expressed in anti-Jewish legislation and attempts at forced conversion.

Golding goes on to describe the pre-WW II Nazi persecution of Jews, such as economic boycotts and expulsions from schools and the professions, with the result of thousands of Jews dying by suicide.

Golding discusses Nazi propaganda in Britain, Eastern Europe, North America, and Italy, highlighting fascism in England, as well as in Romania and Hungary.

Golding hoped, but did not expect, that Germany would rescind its anti-Semitic policies, and called for the British to reject anti-Semitic prejudice.]]> Louis Golding James 0 to-read 4.10 1938 The Jewish Problem
author: Louis Golding
name: James
average rating: 4.10
book published: 1938
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/12/29
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Bambi's Children: The Story of a Forest Family (Bambi's Classic Animal Tales)]]> 18051147 Bambi, complete with new illustrations.

Twin fawns Geno and Gurri are the children of Faline and Bambi. The pair must grow up and navigate the world of the woods with the help of their mother and Bambi, the new Prince of the Forest.

But for young fawns, the wild can be dangerous. Gurri is injured by a fox and has a run-in with the most dangerous of creatures: man. Geno is challenged by rival deer and worries about the impending fight. But when the family begins to fall apart, it is the familiar presence of Bambi who tries to set it right again.

This beautiful repackage of the sequel to the beloved classic Bambi, tells the story of a forest family and the struggles of growing up. Complete with brand new illustrations from artist Richard Cowdrey.]]> 368 Felix Salten 1442487461 James 4 This is not the warm and fuzzy book you may expect based on associations with the Disney film, but more of a study of survival in the sometimes inhospitable forest. The animals have a natural distrust for HIM, however there are certain Hims that are the exception. This is a central conflict in the story of Bambi's children. This book also examines the emotions which may or may not be true for forest animals, however they are certainly human emotions, and the conflicts depicted here are not resolved quickly nor without emotional scars. Most enjoyable is the dialog that goes on between the deer and the animal species with whom they share the forest. Neither understands the other very well, yet they strive to make their respective points to each other with often hilarious results. In conclusion, regardless of how this book appears on the surface, I would not classify it as strictly a children's book, although some children might certainly enjoy it even if they don't understand the adult perspectives. However, Felix Salten did not care to be know as a children's author and that comes across pretty well. A good read for ages 12 and above.]]> 3.50 1939 Bambi's Children: The Story of a Forest Family (Bambi's Classic Animal Tales)
author: Felix Salten
name: James
average rating: 3.50
book published: 1939
rating: 4
read at: 2016/11/02
date added: 2018/12/18
shelves:
review:
Interesting book, certainly a worthy sequel to the original "Bambi, A Life in the Woods" by Felix Salten.
This is not the warm and fuzzy book you may expect based on associations with the Disney film, but more of a study of survival in the sometimes inhospitable forest. The animals have a natural distrust for HIM, however there are certain Hims that are the exception. This is a central conflict in the story of Bambi's children. This book also examines the emotions which may or may not be true for forest animals, however they are certainly human emotions, and the conflicts depicted here are not resolved quickly nor without emotional scars. Most enjoyable is the dialog that goes on between the deer and the animal species with whom they share the forest. Neither understands the other very well, yet they strive to make their respective points to each other with often hilarious results. In conclusion, regardless of how this book appears on the surface, I would not classify it as strictly a children's book, although some children might certainly enjoy it even if they don't understand the adult perspectives. However, Felix Salten did not care to be know as a children's author and that comes across pretty well. A good read for ages 12 and above.
]]> My Life So Far 148355 In the process of writing this book I discovered there were clear, broad, even universal themes that ran through my life, a coherent arc to my journey that, if I could be truthful in the telling, might provide a road map for other women as they face the challenges of relationships, self-image, and forgiveness. What I did not anticipate was how my journey would also resonate with men.

America knows Jane Fonda as actress and activist, feminist and wife, workout guru and role model. In this extraordinary memoir, Fonda shows that she is much more. From her youth among Hollywood’s elite to her film career and her activism today, Fonda reveals intimate details and personal truths she hopes can provide a lens through which others can see their lives and how they can live them a little differently. Surprising, candid, and wonderfully written, My Life So Far is filled with insights into the personal struggles of a woman living a remarkable life.]]> 599 Jane Fonda 0812975766 James 5 Jane Fonda's 2005 memoir is so much more than a celebrity autobiography; it is an insightful, honest, soul-baring journey toward self-actualization. I have been a fan of hers since I was twelve years old when my parents took me to see "Cat Ballou." I have followed many aspects of her long public life, but until I read this book I never really knew the person. She may have had a privileged life but hers was not an easy one. A mother who commit suicide when she was only twelve and a father who projected an all-American every-man image in public but was in reality a very distant and critical father, combined to make childhood a very lonely time. This feeling of not measuring up plagued her through most of her adult life, leading to a thirty-plus year eating disorder and three long-term but ultimately failed marriages. But it also lead to an undying passion for causes such as uncovering the lies in Vietnam, reaching out to American GI's both during and after the war, environmental issues, civil rights, sexual discrimination in the workplace and adolescent gender/sexuality issues. I found this book incredibly inspirational, sad and at times even laugh-out-loud funny! I have always loved Jane Fonda but after reading this book I have nothing but the utmost respect for her. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!]]> 4.02 2005 My Life So Far
author: Jane Fonda
name: James
average rating: 4.02
book published: 2005
rating: 5
read at: 2018/11/21
date added: 2018/11/24
shelves:
review:
ONE OF THE BEST BOOK I'VE EVER READ!
Jane Fonda's 2005 memoir is so much more than a celebrity autobiography; it is an insightful, honest, soul-baring journey toward self-actualization. I have been a fan of hers since I was twelve years old when my parents took me to see "Cat Ballou." I have followed many aspects of her long public life, but until I read this book I never really knew the person. She may have had a privileged life but hers was not an easy one. A mother who commit suicide when she was only twelve and a father who projected an all-American every-man image in public but was in reality a very distant and critical father, combined to make childhood a very lonely time. This feeling of not measuring up plagued her through most of her adult life, leading to a thirty-plus year eating disorder and three long-term but ultimately failed marriages. But it also lead to an undying passion for causes such as uncovering the lies in Vietnam, reaching out to American GI's both during and after the war, environmental issues, civil rights, sexual discrimination in the workplace and adolescent gender/sexuality issues. I found this book incredibly inspirational, sad and at times even laugh-out-loud funny! I have always loved Jane Fonda but after reading this book I have nothing but the utmost respect for her. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!!!
]]> <![CDATA[Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House]]> 37955528 181 1538113368 James 4 3.56 2018 Under Fire: Reporting from the Front Lines of the Trump White House
author: April Ryan White House Correspondent
name: James
average rating: 3.56
book published: 2018
rating: 4
read at: 2018/09/24
date added: 2018/09/24
shelves:
review:
Excellent and easy read. Had the pleasure of meeting the author at a lecture and book signing.
]]> The Unbroken Web 10375076 18 Simon Worrall James 0 to-read 3.40 2010 The Unbroken Web
author: Simon Worrall
name: James
average rating: 3.40
book published: 2010
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/09/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> Oliver Twist 18254
The story of Oliver Twist - orphaned, and set upon by evil and adversity from his first breath - shocked readers when it was published. After running away from the workhouse and pompous beadle Mr Bumble, Oliver finds himself lured into a den of thieves peopled by vivid and memorable characters - the Artful Dodger, vicious burglar Bill Sikes, his dog Bull's Eye, and prostitute Nancy, all watched over by cunning master-thief Fagin. Combining elements of Gothic Romance, the Newgate Novel and popular melodrama, Dickens created an entirely new kind of fiction, scathing in its indictment of a cruel society, and pervaded by an unforgettable sense of threat and mystery.

This Penguin Classics edition of Oliver Twist is the first critical edition to faithfully reproduce the text as its earliest readers would have encountered it from its serialisation in Bentley's Miscellany, and includes an introduction by Philip Horne, a glossary of Victorian thieves' slang, a chronology of Dickens's life, a map of contemporary London and all of George Cruikshank's original illustrations.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.]]> 608 Charles Dickens James 0 to-read 3.88 1838 Oliver Twist
author: Charles Dickens
name: James
average rating: 3.88
book published: 1838
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/09/16
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Molto Agitato: The Mayhem Behind the Music at the Metropolitan Opera]]> 969732
Fiedler chronicles the Met’s early days as a home for legends like Toscanini, Mahler, and Caruso, and gives a fascinating account of the middle years when haughty blue-bloods battled stubborn adminstrators for control of a company that would emerge as America’s premiere opera house. She takes us behind the grand gold-curtain stage in more recent years as well, showing how musical superstars like Luciano Pavarotti, Plácido Domingo, and Kathleen Battle have electrified performances and scandalized the public. But most revelatory are Fiedler’s portrayals of James Levine and Joseph Volpe and their practically parallel ascendancies—Levine rising from prodigy to artistic director, Volpe advancing from stagehand to general manager—and their once strained relationship. Weaving together the personal, economic, and artistic struggles that characterize the Met’s long and vibrant history, Molto Agitato is a must-read saga of power, wealth, and, above all, great music.]]> 413 Johanna Fiedler 1400032318 James 0 to-read 3.61 1994 Molto Agitato: The Mayhem Behind the Music at the Metropolitan Opera
author: Johanna Fiedler
name: James
average rating: 3.61
book published: 1994
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/08/20
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story]]> 140285 Kipling's classic Mowgli tales spring to new life with the help of stunning artwork by acclaimed illustrator Nicola Bayley.

First published over a century ago, these three unabridged stories from THE JUNGLE BOOK about the man-cub, Mowgli, have delighted adults and children ever since. The stories tell of Mowgli's upbringing among the wolves; his lessons in the Law of the Jungle from Baloo the bear, Bagheera the black panther, and Kaa the python; his kidnapping by the Monkey People; and his clash with the evil tiger, Shere Khan. Illustrated in striking full color and exquisite detail by award-winning artist Nicola Bayley, this is a book to treasure forever.]]> 160 Rudyard Kipling 0763623172 James 0 to-read 3.86 1894 The Jungle Book: Mowgli's Story
author: Rudyard Kipling
name: James
average rating: 3.86
book published: 1894
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/08/06
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership]]> 39924874 Listening Length: 9 hours and 5 minutes

Former FBI director James Comey shares his never-before-told experiences from some of the highest-stakes situations of his career in the past two decades of American government, exploring what good, ethical leadership looks like, and how it drives sound decisions. His journey provides an unprecedented entry into the corridors of power, and a remarkable lesson in what makes an effective leader.

Mr. Comey served as director of the FBI from 2013 to 2017, appointed to the post by President Barack Obama. He previously served as U.S. attorney for the Southern District of New York, and the U.S. deputy attorney general in the administration of President George W. Bush. From prosecuting the Mafia and Martha Stewart to helping change the Bush administration's policies on torture and electronic surveillance, overseeing the Hillary Clinton e-mail investigation as well as ties between the Trump campaign and Russia, Comey has been involved in some of the most consequential cases and policies of recent history.]]> 10 James B. Comey 1427298289 James 5 listened-to 4.09 2018 A Higher Loyalty: Truth, Lies, and Leadership
author: James B. Comey
name: James
average rating: 4.09
book published: 2018
rating: 5
read at: 2018/07/20
date added: 2018/07/23
shelves: listened-to
review:
This review is for the audio book of "A Higher Loyalty" which was read by the author, former FBI Director, James Comey. Mr. Comey has a pleasant voice and "A Higher Loyalty" is an excellent account of his career in law enforcement, aptly titled to refer to the FBI's primary commitment of loyalty to the American people rather than to the administration under which it serves. Although appointed by the President, the position of FBI Director MUST ALWAYS remain non-partisan. Mr. Comey is a man of great integrity and he emphasizes this point repeatedly. In this book, he takes you through a career in which he has served under three Presidents. I am a democratic but I've never blamed Mr. Comey for Hillary Clinton's loss in the 2016 election even though I was very upset by Trump's win. I understood at the time why he had to do what he did. In this book I learned in great detail the pressures he was under in the last days of that presidential campaign and the reasons for his actions. They were not easy decisions. It was only throughout 2016 when I first began to hear about Mr. Comey in the news but this book allowed me to get to know him intimately. The Trump chapter of his career is covered in the last quarter of the book but the preceding pages are well worth reading to fully appreciate the author's dealings with other administrations. I highly recommend this book to anyone who cares about our country's future.
]]> John Adams 13573559 The Pulitzer Prize–winning, bestselling biography of America’s founding father and second president that was the basis for the acclaimed HBO series, brilliantly told by master historian David McCullough.

In this powerful, epic biography, David McCullough unfolds the adventurous life journey of John Adams, the brilliant, fiercely independent, often irascible, always honest Yankee patriot who spared nothing in his zeal for the American Revolution; who rose to become the second president of the United States and saved the country from blundering into an unnecessary war; who was learned beyond all but a few and regarded by some as “out of his senses�; and whose marriage to the wise and valiant Abigail Adams is one of the moving love stories in American history.

This is history on a grand scale—a book about politics and war and social issues, but also about human nature, love, religious faith, virtue, ambition, friendship, and betrayal, and the far-reaching consequences of noble ideas. Above all, John Adams is an enthralling, often surprising story of one of the most important and fascinating Americans who ever lived.]]> David McCullough 0743550862 James 5 listened-to 4.25 2001 John Adams
author: David McCullough
name: James
average rating: 4.25
book published: 2001
rating: 5
read at: 2018/07/12
date added: 2018/07/12
shelves: listened-to
review:
A beautifully written biography of one of our most important founding fathers. John Adams is certainly an underappreciated President but without his role before his Presidency we may have never gained independence from Britain. Fortunately for us, Adams was a compulsive diarist. Much of Mccullough's book is drawn from these writings, which takes us into the most intimate places in Adams' psyche. We learn much about his relationships with his colleagues, his family and most importantly, his "dearest friend," Abigail. This is clearly one of history's great love stories. A more mutually loving and respectful relationship would be very hard to find. Within these pages we learn much about Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton. Washington was a very soft-spoken and humble man. Adams had the highest regard for Jefferson even though it was not mutual. In fact, Jefferson does not come across very well at all, especially in his dealings with Adams and behind Adams' back. And Hamilton is simply a troublemaker! Always a passionate man, it is probably his post-presidential years, where Adams exhibits an all encompassing joy in all of life's aspects. He loved to quote Saint Paul in saying "Rejoice ever more!" All in all, a thoroughly enjoyable read. Highly recommended!
]]> <![CDATA[Young Samurai: Bodybuilders of Japan]]> 21954833 75 Tamotsu Yato James 0 to-read 3.00 Young Samurai: Bodybuilders of Japan
author: Tamotsu Yato
name: James
average rating: 3.00
book published:
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/04/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Otoko: Photo-Studies of the Young Japanese Male]]> 12449350 112 Tamotsu Yato James 0 to-read 4.40 1972 Otoko: Photo-Studies of the Young Japanese Male
author: Tamotsu Yato
name: James
average rating: 4.40
book published: 1972
rating: 0
read at:
date added: 2018/04/23
shelves: to-read
review:

]]> <![CDATA[Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House]]> 36595101 Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House.

Since Donald Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States, the country―and the world―has witnessed a stormy, outrageous, and absolutely mesmerizing presidential term that reflects the volatility and fierceness of the man elected Commander-in-Chief.

This riveting and explosive account of Trump’s administration provides a wealth of new details about the chaos in the Oval Office, including:
-- What President Trump’s staff really thinks of him
-- What inspired Trump to claim he was wire-tapped by President Obama
-- Why FBI director James Comey was really fired
-- Why chief strategist Steve Bannon and Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner couldn’t be in the same room
-- Who is really directing the Trump administration’s strategy in the wake of Bannon’s firing
-- What the secret to communicating with Trump is
-- What the Trump administration has in common with the movie The Producers

Never before in history has a presidency so divided the American people. Brilliantly reported and astoundingly fresh, Fire and Fury shows us how and why Donald Trump has become the king of discord and disunion.]]> 322 Michael Wolff 1250158060 James 2 3.36 2018 Fire and Fury: Inside the Trump White House
author: Michael Wolff
name: James
average rating: 3.36
book published: 2018
rating: 2
read at:
date added: 2018/03/17
shelves:
review:
There's nothing here we didn't already suspect, however I'm not sure where the evidence is for all the claims made by the author. I'm not a fan of Trump by any stretch & would never defend him but this book is written in a very adolescent way. For example, an author should never use foul language unless quoting someone; here he includes it in the narrative which sounds like it's coming directly from him, although I'm not sure it is. At any rate, it certainly reduces the book's credibility. He claims to have drawn this book from hours of recordings made during his time in the West Wing. If that was the case, this book was a wasted opportunity. It's hard to take this it seriously because of the style in which it is written.
]]> <![CDATA[Diary of My Travels in America]]> 7448021 0 Louis Philippe 038528201X James 5
A little background:
Following the French Revolution in 1789, and as France fell into the Reign of Terror from June 1793 to July 1794 which saw nearly 17,000 official death sentences in France, Louis Phillipe fled France in April 1793 to save his life. He was only 19. Later that year, his own father died at the guillotine in despite being in favor of the execution of King Louis XVI. He traveled throughout Europe for several years, before deciding to go to America in 1797 where he met his two younger brothers in Philadelphia where they had been exiled following imprisonment in France. This book is about their travels in America.

This diary was a complete delight! Louis Phillipe, though eager to see America, is quite disparaging of the backwoods scenery and its people. These reports and the brothers' misadventures are recounted in hilarious detail. He is fairly appalled by many of the country folk they meet at the inns and B&B's of this era, especially considering he's a refugee. Yet, he is quite respectful of and fascinated by the "Indians," who are most gracious to the Frenchmen. An added treat are the prints of the paintings one of his brothers created from sketches made during the expedition.]]> 3.67 Diary of My Travels in America
author: Louis Philippe
name: James
average rating: 3.67
book published:
rating: 5
read at: 2018/02/26
date added: 2018/02/26
shelves:
review:
I have had this book for nearly 25 years. I first encountered it while visiting my elderly next door neighbor. When he saw me paging through it with great interest he insisted that I take it. I'm so glad he did, because it was delightful! I was mostly interested in the geographical aspect to it since it was written over 200 years ago and much of it takes place where I live in the Eastern United States. I'm always eager and fascinated to learn of places I'm quite familiar with as they appeared years ago.

A little background:
Following the French Revolution in 1789, and as France fell into the Reign of Terror from June 1793 to July 1794 which saw nearly 17,000 official death sentences in France, Louis Phillipe fled France in April 1793 to save his life. He was only 19. Later that year, his own father died at the guillotine in despite being in favor of the execution of King Louis XVI. He traveled throughout Europe for several years, before deciding to go to America in 1797 where he met his two younger brothers in Philadelphia where they had been exiled following imprisonment in France. This book is about their travels in America.

This diary was a complete delight! Louis Phillipe, though eager to see America, is quite disparaging of the backwoods scenery and its people. These reports and the brothers' misadventures are recounted in hilarious detail. He is fairly appalled by many of the country folk they meet at the inns and B&B's of this era, especially considering he's a refugee. Yet, he is quite respectful of and fascinated by the "Indians," who are most gracious to the Frenchmen. An added treat are the prints of the paintings one of his brothers created from sketches made during the expedition.
]]>