Amazon.com

Benjamin Franklin began the "the most taxing assignment of his life" at the age of 70: to secure the aid of the French monarchy in helping the fledgling United States establish their republic. The job required tremendous skill, finesse, and discretion, and as Stacy Schiff makes clear in this brilliant book, Franklin was the ideal American, perhaps the only one, to take on the task, due in large part to his considerable personal prestige. One of the most famous men in the world when he landed in France in December 1776, his arrival caused a sensation--he was celebrated as a man of genius, a successor to Newton and Galileo, and treated as a great dignitary, even though the nation he represented was less than a year old and there were many doubts as to whether it would see its second birthday. Though he had no formal diplomatic training and spoke only rudimentary French, Franklin managed to engineer the Franco-American alliance of 1778 and the peace treaty of 1783, effectively inventing American foreign policy as he went along, in addition to serving as chief diplomat, banker, and director of American naval affairs.

Franklin recognized and accepted the fact that French aid was crucial to American independence, but some Founding Fathers resented him for making America dependent on a foreign power and severely attacked him for securing the very aid that saved the cause. Schiff offers fascinating coverage of this American infighting, along with the complex political intrigue in France, complete with British spies and French double agents, secret negotiations and backroom deals. A Great Improvisation is an entertaining and illuminating portrait of Franklin's seven-year adventure in France that "stands not only as his greatest service to his country but the most revealing of the man." --Shawn Carkonen ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Lively, witty, and fun
Founding Fathers are hot stuff these days. Benjamin Franklin, with two major bios in the past three years (Morgan and Isaacson) and re-publication of others by H.W. Brands and Gordon Wood, may be the hottest. Into this crowd wades Stacy Schiff, whose elegant and witty biography of Vera Nabokov won a 2000 Pulitzer (and whose previous bio of Saint-Exupéry garnered a nomination). Why step from uncommon byways onto a crowded boulevard?

Happily, Schiff's breezy, cosmopolitan, but never superficial style is excellently suited to the open-minded satirist and scientist, and a tale that reads like a cruel farce. _A Great Improvisation_ focuses on just eight years of Franklin's 84-year life, starting in 1776 when he was sent to Paris by the Continental Congress at the age of 70 to get France into the war. Fortunately, France regarded Franklin as a celebrity genius, which was more than many of his colleagues back home in Congress thought of him.

Franklin was "honest, but not too honest, which qualifies in France as a failure of imagination." He could "indulge in the ingenious and wholly specious argument, a staple of French conversation." His defense of French admiral d'Estaing was "a shining tribute to benevolent ignorance. (And one that happened accidentally to be accurate.)" Surrounded by spies, he had papers and money stolen. The other Americans in Paris squabbled endlessly with one another, accusing the French of deceit and intrigue even more than the British. Franklin's co-commissioner, Arthur Lee, "was ideally suited for the mission in every way save for his personality, which was rancid."

Poor trans-Atlantic communications enabled the Paris delegation's enemies to poison Congress against them, especially Franklin, who risked censure several times. He also was beset by psoriasis boils, gout and bladder stones. Schiff does not neglect Franklin's poor relations with much of his family, and his flirtations with French ladies, widowed and married. It's a wonder it all came out so well. Not a little of the credit goes to Franklin's skill as "a natural diplomat, genial and ruthless." When he was "rebuffed, he played hard to get"!

France ended up backing the colonies' successful revolution with men, arms, ships, and aid that would be worth $13 billion today. Americans who carp about Gallic "ingratitude" for their 1940s rescue might consider whether we were paying a 160-year-old debt.

With writing this good, it's startling to encounter a false note: more than once, Schiff uses "adverse" when "averse" is the word she wants. The book also shows rare but regrettable signs of sloppy editing. Franklin's grandson Temple is said to be 18 upon their arrival in Paris in mid 1777, but thirty pages and five months later he is 17. The news of Burgoyne's capture as a prisoner after the Battle of Saratoga is reported to hit Paris on Dec. 4, 1778, which is a year late.

Nevertheless, Schiff handles a broad array of characters and events with élan. Her book reads like a spirited production by Merchant-Ivory.

Delicious Prose + Compelling Story = Great Read
Populated by characters worthy of Dickens (including a theatrical producer, a dyspeptic diplomat and a female impersonator), ranging from back alleys to country estates to the royal court, combining elements of espionage, political deal-making, dangerous liaisons and the price of fame, "A Great Improvisation" has a you-are-there immediacy and tells an irresistible story that just happens to be at the heart of our survival as a country.

Spy vs. Spy
"Silas Deane was stranded in Paris, sick with anxiety, and nearly out of invisible ink."Every book should begin this well. All the wonderful adjectives others have used to describe this book are true.

A tip: if by chance you are writer and you give this book to your mother and after finishing it she asks why you can't write like Stacy Schiff, the best reply is just, "Who can?" Then leave the room and count to ten.

Without Whom, There Would Be No America
In dazzling prose and with impeccable research, Stacy Schiff illuminates one of the most important, and until now grossly overlooked, factors in our country's independence, Benjamin Franklin's successful negotiations with the French to aid the colonists' cause. Without Franklin's wisdom, charisma and diplomatic skills, we might still be singing God Save the Queen/King. This is a compelling, engaging story that brings history to life. A great read!

Ben Franklin's Wartime Adventures In Paris (1776-1785)
With the spate of recent biographies of Benjamin Franklin over the past 5 years, Stacy Schiff has narrrowed her focused upon his diplomatic mission to France during the American Revoluntion. Without Mr. Franklin's successful wartime treaties with the French, the American Revolution would have certainly failed.

Well-written, interesting and meticulously researched, this book is for the reader with an interest in diplomacy and a desire for further details of Mr. Franklin's personal exploits in Paris. "A Great Improvisation" highlights the non-military "battles" of the American Revolution.

For a broader perspective, the reader is referred to the fine biographies of H.W. Brand's "The First American" (2000) at 760 pages, Walter Isaacson's "Benjamin Franklin: An American Life" (2003) at 600 pages and Gordon Wood's "The Americanization of Benjamin Franklin" (2004) at 300 pages. Mr. Brand's work devotes over 100 pages to Franklin's diplomacy during the same time period. ... Read more

Book Description

Given unprecedented access to Pope John Paul II and the people who have known and worked with him throughout his life, George Weigel presents a groundbreaking portrait of the Pope as a man, a thinker, and a leader whose religious convictions have defined a new approach to world politics--and changed the course of history.

John Paul II has systematically addressed every major question on the world's agenda at the turn of the millennium: the human yearning for the sacred, the meaning of freedom, the glories and challenges of human sexuality, the promise of the women's movement, the quest for a new world order, the nature of good and evil, the moral challenge of prosperity, and the imperative of human solidarity in the emerging global civilization. By bringing the age-old wisdom of biblical religion into active conversation with contemporary life and thought, the Pope "from a far country" has crafted a challenging proposal for the human future that is without parallel in the modern world.

Weigel explores new information about the Pope's role in some of the recent past's most stirring events, including the fall of communism; the Vatican/Israel negotiation of 1991-92; the collapse of the Philippine, Chilean, Nicaraguan, and Paraguayan dictatorships during the 1980s; and the epic papal visit to Cuba. Weigel also includes previously unpublished papal correspondence with Leonid Brezhnev, Mikhail Gorbachev, and Deng Xiaoping, and draws on hitherto unavailable autobiographical reminiscences by the Pope.

Witness to Hope also discusses the Pope's efforts to build bridges to other Christian communities, and to Judaism, Islam, and other great world religions; presents an analysis of John Paul's proposals for strengthening democratic societies in the twenty-first century; and offers synopses of every major teaching document in the pontificate.

Rounding out the dramatic story of Pope John Paul II are fresh translations of his poetry; detailed personal anecdotes of the Pope as a young man, priest, and friend, sketched by those who knew him best; and in-depth interviews with Catholic leaders throughout the world.

A magisterial biography of one of the most important figures--some might argue, the most important figure--of the twentieth century, Witness to Hope is an extraordinary testimony to the man and his accomplishments, and a papal biography unlike any other.

Reviews (41)

Witness to the Pope
Along with a hearty recommendation forWitness to Hope comes a caveat that the excellent book is NOT an easy read. George Weigel undertook this comprehensive biography as a labor of love and researched it meticulously. Reading the finished product is a laborious task but worth the effort.

Mr. Weigel was afforded unprecedented access to the pontiff and scoured the world interviewing his peers, subordinates, admirers, detractors, colleagues, childhood friends, former supervisors (wherever possible), and just about anyone with cogent insights into the inner workings of John Paul II. Even when the details appear superfluous (reports of Mrs. Wojtyla's pushing baby Karol in his carriage, et al), they assist us in comprehending the historic churchman. Karol lost his mother as a young boy, and his father and only brother both died before he was fully mature. The author explicates how the loss of his entire close family imbued the future pontiff with an unshakable devotion to the sacredness of family life. His youthful pain positively manifested itself in copious papal support for the traditional family structure.

The Pope's unwavering commitment to the sanctity of human life in the face of often vitriolic criticism is likewise shown to have grown from personal hardships. Nazism devastated Poland, and Karol Wojtyla lost many lifelong Jewish friends to the scourge. Active in the underground--especially a clandestine theater--he struggled to stay a step ahead of the nazis. Seeing many of his loved ones and exterminated, and his own mistreatment by the nazis shaped him in ways the world would observe decades later.

Ironically, those who often fault the pope for unambiguously opposing abortion often praise him for his equally stern disapproval of capital punishment, and vice-versa. His ineluctable reverence for the sanctity of all life was chiseled in his heart by Nazi brutality and undergirded further by communist atrocities--all witnessed firsthand.

The Vatican's love-hate relationship with the United Nations provides some of the book's most telling sections, explaining how some of the strangest bedfellows ever came together, and also provides an examination of how strained Vatican--U.S., ties grew due to the radical agenda of the Clinton Administration. The center of world Catholicism worked harmoniously with Libya, Iran, and several other radical Islamic countries regarding issues of abortion, homosexuality, and the family structure while vigorously opposing the United States (during the Clinton years) on these very same issues.

The Clinton administration's drive to have deviant definitions of the family as well as support nefarious population control measures (including involuntary sterilization) given U.N. sanction seemed destined to succeed despite Vatican efforts to insert common sense into the argument

While Clinton's representatives had assiduously prepared for the Vatican's stance and adroitly maneuvered to deflate the Holy See's influence, they did not anticipate one insurmountable obstacle--nearly worldwide disgust at their extremist plans. At that same conference, a scheduled welcoming speech--expected to be neutral in tone--by then-Pakistani Prime Minister Benazair Bhutto condemned abortion as a crime against humanity and established a theme that was reiterated by the majority of participants from Africa, Asia, and South America. What Clinton's out-of-touch appointees dismissed an Catholic rigidity turned out to be almost catholic sentiment and squashed efforts to declare new norms of family structure.

Since the pope has interacted with virtually every mover and shaker of the past three decades, Mr. Weigel includes a plethora of notable vignettes regarding a veritable who's who of world figures. Describing Mikhail Gorbachev's unprecedented visit to the Vatican during the Soviet Union's twilight, Weigel ponders "he must have had some intuition of what this moment meant historically. By the mere fact of his presence at the Vatican, the system he represented was acknowledging that it had been wrong about the relationship between Christianity and genuine humanism, about Christianity and human liberation."

He wisely includes comments from Vaclav Havel's greeting to the Pope in Czechoslovakia, "I dare say that at this moment I am participating in a miracle: the man who six months ago was arrested as an enemy of the State stands here today as the president of the State and bids welcome to the first pontiff of the Catholic Church in history to set foot in this land."

Other interesting tidbits include crossed paths with the like of Ronald Reagan, Mother Theresa, Fidel Castro, Ed Koch, Billy Graham, and Morocco's King Hassan who arranged for John Paul to address what may have been the largest assemblage of Muslim youth ever.

In an unfortunate case of timing, Witness to Hope was released a few years prior to the two incidents that could become the most salient demerits on John Paul's broad and noble legacy. Laying any blame for the American clergy's sex scandal in the Vatican is somewhat of a stretch, but fallout from the headline-making disgrace is landing at John Paul's feet. More directly linked was the pope's bewildering disagreement with the American-lead liberation of Iraq. Not since the allied assault on nazism has the case for a just war seemed so clear. Why John Paul did not at least maintain a silent neutrality is a subject that historians will debate for decades. Some have speculated that accusations--often devoid of facts--that Pope Pius XII was silent during the Holocaust--will be echoed about John Paul regarding the Iraqi situation.

Witness to Hope's appeal is truly catholic (with a small "c") because John Paul's influence has extended far beyond the Roman Catholic Church, and any treatment of major world events is incomplete without his views.

No. 3 on my list of best books
At least one seminary requires those in spiritual formation to read this biography of Pope John Paul II. I rank the book just below the Bible and the Catechism of the Catholic Church in my list of books that are important to read. I can usually summarize a book in a page or two, but not this one. The book offers so much that I filled thirteen pages with terse notes written in paragraph form.

The first 250 pages of the book inspire the reader, who realizes the great hardships the Pope endured from his early life through his priesthood under Nazi and Communist rule. His work with the Church's intellectuals and performing artists developed the cultural base that succeeded in combating these totalitarian regimes. His discussion groups tolerated all ideas, provided that all were striving for truth. His development of a new Christian Humanism was, and still is, effective in combating social and spiritual ills everywhere.

The remaining 600 pages show how the Pope dealt with specific problems in the Church and in the world. He approaches all as a sincerely holy, humble, and reverent pilgrim, full of hope for humanity. He apologizes for the failures of Catholics. He invites those who oppose him to join him in dialog, yet he never compromises Church principles. The book covers each such case, including each encyclical, with sufficient detail that the reader learns from the Pope throughout the book.

Because I have read probably every encyclical and many of the apostolic letters written by the Pope, much was familiar to me -- after the book jarred my memory. The most important new point that I learned from the book pertained to a question I have asked many a philosopher: Can every philosophy describe all of the truths of the Catholic faith? The Pope answered that some philosophies are so poor or so closed as to make any real dialog impossible.

The best biography of Pope John Paul II
This is by far the best biography of Pope John Paul II. It covers so many events of his episcopacy and papacy. It is certainly worthwhile reading.

George Weigel, moreso than other writers, is able to write on John Paul II's philosophy. The teachings of John Paul II will be studied long after his death. It is often forgetten that Pope John Paul II is an intellectual. He studied in Rome under the great Thomist Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange. And while he favours the moderate realism of St. Thomas Aquinas, the Pope by no means continues to work in that field alone. He has integrated into his philosophy the insights of phenomenology and personalism. The latter philosophy has proven especially important to him, and the insights of personalism appear often in his encylicals and other teaching documents.

In short, this is the perfect introduction to John Paul the Pope and John Paul the intellectual.

Extraordinary book on an extraordinary man
Comprehensive, definitive biography of one of the great Popes of all time. A must read for anyone seriously interested in the Catholic faith or in religion in general.

A Fine Work - But Mainly About Him as The Pope
Karol Wojtyla is a Pole from the Krakow area that rose to great prominence. This is a fine work about a remarkable man. Regardless of his religion (I am not catholic) he has led a life where he has set a high moral goal for others to follow.

The book is suitable for general readers (like myself) and has lots of details about the man starting from his youth and college days in Poland. There are many interesting insights and analysis. The book has 900 pages of details and stories with over 100 pages of references and footnotes. It contains two groups of about 20 photos per group showing his stages of development before and after becoming the Pope.

As an Amazon.com book reviewer I want to make a few comments on the biography as a biography. Only about 10% of the book or the first two chapters of the 15 chapters is given over to his life and development outside being a priest. He was made a priest not many years after becoming an adult, so although the "biography" does cover his non religious life up to a point, the book is mainly about his rise through the catholic church and a lot of time - the vast majority - is given to discussing what he did, his religious beliefs, and what he thought as the Pope and how he executed his beliefs and put them into action. After a brief two chapter review on his youth, there are four chapters on his rise and then nine chapters on his life and philosophy as Pope.

Recommended as an outstanding book even if you are not a catholic, but again it is 60% about his actions as the Pope.

Jack in Toronto ... Read more

Book Description

Featuring major wartime speeches of Winston Churchill.Memorable speeches of Great Britain's Prime Minister from the time England was all but alone, until final victory. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

The Best of the Best
The editor's introductions to the speeches are sometimes inaccurate, but Churchill is a wonder to listen to. Highly recommended by anyone with an appreciation for history or literature.

Sir Winston Churchill:his finest hour
Those 16 of his finest speaches made during the darkest days of WWII demonstrated courage and inner strength of a great leader in modern world. I and my 11 year old have enjoyed it very much. ... Read more

Book Description

An American legend rewrites a remarkably contemporary Adam and Eve. In tackling the first three chapters of Genesis, Twain creates a story of The First Couple who are psychologically familiar to even 21st Century Americans.He wrote the Diaries as a tribute to his own marriage, so they are also his most heartfelt and personal work.Between 1893 and 1906, he attempted six versions; only these satisfied him and were published in his lifetime.

This expanded edition is • beautifully illustrated • faithful to Twain's final rewrites • faithful to Twain's wish that the two tales be "bound together" • and includes passages published for the first time. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

A tender, moving love story!
Although Mark Twain uses the story of Adam and Eve in the Book of Genesis as the framework for these "diaries," the biblical couple and his are two entirely different stories. Having said that, Twain's version is such a touching love story, especially as it is rendered in this recording, it is worth hearing (or reading) without making any comparisons to the first Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

I mention this because a high school student recently inquired with me about Twain's views on religion, and thought that these diaries might shed some light in his beliefs. While I encouraged her to read or listen to Twain's account, simply because of the beauty of the story, I don't think they shed much light on Twain's religious views.

I did find it interesting that Twain's Adam and Eve barely mention God at all. Perhaps that is a notable observation on his views of religion after all.

Twain's tender observations on the nature of men, women and love is what makes this a moving tale. Walter Cronkite's commentary at the end makes one appreciate the story even more.

A loving good heart
Twain long had an interest in Adam and Eve. His renewed focus on Adam and Eve in 1893 was touched off by his writing calendar maxims for Pudd'nhead Wilson, in which the Edenic couple appear. After that novel, he began Extracts from Adam's Diary, and followed that with Eve's Diary. Now Don E. Roberts has collected these writings along with four others by Twain that concern the Edenic pair in one narrative. For many readers familiar only with Twain's tales about mischievous boys or cranky characters, this work, one of the great love stories of all time, will come as a real surprise. Whether you're interested in Twain or not, if your heart hasn't atrophied, you will love The Diaries of Adam and Eve. Roberts's profound love of the art of the book is evident in every detail, from the illustrated dust jacket, which features a rare 1902 Thomas Marr photograph of Twain at Quarry Farm on the back; to the Smythe sewn binding in gold-stamped Kennett cloth; to the high-quality printing on acid-free paper; to the eight beautiful illustrations commissioned specifically for this volume. I have the book and the CD. If you are just going to get one I would suggest the CD because of Betty Buckley's superb performance reading Eve's part. Twain translated Eve as saying "a loving good heart is riches, and riches enough". After reading this fine volume I'm inclined to agree with her.

Had me laughing out loud.
This book is so funny! Put yourself in Adam's shoes: you have been alone on Paradise for some time, and suddenly appears this talking creature that follows you around. Adam's thoughts on Eve and the world are hillarious. And then comes the tale from Eve - who loves Adam very much-, which is tender and still fun.

I read this book with my wife and she was laughing too. Then I lent it to a friend. He read it and passed it on to his wife.

I read Mark Twain on high school, and time only makes it better.

Now I'm after "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn".

Lovely book!
The Diaries of Adam and Eve is one of my favorite books. It's so gentle, funny, and deeply true I find myself loaning it to friends and giving it as a gift whenever I can. If you've not read Twain since Huckleberry Finn was forced upon you in junior high, this is a wonderful way to start reading Mark Twain's work again. If you've been looking for something to restore your faith in the worth of that whole man-woman thing, treat yourself to this book.

Wonderful and enchanting.
The Diaries of Adam & Eve is an incredible representation of both sides of Mark Twain. The cynical side that most people seem to know, as well as a softer side that has largely been kept hidden.

From the unflinching stubborn "maleness" of Adam to the innocent yet knowing Eve, this book is an amazing testement of Twain's love for his ailing wife. It was her persuasion that led him to write the sweetly naive character of Eve. The gentleness of the work is very touching and may be a surprise for people who think that Twain was just a tetchy grown-up Tom Sawyer. Adam and Eve both have equal say in various "experiments" in their new world and their wonderful differing interpretations of shared events make the characters pop off of the page and into your soul.

I would also recommend the audio version of this book as read by Mandy Patinkin, Betty Buckley, and Walter Cronkite. The true musical nature of the text and the spirit of Twain's words really come to life in a spoken format and may move you to tears. ... Read more

Book Description

In this compelling memoir, Brooke Shields talks candidly about her experience with postpartum depression after the birth of her daughter, and provides millions of women with an inspiring example of recovery.

When Brooke Shields welcomed her newborn daughter, Rowan Francis, into the world, something unexpected followed-a crippling depression. Now, for the first time ever, in Down Came the Rain, Brooke talks about the trials, tribulations, and finally the triumphs that occurred before, during, and after the birth of her daughter.

In what is sure to strike a chord with the millions of women who suffer from depression after childbirth, America's sweetheart Brooke Shields shares how she, too, battled this debilitating condition that is widely misunderstood, despite the fact that it affects many new mothers. She discusses the illness in the context of her life, including her struggle to get pregnant, the high expectations she had for herself and that others placed on her as a new mom, and the role of her husband, friends, and family as she struggled to attain her maternal footing in the midst of a disabling depression. And, ultimately, Brooke shares how she found a way out through talk therapy, medication, and time.

Exhibiting an informed voice and a self-deprecating sense of humor, this first memoir from a woman who has grown up before the eyes of the world is certain to attract the attention and empathy of many new mothers and fans alike. ... Read more

Reviews (22)

The rules of life are different for the rich and famous
Like Brooke Shields, I have experienced very crippling depression that left me completely devastated and unable to function.But unlike Brooke Shields I did not have a docter calling me every day (I've never even heard of a docter who does that), nor did I have the money to hire a baby nurse, let alone hire a nurse to leave her own child to fly across the country to be with me.Nor did I have the healing or closure to my depression by having the money to write a book all about it.Maybe that's why I, and probably millions of others, suffered a lot more than Brooke did.(I do not want to undermine Brooke's suffering, but I think that I can safely say she suffered less simply because money and status is a very powerful tool in buying the help you need.)
Though Brooke initially suffered what millions of others suffered, like many celebrities she seems to be oblivious to the resources she has that most people in this world simply don't have.Let's hear about a book by a woman who is not rich and famous to see how a woman without all the resources only celebrities have, can heal.

Superb!
Brooke has done a wonderful job communicating the crushing blows dealt by PPD.After wading through the ordeal twice, I have a passion for others to know and understand what it is all about, espcially to know that it does not make anyone a bad mother.I highly recommend this for anyone who wants to know more about PPD!

Way to go, Brooke.

Thank you for sharing
This is the first time I have heard about someone who had the same reaction to their newborn as I did and endured the same crushing feelings of depression that followed the birth of a child.I was aware of post-partum depression -- but only the extreme version where the mother kills the child.I was more like Brooke -- I didn't want to hurt my baby, I just wanted to hurt myself.I felt worthless and truly believed that my month-old baby thought that I was a loser.I hope this book encourages women who experience any form of PPD to get help and realize that these feelings can and will go away with help.Most important, I hope this book will help other mothers suffering from PPD know that they are not alone.On a related note, I read today that Tom Cruise is bashing Brooke and this book because Brooke used Paxil to assist with overcoming PPD."Dr." Tom claims that PPD can be cured through vitamins and that drugs never should be used to treat this illness.Thank you, Tom, for setting back women's health 100 years.If you ever get testicular cancer, I'll send some vitamin C right over.

Good information; well written
I applaude Brooke for writing this book because thousands of women suffer just as she did.They need to know they are not alone, and that they will get well with treatment.

A common misconception is postpartum depression is a "natural result" of birth.Not so!It is a deadly serious illness but is also very treatable.I lost my daughter to PPD 5 years ago and have spent my life since losing her trying to educate the public with accurate PPD facts so that others don't die unnecessarily.For the most part, Brooke's book has done a good job of giving good information.

Anyone who confuses postpartum depression with baby blues or just being a little down after childbirth is deadly wrong.And anyone who condemns a woman for symptoms over which she has no control is grossly ignorant. (...)

Helena Bradford
The Ruth Rhoden Craven Foundation for Postpartum Depression Awareness.

Black and White Words With Power
There have been a few other books written about this same topic but none so shocking in black and white words.Many of us feel like Brooke has described but have never really connected to the words as much as the feelings.It took bravery and love to come out in the open to help moms like myself and like Brooke.Thank you ever so much.Even though our kids are now older, 2 and 4, this is the first one I've read that I have asked my husband to read too. Also suggested:Mommy CEO, a book which also helps moms feel important, loved and provides simple help with kids.Thank God for both authors! ... Read more

Book Description

Joey Coyle was down and out -- the affable, boyish South Philadelphian hadn't found dock work in months, he was living with his ailing mother, and he was fighting a drug habit and what seemed like a lifetime of bouncing into and out of bad luck. One morning, while cruising the streets just blocks from his home, fate took a turn worthy of Hollywood when he spotted a curious yellow tub he thought might make a good toolbox. It contained $1.2 million in unmarked bills -- casino money that had just fallen off the back of an armored truck.

Detective Pat Laurenzi, with the help of the FBI, was working around the clock to track it down, Joey Coyle, meanwhile, was off on a bungling, swashbuckling misadventure, sharing his windfall with everyone from his girlfriend to total strangers to the two neighborhood kids who drove him past it. To hide the money, Joey turned to the local mob bos -- a shadowy, fearsome man who may or may not have helped launder it. But as adrenaline-filled nights began taking their toll, Joey Coyle's dream-come-true evolved into a nightmare: Whom could he trust?

By one of our most evocative and versatile chroniclers of American life, Finders Keepers is not only a gripping true life thriller, it is the remarkable tale of an ordinary man faced with an extraordinary dilemma, and the fascinating reactions -- from complicity to concern to betrayal -- of the friends, family, and neighbors to whom he turns. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

Breezy book with an edge
I received this as a Christmas present, and what a neat present it was!
I started reading this obviously fictional book about this unemployed meth addict Philadelphian dockworker named Joey who finds $1.2 million in unmarked unsequential $100 bills laying on the street -- a $1.2 million which literally fell off the back of the truck. He immediately enters into all these improbable and zany adventures, capped by an arrest at the airport as he's getting ready to fly to Acapulco! During his trial, his attorney opts for a temporary insanity defense, which the jury buys because the guy's buddies testify he "went bananas" for a week when he found the money.
Yet this comedy has an edge to it -- the tragedy of "men who were raised to go to work out on the docks like their fathers and uncles and older brothers, only there's no work for them on the docks anymore, and there's nothing else they know how to do.... It's a story about addiction, about the belief that there is a shortcut to true happiness."
When I got to the Epilogue, I was quite surprised to find that this obviously fictional story was true! The author tells what happened after the trial, and how Joey's story was literally Disneyfied -- and how his good fortune turned out to be his tragic ruin.
The typeface used is a bit distracting since there is no "1" -- and unlike ancient typewriters, instead of the small "L," the capital "I" is used: thus $100 is $I00 and 314 Dunfor Street is 3I4 Dunfor Street.
This is a great book because it encompasses universal themes -- Joey is a Greek tragic figure whose internal flaws, despite his good fortune, emerge to undo him. Many of us, likewise, have envisioned what we would do if sudden riches came upon us.

I Know What I Would Do!!
What would you do if you found over a million dollars lying by the side of the road in a yellow metal tub? I know what I would do, but I'm not saying. This is the dilemma 28 year-old Joey Coyle found himself in with two of his friends while driving down a side road in Philadelphia. Joey's answer was very simple: 'Finders Keepers'. This is an exciting true-life story from the author who also wrote the book 'Black Hawk Down'.

In February 1981, over a million dollars in unmarked bills fell off the back of an armored truck in South Philadelphia. Joey Coyle, a popular, working-class, young man who's addicted to drugs, goes from rags to riches, and eventually becomes somewhat of an urban hero. Joey finds himself in a drug-enhanced frenzy for the next week trying to decide what to do with all the money. The story is actually quite funny at times. Joey has a hard time keeping the money a secret, and tells just about everyone he meets about it. Will this be Joey's downfall or saving grace? Joey does get involved with the wrong people, as the entire city becomes swept up in the search for the money. What happens to Joey takes several different turns and this story has many unexpected surprises in store for us.

What an riveting story! This is a remarkable story of an ordinary young man who comes face to face with an extraordinary opportunity, and has the make the decision of right from wrong? Or does he? I recommend this one to anyone who enjoys a good true-to-life thriller.

Joe Hanssen

Losers, are Always Weepers
Written like a fiction novel, Bowden tells the true story of an instant financial windfall of $1.2 million for Joey Coyle an unemployed, drug dependant, loser with nothing going for him and the IQ of a rock. Joey, depressed after his drug dealer wasn't home spots a yellow container on the side of the road which he thinks would make a good tool box. Looking inside he discovers two bags with reserve bank written on them. Not really caring that this money obviously belongs to someone he quickly puts the bags in his friend's car and they drive away.

This book tells what Joey does with the money in the seven days it takes the authorities to work out he took it and capture him. It is a crime in Philadelphia not to try and return something found with a value over $250. His big plans and how absolutely terrified he gets when he realises the mob is not around just to help you change hundred dollar notes into smaller currency are examined in detail. You'll be amazed at just how stupid this guy is. Also the stupidity of Purolator Armored Car Company and their drivers who lost the money of the back of the truck in the first place.

What would you do if you found 1.2 million? To be honest I would keep it but I sure wouldn't be as stupid as Joey. This is an extremely interesting book. I never heard of the actual story before so I have no idea how accurate this book portrays events but I thoroughly enjoyed it. It does drag on a bit with the trial and epilogue at the end which could have been summed up with a lot less paragraphs. Apart from that though, I was addicted and wanted to know the outcome. Highly recommended!

Not a lot of substance to this book
I bought this book after reading a complimentary review online. Unfortunately, this book proved to be a very bland, unentertaining read about an unintelligent, vanilla main character who doesn't even give himself a chance to keep the money that he found.

Nothing spectacular really happens in the book; in fact, this probably would have been a better feature article for a second-tier major newspaper.

I found the characters very difficult to follow, much less get interested in. I do not recommend this book at all.

not really that great
This book is the worst of the 4 Bowden books I've read. It's mildly entertaining and much too short. It seems like there really wasn't enough of a story to turn it into a book. If you want something short to read it's alright I guess. ... Read more

Book Description

Until I began to build and launch rockets, I didn't know my hometown was at war with itself over its children, and that my parents were locked in a kind of bloodless combat over how my brother and I would live our lives....And I didn't know that the enthalpy decrease in a converging passage could be transformed into jet kinetic energy if a divergent passage was added. The other boys discovered their own truths when we built our rockets, but those were mine.

So begins Homer "Sonny" Hickam, Jr.'s extraordinary memoir of life in Coalwood, West Virginia -- a hardscrabble little company town where the only things that mattered were coal mining and high-school football. The son of the mine's superintendent and a mother determined to push her son to a better life, Sonny fell in with a group of misfits for whom the future looked uncertain. But in 1957, after watching the Soviet Satellite Sputnik streak across the sky, Sonny and his teenage friends took their future into their own hands, changing their lives and their town forever.

Looking back after a distinguished NASA career that fulfilled his boyhood ambition, Hickam shares the story of his youth, taking listeners into the life of the little mining town and the boys who came to embody both its tensions and its dreams. With the help -- and sometimes hindrance -- of the people of Coalwood, the Rocket Boys learn not only how to turn mine scraps into rockets that soar miles into the heavens, but how to find hope in a town that progress is passing by.

In this uniquely American memoir, Homer Hickam beautifully captures a moment when a dying town, a divided family, and a band of teenage dreamers dared to set their sights on the stars -- and saw a future that the nation was just beginning to imagine. ... Read more

Reviews (442)

A Moving Memoir
Homer Hickam's Rocket Boys was one of those books that I couldn't put down, and I thought about for a long time after I finished it. There is humor mixed in with the story of one boy's determination to succeed in achieving his goals. I would recommend this book to people who are looking for an inspiring story. It is about growing up in a rural mining town in West Virginia struggling to accomplish goals in space when the main concern of the town is what is below the ground, not what is above it. I thought that this was an excellent book and would recommend it to teenagers as well as adults. It's considered an adult book, but it is an easy book to read and teenagers can relate to the main character. This is one of my favorite books.

Through reading this book, I have learned that hard work and determination will allow a person to reach his or her goals in life. In this book, Homer Hickam had many obstacles to overcome in order to reach his goal of becoming a rocket scientist. This book has taught me that if I have a dream, I must try to reach it. No matter how many and how hard the obstacles are that come in the way of dreams, a person must keep trying. I would also recommend seeing the movie that was based on this book, October Sky. October Sky is an accurate presentation of the story. If you have already seen the movie, you are sure to enjoy this book.

October Sky: A Memoir
Rocket Boys

This is a book which was inspired by a boy's desire to please his father. Homer Hickman Junior, referred to as Sonny, grew up in Coalwood, a mining town in West Virginia. Sonny's mother knew he was special; she encouraged him regardless of the upsets, the destruction, or his fathers reluctance from him to go on. Spanning his years in high school, this memoir evokes encouragement, disappointment, and sheer ecstasy. To see the blossoming of a "geeky" child into a man revered in Coalwood and all through out society should be an inspiration to us all. All of his efforts were concentrated on a single person, his father, to gain his full support. Rocket Boys is a book which is impossible to put down, looming in the back of your head until you finish. A magnificent read. Attending high school and being in those formative years gave me a chance to reflect on what the message might be. Every nook and cranny of the book is something a person can relate to, a well thought out memoir

Loved this book!!
I'm not sure which was more interesting--the story of the rocket building or the story of growing up in a small West Virginia coal mining town. I was captivated by both.
To those that say this book doesn't appeal to women--nonsense! I'm a woman and am recommending it to my daughter and all my friends.
And finally, to the reviewer that said the movie is better--I loved the movie, but guess what, the book was even better.

Excellent - a quick read
This book really drew me in - although it is nearly 400 pages long, I finished it within two days! Highly recommended - especially if you have an interest in space/rocketry. However, it is hard to imagine many people who wouldn't enjoy this book. Better than the movie. I'm also amazed that a "rocket scientist" can write so well.

Rocket Boys
One day my class teacher told us we would all be picking a book, reading it, and writing a critique for it. Then she told us we would be placing it on the internet. I wasn't too thrilled about any of this. This book turned out to be a lot better than I thought it would be. Rocket Boys, by Homer H. Hickam was written beautifly, tellling the story of a few young boys trying to reach a common goal. Homer "Sonny" Hickam Jr. starts out as a freshman in highschool trying to find a way with the ladies, especially Dorthy, and battling the jocks, one being his brother, for popularity. Sonny takes a sudden intrust in Sputnik. This is what gets him started on his incredibly passoinate love for rockets. His father is a miner and is always gone, as where his mother is incredibly supporting to whatever he does as long as he "doesn't blow himself up." Miss Rilly was another very supporting person in Sonny's life. She is the one that provides the "fuel" for Sonny's dream when she gives him a book on rocketry and encourages him to enter the science fair. I loved how the story is so vivid and colorful, how you can see the excitement, anger, fear, and love that the character expresses. This story also shows you that you have to keep trying to get what you want, and that not everything comes easily, but if you work hard for it, it can be very rewarding. Sonny learns this when he decides to enter the county science fair. It ends up being incredibly rewarding, and surprising to him. He ends up in the national science fair and returns home with a medal. Sonny eventually ends up working for NASA and accomplishing his dream. I loved this book because it was what really happened to him and it shows. He made a lot of really great frinds along the way, whether in the mine workshop or just some "different" people at school. I give this book five stars and would read it again anyday! ... Read more

Book Description

"If you were to rush in to this room right now and announce that you had struck a deal-with God, Allah, Buddha, Christ, Krishna, Bill Gates, whomever-in which the ten years since my diagnosis could be magically taken away, traded in for ten more years as the person I was before, I would, without a moment's hesitation, tell you to take a hike."

In September 1998, Michael J. Fox stunned the world by announcing that he had been diagnosed with Parkinson's disease -- a degenerative neurological condition. In fact, he had been secretly fighting it for seven years. The worldwide response was staggering. Fortunately, he had accepted the diagnosis, and by the time the public started grieving for him, he had stopped grieving for himself. With the same passion, humor, and energy that he has invested in his dozens of performances over the last eighteen years, he tells the story of his life, his career, and his campaign to find a cure for Parkinson's.

Combining his trademark ironic sensibility and keen sense of the absurd, he recounts his life -- from his childhood in western Canada to his meteoric rise in film and television which made him a worldwide celebrity. Most importantly, he writes of the last ten years, during which -- with the unswerving support of his wife, family, and friends -- he has dealt with his illness. He talks about what Parkinson's has given him: the chance to appreciate a wonderful life and career, and the opportunity to help search for a cure and spread public awareness of the disease. He feels as if he is a very lucky man, indeed. ... Read more

Reviews (153)

Why should Michael J. Fox pen his memoirs?
Because his story is more fascinating than most Presidents.'

Fox begins with the first twitch he felt in his left hand back in 1990. He titled this chapter, "A Wake-up Call," but even he admits he went through long periods of doubt, denial and even self-destruction on the road to accepting Parkinson's Disease as part of his daily life.

Even though Fox goes into great detail about his battle with Parkinson's, he also takes you back to his childhood and all the way up to modern day. His words are candid, straight from the heart and he doesn't sugarcoat his autobiography to be a self-serving tool.

The love of his family clearly shows throughout the book as he talks about his brother, three sisters, parents and his beloved grandmother, Nana. And, of course, he doesn't leave out his home life with wife Tracy and their four children.

From his "escape artist" days as a two-year-old in Canada where neighbors labeled him as a real "charmer," to his decision to go public with his disease, Fox bares his soul in these pages. This includes how he got started in showbiz in Canada, crossing over to Hollywood success and even living the glamorous lifestyle.

Heart-warming tales are scattered throughout and you can't help but laugh, cry and feel like Fox is a member of your own family.

You're embarrassed for him when he meets with an agent in the late '70s who thinks he has a physical handicap because he's wearing platform boots with four-inch heels and two-inch soles, which he thought were in style. As he speaks about becoming a man on his 18th birthday, the sense of being an adult since he's now legal age, you'll laugh outloud when he says he blew out the candles on his Mickey Mouse birthday cake.

You witness the growth of his relationship with Tracy that ultimately lead to marriage and the start of his own family. You shudder when you realize the pain and turmoil he and his family endure as he has undergoes brain surgery, being awake during the entire process.

And you watch the evolution of this man come full circle as he leaves the partying behind to dedicate himself to his family and to the search for a Parkinson's Disease cure.

Michael J. Fox is not just an award-winning actor, he's a devoted family man and an activist for research-funding and finding a cure for Parkinson's Disease. With "Lucky Man," Fox also proves he is an outstanding author. The book has topped the New York Times bestseller lists and the audio tapes have been nominated for a Grammy.

Lucky to Know You
Whether it was Marty McFly in "Back to the Future" or Alex P. Keaton in "Family Ties," America fell in love with the characters portrayed by Michael J. Fox. Now in his autobiography, we learn how the boy became the actor became the man. In an honest, well-written and often revealing self-analysis, Michael J. Fox gives us a closer look at his life in "Lucky Man." From his boyhood days to his recent struggle with Parkinson's disease, Michael J. Fox opens up his scrapbook of family, friends, producers and directors for all to see.

Unlike many Hollywood bios, "Lucky Man" is written without the aid of a ghostwriter; telling us that his story is "too personal" for any one else to write, I thought that no one except the real Alex P. Keaton was competent enough to tell the story; I'm glad that Fox showcased his writing talent in this book. This story makes you laugh and cry; it is about a life filled with real people who made a difference in Michael's life - from the influence of his parents and grandmother to the devotion and love of his wife and children.

Fox takes the wrapper off his public image with this memoir only to reveal a considerate, gentle and genuinely funny man. Fox describes with exceptional detail his encounter and treatment of Parkinson's disease and his commitment to help finding a cure. Anyone afflicted with Parkinson's would be devastated, but what about a big time actor at the pinnacle of his career? How would he respond? After much soul searching, Fox finally realizes that his celebrity can be a help. This book is so immensely readable and enjoyable that I strongly recommend it. It could have been titled count your blessings.

More than a bio, ten stars plus, a must read by all,
Michael J. Fox was born in Edmonton in 1961. Residing in Burnaby, British Columbia, while his father was in the Royal Canadian Army Signal Corps, he recounts growing up with parents, siblings, Nana, and friends. Describing himself in the toddler years, Michael says, "... a handful, a whirlwind... precociously funny in a what-spaceship-dropped-off-this-alien kind of way." Michael's early love of music, specifically the guitar (self-taught), was fruitful as a member in the "Halex" band. His love of drama and art was realized at age sixteen when Michael made his debut as a twelve-year old in the Canadian Broadcasting Company's production of the series "Leo and Me". Fox's American career was launched with Disney in "Midnight Madness". Career credits include the theater screen with "Back to the Future", "Teen Wolf", and "Doc Hollywood"; and popular television series, "Family Ties" (on the set, Michael met actress/wife Tracy Pollan), and "Spin City". With humor Michael describes success, '...those who got, get', i.e., if famous and with fortune, free offers abound. Just the mention of his favorite beer in a conversation, brought a truckload of the beverage to his front door... with a promise of more anytime he wanted it!

Fox's emotional journey in facing the reality of the diagnosis of Young Onset Parkinson's Disease (PD) began in 1990 with the twitching of a finger. In LUCKY MAN, Fox approaches his story with wit, positive attitude and honesty, emotions, and the trials in the continuation of his career. The diagnosis of PD was understandably kept from the public for seven years... shared only with his inner circle of family and trusted associates. Michael experienced the ritual commonly traversed with diagnosis of debilitating diseases including anger, denial and acceptance. Candidly, Fox tells his faults, ups and downs, the highs and lows of life and show biz, his philosophy, and the thrill of playing hockey against Bobby Orr. In admitting his problem with alcohol and the existence of PD, Michael is led to a therapist and engages a permanent neurologist for treatment of his illness.

As an advocate for PD research funding, Fox has testified before the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee Hearing. His campaigning efforts, continued to this day, have had a definite effect on raising awareness of PD in the public and private sectors. Specifically, the acknowledgement that PD is prevalent in earlier ages vs. the medical textbooks statement that PD is diagnosed in later ages of 50-65 years. The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Disease Research has become a passion in his life. To this date, the exact cause of PD is unknown. LUCKY MAN is not only biographical, it is a highly-informational writing with regard to the progression and research of PD. Medications associated with treatment are described, differing in results with each person. Fox says of his release of the diagnosed illness to the public, "Disclosure had allowed me to rearrange life so that I could get more from it."

Michael J. Fox possesses obvious penchant for writing. His exceptional narrative in LUCKY MAN is philosophical, uplifting and insightful. While reading LUCKY MAN, I laughed and I cried. I am in awe of Michael J. Fox for his honesty, humility, compassion, and courage (that includes wife/actress Tracy Pollan and his four children). Review based on paperback edition 2003

[Note: The author's profits from the sale of "Lucky Man" are donated by the author to The Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research. Please visit the author's website: michaeljfox.com]

Connected books recommended are: LIFE LESSONS by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross; THE WHEEL OF LIFE: A MEMOIR OF LIVING AND DYING by Elisabeth Kubler-Ross; SHAKING UP PARKINSON DISEASE: FIGHTING LIKE A TIGER, THINKING LIKE A FOX by A. N. Lieberman, Abraham, M.D. Lieberman

A GOOD READ FROM MARTY MCFLY
I REALLY LIKED THIS BOOK. MIKE DOES A GOOD JOB DESCRIBING HIS DISEASE. HE GOES IN GREAT DETAIL WITH THE SYMPTOMS, DENIAL, MEDICATION, ACCEPTANCE AND FINALLY COMING OUT OF THE CLOSET IN DEALING WITH THIS DISEASE. HE ALSO GOES IN DETAIL WITH HIS OTHER BATTLE WITH ALCOHOL WHICH HE NOW HAS SEVERAL YEARS OF SOBRIETY. I FIND MIKE TO BE A PRETTY GOOD GUY WHO HAS FACED ALOT OF ADVERSITY. I LOVED HIM IN THE BACK TO THE FUTURE MOVIES AND AS ALEX KEATON IN FAMILY TIES. A VERY TALENTED AND FUNNY GUY. I GIVE ALOT OF CREDIT FOR FACING UP TO HIS DEAMONS AND COMING PUBLIC WITH BOTH OF HIS DISEASES. A VERY INTERESTING BOOK. ALSO GIVE CREDIT TO MIKE'S WIFE TRACY FOR STAYING WITH HIM THRU HIS DRINKING DAYS. THE ONLY THING I WISHED HE HAD DONE IS THIS BOOK IS TOLD US MORE ABOUT WAS THE MAKING OF HIS BACK TO THE FUTURE MOVIES. THIS IS A VERY SMALL COMPLAINT. A MUST READ FOR EVERYONE.

Great read!!
Short and Sweet, this book is great. I listened to the book-on-Cd which Michael J. Fox read, and it was a fantastic voyage through his life. ... Read more

Book Description

Most of the world remembers Crazy Horse as a peerless warrior who brought theU.S.Army to its knees at the Battle of Little Bighorn. But to his fellow LakotaIndians, he wasa dutiful son and humble fighting man who—with valor, spirit, respect, andunparalleledleadership—fought for his people’s land, livelihood, and honor. In thisfascinatingbiography, Joseph Marshall, himself a Lakota Indian, creates a vibrant portraitof theman, his times, and his legacy.

Drawing on firsthand research and his culture’s rich oral tradition (rarelyshared outsidethe Native American community), Marshall reveals many aspects of Crazy Horse’slife,including details of the powerful vision that convinced him of his duty to helppreservethe Lakota homeland—a vision that changed the course of Crazy Horse’s life andspurredhim confidently into battle time and time again.

The Journey of Crazy Horse is the true story of how one man’s fight forhispeople’s survival roused his true genius as a strategist, commander, and trustedleader.And it is an unforgettable portrayal of a revered human being and a profoundcelebrationof a culture, a community, and an enduring way of life. ... Read more

Amazon.com

Nobody can question Hackworth's credentials--he's America's most decorated living soldier, a military reporter forNewsweek, and author of the best-selling About Face. In Hazardous Duty, he travels to danger spots like Bosnia, Haiti, Korea, Somalia and the Persian Gulf to rate U.S. military performance. All too often, he sees it coming up short."Our military machine is sputtering like a worn-out tank," he writes in the final chapter, where he also offers a practical agenda for reform that is sure to raise the hackles of what he calls the Pentagon's "Perfumed Princes and Propaganda Poets." ... Read more

Reviews (26)

Excellent
Very interesting book.I couldn't put it down after the first page or two. I've been inspired to read his other books -- esp. About Face, and support his organization Soldiers for the Truth.

Great Book
Col Hackworth gives a rundown on recent skirmishes the US has been involved in, and the inside track on a lot of Gulf War skinny that only he could find out because of his reputation and ability to slip through the standard Press security.

A great read.

Refreshing view
As a correspondant for Newsweek, Hackworth has the savy to keep the reader interested, even at times when he is mundane.A great first person take on military events of the past three decades.Hackworth definitely captures the mediocraty involved with politicos in "greatest military on the face of the earth". Hackworth can be compared to Richard Marcinko, who yearns for the truth be told with today's military.A definite read for both military and non-military folk.

Not nearly as good as About Face
I really wanted to like Hazardous Duty, because I thought About Face was great.Hazardous Duty suffers from inaccuracies (especially about Hack's claims of numerous amputations due to infections in Somalia, it just did not happen), relying on far too many unnamed and anonymous sources, which strains credibility, and his constant, every other page raging against the Perfumed Princes, grows tiresome and boring quickly. It's only really worth reading if you're a big fan of Hack or want to know how some things work about our military, but take it with a grain of salt.Oh, to the guy on here who thinks Schwarzkopf is the greatest general in the modern era, read "The Generals' War."It backs up Hack's every criticism of that buffoon.P.S. my uncle was a war-planner LTC in Desert Storm, he said the same things about Schwarzkopf.

Hackwoth has some good ideas
I agree with Col. Hackworth 100% about the reforms we need to make in the military. Most important of all, as a veteran myself, I agree that we need to return to mandatory national service or reinstate the draft. There are too many people in this conutry that take their freedom and standard for living for granted. Moreover, there are too many people who are ending up in the corporate CEOs chair and in elected office that aren't endowed with the stuff they need to succced which best comes from the military. We have too many elected leaders who don't know what a battalion is, or what the military and the government can or cannot do. Hackworth is one of the few military leaders today that has the courage to say that we need to revisit Harry Truman's program of Universal Milttary Training. ... Read more

Reviews (167)

THE GRANDEST ADVENTURE IS HERE IN US ALL, SEIZE IT!
A spiritual classic would be to grossly understate its potential effects; this book of truth and divine wisdom in this age makes it a true-godsend from one united with the Lord. Reading it a few months ago, I couldn't help but realize how all the people in our world could enlarge their realm of happiness with the tinge of divine sweetness by grasping this book's eternal essence and practicing its doctrines to lead one to soul freedom. Meditation on the Lord is our eternal birthright and duty, without it, that "something" else will never appear. Please, I urge anyone to read this book and practice the science of Kriya Yoga. Give it a try, for a day, a week, or month; however longer you persevere the effects of harmony will increase. I speak from my practical experience, to those that scoff at the possibility of the human soul and vitalism, I ask then, what do we then live for? A hundred hours of sensual satisfaction can not dare compare to the gentle aura of soul bliss one can experience during attempts at God-communion. When we once realize the eternal soul as Paramahansaji states, that something else has been realized.

Set aside your beliefs and pre-suggested notions of life for one moment, spend a few dollars for eternal knowledge that will unlock the door to the realm of infinite bliss, and you will see the practicality of the book will in itself lead you to seeking more. In that pursuit, you will find yourself!

A GLOBAL REVELATION FOR THE 3RD MILLENIUM
As a long time student of comparative religion the discovering of this spiritual classic "Autobiography of a Yogi" set my thinking and life experience in a very new and unexpected direction. Until I became familiar with the great avatar "Paramahansa Yogananda" my superficial philosophical adventure seemed fulfilling enough. Now I am seeing the deeper aspects of the spiritual life and many new understandings and revelations are being opened to my consciousness.

I also read the original edition of this book, which I find somewhat incomplete, as Yognanda himself began seriously revising this book with each new edition. So the reader will get the most complete and most accurate teachings of this great Yogi from the latest editions published by Self-Realization Fellowship publishers, via Amazon books.

I highly recommend this edition to all truth-seekers and students of comparative religion as a major key to unlocking our past conditioning and broadening many narrow views that we become attached to in our earlier development. Here is a balanced and insightful approach to world religion and spirituality that gives true ecumenical recognition to all the worlds major saints and prophets. This spiritual classic will contribute much to bringing harmony, peace and mutual respect to this world of so many varied belief systems.

The author, with his unique blend of wit, wisdom, insight and intuition has shown us the primary elements and truths that are the foundation of all religions. He does this without criticism, judgement, or error. His is the same eternal message that was given the world by other great saviors such as Krishna, Buddha and Jesus.

I have no doubt that millions of lives have already been changed by this sacred literary revelation................

This is surely the work of a God-Realized bieng, a wonderful experience awaits the sincere reader. Don't make the mistake of only reading it once!!!

LIST OF SUBJECTS: Author's early life... Meeting your Master... The Master-Disciple relationship... The Science of KRIYA YOGA... Meditation and prayer... Lives of many modern Eastern and Western Saints.. Law of Miracles...how they work... Principle of Raja Yoga... How great masters teach their disciples... the inner meaning of Christ and Krishna... The Astral world... Reincarnation and Karma... How to find your true Path... Travels in India... The Spiritual heritage of India...

the Importance of Yogananda's founding of the Self-Realization Fellowship as his only authorized channel for His writings and Kriya Yoga............ Footnotes on yoga and religious history.. Mans purpose and goal in life.......... AND MUCH MORE-------------

ALSO RECOMMENDED: Man's Eternal Quest... Divine Romance... Journey to Self-Realization... The Science of Religion... God Talks With Arjuna(Bhagavad Gita)... Where There is Light...

A WORK OF FICTION
The panegyrics stinks.

Individualistic biases and notions of the famed author-guru built and sustained VERY BIASED and very romantic notions that later cramped and hampered a realistic outlook on the nation India, Indians, and *having sex* - which is not specially advocated in the book - and far, far less among monks and nuns that publish it. Said a lay members wife once about Yogananda, "He has destroyed my marriage."

The work carries with it some negative effects.

A Revelation for Sincere Seekers in the worlds Religions
A Monastic Yogi was invited to represent Hinduism by the American Unitarian Association in Boston in 1920.

In so doing this great mystic managed to enlighten Christians and other religionists by showing the unifying principles of the great religions.
This served to bring many Christians from the erroneous dark Roman age concepts of divisiveness of exclusivity, of dogmatism and hell-fearing guilt, to the refreshing wisdom of harmonizing pluralism and the higher levels of spiritual understanding.

But the really special feature of Paramahansa Yogananda's message was that like Krishna, Buddha, & Jesus, He is a living example of that life.
A life that show to have all the light and glory of divine inspiration and presence.

He fully represented that wisdom and the life and the truth, and taught it with an unparalleled clarity.
"Wide is the gate that leads to destruction and the majority will go that way, narrow is the way that leads to life and few there will be that find it.?" JC .

Paramahansa Yogananda brought us that life giving way. Not the politically correct way of the churches - but the way the Jesus [one of the world's many Christs/Avataras] taught us.

After the passing of such a great prophet/Avatara, there will always be varying opinions as to what He actually did or represented and taught. This is especially true in the Christian tradition which not has about 2400+ cults and sects. Human nature requires that this naturally happens.

It is unfortunate that even though it takes years of study and practice to understand such a life, many fast reading intellectuals will assume they understand it from a quick glance. This is how the untrained ego misleads us. Do you want a quick assessment or an accurate report?

His wonderful teachings included various ways of transforming our identity with the limited ego into the limitless soul consciousness. Which results in the enhancement of all ones life abilities and attitudes for those who practice the methods of Yoga with regularity and understanding.

This fact in general is why Yoga is in the early stages literally sweeping the world.
Bringing with it very healthy and wonderful transformations of the Character, health, & personality of many millions. I have also personally experienced these blessings in my own life.

While reading Yogananda's writing, one is struck by the fact that He always made it clear that devotees/disciples were not serving Him, but that they were clearly Gods Disciples.

The cooperation & submission is the key to transformation, love cannot be known without surrender of ones sense of separateness and egocentric pride.

The attitude of this book shows that by the normal teacher student cooperation one can gain the greatest amount of personal growth and self-realization/Salvation. Especially if the teacher is there to show one the way. It that teacher has reached God-Consciousness, His passing will not end his personal guidance. Many testify to the ongoing help of Yogananda.

More recently, some of the stories in this book have been published by others in Yogananda's tradition as well as many others not in His tradition, and even though they are different stories, they are still very consistent with what we know about the great master.

The book has been edited and changed by the author and his trained/appointed editors in chiefs to enhance the presentations of His final teachings. The latest editions are consitent with the masters teachings.

No one ever claimed here to demonstrate infallability, a status that this world does not have the elements to support. This is one of the common errors Yogananda did not get caught up in.

The Fellowship the yogi started, has avoided becoming a cult by the open and compassionate attitudes begun by Yogananda that avoid forcing rules on followers.

Yogananda brought out the best of Krishna's and Christ's teachings to create a more compassionate and harmonious world, to show us how to reach that true state of Christ consciousness where the truths of enlightened pluralism/ecumenicism will flourish for the benefit of humanity. This is the harbinger of the world's future peace.

Be sure to read Yogananda's most recently published book, "The Second Coming of Christ; Raising the Christ Consciousness Within You." Then you will gain a clearer picture of what spiritual freedom is!

GURUS AND MASTERS HAILED
A hindu monk was sent to the West back in 1920 to spread kriya yoga teachings. In so doing he infiltrated Christianity by using Hindu concepts to explain away the claims of Christianity, and let people think he stood for perfect harmony between Hinduism as taught by Krishna, and Christianity as taught by Jesus. That has probably served to take many Christians in. Some parts of these teachings entered his autobiography too.

His teachings also include demands to "kill the ego" - which is a necessary, integral part of your personality - and the demand may be used against duped followers - it serves guru dominion far and wide. Moreover, the insensible claim could work harm to the personality development.

The attitude of the book shows "devoted servility" - submission - as a means for spiritual freedom - and major effects of giving away one's natural human rights in such a vein may turn unwholesome or disastrous. The author tells many stories to drive home guru submission messages.

More recently SOME of the stories of this book have been published by others in Yogananda's tradition, and suffice to say they are different, and by far less fanciful in those other versions - and that many interesting stories of the guru's autobiography bear some resemblance of tales from Arabian Nights too. However, Yogananda, who was sent to address scientists and great minds, according to the book, has by and large omitted given proper documention of some of his most remote claims. They involve converting the body into light and resurrections. Lots of evidence for many of the claims is lacking.

The book has been edited many times after the guru's death, and some changes don't seem to have been done by the author. Odd, very queer misconceptions have entered at least one peculiar footnote about maya.

The fellowship the yogi started, has been called a cult with more than one disappointing sides to it - A few years ago one third of its monastic members quit.

Here I have focused on showing important sides of the book in wider contexts. Much and deep submission is found and may be generated on top of the book as well. It is done in part by swollen, irksome claims - for example of many baffling "Hindu Christs". There are such mentions in the book too. It may be good to beware of Hindu infiltration that gives wrong premises to base one's life on. ... Read more

Book Description

What do you get when you put twelve lively kids together with a father -- a famous efficiency expert -- who believes families can run like factories, and a mother who is his partner in everything except discipline? You get a hilarious tale of growing up that has made generations of kids and adults alike laugh along with the Gilbreths in Cheaper by the Dozen.

Translated into more than fifty-three languages and made into a classic film starring Clifton Webb and Myrna Loy, Cheaper by the Dozen is a delightfully enduring story of family life at the turn of the 20th century.

Reviews (113)

It's still really funny
I was watching the attractions for the Steve Martin version of Cheaper By the Dozen and thinking that it looks like the only element they kept from the book was the title and having 12 kids. I really haven't read the book since..... 6th grade? It was my favorite book then. I decided to re read it and it's still really funny. I mean laugh out loud funny. The rest is a charming look at life in a different time.

It's just a wonderful story about Frank and Lillian Gilbreth (I believe he started motion study and invented touch typing, she was a psychologist) and their 12 children growing up around the turn of the century everything in the household is about learning and responsibilty to gently instill responsible behavior in the children as they grow to adulthood. That said I really loved the bit where the wife leaves him with the kids and when she returnes he says he only had problems with that one over there, but I spanked him and that worked it all out and she says he's not one of theirs.

Cheaper by the Dozen
Cheaper by the Dozen is a well written biography on the Gilbreth family and all the craziness they go through every day with such a big family. This large family consists of 12 children and a set of parents. All 12 kids-Fred, Dan, Anne, Bob, Bill, Frank, Martha, Lil, Ernestine, Jack, Jane and Mary-all have red or blonde hair and lots of freckles. My favorite character was Mr. Gilbreth. This story took place in Mont Clair, New Jersey and i think that was a very appropriate setting. My favorite part in the book was when Mr. Gilbreth would not let Anne and Ernestine wear make-up, high heels or short skirts. I also li