Book Description

Reviews (13)

What was Littell waiting for!
What a fun read. I cried the last two chapters. Littell seems to have avoided John's public side for 20 years, and thank goodness, he's now come out to stand up for John and his wife. I only wish he had done it earlier. Where have the Kennedy's been? I wonder how come Carloine has never spoken out for he brother? regardless, she must be grateful that John's old friend has done as much in this hearfelt, humorous and beutifully written book.

A wonderful memoir of male bonding
I'm not exactly sure what the negative reviewers here are so bitter about compared to the really awful memoirs by people that barely knew John.

Above all else, this is a testament to a loving friendship. As a man the same age as these two friends I could completely relate to the overriding theme of Rob's writing. Friendship and a very close one at that. Which other family would consistently serve burned hamburgers (Rob's favorite) to a grown man because he's a picky eater?

Aside from tasteful and measured insights into the Kennedy family's homes and personal tastes and marriages, one is left
saddened by Rob's loss. The book is summed up in the line offered by Caroline Kennedy Schlossberg after John's memorial service when Rob tells her how much John loved her, to which she replied "Thank you Rob. John loved you too."

Rob, you could not have written this book as easily as writing it. Thanks from "a guy" for writing it.

hilarious!
I read The Men We Became in two nights. What fun! And I must thank Rob Littell for defending his freind. It must have been hard to watch his reputation get dragged thorugh the mud for so long. Most of America loved John Jr., and I now feel that he loved us back. I laughed out loud and cried and felt like I knew the man I had always admired. I figured this book to be another tell all, but to my happy surprise it's not. It's a great story about a favorite American Son. One that I'm sure Carolyn Bessette's mother must be grateful for the effort.

sophomoric.....
despite the author's fascination with John's mother, "Mrs. O" he obviously chose to ignore the discretion she would have preferred....although i had met John twice, once at a party he threw and once at a club to which I belonged, I found him gracious and charming...I personally think the author has many unresolved issues of his own ...it was too bad he didnt write more about his own professional career because that would have shed even more light on his perspective....the book does however shed light on who john really was at least in the eyes of his peers...i feel badly for john's sister caroline that this book was written.

sophomoric.....
I am a contemporary of these men and I met John on two ocassions--once at a large party he hosted and once at club to which I belonged. He was everything one would expect as protrayed here...warm, gracious and charming...almost as sad as the tragic ending to his life, are some of the tidbits thrown out by the author about his close friend....although I don't doubt their friendship was accurately protrayed, ..despite Littell's rapport with Mrs. Onasis, he failed to learn discretion from her...and in my opinion he does a tremendous disservice to the memory of his late friend...I feel most badly for John's sister Caroline (who does not seem to be a fan of Littell)...to whom privacy is so important. The Men they became seem overly self indulgent and sophomoric and some things should have been left unsaid...i also wondered what the author was doing professionally when not on weekends at the vineyard, more should have been said of that because that would have provided another interesting dimension to the story... ... Read more

Book Description

In the fall of 1971, when William Rehnquist was nominated to fill an Associate Justice seat on the Supreme Court, the Senate raised no major objections, and a little-known Assistant Attorney General found himself at the pinnacle of the judiciary.

It seemed a straightforward choice of a relatively young, academically outstanding and politically seasoned lawyer who shared Richard Nixon's philosophy of "strict constructionism." As Nixon's White House Counsel John Dean reveals for the first time that the choice was anything but straightforward. The truth is that Nixon's nomination was the result of a dramatic, Nixonian rollercoaster. Rehnquist was a last-minute longshot who had once been dismissed by Nixon as a "clown." Only John Dean -- Rehnquist's champion at the time -- knows the full, improbable story.

Dean's gripping tale is loaded with revelations such as Nixon's plan to pack the court by forcing resignations, before his inauguration.

Using newly released White House tapes, and thousands of previously unseen documents, Dean puts listeners directly in the Oval Office with Nixon, Haldeman, Ehrlichman, Mitchell, Rehnquist, and the candidates they considered.

The Rehnquist Choice fills in a long-missing explanation of the making of the man who wrote the majority opinion in Bush v. Gore and presided over the impeachment trial of William Jefferson Clinton. ... Read more

Reviews (11)

Politics, Happenstance, and William Rehnquist
Only in the last couple of years have all the tapes of Nixon's many conversations as President in the White House been released. The tragedy of Richard Nixon is that every time someone wants to think well of him, tapes or something else surfaces that shows his real unpleasant, dark, and unsavory character.

John Dean waited for the release of these tapes and along with his personal recollections during the time period has written a book that deals with the selection of Rehnquist and Lewis Powell as United States Supreme Court Justices. Its not pleasant reading for those naive enough to believe that Presidents seek out the most qualified people for appointments. Rather, the book exposes the process used by President Nixon to select two supreme court justices as frought with politics, bigotry, and regionalism. Nixon's bigotry about Jews, prejudice against easterners, and nasty language make this a book that someone who is very sensitive should not read.

The real shocker here is that before picking Powell who was a superbly qualified justice, Nixon first selected two candidates who could not even win acceptance as "qualified" for the Supreme Court by the American Bar Association Committee on the Federal Judiciary. Nixon stubbornly tried to get these individuals appointed until it became absolutely clear it was hopeless. Only at this point, did a real candidate like Powell get nominated. Nixon further abused the process by sending names to the ABA of other people he knew would never win approval.

Rehnquist had good paper qualifications to sit on the Supreme Court. However, it was known early on he was extremely conservative. He may have lied about statements he allegedly made expressing approval of racial segregation in schools. Dean presents the case for this. Its up to the reader to judge.

In the end, we are left gasping at the twisted and bizarre process which put Rehnquist on the Supreme Court. Even those who support Rehnquist and other conservative justices should wish for a better process to select judges. Hopefully, one day we shall see such a process and never see another President like Nixon again.

Mark

An Excellent Choice-- You Be the Judge!
John Dean has written an insider's book that chronicles President Richard Nixon's appointment of William Rehnquist to the United States Supreme Court. It was without doubt a Presidency filled with history, and the appointment of William Rehnquist to the Supreme Court is an often forgotten part of that Presidency. The book is well researched and throughly documented with first hand material from the National Archives, including several verbatim passages transcribed from the infamous White House tapes that otherwise doomed the Nixon Presidency.

Dean brings us inside the "vetting" process used by the White House staff and Justice Department to select nominees to the Court. Dean floated the name of Rehnquist to several in the administration, including then Attorney General John Mitchell, as a possible conservative candidate for the Court as Dean had worked with Rehnquist in the Justice Department and learned of the Rehnquist's strict constructionist interpretation of the constitution. What was fascinating was that Rehnquist while toiling away at the Justice Department was tasked with "vetting' the other possible Court nominees chosen by the White House. Sounds much like the recent scenario of the selection of Dick Cheney as Vice President.

The book details the other nominees Rehnquist beat out for the coveted position. If anyone believes that politics plays no part in the selection of the members of the Court, then this is required reading. At times humorous and at times self-serving, this book is well worth the purchase. If you are not a Court watcher don't worry, you don't have to be to appreciate this book. Dean is a good writer and the text flows easily. Add "The Rehnquist Choice" to your summer reading list - you will gain an appreciation of the importance of Presidential nominations to the Court.

An Insider's Look at the Bungling Behind a Historic Choice
During his first presidential term, Richard Nixon had the unusual opportunity to appoint four justices to the supreme court. This book tells the inside story of how the nominees were selected, focusing almost entirely on the selection of the latter two: Lewis Powell, a prominent Virginia attorney, and William Rehnquist, then the Assistant Attorney General to John Mitchell. Not counting the book's introduction and afterword, its main story covers just 35 days in the fall of 1971.

The book begins by telling how Nixon virtually created the first two vacancies. Essentially, Nixon encouraged Senate republicans to fillibuster the elevation of Abe Fortas to the Chief Justice position. Once in office, Nixon's men then staged a PR campaign to discredit Fortas, causing him to announce his retirement. Ironically, the legal precedent for investigating Fortas' business dealings was based on a memo written by Rehnquist.

If anyone should be entitled to write this story, it is John Dean. At the time, Dean was Council to the President, and it was he that first brought up Rehnquist's name, mostly as a fanciful suggestion. He recounts his experiences vetting candidates and some of his conversations as reconstructed from notes and memory. Primarily, however, the book is based on Nixon's tape recorded conversations in the oval office. Dean has done a good job editing these transcripts so as to maintain sufficient context without dragging them out too long.

What emerges in these conversations is a series of bungled operations and imprudent decisions. Before Lewis and Rehnquist were finally selected in the final two days before their names were announced, the administration actually selected four other candidates. Two were rejected by the Senate, and the other two (including a woman) were deemed unqualified by the ABA (although from the sounds of it, the female candidate, Mildred Lillie, was fairly qualified but discriminated against by the all-male panel). John Mitchell and his assistant Rehnquist did an abysmal job vetting candidates, so much so that Dean and another lawyer were sent by John Ehrlichman to independently interview the candidates in more depth. And Nixon himself seemed to base his choices on hearsay and surface biographical snippets, like the candidates' class rank or the school they graduated from. He paid very little attention to the candidates' actual writings or opinions.

One of the incidental but nevertheless shocking revelations in the book is the deep extent of Nixon's sexism. Recent tapes have revealed his racism and anti-semitism, but his low opinion of women is repeated time and again in the transcripts. For example he is quoted as saying "I don't even think women should be educated!" and "I don't think a woman should be in any government job whatever."

In the book's afterword, Dean makes a compelling case that Rehnquist lied under oath during his confirmation hearings, both when he was initially confirmed in 1971, and then again in 1986 when Reagan nominated him to Chief Justice. At issue were Rehnquist's activities in Arizona during the 1960's preventing minorities from voting, and a controversial memo he wrote while clerking for Justice Robert Jackson in which he urged Jackson to vote to maintain segregated schools in the historic "Brown vs. Board of Education" case. Dean argues that if Rehnquist had been better vetted and prepared for his initial confirmation hearings, he would have had ready answers to these questions. Instead, he was caught off guard and ended up lying in 1971, and then lying again in 1986 to maintain the original lies.

Due to Rehnquist's dishonesty and the profound effect of his rulings on the high court, Dean openly regrets ever having suggested Rehnquist's name to Nixon staffers. Although this fascinating book is about far more than just Nixon's selection of Rehnquist, clearly that selection was the most important from a historical perspective. In a sense, this book is Dean's act of repentance for his role in the Rehnquist choice.

Good Read by Dubious Writer
Unfortunately I've come to notice that people tend to react to reviews on the Nixon Administration based on ideological positions instead of the actual review of the book. What I think of Richard Nixon and my political are irrelevant, what you need to know is what I think of this book.

Given that preamble, I would warn you to avoid this book if you are hoping to read a scholarly analysis of how William Rhenquist was appointed to the Supreme Court. What John Dean provides in this book is a well-written anecdotal review of Richard Nixon's Supreme Court selection process. What becomes obvious in reading the book is that Dean was pretty much out of the loop of the day-to-day operation of the White House. While he would like you to think that he played an important role in Rhenquist's selection, he exaggerates his contributions. More importantly, he offers very little personal insight to the history of the times (because he was out of the loop). This book is merely and attempt of Dean trying to cash in on his White House years. He's a gifted writer which makes the book easy to read, but he's also a lazy journalist.

What you get is a skillful retelling of what was recorded on the infamous White House tapes. It's interesting reading and will keep your attention, but much of the information has been told in other books. Haldeman's book is much more informative as is Anthony Summer's trashy and sensationalist expose.

As for the Rhenquist appointment, Dean implies criticism of Nixon for being so political, but that's a criticism that can be leveled at many presidents too. Given Dean's comparitively low standing in the White House, he doesn't have the needed perspective to evaluate Nixon's actions.

Finally, it's very hard to have much respect for Dean on any level. If you're a conservative you can loathe him for his disloyalty to Nixon. If you're a liberal you can hate him because he was part of the administration. What everyone can agree on is that he a shameless self-promoter whose impact on history will be much less profound than he realizes. The real heroes and villans of the Nixon era (depending on your political views) filled important roles and positions in the adminstration and shaped a history that continues to affect our nation. Dean was merely a bit player who now has the skill to recount events that happened that he barely affected.

Worth it...
The book is good for those of us who love the Supreme Court and convservativism, but be warned... Mr. Dean is not a huge Nixon fan nor does he really like Rehnquist. You may find yourself doubting his convictions and disagreeing with him, and that's okay. It's worth it, though, so read the book. It's a fairly quick read. ... Read more

Book Description

Born to humble but prosperous peasants in 1901, the Year of the Ox, Diki Tsering grew up a simple girl with a simple life and the ordinary ambition to be a good wife and mother. When faith and fate led her son Lhamo Dhondup to be recognized as the Fourteenth Dalai Lama, her world altered completely.

In Dalai Lama, My Son she recounts her own amazing story from her early life with her "tended family and siblings to the customs and rituals of old Tibet and her arranged marriage at age sixteen. She vividly recalls the births of her children and their Buddhist upbringing; His Holiness, unfolding personality; the visitors who came to her town to seek the new Dalai Lama; the family's arduous move to Lhasa; and the years there until the Chinese invasion of Tibet and the family's escape and eventual exile.

Rich in historic and cultural details, this moving glimpse into the origins of the Dalai Lama personalizes the history of the Tibetan people, the magic of their culture, the role of their women. and their ancient ideals of compassion, faith, and equanimity. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Dalai Lama, My Son
A serious, yet interesting audio book about the story of the Dalai Lama as told from his mother's perspective. Only 4 cassettes long, this unabridged version of the book drew me into the unique culture of Tibet in the early 20th century. The music was peaceful as well as the voice of the reader. In addition, I recommend the breath-taking video "Kandu"; also about the upbringing of the Dalai Lama.

...
I beleave this book was insightful. It was fairly simple to read, and was worded well. however, reading this, and several other books for an honors project, i must say that it takes a different reader to enjoy. i also read invading tibet, which i thought was much more fun to read. Dalai lama my son is a good book, but to me it seemed flat.

Tibet in a Different Light
This is a magnificent autobigraphy. Also, a very upsetting one. The "Tibet in Exile" website claims that Tibet had women's rights. This book by the Dalai Lama's mother claims otherwise. In Amdo, which is Eastern Tibet, they had a custom that seemed to work for adultery. But not for women. The family of the woman who was the offender were required to kill her. Dike Tsering goes into more detail. Also, if a man died leaving his wife alone, she was required not to marry for three years. Then the family would conduct "secret negotiations" for profit. This caused many Tibetan women to commit suicide. The book also displays the tremendous impact of astrology. How you got married, who you married, and so forth. The astrologer was consulted on all matters of importance in the family. And there were ghosts. One ghost was resposible for the deaths of four of her children. In Lhasa, there were tremendous class distinctions! And Diki Tsering displays them simply as horrible snobs. This applys to the aristocrats who lived off their "bonded laborers". And wouldn't even call them by name. They also acted like Diki Tsering was nothing but "a farm hand". The two regents who controlled Tibet while the Dalai Lama was growing up were Reting Rinpoche and Taktra Rinpoche. Reting was the first regent, until he was supposedly assasinated by Taktra Rinpoche. The author also believes, as did the people of Tibet, that Taktra Rinpoche poinsoned her husband, the father of the Dalai Lama, because he was friends with Reting Rinpoche. Nevertheless, Reting Rinpoche was not without violence. A Tsipan Lungshar led a movemovement for reform. Reting Rinpoche had his eyes goughed out as punishment. I find the testimony of Diki Tsering very good. She is really strong and seems to speak with great truth. I believe her about the ghosts and the astrology. But about the other issues, and as a follower of Tibetan Buddhism, I am more depressed than usual! But I do feel that this is a must read for people who do want to save Tibet. We have to know our "weakspots" so that they don't come back later to haunt us. And I don't mean ghosts! Please buy and read the book. Thank you very much.

An interesting and honest (except title) account.
If you're looking for an in-depth portrait of the Dalai Lama as a child, you will probably be disappointed here. This is not the story of "Dalai Lama, My Son," but of the mother. The first almost half of the book tells of her youth and married life in Ambo, or Qinghai Province. A few pages in the middle do describe the Dalai Lama's early character leading to his selection. From there on, his mother refers to him as "His Holiness" and says little about him, but tells her personal and family story after fate plunged them into politics.

I did enjoy the book, though, especially the first part. I've lived and traveled in the Himilayan foothills of southern China. Reading the author's description of her familie's life style -- celebrations, marriage, story telling, being snowed in during winter -- made me want to go back and see more.

A famous missionary doctor, Dr. Paul Brand, once said his ideal lifestyle, apart from a need for modern medicine, would be that of an Indian villager. This account of the Tibetan lifestyle, and my own travels through the minority areas of Yunnan Province, confirm how much that is human and natural we lose in our surrender to technology: rhythms of the seasons, traditions, the hard pleasure of sowing and reaping, and what it means to depend on family and community.

The later part of the book is interesting sometimes, but is a bit like the story of a pawn who wanders onto a chessboard by mistake and gets moved around by both sides without quite knowing what is going on.

Despite the quarrel below, there is little about what Westerners call Buddhism in this book. What most Asians call Buddhism is a mixture of polytheism, various superstitions, practical concern about evil spirits, and a cycle of annual festivals, with priests occupying a respected but mostly ceremonial position. One of the most surprising things about this very open and simple account is that the Dalai Lama's mother is allowed to speak as a typical Asian in this respect.

In fact, there may be more about ghosts here than about the author's most famous son. Tsering blamed them for the loss of four of her children (out of sixteen), and did not seem embarrassed by the odd character of the stories she told. Her stories set me thinking. One of the foundational myths of Tibetan Buddhism is the tale of how the monk Phadmasambhava conquered the demons of Tibet, and having conquered them, put them to work for the forces of good. Tsering's experiences with ghosts might cause some to reconsider the relative merits of the "tolerant" Buddhist approach and the more confrontational Christian approach to powers and principalities. One also wonders, of course, what relationship these spirits bare to the diseases that marred the lifestyle of such peasants.

Author, Jesus and the Religions of Man

d.marshall@sun.ac.jp

I know this is not a bulletin board but...
as someone mentioned "The last Buddhism in the World ": I would like to tell you that you are behind the hill. There are many kinds of Buddhism. Tibet is just the one and it's named because Chinese-- tried to colonize it in the past. I am not saying Tibet Buddhism is bad, instead, I love it. Please do not just write something you want, but make it useful too. Some error can be memorized by someone naive in the area and it will damage the story itself. ... Read more

Book Description

Ever since William Jefferson Clinton and Hillary Diane Rodham entered the political arena in Arkansas more than a quarter-century ago, millions of words have been written about them -- from staid biography to pop psychology, from blatant hagiography to lurid diatribes, to the Star Report. Even so, they have remained enigmas, with many unanswered questions.

What drives them? What keeps them together? Do they or don't they? Will they or won't they? So many unknowns.

Until now.

For the first time, the most personal questions are answered in this objective, compassionate and intimate portrait of the world's most powerful couple, who have confounded all of us with their complex and unprecedented marital and political alliance.

Based on scores of candid interviews with family members, confidants, colleagues, and present and former friends and associates who have never spoken out before, this scrupulously researched and meticulously reported book reveals exclusive and explosive new details and secrets about Bill and Hillary that will surprise and shock their most ardent supporters and debunkers alike.

From their peculiar childhoods in Arkansas and Illinois to the governors' mansion in Little Rock and on to the inner sanctum of the White House and beyond, investigative biographer Jerry Oppenheimer offers a stunning depiction of the First Couple -- one that explodes myths and exposes deep new layers of their lives, transcending anything ever before written about them.

Oppenheimer, who pierces the Clintons' inner circle, offers a stark assessment of the President and the First Lady by the people who know them best, disclosing the truly remarkable and poignant story behind their successes, defeats, and scandals. With its headline-making revelations, State of a Union is sure to have a profound impact on the Clintons' public and private lives -- and the political futures of this complex, fascinating, charismatic couple. ... Read more

Reviews (33)

An Accurate, Carefully Researched Portrait of the Clintons
Unlike Peggy Noonan's trashy tome about Hillary Clinton which I lambasted in another review, this book was excellent, being factual, carefully researched and well written. The author delves into family histories of both Clintons, which helps the reader to better understand how their upbringing shaped their personalities. Oppenheimer interviews numerous friends and relatives who were close to the Clintons, and disputes some inaccuracies found in other Clinton biographies.
Of all the books I've read on Bill and Hillary, this one portrayed them the most objectively and fairly. It is not a one-sided, gossipy tell-all but a careful study of the Clinton's marriage and an analysis of their very diverse, but complimentary personalities: Hillary as a strident, intense, ambitious perfectionist from the Midwest and Bill, an affable, laid-back, shrewd, womanizing Southern boy. Their strengths helped them to achieve their goal of the Presidency; but their weaknesses proved to be their undoing.
Theirs is not a marriage of love but one of raw political ambition and power, a business partnership in which a deal was struck before their nuptials. Of the two, Hillary comes off the worse. Her foul mouth and vicious "go-for-the-jugular" attacks against opponents and friends are legendary. Bill, clearly eclipsed and overpowered by his strong-willed wife, resorts to behaving like an oversexed school boy, unzipping his fly at the drop of a hat. Possibly his excessive womanizing is because Hillary castrates him on a daily basis, so poor Bill has to make sure his equipment grows back and is in working order....hmm, that sounds like a familiar Greek myth, only instead of entails being ripped out by a vulture and growing back overnight, we have...,well you get the picture.

This book is out of print, but if you can snare a used copy here at Amazon.com, you're in for an intelligent, enjoyable read.

Is This The Straw That Broke The Proverbial Camel's Back?
I am writing these comments in the early part of August. The real question, though, is how will this book be perceived the day after the national election in November. It is virtually certain, whether it's fair or not, that Hillary Clinton's attempt to become New York's next U.S. Senator has been destroyed by the charge of an anti-Semitic remark of over two decades ago. Is it true? Also, even if the accusation is accurate, does Mrs. Clinton deserve forgiveness? One could engage in much abstract speculation and moral inquiry into the larger issues of Hillary Clinton's predicament. Nevertheless, in the practical realm, she is in dire straits. The First Lady needs solid and overwhelming Jewish support if she is to have any realistic chance against her Republican challenger, Rick Lazio. Recent polls already indicate that Hillary Clinton is unlikely to regain the trust of a sufficient number of Jewish voters to salvage her campaign.

I am uncomfortable that there are not more witnesses to confirm this allegation. Yet, isn't Jerry Oppenheimer simply doing his job? Some people will question Oppenheimer's credibility because of his National Enquirer past. That argument is simply fallacious. The National Enquirer is admittedly a scandal sheet, but it is still highly regarded for meticulously and thoroughly double checking facts before approving them for print. A former campaign worker has gone on record with his incendiary claims. How can the media not report the story? Shouldn't we be outraged if these charges were ignored? I think that a fair and objective person, regardless of how they feel towards Hillary Clinton, must conclude that the media are placed before a rock and hard place when forced to decide how to handle such a dilemma. The reader may notice that I am ignoring the other aspects of Oppenheimer's book. I am doing so because in the long run the anti-Semitic charge is the only reason why it will be remembered. Historians may very well refer to this book as the one that demolished the Clinton family's last hope for political and perhaps even personal redemption. The impact of this book far outweighs its intrinsic value. I am sure that we will still be discussing it many years into the future.

Not a hatchet job
I first saw this book referenced in Michael Tomasky's Hillary's Turn. Tomasky described this book as a hatchet job. State of a Union is far from a negative attack on the former First Couple, and actually paints a more sympathetic portrait of the Clintons than their most fawning sycophants usually do. State of a Union is little more than fluff but gives a good overview of a complex and nuanced political partnership. Jerry Oppenheimer manages to give childhood and marital details without dabbling in pure psychobabble, but this is a beach book and not history---and doesn't pretend to be anything else.

Incorrect data damages author's credibility
Okay, so it's a small thing, but on page 92 of the Harper Collins hard-cover edition, the author states that one of Hillary's relatives graduated from Stevens College in COLUMBUS, MISSOURI. NOT! Stephens College is in Columbia, Missouri, which is also the location of the University of Missouri, touted by many, ironically, as the leading journalism school in the country. I really do not understand errors like this. Is it just plain sloppiness or carelessness? In the presence of a stupid mistake like this, are there possible other research mistakes, larger ones, perhaps? I will add that this book, notwithstanding the fact that after page 92, I read with some degree of skepticism, was fundamentally a good read, well organized, informative, and interesting.

A Preference for Fluff
I'm not familiar with the author but having finished most of the book by now, I consider it to be about 20% truth, and 80% fiction. To be honest, it is one of the most seedy collections of anecdotes I've seen on the Clintons matched only by the "accidentally revealed" impeachment depositions and documents of his second term. If ever there was evidence of grudge and harrassment against Hillary, this surely speaks for itself. How much is accurate is debateable, of course, but even a reasonably careful reading shows the book to have incorporated every negative possible of the interpretation of Clinton's Presidency and his wife's influence and involvement. Even a logical reading indicates that most could not be true, or if true, is such a distorted picture of the two lives that it renders it both inexplicable and unbelievable that anyone would spend time constructing supposedly factual information such as this and marketing it as nonfiction. For anyone who was even the most casual observor of the two terms, it will surely bring forth concerns of how authors use their writings to distort events, personalities, and circumstances to create an illusion of truth based upon circumstantial evidence and assumption. To the gullible, it can be quite damaging since it is presented as truth, and due to the quotations, reads like truth. If I had written the book, and was trying to discredit the subject, I couldn't have done a better job. No one knows exactly how much of previous books and materials published contain accurate information about the Clintons, events, or their relationship together, this is not likely to be one of them. But each person will have to decide for himself/herself. Good luck! ... Read more

Reviews (4)

A book every American and law student should read
This book is an eye opener. It give you the truth behind the justice system from the perpective of a Sumpreme Court Judge who exposed the racism in the court system in New York. I never heard of Bruce Wright and happen I purchased this book. I have a lot of respect for the author.

It's about time. . .
somebody told it like it is...The judicial system is not balanced and it never will be. Thanks judge for telling the truth!

A brilliant legal point of view our country should consider.
New York State Supreme Court Justice and author Bruce Wright covers controversal issues,and how those issues add into the equation of why the legal system is unfair to blacks.

Eye opening exprience
The book shoulds you how people bring to the justice system there biases that maybe even unknown to them. Every juror selected in a courtroom should be required to read this book. ... Read more

Book Description

Understanding the urgent need for a deeply thoughtful, balanced book to explain our national political process, Dave Barry has not even come close. Though he himself has covered many campaigns, run for president several times, and run for cover at the rainy inauguration of George W. Bush (the man will spare nothing for his art), Barry has instead outdone himself.

Below the Beltway includes Barry's stirring account of how the United States was born, including his version of a properly written Declaration (When in the course of human events it behooves us, the people, not to ask "What can our country do for us, anyway?" but rather whether we have anything to fear except fear itself) and a revised Constitution (Section II: The House of Representatives shall be composed of people who own at least two dark suits and have not been indicted recently).

Dave also cracks the income-tax code and explains the growth(s) of government, congressional hearing difficulties, and the persistent rumors of the influence of capital in the Capitol. Among other civic contributions, his tour of Washington D.C. should end school class trips forever. ... Read more

Reviews (21)

Dave Barry at his best... and that's saying something
First of all, disregard the comments about a certain vegetable character in this book.Who cares?It's not like this joke is pulling down the rest of the material.

Anyway, I don't think a paragraph went by in this book that didn't have me chuckling.Certain parts, especially the meandering and largely off-topic musings on southern Florida and the dangerously amusing re-creation of the 2000 election news coverage, will have you laugh out loud more or less constantly.More than once I had to put the book down, calm myself, and then find my place again.

The only negative point I have to make is that, eventually, you'll finish reading and be forced to purchase another Dave Barry book.

Hilarious as usual
I don't know what some of these other reviews are talking about, frankly.This book highlights Barry at his best, hilarious as usual.

The more you know about politics, the funnier this stuff gets.Barry is a highly intelligent commentator on politics and on the sometimes insane world of campaigning and lawmaking.His new-and-improved version of the Constitution is roll-on-the-floor laughing material.

Barry also discusses the 2000 presidential candidates, making light of their shortcomings, but also getting serious: he met both of them, and says that Gore was much more personable than he seemed on TV, and Bush much more intelligent.He's on to an important point here: the way candidates appear on TV, or the ways they are sterotyped by the media, doesn't necessarily have anything to do with who they are in real life.

A must-have for anyone who likes politics, and actually has a sense of humor.

Dave Barry's take on politics and government
Dave Barry is one of the best humor writers in the world today.This book is his entry into the latest round of political/humor books that folks like Al Franken and Roger Moore have been putting out of late. Barry is more of a political moderate, where as Franken and Moore are liberals who in turn as responding to Right-Wingers like Limbaugh, Ann Coulter, and others.

Barry does make his moderate beliefs funny, which is something that writers normally find difficult to do.The left and right normally are able to be funny by making fun of the other side.Barry does it by mocking both, and neither at the same time.

However, his heart does not really appear to be in it.I think this book is some publisher's idea of a direction for Barry to go in, in order to ride the latest fashionable book wave and make a little money.Sure, the book is funny, but not as funny as you would normally expect from Dave Barry.Because of that the book is somewhat short, and has a lot of bad jokes... I didn't think all the zucchini jokes worked.

However, it is still Dave Barry here and the book is still better than most others written in this particular category.

The real story of Zucchini's in the Federal Government
The U.S. Federal Government is a great experiment in democracy.It is also, at times, ridiculous, silly, and an inadvertent satire of itself.Dave Barry takes a look at the U.S. government and finds a wealth of information to have fun with.

Barry covers the evolution of government from "Early Human Governments" to the U.S. government's birth and on into today.Barry goes on to poke fun at Presidential races, income taxes and silly laws.If you think Barry is having too much fun at the expense of the Federal Govt he does take time out to ponder whether government in Florida is worse and if the state should be given back to Spain (as if Spain would take it.)Barry's satirical humor is not necessarily hard hitting but it is laugh-out loud funny.

Sadly the book needed a few more Zucchini references to round itself out.

Better without the vegetables
Dave Barry's work always seems to mix very clever, witty, laugh-out-loud humor with attempts at absurdity (I'm thinking of the zucchini jokes) that just aren't clever or funny.The closer he sticks to reality, the funnier he is.There's lot of skewered reality in this book, zucchini notwithstanding, and it's well worth the read.Don't miss Dave's version of the U.S. Constitution. ... Read more

Reviews (8)

Been through it, too.
After I lost my seven-year-old son Timmy to a brain tumor, I spent the first two months or so reading every book I got my hands on by other parents who had lost children.It was a type of therapy, I guess.Later, I found A Table For Two, and it has become one of my favorites because I can identify so strongly with Alisa's experience.This is a REAL book.It seems to me that these children who are destined for abbreviated lives are often specially graced with an unusually deep faith.It was true for my son and others as well as for Kelly.Thank you for writing the book, Alisa, I know how painful it was to relive the experience in order to do so.Rest assured that Kelly's memory is living on, and that her faith still speaks.I'd like to write our story too, someday.

A young girl battles life in the name of Jesus
A very well written saga of a young girl, Kelly Bair, and her quest to carry Jesus in her heart every remaining day of her life. Kelly's parents, family and friends are carried through life with a twist of events whentheir daughter and friend is diagnosed with a cancerous brain tumor.

Thewondrous quality of this book is that readers discover there in no endingto this story of life that we lead - only a beginning. Little Kelly Bair istruly the missionary that she imagined herself to be. Her life story willbring more and more people to the Table for Two. Through Kelly, more willbe able to dine with Jesus.

Recommended for the entire family. A veryresourceful book for families coping with the death of a child.

A wonderful story of faith and hope amidst personal tragedy
Hat's off to Lisa for sharing this personal story in such an open, eloquent and touching manner. Although I was brought to tears frequently in reading this book, it touched me deeply and strengthened my own faith inGod and my appreciation for every moment here on earth.I later found theaudiobook at audible.com where the author reads the book personally... agreat way to experience this story directly from the author's audiblewords.Highly recommended reading or listening!

The tensions of hope and frustration of a dying child.
This book is a mother's heartfelt experience of parenting her young daughter who has a brain tumor.Although we are encouraged by the faith and spiritual experiences of the child, we also cry with the mother who sowants to help her child through this difficult time.The book addressesthe frustrations of dealing with hospitals and procedures, the joys ofhaving the support of friends, family and sympathetic nurses, doctors andchild life specialists and, probably most importantly, the way this familychose to talk to their child about death.This book is not trite and doesnot present just the "warm family memories" but allows us to seethe ups and downs of dealing with this crushing disease.I would heartilyrecommend this book to anyone who has a child with a terminal disease orwho has a friend with a child with a terminal disease.

Heart wrenching, powerful love story
As a mother, this book was painful to read but also heartwarming to finish. Often blinded by tears, I couldn't not finish this book. Thank you Lisa for having the courage to write this book as a testament to His greatlove. I have recommended it to all my friends. ... Read more

Book Description

New York Times bestselling author of D-Day, historian and biographer Stephen E. Ambrose lends his unmistakable voice to the groundbreaking Character Above All audio series with a return to theman so memorably profiled in his two-volume biography of Dwight D. Eisenhower.Recorded live at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, Ambrose continues a series of lectures delivered by a team of historians, biographers and journalists assembled by Robert Wilson to explore the Presidential character.Sharing their insight into the Presidents they have written about, these authors and scholars address the larger issue of the impact of the Presidential character on leadership and the creation of trust.Ambrose tells of Ike -- a great and good man, who stood up to the generals and McCarthy, always exuding optimism, self-confidence, humor, and love of life.Character Above All is incomparable audio, crackling with the energy and excitement of a great mind at work and the intellectual urgency befitting a topic of lasting national importance. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

Obviously, Eisenhower is Steve Ambrose's hero.
Ike is a good role model for Mr. Ambrose, or anyone else. Until recently there hasn't been a lot of good, unbiased information on the Eisenhower the man. Although this tape is informative & entertaining it doesn't give you that. He talks in glowing terms on the inner Ike, his integrity, respect for subordinates, sense of humor & decency.Ambrose says Ike was no paragon of virtue but he doesn't believe that. Ike was a segregationist & women's rights were foreign to him. These faults & others are passed over lightly.If your only source of information on Eisenhower was Steve Ambrose then you would think Eisenhower was a good & great man.By the way I think so too.

Interesting though biased
Ambrose edited the Eisenhower Papers project for many years and finallyturned his talents on writing a large-scale biography of Ike. In thisproject Ambrose lectures for one hour on his favorite hstorical topic. Theresult are mixed.

Ambrose has always been blatantly biased in Ike's favorand makes no bones about it. His first words are, 'Dwight Eisenhower was agreat and a good man," which is undoubtedly true, but a biographershould take more pains to disguise their own feelings. There is very littlecriticism of Ike in Ambrose's work, which borders on the hagiography.Perhaps a bit more of Harry Truman's invective towards Eisenhower couldhave infused this tape.

Still, Ambrose is a wonderful writer and hisworks are always fun to read and informative. This is interesting listeningeven if it is a completely uncritical examination.

Great Lecture
This one hour lecture by Ambrose is excellent. It provides a brief overview of Eisenhower's outstanding character. Ambrose also deals effectively with some of Eisenhower's lapses in character and leadership. Iwould recommend it to anyone interested in Eisenhower. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

The book is very good and is a link to the past
I enjoyed reading the book and its link to the past.Many of the old time Holiness preachers were mentioned which were personal friends of John Brasher. A great insight to the past one hundred years of Methodism! ... Read more

Book Description

They are the most chronicled family on the face of the globe. Their every move attracts headlines. Scores of books have tried and failed to penetrate the royal facade. Now Kitty Kelley has gone behind palace walls to provide the first three-dimensional, comprehensive, and evenhanded portrait of the men and women who make up the British Royal family.

Kelley spent more than four years investigating the royal family. In addition to meticulous research into documented sources, she conducted hundreds of exclusive interviews with past and present employees of the royal household, royal friends and relations, courtiers, members of Parliament, and other intimate observers, raising the curtain on this most secretive family.

Here are lonely royal children brought up without a proper education in isolated and artificial surroundings, twentieth-century adolescents with nineteenth-century touchstones. Here are the sexual ambiguities, the alcoholism, gambling, and womanizing that were common in the House of Windsor long before Prince Charles married Lady Diana Spencer. No one is spared; here are the scandals of the last decades: the doomed marriages, and the husbands, wives, lovers and children caught in their wake and damaged beyond repair.

Illuminating the Windsors' arrogance, naïveté, and lusts as well as hard work, dedication, and ability to survive the most humiliating disclosures, The Royals is Kitty Kelley's richest, most iconoclastic, historically significant, and compelling work.

Reviews (62)

A positive review
Having read this book I feel that it has been unfairly maligned. It is neither a trashing of the individuals in the house of Windsor nor is it a tabloid-esque scandal sheet. Ms. Kelly paints a complex psychological portrait of the members of the royal family in a way that does not excuse their well documented ill-behavior but rather allows the reader to have insight into their personal motivations. In a way the royal family of Britain are painted as very real and human characters with flaws and many emotional injuries. I wonder if the negative reaction to this book is due to the timing of its release and the fact that the narrative humanizes characters that Britain, for the sake of its history and system of governance, needs to be more that human. And for the rest of the world to serve as a mirror for our fantasies. For me this book elicited pathos for this family--the queen's coldness and inhumanity caused by the early death of her father and the trauma of the second world war with all of the incipient pressures that would befall her. (what a potentially terrifying childhood knowing that your destiny may require you to "save the nation" though the strength of your character). As for Charles (for whom I personally had a storng antipathy towards prior to reading this book) the childhood he had left him quite incapable of being a loving sympathetic man despite the fact that he apparently has a tremendous need to be so. Diana was bound to be crushed by the institution of royalty and the monarchy. Her "loony' behavior makes perfect sense when you consider that she as a 19 year old girl had just steeped though the looking glass and into a world with no allies. Also, don't kid yourself, while there some epistemological problems and some quotes must clearly be fabricated, a technique of historians going back to Herodotous, this is an exceedingly well crafted book.

Gossipy, and sometimes unbelievable!
Kitty Kelley's books are pretty much all the same--gossipy, tabloid-style writing--but they are fun to read. Some of the theories that she puts across in the book are so outlandish that you wonder if you're not *really* reading one of the tabloids! If you like reading about the Royal Family, and aren't too serious, you'll probably enjoy it. As for the authenticity of what she writes...well, I'll leave that for you to decide!

sleazy gossip and sly rumors
Those who compare this book to tabloid journalism are somewhat mistaken. Yes this book has its fair share of errors, and yes it is as sensationalistic as tabloid trash, but this book certainly shows enough research and gives enough credible sources to more or less accurately portray the scandals and "misbehavior" in the book. There are those who revere the Royals and don't want this stuff to be true because they want to look up to the Royal Family as the paradigm of family values and correct behavior, but I think with so many scandals and less-than-flattering revelations about the Royals' private lives through the years, most people I'm sure have become disillusioned with and cynical about them. Really, these bluebloods are just as flawed and ordinary as the rest of us, only difference being that they were born into the House of Windsor. What's their use? Well, they're good theatre. Also, they help out charities and other good causes, which is nice.

David Rehak
author of "A Young Girl's Crimes"

Curse this book!
I picked the darn thing up at 8 PM one night and couldn't put it down until 7AM the following morning!

It "reads like a tabloid"---well, D'UH!

If you're looking for a serious, scholarly study on the House of Windsor, pass this little baby up. If you're looking for the dirt, the grim, the whispered secrets, and gossip galore, this book is for you.

(Dormouse's word of advice: Just don't read it the night before a job interview...not good, not good at all.)

Reads like a tabloid
Kitty Kelley would make a great gossip columnist, but as a biographer or historian she is absolutely awful.

She seems unaware that when King Georg IV and his wife Elizabeth visited North America World War II had not yet started. She also seems confused about when Churchill became Prime Minister. If she fails with these basic facts that can be found in any history book, how reliable can the rest of her information be? ... Read more

Book Description

RICHARD NIXON Timeless history recorded live...Tom Wicker discusses the life and character of Richard Nixon

The bestselling author of One of Us: Richard Nixon and the American Dream, novelist and veteran New York Times columnist Tom Wicker lends his unmistakable voice to the groundbreaking Character Above All audio series with an illuminating examination of one of America's most infamous Presidents.

Recorded live at the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin, Wicker continues a series of lectures delivered by a team of historians, biographers and journalists assembled by Robert Wilson to explore the Presidential character. Sharing their insight into the Presidents they have written about, these authors and scholars address the larger issue of the impact of the Presidential character on leadership and the creation of trust.

Wicker explains that Nixon was an ambiguous character -- talented, suspicious, and a loner, an anomaly in a successful politician. In the end, he was neither evil nor a victim -- except of himself.

Character Above All is incomparable audio, crackling with the energy and excitement of a great mind at work and the intellectual urgency befitting a topic of lasting national importance. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Johnson and Carter
This product features two audio tapes. One each on Johnson and Carter. Robert Dallek and Hendrik Hertzberg are the speakers. Their speeches from 1995 show great knowledge and insight into their respective Presidents.

Hendrik Hertzberg was a speech writer for President Carter during his last two years in office. Hertzberg is a good speaker and often used humor to describe Carter and his administration. Hendrik describes Carter well. He portrays him as a loner and someone opposed to pomp and glitter. He also stated that Carter was no idealogue. Rather he handled issues one by one as they arose. And he spread himself too thin. Hendrik descibes some of the major events of the Carter Administration. The Panama Canal Treaty, the Israeli/Egyptian peace talks and the failed Iranian hostage rescue mission. Hertzberg portrays Carter as a courageous moral leader. But he also shows that Carter was not a great political leader.

Robert Dallek is a successful author and he shows here that he is also a good speaker. Dallek studied Lyndon Johnson thoroughly and clearly understood him. He states accurately that Lyndon Johnson was a complex man with a seemingly contradictory personality. Dallek quotes several stories about Johnson to show his sense of humor and his temperament.

Dallek provides data about Johnson's popularity over the years. As President, his approval ratings were good. As an ex President he's less popular. Dallek gives three reasons why he thinks LBJ's popularity has fallen. His assessment is probably correct.

Dallek then proceeds to rate Johnson as a President. He gives LBJ high marks in the realms of vision, pragmatism and consensus building on domestic issues. And he states that Johnson was very successful in passing his bills through Congress. Dallek provides a whole list of good bills which Johnson pushed through. In summary, Robert Dallek's assessment of Lyndon Johnson and his Presidency is very accurate and well informed. ... Read more