Book Description

When he first published A Hole in the World in 1990, Pulitzer Prize-winner Richard Rhodes helped launch and legitimate a decade-long publishing phenomenon--the memoir of abused childhood. In this tenth anniversary edition, Rhodes offers new reflections on the abuse he and his older brother endured at the hands of their terrorizing stepmother and negligent father. He also describes readers' powerful and moving responses to his book, considers his changing sentiments as the years have passed, and provides additional details on his brother Stanley, who remains the author's true hero in this moving memoir. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

powerful autobio of abuse and growth
This is a moving memoire of Rhodes' abusive childhood and how he grew out of it but still carries much of it with him. He is such an exquisite writer that every page aches with anger and regret. Highly recommended for anyone who wants to understand what some foster children go through. One of America's best writers.

Like a drink of purest water
Mr Rhodes' writing is clear as a pristine lake, to the bottom of which one can see, with all stones, underwater plants, fish and monsters visible in sharp outline. I could not put the book down; it made me weep; following his story made me feel both tenderness and horror, and led me to both healing of brokenness, and deeper sorrow for brokenness that can never heal.

Mr. Rhodes is a fine writer--but this exceeds writing
Some books excite you; some bore you; some interest you. This book embraces and engulfs you. It is impossible to imagine anyone reading it without both raging and exhulting. A wonderful, beautiful, searing book. The first paragraph (which I read to my students as an example of 'The Event That Most Changed My Life') will suck you in so far you'll read it with fury, passion, and an intensity that makes both most autobiography seem limp and most writing seem pale. Richard Rhodes is a fine writer, but this book is more than written. It is bled.

Brutal, honest, heart-breaking. It made me angry.
I read Hole in the World while writing the story of my own dismal childhood. It made me realize that mine wasn't as bad as I had thought, even though it was pretty bad. This is a shocking book, one that causes tears to fall thinking about this boy suffering at the hands of a stepmother while his father did nothing, abandoning his responsibilities as a father. It is shocking that school officials and neighbors didn't intervene. Hurray for Stanley's courage in going to the police. Most shocking of all is to know, from volunteer work I do now as a retiree, that this kind of abuse continues and, if anything, society is even less able now to stop it or cope with the effects on its victims.

I felt the pains of the children turn to trust and healing.
I did not read this myself, but heard it read on a local FM station by Dick Estell - the "RADIO READER". I could hardly wait for each day's half hour installment. As the heart-wrenching sorrow and confusion of abuse and abandonment of the author and his brother turned into rescue, trust and healing, this story kept me glued to the radio. Though out of print, it will be inspiring to anyone who loves to see the wonder of human helping human, and the spirit's ability to heal and overcome adversity. ... Read more

Book Description

Book Description

The life of one committed man whose simple little idea ("Let’s play ball!") God is using to make a huge impact on thousands of disenfranchised children, their families, their community, their city, and their world. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

WOW ... What a Ripple Effect
I never knew Bob Muzikowski ... nor did I know of the book prior to last month (April 2004). However, I was fortunate enough to meet this amazingly honest, articulate, straight-shooting gentleman [yes ... gentleman] at a prayer breakfast in Albany, NY. After hearing him speak [him being the featured speaker] and hearing his story I simply needed to know more. I spent a little time researching Bob and was interested in reading the book.

OK ... now for the book review ...
DON'T READ THIS STORY if you are not interested in changing your heart and mind for a greater good. THE RIPPLE EFFECT will occur in your heart as you realize the full potential each and every one of us has to better the lives of others. HHHMMM ... isn't that what Jesus taught?
AND if you're an Evangelical Christian, the story will either motivate you INTO service for Him or it will refresh your walk and current service.
Either way ... this story is SO MUCH BIGGER than Bob and his boys. It's a glimpse of the ON-GOING ACTIONABLE LOVE AND COMPASSION for everyone associated with Bob and Tina ... and for you and I? It's fuel for our hearts ... raw honesty, compassion and love seen through very tough circumstances and people.

BOTTOM LINE ... this book is an example of what God can do when a heart is willing to be transformed.
PS: Check out the Chicago Hope Academy ... a school opening in 2004 that was built on the fire and determination of these folks.

Inspiration
This is one of the most AMAZING books I have ever read. Touching, heartfelt and gutsy! I have passed this book on to many friends and they have all had the same response. One of those books that changes your outlook on pretty much everything.

Batter Up!
Although Bob Muzikowski's book, "Safe at Home," is catagorized as an autobiography, it is so much more! This book is a real life story of THE Author's plan for one man. Bob Muzikowski has shown us how one man (and woman, Tina!) can make a difference when he chooses to please an Audience of One - the blessings of God on Bob Muzikowski's life have been multiplied exponentially to others! "Safe at Home" has been described as "inspiring," but Bob's story will only be truly inspiring if it generates a response from its readers; one that takes them out of their comfortable church pews and into the God-prescribed place that He wants them to be! "Batter Up!" The choice is yours: you can take the challenge as the designated hitter or warm the bench in the dugout!

This true story deserves to be told!
When Bob Muzikowski and I sat across from each other on a plane ride last September, I mostly listened as he told his story. As publisher for Zondervan, I knew by the time we landed I'd be asking him if he was interested in telling this story in print! The world is hungry for stories about "everyday heros" with whom we can actually identify. Bob is a regular guy who, in spite of a rough and tumble first few decades of life, has found a way to live an extraordinary life. His story reads like a novel but the inspiration that drives him is compelling and accessible to all of us. This is a book that you will not be able to just read. You will most definately encourage your adolescent children to read it and you will talk about it with your colleagues and friends. Trust me...for what started as an idle conversation on a plane last September is now a wonderful book that in just over a month is being read by thousands.

An inspiring, TRUE story
I have known Bob Muzikowski for three years now, and he never ceases to amaze me. Reading this book has been a revelation. If you're feeling cynical, or doubt that one man can make a difference in society, read this book. Muzikowski chronicles his life from a tough childhood to a self-destructive early adulthood through his current and permanent persona, a caring, compassionate person who genuinely wishes to spread goodwill. Hopefully, this story will inspire others to follow in Bob's footsteps, and love their neighbors. The narrative is alternately heartbreaking, hopeful, and humorous, but always honest. A seemingly endless parade of intriguing supporting "characters" add color depth to Muzikowski's infectiously interesting vignettes. Rather than see the Keanu Reeves/Hollywood version, read the real thing. Pass it on! ... Read more

Book Description

"This is Chicago, this is America." With those words, Chicago mayor Richard J. Daley famously defended his brutal crackdown on protestors at the 1968 Democratic convention. Profoundly divided racially, economically and socially, Chicago was indeed a microcosm of America, and for more than two decades Daley ruled it with an iron fist. The last of the big city bosses, Daley ran an unbeatable political machine that controlled over one million votes. From 1955 until his death in 1976, every decision of any importance -- from distributing patronage jobs to picking Congressional candidates -- went through his office. He was a major player in national politics as well: Kennedy and Johnson owed their presidencies to his control of the Illinois vote, and he made sure they never forgot it. In a city legendary for its corruption and backroom politics, Daley's power was unrivaled.Daley transformed Chicago -- then a dying city -- into a modern metropolis of skyscrapers, freeways and a thriving downtown. But he also made Chicago America's most segregated city. A man of profound prejudices and a deep authoritarian streak , he constructed the nation's largest and worst ghettoes, sidestepped national civil rights laws, and successfully thwarted Martin Luther King's campaign to desegregate Northern cities.

A quarter-century after his death, Daley's outsize presence continues to influence American urban life, and a reassessment of his career is long overdue. Now, veteran journalists Adam Cohen and Elizabeth Taylor present the definitive biography of Richard J. Daley, drawn from newly uncovered material and dozens of interviews with his contemporaries. In today's era of poll-tested, polished politicians, Daley's rough-and-tumble story is remarkable. From the working-class Irish neighborhood of his childhood, to his steady rise through Chicago's corrupt political hierarchy, to his role as national powerbroker, American Pharaoh is a riveting account of the life and times of one of the most important figures in twentieth-century domestic politics. In the tradition of Robert Caro's classic The Power Broker, this is a compelling life story of a towering individual whose complex legacy is still with us today." ... Read more

Reviews (33)

The Pharoah's Tomb Hasn't Been Found Yet¿
I came to American Pharaoh with high hopes and, unfortunately, was disappointed. I grew up in a Chicago suburb, moved to the City, and even crossed party lines to vote for the son, Richard M. I was weaned on Chicago politics and truly hoped this book would capture the richness, hilarity and passion of Chicago politics, but it didn't.

Richard J. Daley was such a huge figure that he deserves a Robert Caro level biography, ala LBJ and Robert Moses. The authors Cohen and Taylor have painstakingly assembled the facts of Daley's reign, largely from newspapers it appears, but did not seize the spirit of the times. The authors also missed the opportunities to interview some of the critical witnesses, such as Thomas Keane, Daley's political partner, who died during the writing. This book feels as if it was written by people who moved to Chicago ten years after Daley and then tried to reassemble the story. This is a workmanlike history, but not a passionate one.

If you're a political junkie, you should consider this book. It has the facts, the chronology, and the players. However, you won't get to know the Mayor, only his deeds.

Darn good with one flaw
A great book with contents delivered in a clear, concise writing style. It reads so fluidly, one can forget he/she is learning history while riding along with a fascinating narrative. I very much enjoyed it and learned a great deal from the exhaustive research that obviously went into the project.

My only criticism, however, keeps me from giving five stars: the co-authors seem obsessed with housing and perceived racism issues in Chicago - at times to the extent that Daley is almost forgotten in their drive to bring home a point. If this is where their academic background is based that is fine, but the reader deserves to know this going in instead of being advertised a full one volume biography type of study. This was an occasional distraction, but one that usually ended soon enough with a paragraph break - welcomed with a 'whew, glad we got back on track'- from this reader.

All in all, a fine book very much worth your time, but be advised not quite what it might seem.

Wanted: A Biography of Elizabeth Wood, A True American Hero
This book is incredible. It is filled with wonderful political anecdotes and very informative on the racial polarity in Chicago. Especially fascinating is Chicago Housing Authority chief Elizabeth Wood's valiant attempt to integrate public housing and Martin Luther King's crusade for open housing, both defeated by horrifically violent white opposition. A book for anyone interested in politics or racial issues.

Errors Abound
If you're looking for a basic primer on Richard J. Daley, then this book is a harmless introduction. Serious historians will find the many inaccuracies in this book appalling though. On a first skimming, I found two mistakes, and I'm just a little above the average citizen in my knowledge of the city. It's rather scary that the two authors are national journalists, given the sloppy treatment of the facts here.

The only side you're allowed to see...
This is a spectacularly well put together book. Part biography and part public policy analysis with plenty of hindsight, it allows one to see a cross-section of the machines that used to dominate the big cities of the United States. Richard J. Daley exemplified this aspect of urban politics, rising as he did from the lowest ranks of the machine to hold the position of mayor for twenty-one years.

Several things struck me about this book. First, the degree to which current mayor Richard M. Daley has followed through on his father's plans. The Chicago 21 urban renewal program has received a huge boost, albeit parsed out into smaller increments, and continues to keep the south side/State Street ghetto alive. He uses similar tactics in his bargaining with Springfield for state budget allowances; his anti-poverty programs tend to benefit the contractors instead of the poor.

Second, with a few exceptions, the book is very objective. They never call the mayor a liar when he is being blatantly dishonest and I often wished that they would express at least a little outrage at his willingness to overlook police graft, racist lynchings, and corruption far surpassing that which is currently making waves in the Illinois political environment today. The man makes Betty Loren Maltese look practically civil! Yet the authors, who do highlight Daley's poor treatment of minorities and the impoverished, do so merely by enumerating the evidence against him, not with Royko-esque name-calling.

A widespread criticism of this book is that the mayor's personal life is utterly absent and that the research involves mainly personal interviews and contemporary newspaper articles. It would have been nice to have had more information about his family, but Daley went to great pains to shield them from his public life until they were old enough to participate in it themselves.

It also bears mentioning that the University of Illinois at Chicago has the complete archive of Daley's papers, but that the Daley family has blocked any public access to them whatsoever. Until this changes, this is simply the best book you will find on the subject. ... Read more

Book Description

Few literary figures have achieved the fame ofJames Whitcomb Riley, the most popular poet in America at theend of the 19th century--the height of his career.Legendsand rumors either elevate Riley as a hero who gave Hoosierspride of place, or denigrate him as a drunken author ofVictorian doggerel.In this first serious modern biographyof Riley, Van Allen sifts facts from fiction to paint thetruest portrait of this controversial poet. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

An alternative
The Kirkus review of James Whitcomb Riley: A Life is hardly a fair one. It criticizes the book because of two opinions of the reviewer that clearly the author had no hope of changing:

1. The facts about Riley are not as interesting as the myths about his life.

2. He was not the author of great literature.

It is, of course, the duty of the serious biographer to present the truest picture possible of the life of the biography's subject. To this end, Elizabeth Van Allen has done a prodigious amount of research in documents relating to the life of Riley. The result is a scholarly but readable and interesting book. She rightly puts to rest the myths about the poet, intriguing though they may be. Furthermore, as a historian, Van Allen discusses the significance of Riley's poetry but does not attempt to defend it as outstanding literature.

Certainly, the biography of Riley will be most popular in Indiana where he is still revered by many, but it also will be of interest to anyone who is interested in American cultural history. In presenting the context for Riley's early years, the author paints a clear picture of life in the Midwest in the second half of the 19th century. As Riley rises to national fame, the reader learns of the role of newspapers as a purveyor of literature in the late 19th century, the national importance of regional literature in that century, and the important role of the national lecture circuit as mass entertainment of the period.

As an immensely popular entertainer on platforms throughout the nation and later through the marketing efforts of his publisher and of Riley himself, before movies, radio, television, or rock and roll, Riley was the 19th century precursor of the 20th century pop culture celebrity. This fact alone makes him a figure worth reading about and the author's authoritative and entertaining book worth buying.

Another evaluation of the book that is recommended is the review by Rich Gotshall in the Indianapolis Star issue of Sunday, November 7, 1999. ... Read more

Book Description

Gene Logsdon's story embodies both the frustrations and longing so many of us feel as we search for our essential selves and a harmonious life. The measure of his courage -- and contrariness -- is that he has been successful. In You Can Go Home Again, he tells us what motivated him and what success has meant.

For Logsdon, to create a "home" is not to escape from the world, but to establish a nexus of people, all working together to produce a home-based economy as a bulwark of stability under the larger economy gone crazy with paper money. "Home" is a local community tied to other local communities. But mostly Logsdon's philosophy must be read between the lines. What he writes about are the sad, funny, and sometimes harrowing adventures of those who live seemingly humdrum lives: understanding creeks; shepherding sheep; coping with blizzards; winning softball tournaments; losing sanity at rock concerts; hiding in haystacks; enjoying Christmas; surviving a buggy ride; overcoming grief, not to mention absentminded professors, dictatorial editors, and fervid priests; and why it might not be a bad idea to go to church in our underwear. What transpires is an inspiring picture of a very American life. ... Read more

Reviews (6)

The Contrary's Farmer Autobiography
Gene Logsdon has published his autobiography. Telling the story of his life - from farm boy to the Roman Catholic seminary, studying for the priesthood, dropping out, graduate school, and editor of a farm magazine and finally back to Ohio - he describes how his life comes to a circle. He returned to the good life of his childhood - at least almost. As a witness of the great change in agriculture, he feels a little bit like the last of the dinosaurs, one of the last generation who grew up on a traditional farm before agrobusiness destroyed the culture of rural America. Logdson does not present great programmes, but he has rather chosen to change his life by living an alternative life and work for in his home area for a resurgence of rural America. With his writings he nevertheless exercised a great influence. If you have enjoyed any of Logsdon's books, are interested into rural living and agrarian thought, this book is definitely worthwile reading.

We're doing it -- Coming home
I *am* going home again. After nearly 20 years in Texas, my family is moving back to Ohio. We feel that call that Gene Logsdon describes so movingly, hilariously. Now, most people, considering the fact that we are doing it by going first and finding jobs later, think we are certifiable. How wonderful to read Gene's work and find encouragement in values that go beyond acquisition and comfort. We're college [over]educated and employable, and jobs are the least of our worries.

Gene's book talks about home, care, a sense of place. When a place where eleven generations have called home calls you back, you have to listen, and that's why we're going. We have a "10-year plan" -- we're lucky enough to be starting out on some acreage on my Dad's farm. And will build from there. My child and my brother's children will be able to cross the pasture to visit each other and their grandparents.

Will we be self-sufficient? Of course not. What does that mean anyway? People are too "self-sufficient" as it is. I want to live someplace where I can depend on people (in all the right senses of the word). We'll grow some vegetables and berries, raise some chickens and have a good time doing it. I dream grandiosely of a cow or maybe three goats (I want to name them Gina, Lola and Brigitta, but my husband is pushing for "Shot Clock I, II, & III" [he spends a lot of time statting basketball games!]) I pour over Lehman's catalogues. It's fun to plan.

I think that's where reviewer "trailboss" below misses Gene's point. I've read everything of Gene's that I can lay my hands on (too much is out of print! ), and one point he repeatedly emphasizes is that this is not about subsistence farming. There's more than "survival" to it or it wouldn't be worth last week's supermarket strawberries.

Gene never claims that you can find Total Peace, Contentment and Happiness and on a homestead. If you don't have some of that before you start, then disappointment is inevitable.

Going home is about place, people, and good dirt. That's the saving grace of it. Not making a "profit" on it, not becoming Organically Pure, or worshipping Gaia. Of course, you can do all those things, but the home and the dirt is the start of it.

And the softball. Former high school first-base ace here! Since we're moving to southern Richland County, Ohio, I hope we get to meet Gene and the boys in a softball tournament somewhere, sometime! In the meantime, Gene, keep pestering your publishers about reprints. :)

Uncommonly gutsy and intimate
I just finished the book.

Reading the other reviews, one gets the feeling that they were reading different books. It reminds me of the Indian folktale of the four blind men and the elephant. Actually, I like the Persian version better: where three men encounter the elephant on a very dark night. The fourth man brings a candle. Ultimately, the Persian story is a story of redemption and salvation. And so is You Can Go Home.

This book is likely to cause discomfort to those have a very high need for order. Sometimes we (the Hecksel's) have guests on short notice. When that happens, we make the house suitable for company by taking all the clutter-of-life and pitching it into one of the bedrooms...the one with the lock, of course. Gene's book is a personal guided tour of that room. Great fun for those who love stories and antiques. Pain for those who crave a completely deterministic approach to life.

Gene is gutsy because he talks about religion. Gene is doubly gutsy for talking about money. Americans are funny people. We will tell total strangers of our sexual conquests before ordering our second drink, but not tell our CPA the true extent of our wealth & earnings. Go figure.

We are rich in proportion to what we do not need.

romantic but unrealistic notion
Mr. Logsdon's book, although, "nice" and romantic as a read is flawed in it's premise that somehow, despite sky rocketing real estate costs for rural land, etc. that we can somehow go back to the land and earn a living. It seems that Mr. Logsdon's need to write to support himself and his wife belies the very notion he argues. Having tried, myself, to find land at a reasonable cost, having been launched a number of years ago by this author and others of the same bent, I found nothing but frustration and disappointment.

Mr. Logsdon would leave one to believe that all large scale farmers are without brains and that they choose to ignore the profits of small scale farming. Instead, I believe that Mr. Logsdon has closed his eyes to the hard realities that land values require large scale farming and that he fails to prove, other than in a romantic yearning only, that we can truly "Go Home Again". Truly, I wish it were so...unfortunately, unless you are Amish you cannot afford to.

The book leaves one with a warm feeling despite its flawed premise. The book could be shortened with less diabtribe about old villages or softball teams.

I bought the book still holding onto a waning desire to find "the way" to go home again myself only to realize that his book, likely unwittingly, provides many of the reasons why we can't go home again despite the desire to do so...and that is sad and unfortunate.

Tears & belly-laughs mixed with delight and insight!!
Trust your instincts - - this is the message that keeps returning in this story of one man's life filled with choices that would cause uncertainty for anyone. Gene's self-effacing narrative describes how uncertain life can be when faced with tough choices.

These were very tough choices: Move from small-town USA to Metropolitan sprawl? Withdraw from something as precious as the priesthood? Steal some fresh-baked pies and risk the wrath of nuns?

Somehow it is comforting to know that life can have an "undo" button. Gene illustrates that you can make a wrong choice and still recover. The message: You should always trust your instincts, and you can go home again.

This is a wonderful, if brief, story of someone who bares his life and soul, so that others can see the common thread - - be true to yourself. ... Read more

Book Description

An exquisite memoir of growing up dirt poor in Oklahoma. "Love of the land is not located so much in the mind, or in the heart, as in the skin: how the skin feels when you go back." -- Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz, Red Dirt. When the peasants are deprived of fields to work, so goes the chorus of an old Irish ballad, "All that's left is a love of the land." In this exquisite rendering of her childhood in rural Oklahoma, from the Dust Bowl days to the end of the Eisenhower era, writer and journalist Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz bears witness to a family and community that still clings to the dream of America as a republic of landowners. Drawing deeply on the stories, often biblical parables, she heard in her early years, Dunbar-Ortiz brings to life one of the least understood groups in US history: poor rural whites. They are the backbone of the national campaigns against abortion and for prayer in school. They are also the soldiers of the militia movement and the members of a group who will come to trial this spring for the bombing of the Oklahoma City Federal Building. Red Dirt takes us into the minds of these people, allowing us to feel both their grievous sense of loss and their battered but still-clung-to faith. ... Read more

Reviews (7)

history and struggles of the frontier settler class
...
The best of autobiographical works are those that convey, in the telling of one life story, larger truths than those we experience as individuals. To accomplish this feat with seeming effortlessness, as Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz has done with Red Dirt, is to create not only a valuable historical record, but a literary work that is a pleasure to read. Employing the finest storytelling skills, Dunbar-Ortiz lovingly recollects her youth in Oklahoma and the family dynamics she experienced "growing up Okie" during the mid-20th-century. In the process, she touches upon a host of social issues--among them racism, sexism, and economic disparity--that have plagued the U.S. since its earliest days. Perhaps most importantly, she offers one resounding voice from among a vast population--namely, the white underclass--that consistently has been underrepresented in historical texts, and misrepresented in popular culture. Exploding the notion of 'poor white trash,' Dunbar-Ortiz offers three-dimensional alternative as she reconstructs through her personal memoir the history and struggles of the frontier settler class and its descendants. As we move into the next century, Red Dirt is a text of vital significance to our collective humanity

could not put down
if you like books about the old way of living,you will love this book. it brings back memories of my childhood...

A New Fan
I grew up in central Oklahoma and can identify with many of the themes Ms. Dunbar-Ortiz writes about in Red Dirt. I think anyone who is on a journey of self-discovery or is attempting to reconcile his or her past will enjoy this book as much as I did. I rarely read literature about Oklahoma that makes me proud to be an "Okie" - this book does just that.

A Must Read
I love this book. A book written about my home state with honesty and clarity of what it means to be Okie. Class struggles, hard working people, historic pain and abuse and the eventual dementia of a woman struggling with her suppressed indianess. Keep the spirit of the Wobblies alive!

Dunbar-Ortiz has produced an American classic in biography.
With the publication of Red Dirt Dunbar-Ortiz has made a major contribution to American biography. She has managed to write a Steinbeckian account of her childhood and youth in Oklahoma in the 1950s. The humanity and oppression of poor white people is writ large here. Red Dirt is informed by a feminist and class analysis but with great grace and touching honesty. like Meridel LeSueur's novels of 60 years ago, Dunbar-Ortiz shows the quotidian lives of working people who are ignored or riduculed by the outside world. The book is clear eyed and rich in detail. I used the book as a required text in a Sex and Gender course and it was a great hit among my students. ... Read more

Book Description

The critically acclaimed memoirs of one female police officer’s sixteen-year odyssey, beginning with day one at the Police Academy and spanning assignments on Chicago’s West Side, one of the most dangerous areas in the city.

The notorious cops’ code of silence is broken as the author recounts incidents in the West Side projects: shoot-outs, ambushes, and what it feels like to kill a man—just four days out of the Academy.

The stories told are sometimes tragic, sometimes funny, often poignant, and always provide the reader with an on the scene feel for life behind the badge. Domestic violence, murdered spouses, abused children, and philandering CPD brass are just some of the topics addressed, topics that officer Gallo dealt with everyday.

From her work with gangs, narcotics, the gun task force, and acting as a prostitute, Gina Gallo offers a gritty account of the darker side of the city, giving readers an objective side to the cops, crooks, and victims that comprise a the police cops world.
... Read more

Reviews (23)

You have the right to read this book....NOW!
I remember at one time I thought about being a policewoman. Even took the test, passed and got a letter to appear for training. Never did follow up on it. Couldn't see myself packing heat in the long run and didn't think I'd be up for horsey patrol right out of the police academy. And after reading this book I know I made the right decision. Being a policeman is no easy job and being a woman cop is even harder, forever proving yourself worthy of the profession. And after reading this book the media only gives half of what is really going on in the streets. This book is an eye opener. It shocked me, sickened me and saddened me but it was never ever boring. It really made an impact on me and made me more aware of a policeperson's life. This is one of my favorite books and I just ordered Crime Scenes so I could read more. Gina, I hope you sold the rights to this book either as a movie or a cable TV series. It deserves it.

Just exactly how big is a gerbil?
Gina Gallo's memoir Armed and Dangerous raises this question in one of its more vivid anecdotes. Sometimes outrageous, frequently hilarious, and always thoughtful, this book provides an up-close, gritty, honest look at the lives of Chicago's "Po-lice." Gallo brings us inside the training academy, squad cars, and district headquarters. Then she takes us to the streets, housing projects, and crime scenes she came to know during her 16-year career with the Chicago police force. After reading this book, you will perceive police officers differently. Stereotypes are shattered as we see how the cop lifestyle affects individual officers in very different ways. If you know Chicago, Gina Gallo's book is a must. Even if you don't know Chicago, this is a fascinating, unforgettable read

A Disturbing Look at Society
This was an interesting book, however I would have liked to see a little more of the positive side of being a policewoman. There had to be something positive about the job, or she wouldn't have been a policewoman for so many years.
Having a policeman for a friend, I did appreciate some of the insights into how they may feel different from "civilians".
It's a very sad tale of how many people live and how instead of the police being encouraged become discouraged.
I struggled with how to rate this book, because it's discouraging and haunting, with no upside I wanted to rate it a 3, but Gina does a good job of writing and relating her experience, so I rated it a 4.

Great Read!!!
At last, an interactive experience of life in big-city law enforcement! In a relentlessly authentic voice, Gina Gallo translates every nuance of the police experience into an unparalled copspeak primer for those who've never worn the badge. Forget cop stories as a spectator sport. Gallo pulls you into the action with "the real police", presenting the reader with the same visceral punch, emotional blindsiding and residual angst that haunts anyone who's been there. In my years as a Chicago homicide detective, job success often depended on equal parts of tenacity, intelligence and guts. Gallo's book provides this in spades along with an unflinching scrutiny of our own vulnerability. This book elevates cop docudrama to a new art form. I'm proud that Gallo is one of our own, even prouder of her courage and talent in telling our stories.

GINA GALLO IS THE REAL DEAL LADY COP!
I'm a retired police Sgt. my wife Ann Jillian an actress, and we just finished reading "ARMED AND DANGEROUS" by GINA GALLO. This book is FANTASTIC! It's easy to know that Gina Gallo was the real police and did real police work - that's a given, but her talent for putting it all in her book is something only a GREAT WRITER could do. This is a real page turner, we could not put it down until we finished it. My wife and I highly recommend this book to anyone. Thank you Ms., Gallo for an excellent book. Mr. Mrs. Sgt. A.& A Murcia. Los Angeles, CA. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Everbuddy Needs a Good Buddy
The story of the life and times of William ("Bill for short") Sackter is as remarkable and inspiring as any in American history. Bill's story is re-told by his good friend Professor Thomas Walz (now retired from the social work department of the University of Iowa) in such sharp, believable detail as even to go so far as to write the majority of the book from Bill's point of view, using the sort of speech, broken perhaps but very gripping, as Bill had used; this aspect brings a great deal of accuracy to the book. The Bible says in I Thessalonians 5 to rejoice always and to give thanks in all circumstances. Bill Sackter took these principles to the extreme, and as a result, made everyone who knew him take a much closer look at themselves and the world around them. His life still has that effect on people today.

I'm not going to say here what all happened in Bill's life; the book will do a much better job of that than I. However, I will simply say that this book will open your eyes to an incredible sense of optimism little known in the world we live in today. I can't imagine someone reading this book and being disappointed.

One thing more: for those of you who have seen and loved the movies "Bill" and "Bill On His Own" (which have been out of print for who-knows-how-many-years), they are available from the very good people at Wild Bill's Coffee Shop at the University of Iowa.

I Get by with a Little Help from my Friends
This book is a love feast. Story after story of Bill and the "frens" who were fortunate enough to be a part of Bill's circle, including the regulars on the bus who were cheerfully greeted upon boarding, the day care children who had a happy transition from parents dropping them off for day care, the nice lady prostitutes who enjoyed his happy harmonica tunes when he was in Washington, DC to be honored for his achievements. Not only does the book make you glad to know about Bill's magnificent gift of loving, it gives hints about how to nurture that in life. The book is for everyone who celebrates the great diversity of gifts that make life wonderful

An inspiring story, beautifully written
This uplifting story will appeal to anyone who is interested in how the human spirit overcomes great adversity. It is also of local interest to residents of Iowa City, as it recaps events that happened in this town and on this campus. A thoroughly enjoyable read that I would highly recommend.

A readable and hardwarming book.
Dr. Walz tells the life story of Bill Sackter's triumph over disability. The book is written from Bill's perspective and tells of his journey in a Minnesota mental institution to being named Iowa's Handicapped Person of the year. There is a wonderful Christmas story which makes this book particularly timely. I would recommend this book to readers of all ages.

A wonderful and heart-warming story
The Unlikely Celebrity is a heart-warming and uplifting story. Bill Sackter was an amazing person who had nothing but love in his heart, despite many difficult years in the Faribault State Hospital. In this day and age of almost nothing but bad news and scandal, The Unlikely Celebrity is a refreshing change, and I recommend it to everybody. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Good Clarification of the Topic
Growing up in southern Illinois, the stomping grounds of Charlie Birger, I always heard the stories of gangsters. For anyone who has lived in southern Illinois, it is hard to imagine gangsters, bootlegging, etc. going on in this rural part of the state. Being curious about what was fact and what was fiction regarding Birger, I found this book.

It is a really good read, covering all aspects of Birger, as well as some background information on southern Illinois and the Prohibition period there. It is especially interesting to read about areas you know really well, and soak in the history that took place there. I would recommend this book to anyone from the southern Illinois area.

Great Companion to Bloody Williamson
If Paul Angle's BLOODY WILLIAMSON got your attention, you might consider DeNeal's portrait of Birger and his violent life as a natural companion piece. His exhaustive examination of the gangster's persona and the spectacle of his death is well-written and enjoyable. For those not so interested in the particulars of Birger's life, this study offers a solid snapshot of southern Illinois culture during the years just before the Depression. Ballowe's smart, albeit brief, introduction is also nicely done. ... Read more

Book Description

Police found John Doe No. 24 in the early morning hours of October 11, 1945, in Jacksonville, Illinois. Unable to communicate, the deaf and mute teenager was labeled "feeble minded" and sentenced by a judge to the nightmarish jumble of the Lincoln State School and Colony in Jacksonville. He remained in the Illinois mental health care system for over thirty years and died at the Sharon Oaks Nursing Home in Peoria on November 28, 1993.

Deaf, mute, and later blind, the young black man survived institutionalized hell: beatings, hunger, overcrowding, and the dehumanizing treatment that characterized state institutions through the 1950s. In spite of his environment, he made friends, took on responsibilities, and developed a sense of humor. People who knew him found him remarkable.

Award-winning journalist Dave Bakke reconstructs the life of John Doe No. 24 through research into a half-century of the state mental health system, personal interviews with people who knew him at various points during his life, and sixteen black-and-white illustrations. After reading a story about John Doe in the New York Times, acclaimed singer-songwriter Mary Chapin Carpenter wrote and recorded "John Doe No. 24" and purchased a headstone for his unmarked grave. She contributes a foreword to this book.

As death approached for the man known only as John Doe No. 24, his one-time nurse Donna Romine reflected sadly on his mystery. "Ah, well," she said, "God knows his name." ... Read more

Reviews (2)

How very sad....
that not that long ago in this country someone was found wandering the streets and there were no means to identify him.How sad that someone had raised him for 16 years and then "lost" him.This is a story about one man's dignity.Unlike a lot of stories involving institutions, it seems as though John encountered an awful lot of caring people employed at these places.I find it interesting that although he learned to communicate with others, he never discussed his past or gave any real clues as to his beginnings.

It's a well written book about a sad subject.I recommend it.

Important story
On October 11, 1946, a black boy of indeterminate age was found wandering the streets of Jacksonville, Illinois.When police discovered he was deaf, mute, and suspected to be retarded, he was sent to the Lincoln State School and Colony, a state facility that bore little resemblance to its name.Had he been permitted to stay at the School for the Deaf, his life would have been completely different, but that school was not permitted to take retarded people.
The Lincoln School was a self-contained city having a farm with price-winning cattle and a dairy processing plant.It generated its own power and returned thousands of dollars to the state treasury, thanks to the free labor provided by the residents (really inmates).These people varied from the very severely retarded to those of borderline intelligence.The place was vastly overcrowded, and the pecking order among residents was often established violently.
John Doe, as he was called since they were unable to identify him at all, was given an I.Q. test, but much like any test, if you don't understand the value or importance of the test, there will be little incentive to do well, even assuming you can understand what is expected of you.A special test was used that had been designed for the deaf, but the examiner had difficulty conveying the purpose and instructions for the various tests that were disguised as games or puzzles. John's deafness and inexperience were a huge impediment, and, not surprisingly, hescored very low on the test. This result was to haunt him for years to come.After several unsuccessful escape attempts, John gradually adapted to his surroundings.He had no known relatives so there was no one to claim him nor to send him packages or money that might help alleviate his situation.
By the mid-sixties, thanks in part to JFK's commitment to improving conditions and education for the mentally retarded and an Illinois commission, facilities and conditions were improving at the Lincoln School.John Doe had now been there close to two decades.Unfortunately, it was also the time of Chlorpromazine that the psychiatric profession had discovered could turn unruly or violent patients into virtually catatonic, but untroublesome, individuals.It soon became the drug of choice for nearly everyone in an institution.Despite regular doses, John was becoming one of the best students in the ASL class that had been started for the deaf residents.He became a trustee and was placed in charge of several other patients, helping them to dress and to get ready for the day.
By 1973 the side effects of the drugs began to manifest themselves and John was inflicted with diabetes and glaucoma. In 1975, the Lincoln School was converted into a state prison, and John was sent to the Jacksonville Developmental Center.He was now totally blind, but thanks to a few dedicated individuals, his talents were recognized and he was sent to the Helen Keller School. This provided him with the skills he needed to subsequently live in a series of group homes.
He died a few years later, but to this day no one has still been able to track down his identity. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

My Hometown
I read this book because I was given a signed copy of it as a gift (the author is now deceased). I grew up in the same town as the author, and he wrote extensively about the area in many books, not just this one. But this was the first (and so far only) book of his I read. His philosophy is similar to James Joyce's DUBLINERS or Sherwood Anderson's WINESBURG OHIO. The book examines the lives of people living in a specific community and how it shapes them, and although the other books were fiction, Derleth's is not. The book started out very slowly but I stuck with it and it did get better. He tells the story of people in a small Wisconsin town from the late 1800s to the 1950s. Many of the people went crazy or committed suicide. It also has a good dose of nature stories, as Derleth recounts his walks in the forest and marsh in the countryside and describes the wildlife he met. This book is definitely not for everyone but if you are patient and are interested in nature and a slice of life in olden days Sac Prairie (known more commonly as Sauk Prairie or Sauk City and Prairie du Sac), then this will be an enlightening read. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Nobody did it better
Reviewed for H-Indiana by Randy Roberts (rroberts@sla.purdue.edu), Department of History, Purdue University

Nobody did it better. She did not invent the type, the scatterbrained blond who spoke faster than she thought, but Carole Lombard made it her own. When I think of her my mind wanders first to My Man Godfrey (1936), a film that without Lombard would be forgotten today. Except for a few fine character performances, and a couple patches of nice writing, it is not really that good of a film. But her breathless charm, her inability to finish a sentence without gasping for air or mouth a sentence that seems to contain a period, carries the entire production. Five minutes into the film the viewer is hooked. How could William Powell, or anyone else, resist her? I cannot imagine another actress in the role without wincing, nor can I picture anyone but Lombard being able to carry Ernst Lubitsch's brilliant, sardonic, and poignant To Be or Not To Be (1942). The two films illuminate another vital aspect of Lombard: She brought out the best in her leading men. William Powell and, particularly, Jack Benny were never better. Although Lombard lacked the range of Barbara Stanwyck, she is like Stanwyck in the respect that their finest films are ageless, as fresh today as they were in the 1930s and 1940s.

Wes D. Gehring's Carole Lombard: The Hoosier Tornado is a brief, valuable examination of Lombard's life and films. Part of the recently inaugurated Indiana Biography Series, it reminds us that she was born Jane Alice Peters on October 6, 1908, in Fort Wayne, though Indiana only played the part of bookends in her life. Her mother relocated the family--sans husband--to California when the future star was still a young girl, and, of course, Lombard was returning from Indianapolis to Los Angeles after a war bond drive appearance when the plane she was in crashed west of Las Vegas. She died on January 17, 1942, three months after her thirty-third birthday. What was most important about her life, the films she dominated as an actress in the years between 1934 and 1942, had almost nothing to do with Indiana.

Gehring, a professor of film, does not take a fashionable academic approach to Lombard's career. Today, more than ever before, writing about movies is divided between two poles: the theoretically oriented and the biographically inclined. Gehring largely goes the biographical route. He traces Lombard's early career, her automobile accident that scarred her face (never very noticeable) and changed her conception of herself, her marriages to William Powell and Clark Gable, and her salty language and fine sense of humor. But most of his biography is devoted to her films, her relationships with cast members and directors. What emerges is the portrait of an actress caught between worlds. We use the word "Hollywood" with exquisite imprecision. Is it a place, an industry, a product, or a state of mind? It is all these things--and more. It is worlds inside worlds--worlds of agents and producers, directors and stars, the Cocoanut Grove circle and the Ronald Colman clique. Lombard maneuvered through these various worlds, attempting to define herself when everyone else (mostly powerful men) wanted to control her. It all makes for an interesting story--a Hollywood story about Hollywood.

Good book for new Lombard fans ...
... but, as some reviewers have noted, it's not for the die-hard fan. That's because the book is basically a rehash of well-known anecdotes and draws heavily upon other biographies and articles. As for the lack of photos/thin volume, one must keep in mind that this was published by the Indiana Historical Society. It's very expensive to get the rights for photos, not to mention print them on high quality, glossy paper. Like another reader however, I give high marks just for getting a book on Lombard published - and that can be attributed to the Indiana Historical Society. I've published books and I have been pitching a biography of Carole Lombard for YEARS. I even have a complete outline and have chalked up years and years of research ... but publishers don't want to touch it. They just don't think she'd sell. There needs to be an angle, etc.

So this is the first book in a long time to be devoted solely to Lombard. In fact, it's been over 30 years since there has been any great interest in her. In the early and mid-70s there were a rash of books: Frederick Ott published 'The Films of Carole Lombard', Warren Harris published 'Gable and Lombard' - a poor film adaptation was made with Jill Clayburgh and James Brolin. Joe Morella published, 'Gable & Lombard & Powell & Harlow' and Leonard Maltin published 'Carole Lombard'. Then Larry Swindell published 'Screwball' - the only true biography of Lombard, which was also published during a time when so many of her peers were still around to be interviewed. Lyn Tornabene's bio of Clark Gable, 'Long Live the King' was published during this time and contains perhaps the best descriptions of Carole Lombard ever - sort of a bio within a bio. Several years ago, there was a glimmer of hope when Robert Matzen published a bio-bibliography of Carole Lombard. It was a rather dry read and suffered from odd print - but it was afterall, a bio-bibliography and so it was good in that respect. So, Gehring's book is really the first of its kind since Swindell's 'Screwball.'

I agree that Carole Lombard deserves so much more - and she should be able to stand alone (not just as the star-crossed, glamorous appendage of Clark Gable). I haven't given up hope yet! Although this book is not the best read, having it out there is very important and fans must keep in mind that the author was probably limited to the publishing house's resources. If you enjoy Lombard's movies and don't know much about her, this book is a good starting point.

Carole Lombard, the Hoosier Tornado
The book was poorly written. It started with her death, but shed no new light to what the average movie fan already knew. It seemed that the writer went on the internet, found some old articles and put them together and called it a book. I read it in one hour and just finished it simply because I started it.

Could have been so much more...
I'm giving this 3 stars just for existing. Actually writing and publishing a book on Carole Lombard, a great comedienne unfortunately best remembered today for being the blonde half of "Gable and Lombard"(if you asked most people under 50 to identify her picture-or conversely, tell you what she looked like, they probably couldn't, unlike Bette Davis, Ginger Rogers or any number of other 1930's greats), gets the author points from me. Also commendable is the lack of breathless, over-the-top language "movie star" bios are so often filled with, being more "fan fiction" than fact. Too bad, then, that this book is so slim, as it's unlikely another publisher will put out anything else on her for some time; this one only made it into print on the basis of Lombard's being born in Indiana-and this is apparently one of a proposed series of "Hoosier"-film-related biographies to come. That said, while the author has done some research, there's not nearly enough here, either biographically or contexually and critically, to justify owning this for any but the most die-hard Lombard fans...of which I'm one. The photograph selection is particularly sparse and uninspired, criminal when writing about such a beautiful, photogenic woman as Lombard was.
There are almost NO candid shots, there's exactly ONE, often-printed "personal" photo of Lombard when she was 8 years old...many films are passed over, and there are a few glaring mistakes(note to Mr. Gehring: sir, any casual viewing of Carole's films will show that her famous scar (received in an auto accident in her teens, almost preempting her film career before it started) was on the LEFT, NOT the right side, of her face. What a weird error for a man to make who claims to have "lived surrounded" by Lombard memorabilia for years!). In sum, I'm disappointed that this book, which had the chance of being so much more, amounts to a long magazine article rather than a complete and definitive biography. The author does, however, have a deep affection for his subject, and does offer a few new insights-a few.
My recommendation for best-to-date stories and reflections on this great, great performer would be David Chierichetti's "Mitchell Leisen: Hollywood Director", an oral history of one of Carole's best directors, who also was an intimate friend of hers. Go for that one instead. if you must choose. And certainly check out "Nothing Sacred", "My Man Godfrey", "Hands Across the Table", and "To Be Or Not To Be", to name a few of her peerless films. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Fascinating description of life on the frontier of Dakota
Hamilton was one of the small ranchers who traveled to Dakota after the Civil War to find his fortune. Written years after the events described, the clarity with which he recalls the events and the details of daily life are amazing. The good-humored style and the simple stories have the power to make you wish you could have gone along with those hardy pioneers. ... Read more

Reviews (1)

Throwing pearls before swine...
I've concluded that the epic of Mr. Lovejoy, a contemporary of Abraham Lincoln, is about a man who didn't know when to quit.Former U.S. Senator from Illinois, Paul Simon, has formulated a fast reading, rivetingrendition of the way too brief life of this "glutton forpunishment." Simon's account coincides well with the embarrassingstory presented in Alton,IL these days.Still, I was left with questions,like "Why didn't Reverend Lovejoy move on?" "Was Lovejoy thecatalyst for the American Civil War rather than John Brown?" and"Why was Abraham Lincoln's duel in Alton cancelled?"I found theanswers by visiting the city where the final months of this anti-slaverynewspaper editor's life transpired. The tale of Elijah P. Lovejoy, although165 years old, gave me plenty of food for thought.If you want to knowmore there are other books.If you want the gist, this volume will serveyou well. ... Read more

Book Description

Pictures of Home is based on photographs that were stored on a shelf in the bedroom closet where Douglas Bukowski grew up. The pictures tell about a husband, wife, their children, and the inevitability of change. A story of a family and a city, told affectionately and endearingly by one who is part of both. ... Read more

Book Description

In Dakota Boy, a skilled writer gives a thoughtful, entertaining account of his childhood in North DakotaÂ’s Red River Valley in the 1940Â’s and early Â’50Â’s, depicting the haphazard, often comical, hit-and-miss process by which the child and adolescent tries to build an identity. Along the way, he traces the gradual expansion of social consciousness, explores his puzzling, unsatisfying relationship with his distant, taciturn father, and shows the indelible, inescapable influence of the Northern Plains environment: the severe climate, the table flat fields of potatoes and wheat under an intimidating expanse of sky, and the mid century strictures of Scandinavian-Lutheran conservatism.

In the end, he says, “I realized that trying to shake my past was futile, that like it or not I’d just have to go through life with a certain amount of North Dakota on my shoes.”

“…a funny, moving, vividly written book…”Bob Hagerty, The Wall Street Journal.

“As amusing as Fargo – but this is real life in North Dakota …a discerning reminiscence written with insight and humor…will jog nostalgic childhood memories for every reader.”Sally Maran, Smithsonian Magazine.

Reviews (3)

Dakota Boy Strikes Familiar Chords
As a contemporary of Robert Woutat, I found that Dakota Boy resonated with my own Minnesota memories of the forties and fifties. His relaxed, conversational rendering of Grand Forks half a century ago is utterly unpretentious but wonderfully concrete and evocative. Like good literature of all kinds, Dakota Boy is both true to its unique coordinates of place and time, and universal in many respects. At moments in this memoir we laugh; at moments we mourn the passing of a way of life; and at moments we feel that in some ways we have grown as a culture in the last half-century. I was sorry to finish the book.

An entertaining and insightful story
This book is a well written, entertaining and poignant account of growing up in the Upper Midwest in the post-Depression, WW II era. It is especially memorable for those growing up in that era and region but also provides an insight into what growing up in general was like during the more simple and structured first half of the 20th Century in contrast to the progressive and socially tumultuous times soon to be experienced.

The author also provides an historical account of the ethnic and environmental factors that shaped the inhabitants of the region and personalizes it in a way that leads us to understand how this lineage fostered the culture and behavior in that part of our country. He articulates this legacy especially well with his description of the unwritten precepts or commandments - starting with Thou shalt not put thy emotions on display - "that became the ground rules for all of our social intercourse, including friendship and even marriage".

This book will be a delight for general-interest readers but most especially for those who experienced growing up in a similar place and time.

Review for Rob Woutat's "Dakota Boy."
Born in 1938 in Grand Forks, North Dakota, Rob Woutat (rhymes with Utah) grew up in an age when kids were allowed to be kids, learning life-lessons sometimes the hard way, and having to "stand on [their] own without parental supports or buttresses." All throughout the narrative are references to historical and cultural elements (WWII, the Korean War, the death of Stalin, Eisenhower, the McCarthy era, Krushev, the payola scandal, Mickey Mantle, sock hops, Butch Wax, and Brylchreme), providing a rich backdrop and a wonderful sense of time and place in the context of a sheltered Dakotan upbringing. Highly recommended! ...