Book Description

"A vivid and compelling book." (Time magazine)

Erik Weihenmayer was born with retinoscheses, a degenerative eye disorder that would leave him blind by the age of thirteen. But Erik was determined to rise above this devastating disability and lead a fulfilling and exciting life.

In this poignant and inspiring memoir, he shares his struggle to push past the limits imposed on him by his visual impairment-and by a seeing world. He speaks movingly of the role his family played in his battle to break through the barriers of blindness: the mother who prayed for the miracle that would restore her son's sight and the father who encouraged him to strive for thatdistant mountaintop. And he tells the story of his dream to climb the world's Seven Summits, and how he is turning that dream into astonishing reality (something fewer than a hundred mountaineers have done).

From the snow-capped summit of McKinley to the towering peaks of Aconcagua and Kilimanjaro to the ultimate challenge, Mount Everest, this is a story about daring to dream in the face of impossible odds. It is about finding the courage to reach for that ultimate summit, and transforming your life into something truly miraculous.

"I admire you immensely. You are an inspiration to other blind people and plenty of folks who can see just fine." (Jon Krakauer, author of Into Thin Air) ... Read more

Reviews (19)

Just Terrific
This is just a terrific book, filled with humor, wisdom, pathos and adventure. The author poignantly describes his childhood descent into blindness, his efforts to ignore it, his initial rebelliousness, and his gradual coming to terms with his handicap. Before long, the reader, like Erik, no longer sees blindness as a handicap, but as one of many hurdles life tosses in our way. It is certainly less of a burden to him than was the sudden, tragic death of his mother, which he movingly addresses and comes to terms with. He finds purpose to his life, he finds love, and he finds friendship and adventure on the mountains that he climbs. Buy this book and give it to any friend who has an inclination toward self-pity, and it may change their life. Read it and be inspired by the resiliency and strength of the human spirit.

Touch the Top of the World
This is a fabulous book. One minute you are laughing out loud and the next, tears are pouring down your face. The tears are not of sadness but of joy for all the wonderful experiences Erik has had; his relationships with friends and family, his adventures among the cracks and crevices. With great wit, Erik expresses his triumphs along with his challenges. My son has been blind for two years. He lost his sight to genetics, but we had no cue that the family had the gene until his sight started going three weeks before his nineteenth birthday, it only took those three weeks. He just turned 21 on August 2. Unlike Erik, Larry does have the talent of music and travels with his band, Jepetto, around the East Coast. He even has gone back to taking Classical piano lessons. Like Erik he found no encouragement in what his abilities would do for him. TOUCH THE TOP OF THE WORLD really helps you understand the the feeling of blindness, not of the limitations the world puts on you, but of the heights to which you can arise. Please read it, you will not be sorry you did, only sorry if you hadn't read it. I am donating a copy to each of my son's schools.

A Triumphant Life
This is an ease read but surprisingly soul-awakening book for me. There are statements on life lessons strung together like jewels hidden everywhere in this book, from the start to finish, mostly on self-assumed constraints that are common to everyone, sighted or not. I found vicariously the family love, friendship, and community support invigorating. I sensed the humor, strength, commitment, and perseverance Erik W carries with him daily, not just to the mountain top, which makes this book an absolute page-turner. Thanks Erik W for writing this book and share intimately with the readers the details of your journeys and the poeple in your life, we all have a lot to learn and draw from your experiences touched by the top of the world.

This man is an ass
I've heard this idiot speak about his experiences, and right away, I'd perceived he was an arrogant jerk who was writing a book for recognition, not to neccesarily inspire other climbers. I was at a conference where his book was touted all over the place, and that's when I knew it wasn't worth buying. Please, people, look beyond the fact that he's blind and that he climbed some of the most difficult mountains in the world, and have a look at his personal life. As one other reviewer said, this guy is a jerk, through and through. I'm not even going to read the book, that's how sure I am that it isn't worth my time.

The Character named chris at the beginning makes the book
It was a flavorful read. I believe the character chris seems to tie everything together. He is a dashing young buck so to speak. I could read about him for hours. I kept wanting to know what Chris was doing when the minor character Erik was climbing Mt. Everest. My only suggestion for improvement would be to have more of Chris in the book. Otherwise it was a dandy of a book. ... Read more

Reviews (14)

Southern Humor Rises Again
Florence King, Molly Ivins, Bailey White, Jill Conner Brown, and now Celia Rivenbark. The tradition of Southern Belle humorists lives on.

We're Just Like You, Only Prettier is similar to the Sweet Potato Queens books, but not as outrageous. Still, I found myself reading a good portion of this book out loud to anyone who would listen. Even if there is no one else around but the hound dog, you might enjoy reading this book aloud, with a (fake, if necessary) Carolina accent to get the full flavor of the humor.

Celia Rivenbark RULES!
Ever since I read the "Sweet Potato Queens Book of Love," I have been hooked on literature for Southern women. When I saw the title of Celia Rivenbark's new book, "We're Just Like You, Only Prettier," I knew this is an author for me. Everything she writes about is humorous and timely, at least for me...having a child when you're a little "more mature," having long pretty nails, taking your precious child anywhere, family, etc. Celia is a hoot! Now I can't wait to read "Bless Your Heart, Tramp." I read "We're Just Like You, Only Prettier" in one sitting. This is a wonderful, entertaining book!

Miss Celia is the secret love child of Louis Grizzard
Hilarious southern humor. If this doesn't make you bust a gut laughing, nothing will. She's got the nuances and the southern lingo down pat. She also makes a mean chicken pan pie when she isn't tossing fruit bars in the backseat of her car for her toddler to eat! Can't wait for her next book. Hurry, hurry, Celia, tempus is fugiting!

Oh . . . My . . . Gawd!!!
This has to be one of the funniest books I've ever read! Rivenbark is a genius when it comes to observations and has so perfectly captured the South that it's scary. I've had the privelage to have lived there and up north, and let me tell you, it's a completely different country. Rivenbark's South is not the moonlight and magnolias of "Gone With the Wind." It's more like Reed's "Queen of the Turtle Derby" or McCrae's "The Bark of the Dogwood--A Tour of Southern Homes and Gardens," in its use of humor. I just can't recommend this book enough. Y'all go buy it now!

Precious
Ms. Rivenbark has a delicious sense of humor, I am so glad I bought this and couldn't help finishing it in one day. ... Read more

Book Description

Known around the globe for her indefatigable work on behalf of the poor, the sick, and the dying, Mother Teresa has devoted her life to giving hope to the hopeless in more than one hundred and twenty countries. She inspires us all to find a way to translate our spiritual beliefs into action in the world. How has one woman accomplished so much? And what are the guiding principles that have enabled this humble nun to so profoundly effect the lives of millions?
Now, in her own words, Mother Teresa shares the thoughts and experiences that have led her to do her extraordinary charitable work. A candid look at her everyday life--at the very simplicity and self-sacrifice that give her the strength to move mountains--A Simple Path gives voice to the remarkable spirit who has dedicated her life to the poorest among us.
Just as important as her beliefs are how they are put into action in the world, and A Simple Path also tells the story of the founding of the Missionaries of Charity, their purpose and practice, and the results of their tireless work. Through faith, surrender, and prayer, the missionaries live to serve others; they have improved the lives of countless souls and given dignity to the dying. Their mission has also produced a ripple effect, spreading human compassion to communities where there is need.
Through these examples, as well as the uplifting words and guiding prayers of Mother Teresa and those who work with her, everyone can learn how to walk the simple path that Mother Teresa has laid out for us, to help create a truly kinder world for the future.
A Simple Path is a unique spiritual guide for Catholics and non-Catholics alike: full of wisdom and hope from the one person who has given us the greatest model of love in action in our time.
... Read more

Reviews (20)

A Simple Path but an Extraordinary Book
A Simple Path by Mother Theresa is an inspirational book. Mother Theresa wrote it as an informative narrative of segments of her life. It tells of her many good works and the works of others. Collectively, they share their many tales of heartwarming acts of love for the poor and less fortunate, the diseased and the broken-hearted, and the wounded and lost souls of the world. The sisters heal the wounds of those who have strayed away from the path of God and they urge everyone to help bring people back into the light, back to God.
The focus of the book is to promote serving others. It was once said that the best way to lead is by serving. This is the simple message and the simple path Mother Theresa explains throughout her many encounters with people of every age, race, and religion. She urges the reader to take this path as Jesus took up his cross. "One must not love and expect love in return, because that is not real love," as Mother Theresa once said. Love can be received by serving another and by watching that individual's happiness grow because of one kind act.
Mother Theresa does not want the reader to save the world, but to help in one small way. She says, "If you can't feed a hundred people, then feed just one." It does not require money, but it does require time to love. A Simple Path describes the life every human should take up, the life of service. This book is inspirational and serves as a spiritual seed, helping spirituality to grow and flourish. It helps one's faith to grow and teaches how to act on faith as opposed to just claiming faith. This book helps to prioritize what is truly important in life, and that is God. In a world that is full of hatred, violence, and misery, it points to God. Mother Theresa shows the way to hope. She leads by serving. She serves by loving. A Simple Path shows the way.

Why do we make it so stinking hard?
Mother Teresa used to threaten me, the way all good people do. I thought she had nothing to say to me (that I wanted to hear anyway) because she would challenge a part of me that didn't want guilt. How could I relate to a non-stop self-denial works machine? Surely, a part of her had to be dead or dying or in denial. I wanted to find out more. In her book, "No Greater Love", I learned that Mother Teresa was a person who saw Jesus in "the distressing disguise" of not only the poor, but the abused and the cruel and the mean and the unloved. For Mother Teresa, response to that person is response to Jesus. ("When I was hungry, you gave me something to eat...") In "A Simple Path", two paths seem to be explored: the simple life path Mother Teresa herself followed, and the simple path the volunteers of the Missionaries of Charity (the order she founded) follow. The exploration of both pathways was, for me, an eye-opener. Here are people who simply minister to needs, and who do not force feed Jesus to the one in need. The paradox is that many who are ministered to end up turning to God...perhaps because they saw a little bit of God in the person who helped. And Mother Teresa's take on finding God? Pray. "If you find it hard to pray," she says, "you can say 'Come Holy Spirit, guide me, protect me, clear out my mind so that I can pray.'" I didn't realize a works machine could teach me so much. A Simple Path, maybe; a simple woman, never. This review may be wordy, but I'd never have enough space to quote the things she said that stopped me dead. Read this book and discover the depth of a woman who is called a saint, and how she happened by the name. I've learned Mother Teresa can teach me something, and I can still eat chocolate and spend money with no serious guilt. Means she said a few things that went beyond coughing up change for the poor. (I only wonder if she could see Jesus in the distressing disguise of a manic four year old.)

Inspiring
I bought this book about 6 years ago. It's one of those books that you pick up and cannot put down. I was totally enthralled with it from the first few pages and every chapter became more and more inspiring. I was not a Christian when I read this book, so it's not just for believers. Rather it is a book for those who long for something more in their lfe, to walk in a deeper yet more 'simple' way. All of the chapters such as the ones on prayer, love, faith etc touched me deeply and even though it's been several years since I read it, I would read it again most definately. I lent it to someone and have never been given it back. I may just have to buy it again! --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

A good reminder
This book is a good reminder of how to love. Many of us discuss, debate and guess at what real love looks like. This book reminds us that love can range from serving to just holding someone who is living their last days. This book often wisely suggests that we could preach less and serve more. Inspiring.

Fake
Mother Teresa was a self-aggrandizing fake. How can you all be taken in by her???? ... Read more

Amazon.com

With three steamy books by the women in Elvis's life already published (1997's Elvis: In theTwilight of Memory by June Juanico; Priscilla Beaulieu Presley's 1991 tell-all, Elvis and Me;and Joyce Bova's Don't Ask Forever: My Love Affair with Elvis), can the world absorb another?Suzanne Finstad, author of Child Bride: The Untold Story of Priscilla Beaulieu Presley, certainlyhopes so.

With as many darkly intriguing details as the chambers of Graceland, Finstad--journalist, lawyer, andauthor of two true-crime books--defends her own theories on the complexity and grit of the former Mrs.Presley. Why did she conspire with her mother to keep her paternity a secret? How old was she when shetook up with the King? Suzanne Finstad treats us to her own exhaustively researched version of the facts. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

The Price of Fame
I don't usually read this kind of book - (the last biography I read before this was of Darwin), but for many of my generation Elvis came on the scene as we were entering pubescence, and represented the sentiments we felt in his songs. There was something remarkable about him - the "good ole boy" honesty as it seemed to us. His downfall and death shook many old fans who had left him behind for a time. Now, we revisit the wonder of who he was, for better and for worse - the tragedy of his short life. This book brings the reader to see Elvis through this significant aspect of his life. Without Elvis, there would not have been a Priscilla Presley. I think the author tried to present a fair perspective, and took a journalistic approach to the writing her book. What is the truth? - who can say - in some aspects it is a matter of perspective, and in others, the guy Currie who introduced her to Elvis, for example, simply bad bad manners because there is a certain aspect of privacy that people deserve of intimate relationships. Who could blame Priscilla for suing about that aspect of the book. It was a very very ugly part of the book. The book certainly has drawn reaction. One thinks - too bad Elvis didn't marry Ann Margret .... Not in any bad vibes of Priscilla, because she is some smart lady, and I think did well by any measure for Lisa, but because Ann Margret is some classy lady and she stood by her man Roger Smith, through sickness and good times, as he did for her. Wishful thinking.. Elvis' fame gave him a tremendous power, and that power prevented anyone from saving him. Who could blame Priscilla for leaving him? Child Bride is a good read through - once, for those who have a deep feeling of who Elvis was. He was a unique man. He died too young. His music lives on.. cliche, but oh, so true...

bad
This book is tabloid fodder. Don't read it. It contradicts itself and is terrible all the way around.

Jealous author seeks fame
Where do I begin? I began reading this book with an open mind, having heard good and bad things about it. It is bad. Ms. Finstad comes off as a very jealous woman. She sounds like a 12 year old still mad that she didn't marry Elvis. If you are a fan of either Elvis or Priscilla, don't read this book. If I described this book in one word it would be contradictory. Ms. Finstad constantly refers to the "web of lies" that Priscilla has spun. I find it hard to believe that if the web truly exists, why would she be the first to discover it? Wouldn't some one else have uncoverd it years before? There are countless contradictory ideas in this book. She describes how Priscilla was a master of masking her true emotions then a few pages later she says that once Elvis left Germany Priscilla acted happy go lucky so that meant that Priscilla didn't love Elvis. Couldn't she be masking her true emotions so people didn't think that she was deeply sad? That is just one example. I also don't respect the opinions of her sources. All of whom have reason to be jealous of Priscilla. I find it hard to believe that someone you knew for a year when you were 12 can be a judge of your true character. Ms. Finstad can't even get simple things right. She said Elvis was 11 years older when he was 10. She said they married 7 years after meeting when it was 8. Ms. Finstad needs to understand adoption as well. Priscilla was adopted by her step-father so her name was legally chnaged to Beaulieu but Ms. Finstad tries to say that Priscilla was denying her past by not going by Wagner. There are several sources from the book that say how Priscilla never loved Elvis but these same people go onto TV interviews and say they loved eachother but just couldn't make it work. Elvis was not stupid. He would have known if she didn't love him. The virginity issue is always a hot topic. I'll just say that Elvis thought she was a virgin before and after they got married so I'll leave it at that. I can't even remember every little bit of contradiction in the book right now but rest assured that it is filled with it. Don't waste your money.

Child Bride - The truthful side
I had originally read Priscilla Presleys, "Elvis and Me", and to be honest, I couldnt help but feel that Priscilla had glossed over her story with Elvis. There didnt seem to be any real emotion portrayed throughout the book, just a glossy, storytale fashion that the myth of her and elvis has evolved from. I truly felt that Priscilla was very good at painting the most perfect, sweet image of herself, yet she didnt open up and reveal any raw, honest regrets that she also may have made in the relationship. I admit, I was left throughout the book with many questions for various situations/events in her life with Elvis.So, it came as a surprise when a friend of mine mentioned that there was a book that may answer those doubts that I had.
Suzanne Finstad's account seems to be 100% researched before any information was put into this book and I truly feel that Priscilla Presley was the victim of an overly ambitious mother and father. This book (unbelievably), seemed to answer all those doubts and questions that I had in my head from the first book. The evidence is there to support that Priscilla made the "rape" story up in order to detract what had went on between herself and Curry..after all lets face it, it would take quite an "advanced 14 year old" to be able to hold the attention of a 25 year old man. Also, whilst I completly condem what Curry Grant did, what reason would this man lie for ?? to hurt his family?, to destroy his own character ?, I dont think so. Unfortunatly I found that the evidence in this book supports the fact that the Elvis/Priscilla myth, that Priscilla painted was a (PR), motivated stretch of her imagination. There is some dark truths in this book, I feel, and for those hardened Elvis and Priscilla fans who believe in the Priscilla myth, this book is not for you, however, If you too felt similar opinions about Priscilla's book, This is a must read, backed up by ground breaking evidence and reliable sources (close associates of both). GO BUY IT !

I found this to be a very good read..
People are so wrapped in the myth of Elvis and Priscilla, that when anything comes along to refute that, people get very upset. Because from reading some of these reviews, this book was something that diehards didn't want to read about, because they are so used to hearing the usual spin from Priscilla, which they take as the gospel.

People tend to be gulliable when it comes to celebs and believe everything they say. Because if you go back and read her book and then Suzanne's, the inconsistences are very obvious. Plus Priscilla did say she learned PR from the best Colonel Parker and Elvis.

Celebs create lies about themselves all of the time, Priscilla is no diffrent. Some reviews have said that the ex's and the entourage have a ax to grind. But what about her childhood friends, I doubt they had a ax to grind. And you can pretty much tell from reading their stories, which were very well collaborated, that they were telling the truth.

Priscilla always had it in mind to meet Elvis, and she wasn't a virgin on her wedding night. Priscilla had a active (...) life when Elvis was gone. And her parents, seeing Elvis as the big mealticket, sent her back to the States because she was getting to wrapped up in Jamie Lindberg. Even though they were eventually going to follow soon after.

And it was a eye-opener that her parents had a diffrent set of rules for her other boyfriends but when it came to Elvis, anything went. Sometimes Priscilla came home as late as after midnight, and her parents really didn't put a stop to that. And lets not get started on the fact that Elvis was a grown man and Priscilla was still a child, which gets glossed over because Elvis such a legend now. Honestly, how many parents would knowingly let their daughter go over to a adult man's house, let alone live with him. Not many but i know alot would, if the guy was a big celebrity..

Currie Grant's story i believe 100% because he readily admits his wrongs, the fact that he wasn't perfect in the whole situation. And i found it funny that Priscilla sued him and no one else, probably because he was the easiest target because he was shut out of Elvis's world. Plus Priscilla has made enough money off of Elvis's name to pay lawyers for years.

And the interviews with her friends at the time about the Eve comparisons are good, because i believe that Priscilla is a very calculating and intelligent person, discarding those she has no more use for, after she learned all she can from them. Joe Esposito, who numerous people have said is a very nice guy and Rick Stanley, i found to be very truthful to and thought they had alot of good insight.

In regards to Ann-Margaret, who i believe was the love of Elvis's life and Priscilla and Lisa. I read this book in a objective frame of mind and i came away from it thinking that this is in the top 5 of books of anything Presely related. Suzanne Finstad did a very good job writing this book, very well researched. ... Read more

Book Description

Martha Brockenbrough's It Could Happen To You is a delightfully funny diary of the author's own pregnancy through the first year of her daughter's life.It is the perfect antidote to all of the patronizing, horribly dull pregnancy books, which are long on advice and short on laughs.It Could Happen To You began as a column Brockenbrough wrote for the Microsoft Network while she was pregnant.During its tenure on MSN, it was the most widely read column about pregnancy and motherhood on the Internet.It's easy to see why.Brockenbrough's amusing approach to pregnancy and motherhood will strike a chord with experienced moms and the newly pregnant alike, who may wonder, as the author did, "Do I really have to wear maternity clothes?"Throughout the book, Brockenbrough shares her joys and her fears, and asks the questions every new mom wants to know, such as, "Why do old ladies keep telling me my baby is cold?" and share the realization that 'When you're a mother, your guilt light goes off the second you start doing something for you, instead of something for your child." A few not-to-be-missed chapters written by her husband, Adam, such as "A Guy's Guide to Baby Holding," provide a comical male perspective on the whole experience.Refreshingly honest and funny, It Could Happen To You is just right for bolstering the most important tool a new parent has - a sense of humor. ... Read more

Reviews (27)

you must read this book!
This book is unique. My wife and I are expecting our first child in a couple of months. She got this book from a friend and insisted that I read it. Boy am I glad that I did. Not only is it hilarious, but its the first pregnancy book I have read with a chapter just for Dad's to be that actually contains useful advice. Martha's husband writes a chapter that had me rolling! This book talks about all the things surrounding pregnancy that other books gloss over. It's the perfect, light, funny companion to the pregnancy instruction books we all know about (i.e. What to expect when you're expecting). Martha has a unique style that really sets her apart. I can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

I'm buying a copy for all my pregnant friends!
Loved the column (I've read it when I was pregnant), love the book! Any future mom (or woman having second thoughts about motherhood) should read this book.
I cried, I laughed (my husband, my daughter and our pet looked at me suspiciously) I translated favourite parts to anyone who would listen..
Martha, please keep writing.

Just what the doctor (or midwife) ordered....
If the hormonal swings of pregnancy are getting you down, a dose of Martha Brockenbrough could be just what the doctor (or midwife) ordered. It Could Happen to You: Diary of a Pregnancy and Beyond makes the perfect companion to some of the more serious pregnancy reference books - the kind that may be causing you to toss and turn at night. Brockenbrough has the gift of being about to see the humor in everything from morning sickness to labor to mother guilt - and, trust me, that really is a gift. A lot of mamas-to-be lose their sense of humor long before delivery day....

Refreshingly funny!
In a world where boring advice books are a dime a dozen, "It Could Happen to You!" is a lovely reprieve. The author's hilarious perspective of in-the-trenches pregnancy and parenthood shows the real side of having a baby. Her witty and sometimes irreverent observations on this eye-opening stage of life provide endless laughs -- and sometimes tears. This book is a must-have for all new moms and those soon-to-be!

Are there more than 5 stars anywhere??
This book is absolutely delightful. I read exerpts of it to my husband last night and we were both laughing. This tickled my funny bone absolutely.

Get it, read it, love it like we do.

Happy New Year! ... Read more

Book Description

A tour de force of investigative journalism-this is the story of the violent rise and fall of Pablo Escobar, the head of the Colombian Medellin cocaine cartel. Escobar's criminal empire held a nation of thirty million hostage in a reign of terror that would only end with his death. In an intense, up-close account, award-winning journalist Mark Bowden exposes details never before revealed about the U.S.-led covert sixteen-month manhunt. With unprecedented access to important players-including Colombian president C&eacutesar Gaviria and the incorruptible head of the special police unit that pursued Escobar, Colonel Hugo Martinez-as well as top-secret documents and transcripts of Escobar's intercepted phone conversations, Bowden has produced a gripping narrative that is a stark portrayal of rough justice in the real world.

"The story of how the U.S. Army Intelligence and Delta Force commandos helped Colombian police track down and kill Pablo Escobar is a compelling, almost Shakespearean tale." (Los Angeles Times)

"Absolutely riveting. . . . Mark Bowden has a way of making modern nonfiction read like the best of novels." (The Denver Post) ... Read more

Reviews (126)

Second to Black Hawk Down
Killing Pablo is a book that should have been made into a movie. It had every aspect of a good movie needed to succeed. Pablo Escobar, who was at the time, the single most powerful drug trafficker in the world. As he became more powerful, he believed the more people needed to be taken out. Little did he know this was the beginning of his long and violent downfall. Mark Bowden again delivers a book that reads very easy. Full of information about hundreds of people involved with either Pablo's rise or Pablo's fall, Killing Pablo is one of the most informitive books I have read about beginning of the drug wars that have consumed the United States of America for now well over 10 years. With the current escalating situation in South America, Killing Pablo is a great book to gain a better understanding of why exactly there are American soldiers down there. I would recomend this book to anybody who enjoys furthering their knowledge of modern day wars, or who has enjoyed books like this, for example Black Hawk Down, in the past. I give it 4 stars because it is not as good as Black Hawk Down, and doesnt deserve to be given and equal rating. A very well done book though.

Informative, yet unfulfilling
For a straight journalistic account of how the U.S. Government joined forces with elements of the Colombian government to hunt down and kill Pablo Escobar, "Killing Pablo" brings the goods. The years long pursuit of the man many considered to be the world's most notorious outlaw was punctuated by epic corruption and fantastic levels of sickening violence. All of this author Mark Bowdon scrupulously documents. The problem with the book is that Bowden has no sources who were truly on the inside of Escobar's empire. This is not surprising given that most of his associates were killed. But without first hand accounts of many of the violent incidents, they become a blur of facts that eventually become mind numbing. By all accounts, Escobar was a cunning and ruthless man, but without first hand accounts, the reader really doesn't get to know him. As a result, Bowden's narrative tends to drag after awhile.

Bowden does an excellent job of humanizing the men, both American and Colombian, who were reponsible for Escobar's downfall. But their stories are just not as interesting. Ultimately, at the end of the book Bowden shows just how futile the drug war has been to date. It would be nice to think that the book might help America rethink its drug startegy. But I think that's being overly optomistic.

Reading Pablo
I picked up this book because I really liked Black Hak Down. This book is written in the same style that made BHD a great book. There is great attention to detail, personal portraits of the characters, and an ever-evolving storyline. My exposure to Pablo Escobar before this book was just a brief understanding that he was a drug dealer from way back. Other than that I could not tell you much about the guy. But after reading this book, I have a much better understanding of the man and why the U.S. wanted him neutralized.

Great read. Quick read. Must buy.

an interesting argument against the drug war
This book, inadvertently, I suspect, is really an argument against the drug war. By now a cliche, this line of thought postulates that, were drugs like cocaine not criminalized in the states, there would be no or little incentive for murderous thugs in Latin America to risk murder and lengthy prison times getting the drug in this country.

Thus, one could argue, quite blithely, that, had the American government wised up and attempted to regulate drug trafficking like any other international business, many of the unsavory elements of the business would depart for greener (more illicit) pastures. The natural consequence of this, of course, would be that millions of dollars otherwise spent on futile attempts at interdiction and eradication would be spent elsewhere, and many of the thousands of people killed both in the United States and Latin America over the past 25 years would instead be alive.

Would that it were true that the United States could hew to the lessons learned in the alcohol trade: once alcohol was legal again in the United States and it became a regulated drug sold only to people legally eligible to buy it, the violence associated with it declined precipitously. In fact, the only violence associated with alcohol use today is domestic violence and drunk driving. Those violent acts, while of course tragic to all those involved in them, are far fewer and far less bloody than the gang wars initiated by Al Capone and his antogonists.

That the same lesson applies in the drug war is sad.

On another note, a number of reviewers on this site have mentioned many apparent parallels between the hunt for Pablo Escobar and the hunt for Saddam Hussein and Osama bin Laden. While it is true that, superficially, there are parallels, such as the US government deciding that its national security in all three instances was at risk with these monsters operating openly, it is nonetheless an unfair comparison. Relatively few Colombians liked Escobar, and he never had the legitimacy of the state behind him, as did Hussein.

Given all that, this is an excellent account of the travails leading up to, and concluding with, the execution of Escobar.

Great Read
This book was a great read. I had always been interested in the story about Pablo's rise and fall, and this book was very well written, and informative. ... Read more

Book Description

A gripping memoir that reads like a political thriller--the story of Malika Oufkir's turbulent and remarkable life. Born in 1953, Malika Oufkir was the eldest daughter of General Oufkir, the King of Morocco's closest aide. Adopted by the king at the age of five, Malika spent most of her childhood and adolescence in the seclusion of the court harem, one of the most eligible heiresses in the kingdom, surrounded by luxury and extraordinary privilege.

Then, on August 16, 1972, her father was arrested and executed after an attempt to assassinate the king. Malika, her five younger brothers and sisters. and her mother were immediately imprisoned in a desert penal colony. After fifteen years, the last ten of which they spent locked up in solitary cells, the Oufkir children managed to dig a tunnel with their bare hands and make an audacious escape. Recaptured after five days, Malika was finally able to leave Morocco and begin a new life in exile in 1996.

A heartrending account in the face of extreme deprivation and the courage with which one family faced its fate, Stolen Lives is an unforgettable story of one woman's journey to freedom. ... Read more

Reviews (197)

five stars for story and three stars for style
Malika Oufkir tells us the powerful and tragic story of her life in the book Stolen Lives. She begins the story describing her life as a princess after being adopted by the king of Morocco. She lived an almost unreal life of luxury while at court. The opulence Malika describes is comparable to the time of Marie Antoinette. From the resplendent court, her life is irrevocably altered when her father fails in an assassination attempt and her entire family is placed in prison including her three year old brother.

The family's story is extraordinary. Their triumph of spirit is remarkable considering the duration and horrors which they suffered. We see the importance of unity and belief of oneself and each other. We see incredible love and sacrifice. But we also see how imprisonment can degrade the human spirit and affect the psyche.

We learn in the preface of the book, how Malika came to hire Michele Fitoussi as the co-author of her book. Throughout the book, the reader cannot help but wonder why. It is a shame that such an interesting and compelling story was so poorly written. The author fails terribly in her attempt to describe herself as a sympathetic person prior to her imprisonment. The continual jumping back and forth in time is confusing and annoying to a reader. I also wondered if perhaps the translation was poor, because of the use of certain words and general lack of eloquence from a person who entertained her family with her stories in their darkest hour.

Another book which may interest readers who liked and appreciated Stolen Lives is In the Time of Butterflies by Julia Alvarez. Readers who appreciate stories about the triumph of the human spirit will enjoy Stolen Lives.

Amazing story that deserves a better telling.
"Stolen Lives" needs to be evaluated on two different levels - the moving tale of a family imprisoned under the worst conditions for 20 years and the way this amazing story has been memorialized by Malika Oufkir and Michele Fitoussi. The subject is engrossing and important, but the book itself is not well-written. This accounts for the disparity in ratings that the book has received.

It is fascinating to read about Malika'a unique and frequently heartbreaking life. The eldest daughter of a Morococcan general, she was taken from her family and adopted by the King. Western readers will find the tales of her life in the royal household surprising and enlightening. Not only was the lifestyle outrageously lavish, it was also consisted of customs and traditions that are completely different from our own. Malika was allowed to return to her own family as a young teenager. She only had a few years to get to know her father and enjoy life outside the confines of the palace. Her father before General Oufkir was implicated in a coup attempt against the King and was assassinated. The rest of the family - Malika, her mother, her oldest brother, three young sisters and three year old baby brother were summarily imprisoned. For twenty years they lived in increasingly brutal and inhumane conditions, persecuted by the King for their father's crimes and forgotten by the world. Thanks to their uncommon courage and ingenuity, the family was able to survive and eventually escape. It's not easy to read about many of the horrors and indignities that were heaped upon the Oufkirs, but it's important that the world know about their story.

Unfortunately, the book is not worthy of this amazing story. It was written by Malika with the assistance of Michele Fitoussi. The first problem is that the book does not give sufficient background about either the history of Morrocco or General Oufkir's powerful role as one of the King's chief aides. Those unfamiliar with Moroccan history will frequently find themself at a loss for context. Second, given that this is Malika's first person account, it necessarily is a very one-sided version of history. Not that I doubt her version of events - I just would have preferred a more complete and well-researched book that included not only Malika's story but also those of her siblings. Malika frequently portrays herself as the backbone of the family, the strongest member who kept them all from succumbing to madness. This very likely is true, but it would have a much greater impact coming from someone else. Finally, the writing style is very repetitive and immature. While Michele Fitoussi is very sympathetic to Malika's story and deserves much credit for persuading her to tell her story, I have no doubt that a more objective and skilled writer would have improved the quality of the book immensely. Hopefully a serious scholar will undertake a complete telling of the Oufkir's story. I, for one, will be anxious to read it.

Shallow and Poorly Written
After living off and on in Morocco for 7 years in the 90's I'd never actually heard of the Oufkirs but I did hear much of the supposed royal excess. I was always taken the stories with a grain of salt. To see them recounted on the pages of this book was interesting to say the least.

It's too bad that this is so poorly written because the story definitely deserves to be told....please someone tell it with a bit more depth.

**Unforgettable**
Some of you may have seen this woman on Oprah a few years back telling of her ordeal. I put off reading this book & had come to the conclusion that I didn't want to read a depressing nightmare of being locked in a remote prison for decades. Then along came a friend of a friend, who encouraged me to read it, that I "needed" to read it.
This book, to me, was life-changing. As I recognize how spoiled us Americans truly are, nothing could've prepared me for this family's struggles.
Malika & her family displayed such amazing gifts of courage & strength that I was blown away. In awe and humbled. Their "tale" was almost just that: a tale. I simply cannot fathom the conditions that these poor people survived in.
As I was continuously mesmerized by their strength during their imprisonment, I was later caught in Malika's greatest feat of all: forgiveness. This woman showed me what a powerful thing it truly is. She forgave with such grace & eloquence that I was just speechless. I speak mainly of her due to the fact that she was "adopted" by the royal family as a child & later cast out in a most horrifying way. As us readers were not given as much detail of her siblings (especially after their release), I can make no assumptions for them. Nevertheless, this family as a whole is an unwavering symbol of love, strength, & survival.
I hope that they are doing well now & thank each one of them for their story.
I hope that I never forget it, for it is a daily reminder of what I have in this life with my freedom & my family.

Amazing Story of the Human Spirit!
I have not done any research to verify if the information in this book is accurate or not. However, it was an excellent read and I highly recommend it! It provided an extraordinary glimpse into the world of human rights abuses and leaves the reader with a deep appreciation for the simple joys that we take for granted.

Malika Oufkir was a teenager in the prime of her life when she was put into horrible prison conditions for twenty years with her family. Her family was being punished for the political actions of her father.

Malika is an excellent story teller and has lives on the inside of the royal family in Morocco so it is very interesting to hear details of her upbringing.

It is extraordinary to hear of the atrocious jail conditions inflicted on this family that was used to such a lavish existence. If you have any interest in human rights or the politics of Morocco then you will be fascinated by this read! ... Read more

Book Description

By all appearances, Lizzie Simon was perfect. She had an Ivy League education, lots of friends, a loving family, and a dazzling career as a theater producer by the age of twenty-three. But that wasn't enough: Lizzie still felt alone in the world, and largely misunderstood. Having been diagnosed with bipolar disorder as a teenager, she longed to meet others like herself; she wanted to hear the experiences of those who managed to move past their manic-depression and lead normal lives. So Lizzie hits the road, hoping to find "a herd of her own." Along the way she finds romance and madness, survivors and sufferers, and, somewhere between the lanes, herself. Part road trip, part love story, Detour is a fast-paced, enduring memoir that demystifies mental illness while it embraces the universally human struggle to become whole. ... Read more

Reviews (3)

A Good Read
Lizzie Simon, a charming, witty, intelligent, bipolar young woman travels cross country interviewing fellow sufferers. I enjoyed this book, although I kept returning to the cover to look at her pictures, because she is so cute. Bipolar disorder is no joke, but that doesn't stop the author from having a good life.

A First in a New Genre about People with Mental Illness
Lizzie Simon experienced her first manic-depressive episode at age 17 in her senior year of high school while studying in Paris. It happened after she received early acceptance to Columbia University. Simon, now a 1998 graduate of Columbia University, quit her $900 a week job as creative producer of New York's Flea Theater at age 23, immediately after she helped them win the esteemed Obie Award. She had unresolved issues in her life, unexplored feelings left behind from the scary time in high school when her mind fell apart and was restored again with Lithium. She went away to college, sought and found success, and the subject of her daily battles with her life-saving pills never came up. She longed for closure. She searched for her sign, her way out.
"I kept receiving signs telling me I had other work to do. It was as if success had made a lot of noise in my head go away about being successful. I wasn't screeching at myself to make more and more. I wasn't basking in the public attention I was receiving or gloating through the streets of Tribecca. No, all of a sudden, it seemed things go really quiet in my head. I longed for a new direction, a new devotion. And then the signs emerged. The detour, my detour, lay ahead," she writes in Detour.
Then, she saw the sign. As she rode the subway back to her Brooklyn apartment, she saw a sign with a woman in a business suit. In big lettering over the woman it read, "For Mentally Illness, Treatment is Working". A few days later in the NYPress' "Best Of" section a commentary was written calling the ad "Best Scary Subway" ad of the year. The stigmatization and prejudice shown on behalf of the Press' editors moved her to write and send an editorial. From this editorial, spawned ideas for a new project aiming at de-stigmatizing mental illness and at the same time unite young sufferers.
"I am creating this project for the terrorized seventeen-year-old who has just been through hell and back. She's on the precipice of the rest of her life but she doesn't have the faith to know it, because all she can see, all anybody is showing her, is the dead end she feels surrounding her. I am making this journey for her, to help her through this, the hardest time in her life...I think she's worth my time, my energy, my art, and my honesty, because I think if she breaks through she'll change the world," she writes.
Detour began another part of her journey with this illness. She interviewed six other young successful people with bipolar disorder all between ages 16 and 30 chronicling their stories and asking them for advice on how they cope and deal with parents, coworkers, teachers, and friends. The story takes place in Simon's fathers's white SUV as she cruises from her parent's home in Rhode Island down the East Coast and out to California in search of her herd-her herd of other successful, high-functioning young people with mood disorders like herself. Along the way, she meets some odd characters, courageous souls, and battles terrifying existential woes, which almost cause her to abandon her quest and go home. She even adds some spice by including her love affair with a bipolar drug addict and fellow New Yorker throughout her book project.
Simon sketches with simplicity, portraying her six interviewees with honesty and sheer determination to survive and even thrive. Her empathetic interviews with other young bipolars as well as her witty insights into her own story make the book come alive. This book defines a beginning in a whole new genre of fiction and creative nonfiction about young people and mental illness. This is a must-have for every young person, their doctor, their friends, and their school counselors.
In 2002, Simon served as an assistant field producer for the MTV special "True Life: I'm Bipolar," which was inspired by Detour and HBO recently optioned for the rights to make the movie.
A recipient of a grant from the Federation for Families for Children's Mental Health, Simon is a frequent guest speaker and freelance writer. She also teaches creative writing classes and is working on a novel with a character who loses her brother to suicide. You can visit her web site at www.lizziesimon.com.

Unusual memoir
Lizzie Simon had everything except peace of mind. Having been diagnosed during her teenage years with bipolar disorder, she'd never quite come to grips with her condition and felt misunderstood and unable to live the normal life she craved. So she took off to travel and found her way home. Detour is a fast-paced memoir, unlike most in this genre of self-absorption, and manages to demystify the aura of mental illness.
It's good, really good. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

Terribly, awfully, wonderful book of life between the wars
This charming book was written in the period between the wars, and tells of the daily trials and tribulations of the Provincial Lady - dealing with the servants, nosy neighbours, the horribly snobbish local 'upper class', the husband who hides behind the paper. Always told with style and wit, we observe life for the lady in question as she tries to balance the accounts (never a success - where does it all go?), help out at the local Women's Institute, keep her wardrobe up to date and deal with such important issues as modern parenting, keeping one's brain active when living outside of London, and the delicate balance of letting the husband know not too much or too little.

The stand-out thing about this book is the character descriptions and her take on everyday life. If anyone ever tells you people were much nicer/politer in the good old days, just refer them to this book, which shows that there was just as many selfish, impolite, venal, self-centred and downright rude people in the 'good old days' as there are today. We just need to hope that we can deal with them with as much style and aplomb as the Provincial Lady would.

British Wit. Same women world as we know it...
Am determined to write impressions from this book in the style of "the Provincial Lady" herself. Am doubtful however as to the outcomes of this effort as my highest labors would not reach the dry frank witticism she displays.
Provincial Lady does her best to satisfy the wishes of silent husband (... "Robert, this morning, complains of insufficient breakfast. Cannot feel that porridge, scrambled eggs, toast, marmalade, scones, brown bread and coffee give adequate grounds for this, but admit that porridge is slightly burnt...."), intimidating cook, beloved children (... "Robin - whom I refer to in a detached way as "the boy" so that she shan't think I am foolish about him..., "Vicky,.... Enquires abruptly whether, if she died, I should cry?"), Mademoiselle (the nanny), Gardner and all kinds of friends and neighbors including the tiring Lady Birkenshop, "our vicar's wife" and the hated Mrs. B. ("query: Is not a common hate one of the strongest links in human nature?... answer, most regrettably, in the affirmative.")
This is the same women world. Husband is as usual quiet and does not give any consolation and the Lady struggles to please everyone and not forget herself and her own wishes (and health) on the way. How very sad to discover it was the same (woman) world even 70 years ago ... Book is so very candid and manages to capture the ever lasting nuances of human behavior ("Mem: Candid and intelligent self examination as to motive, etc., often leads to very distressing revelations...."), little lies, social pretenses and the day to day struggles. Funny and entertaining yet can be tiring at times - since the day to day life is indeed tiring . Very very British and thus charming.

Witty stay at home mum's life, dated and timeless too
I reread this every year or two, and love it each time. Admittedly,a product of its time and place, capturing life among the genteely-poor gentry in an English village between the wars(WW's I & II). The diary format makes the provincial lady's narration of and commentary on the events around her doubly funny, as she struggles to run her household and not be driven crazy by nice but dull husband, snobbish wife of husband's boss,disputes among servants,quandaries about children, etc.--and to find time to keep a sense of herself as a professional writer. Not deep, but funny and often touching.

Charming but Dated
This was a simply written and quite charming novel. Whilst it did give an insight into the lives of a moderately wealthy English family in 1931, it lacked plot and real structure and for this reason I am unlikely to read more by this author at this stage - especially when there are simply too many other great books out there to read. A gentle, easy read but a little disappointing.

Absolute Must! Witty, charming and intelligent
Delafield's Diary of a Provencial Lady is a classic that shares company with the likes of Eudora Welty, Kate Chopin and even Twain. Unlike Welty, Delafield is chatty. But don't let the airy prose fool you. She captures all the wit and humor of a woman's provencial life in England. Where Chopin's Awakening is tragic and dream-like, Delafield's world briskly bumbles along. Her use of present tense almost makes you breathless. Delafield immediately sets a quick pace and you want to read on and on to to keep up with all the "goings on" in the book. The piece is masterfully written and is a must for those looking to expand their literary boundaries. ... Read more

Book Description

Sometimes life throws a curveball ...
and sometimes it drops a bomb

Cindi Broaddus didn't realize that her life was about to be forever altered as she sat in the passenger seat of a car on a lonely highway, speeding toward the airport in the early morning hours of June 5, 2001. The sister-in-law of Dr. Phil McGraw, a single mother of three, and a delighted new grandmother, she was thinking only of her imminent, well-earned vacation when a gallon glass jar filled with sulfuric acid, tossed from an overpass by an unknown assailant, came crashing through the windshield. In a heartbeat, Cindi was showered with glass and flesh-eating liquid, leaving her blinded, screaming in agony, and burned almost beyond recognition. When she reached the hospital, the attending doctors gave her little better than a 30 percent chance of survival.

But Cindi Broaddus did survive -- and after excruciating years of recuperation and seemingly endless sessions of skin grafts and reconstructive surgery, she emerged from her ordeal in many ways stronger than she had ever been before.

A Random Act is the riveting firsthand account of a brutal and senseless attack and its aftermath. But much more than one remarkable woman's personal chronicle of an unthinkable tragedy and amazing recovery, Cindi's story is one of hope and transcendence, born of a conscious and dedicated determination to turn a nightmarish experience into something positive and uplifting. Her unforgettable journey back to life and a gloriously renewed sense of purpose will serve as an inspiration for every reader, offering eloquent and illuminating truths about love, healing, and the astounding power of choice, while providing an invaluable road map to a new understanding of what truly matters most.

Reviews (7)

Dribble Dribble Dribble
I agree with the other reviewers who mentioned the author pats herself on the back over and over again in this book. It gets SO tiring to read. Between that, and tossing names around (Dr. Phil this, Dr. Phil that) I could hardly get through it.
I feel for what the author went through, but a different writing style might have made all the difference in my opinion of her writings about it.

Badly done
I have to agree with the reviewer below who said this was a good story poorly told.

The premise was good, which is why I picked up the book. Unfortunately, the execution leaves much to be desired. The author repeats herself often, particularly the parts about how admirable and wonderful and peaceful and strong she is. If she'd spent more time telling her story than waxing rhapsodic about herself, this could have gotten lots more stars.

A Beautiful Love Story
What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon!I sat down and read this book cover-to-cover.I couldn't stop turning the pages until I reached the end.I am SOOOO glad that I read this book before I read a couple of the reviews on this website!Yes, Cindi mentions Dr. Phil in her story. Not too surprising when you read on the front cover that he wrote the foreward for the book AND he is an essential part of the story.I found it interesting that we get a glimpse of Dr. Phil we don't see on television, that of a concerned, caring, and loyal brother-in-law.He never stopped trying to find the person responsible for this crime.We should all be so lucky to have a brother-in-law who cares so much.I also don't understand how someone who read this book could say that Cindi spends the entire book talking about "how great she is".On the contrary, Cindi spends a great deal of time talking about how wonderful her family, friends, and co-workers were to her during this difficult time.Do you REALLY think all these people would rush to the side of a self-centered braggart?I find that difficult to believe.
Bottom Line:If you are a hopelessly cynical, bitter, negativeperson, you may find reading this book a total waste of time.To everyone else:This is a beautiful book.It speaks to all of us about the power of making positive choices.Thank you, Cindi, for sharing your story.You are an inspiration to all of us.

Like nails on a chalkboard
Could this author have spent any more time telling herself and everyone else how great she was? She evencontradicted herself several times to do it. I think she went through a horrible accident and it took a lot of strength to get through it; however, an entire book about how great she is?Even when she mentions other people (Dr Phil, Dr Phil, Dr Phil, and oh, have I mentioned Dr Phil?) she's mentioning them in the context of how great they think she is.And you know? She probably *is* a wonderful person but the writing of this book is so heavy handed and saccharine that the reader ceases to appreciate her strength (which is undoubted).After a while it's almost a drinking game "She complimented herself!Drink!"I think the story would have been a lot more interesting if she had told it with more simplicity and perspective.It wound up being a good story told badly.

Not much substance, lots of self-congratulation
This book was not so much "inspirational" as "irritating." I appreciate that the author suffered from this random attack, but her story would have been more palatable with a less self-congratulatory tone. Each chapter was packed with anecdotes of how other people told her how great she was, what a "prized" patient she was, how other people respected her so much; it becomes very tiresome very quickly. (Also tedious was the author's frequent mention of her relationship to Dr. Phil McGraw.) ... Read more

Book Description

The winners of the 2003 Pulitzer Prize for international reporting tell the astonishing story of Mary Clarke. At the age of fifty, Clarke left her comfortable life in suburban Los Angeles to follow a spiritual calling to care for the prisoners in one of Mexico's most notorious jails. She actually moved into a cell to live among drug king pins and petty thieves. She has led many of them through profound spiritual transformations in which they turned away from their lives of crime, and has deeply touched the lives of all who have witnessed the depth of her compassion. Donning a nun's habit, she became Mother Antonia, renowned as "the prison angel," and has now organized a new community of sisters-the Servants of the Eleventh Hour--widows and divorced women seeking new meaning in their lives. "We had never heard a story like hers," Jordan and Sullivan write, "a story of such powerful goodness."

Born in Beverly Hills, Clarke was raised around the glamour of Hollywood and looked like a star herself, a beautiful blonde reminiscent of Grace Kelly. The choreographer Busby Berkeley spotted her at a restaurant and offered her a job, but Mary's dream was to be a happy wife and mother. She raised seven children, but her two unfulfilling marriages ended in divorce. Then in the late 1960s, in midlife, she began devoting herself to charity work, realizing she had an extraordinary talent for drumming up donations for the sick and poor.

On one charity mission across the Mexican border to the drug-trafficking capitol of Tijuana, she visited La Mesa prison and experienced an intense feeling that she had found her true life's work. As she recalls, "I felt like I had come home." Receiving the blessings of the Catholic Church for her mission, on March 19, 1977, at the age of fifty, she moved into a cell in La Mesa, sleeping on a bunk with female prisoners above and below her. Nearly twenty-eight years later she is still living in that cell, and the remarkable power of her spiritual counseling to the prisoners has become legendary.

The story of both one woman's profound journey of discovery and growth and of the deep spiritual awakenings she has called forth in so many lost souls, The Prison Angel is an astonishing testament to the powers of personal transformation.

From a Pulitzer Prize-winning reporting team, the extraordinary and inspiring story of Mother Antonia, the remarkable woman who at middle age found her life's calling by bringing the transformative power of her spiritual guidance to the most hardened criminals ... Read more

Reviews (2)

Prison Angel
Mary Jordan and Kevin Sullivan have written a rare and intimate book, one that traces the densely complex life of an american housewife from the glades of beverly hills to the cold and violent cells of a mexican prison; rare because journalists seldom plumb inner lives, and intimate because they lived with mother antonia in the prison where she works. this volume is rare as well because as much as it chronicles a life of consumate goodness, it does so within the harsh and often deadly atmosphere of mexican criminal life, the drug wars, vendettas, vengeance and betrayals. i read this book in one sitting; it cannot be put down.

Can't put this book down!
Mother Antonia is the essence of love, and yet she makes you laugh, makes you feel cherished, and makes you feel like a better person. She is so spunky and exudes life, and despite her small and short frame, she has stories that are so intense that it scares you, yet amazes you at how someone can love the unlovable so sincerely. This book captures her spirit and her overflowing love so well, and it also shows the other side of her, which is so courageous that she even stands up to some of Mexico's most notorious druglords. I wish that everyone could meet her, and that is why I am so excited that this book exists, so that everyone can have a chance to get to know what she is like. I read this book in a day because I could not put it down. There are so many on-the-edge-of-your-seat stories that it captures you. It made me think, laugh, cry, made me want to make more of my life, made me want to give, and helped me to love more. Mother Antonia is a gift and a blessing to everyone that meets her or reads her story. ... Read more

Book Description

Throughout the centuries, royal mistresses have been worshiped, feared, envied, and reviled. They set the fashions, encouraged the arts, and, in some cases, ruled nations. Eleanor Herman's Sex with Kings takes us into the throne rooms and bedrooms of Europe's most powerful monarchs. Alive with flamboyant characters, outrageous humor, and stirring poignancy, this glittering tale of passion and politics chronicles five hundred years of scintillating women and the kings who loved them.

Curiously, the main function of a royal mistress was not to provide the king with sex but with companionship. Forced to marry repulsive foreign princesses, kings sought solace with women of their own choice. And what women they were! From Madame de Pompadour, the famous mistress of Louis XV, who kept her position for nineteen years despite her frigidity, to modern-day Camilla Parker-Bowles, who usurped none other than the glamorous Diana, Princess of Wales.

The successful royal mistress made herself irreplaceable. She was ready to converse gaily with him when she was tired, make love until all hours when she was ill, and cater to his every whim. Wearing a mask of beaming delight over any and all discomforts, she was never to be exhausted, complaining, or grief-stricken.

True, financial rewards for services rendered were of royal proportions -- some royal mistresses earned up to $200 million in titles, pensions, jewels, and palaces. Some kings allowed their mistresses to exercise unlimited political power. But for all its grandeur, a royal court was a scorpion's nest of insatiable greed, unquenchable lust, and vicious ambition. Hundreds of beautiful women vied to unseat the royal mistress. Many would suffer the slings and arrows of negative public opinion, some met with tragic ends and were pensioned off to make room for younger women. But the royal mistress often had the last laugh, as she lived well and richly off the fruits of her "sins."

From the dawn of time, power has been a mighty aphrodisiac. With diaries, personal letters, and diplomatic dispatches, Eleanor Herman's trailblazing research reveals the dynamics of sex and power, rivalry and revenge, at the most brilliant courts of Europe. Wickedly witty and endlessly entertaining, Sex with Kings is a chapter of women's history that has remained unwritten -- until now.

Reviews (2)

O my god
This book is amazing it has things that i never realized i mean it so funny,true,and very helpin in school it teaches you more about those time you guys should read it!!!

Page turning historical fun!
Who knew history could be so amusing! Eleanor Herman has intrically crafted a page turning saga of royal mistresses throughout time. This is a very funny, easy to read book with lavish illustrations and well documented research. Never dull, Ms. Herman entertains the reader with laugh out loud stories about hidden lovers, sumptiously decorated suites, set aside wives, ugly woman who captivated kings and great beauties who fought rivals to win the premier post at court. An eye-opening account of the power and intrigue in the daily life of some of history's most famous (and lesser known) women. A summer must read! ... Read more

Amazon.com

This may well be some of the best airplane reading ever. Part travel guide, part relationship primer, Around the World in 80 Dates mixes wry dating realities with preposterously romantic settings and a slightly more than backpacker budget. Author Jennifer Cox--an experienced travel journalist--gets friends around the world to act as matchmaker for an 80-date spree, and the result is, not surprisingly, highly entertaining.

As with dates everywhere, there are good (hot Swedish guy with a floating sauna), bad (hungover kid fresh from a Metallica concert), hysterically embarrassing (a shared pedicure turning into a poorly translated wart removal ordeal) and amazing (Mr. Soul Mate, Date No. 55). Almost every man goes out of his way to create sort of an ideal date--mostly involving Champagne and boats--and Cox's smirky humor and sincere desire to meet the man of her dreams combine for a sweetly honest--and honestly sweet--exploration of romance.

The romance kicks into high gear with No. 55, which happens over several days at Burning Man. She instantly feels he's "the One," but troops through toward the finish line, even daring to include No. 55 on a later date with No. 63. They sneak time together on a few continents, and it's with him that the serious romance happens (and their first date had nothing to do with either Champagne or boats). A life lesson or two are uncovered amidst the jet lag, and Cox hands those out with hard-earned wisdom that many women will recognize from their own lives. As for whether Mr. Soul Mate really turns out to be "the One," just think of it as a good mystery and don't peek--sometimes the journey is half the fun. --Jill Lightner

Tips andTricks from Jennifer Cox

"Traveling solo gives you a sense of achievement." ~Jennifer Cox

Traveling Happy
"Traveling solo is brilliant," says Jennifer Cox, a seasoned travel writer and head of PR for Lonely Planet before she set out on her extraordinary journey to find Mr. Right--a quest she recounts in the delightfully witty and insightful Around the World in 80 Dates.

If the idea of traveling companion-free has been tempting you for a while, but apprehension of the unknown, or even the fear of looking like a "loser," has been holding you back, Ms. Cox has some advice that should help get you on your way, safe, happy, and confident.

"Trust your instincts." ~Jennifer Cox

Finding the One
"Take a look in the mirror. Like what you see? Good, then you’re in the right mood for dating." Finding your soul mate takes more than sheer luck or extravagant settings. It's about being in the right state of mind, suggests Jennifer Cox, who, after hitting four continents in six months in search of Mr. Right, came back with a thing or two, or ten, to share with men and women who are looking for that special someone.

From defining your "dating motto" to avoiding "date fatigue," find out how to keep your spirits high even after a date brought you low, and, most important, remember that "the One" is out there. "Don't give up. And don't settle for less than Mr. [or Mrs.] Right."
... Read more

Reviews (6)

From Los Angeles to Sweden to New Zealand...
I love reading books about traveling and dating - especially when based on a true story.I knew this book fit into both categories and was based on the author's non-fictional account of how she found her true love.

"Around the World in 80 Dates" starts off in the UK where Jennifer is fresh from her latest heartbreak, and takes the reader from beginning to end.You will learn how she conceived of her "Around the World in 80 Dates" idea;You will be taken vicariously through each of her sometimes odd but often interesting dates; You'll see how she ends up meeting "the one"; and much more.

There were definitely some dates that stood out in the book: the handsome, overly confident Frank in Holland; William from Sweden who ended up expecting something from the date that Jennifer wasn't prepared to give him; th