Book Description

The diary by Lucia Williams and the Epilogue by Esther Lockhart of their trip from Ohio to Oregon describes tornadoes, the loss of a child, several tribes of Indians and other events which shows the women's endurance and courage which will inspire listeners. Also the diary of Jean Rio Baker, a Mormon, who travels from Liverpool by Windjammer and on a prairie schooner to Salt Lake City. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Honorable, virtuous
More heartfelt, lively accounts from the Oregon Trail during the year 1851.
Harriet Talcott Buckingham's diary is both poetic and colorful, describing prairies, mountain passes, river crossings, flora, Indians and other travelers met along the way.
Amelia Hadley's writing style is very sincere. She not only visually describes streams, buffalo, landforms and Indians, but along with counting the number of graves they encounter, she also puts names to these graves (very historical).
Susan Amelia Cranston talks much about the availability, or lack of, water, fuel and grass.
Lucia Loraine Williams's party had quite an exciting but also quite dispirited journey. She lost her ten year old son due to a runaway wagon; had an Indian offer to swap her child for Lucia's three year old; thievery surrounding Fort Hall; etc. Her letter is just, truthful and illustrative of life on the trail.
Esther Lockhart was also in Lucia's wagon train and her reminisces are both vivid and picturesque of the trek.
The diaries of Elizabeth Wood and Eugenia Zieber are a delight to read.
The jewel of the book lies in Jean Rio Baker's diary. A Mormon widow with seven children, she leaves England to make the pilgrimage to Salt Lake City. A fascinating read of courage, tenacity and nerve.
Excellent book.

Librarians say one of the best
This is a treat to listen to in the car on the way to work. An extraordinary story - women, migration, inner strength. I shared this with four other librarians who all enjoyed the tapes and proclaimed this one of the best audio books they had ever listened to.

the trek of a lifetime
In COVERED WAGON WOMEN, the diaries & letters of three mature women on the journeys of their lifetime, record their trek west into the sun; across oceans, towns, rivers, farms, forests, prairies & deserts; friendly & hostile Indian territories until, at last they reach their journeys' ends.

As you listen to actors Georgia Goodwin & Jane Merrifield-Beecher read the thoughts, observations & feelings of these three mother ancestors, you catch glimpses of how we used to live. They take us through springs of ground-level thunderstorms & sudden floods, summers of dust, mosquitos & enervating heat, & autumns of mild beauty & the biggest harvests they've ever seen. We learn of broken wagons, dying companions, days of endless trudging & nights of immense beauty. Over mountains, through rivers & down defiles, these intrepid women take us there with their simple, evocative words.

COVERED WAGON WOMEN is truly a record of an adventure that shaped our nation & our psyche. The only thing missing are sound effects!

An outstanding "living history" audio recording
The latest release in the "Living Voices of the Past" series, Covered Wagon Women 1851 is drawn from the diaries and letters of women who experienced the travails of the wagon trails west in 1851. Edited and compiled by Kenneth L. Holms and used with the permission of the University of Nebraska Press, we are treated to excerpts from the diary of Lucia Williams and the epilogue of Esther Lockhart (superbly narrated by Jane Merrifield-Beecher) describing their trip from Ohio to Oregon. Also featured are excerpts (dramatically narrated by Georgia Goodwin) from the diary of Jean Rio Baker, a Mormon who traveled from Liverpool by Windjammer and to Salt Lake City by Prairie Schooner. Surviving exposure to attacks from Native Americans, the scourge of cholera and smallpox, and the many hardships and deprivations of a pioneer excursion in a covered wagon, Covered Wagon Women 1851 is an outstanding "living history" audio recording and strongly recommended for personal, school, and community library collections. ... Read more

Book Description

Stop the Insanity!, Susan Powter's first bestselling book, changed the way millions of people look at the diet-and-fitness industry and helped them get lean, strong, and healthy. Now, is Sober...and Staying That Way, Susan once again shares a practical and proven program: the missing link in the treatment for alcoholism.

This book isn't written just for alcoholics. It is written for everyone who wants to participate in the solution to a problem that affects us all. Alcoholism is the number-one killer of young adults in the United States, and the third-largest killer in our country. If you are interested in the missing link, you must:

* Make the alcoholism-and-disease connection
* Understand the biochemistry of alcoholics
* Make the political, profit, and powerful lobby connections to you and your sobriety
* Wipe out the morality, weakness-of-will, and powerlessness thinking of current recovery programs

You will be able to:

* Heal the damage that's been done
* Support the biochemical environment for sobriety
* Balance your glucose-deprived brain

Sober...and Staying That Way will show you how to get away forever from the shame-based sobriety programs, and how to work toward integrating nearly four decades of well-established research with information that is now available to you and to those you love for the treatment of the disease of alcoholism. ... Read more

Reviews (38)

Was easy to see myself in her words
I've known for a few years now that my drinking was not normal. I never left a drink unfinished, never sat down to have ONE drink. However, I'm very turned off by the AA, Big Book thumping clones. Those who make it work for them (God bless 'em), often seem to transfer their alcohol addiction to coffee or cigarettes or religion or 12-step programs. I've wanted to stop, wanted to admit that there's a problem, but I don't think I need to apologize to everyone I've ever known and add "...and I'm an alcohol" to the end of every introduction. Susan seems to have adopted much of the Rational Recovery concept and has added a wealth of nutritional and physiological information. After listening to the description of how my body processes alcohol, I actually don't want to drink. It scared me, it made me rethink, and so far it's working. The only downside to this audio book seems to be a bit of Catholic bashing (not that I'm even Catholic, it's just unnecessary) and a little too much "I'm successful," "I have money," "I'm famous," "I'm rich," "I'm independent," "I'm wealthy." However, I'm grateful that she's given an easy to understand lesson on the physical reaction to alcohol and I do reccommend this book to anyone struggling to find a way to conquer that voice inside you that says "wouldn't a drink be great right now."

It's working for me
This book has changed my life. Susan Powter may not be everybody's cup of tea - indeed I would never have thought this kind of book would work for me. Having found AA depressing, one-to-one counselling a waste of good money and the NHS old-fashioned, negative and next to useless I was fairly sure that my alcoholism was going to kill me in the not too distant future. I bought this book nearly 3 months ago and not only have I not drunk a drop of alcohol since (and I was a litre of spirits a day girl)! I have easily been able to control any cravings I've had. I realise I'm not out of the woods yet but the book is a constant inspiration. Powter's basic message being that alcoholics are suffering from malnutrition - cure the malnutrition first and you have a good chance of curing - yes, curing (not fighting) the alcoholism. The dietary and nutritional advice is sketchy but she gives plenty of alternative reading to supplement that. Even if you can't bear slightly hysterical "in your face" type self-help books, if you have a drink problem it could work for you!

This may kill people who really need help...
...like me. I read this book back a few years ago when i was looking for ways to get and stay sober. I believed this book and spent a bunch of money on the nutritional supplements and went to an MD and a medical detox. Combined, I thought it would work. It didn't. Neither did the Reiki, the naltrexone, the hypnosis, or the affirmations, etc. Finally, three and a half years later, I have tried the only thing that actually works for someone like me who has the disease of alcoholism rather than just a condition of alcohol dependence, which may be what Susan had.

For those with alcohol dependence, but not the disease of alcoholism (there's a subtle difference in ways to tell which you have, but a huge difference in how to treat it), this method may well work. But, for those with true alcoholism, there really does need to be intervention from a higher power to overcome it. The reason AA has such a low success rate is because a person has to choose and adhere to the lifestyle, or the disease creeps back up. The very nature of the disease itself makes this choice very difficult to make and then adhere to. But, if the directions are followed, success is assured.

However, psychology and nutritional supplementation will not cure or even bring into remission, the disease of alcoholism. Nutritional supplementation can definitely help bring the body back into decent shape after abstinence, but cure alcoholism? I really doubt it. Believe me, an alcoholic will try everything under the sun to fix their problem to avoid doing the one true thing that will actually work, the 12 steps. And, if they make it through all those scenarios alive, hopefully then they'll make it to a 12-step program. Because if you have this disease, nothing else works. If you have what looks like alcoholism but isn't (and is merely alcohol dependence), then this program may well work. Just please, please, please don't fool yourself into thinking this will work if you have the real deal.

I just hope Susan is still sober, whether she's using the method in her book, or a 12-step program.

Stupid, self-serving, dangerous
12% success rate? Defined by whom? No reliable statistics exist on this point. After her own alcoholism got beyond deniability, Powter dried out and got back on the self-promotion bandwagon, her grandiosity and dangerous ignorance unchanged.

Her advice on nutrition is just another rehash of the crazy, paranoid/conspiracy minded quackery of con artists like Adele Davis and Gary Null. Please check out Dr. Barrett's comments on these two at http://quackwatch.com

I Ms Powter's looney advice has an 80% success rate, where is her Nobel Prize? And for that matter, where is she? Did the secret cabal of 'powerful lobbyists' assassinate her?

Take a walk, eat real food sensibly, go to AA, take what you need, leave the rest. The "AA" described by quacks like Powter is a straw man. Real people can and do get and stay sober without lining the pockets of creeps like this woman.

She's smart & funny and offers a lot of good advice
I read it cover to cover in one sitting and then passed it on to the person I had purchased it for. Then I bought another copy for someone else. I'm just trying to understand this desease and the size of this beast, and the horrible things it's done to people I care about. She got me a long ways toward that understanding. Fault it any way you want, by and large it was a good read, good life skills, good common sense. It was a good kick in the [rear] and I hope everyone I share it with gets as much out of it as I did. It may not be the only answer, but she moves you forward in the right direction, and hopefully healthier and better able to tackle this monster. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Who is she kidding?
Please! As if we the TV audience could not see where real arrogance and hypocrisy lie and on whom! We can spot real compassion and humility from a mile apart, and these qualities are nonexistent in this Tv host! She is nothing but arrogant, inhuman and insensitive with her audience! Please!

Outstanding
I read this book and I profoundly recommend it. This book gives people that little push we sometimes need to get to where we want to be. I found it to be very inspiring to women in general because she struggled a lot and never gave up. This is how she has reached the point she is at now, which is mere success. I highly recommend it not only as a great book, but as a confidence and self-esteem boost.

Entertaining and good example of/and for the latino women
As a journalist and a latina woman when I read this book I really feel identify with all the troubles that Cristina had to deal altrough her career and with all the cultural things that we bring with us as working latino women that succeed. To all the latino women that want to do something in a country like the US or those who want to be successful in the media, this book its a good reading and encourage, to have an idea of what we can deal with in the same journey. Writing in the same way that Cristina speaks the reading of the book it's quick and entertaining, you simply can't stop reading it.

Excellent
I really enjoyed this book because she spoke of all the struggles she had to face as a woman, wife and as a mother. I really can compare myself in certain things with her because right now I am struggling as a mother and as a wife. But she let me feel that someday I would reach my goal. She gave me an inspiration with this book. I am going to recommend the book to my sister because when I like a book, I usually do that. ... Read more

Book Description

Based on five years of research, and with unprecedented cooperation from Kennedy family and associates, Laurence Leamer paints startling, in-depth portraits of the mothers, wives, sisters, and daughters who struggled to build and maintain the Kennedy dynasty--from steerage on an immigrant vessel to the slums of Boston, from the court of St. James to the White House. Photographs. ... Read more

Reviews (19)

BRAV0! BRAVO! BRILLIANTLY DONE
"For the most part Rose grandchildren observed and respected and obeyed her, tiptoeing around her life as if she were an exquisite piece of porcelain. She had led such a decorous life, blocking out the untoward, the ugly, and the unacceptable, that her eyes no longer saw the darker colours of the spectrum. "Pat drank a bottle of wine in the morning," Rose was told. "That's impossible" Rose replied, Pat doesn't drink"

I was glad that I read this book because it has helped me to understand so much more about this so much talked about family. In Mr. Leaner's book we get to know about the Kennedy women's personal thoughts and the correct stories of the daughters and daughters-in-law. Mr.Leamer has given us indept portraits of these women and my favourite is Rose Kennedy the Matriarch of the family. For Rose was a woman so strong and who suffered great disloyalty by her husband which she took all gracefully all for the sake of her family and what she supposed the public expected of them.She was a stern Catholic andgain her strength through her prayer and trust in God.
Also portrayed are Joan Kennedy; Ted wife who had a problem with alcohol. Jackie Kennedy Onnassis; the President's wife who remarried after the President's death to a Greek tycoon.Pat Lawford; married to a Hollywood star and spent most of her time in Los Angeles. Eunice Shriver, who was always working for the handicapped and underprivileged and was one of the Kennedys with great patience and common sense.Ethel Kennedy, Robert Kennedy's widow and Jean Smith.
The Kennedys pushed their tragedies to the inner recesses of their minds.They refused to let others see the negative side of their lives, and carried their problems and burdens inwardly taking pains not to show their broken hearts. To some this might seem pretentious, but they honestly had their reasons.After all they were special in the eyes of America.
Whenever tragedystruck it was not unusual for them to suddenly get physical by taking walks, riding, swimming and any form of exercise. Rosemarythe eldest daughter who was mentally retarded was isolated from the public eye and sent to Wisconsin where she was looked after by those of the Sacred Order.This book has helped me to understand so much more aboutthe choices they made and the reason they made them, though tragedy seem to follow them everywhere.

Mr. Leamer has pulled out all the stops in the brilliantly written book, and I would not hesitate to read anything by him in the future. Bravo! Bravo!Heather Marshall 04/04/04

Sobering portrait of the Kennedy women
I read this book a few years ago, and I've never seen anything so sad in my life.I don't know whether to be inspired or repulsed.The Kennedys aren't cursed, they're just dysfunctional, period!

A woman who stays with her husband in spite of his being more absent than not (and who has numerous affairs with other women), because the money, power and privilege are supposedly too good to walk away from;A woman who allows a religion to tell her that she shouldn't enjoy sex with her husband but use it for procreation only (thus setting up the men in the family to cheat because their wives are only doing their 'duty'); a woman who is more concerned about keeping up appearances than about the emotional well-being of her children.YIKES!I have more sympathy for Ethel, Jackie, Joan and poor Rosemary than I do for Rose.At least, with the exception of Ethel (who, like her mother-in-law, wouldn't believe that her husband was cheating on her), Jackie and Joan didn't pretend that it was okay; they just tried to distance themselves from the whole mess.

Yes, times were different then; yes, divorces were frowned upon (with good reason).But Rose was the worst kind of enabler I've ever read about in my life.She could have taken the riskand left her husband, sparing her children the grief and leaving them with some sense of honor and respect for the feelings of others (which her husband failed to do when be cheated on her). Instead she, along with her husband, passed on to her children a tragic legacy of maintaining a good front, not showing emotions in public, turning a blind eye to the adultery that was right under her nose, etc. As a result, the Kennedy children have soent all of their lives trying to live up to what their parents expected of them, adversely affecting their families in the process.

I'm glad that with some exceptions, the latter generation of Kennedys have more normal lives than their parents.I hope they are each getting help for their problems so that history does not continue to repeat itself.Jackie would have been proud of Caroline and her late son John; she did a good job with them.The other younger Kennedy women (Maria Shriver, Kathleen Kennedy Townsend etc.) turned out fine too.Perhaps they have learned not to tolerate the foolishness their mothers put up with.

The important lesson to be learned is that family dysfunctions, when left unchecked and unresolved, can devastate that family (including the wealthy Kennedys) for generations to come.

Excellent!
The virtues of THE KENNEDY WOMEN comes from its examination of the supporting players in the cast of the family. Author Laurence Leamer fills in many holes in our collective knowledge of the sisters of President Kennedy, and in our awareness the wives of his brothers.Joan Bennett Kennedy, first wife of Senator Edward Kennedy, and Ethel Skakel Kennedy, widow of Senator Robert Kennedy, finally get their share of the attention in this book.

So, too, does the late--and tragic--Kathleen Kennedy, who basically was disowned by her mother for eloping with the Marquis of Hartington, heir to the Duchy of Devonshire.His family is considered to be among England's leading Protestants, which was in sharp contrast to Rose Kennedy's devout Catholicism.

This is an important work, filling in the holes in our knowledge of these women who have mothered the current generations of the Kennedy family.

Best I've Read in a LOOOONG Time
I bought this used and have literally spent the last three days reading it. I couldn't put it down; and I attribute that to Mr. Leamer's excellent writing style and meticulous and unbiased research. I think it's amazing that almost forty years after Dallas there is still an incredible amount of drek and sensational junk journalism floating around the Kennedy family. This book seemed to be very well-researched and the highly readable prose made it a true page-turner.

I was astonished at Joe Kennedy's decision to have Rosemary lobotomized; the passages about herin later years, especailly when her mother, Rose, tried to reconnect with her, were absolutely heartbreaking. That almost hurt my heart more than the more well-known murders and untimely deaths.

I have come away with a new respect for "The Girls", Eunice in particular. What a remarkable family. And an excellent book. I recommend this very highly.

Kenndy stories told from a different perspective
Enjoyed the taped version of THE KENNEDY WOMEN: THE SAGA
OF AN AMERICAN FAMILY by Laurence Leamer . . . this is another
Kennedy family saga, but one I was not overly familiar with in that it focused on the women . . . I was especially inspired by the first tale of immigrant Bridget Murphy . . . she met Patrick Kennedy on the boat from Ireland in 1849 . . . nine years after their marriage, she was a widow with four children who worked as a domestic servant, then bought and ran a variety store . . . other Kennedy names were more familiar, including Rose (the center of the story), Kathleen, Rosemary, Eunice, and of course Jackie . . . you'll be moved by the stories, unfortunately, many of them had tragic endings. ... Read more

Book Description

Laura, by noted biographer Antonia Felix, is the first profile

of this remarkable, highly influential woman. At once probing

and revelatory, Laura shows why Laura Bush is the right

First Lady for our uncertain times; helping the American

people regain their footing after our tragic loss. ... Read more

Reviews (9)

A girl from west Texas
This book tell the life story of Laura Bush. She had a good
childhood in Midland Texas the same town as Geoge W Bush. Its
tell about the tragedy that she had in her childhood. Laura always wanted to be a teacher from the time she was little.
It tell about her work as the First Lady of Texas. Talk about
the run for President. Life in the White House. The Book
end with a look at Laura day on September 11, 2001.

Wait for Next Year
Hi there. I have been definitely disappointed by this book. I swayed away from ultimately ordering it due to negative reviews of other readers, but then purchased it on an impulse later. My first inclination was the better one! If you've followed Laura in the news at all, then your knowledge will not be increased by reading this. There is virtually no new material between the covers. Really the only original content is based on interviews with Jenna Welch. I am not at all certain that the author ever interviewed Laura. Virually every, if not all, of her quotes are based on things published in magazines ("Newsweek" type interviews), press releases, and widely-publicized speeches.

Aspects such as the President's interaction with alcohol, Laura's career, her relationship with the Bushes, etc. are skimmed over in coverage. The most depth is granted to a description of the Texas Book Festival.

I have noted via Amazon.com that there are more biographies of Laura slated for release next year. Let's hope that one of them provides a more three-dimensional perspective on a doubtless interesting woman. Skip it!

very interesting, informative book
I really liked this book. Even though I am more of a Democrat, I have always been intrigued by Laura Bush. This book really helped me to know so much more about her. She is a very interesting woman and I think this book does a good job of telling you all about her.

The failure is not Laura's, but the author's. Don't Read.
Unfortunately, the book Laura fails to deliver what it promises. Although it provides some information, this is general information that can be found in magazine articles, etc. The two main problems with this book are that of omission of facts and an author that fails to approach the subject in an objective manner.

For example, the author asks (on page 1) whether Laura would "be able to bring a softer, gentler, more nurturing image to the position of First Lady?" Felix is Clinton bashing on page 1 and continues to do so throughout the book. Felix criticizes Hilary Clinton's aspirations as Senator from the the state of NY, as if these aspirations meant that Hilary was not as empathetic as Laura. Felix mentions all of Laura's work relating to the education of children. She does not mention Hilary's role with the Children's Defense Fund. Granted, this is not a book about Hilary, but if the author chooses to compare them, then she should do so objectively.

Felix treats Laura as your run of the mill woman who happens to be First Lady. Felix even supports her assertion by stating that Laura has continued to use her Dallas dress designer while in the White House. This is not the way an average woman dresses herself. Instead, she goes to a store and purchases things off of the rack. It is also worth noting that Laura used the internationally known designer, Scassi, for her wardrobe during her travels to Europe.

Laura's excess in the White House Christmas decorations also belies her "simple" tastes. She used over 100 Christmas trees in the White House and more than 500 wreaths. This far exceded the decorations of the previous administration. Of course, this excess may not seem inappropriate if the public could visit the White House during this time. They were not. Therefore, Laura's decorations were primarily meant to benefit the Bush family. (Perhaps some of that money could have been given to a victim's fund?)

This book does not identify any difficulties faced by the Bush family. Did Laura know about George's DWI and was she hiding this information. Do the daughters have a problem with alcohol abuse? (This would have been a perfect time for the President or the First Lady to stand up against teen-age alcohol use. They did not need to disclose the family discussions when making an effort to remedy a national problem.

It is also interesting that Laura has no dealings or concerns about the plight of gays and Lesbians in society. Is she insulated from the real world or does she simply not care.

The book lacks substance. It is simply a political press release for Republican women - pro-Laura. These women will give the book five stars. Have some women from an impoverished neighborhood read the book; they will likely have a different attitude.

Laura is the First Lady, but she's not my First Mother. Felix fawns over her subject to encourage sales and remain in favor of the Bush family. Not worth reading if you are looking for insightful information.

A great way to get to know Laura!
I loved this book!! Since Sept 11th, Laura has been such a comforting person to me, so I grabbed this book right away when I saw it. It's really a wonderful way to get to know Laura. You get all kinds of details--about her childhood, her relationship with George W., and her work--that I've never read anywhere else. The author even interviewed Laura's mom, so you get all kinds of commentary from Laura's own mother!! I also loved the section of pictures of Laura from when she was a baby up to now. I'm a teacher, so I thought the parts about Laura's incredible commitment to education were fabulous. She's just an all-around amazing person. I've been recommending the book to everyone I know! ... Read more

Reviews (5)

An Army nurse's remarkable life story
"Serving in Silence," by Margarethe Cammermeyer (with Chris Fisher) is a memoir by a nurse who rose to the rank of full colonel in the United States Army.An openly gay woman, she challenged the U.S. military's policy of discharging gay people.But her fight over this policy is only part of a wide-ranging and consistently fascinating book.

The book begins with her childhood in Norway during World War II and Nazi occupation.The reader follows her as she emigrates to the U.S. and becomes a citizen.Cammermeyer tells in depth about her career as an Army nurse; particularly fascinating are her memories of serving in wartime Vietnam.The book also covers marriage, motherhood, and divorce, as well as her civilian nursing career and her continuing military service in both the Army Reserve and the National Guard.

A particularly intriguing aspect of the book is her quest to raise a bilingual family and celebrate her Norwegian roots; in this regard the book represents a fine contribution to the canon of multiethnic American literature.The book is not just about the colonel, but is a multigenerational family story; her accounts of her relationships with her parents, sons, and other relatives are very moving.Cammermeyer also offers interesting insights into military life, the nursing profession, and the process of discovering the lesbian and gay community.

Cammermeyer has lived a truly epic life, and this book is absorbing throughout.I found the prose style very enjoyable to read.The book's cover emphasizes the colonel's role as a pioneer for gay rights, and indeed this aspect of the text is truly compelling.But the book succeeds on many other levels.I highly recommend "Serving" to those interested in the Vietnam War, lesbian and gay studies, military memoirs, women's studies, and the nursing profession.

Amazing Woman!
I know Dr. Cammermeyer personaly...She is an amazing woman who has been through many struggles...This book was a way for her to let other people know what she had to put up with and try and give others hope that even when you feel like everything is going wrong...Never give up, something good will always come.

inspiring and interesting read for anyone
I am an out lesbian who's been involved with queer politics and HIV issues for 15 years, but I just recently got around to reading Dr. Cammermeyer's book. Even after all my years of being "out," I found her story and life so far to be fascinating and inspiring. It's wonderful to have another role model for my own life! I encourage anyone interested in finding out how women can change society and military policy to read this book. It's also a good read for the role of women in the Vietnam war and in the National Guard. Dr. Cammermeyer is truly a "great American," as the military admitted while in the same breath sanctioning her discharge. Her story is all about one person having the integrity and strength to stand up for what she believes to be right, using the legal system to out-maneuver the military, and continuing to be a passionate and out-spoken supporter of banishing ALL types of discrimination.But her book is also an amazing window into the life experiences that fully shaped her to be the person who she is today.Daughter, mother, soldier, nurse, life partner, healer, activist:Dr. Cammermeyer is a hero on so many levels, and you'll have the chance to learn about all of it in her book.(The made-for-TV movie starring Glenn Close as Dr. Cammermeyer and Judy Davis as Diane, her life partner, is also fabulous!)

This book is a story of courage and discrimination.
In 1996 I was fired from a government law enforcement position due to my orientation. I hit bottom, emotionally and financially. This book helped me see we have to fight discrimination, that I can survive this ordeal andcome out a better person. It is a story of courage from a real hero, and Ireccomend it no matter what your orientation, military status, or personalbeliefs.

Excellent
Clearly reveals the absurd and cruel policy of the military concerning lesbians and gays. How disgusting that an institution of the U.S. government shows such bigotry, ignorance, and distain for a group of people, not to mention an individual who served her country with dedication and distinction. How disgusting the bigotry continues in the military and throughout our government. ... Read more

Reviews (2)

A dress rehearsal for laughing about dying
This is a book about an upsetting subject that will cheer you up. I read it while in the throes of treatment for a completely different but also grisly medical problem. It took my mind so completely off my own situation that when I was undressing for bed later I looked down and was quite astonished to see no scar on my breast. At the same time it also addressed my own feelings in a way none of my doctors did. It helped so much to see that someone who is smart, nice and funny can be hit with a medical problem that is stupid, obnoxious and fundamentally unamusing. Maybe I too can be okay even though I'm not okay. The thought of dying really doesn't kill your own sense of the humor and poetry that lurks in hospital corridors, but it's isolating to discover that trying to share the lighter moments with others will only upset them. So it was a relief to be able to join the cocktail party in Wadler's mind -- this book reads like Nora Ephron (``Heartburn'') getting sick instead of divorced. If you've been there, you'll understand why I laughed to read Wadler's wry comment on doctors who disagreed about how to save her life: ``Great, I think, duelling doctors. I suppose it's why people get second opinions, but it's not doing a lot for my confidence about the profession.'' Even if you haven't, you'll close this book feeling glad to have joined Wadler's ``dress rehearsal for dying.''

A must-read for anyone going down the cancer path
This is not a psycho-babble, how-to-cope book nor is it a dry, dull medical book chock-a-block with technoterms. Instead, it is a funny insiders travelogue that makes anyone feel like they are not alone. My mother took it with her anywhere and often referred to the author as "my funny friend in New York." ... Read more

Book Description

You can ask that a book tell you a compelling story, that it dazzle you with vivid writing, that its emotional content be pure and stirring, that the issues it tackles be timely, relevant, and put forth with candour and a tonic dose of humour. Paradise, Piece by Piece is such a book.

Molly Peacock is an award-winning writer, and Paradise, Piece by Piece describes the coming of age of a poet and the flowering of her art. It is a self-portrait that speaks to the most intimate questions a woman can ask of herself and answers them with courageous introspection. It is the story of a child who had to grow up too soon; of the complicated web of relationships in which she, like all of us, defines herself – loyal friends, quirky relations, and tempestuous lovers; of the lifelong labour of self-determination, and finding ultimate fulfilment.

Peacock’s language is emotionally charged, full of wit and dead-on accuracy.Her skill with narrative and character, her ability to write a vibrant scene, make her memoir as compelling as good fiction. Paradise, Piece by Piece is a virtuoso performance. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Wonderful and compelling book
Encountering an uncorrected proof of this book at a local Friends of the Library book sale, the selling point for me was the author's statement that she began writing this book because she wanted to tell the story of why she decided not to have children.

Being a member of what feels like a definite minority -- men and women who have chosen to remain childfree -- I welcome the viewpoint of anyone who affirms this choice as a valid one. Too often, society inflicts a completely different viewpoint upon me.

People who don't know about the decision my husband and I have made, assume unthinkingly that we will have children at some point in our lives.

When people do find out about our choice, many of them tell us our lives are incomplete, that we are being selfish, that we don't really mean it. One woman, apparantly believing that our stated decision was a cover-up for inability, asked me if I am able to have children. A male gynecologist, not content to merely warn me that if I change my mind, I should have children before I turn 35, waxed poetic for several minutes about how choosing to have a child is an "affirmation of life."

Again and again, our choice is reacted to with extreme negativity and so, a book like Ms. Peacock's is a much-needed antidote.

Of course, her book is much more than a first-hand account of the decision to remain childfree. It is a poetic account of her life, of her development as a poet and as a woman.

This intimate and moving memoir is an outstanding work of literature. Yes, it holds special meaning for me because I am a kindred spirit -- another woman who has chosen to remain childfree -- but the book can also be enjoyed on other levels by people who have made a different decision. Ms. Peacock's story of her life is a tapestry with many threads, each of which has the potential to resonate with someone who has been there.

Strong - but could be better
A memoir themed around deciding not to have children, opening with the statement "When I was three, I decided not to have children." An incredibly bad father, a mother who needed a life (and mothering), a sister who became an alcoholic -- you get the picture. When she tells the story, the book is fascinating; when she natters on with her thoughts on children, love and life, it is tiresome.

A wonderful story of a woman's self-exploration.
Although I know she wouldn't remember me, I knew Molly indirectly at SUNY Binghamton. I bought the tape of this book out of curiosity so that I could pass the time driving up to Maine from New York. The story turned out to be spell-binding. Such an honest, touching, funny history of a woman's journey through an authentic life. Bravo Molly!!!

A wonder life story -- still unfolding
You will laugh, cry, and smile as you travel with Molly PeacocK to "Paradise, Piece by Piece" -- chapter by chapter.

A courageous and compelling book. The book is so much more than a book about Ms. Peacock's decision to live childfree. It is an invitation to experience the processes of one's life. The honesty of her story, will surprise you -- the journey well worth the time.

A poet too. That -- you will see as the words chosen to tell her story are full of expression and emotion. Ms. Peacock addresses with such simplicity the emotions we all feel when challenging the expections of our society, family, and friends. You don't have to be "childfree by choice" to enjoy this book.

I picked up this book by "chance" -- the title was interesting, the cover eye catching -- you'll want to pick it up by choice. ... Read more

Book Description

DUST IN THE LION'S PAW forms the fourth and most recent part of Freya Stark's autobiography. It covers WW II, recalling the vicissitudes of 1939 and the tide of war.

When war broke out, Stark was in the Middle East, working for the British Foreign Office. She specialized in education and propaganda directed from which she tells her tale of the war and Britain's role in it.

"It is difficult to know which to admire more, the vivid description of her experience or the lessons she draws from them." (Illustrated London News) ... Read more

Book Description

NonfictionLarge Print Edition*A Literary Guild Featured Alternate Selection*A Doubleday Book Club Featured Alternate Selection*A 60-Minutes feature*To be featured in a miniseriesAfter reading this charming book, readers will regret not ever having met this lovely woman, who is so full of life and love even now.BooklistNinety-eight-year-old Jessie Lee Brown Foveaux started her memoirs as an assignment in a writing program. But she didnt stop there. In unadorned, powerful prose sparked by a wry humor, this remarkable and resilient woman has chronicled her life . . . ... Read more

Reviews (10)

This book depicts the strength of a 20th century woman.
Jessie Lee has, in the simplest of prose, given us a glimpse into the life of an "average" woman. Her life is not filled with exotic trips or dinners with Presidents, but with the struggles of everyday life. Her rocky marriage to an alcoholic will give inspiration to many young women of today. Her memory is incredible and details abound of a life that began at the beginning of this century...this is an interesting book to read as this century comes to an end.

Mixed feelings
I have mixed feelings about this book, because on one hand you can learn some neat stuff about the way things were in the early part of the XX century. On the other hand, this book would have greatly improved if an editor had removed the extra weight included in the story. I can see this being a very fascinating memoir for her family members, but once you take this to the general public, the array of names and places and the personal messages to all grandchildren at the end of the book become too much. Nonetheless, it was interesting to read about the trials and tribulations of this woman, married at 20 to an alcoholic. Why she continued having children (eight in total) after she discovered her husband was a drunk i'd never be able to comprehend. She tries to explain how she felt during those years, and at times she is successful and at times she cuts her thoughts short and does not go any further with her analyses. It's a pity because she does have some engaging, albeit sometimes bland, perspective on issues like alcohol, politics, the military, war, family, sex, etc. Don't expect big depths on this book, which by the way is a very easy and fast read.

A true inspiration to all women raising families today!
Nobody who reads this book will ever feel overworked or under appreciated, in quite the same way again. We have it so much easier today; and complain MORE !! My Mother is nearing the age of this remarkable woman, and we are hoping to get her to write her memories for us too; before they fade from her mind. She has been reluctant to start, due to the fact that she is not a professional writer. For her birthday this year, Mom is getting a copy of this book; and an audio tape, to listen to, and hopefully get inspired. My Mother has been a Nanny, earned a Master's Degree in Education, driven a Taxi and Limos for Official at United States Steel(during WW II), made bombs in a munitions plant, ridden Harley-Davison motorcycles, served as a Missionary for her church (where she met and married my Father), taught elementary school, raised two daughters, and still babysits their various off spring, while making beautiful quilts. Please God, let Jessie Lee Brown Foveaux give her the courage to tell us all about her adventurous life, too!!

A rare treasure of memories that span all of this century-
Jessie Lee's incredible memory and stoically poingnant style take us all back in time, beginning with her childhood which was poor in material possessions but rich in love. Through her eyes, we see not only her family history but the history of a burgeoning nation unfold. She meets life's difficulties head on, from the untimely death of her mother to a difficult marriage and single parenthood. Her words do not plead for sympathy, just straightforwardly relate her amazing life and times. This is a must read for scholars of the 20th century and for those with a bent for human interest stories. Jessie Lee's voice is one of the precious few left from her generation.

A wonderful account of Jessie's life in Kansas. I loved it!
I really enjoyed this book. I'm from Kansas and she talked about areas that I'm familiar with. I felt she did a very good job telling her story about the hell she went through with her alcoholic husband while raising her many children virtually by herself. I would like the opportunity to meet this wonderful woman. ... Read more

Reviews (10)

marilyn at her beautiful best
In the plethora of books out there written about and containing pictures of Marilyn Monroe, I feel that this collaboration between friend and photographer George Barris and Marilyn herself is truly special, and is as essential to own as _Legend_ by Guiles or the photography books of Bert Stern or Andre de Dienes. In some of the last pictures of her taken before her death, Marilyn is natural and luminescent, appearing happy, calm, and at home in her body.

The text is also highly interesting, containing the words of Marilyn herself as told to Barris. Like her ghost-written _My Story_, this book contains the fragments of Marilyn's life she saw fit to share at that time, and therefore captures her public mindset during the summer before her death more than anything I've read. For example: "When I was a small child, my fondest memories were being around my mother and her friends. It made me feel like we were one big happy family." And even sadder: "As far as I'm concerned, the happiest time of my life is now. There's a future, and I can't wait to get to it. It should be interesting." Barris' conclusion is that Monroe did not commit suicide, and reading her statements contained in this book, it's easy to see why. A beautiful representation of a beautiful woman (inside and out).

Getting to Know Marilyn Monroe
I read "Marilyn HER LIFE IN HER OWN WORDS" by George Barris. This book really made me feel as if I knew her myself. The book talks a lot about the struggles that she faced and how in the end she came out on top. It didn't just focus on her as an actress, model and well-known sex icon but on her as a normal person. George discussed how she was when she was at home, how she treated people and what she wanted in and out of life.

The thing that I like the most about this book would have to be the way it was written. It was so well written and thought out that anyone could understand, relate, and get hooked on it. I felt as if I knew her and what she was going through, as if I had gone through the same challenges she had. I never thought that to be in showbiz you would have to work so hard to be successful. I always looked at it as an easy and fun job. In reality, it is just as hard, maybe even harder than any other job. Showbiz is actual hard work and not just fun.

What I disliked the most about this book would have to be the fact that they didn't talk that much about her career when she was successful. Although there is a list of movie credits and appearances at the end of the book, they really didn't get as much into detail about her career as I would of liked to know. The book did talk about her making it and then not making it over again. And then the last time she made it and stayed and that's when she began staring in the movies instead of 60 second clips that she was known for before. Not only that but the book also talked a lot about her marriages. I personally didn't care to know as much about her marriages as they told and then so little about her career.

An astounding book on an astounding subject
Born Norma Jeane Mortensen on 1 June 1926 c.e. and died 4 August 1962 under conditions still not well known, the woman called Marilyn Monroe was the most famous individual in the world at the time of her death. She still well may be.

Any attempt to describe her career during her life, and the subsequent notoriety and attention to her image after her death, quickly becomes like describing the latest oil tanker, a study of superlatives. What is clear is that she was stunningly beautiful, quite intelligent, and rather troubled. However, much of the population of the United States is "rather troubled" and the vast majority do not commit suicide. Neither, believes Barris, did she, and nor do I.

This isn't a book on Marilyn Monroe's tragic death: it's a photo-essay centering on the last months of Monroe's life, a time when she was certainly in a state of change, but one in which she optimistically looked to the future. I suspect that is really Barris' motivation in publishing this collection, to establish that the memory of this woman, who he obviously had a great affinity with and affection for, should not be stigmatized as a suicide.

Although her life was taken from her at far too early an age, an age at which her best years were clearly ahead and which invites speculation on what she would have done in the decades to come-indeed,she might still be working, as Lauren Bacall still is and Tony Randall did up until December 2003-I think MM should be thought of as a success rather than a tragic victim.

These pictures are magnificent,a study in photographing people in general and women particularly, and technically astounding. The color images, almost certainly shot on the Kodachrome of the vintage, and thirty-some years old when the book was prepared for litho, have a lovely vintage tonality. A great model, a great photographer, great cameras and films, and some beautiful scenery in Southern California all add up to photos that would be worthwhile even if Marilyn had never been famous and were still alive baking cookies in Ohio.

Shortly, it will have been 42 years since Marilyn Monroe lost her life in her small house on Fifth Helena Drive. Nevertheless,she is still the most famous of all movie stars, and she will be remembered and recognized on film probably as long as our species exists. This book evokes her triumph and her loss-and ours-as well as a book can, and few readers will not be reduced to tears at some point while studying it. Ultimately, though, we all must visit the place where she so early went to, and few of us will have had her impact on the world. Thank you, Marilyn, and George Barris too, for letting us see this beautiful creature as, for so short a time, she was.

Marilyn at her vibrant, beautiful best
George Barris, a very wonderful man and wonderful friend to Marilyn, had collaborated with Marilyn to make this book, which they had discussed for some time prior to her death. So here is Marilyn, at her very best, in one of the best settings for Marilyn to be photographed - the beach. Very early on in her career, many photos were taken of Marilyn at the very same beach by Andre deDienes, and they, too are fabulous photos. Something about Marilyn and the beach bring out the very best in her. She appears at ease, belonging to the ocean as her vibrance shines through. At this point in Marilyn's life, only a few weeks prior to her death, Marilyn appeared very fit, happy, healthy and ready to move on in her career. Sadly, that was not to be. But here with this book, we are shown the true Marilyn, young Norma Jeane still there, posing not only for Barris, but for us. This is a beautiful book with pictures that have quite affectionately been named "The Last Photo Shoot," as it was. And the very last picture of Marilyn, wrapped tightly in her Mexican sweater, blowing us a kiss goodbye is a wonderful reminder of her beauty and sensuality.

Fantastic book!
I think It's a great book with spectacular photos. Every MM fan have to buy it! Ciao ... Read more

Amazon.com

No TV news blond has more steel than 60 Minutes' Lesley Stahl, whose Reporting Live is one impressively substantive celebrity memoir. As a rookie in the CBS Washington, D.C., bureau in 1972, she got an assignment too grubby and unpromising for the big reporters: Watergate. She didn't just date Bob Woodward, she vied with him for scoops. For a quarter century, workaholic Stahl saw more of presidents and fellow bulldog newshound Sam Donaldson than her own daughter and husband, Urban Cowboy writer Aaron Latham.

Stahl's book belongs on any political-history shelf. Besides a briskly readable account of epochal events witnessed up close, she offers canny insights into what broke Nixon, backs up Tom Shales's opinion of Carter as "a combination Mr. Rogers and John the Baptist," assesses Reagan's mysteriously fogbank-like mind, and paints a startlingly warm portrait of George Bush (though not Barbara). Not only can Stahl fire fierce questions at world leaders against hair-raising deadlines, she can analyze trends with cool detachment, sometimes busting her profession or herself as guilty parties. She laments the "moral McCarthyism" of our times and compares her profession to a pack of wild dogs she'd encountered on an African safari.

What did it mean to be a woman in a man's world? Menachem Begin sexually harassed her, but her experience with teenage girls proved useful in understanding Reagan's bitchy, backstabbing male staff. Stahl sketches her personal life (and Latham's near-fatal depression), but her stuff on media and politics is the real news here. --Tim Appelo ... Read more

Reviews (22)

Interesting Read - But Reliable?
I am sure she is preaching to the choir about her self-important life, but take it all with a grain of salt from the woman who still cannot undertand us 'normal' folk."I predict historians are going to be totally baffled by how the American people fell in love with [Ronald Reagan] and followed him the way we did." - CBS News reporter Lesley Stahl, Jan. 11, 1989

An Exceptional Memoir!
What an interesting read!While most bios take you from birth through an unremarkable (and lengthy) adolescence, Stahl starts the book (and her life, by her own declaration) at age 30.Then - boom! - we're immediately thrust into Watergate (she was dating Bob Woodward at the time), where Stahl was the only TV newsperson covering the initial - and seemingly un-newsworthy - burglary.

From there, we're taken into each subsequent presidency - from Nixon to Bush Sr. - and shown how personnel, presidents, their staffs, and technology shaped TV news coverage of historical events.

The product of CBS news' affirmative action plan (along with Bernie Shaw and Connie Chung that year), Stahl was promoted in the early '70s to the Washington bureau.We are treated to an indepth account of her professional and personal triumphs.Of course, she occasionally goofed, which she comically relays, as well.

With each chapter titled for a president and first lady - Reagan gets two! - Stahl gives us the stories-behind-the-stories: correspondents outwitting each other for the scoop; Barbara Bush's surprisingly icy remarks and actions; Stahl's assessment of unsuccessful presidents; one White House staff that was hell-bent on getting rid of Dan Rather; the point when CNN emerged as the true news leader.That we get all this juicy, inside stuff is a testimony to the author.Only someone as busy as Stahl could supply it - she and her teased and hairsprayed "helmet" of a hairdo wore many hats: Chief White House Correspondent, Face the Nation host and America Tonight co-host during the Gulf War - at one point, all three at the same time!

If you wonder why George Bush's presidency is the last chapter of the book - how could she resist Clinton's escapades? - it is because her memoir is meant only to tell the story of her most well-known beat:the White House.Believe me, you get a lot!And after years of hard work at CBS in Washington, Stahl at long last - after years of waiting and, I think, unfairly having to audition - earned the 60 Minutes gig and relocated to New York.

If you enjoy books of a political nature, but told in an easy-to-understand manner, you'll find Stahl's respect and humility toward world news - and life - a pleasure to read.I highly recommend it.

An "insider's" view of Washington
Lesley Stahl does a very good job of combining her remembrances of the men who occupied the White House and her own career as a CBS News correspondent.

Her descriptions of all the presidents, and those nearest and dearest to them (both personally and publicly) are exactly right - from the paranoia of Richard Nixon on down. She stops with George Bush, probably because she wasn't in the Washington press corps anymore when Bill Clinton moved into the White House.

Combined with Ms Stahl's description of Washington's inner circles over the years is a somewhat detached description of her years with CBS News and with her family. Her personal story is not badly written, but I didn't really get a sense of her feelings toward her parents or her daughter, although her love for her husband comes shining through. On the other hand, her various friendships, battles, and other interactions with Dan Rather, Bill Plante, and others in front of and behind the camera at CBS News are very well done; I got a good sense of what these people are actually like - more than what I see of them when I watch the news.

It's truly a shame that Ms Stahl's description of her family life isn't as natural as the rest of her book. I had the pleasure of meeting her a few times when I was working behind the counter of the now-defunct Crown Books store a block away from the White House. I found her to be a warm, friendly person who spoke very naturally and lovingly about her daughter and other personal (but not TOO personal) topics - quite at odds with the impression I got reading her descriptions of them in her book.

Even with all that I've mentioned here, I would still recommend it.

LESLIE STAHL EXPOSED, BY HERSELF
When the name Leslie Stahl is mentioned, thr first thing that comes to mind is that serious, tough interrogator from CBS News, who has hosted various news formatted shows over the years. I always thought she was harder edged than say, Diane Sawyer.

In "Reporting Live" we discover, quite to our surprise, that Ms. Stahl carried around the same insecurities and problems as many of her viewers, that she did not have it "So together" as one might be tempted to assume. That in effect, she is as human as the rest of us, only she has a more visible job.

No one would have believed that a woman of this news caliber would allow herself to be so dominated by a controlling mother who obviously believed it was more about how one looked than what you knew. For the remainer of tidbits like this, I suggest you read the book. It is a really good read.

Poor Abridgment of a Good Story
Listening to this abridged audio has motivated me to want to read the book.

Although I did enjoy listening to Stahl read the book herself (you could actually "hear" her smile !) I found that this abridgment was awkward and poorly done. It was choppy and many loose ends were never tied up (like Stahl's husband's bout with depression). I particularly disliked the way it did not segue gracefully from one topic to another but abruptly changed topics.

I did like hearing about the minutae of her reporter's life and a lot of insider information about the presidents. I was fairly horrified to hear of Reagan's apparent mental decline during his years in office. Very scary.I also liked Stahl's honest opinions about many of the CBS brass. I am sure not all of them appreciated it.

Looking forward to reading the book! ... Read more

Book Description

"In China, a woman is nothing."

Thus begins the saga of a woman born at the turn of the century to a well-to-do, highly respected Chinese family, a woman who continually defied the expectations of her family and the traditions of her culture. Growing up in the perilous years between the fall of the last emperor and the Communist Revolution, Chang Yu-i's life is marked by a series of rebellions: her refusal as a child to let her mother bind her feet, her scandalous divorce, and her rise to Vice President of China's first women's bank in her later years.

In the alternating voices of two generations, this dual memoir brings together a deeply textured portrait of a woman's life in China with the very American story of Yu-i's brilliant and assimilated grandniece, struggling with her own search for identity and belonging. Written in pitch-perfect prose and alive with detail, Bound Feet and Western Dress is the story of independent women struggling to emerge from centuries of customs and duty. ... Read more

Reviews (25)

Without Pang Mei's story intertwined I would have given it 5
I love Chang Yu-I's story, it was fascinating & well written, but I found the the authors' story bored me to tears. Yes it was nice to have the author establish the relationship between the the tale of a young Chinese woman in the early part of the century and beyond, and her niece born and raised in America, but Pang-Mei/Natasha Chang's perspective was far too centered on her insecurities growing up as a first generation Chinese woman in a family of immigrants. Why not take a cue from her ancestors and be pleased with not only who he or she was as an individual, but of the family that they came from as well. Her obsession too with her parents accomplishments and her graduation from Harvard made me think that the author veers between self loathing and an inflated self worth. Had she not inserted herself into the story except as narrator, I believe that this would have been a better book. My message to Pang-Mei Natasha Chang is get over the petty childhood teasing and get on with your life--I'm sure your chief tormentor Douglas sure has.

Haunting - Illuminates how culture can cripple women's minds
As Yu-i tells her story, it became clear to me that even though her feet had not been bound, her mind had been fatally wounded by the conditioning she received as a child that "woman is nothing."

Mistreated and abused by her husband she still devoted her life to protecting the the "face" of his parents and even his perverse second wife.

She would not allow herself to remarry until very old because of the shame it would bring on her family, though she was completely blameless in her husband's abandonment of her.

Hearing her tell her story in her own words gave me much greater insight into why it is so often women who perpetuate the women-mutilating traditions of dysfunctional cultures. I could clearly see in the attitudes she shares with us how a woman, no matter how brave, who grows up in a culture that finds only mutilated women "beautiful" will internalize the self-destructive attitudes that have been drummed into her during childhood.

I felt that the author's interweaving of her own story into the story of her great aunt weakened the book. The author is still very young and has not gone through the crises and major life decisions that would maker her own story complete enough to make it the kind of memoir material that could compete in interest with that of her great aunt. However, having I look forward to hearing "the rest of the story" when she is older. She is clearly on her way to being a fine writer!

A good book, because it is a true story.
I enjoyed the auuthor's simple writing style. The story is about a woman who decides whether or not to make her own life, or allow it to be decided for her. The best thing about this book, is that it is a true story. The book was fast reading, and very inspirational. I would reccommend it.

Why Am I Famous
This woman Natasha is suffering from the WAIF (why am I famous) syndrome. She has accomplshed nothing beside a stupid degree from Harvard (her family is loaded obviously. Her grandfather and father, chinese, went to Japan after the war. Why? Where did their money come from? Any patriotic chinese would not go to Japan after the war. They must be special.) So, she dragged up this great aunt who had been married to a poet for a few years. This great aunt has done nothing except what most good chinese women of her generation would do----swallowed bitterness, did her duty etc--- I was a child in Hong Kong when I heard about the letter Yu-I's son wrote about her proposed re-marriage. Everybody said her son was brilliant and a loving son. Yu-I herself never complained. I left Hong Kong after she emigrated so I know.

This Natasha went on endlessly about her 'suffering.' Poor thing, if chinese waiter speak to her in chinese , she would have a fit. Likewise the other way round. She did not have the grace to talk properly to a chinese ex-change student thousands of miles away from home (chinese people are not a novelty to her, she said.) She complained about chinese people with bad teeth and bad English, unlikely her posh family. Well, from what I can see from the photo, her whole family is preety ugly. What is more, they are self-centred, full of self-importance, selfish, and stupid. What with her father talking about producing 'pure chinese children.' Of course, Natasha herself will never marry a chinese. This is the real her. Trying to glamorize herself by some digging of past 'romance and glory.' She does not give two figs about the suffering of the chinese people in China like the aids village or millions of child workers working in desperate condition. She is so stupid that she mentioned Yu-I's war profiteering (buying dye used for army uniform and holding it back until the price had increased a hundred fold.) I am so sick I can puke.

Get a Life
This woman Natasha is the most irritating thing I have come across in a long time. Her own life is so stupid and boring, but she insists us to know how a million years ago she was called chinky and whatnot. She brags about her family (evidently a family ritual) endlessly. From what I can see, her family is stupid, selfish (war profiteering by Yu-Yi if you ask me), boring. Yu Yi has accomplished nothing neither. She went through what most chinese women went through in terms of humuliation, abuse, etc. But she had enough to eat and did nothing to help poor people. I am chinese myself. I am just sick of Natasha's story. To give credit to Yu Yi , she never whined before this was dragged out of her. ... Read more

Book Description

This is the century that split the atom, probed the psyche, spliced genes, and cloned a sheep. Plastic, the silicon chip, and rock-and-roll were invented. Airplanes, rockets, satellites, televisions, computers, and atom bombs were built. Traditional ideas about logic, language, learning, mathematics, economics, and even space and time were overthrown and radically refashioned. People of the Century presents the most influential leaders, artists, intellects, and heroes who shaped this monumental era.

This century's most influential people were selected by the editors of Time magazine and featured in a series of documentaries produced by CBS News. Here, their profiles are crafted by this era's finest writers, from Salman Rushdie and Elie Wiesel, to Gloria Steinem, George Plimpton, Robert Hughes, and more. Memorably narrated by some of the century's m