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 Customer Reviews
Simple but elegantly written, 20 Nov 2008
Obama completely embraces the importance of effective communication as reflected on this book. I like the part where he realized how important is saying the right words and get the people's undivided attention to what he is saying.
Best Book I've read in 10 yrs., 20 Nov 2008
He describes his childhood to manhood in such a sensitive & interesting way. An honest & frank look at race issues that he had to consider due to his mixed race & ancestry. Until I'd read the book, I hadn't realised how deep he was. I Highly Recommend this book! Once I started it , I then looked forward to my next train journeys, to get the next instalment. And its now solved my Xmas gift ideas! I'm buying 10 x copies for friends & family. Great Writer!
Touching and sincere, 16 Nov 2008
This book was written so beutifully, that even the most mundane information evokes emotions that can't be explained. The chapter in which he describes his only memories of his father from about age ten is the part that really got me. Obama shares the memory of the one and only time his father taught him to dance. "Come Barry,my father said. "You will learn from the master" And suddenly his slender body was swaying back and forth, the lush sound was rising, his arms were swinging...." I became teary eyed while reading that part on the tube on the way to a job interview. I felt sorry that this young boy held onto all that he could of his father. Obama goes onto describe many years of his child and adult life. This is a must read for book fans, even if Obama hadn't become the first black American president he was still one hell of a writer.
Moving,engaging and inspiring, 15 Nov 2008
I have just finished President elect Obama's book. I could not put it down,and could not believe it was written by a politician.
He gives an honest account of his journey into his self, and search for his identity and roots.
I feel I have a real sense of the man, after reading this book. He is self aware, and I enjoyed his ability to share his struggles with readers.I could pick up on his sense of sadness, and confusion in his journey.
His work in the South side of Chicago, definitely gave him the grounding for the brilliant campaign he ran for the presidency.
I particularly enjoyed his description of his journey to Kenya, which I have travelled to several times.
This is definitely one of the best memoirs I have read.He writes with sensitivity,and is able to connect with his readers.
It gives me a lot of insight into the values,and background of the next president of the United States.
Perceptive, sensitive, funny, self-ironic, 13 Nov 2008
This was an unexpectedly fantastic read: how could a man who (later)decided to go into politics be so honest, so self-searching, so willing to explore beneath the surfaces? The fact that the author is now the US president-elect makes it all the more intriguing, but the autobiography is wonderful even without that extra 'icing on the cake'. Obama has a sensitivity to his own and others' weaknesses and strengths; he sees through the facade but is forgiving of people's foibles. What he has to say about being of mixed race is very much worth listening to: all those who just don't get the problems in US ghettoes or African countries might learn something here. His search for his own identity--the archetypical hero's journey to find the father--is both funny and very touching; the immense disappointment becomes a source of knowledge and wisdom. This is a man who crosses many bridges: between black and white, men and women, 'West' and 'Third World', past and present. Buy it--and enjoy it!
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Customer Reviews
Simple but elegantly written, 20 Nov 2008
Obama completely embraces the importance of effective communication as reflected on this book. I like the part where he realized how important is saying the right words and get the people's undivided attention to what he is saying.
Best Book I've read in 10 yrs., 20 Nov 2008
He describes his childhood to manhood in such a sensitive & interesting way. An honest & frank look at race issues that he had to consider due to his mixed race & ancestry. Until I'd read the book, I hadn't realised how deep he was. I Highly Recommend this book! Once I started it , I then looked forward to my next train journeys, to get the next instalment. And its now solved my Xmas gift ideas! I'm buying 10 x copies for friends & family. Great Writer!
Touching and sincere, 16 Nov 2008
This book was written so beutifully, that even the most mundane information evokes emotions that can't be explained. The chapter in which he describes his only memories of his father from about age ten is the part that really got me. Obama shares the memory of the one and only time his father taught him to dance. "Come Barry,my father said. "You will learn from the master" And suddenly his slender body was swaying back and forth, the lush sound was rising, his arms were swinging...." I became teary eyed while reading that part on the tube on the way to a job interview. I felt sorry that this young boy held onto all that he could of his father. Obama goes onto describe many years of his child and adult life. This is a must read for book fans, even if Obama hadn't become the first black American president he was still one hell of a writer.
Moving,engaging and inspiring, 15 Nov 2008
I have just finished President elect Obama's book. I could not put it down,and could not believe it was written by a politician.
He gives an honest account of his journey into his self, and search for his identity and roots.
I feel I have a real sense of the man, after reading this book. He is self aware, and I enjoyed his ability to share his struggles with readers.I could pick up on his sense of sadness, and confusion in his journey.
His work in the South side of Chicago, definitely gave him the grounding for the brilliant campaign he ran for the presidency.
I particularly enjoyed his description of his journey to Kenya, which I have travelled to several times.
This is definitely one of the best memoirs I have read.He writes with sensitivity,and is able to connect with his readers.
It gives me a lot of insight into the values,and background of the next president of the United States.
Perceptive, sensitive, funny, self-ironic, 13 Nov 2008
This was an unexpectedly fantastic read: how could a man who (later)decided to go into politics be so honest, so self-searching, so willing to explore beneath the surfaces? The fact that the author is now the US president-elect makes it all the more intriguing, but the autobiography is wonderful even without that extra 'icing on the cake'. Obama has a sensitivity to his own and others' weaknesses and strengths; he sees through the facade but is forgiving of people's foibles. What he has to say about being of mixed race is very much worth listening to: all those who just don't get the problems in US ghettoes or African countries might learn something here. His search for his own identity--the archetypical hero's journey to find the father--is both funny and very touching; the immense disappointment becomes a source of knowledge and wisdom. This is a man who crosses many bridges: between black and white, men and women, 'West' and 'Third World', past and present. Buy it--and enjoy it!
so what , 21 Nov 2008
The younger generation, particularly those of the rock star persuasion, are compelled to tell all who will listen that they invented all known forms of excess.Having struggled through this fairly banal account of the exploits of 4 of their number, I was reminded of my days in the boy scouts.
I would give this ten stars if I could!!, 14 Oct 2008
When I read this I only knew one Motley Crue song and I have to say I still prefer this book to any of their music (although I like a few songs).
What can I say? This is the best book I have ever read, from the first line I was hooked, you don't have to be a Motley Crue fan or even a rock fan (although that would help), but you DO have to buy this book now!
Shocking, enjoyable and absolutely addictive., 04 Sep 2008
I was a fifteen-year-old bookworm with a taste for soft rock, when my black-clothed, metal-haired TOTAL rocker classmate told me I should buy the Dirt. I went and bought it, took one look at their hair and makeup when I got home and thought... nyah, I'll save it for a rainy day.
One rainy day almost three years later, I opened the book and started reading it. I'd never heard a Mötley song in my life, but my music tastes had rotated towards hard rock and heavy metal. The book was fascinatingly disgusting from the start, and absolutely gripping. I loved it (although it does get fairly depressing after Vince Neil's car crash and the splitups and all that.)
I read it in just a few days. When I finished I thought - What if I don't like their music? That'd be a disaster.
But I marched up to my metal-haired classmate and asked to borrow his iPod, which was chock full of Mötley music.
INSTANTLY HOOKED. What a relief! The music is amazing!
The book remains one of my favourites still, and it stays on my nighttable. I've discussed it with several people, who all comment that they hate all that drug abuse and how it could motivate people to try drugs. But if there's one thing I'm never going to do, it's that! The INSIGHT that these people show came as a total surprise to me, and it heightens the quality of the book a whole lot. Nikki Sixx may be an ****hole, but he knows it!
And to the fans: you shouldn't even wonder about buying this book. Just do it! There's no better way to learn about the world's most notorious rock band.
absurd, 02 Sep 2008
It's a miracle that these superjunks are still alive. I also think it's a miracle that they sold so many records. The book is awesome, the junks are pretty honest about their mistakes, luck, career etc. Sometimes i laughed, wondered and i must admit that the part about Vince's daughter brought tears in my eyes. A must read.
The Best Book I have Ever Read Bar None, 07 Aug 2008
I don't like their music, I don't particularly like the band members but I read this and was blown away, quite simply the best book I have read. I love the style of it. It's rock and Roll, It's Sex and it's drugs and it's also moving in places. Neil Strauss must be creditted for the style in which the book is written, but the band wrote their own story and what a story it is....
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Customer Reviews
Simple but elegantly written, 20 Nov 2008
Obama completely embraces the importance of effective communication as reflected on this book. I like the part where he realized how important is saying the right words and get the people's undivided attention to what he is saying.
Best Book I've read in 10 yrs., 20 Nov 2008
He describes his childhood to manhood in such a sensitive & interesting way. An honest & frank look at race issues that he had to consider due to his mixed race & ancestry. Until I'd read the book, I hadn't realised how deep he was. I Highly Recommend this book! Once I started it , I then looked forward to my next train journeys, to get the next instalment. And its now solved my Xmas gift ideas! I'm buying 10 x copies for friends & family. Great Writer!
Touching and sincere, 16 Nov 2008
This book was written so beutifully, that even the most mundane information evokes emotions that can't be explained. The chapter in which he describes his only memories of his father from about age ten is the part that really got me. Obama shares the memory of the one and only time his father taught him to dance. "Come Barry,my father said. "You will learn from the master" And suddenly his slender body was swaying back and forth, the lush sound was rising, his arms were swinging...." I became teary eyed while reading that part on the tube on the way to a job interview. I felt sorry that this young boy held onto all that he could of his father. Obama goes onto describe many years of his child and adult life. This is a must read for book fans, even if Obama hadn't become the first black American president he was still one hell of a writer.
Moving,engaging and inspiring, 15 Nov 2008
I have just finished President elect Obama's book. I could not put it down,and could not believe it was written by a politician.
He gives an honest account of his journey into his self, and search for his identity and roots.
I feel I have a real sense of the man, after reading this book. He is self aware, and I enjoyed his ability to share his struggles with readers.I could pick up on his sense of sadness, and confusion in his journey.
His work in the South side of Chicago, definitely gave him the grounding for the brilliant campaign he ran for the presidency.
I particularly enjoyed his description of his journey to Kenya, which I have travelled to several times.
This is definitely one of the best memoirs I have read.He writes with sensitivity,and is able to connect with his readers.
It gives me a lot of insight into the values,and background of the next president of the United States.
Perceptive, sensitive, funny, self-ironic, 13 Nov 2008
This was an unexpectedly fantastic read: how could a man who (later)decided to go into politics be so honest, so self-searching, so willing to explore beneath the surfaces? The fact that the author is now the US president-elect makes it all the more intriguing, but the autobiography is wonderful even without that extra 'icing on the cake'. Obama has a sensitivity to his own and others' weaknesses and strengths; he sees through the facade but is forgiving of people's foibles. What he has to say about being of mixed race is very much worth listening to: all those who just don't get the problems in US ghettoes or African countries might learn something here. His search for his own identity--the archetypical hero's journey to find the father--is both funny and very touching; the immense disappointment becomes a source of knowledge and wisdom. This is a man who crosses many bridges: between black and white, men and women, 'West' and 'Third World', past and present. Buy it--and enjoy it!
so what , 21 Nov 2008
The younger generation, particularly those of the rock star persuasion, are compelled to tell all who will listen that they invented all known forms of excess.Having struggled through this fairly banal account of the exploits of 4 of their number, I was reminded of my days in the boy scouts.
I would give this ten stars if I could!!, 14 Oct 2008
When I read this I only knew one Motley Crue song and I have to say I still prefer this book to any of their music (although I like a few songs).
What can I say? This is the best book I have ever read, from the first line I was hooked, you don't have to be a Motley Crue fan or even a rock fan (although that would help), but you DO have to buy this book now!
Shocking, enjoyable and absolutely addictive., 04 Sep 2008
I was a fifteen-year-old bookworm with a taste for soft rock, when my black-clothed, metal-haired TOTAL rocker classmate told me I should buy the Dirt. I went and bought it, took one look at their hair and makeup when I got home and thought... nyah, I'll save it for a rainy day.
One rainy day almost three years later, I opened the book and started reading it. I'd never heard a Mötley song in my life, but my music tastes had rotated towards hard rock and heavy metal. The book was fascinatingly disgusting from the start, and absolutely gripping. I loved it (although it does get fairly depressing after Vince Neil's car crash and the splitups and all that.)
I read it in just a few days. When I finished I thought - What if I don't like their music? That'd be a disaster.
But I marched up to my metal-haired classmate and asked to borrow his iPod, which was chock full of Mötley music.
INSTANTLY HOOKED. What a relief! The music is amazing!
The book remains one of my favourites still, and it stays on my nighttable. I've discussed it with several people, who all comment that they hate all that drug abuse and how it could motivate people to try drugs. But if there's one thing I'm never going to do, it's that! The INSIGHT that these people show came as a total surprise to me, and it heightens the quality of the book a whole lot. Nikki Sixx may be an ****hole, but he knows it!
And to the fans: you shouldn't even wonder about buying this book. Just do it! There's no better way to learn about the world's most notorious rock band.
absurd, 02 Sep 2008
It's a miracle that these superjunks are still alive. I also think it's a miracle that they sold so many records. The book is awesome, the junks are pretty honest about their mistakes, luck, career etc. Sometimes i laughed, wondered and i must admit that the part about Vince's daughter brought tears in my eyes. A must read.
The Best Book I have Ever Read Bar None, 07 Aug 2008
I don't like their music, I don't particularly like the band members but I read this and was blown away, quite simply the best book I have read. I love the style of it. It's rock and Roll, It's Sex and it's drugs and it's also moving in places. Neil Strauss must be creditted for the style in which the book is written, but the band wrote their own story and what a story it is....
Ray of Hope, 13 Jan 2008
In a topsy-turvy world where madness, greed, and evil are now the perceived normailty and "common sense", books like Walden are confirmation that it is better to be different to the majority.
Thoreau elaborately discusses the wisdom which some of us may at times have pondered on. Many future denizens of Hell, jealously target human beings who are earning more Heaven with each passing moment, and attack them to try and weaken their soul. But a well-read and discerning individual perseveres with ease, and remains authentic.
A wonderful example is where Thoreau speaks of the utter futility of those who profess to be charitable, but are in actual fact a part of the problem. Thoreau gives an analogy of a slave breeder, who donates the proceeds of every tenth slave, to buy a month of free Sundays for the first nine slaves he sold.
Walden is a rare combination of beauty and magic, shining light on todays hypocritical society, and helping genuine human beings who understand the true meaning of life, to evolve.
Truly a world classic. Great writing. A life-changing read. , 13 Nov 2007
This is a book to be pondered, to be read slowly, a book worth the effort to read in order to understand what Thoreau is saying, and to see the application to him- or herself, now, today. As happens with great writing, the reader is changed by this book. Even in reading the first few pages, the reader has a profound experience. Multiply that by reading Walden in entirety and the reader emerges a different person. However, the reader must be willing to enter into Thoreau's world and his experience. Readers who find such writing tedious are, one suspects, too used to reading fast-paced novels. For those with an interest in history, philosophy, the human condition, truth in reality, and simply in having an educated mind, there is no greater work. Walden is truly a world classic.
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant!, 26 May 2006
One of the best books I have ever studied. Hidden gems await inside for anyone who reads this classic. If literature can be seen as a medium to express our thoughts in the deepest yet most lucid ways, then Walden must be in the top quartile of the best of them.
And all of this for a couple of quid? Buy it!
Obsession with Beans, 11 Jul 2005
As an addendum to the earlier reviews posted here I'd like to suggest that the obsession thoreau has with the price of beans is, like the cetology chapters in Moby Dick, or the compulsive list making of Robinson Crusoe, as much a device for creating a mood as a dry stocktaking exercise. Thoreau is demonstrating the ritualism of a solitary existence - if you lived alone in a hut in the woods, wouldn't you become obsessed with the fruits of your daily toil? It amounts to more than a hill of beans.
A Jewel, 11 Dec 2003
I find it hard to believe that the above reviewers are talking about the same book. This book is one of my personal treasures. Thoreau seems to embody the intelligence and wit of a great thinker with a childlike enthusiasm and excitement about the beauty of the natural world. When you combine that with his desire to live life and his respect for even the most humble of his fellow men you are in for some profound literature. This is not a book to be scan read or rushed through. Savour it, I don't see how you could be disappointed.
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The Bush Tragedy
Usually dispatched within 1-2 business days
*Best price found from Amazon Marketplace seller
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*Amazon: £3.65
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Customer Reviews
Simple but elegantly written, 20 Nov 2008
Obama completely embraces the importance of effective communication as reflected on this book. I like the part where he realized how important is saying the right words and get the people's undivided attention to what he is saying.
Best Book I've read in 10 yrs., 20 Nov 2008
He describes his childhood to manhood in such a sensitive & interesting way. An honest & frank look at race issues that he had to consider due to his mixed race & ancestry. Until I'd read the book, I hadn't realised how deep he was. I Highly Recommend this book! Once I started it , I then looked forward to my next train journeys, to get the next instalment. And its now solved my Xmas gift ideas! I'm buying 10 x copies for friends & family. Great Writer!
Touching and sincere, 16 Nov 2008
This book was written so beutifully, that even the most mundane information evokes emotions that can't be explained. The chapter in which he describes his only memories of his father from about age ten is the part that really got me. Obama shares the memory of the one and only time his father taught him to dance. "Come Barry,my father said. "You will learn from the master" And suddenly his slender body was swaying back and forth, the lush sound was rising, his arms were swinging...." I became teary eyed while reading that part on the tube on the way to a job interview. I felt sorry that this young boy held onto all that he could of his father. Obama goes onto describe many years of his child and adult life. This is a must read for book fans, even if Obama hadn't become the first black American president he was still one hell of a writer.
Moving,engaging and inspiring, 15 Nov 2008
I have just finished President elect Obama's book. I could not put it down,and could not believe it was written by a politician.
He gives an honest account of his journey into his self, and search for his identity and roots.
I feel I have a real sense of the man, after reading this book. He is self aware, and I enjoyed his ability to share his struggles with readers.I could pick up on his sense of sadness, and confusion in his journey.
His work in the South side of Chicago, definitely gave him the grounding for the brilliant campaign he ran for the presidency.
I particularly enjoyed his description of his journey to Kenya, which I have travelled to several times.
This is definitely one of the best memoirs I have read.He writes with sensitivity,and is able to connect with his readers.
It gives me a lot of insight into the values,and background of the next president of the United States.
Perceptive, sensitive, funny, self-ironic, 13 Nov 2008
This was an unexpectedly fantastic read: how could a man who (later)decided to go into politics be so honest, so self-searching, so willing to explore beneath the surfaces? The fact that the author is now the US president-elect makes it all the more intriguing, but the autobiography is wonderful even without that extra 'icing on the cake'. Obama has a sensitivity to his own and others' weaknesses and strengths; he sees through the facade but is forgiving of people's foibles. What he has to say about being of mixed race is very much worth listening to: all those who just don't get the problems in US ghettoes or African countries might learn something here. His search for his own identity--the archetypical hero's journey to find the father--is both funny and very touching; the immense disappointment becomes a source of knowledge and wisdom. This is a man who crosses many bridges: between black and white, men and women, 'West' and 'Third World', past and present. Buy it--and enjoy it!
so what , 21 Nov 2008
The younger generation, particularly those of the rock star persuasion, are compelled to tell all who will listen that they invented all known forms of excess.Having struggled through this fairly banal account of the exploits of 4 of their number, I was reminded of my days in the boy scouts.
I would give this ten stars if I could!!, 14 Oct 2008
When I read this I only knew one Motley Crue song and I have to say I still prefer this book to any of their music (although I like a few songs).
What can I say? This is the best book I have ever read, from the first line I was hooked, you don't have to be a Motley Crue fan or even a rock fan (although that would help), but you DO have to buy this book now!
Shocking, enjoyable and absolutely addictive., 04 Sep 2008
I was a fifteen-year-old bookworm with a taste for soft rock, when my black-clothed, metal-haired TOTAL rocker classmate told me I should buy the Dirt. I went and bought it, took one look at their hair and makeup when I got home and thought... nyah, I'll save it for a rainy day.
One rainy day almost three years later, I opened the book and started reading it. I'd never heard a Mötley song in my life, but my music tastes had rotated towards hard rock and heavy metal. The book was fascinatingly disgusting from the start, and absolutely gripping. I loved it (although it does get fairly depressing after Vince Neil's car crash and the splitups and all that.)
I read it in just a few days. When I finished I thought - What if I don't like their music? That'd be a disaster.
But I marched up to my metal-haired classmate and asked to borrow his iPod, which was chock full of Mötley music.
INSTANTLY HOOKED. What a relief! The music is amazing!
The book remains one of my favourites still, and it stays on my nighttable. I've discussed it with several people, who all comment that they hate all that drug abuse and how it could motivate people to try drugs. But if there's one thing I'm never going to do, it's that! The INSIGHT that these people show came as a total surprise to me, and it heightens the quality of the book a whole lot. Nikki Sixx may be an ****hole, but he knows it!
And to the fans: you shouldn't even wonder about buying this book. Just do it! There's no better way to learn about the world's most notorious rock band.
absurd, 02 Sep 2008
It's a miracle that these superjunks are still alive. I also think it's a miracle that they sold so many records. The book is awesome, the junks are pretty honest about their mistakes, luck, career etc. Sometimes i laughed, wondered and i must admit that the part about Vince's daughter brought tears in my eyes. A must read.
The Best Book I have Ever Read Bar None, 07 Aug 2008
I don't like their music, I don't particularly like the band members but I read this and was blown away, quite simply the best book I have read. I love the style of it. It's rock and Roll, It's Sex and it's drugs and it's also moving in places. Neil Strauss must be creditted for the style in which the book is written, but the band wrote their own story and what a story it is....
Ray of Hope, 13 Jan 2008
In a topsy-turvy world where madness, greed, and evil are now the perceived normailty and "common sense", books like Walden are confirmation that it is better to be different to the majority.
Thoreau elaborately discusses the wisdom which some of us may at times have pondered on. Many future denizens of Hell, jealously target human beings who are earning more Heaven with each passing moment, and attack them to try and weaken their soul. But a well-read and discerning individual perseveres with ease, and remains authentic.
A wonderful example is where Thoreau speaks of the utter futility of those who profess to be charitable, but are in actual fact a part of the problem. Thoreau gives an analogy of a slave breeder, who donates the proceeds of every tenth slave, to buy a month of free Sundays for the first nine slaves he sold.
Walden is a rare combination of beauty and magic, shining light on todays hypocritical society, and helping genuine human beings who understand the true meaning of life, to evolve.
Truly a world classic. Great writing. A life-changing read. , 13 Nov 2007
This is a book to be pondered, to be read slowly, a book worth the effort to read in order to understand what Thoreau is saying, and to see the application to him- or herself, now, today. As happens with great writing, the reader is changed by this book. Even in reading the first few pages, the reader has a profound experience. Multiply that by reading Walden in entirety and the reader emerges a different person. However, the reader must be willing to enter into Thoreau's world and his experience. Readers who find such writing tedious are, one suspects, too used to reading fast-paced novels. For those with an interest in history, philosophy, the human condition, truth in reality, and simply in having an educated mind, there is no greater work. Walden is truly a world classic.
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant!, 26 May 2006
One of the best books I have ever studied. Hidden gems await inside for anyone who reads this classic. If literature can be seen as a medium to express our thoughts in the deepest yet most lucid ways, then Walden must be in the top quartile of the best of them.
And all of this for a couple of quid? Buy it!
Obsession with Beans, 11 Jul 2005
As an addendum to the earlier reviews posted here I'd like to suggest that the obsession thoreau has with the price of beans is, like the cetology chapters in Moby Dick, or the compulsive list making of Robinson Crusoe, as much a device for creating a mood as a dry stocktaking exercise. Thoreau is demonstrating the ritualism of a solitary existence - if you lived alone in a hut in the woods, wouldn't you become obsessed with the fruits of your daily toil? It amounts to more than a hill of beans.
A Jewel, 11 Dec 2003
I find it hard to believe that the above reviewers are talking about the same book. This book is one of my personal treasures. Thoreau seems to embody the intelligence and wit of a great thinker with a childlike enthusiasm and excitement about the beauty of the natural world. When you combine that with his desire to live life and his respect for even the most humble of his fellow men you are in for some profound literature. This is not a book to be scan read or rushed through. Savour it, I don't see how you could be disappointed.
A somewhat flawed review of a flawed man, 17 Nov 2008
I have been intruiged about how George Bush was not only elected once, but re-elected as US president. So, in a bored moment, I bought this book. It promised much,and is worth a read, but cutting to the chase, it was fascinating but fairly distorted ... not by lack of trying, but by trying too hard. Everything was force fitted into a mould that had some truth in it, but was pushed too far. In a little more detail, the backstory was fascinating, the early years likewise, and you can certainly see how his thesis of a man who wants to emulate his father's course, but also draw sharp contrast and be thought of as his own man. Having done this groundwork, it felt like the period of the presidency was skated over, and through the lens of folks like Karl Rove and Dick Cheney. Even here it paints only a sketch of Condi Rice who feels an intruiging figure who, from the little I know, I thought should have been smart enough to provide a more guiding hand. The books written fairly well, but nothing like as well as one might interpret from the reviews.
So, one of the things I was left wondering was how it got the rave reviews it did on the cover - e.g the front cover has a quote from Malcolm Gladwell (he of 'The tipping point') - "Political drama, family history and psychological insight in dazzling combination. If you read one book about George W. Bush and his presidency, this should be it". That would be the same Malcolm Gladwell thanked in the Acknowledgements for his 'keen insights and editorial suggestions' would it? And, the one who dwelt on Jacob's mother Lois extensively within 'The Tipping Point'. So, hardly the disinterested observer that you might imagine.
But, he's in good company, since Jacob also thanks Joe Klein (Author of 'Primary Colors') for the benefits that have come from conversations with him (and others) ... and Joe turns up on the back cover saying 'Scorching, powerful and entirely plausible ... a beautifully written and erudite book, hilarious at times, a joy to read'. In terms of general reviews we have 'A serious, thought-provoking effort to penetrate what instinct tells us muct be an extraordinary family drama' from the Washington Post. Jacob is editor-in-chief of Slate Group, a division of The Washington Post Company in which I must presume the Washington Post is stabled. Maybe it's an innocent connection, but after two spun connections, I am a little skeptical.
But, for all the skepticism, still worth a read, and worth three stars
A Family Madness **, 16 Jun 2008
Drawing on some distorted form of Freudian analysis and dabbling in Shakespeare, Weisberg is at some pains to show how George W. Bush's family heritage formed the President's personality. The son is continually referencing his father in comments and actions, while at the same time trying to distance himself from the 41st President . This isn't the first effort along these lines, nor will it surely be the last. In this well-written, but terribly narrow assessment, the author carefully traces how W.'s actions are a reflection of his reactions to his President father.
The account opens with a summary history of the Bush and Walker families. Their rise, successes and especially their personalities lay the groundwork for what follows. Weisberg carefully follows W.'s life in Texas and his attempts at an education in the East. Yale was not a happy time for the young man, and his reaction to the alien world of "The Eastern Establishment" set patterns he would follow throughout his career. As he haltingly moves toward becoming the Republican nominee [although little is given of that process], Bush begins collecting the men - and a woman - who will become his "inner circle". Karl Rove is a sycophant with a dream, manipulating Bush while being subjected to W's banter. Rove is later joined by Dick Cheney, two men with a dream of remaking the Presidency and US society. It's a compelling, if highly disturbing picture.
The Iraq invasion is, of course, the pivot point for Weisberg's analysis, calling the crusade against Saddam Hussein a total blunder. Yet Weisberg, in his depiction, makes a major gaffe of his own. After making serious effort to show how Bush makes decisions with little consideration, then sticks to the choice against any contending opinions, tells us that the President had not chosen to invade until almost the final moment. This is an astounding reversal of what Weisberg has been presenting throughout the book. The author accepts that the Bush regime "honestly" felt Hussein was a threat and the war decision justified on those grounds. Weisberg lightly passes over those such as Richard Clark or Christopher Meyer who testified Bush had decided on "regime change" long before. He ignores Colin Powell's admission that he was fed a lot of "BS" to present to the UN. Indeed, the contrived WMDs the Bush regime touted so vehemently were declared missing by Hans Blix, who receives not a drop of ink here.
Nothing is offered for why US voters should have returned this misfit to the Presidency. It will be the greatest tragedy in US history if Bush leaves the Presidency without facing charges, but this eventuality never enters Weisberg's account. In fact, no real assessment of the long-term impact of the regime's many Constitutional violations is given. We are given the portrait of a vulnerable man, with the most superficial talents holding sway over government procedures and policies unfit for a democracy. Does Weisberg think any one or a generation of successive Presidents is going to be able to set right what the Bush regime has wrought? Any new President will not be able to purge the Supreme Court of the witless hacks Bush has placed there. Worse, the deep penetration of appointments vetted more for their sympathy to "Christian" evangelical views than for any abilities is not easily uprooted and dispensed with. Weisberg may have well fulfilled the mandate he set himself, but as far as the author's concerned, that will all pass into history's assessment when Bush leaves office. The effect on society will endure. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
** with thanks to Thomas Keneally
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"John Adams"
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Customer Reviews
Simple but elegantly written, 20 Nov 2008
Obama completely embraces the importance of effective communication as reflected on this book. I like the part where he realized how important is saying the right words and get the people's undivided attention to what he is saying.
Best Book I've read in 10 yrs., 20 Nov 2008
He describes his childhood to manhood in such a sensitive & interesting way. An honest & frank look at race issues that he had to consider due to his mixed race & ancestry. Until I'd read the book, I hadn't realised how deep he was. I Highly Recommend this book! Once I started it , I then looked forward to my next train journeys, to get the next instalment. And its now solved my Xmas gift ideas! I'm buying 10 x copies for friends & family. Great Writer!
Touching and sincere, 16 Nov 2008
This book was written so beutifully, that even the most mundane information evokes emotions that can't be explained. The chapter in which he describes his only memories of his father from about age ten is the part that really got me. Obama shares the memory of the one and only time his father taught him to dance. "Come Barry,my father said. "You will learn from the master" And suddenly his slender body was swaying back and forth, the lush sound was rising, his arms were swinging...." I became teary eyed while reading that part on the tube on the way to a job interview. I felt sorry that this young boy held onto all that he could of his father. Obama goes onto describe many years of his child and adult life. This is a must read for book fans, even if Obama hadn't become the first black American president he was still one hell of a writer.
Moving,engaging and inspiring, 15 Nov 2008
I have just finished President elect Obama's book. I could not put it down,and could not believe it was written by a politician.
He gives an honest account of his journey into his self, and search for his identity and roots.
I feel I have a real sense of the man, after reading this book. He is self aware, and I enjoyed his ability to share his struggles with readers.I could pick up on his sense of sadness, and confusion in his journey.
His work in the South side of Chicago, definitely gave him the grounding for the brilliant campaign he ran for the presidency.
I particularly enjoyed his description of his journey to Kenya, which I have travelled to several times.
This is definitely one of the best memoirs I have read.He writes with sensitivity,and is able to connect with his readers.
It gives me a lot of insight into the values,and background of the next president of the United States.
Perceptive, sensitive, funny, self-ironic, 13 Nov 2008
This was an unexpectedly fantastic read: how could a man who (later)decided to go into politics be so honest, so self-searching, so willing to explore beneath the surfaces? The fact that the author is now the US president-elect makes it all the more intriguing, but the autobiography is wonderful even without that extra 'icing on the cake'. Obama has a sensitivity to his own and others' weaknesses and strengths; he sees through the facade but is forgiving of people's foibles. What he has to say about being of mixed race is very much worth listening to: all those who just don't get the problems in US ghettoes or African countries might learn something here. His search for his own identity--the archetypical hero's journey to find the father--is both funny and very touching; the immense disappointment becomes a source of knowledge and wisdom. This is a man who crosses many bridges: between black and white, men and women, 'West' and 'Third World', past and present. Buy it--and enjoy it!
so what , 21 Nov 2008
The younger generation, particularly those of the rock star persuasion, are compelled to tell all who will listen that they invented all known forms of excess.Having struggled through this fairly banal account of the exploits of 4 of their number, I was reminded of my days in the boy scouts.
I would give this ten stars if I could!!, 14 Oct 2008
When I read this I only knew one Motley Crue song and I have to say I still prefer this book to any of their music (although I like a few songs).
What can I say? This is the best book I have ever read, from the first line I was hooked, you don't have to be a Motley Crue fan or even a rock fan (although that would help), but you DO have to buy this book now!
Shocking, enjoyable and absolutely addictive., 04 Sep 2008
I was a fifteen-year-old bookworm with a taste for soft rock, when my black-clothed, metal-haired TOTAL rocker classmate told me I should buy the Dirt. I went and bought it, took one look at their hair and makeup when I got home and thought... nyah, I'll save it for a rainy day.
One rainy day almost three years later, I opened the book and started reading it. I'd never heard a Mötley song in my life, but my music tastes had rotated towards hard rock and heavy metal. The book was fascinatingly disgusting from the start, and absolutely gripping. I loved it (although it does get fairly depressing after Vince Neil's car crash and the splitups and all that.)
I read it in just a few days. When I finished I thought - What if I don't like their music? That'd be a disaster.
But I marched up to my metal-haired classmate and asked to borrow his iPod, which was chock full of Mötley music.
INSTANTLY HOOKED. What a relief! The music is amazing!
The book remains one of my favourites still, and it stays on my nighttable. I've discussed it with several people, who all comment that they hate all that drug abuse and how it could motivate people to try drugs. But if there's one thing I'm never going to do, it's that! The INSIGHT that these people show came as a total surprise to me, and it heightens the quality of the book a whole lot. Nikki Sixx may be an ****hole, but he knows it!
And to the fans: you shouldn't even wonder about buying this book. Just do it! There's no better way to learn about the world's most notorious rock band.
absurd, 02 Sep 2008
It's a miracle that these superjunks are still alive. I also think it's a miracle that they sold so many records. The book is awesome, the junks are pretty honest about their mistakes, luck, career etc. Sometimes i laughed, wondered and i must admit that the part about Vince's daughter brought tears in my eyes. A must read.
The Best Book I have Ever Read Bar None, 07 Aug 2008
I don't like their music, I don't particularly like the band members but I read this and was blown away, quite simply the best book I have read. I love the style of it. It's rock and Roll, It's Sex and it's drugs and it's also moving in places. Neil Strauss must be creditted for the style in which the book is written, but the band wrote their own story and what a story it is....
Ray of Hope, 13 Jan 2008
In a topsy-turvy world where madness, greed, and evil are now the perceived normailty and "common sense", books like Walden are confirmation that it is better to be different to the majority.
Thoreau elaborately discusses the wisdom which some of us may at times have pondered on. Many future denizens of Hell, jealously target human beings who are earning more Heaven with each passing moment, and attack them to try and weaken their soul. But a well-read and discerning individual perseveres with ease, and remains authentic.
A wonderful example is where Thoreau speaks of the utter futility of those who profess to be charitable, but are in actual fact a part of the problem. Thoreau gives an analogy of a slave breeder, who donates the proceeds of every tenth slave, to buy a month of free Sundays for the first nine slaves he sold.
Walden is a rare combination of beauty and magic, shining light on todays hypocritical society, and helping genuine human beings who understand the true meaning of life, to evolve.
Truly a world classic. Great writing. A life-changing read. , 13 Nov 2007
This is a book to be pondered, to be read slowly, a book worth the effort to read in order to understand what Thoreau is saying, and to see the application to him- or herself, now, today. As happens with great writing, the reader is changed by this book. Even in reading the first few pages, the reader has a profound experience. Multiply that by reading Walden in entirety and the reader emerges a different person. However, the reader must be willing to enter into Thoreau's world and his experience. Readers who find such writing tedious are, one suspects, too used to reading fast-paced novels. For those with an interest in history, philosophy, the human condition, truth in reality, and simply in having an educated mind, there is no greater work. Walden is truly a world classic.
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant!, 26 May 2006
One of the best books I have ever studied. Hidden gems await inside for anyone who reads this classic. If literature can be seen as a medium to express our thoughts in the deepest yet most lucid ways, then Walden must be in the top quartile of the best of them.
And all of this for a couple of quid? Buy it!
Obsession with Beans, 11 Jul 2005
As an addendum to the earlier reviews posted here I'd like to suggest that the obsession thoreau has with the price of beans is, like the cetology chapters in Moby Dick, or the compulsive list making of Robinson Crusoe, as much a device for creating a mood as a dry stocktaking exercise. Thoreau is demonstrating the ritualism of a solitary existence - if you lived alone in a hut in the woods, wouldn't you become obsessed with the fruits of your daily toil? It amounts to more than a hill of beans.
A Jewel, 11 Dec 2003
I find it hard to believe that the above reviewers are talking about the same book. This book is one of my personal treasures. Thoreau seems to embody the intelligence and wit of a great thinker with a childlike enthusiasm and excitement about the beauty of the natural world. When you combine that with his desire to live life and his respect for even the most humble of his fellow men you are in for some profound literature. This is not a book to be scan read or rushed through. Savour it, I don't see how you could be disappointed.
A somewhat flawed review of a flawed man, 17 Nov 2008
I have been intruiged about how George Bush was not only elected once, but re-elected as US president. So, in a bored moment, I bought this book. It promised much,and is worth a read, but cutting to the chase, it was fascinating but fairly distorted ... not by lack of trying, but by trying too hard. Everything was force fitted into a mould that had some truth in it, but was pushed too far. In a little more detail, the backstory was fascinating, the early years likewise, and you can certainly see how his thesis of a man who wants to emulate his father's course, but also draw sharp contrast and be thought of as his own man. Having done this groundwork, it felt like the period of the presidency was skated over, and through the lens of folks like Karl Rove and Dick Cheney. Even here it paints only a sketch of Condi Rice who feels an intruiging figure who, from the little I know, I thought should have been smart enough to provide a more guiding hand. The books written fairly well, but nothing like as well as one might interpret from the reviews.
So, one of the things I was left wondering was how it got the rave reviews it did on the cover - e.g the front cover has a quote from Malcolm Gladwell (he of 'The tipping point') - "Political drama, family history and psychological insight in dazzling combination. If you read one book about George W. Bush and his presidency, this should be it". That would be the same Malcolm Gladwell thanked in the Acknowledgements for his 'keen insights and editorial suggestions' would it? And, the one who dwelt on Jacob's mother Lois extensively within 'The Tipping Point'. So, hardly the disinterested observer that you might imagine.
But, he's in good company, since Jacob also thanks Joe Klein (Author of 'Primary Colors') for the benefits that have come from conversations with him (and others) ... and Joe turns up on the back cover saying 'Scorching, powerful and entirely plausible ... a beautifully written and erudite book, hilarious at times, a joy to read'. In terms of general reviews we have 'A serious, thought-provoking effort to penetrate what instinct tells us muct be an extraordinary family drama' from the Washington Post. Jacob is editor-in-chief of Slate Group, a division of The Washington Post Company in which I must presume the Washington Post is stabled. Maybe it's an innocent connection, but after two spun connections, I am a little skeptical.
But, for all the skepticism, still worth a read, and worth three stars
A Family Madness **, 16 Jun 2008
Drawing on some distorted form of Freudian analysis and dabbling in Shakespeare, Weisberg is at some pains to show how George W. Bush's family heritage formed the President's personality. The son is continually referencing his father in comments and actions, while at the same time trying to distance himself from the 41st President . This isn't the first effort along these lines, nor will it surely be the last. In this well-written, but terribly narrow assessment, the author carefully traces how W.'s actions are a reflection of his reactions to his President father.
The account opens with a summary history of the Bush and Walker families. Their rise, successes and especially their personalities lay the groundwork for what follows. Weisberg carefully follows W.'s life in Texas and his attempts at an education in the East. Yale was not a happy time for the young man, and his reaction to the alien world of "The Eastern Establishment" set patterns he would follow throughout his career. As he haltingly moves toward becoming the Republican nominee [although little is given of that process], Bush begins collecting the men - and a woman - who will become his "inner circle". Karl Rove is a sycophant with a dream, manipulating Bush while being subjected to W's banter. Rove is later joined by Dick Cheney, two men with a dream of remaking the Presidency and US society. It's a compelling, if highly disturbing picture.
The Iraq invasion is, of course, the pivot point for Weisberg's analysis, calling the crusade against Saddam Hussein a total blunder. Yet Weisberg, in his depiction, makes a major gaffe of his own. After making serious effort to show how Bush makes decisions with little consideration, then sticks to the choice against any contending opinions, tells us that the President had not chosen to invade until almost the final moment. This is an astounding reversal of what Weisberg has been presenting throughout the book. The author accepts that the Bush regime "honestly" felt Hussein was a threat and the war decision justified on those grounds. Weisberg lightly passes over those such as Richard Clark or Christopher Meyer who testified Bush had decided on "regime change" long before. He ignores Colin Powell's admission that he was fed a lot of "BS" to present to the UN. Indeed, the contrived WMDs the Bush regime touted so vehemently were declared missing by Hans Blix, who receives not a drop of ink here.
Nothing is offered for why US voters should have returned this misfit to the Presidency. It will be the greatest tragedy in US history if Bush leaves the Presidency without facing charges, but this eventuality never enters Weisberg's account. In fact, no real assessment of the long-term impact of the regime's many Constitutional violations is given. We are given the portrait of a vulnerable man, with the most superficial talents holding sway over government procedures and policies unfit for a democracy. Does Weisberg think any one or a generation of successive Presidents is going to be able to set right what the Bush regime has wrought? Any new President will not be able to purge the Supreme Court of the witless hacks Bush has placed there. Worse, the deep penetration of appointments vetted more for their sympathy to "Christian" evangelical views than for any abilities is not easily uprooted and dispensed with. Weisberg may have well fulfilled the mandate he set himself, but as far as the author's concerned, that will all pass into history's assessment when Bush leaves office. The effect on society will endure. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
** with thanks to Thomas Keneally
Definitive Biography of a Great President, 01 Jan 2008
This book is a fantastic way to learn about John Adams and it's a great way to be introduced to excellent historical biographical writing.
McCullough is a brilliant and exciting writer. He truly makes Adams come alive, and when Adams inevitably dies at the end it is decidedly sad.
Adams is a hero of the Republic. First a great friend, then a great rival, then a great friend again of Thomas Jefferson. John Adams is undeservedly overlooked by many students of American History.
Adams the republican vs Jefferson the populist was the great debate in American history and still continues today. Adams saw the horror of the French Revolution for what it was and predicted that it would end in depravity and violence and likely cause a savage reaction which would bring about the end of the French Republic itself. He was right, Bonaparte quickly followed the French Revolution and war across europe was the result. Jefferson on the other hand embraced the French Revolution as an expression of the people's desire for liberty. How wrong he was.
Adams was a brilliant Statesman, and student of history. A wonderful family man and superb husband, Adams' correspondence with his wife Abigail is a classic in American literature.
As a child I spent many hours on the grounds of the Adams Mansion in Quincy, MA, soaking up all the history there as much as is possible. McCullough does so well what so many biographers do so poorly in that he captures the times of the subject and places the person in his rightful context. He brought me back to the grounds of "Peacefield" through his beautiful evocations of it as it hosted great people and great events.
History is best studied by understanding how historical figures lived and understood their own lives and times, as they lived them. Hindsight is an overrated tool in historiography.
Bringing the past to life in writing is a special gift and McCullough has it. Enjoy his talents and get to know the foundations of the American nation-- a story that is not fully known by so many. Adams' story deserves to be told. What a brilliant man, and McCullough does him superb justice in this highly readable biography.
So much can be said here about Adams, but it's not necessary as McCullough has written the definitive John Adams biography and says it better than I. Get to know John Adams through this superb book and you will be glad that you did. And your opinions on Jefferson will likely change, too! 10 STARS!!
biography at its best, 03 Nov 2007
McCullough isn't a historian, and this book (and his superb biography of Harry Truman) do suffer as a result. Fortunately, McCullough is one of the best biographers in the business, and his ability to bring his subjects to life more than compensates for the lack of depth of his historical knowledge. At times he is a little too uncritical of his subject; but this is a welcome antidote to the modern tendency to dwell on the faults of great men and women. Books like this should be required reading in our schools, if for no other reason that they show that great men are far more ordinary than you'd think, and that they usually suffer long periods of adversity before they succeed.
Perhaps even more importantly, our relativist age takes liberty for granted: the sanitised myths about America's founding fathers need to be replaced by honest accounts of how precarious and remarkable the revolution was. And whatever McCullough's shortcomings as a historian, he does understand that rare beast: the politician who passionately believes in limiting the power of the state.
Excellent, 07 Mar 2007
This novel was the first I'd read by David McCullough, I found the book to be both interesting and very enjoyable.
Whether you're interested in reading biographies or history, this is the novel for you.
David McCullough did an excellent job piecing together John Adam's life story. It was a compulsive read. :-)
A Biography Worthy Of Its Subject!, 04 Feb 2007
"John Adams" by David McCullough is talented rendition of a unique story. Despite being remembered as the pigmy sandwiched between two giants, Washington and Jefferson, McCullough portrays Adams as an immensely important and interesting character in his own right. Adams is shown as being at the heart of many crucial events of our revolutionary and early national history. It was Adams of the Continental Congress who was the prime promoter of Independence and the nominator of George Washington for the post of commander of the Continental Army. He then carried out a series of diplomatic assignments in Europe, in which he was the intimate collaborator with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Among his unique diplomatic accomplishments were the negotiation of a Dutch loan at a crucial stage of the Revolution and participation in the negotiation of the peace treaty ending the Revolution. Upon his return to America he wrote the constitution of Massachusetts before serving eight years as Washington's loyal vice-president.
Adams was one of those rare figures whose greatest for whom the presidency was not the office in which he rendered his greatest service. His mistake of retaining Washington's cabinet compounded his misfortune of having his prime political rival as vice-president and a deadly enemy, Alexander Hamilton as a leader of his won party. This left him leading an administration rife with sabotage. These factors handicapped him as he confronted issues of peace or war abroad and subversion at home. Having to function more as a sole actor than a leader of men, his administration is generally regarded as a failure. His term was influential, largely in the maintenance of peace and appointment of John Marshall to the Supreme Court.
Through much of this book the reader is treated to an interwoven mini-biography of Thomas Jefferson. Through this dual biography the reader comes to understand the dichotomy of these two friends, but rivals, collaborators and opponents and, ultimately, correspondents. Their timely demises on the Fiftieth Independence Day are seen as nothing less than providential.
As the readers of my reviews are aware, I have read very many biographies. Few match "John Adams" for quality.
Excellent work, 06 Sep 2005
This book is an astounding piece of non-fiction that should be read by anyone with even a passing interest in revolutionary America.
The details included by the author are superb including the very close relationship with Jefferson and the subsequent falling out, the love of his small home town and the simple life of farming and reading and the brilliance of his wife, perhaps the most underrated First Lady of all time.
Besides this, you also get a front row seat from Adams' extensive correspondence for some of the most important moments in American history from the Declaration of Independence, through the War and the succession to the presidency after Washington.
I cannot recommend this book more highly.
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Customer Reviews
Simple but elegantly written, 20 Nov 2008
Obama completely embraces the importance of effective communication as reflected on this book. I like the part where he realized how important is saying the right words and get the people's undivided attention to what he is saying.
Best Book I've read in 10 yrs., 20 Nov 2008
He describes his childhood to manhood in such a sensitive & interesting way. An honest & frank look at race issues that he had to consider due to his mixed race & ancestry. Until I'd read the book, I hadn't realised how deep he was. I Highly Recommend this book! Once I started it , I then looked forward to my next train journeys, to get the next instalment. And its now solved my Xmas gift ideas! I'm buying 10 x copies for friends & family. Great Writer!
Touching and sincere, 16 Nov 2008
This book was written so beutifully, that even the most mundane information evokes emotions that can't be explained. The chapter in which he describes his only memories of his father from about age ten is the part that really got me. Obama shares the memory of the one and only time his father taught him to dance. "Come Barry,my father said. "You will learn from the master" And suddenly his slender body was swaying back and forth, the lush sound was rising, his arms were swinging...." I became teary eyed while reading that part on the tube on the way to a job interview. I felt sorry that this young boy held onto all that he could of his father. Obama goes onto describe many years of his child and adult life. This is a must read for book fans, even if Obama hadn't become the first black American president he was still one hell of a writer.
Moving,engaging and inspiring, 15 Nov 2008
I have just finished President elect Obama's book. I could not put it down,and could not believe it was written by a politician.
He gives an honest account of his journey into his self, and search for his identity and roots.
I feel I have a real sense of the man, after reading this book. He is self aware, and I enjoyed his ability to share his struggles with readers.I could pick up on his sense of sadness, and confusion in his journey.
His work in the South side of Chicago, definitely gave him the grounding for the brilliant campaign he ran for the presidency.
I particularly enjoyed his description of his journey to Kenya, which I have travelled to several times.
This is definitely one of the best memoirs I have read.He writes with sensitivity,and is able to connect with his readers.
It gives me a lot of insight into the values,and background of the next president of the United States.
Perceptive, sensitive, funny, self-ironic, 13 Nov 2008
This was an unexpectedly fantastic read: how could a man who (later)decided to go into politics be so honest, so self-searching, so willing to explore beneath the surfaces? The fact that the author is now the US president-elect makes it all the more intriguing, but the autobiography is wonderful even without that extra 'icing on the cake'. Obama has a sensitivity to his own and others' weaknesses and strengths; he sees through the facade but is forgiving of people's foibles. What he has to say about being of mixed race is very much worth listening to: all those who just don't get the problems in US ghettoes or African countries might learn something here. His search for his own identity--the archetypical hero's journey to find the father--is both funny and very touching; the immense disappointment becomes a source of knowledge and wisdom. This is a man who crosses many bridges: between black and white, men and women, 'West' and 'Third World', past and present. Buy it--and enjoy it!
so what , 21 Nov 2008
The younger generation, particularly those of the rock star persuasion, are compelled to tell all who will listen that they invented all known forms of excess.Having struggled through this fairly banal account of the exploits of 4 of their number, I was reminded of my days in the boy scouts.
I would give this ten stars if I could!!, 14 Oct 2008
When I read this I only knew one Motley Crue song and I have to say I still prefer this book to any of their music (although I like a few songs).
What can I say? This is the best book I have ever read, from the first line I was hooked, you don't have to be a Motley Crue fan or even a rock fan (although that would help), but you DO have to buy this book now!
Shocking, enjoyable and absolutely addictive., 04 Sep 2008
I was a fifteen-year-old bookworm with a taste for soft rock, when my black-clothed, metal-haired TOTAL rocker classmate told me I should buy the Dirt. I went and bought it, took one look at their hair and makeup when I got home and thought... nyah, I'll save it for a rainy day.
One rainy day almost three years later, I opened the book and started reading it. I'd never heard a Mötley song in my life, but my music tastes had rotated towards hard rock and heavy metal. The book was fascinatingly disgusting from the start, and absolutely gripping. I loved it (although it does get fairly depressing after Vince Neil's car crash and the splitups and all that.)
I read it in just a few days. When I finished I thought - What if I don't like their music? That'd be a disaster.
But I marched up to my metal-haired classmate and asked to borrow his iPod, which was chock full of Mötley music.
INSTANTLY HOOKED. What a relief! The music is amazing!
The book remains one of my favourites still, and it stays on my nighttable. I've discussed it with several people, who all comment that they hate all that drug abuse and how it could motivate people to try drugs. But if there's one thing I'm never going to do, it's that! The INSIGHT that these people show came as a total surprise to me, and it heightens the quality of the book a whole lot. Nikki Sixx may be an ****hole, but he knows it!
And to the fans: you shouldn't even wonder about buying this book. Just do it! There's no better way to learn about the world's most notorious rock band.
absurd, 02 Sep 2008
It's a miracle that these superjunks are still alive. I also think it's a miracle that they sold so many records. The book is awesome, the junks are pretty honest about their mistakes, luck, career etc. Sometimes i laughed, wondered and i must admit that the part about Vince's daughter brought tears in my eyes. A must read.
The Best Book I have Ever Read Bar None, 07 Aug 2008
I don't like their music, I don't particularly like the band members but I read this and was blown away, quite simply the best book I have read. I love the style of it. It's rock and Roll, It's Sex and it's drugs and it's also moving in places. Neil Strauss must be creditted for the style in which the book is written, but the band wrote their own story and what a story it is....
Ray of Hope, 13 Jan 2008
In a topsy-turvy world where madness, greed, and evil are now the perceived normailty and "common sense", books like Walden are confirmation that it is better to be different to the majority.
Thoreau elaborately discusses the wisdom which some of us may at times have pondered on. Many future denizens of Hell, jealously target human beings who are earning more Heaven with each passing moment, and attack them to try and weaken their soul. But a well-read and discerning individual perseveres with ease, and remains authentic.
A wonderful example is where Thoreau speaks of the utter futility of those who profess to be charitable, but are in actual fact a part of the problem. Thoreau gives an analogy of a slave breeder, who donates the proceeds of every tenth slave, to buy a month of free Sundays for the first nine slaves he sold.
Walden is a rare combination of beauty and magic, shining light on todays hypocritical society, and helping genuine human beings who understand the true meaning of life, to evolve.
Truly a world classic. Great writing. A life-changing read. , 13 Nov 2007
This is a book to be pondered, to be read slowly, a book worth the effort to read in order to understand what Thoreau is saying, and to see the application to him- or herself, now, today. As happens with great writing, the reader is changed by this book. Even in reading the first few pages, the reader has a profound experience. Multiply that by reading Walden in entirety and the reader emerges a different person. However, the reader must be willing to enter into Thoreau's world and his experience. Readers who find such writing tedious are, one suspects, too used to reading fast-paced novels. For those with an interest in history, philosophy, the human condition, truth in reality, and simply in having an educated mind, there is no greater work. Walden is truly a world classic.
Brilliant, Brilliant, Brilliant!, 26 May 2006
One of the best books I have ever studied. Hidden gems await inside for anyone who reads this classic. If literature can be seen as a medium to express our thoughts in the deepest yet most lucid ways, then Walden must be in the top quartile of the best of them.
And all of this for a couple of quid? Buy it!
Obsession with Beans, 11 Jul 2005
As an addendum to the earlier reviews posted here I'd like to suggest that the obsession thoreau has with the price of beans is, like the cetology chapters in Moby Dick, or the compulsive list making of Robinson Crusoe, as much a device for creating a mood as a dry stocktaking exercise. Thoreau is demonstrating the ritualism of a solitary existence - if you lived alone in a hut in the woods, wouldn't you become obsessed with the fruits of your daily toil? It amounts to more than a hill of beans.
A Jewel, 11 Dec 2003
I find it hard to believe that the above reviewers are talking about the same book. This book is one of my personal treasures. Thoreau seems to embody the intelligence and wit of a great thinker with a childlike enthusiasm and excitement about the beauty of the natural world. When you combine that with his desire to live life and his respect for even the most humble of his fellow men you are in for some profound literature. This is not a book to be scan read or rushed through. Savour it, I don't see how you could be disappointed.
A somewhat flawed review of a flawed man, 17 Nov 2008
I have been intruiged about how George Bush was not only elected once, but re-elected as US president. So, in a bored moment, I bought this book. It promised much,and is worth a read, but cutting to the chase, it was fascinating but fairly distorted ... not by lack of trying, but by trying too hard. Everything was force fitted into a mould that had some truth in it, but was pushed too far. In a little more detail, the backstory was fascinating, the early years likewise, and you can certainly see how his thesis of a man who wants to emulate his father's course, but also draw sharp contrast and be thought of as his own man. Having done this groundwork, it felt like the period of the presidency was skated over, and through the lens of folks like Karl Rove and Dick Cheney. Even here it paints only a sketch of Condi Rice who feels an intruiging figure who, from the little I know, I thought should have been smart enough to provide a more guiding hand. The books written fairly well, but nothing like as well as one might interpret from the reviews.
So, one of the things I was left wondering was how it got the rave reviews it did on the cover - e.g the front cover has a quote from Malcolm Gladwell (he of 'The tipping point') - "Political drama, family history and psychological insight in dazzling combination. If you read one book about George W. Bush and his presidency, this should be it". That would be the same Malcolm Gladwell thanked in the Acknowledgements for his 'keen insights and editorial suggestions' would it? And, the one who dwelt on Jacob's mother Lois extensively within 'The Tipping Point'. So, hardly the disinterested observer that you might imagine.
But, he's in good company, since Jacob also thanks Joe Klein (Author of 'Primary Colors') for the benefits that have come from conversations with him (and others) ... and Joe turns up on the back cover saying 'Scorching, powerful and entirely plausible ... a beautifully written and erudite book, hilarious at times, a joy to read'. In terms of general reviews we have 'A serious, thought-provoking effort to penetrate what instinct tells us muct be an extraordinary family drama' from the Washington Post. Jacob is editor-in-chief of Slate Group, a division of The Washington Post Company in which I must presume the Washington Post is stabled. Maybe it's an innocent connection, but after two spun connections, I am a little skeptical.
But, for all the skepticism, still worth a read, and worth three stars
A Family Madness **, 16 Jun 2008
Drawing on some distorted form of Freudian analysis and dabbling in Shakespeare, Weisberg is at some pains to show how George W. Bush's family heritage formed the President's personality. The son is continually referencing his father in comments and actions, while at the same time trying to distance himself from the 41st President . This isn't the first effort along these lines, nor will it surely be the last. In this well-written, but terribly narrow assessment, the author carefully traces how W.'s actions are a reflection of his reactions to his President father.
The account opens with a summary history of the Bush and Walker families. Their rise, successes and especially their personalities lay the groundwork for what follows. Weisberg carefully follows W.'s life in Texas and his attempts at an education in the East. Yale was not a happy time for the young man, and his reaction to the alien world of "The Eastern Establishment" set patterns he would follow throughout his career. As he haltingly moves toward becoming the Republican nominee [although little is given of that process], Bush begins collecting the men - and a woman - who will become his "inner circle". Karl Rove is a sycophant with a dream, manipulating Bush while being subjected to W's banter. Rove is later joined by Dick Cheney, two men with a dream of remaking the Presidency and US society. It's a compelling, if highly disturbing picture.
The Iraq invasion is, of course, the pivot point for Weisberg's analysis, calling the crusade against Saddam Hussein a total blunder. Yet Weisberg, in his depiction, makes a major gaffe of his own. After making serious effort to show how Bush makes decisions with little consideration, then sticks to the choice against any contending opinions, tells us that the President had not chosen to invade until almost the final moment. This is an astounding reversal of what Weisberg has been presenting throughout the book. The author accepts that the Bush regime "honestly" felt Hussein was a threat and the war decision justified on those grounds. Weisberg lightly passes over those such as Richard Clark or Christopher Meyer who testified Bush had decided on "regime change" long before. He ignores Colin Powell's admission that he was fed a lot of "BS" to present to the UN. Indeed, the contrived WMDs the Bush regime touted so vehemently were declared missing by Hans Blix, who receives not a drop of ink here.
Nothing is offered for why US voters should have returned this misfit to the Presidency. It will be the greatest tragedy in US history if Bush leaves the Presidency without facing charges, but this eventuality never enters Weisberg's account. In fact, no real assessment of the long-term impact of the regime's many Constitutional violations is given. We are given the portrait of a vulnerable man, with the most superficial talents holding sway over government procedures and policies unfit for a democracy. Does Weisberg think any one or a generation of successive Presidents is going to be able to set right what the Bush regime has wrought? Any new President will not be able to purge the Supreme Court of the witless hacks Bush has placed there. Worse, the deep penetration of appointments vetted more for their sympathy to "Christian" evangelical views than for any abilities is not easily uprooted and dispensed with. Weisberg may have well fulfilled the mandate he set himself, but as far as the author's concerned, that will all pass into history's assessment when Bush leaves office. The effect on society will endure. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]
** with thanks to Thomas Keneally
Definitive Biography of a Great President, 01 Jan 2008
This book is a fantastic way to learn about John Adams and it's a great way to be introduced to excellent historical biographical writing.
McCullough is a brilliant and exciting writer. He truly makes Adams come alive, and when Adams inevitably dies at the end it is decidedly sad.
Adams is a hero of the Republic. First a great friend, then a great rival, then a great friend again of Thomas Jefferson. John Adams is undeservedly overlooked by many students of American History.
Adams the republican vs Jefferson the populist was the great debate in American history and still continues today. Adams saw the horror of the French Revolution for what it was and predicted that it would end in depravity and violence and likely cause a savage reaction which would bring about the end of the French Republic itself. He was right, Bonaparte quickly followed the French Revolution and war across europe was the result. Jefferson on the other hand embraced the French Revolution as an expression of the people's desire for liberty. How wrong he was.
Adams was a brilliant Statesman, and student of history. A wonderful family man and superb husband, Adams' correspondence with his wife Abigail is a classic in American literature.
As a child I spent many hours on the grounds of the Adams Mansion in Quincy, MA, soaking up all the history there as much as is possible. McCullough does so well what so many biographers do so poorly in that he captures the times of the subject and places the person in his rightful context. He brought me back to the grounds of "Peacefield" through his beautiful evocations of it as it hosted great people and great events.
History is best studied by understanding how historical figures lived and understood their own lives and times, as they lived them. Hindsight is an overrated tool in historiography.
Bringing the past to life in writing is a special gift and McCullough has it. Enjoy his talents and get to know the foundations of the American nation-- a story that is not fully known by so many. Adams' story deserves to be told. What a brilliant man, and McCullough does him superb justice in this highly readable biography.
So much can be said here about Adams, but it's not necessary as McCullough has written the definitive John Adams biography and says it better than I. Get to know John Adams through this superb book and you will be glad that you did. And your opinions on Jefferson will likely change, too! 10 STARS!!
biography at its best, 03 Nov 2007
McCullough isn't a historian, and this book (and his superb biography of Harry Truman) do suffer as a result. Fortunately, McCullough is one of the best biographers in the business, and his ability to bring his subjects to life more than compensates for the lack of depth of his historical knowledge. At times he is a little too uncritical of his subject; but this is a welcome antidote to the modern tendency to dwell on the faults of great men and women. Books like this should be required reading in our schools, if for no other reason that they show that great men are far more ordinary than you'd think, and that they usually suffer long periods of adversity before they succeed.
Perhaps even more importantly, our relativist age takes liberty for granted: the sanitised myths about America's founding fathers need to be replaced by honest accounts of how precarious and remarkable the revolution was. And whatever McCullough's shortcomings as a historian, he does understand that rare beast: the politician who passionately believes in limiting the power of the state.
Excellent, 07 Mar 2007
This novel was the first I'd read by David McCullough, I found the book to be both interesting and very enjoyable.
Whether you're interested in reading biographies or history, this is the novel for you.
David McCullough did an excellent job piecing together John Adam's life story. It was a compulsive read. :-)
A Biography Worthy Of Its Subject!, 04 Feb 2007
"John Adams" by David McCullough is talented rendition of a unique story. Despite being remembered as the pigmy sandwiched between two giants, Washington and Jefferson, McCullough portrays Adams as an immensely important and interesting character in his own right. Adams is shown as being at the heart of many crucial events of our revolutionary and early national history. It was Adams of the Continental Congress who was the prime promoter of Independence and the nominator of George Washington for the post of commander of the Continental Army. He then carried out a series of diplomatic assignments in Europe, in which he was the intimate collaborator with Benjamin Franklin and Thomas Jefferson. Among his unique diplomatic accomplishments were the negotiation of a Dutch loan at a crucial stage of the Revolution and participation in the negotiation of the peace treaty ending the Revolution. Upon his return to America he wrote the constitution of Massachusetts before serving eight years as Washington's loyal vice-president.
Adams was one of those rare figures whose greatest for whom the presidency was not the office in which he rendered his greatest service. His mistake of retaining Washington's cabinet compounded his misfortune of having his prime political rival as vice-president and a deadly enemy, Alexander Hamilton as a leader of his won party. This left him leading an administration rife with sabotage. These factors handicapped him as he confronted issues of peace or war abroad and subversion at home. Having to function more as a sole actor than a leader of men, his administration is generally regarded as a failure. His term was influential, largely in the maintenance of peace and appointment of John Marshall to the Supreme Court.
Through much of this book the reader is treated to an interwoven mini-biography of Thomas Jefferson. Through this dual biography the reader comes to understand the dichotomy of these two friends, but rivals, collaborators and opponents and, ultimately, correspondents. Their timely demises on the Fiftieth Independence Day are seen as nothing less than providential.
As the readers of my reviews are aware, I have read very many biographies. Few match "John Adams" for quality.
Excellent work, 06 Sep 2005
This book is an astounding piece of non-fiction that should be read by anyone with even a passing interest in revolutionary America.
The details included by the author are superb including the very close relationship with Jefferson and the subsequent falling out, the love of his small home town and the simple life of farming and reading and the brilliance of his wife, perhaps the most underrated First Lady of all time.
Besides this, you also get a front row seat from Adams' extensive correspondence for some of the most important moments in American history from the Declaration of Independence, through the War and the succession to the presidency after Washington.
I cannot recommend this book more highly.
Perfection, 18 Sep 2008
Its not too much of an exageration to say that this book is an oversight of 20th century usa. Alistair Cooke's letter is something i came too only a few years before his death and this book goes through from the 40s right until his last letter.
The quality of writing is superb of a man at the cutting edge of history.
Wonderful; Touching; Wise, 29 Dec 2006
"A post mortem collection of the famous "Letter from America" series written and broadcast on the BBC over a staggering period of 58 years and 2,869 broadcasts. His last broadcast was made in Feb 2004, after which he retired. He died the following month in his 96th year.
It is simply staggering to consider the prolificacy and quality of these Letters which were faithfully produced against such an unforgiving deadline over so many years. All the more incredible it is to consider that this work constitutes just a fraction of the man's overall output,in many fields. I have the impression that this must have come relatively easy to him, otherwise it would have taken over his life. Fluent writing followed by fluent recording for broadcast. And the repetition honed his style. Indeed, I seem to recall an interview he gave in his latter years in which he said that as the years went by he would often arrive at recording studio with no written notes at all and only a vague idea as to what he was going to talk about that week. A virtuosos at work in any field inspires our awe and respect and Alistair Cooke is the virtuoso of the warm, enchanting essay which usually finds a new way, a new angle from which to consider things. I am now an even more serious fan and would recommend this collection to all who might enjoy the company of a thoughtful, wise and entertaining man for a brief while.
An unputdownable summary of the 20th Century, 24 May 2006
To be blunt: Alistair Cooke's writing is of the highest quality. It surpasses most fiction and non-fiction writings in these terms. The key characteristic of "Letters from America" is that they were meant to be read aloud and so adopt a more authoratative tone than most published writings. Cooke's America is fascinating; it shows what has been forgotten as well as documenting the present. Past luminaries such as HL Mencken, who is now largely forgotten, are described in detail under the assumption that their memory would live forever. The one criticism is that Cooke covers the news with too light a touch. At least in this collection, the civil rights movement, the attrocities of the Johnson and Nixon administrations in Vietnam and Cambodia are only briefly referred to. Apart from that his writing on summers in Long Island, the death of the Kennedies and Clintongate are an absolute pleasure.
A 'Love' Letter to America, 18 May 2006
When I left England to live in the United States for one year last August, there was only one book I took with me - Alistair Cooke's 'Letter From America'. What else could I have taken? Cooke saw into America like no other Brit (or no other non-American, for that matter).
Starting at the mid 1940s, the book winds its way through post-war America nearly right up until the authors death in 2004, picking out the best of his weekly broadcasts. The subject matters range from politics, history, current affairs, entertainment and topics from the New England fall, jazz, Robert Kennedy's assassination (which he witnessed first-hand) and O.J Simpson.
But it is not the subject matter that makes this book so special (for we already know about most of them anyway) it is none other than Cooke's insight and writing style. The articles flow like the finest novel or poem (which is probably attributed to Cooke's background in theatre). Each time you come back to read the book again it feels as though you are receiving the opinions of a familiar friend, and not some distant journalist.
There are drawbacks. Cooke was often criticised, and quite rightly so, for ignoring the darker side of the American dream. The other possible drawback, depending on your viewpoint, is that Cooke was a committed conservative, especially in the latter half of his career. Many of the final articles from the late 90's and early 00's lament the current position of America and (what he saw as) the sliding standards of journalism. Maybe, but you also can't help feel that he was by this point slightly out of touch.
These minor quibbles, however, cannot undermine Cooke's overall achievement of helping us better understand this important nation, which could be described as love letters to America.
Read this and you'll be wanting more.., 26 Apr 2006
I have been listening to Alastair Cooke's broadcasts for many years, always finding something rewarding in them: a reference to an age before I was born, a different view point about an issue or something everyone else appeared to have missed. Cooke brought the ordinary into the major world events, showed the human side to many a major story and gave others the chance to see a perspective only obtainable through many years of hard work and intelligent inquiry. This book only contains a tiny number of the vast quantities of Letters from America but they are worthwhile letters; reading these samples of nearly sixty years of broadcasting provides a special insight into many issues, historical events and people largely forgotten or interpreted differently by a modern audience. Much of the most interesting content of the book is simply that of an old man explaining how the world changed in his lifetime: Cooke tells of the constants that he believed would last forever that new generations have never even heard of. It's worth reading for that warning alone. Regardless of the fading of the world Cooke knew his letters are both timeless reflections on people's nature and historically important records of a not so distant past. Some of the letters are included in the BBC audio CD collection but most are not so even if you have those recordings this book is still a worthwhile read. It's a different kind of America to that seen on the TV and movie theatre screens.
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Customer Reviews
Simple but elegantly written, 20 Nov 2008
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Moving,engaging and inspiring, 15 Nov 2008
I have just finished President elect Obama's book. I could not put it down,and could not believe it was written by a politician.
He gives an honest account of his journey into his self, and search for his identity and roots.
I feel I have a real sense of the man, after reading this book. He is self aware, and I enjoyed his ability to share his struggles with readers.I could pick up on his sense of sadness, and confusion in his journey.
His work in the South side of Chicago, definitely gave him the grounding for the brilliant campaign he ran for the presidency.
I particularly enjoyed his description of his journey to Kenya, which I have travelled to several times.
This is definitely one of the best memoirs I have read.He writes with sensitivity,and is able to connect with his readers.
It gives me a lot of insight into the values,and background of | | |