Book Description
The heady, drug-induced decades of the sixties and seventies provide the backdrop for this all-star account of addiction and recovery. Comedian Richard Pryor, musicians Grace Slick, Dr. John, and Chuck Negron (Three Dog Night), actors Malcolm McDowell and Marietter Hartley, Pulitzer Prize Winning poet Franz Wright, writer Anne Lamott, and athletes Doc Ellis and Gerry Cooney are among the many celebrities interviewed for this inside look at what can happen when fame and fortune meet the recklessness and ruin of addiction. While the stories are unique and vibrant as the individual celebrities who tell them, the irrefutable collective message is that addiction knows no boundaries. The disease strikes and topples even those who are seemingly on top of the world. Still, "The Harder They Fall" is a book of hope. In this modern-day version of the 1980s "New York Times" bestseller "The Courage to Change", the famous people profiled have climbed out from the devastation of addiction to lead lives of extraordinary accomplishment.
Customer Reviews:
Exploring Addiction and Recovery From Celebrity Stories.......2006-02-14
Reviewed by Paige Lovitt for Reader Views (2/06)
In "The Harder They Fall," publicist Gary Stromberg and author Jane Merrill write stories about twenty-one celebrities and their experiences with addictions. Stromberg begins with his own story about how he got addicted and how hard he had to hit bottom before he could climb up on top again.
What really made this book refreshing is that the stories are written about celebrities from a variety of walks of life. They are not just movie stars or musicians, they are also athletes, politicians, writers and even a cowboy. In spite of the difference in their backgrounds, a common thread runs through the lives of these people. The substance abuse usually began as they became famous. Some of these people even thought that they could use the drugs or alcohol as their muses. As they crashed and burned, they had to go into recovery. In most cases, there were relapses. Then the real healing began and as they healed their inner selves, they made peace with their demons and found a better way to live.
This book is really well written. The first thought that came to my mind as I was reading it, was that, "This is a really good book." That is a simple statement, and I know that the authors could have phrased it much better because they write so well, but the bottom line is, I really enjoyed this book.
People who are interested in stories about celebrities will enjoy it. But, I think that a person struggling with an addiction or a person who knows someone close to them that is struggling with an addiction will get the most out of these stories. The reason I feel this is because that the underlying theme is one of hope. These people hit bottom and in many cases they also had to deal with the humiliation of having the public involved in their private lives. But they manage to overcome their addictions and rise above them to become even better, stronger people than they were before.
The authors also mention celebrities that they would have liked to include in the book, but were unable to, because they are dead as a result of their substance abuse. The most famous one was Elvis. The chapter mentioning these people provides a sobering eye opener to what can happen if you do not go into recovery.
Mariette Hartley ends her story with a powerful quote from a woman that was her spiritual advisor, "One's deepest wounds, integrated, become one's greatest powers." This quote sums up the outcome of people that survive addiction and make it through recovery. I highly recommend this book.
A compendium of autobiographical accounts of self-help and recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction .......2005-09-10
The collaborative work of Gary Stromberg & Jane Merrill, The Harder They Fall: Celebrities Tell Their Real-Life Stories Of Addiction And Recovery is a compendium of autobiographical accounts of self-help and recovery from alcoholism and drug addiction told by a range of readily recognized men and women who range from singer and songwriter Paul Williams, to comedian Richard Pryor, to actor Malcom McDowell, to musician Alice Cooper, to U.S. Congressman Jim Ramstad, and sixteen others. All of these stories are revealed with candor, insight, humor, humility, and hope. The Harder They Fall is a unique anthology and should be available to everyone (especially those struggling with their own addictions) in the community through their local public library.
Highly recommended. Beautiful and Courageous stories........2005-08-19
You don't have to be interested in reading celebrity stories to enjoy this book. I highly recommend it. I found the book really hard to put down. Because there are so many great short stories, I was able to get a broad view of the disease's nature. Also, I am very impressed with the honesty and vulnerability of the people who shared their stories. They are very human, beautiful and courageous.
Great Idea for a Book, and Very Well Executed.......2005-07-22
It seems like you can't pick up a newspaper or turn on a television without hearing of some new celebrity being involved with drugs. Why with all of their success does it take drugs for them to get through their lives? And in the news you don't hear about followups. What happens to these people after they get out of their court ordered treatment (or jail)?
In this book the authors have managed to get an extraordinary collection of people to talk about their lives under drugs and how they were able to beat their habbit. In each case it was clearly a struggle, it was not easy, but they managed.
I say the collection of people is extraordinary because it contains far more than just the musicians that seem to get all the press. It includes sports figures, writers, comedians, and actors. The stories leave me with a feeling of both sadness and hope. That these people can not only accomplish what they did but that they are now will to share their experiences with the rest of us speaks great things about them.
Highly recommended.
What a book!.......2005-05-07
Gary Stromberg really tells some very compelling stories of some of the biggest names in pop culture. This book offers hope, some laughs and great insights into an insidious disease that effects millions. I highly recommend this book!
Customer Reviews:
The Harder They Fall.......2000-06-05
Evan Henderson is the embodiment of all Lissa James has come to despise. Because of her past run-in with the law, she is wary of the the charming assistant D.A. and attempts to put him at a distance as she does with all his kind.
Lissa James is a puzzle that Evan is eager to solve and put aside. The problem for him is that he is unable to resist the challenge she presents. His fascination for her develops into first a wary friendship and eventually a strong commitment.
I really enjoyed the latest installment of Lovelace's Bar-H series because Evan was appealing as a hero and Lissa, with her troublesome yet generous heart, is impossible to not admire given all the heartache she has endured.
I, too, found the resolution concerning her family ties to be too easy. Being accustomed to some form of sinister threat in the Bar-H books, I found the development of the plot to be something of a surprise.
After enjoying Evan and Lissa's story, I am looking forward to Jake's.
Another great read!.......2000-05-08
Don't miss this story about Evan and Lissa. Evan is a wonderful hero; Lissa is determined and honest with a great hint of mystery in her background. I think this is Book #4 in Lovelace's Men of the Bar H series -- about the Henderson brothers. Can't wait for Jake's story!
AWESOME READ.......2000-05-08
Merline Lovelace's "Men of the Bar H" series keeps getting better and better. The desert heat is nothing compared to the hot, hot, HOT! attraction that sizzles between Evan and Lissa. THE HARDER THEY FALL is a must read.
Worth the Read.......2000-04-02
This book is another enjoyable read from Merline Lovelace and a great addition to her Men of the Bar H series. Evan is the kind of guy I wish would "fall" into my life: sexy, kind, funny, adventurous...The only part of the storyline I didn't like was the resolution of Lissa's family "issue" (I don't want to give anything away). It just seemed a little too pat & easy to me.Overall I thought it was worth the read and I'm looking forward to the next Men of the Bar H.
Average customer rating:
- An unrecognized American classic
- Excellent Boxing Novel
- A belly bl;ow to the corrupt fight- game
- Vintage boxing expose
- Schulberg should be more famous
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The Harder They Fall
Budd Schulberg
Manufacturer: Ivan R. Dee, Publisher
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ASIN: 1566631076 |
Book Description
The celebrated novel of the prize ring that has lost none of its power since its first publication almost fifty years ago. The quintessential novel of boxing and corruption. --USA Today
Customer Reviews:
An unrecognized American classic.......2006-06-19
Budd Schulberg, by the way, wrote the story and screenplay of the great Brando picture "On the Waterfront" (1954). His boxing novel is nearly sixty years old now, but it's lost nothing of its interest as a picture of the corruption that can flourish under the surface of mass entertainment. Prizefighting has been cleaned up considerably so that stories like this one can no longer happen (they say), but the greed and cynical manipulation that Schulberg dramatizes is a permanent fixture of American society (consider the "pillar-of-the-community" crooks at Enron). One of the scariest elements of the tale is just how far its hero has fallen. If there's ever been a cultural classic of American sports fiction, this is it.
Excellent Boxing Novel .......2006-04-05
There's a lot to dislike about Budd Schulberg the man, but you've got to separate the art from the artist.
The Harder They Fall is a superb novel, not simply about boxing but about creating a powerful hoax. The story holds up today and its story can be applied to pop-stars and politicians. Schulberg walks us through the seedy backrooms of the fight game, we meet all the different characters who benefit from a corrupt system -- and we learn how each of them justify their role in it.
If you liked FAT CITY or REQUIEM FOR A HEAVYWEIGHT, you'll love THE HARDER THEY FALL.
A belly bl;ow to the corrupt fight- game .......2006-03-19
This book provides an inside look at the fight- game. It tells the story of the building- up of a phony contender a massive Argentinian Torro Moreno. It also gives insight into the corruption , of a racket- dominated fight world.
Schulberg is a hard- hitting writer with a clear political agenda , but the tale rings true.
Vintage boxing expose.......2004-01-13
Budd Schulberg's 1947 classic isn't nearly as dated as you might think. The Harder They Fall is a fictitious expose of the seamier underbelly of the boxing rackets as they existed in the 40's. It provided the framework for an excellent 1956 movie of the same name which was Bogart's final flick.
Through the eyes of Eddie Lewis, an Ivy League educated sometimes sportswriter who is on the payroll of mobster Nick Latka, we see the deceipt and unscrupulousness of the boxing business. Latka has elevated himself from a small time juvenile delinquent to one of the heads of the boxing racket. He pulls the strings of corruption from his palatial estate. For a weekly stipend, Lewis is the press agent for Latka's boxing patsies.
Latka's latest crony is one Toro Molina, a gargantuan peasant boy and wine barrel maker from Argentina. Brought to the U.S. by the owner of a circus in which he performed as a strong man, Molina's contract is bought by Latka. Unfortunately Molina is slow, lumbering, unschooled in self defense, and has powder puff punching power.
Regardless, Latka plans to glorify Molina and through a series of fixed fights designed to elevate him to championship contending status. What follows is the inevitable rise to the penthouse followed by the fall to the cellar and the endless depravity to make a dishonest dollar.
Schulberg should be more famous.......2003-05-20
WMSR is enjoying a nice revival at the moment, and it's time for this superior work to come into the sun as well.
What's most arresting about Schulberg is his ability to infuse formulaic subject matter with pathos and humanity. He wears his politics on his sleave, but his characters don't suffer much because of it. In an era when partisan opinion is treated as graceless error, it's exciting to read someone who gives a damn about the sorry state of the world.
Schulberg handles American vernacular speach well, but falters with his Argentine characters. Still, a rapid, crisp and entertaining book
Book Description
When you're facing a thug and have to look up to stare into his eyes, you're bound to feel fear. But follow the strategies and techniques presented by martial arts innovator Sammy Franco, and the fight will end with your attacker looking up at you as he crashes to the ground. Franco, the creator of Contemporary Fighting Arts, was concerned about the lack of information on facing a larger opponent. Here, he addresses that all-important issue and delivers what you need to survive a street fight when the odds seem impossible. Unless you're Mike Tyson, there may come a day when you'll face an opponent who can dominate you through sheer mass and strength. Read this book before that day comes.
Customer Reviews:
Cuts through the crap.......2006-01-07
I bought this book from the website, but wanted to share my review here. Being a small guy myself, this was a great addition to my self defence library. Mr. Franco I think definitely bests his competition here. The book goes through many important aspects of fighting, such as range proficiency and body mechanics, and even goes into things such as conditioning for a street fight through weight training and cardiovascular exercise. Sorry Mark Macyoung fans, but you can't be a blubbering fat ass and expect to make it in a real life street encounter. In response to those who say that he is not stating anything new, Mr. Franco actually goes against the tide of many reality fighting books by not showing complex micro-motor skills such as arm bars, or joint locks, but cuts right to the meat of what will save your ass. Yes ladies and gentleman, the bread and butter of self-defence is hitting with fast hard combinations of strikes, not the latest submission hold you saw that won a UFC fight. Strikes involve the utilization of gross motor skills, whereas grappling involves micro-motor sensitivity. During the stress of a fight, you honestly will not feel very confident using a grappling move against an opponent who both outweighs you and is taller. Grappling nowadays is a popular sport, and thats why so many Gracie lackies peddle it off as the ultimate fighting system. It may work in the ring, but there are weight classes and rules, even in no holds barred matches. In the street, there are no rules. Grappling does not work unless you are at an equal or greater strength and height advantage to your opponent. I personally have studied judo and Togakure Ryu Ninjutsu, and have found that to be true. Now, of course you can always say that I wasn't doing the technique right, or that I wasnt very good, and hey, both might be true. But speaking from experience, the stuff in this book has worked for me, and I feel it can work for anyone else who puts time and effort into its practice. So for these reasons, I give it a full reccomendation, and five stars.
Not for advanced martial-artists.......2003-12-13
This book can be very usefull for beginners or anyone who has no idea about self defence. Though interesting, it presents no new techniques that any martial artist has already seen. This is why i gave it a 2 star rating and felt it was a waste of money for me. However I have 4 reasons for my low rating and they are presented as follows:
1) All techniques shown are basic and could be used on anyone regardless of their size. Gearing it to large opponents is a way to sell the book.
2) Some techniques he showed will not work on significanly larger opponents. For example, on the back cover of the book Franco shows himself escaping a full headlock given by a VERY large man. In the picture the author effortlessly stands straight up and punches the large adversary in the throat. (Yeah right). I have been doing Brazilian jiu-jitsu and Mauy-thai for a long time and let me tell you, it does not happen that way.
3) Regarding ground fighting, his advise is approprate: don't get smothered on the bottom by a huge man, ever. But thats all he says. He shows himslef in the gurad position and in a mounted position but doesnt offer appropriate ground fighing techniques.
4) What i found most irritating was that he points out the most basic consepts from arts such as boxing, kung fu and jiu-jitsu and simply applies it to beating "larger" opponents.
Given these factors, if you are someone who does not train in martial arts or don't plan to do so in the future, this book may help you see why self defence may be useful and illustrate the fighting techniques that exit.
Summer's Here & the Time is Right for Fighting in the Street.......2003-01-08
Only a fool would attack a muscle-bound, 6' 10", college lineman out on an evening stroll with a snarling pack of pet Dobermans. A balding, sedentary 50-something walking a fluffy white Bichon Frise is a different matter. Our dog's diminutive bladder requires regular outings at the strangest of hours, and I recently acquired Mr. Franco's fascinating book as a precautionary matter. Herein America's own Generalissimo advocates a holistic approach to street combat - starting with a rigorous training & conditioning program. I tried to follow his regime for about a week, but the thought that I was preparing for a dark alley showdown made exerciseg more depressing than usual and I moved on to the later chapters. I found the section on collar grabs & throws to be particularly intoxicating, and even practiced one of the moves on a friendly mailman who sometimes stops in to avoid the rigors of his route on inclement days (rain, snow, sleet, and hail all being equally likely to drive him to our kitchen). I succeeded in felling him just as the book instructed, and even slightly re-injured an aggravated disk in his spine (for which he effusively praised and thanked me, due to the Postal Service's lavish Workers' Comp program). I now walk my "hood" at all hours with a visible swagger, faithful young Cujo yipping menacingly at my side.
Uh, I don't know........2001-12-26
I didn't like this book to much let me tell yah. I mean, it's ok, but nothing to write home about. I guess there's some good stuff in there, but who knows?
Good book, but they still are standing up ..........2001-09-10
Yep ... they still are there, bigger, stronger, and standing up. Of course Sammy Franco knows how and where to hit those big guys, but in a real fight a 70 Kg man (as I am), can hardly avoid breaking his hand hitting the chin with bare hands punches against a 130 Kg opponent.
Of course timing, the hints, the techniques and tactics are good, but, believe me, in a mayhem, you'll NEVER hit a bone with a bone ... hey man, these are the only hands I have !!
This apart, I suggest you to use this book, read it carefully, it's really good, but hit with your palm heel on those chins ...
Product Description
Budd Schulberg's 1947 classic isn't nearly as dated as you might think. The Harder They Fall is a fictitious expose of the seamier underbelly of the boxing rackets as they existed in the 40's. It provided the framework for an excellent 1956 movie of the same name which was Bogart's final film.
Product Description
8 massmarket paperback Titles By Lovelace - Alena - Texas Now and Forever - Halloween Honeymoon - Devlin and the Deep Blue Sea - The Harder They Fall - Captain's Woman - Undercover Man - Special Report (Short Story)
Product Description
His second book and basis for the boxing movie starring Humphrey Bogart and Rod Steiger.
Customer Reviews:
Brockmann has written much better books.......2004-10-10
What can I say but that Suz has certainly improved her plotting and characterization. This one is from 1996 and though it has its strong points, overall they are canceled out by the TSTL heroine and the bumbling FBI agents.
There is a serial killer on the loose and he's targeting women who look like Jess Baxter. A new tenant has just moved into the apartment above her house and even though he's lived in the neighborhood for over 6 months, Jess knows very little about him. But she does think Rob Carpenter is hot. And he's a great a kisser. Based on that and multiple orgasms, she just *knows* he can't be the killer. Never mind that the FBI does. Never mind that Rob won't tell her anything, and I mean anything, about
his past, present or future. Never mind that he's lied to her and she knows he's concealed his identity. She'll risk her life to help him evade the police and FBI because she's in love.
Oh please. If I had a small daughter and a drunkard ex husband, there is no way I'd be risking her future not to mention my life because some guy is great at locking lips. I don't care if he's cute, I don't care if you feel like screaming the opening lines of the Hallelujah Chorus when your moment of bliss hits you, I'd be wary, watchful and waiting before I'd let him in my house and bed. Jess is just Too Stupid to Live for most of the book.
And the FBI agents? Don't get me started. I just hope and pray that the actual agents would be better at handling a real case then the way they're portrayed in this book.
What I will say for the book is that Jess is a loving mother who seems to be trying to raise her daughter right. And even though the list of suspects is pretty much laid out from the beginning, I was still guessing til almost the last 50 pages of the story who really dunnit. And Jess does (finally) rise to the occasion and kicks some major @$$ when the chips are down. But the woman is in denial for far longer than is healthy with a sicko on the loose who's raped and slit the throats of 15 women.
I waited forever to get this book.......2004-08-29
I saw this book all over the place as the best HI out there and frankly, it felt dated and not as good as some of the other things she does.
FULL OF SPARKS, EXCITEMENT & DANGER! WOW!!!.......1999-10-25
THERE'S A SERIAL KILLER LOOSE AND ALL OF HIS VICTIMS LOOK A LOT LIKE CLUB SINGER JESS BAXTER. THE FBI'S PROFILE OF THE SERIAL KILLER IS A WHITE MALE IN HIS PRIME, TRAVELS A LOT, NO FAMILY, CARRIES A CONCEALED WEAPON AND WAS ABUSED IN CHILDHOOD.
I ESPECIALLY LIKED THE MYSTERY SURROUNDING ROB CARPENTER AND THE WAY THE FBI WERE PORTRAYED AS REALLY COMPASSIONATE AND DETERMINED IN THE COURSE OF THEIR WORK. THIS ONE KEPT ME GUESSING RIGHT UP TO THE END AND KEEPS YOU AT THE EDGE OF YOUR SEAT!
Book Description
Hailed by Choice as "a fascinating story," this profile of Cervantes will captivate both scholarly and lay readers. It traces the stranger-than-fiction adventures of the "Spanish Shakespeare" — as a spy, soldier, hostage, tax collector, poet, playwright, and creator of Don Quixote — incorporating original research and previously unpublished material.
Customer Reviews:
The Best Bio of Cervantes I've read........2004-02-02
I really find this an astonishing biography. The best of Cervantes I've read. I'm only halfway through it now but I know two things for sure: every last scintilla of telling information about Cervantes is up-to-date and included, and, that Prof. McCrory has a superb ability to find those larger patterns in a life and give them emotional and psychological meaning. There are moments when you look up and marvel at the tons of documents that must've been sifted to produce the simplest facts. Just to give one example among many, I understand for the first time what living in Esquivias meant to Cervantes, what it must've been like for him, and especially interesting, what it meant to be married to him. Prof. McCrory gives us an uncanny sense of what Catalina`s life was like, her financial and social situation, the impact her mother had on the marriage - and all this in a few quick lines. One never bogs down in this book with all that background information about Philip II or the Armada or the state of banditry along this road or that, as is common in other bios of Cervantes. We always know just enough to place things in context and see the influences acting on poor Miguel. I get, for the first time, a sense of his thought processes, the decisions he had to make, his real options, what the world looked like to him. This is (as much as possible) an intellectual biography as well. Superb work.
CERVANTES-THE GENIUS OF ALL WRITERS!.......2003-12-29
I HAVE BEEN A CERVANTES SCHOLAR ALL OF MY LIFE AND HAVE READ ALMOST ALL THE BIOGRAPHIES OF THE WORLD'S GREATEST WRITER.THIS BOOK DOES JUSTICE TO HIS LIFE!THE DETAILS OF EVERY ASPECT OF CERVANTES'LIFE ARE ALL HERE.I HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS BOOK TO ALL WHO LOVE DON QUIJOTE AND THE GREAT MIGUEL DE CERVANTES SAAVEDRA!!!!!!!
Customer Reviews:
Intriguing Mystery With A Hot Love Story.......2005-10-15
Upon the death of Mitchell Storm's grandfather the title of "The Chief of the Name, Clan, and Family of Storm" passed to him, as did the responsibility to restore the family fortune and bring prosperity once again to the people of the Isle of Storm, Scotland. His one hope lies with a family legend of a Templar Treasure buried on the Isle in the 1300's. The clue to unlocking the mystery is one of a half dozen Victorias (as in Queen Victoria of England) disposed of in an 1879 auction. All the heirlooms were purchased by Andrew Storm and were shipped off to America. Mitchell must travel to America and prevail on his aristocratic American cousin to help him in his quest.
Victoria Storm (Torey) Mitchell's fourth cousin agrees to help him on his quest and in the process falls for the dashing Scotsman, though love doesn't flow smoothly, as a scheming mother/daughter duo arrive on his doorstep.
Simmons' descriptive talent is so rich that I felt as if I stood in the same room with Mitchell and Torey. I really didn't want this book to end. The blend of history and well-planned fiction makes No Ordinary Man no ordinary read!
Great romance!.......1998-07-25
Suzanne Simmons's "NO ORDINARY MAN" is a great book. At first it seemed like one of those old love novels, which tend to be boring, but Ms. Simmons did herself well when writing this book. It's trully amazing the way it all happens. I would recommend it to everyone!
An extremely pleasant, straightforward love stor: JOY!.......1998-06-15
Victoria (Torey) Storm, a fabulously wealthy, attractive, sincere, and kind young woman from the U.S. East Coast (is this possible, really?) is attracted to and helps her fourth cousin, Mitchell Storm, Chief of the Scottish Clan Storm, find a buried treasure that makes it possible for Mitchell to live on his island, take care of his 800 island clansmen, and offer Torey a life of beauty and charm. The dialogue is simple, witty, and honest. The plot blends modern and historical. The setting flits from East Coast mega-wealth to a quaint Scottish island. Although the "struggle" is not difficult and you never doubt the outcome, the dreamlike, wispy heroine and always correct, strong hero keep you reading just to enjoy the calm of these happy, confident people. You want this couple, and their friends, to be your friends.
Book Description
Twenty years ago, cub re-porter David Johnson had an idea for a column: he'd pick a name at random from the telephone book and write a story on the person who answered his call. Visiting journalist Charles Kuralt overheard his plan and proclaimed it the best idea he'd ever heard-and the popular column "Everybody Has a Story" was born. Today, over 800 Americans have shared their personal stories in the pages of the Lewiston Morning Tribune, and for David Johnson, the trip of two decades has taught him lessons he never imagined. In this book, you'll meet many of the people whose perspectives changed David's life. Not only have they reminded him of life's "universal ingredients," the hopes and dreams we all share, but they've commented, each in their idiosyncratic way, on what is truly important.
Customer Reviews:
thumbs up.......2005-11-23
Thumbs up to all those ordinary people who help this book be much more than an ordinary read!
"Epiphanies will always be elusive.".......2005-08-28
When I found this little book,I thought it was a typical 'Road Book';but it wasn't.The author is a small town newspaper columnist,and who is quite happy to live the simple small town life with a job he enjoys,a family he loves,a home he and his wife created out in the country;and that is about all he really yearns for---the simple life.The newspaper that employs him has had its ups and downs,and ownership changes as is so common these days;but through the years Johnson has survived it all;if sometimes only barely; but then that is all he really wants.He is basically a writer who writes a human interest column.He has come up with a novel method of searching out his subjects--he simply picks them at random from his telephone directly.What he finds is that he has an unlimited source of interesting people to write about and all within a short distance of his home.He shows that virtually everyone,and no matter how ordinary their lives seem to be,there is always something interesting about their life experience to write about.
That is about all there is to this book.Except for one thing.A few years ago a friend recommended that I read "The Stone Diaries' by Carol Sheilds.It was a very similar book,written about ordinary people and their lives.The one big difference is that Sheilds won a Pulitzer Prize for her efforts.
I looked up her book and read the Customer Reviews and they are very mixed.Some think the book was wonderful and really deserved the prize,while others just couldn't see where it was merited.
The two books are very similar and if you like Johnston's you are sure to like Sheild's.Likewise; if you find one rather mundane ;you're likely to find the other the same.
Here is what Johnson has to say in a nutshell:
"Over the better part of two decades,these people have confirmed the notion that everyone is worthy of the front page.Moreover,they've shown me how to appreciate the simple things we already have within our grasp and the exhilaration that comes with looking ahead-like to the next person who answers a random call. Most of the answers to life's riddles hide not in the profound,but in the ordinry;not in the unusual;but in the conventional;not in the celebrity pages of a newspaper,but perhaps in the the white pages of a phone book."
Good writing that keeps your attention.......2004-08-16
If your dream evening is to sit at a stangers diner table to pry into their greatest victories and defeats without the fear of having to answer the same questions then this book is for you. Its a fascinating read into the lives of many obscure characters. I agree that Johnson's book reads as an autobiography with sideline stories of others (the title tells otherwise) but he does have an interesting story to tell and can tell it very well. I would'nt pay a lot of money for it but I would read it and pass it on to others looking for a few evenings as a dining room guest.
a new appreciation.......2002-10-23
I read this book in just two days! It's enjoyable to read with plenty of light humor, but it also touches on deeper issues like love, family, faith, and personal loss. The author relates the lives of the people he interviews with his own life, and he shows that seemingly 'ordinary' people have something important to share with others. This book gave me a new appreciation for the people I come into contact with everyday.
Enjoyable stories but tends to self-promote.......2002-08-31
I found many of the stories enjoyable but the author tends to inject his own life into too much of the work which is distracting. The book would be better served by a cursory introduction followed by the many wonderful stories of everyday people (stories that I find much more enjoyable than any Hollywood could produce). Instead the author wraps his own life into many of the stories which creates more of a story about him instead of about the people. It would be better to get this book from the Library and try to skip over the self-promotion.
Average customer rating:
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Grant MacEwan: No ordinary man
R. H Macdonald
Manufacturer: Western Producer Prairie Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General | Canada | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0888330294 |
Average customer rating:
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No Ordinary Man
W. Y. Fullerton
Manufacturer: Emerald House Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Religious | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | Theology | Reference | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0907927912 |
Book Description
Biography of F.B. Meyer who was a man dedicated to the Lord. Glowing with moving stories of a life lived completely for God's glory, this book relates the source of Meyer's remarkable influence.
Average customer rating:
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No Ordinary Man
Manufacturer: The Book Guild Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Authors, A-Z | Books on CD | Books on Cassette | Fantasy | Gaming | Large Print | Media | Science Fiction | Writing
ASIN: 0863326102 |
Average customer rating:
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No Ordinary Man
Nick Fawcett
Manufacturer: Kevin Mayhew Ltd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Historical Jesus | Jesus | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Worship | Christian Living | Christianity | Religion & Spirituality | Subjects | Books
Christianity | Religions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books | Ages 0-3 | Ages 4-8 | Ages 9-12 | Baptism | Bible | Biographies | C. S. Lewis | Chicken Soup for the Soul | Christmas | Creation | Devotional | Easter | Fiction | First Communion | General | Illustrated Reference | Jesus | Noah's Ark | Prayer | Saints | Series | Teens
ASIN: 1840035676 |
Average customer rating:
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No Ordinary Man
Manufacturer: Silhouette Romance
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000GSNTOK |
Books:
- The Last Friend: A Novel
- The Last September
- The Life of Lazarillo de Tormes (New York Review Books Classics)
- The Little House in the Fairy Wood
- The Number Devil: A Mathematical Adventure
- The Passion of Alice
- The Republic of Wine : A Novel
- The Shattered Alliance (Ice Age Cycle, Book III, A Magic: The Gathering(r) Novel)
- The Showboat Cookbook
- The Silence of the Rain: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
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- Dinosaurs Before Dark
- J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets
- John Constable and the Theory of Landscape Painting
- Cataract Canyon
- Death Before Dishonor: The True Story of Fighting Mac
Clean: A New Generation in Recovery Speaks Out
Walk This Way: The Autobiography of Aerosmith
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Playing It Straight: Personal Conversations on Recovery, Transformation and Success
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