The Measure of a Man: A Spiritual Autobiography (Oprah's Book Club)

Book Description

"I have no wish to play the pontificating fool, pretending that I've suddenly come up with the answers to all life's questions. Quite that contrary, I began this book as an exploration, an exercise in self-questing. In other words, I wanted to find out, as I looked back at a long and complicated life, with many twists and turns, how well I've done at measuring up to the values I myself have set."
âSidney Poitier

In this luminous memoir, a true American icon looks back on his celebrated life and career. His body of work is arguably the most morally significant in cinematic history, and the power and influence of that work are indicative of the character of the man behind the many storied roles. Sidney Poitier here explores these elements of character and personal values to take his own measureâas a man, as a husband and a father, and as an actor.

Poitier credits his parents and his childhood on tiny Cat Island in the Bahamas for equipping him with the unflinching sense of right and wrong and of self-worth that he has never surrendered and that have dramatically shaped his world. "In the kind of place where I grew up," recalls Poitier, "what's coming at you is the sound of the sea and the smell of the wind and momma's voice and the voice of your dad and the craziness of your brothers and sisters...and that's it." Without television, radio, and material distractions to obscure what matters most, he could enjoy the simple things, endure the long commitments, and find true meaning in his life.

Poitier was uncompromising as he pursued a personal and public life that would honor his upbringing and the invaluable legacy of his parents. Just a few years after his introduction to indoor plumbing and the automobile, Poitier broke racial barrier after racial barrier to launch a pioneering acting career. Committed to the notion that what one does for a living articulates to who one is, Poitier played only forceful and affecting characters who said something positive, useful, and lasting about the human condition.

Here is Poitier's own introspective look at what has informed his performances and his life. Poitier explores the nature of sacrifice and commitment, price and humility, rage and forgiveness, and paying the price for artistic integrity. What emerges is a picture of a man in the face of limitsâhis own and the world's. A triumph of the spirit, The Measure of a Man captures the essential Poitier.

Customer Reviews:

Nice man, wandering story..........2007-10-04

I had to force myself to finish this book, simply because I didn't want to waste my money by leaving it when I was tempted to. It was interesting to realize that an actor whose work I had appreciated came from such a spare beginning, but by halfway through the book, the continuous wandering asides and disclaimers of the author so overwhelmed the narrative that I could barely tolerate it. It seems to me that the story could have been told to greater effect with half the words!

****LOVED IT****.......2007-09-24

Kept me interested...I really enjoyed this book...I couldn't put the book down until I finished reading it!!!!

MEASURE OF A MAN does not measure up.......2007-09-21

Wow, a book about Sidney Poitier. An outstanding actor with a book that just does not give him true justice. The reading tends to be dry and lacks substance. His life struggles could have been the story of any man or woman, black or white. The writing and editing are weak in some sections.

You should rent or buy one of Poitier's movies instead. His movie roles show his true skills.

SPIRITUAL "Of, Relating to, Consisting of, or Affecting the Spirit" MERRIAM-WEBSTER.......2007-08-30

I've always been smitten with Poitier's voice--his diction and control on film, the flow of his words as they travel in and around ideas during interviews--so I read THE MEASURE OF A MAN with an ear for his voice. I wondered, Is it translatable to print? It is, but that means allowing Poitier's thoughts to meander until they find their point, and that his thoughts are less formulated (or formal) and more "in his own words," than they might be if they were written by a biographer. (I read just enough "You know?"s "You hear me when I tell you?"s and "You follow?"s to feel like he was talking to me, but not too many to be annoyed.) I read to imagine what it might be like to have a conversation with Poitier. The book reinforced what I already knew--I'd be as intimidated as heck--but it also gave me the courage to think I'd be able to speak my mind.

As an editor, I read Poitier's book because I wanted to know how he defines a "spiritual" autobiography. Is it a I-Was-A-Sinner-But-I-Found-Jesus-And-Now-I'm-Saved chronology? Is it about how Christianity or another faith influenced his life? Neither. Poitier examines the people, events, circumstances, beliefs, and so on, which have related to, consisted of, or affected his "spirit," and, in doing so, he writes about childhood experiences in the Bahamas, his changing perceptions of his parents, how he adapts to living in the United States, his approach to acting and filmmaking, and his attitude toward fatherhood. He also shares a debate a friend and he had about the Basic Truth of Nature, a debate worth every second of reading it takes to get to.

Is THE MEASURE OF A MAN going to satisfy readers interested only in Poitier's film career? No, but I urge them to read it anyway, if for no other reason than to find out how his "spirit" influenced the films he starred in.

Books.......2007-08-21

I purchased this book for my daughter and she loved it!
She is a teacher and plans to teach this story in her English class fall 2007.
A great story with a great moral.

Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson

Average customer rating:

Tuesdays With Morrie
A great read
A story to open your heart
The Hobo Philosopher
Too superficial ...

Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson
Mitch Albom
Manufacturer: Anchor
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0307275639
Release Date: 2005-12-27

Amazon.com

This true story about the love between a spiritual mentor and his pupil has soared to the bestseller list for many reasons. For starters: it reminds us of the affection and gratitude that many of us still feel for the significant mentors of our past. It also plays out a fantasy many of us have entertained: what would it be like to look those people up again, tell them how much they meant to us, maybe even resume the mentorship? Plus, we meet Morrie Schwartz--a one of a kind professor, whom the author describes as looking like a cross between a biblical prophet and Christmas elf. And finally we are privy to intimate moments of Morrie's final days as he lies dying from a terminal illness. Even on his deathbed, this twinkling-eyed mensch manages to teach us all about living robustly and fully. Kudos to author and acclaimed sports columnist Mitch Albom for telling this universally touching story with such grace and humility. --Gail Hudson

Book Description

Maybe it was a grandparent, or a teacher, or a colleague.  Someone older, patient and wise, who understood you when you were young and searching, helped you see the world as a more profound place, gave you sound advice to help you make your way through it.

For Mitch Albom, that person was Morrie Schwartz, his college professor from nearly twenty years ago.

Maybe, like Mitch, you lost track of this mentor as you made your way, and the insights faded, and the world seemed colder.  Wouldn't you like to see that person again, ask the bigger questions that still haunt you, receive wisdom for your busy life today the way you once did when you were younger?

Mitch Albom had that second chance.  He rediscovered Morrie in the last months of the older man's life.  Knowing he was dying, Morrie visited with Mitch in his study every Tuesday, just as they used to back in college.  Their rekindled relationship turned into one final "class": lessons in how to live.

Tuesdays with Morrie is a magical chronicle of their time together, through which Mitch shares Morrie's lasting gift with the world.

Customer Reviews:

Tuesdays With Morrie.......2007-10-10

This was an excellent book that I enjoyed reading. It really makes you think about life and everything you've ever done. It teaches you to love without consequence and to be who you've always wanted to be. I recommend this book to anyone and everyone.

A great read.......2007-09-24

This book was quick to read and has a powerful message. Should be on everyone's 'must read' list!

A story to open your heart.......2007-09-11

This is easily one of the most touching books I've read. Morrie's thoughts are those that I think all should read. The book is concise and is not overpowering in it's enlightenment. If you buy one book this year - buy this one. It will cause you to smile and laugh and cry and might just change your world.

The Hobo Philosopher.......2007-09-10

Obviously this book doesn't need another review, but, for what it is worth, I liked it. It is a nice sentimental story, with some good advise and some believable people. Morrie was obviously a likable old man. I don't really agree with his philosophy entirely but my turn on that ride hasn't arrived yet. Maybe I'll change my tune when I get there. You really can't miss with this one.

Too superficial ..........2007-09-09

Not impressed!! The lessons taught here are not something new but they are so superficially presented.

Average customer rating:

Love or Hate it...
READ IT
Life is too short to waste reading this junk.
Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
The Hit Man Takes Hits

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man
John Perkins
Manufacturer: Plume
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0452287081

Amazon.com

John Perkins started and stopped writing Confessions of an Economic Hit Man four times over 20 years. He says he was threatened and bribed in an effort to kill the project, but after 9/11 he finally decided to go through with this expose of his former professional life. Perkins, a former chief economist at Boston strategic-consulting firm Chas. T. Main, says he was an "economic hit man" for 10 years, helping U.S. intelligence agencies and multinationals cajole and blackmail foreign leaders into serving U.S. foreign policy and awarding lucrative contracts to American business. "Economic hit men (EHMs) are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars," Perkins writes. Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is an extraordinary and gripping tale of intrigue and dark machinations. Think John Le Carré, except it's a true story.

Perkins writes that his economic projections cooked the books Enron-style to convince foreign governments to accept billions of dollars of loans from the World Bank and other institutions to build dams, airports, electric grids, and other infrastructure he knew they couldn't afford. The loans were given on condition that construction and engineering contracts went to U.S. companies. Often, the money would simply be transferred from one bank account in Washington, D.C., to another one in New York or San Francisco. The deals were smoothed over with bribes for foreign officials, but it was the taxpayers in the foreign countries who had to pay back the loans. When their governments couldn't do so, as was often the case, the U.S. or its henchmen at the World Bank or International Monetary Fund would step in and essentially place the country in trusteeship, dictating everything from its spending budget to security agreements and even its United Nations votes. It was, Perkins writes, a clever way for the U.S. to expand its "empire" at the expense of Third World citizens. While at times he seems a little overly focused on conspiracies, perhaps that's not surprising considering the life he's led. --Alex Roslin

Book Description

The runaway bestseller that has generated a major movie dealÂ—and an international dialogueÂ—with over 170,000 copies sold in hardcover and seven weeks on the New York Times list

Â“Economic hit men,Â” John Perkins writes,Â” are highly paid professionals who cheat countries around the globe out of trillions of dollars. Their tools include fraudulent financial reports, rigged elections, payoffs, extortion, sex, and murder. They play a game as old as Empire but one that has taken on terrifying dimensions during this time of globalization.Â”

John Perkins should knowÂ—he was an economic hit man for an international consulting firm that worked to convince developing countries to accept enormous loans and to funnel that money to U.S.corporations. Once these countries were saddled with huge debts, the American government and international aid agencies were able to request their Â“pound of fleshÂ” in favors, including access to natural resources, military cooperation, and political support.

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man is the story of one manÂ's experiences inside the intrigue, greed, corruption and little-known government and corporate activities that America has been involved in since World War II, and which have dire consequences for the future of democracy and the world.

Â“[A] gripping tell-all book.Â”Â—The Rocky Mountain News
Â“Astonishing.Â”Â—Boston Herald
Â“This riveting look at a world of intrigue reads like a spy novel . . . Highly recommended.Â”Â— Library Journal
Â“Here are the real-life detailsÂ—nasty, manipulative, plain evilÂ—of international corporate skullduggery spun into a tale rivaling the darkest espionage thriller.Â”Â—Greg Palast, author of The Best Democracy Money Can Buy

Customer Reviews:

Love or Hate it..........2007-10-17

It seems that this book is either a love or hate it affair. I think that the book was a useful look into the ethics of American business and foreign politics, but I also think the book is a little sensational. I must however question the motives of all of those who rated the book, it looks like conservatives rated the book very low, while lefties, tended to go the other way. Like I said I think that the book was an interesting look into foreign affairs, I would read this book again.

READ IT.......2007-10-15

This book, regardless of it's validity, is an interesting read. There are plenty of summaries, I will spare you that, what makes this book interesting isn't in the book, but the questions it raises. What in this book is true? How much impact does the American consumer have on the world? etc... to bigger questions: What impact does anyone (wo)man have on the world? What relations should corporations and governments have? What is Power? and how is it derived? etc...

My advice to everyone I know is: read this book, with an open mind and a large grain of salt.

P.S. Two things, there are parts of this book that are unreadable (e.g. the dream about Jesus) and this book is not for academics, it is, at points, a memoir and for a large portion of the book is a chronicling of world events.

Life is too short to waste reading this junk........2007-10-14

Here I thought I was reading book about economics and found myself knee deep an left wing conspiracy theories. When he praised Hugo Chavez for standing up to the authors tactics he claimed he was using to destroy the economies of south and central America I closed the book.

It was interesting what he wrote without realizing what he was saying... He talked about how America's tactic was to give poor countries food, not to help the starving masses, but to bankrupt the local farmers. Once the country became dependent on our largess and could never become self sufficient we had them where we wanted them. Now America would call on them for payment when we needed a vote in the UN to, say, take over the oil fields in Iraq.

Perhaps the leftists should realize the right wingers have been saying the same thing about their welfare payments to the poor in this country. The people receiving those payments become addicted to the free money and never go out an get jobs.

Don't waste your time on this book, I lost two hours of my life I'll never get back on it...

Confessions of an Economic Hit Man .......2007-10-10

So Interesting. It proves what we have suspected all along. It makes you rethink what the world says about our government. Perkins has a lot of guts to come forward to inform us of what is really going on in the Middle East and globally

The Hit Man Takes Hits.......2007-10-08

I was loaned this book by a friend who believes the world is controlled by a conspiratorial group whose goal is world domination through a one-world government. Therefore, I was fully prepared to write off Perkin's story as just another conspiracy theory. But, in deference to my friend (with whose theories I DO NOT agree), I read it.

Surprisingly, I found I could not put the book down. For me, Perkin's revelations were like having an insider's guide to a difficult jigsaw puzzle, one where I had many of the pieces but was having trouble seeing how they fit together.

There have already been enough reviews written about this book and its contents. I will focus on what I can add by way of my own personal experiences. Incidentally, this book is definitely NOT a conspiracy theory, as the author makes clear.

Since 1995, I have been cruising fulltime on my sailboat, visiting many countries south of the border. My travels include spending many months (in some cases, years) in Mexico, El Salvador, Guatemala, Panama, Ecuador, Costa Rica, Bonaire, the Dominican Republic, etc. I'm presently spending six months in Venezuela. I don't hesitate to claim that I've learned much more about these countries and their peoples than the average U.S. citizen. I don't stay in insulated tourist hotels and resorts, but much prefer to mingle with the locals, playing music on guitar and talking politics. (BTW, knowing how to play guitar will buy infinitely more good will among the common people of Latin America than all the Gringo dollars you can carry.)

As far as Perkin's descriptions of events in the countries I've visited, I found him to be 100% credible; e.g., the unilateral invasion of Panama by the U.S., the role of United Fruit in the Latin countries, the devastating effects of U.S. big oil interests in Venezuela and Ecuador, his account of the ascendency of Hugo Chavez, the explanations of why and how Torrijos, Roldos and Allende met their untimely ends. Perkin's accounts of such things may be new and surprising to U.S. readers, but they are completely accurate and well-known facts among Latins.

Having for a long time been a serious student of world history, I can also find nothing incorrect about Perkin's accounts of events in other parts of the world. In my opinion, this is a very important book. It should be made required reading at every high school in the U.S. Then we might have a chance of producing a new generation of U.S. citizens whose heads are not buried in the sand and who might stand some chance of reaching valid conclusions, DESPITE their incessant exposure to the U.S. mass media, about how the rest of the world lives and thinks.

If you are considering buying this book, read the five-star reviews. Most importantly, don't be intimidated by the caustic language and attempts at character assassination evident in many of the negative reviews. It shouldn't require much of your critical thinking skills to see that most of those reviews are nothing more than irrational, vindictive mud-slinging by right-wing fanatics. The mere fact that there are so many virulent condemnations of the book, the author, and his message, should alone be enough to stimulate your interest.

In sum, Perkins is entirely credible, the book is sufficiently documented, and his story is important for an understanding of the political realities surrounding "globalization" and the role of U.S. mega-corporations in that effort. It was also very well-written. I couldn't recommend any book more highly.

Average customer rating:

Reproductive Protocol in the 21st Century
Been there, done that
Complete utter #78,'#[12K,
I, too, had a hope...
Laugh out loud funny

The Average American Male: A Novel
Chad Kultgen
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0061231673
Release Date: 2007-03-13

Book Description

The accepted image of the Average American man as created by Oprah, Dr. Phil, network sitcoms, and a slew of other mass media outlets is one of an oafish retard happy to swallow down gallons of his significant other's crap in the hopes of being allowed to have sex with her once a week or at least watch some football.

The unnamed narrator of AVERAGE AMERICAN MALE is in his late twenties, has an unimportant job, plays video games, and hangs out with his friends and his girlfriend. But that's not all. He unabashedly reveals every thought that goes through his head, from his sexual fantasies involving his annoying girlfriend and other women he encounters, his masturbation sessions while watching porn, and his disgust with his annoying girlfriend and a majority of the people he comes across.

In the course of this hilariously honest book, our narrator suffers through a relationship with his fat–assed girlfriend until he finds the perfect girl. But when he moves into the new relationship, he slowly learns that all women are pretty much the same, that man's true desires will never be fullfilled, and the decision between living life alone or biting the marriage bullet must be made.

Customer Reviews:

Reproductive Protocol in the 21st Century.......2007-10-10

Easily dismissed as second-rate bawdy satire, picaresque, or even smut, the novel does address a momentous issue: What happens when a young man who is trying to extricate himself from a nightmarish relationship has fatherhood suddenly thrust upon him.

Hardly a man alive won't relate to this predicament. Naturally, the girl wants to keep the baby. An easy, painless escape is never in the cards for a man in this situation. No chance to dance the Dirty Bird on the Maury Show. Had our young hero been happy with the relationship, the real-life story would have gone differently. "Guess what," the girl would announce. "I had an abortion. The baby was yours but I didn't want it." It's the Murphy's Law of reproductive protocol.

Another review mentioned a "beautiful" ending, and it's true. This tale sets up a rousing dream-come-true ending to warm the heart of any Average American Male.

Does the book accurately capture the thought processes of today's male? I believe it captures the essence of how men think, but it doesn't mean that many men are like our story's hero. Here's how it goes.

You, of course, are a serious guy. You have a good career. You are contributing to a 401(k), etc. Your love life is satisfying but not flamboyant. Sure, you had a youthful escapade or two but now you've settled down to a fairly conventional life. You don't openly admit to using pornography. You have an image to uphold.

You have this buddy, meanwhile, who is a real pistol. You get together for beers now and then. He regales you with tales of his escapades. His life seems to consist only of sex and video games. You hang on his every word, maybe even envy him a little.

A lot of men who lead exemplary lives can relate to the story of The Average American Male. To this extent, the book accurately portrays male attitudes.

I would put the book on the shelf right next to Tropic of Cancer and Couples (Updike). It's a fun read for those of us who don't have a buddy whose life is nothing but sex and video games.

Been there, done that.......2007-09-22

I picked up this book after reading the first three chapters while still in the book store. The thing that REALLY got me was the relationship with Casey...I had a relationship EXACTLY like that. Same thoughts running through my head, same "misunderstanding" leading to a marriage, and finally children with a women I didn't love.

I was hoping there was some insight into this particular behavior, besides laziness and an unwillingness to speak up...but there wasn't. What was there was funny and razor sharp. I have had similar conversations with male friends when I was in my 20's. Who would you f***, why, and where? Constantly evaluating the women you see, to see if they make the 98%. Thankfully, (most) all of those thoughts were gone by the time I was in my 30's.

I especially like the irony when Carlos (the gay guy) tells our hero that oral sex means more than straight sex. Soon after our hero gets oral sex from a college girl, gets "used" as he puts it, so she can get back at her "thick-necked" boyfriend. CLASSIC!!

I great read and some...I repeat some insight into the male mind.

Complete utter #78,'#[12K,.......2007-09-08

The ending to this book is complete BS. It's just like his favourite pass time, jerk off.

I, too, had a hope..........2007-09-06

...to really really like this book. I read it straight through, thinking at some point the highschool language would finally grow into something worthwhile, but I was ultimately disappointed to reach the last page with no real sense of anything respectable. His honesty lures you in the beginning but doesnt ever really deliver a strong writing style or give any depth to any of the characters, except for maybe Casey. Like I said, I really wanted to like the book and even thinking about it now, I'd still like to have liked the book, but it just never got any better than the first chapter.

Laugh out loud funny.......2007-08-20

it's not necessarily laughing at supposed wit, but it is laugh out loud funny for the shock value if nothing else... being an Australian male, I can vouch that many guys do indeed think like the author, but maybe not as savagely or perversely. If you pick this book up expecting to be enlightened about something new, you probably won't find it, but an extremely relaxing read that you can complete in one sitting - it had me in stitches, but I can be very low brow. I lent the book to my female housemate after I was done, and she has now lost all faith in the male of the species - at least I have accurately set her expectations!

A Fighter's Heart: One Man's Journey Through the World of Fighting

Average customer rating:

Good, not great book....
Gimme a Break
A World Of Hurt
A trip through the world of fighting
Beautifully written book

A Fighter's Heart: One Man's Journey Through the World of Fighting
Sam Sheridan
Manufacturer: Atlantic Monthly Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0871139502

Book Description

In 1999, after a series of wildly adventurous jobs around the world, Sam Sheridan found himself in Australia, loaded with cash and intent on not working until he’d spent it all. It occurred to him that, without distractions, he could finally indulge a long-dormant obsession: fighting. Within a year, he was in Bangkok training with the greatest fighter in muay Thai (Thai kickboxing) history and stepping through the ropes for a professional bout. That one fight wasn’t enough. Sheridan set out to test himself on an epic journey into how and why we fight, facing Olympic boxers, Brazilian jiu-jitsu stars, and Ultimate Fighting champions. Along the way, Sheridan delivers an insightful look at violence as a career and a spectator sport, a behind-the-pageantry glimpse of athletes at the top of their terrifying game. An extraordinary combination of gonzo journalism and participatory sports writing, A Fighter’s Heart is a dizzying first-hand account of what it’s like to reach the peak of finely disciplined personal aggression, to hit—and be hit.

Customer Reviews:

Good, not great book...........2007-10-08

Part of a journalist's trade is his/her objectivity. It is one of the things missing from this book. The author is a fine, fine writer. What he lacks is enough time in a specific discipline to take the lessons learned down to the bone, and the ability to write honestly about someone without having it come off like a magazine fluff piece.

I skipped over the animal fighting chapter...I understand why it was included, but if no one watches/bets....the sports will end...people have a choice, animals-not so much.

Keep working, Sam, you'll get better as time moves on....BTW....the older you get, the more it hurts, LOL.

Gimme a Break.......2007-10-02

Alright, I'm picking on one little thing here. I didn't much care for this guy's portrayal of Deerfield on page 4. I was there when he was - not everyone who lived in a dorm was some "rich" person, as if that's bad anyway. Get over yourself, Sam, and feel fortunate that you received the great education that you did.

A World Of Hurt.......2007-08-23

A Fighter's Heart isn't something that I expected it to be. While I was aware that it is a book that deals with MMA (mixed martial arts) from the author's perspective, I didn't expect it to thoroughly go on about trips to Thailand, the home of Muay Thai, journeys out west with boxing professionals, and South American & Japan jaunts focused more on Brazilian Jui Jitsu. Sam Sheridan's writing style can match the layman and his interest in combat sports. In all, a very interesting read.

A trip through the world of fighting.......2007-07-31

The book is a vicarious journey through the world of fighting. With the rise in popularity of MMA, such themes are catching on and reflected in TV shows such as the History Channel's "Human Weapon."

The author travels around the world to practice and compete in various forms of martial arts. He goes to Thailand for Muay Thai, Iowa for MMA (from Pat Miletich of UFC fame), Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) for Jiu Jitsu, New York (Manhattan) for Tai Chi, and California (Oakland) for boxing. He also travels back to Thailand for Zen meditation, as well as a stint in Hollywood as an extra in an action film starring Paul Walker.

On a higher level, the book attempts to answer philosophical questions as to why humans are attracted to violence. Part of the answer may be cultural, as societies with martial cultures have tended to conquer those without through the ages.

Overall, a good read if you have any interest in martial arts.

Beautifully written book.......2007-07-09

A Fighter's Heart is a beautifully written book on a challenging subject. Sam Sheridan is a sensitive and intelligent tough guy who has left no stone unturned in this startling investigation of martial arts, the human spirit ("Gameness") and violence in general.

Average customer rating:

Waste Of Time
Research is interesting, but much like the hookup the results unsatisfying
Boys (and girls) like sex. So? What else is new?
Well, this is what I've got so far ..
Compelling and informative

Unhooked
Laura Sessions Stepp
Manufacturer: Riverhead Hardcover
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1594489386

Book Description

An eye-opening examination of the hookup culture, seen through the personal experiences of high school-and college-age women who confront the hard lessons of dating, love, and sex.

We're living in an increasingly sexualized world, and it's the young-particularly young women-who must deal with the consequences. Kids are having more sexual contact than ever, and at an earlier age. They call it "hooking up." But what is "hooking up"? According to Laura Sessions Stepp, a reporter at The Washington Post, hooking up eludes a neat definition. It can be anything from an innocent kiss to sexual.

In Unhooked, Stepp follows three groups of young women (one in high school, one each at Duke and George Washington universities). She sat with them in class, socialized with them, listened to them talk, and came away with some disturbing insights, including that hooking up carries with it no obligation on either side. Relationships and romance are seen as messy and time-consuming, and love is postponed-or worse, seen as impossible. Some young women can handle this, but many can't, and they're being battered-physically and emotionally-by the new dating landscape. The result is a generation of young people stymied by relationships and unsure where to turn for help.

"The need to be connected intimately to others is as central to our well-being as food and shelter," Stepp writes in Unhooked. "In my view, if we don't get it right, we're probably not going to get anything else in life right."

Customer Reviews:

Waste Of Time.......2007-09-10

Really, this book is like a very poorly written novel about girls and their antics at college. Very verbose and way too much detail about furnitiure, clothes, etc. Could have been condensed to 5-10 pages.

Research is interesting, but much like the hookup the results unsatisfying.......2007-06-25

Laura Sessions Stepp's Unhooked is a well researched but ultimately unfulfilling book about the changes in sexual culture among today's adolescents and college students. While her original research is quite well done - there's enough here to qualify for an anthropology degree - and deserves 5 stars, once she ventures from the subject of teenagers having sex she badly overreaches. I take two stars off for the latter, giving it 3 overall.

Stepp is a writer for the Washington Post who has put in a substantial amount of work in the last few years on teenage sexuality, and like many other reporters decided to publish a book; Unhooked is the result. When she stays on the subject of teenagers and college students having sex and how the culture both differs from their parents' generation and has significant destructive aspects, this is a powerful book. To sum up her argument in a sentence, women under 25 are far more promiscuous, far more demanding sexually, and far less interested in relationships than their elders. Interview after interview points out how early girls start doing things that their parents took very seriously but they don't, how they are far more comfortable talking about it without social consequence, and how young women are now playing the same games that young men did all along - the "walk of shame" has been renamed the "stride of pride," and Stepp makes a pretty good argument that a good chunk of this comes from women "empowering" themselves. As a result, this generation of young women has largely postponed having meaningful relationships despite wanting the same thing their mothers did (albeit at a later age) - marriage and children. All this is very interesting stuff.

That's about half the book. It lags when she starts getting into the "whys" and "what can be done" parts, where Stepp has little research and doesn't do a particuarly good job of supporting her arguments. It's not that some of her conclusions don't make sense - particularly that many members of this generation have been babied and entitled beyond belief, and as she puts it "it might have been better to take them to church or a mosque" rather than wipe their knee every time they scraped it - but there's a good slug of academic research on the subject that Stepp doesn't incorporate, and as a result the policy part tends toward preaching rather than thoughtful discussion.

Another major problem here is that she focuses almost exclusively on the experience of young women, despite coming up with the conclusion that "young men are as dissatisfied with hooking up as young women." There is a strong sense of feminism gone awry here - a long section talks nostalgically about how men were once required to woo women, but doesn't discuss why perhaps men might not be nearly as interested in doing so given the major shifts in the roles between men and women over the last twenty years (which Stepp dismisses as a result that men can have a lot of sex a lot easier) - and a better book would have taken a long leap across the war of the sexes to figure out what young men were really thinking as well. It takes two to tango.

Still, the original research on this generation is worth a read, although parents probably shouldn't be rushing out to lock kids up until they're thirty as a result of reading this. Each generation scares their parents silly, and while there are certainly very, very good reasons to be scared about the "entitlement generation" there are other books that do a better job of explaining why their kids are doing what they're doing.

Boys (and girls) like sex. So? What else is new?.......2007-06-17

Having once been young, I all too well remember that young people always think themselves wise enough for any endeavor; now, with age, I know it's the same confidence of old drunks who think they are still sober.

So it is with this book, a tut-tut-tutting account of youth who embrace sex as the jalapeno of life before learning that it is a spice and not a main course. It's similar to the fate of youth and cars, or youth and alcohol, or youth and guns. Inevitably some overindulge and hurt themselves. Tell me about a time when it wasn't so.

Given the choice of youthful angst with or without sex, many young people have decided sex is merely a sensuous bodily pleasure. The lack of love, commitment and romance is shocking to some, but by the time they marry they've been hurt often enough to finally make a reasonably wise choice. The same is true for alcohol; most learn, after a few hangovers, that moderation is a much longer lasting pleasure.

The proof is evident in the divorce rates. Figures compiled by Steven Martin of the University of Maryland indicate about 45 percent of women without a high school degree are divorced within 10 years of their first marriage, compared to about 15 percent for those with a college degree. When it comes to children raised by a single mother, almost 40 percent of the mothers have less than a high school degree; about 10 percent of single mothers have a college degree or better.

Sex was the last taboo for most women; first it was hem lines, then smoking in public, then alcohol and, in the 1960s, the advent of a little pill which let them delay having children without delaying their inner urges. None of this changes or erases the agony of youth; regardless of what anyone does, something different often looks better in retrospect.

Stepp has written a riveting account of sex for fun among the young, and the severe hangovers it sometimes causes. A similar book should be written about virgins who marry at 17 and divorce by 20 after the collapse of their illusions and delusions. It's not easy being young, regardless of how anyone chooses to live.

When will someone write that youth is sometimes unmitigated agony (with or without sex). But, out of this misery can come a lifetime of happiness, pleasure and commitment?

Easy sex isn't a mistake. It's a process of learning what isn't suitable. Think of Thomas Edison and his thousand experiments to develop a lightbulb; his unsuccessful attempts weren't failures, he thought of them as having learned what doesn't work. It's time for authors to think of "hooking up" in the same practical manner; it's something youth already knows, and adults need to learn.

Well, this is what I've got so far .........2007-05-21

Unhooked

So far, I enjoy reading this book. Once I reiceived it in the mail, I started reading and couldn't put it down. It describes a lot of what's going on with women who are in their older years in high school and college. It can help mothers or older women to understand what could be going on in their daughters or even sons lives.

Compelling and informative.......2007-05-15

Good non-fiction, to my mind, should be 1) fun and engaging to read, much like a good novel, and 2) informative and enlightening. _Unhooked_ more than satisfies both of these requirements. The stories are told in a way that compels you to keep reading; each has a plot. And I learned so much from this book about a campus culture that was just beginning to develop when I graduated from college in 1993. I was particularly struck by Stepp's dead-on observation that young women have been taught to put achievement first and not to value relationships -- that "love can wait." But of course they still have sex, so sex becomes unconnected from relationships. Stepp's commentary, I believe, adds to rather than takes away from the stories, providing very needed context. One of the best books I have read this year.

One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey

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True to the man
A modern day "Thoreau"
Just as Good the Second Time
Homesteading in Alaska
inspiring

One Man's Wilderness: An Alaskan Odyssey
Sam Keith , and Richard Proenneke
Manufacturer: Alaska Northwest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0882405136

Book Description

To live in a pristine land . . . roam the wilderness . . . build a home. . . . Thousands have had such dreams, but Richard Proenneke lived them. Here is a tribute to a man who carved his masterpiece out of the beyond.

Customer Reviews:

True to the man.......2007-09-29

Ten years ago I spent a summer volunteering for the National Park Service at Lake Clark National Park and Preserve, in Alaska. My remote rangers cabin was located at Twin Lakes. Being on the lower lake, I was about 9 miles from my nearest neighbor- Dick. We spoke daily on our walkie-talkies, checking in about the weather, any visitors, or interesting wildlife viewings. I trekked up his way several times over the summer, and enjoyed a few meals with him. I can't remember if it's in his book, but his favorite sandwich was the "Twin Lakes Special": sourdough flapjaks, raw onion, and honey; don't knock it 'til ya try it! Just like his book, he was a gracious, thoughtful man, a true naturalist. Also the most spry 82-year-old I think I'd ever seen! I was saddened to hear of his death several years ago, and was grateful the NPS kept his cabin as a historical site; it is a cozy place, dark inside, smelling faintly of woodsmoke and 1948 sourdough starter, with wonderful decorative touches throughout. Dick was truly a special person, and this book captures his voice, his no-nonsense manner of talking, as well as his appreciation of the beauty of the natural world, perfectly.

A modern day "Thoreau".......2007-09-16

You cannot visit Alaska without reading this book FIRST! Just the photography alone will make you want to go. I dentify in many ways with Dick as I lived in a cabin in the White Mountains of NH for many years. He didn't intrude on nature...he simply lived in harmony with it. He appeals to all of your senses in his simple but beautifully written words, never mind the pictures. He is definitely portrayed as a "loner" but that is a good thing..for a loner has much higher self esteem and sense of character than those who can't survive in the world without people around them all the time. Dick is a true steward of the land because of his deep, abiding love and connection for this piece of God's Creation. His beautifully chronicled life in Alaska will remind you of Robert Frost's words.."We love the things we love for what they are." Enjoy!

Just as Good the Second Time.......2007-09-12

I was telling my husband about this book as I started reading it. He said, "Don't you remember, we read that many years ago when Alaska Magazine published it"? I knew that Babe, the pilot, seemed familiar. It didn't matter. I was happy to read it a second time which is unusual for me. Oh, how I would have loved to have been able to do what Mr. Proenneke did and to live where he lived. There is nothing dull about this book and I suspect the people who find it dull haven't any interest in living in the wilderness without Blackberries, i-pods, automobiles and restaurants.

Even though most of us who enjoyed the book probably don't begin to have the skills that Richard Proenneke had which made what he did possible (and a pilot friend who delivered for free) I think we all wish we could do what he did. I know I do. I didn't realize that a sequel exists. It costs big bucks, but if it's anything close to as interesting as this book, it's worth it. Maybe I'll find out if the Mission Girls ever showed-up.

Homesteading in Alaska.......2007-08-16

The year was 1968. The setting, the Alaskan bush. The mission, to live simply, deliberately, and self-sufficiently off the land, free of the trappings of contemporary society. The protagonist, clearly not what you might expect given the era. He was not some young, free spirited hippie, luddite, or draft dodger. Rather, he was a skilled hard working machinist/woodsman, who at age 51 decided to permanently leave the rat race behind.

Why this man, Dick Prenacke, suddenly left behind his conventional existence to live in a remote and unforgiving section of Alaska is never fully explored in the book. While snippets do reveal his distain for modernity, it never fully embellishes on what ultimately drove the author to do what few would ever conceive of doing. Perhaps Dick realized that at 51, the physical and physiological fortitude required to make such a transition would soon be out of his reach. More likely however, he foresaw the end of an era. No more than a few years after his departure into the wild, Alaska would enact laws prohibiting trappers and homesteaders from freely trudging off into the woods to live the quintessential "Alaskan experience." Soon Alaska would become like the rest of the lower 48, where people like Dick would be considered trespassers and evicted from any land that they did not rightfully own. Fortunately for the author, the laws were grand fathered in.

While the book is essentially a personal account of Alaskan homesteading, the author episodically weaves social commentary into his writings. He laments a society that is wasteful and superficial. The hunters that come into his Alaska, products of such a society, leave garbage and animal meat behind, unaware that the author cleans up after as well as makes use of their squander.

The author also reveals his anxiety for a society that is increasingly consumed by materialism. He feels that man is entrapped by things that he doesn't need and he seeks to avoid the superfluous at all costs. To the outsider, surviving in the wilds of Alaska would seem to require an extravagant amount of equipment and gear. One can only imagine the bill the average suburbanite would amass at the local REI in preparation for such an endeavor. Yet the author demonstrates just how little is required to not only to survive but also to prosper in such an inhospitable region.

The book closes with some thoughts on technology, and the rapidity of change that comes with it. The author's words are both haunting and prescient as he elaborates on his first year in Alaska and how his experience conflicts greatly with society at large.

inspiring.......2007-07-14

Inspiring book. Diarist was over 50 when he began this journey. Helps me look to the future for myself.

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Particularly Apt for Me
Teacher Man - Slightly Disappointing
school'd
"Listen. Are you listening? You're not listening"
Boring

Teacher Man: A Memoir
Frank McCourt
Manufacturer: Scribner
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0743243781

Amazon.com

For 30 years Frank McCourt taught high school English in New York City and for much of that time he considered himself a fraud. During these years he danced a delicate jig between engaging the students, satisfying often bewildered administrators and parents, and actually enjoying his job. He tried to present a consistent image of composure and self-confidence, yet he regularly felt insecure, inadequate, and unfocused. After much trial and error, he eventually discovered what was in front of him (or rather, behind him) all along--his own experience. "My life saved my life," he writes. "My students didn't know there was a man up there escaping a cocoon of Irish history and Catholicism, leaving bits of that cocoon everywhere." At the beginning of his career it had never occurred to him that his own dismal upbringing in the slums of Limerick could be turned into a valuable lesson plan. Indeed, his formal training emphasized the opposite. Principals and department heads lectured him to never share anything personal. He was instructed to arouse fear and awe, to be stern, to be impossible to please--but he couldn't do it. McCourt was too likable, too interested in the students' lives, and too willing to reveal himself for their benefit as well as his own. He was a kindred spirit with more questions than answers: "Look at me: wandering late bloomer, floundering old fart, discovering in my forties what my students knew in their teens."

As he did so adroitly in his previous memoirs, Angela's Ashes and 'Tis, McCourt manages to uncover humor in nearly everything. He writes about hilarious misfires, as when he suggested (during his teacher's exam) that the students write a suicide note, as well as unorthodox assignments that turned into epiphanies for both teacher and students. A dazzling writer with a unique and compelling voice, McCourt describes the dignity and difficulties of a largely thankless profession with incisive, self-deprecating wit and uncommon perception. It may have taken him three decades to figure out how to be an effective teacher, but he ultimately saved his most valuable lesson for himself: how to be his own man. --Shawn Carkonen

Book Description

Here at last in paperback is Frank McCourt's critically acclaimed and bestselling book about how his thirty-year teaching career shaped his second act as a writer. Teacher Man is also an urgent tribute to teachers everywhere. In bold and spirited prose featuring his irreverent wit and heartbreaking honesty, McCourt records the trials, triumphs and surprises of teaching in public high schools. Teacher Man shows McCourt developing his unparalleled ability to tell a great story as, five days a week, five periods per day, he works to gain the attention and respect of unruly, hormonally charged or indifferent adolescents.

For McCourt, storytelling itself is the source of salvation, and in Teacher Man the journey to redemption--and literary fame--is an exhilarating adventure.

Download Description

"Nearly a decade ago Frank McCourt became an unlikely star when, at the age of sixty-six, he burst onto the literary scene with Angela's Ashes, the Pulitzer Prize -- winning memoir of his childhood in Limerick, Ireland. Then came 'Tis, his glorious account of his early years in New York. Now, here at last, is McCourt's long-awaited book about how his thirty-year teaching career shaped his second act as a writer. Teacher Man is also an urgent tribute to teachers everywhere. In bold and spirited prose featuring his irreverent wit and heartbreaking honesty, McCourt records the trials, triumphs and surprises he faces in public high schools around New York City. His methods anything but conventional, McCourt creates a lasting impact on his students through imaginative assignments (he instructs one class to write ""An Excuse Note from Adam or Eve to God""), singalongs (featuring recipe ingredients as lyrics), and field trips (imagine taking twenty-nine rowdy girls to a movie in Times Square!). McCourt struggles to find his way in the classroom and spends his evenings drinking with writers and dreaming of one day putting his own story to paper. Teacher Man shows McCourt developing his unparalleled ability to tell a great story as, five days a week, five periods per day, he works to gain the attention and respect of unruly, hormonally charged or indifferent adolescents. McCourt's rocky marriage, his failed attempt to get a Ph.D. at Trinity College, Dublin, and his repeated firings due to his propensity to talk back to his superiors ironically lead him to New York's most prestigious school, Stuyvesant High School, where he finally finds a place and a voice. ""Doggedness,"" he says, is ""not as glamorous as ambition or talent or intellect or charm, but still the one thing that got me through the days and nights."" For McCourt, storytelling itself is the source of salvation, and in Teacher Man the journey to redemption -- and literary fame -- is an exhilarating adventure. "

Customer Reviews:

Particularly Apt for Me.......2007-10-07

I am in the middle of a life-career change. I'm going to be a teacher.

A friend of mine lent me this book a while ago simply because she had read it. I don't think she had any idea how pertinent it would be for me.

This is the circuitous tale of Mr. McCourt teaching in the schools of New York City. He starts (and spends a good deal of time) teaching in vo-tech schools and eventually ends up in one of the premier private schools in the city.

Throughout the book, his self-deprication is humorous and apparent, as is his appreciation for the people he teaches. Yes, he's frustrated, often. But at the same time, he's the strangest english teacher I've ever heard of.

Reciting recipes as a part of creative writing? That's weird. Sorry.

I really found the tales amusing, and I can understand how he'd be a wildly popular teacher: he has the Irish Bard's gift of the tale. Teachers like that often do.

This is, however, not his first book, and it seems like he's searching for some tales to fill this tome. Not by much, though.

A solid 4 stars.

(*)>

Teacher Man - Slightly Disappointing.......2007-09-18

Frank McCourt's poverty-stricken youth in Limerick, Ireland, so aptly described in the Pulitzer Prize winning Angela's Ashes actually comes to his rescue in his chronicles in Teacher Man in New York City's public high schools. His first day as a high school English teacher at a vocational school on Staten Island is a whirlwind of confusing strangeness, as if he just stepped off the boat all over again. His college education did not prepare him for these exuberant adolescents, the likes of which he never knew in Ireland because he left school at thirteen to help support his mother and brothers. His stories saved him: the rambunctious adolescents, who spoke a seemingly foreign language and behaved according to the rules their own secret, sub-cultural sect, actually sat down and listened when he told them his stories. Magic. The magic of good storytelling.
This magic spell of the storyteller saves Teacher Man from the ill effects of its lack of depth. Humorous anecdotes compensate for the absence of substance in the classroom. Indeed, McCourt accomplishes much in revealing the daily struggle of teachers, an "in the trenches" portrait of five classes a day with over 150 students. Clearly, the author describes the plight of the overworked, underpaid educator, a member of the "downstairs maid of professions", and readers will sympathize. But, the realities of sandwich throwing, wisecracks, and requests for "the pass" to use the bathroom overwhelm the lesson plans. And so, especially at the start of his career, Mr. McCourt regaled them with stories simply to keep them quiet. Although silence is valuable in the classroom, the curriculum must be addressed as well.
To his credit, McCourt does learn to become a good, perhaps even a great, teacher. Small snippets early on hint that he does possess the natural talent to translate confusing concepts into analogies his students can comprehend. For example, one epiphany relates his discovery that "grammar is the way language works" just like psychology is the way a person's mind works. Students get this, just like they understand the structure is like the structure of a ballpoint pen - both need something to make it work. A pen needs a spring like a sentence needs a verb. Another brilliant idea that sets his students to work is the "excuse note" writing exercise. After a hilarious study of their own excuse notes, many of which are forged, Teacher Man asks his students to write excuses from Adam and Eve to God, from Al Capone to the authorities, from Hitler to the Jews. These bursts of inspiration compensate for the drudgery, such as correcting mountains of compositions (170 students multiplied by 500 words each) that amount to reading the Encyclopedia Britannica.
McCourt's career contains segments of unemployment, the acquisition of his Masters degree, and a failure in attaining his Doctorate at Trinity College in Dublin. Interspersed throughout the memoir, the author includes both humorous and depressing incidents concerning his personal life, including an unsatisfying marriage and a bout of psychotherapy. McCourt reaches his stride as a teacher (not a "taskmaster") at the prestigious Stuyvesant High School in Manhattan, where his principal encourages him to be innovative and his creative writing classes spawn ingenious techniques to motivate his students. Students sing recipes and learn to write stories others want to listen to. In 1976 Mr. McCourt earns an award as one of America's Teachers of the Year.
Although Teacher Man may lack pedagogical content, the memoir entertains and causes one to consider the problems of the American educational system and the difficulties teachers encounter on a day-to-day basis. The author maintains an open mind and always learns from his students. He learns that being honest is paramount as a teacher. His honesty prompts him to tell his life's story, and in doing so, his students are motivated to write honestly themselves. For that alone, Frank McCourt deserves the accolade of Teacher Man.

school'd.......2007-09-18

Teacher Man was I think the best of the three. You have so much sympathy for Frank as he tries to teach America's youth while being teased for his "Irish Brogue" the fenetic spelling of how the kid's talk easily let's you hear the dialogue in your head, as well as get a real feel for their cultural backround, the Mexicans, the Italians, the Blacks it's fantastic, I'd say that book taught me a thing or two about life in general.

"Listen. Are you listening? You're not listening".......2007-09-12

A smile. A reminiscence of the good old school days. How many times did our teachers address us with that remark? If you are a teacher, how often did/do you say it to your students? Countless times. Mr. McCourt recounts his 30+ years as a teacher in various high schools in New York. For those of you who were, are or will be teachers, and for those who were, or are students, or if you simply like real-life stories, this is the book for you.

Honing his teacher's skills as the years went by, Mr. McCourt delivers a true insight of life in the classroom, with its laughs, its tears, its frustrations, its joys. This book is constellated with memories of his past, which he would often talk about to his pupils who always listened avidly and eagerly and were encouraged, in turn, to open up and believe in themselves.

His passion for teaching is all there in those laughs, tears, frustrations and joys. Unquestionably, teaching was what Mr. McCourt was meant to do, no matter how undervalued a profession it often was/is, but if you love it, that passion is the fuel igniting everything.
His writing is, as usual, witty, harrowing, poignant and humorous at the same time. He explores his own weaknesses and strengths squarely, learning as he teaches, facing hundreds of challenging minds every day.

After "Angela's Ashes" and " 'Tis ", this is perceived by the author as the last book about himself. Should it be the case, please allow me to quote him once again by saying that I'm so glad that he "sang his song, danced his dance, told his tale". Auspiciously, he'll write some more.

Boring.......2007-09-05

One of the most boring books I've ever read. I had to force myself to keep on reading, then when I started just skipping large sections of it I knew it was time to quit. I didn't finish it and I'm not sorry!

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History

Average customer rating:

NO PICTURES
Erik Larson is Quickly Becoming a Favorite
Book is a Category 4
BEATS READING THE BOOK
Issacc's Storm

Isaac's Storm: A Man, a Time, and the Deadliest Hurricane in History
Erik Larson
Manufacturer: Vintage
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0375708278
Release Date: 2000-07-11

Amazon.com

On September 8, 1900, a massive hurricane slammed into Galveston, Texas. A tidal surge of some four feet in as many seconds inundated the city, while the wind destroyed thousands of buildings. By the time the water and winds subsided, entire streets had disappeared and as many as 10,000 were dead--making this the worst natural disaster in America's history.

In Isaac's Storm, Erik Larson blends science and history to tell the story of Galveston, its people, and the hurricane that devastated them. Drawing on hundreds of personal reminiscences of the storm, Larson follows individuals through the fateful day and the storm's aftermath. There's Louisa Rollfing, who begged her husband, August, not to go into town the morning of the storm; the Ursuline Sisters at St. Mary's orphanage who tied their charges to lengths of clothesline to keep them together; Judson Palmer, who huddled in his bathroom with his family and neighbors, hoping to ride out the storm. At the center of it all is Isaac Cline, employee of the nascent Weather Bureau, and his younger brother--and rival weatherman--Joseph. Larson does an excellent job of piecing together Isaac's life and reveals that Isaac was not the quick-thinking hero he claimed to be after the storm ended. The storm itself, however, is the book's true protagonist--and Larson describes its nuances in horrific detail.

At times the prose is a bit too purple, but Larson is engaging and keeps the book's tempo rising in pace with the wind and waves. Overall, Isaac's Storm recaptures at a time when, standing in the first year of the century, Americans felt like they ruled the world--and that even the weather was no real threat to their supremacy. Nature proved them wrong. --Sunny Delaney

Amazon.com Audiobook Review

Reading in his signature dispassionate style, narrator Edward Herrmann brings an eerie calm to this powerful chronicle of the deadliest storm ever to hit the United States--a huge and terribly destructive hurricane that struck land near Galveston, Texas in September of 1900. Author Erik Larson re-creates the events leading up to the disaster in astonishing detail, tracing the thoughts and actions of Isaac Cline, a scientist with America's burgeoning U.S. Weather Bureau. Cline's unwavering confidence--"In an age of scientific certainty one could not allow one's judgment to be clouded..."--blinds the meteorologist to the deadly onslaught about to be unleashed. Herrmann's calculated performance reflects the impending doom and dangers inherent to an unquestioned and absolute faith in science. (Running time: 5 hours, 3 cassettes) --George Laney

Book Description

September 8, 1900, began innocently in the seaside town of Galveston, Texas. Even Isaac Cline, resident meteorologist for the U.S. Weather Bureau failed to grasp the true meaning of the strange deep-sea swells and peculiar winds that greeted the city that morning. Mere hours later, Galveston found itself submerged in a monster hurricane that completely destroyed the town and killed over six thousand people in what remains the greatest natural disaster in American history--and Isaac Cline found himself the victim of a devestating personal tragedy.

Using Cline's own telegrams, letters, and reports, the testimony of scores of survivors, and our latest understanding of the science of hurricanes, Erik Larson builds a chronicle of one man's heroic struggle and fatal miscalculation in the face of a storm of unimaginable magnitude. Riveting, powerful, and unbearably suspenseful, Isaac's Storm is the story of what can happen when human arrogance meets the great uncontrollable force of nature.

Customer Reviews:

NO PICTURES.......2007-09-30

My first thoughts after finishing Isaac's storm was, that for such a big and devastating storm, it didn't seem do it justice. I wanted understanding (why didn't people leave?). I wanted some PICTURES!!.
As luck had it, someone who checked out the book before me had tucked a newspaper clipping pic in the inside flap, of the Bishops Palace and surrounding survivors w/ tons of lumber stacked up against them. THANK YOU whoever you are. I returned the picture to the flap.

Whatever happened to Dr. Samuel O.Young the amateur meteorologist? Sam kept a diary. And it seems was the only proactive person in town, in that he telegraphed his wife and children warning them not to come to Galveston because in his opinion, a big storm was coming.

One reviewer here claims Cline is a hero in Galveston but "Cline gave his official meteorological opinion that the thought of a hurricane ever doing any serious harm to Galveston was "An absurd delusion". Many residents had called for a seawall to protect the city, but Cline's statement helped to prevent its construction."
"Local legend has it that Cline took it upon himself to travel along the beach and other low-lying areas warning people personally of the storm's approach. This is based on Cline's own reports and has been called into question in recent years.
Cline did issue a hurricane warning without permission from the Bureau's central office in Washington, D.C. but by that point the city was already under water. I don't recall reading that Cline actually told anyone to get off the island..

I enjoyed the book but minus one star for lack of pictures.

I hear that John Edward Weems' book 'A Weekend in September' is also recommended reading on the 1900 storm.

Erik Larson is Quickly Becoming a Favorite.......2007-09-10

"Isaac's Storm" is a fictionalized telling of a real-time tragedy. It tells the story of the hurricane that devastated Galveston and provides impressive details on the history and science of meteorology. For the story-telling aspect of the novel, Mr. Larson uses Isaac Cline, Galveston's weather observer at the time.

Erik Larson's committment to research and detail is impeccable. I wish he had been my history teacher in high school!

Book is a Category 4.......2007-09-10

I enjoyed the book. It reminded me of a hurricane, starting slow but building as it went along.

BEATS READING THE BOOK.......2007-09-05

THIS DEFINATELY BEATS READING THE BOOK, BUT TAKE NOTE THAT THIS IS THE ABRIDGED VERSION!!!

Issacc's Storm.......2007-07-23

Again, another book by a great author, Erik Larson. I couldn't put it down, but then again I live in Florida and Hurricanes are of special interest to me. I'm not sure if you didn't live in a hurricane area, example Alaska, that this book would strike you the way it did me.

Average customer rating:

Best Vonnegut
Vonnegut at the end
Beautiful
A banal book from a great writer
Not Kurt's best

A Man Without a Country
Kurt Vonnegut
Manufacturer: Random House Trade Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 081297736X
Release Date: 2007-01-16

Book Description

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

“[This] may be as close as Vonnegut ever comes to a memoir.”
–Los Angeles Times

“Like [that of] his literary ancestor Mark Twain, [Kurt Vonnegut’s] crankiness is good-humored and sharp-witted. . . . [Reading A Man Without a Country is] like sitting down on the couch for a long chat with an old friend.”
–The New York Times Book Review

In a volume that is penetrating, introspective, incisive, and laugh-out-loud funny, one of the great men of letters of this age–or any age–holds forth on life, art, sex, politics, and the state of America’s soul. From his coming of age in America, to his formative war experiences, to his life as an artist, this is Vonnegut doing what he does best: Being himself. Whimsically illustrated by the author, A Man Without a Country is intimate, tender, and brimming with the scope of Kurt Vonnegut’s passions.

“For all those who have lived with Vonnegut in their imaginations . . . this is what he is like in person.”
–USA Today

“Filled with [Vonnegut’s] usual contradictory mix of joy and sorrow, hope and despair, humor and gravity.”
–Chicago Tribune

“Fans will linger on every word . . . as once again [Vonnegut] captures the complexity of the human condition with stunning calligraphic simplicity.”
–The Australian

“Thank God, Kurt Vonnegut has broken his promise that he will never write another book. In this wondrous assemblage of mini-memoirs, we discover his family’s legacy and his obstinate, unfashionable humanism.”
–Studs Terkel

Customer Reviews:

Best Vonnegut.......2007-10-17

I bought this book for my husband who loves Vonnegut. He read this book many times and said it was the best vonnegut book out.

Vonnegut at the end.......2007-09-27

It occurred to me while reading "A Man Without a Country", Kurt Vonnegut's last offering, that we all have it in us to write a comparable book regarding our own lives. However, few of us could write in the style of Vonnegut, and his short but pointed book is well worth the hour or so it takes to read.

"A Man Without a Country" blends humor, fact, sarcasm, wit and a lifetime of observation. It is Andy Rooney, Garrison Keillor and George Carlin wrapped into a small package of good writing, Vonnegut-style, of course. Age brings perspective and with that Vonnegut has plenty on which to comment. As one who survived the bombing of Dresden in 1945, the author has an earned platform to speak about war and he does so quite often in this book. But it's his humor, often black but always funny, that propels things along. Vonnegut, a humanist, addressed a group of fellow humanists upon the death of Isaac Asimov. He told the assemblage, "Isaac is up in heaven now". Vonnegut goes on to say, "it was the funniest thing I could have said to an audience of humanists. I rolled them in the aisles. It was several minutes before order could be restored." Lines like that give a warmth to the book, yet he saves his best line for "W". Vonnegut says, "...do you know why I think George W. Bush is so pissed off at Arabs? They brought us algebra". With that comment I had to take a minute or so away from the book to wipe the tears from my eyes.

I highly recommend "A Man Without a Country" for its appealing nature and visionary comment. Kurt Vonnegut departed this life with just the right things left to say. I could add that "Kurt is up in heaven now", but I wouldn't want to get my fellow humanists going. The book is a pleasure.

Beautiful.......2007-09-06

A conversation with America's greatest writer about the same things everyone in the country had had on their minds that year, this work by the late Kurt Vonnegut was just what I was waiting for and it delivered a kind of comedy and editorial that people all over the country were holding just on the tips of their tongues. Vonnegut is suing PALL MALL cigarettes for keeping him alive in a time when the three most powerful people in the world are named Dick Bush and Colin. He puts himself out there and tells the truth like he always did.

peaCE,

Jacques Paisner, Author of Albuquerque Blues

A banal book from a great writer.......2007-08-14

Another Amazon reviewer, commenting on Vonnegut's "Breakfast of Champions", wrote (quote) "You know that anything goes once you pick up a work by the zany and terrific Kurt Vonnegut. The man knows how to dish up satire like none other. He'll spew out his complaints about the government, the world, people, etc., and instead of making it sound like a bunch of inane ranting he uses all of that to create a crazy world filled with outrageous characters and situations."

Very nicely said. It is too bad that, at some point, Vonnegut did decide to write up "a bunch of inane ranting", which he then condensed into this booklet. I do love the two books of Vonnegut I have read, and I do think that there is much to be ranted about the government, the world etc etc, but the rants in this book are not mush more valuable than mine or yours, or those of a random guy you hear ranting on your way home on the subway.

It is unfortunate that sometimes great artists feel compelled to stray into areas which are not their own. Even sadder than their beliefs and views end up being listened to just because they come from someone accomplished in something. Unfortunately, being a great writer (and I do think he is), or a great actor or director, does not necessarily make you a very deep political thinker.

To feed any "anti-establishment" feelings, give me any day one of the outstanding investigative reporters out there. There is way too much well documented, well written, honest anti-establishment work out there (Seymour Hersh's "Chain of Command", just to mention one example) to waste time on this sort of booklet. I received it as a gift, and I gave up after a few pages, because I was really getting nothing out of it. Booklets like this one, in my opinion, do more harm than good to the ideas they want to represent.

Not Kurt's best.......2007-08-08

Vonnegut is one of my favorite authors, and I really wanted to read some new material and get his take on the present. We're at a major crossroads in history where a new paradigm is emerging. And yet, there seems few author's worth reading anymore -- not like the Vonnegut's who gave us new and interesting perspectives on decades' past.

Unfortunately, his views on the present are tired and cliche. I almost wish I didn't read this book as it diminishes my respect for the author.

Example: he wrote something about a child being better off in an enlightened country, not the US, which had universal health care and better schools. He blames conservatives/republicans. I felt like throwing the book away! Forget politics (if possible). This is tripe. I thought aloud... we spend a _fortune_ on education and healthcare. The new perspective I was hoping for? ... Euro-socialism I suppose.

What I'm saying is, I didn't want to read tired old left-right, conservative-liberal gibberish. I was hoping for some FRESH ideas from an original, free thinker. I was looking for a new paradigm -- not liberal-lite, shallowness.

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