Soul Surfer: A True Story of Faith, Family, and Fighting to Get Back on the Board

Book Description

They say Bethany Hamilton has saltwater in her veins. How else could one explain the passion that drives her to surf? How else could one explain that nothing -- not even the loss of her arm -- could come between her and the waves? That Halloween morning in Kauai, Hawaii, Bethany responded to the shark's stealth attack with the calm of a girl with God on her side. Pushing pain and panic aside, she began to paddle with one arm, focusing on a single thought: "Get to the beach...." And when the first thing Bethany wanted to know after surgery was "When can I surf again?" it became clear that her spirit and determination were part of a greater story -- a tale of courage and faith that this soft-spoken girl would come to share with the world.

Soul Surfer is a moving account of Bethany's life as a young surfer, her recovery after the attack, the adjustments she's made to her unique surfing style, her unprecedented bid for a top showing in the World Surfing Championships, and, most fundamentally, her belief in God. It is a story of girl power and spiritual grit that shows the body is no more essential to surfing -- perhaps even less so -- than the soul.

Download Description

" The amazing story of the thirteen-year-old surfer girl who lost her arm in a shark attack but never lost her faith -- and of her triumphant return to competitive surfing. They say Bethany Hamilton has saltwater in her veins. How else could one explain the tremendous passion that drives her to surf? How else could one explain that nothing -- not even the loss of her arm in a horrific shark attack -- could come between her and the waves? That Halloween morning in Kauai, Hawaii -- a glorious part of the world, where it's hard to deny the divine -- Bethany responded to the shark's stealth attack with the calm of a girl with God on her side. Pushing pain and panic aside, she immediately began to paddle with one arm, focusing on a single thought: ""Get to the beach...."" Rushed to the hospital, where her father, Tom Hamilton, was about to undergo knee surgery, Bethany found herself taking his spot in the O.R. It's the kind of coincidence that isn't mere coincidence to the Hamilton family, a clan whose motto could easily be ""the family that surfs and prays together stays together."" To them it was a sign someone had a greater plan than the one they'd been working on themselves -- which had been to scrape together whatever resources they could to help Bethany rise to the top of her sport. When the first thing Bethany wanted to know after surgery was ""When can I surf again?"" it became clear that her unfaltering spirit and determination were part of a greater story -- a tale of courage and faith that this modest and soft-spoken girl would come to share with the world. Soul Surfer is a moving account of Bethany's life as a young surfer, her recovery in the wake of the shark attack, the adjustments she's made to her unique surfing style, her unprecedented bid for a top showing in the World Surfing Championships, and, most fundamentally, her belief in God. It is a story of girl power and spiritual grit that shows that the body is no more essential to surfing -- perhaps even less so -- than the soul. "

Customer Reviews:

Soul Surfer a good easy read for early teens.......2007-09-10

My daughter needed a book for her school's summer reading project. She picked this book off the list because she'd heard about the author who had her arm bitten off by a shark as an 11 year old, surfing. She was able to get through it quickly and she enjoyed it even though she is not an avid reader.

Soul book forever!!!.......2007-08-14

At just 13, Bethany Hamilton lost her left arm to a tiger shark, possibly affecting her goals and achievements dramatically in her life forever. But did that stop her from surfing? Of course it didn't! Bethany has been in the water constantly ever since she knew how to swim. She says, surfing is her life and has been since she was three. Her parents have been there for her every step of the way. Bethany has two older brothers, both surfers, and a best friend named Alana, another surfer. She mentioned that without her faith in God she would have never survived and He is the reason she gets up every morning. This book really inspired me to have goals and to achieve and never give up. Bethany Hamilton is a role model to many others and I. I am glad to say that now she is a professional surfer! The sponsor that stuck with her though all the hard times was RipCurl! Bethany is a wonderful girl, daughter, sister and friend to many and I am so glad that I picked up this book and was immediately drawn to it.
Bethany throws her soul into surfing; she was born for the board. She may have lost her arm in the attack, but she could never lose her faith in God. He was and still is her greatest hero and model. I really think that her faith motivated her to get right back in the waves.
Bethany Hamilton's first-hand account of the full-on fight to keep surfing is worth the read all the way. This teenage autobiography would interest any type of reader. I personally think that to everyone who has read this incredible book including me, there is no doubt that this book has made an impact on peoples lives. What a great book.

I LOVE this book it is amazing!.......2007-03-30

This is a great story for all ages! It is about a girl who suffers from a shark attack and loses her arm. Bethany shows a great example of still going no matter how hard times may get. This is defidently a favorite of mine. I encourage you to read this book, it will inspire you as it did to me!

I love this book........2007-02-15

"It came out of the blue," was the quote Bethany Hamilton used for her book Soul Surfer written by Bethany herself.
Bethany is a young 14 year-old who was a victim of a shark attack and got her arm bitten off. In the water though, her belief in Him kept her calm and only put the thought of "get to the beach". It hard not to not admire how calm she was in hospital knowing her arm was gone and the first thing she asked after her arm surgery, the first thing she asked was "when can I surf again?"
Bethany's style is very interesting the way she uses section breaks in every chapter. On minute she'll be talking about her passion for surfing the next minute she's talking about her father's which keeps everything interesting. She also describes Hawaii so beautifully that you would want to pack your bags and move there! Not only does Bethany describe Hawaii but also her parents. She talks about their past and how they met each other and how they supported Bethany during the tuff times. The main reason Bethany wrote a book though and did an interview with Opera was to share her faith in God and how he lead he thorough all the chaos.
I think Bethany also tried to put a lesson in her book and that was to never to lose hope and stop doing what you love. You can tell Bethany had hope for when she got out of the hospital is went back to focusing on surfing (except for all those interviews she had to do). After a while Bethany was able to surf as well as she could with two arms.
This book is good for ages 9 and up for gore like themes.

Bethany Hamiltion Pursuing her Dream.......2007-01-27

Bethany Hamilton, a regular teen, writes her true story about setting out for a normal day of surfing. However, that normal day turned out to be an unforgettable one. The book, Soul Surfer, will capture your focus as soon as your tingling fingertips flip the first page. As Bethany was lying on her board waiting for a strong wave to come, she turned her head to talk to her friend when all of a sudden BAM her arm was being torn off by a humongous shark. When I read this frantic part of the book, I didn't believe it. I actually had to look over it again. Without notice, the thought of a shark tearing off her arm invaded my mind. Amazingly, she didn't even panic. She quickly told her friend to scurry to the beach and get her to the hospital. Bethany describes this extremely well because she reveals all her thoughts. "Please, God, help me. God let me get to the beach."

The incredible story is enormously well written because it feels as if you are experiencing the fierce attack. Bethany not only survived this horrifying tragic, but also she left the hospital with only one arm. Before the attack, she was hoping to become a professional surfer and is still pursuing that dream. Why? "I try to explain the way I feel about surfing and it's impossible. Only surfers get it..." is what she has to say.

I found that when the book ended, my thoughts were all mixed up. "How could this have happened?" were the words slipping from my mouth. I couldn't believe that she had to go through all that suffering. After you read this book, all of the events wash through your brain making your problems seem nothing compared to hers. I know that I could never walk in her shoes.

Young Patriots: The Remarkable Story of Two Men. Their Impossible Plan and The Revolution That Created The Constitution

Average customer rating:

Very enjoyable...
Don't Assume Everything is True
Biased and Inaccurate
Incredible, engaging reading
Good insight mixed in with a lot of unneccesary content

Young Patriots: The Remarkable Story of Two Men. Their Impossible Plan and The Revolution That Created The Constitution
Charles A. Cerami
Manufacturer: Sourcebooks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Constitutions | Government | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 1402202350

Book Description

Seven years after the revolution, America was in crisis. The government didn't work, but the citizens didn't care-or were in a state of rebellion. Then two unknown men, Hamilton and Madison (unknown especially compared to the revered Founding Fathers), envisioned a plan that no one else thought could happen: a truly United States.

Against all odds, these men maneuvered and strategized to get the right men to agree on the right ideas. The result: the most brilliant political document ever and a powerful United States.

From New York Times bestselling author Charles Cerami, this gripping tale of young men founding a nation will captivate both history buffs and those who just love a great story.

Customer Reviews:

Very enjoyable..........2007-04-17

I noticed that other reviewers are very critical of the book, claiming it to be inaccurate. It would be better if the reviewers could point out where their information comes from, and from what authority they speak. I am in the midst of reading the book and am thoroughly enjoying it. I am new to reading about history and was hoping my foray into this area would be this fun! The author's style is engaging and I am flying through the book, anxious to read what is on the next page. I feel like I am really getting to know both Madison and Hamilton, and to better understand how conflicted the 13 colonies were over becoming a union. My interest in this area has truly been piqued and I am certain I'll be reading more history books, thanks to the "good read" provided here.

Don't Assume Everything is True.......2007-04-03

This book would best be read with some skepticism.

Mr. Cerami makes some assumptions and statements that are not validated or justified. One example is his statement that Alexander Hamilton, "(apparently to guard against an accusation of monarchism)"..."did not favor a permanent president, but suggested an executive who would rule for no more than three years."

This is exactly the opposite of what Hamilton proposed. He favored an executive to serve for "good behavior," which meant for life, unless removed from office. The author says one thing, when reality was the opposite. I found this most frequently happened regarding Hamilton, leading me to believe the author wanted to put across a certain perspective about the man.

There are other places in which a blanket statement is made that isn't necessarily true, or at least subject to question. This account of the Convention relies on speculation and inferences. Some assertions are made based on what the author perceived the speaker's tone of voice and inflection were. How could this approach be more accurate than simply believing what the actual words were?

This is an ok book, but the reader can't assume it is completely accurate and should not solely rely on it as a source of information on the Convention.

Bob Byrne

Biased and Inaccurate.......2006-07-25

In addition to the shortcomings pointed out in other reviews, I am disturbed by Mr. Cerami's use of 21st century values and perspectives to describe the motivations of 18th century people. For example, Mr Cerami describes Patrick Henry as a "religious zealot" for favoring the establishment of an official church in Virginia. Yet Henry's views were not particularly zealous for his time. Many in 18th century America favored established churches. Mr. Cerami also describes Patrick Henry as having become "ultraconservative" because he opposed the establishment of a strong federal government. In fact, Henry's views did not change over the years. He started out opposing a strong central government in England and ended up opposing a strong central government in Philadelphia or New York.

Mr.Cerami also describes New York Governor George Clinton's opposition to a strong federal government as solely based on Clinton's desire to maintain his position as governor of a major state. Yet Mr. Cerami immediately goes on to suggest that it was reasonable for Governor Clinton to believe that New York could prosper on its own without a federal government.

Mr. Cerami also makes inaccurate statements. For example, in discussing Article I, Section 7, clause 1, of the Constitution, which states that "all bills for raising revenue shall orginate in the House of Represenatives," Mr. Cerami mistakenly asserts that this provision requires appropriations bills to also originate in the House. He uses as an example the Louisiana Purchase, and states that the bill to provide $15 million to pay France "had to originate in the House of Representatives." An appropriation bill is not a bill "for raising revenue" and therefore does not have to originate in the House.

Further, in speaking of the Judicial Branch of the federal government, Mr. Cerami states that "[t]he almost supreme power of the judiciary branch" was one of the features of the Constitution that was most admired by foreign observers. However, there is nothing in Article III of the Constitution that even suggests that the judiciary is the "supreme" branch. Nor does the Constitution grant to the judiciary the power to determine the constitutionality of laws enacted by the Congress. Only later did the courts attain the powers they have now.

Incredible, engaging reading.......2006-07-06

I felt like I was along side for the ride. You won't want to put it down, neither did my Friend whom I lent it to. It's fascinating, awe inspiriing, engaging etc. I undoubtedly recommend this book. I'm actually going to read it again!!!!

Good insight mixed in with a lot of unneccesary content.......2006-06-25

Overall, I enjoyed reading the book (please keep this in mind as you read what I am about to say), but I often found myself questioning if some of the information Cerami includes is necessary given the subject of the book. For example, in the chapter entitled "Jefferson Reacts," he spend most of the chapter talking about what Jefferson was writing about during his time in Paris, and only at the end shares Jefferson's reaction to the proposed Constitution. In dealing with Washington, he talks a great deal about his love of farming and his relationship with the Society of the Cincinnati, which while important for background and mindset is way overdone at the expense of more pertinent information.

Yet, while there is excess in those areas, information on other people and subjects are lacking. While the title and cover implies a major role for Hamilton that is not the case for significant periods in the book. I yearned for more pertinent info on Washington and other supposedly key figures such as Franklin and Read. I felt areas like the later stages of the convention, the actual signing, the mindset of general population, were rushed and only touched the surface.

If you delete the unnecessary content, I felt this 320 page book (paperback) could easily be cut of 75 to 100 pages. Yet, if some of the giant historical figures in the book, key supporting characters, and aforementioned breezed over areas where discussed more in-depth and in a focused manner, the book could easily double in size. In short, I learned a lot and enjoyed the book, but would have liked more focus.

Wild Bill Hickok (Heroes & Villains of the Wild West)

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Wild Bill Hickok (Heroes & Villains of the Wild West)
John Hamilton
Manufacturer: Abdo & Daughters Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

General | Ages 9-12 | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1562395629

Average customer rating:

Blackbeard (Pirates!)
Sue Hamilton
Manufacturer: ABDO & Daughters
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Law & Crime | Reference & Nonfiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Pirates | Obsessions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1599287587

Average customer rating:

Captain Kidd (Pirates!)
Sue Hamilton
Manufacturer: ABDO & Daughters
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Pirates | Obsessions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Teen Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1599287595

Average customer rating:

Henry Morgan (Pirates!)
Sue Hamilton
Manufacturer: ABDO & Daughters
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Pirates | Obsessions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Teen Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1599287609

Average customer rating:

Bartholomew Roberts (Pirates!)
Sue Hamilton
Manufacturer: ABDO & Daughters
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | History & Historical Fiction | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Pirates | Obsessions | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Teen Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
Similar Items:

ASIN: 1599287579

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Winston Churchill (Biography (a & E))
Janice Hamilton
Manufacturer: Twenty-First Century Books (CT)
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Library Binding

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Look Inside Teen Books | Trip | Specialty Stores | Books
ASIN: 0822534193

Presidents: A Biographical Dictionary (Political Biographies)

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Presidents: A Biographical Dictionary (Political Biographies)
Neil A. Hamilton
Manufacturer: Checkmark Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Presidents & Heads of State | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Reference & Collections | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

Directories | Catalogs & Directories | Reference | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0816064245

Book Description

Presidents closely examines the hopes and disappointments, the victories and defeats, and the integrity and perfidy of the previous leaders of this country. Each biographical sketch evokes the human dimension of that president, bypassing political theory in favor of a narrative combined with analysis of his career and legacy. Readers will find the essential facts about each man's life, as well as a portrait of the president as a person.

Book Description

Louis Riel believed that on 8 December 1875 he received a divine commission authorizing him to save the mTtis and reform the Catholic Church. He was a prophet, inspired by the Holy Spirit, and the mTtis were the new chosen people. A new branch of the Catholic Church would be founded in North America, with its first Holy See in Montreal, and its second in Riel's birthplace of St. Vital.

When Riel expressed these views in 1876, he was committed to a lunatic asylum. After his release, he suppressed his ideas for several years, only to reveal them again to his mTtis followers during the North-West Rebellion. The Rebellion thus became as much a religious as a political movement; Riel believed himself a prophet to the end of his life, and he went to his death thinking that he, like Christ, would be resurrected on the third day.

Earlier writers about Louis Riel have noted his religious beliefs but have not taken them seriously. They have usually dismissed Riel's attempt to found a new religion as the symptom of a deranged mind. Thomas Flanagan takes Riel's religion seriously and analyses it using categories developed in the literature about millenarian movements. He shows that Riel's religion, far from being simply individual madness, is typical of the nativistic and millenarian movements described by one author as the 'religions of the oppressed.'

This is also a biography, tracing Riel's thinking on religious subjects from his childhood to the end of his life and paying particular attention to events in his life that influenced his thinking. This developmental approach is necessary because Riel's ideas changed frequently; he never arrived at a fixed 'system.'

The research is based on primary sources throughout. Much new documentation has become available over the past thirty years and in the sixteen years since this volume was initially published. In particular, new information is presented about Riel's youth in Montreal, his time in insane asylums, his years in Montana, and the North-West Rebellion. Flanagan also re-interprets well-known documents. While this revised edition does not alter the fundamentals of his interpretation, it improves the historical backdrop against which it is presented through use of a wealth of new primary sources. Flanagan has updated his citings of Riel's manuscripts to current sources.

Average customer rating:
Louis David' Riel: Prophet of the New World'
Thomas Flanagan
Manufacturer: U of Toronto Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000J0T4MG

Average customer rating:
Louis "David" Riel : Prophet of the New World
Thomas Flanagan
Manufacturer: University of Toronto Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WE0MSE

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