Still love it. Ted Kerasote's account of his life with ...
919805
Have read this book for the second time now. Still love it. Ted Kerasote's account of his life with Merle could inspire dog-ownership in just about anyone.
4490359
This memoir is easy to read and understand, making this difficult subject accessible. Ishikawa has had a life of suffering and still has hope for his family and the people of North Korea.
Although I cant see him myself, I still pray for a happy ending. I will be empathetically alongside Ishikawa.
4510208
Loved this book. Gave me such insight into the  early days of the Hare Krishna movement. I felt like at times I was also there as the writer shares his heart and also daily life in a Temple. Could not stop reading. Loved the "where are they now" at the end of the book as I could not help but wonder also what happend to the other devotees. Recommend.
3792065
Sen. Kennedy began working on these memoirs in 2004.  When he was diagnosed with brain cancer, this project took on a new sense of urgency.  He was able to complete this book just before his too soon death from cancer.  The book is based on interviews with family, friends & colleagues; but is mainly developed from 50 years of dictations & notes he took right after the events occurred.  Thus, the factual details in this book are very accurate & they are aided by the Senator's prodigious memory.
 This is the memoir of a great man.  It is the memoir of a great man who is humble & has been humbled by his character flaws & missteps in his long & historic life.  He is a good man.  He is a decent man.  He is a loyal man.  He is a man devoted to his family, above all else.  He is a man devoted to the city of Boston & to the state of Massachusetts.  He is a man devoted to the people of the United States of America.  He is a man devoted to the Senate.  He is a man devoted to the sea.  He is a man with huge shoulders.  He is a man upon whom the mantel of history was thrust without prior warnings.  He is a man who has picked up that mantel, after some missteps, & proven worthy of being known as one of the greatest Senators in the entire history of this great nation.  This is something that Senators from both sides of the aisle agree upon.
 I admired & was a huge fan of JFK.  I hero worshipped Bobby Kennedy.  It took me a while to warm up to Teddy.  Nevertheless, he slogged through life & won my admiration & that of millions of others.  I can quote page after page from this book.  I will not.  It is enough to say it opened my eyes & taught me things about stuff I thought I knew, but didn't.  Suffice it to say that Teddy Kennedy became a role model to his family, friends, & countless strangers.  He was loved & admired.  He cared for those less well-off.  He never demonized the poor.  He never even demonized his enemies.  Not even when he was demonized.  He was able to disarm his most virulent critics.  He spent his life fighting for the ideals of his brothers & the ideals of his faith & the ideals he believed in.  He was one special man!
1583164
I've just re-read Seymour's book, which I first read about 15 years ago. The reason I read it again is that I'm celebrating my 28th year in Japan and wanted to see how what he wrote resonates with what I know of Japan today. First of all, I read the other reviews and some seem skeptic about the fact that Seymour could actually get up close to members of the yakuza. I can tell you that it is possible. Maybe not ALL yakuza, but some are certainly approachable and for good reason. For one thing, they are human, and thus are able to react favorably to someone who kind of admires them, which is what we feel are Seymour's intentions. The other thing, is that they want to project an image of them being decent people, people who are needed in Japanese society because they take care of businesses that are down on by the average Tanaka-san...like pachiko parlors, love hotels, hostess bars, porn shops, the making of porn movies, etc.
There is very little literature in English about this subculture and so, we are grateful that Christopher has done this. What I would suggest to him, if I were to meet him, is to write an updated version of his book...interview those people he met in 1993 and see what they are doing today and how the yakuza see their future as we fast approach the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. It's a whole new world now and lots has changed since 1993!
3928746
A bit dated, but a truly gripping picture of a surgery residency in Bellevue.  It captures much of the frustration and much of the idealism inherent in medicine, and it is a fascinating read.  I'm very glad to see  it is still in print. I have a tattered paperback that must be over 20  years old, and it's good to know that people are still buying and reading  this book.
4105190
I still love reading Tom Wolfe.  What a wonderful brain.  I would have liked to have read even more about his observations of modern life today vs. yesterday in the first essay (?) in the book, also entitled 'Hooking Up'.  I was really into the swing of it when it ended.  Bugger! Wish he would give us more please by way of an update! His observations and insight were so spot on!  The rest of the essays (?) were  a bit too belly-button-gazey for me with a lot of in-jokes and references which unfortunately I didn't get as I don't live in the USA. But I still think of him as the "Father of New Journalism" even though his radical style hasn't been 'new' for 50 years.  You changed literature forever and in a good way, Mr Wolfe.  I'll keep reading you as long as you keep writing!
3918156
Whenever I read Ted Loder's writing, whether it's Guerillas of Grace, My Heart in My Mouth or The Haunt of Grace, my experience is consistent.  Feelings I am unable to express, experiences I cannot articulate and nebulous connections which I cannot explain in a coherent way are, all of a sudden, made plain.  As I read, I have on occasion, said out loud, "Yes, that's what I mean, that's what I feel."  What a relief to know that someone can capture that inarticulated part of my life!
2491715
What contrasts there are in the life of this eminent NY Times columnist, and this memoir focuses primarily on the hardscrabble world of his childhood and adolescence. The clarity and melodiousness of his writing style puts us right into the center of the tiny northern Louisiana communities where he grew up. He does not shrink from describing family disfunctions--shootings and threats of shooting, affairs, effects of alcohol and drugs and all--but the honesty of his telling is riveting.

After a few traumatice experiences (a menacing cousin, his mother with a gun, deaths of those he loves), Blow resolves to change his life, and he turns from a withdrawn child to a leader at school. He moves on to Grambling and becomes incredibly successful in school (youngest frat president, class president) and then wins an internship at the New York Times, again getting a "youngest ever" title. After Grambling, his life up to the present is compressed into a relatively few short pages, probably a wise approach given his still young age, with much success still likely to come.

Yes, this is a book that I recommend, but I have several concerns with it that any potential reader should be aware of.

First, once Blow shares his decision to change to make something of himself, his narrative of his exploits and accomplishments becomes uncomfortably egotistical, to the point of leading this reader to begin questioning if he really was as "perfect" as he says. In the end, however, his rapid rise at the Times and his clearly accomplished writing style would seem to affirm all those plaudits he gives himself. Still, it was sometimes uncomfortable to read this unvarnished narcissism in some places. It does help in peering into Blow's personality to consider the two men he says he most admired in his youth. Martin Luther King is probably to be expected, and the rationale Blow shares is reasonable. But the other hero is a total surprise--Prince Charles of England? By the time I had finished the book, however, this choice of an aloof, arrogant, and egotistical man seems like a pretty reasonable choice. I will let other readers see if they see the similarities of the lives of the two Charles.

The other issue that I struggled with is the extended account of the hazing activities at Grambling while Blow was a student. The descriptions are harrowing and very difficult to read but I am glad he included them, to make sure we all understand why this is still a problem that needs to be addressed. Hardest for me to read, and to accept, was not just that Blow ended up tacitly supporting such a practice by becoming president of the fraternity. Though he did resign after two years, and though he does honestly admit to participating in some of the brutal aspects of the hazing routines, I ended the book still troubled by what seems to be too much acceptance by Blow of the entire ritual.

So be aware of these concerns, but still, read the book for its gritty picture of Blow's early life, for an understanding of the lifelong impact a single act of molestation, and for some background into the views that Blow expresses in his regular TImes columns.
3887713
For many of us boomers, the Kennedys were our country's royalty and the assassination of President Kennedy was a major milestone in our lives.  Although we know more about their "feet of clay" than we did then, the Kennedys still shine brightly for so many of us, and not one of them shines brighter than does Jackie.  Ten years old when the Kennedys came to the White House and 13 when President Kennedy was killed, those times left indeligble images and a huge tremendous impact on my life.

The result is that this book should appeal to many.  If you love and revere Mrs. Kennedy, this book will more than satisfy this interest - and not in a salacious, gossipy way.  Her story is told by someone who knew her, but by the job description itself remained as objective as humanly possible.  Mr. Hill's stories of the family bring depth and more color to these people whose images are so familiar. I particularly loved his descriptions and anecdotes about the children.  And of course, I loved his observations about the relationship between Jackie and her husband.

The book also appeals to those for whom the assassination of President Kennedy remains a watershed event.  I've read the books, watched the movies and have bought scores of documentaries on this subject.  I've watched the Zapruder footage and wondered how could it have happened and how did it happen?  Mr. Hill describes something only less than a handful could know: what it was really like to be there.  Sometimes it was very painful to read, but with Mr. Hill more than any other author on the subject/s, I trusted what I was reading.

Last Sunday night, 4/14/2012, CBS did a retrospective on the late Mike Wallace and there near the end was a piece of an interview he did in the late 60's with Clint Hill.  Those years later, Mr. Hill was still in intense pain and grief, and suffering from immeasurable guilt over the events on that November day in Dallas.  I had just finished reading his book and seeing him so raw was quite powerful. I think time has brought him bit of relief, at least I hope it has.

I am so grateful he wrote this book, to give his perspective and to tell us his truths about these people he knew and later, the events of THAT DAY.  He relates these things true to the oath he took so many years ago.  He tells them with clarity, with objectivity and honesty and most of all with with a great deal of heart.

This is more than one man's memoir; this is our history.
2065
This material still cracks me up,  I can still hear my best friend doing the miner bit and the sermon.  There are many hours of humor from the past.  It won't be for everyone and admittedly I don't "get" all of it because of cultural reference, but I still love it.
1987424
Ted Kerasote is an amazing author...Pukka's Promise is every bit as good as Merles Door and they are both dog "bibles" to us in the way we raise our two large dogs...they are at hand at all times just to have as reference and to enjoy Ted Kerasotes beautiful art of story...Beverly Boyles and Graham Heneghan...devoted fans of Merle and Pukka and Ted also!!!
1411868
Several years ago I read a memoir by Mia Farrow and for the next several years, felt guilty to be a Woody Allen fan. Eventually I decided it was OK to love the art and not let the artists problems obscure my enjoyment. Eventually, after re-reading all of his prose, another biography and watching Wild Man Blue, I decided I didn't care if he had a problem. I am a Woody Allen fan. It is refreshing to read Diane Keaton who unabashedly loves him.

The book is a sentimental journey through the family life and emotional struggles of Diane Keaton. While some memoirs provide the insight gained from an interesting lifetime and cast light on many characters and circumstances, this book is about Diane. Sweet as her rambling memories of her dad and mom are, the memories made up the bulk of the book which was ultimately self-indulgent. Never the less, pleasant to read. I have always enjoyed Diane as an actress and her life has been interesting enough that the stories she tells are delightful. It's also exciting that Diane loves Woody and had lots of fun comments to make on him.

I listened to this book. She read it which was also nice. Her delivery was deliberate, slow and relaxed. One thing that surprised me was that she cried while reading some passages. This made her seem tremendously sincere and real. When books are read by professionals, they sometimes assume the voices of their characters for effect, but this was a real person reading her own words and breaking down. Nothing unpleasant or wrong about it, I just can't recall ever having heard that before.
2563260
Ted Kooser, former U.S. poet laureate, still captures the profound beauty of life. He can see the sacredness in the mundane like no other contemporary poet.
3692826
I listened to the audiobook which was narrated by Ted himself. Ted's story is an epic 12 hour journey through his remarkable life. It's entertaining because Ted is a candid and engaging reader who tells it like it is (or at least how he thinks it is).

Normally I buy business biographies because I hope to learn about the secrets of the person's success. Ted doesn't spend a lot of time talking about what you need to do to be successful. He tells his story and you learn by his example that success comes through hard work, planning ahead, thinking outside the box and persevering through the tough times. Ted smashes the idea many people grow up with that you need to get a college degree, an MBA and certifications and licenses to be successful. They're great if you want to be an employee or follow the typical career path. The key to being a success on the level of a Ted Turner is to just GO OUT AND DO IT. Stop wasting time planning what you're going to do before you start your career. No one cares about all your college degrees. People buy your idea and your vision and your passion.

Ted was fortunate because he inherited a solid business from his father and his father mentored him on how to run a business. So in a way, this is the Ed and Ted Turner story. So while Ted started CNN and was in debt and struggled to pay the bills, CNN was in debt and struggled. Ted never struggled the way someone who's starting a business often struggles. He rarely had to worry about losing his house or if he could pay his own bills. But Ted discusses his father's work ethic and how his father worked hard to make his company successful. The reader gets the sense that if Ed (and later Ted) started a business today, they wouldn't spend hours a day cruising the internet or playing video games. Ed and Ted worked their ----- off following their passions and didn't stop until they were successful and even when Ted found success, he moved on to the next thing.

The book discusses most of the major business ventures Ted started and how he executed his plan. He discusses TBS, TNT, CNN, Cartoon Network, Turner Classic Movies, selling to Time Warner, selling to AOL. He talks candidly about the struggles he encountered as his company grew and then as he combined with Time Warner and AOL. Ted also takes time to discuss his successful sailing career which led to winning the America's Cup and owning the Atlanta Braves and seeing them win a World Series but most of the book is about his media companies. Ted talks about his private life and his rocky personal life with his father and how his marriages failed. He discusses how his failed marriages, busy work life and rough upbringing affected him.

I very rarely give 5 star reviews but this book is worthy of 5 stars. It's interesting. It's engaging. It's entertaining. It has all the qualities of the kind of epic miniseries Ted was seeking to put on one of his networks.
4236525
Carl Yastrzemski has always fascinated me.  I was in awe of him as a child, astounded by him as a young man.  This is the third autobiography I have read of his, and I wasn't the least bit disappointed.  Great work, Yaz - for I'll always salute you.  AND as a bonus, there is a disc.  Some clips I had never seen which included clips from both the 67 & the 70 allstar game!
45448
Ted has done an awesome job of describing life aboard an FBM submarine.  As one who served onboard the Henry Clay, I was reminded by Ted of the times aboard and the "fun" we had, being young and invincible.  A must read for anyone who spent time on the FBM's