Clear understandable prose with real life stories
931527
Jennifers updated The Introverted Leader is a pleasure to read.  As a communication skills trainer who facilitates workshops to create understanding between extroverts and introverts in the work place, I see how her book could be such a helpful guide.  She has strong respect for introverts, and this is communicated on every page of her book.  More than that, she cites excellent and timely examples of introvert power from current leaders.  And she offers very practical and helpful steps that introverts can use to enhance their communications skills and let the world know how much they have to offer.  The book is written in clear, understandable prose with many real life stories, and that makes all the more it more enjoyable.
3970497
Clear, lucid prose used to tell an important story and outline ways to combat it. I work as a diversity practitioner, and this book helped me understand white people much better. I will recommend it to everyone who is looking for a text on white privilege.
3509641
This is a marvelous, cohesive, collection of short stories which take place in the middle east.  The lives of the author's characters, both working expats and locals,  explores the depth and differences in this culture with humor, sweetness and seriousness.  I read this book at a leisurely pace because there is so much going on in each story I wanted to really just enjoy the excellent writing and insights of the author led me to discover.  This is a wonderful book.
393470
The smooth prose of the first story made reading feel like swimming or flying as in a dreamscape. A sharp eye and a gentle heart suffuse all her stories. Each is a story in its own right but they all add up to a patchwork world finely crafted. The metaphor of accidental birds gives the stories a unity and coherence. The last story is not as finely crafted as as the others in hte collection, but nonetheless makes excellent reading.
1573143
Loved the beautiful prose.  Cole has a way of taking a simple pure moment and using it as an anchor for understanding a rich array of thoughts, cultural attitudes, and historical changes.
1777910
I like his way of approaching life's lessons and takeaways. No preaching, just real stories that are so relatable and educational. Thank you Alan.
2780168
A poigniant first-person memoire of life in the mining camps at the turn of the 20th Century.  Excellent prose.  Very clear, descriptive, and engrossing writing.  The theme is a surprising brush with the notable politically, socially, and historically famous folks in a most unexpected place:  an isolated, mostly poverty ridden mining camp at very high elevation in one of the richest gold mining areas.  The author's father played an important role in the exploration and development of the gold and silver discoveries there.  Chronicles her childhood and flowering as a woman of distinction who knew tradgedy and trauma, yet grew into a very wholesome adult.
54120
Ms. Hardin writes with perceptiveness and insight. You have to live life and observe the lives of others to write so plainly. One of the reasons I like this book and why I separate it from other self-help genre. She gets clear and real with the reader. To get out of the rut of worry and what ifs, and move forward. It is an effective read at any age which is another quality I enjoyed. It is multigenerational. I will not only read it for future reference, but give this books to others. We all get stuck in certain points of our lives.
3328477
What I like most about this book are the stories and actual experiences shared that we can definitely learn from.
709345
Helpful description of real life complexities
2655593
These vivid and clearly personal stories not only powerfully portray realities of family life and frontier work in the early/middle portion of the last century, but they often land upon real philosophical and practical struggles that are common today.  For example, "A River Runs Through It" is essentially the authors' wrestling with what it means to help someone who doesn't want to be helped.  The brother who needs help but doesn't want it, and the father who wonders how best to help, and the protagonist who tries to help in what little ways that he can tell a story which repeats itself in family after family across the globe.  Some of the stories contain sexual themes which is somewhat unfortunate.  Overall, however, the stories are timeless in a sense and deserve to be read and discussed.
879644
This is one of the better books that include mysterious events, creatures and other unusual happenings, this time in Canada. I enjoyed all of the stories in this book. One of the reasons I did enjoy this book so much was that the author gave well researched background on the tales told. I had read a few stories mentioned in this book in other compilations, but the human elements really made the difference. The author really gives the essence of the people he wrote about. All too often some authors just give the basics, tell the tale and move on. Not so in this book. There is enough information to really bring the events alive, entertaining prose to keep you interested and many photos, illustrations and records to enhance the tales. I love author Marlowe's writing style, smooth prose that is easy to read and very entertaining. I highly recommend this book and look forward to reading more of his work. If you enjoy mysteries and unusual tales, this is a must read book!
861482
Some of the finest prose I've ever read.  The stories present a mosaic of the personal and social experiences of soldiers.  The social observations are sharp, precise, and driving in their emotional power.  The subjectivity of the characters is psychologically rich without being clinical or intellectualized, the descriptions of combat are martial and chilling and detailed without being gratuitous or glamorized.  Above all else the humanity of the subjects comes through like a flare burning brightly against the dark.
3908922
The stories are of real and relatable human beings---flaws and all!  This was an easy and very enjoyable read.  Very worth while.
712421
I loved this book. The authors writing style is free and easy and many times complicit too - there were so many stories from her personal life that I could relate to. Also I found she explained all Things metaphysical in a really clear and insightful way. Ill be giving this to friends and family for christmas!
378167
Writing Memoir: The Practical Guide to Writing and Publishing the Story of Your Life by Jerry Payne is more than a how-to book on crafting an autobiography. It is an interesting read on the process of self-reflection necessary to write a truly meaningful account of ones own narrative. It is witty  full of enlightening anecdotes and personal experience that Mr. Payne has gathered during his long and varied writing career. It is obvious that Payne has written or edited many memoirs for others.

A reader of a book on writing should expect that it be well-written. And Writing Memoir is that. It reads like a story rather than an instruction guide. Paynes style is a testament to a mastery of his craft.  The reader easily relates to the very personal conditions involved with recounting ones own life through the looking glass. In some ways, I found Writing Memoir motivating and strangely therapeutic. The book could easily be used for a text in advanced writing classes for more than just memoir writing.

Thumbs up!
214539
Sad at times, heart-warming, simple and complex at the same time - this book feels real, the stories (everyday stories, told in beautiful prose), the details and the characters are familiar yet unique, very easy to relate to, the writing is so good this was a real pleasure to read, I highly recommend (and I am not a big short-story fan myself).