I recently discovered (upon reading Syrup by Maxx Barry) that a unique writing style can do wonders for a book. This book was defintely unique, with the story being told through letters, notes, interviews, programs, and various correspondence between the characters of the story. I really enjoyed that aspect of it, but I also quickly realized that this book was more than just a novelty.

About a third of the way through the book, I formed a pretty strong impression of what I thought was going to happen at the end, but instead of that making me less interested, it made me more interested. I kept reading until I was finished to see if my impression was right. I didn't know if I wanted to be or not.

Along with the unique perspective, this book provides a compelling story about growing up when it must have been a very difficult time to grow up. It really made me appreciate my relatively easy childhood of the 70's and 80's. It also shows, however, that even in such a difficult time with so many bad things going on in the world, there are good things too. And if you work hard enough to achieve your goals, then anything is possible.

I really enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to anyone.

Last Days of Summer is one you could finish soon because you don't put it down (sorry about that cliche). The author Steve Kluger's writing can take you back to the 1930's New York.
The story involves a young Jewish kid named Joey who lives in New York during the 1930's and on. He's a streetsmart kid who's precocious and smart-talking. The first part is hilarious as he warns the president about Hitler's plan to invade various countries, but of course he's disbelieved. Joey is a very likable kid, he's got a dirty mind sometimes, especially how he treats his school crush, though eventually he's sweet to her. His best friends a Japanese-American boy whom he plays games with. Joey is a baseball nut, loves to play,watch,talk about it. His favorite player's a young star named Charles Banks, also a smart-talking New Yorker. Though they first flame each other in the mail, they eventually become good friends. The second half of the book is much more emotional. Charles is drafted into the war, Joey's Japanese friend is interned, and Joey is generally forced to grow up. Though the end is predicable, it is nonetheless sad, and touching.

The book is written in a series of letters and other written materials, making the format an intriguing read. The book is generally a humorous one, until the end, though it still maintains that charm. Recommended to Jews/non-Jews alike.

This is one of the best books I've read in years.

The format is *fresh*, with letters, telegrams, notes, transcripts, and the like. I could not put it down. I usually read Mary Higgins Clark, and various popular novelists; yet this one jumped out at me, and it was worth every penny.

This novel isn't mainly about baseball; it's about a boy and his hero. There were some surprising twists and turns, with each of the main 2 characters trying to outwit the other, yet all they do is love each other more.

Not only do you get to know Charlie and Joey, you get to know their friends and family as well, even though the majority of it is written from Charlie's and Joey's points of view. This helped me to love this story.

I did not laugh out loud, as the cover suggested. However, I was touched by the poignancy of the story. It was very believeable, and harkens back to the days where you could believe that a 3rd baseman for the NY Giants baseball team WOULD write a kid back.

I came to care about the characters in this book, and that is no easy task. I did cry, of course, due to being so touched by certain parts of it.

I would recommend this book to men, women, teenagers, anyone. There is some foul language, but in the context that it would fit. Enjoy!!!

David James Duncan is a Montana writer. I arrived at THE BROTHERS K after first reading his RIVER WHY (1988) and MY STORY AS TOLD BY WATER (2001). "I only know that the one thing, perhaps the only thing we can always be certain of," one of Duncan's unforgettable characters observes in THE BROTHERS K, "is that our lives will turn out very differently, and much more darkly, than most of us ever dream as children" (p. 214). Grandawma's insight maps the course of Duncan's poignant novel, which is perhaps similar to Dostoevsky's 1880 Russian classic only in its epic length (645 pages), and in its larger themes of war and peace, crime and punishment, and love, family and death that run through it. Okay, and there's also a goat named "Chekov."

Set mostly in Camas, Washington, Duncan's poignant novel follows the memorable Chance family through three decades, the 1950s through the 1970s, and around the world to Vietnam, Canada, and India. Along the way, the Chance siblings (four precocious brothers and their twin sisters) establish their independence from their parents, Papa Hugh, a talented bush-league pitcher with a toe for a thumb, and Mama Laura, a devout Adventist with a painful secret in her past. Through Kincaid Chance's narrative, we also follow the lives of his brothers, Everett, a draft dodger, Peter, "a scholar monk" (p. 414), and Irwin, a gentle, Christian foot soldier. At one point in the novel, Kincaid finds his family rallying together, "headed for an insane asylum in California. We looked more as if we'd escaped from one. But in the pouring gray rain, I felt clarity. With the war still raging, I felt at peace. With Papa in despair, Everett in prison and Irwin in the asylum, I felt release. I didn't understand my feelings, didn't even desire them, really, but they kept filling me so full that my eyes began to well" (p. 564). THE BROTHERS K is a novel about crash landing in a good place (p. 398), and a novel you won't soon forget.

G. Merritt

THIS BOOK IS TRULY AMAZING! Not knowing anything about baseball, the 60's, organized religion, or having a large family, i found I could relate to every character in an infinite number of ways! Duncan's writing is fabulous and the characters are wonderful, the story is epic, and the book with its 700 pages was far too short in my mind! I wish every book was as joyful, bitter, heartwrenching and funny as this one. EVERYONE SHOULD READ IT! The world would be a better place.

Sigh. Who has time for the epics anymore? Not a college student, it would seem. "Read?" most scoff. "I haven't got time, what with my busy schedule, for a short story, let alone a big book that reaches nearly 700 pages in length."

Still, somewhere out there is the rare reader who likes the challenge an epic presents, loves to get lost in fascinating, multi-layered characterizations and plots that expand over decades.

For those readers, there is David James Duncan's 1992 offering, "The Brothers K." It excels on all those fronts I just mentioned, and on several more.

But when a friend recently handed it over to me, suggesting that I take a look, I too balked at its size:

"Look at it! Are you trying to kill any semblance of a social life I may have? This thing is mammoth and unwieldy!"

But my friend was persistent and so I went home and took a look. And soon became lost in the words, the story, the characters.

"Brothers K" is about the Chance family. Father Hugh is a mill worker who used to be the most promising baseball player around, until an accident at the mill cost him his dream. Mother Laura clings obsessively to her Adventist religion, since it once protected her from the darkest hour of her past.

Together, they have four boys and two twin girls. Everett is the oldest, a charming, witty rogue who doesn't share Laura's faith. Peter is next, and is a fellow cynic. Irwin is the large and innocent third child. Kincaid is a blank slate, who serves as the readers' eyes in the guise of the book's narrator.

The twin girls, Bet and Freddy, come later and more or less fulfill the role of younger sisters to the four brothers and little else, although they have a heartbreaking scene involving their grandmother's death that paves the way for the story to come full circle later.

Those are the characters. There is a plot, but Duncan takes it so lackadaisically and slow across the sands of time that in essence it can all be summed up in one word: Lifetime. For this is very much the saga of the Chance family, and all of their adventures therein.

We literally see the Chance boys grow up before our very eyes, watch as their characters age and grow, or regress, experience life and flirt with death.

Around halfway through the book, the four brothers (the "K" is an allusion to "The Brothers Karamazov," by Fyodor Dostoyevsky) each go off in search of their own way; Everett becomes a draft-dodger, Peter a philosopher, Kincaid a hippie, and Irwin goes to fight in Vietnam.

There is no rush on Duncan's part to tell the story, and so there can be no rush from the reader to finish it.

For this is a book in which the getting there is very much the draw, and readers are rewarded their patience by Duncan's sense of humor, sometimes gentle, other times abrasive, many times subtle and always hilarious.

But if you're the sort who seeks immediate gratification and "lite" escape from your reading, "Brothers K" is told in a series of broken up chapters and chapters-within-chapters, making it easier to simply pick it up, read a section or two and then return to whatever else you were doing.

If you can, that is. It's a hypnotic, intoxicating read, which will make putting the book down difficult.

And when you finally do finish, if you're like me, you will be so moved from the whole experience you will have to leave the room and walk the book off. It's that good.

Upon returning to your room, of course, there will be the brand-new temptation to pick it up and start all over again.

I recently became aware of the many historical fiction books by Ann Rinaldi and was looking at the recommendations on Amazon to choose one to read. I clicked on 'Time Enough for Drums' and knew I just had to read it when I saw all of its rave reviews! Well, here's another one:

Jemima Emerson is a free-spirited, strong-willed girl of fifteen when talk of the Revolutionary War reaches her hometown of Trenton, New Jersey. Jem is a Patriot and is strongly against the British and their king, George III. She is also strongly against her private tutor, John Reid, who is a devoted Tory and is intent on keeping Jem under control and sculpting her into a young lady (The very last thing on Jem's mind!). As the war begins to take shape, Jem's older brother joins Washington's army, her younger brother wants to with all his heart, her mother sews for the soldiers and writes essays promoting the Cause, and her father, a merchant, refuses to stock British imports in his store.

The American Revolution is very much a part of the Emerson family's lives, but Jem is tired of spending long hours each day with her tutor when she could be riding her horse, visiting her grandfather, or helping the Cause. Lessons become more intense after John Reid is put in a position where he almost has to admit defeat and failure in keeping Jem under control and educating her.

One day Jem discovers a huge secret about John that puts his life in peril and forces him to trust her. The secret gives Jem newfound respect for him and causes her to view him in a different way. Eventually this respect turns into admiration and then into love, which is mutual between Jem and John.

When the war comes directly to Trenton, John Reid and Jem's younger brother leave to take part in the fight for independence. With the British occupying their town, Jem finds herself being faced with hard choices and forced to grow from girl to woman in a matter of several days. Through it all Jem remains true to herself and learns many valuable lessons about life and war. She has seen many awful for things for someone so young, but she has managed to learn something from each experience. At the war's end Jem emerges as a wise and spirited young woman with bright plans for the future and a new approach to life.

'Time Enough for Drums' was a wonderful book and definitely one of the best I have read. I loved Jemima's strong and willful character and the book's historical setting. Historical details were beautifully woven into a captivating plot that made me feel connected to the characters and the time. I know this is a book I will read over and over again, one that has found a special place in my heart.

I've always loved Ann Rinadli's books, but found most of them quite depressing. Her "Quilt Trilogy" was a real downer, and "The Secret of Sarah Revere" never seemed to stop making it's characters miserable. Miserable or not, however, there was one strong point that kept me reading - well-developed, interesting characters and plots that equal no other. Nowhere else, truly, have I ever read stories as intriguing and exciting as the novels of Rinaldi. It was this that drew me to this book.

Unlike her other works, this book is actually quite a happy one in places. Although the subject (the Revolution) isn't exatly joyful, Rinaldi writes it so well that you can't help but be interested even when it gets sad. Not sad enough to turn me off, though!

The plot is far from simple: Jem is a teenage girl at the brink of the Revolution, caught up in her family's ideals and aspirations of freedom and independence. Jem's free-spiritedness often gets in the way of her being a true adult, something she longs for even when acting juvenille. (It is this, the flaws Rinaldi gives to her characters, that make it that much more interesting). Although educated and good-looking, Jem's tutor John Reid (a former lover of her silly and shallow older sister) is a constant thorn in her side. Not only is he super-conservative, he's also a Tory - a person loyal to Britain - with strong ties to England and the King. Or so she thinks! Several interesting plot twists make this book fun as well as insightful, and the romances are so down-played and work so well into the story that the book seems more and more like historical fiction of the best kind and less like the common historical teen romance you most often see today.

A keeper!

I LOVED this book. It was full of rich detail and exciting scenes that I will always remember. Full of romance, excitement, suspense, and sadness, this is the best book that I have ever read. After reading one of Ann Rinaldi's other books, I discovered that I liked her writing style and I sought out another book by her. I found this book with the help of other amazon.com reviewers. Well, her goes another of these rave reviews:

Jemima Emerson is a strong-willed, opinoinated young lady that has been born into the time of war. The American revolution is flairing and has reached her town. The war takes many men special to here who wish to fight for their Cause. Among them are Jemima's loved brother and an extremely close childhood friend. But Jemima has not yet discovered that war has grasp of another man in her life--her strict and "mean" private tutor, John Reid. Jem constantly provokes her tutor and doesn't take responsibility for her lessons. When one day, once again, she disobeys the supposed tory her life changes. She is forced to see more of John Reid. He smoothly shapes her into a young lady, whom he has grown to love. She soon shares his feelings and Jem and John soon experience the difficulty of war. He is called away and she faces many hardships in her own family. Both of their lives change together and forever.

This book tells the story of a girl who is forced to grow up. She lived during the time of the Civil War. This story takes place in Richmond, Virginia. Susan is fourteen years old and thinks the war is very far away. She doesn't think it is going to effect her until the day her father is needed to work on a ship hundreds of miles away. Susan feels useless and alone. She has just met her long lost brother Lucien, who is the subject of town gossip because he isn't away fighting. Susan is left alone in her mansion with her angry mother and their beloved housekeeper, Rhody. Susan tries to find a way to help in the war effort but from her conversations with her brother she is unsure which side she supports. ... Susan must decide if she can perform a final act of courage that will show everyone what side she is on. At this point, she realizes she miust decide if she can do something that mayhurt her loved ones but that she believes is right.
I loved this book. Normally historical fiction books bore me beacuse they take place so long ago. But I could really understand why Susan felt the way she did. Her confusion with where she belonged really made sense to me. She is so much like girls today because she is confused about boys and also self-concious. This book made me want to keep reading and left me wanting more as it ended.

This book is about a girl named Susan Dobson Chilmark, and her mother is abusive. Her dad can't win an argument with her mom and she has a long lost brother that is then discovered later in the book. She and her best friend weren't allowed to be friends anymore. Her family had a reputation of being troubled and very crazy.
To win back a good reputation, she volunteers to collect silk dresses for the making of a balloon.With the help of her brother she was able to collect dresses. It was very interesting how and where she gets her dresses. That is for you to read.
The better thing is that this is also a love story. How did Ann manage to throw in a love story in the middle of the chaos of the life of Susan Dobson Chilmark? It is remarkable, and the ending to it is the most triumphant, sweetest ending I could ever read. This is a very exciting story, and I could never put it down until I finished!

This is one of my all-time favorite books. The story of Susan Chilmark. Susan goes through many changes in this book she meets her brother for the first time he has been estranged from the family since she was a baby. Her mother is known as the town nutcase she has many problems that Susan can not deal with. With her father away at war how can she handle her mother? But Susan does all that she can to help the cause for the confederacy. She goes around with her friend Connie and collects silk dresses for a ballon to spy on the yankees. But it seems that this ballon is tearing Susan apart. Susan has had many new and exciting experiences with her brother Lucien she has met a yankee and a new friend. To find out more read this book. I recomend it to anyone and everyone. It is my favorite of Ann Rinaldi's books! Enjoy it

Camryn Manheim is that rare celebrity who isn't afraid to speak her mind, who isn't afraid to be who she is. After reading this book, I found that I was inspired by the blood, sweat and tears it took for this actress to get where she is today. She's living proof that if you put your mind to something, you can accomplish it. Never say never.

Anyone can relate to this book, too. It's not just for people who've struggled with weight problems. It's for anyone who's ever been told 'no,' when deep down inside, they knew the answer was 'yes.'

And hey, don't let the title fool you. This is not a diet book! In fact, it's so rich with anecdotes -- happy and sad, triumphs and failures -- you'll want to devour it immediately. If you're like me, you'll read it once, then read it again.

"When I read Camyrn Manheim's "WAKE UP, I'M FAT!" I'll admit it...I cried. Cried tears of laughter more times than I could count at her toally honest, totally in touch 'coloring out of the lines' approach to life. I was 'reduced' (a favorite word we share!) to tears, too, at the all too real aspects of being...yes, I, too, can say it..."FAT"...in the glitzy, glittery, decidedly thin world of show business. The particular thin pocket of hell I chose as a career path was the

music industry--twin sibling to the author's vantage point in the theater/acting community of the business. To say I relived a lot of experiences (and laughs!) through these pages would be putting it mildly. Some quick jottings on this wonderful read: 1. Camryn Manheim should be declared emotional "Heavyweight Champion" of the world for her insights. 2. The creators of "Xena" should be paying this woman a royalty. Here's a real "warrior princess"...and a Jewish one at that! 3. Lastly, I was struck was a pang of regret that this feisty fellow human has been on earth for 38 years and I've never gotten to count her as a personal friend. My life would have been obviously richer for having done so... Fat, thin, of "mid-size", when you read this you'll realize that Camyrn is more than a tremendously gifted actress, or another showbusiness "talking head." She's a wonderfully honest, refreshing spirit with enough wit, wisdom, grit, and will power to teach people of every size a thing or two about acceptance--of ourselves and each other. Bravo Camryn!

When Camryn Manheim stood on the stage at this year's Emmy Awards, holding her Emmy overhead and shouting, "This one's for all the fat girls!" I cheered and cried. I received the book yesterday, and just finished it. I believe this book is for everyone, because *everyone* has had something in their life that was preventing them from realizing their dreams. Fat people don't have a lock on being afraid to live their lives "until". Camryn's book is a great read. It's entertaining, funny, and at times, very sad -- but ultimately, it's a success story. Against all odds, in spite of people who actively discouraged her, she's living her dreams, and helping others to live their dreams as well. To loosely quote Camryn, "If you're standing at the corner of "Life" and "You Better Get Going", step off the curb and don't look back." What are you *waiting* for?

Donny Osmond was my first teen idol, when I was a mere 13 year old over 23 years ago. I stayed in touched with his career off and on since then. This book really opened my eyes to the real Donny. I laughed and cried reading this book. I couldn't put it down. It took me 2 days to read it. Sadly, I somewhat neglected my poor husband and children.They knew I was so engrossed in the book. But they understood.. ;-) I'm planning to read it again. IT"S SO GREAT!! I LOVED IT!!! If you are a fan of his or any of the Osmonds, this is a MUST READ. Even if you aren't a fan, I'm sure you will enjoy this revelating and touching autobiography. THANK YOU DONNY!!!

...While I will probably never be a fan of the music I really enjoyed the book. I think there are some important lessons here regarding raising children in the entertainment industry. Lesson #1 - Don't do it! Frankly I am a bit surprised that he did not end up another casualty of child celebrity or head into dark places like his friend Michael Jackson. I was most impressed with Osmond's honesty and candor. His handling of his devastating career collapse as well as his social phobia really make for good reading. Somehow I suspect we haven't seen the end of Donny Osmond. Even if you run screaming whenever "Puppy Soldier of Love" comes on you may still enjoy the book. I certainly did.

TO THIS DAY, I GET RIDICULED AND LAUGHED AT FOR BEING A DIE-HARD DONNY OSMOND FAN FOR FOR 29 YEARS. PEOPLE TREAT YOU LIKE AN OUTCAST JUST FOR LIKING DONNY. MY FEELINGS FOR HIM HAVEN'T CHANGED SINCE I WAS 7 YEARS OLD. HE IS THE MOST TALENTED AND NICEST INDIVIDUAL YOU CAN EVER MEET. THIS BOOK SHOWS YOU HIS MOST SENSITIVE AND VULNERABLE SIDE AND TRULY MAKES YOU FEEL FOR HIM. I NEVER WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT SOMEONE WHO HAD SO MUCH AS HE DID, COULD BE IN SO MUCH PAIN. TRULY A MUST READ FOR NOT ONLY OSMOND FANS, BUT EVERYONE. I BELIEVE THAT IF YOU ARE NOT A DONNY OSMOND FAN, YOUR FEELINGS WILL CHANGE DRASTICALLY ABOUT HIM AFTER READING THIS BOOK.

Don't even consider self-publishing without first reading The Self-Publishing Manual by Dan Poynter. His book will save you time and prevent you from making costly mistakes. Dan not only leads the industry, but is two steps ahead of it. I have been producing and marketing books since 1985 and Dan Poynter's advice gave me the foundation from which I built my business. He has been and continues to be very generous with sharing the secrets to his success. This 12th edition of The Self-Publishing Manual keeps you current and walks you through each step. Do you have questions about printing on demand? Not sure how to approach e-books? Dan has the answers. He continues to tell us where to look, who to contact, and how to maintain the image we strive for as small press publishers. This edition is filled with a gold mine of information - each page offers nuggets of publishing advice. This is the best investment you'll ever make as you enter or continue your world of self-publishing.

Linda F. Radke Author of Linda Radke's Promote Like a Pro: Small Budget, Big Show

Dan Poynter is an entrepreneur who discovered publishing when he spent eight years writing a book about parachutes and realized he probably wouldn't find a publisher. He wrote a book in 1973 about hang gliding, which became a best seller, and he was hooked. To date he has published over 80 books and revisions which have been translated into many languages. He has written a book on what he calls "the new publishing model."

Anyone who is even remotely involved in the publishing world knows that new authors don't stand much of a chance with publishers. The lucky few who do succeed wait a long time for their books to be published and often lose control of any profits. Mr. Poynter correctly points to eight main reasons why someone would want to publish their own book:

1. To make more money,
2. Speed
3. To keep control of your book
4. No one will read your manuscript
5. Self-publishing is good business
6. Self-publishing will help you think like a publisher
7. You will gain self-confidence and self-esteem
8. Finally, you may have no other choice."

The Self-Publishing Manual (How to Write, Print and Sell Your Own Book) is a bible on how to write, start your own publishing company, produce your book, advertise your book, decide what to charge, promote your book, and how to find your audience and get it sold. Mr. Poynter is a very concise and efficient writer who knows how to get his point across with his audience's pocketbook in mind. He explains the pitfalls of the publishing business and how to get the most bang for your buck. He does a great job of explaining the distribution end of the business...something very few people other than librarians and book distributors understand.

In short, Mr. Poynter knows his stuff and can offer some very good advice to all the fledgling authors out in book land. He even thoughtfully includes a chapter entitled "Coping with Being Published," which will help the new author transition from private to public life and what that entails. He includes a book calendar to help the author stay focused and organized during the process, and ends with a very useful appendix and glossary of publishing terms. This is an invaluable book for anyone with enough courage to make the foray into publishing. Mr. Poynter deserves a hearty thank you and congratulations from his grateful disciples.

Shelley Glodowski
Reviewer

Publishing can be a tough business, but with the advice of Dan Poynter you can make your book a profitable reality. 'The Self-Publishing Manual' includes great nuts-and-bolts advice and lots of helpful resources for getting your book written, produced and distributed.

The templates and forms Dan includes are useful, for everything from permissions requests to requests for print bids to discount schedules. Even if all you use are the lists of publishing web sites, printers, distributors, reviewers, etc., you will more than get your money's worth from this book.

Dan's information helped me produce a quality book on a tight timeframe. Not only did I get the book done quickly, it was profitable within one month after release.

I teach a course on publishing, and 'The Self-Publishing Manual' is the text I use. If you want to learn about publishing, this is the place to start.

This book is a nice read if you don't mind the inaccurate stories of Kurt Cobain and the musical group Nirvana. It seems Kurt told the author - Michael Azerrad - lots of bogus stories (which Kurt was known to do with the press) and Mr. Azerrad swallowed the tales hook, line, and sinker.

I blame the writer since many of the inaccuracies could have easily been determined to be truth or a lie by simply going to the court house and looking up past records involving Kurt Cobain, or checking with a few 'witnesses', but it seems Mr. Azerrad just wrote whatever Kurt told him and so it's hard to really enjoy this book since it is chock full of lies and fables.

If you wish to read a more accurate portrayal of Kurt Cobain, I would suggest Heavier Than Heaven. It too contains some inaccuracies (the author writes that Dave Grohl was shirtless during his performance of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' on Saturday Night Live, which if the author actually took the time to view the performance could easily see this wasn't true). Of course these types of inaccuracies are cosmetic; whereas, Come As You Are is just a fictional tale with hints of truth sporadically thrown in.

I read this book for school. I found this ...old highlighted version of the book so I started to read it, and I was immediately hooked on it. I couldn't put the book down. I later received this book for my birthday. However, the book is more of Kurt's life, but gave excellent facts of the whole band and how it originated. It told of how Kurt battled drug addiction, and how the press hounded Courtney and the unwanted fame Nirvana had. The book is very well detailed, and the book seems like Kurt was actually telling you his life story. Several people that hardly knew who Nirvana was demanded to read the book as soon as I was finished with it. So of course I highly recommend it!

I went out and bought this book hoping to find out some information on NIRVANA/Kurt Cobain, needless to say that's just what I found when I read Come As You Are:The Story Of Nirvana. This book is one of the most interesting books on NIRVANA I've ever read, I recomend this book to ALL NIRVANA FANS or to anyone interested in Kurt.
This book starts off by telling you about Kurt's life as a child and then how he formed the band, and about being on tour and everything in between. This book tells a lot of stories about NIRVANA and Kurt, and there is a huge amount of actual conversation between Kurt, Krist, and Dave. This book really made me feel like I was actually there, the book is so well-written that you can get a really clear image of what is going on. Not to mention there are a ton of pictures in this book, I would say this is one of the best NIRVANA books I've ever read. A must have for anyone who likes NIRVANA or Kurt.

As I read this book, the thing that kept running through my mind was how much research the author had to do. That is the difference between this book and other biographies, especially when you think that the two best sources of information - Vince and wife Marie - have long since passed away. I commend him for his efforts as not just a writer, but as a researcher. I will say this though, there are volumes and volumes of information about the Packers and Lombardi, making the writer's job not easier, but less time-consuming because of the availability of all the information out there.

As for the writing, I loved the way he blended Lombardi's day-to-day life with the football seasons. Just when you thought he was going to give you some boring play-by-play, he took you in another direction, describing Lombardi's relationship with a player, an assistant coach, a business leader, even his secretary, and he did so in a thorough and fascinating manner. He then took you back on the field for the play-by-play, and as a reader you felt like you never left.

You don't have to be a sports lover to love this book, because to me it's not really a sport book. Instead, it is a journey into the psyche of a man who was driven to succeed in everything he did. Chapters on his personal appearances, business ventures and other interests were nearly as interesting as the tales of his obsession with football. Lombardi was truly driven to be the best at everything he did.

The title of this book says volumes because to Lombardi pride did matter. Everything he did - except perhaps his relationship with his immediate family - he did with the intent of showing others that quality mattered to him.

I loved the book and despite his many shortcomings, I love Lombardi.

I too started the book as a football fan, and ended the book as a fan of the man and his principles. From childhood, through minimal success on the field, then to enormous success as a leader in America in the 1960s. You get a sense of the true values and character of not just Vince Lombardi, but America during a time of national change. I was only 10 years old when he died, but the stories of the Lombardi Packers are still cherished in the midwest today. But that misses the point. How a man can lead every team he touched to the top is studied and presented and you can almost see into his mind. It was sad to see the family suffer through years of anguish, mixed with with pride, love, and loyalty. The author's style and storytelling were excellent.

The historical underpinings from the immigrant Italian family living in Brooklyn, cutting through WWII, stopping at West Point and continuing to Green Bay, Wisconsin is nothing short of a historical education of America in the 20th Century. Vince Lombardi's range of experiences through his involvement in the sport of football constructs a timeline of how rapidly the world has changed in the last 100 years. Maraniss delves into the life of Lombardi to discover what made him the legend he is in the society of sports people. Lombardi's strength of character sprang from his upbringing. Maraniss does such a fine job of detailing Lombardi's childhood that you can see where the strong influences of church and family guided his sense of duty and passion in life. The reader will be providing herself or himself an outstanding education of a facet of society that covers more than just the renaissance man named Vince Lombardi. Anyone who enjoys biographies MUST read When Pride Still Mattered.

Black Like Me is a powerful, startling book that shows the severity of the discrimination that the Blacks went through living in America in 1959. John Howard Griffin, the narrator and author, who goes through multiple procedures to become a Black man, writes the book in a form of his diary entries as he lives like a Black man-oppressed and categorized.
To me, this book is more than it seems. Although short, it delivers messages that are deep and inspiring. As I read, I realized the extent of the prejudices were much more severe than what I have been taught. Griffin's writing is emotional and thought provoking. He tells you what he is seeing and what he is feeling so fluently and detailed that you forget you're reading a book and you feel as if someone is reciting a poem or maybe just speaking to you.
Black Like Me is a book that should be read by all not only for the controversy, but for the historical value it possesses.

Black Like Me was not written in the interests so much as to move and startle the reader as it was to inform him; yet it has accomplished both. I know it has touched millions, and the common feeling of these readers, including me, is that this story needed to be told. I believe it didn't need to be shared just with the people of that time, to help them understand, to begin closing the gap between races. I feel it was meant to be shared with those who have come later, and those who have yet to arrive. It is often said that if one doesn't learn from history, it is doomed to repeat itself, and this book will be needed to remind generations far beyond of the tragedies of that time, and how never to let them happen again. John Griffin wrote Black Like Me in working for the dream of black and white equality, in the hopes of getting the truth to people everywhere. He needed to uncover the real story behind racism in the South for himself, but with his quest came persecution and hatred of another kind; anger directed towards him and his ideas and truths, not senseless anger like the racism he encountered in his travels. I admire and enormously commend Griffin for taking such a great task on himself, in spite of the fires he knew he would spark with his enlightenment.

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09/07/02
Core 8
Book Review
Black Like Me
Book Review

For my summer assignment, I read the novel Black Like Me by John Griffin. It is an autobiography about a white man who explores The Deep South as a black man by changing the pigment of his skin. This is a terrific book and I strongly recommend it.
Mr. Griffin's purpose is to find out how African American's are treated compared to Caucasian American's. To achieve this, Mr. Griffin travels to The Deep South. He finds himself in the middle of two cultures who accept or reject him merely because the color of his skin. He finds the discrimination gets worse as he travels farther South.
The book takes place in the late 50's and early 60's. It is set mainly in New Orleans and The Deep South. The mood of the book is depressing and poignant.
I think Mr. Griffin proved his point by telling America and the rest of the world how badly black people in society were treated. His writing is fairly easy to read with a few difficult words. I would have liked the book more if Mr. Griffin was not so verbose. Overall, the novel is very moving and John Griffin vindicates himself. I would recommend this novel because it tells a lot of history and Mr. Griffin speaks very eloquently and from his heart.
The novel taught me some history along with how African American's were restrained from having a normal life.