Being George Washington: The Indispensable Man, as You've Never Seen Him by Glenn Beck/Review

by Glenn Beck

This is the amazing true story of a real-life superhero who wore no cape and possessed no special powers—yet changed the world forever. It’s a story about a man whose life reads as if it were torn from the pages of an action novel: Bullet holes through his clothing. Horses shot out from under him. Unimaginable hardship. Disease. Heroism. Spies and double-agents. And, of course, the unmistakable hand of Divine Providence that guided it all.

Being George Washington is a whole new way to look at history. You won’t simply read about the awful winter spent at Valley Forge—you’ll live it right alongside Washington. You’ll be on the boat with him crossing the Delaware, in the trenches with him at Yorktown, and standing next to him at the Constitutional Convention as a new republic is finally born.

Through these stories you’ll not only learn our real history (and how it applies to today), you’ll also see how the media and others have distorted our view of it. It’s ironic that the best-known fact about George Washington—that he chopped down a cherry tree—is a complete lie. It’s even more ironic when you consider that a lie was thought necessary to prove he could not tell one.
For all of his heroism and triumphs, Washington’s single greatest accomplishment was the man he created in the process: courageous and principled, fair and just, respectful to all. But he was also something else: flawed.
It’s those flaws that should give us hope for today. After all, if Washington had been perfect, then there would be no way to build another one. That’s why this book is not just about being George Washington in 1776, it’s about the struggle to be him every single day of our lives. Understanding the way he turned himself from an uneducated farmer into the Indispensable (yet imperfect) Man, is the only way to build a new generation of George Washingtons that can take on the extraordinary challenges that America is once again facing.

About the Author

Glenn Beck, the nationally syndicated radio show host, is the author of Broke, The 7, and seven #1 New York Times bestsellers: The Original Argument, An Inconvenient Book, The Christmas Sweater, Glenn Beck’s Common Sense, Arguing with Idiots, The Christmas Sweater: A Picture Book, and The Overton Window. Visit GlennBeck.com.

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Details
    Hardcover: 304 pages
    Publisher: Threshold Editions (November 22, 2011)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 1451659261
    Biographies & Memoirs
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J. Edgar (2011)/ Movie Review

Release Date: 11 November 2011 (USA) Runtime: USA: 137 min
Genres: Biography | Drama
Taglines: The Most Powerful Man in the World

Storyline
As the face of law enforcement in America for almost 50 years, J. Edgar Hoover was feared and admired, reviled and revered. But behind closed doors, he held secrets that would have destroyed his image, his career and his life.

Stars: Leonardo DiCaprio, Armie Hammer and Naomi Watts

Directed by Clint Eastwood        
Writing credits  Dustin Lance Black
Produced by Clint Eastwood    , Brian Grazer, Ron Howard & Robert Lorenz   
Original Music by Clint Eastwood        
Cinematography by Tom Stern   
   
Cast
Leonardo DiCaprio (J. Edgar Hoover)
Josh Hamilton (Robert Irwin)
Naomi Watts (Helen Gandy)
Geoff Pierson (Mitchell Palmer)
Cheryl Lawson     (Roberta Dixon Palmer)
Kaitlyn Dever (Palmer's Daughter)
Gunner Wright (Dwight Eisenhower)
David A. Cooper, (Franklin Roosevelt)
Ed Westwick (Agent Smith)
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Filming Locations: Los Angeles, California, USA
Budget: $35,000,000 (estimated)
Production Co:
Imagine Entertainment, Malpaso Productions, Wintergreen Productions
Sound Mix: SDDS  | DTS (as Datasat Digital Sound) | Dolby Digital
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WATCH MOVIE TRAILER 

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Then Again by Diane Keaton (Author)/Review

Diane Keaton (Author)

 Mom loved adages, quotes, slogans. There were always little reminders pasted on the kitchen wall. For example, the word THINK. I found THINK thumbtacked on a bulletin board in her darkroom. I saw it Scotch-taped on a pencil box she’d collaged. I even found a pamphlet titled THINK on her bedside table. Mom liked to THINK. So begins Diane Keaton’s unforgettable memoir about her mother and herself. In it you will meet the woman known to tens of millions as Annie Hall, but you will also meet, and fall in love with, her mother, the loving, complicated, always-thinking Dorothy Hall. To write about herself, Diane realized she had to write about her mother, too, and how their bond came to define both their lives. In a remarkable act of creation, Diane not only reveals herself to us, she also lets us meet in intimate detail her mother. Over the course of her life, Dorothy kept eighty-five journals—literally thousands of pages—in which she wrote about her marriage, her children, and, most probingly, herself. Dorothy also recorded memorable stories about Diane’s grandparents. Diane has sorted through these pages to paint an unflinching portrait of her mother—a woman restless with intellectual and creative energy, struggling to find an outlet for her talents—as well as her entire family, recounting a story that spans four generations and nearly a hundred years.

More than the autobiography of a legendary actress, Then Again is a book about a very American family with very American dreams. Diane will remind you of yourself, and her bonds with her family will remind you of your own relationships with those you love the most.
Diane Keaton has starred in some of the most memorable movies of the past forty years, including the Godfather trilogy, Annie Hall, Manhattan, Reds, Baby Boom, The First Wives Club, and Something’s Gotta Give. Her many awards include the Golden Globe and the Academy Award. Keaton lives with her daughter and son in Los Angeles.

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Publisher: Random House (November 15, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1400068789
ISBN-13: 978-1400068784

Genre : Biographies & Memoirs

Review

It has been a surprise to me at times and is somewhat confusing again at times. Ms. Keaton wrote her story along with her mother's own biography written as a diary or one could just say, her mother puts down her thoughts and feeling often, ending up with about 90 notebooks. In as much as Diane tears along with her story and seemingly to me she jumps right into parts of her mother's writings (it is true that her mother's story is in different type, yet if you read quickly as I do, I have to stop every once in awhile and go back as I begin to wonder what just happened.) Ah yes, Diane has changed the writer. It's not a big problem, but somewhat irksome to me. Diane told by herself is an unusual female, never seeming to be very interested in the opposite sex even a little bit and that is shown in high school where she says she is not liked and ugly and unattractive and uninterested in the opposite sex. She has a habit of constantly putting herself down, calling herself stupid, dumb, unlikeable. She claims she was terrible in school, getting only C minuses, and simply not understanding much at school at all. Yet, she goes on to remark upon her successes in many fields outside school. She may have had a learning disability and not have been stupid at all as I am sure is true. She may mention this before the end of the book; I hope so for I'm getting tired of her beating her breast claiming stupidity and yet accomplishing so much. She sounds very eccentric but in a way that makes me feel that a lot of it could be an act. 

As you can see, I'm not finding her charming, and I always before thought her a very interesting and exciting woman. You'll have to try her on yourself for I feel this book will have its lovers and then others like me who say I don't find her someone I'd want to spend any time with. Perhaps others will find Ms. Keaton's strange mix of biographies interesting and captivating. I just think her method detracts from my desire to learn more of either character. I hope others have more fun with this book than I am having, but then no one can say Ms. Keaton is boring. That last being said for the fans who will think my review is absolutely and cruelly wrong. Honestly, all I should say is read it for yourself.

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Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero by Chris Matthews /Review

“What was he like?”Jack Kennedy said the reason people read biography is to answer that basic question. With the verve of a novelist, Chris Matthews gives us just that. We see this most beloved president in the company of friends. We see and feel him close-up, having fun and giving off that restlessness of his. We watch him navigate his life from privileged, rebellious youth to gutsy American president. We witness his bravery in war and selfless rescue of his PT boat crew. We watch JFK as a young politician learning to play hardball and watch him grow into the leader who averts a nuclear war.What was he like, this person whose own wife called him “that elusive, unforgettable man”? The Jack Kennedy you discover here wanted never to be alone, never to be bored. He loved courage, hated war, lived each day as if it were his last.Chris Matthews’s extraordinary biography is based on personal interviews with those closest to JFK, oral histories by top political aide Kenneth O’Donnell and others, documents from his years as a student at Choate, and notes from Jacqueline Kennedy’s first interview after Dallas. You’ll learn the origins of his inaugural call to “Ask what you can do for your country.” You’ll discover his role in the genesis of the Peace Corps, his stand on civil rights, his push to put a man on the moon, his ban on nuclear arms testing. You’ll get, more than ever before, to the root of the man, including the unsettling aspects of his personal life. As Matthews writes, “I found a fighting prince never free of pain, never far from trouble, never accepting the world he found, never wanting to be his father’s son. He was a far greater hero than he ever wished us to know.”

    History made him, this lonely, sick boy. His mother never loved him. History made Jack, this little boy reading history.  —Jacqueline Kennedy, November 29, 1963,

Hardcover: 496 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (November 1, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1451635087
ISBN-13: 978-1451635089
Biographies & Memoirs
Review

Chris Matthews has been telling his viewers how proud he is of his fraudulent book for months. But you only need look at one thing to understand the level of his plaguristic egomania. Matthews went on Jay Leno last week and talked about how he- Chris Matthrews- had discovered and dug out a previously unknown document at Choate School that proves where JFK got the "ask not what your country can do for you line." (To prove his hero thesis, he must discount the theory that Ted Sorenson wrote all the great lines). Matthews tells the story with the enthusiasm of a discover who has found the missing link, the holy grail, he has solved a presidential mystery of the ages. Of course he could have just read the New York Times from May 10, 2005, which reported the same thing, that would be five years ago. Hard to believe Matthews mysteriously found this document, that no one else had ever seen before him. That what he claims, of course. Here is what was published in the Times, five years ago: "The provenance of the speech's most famous words, the "ask not" portion, has a less inspiring history. The words hark back at least to Kennedy's years at Choate, the Connecticut prep school, where the headmaster regularly reminded his charges that what mattered most was "not what Choate does for you, but what you can do for Choate." So much for a new revelation!

JFK may have been an "elusive hero." Matthews is nothing but a self-promoting huckster and a phony, a combinaion that he endorsed in his last silly book, the one that Jon Stewart ridiculed. Afterwards Matthews said Stewart was "jealous of me." Right.

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Catherine the Great: Portrait of a Woman by Robert K. Massie /Review

"Massie once again delivers a masterful, intimate, and tantalizing portrait of a majestic monarch."—Publishers Weekly

The Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Peter the Great, Nicholas and Alexandra, and The Romanovs returns with another masterpiece of narrative biography, the extraordinary story of an obscure young German princess who traveled to Russia at fourteen and rose to become one of the most remarkable, powerful, and captivating women in history.

Born into a minor noble family, Catherine transformed herself into Empress of Russia by sheer determination. Possessing a brilliant mind and an insatiable curiosity as a young woman, she devoured the works of Enlightenment philosophers and, when she reached the throne, attempted to use their principles to guide her rule of the vast and backward Russian empire. She knew or corresponded with the preeminent historical figures of her time: Voltaire, Diderot, Frederick the Great, Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, Marie Antoinette, and, surprisingly, the American naval hero, John Paul Jones.

Reaching the throne fired by Enlightenment philosophy and determined to become the embodiment of the “benevolent despot” idealized by Montesquieu, she found herself always contending with the deeply ingrained realities of Russian life, including serfdom. She persevered, and for thirty-four years the government, foreign policy, cultural development, and welfare of the Russian people were in her hands. She dealt with domestic rebellion, foreign wars, and the tidal wave of political change and violence churned up by the French Revolution that swept across Europe. Her reputation depended entirely on the perspective of the speaker. She was praised by Voltaire as the equal of the greatest of classical philosophers; she was condemned by her enemies, mostly foreign, as “the Messalina of the north.”

BookDetails:
Hardcover: 656 pages/Publisher: Random House (November 8, 2011)
Language: English/ISBN-10: 0679456724 & ISBN-13: 978-0679456728
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs

Review

Catherine II, Empress of all the Russians, was always known as one of the most powerful and hard working people in history. Many writers and historians have not always been sympathetic to her regarding her private life and have overlooked her achievements when ruling Russia. But, Mr. Massie has written a stellar biography of Catherine that tells the reader what an accomplished and remarkable woman she became.

Catherine was born in Stettin, in 1729. Stettin was then Germany and is now Poland. Her father was Prince Christian Augustus of Anhalt-Zerbst, a prince of a lesser-known family among the many principalities in Germany. Her mother, Princess Johanna of Holstein-Gottorp, was much younger than the Prince but was from a much higher-ranked family. She was given the name: Sophia Augusta Frederika of Anhalt-Zerbst. After Sophia was born, her mother became bored with the provincial life of Stettin, where her husband was a high ranking officer in the Prussian Army.

As Johanna was related to many noble families in Germany, she took every opportunity to travel to the courts of Zerbst, Hamburg, Brunswick, Kiel and even Berlin. Many years before this, Johanna's brother Prince Karl August of Holstein-Gottorp had gone to Russia to marry the Princess Elizabeth Petrovna, daughter of Peter the Great. Before the wedding took place, the Prince died of small pox, leaving Elizabeth heart-broken.

Elizabeth's nephew, son of her sister Anna came to St. Petersburg when his parents died at Elizabeth's behest and was named as the heir to the throne of Russia as his mother and Aunt were daughters of Peter the Great of Russia. In November of the year 1741, Princess Elizabeth seized the throne with the help of the Imperial Guards, formally declaring that her nephew Peter Ulrich of Holstein-Gottorp the heir to the throne. When she brought him to St. Petersburg she changed his name to Grand Duke Peter Fedorovich, the future Tzar Peter III. Peter was now 14 years old and it was time to look for a bride for him. Elizabeth remembered fondly the family of Karl August, whom she had been engaged to marry and invited the Princess Johanna, sister of her deceased fiance and the Princess Sophia to come to St. Petersberg to meet the heir to the throne and plan a wedding between the two young people. Sophia's name was changed to Catherine II and she went on to marry the future Peter III.

She was treated badly by Peter and looked for companionship elsewhere with young men of the court. The favorite being Gregory Potempkin by whom, it was said, she had her child Paul, who became heir to the throne. While she was Empress, she dealt with the many trials and tribulations of her country and looked after the welfare of the Russian people. She was praised by many and, as usual, condemned by some - and the author has remarked on all of her triumphs and failures. Her family, friends, enemies, lovers, etc. are all told about in abundance. Including her mother, forever making plans that made her look good, and her husband who had nothing to do with her, ignoring her most of the time.

This story is grand and glorious as are Robert Massie's previous works: (Nicholas and Alexandra and Peter the Great: His Life and World). The story is accurate, the characters very true to life, with much style and detail. For readers of history, this is a gem. A life story of an extraordinary woman

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Steve Jobs by Walter Isaacson/Book Review

Walter Isaacson (Author)

Hardcover: 656 pages
Publisher: Simon & Schuster (October 24, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1451648537
ISBN-13: 978-1451648539
Genre: Biographies, Memoirs & Business

Description
Based on more than forty interviews with Jobs conducted over two years—as well as interviews with more than a hundred family members, friends, adversaries, competitors, and colleagues—Walter Isaacson has written a riveting story of the roller-coaster life and searingly intense personality of a creative entrepreneur whose passion for perfection and ferocious drive revolutionized six industries: personal computers, animated movies, music, phones, tablet computing, and digital publishing.
At a time when America is seeking ways to sustain its innovative edge, and when societies around the world are trying to build digital-age economies, Jobs stands as the ultimate icon of inventiveness and applied imagination. He knew that the best way to create value in the twenty-first century was to connect creativity with technology. He built a company where leaps of the imagination were combined with remarkable feats of engineering. 
Although Jobs cooperated with this book, he asked for no control over what was written nor even the right to read it before it was published. He put nothing off-limits. He encouraged the people he knew to speak honestly. And Jobs speaks candidly, sometimes brutally so, about the people he worked with and competed against. His friends, foes, and colleagues provide an unvarnished view of the passions, perfectionism, obsessions, artistry, devilry, and compulsion for control that shaped his approach to business and the innovative products that resulted.
Driven by demons, Jobs could drive those around him to fury and despair. But his personality and products were interrelated, just as Apple’s hardware and software tended to be, as if part of an integrated system. His tale is instructive and cautionary, filled with lessons about innovation, character, leadership, and values.
About the Author
Walter Isaacson, the CEO of the Aspen Institute, has been chairman of CNN and the managing editor of Time magazine. He is the author of Benjamin Franklin: An American Life and of Kissinger: A Biography, and the coauthor of The Wise Men: Six Friends and the World They Made. He lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife and daughter.

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My Song: A Memoir /Book Review

By Harry Belafonte with Michael Shnayerson
    Hardcover: 480 pages
    Publisher: Knopf (October 11, 2011)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 0307272265
    ISBN-13: 978-0307272263
    Genre: Biographies, Memoirs, Literature

Description

Harry Belafonte is not just one of the greatest entertainers of our time; he has led one of the great American lives of the last century. Now, this extraordinary icon tells us the story of that life, giving us its full breadth, letting us share in the struggles, the tragedies, and, most of all, the inspiring triumphs.

Belafonte grew up, poverty-ridden, in Harlem and Jamaica. His mother was a complex woman—caring but withdrawn, eternally angry and rarely satisfied. His father was distant and physically abusive. It was not an easy life, but it instilled in young Harry the hard-nosed toughness of the city and the resilient spirit of the Caribbean lifestyle. It also gave him the drive to make good and channel his anger into actions that were positive and life-affirming. His journey led to the U.S. Navy during World War II, where he encountered an onslaught of racism but also fell in love with the woman he eventually married. After the war he moved back to Harlem, where he drifted between odd jobs until he saw his first stage play—and found the life he wanted to lead. Theater opened up a whole new world, one that was artistic and political and made him realize that not only did he have a need to express himself, he had a lot to express.
He began as an actor—and has always thought of himself as such—but was quickly spotted in a musical, began a tentative nightclub career, and soon was on a meteoric rise to become one of the world’s most popular singers. Belafonte was never content to simply be an entertainer, however. Even at enormous personal cost, he could not shy away from activism. At first it was a question of personal dignity: breaking down racial barriers that had never been broken before, achieving an enduring popularity with both white and black audiences. Then his activism broadened to a lifelong, passionate involvement at the heart of the civil rights movement and countless other political and social causes. The sections on the rise of the civil rights movement are perhaps the most moving in the book: his close friendship with Martin Luther King, Jr.; his role as a conduit between Dr. King and the Kennedys; his up-close involvement with the demonstrations and awareness of the hatred and potential violence around him; his devastation at Dr. King’s death and his continuing fight for what he believes is right.
But My Song is far more than the history of a movement. It is a very personal look at the people in that movement and the world in which Belafonte has long moved. He has befriended many beloved and important figures in both entertainment and politics—Paul Robeson, Eleanor Roosevelt, Sidney Poitier, John F. Kennedy, Marlon Brando, Robert Kennedy, Nelson Mandela, Fidel Castro, Tony Bennett, Bill Clinton—and writes about them with the same exceptional candor with which he reveals himself on every page. This is a book that pulls no punches, and turns both a loving and critical eye on our country’s cultural past.
As both an artist and an activist, Belafonte has touched countless lives. With My Song, he has found yet another way to entertain and inspire us. It is an electrifying memoir from a remarkable man.

About the Authors

Harry Belafonte’s 1956 album Calypso made him the first artist in history to sell more than one million LPs. He has won both a Tony Award and an Emmy, and he was awarded the National Medal of Arts by President Clinton. He has served as a UNICEF Goodwill Ambassador and is the recipient of Kennedy Center Honors for excellence in the performing arts. He currently resides in New York City with his wife, Pamela.
Michael Shnayerson, a longtime contributing editor to Vanity Fair, is the author of Irwin Shaw; The Car That Could; The Killers Within, coauthored with Mark J. Plotkin, and Coal River, which recounted the efforts of Appalachian lawyers and grassroots groups to stop the devastating practice of mountaintop coal removal in southern West Virginia. Shnayerson’s passion for those environmental activists was one reason Harry Belafonte chose him to collaborate on his autobiography. Shnayerson lives in Bridgehampton, New York, with his daughter, Jenna.

Review
Amazing story of an extra ordinary man's life and struggles By Isaac Miller

As a younger man I believe I was jealous of Belafonte. All the girls, and not a few older women, swooned at his good looks. I think I realized that Banana Boat told the story of the farm workers I saw in cotton fields and peach orchards. I knew something of his close association with Martin Luther King, and of his broader fundraising for the Movement as a whole. I saw his movies, and think I recall his sitting in for Johnny Carson. I knew of his involvement in Africa and his work on behalf of the UN. I had no idea of the depth of his involvement or the skill he brought as a negotiator in behalf of so many causes. In an age in which celebrity, it seems, is sought by any means necessary, he shows, perhaps more than any one I can think of, how such notoriety can be put to the service of worthy ends.
Will he make it past the scars of early poverty and other demons of his growing up? Will he make it past grief at the deaths of heroes and close friends and the break up of marriages, the loss of dear friendships? Will he maintain the integrity that is threatened in this culture by both wealth and celebrity? Will he throw in the towel? There is an element of suspense in My Song that makes it a gripping companion to Taylor Branch and the work of others As I read I found myself almost praying for him. Strike the "almost".
In a sense the prayers are not just for Harry Belafonte, but for all of us. Handsome or not, known to many or just a few, something about Belafonte's story says that we can step up, and he encourages us, all of us, to continue to struggle to do so.
For those who seek to keep the legacies of King and Robeson, Mandela and Fannie Lou Haimer, Ella Baker and Malcolm X alive, this is a book to be cherished. For folks of faith there is much to be learned about how we can all be used by God.
Church folk of a certain stripe will be celebrating All Saints soon. I would suggest this is a highly appropriate book for this season in these times. It is a book that is probably necessary for all of us in all times.

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Seriously...I'm Kidding by Ellen DeGeneres/Book Review

Ellen DeGeneres (Author)
Hardcover: 256 pages
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing (October 4, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0446585025
ISBN-13: 978-0446585026
Genre: Biographies & Memoirs > Arts & Literature

I've experienced a whole lot the last few years and I have a lot to share. So I hope that you'll take a moment to sit back, relax and enjoy the words I've put together for you in this book. I think you'll find I've left no stone unturned, no door unopened, no window unbroken, no rug unvacuumed, no ivories untickled. What I'm saying is, let us begin, shall we?

About the Author

Ellen DeGeneres is a beloved stand-up comedian, television host, bestselling author, and actress. She hosts the syndicated talk show The Ellen DeGeneres Show, and was also a judge on American Idol in its ninth season in 2009.
DeGeneres has hosted both the Academy Awards and the Primetime Emmys. As a film actress, she starred in Mr. Wrong, appeared in EDtv and The Love Letter, and provided the voice of Dory in the Disney-Pixar animated film Finding Nemo, for which she awarded a Saturn Award for Best Supporting Actress, the first and only time a voice acting won a Saturn Award. She also starred in two television sitcoms, Ellen from 1994 to 1998 and The Ellen Show from 2001 to 2002. She has won twelve Emmys and numerous awards for her work and charitable efforts.

Review
Leave it to Ellen to make the Audiobook Different than the print edition.....,
Steven I. Ramm  (Phila, PA USA)

This is the third book for comedian/talk show host Ellen Degeneres and, if ever there was a book that should be "read by the author", it's one by Ellen. She honed her craft of comedy by doing "stand-up" and she actually "performs" the audio version, more than just reading it. Ellen talks fast and so the 3 hours on the three CDs literally fly by! And the words aren't all the same as the print edition (which I also read through). She re-wrote parts of it to "talk to - you - the listener" and even adds a chapter (Chapter 29) just for the audiobook. Speaking of chapters, the print edition does not have numbered chapters for these short essays. But Ellen announces a number before each one. Since I started with the audio version first, I wondered - when I got to the chapter titled "Meditation", which contains 20 seconds or so of silence - how she'd deal with this in the print edition. So I looked and there were three blank pages. The reverse holds true for the chapter titled "For the Children" where there are full-page illustrations to color. For the audiobook, Ellen tells the listener that there is a .pdf file on the CD with the illustrations - though I haven't checked that out yet.
The print edition is 240 pages with short chapters and plenty of space between the lines so you can easily pick it up and put it down as time permits. These are short essays of observations on everything from being judge on American Idol to being married to her wife Portia. Either format will entertain you - it did me - if you are an Ellen fan (I am). The Print version allows you to go back and read - or share - a special chapter., while the audio version allows you to hear her voice and timing.

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Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend by Susan Orlean/Book Review

Susan Orlean (Author)
    Hardcover: 336 pages
    Publisher: Simon & Schuster
    (September 27, 2011)
    Language: English
    ISBN-10: 1439190135
    ISBN-13: 978-1439190135
    Biographies, Memoirs, Literature
Description
He believed the dog was immortal.

So begins Susan Orlean’s sweeping, powerfully moving story of Rin Tin Tin’s journey from orphaned puppy to movie star and international icon. From the moment in 1918 when Corporal Lee Duncan discovers Rin Tin Tin on a World War I battlefield, he recognizes something in the pup that he needs to share with the world. Rin Tin Tin’s improbable introduction to Hollywood leads to the dog’s first blockbuster film and over time, the many radio programs, movies, and television shows that follow. The canine hero’s legacy is cemented by Duncan and a small group of others who devote their lives to keeping him and his descendants alive.
At its heart, Rin Tin Tin is a poignant exploration of the enduring bond between humans and animals. But it is also a richly textured history of twentieth-century entertainment and entrepreneurship and the changing role of dogs in the American family and society. Almost ten years in the making, Susan Orlean’s first original book since The Orchid Thief is a tour de force of history, human interest, and masterful storytelling—the ultimate must-read for anyone who loves great dogs or great yarns.

Praise

“Rin Tin Tin was more than a dog. He embodied the core paradoxes of the American ideal: He was a loner who was also a faithful companion, a brave fighter who was also vulnerable. I was astonished to learn from this delightful book that he has existed for eleven generations over a century. By chronicling his amazing ups and downs, Susan Orlean has produced a hugely entertaining and unforgettable reading experience.” —Walter Isaacson, author of Benjamin Franklin and Einstein

“Not only does Susan Orlean give us a fascinating and big-hearted account of all the many incarnations of Rin Tin Tin, she shows us the ever-changing role of American dogs in times of war and peace. This book is for anyone who has ever had a dog or loved a dog or watched a dog on television or thought their dog could be a movie star. In short—everyone." —Ann Patchett, author of State of Wonder and Bel Canto

“I adored this book. It weaves history, war, show business, humanity, wit, and grace into an incredible story about America, the human-animal bond, and the countless ways we would be lost without dogs by our sides, on our screens, and in our books. This is the story Susan Orlean was born to tell—it’s filled with amazing characters, reporting, and writing.” —Rebecca Skloot, author of The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks

Editorial Reviews

“Move over Seabiscuit, Rin Tin Tin will be the most-talked-about animal hero of the year and beyond. . . A spectacularly compelling portrait . . . Engrossing, dynamic, and affecting." —Booklist

“[Orlean] combines all her skills and passions in this astonishing story . . . A terrific dog’s tale that will make readers sit up and beg for more.” —Kirkus Reviews

“Stirring . . . A tale of passion and dedication overcoming adversity. . . . Even readers coming to Rin Tin Tin for the first time will find it difficult to refrain from joining Duncan in his hope that Rin Tin Tin’s legacy will ‘go on forever.’” —Publishers Weekly

Reader's Review
"Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend" is the story of the iconic German shepherd remembered by baby boomers as the star of a television series. In reality, though, Rinty's brush with fame started much earlier, in the silent film era just after World War I. Cpl. Lee Duncan found the pup, part of a litter who with their mom were struggling to survive near a French battlefield. He brought him back to the States after the war, and eventually, impressed with the dog's intelligence, got him a part in a silent film. That part led to a long series of films spotlighting the dog's feats of devotion and heroism. Rinty was the star -- the humans were just supporting players.
He later appeared in a few talkies before old age claimed him. There followed several other incarnations, all named Rin Tin Tin but with different temperaments and levels of intelligence.
This book is the story of the people in Rinty's life, starting with Duncan and proceeding through a quirky and sometimes poignant cast of dog lovers and fame-seekers. It's also a fascinating trip through the early film era in Hollywood, and later the years when television began to exert its hold on the American public. Rin Tin Tin was known around the world in the early to mid-20th century, but now he's mostly a footnote or an answer to a trivia question.
Author Susan Orlean spent years following Rinty's trail, sifting through memoirs and other clues and interviewing the few people still left who were part of the Rinty saga. This is a well-written book that kept my interest to the end.

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Moneyball (2011)/Movie Review

Genres: Biography | Drama | Sport
Taglines: What are you really worth?

The story of Oakland A's general manager Billy Beane's successful attempt to put together a baseball club on a budget by employing computer-generated analysis to draft his players.

Directed by Bennett Miller       
Writing credits  :  Steven Zaillian, Aaron Sorkin, Stan Chervin & Michael Lewis (book "Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game")
Original Music by Mychael Danna       
Cinematography by Wally Pfister       
Film Editing by Christopher Tellefsen       
Casting by Francine Maisler       
Production Design by Jess Gonchor  

Cast : Brad Pitt, Jonah Hill, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Robin Wright, Chris Pratt, Stephen BishopBrent Jennings, Ken Medlock, Tammy Blanchard, Jack McGee, Vyto Ruginis, Nick Searcy     Glenn Morshower, Casey Bond, Nick Porrazzo    

Storyline : Oakland A's GM Billy Beane is handicapped with the lowest salary constraint in baseball. If he ever wants to win the World Series, Billy must find a competitive advantage. Billy is about to turn baseball on its ear when he uses statistical data to analyze and place value on the players he picks for the team.

Box Office Budget: $47,000,000 (estimated)
Sound Mix: Dolby Digital  | DTS (as Datasat Digital Sound) | SDDS
Production Companies
Film Rites, Michael De Luca Productions, Scott Rudin Productions & Specialty Films (II)
Filming Locations: California State University Long Beach - 1250 N. Bellflower Boulevard, Long Beach, California, USA

Review
 by Robin Dhanju (Canada)

First and foremost, I want everyone to know that I love baseball and I do understand the intricacies associated with thePanasonic to unveil new helper robots game, and the fact that the A's were competing with a payroll of 1/3rd of the Yankees is very significant. However, the story line is extremely slow, and boring.

I came into this movie totally hyped up and excited about a baseball movie after way too long of a wait. I went to a matinée with only about 20 other people there to watch the movie on opening day (I know it was early but 20 is very low). Most of them seemed like avid fans as well, judging by their giggles at some of the jokes (very few) in the movie. The first thirty minutes were O.K., as it was meant to build the story line and introduce the characters. That was understandable, what was not, was the fact that the story didn't capture my attention any more throughout the the next one hour or so. I believe that the movie touched upon three players, mostly the first basemen and their transition to becoming an Athletic. I also felt that the movie focused way to much on Brad Pitt and Billy Beane, and I understand that he is the GM that revolutionized the game, but the character development really didn't reach a climax. Billy Beane had the same attitude towards baseball, and his life in general, as he did in the start. And the two hours that it took to get to that point really didn't accomplish much. The climax of the movie was VERY rushed, it was condensed into 15 minutes that really didn't have me very interested, rather had me thinking to myself "what the hell just happened".
Overall, the movie was a total let down, and even Brad Pitt's and Jonah Hill's presence isn't enough to keep baseball fans (let alone casual viewers) interested.

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Destiny of the Republic: A Tale of Madness, Medicine and the Murder of a President /Book Review

Candice Millard (Author)
Hardcover: 352 pages
Publisher: Doubleday; 1 edition (September 20, 2011)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0385526261
ISBN-13: 978-0385526265
Genre :Biographies & Memoirs,  History

Description

James A. Garfield was one of the most extraordinary men ever elected president. Born into abject poverty, he rose to become a wunderkind scholar, a Civil War hero, and a renowned and admired reformist congressman. Nominated for president against his will, he engaged in a fierce battle with the corrupt political establishment. But four months after his inauguration, a deranged office seeker tracked Garfield down and shot him in the back.

But the shot didn’t kill Garfield. The drama of what hap­pened subsequently is a powerful story of a nation in tur­moil. The unhinged assassin’s half-delivered strike shattered the fragile national mood of a country so recently fractured by civil war, and left the wounded president as the object of a bitter behind-the-scenes struggle for power—over his administration, over the nation’s future, and, hauntingly, over his medical care. A team of physicians administered shockingly archaic treatments, to disastrous effect. As his con­dition worsened, Garfield received help: Alexander Graham Bell, the inventor of the telephone, worked around the clock to invent a new device capable of finding the bullet.

Meticulously researched, epic in scope, and pulsating with an intimate human focus and high-velocity narrative drive, The Destiny of the Republic will stand alongside The Devil in the White City and The Professor and the Madman as a classic of narrative history.

Editorial Reviews

"Fascinating......Gripping.....Stunning....has a much bigger scope than the events surrounding Garfield’s slow, lingering death. It is the haunting tale of how a man who never meant to seek the presidency found himself swept into the White House. . . . Ms. Millard shows the Garfield legacy to be much more important than most of her readers knew it to be."  --The New York Times

“Sparklingly alive…[Millard] brings to life a moment in the nation’s history when access to the president was easy, politics bitter, and medical knowledge slight.  Under Millard’s pen, it’s hard to imagine its being better told.”  --Publishers Weekly

Praise
“Historian Candice Millard’s Destiny of the Republic is first-rate history, political intrigue, and a true-crime story all rolled into one. Millard is masterful at capturing the zeitgeist of America during the 1880s, when President James Garfield was assassinated. An epic must-read!”
—Douglas Brinkley, author of The Wilderness Warrior

“In this brilliant and riveting work, Candice Millard demonstrates the power of narrative nonfiction. Through exhaustive research and flawless storytelling, she has brought to life one of the most harrowing and fascinating sagas in American history—a saga filled with political intrigue, a mad assassin, and a frantic scientific struggle to save the life of a noble president. This is a book that is impossible to put down.”
—David Grann, author of The Lost City of Z

“Candice Millard has done it again: She’s turned the sometimes stodgy realm of presidential history on its head with a gripping tale of high danger and stoic endurance, a tale that had nearly completely vanished from public memory. What an exceptional man and what an exciting era Millard has brought to elegant life on the page! After reading Destiny of the Republic, you’ll never think of James A. Garfield as a ‘minor’ president again—and you’ll despise anew our national penchant for hatching madmen who snuff out greatness in its prime.”  —Hampton Sides, author of Hellhound on His Trail

“In President Garfield’s assassination, Candice Millard has rediscovered one of the great forgotten stories in American history. Millard has turned Garfield’s story into a crackling tale of suspense and a panoramic picture of a fascinating but forgotten era. If you enjoy reading about Abraham Lincoln and John F. Kennedy, you will find this book riveting.”
—Debby Applegate, winner of the Pulitzer Prize for The Most Famous Man in America

“As she did in The River of Doubt, Candice Millard has written another riveting narrative, this time about a long-neglected but remarkable president, James A. Garfield, who was shot by a deranged office seeker just a few weeks after he assumed the presidency. What happens next is detailed in the accomplished book. Just as Millard put us deep in the Amazon with Teddy Roosevelt, she has skillfully allowed us to share this traumatic moment.”  —Ken Burns

Reader's Review
E. Budvis (Caifornia, USA)
"Destiny" is a superbly written, fast-paced book that provides an interesting insight to a forgotten piece of American history. It provides enough information to evoke the time and place of events and accurately depict what happened, without becoming bogged done in unnecessary detail. "Destiny" would be a perfect book for a long plane trip.

In "Destiny" you'll read about the insanity of the assassin Charles Guiteau. If you're familair with American assassins, you'll recognize elements of John Wilkes Booth, Lee Harvey Oswald, Jack Ruby, Mark David Chapman, and John Hinkley. His delusions of grandeur cause him to achieve some level of infamy even before the murder. He then caps his wretched career by the assassination for reasons that rank with shooting the President to impress Jody Foster.

The other antagonist is the medical establishment epitomized by Garfield's treating physician, Dr. Bliss. Bliss and the American medical establishment rejected the Dr. Lister's work on antiseptic surgery practices because the were unwilling to examine their ideas. That arrogance/ignorance cost Garfield his life.

Finally, I'm fairly sure that this is first time many of us are introduced to President Garfield in depth. That's a shame. Most of us just know him as one of the other two Presidents who were assassinated or one of those interchangeable late 19th century bearded Presidents. It turns out, however, that although he was adamant about civil rights, he was also respected in the South. Could decades of civil rights struggles have been avoided and resolved more peacfully? We'll never know. That makes Garfield's assassination a tragedy for America, just as much as it was for his family that loved this great man

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What It Is Like to Go to War by Karl Marlantes/Book Review

Karl Marlantes (Author)

Hardcover: 272 pages

Publisher: Atlantic Monthly Press; 1 edition (August 30, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0802119921

ISBN-13: 978-0802119926

Genre :  History ,  Biographies & Memoirs

“Wrenchingly honest. . . Digging as deeply into his own life as he does into the larger sociological and moral issues, Marlantes presents a riveting, powerfully written account of how, after being taught to kill, he learned to deal with the aftermath.”—Publishers Weekly

Praises

“Karl Marlantes has written a staggeringly beautiful book on combat—what it feels like, what the consequences are and above all, what society must do to understand it. In my eyes he has become the preeminent literary voice on war of our generation. He is a natural storyteller and a deeply profound thinker who not only illuminates war for civilians, but also offers a kind of spiritual guidance to veterans themselves. As this generation of warriors comes home, they will be enormously helped by what Marlantes has written—I’m sure he will literally save lives.”—Sebastian Junger

“To say that this book is brilliant is an understatement—Marlantes is the absolute master of taking the psyche of the combat veteran and translating it into words that the civilian or non-veteran can understand. I have read many, many books on war and this is the first time that I've ever read exactly what the combat veteran thinks and feels—nothing I have ever read before has hit home in my heart like this book.”—Gunnery Sergeant Terence D’Alesandro, 3rd Battalion, 5th Marines, U.S. Marine Corps

“What It Is Like to Go to War can be read as both a letter to young warriors and as a catalyzing call for change. But this is not a book about politics; it is about humanity. Using his own experiences to provide context, Marlantes advances, with startling openness, a revolutionary strategy to preserve the humanity of those who fight for our nation and to honor the humanity of those they kill.”—Rebecca Joines Schinsky, Shelf Awareness

“What It Is Like to Go to War is a courageous, noble and intelligent grapple with myth, history, and spirituality that beautifully elevates the cultural conversation on the role of the military in today’s world. It is an emotional, honest, and affecting primer for all Americans on war and the national psyche, and we ignore this book at our own peril.”—Ed Conklin, Chaucer’s Books, Santa Barbara

Review

Into the mind of a warrior

By  James Korsmo  (Moorhead, MN USA)

In this reflective memoir, Karl Marlantes, writer of the widely acclaimed Vietnam War book Matterhorn: A Novel of the Vietnam War, takes a probing look at his own experiences of going to war, and of coming home again. Because it is more of a series of reflections than a continuous narrative, I will review it in kind, with some impressions and appreciations. First, Marlantes' book is honest, sometimes brutally so. And I think this is one of the keys that makes it work. The reader gets the distinct impression that he has carefully worked and reworked his memories until they come out as honestly and completely as possible. Even though at times this means recounting memories of his own brutalities in war. But along with these sometimes tortured memories come candid memories of his own emotions, impressions, and motivations that help bring the experience of war to life. They also guarantee that war isn't glorified, and neither is the warrior. Instead, we meet the brutality along with the valor.

A second impression one gets is that these are carefully analyzed reflections. He has quite obviously held his own experiences, indeed his own person, under the light of careful scrutiny. This means the narratives and accounts he relates are thick descriptions of events, filled out with his own psychological analysis about not only what he and those around him experienced but why. And this also means he often extends his reflections beyond his own experiences, through an analysis of why, to a discussion of what we might constructively draw from them. One key example that comes up repeatedly in the book is the experience of coming home. He recounts many of the difficulties of going from a life-or-death struggle in the jungles of Vietnam, where you are dealing death in a god-like fashion, to being rapidly transported via helicopter and airplane, back to your family and friends in everyday society in a matter of hours. And that jarring transition is made without reflection, significant preparation, or guidance. He recommends greatly increasing the debriefing and processing time for returning veterans, both before and after they come home. At one point he recommends returning to the WWII practice of returning home by ship: "We should have had time to talk with our buddies about what we had all shared" (150). And he says so much more about this key issue of reintegration and the need for acceptance, especially dealing with the challenges of returning from Vietnam to a country that didn't appreciate his service or the battle he was sent to fight. This important and timely issue alone makes the book a compelling and worthwhile read, and has given me renewed respect and concern for our current crop of returning vets.

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The Getaway Car: A Practical Memoir About Writing and Life/ Book Review

Ann Patchett

Publisher: Byliner (August 25, 2011)

Language: English

ASIN: B005JEXTBO

Amazon.com Review

Ann Patchett's The Getaway Car doesn't offer prospective writers a step-by-step guide to the craft of fiction. Instead, this primer from the highly-respected novelist mostly shares her own experiences--her childhood dream, her life as a struggling writer who sets aside her work to make ends meet, and her ultimate success, reached with the help of teacher/mentors like Russell Banks and Grace Paley. Though Patchett attributes much of her achievements to good luck and hard work, her story contains enough specific advice ("The ability to forgive oneself" is crucial, Patchett writes) and words of encouragement to make it worth a read.

Description

“The journey from the head to the hand is perilous and lined with bodies. It is the road on which nearly everyone who wants to write—and many of the people who do write—get lost.”

So writes Ann Patchett in "The Getaway Car", a wry, wisdom-packed memoir of her life as a writer. Here, for the first time, one of America’s most celebrated authors ("State of Wonder", "Bel Canto", "Truth and Beauty"), talks at length about her literary career—the highs and the lows—and shares advice on the craft and art of writing. In this fascinating look at the development of a novelist, we meet Patchett’s mentors (Allan Gurganas, Grace Paley, Russell Banks), see where she made wrong turns (poetry), and learn how she gets the pages written (an unromantic process of pure hard work). Woven through engaging anecdotes from Patchett’s life are lessons about writing that offer an inside peek into the storytelling process and provide a blueprint for anyone wanting to give writing a serious try. The bestselling author gives pointers on everything from finding ideas to constructing a plot to combating writer’s block. More than that, she conveys the joys and rewards of a life spent reading and writing.

“What I like about the job of being a novelist, and at the same time what I find so exhausting about it, is that it’s the closest thing to being God that you’re ever going to get,” she writes. “All of the decisions are yours. You decide when the sun comes up. You decide who gets to fall in love...”

In this Byliner Original by the new digital publisher Byliner, "The Getaway Car" is a delightful autobiography-cum-user’s guide that appeals to both inspiring writers and anyone who loves a great story.

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The Sacred Acre: The Ed Thomas Story by Mark Tabb/Book Review

Mark Tabb (Author),

Tony Dungy (Foreword)

Hardcover: 256 pages

Publisher: Zondervan (August 16, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0310332192

ISBN-13: 978-0310332190

Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6.1 x 1 inches

Description

On a Sunday in May 2008, an F-5 tornado struck the town of Parkersburg, Iowa, killing eight people and destroying 250 homes and businesses within 34 seconds. The next day, Parkersburg's beloved football coach, Ed Thomas, made a stunning prediction: 'God willing, we will play our first home game here on this field this season.' One hundred days later, the home team scored a victory on the field they dubbed 'The Sacred Acre,' serving as a galvanizing point for the town to band together and rebuild. But just as Parkersburg was recovering, another devastating tragedy struck. While working with a group of football and volleyball players early one morning, one of Ed's former students walked in and gunned him down point blank. Ed Thomas was 58. The murder of this hometown hero spread across national news headlines. Ed's community and family reeled from shock. Yet the story doesn't end here. What happened next proves that even a double tragedy is no match for faith, love ... and the power of forgiveness.

About the Author

Mark Tabb has authored/coauthored more than 20 books including the New York Times No. 1 bestseller, Mistaken Identity, and A Promise to Ourselves (with Alec Baldwin). His solo titles include Living with Less: The Upside of Downsizing Your Life and How Can A Good God Let Bad Things Happen? He and his family live in a small town in Indiana where Mark also serves as a volunteer firefighter and fire department chaplain.

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Through My Eyes by Tim Tebow /Book Review

Tim Tebow (Author),

Nathan Whitaker (Collaborator)

Hardcover: 272 pages

Publisher: Harper (May 31, 2011)

Language: English

ISBN-10: 0062007289

ISBN-13: 978-0062007285

Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 1.1 inches

Passion is the fuel of life. It is the great source of energy and drive.  It's what makes us explore new vistas, develop new relationships,  and seek solutions to perplexing problems.

-Bob Buford, Halftime

Description

Over the course of the last five years, Tim Tebow established himself as one of the greatest quarterbacks in the history of college football and a top prospect in the NFL. During that time he amassed an unparalleled resume—winning two BCS national championships, becoming the first sophomore in NCAA history to win the Heisman trophy, and in the face of massive public scrutiny, being drafted in the first round of the NFL draft by the Denver Broncos.

Now, in Through My Eyes, Tebow brings readers everywhere an inspirational memoir about life as he chose to live it, revealing how his faith and family values, combined with his relentless will to succeed, have molded him into the person that he is today. As the son of Christian missionaries, Tebow has a unique story to tell—from the circumstances of his birth, to his home-schooled roots, to his record-setting collegiate football career with the Florida Gators and everything else that took place in between.

At every step, Tebow's life has defied convention and expectation. While aspects of his life have been well-documented, the stories have always been filtered through the opinions and words of others. Through My Eyes is his passionate, firsthand, never-before-told account of how it all really happened.

Review

Through My Eyes is the most important book to come out since The Purpose Drive Life. Now I know why people admire Tim Tebow so much, consider for example his ability to make other players better. Tony Dungy alluded to that quality in his endorsement. He is a positive role model for young people and that also came out in the documentary that E.S.P.N. did on him as well. Any organization he plays for, or any position he holds, he will leave in better condition than he found it and the team will grow stronger. He is a true leader in every sense of the word. Strength and faith are two important themes to his life and overall this is the strongest statement of faith from a high profile athlete. This book has the potential of furthering the cause of foreign missions as well, keeping in mind the work that his family does in the Philippines. Despite all the second guessing and criticism he still managed to rise above it, he is smart enough to consider the source. Read it along with the new Albert Pujols book. Forget about the ebook, the hardcover edition comes with a bonus on the inside of the jacket. B.T.W. Shame on the L.S.U. football fans, you are a disgrace to your school and there is something to be said about good sportsmanship. Congratulations Mr. and Mrs. Tebow, for in addition to helping the Pro-Life movement you also have a million dollar family.

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