D Books

All Aunt Hagar's Children is a collection of short stories by Washington D.C. native Edward P. Jones, it is his third book and the first since winning the Pulitzer Prize for The Known World (2003). The stories are about black Americans in Washington D.C. during the 20th century. Each story revolves around family, society and self, detailing experiences emblematic of southern blacks who migrated to northern cities from rural roots: some found salvation and others a living hell. In all the stories there are transformative turning points in peoples lives. As Jones shows, they are often not conscious of what happened - life-altering events can happen in the course of the banal every-day, setting in motion life patterns that can be hard to break when it's forgotten or not noticed how it started. In some cases the patterns are passed down unconsciously generation to generation - like the devil, cycles of violence, poverty, addiction, sickness and ignorance stalk many of the characters for seemingly mysterious reasons, bordering on the mystic in some stories.

The stories are beautifully original, Jones employs authentic southern expressions creating a time capsule reverberating with fading folkways. Like the characters he writes about, Jones grew up poor in Washington. He had a strong mother - whom he dedicates the book too - and it contains many of her colloquial sayings. This is not a book to be read quickly, like the pace of southern culture, each sentence demands respect for plot structure, character development and the unique southern way of putting words together. I read this hoping to learn more about the black culture of Washington (and Baltimore up the road) and was not disappointed, but what an extra treat to have a world-class writer with a deep sense of humanity, empathy (and sometimes sly humor) show the way.

This author has done it again with brilliant illustrations of a city and families that touch the core of our compassion. No wonder he won the Pulitzer-he is amazing, and this is an amazing piece of work with suspenseful endings quite similar to Toni Morrison.

In his highly-acclaimed volume of 14 stories, "All Aunt Hagar's Children", Edward P. Jones draws portraits of African Americans who have migrated from the South to Washington D.C. The stories are set from around the beginning of the 20th Century to the present day. The stories describe many types of people from young children to old men and women and from the poor and illiterate to the highly educated. They speak of loneliness and change, of the frustration, sexual and otherwise, that results from moving to a new urban place, of criminality and drugs, and of education. The stories are short but deeply textured, as in tapestries(the title of the final story). Characters, histories and sub-themes are realized in brief spaces.

The writing style in these stories is a major factor in their success. All but two of the stories are told in the third person by an all-knowing narrator. (The exceptions are "Spanish in the Morning" told in the voice of a precocious young girl and the title story "All Aunt Hagar's Children told in the voice of a young Korean War veteran who hopes to move to Alaska in search of fortune and women.) The writing is full of Biblical allusions. Hagar, of course, was the concubine of the patriarch Abraham who was sent into the desert after she mocked the childlesness of Sarah who then became jealous of her. God spared Hagar and her childen. The figure of Hagar is used her for the outsider and the outcast -- symbolizing the lives of the African American characters of the stories. The language of the stories in its richness, difficulty, and frequent elliptical character, particularly in its repetition and in its use of names, also owes a great deal to the Old Testament. There is also much in the stories that reminds me of the African American preacher of Jame's Weldon Johnson's poem "God's Trombones". The rich, narrative voice of the stories is complemented by the contrasting voice of many of the characters with its slang, dialect, and frequent use of obscenity.

The stories develop character and place. Jones shows the reader a Washington D.C separate from the world of national politics familiar to most Americans. I have lived in Washington D.C. for many years. Jones's depictions of neighborhoods, streets, landmarks, stores, and people had a deep sense of familiarity. They also helped me see the familiar aspects of my city in a new way. The characters are true and believable in their many responses to living in Washington.

The stories I especially enjoyed included the first story "In the Blink of God's Eye" and the final story "Tapestries". Both these stories are set both in the rural South and in Washington, D.C., the former at the turn of the 20th Century and the latter in the 1930s. They both show the difficulties young married couples encounter with the change of place.

The story "Old Boys Old Girls" describes the life of a young man who spends years in Lorton prison and his attempt to make a life for himself when he is released. Jones contrasts the life of his down-and-out protagonist with the lives of his wealthy and successful family. "A Poor Guatamalean Dreams of a Downtown in Peru" tells of a young poor girl who achieves great academic success but whose life has otherwise been filled with catastrophe and loss. "All Aunt Hagar's Children" is a complex story filled with themes of womanizing, murder, family, and wanderlust. It is a compelling portrait of African American life in the Washington D.C. of the early 1950s and it touches briefly as well upon African American -- Jewish relations.

My two favorite stories were "Root Worker" and "Bad Neighbors" both of which explore themes of the search for love and finding it in unexpected places. The main character in "Root Worker" is a young successful woman doctor who gives up a planned vacation to travel South to consult a root doctor for what ails her mother. In the process, she learns a great deal about herself. "Bad Neighbors" tells the story of a large, poor family that rents a home in a middle-class black neighborhood where they are shunned and feared by their more successful neighbors. There are many turns as the story progresses, as the main character, a young woman who has become a nurse, gains a deeper understanding of people, status, and love.

Jones' stories depict African American life in a loving, involved manner but without polemicizing or blatant social criticism. They are rooted in African American life but, in their treatment of love, sexuality, change, and character speak universally as well. The stories are dense and thoughtful and will reward careful reading. I am pleased that many of my fellow Amazon reviewers have enjoyed this outstanding book and written insightfully about it.

Robin Friedman

In his second book of short stories, Edward P. Jones does a wonderful job of chronicling the African-American experience in All Aunt Hagar' Children. Just as Lost in the City did, Jones brings to life a city that is hardly ever written about, Washington, D.C., and uses fourteen tales to describe circumstances that include life inside of homes full of love, and those without and those that are wealthy and those that are struggling.

Jones' depictions are as real as it gets, thoroughly describing life for Blacks fleeing an angry South to a new beginning in their first experience of living an "urban" American life from the early 1900's all the way to the mid-twentieth century and the loneliness it may sometimes bring. For example, "In the Blink of God's Eye" is about a newlywed couple that moves from Virginia to Washington, D.C. From the way Jones writes, the reader would assume that the couple traveled all the way to Washington State, because that is just how much home was missed for the young bride and how far away it seemed to her. In the title story, "All Aunt Hagar's Children", a hopeless young man aspires to go to Alaska to hunt for gold but in the meantime, spends his days helping a neighbor solve the mystery of how her son was murdered while also dodging an ex-girlfriend that he perceives to be angry.

Overall, this reader really enjoyed Jones' ability to tell a story but at times, wanted it to be longer and did not feel that the short story version could give these stories justice. At other times, the story was just long enough to get to know the characters and get a meaning out of the story that could resonate. Avid readers of Edward P. Jones will definitely want to add this collection to their libraries and will pick their favorites within All Aunt Hagar's Children.

Reviewed by Lena Willis
APOOO BookClub

In All Aunt Hagar's Children, Edward Jones once again showers us with prose that is both concise and metaphoric. He is truly one of the great writers of our new century. His stories capture the intricacies of living in our complex and strife-torn world with true humanity and humility. For me, his strongest metaphor comes from the last story - the metaphor of a tapestry. It takes many years to create and is full of innumerable details, yet it produces a work that last for many years and enlightens many other lives. What a wonderful image and a challenge for us to live into. In All Aunt Hagar's Children, Jones has surely presented us with a tapestry that will live for years and enlighten lives.

A young boy wanders from one vivid experience to another to another, just like kids do. His childhood had unique exposures to Nazi terror and horror, to be sure. But throughout those grim days, there remained that irrepressible insouciance of youth. There was even hero worship when he became involved with the French underground. He brings us right along with him as he becomes a man.

This author described what was, more than anything else, a normal, adventuresome boyhood. Although I was expecting something more like "The Diary of Anne Frank", this book was more reminiscent of "Huckleberry Finn".

Seeped into the depths of war and dispair of mankind, Dr. Burnell takes us on a journey through Nazi-occupied France during WWII. As opposed to the atrocities of holocaust victims in that same era, we are instead introduced into the lives of the common citizenry as they struggle through each day not knowing who is friend or foe. Dr. Burnell's family must decide when to run and when to stay; while knowing their decisions set them at risk to lose everything, including their lives. Balanced with historical facts, Dr. Burnell tells a tale that has us turning the pages, immersing us into the joys and sorrows of a family that in the end prevails despite their losses and succeeds in spite of the tragedy brought by war.

Dr. Burnell tells a story of fear, brutality, resourcefulness, courage, and sensitivity. These emotions are the backdrop to his autobiographical tale of growing from just-past-childhood to near-adulthood in Nazi-occupied France during WW 2. Burnell describes how he and his mother survived the relentless threat of the Nazis as they fled from city to city in France just barely ahead of the Nazi persecution. From Strasbourg in the eastern part of the country to Paris to Bordeaux and finally to Lyon in the south. Along the way his stepfather was consumed by the Holocaust and by the end Burnell was fighting back by working for the French Resistance. The writing is clear, personal, and carries the read along swiftly. I could barely put it down- thus I read it in just a few nights.

This is a well written, interesting memoir of a Holocaust survivor in France. The sections on political events are well placed and provide appropriate historic background to contents of the book.
Myself a Holocaust survivor, I learned from it a lot about life in France during those years and enjoyed reading it.

"Beating the Odds" by George Burnell is the exciting autobiography of a youngster growing up in Nazi-occupied France during WWII. In 369 action packed pages, the author traces his journey from Strasbourg, France in 1939 until the end of WWII in May, 1945. "Beating the Odds" is a real page turner that reads like a novel full of twists and turns. As an adolescent French Jew, George with his family lived in constant fear of discovery by the Nazis and moved frequently to ellude them. Despite these risks, he manages to join his Uncle David, a Dentist, and others in the French Resistance and narrowly escapes with his life. This fascinating memoir gives the reader an interesting and unique perspective on WWII in France and I highly recommend it to you.

The Bedford Handbook
I was satisfied with my order, and was delivered as it said

i ordered it and got it in a very good condition and in time. customer service is awesome. my blessings. keep up the good work.

this book is good for when you're writing essays and you can't remember a certain format or something and you can flip through the book real quick for examples of essays, outlines and thesis statements, although I wish i had the cd version of it so i can always have it with me instead of toting around the book. they could have made the format of the book better.

for instance i remember seeing a book called "A Writers reference" both are MLA format and one came from my community college and just the way its put together is better over all than this one.

The Bedford Handbook is an excellent guide for anyone enrolled in a college English course. The book gives details on correct grammar usage, as well as descriptions of different essay styles. The book is very helpful to me with my English class.

Diana Hacker has an English comp book for any possible usage, she grinds them out every few years. My college requires me to use this book as a handbook. That is unfortunate.

Of course, this book provides a basic explanation of English composition, grammar, documentation, and document design and critical reading. However, the attempt in this case is to present something that is lighter than Rules for Writers, a full scale manual that is sufficient to use as the only text for a college composition course or as a full writers reference, and her Writers Reference, which is a good handy handbook that is inadequate as a full course book, but is great as a rule book to be used by students taking a course using another text.

Usuing this book, I have had to create supplements from web material for issues that I expect to be covered fully in a college handbook such as the requirements of formal writing.

To be sure there are interesting illustrations and graphics and like her other books, the text is intimately linked with the enormous online network that Hacker and her publishers have created. It is not an awful book to use, but I would prefer Rules for Writers, Jane E. Aaron's Litte Brown Handbook, or Writer's reference.

this book is fantastic. in a very beautiful and big format, it's complete with all the bondgirls in a great description. very good if you are a bond fan or at least a woman lover!

Overall the book is ok, however for a coffee table sized book (It's rather tall, which makes it awkward to store in a bookcase - well mine anyway) there's not enough photos, and a bit too much text. Almost all of the photos I'd seen before, so while most people new to the Bond world might be impressed, there's not enough unique content to make the book a must have. Actually come to think of it most of the text does seem like filler, too generic to be interesting. A book this size shouldn't be a novel, it should be mostly photos. With only one or two photos per actress there definitely needs to be a lot more photos.

great pictures and an in depth look at each girl and her relationship to the movie

Perhaps my expectations were too high, but when I had read other reviews I hoped for the best. This is not the best. So, what one is the best? It is the one yet to be published. yet I will admitt that this one is the best out there that I have seen. A book on Bond women should have a lot more pictures, and more inside stories would help as well; yes, more photos, that would do the trick.

If you are a James Bond lover...you will ENJOY this book!!! Great book!!!

Fat City is a short book, so I'll write a short review. You can get a plot synopsis from the other reviewers. This is high-quality noir territory. It is 180 pages of boxing, booze, lousy jobs, poisoned relationships, and flophouse squalor. It perfectly captures the characters' desperation and hopelessness. If you are looking for a tough, lean, gritty read, then look no farther.

Fat city is a book that took place in Stockton California in the 1950's that follows the broken lives of several men who are brought together from boxing. This book is written by Leonard Gardner, a boxer himself during the 1950's. As you read through the pages a story of the lives of different men unfolds.
Billy Tully is an out of shape boxer who gave everything up because of long losing streak and the painful divorce with his wife. Living off of almost nothing he decides he wants to go back and try to fight. While training he meets a young boy named Ernie Munger who has a natural talent for boxing. Ernie wants to be a boxer so bad that he trains day and night letting nothing get in his way. In the middle of his career he gets his girlfriend pregnant but tries his hardest to stay in the life of boxing. While following the characters in their lives this book goes though the struggle of each man and illustrates how they react to their failures. In this story the women are the cause of problems between all of the unhappy boxers; a problem that cannot be fixed.
Some chapters in the story are dedicated to small parts of other men's lives such as the trainer and the opponent, letting you understand the story from both sides. Although these men are brought together by boxing the book is about these men doing what they can do to survive. From boxing to farming this book accurately covers the actions taken to survive. Although the book can be slow at parts over all it is a quick read.

I read Fat City sometime in the mid-sixties, when it was first published, and was immediately captivated and envious of Gardner's powerful style and talent. If you appreciate and admire Hemingway or Steinbeck you will likely feel the same about Gardner, who, unfortunately, has not published anything since. Perhaps this small gem of a book was the only one he had in him. Even so, this novel is a remarkable accomplishment and may well become an American classic. What intrigues me the most in this work is that Gardner gets it all down right--the sights and smells and sounds of the seedy streets and flophouses; the drifters and dingy diners; the sweaty gyms, barsweeps and whores and how it is to work as a stoop-laborer in the fields, especially the true-to-life characters inhabiting the pages. Fat City is simply a well-crafted execution of art throughout and is as pleasurable to read now as when I first picked it up years ago.

Short novel, published in 1969, about two boxers, Billy Tully, who is 29 and down and out, and Ernie Mugger, who is 18 and up and coming, two versions of the same man, in some respects. Terrific skilled prose, short chapters, switching points of view between these two main characters and an assortment of other minor characters. The author takes you inside the characters' deepest despair or elation. How simple the author makes it look, one thinks, reading this book. But of course it is not. The prose is precise and honed, and looks easy only after who knows how many drafts. There are only 18 or 19 short chapters, and much of the novel is dialogue. But somehow one comes away with a panoramic view of Stockton, California, this woeful place, and the people the inhabit it - the immigrant fruit pickers, the bartenders and bar girls, the hobos on the street. The descriptions are compact and dead-on. About Billy Tully's hotel room: "All his neighbors had lung trouble." One could quote sentences from this book almost at will, the prose is so spare and perfect.

That the author never published another book, and that this was his first, is incredible. To write this cleanly and confidently, he must have practiced and studied for years. Yet to never do it again.

This is one of my all time favorite novels. It beautifully captures the desperation in the lives of its characters and does it in a style that is a model of grace and economy. The deeply insightful portrayal of the painful relationships between the men and women, who inhabit it's world, is one of its many pleasures.

Gardner is a great novelist, just on the strength of "Fat City," the only entry in his oeuvre.

As I read through the pages of this book, the war in the heavenlies between the Kingdom of God and the forces of darkness became even more real to me. This book provides insight into spiritual warfare that has to be unprecedented. Although it is fiction, it is still fact based. It's based on the word of God, the Holy Bible, and Brother Humphrey put a Holy Spirit inspired spin on it that should cause every person to understand how real Satan and his kingdom are. More importantly, it demonstrates the awesome power of God and proves that if we are on the Lord's side and He is for us, we are victorious over the works of the enemy in our lives. If there is the slightest propensity in the sinner to forsake the things of this world and live for God, this book will push them over into a place of total surrender to Him. In addition, it will frighten the believer into selling out to God totally and completely. I highly recommend purchasing this book because it is a true blessing. I thank God for Divinely placing it in my hands.

This book was TOTALLY AWESOME!!! I couldn't put the book down! (even almost got fired for bringing it on the sales floor!)I can't believe how great the book was. I can't wait to see if there is a second part continuing the search for the rapist! This is a book if you have any doubts about, just pick it up and read it, you will love it! An amazing story with a great ending!!

When Virginia Sills is found stabbed and raped in a dark alley, no one can possibly guess how twisted her story really is. Not even Virginia knows. On the verge of death, her Guardian Angel, Mahatiel, attempts to force her back into the land of the living. Ever stubborn, Virginia balks at every turn, endangering her soul and Mahatiel's life as the forces of evil gather to snatch her to themselves. Marcellus Grimes, an arrogant detective, is assigned to find Virginia's rapist. He has no idea of the darkness he will enter while on the search. Want-to-be detective Darrell, who takes a lot of abuse and ridicule from Marcellus, sees clues that Marcellus doesn't and he determines that he will find Virginia's abuser on his own and the race is on.

IN DARK THINGS David M. Humphrey, Sr. spins a tale of heaven and hell, of good vs. bad, God vs. Satan. He covers the fall of Lucifer from grace and the birth of all Lucifer's dark demons. He shows us the trials that Guardian Angels have as they try to protect their human charges. The book encourages the reader to listen to that voice that is telling us what to do: it could be God talking to us. It was an interesting story with a Christian message. In some places, it got just a bit preachy which slowed the action down. It was certainly an interesting story on the relationship of God, Satan and human beings.

Reviewed by Alice Holman
of The RAWSISTAZ Reviewers

Wow, what a gripping book, providing insight to the spiritual world. Through a fictional and gripping story, you are also taught and realize how little the everyday material world means in God's grand scheme of things, and how wonderful and powerful God is. Through his Son, Jesus, he has bestowed this power on us to use against the principalities of darkness.

Great read! I was glued to the pages as the lives were protected and saved by mighty angels and deceived and ruined as puppets by mighty the dark-things.
David's vision of Satan creating "Death" was awesome, I was in the lab, frozen as the plot unfolded and transformed the unwitting demon into Death it self. keep writing and your gift will make room for itself.

And keep praying the enemies/dark-things are not pleased when someone turns on the light.

I have been fortunate enough to know Dr. Hablitzel. This book is a wonderful gift. I would recommend it for everyone. Dr. Hablitzel not only cures illnesses, he also teaches us lessons on how to live.

WONDERFUL

I just finished reading this book, which never left my hand across a span of 4 hours. I traveled alongside William on a journey of his life stories from his career. An absolutely fascinating book, chaulked full of raw emotion and stories of healing. This book will leave you deep in thought and rejuvenated, ready to make the best of the rest of life. A must read in my opinion!

This is a must read book for anyone working in health care and anyone who is experiencing a health care crisis in their personal life. The book will touch your heart and bring tears to your eyes more often than the original Chicken Soup For The Soul. And it is better written than Chicken Soup.
The book shares stories of the courage patients have when they face the challenge of dying from disease. Each story will teach you about the strength of the human soul and leave you celebrating life. This is a book about the celebration and joy to be found in the experience of disease. The book illustrates that disease is actually a gift that teaches us many valuable lessons. We should not be afraid of the gifts we are given, but embrace them.
You will want to buy more than one copy so you can share the hope with those you love.

Dr. Hablizel is a story-teller of the first degree and the people and places he brings to life on his mystical and mysterious journey through medicine will stay with you long after you've turned the final page.

"Dying Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me: Stories of Healing and Wisdom Along Life's" is a unique, sensitive collection of life and death experiences encountered by physician William Hablitzel. In his view of death as the great teacher and enlightener, Dr. Hablitzel embraces the "uncomfortable duality" of being "both a physician defeated by death and the witness enriched by it (p. 10)." This luminous book of journeys with the dying has all the elements of the greatest teachings about life's meaning. Finding miracles in the everyday events, listening to the science, learning to overcome fear, embracing the unknown in death, and the miraculous process of human growth are all themes developed in these chapters and stories. Bridging the gap between science and faith, "Dying Was the Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me" is inspirational literature of the finest grade -- and especially recommended for medical and health-care professionals, as well as non-specialist general readers, who must deal with end-of-life issues with respect to their patients or families.

Elia Kazan was arguably one of the most influential people that theatre has ever produced. He had an amazing life through his art, and outside of it.

Here, at the age of 77, past the point of modesty, conceit and pride, he tells his remarkable story of learning his craft, harnessing his incredible God-given talent, and channelling his drive into success.

We learn about his trysts and liasons with other icons, his marriages, his faults and missteps.

He owns up to many things that have not made him proud, including naming names during the deplorable McCarthy communist witch hunts of the 1950's.

He talks openly of his failures as a parent and a husband, his infidelity, and his loss of faith.

He also recounts his many astounding successes in film and theatre, including the many great actors and actresses he worked with.

His honest self-assessment is a breath of resh air.

This is one of the greatest autobiographies I have ever read.

This is the best show-biz biography I have ever read. Poor, Greek immigrant, Kazan fought his way up the entertainment ladder to direct my favorite movie (On The Waterfront) and my favorite play (Death of A Salesman). Along the way to these achievements he was an original member of the Group Theater; he relates his experiences there including an in-depth retelling of his relationship with Lee Strasburg. He met prectically everyone in the business from an aspiring Marylin Monroe, Marlon Brando, James Dean, Arthur Miller and what seems thousands of others in the theater and movie world. His antecdotes are fresh and revealing, even those that may be common knowledge. Of particular note are the chapters devoted to the making of Streetcar Named Desire and On the Waterfront. His work with Brando, who was seldom better than when he worked with Kazan, is discussed. Along with his great movies and plays, Kazan tells his side of the House On Unamerican Affairs controversy that swirled about him until his death. While the book is massive at 864 pages, it is over too soon. It is a rare, literate portrait of the man Kazan, who changed American movies and theater forever-- and for the better.

One of the most honest, compelling, brilliant, wise, stunning books I've ever read. Kazan's life was awe-inspring, and to have it retold with such lucidness and unflattering candour is a gift for the ages. Not only was he one of the greatest theatre directors and film directors of the 20th Century, he writes like a blessed demon. This was a spellbinding, page-turning read. Immersed in its pages, I learnt so much about life, America, directing, theatre/cinema history, and myself. I also learnt more than I've ever known about how men think (wish I'd read this years ago).

It's such a pity Kazan's life has become simplistically defined by one act, and his artistry overshadowed - ironic, too, considering he made films with a deep, compassionate, liberal humanity. You can look at his life through through the prism of that one act, or read this for a much richer, fuller, deeper understanding of Kazan - the good, the bad, the ugly. And the genius.

This book made me want to live my life more fully, view myself less vainly, and create my work more honestly. Can't ask for more than that.

I was truly surprised by this book when I read it some years ago. I was surprised by how engrossing and powerful it was , all the way through. This man lived a tremendously interesting life, rich in great creative challenges and triumphs, rich in meetings and experience with remarkable people, rich in sexual adventures and complex human relationships. The story of how the child of Greek immigrants came to become the director of two of the classics of the American Theatre "Death of a Salesman" and a 'Streetcar Named Desire" and of two of the great American movies, "On the Waterfront" and " East of Eden" is told with remarkable frankness and perceptiveness.
Kazan does not come across in this work as a saint, but rather as a truly strong person who took what he wanted from life, even if this meant hurting others. His personal and inner torments however too make up an interesting part of this story.
One more point. His writing follows the rule of Henry James and is always interesting. This is a work whose richness in anecdote and event are so great that it fits into the 'couldn't put it down' category.

With a former Supreme Court Justice warning the USA today (March 10, 2006) about starting down the road toward a dictatorship, it seemes fitting to re-visit the House Un-American Activities Committee (HUAC) in the 1950s when the right-wing was trying to scare our citizens into giving the government supreme power, just as neocons are trying now.

Elia Kazan defends his decision to name names during the Hollywood Hearings of the 1950s, saying that his ideas toward the Communist Party had changed and he thought the higher ups (maybe from Russia) were dictating policies to the American communists in the movie business.

Maybe so, but he also admits the Hearings already had all the communists' names and admits they were only showing their power to control people here in Hollywood,using intimidation to instigate the blacklist. In real life, the USA government was the bully, not the old, tired communists of the 1930s.

If so, then why did he ever think the movie he directed, "On The Waterfront," was a good analogy for what he faced? The USA government caused the black list and precipated suicides and family break-ups in their Hollywood investigation.

It was the mob who caused the deaths and intimidation in "On The Waterfront." Is Kazan saying that Congress behaved like the mob? Or that the mob behaved like Congress?

Granted, Kazan was a great director, brilliant at times. But to him the bottom line was the bottom line, and to keep his position as an all-star director, he had to name names. While he tries to seem noble, the reader can see his 'reel' motivation was money and his career. So what if he named names! He was working.

Today, we see the right wing using similar tactics in the Bush administration: questioning people's patriotism, using smears and mud-slinging against opponents, trying to get people fired if they disagree with neocon policies, keeping a blacklist of university professors who oppose them, and most recently, equating the AARP group of loving gays instead of our troops.

After reading Kazan's book, I did gain a firm insight into right-wing politics, and these politicians use juxtaposition of images to label their opponents. Right-wingers still don't care if they distort the record. To them, winning is everything.

Energy Leadership is much different from other books on leadership; it's really a book about how our perceptions of ourself -- and of the world -- determine how we think, feel, and thus, react to the events and situations in their lives. For people who think that life happens to them, or for people who want to be a leader in their home or workplace, this book is essential reading. For employers who can't understand why their employees aren't engaged, productive, or happy, this is THE ONLY BOOK that explains it all. . . Get out your highlighter and be prepared to enjoy, learn and change!

This is a quick read! This is a great leadership book for anyone in management. It is unlike any other leadership book you will find and totally relevant to any business I can think of. It is amazing how well you can identify with the characters in the book. I was able to see myself in their behaviors and see how I was creating part of the problem. The great part is that I can also be part of the solution. If you really want high performance people working with you and for you, it is definitely to your benefit to master this information.

By reading Energy Leadership, my life became easier.
I now know the level of energy I am emanating, so it is no longer a surprise to the responses I receive from others in return. I now have various choices in ways to communicate and receive different responses from others... Much Better Ones!
Buying this knowledge, $20; experiencing an easy life with the Energy Leadership knowledge; PRICELESS

This is book has really helped me navigate a difficult period of my life. It's not well written, in fact it's downright hokey, and if a friend who I really admire hadn't given it to me I wouldn't have read the whole thing. But I am extremely glad that I did. Maybe I was just ready for it, but this has been a fantastic tool for me.

Like many people, I rushed through the first reading of this book because the story was so compelling. The second time through, I read it more like a business or personal development book. I was more thorough and took the time to go to the website and listen to/view the many free audio and video tapes, etc. For what you get included in the proce of the book, it is an amazing bargain. But the whole idea of energy and how we use it in interacting with people and groups brings together many recent theories of management and of human interaction. The synthesis goes beyond other viepoints and is, IMHO, the most up-to-date, comprehensive book on managing yourself and how that affects your interactions with people. Buy it and read it!

Depression doesn't have to completely shut down people's lives - part of overcoming it is not letting it take over the sufferer's life. "Get It Done When You're Depressed: 50 Strategies for Keeping Your Life on Track" is an encouraging and helpful treatise to help sufferers overcome clinical depression to keep them going and get over it so they can continue leading healthy, productive lives in spite of it. Inspiring readers to continue creativity, overcome their own mind, and allow for time to pass to get what they want, and dozens upon dozens of other tips to getting through day to day life under depression, "Get It Done When You're Depressed: 50 Strategies for Keeping Your Life on Track" is highly recommended to self-help community library collections, for those who have been in the unending funk with the intimidating news that life still needs to be lived.

This is a fantastic book for persons diagnosed with bipolar and their loved ones. It affirms feelings and situations the bipolar person can relate to and the loved ones can better understand what the bipolar person experiences and gain a better understanding of why they act the way they do at times. The suggestions given from real-life scenarios is a wonderful tool to recovery/stability and/or a more "normal" life.

*****
This book is incredibly helpful because it helps you to learn practical methods for coping with depression. The subtitle is "50 Strategies for Keeping Your Life on Track", and each strategy is thoroughly explored. First it is explained, then there is a short exercise you can do to apply the strategy to your life. Next the strategy is illustrated in a story from someone's personal life. Lastly, the author shares a story about applying that strategy in her own life.

For example, one strategy I found very helpful is "Accept the Limitations Caused By Depression". I expect way, way too much of myself every day and then feel bad when I can't accomplish what I want to. This strategy (and the book in general) helped me to see that I will feel better and get more done in the long run if I don't beat myself up about what I can't do, and if I work the other strategies diligently to do what I can.

It really helped that the author is successful and accomplished despite her depression, and the stories show how many, many people work with their illness to make valuable contributions with their lives instead of just giving in to depression and using it as an excuse for failure. It truly made me feel like I wasn't alone---that many others feel this way, and that they organize their lives so that they can still succeed.

I have to say that it's the most practical book I've ever read for actually coping with depression.

Highly recommended.
*****

Simple, short, easy-to-understand ideas that can be put to use instantly. Thoughtfully written by an author who has been there herself supported by brief scientific expertise. Perfect for someone who is depressed because reading an entire book to get help is impossible; instead they can read it in sound-bites.

As we would expect from Julie Fast, this book is very simply written and points are aptly illustrated and accompanied with charts and checklists. "50 Strategies for Keeping Your Life on Track" is the subtitle and is what she teaches in this book -- simple tips and easily understood and applied as you work through your depression. Her main point is that you can still be productive, even though you are feeling depressed.