I Books

Not being an avid reader or attender of stage plays, I had never heard of Christopher Durang until five or six years ago, when I stumbled upon a cable-produced adaptation of his play "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You." Irreverent humor lampooning religious belief systems is a favorite genre of mine, along with gun-wielding nuns, so I wasted no time in picking up this collection of short plays.

While Durang is basically a humorist, many of his plays involve the lampooning of other plays. This can be a detriment to a reader who, like me, is unable to pick out the subtle stabs at the set design and dialog patterns of other well known playwrites. But it is a minor stumbling block, and not a mjor obstacle to enjoy Durang's offbeat sense of humor.

If you aren't hip to the stage scene, but still enjoy humor with an edge, do what I did. Pick up this collection for "Sister Mary Ignatius Explains It All for You", then peruse the rest with an open mind.

After reading this book, I fell in love with it and am determined to be the proud owner of every single thing Christopher Durang has EVER written! I think he is the most brillian playwright alive, I absolutely idolize him, I'm applying to the college he is a professor at in the hopes of getting a class with him. His plays are so amazing and clever and witty and insightful, I'm directing 'Wanda's Visit' next year and am so enthusiastic about it that I've already blocked and lighted the entire thing. Would be an absolute dream for anyone to direct or perform in any of his works, I highly recommend anything he's ever written. Ever.

When I was a senior in high school (way back in '97), I took a class called "Dramatic Text and Performance." In previous years, the class had read and performed morality plays and classical drama, but our professor picked this book as our text for the semester. Never before or since have I laughed so hard in any class. I just wish I had stolen the textbook when I had the chance!

Christopher Durang was the playwright of choice for my high school speech team when it came to picking pieces for ensembles or duos. Many will most likely see why after reading some of the one-acts in this brilliant collection. These one-acts include:

A Stye of the Eye- Jake is a hillbilly in his thirties. He is, in the words of Durang, a "rage-a-holic". Infuriated by his actress wife's latest play, Agnes is Odd, where she plays an insane nun who babbles incoherently in Latin, he freaks out and supposedly kills her, only for his "good" brother Frankie to find out that she's not really dead, and then she falls in love with him. Jake finds out, explodes and kills his brother for cheating with his wife. The only catch is, Frankie and Jake are not really brothers, they are two sides of the same person.

Naomi in the Living Room- Naomi is an eccentric woman, who likes to give tours of her house, even to her son John, who used to live there, and his wife Johnna.

Business Lunch at the Russian Tea Room- Melissa is a Hollywood agent with a lot of outlandish ideas. She's heard from others that this guy named Chris is a great writer, and she tries to sell him on the idea of writing a screenplay, either a remake of Cruising/Bugsy Malone, or a story about a priest and a rabbi who fall in love, and then, both get sex changes, unbeknownst to each other.

DMV Tyrant- James Agnes' temporary license has expired so he must pay a visit to the Division of Motor Vehicles, where he comes face to face with a DMV lady from Hell.

Sister Mary Ignatius Explains it All- Sister Mary is a crazy nun (insanity and eccentricity seem to be a running motif for Durang) who gives lectures on Heaven and Hell, and fires guns in church.

Other one-acts in this collection are 1-900-Desperate; Mrs. Sorken; Funeral Parlor; John and Mary Doe; For Whom the Southern Belle Tolls; Medea; Nina in the Morning; Canker Sores and Other Distractions; The Hardy Boys and the Mystery of Where Babies Come From; Wanda's Visit; The Book of Leviticus Show; Woman Stand-up; Women in a Playground; Phyllis & Xenobia; Desire, Desire, Desire; One Minute Play; Diversions; The Nature and Purpose of the Universe; 'dentity Crisis; Death Comes to Us All, Mary Agnes; Titanic and The Actor's Nightmare.

I loved this book. It is a wonderful collection of Durang's plays, though not my absolute favorites. I loved Beyond Therapy, and I think some of these plays could be worked into longer ones, though I'm not sure whether they'll be very funny then. If you liked this book, I also recommend Take Ten: New 10-Minute Plays, edited by Eric Lane. I'm sure you'll enjoy it.

So, as a native Hoosier having the pleasure to read Day's book, I have to say first that it was highly helpful to those of us that aren't rabid football fans (yes, believe it or not there are a few of us in central Indiana.) She explained the passion behind the sport in a way that I could relate to as a single - love. As a person who fully understands the plight of the young urban single professional, Day also does a great job of presenting what is a challenge for many young, bright, professional talented singles - struggling to find Mr. or Ms. Right. Although I'm not convinced there is a Mr. or Ms. Right for each and every one of us, I enjoyed reading Professor Day's plight, which many can fully understand. Every single should read this book (and also all those marrieds out there) to fully understand the challenges. And WAY TO GO for Day to hold out for Mr. Right instead of Mr. Right Now!!!

Cathy Day's "Comeback Season: How I learned to Play the Game of Love," offers a fresh and sophisticated examination of modern society. If you are looking for a run-of-the mill, cliche, quest for love story, than this is not the book for you. However, if you are someone looking for a great, character-driven story that seeks to examine what life is all about, particularly our sometimes troubling, virtual life of the 21st century, than this is definitely the book for you. With her smart and witty, but down-to earth, midwestern voice, Cathy Day serves as an excellent guide for all readers who are attempting to traverse through their own labyrinth of love. Without a doubt, you'll be cheering for Cathy Day, play-by-play, in this incredibly, well-written book. A must read for any individual who seeks to understand both 21st century life and its complex dating structure.

"Comeback Season" made me vaguely uncomfortable at first, for which I blame this simple fact: I'm a man. I don't read books about dating, especially women dating, not even if they have a catchy football angle. And to be utterly truthful, the last time I did any reading about football, I was thumbing idly through a year-old Sports Illustrated while waiting to get a cavity filled. So one would not think that I would even countenance reading a book such as this.

However, after hearing a radio interview with the author, I was moved to check it out, in part because I, like Ms. Day at the beginning of her book, am 37, educated, and single, and I would be hard pressed to think of a single acquaintance of my own age who is stil, well, single. Like Ms. Day, I have spent an inordinate amount of time wondering what's wrong with me, not out of unhealthy self-absorbtion, but genuine concern.

The difference between me and the author is that she decided to take action to change her life. And then she wrote this book. I assume you've read the synopsis already, so I won't dwell on the plotline, other than to say it is by turns funny and profoundly thought-provoking, a performance-art journal and a diary of 3 a.m. despair. It showed me a situation quite similar to my own, but from the perspective of a member of the opposite sex. And, no, guys, you'll find no feminist rants here, no man-hating or man-baiting. The most refreshing thing about the book, considering its subject matter, is its almost total lack of ideological or gender-based rancor and its refusal to indulge in victimology. Like her earlier novel, this memoir is peopled by fully-realized human beings, both women and men, who are by turns weak and courageous, despicable and generous; no heroes or heroines, nor blameless victims, nor mustache-twirling villains. Nor are there quick and easy self-help solutions: Cathy does not get a makeover, a new wardrobe, and a frontal lobotomy and immediately find the love of her life; nor does she halfheartedly embrace a bitter compromise. Instead, she finds her own core and an unknown strength of character with the help of her loving family and friends and the virtues she's learned from her sports heroes. She comes to terms with the past decisions she's made, and finds grace and meaning in her present life, without earth-shattering calamity, divine revelation, or Oprah. Rather, she finds that the simple, sometimes hackneyed, often maligned influences in our lives - football, family, friends, silly 70's rock songs - can lead us to our better, greater selves.

What a wonderful book this is. Cathy Day's search and struggle to find "the right one", like the fight of the Indianapolis Colts, is told so honestly, and in such beautiful prose, that it's impossible not to be beguiled by this book. The portraits of men, friends, and family members are precise and perfectly rendered. I'm not given to reading about dating, but this book is about so much more than that: it's about the desire and the need to--to steal a line from an old coach--"make something happen" in life.

This is a wonderful book that's fully of humor and humanity. It's a title I've recommended to my friends and family as a (true!) story that hits close to home for any intellegent person looking for their soul mate. The book has resulted in a lot discussions about relationships and the many dating moments that we've all experienced trying to find the right one. Cathy - don't give up!

I finally found a copy of this book.Knowing how good these "Complete idiots" series books are this book is just what I had hoped for.

This book explains I-Ching in simple to understand English with some technical explanations throughout.An ideal book for anyone even if you are just starting to learn I-Ching.Its is an enjoyable read.One of the most enjoyable I-Ching books I own.

Each hexagram is covered by a double page and covered in great detailed but doesnt drag on.Step by step instructions,advice on what kinds of questions to ask and how to interpret your reading.Even has a section on Feng Shui.I like the hexagram reference section at the front of the book,in colour too.Nice touch.One of the more thorough books on I-Ching.

I hope the publishers reprint this book.

Elizabeth Moran and Master Joseph Yu did a wonderful job in writing "The Complete Idiot's Guide to The I Ching". Yijing is a powerful divination tool in traditional Chinese culture. It has been intriguing and difficult to understand thoroughly. This book is well organized in explaining from the historical background to tts modern day application, as well as how to utilize the knowledge further to open our mind and improve our life. It is thoroughly enjoyable reading. Thank you for a job well done.

I think this is surprisingly good, one of the top five for sure. I would recommend it. HOwever, after using it over a long period of time I began to notice the commentaries had some peculiarities. For one thing, the man is telling you to "sever the relationship" way too often. To me, that goes against the philosophy of the i ching which is to bend with the wind and take the moderate approach. Running around severing your ties with various people is an extreme act and not moderate. I'd be wary of that, if I were you. And it's not like he just says it in one or two places, but in SEVERAL places. One of the hexagrams he even names "severing" so that every line is about getting rid of someone in your life. Even on hexagram 50 (the cauldron) line five, which usually is a very positive line (about the handles on the cauldron being upgraded to jade or something) he says something like, "people have betrayed you--rid yourself of them." I don't know how he got that idea out of that line. No one else has anything remotely with such a negative connotation.

He also says often that people are gossiping about you, betraying you, etc. It's kind of like he's paranoid. There's a time and a place for that but I don't think people in general are so much like that as this version indicates and, besides, this guy needs to think more about forgiving people for their bad behavior instead of jettisoning them out of his life like one of the machines at a target practice range that hurls clay pigeons out onto the grass: sever the relationship! sever the relationship! sever the relationship! It's really too much.

That said, this version has a lot going for it, just be warned. I noticed it's also over-priced for one that's used right now. It's not THAT good--I'd just buy the one by alfred huang and stephen karcher's may be a little overly optimistic at times but is excellent. Good luck.

While new to I Ching, I find myself fortunate to find this work. It brings a structured simplicity with comprehensiveness that is essential in order to give the I Ching veracity and approachability. Excellent.

Usually, the "Complete Idiot's" and "Dummies" books give you the basic information on their subject, with some depth, but nothing too encompassing. I was very surprised with this book -- it gives in-depth information about the I Ching and its history, as well as touching upon other things like synchronicity. The translation of the I Ching included in the book is also rather well done, and better than some stand-alone translations (for example, "The Taoist I Ching"). I learned a lot about the I Ching from this book. Recommended.

I would recommend this book to anyone who wants to understand the facts behind the newspaper headlines. Bernstein doesn't bother with dry theories. He delves right into explanations. The book is worth reading just to debunk some widely believed myths, such as Social Security going bust and benefits of lobbying against technological changes.

Bernsein has made technical information accessible and even humorous. Commenting on a random graph, he writes (p 32): "I kind of see a little doggie running, but that's me."

The key to this book also comes on page 32:
"We're clearly kickin' back, spending money hand over fist, with little regard for what works and for what's cost effective and what's' not."

Although he's writing here about the medical system, this statement also applies to our programs of education, criminal justice, economic development, employment and poverty. Let's face it: societies don't run on scientific or logical principles.

I do have some quibbles about some of Bernstein's specifics and solutions.

To revamp the medical system (I like his term, "Medical Industrial Complex"), Bernstein supports a single payer system like Canada's. I lived in Canada for a few years (although as a certified medico-phobe, I never saw a doctor).

Countries with single payer systems have huge tax rates - higher than 50% at the upper levels. If you're earning $40-45K or more, you may be able to buy a comprehensive policy in the US for less than the additional sums you'd pay in taxes for a single payer system.

Single-payer systems require huge investments of time. I knew someone whose operation kept getting delayed till she got an infection and had to be admitted as an emergency. Others told me they had to return a dozen times for a simple check-up because doctors got paid small amounts for each office visit, whether it took 7 minutes or 70.

Often these systems are supplemented by private care or the overload is handled by paying US providers. I kept hearing about an underground market for health care: for as little as $1000 you could jump the queue.

I would also supplement Bernstein's answer to, "Why are teachers paid a lot less than stock traders?" Value and ability to measure output matter, but so do supply and demand. Desirable jobs pay less. Big companies pay more because they want to choose from a larger applicant pool. Airlines offer very low salaries to flight attendants, but thousands apply.

Of course supply can be controlled artificially, through rigid or even bizarre licensing requirements. Unions also can control supply. Unions tend to be most powerful with employees who feel powerless and/or are just not marketable or in demand. In unionized universities, English professors support unions and finance professors often wish they'd go away. On a micro-level, I would recommend staying marketable, not appealing to unions or waiting for the government to get around to fixing things.

On page 171, Bernstein notes that unions face organized opposition. Folks who have been in unions can be quite cynical too. The combination of dues and a long strike can wipe out financial gains. Union presidents tend to get very close to company presidents, not their own members. Unions make deals and enjoy wide latitude when deciding who they will help and how much, with little real accountability.

Finally, Bernstein addresses the opportunity costs of war. We could make an even stronger case for the opportunity costs of the criminal justice system, which is based on ideology and emotion, not scientific analysis of human behavior.

Overall, though, the book is intended more as a primer than a stimulus to thought or action. For this objective, Crunch is more successful and far more enjoyable than most.

Having long ago forgotten my college economics, I've been trying to make sense of the current talk of recession and the various stimulus proposals put out by politicians. Something about the viewpoint expressed by cable news pundits and economic leaders hasn't added up for me, but I couldn't articulate why. Jared Bernstein can and did in his book Crunch. In clear language, he explains how the current squeeze happened and gives the tools for evaluating how various issues--social security, globalization, immigration, and more--affect my pocketbook and what would move us towards, or away from, a fair society.

This is a fantastic book. I love the author's no B.S. approach to the economic troubles that face Americans.

He explains why much of today's economic policy is little more than rationalized greed. In particular how the Federal Reserve Board's hiking of interest rates when labor markets get tight is great for the large investor class, (lowers wages by increasing the number of unemployed in a slowed economy), but hammers working people.

I also enjoyed the explanation of the "education myth", how it is naive to think the 70% of the population that does not attend college should somehow do so and all will be well. The author pointed out this is an easy way for the free market apologists to place the blame for gross inequality on "other people"...if only they would do this, or that, they could live worthwhile lives. Right. The devaluing of others labor and the addiction of American business to cheap labor in general is an age old sport.

Mr. Bernstein seems to enjoy poking fun at the free market zealots and economists who think all will be well for everyone through the magic of the market place. As if greed and injustice do not exist. This "Easter Bunny/Santa Claus" economic approach is ripped by the author and I loved every single line. Finally someone from Washington with the guts to tell it like it is.

This was just a great book. Easy to read, and gets to the heart of real issues impacting average Americans. I loved it.

Anyone can get a firm handle on the concept of economics claims "Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed(and Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries)". Speaking in plain terms, cutting away the misleading euphemisms and jargon that the modern media goes on and on with, author Jared Bernstein explains everything one would want to about America's current economic status, and makes it clear that it's all really about choices and that there is no clear cut right answer to make all the problems go away. "Crunch: Why Do I Feel So Squeezed(And Other Unsolved Economic Mysteries" is highly recommended to community library economics shelves and for anyone who wants to fully understand economics without a four year college course in the subject.

I've always wondered whether I should believe the pundits who insist on "letting the free market take its course," and about why positive economic indicators don't seem to reflect the way people are really living. It never made sense to me. In Crunch, Jared Bernstein explains that the reason accepted economic wisdom doesn't always make sense is that some of it is just plain wrong.

One of the things I loved about this book is that it explains economic principles--as well as the motives of those who try to misrepresent them for their own purposes--in terms a non-economist can understand. I feel like I got an in on the knowledge that the experts had been hoarding for themselves. One of Bernstein's key arguments is that economics is about power, and in sharing this information he gives power back to those of us without PhDs in Economics.

Another thing I really liked is that this book doesn't stop with what's wrong. The author offers insights about and suggestions for how we can change to work through really big economic problems like health care, social security, and globalization.

If what they say is true, "We eat first with our eyes", then that just makes these recipes that much more delicious! This cookbook is filled with beautiful photography and wonderful easy to prepare recipes. I find myself reaching for this cookbook and coming up with meals that leaves everyone asking for more.

There are great recipes in this book that have become favorites of my family. If I could only have 5 cookbooks, this would be one of the 5. The Red Pepper Pasta, Fig Crostata and Conchilglie al forno with Mushrooms and Radicchio could not be lived without.

I really like this cookbook, but am I the only one who thinks it's odd that their chicken stock recipe says that it makes 2 quarts when in fact it's more like 2 gallons?

This is a fabulous cookbook. Many, many delicious recipes with easy to follow instructions. This book is a classic that you will use over and over again to prepare loads of great Italian foods.

After eating at Al Forno's several times in the late 90's I bought the book. I was brought up in the restaurant business and new my way around the kitchen though my style was pretty basic. These recipes brought me into a more creative phase. I have made almost all of them. They are easy to follow with great tips and advice on how to succeed. My kids who are grown now, grew up eating Pasta in the Pink and Penne with tomato cream and 5 cheeses. Another favorite is the Chicken stuffed with bruschetta - made on the grill is best. Oh..and the grilled pizza! Have fun!

THE DAY I MET GOD is filled with inspiring and amazing stories of people who had an encounter with God....even the most unlikely of individuals. There's a story for everyone in this book. It will reach anyone and soften the hardest heart! If you have a friend who is need of God's healing power or truth, this is the book for them. These stories will lead them to God! I particularly was moved by the story of the young man was robbing a man who agreed to give him his money, but told the burglar that he needed to give his heart to the Lord. There's is no doubt in mind that this victim must have prayed for the man who robbed him, because he was later led to the Lord. The criminal was really haunted by the man's words until he gave his life to the Lord. I won't spoil the surprise of how he turned his life around! A great evangelical tool, this is a book that Christians can give to their non-Christian friends without fear of offending them. This book''s gentle stories speak loudly of everyone's need for God and also it shows how we are all individuals and how God meets us not just where we are but in such a special way that it validates how well he knows his children.

This wonderful collection of true stories is deeply moving. What an uplifting and encouraging book!

Bought the book last week and we are passing it around the house-everyone wants to read The Day I Met God, we have nearly worn it out! Theis collection of stories will touch your heart and move you as you see God's faithfulness. Get an extra copy for a friend!

We're buying four more copies to give away as gifts, and we'll probably buy more later. It can be enjoyed by everyone, no matter where they are on their spiritual journey. This book was so fun (and easy) to read. My wife and I loved reading the wide range of fascinating testimonials to God's life-changing power! We felt compelled to share these stories with others. Plus, where else can you find a book that is truly invaluable and inspiring for less than 9 bucks!

I couldn't put the book down. I kept reading, story after story, waiting for one to be a "dud." But I was never disappointed. Each story was equally inspiring and filled me with encouragement and hope. There are as many different stories as there are people writing them, all unique, all different.

I see a lilac, smell chocolate-chip cookies baking, hear a certain tone in my sister's voice, and I miss my mother. Emotions flood back. Things we shared that I ache to share again. But there are new feelings as well. Things I never told her. Feelings we never shared. How I wish I could tell her. Tell her the new grandbaby is on the way. Tell her the other children are fine. Tell her that I have lived longer, seen more of life, and I understand more. I have changed. She might have as well.

I am not alone. Lisa R. Delman has tapped into the deep need of many women to share deep feelings with their mothers, or to enunciate them, even knowing that the mothers are not there to read the words. When Delman's own mother lay near death, she realized the depth of her feelings. Fortunately, her mother recovered. Delman wrote a series of letters telling her mother all she had learned...

"By writing to my mother instead of about her, I was able to see reflections of myself and become accountable for my part of our relationship. As I embraced her challenges and triumphs in a compassionate way, I was graciously able to accept my own humanity."

Taking her new knowledge, Delman set up an Internet letter-writing contest encouraging other women to write letters to their mothers. She received more that a thousand entries. from all over the world. Many of the letters appear in this book. Letters that concern not only grief and disappointment, but also courage, gratitude and love. Some are written and have been shared with the writers' mothers. Others, such as mine, were delivered only through the heart.

This is a good book to browse. The variety of letters--in each section, prefaced by Delman's commentary--will evoke familiar feelings and help each reader to enunciate her own. The book closes with "Ten Ways to Open Your Heart to Your Mother," a useful guide which Delman says will lead you to the right place. "The rest will follow."

To learn more about Delman's work and her on-going letter writing contests, visit her website.

by Patricia Nordyke Pando
for Story Circle Book Reviews
reviewing books by, for, and about women

This book is an amazing look at daghters relationships with their moms. The letters go beyond all cultural barriers to connect the hearts of women everywhere. If you are a women...then you are a daughter. Read this book and be inspired by the heartfelt letters of women from around the globe.

There are a lot of unsaid words and feelings bottled inside most of us. With my mother now in her eighties, I need to learn to let these out and to share them with her.
Discovering this book may help me break through the silence. I hope so.
Here's the author's words from the Letters From The Heart website: "I hope you take the women's insights in the book, Dear Mom, as a guide to explore your own relationship with your mother, and most important, with yourself.
May you make it a priority to tend to unresolved matters and discover the purpose of compassion, peace, and love throughout your life."
Wouldn't it be wonderful if all daughters could take this inspiration and achieve an improved relationship?

Lisa did a brilliant job of creating the concept and then weaving the selected letters into a masterpiece of human emotion. I was able to look inside of so many incredibly expressive women's worlds to be captivated by their heartfelt feelings of gratitude, sorrow, shame, anger, guilt, abandonment, forgiveness, grief, love and in so many situations there was resolution, peace and wholeness. I found it refreshing to be able to leave my fast paced hectic day and slip away for some precious time to experience the journey of Dear Mom, I've Always Wanted You to Know as the Letters from the Heart truly touched my heart. As a daughter of a wonderful mother that is finer than a priceless gem and as a mother of two teenage daughters, I laughed, cried and wanted more when I reached the end. Life can take people in so many directions and the process of finding your home can sometimes be a letter away. I highly recommend this book!!!

It goes without saying that the relationship between mothers and daughters is a complex one. Not only that, but it changes over time, so that neither mothers or daughters are ever quite the same from year to year, or even month to month. The result is an unpredictable relationship that is often difficult, but also rewarding. Lisa Delman's anthology began when she wrote her own letters to her mother. But it has moved from the personal to the many, and in doing so this book of letters touches on the universal. There are so many good letters in this volume, and they run the scale of emotions. I was particular impressed by the work of Judy Brand, who writes so movingly about making a momentous decision to save her mother's life following an aneurysm. I was also touched by Cynthia Jean Heidercker's story about being deaf, and how her mother labored to make life easier for her. These letters are all from the heart, some hurt and others made healthy again, by the primary relationships in their lives. The book offers life lessons for us all.

The power of a testimony, or one's life story, is sometimes all that will shake us from our own grief long enough to enable change. Did I Expect Angels? is a book that shows just how powerful it is to listen and to be heard, and to let those that love us know that we are not doing well, to cry out for help. Humans can be angels, it all depends on if they are the right person at the right time, and if they are willing to invest a little. We all have angels.

In Did I Expect Angels? the grieving Jennifer meets an unexpected angel, Henry who tells her the story of his life. She never thinks to listen until her story becomes so much like his that her mind is finally able to focus on someone, on something besides her pain. Life does not make pretty, endings are not always good but if we try to pretend that we have gotten better, improved, or no longer need anti-depressants when we do, it is just a matter of time before our momentum will decrease and our life will fall apart with it. Jennifer was exactly in that spot when she met the greeter at a the local 24 hour store, an older man from Costa Rica. Jennifer thought the world would be a better place without her, that her daughter would do better in the loving arms of someone else rather than being surrounded by her own mood swings and depression.

Did I Expect Angels? is a new take on 'It's a Wonderful Life', this is a novel that does not smoothe over, it does not dumb down pain. A captivating read, it shows the power of one life impacting another. Kathryn does a spectacular job in the writing. It is not mystical, surreal or strange at all, the angels are modern day heroes who mostly just happen to be the perfect person in the right place and time. I loved this book, the whole way through I was emotionally tied in to the book. I highly recommend it, really. It blew me away.

Reviewed by Allison King for RebeccasReads (7/08)

Jennifer's life is still in turmoil eighteen months after her husband has passed away. She can't get her life together or move forward, but knows she needs to for her little girl. Both families are supportive and wanting to help her, but Jennifer is unable to accept that life will never be the same. Depressed, grieving and overwhelmed, she decides there is only one way to make things better. Luckily, this is the night she runs in to Henry. He knows Jennifer from the store he greets at and they've talked about his homeland, Costa Rica. He sees the look of desperation in her eyes that night and decides he needs to tell her the story of hardship and tribulations he has had to endure. In a diner, their stories unfold.

The author, Karen Maughan, takes the lives of Jennifer and Henry and creates an amazing story that is both heartbreaking and inspiring. She takes us back to before Jennifer's tragic loss of her husband and brings us through to current day. The ups and downs of her life seem to reflect that something tragic might happen. Henry's life is rewound for us to see his start in Costa Rica and his long, hard road to immigrate and make something of himself in the United States for his family. The author's writing method of jumping from Jennifer's past to current time to Henry's past, throughout the book makes the story flow easier. It helped mix up the times you had to read Henry's broken English (be aware there is a bit of Spanish used in the story), but that actually made the story `different' to me. You might not understand a few words, but the meaning still comes through by how he tells his story.

On a personal note, having lost my husband suddenly, the passages after she found out she had lost him were so clear in my own memory. I could truly identify with Jennifer's grief, inability to focus and anger at everyone. The steady flow of `get over it' from family is hard to hear when you are still grieving. I needed a box of Kleenex next to me for most of the second half of the book.

I would recommend this book to anyone that loves stories that pull at your heart. The book is short in length (182 pages), so most people might be able to read it in one sitting.
Overall, this was an amazing book that brought the stories of a woman in anguish and a man full of life together. The meaning of our lives is a strong theme in this book from start to finish. Sometimes, the best moments in life are those unexpected angels that come to you and change your life... forever.

This is one of the best books I've read this year, and here's why:

You will want to read this book in one sitting. Guaranteed.

The author is able to capture the voice of Henry, the immigrant, perfectly. From his choppy English to his dreams of what life will be like in America, I felt like if I looked over my shoulder, I might see him there, whispering his story to me.

The main character, Jennifer, suffers grief in such a real way. She handles it as best she can, but is slowly succombing to a deeper grief. The author is able to evoke emotions so real and powerful, I wanted to reach into the pages and take some of Jennifer's grief and shoulder it myself.

It's a beautiful story. What's beautiful is not how Jennifer copes so well or how everything is tied up neatly in a package at the end, but rather, how the story is so REAL. Jennifer does not deal with her husband's death well. Henry has a hard time as an immigrant in America. This book shows what it means to be human: that through the worst, we still endure. And perhaps we will find happiness.

Grief affects everyone in many different ways- but there's a healthy limit to it. "Did I Expect Angels?" is the story of Jennifer Huffaker and her seemingly never ending grief over her husbands death. The mental agony of it all slowly becomes more and more intense and she's left with a drastic decision, but an old friend stops her and imparts his infinite wisdom to her to save Jennifer's life. Heartwarming, sorrowful, funny, and insightful, "Did I Expect Angels?" is a brilliantly written emotional roller coaster which will take you from page 1 to page 168 with little desire to stop. "Did I Expect Angels?" is highly recommended to community library fiction shelves everywhere.

In her debut novel, Kathryn Maughan tells the story of a young mother struggling to recover from the tragic loss of her husband. Jennnifer, widowed at an early age, is forced to raise their young daughter alone and finds herself on the brink of suicide. The author creatively intertwines Jennifer's story with that of an unlikely friend, Henry, who shares his past in effort to connect with Jennifer and help her move on with her life.

As Henry reveals his own story of love and loss, Jennifer daydreams about her past. She retraces her life back to the day that she met her late husband, and in the process tells the story of a young girl searching for love, security, and a sense of belonging.

The story depicts the harsh realities that often accompany sudden tragedies, as well as the new direction that can be found within despair. Jennifer and Henry find mutual solace and understanding in each other's life experiences. By listening to Henry's story, Jennifer is guided towards new hope and motivation to move forward with her life. It also seems that in sharing his story, Henry finds personal meaning and purpose within his own hardships. Their stories are intricately paralleled throughout the book in a masterful effort to relate the deeper message that we are all connected at a fundamental level by our own humanity.

Maughan beautifully illustrates the healing power of human connection. Maughan has a talent for character develop and quickly endears both characters to the reader. This emotional story is both heart wrenching and heartwarming, and those looking for an entertaining read will find it in this well written novel.

Armchair Interview says: Very substantial offering from this first-time author.

As a person who was not born and raised in West Virginia, Loughry's book was an eye-opener. It takes the reader beyond the flippant comments and sound bites that emerge every political season, to give one a baseline, if you will, of the sordid past of politics in the state. The political shenanigans occur on both sides of the aisle, and some of the strange bedfellows that emerged at various times are truly fascinating.

The book begins with the Kennedy campaign and how a largely Protestant state voted for Kennedy, a Catholic, and changed the balance between Kennedy and Hubert Humphrey in a primary season very different from what we see today. Loughry takes us into the inner workings of the political machines, lubricated by money from Joseph Kennedy (who is responsible, verbatim, for the title of the book).

From there the book shifts backwards to the development of political bosses of the distant past and then takes us through to some of the aspects of politics in play to this day.

I cannot verify Loughry's claim that everything he has gathered is verifiable through media excerpts, but I can say that it is a fascinating read that is a must for any armchair politician in the state, and a great read for anyone interested in how our the voting process works or does not work

After having this book recommended to me, I was a bit skeptical, figuring it too dry for my taste, but I was immediately drawn in and had trouble putting it down. Growing up in West Virginia I was startled at how deep the corruption in politics has been and its continuing nature. The book examines corruption itself in a very fair and even manner without attacking any particular group. After reading this, the need for election reform and accountability in public office is obvious. Not just for West Virginia but for the country. I found the book to be interesting, informative, entertaining at times, and very thought provoking. I would recommend it to anyone, whether or not they have an interest in politics. I can even see the value of the book as a required text for high school students because it provides a taste of history that is sometimes buried, along with a plan for the future.

Don't Buy Another Vote....is a wonderful, easy to read, eye-opening book. I think everyone including college students, West Virginians, people that follow politics very closely, and people that just vote should read. It is a very honest look at political corruption with a little humor along the way. Very well written! Go get a copy!!!!

I just finished "Don't Buy Another Vote, I Won't Pay For A Landslide" and find it to be one of the most amazing books I have ever read! I started reading and surprisingly, I couldn't put it down. Being a political junkie I thought I knew just about everything about politics, but this book breaks it down to a much more detailed level in a very comprehensive, yet readable way. The detail is mindboggling, but the conversational style of the author is refreshing.
In all of my years of reading political books and following politics, this is the first time I have ever read a book written in such a non partisan manner. I was skeptical at first because individuals often proclaim to be non partisan and write without bias, but that rarely is ever the case. The author is an equal opportunity offender, but it is clear that he doesn't pick on anybody. Instead, he tells the story of incredible corruption broken down at a state level. It includes amazing information about Mother Jones, the Hatfields and McCoys, the Coal Mine Wars, governors going to jail, a state attorney general hiring hit man to kill one of his deputies, another governor having his wife bribe a juror, a judge who bit the end off of a defendant's nose, and countless other stories. What makes this book different, however, is the that author provides a step-by-step way to fix the system that can be applied to all fifty states. This guy should run for Governor or U.S. Senator because we lack these types of visionaries in state and federal government these days.
This book should be read by everyone with any interest in politics, history, psychology, elections, etc.... I was overwhelmed and have told everyone I know. Every single high school student in America should be given a copy of this book as they graduate. This book changed my life! READ THIS BOOK!!!!

Dr. Allen Loughry's "Don't Buy Another Vote, I Won't Pay for a Landslide" is truly a breath of fresh air in a genre that sorely needed it. Most books written these days about the political arena and the corrupt nature attendant to it are riddled with shortcomings and philosophical pitfalls and, in the end, simply don't deliver. More often than not they serve to advance the agenda of their own writer, and the most painful part of the whole experience is how patently transparent that writer's intentions are. They provide little more than a laundry list of rants by an author perched high atop his/her soap box driven by a far greater concern for hijacking the pages of his/her own publication to simply rail against the establishment. The greater problem with this is how rarely they provide anything substantive in the way of suggested remedies for a very broken and morally bankrupt system that rules the day in American politics.

With "Don't Buy Another Vote" Loughry breaks that mold. His writing is not only to the complete contrary of such a dissatisfying style, but it downright hits home. This is the political narrative that we've all been waiting to read, and it was well worth the wait. Unlike may authors who complain about the proverbial weather without doing anything to change it, Loughry does plenty, or at least he inspires us to do so. Not only does he call nearly 150 years worth of corrupt West Virginia officials out on the carpet for their egregious misdeeds, but he also provides suggestions for the type of reform he feels is necessary to correct this longstanding crisis.

Loughry's "Contract With the Voter" is as innovative and well thought out as it is groundbreaking. Before the smoke settles, don't be surprised if this model for change might very well be adopted as the accepted norm for those seeking office not just in the Mountain State, but in any state. It's prolific in its simplicity and after reading it you'll find yourself saying..."Yes, why can't we implement something like THAT!?" From cover to cover Loughry's message resonates and his voice is true to the mark. A crisp writing style that goes a long way toward walking us through a murky history in which nothing sacred holds. A must read for all of us, irrespective of our own political affiliations. Loughry points out that corruption is not confined to party lines. Neither, for that matter, is the book now chronicling its long and ugly history in West Virginia.

I curiously picked it up in the library last night and finished in a few hours. It is really well researched and smoothly written. I really enjoyed all the quotes it is filled with and the pictures are well chosen.

Marjorie Spiegel has captured the essence of violence - domination and control. She presents an accurate portrayal and case that violence towards non-human animals holds the key and ultimate solution to the creation of a violencefree society. Her ideas and images run deep and should be required reading in our schools and homes. This brief, but to the point manuscript speaks volumes to the pain and suffering we have created as a result of so called human progress.

This book compares human and animal slavery in a way you can never ever forget. The words and pictures are unforgettable. You will feel the feelings of those humans and those animals who are used (and being used now) as slaves.

Read this book, and change your life! (it really helps) Many thanks to Amazon.com for recommending this book to me...

This is an unforgettable and powerful book, by an author who has captured the essence of violence; and shows how violence towards non-human animals holds the key and ultimate solution to the creation of a violence-free society. Alice Walker, who writes the Foreward says that once this book is read, it will take a lifetime to forget. Others say it should be required reading in our schools and homes. It provocatively reveals the similarities between the violence humans have wrought against other humans, and our treament of non-human animals. It is brief (128 pages) but is a chilling testament, well illustrated with photos and sketches, and altough a small book it speaks volumes to the pain and suffering we have created as a result of so-called human progress.
Majorie Spiegal is a documentary photographer and author of several books. Her fields of study include biology, philosophy, environmental studies, history, nutrition and medicine. In 1989, she founded IDEA (Institute for Development of Earth Awareness), a non-profit educational organisation whose mission synthesizes three areas of concern: environmental, human and animal issues.
In this startling book, Spiegal gives a voice to those who cannot speak for themselves, and points out the 'dreaded comparison' between the pain felt by abused human beings and the pain felt by abused non-human beings, recognising it as the same pain. Why is it unacceptable to treat humans 'like animals', but it is considered a proper manner in which to treat non-human animals? For some, this book my be too challenging to their most closly-held beliefs, but it is truly a consciousness-raising exercise. Most people would say they are against slavery, yet animal slavery is alive and well even in the most 'civilized' society. The author draws parallels, and the illustrations stunnily juxtapose those of captured black slaves and those of captured non-human animals, sometimes wearing the same sort of restraining equipment. There are illustrations of branding to calves and of slaves, the muzzling of dogs and of slaves, the auctioning of slaves and of non-human animals, and many other examples. Families were torn apart, just as calves are ripped from their mothers without even the chance of a lick. There is undisputed evidence of non-human animals sufering the intolerable pain of mourning. In today's factory farmong, chicks never see a hen, cows and sows are kept in stalls, with their young taken from them almost immediately after birth.
The author covers many related subjects, including the language of oppression, transportation, experimentation, food production, hunting, profits and power. A term like 'breaking a horse'- which really does man breaking the spirit of the horse, to tame just as 'uppity' slaves were tamed. Photos of sheep and cattle being transported, are shown with sketches of slave ships; 15 million slaves survived some thirty or forty million transported to the West, and there is a ghastly mortality rate today for cattle and sheep transported from Australia to the East. Hunting continues around the world, with th UK House of Lords in March this year voting to continue hunting with hounds. In the US the object of desire for many hunters is to get a buck's head complete with antlers, stuffed and hung over the fireplace. Many travellers today search for items such as a gorilla's hand for a paper-weight, exotic skins and other tropies, and so many other creatures including whales being hunted. As segregation of blacks was a means for committee to conceal a disturbing reality from the wider society, so today's secrecy protects a profitable but disgusting cruelty to non-human beings. What goes on in laboratories, in abbatoirs, in factory farm? Nowadays in place of cows, sheep, pigs and chickens living peaceably on farms, we see long sheds. Those in power used to say that if slavery were ended, the economics of society would collapse, but it didn't. Today's society that relies very heavily on the exploitation of animals, says the same sort of thing. But the author doesn't give up hope; she urges on her readers to the realization that the non-human we enslave and treat as things, are alive, and hopes that this realization will change our actions. This book is one that you will keep referring to, and it does have a comphrehensive index. Jeffrey Masson, author of When Elephants Weep, said The Dreaded Comparison is a wonderful book, and he urged everyone to read it. So do I.

People long for a more in-depth study on this subject...unfortunately, unless you write it yourself...it's not getting published. The animal rights movement is severely fractioned (non-white and white, feminist and non-feminist, old school (the Singer generation and new school), and the former followers of PeTA dogma. Per every ZOGBY survey, the majority of Vegans are of African origin. This book GIVES the facts...use your brain and come to your own conclusions.