Biographies Books

And I just came upon it by accident at a friend's house in his "Shaklee Store" in his basement back in the early 80's. It was just sitting over to the side on top of some other books. I historically have Never purchased a book "because, well, it just looked interesting". In this instance, however, I did. It changed my whole outlook on life. There was a one page magazine advertisement that one of Denton's "Hotel mates" (Everett Alvarez) did for Phillip Morris after he had returned to the U.S. and became successful. It talked about "everything tasting better" and "smelling better" in Freedom and that "nothing in life was a problem" (or something to that effect) after what he had gone through and survived. That advertisement and the book "When Hell Was in Session" should be required reading for every high school and college social studies class.

This book is intensely disturbing, gut-wrenching and horrific... That being said, it may sound cliche, but Jeremiah Denton provides an entirely new insight into what our servicemen have endured for our country -- what he went through will hit you hard. I dare anyone to read this book and not come away a changed person in some way...

I was impressed by Denton's horrifying experiences as a POW in Hanoi for 7+ years. He accurately describes the torture he and his fellow POWs experienced for several years before the tides of war slowly changed in the early '70s which lessened the tortures they were receiving. You, as a reader, are right there with Denton in his cell as he learns the tap codes and other methods of communication; how he is horribly punished and tortured for communicating and not cooperating. One has to ask oneself, "How would I have handled this situation?" To be locked in Alcatraz for several years in solitary confinement and wondering how to cope with it...what would YOU do?

I had seen the film of Denton's return in the movie, Dear America: Letters Home from Viet Nam and never really understood his horrible times in the Hanoi Hilton. Now, I do. A treasure of a read to add to any library. The only drawback...not enough maps to put his location in perspective.

Nevertheless, fascinating. In the words of his captors, "Shut mouth. Read book!"

Mr. Denton and his fellow POWs are the very definition of the the word hero. In this book, Mr. Denton tells the story of his 7+ years as a prisoner of war in North Vietnam with grace, dignity, and courage. His great love for the United States and his pride in being an American are evident again and again. He endured unspeakable agony and conditions so horrible they are beyond my comprehension, yet he never wavered in his love for his country, his family, and his God. I am humbled and overwhelmed at the sacrifices this man (and many others) have made on my behalf. The despicable act of the California state "leadership" and Fabian Nunez in barring Mr. Denton from speaking before a California Assembly on Independence Day 2004 is reprehensible and disgusting.

Thank you, Mr. Denton! You deserve our undying gratitude.

This is one of the best books I've ever read. I have so much respect for Denton and the prisoners of war he was held in captivity with for over 7 years. It amazes me that anyone could survive within that environment. These soldiers helped each other survive under great distress -- even while many of them were in solitary confinement and their story is amazing. This book isn't just a recap of Denton's experience; it contains deeply thoughtful content throughout the book about love, patriotism, encouragement and more. There is much wisdom contained in this book. I learned a lot and highly recommend it to others.

When the Grass Was Blue is a great book to read on a yourney of discovery the truth about the time period of the Civil Rights Movement. Not the truth in terms of facts - dates, names, places.... But the thruth as a direct, emotional, and personal affect the movement had on commmon african-american families and individuals - especially a child. For me, as an 'english-as-a-second-language' speaker, the book was easy to read, clear and understandable at its basis. Author's use of a main character as a young african-american boy directly experiencing the Civil Rights Movement in the family of an active mother, ever-drunken father, and a desperate-slacker-brother, gave a greatly drawn objective prespective on the issue and a point of view of an innocent child...

Phillip is an unforgettable person. He enters a classroom and lights up the dreariest of mornings. He excites the most reserved student to open up their mind, look inside their experiences and discover language they never knew they had. With Phillip, creativity comes first. The exploration and the journey are the means by which he arrives at the poetry. When he teaches, he offers a very safe (but not too strict) framework in which students of just about any learning style can let their imaginations run free.

With this book, Phillip shares his innate gift with the rest of the world. His words are honest, emotional and memorable.

Phillip Shabazz's When the Grass was Blue paints a poignant picture of the life of Kathoor, as the title suggests, a young boy growing up in the Civil Rights Era South. Each line, each verse and each story provide the reader with a clear and colorful portrait of this young man-child's world. Shabazz brings this real and turbulent tale to light through the eyes of a child and the words of a poet. A brilliant read at the end of the day for any child, adult or both.

i really enjoyed this book. most of my family read it and they loved it. we all learned so much form reading the book. it put me and my cousins on a new path. By: Rachel

Mr. Shabazz came to your class for poetry week. We were so lucky to have him. He was amazing. He taught us that the best poetry comes either things we experoenced or the things we imagine. This book he worte took our whole class back to their childhood. We began to open up more than ever in our poetry. The way he writes paints a picutre for every reader to see. I recommened this book to all who truly love poetry that comes from the heart. By: Asia

I really liked this book, why because i could relate to some of the things that he was talkin bout in this book. this book made me want to write more and put my voice out there. When Shabazz came to iour classit felt like i connected with him for some reason this man knew what he was takin bout. I felt that i learned alot of things from this book. Who ever read this book i hope you enjoy it.... Gary

I really enjoyed this book. I could really relate to some of the poems written in the book. Maddison

This book was unlike any poetry book I've read. It illustrated a story that opened my eyes to my history and introduced me to a creative way of writing. Shaakira

As a parent and an educator, I have always been moved by the ability of children to speak truth. When the Grass was Blue is a poignant remembrance of family life and of the civil rights era as seen through the eyes of a sensitive, truth-telling boy. The juxtaposition of personal experience, family struggles, and the dreams of childhood to our national experience, political struggles, and dreams of social justice weave both histories, the personal one and the national one, into a single, colorful fabric. By getting the details right, Philip Shabazz, has created a seamless story that does everything good stories should do--it captivates, entertains, reveals, and, when the last poem is read, leaves the reader wanting to know how life turned out for this wonderful boy. Readers, like me, who are old enough to remember the 60's, will relive their own experience through these poems. Younger readers and children will enjoy an uplifting story and learn how it felt to grow up during these tumultuous times.

THE BOOK GIVES NUMEROUS EXAMPLES OF WHY THE NEW TESTAMENT IS NOT ENTIRELY VALID. YOU CAN SUM UP HER BOOK BY SAYING SIMPLY THAT THE NEW TESTAMENT WAS WRITTEN BY PEOPLE WHO DID NOT WITNESS WHAT THEY CLAIM, BUT THE CATHOLIC CHURCH AND OTHER CHRISTIAN RELIGIONS WANT YOU TO BELIEVE THAT WHAT IS SAID IN THE NEW TESTAMENT IS TRUE REGARDLESS OF THE LACK OF ACCURACY OR MISTRANSLATION. I WILL SAY THAT IT ANSWERED ONE OF MY QUESTIONS, BUT THE BOOK DOES EXPLAIN WHY THE NEW TESTAMENTS' VALIDITY IS QUESTIONABLE. ITS A GOOD BOOK TO READ IF YOU'RE SEARCHING FOR EXAMPLES OF WHY THERE ARE QUESTIONABLE AREAS IN THE NEW TESTAMENT, CHRONOLOGICAL ERRORS, MISTRANSLATIONS OF THOSE WHO WROTE THE CHAPTERS, MISREPRESENTATIONS OF THINGS THAT HAPPENED AND WHERE THEY HAPPENED AS WELL AS WHY. IT MAKES ONE WONDER WHAT REALLY HAPPENED 2000 + YEARS AGO IF NO ONE LIVED LONG ENOUGH TO WRITE ABOUT IT. WHAT WAS STATED HAS BEEN PASSED DOWN SIMILAR TO STORIES, ONE MORE GRANDIOSE THAN THE ONE BEFORE IT.

Who was Jesus? is an exceptionally well written and researched investigation into the Jesus story and the New Testament. The author, D.M. Murdock, brings logic, reason, and intelligence to a subject that has held human kind captive for centuries and dares to go where so very few ever dare go. This book rates among the top of a very small group of other equally as compelling books such as "The Age of Reason" written by Thomas Paine in 1794, "The World's Sixteen Crucified Saviors" written by Kersey Graves in 1824, and more recent publications "Caesar's Messiah" by Joseph Atwill and "An Infidel Manifesto" by Gary Lenaire.

Theologian David Bosch stated that, "The mission of the church needs constantly to be renewed and reconceived." And so Christianity and its myriad churches have adapted to the changing climate of secular cultural beliefs and methods which gain wide popular acclamation. By the time Voltaire wrote in "Candide" of his devoted disciple to ultra-rationalist Alfred Leibnitz, Prof. Pangloss, the "take it on faith" appeal of the churches toward less acculturated masses seemed glumly passe in the craze of the western cogniscenti toward the new rationalism that stressed study of evidence in rigorous empiricism and epistemology. By the 19th century, the gospels, scriptures, older apologies and other early Christian texts were beginning to be scrutinized by the criteria of rational method formulated in the immediate prior decades. Dissatisfied with the veneer of vague metaphysics in the literal content, the early Christian rationalists employed methods of literary criticism and developed "higher criticism" as a means of analogous and metaphorical interpretation.

Especially in the U.S., starting in the mid-20th century a reactive more fundamental and evangelical school of clerical scholarship is determined to take their "new" rationalism public. In the day and age of rocket science and electronic engineering, both in sermon and classroom, the scholars would spread the word that faith alone is no longer required to embrace Christ's one "true" revelation -- hence, books written for popular appeal such as "Evidence That Demands a Verdict" by Josh McDowell. (Apparently that was not enough : "The New Evidence that Demands A Verdict".) Alleged ex-Atheist journalists like Lee Strobel become super-stars on Christian television with books like "The Case for Christ", ad nauseum.

D.M. Murdock is not the first detective among skeptics to casually but surgically burst the bubble and pollute the punch of modern Christian claims of evidence. But in less than 200 pages she does so with an alacrity and thoroughness that is nothing less than stunning for the quantity of information imparted but brevity in outlining a counter-case. I am reminded of an especially skilled courtroom attorney orating a final summary of arguments to a jury.

She has the ability to make her case quite ably from a minimally clinical perspective, to be sure. But the reader is treated to so much more. We recognize in the writing style here, the sumptuous ability to engage her reader and immerse one in the vagaries of comparative mythology and religion that is the trademark of Acharya S. A passionate archeologist, classicist, and historian, she has that knack of being able to guide the reader into sharing with her the adventure of exploring intellectual realms not commonly known or appreciated. She uses such talent here in spades. From a respectful summarizing of Gospel Matthew, we are alerted to the problem of harmonizing the gospels, the problems of evidences outside the Christian paradigm, the problem of dating the gospels and other Christian documents by standards of best tangible evidence, the earlier Jewish scriptural and pagan influences on the NT, other issues aside, each more enthralling than the preceding, until finally debunking the weak claims of evidence, some clothed no better than the proverbial emperor, insisted upon by the growing range of evangelical Christian scholarship. The pages turn, the momentum builds, and even the most disinterested reader is introduced to fascinating aspects of literary development and mythologizing in the earlier ancient realm of our western tradition.

This book is as intellectually honest as it is timely. The Evangelical movement and neo-conservatives have sought to exploit the uncertainty and fear caused by the attacks of 9/11 and this book is a shining example of the rationality, courage, and intellect that surfaces when society needs a drastic course adjustment. The ugly hegemonic aspect of organized religion has created "godly" millionaires and "humble" political powerhouses bent on the fulfillment of violent prophecies. Without the dissemination of the wisdom contained in this book, and others like it, it is a historically proven certainty that America will become a tyrannical fascist police state with Christianity at its "moral" foundation. If this is to be our fate, the very least that every person of good conscience owes to themselves, friends, and family is to set aside blind faith for a moment and challenge the beliefs that are brining it about. My only criticism of the book is that the author relies heavily on a scientific voice. I have found that logical argumentation conjures, in a split second, the cognitive consonance of blind faith which leads to paranoia, then anger. But, in the end, it is up to the "true believer" to work past this bias. I implore every person with the courage to take personal responsibility for their spirituality to get this book in front of as many Christians as you can, quickly!

As a Religious Studies student at Indiana University I am extremely fascinated by the historical origins of Christianity. Ms. Murdock has provided a much needed objective evaluation of the supposed "evidence" which is usually marshalled in defense of traditional and conservative approaches to the topic. With an even handed use of logic, she forensically examines primary sources. While often citing mainstream and conservative scholars, she doesn't limit herself to their timid conclusions. In fact, her analysis leads to conclusions that are as reasonable as they are shocking. This work is both consice and thorough. It deserves strong attention from aspiring academics as well as those of the conservative literalist fold. Rather than dogmatize out of some hidden agenda, she, more rationally, lets the evidence speak for itself. I highly recommend this eloquent and persuasive volume!

This is a great book, covering just about everything you could hope to know about the first six seasons of the show. I really enjoyed the writing by Colucci and the actor/producer/director/guest star anecdotes. I don't care for the format of the book, though - the episodes are usually covered two-to-a page, in column format (yecch). Some of the interlude pages are kind of cheezy (i.e., there's a page listing all of Will & Grace's various boyfriends) and some of the pages with behind-the-scenes info (i.e., the decor used for Grace's office and Will & Grace's apartment) have a corny-looking layout. Hopefully by now this book has been expanded to include the last two seasons and the historic Finale, and the aftermath of this groundbreaking sitcom. Incidentally, "Will & Grace" was remarkably consistent - the first five seasons were consistently great. Season six slipped a bit, probably due to the writers having to work around Debra Messing's pregnancy, but Season 7 came back stronger than ever. The last season of most sitcoms is, predictably, never the best, but the earlier seasons more than make up for it. This book does capture the magic of Seasons 1-6. Thanks, Jim Colucci.

Will & Grace is on of my favorite shows. And this book just proves my point. From the beautiful photographs to the hilarious interviews, it's a pretty awesome companion book.
My only complaint is that I wish it were updated to include all 8 seasons, as it only covers up through season six. But it's still great, and a must have for any Will & Grace fan!

"Will & Grace: Fabulously Uncensored" is a must-have item for every fan of the now-defunct but forever-classic television program, but it will also be of interest to the casual reader who may be curious about the "behind-the-scenes" makings of a modern sitcom. This book is dense with anecdotes, factoids, and gossip; it outlines the fascinating history of the inception and casting of the show, along with exhaustive information on how the episodes are put together, from initial writer's conferences and cast readings, through rehearsals and show tapings, including furious last-minute script rewrites, and, at least in one instance, the firing of a guest star during the performance. I would offer, however, a few words of warning: the book only covers to the end of Season Six (a "W&G" quiz featured in the book's appendix contains a couple of incorrect answers due to further developments in Seasons Seven and Eight); and the proofreader for this tome should be shot -- I stopped counting typos and misspellings after I reached a dozen, and I wasn't even a third of the way through the book. The wary should, of course, be more concerned with the former than the latter, and I offer it only as a cautionary note to avoid undue disappointment. Otherwise I highly recommend this book to all!

This book is great for people who are obsessed with the show. The colorful (and I mean COLORFUL) pages are filled with photos, episode summaries (seasons 1 -6), cast and character bios (on minor characters as well), witty quotes and a lot of behind the scenes articles and tidbits. It makes a great coffee table book to pick up and flip through and relive the laughter.

What more can I say that hasn't already been said in these other 5 star reviews?

If you loved those crazy characters...you'll love the book. You'll learn fun tidbits & laugh as you recall your favorite moments from the show.

Execellent book for everyone, not only baseball fans. Murcer tells a compelling story of how to keep your priorities in order and maintain your faith. Very easy read, and well worth it.

Bobby Murcer was my hero. I bought an advance copy from Amazon and waited months for it to arrive. It did not disappoint. It is one of the best books I've ever read about sports.
I miossplaced the boof for a couple of months, half-read. I found it again just after he passed away and started reading it again.

I'm saving the last few pages for when I need the strength.

I enjoyed Bobby's book and all the 1970 baseball storys. He also gives you an inside view from a 1970's player on baseball. I am a big Yankee fan and really enjoy the Phil Rizzuto comments. Bobby wrote with a lot of faith and high spirits and it is sad knowing how the real story ends.

I totally enjoyed reading Bobby's book. i had to keep stopping to wipe away the tears in my eyes from sadness and laughter. I recommend it to all lovers of baseball.

This is an awesome book by an awesome person and I think everyone should read it,not only baseball fans. It is very inspiring.

Thank you Amazon.com. You have always been wonderful. Never had a problem.

Ianthe is the daughter of Richard Brautigan, although this book is more her personal story of overcoming her father's suicide than a biography of him. I would have preferred the latter. Still, you get a good, if incomplete portrait of Richard Brautigan through the eyes of the person closest to him. You get to know his multi-faceted personality, including his tragic drinking habit, but never understand his life or what drove him to suicide (nobody, including his daughter, knows). Some great stories about the last of the beats. I think my favorite was when he sat with a friend in his Montana cabin and shot out the hours on the clock, each hour on the hour, with his handgun.

Your favorite artistic hero from college days no longer rings a bell for many if not most. Richard Brautigan was one of the most innovative, creative, and "counter-culture" (as we used to say) poets of his day. His poetry was utterly refreshing and blew (literally) all the stuffy poetry elevated to a plane beyond God out of the room. As to this truly grand memoir by his daughter, Ianthe Brautigan, as much as a fan as I was - I did not know that her father's poetry revolutionized the genre and sold millions world-wide. Most profound of all, is Ms. Brautigan's literary gifts so evident in this book. For the price of a cup of good coffee, it is surely worth your time.

This memoir was written with sensitivity and emotion but never seemed maudlin. I was sorry when the book ended. I wanted more.

A lot of this memoir, written by Richard Brautigan's daughter, though charming in tone, is pretty much skimmable. What's interesting, however, are the descriptions of her father's writing room, particularly in San Francisco in the 1960s-70s on Geary Street and the surrounding vicinity. There are wonderful descriptions of the writing room with its typewriter and art hanging on the walls, such as the pencil drawing of a bus with real Lincoln penny heads as passengers and a picture of an ancient Colt pistol. And who can forget the small Buddhist shrine, the oak table with the stained rings of coffee cups, and the the back porch with those stacked piles of the San Francisco Chronicle. Like any good writer, Brautigan couldn't throw away a day's newspaper without going through it completely. This memoir also has some nice depictions of cabin life in Montana, and there as some interesting old black-white photos of Brautigan. Check out page 71 with it's picture of the ranch house kitchen and the bullet holes on the wall in the shape of a clock.--Alex Sydorenko, Chicago, 2001.

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Ianthe Brautigan stays on target throughout her memoir -- as the daughter of Richard Brautigan, and the daughter of a father who killed himself. Brautigan turns out to be an articulate author, and she expresses her feelings very openly. I feel callous saying that this is an enlightening read for R. Brautigan fans, because much of I. Brautigan's drive derives from her troubled feelings about him. But the book is also a biography of her father, the ways he lived (as well as the way he died, which is vividly described). While reading, I felt it was a reliable biography, from the POV of someone very close to him, who understood him, and had her own experiences with respect to growing up his daughter; it was a reliable/subjective biography, which turned out to have merits of its own that an outsider can't match -- for better or worse. What it loses in objectivity, it more than overcomes.

No doubt I. Brautigan has had many other life experiences too, but very impressively she keeps to her misssion to tell the story of her father, his life, his death, her relationship to and evolving feelings about it. I did not expect it to be as well-done as it is. Kudos, as well as my sympathy to the author who indeed had an unfortunate and difficult time due to his suicide. Regarding R. Brautigan, fans will appreciate her anectodes and stories, despite their coming from the place they do -- of having to learn that she can not "catch death."

Anyone who is facing the prospect of making decisions for a family member who is ill or frail should read this book. Some of the information shared is vital - not only on an emotional level, but a financial one as well. Many people make mistakes when choosing nursing home care. Bosworth shares things that readers can use to assist them in finding the best care available for their loved one. She also stresses the importance of making your personal wishes known to your family before they are thrown into a whirlwind of confusion should you suffer an unexpected medical emergency.

Bosworth never succumbs to self-pity, yet she shares her heart and her pain in a way that makes the reader part of the journey. I was struck with her compassion and her honesty. After reading YOUR MOTHER HAS SUFFERED A SLIGHT STROKE, you will feel as if you have gained more than the sharing of a painful experience - you will feel as if you've made a new friend. This book is a treasure.

Highly recommended.

The person who wrote this book is not a writer. It's not beautifully done and has some typos, but it's very informative about what can happen when a close family member has a massive stroke. Her skill is honesty, and the story itself is fascinating. She touches upon many important issues such as physical therapy, nursing homes, money issues, dementia, quality of care, feelings, and the strained relationships between doctors and the family of the patient. I read the entire thing the same day I picked it up from the library: recommended.

Talented author, Kathy Bosworth, has written a timely and informative book for all who have aging parents or know of other with aging family members or friends. In a step by step discussion of the effects of a stroke on the loved one and on others who are "standing by," we are taken along on a daily, weekly, and monthly review of a family's coping and a "first-hand" account as understanding and adjustment becomes a primary focus in caring for the individual, in this case, Kathy's mother.
It is a sensitive, touching, and informative account that can serve as a guide-book for many of us who do not understand the full impact of a stroke and its implications.
It is written in a language we can all understand and the reader is drawn into the daily experiences until the conclusion of the book. I recommend this book for every home library as a source of referral and information. Your Mother has Suffered a Slight Stroke is a necessary and helpful read for everyone and the reader is sure to relate to Kathy and her family and their touching and poignant, true-life experiences.
Evelyn Horan - Author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl, Books One-Four

A friend gave me this book when my mother suffered a stroke. This book helped me understand and know what to ask, when to ask and how to ask questions. I have read several books recently and this one outlined more about what I needed to know. I would recommend it highly. It certainly helped me.

I'm a bereavement counselor and I coucil with people who are experiencing many different types of losses. A mentor of mine told me about this book months ago. She called me the other day to ask if I had put this book to work by using the information in it to help others. It reminded me of all the great information and love in this well written book about getting a family through medical trauma. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who is struggling with any kind of a disease. A stroke can come into any of our lives any minute on any given day. This book is about so much more than strokes.

This book was an instant favorite with me and several friends - its quick, witty prose and dialog was engaging and unique. Craig Seymour works in personal observation, history and commentary to make the memoir more entertaining than any other I've read in recent memory.

Back in the early 1990s, a handsome, young, and affable African American graduate student and teacher found himself nervously attending his first gay strip club to see a live performance by his favorite porn star. Here, customers were allowed to freely fondle the naked dancers. Openly gay but a gay-sex virgin, nervous and slightly apprehensive, Craig Seymour gets his good friend Seth to accompany him.

Excitement soon replaces apprehension and Seymour finds himself falling in love with the clubs as well as his good friend Seth, to whom he ultimately surrenders his virginity. They become live-in lovers.

But as the strip clubs are becoming an ever growing obsession, our hero is able to appease both his lover and his jones by making strip clubs the topic of his master's thesis, with the cautious approval of his school advisor.

Now a club regular, Seymour interviews and gets to know a cast of characters as colorful and crudely affectionate as anything in a Bob Fosse musical.

His first interview subject is dancer Jake the Guess Model, a straight `gay-for-pay' former construction worker who tells his customers he is bi `because [they] like to think there's a chance.'

And then there is Dave, a customer just out of a twenty-one-year monogamous heterosexual marriage and now having the time of his life hanging at the clubs and fondling beautiful young male dancers dangling their eye-level rock hard jewels for his perusal approval.

Dave's favorite dancer is Matt who sports leather chaps publicizing everything usually known as `privates.'

Sassy drag queens, dirty old men, sugar daddies, and dis-effected club owners abound throughout this breezy, affectionate tome.

Author Seymour also learns of and writes about D.C.'s rich gay history, dating back to the 1800s. Then, knowledge of fifty-year-old poet Walt Whitman's love affair with Irish immigrant Peter Doyle, thirty years his junior, was as casual as the then published stories of sexual liaisons between black and white men in Lafayette Square "under the shadows of the White House."

The story of how the gay strip club scene began in the 1960s, where dancers could legally bare all, is beautifully told. The owner of a local bar on O Street, Chesapeake House, offers a pair of sailors $50 each to strip down and dance for his patrons. Soon the club is drawing huge crowds that include the likes of Truman Capote, Tennessee Williams, and Rock Hudson. Other clubs (as well as bath houses) soon open and prosper on O Street, the city's gay red light district.

Although Mr. Seymour's depth and fascinating chronicle of how this charmingly tawdry industry evolves is both interesting and informative, it is his personal transition from thesis writer to booty dancer that makes his memoir a thoroughly entertaining read.

Likable and self-effacing, the author writes thoughtfully, ironically, and humorously about his second job:

"...get on stage, disrobe quickly, try to get a hard-on, and then walk out among the customers, who for a tip--generally a buck--got to stroke, fondle, poke, and prod [your] bod. It was more like sex than dancing, and it had become my job."

He also writes with great care and much soul-searching about maintaining his monogamous relationship with Seth while almost every night allowing strangers and regulars to feel him up.

Seymour's partner is more trusting than most, and it is admirable that the author repays that trust with honesty and a form of fidelity.

However, after six years of being with the only man he's known sexually, the author approaches his partner with a proposition that dooms the romance, if not the friendship.

With the cocaine bust of Mayor Marion Barry, a champion of D.C.'s liberal sexual exhibition laws, restrictions are shortly thereafter imposed on the strip clubs. Customers are no longer allowed to fondle dancers, and dancers aren't allowed to fondle themselves. This, of course, cuts into everyone's income, and author Seymour, now single and sparked on by the success of his thesis, embarks upon a career as an entertainment journalist, which eventually takes him to New York. Thanks to his unique literary gift and ability to ask his celebrity interviewee's frank and probing questions, he quickly ascends the ranks.

His ability to get such stars as Janet Jackson, Mary J. Blige, and Mariah Carey to open up and discuss such things as masturbation, size-queendom, secret babies, cheating boyfriends, and mental depression are shocking, revealing, and often quite poignant. His discussion with TLC's Lisa Lopez regarding her romance with Tupac, his death, her premonition of her own death, is particularly moving. Craig Seymour's keen observations of human behavior, particular with regards to his celebrity subjects, are empathetic and caring, always intelligent, never fawning.

Eventually, Mr. Seymour's busy schedule--writing for The Washington Post, Entertainment Weekly, Vibe, the Buffalo News, and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, to name a few--become all-consuming, making it nearly impossible for him to have a personal life.

He re-thinks academia, and eventually returns to the University of Maryland to finish his Ph.D. While working as a professor at the University of Massachusetts Dartmouth, he hears that the old strip clubs on O Street will be torn down. He returns for a bittersweet farewell that brings him full circle. The year is 2006.

Craig Seymour's warm, witty, and honestly rendered self-examination of his seemingly unlikely but totally plausible life as grad student turned gay stripper, turned journalist, turned college professor, is quite the odyssey, and quite a lesson for us all. There is so much life out there for all of us to enjoy. This story reminds me of the famous quote from Auntie Mame: "Life's a banquet but most poor sons-of-bitches starve to death!"

Author Craig Seymour definitely heard the dinner bell.Looker: A Novel

This was a very well written and entertaining book. This was the type of book I couldn't put down once I started to read it.

I feel that Craig is very brave writing this book seeing he teaches at the college level. I get so tired of people writing stories after they retire and have nothing to lose. It is great to see him write this type of autobiography.

I also learned several things I didn't know before so this book was also educational in a way. I never knew about the strip clubs being cracked down on the patrons touching the dancers at the end. I am ashamed to admit this, but I had no idea about Frank Kameny until I read the book and also learned a couple other things about gay history when he mentioned his research.

This is a very good book to read and you might even learn a few more things about gay history like I did:)

I just finished reading "All I Could Bare," and what a great read it was: poignant, smart and informative all at the same time. It's a genuine contribution to cultural studies about the sex industry but also a very moving portrait of what it's like to be in a relationship as a gay man. It' a rich book on so many levels and the run ins with Mariah and Janet don't hurt! You'll love this book.

This was a excellant read. Now, that I've got that out. Let me quickly backtrack. I had the pleasure to sit on a PCA/ACA [popular culture association] panel with the author [Craig] at the annual conference hosted in San Francisco this past spring. Out of all four of us on the panel, his topic, at the time this soon to be released memior, captured everyone's attention in the small but packed room. And, let me just say, Craig is just as engaging in person, as well as his memior reads. If you looking for a memior thats, fun, light-hearted, insightful and filled with witty humor, then look no further. Craig bares it all and then some. Craig, and I only use his first name because I actually met him, introduces you the to the other side of stripping, the one that as a gay man myself, I [we] often forget exist. He puts a real human face to the eye candy filled world of stripping. In baring it all, Craig carefully crafts a memior that is deeply personal,and still scholary in nature. He meticulously devlops everything from his club days in New York, to his stripping in D.C, to his interviews with pop music royalty--working for Vibe Magazine. Lastly, all his experiences nicely merge and congeal to give his journey the most interesting flares. This is a must read for anyone interested in queer studies and enthongraphic research.

Bought as a gift for a 21st birthday. Will be a memory that he can keep for a long time with a personal message on the inside front cover.

Great gift idea! Would highly recommend

My daughter is 24 years old and she is an aspiring artist. Andy Warhol is her very favorite. I got her this book for Christmas and it is her most favorite thing. She says that the detail that it has is facinating and compelling. One word of advice though...it is one HEAVY book so make sure that you are in a comfortable place to support it while you are reading.

This is a real great (and large ;-) ) book with beatiful reproductions of Andy Warhol. My children love to go through it. It was also for sale on the Warhol exhibition in the "Stedelijk Museum" in Amsterdam last year.

Definitely worth the money!

I've recently got into andy warhol and this is the second book i have by him. The book has stunning portraits/photographs/art thats what i love about andy warhol everything is unique and different.I wasn't sure what to expect with this book however i'm glad that I purchased it.

You also might want to check out "Men - Andy Warhol"

Fantastic pictorial book...worth every penny. If you are a fan of Warhol, this is the book to own. Great prints of Andy's work from the 50s, 60s, 70s and 80s - including rare prints. You won't be disappointed - it is all here. The dimensions are impressive at 17" x 13" x 2 1/2", and it makes for a beautiful coffee table book that you will be proud to display. The pictures are sharp, both in color and b&w, and many are full-page, including pics of Andy and Edie. Outstanding!

This is the story of a brilliant young man who seems to be always on the move, moving from one interesting city to the other.

At the beginning, the author leaves New Delhi for US, where he is awarded a fellowship to study at University of California, but he gets caught into culture shock, as well as an internal dilemma, seeking a deeper meaning of life. While he is most vulnerable, he manages to fall in love with one his student but is unable to express his feelings.

Then he seems to have gone through the roller coaster ride of the technology industry emerging as a winner, a successful technologist leading a group of innovators.

We end in beautiful San Diego, with a moving story about how the author and his family face the Inferno, the great wildfires of 2007.

I don't believe anyone has experienced living unless they have ventured around like the author has. It is in his narratives, his reaction to the challenges he faces and his observations of people and culture of various places that he truly shines.

It is my top read of the year!

Whether you ever wondered about meaning of it all, or you want to read something light amusing, or want to see places like Seattle, San Diego, and Nashville from the eyes of the writer, or vicariously live the life of a student at University of California, this book is for you!

This book combines elements from good humor, a memoir, a scenic travelogue, a touching love story, science fiction and philosophy.

The author, pretends to be an Artificial Imagination computer program simulating human creativity, describes the life/career journey of a modern nomad through the Hi Tech world of California and Washington (Settle). The book is clever, witty and obviously written by someone very intelligent but still manages to be very down to earth and funny! it's light reading, the author has a conversational style, you feel as if you are reading a letter from a close friend!!

As a travelogue, Welcome to the USA is pretty good, Kalpanik certainly made me think about wanting to go to San Diego, Seattle and Nashville.

as a character. Kalpanik seems simultaneously incredibly thoughtful and serious and yet someone who has a carefree attitude towards life, someone who handle life as it happens!

It's a light reading, and yet thoughtful; funny yet serious; conversational yet literary!

This book takes many life concepts expressed in different forms and combine them in a mishmash. He structures the 12 different personal essays, each highlighting a particular transitional period in his life or a specific experience in to a beautiful collage of experiences in this book very successfully. What a funny memoir!

Kalpanik S. is a fine writer with a lot to say about a lot of things and a unique way of making you laugh! I highly recommend her book.

ReKalpanik S. takes us through his arrival in USA as a student and subsequent travel to several places - San Francisco, Seattle, Nashville, and San Diego. In each places, he focuses on similar aspect of his life as a technologist and an immigrant - acceptance by local people, standing out as a ethnic minority and foreign born, life as a technology execuitve and family life. In addition, he covers local food, people, culture and sources of enjoyment, joy, and finally, and his quest for love and balance.


He adds so much meaning, passion and humor, he is so open with the readers that I felt like I was reading a private letter that someone would write only to their best friends.

The writing is refreshingly unexpected, humorous and meaningful. Great read!!