United States Books

The Klan (1st one) was a late comer to America as a terrorist group. 'Gangs of New York' only provides a glimpse of other terror groups. Prior to the Klan there was The Golden Circle, The Grange (depending on where your sympathies lay), The Sons of Liberty, Red Legs, etc.

Terror groups existed before the War of Independence.

Sensational title, but sadly very wrong.

The documents are interesting. Some of the commentary is a bit heavily biased for me. Where is the "other stuff?" The other Klan and Klan-like groups that existed at the same time (as both original and reborn Klans).

Interesting, good information- just not definitive.

This is a good book that reveals many interesting facts about the Ku Klux Klan of the 20s. It is hard to put the book down once you start reading it.

I highly recommend "Ku Klux Klan America's First Terrorists Exposed" for its insight and depth. Patrick O'Donnell has done a remarkable job in putting this book together and it should be read by all who have a serious interest in American (shadow) history and those who care about where this country might be headed in that regard.

The Klan's last great attempted to capture the hearts and mind of a changing nation is documented by a collection of vintage documents in this informative book. Because of the climate of racial sensitivity and political correctness that persists today, the popularity of the Klan of the 1920s (widespread and very public) has been removed from the public discourse, and thus doing a disservice to the historians of today, the precedent voices that opposed the Klan, and all races of people that rose above oppression. This book examines both the crimes committed by the Klan as well as their social acceptance by a majority of Americans at the time; both topics will be equally shocking to the present day reader.

What is so utterly fascinating about Mr. O'Donnell's attempt to bring light to the subject of organized terror is the perfectly ordinary way in which he goes about it. Not present in his book are the heavy-handed moralizations modern authors feel compelled to include in theirs. The effect can be chilling at times; especially when murder, rape, torture, and the demoralization of a race of people are described with the vernacular of the period. To think that once any issue regarding Black Americans was deemed "The Negro Problem" by the press of the day or how lynching was seen as an expectable deterrent to crime is disgraceful and does not need any author to point this fact out.

For those who enjoy reading about American history and true crime, look no further. This book wonderfully mixes both genres to create a powerful and intriguing read.

I received the book well before the date promised. Am happy to add another Doreen Virtue book to my book collection.

The Lightworker's Way: Awakening Your Spiritual Power to Know and Heal

I really appreciate the author writing this book. She truly details all of the little life defining moments and the events in her life that led up to where she is now and how she slowly accepted her healing and intuitive gifts. I appreciate her honesty; this book has been extremely inspiring to me. I will suggest this book to any open minded person who wants to write their own book or for anyone who is very intuitive but do not have anyone they feel safe enough to share it with. Thank you, Doreen Virtue, for doing your life's work of healing and encouraging others to love and heal as well.

A powerful book that I just would not put down. I had many "aha" moments.
Higly recommend for those "living in the light". Worth a read. :-)

As the author of The Second Virgin Birth, I enjoyed The Lightworkers Way. I found it different and interesting.

I ordered this book again, after I read it years ago and gave it away. It was great the first and second time. Doreen is a profound spiritual teacher, clairvoyant and life educator. If the word Lightworker rings true to you, you MUST read this book. Doreen is a PHD psychologist AND a healer, intutive, so you get an overall way to heal that is loving light and soulful and practical knowledge. She talks about her history of having gifts and struggling against them and then embracing them. I have seen her numerous times and met her in Los angeles and she is the REAL DEAL. She beams an angelic quality and knowledge. I can't say enough how much her books have helped me on my path. I am a spirtual healer and psychotherapist, so I resonate with her being bold enough to speak her truth.

This book was great. It is nice to know that there is someone out there as crazy as me and enjoys every minute of it! I'm going out to start a finger puppet collection today!

one of the funniest books i've ever read. very witty. laugh out loud funny.

I found this book clever, touching, and witty. It is a wonderful story of growing up in NYC, but it really could take place almost anywhere stateside. A great read!

Norma Davidoff

Wow. What a total and utter surprise.

After reading the rave reviews on Amazon I figured I would get the book and it would be a letdown. Good, but not 5-star good. Well, I was wrong -- and the reviews were right. Do yourself a favor and get this book.

You probably won't learn any life lessons that you can teach your children, but you'll close the book with an understanding of life in another person's shoes. There were lots of things I was shocked about (people live like that?!) and just as many things I identified with (oh my gosh, me too!!). As soon as I finished this book I forced my roomate to read it -- every 5 minutes there was a roar of laughter from the next room for the next few nights.

Its honest. Its funny. You'll want to read it all, and you'll be sad when it is over. I recommend it.

I do not read much non-fiction. I live real life. I read to escape it. But the bright neon yellow cover of this book was eye-catching. So, against my will, my feet walked up to it, my hand picked it up, and my eyes began reading. Before I knew it, hours had gone by and I had read the whole thing.

In this book, Wendy "Wendaay" Spero tells readers true stories about her life in a way that only she can do. From her childhood, to her awkward years, and on up to the present day. Being raised by a mother like Wendy's makes for some interesting memories. (I will think of Wendy and her mother every time I go to a fair from now on.)

***** Engrossing, packed with humor, and just all around fun, this is one book you will never forget. Very highly recommended! *****

Reviewed by Detra Fitch of Huntress Reviews.

Brian Copeland's new memoir shows us the world through the eyes of an 8-yr old black boy and the challenges of growing up black in an all-white neighborhood and school. He never really got to relax and enjoy his childhood because life was pretty much a war zone for him. His absentee father would show up and verbally abuse him, as did potentially anyone he came in contact with. So he had no role model; he had to grow up too soon and become the man of the house. The protector of his mother and younger sisters. No one was in his corner. Teachers feared uprisings or job loss for taking up for him. As he got older he learned how to mask his fears and to use humor to cover up the painful past. The book also delves into mental illness. When suffering from tearful outbursts for no apparent reason, his psychiatrist likened his condition to PTST - Post-traumatic Stress Disorder. Dealing with that after all these years has made him a stronger person, and one who can reach out to help others. The book is a huge eye-opener. It is a heartwrenching read. But his humorous writing provides the foil needed to keep the reader from throwing down the book and drowning in despair and shame for what injustices blacks went through in order to get out of the ghetto and to have a productive, satisfying, prosperous life. While race is a big part of the book, Copeland insists his story is more about being an outsider and what skills outsiders can use to "cope" in a "land" of insiders. I highly recommend this book! I couldn't put it down! I am a richer person for having read it.

Brian Copeland shares his life story with us in Not a Genuine Black Man. It is insightful, touching and important. Although the subject matter of racial prejudice is serious, he tells the story with much humor to help us, and him, be able to get through it.

If you've ever seen Brian do stand up comedy, listened to him discussing topical news issues on his highly rated talk radio show or met him in person he comes across as being "not like other blacks".

Every white person knows someone like Brian. The co-worker at the office who doesn't have the "accent". Who talks about and does "normal" things. The one who is "just like us". The one who "doesn't play the race card". You've heard at least one person say "why can't they all be like him?"

There are white people who believe racism and discrimination are a thing of the past, saying that no one alive today was ever a slave and everyone now has the right to vote. They feel that African Americans just have a chip on their shoulder based only on injustices that happened a long time ago to someone else. For "proof", they point to African Americans like Tiger Woods, Barack Obama, Colin Powell, Dick Parsons, Stanley O'Neal, John W. Thompson and Oprah Winfrey. Surely they are "just like us", the theory goes, because they choose not to feel victimized by the ancient injustices others suffered.

Copeland lets us see behind the curtain. We learn of the pain that prejudice causes first hand through the eyes of Brian as a child and the toll that experience takes on him as an adult. We learn that with everything he has accomplished, there are white people to this day who say "Yeah, but he's still just a n____". We learn the pain doesn't stop with the discrimination -- when he refuses to make an issue of it and not let it get him down, there are those in the African American community that accuse him of not being a "genuine black man".

Brian let's us know that he is successful and "like us" not because he never experienced the pain of prejudice, but rather he is successful and "like us" despite it.

"Not a Genuine Black Man" is a must read with lessons for everyone. African American readers will surely relate to his experiences and the pain he feels. White readers may begin to understand it.

An ideal assigned reading for ANY and ALL high school/college level students. So poignant, humorous, self-reflective and blatantly truthful --Mr. Copeland's personal retrospective, analyzing just exactly what he knows (his life), comes entertainingly packaged in a wrenching yet totally engaging exhalation.

I'd say that this book IS GUARANTEED (yes, this is a superlative) to activate "the thinking mechanism" and elevate your class to that of an educational milestone. If there is one common element which student readers most respect, it's an author's iron-clad commitment to
"keeping it real". Well, Mr. Copeland's clever and stylish prose delivers a tasty dose of head-on reality which will move readers to a new and better place.

Reviewer's "poetic license" observation:

Inexplicably often, peoples' names accurately and ironically depict a significant measure of their calling. Mr. COPELAND, I'm personally thankful for you and your families' inspirational determination; I'm humbled by my ability to include you in this often recognized, yet little understood club.

NOT A GENUINE BLACK MAN: OR, HOW I CLAIMED MY PIECE OF GROUND IN THE LILY-WHITE SUBURBS

I enjoyed the book, but not for $14. I thought the author could have had more depth instead of simply recalling the past. I did enjoy learning about the Bay Area and the history of San Leandro, though. He is a funny man, but the book could have had a little more "meat".

Brian Copeland's "Not a Genuine Black Man" is a provocative and moving autobiography that begins the Copeland family's 1972 move into "lily white" San Leandro, California. Brian was then eight years old. And San Leandro (99.9% white) was using any method it could to maintain an all-white status.

Copeland, a San Francisco Bay Area TV/Radio celebrity, comedian, and author, is an excellent story teller and tells his story alternating between his arrival in San Leandro and an awakening at age 35 which led to an attempted suicide. "Not a Genuine Black Man" is more than the story of Copeland's struggles with overt bigotry and eventual depression, it is also the story of his mother's and grandmother's resilience that brought San Leandro into the post-civil rights era as a diverse, inclusive community.

The book's title "Not a Genuine Black Man" comes from a letter Copeland received from talk-radio listener which said, "As an African-American, I am disgusted every time I hear your voice because you are not a genuine black man. The letter becomes a catalyst for Copeland to explore his past and find out who he is. "Not a genuine black man...What does that mean?"

Upon reflection, Copeland sees that his mother really wanted white childre and did not want to associate with the black community. "I'm not one of these blacks." As a result, a young black child was faced with the challenge of growing up in one of the most racist suburbs in America with a mother who was trying to escape her black roots. Unknowingly, he had to develop a mask to protect himself from these truths...a mask that would lead to depression.

"Behind most of our masks is a truth that is hidden for a specific reason. Often we don't know what that truth is. I wasn't ready to deal with my truths, but ready or not, they started to bubble to the surface. Once that began to happen, try as I might, I couldn't get the toothpaste to go back into the tube. I knew I had to face the truth about my mother."

Today, San Leandro has changed and Copeland now feels proud of being part of the change. Members of all races worship side by side in the pews of churches of all denominations. His grandmother and, posthumously, his mother were presented with a commendation from the City of San Leandro for "their bravery" to make San Leandro a better place for all.

And as the City has changed, Copeland has also changed. He knows now what it really means to be a genuine black man - he is a "unique man" who has the resilience of his forefathers and the fortitude of his mother and grandmother. His experience is unique and it is a "true" black experience because this is his experience.

A human life is the most complex narrative of all: it has many layers of events which embrace outside behavior and actions, the inner stream of the mind, the underworld of the unconscious, the soul, fantasy, dream and imagination. There is no account of life which can ever mirror or tell all of this. Copeland has offered us a sample of this complexity and reminds us that black people are not a monolith with one lifestyle, one viewpoint, and one agenda. They are a varied lot like any ethnic group, each with their own complex narrative to tell. Narratives that we all must hear.

This is a very long, very wordy book. It's not suitable for last minute bedtimes, nor for toddlers.

It's very suitable for kids in the older end of the 4-8 range, or littler kids with a good attention span, though.

Not much happens in the story - girl loses a tooth, gets her wish of ice cream, has clam chowder for lunch - which is just the way real life works. It's so well-written that you don't even *notice* that the story moves slowly, you might as well be talking about your own life.

I really sound like I'm criticizing, but I'm not. All the points I'm mentioning actually make it a good book. Really :) Definitely don't pass this classic book by.

This has to be one of my favorites and no child should be without it. The text is lively and easy to read and reads like people really talk, which gives the story a lot of warmth. The illustrations are beautifully drawn with lots of detail and humor and also look true to life, from the pained expression on the dad's face as he's rowing the boat, to sister Jane peeking from the top of the stairs or chasing the cat under the bench in Mr. Condon's store. Jane is depicted just as most children her age really are - a real livewire who is both curious and active, climbing and getting into things - she reminds me of my 16 month old daughter! And Sal is accurately portrayed as a typical preschooler - asking detailed questions about everything and talking up a storm.

You won't be disappointed. This classic is a must for any preschooler.

This book is a beautiful picture book, and I still enjoy looking at it. The pictures are gorgeous. And this isn't a cheesy book. It's a wonderful story for children, and I highly recommend it! Buy it. You won't be disappointed.

Great condition! I remember this childhood book being illustrated in navy blue ink. Has this been changed? I was looking forward to that. Great service. Thank you.

To a child, every morning is a new start with infinite possibilities; at least that's how it should be. In this classic 1953 book Robert McCloskey brings a child's simple world to life. McCloskey, better known for his Make Way for Ducklings and Blueberries for Sal, gives us another look at little Sal. The story is timeless and his line drawings bring the children to life.

The simple coastal lifestyle of more than half a century ago may be hard to find today, in part because of the high local tax valuation of shore and island properties. Still, if you were to take a child to the rocky coast of Maine this summer, she could be little Sal in the clam flats. One Morning in Maine (Picture Puffin) is full of that magical atmosphere where the land and ocean meet. We all want that magic!

McCloskey's Caldecott-honored book tells a simple story. Young Sal wakes up on a sunny morning in Maine with an adventure in store. She and her little sister are going with their father in the boat to Buck's Harbor to dig clams. There are idyllic family scenes, lessons from their father about the world around them, ice cream cones at the store, and the disappointment of a loose tooth lost in the clam flats.

Simple stuff? It certainly is, and just the sort of simple stuff children thrive on. Sal's morning may be long ago and far away, but the curiosity and wonder of a child's new day will be with us forever.

Linda Bulger, 2008

For the past several years, there has been a lonely libertarian writing a column for the Las Vegas Review-Journal, and now his columns have been collected and sorted by subject. He and I don't agree about absolutely _everything,_ but then, we do agree about the important things, like doing something about the inexorable growth of the Nanny State into an all-devouring shoggoth. If the news media weren't so single-mindedly leftist, his columns would reach the wider audience they deserve.

While writing from a Libertarian and non-religious perspective, Vin takes us across the gamut of current attitudes and the hopes and aspirations of self-sufficient, liberty minded, and responsible persons everywhere. Vin really nails it as to the virus and bacteria infection that holds this land in an ever tightening grip as it chokes our very lives. What kind of virus is this?

1. The Public School. 1.6 Billion dollars later a Kansas City School still cant stop truancy and raise test scores. Vin finally says what many have screamed from years, that you cant fix the public school system because its ALREADY WORKING. Vin give you history of development of public schools, statistics, and then contrasts a public school with home schoolers who are doing tremendously better, at a fraction of the cost, and in fact raises test scores and perfromance across all class, and racial lines!

2. Gun control. I dont even need to describe this canard.

3. Unaccountable Federal Agencies. Whether its the DEA, the INS or even the Farm bureau, the activities of various 'protectors of independance', who used to leave us sorely disappointed, but who know take family farms and get people killed.

4. Restriction of Jury Trials and the rights of jurors to be fully informed of their 1200 year old right to judge not only the facts of the case, but also the law!

5. A lapdog press that does whatever a corporate or government interest dictates. This is why more and more Americans read European newspapers or otherwise use the internet to get the real news. Vin documents the attitude of the press and gives personal experiences with getting his own column published. You need to read Vin's article on the press to fully appreciate the fog let off with the current Iraq situation.

Now all of the above problems are such that they can be solved with the ballot box, and appropriate education. That is why this book is important. When the public propaganda school system is dismantled by default, when the jurisdictions of various government agencies are curtailed by consisten not guilty verdicts by fully informed juries excercising their rights to nullify the law, this apocolyptic revolution that every right wing crackpot spouts as being inevitable will never occur, thank God. ...

I was originally turned off by the title of the book. However, it had been recomended to me by a friend. I have to say that it turned out to be the most thoughtful, well reasoned, documented accounting of just how far out of control the Federal Government has gotten over the years that I have ever read. The point is driven home over and over again in this book that every Constitutional protection you thought you had can be abused, with no consequences, by the Federal Government. Think the money you worked hard for all you life is yours? Think again. Federal police, with local police support can seize it and any other property they covet with impunity. And the cop that takes it gets to profit in the transaction. Think you have a right to a trial by a jury of your peers? Wrong again. Jury picking has become an art, designed to eliminate anyone who may be sympathetic to your views. Think the Constitutional guarantee in the 2nd amendment means what it says? Well, you are probably breaking one of the 20,000 gun laws already in affect, directed against honest Americans like you and I, and don't even know it. And if you are caught by one of these "Special Militia" ( ATF, DEA, FBI that we were warned against over and over by the founding fathers) you will spend more time in jail than a bank robber. Think you cannot be murdered by the Federal Police without justice being done to the ones who murdered you or your family members? You are living in a dream world. This book should be required reading by every 9th grade civics class in America. But of course, as is pointed out in this book, these "Government Schools" will do everything in its power to ensure that your children will NOT understand the true meaning of our Constitution.
This is a Must Read.

Finally someone speaks out against the libtard Clinton dolts who were trying to ruin our lives. It is good, no it is stupendous literature that should be read by every American who does not want to be a zombie slave under a socialistic movement that the Dems are trying to pull about as we speak. Long live our freedom and individual responsibility, so that the lazy turds who want the government to think for them can move to Canada or wherever they want to be relocated to.

Author and journalist Vin Suprynowicz has something to say about the political climate in the United States. He doesn't like the government's excesses of control, the lying, the manipulation, and the almost complete disregard for the constitution. A strong proponent of individual liberty and personal responsibility, Vin covers many topics in this book that relate to government run amok, all with an inspired fervor and a very Libertarian angle.

Starting with the first chapter, Vin talks about where Americans have gone wrong since the founding fathers established the constitutional framework that suited the nation well for so many years. Juries are now "stacked" in an attempt to control the outcome of a trial; guns are confiscated in direct violation of the second amendment; people are sent to prison just because they choose to smoke a plant; and school children are indoctrinated to ensure that they are all slaves to the supreme command of the state, from now and into the future.

After commenting directly on the miserable failure of these various government policies, Vin describes countless examples of how government power has been used to manipulate individuals and destroy their lives. You can read all about hard working Americans who had their rights trampled on by government, like a man who saw his farm business wrecked by government officials who declared areas of his farm a wetland, and refused to allow him to farm on it, then refused to allow it to be used for other purposes either, making it worthless. Another true story covers a woman who was harassed by government because she refused to lie (yes, you heard me correctly) and disclose inaccurate ingredient listings on her company's pet foods.

Vin also talks about the government debacle at Waco and he gives sound reasons for why, he believes, the government is solely responsible for the deaths of the Branch Davidian members. He talks about the failed war on drugs, pointing out how government has used this disastrious policy to erode individual liberty.

Suprynowicz is a very outspoken person, and his in- your- face style might make some people uncomfortable. He frequently resorts to sarcasm and he provides countless examples of how government has ruined people's lives through its ruthlessness and its total failure to follow the constitution.

"Send in the Waco Killers" is well- written and easy to understand. Vin is a skilled wirter who knows exactly how to take an ordinarily complex situation and state it in a way that will make sense to most anyone. This book is one of the best I have read, and it was even recognized by freemarket.net as the "Freedom Book of the Year" in 1999. It's a book that everyone should read, just to see how far government has pushed its will on the people and how we, as a nation, are slowly marching toward a police state as each day passes.

I found this book (rather thick - 251 pages) on the shelves of my local Santa Cruz library shelves. At first I thought it was rather boring - the cover is dizzying to look at. Then as I opened and perused thru more pages, I realized that this was a work of love - Adah Bakalinsky's love (a San Francisco local, and an emigrant to the US).

Adah Bakalinsky has expended previous editions and the January 2007 is the 6th edition.

What I liked about this book:
* informs the reader on some cool areas to walk in San Francisco, with cool architecture, and routes that will have your blood pumping.
* the 27 walks are all detailed with a map layout, interesting points of interest, photographs, and many factoids.
* Appendix 1 contains "An Informal Bibliography" (one pager with more info on the San Francisco)
* Appendix 2 lists all the staircases (across 36 pages) for each neighborhood in San Francisco and rates each one according to a 1 to 5 scale of combined: steepness, length, location, elevation, and beauty.
* and ... it was FREE.

Whether you are from out of town visiting San Francisco, a local denizen, or a Bay Area suburbian, you are sure to enjoy this book, even if not completing a walk from start to finish. The details are worth reading before each walk, as one is sure to add more mental details and moments of enjoyment as one walks across the beautiful city of San Francisco.

I love this book!! We live an hour north of S.F. and when ever we go to the city we start with one of these great walks. We have gone and explored neighborhoods we never would have without this book. San Francisco is such a beautiful city and getting to the top of some obscure staircase always gives you a unique and beautiful view. It is a must for anyone who lives in or near S.F.

San Francisco has over 50 hills with scenic vistas and small neighborhoods - so these nearly 30 urban walks are top picks for any who want to walk the city's byways. The revised expanded edition has been updated with new maps and color photos and adds three new walks, while an appendix lists the City's 600-plus public stairways. It's a 'must' for any San Francisco travel collection going beyond the general-interest city guide.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Great book to have for anyone who enjoys an adventure. Lots of walking options within the city

Adah's book is a great collection of walks all over the city. As the name implies, all the walks focus on the stairways for which San Francisco is so well known. This has two implications: one is that these walks will wear you out; the second is that, on sunny days, you get incredible views from the tops of all the stairways Adah has you climb.

For locals, the 27 walks cover the entire town from Glen Canyon to Lands End to Potrero Hill. No matter how long you've lived in San Francisco, I guarantee you'll see great spots you've never been to before.

Most of the walks are well off the beaten path for visitors, but a couple cover the classic tourist areas of North Beach, China Town, and Telegraph Hill. The Russian Hill North walk, done on a sunny day, will have anyone believing San Francisco is the most beautiful city on earth.

Adah provides maps, directions, and a great deal of color commentary for each walk. She tends to focus on eccentric details of the local architecture and flora for each walk, lending a whimsical quality to the whole experience.

Two last things to keep in mind. First, because the views are such a big part of these walks, Adah's trips are much better in good weather than in bad. Second, Adah is sometimes a little loose with her directions; I recommend cross checking the directions and the map often.

Take This Bread: A Radical ConversionThis book is a must read for anyone interested in understanding the community of food! Sara Miles is a writer and was an athiest who came to understand the role of sharing a meal in building community. After a varied career of cooking in restaurant kitchens and serving as an activist in poverty stricken and war torn countries, she comes home to a radical conversion resulting from the simple words: "Take this bread" said to her at a service of Holy Communion. Her conversion leads to growth in understaning the community that God intends for all humankind. Along the way, she is drawn into the community with afforded by a food pantry program she starts at her newly found church community.

Its all about the human hunger for belonging and for the meaning that comes from sharing food!

A wonderful book and a quick read!

Sara Miles' book "Take This Bread" is a perfect read for our times. Her realization that feeding others is an ultimate act of goodness came during a worship service. But the real story is what she did next. She went out from that church and created a feeding program when others said it couldn't be done. Then she helped others create feeding programs. I have recommended the book to people of different faiths and political views. They all love it. And even more, they have been inspired to get involved in helping the hungry. The new paperback version contains a Readers' Guide - perfect for book groups.

take this bread is one of the best left-of-center spiritual memoirs i've read, ever.

sara miles is a self-described liberal, an intellectual journalist who spent much of her life covering wars from the side of the oppressed (often in stark contrast to u.s. policy). she grew up in a staunchly athiest home (though both of her parents were children of missionaries, which ends up playing into her story in surprising and deeply satisfying ways), and was, as she says, the last person her friends would have expected to start talking about jesus.

sara walked into a san francisco church one day -- called, one might way; compelled, she wasn't sure why -- and took the eucharist. and something clicked, in that moment. she had an encounter with jesus that she was never able to dismiss or shake off. eventually, her connection with jesus became a compelling call to feed others, as she was fed. sara started a food pantry, literally ON the alter of her extremely nervous church. the book walks through her multiple conversions, and those of the people around her, many of them already professed christians.

the comparisons to anne lamott are easy (especially to anne's first spiritual memoir, traveling mercies). both are brilliant with words; both are liberals from san francisco, who grew up in book-loving, athiest, intellectual homes; both are liberal in every sense of the word; and both are deeply in love with jesus and passionate about following his lead. this -- i think -- is what seperates both anne and sara from classical liberals, who spent a good deal of their time distancing themselves from jesus.

but sara miles and anne lammott are not the same. sara doesn't have annie's wit, which, while i absolutely adore annie's wit, makes this book somewhat more compelling, and a bit less like a collection of witty, liberal, jesus-y essays. if annie's "theme" is her self-loathing and insecurity, sara's strong-willed theme is: food. food weaves its way through every chapter of the book: from her childhood, to her experiences as a chef in new york, to her connections with people in the third world, to her intitial and ongoing experience with jesus, to her establishment of one, then many, food pantries. it's hard not to read this book and not simultaneously hanker for a chunk of some cheese you can't pronounce, and want to give that cheese to someone who wouldn't otherwise experience their next meal.

wonderful, wonderful reading. challenging at points. highly edible. deeply nourishing.

From the moment I began reading to the last page I was hooked. I think this is a book that every church should own and require all outreach workers to read. In my view, Ms. Miles grasps and conveys in a succinct and direct manner just what it means to act out one's faith, a faith that has nothing to do with politics or what is expedient, or what will please people the most. There is a need, one responds, and that's all there is to it. Ms. Miles does not romanticize working with the homeless, feeding the hungry. She presents the challenges and difficulties clearly and realistically. This is not "fun" work. It's not meant to be fun. Yet,as I read this, I was struck by her understanding and acceptance as well as the clear conviction that this is what she was meant to do. Again, a very worthwhile read,immensely helpful and hopeful.

'Take this Bread' is a wonderful book, funny and profance and touching. I loved every page. I liked the commentary on the clergy and learned so much about how to love the other. Miles brought me to face my fears. Her take on Christianity as a complex, disturbing, scary way to live is so real. With fine writing she takes us into what it means to incarnate our religion, and it's painful to face that. Luckily, her humilty, mistakes and humor keep us on her side and thinking about how we might go forth too.

What a gorgeous and searingly honest book. I love how he does not make himself out to be guiltless in all of this, or a victim--- even though clearly, he could have. It's such a rich book, not only about abuse but about childhood, Catholicism, sex, guilt, desire, love, attachment, forgiveness, family. It's so full of life. I saw the play in NYC and that was amazing, too.

How does he do it, show the light in darkness? A story of a boy as he says falling from trespass into grace. A boy exploited, given too soon to the knowledge of the body--betrayed, as he felt, by his own body. And this man, the one who showed him his strength and wonder, then used his beauty like a Kleenex for his disposable desires.

Grace, then. No, first, despair, the attempts at suicide, the empty hours in the echoing school hallways full of crosses, holiness, and distance. Even in those places, an occasional light and this is what he shows gorgeously--the old nun telling him, at the kitchen table, that everything he does is already blessed. No disclosure, no healing stories, but this Light poured upon him.

More despair, more thoughts of killing himself. Then the tryouts for the school musical. A voice is found, a wonder arises in his soul--what is this miracle? I am seen and loved. The lights pick me out, the people laugh and clap. Maybe I should put off my suicide until after the fall production. The voice teacher witnesses his singing in A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum, she urges him to take lessons. She has to repeat her urging at the next musical in the next season before he takes it seriously, then goes trembling to her house.

Voice lessons, lessons in projection of spirit. She says, this is you in the universe, this is your soul coming out of your mouth. You have a gift to give to the world, Marty. You have a beauty of soul.

How does he do it, this Martin Moran? The light and love pouring through a living room with grand piano in Colorado are made manifest in the lines she says, the wonder he feels. Not uncomplicating anything, he holds the lust, the love, the exploitation, the forgiveness, the unfolding all in his hands.

Writing! Is there any more powerful act in the world? Well, there is acting. The first I knew of Martin Moran was his one-man show of The Tricky Part--painfully, beautifully open.

Thank you Martin Moran. Thank you for living into a full life as an actor, singer and writer. Thank you for showing us how you made it by the grace of what we might call God except that invokes the catholic Big Guy in the beard, the one whose church and sense of sin helped to make this story into a near-tragedy. But can we wish it had happened otherwise? No, that's the Tricky Part of the title of the book. We can't exactly wish it had happened differently.

As many here have stated this book was captivating. I work with sexual abuse survivors and found many of them in this book. Mr. Moran really knows how to put his finger on the pulse of the issue as he did here throughout the book many different times. I also like how the perpetrator, Bob, is not portrayed as all evil because as we know so many perpetrators are charming, smart and suave. Hence, their success. I also thought it realistic that it was pointed out that Bob provided something for Mr. Moran. I have clients who are "messed up" because of their experiences but they are able to discern the positive they were reaching for, or as in the case here, what kept him going back. This is at a price, of course, but generally kids don't realize then the depths they have already been to, and the effects it will have on them as adults.

I just finished the book a few moments ago. I realize I'm feeling kind of sad. This book is very good, and it's real, but it's not a light summer read. So, I chose to read it over Christmas. Go figure!

PS - Another book I read in a similar vein was The Abomination. I have a review on Amazon about it. It also involves a similar situation but shows more about what the "relationship" is doing for the kid in the beginning. Then later it all changes. My book club of 2 straight women, 2 lesbians, and 2 gay guys gave it a unanimous thumbs up.

Frank and moving account of the abuse the writer suffered as a child, and how he was subsequently affected and managed to cope. When he was twelve years old Martin Moran was seduced and abused at the hands of a camp counsellor named Bob, and so entered a relationship that lasted not unwillingly for three years. But the effects were lasting; such that Martin eventually took steps to confront the issues head on.
Martin's memoir is Insightful and enlightening, not always easy to come to terms with, for while what he suffered as a child was clearly an abuse, he was not an unwilling participant, and it maybe opened the way for Martin to accept more readily his life as a gay man. His account tells in detail of his early days, of the seduction and the continue relationship and its effects; of how he came to terms with the abuse, and of a successful career that eventually took him to Broadway.
Martin Moran's open well written account, at times funny, at others moving, is well worth reading

The above quote from Shakespeare expresses a kind of numinous awe; a feeling of inadequacy at having to express the character of this book. I was moved to order it by the unstinting praise given by previous reviewers here. Mr. Moran has managed to transcend the terrible pain he endured through the medium of his art; to me it seems miraculous.

The confusion and suffering that took Mr. Moran the better part of thirty years to work out was not least because he was--and is--gay. This overlays the story with yet another dimension of complexity. The author notes the sexual and emotional longings on his part that were not only picked up on by his abuser, but that kept him returning to this man for three years despite his guilt and confusion. That guilt and confusion would continue to hobble Mr. Moran's sense of intimacy for many years to come.

In my own circle, I know two gay men who suffered abuse when they were scarcely more than boys--one of them from a member of his extended family. The abuse did not make either of them gay; rather, it seems that in each case (as with Mr. Moran) the abusers sensed both the sexual orientation and the vulnerability of their targets.

Despite immense changes in society over the past twenty years, too many boys sense a secret within themselves that they cannot tell anyone--frequently not even themselves. The derision and stigmatization of gays by ignorant religion and ignorant people alike do nothing to prevent anyone from becoming gay--only serving to set up gay kids to be taken advantage of by their abusers. Those who have been abused will find this book a fount of insight, courage and (hopefully) healing. Anyone imagining that using a vulnerable young person sexually does them no harm will have much to consider after reading the book. All readers will discover the wisdom and pathos of a man who could have ended up as an abuser or a misanthrope, but through (dare one say?) some mysterious grace did not. This book deserves every bit of the praise that reviewers here gave it.

The book is a large collection of very short cop recollections. Most of them are sentimental and warm and fuzzy. Like one tale about rescuing GI. Joe from a storm drain. Awwwwwww!

I dont recommend the book for boredom relief.

A COP'S LIFE, by Sutton, is what you want.

I believe that this book really captures a lot of what being a cop is about. People who aren't cops that read this book will be shocked at some of the things we see and do, but it's true. I think it should help them appreciate us more. As a cop, I found the book to be entertaining and motivational.

This really reminds me of when there is a lull in calls and we are able to sit around, drink some coffee, and tell some "You remember when..." stories.

So... This is an amazing book that allows you to reach down deep into the minds and souls of the police officers. Just like Sutton's "A Cops Life" I found this book to be amazing. It also has a section dedicated to the officers of 9/11. Sure we have all heard about 9/11 but have you heard true behind the scenes, in the hearts and minds of a police officer who responded that horrible day and survives?

Randy Sutton has done a superlative job of putting together the best collection of police stories I have ever seen. He touches the soul of the law enforcement officer from the mundane to the terrifying and heart rending, with each story standing alone as a classic--and a tribute to all who have worn the badge. Some of the shortest are the most touching, and behind the solid image that all cops are asked to maintain, one gets to hear the emotions they keep to themselves because no one wants to hear them. This is not a collection for those greedy for blazing gun battles and wild chases, though there are a few, as there should be, and they are painful to read--the horror of survival is not like television, brushing off the dust and "back to work."

These are stories by men and women who work a world of darkness and strive to find, in it all, a little humor, a little humanity, a little something to hang on to. My hat is off to all who contributed to this book--I know it wasn't easy.

This is the book I suggest cops hold onto and leave for those after them to read. They'll understand.

Andy O'Hara, Badge of Life