Butler Books

Two immature, irresponsible people prop one another up & support each other in their bad choices. Yes, it's tragic, but it's not very romantic. The biggest tragedy is that Pamela remains something of a cypher, known only through her relationship with Jim Morrison & seeming to live only by reacting to his behaviour. The impressive thing about this book is the trouble the author has taken to verify what she writes - very little is claimed without the context being noted, a refreshing change in the area of Morrison biography. Probably we'll never know the real Pamela, but I'm sure the author's thoroughness & scrupulous research means that this is as close as we'll get. You can't help wishing Pam & Jim had never met, but it's great to read a book where her character isn't comprehensively smeared. After all, if she was the amoral, vicious woman portrayed in some books, what did the annoying but wonderfully clever & talented Morrison see in her?

Jim adored Pamela. She was his muse, lover, confidante, 'cosmic mate' and the only person that seemed to stand up to Jim.

Although he was with her right up until his tragic (yet not entirely surprising)death nothing substantial has been written about her - until now.

Patricia Butler has done a beautiful job at finally telling the story of the woman behind the legend, Jim Morrison. The book is incredibly well researched and interviews included in this book are people that were close to both Jim & Pam.

This is by no means your typical warm and fuzzy love story. Their love for each other was as sweet & loving as it was volatile & turbulent.

The book gives accounts of their many plate hurling fights, and infidelities on both sides.

There was no denying Jim was a sexual predator. He had many lovers he would string along, some foolishly believing Jim would eventually leave Pam for them. This of course never happened which resulted in Pam incurring the scorn & hatred of his conquest, none more so than that of Patricia Keneally who to this day remains full of scorn & hatred for Pam. Her accusations that Pam murdered Jim are as ludicrous as her claims Jim was about to leave Pam for her. Im sure Jim would be rolling his eyes at her claims from beyond the grave..

Pamelas reactions to Jims many infidelities were quite intriguing. It seems she felt more threatened by Jims platonic relationships with women than his many lovers. Her infidelities seemed nothing more than 'tit for tat' revenge for Jims many indiscretions which is quite sad really..

It also provided some interesting info on her life after Jim. I was interested to read she was not the 'heroin junkie' many portrayed her as at the time of her death.

All in all a great book. To be fair there is not really any new info on Jim so if thats what you are looking for you may be disappointed. It is definitely a story that needed to be told & Patricia Butler has done a fantastic, well researched, unbiased job of it.

Jim Morrison was a Sagittarus and Pam Courson was a Capricorn. Soulmate love can happen between these two signs. And it did with Pam and Jim. This book examines their lives from childhood until their deaths very thoroughly. I have read of the excesses of Jim, but until this book there has not been anything written about the side of Jim when he was with Pam. It seems she was his true love and he hers. The saddest of all is that these two beautiful people died so young. I highly recommend this book if you want to know their love story as I did.

Patricia Butler takes an intriguing twist on the much wrote about rock legend Jim Morrison exploring his true love Pamela Courson. So many books, movies, and documentaries have really not touched on his actual long term relationship with Courson. Other biographers have explored his many flings, groupies, and sexual notoriety. Yes, he had an open relationship but his one constant companion and soul mate was Courson. This book is a definate buy for any Jim Morrison fan to explore his personal side in a deeper more compelling manner.

After "No One Here Gets Out Alive" laid bare the hedonistic and troubled history of Jim Morrison and the Doors, it seemed all available information had been served up for the public appetite and there was nothing left to say. Numerous volumes on the topic followed but most only echoed what had already been said. For nearly three decades, "No One Here" has remained the ultimate guide to the enigmatic singer and his long-suffering band.
It feels vaguely traitorous to say so but I'm going to do it anyway: "Angels Dance and Angels Die" may be the most gripping and insightful book yet on the subject of Morrison and his screaming shaman's dance through rock and roll history. Where the earlier work provided a chronicle of the band's rise to the top and more than a few glimpses behind the stage curtains, "Angels Dance" achieves something more significant. It studies the motivations, flaws and personal history that made Jim Morrison the kind of man and artist whose popularity continues to mushroom nearly four decades after his death.
Much of Patricia Butler's beautifully written book focuses on the stormy relationship between Jim and his cosmic mate Pamela Courson. But it is more than a blow-by-blow photo album of dish hurling fights and lurid infidelities. Butler writes with unflagging objectivity and offers up her views only when those views are supported by sources who knew Jim or Pam or both as intimately as anyone alive. The result is a book that's both illuminating and powerful, a rock and roll love story like none ever told.
My wife is a mild Doors fan who mostly tolerates my own tenacious adoration of the group. She has no interest in "No One Here Gets Out Alive" or any of the numerous rockographies that followed it. "Angels Dance" appeals to her though, because it is a story of genuine love that exists in spite of the many pitfalls of the rock and roll universe, which is not a place that has proven friendly to enduring romance. With that kind of broader audience, Butler's book may prove to be durable as well, and deservedly so. She reports and writes with the flair of a seasoned journalist yet there is no shortage of drama and poetry here. "Angels Dance and Angels Die" should be regarded as essential reading for anyone who remains fascinated by the Morrison legend. From the first page to the last, this one is as intriguing, mysterious and brilliant as the notes from Ray Manzarek's keyboard.

Once again, Mr. Marrs is on the money. Step by step, he takes you through the history of this subject to our present day. It's another piece of our planets' puzzle that people need to understand. Read carefully with an open mind. There were things that I knew about all ready with other research I've done. This work only made it better. Mr. Marrs is right, the Aliens would never hurt us. Disclosure would mean massive change, perhaps helping humanity take it's place amongst the intergalactic federation as it were.

If you're new to the whole UFO topic, this is a hard-hitting, but sometimes slow-reading introduction. If you've already read everything written, it's a concise review. Marrs doesn't use the most exciting or creative writing style in the world of books. But the information is as objective as you'll find. If you really think we're the only life in the cosmos, don't bother. But if you find the possibility of life 'out there' intriguing you'll appreciate this book.

This book explores all the dimensions of UFOs from the dawn of their existence to the present. No stone left unturned. All the scenarios, the meaningful sightings and pertinent analyses. A magnificent book par excellence!

A good starting point for people getting into the UFO phenomenon. Jim Marrs offers an almost encyclopediac look at UFOs through the ages, from ancient texts like the Bible all the way up to Roswell and Cydonia. He also gives us a peek into how the US military has dealt with UFOs since the 1940s. This is no sensational book full of crazy stories but a book full of well written research. Jim Marrs leaves it up to the reader whether to believe any of this or not. Read this and Whitley Streiber's Communion and see if you'll still be able to sleep at night.

This book is great for those who might even just be a little interested in UFO's/government cover-ups. I'm really into this stuff and have read and watched just about everything and anything on this subject, and this book still had more to offer. And i'll admit, that sometimes it's hard to keep my attention. But this book does the job well. You'll find yourself waiting to read the next chapter just to build the suspense. Topics include: UFO/NASA conspiracies, Biblical/UFO events and history, crop circles, Marsian Conspiracies, and even a look at Remote Viewing and a few other Mind-Based sciences. This book has everything in its almost 600 pages. Definitely worth buying.

I watched the recent BBC version of the Northanger Abbey story first and loved it. I'm a Jane Austen fan who hasn't read all the novels but I'm working on it. So I got the novel to see how it compared. It was great! I love her humor - tongue in cheek and so witty. But the thing I really want to comment favorably about is the Penguin Classics edition. I get so much background and insight and explanatory information from these editions. I've read 3 of them now and they are marvelous. I've read quite a few novels from this era and it is really helpful to have notes to refer to in the back that explain things.

This is my first Austen novel, and I must say, I don't know what all the hype is about. I thought it was excruciatingly slow at times, and then all of a sudden it was fast and over. Some of the writing was beautiful and poetic, but that is like 5% of the book. The other 95% of the book was pretty boring to me. Maybe I am jaded by all the horror and mysteries I read where I am used to fast paced suspense, but seriously, I would read one chapter a day or maybe two with this book and that was all I could handle, because it would make me tired. I felt no connection with the main character Catherine, and I found myself not caring what happened to her, good or bad. I just wanted the book to be over.

Jane Austen wrote "Northanger Abbey" in the late 1790's, but it was not finally published until 1818, after her death. It is a broad satire of the Gothic Romance novels popular in her day. Its lead character, the innocent young Catherine Morland, is moderately attractive, good-hearted, and highly imaginative, but perhaps the least compelling of Austen's heroines. Nevertheless, Jane Austen's excellent writing gifts are on display in this short novel, which offers some superbly funny dialogue, witty commentary on social manners, and a sympathetic heroine.

Catherine is offered the opportunity to vacation in the resort town of Bath by family friends Mr. and Mrs. Allen. In Bath, she falls in with two people her own age, Isabella and John Thorpe. Isabella is to be engaged to Catherine's brother James, while John, a college friend of James, takes an interest in Catherine. The Thorpes involve the inexperienced Catherine in the social whirl of Bath. They will also provide her with some hard lessons in manners.

Catherine also meets Henry and Elinor Tilney, a brother and sister who introduce her to walks and intellectual discussion. Their father, the imposing General Tilney, invites Catherine to visit the family estate of Northanger Abbey. Catherine eagerly accepts the invitation, in part to stay close to Henry, on whom she has a crush, and in part to see the ancient abbey, sure to be the embodiment of her cherished Gothic Romances.

Catherine's willingness to see dark secrets in ordinary events leads her on a search of the Abbey for clues to the suspected murder of General Tilney's wife. In a gentle confrontation, Henry ends the search, but is not able to save her from the sudden wrath of the General, who banishes her from the Abbey. A heartbroken Catherine is separated from Henry and Catherine, and returned unceremoniously to her home. There, an unexpected visit by Henry Tilney will offer an explanation for what happened at Northanger Abbey and a chance to reunite with the Tilneys.

Readers expecting a story with the heft of "Pride and Prejudice" or "Mansfield Park" may be disappointed. However, "Northanger Abbey" is a fun book on its own terms, very much a Jane Austen product and likely to be enjoyed by her fans. It is highly recommended as an entertaining read.

As a lover of Austen novels, it is well worth reading "Northanger Abby", which was Austen's first (but last published) novel. As her first novel, her writing style is still rough and lacks some of the refinment of her later works, but she still brings her sharp eye for satire and examination of societal/marriage topics. Catherine Morland pales in comparison to later strong heronies like Elizabeth Bennet or Fanny Price, but she's delightful to read and chuckle about her naive outlook on life.

Northanger Abbey is a gem. Jane Austen (1775-1817)has written a charmiing little novel about a charming little lady named Catherine Moreland. Catherine is 15 as the novel begins in Wiltshire. She and the hilariously stupid Mrs. Allen go on a six week trip to nearby Bath to take the waters. Catherine meets the fashionable and fast Isabella Thorpe. Catherine dances with the clergyman Henry Tilney at a ball becoming infatuated with the clever young man. Henry and Catherine share a love for the Romantic Gothic novels of such authors as Ann Radcliff and Fanny Burney. Complications ensue but in the end the couple are wed.
The first half of the novel deals with doings in Bath; the second half is a trip taken by Catherine to the Tilney estate Northanger Abbey. Catherine thinks the house may contain a ghost as she is influenced in her thinking by a vivid imagination fueled by her sensational Gothic reading.
Minor characters are of interest: Captain Frederick Tilney the ladies man brother of Henry; old General Tilney the gruff father of Fred and Henry; Catherine's parents and Eleanor Tilney the kind and lovely sister of the two Tilney boys with whom Catherine forms a solid friendship.
The book includes a spirited defense of the art of novel writing by Miss Austen. It is a light and commonplace tale of young love told with the wit and wisdom of one of England's greatest authors. This less well known Austen novel is a delightful way to become an addict of the spinster from Hawton parsongage!

Mansfield Park is the story of Fanny Price, who at ten years old is taken away from her indigent family to live with her rich cousins, the Bertrams of Mansfield Park. Both Fanny's uncle, Sir Thomas Bertram, and her Aunt Norris, his sister-in-law, want the distinction of rank preserved between Fanny and her richer cousins. Consequently, Fanny suffers under the tyranny of her Aunt Norris and the neglect of most everyone else at Mansfield Park. The only real exception is her cousin Edmund, who, as Fanny grows older, becomes both friend and counselor to her. The monotony of Mansfield Park is upset when brother and sister, Henry and Mary Crawford, visit their sister at the parsonage of Mansfield. Henry Crawford toys with the affections of Fanny's cousins, Maria and Julia, while Mary Crawford earnestly seeks the affections of Edmund. Fanny quietly observes all.

Mansfield Park is a complex and sometimes disturbing novel, and its conclusion has a tendency to feel less than satisfactory. Jane Austen contrasts the very moral Fanny Price and her cousin Edmund Bertram with the very charming but amoral Mary Crawford and her brother Henry Crawford. While doing this, Jane Austen never actually tells her readers what to think about her characters. She presents their thoughts, words, and actions in an almost unbiased manner and leaves judgment up to the reader. The novel is definitely food for thought, and every time I read it, I find myself feeling differently about both it and its characters than I did the time before. I appreciate both the storyline and its thought-provoking complexity.

The Oxford Illustrated edition of Mansfield Park contains a copy of the play Lovers' Vows referred to in the novel, which is such a treat. After reading both the novel and the play, one cannot help but be struck by the parallels between the two. I recommend this edition to anyone curious about the controversial play in the novel.

I love Jane Austen and would actually give this book 4 1/2 stars. It's a little slow in parts but like all of her characters, I loved getting to know Fanny Price. Fannie is a quiet girl who is sent to live with her wealthy uncle. She has a very kind heart and is very patient with her Aunt Norris who loves to "put her in her place". She is often reminding her that she is in a different class than her cousins that she is so fortunate to live with. It is wonderful to watch as Fannie grows into a young woman, how she learns to speak her mind and not allow others to manipulate her as they once did. It is definitely one of my very favorite books.

Since Edward Said wrote his foolish piece on Mansfield Park it has become de rigeur to attach agendas that reflect the intramural (ie bogus) leftism of the academy to novels (sorry texts) Even so this effort to do so in Mansfield Park is particularly outlandish. In fact the question "What is Mansfield Park about" is less interesting than the question "what is it like to read Mansfield Park" To answer that question one has to explore the LANGUAGE of the novel and see where it leads. The plot of Mansfield Park is off-putting--the verbal architecture of the novel is unsurpassed. Trust me--delight in the language, the layers of irony in a sentence or scene. Ignore current opinion which is both intellectually lazy as well as dishonest. Jane Austen made her feelings clear about the slave trade in EMMA. That A "political" intereprative industry should have grown up about this book testifies to the reigning stupidities of English Studies-- well an English Professor has got to make a living.

i'm not as in love with this story as i was about Pride and Prejudice, but it's still austen and it's still an excellent read.

In MANSFIELD PARK, Jane Austen expands her sphere of moral vision. In her earlier novels, she focused on the relationships between marriage partners that were framed in a comedic context of how the typical English society of the late 18th century might complicate the likelihood of a series of happy marriages. In this novel, however, she abandons the world of light and trifling romantic comedy for one in which she shows the unpleasant underside of the genteel society that was so noticeably lacking in say, PRIDE AND PREJUDICE. This dark underside includes a number of troubling aspects, all of which are antithetical to the world of light comedy.

First, Austen relentlessly considers the impact of the lack of moral values as a result of inadequate education of children. The patriarch of the Bertram family, Sir Thomas, dearly loves his four children but he has given them a profligate style of life without teaching them how to live that life without being corrupted by its debilitating disadvantage of conspicuous consumption. Second, for the first time in her writing career, Austen boldly places the theme of good versus evil squarely on the interaction of several of her characters. The virtuous Edmund, who is as priestly as the collar that he wears on his neck, is tempted by the lascivious charms of the amoral Mary, who sees in Edmund only a fleeting diversion. Further, Austen places London itself as a den of urban iniquity, the source of the theatrical evil that threatens the pastoral innocence of Mansfield Park. Third, she calls into question some basic paradoxes about the nature of character itself. Are peoples' characters fixed at birth or are they molded by environment? And when character is fixed, is it capable of change, and if so, by what, by whom, and to what extant? These latter questions come into play mostly in the person of Fanny, the outcast relative of the Bertram family who loves Edmund. She is presented as impossibly virtuous, but in the face of her open defiance to marry the rich Henry Crawford, she is labeled as an ingrate and worse. No one in that group perceives her virtue, but the readers certainly do. From where does this virtue spring? It cannot be genetic since several others of her family are woefully deficient in virtue. It cannot be solely the result of environment since, except for the equally virtuous Edmund, the others treat her as uniformly unwanted and unloved.

The answers to the above questions are raised, but only partially answered. Part of the problem in seeking answers to such eternal questions as love versus honor, duty versus obedience, and heredity versus environment in a novel is that this is a novel, and for Austen, a didactic one at that. Since she chooses to use a number of flat characters to represent allegorical archetypes of good and evil, their responses to their encounters cannot convey the full spectrum of thought that a more fully fleshed person might. Further the many plots--the love affair between Fanny and Edmund, the plots of the Bertram sisters, and the interweaving of the many strands of plot between the Bertram children--combine to cause the reader to zero in on these many threads rather than ponder their potentially more universal significances. What is lacking in MANSFIELD PARK is a pleasing balance and harmony among the many snipped strands of plot and theme which cry out for a splicing that does not occur even at the happy marriage of Edmund and Fanny. This imbalance, combined with Austen's atypical use of realism and pressing social concerns, and her lack of a truly engaging heroine along the lines of Elizabeth Bennett, make MANSFIELD PARK a dutiful slog rather than a joyous read.

I love the projects in this book, and appreciate that there is a variety of things to make from pillows, to office items, to cat tunnels, to aprons. The patterns are simple and the instructions are clear and easy to follow, with diagrams and pattern pieces included. This is an asset to any sewer's library.

I've used Amy Butler patterns and fabrics quite a few times. Usually her patterns sell for $15 each, so this book of 25 projects is a great deal. The projects range from very beginning (pillows, laundry bag) to intermediate (patchwork throw, handbag). The projects would be great for someone wanting to try using vintage fabrics, and she does have a little resource list in the back of the book on where one can buy vintage fabrics.

Amy Butler's In Stitches is a wonderful book for a beginner (like myself). There are various patterns and projects to inspire with detailed instructions and illustrations. Would recommend to anybody just starting out or with a little bit of sewing experience. Try out her patterns before buying at her website with her free patterns. This way you get a clear idea of what you'll be purchasing. Overall the book is very satisfying.

This book has some nice enough projects, and I like the patterns tucked away in the envelope. However, the photos aren't always of a good view or at a good angle, and many of them seem distracting because there is so much going on. Also, some of the projects pictured are not even a part of the book. The directions are often complicated, and I think some of the projects are more complicated than they need to be. I'm undecided as to whether or not I'll make anything from this book.

As a preface, I just started sewing. In fact, I don't even have a machine yet (waiting for Christmas), BUT I have sewed a skirt (different pattern), so I can follow a pattern. With that being said, here is my review:

Pros:
1. Great variety of patterns (from beginner to intermediate)
2. Comes with the patterns along with the book (very helpful compared to some "sewing books" with no patterns!)
3. The styles are cute and its something that me (a 25 year old) could wear/put around my house without being embarrassed
4. The material called for is reasonable (cottons, quilted cottons), easey to find and pretty reasonably priced

Cons:
1. The long explanations can get confusing
2. It would be nice if the author could rate the projects on difficulty
3. Some projects are a little too hard...for a beginner (who cannot make modifications.

Overall a great book for those who want to get their hand dirty in sewing!

Next to "A Night to Remember" this is the best retelling of the entire Titanic Story. Starting long before Night, and ending far after it's retelling, this is a meticulous minute by minute retelling of the story by an author who has spent a lifetime collecting data and quotes.

It references all of the other standard Titanic Texts, and as such, serves as the most complete summary of all of them in one tome. The book is a fast read, and its interesting facts go far and beyond what a student of the Titanic might get from reading any other single text.

A fine work that is a true addition to Titanica.

I have also spent a good part of my life researching the Titanic disaster, and I wonder about Butler's sources. Much of the book seems to be the product of a fertile imagination rather than research, or at the least, some serious extrapolation with known facts. I have examined practically everything I have found regarding the disaster and have yet to discover some of Butler's information.

A few years ago Butler virtually took over a USENET newsgroup concerning the Titanic, insulting some of the members and setting himself up as an undisputed authority on the disaster. Eventually he ran off many of the members, including myself.

Before that occurred, I corresponded with him about one minor item I had found in the book, a notation that the USS Scorpion had collided with a Soviet submarine and this led to her loss. I wrote to him and asked him about his source, and if he had any more details. He told me that he had "heard" about it when he was in Army Intelligence, and could discuss it no further. However, in the book it is stated as a fact.

This book has a great deal of information in it, but when you are required to question almost everything contained in it, then its value as a historical document is severly diminished.

Really excellent! This book must have taken a crazy amount of research. The author essentially synthesizes every book, diary, inquiry, and research project about the Titanic into a clear and readable storyline. The book reads like a novel, but is well-footnoted and is clearly grounded in the facts. One of the best features of this book is the way Butler takes quotes and memories from all (credible) sources and goes back to put them in the mouths of people as the events take place. For example, instead of writing that someone remembers John Jacob Astor saying something as the crew was loading life Boat #6, the author actually has Astor say it when he gets to that part of the story. This keeps the story's timeline much more linear and makes it easier to process. It follow the Titanic from her design and building through the investigations of her sinking. Butler wraps up with a "where are they now" synopsis of survivors and details the continuing salvage controversies.

Butler also takes time to explain historical contexts, such as class divisions and social expectations of the era, when he feels it will benefit the readers. These asides really help bring the motivations and behavior of the people involved in this tragedy to life, in a way some caricatures of poor schmucks stuck in steerage fail to do.

My only issues with the book are fairly minor. There is a glossary at the end, but I wish it were at the beginning (or at least referred to). If you aren't the seafaring type, it will help to learn the terms (like greaser, starboard, and bulkhead) before you start reading so that you can understand Butler's descriptions of the ship. You can get by without this, but it would help to know. I also highly recommend finding a map of the Titanic online and keeping it close at hand while you read. There are a lot of descriptions of the various decks, sections, and design components in the book and they are hard to keep straight without some sort of illustration. If you really want to understand the way the night unfolded, you'll need a map to keep it all straight.

Historically accurate, however, with the far too many direct quotes from
Walter Lord's book "A Night To Remember" makes "Unsinkable" a book to forget.

I loved this book! It gave good solid facts written how history should be written. I could see the disgusted face of the quartermaster and captain as they fired off their last rocket, could see Phillips and Bride in the wireless room, could see the women crying for their husbands.

As someone who still believes in "Women and Children First" and has held on to many of the values in this book, although not the class rigidity, the way he honored the sacrifices of many and the best- and the worst- of people that night is what made this book a great read for me.

I find the Titanic disaster so interesting because it did not show the best and the worst of the era, but the best and worst of mankind. A sense of duty, protecting the weaker, giving your life for others- those are not traits limited to any era or class anymore then inertia ( for example seen by both some of the third class passengers and the Chief Officer), tastelessness or cowardice are.

"The 12 Bad Habits that Hold Good People Back" is a breath of fresh in in a world filled with business self-help books. Most business books will try to tell you exactly what to do in order to succeed, but the problem with that is that no matter what type of situations are described in those books, they never seem to correspond to what is happing in your situation.

This book is different. While there are thousands of ways to succeed, there are a limited number of traits that lead to failure. The authors of this book highlight those failure points, describe how these traits are created, and give some solid steps on how to confront those traits. One thing that you should realize when you buy this book is that the authors don't believe in quick fixes, and those readers who are looking for quick fixes will be disappointed. To overcome each of the 12 bad habits highlighted in this book will take a lot of self-examination, observation of others in your work environment, and assistance from friends or co-workers to help you pinpoint your weak areas. If you're willing to put in the work, then the advice in this book is very helpful.

I really recommend this book to anyone who is looking to advance in their company. Without realizing your weaknesses, you may be stuck at the level you now work at. To get a promotion will take lots of hard work and effort, but with the advice in this book, you'll be able to reach your goals

this easy to read book makes me realize that i actually fall into one of the 12 classic patterns that time and again hold me back from advancing ahead. Once I'm aware, it's not as hard anymore to break the patterns in order to break through the self-constructed limitations. The title of the book sounds terrible, "bad" habits ought to be revised into "hard-to-break" or "patternized" habits.

The book gives a lot of descriptions of bad habits. The value of possibilities to solve or handle the habits is low.

This book is written by psychologists and is very dry and unengaging. You probably already know it is an old emotional issue behind your troublesome behavior at work. For actual helpful tips, try reading "The Power of Letting Go" by Vredevelt instead. It is right to the point, unlike this old-school freudian book.

The book is divided into 2 parts Part I identifies the 12 bad habits that hold people back. Part II identifies the causes of the bad habits

There is something for everyone. Certainly we all have some or many of these bad habits in full or partial degrees. Authors do a nice job in defining the habit and providing examples.

You will find a number of "ah-has" along with sharp piercing observations. For example, for the Meritocrat:

"one of those people who insist that proposals, ideas, products - virtually everything in life - must be considered strictly rationally, on their inherent merit, their absolute, true value. They see the world in black and white - without colors or shades of gray. If the meritocrat ruled the world, all decisions would be put through some sort of merit-weighing machine. Emotions, politics, sentimentality, loyalties, favoritism would play absolutely no part...he or she consistently talks about the ways things "should" be, about the unfairness of life, railing about how the well connected, the meretricious, and the conniving rise to the top, while the honest and the principled fall by the wayside...the meritocrat fails to see that people are complicated, with many shades of gray...sometimes to win the battle you have to negotiate and compromise - promise something to someone to get him or her to join your side - which goes against the code of rationality...the person who thinks this way is acting almost as an anti-Machiavellian, someone who loathes politics and flattery and the compromises of deal making. Most of us, it is true, would rather deal with the meritocrat than his polar opposite, the unprincipled schemer for whom ideals have no value. The schemer is loathsome in his treachery; the meritocrat insufferable only in his self-righteousness.

While there is something for everyone, I found myself skipping many sections of the book that I didn't find applicable or perhaps at the farthest end of an extreme of my bad habit.

While the book does an excellent job in describing and giving examples of bad habits, it falls short on practical ways to change.

The book is dense, thick and slow moving - while examples were used liberally, I found it to read like an academic textbook and found it difficult to stay engaged.

Finally, who says good packaging doesn't work. My eyes locked in on the sharp fire engine red packaging on the shelf and I had to have it.

The 12 bad habits that Hold Good people back are:

Part I:
1. Never Feeling Good Enough (The "Acrophobe")
2. Seeing the World in Black and White (The "Meritocrat")
3. Doing Too Much, Pushing Too Hard (The "Hero")
4. Avoiding Conflict at Any Cost (The "Peacekeeper")
5. Running Roughshod Over the Opposition (The "Bulldozer")
6. Rebel Looking for a Cause (The "Rebel")
7. Always Swinging for the Fence (The "Home Run Hitter")
8. When Fear is in the Driver's Seat (The "Pessimist Worrier")
9. Emotionally Tone-Deaf ("Mr. Spocks")
10. When No Job is Good Enough ("Coulda-been")
11. Lacking a Sense of Boundaries ("Loose Lips")
12. Losing the Path (losing sense of direction or enthusiasm) ("Dig Deeper")

Part II: The Psychological Issues behind the 12 Behavior Patterns:
1. Taking Others Perspectives (Not being able to take/see other people's perspectives)
2. Coming to Terms with Authority (Not coming to terms with authority)
3. Using Power (Inability to use power comfortably, skillfully, effectively)
4. Looking in the Mirror: Examining Your Self-Image (Having a negatively distorted self image)

I had heard the name Robert Olen Butler before, mentioned as a Southern writer, which generally connotes a certain way of approaching writing- especially short stories. But, it was as a novelist that I heard his name, this time and the people mentioning his name were not enamored of his novelry. Yet, all claimed that his short fiction was far superior. Back to the connotation. You know it. There are vastly overrated short story writers from the south. William Faulkner's short stories are filled with stereotypes and leaden plots, and typify what is called Southern Grotesque. Then there's Flannery O'Connor, whose short stories make Faulkner's seem like a breeze, and whose Grotesques embody the term. Then there's Eudora Welty's stiflingly rigid, claustrophobic, unpoetic, hit and miss tales of too much of nothing.

So, when I heard Butler's novels ripped and short stories praised I was skeptical, especially considering that the book my wife got from her mother, A Good Scent From A Strange Mountain, was a Pulitzer Prize winner from 1993. Fortunately, I was wrong. While the book is not Pulitzer material, in my opinion, it is still head and shoulders above the crap published today, and certainly better than anything Faulkner, O'Connor, or Welty wrote (at least that I've read of theirs). His stories are about Vietnamese immigrants who settle in the Lake Charles area of Louisiana and range from horrendous to great. Even in the lesser tales there are moments of greatness, but also signs of the opposite tendency- mundanity, mostly brought on by overwriting, in length and sometimes needlessly repetitious filler....At his best Butler gets inside a foreign identity, while at his worst he utterly fails, as in Fairy Tale. Yet, most of the characters are very human, and relatable. That Butler can touch on similar themes in such dissimilar ways shows that he is a true artist with the pen. It will be interesting to see if his other short works of fiction are of as high in overall quality, however erratic, and if the consensus about his longer fiction being far inferior is also true. Nonetheless, A Good Scent From A Strange Mountain is far above most short stories being published. Read it, and learn.

I can't say that I hated this piece of fiction but when I browse some of these glowing five star reviews I wonder If they can possibly be referring to the same book as I am. I enjoyed some of the stories and I admire Butler for stepping out of himself and writing about a culture that isn't his own. It is a bold move and I think he does it well enough... However, I just can't rank it that high, I mean five stars! I can name a dozen other books that really rocked my world and made me think about things differently or contain certain phrases and scenes I still think about! Some of the reviewers here are too generous Im afraid.

Summary: Sorry folks, no epiphany here.

- this review was not written by the named above.

This is highly sentimental writing that bored me to the core. It tinkers with high emotions and big themes but mostly manages to paint everything in either bright pink or drab grays. Some of the outsider perspective shines through, but the tinny two-dimensional (and often child-like) tone had me folding the book without quite completing it.

This book has been reviewed many times. I only wanted to say that I read it when it first came out, and all these years later, it is still one of my all-time favorite books. It truly did deserve the Pulizter.

Yes, A Good Scent from a Strange Mountain won the Pulitzer, so I had to get it. I have both the print version and audio--stick to print, it's a winner.

As for the audio, Robert Olen Butler, though an awesome writer and who apparently trained as an actor, didn't do the reading of these stories justice.

Anyway, I'm giving the audio version 3 stars, good stories--but not all the stories are read, only 5 are. I'd stick to the print version.

Book is what my husband wanted. He read it when he was a young man. Just a review.

it's a grower. it took me a long time to summon the patience to read further than the 50th page or so. it took far too long to get on with the story. when it did though, i begun to really enjoy the book. the characters are excellently portrayed, especially ernests parents. in my humble opinion, it is very well written. my only criticizm is the tendency of the narrator to go off on tangents, mainly at the beginning of the book

A slow, difficult read yet not without merit. At times scathing at others jocular yet always insightful.

The tale is of one Ernest Pontifex and 4 generations of his family beginning with his great-grandfather told by a family friend, Overton.

The reader is exposed to the hypocrisy of Victorian values inevitably consequential in the development of our protagonist and his overbearing bible thumping father.

Butler describes the twisted growth of the Pontifex family tree; one limb overshadowing the next letting it shrivel in darkness. One wonders whether the tree was planted outside the Munster residence.

At times I couldn't help but hate Ernest's father and reel in disbelief in Ernests' naivety. These conflicting emotions make the book enjoyable.

There is nothing remarkable about the literary style of Butler's book; it reads like a million and a half other 19th century British novels. What distinguishes "The Way of All Flesh", however, is its honest and at times funny portrayal of Victorian society. With great wit, Butler's narrator, Overton, and main character, Ernest, expose the stuffy, staid, hypermannered, insipid Victorian middle-class mindset.

What is especially nice is that Butler doesn't take too many cheap shots. The characters here are very well-drawn. Ernest's father, Theobald, though clearly representing all that Butler seeks to skewer, is enough of a three-dimensional foil that I could feel some sympathy for the poor old man. (He's not evil incarnate, just a sorry product of his time.) The same goes for the rest of the supporting cast. I like the narrator's voice; it's distinctive and wry enough to be unique, but not so intrusive as to distract from the plot.

Parts of the novel are funny; parts seem to drag. I don't know that I liked the end of the novel--everything seems tied together a little too perfectly; but an explanation may be found in the fact that Butler did not edit this portion of the novel before his death.

This is a solid book. Give it a shot.

A rich, intelligent, historically informative masterpiece that tells the modern reader about the concerns, delusions, pretensions and prejudices of Englishmen of the 1700s and 1800s.

Much more than just a novel, this work offers Butler's opinions upon philosophy, child-rearing and religion. The events of the novel serve to illustrate and reinforce the points made. It is a hybrid, a novel/essay, and rare at that. More essayists should spice up their arguments by dressing them with vivid characters and a decent plot, as Butler has.

Rich in wit, satire, sarcasm, humor, insight, and not without flashes of bitterness and anger.

If you read only a hundred books in your lifetime, this would not be such a bad choice for the eightieth or eighty-first. Towers above most novels that cover this long period in history (some hundred years or so, spanning four or more generations).

I loved this book. After so many drama, sex filled books which seem to be written for a younger audience, this was so refreshing. I'm a little late with reading this author but the two books I have read by Ms. Butler were both great. She writes and incrediable story the leaves the reader wanting more. I can't believe I slept on this one. I'm searching for all of her other books, that I've let slip by. This story touched so many things in me. Although I could not directly relate with the issues the characters were dealing with I have friends and family that have had to overcome such issues. Great story and a great read. Pick this one up

This novel is a great little tale about a young woman newly graduated from college, who sets out to conquer it all but is beset with challenges that arise in both her professional, but mostly personal, life. Main character Nina is focused on her lifelong goal of becoming a news anchorwoman; until she meets aspiring NBA star Maurice, and becomes embroiled in an unhealthy and destructive relationship. Nina is so encompassed with catering to his every whim, that she neglects both her job and her family. When Maurice unceremoniously dumps her, Nina finds herself being drawn into the irresistibly nurturing web that is Leo, aka LJ Love, an aspiring rapper who has secretly loved Nina for years. Meanwhile, Nina is observing what appears to be an unhealthy dynamic between her parents; that of slave and master, with her mother being the epitome of subservient. When Nina's mother becomes ill, she eventually pleads with Nina to find a love that is truly deserving of her. But can Nina break the cycle? Or will she sacrifice all that she has become with Leo when Maurice comes calling?

This novel is a must-read for any young woman, no matter her ethnicity, who is coming into her own. Author TJ Butler provides insight into the need to pursue healthy relationships in all aspects of our lives. Fours stars only because I simply wasn't ready for the book to end; I felt the need to know more about what became of Nina and brother Brice's relationship with their father, and even more about Nina and the delicious Leo. Perhaps the author will grace us with a sequel.....??


DYB

I am one to give a new author a shot. This book however was a total let down. There was too much going on and nothing really solid to concentrate on. There are very few books that had female leads that I did not like and Nina was one of them. I have not read Ms. Butler's previous novel and now I am not sure that I want to.

This book defines the lives of many young women. I can easily relate to the emotional pain felt by the characters in this book. This is by far one of my top five books. I can not believe there are people that did not enjoy this book. I personally felt like part of my life story was being told in this book and I am not afraid to admit it!

I read this book prior to a book club conference and thoroughly enjoyed it. I read it in 1 day. The characters were authentic and well defined.