Biography Books

If your a wrestling fan (more so from the late 90s) do yourself a favour and buy, borrow or steal a copy of this book, even if your not a big reader you won't want to put it down. I lent it to a couple of friends of mine who also watch wrestling and they too found it highly entertaining. If your not or have never been a wrestling fan then you may not care for it and lose interest at least thats the opinion I got from someone else I lent it to, however if you do fit this category what are you doing looking up jericho's autobiography?

If you like Chris Jericho, you HAVE to read this book! Who knew he was so funny?! A great read for any fan.

Chris Jericho's autobiography, A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex takes a look at the life and times of everyone's favorite Lionheart of the wrestling world. This is purposely written as a "part one" of sorts as A Lion's Tale only details Jericho's wrestling endeavors up until his then WWF debut in 1999. I fondly recall being a die-hard Jerichoholic from his late 90s WCW exploits, but I had barely a clue about his indy wrestling days, so the book was going to contain a lot of new information. I had no idea how interesting it was going to be reading about a lot of his fellow indy wrestlers I wasn't familiar with. It turned out be pretty interesting after all. Jericho spends a lot of time writing in-depth about training in the notorious Hart Family Dungeon in Canada and trying to get matches in California and Japan.

After finishing this book, Jericho did have one heck of an indy career. Reading about how he became a teeny-bop sensation in Mexico and how being a guest on Mexico's top late-night program led to a live call-in vote to determine his ring name was just a tiny sampling of his crazy days wrestling all over the world. Jericho also has many more peculiar tales of his days wrestling under circus tents in Germany, desperately seeking out a McDonalds while wrestling for WAR in Japan, and shooting rock star promos a decade behind the times for Smokey Mountain Wrestling while tagging with Lance Storm. Don't just skim over these parts, there is a lot of intriguing information to be discovered about Jericho and his days on the indy scene.

I was really anticipating him talking about his ECW and WCW tenure, and it delivered. He didn't spend too much time in ECW, just a few months and not even 30 matches before he was discovered and swept by WCW. His three year WCW run is by far the highlight of the book for me, most likely because it was what I was most familiar with and for his unique insight to what went on behind the scenes in WCW during the crazy nWo era. I was glued to the book to when Jericho detailed what he had to go through in order to get his storyline with Goldberg to go as far as it did, and still have no blowoff match to it all.

It is very refreshing to see this book bring up a couple topics in great detail that aren't in most other wrestler's books that are published under the WWE Books label like steroid use and wrestler salaries. It's just too bad the book only covers his Pre-WWF/WWE years, I guess that's what the sequel is for, but if you can get by the fact he doesn't talk about his WWE years (he does talk about the process that lead to his signing and debut as the book ends the moment he interrupts the Rock's promo on this 8/99 RAW debut), than by all means check this one out.
A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex

I usually read a wrestling book as a summer read and this year i read a Lion's Tail. A great book about a journey from the begining to what has become a possible hall of fame career. I highly recommend it.

I had high hopes for Chris Jericho's debut biography A Lion's Tale: Around the World in Spandex, and for the most part I enjoyed what I read. However, perhaps due to the extreme hype, comparing Jericho's debut book to Mick Foley's classic Have a Nice Day, or perhaps even due to my own personal expectations, I was let down just a little bit. My main gripe with the book is that Chris doesn't get as personal with the reader as one would have enjoyed. Mick really exposes himself and allows himself to be vulnerable, while Chris still seemed to be holding back, mainly in the personal life department.
Also, unlike Foley's book or even Shawn Michaels' book, A Lion's Tale seems to coast between feelings of "things are going ok" and "things are going really well" without hitting any sort of rock bottom that could possibly expose Chris to the reader and allowing us to see Chris Irvine and forget about Chris Jericho. HBK's book and Foley's books had extreme lows which made the highs that much better; something that Chris' first outting is seriously lacking.
All in all however, I do suggest that wrestling fans and Chris Jericho fans alike pick up the book, it's a promising first effort, but it's no "Have a Nice Day". A follow up on his WWF/E days should be mighty interesting though.

Sean

My boyfriend's father convinced me that, as an art history major, I needed to read this book. I was a little hesitant, but after the first chapter I was completely hooked.

This was a truly powerful book. No matter that it is not a true biography, it was beautifully written and moving. I would recommend this to anyone with even a passing interest in art.

Amazing book and so very well written as all of Stone's other books are...I have always been mesmerised by Van Gogh's paintings, especially when I saw an exhibit of his in London.The colours were so wonderful that I just stood there infront of those pieces of art like a zombie ! I loved this book !

I loved this book. For someone like me, with just a passing knowledge of art and art history, it was pretty amazing to learn about Van Gogh's development as an artist and the Impressionist art movement. In addition, I think that its two major themes of expression and immortality are going to have a lasting effect on me.

By expression, I mean that Van Gogh put all his time and energy into expressing himself in a way that he felt was making the best use of his skills. For him, his calling was a new form of art, and he stuck with it despite receiving no recognition or profit for his work during his lifetime. By immortality, I mean that although Van Gogh was not successful in his lifetime, his work lives on and is hung in the most important museums in the world.

Highly recommended.

This is a beautiful novel about a beautiful human being. If you love Van Gogh's paintings (he is my personal favorite of all painters) then by all means, you need to read this wonderful book. In his prose, Stone is able to paint a vivid, vibrant, illuminating portrait of an amazing artist. I was truly blown away and completely consumed from the first chapter on. I actually read this fine story after visiting the Musee d'Orsay (Museum Orsay) in Paris and seeing first hand the magnificent works of this illustrious Impressionist. Of all the great many paintings presented at the Louvre and d'Orsay, it was the Van Gogh's that captivated me more than all the others (which is saying a lot, because the whole place is captivating!). I couldn't believe some of his self-portraits. What really fascinated me the most was the despondency in those steel blue eyes of his. This is what led me to read this story. I wanted to know where all that pain and suffering came from. Irving Stone answered all of my questions and then some. He is a brilliant and insightful writer and I will be looking forward to reading his novel "The Agony and the Ecstasy" which is based on the life of another favorite artist of mine - Michelangelo.

Anyone who is struggling to become an artist needs to read this! Talk about sacrifice and desire and heart and passion... this man Van Gogh was a true original. A man like no other before or since.

"...for by sadness the countenance of the heart is made better."

I can't recommend this one enough.

I should have read this biography sooner. I used to be in love with his paintings, and even fantasized that IF I were to travel back in time, I would've married him -- all this BEFORE I read this book. After I read it I found out that there was one such infatuated woman (Margot), and also a tragic unrequited love story that led him to religion and then to painting. Anyone who is creative will sympathize with the extent to which pain can be transformed into the strength to create. The creative path is not always materially rewarding, and even if it is all an artist has, it will continuously change others' lives. I absorbed every word of this book and was hooked until the very end. Poverty and disinterest is ephemeral... belief in oneself is revolutionary.

"Beautiful Joe" is a wonderful story. It was given to me in the late 50's when I was about 10 years old, and I think I read it three times. It's always amazed me that so few others know of it. But it is a beautiful and enriching story especially suitable for a 9-12 year old child who loves dogs. It is very sad (and distrubing) in the beginning, however, so I would never recommend it for a young child.

I read this book countless times when I was a child in the 1950s; I was delighted to find it still in print and even more delighted to find that it is as moving and meaningful as ever. Today's children may find the language somewhat formal and will need to broaden their vocabularies, but they and their parents will find the small effort well worth it.

I love this book. Everyone should read it young or old. Beautiful Joe and the rest of the animals will touch your heart. I have never read this book without crying at the end.

I am not reviewing the edition but rather the book...and it is...of utmost excellence. Although written for its time period, it is something one can read now and enjoy...Beautiful Joe captures your heart, makes you share his opinions, memories and feelings...then leaves you wanting more.

Just thought I should say something. =)

I first read this story as a Whitman abridged edition when I was about eight years old. It was hard for me to believe that some people were so cruel to animals, but I loved the book's old-fashioned narration and of the adventures of and lessons learned by Miss Laura and her family in raising Joe. The moment I learned what the word "abridged" meant, I went looking for the complete story; it took me a long time to find this Applewood Books edition that included three of the farm chapters that were missing from the supposedly complete version I later purchased, and oddly, the Applewood edition is missing the chapter about the crow that is in some other editions. (I believe this is because the Applewood volume is a reprint of the original story and the chapter about the crow was added in a revised edition.) The story is full of memorable characters, both animal--Joe, Jim the spaniel, Billy the fox-terrier, Bella the parrot--and human--Miss Laura, Ned, Willie, Jack, and Cousin Harry. If you are tender of heart, you may find many scenes heart-rending, but it reminds us too that we have much to still work on in the area of animal cruelty.

I found it hard to read much of what Cliff Acree wrote, because he tells us how badly he was treated while he was in captivity. He was tortured; badly beaten, denied food and in so many ways humiliated and ill-treated. Still, he never lost his faith and dignity.

Since Cliff Acree was a higher ranking officer, it was obvious that he was better informed than his fellow prisoners of war. When he refused to share any of this information with his captors, it made Saddam Hussein's men treat him harsher than many others.

Col.Cliff Acree decided he had to lie to Saddam Hussein's men, and that may be a reason he is still alive. If he had kept on refusing to speak, the ill-treatment may even have been worse. Another reason he is alive is: When Saddam Hussein used the captured pilots, as well as members of the SAS and a CBS TV crew as human shields, only two instead of five bombers attacked the building they were kept in. The bombers didn't bomb the part where the cells were sited.

One of the comments in the book also made me think of Captain Scott Speicher, since he is the American air man that Saddam Hussein most likely kept.

Addressing the memoir "The Gulf Between Us" by Cynthia and Cliff Acree is a bit difficult. It came out around 1998, and thus a completely different era than our current misadventure(aka quagmire) in Iraq. Since I am a moderate Democrat, I kind of have a bitter taste in my mouth when I think of the Bushes. However "Gulf" is really the story of the Acrees, and thus I do recommend this because these two are great people. Col. Acree is a hero because he withstood torture and would not reveal critical intelligence to the Iraqis during the first Gulf War. His wife is also a hero because despite her own pain, she fought to get better recognition of POWs and their families. The stuff that Col. Acree had to go through is heartwretching, and it is a miracle in itself that he lived to tell us. For that, I salute him. The book also makes a good move in mostly avoiding political matters(both parties seem to be portrayed well), but Acree should not have kept mentioning how he wouldn't even give in to the demand that "he call [President George H.W] Bush a donkey". Well Bush 43 is certainly worse than that for treating de facto POWs in Gitmo the way he has, but again Acree couldn't have forseen that, so he gets a pass. Recommended reading. Should be read by any who believe torture is a good way to get intelligence(Acree never gave up anything that was good) and by those who believe in the Geneva Conventions, and of course by those who want to admire true American heroes: our soldiers.

I have read many POW stories since WWII and this is one of the best. The perspective is a little different as the wife talks a chapter about what is going on at home and then Col. Acree talks about his ordeal while a prisoner of war in Iraq during Desert Storm. The internal fortitude and resolve of Co. Acree is astounding and what he went through is heart rending. At the same time his wife did much in creating a force of help and an attitude of compassion among the entire citizenry of the U.S.A. You will rally 'round the flag after reading this and appreciate the downfall of Hussein!

I truly believe that there are never any random accidents of fate at work in our lives--everything happens to us for a reason, even if we do not understand why! Reading the inspiring memoir "The Gulf Between Us: A Story of love and Survival in Desert Storm" you cannot help but believe that prayers are truly answered; and that there must be a divine purpose to our lives even if it is not understood at the time of the events. One thing is evident; this book is about the power of faith and love.

The Husband and wife writing team of Cynthia and Col. Cliff Acree have written a duel storyline that is more than just about war--it is a love story. They chronicle the compelling emotions and the events surrounding the Colonel's capture and his time spent as a POW during Desert Strom. It is a triumphant tale of courage from both Cliff and Cynthia as they endure, survive, suffer and embrace once again. They both have this underlining strength and faith that comes through very loud and clear.

No matter what you have read about the experiences of the POWS in Desert Storm there was much more to that story that was left untold --or incorrectly reported. Some of them were subjected to brutal beatings and life threatening treatment. Colonel Acree was subjected to a harsher treatment than others for various reasons, including his strong loyalty and patriotism and the fact that he was a Marine pilot and company commander. He would not give an inch or compromise on his core values and for those reasons he had to endure the brute force of his Iraqi capturers. Truly an American hero!

Equally courageous and inspiring is the corresponding story of Cynthia's experiences, as she has to face all the uncertainties of the situation. Working from a base of great faith and personal strength she takes positive actions and organizes a movement to get world attention focused on the fate of all the POWS and MIAS. Her personal and emotional journey did not come without its own form of pain.

We learn a lot about who the authors were and how they met and became high school friends. The background story gives us a look inside their relationship and what kind of people they were prior to the life changing experiences of the war. I think this adds greatly to the power of their story. These two individual souls seemed destined to become spiritually connected in the very fabric of their lives. This book is more than a war story it is about their own personal spiritual journey. It is a story that will inspire many others and perhaps change a few lives along the way. And maybe, that was one of the divine purposes that the universe had in mind for all that they went through. I know that I was touched by their story on many levels. I am a better person for having read their book.

It is a well-written, easy to follow story. The authors share a huge part of themselves with the reader and that honesty comes through and makes you feel good about them as people. The MWSA gives this book its highest book rating of FIVE STARS. I also add my personal endorsement and recommendations that you buy and read this book.

When I first bought this book, I thought it would be something I MIGHT pick up and read...if I didn't have something better to do. Being a new Marine spouse in a post-9/11 world, the story was, at least, an intriguing one, and any new information I could get was a bonus. I had NO idea what was in store.

This is a story of patriotism, of survival, of fear, of strength, of new and old friendships, of new and old adversaries. A story of triumph and most of all an enduring love; Cindy and Cliff's story is one that will touch anyone.

It is written in perfect format as Cindy chronicles her daily life in unison with what happened to Cliff thousands of miles away in captivity. It demonstrates how even in the most grim of circumstances, the spirit perseveres and is, indeed, made stronger. From a military point of view, their amazing story can also serve as a reference for families on how to handle difficult situations, when their loved ones' lives could be at risk. It certainly has for me.

I am a better person for having read this book. I am better Marine spouse after reading this book. It truly is one of the best investments I have ever made. It demonstrates, beyond a doubt, the Honor, Pride and Commitment that signifies the Marine Corps, and all our servicemen and women. I appreciate the Acrees sharing their story with the world.

This travel tale about a diminutive gal on a small wheeled folding bike in Cuba hits a home run. Lynette's brutally honest account of her feelings and course of action taken during this trek is wonderful reading. This story is something which I believe many people dream of yet few actually do. Myself included.

When I picked up this book I thought I'd get a quirky and fun read about a solo woman bike rider traveling and learning about Cuba. Well, it IS that, but it's so much more. It's about a unique woman riding a unique bicycle (Bike Friday), getting deep into the country through living with locals. At the same time, she lets the reader into her life journey, shattering expectations about what a successful Asian woman growing up in Australia should be doing with her life.

If you're adventurous, or if you've ever fantasized about getting on a bike to ride into the sunrise/sunset, or if you're simply looking for a book that you can't put down, this is the one. And guys, check it out. Her grueling bike rides--not to mention boat rides during severe storms--will impress even the toughest bikers.

I like bicycling books with a lot of bicycling in them, and there isn't all that much bicycling in this book. That notwithstanding, it's a really good book. This lady is observant and perceptive, not to mention brave and adventurous. She is also, at times, wickedly funny and doesn't spare herself when it comes to pointing out human foibles and follies. I thought I got a real flavor of Cuba from the book as well. I'd recommend this book to anyone who enjoys real life adventure stories.

I recently rode my Bike Friday with Lynette and some 40 other "Friday" enthusiasts through the historic towns of Southern Arizona, so I was pleased to find that the personality that exudes from her every pore was clearly revealed in this entertaining, funny, bittersweet, educational account of her biking through Cuba. I can't think of a better way to spend a couple of hours (whether or not you like biking and travel) than to view Cuban everyday life through Lynette's perceptive and objective eyes. The only thing better would be to actually take a bike ride with Lynette.

In "The Handsomest Man in Cuba: An Escapade" Lynette Chiang wrote about her adventure biking in Cuba. Originally from Sydney, Lynette travelled light with a bicycle that can be folded, a tent, and a few other necessity items for travelling. It was a great way for Lynette to learn about the culture, food, and people in the country. Even though she was a foreigner with U.S. dollars, Lynette was determined not to travel the way Castro expected tourists to; paying exhorbitant amount of money for hotel or food. Most of the time, she stayed with families or friends that she people she met recommended or just if the rooms were cheap. She was able to learn a lot about Cuban families and their way of life in Cuba.

What I like most about the book is that the author was candid about her observation of Cuba, of the poverty and at the same time of the friendliness of the people. Unlike some foreigners, she did not romanticize Cuba. It was most fascinating to read about the characters she met along her journey, which I thought was definitely the highlight of her travelogue. However, I wish that the author shared more about her personal life, and what brought her to Central America in the first place. This would have made the book even more engaging than it already is. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who wants to learn more about Cuba and the Cuban people. A fantastic summer read.

This volume has been a complete blessing to me! It found it's way to my door by Divine intervention while I was already on the road from FL to NY while my only son was a reported missing person in NY. Amazon ships sporatically and I received this the day I left, again, I was already packed, in my vehicle and on the road. I returned home and grabbed this from in front of my door, threw it into my SUV and headed back out. My son was murdered and I found out while I was still en route north. This book was a HUGE blessing during this worst of all possible tragedies.

It announces a very different picture of the serene, somber Jesus we've heard about throughout our lives, a picture of love, gaiety, kindness, passion and, most of all, smiles. I read this in my weakest moments and found inspirations, blessings and, ironically, perfectly timed revelations.

"In the Footsteps of Jesus" tells the story of the "Matthew" actor that played Jesus, Bruce Marchiano. It details how the author came to play the role and how playing the role changed his life through daily insights into the life, love, compassion and gentleness of Jesus as seen through the Gospel of Matthew.

What an absolute goldmine the Lord sent my way during this most horrific time in my life! Without this volume, safely tucked away in the backseat of my SUV, I don't believe I would have been able to make it through this terrible time. Thank you to Bruce Marchiano and GLORY TO HIM!!!

This book has done more for me in learning to love Christ than any other I have ever read, with the only exception being the Bible. Bruce Marchiano does a wonderful job of making Jesus real, approachable, and, more than anything, lovable. If you have any question about God's love for you, read this one!

I bought this book for my book club. We usually read fiction but I had read this and wanted them to read it too. They loved it. The experience the author has as he plays Jesus, along with the cast and crew in making this move Matthew is truly amazing. The way they depict Jesus in the movie this book is about, is more like I like to think of who Jesus is and what he was like while he was here on earth. Truly inspiring!

It was an encouragement to me to read Bruce Marchiano's testimony about his amazing journey of following Christ and his life changing experience of portraying Jesus in the film "The Gospel according to Matthew". I enjoyed reading every page of this book because the love of Jesus flows through it.
I recommend this book to everyone, especially those who loved Bruce Marchiano's presentation of the joyful Jesus in the film "The Gospel according to Matthew". After I read "In the Footsteps of Jesus", I had to watch the film "The Gospel according to Matthew" again and again. In my opinion, it is the best Jesus film I have ever seen! Check out the plans for Bruce's new film "The Gospel according to John".

What a joy to read the book and be given the idea that Jesus was joyful and loving, not like other Hollywood movies where Jesus never blinks and is very pious. This Jesus character related to the people he was here to save. Loved the book and the movie-which is word for word the Gospel of Matthew.

While this book has many innovative ideas in it, it makes perfect sense. It is easy to read, although so full of great thoughts and inspirational concepts that I had to slow the pace just to digest it. It speaks to the heart and the process of reading is healing in itself. I highly recommend it to anyone searching for their hearts desire, or just plain looking for answers.

A purported running dialog with the Christ figure with commentary/amplification by the author interspersed throughout the dialog. This is an extremely worthwhile read, being a "clarification" or "re-statement" of what the Christ's original doctrine was -with elucidation of that doctrine. That original doctrine dovetails nicely with expositions found in The Conversation With God series, Course in Miracles, and even the Seth material (which supporters would say should happen if all these sources are indeed different perpsectives on "truth"). There are enough additional and further clarifications in this work to make it absolutely a "must" for readers interested in this genre. The author's work "the Keys of Jeshua" is also a must read, being a "how to" put the principles into action in life to achieve a different life experience. This work belongs in one's special tomes on "truth and living".

As one who has been committed to the Path for a LONG time, I feel confident in saying that the new version of Love Without End is the
most complete Spiritual Teaching you will ever find.

Each sentence is a Gem ... that you could mediate on for quite awhile.

I have read this book (and marked it up really good!) at least six times.

A Miracle of LOVE indeed...

Gratefully,

Dr. David Kamnitzer

I find this book to be packed with information on the nature of reality. Unlike my experience with many books on spirituality, I find myself returning to this book again and again. The truths that Jesus reveals in modern American English hit home whether he is explaining the nature of the heart, the physics of the universe or the ten commandments. Here is revealed both the deep love of Jesus for all people and an unflinching guide to all of life. All of this is presented free from dogma, free from religiosity, and free from condemnation.

The warmth, love, compassion, wisdom and joy that radiate from this book is, at times, overwhelming! For me, this is a book that one must keep so that it can be referred to time and again, as I simply am not spiritually advanced enough to get most of the information on a first, second and maybe even third pass. I hope to hear Glenda speak some day and I'd love to see her painting up close and personal. Buy the book and cherish it!

Ricardo Semler calls himself a maverick, but he's actually a visionary. Semler, now 49, was way ahead of the curve 25 years ago when he radically altered the structure and philosophy of his father's company, Semco. Long before most businesses acknowledged that employees were thinking, feeling human beings and not timecard-punching robots, Semler rebuilt the infrastructure at Semco, eliminating layers of bureaucracy and allowing employees to decide their own fates. They determined their own schedules, pay scales and dress codes. Semler drastically reduced paperwork; he restricted memos, for example, to a single page. He believed that empowered employees, freed of their corporate shackles, would be motivated, creative and productive. You may find some aspects of that approach unrealistic or totally impractical for your organization. You may even think Semler is crazy. At the very least though, getAbstract believes executives should give careful consideration to his approach. His innovations are still relevant, even a quarter of a century later.

Great book. Amazing story.
Lot's of good lessons to be learned here. I read it all the way through and enjoyed the writing style a great deal. A quick read with fascinating stories and good information.

I think this book gives In Search of Excellence a run for its money as the all time great. This book really promotes a different way of thinking about the workplace in a much more collaborative way. I can't wait to start his other book the Seven-Day Weekend.

I have been strugling about how to have an organization or a corporation that are at the same time efficient and humanistic/democratic. Although people normally receives these types of ideas with reserve, the feeling is that it is almost impossible (take out the "almost" if you wish).

After reading Maverick everything changes. We have heard histories before, for example, ancient Athenas, Robert Owen cooperative success in 19th Century England, Mahatmas Ghandi, and so forth. However, rarely a 20th Century corporation has gone so far as Semco, at least to the best of my knowledge.

If you are interested in "real" humanistic-democratic management, you must have this book in your reading list.

Maverick is the story of Semco, an medium size Brazilian company who has set free their employees. The owner, Richardo Semler has been on a journey to continuously improve and innovate their employee related practices. Maverick describes this journey, the steps Semco took, the effect it had and the reasoning behind it. The changes they have gone through is innovate, thought provoking and may be even revolutionary.

What are these innovations? They range from flextime for factory workers, letting people control their own work to more extreme practices like completely abandoning the organizational chart to people who can set their own salaries! Chapter after chapter, Richardo describes these changes, starting with the smaller ones and ending with the large and most thought provoking changes and ending the book with a speculation about how his ideas and Semcos experiences might influence other companies and maybe the general business culture.

Maverick is very well written. It took me 2 days to read it, it kept me reading all the time. Well structured and really builds up to the end. Also the end, for me, was not dissapointing and looking forward to reading Semler's follow-up book.

Very much recommended.

Right from the gitgo Ben Hamper's Rivethead grabs you with gritty gusto of passages such as the above; Hamper is an extraordinary writer about life for the ordinary guy... at least the ordinary guy who winds up as an automotive assembly-line worker for General Motors in Flint, Michigan--once considered the Automobile Capital of the World. The author is a natural shop rat, growing up in Flint, with an alcoholic mostly absentee father and a long-suffering, working-three-jobs mother trying to raise the family as practicing Catholics.

...

For my complete review of this book and for other book and movie
reviews, please visit my site [...]

Brian Wright
Copyright 2008

The endless monotony and idiot bosses drive anybody with an IQ above their shoe size to do something to kill the thought that, if they're lucky, they only have 30 more years of mind numbing drudgery to go before they can retire. I'm not saying alcohol abuse is the proper outlet, but it does seem to be the most common and most convenient. Good book, excellent portrayal of what exactly "blue collar America" does for a living.

Ben Hamper shares his life as a worker on the GM assembly line in Flint, MI. Bold, frank, honest and often hilarious. This book was recommended to me years ago and for some reason I never read it until now. Hamper chronicles a part of American history (manufacturing jobs) that seem to be going stateside or as Ross Perot once described in a quip about NAFTA, what's that whoosing noise? manufacturing jobs headed to Mexico. This is prose for the ages. Loved the book.

I didn't really like reading this book because I too work in a (once) major three Auto plant. I didn't feel that it properly portrayed some of the workers. It made it sound like all workers are like the author where they just really don't give a damn about anything except having a joking time on the job. It also made the workers sound like they were underachieving, undereducated, bottom of the barrel workers and I didn't care to have that stigma for all of us. I hold two bachelor degrees, like my job and take it serious!

I grew up with people like Ben Hamper in a place which was much like Flint. For the first couple years of my adult life, I did the kind of work he did. What he describes is the tail end of a lifestyle; the lifestyle of the shop rat. It's dirty, monotonous and smelly. Many of the people you work with are either below average in intelligence or in sanity. Drugs, booze and having no concept of "forethought" are fundamental parts of the culture. It's nihilism with a rivet gun. If you come from a place like that, chances are, your only way out is via a jail cell or a career in the military. Or, you could win a workmans comp suit. Which is presumably how Ben got out.

I miss rust-belt working class america. It's a hard life, and it doesn't have much in the way of rewards, but the people who make it up are genuine in ways that others are not: they have a lot of heart and spirit. Ben's book brought it all back in a great galloping rush of memories. If you've ever wondered what the factory working classes are, or at least were like (back when we had factories); read the book.

This is the first time that I felt compelled to write a review. I found this book honest, entertaining, soul searching and amazing. Josh really lets you see who he is and doesn't hide his emotions or short comings. He provides insights into coping with his deafness and also reveals how he experiences that world. His journey in Africa is unbelievable except, of course, it is true. I would highly recommend this book.

I found Josh Swiller's riveting and beautifully written account of his Peace Corps service in Eastern Africa impossible to put down. Swiller weaves insight about deafness brilliantly into his story, giving the reader an insider's perspective on being deaf in any and every possible situation. As the mother of a present Peace Corps Volunteer, I couldn't help but imagine how Josh's mother might have been feeling during his two years in Africa. What did she know about his experience? Was she able to communicate with him? Did he protect her by not divulging details of the danger? While he doesn't tell the reader much about his mother in his book, I found myself wondering about her beyond the book. And...I have continued to think deeply about his experience long after reading his final words. I'm ready to read whatever Swiller publishes next!

I love this book. I've recommended it to just about everyone I've spoken to since I finished it. It is a wonderful memoir. It is hard to put down, and it's incredible to reflect on.

Read it.

As a Psychotherapist, I would recommend this book to anyone with a hearing problem or anyone who has a child with a hearing problem. I also would recommend it to anyone who needed to be inspired by the human spirit and to see that the limits of our coping capacities are beyond anything we can imagine.

Josh Swiller's account of his Peace Corps years is a wonderful insight into how he coped with volunteering in an African village as a young deaf man. It is a real page turner. A 5 star read!