Biography Books

This is a fascinating account of Churchill's life up to about 1904, written around 1930. Even if you are not interested in Churchill (hard for me to imaging if you are reading this review) just the perspective into the late Victorian era is worth the price of admission. It was a totally different world.

To say it exudes wit, humour, intelligence and charm is a big understatement.
He was 56 at the time he wrote it... so, we have the benefit of experience too...
A MUST READ.

ADB

PS: The film done about it (using the book as the script) is also very good if a bit slow in parts (specially political speeches).

If you want to know about Winston Churchill's early life and just how well he was able to write well then look no further. The prose is rich, his vocabulary is extensive and the phrasing is pure Churchill. This is a great introduction into his life and writing ability and many sayings and phrases Churchill is known for are given in this volume. Few, if any, are willing to risk potential embarrassment by stating as one of their life's accomplishments any book that they have read. However, if one is able to add having read this book among those achievements then at least that part of their life will not have been wasted.

I got this for my grandfather for Christmas. He was POW during WWII, and was wanting to read about Churchill's POW experiences. A big hit!! My grandfather couldn't put the book down.

His writing is great; his stories are told in a refreshing, whimsical tone; and one gets the sense that he loves his life. Even though I was very familiar with the event of his life before reading this, I found it thoroughly engaging and would recommend it to anyone with an interest in this extraordinary man.

I have read dozens of books on running. This is by far the most entertaining book on the subject that I have read. The book is biographical, discusses many of the crazy races Yasso has ran, and has some training schedules for 5k, 10k, half-, and full marathons.

Excellent book. Very funny. I would recommend it to anybody whether newly starting in this sport or to a veteran. Great book to add to collection.

The book reads like a collection of short stories. It is very easy to pick up and read a quick chapter. But it is not easy to put down in the middle of a chapter. After reading this book I have started to plan my own adventures.

Mr. Yasso has produced a nice little running book about the places he's run and the people he has met. This is an easy, breezy read. Mr. Yasso does not seem too take himself to seriously and we can all live vicariously through his globe trotting adventures. I skipped past the training programs (You can pick one up in any running magazine, any month) but I did enjoy his list of favorite races.This book is a nice addition to your library of running books.

I was wondering when Bart would get around to writing a book about his running experiences. My Life On The Run made it worth the wait. If you want to find out what it's like to run in some of the strangest and most exotic races around the globe (and how to train for them), this is the book for you. Bart's writing pulls you into the event and holds you there with ease. You find that running is not only an adventure, but it's fun, too. I especially enjoyed his account of the Bare Buns 5-K, a nude run in Washington State. I ran the event myself, and it was just as Bart described it: "Interesting. Especially the water stops. Guys had orange vests on and no pants."
I highly recommend My Life On The Run. Whether you're a runner or a non-runner, Bart Yasso's book is a real page turner.

This is an intelligent book with GREAT stories from Mr. Yasso. I loved it. I laughed out loud in some of the situations he faces. You won't find a better read--runner or not!

This is without a doubt the most inspirational book I've read. I've always been a huge fan of Tedy Bruschi's, and after this book I have a whole new respect for him and his family for what they went through. It's a great book for everyone, regardless of how they feel about the Patriots!

Never Give Up is the journey of Tedy Bruschi and how he went from Super Bowl Champion/Pro Bowl participant to hoping he could lead a normal life. Bruschi suffered a mild stroke that impaired his vision and ability to walk. He and his wife Heidi received a crash course in what it means to have a stroke and how it can impact your life.

Bruschi details how this event caused turmoil in his personal and professional life and how he went from being completely striped of any hope of playing football again to becoming a leading spokesman for stroke awareness. The book is well written and a very fast read.

This book is well beyond a book only for New England Patriots fans; it is a great inspiration for anyone who is facing adversity in their life. Highly recommended.

Truly insperational. I love Tedy Bruschi and this shows the heart of a true sportsman and a great person. This book is easy to read and a must read if you are a PATS fan at all!

I haven't finished the book, but what i have read is excellent. It was well written, and I felt it explained in the details of his life.

I am a HUGE Patriots fan and i could not put this book down. I am 14 years old and i have to read every single night and i was excited when i started to read this book. This book makes you think about what you have and the things that you take for granted. Even though the patriots lost the super bowl i got over it quicker than i would of since i had just finished the book. I liked the insight on what goes on and what goes through the NFL players head. You have got to read this inspirational book!

I am constantly amazed at the magnitude of CeCe Winans musical and spiritual capabilities and I am pleased to say that her gifts do not end there. On A Positive Note is a beautiful piece. In it, there is a very natural and earthy quality that reaches the reader to relate the story CeCe seeks to tell. The flow of the book is very smooth; transitions are made nicely from one subject to the next as she relates her story. I cannot stress enough how the personal the experience of reading this book feels and how natural the language reads. CeCe has done it again. God is consistently working through her in a mighty way.

I read this book and I was so blessed by it. Throughout it, Cece constantly discusses the fact the she was taught to give up the world for God. This blessed me because it is evident in the way that God has blessed her music ministry that if we give up the world for God that he will do exceedingly, abundantly, above all that we could ask or think in our lives. It was awesome to read about how God just kept blessing her life because the posture of heart was correct towards him. It was great to read a story about saved artist who had just been taught to live holy and to see the rewards of doing it. I was blessed and truly encouraged through this book.

While reading "On a Positive Note" by CeCe Winans, I was taken back into a time when I myself was growing up, how her childhood memories was very similar to my own. I also grew up in a large family, and reading her book brought back so many memories of my past. Despite all the tribulations and triumphs of her life, she managed to hold on to her spiritual belief, letting it guide her through her every decision in life. "On A Positive Note" has inspired me, lifted me to a higher level of praising the Lord and reminded me to always put God before each decision throughout my life. This book was quite a page turner that filled my heart with laughter, joy, tears, praise, sadness and forgiveness. I was moved to pray for Ronald myself as she astoundingly shared his testimony. My thirteen year old daughter is now reading this wonderful book and I will reccommend it to everyone I know.

http://pages.ivillage.com/cassie23/

This book, "On A Positive Note", was truly an inspiration. I didn't want to put the book down. Ms. Winans biography was written so that you felt that you were right there in that moment of time. Again, GREAT BIOGRAPHY!

This book was truly an inspiration. I didn't want to put the book down. Ms. Winans biography was written so that you felt that you were right there in that moment of time. Again, GREAT BIOGRAPHY!

This book is like an NFL Rocky type story. Except there are 10 different Rocky's that are the focus of this book in the form of football players. Not to say that it is a ripoff in anyway. It's a book that truly stands on it's own. The author seems to be very talented. His first? Are you kidding me? Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I felt sad for them. Especially knowing that all this really happened to real people makes the impact even stronger. Don't let it's setting of it being preseason football make you think it's boring. It's a book of hope, determination, preserverance, and the cold reality of life that we all have to face. This book was so good it's compelled me to write my first review for Amazon. Congratulations Woody F. and I'm looking for your next book!

I bought several copies of Falgoux's book for the football fans in my family and they were a huge hit. By our next family gathering, One Dream was the one and ONLY topic ofconversation. This book is extremely well-written, informative and impressive in it's ability to show the human side of what has become a mega-industry in the US.

This book is precisely what every NFL fan wants to know about what it takes to make a professional football team's roster. Woody does an excellent job at grabing your attention within the very first pages and holding it to the very end. If you are a fan of the NFL, this is a must read and Woody will have you turning each page anxiously awaiting the fates of the players struggling to make the Saints team. This book is masterfully written and you will find yourself rooting for the underdogs. Woody is a gifted story teller and makes you feel like you are sitting along side him at the Saints training camp. At times, I was rooting for Woody himself as he describes the difficulties the media encounters from the Saints organization during training camp. I highly recommend this book and only hope Woody has his second book in the works.

An amazing read! The author puts you into the mind, body
and soul of the players. It is more than a book about football, it is about having hope and chasing a dream. Even
when you know you wont win. Read it and pass it on,
quickly.

Woody had a great premise for a book, let's follow undrafted rookie free agents through training camp showing the emotional highs and lows of who makes the team. Since his favorite team is the New Orleans Saints, the story starts in a small humidity oppressed Louisiana town that is the sight of training camp. Woody does a great job getting to know the players and attempting to know management and how decisions are made. It's clear very early that the NFL and the Saints don't know what to make of this book and seem to have some concern that it will be a hatchet job.

But Woody writes like a true Saints fan who wants to know the players and what it's like to try to make a team. The deck is really stacked against these guys as they must beat out returning players and drafted rookies. Woody gives great examples of the many undrafted free agents who went on to become quality NFL players. But this year's group doesn't appear to have an immediate star and some of the players start dropping immediately. Some of the rookies have great practices followed by weak practices. Some have minor injuries that limit their already limited playing time. And some are trying to fill positions where there are no real spots.

It makes for an interesting read from the early cuts to the few that make it right to the final cut. Woody does a good job of showing the fears, insecurities and sacrifices these players make trying to fulfill their dream. Read this book if you are a fan of football.

This is an awesome book. I laughed and cried. It's heartbreaking and uplifting. I highly reccommend this for all US citizens - whether you are associated with the military or not. It gives an understanding of what the military members and their families deal with, and who they are.

This book really gives you a taste for how it is in Iraq...I think everyone should read it...especially Pres. Bush.

This book was very moving. I laughed and I cried. There were sad stories and poignant stories and many positive stories. I recommend this book to anyone wanting a real look at how the military and their families feel about going through these deployments. I also recomment it for families going through the deployments now. I have learned a lot about what my son may be going through and may not be willing to share with us right now.

I am a military wife. My young daughter and I survived 12 months while my husband served in Iraq. This book was absolutely amazing. I cannot come up with the words to describe how much this book meant to me. I don't know about other spouses, but no matter how much my husband and I talk, it is not easy for him to communicate his thoughts or feelings on his service in Iraq. It was even difficult for him to describe his life over there when asked directly. I think a lot of it is him trying to protect me, but also, his brain does not work that way. He was there, he did what he had to do as a soldier, end of story. This book brought me insight into my husband. It made me laugh. It made me cry. It made me sick. It made me angry. It made me happy. It made me joyful. It made me all of these things at the same time. I am so thankful to the organization(whose name escapes me right now) that made this book possible. It is a book that touched my heart and soul. I will never be the same, and I am greatful for that. It is in know way a "light" read. I read it quickly, as I do everything, but because I was hungry to read more, to know more, to feel more. Do not read it without a box of tissues next to you.

I am a NCO in the army and have been to Iraq 4 times and this book sent chills through my bodie many times with the pure honest look at war. Most of the stories are reflections of events that any service member will identifie with. Then there are some events told in this book only a select few will truely grasp. This is a must read if you would like a insight into the mind of a Military member who has been deployed. I cant recomend this book more then just get it read it and prepair to get choked up. I know i did

Michelle Feynman has provided an important service in collecting the letters of her father in "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations." I was especially interested in the letters concerning his award of the Nobel prize. Despite receiving the most prestigious award in science, Feynman refused to take himself (or anything else) too seriously. My favorite exchange (pp. 163-164) begins with a letter from Sandra Chester who writes "Hail the Nobel Prize Committee for its recognition of your unsurpassed achievement in the field of bongo artistry." True to form, Feynman responded "I was delighted too when I heard about the Nobel Prize, thinking as you did that my bongo playing was at last recognized. Imagine my chagrin when I realized that there had been some mistake-they cited some marks I made on paper some 15 years ago-and not one word about percussion technique. I know you share in my disappointment." His fans even extended to students who had failed his courses: one named his female Siamese cat "Richard P." in his honor, to which Feynman responded "Some measure fame by just a Nobel Prize but I have had a cat named after me! Thank you for such a distinguished and subtle honor." (He even agreed to become "a knight of the Order of the ever Smiling and Jumping Frogs" to celebrate his status as a Nobel Laureate.)

A character trait I greatly admire about Feynman is his utter intolerance of pomposity and his demand of clarity in communication (perhaps best explained in a discussion of "new math" textbooks in Appendix V), as well as a general disdain for self-importance. My favorite example appears on p. 323. Mr R. Wayne Oler had written Feynman a letter deriding the practice of teachers selling unsolicited desk copies of textbooks sent to them for personal profit. I cannot imagine a better reply than the last line from Feynman's response: "Previously I have always returned, unopened, unsolicited books from publishers (I dislike advertising). But now you have given me a better idea."

The book also contains numerous letters between Feynman and the greats of twentieth century physics, as well as more personal glimpses into his character afforded by letters to his wives (particularly his first wife, Arline, who died of tuberculosis at a young age). The book also allows the reader to see changing of opinions or changed nuance of certain positions over time (I was especially interested in his appraisals of "new math" textbooks, which I generally loathe [in most cases Feynman agreed], the discussion of which is largely on pp. 218-220 and in Appendix V.)

Michelle Feynman has done a wonderful job organizing these letters, making just the right comments when needed for interpretation or comprehension. I highly recommend "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations" and thank Michelle Feynman for all the effort that went into producing this important volume.

If you are familiar with feynman this is just what you would expect from this great man. This is him uncut and uncensord. When ever i feel like smiling and gain some inspiration i pick this book up and flip to a random page, it works everytime.

If there was one intellect that dominated the latter half of the 20th century, it would be Dr. Richard Feynman. Yet, despite winning a Nobel prize and his early work on the Manhattan project and his years of original yet simple and creative approaches to complex problems, his humility and true affection for other people never waivered. He was one of those rare people who could touch our hearts as effectively, possibly even more, than he could touch our minds. He was one who gave new meaning to the idea of thinking outside the box and who never passed up a chance to remind us all of what is really important in life.

Some of his letters will make you cry with the emotion he could express to those he loved. Others will strike you for their humility displayed in teaching without condescending or apologies to those he feared he had offended. A truly great man with a great intellect and great ability to communicate his thoughts. This is the human side of one who had been named "the world's smartest man" by Omni magazine. And we are all fortunate to know him through this collection.

Having read "Surely you're joking, Mr Feynmann", I had wondered about his relationship with his first wife, because she was hardly mentioned.

This book sets that right, with some fascinating and personal letters. In particular, the letter he wrote a year after her death hit me very hard, and I don't consider myself sentimental.

And that's just the first part of the book...if you like Feynmann, this is a must have.

My main motivation for reading "Perfectly Reasonable Deviations" was to gain further insight into Feynman's personality and value system by the direct and reliable method of studying verbatim his interactions with other people. He has been so thoroughly enshrined (perhaps not unwillingly) as a brilliant, difficult, puckish character that I couldn't help being a bit puzzled about what he was "really" like.

In assembling this volume, Feynman's daughter Michelle has selected a variety of correspondence ranging from professional relations with colleagues to private exchanges with friends and, occasionally, complete strangers. I think it is in the latter case that we learn the most about Feynman. He was willing to pay close attention not only to people who admired him, but also to those who offered crazy ideas, or unfair criticism, or even ad-hominem invective. Well after becoming a Nobel prize winner, he continued to compose detailed explanations for, and invite replies from, people who could try anyone's patience. As an experienced debater-by-correspondence, he had a talent for cutting to the quick of a dispute and, while remaining perfectly courteous, nudging the contender into a corner from which escape was impossible short of offering something new or conceding the point. Whether arguing scientifically, graciously acknowledging praise, or simply trying to shake off a persistent bore, Feynman never failed to be insightful and thought-provoking.

The early part of the book covers Feynman's relationship with his first wife Arline, who died of tuberculosis in an Albuquerque sanatorium while he worked on the atomic bomb project at Los Alamos. His decision to marry Arline, regardless of her uncertain health and against the advice of friends and relatives, speaks to the strength and depth of his commitment. Many extremely personal letters are included which illuminate the couple's mutual devotion as well as his loving acceptance of the frustration and uncertainty forced on both of them by the relentlessly worsening disease.

Feynman's attitude toward religion is revealed in several places, particularly during a 1959 television interview. In addition to critiquing the widespread notion that morality is tied to piety, he says quite succinctly that "The religious theory of the world ...doesn't fit with what you see."

In a number of letters Feynman explains the prickly positions on academic conventions and courtesies that helped to make him a legendary outsider. A representative example was his refusal to provide evaluations of former students and colleagues when they were already at the requesting institution. He essentially said: Look here, this person is working right under your nose and you know more about him or her than I do, so decide for yourself!

There are a few instances where an alert editor could have caught misreadings, for example "Serbeis" for the [Robert] Serbers on page 76, and "1023" for ten to the 23rd power on page 174. All in all, this collection constitutes a fascinating and skillfully-produced window into one of the world's most intriguing minds.

In Planet of the Blind, Kuusisto seduces his readers to step behind his flawed eyes and witness a world where nearly everything visual must be imagined, or, acquired through painstaking use of a single eye that is legally, but not completely, blind. His single "seeing" eye may be his Achilles heel throughout his childhood and youth. It is not until he is in his thirties that he acknowledges to himself and the world that he cannot see. Planet of the Blind could as easily be Planet of the Imperfect. Brilliantly written, both touching and often funny, this is a memoir about coming of age and coming to terms with oneself, imperfections and all, curable or otherwise.

Stephen Kuusisto, the author of the memor "Planet of the Blind," is a poet. You can hear it in every word he writes.

His moving memoir focuses on being legally blind and on the challenges he faced every single day trying to pretend he was a normal, "seeing" person. Along the way, you watch him grow up from an isolated, awkward child to a sensitive and extremely determined individual, one who lived in constant fear of being labled not normal, yet whose refusal to get help made everyday living a challenge to his own survival. At the end, he finally gains independence and normalcy in the form of a guide dog. It is a moment that brought me to tears.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this well-written and inspiring memoir, which does read like a poem. It took me just a few hours to read finish it, it was so engrossing. It also opened my eyes to the world of the blind, a world I had never really considered before.

Thank you, Mr. Kuusisto, for sharing your story.

When I picked up this book, I was expecting an autobiography, a memoir of a blind person. I've always wondered how a blind person "sees" the world, so I was curious to read the book. What I got was something much more than a non-fictional account. The prose is absolutely striking, poetic, full of rich vivid metaphors. It inspired tears, and laughter, and rage, and awe in me at different points in the book.

This book is more than a non-fictional autobiography. It's a work of high literature. You will be enriched after having read it.

I was reccommended to read Planet of The Blind due to my interest in writing stories about people who had disabilities and about by own disablility for I'm visually impaired myself and I have an interest in writing. So I read Steven Kuusisto's book Planet of the Blind and found it very facinating and inspiring! I highly reccomend it! I'd love to know what is he doing now and is he still writing and speaking of the book?

As a legally blind person, who had totally blind parents, this vividly written book went a long way in helping me come to terms with my own situation. Like Stephen, for years I was in denial about my own limited vision and tried, successfully for a time, to "pass" as fully sighted. This is no longer possible and I have to face my own limitations head on, as Stephen finally does.

I recommend this book to anyone who would like to understand what living on the "Planet of the Blind" is really like, and for anyone who enjoys beautiful writing.

I enjoyed reading this book as it gives the reader a great insight into the life and times of Robert Koga (at least up until the time of the book's publication). There is plenty of background on Koga's family roots and how he came to be an LAPD Officer and all the varied assignments that career gave him. It also gives a good, detailed, background on how Koga developed the Martial Arts system that he still teaches to Police Officers throughout the world. The major reason I did not give this book the highest rating is the fact that there are grammatical errors throughout the text (must be the result of computer spell checkers doing the proofreading instead of a competent human). Mr. Koga told me of the book's flaw when I met him a couple of months ago. Otherwise, this book provides all kinds of information not just about Mr. Koga, but the LAPD culture between the early 1950's to the early 1970's and Japanese Martial Arts.

I like this man. He has done a lot for law enforcement training and martial arts.

An amazing book! A Must-read for any law enforcement, martial arts or police enthusiast!
A living legend, Bob Koga spent 35 years in the LAPD, and studied under Aikido's distinguished Koichi Tohei. Koga served as the personal interpreter to Sensei Tohei during the Master's first visits, when Tohei revealed the secrets of Aikido to the United States (Koichi Tohei is the only person formarly awarded the rank of 10th Dan by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido).

Co-written by Koga's own students, this inspiring work includes gripping testimonies from law enforcement officers throughout the US, whose lives were saved because of their training under Koga. Bob Koga drew from his experience to develop and teach real-life arrest and control techniques to law enforcement officers for 45 years, so far! He was inducted into the martial arts Masters Hall of Fame in 2000. This book provides a unique insight into Koga's life, from childhood to the development of the philosophy behind Koga's dedication to professionalize law enforcement.

This is the personal story behind the legend that is Robert Koga.

An amazing book! A Must-read for any law enforcement, martial arts or police enthusiast!
A living legend, Bob Koga spent 35 years in the LAPD, and studied under Aikido's distinguished Koichi Tohei. Koga served as the personal interpreter to Sensei Tohei during the Master's first visits, when Tohei revealed the secrets of Aikido to the United States (Koichi Tohei is the only person formarly awarded the rank of 10th Dan by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido).

Co-written by Koga's own students, this inspiring work includes gripping testimonies from law enforcement officers throughout the US, whose lives were saved because of their training under Koga. Bob Koga drew from his experience to develop and teach real-life arrest and control techniques to law enforcement officers for 45 years, so far! He was inducted into the martial arts Masters Hall of Fame in 2000. This book provides a unique insight into Koga's life, from childhood to the development of the philosophy behind Koga's dedication to professionalize law enforcement.

This is the personal story behind the legend that is Robert Koga.

An amazing book! A Must-read for any law enforcement, martial arts or police enthusiast!
A living legend, Bob Koga spent 35 years in the LAPD, and studied under Aikido's distinguished Koichi Tohei. Koga served as the personal interpreter to Sensei Tohei during the Master's first visits, when Tohei revealed the secrets of Aikido to the United States (Koichi Tohei is the only person formarly awarded the rank of 10th Dan by Morihei Ueshiba, the founder of Aikido).

Co-written by Koga's own students, this inspiring work includes gripping testimonies from law enforcement officers throughout the US, whose lives were saved because of their training under Koga. Bob Koga drew from his experience to develop and teach real-life arrest and control techniques to law enforcement officers for 45 years, so far! He was inducted into the martial arts Masters Hall of Fame in 2000. This book provides a unique insight into Koga's life, from childhood to the development of the philosophy behind Koga's dedication to professionalize law enforcement.

This is the personal story behind the legend that is Robert Koga.

Let me preface by saying similar to what the author says; that I'm sorry that any parent has a reason to read this book. Our healthy 18 month old son passed away very unexpectedly and it was devastating to us. It was hard for me to hear platitudes from some people around me because they weren't walking the same road as me. I soaked in her words and turned to the Bible. I especially liked the chapter her older son wrote about treatment of surviving siblings. I'm sorry if you have a reason to purchase this book, but it is helpful.

I think anyone who has lost a child should read this book! It really helped myself and many friends and family members through our own tragic loss. It was recommended to me and I recommend it to anyone who has had to go through this pain.

This book was first given to me at a funeral home YES... a funeral home not just any funeral home it was the funeral home where my mother in law laid to rest after a year long struggle with cancer. I felt hopeless asking myself how would I'd be able to support my husband when I indeed was a mess myself. I took the book and did not loose sight of it waited 5 months after her death to finally open it and read it. The best thing I could have done to find the answer to grievence and acceptance. I cried every night as I read it and since then have passed it one to others who find themselves lost of answers when a loved one crosses over...

I bought this book for my wife, who lost her mother to Alzheimer's a year ago. Too often, as Americans, we seem to want to move on past the loss of a loved one quickly. We've learned over the years that grief lasts for a long time. The book is loving and healing for this process.

I was given this book just after we lost our 22 year old son. It was one of two that helped me the most. It tells you to keep looking for the roses through all that you are having to endure.
"God is continually keeping His promise by providing roses, sometimes with actual flowers, sometimes through friends, and often in the form of memories as a reminder He is caring for me, and when I hurt, He hurts."
The book is about the many kinds of "roses" that God sends us. I now send it to those parents that lose children, no matter the age or circumstance; but I have also sent it to those that have lost a spouse. It is a wonderful "rose" for anyone grieving a loss.