Biography Books

I may not be a pool enthusiast, but there is much to like in Running the Table: The Legend of Kid Delicious, the Last Great American Pool Hustler by L. Jon Wertheim.

Danny Basavich is the most unlikely of heroes. A native of Manalapan, NJ, Basavich was an over-weight kid who suffered from bipolar disorder. He was repeatedly bullied by other kids, which led to a pattern of switching from school to school. Finally, he dropped out and got his high school diploma through an alternative program before he turned 16. Not having anything to occupy his time, he started hanging out at a local pool hall. The locals liked this amiable kid who had a natural talent for pool. After taking him as far as they were able, they then drove him up to Chicago Billiards in West Haven, CT--considered to be the "finishing school" of pool players. Here, Basavich learned to progress from pool player to a "pool thinker," allowing him to visualize a game of pool like a game of chess and thus, always looking toward future plays.

At Chicago Billiards, Basavich met Bristol Bob Begey. Together, they decided to take to the road and try to make a living hustling pool. Much of this book details their travels together, as well as Basavich's solo road trips. This is a fascinating lifestyle as they traveled all over the country. Sometimes, Basavich would make $5000 on a set of pool, and then make another $10-15,000 on side bets. But pool hustlers also tend to be compulsive gamblers, and they could lose the dough just as fast on cards, casino games, and other bets. Wertheim also talks about what makes a good hustler. Often times, Basavich would intentionally lose a game early to win a big pot later on. Once Basavich became fairly well known as a pool hustler in almost every state, he had little choice but to turn professional. Wertheim gives a short history of professional pool, which can best be described as unorganized, low-paying and dysfunctional. Basavich made much more money on the road than in any professional pool tournament.

L. Jon Wertheim is a writer for Sports Illustrated, and he writes in a style that shows off his love of sports (even though he knew little about pool when he began Running the Table). He describes players who worship at the felt green altar and who have "a mutually held belief in the truth and romance and righteousness and dignity to be found in hitting six-ounce balls across felt-covered slate into a half-dozen unforgiving leather pockets. That and a shared restlessness, a natural tropism for adventure and unpredictability."

Although I'm still not much of a pool fan, I found Running the Table to be totally enjoyable.

This book was hard for me to put down. I wanted to read a chapter per day but was hopelessly drawn into the book so much so that I finished it in a couple of days.
As a player, I could identify with some of the characters. Great story about Danny Basavich. May he be around a long, long, time.
There's talk about making a movie. Let's hope that the studio isn't short-sighted and it comes true.
Hey, "Delicious," if you need background players, lemme know...

This book is probably as accurate as you will find for the life of the beginning pool player. The fact is, unless you are a "Trust Fund" kid, you have to have a job, a wife that works, or you better be very good!

Big-H

Kid Delicious' story is moving -- at times tragic, heroic and beyond belief. He's part manic depressive, part obese food addict and part ultra-talented pool shark. His dedication to the game gave him solace from a world (New Jersey suburbs) that didn't have much sympathy for a fat, homely, smart-aleck kid with a sharp mind.

Kid Delicious (Danny Basavich) comes to dominate the pool hustling circuit, and you can't help but admire how he pursues/embraces his true love in spite of his profound psychological struggles. His success is a testament to putting everything you have into something you love, and his failures make him human and sympathetic.

If you like books like Playing Off the Rail or Positively Fifth Street, you'll love this one. Wertheim's research is very thorough and he writes like a true billiards fan, with a detailed understanding of the cadences of the game and the sundry characters who populate the dark, dank pool halls across our country.

Danny Basevich's life has certainly been a roller-coaster ride, and Wertheim captures its energy admirably. A phenomenal read.

A good read for players wanting a peak into the recent past of life on the road for money players, and an interesting character study of Kid Delicious. Fun for those who follow the pool scene these days. A revealing picture for those who don't. Doesn't exactly make me want to throw a cue in the trunk and head off for glory.

Charles L. Granata is a Sinatra Historian and Archivist, and he has distilled a wealth of information into his book: Sessions With Sinatra. It covers Frank Sinatra's career, from his first recording in 1939, until his last in 1993. It focuses on the music, and only mentions his private life if it pertains to the music. The book is about Frank Sinatra, the singer, but it is also about the Art of Recording, and the development of recording technology, which parallels the career of Frank Sinatra, or that is the central thesis of the book. "Chuck" Granata puts up a very good case, and documents his case with extensive detail. But with evidence like the illustrious career of Francis Albert Sinatra, it is an easy case to make.

Frank Sinatra is quite a paradox, someone with a dark side, but also a sensitive artist, the greatest singer of the 20th Century--but sometimes he could be a real jerk. The book doesn't pull any punches, but since we mostly see him in the recording studio, he is on his best behaviour. There is mutual respect between him and the musicians, the producers, and arrangers, with him occasionally pushing them to do their best. Yes, there are tantrums at times, and it is all in this book.

As well as information about Sinatra, his singing, the arrangements, and the music, there is also a tremendous amount of technical information. The various microphones used, the recording equipment, the echo chambers used to enhance it, the various studios and their construction and acoustics. Sometimes this can be a little dry to the non-engineers who might be reading it, but what is fascinating about it is that Frank was there making records when they were recorded on laquer covered disks, and he was along for the ride for all of the technical innovations that followed. To study the recordings of Frank Sinatra is to study the history of recording. He was not only there when it happened, but often the force making it happen, or at the very least the catalyst.

It is all there in Mr. Granata's book: From his early days with Harry James and Tommy Dorsey, through his solo career at Columbia and Capitol. He left Capitol to form his own company, Reprise, and then finally at the end, for the Duets I and II he was back at Capitol. The great arrangers and producers that worked with Sinatra are all covered: Axel Stordahl, Nelson Riddle, Billy May, Gordon Jenkins, Don Costa, Johnny Mandel, Jimmy Bowen, Mitch Miller, Claus Ogerman, Ernie Freeman, and many others.

If you have ever wondered what is was like at the creation, this book is for you. If you are skeptical about Frank Sinatra's talent, if you doubt that he was the greatest singer of the 20th Century, and if there is a greater one in the 21st, he or she has yet to reveal him or herself, then listen to the songs listed in the book, then read the book. Songwriter Sammy Cahn knew Frank when he was just starting out, and as his career was just starting to gather momentum, he told him of a dream, a vision, that he could be, was going to be, the greatest singer the world has ever known. And he was.

Essential Sinatra:

Songs for Young Lovers (Nelson Riddle, August 1954) My Funny Valentine, The Girl Next Door
In the Wee Small Hours (Nelson Riddle, April 1955) In the Wee Small Hours
Songs for Swingin' Lovers! (Nelson Riddle, March 1956) I've Got You Under My Skin
Close to You and More (Nelson Riddle, January 1957) Featuring The Hollywood String Quartet
Frank Sinatra Sings for Only the Lonely (Nelson Riddle, September 1958) One For My Baby (and one more for the road)
Come Fly with Me (Billy May, January 1958) Come Fly With Me
Ring-a-Ding Ding! (Johnny Mandel, March 1961) Let's Fall in Love, I've Got My Love To Keep Me Warm
It Might as Well Be Swing (with Count Basie) (Quincy Jones, August 1964) The Best is Yet to Come
September of My Years (Gordon Jenkins, August 1965) It was a very good year
Strangers in the Night(Nelson Riddle and Ernie Freeman, May 1966) scoobey doobey doo!

Sessions With Sinatra sets a unique standard of excellence in balancing historical research with respectful recognition of Sinatra's importance to Twentieth Century music.

This book comes from a different perspective and reminds the reader that really , it should be about the music .

I had read some silly books about Mr Sinatra and was glad to come across a serious one - I've always been fascinated by recording studios , having done some recordings myself . I wish I could have been at some of Sinatra's sessions .

This book is the next best thing for me .
I loved it .
Buy if you are even a small fan - this will make you into a bigger one .

Read this one cover to cover. Incredible detail, both technical and artistic. The only thing that would have made this book better is a complete sessionography or a description of the recording process of each album rather than just select dates. That said, it is an incredible resource. This book, along with Will Friedwalds excellent "The Song Is You" are the definitive works on Sinatra's recording career.

"I adore making records. I'd rather do that than almost anything else." ~ Frank Sinatra, 1961 ~

"Frank had the color and the fire and the brains and the imagination. Intellectual background strangely enough. Artistic sensitivity." ~ Nelson Riddle, 1983 ~

"Most Sinatraphiles would argue that his finest work, and the style he will ultimately be remembered for, was forged with Nelson Riddle. Sinatra-Riddle partnership was musically ideal and illustrates how a symbiotic musical relationship between orchestrator and singer can make a world of difference in what we hear and how we hear it." ~ Chuck Granata, 2004 ~

"Sessions with Sinatra and the Art of Recording" is indeed a wealth of information on everything you should know about Frank Sinatra's recordings. It is divided into five parts: The Big Band Years (1937-1942), The Columbia Years (1943-1952), The Capitol Years (1953-1962), The Reprise Years and Capitol Revisited. Mr. Granata did an excellent job in outlining Frank Sinatra recordings during his entire musical career, and his vast knowledge on all aspects of recording, technical in particular, is so amazing.

The Foreword was written by Phil Ramone, who himself is very well-versed when it comes to recording session engineering, and once said that he "was in heaven on the day that he realized his dream of engineering a Sinatra session."

Nancy Sinatra, who herself is a star in her own right, has written a very loving tribute to her famous Dad and "her hero" on the Afterword. I would single out a quote from her that I found so moving, here goes. . .

"My father always had a genius for picking the right songs, and when you consider the relationship between the tunes he selected, and the remarkably different themes that comes with each passing decade, you can see that his music tells a story that parallels his life and ours. Those songs, and their changing themes, represent Dad's most passionate dream - the one he talked about on dates with my mother - and the realization of that dream, which brought him almost insurmountable pain along with irrepressible joy as he experienced it, and as he lived it."

This wonderful and well-written book also features over a hundred black and white photos of the star himself with his fellow artists, musicians, conductors and arrangers such as Nelson Riddle, Quincy Jones, Billy May, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Mitch Miller, Rosemary Clooney, Bing Crosby, his daughter Nancy, among others; Nelson Riddle's original score for "Close To You" in 1956; a vocal lead sheet of "April In Paris," (from Come Fly With Me sessions in 1957), which Mr. Granata cited as an example of how great Frank Sinatra was in legato-style phrasing, breath control and vocal maturity.

Mr. Granata wrote about the collaboration between Sinatra and Riddle (Part 3, Pg 92) and called it "A Musical Marriage." Frank Sinatra believed that Nelson Riddle was "the greatest arranger in the world, a very clever musician who was like a tranquilizer - calm, slightly aloof. And he's got a sort of a stenographer's brain." If Sinatra tells him, "Make the eighth bar sound like Brahms," or "make it like Puccini" - Riddle will make little notes, and will obey the Chairman. Their partnership was so fruitful and creative as well, and had produced the finest recordings of all-time, there's no doubt about it. They were truly musically made for each other. They both had good work ethic and the same musical goal. They knew what "each other was doing with a song and what they wanted the song to say." They had a very good rapport in all their collaborations, which is the most important factor to the success of a recording.

This is a very detailed source of information to any new Sinatra fan looking to start a collection of albums for the appendices show lists of Companion Recordings, Basic Collection, Concept Albums under Columbia, Capitol, Reprise, QWest Records. It also enumerates "Fifty Songs That Define the Essence of Sinatra" and most of them are meaningful, special songs that are my all-time favorites.

Congratulations, Mr. Granata for an excellent and well-crafted book you've written. And thank you very kindly for inscribing my copy. :)

Very highly recommended to any Sinatra buff.

The book was great and Ms.Ross-Smith came to our book club meeting in Mesa,Az. The book was a easy read and she was a wonderful quest. If you havn't read the book I can suggest that you do. You won't be dissapointed.
It will inspire you at the least.

Dear, Ms Ross
I, loved your book, I first would like to say a heart felt Thanks so very much! for attending our book club meeting on Sunday Sept 14, 2008. You have such a beautiful glow. Your story let me know with all the strugles of life you can still perservire. I want you to know, I cried many times reading your story.
Thanks, so much to your Knight in shining armour.

Rochelle

Hello, Thank you very much Mrs.Mary Ross Smith for attending our book club meeting on September 14, 2008, Sunday. Your book was very inspiring
to let me know no matter what may happen in life I can survive. Your determination then and now is encouraging. Please continue to grow and believe that God has many things in store for you. Thanks again Mary and of course I cannot forget to thank your Knight in Shining Armor.

Dearest Mary,

I attended the book reading you gave in West Adams; I also took your
book with me on a trip home to the Bay Area. I read it with a clenched
heart. Oh the pain of having a mother who cannot give you what you
need! And oh the pain of being a mother who, in the end (and perhaps
always), is aware of this. In telling your story, you conveyed the
sheer terror, confusion, and uncertainty of being such a child -- while
also extending your mother moments of generosity and compassion. In
this way, I came to see you as not just the powerless but highly
imaginative and present "Lil Mary," but also the resilient and
open-minded Mary Ross Smith of today. I can't thank you enough for the
gift of your lived insights... Bless your heart and writing hands.

I was "hooked" from the first page. A wonderful story of survival and triumph over adverse conditions. I am lucky to know Little Mary personally. What a wonderful, kind, forgiving, warm person! This story shows anyone with a strong will can overcome adversity.

That which was good (Inside the Third Reich) is now even better for "Spandau" is Speer's soul-searching account of and reflection on himself and his life while he was imprisoned for 21 years. The book was written in a day-by-day diary entry form so one almost feels one is there with him sharing his emotions and observations. He made it quite clear from the very outset that writing kept him sane but ".. it must be more than a matter of organizing sheer survival. This must also become a time of reckoning. If at the end, after these twenty years, I do not have an answer to the questions that preoccupy me now, this imprisonment will have been wasted for me. And yet I fully realize that even at best my conclusions can only be tentative..." Upon his release in 1966, he left the mass of papers of his prison diaries lay untouched, unread for over ten years before he finally published them. Apart from the historical importance, readers will enjoy the writing of a fine intellectual mind despite his sad observation that "Diaries are usually the accompaniment of a lived life. This one stands in place of a life." This is an immensely personal and moving book that no one could afford to miss and deserves much more than a running commentary.

What a good story. I couldn't put the book down. I recommend that you read a book on the Nuremberg trials (Persico's is a good one) before plunging into Speer's diary. Speer wrote his diary while paying his 20 years sentence at Spandau prison for his responsibility as one of the leaders of the Thirch Reich.

First hand accounts of the workings of the German High Command and the interactions between the parties, including Adolph Hitler, are rare and becoming rarer. Many of those involve left memoirs, but those are becoming difficult to find, as most are now out of print. Speer's Spandau writings are among the endangered species.

Anyone who wishes to understand the minds of the men who made the Reich work and particularly the mind of Adolph Hitler can do so by the evidence of their deeds at one level. However, the records of their thoughts, conversations, behavior and rationalizations while they did so is certainly a facet of understanding. The writings of Von Manstein, Doenitz, Rommel, Guderian, and the diaries of Joseph Goebbels are each worth the reading in this sense. As is Albert Speer.

Speer was imprisoned longer than any of the other members of Hitler's inner circle. He had many years of solitude to contemplate his deeds and reflect on how and why he came to be imprisoned in Spandau. Maybe these musings qualify as revisionist history. Maybe they're merely self-serving rationalizations. But his anecdotes will definitely add to your understanding of the 3rd Reich. You don't have to believe everything he says, but it's worth reading it and making the choice for yourself.

Speer thought of himself as a 'nice guy'. You can't make an informed decision as to whether it was true without reading what he had to say. In the end most of us believe we are 'nice people' and are justified in whatever horrendous deeds we pursue.

Albert Speer give a day to day account of what it is like in Spandau. The diaries are divided daily so you soon feel that you are there. You soon feel that his memories are yours and wonder what you would have done. Sure you know now, but wait until you read this book. There are 32 pages of exclusive photos. It is weird win you think what you or a relative was doing on the same days. Albert got out just one month before I went in to the military. Even his epilog is impressive.

No figure emerged from the Second World War with greater controversy and attention than did Nazi architect and Hitler confidant Albert Speer. Sentenced to twenty years in the military prison in Spandau for war crimes, Speer was the only one of the principals tried at Nuremberg to admit his culpability in the horror that was the Third Reich. Many questioned his sincerity, for although he said all the right things, it was extremely self-serving to do so at the moment of final judgment, for his capitulation surely saved his life. Yet Speer served his twenty years and then was released to live out his life amidst even greater controversy, for Speer had compiled an amazing 25,000 page secret diary during his long confinement.

This treasure trove of personal anecdotes, reminiscences, and observations was eventually serialized into two distinctive books. When the first was published in 1969 in Germany, the diary, entitled "Recollections", caused a literal firestorm of controversy based on a range of observations and positions taken by Speer. Yet the book, released a year later in a translated version for the English-speaking world as "Inside The Third Reich" was a runaway best seller based primarily on the detailed and absolutely spellbinding descriptions Speer offered regarding the principals of the Nazi regime. Shortly thereafter, Speer released the present volume, entitled "Spandau; The Secret Diaries". His observations, tidbits, and anecdotes about Hitler himself were endlessly fascinating and occasioned a lot of dinner conversation all over the world. Likewise, his portrayal of the day to day life within the so-called Nazi elite gave reader s a graphic and telling account of what these people were like, and how it was possible that they could do so much of what they did.

It also establishes a consistent pattern of personal denial of any real responsibility for what had happened on Speer's part. He claimed to have been only tangentially involved in what happened to the Jews, and that he never understood that the policy of deportation and relocation to 'work camps' was part of a conspiracy to systematically murder all of Europe's Jews. Yet careful readers find that his role as Chief Administrator Of Armament Production, which employed slave labor by both Jews and other subjugated prisoners of war certainly had a systematic policy of working these slave laborers to death.

In later works he claimed to be less involved in the politics of the Third Reich than in the day to oversight of functional management of its policies. This is a fascinating book, and one cannot help but to come to admire this man and his struggles to maintain his balance and his sanity during the two decades he was held at Spandau. It provides a penetrating look both at his own mental processes as well as sharing his ruminations about various details and aspects of life within the whirlwind of excitement, agony, and horror that the years of Nazi reign in Germany represent. This is a book I can highly recommend. Enjoy!

Very neat gift idea. I purchased it for my cousin and he was extremely happy with it.

I bought this months ago and still have it out on my coffee table - that's how much I love this! It is loaded with excellent pictures and makes a great conversation starter when friends and family that come over. The history of the NFL is covered well and the articles offer terrific insights into sports past.

This is a unique, beautifully photographed book! It includes the history of football and large, clear photos of some of the best games! My husband loves it! If you're a football fan, you will treasure this book!

This was the comment of my 7 year old nephew (a Jets fan) when I gave him this book. It has the trademark Sports Illustrated photography, plus lots of old photos showing the infancy of the sport, which are interesting to adults and kids alike. He's a beginning reader, but we enjoyed looking at the pictures, with his guessing which teams were shown based on the uniforms. The Amazon price is a bargain. Highly recommended for boys and fans of all ages!

I bought this book for my 17-yr old who is a visual thinker, not a strong reader, but I loved it too! There are some amazing photos in the book and lots of history of the game and some players. I got a strong sense of the traditions of the game and the excitement for the sport. I am a stronger football fan because of it! I also recommend the rest of this 'series' by Sports Illustrated, The Baseball Book and The Basketball Book.

STUKA PILOT is the autobiography and Second World War adventures of Hans Ulrich Rudel. Rudel, one of the most highly decorated officers in the German Third Reich, was Hitler's favorite soldier. His unbridled passion was to be a pilot and keep flying. Wounded severely several times, he continued flying combat missions until the end of the war. Often incorrectly stereotyped as an "Unrepentant Nazi," STUKA PILOT's emphasis is on Rudel's experiences as a Luftwaffe pilot and commander. Born to humble circumstances, Rudel struggled to gain acceptance into a Luftwaffe officer candidate program. Though an exceptional athlete -- and often a dare-devil -- Rudel chose a dive bombers as his piloting career field.

The book follows Rudel through his early frustrations in missing out on early campaigns and being grounded by unforgiving squadron staff officers. The invasion of the Soviet Union offered Rudel the opportunity to hone dive bombing operations to a fine art. Rapid promotion followed. At the end of the war we find Rudel commanding anti-tank dive bombing units as just about the only force remaining to stem the Red Army.

STUKA PILOT provides excellent military history reading along with lessons in leadership. Though highly recommended, the book does harbor shortcomings. Rudel's printed story is too closely translated from German and the verbiage is sometimes confusing. Rudel's narrative also sometimes strays from a chronological recounting of events. As noted in other reviews, most versions of this book lack maps of any sort and so it is difficult to appreciate the extensive geography involved in this story. Rudel's story also abruptly ends with the end of the war. It is too bad that he did not append later version with his post war activities.

Do not expect to find much about Rudel's personal life in this volume. This book is devoted to Rudel's wartime exploits. Consider STUKA PILOT a military classic. If you enjoy military aviation books about World War Two, this book should find its way into your collection.

As so many of the previous reviewers indicate, Hans Ulrich Rudel was an amazing man. Set aside the sad truth that he dedicated his talents to the service of The Third Reich and instead focus on his individual achievements, which set him apart from nearly every warrior of history, except perhaps Achilles.

I was simply unable to put the book down. Rudel's experiences from bombing Soviet ships, to blasting Soviet armor, to cliff diving, river swimming, foot racing from the enemy to flying with one leg are just a sampling of the adventure this man lived. It's no wonder that he alone bears the highest version of the Knights Cross of all Nazi Germany's many talented warriors.

Rudel's exploits will inspire the reader with unapologetic admiration. His politics were flawed and remained so for the remainder of his life, but he never wavered from his dedication to Germany and to his own ideal of National Socialism. For this too, a man can be admired. Many other great warriors in history also fought for causes that did not deserve their individual greatness.

This book is terrific in terms of action as recounted by the most decoated soldier of the Third Reich. After an inglorious beginning, Rudel's star shined on the Eastern Front where he flew 2,530 operational sorties and destroyed a huge amount of enemy material. In this book he analyses many of his tactics, the conditions in Russia, the loss of many of his comrades and his narrow escapes from death and capture. He received his higher decorations from Hitler himself, thus he can also give his imrpessions about the dictator and the private conversations he had with him. Rudel was a real killing machine and he didn't stop flying even when he had his right leg amputated from a direct anti-aircraft hit. The book ends with his months of capture in England and France. Rudel states emphatically that he fought for his country and not for a particular Party, but many times in the book he repeats his horror seeing the "asiatic hordes" invading the German soil and his sorrow that the Western Allies didn't side with Nazi Germany to save the European civilization! Apart from this propaganda moments though, the book is an excellent first hand account of the colossal battles on the Eastern Front and the great carnage that experienced fliers like Rudel caused to the advancing Soviets. The only serious drawback of the book is that the English translation made a lot of errors regarding the Luftwaffe units nomneclature. Thus the Gruppe became a Squadron and the Staffel became Flight, which is absolutely wrong. The same applies for the highest command echelon, which became just Group. The ranks were also translated to their RAF equivalents (correctly this time) which is really absurd for most of the readers who are not familiar with this system. There are also some minor mistakes regarding aircraft types, which shows a lack of a good editing.

Not perfect, but close.

Highs - Historically correct and well told firsthand viewpoint of possibly the best ground attack pilot to fight in WW2.

Lows - Some things are a little bumpy in the stories and don't flow as good as say "Iron Coffins". British translation makes Hans seem "british" at times! More maps of where he was talking about would be helpful.

How did this guy survive!

Overall, excellent. 96/100.

the lines between hero, fool and lucky are often hard to distinguish and more often ignored. rudel's accomplishments, as he remembers them, are indeed extraordinary. imagine a single pilot sinking capitol ships, destroying hundreds of front line tanks and thousands of trucks and artillery pieces all while flying an aircraft that was obsolete at the war's begining. in addition to rudel's flying stories, he also shares with the reader the more 'traditional' views of germany's enemies and its leaders both of which the author openly embraces. rudel is strictly 'old school'. i first read 'stuka pilot' at the age of twelve, it being the first of dozens of books i have read by enemy combatants over the years. i have found the book an excellent primary source to life 'on the other side' and during subsequent readings of the rudel book over the years i am always as impressed with his skill with an airplane as with his skill with a typewriter. rudel should be remembered for his accomplishments as both writer and pilot along with such other heros of the sky as billy bishop or gregg boyington.

Excellent reading from an educational or spiritual point of view. The clear language, content, and message helped me to look at myself from a new point of view. Michael's use of humor drew me in. His journey is that of a true human being. A look at recovery and healing through practice of Sacred Lakota ceremony. Truly an inspiration.

It is truly amazing that Mr. Hull has been able to guilt this many friends and family into writing reviews for him. Brava!

While reading this book it struck me that despite it's listing under Native Spirituality, it was ,as well, a book of inspiration, self-help, biography, and deep spirituality. I found Mr. Hull's self-disclosure and honesty refreshing without being offensive.His self revelations were helpful in leading me to inspect myself more deeply and affirming my own human nature as a gift to be learned from instead of suppressed. I am grateful that Mr. Hull has continued to live his vision and as a result written a wonderful book which can help those involved in their own healing and spirituality.

Excellent reading from an educational or spiritual point of view. The clear language, content, and message helped me to look at myself from a new point of view. Michael's use of humor drew me in. His journey is that of a true human being. A look at recovery and healing through practice of Sacred Lakota ceremony. Truly an inspiration.

I want to thank Mike for writing this life story to share with others seeking some peace and happiness. The author shows a deep sense of despair over a life seemingly not worth living,and gives a personal account of his growth and recovery through native american ceremonies, specifically, the sun dance. His story is filled with elders' teachings and anecdotes that offer a glimpse into a path at once ancient and new. I honor those on this path and those seeking recovery from lifeways that no longer work. Read this and find hope for your own life through Mike's story.

Swami Kriyananda is a modern renaissance man, and in "Swami Kriyananda: As We Have Known Him" tells of author Asha Praver's nearly four decades of experience with Swami Kriyananda, a spectacular man who has written over eighty books and composed over three hundred pieces of music, all while being viewed as one of the leading lights in the spiritual world today as the last living direct disciple of the great master of yoga, Paramhansa Yogananda. "Swami Kriyananda: As We Have Known Him" is enthusiastically recommended across the board for spirituality, religion, and biography community library shelves alike and anyone who just wants to learn more about such a great man.

I received my book Swami Kriyananda: As We Have Known Him through a book club. I picked the book up at home just to glance at the beautiful cover and skim what was inside. Time just flew by. One hour later I was still reading and feeling very inspired. The stories shared about Kriyananda's life not only uplift and inspire but make you feel you have been touched by the life of a saint.

When I first began to read this book, I was surprised by a joyful feeling, coming from nowhere and everywhere, that seemed to wash over me. It was a strong experience; perhaps the most intense I've ever had from reading a book.

It was so pronounced that, a friend, walking by at that moment, gave me a curious look, as if to say, "What on earth has got into you?"

The stories in this book are very special: some are humorous, some are profound, some excel in giving us an example to model our lives on, but they are all inspiring. This is a good book not only for someone interested in Swami Kriyananda, or in disciples of Paramhansa Yogananda, but also for anyone who would like to know what it is like to be with a saint.

The book is well written, and, because of its short-story format, is something that you can benefit from reading even if you only have a few minutes. A warning, though: I found it easy to pick up and hard to put down.

If you listen to his talks, or read his books, Swami Kriyananda seems like almost a normal person: wise, intelligent, clear, and kind, but not *that* different from everyone else.

This book gives another perspective! It can give you an experience of what it is like to be with a great lover of God, as it seemed to give me the first time I read it. Having met Swami Kriyananda, I can say: he is a step above anyone else I have ever known.

If you long to know what it takes to be a true saint and how one lives his life, this book is the key to that understanding. One such as Swami Kriyananda never speaks openly about himself but always draws the listener's attention and devotion to God and his guru, Paramhansa Yogananda. It is therefore, incumbent upon those who have lived closest to him to reveal to others the sanctity of his life. Asha Praver has done a remarkable job of revealing, through the stories of many who have lived close to Kriyananda, what his life of discipleship to God and Guru has been like. The writing is done with clarity and great sensitivity, appealing to both the mind and the heart. If you are sincerely longing to know the truth of life, this book can shed light on one who has found truth and has spent his life sharing it with others. The only challenge I had with the book is that it ended too soon. I hope that others of its caliber will follow!

I found the lecture 'new agey' and boring!
from the book:
p. 316: "Except for Swamiji's voice, the room was silent, the audience spellbound, hanging on his every word. Suddenly, the inward mood was shattered by the ringing of a telephone. ... Sternly, Swamiji asked that the phone be turned off. ... Still the ringing persisted. `Would someone please do something about this matter?' Swamiji said again. Then, with a look of sudden comprehension, he reached into his own pocket. `Oh!', he said, `It is my phone.'
......SO MUCH FOR HIS INTUITION IN THIS PARTICULAR SITUATION!!!!!!

I just finished reading this book, and i could not put it down! This is one amazing book, i highly recommend this to anyone who wants to hear a true account of a courageous undercover detective who infiltrated the mob. All true, amazing work by Rick and the NYPD. A must have! "It's in there" everything Rick was involved in, is in there!

An unbelievable yet true story that kept me engaged, too engaged for my wife on our cruise! I highly recommend for vacation reading.

What a pageturner!!!! I was very afraid for Mr. Rick Cowan throughout this whole book. Man, what guts!!! Why isn't this guy being heralded all over the place like Joe Pistone? No disrespect to Pistone but he infiltrated a fractured and disorganized crime family(Bonnano). Cowan got in with the class of the mob, the Genovese and Gambino families. I could not put this book down. I always heard that New Yorkers were being fleeced by the "garbage gangsters" but I never fully understood how. Or why couldn't our government stop it? This book breaks it down. This one is in my top 10. Fantastic!!!!

I'm of two minds on this book. The history of the mob's control of the trash and paper recycling industries in and around NYC are fascinating. But a great deal of the book consists of verbatim transcripts from wires worn by Cowan in his interminable dealings with the mob, many of which are repetitive. Only for the real lovers of mob stories.

Over the course of the past few years, my love of reading books about the mafia went dormant. When I arrived upon a copy of "Takedown" in a used book store, my interest was revitalized. The story in "Takedown" is unbelievable not because it is untrue, but because it is unbelievable how many times Rick Cowan avoided certain death. Though it is unbelievable at times, it is a true story.

By chance, Rick Cowan was in the right palce at the right time. This young detective made the mafia believe he was a cousin in a garbage hauling family. Through this false pretense, he was able to infiltrate the Gambino Fanily to its highest level. Such a task was thought to be out of reach to the NYPD. The stories Cowan tells of his interactions with the mafia have a level of authenticity to them. You can almost hear the stereotypical accents being spoken as you read. I question whether some of the stories were exaggerated to make the book a more exciting read. Surely any man faced with some of these circumstances would crack or slip.

Cowan even discusses the strain three years uncover put on his family. This is an aspect of the investigation that receives little attention in similar books. I also enjoyed the epilogue in which Cowan discusses whether he felt remorse for "ratting out" the friends he made in three years.

Reading a book about the real life mafia is much more exciting than any movie or TV show available. While there certainly must be some fabrications present in the book, none were so glaring to take away from the story. I would recommend this book to any person with an interest organized crime.

I am the mother of a 2 year old with autism. This is the closest I can get right now to knowing even a little about what is going on in his head. I don't think any psych or pediatrician can even consider themselves an expert of the same caliber as Dr. Grandin. She is autism!

This is the best insite on how autistic people think. It is wonderful and inspiring. I now know how to help my son better with every day life to help him to be functional in society.

Excellent book and tool for those dealing with adult Asperger's. Until reading this book, there was no pragmatic connection with my brother, 53 years old, who has been isolated from family all his life due to his inability to see cause and effect. Visiting with psychologists in his early years did nothing to help parents understand his lack of emotional ties or connectivity to anything. He was labeled as very intelligent in certain fields (science, telecommunications, automotive knowledge)but had no common sense and kept repeating same mistakes over and over.

He was incarcerated for 17 years for sexual abuse of a female girlfriend and we could not understand how he failed to get parole or help while in prison while some of those serving time for far worse crimes, including murder, were paroled after only half the time. We now know that sensory problems and being able to "go with the flow" in the prison system kept him incarcerated to serve his entire sentence.

Luckily, family was able to run across articles about Asperger's and did research on it concluding that so many adults such as my brother had not been identified with this symptom. We are much more successful with dealing with him after reading Temple Grandin's book and have pegged her thinking to be very similar to my brother's--he also thinks in pictures but could not describe it and frequently did not know what we were talking about since he was unable to feel emotions as related by Ms. Grandin. He has read her book also and is reading it a second time. It has given the family insight into our brother's condition for the first time in 53 years and we are so very thankful for this book.

I read this by book by some chance but page after page it became like a mirror to me. And it was really a great shock. I agree totally with the others comments and Temple Grandin give us a more deeper view about autistic continuum. Before I believed I was a total social idiot. But every words she use are incredibly close to my way of thinking and my own history as we say in medical terms. And this book became an open door to another level in my life.
This book is helpful for a lot of people especially for parents and teachers who to confront to childs in autistic continuum. And I will be always grateful to Temple Grandin for this book. The worst thing for an high functioning autist is to be closed in his world. Knowing why you are different won't cure you but the balance of your mind is restored.

Dr. Grandin lectures on animal husbandry as well as autism. I've seen her speak in person. She's a very interesting individual. Her way of speaking comes through in the book. She writes very well for the layman.

She covers her career, her interests, and her autism. If you are interested in animal husbandry, interesting women, autism, then this is a good book. If you have autistic kids and feel really under it, its very reassuring to see how this one autistic person has done very well for herself, thanks to early intervention by her parents as well as determination and intelligence on her part.

I also like her personally, because I have had mixed feelings about being an omnivore and am glad she's out there making the experience of animals in our food production a lot less harrowing.