Chamberlain Books

This is the epic tale of Beowulf, the world's first Superhero. The story was written over a thousand years ago, and is the world's first known English epic. What is different about this version of Beowulf is that this is a graphic novel version intended for young adult readers. The illustrations are fascinating, tell the story wonderfully, and manage to add a visual impact to the story that one would not get in just reading a regular Beowulf book. The images are also not overly graphic (very little blood, no guts or truly horrible images) so the book is perfect for a young person, or for an adult that does not like extremely graphic violence. The story is not in old english, but in regular english, and toned down slightly from the original which is ideal to keep the younger reader's interest.
The age recommendation is age 9 to 12 on the information provided on the book by Amazon.com. However, my 5 year old and my 7 year old have enjoyed this book immensely. I am glad that I discovered this version of Beowulf, as they are too young to enjoy a regular version, but this version is perfect for their age. I highly recommend this book.

My school teaches an adapted version of Beowulf in 7th grade. My advanced students in ESOL often have to read the book with their regular English class. It is very difficult for them as they aren't fluent in English and difficult for me to explain. This graphic novel is good reading and can help me with the the other book. I was glad to find this and hope more graphic novels come out in this fashion. Thanks!

A kid's graphic novel, it seems, with a bit of a simplified version of the Grendel story.

The art you could perhaps call somewhere between Miller and Oeming and Mignola, sort of darkly lit.

Beowulf himself looks quite a bit like how Oliver Queen is drawn, and when later on he is actually in green armor, it can be a little disconcerting.

However, the tale of Beowulf vs Grendel, then Grendel's mum, and the Dragon is not too bad at all, and older readers won't mind it either.


3.5 out of 5

Based on the classic story, this graphic novel tells the tale of Beowulf, an epic hero who bravely faces the most fearsome creatures.

In the kingdom of Hrothgar, men are being slaughtered by a godless creature. Grendel has proven that he cannot be defeated, even by the king's greatest warriors. He comes in the night and feeds on the men. After twelve years, Beowulf comes to the aid of Hrothgar. He defeats Grendel and earns himself fame. But his battle is far from over, for another monster has come to avenge Grendel--his mother.

BEOWULF is one of the most popular tales of heroism, being passed from generation to generation. Here it is presented in stark simplicity. The tale of brutal danger and the raw battles for life are coupled with sharp, dark images. The effect is a novel that is as ominous as the story itself.

Reviewed by: JodiG.

For those who haven't read the 3183 lines of the epic poem*, and are unlikely to do so in the near future (or before the end of time), here's a précis version of the classic tale - with pictures!

Retold by Stefan Petrucha for the 8 - 12 age group, this graphic novel captures the basic elements of the story, keeping it short and simple, yet age appropriately creepy and gory.

1. Grendel, descendant of Cain, really hates human beings having fun and praising God.
2. He becomes the ultimate party pooper
3. Beowulf sails in with the tide and some good men to come to the aid of the party.
4. Beowulf and Grendel arm wrestle to the death
5. Beowulf faces the wrath of Grendel's mum (who looks nothing like Angelina Jolie in the novel, but strangely, not unlike Joan Rivers.)
6. Fifty years later, he has dragon trouble
7. Wyrd!

This historical superhero may have come back into fashion with a little help from Robert Zemeckis and Angelina Jolie, but unlike the recent movie, this version is one that Angie won't mind her kids having a peek at.

Recommended for young adults who need to take their literature medicine with a spoonful of sugar.



Amanda Richards, January 10, 2008


*puts up hand and waves

THIS BOOK IS A GOOD READ FOR ALL AGES. TAKES YOU THROUGH ONE OF THE MOST IMPORTANT CONFLICTS IN THE MOST IMPORTANT BATTLE IN U.S. HISTORY. EASY TO READ.

Though at times difficult to read due to the flowery style of Chamberlain's rhetoric, this book is an exciting insight into the thoughts, feelings and experiences of someone who lived through the Battle of Gettysburg. This is more than an account of the battle, this is a window into the emotions and motives of why these men were willing to risk their lives for an ideal.

Quick read from Joshua Chamberlain. I enjoyed it and it was amazing how much closely the modern movies follow the actual events.

This article is a reprint of a 1913 magazine piece written by Joshua L. Chamberlain to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of Gettysburg. While it's interesting to read his first hand depiction of the battle, all readers should note the story is approximately 15 pages long. The publishers have tried to beef up the "book" by adding 15 additional pages of photos, but it does not make up for the lack of content. I was very disappointed with the purchase.

Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain did history a great favor by recording the events that happened on Little Round Top during the second day of the battle of Gettysburg. Thanks to him we have an eyewitness account of the 20th Maine's valiant defense of the left flank of the Union army. Rich with rhetoric, this account is packed with emotion and feeling.

The narrative is very short, only 29 pages, but there are many pictures and an appendix that make it well worth the money. Many well-known histories have drawn on Chamberlain's account of this part of the battle, and Michael Shaara's novel even quotes some of Chamberlain's lines. This primary source is highly recommended for anyone interested in the civil war, not just the die-hard historian.

What appears at first to be a biography of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain mainly in terms of his relationship with his wife Frances "Fanny" Caroline Adams changes direction about halfway through, with Fanny almost falling by the wayside. Using family letters as her primary source, Diane Smith is very good at tracing the courtship and early marriage of Joshua and Fanny, but falters after the Civil War years when Chamberlain was elected governor of Maine. What might conceivably be the most interesting aspect of their relationship - Fanny's deep unhappiness with Joshua and their even contemplating divorce - is barely touched on by Smith. She quotes from a long letter Joshua wrote to his wife advising against her seeking a divorce and suggests that Chamberlain might have been an abusive husband. But what does that mean? Smith never says and seems very reluctant to wade in those waters. Apparently the couple spent a great deal of time apart, and most of this time Smith spends tracking Chamberlain's life, his political affairs in Maine, business ventures in Florida, Presidency of Bowdoin College, and Civil War reminiscences, and pays very little attention to Fanny. In the preface Smith claims that Fanny became Chamberlain's "love, helpmate, and confidante," but she doesn't illustrate much of this in the book. She also acknowledges that Fanny has been at the receiving end of much negativity in other biographies - something she implies might not be fair, but does little to dissuade her own readers from concluding as well. There is a great deal of information here on Chamberlain (though most of it is related in year-by-year list form), but if the purpose of the book was to be a dual perspective of husband and wife, Smith only met that purpose in the first half.

A wonderful book that "fleshes" out the outlines of JLC and Fanny. For years, their lives were painted with a "light brushstroke" yet one felt that had to be more behind these very complex people and their relationship.

The author has painted a very complex picture of these two with all the dark and light hues of the palette. Fanny was not merely JLC's wife, or the Reverend's adopted daughter, but a much more complex individual who could be considered an early feminist.

JLC's inner feelings about service to country and greater good are reflected and help to answer that question of why a college professor in Maine would take it upon himself to defend the country he loved to the extent he did. It is easy to understand why nothing ever again measured up to his experience of leading those men at Gettysburg.

Diane Smith offers a more intimate portrait of the relationship between Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain and Fannie Adams than previous writers have done. Using "love letters" and other family correspondence, Smith reveals not only the couple's penchant for teasing each other during courtship but also Lawrence's early bouts with depression and jealousy. Additionally she explores what might have been a budding romance between Lawrence and his cousin Hannah "Annie" Chamberlain. Smith interprets Fannie's sometimes independent behavior with kinder motives and gentler judgment than previous critics have offered. She insists that Fannie agreed with Lawrence's decision to join the Army and offered him her moral support during his years of service. Readers of previous Chamberlain biographies will enjoy seeing more of the Chamberlain's family life, smiling at the nicknames the couple chose for each other, sensing the heartbreak of the untimely deaths of their children and other family members, accompanying Lawrence on his several campaigns both during and after the War. Supplemented with photos (e.g., a rare snapshot of an aging Chamberlain sailing aboard his beloved Pinafore), setting the correspondence apart in italics, replete with insights and incidents previously unpublished, Smith's "Fanny & Joshua" is a perfect supplement to Alice Trulock's great work and is surely destined to be a treasured account for all who want to know more about "the hero of Little Round Top" and the exemplary life and service that make him a popular and worthy hero today.

I developed an interest in Chamberlain after reading "The Killer Angels", and had been looking for a good biography of him. Last summer I visited the Chamberlain Museum in Brunswick, Me. and bought this book based on the recommendation of our tour guide. I can't begin to say how wonderful I think this book is. Smith has excellent insight into Victorian character and mores, and transmits that insight to her reader. I've always thought that JLC was about 50 years ahead of his time. After reading this book, I've come to realize that part of his forward thinking might have been a product of his relationship with his remarkable wife. Fannys self sufficient persona was NOT typical of the 19th century; through Smith, the reader comes to realize Fanny was in fact 20th century in much of her thinking. The marriage of such an independent soul with the soul of a such a fair minded, yet fierce, warrior makes for a fascinating read. I read this book into the wee hours of the morning until I finished it, in about 3 days. I never thought I'd read a history book that I just couldn't put down. I'd highly recommend it to anyone.

Many biographers of Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain have treated Fanny Adams as an after-thought. Some have even treated her as a subject of disdain. Ms. Smith effectively refutes those authors, using Adam's and Chamberlain's letters to one another as her primary source materials.

What emerges is the vision of a strong, educated, ambitious, self-directed, courageous, emotionally-stable and patient woman, who endured every hardship brought to her home by her husband's long career of service to his country.

What also emerges is a more complete picture of our nation's greatest hero. The same man who quietly endured the terrors of war, who courageously accepted an horrific wound, and who was so gracious with a defeated enemy, could become quaintly insecure when dealing with the woman he loved. The stellar academic, warrior and politician was as much of a quivering paramour as any other husband in love.

For Chamberlain fans, this book offers a more human image of the titan. For everyone else, this book offers a touching tribute to the power of love.

Being an on-the-cusp'er -- born around the time some people define as being the end of Gen X and the beginning of Gen Y or the MTV Generation or the Millenials or whichever label you prefer -- I read this book with a feeling of being part of the story and yet not part of it. But you don't have to actually be "part" of the generation in the subtitle to come away from it with a much more realistic-optimistic view about the kind of people leading us into the 21st century, as the Baby Boomers wane in importance (if that ever really happens in their lifetimes). It's a breezy and entertaining read with enough intellectual bite to be convincing -- kind of like attending a party where everyone's got a somewhat out-of-the-ordinary path to fulfillment and also can reference all the appropriate pop culture memes that jive with their experiences. It's the kind of party you won't want to leave early.

I read about half this book and just had to quit. This book is a lot of ranting about the author's experience and the experience of her friends who all seem to be short sighted and lack focus in their lives. Being a Gen Xer I have found this book to be way off the mark in terms of everyday gen Xer's that I and my wife know.

I'm the type of reader that will always finish a book but I must say this book wasn't worth a dime. If you want to hear rants about people's stupidity, read some blogs.

The theme of this book really struck a chord with me (and it made me feel like less of an "outlier" for not yet owning a home). I found it very engaging and accessible with strongly resonating cultural references.

Lisa Chamberlain will make you laugh with her deadpan humor as she takes you back on a nostalgia tour. But, this book is not just about the beauty of the trifecta (Generation X, Slackers, and Nevermind all in 1991) for the slacker generation. It will affirm and validate the life choices you have made from when `you came of age' through `adulthood' given the economic and social forces at play influencing those choices. It wasn't just about separating ourselves from `the crowd' with our flannel shirts. I experienced many `ah ha' moments as I began to string together various experiences within the context Lisa lays out, from career decisions to quality of life considerations, where and how I want to live, the importance of friendships, relationships, etc... It just made a whole lot of sense. And the end has a message ...our responsibility and (more importantly) our ability given our sensibilities to address and tackle many of the challenges thrust upon us by the previous generation.

Combining a knowing pop culture savvy with smart cultural analysis and a unique (and accessible) take on the economic trends that have shaped a generation, this book is a must-read for fans of Freakonomics, Malcom Gladwell, Douglas Coupland, Chuck Closterman and the like.

My story is featured in the chapter on comedy, and while I had a sense of the book's themes when I was interviewed, I was surprised at the revelations it offered when I read it through: I always thought my unstable, ad-hoc, creativity-driven, dot-com-influenced career and my irreverent take on employment and the randomness of "adult" life were totally original. Turns out I'm just a product of my generation, a fact that is comforting and disconcerting at the same time.

I purchase this book by mistake, thinking it was the version by Steven Pressfield. Wrong! I was not impressed with this version of "Gates of Fire". In fact it often left me with a sour taste in my mouth. It is not entertainment and it definately has nothing to teach me.

I first read "Gates of Fire" around 25 years ago. Over the intervening years I have had occasional "flashbacks" of images from
the novel. What an extraordinarily powerful novel.

Not easily dismissed, this distillation of the lsd experience with its illusions and insights can at once be tossed in a pile with Tom Robbins, Paul Mann, Cleo Odzer, Baba Ram Dass or, as its author seems to suggest, burned with them in one hell of a dazzling pyre...

I read this book without knowing what it was going to do to me. It is a good novel, with a good trama (if you like the sixties), but most of all, it has a lot of deep philosophy that can make you see life from a different perspective (for this you have to read a lot between lines, if not will be distracted). It is like smelling India, without having done it before. And remember, "The life is a bridge, Pass over it but do not build on it. He who hopes for an hour may hope for eternity. The world is but an hour. Spend it in devotion. The rest is unseen"...

This was a great book, with many-faceted characters and some surprises along the way. My only quibble is that the main character, Rachel Huber, still goes by her maiden name even though she has been married twice. Why doesn't she use her husband's name now? Other than this point, I enjoyed the book a great deal.

Rachel Huber fled her hometown of Reflection, Pa. twenty years ago after a tragic accident, but decides to return when her grandmother falls ill. Entertaining. As usual, Diane Chamberlain's books are a combination of romance, secrets, and suspense.

I read Breaking the Silence and I loved it.So I bought Reflection and I really struggled to finish it.It was nothing like Breaking the Silence in style at all.I was very disappointed!

I will preface this review by first saying this book has an aspect which sometimes bothers romance readers, but I will also say this book will go in my top five of all-time favorite reads. If you are adamantly opposed to infidelity in the novels you read, in any way, shape or form, you might want to skip REFLECTION. However, if you're like me and can forgive infidelity in certain circumstances read on. And remember, this book is marketed as "Fiction" rather than "Romance" probably more because of its broad range but also because of the sensitive issues. However if the concepts of lost loves, putting the past behind, forgiveness, and learning to live again appeal to you, run -- don't walk -- to find this fabulous book ASAP.

Schoolteacher Rachel Huber has returned to her hometown of Reflection, Pennsylvania, deep in Amish country, to care for her ailing grandmother. She had fled the area 21 years earlier, immediately after being involved in a horrible tragedy. Her return is bittersweet as she is not exactly made to feel welcome by many of the town members who blame her for the terrible event occurring over two decades earlier. However there is at least one very big exception - her childhood friend, Michael Stoltz. Michael, Rachel, and Luke Pierce had been inseparable in childhood. It was always known that Luke and Rachel would marry but shortly afterwards, Luke was drafted and sent to service in Vietnam. Michael, a conscientious objector, and Rachel join the Peace Corps and are sent to Rwanda. Michael and Rachel have always shared a deep friendship and love but have never acted on their romantic feelings. Michael eventually marries another woman from their town, Katy, who he doesn't love but needs to forget Rachel.

Michael lost touch with the widowed Rachel after she fled Reflection. Her family would not reveal her whereabouts. Soon he, with Katy's urging, goes to school and becomes a Mennonite minister. When Rachel arrives back in town, Michael is a much loved part of the community while Katy is in Russia working as a medical missionary as part of a trial separation between the two. It takes only one meeting between Michael and Rachel to find they still have feelings for each other. But still, both are strong and although they renew their friendship, that's as far as it goes.

Meanwhile, Rachel's octogenarian grandmother, Helen, is recovering from the injuries she suffered when she was struck by lightning while tending her garden. The widow of famed classical composer/pianist who even is the subject of a statue in the town, Peter Huber, Helen has several secrets of her own.

Diane Chamberlain skillfully layers the many facets of this spectacular novel. Readers soon have a myriad of questions which will be answered as the story progresses including what is Helen hiding in the boxes in the attic? What secrets are Rachel's former student Lily and former school principal Jacob Holt hiding? Why did Rachel's parents keep her from her grandparents for many years? And what is Marielle Hostetter's relationship to grandfather Huber? It is a testament to the talent of the author that she is able to tie things up so neatly at the end.

For a compelling read, one readers will be hesitant to put down once started, please give REFLECTION a try. Richly textured and beautifully written, it is truly a very special story and a real keeper.

This book is a lot like the comedy film, "The Aristocrats." Maybe not at the beginning, where the ability of writers is in the long dark tunnel of trying to find something to say, but by Chapter 8, "Music, Painting, and Comedy of the Night," parts of the book which seem like a documentary on the editorial board of `The Onion' are secondary to considerations of "hysterical conversions" (p. 189), which, "if it resembles a work of art, then the genre in question is surreal or absurd. Compulsive neurosis generates more meanings, but the wrong ones." (p. 189). The Ratman is associated with an "Oriental" (p. 190) torture as an example of "the perverse tergiversation of a psyche in conflict," (p. 190). "In the unconscious our passions are headless, with detachable identities, like live parts kept in stock in a joke shop, which we can draw on any time we need to assemble an identity." As in the comics retelling of imaginative variety acts, "our unconscious minds, unconstrained by the need to produce a grammatical or logical structure, behave like circus acts, throwing all definite reality into the air." (p. 191). "A chiasmus is inscribed in the Oedipal family situation where, against the norm, son loves mother and daughter loves father. This is the prime instance of animated rhetoric lying at the heart of Freud's view of the world." (p. 192). It is also key to a variety act called "The Aristocrats," according to the joke endlessly embellished in the movie "The Aristocrats."

The intellectual activities of modern life mirror a world in which "the same person can feel love and hostility, attraction and the desire to gain revenge. Splitting and doubling seem to be approximate psychic mobilizations of the synecdoche, another trope by which the name of part of the object stands in for the whole (or the whole stands for the part) but then acquires a new poetic life of its own in the poetic text." (pp. 192-193).

"Freud amplifies the unconscious; he creates a fantastic arena for what, in a desperate attempt at meaning, we call our personality; like Nietzsche he shows the sustaining power of metaphor, but also that we live in the depths of delusion. Nietzsche and Freud tell us that the human mind primarily has a gift for the ornamentation of life, not the analytical confrontation of which Western culture was for so long proud." (p. 194). This book seems entirely serious when it confronts "A chill comes over one at the spectacle of so much unconscious mimicry ruling once proud human autonomy" (p. 194) in Freud "writing perhaps the most bizarre poems to life ever to have entered the Western canon, for they are close to nonsense." (p. 194). Also, with a note of appreciation, "Nietzsche is a musician. Freud is a painter." (p. 195).

The Secret Artist: A Close Reading Of Sigmund Freud by journalist and educator Lesley Chamberlain is a deep and perceptive study of the written works of Sigmund Freud, considered to be the founder of modern psychotherapy. In an effort to help readers better understand the mind of Freud, The Secret Artist closely dissects his writings with intense attention to detail. A thoughtful, scholarly, erudite, informative work, The Secret Artist is very highly recommended reading for students of Freud's pioneering work, as well as the non-specialist general reader with an interest in the history of psychotherapy.

This book is a failure. While Chamberlain attempts to create both an authentic biograhpy and insightful literary criticism, she succeeds at neither. Her central premise relies upon the notion that Freud was really an artist at heart, who invented a new artistic practice to complement these repressed desires. While this idea on its own is not altogether flawed, the argument is marred by Chamberlain's constant cries to be heard as an intelligent and unconventional author. Chamberlain pretensiously reminds the reader of the apparent ingenuity and unorthodox nature of her claim every 7 pages; a claim mind you, that is as unprovable as it is unsupportable. There is no additional perspective gained from this reading. Shocking fact: their is no clear boundary between science and art! This book illustrates controversy for controversy's sake and is its own best example of "pen envy." Freud or Chamberlain: who really wishes to be The Secret Artist? Don't waste your time with this one.

Early in this terrific book the versatile British scholar Lesley Chamberlain writes of the young Sigmund Freud that what he "wanted and already expected was success," and that his writings "radiate the confidence and ambition and talent that would make it possible; but also the complexity that would not make it easy." This is a complex story and a scholarly work that presupposes the reader's positive regard for Freud (if not as a scientist, as an artist) and then aims to greatly enlarge upon it.

Freud the analyst is revealed as a "secret artist," not furtively artistic but, rather, unconsciously artistic. He was, she writes, a pioneer and an utterly original thinker and writer who contributed amply to our present-day notions of the forms and possibilities of literature. In her view Freud virtually "fathered the creative writing class" by legitimizing not only subject matter but writing forms that had hitherto been considered unsuitable for public consumption. From Freud we inherited new literary forms for self-revelation, self-discovery, and confession.

Chamberlain shows how Freud devised "the "double-well," an "artistic form with a moral component," a new way to tell a story in which "a dream sits on the divide." His stories about his patients have more in common with contemporary novellas than the medical case histories of their time, extending at times "a typical Freudian invitation to the reader, to pull the [...] thread and see where it leads."

Chamberlain examines Freud positively without minimizing his shortcomings. "Freud was not a model of tolerance by today's standards, " she writes, and cites his views on homosexuality, women's sexuality (on which she says he was "underinformed"). Nonetheless, Chamberlain writes that Freud "gave us a more relaxed attitude toward sex, freed from values of God and the soul, and gender, and divorced from insensitive stereotypes." This is, then, no small thing.

Chamberlain has accomplished an unusual and stimulating combination of biography, literary analysis, intelligent conjecture, and thrilling narrative. Her writing is crystal-clear, she tackles complicated things, and explains them wonderfully well. Freud's wide-ranging creative and personal relationships to philosophy, the visual arts, poetry, nature, music are explored. Along with a good index and bibliography, here are over a hundred pages of fluid and impossible-to-resist (because so interesting and energetic) "Notes, Arguments, and Explanations."

Well worth reading.

This book packs lots of good information in a very small package. The information is basic, but it still covers a lot of information and it's perfect when you're on call, in a hurry, and want to double check that you have not forgotten anything. Of course it's not comparable to a text of surgery (obviously- it's $7 and Sabiston is well over $100-duh). I am buying another because my first is well-loved and has seen better days.

I agree with the reviewer from Dec.2003 - the pocket survival guides are not intended to be an authoritative reference on anything, especially not the science of surgery. But in its mission to provide house officers with a useful and quick reference on basic surgical issues, this book succeeds. Very compact & useful to have in your lab coat pocket while on call.
- Surgical Resident

it's not intended to be a comprehensive textbook, rather a
quick handy reference to carry in your pocket for emergencies.
Intern survival guide and Greenfield's Surgery, apples and oranges here...

This book is very sparse and spends little time on anything besides what is common. May be a good addition if you already have access to a decent textbook.

This was an ok overview of Braddock that was given to me as a gift. Cinderella Man by Jeremy Schaap was a much better book(five stars)and I highly recommend it instead of this three star version by Mr. Hague.

Author Hague starts off this swifly moving, detailed, clear account of James J. Braddock's life and career by putting his birth in context - the 17-pound (yes, you read that right) infant was born in 1906 on the same day the passenger ship Lusitania launched, the same hot day the Chicago Cubs began a 19-0 winning streak. Jimmy Braddock is a big kid, and like the boys in his neighborhood, emulates famous fighters. Hague chronicles, in plain and articulate language, Braddock's professional battles and rise from dockworker to heavyweight champion.

This is a terrific Cinderella story that fans and non-sports-fans, young and old can enjoy. It also fills in background for those who see the movie. Hague is a sportswriter who covers news and sports in the same area where Braddock grew up, so he clearly knows (and is interested in) what he speaks. The book is also nicely put together and easy to carry around. Full Disclosure: I am an editor at the chain of newspapers for which Hague writes sports and some news, so I got the book early through him, but it really is swift reading.

Book is very easy to read, and flows at a nice pace. If you've seen the movie, you'll be surprized at how close the book is to the movie. It's an inspirational story of a true American hero. A man dedicated to the welfare of his family. Most of the book is foucused on his fights. But there is enough of the personal life of James J. Braddock to keep those happy who are seeking a personal account of his life.

Dr. Atkins changed dieting and the diet industry single-handed. Now you can discover the amazing man behind the well-known name in this riveting biography. This story is so thoroughly researched and well-written, I could hardly put it down. I'm looking forward to reading much more from this author!

Apparently the reviewer from PW read a different book from the one Lisa Rogak wrote.... Her book on Atkins was funny, juicy,informative... and really a tribute to the man who was so ahead of his time. I loved the different faces of Atkins revealed, the surprising and sometimes a little shocking facets of the man's personality. Also, revealing the fact that Atkins was a proponent of alternative medicine left me wanting to know more. Atkins was a risk taker, a man who dared to be different. Rogak gives us all the personal tidbits that existed behind the public persona who was that man. I love the diet... and I love Rogak's book!

I agree with Publisher's Weekly. This bio/business book by Lisa Rogak on Atkins the diet doc, is not sure what it wants to be when it grows up (a measly 224 pages of text in big print.) Part trashy/dishy tabloid reporterage, part chronicle of the diet trends surrounding the Good Doctor, it also contains agGrandizement for the Grand Old Party (Republicans - p.95 - proselytizing a view not universally shared.)

Rogak's credibility is questionable. "Facts"" weren't checked. For instance: "And QVC, the cable shopping network, offers a `Low-Carb Hour` several times each week." Lisa, Lisa. Maybe you should have at least consulted a Program Guide? Sometimes, she `ain't got no' sense of syntax, as in: "Normally, the law prohibits medical examiners from releasing these records to no one..."

And worst of all: THERE ARE NO PICTURES!
Better: The recent Atkins Biography on A&E TV.
/TundraVision, Amazon Reviewer, "Doing Atkins" down 50 pounds.