Hoffman Books

I would recommend this book to anyone who is a Lucy fan. Knowing that it is an autobiography makes it more interesting. You can almost hear her voice as you read through the lines. Her life wasn't all roses. Lots of pictures for us to enjoy. Get the book. You won't put it down.

I quite enjoyed this one. It is Lucy's "lost" autobiography--that is, it was only discovered and published after her death in 1989. It was found tucked away in the files of her former attorney, discovered when her children were processing her estate. Apparently, Lucy had begun an "as told to" book by dictating for two years to a talented secretary who transcribed her tapes and even traveled to her hometown to interview her childhood friends for their memories. The resulting product is the history of Lucy from her birth in 1911 to Christmas of 1962. It is written in the present tense, and many of the readers who knew her commented that it was in her "own voice." When Lucie got to listen to the tapes, she even discovered that her mother had been accurately quoted for once! A warm picture emerges of an ambitious but essentially normal comedienne who was very family-oriented and hard-working. Her father died before she had a chance to know him, but she was raised lovingly by her mother and maternal grandparents. She goes through stints of modeling and starring in movies, about which time she meets Desi Arnaz. He played the Cuban firecracker to her more low-key character, and the sparks flew. They went on together to produce the most beloved television show of all time and to rule over the empire of Desilu Productions. But they found themselves not too compatible in the end--he was working too hard and given to explosive rages, and his drinking and many infidelities didn't help matters any. He humiliated her publically on many occasions, and that was why she eventually wanted a divorce. But she remained fond of him, and put this book away because she was afraid that its revelations would hurt him. She went on to meet and marry Gary Morton and found happiness with him for many years until her death. But Gary is only a small part of this book--you walk away struck by what Lucy and Desi achieved together that neither could have achieved alone.

Lucille Ball abandoned this book in 1964, out of concern that its contents would hurt Desi Arnaz. She then forgot about it (as did everyone else in her life, it seems), and it sat neglected in a box of papers until the mid-1990s. This is a phenomenal book, and easily the best I've read so far regarding Lucille Ball.

Love, Lucy should be read along with other biographies in order to get a balanced perspective (Miss Ball tends to be a bit circumspect, though not as private as I expected her to be, regarding her own shortcomings and her private life), but on the whole it is a fascinating glimpse into a legendary life when it was far from over. She had only recently divorced Desi Arnaz and was in the heart of working on The Lucy Show at the time she abandoned the project, and was still terribly active in the running of Desilu.

Lucille sometimes remembers things in a way that makes her seem a bit more moral than she really was. She doesn't discuss running wild and being naughty in her teen years, but since she had young children of her own at the time of the writing of Love, Lucy, I don't suppose I should have expected her to do so. Who wants to display their shortcomings to their kids and then say "don't do that!"

What is most beautiful about this book is the discussion of her love of Desi Arnaz and their marriage. Even though the marriage didn't survive, they adored one another and continued to do so until the ends of their lives. The quote that made me laugh out loud, and I could HEAR Lucy saying it was "It was not love at first sight; it took five minutes."

This is a wonderful book. I hated for it to end. You should read this and A Book, by Desi Arnaz. I was captivated.

I just received my copy of Lucille Ball's autobiography "Love, Lucy" last night and I have not been able to put it down since. The Forward by Lucie Arnaz in the beginning of the book made my heart melt and once upon reading the first three an four chapters, I felt like I have got to know Lucy better. I highly recommend this book to any Lucy fan. You won't be disappointed.

This book clearly explains what wellness and how to achieve it. Yes, it may seem like an ad for chiropractors, but not many people know how chiropractic is beneficial outside of neck and back pain. It also is a one stop resource for healthy eating habits, exercise habits, and a good way to restore you mental vitality. THIS IS WHAT WELLNESS IS ABOUT.

After reading Discover Wellness, even the most casual observer can recognize how painfully obvious it is that making better/smarter lifestyle choices will result in an overall improvement of health and well-being. What I like about this book is that it puts all of this information into perspective and makes it not only easy to understand, but actually easy to implement and follow. I can - and now want to - do this! I can AND WILL be healthier!

The information presented in Discover Wellness has been included in some of the hottest discussions in corporate America and is an important part of the platform in the 2008 Presidential Election. It is an easy read intended to provide as much information as possible so you can educate yourselves, family and friends and community about the magnitude of America's health care crisis. Unfortunately, this isn't an issue that we can ignore because it's NOT going away. If you want to keep up on how "staying health can make you rich" then this book is a must read!

Written by Dr. Bob Hoffman and Dr. Jason A. Deitch, Discover Wellness: How Staying Healthy Can Make You Rich is a guide to not only improving one's health and quality of life, but also foster pocketbook savings in the process. Chapters are filled with simple, time-tested methods for fostering improved health, from consciously applying better posture to promote spinal health to simple stretches ideal for engendering flexibility to guidelines for proper nutrition and exercise, the value of eating organic foods, and much more. Discover Wellness is simply a no-nonsense guide to help more people become less sick through inexpensive and easy-to-follow guidelines, and while not a substitute for a doctor's care, is decidedly invaluable for its practical preventative measures. Highly recommended.

When I first opened this book, I thought it was just going to be another "cookie-cutter" health and fitness "how to" book. Boy, was I wrong! This book is filled with things I never even thought about! I've always heard the saying, "you are what you eat" but I never heard "you are what you THINK!" The bottom line is, if you want to have a healthy body, you have to have healthy thoughts and emotions. Just as it's important to avoid toxic chemicals, it's important to avoid toxic thoughts. Easier said then done, but I'm practicing what I learned in Discover Wellness and I already see some impressive improvements.

My product arrived in time and in very good condition!

would definitely purchase again

Paul Rusesabagina is an ordinary man. He feels sadness and joy, fear and hope just like the rest of us. He is not a superhero in the ordinary sense of the word--he cannot fly, he does not have an agility belt, and he cannot scale walls. He is an ordinary man by all accounts, but in 1994 when the dark cloud of tense hatred between the Tutsis and the Hutus that had been brewing for decades in the small country of Rwanda erupted into a genocide that left eight hundred thousand dead, Paul Rusesabagina's actions as described in his biography An Ordinary Man were anything but ordinary.
Rusesabagina was born in a small village in the countryside in 1954. His mother was a Tutsi, and his father was a Hutu. According to Rwandan tradition of heritage passing through the father's bloodlines, Rusesabagina was considered a Hutu as well. Rusesabagina's father was his inspirational role model growing up, and his philosophy that "kindness and justice did not know ethnicity" was embedded in Rusesabagina's actions later in life (12).
Rusesabagina learned early on in life to fight with his words, not with his fists. He found that by speaking to people face to face, he could connect on some level, and convince them not to do him harm. This technique worked with schoolyard bullies, and later on with murderous, fanatical generals. Rusesabagina found work at the hotel Mille Collines, and eventually became manager of its sister hotel Diplomates.
After the plane carrying President Habyarimana was shot down, the extremist radio station RTLM began to use powerful diatribes to convince Hutus that it was their duty to murder the Tutsi "cockroaches." Rusesabagina, a moderate Hutu with a Tutsi wife, was able to negotiate, bribe, and flatter those carrying out the murders into sparing the lives of the 1,268 refugees that had fled to the hotel Mille Collines. The world turned a blind eye to the genocide and for a long seventy-six days, Rusesabagina had only himself and his words to save his family and the refugees from certain death. It is estimated that about five people were brutally murdered every minute. Rusesabagina managed to save approximately four hours worth of people. Eventually, he and the refugees were evacuated. Rusesabagina and his family moved to Belgium, where they reside to this day. In 1999, the movie Hotel Rwanda depicted his actions during this "dark bead" in Rwandan history.
This is one of the most remarkable books that I have ever had the pleasure of reading. It's so morbidly fascinating that even though at several times I felt physically ill, I was unable to put it down. Rusesabagina has a special skill as an author, and is able to paint an accurate and horrifying picture of the events that occurred, but at the same time is able to insert his whole-hearted and stubborn belief in the "triumph of common decency" over evil (203). Rusesabagina is able to argue this in the face of heartache and bloodshed. He is even able to provide concrete examples of people in the book that hacked their neighbors with machetes but still had a drop of human kindness desperate for an excuse to show itself.
Rusesabagina unapologetically criticizes all the nations that ignored the genocide for far too long. Rusesabagina not only provides criticism but also possible solutions that could have staunched the bloodshed quickly and effectively in the genocide's early stages. He also provides an excellent rhetoric on how extremists were able to convince rational, calm people to take up machetes and kill their neighbors and friends. Rusesabagina is able to counter the extremist rhetoric with words of his own, and uses this same skillful mastery of words that saved so many from slaughter to narrate this fantastic and moving book.
There are very few weaknesses in An Ordinary Man. Yes, the gore that is described twisted my stomach and left me feeling tainted and disgusted with mankind. After reading too much, I was almost unable to continue, but then again the mass genocide of men, women and children is not supposed to be neat and digestible. The descriptions are meant to shock and sicken. At the end of the novel, I felt ultimately dissatisfied and furious with the abject lack of justice. But this is a specific tactic used to irk the reader, because justice has not occurred in Rwanda and murderers still walk the streets. There is little justice to be found in that, and there is no reason why Rusesabagina should candy coat the issue to make the reader feel better.
Rusesabagina leaves the reader feeling hungry for more knowledge of the Rwandan genocide. His book inspired me to do outside research on the Rwandan genocide, and all of the other humanitarian crises that have occurred since then. Rusesabagina believes he is an ordinary man because to him saving all of these people seemed the most normal thing to do, something every man ought to have done. His message is a simple message of hope, a message that every man has the capability to give a "Rwandan no" to evil (203). His book serves not only a testimony to what happened in the dark days of the Rwandan massacre, but also serves as a means of getting people to care. He cautions that if the world cannot overcome apathy, then the phrase "never again" will be "one of the most abused phrases" and the "greatest lies" of the time. The book leaves the reader with a sense of hope that ordinary men like Rusesabagina will continue to say "no" to evil and do these extraordinary things as if they nothing more than ordinary.

This book was chosen by Middle Tennessee State University for their summer reading book, and being a student there I decided to jump in with all the freshmen and read it as well. I'm excited that he will be speaking at our convocation ( our program to start off the year.)

The thing that interested me most about this book is that he knew not to expect much from his country. He had pride, and he had hope for a better future, but he knew better than to expect anything more than the current situation.
This book is definitely something to be read by those who are very involved in world politics, sociology, and psychology. Rusesabagina delves into each one with vigor, and I very well believe he could be a professor in any one of these concentrations.
I am proud to say that I share the world with people such as Rusesabagina.

I purchased this book two months before I had the courage to read it. I feared it would be too upsetting and entirely depressing to engage myself in.

The book begins with a wonderful history of Paul's life. His vivid descriptions of The Land of A Thousand Hills, the banana beer, the family, his path to hotel management. It is an interesting story about a young man growing up in Africa.

The middle of the book approaches and details the horrific genocide of 800,000 people in as little as three months. The terror, the worry, the perseverence is all conveyed beautifully (if that word can be appropriate). I found inspiration in his ability to use words and intuition to communicate with people who could have taken his life. I felt connected to Paul's belief that nobody is 100% evil, and nobody is 100% good. I like his description of human nature, and felt he truly "gets" what being human is.

The ending of the book focused on his life in Belgium, among other Rwandan expatriates. And the decision to start a business in Africa. What a truly interesting person. I was fascinated by this story. It also shares much of the pre-1994 and post-1994 politics.

Whenever I gently give someone "the kindhearted blow-off" in my mind, I now think, "that was a Rwandan 'no'" I appreciate Paul's sharing of his culture and political environment.

I would enjoy seeing him speak. I appreciated his also sharing a little bit about how the movie came to be.

I really felt the storyteller is a person I could sit and have a beer with, and truly enjoy an afternoon chatting.

The last few pages of the book include a wonderful reference bibliography with information and suggestions on additional books to be read on Rwanda. I appreciated that, and plan to read several.

How many tragedies would be averted if we studied world history and learned from the mistakes made by others? Rusesabagina offers a poignant, yet easy-to-read, cautionary tale of the danger of prejudice, hatred, and group think. I am purchasing this book and will encourage my sons to read it when they are older (they are only in elementary school now) so that they can be on guard against the evils that are possible in our human race.

This book has challenged me to live outside my little world of t-ball games and PTO meetings. I learned the power of ignorance can cost lives and affect generations to come. I will no longer live with my head buried in the sandbox, but will raise my children to have concern and compassion for all human beings, not just those who look like them.

I didn't expect to like this book, but when I put it down I found myself eager to buy the next volume. It is, essentially, a gay romance set in the pirate era. The characters are intriguing, the historical details are fascinating, and the talk of philosophy and religion is quite interesting as well.

The reason this gets four stars from me instead of five is because the whole plot is dependent on a premise that is frankly ridiculous. The premise is that all (or nearly all) buccaneers are gay, and they all engage in long-term monogamous relationships equivalent to marriage with a very low divorce rate. This leads to extensive talk about sexual orientation throughout the book, which is really not necessary plot-wise and comes across more as the author trying to make a statement (considering most people who pick up this book would already agree, it is really unneccesary).

That said, if you can get past the premise, it's really a fun book and the characters are great.

I was very surprised at how much I fell in love with this book. It sounded remotely interesting since it contained a slash (M/M) romantic pirate story with some hints of angst. It's so much more than that. This book is fantastic. The angst and hurt/comfort were better than I ever could have dreamed. I won't spoil anyone, but these themes are much stronger than the book description suggests.

Beyond that, this book was written amazingly well. I have never read a book before that made me feel completely absorbed into the story. I wasn't reading to find out what happens next or to get to the good parts. The point of view allows you to feel like you're part of the story. The descriptions were so vivid, I felt like I was really there. When I stopped reading, I felt like I was transported back to a different world. The book is that engrossing.

Another thing I love about this book is that the secondary characters all have depth as well. You get to watch them grow as the story progresses. No character is truly minor, and they all end up important in some way. Details you thought in the beginning were just filler, end up important. It all comes together in the end.

Finally, I've noticed that most independent slash books have poor grammar and spelling, which you must overlook to read the story. This book has no such problem.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend this book to any fan of slash, historical fiction, hurt/comfort, or angst. It's the angst, hurt/comfort, and romance that make the story one of the best I've ever read, but even without all of that, this book has merit simply for the quality of its writing.

This is an excellent book. I enjoyed the history although some of it may not be accurate. It is predominately about two men coming to terms with their past lives and how it has affected their present ones. Both men grew throughout the book. The sex scenes were tastefully written. Will and Gaston fell in love with each other the fact that they were both men was secondary. I enjoyed the supporting characters - they were interesting and three dimensional. I highly recommend this book and am looking forward to reading the sequel.

I bought "Raised by Wolves" thinking it would be a rattling good read. It is, but it is marred by poor editing, historical inaccuracies and a peculiar use of English. The main character, Will Marsdale, writing in 1666, claims to have lived through the Reformation (which took place in the previous century); he is, of course, referring to Cromwell's Commonwealth. He searches London after the fire looking for the "block" in which the family home was situated. London had a medieval street pattern. "Blocks" were never a feature of English towns. He also speaks of going to "mass" at a time Catholicism was proscribed and Catholics persecuted.

The author's attempts at seventeenth century English result in clotted verbiage which at times is nonsensical; for example, "I didn't think he'd be so conducive" (to what?) and "I will endeavour to try" (try to try?) Pepys never wrote like this! There are also elementary spelling mistakes - "miniscule" and "supercede" for "minuscule" and "supersede".

In the afterword to the book Hoffman speaks of having studied the subject of pirates in depth, which is commendable. Unfortunately she is too anxious to share her research with us at length and devotes several passages to aspects of pirate life we would rather not know - the curing of pigs, the origin of words and other irrelevant details. Other aspects of seventeenth century life, for example the laws on primogeniture and entail, she ignores.

Despite these shortcomings the reader still wants to know what happens to her amoral characters. It is a pity that more pruning and checking wasn't done at the editing stage. Reading "Raised by Wolves" would have been far more enjoyable. It would have really rattled on then!

When my friend lent me "Brethren: Raised by Wolves", she told me three things: 1) It's about pirates, 2) gay pirates, to be more specific, and 3) it was really well written in comparison to the quality of other gay romances that are available for a lesser price (free) on a wider forum (online). W.A. Hoffman's novel met all these expectations and surpassed them in style, much like her protagonist, Will. This is a book that I would gladly shell out the asking price for, and will probably end up doing so.

The story is solid (though it should be noted that Hoffman's seafarers are not pirates, but buccaneers - a difference that is explored and explained and backed with much research on part of the author). Hoffman writes a compelling tale of love and belonging centered around two European nobles (one disinherited, the other reluctantly embraced by his father), who have abandoned their fortunes and filial responsibilities (or have been abandoned by these things). Will does this so that he can do as he wants without the restraint of title and privilege. Gaston wanders aimlessly from port to port, lost in himself. Both men meet one another in Port Royal (Jamaica) and instantly recognize within each other kinship and understanding. These feelings of brotherhood transform into love over the course of 541 pages as the plot takes them from English Caribbean society to the high seas amongst fellow buccaneers. At the same time, both men must learn to deal with one another's demons, alone and together.

The only real problems with this novel are the author's tendency to overstate and a few editorial issues. Facts and information about characters will be relayed numerous times, which lead to readers such as myself (who are mindful of information given throughout the text) becoming bored when something is mentioned for the third or fourth time. Granted this novel is some-500 pages in length and richly written with lots of detail, making it difficult for less mindful readers to follow information, so I can forgive and understand this rehashing. The editorial problems are something that you'll find in smaller publishing houses and are a result of not enough people going over the galley proofs or the people going over the proofs missing something here and there. All of the problems involve format, and while they're not disturbing enough to take a reader out of a story, it is something the publishing house should take into consideration when reprinting this book.

There is a third problem, of course: that this book ends. Even after finishing it an hour ago, I feel the need to return to this world that Hoffman has created. I'm hoping the second book will be just as compelling and will leave me feeling the same way (much to my despair and delight). This, I think, is the sign of a wonderful story and (despite the few problems) makes this novel worth the five star rating I gave it.

bang BANG is a really hot little story about how women might use sex
to change the world. As the victim of a street crime, Paula Sherman
organizes a bunch of women to fight against the guns on the streets
of Philadelphia. You'll have to read the book to get her tactics, but
the whole thing is hilarious while it asks a very serious question.
The other thing that I liked about this story was the dead-pan spoof
of the media. In the beginning, Paula is worked over by the local
media. Later on, she works over the national media (Oprah. Clint.) big
time.
bang BANG is action-packed and funny and the writing's great---
entertaining, intelligent, and definitely worth a read.

Lynn Hoffman's latest work bang BANG is an addicting example of how the author is hitting his literary stride. It takes an issue thats been controversial for quite some time (gun control/lack there of)and examines it in a passionate way without being preachy.
The heroine (Paula) in the story is a waitress at a Philadelphia restaurant who witnesses her friend getting shot in a random act of street violence. After an expected depression, the event propels Paula on a renegade of anti-gun crusading starting with shooting out windshields of cars bearing pro-gun stickers (which is so beautifully Philadelphia) and leading up to taking on a powerful right-wing senator. This all helps in Paula finding herself, something she thought would never happen.
The use of Cardoso, a neighbor and regular diner at Paula's restaurant, helps develop the story by offering an "in house narrative" of Paula quest. His journal entries offer nice juxtaposition and contribute to the book's "in your face, whether you like it or not" pace. Hoffman's sprinkling of restaurant whimsy and the romanticism of Philadelphia provide a deserving glimpse into his soul.
I look forward to seeing Hoffman develop as a Novelist and I'm intrigued to see what stops he pulls out next.

Edgy, sparse, witty, this novel grabbed me from the very first page. I read it overnight. Thoroughly recommend it if you're after something out of the ordinary. Five stars.

I mostly read modern novels. I like writers who really care about the language and write beautiful stuff without getting so in love with their words that you can't understand them.
I like guys like Chuck Palahniuk, Peter Clenott Hunting the King, and Martin Amis and Richard Price, George Martin A Storm of Swords (A Song of Ice and Fire, Book 3), Milan Kundera and Derek Armstrong, especially for The Last Troubadour: Song of Montsegur and MADicine. Now I have a new favorite writer to love. Lynn Hoffman weaves a magic spell. You start this book and you're completely lost in from the beginning to the end. During the action scenes I didn't take a breath until they were over.
She is a very special writer and I look forward to her next book.

Everybody talks about guns, the right and the wrong about having them, but nobody does anything about it. (So to speak.) Nobody except this author. His ingenious novel tells how one woman deals with guns. And the way she deals with it carries you through the pages with the greatest of ease. I can imagine novelists saying, "Why didn't I think of that?" Five shots. I mean 5 stars.

A neighbor and I trade cookbooks. She lent me The Dairy Hollow House Soup & Bread: A Country Inn Cookbook. I loved this book so I went out and bought my own copy! While reading my new book, I immediately found a number of recipes that I wanted to try. I first baked "Raisin Pumpernickel Bread with a Secret". It was absolutely delicious and the extra loaves were shared with neighbors and friends. One thing that I especially liked about this book is that as I was reading it, I felt such warmth, love and kindness emanating from it. This book has such personal touches, from the asides about life and experiences as an innkeeper to the interesting introductions with each of the recipes, that I felt as though the author was talking to me as another friend who obviously loved food and cooking as much as I did. Even after I put the book down, the warmth stayed with me for a long time. I recommend this book to everyone who has a passion for cooking, especially with a friend.

This is one of the best cookbooks I have ever used. Every soup I have made has been either very good, excellent or superb. It is engagingly written and easy to use. Highly recommended.

This book features recipes from the Dairy Hollow Inn. Well-known food writer and innkeeper Crescent Dragonwagon puts in the soup and bread recipes that won her inn the "Uncle Ben's" award, a prize for excellence in small inn cuisine. She shares her spotlight with other inns from around the US.

Right now, as I am writing this review, I am sipping her New England Corn Chowder, which is a corn-squash chowder that can be made with vegetarian ingredients or chicken broth. I tried both versions; right now the base is a golden vegetable broth from a tetra pak but you can use her recipe for vegetable stock. The soup is sweet and spicy and I served it to guests and nothing was left; had to make a second batch. The soup recipes here are all winners. There is a vegetable soup base that can become minestrone or what-have-you, and many other fine recipes featuring vegetables. There is also a section on southern greens.

The breads are everything from a raisin pumpernickel with a secret (chocolate chips) to oatmeal molasses and baps, Scottish soft white rolls.

If you can't find a soup in here you like, you are hard to please--or you don't like soup. Ms. Dragonwagon's commentaries on the inn are fun reading so this is a book you can peruse even if you aren't stirring up something in your kitchen. I use this book almost everytime I entertain for casual affairs; soup and bread are always welcome and easy to serve and enjoy.

We've only owned this cookbook for a short time, but already it is one of our favorites. The author includes background on each recipe in an informal style that makes the reader feel like a good friend being given an enthusiastic recipe tip. In addition, the book includes a large amount of useful information from how to deal with an artichoke, to various soup garnishes and how to work with yeast. It's the recipes that shine, however.
We started with the Wintery Chicken and Pasta Soup--delicious. Then I made the Rabbit Hill Inn Oatmeal-Molasses bread--an outstanding bread my husband wants me to make again. The big winner was A Salad for Fall which we just couldn't get enough of. The combination of flavors is as close to perfect as you can get. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves good food and is willing to spend a little time in preparation.
As I write this, one of the bean soups is simmering on the stove. Bon Appetit!

I am a terrible cook, but for ten years I have astonished my wife and made some very impressive soups from the recipes in this collection. These soups are better than anything I have ever had in a restaurant (I've never been to Crescent's B&B, however). Warning - you may never be capable of opening a can of soup once your tastebuds have been altered by this cookbook. I've got to try her Veggie Cookbook!

This book is an intelligent conversion story. The author, Etty Hillesum, begins writing at a time when her life was repugnant; and yet, she is obviously very intelligent and so reading what she wrote during that period is not a waste of time.

Towards the middle of the book, Etty begins to change, and by the end, she is an admirable person - not just because she is intelligent, but also because she is good. It seems that her will changed, which is the definition of conversion.

I would compare this book favorably with "Surprised by Joy", which is the autobiography of C.S. Lewis. "Surprised by Joy" is a great book for Christians. "Etty Hillesum" is a great book for anyone.


Shawn T. Miller

This book would be one of the five. Its not about the Holocaust, not really. It is about one of the most soulful women who we all could learn so much from about how to approach our days. I cherish this book with all my heart. It came to me in a very weird way however! My parents were viisting me in Seattle when I lived there and while browsing in Elliott Bay Books, my mom handed me this book and said, "When I die I want this book buried with me!" I know, thats kind of a weird sell but she bought me my own copy (along with a separate one for her future plans) and I read it in one evening. I couldn't put it down. While she lived just a short distance from Anne Frank and was writing her journals at the same time, they are equally moving but worlds apart. Etty was in her late twenties while she wrote and her outlook on life is simply among the most remarkable I have ever encountered. I don't think I need to be buried with it but that doesn't mean I don't recommend it extremely highly for both men and women. Its a privilege to be able to recommend it, to know that even while her life was so tragically cut short at Auschwitz, that her journals survived and that maybe just one person more will come to her journals as a result of this review. You know what? I'd like to be buried with this book too. Also include a cupcake.

Etty Hillessum's diaries and her letters from Westerbork serve as an outstanding testament to the human spirit and the ability to find the sacred in the most horrific of situations. Although she was not a saint in the sense that Teresa of Avila or Juan de la Cruz were saints, she could properly be considered a mystic and a good example of a modern who had 'enlightened' insights. I find her diaries at once humane and modern in the sense of a liberated 'bohemian' who explored her sexuality and her psyche. As her diaries progress, her inner life (and oneness with God) deepens as the horrors of the realities of being Jewish in Europe during the Second World War becomes more apparent. I highly recommend this book! It will change your life!

This is one of the most profound documents ever written. Etty Hillesum was truly a person who had reached transforming union and had the ability to be able to share her experience through journaling and letters. She was unwaivering in her desire to see the beauty and meaning of life in one of the most difficult situations ever experienced on this planet. There are no words to express how deeply this work has influenced my life, except to say that I go back to her writing over and over again. She is a bright light for anyone seeking spiritual growth.

In nearly all of our nation's middle and high schools the Diary of Anne Frank is required reading. This present volume ought to be a required follow-up reading for the older student.

This Owl Books publication includes excellent photographs and commentary to bring alive holistically the full presentation of this intelligent and searching young woman's life and vision, whose eight well-preserved copy books reveal to us her soul, supplemented by personal, surprisingly joyful and hopeful and positive do-not-lose-heart letters from a way station on the road to Auschwitz. Together this corpus of writing presents bright light in the deepest darkness and locus of despair. One cannot read these living words on the way to certain death without weeping, and reflecting, at the unreasonable cruelty and inexorable deadly fruit of any total war. One cannot read this without a cry for the end of all war.

Please read this book in a prayerful way. Consider the promising and peaceful lives which were lost, whose voice rings out truly here in this thick volume of her writings, and resolve to work for peace, that we may never study war, no more. Let us work for peace, and pray with the prophet that our swords may soon be beat into plowshares, that all may live in peace to their fullest promise.

This book brings to us the reality of the horror of hateful war, through Etty's human and hopeful and joyous and beautiful voice, ever encouraging those in the deepest despair until she herself is also placed on the road to Auschwitz, a road from which so very few ever returned.

Pero si nos hundimos emocionalmente, NUESTRO MUNDO PERSONAL VA A RESENTIR LAS CONSECUENCIAS !
ESTE LIBRO, HERMOSO DESDE SU DISEÑO HORIZONTAL Y MUY BIEN ESCRITO Y PENSADO, TE ELEVA SOBRE LA SUPERFICIE CONTAMINADA Y TE CONDUCE A DIMENSIONES HERMOSAS DE ESTIMA PARA TI MISMO:Si:PORQUE ERES UN LUCHADOR

TODO LO BUENO EN LA VIDA... ¡Es la falta de autoestima y amor a nosotros mismos!
Eso es lo que nos pesa en el corazon como si fueran cadenas..
LIBERATE... ESTE LIBRO TIENE LA LLAVE !
Te enseña cuanto vales !
FABULOSO !

Eso es lo que hace este inolvidable libro !
Te da estimacion para ti mismo y hace que te sientas feliz con el mundo que te rodea

y te estimas, con todos tus dones, NO PUEDES AMAR A NADIE...
Y NADIE PUEDE AMARTE!
Eso es lo que hace este libro: Te enseña A AMARTE Y A ESTIMARTE EN TODO LO QUE VALES!
Y TE DEMUESTRA QUE VALES MUCHISIMO !

QUE REALMENTE TE HACE VALORARTE A TI MISMO !

The Mom's Choice Awards® honors excellence in family-friendly media, products and services. An esteemed panel of judges includes education, media and other experts as well as parents, children, librarians, performing artists, producers, medical and business professionals, authors, scientists and others. A sampling of the panel members includes: Dr. Twila C. Liggett, Ten-time Emmy-winner, professor and founder of Reading Rainbow; Julie Aigner-Clark, Creator of Baby Einstein and The Safe Side Project; Jodee Blanco, New York Times Best-Selling Author; LeAnn Thieman, Motivational speaker and coauthor of seven Chicken Soup For The Soul books; Florrie Binford-Kichler, Founder of Patria Press, Inc.- an award-winning independent publisher and Member of The Children's Book Council; Tara Paterson, Certified Parent Coach, and founder of The Just For Mom Foundation(tm) and the Mom's Choice Awards®. Parents and educators look for the Mom's Choice Awards® seal in selecting quality materials and products for children and families. This book has been honored by this distinguished award.

This series of books is absolutley wonderful and I recommend them to any parent or grandparent, especially this book!! It teaches children how to be positive, kind and loving to themselves at a very young age which is a key ingredient to creating loving, kind adults who make a huge difference in the world when they grow up.

I like to play this CD to help create a happy and healthy background environment in the car for my daughters. One thing I really liked about this CD is that it encouraged my daughters, who are 5 & 7 years-old, to talk about what was talked about in the CD.

We were first introduced to I AM a Lovable ME! shortly after our son was born. The messages are positive and uplifting, and our son really enjoys the vivid, colorful illustrations. We also recommend another book in this series...Take a deep breath...watching our little guy "take a deep breath and breathe out slowly" and seeing the calming effect on him (and us) is incredible! Thanks for this awesome series of books...we're looking forward to reading them to our next baby too!!!

I bought this book for my nephews and they absolutely love it. It is the first children's book I have seen that not only has a story, but an important message as well. It teaches children to love themselves and be happy with who they are. It really boosts self-esteem and is a valuable lesson to teach all children. I would highly recommend it. It makes a great present.

A myth-like story about an ancient race of female warriors and one girl in particular who would be Queen, beautifully written. A fantastic YA novel for teens and adults. The best by Hoffman I have read so far.

One of Alice Hoffman's few YA books, this story of an Amazonian princess will capture you like no other read. The ways of the women warriors are brutally intense, and for the first time are questioned, by Rain, who vies for her mother's attention but still attempts to defy the ways of tradition. The characters are strong, each of them contributing to the choices made by Rain, for good or bad.

The Foretelling is a gripping book from beginning to end. Your care for the young princess grows as you learn more and more about her destiny, and her will to change the fate of her people to peace. Her strong connections with horses and bears seem spiritual, and make this story of pain and violence almost gentle and compassionate. I guarantee everyone will enjoy it.

This book is short and that's unfortunate because I think the story could have been made longer but regardless it was a very compelling story. I liked how it was written and Rain I instantly loved as a character. Amazon women I have always heard of and reading about them was really interesting and fun.

The characters were strong, the dialogue was always short and to the point, and the story telling itself in Rain's eyes kept you hooked. I also read Practical Magic and that's how I got to know the name Alice Hoffman and I'm glad I did because both Fortelling and Practical Magic were worthwhile books.

In this intense yet complicated fantasy story, Rain attempts to gain her mother's notice and acceptance by being the best of warriors in their Amazonian tribe. The product of a rape when her mother, Alina, wasn't much more than a child herself, it is hard to gain the Queen's approval. Although Rain knows that she's been raised by Deborah, the wise priestess, to one day be Queen herself, she also pays attention to Deborah's promises of a much grander destiny.

Rain doesn't totally understand the Queen's desire to so thoroughly destroy her enemies, even though her own cousins, Astella and Asteria, are two of the fiercest warriors in the tribe. When Alina takes Penthe as her companion, and Penthe's daughter Io seeks to be Rain's sister, matters become even more complicated. Rain wants nothing more than to ride her horse, Sky, to garner her mother's approval, to earn the place as rightful Queen that will someday come upon her.

On her first journey alone, Rain comes upon a bear cub, which she takes back to camp. She names him Usha, and together with Io the two girls raise the cub as if he were a horse. Although Rain and Io soon discover the mistake of doing so, it's too late--Usha is killed in battle, and Rain still doesn't have the love and acceptance of her mother.

THE FORETELLING is a coming-of-age story set in a fantastical land of the Amazons. Rain is a compelling character who, although she tries so hard to be vicious and fierce like her fellow tribe-members, always leans more towards peace for all men and compassion towards her enemies.

Not to be missed by lovers of fantasy stories!

My name is Doug Hiser, author of the 2006 novel,The Honey Bee Girl. I have been reading and collecting Alice Hoffman books since I discovered Turtle Moon. I have read them all and The Fortelling is my favorite. I loved her narrative and moving story. In some ways it reminded me of Clan of the Cave Bear and also of mystical ancient cultures that we see only in dreams. Alice Hoffman's prose is the main reason I fell in love with her books. She is the magic realism of writing the way Michael Parks is of the dreamlike reality of art and Frank Frazetta is the master of fantasy painting. The Fortelling is a short work of literary genius accessible to everyone. She has deep intense knowledge of the emotions and feelings that most people can only guess about. Discover her writing through this compelling work and then find your way into her other books. You won't be disappointed. Doug Hiser