Long Books

After cringing through the first half of the book where north African Arabs horrifically persecute the Jews, it was a relief when I finally came to accounts of courageous Arabs, although not many, who helped them. I found this book difficult to put down. I hardily recommend it.

Before I go too deeply into this book, two general observations right off the top.

Firstly, considering all that has been written about the Second World War in its magnitude, to have a relatively untouched subject such as this be brought to light at this late date is truly welcome and laudable. Secondly, as I've often noted, an unfortunate side-effect of the coverage justifiably given to the evils of the Holocaust has been a certain infrequently-admitted desensitizing to the horror of the mass murder at its heart, and this new study of that period helps reawaken some comprehension of the utter dimension of cruelty that was behind the atrocities.

This book and its true stories of Arabs as rescuers of persecuted Jews (and sometimes as pro-Fascist collaborators who oppressed the Jews in North African labor camps) is a meaningful read for any scholar, or for the curious-minded. Telling tales of bravery in a time of great danger, there are many feel good moments, foremost Tunisian statesman Mohamed Chenik's clever and brave duel of wits and nerves with the occupying Nazis, courage on his part that saved Jewish lives, but there is also a scattering of disheartening tales, too, showing no culture has a monopoly on indecency.

I think anyone who deems peace between Jews and Arabs to be impossible would do well to consult the history recorded here. Not only is it a fact that traditionally Jews received better treatment when dwelling in Muslim nations than in Christian ones, but many Muslims regarded the slaying of Jews, identified in the Koran as "a People of the Book" to be a direct sin against God. Furthermore, I also think it's a sad fact that so many Muslims who worked to assist their Jewish countrymen later denied their roles, lest they suffer repercussions at the hands of reactionary fanatics intent on waging war on Judaism and those seen as soft on it. Progress may not be a constant in human affairs, but a book like this is fuel for the light of optimism.

The "righteous" would be those who risked their lives to help the unfortunate....in this case Arab Jews during the holocaust. We remember the WWII battles in North Africa. We may forget that they were necessary because the Germans and Italians controlled those areas that were at the time colonies and only became nations post WWII. Because there have been no stories about righteous people rescuing Jews in those countries, Robert Satloff set out to find them. He did find some and he also opened up a whole area of research because he is sure there are many he did not find. That said, however, he had trouble finding descendents in families who would admit this heroism. Apparently this kind of heroism is so unpopular these days that a family would rather not be known as heroic. This leaves one extremely depressed.

One interesting fact I learned is that the definition of the word "Zionism" is completely different in Moslem countries than it is elsewhere in the world. Here we see it as another word for Israeli nationalism. There it means, "the purposeful infliction of pain and suffering on Arabs and Muslims." Wow! No wonder we have so much trouble acquiring peace in the region! So let's abandon the term and simply say there are two countries there that need to have borders established.

By all means read the book. It does depress one a bit, but it also shows that simple humanity is possible. Let us build on our common humanity.

Robert Satloff follows Germany's genocide plan to wipe out the Jews in North Africa during World War II. As in European countries, some neighbors helped the Nazis and others helped the Jews, either colaborating with the Nazis or risking their own lives helping the Jews of Tunisia, Algeria and Morocco. Satloff did intense research and traveled to the locations of the labor camps and communities. He gives the reader a complete picture and a very well written history.

I received this book "Among the righteous" as a gift through amozon.com from dear friends who knew of my background. I am of North African origin. Upon a preliminary examination of this book I was taken to my childhood and the fairy tale story of "The wolf & the lamb" hung over my mind. It was probably a way to trigger a defense mechanism to just get me ready to what I was about to read. Linking 9/11, the holocaust and the creation of the state of Israel together was a bad start.

Some of the stories of local inhabitants and occupational forces interactions are presented. Some were positive and some were negative. It is a mix. The author divided by choice the local inhabitants into two parts only - the Jewish and the Arabic part - but reality was otherwise. The stories were documented to the best possibilities available at hand but they were not far off of the norm available at the time. Similar stories are available throughout history of the region from the time of "The Barbary coast" through the independence of the North African nations. One of the best examples readily available is the story of the Emir Abdelkader. (A town Elkader, Iowa is named after him).

The author did not find any evidence of "death camps" but plenty of evidence of "Forced labor camps". These Forced labor camps had Jewish people in them but they were not exclusively Jewish. To my knowledge those camps were present throughout the occupation time. (They were certainly present before 1935). It would have been very interesting to find out more about them from the archives of the governments of France, Italy and Germany. The author limited himself to the occupied body without attempt to get information from the occupiers' brains. It may be a topic of a future book. Some of those camps sadly continued to be used even after the independence of the North African countries.

The author indulges himself gratuitously here and there in local stereotypes which were not necessary. The best example is on page 66 were he labeled people who helped him as Algerian black marketeers. If you believe that 4 Algerian black marketeers can drive a truck in Morocco's borders day time and stop to help you then I have a Brooklyn bridge to sell you.

The last chapter is more political than historical. The author discusses the politics of the day in the Middle East and justifies the creation of the state of Israel by "deserving" it (page164). Many states deserve to be created but not at the expense of others and the principal of self determination for any nation should be respected. The minute a link is made between the holocaust and the state of Israel creation john doe the Arab looses interest. Holding the position that Israel creation in the Middle East should be viewed as a "payment" for the holocaust is fictitious. Linking the two events at any level raises suspicion of agenda driven activism for muddying the water and not for clarifying the issues.

The holocaust is European and Europe cannot escape from its past.

I am glad that I read this book and I recommend it to others. It provides a flavor of some aspects of the lifestyle under the occupation in North Africa.

The Big Drop is by John Log. This book is a wonderful surfing book full of very colorful stories told by the people that had surfed the waves, or were there at the moment if the person had died. The way the people tell the stories make it feel like you are there feeling their pain. If you do not feel like reading the book then you might just want to get the movie Riding Giants. About fifty percent of the movie Riding Giants is in the book. In the book there is a colorful picture almost every chapter of the people riding the wave. I would defiantly recommend the book to anyone, especially if you like to surf. The book also teaches you a lot about surfing vocabulary and even has a couple pages at the end that are the glossary, in case you don't know the terms of surfing. The Big Drop shows the dangers of surfing and makes you wonder why people even risk their life just for a little thrill. I would give this book 9 out of 10, because there are some stories in there that aren't very interesting compared to others in the book. There is only a couple of the stories that are not as interesting, so it does not take away from the book at all.

Provides great insight on the pioneers of the sport, but doesn't come across like a history lesson. It makes you understand the ballz it takes to paddle into a wave the size of an apartment building, along with the consequences those guys have faced.

Thoroughly enjoyable for non-surfers too. My dad has never been on a board and he couldn't put the book down.

I am a grom, at the age of 17 right now, and I rarely read a book cover to cover.I've always been interested in big wave surfing, but never the old timer stuff. This book has revealed the truth about riding big waves in and interesting perspective to the new generation such as myself, and I will never forget some of the stories in here. I reccomend that if you're a surfer, and are even remotely interested in attempting to tackle large surf, that you pick up this book. It will give you second thoughts about venturing out at places like Mavericks, Waimaii Bay, and Todos Santos.

Not just a surfing book but focusing on the Big Wave surfing crew, that elite group of athletes that live to challenge the ocean's fury. This is a collection of short stories but it does a great job of covering the total history of Big Wave surfing, particularly paying attention to the heroes of the 50s and 60s the water skills necessary to challenge large waves. With complete coverage and analysis of all big wave sites and legends, I can't imagine what it left unturned.

This exciting sport has elevated itself recently with "ski in" surfing and these stories do a great job of covering the controversy of this sport's growth and it's trailblazer, Laird Hamilton.

I strongly recommend this book if you like surfing or are enthralled by the culture of these people who devote their lives to the ocean.

...of Big Wave surfing - many of the stories are haunting and memorable. It was hard putting the book down once I started reading. I actually found it more interesting and insightful than watching film of surfers going over the edge - you actually get into their excitement, awe, and fear of what they've gotten themselves into - not only when they've caught the waves, but gut-wrenching accounts of what they were thinking and feeling when driven under (or saw their friends driven under) by these monsters.

This is as close as you're going to get, short of paddling out yourself! BTW, I just finished reading "Caught Inside" before "The Big Drop" and reading these stories made reading CI seem like a waste of time.

You won't regret reading this one - highly recommended!!!

I enjoyed Jim Brosnan's The Long Season. I didn't think that the book was quite as good as its reputation, however.

It is easy to see why The Long Season made such a strong impression when it was published in 1960. Brosnan's account of the 1959 baseball season was one of the first books that didn't "sugarcoat" the professional athlete's life. Brosnan is very opinionated about baseball and the characters in the baseball world.

I don't think that the book has aged that well, however. It doesn't have the irreverence or gossipy tone of books that followed, such as Ball Four. I found, therefore, that the book could be slow going in places. You do get an excellent view of the 1959-era baseball world, however.

In summary, The Long Season is a good read for those who want to know more about baseball 50 years ago. If you aren't a hardcore fan, however, you probably will want to look elsewhere.

wonderful baseball expose of the era. fascinating, riveting and, best of all - true! not some Bernard Malamud fictional account, this author was a major league pitcher for 9 season. Not a great pitcher, but an average one. Fortunately, he's a great author.

This is flat out the best baseball book I have ever read.

I also enjoyed Ball Four. Ball Four

This labor of love takes you inside major-league baseball clubhouses and dugouts. Jim Brosnan was a competent major-league pitcher and is an even better writer. You'll see how baseball players really feel about their teammates, managers, contracts, winning, losing, being traded, strategy, et cetera. (Some of this is known by now but was a revelation when the book was first published.) Brosnan's literate, well-written book captures the flavor of the dugout without using vulgarity or crudity (a problem I had with Jim Bouton's Ball Four, though I know not all will agree). If you're solely interested in the modern era, this book may not be for you. But if you want to know what it feels like to be a major-league baseball player and enjoy good writing for its own sake, The Long Season is a must. (P.S.: Brosnan's sequel, Pennant Race, is almost as good.)

"Twist, belly-button, block." A major league relief pitcher taught me how to hit a baseball. An excellent book during an excellent time in Baseball.

While Brosnan ruffled some feathers with this book, it isn't anywhere near as controversial or raunchy as Jim Bouton's "Ball Four." Brosnan does mention his difficult contract negotiation, but it's not as bitter as Bouton discussing contracts. Brosnan has an elephant-like memory for conversations and the batting history of every hitter he faces. You get to see every aspect of a game, from the pitchers discussing how to pitch to a batter to who's got the best pitch to the manager's pep talks before the game. Brosnan has an excellent grasp of the language and even perplexes some of his not as scholarly teammates with some of his words. Overall, a great read from a talented pitcher and author. I look forward to reading "Pennant Race."

Since I work closely with my business sponsors on long term projects, I found this book's approach appealing and suitable for me.

I also found this book to be deeply insightful and useful at work where I have to deal with salespeople who use old style sales techniques. I wish more salespeople would read this book and not waste their time or mine.

I wished I had read this book before I started my own business, but nonetheless, it was helpful at reinstating fundamental concepts that I had forgotten to practice daily. This book was a great read, and I highly recommend it.

Highly readable,easily understandable from an expert.
A must have for any aspiring entrepreneur.

Pages 96-97 alone are worth the price.

Think-Be Knowledgable means just that. Don't either overthink or underthink

Be Likable--Why would anyone wish to associate with a person they don't like?

Speak-Be Credible--There is already too much BS out there

I have owned this book for a while and find its advice pertinent to my day to day interaction with business people and their advocates. This is not some collection of random thoughts, but rather a distillation of some of the best thinkers who have addressed the issues of business and just interpersonal communication. This is a must read for anyone who wants to get anything done in the world of business and it is a pretty good guide to getting to yes in your personal life.

There is a wonderful feeling that grows inside as you progress through these pages. You know your getting smarter and being given tools that will help you in all areas of your life. This book is for everyone who wishes to communicate more succcessfully. Rogoff's book empowers you to benefit from more collaborative and proactive conversations in and out of the workplace. The writing is clear, concise and smart. Rogoff demonstartes how to engage your clients, co-workers and even friends in dialogue that benefits all the participants.

I randomly picked this book up at the local library not realizing how magnificent it would be. I wanted a breather from all the romance novels I've been hooked on lately and boy what a difference! It was a very depressing story. There are particular lines in the book that are still lingering in my mind. I don't want to spoil it for anyone, but when Evan gets back with his ex-wife and they're talking of the past and he realizes the child she had with another man could have been theirs, but it wasn't.(please read the book and you'll understand) As a reader I felt his pain and misery for the mistakes he made that he couldnt take back, but was trying to mend. When I finished reading this book I could not stop crying; it's that touching!I read a review somewhere where the reviewer is saying this book is not depressing, but I beg to differ! It is very depressing and nostalgic, yet I got the message the author was sending. I highly recommend it.

I read this book over the past 4 days, and it is still with me. I found myself doing something I rarely do when reading... going back and re-reading certain passages because of the pure, simple beauty of Long's writing and clarity of his observations on love, live, and death. Evan Molloy is certainly flawed and not the most sympathetic character, but this is what makes him so utterly likeable... he could be you, me, our sibling, our neighbor, anyone. As his mother tells him early on, he has a charmed life - a happy childhood, education, meaningful work, and marriage to his soul mate, who he then wrongs in the worst way. Later, given the chance to love again, he is betrayed by his own mind, suffering from mental illness. His suspension between the living world and the afterlife, and his 'relationship' with the new owner of his home, 30-something Maureen, herself struggling to find her footing after leaving her job and fleeing a destructive affair, allow him to reflect and uncover the mysteries of his own death, and ultimately for him to be free.

The premise of a lonely ghost observing life going on in the house in which he died is what attracted me to David Long's novel. But that idea is actually a rather slight portion of this story.

For reasons neither he, nor the reader, ever understand, Evan is doomed to remain in the house in which he committed suicide 10 years earlier. While the premise is fantastical, the tone of the novel is not. We see Evan's life is fragmented, almost swirling snapshots, which seem appropriate for a lost soul still piecing his recollections together. Long writes beautifully in a very literate style and much of the story is Evan reflecting upon his life. And the events of his life are rather prosaic and mundane. He meets his wife, marries her, has an affair, is divorced, reunites with his wife and her troubled daughter. Perhaps Long's point is that life is mundane. But Long's elegant, somewhat melacholy prose holds the reader more than the story itself.

There's a slightness to the narrative. And Evan's connection to Maureen, the woman living in 'his' house doesn't seem fully fleshed out. What is it about her that touches him more than the previous tenants in the house? (She seems to most resemble the woman with whom he had an affair, but that connection is never made explicit.) We follow Evan's mental collapse leading to his suicide in the flashbacks, but it feels a bit arbitrary. There's a slightly aloof quality to Long's story and prose and Evan remains an oddly generic character. It's clear long before the reader gets to the end of this book that there will be no tidy conclusion to this story. And there isn't. And since the emotional impact of the ending hinges on Evan's connection with Maureen, it's puzzling that this connection is what is slighted for much of the novel.

This is a lovely novel -- readable, if not entirely compelling, but perhaps not what many readers might expect from its other-worldly premise.

I have not, in the past, felt compelled to write reviews on the internet, but this book is so haunting, smart, poetic, and strange, I can't help myself from asserting to potential readers: read it. This is an author who has such a sense of the nature of human beings, their motivations, the depths of the psyche--it changed the way I'll ever again see some of the people in my life. While I was reading it, I found myself talking to its characters, recalling its details, singings its praises to strangers. It entered my dreams! I'm not doing it just, but will say, you won't find another novel like this, and you won't forget it.

Evan commits suicide and returns 10 years after his death to his Seattle area home where he tries to understand "why" he did it - he reflects on his life and his quest for strength to escape his battle with depression and failed relationships. The book is dark and often foggy and rainy like its setting in winter in the Pacific Northwest. However, it is beautifully written and places the reader in the shoes of one where if your DNA was off-kilter just a tad - you can imagine that it could happen to you...

Marie de Hennezel sits on the beds of hospice patients, holds their hands, touches the painful places, and even rocks them while they have their bandages changed or cry from grief. This hospice psychologist is as comfortable with touch as with silence. She doesn't shy away from murmuring endearments. She seems to know the most helpful and comforting words to say.

I loved each story, including de Hennezel's struggle with her 86-year old father's suicide and her friendship with French president Francois Mitterand, who visited her palliative care unit to see the peaceful ways in which people can die when given proper pain control and compassionate psychological support. When Mitterand was diagnosed with cancer, he asked for her. So would I!

This 1997 book is heartfelt and informative. It is almost as good as the new book From the Start Consider the Finish: A Guide to Excellent End of Life Care, written by a mother-daughter hospice team Susan Dolan and Audrey Vizzard. This little gem contains practical information, engaging stories, and unexpected humor.

Both books show that a good death is not necessarily a quick one with as little suffering or consciousness as possible. The dying process can involve immense personal growth, precious transformation, and deep spiritual peace.

Marie de Hennezel was born in the same year I was, 1946. I would love to meet this extraordinary death doula before I die.

Nancy Manahan, Ph.D., author of Living Consciously, Dying Gracefully - A Journey with Cancer and Beyond

The subtitle "how the dying teach us how to live",
had a unusually specific meaning for me.

As I watched my emotional response and empathy to the conversations
between Hennezel and terminally ill patients, I began to notice how many
patients wanted to die earlier, not later, until, that is, their
conversation with Hennezel. And, in each case, the patient was glad to
have lived another few days or weeks because, during the conversation,
they had resolved some outstanding issues about their lives. As Hennezel
helped them attend to unfinished business, I realized how much unfinished
business I have myself. Or, put another way, I see the backlog of
things-I-had-hoped-to-do (manifested in stuffed filing cabinets, cluttered
workshop and storage areas, relationships, shelves of dusty books,
financial legal issues, ... and all forms of hoarding) as well as
relationships from the past that need attention through the lens
of "unfinished business."

My life expectancy is a decade or two but this small volume, Intimate
Death, awakened me to the potential value of attending to the backlog of
all the agendas that had been postponed before retirement. In practice,
this means that I demand that most of my time be spent in stuff I had
been postponing for years and, like Hennezel's patients, I feel
so much better, even moments of serenity, when I attend to "my stuff."

I can open the volume to any pages and within minutes I'm teary eyed.
It's the depth of my emotional responses to the moving conversations that
keeps me on my new track. I dare not read the whole book in one setting
-- perhaps 10 pages/week keeps me moving on this new path.

I keep wanting to buy a crate of these books and hand them out on the
street corner but I realize that issues surrounding death is not for everyone.

An essential book for anyone involved in caring for a person who is terminally ill. Enormously human, helpful, inspiring.

My sister and I are caring for her husband at home. He has only a few more days to live. The hospice people are great, but they could not tell us what this book has told us about what to expect now at the end of his life. It has been tremendously helpful for both of us to read this book. I will be buying copies for many people and organizations in the coming years.

a gift from zoey's teacher who became my friend, this book is a strange comfort. subtitled "how the dying teach us how to live", i contemplate the daily journey and choice of work for Marie de Hennezel, the author. She accompanies the dying through setting up palliative care units in France. She accompanies the president and the poor. She tells tender stories of sitting by the side of the dying, offering them a trained stranger's comfort for the truth telling that seems too hard to bear by loved ones. She tells a cutting truth--not devoid of emotion, but certainly not overly emotional. Her life of accompaniment is a series of acts of fact. She recounts them. In her final sentence, she tells her community of readers of her longing to share her discovery of final intimacies as a revelatory exercise in celebrating humanity. It is a moving tribute to herself and those she had accompanied--this book of simple truth telling. She is unabashed as she recounts her involvement in the dying of strangers who become blessed friends. She mentions her children once or twice, her husband only in passing, and it is clear there is either a profound separation between her private life and her work, or that, more likely, her work, the sole subject of this book, is also overshadowing and compelling, perhaps to the detriment of her motherhood and marriage. what a wretched thing to suppose? me, a supposed feminist, reading between the lines to note the intimacy with strangers and the neglect of her family? how dare i? and yet, i am left with that feeling: she is good at her work, but what about her life?

it took me some time to get through this book--and i guess that's the thing about grief. it matters not that other people die, until there is room to see past the death of one's own loved one. and then, there is the invitation to the wider human condition. of course everyone dies. of course many die unaccompanied. of course many, who attend to the deaths of others, cannot, somehow, face the death of their own loved ones. of course. of course. the egoistic centrality of one's own pain makes it difficult to make room for anyone else's. and yet, when i did wade deeper into the water of this book, i was called closer to the moments of "real life" that marie accompanies. like the author, my future work choices may invite a deeper contemplation of what i could and couldn't do for my own father as he faced his final moments. like every poet, i am somewhat fascinated by what it all comes down to, what it means and where we go. like every playwright, i am interested in the untold stories of others and how marie reveals to her readers, that those she accompanies are often unable to go on, until they tell that story to someone else.

for her story, i am grateful to marie de hennezel. for her work, countless others have been moved, touched & inspired.

outstanding work. I did not put the book down untill I finished it. And when I finished it, i did not want it to end.
Wooooooooooooooooooooow.

that was $15 well spent. a romantic thriller that keeps you craving for more. great plot and well told.

brilliant, indeed it was a long journey home for both Rebecca and Ian. I highly recommend that everyone should read it.

superb, it grabs you right at the beggining. she keeps you guessing. yes it was a great story.

she has her own new style, it is impecable.
full of surprises at the end. i highly recomend it.

This was a good book and a little different. Paul was not the typical "good guy" initially. So it was a little more interesting to see how it would end up. I liked this a lot.

The Long Road Home is a great book for evey romantic at heart. The novel leads readers down a path of adventure and bitter heartbreak. I really enjoyed this novel; many times I had to force myself to put it down! The Bible verses and the characters' faith in God throughout the entire novel were of great encouragement to me. No matter what the circumstance the two characters remain steadfast in their faith. The struggles the characters face are practical and can be easily applied to everyday life,even if you don't experience that particular difficulty. For example,both of th main characters experience the loss of their mate. Both are shattered. Paul becomes bitter, while Abby accepts what is and tries to make the best of it.They find that the best way to deal with your struggles is to give them to God and in doing so life will be much easier. Who knows there may even be a reward ??? Read this book, you won't be sorry you did!

This Christian fiction book is a quick read and yet has some depth to it. It's the third of the "Place Called Home" series and I think the best. It gives insight into feelings when one loses a spouse and shows two opposite ways of handling it. Paul Cameron was a Pastor who got angry at God for letting his spouse die so left the ministry. On the other hand, Abby, a pastor's wife, accepted her spouse's death as God's will and relied on Him for strength and comfort. Although predictably, Paul and Abby fall in love with each other; however, the journey of how they arrive there was very interesting and entertaining. I also liked how Lori Wick included humor when Abby was nursing Paul back to health.

It is well written and I believe anyone who has prayed for healing for someone and they died anyway can relate to the feelings expressed in this book through Paul and Abby.

--Karen Arlettaz Zemek, author of "My Funny Dad, Harry"

I think this book, "The Long Road Home," by Lori Wick is really good. It is something that would appeal to all Christian fiction lovers and is a very entertaining ang good story. It's one that can be read again and again. In my opinion Lori wick writes top rate fiction!

The Long Road Home is a great book for evey romantic at heart. The novel leads readers down a path of adventure and bitter heartbreak. I really enjoyed this novel; many times I had to force myself to put it down! The Bible verses and the characters' faith in God throughout the entire novel were of great encouragement to me. No matter what the circumstance the two characters remain steadfast in their faith. The struggles the characters face are practical and can be easily applied to everyday life,even if you don't experience that particular difficulty. For example,both of th main characters experience the loss of their mate. Both are shattered. Paul becomes bitter, while Abby accepts what is and tries to make the best of it.They find that the best way to deal with your struggles is to give them to God and in doing so life will be much easier. Who knows there may even be a reward ??? Read this book, you won't be sorry you did!

In my haste I incorrectly wrote Saipan....I meant to write Peleliu

James Johnston gave a vivid, poignant and heroic account of his life with the Marines fighting in the Pacific during World War II. It was fascinating to read how it life was for the Marines in the Pacific as like he said, the media tended to focus on the European theater and thought of the Pacific theater as "easy."

Using letters that he wrote home, Johnston managed to add a personal touch to his account. It was interesting to get a glimpse on how he felt emotionally, the friendship that was formed between the soldiers and how a lot of times, soldiers are fighting as hard as they did, for their friends because they did not want to let their them down. When Johnston was the section leader, he was able to show the burden of responsibilities as you were not just in charge of your life but of others too.
Lastly, how he was disappointed with the Marines. He found flaws with the system but at the same time, it was very much part of him.

"The Long Road of War" is a wonderfully-written, highly-emotional story of Marine Corps combat from the "flat-trajectory" soldier's perspective. Johnston shares his own personal horrific views of World War II Pacfic combat. With stirring text, he shows the sudden transformation from Nebraska teenager to Green recruit to hardened veteran. This book is an excellent addition to any historian's bookshelf, once they can find the time to put it down.

In my haste I incorrectly wrote Saipan....I meant to write Peleliu

This was a book that I could absolutely not put down. Mr. Johnston's description of his transition from a Midwest teenager into a battle hardened, front line Marine is told with a grim honesty that is seldom found in books about war. This book does away with any glorification or self-promotion and gives you the tragic, ugly truth about the war in the South Pacific.

I read Long Time, No See the other night. I could not put it down til the very last page. Absolutely mind-blowing. Very honest. It was fantastic. I had no idea the complexities of Beth Finke's life. Beth obviously has some amazing family, and her husband Mike is just awe-inspiring. This book is definitely not a 'poor me' story. Its strength is in Beth's account of those daily activities of work, raising a family, and just moving through life. Being blind adds a dimension to those activities I honestly have never fully considered, and Beth does a great job showing us the sometimes humorous and ironic struggles she contends with while living in a sighted world. I highly recommend this book!

I knew Beth Finke growing up in Illinois. I was a teenager when she needed a baby sitter for her disabled son, and she was associated with the foundation where I lived and worked. I not only have very fond memories of Beth, but also her delightful son and her first seeing-eye dog Pandora.

As a young teenager, to meet a woman as bright, witty, and brave as Beth was a life lesson that stays with me to this day. I was so struck by Beth's outlook on life that I decided to make my High School final project a video documentary of her daily life (sorry, it is not available outside of the local TV station's archives). Now, over a decade later, Beth continues to be an inspiration to me and my wife (who also knew Beth), and I am so very glad that others have seen the same in her memoirs.

If you want to be inspired by a life that may have been struck by disabilities, but not dampened by them, you will not be disappointed. While perhaps an odd suggestion to most, I especially suggest this book to those who have sensitive teenagers in their homes - it will put them on the right track towards respect, humor, and a positive outlook on life.

_Long Time, No See_ is the memoir of a woman whose diabetes caused her to become blind at the beginnning of her relationship with the man that became her husband. Beth chronicles her life since the lights went out in a funny, poignant style, bringing humor to stories about her seeing eye dogs and not wallowing in sentimentality over her love for her husband and disabled son. But for me, the best part of the book was reading about the resources and adaptive measures available to blind people. I've been an avid reader since I was two and it's always been one of my greatest fears that I might someday lose my vision, but Beth's book is both an inspiration and a practical guide to what's available. Good work.

Beth Finke's _Long Time, No See_ is a lively and very real story of a modern American woman's life--the ups and downs, the tragedies and belly laughs. Her honesty is palpable and her humor always engaged. Blindness, birth defects, medical red tape, bureaucratic Catch 22's, problems in relationships--this woman has met them all straight on and remained real and honest and entertaining. You won't be able to stop reading this personal story! Guaranteed to give you both grins and tears. Highly recommended even if you know nothing about diabetes or blindness. (P. S. Do not confuse it with a recent novel by the same title.)

I loved this book , not because it is inspiring , which it is , but because it is the story of a fascinating , interesting , fun loving , intellegent , warm , beautiful , real woman ... there is nothing she can't accomplish ! This book reads so easily and with so much anticipation, I put everything aside until I finished it , and when I came to the end I could have started all over again ...... Thank you Beth Finke