Truman Books

The alternative title here should read, "Why Didn't I Read This Years Ago, Too?" 'Cause like the Martin Gilbert biography of Churchill ("Churchill: A Life"), it's massive (1000 pages). Plus the subject of McCullough approaches the stature of the man revealed by Gilbert.

Harry Truman brought Lincoln to mind for me, as both Presidents embody the very meaning of "integrity." Yes, Mr. Truman had his human failings but, unlike some Presidents I have known, I'm left with absolutely no doubt that #33 performed his often thankless/always grueling task to the best of his ability--and Mr. Truman was a man of considerable ability.

Alan Brinkley, who wrote the New York Times Book Review of David McCullough's Truman, came up with these rather remarkable words on the life of Harry S. Truman, "My God, he's in color!"
You can bet your --- on that! Mr. Truman was indeed in color. This book by David McCullough goes into the very life and soul of a man who did what he thought was best for God and Country.
Mr. Truman's humble beginnings in Missouri from a farmer, an Army Captain in World War I to a Judgeship traveling the back roads in rural Missouri show the way of a leader. Along the way he was a part owner of a men's clothing store in Kansas City with his wartime friend Eddie Jacobson.
In 1934 Truman, through the efforts of the Pendergast Political Machine wins the Senatorial election as the Junior Senator from Missouri. McCullough goes into great detail of the trials and tribulations facing Harry S. Truman, common man who defends the Constitution and remains a no nonsense kind of guy.
His selection by Franklin Roosevelt to be his Vice Presidential running mate in 1944 was a political surprise at the time. Only 82 days after Harry Truman took the Vice Presidential oath, he becomes the President of the United States.
In the beginning even Eleanor Roosevelt thought that Harry S.
Truman was out of his element. Wrong!! Instead we find a man able to make decisions, such as to drop the Atomic bombs on Japan. Harry institutes the Truman Doctrine in Europe to provide military aid. He encourages the Marshall Plan, to aid economic recovery in Europe. He develops NATO and initiates the Berlin Airlift.
And oh by the way, he wins the Presidency by himself in the 1948 upset of Thomas Dewey. Give Em hell Harry!!
Later, Truman's stance in the Korean Conflict and his dismissal of Douglas Macarthur stands as his true "Give Em Hell Harry!" declaration. His stance made him unpopular. Indeed he could not run for the Presidency in 1952 because of his dismissal of the "American Caesar". But Harry was indeed right! 24 years later good old Harry S. Truman was revered by the very popular group Chicago in their rendition entitled "Harry Truman". 24 years too late, historically Harry turns out to be one of the very best Presidents of all time.
Of all the Presidents of the 20th Century, Harry S. Truman stands out as the best of them all! McCullough has personalized this in his 10 year effort. This is indeed my favorite book. 10 Stars! No Problem!!!

The book is well researched and is interesting reading. It's amazing to see the same political arguements in 1934 as in 2008. They were using class warfare in 1934 same as now.

I was given this book as a Christmas present. I had read McCullough's 1776 and John Adams and had enjoyed them both (although I was disappointed in the brevity of 1776). Still this book (Truman) stayed on my shelf gathering dust for over six months. I was initially overwhelmed with its length and afraid to tackle it (I had failed with Vidal's Lincoln and didn't want to repeat that result). I finally screwed my courage and cracked it open.

Although the first 50 pages or so weren't extremely engrossing, after that the book quickly captivated me. I didn't know much about Harry Truman, and what I did know led me to believe that he was a fairly average president. What I learned is that he was an amazing overachiever who, when faced with the weight of the world, was at his best. McCullough really brought the man to life, and although Mr. Truman did some things that none of us would be proud of, McCullough didn't provide excuses for Harry - he did explain possible causes for Truman's behavior.

After reading this book, you can't help but feeling that the United States was extremely fortunate to have Truman in the nation's highest office, and you can't help but wish you could have met the man.

I wholeheartedly recommend the book as a must read.

This biography of Harry Truman is about what you would expect from David McCullough--a detailed, massive work, illuminating the character of Truman with detailed documentation. The end result is a book that appears to capture the nature of its subject excellently. On the front inside cover, there is a quotation from a reviewer that speaks to the effectiveness of this book: "Perhaps the biggest tribute one can pay a biographer is to say that through him one comes to know his subject almost as though in person." I second that sentiment, after having read the 992 pages of text.

One assessment of Truman is telling, and suggests how a common man could become an uncommonly good president. Adlai Stevenson, upon Truman's death, said that Truman was a lesson about all Americans (Page 992): "an object lesson in the vitality of popular government; an example of the ability of this society to yield up, from the most unremarkable origins, the most remarkable men."

His origins are well detailed by McCullough. The movement of his forebears to Missouri, the struggles of his parents, and his own struggles. In some senses, it is apparent that his role in World War I was a key moment in his life. He came to be a leader--and very effective at that--in an artillery unit. He made fast friends who stayed loyal to him for decades (including a son of one of the leaders of the Pendergast machine in Kansas City). He grew greatly as a consequence of his wartime experience.

After the War, as many know, he experienced a series of reverses, including a failed haberdashery business. But he persevered. At one point, the Pendergast Machine turned to him to run for county judge. He won! Thus began his political career. An irony, of course, is that someone who was well reputed for his honesty began his career under the sponsorship of one of the most important (and corrupt) political machines in the country. But the Machine never really forced him into corrupt behavior and supported him pretty steadily thereafter. His rise in politics is outlined, including his run for and election to the United States Senate. It appeared close to impossible for him to have won--but win he did. There is a nice discussion of the efforts to have him become the Vice Presidential nominee of FDR in 1944.

From there, of course, his accession to the presidency after Roosevelt's death. The biography does a fine job of outlining his ups and downs, his triumphs (desegregating the Armed Forces, continuation of New Deal agenda, helping end the Second World War) and his failures (nationalizing the steel industry). Korea eroded his support and he ended up with approval ratings similar to George W. Bush.

After his presidency ended, he exuded energy as he became an "elder statesman" of the Democratic Party; he helped develop support to get his presidential library off the ground and completed.

All in all, this ranks as one of the finest serious presidential biographies around. If you wish to learn in depth about Truman, this is a good place to begin. It is also a work that is nuanced, pointing out his foibles and flaws as well as his strengths. Highly recommended.

This book was recommended as a gift to a pre-med student. She was excited to receive this as it dove-tailed with a course she is currently taking.

This book is amazing! I love it and recommend it to my friends. The author formerly wrote for a New York magazine, and his stories cover decades. It is interesting to see how some diseases such as Lyme's first became known and how the tools available to the medical profession have both changed and some have remained the same. Read it, you will love it!

I was given this book by one of the epidemiologists that was featured in the book. He had great respect for Roueche and loves his articles. I think these stories a very well written and really hold your attention. They also give you a good history of diseases and conditions. Great book!

Berton Roueché wrote for the "New Yorker" magazine for almost half a century, and was winner of the 1950 Albert Lasker Medical Journalism Award. His many volumes on physicians and medical detectives, including this book, were collected from his articles in the "New Yorker."

"The Medical Detectives" volume II is great bedtime reading, because the good guys, i.e. physicians and epidemiologists always get their villain (whether it's a germ, poison gas, or a disgruntled boyfriend). Volume II's twenty-three case histories date from 1947 to 1984, before the days when Big Insurance dictated how long patients would stay in hospitals and what kind of treatment they would receive. Some of the doctors in this book actually made house calls! A couple of the cases really stayed with me, because the patients were kept in the hospital for weeks at a time just to track down a diagnosis. In one case, a man had the hiccups. In the other, a woman had a headache. Can you guess what would happen to these patients if they went to an emergency room, today?

Anyone who is interested in medical detection will be both engrossed and instructed by Roueché's careful, detailed true-life mysteries. The cases contained in this volume range from the man who hiccupped for 27 years through the deliberate poisoning of a family. One of my favorites from 1948 is called, "The Fog". This does not refer to John Carpenter's famous 1980 horror movie, but a true story that is in some ways even more frightening than anything Hollywood could produce. It takes place in Donora, Pennsylvania, a gritty mill town along the Monongahela River, which is infamous for its fogs: "They are greasy, gagging fogs, often intact even at high noon, and they sometimes last for two or three days."

The Donora `Death Fog' killed 20 people and left hundreds injured and gasping for breath. Roueché tells this story of America's worst air pollution disaster through the observations of eye-witnesses, one of them a physician. London usually comes to mind when Death comes stalking through a thick fog, but this story is every bit as atmospheric as one by A. Conan Doyle, and "The Fog's" detectives are real people.

This collection of true medical stories starts off a bit slowly, but you will end up wishing for Volume III.

This "classic collection of award-winning medical investigative reporting", published in 1988, is an excellent book. Each of the 25 case studies originally appeared as an "Annals of medicine" piece in the New Yorker, and there's not a dud in the bunch.

Most of the cases happened in the 1950's or 1960's, when sophisticated, CSI-era analytical techniques were unavailable. Nonetheless, there is no sense that these stories are dated. Roueche is a natural storyteller and has the rare ability to present technical aspects in a way that is intelligible to the non-expert reader, at just the right level of detail.

It's like 25 "House" episodes, but without the gratuitous obnoxiousness, condescension to the reader, or the ridiculous constraint that only a limping, misanthropic painkiller addict can be right.

Larry's books are about "passive" investing, which if you are going to put your life savings to work is the ONLY way to do it. The biggest benefits of passive investing is the reduction of volatility and increased non-correlated diversification. It also removes the "noise" of the Wall Street hawkers.

Larry has strong feelings about his subject, so if you're not doing his way, he will tell you about the "loser's game" you're playing. Hopefully you'll get it.

More people should tune in passive investing.

Excellent book on the unpredictability of investments and investors.

It essentially says investing in individual stocks is speculating (gambling), not investing. Over the long haul, individual investors (event the top fund managers) don't beat the overall market.

Invest in the S&P 500 or other major index and you will build a fine nest egg for retirement, according to the book.

This is not a book for someone who wants to double their money in 2 years. It is for the person who wants to turn $100,000 into $800,000 in 21 years (assuming 7% returns that double your money every seven years). Not a bad end for an extremely diversified and responsible investment plan.

So if you are 44 years old, and you have $200,000 to invest, you could safely build it to $1.6 million when you turn 65, if this book is correct. I think it is.

I am a big fan of Larry Swedroe's writings - his books, his posts on the Vanguard Diehards Forum, his articles. I've read all of his books, and I have to rate this as his best book.

He distills and presents a lot of Finance research in this book in a very very readable form. The advice in this book is timeless. Among many other things, this book has the best discussion of the equity value premium.

For around 10 bucks, the price of 2 (maybe three lattes), the average (even advanced) investor can get an education that will serve him/her well for the rest of their investing lifetime.

Looking forward to Larry's next book.

First the good. The book's main point is that broad broad diversification is the best way to invest. Broad enough to include small cap foreign passive investments, along with a bunch of domestic passive equity investments.

The trouble is that one gets the sense that only Mr. Buffet has ever made money buying individual stocks. Apparently everyone else has failed. This book seems to cherry pick studies to make its point, but in the end it contradicts itself. One of the main reasons the author provides for the fact you will not make money buying individual stocks is the you are fighting an efficient stock market. Apparently if you believe you think a stock is priced too low, the efficient stock market proves you wrong. Everyone else has voted with their money as to the price of the stock...and therefore you will lose.

In making this point the author overlooks the points he makes in the latter part of the book that contradict his earlier "efficient market" theory. He talks about the herd mentality of the market, which makes the herd head in the wrong direction. Well, I guess the market is not so efficient after all. Everyday we see the market overreact to good news and bad news, causing wild swings in stock. If a stock is worth $48 one day, and $31 dollars the next day, then climbs back to $43 dollars...then the market is not so efficient.

Recently we've seen Apple fall from $190 to $120 and climb back to $150 in the span of 4 or 5 weeks. To me this means the market is not efficient. Yet that is one of the central contentions of the book.

I think you can ignore the gloom and doom about investing in individual stocks...as it is based on a mixture of good points intertwined with drivel. But the authors advice concerning the strength of index funds and diversification is very sound. So if you only get that point from the book, than the author has done well.

I was very impressed with this book and give it an A. Swedroe's investment advice is excellent and the writing style is very easy and fun to read.

I read all 4 of Larry Swedroe's stock investing books in the last few weeks, and although they are excellent books and I agree with most of his recommendations, he tends to re-use the same information in each book. To keep this book straight in my mind, compared with the other 3 books, this review is structured along his Outline of the book.

Truth 1: Active Investing Is a Loser's Game: It Must Be So

Larry lays out the case why active investing always loses to passive investing.

Truth 2: The Past Performance of an Actively Managed Fund Is a Very Poor Predictor of Its Future Performance

He does a good job of citing many studies demonstrating that past performance is not a good predictor of future performance.

Truth 3: If Skilled Professionals Don't Succeed, It Is Unlikely That Individual Investors Will
Truth 4: The Interests of Wall Street and the Financial Media Are Not Aligned with Those of Investors

He points out why passive investing is not promoted by Wall Street and the financial media.

Truth 5: Risk and Reward Are Related: Great Companies Provide Low Expected Returns
Truth 6: The Price You Pay Matters
Truth 7: The Most Likely Way to Achieve Above Average Returns Is to Stop Trying to Beat the Market
Truth 8: Buying Individual Stocks and Sector Funds Is Speculating, Not Investing
Truth 9: Reversion to the Mean of Earnings Growth Rates Is One of the Most Powerful Forces in the Universe
Truth 10: The Forecasts of Market Strategists and Analysts Have No Value, Except as Entertainment
Truth 11: Taxes Are Often the Largest Expense Investors Incur
Truth 12: Knowledge of Financial History Is Critical to Successful Investing
Truth 13: Adding International Assets to a Portfolio Reduces Risk

Although I agree with the author's claim that foreign stocks help reduce portfolio risk, I do have trouble believing or following his recommendation of 20 to 40% asset allocation in foreign stocks. I feel more comfortable with a 10 to 20% allocation to foreign stocks.

Truth 14: There Is No One Right Portfolio, but There Is One That Is Right for You

He points out that investing is not an exact science, and the optimum portfolio is difficult to achieve. Each person must get comfortable with the risks and complexity of their allocations. He also gives a convincing argument for skipping mid-cap stocks in favor of only small and large cap stocks.


Conclusion
A: The Enron. Debacle: Lessons to Be Learned

It was interesting to see how some of the supposedly smartest brains in the investing world loaded up on Enron stock, including the Janus funds.

Appendix B: More Investment Truths You. Must Know to Be a Successful Investor
Appendix C: Investment Vehicle Recommendations

Great list of investment choices to implement you asset allocation plan.

D: The Home Financing Decision:To Borrow or Not


Nice analysis of an issue than many investors struggle with. He combines a nice financial analysis with the "able to sleep at night" test.



All-in-all, a great book for serious investors who manage their own portfolios. To me, his four books are very similar. If you choose one of the four books to read, I think you will get 90% of his message versus spending the time to read all 4 books.

I would suggest companion books to supplement this book including The Richest Man in Babylon, Bogle on Mutual Funds, The Millionaire Next Door, The 4 Pillars of Investing, A Random Walk Down Wall Street, Index Mutual Funds: How to Simplify Your Life and Beat the Pros, the Coffeehouse Investor, and the Bogleheads Guide to Investing.

Truman's Loose Tooth takes us back to those years when a loose tooth was either traumatic or exciting -- or both. Now we can share that experience with our children before, during and after the experience. Love the illustrations! This book makes a great gift!

What a delightful story about a young man, Truman, and one of life's first rites of passage. I shared this story, which was brought so vividly to life through Michael Chesworth's illustrations, with my seven-year old daughter. We laughed about it together, and she could relate to Truman's fears, anxiety, and eventual pride. I only wish I'd had the book a year ago, while her first tooth was loose. Truman's Loose Tooth is a must for parents of five- and six-year olds. Your children will enjoy the book now, and thank you for reading to them later.

Truman is a freckle-faced, six-year-old, first grader. His every day activities include: sitting quietly at his desk, enjoying snacks, and playing with his best friend. But alas, one day something is different. Just as he was ready to head down the slide, like he does every day, he noticed his tooth did something strange. His tooth moved a little when his tongue touched it. Feeling a little woozy, he touched it with his finger and sure enough it wiggled. He had a loose tooth!

He seemed to temporarily forget about his loose tooth the next day as he concentrated on his school work. But he bit down on his pencil while contemplating the solution to a problem. His tooth flipped out of his mouth, hit his desk and rolled across the floor. Suddenly, retrieving his tooth, he felt much older, he was filled with pride. He had joined the ranks of the big kids who had lost a tooth. Truman is later introduced to that generous, fictional creature, the tooth fairy. He puts the tooth under his pillow and the next morning he finds a dollar.

This charming, colorful book describes a young boy's experience with losing his first tooth through the eyes of a child. It will open the lines of communication between you and your child, giving you the opportunity to explore various childhood experiences while letting them know they're not alone.

Truman's Loose Tooth is a delightful story of a young boy, Truman, who is mystified by the looseness of his front tooth. Kristine Wurm captures the tender-hearted unsureness a small child may experience compared to their everyday routine. The book tells the probable reactions of friends and family members to his loose tooth, and clearly teaches that it is a normal part of life to be celebrated and not feared.

Michael Chesworth does a very nice job with the illustrations. The characters facial expressions clearly communicate their wonder and delight in Truman's growing up experience.

My 6 year old Autistic son will be losing teeth soon, and I wanted to prepare him. I ordered 4 or 5 books on losing teeth and this is his absolute favorite. He has limited communication skills, but for some reason, this book speaks to him. He even now lets me put my fingers in his mouth to check for loose teeth!

I feel that after reading this book to him nearly every night (his choice), that he will not be frightened when his first tooth gets loose. I even think he'll be excited!

Some books we ended up with made it sound scary to lose a tooth, but this book doesn't. It does have one page where the older brother and dad each tease the boy about ways to get the tooth out, but it's handled in a non-scary way (at least for us--and my kid is afraid of a LOT).

Too often the political process is something that takes place far outside our own lives, which is why voters tend to be either emotional partisans of their celebrity heroes or apathetic or cynical. Frank Kelly's understanding of one very human and accessible man, Harry Truman, made me rethink what the American Presidency is about. By interweaving his own lifestory with the Truman presidency, Kelly creates an absorbing drama into which we are all swept. He sees politics not as a game, but as the means to realizing a nation's highest potential. Yes, he is an idealist, but we have too few of those. Kelly's vision of one president and his world-changing decisions is transferable to every presidency. As we prepare to elect a new man to that office, there's no more appropriate reading for us than Kelly's book.

I found the book compelling. It is a warm, human book, capturing well what seems today as the innocence of an earlier time. With touching humility, Kelly brings to life Truman's humanity and the deep sense of responsibility he felt as president to help create a truly democractic society. Kelly's many personal anecdotes and reflections take the reader back into this simpler world and helps create hope for the future of real democracy.

In all of Frank K. Kelly's books, especially this one, he writes with the objectivity of a seasoned reporter and the heart of a compassionate observer.

Truman's humanity is profoundly related to us in this carefully crafted work. We now know a softer and warmer side of Harry Truman because Kelly has been able to focus attention on a major aspect of a very complex man.

This is a report of the observations of a man who had long-term personal contact with Truman and is uniquely qualified to present a perspective of him in context with the times.

The book itself is a good read because of Kelly's story telling style and his organizational skills with regard to documenting historical information.

A local author known to me has written an engaging book. It is a beautiful testimony to the fact that politics can be about the pursuit of high ideals. Frank captures so well the interdependent dance between people, their leaders and their values. What I love most is how easily people of varying degrees of prominence move in and out of the story Frank weaves. He creates the proof that we are one wonderful human family - flaws and all!

This book is by an insider in the 1948 campaign that everyone thought that Truman would loose. Mr Kelly gained a lot of respect for Mr. Truman as an honest man in a flawed system. Truman didn't seek the presidency but was thrust into it by the death of Roosevelt. President Truman had a vision for America and America's position in the world. Special interests in Congress blocked many of Truman's dreams. Mr Kelly's later disallusionment with the Washington scene echoes the chaos we see today in Washington.

Mr. Kelly sheds light on Truman's difficult decisions to use the atom bomb, the atmosphere around Jor Mc Carthy,the Berlin Airlift, the occupation of Japan, the Korean War and many less well known actions by President Truman. This was for me the most enjoyable bok on Truman since "Plain Speaking" by Merle Miller.

I found myself laughing out loud on almost every page. Mary Beth Crain seems to embody the essence (and the quirks) of living through the process of being a caregiver,grieving her loss and moving across bereavement with her companion Truman. Her humor shines through, giving a light hearted overview of a serious subject. We need more books on Care Giving and the Bereavement Process that uplift our spirits and giving us a good "Belly Laugh" along the way. KUDOS !!For the Laughter!
Katherine Rosengren R.N. M.A.

Aside from being more-than-a-little horrified that she went away for the weekend knowing her cat was ouside with its lower jaw ripped off....this was a wonderful book.

It's a lovely story of how animals help heal our hearts.

But, I still have trouble resolving the woman who wrote this book as the same woman who left her maimed cat alone for the weekend. Temporary insanity is the only explanation. She really should have left that part out.

An entertaining narrative of Chihuahua personality and charateristics per se, as well as an astute insight into the complexities of emotions and perceptions while restructring life after the loss of a spouse. An excellent account of canine capers and especially personal renewal, spiced with humor and tears, says it all so well!

I really related to this story as I too, lost my husband two years ago with cancer. Also my chihuahuas and cats and birds have been my salvation. I really understand where this lady is coming from. She did an excellant job of relating the real feelings one experiences with a death of a loved one. My hat is off to Mary Beth as a really great writer and may she find the happiness she deserves. I too, believe there is a connection with dog and God.Carole

I found this book while searching for manuals on how to raise my new chihuahua "baby." He came into my life not because I had lost someone to cancer like the author, but as a last-chance effort to get over a broken heart. In the end the cause of the loss didn't matter; I could totally relate to the author, her grief and the healing power of 6 pounds of atomic puppy.

My thanks to the author for a book that was an integral part of my recovery and for validating all the feelings I thought were mine alone.

This book is not for the literary snob, or high-brow reader; however, it's pure delight for anyone who thinks they'll never love again after a loss.

Capote found his full voice in this, his second novel. It is a fantasy based on characters from his own life, including himself, his aunt Sook Faulk, to whom the book is dedicated "in memory of affections deep and true", another aunt, and their servant.

Capote's prose is beautiful and lucid as it carries the reader through the book at a swift pace, and this novel achieves the rare combination of ease of reading with depth of thought and emotion.

Truman Capote's gift for the written word brings marvel even in comparison to great literary geniuses. While "The Grass Harp" may not be the best exhibition of his talent, it is a brush stroke in his overall masterwork.

The centerpeice of this particular book is "The Grass Harp", an odd book which brings to mind Steinbeck's Cannery Row. As an odd tale about simple people in a small town, the main characters are merely looking for a place to lay their head at the end of the day. Even if living in a tree is the best possible shelter for a time, it is the ideal retreat from the forces that trouble them. The short stories that follow also have a few gems. I recommend a tale of disapproving in-laws called "My Side of the Matter", the mysterious "Miriam", and the tale of an idiot savant in "Jug of Silver". With some of the other short stories in the collection, I am not as sure of where Capote was going as clearly. Perhaps rereading the others at a later date will draw greater appreciation from me.

Capote's ability to choose and arrange words alone makes reading his work a real treat. If only modern writers had half of his talent and insight. Even though this is not his best collection, it is a treasure to fans and admirers.

[I wrote this review in 1999 as "A Reader." I hope more people read it and read this book.]
For years I've known about this work but never read it until now. I've been fishing about in contemporary fiction, looking for something entertaining, enlightening, and superbly well written, but my search ended entirely when I finally read this novel, written in 1951. Set in the South, in the countryside, this story brilliantly draws you into its magical surroundings. Its three main characters, Dolly, Collin, and Catherine, are real presences that emerge from the lush southern environs as complex, blooming beings whose lives take time to develop and understand. There is nothing slick about this writing; it's just classically elegant and clear. The story is packed with interesting people and proceeds as if inspired by Twain. It is entertaining, poetic, and meaningful all at once. I found myself rereading the opening pages, picturing the scene, and feeling how brilliant the writing was in its elegiac and inspired imagery. The story is simple: a young boy, orphaned, lives with his two eccentric aunts in a small town in the South. One aunt is mean-spirited and selfish, and the other is sweet, other-worldly, and gentle. When the mean aunt tries to exploit the sweet one by mass producing a folk medicine remedy the sweet aunt learned about from a traveling gypsy woman, the sweet aunt runs away from home with the orphan boy and her best friend, a strange Indian woman. They don't run too far, however, just to a tree house in a nearby China tree. From that point on, everyone learns something about themselves. This southern world is a generous place to Truman Capote, and it has mercies to give and lessons to be learned. In fact, it's something of a magical world, almost a precursor of the magical realism of Marquez and others. But as the characters learn about themselves, so we the readers learn too, about what love is, about change, and about what we accept in life. For Capote to have written this book at the age of 26 is truly a miracle. This book alone puts him in league with the literary giants. I highly recommend "The Grass Harp" to anyone looking for that one great book to read and treasure.

This early Novella by Truman Capote clearly demonstrates his ability to put together a word portrait. As an example: "... I would hear the tantalizing tremor of their voices flowing like sapsyrup through the old wood."

The characters are richly portrayed in this gem of Southern fiction.

TRUMAN CAPOTE's wrote THE GRASS HARP early in his career and it is an often overlooked gem. This sweet, eccentric, moving and decidedly southern tale is the leisurely paced story of the repercussions that ensue when three townfolk decide to up and run away to live in a treehouse on the outskirts of town. Three quickly becomes five and eventually swells to even more as the makeshift home becomes a sort of paradise and refuge where stories are shared, closeness is established, and love blooms....think FLANNERY O'CONNOR meets SWISS FAMILY ROBINSON with a dash of STEEL MAGNOLIAS. Themes of finding one's place and path and making oneself known are skillfully woven into the narrative. It has the feel of a fantastic and utterly charming myth. Primary assets are the "thick as molasses" southern mood and syntax as well as a bevy of unforgettable characters.

A strong step by step approach that illustrates how necessary it is for a company of any size to identify and focus on those customers that will add to company's efforts to grow sales and profitability . Mr Gordman makes us think about the 'right' questions and then through specific examples offers processes and tools a company can use to position its own 'Sweet Spot' business strategy.

If your business needs a tune up this book is a must read. Well written and fast paced.

Powerful ideas, backed up with practical guidance and fascinating case studies. The "Must-Have Customer" reads like a good novel - it's that hard to put down. And unlike many business authors, Gordman clearly knows what he's talking about.

The Must-Have Customer: Seven Steps To Winning The Customer You Haven't Got by Robert Gordman (President of the Gordman Group) with the assistance of professional author Armin Brott provides a powerful and persuasive understanding of an expertise developed through over thirty years of business consulting and executive management for retail companies. Introducing readers to the tactics and wisdom from Gordman which helped dozens of companies improve their sale range from about ten million to eighty billion, The Must-Have Customer comprehensively provides readers with "user-friendly" and persistently informative guide to productive and securing utilization of the business and consulting process for any company. The Must-Have Customer is very strongly recommended for all business executives, consultants, managers, and productivity assessment officers for its exclusive and complete mapping of the entire system.

[...]! After 35 years in Retail, finally a simple, step-by-step outline that teaches you how to add more customers that behave just like your best customers. No more beating your head against the wall trying to convert infrequent customers into core customers. IF you follow ALL the steps (and you're honest with yourself) ... IT ALWAYS WORKS!

Steve Rosen
Managing Director, Retail Marketing Solutions

Wonderfully insightful. Truman's own words give you an entry to this great writer's philosophy. It's a fast read.

everything and perhaps a little more than you want to know about Truman Capote. A nice easy to read bok.

Truman Capote was a great writer and self-promoter. Both characteristics come through in these interviews with Lawrence Grobel, an interviewer who has done his homework and only intrudes when he has something to add.

The book stands up well on its own merits, but will prove more enjoyable if you read some backgound material first, notably (in order of priority) "Music for Chameleons," Gerald Clarke's first-rate biography, and "In Cold Blood."

After you've read it, you may want to watch A & E's excellent documentary on Capote's life.

I own several books of conversations with authors. This is the first one I've wanted to read cover-to-cover without pausing for a breath. It's the first one I haven't been tempted to skim, looking for the best nuggets, because this one is FULL of nuggets. Capote isn't afraid to say, flat-out, what is on his mind. The chapter about his contemporaries is particularly interesting to me.

For instance, of Faulker he says: "Well, he was completely reckless. I'm not a great admirer of Faulkner. He never had the slightest influence on me at all. I like three or four short stories of his, 'That Evening Sun,' and I like one novel of his very much, called LIGHT IN AUGUST. But for the most part, he's a highly confusing, uncontrolled writer."

Which is all absolutely reasonable. Then Capote adds, "I knew Faulkner very well. He was a great friend of mine. Well, as much as you could be a friend of his, unless you were a fourteen-year-old nymphet. Then you could be a great friend!"

And Capote doesn't hold back about any of his other contemporaries, either, like Ken Kesey, Jack Kerouac, Norman Mailer, Gertrude Stein, and more. For instance, when the interviewer expresses his respect for Bellow's HENDERSON THE RAIN KING, Capote says, "Oh no. Dull, dull."

This book also has several photographs of Capote. The quality of the photos, at least in my softcover edition, are rather poor, unfortunately, but many of them I've never seen before, such as the one with Truman showing up to a court appearance on a drunk driving charge in shorts! The caption reads: "He [the judge] was very insulted...Actually, I looked quite smart. I had a very smart pair of shorts on and a very smart jacket and shirt and sandals."

In some ways, this is like reading a great comedy routine, yet there are definitely undercurrents of anger and sadness in this book. I highly recommend it.

This is the book that makes you sad at the prospect of Truman Capote dying before he could finish his last novel, but you suspect that he didn't have to finish it since you get a lot of it from these interviews. He was one of the most fascinating figures in literary history and his insights into art, literature and celebrity are amazing.

There's a running rivalry with Norman Mailer, a dismissal of the beats, discussion of Breakfast at Tiffany's. He talks about interviewing the killers for In Cold Blood and how that led to other interviews with convicted killers. He discusses Hemmingway and leaves the reader with one of the best lines ever - "I am the man that Hemingway pretended to be." which is even more interesting when you consider Hemingway's repressed homosexuality (or accusations thereof) in light of Capote's openly gay personae that he displayed when that could get you killed.

Be warned. Once you start reading this book, you won't be able to put it down. So set time aside so you can finish it in one sitting.

I used this book with my middle school social studies classes. It was the state testing week,and I wanted to continue the curriculum but not ruffle any feathers with more concepts. We were in the middle of our World War II unit. I selected some of the projects that we did in small groups, individually or with the whole class as an extension of our regular curriculum. We made silly putty, folded origami cranes, made WWII airplanes, and THE BEST was the individual recreations of the Rosie the Riveter propaganda poster. Each student posed as Rosie,and now I have a great set of things to display for our spring open house. The information in the book is entertaining to read, and the projects are simple, doable, and beneficial. I would highly suggest any social studies teacher of any level (elementary-high school) take a look at this book.

The author has synthesized the history of WWII into an informative and fun easy-to-read activity book. I highly recommend this resource for children and adults.

Loaded with interesting and fun activities. Perfect for budding historian.

What a great way to spend an afternoon teaching and learning with your child. We enjoyed the historical lessons and thought provoking perspectives. I would highly recommend it. T. Kearney - parent

What a great book to teach children about WWII while having fun at the same time! I highly recommend this book to parents (and teachers!)who want to involve their children in entertaining, stimulating activities that engage the mind as well as the hands. Extremely well written, with easy to perform projects. Excellent job!
K.S. Barone, teacher and parent