United States Books

I'll be brief. My mom told me about this book years and years ago. I finally read it a few years ago.

Style-wise, I thought it was a bit melodramatic and I thought the author was stretching for words for emotional impact. Thus, I deduct a star for that.

What this guy's been through and what he's accomplished? Five stars isn't enough. I'd give him a million if I could on this site.

His journalistic travels to the middle east, especially his ride up the mountain on the back of a donkey, leaving his wheelchair behind - intense and beautiful.

I look up to John Hockenberry. I have a travel site, Wheel Adventure, and I am a paraplegic in a wheelchair. I think about this guy when I travel alone. If he can do it, I can travel solo as well. And I have and continue to do so.

Glad mom suggested this. One of the best reads ever and I was an English major and have read a slew of books.

I bought this book immediately after a close relative was injured in a car accident. It seemed different than the others (Although some of the others have been a great help in other ways). I know NPR and I had seen Hockenberry on NBC. The book was over the top better than I could have hoped. It is unique because it is written with such a clear voice in language that really grips you and takes you for a ride, it is funny--even laugh out loud funny and I'm a cynical person, it is witty, it has a political edge (which is why he and I would have some loud arguments at the dinner table), and it is not sugar-coated so while you are interested and amused you do get an education about what it's like to be a "crip." The best part is that when it was done, and I read it pretty passionately, I knew for a fact that I probably would not like him as a person, but I do respect him. Interesting take on "crips" for a newbie to that world. Thank you so much for this and I do hope that my dear cousin will be up to reading it one day.

John Hockenberry has a declaration to make, and he does it in an incredibly moving and entertaining manner. I highly recommend this book. It is poignant, very funny, and educational--about Middle Eastern geography and politics and about life from the perspective of those in a wheelchair.

From buying it (i think) 2 days early and reading over a very nice summer weekend in june 1995, i knew this book was - just- different. Amazing use of the language, probably the best crip biography to date (and it's well over a decade now. Based my Honors Thesis in College on what Hockenberry wrote in this book, traveled miles and miles to see his off broadway play, speaking dates across the country, and even got to know myself - and him, better as well, he ain't on nbc anymore, but this still stands as probably one of the must reads in disability studies or crip liberation.

I want to keep my review short because, if you have not read this book, reading my review will take up some of the time in which you could be reading the real book. When "Moving Violations" was first published, I heard a review of it on NPR. John Hockenberry is an NPR alum so I expected the book to be almost as good as the review led me to believe. I ordered it from Amazon and devoured it in almost no time. It was actually better than the radio review had led me to expect. A month later, I got a call from Seattle that delivered horrific news. My 21-year-old son had been in a contest with gravity and gravity had won. Although he had just had 18 hours of surgery, there was no way to know if he would ever walk again. Through the years since that time, I have read "Moving Violations" many times. It initially gave me entrance to a new world and was much more helpful to both my son and I than all the rehab publications combined. I knew, from the moment I answered that phone call that both my son and I had crossed into the Twilight Zone and nothing would ever be the same again. The Twilight Zone, however, had at least one map. My son's journey was, and continues to be, unique (as all such journeys are). I did feel, from the very beginning, that we had a preview of some of the directional signposts and even some of the scenic overlooks. I cannot help but think that our family has been living and learning about this new life in a richer way than would never have been possible if we had not read this book. As soon as my son came home from rehab it became clear that he had lost his will to live. I had a captive audience and started reading "M V" aloud. It is well written and mirrors many of the dilemmas in the life of a young male with spinal cord damage. I think it only took two days for my son to get interested enough that he started reading it himself. This book was truly one of the first things that helped him recover his will to live. Living with a catastrophic spinal cord injury is not even at the bottom of the list of interesting travel sites, and while I cannot believe that anyone would take that path voluntarily, "M V" is proof that, along with the horror, there can be adventure and possibilities in life; possibilities that could be so easily missed. So...READ IT! While spinal cord injury may never be a part of your personal life, sooner or later something awful could be. As the Eagles remind us, "The wolf is always at the door." In whatever guise the wolf presents itself, you will have learned something useful about what to do when or if the wolf appears.

Wade Davis is a lyrical writer and an accomplished scientist. This account of enthobotanists studying the amazing properties of plants and the way they are used by indigenous people is one of the most fascinating books I have ever read. Into the already-dense tapestry of medicinal, psychotropic, and industrial uses of plants he weaves fascinating details about the lives of several other brilliant and eccentric botanists, the administrative debacle of the U.S. government's rubber policy during WWII, the extraordinary lifestyles, religion and mythology of the tribes he encounters, the history of the missionaries, the cultural and nutritional significance of coca and the saga of its commercial exploitation, and the brutal history of the Spanish conquest. Add to this the sheer logistical difficulties of working in the remote rain forest -- the washed out roads, unusual diseases and parasites, harrowing plane rides, etc. -- that he, and especially his predecessors endured, and the book reads like a nail-biter adventure story. Left me with an overwhelming sense of awe as well as regret for the wonders that exist and those that have been lost.

It was in better condition than I expected (it was used). The cover isn't bent at all - it doesn't look like it's been read.

'One River' is full of great stories and anecdotes as well as a sense of place and time that are unforgettable. I'm giving it four stars for reasons stated below and so won't focus on the positives which have already been so well covered by many reviewers. These are fairly minor quibbles in an otherwise good book.

Stylistically, the narrative doesn't always flow well. Wade presents the life of the books central character, Richard Schultes, in some sort of chronological order, but interjects anecdotal stories out of order requiring the reader to have a good memory to keep everything straight. This is a long detail-rich book with 1000s of people and place names covering about a 150 year timespan from the Amazon Jungle, to the Andes to Central America and the American West.

The amount of detail is at times excessive, in particular with place names and locations, Wade sometimes spends as much time describing where a place is (a 50 person village in the jungle) as he does about the place itself before moving on to the next place - it feels like a rote travel log at times, probably because he used Schultes private botany journals as one source. There is so much detail it sometimes crowds out the big picture, lost in the trees. I think the book could have been edited back 100 pages or so, there is just a lot of material that is pure anecdote or trivia.

Finally and probably most importantly, as a life of Richard Schultes, this is pure hagiography. He is the hero of the story in all respects. Perhaps hagiography is helpful in motivating students to become scientists, but it is not a balanced objective biography, it is a tribute by one of his admiring students, Wade plays up Schultes accomplishments but does not question or examine his failures. For example, Schultes spent the majority of his career in the Amazon studying the rubber tree and became the world expert, yet he never did complete a book about it, what a tragic loss. I don't mean to disparage Schultes, but given his stature and reputation, the lack of any criticism naturally draws the question Wade never asks. The book was written in 1996 and Shultes died in 2001 so with time we may see a more balanced perspective.

This amazing book tracks the young career of National Geographic Researcher in Residence Wade Davis as well as the life of Prof. Richard Schulties, who was probably the best ethnobotanist the world has ever seen. Davis' task was difficult because Schulties kept no journals or logs of his travels. When he could, Davis interviewed Schulties whose failing mind made the process difficult. Davis also examined data and locality labels on herbarium (plant) specimens Schulties collected during his long career at Harvard University. What emerges is an in-depth look at Schulties' 12 years of exploration along remote rivers of South America in search of new and improved rubber-producing trees. This book provides a fascinating view of the scientific career of Schulties, from undergraduate student to career end, as well as vivid descriptions of travels in interior S. America. It is the most interesting book of explorations in South America that I have read. It also describes the lives of peoples untouched by western civilization; the health benefits of chewing coca leaves; the plague of aids; and the fragility of the world's rubber industry. Great book!

I actually teared up at the end of this book, not something I expected from a book about ethnobotany. At the end of the reading I had learned about the lives of researchers in such exquisit detail that I lived along side of them. This book is nearly perfect, much better than even the rave recommendation from some very respected friends. It's possible that there will never be anyone who will have the knowledge from experience that Richard Shultes had aquired in South America and that alone makes this book very rich, yet added to his story are the experiences of Davis and Dr. Plowman two researchers that also immerse themselves deeply into the Andes, the llanos, and the Amazon to learn about the forests, the people and the use of medicinal and psychoactive plants.

This is a long book, nearly 500 pages and is a serious commitment but well worth it as you will not experience anything quite like it unless Davis's other book is better (I have not read it yet). I only have a few complaints about the book and those are regarding omissions in some available photographs that Davis mentions in the end and a lack of maps for much of the area covered in the book. There is one small map on page 125 that shows the route of travels but it is too small and difficult to use. I resorted to a copy of International Travel Maps - South America North West to see the detail that I needed as I followed the travels of Schutes, Davis and Plowman.

Davis is an excellent writer and he has a way of conveying a sensitivity to the lives of all that he encounters. That along with his insight into the cultures that he experiences and the knowledge and history that he brings into this makes it a unique, rich read.

I read this book when it was first published and was completely taken by it. I entered the US Naval Academy in 1968 (Class of 72)--my plebe year was 1968-1969 (I flunked out a year later, joined the Army, went to Vietnam, returned, finished college then joined the Marine Corps, retiring as a Colonel after 31 years total service). The events and characters in this book were so close to those I'd experienced (to include the setting--I was in 32nd Company, my company officer, Maj Stensland, MUST have been the model for Capt Lenahan) it completely blew me away. Most poignant for me is the part about training for jump school...I participated in that; reading the book was like reading a chapter of my own life. If you want to know what this little bit of history was all about; if you want to "taste" a snapshot of the times...being part of an institute demonized by anti-war sentiment knowing that upon graduation you were going to Vietnam (in my case, never coming to grips with what calculus had to do with fighting NVA) this is the book for you.

I bought this book based on the reviews posted on this website. I too, served for 10 years in the Navy. For some reason, I got very bored with the centralized theme: discipline at the USNA. I'll even admit that I started (and stopped) reading this book several times but I was determined to finish it (like Dean running the wall). The transformation of turning teenagers into military leaders is the purpose of the Academies but why does Webb beat you death with this point. I know there are other plots to the book but everything comes back to the discipline element. Webb's military career is well documented and he does a tremendous job bringing the reader into this environment. His character development in Sense of Honor is very strong. The plots are easy to follow. He satisfactorily brings each to conclusion at the end. I am giving it 3 stars because 1) I finished the book and 2) due to the over emphasizing of discipline. It would be kinda interesting if Webb had to choosen to follow up these characters. He did with Fogarty but what eventually happens to Dean might have made a great sequal. This is a good novel but not a real turner.

I wasn't there in the 60's, but I can tell you it was very accurate for 1985. The are still a few Fogartys running around there. I had a squad leader just like him. This is a very good read. Webb is underappreciated as a writer.

"A Sense of Honor" is classic Webb, and that's a good thing. For those readers unfamiliar with James Webb and his works, he graduated from the Naval Academy, went to Vietnam as a Marine Officer, and eventually used his experiences to write his most famous novel, "Fields of Fire". Both "Fields" and "Sense of Honor" have as central themes the warrior's distaste for the tyranny of guidelines and rules over common sense. Webb excells at creating choatic enviroments, where leadership breaks into difficult choices of judgement and morality, where there are no 'right' answers. In particular, I found 'Sense of Honor' great because of its simple contrast of characters. Fogerty is the poster-boy Annapolis First Classman, and consumate warrior. John Dean is the new 'plebe', subject to the whims of the First Classmen (think of a recruit in a Fraternity). Dean is about grades and class; jumping through whatever hoops he must to simply graduate and continue a civilian life. Fogerty pushes Dean, in the words of 'Sense of Honor', to be 'bigger than himself' - to be a leader sacrificing for his companions, rather than a civlian out for himself. This is all set during the Class of 1968, the summer of the Tet Offensive in Vietnam, in which Annapolis graduates fought, bled, and died. Sacrifice and death were by no means simple abstractions. Anyone interested in leadership, the military life, or simply a great drama would do well to buy this book. It is as relevent to current events as it was back when 'Sense of Honor' was written.

It's been 15 years since I read this book the first time as a Midshipman. While quite a bit has changed in my life since then, I am amazed at how quickly A Sense of Honor took me back to my youthful days at USNA. As I read Webb's story this time, I was amazed at how differently it affected me and how greatful I am for my own experiences and relationships I took from the Academy. They call Annapolis "the great conundrum" because while you are there, all you want to do is get away, but once you graduate, all you want to do is get back, and Webb's story helps to demonstrate why. While the particulars of the story will be more familiar to former Midshipmen, there are terrific lessons to be learned for everyone and I would recommend it without a doubt.

Amazing insight into this legendary, largely unsung hero of the low end. Not only are there transcriptions of his bass lines but also recordings with the bass turned up way high in the mix.

Why miss a chance to have cheap bass lessons with one of the greatest (as well as having a great read into the bargain).

Very good book if you don't have the DVD. Fills in many details not in the film. A must have for Bass Players.

I'm one of those Bass Players who discovered James Jamerson late in my bass playing life. Any young (or old) aspiring bassist should have this book. The 2 cd's that come with it are worth the price alone. Some of the greatest bass players on earth (McCartney, Entwhistele, Pallidino,Bob Babbit,Chuck Rainey..) paying homage to Jamerson and playing some of his famous bass lines. The great thing about it is that when played through headphones you get the bass in one ear and the rest of the mix in the other. I have actually listened to just the bass mix multiple times and marvelled at the Bass Lines. A must for any young Bass Player.

The book has some great stories and pictures and compliments the CD greatly.

I've always been a fan of Motown but of the singers, now I'm starting to realize I shouldn't give the singers all the credit, it was the producers, songwriters, and musicians who made the artists become hits. If it wasn't for the unique, special Funk Brothers who knows if the Motown artists would have become as successful as they did. It doesn't matter how good of a singer a singer is, if the music ain't right, the singer ain't gonna sound good. Its that something special about the Motown Sound that sparks something in our minds, hearts, and souls, the music complimented the singers excellently. James Jamerson was just a handsome, wonderful, real, interesting, talented person. Its sad he had to get recognition after he passed on. It seems the only way to become a legend is to die first then people appreciate you more, well this book taught me to love and praise people while their alive that's what keeps them going. All James wanted in his last days was recognition and to know he did make a difference in the world of music. This book taught me to appreciate the musicians, songwriters, and producers, the people behind the scenes, who made it possible for the music to become timeless, sometimes we give the singers too much credit.

It was interesting for me to read most of the Funk Brothers didn't even like Rock N Roll or Soul music, they were really jazz fans and wanted to play jazz, so it shows how gifted they were to still play soul music effectively even though it wasn't their cup of tea. Another reason why Motown sound is so appealing and fresh is because the Funk Brothers laced different genres of music into the soul music and tried new things with the music creating the Motown Sound, a sound in its own class.

James Jamerson is one of the top bassist of all time and this book will give bassist some insight to his genius. I never learned to read music, but I was born with an exception ear! I remember a long time ago, going for a job in a pit orchestra. The musical director was not all that impressed with my playing on the first day, because I didn't read music and I kind of fumbled through the rehearsal. I went home that night and learned the entire show from a tape. On the next rehearsal, when we started to play the opening number, the conductor stopped in the middle of the song, looked at me and said...."Turn up the bass!" ..this made me very happy, as I always felt a little inferior not being able to read :-)

The book covers Jamerson's story and shows many of his classic bass lines for those of you who do read. It's no walk in the park, but it's time well spent and will take your playing to another level.

The book comes with 2 CDs full of Jamerson's bass lines and many top bassist playing their favorite Jamerson tunes. It's all very interesting for musicians and non musicians alike and well worth the price! I never knew how much this guy influenced my playing until I really sat down and listened to him! What a great talent!

This book brings to light the daily hazards that exist in everyone of our lives, even if we are completly unaware of them. I am not am alarmist and I don't think this author is nor is this book writen in that way. However it does show in a very real manner the day to day dangers that we as normal people face in evry day life in america. With the number of criminals inceasing and an ever inceasing crime rate, not to mention the over crowded prision system turning convicted criminals loose early from prision we are subjected to more and more dangerous people out on the streets of cities and nieghborhoods then ever before. With this being the hard facts, I think that we all need to look at ways we can keep ourselves and our families safe from these threats as we are out and about in the world and inside our own homes and not rely on the ploice as we did in the old days. This books address' just such subjects, from what to do, to how to do it and what role your children should take in these saftey measures. We make plans with our families on what to do if the house were to catch on fire, so why not make a plan on what to do if someone breaks-in ( a home intrusion ) the most vaiolent crime there is. (violating your families private place even when you are there and endangering their lives)These are just some of the topics discussed in this must read book! As I said before if you are raising a faimily do them and yourself the justice of reading this book yours or their life may someday be saved by what you read. In todays world there is a true saying and this is why this book on how to protect you and your family is so important and not relying on the police to do that for you anymore and that saying goes like this: WHEN SECONDS COUNT THE POLICE ARE ONLY MINUTES AWAY! So we must have plans on how to take care of oursevles. I hope you buy and read this and find it to be as much of a help as I have.

I've been a security and risk consultant for over 20 years and continue to study martial arts and self-defence. I have developed and delivered self-defence, personal protection and travel safety courses for individuals, government and corporate sector and I continue to highly recommend this book to all and sundry. Being able to punch and kick is not the answer. These sort of skills might be useful if you practice regularly but the best option is not to be in that situation in the first place. If you do find yourself in trouble, it will more often than not be the mental aspects and preparation that will get you through.

Stong on Defense includes many of the areas that some so-called self defence books and courses gloss over - the psychological aspects of preparation and above all avoidance. His thinking on preparedness and developing plans BEFORE you get into trouble are spot on. Definitely one of the better books in this area and a must-read for everyone.

I bought this book a few years ago and was astounded by it's quality. Strong
analyzes assaults and murders pointing out mistakes and suggests tactics. Women especially should read this book. Fore thought will empower them if a crisis arises.
A take away message that I will always remember---never let him take you to crime scene #2(a place of his choosing)as it will only get worse.

This book is a must read and should be passed on to others. The slaughter at Virginia Tech was the reason I revisited Amazon and recommended this book.

It's a good book, but hold off on buying it for a few days. The sleazy sellers here on Amazon have jacked their prices all the way from $25 to $80 (and even $199!) in one day, based on a small uptick in interest from one website recommending the book.

Wait ONE WEEK, then check back, and buy the book for it's standard price of $25 or so. Don't let these sellers rob you.

This is absolutely one of the best books on self defense that I have ever read.

Sanford Strong has written an excellent primer on personal protection. As he says, this book is not about crime prevention; it is about crime survival.

Much of the book has to do with the right mindset which is a critical element in surviving. Many people are seriously hurt or killed because of lack of mental preparation.

The author uses numerous case studies to illustrate his points and has plenty of data to support them. His four rules of survival are key. One could follow these and be in a much better position to survive a violent encounter.

His commentary about mindset is essential. Here are some of his points: Expect to be injured. If the fear of injury is paramount, you will not have the will to escape. If violence strikes you, the police will not be there to protect you. Don't ever believe a criminal. If he is just planning to rob you, there is no need for him to move you to another location. Your best chance for escape/resistance is at the beginning.

In the action area, his focus is on escape. Too many self defense 'experts' advise you to use numerous techniques. I believe that these have their place, but the most important thing to do is get out of there. Remember that violent criminals don't follow Marquess of Queensbury rules.

I could go on about this book for a long time. The bottom line is that it is excellent and is a must read. Buy it; read it; absorb it.

This is an incredible story about following Jesus and seeking to reach tribal people for Him. This book contains extensive journal entries from the five men involved, so provides a rich amount of detail. Most of the book is comprised of these entries, with Elliot mostly providing background information and transitions between entires. She doesn't fully express herself until the Epilogues, which are very powerful. This book is sure to have a profound impact on all who read it. Highly recommended.

I loved this book, it is definitely one to keep in my collection. Although I noticed that the type is very small and therefore a bit difficult to read ( and I have good eyesight ). Also I think something should be mentioned co: the pictures in the book, I knew it was tribal but I was not aware that there were photos. I still would have bought the book but I would definitely give it a PG rating.

If you are a Christian - this is a must read. If you are not a Christian - this is a must read.

This book should be a part of every Christian's library. I had heard Elizabeth Elliot talk on the radio and had known the story of "the five missionaries" but reading the book gave me great insight to the lives of these families- devoted to ministering to the unsaved. They gave definition to 'the purpose driven life!'

Great book. Poor presentation in this current printing. Words and pictures are small. Paper and physical book itself is low quality.

A friend recently recommended this as a new series I could read with my six-year-old daughter. We had already read all of Little House on the Prairie, as well as some children's novels, including Charlotte's Web and Stuart Little.

We love these books. The main characters, Betsy and Tacy, are just about five years old when they meet, so my daughter instantly related to them. She loved hearing about how they liked to sit on their bench at the top of the hill, make up stories and get into mischief.

One interesting note: It's always hard to see the characters age from book to book. Although my daughter enjoyed the whole Little House on the Prairie series, she really preferred the books where Laura was young. Still, she remained attentive as Laura aged, partly because the books didn't dwell too much on the trials of adolescence, crushes on boys, etc. These issues came up, but they didn't dominate the books, which were more focused on survival issues, life on the prairie, encounters with Indians, etc.

Betsy-Tacy is slightly different. While it does give a good sense of life in a small town in the early 1900s, the primary focus is on the characters themselves. Right now we're on Book 4, Betsy and Tacy Go Downtown. In it, the characters are 12, so quite a bit older than my audience.

The other night, I almost choked when the characters began discussing whether or not Santa exists - in my household, Santa does exist. We haven't really questioned him yet. So I had to skip over the (otherwise endearing) passage. I was grateful that I was the one reading, because I'm not sure grandma would have picked on that had it been her turn to read.

Book 4 makes only a glancing mention of crushes on boys, which is fine, but it looks like Betsy-Tacy will get more and more wrapped up in boys in the next few books, and I don't think my six-year-old will relate. So I'm going to give this excellent series a break for awhile. For now, we're on to The Secret Garden and the Tale of Desperaux.

I highly recommend the Betsy-Tacy series, but your little one's interest may not keep up as the girls get older.

My daughter and I have LOVED sharing Betsy-Tacy as a read-aloud. The way that the author weaves the girls' fantasies right into the chapter is a perfect illustration of just how real imaginary play is to children (or at least used to be when kids were allowed to imagine). Beware, parents: Have a hankie on hand for the Easter Eggs chapter. I had tears running in rivulets down my cheeks. The only sad thing about Betsy-Tacy is that my daughter wishes that she had a kindred spirit of her own as they do. Highly recommended!

I was introduced to Betsy and Tacy at 5 or 6 by my mom. She adored the series growing in the 50/60s. I grew up in the 70s/80s and fell in love with Betsy, Tacy and Tib. I have 3 daughters that now love these books also. If I had to name the best gift I ever received, I would name my Betsy books. I read the books at just the right time in my life. I would look forward to receiving my Besty/Tacy book at Christmas. When I had my 1st child, my mother gave me the final book in the series when Betsy also has a baby. I was overjoyed yet sad because I knew it was the end of the books.
These books were so important to me growing up that I still think of the characters often. They are wonderful classic stories of a simple time and true friendships.

B-T fans rejoice! Sutton Foster acquits herself well, and brings the characters and Maud's distinctive writerly voice alive in her reading of B-T.

Tired of reading the book over and over and over to your children? This audiobook can take over the chore. Or guarantee that you arrive at work in a good mood, by listening during your commute.

Don't hesitate, just get it before it goes out of print. Let's hope they issue more of the books on CD too.

I was recently reminded of the Betsy-Tacy books I loved so much when I was a young girl. You can not imagine my horror at seeing the current editions' illustrations of the girls, though. Part of the original books' charm was the simple illustrations. Whoever decided to change them should be ashamed. Ashamed and fired. Seriously.

Contact me if you want to join a campaign to have the real drawings returned to future editions of these timeless classics so many of us loved so much.

I began reading Box Office Poison in 1995 when it was a Xeroxed mini-comic in the $1-box at Jim Haney's Comics (NYC) and devoured it instantly. I loved the shadowy back and white drawings and the quirky dialogue. All the characters seemed real; they live in shared apartments, have uneasy first dates, and work in jobs they don't like. This was a lot more REAL than MTV's REAL WORLD series. Then again, maybe this comic shows you "the real world" with the overweight guys and girls.

After a childhood of comics with muscle-freaks leaping around in pantyhose, I was glad to find comics where people actually get old and DIE. Robert Crumb drew adult-themed comics for 40 years before his stuff was put in regular bookstores, but Robinson's Box Office Poison can be found in Barnes and Noble. Hopefully the Pubic Libraries will soon stock up on graphic novels, which are finally being taken seriously as literary works.

I read this book (all 600+ pages) in one long sitting and I will definitely be back to read it again and savor it. It's the story of an interwoven group of friends and acquaintances, mostly in early post-college life, in New York in the mid 1990s. The book mostly focuses on Sherman, a frustrated bookstore employee/wannabe writer and Ed, his close friend who aspires to be a comic book artist. Around them orbit a host of characters, from Sherman's roommates Jane and Stephen, to elderly Golden Age comics creator Irving Flavor (Ed's "boss"), to Sherman's kind-of-crazy girlfriend to secondary and tertiary characters who drift in and out.

Alex Robinson has a great talent for both the artwork (he has a knack for individuating his characters so that it was easy to keep them all straight by their appearances) and storytelling. The dialogue and situations are naturalistic and believable, full of small and large real life dramas, struggles, questions and yes, laugh-out-loud funny moments. Every character has moments of showing deep flaws but at the same time nearly every one has a moment or two of deep nobility. Just like people.

I loved the clean black and white art style--I'm a big fan of Alison Bechdel's Dykes to Watch Out For, and this book reminds me somewhat of her style--very distinct looks for each character, sharp clear images and (it's underrated but a downfall for a lot of indie books)--crisp readable lettering. I'd never make it through 600 pages of poor lettering!

Definitely not for kids (one of the characters introduces himself on page one as someone who you get to see naked a lot and he is not kidding), this is a story that will keep any adult reading and turning pages to find out how these characters' lives turn out. This is one of those graphic novels that I'll not only re-read myself, I'll recommend highly to friends and happily loan it out. Gorgeous work of art and storytelling, and richly deserved every award it won.

reading an original graphic novel. I love every one of the 602pgs of this book.
thank you, Alex Robinson.

There is something wrong with this book. There are many characters that should be interesting, who have interesting situations and back-stories, but they act like paper cut-outs. This book is boring. There is no spark in it, no life or soul or whatever you might call it. Everything in this book just generally falls flat, in my humble opinion.

A bunch of recent arts college graduates in NYC: their ups, their downs, tears and laughter. That sums up the weaknesses of this book, which sometimes swings into soap-opera land, but only sometimes.

The great strength of the book is the Irving Flavor character, a grumpy old comic book artist who draw the NightStalker, then got shafted. There's some great nuances to his character, and a wonderful section about his attendance at a comic convention.

I'd liked the experiments with story-telling styles, with disorganized panels, overlapping dialogue, and out-of sync visuals.

The reason I didn't give the book a 5 rating was because it could have had a better ending. Greg was SO timid and let everyone else run his life for him. It never improved until the end. And this bit about him always being scared to come out of the closet--geez. Who did he think he was-Tom Cruise or somebody really noteworthy or famous?? He was a gold medalist from an Olympic contest for Pete's sake--it would have made the news for a day and then blown over. I kind of wonder what his life would have been like if he had run it himself.

But--it was a good book and I did enjoy it and I loaned it to a friend, and both of us had it read in 4 days.

This book provides further gut wrenching proof that outward success is no guarantee of happiness or spiritual wholeness. Almost the opposite it seems. 4 Olympic Golds, a body and a smile to die for, and yet trapped in self loathing and an abusive relationship.

Greg Louganis is not alone in recovering from this paradoxical situation, but his story is a moving and powerful one nonetheless. It also provides hope to us who will never be Olympic medalists but still suffer from self doubt and self destructive ways.

This was a candid autobiography by Greg Louganis. It discusses his struggles with coming out of the closet, being pushed to the limit by his father and diving coach, an abusive relationship, prejudice, being tested HIV positive, and other ordeals he had to live thru to get to where he is today. I learned a lot about Mr. Louganis by reading this book and hope you will too. It was that good.

It is a great autobiography in the sense that the author is very honest with his readers and being true to himself.

The author has made great introspections on his life and through the chapters on his childhood, family, diving career as well as relationships, you will be inspired to think along of your own and relate it to his stories. It is not only readng a story of the author but also a soul-searching journey of your own.

It does not matter that you are not a professional diver or have little interest in the sport since the chapters on diving do not include technical details that bore the non-sportlovers. Instead they display how Greg Louganis accomplished his achievements through years of hard work and perseverance rather than depending on his good look or luck, if any.

His story of success in career is as thought-provoking as the later chapters on his struggle to live with HIV-positive and pursuit of the cause of non-discrimination against gays.

Also the photos in the book are fantastic. You can see some on his childhood, friends and family, diving and a few of them are gorgeous and sexy(e.g.centerfold in Playgirl)that won't disappoint you.

We must give the author a credit that he did not show off how many important people he had ever taken pictures with but included those who are important to his life. If you challenge me about the two photos of the presidents, don't judge him too soon, look at the caption and you will know why.

The third last sentence of the book is "I just hope I have enough time to make a difference". After reading the book, you will agree with me that he did and did it amazingly. Thank you, Greg Louganis.

The reason that I first read this book was that I wanted to read a book written by a gay author. I knew nothing about Greg Louganis or the fact that he smacked his head during the Olympics. All I knew was that he was gay and was a swimmer. I checked it out from the library and ended up reading it in two days, which is a record for me because I procrastinate.

Greg and Eric put together Greg's story very well, never once causing me to wonder what was going on. From the very beginning I was amused by Greg's thoughts and concerned although he was talking about something that had happened over a decade ago (seven years ago when the book was written). Greg did not tell his story from a casual perspective. He was upfront with his emotions and I felt like I really got to know who this guy was and I came to care a great deal about him.

Greg Louganis is the sort of person that should be admired and respected not only for his athletic and acting (let's just think about Jeffrey here...) accomplishments but for his strength and courage. For someone who used to have such a distorted self-perception he grew into a rather wise and very beautiful man. He tells his life story with such compassion, humour, and care that it's difficult to believe he used to think so poorly of himself.

This man is one of my role models and I highly suggest that anyone and everyone read this book.

As a Vietnam veteran and a student of the war, I have read literally hundreds of books about every facet of the U.S. involvement there. This book is absolutely one of the very best I have read. I doubt that it was intended to make an anti-war statement, but as it lays open the emotions of both the pilots and their families back home, the reader can't help but wonder what was accomplished by all this suffering. This book should be required reading for every politician that has it in their hands to send future generations of American soldiers into harm's way.

Misty Pilot General Don Shepperd and Rick Newman of U.S. News and World Report have compiled a great tome of in-the-cockpit true stories of the first jet fighter combat Forward Air Controllers. "Bury Us Upside Down" is an incredible account of how it all started. The reader will feel the "G" forces, the strain of avoiding ground fire, the satisfaction of a completed rescue, the black humor of combat-hardened pilots and the effects on the families of those who didn't return. But most of all the reader will feel proud America can produce such men.
A combat fighter pilot himself, Mark Berent is the author of the five-book war and politics "Rolling Thunder" series. See www.markberent.com

Having read many books about the Vietnam war, "Bury Us" opened this reader to an aspect of the battle previously unknown. Told like a narrative, the book guides you through not only the day to day battles, but the emotions felt by those who risked their lives everyday. A great read and real page turner!

This is a very detailed account on a part of the air war over Vietnam that was secret at the time. I would give it 5 stars except for the over-long chapters on the families back home. I know it must have been terrible for the families of the MIA, KIA, and POW pilots, but that part of it could have been shorter. What is truly amazing is how hard these pilots fought for a cause that was obviously lost no matter what they did. They had plenty of chances to quit Misty and just go "monkey bombing" in the south. EAA members and LongEz pilots will enjoy the exploits of Dick Rutan.

This is one of the greatest avaition novels ever written. This entertaining story is about a group of Vietnam U.S. Air Force Pilots organized in a group called MISTY. Almost all of the flights were examples of professionalism and bravery not seen since Normandy. This is a book that every military historian should have. To put it simple ...just a great book!