Suicide Books

Book arrived as described. Great condition, just one "eared" page. Quite satisfied. If your familiar with poker and it's famous players, this book is a very quick read.

I bought this book because I'm a poker fan and casual player. I love reading dramatic stories surrounding Las Vegas. However, I found myself more interested in Andy Beal throughout the book than any of the stories surrounding the games being played. Maybe it was my entrepreneur/business side coming out, but for pure poker alone this book wasn't that interesting. If there is a biography about Andy Beal, I'll be sure to read that next.

In some ways this could be considered a story about negotiating terms and conditions - these factors were key in determining the outcome of "the game". Very interesting backstories about some of the players that appear at so many final tables of big tournaments.

This is a great book, I believe for a poker player although someone who wants insights into the High Stakes world would also enjoy it. It was absolutely riveting and it was extremely difficult to lay it down. An exceptionally fast read. I would recommend the book wholeheartedly. The ending was a bit off with the author forcibly interjectedly himself into the story. I found that trivial and quite unnecessary.

This book was very interesting and hard to put down. It talks about a lot of the poker pros that live and play in Las Vegas and L.A. And is a good insight into some of the highest stakes poker games in the world. If you ever wanted to know what it would be like to be a high stakes poker player you should read this book. It is also very interesting to read about what goes on behind the scenes in the high stakes poker rooms in Las Vegas.

I liked this book better than "The Great Gatsby", which is supposed to be the greatest novel of this period. The character development was done with such ease. The language flowed. The story unfolded with simplicity and surprise after surprise. I got a feeling for this time period.

Facing the unspeakable horrors of World War I and the crushing effects of the Great Depression, it is fully understandable why Modern Fiction rarely has a happy ending. However, the Modernists had a keen way of breaking down the human condition, the precarious nature of the relationships we forge, private failings and public shame, the social dichotomy of the rich and poor, and the artificial constraints placed on emotion by a society bred to deny the impulses that humanize us all. Appointment in Samarra by John O'Hara is a classic example of how one seemingly small act, throwing a drink in someones face, can have outstanding consequences.

The novel is set in Gibbsville, a fictional Pennsylvania town in the cradle of coal country in the thralls of the Great Depression. Julian English is the son of a successful doctor and a member of the upper crust of the Gibbsville social scene. The novel is about his struggle to retain the life he has painstakingly created from the societal consequences of throwing a drink in the face of one of the most influential Gibbsville inhabitants, Harry Reilly. The strength of the novel lies in the author's ability to contrast Julian's downfall to his commentary on the society Julian cared so desperately about. The undercurrent of the criminal underworld runs throughout the novel serving as a another reminder of the inherently duplicitous nature of the complex social webs that fill Julian's life. The tragedy of the novel isn't the downfall itself but rather how the looming "hammer" of society, perceived or otherwise, forces his cataclysmic descent.

Ernest Hemingway said of the novel, "If you want to ready a book by a man who knows exactly what he is writing about and has written marvelously well, read Appointment in Samarra." That quote sums up the novel beautifully. The text moves quickly, deftly following many players and dodging the metaphysical potholes that often riddle Modern Fiction. O'Hara wants to tell a story and he doesn't let the themes he wishes to convey get bogged down in meandering paragraphs or confusing metaphorical explanations. Like Hemingway, O'Hara spent significant time as a journalist, and the short, succinct style of writing is reflected in the novel. He doesn't waste the readers time by unnecessarily inflating the story, which not only leads to a tighter monologue, but also strengthens the plot by exhibiting how rapid his downfall actually was.

Appointment in Samarra is a tremendous novel. Though many works of Modernism deal with the downfall of men, John O'Hara carves out his own niche in the pantheon of the great American authors of the early 20th century by creating a riveting story of the true value of the relationships we forge, and the ramifications of disrupting the delicate balance of the society we desperately cling to.

I can't stop thinking about this story -- it's New Year's Eve 1929-30 and the Cadillac dealer knows what everyone else in town is in denial about -- they're all about to be ruined. So resonant for this year... who knows what the fallout will be? How prepared are you to face it? Great book. Read it and weep.

This is the story of middle and upper class society in a Pennsylvania town in the early part of the Depression. It is also the time of Prohibition. The novel focuses on the rapid self-destruction of a single man and how this process affects those around him.

I found this book mildly interesting if only for the depiction of this exclusive group of people, but I found the dialogue stilted and the events that occur unrealistic.

This story examines the lives of the social elite in a small town in 1930. The characters are trapped in rigid spots, expected to mix with certain people and display certain behaviors. Within this social elite, childhoods and adolescences are woven into a snarled web of relationships.

Julian English's life should be perfectly happy. He is successful financially as well as socially, has a crowd of friends, is invited to all of the best parties, and has the perfect wife. In reality, though, he is self-conscious about his relationships and filled with a simmering anger at many of those around him.

Fueled with a bit too much alcohol at a holiday party, Julian finally snaps, throwing a drink into the face of a man who annoys him with long-winded stories and too much affection toward Julian's wife. In one moment of impulsivity, Julian makes an enemy of a powerful man, and Julian's life, as a result, rapidly begins to unravel.

This story was full of very believable characters, whose actions and emotions jumped off of the pages. It was easy to understand how Julian's problems could have seemed so insurmountable to him, and it was painful to read the different ways in which he kept making his own situation worse. I liked being able to see what brought each of the separate characters to this place and time, and how things could have gone differently if they had made different choices in their youth.

The only drawback for me was that I was sometimes lost in the relationships among characters as adults, especially those who were not a main focus of the book, and I found myself skimming over lengthy descriptions that didn't seem to feed into the main plot of the story.

well, we began the book with a depressed eight-teen year old who goes off to St.Croix with her parents. Before this her fiance died in a fatal car crash that was caused by CF. later on she meets this guy who is agressive and disturbed. and you guessed it they hit it off from the first moment they meet. although she is keeping one secret to her self and that is she has a tumor. the sparks fly until she leaves all of sudden back to her home town. where she hears there is no hope for her so she decides to die back at St.Croix. man this guy is still crying over her and hating her at the same time. she was a wimp and left without saying a word to guy. when she comes back he sees the beautiful girl he first met. he stays by her side day and night until she passes on and once again is with her first love. guy (brandon) finds out that you can have many loves in your life. and that when you get a chance at love a second or third tome you should seize the moment...

While recovering from the loss of her fiancée to cystic fibrosis, April Lancaster goes to the tropical islands of St. Croix. There she is befriended by a local boy named Brandon who is determined to make her feel welcome. The two friends find they have much in common, and their friendship begins to become more than they had ever imagined. Suddenly, April's past health problems return causing her to leave beautiful St. Croix, but she doesn't tell Brandon. Not knowing what to say to him, he is left with disbelief. Will April be able to confront Brandon? And will Brandon be able to speak to her after what she did? Read and find out!
Rating this story with three stars, I would have to say this wasn't my favorite Lurlene McDaniel book. The beginning of the book was a bit blasé at times, but once I got to the conflict, it was hard to put it down. Lurlene McDaniel wrote a beautiful story from then on. I loved all of the foreshadowing and simple figurative language that added just the right amount of drama. Lurlene McDaniel has a way of resolving everything in the story which keeps you reading until the very end.
This story was full of emotion, romance, and learning to love again. If you like stories full of suspense and life-or-death situations, you would enjoy this book. Lurlene McDaniel truly has a gift of capturing her readers, so be prepared to be caught up in For Better, for Worse, Forever.

I absolutely love "Till Death Do Us Part"! I bawled at the ending, yet it was reailstic, and told the true hardships of CF. Of course I had to read the sequel afterwards. Now I'm sorry I did.

April's tumor is still lying doormat, and her mother and father have taken her to St. Croix to relax and recover from the horrible events of the past. April is still having trouble over Mark's death. She just can't get over watching her fiance die of CF. Her parents are hoping St. Croix will help her. The thing is, doesn't she have a right to be sad and angry? Her fiance has just died. I mean come on, give her some slack.

She meets Brandon on St. Croix. He's had a hard and sad life, just like April. They don't exactly date, but they become really good friends. I just couldn't belive it! I mean, wasn't it only like 2 months ago that Mark died????????????!!!!!!!!! And you're already hanging out with new guys?

Then April's tumor comes back. She leaves St. Croix without a word, and is given terrible news. Nothing can be done about the tumor, and it is certain that April will die. Nothing could be done.

Reading this book just made me so angry. I mean, what was wrong with ending the story of April and Mark?????!!!!!!! Why'd she have to write another book? And did she have to have April die? Was that really necessary? Now the story's just ruined for me.

I really like this book but I certainly thought it was one of her weaker books. This book is realistic fiction. It is about a girl name April Lancaster and her boyfriend died with cystic fibrosis. Then she went to St.Croix to get away from her troubles. Which there she met a dude name Brandon Benidict they have a good time together. Then April found out her brain tumor is back and she sneeks back to New York so Brandon wouldn't find out. To find if April survives you have to read this book.

This book is about a young woman, April, who went on a long vacation with her parents to St. Croix. Her parents brought her there to try to ease the pain, from the recent loss of her fiancé Mark. Mark died in a car crash a few months back, and April thought that she had no reason to live. When April went to St. Croix she fell in love with the cool crisp wind, and the crystal clear water. While she was there she met Brandon, a senior in high school. At first, April didn�t want anything to do with Brandon; she didn�t even want to leave the house. But little by little, Brandon grew on April. She finally decided to go out to the beach with him, and she had the best time. Brandon was in love with April from the moment that he laid eyes on her. However, April just thought of Brandon as a good friend. After a while April knew she had deeper feelings for him. Especially because Brandon�s mother had committed suicide, and April knew how it felt to lose a loved one suddenly. As a little girl, April had a brain tumor, but luckily, surgery fixed it, and the tumor never grew back. But, just when April started to enjoy life again, she started to get very severe headaches. Her parents got very nervous and rushed her back to New York to see her specialist. She left Brandon without an explanation, not even a good-bye, and she regretted it. Did April�s tumor start growing again? And if so, will she survive, and be able to see Brandon again? You�ll just have to read the book to find out. I would recommend this book to anyone who likes drama!

every teenage girl needs to read this book! it is essential to the female bookshelf. this book makes you fell...well...not alone

Aimee is the story of a teenage girl dealing with the traumatic after effects of her best friend's suicide. I would suggest that you don't read it if you of are the faint hearted because the book deals with raw and gritty issues of the nature that we don't always openly talk about.

***************Spoilers Below*************
The author did an excellent job writing this book. She used the style in which she wrote the book to almost reflect the characters journey towards healing her self.

We don't know her name until the end of the book because when Aimee committed suicide the character almost becomes Aimee's suicide. Only when she begins to acknowledge her role in the suicide and come to terms with what happened and the effect of it on her and all those surrounding her does she begin to regain her identity and the pieces of her self that she lost when Aimee died.(such as her name)

It also written in the form of a journal. Where the character flashes backward to periods of importance and of what she is able to deal with at the time. It came almost be difficult to keep track of what happened when through out the book but as you approach the end it starts to make more sense and fit in, much like a puzzle.


Over all I suggest that everyone read it. The book emphasizes that strength and courage in a character who truly shows that in order to heal sometimes you need to get worse in order to get better.

Everyone believes that Zoe helped her best friend, Aimee, commit suicide - even though she was acquitted. Her parents moved to the next town to escape the social stigma, and Zoe is completely cut off from her friends and forced to go to therapy. Through painful journal entries, Zoe conveys lonliness, hurt, and anger. She starts paralyzed with fear, and gradually lets out more as she recovers, and she changes from "Aimee's alleged murderer" to herself. This book is very moving and very well-written.

The book Aimee written by Mary Beth Miller in my opinion was a great book. It showed a lot of conflict due to that almost all of the characters thought that Zoe had help kill her best friend. It was mysterious because you won't find out how her best friend died until later in the book. This is one of the books that keeps you hanging on and you want to keep reading it. Zoe is cut off from all of her old friends since it was court ordered until she gets in contact with one of them. The book was very descriptive, the kind where you can paint a picture inside your mind of what is going on. I think this novel would appeal to anyone who likes supsense because that's what the book is, suspenseful. You'll just want to know what happens next.

Well, I was reading through all of the other reviews and I noticed one that said that Mary Beth Miller automatically assumed that every teen has sex, gets drunk, and contemplates suicide. Well, not every teen does. But what about the ones that do? Is it not fair that there should be a book that they can relate to also? You can't hide whats out there, so why try? I do not think that Mary Beth Miller has stereotyped rebellion into teenagers at all. I think she's just showing you a genuine glimpse of real life. She's just being real. By the way, I loved the book. And I even loved how you didn't find out the main characters name until the end. It was just simply intriguing and kept a strong hold on my attention. Overall, 5 stars :)

This popped up on my screen to be reviewed, so what the hell. I read this book many years ago, and I liked it. It is if I remember a collection of philosophical/ethical essays. I preferred his collection of descriptions. I know the story of Sisyphus, and I remember that Camus compared that to the human condition. That's certainly how it feels when it gets near payday. I preferred Sartre. I thought he was more interesting and humane and complex. I never understood Nausea (though I loved the chapter in the portrait gallery), never understood his point though of course the story as a story made sense. It's one of my favorite books. My favorite book for many years, however, was The Stranger. I think it's a gem. (Nausea, Sartre; Stranger, Camus.) For me the overall problem with Camus is his obsession with violence. I don't like it and now that I'm older I won't read it. His first book (A Happy Death, the main character of which has the same name as the central character in The Stranger, Mersault, why?) is a nightmare. Camus said that the most important thing in life is justice. In my pre-Bush years, that always struck me as a strange, almost superfluous credo. I don't recommend this book to anyone but philosophy majors (I'm not one), but (if you can stand things like Caligula), Camus is an interesting writer (not as much as Sartre I don't think), and I recommend over Sisyphus his collection of descriptions.

I don't think Camus could have written a bad book if he had tried. In this case, I think it's accurate to say that this is the sort of book that makes you think and enjoy thinking.

i have read this book in hebrew
it is absolutely great
i recommend it to everyone who wants to "think outside of the box" and had wondered about the meaning of life...

I do not have any special quarrel with Camus' thesis, which is neither very complex nor very controversial. I am going to summarize it in plain English. Doing so, showing that it can be done, will bear out my criticism of Camus' writing.

Man thirsts for a holistic meaning from life that life cannot give him. It is this simple fact that constitutes the absurd, in the face of which Camus asks (with all the subtlety of a battering ram): Shall we all therefore commit suicide? His answer is, in short, no. The act of suicide symbolizes the triumph of both life and death over the individual, cutting the Gordian knot of the absurd without unravelling it. What then is man to do? According to Camus, he must do two things. Firstly, he must remain aware of the fact that life is absurd; that is, he must not be tempted to escape into oblivion. That much is clear. Camus' second imperative is both more obscure and more interesting, but what it amounts to is this: man must try to find a defiant enjoyment in, or in spite of, his absurd existence. If he can do this--if Sisyphus can admit that he is not unhappy, and smirk to himself as he descends for the millionth or billionth time after his ridiculous bolder, that ineradicable smirk is sufficient to undermine the gods that are punishing him and the universe in which that punishment is his fate. This is our only hope of defeating or at least of negotiating the absurd.

The problem with this book is not in the matter but in the mode, for Camus presents this not-particularly-complex thesis in the most obfuscatory philosophical cant that has ever been inflicted on the reading public.

I will focus by way of illustration on a single aspect of his writing style (or lack thereof), though I warn you that it is abundantly bad in almost every aspect.

Camus likes to introduce everyday words and phrases which, as his usage makes clear, are being given idiosyncratic meanings known only to Camus. He does not pause to clarify for the innocent reader what he means. Nor does he pause to substantiate the vaguest of presuppositions he uses these terms to postulate. Instead, he goes on, breathlessly, to combine them in new sentences from which additional, even more idiosyncratic ideas and presuppositions are extrapolated, and in which still more words are introduced from his maddening idiolect--and so on, in a kind of second- and third- and fourth-order multiplication of ambiguities. A single example will suffice (which, by the way, heads up a new section and is in no way foregrounded by his preceding paragraphs):

"Deep feelings always mean more than they are conscious of saying. The regularity of an impulse or a repulsion in a soul is encountered again in habits of doing or thinking, is reproduced in consequences of which the soul itself knows nothing. Great feelings take with them their own universe, splendid or abject. They light up with their passion an exclusive world in which they recognize their climate."

And again, with a question mark in square brackets to indicate where, I believe, Camus sorely owes his readers an explanation:

"Deep feelings [?] always mean [?] more than they are conscious [?] of saying [?]. The regularity of an impulse or a repulsion in a soul [?] is encountered again in habits of doing or thinking, is reproduced in consequences [?] of which the soul [?] itself knows nothing [?]. Great feelings [?] take with them [?] their own universe [?], splendid [?] or abject [?]. They light up [?] with their passion [?] an exclusive [?] world [?] in which they recognize [?] their climate [?!]. ... "

This pointless and pretentious fudging of sentences is done, it must be assumed, in order to make Camus' thesis appear more complex, more esoteric than it really is. The motive for his crime against the word is literary vanity. Or perhaps the game with which Camus finds defiant enjoyment in the absurdity of existence consists of avenging himself on his readers with his atrocious writing. Whatever the answer, the result is shabby, muddy, and bordering on complete gobbledegook. (I have read difficult books of philosophy before, from Baudrillard to Derrida, "in the unoriginal" and doubt very much that the blame can be laid squarely on James Wood, Camus' translator).

To conclude: His thesis, as I say, has some merit. But for that, why not consult Wikipedia. Hell, edit the page yourself. You'd be hard pressed to do a worse job at clarifying Camus than Camus has done in this complete abortion of a text.

Not everyone is inclined to navel lintgazing. Nor is everyone up for the level of effort necessary to gain any type of understanding of Camus' writings either. That doesn't mean the effort should not be made though! I avoided Camus for years, until a reference at work (hostage negotiation) made me realize that Camus' work was an essential element for my toolbox - namely being able to agree with folks about the absurdity of life, have a story to tell (Sysyphus) and a general explanation how one of the "great philosophers" worked through it. At times like that, you would be amazed at what kind of attention folks pay!

I read the work at least five times through, and I can say that each time I read it, I bring a bit more away. His writing is very rich and dense. No sentence can be passed over - and that sucks if your a lazy reader!!! But... at the end of the effort, the results are worth it. You have another take on the whole "Is life, is the effort worth it?" I'll leave that for you to decide, but I do heartily recommend this book!

Interesting side thought - compare the worldly Camus with the rugged individualists across the pond (Emerson, Thoreau, and all the Transcendentalists) with their eternal optimism. Comments welcome! :)

All the best,

Jay

I have to take exception to the poor review given to this book because of passages like the following,

"these Marines were heroes and warriors with only macho flaws, such as heavy drinking or practical joking, while their enemies are simply terrorists. ...our troops fight because they love America and their buddies, but their opponents fight because they are drug-addled, suicidal maniacs, the author forgets what every military buff knows: one cannot be a great warrior without a worthy opponent".

Obviously the reviewer failed to read this publication before giving an opinion of it. On numerous occasions in the book the author mentions the astonishment of the Marines at the tenacity of their opponents and ability to face certain death and still carry out their ambushes. While much was said of the drug use of the enemy soldiers and their ability to absorb punishment, there was also mentioned that the foreign fighters, namely Chechins, where experts at urban fighting.
I just wish that Amazon could have have found a more accurate review to highlight this publication.

I just read the book. I went back to post a review and was actually pissed off to read that one of the men died after the publishing of the book. I was "rooting" for him and all of these men the whole time. The book does have some typos in it. I teach HS and catch them rather quickly. However, who cares? The story is what is important. The author stated that he was nearly broke when he had it published so he probably had to skip hiring the best of proof readers. My wife likes to read out loud to me from news papers everyday. Something that she likes will inspire her to read out loud. I usually act interested even if it is a cake recipe. I rarely talk about serving in the Marine infantry. The sad things that you experience. I just tell people about the funny times. The pranks and off duty antics. I served from 81-85. I like reading factual books about battle--especially first hand accounts. My wife was rushing around the house this morning and seemed bored when I started to read a passage to her from the book. I just felt the need to let some "civilians" know what sacrifice is. She interrupted me with an ad from the paper about a bed for sale. That is usually a sign that my "military related story" bores her. I acted like she was still listening. I kept reading the part where they all get to call home on the Iridium phone. She asked me not to tell her if any of them died after that. I told her that some did. She got tears in her eyes and asked me not to tell her that it was the Marine telling his son to be respectful to the principal. I guess that women feel connected when children are involved. She then wiped her eyes and asked me why I do this to her while she started laughing at herself for crying. My 18 year old daughter then read on from there until the part with the Marine loved by all (no spoilers here). She then put the book down and asked me what the hell I was reading. With a look of disgust on her face, he asked me why I would read something like that. I told her that it is to honor the people that allow her to walk around oblivious to what goes on around this world. She asked me if I ever saw things like that. I told her that I carried some people that looked like that. That I knew what the author felt at that very moment. How heavy people are. She then asked me if I saw her Ipod. I said "No' as I slid it under a piece of news paper. She departed without it thinking that the world was coming to an end. I give Pat O"Donnell all the credit in the world for showing the courage to stay in the battle and tell this story. I thank the Lord that although I am a member of the VFW, that I never had to participate in fighting this savage. I am actually sitting here with a bad case of poison ivy and this book made me remember to stop complaining about the small stuff. How I would have had a pacifier thrown at me by a fellow grunt for crying about something like a rash. We used to keep a few around in our helmet bands for that occasion. My wife probably thinks that the itching went away. Five stars for this book. His writing style pretty much allows one to correctly assume who will be killed in combat, but it does no harm to the reader. Who cares about the typos? Buy the book along with any other related books. No True Glory is great. Generation Kill seemed like it was written by a civilian. It was entertaining to read though. I don't remember seeing Marines portrayed as so juvenile since the Movie Heartbreak Ridge. Especially Recon. Now it is an HBO series and my wife asked me if I acted like that. I responded with, "Who? Me? Like that to a Gunny? Nobody ever spoke like that to the Gunny." One Bullet Away is good. Ilario Pantano's book Warrior is superb. He is an amazing Marine. As sharp as they come in life. Robert's Ridge is excellent as well. I am now going to read House to House. The Army side of the Fallujah battle. Sorry for mentioning other books in this review but thought that they needed mention.

Mike S

www.geocities.com/matchload.geo

This review is strictly about the kindle version--not the book itself or its merits. The typography is the worst I've seen. Download a sample and see for yourself. I didn't buy a Kindle so I could squint at crappy typography. I'll have to get the hardcopy on this one.

I had a very personal interest in buying this book ... a close friend of mine is Willy Buhl, the Thundering Third Herd's commanding officer during the fight for Fallujah. He and I served together in the 1st Battalion, 4th Marines in the early 1990s. In keeping with the 'It's a small Corps' mantra, I also served with Sgt. Maj. Brad Kasal when we were squad leaders in 1/4 during Desert Storm.

The book came as close one could get to telling it like it was, showing readers what life in 3/1 was like in the days and weeks leading up to November '04. I remember sitting in the Green Zone poring over what news we could get and watching Sea Knight choppers heading for the CSH knowing the house-by-house fighting in Fallujah was exacting a high toll among the Marines.

O'Donnell fills in the gaps that wasn't in any network news report, telling a solid story of small unit action and how hard close quarters combat in Fallujah was on the friendships and cameraderie among the Teufelhunden.

It's hard to imagine the magnitude and hard fighting that these Marines experienced and went through, but Patrick O'Donnell does his best to help you understand.

So many heroes and so little time to get it right, but the author does yeoman's work to bring the story of a courageous Band of Brothers together in the mazes and labyrinths of Fallujah. The battle's high cost is reflected in these pages. I'm even more saddened to know of Sean Stokes's death in Iraq in July, 2007 after he returned for a third combat tour when he didn't have to. His posthumous Silver Star only scratches the surface of how much this brave young Marine gave to his nation.

I've always had great respect for the Marine Corps and their legacy throughout American history. Although I chose a different branch of service, several of my closest friends are Marines, and I'll always be grateful for their contributions to the fight over here in Iraq. I'll never forget the camaraderie and friendship of Marine Majors Martinez, Neidigh, Roberts and Hill, all of whom I got to know in the Armor Officer Basic and Advanced Courses at Fort Knox in the 1990s. In the pages of this book, I see the same professionalism and fighting spirit that I saw firsthand from my Marine Corps tanker brethren.

This is a good book- well worth reading. In my opinion, not quite as powerful as David Bellavia's "House to House", nor as sweeping as Bing West's "No True Glory", but close and a worthy addition to any military historian's library. Read the trio of books and you'll only begin to see the epic battle from the various warriors who fought it, but "Fallujah With Honor" is a superb tactical snapshot of one platoon's close-quarters fight, and the disproportionate price they paid for our Freedom.

Semper Fidelis, Marines. You honor us all with your actions.

Baghdad
02-08-2008

This was written for me. My next door neighbors were converted to being JW. This was when we were young children. I do stay in touch periodically with this friend who I met when she was only 4 years old. She is still a JW and has raised her children this way. She told me a story of abuse by her Father who was a drug addict and a pedophile. As a child she often went hungry as her father wasn't bringing home income. Her mother allowed her child to associate with me because we had her stay for dinner almost every night, This draws some light for me to her plight. In school where she was forced to stand in the hall during the pledge of allegiance. This is against JW rules. She quit school as soon as possible. She home schooled her children before it was a common thing to do. Not all JW people abuse their children. I can tell you that after her terrible childhood my friend is an excellent mother. She put being a good mother as her top priority in life. Once you are in this religion it's pretty difficult to leave. Normally when you leave a church it's not the end of the world. For these people their whole world crumbles. It's terrible to bully a child because of a parents beliefs. Most people don't realize that joining JW can also effect your health or kill you. You can not get a blood transfusion. A very personal thing for me because I'm alive today because of blood transfusions. I also recommend I Witness which explains in greater detail what JW believes.

Reviewed by Kam Aures for RebeccasReads (1/08)

"Out of the Cocoon: A Young Woman's Courageous Flight from the Grip of a Religious Cult" by Brenda Lee is a memoir chronicling the author's escape from the binding hold that the Jehovah Witness religion had on her family and life and the consequences that met her afterward. When Brenda was a young girl, Jehovah's Witnesses visited her Pennsylvania home with their literature and talked her family into doing a free bible study. That one knock on the door would forever change Brenda's life and her relationship with her family. Her mother became immersed in the Jehovah beliefs and decided that the whole family would be baptized as Jehovah's Witnesses. Brenda's father refused and was the only one not baptized although he did attend the meetings at Kingdom Hall.

Jehovah's Witnesses have a very rigid belief system without any room to bend. Growing up in the Jehovah faith was very traumatic for Brenda as she found herself isolated from the rest of her classmates. She could not celebrate the events they celebrated, participate in school activities, or date. Also, as a Jehovah's Witness you cannot be friends with or associate with people who are not of the same faith as you. To top all of it off she even had teachers who abused her because of her religion.

When she finally came of age she escaped to live with a cousin that she had never met in Colorado and tried to start her life anew by breaking free from the holds that the religion had on her. However, her insecurities fostered from being isolated and ostracized as a child followed her into adulthood and there were consequences that followed.

Unfortunately in the Jehovah faith once someone leaves the religion they cannot be associated with anymore by those still in the faith. This even applies to family members. So in a sense by leaving the religion she also lost her family, all except for her father (he was not baptized into the faith). After trying to "save her" and failing, they would not talk to her anymore and essentially they cut her out of their life.

While I understand that the Jehovah faith did have a huge effect on the author's life it seems that she blames everything that goes wrong on that premise which I find a little bit unbelievable. There are other factors involved that cause things to turn out the way that they do. I do understand her anger but in some cases it seems that it is misdirected.

All in all, the book is a very engaging and a fast read! I read all 238 pages from start to finish in one night. I learned a lot about the Jehovah's Witness faith and I was actually shocked by a lot of the things that I read. I honestly had no idea that these people who come knocking on my door believed some of the things that they do. To disown a family member because they choose not to be involved in your faith is, in my opinion, ridiculous! I applaud Brenda Lee for having the courage to come forward and write this memoir and hope that others can benefit from reading about her experience. I think that anyone who is considering becoming a member of this religion or any similar religion should definitely read "Out of the Cocoon" before doing so!

I can't say enough about this book. Admittedly the child abuse Brenda describes is sometimes very disturbing to read but what makes it disturbing is that it actually happened and was condoned by this religious group. Chapter 1 starts out with a graphic story that Brenda wrote called, All Alone in the World. You might think her writing isn't good, but that's because she was only 12 when she wrote Chapter 1. The rest of the book is so wonderfully written...Brenda is a remarkable story-teller. I truly felt like I was in her shoes. I felt her pain, confusion, guilt, fear, joyful triumphs. You may think this sounds like a totally depressing book but it's actually quite light-hearted and funny. It contains a lot of Brenda's off-beat humor and many inspiring quotes. Sometimes I laughed and sometimes I cried.

Out of the Cocoon shows how Brenda's mom, a normal all-American Methodist Sunday school teacher could be swept up in the destructive rules imposed by the Jehova Witnesses and how those rules could ultimately sever her family ties forever.

Brenda's book is about so much more than growing up in a cult though. She talks about being a single mom and struggling to survive, feeling vulnerable and alone and rejected by those she loved, being in a bad relationship because she was afraid to be all alone. Every teenager and adult in America should read this book because it helps the reader understand how our childhood so dramatically affects our choices once we become adults. Very insightful!

The message is clear that if you think you're too strong-willed or smart to ever become a member of a harmful group or cult, you have probably just moved one step closer to becoming one. Don't believe your family is safe like her mom did. She thought Jehova Witness seemed so nice when they offered a free study but this is how they trapped Brenda's family into joining them. I was SHOCKED to learn that they even have a door-to-door quota to meet and have to turn in how much time they spend talking to people when they go to people's doors. Then they become downright cruel and shun their own children if they don't want to be a member of their church! Unbelievable!

I highly, highly recommend that you read this book because it could prevent you from losing your child or parent someday. As a parent myself, I feel fortunate that I can share this knowledge with my family. I have a cousin who is a Jehova Witness and now I understand why she became so distant from me when she joined this church.

Bravo to Brenda for being so courageous and saving/helping others through her story!!

I ordered this book anticipating a story of someone freeing themselves from a cult as the cover suggests. I guess you can't judge a book by its cover. The first six chapter are from age ten (intro. to JW's) to age eighteen (freedom). After that it is Brenda's life story, with the watchtower popping up every now and then. I have read many books regarding the watchtower, and have personally dealt with JWs. I was bored with the rut the book got into as she told her life story and forgot that her book was about leaving a cult. At times it seemed if anything bad happened it was the watchtowers fault (normal sruggles in life). Many things she went through lots of kids go through when they decide to leave their parents home. Some of the hardships she endured she put on herself. At one point I forgot that the book was about leaving a cult and listened to her complaints about struggles many Americans go through on a regular basis.

I read this book and found it very enthralling. It kept me interested from beginning to end. After reading it I was able to pass it along to my neices who, never being JW's were able to understand what we (those of us former JW's) went through. They could understand it in simple language and we shocked and stunned by the simplicity of the book and yet the complications of being a JW. I wholely recommend this book to any and all who are or have left the JW's to understand the simpliest form of abuse that takes place without even knowing it.

Baldwin has been buried in our community because of his sexuality. I can even admit hesitation when i 1st picked up a copy of Giovanni's Room from my local library. But after i was sucked into this world Balwin created, i knew how powerful a writter he truly was. Another Country is no different. These characters are so real and the outcome of real life can be ugly - Baldwin makes sure that we see the ugliness in life as well as the sweet times we rarely pay attention to. Before race relations were vougue, Baldwin tackled these stories head on.

I had to read this book for one of my classes in college and I was glad I was assigned to it. It touched basis on all political and talked about issues that still occure even to this day, even though it was written around 40 years ago. Bravo to the author and it's a good read with a nice plot.

In an essay criticizing the works of Richard Wright, James Baldwin surveyed the field of African American literature and found much violence, but very little sex. As biographer James Campbell notes, "Another Country" is Baldwin's attempt to fill that perceived void; it has plenty of "sex" (from lust to romance), and it explores in particular an era in which the intersection of sex and race was increasingly capturing the public's attention.

The storyline concerns six people who are in some way connected to Rufus Scott, a jazz drummer whose suicide affects their lives in unpredictable and emotional ways. There are a straight white couple (the novelist Richard and his wife Cass), a mixed-race couple (Rufus's sister, Ida, and the writer Vivaldo), a gay couple (Eric and Yves), and an unexpected affair between two of the six friends.

The opening chapter in particular is one of Baldwin's most potent, combining both the violence of Wright's novels and the sex Baldwin felt was missing. The rest of the book is a rollercoaster of emotional highs and everyday life. The prose sours when Baldwin describes both the frayed lives of his characters and the steamy streets and seedy watering holes of Manhattan. And the lyrical treatment of Eric and Yves's relationship is especially affecting. The book was a huge best-seller when it was published, and I imagine it's this cutting-edge blend of controversy and passion that appealed to readers in the mid-1960s

But then there's the sex. By today's standard's, the descriptions are hardly explicit. Yet, unfortunately, these passages are so appallingly bad it's hard to believe that Baldwin wrote them: "He felt the bed throbbing beneath them, and heard it sing." "He began to gallop her, whinnying a little with delight, and, for the first time, became a little cold with fright...."--well, I'll spare you the rest.

It would be a mistake, however, to dismiss the book because of these scenes. The characters are both believable and unforgettable, the racial and sexual tensions are recognizably human, and the social milieu is still familiar to anyone who has lived near or in the bohemian neighborhoods of America.

If you follow the trajectory of James Baldwin's writing, you'll see that he established certain themes, then reiterated them in a variety of settings. His themes are pertinent and show great insight, but if you were to read two or three of his books, by the time you got to the third, you'd say, "O.k., I get it already."
Such is the case with Another Country. If you've read any Baldwin, thematically it's nothing you haven't heard before. But, his earlier novels were clearly stated, concise, and powerful as a result. This novel is an unbelievably bloated mess which easily could have been half the length and still gotten its points across. Every single scene goes on way too long, the dialogue between the characters is interminable and pedantic, and there is an element of melodrama better served in soap operas.
Baldwin has said that this was the novel that meant the most to him, which is further proof that artists aren't necessarily the best judges of their work. Go Tell It On The Mountain is a masterpiece and most indicative of Baldwin's considerable literary powers, and I would recommend you read that or Giovanni's Room, which is less powerful, but eloquent and substantial. Another Country is a slog that doesn't repay in substance the efforts necessary to get through it.

I just finished this novel and I have to say that I was blown away by Baldwin's writing. I disagree with one of the reviewers who wrote that this should be required text for high school or jr. high students. For one thing, the subject matter is way too mature for their brains to digest at such a young age. This is a novel for intelligent adults with an open mind. If you are a homophobe or have any racism residing in your heart then don't read this novel, because you will not enjoy it whatsoever. If I would have read this before the age of thirty I would not have liked it and probably wouldn't have finished reading it(this is unequivocally a very adult novel). That being said, you will be hard-pressed to find a more gritty, brilliant, fiercly told story than this one. I personally believe that the dialogue between the main charactiers is excellent and very real. As complex, flawed, and often times even repugnant the main characters are, you still can't help but to care about each one of them as if they were your friend or loved one. This is the beauty of this novel in my opinion - Baldwin's ability to really develop each character. This is definitely a novel that is character-driven and upon finishing the novel you can't help but feel a bit disheartened knowing that your time spent with them is now over. It leaves you yearning for more!

This is my first novel by Baldwin and I am off to the bookstore (sorry Amazon, I just can't wait) to purchase a few more (Go Tell It On A Mountain will be my next). He was such a brilliant, brave, unique writer who displays so much courage in his prose that it's impossible to not admire the man. Also, I really enjoy reading authors like this who paint a completely different picture of Americana than we are typically accustomed to (i.e. Kerouac, Bukowski, Vonnegut, etc...).

Overall, the book was great. Once you get into it (for me it started on page 1) it's very difficult to put down no matter how heavy and often times disturbing it can be. However, racism is always disturbing no matter how you slice it. Baldwin just doesn't slice it in thin easy to digest pieces that's all. So if you want to read a 'nice', 'sweet' interacial love story don't purchase this. However, if you want to challenge yourself and allow your mind to expand and actually THINK, then by all means this is the perfect book for you.

SPOILER AHEAD
I loved this book it was awsome out of all her books this was hands down my favorite. I kind of figured conor whould be the one to kill himself (secreatly i hoped i was wrong) but i always thought it would be when he got home. but i guess this was y the book was named IMPULSE.He was my favorite one in the book.I wish she had written about his funeral and his friends reaction to reading the letter his parents sent.

Ellen Hopkins did a phenomenal job writing the book Impulse. She has such a unique style of writing. I don't know how her writing could keep someone less than eager to keep on reading. Every page is written differently and is formatted in its own unique way. The way Hopkins goes back and fourth between three different troubled teenagers, each with their own problems, is remarkable. She manages to tell each story of each troubled teenager simultaneously. She writes in detail about the problems these kids have in their life, and what problems added up to get them to where they are today. The kids are all on different pages in their life, but they all share one thing. They all share major problems that have resulted with them being in rehabilitation facilities. Hopkins does a wonderful job describing the three kids' difficulties trying to survive after suddenly being dropped into a completely different world. They are separated from reality. They must fight to overcome their problems, and the person they were the day they were admitted in the facility. Hopkins describes it as a journey in life that must be taken in order to change the page. I absolutely loved the book, not only for its content, but as well as Hopkins writing skills. She is one of the most talented authors in my opinion for a couple of reasons. Hopkins has the guts to write about real life problems that most tend to ignore, let alone considered to be written and published about. She has the talent to write about people as if you knew them to be your closest and most cherished friends as a result of her intense details. Lastly, she can have three or more different stories going on at one time. The stories are completely different and have no connections with each other yet somehow, in the end, they are all closely related to one another and that takes talent to accomplish.

I just love reading Ellen Hopkins books. Although Crank and Glass are my favorites, Impulse is a very close third. I love that we get three perspectives in this novel. The way that Ellen is able to reach teenage audiences impresses me every time. I will continue to buy and recommend all her books to my high school students. Thanks Ellen!!

This is a good book because it tells it alot like it is. The writing format I didn't like but the poem at the beginning was inspiring. When I started reading it I was reading it like a poem because of the style but it was still good.

Hopkins is an incredible author! I believe all of her books are brilliant! This is by far my favorite. Must read!

So many reviews of TACOMA CONFIDENTIAL, almost all of them positive, have already been posted, that I normally would not write another one. But I believe that Paul LaRosa has created a true crime book that is so outstanding that I feel the need to pile on. The subject of the book, the pending divorce between David Brame, the Tacoma, WA, Chief of Police and his wife Crystal - and the tragic outcome - is interesting and must have given Tacoma residents gossip material for months. But what elevates the book to the top echelon of true crime is the outstanding work by Mr. LaRosa.

TACOMA CONFIDENTIAL is written reportorially, straight-forwardly, and without the melodrama to which this story would readily lend itself in the hands of a lazy or less-competent writer. The research is remarkably thorough, and the reader has a sense, due to LaRosa's powerful narrative, of being at the center of the Tacoma Police Department's maelstrom of innuendo, sorrow, disavowance of responsibility, and just great gossip.

The most impressive single aspect of LaRosa's work, however, is his even-handedness. David Brame was apparently a cold, selfish, manipulative, and abusive man; and Crystal, while seemingly a nicer and more pleasant person than David, had her own share of negatives, coming across as compulsive, mildly hysterical, and as one of those people who shares their life's most personal details with strangers who probably would rather not hear them. La Rosa presents both of the Brames, warts and all -and there are plenty of warts - in a non-biased fashion, letting the reader come to his own conclusions.

This is excellent true crime, and I thank my friend in Lubbock for recommending it to me.

Paul LaRosa, talented writer and excellent researcher, makes great use of both talents in 'Tacoma Confidential'.

Fairly presented without bias, LaRosa's detailed and insightful look into the tragic outcome of the troubled marriage of a dangerously flawed police chief and its impact on a major U.S. city is a riveting story that will keep the reader turning the pages at a furious pace.

The disintegration of a marriage and of the mind of a law enforcement officer is chronicled in such fine detail one has the sensation of actually 'being there' as the story unfolds. Despite never having met the major victims of this crime, the author's highly-honed research skills and evenhanded writing allow the reader to become intimately familiar with Chief David Brame and his wife, Crystal, and their families and acquaintances.

That Mr. LaRosa did ultimately meet so many others involved and their willingness to share such a wealth of personal information is certainly a credit to his ability to convey understanding and compassion. The same traits were excellently utilized to document this tragedy in an absorbing and compelling manner.

True writing skill prevents the far-reaching political implications of this case, both citywide and within the police department, from becoming muddled, confusing or boring. Instead, they are recognized as mind-boggling, somewhat amazing, and certainly always thoroughly interesting.

There was a moment of confusion for me when the author injected his personal input into the story via 'first-person' writing. Many writers accomplish this with irritating and insulting heavy handed innuendo that severely colors the facts. An astute reader recognizes immediately the efforts to force the reader to accept the writer's beliefs. The refreshing openness of this author's writing style; presenting the facts and trusting the reader to reach their own conclusion, certainly makes for a more enjoyable reading experience.

True true-crime fans are well aware of how this genre has fallen prey to a bevy of poor writers publishing weak books that read like sleazy dime-store novels. Readers have to continually be on their toes to search out first-class, well-written, great reads. If any of you fans missed this one, you need to remedy that mistake straight away because.....

'Tacoma Confidential Is A Winner'!

I really should learn to never judge a book by it's cover...but that is what I did with this book for many months. The cover, the title, they just didn't grab my attention. But once I opened the book and started reading...it had my fullest attention.

Paul LaRosa does an excellent job of relaying the story of Tacoma Police Chief David Brame who, in 2006, shot his estranged wife in a RiteAid parking lot before turning the gun on himself. And, sadly enough, this occured while the couple's children were just a few feet away.

This book is a riveting tale of sex, scandals, and attempted cover-up by many of Tacoma's high ranking officials. It is a definite must read for any true crime fan!

I'm surprised (shocked, actually) this book has received so many good reviews on Amazon. I found it horrible. It contains many contradictions -- for example, on one page LaRosa says every single journalist criticized the bartender-blogger who broke the case, and a few pages later, he quotes an editor complementing the same guy--, in lieu of facts he provides he says/she says ("Crystal said she only got $100 every two weeks, David's family says she got much more" -- well, who is telling the truth? Isn't LaRosa's job to find out and tell us?) and his writing is mediocre at best. I have read very few true-crime books in my life, but if this is one of the better ones, then the genre sucks.

The big secret life of the Chief of Police is simply not that interesting. It is very difficult to care about the victims. The wife is a spoiled brat and the husband is a retarded lech. These people were raising damaged children further traumatized by this violent, selfish turn of events. The parents do get high marks for lousy parenting. If you want to learn how not to behave, buy this book.

The writing is average and redundant. It is clear that much "filler" was put in to make it a full book. The author simply should have chosen a more interesting subject. On the surface, I can imagine he thought it was. A closer look is just another pathetic ugly divorce.