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by Quinn Bradlee (Contributor: Jeff Himmelman)
ISBN: 1586481894
Hardcover: 240 pages
Condition: New
Comments: Sold with pride. New, unread copy.
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Customer Reviews
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A Different Life
Rating  (4)
Date: 2009-12-01
A different perspective on life when seen through the eyes of someone with learning disabilities. Very good!
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Good Read
Rating (4)
Date: 2009-08-16
This was a fascinating book that gave me insight into the thinking process of the learning disabled.
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Candor
Rating  (3)
Date: 2009-07-09
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Memoirs from authors in their twenties attract readers less from the disclosure of wisdom acquired over decades than from telling a story about something extraordinary and worth reading about in a life at its beginning. Quinn Bradlee's memoir, A Different Life, tells the story of the first twenty six or so years of his life. The child of Washington Post luminaries Ben Bradlee and Sally Quinn, the extraordinary story he tells here is a sweet tale of being supported by loving parents as he struggled with learning disabilities and medical problems. After years of illnesses, Quinn was diagnosed at age fourteen with something that's estimated to impact one in 2,000 people: Velo-Cardio-Facial Syndrome. This genetic syndrome is manifested through multiple physical ailments and learning disabilities. Quinn's candor in A Different Life led me to wince at times and laugh at others as he tells his story in his own unique way, and without a trace of embarrassment. Any parent of a child with learning disabilities or physical ailments will resonate with what Quinn describes on many of these pages. Through his parents, Quinn has had doors open to him that would be closed to others, and he has used that advantage well in this case as a chance for a young man with learning disabilities to talk about his life and call attention to genetic syndromes that we might not have heard about before reading this book.
Rating: Three-star (Recommended)
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A life of differences
Rating (3)
Date: 2009-07-08
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Quinn Bradlee is the son of former "Washington Post" editor Ben Bradlee and his wife, reporter Sally Quinn. Quinn was born with a heart defect and had a number of health issues throughout his life. When he was 14, he was finally diagnosed with VCFS (velo-cardio-facial syndrome) a genetic abnormality which is the second most often occurring disability (Down's Syndrome is number one.) One consequence of the syndrome is having a learning disability. I read this book since I am married to a man with a severe learning disability (dyslexia), the mother of a son with a mild learning disability (dysgraphia) and taught students with learning disabilities in public schools for a number of years. I wished to compare Quinn's experiences with my observations. Quinn's prose seems brash, yet I know this partially relative to having a learning disability and might partially be due to his recognition of his parents' celebrity. At times I cringed, recognizing "traps" Quinn found himself in during his schooling. Thankfully, Quinn and his parents found a school and teachers who concentrated on Quinn's strengths. If only we could do this for all students - special needs or not.
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Quinn is One Amazing Human Being
Rating  (5)
Date: 2009-06-28
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
[[ASIN:1586481894 A Different Life: Growing Up Learning Disabled and Other Adventures] What a truly amazing man Quinn Bradlee is!! His book is written the way he thinks and speaks which, in turn, makes the reader feel what he is feeling. What an inspiration to people with learning disabilities and for their parents and friends also. What he has done and is still doing, with his life is fantastic. This man is learning disabled and yet....he has gone to college; he has written a book (a best seller as far as I'm concerned!!); he's developed a wonderful website [...] and he's made and is still making plans for his furture. "Quinn, I would be honored to shake your hand!! BRAVO to you and your parents and for all you stand tall for!"
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by J. William Middendorf II
ISBN: 0465045731
Hardcover: 303 pages
Condition: Used: Like New
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. No publisher marks, no shelf wear.
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Customer Reviews
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He Lost Me At Hello
Rating (3)
Date: 2009-04-07
It is a great subject, told by an insider. But the book is a disappointment with little detail on many major points.
Middendorf quickly berates the Eastern establishment Republicans of Rockefeller, Henry Cabot Lodge and the like. But as soon as he starts talking about himself, you realize the author is a traitor to his class because he is one of those Republicans. That fact resounds throughout the book and is never even addressed by the author.
Nor is the change that Kennedy's murder brought upon the country and Goldwater's campaign. The author glosses over all of that.
The book reminds us why Rockefeller's divorce was such a big thing against him. Even in those days, divorce was no big thing. But having your new wife desert her family does not win you political admiration.
None of the reviewers talk about the large section of the book devoted to Nixon and the 1968 campaign. He ignores the Vietnam war in that section, barely mentions Bobby Kennedy and omits Gene McCarthy.
Just like Goldwater ignored his political-savvy staff, the author probably ignored his editors in order to write the book the way he wanted to. The result is a big disappointment.
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Awesome Insight Insight into the 1964 Presidential Election
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-02-18
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Before reading A Glorious Disaster my knowledge of the 1964 presidential election was shallow. I knew Lyndon Johnson defeated Goldwater in a landslide, but I never really knew anything about the nuts and bolts of the campaign. The 1964 election is an odd one. Johnson had just become president after the Kennedy assassination (killed by a Marxist; go figure). As senator, Johnson served as a conservative southern Democrat. He voted against every Civil Rights bill while he was in Congress. Johnson only shifted his opinion later because of the popularity of the measure. Johnson's ambitions were much stronger than any ideology. Wishing to leave his mark on history, Johnson moved rapidly to the left as president.
Goldwater become the conservative choice in 1962. The liberal wing of the Republican party was always hostile to a Goldwater nomination. Unable to rally behind the candidate, it was Nelson Rockefeller and George Romney (Mitt Romney's father) who ultimately torpedoed any hope for Goldwater. Early on they branded the Arizona Senator as a tool of the extreme right. It was an absurd accusation, but one that Goldwater was never able to shake during the campaign.
I got the sense reading this book that Goldwater wasn't exactly warm and fuzzy. His campaign was run by a bunch of Arizona loyalists who weren't involved in the draft movement. From the beginning Goldwater was consigned to defeat. He didn't want to run against Johnson, whom he felt would do anything to win the election. Goldwater's fears were indeed founded. LBJ used the CIA and FBI for campaign surveillance. These abuses of power by the executive branch dwarf anything Nixon ever did, and perhaps anything anyone has done who's ever served as president. However, it's not likely it affected the outcome of the election. Goldwater never communicated a clear vision, and was constantly on the defensive. The campaign was run poorly and most of the major newspaper editors throughout the country were adamantly opposed to Goldwater.
Despite the election setback it was the birth of the conservative movement. I don't think Goldwater was ever really the right person for the cause. He didn't communicate well enough, but at that time he was the closest thing to an electable candidate. During that election the former actor Ronald Reagan made his now famous "a Time for Choosing" speech that would ultimately make him the face of the conservative movement. His speech is still relevant today.
The author of the book J. William Middendorf II, served as the treasurer during the campaign and later for the RNC. His meticulousness attention to detail paints a clear portrait of that period. Middendorf later went on to serve as the Ambassador to the Netherlands under Nixon and later became the Secretary of the Navy. The book is a nice little historic insight into the birth of the conservative movement. A movement that ultimately changed our current political landscape and brought us Ronald Reagan.
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An Insider's Look at the Beginnings of a Movement
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-06-25
4 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
Bill Middendorf offers a delightful insider's view of Barry Goldwater's trailblazing 1964 campaign for President.
As a true insider -- he was on the inner circle as campaign treasurer, a key fundraiser, an early Draft Goldwater leader and a seeming voice of seasoned maturity (at age 37) -- he certainly offers a view that is signficantly more robust than most historical accounts.
It's a very enjoyable read.
Of course, Goldwater was utterly shellacked in 1964. But in losing, his principled admirers won by helping establish the foundation for a conservative movement that would build and last for decades.
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A fascinating insider account
Rating (4)
Date: 2007-02-26
25 out of 26 customers found this reveiw helpful
J. William Middendorff II, A Glorious Disaster: Barry Goldwater's Presidential Campaign and the origins of the Conservative Movement ( 2006, basic books, new york, 303pp)
This is a fascinating and lively insider report from someone who really was an insider. Ambassador Middendorf played a significant role in the rise of modern conservatism within the Republican Party. As a Connecticut Republican with many friends in the moderate wing of the party he nevertheless early on saw the need for a new approach and a new movement.
Bill was part of the draft Goldwater effort and part of the Goldwater Campaign and then Treasurer for the Republican National Committee as it bounced back from the disaster of 1964. He was in on an amazing number of meetings and worked with virtually every major conservative of that period.
His observations are insightful and in some cases unique.
Even though I had lived through virtually every campaign this book covers I still found myself with new reflections and new insights.
From the perspective of 2007 the most stunning reminder was the level of ruthlessness, dishonesty, and viciousness which characterized the Lyndon Johnson campaign and Johnson's entire behavior. It is worth reading as a reminder of what a 2008 Clinton campaign might be like.
Middendorf repeats a story I first heard from Tim Russert about Goldwater and Kennedy agreeing that in 1964 they would tour the country on Air Force One holding a series of debates and proving that there could be civility and collegiality even in presidential politics. Building on the debates of 1960 and enjoying each other's company a Goldwater-Kennedy contest would have led to a much healthier America.
Middendorf also reminds us that results can shift with remarkable speed. The Goldwater defeat was seen as the beginning of the end for the GOP yet two short years later in 1966 there was a remarkable rebound. The GOP lost 529 legislative seats in 1964 and gained 700 in 1966. The GOP lost 37 house seats and gained 47 in 1966.
One other fascinating reminder about how the world can change is the question of being a frontrunner for the nomination. On the Friday before the 1964 California GOP primary Nelson Rockefeller was ahead by 49 to 40 and on Tuesday Goldwater won the primary and with it the nomination. After the 1966 elections Governor George Romney was the front runner and polls showed him beating President Johnson 54 to 46, After he said "the greatest brainwashing that anybody can get when you go over to Vietnam....they do a very thorough job" his campaign collapsed.
This is a useful book for anyone who would like to understand the rise of modern conservatism and anyone who would like to better understand presidential politics.
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Interesting memoir, but not historical analysis
Rating (3)
Date: 2007-02-14
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
When I read the title of this book, I expected an in-depth analysis of why the Conservative movement started with Barry Goldwater's failed candidacy for the Presidency in 1964. Unfortunately, that did not turn out to be the case.
The author of this book was a critical player in the Goldwater campaign, and, as such, has tremendously valuable memories of Goldwater's unsuccessful attempt to become President of the United States. This book, however, is nothing more than a political memoir - how this one individual got involved in the Goldwater campaign and what the ride meant to him. It is filled with exciting and fun stories, and is an enjoyable book to read, but most assuredly is not for the historian.
I believe that this book is a good start towards understanding whether or not Goldwater's ascendancy to the head position in the Republican party really did start the Conservative movement that has been so powerful in the last 25 years, but it certainly does not live up to its title.
I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for an enjoyable political memoir - if the reader is conservative, this book will delight. Even a liberal will enjoy the book, though some of the disparaging remarks about LBJ or Jimmy Carter may not bode well with those who possess a leftist slant.
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by Sheila Isenberg
ISBN: 0375502211
Hardcover: 368 pages
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. Book in very good condition with VERY LIGHT reading wear. EX LIBRARY copy which did not spend much time in circulation before being released. Library markings present but no further markings or imperfections.
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Customer Reviews
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Isenberg's "Fry" inspires our own activism
Rating (5)
Date: 2002-03-01
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
This is a must book for book clubs and reading groups! Isenberg's writing is engaging as she tells of Varian Fry's dramatic actions that saved so many people from harm. But, more thrillingly, through skillful use of private documents, she shows her readers how a man who showed little previous signs of special distinction, not content to stay a bystander, was willing to put himself at risk to help strangers whose lives were in danger. The book will spark discussions, not only of the holocaust, but of our continuing search to lead ethical lives today in the face of widespread violence, famine and continuing human rights abuses.
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a perfect book club choice
Rating (5)
Date: 2002-02-25
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
this story, of a true 'hero,' makes a compelling read. how amazing that fry managed to save so many important artists of the last century and was little known until isenberg's book. a good read while learning an important bit of our history. i will definitely recommend this to my book club.
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An Inspiring Page-Turner
Rating (5)
Date: 2002-01-30
4 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
I read Sheila Isenberg's marvelous book, A Hero Of Our Own, in one sitting. What made it compelling was the author's logical, step-by-step approach to the stunning chaos of her hero's dilemma.
Varian Fry's defining year in Marseilles came alive line by line, stroke by inspiring stroke in clear logical matter of fact tones. The work is poignant and powerful, mythic documentary proof of a bona fide hero and his heroic friends confronting the petty viciousness of evil with clear-eyed will. A beautiful important book. This is History as it ought to be written. Should be required reading in high schools and colleges round the globe.
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"A Hero of our Own" by Sheila Isenberg
Rating (5)
Date: 2002-01-30
4 out of 5 customers found this reveiw helpful
For someone like myself, who enjoys a really exciting story, preferably about a real person,one need go no further than to read "A Hero of Our Own" by Sheila Isenberg. Varian Frye, a not-so-ordinary American, feels impelled to leave his comfortable life as a writer and editor and go to France as a member of the Emergency Rescue Committe (ERC) and risk his life to save as many refugees (mostly Jews) as he can from the Nazis. Frye is the only American to be honored at Yad Vashem (Israel's Holocaust Memorial) because of his work in saving thousands of Jews. If I didn't know it was a true story, I'd think it was fiction because his adventures read like a fast-paced thriller, a veritable realization of the classic "film noir" of the forties. In fact, I feelthe book cries out to be made into a movie which I would be happy to see. Of course some of the book's revealed facts about our own State Department trying to keep refugee Jews from entering the United States when they knew it mean certain death was quite shocking and disturbing. However, all in all, I'd recommend the book to anyone who enjoys reading a fast-paced book about real heros and history.
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a biography that's a page-turner
Rating (5)
Date: 2002-01-29
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Varian Fry was an American hero, risking his life to save others, unrecognized during his lifetime, but, fortunately, with Isenberg's new biography, now about to become a well-known figure. Called the artists' Schindler, Fry saved about 1,500 artists, writers, teachers, labor leaders, activists, and others from Hitler -- Max Ernst, Marc Chagall, and Hannah Arendt among the group. A Hero of Our Own tells Fry's story in a lively, compelling style. One can't wait to turn the page to find out what happens in Nazi-ridden, Vichy-controlled Marseille 1940. Who will be saved? Who will be turned over to the Gestapo? Why did Fry risk his life? This book answers all these questions in a fascinating story that is well worth reading -- as Fry is well worth remembering and honoring.
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by Sheila T. Gregory
ISBN: 0761812857
Hardcover: 174 pages
Condition: Used: Acceptable
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. EX LIBRARY copy in a good condition. Library markings present. The first page, which had library stamps, was removed by the library.
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by Susanne Antonetta
ISBN: 1585425184
Paperback: 256 pages
Condition: Used: Like New
Comments: Sold with pride. This is a previously unread copy pulled from our shelves. It may have minimal shelf wear.
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Customer Reviews
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Book Review, "A Mind Apart"
Rating (3)
Date: 2008-04-24
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Although the content of this book isn't quite what one would expect given the description on the dust jacket, it is nevertheless an interesting read. It is a book I would recommend to anyone looking for artistic inspiration and struggling with writer's block, based on the language it is written in and the numerous perspectives being offered on the human mind. While it gives the reader something to ponder, it is not by any means what would be considered in the realm of a medical text or an authority on neurology. The entire book is written in the context of the memoir of a middle aged woman observing the growth of her adopted son, in a search for the answers to existential questions no one can truly answer. Interesting tidbits of more scientific information are thrown in, ranging everywhere from the intelligence of whales and their sophisticated means of communication to theories on the workings of autistic minds and multiple personality disorder.
What's interesting is that in a book dedicated to neurodiversity, which in itself conveys the notion of humanity itself being an incredibly diverse species, the author approaches both her writing and her life as someone living with a mind she perceives to be abnormal and as a result her own self being damaged. She is bipolar and throughout the book addresses her fear that with the progresses of genetic engineering, people like her will gradually cease to exist, and so too will the creativity that drives our culture. If I could offer one suggestion to Susanne Antonetta, it would be that she try, if only for a brief period of time, to view herself and her own mind as being not so much apart from the rest of humanity, but as unique and as diverse as any other and as one treasured piece ingrained within the whole.
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Diversely neurotic
Rating  (1)
Date: 2007-12-13
0 out of 5 customers found this reveiw helpful
We're all weird. Just because we have the hubris to put our oddities to paper and offer them to the world doesn't make them worthy of attention.
Antonetta (a.k.a highly functioning university professor Paola) is a mediocre imitation of much more authentic writers--Anne Lamott, Kay Redfield Jamison.
I hate that memoirs have become dumping grounds for neuroses. Don't be fooled into thinking this book has any merits--there are much better ones out there.
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Musical Intelligence/Diverse Form
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-11-11
4 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
WHAT I APPRECIATE MOST about Susanne Antonetta's prose is the multiplicity of her voice. Here's a prose writer who appreciates more than one kind of music. Antonetta's work is aptly described as a mosaic hybrid, because of the ways she mingles the confessional, the mental, the lyric and also the scholarly and journalistic report. The music of this writer's literary intelligence is in the impact of montage, the shock of hybrid collision.
In Antonetta's A Mind Apart, bodies, minds and reports from the world collide. A Pacific Northwest community gathers to view a dead whale on the beach. A teenager kills a neighbor boy as a kind of science experiment. The husband of the narrator's cousin has a seeming-sorority of female characters living the mosaic of his multiple personalities, all of whom send her email. The intellectual pleasures of this work occur in the questions it asks about how a culture defines "normal" and what we might lose if genetic engineering succeeds in clarifying the borderline of acceptable human brain process.
The literary pleasures of this work alight out of the layering of many aspects and approaches, the content coming to the page through the voice of a poet, diarist, essayist and reporter who has told us from the start that her skin is too thin to enable her to stave off much of what she finds urgently stacked up in the world.
Antonetta is a writer to whose work I am particularly attuned, because of the ways her narrator is relatively unmasked, her structures metaphorical and lyrically innovative, her interests multiple and surprisingly connected, her aims to layer her own life with that of the larger questions of the world palpable and original. I can't think of many writers who hit all those notes.
I've long told students that my understanding of the "writer's voice" is as a kind of blueprint of the writer's body and mind, translated into language. For the lyric sensibility, the body with too few shields, the mind that experiences the atmosphere of life as stacked and layered and splintered and broken, while at the same time hears human existence as a mad and varied song, may have little choice but to write in such forms. This beautiful book is to my ear is an essential contribution to creative nonfiction form.
Barrie Jean Borich
author of My Lesbian Husband
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Thought Provoking - Poorly Conveyed
Rating  (2)
Date: 2007-11-04
6 out of 6 customers found this reveiw helpful
Susanne Antonetta explores the lives and abilities of those who are considered by society to be different. The thought processes of those with multiple personality and bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, autism, and various other neurological conditions can be mystifying to those on the outside, including family and friends. Suffering from manic depression for many years, Antonetta utilizes her own experiences to paint a detailed and often personal portrait of the beautiful contributions made by these individuals, and the potential consequences of eradicating such conditions.Advancements in technology are presenting man with many options that were at one time unthinkable. Today, with genetic manipulation and engineering the eradication of many of these disorders must be considered carefully. Diversity is necessary for society to thrive and continue to grow. Many creative, inventive and forward thinking individuals suffered from mental illness... Georgia O'Keefe, Van Gogh, Churchill, and their contributions to society are immeasurable. Had such genetic manipulation been available our society would never have known the beauty of some of the world's most sought after art.Antonetta makes a strong and impressive argument that although technological advancements may make it possible to rid ourselves of undesirable traits today, doing so could prove disastrous in the future. While an important and complex issue, the book often appears unorganized and confusing, making it a very difficult read, even for the most interested reader.
The concepts and thought provoking, controversial issues brought forth in this book may one day (soon) present themselves and force the public and society to face that which would have been considered purely science fiction a mere decade ago. However, such topics need to be thoroughly fleshed out, utilizing every available means. I found it very difficult to read, many important facets were left incomplete and this left me feeling more than bit unsatisfied, confused and let down. I would love to see these issues covered again - thoroughly. Worth a look, but make sure you have lots of patience, as this is not a fast read and check it out from library!
Happy Reading!
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eye openning
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-10-22
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I am 54 years old, and have thought about evolution and those of us with different ways of thinking for several years; I was amazed that others think about these things, much more deeply than I ever did. A joy to read.
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by Susanne Antonetta
ISBN: 1585425184
Paperback: 256 pages
Condition: Used: Like New
Comments: Sold with pride. This is a previously unread copy pulled from our shelves. It may have minimal shelf wear.
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Customer Reviews
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Book Review, "A Mind Apart"
Rating (3)
Date: 2008-04-24
0 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
Although the content of this book isn't quite what one would expect given the description on the dust jacket, it is nevertheless an interesting read. It is a book I would recommend to anyone looking for artistic inspiration and struggling with writer's block, based on the language it is written in and the numerous perspectives being offered on the human mind. While it gives the reader something to ponder, it is not by any means what would be considered in the realm of a medical text or an authority on neurology. The entire book is written in the context of the memoir of a middle aged woman observing the growth of her adopted son, in a search for the answers to existential questions no one can truly answer. Interesting tidbits of more scientific information are thrown in, ranging everywhere from the intelligence of whales and their sophisticated means of communication to theories on the workings of autistic minds and multiple personality disorder.
What's interesting is that in a book dedicated to neurodiversity, which in itself conveys the notion of humanity itself being an incredibly diverse species, the author approaches both her writing and her life as someone living with a mind she perceives to be abnormal and as a result her own self being damaged. She is bipolar and throughout the book addresses her fear that with the progresses of genetic engineering, people like her will gradually cease to exist, and so too will the creativity that drives our culture. If I could offer one suggestion to Susanne Antonetta, it would be that she try, if only for a brief period of time, to view herself and her own mind as being not so much apart from the rest of humanity, but as unique and as diverse as any other and as one treasured piece ingrained within the whole.
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Diversely neurotic
Rating (1)
Date: 2007-12-13
0 out of 5 customers found this reveiw helpful
We're all weird. Just because we have the hubris to put our oddities to paper and offer them to the world doesn't make them worthy of attention.
Antonetta (a.k.a highly functioning university professor Paola) is a mediocre imitation of much more authentic writers--Anne Lamott, Kay Redfield Jamison.
I hate that memoirs have become dumping grounds for neuroses. Don't be fooled into thinking this book has any merits--there are much better ones out there.
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Musical Intelligence/Diverse Form
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-11-11
4 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
WHAT I APPRECIATE MOST about Susanne Antonetta's prose is the multiplicity of her voice. Here's a prose writer who appreciates more than one kind of music. Antonetta's work is aptly described as a mosaic hybrid, because of the ways she mingles the confessional, the mental, the lyric and also the scholarly and journalistic report. The music of this writer's literary intelligence is in the impact of montage, the shock of hybrid collision.
In Antonetta's A Mind Apart, bodies, minds and reports from the world collide. A Pacific Northwest community gathers to view a dead whale on the beach. A teenager kills a neighbor boy as a kind of science experiment. The husband of the narrator's cousin has a seeming-sorority of female characters living the mosaic of his multiple personalities, all of whom send her email. The intellectual pleasures of this work occur in the questions it asks about how a culture defines "normal" and what we might lose if genetic engineering succeeds in clarifying the borderline of acceptable human brain process.
The literary pleasures of this work alight out of the layering of many aspects and approaches, the content coming to the page through the voice of a poet, diarist, essayist and reporter who has told us from the start that her skin is too thin to enable her to stave off much of what she finds urgently stacked up in the world.
Antonetta is a writer to whose work I am particularly attuned, because of the ways her narrator is relatively unmasked, her structures metaphorical and lyrically innovative, her interests multiple and surprisingly connected, her aims to layer her own life with that of the larger questions of the world palpable and original. I can't think of many writers who hit all those notes.
I've long told students that my understanding of the "writer's voice" is as a kind of blueprint of the writer's body and mind, translated into language. For the lyric sensibility, the body with too few shields, the mind that experiences the atmosphere of life as stacked and layered and splintered and broken, while at the same time hears human existence as a mad and varied song, may have little choice but to write in such forms. This beautiful book is to my ear is an essential contribution to creative nonfiction form.
Barrie Jean Borich
author of My Lesbian Husband
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Thought Provoking - Poorly Conveyed
Rating (2)
Date: 2007-11-04
6 out of 6 customers found this reveiw helpful
Susanne Antonetta explores the lives and abilities of those who are considered by society to be different. The thought processes of those with multiple personality and bipolar disorders, schizophrenia, autism, and various other neurological conditions can be mystifying to those on the outside, including family and friends. Suffering from manic depression for many years, Antonetta utilizes her own experiences to paint a detailed and often personal portrait of the beautiful contributions made by these individuals, and the potential consequences of eradicating such conditions.Advancements in technology are presenting man with many options that were at one time unthinkable. Today, with genetic manipulation and engineering the eradication of many of these disorders must be considered carefully. Diversity is necessary for society to thrive and continue to grow. Many creative, inventive and forward thinking individuals suffered from mental illness... Georgia O'Keefe, Van Gogh, Churchill, and their contributions to society are immeasurable. Had such genetic manipulation been available our society would never have known the beauty of some of the world's most sought after art.Antonetta makes a strong and impressive argument that although technological advancements may make it possible to rid ourselves of undesirable traits today, doing so could prove disastrous in the future. While an important and complex issue, the book often appears unorganized and confusing, making it a very difficult read, even for the most interested reader.
The concepts and thought provoking, controversial issues brought forth in this book may one day (soon) present themselves and force the public and society to face that which would have been considered purely science fiction a mere decade ago. However, such topics need to be thoroughly fleshed out, utilizing every available means. I found it very difficult to read, many important facets were left incomplete and this left me feeling more than bit unsatisfied, confused and let down. I would love to see these issues covered again - thoroughly. Worth a look, but make sure you have lots of patience, as this is not a fast read and check it out from library!
Happy Reading!
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eye openning
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-10-22
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I am 54 years old, and have thought about evolution and those of us with different ways of thinking for several years; I was amazed that others think about these things, much more deeply than I ever did. A joy to read.
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by Chris Lemmon (Foreword: Kevin Spacey)
ISBN: 1565124804
Hardcover: 224 pages
Condition: Used: Like New
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. Gently read copy in like new condition. Light reading wear.
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Customer Reviews
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You can hear his father's voice
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-07-01
When writing about Jack Lemmon's failed aspirations on the celebrity golf classic Chris Lemmon declared that he could clearly imagine his "Pop" winning with his traditional hearty "Isn't that a bit of terrific!" Every time I read that I could hear Jack Lemmon's voice in my head. That's the juice of this story. Jack's voice singing through his son's words.
This is the view of the gifted, charming, incredibly likeable Jack Lemmon through the eyes of his gifted, talented, and seemingly honest son Chris. He is a bit heavy handed on the "beloved father" and "cherished sister" phrases which, although refreshing in a celebrity biography (very un-Mommy Dearest), such affectations were completely superfluous because his adoration of his Pop came through in every word.
It took a bit of getting used to hearing of squeaky clean Jack Lemmon swearing and drinking so much. But he swore in such a funny, enthusiastic, unique way that I ended up adoring that about him. And the drinking? He fixed it. The hero came through in the end.
Some of the players didn't come off as well. I was appalled at the pettiness of Lemmon's wife who had her knickers in a twist over some fight with Walter Matthau's wife and made Jack and Walter's friendship difficult. Chris said of the depth of his father's relationship with Walter "I think if Uncle Waltz had taken up golf, Pop would have married him." But that was not the only time Lemmon's widow got into fights with people. She fought with Jack and nearly killed him in a drunken rage when she threw a heavy glass ashtray at Lemmon's head. That particular drunken brawl was the end of drinking for Jack, but not for his wife. Chris alludes that he and his stepmother were never on good terms and it's admirable that he didn't stoop to airing any of their dirty laundry in this book. Though dirty it certainly would be.
The book takes us on fishing trips to Alaska, sound stages in Hollywood, and on the golf course. Chris' references to the "Lemmon curse" is amusing and so well told that it played in my imagination as clear as a movie. What a great sense of humour Jack had, and how delightfully it was passed down to Chris.
I had such a crush on Jack Lemmon, and still do even now he's gone. I wish he had enjoyed a happier marriage and had taken more time to be a father. But he was true to himself, and did remarkable things. I would imagine being his son to be the most wonderful thing in the world and one of the hardest. What an act to follow!
This was a fascinating tribute to the father, not the actor or the person. Chris Lemmon is a really gifted writer. I hope he continues to write. I will eagerly buy whatever he puts his name to after reading this charming book. I hope he reads these reviews because there is something I'd like to say to him. "Hello Ramhead, go F yourself!" (He said he missed hearing that.)
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A Twist of Lemmon and a Touch of Class
Rating (5)
Date: 2007-01-19
2 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
CL pays the ultimate tribute to his father in this classy portrayal of the supremely gifted father and the somewhat lonely but not lost son trying to sort out a complicated relationship made more complex amidst the mixed fortunes born of fame and celebrity and the tensions and heartaches that always come with divorce. This is a wonderful read that confirms much of the positive image that most people hold of the elder Lemmon while affirming the deep love that father and son were able to share in an environment that has split so many other families apart. Jack Lemmon was without doubt driven in terms of his career, but the measure of the man is that he reserved a part of himself for his son that was theirs and theirs alone.
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both tart and sweet, it's Lemmonade
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-12-18
3 out of 3 customers found this reveiw helpful
Recommended: A Twist of Lemmon: a Tribute to My Father, by Chris Lemmon
Chris Lemmon writes as though chatting with a friend, about the father he loved. I was drawn in by the humanity of the man and the honesty of his son, the author. According to Chris, Jack Lemmon was like an ornery little boy, a little like my own father. Both father and son were aware of Jack's strengths and shortcomings (drinking, a temper, over-dedication to his career). I think Jack Lemmon is probably recognizable in some person in everyone's life. STAR is not the picture drawn here.
There is some language that a few sensitive folks may find offensive; I did say he was ornery didn't I? However,I believe if those folks read on, they will be glad they did. There's nothing really vulgar, but some humor is pretty worldly. Chris says that one of his father's favorite lines to the nurses, even near the end, was "Wanna take a peek at Stiffy?" Alternating from hospital room to scenes from Jack's life Chris Lemmon creates a complete picture of the man without ever going Hollywood neon.
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A character actor pays homage to his famous movie star father
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-09-13
1 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
Actor Chris Lemmon,not as famous as his late movie star father Jack pays homage to the elder Lemmon in this book. The elder Lemmon has done quite a few films throughout his career with his late longtime friend Walter Matthau. Chris' mother divorced Jack when Chris was a toddler. Chris became a cast member of one of Fox's first sitcoms,Duet,which ran from April 1987 to August 1989. Duet was then spun off as Open House which ran for nearly a year. Chris' character Richard Phillips and his wife Linda,played by Alison LaPlaca, were respectively,a patio furniture salesman and an executive film producer. Richard quit the retail business and became a cocktail lounge pianist. On the spin-off Linda went into real estate. Post-Duet-OH,Chris has had a series of guest roles on various shows. Hundreds of people,including Michael Douglas and his wife Catherine Zeta-Jones,attended memorial services for Jack in 2001. Jack was 75 years old when he passed away. I dedicate this book to Jack's memory.
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well written but...
Rating (2)
Date: 2006-09-01
2 out of 6 customers found this reveiw helpful
depressing as each chapter starts with a final illness segment. Without that it would have been a MUCH better and more enjoyable book. It may have been cathartic and healing for Chris, but not so for me.
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by Andrew Young
ISBN: 0840769989
Hardcover: 172 pages
Condition: Used: Like New
Comments: Sold with pride. Gently read copy in like new condition.
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Customer Reviews
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This is a touching book that should be read by all persons
Rating (5)
Date: 1999-04-05
12 out of 13 customers found this reveiw helpful
Way Out of No Way is the story of one of the most well respected yet underappreciated figures in America. Starting from childhood, Andrew Young describes his early life growing up in an middle class family during the great depression. Andrew Young describes how there was pressure on him to continue in the family business, yet he knew that there was something else in store for his life. From meeting his wife to working with Martin Luther King, this book takes you behind the scenes of the Civil Rights Movement, the marches and how the events were organized. Young describes his life after the movement from his meeting with President Carter, his position as US Ambassador, his time as Mayor of Atlanta, to the death of his wife. This is a touching book written about a man whose work has touched every American.
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by David Matthews
ISBN: 0805081496
Hardcover: 320 pages
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: Sold with pride and shipped with confirmation for US addresses. Book in very good condition with VERY LIGHT reading wear. EX LIBRARY copy which did not spend much time in circulation before being released. Library markings present but no further markings or imperfections.
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Customer Reviews
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beautiful and moving
Rating (5)
Date: 2010-01-29
This is a beautiful book.
The author's strength is in his storytelling, describing a harsh environment that many of us on a fundamental level may not relate to, but can either deeply understand his accounts of daily struggle (not solely racial) or are fascinated and illuminated to a world that is unfamiliar to us. He has an incredibly rich memory for small and intimate details and I admired his ability to be so open and honest about his life, his shortcomings and his personal struggles of feeling compelled to choose one race, one part of his heritage, over the other. It was this mix of emotions I felt while reading this book, from the hilarious to the distressing, that made me send it to quite a few friends and family, only too interested to see what they took from it, if anything. They were not only moved by his account, but we were all left with a narrative whose imagery and impressions will stick with us for a very long time.
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A Memoir
Rating (1)
Date: 2010-01-12
0 out of 2 customers found this reveiw helpful
This was a boring book. I would not recommend this book to anyone. I will donate this book to good will and maybe someone else will enjoy it. I'm glad I used a gift certificate to get this book. It did not hold my interest after the second page. please tell the author to step up his writing skills.
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A big ego and bad editing make for a troubling read
Rating (2)
Date: 2009-12-30
I was given this book and read it with great expectations. Matthews can write and he's got a great story to tell, but stylistically he's all over the place. The better sections are plainly written and heartfelt, while others have florid footnotes and, worse, refer to the reader as "Dear Reader." He's self-loathing--a sentiment the reader will agree with as the book ends-- and his section about those cry baby Jews whining about the Holocaust should turn off most readers.
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LOVING THIS
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-10-02
I'm only half way through the book and I'm absolutely loving it. Originally, I thought it was going to be a bit too heavy in subject matter and consist of things that are either over my head or that I can't relate to at all... but I don't want to put the book down! With the cleverness of Woody Allen and David Sedaris, and the earnestness of J.D. Salinger, Ace of Spades, is basically the perfect book.
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Sadly disappointed....
Rating (3)
Date: 2008-09-08
1 out of 1 customers found this reveiw helpful
I had seen the author on several talk shows and found his life story to be very interesting and inspiring. Unfortunately, that didn't translate into writing very well for me personally. I was excited to buy this book but found that I didn't get near the prospective I had gotten from his television interviews and felt more like there were others ways I could have spent that time. Sorry if I am offending anyone but this guy should stick to television because his story is one more people should hear, but they won't get it or learn from it if they only read the book.
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4.9 stars over the past 12 months (994 ratings)
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5 out of 5: 2010-03-13
excellent
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good condition fast shipping
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Good packaging, book in great shape
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