Book Description
A droll, inquisitive, and poignant memoir of agoraphobia from a member of one of New York's premier literary families
Allen Shawn is afraid of heights, water, fields, parking lots, tunnels, and unknown roads. He avoids taking subways, using elevators, or crossing bridges. In short, he is afraid of both closed and open spaces and of any form of isolation. Yet this is a memoir of enormous bravery.
Shawn grew up in a lively but mysterious world. He is the son of the famous, longtime New Yorker editor William Shawn and brother to the brilliant playwright and actor Wallace Shawn. His twin sister is autistic, and when they were eight years old, she was put in a home. Though it was kept from him until he was in his thirties, his father led a double life that introduced strict taboos to his household. Shawn examines these influences, his father's and mother's phobias, and his own struggle with agoraphobia with generosity, wit, and insight, attempting to decipher the psychological and biological puzzles that have plagued him for so long.
Interwoven with both Freudian psychology and cutting-edge brain research, Shawn has written a profound examination of familial love and the universal struggle to face our demons.
Customer Reviews:
"Being Entirely Honest With Oneself Is A Good Exercise" S. Freud.......2007-10-07
It seems to me that the writing of this very honest memoir must have been a therapeutic exercise for author Alan Shawn as well as offering insight to those wishing to understand anxiety and phobias. Mr. Shawn attempts to relate Freudian theories into the schemes of his life to explain the neurosis that afflict him. Although I have always had difficulty swallowing Freud's explanations for such behaviors, Shawn certainly makes a strong case of explaining how his family dynamics and perhaps genetic predisposition created the perfect storm in his own life. In fact, the most compelling part of the book are his personal notes, rather than his interpretations of Freud's psychologocal theories. I immensely enjoyed the stories of his parents, his siblings, and his family life which not only possessed great insight but were rather entertaining as well. His candid writing style and honest description could make even the sanest person relate. After all, we are all afflicted with some degree of anxiety and in Shawn's case, although heightened, it becomes understandable as he sheds light into his innermost thoughts and openly shares his journey towards acceptance and some degree of control.
honest, sensitive, delightful, informative.......2007-09-13
I picked up this book at random, b/c someone I knew was giving it away, and feel lucky to have come across it. First of all, Shawn is such an obviously sensitive and reflective person that it was a pleasure to spend time in his company. Second, he opened a window into the world of the phobic that I had not understood before. Third, his lessons on brain physiology and Freudian psychoanalysis -- written by and for a layperson -- were terrific and instructive. Highly recommend.
Inspirational book..........2007-08-31
I felt very connected to this book by just reading the first 10 pages. I suffer panic/anxiety attacks, and have for many years. Reading this book I feel comforted and not alone in my demise. It is a wonderfully comforting book which tells you that you are not alone with your fears. Shawn, whose family history, like mine, is dysfunctional and full of catastrophes, speaks of useful human fears that can be turned into strengths, and of unnecessary fears. All my fears seem unnecessary to me, and they make me, make everyone, into something controlled from the outside, something almost no longer human when the fears take over, or when you see other people or every change of location only as a threat. There is a lot to learn from this book, and it calms your insides when you are told about it this way. I am very grateful for it, grateful too that I am not alone with my fears.
Confronting the Fears of a Fearful Life.......2007-07-20
It is a scary world out there, and we are rightly concerned to drive carefully, use our seatbelts, avoid dangerous neighborhoods after dark, and refrain from picking up snakes before herpetological identification. Some anxiety is good for us; the person who has no worries just isn't paying enough attention. Composer Allen Shawn, however, has more than his share. He gets terrified if he is in an enclosed space, and then he gets terrified if he is somewhere in the wide outdoors. He has trouble negotiating bridges and tunnels or driving on any unfamiliar road, and he cannot ride on a subway. When he tries such adventures, he has numerous physical symptoms. His breath gets short, his vision blanks out, he gets confused and agitated, his muscles get tight, and he has to try to get out of what his mind and body are telling him is his dangerous situation. "I'm working on this 'agorophobia' problem," he writes in _Wish I Could Be There: Notes from a Phobic Life_ (Viking), and part of his work was surely this volume itself. It is composed of his layman's research into the most recent science of phobias, as well as nods to the interpretations by Freud and others, but is best as a memoir concentrating on his family and upbringing, and the effects upon him of his own phobias and theirs.
Shawn was the son of the famous editor of _The New Yorker_, William Shawn, and his wife Cecille who had been a reporter in Chicago, both of whom had phobias but of less degree than he has. The family kept quiet about its Jewish background and about the father's long term affair with another writer. They also said little about the author's twin sister Mary who was institutionalized at age eight and remains so, for mental retardation now diagnosed as autism. Shawn tries to understand this peculiar upbringing, full of love, concern, intellectualization, and concealment. "Would I have become agoraphobic without my mother's ... deeply conflicted response to my growth and independence? ... without a retarded twin sister who was sent away? Without our remarkable pileup of family secrets?" The questions mount, and of course the assistance they give in understanding is merely from being asked, since they can never be satisfactorily answered. Shawn piles up documentation of scientific thinking about fear. "The fear response is something admirable. Those of us who are subject to its misfiring shouldn't blame the response itself. Every single ingredient in it is the result of millennia of adaptations that helped us to survive." His descriptions of panic are indeed scary, but his intellectual understanding of it does not help: "I remain dumbfounded at how automatic, instantaneous, and severe my reactions are, not to mention how trivial the triggers can be."
Shawn understands the condition in general, and the specifics of his own case, and such intellectualizations help, but they do not take the condition away. In a book full of literary allusions, he quotes Robert Burton from almost five centuries ago, who wrote that for such terrors, "counsel can do little good: you may as well bid him that... is wounded not to feel pain." Shawn's life remains circumscribed by his illness. He is an internationally renowned composer, but cannot get to performances of his own work. He cannot make himself attend such necessities as family funerals. He cannot go to elevated levels of buildings for appointments or for parties. It is hard to see a bright sides of such a condition, but he can find at least some. He got anxiety from being in groups, but found that if he took the leadership of the group, or conducted it, or gave a speech, he was at least in a role that would cause some anxiety in anyone, and his anxiety was at least more explicable. His insistence on avoiding newness and danger does not affect his musical compositions, because he is disappointed if a new piece doesn't break some new ground, and was complimented when a critic said of a piece that it had unexpected twists and turns. The unexpected is fine in his music, but he does not want it in his daily life. It is interesting, too, that he is "as able to cope with normal nervousness as the next person". A job interview or a concert performance produces anticipatory anxiety that he can deal with by taking a deep breath and plunging in. He can sometimes muster the courage to do so even against the madness-tinged anxiety he describes here, and to have researched and written a book like this one surely was a courageous act for someone who likes routine and who lists as a main difficulty his inability to "move forward in the world without knowing already what lies ahead." With good humor and curiosity, he has presented a mystifying and crippling condition without self-pity and with an invitation to consider that his abnormalities may help us appreciate our own lives, which may be closer to normal (whatever that is) but are still not far from his own.
Reads like a textbook...very dry.......2007-07-09
This book is captivating when the author discusses his own history with panic and phobia during the first several chapters. Then he drones on endlessly on anxiety disorder as though he's writing a psychology textbook.
Skip the last 3/4 of the book, and you've got a good read.
Book Description
Part memoir, part monologue, with a dash of startling honesty, There’s Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say features biographies of legendary historical figures from which Paula Poundstone can’t help digressing to tell her own story. Mining gold from the lives of Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, Joan of Arc, and Beethoven, among others, the eccentric and utterly inimitable mind of Paula Poundstone dissects, observes, and comments on the successes and failures of her own life with surprising candor and spot-on comedic timing in this unique laugh-out-loud book.
If you like Paula Poundstone’s ironic and blindingly intelligent humor, you’ll love this wryly observant, funny, and touching book.
Paula Poundstone on . . .
The sources of her self-esteem: “A couple of years ago I was reunited with a guy I knew in the fifth grade. He said, “All the other fifth-grade guys liked the pretty girls, but I liked you.” It’s hard to know if a guy is sincere when he lays it on that thick.
The battle between fatigue and informed citizenship: I play a videotape of The NewsHour with Jim Lehrer every night, but sometimes I only get as far as the theme song (da da-da-da da-ah) before I fall asleep. Sometimes as soon as Margaret Warner says whether or not Jim Lehrer is on vacation I drift right off. Somehow just knowing he’s well comforts me.
The occult: I need to know exactly what day I’m gonna die so that I don’t bother putting away leftovers the night before.
TV’s misplaced priorities: Someday in the midst of the State of the Union address they’ll break in with, “We interrupt this program to bring you a little clip from Bewitched.”
Travel: In London I went to the queen’s house. I went as a tourist—she didn’t invite me so she could pick my brain: “What do you think of my face on the pound? Too serious?”
Air-conditioning in Florida: If it were as cold outside in the winter as they make it inside in the summer, they’d put the heat on. It makes no sense.
The scandal: The judge said I was the best probationer he ever had. Talk about proud.
With a foreword by Mary Tyler Moore
Customer Reviews:
There's nothing in this book that I meant to say by Paula Poundstone.......2007-08-06
This is a funny book... I listened to it in my car on five CDs. Paula has been through a lot and yet she has not lost her sense of humor. If you ever get the chance to go see her live, don't miss it. She is one of the quickest and the best at adLib that I have ever seen.
Humor, History and Humility.......2007-07-29
What do Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Helen Keller, Beethoven, Charles Dickens,The Wright Brothers and Sitting Bull all have in common? Isn't it obvious? Paula Poundstone of course.
Ms. Poundstone makes both humorous and serious parallels with these historical figures as she goes back and forth between her life and theirs. We not only learn about her own history, we learn about her wry views on life, recovery from her addiction and her number one priority-her three children. As an added bonus we may even be motivated to read more about the people whose names are the titles of the seven chapters.
I especially appreciated her frank discussion of her alcoholism in terms of acceptance,taking responsibility as well as making amends to those whose lives were most affected, her children.
Well done Paula!
A pleasant, rambling read.......2007-07-26
This book feels a lot like listening to a Paula Poundstone comedy routine. She starts off on one topic and you never know where you will end up. I was pleasantly surprised by how personal she was willing to get when talking about her recent substance problems. She did so with much grace and self-deprecating humor. I just love her wit and found myself laughing out loud on several occasions.
There's Nothing in This Book That I Meant to Say.......2007-06-08
Great book. She writes with raw honesty and gentle humour. While reading the book, you feel like you're having a great heart to heart talk, with a good friend.
Nayslove.......2007-05-12
If you are a fan of Paula's, you will LOVE this book! If you aren't and are looking for a good read, you will enjoy the history lesson and fall in love with her. I laughed so hard I had tears rolling. It is both poignant and hysterically funny. She is brilliant as a comic, and now as an author.
Customer Reviews:
Crazed Coyote.......2007-10-18
This book is completely over the top. Coming from a girl with nieces in Arizona-this is a great, fun desert read. This book takes the story of a woman who swallowed a fly to another level. The art work is incredible. The story and the expression on the coyote's face becomes more and more outrageous as it details everything on the menu. Awesome book for story time with your kids. Very fun with great art.
A SPICY NEW TAKE ON AN OLD FAVORITE.......2007-05-06
Often a new take on a beloved favorite is doubly appealing due to the familiarity of the piece and the originality of its latest incarnation. Such is the case with There Was A Coyote Who Swallowed A Flea as it is given a spicy Southwestern flavor.
Youngsters will love the sing-song rhyme and giggle at the ridiculous coyote who considered everything to be dinner. First of all, he ingested a flea which he found on his knee. That's probable. But the hilarity increases when he swallows a lizard that "slithered right down to his gizzard" to catch the flea. Then, what catches a lizard? A snake, of course. Poor, poor coyote, it seems he can't win for losing.
What he finally swallows is surprise that will leave youngsters laughing out loud at such silly shenanigans.
Steve Gray's bold, comical illustrations are perfect companions for this laugh provoking tale.
- Gail Cooke
Will become a favorite.......2007-03-09
Jennifer Ward is the author of The Seed and the Giant Saguaro, which received the Young Readers' Award honor book for the First Grade Book for the state of Arizona. It was selected by Arizona's Governor. Ward resides in Tucson and her environment lends itself to the children's books she writes.
There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea is the retelling of an old rhyme. Coyote swallows most everything in sight in this children's story. He starts with a flea and works his way through a lizard, snake, bird, chile, cactus, a ten gallon hat, a boot, a bull (oh my!), and finally the moon. And then... Well, that's a surprise!
There Was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea is a raucous tail of a Coyote and his antics. It's a delightful story that will result in belly laughs. The illustrations are large, bold and silly. No, that's not enough. They're just plain zany. And that's a good thing.
Armchair Interviews says: This book will be a favorite of children and the adults will love it also.
A whimsical children's picturebook offering an outrageous take on a common children's nursery rhyme.......2007-02-04
Award-winning author Jennifer Ward presents There was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea, a whimsical children's picturebook offering an outrageous take on a common children's nursery rhyme. Following the exploits of a hungry coyote who sets out to gulp down everything in sight - and the perplexed appetizers socializing in his tummy - There was a Coyote Who Swallowed a Flea blends the vibrant, cartoony art of Steve Gray and singsong rhythm to create a rollicking funny tale. "He swallowed the cactus to go with the chile. / He swallowed the chile to season the bird. / He swallowed the bird to catch the snake. / He swallowed the snake to catch the lizard. / He swallowed the lizard to catch the flea, / Plucked from his knee, that tickly flea. / Yippe-o-ki-yee?"
Book Description
Adventures of a Montana cowboy who gained world fame as a big game hunter. The dean of American gun writers, Elmer Keth tells his own story, cowboy, broncbuster, hunting guide and rancher, Keith maintained an abiding and active interest in firearms, here he takes you from Alaska to Africa on his big game hunts.
Customer Reviews:
A Better Time and Place.......2006-08-26
Elmer Keith is a legend of the American West and of firearms. He was a contemporary of Charles Askins (Unrepentent Sinner) and of many of the other greats of American firearm experts.
I never met him though had I known how close I was to him during the late 1970s, I would have made the effort to meet him. Elmer was typical of the classic western male of the early to mid-1900s. The effete, feminized, modern urban male will classify him as arrogant and a braggart. This is understandable, yet regrettable, because the modern male understands nothing of committment to anything except their own self-interest and comfort. They do not understand conviction or character. Elmer had plenty of both.
I thoroughly enjoyed the read. I first read it in the late 1980s in a borrowed book. I enjoyed it now even more. I was dismayed at the amount of carnage in the hunting stories he provided. The number of wounded game and the multiple shots required to kill game as they suffered and fled is tragic. The needless suffering of hunted and trapped animals is disturbing. But, it must be kept in mind that these were different times and trapping and hunting as a means of survival is far different from the motivation of most hunters and trappers of today. I could not even read Chapter 7 because of the accounts of the slaughter of African game, especially the elephants.
The most compelling portions of Elmer's memoir are his accounts of the broncs he rode, the country he saw, his encounters with incompetent and arrogant law enforcement officials, game wardens and other government bureaucrats like the Forest Service, and his dealing with extraordinary physical pain and suffering. This was one tough son of a bitch (and that is a compliment).
A very noticeable thread in the book is the confrontations with law enforcement officers, especially Idaho game wardens. These accounts further corroborate the conflicts that occurred between Claude Dallas and the same department officials in 1981 ending with Claude shooting and killing two of them. There are also accounts by Elmer of the old time law enforcement officials that understood the differences between good guys and bad guys and encouraged citizens to take action against the bad guys. A far cry from the "obedient street bureaucrats" that assault all citizens with impunity in today's world.
This world, both domestically and internationally would be a better place if more of our population adhered to the values and certitudes of right and wrong that men like Elmer took as a matter of course.
Elmer came up during hard times, but these times were, arguably, among the best years of America. We had a stable and homogenous population that had greater continuity of values and a love and respect for America. The country, especially the West, was less crowded and self-sufficiency and independence with a love of individual liberty was the order of the day. It was a time when a man carried a six-gun and was expected to conduct himself honorably and carried the means of dealing with those who were dishonorable. It was a better time and place.
A bold and bragging autobiography of a tough man.......2006-08-03
Elmer Keith was referred to as the dean of American gun writers and that may have been an honest title. He wrote about cartridges and firearms as much as about hunting and the outdoors.
This is his autobiography; told in his typcal bold and bragging way he was the real life version of type of character that was typified in John Wayne movies. He was truly an American legend. There is a certain amount of bragging and patting himself on the back in his story along with his ability to stretch the barrels on some of his big bore firearms, but it is also a tough and gritty story written with Keith's wry sense of humor.
Elmer Keith was a man who saw the door close on the era of the old west and the ushering in of the new west. He was an anachronism, a nineteenth century man trapped in the twentieth century.
This is not a gun book as such, but a lot of ammo gets expended in the telling of it. All in all, it is a very entertaining read for anyone interested in firearms, hunting and the outdoors.
The Story of a Man's Man.......2006-03-23
A couple of generations ago, you couldn't have a conversation with someone about big game hunting or big bore cartridges for very long without the name Elmer Keith coming up. Elmer was a man's man, to be sure. In HELL I WAS THERE, Keith has assembled a bit of a personal memoir of so many of his adventures from `back in the day'. Keith was not that great of a writer, but not many could come close to his prowess as a storyteller.
Elmer was a rather prolific writer, with countless articles in gun magazines of the 60's and 70's, and a number of well known books, but this one is by far, my personal favorite. I laughed out loud as the great six-gunner told the story of when he contracted to thin elephant herds in Africa. He used the opportunity to test which weapon was most effective. He determined the .460 Weatherby Mag a poor choice as the slug had such force, it simply passed through the giant beast, making them rather angry, knocked down a few trees and wiped out an African village.
This is a most enjoyable read, as are all of Keith's books, which I would highly recommend for any firearm enthusiast. If you're not of my generation or older, learn what life was like when big game hunting was still fashionable, and almost affordable, from a man who carried a six gun on his side most every day of his life. Elmer Keith was a legend. This is his story.
Monty Rainey
www.juntosociety.com
Rough- hewn memoir of a tough man.......2005-09-20
I picked the book up because I came across so many references to Elmer Keith as I got into handgun sports. The man behind the .44 magnum, etc....
It took me a bit to get into the book because it is kind of a discursive memoir with a bit of a mixed chronology. This is explained by Keith's comments at the end that he dictated the book-- he was urged by many to write his memoirs but didn't want to pound out another book on the typewriter.
But I did get into it and greatly enjoyed it. This guy was tough beyond what most of us can even imagine. Keith talks more about his outdoor life in this book than about the technicalities of his cartridge development. He expresses a few crochets at the end about how the world is going to hell, but he has a point there, too.
A very worthwhile read if you are a traditional outdoorsman, especially.
One of my top 10 reads!.......2002-05-02
From a time in our country when people were not just sheep and actually had to depend on themselves to get by and not the welfare check!!
Elmer Keith inspires all hunters and shooters with The story of his life in a time that we can only dream of and wish for.
This book is a must read over and over again!.
Book Description
While many have heard the music of Johnny Cash, few know the whole story behind his extraordinary career and the stories of those who helped him attain his success. Marshall Grant, Cash's long-time bassist and one of the founding members of Johnny Cash and the Tennessee Two, chronicles their rise to fame from humble beginnings to world renown.
The genesis for I Was There When It Happened was a rousing speech by Grant during the nationally televised memorial service for Johnny Cash. After receiving multiple standing ovations, Grant was approached by several people, including former Vice President Albert Gore Jr., to consider writing a book. The result is a touching, revealing, and inspiring memoir about the Man in Black.
Beginning with Grant and guitarist Luther Perkins's initial introductions to Johnny Cash and the jam sessions that followed, readers will marvel at how their musical inabilities drove these three men to musical greatness. From Grant's humorous story of placing adhesive tape on his upright bass to learn the notes prior to landing their Sun Records recording contract and witnessing Johnny write "I Walk the Line," to his experience of playing with Cash at Folsom Prison, readers are taken backstage into Cash's inner circle.
"Johnny Cash was the greatest human being to ever walk the face of the earth," states Marshall Grant. While Grant and Cash experienced remarkable success in their careers, the most profound success was their enduring friendship until Cash's dying day. Through the good and the bad—and there was plenty of both—Marshall Grant shares how John and he "walked the line" for each other and those around them. I Was There When It Happened is a testimony to friendship and to the unique qualities behind one of the most respected and beloved entertainers of all time.
Customer Reviews:
Fun read.......2007-10-02
Not great literature, and definitely the author writes probably a bit too much about himself, especially his contributions to making J. Cash the success he was, but a fun read. A lot of inside kind of info. Johnny Cash fans will really enjoy the book. Marshall Grant will be at the Johnny Cash Flower Picking Festival in Starkville, Mississippi on November 3 to discuss his book.
HUH?.......2007-10-02
I've known Marshall all my life.
I love him and Etta very much.
I enjoyed part of the book. I do think he should have stuck with what he KNEW though.
After he "left" Dad's organization, the story should have picked up after he and Dad started speaking again.
The second hand information from "other employees and people close to Dad" was not fact. It was gossip, and I was very surprised at the "information" he was fed from people that were working for Dad at the time!
Talk about biting the hand that feeds you...
I was not only working for Dad at the time, but around him all the time. I found myself shocked at some of the
things Marshall was told. I'm sad that people Dad trusted in his office, home and on the road were so back stabbing.
I always knew it, but this book made me cry at the traitors he paid very well.
Love to Marshall and Etta though...Kathy
He WAS there when it happened!.......2007-09-28
I thoroughly enjoyed this book. The account of the Sun Records era and the origin of the Johnny Cash sound was well written and, despite what other reviewers have stated, consistent with other written accounts.
Johnny Cash's drug use during the 1960s was well documented. There is no question in my mind that Marshall Grant, June Carter, and Vivian Cash all loved Cash and wanted to free him from the drug demons that threatened to destroy him.
For most of the 1960s, the drug use transcended Cash's recording and performing career. Cash cleaned up his life (with, apparently, a few relapses), and his career underwent a resurgence. Sadly, in the early 1980's the drugs seemed to re-emerge as an issue and strain a lot of key relationships in his life. Marshall Grant was one of the casualties of that era.
To his credit, Grant chose not to write a tell-all book as retribution while Cash was alive. It was also good to hear that Cash and Grant were able to reconcile and resume their friendship in the end.
I did not consider the book self-serving, as other reviewers have stated. It seemed to me to be a series of anecdotes from a friend. It was an easy read and I would recommend it highly as a biography of Cash.
From the inside.......2007-08-17
For all Cash fans. We forget that we all have human faults when someone dies. Grant has exposed Johnny's demons that exist in all of us. This, in no way, makes Cash less a great human being but shows the world and Johnny's fans that he had many of the same weaknesses we all do. You will not regreat reading. I attended a show in 1964 when Cash did not appear and Tex Ritter played for over an hour vs. his 20 minute set and then announced that Cash was "ill" and would not be appearing. Johnny came back a month later and our original tickets were honored for a second show that was terrific!
An insiders look at the touring Johnny Cash.......2007-07-30
While many reviewers note that Marshall Grant's writing may not be as scintillating as they had hoped, it is important the reader take this book for what it is - an insider's look at touring with Johnny Cash written by the bass player in the Tennessee Two. I found this book very insightful and easy to digest. If you are not a big Cash fan, you may not be able to get through some of the writers' stylistic nuances. However, if you are a true Cash fan, buy this book. It will be well worth your dollars and time. Thanks to Marshall for providing this for us.
Book Description
Notes from a Small Island
After nearly two decades in Britain, Bill Bryson decided to move his wife and kids back to his homeland of the United States. But not before taking one last trip around Britain, a sort of valedictory tour of the green and kindly island that had so long been his home. The result is a hilarious social commentary that conveys the true glory of Britain.
Neither Here nor There
Thirty years after backpacking across Europe, Bill Bryson decides to retrace the journey he undertook in the halcyon days of his youth–carrying with him a bag of maps, old clothes…and a stinging wit honed to razor sharpness by two decades of adult experience.
I’m a Stranger Here Myself
Bill Bryson read “somewhere” that nearly three million Americans believed they had been abducted by aliens–clearly the Americans needed Bill back. So after years raising his family in Britain with his English wife, the brood moves to the United States, and leaves Bill to chronicle the quirkiest aspects of life in America as he reveals his own rules for life.
Customer Reviews:
Great stories - when you can hear it..............2007-07-05
I purchased the audio book to listen to on a long car trip. The reading by the author is great, however the quality of the recording is inconsistent. Mr. Bryson's natural intonation is fairly low to flat, but as his voice rose (occasionally) and fell (frequently) during his reading of the material, there was little to no effort by the post production team to modulate and equalize the volume - making the lower tones inaudiable. At one point I had the volume on my car stereo at maximum and was still missing words and parts of sentences, only to be almost blasted from my seat when a new chapter would start and the volume level rose precipitously. I own 2 other audio books by Mr. Bryson and did not have the same experience with those products.
Great Company.......2007-03-16
I have a small collection of Bill Bryson audio books and I enjoy them all immensely. The fact that they are read by the author, only increases the enjoyability. These stories are not only entertaining, but quite educational as well. Bill Bryson is a gifted writer who can really "bring you there", makes you want to visit the places he is in...and right now. I'm looking forward to expanding my collection. You won't be sorry with your purchase.
Book Description
The first novel from the New York Times bestselling author of The Idiot Girls’ Action-Adventure Club is a rollicking tale of small-town peculiarity, dark secrets, and one extraordinary beauty pageant.
When her husband is offered a post at a small university, Maye is only too happy to pack up and leave the relentless Phoenix heat for the lush green quietude of Spaulding, Washington. While she loves the odd little town, there is one thing she didn’t anticipate: just how heartbreaking it would be leaving her friends behind. And when you’re a childless thirtysomething freelance writer who works at home, making new friends can be quite a challenge.
After a series of false starts nearly gets her exiled from town, Maye decides that her last chance to connect with her new neighbors is to enter the annual Sewer Pipe Queen Pageant, a kooky but dead-serious local tradition open to contestants of all ages and genders. Aided by a deranged former pageant queen with one eyebrow, Maye doesn’t just make a splash, she uncovers a sinister mystery that has haunted the town for decades.
“[Laurie Notaro] may be the funniest writer in this solar system.”
–The Miami Herald
Customer Reviews:
The funniest book I've read all year.......2007-10-03
I loved this book from beginning to end. It's about a woman who moves from her hometown to a much smaller town and has trouble making new friends while missing all of the friends she left behind. As Maye, the main character, goes from adventure to adventure trying to find a kindred soul, she stalks people at grocery stores, attends a crazy book club and still comes up empty handed. She decides that the only way to make friends is to become the town Queen at the local, nutty pageant and win the title and the hearts of her neighbors. This book made me laugh out loud on more than several occasions and I could easily relate--I just moved to a new town myself and understood the struggle to create a new circle of friends. Though I doubt I'll take the route Maye did in order to get them, it was a blast reading her trials and tribulations, and I just fell in love with cranky old Ruby. I was sad when it ended, but am looking forward to more of Laurie's work. This book is a great read and is one that I'll keep and most likely re-read when I need a good, fun story.
i guess I read a different book.......2007-10-03
first to say I have read and enjoyed Laurie's other writing. She can be really funny. that being said this is the worst book I have read this year. It feels forced and stilted in it's descriptions. I didn't laugh even once and had to force myself to finish. I feel like I read a different book than most reviewers. Stay with the non-fiction Laurie.
A delightful, hilarious story!.......2007-09-14
I bought Laurie's book when it came out in May but did not have a chance to read it until this week. I read half of it on a plane ride to Ohio, and the other half the way back. I couldn't stop, I loved it so much!! This book really shows off Laurie's gift as a writer, she can do non-fiction AND fiction and not lose any of her magic. I fell in love with Maye, and her misadventures had me giggling from seat 20E all the way home. I truly hope Laurie writes another novel very, very soon!!! Viva la Bonnie!!!
Still a good laugh!.......2007-08-26
I can't recommend Laurie's previous books enough. Just the mention of her name puts an idiotic smile on my face! "There's a (slight) chance" is a bit of a departure for me, but still enjoyable. Whereas all the other books flow with complete abandon this one seems a little forced, maybe trying a bit too hard to be comical. Laurie's detailed description of Ruby Spicer and Rowena Spaulding (two of the novels main characters) makes me think these chicks really exist... You'll have to convince me otherwise!
Delightful Fiction Debut.......2007-08-23
Delightful fiction debut for Laurie Notaro. I really enjoyed this very funny book full of typical Notaro descriptions. I love it when authors actually have a beginning, middle and end to their stories.
Book Description
This book is the heart-to-heart talk every father desires to have with a son or daughter about to leave the nest. Just in Case I Can't Be There is a friendly chat around the campfire. In a manner that is wise, winsome, and practical, bestselling author and pastor Ron Mehl offers biblical counsel in thirty-four entertaining chapters. Dealing with diverse issues about faith and integrity ranging from choosing a mate to managing finances, the wisdom contained in these pages will offer encouragement, boost confidence, and provide guidance for years to come. This is the one book that no young person should be without.
Customer Reviews:
Invaluable.......2005-06-20
Written as counsel to a child leaving home, Ron Mehl's book is a superb collection of wisdom on a wide range of topics.
This is written from the perspective of a Christian father who wants to ensure that his thoughts on important matters are available to his children in case he cannot be. Mehl covers numerous examples of life's hard moments. This volume includes his thoughts on such topics as the following: the Bible, wisdom, humility, integrity, sin, prayer, and many others.
'Just in Case I Can't Be There' takes a look at the big picture from a spiritual perspective. It is a timeless commentary that any Christian parent would do well to provide to his/her children when they leave home, or before, or anytime. His wisdom is also valuable to parents and anyone else who is concerned about considering things from Christ's perspective. I highly recommend it.
God's wisdom & love.......2003-09-06
Ron once again does an unbelievable job of sharing what God's wisdom is for everyone, not just young adults leaving home for the first time. At the same time, in God's wisdom you can also see the extent of God's love for each of us.
Excellent book for the high school graduate.......2000-04-27
This book would make an excellent gift for a high school graduate. I bought it thinking it would have wisdom for throughout life, but it is aimed more at teens. Still, although it is different than I expected, still a great book.
Book Description
For parents of three to six year olds, a wise and charming guide to talking about sex, conception, and birth.
Young children ask questions about sex, sexuality, conception, and birth that can be embarrassing or uncomfortable for parents. With her characteristic good sense and cool head, author Deborah Roffman will put even the most awkward parents at ease, giving them the skills to talk confidently with young children about these important but delicate issues.
In this wonderfully reassuring book, readers will learn that the key to talking with children about sex is knowing that their questions fall into three easily recognizable categories. At age three or four, kids are curious about geography ("Where was I before I was here?"), and at four or five, about delivery ("Exactly how did I get out of there?"). Finally, the six year old's classic stumper--"But how'd I get in there in the first place?"--is about cause and effect, not about imminent sexual activity! With the emotional and developmental underpinnings of a child's curiosity understood, parents will find their tongues; with Deborah Roffman's wise, warm and practical advice, they will be well prepared for the inevitable flow of questions in the years to come.
Customer Reviews:
better than a couple of other resources..........2007-08-01
Roffman's book is well-written but lacks direction at points. The information seems out of order in places and is a bit repetitive. It's not easy to locate info if parents are looking for quick tips. Roffman does a nice job including her own teaching, mothering and childhood experiences and is a sold resource. The book loses focus at the end, giving info geared more towards educators than parents.
Dr. Yvonne K. Fulbright
[...]
great reading before your kids start asking -- or after!.......2007-07-22
I bought this book from the author after attending a super educational conference which she led (I am a middle-school teacher who was reviewing the health & sexuality component of our school's curriculum). However, I bought this book with my then-four-year-old in mind, and it's fantastic. Its down-to-earth, concrete language helps demystify the idea of talking about sex with kids -- an effort which she reminds us we are usually trying to learn from scratch, without the help of effective, adult role models to follow.
Roffman gives wonderfully humorous examples of how to follow a child's lead -- and when to listen and find out what the kid is actually asking, rather than what you, with that frog in your throat, mistakenly assume that he may want to know.
Having worked with many teens whose parents have waited until they are so old that talking about sexuality and relationships is viewed as a "hush-hush" conversation, I highly recommend this book to all parents as a way to help open up conversational ground wihtout fear. The more correct information that kids have from parents, from the start -- about their bodies and about healthy human relationships -- the better equipped they will be to interpret all the MISinformation that comes at them later, from the media and from their peers!
A wonderful book--and not just for parents of young children.......2002-05-23
This is a wonderful book--informative and easy to read, which is pretty impressive for a topic that makes most parents uncomfortable: talking with our children about sex. Roffman understands that sex education does not begin or end with learning about periods and puberty in fifth or sixth grade--she offers insightful guidelines for discussing important issues at different ages. My daughter is out of the target age range for this book (she's eleven) but I found the book very useful anyway, helping me understand the lessons I missed along the way and giving good basic information and ideas for communicating it. Read it!
Book Description
The Definitive Guide to the Most Talked About
Musical Performances of the Past Century.
Woodstock. The Isle of Wight. Bowie at the Hammersmith Odeon, 1972. Nirvana at Reading, 1992. Gigs that changed the face of music and the very foundations of popular culture. Now, leading rock journalist Mark Paytress recreates the sights, smells, and sounds of the 20th Century's most talked about moments in the history of live music, debunking myths and recreating the bands' --and the fans'--experiences. There's something here for every musical taste-- from Benny Goodman at Carnegie Hall in 1938, to Bob Dylan, to Live Aid. Complete with amazing photographs that capture the essence of these now legendary shows, this is a true compendium for any music fan or anybody who's ever thought, "I wonder what it was like to be there?"
Customer Reviews:
I Was There: At Least, The Book Makes Me Feel That Way.......2007-05-25
This book is a great read for anyone into music, looking at the history of it. I was born in the late 80s, and it sucks because the best music was all before my time. the 60s and 70s rock... nothing is better.
That being said, this book does a great job of providing a history of (mostly American) music through a series of concerts... it's not just about the music or the performer, but world-events and politics ... It captures all the emotions that go along with the time period and the band that the performance is.
A great read.
Fabulous History.......2007-01-12
I purchased this book for my husband's birthday and he absolutely loved it. He cannot put it down. He is reading every inch of it and then re-reads it to me. I heard about this on Mark & Brian radio show and thought it would be something my husband we love. I was right. It is a GREAT buy and it didn't cost an arm and a leg.
How "The Gigs that changed the world" changed my world.......2006-02-01
Hi,
Great book in excellent condition. Nice foto's from all over the world.
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General
| Biographies & Memoirs
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About Alice
The Birthday Party: A Memoir of Survival
The Honeymoon's Over: True Stories of Love, Marriage, and Divorce
Born on a Blue Day: Inside the Extraordinary Mind of an Autistic Savant
Final Exam: A Surgeon's Reflections on Mortality
