Amazon.com
People around the world have found inspiration in the story of Lance Armstrong--a world-class athlete nearly struck down by cancer, only to recover and win the Tour de France, the multiday bicycle race famous for its grueling intensity. Armstrong is a thoroughgoing Texan jock, and the changes brought to his life by his illness are startling and powerful, but he's just not interested in wearing a hero suit. While his vocabulary is a bit on the he-man side (highest compliment to his wife: "she's a stud"), his actions will melt the most hard-bitten souls: a cancer foundation and benefit bike ride, his astonishing commitment to training that got him past countless hurdles, loyalty to the people and corporations that never gave up on him. There's serious medical detail here, which may not be for the faint of heart; from chemo to surgical procedures to his wife's in vitro fertilization, you won't be spared a single x-ray, IV drip, or unfortunate side effect. Athletes and coaches everywhere will benefit from the same extraordinary detail provided about his training sessions--every aching tendon, every rainy afternoon, and every small triumph during his long recovery is here in living color. It's Not About the Bike is the perfect title for this book about life, death, illness, family, setbacks, and triumphs, but not especially about the bike. --Jill Lightner
Book Description
The #1 New York Times bestseller with legs as strong as its author's.
Lance Armstrong is one of the most talked about- and inspirational-sports figures of all time. He was Sports Illustrated 's 2002 Sportsman of the Year-and now, after his record-shattering string of Tour de France victories, some are proclaiming him the greatest athlete of all time.
This is the book in which he shares his journey through triumph, tragedy, transformation, and transcendence. It is the story of a world-famous cyclist and his fight against cancer.
This is the story of Lance Armstrong, the world-famous cyclist, and his fight against cancer.
Customer Reviews:
1/2 The Story: After "BIKE" Read "WAR".......2007-09-20
IT'S NOT ABOUT THE BIKE gives you a wonderful, inside view of Lance Armstrong. A great read. But only half the story...
Don't miss out on the "outer view," Lance through the eyes of a good reporter. LANCE ARMSTRONG'S WAR: ONE MAN'S BATTLE AGAINST FATE, FAME, LOVE, DEATH, SCANDAL, AND A FEW OTHER RIVALS ON THE ROAD TO THE TOUR DE FRANCE by Daniel Coyle is simply marvelous.
The two books belong together.
Dr. Kirtland C Peterson
Good at the beginning....but it IS about the bike........2007-09-17
I was eager to read this book, I saw Lance on several t.v. shows, his battle with cancer interested me because my mom also had cancer at an early age (29), so I bought the book with the hope of learning what made him strong, wondering: how can he inspire others? Well, the first half was pretty good, I was amazed at how much the cancer took over his body and the grueling recovery. I was in awe of Kik and how she stood by him, along thinking he was a humble,family man. I was wrong. The latter part of the book indeed was "all about the bike" going on and on about all the prep for the upcoming races, the TDF (the biggest, most prestigous bike race), the move to Europe (for the bike) and all the proper cycling terms...ho hum. I almost left that part unread, but I hate doing that, so I trudged on. I was sad to find out later after having read the book, that he no longer was with Kik and his children, but doing just spendidly peddling away and loving his singlehood.
I think in writing this book I only learned that for Lance it IS about the bike (and himself). He seems cold, egotistical and unappreciative of those who sacrificed for him. Is that what it takes to get to the top??
Must read.......2007-09-16
This is a must read for cancer survivors, the most inspirational book I have ever read!
It's not about the bike: My jouney back to life.......2007-09-02
This book has been one of the most inspirational books that I have ever read. Now whenever I'm at the gym I just say to myself, come on mike if Lance can do it so can you. I raced bicycles myself when I was younger and after breaking my collarbone at sixteen years old I thought biking was over for me; If only I realized at that age a broken bone was nothing compared to Lance. Thank you Lance Armstrong.
Inspirational.......2007-08-31
This book is an inspiration. It shows the hardships of battling cancer and the effort of recovery. Lance Armstrong is one of the most driven individuals I've ever read about; I could not put it down. Recommended for anyone and everyone, MUST READ!!!
Book Description
Following in the tradition of John Howard Griffin (Black Like Me) and Barbara Ehrenreich (Nickel and Dimed), Norah Vincent absorbed a cultural experience and reported back on what she observed incognito. For more than a year and a half she ventured into the world as Ned, with an ever-present five o'clock shadow, a crew cut, wire-rim glasses, and her own size 111/2 shoes—a perfect disguise that enabled her to observe the world of men as an insider. The result is a sympathetic, shrewd, and thrilling tour de force of immersion journalism that's destined to challenge preconceptions and attract enormous attention.
With her buddies on the bowling league she enjoyed the rough and rewarding embrace of male camaraderie undetectable to an outsider. A stint in a high-octane sales job taught her the gut- wrenching pressures endured by men who would do anything to succeed. She frequented sex clubs, dated women hungry for love but bitter about men, and infiltrated all-male communities as hermetically sealed as a men's therapy group, and even a monastery. Narrated in her utterly captivating prose style and with exquisite insight, humor, empathy, nuance, and at great personal cost, Norah uses her intimate firsthand experience to explore the many remarkable mysteries of gender identity as well as who men are apart from and in relation to women. Far from becoming bitter or outraged, Vincent ended her journey astounded—and exhausted—by the rigid codes and rituals of masculinity. Having gone where no woman (who wasn't an aspiring or actual transsexual) has gone for any significant length of time, let alone eighteen months, Norah Vincent's surprising account is an enthralling reading experience and a revelatory piece of anecdotally based gender analysis that is sure to spark fierce and fascinating conversation.
Praise for Norah Vincent:
“Norah Vincent is a true freethinker and independent journalist in the European manner, challenging prevailing assumptions in academe, politics, and media. Her work has always had a bold skepticism and energy. She is a model of pragmatic, enlightened feminism.”
—Camille Paglia
Customer Reviews:
How To Destroy A Premise With A Lot of Promise.......2007-09-17
The premise of this book is a good one, however, the author's inability to look past the obvious and superfluous make this book predictable, boring, and even offensive at times. Vincent states the obvious, rarely finding insight into masculinity or what it means to be a man that hasn't already been stated by other people in a much more intelligent way. Instead of breaking stereotypes that women hold about men, it seems to perpetuate them, and all of Vincent's observations seem shallow and simply skim the surface of gender identity.
She does not create sympathy for men, and she creates even less for women. I'm not sure where she found the women that she dated, but they seem like some of the most closed-minded, grudge harboring women with so many pent up issues they should be looking for a therapist instead of a date.
Any other book on gender in our society would be a more insightful, riveting, and intelligent read. Skip this one.
ripped book.......2007-08-29
When the book arrived there was a missing chunk out of the paper cover. I was very disappointed since the review given by the seller said "almost new"
Self self self -- we all need to get over ourselves.......2007-07-03
This book has a great premise -- a woman attempting to live as a man, to gain access to the "secret lives" of men. This could have been a very successful magazine article. As a full-length book, though, it's awash in pseudo-insights that range from maudlin to downright offensive. The author comes up with nothing anybody with half a brain didn't already know: "masculinity" is just as much of a potentially crippling construct as "femininity" is. Big surprise.
The author seems to try hard to empathize with men, but after reading the chapter about the bowling league, I came away with a nagging sense of the author wanting to come out and say, "These poor men. The poor dumb brutes. They just can't help it!" The rest of the book wasn't much better -- in fact it was worse. Especially the chapter about visiting strip clubs, which was so cliched as to be repulsive.
And why on earth would someone in the author's situation -- attempting to do research -- join an Iron John men's group? Or a monastery? That's fringe stuff, and unlikely to give the author a true cross-section of "typical" masculine behavior. Even the jobs the author takes on as a man aren't typical jobs.
The women the author dated while she was posing as a man made me embarrassed to be a woman. I do know women who are like that, but I have to say, they are NOT representative of my experience or of my self.
Probably most telling of all is the delight the author seems to take in the big reveal: "Guess what? I'm really a woman!" I find it amazing that nobody she deceived was hurt to the core. How lucky for the author!
This book is the worst kind of self-serving, quasi-intellectual stuff. I wouldn't call it feminist. I wouldn't even call it humanist. The whole human race looks pretty irredemably messed up after viewing it through this author's eyes.
The delicate interplay of identity, expectations and perceptions.......2007-06-20
When Norah Vincent assumes a masculine disguise as "Ned", she gets far more than an admission ticket to some typical all-male venues. It does not come as a surprise that Ned visits strip clubs, male bonding camps in the woods and athletic groups in addition to inflitrating a monastery and a high octane sales environment. What Ned witnesses as a presumed insider at these events is sometimes disturbing but not totally unexpected. If the book was solely a compendium of the observations of a "secret agent" it would not garner much publicity.
However, what Vincent has accomplished from her 18 month foray into the (largely straight) masculine experience is deeper and more subtle than making firsthand observations that generally align with common stereotypes. For one, she sees evidence that actually goes against the common perception of men as unfeeling and uncaring. She concludes that men do indeed display their own form of nurturing and attuned behavior, but in ways that generally do not register on female radar.
Vincent also gains much insight into the delicate interplay between individual identity as well as societal expectations and perceptions in shaping us. Herein lies the main thrust of the book. Time and again, Vincent witnesses how men and women conspire to keep men in line by relentlessly foisting certain expectations of them and punishing those who do not tow the line. Even as Ned, she observes how the mere act of wearing modern day masculine armor - a business suit - causes her to effortlessly change her body language into one that conveys greater authority. The combination elicits more respect from others - even total strangers - which in turn influences Ned's attitude; even "his" speech patterns become less conciliatory.
Going undercover as Ned also provides Vincent - a somewhat masculinized lesbian - with much fodder to ruminate on the complex interplay between gender identity and sexual orientation. Even with her immersion in the masculine environment and attempts to acquire the attendent mind-set, Vincent cannot fathom the stereotypical male ability to separate love from impersonal lust. The foray into the stripper bar leaves her feeling empty and exhausted, sans any erotic charge. She also notes with some irony that her masculine disguise in fact tends to heighten the feminine aspects of her behavior.
Vincent is carefull to stress that her experiences and observations are subjective and by no means constitute an academic study. The primary message she tries to convey seems to be that she is neither the sole product of an immutable individual identity nor a collection of societal expectations, with the boundaries thereof being vague and fluid. The experimental identity change forces her to be more aware of herself and her surroundings (if only to not trip up on her ruse). But even in this state of heightened self awareness her sense of self as an autonomous entity - as opposed to a set of responses - often becomes murky.
Vincent laments the toll the collective pressures - to be strong, to be stoic, to win - take on the masculine psyche. Indeed at the end of the book she reveals how much the effort involved in maintaining the "Ned" disguise has worn her down. In her case, of course, the assumed persona is more at odds with her authentic self than the front put on by a typical straight biological male. Vincent emerges from her exhausting impersonation with greater compassion towards males and a palpable sense of relief at not having to bear their considerable burdens in her everyday life.
Beautiful, but slow towards the end........2007-06-12
I'm not quite sure what possessed Norah Vincent to live as a man as a cultural experience. I know that she was curious; I just don't really think that she took into consideration the feelings of her "victims" (or herself for that matter.) There must have been some harmful repercussions to her experiment. Hopefully there will be no lasting effects.
Nonetheless, she does have a way with words. This books is beautifully written, if you can get that sick feeling out of your stomach. I really can say that despite the deception, this book deserves three stars. It tends to drown on towards the end.
Book Description
How does an honor student at one of Los Angeles's finest prep schools–a nice girl from a happy, loving home–trade school uniforms and afternoons at the mall for speedballs in the back of a truck in rural Indiana? How does her devoted mother emerge from the shock of finding that her daughter has not only disappeared but had been living a secret life for more than a year?
Mother and daughter tell their parallel stories in mesmerizing first–person accounts. Claire Fontaine's story is a parent's worst nightmare, a cautionary tale chronicling her daughter Mia's drug–fueled manipulation of everyone around her as she sought refuge in the seedy underworld of felons and heroin addicts, the painful childhood secrets that led up to it, and the healing that followed. Her search for Mia was brutal for both mother and daughter, a dizzying series of dead ends, incredible coincidences and, at times, miracles. Ultimately, Mia was forced into harsh–but–loving boot camp schools on two continents while Claire entered a painful but life–changing program of her own. Mia's story includes the jarring culture shock of the extreme and controversial behavior modification school she was in for nearly two years, which helped her overcome depression and self–hatred to emerge a powerful young woman with self–esteem and courage.
Come Back is an unforgettable story of love and transformation that will resonate with mothers and daughters everywhere.
Customer Reviews:
This book haunts me 6 months after reading it!.......2007-10-16
This is the most profound book I have read in 2007. I think about it often and my book group seems to revisit it every month even though we read it 6 months ago. This is a raw story of healing and torment, not self indulgent or too self absorbed like many other acclaimed memoirs. I loved it and could not put it down
Awful but captivating and well written.......2007-10-07
This is the horrific story you hear about - young girl, seemingly on the right track with caring parents, suddenly displays amazingly self-destructive tendencies.
The difference is that this story is told by both mother and daughter in clear sections that also flow well. Both mother and daughter write their tales well, and you can see the growth happen through the story. The catharsis is not sudden; the recovery is not fast. It is hard work to achieve the well-deserved forward momentum they have at the end of the book.
There is also a small amount of revenge - not nearly enough, but just a little to make you almost smile.
It's a terrible tale that deserves to be told. It is told well. I wish the best to both authors of this book.
(*)>
I fell in love with this book.......2007-09-11
I truly love both Claire and Mia. I really related to Claire as a mother myself of teenagers and I related to Mia from when I was a teenager. Their stories parallel the lives of my Mom and I but to a lesser degree. Wonderful book!
Review.......2007-09-10
I really liked this book. There were a few "boring" parts, but all together I would highly reccomend this book!
save your time.......2007-09-05
This book offers nothing new about mother/daughter relationships or recovery/ rehabilitation ... and the highly mediocre writing style is the icing on the cake.
Book Description
The first book in the proposed "Climb Back from Cancer Collection"…Climb Back from Cancer - A Survivor and Caregiver's Inspirational Journey is both a gripping true adventure story and a touching love story. At the age of 42, international bestselling author, Mt. Everest climber and summiteer, Alan Hobson, believed scaling the world's tallest peak would be the biggest challenge he would face in his life. Over a decade, he had endured three grueling expeditions to Everest before finally standing on top on his third attempt. Then he had turned his ambition to becoming the best adventure speaker in the world. But three years after Everest, he came face to face with an even bigger mountain: he was diagnosed with acute leukemia, a cancer of the blood, and given less than a year to live. With the help of his fiancée, Cecilia, he not only survived, but thrived, and the couple emerged all the stronger from their shared trial. Climb Back from Cancer is their inspiring account of commitment, teamwork and triumph. The story offers not only a living example of how to climb back from cancer, but demonstrates how to transform adversity into opportunity. It includes "The 10 Tools of Triumph" for survivors and caregivers -- what the couple considers to be the key psychological skills required not only to survive life-threatening illness, but to thrive beyond it. Powerful, relevant and moving. A "must-read" for every patient, survivor and caregiver.
Customer Reviews:
An Inspiring Story of Courage.......2005-04-20
For many, the thought of cancer seems like an insurmountable obstacle. This book tells of two people who refused to believe that could be true.
Anger, fear, sadness, joy and love are all integral characters in this story. This is truly one of the most inspirational stories I've ever read.
Climbing a Medical Mountain.......2005-03-01
This fascinating book, written by Alan Hobson (a leukemia survivor) and his wife and caregiver, Cecilia Hobson, is a must read for cancer patients and their caregivers. What helps make this book unique are the analogies Alan makes between his battle with cancer and his three attempts to climb Mt. Everest - a goal he reached on his last attempt.
The authors alternate writing chapters describing their very personal responses to Alan's life-threatening illness. The result is an inspirational, educational and very well written account which includes 10 Tools for Survivors and 10 Tools for Caregivers. These tools could be helpful to those facing any life-threatening illness.
(Submitted by Dr. Al Ritsema, retired University Counseling Psychologist and primary caregiver for his wife, Wilma, a survivor of a major stroke in 1996)
A magnifient journey!.......2004-12-17
This impact of this book and the hope it can give to both patients and loved ones is breathtaking.
Superb.......2004-12-14
Whether it's cancer your fighting, or another of lifes challenges, this book is an inspiration to take control of the issue and work it through to success. These authors have dug deep to recollect their inner feelings while journeying together to the edge and back. This book is a an easy conversational read giving valuable view points of the patient and care-giver. Don't just buy it for yourself, give it to someone you care about.
Amazon.com
"The words shut up are the most terrible words I know," writes Nancy Venable Raine. "The man who raped me spat these words out over and over during the hours of my attack--when I screamed, when I tried to talk him out of what he was doing, when I protested." It took Raine seven years before she could start to remove the chains those words had wrapped around her spirit by writing about how the anonymous assailant had transformed her forever. "I have noted what has come into my view as I go about my life," she says, "seeing the world through the eyes of a woman who remembers rape." Raine brings a poet's attention to language and imagery to her account, infusing After Silence with powerful immediacy. The reader is made to understand why an event as seemingly innocuous as a landlord asking for a spare set of keys to one's apartment can strike dread into one's heart. As Raine takes us through her personal journey of recovery, she also explores the shifting cultural consciousness toward rape, from the acknowledgement of posttraumatic stress suffered by rape victims to the portrayal of rape in movies. It's this willingness to interrogate the world around her, combined with an emotional honesty that portrays intimate drama without resorting to sensationalism, that makes After Silence one of the most important memoirs of the 1990s. --Ron Hogan
Book Description
"Silence has the rusty taste of shame. The words shut up are the most terrible words I know. . . . The man who raped me spat these words out over and over during the hours of my attack--when I screamed, when I tried to talk him out of what he was doing, when I protested. It seemed to me that for seven years--until at last I spoke--these words had sunk into my soul and become prophecy. And it seems to me now that these words, the brutish message of tyrants, preserve the darkness that still covers this pervasive crime. The real shame, as I have learned, is to consent to them."
After Silence is Nancy Venable Raine's eloquent, profoundly moving response to her rapist's command to "shut up," a command that is so often echoed by society and internalized by rape victims. Beginning with her assault by a stranger in her home in 1985, Raine's riveting narrative of the ten-year aftermath of her rape brings to light the truth that survivors of traumatic experiences know--a trauma does not end when you find yourself alive.
Just as devastating as the rape itself was the silence that shrouded it, a silence born of her own feelings of shame as well as the incomprehension of others. Raine gives shape, form, and voice to the "unspeakable" and exposes the misconceptions and cruelties that surround this prevalent though hidden crime. With formidable power and in intimate detail, she probes the long-term psychological and physiological aftereffects of rape, its tangled sexual confusions, the treatment of rape by the media and the legal and medical professions, and contemporary cultural views of victimhood.
For anyone, female or male, who has suffered from or witnessed the shattering effects of rape,
After Silence inspires and points the way to healing. This landmark book is a stunning literary achievement that is a testimony to the power of language to transform the worst sort of violation and suffering into meaning and into art.
Customer Reviews:
Profound and Courageous.......2007-04-14
A friend loaned this book to me but it is likely a book I will never forget. Nancy Venable Raine tells her important story in a very accessible way. As a nurse who took care of rape victims in the middle 80's and now a school nurse, I am aware that the secret of abuse and assault reverberates in too many lives. And while I would never say that my experiences as a young nurse were equivalent to those of my patients, I vividly remember hearing my victim-patients stories and identifying with them. Many of my victim-patients were not that different from me--young, single, living alone. During that time, I _usually_ slept with the lights on because I wanted to try to be able to identify my perpetrator, if that ever happened to me.
Raine shows us her story, how it echoes in her life. Coming back from and integrating the experience in life is not, cannot be easy but one cannot help but feel she is one of the minority of individuals who gets the needed help to do so.
Now, in year 2007, I was acutely aware that at times Raine paired the rape experience and the torture experience. It is a source of sadness to me that we, as a nation, are perpetuating that experience for so many. There is something profound about her description of the rape victim as a container for her perpetrator's anger. And that is far from the only profound idea.
Having also read "Lucky" by Alice Sebold, I would say they are both very important books but this book is a far better glimpse into the recovery aspect.
After Silence: Rape and MY Journy Back.......2006-11-11
I had to read this book for one of my Woman's Studies classes at Western Illinois University. I think this is a must read book for everyone (especially those who are in recovery or have been convicted of a violent crime of this nature). It is a bit graphic and I don't recomend that anyone under high school age read it. I had to set it down a couple of times due to that, but, it was nessessary to truely understand Ms. Raine's story. You don't truely understand what someone goes though after rape without going through it yourself.
Considering whether or not to hide.......2006-09-16
"Throw away the lights, the definitions
And say of what you see in the dark" - Wallace Stevens
"Speech is civilization itself. The word . . . preserves contact - it is silence which isolates." - Thomas Mann
Following her rape, this author became a completely different person, a person who lived "with sudden fear the way others live with cancer. The fear was always there." It took seven years before she could begin writing about her experience. She states that the anniversary of her rape "was more significant than my own birthday, and yet there was only silence . . . I had become, the one who marked her anniversaries in silence . . . Could I celebrate my survival in silence and alone? Not according to Webster's, which defines the verb "to celebrate" this way: "to perform (a sacrament or solemn ceremony) publicly and with appropriate rites" . . . It pained my family and friends to remember. To acknowledge my experience might bring up what they hoped I had forgotten . . . for me to remind them that I had not forgotten seemed unkind, even cruel, because I knew they needed to believe I had. Our rite was, therefore, silence."
"I thought about Wittgenstein's observation that the limits of language are the limits of reality. Was rape off limits to our most distinctly human attribute - language? . . . I could no longer consent to silence."
Another friend and rape victim asked her, "How do I tell people who don't know, people who might become close friends? If I don't tell them, it makes it a secret, like something to be ashamed of. When I do tell them, they make it worse. They never ask me about it. It'a a part of me, part of who I am now, but they don't want to know about it. It's no-win. Just no-win."
"But silence has the rusty taste of shame. The words 'shut up' are the most terrible words I know. I cannot hear them without feeling cold to the bone. The man who raped me spat those words out over and over during the hours of my attack - when I screamed when I tried to talk him out of what he was doing, when I protested . . . The real shame, as I have learned, is to consent to them."
So she wrote an essay "Returns of the Day" in The New York Times Magazine in 1994. In response "Without exception, all of the letters from survivors described the isolation of the aftermath of rape, its life-altering transfromations."
"The victims of rape must carry their memories with them for the rest of their lives. They must not also carry the burden of silence and shame."
If you have friend or family member dealing with these issues (and the odds are that you do), here are other books that are also excellent on this and related topics, "Lucky" & "The Lovely Bones" by Alice Sebold, & "Siolence" edited by Susan McMaster - all written by women. Rape victims and victims of relationship violence and abuse often hide their experiences and the behaviors of their abusers, feeling ashamed for even being involved with the abusive patterns. All of these books suggest women become more free and mentally at ease when they realize there is nothing to be ashamed of about being victimized. And they suggest the causes of our silences and the things we hide probably deserve more attention, new perspectives, and reconsideration.
Great Timeing.......2005-09-30
It was shipped to me within 2 days, great service and great product.
Courageous, powerful, compassionate........2005-09-28
Ms. Raine describes the trauma and recovery of rape in clear and helpful terms and I appreciate the references to other works about rape recovery and feminism. Raine's AFTER SILENCE inspired me to read another landmark TRAUMA AND RECOVERY by Judith Herman, MD. It is hard to find books about rape recovery and people who can and will talk calmly, rationally, compassionately (or at all) about this subject. Raine's AFTER SILENCE should be required reading in high school for both boys and girls! Rape is so widespread that it should be addressed more often by family and friends; local, state, national, and world leaders; educators and news media. Raine also references I NEVER CALLED IT RAPE by Robin Morgan, another excellent source for raising awareness of the frequency and extent of rape in society. My own childhood incest and young adult rape were not known to my parents, siblings and doctors for decades even though the symptoms were so obvious that I was hospitalized for months. Can't praise Raine's work enough. My heartfelt gratitude goes out to Raine and all those who made her work possible. Healing may be slow in coming, but it does come, after the silence, with the help of authors like Raine.
Book Description
Drowning in $20,000 of credit card debt, shopaholic Karyn Bosnak asked strangers for money online -- and it worked!
What would you do if you owed $20,000? Would you: A) not tell your parents? B) start your own website that asked for money without apology? or C) stop coloring your hair, getting pedicures, and buying Gucci? If you were Karyn Bosnak, you'd do all three.
Karyn started a funny yet honest website, www.savekaryn.com, on which she asked for donations to help her get out of debt. Karyn received e-mails from people all over the world, either confessing their own debt-ridden lives, or criticizing hers. But after four months of Internet panhandling and selling her prized possessions on eBay, her debt was gone!
In Save Karyn: One Shopaholic's Journey to Debt and Back, Karyn details the bumpy road her financial -- and personal -- life has traveled to get her where she is today: happy, grateful, and completely debt-free. In this charming cautionary tale, Karyn chronicles her glamorous rise, her embarrassing fall, and how the kindness of strangers in cyberia really can make a difference.
Customer Reviews:
Funny and entertaining.......2007-09-18
Karyn's antics are very amusing, and she keeps your interest througout. I thought the premise was ridiculous - she has the gumption to ask for money to pay off credit card debt, when there are so many more deserving causes out there. But once you read the book, you can't help but feel a little bad for her. The language is a little sophomoric ( saying "anyhoo" once is forgivable but several times is a bit much for a published book) and it has a very bloggish "I went here I did this" style but that was probably intentional. The shopping excursions are fun to read about.
Robbing Peter to Pay Paul.......2007-08-01
This was a cute and funny book. I laughed as I read her justifications for the things she charged. When the light bulb finally turned on for her, she was having to charge on one card and take things back to pay on another card. I applaud her for creative method of paying off her debt.
Quick and fun read.......2006-07-21
If you are a compulsive saver who couldn't imagine being carrying a balance on a single credit card, this book will disgust you. But if you are like most of us, who have found themselves loaded down with the weight of consumer debt due to circumstance and spending habits, you will love this story. Karyn pulls herself out of her self-made pit with wit, humor, and a great attitude. I read the book in two days and loved it the whole way through. I highly recommend this...especially before you go on one more shopping trip with a wallet full of plastic. It just might make you reconsider.
Reading It For the Second Time.......2006-07-07
If you like to laugh and be entertained, you definitely need to read this book, especially if you have credit card debt. I am reading it for the 2nd time right now. I don't carry a credit card balance now, but I wish I had been smart enough to come up with her idea when I did.
Don't save your money -- buy this one!.......2006-04-25
I thought it would be hard to feel sorry for an upper-middle-class chick who makes near six figures and blows it all on Fendi bags and BCBG tees -- but I was wrong. I found myself identifying with Karyn way more than I thought I would in this entertaining, hilarious, and often sad first-person tale of consumerism and search for identity. I shared in her feelings of euphoria as she shopped the streets of NYC, and I felt for her when she hit rock bottom -- and I rooted for her when she started a website and solicited strangers for donations to bail her out.
If you've enjoyed any of the fictional "Shopaholic" stories by Sophie Kinsella, you'll love "Save Karyn."
Amazon.com
British born author Simon Winchester lived in Hong Kong before setting off on a journey up the Chang Jiang or Yangtze River as it is most often referred to in the West. In
The River at the Center of the World: A Journey Up the Yangtze and Back in Chinese Time, he chronicles his adventures across China along the 3,964-mile River. Employing nearly every mode of transportation--including boat, train, jeep and shoe leather--Winchester recalls his passionate exploration of the countryside, while providing important and engaging historical information. His recollections of the Chinese people are often less complimentary, as he exudes an air of disgust at the country's apparent disregard for pollution, its awkward modern architecture and decaying historical monuments.
Book Description
Rising in the mountains of the Tibetan border, the symbolic heart of China pierces 3,900 miles of rugged country before debouching into the oily swells of the East China Sea. Connecting China's heartland cities with the volatile coastal giant, Shanghai, it has also historically connected China to the outside world through its nearly one thousand miles of navigable waters. To travel those waters is to travel back in history, to sense the soul of China, and Simon Winchester takes us along with him as he encounters the essence of China-its history and politics, its geography and climate as well as engage in its culture, and its people in remote and almost inaccessible places. This is travel writing at its best: lively, informative, and thoroughly enchanting.
Customer Reviews:
A Fascinating Collection of Historic Details Traveling Up a River.......2007-08-03
I had never read Winchester before. On our recent trip down the Yangtze a fellow traveler was reading this book and recommended it. After reading it I would consider it a rich cultural experience through the history of this river.
Following the Yangtze and learning about China -- one man's perspective........2007-05-28
This travel essay from the author of "The Professor and the Madman" is subtitled, "A Journey Up the Yangtze and Back in Chinese Time". Here, the author uses all his journalistic and investigative skills to tell the story of his 1996 journey through China. He is an Englishman who has lived for many years in Hong Kong and had taken several trips to China at the time of the writing. His desire, however, was to explore areas where westerners were few and far between as well as learn more about this 3,900 mile river which runs through the entire land mass of China and begins in Tibet. As he is a trained geologist, he includes all the interesting details of the natural wonders of this river, as well as discussing the cultural history and introducing us to the varied ethnic groups who consider themselves Chinese.
Most of the area he explored is off-limits to foreigners because there is just too much red tape involved. But he planned his trip carefully, enrolled a Chinese companion and, starting in Shanghai, used whatever means available to take this journey. He was a passenger on several different kinds of boats and there were also some legs of the trip that included motor vehicles. The result is a lesson in history, geography and culture that is unique in its perspective.
The outside world connected through China through trade in its waterways and the history of this trade is fascinating. I learned about the tea industry and the opium wars and the agreements with the United Kingdom that changed the face of China forever. I also learned about the cultural revolution from a different prospective and started to understand the kind of man Mao was who was able to bring about a change from imperial rule to a communist country in just one generation. Mostly though, I learned about the environmental disasters that China is now bringing on itself, especially in the construction of the Three Gorges Dam project. As the book was written in 1996 I was curious about what was going on with this project my internet research found out it is scheduled for completion in 2009 and cost more than 25 billion dollars.
Simon Winchester is a fine writer. His descriptions made his journey come alive for me. There's a big map in the front of the book and a smaller map at the beginning of every chapter. The big map did not include every place name he talked about and so I had to look at the little maps. This made it a little confusing to follow but I was determined and so I had to put some effort into following these maps.
Armchair traveler that I am, I definitely recommend this book. I especially liked it because it piqued my interest in learning even more.
Permit for Entry to China .......2006-12-16
I agree with some of the previous reviews that it would have been an asset to the book to include more images of the trip (especially the Three Gorges Area), and to have more content on the people of the areas he visits. The book is still excellent. To cover every interest for a region like this would make it a three volume, 2,000 page edition. China is a rich subject and this is a one person of a billion view.
The author has done his work and achieved permits to travel the entire length of the River from the China Sea to Tibet. I am grateful to be able to read an account of a journey that is probably impossible for most of us. I read the book last summer and I still find myself thinking of it from the impression of the 21st. century city of Shanghai to the horrific history of the city of Nanking, the ledge walks above the Three River Gorges, and the remote, cold, snowy heights of the headwaters.
If you are not upset about a Brit-centrict view of the history of China and long for an impossible journey through lands beyond reach you will feel that this book is a very worthwhile read.
Me like pictures!.......2006-06-02
Maybe I should be a little embarrassed about this, but my first reaction is...why weren't there any pictures?
I know that travel writers often don't include pictures in with their accounts, and a lot of the time, that's okay. For example, Bill Bryson writes about journeying up the Appalachian Trail, and that atmosphere is familiar enough to me (and I would imagine many of his readers) that pictures of all the trees and mountains really are not necessary.
Winchester's account, however, is of travelling all the way from the mouth of the Yangtze River, near Shanghai, to its headwaters, just to the north of Tibet. You would think that this is a sufficiently unusual location that pictures might be appropriate. I'd venture a guess that 99.9x% of American readers have not ever been to the backwoods of China, so we, going in, wouldn't have the faintest idea of how to visualize what he talks about. A thousand words, like they say. (Probably more than that, in this case!) This omission is particularly annoying, in this case, because Winchester goes out of his way to note that he did, in fact, bring his Leica M6, a very expensive (almost $2000), high-quality camera that could, and no doubt did, take wonderful pictures of the awe-inspiring scenery that Winchester describes in words...and more words...and more words.
Nonetheless, I enjoyed the book a great deal. I really liked the basic idea of the book, and I was fascinated by his descriptions of the people and places in the more remote regions of China. The book does have sort of an unusual format, in that the farther Winchester travels up the river, the farther back in Chinese time he pulls history and historical anecdotes from. The history lessons are well-written, and it's obvious that Winchester knows his material very well. It's clear why he structured the book this way, although the historical digressions be disorienting (as in, "Wait...what were they doing again? Who is Mr. Tang?").
I do wish Winchester had included some of the mundane, day-to-day stuff, like random conversations he had with Lily, and the other unusual characters he meets along the way. I had very little feeling of what any of the people he met were really like; even Lily, who is with him for the entire journey, only speaks in the book when she has something important to say (usually a political rant). By the end of the story, I still had almost no feel for what she was actually like as a person, and this is even more true for the various minor characters he briefly introduces throughout the trip. As far as interactions with the locals go, this is a strictly-the-essentials book, meaning that unless there is some really good reason for including a snippet of dialogue or observation into the text, it won't be included. This lends the journey a kind of stripped-down air, which I think is not good in travel writing. Travel writing ought to have a sense of immediacy; immersing the reader in the journey important, and his omissions in that regard have reduced this immersion considerably, to the book's detriment, I think.
Also, I have to say, this book made me want to visit Tibet (or at least remote Qinghai), although, unless the situation has changed significantly since this book was written (1996), that probably remains an impossibility, since the Chinese government keeps the borders to Tibet locked with an iron fist.
Yes, terribly disappointing!.......2006-01-08
I agree totally with Yau in the previous review. Mr. Winchester is more interested in sharing the British (yawn) history of China, not giving us much else about the culture and beauty of the Yangtze and its people. I have been to China 2&1/2 wks and also taken a cruise (5 days) of the Yangtze and for him to make it all so boring is more than annoying, it is almost criminal. Perhaps his ego supersedes him. I would not buy this book, in fact I was uanble to even read more than a couple chapters, it was that boring and dry. The one by Mr. Hessler is an absolute winner. I read it once a year at least to refresh my amazing memories of China.
Book Description
Christ smiled, his face alight with joy and love as he took my hand.
Thus begins one of the most detailed journeys to the spirit world ever recorded. When Suzanne Freeman found herself floating against the ceiling of a hospital operating room in 1999, she knew in an instant that she had died.
Yet Suzanne couldn't take her eyes from her body lying on the stainless steel surgery table. She was determined to return to it. She wouldn't die now—she just wouldn't. She had a husband and seven young children who needed her.
As Suzanne turned back toward her body to enter it again, she was stopped abruptly. She turned to see a hand wrapped around her arm—a hand with a puncture wound—the hand of Jesus Christ. The Savior took her by the hand and led her to Paradise, where she was greeted by family, friends and many others, who emphasized simple yet valuable eternal truths.
Suzanne's journey to Paradise—and back—will open your heart to the great love and concern the Savior has for each of us.
Customer Reviews:
Heaven from a mormon perspective.......2006-08-26
I wish someone had stated that this is a Mormon perspective of Heaven! I would have saved my money. The book is nicely written and has a beautiful message but the sheer Mormonism of it makes me doubt the story...that is unless we have spiritual experiences based on our belief system, then it would make sense. I applaud Suzanne for sharing her story - despite the Mormon perspective, it is a lovely one.
hEAVENLY jOY!!!!!!.......2005-04-29
This is the best "Near-Death experience" book I've read ever and I've read 6!!! Suzanne Freeman brings hope, joy, peace and happiness into her spiritual journey. This is a book for all those who are any doubts about a loving savior and loving departed loved ones and not seeing them and living with them again. This is the book for those seeking answers to spiritual truths and to learn why we came to earth and the wonderment of being reunited with our loved ones when we have finished our earthly mission. Truly a remarkable journey!!!! I highly RECOMMEND THIS BOOK!!!!
This book gave me hope.......2005-02-13
I have read several "near-death" books over the years, but this is the first one in a long time to leave me feeling happy and hopeful. I appreciated the message that I don't have to be a prophet or do something spectacular to gain a place in heaven. I really liked the description of Jesus Christ in this book, who serves as the author's guide during her journey to the other side. Jesus is shown as very friendly, loving, and understanding of our mortal frailties. I also loved the fact that mothers are honored in heaven, which is a concept our world seems to be quickly forgetting. I would recommend this book to anyone who is looking to be spiritually uplifted.
Book Description
Do you like small towns, places off the beaten path, trips down memory lane? Ever wonder if old-fashioned values are still alive in America? Then kick back, unwind, and hop onboard with travel writer Bill Graves as he takes you
On the Back Roads. Graves has a knack for finding the quirky, the offbeat in some of the most obscure, yet fascinating, small towns on the map. Among the places and faces he discovers: a town where it's against the law not to own a gun, a town famous for its split pea soup, the wise 83-year-old Emmy who camps alone in the dessert, and a man who hunts live ants for a living. The list goes on! Retired and free to roam in his motorhome, the “RV Author,” Bill Graves, logs 40,000 miles through the western states of California, Arizona, Utah, Nevada, Oregon and Wyoming.
Customer Reviews:
Disappointed!.......2003-02-26
I was disappointed.
A collection of very short tales from the author's travels... Really not much of a theme running through it. I'm not sure what the author's objective was in writing it, other than to be able to tell people that he's writing a book. If you want to read about small town America, try Dayton Duncan's "Miles from Nowhere" or Jonathan Raban's "Bad Land."
Discover Small Towns: Discover Yourself.......2001-09-18
I got this book so I could write a small synopsis for an RV publication and read it with some skepticism. Could Graves possibly engage my interest about towns I'm sure I'll never visit? As I scanned the chapters, as I so often do with this sort of book, I had to stop and read deeper. He wasn't writing strickly in support of tourism, but about getting to know oneself, to be in the moment, to not let life pass you by. While sharing some of his past, we're able to watch Graves' internal struggle to find peace, and traveling back roads with Rusty gave him the opportunity to do just that. Although the author often talks about his mode of travel, the motorhome was merely a conduit -- although a comfortable one -- to make this journey. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves travel, introspection, humor and good fun.
This isn't travel, but a vacation........2000-07-22
Looking on the back cover of this book when I got it, I was lt down. In small print on the upper-left corner it says "Travel". But in big print, upper-middle, it refers to the auther and the "R.V. Author" (something like that). I come from the philosophy that one cannot truly experience the magic and wonders of the backroads in an RV. I bought the book hoping to "meet" some wonderful people from Small Town, USA. I was hoping to hear about interesting sights hidden from most Interstate travellers. I was hoping to read about the new wisdom and insight which comes from travelling alone in unfamiliar places. Bill Graves does none of this. He usually spends about 2 largely-printed pages on one town and all of the people in it. Sometimes, he only writes a half of a page. He takes the interstate when he can, and he complains about the heat. This book is also edited poorly. There are several cases where he will introduce someone with one name and have it spelled differently two or three lines down. Jessy, Jessie, and Jesse describes the same small boy who rides in his dad's truck. I do get a small smile every now and again from reading this book, which is why I didn't give it 1 star. But if you want a real travel book, read William Least Heat-Moon. Not this.
Excellent book........2000-04-02
A most entertaining book. I had trouble putting it down. Graves has an easy style which is always humble, insightful, and extremely well researched. It makes you want to hit the road today!
Disappointed.......2000-03-30
This particular book does not cover "America," but only California, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico. When I have the opportunity to travel to these states, I think it will be somewhat helpful. I was dissapointed more of the U.S. was not covered.
Book Description
After Michael Chorost suddenly lost what was left of his hearing, he took the radical step of having a cochlear implant -- a tiny computer -- installed in his head. A technological marvel, the device not only restored to him the world of sound but also could be routinely upgraded with new software. Despite his intitial fear of the technology's potentially dehumanizing effects, Chorost's implant allowed him to connect with others in surprising ways: as a cyborg, he learned about love, joined a writing group, and formed deeper friendships. More profoundly, his perception of the world around him was dramatically altered.
Brimming with insight and written with charm and self-deprecating humor, Rebuilt unveils, in personal terms, the astounding possibilities of a new technological age.
Customer Reviews:
My Ears Needed This.......2007-03-08
Excellent book for the hearing impaired and non-impaired alike. Much detail on living and learning to adapt in a hearing world. Highly recommended.
More Human than Human.......2007-02-12
Though a rabid sci-fi fan most of my life, I didn't become interested in the subject of real world cyborgs until my own precipitous hearing deterioration. Chorost's book is fulfilling on many fronts for me: his firsthand experience and knowledge of cochlear implants (which appear to be in my future); his very human account of his social struggles; and his obvious love and breadth of knowledge of science fiction, to name just a few. To my own surprise, I devoured this book in a few days. One of the most engaging and satisfying reads I have had in years. Chorost, in my opinion is, to quote Dr. Eldon Tyrell (or Rob Zombie, if you prefer): "More human than human" in this work.
Valuable personal story.......2007-01-12
Much of the book deals with experiencing deafness and a cochlear implant. These portions I found interesting and informative. Other personal issues were much less interesting to me since they did not seem to illuminate the main point.
Rebuilt.. review.......2006-06-15
As a cochlear implantee ( I also have an Bionic Ear from Advanced Bionics) I highly recommend this book for any one with a cochlear implant, any candidate, or just anyone who is interested in how this amazing technology has had impact on those of us that either suddenly or over a period of time, became deaf. Michael combines a lot of technological information, along with the emotional journey we CI users go through. His description of becoming cyborg and what that means describes how technology today can have an effect on humans. M ichael is a brilant writer with an engaging style. At times this is not an 'easy read" because of the many references to technology, and his use of a sophisticated vocabulary.. but over all, it adds to the other books that describe the cochlear implant journey.
An interesting and unique book.......2005-11-12
I enjoyed reading this book. It gives a unique insight into what it is like to use a prosthetic sensory device. Chorost has done a great job of describing the odd sound sensations that he experienced as he learned to use the implant. Since he had spent many years hearing with the aid of amplifiers, he can describe the artificial hearing in terms of sounds that a hearing person can relate to.
His descriptions of how software changes modified his hearing experience are very good. He also did a good job of describing the complex technology of the implant in terms that can be understood by a general audience.
Some parts of the book where he discusses his social life drift out of relevance for a while. He could have shortened those parts or left some of it out, but it does not spoil the overall quality of the book, which is excellent.
Books:
- Jews of Spain: A History of the Sephardic Experience
- King of the Jews (Norton Paperback Fiction)
- Kingdom Come: The Final Victory: The Final Victory (Left Behind #13)
- Leave a Candle Burning (Tucker Mills Trilogy, Book 3)
- Lost City Radio
- Made to Stick: Why Some Ideas Survive and Others Die
- Maimonides Reader
- Maimonides Reader
- Me and My Dad: A Baseball Memoir
- Memories of Drop City: The first hippie commune of the 1960's and the Summer of Love
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Romo: My Life on the Edge--Living Dreams and Slaying Dragons
- Educating the Human Brain
- We Don't Live Here Anymore: Three Novellas
- Under the Tuscan Sun
- Advanced DBA Certification Guide and Reference for DB2 UDB v8 for Linux, Unix and Windows
- Dr. Euler's Fabulous Formula: Cures Many Mathematical Ills
- Birding by Ear: Eastern and Central North America
- The Last Knight : The Twilight of the Middle Ages and the Birth of the Modern Era
- Trusting the People: The Dole-Kemp Plan to Free the Economy and Create a Better America: Balanc E th
- Insights to Performance Excellence 2002: An Inside Look at the 2002 Baldrige Award Criteria
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Every Second Counts
Lance Armstrong's War: One Man's Battle Against Fate, Fame, Love, Death, Scandal, and a Few Other Rivals on the Road to the Tour de France
Live Strong: Inspirational Stories from Cancer Survivors-from Diagnosis to Treatment and Beyond
The Lance Armstrong Performance Program: 7 Weeks to the Perfect Ride
Chicken Soup for the Surviving Soul: 101 Healing Stories About Those Who Have Survived Cancer
