The Glass Castle: A Memoir

Amazon.com

Jeannette Walls's father always called her "Mountain Goat" and there's perhaps no more apt nickname for a girl who navigated a sheer and towering cliff of childhood both daily and stoically. In The Glass Castle, Walls chronicles her upbringing at the hands of eccentric, nomadic parents--Rose Mary, her frustrated-artist mother, and Rex, her brilliant, alcoholic father. To call the elder Walls's childrearing style laissez faire would be putting it mildly. As Rose Mary and Rex, motivated by whims and paranoia, uprooted their kids time and again, the youngsters (Walls, her brother and two sisters) were left largely to their own devices. But while Rex and Rose Mary firmly believed children learned best from their own mistakes, they themselves never seemed to do so, repeating the same disastrous patterns that eventually landed them on the streets. Walls describes in fascinating detail what it was to be a child in this family, from the embarrassing (wearing shoes held together with safety pins; using markers to color her skin in an effort to camouflage holes in her pants) to the horrific (being told, after a creepy uncle pleasured himself in close proximity, that sexual assault is a crime of perception; and being pimped by her father at a bar). Though Walls has well earned the right to complain, at no point does she play the victim. In fact, Walls' removed, nonjudgmental stance is initially startling, since many of the circumstances she describes could be categorized as abusive (and unquestioningly neglectful). But on the contrary, Walls respects her parents' knack for making hardships feel like adventures, and her love for them--despite their overwhelming self-absorption--resonates from cover to cover. --Brangien Davis

Book Description

Jeannette Walls grew up with parents whose ideals and stubborn nonconformity were both their curse and their salvation. Rex and Rose Mary Walls had four children. In the beginning, they lived like nomads, moving among Southwest desert towns, camping in the mountains. Rex was a charismatic, brilliant man who, when sober, captured his children's imagination, teaching them physics, geology, and above all, how to embrace life fearlessly. Rose Mary, who painted and wrote and couldn't stand the responsibility of providing for her family, called herself an "excitement addict." Cooking a meal that would be consumed in fifteen minutes had no appeal when she could make a painting that might last forever.

Later, when the money ran out, or the romance of the wandering life faded, the Walls retreated to the dismal West Virginia mining town -- and the family -- Rex Walls had done everything he could to escape. He drank. He stole the grocery money and disappeared for days. As the dysfunction of the family escalated, Jeannette and her brother and sisters had to fend for themselves, supporting one another as they weathered their parents' betrayals and, finally, found the resources and will to leave home.

What is so astonishing about Jeannette Walls is not just that she had the guts and tenacity and intelligence to get out, but that she describes her parents with such deep affection and generosity. Hers is a story of triumph against all odds, but also a tender, moving tale of unconditional love in a family that despite its profound flaws gave her the fiery determination to carve out a successful life on her own terms.

For two decades, Jeannette Walls hid her roots. Now she tells her own story. A regular contributor to MSNBC.com, she lives in New York and Long Island and is married to the writer John Taylor.

TO INQUIRE ABOUT SCHEDULING JEANNETTE WALLS FOR SPEAKING ENGAGEMENTS PLEASE CONTACT:

Keppler Speakers

Dustin L. Jones

Associate, College & University Division

703.516.4000 (P)

703.516.4819 (F)

Customer Reviews:

A Disturbing but Positive Memoir.......2007-10-04

What an eye opener. I'd like to believe every parent does the best they can, but as I read "The Glass Castle" I really had to ask myself, "Is this the best they could do?" I found myself wincing at times as I read the memoir. However, I couldn't put the book down, and the love Jeannette Walls has for her parents despite the neglect and disregard she endured, shows the incredible strength of the human spirit. To a society in which some people blame their lack of stability on a bad childhood, this book is a gift and a must read.

THANK YOU JEANETTE and your entire family for sharing your life!.......2007-10-03

An excellent book so engrossing I could not put it down. I love to read, but this book has moved me and stayed with me longer than any other. This book shows that you can break the chains that bind when you are focused. I've been in recovery many years and I appreciate the work involved in writing, along with courage in sharing, such intimate details of a family history. I will be recommending this book for years to come. Thanks again.

Absolutely amazing!.......2007-10-02

An amazing account of how one can overcome her/his circumstances instead of "blaming" the parents. A real page turner and so well written. I had put off reading this book for many months (thinking it would be too depressing to read) until a co-worker said, "It's really a good book."

The Glass Castle.......2007-10-01

Moving story. Uncomfortable to think the young woman would deny the existence of Mother when seen on street until you hear her story. It's a story of child neglect mixed so strangely with child love. Parents- child like themselves.

Best book I have read in a long time!.......2007-09-30

I am a bookworm. I read a lot of books. The Glass Castle by Jeannette Walls had me mesmirized from the beginning...The intro ...where she looks out of the window of a car and sees her mother rummaging through a dumpster was the hook. How children could grow up like she did seems amazing! She made me rethink the struggles(I thought)I had growing up...nothing like what she went through. I highly recommend this book to anyone.

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir

Average customer rating:

reminicent of "The Christmas Story", very enjoyable and funny
Not Bill Bryson's best
Deserves a Read
Bill Bryson doesn't disappoint
A very funny ode to the 1950s

The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid: A Memoir
Bill Bryson
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 076791936X
Release Date: 2006-10-17

Book Description

From one of the most beloved and bestselling authors in the English language, a vivid, nostalgic, and utterly hilarious memoir of growing up in the 1950s

Bill Bryson was born in the middle of the American century—1951—in the middle of the United States—Des Moines, Iowa—in the middle of the largest generation in American history—the baby boomers. As one of the best and funniest writers alive, he is perfectly positioned to mine his memories of a totally all-American childhood for 24-carat memoir gold. Like millions of his generational peers, Bill Bryson grew up with a rich fantasy life as a superhero. In his case, he ran around his house and neighborhood with an old football jersey with a thunderbolt on it and a towel about his neck that served as his cape, leaping tall buildings in a single bound and vanquishing awful evildoers (and morons)—in his head—as "The Thunderbolt Kid."

Using this persona as a springboard, Bill Bryson re-creates the life of his family and his native city in the 1950s in all its transcendent normality—a life at once completely familiar to us all and as far away and unreachable as another galaxy. It was, he reminds us, a happy time, when automobiles and televisions and appliances (not to mention nuclear weapons) grew larger and more numerous with each passing year, and DDT, cigarettes, and the fallout from atmospheric testing were considered harmless or even good for you. He brings us into the life of his loving but eccentric family, including affectionate portraits of his father, a gifted sportswriter for the local paper and dedicated practitioner of isometric exercises, and OF his mother, whose job as the home furnishing editor for the same paper left her little time for practicing the domestic arts at home. The many readers of Bill Bryson’s earlier classic, A Walk in the Woods, will greet the reappearance in these pages of the immortal Stephen Katz, seen hijacking literally boxcar loads of beer. He is joined in the Bryson gallery of immortal characters by the demonically clever Willoughby brothers, who apply their scientific skills and can-do attitude to gleefully destructive ends.

Warm and laugh-out-loud funny, and full of his inimitable, pitch-perfect observations, The Life and Times of the Thunderbolt Kid is as wondrous a book as Bill Bryson has ever written. It will enchant anyone who has ever been young.

Customer Reviews:

reminicent of "The Christmas Story", very enjoyable and funny.......2007-10-03

I read this specifically for the historic recollections of the 50's era, and the fact that the jacket reviews indicated "snort-root-beer-out-your-nose funny". I don't often laugh out loud while reading, and I did several times through this book. It reminds me of a print version of "The Christmas Story" movie, without the BB gun and with a lot more detail. Bryson's command of language is engaging and quite intelligent, the book was an easy read and wasn't boring. This is surprising given Bryson's admission that he wasn't a great student. My only complaint was that I wanted more. I plan to read his other works asap.

Not Bill Bryson's best.......2007-09-24

I am a Bryson fan and have been since his first book. This one is good, mind you -- funny, well written - but NOT as good as his some of his others. I was a tad disappointed, but still think the book is worth buying. So, buy it.

Deserves a Read.......2007-09-09

For a child of the 40s and 50s, this book will serve to recall better times. Bryson gets a little 60s' preachy in spots, but they are not overwhelming. When you put this book down, you are left with a slightly sad feeling that life as experienced in the 50s will not be seen again and that today's kids are missing a lot.

Bill Bryson doesn't disappoint.......2007-09-03

Any book by Bill Bryson is a treat, and this one is no exception. It explains a lot about the origins of his strangely skewed viewpoint, and being of approximately the same vintage, I enjoyed revisiting the 50's with him. Of particular interest to me was the account of his beginning friendship with the unlikely character Stephen Katz (from "A Walk in the Woods"). The only problem I have with Bryson's books is that I have to read them at home. Can't take them with me to read in, for instance, the doctor's office because I laugh so long and so loud that it creates too much of a public spectacle, and consternation in onlookers.

A very funny ode to the 1950s.......2007-09-02

To say that Bill Bryson's memoir is about growing up in the 1950s in Iowa is both true and misleading - misleading in the fact that he uses his story to tell a greater story, that of the end of an era in the U.S.A. The 1950s were fun and carefree, and looked upon with great nostalgia, at least for those of the white middle classes. Prosperity was high, the world was relatively safe, and there was great optimism that the U.S. was achieving its "manifold destiny" as the greatest country in the world. This is the world in which the young Billy (as he was known then) Bryson was raised. If the book focusses on Des Moines and Iowa, it's because that's where Bryson grew up. But it could have been set in any midwestern, New England, or western state (i.e. those with predominantly white populations).

Such an analysis is overly dry, as readers of Bryson well know. As a travel writer, he writes as much about the human condition as about the places he visits. In the same way, this book can be seen as a travelogue through the 1950s and through the ages of 0 to ~14. He lovingly paints the scene and then inserts his characters - his father who never wore pajama bottoms, his mother who made Billy "go toity" in a jar if she was in a hurry, his friends both smart and dim, etc. The heart of the book is in the specific tales of these friends and family members. And the stories are very, very funny!

I grew up in the 1970s, so have no personal memory of the time about which Bryson writes. I've gained such knowledge as I have of the era through such "reliable" sources as "Happy Days" and "Grease". But such is Bryson's storytelling that I can easily recognise the universal human condition, even though he's writing of a specific time and place. Thus, this book is accessible to all, and if I find it laugh-out-loud funny (which it is, in many places), I'm sure anyone old enough to have passed through the ages of 0 to 14 will as well.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal

Average customer rating:

Funny, unique approach that pays no disservice to its subject
Humanizing but Reverent
Brilliant, irreverence...not for the faint of heart!
Laughing this much must be a sin!
Funny.

Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal
Christopher Moore
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0380813815
Release Date: 2003-02-04

Amazon.com

While the Bible may be the word of God, transcribed by divinely inspired men, it does not provide a full (or even partial) account of the life of Jesus Christ. Lucky for us that Christopher Moore presents a funny, lighthearted satire of the life of Christ--from his childhood days up to his crucifixion--in Lamb: The Gospel According to Biff, Christ's Childhood Pal. This clever novel is surely blasphemy to some, but to others it's a coming-of-age story of the highest order.

Joshua (a.k.a. Jesus) knows he is unique and quite alone in his calling, but what exactly does his Father want of him? Taking liberties with ancient history, Moore works up an adventure tale as Biff and Joshua seek out the three wise men so that Joshua can better understand what he is supposed to do as Messiah. Biff, a capable sinner, tags along and gives Joshua ample opportunities to know the failings and weaknesses of being truly human. With a wit similar to Douglas Adams, Moore pulls no punches: a young Biff has the hots for Joshua's mom, Mary, which doesn't amuse Josh much: "Don't let anyone ever tell you that the Prince of Peace never struck anyone." And the origin of the Easter Bunny is explained as a drunken Jesus gushes his affection for bunnies, declaring, "Henceforth and from now on, I decree that whenever something bad happens to me, there shall be bunnies around."

One small problem with the narrative is that Biff and Joshua often do not have distinct voices. A larger difficulty is that as the tone becomes more somber with Joshua's life drawing to its inevitable close, the one-liners, though not as numerous, seem forced. True to form, Lamb keeps the story of Joshua light, even after its darkest moments. --Michael Ferch

Book Description

The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years -- except Biff, the Messiah's best bud, who has been resurrected to tell the story in the divinely hilarious yet heartfelt work "reminiscent of Vonnegut and Douglas Adams" (Philadelphia Inquirer).

Verily, the story Biff has to tell is a miraculous one, filled with remarkable journeys, magic, healings, kung fu, corpse reanimations, demons, and hot babes. Even the considerable wiles and devotion of the Savior's pal may not be enough to divert Joshua from his tragic destiny. But there's no one who loves Josh more -- except maybe "Maggie," Mary of Magdala -- and Biff isn't about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight.

Download Description

The birth of Jesus has been well chronicled, as have his glorious teachings, acts, and divine sacrifice after his thirtieth birthday. But no one knows about the early life of the Son of God, the missing years -- except Biff, the Messiah's best bud, who has been resurrected to tell the story in the divinely hilarious yet heartfelt work ""reminiscent of Vonnegut and Douglas Adams"" (Philadelphia Inquirer).

Verily, the story Biff has to tell is a miraculous one, filled with remarkable journeys, magic, healings, kung fu, corpse reanimations, demons, and hot babes. Even the considerable wiles and devotion of the Savior's pal may not be enough to divert Joshua from his tragic destiny. But there's no one who loves Josh more -- except maybe ""Maggie,"" Mary of Magdala -- and Biff isn't about to let his extraordinary pal suffer and ascend without a fight.

Customer Reviews:

Funny, unique approach that pays no disservice to its subject.......2007-09-30

It's hard to get offended reading 'Lamb' as Moore treats the titular character with respect while portraying his human side, and of course letting Biff do all the dirty work. Those of faith will easily dive into the book, relishing in a story about a man who, while divine, is still a human with all the same anxieties, fears, and desires. The book takes a somewhat odd turn in the middle that I felt pushed it a little too much into fantasy, but in retrospect it did add a lot to the story and broke the book up into three acts. The end was particularly moving, and the change in tone and tempo appropriately brought a new perspective to one of the most-told tales.

In terms of writing style, the book is conversational and it is easy to shoot through. You can pick it up for five minutes and make progress or two hours and not grow weary.

Humanizing but Reverent.......2007-09-27

While it may not be the expected response, this comedic novel on the missing 30 years in the Gospels helps my faith, in both Christ and humanity in general.

In spite of its fictional base and outlandish experiences based at least partly in myth, Moore uses a logical and solid grounding in both the Bible and history that resonates strongly. While the poetic license in some areas is strong (the Messiah using the power of his mind to cram himself into glass jars) in others the facts speak for themselves (Jewish customs both honored by Christ after the "coming" and those dismissed).

Almost no one's faith is ridiculed in this novel, with Moore instead using Biff as the catalyst for the humor focused on a personal level. Instead of ridicule, between bizarre experiences and funny anecdotes, Moore goes about methodically answering how Jesus became Jesus, and not just some poor kid from Nazereth. It may not be a convincing or even possible explanation, but it carries its own logic and the reader is carried along a natural progression.

Moore has to create a character of the Son of God, no easy feat. I think he accomplishes this end very well, since I found myself wrapped up in the plight of these two childhood friends, even though I already "know" how the story turns out.

Brilliant, irreverence...not for the faint of heart!.......2007-09-17

From the moment "Josh" (Aka: Jesus) was described as babysitting his younger brother...quietly sitting with him and occasionally putting the lizard in his mouth that his brother had just whacked on a rock...thus bringing it back to life....then handing it back to his brother.....*whack* goes the lizard....*pop* back into Josh's mouth...*whack* and so-on.....Josh was described as calm, patient, everything you'd hope and expect him to be...even as a babysitter...(and no, that's not exactly a spoiler there.) Biff on the other hand was Josh's alter-ego. His other half. He was the one who could get away with everything Josh couldn't - and then Josh would in his way live vicariously through Biff and his adventures. The book goes into the missing years of Jesus's life. What DID he do in those missing years? Well, the Bible doesn't exactly say. Christopher Moore gives a fascinating account of what he could have been up to. He certainly could have gone out on a hunt for the Three Wise Men. He could have. Did he? Who knows? But oh, wouldn't it be fun if his adventures were something like this? Christopher Moore's irreverence and humor makes Jesus more approachable. In his way, Moore turns this foray into Biblical history into an enjoyable and yes, sometimes disgusting tale. You delve into different belief systems - different Traditions. You see that Jesus himself respecting other beliefs and even following those Traditions and religions as a student of all things. I found myself thinking more than once that it's a shame more people who claim to follow Jesus's teachings don't do the same.
If you can look at Jesus with a sense of humor, read this. You won't be sorry. What you will do, however, is laugh until you cry, so you'd better be prepared with some of those funny little incontinence pads just in case. Don't say I didn't warn you.

Laughing this much must be a sin!.......2007-09-11

This is one of the few books that I joyously read over and over. From the moment I read that Biff's mother was beset by demons... I knew he was my kind of guy.I have given this book to several of my friends as a must read. The best way to describe this story is to say that it is an irreverant satire that becomes reverant. Wonderful, READ IT! You wont be sorry.

Funny........2007-09-10

This was very funny up until Moore's take on the passion story, when it gets serious. I especially liked all the things Biff invents: matches, cream in coffee, sarcasm, etc. I also like it when he tries to fool Joshua (Jesus) by citing non-existent scripture, like Amphibians 6:5, for example, and Joshua, of course, plays the perfect staight-man. Moore obviously did his homework on this amusing tour of major world religions. I prefer a long, satisfying denouement and Moore's is rather abrubt, but the book was most enjoyable.

Beginnings & Beyond: Foundations in Early Childhood Education

Average customer rating:

Don't be an American .
A wonderful resource for parents and educators
A Wonderful, Refreshing Child Development Book
Still the Best
Moral people beware

Beginnings & Beyond: Foundations in Early Childhood Education
Ann Miles Gordon
Manufacturer: Thomson Delmar Learning
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0766863158

Book Description

Upon completion of study with Beginnings & Beyond, students will have an in-depth understanding of the fundamentals of early childhood education?from its history to present issues and future trends. They will appreciate the emphasis on multiculturalism and NAEYC?s developmentally appropriate practice. This approach promotes a ?both/and? viewpoint, maintaining that there is more than one correct way to care for and educate young children. The text focuses on this viewpoint in discussions of early literacy, spiritual development, discipline, diversity and anti-bias strategies and family relationships. Beginnings & Beyond also stresses the importance of maintaining an awareness of each child?s needs and interests by featuring such concepts as multiple intelligence, ecological theory and NAEYC?s Code of Ethical Conduct. The use of a variety of sidebars, chapter activities, integrated technology and other extras enhance the student?s interest in and retention of the material.

Customer Reviews:

Don't be an American ........2007-03-04

I have used this book for two different child development classes now. If I read abut being culturally sensitive (which to the authors apparently means forget you are an anglo saxon christian american) I will truly be ill. I'm all for accepting everyone for what they are, and abhor racism, but come on, are we supposed to forget that we may be Christian white americans???? The book seems to want us to forget holidays, in case you may offend one person somewhere along the line, and wants you to accept it as okay if some children are brought late to class, because in their culture, being late is okay??? Please.

A wonderful resource for parents and educators.......2006-11-10

I purchased the book for a child development class. I use it constantly for evaluating program, activities and observations of children for educational purposes. It's a great reference.

A Wonderful, Refreshing Child Development Book.......2003-09-07

Finally, a book that offers sensible and realistic approaches to child development which departs from "mythical" ideas of past and archaic culture. Luckily, this volume isn't afraid to address the homogenous fallacies that have plagued our society and discusses significantly the exploration of truly modern theories embraced around the world. People of all walks of life, education, and backgrounds will rejoice in an important concept that this book teaches: genuinely nurturing children as opposed to treating them like pets.

Still the Best.......2002-10-18

Beginnings and Beyond is still the best Early Childhood Education text out there.

Moral people beware.......2002-08-21

If you have a conservative, moral or Christian bone in your body, this book will sicken you beyond your wildest imagination. If you fall into any of the above described categories, then this book will classify you as a "European male," or of "European Ancestory". This book preaches strongly a so called "diversity" but if you are a white male the "diversity" of opinions stops. (unless of course you decide to agree with the author.) And if you are a Catholic, you have even more to digest, as the book reaks of anti-Catholicism.

Driven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood

Average customer rating:

One of the best places to start
Do you question what ADD is and whether you or someone you love has ADD?
The classic for ADD information
The BEST.
very helpful

Driven To Distraction : Recognizing and Coping with Attention Deficit Disorder from Childhood Through Adulthood
Edward M. Hallowell , and John J. Ratey
Manufacturer: Touchstone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Accessories:

ASIN: 0684801280

Amazon.com

This clear and valuable book dispels a variety of myths about attention deficit disorder (ADD). Since both authors have ADD themselves, and both are successful medical professionals, perhaps there's no surprise that the two myths they attack most persistently are: (a) that ADD is an issue only for children; and (b) that ADD corresponds simply to limited intelligence or limited self-discipline. "The word disorder puts the syndrome entirely in the domain of pathology, where it should not entirely be. Although ADD can generate a host of problems, there are also advantages to having it, advantages that this book will stress, such as high energy, intuitiveness, creativity, and enthusiasm, and they are completely overlooked by the 'disorder' model." The authors go on to cite Mozart and Einstein as examples of probable ADD sufferers. (The problem as they see it is not so much attention deficit but attention inconsistency: "Most of us with ADD can in fact hyperfocus at times.") Although they warn against overdiagnosis, they also do a convincing job of answering the criticism that "everybody, and therefore nobody" has ADD. Using numerous case studies and a discussion of the way ADD intersects with other conditions (e.g., depression, substance abuse, and obsessive-compulsive disorder), they paint a concrete picture of the syndrome's realities. Especially helpful are the lists of tips for dealing with ADD in a child, a partner, or a family member. --Richard Farr

Book Description

Through vivid stories of the experiences of their patients (both adults and children), Drs. Hallowell and Ratey show the varied forms ADD takes -- from the hyperactive search for high stimulation to the floating inattention of daydreaming -- and the transforming impact of precise diagnosis and treatment.

Customer Reviews:

One of the best places to start.......2007-09-07

This book is a great resource for those who wonder if they may have some issues with ADD and ADHD (actually the same diagnosis) I originally bought this book to figure myself out (and subsequently saw clues to my mother's behavior all these years). WHen my youngest was diagnosed with ADHD, I re-read it to get the perspective of a child's struggle with ADD. Essential reading.

Do you question what ADD is and whether you or someone you love has ADD?.......2007-08-20

This book can change your life. If you read this book, and you see your life history/story, maybe you should find out a little more about ADD and yourself. Or if you read this book and you see your husband, wife or child, this can be a first step in answering many questions.

The classic for ADD information.......2007-08-18

I love this book, and have bought several copies over the years for newly diagnosed friends, etc. It is concise, clear and not overly stuffy. It doesn't throw a pity party like some books about disabilities do, and offers a diagnostic criteria, as well as coping skills, medical links, and resources listed in the back. A must read if you or anyone you love has ADD, or ADHD.

The BEST........2007-06-20

The absolute best book out there for an introduction to ADD. The structure of the book is perfectly managable for an ADDer without being condescendingly superficial or taking on a tone of talking to children, like some of these books do. I'd also recommend it to anyone who has friends or family who either doubt the existence of or (just don't know much about) ADD.
Check out Hallowell's "Delivered" for more coping mechanisms, and info on treatment, therapy and medication.

very helpful.......2007-06-17

If you wish to become more informed on the topic of ADD and ADHD,then this book is a "must read". The format is easy to read and understand. The reader can identify with one or more of the many examples and scenarios outlined in the book. I found it to be extremely helpful in understanding what ADD is really all about and what it feels like for my daughter to live with ADD.
In addition, I now recognize symptoms of adult ADD as well.

Average customer rating:

Filed it in my circular file
doesn't live up to the hype
Comical, Compelling, Farcical, Fierce
Not His Best Work
So awful you can only laugh

Running with Scissors: A Memoir
Augusten Burroughs
Manufacturer: Picador
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 031242227X

Amazon.com

There is a passage early in Augusten Burroughs's harrowing and highly entertaining memoir, Running with Scissors, that speaks volumes about the author. While going to the garbage dump with his father, young Augusten spots a chipped, glass-top coffee table that he longs to bring home. "I knew I could hide the chip by fanning a display of magazines on the surface, like in a doctor's office," he writes, "And it certainly wouldn't be dirty after I polished it with Windex for three hours." There were certainly numerous chips in the childhood Burroughs describes: an alcoholic father, an unstable mother who gives him up for adoption to her therapist, and an adolescence spent as part of the therapist's eccentric extended family, gobbling prescription meds and fooling around with both an old electroshock machine and a pedophile who lives in a shed out back. But just as he dreamed of doing with that old table, Burroughs employs a vigorous program of decoration and fervent polishing to a life that many would have simply thrown in a landfill. Despite her abandonment, he never gives up on his increasingly unbalanced mother. And rather than despair about his lot, he glamorizes it: planning a "beauty empire" and performing an a capella version of "You Light Up My Life" at a local mental ward. Burroughs's perspective achieves a crucial balance for a memoir: emotional but not self-involved, observant but not clinical, funny but not deliberately comic. And it's ultimately a feel-good story: as he steers through a challenging childhood, there's always a sense that Burroughs's survivor mentality will guide him through and that the coffee table will be salvaged after all. --John Moe

Book Description

Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor's bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull an electroshock- therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing and bestselling account of an ordinary boy's survival under the most extraordinary circumstances.

Customer Reviews:

Filed it in my circular file.......2007-09-30

This book was advertised as darkly humorous. I found it dark but not humorous. It was the only book I can remember throwing away because I just couldn't see any redeeming value in it. The author fills us in on whats happening but not really how this affects him emotionally. I must admit I kept wondering where the neighbors were through all the weird goings on at the "old victorian house on a nice street". Also, the scenes between Neil and the author were just a little to graphic. I'm not asking for sugar coating, I know these things happen, but just a little less detail would have been better. I was disappointed with this book and wish I had taken the time to read the reviews before I bought it. Don't waste your time or your money.

doesn't live up to the hype.......2007-09-23

I gave it a solid 50 pages before putting it down. AB just goes on and on about his outrageous teen years and probably embellished events without discernable humor. This is another one that makes me ask how did it ever end up on the best-seller's list. I suppose its popularity is due to its being compared to Sedaris but it is not near as good. Though I'm not a huge fan of Sedaris either at least there are occasional points of humor that are completely lacking with Burroughs who just plays up his disfunctional family and sickening events of his childhood..yada..yada..yawn. Sick/crazy/unique childhood doesn't alone doesn't make entertaining writing.

Comical, Compelling, Farcical, Fierce.......2007-09-18

This was one of the most intriguing books I've ever listened to, not only the writing and the content, but he narration by the author. There is something about Augusten Burroughs' ability to talk to you as if you've known each other forever that is rare even among actors who normally narrate the best books. No matter how absurd the situation the main character finds himself in, his take on it is always that combination of wry amusement and naive expectation common to intelligent children.
I love Burroughs because although he is never childish, he is always childlike. Can't wait for more of his audiobooks!!!

Not His Best Work.......2007-09-17

I would like to start by saying that I LOVE Augusten Burroughs, his perspective, and his sharp wit. Unlike many people, "Running With Scissors" was not the first of Burrough's books that I read. While I found the book to be enjoyable enough, well written in a way that did not try to elicit pity where pity was clearly deserved, and an easy read, I have preferred every one of his other books to this one.

It's something I can't quite place my finger on that seemed to be absent from this book and not from his others. It's worth a read, if only to gain perspective and insight into the person he becomes and discusses in the rest of his books.

So awful you can only laugh.......2007-09-14

The entire point of this memoir seems to be that you can either go under or you can laugh. Horrifying and funny at the same time. He has managed to find humor - black though it may be - out of what is truly a nightmare. This is going to be a book you will either love or hate. I can't see it being a book that garners middle of the road reactions.

The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family

Average customer rating:

The brave boy
Dave's story helped me during really tough times.
The story continues
My Hat Goes Off To Dave Pelzer
Best book!!!

The Lost Boy: A Foster Child's Search for the Love of a Family
Dave Pelzer
Manufacturer: HCI
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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philosophy hope in a jar daily moisturizer

ASIN: 1558745157

Book Description

Imagine a young boy who has never had a loving home. His only possesions are the old, torn clothes he carries in a paper bag. The only world he knows is one of isolation and fear. Although others had rescued this boy from his abusive alcoholic mother, his real hurt is just begining -- he has no place to call home. This is Dave Pelzer's long-awaited sequel to A Child Called "It". In The Lost Boy, he answers questions and reveals new adventures through the compelling story of his life as an adolescent. Now considered an F-Child (Foster Child), Dave is moved in and out of five different homes. He suffers shame and experiences resentment from those who feel that all foster kids are trouble and unworthy of being loved just because they are not part of a "real" family. Tears, laughter, devastation and hope create the journey of this little lost boy who searches desperately for just one thing -- the love of a family.

Customer Reviews:

The brave boy.......2007-05-25

I recommend this book because it is very interesting,and you do not want to put it down.In the book, I learned that I have a good life and that I should be thankful for everything I have after seeing what Dave has gone through in his life. I would read another book by this author because all of the books are sequels and at the end of each book you are left hanging and wondering what will happen next. These are some things about the The Lost Boy.

Dave's story helped me during really tough times........2007-04-18

As a foster parent who accepted only one child at a time, I needed all the inspiration I could get. Dave's story not only inspired but also encouraged me. It is full of truths that make us aware of how blessed we are. Anyone who is interested in helping abused kids should read this book. With Great Mercy author.

The story continues.......2007-04-14

Dave Pelzer gives a wonderfull account of his experiences of foster care in this sequel to A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive. In this book you begin to see the transition to a "normal" state of being, but it is not without it's problems.

My Hat Goes Off To Dave Pelzer.......2007-04-06

All of Dave Pelzer's books are absolutely by far the best books I have ever read. I couldn't put them down!!!

Best book!!!.......2007-04-06

Do you want to know how it feels like to have your parents not love you? Well thats how a little boy named David (the main charactor) feels in this story. David Pelzer is a young teenager who only wants the love of his parents, but his mother, doesn't love him... She keeps David in the basement, and she rarly ever feeds him!!!! Once David id put into foster care, he has to go to court, and the judge gets to chose whether to keep him in foster care, or to release him back to his parents. The judge chooses....... Well to find out you have to read this amazing book.
Dave Pelzer has written more books besides this one.. The Lost Boy is part of a three-part series... That includes A Child Called "it," The Lost Boy, and A Man Named David. I really think that Dave Pelzer is a great and wonderful Author.
This book will really make you cry and become very mad at the same time.. If parents read this book they will see what some parents really do to there kids. I would extemely recomend this book to others, becuase it is an adventure of one boys determination to find love. I think this book wouldn't be a good book for kids under 13, becuase it has some pretty foul language in it and they might not understand what is happening. When you start reading this book, you won't want to put it down until your done reading it..

Average customer rating:

Dark at the Roots: A Memoir
Sarah Thyre
Manufacturer: Counterpoint
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 1582433593

Amazon.com

When it came time to select a Guest Reviewer for Sarah Thyre's Dark at the Roots, a debut memoir laced with plenty of dark humor, Haven Kimmel was at the top of our list. Her own debut, the groundbreaking memoir A Girl Named Zippy, offered readers an unforgettable coming-of-age story that sparkled with originality, heralding the arrival of a writer to watch. Check out Haven Kimmel's review below of Sarah Thyre's Dark at the Roots.

Guest Reviewer: Haven Kimmel

Haven Kimmel is the author of the bestselling memoir A Girl Named Zippy, and its sequel, She Got Up Off the Couch. Her novels include The Solace of Leaving Early and Something Rising (Light and Swift), and she is the author of the children's book, Orville: A Dog Story. Her next novel, The Used World, will be published in September 2007.

So much has been written, said, and expectorated about the memoir genre in the past five years there remains little to say. And it's true, the memoirs worth reading are rare--the ones that jolt or enlighten or delight with craft. Sarah Thyer's Dark At The Roots is a stand-out for countless reasons. Her sentences compel like electricity: the reader moves from one to the next as if being shocked, but pleasantly, or with the pathological love of the tongue for the toothache. Thank God I have this toothache, you think, because otherwise my life would be a pit of stupid. Her dialogue is dead-on (and having lived in both Mississippi and Louisiana I can tell you it isn't easy to replicate and virtually everyone gets it wrong). She is shameless and unembarassable and she makes a foreign world so concrete you can feel the shag carpeting and smell the extinct shampoo. Thyer handles a shadowy relationship with her father with a grace that both reveals and conceals, simultaneously. Most of all, from beginning to end she remains as consistent a character as one looks for in fiction: she is the best friend you wish you'd had, and the girl your mother warned you about (as if those two things don't always go hand in hand). My own sister recently said to me, as we were having a swinging contest at the park--I am 41 and she is 51--"I swing higher, I'm smarter and funnier than you, and people like me better." I can think of no better description for Sarah Thyer, or for her memoir, which was crafted with an edge razor-fine. She's gifted enough to write anything: fiction, another memoir, pamphlets about the dangers of hitting electric lines with your Rototiller. I can't wait for whatever comes next. --Haven Kimmel

Book Description

The story of one girl's heroic struggle to overcome the lower-middle class obstacles that stood between her and the world she knew she could call her oyster, Dark at the Roots limns the absurdities of growing up funny in the deep south.

When Sarah Thyre was barely out of diapers, her father started referring to her as the "family liar," though no particular incident had provoked this designation. Undaunted by her label, Sarah started referring to herself as Renee and creating scenarios that would help her assimilate up from her chaotic family into a higher social calling. But even as she was clipping an alligator logo off of one shirt to sew onto another, her place in the middle - of her family, her neighborhood, her school, her country - kept humbling her back to just plain Sarah.

In Dark at the Roots, Sarah is catapulted from the relative safety of a nuclear family, through the years of her mother going it alone with five mouths to feed with a steady diet of pasta and fried eggs, to the teenage years where wearing a school uniform was a godsend to a girl unable to afford the latest fashions ... if only she would have admitted it. In this telling, Sarah's inimitable sense of humor and resolve are both honed to a fine, sharp point. And though it is occasionally young Sarah who is skewered, she manages to turn her pain into punch lines, leaving little room for doubt that this is how a true humorist is built.

Whether it is a scene where small Sarah accidentally goes "poddy" in the garage during a game of hide-and-seek or medium-sized Sarah survives a fishing trip with her volatile father, or full-sized Sarah wrestles with a tooth she calls "Uncle Wiggly" and all he represents, grown-up Sarah tells her story with self-effacing sincerity and a seemingly invincible sense of humor. With its spare, razor-sharp prose and precision timing, Dark at the Roots emerges as not just a humorous memoir, but a powerful, universal testament to surviving one's rearing and living to laugh in the face of it all.

Average customer rating:

fascinating

This is NOT the textbook!

A Diamond Second Bester...But By A Micro Eyelash

Infants and Children: Prenatal Through Middle Childhood (5th Edition) (MyDevelopmentLab Series)
Laura E. Berk
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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The Hurried Child: Growing Up Too Fast Too Soon (3rd edition)

Developmental Profiles: Pre-birth Through Twelve

Infants, Children, and Adolescents (5th Edition) (MyDevelopmentLab Series)

American Voices (A History of the United States, Volume 2: 1865 to the Present)

Dimensions of Communication: An Introduction

ASIN: 020542063X

Customer Reviews:

fascinating.......2007-08-06

I loved this textbook. I read it for an Infant & Child Development class and found it interesting, clear and helpful. Anyone interested in childhood development should definitely read this book!

This is NOT the textbook!.......2007-03-10

This is a workbook that goes with the textbook, Infants and Children, by Berk, 5th Edition. It is NOT the actual textbook like it seems to be. No one mentions this and I ordered it thinking it was the textbook. It was not clear on the Amazon site, so just be aware!

A Diamond Second Bester...But By A Micro Eyelash.......2006-08-10

From my experience, no other book--at this time--can upend Gonzalez-Mena's INFANTS, TODDLERS, AND CAREGIVERS. In it's seventh edition, it stands as the most near perfect infant/toddler textbook ever created.

Now...Berk's book is probably the best "second-best" textbook that I have found.

She goes from history/theory to basic foundations to each era of children from birth to Age 11. The book is filled with color pictures and color charts along with plenty of special interest sidebar accounts on subjects like the negative side of extended infant child care.

So why is it the second best? It just doesn't cover infants and toddlers exclusively. Instead, it exists as a superbly written book on early childhood growth and development...which isn't such a bad thing.

Check it out if you either can't get Gonzalez-Mena's book or if you just want a second opinion on infant/toddler concepts.

Early Childhood Education, Birth-8: The World of Children, Families, and Educators, MyLabSchool Edition (3rd Edition)

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Early Childhood Education, Birth-8: The World of Children, Families, and Educators, MyLabSchool Edition (3rd Edition)
Amy Driscoll , and Nancy G. Nagel
Manufacturer: Allyn & Bacon
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0205463746

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