Amazon.com
Sophia Loren is more than a beloved movie star--she's a cook. The author of two personal cookbooks, she's been recognized by the Italian government for her culinary prowess. In Sophia Loren's Recipes & Memories, she offers a hundred or so recipes arranged by course--antipasti through desserts. With a like number of photos, most in color, and all sorts of Sophia memorabilia--a shot of the 16-year-old Sophia shows us just how early Sophia was Sophia--the large-format book is also filled with reminiscences of family, home, and work. Cooks shouldn't be disappointed, though. Sophia's recipes, taken from all over Italy as well as her table, include pizzas and risottos, hearty soups, savory fish dishes, and simple but satisfying sweets. The repertoire is basic but tempting; Sophia's Saltimbocca, for example, is the familiar dish yet again, but there are a few original and "undiscovered" dishes, such as Eggplant Cooked in the Manner of Mushrooms. Standout dishes include a lovely herb-perfumed lamb stew from Naples and a sweet-savory rice dish made with turkey, chestnuts, and dried fruit. The recipes are models of clarity, and Sophia's introductory notes and other asides leave no doubt that the author is a serious, passionate cook. Reading her book and trying her recipes, we come to applaud the star in her apron as well as on the screen. --Arthur Boehm
Customer Reviews:
Wonderful simple Italian recipes!.......2006-03-16
When I was in my early twenties I enjoyed cooking Italian dishes with my grandmother every Tuesday. My grandmother is a true Italian woman, raised in New York and believes a family should eat a homemade meal every night. She gave me this book as she thought it was a suberb Italian cookbook. I couldn't agree more. As a young person, this is a great book because the receipes are not too comlicated, as common Italian dishes and taste delicious! Almost every recipe has a color photo too. My favorite recipes in the book are: Bucatini alla Carbonara, Spaghetti al Limone and the lentil soup.
A Delicious, Heart-warming Book!.......2005-03-15
"Sophia Loren's Recipes & Memories" is a book to be treasured, read and re-read, for its charming insight into the life and times of one of the world's great actresses, and for its wonderful, traditional Italian recipes, laced with more than a little spice-of-life.
Buy two of them! One for you to savor, one for a special gift for a favorite person in your life. I read this photo-filled book cover-to-cover the minute it arrived, and then enthusiastically ordered a second copy for my favorite cook, my son, the pastry chef. The first sentence in this memoir is "According to an old adage, the best condiment for any food is hunger." This book will make you passionately hungry for the best of Italian cooking, and it will inform you in the lovliest way possible, about old-world Italian kitchen traditions, not to mention a fascinating vision of Ms. Loren's life in film.
BookIdeas.com Book Reviewer Marie Jones says:.......2005-03-07
More than just a collection of family recipes, "Sophia Loren's Recipes and Memories" is a sumptuous and often intimate journey into the life of one of the world's classiest and most admired and loved movie stars. The 100 traditional and improvised recipes are accompanied by insightful anecdotes about the movie business, acting, family life, the art of cooking, and growing up in her home country of Italy, with gorgeous photographs that bring Ms. Loren's passion for her past, and her present, to glorious life.
With such a legendary acting career to her credit, Ms. Loren has met and worked with many of the greats in the business, and she talks about her behind-the-scenes experiences, peppered throughout the book in between the real highlights, the recipes themselves. Many come from long-standing family traditions passed down from generation to generation, but many are also more modern, improvised takes on Italian dishes that Ms. Loren discovered on various locations of her many movies, or created herself from her vast knowledge of the culinary arts (this is not her first cookbook!).
The photographs by Alison Harris chronicle the evolution of both Ms. Loren's long and illustrious career, and her home life in Italy and abroad, with lush and colorful glimpses into a life centered around the pleasures of home and the family kitchen, as well as behind the camera. That Ms. Loren loves food is obvious in this beautiful, coffee-table style cookbook. That she loves life is even more so.
simple recipes emotional depth.......2005-01-19
I love cooking the recipes in this book because they require few ingredients and cook with little preparation. The rustic simplicity of these recipes resonates very well with her childhood and adolescent memories. You get the feeling that the poverty that she endured in her youth has now tempered to only warm memories with time, but you can still read the hunger and deprivation between the lines. She is so gracious! You really feel as if she is handing you her family recipes. I was never a big fan of hers(too young to enjoy her movies) but I appreciate her so much more--she reveals so much if you read between the lines. One of my favorite recipes is spaghetti with lemon. I didn't have any cream so I used butter instead. Came out great. Took absolutely no time to prepare.
Great Authentic Italian Meals!.......2003-08-27
As an Italian-born woman I found the receipes in this cookbook to actually be very authentically Italian and delicious. Not sure I buy the fact that Loren makes these dishes, but whoever cooked them up did a great job! Buon Appetito!
Book Description
For young single women, every night is Ladies' Night. For Brett Paesel and her friends, Friday happy hour is all they get-if they can wrangle the babysitting. Like most mommies, they support each other through pregnancies, sleep deprivation, and the need to talk about it all. Instead of meeting at the playground, they convene at the local watering hole while sipping Black and Tans and flirting with the cute bartender. Now with a poignant voice and a fresh style that makes this memoir read like the best women's fiction, Paesel navigates mommyhood in all its forms-the ecstatic, the terrifying, the tedious, the hilarious, the transcendental, and the sticky. So grab a comfy seat; it's time for the performance art that is the daily existence of a twenty-first-century mama, where life bounces back and forth between the heartfelt desire to be a loving wife and mother and the burning need to reclaim your former self by letting your hair down every once in a while. Paesel's laugh-out-loud perspective will appeal to all women who are braving the new world of motherhood, where the secret question on their minds at playgroup is "When is it too early in the day to start drinking?"
Customer Reviews:
So funny.......2007-03-15
I don't have children and I'm not interested in children, but this book is so funny, it really, really made me happy!
Mommies Who Drink.......2007-03-09
We read this book for our bookclub and had a conference call with Brett Paesel, the author. That was great! She was very personable and genuine, much like her book. And what a great sense of humor!! Very much along the lines of Larry David and Jerry Seinfeld. Hilarious but very real.
Laugh Out Loud Kind of Funny!.......2007-03-03
I really don't understand why in the world some of the reviewers expected this to be a serious book about motherhood. Just look at the cover. Duh! It's a tongue-in-cheek book about motherhood. I have to wonder if the critical reviewers have kids because if they have kids and not a sense of humor they're really missing the best part.
If you're reading this, please don't be swayed by the negative reviews. I actually listened to the book (read by the author) and she is a fabulous reader. I plan on buying this book for my girlfriends and our youngest kids are 24! Doesn't that tell you something?
RIGHT ON THE MONEY!.......2007-02-24
Brett Paesel is truly up there with the best of the many "confession-charged" writers. Often wry, always quick-witted, MOMMIES WHO DRINK confirms what many mothers often think and feel, but are too ashamed or fearful to admit--that having babies doesn't disqualify us from the world of the living, and alot of us don't always know what we're doing, let alone why! A great read and a perfect gift for another deserving mom.
Average.......2007-01-03
I absolutely loved the premise of this book.
Unfortunately, the reading it part was not so great. While this book is not horrible, it felt incredibly disjointed to me and really, I did not see the point of writing the thing, unless the author needed to "unwind" somehow.
I could not connect with the author or any of her friends and I kept wondering why she decided to have children? I mean, she could have just continued with her "old" life -
just did not get the point of this whole book. By the way, it wasn't even funny....
Book Description
Throughout Maya Angelou’s life, from her childhood in Stamps, Arkansas, to her world travels as a bestselling writer, good food has played a central role. Preparing and enjoying homemade meals provides a sense of purpose and calm, accomplishment and connection. Now in Hallelujah! The Welcome Table, Angelou shares memories pithy and poignant–and the recipes that helped to make them both indelible and irreplaceable.
Angelou tells us about the time she was expelled from school for being afraid to speak–and her mother baked a delicious maple cake to brighten her spirits. She gives us her recipe for short ribs along with a story about a job she had as a cook at a Creole restaurant (never mind that she didn’t know how to cook and had no idea what Creole food might entail). There was the time in London when she attended a wretched dinner party full of wretched people; but all wasn’t lost–she did experience her initial taste of a savory onion tart. She recounts her very first night in her new home in Sonoma, California, when she invited M. F. K. Fisher over for cassoulet, and the evening Deca Mitford roasted a chicken when she was beyond tipsy–and created Chicken Drunkard Style. And then there was the hearty brunch Angelou made for a homesick Southerner, a meal that earned her both a job offer and a prophetic compliment: “If you can write half as good as you can cook, you are going to be famous.”
Maya Angelou is renowned in her wide and generous circle of friends as a marvelous chef. Her kitchen is a social center. From fried meat pies, chicken livers, and beef Wellington to caramel cake, bread pudding, and chocolate éclairs, the one hundred-plus recipes included here are all tried and true, and come from Angelou’s heart and her home. Hallelujah! The Welcome Table is a stunning collaboration between the two things Angelou loves best: writing and cooking.
Customer Reviews:
Maya Angelou.......2007-07-26
All I can say it "awesome". I laugh out load or nod my head in agreement with so much she has to say. What an incredible woman. You will enjoy this book.
Lovely!.......2007-03-16
This was another gift purchase for my husband that loves to cook. It looks like it has some yummy old fashion recipes. We have not tried anything yet.
But if you are a fan of Maya Angelou you will enjoy having this cook book.
GREAT recipes and GOOD stories.......2006-12-23
This cook book is a wonderful find. It was given to me as a gift and I love the stories that come along with the awesome recipes. Maya Angelou dishes out some very interesting stories, which go hand-in-hand with the good home cooking in the book. It's more than just a cook book!
Hallelujah! A Great Gift..........2006-12-15
This is a timeless book you can use again and again. I received it as a gift and immediately was drawn to its stories and recipes. It's so much more than a cookbook. From the cover to the recipes to the pictures, I just love this book! When I first got it, I didn't want to put it down, and I've never felt so interested in a cookbook. Maya offers traditional southern soul food recipes as well as other dishes that played a significant role in her life's journey. I love the diversity of recipes and humorous and heartfelt anecdotes. Just reading the stories warmed my soul so much and made me smile, and made me anxious to try the recipes. I soon made the smothered chicken and fried chicken, and both dishes were delicious. By sharing her heart and favorite recipes, Maya Angelou touches your soul with a reminder to not only make the most of every meal, but also to live life as fully and vibrantly as the satisfying buffet of recipes she offers here.
Maya to the Nth Degree.......2006-11-26
Maya Angelou can always be counted on to make you laugh, remember and cry all at the same time. And now she makes you hungry too! You don't have to be able to cook to enjoy the wonderful recipes - just read and follow instructions. Full of love too. This is a great family gift.
Book Description
Heartfelt stories and fond memories written by and for scrapbookers from all walks of life. From small towns to major metropolitan areas, scrapbooking has become the quilting bee of the 21st centuryin fact, there's a scrapbook enthusiast in one out of every four households across America. With stories from everyday scrapbookers, scrapbook celebrities and scrapbook artists, this unique Chicken Soup volume relates how scrapbooking helps us through challenging times, celebrates our heritage and ancestral journeys and reminds us of the best moments of our lives. With special design elements interspersed throughout, this book is a delightful read for scrapbook newbies and junkies alike.
Customer Reviews:
As good as other ....For the Soul books.......2007-01-30
I enjoyed this edition of Chicken Soup as much as i have enjoyed others in the past. I would say however, that unless you're a scrapbooker (or somehow attached to one!), we may seem like we're all just a wee bit off! but get this to discover another hobby through great stories
Scrappin' with a Soul.......2006-11-17
I love this book! My fiance got me into scrapbooking a year ago and when I found out this book was coming out, I knew I had to have it to go with my newfound hobby. I can relate a bit to some of the stories. It should be in every scrapbookers supplies.
great book.......2006-11-05
I really loved this book. I even bought one for my best friend. We scrapbook together so each of these stories touched us in a special way.
Book Description
The third volume of Galeano's highly praised history of the Americas offers us our own turbulent century, from its first apocalyptic intimations to the age of Reagan.
Customer Reviews:
Galeano's narrative music laughs at death........2006-08-23
"Each day of life is an unrepeatable chord of a music that laughs at death." So Eduardo Galeano tells us in this, the final book of his "Memory of Fire" trilogy. The culmination of his experiment in history writing, this volume tells the history of the Western Hemisphere's 20th century in a series of vignettes that range from beautifully poetic to brain-burningly horrifying, from the torture chambers of Latin America's right-wing dictators (too often brought to you courtesy of the USA) to a little town in Central America called Yoro where, from time to time, it rains fish. You will end this book weeping with rage and joy. (And I mean that literally. This book is quite a ride.)
Now and Then a Great Book Happens.......2006-05-12
Eduardo Galeano is a thrilling writer! (And very quickly one must add that his translator Cedric Belfrage is also gifted!) CENTURY OF THE WIND is a kaleidoscopic history, very much appropriately influenced by the sociopolitical beliefs of the author, of the Americas - South and North, and in that order - from the turn of the century 1900 to the last entry in this book in 1986. Reading it is an experience in history, in the fantastical events that have sprouted everywhere in every venue in a century more filled with inventions and collisions and bright lights and devastations than any preceding it.
Galeano's style is journalistic (he began his rigorous and controversial career as a journalist and editor before turning to books), and in a most readable fashion he takes us through specific events in each of the years of the 1900s and reports and comments on such divers topics as Thomas Edison, Fidel Castro, the Panama Canal, vaccinations in Brazil, Buster Keaton, Charlie Chaplin, agrarian reform, wars, revolutions, Frida Kahlo, religion, Evita, Ernest Hemingway, dictators, the Beatles, fellow authors of South America - the list is endless.
Galeano can say more in a paragraph or two than most commentators or historians can in an entire book. This is tasty writing unearthing many concepts that have passed unknown to many of us. Reading this fascinating book raises more questions than a multitude of reading groups or college courses and it is a must for the libraries of those who love to be challenged while being entertained! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, May 06
A Remarkable Cultural History Tour.......2005-11-25
Eduardo Galeano's "Century of the Wind" (1988) stands on its own merits as one of the finest cultural histories ever written. From Pinochet to Presley, the author chronicles the dark undercurrents of South and North America in a compelling, cross-cutting narrative. An indispensible book that belongs in every library.
Literary History.......2003-03-05
This book was completely mesmerizing and beautiful in its portrait of human nature and the history of two continents. Galeano unfolds the story of the Americas in the 20th century with his magnificent story telling which makes the book difficult to put down or to forget. Each snipet tells of the experiences of various Americans from poor Indigeneous folk to the heads of state. I would recommend this book to anyone, but especially to people in the U.S. who should develop a better understanding of their sister countries to the south. Galeano is neither pessimist, nor optimist but rather chooses to reveal the naked reality of human experience and conduct from the most avaricious calousness to the most magnanimous heroism.
Where Past Centuries Will Take Us.......2001-12-31
The literary world is indebted to Galeano for his
poetical honesty in articulately conveying the voice of suffering in the masses, in the few. In Century of the Wind, he speaks with fascinating brevity as he dances and intertwines the triumphs and failures of a resilient, albeit it haunted, century. Galeano's words become newspaper articles that come Alive, his charachters become colorful fragments of peace and war and love and politics, refusing to be silenced. He urges the reader to pay attention to the paradox of romancing a people whom have had chaos and horror thrust upon them. Cetury of the Wind is a pathway in which we can collectively examine the troublesome past of America and ask the next great question with some degree of vigor -- And where are we heading?
Book Description
"A searching, sensitive, and engagingly witty meditation." -Lyndall Gordon
"What a great pleasure this gorgeous little book has given me! It should be offered everywhere indeed, and at every museum shop on earth."-Honor Moore
A fascinating meditation on art and personality, Patricia Vigderman's exploration of Isabella Stewart Gardner's famous Boston museum radiates out from its subject to investigate Garnder's legacy of luxury and willfulness.Isabella Gardner's high spirits and aesthetic pleasure, her women friends and female power, her friendships with the adventurers and aesthetes of her world, are gathered into this engrossing investigation of patronage and passion.Blending biography, memoir, philosophy, and detective story, The Memory Palace is more than a tribute to the museum and the woman; it is an altogether new genre.Vigderman's witty and intimate quest for her subject sets a literary precedent for the appreciation of artistic imagination.Loosening up the past, entering its mysteries and its memories, she reminds us that we change our lives when we begin a relationship with art.Â
Patricia Vigderman grew up in Washington, D.C., and Europe. She graduated from Vassar College, after which a circuitous course led her through editing, translating, freelance journalism, teaching, marriage, motherhood, divorce, a doctoral dissertation (on nineteenth-century novels as film, as history, and as autobiography), and a lot of time in museums. Her recent writing has appeared in The Georgia Review, Harvard Review, The Iowa Review, The Kenyon Review, Mid-American Review, Northwest Review, Raritan, Seneca Review, and Southwest Review. She divides her year between Cambridge, Massachusetts, and Gambier, Ohio, where she teaches in the English department at Kenyon College. She is married to the writer Lewis Hyde.
Book Description
Over the Course of his half century in the public eye, Mickey Mantle meant many things to many different people. He was a hero to fans of all ages - the undisputed leader and superstar of the greatest sports dynasty in history. Our Mickey is a collection of personal stories from people who were affected by Mantle as a teammate, friend, personality, and hero - people including Yogi Berra, Whitey Ford, Stan Musial, Sandy Koufax, Willie Mays, Billy Crystal, David Halberstam, Dan Rather, Regis Philbin, Henry Kissinger, and may more. This unique compilation features heartfelt memories from dozens of ballplayers, celebrities, dignitaries, journalists, and fans who share their favorite stories about a generation's most revered athlete.
Customer Reviews:
Our Mickey: Cherished Book.......2005-08-03
I am a huge Yankee fan and I have read a lot of books about them including some about Mickey Mantle. Out of all the books about the Mick this is my favorite.
Bill Liederman and Maury Allen have created a different perspective about Mantle by not telling about his life and career but letting his freinds and other famous people who knew Mickey best, write a paragraph about experiences with him. It shows the real Mickey Mantle and some of the funny and great things he did.
The book is divided in four categories; Mickey as a Yankee and Teamate, Mickey as Legend, Mickey as Personality, and Mickey as a Ballplayer. The book has people such as Whitey Ford, Willie Mays, Billy Chrystal, Joe Torre, Donald Trump, Regis Philbin, and more.
I loved reading this book and I recommend it to not just a Yankee fan but any baseball fan or someone who lived during his career and remember him.
A 4-bagger.......2004-04-19
First, I am not a Yankees fan, but they have had some great players over the years and Mantle is, arguably, one of the best, and I have always admired his considerable talent. Everyone knows his statistics and how he liked to party, but I was looking for some insights into the man, and this book delivered. The book is a series of reminiscences by teammates, opponents, writers, friends and people whose lives were touched in some way by Mantle. Some are funny, some are poignant, but all of them together give a picture of the man. If you enjoy reading about the person behind the legend, and how he was perceived by others who knew him, then you'll enjoy this book. It's a good read and I recommend it heartily.
Congratulations.......2004-04-13
Well done! I remember when you two were kicking around the idea of a Mickey Mantle book. Congratulations on all your great ideas coming to fruition. You two make an excellent team. Good luck, I hope you sell them all! I look forward to your next collaboration.
A fresh take on the legend of the Mick.......2004-03-31
There are lots of Mickey Mantle books out there, but I've never seen another like this. Anecdotes about Mickey from friends, teammates, and notable fans whose lives he touched. It's a fun, fast read as each story gives you a new perspective on one of the most colorful Yankees of all time. Unlike the standard-issue biographies out there, this book reads like a series of quick conversations and it is fascinating and entertaining to hear from such diverse names as Yogi Berra, David Halberstam, Regis Philbin, and Willie Mays. I learned a lot that I didn't know about Mickey, and I highly recommend this for you other Yankee fans out there.
Book Description
Chick Hearn was the beloved broadcaster for the Los Angeles Lakers for four decades and 3,338 consecutive games; his previously unpublished memoirs are now available for the first time ever along with a anecdotes and stories from those who knew him (and the Lakers) best along with an audio CD of Chick's greatest calls.
Customer Reviews:
Simply The Best.......2007-03-13
What a wonderful book about a man who loved basketball and the Lakers. Chick Hearn was a very gifted announcer. The way he would describe the game would seem to put you court-side along with the other 17,505 at the fabulous Forum! I started listening to Chick during the 70's and into the 80's. Living in Arizona I had to try and find the L.A. station when possible. When one of the local stations started carrying the games in the 80's, I was estatic. The book does a nice job starting from his youth into his last days. Reading about the last few months of his life just broke your heart for the man----and I didn't know him!! That should tell you how the fans could relate to Chick. The Los Angeles area had two other announcers that were also great in my book---Dick Enberg doing Ram games and Vin Scully doing Dodgers games. The Los Angeles area was blessed with many great teams and announcers, but none will be able to replace Chick Hearn.
Basketball is dead to me now...........2006-11-08
I grew up watching/listening/simulcasting to EVERY GAME for the Lakers from 1981 through about 2003 or so (still try to catch them on tv, but no longer live in the L.A. area). It seems that since he passed away, the Lakers were suddenly cursed. But this book brings back the Memoirs of one of my favorite idols. Chick was the best announcer, period. He was so good that even people who were simply not into the game, or even disgusted by sports in general, would get into it and watch because of his sharp apt to connect to the viewers/listeners with ease and comfort. I've seen this myself firsthand more than a plenty of times. His ability to bring the game to you in a simple and enjoyable fashion was priceless. My mom even loved the guy. So Laker fans, Angelinos, basketball and sports fans -- buy this book!
Chick: His Unpublished Memoirs and the Memories of Those Who Loved Him.......2005-10-17
This book really brought Chick Hearn back to life for me...I LOVED IT! It contained so many facinating memories from Chick and those close to him. Also, the accompanying CD with excerpts of Chick's calls from many games cleverly strung together...his Chickisms....was an added treat. For anyone who followed Chick during his career I highly recommend this book!
Dianne O.
La Canada, CA
An excellent series of memoirs about Chick Hearn.......2004-08-23
As a lifelong Laker fan, I've felt like I've known Chick for most of my life. He was like the eccentric uncle that explained things to you when he visited, and in Chick's case, what he explained was basketball.
If you're not a Laker fan, this book probably won't be as meaningful to you, but it's filled with entertaining stories and poignant nuggets about broadcasting, basketball, and life in general. Some of the material I'd read about before, but a lot of it was new to me. It gets quite emotional at times; it's not strictly about basketball or play-by-play announcing, although he looms very large in both fields.
The book is mostly a compilation of other people recalling their memories of Chick, with some first-hand quotes from him as well. It doesn't really have a narrative, so it's a nice book to pick up and read from occasionally. I think the structure of it really suits the subject well. Chick was great at describing basketball and relating to people, so to a large extent the book is basketball people talking about him.
If you're a Laker fan, it's a great read. If you're into sportscasting or basketball, there's something for you too.
The Stories and the Voice........2004-07-02
For 3,338 consecutive games Chick Hern was the voice of the L.A. Lakers. He became as famous as the best of their players. As the voice of the lakers, he essentially was the lakers to millions of fans. He brought the team, the coaches, and the rest of the organization to the millions of fans. He lived Lakers basketball, and it showed in the way he talked.
This book presents Chick in two ways: One is the writing about Chick, his life, his stories of the team, people, and life in general. Second is the CD included with the book that gives some of his greatest calles, along with narration by Al Michaels. Normally the voice of a sports broadcaster is a transient thing. You hear what he said, or maybe you miss it, and it's gone forever. Here are some of the best of his work, recorded forever.
Book Description
As a child, Gina Cascone would hide under her bed, in the closet, and
run away from her parents, hoping somehow to escape her worst fear.
But she couldn't hide from the awful truth...
She had to go to Catholic school.
Do nuns have legs? Is Original Sin the "starter sin" for novices? Can the
rosary be said in under fifteen minutes? These are some of the questions
that vex young Gina Cascone as she makes her way, grade by grade -- and
prayer by prayer -- through the rigors of a Catholic education. All the
answers can be found in this hilarious classic of childhood foibles: the
traumatic first day of school, the dorky plaid uniform complete with
matching beanie, glow-in-the-dark rosary beads, first confession trauma,
proper dashboard decor ("Cadillacs got Jesus; Oldsmobiles got Mary"), and
the race to save the most "pagan babies," who weren't lucky enough to be
born Catholic and American.
Download Description
"As a child, Gina Cascone would hide under her bed, in the closet, and run away from her parents, hoping somehow to escape her worst fear. But she couldn't hide from the awful truth... She had to go to Catholic school. Do nuns have legs? Is Original Sin the ""starter sin"" for novices? Can the rosary be said in under fifteen minutes? These are some of the questions that vex young Gina Cascone as she makes her way, grade by grade -- and prayer by prayer -- through the rigors of a Catholic education. All the answers can be found in this hilarious classic of childhood foibles: the traumatic first day of school, the dorky plaid uniform complete with matching beanie, glow-in-the-dark rosary beads, first confession trauma, proper dashboard decor (""Cadillacs got Jesus; Oldsmobiles got Mary""), and the race to save the most ""pagan babies,"" who weren't lucky enough to be born Catholic and American. "
Customer Reviews:
catholic schools are universal.......2007-08-16
this is a funny book one with which I could identify. any one who has attended a catholic school in the 60's or 70's knows where the author Gascone has been
Catholic bashing packaged as humor..........2007-05-20
I, too, grew up Catholic. I, too, have hilarious stories of my experiences. How lucky I feel, though, to have been raised to honor and respect my faith. Yes, my old friends and I still chuckle over certain eccentric nuns, over chapel veils and pagan baby collections, but mostly we feel lucky and richer for this experience. Since my patent leather shoe days, I've been widowed (young), lost my father (young), raised six children...no heartache or challenge has been too great, as I have been comforted and strengthened by this two thousand year old faith Gina Cascone so glibly dismisses. Had she remained true to her faith, some of what she says could be taken as good natured fun. She has instead turned her back on Catholicism and puts herself above sacraments and revered practices and beliefs. Her humor smacks of arrogance and ignorance. How sad.
This book is fantastic.......2006-08-29
A word of advice. Do not lend your copy of this book out. I am so glad they finally reprinted the book. I've lent 3 copies out - never to receive any of them back. This one will not leave my possession. You will laugh until you cry. I too went to Catholic schools and am still a happily practicing Catholic. I have some great memories too. Growing up during the 50's and 60's just does that....like the time I got into trouble for pretending I was a priest and pretending to consecrate Necco wafers. I don't know anyone who could put the laugh until you cry spin on the parochial school stories though. Irreverant, yes. A must-read? absolutely. Ms. Cascone tells her story not because she hated Catholic school, but because she has this fantastic sense of humor. I'd read anything she wrote. I bought sight unseen her book Life al Dente. I read excerpts of it to my Jewish husband in the car this weekend and even he laughed like crazy.
Disappointed.......2005-11-13
The book did bring back pleasant memories of attending a Catholic School. It's too bad that Gina Cascone hated attending a Catholic School. I kept reading hoping that at some time she would say something good about being a Catholic. But that never happened. If I hadn't experienced Catholic Schools myself, this book would convince me that sending your child to a Catholic school is child abuse. I only recommend this book for people who hated being Catholic.
Thoughts from a convert.......2004-11-18
Right off the bat I should state that I did not go to Catholic school nor was I brought up Catholic. I joined the Catholic church as an adult so I never got to experience anything like tha author details of her childhood. This is part of the reason I wanted to read the book. I love memoirs. I love Catholicism. I love good religious humor. This sounded like a perfect mix of them all.
I did find a lot of it humorous including her rebelious nature, her naive misunderstandings of doctrine, meeting her Sisters and other school chums. And while I realize that this is supposed to be read asnd appreciated as "the world according to a child" perspective, I did have a problem with the fact that the author did not bother to correct herself in certain things now that she is an adult and should better understand. For example, speaking about the Immaculate Conception as being the same as the Virgin Birth of Jesus. Even I, as a new Catholic, know that these are two completely different things.
Overall I was pleased with the book but I do have to admit that I got bored near the middle, put the book away for a few weeks and finished it later. Since each of the short chapters were on a different topic it was easy to pick it up and put it down again without missing a thing.
Customer Reviews:
Not so memorable.......2001-01-07
This is really not such a good book. It is mainly a series of quotations from other sources. In my opinion, the best book about Augusta is David Owens' book. Curt Sampson's book is interesting, but has many factual errors, and reads like a next to last draft in need of a thorough fact checking. In any event, save your money on this one.
Smell the Azaleas.......2000-10-24
A very nice book on a very beautiful subject for golf purists. Augusta National is ruled by stiff old grey men in green jackets. But the course and annual tournament are stuff of legends. All nicely presented here.
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Books Index
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Entre Nous: A Woman's Guide to Finding Her Inner French Girl
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