Until the Twelfth of Never: The Deadly Divorce of Dan & Betty Broderick

Customer Reviews:

Sad but gripping story; very well written.......2007-08-16

I have read some of the reviews here and actually wonder if they read this book or are just commenting on the case in general. Stumbo does an excellent job of giving both sides of the story, whether Dan is still alive or not. Neither one is made out to be a Saint. Betty was raised to be a perfect wife and mother, with very little support or encouragement from her family that she could do anything else. To be dumped for a younger woman as your youth is slipping away could be devastating to ANY woman. Just as Dan and Betty had reached the pinnacle of their lives and should have been enjoying the fruits of all their labors, Dan changed partners. Betty definitely behaved in an obsessive and calculating manner, unable to "let go" and move on, even though she eventually found another partner. This was her downfall. On the other hand, Dan used his legal maneuvers to taunt Betty and to save himself some money, making it his (literally) fatal mistake. Stumbo pulls no punches; by the end of the book, one is left with a sad feeling for the children who have gone through hell and practically lost both parents, as well as Betty, who has pretty much drifted into a state of denial while trying to recreate a perfect world in prison. It will be interesting to see what happens when her parole comes due.

Bella Stumbo has done an excellent job of researching the book as well as putting it together in a riveting tale.

totally engrossing.......2007-05-18

This book is difficult to put down. It is very well-researched and detailed....you will almost feel what it was like to BE Betty Broderick going through infidelity, public shame and humiliation, while at the same time losing custody of her children and access to all the money she helped Dan earn. I wouldn't say this is a pro-Betty book but Stumbo, being the good reporter that she was, sets out to tell the story from both sides. Neither Dan, Linda or Betty will come out on top in this book, and that is what makes this story so fascinating.

Where's Bella's next book?.......2007-04-10

I loved this book. Well-written and thoroughly researched this is a stay up all night reading book. It is still one of the classics of the genre for me.
I was fascinated by the Broderick case and like many here disliked how Betty was portrayed as the "wronged woman" etc. Stumbo's book does portray Betty sympathetically but does not skew the facts. She shows Betty being nasty to her children, money-obsessed and, ultimately, cold blooded. For me, Stumbo portrayed a classic folie a deux - two people who should never have been married to each other trying endlessly to bend the other to their will.
Dan did play mind games with Betty, but Betty gave as good as she got. The reviewer here who suggested that Betty may be have BPD raises an interesting idea and one that makes a great deal of sense to me. Betty's endless cries of victimization, her cruelties to her own children, etc. certainly fit the bill.
The Broderick story is a tragedy with no heroes or heroines.
With the talent clearly on display in this book, where is Bella Stumbo's next book?

Excellent read.......2007-01-05

This is the kind of book that is hard to put down. Dan and Linda were both smart enough to realize that if you keeping poking something with a sharp stick, you're eventually gonna get an explosive reaction. Obviously, they underestimated the reaction.

They asked for it and asked for it and asked for it. They finally got it.

Transgression of the Mind.......2006-10-04

A disillusioned Betty commits a crime of passion showing little compassion. Her irreverent actions negate her parochial background. Nothing but burnt offerings pays homage to the memory of her victims.

The Letters of Abelard and Heloise (Penguin Classics)

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The Letters of Abelard and Heloise (Penguin Classics)
The Letters of Abelard and Heloise
Tragic Love Story
A summary
Tragic Story

The Letters of Abelard and Heloise (Penguin Classics)
Peter Abelard , Heloise , and Michael Clanchy
Manufacturer: Penguin Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0140448993
Release Date: 2004-04-27

Amazon.com

Abelard and Heloise are nearly as famous a pair of tragic lovers as the fictional Romeo and Juliet; their shared passion for knowledge, religious faith, and one another sealed their destiny. Abelard was a well-respected, 12th-century Parisian scholar and teacher, and Heloise was his talented young student. The two relate their story through a set of letters to one another and intimate acquaintances. Their ardor is unmistakable; as Abelard writes to his love, "So intense were the fires of lust which bound me to you that I set those wretched, obscene pleasures, which we blush even to name, above God as above myself..." This forbidden lust resulted in a pregnancy and secret marriage, and when their union could no longer withstand the challenges in its path, each lover sought refuge in the church--Abelard became a monk and Heloise an abbess. Their correspondence continued as both achieved success in their new careers but continued to struggle with their feelings for one another; the set of letters powerfully articulates the wide range of emotions they experienced. So timeless is their love story that--after eight centuries--their passion, their devotion, and their struggle still resonate with readers.

Book Description

The story of Abelard and Heloise remains one of the world's most dramatic and well-known love affairs. It is told through the letters of French philosopher Peter Abelard and his gifted pupil Heloise. Through their impassioned writings unfolds the story of a romance, from its reckless, ecstatic beginnings to the public scandal, enforced secret marriage, and devastating consequences that followed. These eloquent and intimate letters express a vast range of emotions from adoration and devotion to reproach, indignation, and grief, and offer a fascinating insight into religious life in the Middle Ages.

Customer Reviews:

The Letters of Abelard and Heloise (Penguin Classics).......2007-03-19

Arrived in very good condition as promised.

The Letters of Abelard and Heloise.......2007-03-14

This book was definitely thought provoking, or at least the parts I had to read for class were. I'm not sure if I would recommend it as a fun read. However, it was interesting.

Tragic Love Story.......2007-01-15

If this story were not true, it would be almost unbelievable. If Hollywood tried to conjure up this blot line, it would be viewed as implausible and fanciful. The story, however, of the tragic love affair of Abelard and Heloise is indeed true.

The Penguin Classics edition wisely combines Abelard's autobiography with the surviving letters between he and his lover/wife/friend Heloise. Abelard, first the arrogant seducer, later is humbled by God after being punished by man. Later in life, though still shamed and enduring constant accusations, Abelard provides spiritual direction for Heloise and her fellow sisters at the convent over which she was abbess. It was during these years that their letters are exchanged.

The letters provide insight into a soul love that started out as carnal, but was purified by God. They also provide insight into feminine soul care and spiritual direciton, as Heloise demonstrates tremendous wisdom in her words and spiritual conversations.

Reviewer: Bob Kellemen, Ph.D., is the author of Beyond the Suffering: Embracing the Legacy of African American Soul Care and Spiritual Direction, Soul Physicians, Spiritual Friends, and the forthcoming: Sacred Friendships: Listening to the Voices of Women Soul Care Givers and Spiritual Directors.

A summary.......2006-06-26

Letter 1 (Historia Calamitatum), Abelard to a friend. You think you have it bad? Let me tell you about the mess I've been through and you'll feel a lot better (p. 3). Things were going great until the other professors realized I was smarter than they were and hated me for it. And then I met Heloise, and things really went downhill from there. Her looks were okay, and I'm a handsome dude, so I thought she'd be easy (p. 10). Her uncle Fulbert was an idiot to leave me alone with her (pp. 10-11). I was her teacher and she was just a kid, but I couldn't keep my hands off her. I slapped her around a little to make it look like I was teaching her and not doing her (p. 11). We went at it like rabbits. I knocked her up, she had a kid, and Uncle Fulbert made us get hitched. It was supposed to be a secret, but Fulbert started to spill the beans, so I put Heloise in a convent. That really pissed off Fulbert, so he made a steer out of me (pp. 16-17). Then I made Heloise take the veil, and I became a monk. Now I'm stuck in a hellhole of a monastery in Brittany with a bunch of thugs.

Letter 2, Heloise to Abelard. I just saw the letter you wrote to your friend. Too bad things have been tough, but how come I haven't gotten a letter from you in over 10 years? I think about you all the time, you big stud. It makes me crazy. I'd rather be called your whore than your wife (p. 51). All the girls were jealous of me; we still sing your songs (pp. 52-53). I'd really like to get a letter from you, especially since it was your idea that I become a nun (p. 53). You were a real jerk back then when you waited to make sure I became a nun before you became a monk (p. 54). The least you can do is write.

Letter 3, Abelard to Heloise. How am I supposed to know you wanted to hear from me? I figured you've had better things to do in the last few years than read my letters. Be a good sister and don't worry about me. But if I kick the bucket, bury me at the convent (p. 61).

Letter 4, Heloise to Abelard. Don't talk that way! It makes me crazy to think of you dead. It seems especially unfair that Uncle Fulbert waited until after we were married to get the knives out. I loved doing the nasty with you. All I do is remember us getting it on. I can't even sleep (pp. 68-69). I really can't stand it.

Letter 5, Abelard to Heloise. Black women are not as good-looking as other women, but they have nice teeth and soft skin - it's better to keep them behind closed doors, you know (pp. 73-75). Do you remember when I used to smack you around when you weren't in the mood (p. 81)? Quit your complaining. Let's write only about religious stuff from now on.

Letter 6, Heloise to Abelard. Are there any loopholes in the Benedictine Rule for nuns?...

Tragic Story.......2006-01-05

I have been fascinated by the story of Heloise and Abelard ever since reading the book Stealing Heaven in 1979. Reading theses Letters was heartbreaking to me. This is my take on the whole thing: obviously Peter and Heloise had a deeply passionate sexual relationship. For Heloise, this grew also into an affair of the heart. For both of them it was an affair of the mind. What could be more enticing to a man than a woman of Heloise's intellect and passion? However, it was also the Middle Ages. Heloise was from a prominant family with an uncle high in the Church heirarchy. She loved Peter, as women do, with body, mind and soul. I believe he loved her deeply, but it is different with men. And as long as he was a whole man, I believe he acted honorably. But there is no way around it: her pregnancy was a disaster. What were they to do, what could they do? It is not as if he and she could live together married happily ever after. He faced ruin when she became pregnant: everything he was was put at great risk--his life's work was at stake, his standing in society, his reputation, his position at his University. They marry in secret, she hides away in a convent waiting to be rescued and carried off by her husband to a life of what? She doesn't care--she only wants to be with the man she loves. But what about him? How does he see this future? I feel sorry for the guy. But all this is moot, because her uncle has him castrated. At that point, he changes. No one seems to be acknowledging the effect this would have on him. The most importand underpinning of his feeling for Heloise, i.e., testosterone-induced lust, is suddenly gone. Then add in the humiliation, pain, etc., etc. There you have it. His only option was the Church. Her only option was the Church. But how very differently they embarked upon that life. To him it is a welcome refuge. He can continue to live his life of the mind in that setting. He is surrounded by other celibate men. He has no sexual feelings anymore. He is a different person. Whatever feeling he had for Heloise is cut from him. Indeed, he sees the whole thing as sinful, dirty, to be repented of. She, on the other hand, is in an entirely different situation. Religious life for her is not a refuge, but a prison. She has no access to her child. She has lost her love and lover, against her will. Not only are they separated, but the man she loves no longer loves her. It would have been better for her had he died. But to read his letters to her, wherein he totally rejects and condemns and regrets what she treasures most in her life and scolds her for not doing the same is heartbreaking. The letters make perfect sense to me. She was tormented by her love for him till old age cooled her ardor. She set her considerable mind at work on managing her religious order, but it was second-best, by far, till she was older. Since she adored him all her life, she engaged with him in the only manner he would allow: letters regarding religion and the religious life. I don't know how she bore it for all those years. No doubt about it: the uncle is the villian. Both Heloise and Peter suffered greatly: she had her heart torn from her, and he had his manhood torn from him.

Chocolate by Hershey: A Story About Milton S. Hershey (A Carolrhoda Creative Minds Book)

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Milton and the Hershey Factory
Chocalate by Hershey
It was a Heplful book!

Chocolate by Hershey: A Story About Milton S. Hershey (A Carolrhoda Creative Minds Book)
Betty Burford
Manufacturer: Carolrhoda Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0876146418

Customer Reviews:

Milton and the Hershey Factory.......2006-03-18

This booked was purchased for my third grade son to use for a biography book report. It was perfect. Not to hard, relevant facts and enjoyable for a parent to read along with. My son took a long a box of Hershey bars to class and passed them out after his oral report. The book report and the candy got a great review.

Chocalate by Hershey.......2006-02-25

Perfect for a school biography. Good understandable and pertinent content. Perfect for grades 2(advanced) and 3-4 graders.

It was a Heplful book!.......2004-01-20

I had to do a book report at school and I thought who would be the perfect person,who is determind,courageous,and every body loves,and I thought well everyone likes chocolate,right? So why not do the maker of one of the most popular chocolates in the World, Milton Hershey!And it really hepled Me out,cause I got an A+!

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ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!
Unaswered questions
more exciting lies means more sales
An especially propitious time to re-read this true story
What Garbage!

Not Without My Daughter
Betty Mahmoody , and William Hoffer
Manufacturer: St. Martin's Paperbacks
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback

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ASIN: 0312925883

Book Description

In August 1984, Michigan housewife Betty Mahmoody accompanied her husband to his native Iran for a two-week vacation. To her horror, she found herself and her four-year-old daughter, Mahtob, virtual prisoners of a man rededicated to his Shiite Moslem faith, in a land where women are near-slaves and Americans are despised. Their only hope for escape lay in a dangerous underground that would not take her child....Now the true story of this courageous woman and her breathtaking odyssey bursts upon the screen in the Pathe Entertainment production starring Academy Award-winner Sally Field!A Literary Guild Alternate Selection.

Customer Reviews:

ABSOLUTELY AMAZING!.......2007-06-27

THIS BOOK WAS FANTASTIC. I COULDN'T READ IT FAST ENOUGH. HOW LUCKEY WE ARE TO LIVE IN A FREE COUNTRY. READ THIS BOOK!!

Unaswered questions.......2007-06-11

Its a fascinating story but like one reader said it raised a lot of questions. How was a virtual prisoner able to communicate with people in the market. The issue of Trish and Suzanne who wanted her to escape with them if she was that desperate why did she not go with them, I know the Embassy warned her about going with them but they did warn her about escaping in general towards the end. The issue of her passport was also rightly raised by a reviewer. She mentions mohsehn wanted that along with her money,necklace and colouring book. But what smuggler would have wanted to draw attention to himself by carrying her passport on his person.A gold necklace would also draw a lot of attention and word would get around that an American was there. The idea of a grown man taking a colouring book is ridiculous and laughable. She mentions that her passport was requested by Mohsehn who later asked her to give it to the man in the truck and he later gave it back to her. Yet we hear that when leaving for Van a package was thrown at her with her Passport and money. In the meantime who took the passport? When crossing the border she mentions she looked up and could see the pasar/ border guards on top of the mountain if she could see them they could see her. She also mentions that she could hear voices ahead in arguement. Smugglers? Or Border Guards or both? One would have thought that either the first or last would have put the pasdar on their guard and made them more wary. Yet she tells us that certain patches of Ice were too risky to negotiate.'noise was our enemy any sound was like a rifle to patrolling pasdar'

Lastly where is the documentation from the American embassy in Ankara, copy of her iranian passport. Sometimes the story is overdone

more exciting lies means more sales .......2007-05-12

Although some problems may have existed between Betty and her husband, and domestic abuse happens everywhere in the world, she clearly attempts to dehumanize the Iranians by writing lies about their customs and culture, much like the Persians that look like ugly monsters in the recent movie 300. Good and not so good people exist everywhere. I have travelled extensively around the globe and I know that both Iranians and Americans are among the nicest people that I have ever met. Iranian people and culture have a built in tendency to defend the "underdog", the oppressed, and the lonely. After you read this book, please don't let this be your only reading and pespective of Iran. By the way, Iranians do take showers and baths several times a week. In fact when the Westerners of 16th and 17th century used to take one annual bath a year and no house had a regular bathroom (the Versaille palace has no bathroom they used the gardens!), Iranians took weekly baths and most homes had bathrooms.

An especially propitious time to re-read this true story.......2007-04-07

Now that the fifteen British mariners have been released from Iranian captivity and repatriated, if you're interested in forming an impression of what it's like to live among typical Persians, whose habits of personal hygiene may surprise you, revisit this book while copies remain available.

What Garbage!.......2007-03-28

If I could have given this book a "0", I would. I have spent a considerable amount of time in Iran, as an American woman and as a mother accompanied by my children. I have never experienced anything but warmth, hospitality, and respect from any Iranians I encountered while living there. Although, I was not married to an Iranian man, bad, abusive marriages happen anywhere. Why is a bad marriage in Iran--if this was indeed the case--considered so "newsworthy?" It is troubling that one woman's overly-dramatized, traumatic account is seen in the US as the prototype for all of Iranian culture. For example, I have eaten in the homes of many Iranians, of all social classes, in cities and in villages, and never once did I encounter bugs in the food. Doesn't anyone find it suspicious that the ghost writer, William Hoffer, also was the author of "Midnight Express"--a book about an American in a Turkish prison? What is his agenda? What is Ms. Mahmoody's agenda? Why is this book so popular in the US? Could it be that we want to read/see things that confirm our stereotypes of the Middle East and Islamic cultures as "evil." The reader should try to disengage him/herself from Mahmoudy's traumatic story and try to read between the lines. Think critically, for crying out loud, about how books such as these demonize another culture, so that we can have the opportunity to see another people as less than human, and thereby feel no remorse when they're under attack. This is one of the worst--and most damaging--pieces of propaganda I've ever seen. Shame on Sally Field for taking part in the film!

Even the cover is misleading: Iranian women do not cover their faces with their veils like this. This is a custom found more in Saudi Arabia.

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You've Come a Long Way, Baby!
Read it three times
Well hatched plot
So much for the romance of the pre-electric life
Depressing

The Egg and I
Betty Macdonald
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ASIN: 0060914289

Book Description

Reissue of this immortal, hilarious, and heartwarming classic about working a chicken farm in the Northwest.

Customer Reviews:

You've Come a Long Way, Baby!.......2007-09-28

Although Betty McDonald writes with a great deal of wry humor (some might say sarcasm) about her situation on a Washington chicken ranch in the late 1920s and early 1930s, there is a rather sad undercurrent to the story. This is the story of a woman who has been led to believe that her husband is the master and that she must follow blindly where he leads. Though her retrospection includes humorous description, the unraveling of her marriage is obvious thoughout the narrative.
For those who find her description of Native Americans offensive, one must recall the time when this was written. Americans weren't as "enlightened" (now there is sarcasm!!)as we are now. I don't agree with those who find her "snobbish" - Mrs. McDonald was a fish out of water and knew it but couldn't just walk away from it. She cares about her neighbors, the Kettles and the Hicks, but she just doesn't fit in with them.
She is definitely showing us that country life has a definite downside.
Her description of the natural surroundings is vivid and makes you feel the terrain with her.
I would recommend this book to young women today just to show how far they have come since that time.

Read it three times.......2007-09-04

I've read The Egg and I at least three times. The first
time I was about twelve, the second, maybe twenty-one
and the last time in the virtual dotage of sixty-two.

My ten year old self took this as a fabulous adventure
story and I wanted nothing more than to meet Gams and
the hyperactive grandma and eat a geoduck clam with
the MacDonalds.

At twenty-one, I laughed my head off. Being of an impractical
nature myself, I got anxious and then giggling at what
I took to be a hippies-in-the-woods story.

Last month, I nodded my head a lot as I read through my
mother's copy that was passed on through a few inheritances.
MacDonald looks to me now like an a woman who was sharp
before her time-a person who whose sense of adventure
and sense of humor allowed her to transcend the limited
choices she was offered in the 1950's and turn the egg she
was offered into a puffy, generous and thoroughly nutrisious
omellette.

-Lynn Hoffman, author of The New Short Course in Wine and a novel
about another original woman: bang BANG

Well hatched plot.......2007-05-06

" The Egg And I " has stood the test of time as a book about the most basic lifestyle, farming. The trials and tribulations that any farmer and his wife will have to go through remain unchanged through the decades. "The Egg And I " can be read in any century and the movie of the same name with Fred MacMurray and Claudette Colbert is eminently watchable decades after it was made. Every actor in that movie has long died but the life in the film , and the book, will reamin forever. The gentle writing style with strong believable characters makes this book a worthy template for any writer to aspire to.

So much for the romance of the pre-electric life.......2007-03-31

If you are thinking of living off the grid and going back to nature, this book is for you. Chicken farming for sure isn't like this any more, except for maybe those "uncaged hens" eggs you can buy at Whole Foods. Still a life without electricity or indoor plumbing in the dripping Northwest is not what I dream about at nights. On the other hand the woman stuck it out and with good humor none the less even having been branded a "reader" by the neighbors when they all did "tatting" or "needlepoint". All those doilies you see in a farm house? That's a farmer's wife going slowly nuts.

Anyway the descriptions of the Kettles is wonderful.

Depressing.......2007-02-16

What a hard life the author had when she was first married. Although she makes light of her dificulties by joking, I can see that it was terrible and I found the book most depressing.
It must also have been dificult to live in those years when everyone was so racist and unaccepting of different sorts of people. I'm surprised that she was comfortable being with the Kettles and uncomfortable with the Hicks. Based on her feelings of the native population I would think it was the other way around!
I recommend reading this book for the picture it gives of the era that it covers.

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good read
Love it!
An Ordinary Family
Unconditional love
Love, Betty!

Love, Ellen: A Mother/Daughter Journey
Betty Degeneres
Manufacturer: Harper Paperbacks
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Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0688176887
Release Date: 2000-04-25

Amazon.com

More than 20 years have passed since Ellen DeGeneres came out to her mother on a beach in Mississippi. Stunned, Betty DeGeneres could only think of her own disappointed expectations. As she put her arms around her daughter, she was struck by the realization that she would never see Ellen's picture on the engagements page of the Times-Picayune, her local paper. That Ellen would eventually appear on the front page of the Picayune and countless newspapers and magazines around the world is an irony not lost on her mother: "If I had known she was going to grow up to be Ellen DeGeneres," Betty quips, "I would have taken more pictures."

Now the spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Project, Betty DeGeneres travels the country explaining how she came to terms with her daughter's sexuality, and how love and acceptance can transform a family. Love, Ellen is an extension of her warm and much-admired public speaking, providing insight into her own life as well as Ellen's and arguing for further education, compassion, and the passage of antidiscrimination laws. --Regina Marler

Book Description

"Mom, I'm gay." With three little words, gay sons and daughters can change their parents' lives forever. Twenty years ago, during a walk on a Mississippi beach, Ellen DeGeneres spoke those simple, powerful words to her mother. That emotional moment eventually brought mother and daughter closer than ever, but it was not without a struggle. In Love, Ellen, Betty DeGeneres tells her story: the complicated path to acceptance and the deepening of her friendship with her daughter, the media's scrutiny of their family life, and the painful and often inspiring stories she's heard on the road as the first nongay spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaign's National Coming Out Project.

Insightful, universally touching, and uncommonly wise, Love, Ellen is a story of friendship between mother and daughter and a lesson in understanding for all parents and their children.

"Mom, I'm gay." With three little words, gay children can change their parents' lives forever. Yet at the same times it's a chance for those parents to realize nothing, really, has changed at all; same kid, same life, same bond of enduring love.

Twenty years ago, during a walk on a Mississippi beach, Ellen DeGeneres spoke those simple, powerful words to her mother. That emotional moment eventually brought mother and daughter closer than ever, but not without a struggle. Coming from a republican family with conservative values, Betty needed time and education to understand her daughter's homosexuality -- but her ultimate acceptance would set the stage for a far more public coming out, one that would change history.

In Love, Ellen, Betty DeGeneres tells her story; the complicated path to acceptance and the deepening of her friendship with her daughter; the media's scrutiny of their family life; the painful and often inspiring stories she's heard on the road as the first non-gay spokesperson for the Human Rights Campaigns National Coming Out Project.

With a mother's love, clear minded common sense, and hard won wisdom, Betty DeGeneres offers up her own very personal memoir to help parents understand their gay children, and to help sons and daughters who have been rejected by their families feel less alone."Mom, I'm gay." With three little words, gay children can change their parents' lives forever. Yet at the same times it's a chance for those parents to realize nothing, really, has changed at all; same kid, same life, same bond of enduring love.

Customer Reviews:

good read.......2007-08-22

gave me insight into the feelings a mom would have learning of a childs homosexuality. An easy read.

Love it!.......2007-08-07

A great book for Ellen lovers, and parents of gay and lesbian people, and for really anyone. Book came fast and it is a great read!

An Ordinary Family.......2007-06-01

Love Ellen is a beautiful story about the unbreakable bond between mother and daughter. No matter how difficult the challenges faced by either Betty or Ellen their love has always remained strong proven in this eye opening book. So many times we read about celebrities lives and are only shown a small portion of their emotions as though they need to hide their most sensitive side from public view. Love Ellen is an exception to that as we see a side of both women as they truly are: sensitive, emotional and very human. Read for yourself the laughter, sadness and tears as you explore their journey together. You will come away with the realization that no matter how difficult your own struggles there is help for you if only you can open your heart and trust. As you get to know the DeGeneres family you will realize they are just as ordinary as the rest of us. I highly recommend this book for those who need help coming out, loved ones needing a better understanding of homosexuality and that it is not a choice, but rather just another side of many individuals and also to fans of Ellen's who just want to explore who she is and how she made some of the most difficult decisions of her life. This book is a very real account of the understanding we, as human beings who all share so much in this world, need to accept.

Unconditional love.......2006-09-06

What is it like to have a child who is gay? In this book, Betty DeGeneres describes the moment that her daughter Ellen came out to her and admitted the secret which she kept from her mother for 20 years. After learning that her daughter was gay, Betty herself was forced to keep this secret for 20 more years, before Ellen came out to the world. This is a book about a mother's unconditional love for her daughter and about how her daughter's sexual orientation caused a complete change in her life. It is also about Ellen's family and how she went from being a sweet, funny little girl from New Orleans to being one of the top actess/comediennes of our times. It is also about how mother and daughter went from keeping Ellen's homosexuality a secret to how they became activists in the gay/lesbian movement. Throughout the book, the loving and positive spirit of both Ellen and Betty become very evident.

Love, Betty! .......2005-11-28

It's simply one great book!

Betty is an outstanding author and mother.

Average customer rating:

Any resident of Northern California well knows one of its richest counties is Marin County

Chief Marin: Leader, Rebel, and Legend
Betty Goerke
Manufacturer: Heyday Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

West | Regional U.S. | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

1491: New Revelations of the Americas Before Columbus

ASIN: 1597140538

Customer Reviews:

Any resident of Northern California well knows one of its richest counties is Marin County.......2007-07-27

Marin County, California, is named after a Native American tribal chieftain of the Coast Miwok who resisted Spanish colonization at a time when the infamous system of Spanish missions collapsed and California was being rapidly transformed by the Americans. "Chief Marin: Leader, Rebel, And Legend" is a compelling biography of a hitherto obscure figure by anthropologist and archaeologist Betty Goerke who drew upon her seminal research efforts with mission records, ethnographies, the diaries and correspondences of missionaries and explorers, and other source materials. Of special note is the section of thematically relevant photographic illustrations. An enthusiastically recommended addition to academic and community library Native American Studies and American Biography reference collections, "Chief Marin" is a vividly written, informative biography of a remarkable man and his epic struggle to emancipate his people from the Spanish colonial system in an ultimately doomed effort to preserve his people's aboriginal lifestyle.

Dr. Fisher's Life on the Ark: Green Alligators, Bushman, and Other "Hare-Raising" Tales from America's Most Popular Zoo and Around the World

Average customer rating:

It's Like Meeting Someone Really Interesting
Green polar bears, and long-necked flamingos
especially for animal lovers
Behind the scenes at Lincoln Park Zoo
A delightful memoir of a life with animals

Dr. Fisher's Life on the Ark: Green Alligators, Bushman, and Other "Hare-Raising" Tales from America's Most Popular Zoo and Around the World
Lester E. Fisher
Manufacturer: Racom Communications
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0970451563

Customer Reviews:

It's Like Meeting Someone Really Interesting.......2006-07-16

I love this book.

None of the stories contained in this book are more than a few pages long, but each one is as fascinating and memorable as the last. Dr. Fisher's penchant for brevity may leave some readers wanting more details, but the the good doctor gives us just enough to get his stories across. His simplistic approach to storytelling gives the book an almost intimate feeling.

The writing style may not be for everyone, but I felt like the pacing fit perfectly with the anecdotal nature of the stories. The whole book feels like you're sitting down with Dr. Fisher and he's just rattling off story after story about things that happened to him once. In some ways, it's the casual way that he talks about remarkable things (from taking care of Patton's dog to delivering a baby cow in the middle of a ferocious storm to tracking down escaped gorillas) that makes this book so interestings.

Many of the stories are funny. Some of them are sad. All of them are fascinating.

Green polar bears, and long-necked flamingos.......2005-05-25

Every kid who grew up in Chicago in the 70s remembers Dr. Lester Fisher from his "Ark in the Park" segments on the Ray Rayner Show. Now, Dr. Fisher has written an interesting and anecdotal book about his years as head veterinarian and director at Lincoln Park Zoo.

Here are his tales of gorillas getting out of their cages and being coaxed back in with snakes, of which they are afraid; of the polar bear whose fur turned green, and the polar bear who ate too many marshmallows; of the leopard who ate his own mate; of Prince Phillip visiting the zoo and getting ape waste thrown at him (and taking it very kindly); of the flamingo who flew away; of the chimpanzees who had "tea parties" - two of whom, Keo and June, are still living at the zoo. Fisher also talks about his appearances on TV, including the Halloween show in which he tried to pass his black cat off as a "Scottish wild cat." He ends the book with a long description of his African travels.

The book is well-written and easy to read, and would be enjoyable for anyone interested in the inner workings of a major zoo. The photos are excellent - notice the spectacled bear and the gorillas. Chicagoans, of course, will enjoy this book even more. I wish he had included maps of the old and new zoo configurations, so I could see how things changed over the years, but that's a minor quibble from a long-time visitor.

To sum up: You'll read about green alligators and long-necked geese, some humpty backed camels and some chimpanzees, some cats and rats and elephants, but sure as you're born, you'll enjoy this book even with no unicorns!

especially for animal lovers.......2004-09-09

Dr. Fisher's Life On The Ark is the autobiographical story of Lester E. Fisher and his adventures (and misadventures) arising from his responsibilities of being the director of the famous Lincoln Park Zoo. From the ups and downs of training at veterinary school, to safari adventures at Africa and around the world, to establishing a successful track record and legacy in gorilla breeding and much more, Dr. Fisher's Life On The Ark is a story of one man's real-life animal escapades, and his work to preserve and promote awareness while transforming one of the oldest, most-visted, and last free zoos in America. Highly recommended reading -- especially for animal lovers!

Behind the scenes at Lincoln Park Zoo.......2004-07-22

As a child, and still as an adult, I have always enjoyed seeing how things worked behind the scenes. Especially famous things, like theaters, bike factories, commercial bakeries. So it was really great to read this book and find out how it was to run a veterinary clinic, to be a zoo vet, and to get behind-the-scenes stories about life at the world famous Lincoln Park Zoo, especially from its 30-year director, Dr. Lester E. Fisher. Zoos are amazing places, and incredible things happen at them that the casual, or even the frequent, visitor will never see or hear about. Animal escapes, animal births and deaths, the movement of wild animals. This book is full of interesting, funny, and scary episodes of life in the zoo world. To top it off, we get to go on African wild animal photo safaris with Dr. Fisher in the latter portions of the book, and these trips give rise to a whole different kind of crazy and interesting happenings. This book will provide pleasure to all those who love zoos and animals, and also to those who simply enjoy engaging stories about the world and its inhabitants, human and otherwise.

A delightful memoir of a life with animals.......2004-07-09

For anyone who loves animals, remembers "Zoo Parade" broadcasts from the Lincoln Park Zoo in Chicago, or supports preserving endangered species, Dr. Lester Fisher's new book is a delightful read.

I first watched "Zoo Parade" growing up in Cleveland and when I moved to Chicago, made a beeline for the Lincoln Park Zoo, one of the country's remaining free urban zoos. Dr. Les Fisher brought the zoo up to contemporary standards of animal care and pioneered the breeding of gorillas. His book not only talks about his years as a part-time vet working with the famed Marlin Perkins, but also about his own 30 years as Zoo Director. Of particular interest are his stories about the photographic safaris he led with his wife Wendy for wildlife lovers and zoo supporters throughout Africa.

Amazon.com

Marie Dressler was overweight and older than 60 when she made the most spectacular comeback of her roller-coaster career, outshining Greta Garbo in the 1930 film Anna Christie. Marie Dressler (1869-1934) was no beauty, but her perfect comic timing and Everywoman appeal to theater- and movie-goers ensured a popularity that began in vaudeville and climaxed with Min and Bill, Tugboat Annie, and her legendary delivery of the classic closing line in Dinner at Eight. Toronto journalist Betty Lee's meticulously researched biography gives a thorough account of Dressler's life and appreciative evocation of her art.

Customer Reviews:

Enjoyable and Informative.......2005-06-17

I'm unable to compare "Marie Dressler: The Unlikeliest Star" to the other biography in print because frankly Matthew Kennedy's book is too expensive for my fun-money budget (a problem I have with most books published by McFarland in general, and has no reflection on the author.) So as far as this is the only book I've ever read about Marie Dressler, I can tell you that I found it to be completely enjoyable and informative. I read it cover to cover in one evening, and it was time well spent. Betty Lee's warmhearted storytelling skills gave me what I was looking for: a better understanding of Miss Dressler's life, career and personality.

Insufficient research mars commendable effort.......1999-08-20

The problem with this book becomes regrettably clear if one also reads Matthew Kennedy's biography of the wonderful Marie Dressler. Lee, despite her obvious effort, is not as assiduous a researcher as one would desire. Films she has not seen in fact exist for viewing; aspects of Dressler's personal life Lee implies are lost to history are in fact recoverable; Lee cannot ascertain what became of Dressler's faithful maid while Kennedy tracks her neatly to the end of her life; etc. Furthermore, Lee makes a welcome attempt to situate Dressler within theatrical history -- which was most of her career -- but appears to have essentially boned up on the subject before writing the book. Bringing turn-of-the-century theatre to life is challenging given that virtually all we have left are photographs, reviews, and sketchy comments, but people immersed in the subject by nature have accomplished this in varous books in a way that Lee cannot quite match. The main value of Lee's book is her access to the diary of Dressler's longtime companion and her thorough coverage of Dressler's battle with cancer. Otherwise, however, Kennedy's book is much more thorough and gives more of a sense of what made Dressler such a phenomenon.

The Diaries of Adam & Eve: Translated by Mark Twain

Average customer rating:

interesting point of view.
Sweet
Perfect Gift for Next Valentine's Day
Treasured
The Diaries of Adam & Eve: Translated by Mark Twain

The Diaries of Adam & Eve: Translated by Mark Twain
Mark Twain
Manufacturer: Fair Oaks Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: 0965881164

Book Description

An American legend rewrites a remarkably contemporary Adam and Eve. In tackling the first three chapters of Genesis, Twain creates a story of The First Couple who are psychologically familiar to even 21st Century Americans. He wrote the Diaries as a tribute to his own marriage, so they are also his most heartfelt and personal work. Between 1893 and 1906, he attempted six versions; only these satisfied him and were published in his lifetime.

This expanded edition is • beautifully illustrated • faithful to Twain's final rewrites • faithful to Twain's wish that the two tales be "bound together" • and includes passages published for the first time.

Customer Reviews:

interesting point of view. .......2007-05-10

unique and intriging. fun and fast to listen to. very creative.

Sweet.......2007-05-09

I came to this book by way of a banned books list (The Diary of Eve has been banned in some schools). I was hesitant to read it; high school didn't make me a fan of Twain but I can finally say that I have a favorite book by him. I'm glad I decided to go ahead and 'knock it off my list' because both these 'diaries' tell a sweet love story. This is what a romance novel should be!

P.S. My religious beliefs fall under "eclectic paganism"; you don't have to be Christian to enjoy this book.

Perfect Gift for Next Valentine's Day.......2007-03-29

We got this CD because we had seen THE APPLE TREE (which is based on THE DIARIES OF ADAM & EVE), and wanted to go back to the source. The source is beautiful, a love story like none other. And what a perspective on the Bible. Now we'll have to buy the book so we can put our own voices to the text.

Treasured.......2007-01-06

My spouse and I loved this book so much we chose it as the only reading in our wedding, and so I completely agree that it would make a great wedding or anniversary gift. It is perhaps the best thing Twain ever wrote, because it is everything: hilarious, tragic, cynical, tender, and hopeful. Apparently, Twain started this before his wife's death and came back to it again afterwards, which I think is why there is so much passion and reflection in the story. There are earlier versions that were published in serial format and are also worth reading.

In essence, this is the first and the last love story, as Eve says. And so it is also everyone's love story. The development of Adam and Eve's relationship is the main focus here, but I disagree that Twain's views about God are not here, too. Whereas Adam seems content to just follow orders, it's Eve's questioning of God and The Fall that adds such depth to the story. This piece really is about the best and worst not only of the human race, but of God as well, told in a way that makes you realize why Twain is probably the best writer this country will ever see. It's only a 45 minute read, but it's one that you'll treasure.

The Diaries of Adam & Eve: Translated by Mark Twain.......2005-10-10

Great buy....just as described....quick delivery!!!

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