Book Description
With the nation at war in the 1940s, twenty-two-year-old Jack Valenti flew fifty-one combat missions as the pilot of a B-25 attack bomber with the 12th Air Force based in Italy. In the 1960s, with the nation reeling from the assassination of a beloved president and becoming embroiled in a far different kind of war in Vietnam, he was in that fateful Dallas motorcade in 1963, flew back to Washington with the new president, and for three years worked in the inner circle of the White House as special assistant to President Lyndon Johnson. Then, for the next thirty-eight years, with American society and popular culture undergoing a revolutionary transformation, Valenti was the public face of Hollywood in his capacity as head of the Motion Picture Association of America.
Been there, done that, indeed. Texas-born and Harvard-educated, Valenti has led several lives, any one of which could have provided ample material for an unforgettable memoir. As it is, This Time, This Place is the gripping story of a man who saw the terrible face of war while fighting with skill and bravery for his country; who was in the room, listening, participating, and remembering, as political decisions were made that would benefit or devastate countless lives in this country and on the other side of the world; and who championed the interest of the vast and globally influential movie industry with tenacity and vision. The list of boldface names whom Valenti knew and with whom he worked is as varied as it is astonishing in number. Aside
from LBJ, there were Jack and Bobby Kennedy, Kirk Douglas, Frank Sinatra, Robert McNamara, Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, Julia Roberts, Cary Grant, Lew Wasserman, Catherine Zeta-Jones, Jack Nicholson, Michael Douglas, Warren Beatty, and Bill Clinton, to begin a very long list.
The life of a man who earned both the Distinguished Flying Cross and his own star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame is inherently intriguing, but Valenti’s warm, sometimes rueful, always engaging account gives this memoir a depth of humanity and a taste of life’s unpredictability that will linger long after you turn the final page. From growing up poor but largely oblivious to that fact in a hardscrabble neighborhood of Greek and Italian immigrants in Houston to rising to the highest summits both of national government and Hollywood, This Time, This Place is a candid and clear-eyed reflection of the joys and sorrows, ambitions and disappointments, of a life fully recognizable in its extraordinary variety. It is also a sweeping and important historical record, written by a brilliantly successful man who helped to shape politics and entertainment in the second half of the twentieth century, and who always found himself in the center of the current storm.
Customer Reviews:
Saint Jack.......2007-09-21
One must be a very dedicated movie or Jack Valenti watcher to plough all the way through this tome. Apart from the timing which cannot be faulted - he died shortly after the book was published: the book is more a diary than a literary work. Except for the opening chapter on the assassination of JFK, which is good and compelling writing, the remainder stretched incredulity a little too far.
If we are to believe what Mr Valenti tells us about himself, we should not be surprised that at the books completion, the Almighty whisked him off to heaven to be at his right hand. A more Saintly man never lived beyond the Vatican.
We learn that he started life very poor - not even any shoes. We also learn that his close relatives were very rich. That confused me. I thought these old Sicilian families stuck together. Or is that only in the Mafia? One of these relatives who did not feel able to buy little Jack any shoes, did give him a job however. The salary was not sufficient for the future $1.3 million a year boss of MPAA, so he lied to take the time off to solicit work at Humble Oil which was successful. Little Jack clearly had a talent for ingratiating himself into the affections of those who could help him. First it was the HR lady who gave him his first job at Humble. Then it was the head of the advertising department who put him to work there. Work: I use the word loosely as he seems to have spent his time travelling around the country keeping his boss from being lonely. He must have been a very seductive little chap.
Then the war intervened. Now I thought, this is where it gets interesting. He reminds us frequently that he was a war hero, so I was very keen to learn more. Unfortunately modesty prevented him from sharing with us any daring-do that he was involved in. Other than telling us that the Luftwaffe fighters held no terrors for him - indeed, he actually says that they were no problem to him. Well that's a first. I must have more than 30 books on WWII aerial combat, and I never read that before. Could it be that all the others were spoofing? We do learn at great length his mile by mile journey back to America from Italy. The war was over by this time, but low cloud and rain was more formidable than the Luftwaffe it seems.
Once back to civilian life, he takes advantage of the GI Bill and goes to Harvard. If he goes on about his time at Harvard to his everyday listeners as he does in his book, there can be few American who don't know that Jack Valenti went to Harvard. Upon completion of his course he goes back to Humble Oil. This is the second time they have him back. He learns as much as he can from them, sets up a company with a partner and promptly leaves Humble Oil. Using what he learnt from Humble he solicits business from Humble competitors. This is a life long habit of Jack's. He ingratiates himself with people until they are of no more value; then he drops them. He did that with President Johnson after he learnt that Johnson was not going to seek re-election. He would have done it to MPAA and gone to Columbia Pictures, but his devoted wife of God knows how many years wouldn't go to Los Angeles with him. Washington was more important than Jack it seems. She did offer to let him commute once a week from DC to LA.
It is at this point in the book that one loses the will to live. It becomes a page after page catalogue of the rich and famous who Jack loved deeply, and they him. Pick at random any Name from the A List, and they - and of course their gorgeous spouses, were close personal friends of the Valenti's. There is not an enemy in sight - he even had a good word for the Luftwaffe! But then this is a work more interesting for what it doesn't say than for what it does. He never mentions that he lead a crusade to prevent VCRs being introduced into America. He takes full credit for the `original' introduction of a film rating system. He expects the readers not to notice that the British Board of Film Censors has been rating movies since 1912. It is also interesting that Jack never ever mentions the British film industry. He mentions, and praises British actors and directors, but never identifies them as such. He does every other country that has a film industry. Perhaps under the overcast skies of grey old London lurk a few skeletons that Jack would prefer to keep in the cupboard.
After one has waded through pages and pages of Hollywood's `Who's Who', the book is completed with the unsurprising information that all of his three children are `...movie star beautiful, and they are all outstandingly successful.' No kidding. He even tells us that his grandchildren are perfect.
Jack Valent's life story could have been an enthralling read had it been an `unauthorised version' by Kitty Kelly or similar. Instead, it is a very boring exercise in self aggrandisement. It is said that before one writes a book, one should identify your audience. The only audience for this book is the Hollywood Hoorays who will enjoy what is written about themselves, and think kindly about Jack - and of course his children.
Well done Jack. Not so much a book, more an advertising brochure for the Valenti dynasty.
Good Read but Lacks Bite .......2007-07-15
In a sense this is two books in one. Valenti (apart from his war years) had two very different careers - as a valued aide to President Lyndon Johnson and latterly as President Motion Picture Association of America. He did sterling work in both roles.
Almost anything written about Johnson is fascinating and Valenti keeps that legend going. The author never fails to see good in people and like other Johnson aides such as Joe Califano, seemed to have a genuine love for the towering Texan.
Valenti's opening chapter on the dreadful events of November 22nd 1963 is compelling reading. The author also writes well on the meetings and decision processes that encouraged LBJ to enlarge the war in Vietnam. For those with rose tinted glasses who believe JFK would have taken the US out of Vietnam before it became a quagmire, Valenti makes it quite clear that the bulk of LBJ's Vietnam advisors were Kennedy people. Overall the section on Johnson and the White House years is enjoyable reading. The same can not be said for his MPAA memoir.
Part of the problem is that Valenti is so gushing in his praise of everyone. The number of "radiantly beautiful" or "dazzling" wives he met with adorable offspring is mind-blowing. This man would have something good to say about the devil! He alludes very gingerly to the excesses of and infatuation with Hollywood, but never provides any depth.
Valenti - who wrote a book on communication - is a wonderful writer with a flowing style that is a joy to read. It is a pity that he did not bring greater depth and I think honesty to his MPAA career.
A Truly American Story.......2007-07-05
Jack Valenti's memoir "This Time, This Place: My Life in War, The White House, and Hollywood" tells an authentically American story. Valenti, the grandson of a Sicilian immigrant, rises from his working class roots to:
* win the Distinguished Flying Cross (WWII)
* attend Harvard Business School (Veterans Bill)
* start his own successful business
* become the aide de camp to a US President (Lyndon Johnson)
* and, become the chief lobbyist and defender of the motion picture industry for four decades.
Valenti's book opens with a flashback to Dallas, Texas on November 23, 1963 as he rode in the fateful Presidential motorcade that passed the Texas Book Depository with Lee Oswald's rifle pointed at President John Kennedy. Before the day was over, he was THE confident and consigliore to a new US President, Lyndon Johnson, overseeing the president's speeches, decided whom he would see and where he would go to speak. His chronicle of his White House years reads like a fast-paced novel and has plenty of detail to satisfy historians.
"This Time, This Place" provides important events in Valenti's early formation which were the underpinnings of a remarkable life. As a working class kid from Houston, he watched his grocer grandfather practice local politics and made his own first speech at the age of 10, advocating the reelection of the Sheriff. He worked as movie usher during high school, and got himself elected class president as a night student at the University of Houston.
In 1943, he joined the Army Air Corps, taking his first solo flight only after nine hours of instruction. He piloted 51 bombing missions over Europe in a B25 winning the Distinguished Flying Cross. His descriptions of these years are among the most vivid in this book. His prose throbs with memories of an experience that was simultaneously exhilarating, terrifying and "brutal."
The section on the Hollywood years is looser. Valenti's good-old-boy Texas story-telling comes out. He is more willing to tell tales, poking fun at some of the pompous behavior and trappings of the Motion Picture Industry's celebrities.
"This Time,This Place" is told straightforwardly, acknowledging debts, sketching people he knew and giving a not entirely flattering view of himself. His self-portrait is one of restlessness, and a strong commitment to advancement.
This is a man that senators, congressman and presidents readily took calls from. His formula was simple, "It is rooted in the ability to engage in courtship, to cosset talent, to understand the human condition and to make decisions fast." He exuded charm and was able to establish relationships by being everyone's pal but he never left empty-handed.
Jack Valenti died two years after his retirement from the Motion Picture Association of America in April, 2007.
Outstanding.......2007-07-04
Jack Valenti was both a witness to, and an instrument of, history and his autobiography presents the fascinating elements of his life and all those that he came across. Written in a very easy to read, yet eloquent, style (you can hear Valenti speaking these words)the book should be read by anyone interested in the Washington, the Great Society, and movie industry scenes.
Valenti's Life.......2007-06-27
A memoir of someone (now deceased) who -- after brave service in World War II -- spent time in two workplaces that most would find very interesting, The White House and Hollywood. While some stories within the book are interesting, especially the historical notes on the Johnson Administration, most are very shallow.
It is the life story of a bright, ambitious man from the hinterlands who happened to be in all the right places and took full advantage of his career opportunities. He is the type of person who always has his eye fixed on the main chance ... and toward the most important person in the room.
The prose drips with sincerity and soars with hyperbole. Mr. Valenti said about his friendship with Don Imus and Bernard McGuirk (whose own careers cratered after this book went to press), he had instant fame from being on Imus In the Morning "...however fleeting!" I think Mr. Valenti's fame indeed will be fleeting since it is primarily derived from the reflection of others.
Book Description
What would legendary Boston Celtics coach and 16-time NBA champion Red Auerbach say is the most critical quality for a person to be successful? Would his advice differ from 10-time NCAA championship coach John Wooden's? What would each say to a young person just starting out in pursuit of their dreams? What is the best advice they were ever given?
It took author Christian Klemash more than two years of research, persistence, and original interviews, but now he's ready to pass on the best advice you'll ever get. Only the rare individual has had the opportunity to pick the brain of just one legendary sports coach—let alone thirty-four of the best sports coaches of all time. Klemash gives sports fans a once-in-a-lifetime chance to learn valuable life lessons from the most famous, intelligent, and victorious coaches ever. The legends span the sports world, from gold medal-winning gymnastics coach Bela Karolyi and three-time college football championship coach Tom Osborne to four-time World Series-winning baseball manager Joe Torre and hall-of-fame boxing trainer Angelo Dundee.
These coaches know how to teach top athletes about character and winning, how to manage pressure at crunch time, and how to bring out the best in their players when it matters most. How to Succeed in the Game of Life shares their insights into sports, life, and the most vital keys to sustain success.Featuring Exclusive Interviews with:
Red Auerbach, 16-time NBA World Champion
Bobby Bowden, College Football's All-Time Winningest Coach, 2-time National Champion
Scotty Bowman, 9-time Stanley Cup Champion
Bill Cowher, Super Bowl Champion
Tony Dungy, Super Bowl Champion
Dan Gable, 15-time NCCA Champion
April Heinrichs, Gold Medal Winning Coach of the U.S. Women’s Soccer Team
Bela Karolyi, The World’s Greatest Gymnastics Coach
Bill Parcells, 2-time Super Bowl Champion
Emanuel Steward, Boxing Trainer of 30 World Champions
Joe Torre, 4-time World Series Champion
Bill Walsh, 3-time Super Bowl Champion
Lenny Wilkens, NBA’s All-Time Winningest Coach, NBA Champion
John Wooden, 10-time NCAA Champion
And More!
Customer Reviews:
A Great Read.......2007-08-26
Wow!Could not put it down.An extraordinay self help book.Gave it to my kids they loved it.Don't miss this one
What a great read!.......2007-07-25
I took it on vacation with me and I couldn't put it down. A great book for aspiring athletes and coaches as well as your average Joe who works 9-5. The coaches discuss a variety of topics from their childhood to how they motivate their players. Any easy read for all ages.
Game of life.......2007-07-24
I've read through Game of Life and I enjoyed it very much. There are so many things to take from this book, not just into sports, but also some reflections on life. I would recommend this book to everybody.
Coaching advise from athletic coaches.......2007-06-27
A fun read, especially if yoiu're a sports fan. I read it in search of things that would help my own ability as a coach in my company. Much of it is light stuff but the easy read makes it fun nonetheless and there are few golden nuggets laced throughout the book.
Overcome Adversity.......2007-04-12
Anyone looking for inspiration, either for their own life or to share with others, will find a gold mine of quotes here. This book isn't just for sports fans.
Book Description
In this sparkling collection of parenting–affirming stories, author and award–winning columnist Phil Callaway captures the amusing and bemusing experiences that tug at the heartstrings of anyone who’s experienced the rollercoaster ride called “family.†Phil turns  sometimes–embarrassing moments into timeless spiritual lessons for young and old alike.
Readers will recognize their spouses, their kids, their parents—and themselves—in each tale. The comedy and humanity in each story encourages parents at any stage in the game to take notice of each day’s gifts of humor and faith.
Funny, inspiring, and timeless, this ride through parenthood and daily living reminds anyone who has a child—or was a child—just how wonderful and often whacky it is to be part of a family.
Formerly titled I Used to Have Answers, Now I Have Kids
Customer Reviews:
Close to Home.......2006-03-08
These 44 stories had me grinning, then chuckling, then laughing out loud so much that my wife and children wanted me to read it to them. We've spent the last several evenings reading these tales and have enjoyed them immensely. Callaway's style is not just funny, he has a point to every story. There were times I had to quit reading because I teared up, but more often I had to quit reading to laugh. This book has been such a blessing in our home. The book centers on the things that really matter and shows us that there's hope - something we as parents desperately need every single day.
Average customer rating:
|
This Land Is My Land
Manufacturer: Children's Book Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 People of Color
| Biographies
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Canadian
| Biographies
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Canada
| Explore the World
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Native North & South Americans
| Multicultural Stories
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Native People (Canada)
| Multicultural Stories
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Fiction
| United States
| History & Historical Fiction
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| Subjects
| Books
Native People (Canada)
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Canadian
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
| African-American & Black
| General
| Hispanic & Latino
| Irish
| Jewish
Canadian
| Historical
| Biographies & Memoirs
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Ages 9-12
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Fiction
| United States
| History & Historical Fiction
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
General
| Literature
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Canadian
| Biographies
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
People of Color
| Biographies
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Canada
| Explore the World
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Native North & South Americans
| Multicultural Stories
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Native People (Canada)
| Multicultural Stories
| People & Places
| Children's Books
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
All 4-for-3 Deals
| 4-for-3 Books Store
| Stores
| Books
Similar Items:
-
What's the Most Beautiful Thing You Know About Horses?
-
A Man Called Raven
-
The People Shall Continue
-
A Boy Called Slow (Paperstar Book)
-
Feathers and Fools
ASIN: 0892391847 |
Book Description
In his own words and paintings, acclaimed Native American artist George Littlechild takes young readers back in time to the first meeting between his Plains Cree ancestors and the first European settlers in North America. Through inspiring autobiographical stories accompanied by vivid, dramatic paintings, he recounts the history of his people and their relationship to the land, relating their struggles and triumphs with sensitivity, irony, and humor. Littlechild expresses his wish to use his art to portray the wonders of his heritage and to heal the pain of his people's history and offers hope and guidance from the Native American perspective. This Land is My Land is a winner of the Jane Addams Picture Book Award and the National Parenting Publications Gold Medal.
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful.......2004-06-10
I reviewed this book for circulation in the children's library where I work as an intern. I found it very touching, a first-hand account from a Native American who explains his feelings in a kind, appealing voice for a child. I am purchasing a copy for myself.
Average customer rating:
- Thought-Provoking, Artfully Written
- Sent as a gift
- Good concept, never follows through
- Stories of idealistic elitists
- Cool concept, poor execution
|
What Should I Do with My Life?
Po Bronson
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Guides
| Job Hunting & Careers
| Business & Investing
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Motivational
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Personal Transformation
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Psychology & Counseling
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
| Adolescent Psychology
| Applied Psychology
| By Topic
| Child Psychology
| Clinical Psychology
| Cognitive
| Counseling
| Creativity & Genius
| Developmental Psychology
| Education & Training
| Ethnopsychology
| Experimental Psychology
| Forensic Psychology
| General
| History
| Hypnosis
| Industrial Psychology
| Logotherapy
| Medicine & Psychology
| Mental Illness
| Movements
| Neuropsychology
| Occupational & Organizational
| Pathologies
| Personality
| Philosophy of Psychology
| Physical Illness & Psychiatry
| Physiological Aspects
| Psychiatry
| Psychoanalysis
| Psychobiology
| Psychopharmacology
| Psychosomatic Medicine
| Psychotherapy, TA & NLP
| Reference
| Research
| Sexuality
| Social Psychology & Interactions
| Statistics
| Suicide
| Testing & Measurement
General
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Ethics & Morality
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Political
| Philosophy
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
"Why Do I Love These People?": Understanding, Surviving, and Creating Your Own Family
-
I Don't Know What I Want, But I Know It's Not This: A Step-by-Step Guide to Finding Gratifying Work
-
I Could Do Anything If I Only Knew What It Was: How to Discover What You Really Want and How to Get It
-
The Pathfinder: How to Choose or Change Your Career for a Lifetime of Satisfaction and Success
-
Working Identity: Unconventional Strategies for Reinventing Your Career
ASIN: 0375507493
Release Date: 2002-12-24 |
Amazon.com
In What Should I Do with My Life? Po Bronson manages to create a career book that is a page-turner. His 50 vivid profiles of people searching for "their soft spot--their true calling" will engage readers because Bronson is asking himself the same question. He explores his premise, that "nothing is braver than people facing up to their own identity," as an anthropologist and autobiographer. He tackles thorny, nuanced issues about self-determination. Among them: paradoxes of money and meaning, authorship and destiny, brain candy and novelty versus soul food. Bronson's stories, limited to professional people and complete with photos, are gems. They include a Los Angeles lawyer who became a priest, a Harvard MBA catfish farmer turned biotech executive, and a Silicon Valley real estate agent who opened a leather crafts factory in Costa Rica.
Bronson is a gifted intuitive writer, the bestselling author of The Nudist on the Late Shift, whose thoughtful, vulnerable voice emerges as the book's greatest strength and challenge. He describes his subject's lives along with the ways they annoy, puzzle, and worry him. He frets about meddling with his questions, yet once, memorably and appropriately, he offers a talented man a top post in his publishing company. While this creates the juiciness of his portraits, it also can make Bronson the book's most memorable character and the only one whose story is not resolved. Even so, this remarkable career chronicle sets the gold standard for the worth of the examined life. --Barbara Mackoff
Book Description
“Brimming with stories of sacrifice, courage, commitment and, sometimes, failure, the book will support anyone pondering a major life choice or risk without force-feeding them pat solutions.”
—Publishers Weekly
What should I do with my life?
It’s a question many of us have pondered with frequency. Author Po Bronson was asking himself that very question when he decided to write this book—an inspiring exploration of how people transform their lives and a template for how we can answer this question for ourselves.
Bronson traveled the country in search of individuals who have struggled to find their calling, their true nature—people who made mistakes before getting it right. He encountered people of all ages and all professions—a total of fifty-five fascinating individuals trying to answer questions such as: Is a career supposed to feel like a destiny? How do I tell the difference between a curiosity and a passion? Should I make money first, to fund my dream? If I have a child, will my frustration over my work go away? Should I accept my lot, make peace with my ambition, and stop stressing out? Why do I feel guilty for thinking about this?
From their efforts to answer these questions, the universal truths in this book emerge. Each story in these pages informs the next, and the result is a journey that unfolds with cumulative power. Reading this book is like listening in on an intimate conversation among people you care about and admire. Even if you know what you should do with your life, you will find wisdom and guidance in these stories of people who found meaningful answers by daring to be honest with themselves.
Among them:
-the Pittsburgh lawyer who decided to become a trucker so he could savor the moment and be closer to his son.
-the toner-cartridge queen of Chicago, who realized that her relationships with men kept sabotaging her career choices.
-the Cuban immigrant who overcame the strong dis-approval of her parents and quit her high-paying job to pursue social-service work in Miami.
-the chemistry professor who realized, quite late in life, that he would rather practice law.
-the mother torn between an Olympic career and her adolescent daughter.
-the seventeen-year-old boy who received a letter from the Dalai Lama and was called to a life of spiritual leadership.
-the creator of St. Elmo’s Fire, who wasn’t sure he could quit his successful Hollywood life for the deeper artistic life he had always wanted to pursue.
-the author himself. Po Bronson has worked as a bus-boy, cook, janitor, sports-medicine intern, bus-lift assembly-line technician, aerobics instructor, litigation consultant, greeting-card designer, bond salesman, political-newsletter editor, high school teacher, and book publisher. Since then, he has written three books:
Bombardiers,
The First $20 Million Is Always the Hardest, and
The Nudist on the Late Shift. But none of those experiences compared to what he learned by writing this book.
“We all have passions if we choose to see them,” he writes. “Most of us don’t get epiphanies. We don’t get clarity. Our purpose doesn’t arrive neatly packaged as destiny. We only get a whisper. A blank, nonspecific urge. That’s how it starts.”
With humor, empathy, and insight, Po Bronson probes the depths of people who learned how to hear the whisper, who overcame fear and confusion to find a larger truth about their lives. A meditation, a journey, and a triumph of story-telling,
What Should I Do with My Life? is a life-changing book by a writer who brilliantly tackles the big questions.
Download Description
What should I do with my life?
It's a question many of us have pondered with frequency. Author Po Bronson was asking himself that very question when he decided to write this book -- an inspiring exploration of how people transform their lives and a template for how we can answer this question for ourselves.
Bronson traveled the country in search of individuals who have struggled to find their calling, their true nature -- people who made mistakes before getting it right. He encountered people of all ages and all professions -- a total of fifty-five fascinating individuals trying to answer questions such as: Is a career supposed to feel like a destiny? How do I tell the difference between a curiosity and a passion? Should I make money first, to fund my dream? If I have a child, will my frustration over my work go away? Should I accept my lot, make peace with my ambition, and stop stressing out? Why do I feel guilty for thinking about this?
From their efforts to answer these questions, the universal truths in this book emerge. Each story in these pages informs the next, and the result is a journey that unfolds with cumulative power. Here are the stories of people who found meaningful answers by daring to be honest with themselves. Among them:
- The Pittsburgh lawyer who decided to become a trucker so he could savor the moment and be closer to his son.
- The toner-cartridge queen of Chicago, who realized that her relationships with men kept sabotaging her career choices.
- The Cuban immigrant who overcame the strong disapproval of her parents and quit her high-paying job to pursue social-service work in Miami.
- The chemistry professor who realized, quite late in life, that he would rather practice law.
- The mother torn between an Olympic career and her adolescent daughter.
- The seventeen-year-old boy who received a letter from the Dalai Lama and was called to a life of spiritual leadership.
- The creator of St. Elmo's Fire, who wasn't sure he could quit his successful Hollywood life for the deeper artistic life he had always wanted to pursue.
- The author himself. Po Bronson has worked as a bus-boy, cook, janitor,sports-medicine intern, bus-lift assembly-line technician, aerobics instructor, litigation consultant, greeting-card designer, bond salesman, political-newsletter editor, high school teacher, author, and book publisher.
Reading this book is like listening in on an intimate conversation among people you care about and admire. Even if you know what you should do with your life, you will find wisdom and guidance in these stories.
"Brimming with stories of sacrifice, courage, commitment and, sometimes, failure, the book will support anyone pondering a major life choice or risk without force-feeding them pat solutions."
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Good Morning America "Read This!" Book Club Pick
Customer Reviews:
Thought-Provoking, Artfully Written.......2007-09-24
I've heard it said that you can tell by how someone writes whether they genuinely like people. Po Bronson clearly likes people, and it shines through in this book. I highly recommend it for anyone seeking to set foot in others' shoes, whether you are in the midst of self-examination (and shouldn't that be a constant for all of us, really?) or not.
Sent as a gift.......2007-09-22
I sent this as a gift to my daughter who is very pleased with the book
Good concept, never follows through.......2007-09-13
The idea for a book addressing the question "what should I do with my life?" is a good one. It's something everyone faces at some point, and many struggle with. So I was looking forward to reading this book.
Unofortunately, all it amounts to is a series of vignets or snapshots of different individuals interviewed by Bronson and the choices they made in their careers and lives, without any other real deeper insight or conclusions offered. It's interesting to read people's different stories, and the pool Bronson drew from is certainly varied/diverse. Yet Bronson sounds just as confused as the reader when addressing these stories, and just as unsetted about that basic question. And by the end of the book, Bronson AND the reader is left no further off then where we started. If anything, this book leaves you feeling more confused and conflicted then when you started reading.
I kept hoping Bronson would get at some overarching theme that ties the stories together, or offer up some reasonable conclusions, however broad by the end of the book, but he doesn't. It's as if he interviewed these folks, wrote down their stories and just left it at that. I think it's intended to be thought provoking for the reader, and it is on some levels. But if you're picking this book up, chances are you've already been pondering this question, and don't need to be reminded to think about it.
This book had potential, and it's a good concept, but Bronson just never follows through. While interesting in parts, it leaves you hanging and is ultimately unfulfilling. I was hoping this book would inspire some insight, and it just doesn't. Disappointingly shallow.
Stories of idealistic elitists.......2007-08-25
I wanted to love this book, I really did. I work a little in career counseling, have changed careers, and believe the career search and finding what we enjoy is one of the most challenging, demanding and rewarding journeys in life. Bronson's idea for the book was outstanding; his choice of people to feature was narrow.
Before reading this book I read the reveiws here and was surpised at some of the anger. After reading the book, now I understand it. By page 200 (or earlier) I was already tired of the words, "Stanford," "Yale," "stock broker," "venture capitalist," and "Hollywood," (he has two stories of disgruntled Hollywood scriptwriters, who go back to la-la land).
Even the catfish farmer is an Ivy Leaguer/Wall Street guy who goes back to the big business world. So many dislikeable people, like the "Phi Betta Slacker" who bemoans a $1,500 a day runway model job; one Hollywood scriptwriter (Stanford or Ivy League alum, of course) who can't believe that going into the medical field requires having to deal with sick people, and that very ill people are actually in hospitals. Horrified, she runs back to Hollywood. Guess that high-priced education didn't pay off. And then there's the guy from Oregon living in the bay area who thinks he's just a goofball who got lucky making $160,000 a year, and is somewhat upset about it.
Please.
This book does not cross all economic levels, it's about elitists who just don't seem happy making those six figures. For someone not from that stratosphere, it's maddening to read time after time. I was hoping I'd hit a chapter where a middle or lower class person actually changed careers and liked it. Of course Bronson himself is a Stanford alum, high finance guy, so this is the prism in which he views life.
On the bright side, there are some good insights in this book on how people make changes and take leaps of faith. But when I hit a guy with $9 million in the bank (and oddly sharing a small two-bedroom apartment) and Bronson tells us, "not to feel sorry for him" and then we hear how this guy's life isn't fulfilling. Of course he goes back to where? Stanford.
I'm sure the Stanford and Ivy League alumni chapters love this book, but it's really not for the common man.
Cool concept, poor execution.......2007-08-16
While this book surely contains a few interesting stories, I just couldn't get over the arrogance and ego of the author. In way too many stories Bronson writes about how his own genius suggestion or question to his subject suddenly makes them have an amazing epiphany, like they've just been hanging out for 20 years waiting for a rich white guy to tell them to what to do. If Bronson stepped back out of the action and let the subjects themselves remain the story, this book would have been much stronger.
Average customer rating:
|
I Was Never Here and This Never Happened: Tasty Bits & Spicy Tales from My Life
Dorinda Hafner
Manufacturer: Ten Speed Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
African
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Regional & International
| Cooking, Food & Wine
| Subjects
| Books
Folklore & Mythology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
Folklore
| Mythology
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Mythology
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
African
| Mythology
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0898156416 |
Customer Reviews:
Entertaining!.......2000-10-07
I have been trying to learn something about the people and culture of Ghana, and have ordered several books from Amazon. This was one of them. Wow, what a book this turned out to be! The author's style was engaging and she painted such vivid pictures of her childhood in Ghana. There were folk tales, lyrics of traditional songs, even recipes woven in with her own story. I am not from Africa, nor am I even Black, but her story and her emotions are so universal that it is easy to identify with much of what she has to say, and sympathize with what is foreign to me. Some parts had me laughing, some brought a tear, other stories made me gasp in shock. I highly recommend this book to anyone, although I suppose it will appeal more to women than to men. This may be one of the best books I have read.
Average customer rating:
- Soothed My Grief
- A voluptuous and heart-touching book that speaks to the soul
- A feel good book
- This book struck a nerve!
|
This is My Wish for You
Welleran Poltarnees , and
Charles Livingston Snell
Manufacturer: Laughing Elephant
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
General
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
Happiness
| Self-Help
| Health, Mind & Body
| Subjects
| Books
20th Century
| Poetry
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Poetry
| United States
| World Literature
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
United States
| Single Authors
| Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Subjects
| Books
Poetry
| Literature & Fiction
| Christianity
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Gifts
| Spirituality
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Inspirational
| Spirituality
| Religion & Spirituality
| Subjects
| Books
Similar Items:
-
A Baby Blessing
-
A Birthday Blessing
-
A House Blessing
-
A Bridal Blessing
-
A Christmas Blessing
ASIN: 096211314X |
Book Description
Frequently one wishes to say to another, "I wish you the best of everything." This book delivers this message with power and sincerity. Welleran Poltarnees has taken Snell's text and selected a painting or illustration for each wish, giving additional life to an already marvelous text. We assert, without exaggeration, that this is the nearly perfect gift book.
Customer Reviews:
Soothed My Grief.......2000-02-23
A precious friend gave this to me just after my father died last month. It was the most timely, wonderful thing I have ever received. It expressed her desire to comfort and protect me and her understanding that what I was going through wasn't easy....and there wasn't much she could do except show me she cared. What a gift.
A voluptuous and heart-touching book that speaks to the soul.......1999-11-05
Give this to anyone who is a softy at heart and who loves beauty, flowers, and poetry. Magical reproductions. Each page could be framed.
A feel good book.......1999-01-23
As an artist and writer and avid reader; I love this book. I read it whenever I want to feel good. I can't wait until Christmas to give it to my artist friends. It is truly one of the most beautiful books I have ever seeen. The art images are beautiful and the spirit of the book is beautiful. I sent it to my new grandson and hope all these wishes come true for him. I can't wait to read it to him when he is older.
This book struck a nerve!.......1998-11-11
Have you ever experienced the strange sensation that a certain book on the shelves of a store or library has been sitting there waiting patiently for your arrival? It is almost as if the book were waiting there to discover you rather than the other way around. This was my own experience several weeks ago when I entered a small shop called "Through the Garden Gate," which is located in Red Bank, New Jersey. Once inside the shop, it was as if the book's title and cover caught my attention at the same moment. Once I had picked the book up and comprehended its significance, I knew I must buy it whatever it might cost. For me, this book illustrates and articulates the very finest sentiments one might wish to express to anyone one loves a great deal. In this instance, that someone was a newly arrived grand daughter by the name of Lily Grace. So I purchased the book at a very modest price and several days later had the privilege of reading it to Lily. This is indeed a very special book, a book created to be given. One would find it, I believe, both a joy and a blessing either to give or to receive, and that, dear reader, is my wish for you.
Book Description
In Kate McMullan's second book of Meg's Prairie Diary, Meg's family is reunited on the prairie. Their new life is soon jeopardized by not only the struggle against slavery and those who would have Kansas be a slave state, but also a devastating fire that threatens to destroy their home. But Meg's strong spirit helps her overcome the hardships of life on the prairie.Kate McMullan has once again made Meg a brave and sweet character girls will love.Look for Meg's 3rd diary in August 2003!
Customer Reviews:
The prairie years.......2003-04-19
In the continuation of nine-year-old Meg Well's story, she and her brother Preston have finally been joined by her parents and little sister Grace. However Kansas at this point in history might even be more dangerous than the cholera stricken St.Louis the Wells family escaped from. Fights between the people who want Kansas to stay a free state and those who want it to turn towards slavery ensue and threaten anyone who disagrees in sight. Slaves aren't the only danger, as prarie fires threaten to tear down all things in sight. However young Meg mananges to grow up in this time of turmoil and I can't wait to read the conclusion of her story coming out in August 2003.
A good new My America book........2003-04-12
Nine-year-old Meg Wells and her seven-year-old brother, Preston, were sent away from their St. Louis home in the spring of 1856 during a cholera epidemic, and went to live with relatives in Kansas Territory. But now their parents and their little sister, Grace, have joined them on the prairie, and it looks like their stay in Kansas will be longer then expected. Meg wants to return to St. Louis, but with Kansas Territory a battleground between those who want it to enter the United States as a free state and those that would have it allow slavery, Meg's father is determined to stay in support for a free state. Meg describes in her diary her family's life during the summer and fall of 1856, as they face a dangerous prairie fire and are caught up in the crossfire between pro-slavery and anti-slavery forces. I reccomend this book to readers who enjoyed the first book about Meg, As Far As I Can See.
Product Description
In This Is My Body, Father Raniero Cantalamessa, the Pontifical Household Preacher, reflects eloquently on the mystique of ancient Latin hymns and their relevance for todays Catholic. Using Adoro Te Devote, Ave Verum, and other Latin hymns, Fr. Cantalamessa contemplates the mystery of the Eucharist with devotion, adoration, and intuition. These sermons, translated beautifully into English from their original Italian, are a celebration of the real presence of Jesus in the gift of the Eucharist that will fill the reader with prayerful enjoyment of truth and heartfelt reverence for Gods divine presence here on earth.
Customer Reviews:
Great non-fiction by Herman Wouk.......2006-10-15
This work is a wonderful introduction to and survey of Orthodox Judaism. This book stands out from the pack of other works on the same topic in that This Is My God was written by a master novelist (Wouk gave us Winds of War, War and Remembrance, The Caine Mutiny, et al). Herman Wouk is passionate and candid in what he writes here.
The tone is conversational, unconfrontational and uncondescending. Although packed with factual information, Wouk keeps it personal and interesting by moving back and forth between the mechanics of Orthodox Judaism, and his own personal experience - especially his formative years under the hand of his beloved, learned and pious grandfather. Considering the scope, it is brief, by the author's own admission.
Wouk explains the basic approaches marking Orthodox, and to a lesser extent Conservative and Reform, Judaism. He discusses the practice . . . dietary laws, tallit, the Sabbath, the Feasts, etc. He sketches history and historical figures (I especially appreciated his sorting out of the great sages and each of their places in Judaical history). He describes the source texts - Torah and Talmud. Also, Wouk easily could have - but did not - bury the reader with Hebrew phraseology.
This book is unique and well worth the time for an interested truth seeker of ANY faith to invest. I could continue with the praises of this work, but I would just be repeating what other reviewers have already written.
I will add a couple of critical comments. This book, published in 1959 (written while the State of Israel was only 10 years old, how remarkable!), has become a bit dated. (Obviously no fault of Wouk's here). Orthodox Judaism has evolved increasingly into what people call "Ultra-Orthodox" and has become largely identified with Hasidic dress and practices. In today's world an observant Orthodox author, out of reverence, may well have refrained from penning the title "God", preferring rather "G_d" (interesting since the diety's personal Name is not actually God . . . a gentile word having rather pagan roots). Orthodox vs Conservative vs Reform have all changed a bit over the years. I was disappointed that Wouk did not even mention the phenomenon of Messianic Judaism, which has grown greatly since the book was authored. Wouk also more or less wrote off the Karaites as an extinct sect . . . but that movement has also grown greatly since the book was authored. But of course Wouk's passion is Orthodoxy, and my point is that there has been much change even in the brief historical period since 1959. This is a minor criticism and hardly detracts from the value of the book.
Secondly, although I was drawn to this book by its enticing title, it would have been more accurately titled, "This Is My Religion". Orthodox Judaism wholly embraces the the Talmud. Unlike the Torah, the Talmud is arguably the work of great men, but not necessarily of God. There is wide and heated disagreement on this point. But in Wouk's book, any insight as to the nature of God will have to be inferred from the general discussion.
But again, any truth-seeker, and especially followers of the God of Israel, should have this information. An observant and learned Orthodox Jew will likely find no new information here, but may enjoy Wouk's personal perspectives.
A compelling introduction to Judaism.......2004-11-19
A heartfelt and personal discussion of Judaism. Herman Wouk is the master of the historical novel. His guidebook to Judaism is written with love and respect.
Judaism for everyone.......2003-04-25
A formidable book, written for everyone, from the pious Chassidim who seems to know all about Judaism to the secular Wall Street Jewish Banker who is far from his faith but feels every now and then the sweet but stern internal calling of his demanding heritage
The best chapters,in my opinion, are related to the experiences related to the secular Jewish people when they got involved in the Jewish religious rituals at the synagogue or at home during childhood, "one feels like he is telling ones own experiences when he was a Jewish kid, so unexplained and uneasy situations at that time become hilarious
Generally speaking, Wouk, who is observant, tried to be very open avoiding dogma and intended to convey to the Jewish reader the precious value of his 4000 years heritage and a way to learn how to feel proud about it.
Wouk did not forget the non-Jewish reader either, he wrote this book with simple concepts and language so anyone interested about Judaism can get a good basic introduction through these pages
Fine introduction to Judaism even for lifelong involved Jews.......2002-07-30
Herman Wouk blends Jewish history, Jewish practice, and personal experience in a wonderful tour for Judaism, appropriate for nonJews, Jews, and even those who think they know it all.
While his discussions of Shabbat, Hanukah, and other observances are fine reading, Wouk reaches his peak when discussing his own and his family's experiences--his grandfather, whom he obviously admired a great deal, his father, who spent an immense sum of money (for the times) to buy the honor of reading the book of Jonah on Yom Kippur afternoon. Wonderful images of a time in Judaism gone by.
I do not find it limiting that Wouk writes from an Orthodox perspective (he assumes, for example, that only a man would wear a tallit, which is the Orthodox practice, but not the Conservative). Wouk was what he was, and I do not think he should have modified his book to an egalitarian perspective to satisfy the wolves of political correctness.
Well worth an annual read and a place on your shelf.
A Broad and Balanced Account of the Jewish Faith.......2001-11-04
This Is My God
Herman Wouk
This is the perfect starting point for anyone-Jew or Christian -who wants to learn about Judaism. It is thoughtful, insightful, entertaining and sensitively explains Judaism to a broad readership
This is not simply a guide to the Jewish religion .Herman Wouk-a well known novelist and playwright - is clearly a man of the world but is also an observant Jew
He speaks about his own illuminating insights and experiences
Written in 1959 it is still equally relevant today as then . He points out the contradiction of leftwing secularists who claim that their rejection of religion is a result of the conformity in inherent therein , when their own entire ways of life and thought processes are based on conformity
He explains a conversation he had with a radical young student thus:
`She had been reading sociology and was full of terms like anomy , other-directedness , acculturation and similar jaw-breakers which she got off with athletic ease. The burden of her tale was that Judaism meant ritualism , and ritualism meant conformity which was a great evil.
`The interesting thing about my charming enlightener while she delivered her polemic against conformity , was dressed in a garb as ceremonious as a bishop's from the correct wrinkles in her sweater sleeves to the prescribed smudge on her saddle shoes. She spoke her piece for autonomy in a vocabulary of the teens as rigid , as circumscribed , as repetitious , as marked in intonation , as a litany'
His social commentary is one of observation rather than of judgement and he states for example that while his preference is for Orthodox Judaism he is unable to join the wringing chorus of denunciation of Reform and Conservative Judaism of some fellow Orthodox Jews.He also refuses to pass judgement on the 'assimilators' while fully voicing his grave concerns about the threat of assimilation to Judaism
He also points out the common roots of Christianity and Judaism and in a discussion .A good example is his discussion of the Jewish Festival of Lights : Hanukkah , which falls in the same month as Christmas and is often celebrated so that Jewish children do not have to feel that they are missing out on the Christmas enjoyed by their Christian peers
Hanukkah is observed in remembrance of the defeat by the Israelites of the Greek and Syrian overlords led by Antiochus who aimed to obliterate the Jewish faith.
Wouk reminds us what the real point of contact between the two festivals is :
' Had Antiochus succeeded in obliterating Jewry a century and a half before the birth of Jesus , there would have been no Christmas .The feast of Nativity rests on the victory of Hanukkah'
Overall this is an explanation of the religion for anyone interested to learn whatever their faith or orientation.
Books:
- 'Tis: A Memoir
- Tuesdays with Morrie: An Old Man, a Young Man, and Life's Greatest Lesson
- Walking from East to West: God in the Shadows
- What to Expect When You're Expecting, Third Edition
- Wooden on Leadership
- Your Self-Confident Baby: How to Encourage Your Child's Natural Abilities from the Very Start
- 10 Days to a Less Defiant Child: The Breakthrough Program for Overcoming Your Child's Difficult Behavior
- A Breath Away
- A Child Called "It": One Child's Courage to Survive
- A Headache in the Pelvis: A New Understanding and Treatment for Prostatitis and Chronic Pelvic Pain Syndromes, 4th Edition
Books Index
Books Home
Recommended Books
- Principles of Corporate Finance + Student CD + Ethics in Finance PowerWeb + Standard and Poor's
- Guantanamo and the Abuse of Presidential Power
- The Not So Wild, Wild West: Property Rights on the Frontier
- Transhuman Space Broken Dreams
- Business and Government in the Global Marketplace, Seventh Edition
- Duty:: A Father, His Son, and the Man Who Won the War
- Commodities and Capabilities
- Statistical Sampling for Auditing and Accounting Decisions: A Simulation
- Trashing the Economy: How Runaway Environmentalism Is Wrecking America
- Have You Ever Seen an Elephant Sneeze
Nixon and Kissinger: Partners in Power
Presidential Courage: Brave Leaders and How They Changed America 1789-1989
Brothers: The Hidden History of the Kennedy Years
A Woman in Charge: The Life of Hillary Rodham Clinton
Rickles' Book: A Memoir
