How to Be Happy All the Time

Book Description

A collection of previously unreleased writings by the famed 20th century spiritual master. This collection gives the reader everything they need to know to lead a happier more fulfilling life.

Customer Reviews:

From an avid Paramahansa reader, this book is just okay.......2007-07-13

I've read I believe all of Paramahansa's books. Of all of them, this one feels, in a word, "edited". It feels to me like a lot of the passages come more from the mind rather than from the heart. I think a lot of the words came from people other than Paramahansa. There is still a lot of wisdom in the book and a lot of words that touch the heart that seem to come directly from Paramahansa. But of all the Paramahansa books out there I would recommned this one the least.

They even use less preferred spelling of his name Paramhansa rather than Paramahansa.

If you really want to get fired up for God read Paramahansa's "Man's Eternal Quest"..especially the second half of book.

Finding Happiness in all the Right Places.......2007-03-10

How often have we heard that the quest for happiness is somehow selfish, hedonistic and unworthy? It seems bizarre that most therapists have seen countless people who have felt guilt because they wanted to be happy.

Yet the human drive to be happy is a fundamental need that was recognized by the Ancient Greeks, Taoists in China and Hindus in India, as well as contemporary "Positive" psychologists. It is sad to learn that according to a recent Gallup poll, only a minority of Americans describe themselves as "very happy." It's easy to say, "Well what should we expect? Just watch the news." But that misses the point: most of us have never been taught how to unlock the secrets of happiness, joy and inner peace. Secrets that can help sustain us in the face of adversity.

Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi has remained a firm favorite since my teens, and many of his other books and lectures have been inspirational. What is always so different about his work is that he clearly writes and speaks from personal experience, unlike so many who only recite what they have heard or read. I did not know just how much material remained unpublished.

This short but meaty book consists of material that has apparently never been released before. As with his other books, his approach is powerful, but his style could best be described as rather playful. In just 143 pages, excluding the index and other resources, Yogananda explains virtually everything that you need to know to lead a happier and more fulfilling life.

He covers a number of important topics including:
1. Looking for happiness in the wrong place
2. Happiness is a choice
3. Avoiding the happiness
4. Learn to behave
5. Simplicity is the key
6. Sharing your happiness with others
7. True success and prosperity
8. Inner freedom and joy
9. Finding God is the greatest happiness

This is one of those books that you could read in a couple of hours. But its fruits could stay with you for a lifetime. It gives you not just ideas, but practical skills, and there will likely be single passages on which you will want to meditate before moving on to anything else. It is a book that for many people can be life-changing.

Highly recommended.

Richard G. Petty, MD, author of Healing, Meaning and Purpose: The Magical Power of the Emerging Laws of Life

A delightful and thoughtful masterpiece.......2006-11-18

The author of Autobiography of a Yogi brings out pearls of wisdom on how to be happy in this small but priceless book. Most of the sayings here are not found in his other works. The advise given here is so simple yet so difficult to follow for ordinary mortals like us.

However, if one is able to follow the advise here, his/her life would be filled with so much bliss. The language used in this book is also easy to digest and understand and the reader would feel a sense of friendship and closeness with the author just by reading and applying the words of wisdom in every day living.

In conclusion, I would strongly recommend this book to everyone, especially those who are suffering from depression. The reader would be uplifted by the words being written here. A very engaging and powerful book.

This is a 'desert island' book.......2006-11-11

"If you were stranded on a desert island and could have only one book, what would it be?" Well, actually, I'd ask for five - but this would be one of them. This is the best 'how to' book I've ever read. Yogananda's perspective on the human condition will turn your own perspective inside-out (or outside-in). His approach is deceptively simple, but you'll find yourself saying, "Ahhhh, that's why I have that problem." More importantly, he gives simple ways to get out of our ruts, moods, and personal quagmires. I know his hints work, because I've tried them.

The chapter titles will give you a good idea of the type of helpful how-to hints in this book:
1. Looking for Happiness in the Wrong Place
2. Happiness is a Choice
3. Avoiding the Happiness Thieves
4. Learn to Behave
5. Simplicity is the Key
6. Sharing Your Happiness With Others
7. True Success and Prosperity
8. Inner Freedom and Joy
9. Finding God is the Greatest Happiness

Here is an excerpt:

"Happiness consists in making the mightiest efforts to reduce your desires and needs, and in cultivating the ability to meet those needs at will, always trying to smile, both outwardly and inwardly, in spite of every predicament.

"Be silent and calm every night for at least ten minutes (longer if possible) before you retire, and again in the morning before rising. This will produce an undaunted, unbreakable inner habit of happiness that will make you able to meet all the trying situations of the everyday battle of life. With that unchangeable happiness within, go about seeking to fulfill the demands of your day.

"Seek happiness more in your mind and less in the acquisition of things. Be so happy in your mind that nothing that comes can possibly make you unhappy. Then, you can get along without things you have been accustomed to. Be happy knowing you have acquired the power not to be negative. Know, too, that you will never again become so materially minded that you forget your inner happiness, even if you become a millionaire."

A fine starting point.......2006-09-24

The most important condition for happiness is even-mindedness, and here the author of AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI brings some of this sense to a treatise on how to be happy under virtually any condition. From identifying habits, thoughts, and practices which steal from happiness to understanding simplicity is the key and sharing happiness with others, HOW TO BE HAPPY ALL THE TIME: THE WISDOM OF YOGANANDA, V. 1 is a fine starting point for reaching contentment.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Average customer rating:

Charming, insightful, splendid
Odd but compelling
Lee Radziwill Happy Times - Surprisingly Enjoyable
It's not supposed to be about Jackie!
Pretty, Happy pictures of Pretty, Happy people

Happy Times
Lee Radziwill
Manufacturer: Assouline
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 2843232503

Amazon.com

Andy Warhol would have approved of close friend Lee Radziwill's autobiographical picture book, Happy Times. A sort of postmodern photographic journal crossed with a lovey Hello! spread, Radziwill's book offers a visually lush, mildly gossipy, somewhat surreal document--solely in photographs and brief reminiscences--of the younger Bouvier sister's unique brand of celebrity. As Radziwill explains in her introduction, friends had urged her to write a biography for years, but she felt doing so would "involve me in too many other lives." So she opted for a biography that focuses only on her "happy times" (hence the book title), and these, she says, happened mostly in the 1960s. The resulting slim volume is essentially a collection of gorgeous photographs, scattered haphazardly like a scrapbook, interspersed with Radziwill's selective memories and little handwritten comments. With a somewhat unconvincing naiveté ("memories should be of happy times"), each chapter is devoted to a particular "happy time" but in no special order. We have summers in Montauk with Mick and Bianca, Christmas with the young Kennedy family, a tour of India with her sister Jackie, whole chapters devoted to each of Radziwill's many exotic homes.

Assuming the reader knows most of the big events of her life, Radziwill offers little in the way of context of these happy times, and it's this element that ultimately gives the project a surreal, celebrity-by-association feel. You wonder why you're reading this random assemblage of country-house photos and memories of Truman Capote; or, considering so much of the book is taken up by photos of the Kennedys, why you should especially care about Lee Radziwill. But it isn't without its charm, and as you flip through the book, Radziwill's breathless gratitude for her own good fortune becomes contagious. The book's final chapter, hand-drawn by Lee and sister Jackie in 1951, documents a summer trip to Europe. An odd inclusion but ultimately fascinating, it's the essence of Happy Times: you're not exactly sure what you're looking at, or why--but isn't it lovely? --Marisa Lencioni, Amazon.co.uk

Book Description

Leafing through a wealth of private photo albums and personal archives, Lee Radziwill offers a unique perspective of happy times: from the first trip to Europe and the Bouvier sisters to fond memories of Christmas in Palm Beach with President Kennedy, from her years in London to summer days in Conca, Lee Radziwill has enjoyed a very colorful and successful life. She brings alive, with humor and feeling, privileged moments with family and friends. Happy Times is the credo of a lady who, having witnessed historical moments and shared the lives of characters struck by fate, has made the deliberate choice of only remembering what's beautiful. Through anecdotes and pictures, personal notes and drawings, Happy Times offers readers a very personal perspective on a highly publicized life.

Customer Reviews:

Charming, insightful, splendid.......2006-06-23

Filled with hidden treasures. I knew the "format" of this book before purchasing it so I was not suprised that it was not in a traditional biographical layout - it is more like spending a long weekend with a friend of a friend sharing memories, insights, hopes and dreams and then packing up and heading home. I just loved it. She has a very deep understanding of the importance of nurturing children and one line in this book (which I will let you discover for yourselves) is more impactful than a roomfull of "self-help" books - amazing how she just slips it in. Lovely.

Odd but compelling.......2006-05-09

Having read IN HER SISTER'S SHADOW and knowing of Lee's past ventures, this seems to be the most successful of them. She has the rich lady's talent of putting together Louis XV rooms and arranging flowers, and she definitely has a wealth of pictures to cull from, but I thought she chose an odd lot to include here! And I wonder why some were enlarged while other lovely pictures (such as she and Tina on a Moroccan-looking bed) were so miniscule that you barely noticed them. (I've since seen the picture enlarged in DOMINO magazine, and it's mesmerizing). The book is indeed what she chooses to remember (though it's confusing to see how she could include pictures of Anthony without a little loving note to his memory--I suppose she prefers to remember the happy times when he was alive). I thought the pictures of John Kennedy were boring (I've seen these types 1000 times), but I loved the ones of Lee and Jackie on Christmas morning. They were glorious! I liked her inclusion of a page from her guest book (should be more of this kinda stuff), and I liked her pictures in couture through the years. But you do get the feeling that she's a little self-centered because everything was Lee, Lee, Lee. I loved the pictures of the interiors of her homes and the Italian home and the baptismal pictures. But I think the editing could have been a lot better, and I would've liked more commentary from Lee. Pictures from her brief acting stint would've been interesting too. Still, you will like this book if you love to look through photo albums and decorating magazines and Vogue. That's the feeling it gives you. The best part is the black and white pictures of Lee and Jackie (and their children). There's also a great picture of Lee going to a theater production of COCO in a great suit with her hair up. She is very pretty and the gloss comes through in the pictures. But some better choices could certainly have been made, IMO. I have bought and given away the book TWICE and am fixing to buy it again! I wish it would go to the "bargain books" section so I could buy more for gifts!

Lee Radziwill Happy Times - Surprisingly Enjoyable.......2002-01-25

I have to confess to being an addict to all things Kennedy and Jackie, especially. I bought this thinking it would be loaded with Jackie information, previously unknown. Well, I was wrong, but in the process I believe I got a truer image of her younger sister. I always had envisioned Lee living entirely, and jealously in her sister's shadow. It appears to me that after reading this book that we have done this woman a disservice. She has led a fabulous life in her own right. English estates, Beach Houses, cruising on Yachts. I found it interesting and I noted that Lee seems to have pretty impressive taste herself and was a little more conservative. (The Philadelphia Story Years notwithstanding) I was pleasantly surprised. I think it's time we allowed this woman her own space. Imagine being compared to your sister the First Lady for over half your life!

It's not supposed to be about Jackie!.......2001-11-20

You have to like, or at least be interested in Lee Radziwill in order to appreciate this book. You have to realize that it's a Lee Radziwill book, not a Jackie book, or a Kennedy book, or even a Truman Capote/ socialite circle book. Its title suits it perfectly. This book represents what we'd all like to have one day: a sparkling documentation of the happy times of our lives with no mention of, in Lee Radziwill's case, the considerable bad times. It's unfair to criticize this book for what it never was meant to be.
If you've read the DuBois biography, you will recognize a lot in this book. Unfortunately the DuBois biography focuses exclusively on the negative, documenting every last derogatory comment anyone ever made about Lee Radziwill. I think Happy Times proves that Lee Radzwill is far more graceful than the world seems to think.
This is a beautiful book. Great photography, creative format, interesting narrative. A real treasure!

Pretty, Happy pictures of Pretty, Happy people.......2001-10-18

While this may not enhance your literacy, it is a beautifully put-together photo collection of a nostalgic period in our nation's history: the collective love-affair with the Kennedy family. Dress up that coffee table in Martha's Vineyard with this one.

The Family Manager Takes Charge: Getting on the Fast Track to a Happy, Organized Home

Average customer rating:

Things I never thought to do (or never knew how)
A must for new brides!
not the typical organizing book
Very basic
Helpful for clueless

The Family Manager Takes Charge: Getting on the Fast Track to a Happy, Organized Home
Kathy Peel
Manufacturer: Perigee Trade
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0399529136
Release Date: 2003-09-02

Book Description

Being a mom means more than being a wife and parent-it also means being the household accountant, building manager, cook, gardener, housekeeper, and personal shopper-just to name a few of the roles that come with the territory! As America's "Family Manager," bestselling author Kathy Peel has shown millions of moms that running a household is like operating a business. Like any good C.E.O., every mother must know her goals, determine her strategies, and manage her human resources.

Delegate-Motivate-Organize...Relax!

Every smart manager knows that success depends on teamwork. Kathy shows readers how to get kids and spouses to help around the house-with lots of practical advice and encouragement to get them motivated and keep them going.

Save Time, Money, and Your Sanity

With hundreds of time-saving, money-saving, and stress-reducing ideas, this indispensable handbook also shows readers how to take charge of running the home-without running themselves into the ground.

Customer Reviews:

Things I never thought to do (or never knew how).......2007-08-07

I just got this book a few days ago, and have been reading it in my spare time, but already I've organized the office, my daughter's closet, and the kitchen cupboards with Kathy Peel's advice. This book not only gives great tips and advice, but gets you motivated to keep a clean, organized and orderly home. I'm only in the 4th or 5th chapter so far, and have gotten so many great ideas for keeping a more smooth-running home. My husband has really enjoyed coming home every day to a more organized, neater home. Our biggest problem is clutter, and she gives great advice for getting rid of clutter and controlling the influx. We have a lot to do yet, but I'm excited to take back our home with Kathy Peel's helpful instructions.

A must for new brides!.......2007-04-10

I have been a housewife for 17 years and I still learned a lot of great time saving tips from this book. This is definately the kind fo book you have to buy, not borrow, so you can hilight and tag pages that jump out at you. It has columns for notes, budgets, etc. This is an absolutely perfect book for a shower gift or anniversary gift for a new bride--I am excited to give a copy to my daughters when they leave home.

not the typical organizing book.......2007-02-11

A lot of organizing books repeat the same old principles. Kathy's book applies an entirely different creed! Family managers become CEOs of the family which gives us a whole different perspective and value system. I highly recommend this book. Even after you get the concept down, there is a lot of information in the book you will want to have on the shelf as a reference.

Very basic.......2007-01-06

Walks you thru the very basics to start each project. Simple and easy to do.

Helpful for clueless.......2007-01-04

It is worth the price if you are really clueless and need a guide to taking care of the house. I have always wanted to stay home with my kids and have always had visions of a happy clean home, and then reality hits and it is not that easy. [...]

A Big New Free Happy Unusual Life: Self Expression and Spiritual Practice for Those Who Have Time for Neither

Average customer rating:

Flawed but VERY meaningful
highly recommended but seems superficial at times
WOW!!!!
Find your own creativity
Brilliant and funny

A Big New Free Happy Unusual Life: Self Expression and Spiritual Practice for Those Who Have Time for Neither
Nina Wise
Manufacturer: Broadway
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Creativity | Self-Help | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0767910079
Release Date: 2002-05-14

Book Description

A captivating performance artist and teacher, Nina Wise has dedicated her life to tapping the wisdom that emerges from spontaneity. Under Wise's guidance, thousands have discovered the healing power of spontaneous movement, storytelling, vocalizing, and other forms of unedited self-expression. Now she shares the time-tested discoveries of her surprising and spirited workshops in A Big New Free Happy Unusual Life.

In clearly-explained, ten-minute exercises that can be performed almost anywhere, Nina Wise points the way towards a fuller, more creative life. She invites us to rediscover the body, to fall in love with language, and most of all to see the extraordinary in the ordinary. Wise's voice is invigorating and warm as she provides a remarkable antidote to anyone struggling with burnout, past traumas, everyday stresses, or specific fears. A Big New Free Happy Unusual Life helps us unlock deep sources of peace and leads us to discover the robust creativity that lies at the heart of our being.

Customer Reviews:

Flawed but VERY meaningful.......2003-10-21

I was very skeptical of this book (how can you not be with a name like that), but it ended up proving to be a meaningful read. It's not profound in it's concept: the author simply gives you inner "permission" to act on your impulses and emotions. These suggestions are constuctive and sneak into your thinking throughout your day. It's the kind of book that is not jaw dropping when your done, it's meaning trickles slowly and frees you a little.
The author did make you feel great but my only concern is that it made her feel greater. Some passages bordered on bragging but still made you feel as though you also had something to contribute. This book proved me wrong, all in all, and is worth giving a shot.

highly recommended but seems superficial at times.......2003-08-05

The book contains several exercises of extreme importance for everyone's life in our present civilization, as well as valuable reflections on life and the world around us. The only problem for me was that it has ocassional "Californian" New Age flavour seen especially in the ease with which the author jumps from one spiritual tradition to another. For some readers, as it was for me, it might become a slight indication of lack of depth.

The end of the book, which summarizes everything in the word "fun" was especially disappointing. It seems to me that there is a lot of sweat in every serious spiritual endeavour and "joy" (not "fun"!) is at the end of the tunnel...

WOW!!!!.......2003-02-25

This book is great to read however one pleases: first page to last; here and there; last page to first; etc. There are many helpful tips to creating moments of peace in life. Wise is neither pedantic nor obtuse. She offers a great deal of tools for those who would like more out of life, more joy, more excitement.

Find your own creativity.......2003-02-25

As a teenager, I once took out a couple of library books that purportedly tested your creativity. According to them, I failed miserably because I didn't come up with the "right" answers, and it was years before I realized that I'd actually been TOO creative for the tests! But their approach is typical of how narrowly our educational system defines creativity: if you have a gift for (say) drawing or singing, you can become a professional in the arts, but otherwise creativity is irrelevant to most people's daily lives. And, anyway, even if you feel that you'd enjoy taking a pottery class or an acting workshop, you have more important things to do with your time and money. Nina Wise shows us how to circumvent both of these obstacles and bring creative expression into our lives. The crucial factor is awareness, both of ourselves and of the world around us. Her exercises give us the opportunity to know ourselves as complex beings, with bodies as well as minds and spirits, and to appreciate the beauty and complexity of even the most mundane aspects of our surroundings. Becoming more aware isn't necessarily easy, or fun, or reassuring, but it can enrich anyone's life immensely. I heartily recommend this book to everyone -- especially those who think "I'm not creative" or "I have nothing to say": you are, and you do, and this is how you find out.

Brilliant and funny.......2002-07-10

Nina Wise subtitles her wonderful book, "Self-expression and spritual practice
for those who have time for neither." And she could have added, for those who
don't habitually shop at the Self-Improvement section of the store. I had my
qualms but I had first heard the author's name from an impeccable source so I
carried on and bought it. I quickly realised this wasn't Buddhism Lite or
Self-Realization in Five Minutes a Day. Nina Wise has spent thirty years
performing and leading workshops in improvisation. She brings decades of
experience in an art whose principal act is a requirement, as she describes it
elsewhere, to "(find) words for the story the body wants to tell" and where
"nothing in the psyche feels prepared, ready, secure-the stroll from backstage
to centerstage is an act of faith." It is a scary description and her courage
and commitment are everywhere evident. In this brilliant book we get the
benefits of that commitment as she offers dozens of ten-minute "practices"
drawn from every area of the arts -- singing, drawing, writing, role-playing,
dancing --- wonderful hints that invite us to play: to play with the senses;
play with our sense of self, with our life-history; play with friends, with
lovers, with strangers; play with pain and sickness and bereavement, with loss
and disappointment, anger and frustration, play with happiness. They remind
us to take ten minutes NOW to play, but to play with attention, as adults, to
wake up. She shows that unlocking creativity and self-expression has the
widest consequences: "We are not who we think we are --- we are not what we
do, we are not our age ... our gender or sexual preference ... where we live
... or what religion we were born into or went on to practice ... not our skin
color .. not our bodies ... not our thoughts." Many people have said this but
not many have offered such creative, witty, down-to-earth help to discovering
it for ourselves. And in between we are treated to illustrations from her own
life as daughter, lover, teacher, performer: at home by her dying mother or
wrapped in a "Tantric embrace" round her suitcase on an overnight train trip
in India, the range is enormous. She is deadly serious, serious but never
solemn. "All the great sages I have had the fortune to meet have had a
twinkle in their eyes ... their lightness of being is contagious. In their
presence I too break into a smile that would glow in the dark." Well, that
smile glows all over the page here. This is anything but a ponderous tome and
the opposite of some self-indulgent, feel-good exercise. It is sad, funny,
tough, moving, uproarious, witty, lyrical, passionately articulate and, yes
(I'm not the first to say it) wise. Go ahead, do yourself a favour: sing to
the cat, make art in the yard, throw a hat party, read this book.

Mime Time: A Book of Routines and Performance Tips

Average customer rating:

I am a mime
mime time
Learn by Doing

Mime Time: A Book of Routines and Performance Tips
Happy Jack Feder
Manufacturer: Meriwether Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Performing Arts | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0916260739

Customer Reviews:

I am a mime.......2007-08-20

It is better to invent your own routines, there is no technique, no history of mime, not much of value.

mime time.......2006-10-25

This book is ok. It has alot of routines, but not much help on how to teach mime.

Learn by Doing.......2000-04-04

This is the mime book for someone who learns by seeing and doing. Through 45 detailed scripts, the future mime learns the vocabulary and scope of the art. From a child eating ice cream to a sports fan, the reader sees examples of mime in the mind's eye. There is almost no theory in this book, just good, practical scripts for one, two, or more actors.

Spanish All Talk Basic Language Course (4 Hour/4 Cds): Learn to Understand and Speak Spanish with Linguaphone Language Programs (All Talk) (All Talk)

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Spanish All Talk Basic Language Course (4 Hour/4 Cds): Learn to Understand and Speak Spanish with Linguaphone Language Programs (All Talk) (All Talk)
Linguaphone
Manufacturer: Linguaphone
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Audio CD

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Spanish for Dummies

ASIN: 0747309515

Product Description

On-the-go Instrction Because your time is valuable... All Audio All on the go! Beginning level instruction is presented in an all-audio format on 4 digitally-recorded CDs. You have the opportunity to learn on the go, taking advantage of time normally wasted. Study in your car, while exercising, doing yard work anywhere you can safely listen to a CD player. No accompanying books are needed to help you complete the lesson activities. Why can t learning be fun? It can! Linguaphone has chosen to present the allTalk series in an entertaining, soap-opera format. No dry old teacher with a monotone voice putting you to sleep, you follow the adventures of a visitor to a Spanish-speaking country as she interacts with individuals in a variety of interesting situations, learning the language and beginning to understand the culture. Actually learn the language Tired of spending money on language courses that don t work? Did you ever think the problem could be with the course and not you? With Linguaphone s unique learning sequence: Listen, Understand, Speak, you will find yourself actually using the language in no time at all! You are presented with a unit of the language, it is then broken down and explained to you, then you put it back together with greater understanding than just repeating what you may not have understood in the first place. . . . and learn it well! The all Talk methodology not only teaches well, but will have you speaking and understanding basic spoken Spanish in no time at all. Other popular all-audio courses require four times the cds, four times the money and four times the time to do what Linguaphone s allTalk Basic does with 4-one hour CDs.

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Wholesome Charlotte Mason Books
warm , happy , heartwarming.
Fantasy Village
Noisy Village is the Place to be!

Happy Times in Noisy Village
Astrid Lindgren
Manufacturer: Bethlehem Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Action & Adventure | Literature | Children's Books | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 1883937663

Customer Reviews:

Wholesome Charlotte Mason Books.......2007-07-09

These books are great for read-alouds or for early readers. My daughter LOVES the characters and tries to emulate them. Wholesome characters! Reminds me of Rebecca of Sunnybrook or Anne of Green Gables, but for younger ages!!
The Children of Noisy Village is wonderful too!

warm , happy , heartwarming........2006-12-23

a perfect seqel to The Children Of Noisy Village . It has the same heartwarming feel. The children are back hilariusly running through the year . Whether its producing a Cherry Company , Joking a perfect April fools day ,Or making tunnels in the Hay , If you loved the children of noisy village I am positive you will love this just as much.

Fantasy Village.......2004-01-14

I received this book from my parents for my 11th birthday (many years ago) and this past Christmas I bought one for my 7 year old son, whose favorite characters are Ninja Turtles and Pokemons. We have read this book together during quiet Christmas time and now he doesn't go to sleep without reading at least one chapter from it. He says: "It makes me feel warm inside, mommy, and I feel happy." The book shows how simple things in life (baking cookies, going to school, pulling tooth out...) can become extraordinary adventures for children. Moreover, each and every child can relate to the children from Noisy Village. Astrid Lindgren is a real writing magician. I cannot wait for her other books to be published.

Noisy Village is the Place to be!.......1999-08-09

The series of "Noisy Village" was the X'mas gift given to me 20 years ago. My dad picked up the books and signed with "To My Daughter of Noisy Village ... From Father in Quiet Village". I enjoyed all the stories. I enjoyed the beautiful illustrations too. Someday, I thought, I'd go visit this tiny village of three houses and a bunch of kids with my mom, dad and my baby sister. 20 years has passed and my parents still keep the books for me in their house - I wanted to take the books when I moved but my new place did not have any extra room - and everytime I come visit my parents I never forget to visit the Noisy Village too.

The Happy Bottom Riding Club: The Life and Times of Pancho Barnes

Average customer rating:

Excellent, complete biography
Wow
Fellow Woman Pilot
Rugged Individualist Aviation History
What a book! What a dame!

The Happy Bottom Riding Club: The Life and Times of Pancho Barnes
Lauren Kessler
Manufacturer: Random House
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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A more unlikely minister's wife could hardly be imagined. Yet Florence Lowe Barnes (1901-74) was in fact married to an Episcopalian rector when she began training horses and flying stunt planes for Hollywood studios. As it turned out, however, the hard-drinking, hard-living, primarily male camaraderie she found there suited her far better than the well-mannered lifestyle of her affluent parents and undersexed husband. She acquired her nickname during a roistering 1927 trip to Mexico, and "Pancho" Barnes became legendary as a pioneering female pilot and a world-class party thrower with lovers to spare. (She was no beauty, but many men found Pancho's gusto and humor irresistible.) In the mid-'30s, past her prime as a pilot and looking for a business to support her free-spending ways, she set up as a Mojave Desert rancher near a tiny encampment of the Army Air Corps. Military and test pilots like Chuck Yeager flocked to Pancho's place--whether it was called Rancho Oro Verde, Pancho's Fly-Inn, or the Happy Bottom Riding Club--to savor her openhanded hospitality with food and booze, and to enjoy earthy stories about her past. Readers intrigued by Tom Wolfe's thumbnail sketch of Pancho in The Right Stuff will relish Lauren Kessler's full-length narrative of her adventurous life. --Wendy Smith

Book Description

Pancho Barnes was a force of nature, a woman who lived a big, messy, colorful, unconventional life. She ran through three fortunes, four husbands, and countless lovers. She outflew Amelia Earhart, outsmarted Howard Hughes, outdrank the Mexican Army, and out- maneuvered the U.S. government. In The Happy Bottom Riding Club, award-winning author Lauren Kessler tells the story of a high-spirited, headstrong woman who was proud of her successes, unabashed by her failures, and the architect of her own legend.

Florence "Pancho" Barnes was a California heiress who inherited a love of flying from her grandfather, a pioneer balloonist in the Civil War. Faced with a future of domesticity and upper-crust pretensions, she ran away from her responsibilities as wife and mother to create her own life. She cruised South America. She trekked through Mexico astride a burro. She hitchhiked halfway across the United States. Then, in the late 1920s, she took to the skies, one of a handful of female pilots.

She was a barnstormer, a racer, a cross-country flier, and a Hollywood stunt pilot. She was, for a time, "the fastest woman on earth," flying the fastest civilian airplane in the world. She was an intimate of movie stars, a script doctor for the great director Erich von Stroheim, and, later in life, a drinking buddy of the supersonic jet jockey Chuck Yeager. She ran a wild and wildly successful desert watering hole known as the Happy Bottom Riding Club, the raucous bar and grill depicted in The Right Stuff.

In The Happy Bottom Riding Club, Lauren Kessler presents a portrait, both authoritative and affectionate, of a woman who didn't play by women's rules, a woman of large appetites--emotional, financial, and sexual--who called herself "the greatest conversation piece that ever existed."

Customer Reviews:

Excellent, complete biography.......2005-08-30

This particular book is the BEST bio of Pancho Barnes.

She was quite a figure. Some of the ranchier parts are left out by others who mention her.

This book appears to be matter-of-fact and complete, including the horrors of her solitary death cooped up with dozens of hungry yorkies, etc (you get the picture).

The seller offered this book at a very good price.
They shipped it well and quickly.

If anything, it was in better (tip top) shape than I expected.

Wow.......2002-05-15

The only thing you can say to yourself when you finish "The Happy Bottom Riding Club" is Wow, what a life!

This book takes you into the fantasy like life of Florence "Pancho" Barnes. She had one heck of a life and it is certainly fun to read about it. From the cross country flying races to the rowdy parties packed with Hollywood celebrities and flying aces, Pancho Barnes did it all.

How many women are considered among the pioneers of aviation? How many women got to hang out with Jimmy Doolittle? How many women had direst access to military brass? How many women as influential as Pancho Barnes could get away with what amounted to a brothel in the middle of the desert?

Throughout her entire life, Pancho seemed to be in the right place at the right time. She had her share of defeats and problems (she was not much of a looker), but she remains a very interesting woman, and the stories of her experiences are even better.

I am not an aviation or history buff, but I do enjoy a good book. This is a good book and I definitely enjoyed it. I think most people will too.

Fellow Woman Pilot.......2001-03-20

A thoroughly enjoyable biography about a wild and adventurous woman. I have heard so much about Pancho in my flying career and my aviation studies. It was nice to know the whole story. I would have loved to have met Pancho. Perhaps, I'm glad I didn't. I know I'm glad I read this book! Enjoy! CAVU! Dash

Rugged Individualist Aviation History.......2001-02-02

This book is MUST READ for anyone interested in the histories of aviation, of the 1920s, of Los Angeles, of the California desert, and of Edwards Air Force Base in particular. Pancho Barnes is a larger-than-life character. A slightly sad one, in a way, since she spent her way out of fortune into poverty; but, wow, if you are going to burn the candle at both ends, this is the way to do it. Flying booze in from Mexico during probihition, stunt riding for Hollywood movies (and the Foursquare Gospel), barnstorming the country, giving daily parties for the earliest movie stars, and then providing round-the-clock R&R for all the Right Stuff pilots in the earliest days of experimental jet and rocket flight. Pancho knew how to live it up, tell a story, and deliver a line, and fortunately was appreciated and looked after in her declining years by the pilots she had entertained in the 40s and 50s. This story has hardly even been told (one TV movie was ridiculous) and is still largely esoteric knowledge to the fraternity of pilots.

What a book! What a dame!.......2001-01-28

Florence "Pancho" Leontine Lowe Barnes may have been to the manor born and bred, but she chafed at her parent's prim and proper society and decided to be true to the one person she could count on -- herself.

Until I read this book, I only knew of Pancho Barnes and her Happy Bottom Riding Club from the movie THE RIGHT STUFF. She was the proprietor of the saloon/motel/dude ranch where all the test pilots from nearby Edwards Air Force Base hung out. Her character didn't get much footage in the movie, but she was compelling enough to warrant further investigation.

Author Lauren Kessler offers an insider's view into the life of this enigmatic woman, from her privileged childhood to her poverty-stricken death. This is no mere biography...it's a tour de force of the woman behind all the legends.

Pancho Barnes was raised by wealthy parents. Her grandfather had made his fortune with patents and in real estate in the early part of the 20th century. Her grandfather died broke, but he lived large. Her grandfather and father doted on her and indulged her every wish. She was puzzled by her mother's world of socials, needlework and fancy dresses. She was dazzled by horses, the outdoors and demanding physical activity.

Early on, it was clear that Florence was not going to be a beauty, nor was she the shy and retiring kind. She rode horses, played outside and generally behaved as a young boy. School bored her. Afternoon teas and the

idea of running a house set her teeth on edge. Even though she obeyed her family's wishes and married an Episcopalian minister and had one child, she was never a conventional wife or mother, in any form, shape or fashion.

As a diversion from her unhappy marriage, she found work as a horse wrangler in the fledgling movie industry. She worked as a stunt person in some of the films she provided horses for. She discovered flying and it became her life-long passion. She found love in the arms of many men, including her four subsequent husbands. She cussed like a sailor, drank whiskey with the best of them, and rubbed elbows with Hollywood elite. She could hold an audience captive with her storytelling acumen. She ran a dairy farm, a pig breeding business, a boisterous resort and maintained a stable full of fabulous horses. She spent three fortunes and died broke, but she lived life to the fullest and made the most of every moment.

I read this book in one sitting and dare anyone who starts it to try and put it down.

Pancho Barnes was one of a kind. What a dame! I wish I had known her.

Enjoy!

Average customer rating:

former hater of fiction

vapid and inane

A Comedy of Mannerisms

Ho-Hum

You'll be happy all the time you're reading this book

Happy All the Time
Laurie Colwin
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060955325
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Book Description

This delightful comedy of manners and morals is about romantic friendship, romantic marriage, and romantic love--about four people who are good-hearted and sane, lucky and gifted, and who find one another. Knowing that happiness is an art form that requires energy, discipline, and talent, Guido, Holly, Vincnt, and Misty deal with jealousy, estrangement, and other perils involved in the search for love.

Customer Reviews:

former hater of fiction.......2006-08-18

up until now i never read fiction. i received this as a gift from my best friend and i have to say that she really came through. this is an excellent read...not fluffy, sappy or overly romantic. the characters are, in my opnion, not "cardboard cutouts" as another reviewer described. they are realistic and believable. no where within the story did i feel sidetracked or lost...very well written and doesnt leave the reader feeling heavy or weighed down with emotion. very light and easy. i have the author's cookbooks and i find that her comfortable charm that was abound in those are also present in her fictional writing. i also recieved "goodbye without leaving" and i am looking forward to starting that as well.

vapid and inane.......2003-06-23

I probably should have put this book down when I was halfway through it and I realized it was about the tiny problems of several self-engrossed upper class New Yorkers. I found the plot to be lacking in any sort of stimulating element; the book basically boiled down to two people finding their perfect mates. Furthermore, the characters seemed somewhat flat, since everyone is describable in a couple words, and the dialogue strained for snappy wit, but instead came off as silly to me. My problem with this book wasn't that it was light and happy, it was that the book didn't even do a great job portraying light and happy.

A Comedy of Mannerisms.......2003-03-22

Laurie Colwin's _Happy All the Time_ is less a comedy of manners than a comedy of the mannerisms, quirks, and idiosyncracies of four very unique friends and lovers.

Guido and Vincent (rather WASP-y, the Italian nomenclature comes from a couple of generations back) are cousins and fellow graduate students when the novel opens, perfectly situated for finding their lifemates. When Guido sees Holly in an art gallery he narrates his observations about her to Vincent. "Notice how the nose tilts," he says, and later, "Notice the arc of the arm."

"Notice the feeblemindedness that passes for wit among aging graduate students," she replies, thus setting into motion a story full of wonderful zingy dialogue as pessimists pair up with optimists and love ensues.

Published originally in 1978, _Happy All the Time_ paints both of the primary women in bold colors. Misty is a linguist, frighteningly intelligent, and determined not to let Vincent's optimism capsize her ship. Holly is self-contained and self-determined, making her own decisions without consultation with Guido, whose great passion for her leaves him in a perpetual state of befuddlement. The book is indicative of the era it's placed in, as women behave in ways which have not been modelled for them, and the men adjust their expectations accordingly. From a feminist point of view, that makes this book an interesting read.

From an escapist's point of view, this book is highly entertaining, light but not too fluffy, and thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys Nora Ephron movies, Bridget Jones-type books, and satisfying endings.

Ho-Hum.......2002-05-30

While I normally prefer a book with more depth and edge to it, I nonetheless also enjoy a feel-good, happy-ending story now and again too! Fair to say that the reviewers' adjectives on the back flap of Happy All The Time -- 'fun', 'clean', 'healthy', and 'delightful' -- should hardly have led me to expect anything more than a squeaky-clean romp of a weekend read. Unfortunately, the only thing this book left me feeling was why I bothered to read it to the end. This insipid book neither captivates nor is it particularly well written. The four main characters are like cardboard cutouts and for 214 unremarkable pages, we are led to nothing more than a ho-hum, isn't-life-grand-as-long-as-you-can-afford-champagne ending. Please! Whether your literary interests tend toward the light or dark side, there is much better out there than this for the taking!

You'll be happy all the time you're reading this book.......2001-10-11

Laurie Colwin was one of my favorite writers of the 1980's (my tastes seem to change as the decades do). I read (and proudly own) all her novels and short story collections, and her two books of essays on cooking. "Happy all the Time" happens to have been my introduction to Ms. Colwin's work, and it spurred me to read all her books. ("Happy" turned out to be my absolute favorite, though a couple of others were close seconds.)

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