It begins in New York, where Barack Obama learns that his father—a figure he knows more as a myth than as a man—has been killed in a car accident.
This sudden death inspires an emotional odyssey—first to a small town in Kansas, from which he retraces the migration of his mother’s family to Hawaii, and then to Kenya, where he meets the African side of his family, confronts the bitter truth of his father’s life, and at last reconciles his divided inheritance.
Customer Review: Kenyan view
I read this book with great interest. First, from a curiousity standpoint; how does he see Kenya and does he understand it's complexity. Another perspective that i looked into was his obsession to find himself in his father. I'm Kenyan and know what a father means to one if absent. My dad died when i was eleven and i explored him alot-still do. My mother kept him fresh in our minds and i've concluded that the absent parent becomes the focal point of a young boy. Men,as many may disagree, will seek their father to relate to and will yearn and seek that figure,if they don't find him appealing when they find him, they become what they hope he was. I was enthralled that he is able to explain Kenyan issues i'm familiar with and places i've trod with such precision. Very titillating.
Customer Review: Dreams from my Father
It was excellently written and quite inspiring. It gave insights into the personality of our current President.
Verdict: must read. No matter if you like the man or not, no matter if you see him as messiah or just as another con man (which is more likely, btw.). This guy will have a major impact on our not-so-bright future. He is the friendly face that serves (voluntarily or as a "Manchurian Candidate") as a perfect fassade for the same old ugly bloodsuckers that run the US and most of the world. If this book is "true" and honest or mostly deception - it will tell you a few things about "the man".
Click here to read more and order it on Amazon.com !
3/09/2009
Barrack Obama: Dreams from my Father
2/20/2009
Amity Shlaes: The Forgotten Man
In The Forgotten Man, Amity Shlaes, one of the nation's most respected economic commentators, offers a striking reinterpretation of the Great Depression.
Rejecting the old emphasis on the New Deal, she turns to the neglected and moving stories of individual Americans, and shows how through brave leadership they helped establish the steadfast character we developed as a nation.
Some of those figures were well known, at least in their day--Andrew Mellon, the Greenspan of the era; Sam Insull of Chicago, hounded as a scapegoat.
But there were also unknowns: the Schechters, a family of butchers in Brooklyn who dealt a stunning blow to the New Deal; Bill W., who founded Alcoholics Anonymous in the name of showing that small communities could help themselves; and Father Divine, a black charismatic who steered his thousands of followers through the Depression by preaching a Gospel of Plenty.
Shlaes also traces the mounting agony of the New Dealers themselves as they discovered their errors. She shows how both Presidents Hoover and Roosevelt failed to understand the prosperity of the 1920s and heaped massive burdens on the country that more than offset the benefit of New Deal programs.
The real question about the Depression, she argues, is not whether Roosevelt ended it with World War II. It is why the Depression lasted so long. From 1929 to 1940, federal intervention helped to make the Depression great-in part by forgetting the men and women who sought to help one another.
Authoritative, original, and utterly engrossing, The Forgotten Man offers an entirely new look at one of the most important periods in our history. Only when we know this history can we understand the strength of American character today."
Customer Review: Really in depth look at the leaders of the time and their thoughts
I think she did a great job of being non partisan. Obviously she doesnt agree with Roosevelt and I dont know who can with some of the things he pulled. The scary thing is the similarity of then to now. Great read and I wish they would use it in Colleges if not High schools to give another view of that time. We ask so much of our kids now at an earlier age, I think they can even take discussions of this in High School also. I mean they vote at 18 without really any knowledge of the world so it all has to come from parents and school.
We are totally changing the ideals of this country, not the place to debate rightly or wrongly, so books like this need to be out there to help give people some information on the other side of the New Deal argument. At least that way we can agree or not to change the country from Uncle Sam to Mommy Sam.
Click here to read more and order it on Amazon.com !
2/17/2009
Livy's Roman History Vol. I, II & III
To the foundation of Rome by the twins Romulus and Remus up to the time of Julius Caesar.
As told by Titus Livius (also known as Livy) a Roman writer that lived in the time of Julius Caesar.
Customer Review: Great Reference book
Am pleased that Kindle permits me to find the specific text I am looking for with very little difficulty.
Verdict: Must have for any student or person interested in our cultural origins. Way superior to any paper edition.
Click here to read more and order it on Amazon.com !
1/03/2009
The Virgin's Lover
The Virgin's Lover
"In the autumn of 1558, church bells across England ring out the joyous news that Elizabeth I is the new queen. One woman hears the tidings with utter dread. She is Amy Dudley, wife of Sir Robert, and she knows that Elizabeth's ambitious leap to the throne will pull her husband back to the very center of the glamorous Tudor court, where he was born to be. Amy had hoped that the merciless ambitions of the Dudley family had died on Tower Green when Robert's father was beheaded and his sons shamed; but the peal of bells she hears is his summons once more to power, intrigue, and a passionate love affair with the young queen.
Can Amy's steadfast faith in him, her constant love, and the home she wants to make for them in the heart of the English countryside compete with the allure of the new queen? Elizabeth's excited triumph is short-lived. She has inherited a bankrupt country, riven by enmity, where treason is normal and foreign war a certainty. Her faithful advisor William Cecil warns her that she will survive only if she marries a strong prince to govern the rebellious country, but the one man Elizabeth desires is her childhood friend, the irresistible, ambitious Robert Dudley.
Robert revels in the opportunities of the new reign. The son of an aristocratic family brought up in palaces as the equal of his royal playmates, Robert knows he can reclaim his destiny at Elizabeth's side. Elizabeth cannot resist his courtship, and as the young couple slowly falls in love, Robert starts to think the impossible: can he set aside his wife and marry the young queen? Philippa Gregory's The Virgin's Lover answers the question about an unsolved crime that has fascinated detectives and historians for centuries.
Philippa Gregory uses documents and evidence from the Tudor era and, with almost magical insight into the desires of Robert Dudley and his lovers, paints a picture of a country on the brink of greatness, a young woman grasping at her power, a young man whose ambition is greater than his means, and the wife who cannot forgive them.
Customer Review:
More like 4 1/2 stars....
With the death of Queen Mary, Elizabeth is now the heir to the throne of England. She is not beloved by all, however. As a Protestant, Elizabeth is opposed by the Church and her people are split by their faith. Elizabeth needs a confidant, someone she can rely on when all seems chaotic around her. Robert Dudley seeks to be that man, despite his marriage to Amy Robsart Dudley. England is teetering on the brink of war, both internally and externally. Elizabeth's love for Robert could destroy England forever....
Philippa Gregory immerses the reader in a time long past. The rich pageantry of Elizabeth's reign springs to vivid life in this lush tale. The meticulous attention to detail can sometimes be a bit overwhelming, such as when the war is being described, but the sheer imagery of this tale is startling. THE VIRGIN'S LOVER is a tale to be savored as it provokes as many questions as it answers.
Elizabeth herself is a tortured character, sometimes controlled and focused and at other times a silly girl in love. She is sharply contrasted with Amy, a woman I wanted to like but yet couldn't. Amy's staunch faith both in her Church and her marriage is admirable to a degree, but her blindness to Robert's faults made me want to reach in the pages and slap some sense into her.
Robert is a total cad. Is he driven truly by love for Elizabeth or does he only want the power she can grant him? At times, I sensed that he still felt a smidgeon of the love he once shared with Amy. Regardless, his dismissal of her wants and needs is inexcusable. The power of the court was obviously a very heady thing and Philippa Gregory clearly shows this throughout THE VIRGIN'S LOVER.
What sheer genius by Philippa Gregory to evoke such strong reactions about her characters! Ms. Gregory provides her own twist to the history of Elizabeth's reign while keeping the reader completely enthralled. Having not read the prior books leading up to Elizabeth's ascension to power, I still felt the magic of the time period. After reading THE VIRGIN'S LOVER, it is a guarantee that I will read THE OTHER BOLEYN GIRL and THE QUEEN'S FOOL to see how these books tie in.
Verdict: more than worth the few bucks and the space on your Kindle that this book will occupy ;-)
For further information and instant download, click the cover image above!
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