Friday November 21, 2008
Biographies & Memoirs: Leaders & Notable People
Displayed below are the top selling items for today, Friday November 21, 2008 along with the review customers have voted "most useful".
To find top selling items in for a specific category, use the menu on the left or click here to see all categories.
- Dreams from My Father : A Story of Race and Inheritance by Barack Obama
- Multiple Blessings : Surviving to Thriving With Twins and Sextuplets by Jon Gosselin
- The American Journey of Barack Obama by The Editors of Life Magazine
- The Revolution : A Manifesto by Ron Paul
- The Snowball : Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder
- Team of Rivals by Doris Kearns Goodwin
- The Defining Moment : FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope by Jonathan Alter
- Team of Rivals : The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
- American Lion : Andrew Jackson in the White House by Jon Meacham
- Team of Rivals : The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln by Doris Kearns Goodwin
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Dreams from My Father
A Story of Race and Inheritance
by Barack Obama
(based on 321 customer reviews)
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(Hardcover)
Edition: Reprint
Author: Barack Obama
Publisher: Crown
Price: $15.57
You save: $10.38 (40%) off the list price!
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Most useful review as voted by customers:
293 out of 328 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 8/31/04
Inspiring Life Story...Somewhat Less Than Complete
U.S. Senate hopeful Barack Obama has an inspiring story to share, and yet he doesn't simply rest on his laurels in this critical evaluation of his life and in his continuing search for himself as a black American. He wrote "Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance" almost ten years ago, but his stock has obviously surged since his star-making speech at the Democratic National Convention last month, perhaps to the chagrin of Hillary Clinton...unless she is dreaming of a Clinton-Obama ticket in 2008! Growing up mulatto in Hawaii and Indonesia, Obama discusses trying to come to grips with his racial identity through a period of rebellion that included drug use, becoming a community activist in Chicago and traveling to Kenya to understand his father's past. It is in Kenya where he discovers a nation with 400 different tribes, each of them saddled with stereotypes of the others. It is also in Kenya where he recognizes the dichotomy that has been his lifelong existence between the graves of his father and his grandfather. His description of this defining moment is worthy of a passage in Alex Haley's "Roots".
Obama is also candid about racism, poverty and corruption in Chicago, and he pulls no punches in his account of this period. Because the book stops in 1995, it does not get into much detail on his learning experiences, culminating in both missteps and triumphs, as a state legislator. For all the value the book provides on Obama's history, I would have appreciated a more substantive update than the preface on the last decade, as he gained political prominence in Illinois, so that we understand more why his time in the spotlight has come at this moment. Perhaps that will be Volume 2. I was also disappointed he spent so little time writing about his mother and the influence her side of the family has had on him, a narrative gap Obama acknowledges and over which he expresses regret in the preface. Perhaps inclusion of such details would have made for a less compelling story from his originally intended Afro-centric perspective; but at the same time, I think a more balanced look at his own racial dichotomy would have made his story resonate all the more given where he is now.
Obama is open in the preface about using changed names and composite characters to expedite the flow and ensure privacy of those around him, but it does somewhat lessen the impact of his story when one starts to wonder who was real and who was a fictionalized character. Regardless of these literary devices, this book is still a very worthwhile look into the background of someone who is on a major upward trajectory in the current national political scene.
Click here to see more reviews for: Dreams from My Father
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Multiple Blessings
Surviving to Thriving With Twins and Sextuplets
by Jon Gosselin (based on 64 customer reviews)
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(Hardcover)
Author: Jon Gosselin
Publisher: Zondervan
Price: $11.99
You save: $8.00 (40%) off the list price!
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Most useful review as voted by customers:
34 out of 39 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/29/08
Very well written. Good writting style, flow and timeline of events.
When the book came out I noticed that the author is Beth Carson (along with Kate Gosselin). On the TV show "Jon and Kate Plus 8", it has been shown that Beth Carson is Kate's good friend, so I was concerned that the book itself may lack an experienced writing style. I was wrong! This book is VERY well written with an excellent flow and time-line of events.
The story is told by Kate with in-depth details that go far past what the TV show documents. One way to explain it is that the TV show lets you see all the action while the book provides insight into the emotional roller coaster and thoughts experienced by the parents, immediate family and some volunteers. Kate does a good job of explaining the mental and physical stress of raising six infants who are all the same age along with a set of twin toddlers. Kate didn't paint herself as a saint and openly talks about the times she was wrong and as she stated "not winning any friends". As a mom myself of multiples I thought the book gave an accurate portrayal of the stress of bed rest, carrying multiples, the sheer mental exhaustion that takes it's ugly toll.
The TV series is based mostly in their current home but the book focuses on their early days in the condo by the hospital and their first house. So fans of the show will enjoy reading about events that haven't been a part of the series. Each chapter of the book has a personal photo from the Gosselin family. The photos are fairly generic and similar to what has been seen on the TV series. But unlike the TV series the book goes into detail about the parents of Jon and Kate and other immediate family members. Those family members are mentioned lovingly quiet often which Fans of the show may find interesting.
Whether you are a fan or a critic, I think you will agree that the book is well written. It is a fairly quick read that is well worth it for anyone who is curious about this family or for someone who has struggled with raising multiples.
Click here to see more reviews for: Multiple Blessings
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The American Journey of Barack Obama
by The Editors of Life Magazine (based on 8 customer reviews)
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(Hardcover)
Author: The Editors of Life Magazine
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Price: $14.99
You save: $10.00 (40%) off the list price!
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Most useful review as voted by customers:
13 out of 15 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 10/23/08
The Simple Life of a Great Man
Many times has it has been said, Barack Obama comes from humble roots: an absent father, being raised by his grandparents in Hawaii, excels and acheives all the way to Harvard. His meteoric rise, the result of a supportive extended family, and a fierce intellect, is inspirational enough. Life has taken that story, and told it again, this time, accompanied by some of the most touching and revealing pictures I have seen of Obama yet.
The pictures span his own life, from childhood to the present, and offer a glimpse into the world of this man who might be about 44th president. The pictures of his childhood are absolutely endearing, and show what a diverse world Obama came from. Growing up in Hawaii, he was often the only student with partial African-American heritage in his classes, and he recounts how kids wanted to touch his hair because it was so different. One picture of his grandmother hugging him at his graduation reveals intense love and pride she had; it's one of my favorites just because of the look on her face.
As Barack grows up, the man that we see today starts to take shape; out of college, this gangly community organizer meets his future wife Michelle Obama, and a glimpse into their love and their relationship shows up in the book. I am always particularly touched by any picture of Barack and his girls. They are poignant, fun, and show Obama in the role he probably loves best: dad.
One final photo in a book of trememdous photos really brings Barack to the everyday man: a picture of him with his feet up, and holes in the bottom of the soles of his shoes. I look in my closet, and see most of my shoes with the same problem, and I realize how much like me, like all of us, this man truly is. Life has created a book that anyone, Barack Obama voter or not, would be proud to have on their shelf, in their collection.
Click here to see more reviews for: The American Journey of Barack Obama
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The Revolution
A Manifesto
by Ron Paul (based on 709 customer reviews)
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(Hardcover)
Author: Ron Paul
Publisher: Grand Central Publishing
Price: $14.28
You save: $6.72 (32%) off the list price!
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Most useful review as voted by customers:
909 out of 960 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 4/12/08
Ron Paul's Legacy
Ron Paul's legacy--from decades of principled defense of freedom, peace, and sound money--is inculcated in this very important book. Just the right length, it convincingly and eloquently advances the Ron Paul philosophy. It's a book for beginners and for all of us, no matter how well-read, on liberty, Austrian economics, the Federal Reserve, the free market, the welfare state, and the warfare state. No mere "campaign book," this is one for the ages. And I especially appreciated the suggested reading list at the end. Ron, thank you for your shining example in congress, for teaching millions through your presidential race, and for being--as this extraordinary book shows--the Tom Paine of the second American revolution. Fellow Ron Paulians, we have only begun.
Click here to see more reviews for: The Revolution
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The Snowball
Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
by Alice Schroeder (based on 81 customer reviews)
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(Hardcover)
Author: Alice Schroeder
Publisher: Bantam
Price: $21.00
You save: $14.00 (40%) off the list price!
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Most useful review as voted by customers:
153 out of 167 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 9/29/08
The New De Facto Buffett Biography
Alice Schroeder has done a wonderful job parsing the incredibly interesting and complex life of one of the world's true, living legends.
This should become the tome to site for all things Buffett. It is thorough, examining his family history, his father's career, and details of his youthful adventures; which in many instances, went well over the moral line he now teaches people to steer away from. The hardships suffered by close family members of the financial, psychological, and personal variety are honestly portrayed through the biography, as are details of the complex relationships he has had with women throughout his life.
For students of business and investment, the book details clearly the growth of his business knowledge early on and the success of his many investment partnerships. Alice details the countless problems he experienced once owning Berkshire Hathaway and the businesses that were later rolled in to create the present Berkshire. The details of his many acquisitions highlight his unique intelligence, as well as the intellect of his contemporaries, who in-fact were first to discover many of the corporate gems he acquired over the years. His collaboration with other investment managers proved vital to his success, contrary to much of what has been said elsewhere. Lastly, flaws are exposed in his investment acumen numerous times with regard to operations of target companies, and his early judgment in management teams. The very fact that he has been so successful, even given these errors, is testament to his unique abilities as a businessman.
The book highlights Buffett's amazing focus and zest for life. His relationships and personal experiences, which have never been exposed in any detail, have led to the unique character of Warren Buffett. His development into a great human being and quest to create something enduring in Berkshire, the Foundations, and his many "students", is wonderfully explained in this thoroughly enjoyable biography.
Click here to see more reviews for: The Snowball
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Team of Rivals
by Doris Kearns Goodwin (based on 374 customer reviews)
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(Hardcover)
Edition: 1st
Author: Doris Kearns Goodwin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: $21.00
You save: $14.00 (40%) off the list price!
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Most useful review as voted by customers:
216 out of 230 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 12/2/05
The Lincoln Cabinet: A Character Study
Ms. Goodwin has created a gem of a masterpiece with her most recent book on Lincoln. In the millions of pages already written on the subject, there are no books that I know of that do in essence, a character study on Lincoln and his cabinet members. The 754 page text is one of the best ever written regarding the true and underlying nature of those men who served with Lincoln in his cabinet.
While events and persons such as Antietam, Jefferson Davis, Fort Sumter, Maryland's secession attempt and many other events receive short shrift from Ms. Goodwin, this treatment is as it should be for her book concentrates on the personality and character of Lincoln and his cabinet.
While Lincoln never committed himself during the convention to any of his rivals in terms of cabinet positions, to gain votes for his eventual nomination; he voluntarily chose most of his cabinet from men who were his greatest rivals for the Presidency. He did this with clear and present knowledge that they were the best men for the jobs and the country at the time. The incredibly impressive exposition of the character of these men and especially that of Abraham Lincoln and his political and personal acumen in holding them together is given new life in this book.
Through careful reading and perusal of literally thousands of personal letters from cabinet members and from President Lincoln, Goodwin is able to put together a wonderfully clear and unique picture of the character of these men. In addition, she is able to paint a picture of each in words, and point out how their true character differed often from the public perception that abounded.
Ms. Goodwin should be noted for her fine and excruciating work in creating this book which will remain as a must read classic for Lincoln scholars of the present and the future. All of us who track the Lincoln Presidency, 140 years after its termination are grateful for her assiduous work in creating this wonderful book.
Click here to see more reviews for: Team of Rivals
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The Defining Moment
FDR's Hundred Days and the Triumph of Hope
by Jonathan Alter (based on 37 customer reviews)
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(Paperback)
Author: Jonathan Alter
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: $9.60
You save: $6.40 (40%) off the list price!
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Most useful review as voted by customers:
42 out of 52 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 5/7/06
Revisiting The Depression In 1933
There are countless books on the most influential president of the 20th century : Franklin D. Roosevelt who guided America through the Great Depression and World War II. Geoffrey Ward's two volume study (1985 & 1989) of the pre-presidential Roosevelt focus upon the man while Conrad Black's "FDR : Champion of Freedom" (2003) is a 1000+ page political biography. Now Mr. Alter does a more focus study of the famous first 100 Days of his presidency in 1933 (and from which all future presidents are measured).
Mr. Alter assumes that the reader has no prior knowledge of FDR and the first half of the book re-visits familiar biographical territory of FDR's first 50 years. This is a prologue to his discussion of the 100 Days when FDR and his staff improvised legislation proposals on failing banks, failing farms, unemployment (hovering at 25%), etc. for passage by the Congress. The author is a skilled storyteller who will hold the reader's interest for a drama that unfolded over 70 years ago. "The Defining Moment" is an excellent introduction to the historical moment that FDR turned into legend.
Click here to see more reviews for: The Defining Moment
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Team of Rivals
The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin (based on 374 customer reviews)
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(Paperback)
Author: Doris Kearns Goodwin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: $11.55
You save: $9.45 (45%) off the list price!
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Most useful review as voted by customers:
216 out of 230 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 12/1/05
The Lincoln Cabinet: A Character Study
Ms. Goodwin has created a gem of a masterpiece with her most recent book on Lincoln. In the millions of pages already written on the subject, there are no books that I know of that do in essence, a character study on Lincoln and his cabinet members. The 754 page text is one of the best ever written regarding the true and underlying nature of those men who served with Lincoln in his cabinet.
While events and persons such as Antietam, Jefferson Davis, Fort Sumter, Maryland's secession attempt and many other events receive short shrift from Ms. Goodwin, this treatment is as it should be for her book concentrates on the personality and character of Lincoln and his cabinet.
While Lincoln never committed himself during the convention to any of his rivals in terms of cabinet positions, to gain votes for his eventual nomination; he voluntarily chose most of his cabinet from men who were his greatest rivals for the Presidency. He did this with clear and present knowledge that they were the best men for the jobs and the country at the time. The incredibly impressive exposition of the character of these men and especially that of Abraham Lincoln and his political and personal acumen in holding them together is given new life in this book.
Through careful reading and perusal of literally thousands of personal letters from cabinet members and from President Lincoln, Goodwin is able to put together a wonderfully clear and unique picture of the character of these men. In addition, she is able to paint a picture of each in words, and point out how their true character differed often from the public perception that abounded.
Ms. Goodwin should be noted for her fine and excruciating work in creating this book which will remain as a must read classic for Lincoln scholars of the present and the future. All of us who track the Lincoln Presidency, 140 years after its termination are grateful for her assiduous work in creating this wonderful book.
Click here to see more reviews for: Team of Rivals
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American Lion
Andrew Jackson in the White House
by Jon Meacham (based on 6 customer reviews)
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(Hardcover)
Author: Jon Meacham
Publisher: Random House
Price: $18.00
You save: $12.00 (40%) off the list price!
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Most useful review as voted by customers:
51 out of 56 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 11/11/08
My Husband was right again!
I started this book with trepidation as I am not a big nonfiction reader, I love thrillers and mysteries, but my husband said I had to read this new Andrew Jackson book that he had some how wrangled an advance copy. I have to grudgingly admit that he was right, this book was as much a page turner as the recent Patterson. Even more so because this stuff actually happened! Also my enjoyment of the book was probably enhanced given the current political season. One of the things that struck me was how thier are so many who complain today about the rancor in politics, and what happened to bipartisanship? After reading this book I realize political discourse was a lot more wild in the past, much more wild than anything we could imagine today. There was a time when it was not uncommon for two political rivals to settle their differences with a duel.
This is the story of the life and times of the seventh President of the United States, Andrew Jackson. I have to admit I did not know much about the man prior to reading the book, but his life makes for a fascinating read. His life was an adventure full of drama. A real man of the people I found myself identifying with him in spite of his serious faults. This book made me see how his individualist outlook is still with us today and traces back in part to Jackson. Pull a twenty dollar bill out of your pocket and this is the man and his times "American Lion" is about. Hopefully, young people will read this book and get a better idea about the roots of our great country. So I have to give my husband credit for recommending my two favorite reads of 2008 Across the High Lonesomeand "American Lion."
Click here to see more reviews for: American Lion
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Team of Rivals
The Political Genius of Abraham Lincoln
by Doris Kearns Goodwin (based on 374 customer reviews)
-
(Kindle Edition)
Author: Doris Kearns Goodwin
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Price: $9.99
You save: $3.00 (23%) off the list price!
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Most useful review as voted by customers:
216 out of 230 people found the following review helpful.
Review Date: 12/1/05
The Lincoln Cabinet: A Character Study
Ms. Goodwin has created a gem of a masterpiece with her most recent book on Lincoln. In the millions of pages already written on the subject, there are no books that I know of that do in essence, a character study on Lincoln and his cabinet members. The 754 page text is one of the best ever written regarding the true and underlying nature of those men who served with Lincoln in his cabinet.
While events and persons such as Antietam, Jefferson Davis, Fort Sumter, Maryland's secession attempt and many other events receive short shrift from Ms. Goodwin, this treatment is as it should be for her book concentrates on the personality and character of Lincoln and his cabinet.
While Lincoln never committed himself during the convention to any of his rivals in terms of cabinet positions, to gain votes for his eventual nomination; he voluntarily chose most of his cabinet from men who were his greatest rivals for the Presidency. He did this with clear and present knowledge that they were the best men for the jobs and the country at the time. The incredibly impressive exposition of the character of these men and especially that of Abraham Lincoln and his political and personal acumen in holding them together is given new life in this book.
Through careful reading and perusal of literally thousands of personal letters from cabinet members and from President Lincoln, Goodwin is able to put together a wonderfully clear and unique picture of the character of these men. In addition, she is able to paint a picture of each in words, and point out how their true character differed often from the public perception that abounded.
Ms. Goodwin should be noted for her fine and excruciating work in creating this book which will remain as a must read classic for Lincoln scholars of the present and the future. All of us who track the Lincoln Presidency, 140 years after its termination are grateful for her assiduous work in creating this wonderful book.
Click here to see more reviews for: Team of Rivals
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