Biography, Autobiography, Memoir discussion
Biography, Autobiography, and Memoir read in 2018
Diane wrote:
Julie wrote: Both books sound very interesting. I think I will add Theroux to my reading list- I have not read anything by him.
Monique and the Mango Rains is a good book.
As to Theroux, folks seem to either love him, or hate him. Some say he's a curmudgeon. ;) They'll admit he can write, they just don't like what he says when he does ... lol Personally, I like him.
Diane wrote: "
Confessions of an English Opium Eater
Author: Thomas de Quincey
1 Star = Yuck. I wish I hadn't wasted my time ..."
Will avoid!
Julie wrote: "Diane wrote: Confessions of an English Opium Eater 1 Star = Yuck."Julie wrote: Will avoid!
Good choice, Julie! :)
Diane wrote: "Selina wrote: Diane wrote: The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific 4 Stars = It tou..."His journey started in New Zealand. He was doing a book promotion tour through NZ and..."
In defense of Theroux, he didn't have really quality experiences while in NZ. He says, "'I passed a bloody sanitary towel where someone had thrown it on the street, and I thought: because of that disgusting object I will never come here (Christchurch, NZ) again."
Diane wrote: "Diane wrote: "Selina wrote: Diane wrote: The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific 4 Stars = It tou..."His journey started in New Zealand. He was doing a book promotion tour ..."
Ugh, Christchurch. Did he go to Auckland? I've seen worse though, we had a guy that dropped condoms in the library. Thankfully they werent used. I dont work at that library anymore, too many weird patrons go to that library but never take any books out.
Dont know if I want to read a book about someone who goes on a tour promoting his own books though. He shouldnt pretend hes writing a travel book but a book about his own book tour. If he was promoting reading and libraries maybe.
Selina wrote: Diane wrote: The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific "In defense of Theroux, he didn't have really quality experiences while in NZ. He says, "'I passed a bloody sanitary towel where someone had thrown it on the street, and I thought: because of that disgusting object I will never come here (Christchurch, NZ) again."Selina wrote: Ugh, Christchurch. Did he go to Auckland? I've seen worse though, we had a guy that dropped condoms in the library. Thankfully they werent used. I dont work at that library anymore, too many weird patrons go to that library but never take any books out.
Dont know if I want to read a book about someone who goes on a tour promoting his own books though. He shouldnt pretend hes writing a travel book but a book about his own book tour. If he was promoting reading and libraries maybe.
It's not a book about his book promotions. He just does a few interviews, etc. in NZ and AUS. The rest of the time he spends traveling for the sake of traveling. :) Yes, he did visit Auckland.
Diane wrote: "Selina wrote: Diane wrote: The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific "In defense of Theroux, he didn't have really quality experiences while in NZ. He says, "'I passed a bloody..."Did he count the North Island of NZ as a 'happy isle'?...Christchurch is in the South Island.
Selina wrote: Diane wrote: The Happy Isles of Oceania: Paddling the Pacific "In defense of Theroux, he didn't have really quality experiences while in NZ."Selina wrote: Did he count the North Island of NZ as a 'happy isle'?...Christchurch is in the South Island.
I can't honestly recall. It's been while since I read it. If you go to this page, and scroll down to the first chapter, you can read about his visit to NZ for yourself. :)
https://tinyurl.com/The-Happy-Isles-o...
Thanks Diane, actually he seemed to like the wilderness in the South Island, but it seems a while back when he wrote this. I think maybe like Bill Bryson he just doesnt like people all that much. Many travelers are just restless souls looking for happiness although happiness can be in your own backyard. But maybe he doesnt have one in London, which seems to be where he's from.
Interesting observation about islanders though, but you cant expect them to be like european civilisation I mean they grew up in the islands where you go catch a fish and grow coconuts and its free its comparing apples with oranges. Maybe he doesnt get that. To him they dont know about science or art well of course they were isolated for years and have their own science, art and storytelling culture. Plus many dont speak english, duh its not exactly their first language.
Hmm hes written one about the Deep South. OK maybe put both on my list. Although its true there's travel blogs now and people are traveling more than ever. So where he gets away with having opinions that some people might not like well everyone can have them though it probably doesnt make travelling much fun always carrying a notebook and noting down what everyone says. He reminds me of a mystery shopper. https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment...
Selina wrote: "Hmm hes written one about the Deep South. OK maybe put both on my list. Although its true there's travel blogs now and people are traveling more than ever. So where he gets away with having opinion..."Selina wrote: "Hmm hes written one about the Deep South. OK maybe put both on my list. Although its true there's travel blogs now and people are traveling more than ever. So where he gets away with having opinion..."
Yep, as I said, some like him, some don't. If you read the positive reviews for this book on Amazon.com, they explain themselves much better than I have ... lol
It does sound like a pretty good account of what opium does to a person's head. Sort of what Kurt Cobain must have been going through right before he blew his own head off. He would have recorded that in MUCH shorter, punchier sentences if not just write more songs to capture the feelings.
2 stars
William Moulton Marston was a Harvard graduate, a feminist and a psychologist who invented the lie detector test. He was also a huckster, a polyamorous, a serial liar and a bondage enthusiast. You would think that would keep you interested and flying through the pages but it fell short.
I am exhausted after reading this ridiculously detailed history book. I wanted to like this book and parts I did but overall it was just dry and boring. However, I did learn a few things so I am giving it two stars.
Mod
3 stars
Interesting bio of a woman who lived at the turn of the 20th century but did not fit the mold of what you would think of a woman that lived in those times. She didn't care what anyone thought of her and lived life the way she wanted to. She also was fortunate to marry men with money and one was even a prince. It seems like she was fairly well-known at the time, but largely forgotten by history. This would be a good book to see what it was like to be a rich person during a time when most people were not rich.
Fishface wrote: It does sound like a pretty good account of what opium does to a person's head. Sort of what Kurt Cobain must have been going through right before he blew his own head off. He would have recorded that in MUCH shorter, punchier sentences if not just write more songs to capture the feelingsYes, I'm sure Kurt could have written a much better book about his heroin addiction.
SouthWestZippy wrote: William Moulton Marston was a Harvard graduate, a feminist and a psychologist who invented the lie detector test. He was also a huckster, a polyamorous, a serial liar and a bondage enthusiast. You would think that would keep you interested and flying through the pages but it fell short. I am exhausted after reading this ridiculously detailed history book. I wanted to like this book and parts I did but overall it was just dry and boring. However, I did learn a few things so I am giving it two stars.A movie was made about him in 2017 ... maybe it would be more interesting than the book. Professor Marston and the Wonder Women http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6133130
Mod
An American Princess: The Many Lives of Allene Tew by Annejet van der Zijl3 stars
The story of a strong woman at the turn of the century who did what she wanted and didn't care what people thought. She also had quite a bit of tragedy. Apparently she was pretty well-known and talked about at the turn of the century but has pretty much vanished into obscurity.
SouthWestZippy wrote: "2 stars
William Moulton Marston was a Harvard graduate, a feminist and a psychologist who invented the lie detector test. He was also a hucks..."
I'm impressed that anyone could manage to make a book about that guy too dull to enjoy! What do you mean by "ridiculously detailed"? Can you give an example?
Diane wrote: "Selina wrote: "Hmm hes written one about the Deep South. OK maybe put both on my list. Although its true there's travel blogs now and people are traveling more than ever. So where he gets away with..."I didnt know his son Justin married actress Jennifer Aniston. And then separated after only two years marriage..? He's not also a writer is he?
The other son Louis I remember seeing a doco where he travelled to weird places one was Israel and he got caught up in the conflict where young arab boys were throwing rocks at young jews and teen jews were being obnoxious to him and he had no idea what it was about cos he's agnostic.
It was actually quite funny. This doco I saw on a flight to Tahiti I recall!
Selina wrote: I didnt know his son Justin married actress Jennifer Aniston. And then separated after only two years marriage..? He's not also a writer is he?The other son Louis I remember seeing a doco where he travelled to weird places one was Israel and he got caught up in the conflict where young arab boys were throwing rocks at young jews and teen jews were being obnoxious to him and he had no idea what it was about cos he's agnostic.
It was actually quite funny. This doco I saw on a flight to Tahiti I recall!
I don't really know much about his sons, etc.
Diane wrote: "Selina wrote: I didnt know his son Justin married actress Jennifer Aniston. And then separated after only two years marriage..? He's not also a writer is he?The other son Louis I remember seeing ..."
Was nosy and read more stuff articles. https://www.stuff.co.nz/entertainment...
Actually correction Justin is his nephew his other son is Marcel and also a writer. I'm not sure if Paul is French with a name like Theroux. Am going to wiki it.
Outback Vets
Author: Annabelle Brayley
3 Stars = I liked the book. I enjoyed it. I'm glad I read it.
This nonfiction book contains the stories of vets who live, and work, in Australia's outback. Each story is very well-rounded, usually telling a bit about how they came to be a vet, the challenges they may have faced, and the places they have worked. They also share memories of specific animals they have treated ... from quite serious to very humorous.
I felt the author did a good job of getting these stories onto paper. She gives just enough detail to keep you interested, but not so much that you begin to get weary of reading.
The folks in this book are involved in a wide range of vet work ... everything from pathology to camels! I'm going to include a list of those who are featured in this book, 'cause if you live near any of these communities you probably know them!
Dave Hall - Walwa VIC
Rachel Wilson and Will Nason - Birdsville QLD
Jim Taylor - Launceston TAS
Ellen Litchfield - Marree SA
Felicity Rutledge - Quilpie QLD
Jan Allen - Darwin NT
Nicole and David Swan - Esperance WA
Peter Letchford - Kununurra WA
Rick Fenny - Pilbara region WA
Vicki Dunstan and Terri Eckel - Charleville QLD
Jack Coffey - Burra SA
Candice Snell - Norfolk Island, Pacific Ocean
Hamish Brett - Darwin NT
Alan 'Guillie' and Carlie Guilfoyle - Clermont QLD
Charles Tilley - Warren NSW
Mary-Jane Stutsel - Bourke and Cobar NSW
If you are interested in vets, you'll enjoy this book. If you are interested in vets in Australia, you will really enjoy this book. If you are interested in vets in the Outback of Australia, you're going to be over the moon with this book!
Mod
3 stars
The author was a college student writing a term paper about gangs and decided to immerse himself in the culture to get a better understanding of what gang living was about. He had not grown up in poverty so most things were a surprise to him. I thought it was amazing he didnt get killed, as some people thought he was an undercover cop. The book doesn't really get into the personal lives of the gang members, but deals more with what happens in a gang and why the culture perpetuates. It was amazing to me that ambulances ,and often times the police, wont enter the ghettos. It was disheartening to read that not much is being done to make life better for the people that live there.
Mod
Jack Kennedy: Elusive Hero by Chris Matthews3 stars
This book deals more with Kennedy's life before he was president. It seems to gloss over his life after the presidency and plays up his positive achievements while minimizing his faults. For instance, there is no mention of Marilyn Monroe, which surprised me. It mentions he was unfaithful to Jackie but doesn't go into detail, and barely mentions that Jack and Jackie had more than their fair share of marital difficulties. There wasn't much here that I hadn't read somewhere else but it was a quick, easy read.
Mod
2 stars
An undercover cop infiltrates the Hell's Angels for two years. I would have liked this book better if he would have delved more into the backgrounds of the Angels and how they came about joining the group. Instead, it was mostly conversations peppered with a lot of cuss words (even though at the end he states that a lot of cuss words were left out). I touched on how his undercover work effected his marriage and family and I would have liked him to go into that a little deeper. This was a tough group of characters and made me feel he was talking about mobsters instead of bikers.
Behind Every Great Man: Women in the Shadows of History's Alpha Males
Marlene Wagman-Geller
3.5/5 stars
Short biographies of women and their famous partners make up this interesting book. While the chapters only give a short synopsis of the women and their partners, Geller entices you to want to learn more about these women. Some of the women written about include Eva Braun, Oona ONeill, Winnie Mandela and Constance Lloyd. Fascinating!
Mod
A Penny A Kiss by Judy McConnell
3 stars
A memoir about growing up in Minnesota usually takes place in a rural area. Not this book. It takes place in Minneapolis and the family is upper middle class. I think this book could have been about growing up anywhere. The book is more about the author than a history of that time. There is not a lot of nostalgia in this book. I thought her early years were fairly interesting, but when she got to college it kind of fell apart for me. There just wasn't a lot of interesting things happening to keep my interest.
Mod
4 stars
This memoir by the former FBI director tells the story of his life. The first third of the book is about his childhood and early years. We dont get the story of his relationship with the current president and the election until the last third of the book. In between are some cases that he has worked on for other presidents. I have to say, I saw him so many times on various news programs that I didn't get much out of current scandals that I hadn't already heard.
Mod
4 stars
The Kennedy memoirs I have read have dealt more with the political side. This is just about their growing up years and how their parents raised them. It is light and upbeat and mostly positive. The sad times are only touched upon briefly. She makes it sound like a fairly tale. I wish I had read this when I had little ones. Who knows, maybe they would have grown up to president of the United States. It was a little sad at the end when she talks about how she is the last surviving child of Joe and Rose. Only Teddy was younger and the author is 90 years old now. There is lots of pics in this book and when I read it on Kindle I was able to enlarge the pictures. I wish there would have been a recent pic of the author but I was unable to find one even with google.
I'll Be Gone in the Dark: One Woman's Obsessive Search for the Golden State Killer, Michelle McNamaraThe wonderfully written account of a maddening series of unsolved crimes. McNamara really captures the way this case took hold of her and seeped into every corner of her life. This makes it as much a memoir as a true crime story. If you are interested in unsolved serial criminal cases, in how a serial sex offender or killer is investigated, or if you just want to understand why a small army of people would devote all this time and energy to investigating a cold case, this is the book for you. Imagine how wonderful it would have been if the author had lived just a little longer, long enough to see the killer caught. Or just let her live, period, so she could have savored this victory and gone on to solve the Jack the Ripper case...
Mod
4 stars
Not my usual fare. I dont usually read military books but this one kept my interest. It is more about the guy and his personal experience than it is about war, which is probably what kept me interested. He was one tough guy. I admired how he kept persevering through adversity and pain. There was no 'poor me' attitude here. The guy truly loved what he did even though sometimes it was hard. If you need to read a war book for a challenge this one is a pretty easy read.
Rebel with a Cause by Franklin GrahamThis is the autobiography of Billy Graham's eldest son. So, what with being a preachers kid and expected to follow in his famous dad's footsteps...the pressure was on!
Although from his account, Franklin's rebellion seemd a little tame, but maybe there was more than he let on - it was mostly smoking cigarettes and drinking alcohol and trying to avoid church. His dad being away a lot on crusades, Franklin grew up in a closeknit family in North Carolina with other 'father figures'. He talks a lot about how much he loved guns, motorcycles and getting into mischief. Which was all an adventure for him. But then the time came when he was sent away to an upstate new york christian boarding school which he hated. Cos they are Yankees you see, and Franklin is a southerner through and through. Anyway the interesting part is how he came back to God- he said a hitman for God went after him and challenged him about his faith. So he couldnt run anymore. After his conversion he gets married and then has to decide what to do with his life - and from there God leads him to take the helm of a ministry called Samaritans Purse, which offers relief to people around the world in crisis and shares the gospel.
I enjoyed reading Franklin Grahams journey especially what it was like to be Billy Grahams son. I am curious to read his dad's autobiography next. His mother seems quite a character as well. Also he reminds me of Franky Shaeffer who was also a preachers kid who wrote about his christian upbringing I wonder if they know each other?
Mod
3 stars
Short (68 pages) story about a dog who was found on the streets of Paris during WWI by a soldier and taken with him back to the battlefield. Interesting how dogs were used before the time of easy communication and how the dog had almost human qualities when it came to his relationship with his master.
Mod
4 stars
This is about an 8 year-old boy who was injured in a farm accident and badly injured his leg. The doctors wanted to amputate but due to the family's faith and prayers he made it through. A quick read. I started this at 2 a.m. when I couldn't sleep and finished it that evening.
Mod
4 stars
The author has certainly done his research on this comprehensive Willie Nelson biography. 498 pages not counting notes or index. This is not only a bio of one man but an extensive documentation of the Texas music scene dating back to the 1940's to the present. There are a lot of behind the scenes looks at the music business and a look at the man who did his own thing and didn't let others tell him what to do or how to do it.
Judy and I: My Life with Judy Garland by Sid LuftJudy Garland's third husband shares his story of their tumultuous marriage. The first half of the book though is about himself before he met Judy so, its a little boring. He got into a lot of fights and portrays himself as the tough guy. Then he gets into the entertainment business, marrying two starlet wives before he meets Judy, who is still married to her second husband at the time. They embark on an affair, and after their respective divorces its not until Judy falls pregnant the second time (the first time, she has an abortion) that Sid asks to marry her. But he claims Judy was married to the drugs before he met her and never really got divorced. Judy asks Sid to manage her and the rest of the book is about her comback career after the movies up till the time she gets hoodwinked by new agents and scammed, ending up broke and homeless. By this time they are divorced yet Sid continues to bail her out as long as he can.
Sid portrays himself as an honorable guy, even though hes a gambler at heart, and Judy was his biggest investment. He treats her a bit like his horses. Theres not much about his children with her in this book which is a shame as they are only mentioned in passing, but theres a lot of name dropping of famous people he slept, partied or drank with.
Read if you a Judy fan, otherwise if not its just another chronicle of a disastrous hollywood marriage between two narcissists.
Blood Vows
Author: Helen Cummings
4 Stars = It touched my heart, and/or gave me much food for thought.
This book made me thankful, yet again, that I am no longer a single mum living under the shadow of the ex-husband, and the court systems. My daughter is an adult now, happy, and safe, at long last. It is a tragic reminder of how vulnerable mums, and children, often are ... and how the legal system doesn't always help, but hinders.
I felt Helen wrote this in a very down-to-earth, non-sensationalized manner. She is fortunate to be alive, and those who died, are honoured, in some small measure, by her telling of their sad deaths.
Diane wrote: "Blood Vows
Author: Helen Cummings
4 Stars = It touched my heart, and/or gave me much food for thought.
This book made me thankful,..."
Wait, the author is telling about other people who died even though she escaped? I thought this was a book about a violent marriage?
Working Stiff: Two years, 262 bodies and the making of a medical examiner
Author: Judy Melinek
3 Stars = I liked the book. I enjoyed it. I'm glad I read it.
All the nitty gritty of being a forensic pathologist. If you have a weak stomach, don't read while you are eating. I enjoyed the conversations between the doc, and her hubby, and I wished there were more of those. I liked the book, and the info contained within it, but I felt it didn't flow extremely smoothly from one event to another. But, then again, she's a doc, not a writer.
Fishface wrote: Wait, the author is telling about other people who died even though she escaped? I thought this was a book about a violent marriage?From the Goodreads synopsis, "In 1970, a pretty young woman called Helen Cummings married a handsome doctor called Stuart Wynter. But instead of being a marriage made in heaven, it was the beginning of a hellish existence of spiralling abuse that ended six years later when she escaped with her two young children. Except it wasn’t the end at all because Dr Wynter remarried – and this woman and her child weren’t able to escape, and Helen wasn’t able to help.
In this brave memoir, Helen Cummings relates an idyllic childhood growing up in 1960s Australia and looks back on a marriage that nearly killed her and her children. Nowadays Helen is ‘the mother of a famous daughter and the daughter of a famous mother’, but she also had to come to terms with being the former wife of a murderer, and who was powerless to help his victims."
Diane wrote: "Fishface wrote: Wait, the author is telling about other people who died even though she escaped? I thought this was a book about a violent marriage?From the Goodreads synopsis, "In 1970, a pretty..."
Interesting, Im wondering did she ever report the spousal abuse to the police or did she just leave and not think he would go on to abuse/murder someone else.
I often wonder about people who married violent exes whether they actually did anything about it like report their violence and crimes to the police. Its like couples who separate, they get restraining orders but their own children , have no qualms about their ex visiting them. Its like well if he (or she) is abusive to you what makes you think he or she wont be abusive to a child. Especially if you just let them have access alone.
The Island of the Colour-blind
Author: Oliver Sacks
4 Stars = It touched my heart, and/or gave me much food for thought.
Great book. Sacks is a superb writer, and his enthusiasm bubbles along at a pleasing pace. You'll learn about an island where a huge percentage of the folks are born totally colour-blind. He also checks into a neurological disease on another island ... again, huge percentage of folks affected ... which causes profound, progressive, and fatal muscular weakness.
When I find myself reading bits aloud to my hubby, I know it's a great book. We both learned a lot!
Hokkaido Highway Blues: Hitchhiking Japan
Author: Will Ferguson
3 Stars = I liked the book. I enjoyed it. I'm glad I read it.
Will, a Canadian guy, who has lived in Japan for years, decides to hitchhike the entire length of Japan ... from Cape Sata to Cape Soya, about 3000 kms. Obviously, he meets LOTS of people. One encounter that stands out in my mind was with Mr Nakamura, who was a POW in WWII. Very moving, and caused Will to cry for the first time in years.
Will says, "Before I came to Japan, I had tremendous respect for the Japanese, but I didn't really like them very much. Now, after five years in this aggravating, eccentric nation; having traveled it from end to end; having worked and lived and played with the Japanese; having seen beyond the stereotypes; having come up against their obsessions and their fears, their insecurities and their arrogance, their kindness and their foibles; having experienced firsthand all the many contradictions that are Japan, I found I did not respect the Japanese as much as I used to, but I like them a while lot more."
Lois on the Loose: One Woman, One Motorcycle, 20,000 Miles Across the Americas
Author: Lois Pryce
2 Stars = Blah. It didn't do anything for me.
Lois rides a 250cc dirt bike from Alaska to Argentina ... 20,000 miles. I've read a lot of the 'woman alone' journeys, and this one just didn't grab me. I would have preferred to hear more about the countries, and the people ... and not so much about bike repairs, etc. She does hook up with a couple of female companions for awhile, so, the entire trip wasn't strictly a 'woman alone' trip.
But it's a quick, easy read, so, if you can read it for free, go for it.
A Primate's Memoir
Author: Robert M. Sapolsky
3 Stars = I liked the book. I enjoyed it. I'm glad I read it.
In 1978, one week after graduating from Harvard, Robert went to Kenya to study social behavior in baboons. He was one of the first to chart the effects of chronic stress on the brain.
Very much a research 'greenhorn', he learns as he goes ... and so does the reader. He grows to love the baboons he studies and his tales of their lives is very engaging. He also tells us about getting to know his neighbours, the Masai. He is humorous, emotional, intelligent, and enthusiastic ... everything you could want in a memoir writer.
The Great Sicilian Cat Rescue: One Englishwoman's Mission to Save An Island's Cats
Author: Jennifer Pulling
3 Stars = I liked the book. I enjoyed it. I'm glad I read it.
On a visit to Sicily, Jennifer happens upon a cat with terrible injuries to her leg. One thing leads to another, and she takes up a mission to change how feral cats are viewed, and treated. She sets up an organisation called Catsnip for neutering. They visit schools to help teach the children to respect animals. We get to meet the gattare, local women who feed the ferals. She talks about the history, culture, and beauty, of Sicily ... and gives us a behind-the-scene view of how things get done (or don't get done) there. All profits from this book go to Catsnip.
Treading Grapes: Walking Through the Vineyards of Tuscany
Author: Rosemary George
1 Star = Yuck. I wish I hadn't wasted my time reading it.
Unless you are extremely interested in the wine business in Tuscany, you will be bored to tears by this book. As you can tell, I was not interested. I didn't realise the book would have such a narrow focus. I thought it would be about a 50/50 combination of travel talk, and food/wine talk. No such luck.
Here's an example of a paragraph that will put you to sleep, unless you are a Tuscan wine enthusiast. "In 1932 came the first legal recognition of the various zones where un vino denominato del Chianti could be produced, namely Chianti Classico, Montalbano, Rufina, Colli Fiorentini, Colli Senesi, Colli Aretini and Colline Pisane. The area recognized as Chianti Classico was almost identical to that laid down by the Grand Duke in his edict of 1716. There were no precise regulations; that would not come until the creation of the system of Denominazione di Origine Controllata, or DOC, which came into effect with the Italian wine law of 1963. The DOC for Chianti and Chianti Classico gave legal recognition to the areas agreed in 1932, and the percentages of permitted grape were agreed as follows. Sangiovese formed the backbone, with 50 to 80 per cent; Canaiolo was the secondary variety, with 10 to 30 per cent; the white grapes Trebbiano Toscano and Malvasia del Chianti contributed anything between 10 and 30 per cent; and that left a 5 per cent of complementary grape varieties, which could cover anything grown in the vineyards of Tuscany, such as Mammolo, or Colorino, which was particularly recommended for the governo method."
Part of the Pride: My Life Among the Big Cats of Africa
Author: Kevin Richardson
2 Stars = Blah. It didn't do anything for me.
I should have loved this book, but I didn't. Cats, of any size, are my favourite animals ... and that may have been why I couldn't love this book. It wasn't really about the lions, it was about Kevin Richardson. He came across as someone who has a large ego, and spent a great deal of the book talking about himself. The lions were only mentioned in connection with Kevin ... which I suppose is fair enough, considering the title of the book ... Part of the Pride: MY Life Among the Big Cats of Africa. He's also one of those folks who do whatever they please, no matter how foolhardy that action might truly be.
I do respect his love for the lions, and other animals, he is involved with. He is a most fortunate man to have had the privilege of interacting with these magnificent cats. Perhaps, someone else should have written the book, and then I might have enjoyed it more. Hard to say.
Vet in the Clouds
Author: Don Lavers
3 Stars = I liked the book. I enjoyed it. I'm glad I read it.
In 1964 Don started his vet practice in Cairns, Queensland, Australia. He had to cover over 150,000 square miles (241,402 kms), so, he learned to fly ... hence, the name of the book. He shares stories about the animals (domestic & exotic), and the people, he encounters. It's not the best nonfiction vet book I've ever read, but I found it entertaining.
Biography, Autobiography, Memoir
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His journey started in New Zealand. He was doing a book promotion tour through NZ and AUS. He had just separated from his wife, and was waiting for test results regarding his having cancer ... so, maybe not in the best of moods. To be honest, I don't think he was all that impressed by NZ. But he perks up the further he goes on his journey ... lol ;)