Reader Views

Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran

In 1972, Andy Taylor’s mother decided to leave her family without as much as a goodbye. During hard economic times his mother took on a waitressing job to help with bills, but what really happened is she changed. Left alone with two young boys to raise his father did the best he could.

By the time Andy got to high school he found another world – playing the guitar. Jamming four nights a week, listening to records and practicing guitar helped him through the bad times. One day a neighbor introduced him to a band looking for a guitar player.

From that time on Andy’s talents grew. In 1980 he had the great fortune to audition for Duran Duran, one of the hottest groups around. He also developed other talents such as drinking; using drugs and bar room fights. As suddenly as his fame exploded, it ended just as fast. Due to tension in the group and too much alcohol and drugs, Duran Duran lost Andy Taylor. He couldn’t live that life anymore – he had a family to take care of and he just walked away.

Although this may seem a typical "star" road to fame, there is a side to Andy Taylor that is caring, compassionate and goal-oriented. In "Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran," by Andy Taylor it’s easy to see how one can get caught up in all the glamour and how it can turn your life around in a minute.

Wild Boy: My Life in Duran Duran
Andy Taylor
Grand Central Publishing (2008)
ISBN 9780446509305
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer for Reader Views (9/08)

Adventure in Borneo: The True Story of One Man’s Quest to Find the Bornean Peacock Pheasant

Dan loved birds. He was fascinated by them. He was particularly interested in pheasants, perhaps because he was never able to classify exactly what a pheasant was: "Pheasants are an odd group of birds that are loosely related and don’t quiet fit anywhere else. For every one thing that they all have in common, there will always be at least one exception to the rule." In his obsession with pheasants, Dan became aware of and particularly obsessed with one particular kind of pheasant: The Bornean Peacock Pheasant. With the death of the one living pair in the United States and no documented sightings in the wild since 1962, Dan felt that he needed to travel to Borneo to try and discover whether or not any Bornean Peacock Pheasants still existed.

"Adventure in Borneo" really had quite a bit of potential. It could have been both an exciting, adventure filled travelogue as Dan journeyed through the interior of the Bornean forest. At the same time, it could have been very informative and interesting dealing with pheasants in general; and the different pheasants which Dan comes in contact with, in particular.

Unfortunately, the book was simply not very well done.

There was no particularly bad grammar writing, but neither was there particularly good writing. The sentence structure and word choice were just not particularly complex or sophisticated. In the interest of attempting to be informative and cover everything, Durrah had a tendency to jump from topic to topic almost as if by stream of consciousness, which gave the book a very choppy feel. I felt as if there was no background as to why Dan is so interested in pheasants in general or the Bornean Peacock Pheasant in particular. Certainly it is not communicated to the reader why these might be subjects of interest. Interested he clearly is, though, because there is a good deal of discussion on the topic of pheasants that is not grounded in any background information, it will go over the head of most readers. In addition, ‘adventure’ seems to be a bit of a misnomer for Dan’s journey, although I’m not sure if that is due to a lack of urgency in the writing or the actual nature of his trip.

If you are very interested in pheasants or Borneo you may enjoy "Adventure in Borneo"--otherwise your reading time could probably be put to better use.

Adventure in Borneo
Jolan Durrah
Pheasant Tale Productions (2007)
ISBN 9780981700106
Reviewed by Jen Karsbaek for Reader Views (9/08)

Trading Dreams at Midnight

Nan, Neena, and Tish all had their lives changed by Freeda, her wild joy when she was manic and her disappearances when she was depressed; Freeda’s mental illness shaped in a very real way the lives of her mother and daughters.

"Trading Dreams at Midnight" is the story of an African-American family in Philadelphia dealing with the mental illness of one of the family members. Nan and her husband noticed from the time that Freeda was a little girl that she had a propensity for extreme mood swings. They were almost not surprised when she disappeared for some length of time before returning with an infant, Neena, the name of whose father she never revealed. Before too long, Neena had a younger sister, Tish. The two of them dealt with living with a single mother who would frequently disappear for long periods of time, leaving them to be taken care of by their grandmother.

Neena’s is the primary point of view in "Trading Dreams at Midnight," although Nan’s point of view gets a fair amount of time as well. This is an especially interesting decision, as they are the two characters who are most antagonistic to each other throughout the course of the story. There is a good deal of jumping around in time in the narration, however McKinney-Whetstone uses this device extremely well and without confusing the reader as to order of events.

This is an extremely well-written novel. It is definitely not action-packed, but is very character-driven with a well-thought-out storyline. The more periphery characters – like Freeda and Tish – were well defined but explored very much. Nan and Neena, however, were extremely complex and realistic.

"Trading Dreams at Midnight" dealt with difficult issues of mental illness, family connections, alcoholism, racism, and homelessness. At times it was dark, but the lovely prose kept it from becoming overly depressing. I would absolutely recommend "Trading Dreams at Midnight" to all readers who like well-written, character-driven novels and I will be looking for more of McKinney-Whetstone’s work.

Trading Dreams at Midnight
Diane McKinney-Whetstone
HarperCollins (2008)
ISBN 9780688163860
Reviewed by Jen Karsbaek for Reader Views (9/08)

Flashback Artist: The remarkable true story of one woman’s life and spiritual journey

Beginning at an early age Lisa L. Everly was very aware of her surroundings and realized the gift’s she possessed. This thought-provoking book insists that you look at everything good in your life and dissect how it came to fruition. Lisa brings to light that ultimately each individual is responsible for their own person.

Being the consummate caregiver Lisa experienced many situations where she ignored her personal need to care for the needs of others. As she tried to resolve their lives, their situations, to make them secure and whole and happy she herself suffered and became engulfed with depression. Being bitter was not beneficial to anyone and Lisa’s inner strength brought her out.

Confronted with demons, sexual abuse, and family unable to assist because they were troubled themselves, Lisa looked deep within herself to mend her mind and broken body. Using art as her outlet, Lisa creates beautiful pieces given thru her very soul. As Lisa heals her works speak to others.

Thru Lisa’s flashbacks we experience how life is for a challenged lesbian on her search for peace in a lifetime of abuse and turmoil. Quoting Lisa, "For once, I only have myself to take care of, and I’m feeling better every day. Even when I have a bad day, I only have my own bad day to deal with – and not everyone else’s. That makes my life a lot easier, and it’s also easier to get back up when I fall down. God’s lessons of forgiveness, and turning my anger and pain over to him, saved my life, my spirit and my sanity. I still live what I call a strange yet remarkable life."

As told in "Flashback Artist," Lisa had to look back over her lifetime and give up trying to fix things herself and turn it all over to a higher power to get the complete healing she was searching for. When Lisa realized this was her all God wanted she was able to follow thru and following his guidance.

Flashback Artist
Lisa L. Everly
AuthorHouse (2008)
ISBN 9781434372291
Reviewed by Danelle Drake for Reader Views (9/08)

Delusion: Growing Up in an Amish Jewish Cult, Book 1

As an avid reader, I have read most of Ms. Hochstetler’s books, but this book really made me look at what we will endure to find faith.

Patricia Hochstetler’s parents were very faithful Amish people; one day they were captured in body, mind and spirit by a man only known as the Elder. His ability to cite the Bible word for word led them from a sunny world to one of deception, total abandonment of family, friends and a happy lifestyle. How could one not get medical care for a child who needed it? Or, be told what to wear and how to act?

As an avid reader, I have read most of Ms. Hochstetler’s books, but this book really made me look at what we will endure to find faith.

Patricia Hochstetler’s parents were very faithful Amish people; one day they were captured in body, mind and spirit by a man only known as the Elder. His ability to cite the Bible word for word led them from a sunny world to one of deception, total abandonment of family, friends and a happy lifestyle. How could one not get medical care for a child who needed it? Or, be told what to wear and how to act?

The underlying process is that of a cult, a place where one gives up all identity to follow a religious leader. Ms. Hochstetler takes us through her early years trying to be faithful and follow the golden rule; however, the more she attempts to be good, the more is taken away from her. This is the story of her years between ages four and six-- she questions if God really would make her family suffer or excommunicate her mother because of false charges by the Elder.

"Delusion" by Patricia Hochstetler is a book you can’t put down. As a college professor I have studied cults for five years and I am still amazed at what individuals are willing to sacrifice to live the good life.
Delusion: Growing Up in an Amish Jewish Cult, Book 1
Patricia Hochstetler
Baker Trittin Press (2007)
ISBN 9780978731649
Reviewed by Carol Hoyer for Reader Views (9/08)

Thirty Thieves of Innocence

This heartfelt story about two women whose innocence is stolen from them really touched a chord deep inside of me. The only criticism that I have about the book is that I felt that the description did not match the story. The description is about Ruthie’s birth mother, a woman with the mental ability of a two-year-old who is sexually abused by many members of the community before she becomes pregnant. While that is in the story and where Ruthie comes from, I felt the main story is about Ruthie herself, who survives a hellish upbringing and overcomes all odds to become who she is today – a beautiful, loving and accomplished woman.

As a Social Worker a couple of decades ago, I would have loved to have a book like this to share with the troubled girls that I worked with. Ruthie’s abilities to overcome her situation would give girls in seemingly hopeless situations strength and hope that they too can overcome anything as she does over and over again.

Ruthie’s troubles at home began when she was physically abused by her adopted mother at a very young age. The abuse and lack of trust at home made her vulnerable to predators or "thieves" as she calls them and sexual abuse followed. Through all of this she was still able to maintain an optimistic spirit and the desire to accomplish something with her life. When she can no longer take the abuse, she becomes a ward of the state and actually does well in the system.

While Ruthie’s past experiences did not help her make good decisions about men in life, she does overcome great obstacles to go to school, become a good mom herself and eventually become her birth mother’s primary caretaker. Because of her, her Mom now lives in a safe and loving home. Ruthie’s final words in the book really resonated with me "Always stand firm in your resolve to rise above your adversities. Find strength and encouragement from helping others rise above theirs. Know that the victory is in the fight and no honor goes to the one who gives in or gives up." Spoken like a true survivor. I highly recommend "Thirty Thieves of Innocence" by Ruthie Garrison.

Thirty Thieves of Innocence
Ruthie Garrison
Enterprise Printing Company (2007)
ISBN 9781605303567
Reviewed by Cherie Fisher for Reader Views (8/08)

Escape from the Pharma Drug Cartel: My Life as a Member of the Pharmaceutical Drug Cartel

Kimberly Cheryl’s "Escape from the Pharma Drug Cartel" is a sobering book. The author worked in pharmaceutical sales for nearly two decades and during her career she’s seen it all. In this book she also reveals it all – from the incredible amounts of money spent on advertising and marketing – which happens to be way more than the industry spends on development and research, to the unjust and unfair way the reps are treated when something bad happens to them. In the fast-paced and cut-throat corporate world of today, the pharmaceutical sales field seems to be the lowest of the low. Having been able to see the health care field from both sides – as a provider and as a patient, Cheryl focuses on many issues that we face every day and gives an intelligent assessment of what is wrong with the American health care in general.

Cheryl’s corporate career has been extremely successful for the longest time. She had it all, until one tiny moment of bad luck. When an accident left her in pain, she continued working, even at the risk of injuring herself further. But not even that was enough and she eventually got fired by the company she worked for, in spite of still achieving high sales and excellent results. That’s when she faced the reality so many other Americans face every day – uninsured, with an uninsurable husband (due to his Crohn’s disease), facing bills and unpaid taxes… Looking back at her career, she takes the reader on a fascinating journey through the convoluted pathways of new drugs marketing and sales. Most any question the reader has ever had about the way things work in this field, starting from why certain drugs get prescribed so often, even when they have not been tested enough and/or have well known harmful side effects, has been answered, oftentimes supported with hard data and names.

While there is no denying that Cheryl is still bitter over what could be seen as total betrayal by her former employers, there is no doubt that she turned that bitterness to good use. Exposing the oftentimes ugly truth of the "Pharma Drug Cartel" should have more people asking the right questions and it will hopefully bring some positive changes into the available health care options.

While Kimberly Cheryl never gets too technical in her writing, she comes across as competent and believable in "Escape from the Pharma Drug Cartel." My only wish is that she would have invested in having the book professionally edited, which would have helped weed out some rather amusing typos and errors like (luggage caracole, Chrone’s disease, the streets were stripped bear…). Other than that, I found this book an eye-opening and very worthwhile read. I just wish those in power would take the time to read it too and do something about the abysmal situation so many Americans are put in today when it comes to health care.

Escape from the Pharma Drug Cartel
Kimberly Cheryl
Outskirts Press (2007)
ISBN 9781432712808
Reviewed by Olivera Baumgartner-Jackson for Reader Views (8/08)

Great Peacemakers: True Stories from Around the World

From the publisher’s book description:

"Whether you are a parent seeking positive roles models for your children, an educator looking for thought-provoking material for your students, or someone simply wanting an uplifting read, then ‘Great Peacemakers’ is sure to meet your needs and inspire the peacemaker in you."

We live in a world of violence. From war, to domestic abuse, to drive-by-shootings, to verbal abuse, many people make the choice to commit violence each and every day. This same violence is witnessed by children, day in and day out. In such a world, how can a child make good decisions regarding violence? Obviously parents and teachers can explain the need for resisting violent behavior, they can even live out those examples. Sometimes, however, these examples are not enough; children need to be exposed to numerous positive role models, people who made the choice to act out peace every day, particularly people whose success in life is rooted in their non-violent choices.

"Great Peacemakers" is an attempt to provide children with non-violent role models. The book is divided into five sections with four biographies per section. Each section is meant to represent a different avenue of peacemaking: choosing nonviolence; living peace; honoring diversity; valuing all life; and caring for the planet.

As a former teacher in a very violent neighborhood on the South Side of Chicago, I picked up this book with the purpose of evaluating how well chosen the role models were. In particular, I was looking to see if there were people, other than Martin Luther King, Jr., with whom my former students – or any high-risk students – were likely to identify. I was pleasantly surprised by the diversity I encountered in "Great Peacemakers." I had been terribly afraid that I would discover a book with 18 men of European descent (mostly American), with Martin Luther King, Jr. and Gandhi thrown in for good measure. There was a bias towards men and people of European descent, but Beller and Chase were clearly intentional about diversity, which makes this book endlessly more helpful as a teaching aide. I would have appreciated if they had included a few more women – 14 of the 20 people profiled were men – but in keeping track of how many stories came from each continent, I found the numbers to be largely well balanced.

This book should be used with caution with younger children – the writing level is too high for most second graders to read on their own, for instance – but it could definitely be a valuable tool in the classroom or with one’s own child. If you are going to use this book with elementary-aged children, I would recommend reading the stories beforehand and perhaps doing a little extra research on the topics discussed, because they are likely to evoke questions. With older children, or just for an uplifting read when the world seems dark, you can’t miss with "Great Peacemakers."

Great Peacemakers
Ken Beller and Heather Chase
LTS Press (2008)
ISBN 9780980138207
Reviewed by Jen Karsbaek for Reader Views (8/08)

The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story

Julia Reed, a contributing editor at Vogue and Newsweek, spent her childhood in Greenville, Mississippi and traveled frequently to New Orleans with family and friends to experience all that the Big Easy had to offer. As an adult, she again found herself trekking from her new home base in Manhattan to New Orleans, with more and more of her time spent down in the Delta as the years went by, even though she still maintained a home in Manhattan.

The experiences Julia had while in New Orleans, both during her childhood and as an adult are described for the reader in resplendent detail. From the hotels where she stayed, and the restaurants where she ate, to the districts of the city that she visited; the narrative is bright, crisp and meticulously told. Because of this the reader is able to conjure up the people and places in the novel in their minds eye, and I am sure that those familiar with the locations described in “The House on First Street” will find the descriptions to be on point.

Finally, in her forties, Julia was ready to commit to living her life full time in New Orleans, and along with her husband, she purchased an old Greek Revival home in the Garden District on First Street. Julia had many frustrating, funny, and repeated run-ins with the various contractors that were hired to work on the home, and she recounts these experiences in vivid detail. After more than a year, she and her husband were finally able to move in to their home, and four weeks later Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans with a vengeance.

Julia never doubted that she would return to her home in New Orleans, and did as much as she could to assist the friends and employees that were, to varying degrees, left to pick up the pieces after Katrina hit the city. In “The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story “ she recalls her first visits back in to the city, when FEMA was not yet involved, and the devastation that she witnessed traveling through the flooded streets with her press pass as the “golden ticket” past the city limits. She reveals the steps she took to get her life back on track, as well as recounting what those around her were doing to make it through the days and to reclaim the lives they had come to love in New Orleans. Julia and her large circle of friends did an immense amount to bring the city back to life, through the re-opening of well-loved restaurants, holding fundraisers to get money back in to the city, and helping fellow citizens in whatever way was necessary, from cleaning out refrigerators full of rancid food, to bringing meals in to the National Guard troops, and offering desperately needed work to the craftsman who came to rebuild.

"The House on First Street: My New Orleans Story” is a poignant, heartfelt and humorous tale of one woman’s journey back to a semblance of normalcy after one of the most devastating events in our country’s history. It is not meant to be a sob-story, but is rather a tale of the strength and courage that it took for one woman to reclaim her life in the city she calls home.

The House on First Street
Julia Reed
Ecco Press (2008)
ISBN 9780061136641
Reviewed by Nikki Pringle for Reader Views (8/08)

The Constant Outsider

“The Constant Outsider” is the autobiography of Tom Cirignano, a man who grew up in the working-class neighborhoods of Boston, including South Boston, Dorchester and Braintree. While he isn’t famous, his story is one wrought with tension, danger, love, laughter, tales of poor judgment, and the lessons to be learned from a life lived on the edge.

Growing up as an Italian boy in the predominantly Irish neighborhood of Dorchester, Tom got his first taste of being an outsider. He did not understand why he was being alienated by the other kids. He was ignored and excluded from playing in the street ball games, and had few friends, because he was from a different ethnic group. His father managed a relatively successful gas station and repair shop, Emerson Auto, and he would often come home with gifts for his son that the other kids saw and envied, which led to even further ostracism.

As he got older Tom worked in, and eventually managed, Emerson Auto. He still felt the prejudice against himself as a teenager and adult when he moved from town to town because he was not from these neighborhoods and was therefore an “outsider.” Not one to be cast aside, Tom did his best to incorporate himself in to a group of young men that hung out at the neighborhood high school and, then as an adult, to gain acceptance in the local taverns and restaurants. Through his perseverance, he was able to make some great and lasting friendships.

“The Constant Outsider” by Thomas M. Cirignano is a tale of bullying, fistfights, drinking and the problems that go along with it, mob connections and run-ins, like the one with well-known crime boss Whitey Bulger, theft and loss. It is a tale of finding acceptance, learning and growing from personal and professional mistakes, faith and love. It is a multifaceted, complex, interesting story. As the author tries to impress upon his readers during the course of his story, if a South Boston mechanic has a tale to tell, so do you. Write it down, even if you don’t plan to share it as Tom Cirignano did. You just might be surprised how interesting your life has been.

The Constant Outsider
Thomas M. Cirignano
Xlibris Corporation (2008)
ISBN 9781436320931
Reviewed by Nikki Pringle for Reader Views (8/08)