Amazon.com
In Anne D. LeClaire's Entering Normal, two women are bound by the shared trials of motherhood: birth, hope, separation, and grief. Though Rose Nelson is an older woman still mourning her son, who died five years ago, and Opal Gates is a young single mother scrabbling to raise her 5-year-old son, the two women begin to cleave together.
Both move through their worlds in a dreamlike trance, only surfacing above their own self-absorption when confronted by the violence of life: infidelity, passion, jealousy, and death. Though emotionally clueless men bumble around Rose and Opal, they are never able to pierce through these women's barriers. Rose and Opal are too convinced of their own needs--Opal believes she needs no one, while Rose focuses only on her dead son. As the two begin to find each other, the reader awaits the moments of growth that allow them to see beyond themselves. As Rose entertains hope, so does the reader, "In the morning light, for one brief moment, she ... can almost believe that she has already experienced her lifetime's allotment of pain and grief." LeClaire's skill for describing human action succeeds here as well, as her characters fail and triumph with realistic probability. Alternately melodious and emotionally torturous, Almost Normal is a moving debut. --Nancy R.E. O'Brien
Book Description
In the tradition of The Good Mother and The Deep End of the Ocean, Anne D. LeClaire delivers a heartbreaking–and breathtaking–novel of two very different but equally loving mothers who face the most painful of losses and then find the courage not only to go on but to find meaning and hope in their lives.
Rose Nelson is a middle-aged woman with a broken past, a sorrow from which she cannot recover. Secretly guilty about her role in her teenaged son’s death five years ago, she has sealed herself off from life, enveloped by a grief that has slowly eaten away at her relationship with her husband.
Against her will, Rose is drawn into the world she has avoided when Opal Gates and her five-year-old son, Zack, move in next door. Determined to start an independent life for herself, twenty-year-old Opal has left her family and the father of her son in North Carolina. But when she quickly begins an affair with Tyrone Miller, a part-time mechanic and local musician, Opal unwittingly breaks the tacit rules of both her family and her new hometown.
Initially, Rose cannot bear the sight of Opal and her son. But later when Zack is injured, she instinctively lies to protect Opal from a single mistake that changes the lives of everyone involved.
Faced with a custody suit brought by Zack’s father and her own parents, Opal faces a trial in which each choice she has made will be used as ammunition in the battle to take Zack away from her.
Confronting such devastating loss and the questions it poses are at the heart of Entering Normal. How does one go on after great tragedy? What is a family? What sacrifices must a mother be willing to make for her child? And how can a good mother sometimes make bad choices?
Entering Normal is a story of family, a novel about courage, loss, risk, and betrayal. It is a story that goes to the heart of love.
From the Hardcover edition.
Customer Reviews:
Mom vs. Mom?.......2004-07-08
A wonderful story. I don't like to give away how stories are told but I have to say I wasn't expecting what happened in this book. I am amazed at how much I loved these characters. This is one of those books you don't want to end. This was my first book by Leclaire and it will not be my last. She is a wonderful heartfelt writer that makes me excited to find her books.
an excellent read........2003-03-28
i have recommended this book to all the avid readers i know. it is flawlessly plotted, beautifully written, and hard to put down. what more can you ask?
Memorable Book and Memorable Characters.......2003-03-09
Entering Normal by Anne D. Leclaire is one of those books that finds you reading late into the night and asking for more. As I was about to finish this book, I was sorry I couldn't be reading it for the first time. I was so sorry to see the pages almost turning themselves for a book which turned out to be a very memorable read.
Opal is the 20 year old unmarried mother of a five year old son named Zack. Refusing to live with her critical and overbearing mother any longer, Rose rolls dice from a Monopoly game and decides to fill up her car according to the number which appears. Wherever her car runs out of gas is where she is plannign on staying. And soon enough she finds herself and Zack entering Normal, Mass. Moving next door to Rose and Ned, Opal settles into hometown life spending time with her son
and making dolls for a toy store in town. Rose on the other hand isn't doing much of anything. Shrouded in grief from a tragic death five years before, Rose's feels as though she has little in her life to look forward to and ignores Opal and Zack. But when Opal needs Rose's help, Rose manages to set aside her grief. How these two women help each other to be there when life turns on a dime for them is the focus of this book which I really enjoyed.
The book packs many an emotional punch and shows readers how friends can and do become family. Rose and Opal are two wonderful characters who I miss already and will never forget. Similar to themes explored both by Jacquelyn Mitchard and Alice Hoffman, Anne D. Leclaire is a new to me author but one whom I plan on reading in the future.
Entering Normal~.......2002-09-24
Opal is tired of dealing with the dead-beat father of her 5 year old son Zach, and her overbearing mother, so she packs up the car and heads out of town, not sure of her destination. A huge believer in signs, Opal decides that she will call home, wherever 3 tanks of gas take her. Irony hits, as at the end of those 3 tanks, she approaches a sign that says, Entering Normal, which is in fact, just what Opal wants, a sense of normalcy.
In Normal, Massachussetts, Opal & Zach have moved in next door to Ned & Rose Nelson, a couple in their 50's who have lost their son Todd in a tragic accident. Rose & Opal are complete opposites, Rose a conservative, inhibited woman, who has given up on life and wallows in grief over the loss of her son. Opal is an in your face, rowdy type, who swears like a sailor. What could possibly bring these two very different women into each other's lives & make them friends?
Entering Normal is a story of motherhood, friendship, loss, and relationships, about the ups and downs of life, and how we find the strength to keep on going. The writing was well done, this is an easy read, and the pages turn quickly. However, the character development and plot line were only mediocre at times. This was an entertaining read, but I wasn't wow-ed by the end. I think LeClaire has talent as a writer, and I will try reading some of her other works. Overall, I would give this novel 3.5 out of 5 stars..it was a fair, entertaining read.
the emotions in this book will leap off the pages!.......2002-08-27
This was a beautiful story from beginning to end. The characters depicted were vivid and believable. I finished this book is a few hours - I couldn't put it down! Every woman should read this story of motherhood and friendship. You'll cry at the end so get that hankie ready.
Product Description
Two novels in one. Set in large type for easy reading
Product Description
Two Books in one--large print
Product Description
Hardcover with DJ. Four novels in one!
Product Description
Condensations of the four books.
Customer Reviews:
A write worthy of his hero, and vice-versa........2000-03-03
Whatever you do, do not read the ending first. I found the wait almost unbearable, but very much worth it. And if you possibly can, read parts I and II first! I first read the book at a gulp, in one night, without breathing, gripped by the story as if by an iron vice. I read it again next day, more slowly, sitting down now and then in the middle of the page to enjoy the landscape. Our hero from the parts I and II has grown more powerful and therefore more tormented, and quite grim. His destiny - what a destiny! - he bears without even thinking of whining, only exploding a little now and then. We never really knew him, before. He is great. And the story is worthy of him.
Best Triology I ever read.......1997-04-18
This is the final chapter is the series (Winter of The World), and what a way to finish. On the front cover of the book, there is a quote that"the pages turn as if by magic". I have to agree. You just can't leave this book down. M.S. Rohan carries you to another time, another world, a place full of magic, honour, pain and joy. If you haven't read all three books, then stop reading this and start reading them.
Average customer rating:
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The Hammer of the Sun: The Winter of the World, Vol. 3
Manufacturer: William Morrow and Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
 Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books | Authors, A-Z | Books on CD | Books on Cassette | Fantasy | Gaming | Large Print | Media | Science Fiction | Writing
ASIN: 0356151476 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR), published by Thomson Gale on May 27, 2007. The length of the article is 753 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Stevens, Sun Devils toss their weight around.(Sports)(The sophomore wins the discus and adds a second place in the hammer for ASU)
Author: Gale Reference Team
Publication:
The Register-Guard (Eugene, OR) (Newspaper)
Date: May 27, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Page: d2
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
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Things fall apart: an affecting, elegant memoir of life in Mugabe's Zimbabwe.(Book review): An article from: Washington Monthly
Joshua Hammer
Manufacturer: Thomson Gale
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Digital
History | Subjects | Books | Africa | Americas | Ancient | Arctic & Antarctica | Asia | Australia & Oceania | Books on CD | Books on Cassette | Europe | Gay & Lesbian | Historical Study | Large Print | Middle East | Military | Military Science | Russia | United States | World
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
Political Science | Nonfiction | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books
General | History | Subjects | e-Docs | Formats | Books
General | History | HTML | Formats | e-Docs | Formats | Books
General | Nonfiction | HTML | Formats | e-Docs | Formats | Books
Political Science | Nonfiction | HTML | Formats | e-Docs | Formats | Books
ASIN: B000TJ0B4W
Release Date: 2007-07-11 |
Book Description
This digital document is an article from Washington Monthly, published by Thomson Gale on July 1, 2007. The length of the article is 1477 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Things fall apart: an affecting, elegant memoir of life in Mugabe's Zimbabwe.(Book review)
Author: Joshua Hammer
Publication:
Washington Monthly (Magazine/Journal)
Date: July 1, 2007
Publisher: Thomson Gale
Volume: 39
Issue: 7
Page: 54(2)
Article Type: Book review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Average customer rating:
- An enjoyable post-holocaust survivalist/war novel.
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Orc Wars: The Yngling Saga, Books I & II
Dalmas
Manufacturer: Baen
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
General
| Science Fiction
| Science Fiction & Fantasy
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: 0671721305 |
Customer Reviews:
An enjoyable post-holocaust survivalist/war novel........1999-07-29
The thing I found most interesting about this book was Dalmas' description of his hero's day-to-day life and travels in the European wilderness. The author's ability to transport me there was strong, and his knowledge of ancient Scandinavian culture seems quite convincing to my unschooled ear. For Dalmas has invented a world where his Neo-Vikings live in tribes, and wander to towns and cities ruled by warrior kings, and where the hero Nils Jarnhaan earns the wrath of an evil king. Nils suffers a terrible setback which he tries to circumvent. And so the saga begins. This book includes the first 2 novels in the Yngling saga: The Yngling and Homecoming, along with some bridging material which explains the holocaust. I found them highly readable.
Book Description
The New Laurel's Kitchen includes plenty of simple, beat-the-clock recipes - who doesn't need them? But it refuses to blur the distinction between natural foods and fast foods. If you need forty-five minutes to bake a potato or cook brown rice, fine. That's good, solid wind-down time, precious in today's hurried world: time to cut up green beans, or prepare a cauliflower curry; time for the children to dry the lettuce and help make an Appley Bread Pudding. Laurel's kitchen has its own pace - a human pace, that lets other things happen besides just dinner. Good health is the first concern here, and foods that support it are rendered irresistible: dishes like Mushrooms Petaluma, Poppyseed Noodles, Lazy Pirogi, and Sebastapol Pizza. These are well-tested and innately manageable recipes, homespun, but with a generous splash of the sophistication that has swept the food world in recent years.
Customer Reviews:
Way ahead of its time.......2007-05-26
This was my first cookbook, bought when it was hot off the press, and even though I now own dozens of books, I go back to this one time and again. But it really was ahead of its time, with an emphasis on complex carbohydrates that's still hard to find. I think it deserves to be updated (ingredients that were were rare in the 80's can now be found in almost any supermarket, and much more is known about nutrition), new recipes added, and marketed for a wider audience than vegetarians.
Saved me time and money.......2007-03-19
I've been using this book for three years. This book's recipes have since then been passed from friend to friend - from family to family. This book is a great gift for anyone, even those who do eat meat. The recipes are easy to understand and fantastic! The soups and nutrition guidelines are inspirational to say the least.
I've met many who were thinking about going vegetarian - I suggested to them this book and they made a lot more healthier choices for the better.
I don't eat tofu, or tvp - and I still simply adore this book.
You can give this to a student just newly out of the home - and they can make the recipes. People with little to no kitchen experience will find this book simply a lifesaver.
I like to make a lot of these recipes for potlucks - when I never know who will eat the food I am going to make.
If my grandmother could have written me a cookbook - this is the one she would have wanted me to have. This definitely was written from the heart - not the commercialized media.
I will continue to make recipes from this book, and pass them along to family and friends. Vegetarian or non vegetarian alike.
I love this book.......2007-03-04
Laurel's Kitchen is one of my favorite books of all time. I've read it just for the sake of reading it. It is not organized in a traditional cookbook style. It reads like a story, is full of nutritional information and it is great for someone who wants to learn how to be a vegitarian as it explains nutrition.
I'm 37 now, but we had this book growing up in the early 80's. Vegitarian eating was such a turn off for me back then, but reading the book was so interesting. It really opened my mind to other's walks of life when a vegitarian life style was very foriegn to me.
I made my first soup from this cookbook when I was only 15 years old. I made the potoato cheese soup and it was wonderful. This book taught me how to make my own salad dressings.
When I got married, my mother bought me my own copy of this book and it is now in tatters I've used it so much.
Not only does this book have a lot of wonderful recipies, it also saves you money: real life recipes from scratch with inexepenive easy to find ingrediants. It is not the traditional boring fare I think of vegitarian fare. We all at times eat meals that do not contain meat. This is full of wonderful meatless down to earth American fare.
I love the soups in this book, of course the breads, but my favorites are: potato poppers, my own version of neat balls, and the eggplant parm.
I also love the shepards pie, but have made my own version of that with different veggies.
I am a working mom with kids that have various activities and I still find the time to use this book. It is called planning my time even though that may mean cooking ahead.
I truly belive this book has something to offer everyone.
Helpful and Delicious.......2006-10-08
Earlier this fall I was swept up into a cooking storm and searched through all of my parent's old vegetarian cookbooks from when they were vegetarians (I'm an almost vegan at the moment). I came upon this cookbook, broken spined and falling apart from years of use. After digging it out I found out some of my favorite recipes were from it (I never knew) and that this book even helped my mom through the horrible illness she encountered during her first pregnancy. For the next two weeks I didn't cook anything that wasn't from this book and I loved it all (with the exception of the bread which didn't live up to my expectations). Buy it now and change your life!
Excellent!.......2006-01-08
When I was first becoming a vegetarian, I discovered this book in my parents' house. Its many recipes and simple, earth-centered approach to cooking was very helpful to me. It contains good food and and good attitudes.
Product Description
This detailed manual shows owners how to feed their bird the proper food to avoid feather problems, digestive disorders and general ill health. There are even instructions for making your own bird food. Over 50 full-color photos and 20 black-and-white line drawings included. Paperback / 176 Pages / 37408 / 1993
Customer Reviews:
Great Tool.......2007-09-27
Great book in teaching us about our pup. Answers lots of questions people ask us about the Chi breed, and helps us understand why she does what she does!
NOT THAT INFORMATIVE.......2006-04-05
Even as a new owner of a Chihuahua, I know there has to be better books out there than this one. The information in this book isn't anything more than information you can find for yourself simply by doing a little online research. The pictures are not impressive and feature less than average dogs. After reading the reviews on Amazon, I decided to purchase this book (instead of the other titles) but I wish I had taken the time to check it out at a bookstore in town before going through the trouble of purchasing, waiting and then returning. If you are a new owner of a Chihuahua (or even a "veteran") simply search online. You'll find the same information.
One of the Best for a Newbie.......2006-01-10
As an owner of many chis I have found this book to be of great value to me. There are 154 pages of chihuahua information and lots of pics depicting all sizes and colors of chis(except the merle pattern!) Granted, not all pics follow the breed standard, but not all puppies are perfect either.
Has a good chapter on health problems common to chis, however it did not mention cryptorchidism which is common in the male, especially if they are line bred, and did not have much info on pyometra which can quickly become fatal in an unspayed female.
The chapter on breeding is pretty extensive for a book not devoted to the subject of only breeding and the genetics sections is simple to understand, but very informative and worth learning if you intend to bred.
Highly recommended for a first time owner, any one wanting to know about the chi or for an owner that would just like a good read about their faithful little friend.
Not Show Quality.......2005-12-04
I did enjoy the content of this book, but the pictures dipict chihuahuas that are not to standard...
GREAT BOOK!.......2005-09-21
THIS IS A GREAT BOOK FOR ANYONE WHO EITHER OWNS A CHIHUAHUA OR IS THINKING ABOUT OWNING A CHIHUAHUA. IT HAS SO MUCH INFORMATION TO HELP YOU WITH YOU PRESENT OR FUTURE LITTLE DOG! IT HAS HELP ME ALOT!
Average customer rating:
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Chihuahuas (A Foyles handbook)
Hilary Harmar
Manufacturer: Foyle
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
General
| Veterinary Medicine
| Medicine
| Subjects
| Books
Animal Husbandry
| Agricultural Sciences
| Science
| Subjects
| Books
ASIN: B0006BSHX0 |
Book Description
Christmas celebrations of the past forty years are shown through historical photographs, catalog pages, and over 530 photographs of artificial and real trees, Christmas ornaments, interior and exterior lights, candy containers, cards, tinsel garlands, and cheerful holiday figurines. Innovations in Christmas ornamentation, lighting, and display are presented--including artificial trees of the 1960s, country-style ornaments of the 1970s, 1980s chaser lights, and sophisticated 1990s European glass ornaments. Updated values are provided in the captions. With this wonderful book to inspire your search, you can carry the spirit of Christmas with you all year 'round!
Book Description
Christmas celebrations of the past forty years are shown through historical photographs, catalog pages, and over 530 photographs of artificial and real trees, Christmas ornaments, interior and exterior lights, candy containers, cards, tinsel garlands, and cheerful holiday figurines. Innovations in Christmas ornamentation, lighting, and display are presented--including artificial trees of the 1960s, country-style ornaments of the 1970s, 1980s chaser lights, and sophisticated 1990s European glass ornaments. Current values are provided in the captions. With this wonderful book to inspire your search, you can carry the spirit of Christmas with you all year 'round!
Book Description
Prayers are among the most personal and imaginative among Hittite texts. Rich in metaphors and similes, they provide the best insight into Hittite contemplative thinking and philosophy of life. In the face of grave illness, the death of a loved one, or an impending military catastrophe, those in crisis disregard the conventional rules of prudent phrasing and cry out from the bottom of their hearts for deliverance and for a better comprehension of their world.
Book Description
This digital document is an article from The Journal of the American Oriental Society, published by American Oriental Society on January 1, 2004. The length of the article is 1454 words. The page length shown above is based on a typical 300-word page. The article is delivered in HTML format and is available in your Amazon.com Digital Locker immediately after purchase. You can view it with any web browser.
Citation Details
Title: Hittite Prayers.(Book Review)
Author: Rene Lebrun
Publication:
The Journal of the American Oriental Society (Refereed)
Date: January 1, 2004
Publisher: American Oriental Society
Volume: 124
Issue: 1
Page: 146(3)
Article Type: Book Review
Distributed by Thomson Gale
Book Description
Every year, Jon Van Zyle donates a painting to create a fund-raising poster for the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race "RM." Here are 25 years of his stunning artwork.
Customer Reviews:
For anyone who has ever thrilled to an Iditarod event.......2001-03-19
Jon Van Zyle's Iditarod Memories, Alaskan artist Jon Van Zyle has captured the twenty-five years of the Iditarod Trail Sled Dog Race year by year with his commemorative posters celebrating the triumph, heroes, historic tales, and spirit of this classic dog sledding event. With true-life Iditarod stories by Jona Van Zyle, this 64-page book is a fitting memorial testament and celebration of human and canine endurance, courage, perseverance, and accomplishment, as well as "must" reading for anyone who has ever thrilled to an Iditarod event.
An artist who loves his subject.......2001-02-19
This small-format lavishly-illustrated book accomplishes everything it attempts. The posters are reproduced nicely, although in postcard size. To readers with questions about the actual canine work of a race, this book explains quite a lot. Siberian huskies are the stars of "the last great race," and there are many modern-day improvements to their lot - food-warmers, airlifted straw drops (for their sleeping comfort) and more. The Van Zyles' dogs are varied and gorgeous. Jon Van Zyle is a handsome bearded man who appears - with great success - in some of the posters. Jona Van Zyle offers a wealth of information. The drawings are romantic and even heroic - without being kitschy. For example, the piercing blue eyes of a Siberian husky are actually hauntingly beautiful in real life - and a Van Zyle painting might confirms that. A great look at beautiful, hardworking dogs by two people who love them.
Average customer rating:
- An Awesome story of courage and inspiration
- "In life there are no barriers - only solutions"
- Interesting Story of a Man Who Would Not Quit
- A life motivating story
- Fantastic Story!
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Journey Of A Hope Merchant: From Apartheid To The Elite World Of Solo Yacht Racing
Neal Petersen ,
William P. Baldwin , and
Patty Fulcher
Manufacturer: University of South Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
African-American & Black
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Ethnic & National
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies & Memoirs
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Biographies
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Boating
| Water Sports
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sailing
| Water Sports
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Sports
| Subjects
| Books
Apartheid
| Race Relations
| Sociology
| Social Sciences
| Nonfiction
| Subjects
| Books
General
| Travel
| Subjects
| Books
Look Inside Outdoors & Nature Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Sports Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
Look Inside Travel Books
| Trip
| Specialty Stores
| Books
ASIN: 1570035644 |
Book Description
Seemingly the most unlikely of men to compete in the elite sport of world-class yachting, Neal Petersen has lived a modern-day adventure that affirms one can overcome adversity with determination and hard work. Of mixed race, Petersen was born physically disabled and impoverished in apartheid-era South Africa, where he found healing and equality in the turbulent waters surrounding Cape Town. Petersen dreamed of building his own boat and of sailing in the great solo races of the world. Journey of a Hope Merchant recounts the epic journey that took him from a racially segregated neighborhood to the prestigious BOC Challenge and ultimately to a place in history as the first black man to race solo around the globe.
Petersen's thrilling narrative places him among the ranks of such famous sailors as Joshua Slocum and Sir Francis Chichester. Petersen describes mining for diamonds underwater; rounding Cape Horn; surviving near-fatal accidents, killer storms, and a mid-Atlantic collision; capsizing in the Roaring Forties; and overcoming heartbreak, loneliness, continual financial difficulties, and adversity at every turn. His heroic experiences illustrate the incredible resourcefulness required of a sailor, especially one alone at the helm of a homemade boat. His gripping account of the 1998-99 Around Alone race, made famous by the mid-ocean rescue of the French sailor Isabelle Autissier, will become a classic of nautical writing.
While Petersen sailed his boat alone, his story extends beyond himself. He describes the unforgettable individuals who have sustained him—an activist mother, a generous community of Irish citizens, a cadre of eminent sailors including his mentor Harry Mitchell, and the woman who ultimately ended their relationship because Petersen chose to follow his dreams of sailing.
Written with a freshness and style that reflect his unstoppable optimism, the story of Petersen's compelling journey is a testament to endurance, survival, perseverance, and ingenuity. His autobiography vividly portrays both the sacrifice and joy entangled in this love affair with the sea. Journey of a Hope Merchant is proof that the harshest lessons learned at sea apply to all aspects of life and that even the wildest dreams are attainable.
Customer Reviews:
An Awesome story of courage and inspiration.......2007-09-02
I heard Neal Petersen speak and by the time I got to the table to by his book, he was sold out. I finally orderd on line and it is every bit at moving as his presentation. It truly made me realize that if he can overcome all of the obsticules placed before him, than I don't have any excuses to not overcome my own.
"In life there are no barriers - only solutions".......2006-09-16
"In life there are no barriers - only solutions." Call this positive statement a credo, a code, a slogan or a mantra. It is the one rule that dominates the life of its author, Neal Petersen.
I had the pleasure of being in an audience where Mr. Petersen happened to be the keynote speaker. An author and motivational presenter, he held the attention of all attendees, especially me.
Neal Petersen was born with a physical disability in South Africa during its apartheid years. As a child he was determined to overcome all adversities, a trait that not only guided him through life but also helped him stake his claim as the first black man to race a homemade boat single-handedly around the world.
In his book, "Journey of a Hope Merchant" and recipient of the 2005 National Outdoor Book Award, Mr. Petersen has the reader join him on his journey through life and particularly on this solo journey in the 1998-99 "Around Alone" yacht race. Throughout the book, the reader is gripped with the determination of Mr. Petersen as well as his endurance, ingenuity and particularly his sense of survival.
Right from the book's prologue by his wife, Darlene Kristi-Petersen, one becomes immediately tuned into the reality that Mr. Petersen is a man driven by his dreams. From an impoverished youth to achieving world recognition, two university degrees and author and coauthor of ten books, one can only picture Mr. Petersen as a consummate achiever.
As I write this review, I refrain from telling the story of Mr. Petersen's challenges at sea. That I'll save for the reader, as I will the many other chapters in his life where he continues to tell us the importance of dreaming. The importance he teaches us is that dreams are not simply for dreamers but are the roadmaps to be followed, challenged and achieved.
Interesting Story of a Man Who Would Not Quit.......2006-03-01
I would not call this a sailing book. Rather it is a story of a crippled boy from Capetown, who found freedom in swimming, diving, and sailing, and had a dream to sail around the world alone in the greatest of all races, inspired by these yachts and racing sailors who visited this port. The Author, who grew up in a middle class neighborhood in South Africa had to endure racism in his struggle to achieve his dream. Along the way, he found many sailors willing to help, and many other people who contributed to his life journey. It will melt you heart to read about the many wonderful people who helped Neal Accomplish this seemingly impoosible goal. It renewed my faith in the best of human nature.
This is the sort of book I'd give a young child for inspiration. It is proof that man can overcome most obstacles with only the most basic of tools--literacy. This is a lesson that should be taught to all children.
Neal makes his living as a motivational speaker. I finished the book, wanting to hear him speak. And I'd like to sail with him.
The book is an easy read. I found myself reading until 3 am and finished it the next day. I give this book 4 stars because it is not the sort of book I would re-read. It is not the sort of book I need to inspire myself. However, a good book to read once and then pass on to your friends.
The was one point in the book where I found myself gravely disappointed. I was saddened to read in Neals account that Brad Van Liew, one of this competitors, accused him of cheating by using his engine. While Neal faced bigotry throughout his life, I was saddened byh this lack of sportsmanship. I expected more graciousness behavoir.
A life motivating story.......2006-02-25
This book is an easy, fun, adventurous read that will shift your attitude and belief in the most positive way. Neal has accomplished more most people would dream possible. Yet in reading his story you will start to believe that anything is possible. It has rejuvenated and refocused me. I'm sure it will do the same for you.
Fantastic Story!.......2005-11-15
I read this book non-stop and I had to write a review. By way of full disclosure, I met Neal Petersen on November 3, 2005 and spent five days sailing with him on a passage from Connecticut to Bermuda. That time with him prompted the purchase and reading of this book. He is a fantastic guy with a truly inspiring story. The book recounts Neal's life story and struggle against the odds to reach his dream of racing a sail boat alone around the world. At every turn there are choices. Listen to the naysayers or pursue what appears to be an impossible dream. Throughout the story there are detractors and supporters. This book has drama, adventure, romance, and inspiration. This is a story not only about Neal's adventures sailing, but about how to live life to the fullest. I can't recommend this book highly enough!
Books:
- Enuma Elish: The Epic Of Creation
- Farewell to Matyora (European Classics)
- Feather Crowns
- Forcing Amaryllis
- Giose Rimanelli's 'Benedetta in Guysterland': a "liquid" novel of questionable textual boundaries.: An article from: World Literature Today
- Giovanni's Light: The Story of a Town Where Time Stopped for Christmas
- Granta 72: Overreachers (Granta: The Magazine of New Writing)
- Granta 75: Brief Encounters
- Harmony of the World: Stories
- Her Name Was Lola: A Novel
Books Index
Books Home
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