Catalogue of the plants of Ohio, including flowering plants, ferns, mosses and liverworts. By H.C. Beardslee.

Average customer rating:
Catalogue of the plants of Ohio, including flowering plants, ferns, mosses and liverworts. By H.C. Beardslee.
Michigan Historical Reprint Series
Manufacturer: Scholarly Publishing Office, University of Michigan Library
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | United States | Americas | History | Subjects | Books
United States | History | Historical Reproductions | Formats | Books
ASIN: 1418192899
Release Date: 2005-12-20

Product Description

This volume is produced from digital images created through the University of Michigan University Library's preservation reformatting program.

Average customer rating:

Ferns of Ohio
Vannorsdall. Harry H.
Manufacturer: Harry H. Vannorsdall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KENSUK

Historical collections, Little Beaver River valleys, Pennsylvania-Ohio: With checklists of flowers and ferns

Average customer rating:

Historical collections, Little Beaver River valleys, Pennsylvania-Ohio: With checklists of flowers and ferns
Ira F Mansfield
Manufacturer: Tribune Printing Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Pteridophyte flora of Ashtabula County, Ohio, by township ; Butterbur, Petasites hybridus (L.) Gaertn., Mey. & Scherb. in Ohio (Herbarium publication)

Average customer rating:

Pteridophyte flora of Ashtabula County, Ohio, by township ; Butterbur, Petasites hybridus (L.) Gaertn., Mey. & Scherb. in Ohio (Herbarium publication)
Carl F Chuey
Manufacturer: Youngstown State University
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Taxonomy of specimens of the Pennsylvania age Marattialean fern Psaronius from Ohio and Illinois (Scientific papers / Illinois State Museum)

Average customer rating:

Taxonomy of specimens of the Pennsylvania age Marattialean fern Psaronius from Ohio and Illinois (Scientific papers / Illinois State Museum)
James E Mickle
Manufacturer: Illinois State Museum
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Additions to the Preliminary list of the flowering and fern plants of Lorain County, Ohio

Average customer rating:

Additions to the Preliminary list of the flowering and fern plants of Lorain County, Ohio
Albert A Wright
Manufacturer: Oberlin College
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Ancestry and descendents of Thomas Scott, 1682 to 1989: The lineage of the Scotts of Bensalem Twp, PA., Zanesville, Ohio, Marshall, Clark Co., IL, and Dudley, Missouri

Average customer rating:

Ancestry and descendents of Thomas Scott, 1682 to 1989: The lineage of the Scotts of Bensalem Twp, PA., Zanesville, Ohio, Marshall, Clark Co., IL, and Dudley, Missouri
Eila Fern Scott O'Toole
Manufacturer: E.F.S. O'Toole
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00071ZG4M

Captain James Henry Stanley, Sr. of Lower Salem, Ohio: His ancestors and his descendants (primarily those descended through Fern Grace Stanley, a great-grandaughter)

Average customer rating:

Captain James Henry Stanley, Sr. of Lower Salem, Ohio: His ancestors and his descendants (primarily those descended through Fern Grace Stanley, a great-grandaughter)
George Alex Hall
Manufacturer: G.A. Hall
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B00071LJM0

Catalogue of the ferns and flowering plants of Cincinnati, Ohio, and vicinity (Bulletin of the Lloyd library of botany, pharmacy and materia medica)

Average customer rating:

Catalogue of the ferns and flowering plants of Cincinnati, Ohio, and vicinity (Bulletin of the Lloyd library of botany, pharmacy and materia medica)
Walter Harris Aiken
Manufacturer: O., J.U. & C.G. Lloyd
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Catalogue of the plants of Ohio: Including flowering plants, ferns, mosses and liverworts

Average customer rating:

Catalogue of the plants of Ohio: Including flowering plants, ferns, mosses and liverworts
H. C Beardslee
Manufacturer: Printed at the Journal Office
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding

Book Description

A guide to the off-beat and out-of-the-way finds throughout the Mountain State, with updated information on activities and attractions for residents and visitors alike.

Customer Reviews:

An Interesting State to explore off the beaten path!.......2000-11-01

I thought that I had either heard of or visited all of the quirky places within the State of West Virginia! Wow was I wrong!

Most of my family comes from this wild wonderful State so I'm always reading books about traveling throughout the State.

Book Description

For travelers looking to avoid the crowd, this guide will help them discover the unique "must-see" attractions of the Old Dominion State. Go beyond the usual tourist attractions to discover such hidden treasures as Colvin Run Mill Park, Bacon's Castle or the Highland Maple Museum. Whatever you do when you get to Virginia, get off the interstate-and take this book with you!

Customer Reviews:

Get the kids and take a car trip.......2007-03-30

Where else but in the wonderful state of Virginia would you find five - not one, but five - "kissing bridges" - available for the curious traveler to visit? Jump in your car, forget about the busy highways. Instead, head to the red hued Sinking Creek Bridge in Giles County or the 150-year old Humpback Bridge in Covington, where you can eat your picnic lunch in the nearby park.

Judy Colbert covers these fascinating sites and much more in the 8th edition of Virginia Off the Beaten Path. Discover where to stop for interesting historical and cultural forays, where to eat and where to spend the night if you want to extend your road trip for another day.

This book provides info about sites and amenities in each geographical area of Virginia, so that you can plan the ideal road trip - or trips. You and your spouse can tour wineries across the state or you could introduce your young children to our country's history in a way that they'll never forget.

We highly recommend Judy Colbert's Virginia Off the Beaten Path.

Off the Beaten Path Virginia: A Guide to Unique Places (Off the Beaten Path)

Average customer rating:

Off the Beaten Path Virginia: A Guide to Unique Places (Off the Beaten Path)
Judy Colbert
Manufacturer: Globe Pequot Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Off the Beaten Path | Guidebook Series | Travel | Subjects | Books

North America | Travel | Subjects | Books

General | Travel | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 1564400816

Average customer rating:

A breath of fresh air blows across the pages of history

A heart-warming love story...one that I hope I never

A Touching Love Story

She Stood By Her Man!

Should be autobiography of Michael Deaver

Nancy LP: A Portrait of My Years with Nancy Reagan
Michael K. Deaver
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Presidents & Heads of State | Leaders & Notable People | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
General | United States | Historical | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books
Biographies & Memoirs | Large Print | Formats | Books
Similar Items:

A Different Drummer LP: Thirty Years with Ronald Reagan

Ronnie and Nancy: Their Path to the White House--1911 to 1980

I Love You, Ronnie: The Letters of Ronald Reagan to Nancy Reagan

An American Life: The Autobiography

The Reagan Diaries

ASIN: 0060589787
Release Date: 2004-02-17

Book Description

Candid, moving and insightful, Nancy is the most personal look at Nancy Davis Reagan ever published.

She was the daughter of a single mother. She was a Hollywood movie star. She is the wife of one of the greatest presidents of the twentieth century. She is a cancer survivor. And now she wages her greatest, unwinnable battle -- against her husband's Alzheimer's disease. Nancy Davis Reagan has led an extraordinary life. In Nancy, Mike Deaver, whose relationship with Mrs. Reagan dates back to the 1960s, shares the side of Nancy that only her intimates know.

The Nancy Reagan with whom most Americans are familiar is a caricature shaped by consistently negative press coverage. But the Nancy Reagan Deaver has come to know for over thirty-five years, the woman portrayed in Nancy, is far more complicated. Nancy has been no bit player in the Reagan story. Deaver believes that Ronald Reagan would not have risen to such distinction without Nancy at his side.

To Ronald Reagan, Nancy gave the gift of her unrestricted love. She was his respite, his comfort, his reward at the end of the day. Now, to a man no longer capable of looking after himself, Nancy is everything there is to be: caretaker, guardian, nurturer of the Reagan legacy.

Customer Reviews:

A breath of fresh air blows across the pages of history.......2007-05-19

I sometimes remind myself of Mel Gibson's character, Jerry Fletcher, in the movie "Conspiracy Theory," who couldn't pass up a copy of "Catcher in the Rye" without buying it. But in my case, I can't seem to pass up a book about Ronald Reagan, his family, or his administration. By my count, this is the forty-sixth such book that I have read. Perhaps that's why I was so surprised to read in the "Booklist" blurb, above, that in this book "his [Deaver's] portrait [of Nancy Reagan] comes across mostly as stale rehash."

Strangely enough, despite all the books which I have read before, I found this one to be like a breath of fresh air, a long overdue breath of fresh air. For it wasn't long ago that there was a cottage industry in the liberal media centers of America doggedly cranking out one negative story about Nancy Reagan after another. No matter what she did or how she did it; what she said, or even how she looked; she was reviled for it. Unlike Jacqueline Kennedy, who in the eyes of the media could do no wrong, Nancy could do no right.

This book, then, struck me as truly refreshing and it made delightful reading. For, in it a long time close associate and friend revealed a side of Nancy Reagan that few have bothered to try and understand and which I had not seen before. Perhaps she simply tried too hard and loved too much. So, to all those who have written so disparagingly about Nancy over the years, I say: put down your spears, daggers, and pens, pack up your PCs and take a chance. Perhaps if you tried to understand the lady, you might have some second thoughts. To all others, I say: I think you'll enjoy reading this book. I did.

A heart-warming love story...one that I hope I never.......2004-08-09

forget. Nancy Reagan was so much more than a first lady...she was Ronnie's first lady and he always came first in her eyes.

Deaver tells so much of her life, feelings, ardent admiration and deep love for her husband and an insight into the man himself..our President Reagan.

It left me hungry for more and so I ordered A DIFFERENT DRUMMER from the same author. His style is so impressive in it's simplicity (do not take that the wrong way) that I read this book over a days' time. I liked the way he told all...the good and the bad and did not try to explain away anything about NANCY, but did explain some misconceptions.

A marvelous, resiliant woman that any man would be proud to have as his wife, on his side and at his side. And we know now how she truly did protect and stand by her man. It was not political...just human and entirely focused on Nancy Reagan; the woman, the wife, the partner.

Whatever tempted me to buy this book, which is not something I would normally read; I am grateful that I did for it was truly a wonderful experience and has opened a whole new genre for me and showed me another aspect of myself.

A Touching Love Story.......2004-07-16

Mike Deaver was able to explain the relationship that Nancy and Ronald Reagan had from an insiders view. So little was ever written about the private side of Nancy Reagan, and he captures some of those moments very well. It was a pleasure to read also about their relationship then and even now. The public knew that they stood by each other no matter what, but I think Mike took care of both of them. He was as concerned about the President as he was the First Lady. I'm so glad to have read this book about a truly beautiful married couple, written by someone who has known them for 30 some years.

She Stood By Her Man!.......2004-04-30

Although too young to vote for him in either election Ronald Reagon was one of the best presidents this nation ever had. The book "Nancy" opened my eyes in so many ways. No matter what she was always right by his side every step of the way! They had the kind of marriage and relationship that was and still is an example to us all. I remember it like it was yesterday....the day Ronald Reagon almost left us due to John Hinkley's bullet. This book shows just how much she loved the man and would do anything for her and he for her. I thank God for people like Ronald and Nancy Reagon. Although the book is called "Nancy" you'll learn quite a bit about the "gipper" as well!

Should be autobiography of Michael Deaver.......2004-04-24

If I wanted to read a biography about Michael Deaver I would have bought his autobiography. Extremely full of himself and his feelings, accomplishments, etc.... I felt it seriously lacked the biography part for Nancy. Although occassionally he would throw something in about her. I was very disappointed.

Nancy: A Portrait of My Years With Nancy Reagan

Average customer rating:

Nancy: A Portrait of My Years With Nancy Reagan
Michael K. Deaver
Manufacturer: HarperAudio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEX3KG

Nancy LP : A Portrait of My Years with Nancy Reagan

Average customer rating:

Nancy LP : A Portrait of My Years with Nancy Reagan
Michael K. Deaver
Manufacturer: HarperLargePrint
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEZ3PE

Average customer rating:

Nancy: A Portrait of My Years with Nancy Reagan
Michael; Michael, Deaver Deaver
Manufacturer: HarperAudio
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEV0C4

Average customer rating:

Great book

Great for gifts!

I'm cheap, and I still bought this book

Knitting for Baby: 30 Heirloom Projects with Compl...

Best Knitting Book!

Knitting for Baby: 30 Heirloom Projects with Complete How-to-Knit Instructions
Melanie Falick , and Kristin Nicholas
Manufacturer: Stewart, Tabori and Chang
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Knitting | Crafts & Hobbies | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

Special Knits for Babies: 22 Gorgeous Handknits for Babies

Simply Baby

Baby Knits Book

Quick Baby Knits: Over 25 Quick and Easy Designs for 0-3 year olds

Baby Knits for Beginners

ASIN: 1584790873

Book Description

In Knitting for Babies, knitters at all levels will find everything they need to create handmade expressions of love for those special babies in their lives. Master hand-knitting designer Kristin Nicholas and best-selling author Melanie Falick offer 25 fresh, irresistible designs sized for infants to two-year-olds, complete with step-by-step instructions and illustrations. Each of the patterns is clearly written and thoroughly tested and is accompanied by beautiful hand-painted illustrations of the skills required. Engaging color photos by acclaimed baby photographer Ross Whitaker show the finished garments and accessories being worn and enjoyed by a charming cast of babies being their naturally delightful selves.

Customer Reviews:

Great book.......2007-05-12

Beautiful book. The instructions are clear and precise with some great photography. I have made several of the projects, my favorite so far being the "Stay on Booties". Quite adorable and an easy weekend project.

Great for gifts!.......2007-01-07

I've finally hit the point in my life when my friends and cousins are finally starting to have children, and they have never been dissapointed by the gifts they have recieved from this book.

The pattern instructions are easy to read and so far i have not found any printed errors, (those can drive you mad!) The best part about this book is that it has projects for the wide range of kniiters, newbies or old pros will be able to find projects that will fit into their experience range. As an even better bonus, there are quick and easy projects like simple baby blocks and teddy bears that are great for a late notice baby shower, or much longer projects for when you have more time to dedicate.

If you're finding yourself surrounded by lots of little ones, buy this book. The gifts you create from these patterns will be greatly cherished.

I'm cheap, and I still bought this book.......2006-11-10

I don't need any more books on knitting. Really. I prefer to hit the library to browse. After checking this out, reading through it and having it around the house for 3 weeks, I was reluctant to give it back. The patterns start simply and work their way up in complexity. They're not kitchy, the colors are soothing, and the patterns are timeless. A very solid book. The only reason I'm not giving it 5 stars is that if you are an experienced knitter you can probably find or make most of the patterns. But for a beginner/intermediate, this is a fantastic way to branch out. Written explanations are also excellent!

Knitting for Baby: 30 Heirloom Projects with Compl..........2006-11-04

Great book for the beginning to intermediate knitter. Cute patterns for quick gifts.

Best Knitting Book!.......2006-10-22

This is such a great book. It has taken me from an absolute beginner (Beginner Booties) right through to more advanced projects like the teddie, sweater and ball. I'm keen to try everything in the book! I highly recommend this book, especially for new knitters, all of the projects are stylish and simple with clear instructions.

Average customer rating:
Garden Secrets: A Guide to Understanding How Your Garden Grows and How You Can Help It Grow Even Better
Dorothy Hinshaw Patent , and Diane E. Bilderback
Manufacturer: Rodale Pr
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Gardening & Horticulture | Home & Garden | Subjects | Books
ASIN: 0878574204

Average customer rating:

Applying the best of research to practice

I've developed a lot of respect for this book

An Excellent Parenting Guide

Parent Educator review

I love this book

The Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting
Laurence Steinberg
Manufacturer: Simon & Schuster
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Development | Child Psychology | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
General | Parenting & Families | Subjects | Books
Similar Items:

You and Your Adolescent Revised Edition: Parent's Guide for Ages 10-20, A

The Power of Positive Parenting : A Wonderful Way to Raise Children

Screamfree Parenting: The Revolutionary Approach to Raising Your Kids by Keeping Your Cool

12 Simple Secrets Real Moms Know: Getting Back to Basics and Raising Happy Kids

Parenting From the Inside Out

ASIN: 0743251164

Book Description

Most parents do a pretty good job of raising kids, says psychologist Laurence Steinberg, but truly effective parenting means not just relying on natural instincts but also on knowing what works and why. In The Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting, Dr. Steinberg distills decades of research into a parenting book that explains the fundamentals of raising happy, healthy children, giving readers an invaluable map to help them navigate parenthood from infancy to adolescence.

Dr. Steinberg found that the basic principles for effective parenting are simple and universal, and apply to all parents and children regardless of background. He explains each principle and shows how to put it into action, using anecdotes and examples: from "What You Do Matters" (parents make an enormous difference; children are not simply the product of their genes) to "Establish Rules and Limits" (how to provide structure in your child's life, and how to handle conflicts over rules) and "Help Foster Your Child's Independence" (help your child think through decisions instead of making them for him or her). Concise and authoritative, written with warmth and compassion, The Ten Basic Principles of Good Parenting is an intelligent guide to raising a happy, healthy child and to becoming a happier, more confident parent in the process.

Customer Reviews:

Applying the best of research to practice.......2006-07-10

Steinberg's book brings the best of research to the everyday lives of parents. Drawing on many sources and years of research about parenting, he has created a thoroughly useful, provocative book about parent child relationships. The pages are filled with food for thought,
and practical commentary. Highly recommended.

I've developed a lot of respect for this book.......2006-06-30

My wife and I are expecting our first child, and even though I've had thoughts all my life about how I would parent, I thought I would get myself a real education, so I bought a lot of books.

I feel that most books have a lot of philosophies that I can't relate to, many overly focused on how to discipline and control your children, and how to make them live up to a lot of (in my opinion) arbitrary adult standards (how to make your 3 year old do her violin practice -- I mean this as a joke, but that's how it feels). There are so many things in society trying to shorten childhood, and I believe that forcing your children to do all these "adult" things makes them do everything out of duty as adults, and not ever really want to.

I also remember very clearly what it's like to be a child, and I would have been a lot easier if adults would have simply levelled with me. But somehow, most of these books seem to bypass the whole communication aspect. Don't get me wrong, the parent is certainly the parent, and should have the authority when necessary. But arbitrary authority has had an extremely negative impact on my life, and I believe I got a little screwed up because of it.

Anyway, enough about me. But I read this book with the prejudice of it being another book that is focused more on what the parents want than what the children need and helps them blossom as mature, solid human beings.

As I read this book, I suddenly developed a deep respect for the author. I completely agree in my heart with almost everything he says, and I've seen from other parents (friends/family) who parent much like he suggests, that this is absolutely the way to go. It creates healthier, more respectful, more loving, and more fun relationships. But I also appreciate how the book both gets to the point, at the same time as it never wants you to believe what it says "just because". In effect, the amount of information and wisdom in this book could easily have been padded to an 800-page whopper, which he thankfully didn't.

If the author is reading this, I want to personally thank you for this book. Very well done.

Thank you,

Per Holm-Petersen

An Excellent Parenting Guide.......2006-04-26

The 10 Basic Principles of Good Parenting is a must-read book for parents that have children from infancy through adolescence. The principles are based on scientific research, and are proven to work no matter what a child's background may be. Doctor Steinberg does an excellent job of not only explaining each of the principles, but also in giving real-life examples of how the principles should be applied. He also goes through each stage of a child's life and explains how to adjust some of the ideas to fit the psychological mindset of the child at that stage.

I found the chapters on establishing rules and limits, fostering your child's independence, being consistant, and avoiding harsh discipline to be especially helpful. I also liked Doctor Steinberg's "heads-up" on when the difficult and most trying times in a child's development would occur. These are the ages when the biggest changes occur in the brain - a "re-wiring" so-to-speak.

The 10 Basic Principles of Good Parenting is an excellent guide for raising happy children and fostering confidence in a parent. I highly recommend this book.

Parent Educator review.......2006-04-13

I studied many, many programs and books on parenting for my Masters degree. By far the most pleasant surprise I found both professionally and personally was Dr. Steinberg's phenomonal book The 10 Basic Principles of Good Parenting. This book is a must have for new and seasoned parents alike. Apply these simple but easily overlooked principles to raise emotionally healthy and well adjusted children...and keep you sanity all at the same time!

I love this book.......2006-04-06

I think this book will be one of those books that i have to refer back to as a good parenting guide. It's very practicle and simple. I suggest you also get Michelle Borba book ! it's indispensable !

Book Description

Goddess is the book that Madonna and her entourage did not want published. Long before the star could instruct her family and friends not to talk to the author, Barbara Victor spent more than eighteen months in Michigan, the United Kingdom, France, Italy, California, New York, and Florida, interviewing Madonna's father and stepmother, her grandmother and other family members, as well as friends, neighbors, business associates, and former lovers and colleagues, some of whom knew the Ciccone family from the time Madonna was a young child, many of whom have never before spoken either on or off the record.

In this extraordinary biography, Barbara Victor taps into previously unexplored sources to unmask the privet person behind the public image. As a result of her extensive research, Victor casts new light on every aspect of Madonna's career and private life -- from her childhood in Michigan to her early years in New York, from meteoric ascent to stardom to her most recent incarnation as an English wife and mother.

After almost two decades, since she first appeared in the international music scene, Madonna continues to fascinate and challenge both her fans and her detractors. With her remarkable ability to reinvent herself -- from diva to provocateur, from artist to mogul -- she continues to command more attention and arouse more controversy than any other public figure of our time. Alternately criticized and revered, Madonna consistently and dramatically sets style, social, sexual, and musical trends and yet she remains an enigma to her public, keeping her most intimate identity hidden from all but her closest friends.Goddess offers explosive new revelations about Madonna's life, her career, and the fact or fantasy of her lesbian and heterosexual relationships. Barbara Victor has written the definitive biography about a woman who gives new meaning to the term superstar.

Customer Reviews:

A Terrible Bio.......2007-02-28

I was hoping to obtain in-depth information about Madonna's records, but instead I was exposed to writing that can be found in a typical celebrity gossip magazine. I read numerous times that Madonna lost her mother at a young age. She had a rocky relationship with actor Sean Penn. With the amazingly extensive career that the Queen of Pop has had, you'd think the author could give her writing of Madonna's life a little more pizazz.
The color photos in the book are not that great either. They are mostly of her at premieres in 1999/2000.
I'm sure there are better biographies that were written by people who actually did extensive research and didn't flip through a couple of tabloids.

Designated to Madonna fans.......2006-04-05

This was one of three major autobiographies that came out in 2001 and 2002 on the Uber-star Madonna. Nothing terribly knew, probing into her past, and recounting her career highlights. Great for every Madonna wanna-bee collection.

AVOID!!!!!!!!!!!.......2005-09-03

This is quite possibly the worst book I've ever read!
Barbara Victor seems to hate Madonna, she constantly insults her in this book. Also, the pictures are weak. There are no pictures of her as a child or anything. And Ms. Victor devotes WAYYYYYYYY too much time to analyzing the religious aspects of Madonna's life.
DO NOT BUY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Not such a "Goddess".......2005-08-01

Thoiugh not the first, best or most intriguing of the groundbreaking female pop stars, Madonna has some sort of hold over the American attention, possibly because she changed her image so often. But don't expect an easy read in Barbara Victor's "Goddess" -- this one is less than divine.

The book opens with Madonna preparing for her role in the musical "Evita," based on the life of Eva Peron. This turned out to be the turning point of Madonna's life: It was in the period when she became pregnant, cleaned up her act somewhat, and made her first (and so far, only) acclaimed movie.

Then it bobs back to the arrive of the immigrant Ciccone family in the United States, the early days of Madonna's parents, and the tragedies that her family never recovered from. From there, it tracks her as she became a struggling dancer, whose sexual dancepop became a massive hit. After a disastrous short marriage, many boyfriends (and girlfriends), a porn book, and an unfortunate movie career, she finally settled down with director Guy Richie to become the not-so-quintessential British wife and mother.

Madonna is a bit of a love-her-or-hate-her person, especially since she has none of the warmth, stability or humour of similar pop stars like Deborah Harry. So it's not surprising that Victor's biography will probably inspire ire or delight in anyone who reads it... assuming they can get through it at all.

There's a strange split in Victor's opinions on Madonna. She compares Madonna to the ancient virgin goddesses (huh?), and excuses much of her behavior. Then she ruthlessly shows Madonna's shallowness, sexual obsessiveness and arrogance. How? By the most damning evidence: her own words. Victor uses interview quotes, video footage, and even a behind-the-scenes special where she openly mocks and humiliates a childhood friend.

There is some interesting information, such as analysis of Madonna's songs and music videos, although Victor (like Madonna herself) focuses way too much on the loss of her mother. And were Victor able to cobble together all this information into a straightforward biography, she might be a pretty good writer.

Unfortunately, Victor is actually a pretty bad writer. There's a lot of meaty information here, but no linear series of events. It's very distracting to jerk the readers from Madonna's toddlerhood to her adult career, sometimes in the same page. But that's what Victor does. Even worse, this choppy biography is laced with endless psychoanalyzation, and a tendency to demonize or beatify people as Madonna sees them, not as they actually are.

Split adoration/disdain and a choppy narrative make "Goddess" a chore rather than a guilty pleasure, as a "scandalous" biography ought to be. Whatever you think of Madonna, this "Goddess" is unholy.

Blatant muck raking........2004-06-28

I think it is absolutely pointless purchasing this book, I am not interested in knowing the ins and outs of someone's private life...would anybody want to inquire and go through a regular persons dirty laundry? no of course not..So why should anyone do it with Madonna? it seems like a futile attempt to muck rake if you ask me, same with other books like it. What's more, muck raking to make $$$$ from dragging Madonna's name through the mud. I bet this lady probably didn't even speak to anyone connected with Madonna but instead trawled through all the old tabloid papers relying on those soley to fill up her stupid book. She should find another way of making money, the woman is clearly clutching at straws and is desperate to make any buck through Madonna.

Average customer rating:

GODDESS Inside Madonna
Barbara Victor
Manufacturer: HarperEntertainment
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OF50ME

Books:

Books Index

Books Home

Recommended Books