This is a miracle surviving and unbelievable story tale about a man tired of his high-strung life with stressful job and high maintenance unloving wife. The horror of the predator added to spice the ideal illusional life the main character finds after survival... Pretty well written, just like a fairy tale for adults.

The pretty much unbelievable story, where large family of siblings have to bury their still relatively young parents - Connie and Robert who are 69 and 79 and who perished suddenly under the snow lava while skiing in their favorite winter resort, that they went to every year to enjoy themselves alone as a couple...Their children (who are six) hardly talk and grief over the tragic loss...but start thinking about selling the large important house belonging to their parents, where all of them grew up and enjoyed still very much ! Then Lyle, the eldest son has to face another huge unpleasant event-that of divorce from his unsatable greedy wife, who doesn't care about him as a human being or as husband, or even her own children, but only her major asset - the money, that she wants and spends on herself -Lyle's money. The end part of the novel is good. And you do want to read more about future of the characters... But again, the main lady's name is Caroline is all of sudden, cropped to Caro ! What is it ?! Is the author lazy to spell the full name of her heroine or even shorten it to Carol (which would be decent). Then we have another name -Gloria, who at times goes by "Glo" ! In many instances, also, the sentences are misconstructed. I do not recommend this book to an expert reader.

It is a wonderful memoir, just as meaningful and sincere, as "My Life" with even more clarity of some most important events in Carter's Political endevours and long-worrisome fight to save and return home American hostages from Iran. It had finally happened...just two hours before Reagan had become a new President. And Jimmy Carter and his wife were out of White House unable to pronounce their victory. However, Mr. Carter was the one going to Iran's capital to meet and accompany all now freed American soldiers ! And was so very happy for them to be home finally and so proud that his operation had finally succeeded !

Jimmy Carter had been, perhaps, the last of the Magicans who brought absolute honesty to people of his country ! And that is why he and his wife Rosalyn were so much loved by all people. Everywhere. No matter their color, place of work or how much money they have had ! They cherished and respected everyone, and people responded in kind. The only characteristic that prevented (possibly) President Carter to win the second term of Presidency is because he believed in peaceful negotiations even with cruel enemies like Iran government, that kept our American soldiers as hostages. The situation had truly called for much stronger message, than pleas, trust and simple negotiations ! And President Carter had been and is a very religious and peaceful man, despising wars and violence vehemently. A great book by a wonderful man.

I have not learned too much of new information from this account, written by a retired Colonel of the US Air Force who served as a chief of special operations in CIA during President Kennedy years and a movie director Oliver Stone, who had helped make this book truly valid and much more cohesive and readable for all of us. Unfortunately, the book is extremely repetitious and is mostly about US wars, with our youngest brave President opposing them vehemently... That political atmosphere other factors played ultimate role in the darkest and shameful time in US history....While Democracy slept. The book also has many grammatical errors. I didn't find this material too challenging or totally unique. And, as I've noticed before, part written by film director Oliver Stone definitely "grabbed" my attention and interest !

It was a fun clean and entertaining book ! Clearly written and great for start-ups and fundraising. Sort of a fairy tale, if you will.

Orphanage populations grew during the Depression as desperate parents could not feed their children and made the harrowing decision to give them up. Faced with many children with carious family lives, researchers at orphanages in Iowa performed several studies to determine the role of environment on the intelligence of children. Their findings were overwhelmingly clear. A loving and supportive environment gave a big boost to intelligence. Children considered seriously impaired improved greatly when their environment changed for the better. However, the prevailing view was that IQ was set at birth and would never change, leading many scientists to support eugenics. These Iowa researchers were mocked and ridiculed. It was not until the old stalwarts of this theory died in the 50's and 60's and more studies were done, that these researchers were finally believed. Old ideas die hard, but some need to die, especially in light of new evidence.

The subtitle of this book is Democracy's forgotten crisis. During the Great War, the government passed the Sedition Act, the Espionage Act, tortured conscientious objectors and harassed and arrested pacifists. Something to think about: Could this happen again?

The author worked in the oil sands in western Canada from 2005-2008. Environmental concerns were not prevalent at that time, but just beginning. So, this is not so much a book about the environment and the petroleum industry as it is about what it is like to be a woman working in an almost all-male environment. She survived, but it was not easy. Well written and illustrated.

Kerri Greenidge tells the story of the two Grimke sisters (famous abolitionists) and their black family members, their cruel slave holding brother's children born to his slave, Nancy Weston. This book does not describe the abolitionists in general as saints. Some were gradualists and some were colonizationists. She also honestly describes the colorism of the wealthy and middle class free blacks in New England. Like a good historian, she tells the whole truth.