Triumph Reviews

This book lends incredible insight into the life of a Russian Refusenik under the oppressive Soviet system. Sharansky's mental tricks that sustained him during his years of horrific incarceration as well as his genius and amazing memory impressed the hell out of me.

Learning how one man could take on the KGB and outsmart, outwill, and outlast them is a truly uplifting experience.

Sharansky's autobiography is one of the most compelling works of literature that I have read. This is literature - it made me pause to think and reflect on what he said frequently, and my copy is well-thumbed. The story is of a spiritual journey, as the young Sharansky's awareness of his Jewishness de-Sovietizes him and leads him into the Gulag - willingly, as he forknew the risks of protesting Soviet emmigration policy. His voluntary civil disobedience seperated him from his bride, Avital, physically for a decade, but the growing intensity of the spiritual forces working within and through him bonded them ever more securely. The moral courage demonstrated by one of the most celebrated of the Refusniks is evident on nearly every page. The spiritual uplift that Sharansky found came from his faith, and from reading the classics, one of the few liberties permitted him in the Gulag. (Looted libraries and personal collections left the prison system well-stocked for this purpose.) The comments on how he was encouraged by his encounter with Aristophanes, when he understood the connection between himself and a character in a 2,500 play through a joke that he finally 'got,'are among the most uplifting in the book. Sharansky recounts how that joke opened a floodgate in his mind, through which came pouring the voices of Rabelais, Cerevantes and other great classics, reminding him of his humanity and the ways of man. The climatic chapter, "The Interconnection of Souls," should be re-read many times. -Lloyd A. Conway

It's hard to believe that one person could morally and intellectually defeat the KGB all by himself, to preserve his identity and his integrity despite all odds. There are many lessons for our everyday life that one can learn from this book. I recommend it very highly.

This book is more than information it's a Journey. I share my life with the reader though small stories of my life. These stories cover any things from not making the grade to man's best friend (Shelton in my case). After the stories is where the journey begins. Each story has a lesson for the reader to understand what I want them to take from the story, followed by a journal entry so you can apply what you have learnt. All these lesson are geared to show that we can overcome the daily challenges and find a path towards success. I only ask one thing of the reader is once your done with this book to hone your skills that you've learnt though this book and other ways. By doing that you will be further along in your pathway of success

From CP to CPA: One Man's Triumph Over the Disability of Cerebral Palsy is an uplifting personal testimony of Robin Pritts drive to achieve his dreams and overcome barriers set in his path by having contracted Cerebral Palsy. Tracing his journey from a Special Education classroom to the University of Illinois where he successfully obtained CPA certification, From CP to CPA is a motivational and inspirational life journey which is very highly recommended reading for anyone having to cope with a life-altering disability, injury, or illness.

"My own path to success is not finished. I have many more dreams and goals to obtain before crossing the finish line. This is likely to be the same for you. Whether your dreams are for financial success, starting a new business, or just getting a job and starting your own family, no one can determine whether you've won or lost in this magical game of life-except yourself."
~ Rob Pritts, FROM CP TO CPA

Despite your disability, you can achieve anything you set your mind to. Despite your disability, you are a valuable and contributing member of society. Despite your disability, you are a unique and special individual the likes of which the world has never seen. Sound to good to be true? It isn't. That's the feeling you'll get while reading Rob Pritts' triumphant new self-help book, FROM CP TO CPA: One Man's Triumph over Cerebral Palsy.

As a popular and inspiring motivational speaker on the subject of disability awareness, Rob Pritts makes no apologies for the fact the he has cerebral palsy. And why should he? From the start, Rob has never let CP slow him down or throw up barriers in the way of his many hopes and dreams. From a self-contained Special Education classroom to the University of Illinois, where Rob obtained a Bachelor of Science degree, to obtaining the CPA certification, Rob's experiences have allowed him to excel into what his former teachers call a "Special Ed Success Story!"

And now that Rob has excelled at his life's ambitions, he is eager to share his positive philosophy with other people with disabilities in his new book: FROM CP TO CPA: One Man's Triumph Over Cerebral Palsy!

From special education teachers to their students, from corporate CEOs to frustrated housewives, from churches to colleges, Rob's message is the same: Don't be discouraged by the cards you've been dealt. Instead, make sure you've always got a winning hand by facing each day with a positive mental attitude-and a humble sense of gratitude.

Rob mixes personal stories of his life as a disabled child, student, graduate, and professional CPA with easy-to-digest lessons aimed at awakening the disability in us all. Followed by evocative journal prompts, FROM CP TO CPA becomes more than just a book, it evolves into an interactive journey through our very souls.

Reading Rob's book is not always easy. Whether you're disabled, or someone without a disability, facing up to your own misconceived notions or perhaps even prejudices is a direct result of Rob's illuminating prose and self-effacing humor. Yet I dare you to walk away from this book uninspired, and as such it makes the perfect tool for facing life more positively when you've been feeling down or uninspired.

The Girls' Book of Success, the latest in Dee's series written to empower girls, says "I can do it, so can you! Here's how." From page one, stories, testimonials, and bonafide facts pull the reader into this frame of mind. Segments weave together advice and inspiration in Winning Wisdom (quotes), Success Stories, Female Feats, Fabulous Facts, and Proud Poems. Girls and women offer one inspirational tale after another, telling readers how success ticks for them. The success tips are easy to follow. On top of it all is this book's small and light size-perfect for carrying in a school backpack!

The latest in the series that has included The Girls' Book of Wisdom, The Girls' Book of Friendship, and The Girls' Book of Love, this book focuses on success--what it is, how to achieve it, and how to handle the little failures along the way. The selection of women and girls featured in the book includes entertainers, business women and girls, writers, athletes, and ordinary women and girls who have been successful in their lives. The down-to-earth writing will connect with girls, and several of the stories feature girls or women who have had success in non-traditional areas, giving readers the knowledge that they can expand their horizons. The book also has practical advice on issues such as higher education, mentoring, and choosing a career. With stories, quotes and advice from successful girls and women from all walks of life, this will be a great inspiration to any girl or young woman determined to reach her dreams.

This collection includes stories, poems and words of wisdom from famous celebrities and fabulous non celebrities who inspire girls to reach for their dreams. You'll find quotes from Lily Tomlin, Shania Twain, Sally Ride, Hillary Rodham Clinton, Marie Curie, Maya Angelou and many more smart, successful women. All girls have the power to achieve their dreams and goals, and this book is an inspiration for them to begin their journey with. As the mother of two girls, this book will have a long shelf life at our house!

This book is a well written, easy to read, account of two little girl's experiences during WWII and their struggle to survive the Nazi occupation of France. Because it is written through the eyes of the girls as children, it is not laden with a lot of adult scenes that are often painful to read when studying written works of the Holocaust. Even so, its story is poingnant and leaves a lasting impression. Cecile's parents and their love live forever in this book. I highly recommend this book. I plan to include this book as part of required reading for history in my son's homeschooling program.

This book tells you about the horrors of World War 2. Cecile was a heroic young girl who had lost her parents and older sister but had to try to keep her and her 6 year old sistr alive. This book made me appricate what I have that she lost. It was a sad book that keeps you reading.

In this book Cecile wrote about the horrors of World War 2. She was only 11 when nazis invaded her home,her town,her country,and many others. She was a very heroic young girl who lost her parents and older sister. But had to try to keep her and 6 year old sister alive. This book made me appreciate all the things I have that she lost. It was a sad book that keeps you reading.

Since the author is the main character, you know she lived to write about her tragic ordeal: breast cancer treatment that literally killed her heart. . . muscle. This story, as awesome as it sounds is a page turner. You won't be able to put it down. Any woman who has breast cancer or knows someone who has had it, should read this book. There is some excellent advice in it. And in the end, it's actually UPLIFTING!

IF YOU WANT TO SPEND AN EVENING READING A MOST INTERESTING LIFE STORY THIS BOOK IS FOR YOU. IT WILL NOT ONLY INTRIGUE YOU BUT ENTERTAIN AND EDUCATE YOU AS WELL. I COULDN'T PUT THE BOOK DOWN AND THOUGHT OF MANY FRIENDS TO WHOM I WANT TO RECOMMEND IT.....A VERY EXCELLENT BOOK.

This is human interest story that will move you to tears of joy and make you marvel at Nancy's indomitable will to live. Reading this story made me realize how lucky I am to have the health that I do. Nancy Pedder is a phenomenally strong woman who has never let her health issues cloud her positivity and zest for life. She has dealt with challenges that would make a lesser human crumble, in a way that is to be admired and respected. Nancy should be an inspiration to all that are organ recipients and the families of organ donors. I admire how she continues to make the most of the second shot at life that she got through her donated heart and how she is determined to lead the charge to promote organ donation.

My first reading of this material occurred in college as a requirement for a European History course in my second year. The 124-page text is readable in large type with wide margins for notations. In the Introduction (not counted in the text total pages) the author writes that his work, "could be considerably expanded, qualified, bent, and adorned." I appreciated that he did not add unnecessary pages.

The author's objective in writing was to reconstruct how capitalism went from being the sin of avarice to a counterweight for other, less acceptable sins. The work is an interesting history of an idea that is today accepted as the best alternative available for people. I found it amusing that capitalism actually passed through a phase in history where people had to sell it. How that sales campaign was designed and conducted is interesting reading.

The book details some of the advantages of capitalism for workers. While massing people in cities close to factories and raw materials helps owners, it also helps the workers by giving them the opportunity to protest and riot against a government that devalues the currency (apparently a frequent problem in days of yore) or factory owners that otherwise exploit their workers too badly. These advantages are not generally associated with the tenement districts of the late 19th century industrial revolution in America, yet the history of social progress always includes incidents of large-scale violence.

One idea that the book stumbles with is the marginal utility of wealth. Since greed seems to never be sated, it is incorrectly assumed that the pursuit of economic gain has no declining marginal utility. In fact, currency and wealth have no marginal utility at all, but can be transformed into any form of consumption as desired by its owner, and those goods and services have declining marginal utility. This is an important point. The early proponents of capitalism argued that greed would "harness" the destructive and diabolical passions of mankind. In fact, it really has had no effect on them at all, as wealth has become just an innocuous tool available for use or misuse as determined by its owner.

It was necessary to make capitalism something good in order to squelch early critics who opposed low wages and inhumane working conditions on moral grounds. Before then, the Invisible Hand just couldn't compete.

I much enjoyed reading this book, and can unreservedly recommend it to anyone interested in political economy and the history of economics (which grew out of the original 'political economy' into a separate branch of social science). Prof. Hirschman does a very good job in pulling together the various scattered ideas in modern history (so say from around 17th century onward) on the ideology and basic motivations for capitalism. This is a very interesting study on possible political motivations in a time that economic development through capitalism in Europe slowly started to take hold (large parts of Europe still remained a largely agrarian-based economy until end 19th/early 20th century). Even though this brought enormous political and social upheavals, the ideas on capitalism still largely were of a brave new world variety, and understandingly so. The observation that the desire for wealth does not seem to diminish as levels of wealth increase (an exception to the law of dimishing marginal utility) led a number of political philosophers to the exciting and hopeful idea that capitalism would channel human destructive passion or act as a 'counterweight' to other less socially desirable behaviour (of which the 17/18th centuries in Europe saw its share as well). As it turned out, this basic optimistic idea of course needed some heavy qualifications; e.g. to avoid abuses of power (such as the inevetable necessity for a strong role of government in capitalism, e.g. as enforcer of fair and equitable competition and alleviate market failures; or that economic interests do not necessarily stop any war). Nevertheless, the ideas on positive effects of capitalism on human behavior still stands in contemporary discussions as well, if only often implicitly. I liked his remark on how ironic, in historical context, the argument is that the strong focus on capitalism in modern society has led to impoverishment and alienation in the human experience. The idea in capitalism as described by its early protagonists was precisely to counteract or channel the human 'passions' that so far had not led to much constuctive behavior. As Prof. Hirschmann notes, a historical awarenesss of such arguments may not bring any clearer answers today but will certainly help to lift the level of discussion.

It's a bit of a miscategorization that this book is usually filed under "Economics." It's more about social and intellectual history. Hirschman traces social support for economic individualism as stemming from support for rational, predictable "interest" to counter irrational, unpredictable "passions." It's the old battle of Apollonian versus Dionysian, but it's very novel to see it played out in something as this-worldly as debates about political economy.

Hirschman's history of "interest" is similar to Weber's history of "capitalist rationalism," although Hirschman's attributed causal mechanisms are broader than Weber's: Hirschman says general desire to improve upon human nature, rather than specific Protestant religious concerns, was the justification for capitalist rationality. (However, taking Hirschman's tack, we cannot explain why capitalism elicited more support in some countries than in others.)

This is an excellent history of the concept of the "invisible hand," the idea that the pursuit of private gain can have socially salubrious effects. If you know about "the fable of the bees," you know a little bit about this concept, but Hirschman chronicles its history at a much deeper level.

I've not only had the pleasure of reading this book, but I've met it's author. She's the real thing. She absolutely shines. She walks a couple of feet off the ground. Ms. Newborn is not only a survivor, but a person who has happiness to share with others. Her book offers incredible insight to those who have either experienced a stroke or know someone who has. She gave me a clear understanding of aphasia and how strokes effect people.

I read quite a few books about strokes following my own, but only wanted to own two. This book, which was a gift from a dear friend, provided such inspiration during my recovery. I still read it from time to time because it continues to be a touchstone for me. I've always loved the poem "Ithaca" which is referenced in the title but it's taken on a special meaning since reading this book. Thank you for writing it, Barbara.

This book says it all. My sisiter suffered a stroke at 46 and this book helped me and her husband to understand what exactly she was going through and what to expect.

This is an unforgettable history of Mt. Rainier, its pioneering and more recent explorers of trails to the summit, its geology and natural environment, and its inevitable human disasters. Molenaar's many explanatory sketches of climbing routes and his inclusion of numerous historic photos of famed climbers, guides, and ascents help immensely to illustrate the absorbing text. As one who is intimately familiar both as a guide, an artist, a scientist, and a world-famous mountaineer, he is uniquely fitted to write this story--one which anyone contemplating an ascent of "the mountain" could hardly do without--and he has succeeded beyond measure.

Dee Molenaar eschews the glib, self-serving, and obnoxious style so prevalent in this genre. Instead, Molenaar presents a chronicle of human history on "The Mountain" that is well written, informative, and self-effacing. He barely touches his own remarkably impressive mountaineering achievements and I am hopeful he publishes his memoirs soon. Further, it is a pleasure to read a writing style reflecting a generation which held manners and chivalry with esteem. Indeed, there is an element of anachronism in this revised edition, and it is worth preserving. I am honored that my copy is signed by the author!

Molenaar makes a detailed records analysis of the many accidents that have occurred on this massive mountain. For example, the guy who slid a thousand feet in his down booties trying to catch a lid that fell off of his cooking pot. Weird! Also, he details the tragedies with thoughtful suggestions. Our team studied this book before our climb so we would be aware of climbing errors that others have made. I think this is pretty much considered a Rainier classic by now...

Good read, except for the fact that the author deliberately omitted the fact that Ned Doheny & Hugh Plunkett were gay. Ned Doheny probably was bisexual and he spent a lot of time with his buddy Hugh Plunkett. Certainly the Doheny family asked the author to downplay this issue in exchange for their co-operation with the book. Hugh was more than a "private secretary". I assume the author is straight; so she would not understand Ned's sexuality; Ned was spoiled rotten, an only child, and was given everything money could buy. It is a wonder Hollywood never made a film of this story; perhaps the Doheny family have something to do with this? In 1929, it was assumed that Ned and Hugh were lovers. Ms Davis has tried to change history? For a price? The public is not that stupid. Especially now with the scandals coming out of that seminary in Camarillo for pediphile priests that Estelle Doheny donated so many millions to. It is a wonder the Doheny family did not provide more photos as there are more at the USC library than Ms Davis was able to come up with in this book. The Beverly Hills Historical Society has a better collection of photos of Greystone; fully furnished in its heyday than you see in this book. Behind every great fortune there is a great crime. I expected to read something I had not heard before; but she is afraid to go there. Did Lucy Battson die with her secret? It was scandalous to be gay in those days, but not now. Maybe a gay author could have done the story justice. Her details about the oil fields are great; it is the social history that is lacking. We all know that the greatest export from Ireland is its people.......

This book is a fascinating look at the life and times of one Edward Doheny the onetime founder of Mexican Oil Company prior to the nationalization of reserves by the revolutionary PRI party in the early days of their power. The narrative follows the career of Mr. Doheny from his modest prospector days in the Wild West to the heights of his infamy during the Teapot Dome scandal.

This is perhaps a timely book as well given the questions being raised at the time of this writing about corporate malfeasance and corruption in the U.S. (Enron). Teapot Dome was one of the biggest political scandals in the first half of the 20th century and involved the leasing of government/public lands in preserve areas for energy development. More than one person went to prison and wrongdoing was proven against multiple individuals in the matter.

The book makes the case that Doheny was more or less guilty of poor judgment and being in the wrong place at the wrong time more or less. It is true of course that Doheny was found innocent on the charges and it is also true that despite this Teapot Dome is the matter for which he is best known (despite for instance being a contemporary and rival of John D. Rockefeller in the oil business). If in fact he was innocent of the charges then he paid a heavy price in terms of his health and the somewhat mysterious death of his son, which was either suicide or murder depending on who you ask and how you look at it.

For those with an interest in the biographies of the early titans of U.S. industry this is a worthy read in that it does detail Mr. Doheny's rise to power as well as his fall from grace. He came from a modest background and did not make his fortune until after the age of 40 in a time before life expectations averaged 70+. He suffered through personal loses and setbacks and managed at the time of his death, despite the misfortunes, to bequeath a sizeable fortune to his heirs. This book may also be of particular interest in the study of Los Angelos in particular and California in general in that the Doheny's were prominent citizens who built some noteworthy structures in the city including religious and educational facilities.

The author acknowledges that she had the cooperation and blessings of the descendants of Mr. Doheny and that a good body of original documentation was available for review and research. This provides an intimate look at the lives of the people in question but it also may cause the thesis to lean towards their views. The book does tend to exonerate Doheny in Teapot Dome and it does make a good argument that his involvement was not profitable and that the Navy Dept in fact sought him out because of rising fears of the Japanese Navy in the years leading up to WWII. It was a condition of Mr. Doheny's development of the area under lease to him that he build an extensive oil storage and supply facility for the Navy in the Hawaiian Isles out of his own pocket. This he did and subsequently was not reimbursed when the lease was negated despite having spent many millions in pre-WWII monies. It is also I believe true to state that it was Henry Sinclair who was the actual lease holder on the Teapot Dome acreage and that Doheny was leased an entirely separate parcel of public land. Sinclair along with Interior Secretary Albert Fall went to prison in the affair but Doheny was also tarred and feathered by the affair.
Whether the delivery of $100,000 in cash by Doheny's son to Sec. Fall was in fact a personal loan much as one might expect between old prospecting buddies (which they were) is really a matter of conjecture. At any rate there was clearly the appearance of impropriety in the matter and both Doheny's son and the man accompanying him that night were involved in a murder/suicide after indictment but before trial. With the principle witness gone and little other corobative evidence Mr. Doheny's celebrity legal representation did get him acquitted although he was convicted in the court of public opinion.

Personally I am inclined to believe a man of his stature might loan a friend the sum in question but I also would not be surprised if a quid pro quo were expected in return. You see there was any number of companies competing in secret for the government contracts and it is interesting that both men who won had either the appearance of impropriety or were outright convicted of bribery. Part of the reason Doheny was spared prison was in fact due to the death of his son and his earnest and teary eyed appearance on the witness stand where he looked the part of a grieving grandfatherly figure who had lost something money could not replace.
It is an intriguing story and well written book, not terribly long or archaic for the casual reader. While it is a history book it is in fact also the story of an interesting chapter in American business and personality history.

Margaret Leslie Davis has done it again with another fine biography. Ms. Davis shows us the inner man of Edward L. Doheny, one of the richest and greatest Californians in history, virtually the John D. Rockefeller, Sr. of the West. Doheny was flat broke at the ripe age of 40 and yet within a few years he became one of the richest men in the country through his wild-cat oil discoveries in Los Angeles and Mexico. The break-up of Rockefeller's Standard Oil by the U.S. Supreme Court left Doheny an opening which he exploited adroitly. Most impressive is Ms. Davis's keen legal understanding and her scrupulous attention to noting her sources. In fact, the "notes" at the end of the book are arranged so that the top of the page refers the reader to the page number of the text thereby making it very easy to flip back and check the source. A small detail, perhaps, but much appreciated. Ms. Davis is a true scholar; her legal training shows itself especially when discussing the Tea Pot Dome scandal that ultimately tarnished Doheny's reputation. In short, Ms. Davis is becoming our finest historian on the West and particularly California.

As usual, Stephen E. Ambrose is flawless in this middle edition of the Nixon trilogy. The book is quite long and detailed to a fault. The detail includes huge quantities of actual quotes, painting a picture of Nixon about as clear as one can get on any man.

The picture I got was of a man not well suited for the presidency. Intelligent, clever, creative, bold, knowledgeable on world affairs, yes. But he also had character flaws. Over-sensitive almost to the point of paranoia, Nixon was driven by an obsession to be President more than the desire to be presidential. His statement in the later David Frost interview that, "If the President does it, it's not illegal," is very telling. The ends justified the means. He had the ability to rank goals above consequences, and almost everything he did was for the acquisition or preservation of political power.

The best example is Vietnam. He took four years to end a war he knew early on could not be won. His delays were to search for ways to avoid being the first American President to lose a war, and to prevent the staining of American honor. Both of which would have cost Nixon reelection in 1972. Ambrose makes the point that half the names on the Vietnam War Memorial are from the period of Nixon's futile attempts to foil Hanoi and fool America. People should never have to die to protect a politician's legacy.

I see Nixon and Clinton, representing both political parties, as two good examples of why character matters when we vote. For some reason, the presidency attracts extreme or narcissistic personalities whose motivations are more for glory than good. After reading Ambrose's book, the simple question, "Why does this person want to be president?" will rank higher in my mind.

Another eye-opener in the book was the lesson in political science. Nixon was neither an appealing candidate, nor a rallying ideologue. He scraped his way to the top because he was the consummate partisan politician. Ambrose shows a glimpse of the American political system's underbelly: maneuvering, manipulating, prevaricating, waffling, and backstabbing. He makes it easy to forget that despite the warts, our republican democracy is still the best system in the world.

The irony and enigma of Nixon is that he also opened up China, warmed the Cold War with the Soviets, began nuclear disarmament, and other worthy and statesman-like accomplishments. The book, like Nixon himself, will mean different things to different people. --Christopher Bonn Jonnes, author of BIG ICE

The second volume of Ambrose's three-volume biography of Richard Nixon covers the period from Nixon's defeat in the 1962 gubernational election in California to his re-election as US President in 1972.

In his refreshingly frank Foreward, Ambrose states that "I confess that I do not understand this complex man". And indeed that problem of assessment runs throughout the book - Nixon, and his first Administration were full of contradictions, big pluses and minuses, which make an objective view very difficult.

Ambrose's analysis of Nixon's time "in the wilderness" until his nomination as the Republican candidate for the Presidency in 1968 was particularly interesting: not so much a time of drift as of recovery and preparation. The man's sheer drive and ambition must have been huge.

The nightmare of Vietnam looms large in this book, quite rightly. Looked at in hindsight, Ambrose reveals the utter absurdity of US policy at the time - all the more tragic as lives were being sacrificed even though there was no clear goal and real hope of victory had long since gone (if indeed it had ever been a realistic ambition).

Ambrose takes care not to neglect domestic politics, US-Soviet and Sino-US relations, and describes the beginnings of Watergate. At the end, I reflected that whatever nostalgic image we are presented of the 1960s, society was in fact deeply divided. Ambrose writes with great unease about the duplicity of all of the politicians of the time and condemns equally the excesses of the protesters. The summer of love? Perhaps not.

Stephen Ambrose's second volume of Nixon:
"Triumph of a politician" is just as good as
volume one.
This is the heart and soul of presidential politics.
Surely we have the politicians we deserve, but some of them
are complex, confusing, ruthless, criminal, fascinating,
moving, grand and great - which kind of make it hard
for us poor voters. Nixon was all of that! as is so
clearly demonstrated in this
portrait of the Nixon presidency.

In 1962 Nixon held his famous last press conference
after losing the California gubernatorial contest.
The reporters wrote his political obituary.
Five years later he had held hundreds of press
conferences and was on his way to becoming president!

He won the presidency over Humphrey in 1968
partly by the not very statesman like behavior of
namecalling and allegations about Humphreys neglect of
national defense and his softness on law and
order and his willingness to spend the country into
bancruptcy. Or perhaps he almost lost because
of these wild charges?

I think the book explains how it all happened.
Even the parts that are really unexplainable.
Fascinating.

-Simon