The United States has been spending its way deeper and deeper into the red, and saddling future generations with the mess—but who's paying attention? To answer that question, the companion book to the critically acclaimed documentary I.O.U.S.A. talks with some of the most revered voices in the nation, including Warren Buffett; former Treasury Secretaries Paul O’Neill and Robert Rubin; Pete Peterson, CEO of The Blackstone Group; Congressman Ron Paul (R-Texas); and bestselling Empire of Debt author Bill Bonner. Armed with these interviews, historical references, and damning statistics, the book takes a lively and entertaining romp through the four deficits the nation faces: the budget deficit, the personal savings deficit, the trade deficit—and what former U.S. Comptroller General David Walker, who resigned abruptly in 2008 over Congress’s lack of action, calls the “leadership deficit” in Washington. Defiantly non-partisan, the empowering solutions outlined in thesepages are a must-read for any American who wants to help change “business-as-usual” in Washington as a new administration heads towards the Oval Office. “We the People” can get our politicians to stop spending, promote responsible economic programs, and hand our children and grandchildren the secure future they deserve.
REVIEW
It's About Your Children's Future If you're concerned about your children's future and you want to understand how America's debt problem will affect their ability to live in a world of opportunity and prosperity, you must read I.O.U.S.A. immediately. Inside you will travel a straight forward and very readable journey through the four major deficits that are poised to bankrupt the United States and cripple your children's future. If you've ever been unclear on how the annual deficit relates to the federal debt, or how the personal savings deficit relates to the trade deficit, you will find clear answers backed by fascinating historical accounts and an array of interviews with the top economic thinkers of our time. While this is a companion book to the movie documentary, it is very much a stand alone work and a complete read in and of itself. Of particular importance to your children's future is what the book calls the leadership deficit in Washington. This section hits at the heart of why no one in government is doing anything about this and why the current culture in Washington perpetuates the debt problem into the future. All in all an admirable and entertaining work of what many would consider a dull topic. I highlyrecommend it.
The year was 1957, the month September, and I had just turned eight years old. Dwight Eisenhower was President, but in my life it was the diminutive, intense Sister Mary Lurana who ruled, at least in the third-grade class where I was held captive. For reasons you will soon understand, my parents had remanded me to the penal institution of St. Brigid’s School in Westbury, New York, a cruel and unusual punishment if there ever was one.
Already, I had barely survived my first two years at St. Brigid’s because I was, well, a little nitwit. Not satisfied with memorizing the Baltimore Catechism’s fine prose, which featured passages like “God made me to show his goodness and to make me happy with him in heaven,” I was constantly annoying my classmates and, of course, the no-nonsense Sister Lurana. With sixty overactive students in her class, she was understandably short on patience. For survival, she had also become quick on the draw.
Then it happened. One day I blurted out some dumb remark, and Sister Lurana was on me like a panther. Her black habit blocked out all distractions as she leaned down, looked me in the eye, and uttered words I have never forgotten: “William, you are a bold, fresh piece of humanity.”
And she was dead-on.
One day in 1957, in the third-grade classroom of St. Brigid’s parochial school, an exasperated Sister Mary Lurana bent over a restless young William O’Reilly and said, “William, you are a bold, fresh piece of humanity.” Little did she know that she was, early in his career as a troublemaker, defining the essence of Bill O’Reilly and providing him with the title of his brash and entertaining issues-based memoir.
And this time it’s personal. In his most intimate book yet, O’Reilly goes back in time to examine the people, places, and experiences that launched him on his journey from working-class kid to immensely influential television personality and bestselling author. Readers will learn how his traditional outlook was formed in the crucible of his family, his neighborhood, his church, and his schools, and how his views on America’s proper role in the world emerged from covering four wars on five continents over three-plus decades as a news correspondent. What will delight his numerous fans and surprise many others is the humor and self-deprecation with which he handles one of his core subjects: himself, and just how O’Reilly became O’Reilly.
REVIEW
Insightful book about what makes the media giant tick Bill O'Rielly's "A Bold, Fresh Piece of Humanity," has been among the top reads on the New York Time's Best Seller List for quite some time. And, after reading this book, it's not hard to tell why.
The autobiographical book takes the reader on a journey through the author's "Dennis the Menace" type youth to his current status as a media giant.
In essence, this literary work has two central themes. The first deals with his life experiences and how they have shaped his philosophical views. The second focuses on his belief that his purpose in life is to take on the various evils of the world.
All in all, "Bold, Fresh" as O'Reilly affectionately calls it, is a solid work that both entertains and informs the reader.
With three straight #1 bestsellers and more than 4 million copies of his books in print, the most powerful traditional force in the American media now takes off his gloves in the ongoing struggle for America’s heart and soul.
Bill O’Reilly is the very embodiment of the idea of a Culture Warrior—and in this book he lives up to the title brilliantly, with all the brashness and forthrightness at his command. He sees that America is in the midst of a fierce culture war between those who embrace traditional values and those who want to change America into a “secular-progressive” country. This is a conflict that differs in many ways from the usual liberal/conservative divide, but it is no less heated, and the stakes are even higher. In Culture Warrior, Bill O’Reilly defines this war and analyzes the competing philosophies of the traditionalist and secular-progressive camps. He examines why the nation’s motto “E Pluribus Unum” (“From Many, One”) might change to “What About Me?”; dissects the forces driving the secular-progressive agenda in the media and behind the scenes, including George Soros, George Lakoff, and the ACLU; and dives into matters of race, education, and the war on terror. He also shows how the culture war has played out in such high-profile instances as The Passion of the Christ, Fahrenheit 9/11, the abuse epidemic (child and otherwise), and the embattled place of religion in public life—with special emphasis on the war against Christmas. Whatever controversies are roiling the nation, he fearlessly confronts them—and no one will be in the dark about which side he’s on. Culture Warrior showcases Bill O’Reilly at his most eloquent and impassioned. He is an unrelenting fighter for the soul of America, and in this book he fights the good fight for the traditional values that have served this country so well for so long.
REVIEW
Amusingly scary, hilariously wrong [...]
You don't have to get far into this book to realise it's more of the same from the man who's filled his own head with so much right-wing, neo-conservative nonsense that he might actually believe it himself. The fact that he believes the Founding Fathers would somehow favour a society in which religion plays a prominent role goes to show how utterly confused his understanding of his own country is; a mistake he makes within the first 3 pages.
This book was so funny that, if it were labelled a comedy book, I would give it five stars. However, the fact that it was published with the intent of sincerely informing people's opinions demands that I give it 1, and even that's not very well-deserved.
Basic summary: buy it for a good laugh, but prepare to be afraid, very afraid when you realise that someone out there is fighting for cultural values... and that man is Bill O'Reilly.
PS - How do you have a "Culture warrior"? That's like calling the book "Intellectual Barbarian".
From the author of the bestselling Anam Cara comes a beautiful collection of blessings to help readers through both the everyday and the extraordinary events of their lives.
John O’Donohue, Irish teacher and poet, has been widely praised for his gift of drawing on Celtic spiritual traditions to create words of inspiration and wisdom for today. In To Bless the Space Between Us, his compelling blend of elegant, poetic language and spiritual insight offers readers comfort and encouragement on their journeys through life. O’Donohue looks at life’s thresholds—getting married, having children, starting a new job—and offers invaluable guidelines for making the transition from a known, familiar world into a new, unmapped territory. Most profoundly, however, O’Donohue explains “blessing” as a way of life, as a lens through which the whole world is transformed.
O’Donohue awakens readers to timeless truths and shows the power they have to answer contemporary dilemmas and ease us through periods of change.
REVIEW
A feast for the Spirit ... reclaiming a lost art John O Donohue introduces the reader to the art of blessing. "It is the modest wish of this book to illuminate the gift that a blessing can be,the doors it can open,the healing and transfiguration it can bring."(ODonohue)
The author poured his heart and soul into creating blessings that speak to the human condition from the cradle to the grave and beyond. He intoduces each of the seven sections of the book with a poetic grace that draws the reader in while linking them to the Source of their own creativity and spirituality.
On Valentine's Day 1985, biologist Stacey O'Brien first met a four-day-old baby barn owl -- a fateful encounter that would turn into an astonishing 19-year saga. With nerve damage inone wing, the owlet's ability to fly was forever compromised, and he had no hope of surviving on his own in the wild. O'Brien, a young assistant in the owl laboratory at Caltech, was immediately smitten, promising to care for the helpless owlet and give him a permanent home. Wesley the Owl is the funny, poignant story of their dramatic two decades together.
With both a tender heart and a scientist's eye, O'Brien studied Wesley's strange habits intensively and first-hand -- and provided a mice-only diet that required her to buy the rodents in bulk (28,000 over the owl's lifetime). As Wesley grew, she snapped photos of him at every stage like any proud parent, recording his life from a helpless ball of fuzz to a playful, clumsy adolescent to a gorgeous, gold-and-white, macho adult owl with a heart-shaped face and an outsize personality that belied his 18-inch stature. Stacey and Wesley's bond deepened as she discovered Wesley's individual personality, subtle emotions, and playful nature that could also turn fiercely loyal and protective -- though she could have done without Wesley's driving away her would-be human suitors!
O'Brien also brings us inside the prestigious research community, a kind of scientific Hogwarts where resident owls sometimes flew freely from office to office and eccentric, brilliant scientists were extraordinarily committed to studying and helping animals; all of them were changed by the animal they loved. As O'Brien gets close to Wesley, she makes important discoveries about owl behavior, intelligence, and communication, coining the term "The Way of the Owl" to describe his inclinations: he did not tolerate lies, held her to her promises, and provided unconditional love, though he was not beyond an occasional sulk. When O'Brien develops her own life-threatening illness, the biologist who saved the life of a helpless baby bird is herself rescued from death by the insistent love and courage of this wild animal.
Enhanced by wonderful photos, Wesley the Owl is a thoroughly engaging, heartwarming, often funny story of a complex, emotional, non-human being capable of reason, play, and, most important, love and loyalty. It is sure to be cherished by animal lovers everywhere.
REVIEW
enlightening
Enlightening insight into the life and emotions of an owl. I've always admired owls and wonder how it would be to have an owl. It's a magnificent book on Wesley's behavior and a really credit to the patience and love of Stacy O'Brien. Wonderful.
gloria
The classic erotic novel, THE STORY OF O relates the love of a beautiful Parisian fashion photographer for Rene. As part of that intense love, she demands debasement and severe sexual and pychological tests. It is a unique work not to be missed.
REVIEW
Simply Painful Years ago I read a Vanity Fair article about this new "hot" book - One Hundred Strokes of the Brush Before Bed by Melissa P - a supposedly true story of the sexual awakening of a 15 year old Italian girl. While searching for it online I read a review which recommended The Story of O instead as real erotica. Intrigued - especially since I had, of course, heard of Story of O as a "classic" and a somewhat naughty book with an infamous reputation - not unlike another French novel I love, Lolita, I also purchased Reage.
I could never put my finger on exactly what bothered me about the book. I found nothing of interest and found myself only and solely frustrated with this doormat of a "heroine." How could someone subject themselves to being treated as such an object, a possession of another person? How could anyone find anything erotic in tales of a woman being tortured? What kind of man is O's lover, who would require her to be treated as such? What kind of man would take pleasure from the pain of his supposed beloved?
I spent a lot of time studying the book - learning the history behing its inception and the controversy around its publication - and all the treatises written on feminist themes in the book - all of which I rejected. After all, isn't the first tenet of feminism being the equality between the sexes, not the subjugation of one to another
I reject O and the book as relevant and erotic because it underscores the problems that still exist with women today. So many subscribe to the blind follower theory of love - they become nothing but vessels into which a man can pour his own desires, his own needs while she refuses to name any of her own. She nods her assent to every one of his requests and fears asking of him for fear he'll leave her. She "proves" her love by refusing to exist as her own person, instead trying to bind him to her by being sacrificial. But who can love what they do not respect and how can any man respect a woman who says, "Yes, hurt me in any way you wish and I'll do nothing but ask for more and smile with love towards you?"
I don't care at all for the S&M of the novel - perhaps my disinterest in such a thing strips the novel of any possible eroticism for me. But I can even understand how a little pain might be erotic - even Phoebe on "Friends" enjoys some "gentle spanking." But to put one's self into that level of depravity marks a person with such a truncated sense of self that they don't value themselves enough to reject being used and abused.
Outside of that, the prose is plodding and boring. It lacks depth and creativity. Judging against other erotica, it lacks any soul. It is a recitation of abuses without any context. We never find out why O is so flawed, why she would subject herself to such abuse. At least in Lolita you understand Humbert's flaws, which makes him a full fledged person and more than a cliche. O, however, flounders under disection. The plot lacks any theme and any connective tissue. The ending, as all scholars agree, is tacked on - revealing the fact that it was never to be published at all.
I think the book's fame is derived more from its controversy than its quality. If it weren't for the "who wrote it" mystery, there'd be little to recommend it as a book for the ages.
Amazon.com ReviewThe O'Reilly Factor isn't just the name of Bill O'Reilly's popular talk show on the Fox News Channel anymore--it's also the title of his book, which, appropriately enough, actually reads like a TV show. The narrative rarely proceeds for more than a few paragraphs before a bold-faced "This Just In" or "Bulletin" pops up on the page and breaks the stream of thought--sort of like a commercial interruption. This provides an ideal forum for O'Reilly to sound off on any number of topics with lots of verve but not too much depth. There are breezy chapters here on money, media, religion, race, and sex, among others. O'Reilly dislikes many things, and he isn't shy about sharing his opinions: "SUVs should be immediately outlawed," he rants. Here's O'Reilly on President Clinton: "What a ridiculous waste!" Attorney General Janet Reno is a "ridiculous, incompetent woman" and President Clinton's "primary 'enabler.'"
This is not a subtle book, and its bombastic approach would be even more grating if it weren't for several flashes of self-deprecation, such as when the author shares a negative piece of viewer mail, or when he writes, "In case you haven't noticed, I'm a cocky bastard." Sometimes O'Reilly's put-downs are creative and funny: "If God has a sense of humor, as I believe he does, [Al Sharpton and David Duke] will be sharing a sauna in the netherworld. With one thermostat." And he's good at illustrating his points with outrageous details. In criticizing the bloated federal budget, for instance, he points to these shockers: $230,000 for a study of housefly sex habits, $27,000 for an analysis of why prisoners want to escape, and $100,000 to find out why Americans don't like beets. (To which he replies: "Houseflies mate when no one is looking. Prisoners don't like prison. Beets don't taste good.") O'Reilly is often considered something of a conservative, but he can also play the blue-collar populist: "The rich want us to believe that anyone can make the quantum leap from bowling league to country club by just working a little harder. That's supposed to keep us motivated and quiet." Fans of his TV show will probably appreciate this cantankerous book. --John J. Miller
REVIEW
keep writing Bill we love you :_) My grandmother read this book out loud to me and we really enjoyed itI had a glass of warm milk and her cookies and I want her to read it again to me.I want to be just like Bill someday.This book isfun and never boring too.
Winner of the National Book AwardThe publication of this extraordinary volume firmly established Flannery O'Connor's monumental contribution to American fiction. There are thirty-one stories here in all, including twelve that do not appear in the only two story collections O'Connor put together in her short lifetime--Everything That Rises Must Converge and A Good Man Is Hard to Find. O'Connor published her first story, "The Geranium," in 1946, while she was working on her master's degree at the University of Iowa. Arranged chronologically, this collection shows that her last story, "Judgement Day"--sent to her publisher shortly before her death—is a brilliantly rewritten and transfigured version of "The Geranium." Taken together, these stories reveal a lively, penetrating talent that has given us some of the most powerful and disturbing fiction of the twentieth century. Also included is an introduction by O'Connor's longtime editor and friend, Robert Giroux.
REVIEW
The Devil's In The Details "Grace changes us, and change is painful."
O'Connor, a delicate Southern Catholic who lived a third of her life ravaged by lupus, was certainly acquainted with pain. Her stories reveal this much. Many readers and reviewers may wonder if she doesn't take a bit of artistic license with her definition of "grace," though. Considering her religious ideologies (which aren't hard to figure out, even after reading just one of these deliciously dark little tales), her unsubtle brutality isn't so unexpected. Look God directly in the face, the Bible says, and it completely and utterly destroys you.
It's safe to say that even if her characters don't always get an unobstructed view of their Creator, they all at least catch a glimpse. O'Connor is not shy about her beliefs, and in fact, her unswerving social sensibilities are part of what make her writing so delectable. Read closely, because every single detail is important and potent. And just like the Bible she adheres to so fervently, the endings to her stories are forecasted unapologetically by every word that comes before them.
This in no way ruins the power of those conclusions. Read a hundred interviews with ahundred writers, and I guarantee you that many of them will mention, as inspiration, "A Good Man Is Hard To Find." Sit down for twenty minutes with the hilarious and heart-breaking "River," and ask yourself if your foreknowledge didn't rob the final lines of their shuddering ferocity. Visit "A Displaced Person," meet "Enoch and the Gorilla," stay for awhile with "Greenleaf," and take a good long look at "A View of the Woods." You may find yourself wondering if there is any compassion and hope in O'Connor's world, but you'll never doubt that it is full of meaning, full of necessity, and full of heavenly fire.
There's a legitimate beef some may have with this collection. "O'Connor has written an amazing story," one of my friends once said. "I just don't know why she chose to write it thirty-one times." It's fair to say that O'Connor doesn't stray much from her predictably gruesome formula. But while her themes never change much (purification through fire, self-knowledge gained via self-destruction, and the immolations brought on by racism and doubt), her telling of them is so fine and so stark, the details themselves are what really showcase her writing's true brilliance and beauty.
This collection is arranged in chronological order, and it is part of the treat to see her ideas age as she does. Her final story, the aptly titled "Judgement Day" is a revision of her first story, "The Geranium." The differences between the two show most openly where O'Connor hides the hope and faith and love that many feel is missing from all the works between. O'Connor, like the God in which she believed, seems too ready to expose her characters to an amazing amount of pain and degredation. But if you look close enough, if youread every sentence carefully, you'll see that she makes necessary every sacrifice, every drop of blood, every harsh, scalding ray of sun. In an era now where authors tend to shock for shock's sake, O'Connor stands out as a timeless reminder that as senseless and vicious as life's stories may sometimes seem, there is still the chance that behind it all lies a deeper, knowable truth. That truth may come at some great costs, but, O'Connor seems to say, it is better to buy with your flesh something lasting and real, than to sell your soul for even a whole world of lies.
You can't buy happiness, so why not grow your own? All you need is a piece of fertile ground (your beautiful mind) plus some hardy seeds of wisdom, creativity, and plain good sense. In this inspiring new collection from the pages of O, The Oprah Magazine, more than 75 warm, wise, and insightful contributors write about beating the blues, dropping the weight, kissing fear goodbye, making your dreams real, and putting your best face forward (with a little help from the right haircut, of course). O's Big Book of Happiness offers you more than 100 wonderfully written, empowering articles that will turn your life around, whether you're fighting loneliness, illness, self-doubt, or a crisis of faith. World-class writers, artists, entrepreneurs, and political leaders, such as Alice Sebold, David Sedaris, Elizabeth Swados, Richard Branson, and Barack Obama, open a window on the life lessons that have galvanized them and set them on the road to joy. Among the in-house experts offering advice and comfort, financial adviser Suze Orman defuses the minefields of money management, and life coach Martha Beck clues you in on how to handle your most intractable critic—you!—while Dr. Phil sheds light on the push-me-pull-you confusion of intimate relationships. Be prepared for unconditional honesty and reality-based solutions, even if you think you've hit bottom and there's no place left to go. As Oprah writes in one of her essays, "Everything in life happens to help us live."Have you ever wondered :
What's the secret togetting in shape—and staying that way? Rebecca Skloot tells you how to trick your brain into actually craving diet and exercise (page 10), while O's Mental Health Kit offers therapist-tested techniques for getting your life back in balance (page 46), and Oprah discusses how the best healthcare begins with self care (page 61).
When your worst-case scenario finally happens, how do you carry on? Onetime war correspondent Geraldine Brooks writes that a diagnosis of cancer, which she once feared more than terrorist bullets, proved to be a path to grace (page 36). Beverly Donofrio tells how she endured a rapist's violent attack by refusing to say yes to despair (page 74), and meditation teacher Sharon Salzberg explains how to make those crucial human connections that are guaranteed to melt away loneliness and refresh your faith (page 149).
Are there any surefire ways to sidestep relationship pitfalls? O's writers investigate an exciting new therapy that could keep you from falling for that bad-news guy—again (page 172)—and a nontalking cure that just might save a compassion-starved marriage (page 180). Lauren Slater explores the price some of us are willing to pay for love—even when it has four legs and a tail (page 214).
How's your brilliant career going? O's in-the-trenches experts tell you how to soothe the savage boss (page 226) as well as take a risk, reconnect with your wildest ambitions, and embark on the professional life youÕve always dreamed about (page 232).
REVIEW
Top Happiness Tips from Oprah says Happiness Expert Alexandra Watson Oprah has the ability to bring out the best in people...and the best in people is their wisdom. This collection is for anyone who needs an instant happiness boost, don't wait for Christmas to buy it...get it now and buy several for your friends too! AlexandraWatson.com the UK's Leading Happiness Expert
Amazon.com ReviewAnam Cara: A Book of Celtic Wisdom offers an exploration of the secret universe we all carry inside us, the connections we forge with the worlds of our friends and loved ones, and the products of our worlds reflected in the things we create outside of ourselves. Anam Cara, Gaelic for "soul friend," is an ancient journey down a nearly forgotten path of wisdom into what it means to be human. Drawing on this age-old perspective, John O'Donohue helps us to see ourselves as the Celts did: we're more than just flesh, blood, and bone; we comprise individual worlds. The comprehension of the sublime architecture of the worlds we are born with will engender a new appreciation for the outside world and the way we contribute to its evolution.
REVIEW
I read it over and over I love this book! I would love to give it as a gift to every one of my friends. It has a calming effect and gives much detail to what Anam Cara is.
