If I Live to Be 100: Lessons from the Centenarians

Book Description

Neenah Ellis's New York Times bestselling If I Live to Be 100 takes us inside the world of the very old and invites us to learn from them the art of living well for an exceptionally long period of time. Their stories add up to a course in living, with lessons and inspiration for all of us.

Customer Reviews:

Inspirational and Entertaining.......2007-07-25

This book will inspire the reader to think about and plan to model the individuals featured in the book. Reading their stories inspired me to share the book with my father, who is 83. "Here's to another 17 years," I told him. The book reiterated the philosophy and reality of "We only go around once."

Maddeningly uneven book. .......2006-03-16

When I started reading this book I hoped it would be about centenarians and offer clues into their miraculous longevity, but instead the author's digressions are frustrating. Half way through the book and we realized much of the book is about the author, her marriage, and even a visit to her psychotherapist (!).0 Many paragraphs are like reading an on-the-road travelogue as the author describes scenery and environs to and from her interviews.

Do we care? How is it relevenat to the secrets of centenarians?

Important questions are virtually ignored: what's their spirituality/relligious beliefs? diet? excercise? etc. Instead the author asks innane and irrelevant questions such as "What was the dust bowl like?" as if there are not already written accounts found in any library? Maybe the author doesn't mind wasting time figuring she too will to 100, but I sure can't say that about myself. I don't like my time wasted.

Disappointing.......2005-12-24

The subtitle of the book is quite deceptive. I forced myself to finish this book b/c I was halfway through it when I realized that there are no lessons from centurians. The book mostly consists of her battling with her own interviewing habits and really offers nothing in the way of lessons told by the interviewees. As the other reviewer mentioned, it has no substance. Quite a disappointment for such a good idea!

Pomp and Circumstance.......2005-07-07

A well written documentary, but very long on fluff and sentimentality and short in substance.

A worthy subject.......2005-06-13

Many people probably think it would be wonderful to live to be 100. That's a nice long span of years and perhaps one could do everything we would like to do. If we're healthy enough. If we're still interested in doing those things. The older we get, however, the less think we can count on being able.

In her introduction to this book, Neenah Ellis says she always believed she would live to be 100. Given the opportunity to interview centenarians for the radio, she jumped at it. Learning from the people who know what it's like to be that old and how to get there, should be a wonderful experience. And maybe it was.

What Ellis says she did learn was how to listen. At first, she tried to force the conversations. That seems to have rarely worked. She wasn't getting what she wanted from the people. How could she do that? In the end, what she often got wasn't what she expected, but something even more valuable. She gained friends, wisdom perhaps, and a view of the world through older eyes. What the reader gets is much less.

It is interesting to hear about what these people have seen in the century of life. But that's a rare commodity. It's interesting to see how some are still clear-headed and even physically capable, but not all are. People who have lived so long should be honored and some of her inteviewees are. Most are taken care of by people who love them, and that's nice to read. However, there is no cohesiveness in this narrative. And no apparent purpose. The stories are badly linked and there's little understandable transition between one story and another. I fear the reader will actually learn very little, either about this group of people or about him or herself. And they will learn even less about what Ellis was trying to achieve in writing this book.

If I Live to Be 100: Lessons from the Centenarians

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If I Live to Be 100: Lessons from the Centenarians
Neenah Ellis
Manufacturer: HighBridge Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: CD-ROM
ASIN: B000MHN3Q4

Customer Reviews:

A well-written, well-documented biography.......2007-08-24

This book is good biography about General James Longstreet, one of the South's leading generals in the Civil War. Thomas obviously belongs in the camp of those who support the view that Longstreet was vilified by a group of former Confederates after the Civil War because of his politics. According to Thomas, the venerable historian, Douglas Southall Freeman, admitted he had wrongly protrayed Longstreet in his monumental works, "R.E. Lee" and "Lee's Lieutenants." Unfortunately, Freeman died before he righted the wrong he had done.
Thomas concludes his book with a quote by Freeman from his last book,"Lee of Virginia," to wit: "In the autumn of 1862 there were five men in the army whom Lee regarded as his ablest and most successful subordinates. James Longstreet stood first."
Copious endnotes and bibliography, indexed.

Many reasons for the Gettysburg loss .......2007-03-27

This book is an overview of Longstreet's life before, during and after the war. It contains very detailed descriptions of what happened during battles of the civil war in which Longstreet was involved. It covers many areas of the battle of Gettysburg in which mistakes were make by the Confederates, and how some things just worked against them. All in all, it denies that the battle was lost solely because of the delays of Longstreet, instead it was a combination of the mistakes of many generals/soldiers that lead to the loss. Longstreet was blamed by many Confederates after the war because of his affiliation with the Republican party, which many Southerners scorned because it represented the Northern government and politics. Longstreet was Lee's "Old War Horse" until the surrender at Appomattox.

A horrible book on how to blame longstreet!!.......1999-08-06

This book is one of the most disrespectul books,in attention to Luiet.Gen James Longstreet,and his actions at gettysburg. The author clearly tries to shift blame onto longstreet,and keep every possible thing from being gen lee's fault.

Book Description

James Longstreet stood with Robert E. Lee and Stonewall Jackson in the great triumvirate of the Army of Northern Virginia. He fought from First Manassas through Appomattox and served as Lee's senior subordinate for most of that time. In this classic work, first published by UNC Press in 1936, H. J. Eckenrode and Bryan Conrad follow Longstreet from his leading role in the military history of the Confederacy through his controversial postwar career and eventual status as an outcast in Southern society. Though they acknowledge his considerable gifts as a corps commander and absolve him of guilt for the Gettysburg debacle, the authors also call attention to the consequences of Longstreet's unbridled ambition, extreme self-confidence, and stubbornness.

Customer Reviews:

You pays your money..................2007-06-09

This book, like its subject, is destined to remain controversial. James Longstreet was one of Robert E. Lee's two main subordinates, and, after the death of Jackson, Lee's right arm. He was either a vain, insubordinate man, who should have been cashiered from the Army, or he was a genius ahead of his time. Longstreet was one of the officers most loved by his own men. Two others of whom that can be said were Joe Johnston and George McClellan. All three were defensive-minded leaders, who never wasted their men's lives in vain assaults. In addition, Longstreet shared some of the "bad habits" of his troops, and was approachable, unlike Lee and Jackson, who seemed to dwell on Mount Olympus.

After the war, Longstreet was blamed for the loss of Gettysburg; interestingly, that was NOT the impression at the time. Some of the General's political statements after the war angered his own people, and may have caused them to "look back" for things not seen earlier. The debate over who was "right" at Gettysburg will continue forever. I suppose my own opinion is obvious, though I still consider Lee to be the greatest officer that ever lived. See "The Killer Angels".

James Longstreet certainly did not help himself with his post-war political associations, or with the book he wrote. The authors of the book under review did not like General Longstreet, though they did admit his physical courage. "The man never lived who could call James Longstreet a coward". Longstreet seems to be one of those very rare leaders who are at their best ONLY when things fall apart....Churchill and Rudy Giuliani come to mind. I do wish the authors had given more space to Longstreet's first 40, and last 40, years. The book is well written, but ultimately I disagree profoundly with the authors. That's fine....this is America. If you want to read about James Longstreet, try Jeffry Wert.

Read right after a visit to Gettysburg.......2006-02-02

I'm a fair student of the Civil War and read this book a week after making my first visit to Gettysburg. In all my years of reading about the War I had read of Longstreet, but, not a considerable amount about him. It finally occured to me that this wasn't from a lack of my reading, but, a lack of material. I picked this book up at my library to learn more about him.

Most of my impressions of him in general reading had been fairly positive. Particularly the "Killer Angels" portrayed him as Lee's discenting General, but, one that obediently obeyed. From other readings I had him listed as the Godfather of trench warfare of WWI.

This book really took that shine off his overall generalship, but, showed him as an EXCELLENT defensive tactician. If it was a defensive operation none was better. Other than that he is made out to be an extremely egotistical person who will sacrifice anything for his own glory. That sacrifice including his men, his army, others army's, and, his country he is fighting for. I'll need to read other sources to be sure this is true, but, this text definately changed my opinion.

I would have liked more detail on his life after the war. I briefly coves how he was a Republican and a friend of Grant, but, this part is a mere sketch at best. If the detail of troop movements can be covered for Chickamauga, then the last forty years of his life can be covered in more than one chapter.

Having personally walked Gettysburg and seen the terrain involved, I can only conclude that Lee was absolutely insane to keep attacking after the second day. The successes seen at this battle were made in spite of Lee's direction. Lee's men would have been justified in shooting him as they came back from Picketts charge. The Japanese Kamikazees were at least given upfront expectations of their mission.

Very Early Bio on Longstreet: with all the Warts.......2004-01-19

This is one of the first bios on Longstreet going back to 1936 when the first edition was published. The subsequent second edition is graced with Gary Gallagher's introduction that is more balanced and gives you a better and fuller picture of Longstreet with the benefit of more recent research. The authors' writing is very good and presents all of Longstreets warts full bore and pretty much hang Gettysburg on his shoulders. But, the Gettysburg segment is not very balanced and the authors do not write very complimentary of Longstreet and are more than punishing. It is still an engaging book but oddly the authors wrote a complete book without foot notes so sources are missing. But still, the book gives you a reference point of what Longstreet's reputation was in the south in the 1930's, virtually a pariah in the south still. The high point of the book is Gallagher's introduction that in 1986 was up to date on a broader perspective that the authors do not give. A much friendlier more up to date book is Piston's classic.

Classic revisionist history.......2003-04-22

General James Longstreet has always been one of the most controversial southern generals. Long before the end of the war, in fact dating back to the battle of Gettysburg, the revisionist history began and continued until well after the turn of the century. This book is a picture perfect example of that revisionist history. The generals from both sides of the conflict were very flawed and imperfect men. Longstreet was no exception. His vilification is however unjust. He was blamed for the ill advised failure at Gettysburg, for no one could bear to place the blame on the true culprit, General Robert E. Lee. Lee was a great general , but this battle was none the less a mistake. His mistake. Eckenrode's book however blames Longstreet for this defeat and for nearly every other defeat the Confederacy suffers in the last two years of the war. The idea that Longstreet had some nearly mystical power over Lee, a very strong personality in his own right, is simply preposterous. The only accurate information in the book seems to be related to Longstreets dismal campaign as an army commander in the west. He truly did show greater tallent as a corp commander than as an army commander. This was certainly one of the best southern generals of the war, but is unfortunately given no credit for this in this inaccurate account. The only reason I gave the book two stars instead of one was for the simple fact the book was well written, and easy to read, if not based in fact. It would seem its author was certainly a more gifted writer than he was historian.

A Very Well Written Yet One Sided of the MAN........2002-03-08

Although this book was very easy to read, excluding the very boring aspect of the Seven Days Campaign which was very hard to understand, the book made Longstreet seem like the bad man in every situation. This book even made Longstreet seem bad at Fredricksburg, quite possibly one of the greatest defensive stands ever. The authors clearly do not like Longstreet and show it throughout the book. However, I am a Longstreet and Civil War fanatic and I would still suggest you read this book just to get everyone's opinion on the controversy that is James Longstreet.

General James Pete Longstreet: Lee's Old War Horse Scapegoat

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General James Pete Longstreet: Lee's Old War Horse Scapegoat
WILBUR THOMAS
Manufacturer: See notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000RQQL3W

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James Longstreet Lees War Horse
H J Eckenrode
Manufacturer: UNIV OF NC+PRESS
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000WU7WUO

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JAMES LONGSTREET: LEE'S WAR HORSE
H. & Conrad, B. Eckenrode
Manufacturer: University of North Carolina
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000KBNC7M

General James "Pete" Longstreet: Lee's "Old War horse", Scrapegoat for Gettysburg

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Military Review

General James "Pete" Longstreet: Lee's "Old War horse", Scrapegoat for Gettysburg
Wilbur Thomas
Manufacturer: McClain Printing Company
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000K7QG6K

Customer Reviews:

Military Review.......2006-12-06

This biography of General James Longstreet focuses primarily on his Civil War record. It is a great defense of his record with a very plausible explanation of why the South turned against him after the war. Good reading and insightful for those seeking the truth concerning this great american. The concentration on Gettysburg is understandable considering Longstreet's place in American history, but, like all the other biographies about the man, the focus on the Civil War detracts from other areas of his interesting life.

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Essay's by Helen Dortch Longstreet

In the path of Lee's "Old War Horse"
Helen Dortch Longstreet
Manufacturer: A.B. Caldwell Pub. Co
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Unknown Binding
ASIN: B0008857VG

Customer Reviews:

Essay's by Helen Dortch Longstreet .......2005-10-06

An excellent series of previously unpublised essays by Helen Dortch Longstreet, the second wife of Gen. James Longstreet of Confederate fame. These essays include the following titles,"Watching the Johnny Reb Run,""Most Horrible Slaughter of the War,""Humor and Pathos,""A White Man's War,""Another Chance at Second Battle of Manassas,""White Heart of a Black Hero,""Romance of the Man Who Said 'War is Hell',""Driving Longstreet Out of East Tennessee,""Grant and Longstreet in East Tennessee,""Grant at Wilderness,""Most Brilliant Charge of Civil War,""Those Who Love Most,""Time Has Made Him Understood,""His Home in the Georgia Mountains,""Wooed to the Warriors Tent".
These insightful essays mostly cover the details concerning civil war events. The most revealing essay is her description of how General Longstreet "wooed" her to his tent. Their romance was a much talked about item in those days.

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JAMES LONGSTREET: LEE'S WAR HORSE
H. J.; Conrad, Bryan Eckenrode
Manufacturer: University of North Carolina Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000QU6PI0

Law, Legislation and Liberty, Volume 3: The Political Order of a Free People
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5 stars just for epilogue

Neoliberalism vs Democracy

Worthwhile sequel to The Constitution of Liberty

law, legislation and liberty

Law, Legislation and Liberty, Volume 3: The Political Order of a Free People
F. A. Hayek
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books
General | Politics | Nonfiction | Subjects | Books
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Law, Legislation and Liberty, Volume 2: The Mirage of Social Justice

Law, Legislation and Liberty, Volume 1: Rules and Order

The Constitution of Liberty

Individualism and Economic Order

The Fatal Conceit: The Errors of Socialism (The Collected Works of F. A. Hayek)

ASIN: 0226320901

Book Description

Incisive, straightforward, and eloquent, this third and concluding volume of Hayek's comprehensive assessment of the basic political principles which order and sustain free societies contains the clearest and most uncompromising exposition of the political philosophy of one of the world's foremost economists.

Customer Reviews:

5 stars just for epilogue.......2007-03-29

The Hayekian intellectual revolution is brewing and it is just a matter of time before it explodes into the mainstream. What many refer to as Austrian economics, in other words, the proper understanding of the market process and how it creates the social order.... and evolutionary psychology, are finally being recognized as simply being manifastations of the single simple theory which explains both biological and social orders. Natural selection. Hayek understood how natural selection works at the level of societies, groups... To this day most evolutionary biologists are too focused in their tiny micro world of genes and they completely overlook natural selection working at a more macro level(I hate using the words micro and macro.. it makes it seem like there is some point where a difference exists while there is none) . I can't say I've read that many books, but I have read many great books from Mises, Rothbard, obviously Hayek, Hazlitt... ie.. the REAL economists... and plenty from the evolutionary psychology camp like Dawkins, Ridley, Pinker, etc... The epilogue to this book, page for page(24 of them) might very well be the most insightful and farseeing piece of writing published in the 20th century. This was the last work in a trilogy that tried to explain in more depth concepts discussed in hayek's "constitution of liberty" and the epologue is a great summary of Hayek's ideas.... He concludes with

"Man is not and never will be the master of his fate: his very reason always progresses by leading him into the unknown and unforeseen where he learns new things.

In concluding this epilogue I am becoming increasingly aware that it ought not to be that but rather a new beginning. But I hardly dare hope that for me it can be so"

Fortunately Hayek lived long enough to work on his final work "The Fatal Conceit".

A lot of people... unfortunatly many current and well respected Austrian economists whom I have learned much from and really like, dismiss hayek or like to label him as some kind of "statist". I understand that Hayek has written some very statist sounding things.. but I belive that much of this has been taken out of context. And even if he has made some mistakes there, it is a MONUMENTAL mistake to dismiss his body of work, which in my opinion, happens to be the single greatest contribution to the proper understanding of how the world works by a single human being. This mistake was unfortunately made by none other than the great Murray N. Rothbard who basically only credits hayek with a few clarifications or additions here and there to Mises business cycle theory, and sticking with mises while the world was being swept by keynes and his inflationary communism.. which is true. No disagreement here that Mises was the greatest economist of the 20th century. But to ignore and dismiss hayek's contributions via his "sensory order" and work on cultural evolution and the evolutionary processes that shape the social order, "spontaneous order", religion and its evolution and importance and many other things... is, again, a MONUMENTAL mistake, especially when such dismisal comes from other great minds... But anyways... eventually the right ideas are naturally selected in a free environment.... They grow and spread through amazon.com reviews and many others.... It is just a matter of time...

I can't say I've read much in my short years, but thus far, the Epilogue to this book is page for page the most in

Neoliberalism vs Democracy.......2006-05-19

Neoliberalism was born on September 11, 1973, when a US-backed military coup murdered the democratically elected President of Chile and ushered in the tyranny of General Pinochet who murdered and tortured thousands, closed parliament, and outlawed political parties and trade unions. If that doesn't give you pause about the compatibility of neoliberalism and democracy, read this book.

In Hayek's model of an ideal constitution each citizen is given one vote per lifetime when they reach the age of 45 (page 113). Then, Hayek decides that's probably too generous, and calls for an "indirect method of election" where the legislature would appoint regional delegates who would appoint new legislators, without any popular vote at all (page 114).

Neoliberals hate democracy, in both theory and practice, and are much more comfortable with an oligarchy.

Worthwhile sequel to The Constitution of Liberty.......2004-12-18

Volume 3 of Law, Legislation, and Liberty is in part an attempt at identifying the reasons why, in Hayek's opinion, the principles of liberty he articulated in The Constitution of Liberty do not find greater subscription. Majoritarian democracy is not inherently just, since it is based on interests rather than justice. The majoritarian democratic system consists of people each pursuing their own interests: citizens want spending programs with others paying for them, elected officials generally want to be reelected, government workers prefer large over small government in order to enhance job security. The result is an aggregation of special interests, and not even the general, or common interest, let alone justice. The laws that end up being enacted are intended to serve specific administrative purposes rather than general principles.

With a system of progressive taxation, the aggregate tax burden is no longer felt by the entire population. People end up exerting political pressure for expenditures for which they believe others will pay. In such a system, any normal type of cost-benefit analysis of government programs disappears. The inevitable result is an ever-growing government sector.

The basis of the book is straight public choice theory (pp. 13-17 would make a splendid concise introduction to the field). Even a legislature elected by a democratic majority needs to have constitutional restrictions placed upon it, lest it become a form of tyranny. Hayek proposes "a model constitution" that attempts to rectify some of the shortcomings inherent in the existing democratic system. Laws should be general not specific. They should be about principles rather than benefits, i.e. they should protect citizens' life, safeguard their liberty, and help create an environment in which they are free to engage in the pursuit of happiness. Laws should not discriminate between different individuals or groups, not even based on their wealth or income. Laws passed must apply to everyone, including those who pass the laws, i.e. the legislature. This also goes for taxation: the burden of taxation is to be felt by all who benefit from the existence of government.

Law, Legislation, and Liberty was intended as a sequel to The Constitution of Liberty, in that Hayek wrote it to "fill in the gaps" that he felt existed in his argument in that earlier work. He wrote and published Law, Legislation, and Liberty on and off over a time-span of approximately 15 years (early-mid 1960 to mid-late 1970s), which were in part interrupted by ill health. Hayek admits that the result is at times repetitive and lacking in organization. The reason why he did not go through the effort of redoing the entire work upon completion is because he thought he might at that rate never finish it (he was 80 years old by the time volume 3 was published).

There are still plenty of great insights, which Hayek argues persuasively and in doing so manages to portray as common sense. There are also plenty of flashes of that true rhetorical brilliance characteristic of Hayek that can make his writings such a feast to the ear and mind. On the downside, however, these rhetorical gems are hidden in a large volume of pages that at times do indeed seem tedious, repetitive, and unorganized, unlike with The Constitution of Liberty, where they literally seem to jump off the page at you. All in all, read The Constitution of Liberty first, as Hayek himself suggests. And if you're not up for reading the approximately 500 pages that make up the complete Law, Legislation, and Liberty, two chapters (30 pages total) in the book The Essence of Hayek make for a comprehensive summary exposition of the ideas in the entire trilogy ("Principles of a Liberal Social Order", ch. 20 in The Essence of Hayek, covers vols. 1-2, and "Whither Democracy?", ch. 19, covers vol. 3).

law, legislation and liberty.......2000-05-19

¿Por qué esta obra es tan importante y el autor, uno de los más serios de este siglo? Porque se trata de una comprension cabal del funcionamiento de nuestra civilización occidental. El libro (los tres volúmenes)es una desmitificación de ciertos conceptos harto conocidos, de clara tendencia socialista, a través de los cuales se ha pretendido transformar sociedades enteras. El concepto de justicia social es uno de ellos, en virtud del cuál se han encarado acciones políticas con resultados conocidos por todos. Esta obra de Hayek es la obra de alguien que ha entendido profundamente al ser humano y su sociedad, y que ha comprendido que es un estado de libertad su ámbito natural. La teoría de la Evolución, parece confirmarle esto al autor. De todos modos, uno se encontrará con grandes argumentos y exposiciones a partir de los cuáles, si es que todavía no se ha convencido de las bondades del liberalismo; tendrá un gran motivo para empezar a hacerlo.

Law, Legislation and Liberty, Volume 3 : The Political Order of a Free People

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Law, Legislation and Liberty, Volume 3 : The Political Order of a Free People
F. A. Hayek
Manufacturer: University Of Chicago Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OPGXQG

Book Description

The area of native prairie known as the Great Plains once extended from Canada to the Mexican border and from the foothills of the Rocky Mountains to western Indiana and Wisconsin. Today the declines in prairie landscape types, estimated to be as high as 99%, exceed those of any other major ecosystem in North America. The overwhelming loss of landscape and accompanying loss of species constitute a real threat to both ecological and human economic health.

Prairie Conservation is a comprehensive examination of the history, ecology, and current status of North American grasslands. It presents for the first time in a single volume information on the historical, economic, and cultural significance of prairies, their natural history and ecology, threats, and conservation and restoration programs currently underway. Chapters cover:

environmental history of the Great Plains
the economic value of prairie
prairie types-tallgrass, mixed grass, shortgrass, wetlands-and the ecological processes that sustain each type
prairie fauna-invertebrates, fish and other aquatic creatures, amphibians and reptiles, birds, and mammals
conservation programs such as the Great Plains Partnership, Canada's Prairie Conservation Action Plan, the U.S. Prairie Pothole Joint Venture, and others

The book brings together knowledge and insights from a wide range of experts to describe and explain the importance of prairies and to position them in the forefront of North American conservation efforts. Praire Conservation is an essential reference for anyone interested in prairie ecology and conservation and will play a critical role in broadening our awareness and understanding of prairie.

Customer Reviews:

No house to be found!.......2000-12-08

I read the whole thing cover to cover and there wasn't one mention of the little house or Laura Ingles. What a waste of time.

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