Bungalow 2

Book Description

Danielle Steel takes us beyond the dazzle of Hollywood in her compelling new novel—the story of one woman’s journey from suburban mom to award-winning screenwriter...and all the joy, heartbreak, and challenges along the way.

Bungalow 2

The phone call came on a hot July day—a day like any other for Marin County mom and freelance writer Tanya Harris. But this call—from Tanya’s agent—was anything but ordinary, offering a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity: the chance to write a major Hollywood screenplay, a dream she had put aside long ago to devote her energies to her family. This time, Tanya knows she cannot refuse, even though she’s torn about leaving her husband and their daughters. From the moment she steps into her lush bungalow at the fabled Beverly Hills Hotel, Tanya is thrust into an intoxicating new world where she feels reborn—energized by the creativity swirling around her—yet the pull of her family at home is strong.

Suddenly she’s working alongside A-list actors and a Hollywood legend: Oscar-winning producer Douglas Wayne, a man who always gets what he wants–and who seems to have his sights set on her. Flying home between shoots, struggling to reconnect with a family that seems to need her less and less, Tanya watches helplessly as her old life is pulled out from under her in the most crushing of ways.

As her two lives collide, as one award-winning film leads to another, Tanya begins to wonder if she can be a wife, a mother, and a writer at the same time. And just as she confronts the toughest choice she has faced, she is offered another dazzling opportunity—one that could recast her story in an amazing new direction, complete with an ending she never could have written herself.

In Bungalow 2, Danielle Steel takes us into a world few ever see—a world of fame and fortune, celebrity and genius–daring to show us the real lives, real dreams, and real struggles hidden beneath the flash and glitter of Hollywood.

Customer Reviews:

Ugh.......2007-10-15

Once upon a time, I really loved Danielle Steel so when I saw this book on the shelf with its pretty cover and the promise of finding out what happens behind the scenes for a Hollywood writer. I learned long ago that Danielle Steel gave up on writing original stories sometime in the 80s, but I decided that it'd been so long since I'd read something of hers, even the pattern book this was sure to be would be a nostalgic trip back to my teens. I prepared myself to read the same story with the names changed to protect the innocent so I wouldn't get frustrated on my quest to find out what a writer gets to do on a Hollywood set in an entertaining way. I knew I wasn't picking up Nabokov.

Even in that mindset, I was shocked at the level of trite drivel this book soared to out of the gate. The main character was a complete and total doormat. She revelled in the abuse heaped on her by her children and her husband. No one with an ounce of self esteem could possible take joy in that level of servitude without being heavily medicated. She made Stepford Wives look rebellious and outgoing in comparison. I fear for any teenager who picks up this book and looks for a role model.

This is the first book I have ever seriously considered demanding my money back. I mourn the hours spent reading it as time wasted.

Ugh...What happened to Danielle Steel?.......2007-10-08

When I started reading her books, they were almost epic novels. I don't know if she is required per her contract to churn out so many books a year or what or no longer feels it necessary to actually write something original but holy cow! It seems like the last 10 books have had the exact same female lead character with exactly the same issues in slightly different locations. If I wanted to read Harliquin Romance novels, I would.

Repetitious.......2007-10-05

Loved the cover, hated the book. Tanya is boring, whiny, and too good to be true. And how many times can you say the same thing? Eight times, it seems, judging by the repetitions in the first half of the book. The insights into making a Hollywood movie made it more interesting.

Excellent Read.......2007-09-26

I really enjoyed this latest book from Danielle Steele. I had a hard time putting it down.

Danielle Steel has the nerve to criticize soap opera writers after writing this?!!!!!.......2007-09-18

I agree with the other reviews of this book. Except for "His Bright Light...", her story about her son, Danielle Steel has not written a decent book in years. Like a lot of my fellow reviewers, I borrowed this book from my local library. I could barely make it half-way through before I gave up in disgust. I hated the characters and I hated the morally superior tone. As a soap opera fan, I especially took offense on behalf of all the talented writers, actors and other professionals in that genre. I'll take a bad episode of any soap opera over this drivel any day. Like another reviewer said, please don't kill any more trees for more of the same old regurgitated plot! You have enough money, Ms. Steel; please take a vacation and a good long break from writing!

Average customer rating:

little treasure
an excellent compilation

Richard Serra: The Matter Of Time
Carmen GimEnez , Hal Foster , and Richard Serra
Manufacturer: Steidl/Guggenheim Bilbao
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

General | Sculpture | Arts & Photography | Subjects | Books

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All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 3865211372
Release Date: 2005-08-15

Book Description

Richard Serra, renowned for his challenging and inventive work, is widely considered to be one of the greatest sculptors of the contemporary era. The Matter of Time documents Serra's recent commission by the Guggenheim Museum Bilbao of seven monumental sculptures for the largest gallery of the museum. Together with Snake (1994-97), the work that Serra created for the museum's grand opening, the sculptures create a permanent, site-specific installation of a scale and ambition unrivaled in modern history. Through a revealing interview-essay by noted critic Hal Foster, and writings and statements by the artist about his recent series Torqued Ellipses and the present, unprecedented commission, the book discloses the last 25 years of this sculptor's oeuvre and the evolution of his sculptural vocabulary as it relates to this installation. Other writings by Carmen Gimanez and a chronology by Kate Nesin help contextualize Serra's work.

Customer Reviews:

little treasure.......2003-09-29

A wonderful little book to get you looking at Serra's work in a critical fashion. I haven't read all the essays just yet, but so far they've been quite good. A priori art history knowledge required, but none about Serra's work. Serra is certainly one of the greatest artists working today, so to have a little companion like this makes his work all the more interesting.

an excellent compilation.......2003-09-10

The Library Journal review above makes this book sound terrifyingly difficult. In fact, if you're the kind of person interested in buying a critical work on Serra, you're probably "up" enough to read this with ease. It's a loose collection of interviews, criticism and essays, including what I think is the best piece I've read on Serra yet, by Krauss. Not too much prior knowledge of contemporary art history is assumed, and the book is thankfully light on defining genres and sub-sub-genres in which to put Serra's work.

The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel (Steel Making and Refining) (Book and CD-ROM)

Average customer rating:

Fast and Cheap
The Ironmaking Volume
A good general reference text
The Making, Shaping, and Treating of Steel
Everything you wanted to know about steelmaking...

The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel (Steel Making and Refining) (Book and CD-ROM)

Manufacturer: United States Steel Corp
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

All Titles | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books

Professional | Qualifying Textbooks - Fall 2007 | Stores | Books
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ASIN: 0930767020

Book Description

This volume, focusing entirely on steelmaking and refining processes, emphasizes the important developments that contributed to the improvements in increased quality and productivity realized by the steel industry in the last ten years. In particular, the chapters on EAF steelmaking and ladle and secondary refining have been greatly expanded. The chapters on BOF and AOD steelmaking have been updated and expanded, and the chapter on fundamentals has been updated to reflect current understanding.

Customer Reviews:

Fast and Cheap.......2005-09-26

Ordered a book that i would usually get in a book shop and realised that it was much cheaper through amazon and i would recieve it a lot quicker

The Ironmaking Volume.......2000-04-28

This is the second volume of The Making, Shaping and Treating of Steel which covers ironmaking. Like the first volume on steelmaking, this volume gives an historical overview of ironmaking.

Sections include: the fundamentals (Thermodynamics, reactions, physical properties) of iron and steelmaking; Refractories; Coal & Coke; Iron Ores; The Blast Furnace design & operation; and Direct Smelting processes.

I found the sections on the physical properties and thermodynamics are quite good. A good reference for people working in the industry.

A good general reference text.......2000-04-26

Coming from and Iron-making research and devlopment background, I found this volume a useful tool in coming to terms with the various processes that are used for steelmaking.

Additionally information is provided for the physical properties and thermodynamics for the iron & steel making processes. Other operational issues as such as refractory design are also covered.

The Making, Shaping, and Treating of Steel.......2000-03-30

This is the Bible for understanding the processes involved in steel production. The history and development of the various technologies are fully discussed. The nature of the market, with the critical financial drivers are fully explained. The technical detail is written at a level that will benefit the expert, but in such a way that someone new to the business can understand the concepts and issues without being overwhelmed. This book made it possible for me to work with steel experts without being intimidated by their jargon. Don't leave home without it!

Everything you wanted to know about steelmaking..........1999-03-27

This 1500 page book is a comprehensive work on the subject of steelmaking. Some of the topics include the history of steelmaking, slags, refractories, solution thermodynamics, furnaces, alloys, and chemistry. It has many charts, tables, and illustrations as well as an extensive index and excellent cross-referencing. This book is a definate must-have for any materials science student interested in the steel industry. It is also an excellent reference book for the professional.

Sisters (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper))

Average customer rating:

Danielle Steel is THE BEST
Excellent, until a too sudden, too sugarcoated ending!
Sisters
Too Fluffy too perfect !!!
Should have been a short story - not a novel

Sisters (Random House Large Print (Cloth/Paper))
Danielle Steel
Manufacturer: Random House Large Print
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books

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ASIN: 0739327011
Release Date: 2007-01-30

Book Description

Four sisters, a Manhattan brownstone, and a tumultuous year of loss and courage are at the heart of Danielle Steel’s new novel about a remarkable family, a stunning tragedy—and what happens when four very different young women come together under one very lively roof.

Candy–it’s the only name she needs—is blazing her way through Paris, New York, and Tokyo as fashion’s latest international supermodel. . . .

Her sister Tammy has a job producing the most successful hit show on TV, and a home she loves in L.A.’s Hollywood Hills. . . . In New York, oldest sister Sabrina is an ambitious young lawyer, while Annie is an American artist in Florence, living for her art. . . . On one Fourth of July weekend, as they do every year, the four sisters come home to Connecticut for their family’s annual gathering. But before the holiday is over, tragedy strikes and their world is utterly changed.

Suddenly, four sisters who have been fervently pursuing success and their own lives—on opposite sides of the world—reunite to share one New York brownstone, to support each other and their father, and to pick up the pieces while one sister struggles to heal her shattered body and soul. Thus begins an unscripted chapter of their lives, as a bustling house is soon filled with eccentric dogs, laughter, tears, friends, men . . . and the kind of honesty and unconditional love only sisters can provide. But as the four women settle in, they are forced to confront the direction of their respective lives. As the year passes and another July Fourth approaches, a season of grief and change gives way to new beginnings—as a family comes together to share its blessings and a future filled with surprises and, ultimately, hope.

With unerring insight and compassion, Danielle Steel tells a compelling story of four sisters who love and laugh, struggle and triumph . . . and are irrevocably woven into the fabric of each other’s lives. Brilliantly blending humor and heartbreak, she delivers a powerful message about the fragility–and the wonder—of life.

Customer Reviews:

Danielle Steel is THE BEST.......2007-10-07

My mom and I have been reading Danielle Steel for years and years. We collect all her books. Her stories take you all over the world. She has lived(in real life) in many different parts of the world. And her stories make you feel, as though, you have been there too! And the way she describes her characters in her stories, make you feel as though, you personally know the person. Her books are ones, that you don`t want to put down. You want to finish the story, so you can start another one of her books.She has a new book due out in February 2008. Mom and I can`t wait to read this one!!!!!

Excellent, until a too sudden, too sugarcoated ending!.......2007-09-14

In Danielle Steel's latest novel "Sisters", the story starts out with the usual trademark fairytale quality.

Four sisters with highly successful and interesting careers, are scattered around the world; New York, Los Angeles, Paris and Florence. Hardly your average bunch of ordinary lives.

But that's the beginning. The surface. The setting. Until tragedy strikes and man's vulnerability cuts through whatever glamourous lifestyles the sisters may seemingly enjoy.

Life is turned upside down. Reality is as unexpected, harsh and as far from a fairytale as can be. The best part of the book describes the developments straight forward, honest and with much warmth and insight.

That a happy ending awaits, is Danielle Steel's trademark. However, the way tragedy all too quickly literary turns into happiness is a bit too easy to give the story balance. The pieces of the puzzle fall into place so fast and conveniently for all the family members that the situation is hard to fathom even for the most soft-hearted.

Tragedies ARE overcome but usually it takes time and hardship to build up a new future.

This book could actually have been longer. A more natural development of the situation and not the lightening quick wrapping up of loose ends during the last fifty pages or so, would have given the story more credibility.

Happy solutions are nice, but the turning of events in "Sisters" is simply too sweet and sudden even for a fairytale.

Sisters.......2007-09-06

I really enjoyed this book and couldn't put it down. Being one of three sisters I could definatly understand the sisters.

Too Fluffy too perfect !!!.......2007-08-28

Although I did enjoy this book, I found the characters too perfect. The relationships between the sisters seemed too false. All the sisters were beautiful, with great jobs, and would do anything for each other, and they hardly ever had a fight, blah, blah,blah. Most sisters do not get to live like the girls in this fluffy type fairytale.

Should have been a short story - not a novel.......2007-08-20

I have not read DS in many years and now I remember why. This book repeated the same ideas and even the same phrases so often it was annoying. She could have written this book in just a few pages and not missed anything important. I anticipated the predictable story ie. tragedy, depression, find a man fall in love, live happily every after. The rape story seemed thrown in and was all wrapped up too quickly to add anything interesting to the story.

Average customer rating:

Maybe Steel should retire...
Toxic Bachelors
Most disappointing book I ever read
Waste of time and money
Gave it a try

Toxic Bachelors
Danielle Steel
Manufacturer: Amazon Remainders Account
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

ASIN: B000F5ZH7G

Customer Reviews:

Maybe Steel should retire..........2007-04-09

I used to be a fan of this author, but after reading several of her books I'd come to the conclusion that if you've read one of Steel's novels, then you've read them all. A friend of mine knows what an avid reader I am, so she handed me this book and said she'd read it, for me not to be in a hurry about returning it to her. So, I brought it home and started reading between television commercials. I wasn't very far into the book when I knew it would be a waste of my time to go any further. I'm returning the book to its owner today. If Danielle Steel wrote this novel and plans to keep writing, then she probably should fire her editor. My other advice would be that perhaps she should retire. I'm sure she's made her fortune and doesn't need the additional sales. I think what gripes me is how a book can immediately climb to the best seller list simply because it bears a particular author's name. Think of the people that probably purchased this book and are highly disappointed. Sure glad I didn't pay for it, but then, I'd pretty much convinced myself a long time ago not to pay good money for any more Steel novels. After trying to read this book and not being able to finish it, I probably won't waste any more of my valuable time either. Do yourself a favor and skip this one.

Toxic Bachelors.......2007-03-20

LOVED IT! If you're in for an easy, fun, yummy read...this is it! Thank God for romance novels!

Most disappointing book I ever read.......2007-01-04

I am an avid fiction reader and I'm amazed at how poorly written this book is. It almost seems like each paragraph is a random brain dump of whatever was in the author's mind that moment. As an example, one paragraph starts with a sentence about why someone didn't buy an airplane, and ends with an email acceptance to a party (totally unrelated to the airplane).

The writing style is absolutely awful and it doesn't seem like anyone edited the book before it was published! English teachers would cringe at the total lack of paragraph organization, the run on sentences, and dangling modifiers. I am only one-third of the way through this book and I'm not sure I can finish reading it ...I can't remember the last time I did not finish a book!

The characters are not believable at all. How many men, especially those who have never been in any kind of therapy, are able to discuss over dinner or wine, the underlying psychological issues that make them who they are?

This is not the Danielle Steel I remember reading long ago. I was in high school when I read and enjoyed one of her first books called "The Promise." Since then, there were other books by Ms. Steel that I enjoyed, but this one is way beyond disappointing.

And wow, I purposely wrote my review in a Word document before I came here and read the reviews already here...I see that many people feel the same way!! I am definitely not going to waste my time trying to get through the rest of this book and I will never, ever buy another Danielle Steel book. I wish I would have saved the $8 I spent on it and given it to my favorite charity instead. What a waste of time and money.

Waste of time and money.......2006-12-07

This was the worst book I have ever read....and I read A LOT. I agree with what the other reviews mentioned (except for the one person who thought it was well thought out and written) and will not go into the same details. Most of my annoyance came from the repetitive phrases and lack of depth to the characters and plot. I have only read a few of Danielle Steel's books (which I found so similar to each to be boring) and thought I might give her one more shot when I was looking for something to read in the airport. I can't believe she has sold ANY books with the quality of the writing I just experienced. An utter waste of time and money. I only finished it because I am out of the country and lack anything else to read. I will never read another of her books after reading Toxic Bachelors. I have actually enjoyed reading the rotten reviews much more than I enjoyed the book!

Gave it a try.......2006-10-18

I recently saw Danielle Steel interviewed and was impressed that she had raised 9 children, lost a son to suicide, and did so much humanitarian work. I'm not a fan of this type of novel but thought I would give it a try since I was so impressed with her in the interview.

There were two things that drove me nuts about this book, the most annoying of which was her repetition of words and phrases, often right on the same page. "He was going to ask Carole" and then in the next paragraph, "He had decided to ask Carole." The second most annoying thing was all the cliches. It isn't often that I roll my eyes while reading a book.

I also think she spends way too much time with her superficial descriptions of places and people and not enough time having them do things. I like the way other authors develop their characters by showing us how they behave, react and what they say in different situations. I think having a character kick a dog (3 words) tells you a whole lot more about them than 50 pages of superficial drivel, which this book is full of.

I think Danielle Steel is a remarkable woman, but as an author, at least of this particular book, I don't see the magic or talent I expected from a person who has been called, "the world's most popular author."

447 pages. Two days. That's time I could have used elsewhere, feeding the hungry or ministering to the poor or sick. OK, probably just reading another book.

The Arms of Krupp: The Rise and Fall of the Industrial Dynasty that Armed Germany at War

Average customer rating:

Krupp: the Epitome of the Military-Industrial Complex.
Excellent book with annoying features
The Family That Armed Germany
The Arms of Krupp
war is good for business

The Arms of Krupp: The Rise and Fall of the Industrial Dynasty that Armed Germany at War
William Manchester
Manufacturer: Back Bay Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

General | Popular Economics | Business & Investing | Subjects | Books

World War I | Military | History | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0316529400

Book Description

A masterwork of history-restored to print and made available for the first time in trade paperback.In this massive, compellingly readable book, America's preeminent biographer/historian brings to life Europe's richest, most powerful family, a 400-year dynasty that developed the world's most technologically advanced weapons (from cannons to submarines to anti-aircraft guns); provided arms to generations of German leaders, including the Kaiser and Hitler; operated private concentration camps during the Nazi era; survived conviction at Nuremberg; and wielded enormous influence on the course of world events. William Manchester's account of the rise and fall of the Krupp dynasty is history as it should be written-alive with all its terrifying power.

Customer Reviews:

Krupp: the Epitome of the Military-Industrial Complex........2007-02-27

William Manchester's "The Arms of Krupp" is an epic look at the company, personalities, dynasty, and the nation that formed one of the world's most infamous armaments manufacturers.

From the earliest records of a Krupp in the late 16th century, the Krupp family profited off the suffering an misery of others when Arndt Krupp bought land in Essen for a bargain following an outbreak of bubonic plague. It was a pattern that played out again and again up to the Second World War; but the later tragedies the family profited off was human conflict rather than disease.

Throughout the narrative, the reader is introduced to a long list of eccentric and sometimes brutal 'Cannon Kings': from manure-loving Alfred whose genius launched die Firma into its infamous glory, the scandalous Fritz, the robotic Gustav, to the WWII-era slaveholder Alfried. At times, readers will envy the early Krupps for their dedication to die Firma, while in other instances the audience will be appalled by the Krupps' cold-blooded arms dealings that led to the deaths of so many of their own countrymen.

Manchester is keen on casting the house of Krupp as a symbol of modern Germany; as their trials and boons both seemed to coincide in recent history. Furthermore, "The Arms of Krupp" is an excellent source for insight on the pre-WWI arms race and the post-Versailles rearmament that other histories of the period overlook. Over all, it is a highly recommended book for anyone interested in the history of Germany and the barons of modern warfare.

Excellent book with annoying features.......2006-12-25

This book is excellent for all the reasons mentioned in the other reviews. What I found REALLY annoying was the author's use of German quotes. He provides quotes, in German, usually somewhat abbreviated as shown by the use of ellipses, and then provides the translation of the entire quote in English. Since most of his readers can't read German, and the entire quote is NOT in the German version, why include them? More frustrating are the German phrases that he quotes and doesn't translate, leaving us to guess at their meanings.

The Family That Armed Germany.......2006-10-16

William Manchester squeezes yet another masterpiece into just under a thousand pages (not counting index!) For four centuries one name was associated with the armaments that were utilized in four major wars, creating the richest family in Europe; Krupp. Each leader of the dynasty had peculiar quirks that Manchester delights over, some were involved in sex scandals, and another ran his day to the second with pure Prussian obsessive-compulsion. Krupp innovations included the steel cannon and railroad wheel; they designed the notorious 88mm of WW II, and the descendant of that gun, the 120mm hypervelocity cannon, may be seen on U.S. tanks to this day. The driving force behind the industrialization of the Ruhr, it would be legitimate to ask if Germany were responsible for the rise of Krupp, or Krupp responsible for the rise of Germany. Like so many others, Alfried Krupp fell under Hitler's spell, spurring him to run private concentration camps in order to produce more weapons. Intrafirm Krupp memoranda from this period begin to use terms such as Sklavenarbeiter (slave labor), Sklavenmarkt (the slave market), Sklavenhalter (the slave-holder, Alfried Krupps), and Judenmaterial (Jewish livestock.) The Nuremberg Trials follow, and Krupp walks away almost unscathed, to continue in business until the company foundered in the 1960s. German history and the Krupp lineage is inextricable, and there is no better writer to bring such a unique saga to life.

The Arms of Krupp.......2006-03-03

The ultimate story of the KanonenKonig. I highly recommend this book to anyone intersted in the industrial history of the Ruhr. The best work on the rise of Germany available.

war is good for business.......2005-12-29

This work is the cardinal profile of the rise of the `military-industrial complex' in 19-20C Germany. The Krupp legacy (family and firm) is skillfully traced in a lucid, comprehensive account equal to the finest modern history.

Without Krupp, Germany would never have been unified in 1871. Without war, Krupp would never have grown into the wealthiest concern in the world. Each served the other. And tens of millions died.

What price did Krupp pay for key instrumentality in aggressive war? Not much. Gustav (key Nazi donor, appointed `Leader of Industry' in 1933) was judged too infirm for trial in 1945. Alfried (who joined the SS in 1931) spent 3 years in jail (released to much applause in 1951). The firm self destructed 1967-8 (Arndt II, playboy degenerate, wasn't up to the task of renewing the symbiotic relationship).

Krupp armed regimes that killed civilians without remorse. It used slave labor to produce weapons, and operated camps that (given the regimen) supported extermination. All without apology.

Perhaps the most cynical salute to profit is Krupp's ultimate negotiation of a £40,000 settlement in 1926 for patent royalties from Vickers for 640,000 shells the Brits fired at Germans in WW1 (Gustav insisted 4,160,000 shells were fired -- killing 2,080,000 German soldiers -- and £260,000 was due). Thus Krupp, the preeminent German weapons firm, was paid for the death of German soldiers in a lost war.

Though I read it thirty years ago, this book remains important and memorable. Highly recommended.

His Bright Light: The Story of Nick Traina

Average customer rating:

A must read for every woman
i am the mother of a musically talented son with severe bipolar 1
Sharing in his light
Parts not completely true...
Sad...

His Bright Light: The Story of Nick Traina
Danielle Steel
Manufacturer: Delta
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Biographies & Memoirs | Subjects | Books

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Suicide | Psychology & Counseling | Health, Mind & Body | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0385334672
Release Date: 2000-02-08

Amazon.com

Like Kurt Cobain, Nick Traina lived for punk rock (his bands made two CDs, Gift Before I Go and 17 Reasons), succumbed to heroin addiction, and died of suicide. His mom, Danielle Steel, takes us through her 19 twister-like years with Nick in a memoir more affecting than her potboiler novels. Like his AWOL addict father, Nick had good looks, bad behavior, and a yen for the feminine. Five days before he died, he phoned a woman he saw in a centerfold and had a new girlfriend by nightfall. But his fun was ever haunted by manic depression. At age 11, he was a bed wetter who ate all the Tylenol and Sudafed in the house. He first considered suicide at 13, as Steel learned by reading his diaries after his death.

There is tension in this story--one doctor told Steel if she could get Nick to live to 30, he'd probably live a normal life span. (For example, Nick's troubled dad resurfaced, sober, soon after his son's death.) And Steel conveys a sense of the intelligence Nick used to conceal his learning disability, and the irreverent charm that alternated with irrational rages. Oliver Sacks has urged us not to ask what neurological disease a person has, but what sort of person the disease has got hold of. Steel gives us a vivid sense of the costs of the disease to a family--and of the person who was Nick Traina. --Tim Appelo

Amazon.com Audio Review

It's hard to listen to any story that deals with the loss of a child, but Danielle Steel's memoir of her son, Nick Traina, is both tender and engrossing. In this unabridged audio version of His Bright Light, Steel leads us through Nick's battle with manic depression and her fight to help him survive. Although Steel herself narrates the introduction, actress Traci Godfrey, who portrays the author's strong emotions without becoming maudlin, reads the book. Anyone who has known a loved one affected by depression will identify strongly with Ms. Steel's passionate recollections of her son's life. (Running time: 9.5 hours, two cassettes) --Sharon Griggins

Book Description

"This is the story of an extraordinary boy with a brilliant mind, a heart of gold, and a tortured soul. It is the story of an illness, a fight to live, and a race against death.

I want to share the story, and the pain, the courage, the love, and what I learned in living through it. I want Nick's life to be not only a tender memory for us, but a gift to others. . . . I would like to offer people hope and the realities we lived with. I want to make a difference. My hope is that someone will be able to use what we learned, and save a life with it."—Danielle Steel

From the day he was born, Nick Traina was his mother's joy. By nineteen, he was dead. This is Danielle Steel's powerful, personal story of the son she lost and the lessons she learned during his courageous battle against darkness. Sharing tender, painful memories and Nick's remarkable journals, Steel brings us a haunting duet between a singular young man and the mother who loved him—and a harrowing portrait of a masked killer called manic depression, which afflicts between two and three million Americans.

At once a loving legacy and an unsparing depiction of a devastating illness, Danielle Steel's tribute to her lost son is a gift of life, hope, healing, and understanding to us all.

Customer Reviews:

A must read for every woman.......2007-10-14

Bought this as a gift for my mom and had to read it for myself after she raved so much about it. I enjoy all of those real stories that are written well.

i am the mother of a musically talented son with severe bipolar 1.......2007-09-16

I am so frightened that this disease will take my son's life. Ever since his undetermined coma on xmas 2003, he was discharged with only me knowing there was something not quite right. He was diagnosed 3 years later, after 3 years of neurologists, radiologists, nutrienists, etc. No one in the medical field ever suggested a psychiatrist, not until started with hallucenations, auditory and visual. The medications stop working and he needs to get hospitalized. He is a talented song writer and guitarist. I am constantly worried. Unfortunatley the rest of the family have no understanding or knowledge of how sick he really is. I cried for the family of Nick, and for Nick, to be taken so soon when he was just beginning his life. Bipolar disorder, and other mental illnesses affect more people than is realized. I've done so much research and read whatever I can from other families so I can help my son and help myself understand his disease. God Bless anyone who has to deal with this themselves. I found a support group for families of people with mental illness so I know I'm not alone in this.

Sharing in his light.......2007-09-04

This book was very enlightening. I'm not a regular reader of Danielle Steel, however I've always admired her writing. This book though caught my attention because of the subject matter. I was grateful to Ms. Steel for opening up such a personal aspect of her life to the public. I hope writing it helped in her healing as well. This book really shows from a young age (infant) just how strong a mother's intuition is and some, what I believe from my experience as well, what can truly be some tell-tale signs of mental illness. I would definitely recommend this book, especially for anyone who suffers from bi-polar disorder, or knows someone with the same.

Parts not completely true..........2007-05-18

I don't think it was fair for Danielle to blame a lot of Nick's problems on his former bandmates (friends of mine as well) of the band Link 80. I understand that writing this book was her way of grieving with her loss, but at the same time there are a lot of parts to this book that was just not true. She even pointed out that Nick had had many problems and considered thoughts of suicide as early as 13. Singing for Link 80 was his way of escaping depression more than anything else, it certainly was not one of the reasons for his plan for suicide. However, I still think Danielle is a good writer. Personally, I don't read any of her books, it's just not my style, but good writer nonetheless.

Sad..........2007-04-10

This is a book that will make you wonder how great a love of a mother can be. But I kept wondering as I read the book, if the mother of Nick is not Danielle Steel, someone who have so much resources and money, what will become of him? I kept imagine how much money she had spent to keep him going.

The love she has for him is really great.

I must say after reading so much autobiography, this is one of the few that come out worthy to spend the money and time.

Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend

Average customer rating:

fascinating read!
This book really touched my soul !
A great view of part of American (and Black American) History
History of a Railroad and a song
Wish I had read this before my first college history course

Steel Drivin' Man: John Henry, the Untold Story of an American Legend
Scott Reynolds Nelson
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0195300106

Book Description

The ballad "John Henry" is the most recorded folk song in American history and John Henry--the mighty railroad man who could blast through rock faster than a steam drill--is a towering figure in our culture. But for over a century, no one knew who the original John Henry was--or even if there was a real John Henry. In Steel Drivin' Man, Scott Reynolds Nelson recounts the true story of the man behind the iconic American hero, telling the poignant tale of a young Virginia convict who died working on one of the most dangerous enterprises of the time, the first rail route through the Appalachian Mountains. Using census data, penitentiary reports, and railroad company reports, Nelson reveals how John Henry, victimized by Virginia's notorious Black Codes, was shipped to the infamous Richmond Penitentiary to become prisoner number 497, and was forced to labor on the mile-long Lewis Tunnel for the CandO railroad. Nelson even confirms the legendary contest between John Henry and the steam drill (there was indeed a steam drill used to dig the Lewis Tunnel and the convicts in fact drilled faster). Equally important, Nelson masterfully captures the life of the ballad of John Henry, tracing the song's evolution from the first printed score by blues legend W. C. Handy, to Carl Sandburg's use of the ballad to become the first "folk singer," to the upbeat version by Tennessee Ernie Ford. We see how the American Communist Party appropriated the image of John Henry as the idealized American worker, and even how John Henry became the precursor of such comic book super heroes as Superman or Captain America. Attractively illustrated with numerous images, Steel Drivin' Man offers a marvelous portrait of a beloved folk song--and a true American legend.

Customer Reviews:

fascinating read!.......2007-07-16

As someone interested in history, the South, civil rights, and folk songs, I loved this book. The author starts by tracking down evidence to propose a candidate for the original John Henry who inspired the song. The author then fills in the details of what John Henry's life after arrest was probably like based on court, prison, and railroad records. Certainly, this part is speculative, as some reviewers have complained, but there is no reason a priori to expect that John Henry's experiences were significantly different from the norm. Besides, the discussion of the horrifying conditions the railroad builders and workers endured is eye-opening. Much of the latter portion of the book discusses how the song spread and the meaning it had at different times and to different groups. The author obviously did extensive research and creates a fascinating portrait of how a song mutates to suit current times.

This book really touched my soul !.......2007-02-09

Although I am a Civil War aficionado, I have rarely read about what happened directly after the war. However, this book has changed my reading habits!!

From the time I was a child, I had a special affection for the John Henry songs and "legends". Well, I had no idea he was REAL-- flesh and blood! This book not only brought him alive for me, but the research and presentation was EXQUISITE. Dr Nelson -- in my eyes you have done a tremendous job of bringing alive not only JH, but the terrible wrongs done to thousands of African-American freedmen (and women) in Richmond, by the corrupt "Freedman's Bureau".

By reading this book, in my mind's eye AND ear, I could see the men and women who toiled in the often brutal conditions, to dig tunnels and build track. I could almost hear the weird and wonderful chants that helped lay the track and ease the brutal conditions and physical pain that these people, mostly (wrongfully convicted in many cases) convicts endured, usually until they dropped dead from the years of toil and/or silicosis.

Could that photograph of a John Henry (page 46) in Bealton VA (not that far from Richmond) really be him? Truth is stranger than fiction - perhaps we ARE looking into his smiling face. And one question I have-- how does the Smithsonian REALLY know which bones are his? (maybe I missed something)

The author's narrative, interspersed with highly pertinent photographs AND song verse kept me riveted to this very complex and highly interesting book.

The book's narrative gives great detail to that era in Richmond that John Henry lived, as wel as the "white house" by the tracks (Federal Penitentiary where so many of these Freedmen were wrongfully incarcerated) and as it winds past John Henry the individual, it reveals the highly pertinent correlation with those railroad songs handed down by word-of-mouth and then collected and sung by the like of people such as Carl Sandburg, folk singer as well as poet, Pete Seeger, Burl Ives.

The book then shows how the John Henry story and ballads found their way into art, and life as well - expressed in the artwork and subject matter in Marvel Comix; expressed in the song and art of striking workers, the WPA, Karl Marx, the Communists and Socialists in America in the 1930's, the "radical and liberals of the 1940's", the Black Worker Protest Songs -- and more.

Of great interest also was the way the South incorporated (and the way it did NOT incorporate) black history regarding John Henry and other related Afro-American folk heroes and song into its school textbooks and library books back in the 40's and 50's.

I borrowed this book from the library -- but I was so impressed with it that I bought one for myself. I want to do my own research (in fact I'm playing some CD samples from Amazon right now, having to do with John Henry and word of mouth folk songs) on these ballads, and those who sang them as well as those who still sing them today.

I cannot find any fault with this book. The fact that I am now hooked on the John Henry ballad and all the history (past AND present) that goes with it is proof enough of this book's influence.

Does Dr. Nelson have a web site that relates to this book? I guess that's one more bit of research that I will undertake!! (I hope he does!)

PS- the "Gandy Dancer's Gal" on page 131 is a tremendous summation on canvas, of the strength and hardships, as well as the joys that were part of these track workers' lives.

A great view of part of American (and Black American) History.......2007-02-01

Race relations are a complex issue, this book was an interesting survey of the issue, following an American Legend how it was molded and re-molded to fit the view of the teller at the time.

The book isn't a novel, and possible starts a little slow but I felt picked up really well by the middle of the book.

Overall a great history book that looks at history in a interesting way.

History of a Railroad and a song.......2007-01-20

If you're looking for a validated, historical account of John Henry, well, Mr. Nelson could be correct - or maybe not. He has found an arrest record for a 5' 1-1/4", black male by the name of John Henry, who was arrested for stealing, sent to prison, and was loaned out by the scalawags to build a railroad. This would make a fine magazine article, not a book.

This history of a John Henry, then, is layered into the history of the building of the railroad, and of the many different John Henry songs (using the songs as a base for history). It is somewhat plausable.

Unfortunately, Mr. Nelson also adds much of his left-leaning political opinions, interwoven throughout the book - tolerable on heavier political subjects - not on what I assumed was to be a biography. In fairness, it is a biography - of a song, not a man. And Mr. Nelson also seems to think that capitalism is evil, while American communists were wonderfully warm and fuzzy (except for supporting Stalin's terror and genocide).

Wish I had read this before my first college history course.......2006-11-19

This book offers a great introduction into what and how a real historian does history. Who would guess that an old dump can be more informative than a documentary movie? The 'truth' about the real John Henry is only a hook for demonstrating the confusion, guess work, and desire to tell an acceptable story that is history. This very readable little book could go along way to breaking the belief of many that all you need to understand history is a good textbook.

Average customer rating:

Just what I needed
Steel Magnolias
Excellent!
Stellar!
Memorable and Excellent Read for Women !

Steel Magnolias(DPS Acting Edition)
Robert Harling
Manufacturer: Dramatists Play Service, Inc.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0822210789

Customer Reviews:

Just what I needed.......2006-07-22

I'm glad I was able to find this book since our booksellers don't carry it. I had a project for school and this play was suggested. After reading the script along with the movie I absolutely loved it. The story touched me through the up and down friendship between the five women.

Steel Magnolias.......2006-01-08

A touching play telling the story of six Southern women, all the action is set in the beauty shop in which they spend their Saturdays and spans the course of a couple years. Each of the women have their own conflict that they come to terms with over the course of the play, most of them dealing with their relationships with one another and other people in their lives. From Clairee and Ouiser, aging women dealing with the losses of their husbands, Truvy with her own dead-beat husband and the appearance of Annelle in her life, to Annelle seeking direction in her life and reconciliation with her past. The center of the story is M'Lynn and her newlywed daughter Shelby, as they try to find the happy medium in their relationships with their husbands and with each other. Every woman, though, gets her moment in teh spotlight and all of them change significantly over the course of the play. The play is well written, with natural dialogue and a perfect blend of humor and tragedy, truly displaying the strength of these Southern "steel magnolias."

Excellent!.......2005-03-09

I haven't read this play but I recently saw it performed. It was abosolutely wonderful! It is this story of six women who live in a small town in Louisiana, who spend their Saturdays in a beauty shop. One of the characters, Shelby, gets married towards the beginning of the play. She has diabetes and is told by her doctor that she shouldn't have children, but she wants children so badly that she has a baby anyway... I think you see where this is going. This is a very touching and humorous play and recommend this to everyone.

Stellar!.......2004-04-05

Being privelaged to see the New York premiere of this work many years ago, I was thrilled to see the movie when it came out (also many years ago). This is a "one-of-a-kind" play and really can't be put into any category with the exception of "Southern." That said, it holds up as well today as it did when it first came out. Funny, sad, well-paced, and above all, well-written, this stellar tour-de-force piece of theatre will take you through all the emotions--and then some.

Also recommended: McCrae's BARK OF THE DOGWOOD

Memorable and Excellent Read for Women !.......2003-06-01

Wonderful book on the lives of friends in a small town, their enduring relationships and their ability to cope with difficulties and loss. Great characters! A must read!
Evelyn Horan - teacher/counselor/author
Jeannie, A Texas Frontier Girl Books One - Three

Robot Trilogy: The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn

Average customer rating:

Asimov's great robot murder-mysteries
Great!

Robot Trilogy: The Caves of Steel, The Naked Sun, The Robots of Dawn
Isaac Asimov
Manufacturer: Del Rey
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

General | Science Fiction | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books

ASIN: 0345331192
Release Date: 1988-08-12

Customer Reviews:

Asimov's great robot murder-mysteries.......2005-10-03

Isaac Asimov, along with H.G. Wells, is perhaps the greatest Science Fiction writer of all time. He, above all others, brings science to the genre while writing in a very clever way. Not many SF authors were scientists before they became writers. Asimov clearly knows his science and, more importantly, the level of science the audience knows.

This "Robot Trilogy" is set two thousand years into the future; well after his "I, Robot" short stories which precede it and set up the now-universal Laws of Robotics, and before Asimov's 'Empire' novels. 'The Caves of Steel' (an acronym for the cities of the future) is set on Earth, while 'The Naked Sun' and 'The Robots of Dawn' are set on colonised planets elsewhere in the galaxy. Each story follows the investigations of detective Elijah Baley and his human-looking robot partner (mascarading as a 'Spacer'), Daneel Olivaw, as they solve murder mysteries on each planet.

These stories are well crafted and read like good old-fashioned murder mysteries. The unique aspects of these novels are their off-world settings and robot characters; the robots must obey the three laws of robotics, the first being that a robot cannot harm a human, or through inaction, allow a human to be harmed. But loopholes exist which Asimov explores brilliantly. But what drives these stories is the relationship between Earthmen and Spacers (outer world colonialists). Here, the two are distinctly polar in every way, thus fueling the stereotypical fears between the two groups. For example, Earthmen are considered by 'spacers' as second-class citizens due to their idiosynchratic indoor-only nature and susceptibility to disease, while spacers are considered elitist by Earthmen as they don't allow physical contact. A number of other psychological and social problems are also addressed by Asimov, in particular the "Frankenstein" complex that humans have developed in response to creating robots - other sentient beings. Other themes include community versus the individual, change versus stagnation, and dependance on technology to prolong life.

What is really impressive about Asimov is the fact that he has accomplished what he has without violence. I don't recall in any Asimov novel a gun being fired!

Why buy this book? Each novel can be read individually but are really designed to be read one story after another. So buy this omnibus instead of purchasing three separate books. You will want to read "The Naked Sun" and "The Robots of Dawn" after reading "The Caves of Steel" anyway. Also, read "I, Robot" before venturing into his other novels as Asimov sets up his rules here.

(Asimov began his robot novels with the collection of short stories entitled "I, Robot" which was set in the years 2010 to 2050 roughly and presented for the first time the Three Laws of Robotics. These stories revealed man's distrust of robots which were created to serve man and his occupations, especially in Earth orbit and in the Solar System (the extent of exploration at this point in human history), and importantly, not on Earth.)

Great!.......1997-09-01

In these books, Asimov puts in views and theories and situations that may arise as well as fit in facts about books set in later eras, such as Foundation. Well written, sound bases. Gives a reader the feeling of "This is how it could be.&quot

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