The Faith of Barrack Obama
Author: Stephen Mansfield
Published By: Thomas Nelson Publishers
Date Published: August 1, 2008
Genre: Biography
Pages: 192
Recommended Age: adults
Rating: C/3
I borrowed this book from the library.
Summary:
In "The Faith of Barack Obama," "New York Times "bestselling author Stephen Mansfield takes readers inside the mind, heart, and soul of presidential hopeful Barack Obama--as a person of faith, as a man, as an American, and possibly as our future commander in chief.""
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed reading this account of our President’s faith. I believe President Obama’s path to Christianity shows God’s hand. Here he was raised by a mother who was an atheist but taught him to respect all religions and people’s differences. He was a lost soul. President Obama says he didn’t fit in with African-Americans or with the white population. He didn’t even have a faith to call his own. It wasn’t until he stumbled into a Christian church on the east side of Chicago did he find the peace he was always looking for. He found something bigger than himself to say he was part of. He could call himself a Christian.
Stephen Mansfield did a fine job of telling a story of our president’s faith and stitching the president’s background story so you can get the full picture of who President Obama truly is. If you are curious about the faith our president, or are one of the population who believes the president is a Muslim, I recommend reading The Faith of Barrack Obama by Stephen Mansfield.
Parents:
Language: none
Adult Content: none
Violence: none
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Dorothy Day: a Biography
Author: William D. Miller
Published By: Harper & Row
Date Published: 1982
Genre: Biography
Pages: 527
Recommended Age: Adult
Read & Reviewed By: Me
Rating: B/4
I borrowed this book from the Sisters of Notre Dame Education Center’s library
Summary:
It is a comprehensive biography that chronicles the life of Dorothy Day, the co-founder of Catholic Worker.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed the biography very much. I liked that it held nothing back. It told about her common law marriages, her short, but lawful marriage, her political arrests, her family conflicts. You name it, it all it was in Dorothy Day’s Biography. William D. Miller did not leave anything out. The reader learns all about Dorothy’s faults, how she fought for human rights and lived in solidarity with the poor. At times, she even went against the Catholic Church to bring about change.
For these reasons I gave Dorothy Day’s biography four stars and a grade of B. I truly recommend reading Dorothy Day: a Biography by William D. Miller. You will be glad you did. I won’t be surprised if you walk away from it having another person to admire.
Parents:
Language: None
Adult Content: None
Violence: None
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The Life of Thomas More
Author: Peter Ackroyd
Published By: Nan A. Talese
Date Published: October 20th 1998
Genre: Biography
Pages: 464
Recommended Age: Adult
Reviewed By: Me
Rating: B/4
This book is from my personal collection.
Summary:
This book tells the life of Thomas More, one the most noteworthy figures in history. He was a brilliant lawyer of his time, author of the classic novel Utopia, and a Catholic martyr and saint who was beheaded when he refused to follow King Henry VIII in severing ties from the Catholic Church.
My Thoughts:
I quite enjoyed this book. I liked that Peter Ackroyd would described the streets that young Thomas More walked from his house to the school he attended. Ackroyd would bring Thomas More’s 15th/16th century world alive for his readers. Ackroyd even include passages from some of More’s letters and documents.
What I didn't like was I found More’s writings hard to read. It took me awhile but I finally figured out that he used the letter Y in place of the letter of I and V in the place of the letter U. There were some words I still couldn't figure out what they were. As a reader, I must take in account that spelling and grammar in the 16th century were not as advanced as it is these days.
For these reasons, I gave Peter Ackroyd’s The Life of Thomas More four stars and a grade of B. If you enjoy reading biographies, I recommend reading The Life of Thomas More. It is a very enlightening book.
Parents:
Language: Some
Adult Content: None
Violence: None
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Teresa of Avila: The Progress of a Soul
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Parents:
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Giant George: Life with the World’s Biggest Dog
Parents:
Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
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Teresa of Avila: The Progress of a Soul
Author: Cathleen Medwick
Published By: Alfred A. Knopf
Date Published: November 16, 1999
Genre: Biography, Religious
Pages: 304
Recommended Age: Adults
Read and Reviewed By: Me
Rating: 4/B
I borrowed this book from the Sisters of Notre Dame Education Center’s library
Summary:
Teresa de Ahumanda escaping the confines of marriage, one of the two choices a woman has in the 16th century, becomes a nun. Taking the name Teresa de Jesus sets out to reform the Carmelites and opening many Discalced (barefoot) Carmelite convents and Friaries.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book very much. It told the story of a strong, independent woman. The story flowed easy. It was not hard to read, as some biographies are. I had the book read in two weeks time compared to the two months it takes me to struggle through a biography. I came to like and admire St. Teresa of Avila; she is a very determined woman. She knows want she wants and goes after it, even in time women just are not supposed to be strong and independent. For all these reasons, I gave this book four stars and a grade of B. If you like reading biographies or you are just interested in reading about some of the saints (like I am) I recommend Teresa of Avila: The Progress of a Soul by Alfred A. Knopf.
Parents:
Language: None
Adult Content: None
Violence: None
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Pope John Paul II: The Biography
Author: Tad Szulc
Published By: Scribner Book Company
Date Published: December 28, 1995
Genre: Biography
Pages: 542
Recommended Age: Adults
Rating: 2/C
This book is from my personal collection.
Summary:
The inside story of the negotiations involving John Paul II, Soviet President Gorbachev, and General Jaruzelski of Portland that led to Poland's and Eastern Europe's transition form communism to democracy.
My Thoughts:
I did not care much for this book; I regretted buying this book. I have read biographies that were much more interesting than this one. It bored me to tears and took me almost two months to finish this book and that is not like me. This book read more like a text book, which is why I gave it only two stars and a grade of D. It gave a bunch of history on Poland, going back a hundred years before the Blessed Pope John Paul II was even born. I do not recommend Pope John Paul II by Tad Szulc. If you want to read a biography on Pope John II, I would recommend a finding a different author and one that covers Blessed Pope John Paul II’s entire life span.
Parents:
Language: None
Adult Content: None
Violence: None
Giant George: Life with the World’s Biggest Dog
Author: Dave Nasser with Lynne Barrett-Lee
Published By: Grand Central Publishing
Date Published: April 10, 2012
Genre: Biography, Non-fiction
Pages: 252
Recommended Age: Young Adults, Adults
Rating: B/4
"When two hundred and forty-five pounds of dog gets a twinkle in his eyes, size matters. Boy, does size matter!!!"--From Giant George
I got the book from the library.
Summary:
This is a humorous story of George, a Great Dane who won the title the World’s Tallest Dog-ever. George was the runt of his litter and Dave and Christie Nasser chose him because not only was he cute but they believed he we wouldn’t get very big. Surprising everyone, even the vet, George became almost five feet tall, seven feet long, and 245 pounds. Being such a playful dog he brought joy to the Nasser’s lives and showing them that even huge dogs has their fears. George is scared of water, dogs littler than him and, of being left alone. He even has a bladder that every dog and human would envy.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed ready about Giant George. Dave Nassir did a fantastic job of writing this book about his beloved pet. He told the story of Giant George so well that the reader can actually see Giant George enjoying Christmas so much that takes down the tree by accident.
I gave Giant George four stars and a grade of B because this book has caused be to laugh quite often throughout the chapters. The reader is able to see the tremendous amount of love the Nassers have for their giant pooch just by the sacrifices they make for him at every turn. If you are a dog lover or have read the book A Dog’s Purpose and enjoyed it then I recommend Giant George: Life with the World’s Biggest Dog by Dave Nasser. This is one reader who can’t wait for the sequel.
Parents:
Language: very little
Adult Content: None
Violence: None
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Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World
Author: Vicki Myron
Published By: Grand Central Publishing
Date Published: October 7th 2010 (first published 2008)
Genre: Autobiography, Memoirs, Biography
Pages: 282
Recommended Age: Adult
Read and Reviewed By: Me
Rating: C/3
This book is from my own personal library.
Summary:
A kitten was only a few weeks old when he was stuffed into the Spencer Public Library’s book slot. The library director Vicki Myron petitioned the library board for permission to keep the kitten. The petition was granted and the kitten had found itself a home. The kitten was then given the name Dewey Readmore Books and the cat won the hearts of the town. For nineteen years Dewey charmed the town and the world with his personality as he ruled over Spencer Public Library.
My Thoughts:
I enjoyed this book so much that after I had finished reading it I did a search for Dewey Readmore Books on the internet and spent time watching videos of a cat who knew he was king of a library. I liked how the author Vicki Myron shared the town’s history and her personal trials and triumphs. It made understanding her attachment to the cat easy to see.
I recommend reading Dewey: The Small-Town Library Cat Who Touched the World by Vicki Myron, especially if one is a cat lover. It’s good light hearted reading that can make the reader chuckle at some points and cry at others.
Parents:
Language: None
Adult Content: None
Violence: None
Violence: None
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