Rebecca

The story starts with Celie's letters to God. She is poor, and abused. Life is bleak, but eventually gives way to love and happiness.

Watching Celie's journey, and her sister Nettie was moving. Feminist/black literature, the book doesn't flinch as it examines abuse, incest, lesbianism, Jim Crow, religion, and the Olinka tribe in Africa.

The author was the narrator, and it was wonderful.

The name Genghis Khan brings to mind murdering Mongolian hordes. This book examines who Genghis Khan was, and the changes to civilization resulting from him and his descendants. Perhaps it is revisionist history, but nevertheless, I different way to look at how civilization grew, and the part Genghis Khan played.

Divided in three parts, the first is Genghis Khan, than his four sons and their descendants, and finally their place in history and impact of communism on the Mongol people and the research into this era.

The book is written lively and I learned new things about civilization and the fall of this empire because of the plague. Most interesting to me was Khan's tolerance of religion and how he would adopt advances in one region and because he didn't restrict because of religious reasons, took that advancement to other areas he conquered.

Really enjoyed the audio book - except they put the author's comments at the end of the audiobook - if it had been earlier, I would have made a point to use the reference materials while reading.

Weatherford should write a book just about the adventure of researching this book - that would be fascinating.

In high school I discovered Buster Keaton's 1926 silent move "The General" it is still my favorite movie. Little did I know that it was based on a true story! The Great Locomotive Chase, or Andrew's Raid occurred on April 12, 1862 in northern Georgia.

Two civilians and 22 Union soldiers (mainly from Ohio) volunteered for a mission to steal a railroad engine and destroy track and telegraph in Georgia and Tennessee. They snuck behind enemy lines, boarded the train at Marietta GA, and while the crew and passengers were off the train having breakfast at Big Shanty GA (now Kennesaw), they uncoupled the passenger cars and left. The raid might have succeeded, but an engineer from the stolen General pursued them along with others.

I loved Bond's book which includes Civil War history before and after the engine theft,the planning, the chase, details of men involved (both the 23 Yankees who stole the engine and the Confederates who followed), what happened after the war, and the place in history of the many players involved. Since many of the Union soldiers were given the first Medal of Honor, the book also provides history about that decoration for valor.

Finally, the fate of the two engines? The General is in the Confederate History and Railroad Museum in Kennesaw GA and the pursuing Texan is in the lobby of the Cyclorama Museum building in Atlanta.

Chance the Gardner, is an illiterate, quiet man who has learned social graces by studying television. When the owner of the home dies, and the attorneys can find no record of him, he is told to leave and is hit by the limousine of the wife of a very wealthy financier.

This simple man becomes infamous as Chauncy Gardner. He meets sophisticated, influential people including the President, ambassadors and is on TV.

People find his simple talk about gardens a profound metaphor for the economy. Loved it!

While it is fun and light - it points out how people look for deep profoundness and answers in what is simply not there.

Dustin Hoffman's narration was great.

Black Hawk was a leader of the Sauk tribe (around Illinois, Iowa and Wisconsin) and lead his people with the British against the American's in the War of 1812, and fought the Americans again in 1832 when white settlers took his tribe's lands (Called the Black Hawk Wars).

It was fascinating to read about these confrontations from the Native American point of view. The descriptions of war (scalping), honor against enemies, ceremonies and family life during peace were all very interesting.

His biography was told to and translated by Antoine LeClair (who was half French/half Pottawatomie and married to a woman who was half French Canadian/half Sauk).

Black Hawk has been honored for his bravery and wisdom by having many things named after him - helicopters, hockey team, mining town in Colorado.

Husband and wife research team examines sex both at the dawn of time through archeological and biological data.

The premise is if we're supposed to be monogamist, why are we so bad at it? They show that ancestorally and even recently, we are at our best in civilizations that welcome open, caring relationships. The book struck me as paradigm changing, but I questioned it. I'm not versed enough to tell the legitimacy of their attack of various archeologist and scientists, but it seemed a little too over the top. Also I thought the use of pop culture in music, movies, literature maybe made it approachable, but didn't work for me.

I don't know if its that the thought was so counter to me, or if it is their science that was jangling for me or both. I'm not religious - I'm not even really traditional, but I question how they got to their conclusions.

I read before as a teenager and thought Heathcliffe was misunderstood and mistreated. A dark, brooding, romantic hero. I had forgotten how horrible and cruel he becomes.

This book was a fun surprise. It is dark and gothic - the eeriness of the atmosphere and depth of characters is delicious.

Anne Flosnik's narration was wonderful.

So many people and leadership books have quote "The Art of War" that I felt it deserved a read.

Now I can nod sagely when somebody quotes it. As far as what I got for leading others - I did get one gem - The Five Dangerous Faults - Recklessness, Cowardice, hasty Temper, Delicacy of Honor (shame), and Over Solicitude for Men.

Horrible narrator. It was a blessing it only lasted 1 hour, 16 minutes, and only cost about $2.

Not what I expected. I knew it was about a group of pilgrims going to Canterbury and of course I'd heard of some of the bawdier tales.

The variety of styles are fabulous - some more high-tone, and others lively and humorous. I'm wondering if this is the first documentation of fart jokes?

Many of the religious tales are criticism of the church - carnal priests, the church selling "indulgences", unchristian rants.

And then the Parson's tale at the end seems to almost negate the former and begs people to repent and guard against the seven deadly sins. After that, Chaucer has a brief ending that asks for God's mercy and begs forgiveness. I thought - "what the heck was that?" and actually was pleased to read that many others reacted the same way.

This book has modern language - and it was still difficult - especially with some tales - like the Parson's being over 3 hours with much lecturing and quoting of Greek and Roman philosophers and the scriptures. Still - a piece of history that I'm glad I have read.

Charles Dickens is one of my favorite authors and "David Copperfield" is the most autobiographical of his novels. A tale of a young boy's development through his birth to a widowed mother, the trials of cruel step-parents and school masters, to the loving support of his nurse Peggotty, and aunt Betsey Trotwood.

I enjoyed the twists and turns of the story, and the fabulous characters - the solidness of Peggotty and her family, the excentricity of Aunt Betsey, the loveliness of Agnes, the good-hearted theatrical financial irresponsibility of Micawber and his faithful wife, and finally the gruesomeness of Uriah Heep (I truly cringed at some fo the descriptions).

The one part that drove me crazy was David or Trot's child-bride Dora. Funny that critisism of "saccharine sentamentality" by some authors including Henry James, Oscar Wilde and Virginia Woolf.

The narration by Simon Vance was superb. Excellent fun.

One of Maxwell's best. Description of the 5 levels of leadership (position, permission, production, people development and pinnacle) and overview of how each level builds on the others.

Maxwell goes in depth of pros/cons of each level, how to build on each level, and how to prepare to go to the next level. Often we are not aware of the transitions needed, but this makes it very clear.

In my work coaching, I see how some of this will help others.

Maxwell reading his own work was wonderful.