Growing up, I loved Patrick Swayze. He was the man - from Roadhouse to Ghost, to Dirty Dancing to Next of Kin, they were all great in their own way. The man could act, dance and appeared to be living the dream.
What was amazing was that he was always destined for greatness. His mother named him Patrick, as she thought his name would look good on a billboard. Imagine that. His mother was a dance instructor, and that is where Patrick learnt the art of dance, and met his life long love Lisa Niemi. She is extremely attractive, and the pair looked like the perfect couple. She also followed a career in dance, though appeared to take the support role, and let Patrick take the lime light.
Patrick Swayze was a fighter, he suffered major injuries during his dancing and acting career, which did not stop him one bit. He trained and worked with significant pain. He also suffered the pain of alcoholism, he lost his father (which was extremely tough) then he lost his battle with cancer.
You know, this was one of the most motivational books that I have read as part of this blog. Patrick Swayze never gave up, never did things in halves, never lost his sense of family (or earthy things - the pair loved horses) and he never lost his sense of fighting when the chips were down.
He and Lisa Niemi spent time on the bread line, they fixed furniture to make ends meet, they separated for a period, and they, sadly, never had kids. They had a great life, though, and one that gave us all joy and happiness. It was an amazing journey, and one that I loved. It is time to pull out Road House again and watch him go around with Sam Elliot, including getting stitched up without pain killer. You know, if that was real life, especially after reading the book, it is not a stretch to imagine him doing that.
The blurb from the book reads:
"In September 2009 movie star Patrick Swayze lost his long and bravely fought battle against pancreatic cancer. Dedications soon came flooding in from Swayze's many friends in film and television as well as from his legions of adoring fans. His was a life richly led and this memoir, completed just weeks before his death, is a testament to the strength and passion of this remarkable man. It was January 2008 when Patrick Swayze was given the worst news of his life. What he hoped was just a stomach ache was actually stage four pancreatic cancer. This book isn't just the story of Patrick's fight against cancer. In the public eye from the early 1980s, this is the story of a remarkable life and career. Intended as a low budget, straight-to-video production, Dirty Dancing became a cult hit and remains one of the most enduring films of the 80s. Ghost cemented Patrick as a hugely bankable star, in a role that has had a considerable cultural impact. Most recently Patrick returned to the public's adoring arms in TV's The Beast. This book will chronicle Patrick's personal life, too -- including his treatment for alcoholism following the death of his father and sister's sudden death. What remained a constant in Patrick's life was his marriage and Patrick and Lisa's love story is inspiring, honest, heartfelt and transcends the typical celebrity marriage. This is a book that anyone who has faced cancer or a terminal illness can turn to: Lisa and Patrick have shown the world that cancer isn't just a diagnosis given to one individual, but a disease that can bring a household together or pull a family apart. Bold, honest and inspiring, Patrick Swayze's memoir is the story of a remarkable man's life and career and of his refusal to give up without a fight."
A 4.75 out of 5 for me for this one. Loved it. Loved the fight, loved the spirit, loved the ups and downs and loved the down to earthiness of this man, who the world will miss.
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Sunday, June 6, 2010
Book 24 - Raising Boys
Raising Boys, by Steve Biddulph, is an absoutely must read for any parents of young males.
I really learnt so much from this book, with the one major thing being that ADD could also be a case of DDD (dad deficit disorder - now that was an enlightening point - I need to be home more - very close to my heart).
Apparently, "Raising Boys has created shifts in how parents understand the development and needs of boys from birth to the teenage years. It covers both the social forces and the biological and hormonal forces that make a boy what he is, and how to use these to help boys be safe, caring, energetic, and in love with life."
"Boys worldwide have three times the death rate of girls, and are disappearing from higher education, while girls do better and better. This book is incredibly timely, and much loved by parents.
The three stages of boyhood. What mothers can do. What fathers can do. What if you are a single mother ? Finding a boy-friendly school. Boys and sport. Boys and sex.
Ideal for mothers who are just not sure if they understand boys. For fathers who want to play an active role in raising their son."
Again, and finally, this is a great book, and one that explains so many of the issues that we face as parents (actually of both boys and girls). It tackes the touch stuff, like homosexuality, and the soft stuff, like puberty and masdurbation. Very enlightening, and my wife and I are applying the messages already.
Anyway, if you are raising kids, get this book.
4.5 out of 5 from this little no-one who is critiquing books for the 2010 calendar year.
I really learnt so much from this book, with the one major thing being that ADD could also be a case of DDD (dad deficit disorder - now that was an enlightening point - I need to be home more - very close to my heart).
Apparently, "Raising Boys has created shifts in how parents understand the development and needs of boys from birth to the teenage years. It covers both the social forces and the biological and hormonal forces that make a boy what he is, and how to use these to help boys be safe, caring, energetic, and in love with life."
"Boys worldwide have three times the death rate of girls, and are disappearing from higher education, while girls do better and better. This book is incredibly timely, and much loved by parents.
The three stages of boyhood. What mothers can do. What fathers can do. What if you are a single mother ? Finding a boy-friendly school. Boys and sport. Boys and sex.
Ideal for mothers who are just not sure if they understand boys. For fathers who want to play an active role in raising their son."
Again, and finally, this is a great book, and one that explains so many of the issues that we face as parents (actually of both boys and girls). It tackes the touch stuff, like homosexuality, and the soft stuff, like puberty and masdurbation. Very enlightening, and my wife and I are applying the messages already.
Anyway, if you are raising kids, get this book.
4.5 out of 5 from this little no-one who is critiquing books for the 2010 calendar year.
Book 23 - The Shack
This book really is a great read, and I would recommend it for everyone on the planet to have a read of. It is written by William P. Young, and it was published in 2007. It became a best seller in 2008, and you can see why, when you read it.
I actually really believed it was a true story, but it is a novel, apparently. I got some information from Wiki, below ...
The novel is all about Mackenzie Philips, a father of five, called "Mack" by his family and friends. Mack is set up as a friend of the authors, and the book is focused on an event that occurred after Mack took his three youngest children on a camping trip to Wallowa Lake near Joseph, Oregon, stopping at Multnomah Falls on the way. Two of his children are playing in a canoe when it flips and almost drowns Mack's son. Mack is able to save his son by leaving his youngest daughter Missy alone at their campsite. After Mack returns, he sees that Missy is missing. The police are called, and the family discovers that Missy has been abducted and murdered by a serial killer known as the "Little Ladykiller." The police find an abandoned shack in the woods where Missy was taken, but her body is never found. Mack's life sinks into what he calls "The Great Sadness."
At the beginning of the book, Mack receives a note in his mailbox from "Papa," saying that he would like to meet with Mack on that coming weekend at the shack. Mack is puzzled by the note - he has no relationship with his abusive father after Mack leaves home at age 13. He suspects that the note may be from God, whom his wife Nan refers to as "Papa."
Mack's family leaves to visit relatives and he goes alone to the shack, unsure of what he will see there. He arrives and finds nothing, but as he is leaving, the shack and its surroundings are supernaturally transformed into a lush and inviting scene. He enters the shack and encounters manifestations of the three persons of the Trinity. God the Father takes the form of an African American woman who calls herself Papa, Jesus Christ is a Middle-Eastern carpenter, and the Holy Spirit physically manifests itself as an Asian woman named Sarayu.
Mack tells the story of the time that he shares speaking with, dining with, and learning from Jesus, God and the holy spirit. There are some great interactions.
It is really a powerful book, and there is one part that was quite amazing, where Mack is weeding a garden with the Holy Spirit. It turns out that they are in Macks soul, cleaning it up. Amazing stuff, and just one of the phenomenal little quirks in the book. The big one is really about forgiveness ...
In summary, the book explains what I really thought to be unexplained, in many ways. The author is am amazing chap, to be able to articulate the messages, as he has done. Very clever, very insightful.
Look, I must say, though, that my wife read this book, and loved it passionately, and I read 'The Five People you Meet in Heaven' first. We each liked the book we read first more than the preceding book, so that was interesting. The Shack was great, but I preferred the former, even though they really were about different messages and story lines.
Anyway, a great read, and highly recommended. 4.5 out of 5 from this little book critic.
I actually really believed it was a true story, but it is a novel, apparently. I got some information from Wiki, below ...
The novel is all about Mackenzie Philips, a father of five, called "Mack" by his family and friends. Mack is set up as a friend of the authors, and the book is focused on an event that occurred after Mack took his three youngest children on a camping trip to Wallowa Lake near Joseph, Oregon, stopping at Multnomah Falls on the way. Two of his children are playing in a canoe when it flips and almost drowns Mack's son. Mack is able to save his son by leaving his youngest daughter Missy alone at their campsite. After Mack returns, he sees that Missy is missing. The police are called, and the family discovers that Missy has been abducted and murdered by a serial killer known as the "Little Ladykiller." The police find an abandoned shack in the woods where Missy was taken, but her body is never found. Mack's life sinks into what he calls "The Great Sadness."
At the beginning of the book, Mack receives a note in his mailbox from "Papa," saying that he would like to meet with Mack on that coming weekend at the shack. Mack is puzzled by the note - he has no relationship with his abusive father after Mack leaves home at age 13. He suspects that the note may be from God, whom his wife Nan refers to as "Papa."
Mack's family leaves to visit relatives and he goes alone to the shack, unsure of what he will see there. He arrives and finds nothing, but as he is leaving, the shack and its surroundings are supernaturally transformed into a lush and inviting scene. He enters the shack and encounters manifestations of the three persons of the Trinity. God the Father takes the form of an African American woman who calls herself Papa, Jesus Christ is a Middle-Eastern carpenter, and the Holy Spirit physically manifests itself as an Asian woman named Sarayu.
Mack tells the story of the time that he shares speaking with, dining with, and learning from Jesus, God and the holy spirit. There are some great interactions.
It is really a powerful book, and there is one part that was quite amazing, where Mack is weeding a garden with the Holy Spirit. It turns out that they are in Macks soul, cleaning it up. Amazing stuff, and just one of the phenomenal little quirks in the book. The big one is really about forgiveness ...
In summary, the book explains what I really thought to be unexplained, in many ways. The author is am amazing chap, to be able to articulate the messages, as he has done. Very clever, very insightful.
Look, I must say, though, that my wife read this book, and loved it passionately, and I read 'The Five People you Meet in Heaven' first. We each liked the book we read first more than the preceding book, so that was interesting. The Shack was great, but I preferred the former, even though they really were about different messages and story lines.
Anyway, a great read, and highly recommended. 4.5 out of 5 from this little book critic.
Book 22 - Tombstone
Tombstone is a town that I have always been fascinated by. It was founded in 1878, when a struggling prospector found silver in the jagged mountains of Arizona. Within a year the town of Tombstone was filling up with merchants, tradesmen, gamblers, whores, and gunslingers, and was what I imagine to be a wild west town.
In this book, Matt Braun hypothesises that "the Earp family came to Tombstone - five brothers with their women and their wives and along with Doc Holliday and a band of thieves, Wyatt Earp treated the Arizona territory as his personal stomping grounds."
Now, I am not sure that I completely believe this side of the Tombstone story. Matt is convinced, though it is the only book, or text, or even movie, or anything else, that depicts Wyatt Earp in this way. Yes, Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc, were all rat bags and were wrapped up in gambling and all sorts of money making schemes, but I am not sure that they were into stage robberies and other things that Matt says there were.
Then, there was the legend of the OK Corral shootout.
In this book, private detective Luke Starbuck was sent to Tombstone to find the truth. And when he got there, Starbuck's mission turned into one burning, personal obsession: to kill Wyatt Earp. See, Wyatt lived to a ripe old age, though this book says that Luke Starbuck was intent on killing him, hunted him, etc. It also says that Wyatt never remarried after he left Mattie Blaylock, which we know to be incorrect, as he married Josephine Marcus.
Really, on reflection, I am not sure if Matt is trying to tell us a true story, here, or if it is all a made up yarn. See, the other thing is, Luke Starbuck, at the end of the book, is all upset that he has not become a famous house hold name, like Wyatt Earp did. Sounds far fetched.
Anyway, overall, the book was not a bad read. It was sort of a 'dime novel'. It has 20c on the front of it, so I am guessing that I bought it on the cheap somewhere.
I love the story of Tombstone, and the Tombstone movie, where Kurt Russell and Val Kilmer are the main actors, is still one of my all time favourites. Great movie - if you haven't seen it - get into it, quickly. I suppose I was a little disappointed that this book did not have the same story line as the movie, and proposed theories that I really thought were a little out there. Anyway, Matt appears to be a good writer, though, and overall 3.5 out of 5 for this one. Not a bad read.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
