Art Buchwald (20 October, 1925 – 17 January, 2007) was an American writer best known for his humorist column in the Washington Post, which was syndicated in many other newspapers and a published more than 30 books. Books by Art Buchwald* 1) Mr. Buchwald was born in New York City and had a pretty rough childhood. The family’s curtain manufacturing business failed during the Great Depression and he was put in the Hebrew Orphan Asylum before moving through several foster homes. 2) The family eventually reunited but it seemed that the young man still had a tough time, he ran away from home at age 17, never finishing high-school. 3) He wanted join the Marines when World War II started, but was too young. Never to be underestimated, he bribed a drunk with half a pint of whiskey to sign as his legal guardian. He served for three years, two of them in the Pacific and was honorably discharged as a sergeant. 4) Even though he didn’t have a high school diploma, Mr. Buchwald was still enrolled in the University of Southern California, Los Angeles upon his return from the war on the G.I. Bill. Because he had not graduated high school he was…

T.S. Eliot loved Groucho Marx and even wrote him a fan letter and kept his picture on the wall. The two met for a disastrous dinner – Marx wanted to talk poetry, Eliot wanted to talk movies.

Article first published as Book Review: The Dressmaker of Khair Khana by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon on Blogcritics. About: The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon is a non-fiction book which tells the story of a woman who started a successful dress making business under the Taliban in Afghanistan. Not only did Kamila Sadiqi provide honorable employment to her family and female community, but also a ray of hope in an otherwise bleak existence. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— use the form at the end of the post to enter. 288 pages Publisher: Harper (March 15, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 0061732370 My rat­ing for The Dressmaker of Khair Khana — 5 Buy this book in from Amazon.com through the Man of la Book Affil­i­ate Account Thoughts: The Dressmaker of Khair Khana: Five Sisters, One Remarkable Family, and the Woman Who Risked Everything to Keep Them Safe by Gayle Tzemach Lemmon (website | Facebook | Twitter) is a quick read, interesting and heartwarming book. While short, the book packages a strong story of perseverance, fighting against the odds, helping the community and entrepreneurship combined. This is an inspiring story of courageous women who are in a dangerous…

About: Late for Tea at the Deer Palace : The Lost Dreams of My Iraqi Family by Tamara Chalabi is a book which was hard to classify. Part history, part cultural, part fictional and non-fictional family saga and all about a bygone era. The pub­lisher is giv­ing away one copy of this book— enter at the end of the post. 448 pages Publisher: Harper (January 18, 2011) Language: English ISBN-10: 0061240397 My rating for Late for Tea at the Deer Palace – 5 Great price on this book in paper format through the Man of la Book Affil­i­ate Account More books by Tamara Chalabi Thoughts: I believe that Late for Tea at the Deer Palace by Tamara Chalabi is the first book I read because I have heard of the author’s father. I recognize Ahmad Chalabi’s name from years of living in the Middle East as well as his temporary high profile during The Gulf War where he was accused of many things, including being a triple agent giving faulty intelligence. However, the story of Ahmad Chalabis rise and fall is the least interesting part in this fascinating book. The first feeling that struck me while reading this book is jealousy. If ever I’d write a…

Former Distinguished University Teaching Professor of History and current author Douglas R. Skopp

Solomon Kugel moved is family to Stockton, New York, a town famous for nothing which is why Kugel likes it so much. Kugel hopes to begin again. However, Kugel gets something he didn’t bargain for, an elderly, foul mouthed Anne Frank living in his attic writing a sequel to her book and a lunatic burning down old farmhouses.

Luck and Circumstance: A Coming of Age in Hollywood, New York, and Points Beyond by Michael Lindsay-Hogg is a refreshing and amusing book in which the author talks about his lifelong haunts with honesty. The author might or might not be the son of Orson Welles, an imposing figure which comes and goes through-out Mr. Lindsay-Hogg’s life in a way which makes him seem both benevolent and detached.

The Emperor of Lies by Steve Sem-Sandberg is dark and disturbing, but it has some humor, such as a ghetto residents asking what they would do with guns.

About: 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami is a fictional novel which takes place between two worlds. The book was originally written in Japanese and became a best seller almost immediately. 944 pages Publisher: Knopf ISBN-10: 0307593312 My rating for 1Q84 – 5 Buy & Save on 1Q84 through the ManOfLa­Book affil­i­ate account on: Ama­zon | Kin­dle | Book Depos­i­tory US | Book Depos­i­tory UK More books by Haruki Murakami Thoughts: 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami is not a complex novel, but it is long. The book asks an important question “what is reality”? I’ve worked with many marketing people over the years, the one important lesson they have taught me is the “perception is everything, reality is nothing”. At first, my structured mind that sees the world in 0s and 1s couldn’t comprehend what they were saying. However, with a little bit of contemplation I came to realize that they were right. After all, we live in a fake world. The news we watch are fake, the food we eat is fake (that’s why many immigrants have their own food stores), the promises made to us by our leaders and captains of industry are hollow and broken almost without delay. Mr. Murakami starts off…

David Margolick’s book Elizabeth and Hazel (my thoughts) is a fascinating book about two fascinating women. The book tackles tough and sensitive issues while following the trials and tribulations of Eliz­a­beth Eck­ford and Hazel Bryan were cap­tured for pros­per­ity in a pho­to­graph by Will Counts while on Elizabeth’s first day at the newly desegregated Central High School in Little Rock, AR. Q. What prompted you to write Elizabeth and Hazel? A. I had known and been fascinated by the famous photograph of Elizabeth and Hazel, taken in front of Little Rock Central High School during the desegregation crisis of 1957, as long as I can remember. Who, after all, doesn’trecognize Hazel’s hate-filled face? It has come to represent all of the malice and racism of the South during the early days of the Civil Rights movement, while Elizabeth, dignified and stoic, personifies the great courage of blacks fighting bigotry. So when I went to Little Rock in 1999 and learned, from a poster at the Central High School National Historic Site showing the two of them, as grown women, apparently reconciled — they were smiling and seeming at ease with one another — I wanted to know how something so improbable had ever come to pass. So I started…