What Chicks Are Reading

Among the Heroes: United Flight 93 and the Passengers and Crew Who Fought Back by Jere Longman

I really didn't want to read another 9/11 book, but I had purchased this one and felt obligated to read it. There were times that I just had to stop and put the book down because of the emotional impact of the individual histories and their collective fate. I was pleasantly surprised that the book mentions all passengers (except one family) and does not focus entirely on the well-known ones. I relished the fact that these folks personal stories didn't sound like eulogies or testimonials. A nice touch was the fact that there was a photo of each passenger and crew member. The emotion and the heroics came through without the author over dramatizing an event we all lived through and will never forget. Chick Susie
 

The Fall of Advertising and the Rise of PR by Al Ries, Laura Ries

I read this book on a recent flight and couldn't put it down. I found that this book answered questions that I had often asked myself about whether advertising really impacts sales numbers. If you ever sit in front of the TV and wonder "Who is the genius that thought that ad would actually get me to buy something?" or you get the Energizer bunny confused with Duracell you might find this a very interesting read.

What I liked about the book:

• It has a breezy, shoot from the hip conversational feel.
• There are ample anecdotes backing up the hypotheses--makes for a very lively read...lots of "Oh ya...I always WONDERED about that" responses.
• It made me really think about how brainwashed our society is about the value of advertising.
• This book also gave me some insights as to pitfalls to avoid and things to definitely do. This book might be too rudimentary for some. I would also have appreciated footnotes on the sources for some of the stats and graphs used in the book. Would have added additional scholastic integrity to the figures.
  Chick Susie
   

A Fine Balance by Rohinton Mistry

This is by far the most depressing book I have ever read. Its about life in India. The way the poor are treated by the government and the wealthy is so awful. I'm glad I live in the US that's for sure. It has a great interesting cast of characters and the turmoils they have to endeavor on a daily basis. Om and his uncle Isthavar are tailors that have to leave their village for the "city" to make a living. They find cardboard shack to live in and to go to the bathroom they have to climb a hill by the railroad tracks. I kept thinking this book would end happy but it stays depressing until the end. Very interesting reading but not anyone with a weak stomach. Chick Julie
 

Heart of a Soldier by James B. Stewart

This is a totally awesome book. I originally thought I wanted to read everything that was written about September 11th, so I purchased this one, but put it aside. This book is more than a book about one of the heroes of 9/11, this is the story of a remarkable man -- Rick Rescorla -- a soldier, father, husband, Englishman, American. While Rescorla was a true hero during the Vietnam conflict for his involvement and leadership in some of the deadliest battles of that war, he survived this as well as the battlefields of colonial Africa. Obviously, this man led a life full of heroism -- a term much overused since 9/11.

By the time a reached the end of "Heart of a Soldier" I felt as if I knew him this man who was responsible for saving the lives of most of the Morgan Stanley employees working in the World Trade Center. It is a credit to the author and those who shared so much of his life that this was such a warm, human story. Chick Susie
 

The Kiss by Danielle Steel

This is a story that exposes how a single shattering moment can change lives forever. Now, does that sound like a Danielle Steel novel or not? Of course it does. This "shattering moment" is a car accident in which a man and woman (both married to someone else) are seriously injured after a nice dinner and dancing and are on their way home late in the evening. Each is from a different countries, in a "different" marriages, and each has children. They spend several months in a hospital together where they are visited by various people in their lives. Read the book; it's a quickie. Chick Jeanette
 

I Don't Know How She Does It: The Life of Kate Reddy, Working Mother by Allison Pearson

The book opens with an emblematic scene as Kate "distresses" a store-bought mince pie to make it appear homemade. As soon as I read that segment, I knew and could relate to this woman. Kate Reddy, hedge-fund manager and mother of two, can juggle nine different currencies in five different time zones and get herself and two children washed and dressed and out of the house in half an hour. She lies to her own mother about how much time she spends with her kids, practices pelvic floor squeezes in the boardroom, applies tips from Toddler Taming to soothe her irascible boss, uses her cell phone in the office bathroom to procure a hamster for her daughter's birthday ("Any working mother who says she doesn't bribe her kids can add Liar to her resume"), and cries into the laundry hamper when she misses her children's bedtime.

What makes this book so funny is that even Kate does not take herself seriously; read her emails if you have any doubt. This book is not a treatise or a how-to book. It's fiction; particularly well-written, very funny FICTION. Most women will never make as much money as Kate does. It doesn't matter. We still have to lie about staying home with sick kids, we still think we're dressed appropriately until we look down and see baby spit-up and we still have to compete with the Muffia. (Read the book to find out what the Muffia is.) This book is a wonderfully funny look at the state of women today. We can all see ourselves in Kate Reddy, but none of us are Kate Reddy (thank God)! Chick Susie
 

Leadership by Rudolph Giuliani, Ken Kurson

In Leadership, former NYC Mayor Rudolph W. Giuliani (with writer Ken Kurson) gives you the inside look at how he applied basic leadership principles to being Mayor, Associate Attorney General and US Attorney. Giuliani reveals how he and his key team applied these principles in the face of the Sept. 11 World Trade Tower collapse, and focuses on exercising leadership all the time. The principles may sound familiar -- prioritize, prepare, take responsibility, hold everyone accountable, recruit great people, reflect and then decide, under-promise and over-deliver, develop and employ strong beliefs, be loyal and purposeful -- yet the thrill comes from learning how Giuliani straightforwardly applied these principles to accomplish Herculean tasks. Chick Susie
 

Longitudes and Attitudes by Thomas L. Friedman

This book is a perfect follow up to The Lexus And The Olive Tree. This book is a collection of Friedman's New York Times columns before and after 9/11, and his personal commentary on it all. Friedman captures all the rage, the search for meaning, the demand for justice... he gets it all in there. He says everything you've thought. He also presents the dilemma of the middle east in easy-to-understand terms, which is more difficult than it sounds. Throughout his writing is an anger against the politics and the fundamentalist extremists of the middle east, and also anger against the same of the U.S. Friedman's anger is tempered by his love of America and his pride of our freedom, and this constantly shows through in the book.

If you only want to know a little bit more about the current world, this book will do it. If you want deep insight into the problem of the middle east and terrorism, this book will provide some fascinating insight. Chick Susie
 

The Plain Truth by Jodi Picoult

Talk about the Great Escape… this book was it for me. I stole every moment I could to read this book and can't remember the last time I was so drawn into a story, right down to the scenery. The book is about a young Amish girl put on trial for the murder of her baby. Anyone familiar with the Amish knows they are the gentlest people; it simply was beyond the realm of possibility. )My parents used to live in Princeton, NJ, so I was lucky enough to have spent some time in Lancaster Pennsylvania and enjoyed seeing the Amish folk at every turn.)

The story in itself is terrific and exciting, but for me the biggest treat was living on that beautiful Amish dairy farm, tasting the fresh milk, working the land, sewing and praying together. Ahhhhh, the antithesis of my own rat race of a life… It was like eating a Boston Cream doughnut, or a French Silk Pie, or Chilean Sea Bass… with your bare hands. Chick Megan
 

Riding the Bus with My Sister: A True Life Journey by Rachel Simon

The is the story of Rachel Simon; how she took time to spend with her sister, Beth, afflicted with mental retardation, to do what Beth loves most -- riding city buses. Do you know someone with a disability? Chances are, you do, and regardless of the disability, mental retardation, autism, blindness....there is much to learn and relate to in Rachel Simon's true life story. This book has had a profound effect on me and I find Rachel Simon quite courageous and brave to share such a personal story. Anyone will enjoy reading this book, the messages of acceptance, enjoying life as it is and connecting with others are universal. Chick Susie
 

Seabiscuit: An American Legend by Laura Hillenbrand

If you think from the title that this book is for horse lovers, forget it -- it's for everyone. True, this is the story of the amazing race horse, descendent of Man O'War who became a legend. But it is also the story of the people who made this unlikely champion what he was. This is one of the better nonfiction books I have read. The horse was much like the Depression-era survivors -- struggling -- the underdog -- but accomplished so much on what I interpret to be sheer willpower. You need to read this book to see what Seabiscuit, his owner, trainer, and jockeys accomplished when the rugged, little stallion turned seven--well past the retirement age for most horses. Chick Susie
 

Talk Before Sleep by Elizabeth Berg

I have never thought about what I would talk about to one of my close friends if either she or I knew we were dying. This is what Elizabeth Berg emphasizes in this book. Ruth is the dying woman and Ann is her best friend who temporarily leaves her husband and small daughter to be with her friend who is dying of cancer. Their conversations are honest, sometimes sad, sometimes funny. I found the "talk" is about what really matters and tells the truth about what women know and can do. For those who are Elizabeth Berg fans, this is a very good book to read. Chick Jeanette