Letters & Correspondence Books - Page 3

The Timewaster Letters

Robin Cooper

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 4 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A uniquely British twist on the goofy letters-to-strangers genre, this brilliant compilation chronicles one man's outrageous and bizarre letters—to trade groups, department stores, clubs, political parties, and a certain children's book publisher—and the amazing responses he received to his ideas, observations, and unsolicited feedback. Asking countless questions, such as Would the Campaign for Courtesy be interested in his 10-Point Plan for a Courteous Britain? Could the Ball & Roller Bearing Manufacturers Association contact his "ball-bearing mad" son to suggest that he scale back his 95,000-piece collection? and Might Madame Tussaud's be interested in creating a wax likeness of him in a toga?, the book reveals the courteous and often bemused correspondence between the imaginative time waster and his unsuspecting targets, all of whom only encouraged him further. Hilarious and off-the-wall, this volume will have fellow schemers laughing out loud—and reaching for their pens.

Children's Letters to God

Stuart Hample, Eric Marshall

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 17 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

How "Children's Letters to God" has affected me 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I discovered this book a few years ago and feel blessed to have done so. As I was standing in a spiritual bookstore, I was drawn to this book. I began reading the touching things children were feeling in relation to God. I turned the page and my heart stopped as if I had just seen a photo of myself. What I did in fact see was my very own printing, and what I read was something that I wrote back in elementary school. I rushed to show my best friend who didn't quite understand my state of near hyperventilation and the tears in my eyes. She said, "So? Someone else shares your 'rare' name, big deal." I went on try and explain and in the process bought the book on the spot. It now sits on my bookshelf and I am still amazed at finding a piece of my youth and my feelings on God published. I have tried to piece the story together and to the best of my recollection, I have come up with this: my grade 4 teacher used to get us to write on deep thought provoking topics. She used to be very keen on submitting work of favoured students to various contests and the like. She must have submitted this somewhere and somehow it made it in the book. Those skeptical of my unknowing "contribution" to the book, were silenced when I provided my grade 4 science tests and the printing matched to a 'T'. In addition, anyone who knows me, knows that what I said way back when I was 8 or 9, still rings true 20 (wow) years later: "Dear God I don't ever feel alone since I found out about you." Nora *sigh*, it was truly by the Grace of God that I discovered this book. Reading here in these posts that a Rabbi quoted my writing, shows me that some things withstand the test of time. Beautiful. As another reviewer wrote, I too wish that there were more pieces of information about the children and/or the demographics of where these letters were obtained. To answer her what I do know: No, they were not all from the US as I am from Canada, and they were not all from a church or synagogue as mine was written in a public school. It would be amazing if all of us, who "wrote" letters to God when we were children, could be made aware of our contribution to books such as these. Hopefully, if there are other such books out there (I believe there are but have yet to seek them out), the publishers will make the children/their parents aware of their small contribution, so that they can knowingly treasure such books for years to come. So to all of those considering buying this book, just know that these letters were written by the true innocence of children at some point in their lives. God Bless! Love always, Nora.

Editorial Review:

Presents a new collection of wise, witty, naive, and hopeful letters from children to God that reflect youngsters' innate curiosity, uninhibited reactions, and simple faith. Book available.

Reading the Man: A Portrait of Robert E. Lee Through His Private Letters

Elizabeth Brown Pryor

Amazon Price: $15.60 List Price: $20.00 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Penguin (Non-Classics) Amazon Marketplace: 62 new & used starting at $1.75

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 24 Average rating: 3.5 of 5

psychic or author 1 out of 5 stars.
6 of 8 people found this review helpful.

Fun to read a pissant writing about a man with such integrity. Taking some letters, scrutinize them carefully, add preconceived ideas and a few tea leaves, and viola, pissant can give a portrait of Robert E. Lee.

A mean-spirited attack on a great human being 1 out of 5 stars.
4 of 6 people found this review helpful.

By trying to examine R. E. Lee by the world of the 21st century, Ms. Pryor has put together some personal letters from or to Lee and made serious mistakes of judgement. While there is perhaps a chance to sell a few books by attempting to show unexpected flaws in the life of someone judged by almost all serious historians or biographers to have been very worthy, Ms. Pryor has chosen a belittle one of the great men of our American experience. I am very sorry I bought this book and feel that it is an egregious slur on the memory of a much better person than Ms. Pryor.

Editorial Review:

To most , Robert E. Lee is a beloved tragic figure of a bygone war—remembered by history as stoic and brave but without a true emotional life. Recently, however, historian Elizabeth Brown Pryor uncovered important documents that provide a stunning personal account of Lee’s military ability, his beliefs, and his time. Using dozens of previously unpublished letters as departure points, Pryor sheds new light on every aspect of this complex and contradictory general and questions our own understanding of loyalty and patriotism. This tantalizing glimpse of a legendary hero’s guarded soul will astonish and fascinate not only Civil War buffs, but anyone interested in this nation’s history.

Letters to Penthouse XV: Outrageous, Erotic, Orgasmic!

The Editors of Penthouse Magazine

Amazon Price: $7.99 List Price: $7.99 Usually ships in 24 hours By: Grand Central Publishing Amazon Marketplace: 41 new & used starting at $3.89

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 1 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Penthouse XV 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 12 people found this review helpful.

These were sent to a friend of mine whom said he liked the book completely
Highly recomends

Editorial Review:

Fresh from the beds, kitchen tables and various other favourite fun-spots of America's sexual daredevils, this 15th collection of wicked, wanton, fabulous and erotic escapades proves once again that naughty is nice, and offbeat can be even better. Big Brother is definitely watching - and these sexual adventurers like it. Forget reality TV, Penthouse readers are the original wild bunch, and these letters prove it!

Letters to Sam: A Grandfather's Lessons on Love, Loss, and the Gifts of Life

Daniel Gottlieb

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 22 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Letters to Sam: A Grandfather's Lesson on ... 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

The product is what I expected. It arrived on time and in the condition advertised.

Editorial Review:

When his grandson was born, Daniel Gottlieb began to write a series of heartfelt letters that he hoped Sam would read later in life. He planned to cover all the important topics—dealing with your parents, handling bullies, falling in love, coping with death—and what motivated him was the fear that he might not live long enough to see Sam reach adulthood. You see, Daniel Gottlieb is a quadriplegic—the result of a near-fatal automobile accident that occurred two decades ago—and he knows enough not to take anything for granted.
Then, when Sam was only 14 months old, he was diagnosed with Pervasive Develop-mental Disability, a form of autism, and suddenly everything changed. Now the grandfather and grandson were bound by something more: a disability—and Daniel Gottlieb’s special understanding of what that means became invaluable.
This lovingly written, emotionally gripping book offers unique—and universal—insights into what it means to be human.

The Greatest Generation Speaks

Tom Brokaw

Amazon Price: $15.96 List Price: $19.95 Usually ships in 1 to 4 weeks By: Random House Large Print Amazon Marketplace: 69 new & used starting at $0.01

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Total reviews: 45 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

"I first began to appreciate fully all we owed the World War II generation while I was covering the fortieth and fiftieth anniversaries of D-Day for NBC News. When I wrote in The Greatest Generation about the men and women who came out of the Depression, who won great victories and made lasting sacrifices in World War II and then returned home to begin building the world we have today--the people I called the Greatest Generation--it was my way of saying thank you. I felt that this tribute was long overdue, but I was not prepared for the avalanche of letters and responses touched off by that book.
        
Members of that generation were, characteristically, grateful for the attention and modest about their own lives as they shared more remarkable stories about their experiences in the Depression and during the war years.
        
"Their children and grandchildren were eager to share the lessons and insights they gained from the stories they heard about the lives of a generation now passing on too swiftly. They wanted to say thank you in their own way. I had wanted to write a book about America, and now America was writing back.
        
"The letters, many of them written in firm Palmer penmanship on flowered stationery, have given me a much richer understanding not only of those difficult years but also of my own life. They give us new, intensely personal perspectives of a momentous time in our history. They are the voices of a generation that has given so much and wants to share even more.
        
"Some of the letters were written from the front during the war, or from families to their loved ones in harm's way in distant places. There were firsthand accounts of battles and poignant reflections on loneliness, exuberant expressions of love and somber accounts of loss.
        
"It seems that everyone in that generation has something worthwhile to contribute, and so we have included some pages in The Greatest Generation Speaks for others to share memories at once inspirational and instructive.
        
"If we are to heed the past to prepare for the future, we should listen to these quiet voices of a generation that speaks to us of duty and honor, sacrifice and accomplishment. I hope more of their stories will be preserved and cherished as reminders of all that we owe them and all that we can learn from them."             --Tom Brokaw


Front-jacket photo: "She said yes!" An American G.I. had proposed marriage to his girlfriend back home, and when her letter arrived, saying yes, he propped her photograph up in his helmet and had a buddy take this picture.
--(UPI/Corbis-Bettmann)

Letters of Vincent van Gogh

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 7 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

A literary classic, The Letters of Vincent van Gogh Captures the voice of one of the most beloved and important artists of all time.

Though Vincent van Gogh is often thought of as a mad genius, in The Letters of Vincent van Gogh the thoughtful, effervescent, and sensitive man is revealed to readers through his own voice.

This collection of letters, arranged in chronological order and written to Vincent's closest confidant, his brother and art dealer, Theo, provide a riveting narrative of van Gogh's life. The letters expose Vincent's creative process; his joy and inspiration derived from literature, Japanese art, and nature; as well as his many romantic disappointments and constant poverty. Also documented are Vincent's close relationships with fellow artists, especially Paul Gauguin. Van Gogh's tender and often ebullient letters provide a sharp contrast to the devastating and frequently violent mental breakdowns that plagued and eventually destroyed him.

Collected and edited by art historian Mark Roskill, this volume also includes a chronology, a short memoir by van Gogh's sister-in-law that fills in many of the blanks of Vincent's early years, and reproductions of selected artwork discussed in van Gogh's letters.

An epistolary classic, The Letters of Vincent van Gogh is not just an important historical collection but also a captivating treasure.

Just a Note to Say . . .: The Perfect Words for Every Occasion

Florence Isaacs

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 10 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

90% How To and only 10% samples 3 out of 5 stars.
14 of 16 people found this review helpful.

Although the sample notes were very good, they could have incorporated many more samples instead of the How To's and Scenario Set-ups necessitating the Notes.

Not so great 2 out of 5 stars.
6 of 6 people found this review helpful.

I wanted less ideas and more actual words to write in cards. If I have to think it up myself, why do I need a book? I'm already thinking it up myself now. I wanted something more like lists of choices of things to say in cards for each occasion. This book gives a few for each occasion. Not enough, in my opinion.

For Sincere Expressions In Writing Those Notes. 4 out of 5 stars.
6 of 7 people found this review helpful.

Written by a past president of the American Society of Journalists and Authors, there is a new (updated and expanded) volume of this little book informing us on the importance of sending personal notes and giving ideas of how to go about it. "There are certain general guidelines which apply to every occasion." The right words are readily accessible if you know how to find them.

"Good notes are gestures to celebrate, commemorate, and nuture relationships between people. They're about connecting and communicating and saying "I care." Quotations can be used to make a significant statement for the send, but it's important to choose those which suits the occasion or person and reflects you as well. "It's not what you say; it's how you say it." Limit advice. Give it only of it means something and represents wisdom gleaned from your own experience.

"When you write...there is an enormous sense of satisfaction. You feel 'when I write, I speak a whole different language...it's as if a poetic part of me seems to spill out." You don't have to write a lot to say a lot. This communications etiquette expert includes forms to use for sympathy notes, celebrations (consider the occasion) and notes just to say "You touched my life."

We're all human and make mistakes. "A quick, sincere apology can soothe hurt feelings, heal a rift, and strengthen your relationship." Apology is a good device to free the person who offers it, but it must be accepted by the person you may have offended. "It's best to apologize in person, on the phone, or in a note in the mail. But...e-mail is okay." It removes the awkwardness of apologizing, acts as a "buffer" and allows the writer to say exactly what is neeeded without interruption."

Florence Isaacs gives proper protocol for e-mail and the occasions when it is accepted. She has also written BUSINESS NOTES: PERSONAL NOTES THAT BUILD PROFESSIONAL RELATIONSHIPS, MY DEEPEST SYMPATHIES, and HERE'S TO YOU (TOAST OR TRIBUTE), 2002. The 2005 edition of this handbook has just been made available. If you need a bit of help saying the right thing at the right time, check this one out.

Editorial Review:

Writing a thoughtful, sincere, and appropriate note can be difficult. This guide helps readers find the right words to mark any milestone or occasion. Regardless of the situation or the relationship, easy-to-follow guidelines lead you to words that matter.

Letters from a Stoic (Penguin Classics)

Seneca

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Stoicism - - a modern philosophy 5 out of 5 stars.
27 of 27 people found this review helpful.

Stoicism has been much misunderstood, and the adjective "stoic," which loosely can be taken to mean bearing up under duress, is partly correct but does not do justice to one of the world's great philosophies. This Penguin volume presents a great selection from the letters of Seneca, which hits all the high points of the philosophy and captures Seneca's remarkable personality, which has made him a hit with the cognoscenti for 2,000 years. Few perhaps realize that the Stoics postulated a great commonwealth governed by law, or that they idealized democracy. Seneca mentions Solon the lawgiver as the creator of democracy and refers numerous times to the Roman Stoic saint, Cato, who strove mightily (and unsuccessfully) to preserve the Roman Republic.

Seneca, like other Stoics, has a doctrine of nature that is remarkably close to that of Emerson or modern American environmentalists. The wise man (sapiens) will never be bored when contemplating the simple things of nature. The natural beauty of the countryside and the healthful action of the waves can have a calming effect (although there's a memorable passage in which a storm causes terrible sea sickness). He also believed in the simple and strenuous life and the avoidance of luxury and decadence, and there are numerous passages in these letters to his disciple, Lucilius, which decry the ostentatious, self indulgent practices of his contemporaries. These are sentiments and ideas adopted by many in the modern world, including President Theodore Roosevelt. Seneca has no patience for philosophy as a word game or a practice of engaging in hair-splitting arguments for their own sake. He rather sees it as a practice or way of life that all those who seek the good should investigate and adopt. While the Stoics believed in democracy and republicanism, their doctrine of freedom is different from the modern idea of Liberty. Freedom was the ability to endure and pursue the good even under tyranny. While that may be admirable, modern commentators on liberty (such as Isaiah Berlin) have pointed out that defining down the range of one's actions is not a satisfactory solution to the problem of the absence of liberty in society or the world.

No stranger to power himself, Seneca virtually ruled Rome as tutor of the boy Nero--and yet he adopts a quite believable stance of simplicity and humility. It's a good bet these letters will still be found absorbing by readers for another 2,000 years.

Editorial Review:

A philosophy that saw self-possession as the key to an existence lived 'in accordance with nature', Stoicism called for the restraint of animal instincts and the severing of emotional ties. These beliefs were formulated by the Athenian followers of Zeno in the fourth century BC, but it was in Seneca (c. 4 BC - AD 65) that the Stoics found their most eloquent advocate. Stoicism, as expressed in the Letters, helped ease pagan Rome's transition to Christianity, for it upholds upright ethical ideals and extols virtuous living, as well as expressing disgust for the harsh treatment of slaves and the inhumane slaughters witnessed in the Roman arenas. Seneca's major contribution to a seemingly unsympathetic creed was to transform it into a powerfully moving and inspiring declaration of the dignity of the individual mind.

War Letters: Extraordinary Correspondence from American Wars

Andrew Carroll

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 37 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

A useful read 3 out of 5 stars.
3 of 5 people found this review helpful.

i only gave it three stars because many of the stories were more about patriotism than about the war themselves. Of course every book has its bias so its still a useful and moving read when taken with this grain of salt.

A wonderful, different type of war book, but . . . 4 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I received this book as a gift because my family knows I love reading personal histories from those who lived it and "War Letters" seemed perfect for that. I enjoy learning what life was like for the average citizen in an era, whether its someone riding the Erie Canal in 1840, a foot soldier in the American revolution, or a journal from the Civil War.

This is a remarkable book and taken individually there are many, many heart-rending emotional stories that probably need to be read by many people. It does in fact put a personal face on war. Because it is a collection of letters, the book is easily read in short spurts; you don't want (and shouldn't) read this book quickly.

I only gave the book 4 stars because I actually found it hard to read. While the personal letters (the spelling, mannerisms of the authors) help tell their stories, it also keeps the book from developing any flow. Some letters are agonzingly slow to read and understand. I'm certainly not faulting the authors or their stories; but if you're looking for a great, well-written, smooth-flowing story that you can't put down, this isn't it.

Editorial Review:

A collection of American War correspondence. Carroll features over 150 letters, complied from more than 50, 000 letters sent to him as part of his Legacy Project. The letters encompass every major conflict from the Civil War to Desert Storm. The letters tell tales of love; famous battles; reflections on the nature of war; rescues; and expressions of fear, loneliness, humour and pariotism. Letters come from such historical figures as Colin Powell, Theodore Roosevelt, George S. Patton, Helen Keller and John F. Kennedy, as well as common soldiers, sailors, nurses, spies, journalists, POWs and family members left at home.