Book review

River of Time: My Descent into Depression and How I Emerged with Hope by Naomi Judd
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

The social stigma of panic disorder may be even worse than the social stigma of depression, and Naomi Judd was brave to tell about her experience with both in this book. Her upbringing and background would make a great country song, except it would be too sad to be believable. So many people admire her, and I'm glad that she has been open about her struggles both past and present. No one, not even a celebrity, has a life free of hardship and struggle.

However, unlike most people, Naomi has the time and resources to get the very best mental health treatment available. Sadly, even under the best care, people die from depression every day, but I think if more people had access to mental health care, many lives could be saved.


View all my reviews

Book review: The Mannings: The Fall and Rise of a Football Family

The Mannings: The Fall and Rise of a Football Family by Lars Anderson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars

If you are a fan of SEC football, you will like this book, but it's about much more than football. The Mannings: The Fall and Rise of a Football Family is also about family and fatherhood. I enjoyed reading about Archie's humble beginnings in tiny Drew, Mississippi, and how he overcame challenges that could have derailed his career in sports before it ever got off the ground.

All the details of the Mannings' football achievements are there, and it's obvious Lars Anderson researched them thoroughly. I caught a few mistakes about details, but they probably wouldn't be obvious to someone who wasn't at Tennessee at the same time as Peyton.


View all my reviews

read it you will

There is... another... book about Star Wars. According to an article at cnn.com, the upcoming book The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film has some new behind-the-scenes information about the now THIRTY-YEAR-OLD movie. Apparently, Lucas was unimpressed by lines looping around Grauman's Chinese Theater on opening day. He told a studio boss,

"Remember, science-fiction films do really great the first week, then they drop off to nothing. It's a good sign, but it doesn't mean anything. Let's wait a couple of weeks."

I guess he wasn't feeling the power of The Force.

book report

Since I'm battling bronchitis, I was awake last night for a long time before I succumbed to codeine cough syrup and NyQuil. So, I used that time to read a book I had checked out of the library, In an Instant: A Family's Journey of Love and Healing by Lee and Bob Woodruff. Bob Woodruff was the former anchor of ABC World News Tonight and was an embed in Iraq when the tank he was riding in hit an IED.

With a background in broadcasting, I found the descriptions of coverage from the war zone fascinating. It always amazes me what they are able to pull off. Their description of Bob's recovery from a traumatic brain injury was inspiring. Thousands of soldiers have suffered these injuries, and many don't fare as well as Bob did. Also, in a business where many marriages don't survive, Lee and Bob's story is encouraging.