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housedesignerking's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Politics aside, I have to say that I felt GWB had no issue with making this book understandable. And as a bonus (for my friend Nicole) there ARE actually big words in here (:P).
GWB takes us through his governorship, his brief ownership of a baseball team and some of his other life. In some respects, one could deem that this is Decision Points 0.5 because he also explained some of the decisions he made as Governor of Texas (as his book 'Decision Points' does as well [as President], but I have not read it yet.).
I have to commend him on his difficult decisions pertaining to the Death Penalty in Texas. I imagined myself in those situations and what my feelings on the particular situation of the inmate would be and I eventually came to the conclusion that I have absolutely no idea what I would have done pertaining to the one particular inmate, Karla Faye Tucker, who was on death row but had the world watching because she professed herself to be a born-again Christian and wanted her death sentence to be changed to life in prison. Then again, I'm not in politics nor do I have any desire to be, but at the same time, I have to commend him for how he spent so much time contemplating and seeking information about her before deciding not to give her an extra 30 days of life.
At the same time, I find myself questioning if I even support the death penalty. I'm pretty neutral on it.
In the end, I would say that I did enjoy this book, despite finding the long chapter on the death penalty somewhat disturbing. It was pretty interesting hearing what he did before becoming President because I did not and have never lived in Texas. I don't see me reading this book again though. Also, I don't exactly know what really to say about it because, not to be harsh, the book did kind of go all over the place. One chapter he was governor, the next he owned a baseball team; so it's not chronological. It could be said that this was a diary of reflection while he was running for President though.
I will give it 3 stars.
(Edit: At the time of reading this book, I did not know/realize that certain books 'by' politicians are in fact written by a ghost writer; in some cases, ghost writers. I have since learned that President GWB did not actually write this. Either way, it still gets 3 stars, but has been removed my autobiographies shelf and instead placed in the biographies shelf.)
GWB takes us through his governorship, his brief ownership of a baseball team and some of his other life. In some respects, one could deem that this is Decision Points 0.5 because he also explained some of the decisions he made as Governor of Texas (as his book 'Decision Points' does as well [as President], but I have not read it yet.).
I have to commend him on his difficult decisions pertaining to the Death Penalty in Texas. I imagined myself in those situations and what my feelings on the particular situation of the inmate would be and I eventually came to the conclusion that I have absolutely no idea what I would have done pertaining to the one particular inmate, Karla Faye Tucker, who was on death row but had the world watching because she professed herself to be a born-again Christian and wanted her death sentence to be changed to life in prison. Then again, I'm not in politics nor do I have any desire to be, but at the same time, I have to commend him for how he spent so much time contemplating and seeking information about her before deciding not to give her an extra 30 days of life.
At the same time, I find myself questioning if I even support the death penalty. I'm pretty neutral on it.
In the end, I would say that I did enjoy this book, despite finding the long chapter on the death penalty somewhat disturbing. It was pretty interesting hearing what he did before becoming President because I did not and have never lived in Texas. I don't see me reading this book again though. Also, I don't exactly know what really to say about it because, not to be harsh, the book did kind of go all over the place. One chapter he was governor, the next he owned a baseball team; so it's not chronological. It could be said that this was a diary of reflection while he was running for President though.
I will give it 3 stars.
(Edit: At the time of reading this book, I did not know/realize that certain books 'by' politicians are in fact written by a ghost writer; in some cases, ghost writers. I have since learned that President GWB did not actually write this. Either way, it still gets 3 stars, but has been removed my autobiographies shelf and instead placed in the biographies shelf.)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death
jozefsyndicate's review against another edition
5.0
The Baton Rouge minister, author, licensed professional counselor and marriage and family therapist labored far too long with her stories of purpose or "babies" growing within her that she finally birthed them in her latest book titled "A Charge to Keep" (Jozef Syndicate).
Green said the purpose of the book is to encourage others that their purpose, dreams, and vision can make a difference.
"'The afterbirth of doubt and negativity will disappear in the light of the reality of the birth," she writes in the introduction. "We will slap it gently and tell it to wake up. We will be the first to hold it and look at it as an extension of our individual self. We will know that it will survive with or without us because we never impregnated ourselves with this purpose in the first place. Somebody greater did. And He gets all the credit."
Green shares 11 short stories dealing with such issues as domestic violence, youth violence, gangs, marriage, divorce, love, and teen drug use.
The shortest of the stories is titled "The Other Side," which takes up only two of the book's 86 pages. The story is about a young child who didn't like that her mother laid out the wrong color blouse to go with her skirt.
"The little girl saw the orange blouse and decided that it in no way matched her red skirt," Green writes. "She would not be the laughing stock of the class wearing a red skirt with an orange blouse."
The girl had her say before the mother retorted, "Melissa, the blouse does match. It's reversible. You have to turn it on the other side."
The story appeals to the heart.
"What are we missing by not looking on the other side? What's on the other side of our sister's frown? Or our brother's anger? What is on the other side our sorrow and pain? Take a few moments and show some concern for your brother or sister. … Purpose in your heart to turn the inside out for another."
Other chapters in the book include "Beneath the Tree," "Reflections," and "Shine On."
By Terry Robinson
The Advocate
Green said the purpose of the book is to encourage others that their purpose, dreams, and vision can make a difference.
"'The afterbirth of doubt and negativity will disappear in the light of the reality of the birth," she writes in the introduction. "We will slap it gently and tell it to wake up. We will be the first to hold it and look at it as an extension of our individual self. We will know that it will survive with or without us because we never impregnated ourselves with this purpose in the first place. Somebody greater did. And He gets all the credit."
Green shares 11 short stories dealing with such issues as domestic violence, youth violence, gangs, marriage, divorce, love, and teen drug use.
The shortest of the stories is titled "The Other Side," which takes up only two of the book's 86 pages. The story is about a young child who didn't like that her mother laid out the wrong color blouse to go with her skirt.
"The little girl saw the orange blouse and decided that it in no way matched her red skirt," Green writes. "She would not be the laughing stock of the class wearing a red skirt with an orange blouse."
The girl had her say before the mother retorted, "Melissa, the blouse does match. It's reversible. You have to turn it on the other side."
The story appeals to the heart.
"What are we missing by not looking on the other side? What's on the other side of our sister's frown? Or our brother's anger? What is on the other side our sorrow and pain? Take a few moments and show some concern for your brother or sister. … Purpose in your heart to turn the inside out for another."
Other chapters in the book include "Beneath the Tree," "Reflections," and "Shine On."
By Terry Robinson
The Advocate
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