Cooper tackles one of the richest and most famous women in the world, recounting her complicated life and extraordinary history with honesty and clarity. She was poor; she moved between her mother, her father and her grandmother; she was sexually abused; and she bore a child that died. She was also very smart, loved the spotlight—in which she excelled at speaking—and made the most of opportunity. This comfortably sized volume makes excellent use of many quotes from interviews, Oprah’s own writing and, of course, her television show. Her personal struggles are not simplified nor are her remarkable public acts of philanthropy and care over-exaggerated: She hosts a talk show indeed, but she also writes, speaks, acts and makes good things happen. Sure to find a rapt audience. (source notes, extensive bibliography) (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: April 1, 2007
ISBN: 0-670-06162-X
Page Count: 224
Publisher: Viking
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: March 1, 2007
This is a thoughtful and well-written biography of Einstein, a complicated man whose life and work Severance (Thomas Jefferson, 1998, etc.) chronicles clearly and firmly. He explains how Einstein challenged the established thinkers (Galileo and Newton) in the field of physics, after a childhood that included his parents’ concerns that their son might be mildly retarded. Even “his teachers considered him a bit stupid,” for he studied only what interested him and lacked “obedience and discipline.” Also covered is Einstein’s father’s gift of a compass, an object that seemed to unlock deeply hidden things about the universe. Severance sets forth Einstein’s contradictions as a man, but readers will appreciate this thinker’s role in constructing the framework of modern physics and extending science’s information on the universe. (b&w photos, chronology, bibliography, index) (Biography. 10-14)
Pub Date: Aug. 23, 1999
ISBN: 0-395-93100-2
Page Count: 144
Publisher: Clarion Books
Review Posted Online: June 24, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: July 15, 1999
Fans of this new professional sport will have to ease past the forced pitch of these capsule looks at some of the better-known stars of the game. Each biographical note contains the person’s vital statistics and an impressing listing of honors. Another section introduces each of the WNBA teams, with rosters, records, and notes; the same attention is given to the upstart American Basketball League. A final section consists of a brief women’s basketball trivia quiz. This text feels hastily assembled; Ponti equates a conversational tone with infractions of grammar and lazy transitions. Those who want to know why this sport, which dates back—barely—to 1996, has burst on the scene so quickly and continues to draw crowds, will have to turn to more solid coverage found in national magazines. (Nonfiction. 10-12)
Pub Date: May 1, 1999
ISBN: 0-671-03275-5
Page Count: 120
Publisher: Simon & Schuster
Review Posted Online: May 19, 2010
Kirkus Reviews Issue: May 15, 1999
© Copyright 2024 Kirkus Media LLC. All Rights Reserved.
Follow
Popular in this Genre
We can’t wait for you to join Kirkus!
It’s free and takes less than 10 seconds!
Already have an account? Log in.
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
Welcome Back!
OR
Sign in with GoogleTrouble signing in? Retrieve credentials.
bookshelf
