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Title: Trying to Get to Heaven

Subtitle: Opinions of a Tennessee Talker

Author: Dixie Carter

Narrator: Dixie Carter

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 18 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-19-10

Publisher: Simon & Schuster Audio

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 17 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

A gentle guide to living a full life applies the author's experiences as a performer and fitness instructor and shares her thoughts on home life, raising children, divorce, and death.

Members Reviews:

In Heaven while reading this audiobook

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes if the person likes a good memoir and loved Julia Sugarbaker on Designing Women. I LOVE Dixie Carter and I am sorry she is gone but this is a must read for any fan of hers. I just sorry it wasn't an unabridged version.

What other book might you compare Trying to Get to Heaven to and why?

Delta Style: Eve wasn't a size 6 and neither am I by: Delta Burke,

If I Knew Then What I Knew Now . . .So What? By: Estelle Getty,

Jeannie Out of the Bottle By: Barbara Eden,

I, Rhoda By: Valerie Harper

What about Dixie Carters performance did you like?

I LOVED the way she narrated the story it felt more like she was TELLING you the story then reading from a book. Also it felt like Dixie was talking to an old friend more that talking to a book listener.

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

Yes I wasn't able to but I wanted to.

Any additional comments?

I am rereading this audio book again and probably will reread it again and again.

Where is Julia?

Any additional comments?

Was expecting the sharped tongue feminist wit of Julia Sugarbaker for some reason? Instead just got a lot of self indulgent right wing rhetoric. Although it was sad to listen to her joking about taking hormones/estrogen,progestrin and maybe not being here 10 yr.s from now. Ironically Dixie Carter passed from a form of uterine cancer.

Loved her character on Designing Women. Did not enjoy listening to her opinions on audio.

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Title: Committed

Subtitle: A Sceptic Makes Peace With Marriage

Author: Elizabeth Gilbert

Narrator: Elizabeth Gilbert

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 30 mins

Language: English

Release date: 01-12-10

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 111 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

At the end of her best-selling memoir Eat, Pray, Love, Elizabeth Gilbert fell in love with Felipe - a Brazilian-born man of Australian citizenship who'd been living in Indonesia when they met. Resettling in America, the couple swore eternal fidelity to each other, but also swore to never, ever, under any circumstances get legally married. (Both survivors of difficult divorces. Enough said.)

But providence intervened one day in the form of the U.S. government, who - after unexpectedly detaining Felipe at an American border crossing - gave the couple a choice: they could either get married, or Felipe would never be allowed to enter the country again.

Having been effectively sentenced to wed, Gilbert tackled her fears of marriage by delving completely into this topic, trying with all her might to discover (through historical research, interviews and much personal reflection) what this stubbornly enduring old institution actually is. The result is Committed - a witty and intelligent contemplation of marriage that debunks myths, unthreads fears and suggests that sometimes even the most romantic of souls must trade in her amorous fantasies for the humbling responsibility of adulthood.

Gilbert's memoir - destined to become a cherished handbook for any thinking person hovering on the verge of marriage - is ultimately a clear-eyed celebration of love, with all the complexity and consequence that real love, in the real world, actually entails.

Members Reviews:

Profoundly Simple

Being on the precipice of marriage myself, I bought Committed hoping it would discuss marriage from a few different sociological perspectives, which it did, albeit lightly. What surprised me is that this book is primarily a story, a story about Elizabeth Gilbert's attempt at coming to terms with the whole idea of marriage after having been through an intensely painful one already.

And being a guy I was hesitant to read an emotional account of her experience, but having just finished the book, I'm pleased to say that I have grown by reading this book. Without really expecting it to, it has addressed some of my own concerns, doubts and questions about marriage. And now, going into marriage, I think that I will approach it with a better appreciation for what women have given up for marriage in the past, and hopefully I'll use this knowledge to help redefine marriage within the privacy of my own union, and in doing so, within my community.

This is not a sequel of Eat,Pray, Love

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Commited is a book for those people who have or have had at some point in their lives, a hard time coming to terms with the institution of marriage. It is probably not for those who do not or did not question marriage, or those who do not or did not feel uncomfortable with conforming to such traditional institution. Commited is a long personal reflection of the author with regard to the need of getting married independently of her will. It seems that process took her took many months. To me, it took years. So, I definitely recommend the book. But don't expect a sequel of Eat, Pray, Love.

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Title: How I Got This Way

Author: Patrick McManus

Narrator: Norman Dietz

Format: Unabridged

Length: 7 hrs and 23 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-27-09

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 163 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Grab your fishing net and hold onto your funny-bone; you're in for a hilarious romp through the woods with best-selling funnyman Patrick McManus.

How I Got This Way is a rib-tickling collection of stories about the outdoors guaranteed to leave you chuckling. Join McManus and his pals on a venture into the Idaho wilderness that includes taking a hike with -

ahem - the president of the United States.

©1994 Patrick F. McManus (P)1995 Recorded Books, LLC

Critic Reviews:

"Stories abound about hunting, fishing and arduous treks, including a piece about hiking with George Bush during the 1992 presidential campaign. There's entertainment aplenty here that even indoorsy folk should enjoy." (

Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Mark Twain meets Bertie Wooster

Unless you are one of those serious, intellectual grumps, you gotta love Patrick McManus. Even I ??? who have less-than-zero appreciation for hunting and fishing ??? love Patrick McManus ??? maybe because he never actually kills anything in his humorous pieces about hunting and fishing. In fact, many of the stories in "How I Got This Way" brag ??? self-deprecatingly ??? about how he not only never bags any game or fish, but keeps everyone around him from catching anything, too. "How I Got This Way" tells about his childhood in Idaho during the Great Depression. Of course, he may be exaggerating a teensy bit; but I think that he is basing his stories on real people and real experiences while growing up mostly in the outdoors. Think Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn. You will love meeting his friends ??? like Rancid Crabtree and Crazy Eddie ??? and enemies ??? like the entire Scragg family ??? and you will enjoy seeing these same characters pop up later in his Bo Tully novels. I recommend "How I Got This Way" unconditionally to anyone with a sense of humor ??? even if you don't like hunting and fishing.

Funny at times, but it becomes stale.

This was my first McManus book. I found his reflections somewhat amusing at time, but rather soon, one could predict the way a story would turn out. After a while, I got tired of his droll retelling of some of his life's experiences. I may try actually reading rather than listening to another of his books, but I have the feeling that there won't be much new to be found. It sounds as if he is popular speaking at Elk's Lodges and VFW meetings or addressing the local Rotary Club, but don't look for anything profound in his ruminations.

how I got this way

very funny as always pat is the best

Laughed so hard I found unknown belly muscles

Would you consider the audio edition of How I Got This Way to be better than the print version?

The performance was perfect!

What other book might you compare How I Got This Way to and why?

None

Which character as performed by Norman Dietz was your favorite?

This is not a useful review question and I wish Audible wouldn't use it for non-fiction and certain other types of books.

Any additional comments?

I am not into hunting or fishing, but am a fan of comedy where humanity is examined and quirks and humor are found, examined, and presented. Mr McManus is such a gifted observer and story teller. So much of today's humor is raunchy with a focus on sex and using foul language in the delivery.

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Title: The Making of Modern Economics

Subtitle: The Lives and Ideas of the Great Thinkers, Second Edition

Author: Mark Skousen

Narrator: William Hughes

Format: Unabridged

Length: 20 hrs and 47 mins

Language: English

Release date: 09-11-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 113 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Here is a bold, new account of the lives and ideas of the great economists - Adam Smith, Karl Marx, John Maynard Keynes, Ludwig von Mises, Milton Friedman, and many others - all written by a top free-market economist and presented in an entertaining and persuasive style. Professor Mark Skousen tells a powerful story of economics with dozens of anecdotes of the great economic thinkers.

©2009 Mark Skousen (P)2009 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Critic Reviews:

"Both fascinating and infuriating...enaging, readable, colorful...credulous, disingenuous, and tendentious." (

Foreign Affairs)

Members Reviews:

Don't Let the Author's Bias Scare You Away!

Mr Skousen brings us a solid, comprehensive and thoroughly entertaining history of modern economic thought from Adam Smith to the present day. Skousen succeeds wildly in making esoteric economic theories accesible, and draws in the reader/listener with quirky stories about each of the economists: Why did Adam Smith Burn all of his clothes? What was the story behind J.M Keynes's hand fetish? Who fathered Marx's housemaids child? These are just a few of the high points of this work.

Admitedly, Skousen is strongy biassed towards a Neo-Classical/Austrian viewpoint, and holds some quesitonable ideas, but don't let that turn you away! The author does a great job explaining each Economists viewpoint in a clear, concise, logical way; I was even able to get a good handle on some of Marx's important formulas from Kapital while driving on the freeway. This book is that good! Skousen is very careful to completely present each Economist's bio and arguments first and only then move on to a critique on their more questionable assumptions.

In regards to the narrator, I have no idea what the other reviewer is talking about. Hughes speaks clearly, pronounces German and French words well ans seems honestly excited in his narration. In fact, to me he seemed so excited that I initially thought it was the author narrating his own book.

Overall, having listened to some of Sowell's audiobooks and a few of the great courses on Economics, I have to say that this is the best choice on Audible to get readers excited about Economics. Well worth the credit!

Skousen's Sells Action Economics

Where does The Making of Modern Economics rank among all the audiobooks youve listened to so far?

Again I have my homework to do. Yet Skousen does for Economics what Tesla did for Innovative Power. He is objective, well researched, and focused on what he wants the reader to do, not to judge the character of an Economist, but do their ideas work? From the beginning of the story, he introduces to great Economics, their habits, their idiosyncrasies. He does not give you Economics straight, but provides a chaser with antidotes, along with pertinent facts. He is far ahead of the game of his Academic Communities than he knows. He is on the verge, if not there, on the Mt. Everest of Greatness!

What other book might you compare The Making of Modern Economics to and why?

I like him, had a terrible Economics Professor in 101 Econ back in College. If the Professor, unlike Skousen's The Making of Modern Economics, could have made me majoring in Economics rather than Ancient and U.S.

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Title: Ecce Homo

Subtitle: How One Becomes What One Is

Author: Friedrich Nietzsche

Narrator: Steven Van Doren

Format: Unabridged

Length: 4 hrs and 12 mins

Language: English

Release date: 08-03-09

Publisher: Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 72 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Ecce Homo also forcefully repudiates those interpretations of his previous works purporting to find support there for imperialism, anti-Semitism, militarism, and Social Darwinism.

Nietzsche strives to present a new image of the philosopher and of himself as a philosopher. He expounds upon his life as a child, his tastes as an individual, and his vision for humanity. On these grounds, some consider Ecce Homo a literary work comparable in its artistry to Van Gogh's paintings.

Members Reviews:

Bombastic, Fantastic?

being a friedrich nietzsche fan, i have to say this is a curious book. he's always got the hammer close when he's writing, but in this book all tricks of literary veneer are gone and he's fully bombastic, and without any trace of irony as he lays out chapter and verse why he is: clever, wise, a great writer, pure blooded, virtuous, etc. you could trot out a few of these gems without context, but the reader would find it hard to believe.

this book reads like a diary of self adulation. i find not a lot of "philosophy" happening here , although, of course, he's a rich writer and can pack an axiom into half a sentence - ie. "that which does not kill you, makes you stronger" - found herein.

unlike his other books, this one is vertiginously self referential. he's settleling scores with newspaper critics from 1870, and telling you why you'll care in 2010 - the balls on this guy!

Nietzsche is the 19th century philosophical bete noire, and he bashes his way through your head with more lacerating truth in a sentence than you'll find in a volume of his contemporaries. read twilight of the idols / how to philosophize with a hammer if you're new to Nietzsche. and read it again!

this book is interesting mostly as a (not flattering) window to his inner personality... interesting but bizarre.

Nietzsche's Joie de vivre!

I love listening to this book. The narrator manages to capture much of the nuance of Nietzsche's voice, including the sarcasm, chutzpah, and just all around joie de vivre.

Great book - poor reader

This cannot be what Nietzsche sounded like! This chirpy reading captures none of the grit and anger of Nietzsche. I've tried to stick with it by pretending it's an underpaid graduate student reading N's notes, but it's painful. Will someone else please record this book?

Revolutionary

It is interesting how this is also a summary of his own works, a commentary on Nietzsche by Nietzsche. It is not only a summary of the minute daily observations and habits he has worked out for his well being (despite incredible physical suffering), but how he is, in the face of suffering, nevertheless affirmative of life. However, far from focusing on the minutia of his life, he is actually founding the value of life on a revolutionary view of life as independent of classic morality which had dominated society in the form of Christianity (the dominant force of moralism at his time), and in the form of German Idealism (rationalism and moralism as reflected in the Kantian categorical imprerative).

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Title: Losing Mum and Pup

Subtitle: A Memoir

Author: Christopher Buckley

Narrator: Christopher Buckley

Format: Unabridged

Length: 6 hrs and 24 mins

Language: English

Release date: 05-06-09

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 209 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

As Buckley tells the story of their final year together, he takes listeners on a surprisingly entertaining tour through hospitals, funeral homes, and memorial services, capturing the heartbreaking and disorienting feeling of becoming a 55-year-old orphan. Buckley maintains his sense of humor by recalling the words of Oscar Wilde: "To lose one parent may be regarded as a misfortune. To lose both looks like carelessness."

Just as Calvin Trillin and Joan Didion gave readers solace and insight into the experience of losing a spouse, Christopher Buckley offers consolation, wit, and warmth to those coping with the death of a parent, while telling a unique personal story of life with legends.

Editorial Reviews:

Within a period of one year both Christopher Buckley's mother and father died. Patricia Taylor Buckley was a legendary socialite of classic beauty notorious for her cuttingly sharp wit. William F. Buckley, Jr. was the famous public intellectual, founder of the conservative magazine National Review, and host of the TV series Firing Line the "father" of the modern conservative movement. Losing Mum and Pupr, by the couple's only child, is a memoir the 54-year-old novelist and satirist Christopher Buckley had "pretty much resolved not to write". But write the book Buckley did, in just 40 days.

Buckley the author felt compelled to write the book: "I find myself, as the funereal dust settles and the flowers dry, wanting needing, perhaps more accurately to try to make sense of it and put the year to rest, as I did my parents." Buckley the narrator has the articulate, nuanced, and friendly voice of a popular professional writer at ease in front of the microphone and audiences large and small.

What really makes this book exceptional is the successful mix of the accounts of illnesses, deaths, and the sorrows of loss with the author's satirical signature: "[I]f at any point you hear a whimpering of oh, poor little me, just chuck this book right into the wastebasket or better yet, take it back and exchange it for a fresh paperback copy of Running with Scissors." And throughout, we are hearing the genuine Christopher Buckley: "My other hope is that the book will be, despite its not exactly upbeat subject matter, a celebration...of two extraordinary people, my Mum and Pup; and that it will be worthy of them, even if some parts of it would no doubt appall them."

The "appall them" qualifier is apt: what no doubt would appall his parents has turned off a number of readers and critics. Buckley publicly exposes his parent's flaws...and then some. The most extreme of these public exposures is Buckley's accounts of his ailing and failing father's habit of urinating in public places.

So how does the author succeed in honoring his parents even as he so publicly exposes their flaws? Well, Buckley's parents were exceptional, public individuals, and the events he describes flattering or not all coincided with deep and residing love.

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Title: The Rolling Stones' Exile on Main St. (33 1/3 Series)

Author: Bill Janovitz

Narrator: Robert Fass

Format: Unabridged

Length: 3 hrs and 54 mins

Language: English

Release date: 04-06-09

Publisher: Audible Studios

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 51 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Looking at each song individually, Janovitz unveils the innovative recording techniques, personal struggles, and rock and roll mythmaking that culminated in this pivotal album.

Editorial Reviews:

Hailed by some as the greatest rock-and-roll album of all-time, The Rolling Stones Exile on Main Street is, as author Bill Janovitz puts it, a "cocktail" that stirs together its myriad influences - the blues, soul, gospel, and country - into a wholly original and intoxicating blend that remains peerless to this day.

Along with a breakdown of each of the 18 tracks, Janovitz provides context on the professional and legal tumult the band faced before they fled to the French Rivera to record the album, and Robert Fass performance brilliantly captures the wit and sincerity of Janovitzs lively prose as he describes the personal effect Exile had, and continues to have, on him.

Members Reviews:

Good insight

Great stuff if you dig the album out fairly regularly. I enjoyed it that bit more as I spent a few days near Nellcôte.

Exile on Main Street

Being a follower of the Rolling Stones since the beginning, this book was a must to me. It gives an insight into the life, the work of the band. Five great minds in music and two in particular Jagger and Richards cannot always agree and it is shown in this book. It covers one of the best albums recorded by this band from beginning to end, a great read.

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Title: Things I've Learned from Women Who've Dumped Me

Author: Ben Karlin (editor), Stephen Colbert, Will Forte, Nick Hornby, Andy Richter, Dan Savage

Narrator: Various

Format: Abridged

Length: 3 hrs and 32 mins

Language: English

Release date: 06-06-08

Publisher: Hachette Audio

Ratings: 3.5 of 5 out of 249 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

The Emmy award-winning former executive producer of The Daily Show and The Colbert Report has assembled a stellar line-up of men who have one thing in common: all have been dumped...and are willing to share their pain and the lessons learned.

©2008 Ben Karlin; (P)2008 Hachette Audio

Critic Reviews:

"Whether the men pathetically recall their failed dating attempts or are celebrating their record number of dumps as learned experiences, these witty, comical approaches to being dumped are sure to entertain anyone who has entered the world of dating." (Publishers Weekly)

Members Reviews:

Funny because it's true

My wife and I listened to this book on a trip. She does not listen to books. This has lead me to buy several books twice. With this we listened from start to end with laughter as well as a few times to pause where we related our own stories to one another.

One thing to know about this book is that it isn't "funny" book per se. It gets it's humor from stories that are able to be related to.

Not so great

This book really didn't seem worth the price considering how short it was. Some stories were certainly better than others. Steven Colbert's was just plain terrible.

Bitter maybe, BUT bitter is funny.

It may not be for everyone, but compared to some of the other books I've downloaded lately, this one was a winner. This one was well worth a book credit. Don't expect to be draw any important life lessons from this, but just sit back and laugh a little.

Keep listening past the intro!

There is some very funny stuff here. The intro is not one of them. The other disappointing performance is Steven Colbert. But, other than that, I really enjoyed this book. It is not all funny though. But, it rings very honest.

not for me...

Guess I was expecting something with a little more substance, or at the least some good laughs. This was a waste of a credit.

-BMW

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Title: Sandhills Boy

Subtitle: The Winding Trail of a Texas Writer

Author: Elmer Kelton

Narrator: George Guidall

Format: Unabridged

Length: 8 hrs and 11 mins

Language: English

Release date: 02-25-08

Publisher: Recorded Books

Ratings: 4.5 of 5 out of 19 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

Voted by his peers as the best Western writer of all time and honored with a record seven Spur Awards, Elmer Kelton is the beloved author of such compelling tales as

The Good Old Boys. A beautifully written and highly readable memoir,

Sandhills Boy reveals the origins of a unique storytelling talent and Texas treasure.

©2007 Elmer Kelton (P)2007 Recorded Books

Critic Reviews:

"Charming memoir....a pleasure through and through." (

Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

Shockingly boring

How could such an accomplished author produce a work that plods as much as this one? After 6 hours of listening I threw in the towel as it was just too painful. I'll continue to be a fan of his stories, but this book was a huge mistake.

Great story

Elmer Kelton is my favorite western author. I read every book of his I can get my hands on. His stories are real because he lived the subject.

I always wanted to know more about him and this is his life plus a lot of serious true history about life in most of the Twentieth Century. It also has a lot of humor at times, and a lot about WW1 and WW2 you only hear from veterans.

Excellent read.

This was very interesting and entertaining, although I think it is a book a reader wouldn't want to start until after having read some of Elmer Kelton's other works.

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Title: Schulz and Peanuts

Subtitle: A Biography

Author: David Michaelis

Narrator: Holter Graham

Format: Unabridged

Length: 12 hrs and 41 mins

Language: English

Release date: 10-16-07

Publisher: HarperAudio

Ratings: 4 of 5 out of 191 votes

Genres: Bios & Memoirs, Artists, Writers, & Musicians

Publisher's Summary:

The son of a barber, Schulz was born in Minnesota to modest, working class roots. In 1943, just three days after his mother's tragic death from cancer, Schulz, a private in the army, shipped out for boot camp and the war in Europe. The sense of shock and separation never left him. And these early experiences would shape his entire life.

With Peanuts, Schulz embedded adult ideas in a world of small children to remind the reader that character flaws and childhood wounds are with us always. It was the central truth of his own life, that as the adults we've become and as the children we always will be, we can free ourselves, if only we can see the humor in the predicaments of funny-looking kids. Schulz's Peanuts profoundly influenced the country in the second half of the 20th century. But the strip was anchored in the collective experience and hardships of Schulz's generation: the generation that survived the Great Depression and liberated Europe and the Pacific and came home to build the postwar world.

Michaelis brilliantly weaves Schulz's story with the cartoons that are so familiar to us, revealing a man we've never fully known and shedding new light on a touchstone of American life.

Critic Reviews:

"This is a fascinating account of an artist who devoted his life to his work in the painful belief that it was all he had." (Publishers Weekly)

"This fine, exhaustive text is well-organized and knowledgeable....Michaelis offers considerable insight into the semiotics of comics and the psyche of a master of the craft." (Kirkus Reviews)

Members Reviews:

Not as dark as you've heard

This seemed to me to be a fair and overwhelmingly positive portrait of Schulz. I'm not sure what his kids are upset about--so Dad was generally melancholy and a bit removed. What do they think made him a cartoon genius? And his love for them and for his wives is also quite palpable. The stories about where all the ideas and characters for Peanuts came from are quite entertaining. The story of A Charlie Brown Christmas alone is quite revealing. I was rather disappointed not to hear a bit more about the business end of things--how Peanuts became an industry and how Schultz's characters wound up selling snack cakes and life insurance and all that. There's an amazing business story that's not told here, and the author suggests that that's because Schultz himself sort of let it happen via his surrogates rather than directing it himself. But that seems a bit of a copout. On the other hand, the book is quite long enough, there's no real dross here, so I can't complain too much. Recommended.

Peanuts Characters

When reading the Peanuts cartoons, I often wondered if the characters were in any way developed from children or people Mr. Schulz knew.

It was interesting to learn they were so interrelated with Mr. Schulz' own family and friends.

It was also interesting to read about Mr.