Sex Wars: A Novel of the Turbulent Post-Civil War Period

Average customer rating:

Quasi-Fictitious, Real Life Characters

Terrific Read

Great Read -Women Lives in Post-Civil War Times

was ok

Portrays the zest of a time of great change!

Sex Wars: A Novel of the Turbulent Post-Civil War Period
Marge Piercy
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Historical | Genre Fiction | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Piercy, Marge | ( P ) | Authors, A-Z | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0060789832
Release Date: 2005-11-22

Customer Reviews:

Quasi-Fictitious, Real Life Characters.......2007-08-08

Utterly fascinating. An exceptional book.

Weaves truth with fiction, making for a very informative, highly readable historical account of those years (in New York) right after the Civil War, and into Reconstruction (although Reconstruction is not discussed an any great length here, the well-read individual who pursues her/his interest in the Civil War and its aftermath may find some points of comparison and contrast when comparing the Reconstruction years in New York City with those in the South).

This narrative contains vivid descriptions of this period of immigration of millions of individuals who endured lives of varying degrees of poverty (much of it abject) and livelihoods of varying degrees on the streets of New York, some of it good -- much of it harsh, AND inventive.

It also brings to the fore the "Robber Barons" and the elite Rich who raced through Central Park and visited their madams and houses of prostitution -- and Women's Suffrage; initially in the background, then racing to the forefront, with varying degrees of success with setbacks, division, and imprisonment -- struggling along, then gathering speed and sureness, then splitting along divided lines, yet still gaining momentum.

And all through this narrative one finds Anthony Comstock, his notorious ways, and the Comstock Laws, meddling in and ruining the lives of many honest and dishonest shopkeepers and women trying to earn their daily bread by making condoms or selling or distributing birth control pamphlets.

The descriptions of the street gangs, the dirt and squalor, the honest individuals trying to make a living, the Woodhull sisters and their cunning ability to reach the hearts and minds and purses of those in power, the various personalities inhabiting the alleys and shacks, the 5th Avenue "castles" and whorehouses -- and then the fictional but highly possible life and quests of Freydeh and her orphans -- keeps the reader spellbound.

There is a wealth of information here about Women's Suffrage in the early days; initially Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony - two opposites who work together nonetheless, as major agents for change and reform, AND the Woodhull sisters, advocates of Free Love -- who started the first successful stockbrokerage run by women (scans of their newsletters can be found on the Internet) who then joined forces for a while with those two formidable suffragettes, Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Susan B Anthony (and caused a scandal among the other Suffragettes because of their Free Love stance).

I consider this book not only a great "read", but also fertile grounds and a springboard for further research into Women's Suffrage and the immigrant experience in New York City in that period immediately after the Civil War.

Terrific Read.......2007-07-05

Most exciting historical novel I've read in ages, set in an unusual time, just after the Civil War. It follows several very different people, including the leading "first wave" feminists Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony, and Victoria Woodhull, along with the puritannical moral campaigner Anthony Comstock, and a struggling recent Jewish immigrant and her family. I could hardly put the book down as it ranged from one group of characters to another, and I found it just delicious. Other reviewers have felt that the dialogue was wooden, but it didn't bother me in the least, and it's an easy read, not a sociology text. It's so important to be reminded how bad life was for women and how hard women had to fight to change the laws and society. Well-written and of interest to feminists, those interested in the 19th century spiritualist movement, and the experiences of immigrants in New York City.

Great Read -Women Lives in Post-Civil War Times.......2007-05-29

I really enjoyed reading Sex Wars. Many of the characters were real people (especially women) fighting to live out their goals and dreams in the 1870's and 1880's. When I finished the book I had to immediately look up the real life stories of Victoria Woodhull (notorious free love speaker, stockbroker and medium), Anthony Comstock (fighter of profanity who goes too far), Susan Anthony, Elizabeth Cady Stanton, and Vanderbilt. The fictional character of Freydah was great too. She really made me imagine what it would be like to be an immigrant back in the late 1800's -as a woman who lost her spouse, as a non native speaker, without spousal support, without money, and without laws protecting her from harm and unfairness, and as someone who had to work tirelessly just to make it and fight against prejudice and the social grain. -How different life was for the single woman and the married woman. This book truly highlights this.

I liked the structure of the book and found it suspenseful. Each chapter was from a different character's point of view and would then rotate back to each character again chapter by chapter. This book helped me to see a glimpse of what America was like during this time period. It helps one see how the events and attitudes of the past frame and contribute to the politics and attitudes that we have today -especially concerning women. It is so interesting to think about the people who come before us. The only things I found not so great: I felt Susan Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton who are incredible women to me could have been written about a little more interestingly.

was ok.......2007-01-10

not what i expected as far as the story goes, but in excellent condition

Portrays the zest of a time of great change!.......2006-04-21

Piercy paints a portrait of women who were intelligent and gutsy in a time that did not reward those qualities in women. Of course we don't hear much about them now because history under-reports the feats of women. The fact that these women thought for themselves and led innovative lives was amazing considering the oppression that was the norm.

Some of the characters in this story were historic figures such as Elizabeth Cady Stanton, Susan B. Anthony and Comstock. Others were lesser known figures such as the psychic turned candidate for president Victoria Woodhull. I have to admit I was more interested in Woodhull and some of the fictional characters. It really didn't work to have the fictional and non-fictional characters together. I also didn't like the numerous head changes--I wanted to stick with the one story and see what happened. With so much shifting from on story to another I did not attach to or get to know any of the characters.

A really interesting book despite some flaws and well worth a read. It portrays the zest of a time of great change in American history.

Sex Wars : A Novel of the Turbulent Post-Civil War Period

Average customer rating:

Sex Wars : A Novel of the Turbulent Post-Civil War Period
Marge Piercy
Manufacturer: William Morrow
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000OEY9XG

Book Description

After a full day slinging hash at Kountry Kitchen and then surviving the graveyard shift at Budget Mart, the last thing Wanda Nell Culpepper needs is to to find her no-account ex-husband, Bobby Ray, flashing cash and stirring up trouble. Things can't get much worse--until the next day when she finds her missing pink flamingo stuck in his very dead body.

Customer Reviews:

Good weekend read!.......2007-06-06

I really enjoyed this book. It was relatively light reading, and good enough that I've been looking forward to subsequent titles by this author.

Flamingo Fatale Rides High .......2007-01-12

This was a very easy-breezy, nice weekend read. The characters come to life and you feel like you've known someone like them before. The plot was nice and kept you guessing till the end. The kids were like your own or kids of your friends. I highly recommend this little thriller to everyone.

Good start to what promises to be a fun series.......2006-10-18

Wanda Nell Culpepper has got a lot on her hands: she's a single mom with three kids and one grandkid who she works 2 jobs to support. Her Mother in Law is a monster--and her ex has just shown up waving around a lot of cash.

When Wanda Nell finds her ex stabbed through the throat with a pink lawn flamingo, her troubles have just begun. The deputy suspects her, dangerous folks are coming after her looking for something that the ex supposedly left with her.

"Flamingo Fatale" is a good read and an interesting cosy; however, I don't think that Evans hits her stride with her first book. "Murder Over Easy" is much improved and the third in the series actually promises to be more interesting.

Trailer Park mystery series starts out with winner.......2006-05-30

Wanda Nell Culpepper is working two jobs to make ends meet when she finds her ex-husband Bobby Ray murdered with her missing pink flamingo stuck in his neck. Just the day before he had shown up flashing a wad of cash.

Some really bad guys are harassing Wanda Nell, her two daughters, and her grandson. The sheriff is trying to pin this on her. Luckily she has her best friend next door who has come to their rescue more than once. Her ex-mother-in-law sure isn't much help.

Can Wanda Nell stay out of jail long enough to figure out what's going on? How much does her daughter Miranda know? What about her son T. J.? Could he be involved?

I really enjoyed this book. Wanda Nell is your typical single mother trying to make it with no help from her ex. She is very down-to-earth. Her life in the trailer park is very believable. The author didn't make her superwoman. He showed that she was exhausted from working two jobs. I thought that was very good.

The plot was well-written. I had my suspicions but didn't know the killer much before it was revealed. I highly recommend this book.

www.mysteryloverscorner.com
www.romanceloverscorner.com

Funny and not condescending.......2006-04-01

I have to agree with the other reviewer who said it took a while to get into this book, but once I got past the slow start, I really got to like these characters. Yeah, I knew from the get-go who was involved in the murder, but that didn't detract from the enjoyment of the book. I'd like to see more from this author regarding these characters.

What I particularly appreciated was the way the author resisted making the trailer park residents stereotypical "white trash". Instead she showed the various types that live in a park like this, mostly because it's cheaper than rent or a house.

Average customer rating:

Graphic SF Reader

Ideal for new Spider-Man readers

Spider-Man: The Return of the Sinister Six
David Michelinie
Manufacturer: Marvel Entertainment Group
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

Marvel | Publishers | Comics & Graphic Novels | Subjects | Books
Contemporary | General | Literature & Fiction | Subjects | Books
Michelinie, David | ( M ) | Authors, A-Z | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
General | Fantasy | Science Fiction & Fantasy | Subjects | Books
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ASIN: 0785100431

Customer Reviews:

Graphic SF Reader.......2007-09-03

I was never a fan of McFarlane's art, or much of a Spider-Man reader, but he does go in for the more 'realistic' style of woman, maybe borrowing from some of the earlier X-types at the time.

Padded, these issues aren't, bad guys and action galore.

Some funny bits too: The Scorpion has a hostage, and makes Spider-Man get him a pizza!

Spider-Man takes a job from Silver Sable for cash, and wears a dinner suit over his costume while guarding royalty of one of those tiny comicbookland countries.

Ideal for new Spider-Man readers.......2004-06-18

In the late-80's, writer David Michelinie, known for his work on Iron Man, and super hot upcoming artist Todd McFarlane teamed up to work on a comicbook. Not any comicbook - Marvel's number one title, The Amazing Spider-Man.

Personally I'm very fond of this era. The stories are somewhat simpler and more straight forward than most of the 80's ones had been. They are more lighthearted, there's more humour (usually in the form of Peter being in an embarassing situation) and MacFarlane's art is of course, love it or hate it.

But I think it's an underated era. Michelinie's story style and writing is pitch perfect for McFarlane's art. Todd's caricature-like characters are given the proper note of humour, and Michelinie captures Spidey's self-depretiating, 'what-now?' attitude very well. I actually think Michelinie defined the character of Spidey somewhat for the 1990's.

Their stories are very readable and appealing, and IMO great to look at. The highlight of their run was of course the introduction of Venom, and they had a number of other noteworthy contributions. The first, and only proper Hogboblin vs Green Goblin (which was mediocre but atleast they did it), the creation of creepy Styx and Stone, Jonathan Ceasar kidnapping MJ and holding her prisoner only a few rooms away from her's and Peter's apartment. They also had Peter publish his Webs photography book, revamped the Prowler (very Spawn-esque), and had Spidey punch the Hulk....into space.

I think Michelinie/McFarlane's run was a perfect late-80's version of the original Stan Lee/Steve Ditko stories. Michelinie writes the same well-paced, good humoured, traditional style stories as Lee, yet more streamlined and somewhat lighter. McFarlane has all the offbeat weirdness of Ditko, and is not afraid to make Spidey look weird and freakish.

If you are new to the Spider-Man comics after seeing the movies, this is the perfect volume to get into the series. Knowledge of the films is enough to understand these stories. The artwork is colourful and appealing, and you'll get to see the work of the most succesful and controversial comicbook artist of all-time. The stories are fun, full of action and of course, full of supervillains. You really can't go wrong.

Book Description

View the Table of Contents. Read the Introduction.

"A compelling story about mystery, deception, death, disappointment, vindication, and uncertainty."
—The American Psychological Association

"Healy confirms his status as one longtime thorn in the side of big drug companies, recounting how he was initially enthusiastic about SSRIs but eventually grew concerned about their side effects."
—Psychology Today

"Physicians should be aware of Let Them Eat Prozac."
—JAMA

" Let Them Eat Prozac is a double-pronged exploration, first of the SSRI drugs used to treat depression, and second of the drug industry."
—Publishers Weekly

"Ultimately, the book is about science, society and the power and misuse of commercial promotion. . . . His investigation is impressive."
—Nature

"This very important book will demonstrate beyond your worst dreams that the commercial needs of Big Pharma are the natural-born enemy of independent scientific research."
—John Le Carré

"Healy presents technical matters clearly. This book could not be more timely."
—Foreword

" Let Them Eat Prozac is an interesting history. It asks some stimulating and challenging questions, which are still in need of better and more constructive answers."
—Journal of the American Academy of Child Adolescent Psychiatry

"In a flood of academic publications and talks, David Healy has issued harsh criticisms of both the pharmaceutical industry in general and the nearly $20-billion-dollar-a-year antidepressant industry in particular."
—Boston Globe

"Healy does raise some timely issues."
—Psychiatric Services

"Dr. Healy's tenacity in fighting for what he believes in is admirable."
—E-Streams

"[Healy is] the leading authority on the history of psychopharmacology."
—Times Literary Supplement

“An alarming book. . . . The most disturbing part of the story Healy tells is not merely about the risks of SSRIs but about the efforts of the pharmaceutical industry to make sure those risks were not uncovered.”
—Dissent

"In his timely new book, Healy draws on his extensive experience in antidepressant studies and involvement in legal actions against drug manufacturers. . . . Healy has the advantage of access to internal pharmaceutical industry documents and makes a strong case."
—Library Journal

"The author is an excellent historian who offers a gripping interpretation of the role of the pharmaco-industrial complex in the introduction of SSRIs. His recommendation for a funded agency that would carefully evaluate the benefits and harms of marketed drugs is a superb idea and much needed."
—Jonathan Cole, Harvard Medical School

"Healy exposes the massive fraud and deception in the production and marketing of antidepressant drugs, the selevtive serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)."
—Choice

Prozac. Paxil. Zoloft. Turn on your television and you are likely to see a commercial for one of the many selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) on the market. We hear a lot about them, but do we really understand how these drugs work and what risks are involved for anyone who uses them?

Let Them Eat Prozac explores the history of SSRIs—from their early development to their latest marketing campaigns—and the controversies that surround them. Initially, they seemed like wonder drugs for those with mild to moderate depression. When Prozac was released in the late 1980s, David Healy was among the psychiatrists who prescribed it. But he soon observed that some of these patients became agitated and even attempted suicide. Could the new wonder drug actually be making patients worse?

Healy draws on his own research and expertise to demonstrate the potential hazards associated with these drugs. He intersperses case histories with insider accounts of the research leading to the development and approval of SSRIs as a treatment for depression. Let Them Eat Prozac clearly demonstrates that the problems go much deeper than a side-effect of a particular drug. The pharmaceutical industry would like us to believe that SSRIs can safely treat depression, anxiety, and a host of other mental problems. But, as Let Them Eat Prozac reveals, this "cure" may be worse than the disease.

Customer Reviews:

a burden of proof. .......2007-09-26

A book to read if somebody in your family is considering taking SSRI. Not so much to go agaisnt medical advice but to recognize subsequent side effect that would alert the family member to an untoward reaction from taking the medication. A good book to read also for physicians who are prescribing or seeing patients who take SSRIs. This book goes into many details , from case studies to marketing and legal issues concerning the pharmaceutical companies 's handling of SSRIs. It is a compelling case for a cover up for serious side effects. Even if it only looks at one side of the story, it is a pretty large burden of proof. Not an easy read.

Get Ready To Get Mad.......2006-07-23

Healy is the world's foremost authority on psychopharmacology. The first part of this book (Introduction) is 39 pages and gives a most useful overview of depression's "history," the history of tranquilizers, the discovery of serotonin and chemical imbalances (which he calls a silly myth), SSRIs, etc. The book is also excellent on the marketing of antidepressants. This is where you might get upset as it becomes clear the marketing strategy involves very purposeful distortions of the truth and outright lies. His information about "ghostwriting" (when the drug company actually writes the journal article, not the drug researcher whose name appears on the article) is astonishing. I had read my medical journals for many years without ever even being aware this ever occurred. Healy describes his own experiences where the drug companies have tried to pay him for allowing his name to go on their "research" studies. He believes this is a much greater problem with antidepressants than with other classes of drugs. If all the book were as strong as the Introduction or the ghostwriting and marketing material I would give it five stars. However, he gives a lot of detail about his own experiences which is "why is this in the book?" kind of material. A more general book that is the best thing I have read yet on the antidepressant/antipsychotic topic is America Fooled. It is easy to understand but referenced as well as Healy's books (and I didn't think anyone could match Healy). We are fortunate to have Healy write this and his other books as he speaks from personal experiences and is a giant in the field.

A Disturbing Peak Inside the Machinations of the Pharmaceutical Industry and the Complacency of the Psychiatric Community.......2006-07-01

Dr. David Healy's Let Them Eat Prozac is packed with painstakingly referenced information. The book is deceptively panoramic in scope, ranging from ghost written article/adverts in medical journals masquerading as science, to how the line between the psychiatric community and the pharmaceutical industry has become increasingly blurred. Healy diligently documents how society has been inundated with information regarding the newest and `most proficient' pharmaceuticals, and how it has been increasingly difficult of late to separate legitimate scientific observations from the highly evolved marketing the industry has used to engage the public.

Dr. Healy tackles many key issues and demonstrates admirably how one should handle some of the more sensitive of these without sounding sensationalistic. There is much in this book that would otherwise not be public knowledge, and as Healy explains how the billions of dollars that these companies spend on public relations are used, one comes to appreciate/abhor the tact with which the pharmaceutical industry has promoted their products. However, David Healy is a man who refuses to play their game:

"A string of colleagues from Japan through Europe to the US called me or emailed me to tell me that they had been told to have no contact with me - that I was trouble, and about to be in trouble." (pg 248)

The quote refers to the difficulties Dr. Healy faced in bringing the life-threatening side effects of these drugs (namely akathisia and psychoses) to the attention of the public and the psychiatric community. These difficulties would reach their apex when his job contract with the University of Toronto was rescinded after he presented his concerns that some of these more dangerous side effects were being overlooked, concerns that would later prove true and result in a black box suicide warning being placed on all SSRIs and SNRIs.

Easily the best and most important non-fiction book I have ever read. I'll end with a couple quotes to give you a better idea of the content:

Memo from chief executive in the German branch of Lilly: "Hans [Weber] had medical problems with these directions and I have great concerns about it. I do not think I could explain to the BGA, to a judge, to a reporter or even to my family why we do this especially on the sensitive issue of suicide and suicidal ideation." (Healy 248) Followed by another memo: "I personally wonder whether we are really helping the credibility of an excellent ADE system by calling overdose what a physician reports as suicide attempt and by calling depression what a physician is reporting as suicide ideation."

Based on this it is safe to say that by the turn of the century, around 50% of the "scientific" literature in pharmacotherapeutics was ghost-written, originated within companies, or was published in non-peer-reviewed supplements to journals. (Healy 187)

Disturbing, somewhat useful, murky.......2006-05-08

This important book undermines its effectiveness by jumbling together several distinct story lines:
1. The influence of pharmaceutical money on science and the practice of medicine.
2. The value of antidepressants versus their troubling side effects, most notably suicidality.
3. The legal battles over (a) the "Prozac defense" and (b) product liability of Lilly for adverse drug reactions.
4. Dr. Healy's personal travails as a result of his concerns about the safety of SSRI's.

Jumbling these related-but-different issues together results in a murky book, in which none of the four stories emerges clearly.

In general, Dr. Healy's views on these issues seem to be
1. Pharmaceutical money has badly corrupted both science and clinical practice.
2. Antidepressants and other psychotropics are important tools, but because the science and clinical practice have been skewed by pharmaceutical companies, they are over-prescribed, mis-prescribed, and generally used injudiciously.
3. The only reason his side has lost the legal battles that it has lost is the corrupt influence of pharma, and
4. He got screwed by the Evil powers.

I found the cases he made for points 1 and 2 (if I teased them out of the murk correctly) fairly persuasive, the case for point 3 provocative but not entirely compelling, and the case for point 4 hard to judge.

If you have a fair amount of patience and a serious interest in the different story lines Dr. Healy addresses, and if you know enough about the methodological issues involved in different ways of doing research to evaluate his criticisms of the preferred methodologies of pharmaceutical-funded research, the book is certainly worth reading. Otherwise, I suspect you will find the book more confusing and (probably) misleading than enlightening.

very disappointing.......2006-04-27

An interesting book and there will be much discussion as to whether David Healy is ultimately correct.
However, what does concern me about David Healys work, is that it is basically negative. If he believes that S.S.R.I.sare in many cases worse than placebo, what is he advocating in their place? It is well understood that anti-depressants along with the various counselling therapies, can prove very effective.

In Doctor Healys local authority however, there is a 9 month waiting list to see a psychologist. Is David Healy advocating and campaigning for more psychologists in his work-place?

In the future, new drugs will have less and less relevance. It is becoming far too expensive to continue to develop and test them. There has to be an alternative.

2 of the most beneficial are: MEDITATION and HEALING With the right tools anyone can practice both with amazing results and nil side-effects.

IT IS TIME RIGHT NOW FOR EVERYONE TO WAKE UP AND SMELL THE COFFEE1111

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