There and Back Again: An Actor's Tale by Sean Astin

7 Stars (-2 for language)

Ok, maybe it's because Sam was my favorite character in Lord of the Rings but I really enjoyed this book. It's been sitting on my shelf for years and I finally read it. I thoroughly enjoyed the behind-the-scenes look not only at the making of the trilogy but of the workings of Hollywood as well (I can safely say that I will never be an actress, thank you very much). However, Astin's humor and his focus on family made this an enjoyable read.

A Circle of Quiet by Madeleine L'Engle

9 Stars

"Every so often I need out--away from all these people I love most in the world--in order to regain a sense of proportion. My special place is a small brook in a green glade, a circle of quiet from which there is no visible sign of human beings. . . . [there] I move slowly into a kind of peace that is indeed marvelous, annihilating all that's made to a green thought in a green shade." (Taken from the text.)

I have a hard time classifying this as a biography--it is a series of sketches from Madeleine L'Engle's life. But, she explores so much more than her own life here that "biography" just doesn't quite cut it. She weaves in stories from all ages in a seemingly random pattern and then ties them all in to a gorgeous tapestry of words. A consummate author giving guidance and advice from her own world to the budding writer, the artist within. This is one of the best books I have read in a very long time.

Warning: "A Circle of Quiet" is not for the faint of heart. Though the cover looks placid, L'Engle runs through some fairly deep and turbulent topics. She writes about things that are not easy to talk and think about--things that often don't have cut and dry answers. And, while she covers all these topics with the same practical, everyday wisdom, they are only easy to bear reading about because you can feel the strength of her own humanity with you on your trip through them.

The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life by Alice Schroeder

Expert Rating: 9 stars

Newcomer Rating: 5 stars

"It is the winter of Warren's ninth year. Outside in the yard, he and his little sister, Bertie, are playing in the snow. Warren is catching snowflakes. One at a time at first. Then he is scooping them up by handfuls. He starts to pack them into a ball. As the snowball grows bigger, he places it on the ground. Slowly it begins to roll. He gives it a push, and it picks up more snow. He pushes the snowball across the lawn, piling snow on snow. Soon he reaches the edge of the yard. After a moment of hesitation, he heads off, rolling the snowball through the neighborhood. And from there, Warren continues onward, casting his eye on a whole world full of snow." (Taken from page inside book prior to Table of Contents)

The Newcomer Rating is so low, not because the book wouldn't interest lots of different people, but because it is 838 pages long. At that length, you have to be pretty interested to pick up the book.

The expert rating is not a 10 because the last few chapters are almost entirely about Susie Buffett's battle with cancer. Those chapters were pretty long and drawn out. Some of the other chapters were more detailed than they needed to be but they didn't seem as drawn out as the last few.

Warren Buffett may be the only man to become a myth during his own lifetime. Even Elvis waited until he was dead. That is one of the reasons I love reading biographies. It is easy to forget how similar we all are as human beings. It is also easy to look at someone living a lifestyle like Warren Buffett's and forget the work (and craziness) it took to get to that point. Biographies give you a look into the thought process, the hidden actions, the overlooked details that make a person who they are.

This biography points out a lot of the small, cumulative, dedicated things that Buffett did that led to his success. The fascinating part of it, however, is looking into his personality. You get to see his relationships and how they affected him. It becomes apparent how Buffett became not only one of the wealthiest men in the world, but also one of the most respected. His extreme dedication to his pursuit of money caused him to hurt those closest to him without really meaning to. He spent many years recovering his relationship with Susie (his first wife) and their children. However, that same dedication made it so he built his life honestly and in such a way that no one could fault him for the incredible success he has had.

In the book he makes a comment about how he always read books about great people and tried to glean wisdom from their lives. He tried to learn from great men and women's lives so that he could be better. That is another reason I love biographies and one of the reasons I love this book. Warren Buffett's biography holds many little tidbits about life, business, money, relationships, dedication, and honesty. Some may read it and be motivated to pursue his ambitious goal of accumulating great wealth. Others will come out having learned lessons about "the business of life" and the things that really matter.

Life of a Colossus by: Adrian Goldsworthy

8 stars

Life of a Colossus is a biography of Julius Caesar. Though I have not read any other biographies of Caesar, I am tempted to call it the authoritative biography. It chronicles everything we know about Caesar, from his early years on the run from the dictator Sulla to his conquests in Gaul and Britannia as a proconsul to the civil war against Pompey to his assassination at the hands of Brutus. In short, Caesar lived a very exciting life during an exciting time in history.

Adrian Goldsworthy manages a good balance storytelling and historical accuracy. He has no qualms admitting when our knowledge is limited or missing, but he doesn't bogged down in scholarly quagmires. Goldsworthy focuses on Caesar, but you will also learn a good deal about the Roman Republic in its last years, as well as several other famous Romans, including Pompey, Crassus Curio, Cicero, Cato, Mark Antony, Brutus, and Sulla. Though the book is long, it is well paced and there is always something interesting happening. I thoroughly enjoy it all, and often I found myself wishing I was a Roman aristocrat rubbing elbows with these men.

I would add a small warning. At a little over 500 pages of nonfiction, the book is not for the faint of heart. Those who love history, especially ancient history, will enjoy it, but it is surely not a causal reading.