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by Steve Murray
Product Group: Book
Publisher: body and mind productions inc (2007-09-15)
ISBN: 0979217725
EAN: 9780979217722
Dewy Decimal #: 615.851
Paperback: 176 pages
Release Date: 2007-09-15
SKU: 110908020
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...minor wear on cover
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
Do you or your friends, relatives and clients have unexplained health challenges, phobias, fears, grief or anxiety that medical doctors just can t explain? Or perhaps you (or someone you know) have experienced a traumatic event and now feel something missing in your core being. In other words, you may not feel whole or complete. If so, Past Lives and Soul Retrieval, the fourth book in Steve Murray s popular Reiki The Ultimate Guide series, is for you. This much-anticipated volume shows Reiki Healers how to guide themselves and others through Past Life and Soul Retrieval Sessions. And, it isn t just for Reiki Healers! Steve also explains how to perform a session without Reiki, so anyone can use the guidelines in the book. This fourth guide has over 50 illustrations with easy to understand, step by-step instructions on how to: Access a past life memory, and then release the emotional charge in the memory that is linked to and causing problems in your current life. Access a traumatic event memory from your current life, and then retrieve part of the soul left there, thereby becoming whole and complete again. When a Past Life or Soul Retrieval Session is successful, it removes Psychic Debris from a current life. Psychic Debris can manifest as unexplained health problems, phobias, anger, fears, grief, anxiety or stress and can negatively impact your life. Psychic Debris eventually accumulates in the physical, mental, emotional and/or spiritual body, creating blockages of your life force. This can cause a weakening to your immune system, and illness and disease can result. The Guide also explains: The Akashic Plane The Akashic Records Shamans The Veil Past Life Root Events Soul Fragmentation Reincarnation Déjà Vu, Déjà Visite and Déjà Senti Plus much, much more! The book and its contents might upset a few Reiki Masters for various reasons and for that they should not buy it. I have heard all the reasons they might have and I disagree with all of the reasons, respectfully. The book was not published for this group. It was published for Reiki (that can include Masters) and Non Reiki people seeking information and guidance. I believe there should not be any secrets in regards to Healing and Reiki Steve Murray is an Usui Reiki Master and the author of the best-selling Reiki The Ultimate Guide series. In addition, Steve also has a series of successful self-healing DVDs that include the #1 selling Reiki DVDs in the world.
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Customer Reviews
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illuminating
Rating  (5)
Date: 2008-10-02
I feel the book and this author is incredable. The information, knowledge, and profound wisdom, of the teaching of reiki is clearly wrote with profound wisdom. The author teaches in a way anybody could understand, Up to date with the times, and complete honesty. I have had nothing but perfect results from the teaching of this book and other books I have purchased from this author.
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After the rest - THIS books is the BEST!
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-08-26
My review for VOL. 4 will read close to that of VOL. 1-3 as I had close to the same wonderful experience: In my 10 years of non-stop study in the healing energy arts, especially Reiki - these books are the best I've read. Steve's approach is open, honest and straight to the point. Sure with different Reiki teachers you are going to get some different minor points here and there. This is the nature of Reiki at it's core anyway. We are all connected to this great source of healing energy, and we all have a different use and way of reaching for it. The good part is simply to take that reach. Steve's entire course is hand crafted to spell out the knowledge and give the guidance needed to heal yourself and others. This guide speaks of healing lost and emotionally charged parts of ones soul. I greatly enjoyed this book. True, there are a lot of pictures and if taken out the writing portion wouldn't be enough to make a big book. BUT this was one of the reasons I enjoyed it so much. When you start from Book/DVD Vol. 1 and work to get to this point: there is so much that doesn't need repeating. I actually felt like this book honored the knowledge I have alread learned and made me feel even more empowered for its delivery. I wouldn't read this one first, but after all it is Vol. 4 for a reason. I highly and with pride say to each and everyone of you, take the chance to read his work - you only have healing growth to achieve!
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Empowering
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-08-26
Empowering!!
I am by nature open minded but cautious. I read Steve's website top to bottom and was inspired by the truth as I read it. It resonated with something deep inside me. I was very drawn to his openness and perspectives on Reiki and decided that this was the right path to follow. I have not been disappointed at all!! Very congruent in all his writing and his mission statement.
His DVD's and books empower you on whatever level you are interested in learning. He is a true teacher. You can read it, see it and feel the energy.
Thank you so much Steve for all your insightful information and for sharing all your knowledge with everyone in an affordable way. This was a smart investment for me. I am truly grateful and much more knowledgeable.
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Very Good Book!
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-08-25
I was already a Reiki Master, and purchased Steve Murray's, Reiki Ultimate Guide, Ultimate Guide Vol. 2, Vol. 3, and Vol. 4, along with the DVD attunements for each. The attunements were very powerful, and the energy flow is no doubt stronger. This program has to be the most convent, and realistic way to get started in the Reiki healing practice. I have tried several other Reiki programs in the past, and Steve Murrays Reiki Ultimate Guides, are the very best I have found yet. You will not be disappointed.
D. White
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Very Useful Healing Tool
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-08-25
Very useful book. As someone who takes the study of Reiki very seriously, and as someone who also studies hypnosis, I found that this book was easy to use and had a past life experience the first day I received it. I couldn't wait to see how Steve was able to take Reiki and use it for Past Life Regression.
I had several very good outcomes from my first Reiki Past Life session. The answer to a question that I needed answered was given. Not only was that one question that I asked answered, but other revelations came from the same session. I was curious as to how a history buff like me could love all times in history except one, that was answered during this session. I also saw that one of my spirit guides was a good friend of mine during that time frame. What was really great is that each of us, me and my guide, had the same personalities back then as we do now.
Not only do I use this method of Reiki healing for myself, but I also use it to guide people through past life regression.
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by (Editor: Alan Grafen) (Editor: Mark Ridley)
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Oxford University Press, USA (2007-05-17)
ISBN: 0199214662
EAN: 9780199214662
Dewy Decimal #: 591.5092
Paperback: 304 pages
SKU: 110608040
Condition: Used: Like New
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...very slight shelf wear on dustjacket
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
With the publication of the international bestseller The Selfish Gene some thirty years ago, Richard Dawkins powerfully captured a newly emerging way of understanding evolution--a gene's eye view. Dawkins went on to publish five more bestselling books, including The Blind Watchmaker and Unweaving the Rainbow. He is one of the most high profile public intellectuals today and any attempt to understand the scientific view of the world must grapple with his ideas.
Now, in this exciting collection of original essays, some of the world's leading thinkers offer their take on how Dawkins has changed the way we think. Readers will find stimulating pieces by Daniel Dennett, the renowned philosopher of mind and author of Darwin's Dangerous Idea; Steven Pinker, the brilliant Harvard linguist who wrote The Language Instinct and The Blank Slate; Matt Ridley, author of the bestselling Genome; and James Watson, who with Francis Crick discovered the structure of DNA, arguably the greatest scientific discovery of the last century. Dawkins' widely admired literary style forms the subject of several pieces, including one from novelist Philip Pullman (author of the bestselling His Dark Materials trilogy). As one of the world's best known rationalists, Dawkins' stance on religion is another theme in this collection, explored by Simon Blackburn, Michael Ruse, Michael Shermer, and the Bishop of Oxford. Numbering twenty in all, these articles are not simply rosy tributes, but explore how Dawkins' ideas have shaped thinking and public debate, and include elements of criticism as well as thoughtful praise.
Richard Dawkins' work has had the rare distinction of generating as much excitement outside the scientific community as within it. This stimulating volume is a superb summation of the depth and range of his influence.
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Customer Reviews
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Regarding Science-Ejected Vitalism, 2007:
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-11-09
I particularly applaud Ruse's statement -- contrary to the position of such nonsensical alternative medicine systems as 'naturopathy' -- that vitalism is profoundly nonscientific, per:
"vital forces really have no place in science [p.157]."
-r.c.
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Very disappointing, quite useless, ego driven
Rating  (1)
Date: 2007-01-23
26 out of 65 customers found this reveiw helpful
I can't help but feel that the reviews thus far for this book have only been favorable due to the contributions that Dawkins himself has made to the field of evolutionary biology.
What was most troubling about this book was the contradictions which the editors themselves (Grafen and Ridley) managed to incorporate. They say that Dawkins uses "impeccable logic" and yet they also claim that he's "often misunderstood". Grafen claims that The Selfish Gene caused an "immediate revolution in biology". Yet, Andrew Read, one of the contributors, said he didn't encounter the book until after he completed his four year zoology degree (and yes, it had been published before that time). One also gets to read about, from the accounts of several scientists, how The Selfish Gene "taught me to think" (from Read's essay, but this is only an example). Grafen then tells us that it is noteworthy that Dawkins was elected to the Royal Society for his "contributions to the public understanding of science, not for his contribution to science itself."
The Selfish Gene is a masterful book and it's certainly worthy of praise, but 283 pages of praise with intercalary superfluous biographic accounts by the authors makes this book one for the trash bin.
It is nothing but an academic circle jerk. Very disappointing.
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Dawkins appreciation
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-11-10
0 out of 4 customers found this reveiw helpful
If you have read Richard's books over the years, you will enjoy reading some other prominent peoples' opinions. I am now re-reading "The selfish gene"
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Misplaced tributes
Rating  (2)
Date: 2006-11-06
16 out of 162 customers found this reveiw helpful
The subtitle, after the title naming the subject of the tributes, says: "HOW A SCIENTIST CHANGED THE WAY WE THINK". Who is "WE"? Certainly not anyone. Rather, it may apply to the contributors to the book, and more widely to Darwinians. My drift is that if that scientist, Richard Dawkins, indeed changed the way someone thinks, it concerns those who accept Darwinism as axiomatic, the change concerning how they think Darwinism can be detailed.
To me this is like thinking how many angels can dance on the head of a pin. Despite the authors' absolute certainty that Darwinism is true, it is, as I have tried to show elsewhere, not only a theory, but a false one. Its refutation is in fact quite simple, but it resides in what has been a blind spot on both sides of the dispute for or against the theory.
One of the authors in the book quotes Dawkins in matters that highlight the essence of the dispute (p.233): "Darwin made it possible to be an intellectually fulfilled atheist." (As an aside: What about spiritually, emotionally, fulfilled?) And "The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind pitiless indifference."
Ironically, the just spoken "blind" indicates the blind spot mentioned above. The dire views expressed in the preceding quotations are belied by an overwhelming phenomenon completely overlooked. It is the activities characterizing every live organism. Their directions toward its preservation display the opposite of "blind pitiless indifference", of "no good", of "no purpose".
I shall not go further here into the questions of theism or atheism; it should, however, be clear from the aforesaid that the presence of directedness in nature, contrary to the claim of its absence, is, in the functionings of organisms, very much part of science, as exemplified by medicine.
It is instead Darwinian aimlessness which contradicts these observations. In this respect one may take a look at a prevalent theme in the reviewed book, regarding what "changed the way we think". Dawkins proposed (p.55) that the gene, "defined as any portion of chromosomal material that potentially lasts for enough generations to serve as a unit of natural selection", must be recognized as "the fundamental unit of natural selection, and therefore the fundamental unit of self-interest."
This has to do with the microscopic unit transmitting hereditary characters and which Dawkins for the preceding reason called "the selfish gene". Of interest now is of course that the gene or anything else in organisms is called without hesitation a unit of, aimless, "natural selection". As seen above, organismic parts do act with aims and are correspondingly replicated through generations with aims.
Dawkins called the gene "the fundamental unit of self-interest" because it is so replicated, and as known, "natural selection" is to favor that which survives, and the gene appears to survive longer than other units of organisms. But in the organism's activities aimed at its survival the genes are merely instruments by which organisms propagate for that survival. In other words, genes do not act in self-interest but in the interest of organisms.
More importantly, as here again called attention to, the living do not adapt as a result of undirected effects of natural selection, but as a result of their directed activities toward self-preservation.
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Scientists give Dawkins a rave notice
Rating (5)
Date: 2006-11-03
16 out of 24 customers found this reveiw helpful
Richard Dawkins is brilliant. Because he writes so clearly, his colleagues and students learn from him with ease; because he writes so entertainingly, they thoroughly enjoy the learning process. In Grafen and Ridley's compendium, other scientists who have benefited from Dawkins' brilliance build on his work, and provide important commentary and instruction on how to think and reason.
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by Augusten Burroughs
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Picador (2003-06-01)
ISBN: 031242227X
EAN: 9780312422271
Dewy Decimal #: 813.6
Paperback: 320 pages
SKU: 111408026
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...minor wear on cover
More Product Infomation
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
The #1 New York Times Bestseller An Entertainment Weekly Top Ten Book of the Year Now a Major Motion Picture Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor’s bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull an electroshock- therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing and bestselling account of an ordinary boy’s survival under the most extraordinary circumstances. Running with Scissors Acknowledgments
Gratitude doesn’t begin to describe it: Jennifer Enderlin, Christopher Schelling, John Murphy, Gregg Sullivan, Kim Cardascia, Michael Storrings, and everyone at St. Martin’s Press. Thank you: Lawrence David, Suzanne Finnamore, Robert Rodi, Bret Easton Ellis, Jon Pepoon, Lee Lodes, Jeff Soares, Kevin Weidenbacher, Lynda Pearson, Lona Walburn, Lori Greenburg, John DePretis, and Sheila Cobb. I would also like to express my appreciation to my mother and father for, no matter how inadvertently, giving me such a memorable childhood. Additionally, I would like to thank the real-life members of the family portrayed in this book for taking me into their home and accepting me as one of their own. I recognize that their memories of the events described in this book are different than my own. They are each fine, decent, and hard-working people. The book was not intended to hurt the family. Both my publisher and I regret any unintentional harm resulting from the publishing and marketing of Running with Scissors. Most of all, I would like to thank my brother for demonstrating, by example, the importance of being wholly unique.
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Amazon.com Review
There is a passage early in Augusten Burroughs's harrowing and highly entertaining memoir, Running with Scissors, that speaks volumes about the author. While going to the garbage dump with his father, young Augusten spots a chipped, glass-top coffee table that he longs to bring home. "I knew I could hide the chip by fanning a display of magazines on the surface, like in a doctor's office," he writes, "And it certainly wouldn't be dirty after I polished it with Windex for three hours." There were certainly numerous chips in the childhood Burroughs describes: an alcoholic father, an unstable mother who gives him up for adoption to her therapist, and an adolescence spent as part of the therapist's eccentric extended family, gobbling prescription meds and fooling around with both an old electroshock machine and a pedophile who lives in a shed out back. But just as he dreamed of doing with that old table, Burroughs employs a vigorous program of decoration and fervent polishing to a life that many would have simply thrown in a landfill. Despite her abandonment, he never gives up on his increasingly unbalanced mother. And rather than despair about his lot, he glamorizes it: planning a "beauty empire" and performing an a capella version of "You Light Up My Life" at a local mental ward. Burroughs's perspective achieves a crucial balance for a memoir: emotional but not self-involved, observant but not clinical, funny but not deliberately comic. And it's ultimately a feel-good story: as he steers through a challenging childhood, there's always a sense that Burroughs's survivor mentality will guide him through and that the coffee table will be salvaged after all. --John Moe
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Customer Reviews
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Wonderful read for good laughs
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-11-10
A little awkward during some sections, but funny/ witty throughout its entirety. If you like reading about things that seem crazy, this is a MUST read for you.
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?
Rating  (3)
Date: 2008-11-07
talk about WEIRD childhood....reading this book left me blank....i don't know if i hate it or love it.....this is weird because i usually feel strongly one way or another....i guess that what makes this book controversial....i am going to watch the movie and see how the director "sees" the book.....i am sure it will be interesting to watch.
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A Childhood Undesired: A Review of Running with Scissors
Rating  (4)
Date: 2008-10-28
A boy sits and watches his mother get ready for a night out. The smells remind him of abandonment. Her actions fill him with jealousy. The boy needs some control over his life and the only things he can grasp are his physical appearance. Panicking if a hair is out of place and disgusted if he notices a stain on his clothes. He feels comfort in knowing he determines is outer presence, for the inner part of him is slowly being broken. Life as he knows it is soon going to be changed forever. This boy is Augusten Burroughs.
In his childhood memoir, Running with Scissors (St. Martins Press, 2002, 304), Augusten Burroughs struggles with a disturbed childhood that contains a crazy mother, a father who abandoned him, and a boyfriend who started their relationship off by raping him. While his childhood story is heart wrenching he also adds brilliant details that is shocking and laughable at the same time. Running with Scissors makes readers be thankful for their personal family life.
In this unpredictable tale, which occurred mainly during Burroughs teen years, his journey begins with a boy who is confused and ends with a young man who has been through loads of dissatisfaction and finally knows what he wants out of life. His disturbing voyage starts with his parents constantly arguing and verbally abusing one another. His mother, Deirdre, consults a bizarre, Santa clause look a like, pill distributing without a cause, doctor for help with her dead end marriage. With the introduction of Dr. Finch, Burroughs life escalates into a series of outlandish and unbelievable events. The inevitable divorce took place after a couple of visits with Dr. Finch and he ultimately became Deirdre's personal psychiatrist. Once the pills started flowing, "Gone were the days when she would stand on the deck lighting lemon-scented candles without then having to eat the wax," states Burroughs about his crazed mother, Deirdre made one bad decision after another including having Dr. Finch become the legal guardian for Burroughs. Burroughs had lost a lot of respect for his mother at this point and was even more confused about his life.
While living the life of a free spirited Finch, Burroughs experienced life in an unimaginable way. Eating dog food as a snack, making a skylight in the kitchen ceiling by hand, faking a suicide attempt to get out of going to school, and being a 13 year old boy dating a 33 year old man may seem deranged to some people but these were everyday occurrences for a teenage Burroughs. Rarely seeing his mother was also common and when he did see her she cast him to the side, like an old coat in the closet; glad to see it is still there but she has no use for it anymore. Burroughs eventually moved into an apartment with Natalie Finch and tried to start living his life on his own.
Living in a world of lunacy, Burroughs was constantly writing in his journal as an outlet away from his everyday life. Often referred to as the writer in his family he underestimated himself and was disgusted by the idea because of what it had done to his mother, Deirdre. He buried the thought of being a writer deep inside and tried not to let it be a part of his life. Burroughs eventually enrolled at a community college as a pre-med student. He was taking English 101 and found it to be difficult and useless. Instead of doing his regular class work he wrote ten page essays that had nothing to do with the class but indulged his talent for creative writing which eventually led him to fail the class. "If you could focus on the core materials in the course, I believe it would help your creative writing. You do show a flair," states Burroughs English 101 professor. He soon withdrew from college. The next step was to move to New York and finally pursue his real dream, the dream that was torturing him deep inside and leaving him wondering if he would end up insane like his mother if pursued. That dream was becoming a writer.
Since publishing Running with Scissors, Burroughs has received some negative feedback due to the accuracy of his memoir. The family he refers to as The Finch's, which is really the Turcotte family, has sued him for how he portrayed them in the book and they believe he has stretched the truth in many instances. According to Buzz Bissinger, author of "Ruthless with Scissors" an article from Vanity Fair, during the Turcotte family interviews they cited numerous instances of what they believe to be fabrications including most of the sensational scenes that have made Running with Scissors such a desirable read. The main issue during interviews and in the lawsuit is the amount of time Burroughs lived in the house. A synopsis on the back cover states that he began living in the house at the age of 12 and the book suggest he primarily lived there until he was 17, says Bissinger. According to the Turcotte's, Burroughs had a room in the house for approximately a year and a half beginning in 1980, when he would have been 15. Burroughs insists his memoir contain nothing but the truth. According to D. Cloyce Smith, a reviewer on amazon.com, it's unlikely that anyone who endures experiences as tragic as Burroughs even needs a journal to recall them. Running with Scissors also includes a note in the beginning of the book informing readers that the names of the persons in his book have been changed trying to keep their true identity hidden. Despite his efforts to keep the characters anonymous, their real names eventually reached the press and they soon were labeled as the ridiculous family from Running with Scissors.
Other than the Turcotte family's attempt to derail Burroughs dreams, Running with Scissors has received grand reviews and has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over four consecutive years. It is obvious Burroughs is very interesting and writes in an attention grabbing manner. Most people will find Running with Scissors to be an easy read and very desirable. "In keeping with this book's dauntless comic timing, this guy doesn't miss a beat", says Janet Maslin, a writer for The New York Times. Burroughs does a tremendous job keeping his sanity while dealing with unusual people. Running with Scissors celebrates Burroughs upbeat spirit which helps him overcome one of the weirder childhoods on record says Deirdre Donahue of USA Today. Burroughs dealt with his upbringing and has now moved on to a better life.
Running with Scissors is a brilliant title for this emotionally stimulating read. This title correctly portrays how reckless and out of control Burroughs childhood really was. Burroughs recalls one day when he came home early from school and decided to go see his mom for some money. As he opened the front door, he interrupted his mother and her close friend, Fern, during an intimate moment. Grossed out, Burroughs walked out of the house to collect his thoughts and was shocked to realize his mother was a lesbian. Burroughs was truly "Running with Scissors", or stumbling through life precariously, not knowing what was going to happen next. It is like watching someone else's child running with scissors but not being able to interfere, the reader feels compelled to guide this cheerful child to the safety of the last page says Judith Robinson.
Burroughs has been busy working on more memoirs since the success of Running with Scissors. Some of the newer memoirs include Dry: A Memoir which was published in 2004 and deals with his own alcoholism and A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir which was published in 2008 and peeks into the relationship, or lack thereof, between Burroughs and his father. Inevitably, both memoirs were instant New York Times bestsellers.
Dreaming of a life unknown is a regular occurrence for most teenagers including Burroughs. Wanting what they can't have and not appreciating what they do have, teenagers live their lives doing whatever their heart desires. Burroughs gives a peek into his teenage years, a life not known by most and definitely not desired by any. While most youngsters believe they have it rough growing up they should read Running with Scissors to appreciate the upbringing they did receive. Running with Scissors lets us breathe a sigh of relief and appreciate the people that surround us.
[....]
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A humorous romp through an unusual childhood
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-10-18
Running With Scissors is an outstanding book. It's laugh-out-loud hilarious, often shocking and, at times, sad. There are enough unusual surprises in the book that I don't want to ruin them for you by giving away plot lines. Suffice to say, there's twists and turns along the way that are stranger than fiction.
A similar book I enjoyed was When You Are Engulfed in Flames
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Liked the Movie Better
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-09-30
By Valley Gay Press Book Reviewer Liz Bradbury (Author of Angel Food and Devil Dogs - A Maggie Gale Mystery)
The movie got dozens of poor reviews at Amazon, where readers of the book insisted the book was so much better. I happened to like the movie so I figured the book would be great. It was good, but I liked the movie better.
The book, an autobiographical work that describes Augusten Burroughs' bizarre adolescence, features a mother that is so dysfunctional, Joan Crawford seems like June Cleaver. Mom dumps Augusten at the home of her warped therapist whose family brings to mind a barely saner Addams family. Burroughs describes a series of incidents that colored his life, but the book also contains a definite understory of the boredom that comes from a life with no rules or obligations, including no school.
The movie has the extra intensity of an excellent cast, including Annette Benning, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Chenoweth, Jill Clayburgh, and Gwyneth Paltrow and lacks some of the grossness of the book which makes the movie easier to take. Still it's an interesting story, both funny and grim with a writing style that makes it compelling.
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by Augusten Burroughs
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Picador (2003-06-01)
ISBN: 031242227X
EAN: 9780312422271
Dewy Decimal #: 813.6
Paperback: 320 pages
SKU: 111808022
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...minor wear on cover
More Product Infomation
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
The #1 New York Times Bestseller An Entertainment Weekly Top Ten Book of the Year Now a Major Motion Picture Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor’s bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull an electroshock- therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing and bestselling account of an ordinary boy’s survival under the most extraordinary circumstances. Running with Scissors Acknowledgments
Gratitude doesn’t begin to describe it: Jennifer Enderlin, Christopher Schelling, John Murphy, Gregg Sullivan, Kim Cardascia, Michael Storrings, and everyone at St. Martin’s Press. Thank you: Lawrence David, Suzanne Finnamore, Robert Rodi, Bret Easton Ellis, Jon Pepoon, Lee Lodes, Jeff Soares, Kevin Weidenbacher, Lynda Pearson, Lona Walburn, Lori Greenburg, John DePretis, and Sheila Cobb. I would also like to express my appreciation to my mother and father for, no matter how inadvertently, giving me such a memorable childhood. Additionally, I would like to thank the real-life members of the family portrayed in this book for taking me into their home and accepting me as one of their own. I recognize that their memories of the events described in this book are different than my own. They are each fine, decent, and hard-working people. The book was not intended to hurt the family. Both my publisher and I regret any unintentional harm resulting from the publishing and marketing of Running with Scissors. Most of all, I would like to thank my brother for demonstrating, by example, the importance of being wholly unique.
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Amazon.com Review
There is a passage early in Augusten Burroughs's harrowing and highly entertaining memoir, Running with Scissors, that speaks volumes about the author. While going to the garbage dump with his father, young Augusten spots a chipped, glass-top coffee table that he longs to bring home. "I knew I could hide the chip by fanning a display of magazines on the surface, like in a doctor's office," he writes, "And it certainly wouldn't be dirty after I polished it with Windex for three hours." There were certainly numerous chips in the childhood Burroughs describes: an alcoholic father, an unstable mother who gives him up for adoption to her therapist, and an adolescence spent as part of the therapist's eccentric extended family, gobbling prescription meds and fooling around with both an old electroshock machine and a pedophile who lives in a shed out back. But just as he dreamed of doing with that old table, Burroughs employs a vigorous program of decoration and fervent polishing to a life that many would have simply thrown in a landfill. Despite her abandonment, he never gives up on his increasingly unbalanced mother. And rather than despair about his lot, he glamorizes it: planning a "beauty empire" and performing an a capella version of "You Light Up My Life" at a local mental ward. Burroughs's perspective achieves a crucial balance for a memoir: emotional but not self-involved, observant but not clinical, funny but not deliberately comic. And it's ultimately a feel-good story: as he steers through a challenging childhood, there's always a sense that Burroughs's survivor mentality will guide him through and that the coffee table will be salvaged after all. --John Moe
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Customer Reviews
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Wonderful read for good laughs
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-11-10
A little awkward during some sections, but funny/ witty throughout its entirety. If you like reading about things that seem crazy, this is a MUST read for you.
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?
Rating (3)
Date: 2008-11-07
talk about WEIRD childhood....reading this book left me blank....i don't know if i hate it or love it.....this is weird because i usually feel strongly one way or another....i guess that what makes this book controversial....i am going to watch the movie and see how the director "sees" the book.....i am sure it will be interesting to watch.
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A Childhood Undesired: A Review of Running with Scissors
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-10-28
A boy sits and watches his mother get ready for a night out. The smells remind him of abandonment. Her actions fill him with jealousy. The boy needs some control over his life and the only things he can grasp are his physical appearance. Panicking if a hair is out of place and disgusted if he notices a stain on his clothes. He feels comfort in knowing he determines is outer presence, for the inner part of him is slowly being broken. Life as he knows it is soon going to be changed forever. This boy is Augusten Burroughs.
In his childhood memoir, Running with Scissors (St. Martins Press, 2002, 304), Augusten Burroughs struggles with a disturbed childhood that contains a crazy mother, a father who abandoned him, and a boyfriend who started their relationship off by raping him. While his childhood story is heart wrenching he also adds brilliant details that is shocking and laughable at the same time. Running with Scissors makes readers be thankful for their personal family life.
In this unpredictable tale, which occurred mainly during Burroughs teen years, his journey begins with a boy who is confused and ends with a young man who has been through loads of dissatisfaction and finally knows what he wants out of life. His disturbing voyage starts with his parents constantly arguing and verbally abusing one another. His mother, Deirdre, consults a bizarre, Santa clause look a like, pill distributing without a cause, doctor for help with her dead end marriage. With the introduction of Dr. Finch, Burroughs life escalates into a series of outlandish and unbelievable events. The inevitable divorce took place after a couple of visits with Dr. Finch and he ultimately became Deirdre's personal psychiatrist. Once the pills started flowing, "Gone were the days when she would stand on the deck lighting lemon-scented candles without then having to eat the wax," states Burroughs about his crazed mother, Deirdre made one bad decision after another including having Dr. Finch become the legal guardian for Burroughs. Burroughs had lost a lot of respect for his mother at this point and was even more confused about his life.
While living the life of a free spirited Finch, Burroughs experienced life in an unimaginable way. Eating dog food as a snack, making a skylight in the kitchen ceiling by hand, faking a suicide attempt to get out of going to school, and being a 13 year old boy dating a 33 year old man may seem deranged to some people but these were everyday occurrences for a teenage Burroughs. Rarely seeing his mother was also common and when he did see her she cast him to the side, like an old coat in the closet; glad to see it is still there but she has no use for it anymore. Burroughs eventually moved into an apartment with Natalie Finch and tried to start living his life on his own.
Living in a world of lunacy, Burroughs was constantly writing in his journal as an outlet away from his everyday life. Often referred to as the writer in his family he underestimated himself and was disgusted by the idea because of what it had done to his mother, Deirdre. He buried the thought of being a writer deep inside and tried not to let it be a part of his life. Burroughs eventually enrolled at a community college as a pre-med student. He was taking English 101 and found it to be difficult and useless. Instead of doing his regular class work he wrote ten page essays that had nothing to do with the class but indulged his talent for creative writing which eventually led him to fail the class. "If you could focus on the core materials in the course, I believe it would help your creative writing. You do show a flair," states Burroughs English 101 professor. He soon withdrew from college. The next step was to move to New York and finally pursue his real dream, the dream that was torturing him deep inside and leaving him wondering if he would end up insane like his mother if pursued. That dream was becoming a writer.
Since publishing Running with Scissors, Burroughs has received some negative feedback due to the accuracy of his memoir. The family he refers to as The Finch's, which is really the Turcotte family, has sued him for how he portrayed them in the book and they believe he has stretched the truth in many instances. According to Buzz Bissinger, author of "Ruthless with Scissors" an article from Vanity Fair, during the Turcotte family interviews they cited numerous instances of what they believe to be fabrications including most of the sensational scenes that have made Running with Scissors such a desirable read. The main issue during interviews and in the lawsuit is the amount of time Burroughs lived in the house. A synopsis on the back cover states that he began living in the house at the age of 12 and the book suggest he primarily lived there until he was 17, says Bissinger. According to the Turcotte's, Burroughs had a room in the house for approximately a year and a half beginning in 1980, when he would have been 15. Burroughs insists his memoir contain nothing but the truth. According to D. Cloyce Smith, a reviewer on amazon.com, it's unlikely that anyone who endures experiences as tragic as Burroughs even needs a journal to recall them. Running with Scissors also includes a note in the beginning of the book informing readers that the names of the persons in his book have been changed trying to keep their true identity hidden. Despite his efforts to keep the characters anonymous, their real names eventually reached the press and they soon were labeled as the ridiculous family from Running with Scissors.
Other than the Turcotte family's attempt to derail Burroughs dreams, Running with Scissors has received grand reviews and has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over four consecutive years. It is obvious Burroughs is very interesting and writes in an attention grabbing manner. Most people will find Running with Scissors to be an easy read and very desirable. "In keeping with this book's dauntless comic timing, this guy doesn't miss a beat", says Janet Maslin, a writer for The New York Times. Burroughs does a tremendous job keeping his sanity while dealing with unusual people. Running with Scissors celebrates Burroughs upbeat spirit which helps him overcome one of the weirder childhoods on record says Deirdre Donahue of USA Today. Burroughs dealt with his upbringing and has now moved on to a better life.
Running with Scissors is a brilliant title for this emotionally stimulating read. This title correctly portrays how reckless and out of control Burroughs childhood really was. Burroughs recalls one day when he came home early from school and decided to go see his mom for some money. As he opened the front door, he interrupted his mother and her close friend, Fern, during an intimate moment. Grossed out, Burroughs walked out of the house to collect his thoughts and was shocked to realize his mother was a lesbian. Burroughs was truly "Running with Scissors", or stumbling through life precariously, not knowing what was going to happen next. It is like watching someone else's child running with scissors but not being able to interfere, the reader feels compelled to guide this cheerful child to the safety of the last page says Judith Robinson.
Burroughs has been busy working on more memoirs since the success of Running with Scissors. Some of the newer memoirs include Dry: A Memoir which was published in 2004 and deals with his own alcoholism and A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir which was published in 2008 and peeks into the relationship, or lack thereof, between Burroughs and his father. Inevitably, both memoirs were instant New York Times bestsellers.
Dreaming of a life unknown is a regular occurrence for most teenagers including Burroughs. Wanting what they can't have and not appreciating what they do have, teenagers live their lives doing whatever their heart desires. Burroughs gives a peek into his teenage years, a life not known by most and definitely not desired by any. While most youngsters believe they have it rough growing up they should read Running with Scissors to appreciate the upbringing they did receive. Running with Scissors lets us breathe a sigh of relief and appreciate the people that surround us.
[....]
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A humorous romp through an unusual childhood
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-10-18
Running With Scissors is an outstanding book. It's laugh-out-loud hilarious, often shocking and, at times, sad. There are enough unusual surprises in the book that I don't want to ruin them for you by giving away plot lines. Suffice to say, there's twists and turns along the way that are stranger than fiction.
A similar book I enjoyed was When You Are Engulfed in Flames
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Liked the Movie Better
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-09-30
By Valley Gay Press Book Reviewer Liz Bradbury (Author of Angel Food and Devil Dogs - A Maggie Gale Mystery)
The movie got dozens of poor reviews at Amazon, where readers of the book insisted the book was so much better. I happened to like the movie so I figured the book would be great. It was good, but I liked the movie better.
The book, an autobiographical work that describes Augusten Burroughs' bizarre adolescence, features a mother that is so dysfunctional, Joan Crawford seems like June Cleaver. Mom dumps Augusten at the home of her warped therapist whose family brings to mind a barely saner Addams family. Burroughs describes a series of incidents that colored his life, but the book also contains a definite understory of the boredom that comes from a life with no rules or obligations, including no school.
The movie has the extra intensity of an excellent cast, including Annette Benning, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Chenoweth, Jill Clayburgh, and Gwyneth Paltrow and lacks some of the grossness of the book which makes the movie easier to take. Still it's an interesting story, both funny and grim with a writing style that makes it compelling.
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(Larger Image)
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by Augusten Burroughs
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Picador (2003-06-01)
ISBN: 031242227X
EAN: 9780312422271
Dewy Decimal #: 813.6
Paperback: 320 pages
SKU: 111808024
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...minor wear on cover
More Product Infomation
|
Editorial Reviews
|
Product Description
The #1 New York Times Bestseller An Entertainment Weekly Top Ten Book of the Year Now a Major Motion Picture Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor’s bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull an electroshock- therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing and bestselling account of an ordinary boy’s survival under the most extraordinary circumstances. Running with Scissors Acknowledgments
Gratitude doesn’t begin to describe it: Jennifer Enderlin, Christopher Schelling, John Murphy, Gregg Sullivan, Kim Cardascia, Michael Storrings, and everyone at St. Martin’s Press. Thank you: Lawrence David, Suzanne Finnamore, Robert Rodi, Bret Easton Ellis, Jon Pepoon, Lee Lodes, Jeff Soares, Kevin Weidenbacher, Lynda Pearson, Lona Walburn, Lori Greenburg, John DePretis, and Sheila Cobb. I would also like to express my appreciation to my mother and father for, no matter how inadvertently, giving me such a memorable childhood. Additionally, I would like to thank the real-life members of the family portrayed in this book for taking me into their home and accepting me as one of their own. I recognize that their memories of the events described in this book are different than my own. They are each fine, decent, and hard-working people. The book was not intended to hurt the family. Both my publisher and I regret any unintentional harm resulting from the publishing and marketing of Running with Scissors. Most of all, I would like to thank my brother for demonstrating, by example, the importance of being wholly unique.
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Amazon.com Review
There is a passage early in Augusten Burroughs's harrowing and highly entertaining memoir, Running with Scissors, that speaks volumes about the author. While going to the garbage dump with his father, young Augusten spots a chipped, glass-top coffee table that he longs to bring home. "I knew I could hide the chip by fanning a display of magazines on the surface, like in a doctor's office," he writes, "And it certainly wouldn't be dirty after I polished it with Windex for three hours." There were certainly numerous chips in the childhood Burroughs describes: an alcoholic father, an unstable mother who gives him up for adoption to her therapist, and an adolescence spent as part of the therapist's eccentric extended family, gobbling prescription meds and fooling around with both an old electroshock machine and a pedophile who lives in a shed out back. But just as he dreamed of doing with that old table, Burroughs employs a vigorous program of decoration and fervent polishing to a life that many would have simply thrown in a landfill. Despite her abandonment, he never gives up on his increasingly unbalanced mother. And rather than despair about his lot, he glamorizes it: planning a "beauty empire" and performing an a capella version of "You Light Up My Life" at a local mental ward. Burroughs's perspective achieves a crucial balance for a memoir: emotional but not self-involved, observant but not clinical, funny but not deliberately comic. And it's ultimately a feel-good story: as he steers through a challenging childhood, there's always a sense that Burroughs's survivor mentality will guide him through and that the coffee table will be salvaged after all. --John Moe
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Customer Reviews
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Wonderful read for good laughs
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-11-10
A little awkward during some sections, but funny/ witty throughout its entirety. If you like reading about things that seem crazy, this is a MUST read for you.
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?
Rating (3)
Date: 2008-11-07
talk about WEIRD childhood....reading this book left me blank....i don't know if i hate it or love it.....this is weird because i usually feel strongly one way or another....i guess that what makes this book controversial....i am going to watch the movie and see how the director "sees" the book.....i am sure it will be interesting to watch.
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A Childhood Undesired: A Review of Running with Scissors
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-10-28
A boy sits and watches his mother get ready for a night out. The smells remind him of abandonment. Her actions fill him with jealousy. The boy needs some control over his life and the only things he can grasp are his physical appearance. Panicking if a hair is out of place and disgusted if he notices a stain on his clothes. He feels comfort in knowing he determines is outer presence, for the inner part of him is slowly being broken. Life as he knows it is soon going to be changed forever. This boy is Augusten Burroughs.
In his childhood memoir, Running with Scissors (St. Martins Press, 2002, 304), Augusten Burroughs struggles with a disturbed childhood that contains a crazy mother, a father who abandoned him, and a boyfriend who started their relationship off by raping him. While his childhood story is heart wrenching he also adds brilliant details that is shocking and laughable at the same time. Running with Scissors makes readers be thankful for their personal family life.
In this unpredictable tale, which occurred mainly during Burroughs teen years, his journey begins with a boy who is confused and ends with a young man who has been through loads of dissatisfaction and finally knows what he wants out of life. His disturbing voyage starts with his parents constantly arguing and verbally abusing one another. His mother, Deirdre, consults a bizarre, Santa clause look a like, pill distributing without a cause, doctor for help with her dead end marriage. With the introduction of Dr. Finch, Burroughs life escalates into a series of outlandish and unbelievable events. The inevitable divorce took place after a couple of visits with Dr. Finch and he ultimately became Deirdre's personal psychiatrist. Once the pills started flowing, "Gone were the days when she would stand on the deck lighting lemon-scented candles without then having to eat the wax," states Burroughs about his crazed mother, Deirdre made one bad decision after another including having Dr. Finch become the legal guardian for Burroughs. Burroughs had lost a lot of respect for his mother at this point and was even more confused about his life.
While living the life of a free spirited Finch, Burroughs experienced life in an unimaginable way. Eating dog food as a snack, making a skylight in the kitchen ceiling by hand, faking a suicide attempt to get out of going to school, and being a 13 year old boy dating a 33 year old man may seem deranged to some people but these were everyday occurrences for a teenage Burroughs. Rarely seeing his mother was also common and when he did see her she cast him to the side, like an old coat in the closet; glad to see it is still there but she has no use for it anymore. Burroughs eventually moved into an apartment with Natalie Finch and tried to start living his life on his own.
Living in a world of lunacy, Burroughs was constantly writing in his journal as an outlet away from his everyday life. Often referred to as the writer in his family he underestimated himself and was disgusted by the idea because of what it had done to his mother, Deirdre. He buried the thought of being a writer deep inside and tried not to let it be a part of his life. Burroughs eventually enrolled at a community college as a pre-med student. He was taking English 101 and found it to be difficult and useless. Instead of doing his regular class work he wrote ten page essays that had nothing to do with the class but indulged his talent for creative writing which eventually led him to fail the class. "If you could focus on the core materials in the course, I believe it would help your creative writing. You do show a flair," states Burroughs English 101 professor. He soon withdrew from college. The next step was to move to New York and finally pursue his real dream, the dream that was torturing him deep inside and leaving him wondering if he would end up insane like his mother if pursued. That dream was becoming a writer.
Since publishing Running with Scissors, Burroughs has received some negative feedback due to the accuracy of his memoir. The family he refers to as The Finch's, which is really the Turcotte family, has sued him for how he portrayed them in the book and they believe he has stretched the truth in many instances. According to Buzz Bissinger, author of "Ruthless with Scissors" an article from Vanity Fair, during the Turcotte family interviews they cited numerous instances of what they believe to be fabrications including most of the sensational scenes that have made Running with Scissors such a desirable read. The main issue during interviews and in the lawsuit is the amount of time Burroughs lived in the house. A synopsis on the back cover states that he began living in the house at the age of 12 and the book suggest he primarily lived there until he was 17, says Bissinger. According to the Turcotte's, Burroughs had a room in the house for approximately a year and a half beginning in 1980, when he would have been 15. Burroughs insists his memoir contain nothing but the truth. According to D. Cloyce Smith, a reviewer on amazon.com, it's unlikely that anyone who endures experiences as tragic as Burroughs even needs a journal to recall them. Running with Scissors also includes a note in the beginning of the book informing readers that the names of the persons in his book have been changed trying to keep their true identity hidden. Despite his efforts to keep the characters anonymous, their real names eventually reached the press and they soon were labeled as the ridiculous family from Running with Scissors.
Other than the Turcotte family's attempt to derail Burroughs dreams, Running with Scissors has received grand reviews and has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over four consecutive years. It is obvious Burroughs is very interesting and writes in an attention grabbing manner. Most people will find Running with Scissors to be an easy read and very desirable. "In keeping with this book's dauntless comic timing, this guy doesn't miss a beat", says Janet Maslin, a writer for The New York Times. Burroughs does a tremendous job keeping his sanity while dealing with unusual people. Running with Scissors celebrates Burroughs upbeat spirit which helps him overcome one of the weirder childhoods on record says Deirdre Donahue of USA Today. Burroughs dealt with his upbringing and has now moved on to a better life.
Running with Scissors is a brilliant title for this emotionally stimulating read. This title correctly portrays how reckless and out of control Burroughs childhood really was. Burroughs recalls one day when he came home early from school and decided to go see his mom for some money. As he opened the front door, he interrupted his mother and her close friend, Fern, during an intimate moment. Grossed out, Burroughs walked out of the house to collect his thoughts and was shocked to realize his mother was a lesbian. Burroughs was truly "Running with Scissors", or stumbling through life precariously, not knowing what was going to happen next. It is like watching someone else's child running with scissors but not being able to interfere, the reader feels compelled to guide this cheerful child to the safety of the last page says Judith Robinson.
Burroughs has been busy working on more memoirs since the success of Running with Scissors. Some of the newer memoirs include Dry: A Memoir which was published in 2004 and deals with his own alcoholism and A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir which was published in 2008 and peeks into the relationship, or lack thereof, between Burroughs and his father. Inevitably, both memoirs were instant New York Times bestsellers.
Dreaming of a life unknown is a regular occurrence for most teenagers including Burroughs. Wanting what they can't have and not appreciating what they do have, teenagers live their lives doing whatever their heart desires. Burroughs gives a peek into his teenage years, a life not known by most and definitely not desired by any. While most youngsters believe they have it rough growing up they should read Running with Scissors to appreciate the upbringing they did receive. Running with Scissors lets us breathe a sigh of relief and appreciate the people that surround us.
[....]
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|
A humorous romp through an unusual childhood
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-10-18
Running With Scissors is an outstanding book. It's laugh-out-loud hilarious, often shocking and, at times, sad. There are enough unusual surprises in the book that I don't want to ruin them for you by giving away plot lines. Suffice to say, there's twists and turns along the way that are stranger than fiction.
A similar book I enjoyed was When You Are Engulfed in Flames
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Liked the Movie Better
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-09-30
By Valley Gay Press Book Reviewer Liz Bradbury (Author of Angel Food and Devil Dogs - A Maggie Gale Mystery)
The movie got dozens of poor reviews at Amazon, where readers of the book insisted the book was so much better. I happened to like the movie so I figured the book would be great. It was good, but I liked the movie better.
The book, an autobiographical work that describes Augusten Burroughs' bizarre adolescence, features a mother that is so dysfunctional, Joan Crawford seems like June Cleaver. Mom dumps Augusten at the home of her warped therapist whose family brings to mind a barely saner Addams family. Burroughs describes a series of incidents that colored his life, but the book also contains a definite understory of the boredom that comes from a life with no rules or obligations, including no school.
The movie has the extra intensity of an excellent cast, including Annette Benning, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Chenoweth, Jill Clayburgh, and Gwyneth Paltrow and lacks some of the grossness of the book which makes the movie easier to take. Still it's an interesting story, both funny and grim with a writing style that makes it compelling.
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(Larger Image)
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by Augusten Burroughs
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Picador (2003-06-01)
ISBN: 031242227X
EAN: 9780312422271
Dewy Decimal #: 813.6
Paperback: 320 pages
SKU: 111808022
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...minor wear on cover
More Product Infomation
|
Editorial Reviews
|
Product Description
The #1 New York Times Bestseller An Entertainment Weekly Top Ten Book of the Year Now a Major Motion Picture Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor’s bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull an electroshock- therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing and bestselling account of an ordinary boy’s survival under the most extraordinary circumstances. Running with Scissors Acknowledgments
Gratitude doesn’t begin to describe it: Jennifer Enderlin, Christopher Schelling, John Murphy, Gregg Sullivan, Kim Cardascia, Michael Storrings, and everyone at St. Martin’s Press. Thank you: Lawrence David, Suzanne Finnamore, Robert Rodi, Bret Easton Ellis, Jon Pepoon, Lee Lodes, Jeff Soares, Kevin Weidenbacher, Lynda Pearson, Lona Walburn, Lori Greenburg, John DePretis, and Sheila Cobb. I would also like to express my appreciation to my mother and father for, no matter how inadvertently, giving me such a memorable childhood. Additionally, I would like to thank the real-life members of the family portrayed in this book for taking me into their home and accepting me as one of their own. I recognize that their memories of the events described in this book are different than my own. They are each fine, decent, and hard-working people. The book was not intended to hurt the family. Both my publisher and I regret any unintentional harm resulting from the publishing and marketing of Running with Scissors. Most of all, I would like to thank my brother for demonstrating, by example, the importance of being wholly unique.
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Amazon.com Review
There is a passage early in Augusten Burroughs's harrowing and highly entertaining memoir, Running with Scissors, that speaks volumes about the author. While going to the garbage dump with his father, young Augusten spots a chipped, glass-top coffee table that he longs to bring home. "I knew I could hide the chip by fanning a display of magazines on the surface, like in a doctor's office," he writes, "And it certainly wouldn't be dirty after I polished it with Windex for three hours." There were certainly numerous chips in the childhood Burroughs describes: an alcoholic father, an unstable mother who gives him up for adoption to her therapist, and an adolescence spent as part of the therapist's eccentric extended family, gobbling prescription meds and fooling around with both an old electroshock machine and a pedophile who lives in a shed out back. But just as he dreamed of doing with that old table, Burroughs employs a vigorous program of decoration and fervent polishing to a life that many would have simply thrown in a landfill. Despite her abandonment, he never gives up on his increasingly unbalanced mother. And rather than despair about his lot, he glamorizes it: planning a "beauty empire" and performing an a capella version of "You Light Up My Life" at a local mental ward. Burroughs's perspective achieves a crucial balance for a memoir: emotional but not self-involved, observant but not clinical, funny but not deliberately comic. And it's ultimately a feel-good story: as he steers through a challenging childhood, there's always a sense that Burroughs's survivor mentality will guide him through and that the coffee table will be salvaged after all. --John Moe
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Customer Reviews
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Wonderful read for good laughs
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-11-10
A little awkward during some sections, but funny/ witty throughout its entirety. If you like reading about things that seem crazy, this is a MUST read for you.
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?
Rating (3)
Date: 2008-11-07
talk about WEIRD childhood....reading this book left me blank....i don't know if i hate it or love it.....this is weird because i usually feel strongly one way or another....i guess that what makes this book controversial....i am going to watch the movie and see how the director "sees" the book.....i am sure it will be interesting to watch.
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A Childhood Undesired: A Review of Running with Scissors
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-10-28
A boy sits and watches his mother get ready for a night out. The smells remind him of abandonment. Her actions fill him with jealousy. The boy needs some control over his life and the only things he can grasp are his physical appearance. Panicking if a hair is out of place and disgusted if he notices a stain on his clothes. He feels comfort in knowing he determines is outer presence, for the inner part of him is slowly being broken. Life as he knows it is soon going to be changed forever. This boy is Augusten Burroughs.
In his childhood memoir, Running with Scissors (St. Martins Press, 2002, 304), Augusten Burroughs struggles with a disturbed childhood that contains a crazy mother, a father who abandoned him, and a boyfriend who started their relationship off by raping him. While his childhood story is heart wrenching he also adds brilliant details that is shocking and laughable at the same time. Running with Scissors makes readers be thankful for their personal family life.
In this unpredictable tale, which occurred mainly during Burroughs teen years, his journey begins with a boy who is confused and ends with a young man who has been through loads of dissatisfaction and finally knows what he wants out of life. His disturbing voyage starts with his parents constantly arguing and verbally abusing one another. His mother, Deirdre, consults a bizarre, Santa clause look a like, pill distributing without a cause, doctor for help with her dead end marriage. With the introduction of Dr. Finch, Burroughs life escalates into a series of outlandish and unbelievable events. The inevitable divorce took place after a couple of visits with Dr. Finch and he ultimately became Deirdre's personal psychiatrist. Once the pills started flowing, "Gone were the days when she would stand on the deck lighting lemon-scented candles without then having to eat the wax," states Burroughs about his crazed mother, Deirdre made one bad decision after another including having Dr. Finch become the legal guardian for Burroughs. Burroughs had lost a lot of respect for his mother at this point and was even more confused about his life.
While living the life of a free spirited Finch, Burroughs experienced life in an unimaginable way. Eating dog food as a snack, making a skylight in the kitchen ceiling by hand, faking a suicide attempt to get out of going to school, and being a 13 year old boy dating a 33 year old man may seem deranged to some people but these were everyday occurrences for a teenage Burroughs. Rarely seeing his mother was also common and when he did see her she cast him to the side, like an old coat in the closet; glad to see it is still there but she has no use for it anymore. Burroughs eventually moved into an apartment with Natalie Finch and tried to start living his life on his own.
Living in a world of lunacy, Burroughs was constantly writing in his journal as an outlet away from his everyday life. Often referred to as the writer in his family he underestimated himself and was disgusted by the idea because of what it had done to his mother, Deirdre. He buried the thought of being a writer deep inside and tried not to let it be a part of his life. Burroughs eventually enrolled at a community college as a pre-med student. He was taking English 101 and found it to be difficult and useless. Instead of doing his regular class work he wrote ten page essays that had nothing to do with the class but indulged his talent for creative writing which eventually led him to fail the class. "If you could focus on the core materials in the course, I believe it would help your creative writing. You do show a flair," states Burroughs English 101 professor. He soon withdrew from college. The next step was to move to New York and finally pursue his real dream, the dream that was torturing him deep inside and leaving him wondering if he would end up insane like his mother if pursued. That dream was becoming a writer.
Since publishing Running with Scissors, Burroughs has received some negative feedback due to the accuracy of his memoir. The family he refers to as The Finch's, which is really the Turcotte family, has sued him for how he portrayed them in the book and they believe he has stretched the truth in many instances. According to Buzz Bissinger, author of "Ruthless with Scissors" an article from Vanity Fair, during the Turcotte family interviews they cited numerous instances of what they believe to be fabrications including most of the sensational scenes that have made Running with Scissors such a desirable read. The main issue during interviews and in the lawsuit is the amount of time Burroughs lived in the house. A synopsis on the back cover states that he began living in the house at the age of 12 and the book suggest he primarily lived there until he was 17, says Bissinger. According to the Turcotte's, Burroughs had a room in the house for approximately a year and a half beginning in 1980, when he would have been 15. Burroughs insists his memoir contain nothing but the truth. According to D. Cloyce Smith, a reviewer on amazon.com, it's unlikely that anyone who endures experiences as tragic as Burroughs even needs a journal to recall them. Running with Scissors also includes a note in the beginning of the book informing readers that the names of the persons in his book have been changed trying to keep their true identity hidden. Despite his efforts to keep the characters anonymous, their real names eventually reached the press and they soon were labeled as the ridiculous family from Running with Scissors.
Other than the Turcotte family's attempt to derail Burroughs dreams, Running with Scissors has received grand reviews and has been on the New York Times bestseller list for over four consecutive years. It is obvious Burroughs is very interesting and writes in an attention grabbing manner. Most people will find Running with Scissors to be an easy read and very desirable. "In keeping with this book's dauntless comic timing, this guy doesn't miss a beat", says Janet Maslin, a writer for The New York Times. Burroughs does a tremendous job keeping his sanity while dealing with unusual people. Running with Scissors celebrates Burroughs upbeat spirit which helps him overcome one of the weirder childhoods on record says Deirdre Donahue of USA Today. Burroughs dealt with his upbringing and has now moved on to a better life.
Running with Scissors is a brilliant title for this emotionally stimulating read. This title correctly portrays how reckless and out of control Burroughs childhood really was. Burroughs recalls one day when he came home early from school and decided to go see his mom for some money. As he opened the front door, he interrupted his mother and her close friend, Fern, during an intimate moment. Grossed out, Burroughs walked out of the house to collect his thoughts and was shocked to realize his mother was a lesbian. Burroughs was truly "Running with Scissors", or stumbling through life precariously, not knowing what was going to happen next. It is like watching someone else's child running with scissors but not being able to interfere, the reader feels compelled to guide this cheerful child to the safety of the last page says Judith Robinson.
Burroughs has been busy working on more memoirs since the success of Running with Scissors. Some of the newer memoirs include Dry: A Memoir which was published in 2004 and deals with his own alcoholism and A Wolf at the Table: A Memoir which was published in 2008 and peeks into the relationship, or lack thereof, between Burroughs and his father. Inevitably, both memoirs were instant New York Times bestsellers.
Dreaming of a life unknown is a regular occurrence for most teenagers including Burroughs. Wanting what they can't have and not appreciating what they do have, teenagers live their lives doing whatever their heart desires. Burroughs gives a peek into his teenage years, a life not known by most and definitely not desired by any. While most youngsters believe they have it rough growing up they should read Running with Scissors to appreciate the upbringing they did receive. Running with Scissors lets us breathe a sigh of relief and appreciate the people that surround us.
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A humorous romp through an unusual childhood
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-10-18
Running With Scissors is an outstanding book. It's laugh-out-loud hilarious, often shocking and, at times, sad. There are enough unusual surprises in the book that I don't want to ruin them for you by giving away plot lines. Suffice to say, there's twists and turns along the way that are stranger than fiction.
A similar book I enjoyed was When You Are Engulfed in Flames
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Liked the Movie Better
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-09-30
By Valley Gay Press Book Reviewer Liz Bradbury (Author of Angel Food and Devil Dogs - A Maggie Gale Mystery)
The movie got dozens of poor reviews at Amazon, where readers of the book insisted the book was so much better. I happened to like the movie so I figured the book would be great. It was good, but I liked the movie better.
The book, an autobiographical work that describes Augusten Burroughs' bizarre adolescence, features a mother that is so dysfunctional, Joan Crawford seems like June Cleaver. Mom dumps Augusten at the home of her warped therapist whose family brings to mind a barely saner Addams family. Burroughs describes a series of incidents that colored his life, but the book also contains a definite understory of the boredom that comes from a life with no rules or obligations, including no school.
The movie has the extra intensity of an excellent cast, including Annette Benning, Alec Baldwin, Kristen Chenoweth, Jill Clayburgh, and Gwyneth Paltrow and lacks some of the grossness of the book which makes the movie easier to take. Still it's an interesting story, both funny and grim with a writing style that makes it compelling.
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by Augusten Burroughs
Product Group: Book
Publisher: Picador (2003-06-01)
ISBN: 031242227X
EAN: 9780312422271
Dewy Decimal #: 813.6
Paperback: 320 pages
SKU: 111808024
Condition: Used: Good
Comments: ...no markings or highlighting...minor wear on cover
More Product Infomation
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Editorial Reviews
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Product Description
The #1 New York Times Bestseller An Entertainment Weekly Top Ten Book of the Year Now a Major Motion Picture Running with Scissors is the true story of a boy whose mother (a poet with delusions of Anne Sexton) gave him away to be raised by her unorthodox psychiatrist who bore a striking resemblance to Santa Claus. So at the age of twelve, Burroughs found himself amidst Victorian squalor living with the doctor’s bizarre family, and befriending a pedophile who resided in the backyard shed. The story of an outlaw childhood where rules were unheard of, and the Christmas tree stayed up all year round, where Valium was consumed like candy, and if things got dull an electroshock- therapy machine could provide entertainment. The funny, harrowing and bestselling account of an ordinary boy’s survival under the most extraordinary circumstances. Running with Scissors Acknowledgments
Gratitude doesn’t begin to describe it: Jennifer Enderlin, Christopher Schelling, John Murphy, Gregg Sullivan, Kim Cardascia, Michael Storrings, and everyone at St. Martin’s Press. Thank you: Lawrence David, Suzanne Finnamore, Robert Rodi, Bret Easton Ellis, Jon Pepoon, Lee Lodes, Jeff Soares, Kevin Weidenbacher, Lynda Pearson, Lona Walburn, Lori Greenburg, John DePretis, and Sheila Cobb. I would also like to express my appreciation to my mother and father for, no matter how inadvertently, giving me such a memorable childhood. Additionally, I would like to thank the real-life members of the family portrayed in this book for taking me into their home and accepting me as one of their own. I recognize that their memories of the events described in this book are different than my own. They are each fine, decent, and hard-working people. The book was not intended to hurt the family. Both my publisher and I regret any unintentional harm resulting from the publishing and marketing of Running with Scissors. Most of all, I would like to thank my brother for demonstrating, by example, the importance of being wholly unique.
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Amazon.com Review
There is a passage early in Augusten Burroughs's harrowing and highly entertaining memoir, Running with Scissors, that speaks volumes about the author. While going to the garbage dump with his father, young Augusten spots a chipped, glass-top coffee table that he longs to bring home. "I knew I could hide the chip by fanning a display of magazines on the surface, like in a doctor's office," he writes, "And it certainly wouldn't be dirty after I polished it with Windex for three hours." There were certainly numerous chips in the childhood Burroughs describes: an alcoholic father, an unstable mother who gives him up for adoption to her therapist, and an adolescence spent as part of the therapist's eccentric extended family, gobbling prescription meds and fooling around with both an old electroshock machine and a pedophile who lives in a shed out back. But just as he dreamed of doing with that old table, Burroughs employs a vigorous program of decoration and fervent polishing to a life that many would have simply thrown in a landfill. Despite her abandonment, he never gives up on his increasingly unbalanced mother. And rather than despair about his lot, he glamorizes it: planning a "beauty empire" and performing an a capella version of "You Light Up My Life" at a local mental ward. Burroughs's perspective achieves a crucial balance for a memoir: emotional but not self-involved, observant but not clinical, funny but not deliberately comic. And it's ultimately a feel-good story: as he steers through a challenging childhood, there's always a sense that Burroughs's survivor mentality will guide him through and that the coffee table will be salvaged after all. --John Moe
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Customer Reviews
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Wonderful read for good laughs
Rating (5)
Date: 2008-11-10
A little awkward during some sections, but funny/ witty throughout its entirety. If you like reading about things that seem crazy, this is a MUST read for you.
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Rating (3)
Date: 2008-11-07
talk about WEIRD childhood....reading this book left me blank....i don't know if i hate it or love it.....this is weird because i usually feel strongly one way or another....i guess that what makes this book controversial....i am going to watch the movie and see how the director "sees" the book.....i am sure it will be interesting to watch.
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A Childhood Undesired: A Review of Running with Scissors
Rating (4)
Date: 2008-10-28
A boy sits and watches his mother get ready for a night out. The smells remind him of abandonment. Her actions fill him with jealousy. The boy needs some control over his life and the only things he can grasp are his physical appearance. Panicking if a hair is out of place and disgusted if he notices a stain on his clothes. He feels comfort in knowing he determines is outer presence, for the inner part of him is slowly being broken. Life as he knows it is soon going to be changed forever. This boy is Augusten Burroughs.
In his childhood memoir, Running with Scissors (St. Martins Press, 2002, 304), Augusten Burroughs struggles with a disturbed childhood that contains a crazy mother, a father who abandoned him, and a boyfriend who started their relationship off by raping him. While his childhood story is heart wrenching he also adds brilliant details that is shocking and laughable at the same time. Running with Scissors makes readers be thankful for their personal family life.
In this unpredictable tale, which occurred mainly during Burroughs teen years, his journey begins with a boy who is confused and ends with a young man who has been through loads of dissatisfaction and finally knows what he wants out of life. His disturbing voyage starts with his parents constantly arguing and verbally abusing one another. His mother, Deirdre, consults a bizarre, Santa clause look a like, pill distributing without a cause, doctor for help with her dead end marriage. With the introduction of Dr. Finch, Burroughs life escalates into a series of outlandish and unbelievable events. The inevitable divorce took place after a couple of visits with Dr. Finch and he ultimately became Deirdre's personal psychiatrist. Once the pills started flowing, "Gone were the days when she would stand on the deck lighting lemon-scented candles without then having to eat the wax," states Burroughs about his crazed mother, Deirdre made one bad decision after another including having Dr. Finch become the legal guardian for Burroughs. Burroughs had lost a lot of respect for his mother at this point and was even more confused about his life.
While living the life of a free spirited Finch, Burroughs experienced life in an unimaginable way. Eating dog food as a snack, making a skylight in the kitchen ceiling by hand, faking a suicide attempt to get out of going to school, and being a 13 year old boy dating a 33 year old man may seem deranged to some people but these were everyday occurrences for a teenage Burroughs. Rarely seeing his mother was also common and when he did see her she cast him to the side, like an old coat in the closet; glad to see it is still there but she has no use for it anymore. Burroughs eventually moved into an apartment with Natalie Finch and tried to start living his life on his own.
Living in a world of lunacy, Burroughs was constantly writing in his journal as an outlet away from his everyday life. Often referred to as the writer in his family he underestimated himself and was disgusted by the idea because of what it had done to his mother, Deirdre. He buried the thought of being a writer deep inside and tried not to let it be a part of his life. Burroughs eventually enrolled at a community college as a pre-med student. He was taking English 101 and found it to be difficult and useless. Instead of doing his regular class work he wrote ten page essays that had nothing to do with the class but indulged his talent for creative writing which eventually led him to fail the class. "If you could focus on the core materials in the course, I believe it would help your creative writing. You do show a flair," states Burroughs English 101 professor. He soon withdrew from college. The next step was to move to New York and finally pursue his real dream, the dream that was torturing him deep inside and leaving him wondering if he would end up insane like his mother if pursued. That dream was becoming a writer.
Since publishing Running with Scissors, Burroughs has received some negative feedback due to the accuracy of his memoir. The family he refers to as The Finch's, which is really the Turcotte family, has sued him for how he portrayed them in the book and they believe he has stretched the truth in many instances. According to Buzz Bissinger, author of "Ruthless with Scissors" an article from Vanity Fair, during the Turcotte family interviews they cited numerous instances of what they believe to be fabrications including most of the sensational scenes that have made Running with Scissors such a desirable read. The main issue during interviews | | | |