Flophouse Life on the Bowery showcases 4 cheap hotels in the Bowery district of New York City. These places are rented out by men & they are a cubicle type room the size of a jail cell. About 100 to 200 men live side by side in these little rooms in 4 or 5 story buildings that are built over a restaurant or some other kind of business. There's a community bathroom. The book explores 4 hotels & a few residents of each. Most of these people stay inside all day & watch tv, sleep, eat, & get drunk or do heroin. The subject of flophouses is interesting, however, this book really lacked substance. There wasn't enough information about the history of the hotels or the residents. It didn't devote much space to the people who own these hotels or the people who work there. Each page has a picture of one of the residents, his name, room number, & his "story" or any statements he wanted to make. Some of them were only a couple of paragraphs long! It's just a glimpse into their lives & doesn't offer any solutions to the problems these people face either.

Wow! This movie is really intense in parts, some scenes were VERY graphic. Let the viewer beware! This is not a movie for children. It tells the story of a girl who is physically & sexually abused by her stepfather and her mother doesn't protect her. If you like these kind of movies, I would definately recommend this one; the actors are wonderful and the story is very compelling. I did think the pace of the movie was slow in some parts and also some of the characters weren't developed fully enough. That's why I gave it 4 stars instead of 5.

This is the second book of Carolina Maria De Jesus's life. She was a black woman writer living in the slums of Brazil in the 1950's. A reporter discovered her & made her famous. You really need to read the first book, "Child of the Dark" to enjoy & understand this one. The book is written like a diary; I devoured the pages in this book, eager to learn more about her life. After Carolina becomes famous & moves out of the slums she encounters different problems but all & all she's much happier. It was great to read about her eating in restaurants, buying & cooking food for her children, not having to be hungry anymore. I cheered for her as she took her first shower, her first car ride, plane ride, her first stay in a hotel. She buys clothes & jewelry for herself & I'm so happy for her I could burst. This woman went from being a scavenger to being a guest at governor's mansions, appearing on TV shows, and doing tons of book signings all across Brazil and many other South American countries. The relationship between Carolina & Audolio Dantes (the reporter who discovered her & made her famous) is also explored and adds interesting aspects to the story. For example, she can't cash checks or withdraw money without him. This diary only covers one year of her life so be sure to read the "Afterword". It explains what happened to Carolina after this book was written. She is an amazing, amazing woman who deserves much admiration.

A friend gave me this book and told me to "read it & pass it on". It's not the type of book I normally read & I didn't think I'd like it but I did! This short book tells the story of Eddie, a maintenance worker who dies in a freak accident then meets 5 people in heaven who influenced his life. I couldn't wait to find out what happened when he meets his dead wife in heaven & I kept skipping ahead in the book to see when that part was coming up. The book goes back & forth with Eddie's stories of his life & what's happening to him after he dies. I liked how the books chapters all started with different birthdays he had. In the back of the book there's a picture of Eddie. Rest In Peace buddy.

This book depicts the lives of older children in the foster care system in America. It is a gritty, real, and very compelling book! The chararcters are really well developed and you get the story of not only the foster child himself but their parents, grandparents, sisters, and brothers life stories as well. It really gets you thinking about how these kids ended up this way.....the hopelessness, the helplessness, the isolation these kids feel who don't belong anywhere and it seems nobody wants them. It was depressing but VERY interesting. I'd love to read a follow up book to see how they're all doing 5 or 10 years from now.

Wow! I saw this movie at the theatre, then took my friends to see it, then took some more friends to see it! It's about gun control in America; however, it has a whole lot more to it than just that one theme. This is a movie that really makes you think about why our society is so violent in comparison to other countries. This movie has a really deep concept and it gets you thinking at many levels but it also had me laughing out loud in a lot of parts! There's cartoon clips & funny/sarcastic moments inserted throughout the film. I really like Michael Moore's documentary style as "the average guy"; it works for him! I've seen 2 of his other films but this one is the best. Everyone will find this movie interesting!

In this book the author goes underground in a train tunnel in New York City where a bunch of homelesss people are living. She interviews and photographs them in an unobstrusive way that is very respectful of them and their situations. It's a pretty disgusting place with rats (dead & alive), garbage, excrement, and no fresh air. It is really amazing how people have built comfortable housing down there with electricity even! They get hot water dripping from the pipes to shower & wash clothes. I liked this book and thought about it for a few days afterwards. The book has a lot of photo's and you'll read it pretty quickly.

This book is filled with facts about Hemp and how it can be used for paper, fiber, fuel, and medicine. Hemp CAN save the planet and you will amazed and what this plant can do! It was legal in this country and farmers were required to grow it. The government denied this but it is TRUE! Jack Herer discovered proof and it is in this book...This updated version is the best one yet (and has the coolest cover!) and is worth every penny. You will use this book for reference over and over again. It's also great for school reports.