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Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life (Audio Editions)

Leap of Faith: Memoirs of an Unexpected Life (Audio Editions)

List Price: $39.95
Your Price: $27.96
Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: loved it!
Review: The Queen is beautiful. She came across as honest and intelligent. And, if the fact that she has a fascinating life story and the bravery to share it, is what caused some readers to trash her for so-called singing her own praises - - I say they are warped. After reading this book, I feel more than a mere respect for her. I love her!

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: Shallow on Self, Spot-On for Politics
Review: I found the book hard to read in a way. Very fragmented, even above the bouncing from this time to that time in the same paragraph sometimes. I also think her life has been as privileged as can be, from her "tough childhood" in private schools, her father's taking over the FAA for a "massive drop in pay," and the "oh, poor me, where was the love in the home." That's America in the 1960's and 1970's, and sadly the 1980's-2004 for some. Having nannies and domestics and such must have been great and a bit of a help in taking the load off raising children. Name dropping and "my dear, dear friend.....this queen, that famous person...." like the famous all pat one another on the back and only happen to be friends because, hey, kismet works!! Not that we really deserve it or worked so hard, compared to regluar schmoes, that we should be able to look down on everyone else because we're the greatest, aren't we!

But, having lived and worked in Israel, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Qatar, Syria, Egypt (in the Middle East only), I found her account of the Middle East Peace Process spot on, and welcomed it, knowing some Americans (I'm American, by the way) were FINALLY getting a dose of the truth. The American press leans so far towards Israel for anything and everything, it's pitiful. So this was a great opening for some Americans to find out more of the truth (read some Finkelstein, Chomsky, Ostrovsky, among others), finally. It's strangling to know what is really going on at in Palestine/Israel (occupied areas) and to see my country pay $15,000 for each Israeli while hard-working Americans go without health care.

Expose away!

Thank you.

Rating: 2 stars
Summary: Absurd, but not horrible
Review: It was difficult to fairly rank this book because, although I personally thought it was one of the most absurd pieces of literature I have ever had the courage to read until the end, some still will gravitate to this pretty memoire written by the regal Queen Noor. This is an absurd book, but not horrible. I know that a lot of people, mainly aging, white American women who are uneducated in world cultures and captivated by royal life will find this a classy read.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Courage and Dedication
Review: When I bought the book, I was expecting to read a sort of a biased fairy tale: an easy to read story of a glamorous life... My expectation couldn't have been less fulfilled... It was the voice of a strong woman, who, all her life, has been happily limited herself to be a shadow... Now that she lost her beloved husband and is in the most vulnerable state in the geography she chose to live, she finds the courage to immortalize the message of the one she so much loved and cared for... This is what I call courage... and dedication...

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Fascinating Reading
Review: I thoroughly enjoyed this book. Queen Noor writes candidly, yet with great class. I gained quite a bit of insight about her husband and simply could not put the book down!

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Dissapointing
Review: Far from the insightful candor I expected, this book was a dissapointing concoction of political propoganda and classy personal endorsement. Queen Noor conveniently glosses over the monarch's questionable decisions in an effort to promote the central and underlying theme of this superficial memoire: we never make mistakes.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: An Unexpected Book
Review: I was not sure what I would get when I bought this book, and I was pleasantly surprised. As a literary item, I could not put this book down. I found the writing to really draw you in and the book was pretty easy to follow as far as the chronology of events. In the forward Queen Noor states that the book was written in the spirit of reconciliation and whereas that may not be completely true, I found her account of events to be fascinating. It was like seeing history through a different pair of eyes. Autobiographies are not my usual jondra but this book is great. It is a different view of events in the middle east and an insight in the complex politics of the region. It has left me with a deep respect for the woman and the queen and also the late king and what he tried to accomplish as seen through the eyes of his wife. I will definately be checking out some books about the history of Jordan to see how the facts compare.

Rating: 3 stars
Summary: SLANTED BUT WELL WORTH READING
Review: I found the book interesting, but readers should beware that it is HIGHLY political. If they are looking for a light read, this isn't the biography to choose.

The Queen does toot her own horn quite a bit, and I don't think once in the book does she ever admit to either her or her husband making a mistake.

As an American woman with many Jewish friends, I had always heard the Israeli side of the conflict. It was interesting to hear the Jordanian side. Now I would like to hear a slightly more balanced voice. (Can anyone recommend a book that takes the middle ground on the recent history of this war-torn region?)

Rating: 1 stars
Summary: Very Disappointing: Queen Noor
Review: This book is a reminder why not to buy an autobiography. Queen Noor insults the intelligence of the reader by promulgating her strongly bias view of events and history. Please do not write any more books, Your Majesty, stick to fashion or social events. I feel I have wasted my money with this purchase. If you don't believe me, read a few chapters online or in the store. A rating of 1 star is too high.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A New Respect
Review: I found this book most delightful and hard to put down. I have a new respect for the Arab world and Islam faith. I appreciated the sincerity and honesty expressed throughout the book. I have donated my copy to the local library in hopes that others might become more enlightened as I was.


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