Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 12 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lucille O'Neal, From Mental Welfare to Mental Health, March 26, 2010
This review is from: Walk Like You Have Somewhere To Go (Hardcover)
The title of this book caught my attention immediately and I decided to review "Walk Like You Have Somewhere To Go" by Lucille O'Neal with Allison Samuels. Lucille O'Neal is the mother of sport icon Shaquille O'Neal and in this book she shares her life in a very organic way. This book will grasp your attention very quickly. The writing style and the size of each chapter are perfect. Two thumbs up to Allison Samuel for her excellent work. This book tells her story and shows the process she went through to change "From Mental Welfare to Mental Health". I think we can all relate to her story because she not only shares the facts of her life, she also open her heart in a very sincere way. Her story is very inspiring and gives insight into social, moral & cultural issues. One of the stories that really impacted me was the one she shares in chapter 6 about Rev. Hartsfield and how this spiritual leader has impacted her life until these day. You will have to read it to know what I mean. I'm very glad I picked this book to review and I hope you get the chance to read it as well. Disclosure of Material Connection: I received this book free from Thomas Nelson Publishers as part of their book review bloggers program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission's 16 CFR, Part 255 : "Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising."
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
2.0 out of 5 stars
Blah, blah, and more blah, April 22, 2010
This review is from: Walk Like You Have Somewhere To Go (Hardcover)
Walk Like You Have Somewhere to Go by Lucille O'Neal, with Allison Samuels I got this book free from BookSneeze, to read and then to review... I chose this book because I enjoy reading auto-biographies about a variety of people, even those I didn't know of before. Her story: Lucille O'Neal is the mother of Shaquille O'Neal, the great basketball star... so, of course, she shares some of what Shaquille's early days playing ball were like, and what it is like to be the mother of a star. Ms. O'Neal has been through teenage pregnancies (her own and her daughter's), addiction, divorce, and so much more, and she shares, openly, about all of those in this book. What I didn't like about this book: I don't think that Lucille and I would get along if we were to come into contact with each other. She seems proud, strict, a bit bitter... just not the type of person that I admire. Lucille spent the majority of this book complaining about the life that she has lived through. I thought that it was very unprofessional (and completely unrelated) for Ms. O'Neal to, twice, share her anger at former president Ronald Reagan for welfare programs that he had gotten rid of while he was in office - as long as I am on that subject, I disagree with Ms. O'Neal, go Reagan! :) The writing: One thing that I did like about this book was the way that it was written. The chapters were short and easy to get through. It was written in a way that kept me reading, and I finished it in just a few days. My conclusion: I don't really recommend this book for any reason, there is nothing great about it. You can find a better auto-biography about someone else.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Lucille's journey from teen mother to mother of a superstar, November 26, 2010
This review is from: Walk Like You Have Somewhere To Go (Hardcover)
Lucille, the product of a broken home, found it difficult to find her footing in life. She ran with the wrong crowd, and eventually wound up pregnant during her senior year in high school. Her first child, Shaquille, turned her life around and gave Lucille the wherewithal to get her life on track, despite the drug problems of Shaq's biological father. Lucille went on to marry a man who made a good life for her and her children, but who left her empty inside. She took up drinking as a past time as the family moved from military base to military base. She and her husband, Phil, would get into alcohol fueled fights. This pattern went on for years until Lucille's mother started to suffer from poor health. It was around that time that Lucille began to reconnect with God. It was also around that time that she decided to go back to school. Despite her husband's resistance, Lucille enrolled in college and graduated four years later. In that four year span, her daughter faced health issues, she repaired her relationship with her father, she got divorced from Phil, and Shaquille's career rocketed withe the Los Angeles Lakers. I put the book down thinking that O'Neal could have delved a bit more into the topics that she presented. The book was more a broad overview of her life and the challenges she faced over the course of five decades. Had she explored her feelings of inadequacy, religion, and marriage that she struggled with it could have been a guidepost for others wrestling with these issues in their own lives. While O'Neal's honest accounting of her life was a valiant effort , I couldn't help but to feel that she still held back a bit and that she is still in the process of personal growth. There is no denying that her story is inspirational and her journey has indeed been one that has taken her from the inner city to around the world. Her legacy is not just in giving the world a top basketball player, but in the positive message of hope that she leaves with the world.
Help other customers find the most helpful reviews
Was this review helpful to you? Yes
No
|
