From Tragedy to Triumph: The Story of John Tartaglio by John Tartaglio and Andrew Chapin

Perseverance. This is a great adjective to describe John Tartaglio. When John was seventeen he developed a rare bacterial infection which led to the loss of both of his legs and his left bicep. He didn't let that stop him. Despite the negativity of his doctors, he was determined to walk across the stage at his graduation.

He continued making goals -- cycling, swimming, running. If a person with legs could do it then he was determined to find a way to do it as well. his attitude throughout all of this is completely inspirational. I felt privileged to read about something that could be so personal.

This story was amazing. I was pulled into John's life and found myself crying tears of joy when he accomplished a goal, laughing at his jokes, and cheering him on. My children and husband got to hear about the story. My six year old daughter was especially excited about it.

I recommend this book. There was some strong language in it but it didn't occur often. I give this book 4 stars. ****


To learn more about this author go here.

Here are some videos. If you search his name on youtube, you'll find quite a few more.

Disclaimer: This was a complimentary copy of the book given to me in exchange for an honest review.

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George Washington Carver by John Perry

Genre: Fiction/Biography

Review/Synopsis: George Washington Carver was the son of a slave. After his mother was kidnapped, he and his brother were "adopted" into the home of their 'owner' and raised as their own children. When the slaves were freed, Carver found the only thing he wanted was knowledge and he did everything he could to achieve that and make a better life for himself and for other freed slaves.

I will admit that I haven't read a biography since middle school. I didn't find them entertaining. It was like reading a text book but probably because the teacher wanted me to. This time, I wanted to and I loved it. It was so much fun learning about Carver and the way of live in the late 1800s/early 1900s. It made me so grateful to live now. I complain about the size of my home, but at one point in Carver's life he lived in a fourteen square foot home. I can't even imagine. I also really enjoyed how the author brought the characters to life by showing their quirks and downfalls along with the awesome things they accomplished. It made them more real for me and able to relate to them better. I laughed a few times with and at Carver and would have loved to have met him but I would have loved to have met Booker T. Washington even more. I may have to find a biography on him. I thoroughly enjoyed learning more about Carver's life and his amazing accomplishments that are still present in our lives today.

Author: Doesn't John Perry just look like a fun man to meet and the perfect man to write biographies? I just loved his style in this picture. :)
John Perry was born in Kentucky and graduated college from Vanderbuilt. He also spent some time at school in Oxford, England. He started off as an advertising copywriter in Houston and was eventually the founder of Wolf, Perry & Clark Music and American Network Radio. He now lives in Nashville and writes biographies.

Rating: ***** Five Stars

I received this book free from the publisher through the BookSneeze®.com <http://BookSneeze®.com> 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 <http://www.access.gpo.gov/nara/cfr/waisidx_03/16cfr255_03.html> : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

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