Vastly Over-Written and Vastly Over-Praised
	From the remarks at this site, people either love this novel or hate it. I hated it. I hated it for the reason that it represents all that is bad about MFA program writing in the last 30 years. The emphasis is entirely on STYLE. Forget story. Forget that your reader needs some reason to be reading the narrative. Just throw out and string together wonderful language and the reader will follow you anywhere. Some of this thinking goes back to Henry James, some of it goes back to Virginia Woolf who was so terrified of books with plots or dominating conceits (like H.G. Wells' THE TIME MACHINE). The first 100 pages of this novel are about a real estate deal and the people to whom Frank Bascombe is trying to sell a property. It's brilliantly written. In fact, it's so brilliantly written that I had a lot of problems seeing a former sportswriter being so introspective and articulate about his life, his loves, and the region of the country he inhabits. This book has no driving plot. In fact, it's an arbitrarily chosen conceit: what happens on July 4th in the life of one guy. It's not James Joyce's ULYSSES nor is it trying to be, but EVERY thought this man has is in this book. And none of it is related to a plot or story or any reason whatever why a person--any perso--should pick up the book.

Indeed, that seems to be the crux. I read this book because it was by Richard Ford, a man whom all of my colleagues in the mainstream fiction world revere. You must read this book, they said. So I did. And I consider it an extraordinary waste of my time. To be sure, this is a judgment call, but I'm allowed to make it. EVERY reader is allowed to make that call. But I know I'm in the minority in this. This book is supposed to be one of the greatest American novels of the last 25 years. But will it be so in another 25 years? Are novels now only to be interior monologues (which Virginia Woolf preferred and said so in her essay "Modern Fiction")?

Perhaps our values are changing. Perhaps the MFA programs in this country are correct in only cultivating style rather than story. But what it eventually evolves into is a form of narcissism, wherein the author writes at length, putting on the page all of his or her thoughts about whatever and we're supposed to . . . what? Applaud it?

I believe that the authors we'll remember will be the natural storytellers. I don't think Richard Ford is one of them. But, man, he sure can write


The Anti-Mystery Story
	This was the first Hard Case publication book that I have tried.  It won't be the last, but I was hardly impressed with King's story.

I don't so much mind having a story with no ending (I got the point even without the author's afterword that was obviously meant to propitiate his regular readers who he correctly feared would be disappointed by this latest work), but couldn't King have given more of a mystery?  That is, after all, what is expected of a crime-mystery book.  I can't believe that I was asking too much.  Instead, I was treated to 178 pages of "Welcome to Maine!"


Brainless Squared!
	The "bottom-line" on "Brainless" is that one has to be "brainless" to take time to read Coulter's writings, and even more brainless to waste the time to read an analysis of them.

Yes, it is mildly interesting to learn of Coulter contradictions (eg. bashes the elite, then takes on Harriet Miers - partly because she didn't go to an elite law school, and "I believe everything I say," vs. "Most of what I say, I say to amuse myself and amuse my friends."  And then there are the infinite number of brainless "Coulterisms" and unsupported assertions - eg. "public schools have more sex scandals per year than Catholic priests - thirty times more," "Liberals lie about the science on stem-cell research because they warm to the idea of destroying human embryos," "I've never seen people enjoying their (9/11) husbands' deaths so much."  On the other hand, Maguire really doesn't have that much to say that IS INTERESTING!

On the other hand, if you hadn't figured out already that there is someting seriously wrong with Ann Coulter - this book won't help.  Save your money and your time


Mandelbrot repeatedly claims standard models...
	...are incorrect and that his fractal models are much better. Of course if his models were worth more than the paper they're written on Mandelbrot wouldn't have to write books like this because he'd be cleaning out everyone else's wallets on the stock market. In particular, if it's true that extreme events are more unlikely than most people think then he could easily exploit this with a suitable derivative. But the fact is, Mandelbrot doesn't know anything that countless other traders don't already know. So instead Mandelbrot is forced to resort to telling people how smart he is through his books rather than actually being smart enough to make a killing on Wall Street.

But I am glad I read this book. Having seen Mandelbrot 'on tour' a few years ago I developed a strong prejudice against him. But reading this book has convinced me that my prejudice is entirely justified. He can never just state a fact. Instead he always has a to phrase it as "my work shows that..." or "I demonstrated that..." even if he makes the same claim again and again. If he can try to take credit for other people's work he'll do so. He even managed to find someone to write an introduction for the book who was prepared to refer to the Levy distribution as the Mandelbrot-Levy distribution. The most egregious example of self-aggrandisement has to be the caption to a picture of the Brooks-Metelsky-Mandelbrot set where he mentions that two mathematicians only scaled part way up his 'Everest' of this set and received Fields medals for this work - the implication of course being that Mandelbrot has actually seen the view from the summit. Disgustingly he doesn't even deign to mention the names of these mathematicians.

One time I criticised Mandelbrot publicly and someone responded by pointing out how many peer reviewed papers he had published so he can't be all bad. But in this book Mandelbrot actually reveals to us how he used his social network to work around the peer review system. Astonishing!

I think it's also worth pointing out that there are some interesting ideas in this book and so it's not completely valueless. But I found the discussion of multifractal time methods (which make up a large part of the book) to generate plausible looking but fake price charts to be a bit pointless. I work in computer graphics and use similar methods to generate random surface detail all the time, but it doesn't mean I have a deep understanding of the statistics of random surfaces. It just means I know how to fool the eye


Can you save someone's soul by insulting their intelligence?
	To cover all the problems with continuity, logic, theology, geography and plain common sense in _Left Behind_ would take a whole book.  One hardly knows where to start.

Perhaps it is too early to assess the damage that will be done to Christian religion by this trashy novel.  As such, it isn't even a decent trashy novel; instead of steamy sex scenes, we get sanctimonious sermonizing.  Worse than that, what the authors have done is to turn the powerful imagery of the Bible into a cheap comic book, ignoring its spiritual messages in favor of promoting a self-centered preoccupation with getting a ticket to heaven before it's too late.

The comic book aspect can not be overemphasized.  Even if you suspend disbelief enough to accept the rapture scenario (an idea with virtually no scriptural support), little in the characters' actions, thought processes or dialog rings true.  One gets the impression that the book was hastily thrown together by a junior high school student.  God ends up looking like the ultimate villain, demanding that you hurry up and get yourself and your friends on his side Or Else.

Whatever happened to the inspiring Christian writers of yesteryear?  Who is the present-day equivalent of C. S. Lewis, or Catherine Marshall, and why aren't they getting more attention?  These were writers who actually made you THINK.  LaHaye and Jenkins seem to believe that thinking is the last thing God wants us to be doing; they hardly miss a chance to put down anyone with any hint of intelligence or independent thought.  They show no interest in answering the sort of hard questions that surviving non-believers in such a world might ask.  One wonders if they have ever met a non-believer at all, or witnessed the aftermath of a disaster for that matter.

These days, it seems as if all the media attention is on the likes of Ann Coulter or Pat Robertson, whose mission seems to be to turn Christianity into a twisted, bigoted caricature of what it once was.  Perhaps all the great religious thinkers really have been raptured.  If _Left Behind_ is an example of the sort of writing that we can expect from Christian writers, then it is the church itself that is in danger of being left behind


doesn't have it all
	While this book contains a ton of data, don't get it if you want calorie counts on anything homemade.  If you look up french toast, for example, it only gives information on name brand items.  Much of the information in the book is available on the packaging of the products.  I suppose that if you wanted to check it before shopping, or use it before eating out, it would be helpful.  But if you want to find out the caloric content of any homemade items, you are out of luck with this book


A disappointment
	This book was selected by my book club. I had never read Anna Quindlen before.  Rise and Shine was a disappointment to me.  I kept hoping that Meghan would somehow be redeemed, but that did not happen.  She is really not very likeable.  I thought there would have been more of a dialog between the sisters concerning Leo's tradgedy.  Meghan blamed her sister in one line and then it was never brought up again.  The book left me with an empty feeling.  It was not a satisfying read


A note of dissent
	In addition to the fact that I, too, felt that I was enduring a commercial for DFA, I was annoyed by the fact that this book is nothing more than a rehash of The Only Guide to a Winning Investment Strategy You'll Ever Need: Index Mutual Funds and Beyond - The Way Smart Money Invests Today, Swedroe's May, 1998 book. He introduces a small number of new studies and illustrations, but if you've read the first book, there's no reason to look at this one


wrong item sent
	I received a book that I didn't even order.  The one I ordered is yellow and white ( 3th edition).  THis isn't the one I ordered; therefore, I need a refund.I sent the book back and I know the seller received it on 8/19


Another not -so- helpful rant
	It is sad that this is what passes for political commentary now.  Coulter's work demonstrates exactly the potential danger for degrading society and disdain for thinking that people like Ms. Coulter piously/hypocritically rail against.  She will happily take the same formula to the bank time and again.  Why must political discussion turn to childish name calling in order to convince self-selected audiences of something they already want to believe.   Pitiful rants here.  If you are in it for fun or don't care that you are getting a skewed, sensationalist opinion, maybe you should read a few paragraphs of this in the book store.  But for something better, why not go for an intelligent book that takes an even handed, analytical approach, rather than buy into the opinions of a new breed of political analyst (on both right and left) that race to produce the most extreme charactures of any political philosophy they do not happen to agree with.


Crops, Crops and More Crops
	I had to read Jared Diamond's Pulitzer prize winning book because of the rave reviews and acclaim. The thoughts that he introduces in the book are certainly interesting and he presents us with a new way to interpret history which is certainly important. However, there is much overkill in making points about the development of each civilization - crops are the major topic with little discussion on guns, germs (more than the other 2), and steel. Of course the arguement for this focus is that the domestication of crops is how civilizations develop guns, germs and steel. I enjoyed parts of the book considerably, but you would have to have a strong interest in horticulture and botany to truely appreciate the book. I guess I was spoiled by first reading his sequel to GGS, "Collapse" - a terrific read that should be of interest to everyone -it relates our industrialization to every aspect of the environment and show historically how this has shaped history. It has major rammifications for our situation on this earth right now. -RK


Sean Hannity should be arrested
	When the truth about 911 is known he must not escape justice. He is a criminal and must be treated like one. Christian Peper


Giants standing on his shoulders
	Hal Abelson is responsible for a famous epigram, "If I haven't seen as far as others, it is because giants were standing on my shoulders."

This book is solidly enough written, but it's a cut-down, shallow rehash of a few justly famous functional programming textbooks.  The first is Abelson and Sussman's "Structure and Interpretation of Computer Programs"; the second, Bird and Wadler's "Introduction to Functional Programming".

If you want to really learn deep truths about programming, go buy those two books.  If they leave you scratching your head about how to transmogrify what you learn into Perl, buy Schwartz's "Perls of Wisdom"


Biased genetic studies?
	Author La Guardia mentions how the Lemba of Africa have the Jewish gene. Fine! But when he deals (in several pages mind you)with the Falashas (also of Africa) he never mentions that genetic studies have positively shown these Jews NOT to be descended from the 12 Tribes of Israel despite the Falashas's longtime rep for possibly being a Lost Tribe of Israel which, again, has now been 100% disproven through genetic studies


Dick Morris- degenerate
	Just a reminder that this guy cheated on his wife around the same time Clinton was being pounded for his indiscretions.
Sean Hannity, early in his book "Let Freedom Ring" reminded us of how Bill Clinton tainted the office of the presidency and then not two paragraphs later noted how Morris was a good friend of his (Hannity's) and then led into negative opinions on Morris of Clinton.  Didn't bother to mention anything about Morris doing the exact same thing- and this little worm woulda lied with his palm on the Ark of the Covenant so don't give me (...) about the lame@ss lying under oath Republican punk.  (...) hyprocrite!


Typical liberal rhetoric.
	I first read passages from this book in college.  I can now see how liberal professors very much enjoy using this book to influence young minds.  Professor Zinn is a far left author.  He uses the usual lines: America generally bad, communism generally good.  Obviously Mr. Zinn has the right to write whatever he wants, and his writing style is very convincing.  However, if the reader investigates the facts, many holes become visible in his theories.  Those who agree and disagree with his writings should explore opposite viewpoints.  A good example is "Intellectual Morons : How Ideology Makes Smart People Fall for Stupid Ideas by Daniel J. Flynn" which gives the reader a good profile of Mr. Zinn.


Fischer Black and the Revolutionary Idea of  Finacce
	Poorly proof read and obfuscatingly written, this book had the potential to clarify for the many the importance of Black's contributions.  It was a frustrating read due to lack of clarity and lack of simple explanations about the significance of Black's work


Did anyone proofread this?
	I agree with the reader(s) who said this book totally contradicts itself and seems thrown-together, as if no one proofread it.  In one chapter she'll recommend something; then later on she'll tell you it's ineffective and/or dangerous!  She gives a long, long list of herbal supplements that are supposed to aid weight loss -- but she just repeats all the advertisers' claims without any comments, recommendations or opinions of her own.  Personally I think most natural/ herbal supplements are a ripoff, but if she had given any testimonials by people who've found them to work, I might consider trying them. On the whole, this book is a waste of money


Save your money
	What a complete and utter waste of time.  Its obvious how these guys got dubbed the nutroots


There's nothing new here
	There isn't anything in this book that you won't find in Warren Buffett's annual letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway (available for free at the Berkshire Hathaway website).  If you've not read those letters then I suggest you get right to it - they clearly lay out Mr Buffett's approach to investing and are written in a very easy to read, humorous and homely style.

This book pulls many of the highlights from those letters together in one place and lays out some major tenets and themes that could be said to make an investment "Buffett like".

If you're not familiar with Warren Buffett and have not read his letters to the shareholders of Berkshire Hathaway - then you will likely find this to be a good introduction to Buffett.  Anybody else should probably steer clear as there isn't anything new here.


A tragedy indeed....
	"The Last River - The Tragic Race for Shangri-la".......Tragic. Yes I'd agree that this book is tragic.
Tragic that I bothered reading it.....tragic that I paid for it in order to read it.....tragic that Todd wasted his time writing it......tragic that I disliked it so much that I can be bothered writing a review.
The warning should have come upon examination of the back of the dust jacket. "Advance praise for The Last River" it reads. In retrospect this means no one is prepared to recommend the book after they have read it.
It seems that Todd had a vision of how big a book needs to be, and went to great lengths to flesh out the story to reach his goal. So much of the content has so little relevancy to the story, that you soon tire trawling through it.
This was my third Tsango experience. I do recommend the Outside documentary on the Lindgren expedition. "Hell or High Water" is not outstanding, but is worth a read, but on this book, my advise to Todd is please make this the Last River that you drag through the wringer


Random thoughts?
	This books should be called "The random thoughts of a rich old man."   It appears to me someone followed Mr. Buffet around and wrote down what ever he said then thought "how do I present this is a book?,  oh how about a random collection of dis-jointed thoughts! yea that's  it!!


On Democracy? or On Over Simplification?
	This book is great! Assuming you already have a Ph. D. in Political Science. Otherwise this book is best reserved for drop quoting, or light reference. The author shows bias towards the United States' form of  Democracy, as is to be expected in such a book. The simplistic nature makes  the reader annoyed more than informed. The childish approach is suited for  school children, but not as appropriate as other books for real analysis


Even 3 paragraphs show the inaccuracy
	Hart disputes O'Reilly's claim that the US "gives far and away more tax money for foreign coutries than anyone else....." by countering that per capita the U.S. is near the bottom of the list. O'Reilly wasn't quoted as saying "more tax money per capita".

More goofy reasoning by someone who ought to know better.


This diet made me sick!
	After two weeks on this diet plan I could bearly lift my head up.  I nearly fell asleep driving home from work nights...not to mention hardly staying awake while at work.  I thought it would be a pleasant change from the restrictions of Atkins, but I was never tired on Atkins.  I don't know if it had something to do with insulin from the sudden onslaught of carbs...or what the problem was.  All I know is I am happily following Atkins and losing much more rapidly than I did on this CAD plan.  In two weeks I lost 6 lbs. on CAD...14 on Atkins.  You figure it out


Founding Work of Modern Statism
	This book, above all others, reveals the breakdown of classical (libertarian) liberalism into the statist liberalism of today.  Although the first part of the work, being a refutation of Edmund Burke's silly  nonsense, is stellar, and is well worth reading.  Regardless, the second  part, the chapter on  quot;Ways and Means quot; in particular, is composed  of the most despicable, anti-liberty doctrines that one can find.  What  Paine basically proposed was a late 18th century form of the welfare state,  replete with progressive taxation, subsidies for child birth, and other  fine statist amenities.  Thus, as all of these things are, in his words, to  be claimed as rights, the title of this book comes to mean nothing  whatsoever.  It is indeed sad that Thomas Paine has gained such an enduring  legacy as a friend to liberty.  In truth, he is actually one of its worst  enemies, as he combines a just zeal for resistance to oppression,  revolution, and reason, he sabotages his entire political philosophy


Almost Pornographic
	I enjoy reading books of trivia and fun facts, but I didn't even make it through the first chapter before I put this book down in disgust. Almost every entry had to do with sex or male endowments. As I was flipping through the book, I found x-rated pictures and drawings that I would hate to have to explain to my children if they were to pick up this book. I never would have bought this book if I had seen it in a bookstore, and I regret throwing it in the trash before I could see if I could get my money back


Great lesson in how to dramatize and sell books..
	Anyone that knows anything about Milken knows that the guy created millions of jobs, and contributed much more to society than people like James Stewart, who often act like parasites at the expense of others.

And what about Milken's life after this whole affair? I wonder what Stewart will write about in the sequel, since Milken has taken on a life of philanthropy basically unrivaled, and certainly contributes more to this country than most. Milken's creation of a liquid market for junk bonds allowed credit risk to be redistributed throughout the capital markets, effectively creating more capital, more jobs, and more wealth creation.

Anyone up and coming in IB, or looking to inform themselves of the 80's capital movement, please at least check out some other perspectives on the era.

Note: These comments don't apply to Boesky or the arbs who were doing nothing but breaking the law. I would argue a strong distinction between Milken and most of the other characters in this book


Will Be A Collector's Item Some Day
	I recently saw this book on the bargain bin.  This book was pure garbage, by two arrogant 20-somethings in clown suits.  Basically they are saying valuations don't matter.  Since they wrote the book, it has been prooven that their philosophy, approached over the long term, produces some great damaging losses.  The book may be useful during the next bubble, which if history serves, will occur well after these clowns pass on to the big three-ring circus in the sky.  To the dungeon with these two knaves


Shockingly overrated!
	Our book club read this last month and not a single member had anything good to say about this book.  As the facilitator, I was surprise by the consensus since we usually have at least one or two members who love the monthly selection.  The writing is disjointed to the point that Ms. Krauss loses her reader.  Then when she introduces the potential that many of the chapters might just be imaginary interactions between the characters, the reader is left extremely frustrated.  I really cannot imagine how Ms. Krauss' novel has garnered so many stellar reviews


Just plain dumb
	I am having a hard time understanding why people have raved about this book.  I guess everyone is entitled to have loyal fans, but I just don't see what was great, or even good, about this story.

Two teenagers enter a school and end up killing seven people.  They are caught, they confess, and the Grandmother of one of the killers hires Spenser to prove the boy's innocense.  We are given the impression a great mystery, with possible red herrings, is about to entertain us.  Alas, it is not to be.  The kids did it, plain and simple.  Why they did it is so stupid.  The story reads as though a sixth grader has written it.  The plot is lame, and even as lame as it is, it isn't executed well at all.

The characters are boring and 2 dimensional.  The banter which takes place between the main character and others, while it seems to be trying to be witty, is just dumb and unbelievable.  I just can't say enough about how stupid this story is.  There are too many wonderful mystery authors out there writing gripping, intense works of fiction to waste your time on this one.  This is the first novel I have read by this author and will most definitely be my last


White Males Only
	Before purchasing Made in Detroit I read the reader reviews.  The reviews were so mixed that I decided against buying the book and checked it out of the library instead.  As it turns out I made the best decision.  All I can say is `thank you fellow reviewers'; this book was definitely not worth the purchase price.  My statement has nothing to do with the author's writing skills, he is a skilled writer.  It has everything to do with his lack of insight.  That Paul Clemens could live in a city and have such a skewed view of it is downright scary.  I read the book, waiting for Paul to have a revelation that would help him put the pieces of his life together and make peace with them.  But after 241 pages he was no more enlightened than he was on page one.  Blacks are caricatures whose sole role in life is to make Paul's life hard.  Women are peripheral characters who are barely given a voice.  He finds a way to put down and demean everyone who is not a white male in his book.

If you are a white male who harbors secret racist feelings you will enjoy this book and it will validate your feelings.  If you are anyone else your reaction will no doubt range from mild boredom to outrage.  As I read this book I felt sadness, a profound sense of dismay and had some of my worse fears confirmed.  (There are white folks who actually still think like this.)  My hope is that the light comes on for Paul, he is still young.  If it does maybe he will share his insights with us.


Long on Verbiage, Short on Plot, and Ultimately Pointless
	The book jacket for "The Ruins" offers a can't-miss premise:  a group of post-grad American tourists at play in Mexico jump at the chance for a little adventure among Mayan ruins but find but then find themselves in unimaginable danger.  It's the stuff of great Summer thrillers ready to be taken to the beach.  But 319 pages later, the reader is left to wonder whether or not the publisher put the wrong book in the jacket.

Almost immediately, you'll notice that Smith's writing is as dense as the jungles that make the setting.  However, despite the endless stream of words, his descriptions are often threadbare.  Plus, there are no chapter breaks, which eventually pushes the pace until it feels like an assignment to continue.

Next, the characters themselves begin to fall flat.  There are only really two couples to keep track of, and yet it's difficult for the first third of the book to distinguish them.  There is little to keep you interested in what they're doing or why they might be doing it.  Smith's attempts at developing these four as characters come in fits and spurts.  This seems obviously haphazard and hurried - the author is jamming in backstory whenever needed to explain characters' actions as if he were patching leaks in a dam.  By the end of the book, the foursome seems to be as disinterested in each other as the reader is in them.

And for the readers who are hoping to discover something of interest in the setting such as Mayan mythology or archeological lore, forget it.  Aside from language barriers with the locals, there is no reason why this fantastical story couldn't have been set in the wilds of the Rocky Mountains, the Saharan desert, or anywhere else.  The danger posed has nothing to do with Mexico, archeology or mythology at all.

Ah yes, the danger posed.  Well, I can't say much at all because anyone could give away the entire book with one line of explanation - that's how thin the plot is.  The numerous other reviews that fault this as a short story masquerading as a novel are exactly right.  Suffice it to say that when you do realize what the danger is (and you'll realize it well before any of the well-educated characters do), it's a real eye-roller, as if to say "I read this many pages for THIS?".

By the time the story concludes, it's more irritating than suspenseful.  The characters take so long to blithely undertake any course of action at all that you'll start rooting against them.  Eventually scenes of gore start piling up in an obvious and lazy attempt to interject some action, but even aside from being misdirected, it's too little too late.

This book could have been an adventure, a supernatural thriller, a survival tale, or a horror screenplay.  It could have even taken the high road as an examination on people's reactions to situations of extreme stress:  some take the lead, even enjoying the challenge, while others whither into a shell of hopelessness.  But none of the possibilities ever come to fruition in this disappointing effort.


A major disservice to the book
	The book THE LOST CONTINENT is an amazing captivating read.  Bryson is truly brilliant in his descriptions.  This CD totally KILLS that.  First of all the narrator reads at a mile a minute, sometimes to the point where you can't understand him.  And second, they abridged the CRAP out of it, cutting some of the most interesting commentary and actually cutting the entire SECOND HALF of the book!  While the book is amazing, this particular recording of it should be avoided at all costs


What, another birthday????
	I found this book very boring. Tyler does a good job on detailing the charictors but I kept waiting for something to happen. Poor Maryam never developed into a person she was so caught up in trying to be a proper
American. I will read another of her books since she is so well thought of


boring
	What a waste of time. This was like sitting through a very boring business course. I was never interested in turning the page. I would have liked to see more of Carly personal side and maybe some human aspect to this story.Instead I felt like a robot was telling this story.Very much of how great her business style was and very little about anything else. I forced myself to finish this. A huge diaappointment.Don't waste your money


Bones: Buried Deep
	I am a huge fan of Kathy Reichs' novels and of the TV Series, Bones. However, this book was quite a disappointment to me. I did not care for the way the author wrote dialogue -- Brennan's dialog is not that simplimatic on the TV program, and she certainly would never say, "Where at!?" The author way overused the joke where Brennan did not "know what that means."

All I could think of was how much better this novel would have been if written by Reichs herself.

I started to jot down the holes in the story but quit after a while


Poorly written
	This is a badly written, repetitive and self-serving account, largely, of the foolishness of  quot;portflio insurance. quot; That things which are  quot;just like quot; something else may not be so in reality, and that  magic fixes in the market (which after all fly in the face of the  rational-expectations/efficient-market hypotheses which often are built  into the view of the market being relied on) I guess needs to be pointed  out regularly, since hope of quick, uninformed, and painless fixes seem to  reoccur with each new wave of financial charlatans and the greed they feed  on. Jacobs does point out such problems for a particular, rather bizarre  episode, and suggests, not too coherently, that such  quot;scams quot; are  still prevalent. However, He does this in a horribly repetitive and  self-laudatory way that is not really very clearly argued


where is the quality control
	design of book is very poor--pictures totally unclear and print is crowded making it impossible to focus on the story.  The translations are not bad but there is no effort to organize the material and put it in contex


Real dogs need real care Not  quot;dummies quot; info
	This book is so full of misinformation that I shudder to think (since it is in the  quot;dummies quot; series), that this may be the only information that many people will read before they embark upon a very serious commitment with a dog.

 It is poorly researched, full of dogma and nonsense.

 If you have to read a  quot;quick book quot; find one written by an expert - a veterinarian, or anyone with a track record in animals. Instant info can be found on bulletin discussion boards, magazines etc


Don't waste your money...
	...you can waste your time and save your money by checking this out of your local library.

If you want to get an "inside view" of the inner workings of Wall Street during the excessive gyrations of the '80s, then read Den of Theives - that book is well written and well worth the money!

What turned me off about this book was the structure and the writing style.  The first half of the book was essentially the author relating fortuitous circumstances that were the product of Serendipity.  He was simply in the right place at the right time, had virutally no idea how he got there, felt out of place the whole time (even when he was raking in the Big Bucks in NY and London), and so now he thought he'd wwrite a book about it.  I also got the sense that he was trying to assuage some guilt from his association at Salomon Brothers.  He was there, he made a lot of money, good for him - get over it!

I was also pretty disappointed because the subject matter has A LOT more potential.  I might have actually enjoyed it - had I not read Den of Theives 7 years earlier, and already had some idea of how things took place.  But, if you can get it for $5 or less (including shipping), and you have little to no knowledge of what an investment banker's life is like (and you haven't also seen the movie Wall Street (which covers the same highlights in this book)), then it's probably worth it.

I did like the wrap up he did towards the end of the book, relating where he had heard everyone from the firm ended up...althought that seemed a little rushed..


Sophomoric and sloppy.
	I'll preface this by saying I'm a cryer.  I cry at movie previews when they simply look entertaining.  I cried all the way through Superman Returns.  I did not, however, shed one tear during Message in a Bottle.

In English class, I always learned to "show, not tell" when writing.  When that is your rule of thumb, you'll write a moving piece of literature, even if you're not completely skillful.  Sparks is the master of telling without showing.

I'm honestly baffled by all the good reviews it gets.  The story is somewhat engaging, but with no payoff.  But the work is filled with passages like (and these are from memory; if I picked up the book to look for verbatim examples I'd have to type the entire thing), "He went to the refrigerator, opened the door, and took a beer.  After opening it, he sat down on the back deck."  Or, "Though she was overweight, she moved quickly around the table."  "She got out of the shower, dried off, and put on khaki shorts and a white cotton shirt."  Have you read enough yet?

I'm new to the romance genre.  My mother-in-law recommended Sparks because -- I think she was trying to imply -- his sex scenes aren't too graphic.  They were to me, but then, I'm new to romance, and spoiled by the masterful, unequaled storytelling skill of Stephen King.

Please hold your New York Times bestsellers to a higher standard.  Let's hold on to whatever quality control we can in music, movies, and literature


Definitely not Alcott's "Little Women"
	I started reading this book expecting to like it - it's historical, related to Little Women, won the Pulitzer, doesn't feel like fluff, etc. However I had a really difficult time getting into the book.

For one, the language sounded much more pretentious than historically accurate. I've read other works from the time period she's supposed to be writing in, and rather than feeling in keeping with that era, this book felt indicitive of someone who makes full use of her thesaurus.

Also, I haven't read her other book so i didn't enter this novel with a trust for the author. Consequentally, I found that as she mentioned connections to Little Women, I became defensive. She had not proven to me that she had the right to use this work. In some of her character choices, such as one of the first encounters between March and Marmee (I'm not going to go into details so as not to spoil the scene), I believe that she made a radical departure from anything that Alcott would have written of her characters, and that Brooks really did not stay true to the original.

The first half of the book is also really dry. This could just be my personal taste, but the first half moved so slowly! The book started to pick up about half way through. Overall, the story being told and the Civil War aspects weren't bad, and could be a decent story in their own right if she'd just speed things along at the beginning.

However, I think Brooks did the book a major disservice by linking it to Little Women. I bristled every time she mentioned an individual from the book, because she was really changing their characters (other than Aunt March). The choices that Brooks' characters made were not in keeping with choices they may have made in Alcott's book.

In the afterward, Brooks discussed her research and how she actually based the March family and particularly Mr. March more on the Alcott family itself than on the characters from Little Women, even commenting how the March Family in Alcott's book isn't very interesting, and how "Nobody in real life is such a goody-goody as that Marmee." If she felt that way, then why use them as the basis for her book? Seen in that context, her earlier *huge* liberties with Marmee's character seem to just be a way to "stick it" to Alcott: "ha ha, look how much more realistic Marmee is now!


Not realistic for most people
	While I found the writing style good and the information interesting, the actual diet was unrealistic, too restrictive and lacking fun basics that make other diets tolerable. I found myself longing for spices (how bad could pepper really be?) and questioning the validity of their restriction. I couldn't stand the ground-up flax seeds in my cranberry cocktail - the texture reminded me of trying to drink mud with little bugs in it (or what I imagine that to be).

I'm not writing this to disparage anyone from trying the diet - if you can handle the restrictions and you have the self-control required, you might find this diet doable and rewarding. I tried the Fat Flush with a group from work - inspired by one woman who is able to do the flush again and again every year (she always gains the weight back). The rest of us, while successful for varying degrees of short periods, found the diet unrealistic for any long-term results - all of us gained the weight back and spurred by instant weight loss, some even picked up worse habits than they began with.

The funny thing is I found much of the health information useful or interesting, but I got rid of the book b/c sitting on my shelf it reminded  me of unrealistic goals and failure - not what I want out of a get-healthy  plan.

I'm writing this review so that others don't get sucked in by all of the positive reviews hoping for lasting results - 3 of us didn't have any


Biased genetic studies?
	Author La Guardia mentions how the Lemba of Africa have the Jewish gene. Fine! But when he deals (in several pages mind you)with the Falashas (also of Africa) he never mentions that genetic studies have positively shown these Jews NOT to be descended from the 12 Tribes of Israel despite the Falashas's longtime rep for possibly being a Lost Tribe of Israel which, again, has now been 100% disproven through genetic studies


an odd mix  but 3 stars
	As many have stated before me the book starts off with great promise for people who like historical fiction, however midway it turns into a romance novel.  I give it 3 stars for holding my attention.  A good beach read that can get you thinking (a little) about a time past.  The one star is a mistake and I cannot seem to change it.   3 ***  stars


The book is not complete and at times can be misleading
	Being a student of photojournalizm in Moscow, Russia, I looked for the most complete book on photographic composition that is available. I had studied one book on the subject by the russian author, but knowing that photography in the US is much more developed and professional I was striving to get a book by a professional photographer.

I was disappointed by the book "Photographic Composition" by Tom Grill for a number of reasons:

1. It does not cover all important compositional elements, and those that it covers are not explained in full detail. It does not explain:
- how elements with the similar shapes, similar sizes or similar tone interact with each other,
- the reverse perspective effect and its uses,
- why right and left sides of the photograph differ and why, how it can be used on practice,
- how to balance "weight" of different elements of the photograph, it touches it briefly and furthermore provides an incorrect example,
- difference between compositional center and the center of interest, how to balance them if they are in different parts of the photo (does not match each other)
- all signs of perspective, it does not say anywhere that overlapping of objects is a clear sign of perspective (trivial as it may sound, it still should be marked in any complete work, especially when the author covers other three elements)
- and much much more.

2. It does not use photographs of the best masters to illustrate the topic, neither does it show how composition works in art, which I believe is very important.

3. Most examples are in color, while most ideas on composition are best explained using B W photographs.

4. Last but not least, composition is about meaning, making a message, not just how to balance different elements within a frame. The book makes this statement, but in my opinion fails to provide poverful examples, while you can fully appreciate the power of composition only by studying powerful photos with good explanation why precisely this photo is good.

OVERALL: I believe that if you want to study composition you want to know all important considerations, not just a few and briefly explained "how-to-quickly-improve-any-photo-you-take". This books fails to provide complete approach to composition and at times can be misleading.

I'd be very grateful if you could recommend me (and other folks that look at our reviews) a more thorough book on composition, I'm sure there must be a good book in english on that subject. Thanks!

P.S. For those who can read in russian I advise a book by A. Lapin "Fotografiya kak..", which compared to the book by Tom Grill explains composition in full


All Dressed up, No Place to Go
	Although Dead Soul begins quite decently and surprisingly for Doss, who has a tin ear for dialogue, dearly loves a cardboard character, and has no sense of plot, it rapidly and unsurprisingly disintegrates into a mangle of missed opportunities.

Since most plot reveals take place off scene, you have no idea what's going on until the end where Charlie tells all. Is this supposed to create suspense? Does Doss even realize how ridiculous this is? Does he have an editor? Can the editor read English? Now these are real questions for Charlie to answer


pathetic
	The Winner and Absolute  truth made me continue reading Baldacci books.His last few books Christmas Train and Split Second were awful.Now Baldacci takes his left leaning anti american feelings and tries to shove it down our throats.That was the last money I ever spend on a Baldacci book,I even threw out his good books. Shut up Baldacci and write fiction books. Your ideas do not get through in this non fiction world


Perfect cure for insomnia
	A friend going through the same problems as I am was strongly recommended this book by her therapist and she bought it for me, as well.  I was enthusiastic to read it and at least understand these emotions.  If I could actually use the information to help myself, all the better.  I was warned that the beginning was a bit slow and hard to get through, so I struggled through it, expecting it to get easier to read.  It didn't.  It's been sitting by my bed for months with the bookmark at page 104 and I'm really sorry because I'm sure that the contents are useful and interesting, but I just can't get past that page 104.  I normally refuse to leave a book half unread, but this just has to be an exception because every time I pick it up I fall asleep within 3 or 4 pages.

I agree with some of the previous reviewers that there is way too much emphasis on the actual workings of the meetings.  I feel like I'm watching a video of it, as every minimal thing is described in incredible detail.  But I wanted to read this book to understand the views and conclusions of the group, not to become an expert on the tea breaks they had.  Also, I felt lost as the scientific tests they had previously carried out were explained in such detail, I ended up having to skim over some sections.

This may be a great resource for those who have great patience and/or a scientific background, but too much for a regular Joe like me


A wallowing, depressing and ugly book with no redeeming value whatsoever
	This is the worst, most depressing piece of fiction I have ever read.  There is no real protoganist and not one singular character worthy of admiration--and after a while, their actions just become inexplicable.  The author's soul must truly be an ugly one to have devoted so much time and energy to using his mind to generate so many casual acts of evil throughout the book.  It starts out promising but by the time you get to about halfway through the book or so you get a nagging sense that your very own soul might be sucked out of you and permanently stolen by the heart of Neil Gaiman's darkness or one of his minions.  Additionally, the characters' motivations change like the shifting sands, nothing they do makes any real sense except some inexplicable movement towards doing greater and more evil en masse like some sort of coagulating bacteria or disease.  What is so creepy about this book is the casualness of it all.  Unlike some of Stephen King's work (ie: The Stand), there is absolutely no redeeming thread here--no rallying or marshalling the troops to combat the emerging evil.  It's evil in evil vs. evil surrounded by evil.  All I can say is that this book is ugly, ugly, ugly.  At least writers like Joyce Carol Oats and Joseph Conrad's intentions when writing about such things is to effectively demonstrate the ill effects of such darkness, but to make heroes of characters one should avoid is unconscionable.  The choices the supposed protoganist makes make no sense--and you do root for  him in the very beginning but you find he is just like one of them after all.  I suspended my doubt and disbelief as long as I could but finally became so incensed by the audacity of both the literary critics and the author to pass this off as excellence, I literally stopped mid-sentence and chose to never read this author's work again.  It's a shame too because he has allied himself in other incarnations with a truly gifted artist, Dave McKean, who maybe hasn't completely gone over to the dark side like Neil has.  His association with Dave McKean is the only reason I even opened-up the book--and maybe a little because the title intrigued me.  But it's unfortunate that the industry rewards "clever" works such as Mr. Gaiman's with undue praise.  I've never so strongly disliked a book.  Have you ever found yourself getting angry because you felt robbed or duped by a book?  Well, don't believe the hype, this is the one to throw in the trash or disintegrate with X-men eyeball laserbeams before all your humanity is sucked out of you


I really wanted to like this book
	If Julia Glass had not set the bar so high with Three Junes, I would have given the book 3 stars instead of 2.  There are sentences, paragraphs, even pages of brilliance in this book, but it is as if winning the National Book Award gave Ms. Glass unconditional confidence in her writing, and character development in particular.  She seemed out of touch with the major demographics the narrative slings around.  As another reviewer wrote, the writing process seemed transparant.  Reading the book, you get the feeling that the characters are what Ms. Glass (a privileged white woman of a certain age) imagines teenagers, or New Mexicans, or black chauffeurs, or Hispanic nannies, or even gay people to be like.  She is like a tourist who voyeuristically delights in other cultures without really understanding them.  The teenagers and the Santa Fe inhabitants are the most painful examples of caricatures.  Greenie might be the most believable, and although I understood why she was falling out of love with her gloomy Alan, I wasn't sucked along with her when she falls in love with "the other Charlie".  He was only very mildly interesting and certainly not worth (even temporarily) losing your child over.  With Saga, she manages to develop her most sympathetic character, but Saga's life is left floating and unresolved at the end.  Even the brief appearance of Fenno, who I loved in Three Junes, lacked intensity and seemed gimmicky.  All and all, a very disappointing second novel.  You have to wonder, since most reviewers are pointing out all of the same problems with character, what good is her editor?


Over Rated
	I heard all of these great things about this book etc...... So I got a copy and let me tell you it was a huge let down. I can honestly say it had loads of disgusting passages that I did not find at all entertaining. The "bowel movement" chapter was totally repulsive. I found it self indulgent, he had a crappy upbringing, that does not make for a good book


Long and drawn out
	This seemed too long and too drawn out


A little bit more than who's who, but definitely not how they achieved greatness
	Simple arithmetic and you know it's stupid to expect much from a 227 content book that attempts to tell the success stories and forumlas of 55 business leaders. Definitely everyone of them deserves its own biography instead of an average 4.13 pages. So I had lowered my standard before I read it. Still I had been quite disappointed. All passages were columns published previously on IBD written by different reporters that not only the writing style but the focus on individual leaders fluctuated much between hard data/history and success formula, primarly on the former. I am sorry that I could gain little knowledge/insight (that I really wanted to learn "how" they succeeded) during the reading. I felt even worse after reading from the previous reviewer that the content had been available on the net. In short, please give this book a pass!


Wow, what a disappointment!
	"The Most Anticipated Book in the History of Poker!" exclaims a blurb on the cover.  Well, if so, I can tell you that a lot of people have been, or are going to be, VERY disappointed.  Comparing the classic Super/System from 1978 with this book is, to paraphrase Mark Twain, like comparing lightning to the lightning bug.

This book is more of a tribute to Doyle Brunson than it is "A Course in Power Poker."  Johnny Chan writes a fairly vacuous Preface in which he lauds Brunson, but doesn't say anything about how to play.  Then we have Brunson's Introduction in which he tells us mostly about the contributors to the first Super/System.  Next there is an autobiographical sketch by Brunson entitled, "My Story."  (If you want a book that gives the real flavor of Brunson's "story," get a copy of According to Doyle (1984).  It contains 47 chapters in which Brunson recalls his early days and life on the road.)

Following "My Story" is a short history of Texas Hold'em by Crandell Addington which isn't much, and then there is the first chapter that could actually be considered part of a course in power poker.  This would be 43 tips from Mike Caro cribbed from his lectures and books.  However the tips are hardly "exclusive" for SuperSystem2 as claimed.  Beginning with Caro's cute but now very familiar, "In the beginning, everything was even money," most or all of the tips have been recycled.  For example, Tip #18, page 146, "WHEN A FREQUENT BETTOR CHECKS TO YOU...don't bluff" is just about the same as Tip #10 "Seldom bluff if frequent bluffers have checked into you" found on page 137 in Caro's Fundamental Secrets of Winning Poker (1996).  In fact Caro even recycles his "exclusive" tips in this very book.  Tip #31 says that PLAYERS STARING AWAY...are almost always more dangerous than players staring at you," while Tip #40 says in part that "OPPONENTS ARE MORE LIKELY TO BET OR RAISE IF THEY ARE: ...(3) staring away."

Jennifer Harman's chapter on limit hold'em is so ordinary that it's remedial.  There's not even a hint of anything new.  There are a number of books on the market that cover the same ground much more thoroughly.  I especially recommend Small Stakes Hold'em: Winning Big with Expert Play (2004) by Ed Miller, David Sklansky and Mason Malmuth or anything by Sklansky.  Also her insistence on referring to hands backwards, "6-7" (e.g., on p. 252) instead of "76" is annoying and contrary to a well-established convention.

And the caricatures by Russ Braun!  They are so bland and flattering that each may have passed prior inspection by the subject's mother.  Comparing these to the witty and sharp work by Stan Hunt in the original is like comparing a cliche to something alive and vital.  Brunson doesn't even look like himself.  Here he's just a generic, smiling, dough boy kind of guy--except in the small, clever, lifelike drawing gracing page 7 which WAS drawn by Stan Hunt, copied from the first book.

Good are the chapters on Omaha and Stud Eight-or-Better.  However, although Brunson has Bobby Baldwin billed as his author of the Omaha Eight-or-Better chapter, actually it was written (as acknowledged) by Mark Gregorich.  He does a good job of introducing the game and giving some of the strategies, and I'm sure he is a fine player, but what about Bobby Baldwin?  Well, as CEO of Mirage Corporation and President of the Bellagio Hotel and Casino, Bobby is far, far too busy to write the chapter himself.  So he just lent his name and his supervision.  Can you spell R-I-P-O-F-F?

Perhaps the most embarrassing part of the book is Doyle's chapter on no limit hold'em.  It is little more than a reprise of the same chapter in the first book published 28 years ago.

Also recycled is the section on "Colorful Names of Various Hold'em Hands" on pages 628 and 629.  The dated references to Raquel Welch ("38") and Broderick Crawford ("10-4") seem more than a little out of touch.  Indeed, this book is nostalgic tribute to Brunson and the great success he and the original book achieved.  And that is a shame, because this book is billed as an exciting event in the history of the publication of books on poker when in fact it is something hastily put together to flatter Brunson and, hopefully, the pocketbook of those involved.

One final thing: there is a Glossary, suitable for beginners, which is okay as it defines such things a "Deuce," "Flush," "Four of a Kind," etc., but seems a little basic for "A Course in Power Poker."  Worse though is this definition of a "Cold Deck": "A term often used to describe the deck by players who feel they're not getting enough playable or winning hands."  Players may indeed remark that "the deck is cold," but the origin of the term comes from the fact that a stacked deck used by cheaters that is switched into the game tends to be "cold" to the touch since it has not been handled since it was stacked.

Bottom line: pass


Sacre bleu!
	Someone reported all my 3 negative reviews of Daniel Silva books and got them removed! Hmm, I wonder who that could be.

I am rather annoyed at this because I spent quite a lot of time detailing why I didn't like one of the books, reasonably, I thought. Apparently, someone had decided that they did not follow the review guidelines. I used no profanities. OK, there were some spoilers, but not more than I usually read in other reviews. Not single worded, no phone numbers, no solicitations, etc. Maybe whoever it was just didn't like my negative review. Well, the last time I checked, the 1st amendment still applies in this country.

OK, so let me try to post another review of why I didn't like this book without violating any review guidelines, and I'm not going to spend 30 mins on it like last time.

I thought the book was very poorly written and very boring. I struggled through 1/3 of the book but the author could not capture my attention and I decided not to continue to the end. I've read a couple of other Daniel Silva books, but neither one of them could change my mind that he is an author that I don't like. I will not be buying any more of his books


As authentic as a daytime soap opera
	I'd heard the buzz (both pro and con) and thought I'd take an independent read. I was dismayed with this book.
James Frey has insulted anyone who has gone through a real experience with substance addiction by trivializing the truth of whatever experience he really had. One of the hardest things an addict has to grasp is the TRUTH so that he can take ownership of his actions and take the 12 steps or whatever is necessary to save his life and often the lives of loved ones tangled up in the mess with him. Lies are what enable "slips" and "enabling" and "denial" and those other catch words that describe continued misery and failure. Recovery is nearly impossible without honesty. So, can we look at this man's "memoir" and expect it to offer anything of value? It's poorly constructed, repetitive, and narcisitic. Even if Oprah hadn't exposed him, the writing takes the tone of "whoppers" like Frey's account of the drug house visit in which he "rescues" Lilly. Other reviewers and Smoking Gun have written about the fantastic episodes one by one, and I can't improve on that.
Suffice to say this mockery of misery and hope is no more real than a daytime soap opera.  Story lines in a soap may look like real life to one who is isolated from real life, the same way A Million Little Pieces might look to someone who has not been touched by real addiction. A real addict with typical delusion could be misdirected from a true course of treatment with tragic result.
I was left with the impression he thinks institutions and people who help others with substance recovery are pitifully misdirected or inept. Like a joke of some kind. I'm not laughing.


The Best Picoult So Far
	Every book by Jodi Picoult grabs you by the heart and doesn't let go. Mercy stands out from all the rest. You will not forget this book or the people in it for a long time


just so-so
	Of the 7 or so Grisham novels Ive read this one is my least favorite.

It's not a bad story at all but it's just way too long, about 150 pages longer than it needed to be.

It also just lacked credibility in many spots. Grisham is normally quite good at presenting characters and situations that are at least plausible, if not really interesting. Most of his books give the layman some insight into the workings of the law that Ive always thought were fascinating. This book, however, plods along and doesnt bring anything new to his body of work.

The other thing that really got me was the dialogue he wrote for Mark Sway, the 11year old protagonist. He sounds more like a street-wise 30year old, using words like "wonderful" and phrases that have been out of use since the 70's. I think Grisham forgot he was writing the words for a young boy and not one of his more typically older characters.

This isnt a bad book if you just want to escape for a few hours a day but most of his other ones are far more enjoyable


Why the music?
	I find some parts of Didion's book very relatable, at least when she's exploring her feelings of shock, the superstitious feelings, and the obsessive re-living of her husband's last few days and death.  But these sections become less and less frequent as the book continues, and it all seems to devolve.

But pertaining to the audiobook:  What is with the music they insist on playing in the "background" at the end of sections?  The first time it came on, I took out my earphones to see if someone in my office was inexplicably blaring piano solos.  It's weird and invasive and distracts from the reading


Everyman's Library edition is also ABRIDGED!!!!
	Beware of the Everyman's Library edition of this book (green hardcover, ribbon marker, isbn # 0-679-40564-X). Book V dealing with the revenue of the sovereign has been completely ommitted. According to the introduction, this was to limit the book to one volume and keep the price low. I wish I had known this BEFORE I ordered the book since now I have to buy a different edition in order to read Book V. What a ripoff


Dawn
	Dawn written by Elie Wiesel is a story about two men who are
meant to be killed at the same time, at dawn. David Ben Moshe is
Jewish and will be killed by the English at the same time as Elisha; a Jewish man will kill an English man John Dawson.Elisha and his friends wait all night for dawn, the book takes place with them in one room, thinking about what they have to do, they have little conversation between each other.

     I did not find the book Dawn very interesting,I found it to move very slow, because Elisha and his friends stayed in one room during the whole story, and while one man was thinking about what he should do or how he felt, the reader did not know how the other people where feeling at that time.  The part I found the most interesting was when there would
be conversation between Elisha and his friends, especially when they talked about their pasts, which was one of my favorite parts of the book, it was
interesting because there was more action happening when they when explaining their past.

     Although I found this book boring for the most part it was very descriptive and therefore I would recommend it to anyone who likes very descriptive books.


Crops, Crops and More Crops
	I had to read Jared Diamond's Pulitzer prize winning book because of the rave reviews and acclaim. The thoughts that he introduces in the book are certainly interesting and he presents us with a new way to interpret history which is certainly important. However, there is much overkill in making points about the development of each civilization - crops are the major topic with little discussion on guns, germs (more than the other 2), and steel. Of course the arguement for this focus is that the domestication of crops is how civilizations develop guns, germs and steel. I enjoyed parts of the book considerably, but you would have to have a strong interest in horticulture and botany to truely appreciate the book. I guess I was spoiled by first reading his sequel to GGS, "Collapse" - a terrific read that should be of interest to everyone -it relates our industrialization to every aspect of the environment and show historically how this has shaped history. It has major rammifications for our situation on this earth right now. -RK


A Long, Depressing Journey
	When our book club selected this novel, I was enthusiastic ~ the premise appeared to leave so much room for the development of great characters and a great story.  However, after the first chapter or so, I kept waiting for the big "wow" factor...and it never came.  I found most of the characters unsympathetic and not very well-developed.  Like other readers, I finished it out of obligation, but never gleaned any enjoyment from reading it.


Thanks but no thanks
	While I enjoy adventure stories for the casual reading they are and have read all of Cussler's, I was disturbed by a lot of the assumptions in this and other of his recent books.  This is transparently hawkish; an ultra-conservative defense of the questionable actions of the very furthest right of the political spectrum.  (One could even suspect it was commissioned or at least underwritten by these elements.)  It reflects the current culture that decrees all means justify the end - as long it benefits the right people.  Cussler's recent books portray that it's OKAY for Americans to go into other countries - with which we are not at war - and kill its citizens for some secret government agenda.  That it's OKAY for our US government to hire out "black ops" in secret because it's against our laws to do so openly.  Through the years, I've tolerated Cussler's blatant sexism, juvenile writing style, improbable exploits of cartoonish heroes.  However, he has veered into political territory that offends me but even more, terrifies me that it may be the truest part of his stories


Had trouble downloading the customized settings
	Using this book and CD-ROM depends upon being able to download the customized settings, so that the reader's PhotoShop, for example, behaves the same way as the author's PhotoShop. However, my system repeatedly hung up on that section of the download from the CD-ROM. Furthermore, this author doesn't start at a "dummies" level by defining the terms that he uses throughout the lessons, so I had trouble following along. Overall, this wasn't much help for me in my quest to learn PhotoShop from a baseline of complete ignorance


Author just uses a book to take shots at Christianity
	Horribly disappointing.

These manufactured dialogues are evidently Stephen Law's way of dealing with his personal problems with religion.

For example, in one chapter Law manipulates his "teaching" by having God contradict the Bible (the assumption being God's the author) in a dialogue with a conservative religious person. Law even sarcastically concludes the chapter by saying this dialogue is only a dream, the real God would probably respond differently.

Good idea for a book, ruined by the authors distorted logic. There are numerous ad hominen and circular reasoning errors.

The title and premise fooled me into reading it.

Mr. Law, how will you pay back the readers for wasting the time they invested in your philosphical rant against religion


the worst of them all
	Huge disappointment. Trace wasn't that good either. Having read all Scarpetta's previous storiesbut I was hoping Trace would be only bad one. However, the downhill trend seems to continue. These two books are not the usual intelligent plots Cornwell is capable of writing. Save your money, don't buy it. I completely agree with all the reviews posted so far, so I won't go into the plot -or rather lack of a real plot -details


Poor Content
	The book is manipulative and unrealistic. I felt the author was blatantly trying to persuade the reader to believe that infieldey, betrayal and lack of morals is acceptable if you have a self absorbed best friend.  Definitely one of the shallowest books I have ever read.  I bought the book as it was rated as a "best seller" , and I was stuck in an airport for hours on end. The entire plot is hideous as the "burned best friend" makes up reasons why it's accept able to betray her best friend. If I was not completely bored, I would have given up on the book after the first 20 pages.


Is it true?
	My mother in-law was actually responsible for Billy Milligan while he was in the Athens State hospital in Ohio.  I've had a chance to read this book, and although very good, what my mother-in-law tells me is much, much different.

She cared for him during his entire stay there.  She said that he had more psychology and parapsychology books in his room than she could have ever imagined.  She also said that his IQ was off the charts.  She believes (and she has a doctorate in psychology) he only has FOUR distinct personalities.  Raven being one of them.  Billy had the abilitiy and knowledge to manipulate his condition, making it appear much more severe.

Of course, she can't write anything about this, because Billy's publicist made everyone caring for him sign a waiver saying they wouldn't.  Yes... Billy Milligan has a publicist.

He also was a millionaire (because he exploited his disease) and drove a corvette on the weekends they let him go home.... yep... they let Billy Milligan have weekends.

This book is a very good interpretaion on what could possibly been going on in Billy's head.  However, after talking with someone who was actually there, and knew him well.... makes me second guess the validity of it


K-Man's Book Reviews
	A very disappointing book, and again, makes me very wary of any item on a "New York Times Best Seller List" or any other list, and really any big name reviewer recommendation.

This book has one 50 page chapter which is excellent - the recap of the Thompson "Shot heard around the world" homerun. If you are a baseball fan as I am, that (barely) made the book worthwhile. The other 700 pages are disjoint, incomprehensible, and really trivial. You come away thinking "I really don't care bout this stuff" - I don't care about the dynamics of trash, about J Edgar Hoover's bathroom habits, Klara Sax's artistic depression and annoying infatuations about roof tops, about characters that just don't have much depth to really care about. At the end, even potentially interesting characters like Albert (the one on the baseball quest) become hard to bear. The whole book in fact had the feel of going to a senior citizen home.

I read this book, as perhaps others did, expecting a book about the mafia or about other figures in the underworld. What I got was a book with a good first chapter, some interesting tidbits here and there about how life used to be in the 50's (fear of nuclear weapons, duck and cover classroom exercies), and a lot of knowledge about the trash business.

The "masterful" epilogue, as other reviewers call it, really does no justice to a reader who has spent so much time toiling over Delillo's ragtag story telling. I am ok with stream of consciousness writing, or nonchronological chapters, or even random chapters, but the methods used in thsi book served no purpose other than to further make the reading difficult.

Was this book about how mundane our lives are versus the bigger things that occur around us? Or how each of us is on an individual quest? Or that the 50's-60's-70's-80's were just years of fear, and the 90's are years of greed? I am still unsure, I still don't think any of these themes came across well.

Please - not pretending to be a sophisticate, intellectual, or professional critic - but this book is really not worth the time or effort. You can be staisfied by a number of other books, including the "The Corrections" by Franzen or "The Cold Six Thousand" by Ellroy  which cover a similar period or similar themes and do not make you so frustrated or disappointed at the end.

Read the first chapter, then put the book down or you will be sorely disappointed and have wasted an awful lot of time.


Bias Was Off-Putting
	Dr. Northrup provides women with practical information about their bodies, stages of life and medical procedures.  However, I was appalled by her bias against Western cultural heritage and Christianity.  Her views on those topics were extremely unbalanced, with no acknowledgement of their positive contributions to culture and women.  As a Catholic whose best teachers were strong-minded, compassionate religious sisters, I felt offended by her slur against nuns.  I am aware that not everyone feels the same way about their religious upbringing, but I would expect an academic to strive for some balance in their research.


disappointing
	The whole concept of this book as well as the honesty of the undertaking: I'm not buying it. The author's effort is half-a**ed at best.
Besides the musings and excessive self-praise, it is downright preachy.
Their effort might pass as non-consumerism for New Yorkers, but would never pass in the rest of America.
Don't buy it


I didn't like it.
	This book is the reason I've read only one John Updike novel. I was so disgusted by the people, the plot, and the very boring and unrelated technical passages that I never read another Updike. I thought the characters were completely unrealistic


Sluggish, Uneventful, Corny and Borrrrring
	I usually read Stephen King for his interesting ideas and imagery and expect his books to read fast and well. I've read three previous King books that have had the occasional long passages with overstated depictions of horror, doom, and grotesquery in order to immerse his readers into the tone of his story.  This one takes the cake because what is meant to read as terror and horror is really ridiculous and unimaginative. And this is exactly what "Insomnia" is. This isn't a spoiler, just the author's note: at the end of the book we read Sep. 10, 1990- Nov 10, 1993- three years in which King took to write this book.  Three years which were evidently wasted.

The other King books I've read were engrossing for their characterizations and character identification.  "Insomnia's" Ralph Roberts is certainly a character the reader could identify with.  He is strong, kind, has traditional gentlemanly views on aiding women in distress and regards them as beautiful and respectable. His counterpart Lois Chasse doesn't come across as identifiable. Instead she serves as a  secondary character who has no real flair or identity other than being in love with Ralph. King doesn't usually do that with his secondary characters.  Other characters with much smaller roles in this book come across as real and identifiable, like Ed and Helen Deepenau, the three bald doctors, and Ralph's numerous confidantes.

Then there's the whole abortion mess. This central political issue crumbles midway thru and seems to serve no purpose at all in the story. Though King does provide an interesting and seemingly objective commentary on the issue via Detective Leydecker (albeit with a tranparently pro-choice slant), it serves no relevance to the theme of the story but just hangs there on display used for no more than a story device.

I gave the book two stars because I am an inspiring writer and reading this provided me with some of the devices that are important to utilize as part of a writer's arsenal. The devices were obvious and all thru the reading I asked myself, 'How is King going to get through this?' His weapon of choice was most often Ralph Robert's narration (via third person) that analyzed the events of the story and interpreted its meaning and significance. It seemed whenever King was in trouble in the story, he would use Ralph as his solution and let him think it out and guide it for him. This is a useful tool for a beginning writer, but King used it as a crutch to tell a story that had no pulse from the beginning.

One last thing, the villians just don't work. They are not frightening, they are not demonic, they are not vicious or malign. Three little bald doctors with scalpels and scissors? Their defining characteristics are being small and bald- does that really frighten anyone? The real villian among them dances around and jump ropes to reveal his evil madness. Then there's the Crimson King, the evil supernatural mastermind we read about from page 100 who finally enters the story on page 550 as a Catfish in one of the most terrible, anti-climactic scenes ever rendered.  I rest my case.


Slightly Disappointed - Review Edited
	I bought the book on the basis of the reviews and on a quick read of a copy a friend owned.  It looks really good on the surface and does have a lot of useful information.

One problem I found is that many of the example photos seem to be inserted only to increase the photo count.  Also, because of printing limitations, I find it very difficult to see the differences between before and after examples.

I have edited this review to fix an error.  However, I can not figure out how to change my rating from 2 stars to 4 stars.  Consider this a 4 star review.


Agree with "Lost in Translation"
	I have loved each and every one of Jane Hamilton's other novels and highly recommend them:  The Book of Ruth, A Map of the World, Short History of a Prince and Disobedience.  This book, sadly, does not rank among them.  It feels forced and uninteresting, with outlandish and unrecognizable characters and scenarios.  I've already paid for it, so I'll probably try to finish it, but don't waste your time or money.  Read another Hamilton instead


not as good as her 1st 2 books
	this book was very disappointing. i LOVED her 1st two books. so when this book came out i was very excited. after reading it, i found it was rather dull and not very funny. there were very few parts that actually made me laugh, unlike her 1st two books


Don't waste your money
	I read exactly half the book and stopped.  Based on all the criticisms of the unlikely ending, that was a good decision.  As it is there went hours of my life I won't get back!  The book is silly and laughable.  The premise sounded great - but the book is bad.  Really bad


Condescending, Redundant, Repetitive
	Robert Kiyosaki's books are all the same thing re-packaged over and over again. This book could have been condensed into a couple of paragraphs and saved it's readers a lot of time. He writes in an arrogant, condescending manner that is hard to stomach. I would hate to have been his real dad. It's obvious that he despises him and worships at the alter of "Rich Dad." It's offensive and disturbing.
Read the first review of this book and you'll have the essence of the whole thing. Don't give this guy any more money for putting out this drivel


Not realistic
	the author lives in a dream world and is not in touch with the business work environment of today.  Her advice is old-fashioned and out-of-date.  Many better textbooks on Ethics available


I love Stone Barrington books - but not this one.
	I had this one figured out by the second chapter. Too predictable and shallow. Hopefully, the next Stone book will actually be worth reading


A disappointing book about a fabulous story
	A disappointing book about a fabulous story.  The book reads as if it was pasted together from press cuttings and, if you look at the chapter notes, this appears to be how it was researched.

There are little irritants, such as referring to Steve Jobs as "Steve" as if he's a close friend, but the big problem is that it recounts a number of interesting incidents in Steve Jobs' career while missing the main story.  And what a fantastic story that is.  I hope that someone has written a decent account of Steve Jobs' life because I would like to read it.

One thing is certain: "iCon" sure ain't it.


Bad second act for Frey.
	Even with the questionable veracity, I enjoyed Frey's first book, A Million Little Pieces, since it stayed true to an addict's experience.  Leonard, on the other hand, came off as pure fantasy, with very little substance.  Even the description of Frey's struggle was too contrived to be believable.  It was not even interesting as fiction.


Hayek--Orwell's Mentor
	At the height of socialist popularism in England, cir. 1944,  George Orwell, a leading proponent of socialism, believing in its promises as did many,if not most of Eurpose's leading intellectuals and politicians, wrote a review of Hayek's famous book, "The Road to Serfdom."  Orwell wrote the review in the "Observer," London April 9,1944.
   Hayek, mentions this fact as a footnote in chapter 17 of his classic book, "The Constitution of Liberty" published in 1960, as evidence of the disillusionment of socialist intellectuals, when they were confronted with the observation that individualism and socialism were mutually exclusive. Those same intellectuals had not accepted the proposition when advanced by Karl Mannheim in his book, "Man and Society in an Age of Reconstrucion" (1940).  Mannheim had been a long opponent of socialism, but Orwell had only been converted after being exposed to "The Road to Serfdom."  By 1960, when Orwell had become a world renowned author and staunch opponent of Big Brother doublespeak, Hayek recognized that the political proponents of socialsm which was dying as a political ideal, were now introducing the concept of the welfare state.
    While virtually everyone alive today have been effected by Orwell's works and his prescient warnings about Big Brother, how many of us are aware of Hayek's infulence on him?
    "The Constitution of Liberty" provides its readers with an enormous wealth of knowledge, of which this one footnote is only a small example.  Each reader is bound to be effected in one way or another by the knowledge imparted to them, and this is one of the main lessons to be learned about "liberty" which requires the "rule of Law" to exist in today's society, but that Rule of Law must be understood.  The failure of today's inteligencia is to fail to fully comprehend the meaning of liberty and its necessity in a world full of confusion from the confrontation of competing civilizations.
    Unfortunately, Hayek is no longer alive to help guide us through the new millenium.  Fortunately, he has left us a large volume of work, perhaps more relevant today than it was when written years ago.  While "The Constitution of Liberty" is voluminous in itself, it should be kept as a reference book.  Hayek's other works, "The Road to Serfdom" and his last published volume, "Fatal Conceit-the Evils of Socialism" published in 1980 is a magnificent continuation of Hayek's life long discertation on the evolution of mankind's growth from a tribal, familial society which did not require man to understand or protect Liberty, to a group of city-states that prospered because of the Liberties protected in Athens, but only moderately understood, so that such a great and wise philosopher as Aristotle would believe that freedom could only exist as far as a man could yell.
  Hayek's understanding that Western Civilization has prospered from individualism, that it has grown and prospered from the freedom to travel, to trade, to exchnge property, material, real and intellectual.  He explains why man must be humble, that humans progress from trial and error, not from conceited belief that one way or another way is correct.  That to be free and liberated is to be free to make mistakes and government should exist to protect individuals'rights to make mistakes while they attempt to profit in their own ideals and beliefs.


Awful
	This has to be one of the most ridiculous books I have ever read. At one point the authors ask: if money equals security, wouldn't you feel safe walking through a major American city at midnight with a suitcase full of cash handcuffed to your wrist? If money really did equal security, you would! I stopped reading after that.

I will say, however, that this book cured me of all of my bad financial habits. I never want to be so bad off as to look to a book like this for advice again.


SURVIVING ON THE RUMORS OF ITS SORDID REPUTATION
	I heard about this book growing up but didn't read it until just recently (a middle-aged adult) and I have to agree with so many other reviewers who feel its popularity largely stems from the time period in which it was written, i.e., it was SO SHOCKING AND DISGUSTING! Such filth! I mean, that's why I heard about the book when I was growing up. But as so many others have already pointed out, it is tame by today's standards. I also have to agree with another reviewer who wrote that the "female protagonist is completely a male fantasy. The book's message is simply that men like women who are able to climax at the same time as their partners without any need for foreplay or other effort on the man's part..." Now, you see, what struck me about Sir Clifford's situation, and Lady Chatterley's, for that matter, is if they really loved each other, his paralysis from the waist down wouldn't have had to put a stop to his supplying her with orgasms; there ARE other things that can be done, yes? In fact, quite possibly Connie would have had an orgasm for the first time! (Ahem, women readers will know what I mean.) But Clifford treated Connie poorly. With or without the lack of sex issue, I think she would have been emotionally open to an affair anyway. Which to me, just goes to show that a man wrote the book...a man totally out of touch with what really makes a woman tick.


oops!
	I bought this book on a friend's recommendation.  If I had been in a book store and could have read a page or two I would have known immediately it was not the type of book I would read.  I'm sure it's wonderful for those who like it.  I passed it on to a friend


This One Let Me Down
	This story was about a young brother trying to make it in life.
I have to admit that I was excited to read this book, and it let me down.  I didn't like how Bobby let Pearl walk all over him.  I don't think Bobby Dallas was portrayed as a "Do Right Man" at all, but rather a wimp.  During the first half of the book, I waited for him to get a back bone, which he never did.  From there on the whole story was slow. I was bored about continually reading about him and his radio job.   This was a slow read for me, I skipped a few chapters just so I could find out what finally happened in the end


Sex belongs in the bedroom NOT in the library!!!!!!!
	This book is filthy.  I had to take a shower after I read it.  Why doesn't he get a job?  Why does he have to live in France? Why doesn't he save his money instead of investing it in alcohol and hookers?  So many questions.  People just think this book deserves a place on the same shelf as say James Michenier because it was banned.  It was banned because it's a bad book


The NYPL should be ashamed of putting this product out
	I bought this off of the New York Public Library website.  What an utter waste of $40.  The book that comes with the software is somewhat helpful, but honestly there is no new information to anyone who has been collecting books for a while.  The worst part is the "software" that you are supposed to use to catalog your books.  First of all, it is difficult to install--this is always a sign of a inferior product: no product that was properly QA'd would be released in such condition.  Second of all, the product is just a fancy version of a spreadsheet.  I could literally use Excel or MS Access to catalog my books just as well as this software.  You actually have to input EVERY piece of data associated with a book.  There is no excuse for anyone with an Internet connection to have to manually input book data.  I state again: it is very surprising that the New York Public Library would include this product in their stores.  It is a major, major rip off and there are far superior cataloging products out there.

The product I finaly ended up using is one called Readerware (http://www.readerware.com/).  Readerware, for the same amount of money ($40), allows you to scan in the barcodes of your books--the software comes with its own CueCat scanner.  Then the software looks up the barcodes you entered, (using the Internet),  and updates each barcode with all the available info on the book. I scanned 800+ books in about 4-5 hours.  BTW, you can also use Readerware to scan in all of your DVDs and CDs, (you have to pay more to get the full version of Readware that supports books, DVDs, and CDs).

Of course, you don't have to take my recommendation to buy "Readerware", but please don't waste your money on "Your Home Library.


Good idea didn't translate into a book
	I like the idea that Michael Lewis wrote this book/article to defend a man whose coaching techniques are clearly out of style in todays world of my child this and my child that. Having said that I did not like this book:

1) the writing was chopping and hard to follow at times. i had to re-read many sentences to understand lewis' point.

2) the story lacked the depth of lewis' other wonderful books - where's the who/why/what that lewis used to moneyball (and others) educational - i wanted the story behind the story.

3) who were all the pictures of? i found them distracting...

i'll continue to read lewis' books bu thope the next one is bette


Less than expected...
	I bought this book with big aspirations of another "Joy of Cooking" with a little upscale to it. While I must say the design of the book is fabulous (I am a graphic designer and truly love the cookbook's design), the recipes leave much to pine for. I don't like that most of the ingredients are nothing I normally keep in the house and I am not likely to use often enough to warrant purchasing them. I have yet to actually cook a meal from it for this reason and I have owned the book for over a year. I will stick to "Joy of Cooking" for it is much more of a tool in the kitchen.


I will rate this 1 star and 5 stars-read more...
	Al Gore is making a good road to tell us the facts on Global Warming , but he is missing the fact that in 3-4 years we will have the New Ice Age coming and Billion of people on Earth will die and he is missing 40-60 % of the cause of the Global Warming. The book is good and bad. We can stop this Global Warming in one month. But we cant' do it untill we will expose the real cause of it. Think about: in one month we can stop it. Each month ( in the next 2 years )we will postpone the truth is just bad.
The movie is good and bad.
Is bad in 90% and good in 10%. He put enormous work in it , so many government agencies he is using for this ( mostly) But he is missing the main point.
He will need to change that in the next movie and this is the main point. As a government employee he will never be able to tell the truth. is going to be all the time wixh wash....
We will need to get this work from this stage and do it under an independent ( no government involvement) study.
Adria


The 25 Habits of Highly Successful Salespeople Has a Bad Habi
	This book has a bad habit of being weak and juvenille.  Very weak and ordinary.
G


none of the better WW2 memoirs
	I have read some memoirs of the 2nd WW from a German standpoint and this was not one of the better. Although very fascinating at times it was also oddly detached and some of the stories about his sniping seemed "made up". It sometimes read as a fiction novel where he was alittle too much superman to be belivable.
I also found it very strange that he very seldomly refered to other members in the squad, i do recognise that sniping surely is lonesome work but still, it was like nobody left an impression or if he held back with intent.
Another thing that is getting tiresome is that is always the russians that are the bad guys doing grizzly things, but he didnt stand for a minute to think what his own country had got himself involved in.
Still a good read but these factors didnt allowed me to be gripped by the story as other memoirs have.


The first hundred pages really work, but then...
	The Kite Runner gets off to such a good start, with its blend of history, observations about daily life in Kaboul, and a compelling story of two boys growing up together. The second half goes badly astray, as the novel becomes more and more manipulative and sentimental. By the end of the book, the author is willing to put his characters through all sorts of hell just so he can follow up with a teary reconciliation. I wish an editor had convinced him to tighten it up, stay focused, and resist the urge to tug at the heartstrings with such a heavy hand


Maybe I'm justing getting older
	I have read all of the Artimis Fowl Books and loved them until now

I was disapointed with this one, and not found Artmis unusaly irritating, but felt the whole book was the lacking the charm and wit that had made the other three so good.

Truth be told I was younger when I read the first three, but still I can reread them and enjoy them (as I did after reading the fourth and being very disillusioned with the whole seris) so if you want my advice then I suggst you don't buy this book and let the magic of the first three live in peace


Hate to burst the bubble....
	I purchased this book to gain a better insight about Aspergers.  Instead, it left me with many unanswered questions.  The book is the equivalent to a boring, monotonous `Dear Diary' that gets stuck in one era: His college years and his interest in music.  (This is understandable as the author is terrified of life outside of college,   music is all he knows.)  Yet I craved more details, I wanted to know more about Mr. Shores' childhood, his parents, the stims, and the chaos...DETAILS!

It felt as if the author was trying to prove how intelligent he is, boasting of his accomplishments and how he's almost neurotypical.  His failures were blamed on other people out to get him for unknown reasons.  Lets say it for what it is: A man who looks kind of disheveled and a bit `odd' (Unabomber) gets a job in a financial institution, he rides his bike in, hangs out in the shadows getting dressed, doesn't socialize - and no one wants him around.  It's BECAUSE HE'S WEIRD!  Yet the author blames his co-workers.

I'm sorry but the reality is, the author probably can't see and understand that he IS different because he has Aspergers!   I mean, most typical people can spot someone that is odd/weird/different a mile away.  They avoid them not because they're being hurtful, they just can't relate to that person.

I wished he had focused in much greater detail about his feelings, emotions and behaviors when he was younger-to gain a better understanding of what shaped him into the person he is now.  The book was written as if he fast-forwarded through his entire youth and got stuck on `pause' when he got to college.  While this is obsessively interesting to him, it was tiring reading page after page of redundant accounts of his college days.

There is no depth to the book, it was shallowly written and there is not enough elaboration to make me understand, (or want to for that part) what makes Stephen Shore the person he is.  While this may be due in part to his disorder, it left so much to be desired.

I'm sorry to anyone who takes offense to this review, as this is not my intention.  I applaud Mr. Shores accomplishments and the hurtles he's overcome.  He must be MUCH more dimensional than the book conveys.   I wanted to know more about HIM and not what he's done in his life.

I'd suggest a better read would be one of Temple Grandin's books.  I got a true feeling of who she is and an understanding of how she got there and how autism fits in.  She goes into details about what she was thinking as a girl, teenager and adult.  Her pranks, her temper, the metaphors and their importance..everything.

I bought this book based on reviews, and I felt it necessary to give mine.


An average story...cliche ending.
	The story opens well and hooks the reader.  However, the ending is a disappointment and comes across as cliche and predictable.  I gave it two stars because there was not a category for a 1 and a half


Trite
	The audio is delivered in a monotone that almost puts you to sleep. Not a good thing while drivin


Huge waste of time and money
	If you want to spend 4 times as much money, 8 times as much time, and 12 times as much frustration trying to serve something that your guests will ultimately "politely refuse"--THEN BUY THIS BOOK! The author clearly has NO CLUE that "less is often more.


A landmark in comic history! 5 Stars
	I originally bought this title when it came out as a four-part mini series in 1997 and it is still one of the favorites in my collection.
   Kingdome Come is an Elseworlds (what if) story set approximately ten years after the retirement of Superman and subsequently nearly every other super hero. As the story unfolds, the reason Superman quit is revealed. A rival hero named Magog killed the Joker and was put on trial for murder. When the public cried out for his aquittal and it was granted, Superman quit in disgust. The results of the public choosing a hero that would kill are very apparent in the future.
   The children of the super heroes we know are everywhere. They hold society in a state of terror as they enforce justice and fight each other in the way they see fit, destroying property and causing chaos. Wonder Woman approaches Superman in his self-imposed exile in the nuclear wastleland that is Kansas and asks him to return and lead the former heroes in returning order.
   When Superman returns to the public eye in issue #2, it sets into motion an Apocalypse as described in the Bible, but with Superheroes being the catalyst. The new Justice League rounds up every violent super human and puts them into a prison designed by Mister Miracle(The world's greatest escape artist) called the Gulag. All this is shown from the viewpoint of Norman McCray, a disillusioned pastor and friend of the Golden Age Sandman. He is led on his journey by the Spectre (DC's Angel of Death)
   I absolutely love this story by Mark Waid, the way he wraps comic characters and events into a Biblical epic is brilliant. The painted art by Alex Ross is jaw-dropping in it's realism. The re-imagined characters are god-like in their depiction, especially the Flash- a red blur wrapped in lightning wearing a winged Greek helmet.
   Issue #3 ends in a cliff-hanger with all the villains rioting and breaking out of the Gulag. As Superman races to the scene, he is thrown to the ground by the only person that could, Captain Marvel. I still remember waiting for issue #4 to come out.
   The fight scene between Captain Marvel and Superman was voted #1 all-time by Wizard magazine and is worth the price of this trade alone. Even  without this fight scene, I would rate this as one of the ten greatest mini-series ever, but with it Kingdom Come is #1.
  The only possible negative to this series is that you have to already know something about comics to fully appreciate all the subtleties Waid and Ross weave into this story. Nearly every DC character is pictured at least once.(A geek's paradise I guess) After reading this I actually liked Captain Marvel, who I had always seen as an even cheesier version of Superman. The fear the other heroes have of him and his power level make him hard to laugh at, despite Jerry Ordway's Power of Shazam monthly series to the contrary.
  I hope my description of the story has led any undecided mind to pick this up. Fabulous art and incredible writing. (This should be 5 stars, but I can't seem to edit my rating


Did not like
	I did not like the book.  It did have some interesting points to consider, but it did not seem like discipline to me.  I am more of a Love and Logic fan.  I think kids cannot always see the natural consequences of their own behavior (or don't care) until far into the future and must sometimes have consequences imposed upon them, which this book says not to do.  I just don't agree with it