Check-in at AEP was confusing proceeded to departure lounge upstairs. There is no VIP saloon at this airport for Club Economy passengers. Equipment was an old MD88 that was worn. No IFE. Seat pitch was around 35” or so. A lunch box was distributed shortly after take off - a stale sandwich a packaged cake and a pack of nuts. Drink service followed and FA's disappeared. No second round of drinks. Toilet was dirty. For a 3 hour flight I would expect a more substantive meal in the “premium” cabin. My bags were amongst the last to come out despite marked “priority” on the tag.


Rude and unhelpful staff in Moscow lack of any kind of information post service inexistent. On the way back from MAD to BKK first flight got delayed 2.5 hours so when we arrive in SVO connection to BKK had already departed. Instead of giving us a hotel they gave us a boarding pass to Seoul! We arrived to Seoul without any idea of what to do next nobody say anything to us no information. There they gave us a boarding pass to BKK with Korean airlines for 6 hours later. Arrive into Bangkok with more than 12 hours delay they inform us that our bags were still in Moscow. The worst customer service.


Flight arrived in London early but luggage delivery so slow in T1 it didn't make any difference. Decent service food horrible as always. New and clean plane. Decent movie onboard.


My first time on this type of aircraft. I liked the large windows and larger seats. One thing though leather seats tend to have you slide down and slouch. Flight was on time staff friendly bags delivered by the time I had deplaned.


It was one of my best flight experiences starting from check-in inflight meal offering and friendly approach of flight attendants. It was worth every cent I paid.


The seats are comfortable and lounge in Athens has a smoking area that is not packed.


21/2/15 KS601/941 Almaty - London. You really get the feeling with Air Astana that the company is genuinely striving for improvement all the time. Staff are extremely courteous and helpful planes are really clean flights generally arrive on time. The new economy sleeper is a winning option for people who dread the loss of a nights sleep but cannot bring themselves to fork out the full business class fare. I travelled with my four children and we all thought economy sleeper was brilliant. At least a chance of sleep much more space quieter cabin and better food that in economy.


Nice service only bad thing - occasionally you book with Aegean and end up having a return flight or a second leg with an inferior company. Make sure you check what connections and return flights are involved.


Return trip from Hong Kong in mid February. Plane was very delayed but informed. Could in my view been done earlier but was nice to be told a couple of hours in advance. Trip itself was pleasant. Good inflight entertainment and again the inflight crew did an excellent job and were responsive to needs. Food could be improved as compared to other airlines traveled but do note it is economy class.


B757-200 not new AC but fully refurbished to perfection. Clean and inviting. Crew very well groomed wonderful IFE tasty hot snack on this 80 min flight. Temp however was very high in the cabin and my req to lower it a bit were not fulfilled. I started to feel ill and asked for ice to cool my head crew showed no empathy or care. I was glad it was a short flight.


GRU-MEX on B777-200 comfortable aircraft good legroom individual but limited IFE. Offered complimentary alcoholic beverages but meals were inedible. MEX-LAX on B737-700 fair legroom. Aeromexico has an odd confusing boarding procedure - instead of using boarding groups based on seat rows just like most of airlines they call passengers by seat type: window middle or aisle. That means if you are travelling with relatives or acquaintances boarding will have to be individual. If you consider connecting through Mexico City be aware that no matter the destination is you will have to go through immigration and customs. So think twice if your final destination is the US.


Bags were transferred seamlessly at Athens which was my main concern. LHR-ATH flight was smooth cabin lighting could have been dimmed with one meal/trolley service for the flight food was served quickly however and the cabin crew were extremely friendly. ATH-JMK was the quickest flight I've ever done and by the time they handed out the drinks they were grabbing them back for landing. Overall a pleasant flying experience helped by the open selection on booking seats (I got exit rows) and the ability to check in 48 hrs before. My one criticism is when doing cabin announcements they speak English so quickly that you do not always hear/understand what is being said.


Check In at Hamburg very quick. Shared Lounge with acceptable refreshments. Boarding well organized. The big surprise was the C Class cabin. It is a separated cabin with wall and real C Class seats and seat pitch. After seated the FA offered a glass of champagne or orange juice and handed over the lunch menu (3 choices). After take off the purser came and greeted every passenger personally and handed over the portable IFE Digiplayer. Digiplayer offered limited IFE but more than okay for a 3 hrs flight. Lunch was very tasty. Arrival at Moscow Sheremetyevo newest Terminal D. SVO- HAM also at Terminal D - quick Check-In / AFL own lounge without window but offers better quality and quantity of refreshments than Hamburg lounge. Return flight with same great experience. AFL offers an excellence Business class product much better than those established European Airlines.


Very fast check-in at LAX however the lounge wasn't open which was awkward. Flight to MEX was comfortable however the flight attendant couldn't be bothered to do anything with the meal and the omelette was served cold. Club Premier lounge in DF was great with food wine and showers. Flight to Sao Paulo was average food was great however I didn't think the seat was as comfortable as LAN. All in all decent - much better than an American airline to S America.


Flew JFK-MEX on their red-eye flight. Did Web check-in and made a quick baggage drop. Movie and two TV episodes as inflight entertainment. A nice sandwich for midnight snack/dinner. Early Departure and early arrival to MEX. Bags were already waiting in carrousel after arrival.


Arrived at terminal 1 30mins late due to air traffic. Had another 2.5 hrs to collect baggage and check in at terminal 5 for a domestic flight on BA. A fast walk to the baggage claim took about 20mins and thereafter waited another 30mins for the baggage to arrive. By the time someone accepted us at one of the many empty counters it was already too late. We missed our connection I strongly recommend allowing at least 4 hrs to connect from terminal 1 to 5. The airline itself is very good. Clean and new A321 friendly flight crew and free drinks onboard meal was average.


Flight transfer is very easy to navigate in Dublin and on this flight you actually pre-clear US customs in Dublin which is an added bonus. Business Class cabin extremely spacious on the A330 and you are warmly greeted with a nice amenity kit bottled water and champagne. Business Class dining is superb and well worth the upgrade cost in itself with a good choice of entrees. Service includes hot canapés salad and main cheese and biscuits together with a choice of desserts. You won't go hungry! Cabin crew are attentive and if you require extra refreshments you only have to ask. On return to Dublin you also get continental breakfast. Seats are comfortable and fully adjustable to how you want. There are extra buttons in the arm rest which allows you to individually control different parts of the seat including massage. IFE good although they seemed to have dimmed the brightness of the screen recently so you may need to close the window blind to watch. Overall great experience and have already booked Business Class for my next trip to Boston in October.


Staff provided warm professional service - first rate. Experience from check-in to baggage claim was hassle free. Business class food was great - much better than expected. Seat was very comfortable. Really good value for money - certainly will fly with them again.


Boarding in Amsterdam was the horror - more than half an hour at the business class check in and total mess in the departure area. AMS-SVO was okay. Old B767 clean but worn no entertainment nice food the crew unengaged and strangely non-relaxed. Transfer in SVO had slightly improved since the last time but the same one has to get all the luggage travel with it about 1 km and check in again. The navigation system in the terminal is confusing but manageable. Business lounge in the domestic departure terminal D is small heavily smelling with tobacco and a strange selection of food - basically only rolls and cookies. A bit more food is available from the bar for extra pay. SVO-KJA a new A321; the seats were standard economy class with standard pitch which was a bit painful in the overnight flight food good the crew was slightly more attentive to passenger needs. The return flight was the same with the only comment that business lounge in the Terminal F is way worse than in the Terminal D - not clean even stronger tobacco smell and no food at all but Terminal F is terrible in itself so no big surprise. It is a recommendation for this route but only because this is the only option available.


Very attentive crew . Good and adequate food crew offering water . Leather seats comfortable and clean 777-300. More IFE options of movies and other programmes would make it better.


Good quick check and priority lane in busy Bangkok airport luggage slow off in Almaty (did not get priority despite the label). Good crew and food and wine. The 757 from Bangkok to Almaty was a little tired and angled seats should exclude an airline from four star status. The service from Almaty to Astana was good - a full meal served. From Astana to Novosibirsk there were problems in security checks and no fast lane for business class passengers. Staff helped people with tight connections. The domestic Business lounge in Almaty is very poor but the new lounge in Astana was good. I don't think that they deserve their four star rating but they are improving and the English of the Cabin attendants is a lot better than when I first flew with them 10 years ago. I will continue to choose to fly with them in Central Asia.


Flight a Embraer 190 with personal entertainment with TV series and documentaries and some CD's. The entertainment system failed twice but the crew reactivated it quick. Did not expected entertainment on a domestic flight. The crew offered a sandwich with a drink. Good legroom at emergency exit but the normal seats also offered good legroom for this short flight of 1.5 hrs. Departed 2O mins early and landed 40 mins early in Iguazu.


Outstanding service for the economy class good food very nice ground staff and crew. Fleet is modern with B777 with high quality entertainment system. Seat pitch tight and slightly cramped. RUN airport is small and allows very short connecting time if need to continue journey to east or Saint Pierre airport.


Check-in interesting as there are no computers and everything is weighed manually. Ground crew cordial but not overly friendly. Flight crews were friendly and always helpful. Catering is good for the short flights with croissants and drinks being offered on even the shortest of flights (unthinkable in Europe). Aircraft's were always spotless and comfortable.


Clean modern aircraft. Served breakfast and drinks by friendly flight crew. Flights on time and terminal 2 in Mexico city airport out is amazing.


Ground crew eager to help and facilitate flights on time comfortable journeys with nice meals on board.


It was a fantastic flight crew helpful and smiling. All announcements very clear understandable and most important things for me multi-language Turkish English Russian and Kazakh. The way aircraft was new.


First leg on B738 and E190 on the way back. Comfortable flights given that I had cheapest economy ticket and got seated in premium seat in the front of the aircraft on an outbound flight. Some breakfast items on quite a short flights were a nice touch and crew were friendly. Good value for money.


The flight was great! On time and arrived early in Moscow on a nice Airbus A330. The plane was fairly new. The seats bathrooms and interior of the plane was excellent. The food on the transatlantic flight there and back were both great. Chicken or fish with veggies bread and chocolate. The only complaint I would make is they serve the drinks and wait too long to serve the food. They served the drinks 15 mins before the food was served so by the time I got my food I had no drink. The service was 7 of 10. The flight from Moscow to Kiev was excellent as well. 1hr and 15mins on time. Overall Aeroflot is a good airline I would fly with them again!


It was very good value for money. Flights mostly on time inflight service exceptional and friendly FA's. Helpful ground staff. Overall this will be my preferred carrier to Greece.


Clean modern 737 aircraft that departed on time professional bi-lingual flight attendants. Inflight service consisted of just a drink service (with free booze) and a pack of peanuts. Their terminal 2 at Mexico City is a beautiful modern facility. Its just a shame they don't offer online check in or self service check in.


We booked via Delta so expected to pay for baggage and have no meals. But Aeromexico baggage still free and nice meals on long leg of trip both ways. Drink and snack on 35 minute Acapulco-MEX leg. Staff were charming and helpful. We had a delay leaving Acapulco and the agent who checked us in for the flight came and told us that the flight was delayed leaving Mexico City. He had rebooked our flight to LAX and changed our baggage claim tags. We both had first class seats assigned. Unfortunately we both found the new first class seat design on the 737-800 torturous. The headrest appears to have been designed for crash test dummies. We had been much more comfortable in our coach seats.


Both flights on time. Excellent service from Irish cabin crew. Food for purchase but reasonably priced and tasty. Only complaint was lack of staff at passport control in Dublin so long queues. Cant understand. Felt sorry for All non EU passport holders. Not Aer Lingus fault but only glitch in otherwise faultless travel experience.


Red-eye flight from Beijing to Almaty on B757-200. The aircraft is old but well-attended. Seats are ok. Cabin crew speak good English. Catering was served in the middle of the flight. Passengers who were sleeping were not offered their meals and amenity kits. Arrived early. Almaty-Astana-Moscow on A320. Food is tasty. Good choice of drinks including alcohol. Entertainment is outdated - just magazines music and a movie. Both flights on time. Smooth landings. We checked our baggage straight from Beijing to Moscow. It was a bit risky with 2 stop-overs but the airline staff assisted us in Kazakhstan and checked if the bags followed us. They were very helpful and the ground crew were efficient because our baggage arrived safely at SVO. I would recommend Air Astana if the prices are adequate.


On the upper deck on the way to Argentina: service was good food as well - seat worked and slept nearly the whole flight. On the way back on the much smaller lower deck flight attendant was somewhat short-sighted and set everyone in wrong seats - we had our laughs. Seat was a bit broken but found some sleep. Food wasn't so good on the flight back to Europe.


Nice and fast check-in procedures inside the beautiful Aeromexico lounge at new Terminal 2. Flight operated by a freshly re-painted B737-800 - first time I experience an almost 6 hour flight on this kind of plane but the interior was clean and confortable so this was not a big issue. The only problem was that we were at row 12 just before the emergency exit so our seats would not recline for safety reasons: I would have appreciated to be informed about that before the assignment! Meal was served very early (6pm) considering mexican habits but I did not eat so I cannot judge. Crew polite even if not very friendly. We arrived at Lima half an hour ahead of schedule. Overall a positive experience but the price could have been more competitive (we paid EUR 1.000 for two economy tickets).


The seating was standard European Business with the middle seat blocked. The highlight of the flight was the meal which was a pasta dish with shrimp calamari and tomato sauce - simply excellent. Friendly crew and good service as well as the meal.


Booked at the last minute because of the BA strike. BMI lounge excellent at T1 Swissport lounge at Athens almost as good. Modern clean A321-200 seats 2A/C outbound  1D/F inbound. FAs excellent. Food service rather rushed outbound with no pre-lunch drinks and no offer of champagne pre take-off. Food average quality but good to have the Greek accent. Food service and quality similar inbound and still no sign of champagne. IFE unusually provided on a 4 hr flight but consisted of just a single film on overhead drop-down LCD screens. Priority baggage return worked remarkably well both outbound and inbound and the general efficiency of the new Athens airport was a delight. Overall a good product.


In general I would say that it is a very good company as long as everything goes well and you DONT need anything from the customer support. In that case you have to wait for hours (sometimes days) for someone to pick up the phone quite often to tell you that she/he is not competent to respond to your question and as such your call will be forwarded. Surprisingly 9 out of 10 times nobody will pick up the forwarded call. Another malicious trick they are doing is saying that you should wait for the responsible person to call you. Something that may happen after a week or so if you get lucky. They also have the bad habit of not informing the passengers for delays or other unexpected event that may jeopardise the trip. I missed a flight once (one of the very few that departed that day) because the advice of the Athens airport information desk (Aegean did not pick up the phone or the line was busy from 9 in the morning till midnight) to to my question if the flight will be delayed-cancelled or not was to go at the airport four o'clock in the morning and hope that the flight will take place otherwise ask the Aegean people there. I didn't risk it. As a result I was waiting 4 months to get the taxes from the ticket back. There are also hidden charges as using the internet to book tickets involves a fee the same applies though if you book the tickets by phone.


EDITORIAL MESSAGE Due to concerns about authenticity of the review submitted and/or the user's name being that of the airline customer as stated on their submit form this comment has been deleted.


Flight left on time food decent (two services on this 6 hour flight lunch and snack before landing) although the main lunch was pretty small and all types of drinks free. This airline has a pretty bad reputation for being late but it seems they are buying new planes and things are getting slowly better. For me it was all I could ask for - cheap nonstop and good service. The only change would be to have some sort of in flight entertainment.


Everything went extremely smoothly from luggage check in to luggage pick up. The personnel on the ground and on board was extremely friendly and efficient. The only drawback of the airline is the food selection and quality.


Economy class. Full house. A bit of a mess at the gate at Frankfurt due to the airline's boarding policy last rows board first. Most people did not know or did not understand this so they waited for their turn as close to the gate agent as possible and as a consequence there was some pushing. Left with a delay of 10 minutes. Very hard working and helpful crew they spoke good English and were always around offering something. Economy passengers received a comfort kit somehow basic but still a nice touch. Inflight entertainment is pre-historic small flat screens hanging from the roof every few metres showing just one film and a couple of cartoons. Drink service several choices including alcohol. Meal service with two options fish or chicken. Nice cheesecake for dessert. Finally after the trays had been collected crew served vanilla ice cream. Although the flight took almost 6 hours with an arrival time of 6 am no breakfast was served. Coffee or tea would have been appreciated especially given the 2 hour immigration queue at Astana upon landing. Overall a more than acceptable experience. I would not hesitate to recommend this airline.


All in all it was a great flight no delays staff were extremely friendly as always check-in was simple and they also offered to check in my carry on luggage free of charge. If Aer Lingus flew from Stansted I'd fly with them anytime I was going home.


I didn't expect too much and therefore I was really surprised by the airline and the new terminal at Sheremetyevo airport. The crew members were friendly and could speak good English. Very good hot meal and comfortable seats. I was very satisfied.


The cabin crew were warm and helpful. I hadn't requested a vegetarian meal but the stewardess was nice enough to bring me extra salads and rolls. They came by often with drink service and to collect trash. The movies and shows available were great. I'm a very nervous flyer and as we were preparing to land a stewardess talked me through it and was very comforting.


Short flights okay (only coach class but they kept the seat next to me free). Business class seats fully flat really great if you sleep on the side (otherwise might be a bit short) staff extremely friendly meals rather uninspired (I had a pre-ordered vegetarian meal). Entertainment has a nice selection however I slept most of the time. Would fly with Air Berlin in business class.


Both flights arrived on time. Good food and excellent alcohol selection. Service friendly and efficient. PEK-ALA on 767 and ALA-SVO on 321 old but well maintained. Generous legroom. No individual entertainment. Overall very good value for money.


Booking check-in all very straight forward only problem is had to queue along with other passengers at Southend Airport as no separate bag drop for online check in pax. Flight on time and first time in ATR42 aircraft. Very comfortable seating even with bags under seat in front of you. Allocated seating and not being treated like cattle is a big thumbs up from me. With this airline and Southend airport it has bought my faith back in commercial aviation. Would definitely use Air Lingus Regional again.


Overall good flight but service could have been better for business class. Old looking cabin on A300. FA's older and quite reserved. No repeat servings and one had to ask for a drink refill. Catering good from HKG and meal very tasty. Seat comfort is ok but not designed for taller person. Priority luggage tags mean nothing with Aeroflot almost for sure your "priority" tagged luggage will show up last! Result was 55 mins wait at the luggage belt for delivery. SVO airport F terminal chaos at customs as usual.


Prior to the flight newspapers were distributed. We were then stuck in a jam while taxiing prior to take-off. Service onboard was plain and overall very correct. I have low interest in IFE though the little I tried seemed quite correct. We were served dinner and breakfast the former with wine. We arrived on time. The transfer went smoothly and the second leg was as pleasant as the other. The fare was 30-40% cheaper than on other airlines doing the route. Great value for money and solid level of quality.


All flights were on time. Onboard service was great. Comfortable seats and great entertainment lot of movies music and games. Meals were lovely on BUD-SVO flight - cold meal with two drinks juice and coffee/tea. On SVO-DEL flight warm meal was served - they gave us menu before dinner so we could choose. Lot of drinks served. Cabin staff can be more polite.


Excellent service for the second time this year. The short flight Glasgow to Dublin is on a prop plane but is perfectly adequate for the short distance. Dublin-Orlando includes good entertainment food and most courteous cabin crew. A330 was very clean.


Nice A321 to Moscow with good meal. Sheveremeteyvo Airport Terminals DE and F now interlinked though website states still bus link. B767's are old and on boarding it was noticeable that the interior had not been refurbished. Once airborne the service and food excellent. The seats were comfortable and the overhead TV had some good films. Return flight from Beijing on new Airbus A330-300 very pleasant and comfortable. Good personal seatback entertainment system with very wide screens for economy class. Lots of choice though some movies not up to date. Food good again. A321 to LHR only half full cabin crew pleasant and attentive food fine and only problem was that cabin lights not dimmed for night flight.


Very polite and professional staff onboard. Excellent serving of special meals as ordered at booking and excellent care for children and aged passengers. I would recommend providing more toiletries (hand lotion combs etc). If possible please consider other supplier of noise-reducing earplugs those available in the passenger's pouch now don't reduce the noise and pressure discomfort in the cabin.


Although the flight was a little late leaving Alicante due to slow loading of passengers and hand luggage the actual journey was a pleasant experience. I thought all the staff were friendly and courteous. Arriving into Dublin well after midnight all the staff were still smiling and pleasant as passengers disembarked. I will travel again with EI as long as staff continue to smile and look like they care about passengers.


Both flights on time. Great to clear USA immigration in Dublin. Inflight service outbound efficient but staff not as friendly as normal. Inbound staff excellent nothing too much trouble. Inflight entertainment good but on return had to ask for it to be turned on for the whole aircraft. Staff forgot. Then it had to be rebooted. All told took an hour before the IFE was up and running. All flights on time. Seats standard economy seats but comfortable enough. Great to be domestic flight into the USA. Took 15 mins from getting off the aircraft to kerbside.


Short haul flights with A320. Lots of legroom new planes. Long haul flight with new A330-300 legroom ok but bad seats who got pretty painful after a while good IFE with pretty good selection of movies. General comments : staff is good but not too enthusiastic. Food average. You have to pay for alcoholic drinks on long haul flights (alcohol banned on some flights).


18. After years and years of flying with UA and having to transfer in Europe it was a relief to fly non-stop to Berlin. The cabin was clean the staff was very helpful and the food was quite acceptable. The seats were comfortable. We had requested wheelchair assistance at both ends and it was ready and waiting.


Flight was a bit shaky due to monsoon season nothing that captain could do about it the aircraft was new clean food was fine crew very attentive especially the young male attendant on the way back who was superb. The seats were fine too but when the person in front reclined his seat there was unfortunately not much space to move especially with the little one on your laps. Overall it was very pleasant experience and we will fly with Air Berlin again.


Most comfortable.


Flights early in both directions. flight attendants attentive and friendly. Plane on outward journey was 23 years old! Seats were old and tatty but nonetheless clean and comfortable. Return flight on a modern aircraft which was in immaculate condition. Comfortable leather seats made the journey more endurable and the plane was spotless.


The weather was deteriorating and we were caught off guard by a typhoon heading our way. We got rebooked for free quick and friendly service. At the gate the flights would all be cancelled. The flight was bulk loaded pilots ready. The first delay occurred as extra service agents were called to the gate and were providing information to the passengers. After an hour delay we observed extra pilots boarding as well we learned the captain after deliberating safety being his major concern decided to fly out. A quick boarding nearly full flight and we took off in heavy winds and weather while dark. Despite the weather the pilot remarked thanking us for coming along for the ride saying Hang tight and nice flight which broke the tension. Even though it was a bumpy flight the crew were really calm and nice which calmed us all they spoke English too. It's times like this they must remain calm and they did. Not one time did we feel anything other than our safety was what was most important. A very capable and friendly airline.


Seats in business are rather tired but still comfortable and service is very good; Air Astana FA's are always professional and friendly. Good food both in economy and business. Flights operated on time. Overall this again was a good experience and I would recommend using KC rather than other domestic carriers (which are to be honest very few in Kazakhstan).


Both times just after 1PM. No delay on first flight half-hour delay on second but reduced to 20 minutes on arrival. Hand luggage was slightly (about 1 inch) too broad but was never measured or weighed and therefore it wasn't a problem. Both flights about three quarters filled - all single travelers myself included got either a window or aisle seat with the middle seat left clear. Friendly staff and clean planes. On short haul flights no television screens with flight information. Available food on plane very limited. Inflight magazine one of the most boring I've read so far. Good value for money I'd use them again but not for a flight with a layover since (small) delays seem to be common.


Service was very good steward was friendly and attentive food on the flight from Dublin to Boston two levels higher to rate than on the flight home (over seasoned crab cakes and greasy) I immediately got a different menu offered.


A333's between BOS and DUB were clean comfortable and had great entertainment systems. The inflight meal was pretty good for airline food and the service was very good. A320's between DUB and BCN were clean and a little less leg room. They charged for everything including water. When boarding in BCN they weighed our carry on luggage (never had carry ons weighed on any airline ever before including the flight to BCN) one was a bit over so we had to check it at an extra 50 euro.


Whilst not at the level of top airlines I had no problems at all. Flights on time. Food OK. Planes relatively new and clean. Happy to continue as is quickest route for me and no complaints.


Aeroflot was good for the given price. The customer service was up to the mark (eg. I didnt confirm veg meal while booking but attendant once informed remembered to bring me veg meal with a smile). I found it to be a cultural thing with the russians which you should be open enough to accept it. Things can be little chaotic at Moscow airport. Check which airplanes they are flying on given routes and make booking accordingly - Airbus they had were new.


Very good fast efficient and friendly staff. At GMP ground handling done by Asiana so all the traditional quirks of this great airlines. Served water and OJ on this very short flight.


The plane leg room and food were ok nothing too great but adequate. Entertainment is rather limited especially when you are offered the same films on the way back. Passengers were sober and quiet but they did not react security calls and moved around cabins in a random manner. A huge queue to go through a single transit desk in Moscow. One machine - a real embarrassment. Airport is a 19th Century with coffee costing £5. We needed some help with finding a gate. I approached 6 airport staff - all were abrupt rude and unhelpful (I am bi-lingual and tried both languages). Staff in the plane were polite but still no smiles as in other airlines. There were numerous delays in all locations. I have to say that the price was very good so will go again. Please smile more and show more films.


I was promised 500 miles for online check in which didn't work. Airport check in a breeze. Boarding was chaotic A321 spotless with good seat pitch. Fast baggage delivery. Onboard experience was somewhat spoilt with inedible breakfast snack and young crew members who looked lost and helpless. English announcements were hard to comprehend.


Nevertheless it was good that Air Berlin efficiently recognised my One World Emerald/Platinum Status so I had pre-allocated good seats and quick check-in with early 'pre-board' on every sector. I also pre-ordered their hot meals and bought myself some wine on-board so not a bad experience overall. The return flight back from Antalya was somewhat bizarre but enjoyable with only 10 out of 210 seats occupied so it was essentially an empty aircraft - all other flights were full (and all on-time). Priority luggage does not appear to be recognised. All in all quite a pretty good experience and which reminded me for the benefit of my fellow countrymen very much like some of the better Jetstar flights and experiences in Australia.


Boeing 737-700 round trip. Same equipment. Check in was fast both ways. We checked in 1 bag. You can have 1 free (23kg) bag checked in. Pretty much left gate on time both ways. Seats were comfortable but jiggly. I got the seat of the passenger sitting in front of me in my lap during take off both ways. Air Berlin says on their website state they will give you a free non alcoholic drinks and a Ham/Cheese sandwich on flights over 90min. We got a choice of "sweet or salty". Note: If you choose "sweet" you will get a waffle bar. If you choose "salty" you will get a bag of chilli potato chips. Drink choices of coke products and juice/coffee. It would have been nice if they asked if you want a "waffle bar" or a "bag of potato chips" because I was confused. An overall average flight. Left on time and landed on time. Good value for money.


One thing that stands out is that they are not consistent. The crew (under-staffed) do not work as a tight team and so the service is often all over the place. Being a TopBonus Gold member makes no difference at all except for priority check-in lounge access and pre-aboard. I always fly economy and choose to sit at the back I usually miss a choice of meal the seat next to me is rarely kept free and the regular collection of rubbish from your seat is very poor or non-existent. I often disembark with a seat pocket full of rubbish or I take it with me to the toilets during the flight. When pressing the call button they attend to your seat turn the call button off and then a give quick glance to see if you actually wanted anything. Water is given to you in a bottle there is no mid-flight juice/water service. When boarding they have 1-2 crew members greeting passengers while the rest stand in the galley no effort to emerge and help people find seats store luggage etc. I fly Etihad frequently and am shocked at the tie-up the two airlines have - complete opposites when it comes to service. I have a tomato allergy for which I can rarely get a special meal so when boarding I ask them to make sure they put aside a meal that does not contain tomato this request is often met with no response or an attitude of that is a lot of work of 14 in the last year only once did a crew member actually give me a crew meal. I now take my own food. Have tried several times to upgrade to business class with miles but never been able too. On a positive note the long- haul aircraft is modern IFE is excellent and seat comfort is ok and they are nearly always on-time. I have flown business class a few times and they are excellent - there is however only two business class cabin crew for 19-20 people so if full I imagine service would be different when I have flown there is only a 10-12 people in business class.


As an OW Sapphire member I was able to reserve a seat for free in advance additionally because I made the seat reservation only 3 days prior to departure I was able to obtain an XL seat free of charge which is something that Air Berlin normally does not offer its OW partner members. On the flight to TXL the plane type was changed without advance notice so I ended up with a normal seat but on the way back I enjoyed the larger legroom. I must say that if you're taller than 6'2 the normal seats are at the limit of what one could call comfortable. Though there is no pain or pressure in any way. The fare cost less than 5$ the rest made up of various taxes and fees and it ended up costing me around 120$. I like the fact that overall the service was good enough for this amount of low fare. Along with the good public transport connections in ZRH and TXL door-to-door cost me 135$. Departure was on time in both cases. Staff was friendly in both cases though there was nothing special about food and beverages being offered. No inflight entertainment at all bring your own.


Outbound: BHX very quiet no queue for check-in all on time A320 clean the seat is fine for such a short flight. At Dublin the transfer was pretty smooth took approx 30 mins to pre-clear US Customs and Immigration. You don't collect and recheck your bag it's checked through and you are shown a picture of it on the belt to confirm it's yours etc. Boarded A330-300 clean tidy good AVO generally a nice plane to be on. Sat in the 2 row mini-cabin at the front quietest flight I've been on. Recaro seat is fairly decent. Food was perfectly edible and the crew were helpful and friendly. Arrived early into JFK bags came within a few mins. Return flight much the same exact plane and seat. 30 mins late boarding but made up most of it - arrived 5 mins late. Transfer was much easier and quicker A330-A320 in 30 mins left ahead of schedule arrived early to BHX and was quickly out of the airport. Overall very happy and I think this will now be my preferred route to the East Coast saves the trek to LHR.


Seasonal route to Naples. Outstanding product service and price. Beats any US airline. Professional pilots and FA pleasant and clean cabin A330-300 decent pitch IFE. Armrest does not raise all the way. DUB-NAP on clean A320 Sky Deli edible enough price competitive with airport. Return DUB-JFK A330 bulk seat 9D in private cabin behind Business. Cool spot IFE screen folds with armrest. DUB T2 is small and efficient transfer.


Though almost fully booked on both ways boarding was smoothly (maybe due to new boarding process). Crew - as always at Air Berlin - a bit of a mixed box: varying from friendly with a personal touch to absolutely indifferent. Seat quality and choice of snacks and beverages very good for a short hop. Arrival 5 min late both ways - so almost on time. All in all good domestic product and value for money.


Flight from WAW to TXL on a new Bombardier Q400 short and smooth. Flights from TXL to AUH and from AUH to HKT on the A330-200 were half empty so it was very comfortable having 4 seats in the middle row to sleep all by myself. Same thing on the way back. Service was great as well I can't complain at all.


To my surprise, me and family did not have any negative experiences a lot of other commenters had. I'm 5'10 and found the seats to have average legroom just like any other airline I've flown. The crew were professional, helped out immediately when someone needed it, and served with a smile. The food to me was good, obviously not restaurant fancy, but good and filling. Drinks and bottled water, not tap, was offered every now and then. Although there is no screen in front of you to provide you with in-flight entertainment or location, they have an app that you can download on your Apple or Android where you can access some good movies from. I had no problem connecting to it and it kept me entertained for the long flight. Overall, I would fly with them again.


Horrible book, horrible.
	THis book was horrible.  If it was possible to rate it lower than one star i would have.  I am an avid reader and picked this book up after my mom had gotten it from a friend.  I read half of it, suffering from a headache the entire time, and then got to the part about the relationship the 13 year old boy had with a 33 year old man and i lit this book on fire.  One less copy in the world...don't waste your money.

I wish i had the time spent reading this book back so i could use it for better purposes.  THis book wasted my life


shallow self-indulgence
	I like to use the Amazon reviews when purchasing books, especially alert for dissenting perceptions about higly rated items, which usually disuades me from a selection.  So I offer this review that seriously questions the popularity of this work - I found it smug, self-serving and self-indulgent, written by a person with little or no empathy, especially for the people he castigates. For example, his portrayal of the family therapist seems implausible and reaches for effect and panders to the
"shrink" bashers of the world. This "play for effect" tone throughout the book was very distasteful to me


Disappointment
	I'm not sure who's writing these reviews, but I read repitition after repitition after repitition, with a lot of confusing fluff. Asking hard questions to solve complex or simple issues. What's "fierce" about that?

The writing style and content just didn't flow. Wasn't real. I mean, in one section, she actually uses the term "bucko," as in, "Let me tell you something, bucko." What are we in "Happy Days?" Couldn't take the book seriously after that. Very bad.


A Disappointing Mess
	I picked up the first book in this series (The Eyre Affair) based purely on its premise and was left somewhat underwhelmed. Still, the potential for the series seemed so large that I went ahead and read this second one too, only to be even less enchanted with the franchise. This is a pure sequel, and any newcomers are advised to read the misadventures of Thursday Next is strict order, lest one miss out of allusions to past events. Although... on further consideration, maybe it doesn't matter, since clearly anything can and will happen in this series, and Fforde isn't all that interested in keeping to a linear plotline anyway.

The setting is the same as the first book, an alternate mid-1980s England in which literature is the preeminent social preoccupation. Fresh off the events of "The Eyre Affair", Thursday Next (a police officer specializing in literature related crimes, such as first-edition forgeries, valuable manuscript thefts, and the like) is gritting her teeth through a new round of fame as the woman who saved Jane Eyre (and changed the ending for the better), when all she wants to do is cuddle up at home with her new husband Landen. Unfortunately, the evil Goliath Corporation has managed to use a corrupt member of the Chronogaurd (timestream police) to delete Landen from this timeline and are holding his existence hostage. In the first book Thursday imprisoned one of their top men inside Poe's "The Raven", and it seems they want him back.

This a potentially interesting plot, but it keeps get lost amidst all the other things Fforde throws into the mix. Most notable are a series of strange coincidences which keep coming close to killing Thursday (and are also linked to events in the first book). Another plotline concerns the discovery of a "lost" Shakespeare play, which looks to be the most important literary event of the century, if Thursday can authenticate it. There's also the small matter of Thursday's pregnancy. And just when one is comfortable with Thursday's role as a "SpecOps Litratech", and that whole milieu, she's thrown into an entirely new one as a member of "Jurisfiction", a kind of police comprised of book characters who move around in different literary works and maintain order... Finally, her father pops up to inform her that something in the timestream has gone wrong and the entire world is going to be turned into a mass of pink sludge in a few days unless he can figure it out, and can she help him. Phew!

I've probably missed one or two elements, but you get the idea. Fforde is just brimming with nifty ideas, but the shame of it is that he can't stop and give any of them the attention they deserve. It's impossible to get invested in any of the plotlines when you know he's just going to move on to something else in a few pages, and it's impossible to care about the characters when their existence is utterly malleable, as is time and place. I suppose it's all meant to be puckish good fun, but the overall effect is more an attention deficit disorder Nancy Drew heroine meets a poor-man's Douglas Adams. The book has its occasional moments, but the humor is far too broad and unsubtle, and there's absolutely no narrative tension. All the literary in jokes in the world can't save this shambling wreck, and I don't think I'll be moving on to the next book.


Save your money, there are better books out there
	Not only do I disagree with his opinions, but some of his facts are blatently false.  On page 106 he refers to violence agains Native Americans by European settlers as "isolated instances" and not planned nor calculated.  Had to read it for a class and it was less then enjoyable


Thank you, but no, thanks
	quot;I have received your new book against the human race, and thank you for it. Never was such cleverness used in the design of making us all stupid. One longs, in reading your book, to walk on all fours. But as I have lost that habit for more than sixty years, I feel unhappily the impossibility of resuming it. Nor can I embark in search of the savages of Canada, because the maladies to which I am condemned render a European surgeon necessary to me; because war is going on in those regions; and because the example of our actions has made the savages nearly as bad as ourselves. quot; Voltaire (1755


Unendurable
	This book was on somebody's Amazon.com LISTMANIA for Sea Turtles, so I hunted it down.  It is only vaguely about sea turtles, in that it is set on an island in Georgia where sea turtles nest.  There is a sea turtle biologist introduced at the very beginning of the book, and then he disappears, so it's obvious that he was involved in the crime.

There are way too many characters in this book to keep track of and most of them are not believable or likable.  I wish this book had at least been fun to read but it was tedious and I ended up skimming the whole thing, looking for any sign of sea turtle interaction.  Skip this book and send your $6.99 to a sea turtle hospital instead.


The Hard Way
	I am not sure whatever possessed me to buy this book.  Honestly, it was a complete waste of my time.  To quote a friend, it was not the best use of my entertainment dollar.  If you are a fan of pedestrian writing, lack-luster plots and hackneyed character development, this is your book


Some good info among the political commercial
	When Professor Polk describes the sweep of history in Iraq, he is at his best, but the book often descends into a political diatribe that is neither appropriate nor grounded in the facts.  Much of the political ranting is supposition, marring what would otherwise be an interesting and informative work. The ranting gets especially tedious towards the end.  My advice, read the first part and skip the last half


Interesting reading, but take it with a grain of salt
	This is a story of the lives of 5 people who attended college with the author during the early 1980s in post cultural revolution China.  The 5 people live relatively miserable lives, touched by official corruption and incompetence (with the exception of one who benefits handsomely).  China is portrayed as a country filled with desperate people lacking any morality, with widespread corruption, and widespread incompetence.  This view is difficult to reconcile with the economic development and obvious progress that has occurred there in the past 20 years.  This book is an interesting read as gossip often can be, but it is doubtful the 5 people portrayed represent present day China


The Half-way mark
	This is the sixth book in the Left Behind series. It is also the first one in the series I did not finish in one sitting. It did not flow as well as the others, so as to lend itself to a complete reading in one evening. The book also spends a lot of time re-telling what we read in previous books. I felt this time like I read half a novel.

The book starts in the thirty-eighth month into the tribulation. But most of the characters seem a little too self serving in this book. Allowing their own desires to guide their actions. Whether that desire be derived from rage, revenge, self pity, or even guilt. Rayford spends most of his time focusing on Hattie or his desire to kill the Anti-Christ. Though I do like the description of the handgun that Rayford procures. And when the time comes for the assassination, there are a few characters to chose from.

The book ends in an old time cliff hanger where you are left guessing who it is that assassinated the Anti-Christ. Stay tuned for the next volume. I have read this far, so I will finish the series. Though most people my find this book suspensful, I did not


Bukowski's worst book
	Hands down this is Bukowski's single worst book.  Bought it when it first came out just before/after his death in 1994.  Having read just about everything the man had written, "Pulp" was a hugely disappointing epitaph.  If you've never read Bukowski start with "Post Office" or the short story collections, but avoid this like the plague.  A bad book.  I can't think of a single reason to recommend it


average
	Very average book!  Frei doesn't go down as one of my favorite sports writers. Loves to sensationlize rather then just tell a great story


I didn't expect it to be this bad....
	This book had a good message, and could have had a lasting impact on me. But the plot was obscenely dull, and the middle of the book (Gene and Finny relationship) does not seem to fit in with the rest of the book. Not recommended


There is hope for the world
	Finally there is a solution to the problem of world poverty! Yunnus has proven, by the success of his bank's loans to the desperately poor, that the poor are masters of survival and the best equipped to pull themselves out of poverty given the right tools and support. Founder of the Grameen Bank, he and his collaborators in many coutries throughout the world (including the US and Canada) have shown that lending to the poor, helping them realize their own potential and giving them the support network they need to succeed is having dramatic results wherever it is tried. Yunnus' book is inspiring and an eye-opener. It made me realize that professionals working in large international charity organizations cannot bring about genuine change unless their offices and employees live and work among the people they are trying to help. It's hard to separate the book from the idea. One is as fascinating as the other. Out of 5 points, I give it a six


Farfetched
	While reading this book I found the details of some cases to be unbelievable.  Also, the "photographs" of the murderers and detectives all looked fuzzy and more like drawings.  I've read a lot of true crime and never heard of catching a murderer because he breathed his asthma medication on the murder victim's hair.  Or because they chemically deduced which cologne he wore. And who leaves their backdoor open when they know a violent Doberman Pinscher has been getting through their backyard fence? Sure, just let that dog on in. And whose place of employment has a record of all employee's blood "groups" (not their TYPES, just their GROUPS), when the employee doesn't even know HIMSELF what group he is?

Then I read the introduction, which I always skip, and found out this book is FICTION, not true crime as the cover announced and in which section it was in in the book store.

As FICTION, it's okay, (I prefer Agatha Christie), but I don't believe the forensic work in this book is even based on any fact. So read it for entertainment, but don't be so gullible as to believe any of it


There are better logic books out there
	I was disappointed in this book--especially after reading the other stellar reviews (which are all, weirdly, from Texas, where the author lives).

When it's a book about logic and clear thinking, a reader expects that book to be free of typographical errors, imprecise logic, and muddled thinking.  Needless to say, I almost put the book down after reading the introduction because of the missing words and typographical errors.  Exampe from page 11:  "Because the real is out there, we must effectively with it...."  Here's another gem from the same page:  "I am sorry to have to tell you that fact, but that is the way things are.  That is the nature of nature.  That is the reality of reality."

Look at page 33.  The author states, "Why when one exception is uncovered, multiple other exceptions surface almost right away is not entirely clear....  Probably this has something to do with the way we humans view reality."  Very disappointing--hasn't this author studied any cognitive psychology?  It's called confirmation bias and it's entirely clear.

One more example!  On page 60, the author states that Barbara Boxer, a senator from California, "doesn't know the difference between a revolver and a semiautomatic pistol" and is "unlikely to shed intelligent light on the relative safety of either gun."  Ouch.  How does he know what Barbara Boxer knows or doesn't know?  She's actually very well-versed on the difference between the two; has he heard her speak on the subject?  It comes across as more of an ad hominem attack than anything.

Anyway, save your money on this book and instead buy Jamie Whyte's CRIMES AGAINST LOGIC.  Now that's a well-written book!


It's been said before, and much better............
	He gave it all he had, but there just wasn't much of interest there.  He's a self-described, turmoiled loser, and not very interesting one to boot.  Kafka, Roth, and Jeremy Leven (Satan, et al), write about similar troubled Jews, and are much funnier and interesting. I like his honesty, but, it's not worth the price of admission


Closer to healthy than atkins, but not quite there.
	The Paleo Diet is based on an interesting premise- the idea that what we ate before agriculture suited our needs perfectly because our bodies had been bred by evolution in response to our what we could find to eat in our environment. It seems like a giant leap to assume our paleolithic ancestors naturally gravitated towards exactly what we need to eat. Animals in the wild do make sensible choices most of the time, because their decisions are instinctual. Self-awareness creates a problem that doesn't exist for other animal behavior as it does for humans. Sometimes we do things out of curiosity, or laziness, or false beliefs. So, considering the erratic behavior of present-day humans, who is to say our paleolithic ancestors were any more intuitive about their nutritive needs? Even the book suggests humans ate what they did out of trial and error, frequently just trying whatever they encountered in the wild.

The fact that wild foods are frequently much richer in nutrients than domestic foods does not mean that you must subscribe to a strict paleolithic diet to take advantage of this fact. Rather, eat more wild-sourced food. Just about anything edible from the wild will be a healthy food, unless the environment from which it comes is polluted- and that is a very real problem.

Meat is a very dodgy thing nowadays, not like it was in the pristine wilderness of the paleolithic era. The Paleo diet would be a healthy thing if we were still in that world. Now, we need to worry about heavy metals in fish flesh, and antibiotics and growth hormones in feedlot animals. Beef will have some naturally occuring omega 3 if the animals were allowed to wander in a more or less natural fashion, as they did when the most commonly employed mechanism for animal control was the cowboy. This is no longer true. The average cut of meat in your supermarket is taken from a feedlot animal, fed the wrong food and in conditions unsanitary in the extreme. Basing a diet on meat in this day and age can be dangerous. You must choose your meat sources carefully. Meat made from free-range animals raised on pesticide-free in a caring manner can be very hard to find.

I found Loren's rejection of all products of agricultural development a little too simple minded, and in some cases irresponsible. There is nothing at all unhealthy about whole grain foods or legumes consumed in moderation, and significant weight loss could occur for most people if they ingested organic whole grains and legumes but conscientiously avoided only the major evil products of agriculture: high fructose corn syrup, trans-fatty acids, artifical sweeteners, uncleaned foods raised non-organically with pesticides and herbicides, and improperly raised food animals.

My main objection to the book is nearly one hundred pages (about half) of the book is dedicated to the spiel- convincing you this thing is real and valid and worth your time. I think the forward to the book or perhaps the first chapter alone would have been sufficient for that purpose. After a while you get the feeling Loren is trying too hard to sell this idea to you, and it really interferes with the flow of the book.

Further, a lot (but not all) of the studies cited show only marginal advantages of different aspects of this diet. The claims that you will experience great weight loss and feel better than you ever have are quite nice to imagine, and peppered throughout the book. But it's hard to believe with the less than overwhelming studies cited.

One last nitpick. One great way to compensate for the lack of typical food taste enhancers like salt and sugar is the use of herbs and spices. something very much like the paleo diet already exists as part of peasant cuisines around the world. It's a pity the recipes included do not explore those, but instead offer somewhat watered down and uninspired fare instead. Espscially asian cuisines frequently make due with alot of the ingredients that are ok on the paleo diet, and their interesting spices make it all the more entertaining. I found the recipes far too traditional and western-centric.


Biased, inaccurate, and misleading
	If you want a biased and misleading account of the Arab war against Israel, this ought to satisfy you.

Shlaim tells us that Jabotinsky, in discussing Zionism explained that "if the cause is just, justice must triumph."

I think Jabotinsky made a very good point here.  You see, human beings will, if given the chance, tend to buy land in the places they wish to live in.  The ones who can make best use of the land and wish to do so will be the high bidders for the land.  If injustice consists of stealing that land from them and justice consists of letting them buy the land and keep it (which they will wish to do if they are offered only low prices for it), then it is easy to see what the triumph of justice would mean here.  In particular, it would mean a prosperous Israel and a triumph for Zionism.

Shlaim appears to have missed all this.  To him, Zionism is unjust.  And to him, the triumph of terror and theft is both forthcoming and desirable.  He tells us that a new independent Levantine Arab state "is inevitable."  I disagree.  It may be likely.  But it would serve no purpose.  It would not help Jews, Arabs, or others.  Its only purpose would be to damage Israel.  The people of such a state do not as yet have an independent language, religion, culture, cuisine, or foreign policy.  So I think there is still hope that sanity may prevail here.

Shlaim also tells us that this new Arab state will be "weak, demilitarized, and territorially divided."  Is it just possible that this, if true, provides even more reasons why neither side might want to create it at all?   And could that make the appearance of this state even less inevitable?  Or at least less desirable?

And the author also explains that both sides in the Arab-Israeli conflict will have to make "painful compromises," and that Jerusalem will have to be "the subject of hard bargaining."

Really?

Is having peace and prosperity with reasonable borders a painful compromise?  For either side?  Of course not.  Shlaim is kidding us if he expects us to believe that war, poverty, and destruction are somehow less painful.

Had Shlaim been writing about France and Germany, we'd have seen at once that the whole viewpoint is nonsense.  He'd have been telling us that the German National Socialists needed an independent state in France, either to replace all of France or part of it.  He would have laughingly dismissed French claims on the basis of the entire idea of France being unjust!  He'd have sternly explained that a German National Socialist state in France was both desirable and inevitable.  And he would have discussed the necessary "painful compromises" for both sides and the "hard bargaining" about Paris.

There are plenty of reasonable books about the Arab war against Israel.  This isn't one of them


nothing but publishing politics
	Didn't care for this book at all.  If you want to learn about Stephen King you'd be much better off reading or listening to his book  quot;On Writing. quot


Stranded on an Island
	I have been a fan of Sue Henry since her first Jessie Arnold mystery.  I was looking forward to reading her lastest adventure, but was very disappointed in this outing.  The characters were one-dimensional.  After discovering who the "bad guys" were I needed to reread part of the book for clarification.  Sue Henry has a very annoying habit of foreshadowing at the end of many of her chapters.  "...they hadn't a notion just how decidedly things could - and would - change in the next few hours."  Even the relationship between Alex and Jessie seemed stilted.  I realize it is difficult to create plausible mysteries for a civilian like musher Jessie Arnold, but this book tried too hard and accomplished too little


I dont like this book
	I want to make a short comment here:
1) This book is quite confusing. It mixed up the real story with the make up one.
2) Saying that Ramanujun thought Goldbach Conjecture is wrong was a huge mistake. Everyone believe that Goldbach Conjecture is true. And Ramanujun is a real genius. I cannot stand this make up part


NO stars for this book!!
	What a bunch of high school hallway gossip! The author does not know the difference between white and albino! The 'genetics' discussions on color (which includes people, chickens, horses, and dogs - all of it suspect) and mutts vs. purebred dogs are total claptrap! I confess, I couldn't get past page 87 when the author explains that 'one of the reasons wolves turned into dogs was that nursing human mothers probably adopted orphaned wolf cubs and nursed them at their breasts along with their human babies.' WHAT?? A waste of my hard-earned $. Having read those parts I cannot believe anything that went before or that follows, not that I'm reading any further. How is a multi-published author allowed to put such uneducated 'information' into print? And now she's influenced readers -- a terrible situation. Publisher, where are your pre-publication reviews? Shame on you for allowing this ignorant speculation to be published!


The members of Turning Pages Book club suggest....
	This book could have been written in 200 pages instead of 400 if James Frey did not repeat himself a million times.
Although, the book is based on fictional characters the author could have developed the characters more by including more of the occupants from the treatment facility and told their individual stories to make the story flow and make the book more interesting instead of being so repetitive.
This book however, did shed some insight on what addicts go through during detox.
He could have been less descriptive in the sections where he described getting sick and throwing -up, and the very graphic descriptions he gave when taking his stitches out; even though his tactic was to show how brave he was, the reader could tell that it was all in his addictive mind!
This book would be an encouragement for someone who is an addict and need something to pull them into reality to show them that they can kick their addiction and change their life before it is too late, like it almost was for James.
It was just an okay book and we hope James Frey's next book will be much more interesting


Eh...
	Not all that useful, really.  Message is "buy mutual funds!".  In general, since the vast majority of mutual funds underperform the market, just buy index funds would be the best advice.  Most of the text is entirely useless to someone who might want to trade individual stocks.  Passages suggest that if a company seems undervalued you might want to have lunch with the CEO to go over the financials and confirm your valuation.  Oh, thanks Peter, what great advice... ("Mr. Gates, your 11 o'clock is here to discuss purchasing 15 shares")


Drop the religion
	The biblical and creator references in this book are overwhelming. I thought I was buying a book about knitting, but found the references too distracting to be able to focus on her knitting instructions.


This series is getting old now
	Just finished reading this novel this morning and I think it is probably the weakest one of the lot.  Like a lot of reviewers, I didn't find this one anywhere near as gripping or well-developed plotwise as a number of the earlier ones in the Stephanie Plum series.  As well, the supposed sexual tension- love triangle between Stephanie, Joe and Ranger is approaching its use-by date.  It is definitely becoming boring and I think Ms Evanovich needs to resolve Stephanie's romantic situation once and for all.  I still enjoy characters like Lula and Grandma Mazur but a lot of the situations Stephanie found herself in fell flat with me.  There are only so many times she can have her car blown up, handbag destroyed, apartment broken into, etc, before it becomes tiresome and repetitive.  I still think there is a spark of life in the Stephanie Plum series, but I hope the next novel is a better effort and not so much by-the-numbers as this one


Keep Looking
	There are plenty of excellent Play Therapy books out there, this is not one of them.  Maybe it's just me, but a play therapy book should be way more user friendly.  I need quick access, color and... ART


I'll Pass On Carb-Loading One Hour A Day
	When you have lost weight, it's a very natural thing for others to be curious about how you lost your weight and kept it off. Whenever they have heard me tell my story, read my blog or book, or found out that I did it on the low-carb lifestyle, one question invariably has come up from time to time:

"What do you think about this low-carb diet where you can eat whatever you want for one-hour per day?"

My initial reaction to these people was usually something along the lines of this:

"That's absolutely crazy! There's no way you could ever lose weight and keep it off using this method."

I did the Atkins diet and honestly have not stayed on top of all the bazillion other low-carb diets out there. But there was something very odd about this plan that it made me look around to find out more about it.

Little did I know there was an actual book out there about this very diet so many people had been telling me about. It's called The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet and it was written by a husband/wife team Drs. Richard and Rachael Heller.

The CAD diet, as it is referred to, makes the claim (and I agree with it) that many people are addicted to carbohydrates and need to be weaned off from depending on them for sustenance. Just like a drug addict gets small concentrated doses of their preferred drug daily so they can eventually get by with less and less, that same concept is what goes into the CAD diet.

If people think the Atkins diet is restrictive, then check out what you have to do on the CAD diet:

BREAKFAST: ZERO-carb meal consisting of protein and fat.
LUNCH: ZERO-carb meal consisting of protein and fat.

You are NOT allowed to eat any bread, fruit, milk, juice, and most starchy vegetables. Absolutely NO snacking whatsoever except for black coffee or diet soda. You cannot use artificial sweeteners either.

Sound appealing, anyone? Hmmm? I suppose if that's all there was to this diet, then NOBODY would do it. But there is one more key aspect of the CAD diet that you probably will be interested in.

DINNER: Eat equal amounts of protein, vegetables and dessert of whatever you want to eat in whatever amount, but it must be eaten in a one-hour time frame. You can even enjoy a beer or glass of wine with your "reward" meal.

How's that for incentive? You basically starve all day long just so you can get to those sixty minutes at the end of your day where you can say hello to the buffet line! Who wouldn't enjoy a diet that lets you do THAT?!

Well, I'm still very skeptical about any lifestyle change that encourages you to eat the very foods that got you overweight or obese to begin with on a DAILY basis. I caught a lot of flack from my fellow low-carbers about my controversial "planned splurge" meal every 6-8 weeks during my weight loss. However, the Hellers give you a DAILY planned splurge!!! What's up with that?

We can blame this on Dr. Rachael, who stumbled upon this way of eating when she weighed 268 pounds after being on diet after diet. She became a psychologist to learn more about why people overeat (ostensibly to help herself in the process, too). She had skipped breakfast and lunch on a particular day she was fasting for a blood test and then, like most of us would, ate to her heart's content whatever she wanted for supper. The next morning she noticed she had dropped 2 pounds.

Thinking something must have gone wrong with her scale, she tried it again the next day, skipping breakfast and lunch and then eating a gargantuan dinner and once again, she lost another pound. She played around with what would eventually become The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet and went on to lose 150 pounds which she has kept off to this day.

The frequency of eating carbohydrates is the key behind the CAD diet. The Hellers believe that anyone who consumes ANY amount of carbohydrates during the day will set off all the bells and whistles in your body that you are hungry faster than if you avoided them altogether. They say that eating carbs throughout the day is like giving lots of small doses of cocaine to a cocaine addict. It will make them crave their poison even more!

That's why you basically avoid eating carbs on the CAD diet until the end of the day. This process of getting over carbohydrate addiction is a tricky one, and the Hellers think they have found a solid plan for making it work for lasting weight loss in people.

I still can't get around the fact that you don't change the poor eating habits of the people who have packed on the pounds. Sure, they basically starve themselves throughout the day before they eat their one BIG meal each day, but how is that stimulating the metabolism and preventing the biggest obstacle to weight loss success -- HUNGER!

There's no way I could do the CAD diet because I enjoy eating every 2-3 hours to keep my digestive process constantly in motion. I truly believe this is one of the things that has helped me lose the weight and keep it off. Since you cannot snack or use artificial sweeteners on the CAD diet, it would literally drive me insane even if there was that "reward" meal at the end of the day!

Wanna take a test to see if you are a carb addict? Click here to take the 10-question Carbohydrate Addict's Test. I scored a 2, which means "You do not appear to be carbohydrate addicted." No kidding, ya think?

Dr. Jonny Bowden, author of Living The Low-Carb Life, examined the CAD diet and said the diet uses some fuzzy science to make their points about why their plan works.

"While it seems pretty clear that there are both insulin and serotonin abnormalities in the obese, it's not at all clear that high levels of insulin depress levels of serotonin, as the Hellers hypothesize--in fact, the majority of the evidence points to the opposite response."

Furthermore, Dr. Bowden said he is concerned about the lack of attention on exercise as part of their weight loss program, stating "it's vital to both maintaining weight and to raising the metabolic rate."

While The Carbohydrate Addict's Diet has worked for a lot of people and I always tell people to do what works for them to lose weight and keep it off, I still have my reservations about this program. I think I'll pass on carb-loading my body for one hour a day


Silly book
	This book is just plain stupid. If it works for people and helps them lose weight I realize they will be estatic. However, it is not healthy. Each of our meals should be balanced. These people are promoting unbalanced eating. The reason so many of us are carb sensitive is because we have spent a lifetime over indulging on carbs! If one were to sit down and eat each meal with balanced food groups, including complex carbs in small amounts, we would not only lose weight in a safe manner, but we would heal our bodies from the inside out. This diet won't heal us, it is a fad. If anyone is looking to really heal their metabolism, lose weight and even heal disease, try reading "The Schwarzbein Principle" by Diana Schwarzbein, MD. That is a great book on how to heal diabetes, hypoglycemia, and many other things. It also explains how eating balanced and giving up stimulants will not only help us lose weight, but reverse aging and stop having food cravings in the first place. This book promotes eating unhealthy foods and is only about weight loss, not getting healthy.


Infamous Bridge-Burner Offers Highly Subjective Opinion On Writing
	No wonder John Gardner didn't write more fiction books.  He was far too preoccupied with what he believes makes good fiction, rather than actually writing it.  "Creative atrophy" I believe John Gardner himself would call it.  If there's ever been a better example of the "those who can't do, teach" argument, I haven't encountered it.  This is hardly the place a "Young Writer" should start.  Instead, how about reading what you like and avoiding "ignoramouses" such as John Gardner?  John Gardner is unable to accept the fact that many of the world's finest writers never made it through college, and many more didn't have the luxury of a "rigorous classical education."   The most hilarious part is where Gardner mentions that only through a line-by-line university level discussion will anybody ever be able to fully enjoy Shakespeare.  It's interesting to note how Gardner, who "taught" creative writing at the university level, fails to exhibit the critical thinking and objectivity he says one can only obtain through a college education


The Roots of Management Science
	This was originally published in 1911 and promulgates the author's task management system.  This was the beginning of the "scientific management" line of research and so is widely credited as being the first management science book.  The essay certainly provides an interesting window into an earlier time.  He also illustrates how implementation of management tools requires leadership for success.  Still, a reader shouldn't plan on taking away a great many lessons not available from other sources.  The book should appeal mainly to those specialists working in the field and to historians rather than most readers


A Simple Mind
	I know a lot of people liked this book, but it didn't work for me. The main character and his buddies run around like chickens with their heads cut off, acting as if they have committed a huge crime. The problem is, they didn't. There is no crime. I talked to several cops and a prominent defense attorney about this plot, and it makes no sense. It would make sense if someone comes after the McGuffin, early on, but no one does, not until very late in the book. So most of the story has no foundation.


Who wrote this?  Surely not Hillerman
	If Tony Hillerman wrote this novel (novella actually), I sure can't tell. I have been a Chee/Leaphorn fan for many years, but this novel is not in the same league with Hillerman's other work. It is reminiscent of a 'B' movie. Instead of building suspense, the plot is laid out all too plainly, the characters are unreal, and the Chee/Bernie romance doesn't ring true.  I am amazed that it was published


This book is only for The Apprentice Lover.
	I gave this book two stars because the book was a little boring and dragged on in some areas. The best information was in the margins and the quotes not really any of the information in the book. I have read: Carolyn, Bill, and Amy's books and I want to give this one a try.

This book is truly for The Apprentice TV lover but if you are looking for business advice this is not the book for you


Cynosure Scallions on the Mountain Look Downwards (Upon?) the Zebus   Sevens
	Really tried to like this book. Premise was grand; story bobbed and weaved; conclusion was flimsy. Discursive scientific literalizations distract   disorient. Crichton breaks the rule to never stanch the flow. I dislike the quartet of scientists who investigate the outbreak; they don't come across to the reader as likeable


Typical, Eurocentric  Stereotypes About Muslims
	I couldn't read past the second chapter.  Roberts is just perpetuating the same old stereotypes about Muslims.  It really steamed me that she used a verse of the Quran out of context for the title page of "The Bitter".  "Your wives are your fields, so go to your fields as you like" isn't meant as a justification of sexual abuse and has never been interpreted as so by real scholars of the Quran.  I'm not going to finish this book, because I'd rather not be reminded of how much I am viewed as some sort of exotic, oppressed "other" type of woman, thanks.


Pathetic
	I bought this book while rushing through an airport terminal needing something to read on the plane.  Not one of my better decisions.  Very wordy, and the dialogue is so clipped and stilted it's totally absurd -- reminds me of the way the cops talked in "Dragnet."  We are talking zero development of characters.  Perhaps Mr. Woods feels he doesn't need to give any depth to characters that he's been writing about in previous books.  Well, he's wrong.  You basically just don't care about these people.  They aren't real, and they talk weird.  Not much action either, unless you count actions like:  they got in the car; they got in the boat; they got in the plane.  You get the picture.  This is another case of a well-known author throwing something together so he can get it on the newsstand and rob you of your money.  Don't fall into his trap like I did.  There are a lot better books out there.


Is Lying a Smart "Business Decision" Like Going To Prison?
	Should Martha Rules have included any information regarding her going to prison as a "business decision"? I would have been interested in reading about the pr strategy used in this "criminal spectacle" designed to make the question of Martha/Mdiddy's innocence a moot point. Are honest business practices being pushed to the side? By normalizing, generalizing, and minimalizing Martha/Mdiddy's crimes, are we loosing our morality? How important is integrity to a leader...former CEO of a company?
Be "thoughtful


Disbelief really hard to suspend!
	Mine got unsuspended with the second boyfriend's death.

I am a great fan of Nora Roberts and really looked forward to this book.  Believe me, it is not one of her best.

I started off admiring her setting and characterization of the Hale family, but, then, this went on way too long.  It also took way too long to get to the real story. The middle of the book bogged down to the point that I had to make myself keep reading, which is very unusual for Nora Roberts.

Much of the plot was over the top unbelievable.  How many boyfriends of one person can be killed?  The 20 year mystic connection with Bo doesn't quite come off, either.

I'll certainly remain a great fan of Roberts, but no one's perfect, I guess.


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


This book is suspect.
	I am by no means an economist, and much less an expert on finance, but this book strikes me as a thinly veiled, unsubtle hatchet job on the efficient markets hypothesis.  I've seen much subtler discussions of the Efficient Market Hypothesis written for general audiences, enough of them so I can recognize that Lowenstein doesn't get it; he equates efficient markets with "the price that the market offers is always the intrinsic value," and not with "you can't reliably predict intrinsic value any better than market prices themselves do."  This is a crucial difference, because it is only by assuming that market efficiency is the first that his attack holds water.

The other thing that makes me very suspicious about this book is the way Lowenstein presents the character of the various people involved in the story, given what his sources are.  Reading between the lines, I just have to wonder if his description of the personality and character of the people he describes as the core folks at LTCM is much too informed by interviews with people who've had a falling out with them


Spinning for Dummies
	This is a moderately well-spun book about the "No Spin Zone." Should be called the "Know Spin Zone" since really nothing in it is objective.  O'Reilly is a case-study in the typesubjective journalism that is prevalent in the media these days and the book shows this.  In other words it's a must read for everyone with the ability to see through it.  If you can't see through O'Reilly's bias then this book is poison


Definitely not up there with Krakauer!
	One of the blurbs I read on the book jacket compared this book to Into Thin Air and The Perfect Storm. No way!. Those two books were edge-of-your-seat reading experiences. This account of a kayaking expedition is just plain boring. The action doesn't start until about halfway or more into the book and even then, the cliched writing and deification of Balf's subjects make this book very hard to get through. Unless you are a serious kayaking fan, I would not recommend this book


so nazism is back
	Hey here's an idea. What if Hitler was right all along, only it is men, not jews, who are to blame for all the woes of the world. We should build a new Auschwitz and exterminate them all. Right Andrea? In my opinion, this is just as bad as any misogynist. It's ridiculous garbage like this that has set the women's liberation movement back for so long


Not nearly as compelling as "Rise to Rebellion."
	"The Glorious Cause" is the sequel to "Rise to Rebellion," and since the first novel was so good I eagerly dove into this one, but was disappointed to find it had nowhere near the same depth and quality of characterization. On a scale of 1 to 10, I give it a 4, as compared to the 8 I would give "Rise to Rebellion."

The events recounted in "Rise to Rebellion" involving the lead up to the Revolutionary War seemed so much more detailed and interesting, with a vast array of characters that were so colorful; John Adams, Paul Revere, Samuel Adams, Ben Franklin, and others. "The Glorious Cause" was not without its merits, but it seemed so much drier and less appealing, with a more narrow focus. It was far too long in some parts, to the point my attention wandered, and getting through it was a chore in some sections, unlike the preceding novel which seemed to turn its own pages. I listened to this book on audio tape during my commute, and often found myself impatiently trying to keep my focus upon the narrative while controlling my urge to fast forward to a livelier scene.

One element I felt truly slighted by was the coverage of Benedict Arnold and his defection to the British cause. I assumed this would be one of the lengthier and more rewarding sections of the book, but it zipped by fairly rapidly with little genuine immersion into the subject material.

A mark of a good book is how I feel when I have finished reading it - if I am disappointed I have reached the end of the story, then I know it was time well spent. Getting to the end of "The Glorious Cause" felt more like finishing some particularly grueling outdoor project; it was uncomfortable work, and now that I'm done I feel I can do something a bit more interesting. Because Shaara did such a good job with "Rise to Rebellion" I don't feel my lack of appeal for this book is his responsibility; perhaps the subject matter didn't complement my taste as well. I prefer interesting historial detail over tepid, droning battle descriptions, and I feel the differences between those two categories represent perfectly the differences between "Rise to Rebellion" and "The Glorious Cause.


the plot itself could make a movie on Lifetime or Oxygen
	do yourself a favor - don't waste your time with this book


Repetitive and disjointed
	Not as good as  quot;Entre Nous quot; - less fun and more acedemic. But even then it is not a well written essay. The few good salient points are repeated too often, and with not much creativity or development


Sadly disappointed
	"The Other Boleyn Girl" and "The Queen's Fool" are two of the best books I've ever read--and I've read a LOT of books, especially about this period, which especially fascinates me. They were gripping to the end, and my involvement with the characters was complete--true masterpieces. So whenever a new book by Philippa Gregory comes out, I buy it, hoping to have the same experience, and lately have been sorely disappointed. "The Virgin's Lover" fell flat, and now I am trying to read this book but not finding myself engaged, must give it up. One reviewer suggested the books were being written too quickly--that is always an easy guess, however it depends on the writer. Anthony Trollope, for instance, was able to turn out amazing book after amazing book with incredible speed. That may or may not be the case with Gregory. I know, as a writer myself, that there are times when the work flows out, feeling almost as if it's channeled from another source, and times when it's harder, more mechanical. The more challenging situations are those when I'm not entirely convinced or in love with my subject. So to me, neither of these books feels as if they spring from a natural impulse. They feel forced, constructed. I'm going back to Trollope


No stars over Yosemite
	I listened to this as an audiobook.  This is the worst book I've ever listened to from Audible.  The worst.  The narration is just too, too cutesy sweet and the writing is junior high quality at best. Unfortunately, I keep hearing Emperor Franz Josef in Amadeus saying, "It has, well, too many notes."  Barr describes everything  (including clothes, hair, shoes, etc) with multiple metaphors, a plethora of adjectives, and, well, too many notes.  I kept yelling at the author to just shut up and tell the story.

I tried three times to listen to it and just wanted to scream after 10 minutes.  I've heard this woman read other books and quite liked them, but her voice and this story just don't add up to anything other than ear pain and a case of diabetes.

Where's Michael Connelly when you need him


Missed the mark
	I am a Nevada Barr fan and was unfortunately disappointed with "High Country."  The story takes place in a restaurant (boring). The characters were dull and I kept getting them confused. Anna's constant thinking of how old she feels is tiresome. I also missed Anna's sister, Molly, who is only mentioned a few times in the book.

Sorry, but I really can't recommend this book as a good read. If you want to get a feel for a real Anna Pigeon adventure, pick up "Track of the Cat" or "Liberty Falling.


WHAT A WASTE OF $$ (UNLESS YOU HAVE $75,000 TO REDO YOUR KITCHEN)
	This is the same old tired suggestions for cleaning up your clutter.  The suggestions given are to install custom made draws that double and triple pull out.  The suggestion for the pantry was to organize cans from little to big (duh) and then group like items together (duh) that's in every single organizing book published so this one is not different than any other.  Also the other suggestion was to install a pull out swinging triple door pantry system.  Oh is that affordable? If I had $75,000 to redo my kitchen I would install the fancy garbage bin that pulls out of the cabinet and the double drawer pot rack with side lid bins.  Come on, don't waste your money on this book or it's suggestions.  Very few pictures and all for the rich.  I thought Good Housekeeping was for the everyday family.  Get it at the library and then return it after you don't read it.


This Angel Fell Flat
	Hmm, quite a disappointment, especially after splurging on the hardcover edition.  Set as a kind of "Rockies Rear Window," this is one slow story.  Endless pages of crazy-making when I'd already guessed the outcome about halfway through.  Finally skipped ahead to finish the book.  I had really looked forward to Angels Fall, too :(  If you are a Roberts fan, don't spend the money on the hardcover, wait for the paperback, go to the library, or borrow from a friend.  Not worth the price.


LIES, DAMNED LIES, AND STATISTICS
	It was Mark Twain who popularized the aphorism of Benjamin Disraeli that there are three kinds of lies: lies, damned lies, and statistics.  I kept hearing all these marvelous things about FREAKONOMICS, a book by Steven Levitt and Stephen Dubner, so when I ran across it at 25% off, I did a stupid freakin' thing and bought it.  I thought, What the freak, I've got a pretty inquisitive mind and I'm open to seeing things differently, to discovering new viewpoints.

The doubt started early when I got the book home and I first noticed the glowing comments on the dust jacket from the likes of Time, The New York Times, The Washington Post, and The Los Angeles Times.  When all of the liberal news agencies are lining up to tell me how wondrous a certain publication is, I'm immediately going to be freakin' suspicious.  Author Malcolm Gladwell tells us on the cover, "Prepare to be dazzled."  Well, evidently Ol' Malcolm is dazzled a whole lot easier than I am.  (I won't even mention the smug mug of Stephen Dubner that taunted me from the book's dust jacket because I don't want you to get the idea that I judge a book by its cover.  Or in this case, a writer by his physiognomy.  So I won't mention that.)

If you're the kind of person who is amazed to learn that 70% of auto accidents occur within 10 miles of a driver's home, then you just MIGHT be dazzled by FREAKONOMICS.  If I tell you that the company that issues its 5-day-a-week employees only 3 uniform shirts, thinking that it is cutting costs, is probably increasing its overhead, and this fact astounds you  - if you must ask "But how?" - then yes, buy FREAKONOMICS and be dazzled.  Mostly what FREAKONOMICS offers (when its conclusions can be trusted) is just what we used to call "common sense."  But since America has been reduced to a bunch of corpulent, brain-dead zombies staring vacuously at that box of SURVIVORS, and AMERICAN IDOLS, and LOST knuckleheads, good old-fashioned common sense now appears to dazzle the dead (when you can sever them from that box and put a real book in their hands, that is).

I dove into FREAKONOMICS hoping to find my purchase worthwhile.  I got no further than page 13 when my fears were realized: everything would require second-guessing and verifying.  On that page, Smug Mug tells us (based on a single report by the Institute Of Medicine) that "drinking eight glasses of water a day has never actually been shown to do a thing for your health."  Fortunately, I read YOUR BODY'S MANY CRIES FOR WATER by Doctor F. Batmanghelidj over a decade ago so I already knew what a bunch of bunk that was.

In chapter 4, Smug Mug "proves" that legalizing abortion in 1973 with the Roe v. Wade decision was responsible for a national drop in the crime rate.  This represents the centerpiece of his book, both literally and ideologically.  The first thing the reader must accept is that there really has been a significant drop in crime since the early 1990s.  On page 92, the author acknowledges that the police in Atlanta were discovered to be underreporting crime in the early `90s in hopes of landing the 1996 Olympics.  Well, would police forces nationally have an incentive to underreport crime generally if it has actually dramatically increased since the `90s as predicted?  True, being honest might be means to an increased budget, but it sure would make your department appear inept and unable to maintain control.  And surely the Chamber Of Commerce and the big business interests would frown on that public perception.  Let me ask, do YOU actually feel you're less likely to be the victim of a crime now than you did in the early 1990s?  That's funny, me neither.  There's so much crime now that some of what was once reported to the police agencies goes unreported, and recently, an ex-police officer friend told me that cops can no longer engage in some of the micro-policing they were able to do in the `80s and `90s because crime is so out-of-control now.

In dismissing other possible factors responsible for the huge drop in crime (if this claim is a verity), Dubner states that increased police personnel accounts for only 10% of the drop.  Having a bit more insight into the nature of police work than does the average civilian, it's funny that I find myself even contending with the stats Smug Mug uses that actually WORK AGAINST his theory: I believe the wide-scale hiring of police officers since the early `90s could have impacted the crime rate only minimally - less than the 10% - while actually increasing the municipal coffers via traffic citations significantly.  And Dubner concludes that right-to-carry firearm laws "simply don't bring down crime."  (Be sure to read the utterly fascinating book, GUNFIGHTERS, HIGHWAYMEN   VIGILANTES by Roger D. McGrath, for a decidedly different and scholarly viewpoint!)

In dismissing all explanations for the unexpected drop in crime except legalized abortion, I didn't notice any mention of the tremendous increase in homeschooling and the proliferation of private schools since the early `90s, and I wonder if that might have some statistical bearing.  Ya think?   Yes, I think Smug Mug is selective.  He calls some abortions a "crude and drastic sort of insurance policy."  Not "immoral."  Not "sinful."  But then I didn't expect Smug Mug to call a sin a sin.

And even if Levitt and Dubner's hypothesis is correct, that abortions have lowered crime, the fact remains that not every aborted child would have eventually murdered an innocent person, but every aborted child was an innocent person murdered.  So why are we even discussing this?  I'll tell you why: because the pro-choice folks can feel a slightly shifting consensus, and now they're pulling out all the stops, trying to "statistically" convince the masses that they're safer with all those unborn potential criminals missing.  I find this repulsive!  (And there are studies indicating that those missing people have, and will continue to have, a negative economic impact on society.)

I won't even go into chapter 5, What Makes A Perfect Parent?  Suffice to say that as usual (surprise! surprise!) all the statistics Dubner employs nearly always seem to confirm the rightness of the liberal dogma on each issue.  Funny how those crunched numbers always crunch conservative beliefs.  Just know that if you're a working mother, you haven't cheated your child in the least, but if you're a dad who thinks that an occasional spanking is in order, you are "unenlightened."  If your kid is watching lots of TV, it isn't turning the "child's brain to mush."  (No word on whether or not it's turning his/her morals to mush though.)  And the studies (that we are called to pay attention to) show "that a child's character wasn't much affected whether or not he was sent to day care, whether he had one parent or two, whether his mother worked or didn't, whether he had two mommies or two daddies or one of each."  (I've often wondered what might have happened to me if my Mom, who was home most of the time, hadn't been there to hammer the dangers of drugs into my head day after day, year after year, while I was growing up in the `60s and `70s.)

I've given FREAKONOMICS two stars because I did find the section on the naming of children very interesting, as well as the story of Stetson Kennedy's fight against the "three Ks."  But if you're smarter than I am, you'll borrow this book from your library rather than paying money for it.  Economically speaking, that's just "common cents."