Block

I love this little atlas, I use it constantly for finding addresses and apartment hunting. The maps are well designed graphically and easy to read, streets show direction, and you can clearly see where the bus and subway routes travel over and under the streets. Manhattan is a collection of neighborhoods, and they are well defined on the maps. I like the fact that many buildings are named and the street numbers are shown on every corner. I also appreciate how the maps overlap from page to page.

I withheld a star for 2 criticisms: First and foremost is the way the binding obscures part of each map, this is a problem when an avenue falls in the crease (I have the first edition with the cool cover, I hope they will correct the binding in a later edition). Second, there is no zip code map.

Putting a bookmark on the index page and reading the symbol page will help you navigate this atlas, then get out there and enjoy my beloved city!

Tauranac's terrifically readable and portable Manhattan atlas is now updated to reflect everything that's happened since 9/11 and then some. It's worth buying just for the transportation info alone, although the amount of useful information packed into this completely user-friendly book will astound you. The maps are models of clarity and the index is amazingly comprehensive. BUT . . . what have they done to the cover! I vote for the prior version.

It should be MANDATORY that every person strolling the streets of Manhattan, and every cab driver in NYC (either fully licensed or "gypsy") should have in their possession a copy of this little pocket and purse sized gem. I have visited Manhattan many times, but never have I felt so confident as I have felt since discovering my way courtesy of Tauranac and his book of maps. Public Libraries, churches, playgrounds, theatres, statues of Mother Goose and Robert Burns, a former residence of Jackie Kennedy, etc., are all easily located, and much anecdotal information is provided. Buy it and enjoy Manhattan!

This is the book that really set the standard for the Scudder series. It's the fifth Scudder adventure and it opens with Matt just out of the hospital after a major drinking binge. He is hired by a prostitute who wants out of the business, so he tracks down her pimp, Chance. No problem, Chance says. She can get out, but she could have saved herself some money and skipped the middleman.

Everything looks great, but then the prostitute is murdered. Scudder, of course, assumes that Chance is the killer, so he calls in a tip to the police. Next thing you know, Chance is out and he's looking for Matt.

This book is the first to really show Matt's struggle with alcohol. He starts attending AA meetings, but still doesn't see himself as an alcoholic.

Normally, by the fifth book, a series begins to run out of steam. With Matt Scudder, though, the series is just beginning to find its legs.

The mystery is fair play, but if you figure out how it all ties together before Matt, you're a more astute reader than I am. All of the characters are well-drawn and fully realized. Block is a true master and this is a masterpiece!

"Eight Million Ways to Die" is a classic piece of hardboiled detective fiction that represents a turning point in the life of its hero, Matthew Scudder. Early on in the narrative, Scudder is told frankly by a young doctor after a two-day alcohol blackout, "if you drink, you'll die." Scared by the warning, Scudder takes a case he doesn't want in a despearte attempt to distract him from alcohol. His struggles with the bottle come across very real and are harrowing to behold. The case is a good one as well with Scudder attempting to track the manaical killer of a hooker who was trying to leave the life. Death is an ever constant theme, with the book's title being a riff on the old literary saying "there are eight million stories in the naked city."

This book is everything great private detective fiction should be; dark, cynical, violent and lonely. Frankly, I like Scudder better during this period than later on after he sobers up. If you agree, you'll love this book.

Eight Million Ways To Die

Her hair long and braided, wrapped around her head like a turban. Her clothes fitting her in a way so perfect that you'd think that you would have to peel them off carefully. She walked as though she were floating on clouds and did not have a worry in the world. By the time I put my cup of coffee on the table she was walking towards me and sitting on the chair at the opposite end of my table. I was amazed that of all the people there she came to sit near me. She was so close that I could smell her rose petal perfume, which filled the air that I breathed in as much as I could. But by the noticeable actions of her character, I could tell that she, if any, was a hooker.
The main characters of this story are Matthew Scudder, a retired policeman who is trying to get over a drinking problem, Chance, Kim's pimp, and Kim Dakkinen, the hooker that hired Matthew to get her out of her business that has been killed. Matthew Scudder gets to know Kim by her introducing herself to Matt at a bar where Matt was drinking coffee. Kim asks him if she pays him a certain amount of money if he will talk to her pimp and get her out of the business of being a hooker. By the time that Matt talks to the pimp, Chance, he says its ok for her to leave. The next thing that happens is Kim turns up dead in some nearby hotel. Now hired by Chance, Matthew Scudder is being paid to find who the killer is and why they did it. Hitting many potholes in his journey to find the killer, Matt keeps running into those dead ends and now is getting closer than ever.
I like this book for many reasons. It has many mysteries and riddles to figure out. It will keep your attention to the book and you will love or like this book. This is the kind of book I like to read, that's why I picked it up in the first place. This is the best crime novel I have ever read.
Matthew Scudder is a great character for this book in many different ways. He's a great detective and cares for his work in a weird way that no one could understand. Chance, the pimp, plays a great role here too. The way he acts and talks make's you jump back and forth to whether he's the person who killed Kim. Chance in this book leans towards the side of helping look for the real killer in the book.
This is a very good book to read if you are interested in this sort of thing. It keeps your mind busy and thinking throughout the whole time that you are reading the book. These are great characters that have life styles that most people can relate to in some way.
Matthew would have found the killer faster if he would have stayed sober and that would have kept his mind clear. I'm not saying that Matthew Scudder is not a good detective, but he has most of his personal problems like drinking jumping into the way of him getting the killer. By the time that he starts staying sober he finds a suspect that fits the profile of the killer, but it seems as though the suspect vanishes before he is found. This book twisted my mind in different directions while I was reading it. The great mystery that Lawrence Block puts in his books is what makes it one of the best crime novels ever.

I am disturbed by the misconception of some of the review writers concerning REITS. I worked for a REIT for several years, and I can tell you the only ones truly getting their investments worth are the CEO's. There are many scandals involving REITS, including resident lawsuits due to the REITs necessity to turn over populations in order to maximize profit. The REIT I worked for was sleazy and cut corners every chance it got--it was just like ENRON, only it hasn't been "outed" yet as the sleazebag operation it is.

There is no "safe" investment. REITS can tank just like any other investment. Do your research before investing.

The book is an easy to understand introduction.

Yes, Quality REITs can be a very good addition to one's portfolio as the book states.
But the book is a little biased, because one of the fundamentals
of modern portfolio theory is Risk vs Reward.
Yet this book has only 1 chapter (out of 12) discussing
the risks of REITs - and even in that chapter the risks
are down played somewhat.

Yes, REITS can be a great investment true, but the book doesn't give the complete picture.

Ralph has done a great job of leading the new REIT investor through the tangle of understanding REITs from their humble inception in 1960 through 2001. He does a good job of explaining why things have happened as they have, and to build our confidence in this from of investment...particular those who wish to invest for the long term dividend.

What would be nice is to carry this concept through its logical conclusion, and demonstrate how to get the data on the internet to measure a REIT's ability to maintain and continue to grow its dividend going forward, with practical examples of how to pull numbers off of a REIT's 10Q and 10K annual earnings reports, calculate FFO and AFFO and Fixed Cost Coverage Ratios.

I hope he follows up with a book that will take us to this next step.

Missing Angle Juan is about a young girl named Witch Baby who's boyfriend Angle Juan leaves to go to L.A. to get away from eveeything and to think by him self. Witch Baby took that the wrong way and went looking for him in L.A. when she got to L.A. she went to an appartment where here almost grandfather lived and stayed there during the night. Withch Baby carries around a camera and takes pictures of everyting from fire files to farries and even boys dressed up like girl with braided pigtails. she meets her almost grandfather as a ghost. She was not frightened of him.
He shows her a round L.A. and they see lots of clues to where Angle Juan is. They find an empty club house in a tree, a postcard on the street, a mannequin in a diner, and pictures that they found at the empty fair grounds in the photo booth. Angle Juan is in danger and only Witch Babies heart-magic can save him...
Missing Angle Juan is a very good book. It is full of adventures and filled with supprises around every corner. Although this book was good it was kind of hard to read. The writer definatally had the skill for writing but she made sentences a paragraph long so you kind of miss the point of the story.

This book is the 4th in a series which began with the awesome "Weetzie Bat," and progressed another 4 books detailing the lives of Weetzie's children, family, and friends. All 5 are great and worth checking out, but this one is my absolute favorite of the series.

The story revolves around Witch Baby, Weetzie Bat's almost-daughter, who travels to New York City to find her love, Angel Juan, and bring him back to L.A. She meets an assortment of wonderful, magical people here, including the spirit of Weetzie's father. It is through the very real magic of love that Witch Baby is able to discover clues about Angel's whereabouts, and save him from a very tragic fate...

The other 4 books in this series are written in a very breezy "Californian" way, but since we venture out of the warmth of the west coast and into the dark and chill of New York at Christmastime in this book, it is not surprising that the prose seems less light, yet still dreamlike, as Witch Baby wanders the streets with only her heart to lead her. It is this darkness, this endless searching that made me love this book. It is beautiful and haunting, sad yet uplifting, and very true to Witch Baby's character, as people who read the 2nd book in this series, named for this character, will know.

Francesca Lia Block's writing is superb here, and her descriptions of everything, from the City itself to how Witch Baby feels when she catches a cold are so vivid you can almost see and feel everything in this book, like they were a dream you just woke up from. This is a great book for anyone in love, having love troubles, or searching for love, and anyone in between too! Reading the preceding 3 books will definately help you to understand the characters and plot a little better, so I'm also going to recommend "Weetzie Bat", "Witch Baby", and "Cherokee Bat and the Goat Guys". Enjoy!

Another Block book that comes in the middle of her Weetzie Bat series, this story focuses on WitchBaby and Angel Juan, two teenagers in love. There are tears, fear, love, romance, sex, drugs, and alcohol in this story, all of which are combined into the most magical plot you will have ever laid eyes on. These two lovers run through New York City, having grown up in Los Angeles, and find many adventures. As you read the Weetzie Bat series, this puts different perspectives into view. Enjoy -- you won't regret reading it.

This is a great block pattern book. However as a beginner quilter, I have a hard time using this book to it's full potential because many of the patterns are a difficult and translating these blocks into a quilt requires some experience in figuring out how much fabric you'll need. I am definitely keeping the book and I'm sure I'll use it more when I'm a bit more experienced. I would recommend it to intermediate and advanced quilters.

This book offers wonderful quilt block patterns for great quilts and projects including baby quilts, cat quilts, holiday projects, Noah's Ark, Sewing Motifs, and much more. In addition, it includes many patterns for traditional quilt blocks and some lovely applique patterns. My absolute favorite quilting book

The book just arrived. I am new at quilting. There is every applique design you could ever want to use. The other block designs are just beautiful. If I could only have 1 book to use, it would be this book. The directions are clear and very easy to understand. I can't wait to get startedf!!!

The fifth Strange New Worlds anthology is the best to date. Although previous volumes have given us exceptional individual stories, such as "Isolation Ward 4" in SNW4 and "Whatever You Do, Don't Read This Story" in SNW3, this volume is excellent from start to finish.

There are stories from all five of the Trek series, which is sur[prising, considering how close to the October deadline for submissions the premier of Enterprise was. Yet these stories are some of the best in the book. For TOS fans, there's a visit to City on the Edge of Forever, and an exploration of just what kind of person voluteers to be a "redshirt" even knowing their high mortality rate. TNG deals with everything from investigating a new Leonardo da Vinci to Dixon Hill -- the real one, not Picard playing Dixon Hill -- saving the Enterprise. Voyager stories deal with the homecoming from two different angles and tie up a lot of loose ends left in the Delta quadrant -- including a wonderful resolution for Kes that more than makes up for the Fury. Sadly, there is only one DS9 story, but it is one of the best in the book -- set after the end of the series. All around a truly great collection and hopefully an indicator of things to come from Strange New Worlds and the fans who love to write about them.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds V edited by Dean Wesley Smith is GREAT. Unlike the forth volume in this set of anthologies, this edition has great stories and will keep you glued to the pages with stories from the fan perspective. There are 23 short stories in this volume and they range from TOS, TNG, DS-9, Voyager and something new this year Enterprise.

These stories are the winning enteries for this years contest and I must say... you established authors of TREK beware... these up and comers are good, with a little time they will bring Gene Roddenberry's dream forward. Adventure, thrills, action and intrigue all are found here with many different perspectives. This volume is, so far, the best overall of the five published to date and it is a vision of what is to come for TREK.

I wish the authors luck and keep on expanding the boundaries of the universe. You are only as limited as your imagination... reading these stories proves that imagination is well and working here. This is where at least 3 current TREK writers have come from and others have sold stories to other publishers.

Read this for a refreshing outlook of TREK.

This is probably the best of the series, in terms of the quality of the stories and the number that I read often. The Original Series section has an incredible story about Captain Pike in his crippled body with an active mind. It has two other great stories, including the first by Dayton Ward, now a well-established Trek author. It also has a light but good tribble story. The TNG section has mostly humorous stories, featuring Reg Barclay, Ro Laren, and Data - twice, once with Spot. There are also two strong stories featuring Picard, including his first meeting with Guinan. The grammar is strange but it is better than the full-size novel "Oblivion". There are also great stories about Q confronting the rest of the Continuum over his introduction of humanity to the Borg and about the Enterprise-D on its own. The DS9 stories are good but not great, a decided contrast to the rest of the collection. The Voyager stories unintentionally point out just how bad the writing in the televised episodes were by being so good. There are three action stories, a creepy ghost story, and a wonderful sequel to the Original Series episode "The Corbomite Maneuver". This should be an automatic choice for anyone with any of the other Strange New World books, and I would recommend it as the first one to buy for anyone unsure about the series.

I think there was a possiblity of a great plot in there somewhere with some great characters but it read more like an authors notes than a book. If you think show not tell is over rated in writing then this is a book you'll love. It is a flash back of a drunk telling you what he remembers which "ain't" much.

The characters are only seen thru the eyes of the speaker who does a lousy job of telling you what they are like. The speaker, Matt Scrudder, does nothing to involve us in his life or plight. Anger, love, hate, are all missing from the feelings he evokes. Sheer boredom is not. "Well you see I tied one on all year and to the best of my memory here is what I remember before the brain damage." Whoop time to go get the coffee while this speaker talks.

Matt Scrudder comes across as a joke. James Lee Burke carrys it off and involves us with Dave. Kellerman has us hoping Milo stays straight. Block does not with Scudder.

There are several plots going on at the same time none of which tie into each other or at least tie in well except in his recall of the summer of 75. It should have stayed there. Let me know when he's done speaking. I'll come back with my coffee.

I was none too taken with the first in the Matthew Scudder series "The Sins of the Fathers". But then I picked this one up at an airport, thinking I'd try something from a bit later before giving up. I'm afraid I think I'll give up now.

The book is mildly engaging. But Block cannot really write at all well. He can't do character; he can't do dialogue and he can't do narrative rhythm. Of course that doesn't leave much.

Take character: his characters are generally given idiosyncratic habits, such as Scudder's of giving a portion of his earning to the church or his friend Skip's of stubbing out cigarette in drinks while at the same instant voicing facetious disapproval of so doing. This seems to be a clumsy efort to make these people distinctive but it doesn't work at all. They are intersubstitutable ciphers whose arbitrary and inadequately motivated idiosyncracies do not stop them from remaining dead on the page.

Thematically, this is a book about drunks, about people most of whose waking hours are spent sitting in bars sustained by whisky. But his characters don't really convince as drunks - they don't talk like drunks and they don't think like drunks - and the atmosphere of delinquent oblivion Block seeks to create is strikingly absent, perhaps, inter alia, because his prose is so lacking in in any kind of sensual conviction.

Suspense too is never delivered. Indeed the rather dull chapter 16, which tells the tale of the delivery of a payoff to recover some stolen account books could provide a textbook case of writing that is clearly intended to be gripping and full of suspense and isn't even faintly anything of the kind.

I'd been told Block was one of the very best American crime writers. If the sample I have read is at all representative, I hope that is wrong. If it's right, American crime writing is in some trouble.

"When the Sacred Ginmill Closes" ranks up there with "8 Million Ways to Die" as one of the best Matthew Scudder novels. In this book, the freshly rehabbed Scudder recalls a case from the heart of his alcoholic period (circa 1975). He gets involved in a couple of cases involving his barfly buddies. One involves extortion, the other a burglary and murder. In neither instance is Scudder terribly enthusiastic about being involved. Author Lawrence Block vividly describes the drinking life with the eye of a man who's obviously been there. The descriptions of self denial and lives slowly being wasted are memorable without being heavy handed. "Ginmill" is a hardboiled P.I. story from a master author who is on top of his game. Fans of Chandler-esque fiction should love it.

I bought this book for my 18 month old. Good things I can say about this book: It must taste good because he likes to nibble on the cardboard books. The box it comes in is great, another container to fill and carry. Not so good things about this book: The pages are hard for his little hands to turn, sticking together most of the time. The illustrations and colors are somewhat drab and dull. If you're looking for a toy I might recommend it - but not as a book.

Our daughter is 15 months old, and this set of block books has been one of her favorites for many months. Early on we would make little towers of books for her to knock over. Then she became entranced with taking them out of the box one by one and making us read them to her. Then putting books back in the box, then stacking them herself...and now we have fun matching each letter block to a letter in an ABC book or puzzle. I'm sure there's still more to come.

Sure, the books themselves wouldn't be individual bestsellers. Each has just a few extra-thick pages, each with a single picture. But they're pleasing to hold and look at, and each child will have his/her particular favorites. Our daughter loved "S" and "O" and was soon recognizing and naming those letters elsewhere.

We were given this set of books as a gift for our son when he was a little over 1 yr old. He's 3 now and still loves them. He started out just chewing on them or stacking them. But soon he was lining them up in order. Then we started spelling small words with them and he caught on fast. He's three and reading now and still loves these books as stacking toys, reading material or as letter blocks. They are tough and have lasted through lots of use. We have had to tape a few back together because no board book survives that much love (clear packing tape works best). But I can take the maintenance given what he's gotten out of them. This is a great gift!

This book has been a useful guide for me over the past 15 years at various stages of my career as a Human Resource professional. Block provides a comprehensive framework and practical tips for the consultant (both external and internal) at various stages of the consultancy process. For the beginners in business consultancy and professionals in any staff functions, the book will set you on the right foot. One will also find it an important refresher and practical toolbox throughout their career. The book is delightful to read, with lots of interesting illustrations and examples. It is one of few books that I always keep within reach in my office.

After 25+ years in the consulting business, it is wonderful to find this compilation of knowledge and techniques. Experienced comsultants will find that Block has taken lots of things they know viscerally and set it all down on paper. New consultants will find this a worthwhile addendum to the technical skills you've learned along the way.

This book won't teach you the mechanics or technical aspects (content) of consulting, but it will go a long way toward helping establish a better working relationship with your client from the outset.

Peter Block has updated his "consultant's Bible" and made it better than ever. This is becoming must reading for the consultants in our new firm. While the point of view of most of the book is from that of an "inside" consultant, the principles and ideas are directly related to external consultants as well. The layout of this book makes it an invaluable reference with easy to find topics, checklists, and guides for consultants. A final checklist is provided in the appendix that comprises all the information covered in the body of the book. The final list cross references back to the appropriate chapters so that as you go through the process of Flawless Consulting, you can easily review the material presented.

Flawless Consulting encourages us to make sure that WE are NOT the cause of failure to either land a consultancy or properly implement once we do have the contract. But the best idea presented is that the secondary goal of consultancy is to teach clients how to solve the problem themselves the next time! Consultants are advised to be authentic, including stating their own needs at the appropriate times.

Mr. Block provides real world examples to back up his theories and positions. I especially enjoyed the list of "organizational codes" that he gave with respect to communications: When people mean "I don't like it," they express it by saying "I don't understand it." Or when they mean "I don't want to do it," they will say, "Let's get more data," or "I'll get back to you," or "Let me talk it over with my staff."

Whether dealing with resistance to change, how to listen actively, or how implementations go awry, Block's clear style and no nonsense approach to solving problems will serve internal and external consultants well and will undoubtedly provide superior results for the clients.

I found this book to be very useful in helping me develop my resume. They have a lot of good examples and focus on matching the accomplishments of the job searcher with the needs of the employer. It's really strong. The job search tips were very value-added as well. It's worth the money.

This book is very good for several reasons: It gives the best variety of resumes (the best from the Professional Association of Resume Writers, over 1000 members), just enough how-to without overkill and 200 tips bulleted off in the back that are very information rich (see back cover copy). The resumes focus on positioning the candidate's skills and matching them to the employer needs. The book also includes sample cover letters that are more action-oriented than the typical ones I saw in other books. I found several resumes that I could emulate and use, particularly those on pages 56 and 118.

I found the book to be very helpful. It had some useful tips and sample resumes and cover letters. One of the best books of its type I've ever seen