Block

I'd never heard of Lawrence Block until I read one of his short stories, "The Merciful Angel of Death" in THE NEW MYSTERY anthology, edited by Jerome Charyn. I liked the story so much that I was thrilled to find he also wrote novels, which led to A DANCE AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE and Matt Scudder. Since then I've read all of the Scudder mysteries and buy the newest one as soon as I hear about it.
So what's so good about Scudder? He's a great character for one thing. He's a recovering alcoholic, a detective without a license, a former cop who left his wife and kids. And he's got some of the seediest friends you'll ever meet. An albino pimp. Mick Ballou, a bar owner who kills people. A high-classed prostitute girlfriend. Then there's T.J., his street-smart partner with a facility for computers.
Scudder walks or takes the subway wherever he goes. He putters around, drinking coffee, going to AA meetings, donating money to the church (any church) when he gets paid for a case. He never seems to make any progress, but his perambulations give us a chance to see New York. Then he finds a tiny thread here, another there, and before we know he's cooking with gas.
In A DANCE AT THE SLAUGHTERHOUSE Scudder takes on the Amanda Thurman murder case. After attending a small dinner party on Central Park West, Richard and Amanda Thurman return to their brownstone on West Fifty-second Street, only to be confronted by burglars who draw guns and herd them into their apartment. They steal his watch, wallet, and Amanda's jewelry, beat Richard, tie him up and tape his mouth; then they rape his wife in front of him. Richard manages to knock the phone off the table, free the tape from his mouth, and call 911. But his wife is dead. The dead woman's brother doesn't believe Richard's story and he hires Scudder to prove Thurman murdered his sister. Scudder's investigation takes us on a journey through New York's "snuff" film, sex-for-sale underworld.
Lawrence Block learned his craft writing for the pulp magazines, and you sure can tell. Who else can make a reformed alcoholic, and wife deserter into a likable character?

I started reading Lawrence Block a few years ago and I have grown to really appreciate his Matthew Scudder books. Block can write extremely readable prose, he can create believable (and interesting) characters, and he can tell a story. "A Dance at the Slaughterhouse" is the perfect example of this. This is a great book that captures the reader early an doesn't turn him loose until the end. Elaine, T.J., and Mick are wonderful supporting characters for Matthew Scudder, who is dogged yet resourceful in his starring role. Scudder is flawed but still highly skilled as a detective and the reader becomes attached to this character very quickly. If you haven't put Scudder/Block on your "must read" list, do so immediately.

Lawrence Block's Matthew Scudder series is one of the absolute best P.I. Fiction series out there. He is one of the few that can be compared with the great Raymond Chandler's Phillip Marlowe. And "Dance at the Slaughterhouse" is one of the best and is certainly the most grusome entry in the entire series. Death has always been a preoccupation in the Scudder novels. In New York City, death seems to be Scudder's constant companion as he struggles to remain alcohol free and to keep his life on track. Here he begin two seemingly unconnected cases and follows their meandering leads until they start to connect in some brutally ugly ways. Scudder has come into possession of a genuine snuff film, and he can't get it out of his mind. Ultimately, he encounters a world of sex deviants and children who sell their bodies. Along the way, recurring characters such as gangster Mickey Ballou, call girl Elaine and ex-pimp Chance provide plenty of color.

Block's Scudder series is almost unique among P.I. fiction in that it is able to maintain its edge even as its hero goes through significant life changes. His continuing battle with the bottle provides an added tension that stays in the background like a predator ready to pounce. Overall, this is one of the best Scudder novels and a must read for P.I. fiction fans.

I found this book to be absolutely great!! There is a great variety of easy, medium, and more challenging blocks to complete in this book. Also, there is a good variety of designs amongst the blocks. Each block is represented in color on the front and back covers. The rest of the book is in black and white. Root also gives you an idea of how each block could be quilted. Although I only have 1 thing that I would change, and it's probably just my own personal curiousity but nonetheless, I wish the blocks had a little tid bit of their own history saying why that design came to be immortalized in a quilt. The book still deserves 5 stars!

I wasn't sure what to expect when I was waiting for this book to arrive. When I got it, I was pleasantly surprised. The color pictures are pictured to show the beautiful finished patterns. There's a nice how-to section in the beginning of the book. It also has a page of supplies you need to start. This makes it much easier to understand the whole process.

I bought this book to make a quilt to remember my honeymoon in Hawaii and the quilt shops we visited. I just love these patterns and when I was in Hawaii I thought that the patterns would be too difficult to ever think of doing, but I was wrong. Most of them aren't too complicated to do even if you haven't done much applique. This book has alot of really beautiful patterns.

There comes a point in most writer's careers when things don't look so great. Maybe it when you get your first shockingly low royalty check or perhaps it when you realize that your publisher sees you as just another one of their writers. That's when you should reach for this book. Reading Ms. Tedder's experiences and the solid advice she offers gave me the inspiration to cheer up and get back to the sheer joy of writing.

I picked up my critique partner's copy. I didn't really plan to read it because my career is going good right now, but I couldn't put it down. Now my critique partner has it back and has dog-eared it to death and won't let me borrow it. Mr. Publisher, please hurry and get some more in stock!

Normally I'd be skeptical of an author who gives so many examples from her own life and writing career, but for this book, it works extremely well. Her examples of harrowing career problems with big time editors and publishing houses are not a solitary experience. How she made it through the muck and her advice should not be solitary either. I'm glad to know someone has survived with their creativity intact. It gives me hope to overcome my own past and to write again--finally.

I have found this book extremely helpful in planning and giving presentations - much more than most of the other books out there on public speaking. I make a lot of speeches every year, and I often go back to the presentation analysis form the author suggests to make sure I'm going to connect with the audience.

The very best thing about this book is the underlying message in every chapter: it's not about you the speaker. It's about your relationship with the listeners. When you are thinking about them and helping them understand your ideas, you lose the self-consciousness about yourself.

This is a useful book for both experienced speakers (the exercises are terrific!) and people new to speaking who need a boost in confidence.

I used to shake- literally tremble -at thought of presenting. My heart would pound, my palms would sweat - I felt completely out of control. "Say it with Confidence" helped me take control, relax and conquer my anxieties. I now do public speaking on a regular basis and each time it gets easier. This book is entertaining and a fun read...but more importantly it is the antidote to presentation fears!

I read this book because I found, after many years out of the workforce, I was less confident in my ability to present to any size audience. It was hard to use my voice effectively and relax. "Say It With Confidence" showed me better than any other book that the internal process of finding a personal style, using what feels natural and feeling the success of doing all of that really well produces a solid level of self confidence that stays with you for a longer time than any program with the same list of steps to follow for everybody. The whole idea of approaching yourself, not with a formula, but with a real self analysis makes so much more sense.
Say It With Confidence uses personal experiences of the author to show you that she really knows how to help people overcome mental blocks because she personally overcame her own and understands what it takes. Her anecdotes tell the story of what works and what doesn't work more so than any lecture or 'how to' approach ever could. The author's experience helping people with this subject/skill with advice tailored to each unique person in their own unique set of circumstances shows great insight into the individual and that we all can't expect ourselves to turn ourselves into 'someone else' in order to succeed. I loved the book. I'd recommend it to anyone trying to overcome fear of presenting, to anyone interviewing for jobs, for anyone who wants to learn how to communicate to customers, management or even subordinates.

I have just started quilting this year. I love traditional blocks but the blocks I find in my favorite books are usually the wrong size from what I want. I checked out a book from my library on "drafting" my own blocks but I just can't do it.
Well, I just got this book from my library and I will own it shortly because this is one of the best quilt block books I have ever seen and I can have the blocks any size I want without the mind boggling drafting.
I will own the next book and the next book and the next book..... this Judy Hopkins puts out.
I could not ask for more.
I am a very happy quilter!!! :)

This is not a technique book nor is it a typical pattern book, it is a recipe book, all the ingredients are given and you are assumed to have the skills.

This is a book I would recommend to anyone who has at least one year of quilting under their belt. Sure a beginner can handle it but it isn't geared to the fresh start.

One of the great advantages the book offers is a color representation of the pattern and then in the recipe area you see the block in gray scale. To view a block without color gives you the freedom to choose if you want to work in monochromatic or several colors, your minds eye isn't limited to a picture provided by the author. There is so much to be learned letting your own natural choices free to assign the colors.

My friendship quilting group uses this book as well as the follow up book "Around the Block Again" as a primer for selecting different swap-a-block patterns, or for charity blocks. It is ideal where each member can choose their favorite pattern in a block size that others can use as well.

Buy this book and you will have YEARS of joy from all the possibilities.

Around the Block is one of the first reference books I bought when I began quilting four years ago. I have found it to be percise and accurate with its easy to follow directions. The book takes all the guess work out of dimentions as it offers instruction for several finished block sizes. My copy is dog eared and my most favorite reference book. Thank you Judy Hopkins!

This book is almost perfect. It explains the visual elements of line, shape, color, space, etc., and, more importantly, ties them to the story. The only complaint I have is it should use more color plates in the "Color" chapter, instead of trying to describe color with words. Must read for anyone trying to tell stories with pictures.

Having taken Bruce Block's visual expression class while getting my MFA at USC Film School I highly recommend this book. It's one of the few classes I took in film school that has had any lasting value. It should be part of any filmmakers foundation.

This is a fantastic book. The book explains many visual tools used to make better films. I can't recommend this enough. Take your films from an amatuer level to professional level. Helps you to build great visual style.

Bucciarelli has captured the leadership concept and broken into easy to digest parts. I've read hundreds of books on leadership and John's is the first one I have agreed with page after page. This is not theory, it is practical application of years of research. I know I will use this book as my map to success. Whether it's for you work, your family, or your life in general, this book will help you to understand what it is that makes you successful, and what you need to become and even stronger leader. Not only do I understand where I need to improve, but I understand what I need to do to become stronger. America needs leaders, and John has the program to help us develop them.

This was one of the finest and most useful books that I have ever read. I have 3 sons and this will be a very useful tool in raising them. I will use it as a guideline/checklist to monitor their progress and developement. The book is written at a level that most people can read, understand, and follow. It gives very detailed and practical examples on how to improve all areas of one's life. I would rate this as one of the 10 greatest books that I have read. It is a must read for all parents and for anyone who wants to improve their performance in life.

Leaders Are Made comes from the training approach to leadership, and is as good a summary of the key elements of leadership as I have seen. The book mostly operates at the fundamental level, and will be most beneficial to young people who are just starting their careers. However, if you find that you are not getting the results you want, this book will probably help you diagnose what is lacking in your leadership.

The core of the book is contained in a section called Leadership Building Blocks. This has 17 sections that address aspects of leadership. These sections cover oral communication, oral presentation, written communication, initiative, sensitivity to others, influence, delegation, administrative control, problem analysis, judgment, planning, organizing, decisiveness, physical stamina, technical competence, mission accomplishment, and followership. Most of these sections contain more material than most young people will already know, and can speed up the development of competency. I did find the section on problem analysis to be weak, but the others seemed to be appropriate for achieving competency. You will find some quirky subjects in here that you wouldn't normally expect, such as a discussion of personal sexual habits. Just skip over any that bother you, and you will still benefit from the book.

The book also has good sections on leadership ethics and development that many will benefit from reading and applying.

The book is organized to contain many quotes from leadership authorities, and the quotes give the book a variety and richness that a text by one person would not have. For those who have not read widely, you will get an idea of other authors you may find valuable.

The book's strength is contained in self-assessment exercises that help you spot where you are strong, average, and below average. Obviously, you need some minimal level of competency in all areas. However, as the book points out, everyone leads in a different way. I suggest that you focus on building on your strengths, and do enough in the weak areas to be sure they don't sap from your strengths. But avoid trying to be outstanding everywhere. You will underperform if you do. That same effort will work better in extending your strengths. In any situation, you will probably be surrounded by others who can complement your strengths. In fact, you should as a leader try to create that situation.

For those who want to continue their self-development to higher levels, I suggest The Other 90 Percent.

The book's main weakness is that it describes what "should" be done in ideal situations. The book would have been strengthened by helping people understand when you should make an exception. For example, the book describes that you should always communicate through the chain of command. While that will usually be the case, knowing when to make an exception is critical. Informal information gathered from outside one's realm of influence and responsibility often provides key insights. Sharing information quickly when delay will be costly may also override this normal way of doing things. I would have liked to have seen some hands-on exercises that would simulate crisis environments. That's when leadership is most needed. As a young man, I benefited from such crisis leadership training, still remember those experiences vividly, and often benefit from them.

After you finish reading this book, I suggest that you focus on finding causes and purposes that you feel excited about being a leader for. Leading to achieve meaningful results in places that count is the real payoff from this kind of book. Shoot for the best purposes . . . always!

If you are into 4" blocks it is a treasury of patterns if you are an expert at applique this is for you. But if you are a beginner you might find this book a little lite on directions, for coping the block difficult. It is an excellant reference book for later ideas.

This book gives diagrams for 501 4 inch blocks and a few examples of how to make these into quilts. The 4 inch blocks cover traditional designs such as sawtooth, friendship star and attic windows, a wide variety of floral designs, sunbonnets, block for each month of the year, holiday themes, hearts, Christmas, Easter, Santas, Halloween, trees and leaves, birds and butterflies, building blocks, ships and planes, stars, baskets, alphabet, numerals, juvenile, cats, sewing and southwest inspired blocks.Simple instructions are provided. Many blocks lend themselves to foundation piecing.

This is a good book to get inspired. Wonderfull just to look at all the patterns, some are difficult to make. I also use it when somebody mentions a block and I don't what they mean.

I was an officer in the field for 11 years, I could not velieve the things I missed over the years. I am starting a new career so I ordered the material and loved the book. I am currently working on my certification for CST and recommend this book even to the field officer.

This is another great book on Crime Scene Investigation. I like the way it explains how to lift evidence, especially blood from an object or person and prepare it for shippment to a crime lab.
It has all the proceedures for investigating any crime scene.
It is well written and explained. It has great photographs.

Now in a newly updated and expanded sixth edition, Techniques Of Crime Scene Investigation by Barry A. J. Fisher, who draws upon his many years of experience and expertise as the Crime Laboratory Director for the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department and who is also an Adjunct Professor in the Department of Criminal Justice, California State University, Los Angeles, California, is a comprehensive, detailed text on the applied science forensic medicine. Written at college level for serious students of this fundamental profession, the meticulous, thorough explanations of each chapter will prove fascinating for anyone with an interest in forensics, enhanced for the reader with graphic details highlighted with numerous black-and-white photographs to present a clear overall picture of what a career and practice in forensics entails. Techniques Of Crime Science Investigation is a highly recommended text for anyone studying or considering the study of this aspect of police science.

I wasn't sure I believed in writer's block, much less suffered from it. After reading Unstuck, I realized how I had been avoiding the scary act of putting my posterior in the chair and writing. Staw's straightforward suggestions are seemingly simple: to be nice to ourselves, to start with only fifteen minute sessions, rewarding ourselves for the work we do, rather than beating ourselves up when we fail. They work: I finished a first draft of an important chapter of my memoir. I highly recommend this book.

This generous and gentle book is filled with suggestions for how to keep your writing flowing. Drawing from her years of experience working with every kind of writer, Jane Anne Staw brings us useful and practical ways to keep ourselves writing happily. Many of us have devised subtle ways of sabotaging our writing life. Jane has carefully looked at them all, and provides loving and realistic help. Fifteen minutes a day, she urges us, five minutes, just so we keep at it, and don't give up on ourselves.
At its core, Unstuck is a book about loving ourselves, being patient with our foibles, and finding a way to express our hearts and souls. Thank you Jane Anne Staw!

This is a gentle, thoughtful and PRODUCTIVE book. It invites you to accept, face and work through the many, many things that can come between a writer and the blank page. I can personally testify that this book changed my life, and as a person who mentors a great many graduate students, I plan on giving each and every one of them a copy.

On top of everything else, the book is a model of what we are all trying to achieve: a clear, wonderfully-written entry into another person's being and thoughts. As the old saw goes, Jane-Anne Staw not only tells us how to be better writers, she shows us. Her writing reveals, on more levels than one, the payoff for gently confronting our resistance to writing. Her goal is to help you write with joy, and at least for me, it worked. (OK, it works most days and most of the time, but part of the gift of this book is learning to let go of perfectionism.)