Block

I would highly recommend this book to anyone who considers issues around freedom and community, experience and empiricism (I would include both therapists and coaches in this category). Block's eloquent writing identifies some of the significant flaws our Western culture makes in bowing to the gods of empiricism and data to the exclusion of experience and community.

An excellent book by a man with a unique perspective on the American culture of capitalism.

A carefully presented essay on the importance of personal purpose and meaning and the dangers to ourselves and our world of the instrumental world to which we are subjecting ourselves. The book is beautifully set out and easy to read. The philosophy and advice, though useful and cogent, is much the same as that to be found in a whole range of similar books concerned with personal development. There is perhaps particular value in his distinction between personal intimacy and the ersatz, commercialized 'customer intimacy' that is so much touted in books on marketing.

BLOCK'S FLAWLESS CONSULTING OPENED MY EYES TO EFFECTIVENESS IN MY FIELD AS AN ADVISOR AND A COACH AFTER MANY YEARS AS A BANKER AND CORPORATE EXECUTIVE. BLOCK'S RECENT WORK, THE ANSWER TO HOW? IS YES AFFIRMS THE EXPERIENCES I HAVE HAD IN ORGANIZATIONS FOR MORE THAN 40 YEARS. I AM SO PLEASED TO HAVE FINALLY MATURED SUFFICIENTLY TO "LISTEN" TO HIS WORDS AND FEEL AFFIRMED IN WHAT I THOUGHT I WAS SEEING AND KNEW I WAS FEELING. THIS BOOK MAKES A REAL DIFFERENCE, BUT ONLY IF ONE HAS THE COURAGE TO BOTH ABSORB WHAT IT SAYS AND ACT ON WHAT IT MEANS!

Although it looks like a textbook, "Nature's Building Blocks" reads like a collection of bedtime stories -- fascinating information about each of the elements, including things that are common-sense but you may never have thought of and stuff that's just gee-whiz cool and unexpected. Like a collection of bedtime tales, you needn't start at the beginning and go to the end -- you can pick any element you like and enjoy the delicious nuggets of information.

The book suffers from a disturbing number of awkward sentences -- it deserves a much better copy editor for the next edition!

This won't replace a chemist's CRC Handbook for sheer amounts of data, but unlike CRC it's a heck of a lot of fun to read.

John Emsley writes excellent books on chemistry and Emsley's The Elements [3rd Edition] is an indispensable guide to the chemical elements for scientists. However, a layperson delving into The Elements may find it tough going because of its myriad numbers and tiny tidbits of text. In Nature's Building Blocks, Emsley dispenses with most of the numbers and expands the tidbits of text into page length essays on each element. Even though the book is clearly a reference book, the section on each element is an enjoyable read. Each section is divided into subsections that relate the element's significance to the cosmos, humans, food, medicine, history, war, economics, the environment, and then ends with a section called the Element of Suprise [one element's suprise is that there is nothing that Emsley could find to say about it that was suprising]. This book contains the kind of information I need as a chemistry and earth science teacher in a high school to spice up discussions on the elements. All laypeople with an interest in chemistry need a copy of this excellent book. Every high school library in the country should have a copy of this book on their shelves.

A comprehensive reference book on all the elements in the periodic table. Well researched and presented. Definitely reference bookshelf material.

Is change failing? Are multiple leaders' initiatives foundering? Is vast energy being expended on change projects by roving teams of the best and the brightest? Maybe the approach is all wrong. Maybe you need ... more people.

So argues Richard Axelrod, democrat and change consultant. Believing that current change practices are too slow and bureaucratic, Axelrod asserts that there simply isn't enough engagement. In other words, after forty years in the business world - a world in which "it sometimes seems as if everything is changing at the speed of light" - the author has concluded that change efforts fail when people don't feel involved.

Whether this is a brilliant insight or a beacon of the trite and obvious is for the reader to determine. In the meantime, consider Axelrod's "engagement paradigm": widen involvement, connect people, create communities, and embrace democracy. All laudable in theory, and the author goes to great lengths to prove that such an approach doesn't cost or waste or confuse as much as a skeptic might imagine. But what does it mean? Larger meetings, fine, open-ended questions, certainly, flip charts and round tables, marvelous, but do these a paradigm make? When you look for details here you find yourself grasping at shadows. Ask for a specific action and Axelrod recommends "creating a compelling purpose." Some might find this a little vague.

Yet lying beneath the misty surface are basic assumptions, assumptions about pluralism and democracy all the more intriguing for remaining untested. Axelrod asserts for example that in large group change meetings, individuals frequently set aside their self-interest for the benefit of the organization. Perhaps, but couldn't we look to our founding fathers for another explanation? Examine the Federalist Papers and their hallowed brethren among American documents, and you'll find that democracy's strength grows not in spite of individual self-interest, but because of it. The negotiated settlement, the win-win solution, the efficient organization: people support such a "democratic" achievement because there's something in it for them.

_Terms of Engagement_ is unsubtle boosterism: of democracy, of Theory Y, and of the Axelrod Group and its Conference Model, which the book more promotes than describes. (Similarly treated are the Group's "walkthrus," a curious colloquialism from an author who eschews contractions.) If you too believe that change happens best in multitudes, pick up a copy of the book today. If not, consider why this nation is not a democracy. It's a republic.

Richard H. Axelrod presents a model for creating more effective change in an organization by involving everyone in the change process from the beginning. He suggests setting up large conferences with cross-functional, multidisciplinary planning and implementation groups. As this implies, he advocates combining planning and implementation, rather than creating parallel processes. He argues that the top-down approach of having a leader who sells a vision to the organization doesn't work, although the leader should be involved in the conference process. It seems shortsighted to dismiss visionary leadership, with its successful track record in various settings, yet Axelrod has organized his ideas clearly. He provides tools for using his approach, including anecdotal success stories, how-to inserts, and guidelines for following this process. His model shares some characteristics of other conference planning approaches, including "Future Search." However, we [...] recommend this engagingly written book for its appeal to executives and top managers who seek intriguing planning and change strategies.

Richard Axelrod has finally moved beyond the paradigm for change that has dominated this field for the last two decades. The inherent weaknesses of the current model are exposed. The four leadership challenges Axelrod defines if an organization is to cope with ongoing change: widening the circle of involvement, connecting people to each other and ideas, creating communities for action, and embracing democratic principles, are ideal for school communities. Through real life examples and clear writing he provides readers models of how they might contribute their multiple perspectives and skills to change in their schools.

If readers can connect Axlerod's insights with Senge's new book, "Schools that Learn," they will have superb guidance on how their schools might be redesigned to meet the needs of a new age.

I am the Director of Faculty Development at a Jesuit high school in San Francisco. We are currently using Axlerod's model with great success.

This is the first of the Bernie Rhodenbarr books (and where on earth did Block get the name Rhodenbarr from?). Bernie is a professional burglar who seems to get into more trouble than a cat at a dog show, if this series is to be believed. But if this book is any indication, the series is well worth your time.

Yes, the characters (except for Bernie) are pretty much from the list of typical "B-movie" roles, some of the clues are so obvious you could just cry, and the solution to the murder is really straight out of left field - but surprisingly, it doesn't really matter. Despite all these flaws I actually had a good time with this book, and I will get the next book in the series for my shelves the next time I go on a book-buying binge.

Lawrence Block is one of our most talented mystery authors. In the Bernie Rhodenbarr series he explores out an ordinary, but intelligent, "honest" person might go about pursuing a life of crime as a fastidious and talented burglar who isn't proud of what he does, doesn't like to hang out with criminals, and really gets a big thrill out of breaking and entering . . . and removing valuables. As you can see, there's a sitcom set-up to provide lots of humor. But the humor works well in part because Mr. Block is able to put the reader in the Bernie's shoes while he breaks, enters and steals . . . and arranges to evade the long arm of the law. To balance the "honest" burglar is an array of "dishonest" and equally easy-money-loving cops. As a result, you're in a funny moral never-never land while your stomach tightens and your arm muscles twitch as tension builds. To make matters even more topsy-turvy, Bernie at some point in every story turns into an investigator who must figure out "who-dun-it" for some crime that he personally didn't do. It's almost like one of those "mystery at home" games where the victim comes back as the police investigator, playing two roles. Very nice!

So much for explaining the concept of the series. Burglars Can't Be Choosers is the first book in the series. I strongly suggest that you begin the series by reading this one. Each story in the series adds information and characters in a way that will reduce your pleasure of the others if read out of order. Although, I originally read them out of order and liked them well enough. I'm rereading them now in order, and like it much better this way.

As Stephen King likes to point out, a great way to start a book is to put a character in an unusual situation and then let things happen from there. Burglars Can't Be Choosers certainly follows that route in a successful manner with what reads and feels like a very realistic burglary experience.

The characterizations, plot development, and dialogue are wonderful in the book. The only flaw from my perspective relates to the solution to the mystery. I thought it wasn't nearly interesting enough while it was being finally unraveled. As a result, the book is at its best in the beginning and middle, and weakens towards the end. Otherwise, I would have awarded five stars.

It would be a mistake to leave even a mystery "page turner" without thinking through the moral implications of the book. How many times do "honest" people self-justify what they do because it's easy money and they can pull it off? Certainly, the current rash of corporate fraud seems to suggest that it's pretty common. Maybe part of the appeal of this book and the series is that Mr. Block is exposing our own foibles to ourselves a little as we walk in Bernie's shoes.

Do what's right, not what's irresistible.

Donald Mitchell
Co-author of The 2,000 Percent Solution, The Irresistible Growth Enterprise and The Ultimate Competitive Advantage

While traveling down I-95 to Florida I found a more recent Lawrence Block book, "The Burglar Who Traded Ted Williams." I found Block's style of mystery-humor very interesting and couldn't wait until I could seek and find the other books in the series. "Burglars Can't Be Choosers," the first in the series of seven other books featuring Bernie Rhodenbarr introduces us to a burglar who is caught in act by Ray Kirchmann, one of the city's finest in blue. Bernie is a loveable cat burglar who has to turn detective to save his own skin after stumbling over a murder. If you read a more recent "Burglar who..." you soon realize Bernie's friend Carolyn is introduced in a later work. His second occupation, that of a Greenwich Village used bookstore owner doesn't take place until later. I generally advocate reading books in a series in sequence to see how reoccurring characters develop. This is certainly true of this series. "Burglars Can't Be Choosers," is a good start for a delightful series.

This is the first, and only, book I've read by Lawrence Block. I picked it up for a N.Y.-to-L.A. flight. After the reviews here and on the book, I thought it would at the very least be a harmless read that zipped along, but I was disappointed to find out it's a deadly slow and dull affair. Block writes the oddest, most stilted dialogue I've ever read. This novel has no drive whatsoever to it. The cover review speaks of "suspense" that "never lets up." Could have fooled me. (There IS no suspense.) The plot, which is good, is an afterthought. The book is really about AA and dealing with being a former drunk or an addict. This plot about kidnappers/rapists who are snatching up the loved ones of drug dealers is hardly dealt with. Scudder is a lumbering dope who shuffles about without doing much work. For the most part two hackers and a young black kid (who talks like an old white man trying to write slang) do all the work. This business in the book, about getting a number that called a particular phone, seems downright silly today, with Caller ID on every home phone.

Block's prose style is that curt, brisk variety you see in a lot of detective books, and while I enjoy it when it's done right, here it comes off as lazy and half-assed. Like he couldn't be bothered.

You'll find yourself skipping through the pale talk about alcoholics and God. Not because they aren't subjects for discussion, but because Block cannot craft even one realistic line of dialogue.

I would have enjoyed a more detailed look about what is an intriguing idea -- kidnapping from those that can't go to the cops -- but this is clearly a case where an author had an idea and nothing after that.

A very gritty and black entry into the series of the former alkie but still unlicensed private eye. In this book, Scudder is hired by a drug dealer to find the sadistic spree killers who kidnapped and butchered his wife. With the help of his street connections, Scudder decides to mete out some more of the rough justice that is becoming his trademark. But lest he become a remorseless killing machine, Block allows Scudder to begin to craft some domestic bliss at the end of this saga. It's a fine read, because Block is always entertaining. A few points distract from the story. One is unfortunate timing; the book is dated, with its labyrinthine plot to get ahold of a phone number that today could be obtained by the police without a second thought, and most civilians who have the technology. Block uses a pair of teenage hackers as the tools for this caper, and it seems like Block's stretching, trying to get into the big "thing" of the early '90s. Clearly Block's not on familiar ground, plot- or dialogue-wise. He should stick to cynical thugs and world-weary cops. The other point is that this book has a lot of black humor of the particularly morbid variety. The Scudder that I'm familiar with wouldn't have made a joke about a woman getting her breast cut off (in A Dance At the Slaughterhouse, his reaction to torture was appropriately grim). Maybe now that Scudder's found love, he's light hearted enough tocrack about torture and mutiliation, but I'm not sure I like it.

Block has created one of the best serial mystery characters with Matt Scudder and this book is no exception to the series success. The reason behind this success is Block's easy writing style and his atmospheric descritions of New York. In this installment, after some reluctance, Scudder decides to take the case of drug dealer who's wife was kidnapped and killed. A dark, brooding book, it shows the seamier side of the world, but also gives us portraits of some interesting supporting characters.

or maybe a good slash angst fanfic. girls who want draco malfoy to press harry potter against a wall somewhere and kiss him will likely devour this book. sometimes the narration gets confusing as the two people call each other you, but that's really only during one chapter. if you didn't like it as much as the other books it's probably because of the fact that it's much sadder than the other things she's written. you want things to end differently, but you know they can't. won't. still, try it anyway and you maybe pleasantly surprised.

For anybody who has read other books by Francesca Lia Block, you will know what to expect - a haunting story with beautiful characters in a world of sex, drugs, and love. She paints vivid pictures, and though this story doesn't deal with fantasy, the whole book is imbued with an ethereal feeling. Readers can only hold on tight while they wind through the world of Marina and Lex, the brother and sister that loved each other as more than family. Their story is doomed before it begins, but that doesn't make it any less enjoyable. However, there are always a couple problems. The first of which has nothing to do with the quality of writing at all, but rather that the book is quite short, and is a quick read. Despite the fact that this was a hardcover book (and therefore more expensive), I purchased it. When I got it, I was able to read it in one evening, even factoring in homework and dinner time. Now I'm upset that I just didn't check it out from the library, because unless I read this book two more times, it really wasn't worth the money. The only other thing I'm going to mention is my initial confusion at her frequent narration shifts. Sometimes Marina is narrating, and sometimes it is Lex. Some chapters are in the third person. Both Marina and Lex refer to themselves as "I" and they seem to be writing to each other, saying "you". For the first few chapters, I had absolutely no idea what was going on, but before long the lightbulb in my head went on and it all straightened itself out. Overall, a good book to read, but I'd advise a visit to your local library instead of buying it.

I Loved this Book. It's as Wonderful and Beautifully written as all of her other books; Her style and Poetic voice is her trademark and my sweet addiction.

Let me preface by saying I'm a huge Scudder fan, so the three star rating is compared to the entirety of the Scudder saga. In this entry, the clean and ostensibly happily domesticated Scudder is hired by a vagrant's brother to clear the vagrant of a shooting. The victim happens to be a distant acquaintance of Scudder's, and though Matt didn't like the guy much, he ends up having a desultory kind of affair with his widow. Meanwhile the accused killer is himself killed in prison, leaving a stubborn Scudder to attack the closed case (or as his cop friend puts it, "trying to give a dead horse mouth-to-mouth resuscitation" --- love that noir dialogue). This is only an average Scudder entry, which means that it's a bleak look at a seedy world, rife with witty dialogue and sharp insights into AA philosophy. Probably because the case here is so cold, however, a lot of drama in the sense of personal danger or action is lacking. There's much of the traditional amoral, detatched soul-searching, which is terrific, but none of the rough justice Scudder usually hands out.

The Devil Knows You're Dead is a very well written book that held my interest throughout -- however, I have been a big fan of this series from the beginning. Mystery fans who are looking for lots of action and suspense may want to skip this book. Relative to several of the other books in this series, there is considerably less physical violence and more --much more-- of a concentration on the emotional havoc and angst that Matthew Scudder is experiencing as he makes his way through his topsy-turvy world. The cases Scudder is working on in The Devil Knows You're Dead are interesting but they are not exciting and action-based. So, if this is what you're looking for in a mystery you probably should choose another book. If you enjoy great character development, interesting and likable secondary characers, vivid and accurate descriptions of the Hell's Kitchen/Clinton section of NYC, then treat yourself to this very good book. Keep in mind it's not the best book in this series but it's one I think you'll enjoy. However, I would strongly recommend that if you haven't read any of the books in this series, you first read at least one or two of the earlier books (e.g., When The Scared Ginmill Closes, A Ticket To The Boneyard, A Dance At The Slaughterhouse, A Walk Among The Tombstones, etc.) before reading The Devil Knows You're Dead. These books will familiarize you what the world of Matthew Scudder has been like. This book serves pretty much as a vehicle to further evolve the main character of Matthew Scudder and to let you know where he's moving to in his life.

Captivating story .. this one will keep you burning the midnight oil and turning those pages. Lots of Mick Ballou in this one .. personally, I love Mick. If you enjoy his character, this will definitely be a book you shouldn't miss. This falls about 2/3 of the way in the Scudder series to date. I couldn't put this one down from the second I started it.

I made it the whole way to Jan's and Matt's "enlighting" [not very... cut me a break Block], trite, hack conversation about if he was a drunk or not and realized I was going to sleep. I made a firm decision and tossed the book into the get rid of this asap pile and went and found something else to read.

Block reads like "she said... he said..." conversations. Dry comes to mind. As I said in a previous review if you really hate "show not tell" in novels this is the writer for you. He does no showing at all. I feel as if I am listening to someone outline what might be a very good book. I had read another book of his which had the same fate as this one: halfway I tossed it into the get rid of this do NOT pass on to someone you like pile.

Matt comes across as the most pathetic attempt at an alcoholic I have encountered in novels [or in real life and I use to work Drug and Alcohol units]. He meanders aimlessly thru his addiction and Block meanders aimlessly thru the plot. Well suited for each other. It's a shame. As I said previously there is great potential for a GREAT story here. It was wasted more than Matt ever was in his drinking days.

IF you must try Block, I suggest the library.

This is the 4th book in the Matt Scudder series and is a very appropriately titled book, with Scudder investigating a stabbing murder that happened 9 years ago. He doesn't particularly look forward to the case but, with nothing better to do, he begins to sift through old ground in between cups of bourbon-laced coffee.

The Matt Scudder character is the important feature of this book as we follow his tortured journey around New York City chasing up clues in a long-dead case. He unearths clues and leads as a good detective should, but it's his battle with the bottle that proves the most fascinating story. He finally gets a good hard smack across the chops in this book which may help put him on the road to sobriety, at least, it scares him enough to consider he may need help.

This is another fine example of an outstanding modern hardboiled mystery, just part of an outstanding hardboiled series.

Lawrence Block took his Scudder books to a new level in "Stab in the Dark". The first three books were good enough to keep me reading, but they were not anything special. In the other books the only thing that kept me interested was Block's style and Scudder's character. The mysteries were never that interesting. This book however has a wonderful plot and has a wonderful supporting cast. Everything about this book surpassed the previous entries. While Scudder, himself, has always been a good character this entry allows the reader to probe inside his mind a little more. Hopefully this was Block's stepping stone and the rest of the series is on par with this one. It is a must read for any P.I. lover.

Lawrence Block is one of our most talented mystery authors. In the Bernie Rhodenbarr series he explores how an ordinary, but intelligent, "honest" person might go about pursuing a life of crime as a fastidious and talented burglar who isn't proud of what he does, doesn't like to hang out with criminals, and really gets a big thrill out of breaking and entering . . . and removing valuables. As you can see, there's a sitcom set-up to provide lots of humor. But the humor works well in part because Mr. Block is able to put the reader in the Bernie's shoes while he breaks, enters and steals . . . and evades the long arm of the law. To balance the "honest" burglar is an array of "dishonest" and equally easy-money loving cops. As a result, you're in a funny moral never-never land while your stomach tightens and your arm muscles twitch as tension builds. To make matters even more topsy-turvy, Bernie at some point in every story turns into an investigator who must figure out "who-dun-it" for some crime that he personally didn't do. It's almost like one of those "mystery at home" games where the victim comes back as the police investigator, playing two roles. Very nice!

So much for explaining the concept of the series. The Burglar Who Studied Spinoza is the fourth book in the series. I strongly suggest that you begin the series by reading Burglars Can't Be Choosers and follow it up with The Burglar in the Closet and The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling. Each story in the series adds information and characters in a way that will reduce your pleasure of the others if read out of order. Although, I originally read them out of order and liked them well enough. I'm rereading them now in order, and like it much better this way. The Burglar Who Painted Like Mondrian comes next in the series.

Bernie's friend, Carolyn Kaiser, the dog groomer at the Poodle Factory has a hot tip for him. Wealthy dog-owners, Herbert and Wanda Colcannon will be out of town breeding Astrid, their Bouvier des Flandres guard dog, who normally keeps burglars away from their possessions, which includes Herbert's famous coin collection . . . and which Bernie is already impressed by. Carolyn discovered a taste for breaking and entering while "borrowing" a Polaroid camera in The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling, and now she's a full-fledged partner who insists on joining Bernie in the burglary.

Quickly inside the Colcannon's West 18th Street brownstone, they find the place a mess. "Burglars," Bernie announces. But the first burglars mainly made a mess . . . and couldn't open the safe. But Bernie does and finds some jewelry, a Piaget watch, and a nickel. The main coin collection must be safe in a bank vault elsewhere. Carolyn's more pleased with the Chagall lithograph that she takes for her apartment. So far, so good.

They retire to visit Bernie's charming fence, Abel Crowe, who had survived being an inmate at Dachau. Bernie knows that Abel is more likely to be generous if he's in a good mood, so Bernie brings Abel a little gift, a 1707 English edition of Spinoza's Ethics, bound in blue calf. Everything goes smoothly until Abel examines the nickel. "Gross Gott!" he exclaims. Bernie has brought him one of five known specimens of the 1913 Liberty Head nickel that the mint denies ever having made. It's worth a fortune. Abel offers a small sum in cash now . . . or to split the proceeds from a more leisurely sale. Bernie and Carolyn agree to wait on their money, and leave happily.

By the next morning, everything has gone bad. Unless Bernie finds out what really happened, he's scheduled to be the fly in the soup.

I didn't enjoy the mystery to be solved nearly as much in this one as in The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling. In fact, this is my least favorite of the books that Mr. Block wrote in the series. I was disturbed by who Mr. Block selected to be his victims, and found all of the coin collecting details to be not nearly as interesting as the bibliophile content of The Burglar Who Liked to Quote Kipling. Although I wouldn't go so far as to suggest that you skip this one, I suspect that you will be disappointed compared to other books in the series even though the humor and dialogue are wonderfully strong and engaging. But stick with it, the books get much better from here in the series.

This book's theme is being careful about whom you trust. Take nothing for granted . . . including loyalty!

Donald Mitchell...

Bernie Rhodenbarr is at it again in Lawrence Block's fourth "The Burglar Who..." series. In this fast paced novel "The Burglar who Studied Spinoza," Bernie has to turn sleuth once again to prove he is not guilty of anything worse than entering someone else's apartment with his trusty burglar tools and taking valuables easy to carry away and fence them for a quick turn over. This story involves a very rare coin, a 1913 Liberty V nickel. Our favorite reoccurring characters, Carolyn Kaiser who runs a dog grooming parlor, and Ray Kirschmann the best cop money can buy also make play their roles as they have in previous "Burglar Who book..." Lawrence Block does an excellent job telling of burglaries, murder and mayhem. As with other books in this series he does it with a great sense of humor. That's what makes these stories of a burglar who also owns an antiquarian bookshop in New York Greenwich Village fun to read. They are light reading, just right for a cold winter's night in front of a fireplace or a bright summer afternoon at poolside. I'm a true Bernie Rhodenbarr fan and look forward to reading the next on my to read list, "The Burglar who Pained Like Mondrian." When I do a review will surly be posted here.

Used book store owner Bernie Rhodenbarr is not only tired of losing money at his Greenwich Village establishment, he is inanely bored. Bernie knows that it is time to spice up his life with some excitement by employing his better skill, stealing, this time rare coins. Bernie's marks are the opulent Hank and Wanda Colcannon, who he learns from his friend Carolyn are leaving town.

When Bernie arrives at the Colcannon place, he quickly realizes that a peer has already been there. Still, Bernie finds a few interesting items, including a 1913 V-nickel, which he takes to his fence Abel Crowe to appraise. Abel values the rare coin at $500K and willingly accepts it because Bernie is a pal who gives him philosophy books. However, everything falls apart by the next day when the cops come to accuse Bernie of murdering Wanda and Abel, and stealing the rare coin, which has been re-heisted. Bernie knows he has been set up and only he, with the help of Spinoza, can clear his name of the murder charges.

THE BURGLAR WHO STUDIED SPINOZA is a reprint of the fourth novel in the Rhodenbarr series which is now up to eight. Even after a dozen years (think Reagan), the story line remains remarkably refreshing as it highlights Bernie's best (and worst) traits and showcases the City at its most intriguing and frustrating self. Lawrence Block may have been at the top of his game with this wisecracking, absolutely fun tale about a professional thief turned sleuth who seems to spend a lot of time clearing his name from a couple of murder raps.

Harriet Klausner

I just read the negative review on this journal/workbook by writing expert Eva Shaw and I laughed. Many think that one becomes a writer without writing or practicing the craft. What a chuckle. I liked this tool a lot and have given it to serious writing friends. Maybe the idea of filing in those blank pages with creative thoughts and carrying the book around scared "Ashamed", but hasn't scared my writing group.

Don't let the small price of this must-have writing book make you think it's ho-hum. It's has become just the spark I've needed to keep the momentum going in my writing career, after a lengthy bout with writer's block. The exercises are simple, "deceptively simple" according to Dr. Shaw, and have made me stretch more than I thought possible. Now my creative thinking has changed and it seems that everyday I see and understand more of what I'm to do as a writer. Besides the book is fun and the advice is timely, non intimidating and just as encouraging as Dr. Shaw is in person. I've attended some of her online writing classes and that coupled with this incredible investment has propelled me to selling three articles and placing a number of essays. If you're in a period of doubting your creativity, get this book. I did and I'm telling all my writing friends.

After being enrolled in her recent Writeriffic Online Class, there is a new certainty of confidence appearing in my writing! Before being a student of Walter Brueggemann, most of 77 books on OT, (Reviewer) colleagues at Columbia Seminary at least, Sister Kathleen O'Connor, Chuck Campbell, Christine Yoder, Now Ms Eva Shaw, I feared writing essays, anecdotes, Reflections and/or experiences of Reality! Eva Shaw has eyes to see thru a Writer, even an 74 yr-old, writing my Thots of CPE, Prison Chaplaincy, LectionAid Sermons, Pastoral Interprets, etc.
Eva Shaw is New Friend, Humorist, Internist, Inspirer, Nudger and Teacher... anything else would include Anu, Brian, Joanne, Char, Misty, Misty, Sandi and Misty; Plus all other class members from dozens of US, Canada, Italy, Russia, All reply to me and repect Ms Eva! Hooray for Her!
Old Fred, Retired Chaplain & Fun-loving Writer