Exports

This is a good, but not a great book on the so-called Overseas Chinese, focusing on their business culture and strategy. Co-written by three professors, the work has an academic feel to it, but can also serve as a primer for businessmen wanting to learn about their SE Asian Overseas Chinese counterparts.

This book does not deserve a five-star rating. It is simplistic, and likely to be of value only to the person who has no experience or knowledge of Asia and the Overseas Chinese. Some of the text is unnecessary. Why did the authors put in a rough history of early Chinese philosophy? It's too simple to be valuable and yet takes up too much room in an already short work.

The book does have some good points. I enjoyed the sketches of certain Overseas Chinese business leaders, some of whom I knew nothing about. There is also some original research here on the business environment in SE Asia, specifically on the lack of information that helps the Overseas Chinese maintain an edge against outside competitors in their home markets.

(Excerpted review from Asia Pacific Management Forum at http://www.apmforum.com/review/fr16.htm). One could be forgiven for assuming this is an academic book. For the authors are well known management academics, George Haley and Usha Haley being Associate Professors at several schools in the US, Singapore and Australia and Chin Tiong Tan the new Deputy Provost of the new Singapore Management University. However, the authors have done a remarkable job in transforming authoritative academic research into an extremely readable and practical account of the influence of the overseas Chinese in Asia, particularly in South East Asia. The authors have taken on an extremely difficult task. Chinese business people, at least in this reviewer's opinion, are a fairly reticent lot. However, these authors confront these research problems positively and sensibly with masterful use of small case studies, instructive tables and maps, and a concise and elegant writing style. While the writing style makes for an excellent introduction, seasoned managers and Asian strategists will find new information peppered throughout the book, or known information analyzed in a different and thought provoking way. Even though you may have worked with the Chinese for a lifetime, this book will still help your understanding. For those just starting to work in South East Asia in particular, it is essential reading. Putting aside half a day to read this book will be well rewarded...And it deserves a permanant place on your bookshelf for revision and reference.

This is a very practical and easy-to-read book on how to do business successfully with the Overseas Chinese that dominate the economies of Southeast Asia and China. The authors draw on their personal experiences with Asian executives as well as on extensive research. Despite their academic backgrounds, the authors display real hands-on knowledge of Asian business conditions. And despite being very solidly grounded in theory, the authors are never "stuffy" or talk down to you. They do an impressive job of applying theories spanning economics, strategic management and classical Chinese philosophy to understanding present-day business environments. Novices and old hands will find this an invaluable reference. I have re-read this little gem several times, and find some new insights every time. A must read!

I think that Mary Higgins Clark's novel, "I'll Be Seeing You", is great. I have read several of her books, but I found this one to be the best. I really enjoy Clark's style of writing. Throughout reading this book there were times when I thought I had the plot all figured out, but it turns out that the plot only thickens. The plot involves a television newsreporter known as Meghan Collins who is covering a story of a victim who has been stabbed. When Meghan sees the girl's face she is terrified by how much the victim resembles her and becomes determined to pursue the incident. Meghan's life is filled with tragedy when her father, Edwin Collins, is believed to have died in an accident which occurred on Tappan Zee bridge. Unfortunately, they are unable to find his body or any remains which belong to Mr. Collins. The fact that they are unable to issue a death certificate affects Meghan's mother, Catherine, who falls into debt and is worried about keeping up the family inn. When the people of the town become aware of the fact that Edwin had withdrawn substantial amounts of money the day before the accident, many people became suspicious of him as being a murder suspect. Meghan is out in search to save her father's name while covering a story on the Manning Clinic. A clinic where in vitro fertilization is performed. Throughout the many aspects that Meghan has uncovered she has been forced to change her way of living. I personally enjoyed reading this book because of the suspense throughout the story. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in mystery and suspense.

I liked this book because I love mysteries. I would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good mystery. The book takes place in many different settings and there are also many different important characters. This book didn't take long to read. This book how alot to do with bonding and learning who you can trust and who not to trust.

This is not my first Mary Higgins Clark book,and nor will it be my last. She consistently writes mystery books that I find I cannot put down til I am finished. This book is definitely no exception.

I'LL BE SEEING YOU centers around Meghan Collins, a television news reporter who in the beginning of the novel is covering the story of a stabbing victim, a woman that happens to look very much like her! Pure coincidence? Or is there a connection?

At the same time, Meghan is dealing with the disappearnce of her father, Edward Collins, and because of the circumstances, no one knows whether Edward was murdered, or had just plain disappeared along with a huge sum of money. Both Meghan and her mother cannot move on with their lives because there is no body recovered from his supposed drowning off the Tappan Zee Bridge. At the same time, Edward is accused of murdering a woman that all had thought was a reputable scientist at a in-vitro fertilization center.

Between the death of the mystery woman and Meghan's father's disappearance, there unravels a complex story of a man with a double life, a newstory about the in-vitro fertilization center, and the facts that tie all of them together. And eventually, Meghan learns the mystery behind the stabbing victim.

This is a definite must-read for all Mary Clark Higgins fans!

Prof. Roberts, an economics professor, has created series on interesting little novels to teach his readers about libertarian economic thought.

In The Choice, Roberts borrows from Capra's "It's A Wonderful Life" to introduce his protagonist Ed Johnson to alternate worlds where free trade does and does not exist. Instead of Clarence the Angel, Ed is led around by David Ricardo, the economist who developed the Law of Comparative Advantages, which forms the foundations for supporting global free trade.

Throughout the novel, Ed raises questions based on his traditional thinking on protectionsim. Ricardo addresses each key concern in turn. The concepts debated include: loss of jobs, loss of our nation's economic status, national security needs, etc. More importantly, Ricardo convinvingly makes the point that total national economic self-sufficiency is a recipe for economic disaster/failure.

I found this to be an entertaining way to learn more about the debate on free trade and protectionism. This novel is easily more enjoyable than the typical economics text or article, and hence its message was delivered more effectively.

Russell Roberts aims to persuade the intelligent layman that the stuff of wealth is goods and services (not money or jobs) and that the way to create wealth is through specialization and trade, which he calls the "roundabout way to wealth." The book is better than a novel. The author creates a dialogue between the late economist David Ricardo and fictional businessman Ed Johnson. It's easy to imagine that Ricardo represents Roberts as professor and Johnson represents every student who ever raised a challenging question in his class. One can learn a lot about international trade from this dialectic approach.
The author uses some numbers and case studies to illustrate what happens when trade is free and when it is not. The "rigor" is there even if the elaborate geometry and mathematics usually found in economics textbooks are not. Like most economists, Roberts makes the case for free trade in terms of efficiency. Ultimately though, his message becomes a moral one and a challenge. "The real choice" declares David Ricardo (Russell Roberts), "is between a dynamic world and a static world---a world of encouraging people to dream and acquire the skills to make those dreams come true and a world of encouraging people to be content with what they have and to dream less." The Choice is about as good in spirit and persuasiveness as Frederic Bastiat's Economic Sophisms.

Roberts puts things in a language that all can understand. Simply said this book is a must read. Roberts provides in depth examples making it not only easy to follow but also easy understand. Roberts makes the basic foundation of economics simple. It's a great and easy read! A must have!

When one goes through countless reviews, some good, others bad, you stop to think if anyone ever reads these and if you are just saying what others have said. You know what I have come to think? I don't care. I just have to write something to praise the books I am reviewing... like this one.

I read this book after I read Dragonflight. I know it is not how the series should be read but I could not find Dragonquest and I needed, urged for a Pern book. So I decided to read Dragonsdawn. And I made no mistake. I loved this book. It has so much in such a wonderful way. You can actually believe that this may happen... fiction is no longer fiction. It all seems to plausible. And it's wonderful.

You are faced with the Coloners from Earth in search of a world to colonize. They have come to the Rukbat System and found the third planet to be ihabitable. They named it Pern. And so it all begins. What they did not know was that Pern, for calmer and more beautiful it may seem, hides a dangerous and deadly secret. The threat of the Threads, brought by the Red Star, catches the coloners unware, unexpectedly. And from then on it is a race to protect the survivor's lives from certain death. You witness in this book the birth of the Dragonriders, and the beginning of the amazing relationship with the dragons. From the delicate fire-lizards there comes the dragons of Pern... to fight Thread, to breathe fire, to protect humans. And you can't keep yourself from suffering in the harsh times, bellowing in joy with the fight of this danger, and shedding a tear when the multi-faceted eye of a dragon crosses your own eyes...

If you love Dragonriders of Pern... Dragonsdawn will surely amaze you. Though if you want to keep the many mysteries of your world away from your knowledge, then you should not read this book. But then you'd miss a great book.

I absolutely love this book. The first time I read it, I found it hard to get past the opening section - I wanted to read about PERN, not a bunch of people in a spaceship, even if they were named Benden. But the technical mumbo-jumbo of the colonization is worth fighting through for that first breath of Pernese air! The initial settlement - the first Threadfall - the genetic engineering that created the dragons we know and love - and the volcano that finally forced the settlers to leave the southern continent - this book gives a fascinating background to Dragonflight et al. Make sure to read this one before reading "All the Weyrs of Pern".

Ever wonder where the dragons of Pern came from? This book gives a satisfying answer to that question.

Anne McCaffrey goes back to the beginning in this novel, describing not only where the dragons came from, but how the people got to Earth. This book ranks among the best of McCaffrey's Pern series, combining romance and drama, with science fiction and fantasy.

Fans will love it and it's great place for new readers to start. Highly reccomanded!

Too much flying! Too little plot. This book just fills in some details missing from other books in the series. Fill. That's it. It was an enjoyable read, but only because I had read (and enjoyed, more or less) the other books in the series.

The Intruders follows Jake Grafton shortly after the end of Flight of the Intruder, to 1973 on a cruise on the U.S.S. Columbia flying A-6E Intruders. In this book Grafton flies with a Marine captain Bombadier/Navigator (BN) named "Flap" Le Beau, who is ex-Marine Recon, and has some very interesting jungle/guerilla warfare skills, as well as an assortment of custom-made slashing and thrownig knives ("What are you, a walking cutlery store?" Jake asks at one point). There is not too much action for the first while, just mainly a series of carrier accidents and mishaps, but there IS some action and plotting toward the last 80 or so pages where Le Beau is truly in his element, along with Grafton. A must-read for all fans of Stephen Coonts and carrier aviation

In this book Coonts concentrates on action on an aircraft carrier with plenty of naval aviation action. Naval Air being the long arm of American Foreign Policy is depicted here in action. Jake Grafton the main character is interesting and at times reflects upon himself to see whether or not to get out of the navy of not, marriage with his sweetheart Callie is on his mind. Flap Le beau his Bombardier/Nav. puts a bit of fun and flare into the story. Although I'm not a pilot but an enthusiast, Coonts puts a lot of emphasis on what the pilots are thinking of while in the cockpit, no matter at night or during the day, as a reader you get to feel what the pilot and his Navigator are really feeling at the time.

THIS STORY WOULD MAKE A GREAT MOVIE about the life for an aviator living on an aircraft carrier, we have enough movies about the grunts on the ground,here is a chance to make a movie about aviators on aircraft carriers as they are America's long arm of Foreign Policy.

I've read other books of Mary Higgins Clark before, but I've enjoyed this book of Anastasia and other short stories the most.

In the main story, Anastasia, an historical writer Judith Chase, is engaged to the future prime minister, Stephen Hallet. She is working on a novel though, and is caught up in a lot of other issues along with it. The evil mind of Margaret Carew, dominates Judith, and it is a true mystery as to what is happening within her mind. You really have to read into it to know what I am referring to here, but it becomes very frightening in many places as Judith experiences strange events. The psychiatrist, Dr. Patel, puts her under hypnosis, giving her a drug that makes her regress further into her confusing past.

The other stories in the book, were even scarier yet, than Anastasia. If you feel like a good thrill, read on!

The sories in this book are great reading. This is the 2nd book by Mary Higgins Clark that I have read and I loved it. Having 5 short stories in one book was great for my short attention span. If you do not have a lot of time to sit down and read a whole book at one time, this would deffinatly be a good to read. You could read one story at a time.

My favortie story was the first one, The Anastasia Syndrome. A womans mind is taken over by an evil womans mind from the past. You will never guess how it ends.

The other four stories were very enjoyable reads as well. Terror Stalks the Class Reunion will keep you guessing through the whole story.

Lucky Day starts out as a lucky day for one man and turns out to be unlucky for him and two other people.

Double Vision is a bit of a stretch for the title. You have to read it to find out why.

The Lost Angel is my least favorite but an enjoyable read any way.

I loved this book! The short stories were superb and each held Higgin's special mystery touch. The main story in the book; The Anastasia Syndrome, is about a women named Judith who is planning on marrying the future Prime Minister of England. She is desparetly seeking information about her past because she was found wandering around a small town in England when she was about 4 or 5 and longs to know who her parents were. she goes to a controversial doctor who hypnotises her and helps her recall facts about her childhood, but slips too much of a drug into her system and regresses her all the way back to the 1600's where a vengeful spirit tries to take over her body and take revenge on those who wronged her. The second story, Terror Stalks The Class Reunion, is about a women named Kay who is abducted by a former student of hers whose "crush" has moved on to full blown obsession. I was holding my breath on this one and it was one of my favorites! Lucky Day was my least favorite story. It revolves around a 13 million dollar lottery ticket and the ending was "Ok." Double Vision was excellent! The supernatural occurence was made more believable in this story than in The Anastasia Syndrome. The story is about an actor who wants to kill the director that ruined his "big break" and the plot had me holding my breath. The last story, The Lost Angel, was actually very good. It was a fast moving story and the plot was written very skillfully. This is definitly a must read for any Mary Higgins Clark fan, and the stories were very well written considering that none of them exceded 200 pages. She's done it again!

That seems to be the choice for many in the third world, at least that is what is implied by Lee Kuan Yew. The story of Singapore should be viewed against the backdrop of so many countries in the world still mired in poverty even after decades of structural adjustment and liberalization and being fully committed to capitalism. Or compare with recently reformed former communist countries now striving to be integrated into the world economy. The title of Lee's book is no coincidence. These countries are still third world, all in the shadow of Singapore, which by contrast has arrived - a first world nation.

FROM THIRD WORLD TO FIRST is then preaching to the converted. Those who want the economic success of Singapore. It should not be surprising to learn that this book is a big seller in many countries where Singapore is regarded as a model of economic progress. Lee has a following outside his own country and away from the metropolitan countries. His autocratic style of government and economic policies are seen as an appropriate mix for many third world scenarios. The book is written with this audience in mind and Lee is quite clear in stating that the US (government and people) are not his primary concerns; he seems to be saying we can't understand him. "They [us] want to promote democracy and human rights everywhere except where it would hurt themselves as in the oil-rich Arabian peninsula." With this one sentence Lee dismisses the major criticism about Singapore - it's not a democracy. So what? Lee would argue.

Wheras this book is a fairly detailed analysis of Singapore's economic history, and its development strategies as highlighted here are interesting to readers of economic development. Lee is sensitive to criticism and on a broader scale his book is aimed at US and UK audiences. Underlying the economics is an unmistakable political argument - an attempt to justify the human rights abuses, denial of rights and abolishment of freedoms most of us take for granted. Most westerners say Singapore is a lovely country...to visit.

I am glad that FROM THIRD WORLD TO FIRST is simply an interesting distraction and that I was not faced with the reality of the choices - either being made by me or for me - prosperity or freedom. It's something to read about but not to be experienced.

Singapore is one of the few nations in recent history, which has managed to transform itself from a struggling third world nation to a high tech society in less than fifty years. All this was possible - aside from many other factors - because of the genius of one man: Lee Kuan Yew. This book is the story of his quest to change Singapore.

The first part of the book deals with the various projects he initiated or oversaw that changed Singapore. Lee Kuan Yew gives an overview of what he did to deal with those problems facing every developing nation - crime, education, housing, investment etc...
Reading his memoirs, one cannot help but admire this man's moral character and sense of purpose, other leaders of developing nations would do well to learn from this man.

The second part of the book gives Mr Yew's views on nearly every country Singapore has had significant dealings with. His views are, as he himself says on many occasions, not meant to be politically correct. This means that those fluent in 'diplomatese' may find his language crude and some of his views upsetting.

Not surprisingly the last part of the book, which deals with his family and his personal life is very brief. Given the formal tone throughout, it would not be in keeping to speak at length about his own personal life, although no doubt that would be interesting reading.

For those students of economics or politics and for those curious about Singapore or the Asia-Pacific region in general, I would highly recommend this book. The writing is extremely clear and the chapters are arranged in a logical order, (unlike the haphazard ranting in other memoirs) which makes reading a pleasure rather than a pain. Read this book to be inspired.

There are two parts to this book.

First part is about development of Singapore - social, economic and political. The second part deals with foreign relations.

As an Indian, I truly admire Singapore. From what it was in 1965 to what it is today, is an educating experience. Awesome to most third world nations - fighting poverty, population growth and other social maladies.

Lee Kwan Yew had a clear vision, set himself clear goals. Above all, what led to his success is his execution skills.

Rule of law certainly helped. What I adore is the team he surrounded with to create such laws and ensure its implementation regardless of obstacles.

Singapore is a wealthy society today. Secure economically and politically.

In my observation, he had 3 primary principles towards building a nation
a) Rule of Law
b) creating a fair society (not welfare society)
c) Expenses less than income (as simple as that)

All his domestic policies were based on above principles.

I like the way he treated hawkers in Singapore's streetwalks. While ensuring cleanliness of Singapore, he provided alternative solutions so that hawkers continued their business for livelihood in a better environment. Contrast this to Maharashtra government's (Indian state) efforts in cleaning and sprucing up Mumbai's Chatrapati Shivaji Terminus area. Vendors keep coming back.

Singaporeans enjoy high savings rate, because of CPF. A guaranteed security for its citizens when they retire. Contrast this to America's 401k. When Enron collapsed, savings of many employees evaporated even as executives pocketed millions in bonus pays!

Although Singapore is a free market economy, its philosophy concerning workers and employees are caring and genuine, unlike in the United States.

Singapore is an epitome of benign dictator ship, democracy, capitalism and socialism co-existing for the general welfare of the nation.

Lee's book is a revelation for all countries of the world. The three primary principles can act as a catalyst is resolving problems.

The popular perception of globalization portrays political leaders fighting against corporations and unfettered financial markets being manipulated by greedy speculators using lightening fast electrified capital. According to Brink Lindsey, author of "Against the Dead Hand - The Uncertain Struggle for Global Capitalism", this formulation has the main direction of causation backwards.

The failures of central planning have led governments groping for market reforms as a pragmatic response to the failures of big government.

The trend toward what we now refer to as "globalization" was interrupted during the nineteenth century by what the author calls the "Industrial Counterrevolution". World leaders, impressed by the productivity and efficiency of big business, began to apply the same techniques as those used in business. Merged with these techniques were different theories of collectivism which arose as a result of the apparent chaos of the marketplace.

Though the U.S. never plunged headlong into state control, political leaders of both parties were swept up by its own version of the Industrial Counterrevolution, the Progressive movement.

We now have over a century of experimentation in various social and economic policies in several countries. The evidence shows free market principles produce better results, but market proponents should not confuse a change in trend with victory in the battle of ideas. Those general principles - competition, choice, limited government, private property, sound currency, free trade - are now seeping deeper into more areas of society that had been impervious to them. The change could be seen in front of the Supreme Court building in Washington, D.C. recently when the Court took up the constitutionality of school vouchers. On one side were minority parents demanding educational choice who were pitted against public school teachers protecting the status quo.

Educational choice is one reminder that market proponents do not have a free ride. Laments Lindsey: "The defunct ideas of centralized control exert a waning but still-formidable influence on the shape of the world economy... The invisible hand of markets may be on the rise, but the dead hand of the old collectivist dream still exerts a powerful influence."

A belief in market economics is not simply the hope for the absence of government. Among government's most important responsibilities is maintenance of a legal order that protects property and enforces contracts to exchange that property.
Mr. Lindsey's entry is an easy reading but serious antidote to the double dose of hype from pro-globalization cheerleaders and anti-globalization protesters. I recommend it.

Books on "globalization" are common these days, but most don't contribute much to one's understanding of the overall phenomenon. Critics present laundry lists of problems that still exist in the world and then fault globalization either for causing them or for not solving them, ignoring the obvious gains achieved in recent decades. Proponents tell us where globalization is changing life for the better, but often fail to deal with the uneven nature of progress in the world. Why do some places flourish and some falter? Few books offer a complete and convincing picture of what globalization is, where it comes from, and what its limitations are. Against the Dead Hand does all of those things, and in an extremely readable format. It weaves history, economics, and politics together with interesting first-hand reporting from several of the world's economic quagmires. A thoughtful analysis that's suitable for both layman and academic alike.

One of this book's great virtues is its broad sense of historical perspective. Lindsey describes the current trend of globalization not simply as an affirmative triumph of market ideology, but as an outgrowth of the collapse of the great collectivist ideologies of the past century: communism, fascism, and even FDR-style managed capitalism. In other words, free markets advanced primarily because the state receded -- not because political leaders had converted to some capitalist orthodoxy.

Yet the collapse of state economic controls was far from total. Even though faith in central planning and top-down economic control has waned in recent years, the "dead hand" of the collectivist past -- the "accumulated institutions, mindsets, and vested interests of state-dominated economic development" -- still exerts a powerful influence on world affairs. Burdened as it is by the dead hand of the state, Lindsey shows how globalization is neither as widespread as its critics claim nor as firmly entrenched as its champions believe.

The book concludes with a discussion of the events of 9/11 that draws connections between the current terrorist threat and the broader themes explored in the book. Specifically, Lindsey explores the ideological camaraderie evidenced by the more radical elements of the anti-globalization movement -- remnants of what he terms the "Industrial Counterrevolution" -- and the anti-modernist thought embodied in radical Islam. He convincingly argues that while many of globalization's critics sell themselves as friends of the poor, they are in fact enemies of prosperity. Feeling insecure and left behind by the modern world, they seek to stop it -- a goal they must not be allowed to achieve.

Whether you're a fan of free markets or not, this book is worth your time. It's not a sugar-coated view of globalization, nor does it reject the critical role that governments have to play as the world grows closer together. It is, rather, an unflinchingly clear description of where we've been on the road to modernity and the perils that yet lie before us. I highly recommend it.

I'm not surprised that preceding customer reviews are love-or-hate. Lindsey is a free-market advocate, trying to zap anything that remotely resembles marxist, top-down central planning. He clearly advocates a strong and responsible role for government, for important duties such as: protecting individual rights (including orderly transfers of property), centralized functions that cannot compete with market driven processes (e.g. defense), and providing economically sustainable safety nets for those who need help and care and have no resources.

It might be hard to see if Lindsey's heart is a youthful 16 or 20--he definitely doesn't come across as a socialist. But his principles have anecdotal, qualitative and quantitative truths from more than a century of history, so his brain is certainly working just fine. For example, Lindsey presents a compelling case on protectionism leading to trade wars and world war. His equating pay-as-you-go entitlement systems (legislated by leaders such as Bismarck, chiefly concerned with opiating the masses) with Ponzi or pyramid schemes (deemed illegal by the same governments) is unassailable.

If you care about shaping the socioeconomic world that our children and grandchildren will be inheriting, and if you are concerned about what fiction will be taught to them in most universities (e.g. liberally spun Keynesian economics, without contrasting neoclassical or monetarist economics, or even historical resultants of collectivist policies), this is a great book.

If you want to revisit the Dark Ages, then disparage this book and its commendable author.

I would like to review of "Therapy" by David Lodge, a post-modernist writer, who is also Honorary Professor of Modern English Literature at Birmingham and a famous literary critic. "Therapy" is the first book I have read by this author and it made a deep impression on me for Lodge's excellent writing skills. My attention was immediately captured and held throughout the novel. The book is a brilliant, hilarious, first-person introspection, an exceptionally moving story that leaves the reader laughing and thinking at the same time. The main character is Tubby Passmore, a successful TV sitcom screenwriter whose creeping mid-life crisis has turned him into a therapy-addict. With the help of Kierkegaard's philosophy, which promoted the centrality of individual choice, he tries to get rid of his latent ANGST. All the other characters are so amazingly well developed that I had a clear picture of them in my mind. I think that the meeting with the pious Maureen, Tubby's first girlfriend, and the final, clarifying exchange of views with the self-assured Sally, his athletic ex-wife, are the most resolutive, turning point of his life, because they give Tubby the opportunity to reflect on his past years, on his mistakes, and push him to understand himself better and to find the key to his problems. In conformity with post-modernist techniques, Lodge uses here different styles, in which he gradually reflects the change in point of view. The language is however very simple and colloquial, although hilariously amusing. I would suggest this book to anybody who is looking for an intelligent, involving and, at the same time, funny book, because "Therapy" is a well written comic story with a strong moral teaching which captures the spirit of human subconscious.

David Lodge is an extremely good writer, and his book is a joy to read. The British colloquialism make this story diffrent from the usualAmerican viewpoint. His jabs at the British medical system, rail system, etc are priceless. One note: the use of a "private consultant" physician led to unnecessary surgery, which perhaps is a backhanded compliment to the socialist "tincture of time" approach after-all.

A good read by a good author.

This is an excellent novel by a master of the comic serious, David Lodge. The story is covered in the back cover and other reviews, but I would add that the meaning of this novel and its structure are among the most innovative and genuinely engaging I have seen. Many postmodern novels, a term at which no doubt David Lodge would wince, are structured to allow the reader to impose his own understanding of the facts through intricate structures; but rarely are they deeply engaging. The average comic novel, though entertaining, has little to say. This work has both an elusive structure and engaging comic touches. It also has something important to say. It has the potential to become a work read 50 to 100 years from now despite the topical references to mid 1990's Britain. I won't spoil it for you because all will be revealed. Suffice it to say that our protagonist chooses to live in the present rejecting the despair of the unrecoverable past and the hopeless future.

Nancy Friday has long written about women's sexuality, and here in _Women on Top_, she continues that tradition. Published in 1991, Friday discusses how the women's movement has affected the way women think and feel about sex, and goes into the relationship between how women think of themselves, and how they think about sex.

Drawing from many transcribed fantasies, written in each woman's own words, Friday breaks through cultural taboos unflinchingly, and offers a frank discussion. This book will please both academic and prurient interestt, and it may help readers feel more comfortable with their own sexuality and fantasies.

I applaud Friday's guts to stand up to the prudish Prunellas and false feminists and write/publish this book. Her take on women's fantasies is on the mark.

That having been said: if you find the idea of sex with animals as utterly revolting and disgusting as I do, there are entire sections of this book you may wish to avoid. Many of her correspondents discuss not just fantasies about bestiality but actual experiences with it. These women seem to have no conscience, no guilt about committing what is nothing less than a form of rape. Would these women be so accepting of pedophilia? Or rape of the mentally disabled?

However, as Friday is writing about women's sexuality and fantasies, I think she has a right if not an obligation to tell the entire story. If women are fantasising about raping defenseless animals, that is part of the story, and she shouldn't leave it out.

Again, another top-notch piece of research by Friday, but not one the average person can read wit! h unmitigated pleasure.

I first found this book in my Dad's bedroom when I was 15-years old. I am now 21 and I still think it's incredible. The only thing that has changed is my appreciation for it. I now know how rare it is to find such fearless and honest erotica that really turns me on. Some of the fantasies, notwithstanding, aren't for me.

This book is also therapeutic: A friend of mine was recently thinking of seeing a sex therapist. She did, but I also helped by giving her my copy. She hasn't given it back, so this will be my third, counting my Dad's which I read until I moved out.

"Women on Top" is a great reminder or proclaimer of the fact that sex is a natural part of our existence and our everyday lives, and should not be taken for granted.

I think everyone over age 15 (depending on individual maturation) should own this book and be given a sexual education that includes teaching the biology, anatomy, intellect and emotions of sex.