Exports Books

As a fairly new Kellerman fan, I don't have the same complaints as more veteran fans about the declining quality of his books. I've read several random books that happened to be on the shelf in the library and have enjoyed every single one of them. Twisted is no exception. I enjoyed that Petra was the center of this book and really hope we see more of her and Isaac Gomez. I think they are both interesting characters and Isaac would really do well if he continues his career in the police department. Unlike some of the other reviewers, I found this book thrilling and tough to put down. I love all the twists and turns this mystery offers and I hope Jonathan Kellerman keeps putting out more great books!

I loved this whodunit! It is intricately plotted, has well-fleshed, interesting characters, and presents the reader with enough twists and turns to satisfy any mystery junkie. This well-written, intriguing mystery is sure to satisfy the armchair sleuth.

The book centers on Hollywood homicide detective, Petra Connor. Fans of the author will be familiar with this character, who takes center stage in this book. Even more interesting is Isaac Gomez, a twenty-one year old boy genius from the wrong side of the tracks with political connections who has a crush on Petra. He also has a theory on which he is basing his dissertation for his PHD. having to do with patterns of homicides. With Gomez interning in the Hollywood Homicide Division, lucky Petra pulls the short straw and is assigned what she has perceives to be babysitting duty with Gomez.

When Gomez finds a repetitive pattern in a series of unsolved murders that, at first blush, seem to have little connection to each other, he presents it to Petra, who is initially reluctant to give it credence but is sufficiently intrigued and decides to explore Isaacs's theory. In the meantime, however, she is trying to solve the murders of four teenagers who were seemingly gunned down in cold blood. Unfortunately, the witnesses turn out to be less than helpful. Isaac, to her complete surprise, turns out to be actually helpful as his computer research skills rise to the fore.

Added to Petra's already full plate, however, is her worry over her lover and former partner, Detective Eric Stahl, who is part of a homeland security detail currently in the Middle East. The socially immature Isaac to is also suffering his own personal angst, as he wrestles with his burgeoning libido and tries to find his place in the world to which his genius has opened doors, while not losing sight from where he has sprung.

The homicide of the four teenagers is intriguing, but nothing compares to those pattern homicides upon which Isaac has stumbles, as there is, indeed, a serial killer on the loose, and it is up to Petra and Isaac to stop the killer before the killer kills again. This particular serial killer is one of the most intriguing I have ever come across. Although the mystery surrounding the serial killer is very cleverly plotted, it is one that the most discerning of armchair sleuths could solve and have a great time, while doing so.

Petra Connor again stars in TWISTED, after BILLY STRAIGHT and a bit part in an Alex Delaware novel, A COLD HEART. She's an interesting character with enough emotional depth and history to draw most readers in. The ensemble cast backing her, including her love interest and a 22-year-old genius that loves working in the murder field, offer a lot of possibilities too. Although the abridged book is a good listen, read by Lindsay Crouse, the emphasis seems to be more on Petra's person life than either of the two murders she's investigating. TWISTED misses the mark on presenting a thrilling whodunit.

Jonathan Kellerman is the bestselling writer of the Alex Delaware novels featuring a child psychologist who consults for the Los Angeles Police Department. He and his bestelling wife Faye have started writing together, and their son Jesse is a rising star in the novel trade.

TWISTED has two mysteries going at one time. Petra is called to the scene of a mass shooting and struggles to put the pieces together as to who the unidentified girl was and why she was killed. In the meantime, her brilliant understudy, a 22-year-old college professor named Isaac Gomez, comes to her with what he believes is a serial killer who's been striking every June 28th. The book takes place in the month of June, so another killing -- if Gomez is correct, and he is -- is right around the corner. The novel's strengths are in the showcasing of Petra and Gomez's personal lives outside of the murder investigation.

However, the novel's weaknesses are the lack of pursuit, to a degree, of the murders. While Petra puts together a fairly good case against the mass murderer who killed the teenagers, the serial killer case seems to come together more as luck and out of left field. There was no opportunity to match wits with the author because you don't get to see all the cards.

Lindsay Crouse reads the audiobook and does a fabulous job of keeping the pacing and the narrative tension in play. She's a reader I'll definitely be looking for more from.

TWISTED will satisfy Kellerman fans, but isn't the best place new readers can discover this author. It would probably be better to read BILLY STRAIGHT or A COLD HEART first. That way you'll see and understand more of Petra's history by the time you pick up TWISTED.

The CD Abridged version:
I have no idea how Lindsay Crouse has won multiple awards...maybe as an actress she is excellent. However this Audio version is dreadful. What a waste of money...I refuse to listen to any more of this drivel....Shame on you Random House, there are so many fabulous actor/'s out there why pick one who is so dull?
This opinion is mine, and if you have enjoyed listening to it I applaud you.

Through the lens of LAPD detective Petra Connor we watch Isaac Gomez, ultra-smart twenty-ish PhD candidate police intern learn about life and love in that clueless but creative way that is typical of twenty year olds. Luckily Isaac is a quick learner, although his active mind and libido land him in some awkward and surprising situation vis-a-vis the older folks he's engaged with. The central mystery is also intriguing - there is plenty of sleuthin' goin' on as well as character development, plus true love pops up in the last pages - a satisfying ending...with a future. Possibly better than Delaware/Sturgis!

I first read this book when it came out in 1992. Like everyone else, I was shocked and blamed Prince Charles for the marriage falling apart.

Since she died, there's been a number of credible stories come out that shows Diana to be manipulative, emotionally immature, stubborn and just plain bizarre. While her devotion to her children is unquestionable, and her charity work obviously came right from her heart, there were too many other aspects of her character that were not so glossy.

I mean come on, if your wife was pregnant and threw herself down the stairs to get your attention, would you not seriously question her mental stability? Anyone who can cut themselves with a lemon peeler or smash themselves against a glass cabinet is obviously a few bricks short of a load and in serious need of help. When she did the Panorama interview in 1995, she declared that she felt "betrayed" when her former lover James Hewitt did a tell-all book.............uh, well didn't she do the exact same thing to her husband when she told Andrew Morton all the dirty details of their marriage?

While I despised Prince Charles and Camilla Parker Bowles for their affair, I understand now (a decade later) why he would turn to her: for some NORMALCY in his life.

Be that as it may, the one fasinating thing about Diana is her uncanny ability to predict things. In this book, it tells of her conversations when she was young that she was going to marry someone "in the public eye". She also apparently predicted her father's stroke in 1975. But what was fasinating to read in 1992 was Diana's belief that "while she knows that William will one day be King, she is firm in her belief that she will never become Queen" and "I am performing my duty as Princess of Wales, but I can't see it for much longer than 15 years." As we all know, she was Princess of Wales for 16 years. She made these statements 6 years before she died.....

Andrew Morton's book, written in collusion with the late Diana, is a well-written, cleverly confected polemic designed to undo the very people who made her what she was (or, as some in the UK were wont to say, "After all, she's just a royal by injection"). Purportedly the daughter of a famous alcoholic (Lord Spencer), she exhibited all the classic symptoms of an adult child of an alcoholic; low self-esteem, poor boundaries, poor impulse control, chronic depression, a pattern of blaming others for her problems, etc. Of course, one can add on bulemia (from which she suffered before she married her poor husband), and other deep-seated psychiatric disorders. All this is clearly shown in the book to any critical reader. My daughter's godmother, the late Ouida Huxley, used to regale us with stories told her by one of the Queen's closest confidants, who herself witnessed how during the height of her omnipotence Diana would disparage her husband to his face, in front of the family, on his lack of charisma compared to her. She pulled cute pranks like screaming and rolling about on the floor when she didn't get what she wanted (in this particular case, to go to Majorca instead of Balmoral) in a fine impression of a grand mal epileptic seizure, in front of the Queen at a family meeting. For some reason (and it wasn't Camilla, who re-entered the scene only after all efforts at marital repair were exhausted), Diana felt as if the ungrateful royals needed to be paid back for her psychic pain, not realizing that the source of her suffering was in her own head. Andrew Morton's book is the result. It's as one-sided as an autobiography by a narcissist. Morton was either duped, or a willing collaborator in the tearing down of Britain's primary civic institution, the Monarchy. This work (if such it may be called) is about as accurate as Soviet propaganda. It is a fantasy woven from scraps of truth. If Diana had lived, and married the dreadful Dodie Fayed, she would have lost her titular "Princess" title, and reverted to merely the (alleged) daughter of an earl, and would have once again been "Lady Di". Dodie's dad was planning to lugubriously install the two love-birds in the Windsors' old place in the Bois de Boulogne. Eventually, no doubt, she would have tried out one of her famous emotionally wracking "turns" on Dodie (an Egyptian man, mind you) and would have infallibly been kicked out on her coutured posterior. During that time anyone who knew her, even from a distance, could see that Diana's life was on an inexorable and endless downward cycle (remember, even her brother, who so "courageously" dissed his own godmother, the Queen, on international television, refused to have Christmas dinner with D the last year of her life). Andrew Morton's book is a classic celebrity bio. Poor Diana. She was never happy, she would never be happy, and she was going to sow chaos and destruction wherever she went. Death, however, mercifully came for Diana before her life got even worse.

Saint Therese of Lisieux, The Little Flower wrote that she had prayed to discover her true vocation - and that she had found it: "to be love in the heart of the Church"! A novel by Carson McCullers wears the title: "The Heart is A Lonely Hunter". "The heart" is the location of the reality of our life . . .it is where we really dwell . . . and where God dwells with us.

Princess Diana Spencer was indeed a "lonely hunter" searching for herself and for meaning "in her heart" . . . and she found that meaning in the hearts of countless millions throughout the world -- many who encountered her personally and countless millions who never physically met her but DID meet her soul.

Diana's external beauty simply was a radiation outward and visibly of her real true inner beauty - Melanie (Safka) the folk singer wrote a song titled, "Beautiful People", and while Melanie hadn't envisioned "Diana" who probably had just been born about the time she recorded that song, Diana WAS a "beatiful person".

This book by Andrew Morton comes about as close as we might ever come to hearing the voice of Diana speaking for herself. She presents herself to us as she was: frailties included - but "the flaws" are what mark individuals as unique and as the amazing persons that they are - and the faults simply lend contrast to their perfections and more noble character.

The world cried when Diana died . . . and she left us wondrous memories of a "Camelot" that did exist if but for a fleeting moment . . . and she left us an example of how "love" can exist in the heart of the worldfor any other person in need, whatever their need or hurt and wherever they may live. She was a friend of Mother Terese and Mother Terese was a friend to Diana (Diana was buried with rosaries Mother Teresa gave her) - they lived in two different atmospheres but shared that sense of "human pain".

This volume lets Diana linger with us a while longer . . . and the photographs bring her back once again and remind us of why we all fell under her spell.

And beneath the surface of her image . . . between the lines of her words, we can also find hints as to how we can live a more compassionate and understanding and caring life of "love" ourselves.

Diana is missed . . . and she should be . . . but the world was blessed that she walked among us even for so brief a time. Her smile is now eternal.

I sort of liked this book more than some of the other biographies I've read before. To be honest before I read this book I have NEVER heard of Princess Diana. While I read this book I felt sympathetic toward her because she had a real hard life after she became involved with the Prince Charles. Most of the sympathy went into the fact that she received pretty much no help from any one except her mother and father but no help whatsoever from the royal family and was expected to know everything she was supposed to. She had bulimia and no experience at all at being royalty and the somewhat rude expectations from the royal position and the responsibilities that came with it. Not only that but the prince that proposed to Diana (the prince that became her husband) was cheating on her with another woman and everyone was trying to hide the fact that he was seeing the other woman. Along with that problem came the fact that her husband cared more about the other woman than Diane even though she was his wife. An example was that when Diana was still engaged to the prince and the paparazzi were following her and the other woman the prince was seeing, Diana was being followed by like 36 paparazzi the other woman was only being followed by 4 people the prince was sympathetic towards the other woman and didn't even care about the hardships Diana was going through.
So overall I would give the book a good rating since it had a personal interview with Diana and used her own words rather than some facts that could very well be just rumors that were spread.
S.Brock

If you need to read just ONE book rehardsing Princess Diana... This is THE one you must pick!

You will be delighted with all the details and will admire even more this wonderful person.

A book you MUST have on your shelves!

This is the 2nd book in the Chronicles of the Warlands trilogy, and it's definitely a transitional book. I still liked it, but didn't feel it really moved the plot forward. The whole book focused on the plague and everyone getting sick and trying to treat them. I thought we'd see Lara really shine here using her healing skills and finding a cure, but she just didn't. She stumbled around almost figuring "something" out, but then never really does. This book fell flat, but I'd still recommend it as part of this series.

This book continues the adventures of Lara and Keir as they travel back to the Plains. The back copy does give you a basic idea of the plot, and at first I thought I'd spoiled the book by reading it.

Oh, how I was wrong.

Unexpected - but perfectly possible - twists take you by surprise, as Ms. Vaughan's characters completely immerse you in thier world. Like Warprize, I suppose this book can be a "romance", for make no mistake, there are kissing - and more - bits! But it is simultaneously a rip-roaring fantasy tale, a tale of journey and exploration (at least for Lara), and a nuanced look at the benefits and pitfalls of cultural relativism.

Yeah, all that. Oh, and I couldn't put it down.

[Small side note: Women who have had infertility and/or pregnancy issues may experience some discomfort, as these are themes in the last two books of this series. However, Ms. Vaughan treats both with directness, compassion, and sensitivity. Just like Lara would.]

I just finished Warsworn and I am both deeply saddened and exhilarated to have read this wonderful book. There is no happily ever after here and for that reason this series reminds me of Tolkien and Jordan's works for art. Elizabeth Vaughan stays true to the world she created weaving intrigues and suspense into this complex story of devotion and love.

The second book in the series begins with Kier's army returning back to the Plains, when they reach a Xyian village which appears to be rebelling against the Firelander invaders. As Kier, the rightful overlord of Xy, prepares to obliterate the village for disobeying their oaths, Lara learns the real cause for the villager's behavior - plague. But how do you describe this invisible enemy to the people who rarely sicken? How do you make them believe that this silent killer that managed to wipe out most of the village will have dreadful consequences on the strongest and healthiest of warriors? And then the worst happens, and the plague spreads like wildfire through the army taking anyone in its path.

This tale was heartbreaking at times and I dabbed my eyes constantly feeling the anguish of untimely death of the characters that I grew to love so much. That seemed to be the main complaint of other reviewers, but I think it only added to the story. In reality, a contagious disease like that does not discriminate - it passes the immune and kills the vulnerable and I would personally be disappointed if Ms. Vaughan did it any other way.

And then there is Iften. He is a perfect villain and the injustice that he wasn't afflicted with the disease added depth to his aggressiveness and a better claim to the imminent conflict of the last book. Ms. Vaughan portrayed him as an ambitious man, and strong enough to win the power struggle with Kier that we first saw in Warprize. The best thing about this book, is that there are no guarantees. I am so tired of reading these authors who are trying to add suspense to their book when from page one it's evident that the antagonist will perish and the protagonist is sure to prevail. Kier and Lara are on the brink of abyss with a clear way down and even though the suspense is killing me I can not wait to see how this wonderful tale ends.

After reading Warpirze I ran out to a friend's house since she had it already. She sent me a word of warning, but I brushed it off thinking how could such a great beginning have such a bad sequel. I should have listened and now I'm in no right of mind to read the 3rd book.
I might pick it up if my local library has it for loan, but I won't be running out to buy it.

I was very disappointed in this book. In the first one(warprize) Lara was such a strong women. In this one she was stupid. Not only that because of her stupidity she got characters you loved in the first book killed. I was so not happy about that fact. The strong passion between her and Keir just wasn't their. That saddened me. Every page I turned I was hoping it was the last. If you want to read the trilogy all I have to tell you is get the kleenex's out and hope for the end, but it does give you some imformation for the next book. I don't think I will write her off yet, she is just starting out.

Reading this will make you want to write Steven King a thank-you note: this is clear, logically consistent, emotionally deep writing on a level that could only be the product of a child of writers, really good parenting of a creative child, or someone who is a naturally gifted writer--or all three.

I'm a picky bastard when it comes to writing: I occasionally write at a torturously high level for work, and my professional training has given me a memory for patterns that makes it really difficult to read anything trite; I read this in a morning and wanted to cry when I finished it, and I'm not a horror fiction fan.

It can't be said enough--this is one of the best short story collections written in the last decade.

Nice work, Mr. King.

At times, good writers are the product of their lineage, and Joe Hill is a perfect example. Since both his father and mother are best-selling authors, it's not shocking that he has inherited good writing genes. This is a collection of extremely well-written short stories. Despite the title, not all of them are "ghost stories", or even spooky ones. That being said, all of the tales contained in this book are obviously wonderful to read. The "horror" ones are quite chilling, and the non-horror ones are simply stories that are told in a writing style that captures the reader from the beginning and doesn't let go until the end. Perhaps Mr. Hill should be considered a mutli-faceted writer, and not simply thought of as a "horror" writer. That would do great justice to his considerable writing talent.

I bought this book after reading Heart Shaped Box, which I thought wonderfully written. 20th Century Ghosts is a collection of short stories, some of which are not horror.
Joe Hill has a way of creating a story that has longevity. I am an avid reader, and lets face it; some books are entertaining for the moment, but not something you are going to really remember. I read Heart Shaped Box about a year ago and the story still stays with me. Some of the stories in 20th Century Ghosts are the same.
If you read this book for no other reason, read the story Pop Art. It is quite possibly the most bizarre story I have ever read, and at the same time, to me, it is pure literary genius. There are several great stories in this book, and definitely one I recommend.

Joe Hill is a fabulous writer following in his fathers' footsteps. I also bought, "Heart Shaped Box" and am enjoying it as well.

20th Century Ghosts Low Price Unabridg CD
I recently ordered the audiobook version of "20th Century Ghosts" and I have to say this was on the better puchaces I made this year. I enjoy most all of the stories and the narrator did a great job presenting each story and capturing the moods. This was my first book by Joe Hill and I really hope he comes out with another collection.
Also I have to say that for all of the quality stories you get in this collection, it was also a fantastic value for the price.

Please check this one out.

I had not read "18 Seconds" when I got this one, but the backstory was easy enough to pick up. The subject matter is depressing, as is Moore's own history, but the story moves along so you don't spend time wallowing. The concept of the blind protagonist who can see just enough to make her life difficult but rarely enough to make a difference is a neat one. By the time she sees through the victims' eyes, they're basically dead. She can help future victims of the same person, perhaps (and that's a big perhaps), but not help the one she's closest to. So it's a hard life.

I loved this book and learned a lot about the sex tourism problem as well as cultural norms. I would greatly recommend this book!

This was a little different for me however; I enjoyed it.You get really caught up in the story...a blind woman involved with such dangerous "dark" situations no pun intended. It was exciting, nerve recking and action filled. While I recommend this book though I felt like something was missing it did not click completely for me so its more 3 1/2 stars (-_-) still great book great potential this storyline.

When you lose one sense, you are often gifted with stronger abilities in others. When Sherry Moore lost her sight, she gained the ability to see the last 18 seconds of a person's life. This psychic gift turned her into an investigator. In this literally chilling opening, Sherry's initially investigating a snow crash, but the tale leads to human trafficking.

"Lost Girls" is the sequel to "18 Seconds" which I am strongly recommending that you read first, because this book does not stand alone well. Two further caveats which warrant the 2-star rating, the author tells more than showing you what's going on in the character's head, which is something of a turn off for me and the subject matter (human trafficking of women) is extremely rough.

Rebecca Kyle, November 2008

This book is as thrilling as it is saddening to read. It's a heart breaking story about human trafficking. I agree with one prior reviewer that it is not for the faint of heart,but unlike that reviewer I am giving this book 5 stars, because even though it is not a true story but these things are happening in our world and closing our eyes from the facts and putting our head in the sand wouldn't solve the problems. Awareness of these atrocities is the first step.
I do however feel that the evil-doers usually get off really easy with a rapid death with the least amount of sufferring. They need to feel the same agony that they have inflicted upon innocent people.
I love Mr. Shuman's writing style. Highly recmmended !

I read My Secret Garden when I was 16, and have made a point since then to make Nancy Friday books gifts to women who I have been going out with. Why? Because in my experience, the women in the books although seemingly from all strata of life, are unique in their ability to verbalise their thoughts and desires, and this in my experience still, even today, makes them in the minority.

Which is criminal, because it rather selfishly brings me back to my reason for reading these books, not just to find out what women want in their sex lives from a physical point of view, but to find out how to foster a relationship dynamic that enables my partner to be able to communicate those desires in an open and honest way. Sadly, in my experience I have found so many women to be still repressed and in denial of their true selves and the value of these books should be obvious. Every schoolgirl should read them and be able to realise that she has the freedom to claim her own sexual freedom identity and be free to claim it and express it.

Us blokes are much more linear in our desires and satisfactions I think, and it has always been my view that if who I am with is having a good time, then I am most certainly having one, and if reading Ms Fridays books give people the freedom to explore these areas together, then they are wonderful indeed.

I think she over-analyses sometimes, and I am as guilty as the next man iin sometimes scooting through the text to get to the next fantasy section. In my view, the fantasies are the book, the fact that women can express them, and others read them, compare with their own and realise that it is ok to think or do those things. Over analysis of fantasy robs them of their magic, and like half remembered dreams robs them of their potency.

Of the 4 books I own, I rate "Flowers" as the best, followed by "Garden" and "Top" although all could be lumped together into one volume for that matter. men in Love is a different kettle of fish, its about men and our simple ways.

I would like to thank Ms Friday and everyone who contributed to her books, and indeed anyone who has read them, enjoyed them and valued them for making the world a better place.

Not only are the fantasies stated, they are introduced and commented. Beyond the erotic power of some of the tales, this book opens a window on the world of women's psyche. Nancy Friday does with fantasies what psychoanalysis does with dreams. She disects them and makes them meaningful.
This book inspired me in my real life as well as in my writings. A most instructive and arousing reading.

This wonderful book came along to say that women do have fantasies. And some of them can be more intricate than you might think.

If you believe the saying that says, "You won't be good to me off your feet, if you're not good to me on your feet," you will probably be open to reading this book.

It's a great book for both genders. For men because the pressure can be taken off of them. For women, to say, "Express yourself!!"

I had already read some of Nancy Fridays other books including "Men in Love" which discusses men's sexual fantazies so I wanted to hear what she had to say about the ladies too. This is a very interesting and informative read, and might give the ladies some hints to spice up there sex lives too. I would recommed this book and Nancy Friday is a very well informed sex therapist.

I looked forward to this book and was disappointed. As someone stated in another review, it's the same fantasies over and over again. Many of them are written using the same slang and terminology to reference certain parts of the anatomy. Considering the English language has a dozen words or different ways to describe the female anatomy it seemed more than a bit odd that most of the women who submitted fantasies would all choose to use the same 2 or 3 words. About 1/4 of the way into the book it started to seem like the author wrote a lot of the fantasies herself since she also uses the same slang lingo in her chapter intros and the fantasies are all so similar. The book also lacks variety but if you're interested in reading the mostly tame fantasies of totally inexperienced or totally repressed women, this might be a good read.

I discovered Vonnegut when I was around 12 or 13. I instantly fell in love with every single one of his books I could get my hands on. And after all these years he is still one of my favorite authors. And this book of short stories is wonderful, especially if you are really busy or have a short attention span.

My long-time readers are aware of my predilection for the works of Mr. Vonnegut. In my online journal (The Soupletter 1993-2003) I reviewed his final novel, TIMEQUAKE, (G.P. Putnam's Sons, 1997) and GOD BLESS YOU DR. KEVORKIAN, (Seven Stories Press, 1999), a collection of radio essays he wrote for New York public radio, as well as THE VONNEGUT STATEMENT, Jerome Klinkowitz & John Somer, Ed.s, (Dell, 1973), a scholarly look at the writer's career in mid-stream. Later, with Vonnegut's career winding down, I took a notion to see what I might have missed among his twenty or so book-length works and stumbled on the two I review here (which I am pretty sure completes my personal tour of his bibliography). BAGOMBO is comprised of short stories left out of WELCOME TO THE MONKEY HOUSE, the only other such collection, and by and large it is easy to see why they were left out the first time around. Vonnegut says so himself in his excellent front and back matter, essays well worth the effort of locating the book -- the reader in a hurry can profitably skip most of the rest. In fact, the author admits in his afterword that he substantially re-wrote a few of the pieces he deemed unreadable. The chief value of the stories themselves, for Vonnegut fans, lies in their historicity. Early traces of the humor, the characters, the settings and the anguish of his later brilliant work are scattered here and there as the young writer learned his trade in the late 1940s and early 50s.

This collection of stories were written in the 1950's ..long before Kurt Vonnegut became one of our country's finest satirists or writers of black humor. The stories cover a wide range of subjects and sometimes lack the tremendous sidesplitting insight one expects when they sit down to read one of Vonnegut's novels. Therin lies a key point...these stories were written as a quick source of income to help Vonnegut be able to pay for his later novels that are so great. Having said that, the stories here which range from science fiction to domestic dilemmas are enjoyable and sometimes thought provoking stories. Some of the characters are quite memorable such as the music obsessed high school band director George M. Hemholtz who shows up in a number of the stories here. Some of the better stories here include A Present For Big Saint Nick, The No-Talent Kid, Souvenir, Lovers Anonymous, and 2BR02B but each of them offers a few little nuggets or something to make them enjoyable. Considering these stories were written so long ago, many have held up very well. This might not be CLASSIC Vonnegut, but you can pull hints of it out of Vonnegut's Bagombo Snuff Box and if you are a die-hard Vonnegut Fan this one will be too much to pass up!

There is a definite reason where the introduction bewares of this being Pre Vonnegutan days. There's the beginning of a master, some twists but that's all. Vonnegut is best known for his quirky, cynical twist on society. If anything in a lot of these stories he supports it. Especially when in "Lovers Anonymous" when he went on about magic markers and report cards, (you have to read it in order to know what I'm talking about.)

This book offers an entertaining set of Vonnegut's previously uncollected short stories, most of which were written in the 1950s and early 1960s. While the quality of the tales is not as good as those in his previously published Welcome to the Monkey House, anybody who is a fan of Vonnegut's work, or even someone who simply likes good stories, will enjoy this book.

Yet like all good fiction, Vonnegut's work is as valuable for its insights as for its ability to entertain. While the stories collected here are in a variety of genres, one theme does emerge from them - the hunger for distinction. From the title story to "The Package", "The Powder-Blue Dragon" to "Runaways," many of the stories are about people seeking something that distinguishes them from the rest of their world, usually somthing that is artificial or external to who they are. That these searches usually end in folly for the characters appears to illustrate Vonnegut's point - it is who we are as people that matters, not the trinkets we buy or the poses we adopt. Though hardly radical today, it is a point that offers an interesting contrast to the consumer-driven age that spawned such tales.

Richard North Patterson is one of the most gifted authors that I have read and this ranks as one of his finest works. He is apept at taking a complex story and keeping it interesting with double and triple twists. The ability to effectively utilize flashbacks adds to this novel. Althogh he is most at home in the Cortroom setting, this book is far more than that. It is about deeply woven characters that the reader is able to feel an affinity for. It is also about family and the close as well as distant inter-relationships that frequently exist. Although this is not a page turner that will keep one up through the evening hours, it has a very smooth and satisfying flow to it that makes the reader want to learn about the motivations of the characters that the writer has so skillfully created in this work.

I couldn't put this one down once I started. Read it in one sitting, closing the restaurant where I was eating. Excellent character development, unwinding of relationships and the possibilty of several murderers. A great read.

And here's why. Without giving away the ending, I knew who the killer was about halfway through. I kept going because it is well written, and I was hoping for a shocking surprise at the end. I was disappointed. I read this about 3 years ago and at the time I bought this one, I bought another one of his books. I haven't opened it yet. I'm sorry, Mr. Patterson, but I like to keep guessing until THE VERY LAST PAGE. "The Final Judgement" failed in this aspect.

Awesome...that's all I can say about Patterson's books. As I read more of him, I continue to become fascinated with his style and his understanding of human foibles and complexities.
Caroline Masters, featured in supporting roles in two previous books, gets the whole shebang this time. There are many surprises in this book, and as the tragic picture of a New England family, dominated by the patriarch, Channing Masters, unfolds, one is caught up in the seemingly unending heartbreaks that have touched the family. There are some truly heart-tugging scenes and some real thrills in the murder and Caroline's resolution of it. Another classic from the best of the legal thriller writers!
HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMENDED.

This book is tightly written with most subplots fleshed out and resolved (which means Patterson has a good editor!). My only negative comment is the number of "twists" in this book. To me incredulity is strained to the point that the characters no longer matter and the reader is reduced to appreciating the writing style. That is what happened to me in this book. I love the writing, but so much "other stuff" was going on, that I lost touch with the main story line.

Bottom line - Mr. Patterson sold a book... I got to meet one of his recurring characters (Caroline Masters) and learned a little about how life runs in different social circles (I think he describes Martha's Vineyard incredibly well). It's not going on the shelf as a keeper, but I will pass this book on with a recommendation to read it. Good luck to all!

You get reeled into these short stores effortlessly, never knowing what to expect... even as Murakami's narrator starts his narrative in an almost blase fashion, spewing strange and weird information, e.g. "A friend of mine has a habit of going to the zoo whenever there's a typhoon" in 'New York Mining Disaster'.

Oftentimes he throws a red herring along the way, and as you scurry along after it, you can almost imagine Murakami leaning against the doorway with a wry grin on his face, as the story goes the other way... what a sly writer!

His obsession with jazz music is obvious as he namechecks some big names in the business...

Beautifully translated, without any of those awkward idoms and expressions typically found in a translation, kudos to Philip Gabriel and Jay Rubin.

This is the fifth Murakami book I've read, and very well may be my last, which is unfortunate considering how great The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle, Kafka on the Shore, and The Elephant Vanishes were. Compared to The Elephant Vanishes, the stories found within are even more dry than usual, and poorly thought out. Definitely surprising, and not a good sign. Avoid unless you're already a devotee.

This collection of short stories features quite a range of memorable characters and situations. Blind willows have a lot of pollen and tiny flies covered with it crawl inside the ear of a woman and put her asleep. A waitress about to spend her twentieth birthday in a surprising manner. A man who has the astonishing habit of going to the zoo whenever there is a typhoon. The story of a mirror capable of reflecting another self. The strange story of a disabled son and her mother holidaying on an island.
In many of these stories, narrative tension is heightened by a refusal to explain strange events; Murakami's ghosts and mysteries remain what they are. In "Nausea 1979" for example, the reader will never know whether a serial adulterer has been cursed, or whether his nausea has something to do with his predilection for deceptive seduction. Murakami never gives answers to the reader's questions, and the result is memorable if puzzling at times.
The stories in this collection have all of Murakami's characteristic strangeness, but they combine the bizarre with a tight structure. They show the author at his best; not as a cult literary figure but as a really first-rate writer of short fiction. Highly recommended.

I have given up on "Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman." I am half way through and I believe it's not worth any more of my time.

Let me tell you how bad it was. I took the book with me in a visit to Toronto earlier this week. I was bored out of mind at the Pearson Airport waiting for my flight. So I pulled out the book, thinking I could probably sail through the wait engrossed in Haruki Murakami's stories. After about 10 minutes, I put the book back in my carry-on thinking it is much more preferable to get bored out of mind than reading this junk.

What on earth was Murakami thinking? Do authors become so arrogant that after some fame, the readers will lap up any crap they dish out? Frankly, I am disgusted. I am not going to read another Murakami unless the reviews are really really good.

"Blind Willow, Sleeping Woman" demonstrates Haruki Murakami's mastery of the short story genre. It is quite simply one of the most intriguing short story collections that I have read recently. Much to his credit, Murakami has a marvelous ability of transforming the mundane into something that's quite interesting, and often profound, as demonstrated by so many of his short stories published in this volume, which deal with relationships between men and women. Though set primarily in his native Japan, his stories - which are well-translated by his long-time translators Philip Gabriel and Jay Rubin - have an almost universal quality to them, as fascinating examinations of contemporary modern culture from the perspectives of both men and women. All of these stories feature Murakami's usual literary tricks of the trade, ranging from his mordant humor to constant references to contemporary pop culture, and last, but not least, his keen ear for dialogue between the sexes. These stories truly demonstrate why Murakami isn't just one of Japan's greatest living writers, but more importantly, why he ranks amongst the world's finest.

It's hard to pick among twenty-four terrific tales for personal favorites. Two of the best, "Firefly" and "Man-Eating Cats", were revised later to become separate chapters in Murakami's novels "Norwegian Wood" and "Sputnik Sweetheart". Another compelling story is his realistic fantasy "The Ice Man", which could have been written by Harlan Ellison. "Dabchick" is an intriguing, almost Kafkaesque, battle of wits between a young woman and a receptionist in the office of a mysterious Japanese tycoon. "Hanalei Bay" is an emotionally riveting tale about a woman's ability to cope with the loss of her only child, a son killed by a shark while surfing in Hawaii. These superb stories are among the reasons why that I - ten years after being introduced to Murakami's work by fellow Stuyvesantian Muriel Cleary - regard him as among my favorite contemporary authors. If you haven't read any of Murakami's work, then do yourself a favor and pick up this fine short story collection; it will be a most delightful introduction to it.

Backman's Asian Eclipse is the kind of expose that newspaper editors in Asia can only dream about. Not only does it provide a framework for understanding Asian business culture, it reveals in excruciating detail of the shenanigans in Corporate Asia?s largest boardrooms.

As the latest attempt to offer reasons for the Asian Crisis of 1997, it goes further than most treatments by delving into the institutional, political and social causes that underlie the culture of corruption, cronyism and managerial incompetence in Asia's former 'tiger' economies. The surfeit of detail is also the book's greatest weakness as it sometimes reads like a genealogy. However, this weakness it is trivial compared to the rich descriptions of the family-based power structures that govern much of East Asia.

The central thesis of Backman's book is that poorly paid civil servants, opaque bureaucracies, antiquated government systems and a compromised media act to subvert capital markets so they act like free ATM machines to feed the empire building lusts of Asian conglomerates at the expense of minority shareholders, and local tax payers. To back up this claim, the author offers a grand tour of the history and development of business culture in Asia. In the process, he also reveals the complicity of the multinationals and their mad race toward the lowest ethical standards to buy the cooperation of local politicians, thus feeding the nascent culture of corruption.

Backman is not as sanguine about the 'Asian Way', as many writers on the region seemed to be. He traces the origins of Asian business culture to the Confucian system of responsibilities and obligations between superior and subordinate. In this system, he argues, are clearly established lines of authority and responsibility that engender trust. In an economic context where contract law is undeveloped and institutions are unstable, a reliance on Confucian ethics provided the only reliable form of governance. What this system cannot do, having been created in an era of village feudalism and not global business, is to set out a similar code of rights and responsibilities between insiders (the family) and outsiders (non-family stakeholders). Outsiders are treated with suspicion, deception, and guile. Extreme forms of opportunism, driven by Sun Tzu's Art of War tactics, are routinely encountered by minority shareholders, foreign business partners, taxpayers and other 'outsider' stakeholders. The Art of War is a treatise designed to win wars with mortal enemies and thus emphasizes the use of deception, subterfuge, and unscrupulous tactics. Little wonder that foreigners find doing in business in Asia such a legal and ethical minefield.

Thus, the Asian crisis of 1997 was not the result of a series of random events but the logical outcome of a corrupted system with minority shareholders, foreign companies, bank depositors, and taxpayers as its unwitting victims. The main players in this game are corrupt government officials at the highest levels, high-ranking military officers, and the Overseas Chinese families who provide the business networks through which expropriated public funds are sterilized.

While readers of the book should critically consider the author's conspiracy theory of the activities of the Overseas Chinese, there is no question that it offers some of the best treatments of business in Asia and of the 1997 crisis than any book that has been written on the topic. In addition to the fact that it is easy to read and highly entertaining, it's carefully researched and well-documented treatment allows the reader to go beyond the standard stereotypes of Asian business heretofore promulgated by a business press enamoured with the illusory growth of the 1980s. In short, the reader should conclude, as I did, that the Crash of 1997 was self-inflicted, and not the work of currency speculators, neo-colonialists, or the 'evil' IMF!

The book concludes with a startling analysis. Contrary to the more optimistic, the author depressingly suggests that countries have not learnt from the lessons of the Crash of 1997. He cites the continuing inability of the Indonesian government to enforce laws designed to hold businesses accountable for their problems, the continuing delay in enforcing bankruptcy laws in Thailand, the Renong (business arm of the ruling political party) bailout in Malaysia, and the pulling back from serious corporate reform by South Korea's chaebols, as evidence that the region is poised to repeat the same errors in the future by rebuilding 'along the same fault lines' (page 379).

While he doesn't suggest that foreign investors disengage from the region, he does offer some suggestions to reduce the inherent risks. Investors should pay attention to building relationships before engaging in business negotiations. Part of relationship building should be devoted to knowing one's local partner as transparency and disclosure are unfamiliar concepts to many Asian businesses. Investors should regularly conduct due diligence and independent audit exercises to verify partner claims. That cronyism costs more in the long term than it yields in the short term, as demonstrated in Indonesia, strongly suggests that foreign investors stay away from all temptations to play the political connection angle. Finally they should be wary of approaching local banks for financing since these banks may often be affiliated with local competitors.

This is a solid book and an entertaining read. The author is not particularly profound in his analysis, but at least he is not just another neo-liberal ideologue. He understands that business is embedded in wider society, and that this fact fundamentally influences the business culture. I especially liked the portraits of major players, and the other telling details. Overall, not really deep, but an interesting coverage of Asia's economic woes.

There is no doubt that this book was very well researched. The stories are very detailed and cover the most important companies in the Asian region. However, precisely because it was well researched, it is a dangerous book for unsuspecting minds.

The author may have stayed in Asia for a long time. He may also have written articles and books about the region. But like most western authors, he had falsely believe that such qualifications make him an expert on Asia. He clearly misunderstood Asia on many counts.

For example, he mentions that the Confucius believes in ancestor worship. That is incorrect. In the Analects, it was recorded that Confucius when asked about the afterlife would rather his disciples concentrate on matter of the living. He did not comment on anything related to ancestor worshipping at all.

It would have been inconsequential for the author to have such beliefs and the book would still have been great if the author had stuck to reporting the events surrounding Asian companies. However, he chose to inject his flawed beliefs into the book by explaining in flawed reasoning why the failures of Asian companies occurred.

Unsuspecting readers or readers who do not understand Asians well thus tend to fall for his flawed logic as factual events lends credence to his reasonings. The author should have stuck to being a journalist and not venture into being a socialogist.

I recommend this book to anyone who is interested in Asian large business and the economic collapse of Asian countries in 1997-1998. It is a comprehensive book on the subject. However, when the author starts telling you why certain things happen or how asians think, skip those parts. Specifically, skip chapter 1 and the last chapter.

Unlike most readers of this text, I am very familiar with nearly all of the information presented here, as many of these stories have occurred in the same time frame as my professional and personal experience living and working in the Pacific Rim. As such, the content of this book is not new to me, or for that matter, anyone in Asian business circles, as all of the stories have appeared in one or more of the regional newspapers at some point in time. However, in the author's defense, those observing the region from the outside would have to read well over 100 sources, many of them in foreign languages, on a daily basis to get the information that is presented in this juicy, scandalous book.

Asian Eclipse presents the reader case after case detailing the more objectionable aspects of business in Asia. After reading many of the cases (presented by chapters devoted to each country in the Asian region), it becomes extremely difficult to distinguish any real differences, and I personally could not say if the individuals in question were Chinese, Japanese, Indian, Indonesian- the behavior in the end was virtually the same. Only the company name and the locality where the less-than-above-board behavior took place differed.

The book actually pays for itself in the first three chapters, for here is where the reader will learn the commonalities across the region. It is also the place in the book where Backman chooses to delineate, albeit very briefly, the underlying reasons for the under-handed and unsavory business practices that unfortunately typify, but as we are increasingly seeing with the spectacular financial skullduggery of US and European corporations, are not wholly limited to the Asian corporate landscape.

The author tells the would-be investor in Asia what it means to be a stakeholder in publicly listed and privately held companies in the region. Backman deftly delineates all of the obstacles one will face when doing business or directing investments toward Asia. Should you decide to invest in Asia be forewarned: Comprehensive due dilligence is paramount. Too many Western businesspeople who venture unaware into the region have found themselves holding the bag for the embarrassing things their so-called Asian partners have done before, during and after the partnership.

One very important point from the book is this: In Asia, those who enforce the rules are also the same people who make the rules...and break them with impunity (Modern Feudalism writ large). Thus, any attempt to enforce the laws written on the legal books protecting minority corporate stakeholders (and foreigners are definitely relegated to minority positions) or to uphold terms and conditions as stated in written contracts, would only result in one and only one outcome- nothing. In other words, any rights and protections that you take for granted in the Western hemisphere simply do not exist in Asia.

In sum, the book serves as a stern warning about commonplace business practices in Asia. It also serves as a good bit of contemporary regional financial history. Finally, I do not believe that any of the players learned the appropriate lessons from the various Financial Meltdowns, large and small and/or country-specific or regional. As is often the unfortunate case, the movers and shakers in this region of the world learned all the wrong lessons. Rather than opening up, reforming, and tackling their problems in a sincere and concerted fashion, they have chosen to insulate themselves, beseech their governments to bail them out, and spend precious time and resources shifting the blame- almost always to foreigners.

Backman clearly has extensive knowledge of the complex Asian business structures that encompass families, holding companies, cross holdings and often governments. Furthermore, he presents his detailed knowledge in an readable format that is relatively easy to follow. He gives excellent insight into the workings of Asian businesses, their unwillingness to disclose information and the dangers associated with hidden transactions, creative accounting and inefficient (family) management. The research Backman has gathered in this book is priceless and thorough.

Though I would never claim to be an expert on Asia myself, having lived more than 10 years in the region, I found that I was often grinning to myself in agreement with Backman's observations. Backman further managed to fill in many blanks I have in my Asian business knowledge, having grown up to realise only the social aspects of the various cultures here.

This book is an excellent read and a good reference guide for non-Asians doing business in Asia. I also suspect it's useful for Asians doing business outside their own countries, since often these sort of cross-border, cross-cultural relationships can be tricky in the region.