MAD

The magic of Brinley's Mad Scientists' Club is its combination of adolescent fantasy with the real world. Where else can a bunch of brainy small town kids become heroes not by stepping through a portal to some fantasy world but by knowing more about our world's natural laws than the adults who surround them? This novel works best as a prequel to the collections of tales found in Brinley's first two books, which are childhood favorites of mine. However, the story stands on its own, and its scope eclipses those earlier short stories. The Air Force has lost an atomic bomb in the town's Strawberry Lake, and only the Mad Scientists' ingenuity can save the day! At first this gang of adolescents can't get the grownups to listen, but they soon prove their worth. Likewise, I recommend that you give them a chance. They won't let you down.

I'm so glad this is finally available.

I fondly remembered the Mad Scientist's Club stories which a teacher read to our fifth grade class in the early seventies. I soon bought the books for myself and read them several times over the years.

When my daughter was seven (just a couple of years ago) I read them to her and she (more accurately we) enjoyed them thoroughly. While browsing eBay one day I discovered there existed a "prequel" novel - The Big Kerplop - which was published in a very limited edition (1000 copies if I remember right).

I eventually obtained one at the "bargain" price of $$$ - by far the lowest price I found in 6 months of searching. I gave it to my daughter for Christmas (it's well cared for and stored safely) and read it to her over the next week.

Amazingly enough it surpasses the quality of the short stories and I felt it was worth every penny.

Now that it's available at one tenth what I paid for it I recommend it unreservedly. It's self contained and doesn't require familiarity with the other stories but I still recommend you read The Mad Scientist's Club and The New Adventures of The Mad Scientist's Club first so you can really savor The Big Kerplop. All high quality youth literature.

This book is about a group of boys who formed the Mad Scientists' Club. It all started when Charlie, Jeff and Harmon went fishing in Strawberry Lake. I like this book because it's really funny and the boys in it do some secret agent work.

Dream come true or worst nightmare? Grace Macguire can't figure out what in the world is going on, when three of the characters she'd created for recurring roles in her romance novels suddenly seem to come to life and decided that *she* is their next 'Cinderella Story.'

On the pretense of doing research, Grace enlists the help of psychiatrist Dr. Max Aaronson, (and the fairy godmothers' choice for Grace's life-mate.) in an effort to really help her over her sudden bout of weird visions.

Throw in some vile step-relatives and a really heinous individual who sees dollar signs in Grace's eyes and who, in my opinion, got off way too lightly and you have the makings for a enjoyable night of reading. I'd have liked the book to have been a bit longer, so that the characters could have been fleshed out more and the storyline beefed up, but all in all, a delightful story.

Holly Fuhrman's MAD ABOUT MAX is a delightful blend of romance, humor, and fantasy. A writer doubts her sanity when her own creations come to life -- and the resulting conversations will have readers laughing out loud.

MAD ABOUT MAX is a perfect ending to a stressful day. I highly recommend it!

If you've always loved "Cinderella" and were/are a fan of the old TV series, "Bewitched," then MAD ABOUT MAX is the book for you. As always in one of Ms.Fuhrmann's books, humor abounds in this tale of Grace, a romance writer whose fictional characters come to life--three fairy godmothers who are almost as bumbling as Samantha Steven's befuddled aunt and every bit as loveable. The trio of well-meaning and marvelously magical ladies set to work immediately on making Grace over and setting her up with the perfect Price Charming for her. Max is a psychiatrist so handsome and charming, you'll wish you could spend some time on his couch. Sit back and enjoy this delightful fantasy, secure in knowing the fun doesn't stop with Max and Grace. Fern, Myrtle and Blossom will be at work again in the upcoming sequel: MAGIC FOR JOY. I can't wait.

Mad about the eighties is another humorous book by the Usual Gang of (...) at Mad and Grant Geissman! In this book you'll find classic spoofs, parodies, and satires such as The Cube and I, The Trivial Pursuit survival kit, The Llighter Side of..., and Bleak for the Future.(...) ISBN: 1-55853-774-0

And why should you worry about this book! To know MAD, is to love MAD (corny isn't it?).This book is filled with the best of the 80's and it is nothing less of a true satarical masterpEACE...:-) If you have never had a MAD magazine in your life (jeeze!), then this is a perfect one to start a possible collection with. 2 1/2 thumbs way way way uP!

As they were keen enough to include the only article I ever had published in their magazine...I highly recommend this anthology.

I would urge anyone interested in contemporary US history to buy this book or any other of the "MAD About The...." titles. MAD defined, reflected and revolted an era. There is so much more here than meets the F.B.I. It's fun, moves at a pretty good pace, aids digestion, calms jittery nerves and will shrink hemmorhoids without surgery!

I have the complete "Mad" from the E.C. Collection, which is limited to just the original comic book from the Fifties, not to be confused with the black & white magazine that has been a rite of passage for adolescents for the past half century. "Mad" was the only title to survive the purge at E.C. in the wake of the adoption of the comics book code, which put an end to "Tales from the Crypt" and its cousins. To get something of a hint about what this was about, check out the article "Baseball is Ruining Our Children" by "Frederick Werthless, M.D." Obviously, this is as thinly veiled as you can get in going after Fredric Wertham, the infamous author of "Seduction of the Innocent."

Anyhow, "Mad About the Fifties" presents some of the best of both the original comic and the early magazine. The Foreword consists of a brief history of the origin of "Mad" and its early days. The first half is devoted to the comic book years (1952-55) features 18 of the first 22 covers (including the infamous Composition cover). Among the classic stories reprinted in color are "Lone Stranger," "Superduperman," "Melvin of the Apes," "Ping Pong," "Sherlock Shomes," "Bat Boy and Rubin," "Starchie," and "Mickey Rodent." No scared cows here, boys and girls, as everybody is fair game. You will notice that a lot of the subject comes from the comics and the movies, although one of the two black & white stories from this period is "Howdy Dooit."

When "Mad" became a black & white magazine (1955-59), the E.C. gang broadened their horizons. In addition to a couple dozen covers reproduced in color, there are some choice selections of some of the great magazine ad parodies from that period (e.g., "Great Moments in Medicine: Presenting the Bill" from "Park-David"). Another recurring gag from this period was the "Confidential Information Dept." which looks at coverups regarding George Washington, Capt. John Smith, and Snow White (separate articles, people, separate articles). Particularly timely now would be the feature on "Elvis Pelvis." Historical footnote: The most controversial thing in this magazine was apparently the "Bringing Up Bonnie Prince Charlie" from the "Comic Strip Heroes (Taken From Real Life)" feature, which was reprinted in a British tabloid where it caused a stir.

My biggest surprise in reading through the early "Mad" magazines was the use of celebrity writers, which included Stan Freberg, Ernie Kovacs, Tom Lehrer, Danny Kay, Bob and Ray, and Sid Caesar. However, most of us will remember the artists: Jack Davis, Wallace Wood, Kelly Freas, Joe Orlando, Harvey Kurtz man, and Don Martin. I was sort of surprised that the magazine provided less parodies than we would normally expect (they do takeoff on "The Ed Sullivan Show," "Gunsmoke" and "Perry Mason").

I checked this out because I am working on a history of American popular culture for the 20th century going decade by decade for class and one of the best ways to find out what everybody was talking about is to see who was being made fun of by "Mad." But you definitely have to know a little bit about the time to enjoy the humor (e.g., who was married to Elizabeth Taylor at any given point in the decade, who was Hyman Rickover, what was Hi-Fi, etc.). There are companion volumes for the Sixties and Seventies, and one can assume "The Usual Gang of Idiots" will continue to turn out this volumes from time to time as the years go by.

This book is a shagadelic romp through the pages of MAD magazine with reproductions of the most hilarious spoofs and parodies of the 60's. Movie takeoffs include "201 Minutes of a Space Idiocy", "East Side Story" and "Flawrence of Arabia". TV satires include "Star Blecch", "Bananaz", "The Man From A.U.N.T.I.E.", "The Pwgitive", "Lizzie", and "Hokum's Heroes".

I was a kid in the 60's and enjoyed the original magazines. But when we moved from Seattle to the thriving metropolis of Olympia, WA, the magazines were given away to neighborhood pals. If, like, me, MAD Magazine was a part of your life back then (and hopefully it still is), you'll rediscover your funnybone and stay home from work with a bad case of laughing sickness while you pore through this tome.

If not for you, give a copy as a gift. And if a buddy or relative is in the hospital convalescing, I guarantee that the gift of this book will lift their spirits!

Obtaining this book can be a somewhat difficult endeavor, but it's well worth the time and effort invested, if you want to read a well-researched, compulsively readable gangster biography. Until this book came out, there was little available on Coll's background, his life, and his death, even though his name was mentioned in any tome having to do with organized crime. I never understood this paucity of hard information, since Coll's persona was always as fascinating as that of more notorious mobsters like Legs Diamond or Dutch Schultz. Finally, an author has arrived who is able to do Coll's story justice. Delap combines a reporter's meticulous knack for research with a novelist's flair for descriptive and eloquent language that evokes an era long gone. He examines Coll's roots in rural Ireland and his background of poverty, his youthful introduction to criminality and the world of gangs on New York's tough streets, and his brief, brutal reign as one of New York's most feared and vicious racketeers. Boyishly handsome, and evidently personable, Coll was the sociopathic James Dean of Prohibition-era criminals. Only 24 years old when he met his inevitably violent end, he was associated with all the prominent malefactors of his time, including Legs Diamond, Dutch Schultz, Owney Madden, and others. His death in a telephone booth at the hands of his underworld enemies has been re-created again and again in movies and films in the decades since it occured in 1932 (perhaps most notably in the classic film "Kiss of Death").
Even if you're not enamored of the "True Crime" genre, this is a compelling examination of an aberrant personality, an exploration of one of the most fascinating periods in 20th century America, and Delap's book sterling, praiseworthy accomplishment.

This biography is a breath of fresh air. The research is meticulous. Little nuggets of information are casually thrown into the text - like psychological reports, census information etc - as if they were in the public domain. Of all the gangster books I've read this is by far the most sensitive handling of a potentially thorny subject matter. There is a tendency in gangster literature to glamourise the subject but the man that emerges from these pages is a tortured soul who got very few chances in life. There is great sadness in the book and a very impressive analysis on what the American dream meant to poor emigrant families. Added to this, there is the author's lively style that keeps you hooked from page to page. Very impressive and highly recommended. But it is the research that makes this biography special. No stone left unturned clearly. It is a shame the book appears to be out of print. I picked it up in a second hand shop in New York and couldn't believe my luck. What a gem! Time for a reprint or maybe an offer from a more mainstream American publishing house.

This is a well researched biography of a long neglected legend of Prohibition era New York: Vincent "Mad Dog" Coll. He's rated chapters and passages in books on Dutch Schultz, Legs Diamond, and gangsters in general by American authors but it took an Irish historian to give the Irish-born "Mad Dog" a full length bio. Check it out. It's one of the more intelligent gangster books and still has the bark of a tommy gun.

This is a very good book! Worth buying, yes I believe so. This is much better than tha MAD About the Movies because it has more flavor and has better comics about the TV world in MAD's perspective. I really like this book, but it doesn't compare to some of the five star work MAD has done with such books as MAD's Bathroom Companion and MAD's Half-Wit & Wisdom of Alfred E. Neumann. If you like TV and Movie spoofs, and you can relate to a lot of them, than this is one to buy! If you are just looking for a laugh, this would be a good book to have, but not before some of the others!

Who else could send us to our graves laughing in delight other than Mad? Answer : Nobody. The boys are ate it again, with these classic spoofs of all our favorite sitcoms, soap operas and cartoons. My personal favoirtes are : When Seasame street joins the vast political right wing and the spoof on Kung-Fu (Kung Fool). You really can't go wrong with mad, aside from Calvin and Hobbes's creator and writer Bill Watterson, these guys are the only ones who can make me laugh out loud while reading the gags. If your new to MAD then this is the perfect place to start, even though I'm too young to have seen all the shows that are in this book I still get a kick out of reading them and you will too. I reccomend getting this one first, before checking out the other books MAD has to offer. This is the perfect gift for anyone at anytime, so cheer them up and make 'em laugh to death!

This book is incredibly funny with parodies of tv shows that you enjoy. From the original Batman series to X-Files this book has it all!!

Maruna's "Mad Gasser of Mattoon" is a thought-provoking read. Though the book is short, the author has nonetheless gone through lengthy research and painstaking deduction to come up with a feasible explanation behind one of the most mysterious cases in Fortean and cyptozoological studies. Kudos to this worthy debut. Hopefully, the author will share his views in other enigmatic entities such as Springheel Jack or strange beasts like the Dover Demon, Chupacabra, the Flatwoods Monster or the famed Mothman.

Well written, entertaining and factually correct, this is a great little book. Many accounts of the Mad Gasser dismiss the whole affair as a case of mass hysteria. This book reveals the truth. It's a great little story that's begging to be made into a movie.

I am a daughter of one of the gassing victims and I just wanted to thank Mr. Maruna, for myself and for my sisters, for revealing the truth about the Mad Gasser of Mattoon. Mom and Dad lived under a lot of ridicule for years and also, every few years, they would get phone calls from reporters wanting to drag it up again, always derogatorily.
I was thoroughly shocked when I read his theory; on the other hand, it is such a relief to know the truth at last. I was a toddler at the time all of this took place, and was in a different room, asleep. Knowing my parents and their honest, upstanding ways, I always believed them regarding the Mad Gasser, although they rarely referred to it.
Not being a vengeful person, I would still like to rub the noses of some of the "mass hysteria experts" with his book

I received the book and read it in one day. The book was well researched and acurate but for only a couple of indescrepencies that did not effect the outcome. The author described the victim very well considering he never met him. I should know, the victim is my stepson whom I love and miss dearly. I read the book with tears in my eyes as I relived the hellish account of the murder and trial we went through. I could see each character and events vividly in my mind. Now when our friends ask many questions that arise, we simply tell them to read the book for all the answers. The reality of it is shocking to our family, friends, us and especially the greatest victims of all-our grandchildren. The first murder in Sevierville, Tenn. in 33 years. Hopefully the last - anywhere!!

I RECEIVED THE BOOK AND READ IT ALL IN ONE DAY. I FOUND IT VERY INTERESTING AND FACTUAL EXCEPT FOR A COUPLE OF INDESCREPENCIES THAT DIDN'T EFFECT THE OUTCOME. IT WAS WELL WRITTEN AND WELL RESEARCHED. I ALSO FOUND THAT THE AUTHOR GAVE A EXTREMELY GOOD DESCRIPTION OF THE VICTIM CONSIDERING HE NEVER MET HIM. I SHOULD KNOW --- THE VICTIM IS MY STEPSON WHOM I LOVED DEARLY AND THE OTHER VICTIMS- OUR GRANDCHILDREN !! THE DESCRIPTION OF SHAYNE IS QUITE ACURATE AS WELL AS THE FACTS OF THE TRIAL. OUR FAMILY RELIVED THAT HELLISH EVENT ALL OVER. NOW WHEN OUR FRIENDS ASK DETAILS WHICH ARE HARD TO TALK ABOUT, WE JUST ADDRESS THEM TO READ THE STORY. IT HAS ALL THE HORRIBLE TRUTHS WE LIVED THROUGH.

Mr. Reynolds keeps you right there to the end. Even if I was not from Sevier County, I couldn't put this book down. The Rae family moved in across the street from me in the 80's. I quickly became friends with Lana, Brett's sister. They were a very nice family and I enjoyed spending time with them. This book gave me a better understanding of one of the most tragic stories my hometown has ever known, possibly since the tragic "Tattoo Eddie" murders. I will read this authors other books and would love to talk with him!

Mad as a magazine hit its pinacle in the mid 1960s and then began a decline away from the adult readership to the aimed at kids pap it is today.

The 1970s was however was a fertile period but you can see Mad's shift away from social issues towards the entertainment industry.

Still a fun read though.

Reading this book shows you MAD Magazine as it once was, the only place where anyone and anything can be slammed without stirring contrversy. I am a MAD subscriber and the issues I get have a lot of sexual innuendo or white trash humor or stereotypes of young adult life. (But it's still funny) MAD was great in the 70s, and am I glad to own a copy of this!

If you lived through the seventies, and watched t.v. and movies during that period, this will bring all of the fun memories back to you! The satires of the movies and t.v. shows are, in particular, HILARIOUS!!!

Laura and Richard Fleming have returned to Laura's hometown of Byerly, NC to help with Cousin Vasti's production of A Christmas Carol. It will be Richard's first chance to direct. Laura is five months pregnant and just along for the ride, or so she thinks. During one rehearsal, the miscast actor playing Scrooge is murdered. There is more to the jolly man than meets the eye. Junior, the police chief is on an involuntary vacation, and her deputy Mark Pope, seems unable to cope, so Laura is drafted by her relatives to solve the murder.

This is a very good mystery. Laura's family is full of characters and the neighbors have more secrets than meets the eye. All in all, a very enjoyable cast and plot.

Laura and Richard Fleming should be getting ready for the Christmas holiday in their Boston home especially with Laura five months pregnant. However, her cousin Vasti from Byerly, North Carolina pleads with the Flemings to come visit her and neither one can say no.

Vasti wants Richard, a Shakespearean professor at Boston College to direct the production of A Christmas Carol. Richard is eager to take up the challenge. During a rehearsal, Seth, the actor portraying Scrooge is found bludgeoned to death. Laura teams up with Junior, the town's chief of police, who is on enforced vacation, to find the killer before he can do any more harm.

MAD AS THE DICKENS is a down home regional mystery starring a cast of eccentric characters that add atmosphere to the story line. The trials and tribulations of a five month pregnant woman will bring smiles to the faces of those reader who were pregnant as well as their spouses. Toni L.P. Kelner has written another absorbing installment in her long running and enjoyable mystery series.

Harriet Klausner

Wish there could be some more stars allowed. 5 is not enough.Can not wait for her next book. Stephen King,watch out.