MR

Herbert White lives a strange life in Saint Paul in 1939. He's a very lonely man, has no friends, is profoundly attached to his daily routines and is an amateur photographer. He particularly likes taking pictures of taxi dancers working at the Aragon Ballroom where Herbert occasionally goes. And so he met Charlie Mortensen - also called Carla Marie LaBreque - and Ruby Fahey. Due to Herbert's eccentric way of life as a recluse, he doesn't feel very comfortable in the presence of women. All the photography sessions taking place at his apartment, Herbert's behaviour is always uneasy whenever a woman comes for posing. When Charlie Mortensen is found dead by strangulation on 30 Sptember 1939 and Ruby Fahey (killed in the same manner) on 22 October, the police suspect Herbert White and arrest him. Slowly White will be drawn into signing a confession stating that he killed the two women. But Lieutenant Wesley Horner becomes suspicious: why did Hebert White state in his confession that he killed the women "by battery to the head" when both of them died from strangulation?
Truth vs. fiction, past vs. present, love vs. hatred, faith and memory are the themes illuminated masterfully by Robert Clark. This is not a mystery story in the classic sense but rather a complex, intriguing and fascinating journey into the human psyche. A beautiful book.
Philippe Horak / phorak@gibz.ch

At first you think this is going to be a 'noir' crime story. Then it becomes a character study of four very different people and their interactions. And then it becomes a sort of philosophical/psychological investigation of the meaning of "past" and "future." Actually, it's all those things, written in a way that will make you lie in bed and think about what you've read each time you quit for the night. The setting is St. Paul, Minnesota, August 1939 to April 1940, more or less -- a nine-month period in which at least two dime-a-dance girls are murdered, in which Lt. Wesley Horner of Homicide tries to convince himself he has solved the crimes, in which Wesley (whose wife has died after their daughter left home) also falls in love with a wise sixteen-year-old vagrant girl who saves him from despair, and in which Herbert White goes from being an large but inoffensive middle-aged man with a very poor memory and a fondness for amateur photography to being a lifer at Stillwater State Prison. You keep waiting for things to turn out "right," for Lt. Horner to turn up the bit of evidence that will get Herbert off. But, as Lt. Welshinger, a vice cop who believes in evil (and he should know) says to a number of characters, "That's not how the world is." I sort of expected to be depressed when I finished the book, but I wasn't. And I'm very impressed with Clark's writing. (. . . and I'm wondering about the intellectual capacities of previous reviewers who were upset because the Edgar wasn't awarded to an Ed McBain-type routine procedural. . . .)

I'm not going to do 1,000 words about this book. It will only take a few well chosen words to describe Robert Clark's most recent book. From plot to subplot, from character to character, from dialogue to narrative, from style to style (you'll know what I mean when you, lucky reader, take up this tale), Mr. White's Confession is so well plotted, the characters so very original, believable, and beautifully drawn, the dialogue so true to the ear and to its characters' point of view, and personality, the narrative so descriptive with nary a filler or wasted word, the characters so utterly fascinating you want to know them all, the style of writing so absolutely gorgeous, I can only say that this is by far the best novel I have read in years. Mr. Clark, clearly, is an exceedingly deep thinker, the fact of which is illustrated in Mr. White's diaries, which are, I think, the most deeply moving part of the book. One of the comments I made to a friend to whom I lent the book was, "He writes as if he were a Jesuit, the work is so spiritual and sensitive, while at the same time so well reasoned." I recommend that you purchase this book and read it at once. By the way, it's a real page-turner, so don't start it at 8PM on a week night. I guarantee you won't be able to pry it from your hand once you begin.

Barbara Hendryson, Poet and Writer, Menlo Park, CA

George Jacobs talks about Frank Sinatra&there is alot of trip out Material.you get the Rat pack stories&Other stories about the Kennedys&also Other folks.you wouldn't expect anything differently when you talking about Frank Sinatra.He Lived Life to the Fullest&didn't care what anyone thought.a Good Read&a Trip.

wildhoney70 from Virginia Beach, VA United States
Wow..... I just read this book and I was blown away by George Jacob's story. It was eye opening for me. I'm happy Mr. Jacobs got his story out but I'd be lying if I denied being more than a little disappointed in Sinatra the man. I know no one's perfect but..... I never expected him to be this way. On one hand he loved women, on the other, he used them and threw them away. He abided racism (Giancana, Joe Kennedy, etc), while at the same time , he fought against it. He was jealous (of Elvis and alot of others) and insecure yet arrogant and swaggering. A walking contradiction
I always had my own image of Sinatra and this isn't it. Thank you for setting the record straight, Mr. Jacobs. This is probably the most reliable account of Sinatra for the years of '53-'68. This book not only dishes on Sinatra. It has great stories about Ava Gardner, Grace Kelly, Marilyn Monroe, Marlene Dietrich, Greta Garbo and that god forsaken Kennedy family. I never realized just how AWFUL the Kennedys were. It's worth the read just for that stuff.

I found this book to be totally riveting and interesting to the point that Frank hated the modernization of the entertainment business but is apparently guilty of everything he hated in today's entertainers with the exception of drugs. George Jacobs rats on Frank but in a loving way. It is clear that Jacobs loved the man and his style but hated what the 60's and future were and did do to his boss.

I find the contents of the book to be open and honest. There's enough written here about the usual incidents, lots of confirmation of events but from a totally different perspective. It looks like Jacobs saw the world in a similar vain to Frank. And while I cannot imagine his children enjoying this book, at least the author is alligned with them on his feelings about Frank's 4th wife.

I recommend this book to anyone who loves Frank Sinatra, the whole person. I am a true fan. This book made me revere him more, although the womanizing would have killed a mere mortal long before Frank passed on. What a life! If it all weren't so true, it would be a great fairytale.

I had to write a review of this book because I am so mad that I wasted my time. Never have a read a book with a more ridiculous plot. It starts with four women getting together on a Friday night, they write up a list of characteristics of what would make the perfect man. The author wants us to believe so badly that this is hilarious fun, she goes on and on how they were laughing so hard they were falling out of their chairs, tears are streaming down their faces and on and on....(and it's not funny.) The "List" somehow becomes a national media sensation, which is where this book goes from silly to stupid. The women are hounded by reporters wanting to do interviews, eventually a psychopath enters the picture and wants to kill these women for writing this list. Dumb, dumb, dumb. The main character, Jaine Bright falls for her next door neighbor who happens to be a cop and gets involved in the murder investigation. They have a very brief flirtation, fall into bed and decide to get married, this all happens within a weeks time I think. Save your money and your time and skip this one.

What a wonderful sexy, titillating, suspenseful story. Quite a departure from Linda Howard's former genre but she is a master at this type of writing just as she is a master of the more serious stories.

Jaine Bright and three of her friends make a list they require in a perfect mate. Somehow this list is released to the news media and much publicity is derived from this. In the interim Jaine meets her next door neighbor, Sam, who she believes is a drunk, junkie, whatever, although she later learns he is a police detective. The sparks fly. The scene wherein Jaine views a naked Sam through her kitchen window is one of the funniest, sexiest scenes I have read. I laughed till the tears rolled.

Meanwhile, a very disgruntled sick person, takes the characteristics in the list personally and decides to systematically kill the four women. The plot runs from very serious and scary to funny. The ending will not surprise you. I suspected the murderer early in the book but it made the reading no less interesting.

Keep up the good work Linda Howard. My favorites of her books are Sarah's Child and Shades of Twilight. I have to add this one to the list.

This is a great book! Earthy, sexy, and fast reading. Jaine Bright and three of her co-worker women friends sit around a restaurant table and wonder what each thinks would be "Mr. Perfect". They make up a list which includes personal traits and also physical traits! This is a joking matter to them and becomes known as "The List". Although they had wanted to keep it private, the list is inadvertenly leaked and the four women are suddenly thrown into the public spotlight including tv appearances. However, there is one twisted mind that seethes at these women making up such a list. This mind believes they must pay for the disgusting things found on this list. The list then no longer is a joke, but a deadly game with a murderer on their track. Quick witted talk between Jaine and her hunky next- door -neighbor cop, Sam, is delightful. Of course, Sam becomes involved in the case and Jaine drools over the day when they can hop into bed together!. A must read for all Linda Howard fans.

Using Black History Month as our theme for Book Club, we settled on this book. Each member was excited to learn more about Mobutu and his reign in Zaire/Congo. Unfortunaely, our collective lack of historical knowledge and recall for Mobutu's reign in the Congo certainly hindered our ability to read this book. While many anecdotes were surprising, shocking, and even entertaining in their absurdity, our Book Club concluded that the author failed in her mission to deliver an effective expose. As a journalist, I would have expected her thoughts to be more organized. Instead, Wrong jumps back and forth through time like a novelist or screenwriter attempting to heighten suspense. Wrong assumes the reader has a fairly strong working knowledge of the facts. Anyone who does not may find the book hard to follow.

My other criticism falls in line with other reviewers -- namely, that Wrong becomes a tad too sentimental about a world leader who commits unspeakable crimes for decades. Perhaps in her zeal to write a "different" book, she tried too hard to capture the human side of Mobutu. The human side is told by relatives and aides to Mobutu, all of whom have their own agendas. Wrong admits to being starstruck at one point -- boy, is she not kidding!

I still recommend reading this book, as the subject matter is fascinating. Still, you should pick up another book or two about Mobutu while you're at it -- this one is a couple of bananas short of a full bunch.

This book was recommended to me by a bookseller here in Washington, DC when I mentioned my interest in reading King Leopold's Ghost. I have no relationship to the author. Like many U.S. residents, I have a fairly limited understanding of political history and current affairs in African nations. (Not completely so; recent travel in Egypt and Kenya raised some awareness.) Still, I was very appreciative of the author's presentation of the Congo/Zaire story: more a series of snapshots than a linear telling of the events. She did a decent job of suggesting that Mobutu's failings were hardly his own - sharing that responsibility, instead, with Belgium (within the broader context of colonialism) and, more recently, with Western governments and financial institutions (the IMF and the World Bank) that continue to profit from and exploit the African political landscape. Further, the author shows how these larger political games affected the people within its borders: her telling of the workings of the black market economy in the period of mega-inflation had my rapt attention. I also appreciated what the author revealed about how corrupt leadership benefits its collaborators at all levels. (Halliburton, anyone?) I don't think she let Mobutu off the hook; she just didn't slip into that trap of leaving him as Mr. Evil the way that some suggest that Hitler didn't have the collaboration of an entire nation of people. If you approach this book as someone's engaging story of how Congo/Zaire came to be what it is today rather than a historical researcher's dreary recounting of the facts, you'll like this book plenty AND be willing to learn more about the country. Off to King Leopold's Ghost now...

Michela Wrong's In the Footsteps of Mr. Kurtz is the perfect companion piece for the amazing and horrifying King Leopold's Ghost by Adam Hochschild (itself a historical look at the setting of Joseph Conrad's The Heart of Darkness). Wrong takes the story into the present by covering the recent years in the Congo after the Belgians abruptly leave their colony, after providing a brief, succint look at its colonial background, to show the rise and fall of Mobutu Sese Seko, taking down the rich natural resources and the economy of his country with him through his time in government. The author is very effective at showing the Congo as a piece on the Cold War checkerboard using this position to gain support from the United States and money from the IMF and the World Bank allowing a corrupt system to remain in place and the corruption to grow to enormous scale. The complete absurdity of this situation is made quite clear in the journalistic approach the author takes to this book. The end of the Cold War ended this system and helped bring down Mobutu, too late to help his country. The author is quite good at placing the blame and the Western nations come in for their fair share as colonialism left the Congo only to be replaced by a Western backed form of economic imperialism. A horrifying and often sadly humourous read that opens one's eyes to the situation in Africa.

I did not like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde because it took too long to get to the plot. There was a lot of talking, but did not go into full detail of how he became Mr. Hyde. The author would even go back in time to things that had nothing to do with the story line. When I think of Mr. Hyde, I think of more chase scenes and anger. I also think of more scenes of Dr. Jekyll in his laboratory. The ending was also kind of plain and boring; I like endings that give me closure or an ending that hints of a second book.

Older people who like old British novels would like this book because older novels were written in the same form. People who have a lot of time on their hands would like this book; it takes a long time to read it. People who read a lot and do not get bored by a slow book and do not fall asleep could read this book. British Literature majors would also like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde because of the style of writing. If you get bored really easily and can fall asleep reading; then you should read this book.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde challenges the strict social classes of the Victorian era and explores the duality of human nature. Reputation is a prevalent theme in this horror story from a different generation. Readers are taken on an adventure through the eyes of Mr. Utterson as he tries to discover the connection between the prestigious Dr. Jekyll and the curious Mr. Hyde.

Because of the language during the Victorian period, readers of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde tend to be of a more mature audience. The language used in the book is not hard to understand for the more advanced readers. The book appeals to many audiences because those who have not read it know the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Movies and other books have been based on this novella by Robert Louis Stevenson. Though people of different ages may want to read the book, it is best for more advanced readers.

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is appealing because of its many different objectives. For those who wish to learn of a different era, namely the Victorian period, this book is perfect. It shows the way reputation was exalted during that time. For those interested in horror stories, this book will appeal to them. If you are interested in the duality of human nature and other psychological type things, this book will interest you. For someone who just wants a good read this book is also a good choice. This book is a classic because of its appeal to many types of people. Even young children know the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Before reading the book, I knew the basic meaning behind it.

I would recommend this book to anyone that has at least a high school reading level. For those younger, the books language may become a bit confusing and cause the overall story to be lost. The meanings behind the book may be hard to catch at the first glance. For those who wish to look deeper at the meaning of Stevenson's words, this book is perfect. Even if the reader doesn't want to read between the lines, the basic horror story in this book is entertaining enough.

I would give this book a rating of 4 stars. It is interesting and informative. At times the book because a little boring because of the in depth information and the stiff language. There is little action in the book and the ending is a bit different than other books, but over all it is an interesting story and a good read.

The University of Nebraska Press edition of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is beautiful! The illustrations by Barry Moser, woodcuts that progress chronologically through Dr. Jekyll's life as it is described in hints throughout Robert Louis Stevenson's story, are atmospheric and evocative; a picture of a boy being guided by his father, for example, echoes Dr. Jekyll's comments that he has a "fatherly" interest in his alter-ego, Hyde, while Hyde has a son's "indifference" to the father; the cover illustration is a portrait of Dr. Jekyll's father destroyed by Mr. Hyde on a rampage.

Joyce Carol Oates's introduction is worthwhile, especially for those readers who know the story, as most English-speaking people do, in its basic framework, but who have not yet actually traveled the dark road with Dr. Jekyll and his friends.

It is a pleasure to read a classic book in such a carefully crafted edition. Too often books such as this are printed in cheap editions with narrow margins and lousy type; this one fits comfortably in the hand and is easy on the eye as the reader is drawn into this allegorical nightmare.

This review refers to the University of Nebraska Press edition only.

Very fun, traditional chick lit. Starts off with a steamy sex scene right at the beginning to hook you in (mmmm....). Will not disappoint Green's avid fans. Definitely recommend.

"Mr. Maybe" was my second Jane Green novel and it was so much better than the first. After reading "Jemima J", an okay novel, I was a little hesistant to pick up "Mr. Maybe". A friend was kind enough to let me borrow the book and I kept in my room for weeks before deciding to read a few pages. After I started, I could not stop. I read "Mr. Maybe" in one day. - no television - no nothing. There wasn't anything that could tear me away. If you are a single woman, you will definitely relate to the trials that the main character, Libby, goes through. Although the shallowness of her contemplating marrying Ed, the rich (but not so handsome) bachelor, made it a little hard to swallow. The interaction of Libby with her annoying mother was very funny. Another interesting portion of "Mr. Maybe" was Libby's bestfriend Jules who seemed to have the perfect marriage but a slight indiscretion turns that world upside down. The-grass-is-always-greener-on-the-other-side subplot was amazing. Being single you always envy your friend's who are married, but the author Jane Green made me realize that everything is not always what it seems. Saving the best for last....Libby's love (or lust) for Nick kept me glued. Although you always have an inkling how these books will turn out, I couldn't wait to see how Green would work this out for Libby and Nick. The chemistry between these two characters lept off the pages. Their comical and comfortable interaction was so true to life. Bottom line: Go out and get this book. You will not be disappointed.

I liked this book even though the main charachter is shallow and seems like a gold digger, well...we need books about them too!

Dean Koontz is a great writer, there's no doubt about that. But MR. MURDER, no matter how entertaining and delightful to read, falls far short of some of his finer efforts.

Koontz is similar to Stephen King in the scope of his novels, spinning yarns of supernatural horror. Unlike King, however, Koontz tries to explain the HOW and the WHY of the phenomenons he describes. He makes things like telepathy or severe espionage brainwashing seem totally plausible in THE DOOR TO DECEMBER and THE HOUSE OF THUNDER, respectively.

MR. MURDER, which attempts to explain cloning issues from a mysterious "Network," is not given Koontz's usual care and consideration. Though the conclusion wraps up with some satisfaction, Koontz underdevelops the story of the "Network," which should have had a far greater focus in the novel. Instead, readers have to read through 150 pages of fairly dry exposition before an initial confrontation even takes place.

I give this book 3 stars, but in all fairness, Koontz did a fine job on this one. Because I have seen him do so much better, I can't help but be a bit disappointed. New readers should start with the above-mentioned books, or perhaps DARKFALL, NIGHT CHILLS or WATCHERS.

An interesting side note - "Santa's Twin," a poem the book's protagonist wrote for his children, has since been turned into an illustrated children's book of the same name.

I certainly could see a review going either way for this book. As I read the beginning chapters, the development of the characters was very slow, and I was drawn in to keep reading, only because I kept feeling like something was missing. I was waiting for some huge revelation... but it never came.

I loved the characters. They felt like real people, and Koontz allows us to follow each and every one of them. Their POVs, their thoughts, their reactions all feel very real.

The plot, while a bit eccentric, is somewhat believable... up until the end. It all wraps up a tad too neatly for my tastes.

However, the writing style and language certain make this book an easy and entertaining read.

Thriller writer Martin Stillwater, though not at the top of his game, makes enough money and has enough fame to satisfy himself. He's got a good life, is in love with his wife and he adores his children. His future looks bright. Then a stranger, who happens to be Marty's dead ringer, shows up and accuses Marty of stealing his life and he wants it back.

And that's just the beginning of the book. However, as much as I absolutely love Dean Koontz, this one didn't hold me enthralled the way most of his others have done. I was actually able to put it down to check my e-mail and I didn't pick it back up till the next day. Not a good sign for a Koontz book. However, like all his work, it was an excellent story that scared me plenty.

Reviewed by Stephanie Sane

Eliot Rosewater could be someone you know. Though caught up in a family struggle of money and power, Rosewater himself wants nothing more than to read the science fiction novels of Kilgore Trout and be a volunteer fireman. Here, Vonnegut uses his great skill of detailing characters to bring this tremendous, lovable character to life. In the background, of course, are the usual life-problems which bring a tinge of dark humor and a sometimes muddling subplot about Rosewater's money which surround him in his life. A gratifying, and greatly humorous experience

"God Bless you, Mr. Rosewater", is one of Kurt Vonnegut's greatest books. It is based around Eliot Rosewater, a warm hearted, eccentric millionare, and presendent of the Rosewater Corporation, a incredibly rich foundation that is passed along from father to son. He abandons the high life in NYC, and moves to Rosewater County in Indiana, his family's home. Eliot begins to help the poor people (which is all of Rosewater County) with their personal problems, and soon becomes the "father" of them all. A lawyer, seeking the Rosewater fortune for himself, sets out prove that Eliot is insane. I won't tell you the ending, but suffice to say that it is excellent. Vonnegut shows us thatmoney isn't everything, and a poor person from Indiana is just as important as a Senator from New York. A matchless book.

this book was fabulous.. just like everything else that i've read by him. this book had great charaters, plot and voice. this is definitely a book worth reading.

Otherwise I wouldn't bother rating it at all. Im my opinion, another awkwardly-written story intended for children but falling wide of the mark.

I don't think that even in the late 1940's, people visited a greengrocer to pre-pay for one apple then arrange to return later that day to pick it up. There was no explaining these bizarre actions (how could you??).

An important messages to children wasted by a ridiculous plot twist. What will she come up with next.

I picked this one up because I'm a Madonna fan, and I really enjoyed her storytelling in the first book "The English Roses". Also I'd seen the cover art and was just blown away by its beauty. Loren Long creates a world that's equal parts Norman Rockwell and Edward Hopper, but it's as though you're looking at it reflected onto a fun house mirror, with slightly distorted shapes and proportions. The illustrations are, quite simply, beautiful works of art. The story itself is an important one about the power of words and the way in which gossip spreads like a virus. A simple story, and a rather good one for children to learn early. What I missed here was the charm and sense of playfulness Madonna exhibited in her first children's book. Nevertheless, I highly recommend this book. Young children, I'd say ages 4-9, should really enjoy this, and be enchanted by Long's pictures.

Madonna's latest children's book, "Mr. Peabody's Apples," is both charming and refreshing. Madonna brings her unique style in telling the story of a small boy whose hero, his teacher and baseball coach, has seemingly fallen from grace. The childhood disappointment is described with an endearing reminiscent quality without being at all sentimental. The exercise Mr. Peabody gives to his accuser will shake the impulse to ever say a negative word about anyone to its very core. Loren Long's illustrations are exquisite. They remind me of the kind of illustrations I found myself pouring over and imagining about for hours as a child. "Mr. Peabody's Apples" will be appreciated by both children and adults alike for a long time to come. I look forward to the rest of the books in the series.

As another reviewer has pointed out, "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" this book ain't.

The writer's understanding of even basic physics seems very limited (this is evident from how confused his physics based metaphors are), let alone whether he understands anything at all about relativity. If you are tempted to read this book because you think that it will offer a readable introduction to relativity - don't because it won't. The reviewers who have said that the book offers an introduction to relativity must be as confused as the writer is. I have the suspicion that the number of stars given by the reviewer is inversely proportional to the amount of physics which the reviewer understands.

The main flaw of this book however is how contrived it is. In this respect it is deeply disappointing, as the further I got into the book, the deeper was my feeling of hurt at being conned by this writer. Persevering with reading the book is like persevering with cultivating a relationship with an absolute liar and is deeply upsetting in this regard. You feel like reaching out to grab them and implore them, "Just tell the truth." I know nothing about writing, and have not attended graduate school in creative writing as has the author, but surely the first thing that a writer must do is develop his own voice which is an honest voice, and not a phony voice. Most of the incidents relayed in the book appear to be manufactured merely for inclusion in a book about travelling across America with Einstein's brain in the trunk - to be quirky and to boost sales.

The most enjoyable and least phony passages are towards the beginning of the book concerning the author's time spent at graduate school where he met Sara and his trips across country as a teenager and a 23 year old. After this, the mask comes up in front of his face and we step into the realm of "contrived quirkiness," presumably in the interests of sales. Perhaps "zany" sells, and it is probably easier to sell books by fooling the customer than by actually writing something of some enduring value. The many good reviews on this web site seem to me to be a testament to this fact.

All of this is to say nothing about the despicable act which the physician Harvey committed in stealing the brain out of a corpse. To employ my own physics based metaphor, there is a certain wave-particle duality between the dishonesty exhibited by Harvey in his actions (whatever his intentions were) and the actions of getting a magazine contract, then a book contract, then going on the trip (in a car paid for by the publishers) and then pushing the manuscript on those unsuspecting readers out there across America, who are waiting to lap up "zany" (whatever the intentions of the writer were.)

I'm with the school kid who asked the physician Harvey, "What's the point?" Ultimately, an exercise in pretentious and dishonest babbling, and I will be glad to be finished with the book.

This book is just one long-winded Esquire article...a topic with a catchy enough premise to suck you in, words that are put together well enough that you don't put it down immediately after picking it up, but in the end, it goes absolutely nowhere. There's no attempt to get to the heart of ANYTHING...the "brain keeper" his acquaintances, or the author's relationship with his wife, Sara.

I personally enjoyed this story of 2 unlikely road trip companions who travel across America with Albert Einstein's brain in the trunk of their rented Buick. I think some of the people reviewing it here on Amazon take it and themselves a little too seriously.

It was quirky and fun and sweet all at the same time. Included is a light biography of Einstein and the bizarre events that took place after his death concerning his brain. Even a little Relativity is thrown in. This is not a serious book and shouldn't be approached as one. I don't think it is one of the great books of our time, but it did provide an interesting escape.

I started readng it, thinking it was fiction, only to discover it is for the most part a factual account. I found it to be the perfect read while I was cruising around the Caribbean on my honeymoon. Anyone who is interested in this subject matter and doesn't already know much about it should pretty much feel the same way. Enjoy!