MR

Book reviews for "MR" sorted by average review score:

Who Is Mr. Right?

Published in Paperback by Andrews McMeel Publishing (July, 2000)

Authors: Susan H. Grant and Michael Levin

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Average review score:

Right on!

This book is very funny and right on the mark. It is a book of sentences about the ideal man.

The Wonderful Ride: Being the True Journal of Mr. George T. Loher Who in 1895 Cycled from Coast to Coast on His Yellow Fellow Wheel

Published in Hardcover by HarperCollins (November, 1978)

Author: George T. Loher

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Average review score:

Finding the Real America in 1895

In 1895 the bicycle was the focus of social high-society. It was the fastest vehicle on the road and was villified piano makers and bar owners due their loss of business due to the purchase of bicycles (which cost about a third of a years wages) by potential customers! George T. Loher was a butcher in Oalland, California and an enthusiastic "wheelman," as cyclists were known then. He rode daily, did not drink and raced. The trip he undertook was not like the cyle tours done today; there were no paved roads, and very few services. Mr. Loher was not the first to ride across the U.S. Thomas Stevens had already done it years before on a Penny-Farthing (high-wheeler) anmd had gone on to ride around the world. So this was not a new adventure for cyclists, but is was an adventure nonetheless. George Loher rode a bicycle similar to the ones we ride today, except he did not have gears (in fact his was a direct-drive bike - no coasting)or any brakes. On downhills he would simply hold his feet up to coast, or if the hill was very steep, tie a tree branch to his bike to slow himself down. One new thing he used was pneumatic tire, some of the first made for bicycles (none had been used for any other purpose yet). His route took him from Oakland through Northern California, Oregon, Idaho, Montana, over to Minnesota, down to Chicago and on to New York City. Along the way he describes the America he saw in detail and tells us things we may never have known. He rode on train rights-of -way becasue there sere no roads. He stayed with people all along the way who help, and hindered him (children would stick pins in his tires to hear the air come out!). He had to wade creeks, walk miles with a broken bike and eat at inhospitable inns. In North Dakota and Minnesota he wonders why anyone would travel to Germany or Norway since they could come here instead and visit areas where no one spoke english! Through it all he keeps his sense of adventure and keeps on going. Upon his arrival in New York he is treated like a hero and feted in the highest society. Mr. Loher never published the story he wrote. He felt is was too ordinary. His grand-daughter found his manuscript in the late 1970's and published it for him, lucky for us!

Mr Boston:Official Bartenders and Party Guide

Published in Hardcover by Warner Books (01 July, 1994)

Author: Boston

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Average review score:

Living on Reputation

The 65th hard-cover edition of Mr. Boston would not rate a grade of "C" in any journalism class that I could imagine. Time-Warner did not spend enough money in editing (and re-write) to catch that the Introduction still refers to the book as the 64th edition. All-in-all, Amazon should not offer such a piece of junk.

One might say that well there may be silght errors, the book has everything. In fact, Time-Warner sub-titles the book as "Official Bartender's and Party Guide" and further offers the comment "A Best Seller Since 1935..." Well, your favorite cake may have all the ingredients - butter, flour, sugar, eggs, etc. but if the mix is not done properly and if the cake time/temperature is not correct, well...

~~And, I can't say it contains all the ingredients. For one, there is no listing for a Vodka Martini. My bartenter acquantainces say this has been the most popular martini for several years.~~

~~My suggestion is to stay away from Mr. Boston.~~

One of the better guides

Although this is considered by many to be the bible of bartending, I found that it is incomplete. There are many newer drinks that are not mentioned. Unfortionately, many of the guides that have a more complete drink list do not have as much peripheral information. This book is really good at helping a person set up their own home bar. It also has little fun facts about alcohol and toasts from around the world.

Go behind just about any bar...what do you find?

Mr. Bostons Official Bartenders Book, thats what you will find. From pubs in Scotland to hole in the wall bars in Hawaii, bartenders all over the world use this book. I find that no matter what, I always find this book usefull and it's always close at hand. The information is given in a style that a bartender understands. It does lack many of the "Trendy drinks" but those are hard to keep up with since you would have to publish a new version each month. But it does contain almost every tradional drink around and even some I havent heard of before!

Good-Bye, Mr Chips

Published in Library Binding by Bt Bound (October, 1999)

Author: James Hilton

Amazon base price: $13.00

Average review score:

Someone You Should Know

Good-bye, Mr. Chips by James Hilton is a portrait of an aging man who has mostly good memories about life as a teacher. In a very simple way, the author creates a warm picture of Chips as a man who loved his wife, loved his job and loved his students. All good things must eventually come to an end. When Chips isn't needed in his job any longer because of his age, he focuses on remembering the good times. Mr. Chips is the kind of person who makes the most of situations and has no regrets.

My opinion of Good-bye Mr. Chips

Good-bye Mr. Chips was a good book for short, recreational reading.
Mr. Chips is an elderly man who tells about his life as a school teacher.
He also tells all about his wife, whom he loved very much, but whom died an early death.
Through out the book the stories of the past are told by Mr. Chips as he sits in his chair drinking tea. He is very kind and
he loves the boys at the school.

A sober, beautifully crafted romance!

Those who dont like this book may as well stop living in this world - the beauty of the world os not for them. This novel-or rather a novellette- breathes softness and romance in every word. Hilton's books are all most precious to me - they convey the feelings of either a world that is lost forever or perhaps a world that never existed but should. The craft of Hilton is apparent in the way he weaves the tale through flashbacks- the switches between the past and the present are so beautifully handled as to make them rarely apparent. The characters of Mr.Chips and Katherine are to my mind, one of the most delightful in fiction. Darcy and Elizabeth leap to mind - but this couple was not too far behind. I just wish it had been a much bigger novel- but small is beautiful they say. DOnt ever miss this one- or "Random Harvest". They are a couple of the best ever reads u will get.

Mr. Paradise

Published in Digital by PerfectBound ()

Author: Elmore Leonard

Amazon base price: $13.97
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It's a dubious proposition from the outset, destined to lead to trouble: Chloe Robinette, a high-end former Detroit call girl, asks her lingerie model roommate, Kelly Barr, to help her entertain a wealthy octogenarian trial lawyer named Anthony Paradiso. By "entertain," she means donning a cheerleader's skimpy skirt, but going topless, and doing rah-rah routines beside a TV set while Paradiso--"Mr. Paradise"--watches videotaped football games. A bit kinky for Kelly's taste, but she finally goes along--only to be caught in the middle of a contract hit on Paradiso and Chloe. Rather than tell what little she knows of these crimes, Kelly buys into a scheme, concocted by Paradiso's right-hand man, Montez Taylor, that could lead to a huge payoff from the lawyer's estate. But only if the 27-year-old Kelly can convincingly assume Chloe's identity ...
Elmore Leonard, who's made his career writing about not-too-bright bad guys, fills Mr. Paradise with several memorable specimens of that breed. In addition to Montez, who'd resented his politically incorrect boss for cutting him out of his will, there's also a bottom-feeding defense attorney, Avern Cohn, who runs a murder-for-hire operation on the side, and his well-armed employees of the month, "tough monkeys" Carl Fontana and Arthur Krupa. Less credibly and entertainingly crafted is Frank Delsa, the widowed homicide detective whose hunt for Paradiso's killers is complicated by his attraction to the curvilinear Kelly. This romantic subplot is overly predictable and deflates early expectations that the cunning young model is playing some deeper game here, working an angle that neither Delsa nor Montez anticipates.
After penning a string of character-propelled novels set in Florida (including Glitz, Out of Sight, and the particularly winning La Brava), it's good to see Leonard exploiting the Detroit backdrop again, as he did so expertly in a few of his earlier successes (City Primeval and Killshot, for instance). Yet while Mr. Paradise is rich with comic dialogue and cop-shop color, it never goes beyond the expectations of a Leonard work. This author is too good not to take more chances. --J. Kingston Pierce

Average review score:

leonard on auto-pilot

Mr. Paradise is bad. The fact is, there are no interesting characters. Leonard, who has dreamed up many memorable ones in the past, comes up glaringly short. I was especially dissapointed with the bad guys. They are usally Leonards trademark, his most exciting characters. Here, they were just stupid. Not cleverly stupid--poorly written stupid. Boring. Instantly forgetable.
Leonard is a master at narrating thoughts, but without any interesting characters, why do we care what they're thinking?
He can make even the most outrageous actions seem inevitable, even reasonable. Here they just seem far-fetched. Their actions frequently made no sense. Several times I had to stop and just shake my head.
Usually, I'm looking forward to the final showdown, but not this time. As I expected, it fizzled. Who's gonna win? The good guys...who cares? The bad guys...who cares? I wanted them all to die. By the time I got to the end I was that underwhelmed.
Elmore Leonard is one of my favorite authors. I've read many of his books and enjoyed them all. He writes with control and finesse I can only marvel at. Even the masters, though, put out cheese every once in awhile. This book felt like a rough draft. Like he did it in a hurry and didn't care. Like he's got nothing to prove...I hope not. Hopefully he spends more time on his next work. If you haven't read Elmore Leonard yet, DO NOT START WITH MR. PARADISE. IT SUCKS.

Yawn...

This novel is, at best, mediocre. I kept having the feeling that Mr. Leonard was just cranking it out to satisfy a contract obligation. He spends more effort playing with verb tense than on character development. The result is a clumsy read about some basically one-dimensional people. The plot is just silly. The whole has the general characteristics of an Elmore Leonard book, but it seems a half-hearted effort. If you must read it, check the public library. Save your money.

Paradise Lost

Elmore Leonard's usual deft touch is missing from "Mr. Paradise". While the characters are familiar and the dialog reminiscent of his other work, the novel feels more like a collection of scenes than a cohesive work. The story meanders along, then seems to lose its way and eventually comes to a flat conclusion.
As is customary in Leonard's work, "Mr. Paradise" entwines the lives of various mismatched characters, adds some hidden agendas, some dumb moves and lets the plot unfold. In this case, the formula produces something more like an episode of "Cops" with unrelated events, people who come-and-go and a wish for more answers.
More than once I could not suspend my disbelief, asking myself "why doesn't he (or she) just...?". The purpose and relationship of several characters eluded me often. And I still don't know what the "chainsaw" subplot was for.
Mr. Leonard has written many superior crime and caper novels. This time he lost his touch.

Mr. Spaceman

Published in Paperback by Grove Press (27 February, 2001)

Author: Robert Olen Butler

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Desi is a spaceman who has a way with words. Listening to them, that is. He's been hovering over Earth for years, occasionally beaming up earthlings and telepathically auditing their personal histories. At the opening of Robert Olen Butler's metaphysical comedy, the date is December 30, 2000. Desi has beamed up a busload of gamblers bound for a Louisiana casino. His wife, Edna Bradshaw--beamed up earlier from Bovary, Alabama--is making sausage balls, a dish she believes will comfort the astonished visitors. Together, Desi and Edna put everyone so at ease that the abductees quickly become disciples.
Butler's narrator is a happy comic creation, a deadpan alien in love with his wife and her fine set of knockers: "There are three things about this planet which are too wonderful for me. Make that four things. The way of dreams in the mind; the way of tears in the eyes; the way of words in the mouth; and the way of my wife Edna Bradshaw when she acts like a cat and lovenibbles me into her arms." In a novel that eludes classification, Butler propels Desi's linguistic struggles, busload of disciples, and attempts to plumb the mystery of human yearning to a tight climax as he plans his first public appearance on Earth, which his new followers believe is a second coming. Mr. Spaceman is by turns a fond satire of science fiction, an ode to the South, and an exploration of marital dynamics that's as besotted with detail as any Anne Tyler novel--though the perspective tilts a little off-center. Edna gives her spaceman a fond pinch on the cheek, and he observes,
Her hand lunges forward and grabs a sizeable part of my cheek and squeezes and jiggles it. This physical attack is very distressing to me, especially given the sudden light-heartedness of her demeanor as she does it. This is a side to Edna that shocks me, and the violence goes on. I am bearing it the best I can and now Edna even says, "Oh you spaceman," in that cheery, loving voice that I have grown to recognize in spite of the neutrality of the words themselves. I am very confused and her attack on my cheek ceases and her hand drops and I think I may have missed something. I think she has meant this gesture as a friendly thing. After all, she does not have suckers on her fingers.
Butler also frequently digresses into the narrative voices of the earthlings in their monologues about their lives. Alas, so appealing is Desi's narrative voice that these (admittedly often virtuoso) forays into other voices offer a degree of frustration. --Claire Dederer

Average review score:

Boom or Bust???

Endless ramblings/obvious allegory/weak conclusion. This is not a humour piece nor sci-fi and has little value as a fiction piece for entertainment. Having said that, this novel has definite merit for school study. It is an exellent piece to provoke discussion and should be on a mandatory reading list for English and Psyc students.
I rate this as a 1 if your looking for a casual entertaining read. I suggest you keep away and stick with your blockbuster story writers.
I rate this as a 5 if you want a book for a reading club and are ready for potentially intense dialoque.

This book was fun to read

This is the first book by this author that I have read. I enjoyed Mr. Spaceman so much that plan to read his other books.
This book was entertaining and fun to read. I found it heartwarming and funny. I thought Desi was a sweet and interesting character. I usually donate my books to the library after I read them, but I am keeping this one to read again later. It is one of my favorite books. I love this book.

Another wonderful book from Robert Olen Butler

The author of the beautiful Pulitzer-winning "Good Scent from a Strange Mountain" sends his readers on another incredible journey with "Mr. Spaceman." Not afraid to tread new ground by taking his literary voice into the science fiction genre, Robert Olen Butler has written the perfect novel for the new millenium. "Mr. Spaceman" is deeply satisfying -- funny, moving and always surprising. I couldn't put it down and felt a huge sense of loss when I finished reading. A slim book, it speaks volumes about our commercialized society, about dreams, about families, about religion and about love. This is a unique and very funny voice, writing at his best. Mr. Spaceman will stay with you for a long time.

Cooking for Mr. Latte: A Food Lover's Courtship, with Recipes

Published in Paperback by W.W. Norton & Company (May, 2004)

Author: Amanda Hesser

Amazon base price: $10.47
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Cooking for Mr. Latte is a delightfully modern dating story, recipes included. It's the true story of the courtship between Amanda Hesser, a food writer for The New York Times and author of the award-winning cookbook The Cook and the Gardener, and writer Tad Friend, the titular Mr. Latte. Most of the book was written in installments for the New York Times Magazine, but fans of Hesser's writing will be happy to know that there are plenty of new stories and recipes to justify picking up the book version. Her tale ends happily ever after, but has enough ups and downs to keep it interesting. And it's not all about Mr. Latte. Ever wonder what it's like to eat out with foodie guru Jeffrey Steingarten? Chances are you guessed wrong.
Food is an important aspect of Hesser's life (though it wasn't for Mr. Latte when they met, making for some of the downs in the ups and downs), but it's not until you notice how seamlessly Hesser weaves her meals into her story that you realize how much of our lives and our memories revolve around food. By the time you get to the recipes, you've already salivated over the dishes and become emotionally attached to them. From her mother's Chocolate Dump-It Cake to the Ginger Duck her future mother-in-law made the first time they met, you'll love that Hesser pays such close attention and generously shares the recipes. Filled with everything from old-fashioned treats from her grandmother's kitchen to dishes from some of New York's hottest dining spots, this is one entertaining read that is sure to end up in your kitchen. --Leora Y. Bloom

Average review score:

Sparkling writing, interesting culinary insights

Amanda Hesser's lively writing style makes this a very fast and entertaining read. The recipes are an added read, and no, you don't have to live in New York if you have an interest in reading about good food, interesting relationships, and in catching inside glimpses of certain food luminaries such as Jeffrey Steingarten. And, if you ever aspire to visit New York City, there are plenty of helpful "reviews" of great restaurants that can be gleaned from the stories, although that is not the focus. Kind of reminded me of A Year in Provence written by a 30-year old urban woman. I have no idea what the previous poster meant by "making oneself look good for a man" as there was absolutely nothing in here about external or cosmetic issues, it was all about working out a new relationship while exploring food.

Delightful, Discerning Food Writing

I too had long clipped out Ms. Hesser's articles in the New York Times Magazine, so imagine my delight at finding a brand new book of hers on amazon.com! (her first, The Cook and The Gardener, is a stunning repertoire of recipes and food writing, mandatory for anyone who loves a good read and a good meal!)
Ms. Hesser is a talented, witty writer who laces the book with details of her developing relationship with fellow writer Tad Friend (digression: his articles for the New Yorker are also uniformly excellent- what a talented pair!) and plenty of entertaining anecdotes and snippets of her charmed life.
The recipes range from quite simple (pasta with lemon and creme fraiche) to quite impressive & complex. All reveal Ms. Hesser's sophisticated palate, even a mouthwatering grilled cheese sandwich that she makes for Tad. The dozen or so recipes that I've prepared have been tasty and precise. How rare to find a book so intelligent, original and entertaining!

Everybody Needs to Relax

I am shocked that people are so resentful of what they bitterly refer to as Amanda Hesser's "fabulous" life! Yes, she is an accomplished young woman who happens to be food writer for the New York Times, and the book is about here life- get over it! The negative reviews show a fundamental misunderstanding of the purpose and tone of the book- for example, she was not "condescending" to her grandmother in the chapter about Italy, she was describing her feelings and the generational clash, the way it happened, and the way it made her feel- as you would to a friend.

Fifty Years at the Craps Tables

Published in Paperback by Desert Marketing (16 February, 2000)

Author: Mr. "Stuart"

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Average review score:

Fifty years at the Craps Tables

"Fifty years at the Craps Tables" by Mr. Stuart is NOT a book about craps. It is ramblings about Las Vegas and various casinos. Apparently, telling stories about casinos and his previous play, mostly all wins, of course, is suppose to be a book on craps. Boring. His craps system?..."Play the pass line and take full odds. After the come out roll, make a come bet and take full odds." That is the entire book! What a waste of my time and money. I recommend this book for the circular file!

Comps,comps and more comps

-I gave this book two stars because the author comes accross as a nice guy and he is a seasoned fellow craps player. The shocking thing that comes out of this book is that after fifty years of experience and dealing with the casinos, Mr. Stuart is still infatuated with comps and being treated like a big shot. Comps are the casinos best weapon against serious gamblers because comps are so appealing and subtle in their destrution of your good intentions. The cardinal rule that all gamblers must keep in mind and one that Mr. Stuart has apparently never learned is, ..If the casino wants you to do something or offers you something, it is almost never in your best interest. Sure take a chit for a free lunch or dinner AFTER you have gambled, but, if you become a comps player you will inevitably find yourself gambling where you shouldn't be and playing longer than you should. This is one of the most valuable lessons that can be handed down to newer gamblers and I'm surprised and shocked that Mr. Stuart never learned it.

An interesting perspective from a long time player

While other books can provide a more detailed analysis of the various odds, bets, and betting strategies, I would not hesitate recommending this book to anyone interested in learning more about the game of craps. If you play craps, it pays to heed many of the lessons Mr. "Stuart" has learned over the last fifty years.

Miss Piggy's Rules: Swine-Tested Secrets for Catching Mr. Right, Keeping Him & Throwing Him Back When You'Ve Had Enough

Published in Paperback by Running Press Book Publishers (September, 1997)

Authors: Louise Gikow and Jim Lewis

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Average review score:

Desperate SP Seeks SF. Any SF.

At the used price, I'd say it makes a splendid alternative to a card. Grab one and include it in a basket with some Godiva`s and smelly bubble bath, and TA DAAH!! You've got a fabo gift for one of your close, single girlfriends. She'll love the writing in oh-so-true Miss Piggy voice. I could actually hear her "HI-YA's" a couple of times. Artwork is funky and fun, too.

This is soooooo %$^&* funny!

I found a used copy of this book and wish they would put it back in print. It totally debunks that ridiculous book "The Rules". Don't take it too seriously, but read it for its sheer wit and whimsy. I don't think this book is sexist at all--it is supposed to be FUNNY! To everyone that reads it and takes it seriously...LIGHTEN UP! It was supposed to be written by Miss Piggy, for heaven's sake! This is a perfect book to give as a gift to girlfriends and share with boyfriends--most of the guys I know have found this book funny too. Classic.

brilliant

This is funny, funny stuff. Acerbic, witty, ironic. Porcine

Mr. Trifecta

Published in Paperback by Rrragtimer (September, 2000)

Author: Richard A. Cromie

Amazon base price: $24.00

Average review score:

An Entertaining Read, but not much else.

This was one of the most enjoyable horse race betting books that I have read. Unfortunately, Mr. Cromie's system is to follow the smart money assuming that there is some inside information being hidden in the Pick 3.
I have tried this system for a few weekends, and was disappointed with the results.
It's still an entertaining book, but don't expect much more.

Very easy to read, but are the assumptions valid?

This book is extremely easy to read. It only takes me probably 2 hours (4 subway trips of half an hour each) to finish this book as the idea presented in this book is very simple. In short, proportion of win odds to pick three odds + smart money in win odds + horse's condition on the paddock = selection. However, does this actually work?
I cannot give you a definite answer as there is no pick three odds like this in Hong Kong. However, I can imagine the author has made three major assumptions in his system as follows:-
1. Smart money tends to go to pick three pool instead of win pool.
2. There is an existence of smart money on win pool that causes the movement between prelimiary odds and morning line odds.
3. Smart money is actually smarter.
I cast doubt on the first 2 assumptions especially majority of the bets come into the pool at the last 5-7 minutes before a race (hence, early odds are not too accurate as smart money has not come in yet). This happens in Hong Kong.
As a serious horse racing "participant", I will recommend you a miss on this book.

Kind of disappointing

This book is not worth the ... plus shipping I paid for it. I expected much more, I already knew most of the stuff that was in the book and really didn't find anything of value here. The system used in this book, is really a crap shoot. I tried the methods and didn't have much luck with it. I went back to my usual handicapping, which is analyzing pace, speed and pedigree and current condition of the horse and started winning again.

MR

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