Parking

...I read this book at the perfect time. It deals with alcoholism, death, spirituality, love, and the finding of one's purpose in this big scary world. It's cinematic, it's deep, it's lovely. Holy moly it's good. And it's not just the mian character who is finding spirituality at the end of his life, Stuart Brown poured himself into Dangerous Parking as his final act in this life. It's way too bad that he won't be writing great books for years to come.

I read this book on a family holiday in Santorini, Greece. Now, of course I know holiday reading should consist of a diet of Jackie Collins set against the gentle sound of the surf and the clink of ice in one's glass of Ouzo...and for me this holiday was meant to be a break from a stressful time. So, obviously, pick a book about an alcoholic with cancer, eh? But Stuart Browne's brilliant novel sucked me in from the beginning. I found the scenes in which he described his pain and cancer almost too real to bear, but knowing they were real for him made me feel I couldn't cop out and put the book down. I ended the book feeling as if I knew and loved him. Jackie Collins it wasn't...thank God. And thank you, Stuart, for your honesty and generosity.

Actually I bought this book accidentally. I am glad I did. When you start reading 'dangerous parking' you will not be able to stop. It's thrilling, funny, sad, creative, realistic, fantastic, strong, and much more. You will live with the main character, you'll feel with him, and for him. From time to time I just closed my eyes and let the picture flow. Great! Many thanks to Stuart Browne. To everybody: read this book!

I love this book! I have been to so many places mentioned in this book. Also I know some people in some of the photos and they are great people.

There is a lot more in Parking Spaces than you might think. It covers all the technical stuff, but is also full of ideas for making parking a better part of the city. I think that any serious firm should have this book.

I, of course, already appreciate Tom Bodett's story-telling ability but the stories themselves are so revealing and insightful to the characters who find themselves in Alaska. The story that keeps me coming back to this audio is "The Best Sauna Story" it had us laughing for hours.

This is a great book, highly recommended. Hancock and McNamee capture the essence of the strange, mirage-like Southwest, full of ghosts and forgotten dreams.

Great book - I will recommend it to all my friends spending time in New York. Very helpful information and easy to use.

This book is, without a doubt, the most comprehensive and authoritative guide to all the important issues involved in parking today. There is no other publication for parking structures in the markert place today that comes in a close secom If you think the design of parking structures is simple and straightforward -- think again! Only those who have never designed a parking structure (or did a mediocre, botched job of one) would think that it's easy. Don't kid yourself. The issues are numerous and difficult in all areas: architectural, structural, maintenance, restoration and functional. The book delves in depth in many of these areas. The true value of the book lies in its ability to prepare you to ask intellegent questions. You will be in position to participate in the planning process of a new parking structure and you will understand criteria that go into design decision making. Reading this book will NOT make you an expert. Only years of practical experience will do that for you. Architects, engineers and various other kinds of consultants who "dabble" in parking structures are RANK AMATURES and should be avoided by anyone considering professional services for parking structures.

Murrary Tepper is a pretty normal 60-something year old. He works in the mail order business. He's still married. He dislikes his only daughter's husband. He adores his grandson. Yet, Tepper has one strange habit. He likes to read his newspaper...in his car, on the streets of New York City. He always parks in legal spots, and always pays if there's a meter. He's even perfected ways to get rid of the people asking him "You going out?" Tepper's life gets turned upside down when an innocent article about him is stuck into a small newspaper and the nitpicky mayor decides something MUST be done about him. The book flips from Tepper and his life to of a pollster, who tells the mayor's side. Some might wonder what they have to do with each other, but they do connect. You'll fall in love with Tepper, and the unique story and characters. Guaranteed.

Murray Tepper is either having a highly original late-midlife crisis, or he's just being a New Yorker; whichever, Calvin Trilling has written a highly amusing New York tale that may be the gentlest such to come out of the Big Applesauce.

Murray Tepper, moderately successful, devoted to family, easy-going, and easily misunderstood likes to spend his free time sitting in his car reading the paper. A life-long New Yorker, he knows the city's parking regulations, and best spots like the back of his hand. While exercising his right to park where it's legal, and his responsibility to feed the meter he manages to draw a considerable amount of unwanted attention from a host of fellow New Yorkers. Murray becomes a guru to some, a pain to others (especially the spot-on caricature of Mayor Guiliani,) and a puzzlement to friends and family.

"Tepper Isn't Going Out," is slight, but that doesn't make it less than delightful. Mr. Trilling is known as a food writer, and I don't think he'd mind someone using "Tepper..." as the sorbet between weightier courses.

A humorously acerbic novel that is as delicious as a "nice" whitefish. The critics have made a big tsimmis about this book -- rightly so. If you have your car in a space that is GFT, good for tomorrow, this book is worth leaving the space to purchase and read. Murray Tepper loves to park his car in Manhattan. He knows all the parking rules; he enjoys sitting in his parked car and signaling to other drivers that is not 'going out' of the space. Tepper's behavior sometimes irritates the people who covet his spot. Murray has perfected a flick of his hand, not too aggressive, to tell people he isn't moving. It is the same finger wag used by the city's vindictive mayor in a barricaded City Hall to admonish his critics. Tepper irritates the mayor, Frank Ducavelli (read as RUDY), known in tabloid headlines as Il Duce-who sees Murray Tepper as a harbinger of what His Honor always calls "the forces of disorder." Rudy, I mean Ducavelli has enforced an arcane rule that people cannot hail a taxi from the street, but must hail it from the sidewalk. He has also attempted to enforce a dress code for city parks. TRILLIN captures NYC so well, that it is hard to believe that the book is fiction. The book is filled with those observant nuggets, like food workers who wear gloves, but the gloves are dirty; or the cast of political entrepreneurs who take advantage of issues to promote their causes. After a story on Tepper in the post-modern East Village "Rag" weekly, fellow New Yorkers become aware of Tepper, a direct mail list maven. Counter men from Russ and Daughters and even Upper East-Siders come to sit and chat with Tepper in his car. This is the book that should be selected as the citywide read in 2002.

-conventional financial planning that is!

Free Parking is just that, a book about living well, living happily, living in the now and not worrying about it all so much. Taking the Canadian social system as its departure point, contrarian author Alan Dickson - a former financial advisor and insurance salesman - illustrates the folly that is conventional financial wisdom.

Chapter titles like Career Choices - Be Careful What You Wish For, Financial Fables I and II and Taxes - A Nice Source Of Income are certainly not the standard fare dished up in a mutual fund prospectus. In fact, in the course of 180 pages Dickson makes a lucid case for ignoring anything and everything one is taught by the financial planning community. Furthermore, the profession is apparently not staffed by the brightest of the people. Which is the right cue for mentioning the book's many typographical, grammatical and spelling mistakes. There are many instances where the book proves an embarrassment language-wise.

Lines like "quit while your ahead", "5 year warranty" and "Instead of Government Bonds chose Family Bonds" detract from the book. Having said that, Free Parking is both funny and annoying at the same time and a good catalyst for refining and even redefining one's ways and means.

So next time you are approached by a representative of the financial community, ask to see his own financial plan and be prepared for the inevitable double-take.

Tom Bodett is dreadful. At first I thought he was just a dumbed down Garrison Keillor, but his characters and stories are mean-spirited, and Prairie Home Companion was never that. I listened as far as the "humorous" story about beating a cat to death with a broom (ho! ho!) before I threw the cassettes out.

What an excellent set of tapes!

As a displaced Alaskan myself, I can fully appreciate the characters in Bodett's books: simple, straightforward folks. People who love their freedom and value the Alaskan way of life.

But you don't have to be an Alaskan to enjoy these tapes. Bodett spins fascinating and humorous tales of smalltown Alaska that *all* can enjoy. And when the last tape is played, the listener will find themselves wanting to hear more about Stormy Storbock, Ed and Emily Flannigan, Tamara Dupree and the infamous Doug McDoogan.

Bodett's writing style is simple, yet entertaining...and when he reads his own work, as he does on these tapes, his matter-of-fact humor is showcased perfectely.

I highly recommend these tapes - they will turn your next big-city commute into a trip to Alaska!

Tom Bodett narrates his own stories about fictional, colorful characters living in a small Alaskan town. The stories are simple and bring out humor and emotion. His deadpan style of narration is Bodett's trademark, telling the listener about the humorous and unusual events that take place among the significant townspeople. So good are the stories, they almost make a person want to pack up and head for Alaska to live with these folks. I personnally enjoy these stories very much and listen to them while I commute to back and forth to work, which allow me to enjoy hearing about people who enjoy close friendships and lessons on life.

As a dedicated NY motorist, I've bought all kinds of books on driving in NYC. This book isn't bad, but you're much better off reading the traffic column in the NY Daily News -- the News is published daily and it costs a lot less.