Review of Minnesota Days (History & Heritage) (Hardcover)

This is a wonderful collection of the best of Minnesota writers and artists. There are essays by a wide range of Minnesotans, living and dead, from the humor of Garrison Keillor to the remembrances of African-Americanauthor Evelyn Fairbanks. The photographs are stunning, including anincredible head-on view of a grey owl in flight and beautiful portraits ofthe diverse Minnesota landscape. The rest of the country must surely envythe incredible talent we have here in Minnesota!



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Review of Home After Dark: One Man's Memories (Hardcover)

I have read this book again and if I could, I would give this book a five star rating. How can we judge another persons life. If the book is well written and interesting how can we? As a reviewer is it really fair to do so? If the person was a serial killer I would not give it the time of day to read it. But this book is different. I have to let what I wrote below stand but wish I could change it all.

I have had four men read different part's of this book and they really enjoyed it. I personally found some of his transgressions with women to be cold and harsh. But then this is his life story.So it is only fair to the author that I give his book a four star rating. It is well written and honest.

From a child born into poverty to a man who could grace the halls of any mansion or board rooms, this is the true story of Darryl E. Robidoux. At a young age, Darryl knew farming was not the life for him. Farming was back breaking work from dawn to dusk. He wanted more from life than that. Darryl never experienced parental hugs and had never heard his parents say that they loved him. That would affect his relationships as an adult.

At every stage of his life, the author's goal was to learn as much as he could absorb and to better himself. Despite dropping out of high school at the age of 16, he made it into college and first majored in Engineering, then later experience more premier education. He negotiated his career into the field of computer science at a time when computer systems were literally contained in buildings as large as a warehouse.

No matter who he worked for, he gave his all to them. He would be assigned to a project that might take days or weeks to complete. But, with Darryl's work ethics, he would always finish before his allotted time period. It became a challenge to him to be done faster and be better at what he did than anyone else.

One thing the author hopes people will understand about his book is that with enough self motivation and perseverance you can become who ever you want to be. No individual is shackled to their beginnings. It is your individual choices that go into making your dreams come true or not.

Daryyl E. Robidoux met the goals he set for himself and retired at the age of forty while his career took him through the early stages of computer development. This reviewer can't help but think tht when he retired, he learned to love and how relationships work. To not only receive but to give also.

Now days we only have to push a button on our computers and a whole world opens up to us, and we should always remember that the author was a part of the reason that we can.

He states unequivocally that he is a biological product of his parents, that can never be changed, but he likes the person that he is.

Thank you Mr. Robidoux for being part of a new industry that would later change our world in so many ways.

While working on this review I had a chance to email Darryl. We sent some some emails back and forth. I have a secret for you that I learned. Darryl is a sweet and a really nice man. It is the kind of man he is now that will be remembered the most.



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Review of The Good Neighbor: A Novel (Hardcover)

I've read all of William Kowalski's novels since he immediately became one of my favorite contemporary American authors with his stunning debut, "Eddie's Bastard".
"The Good Neighbor" is a surprisingly accomplished and mature work for an author of Kowalski's still young age and marks a departure point for him.While his earlier books seem written from overpowering talent and passion, "The Good Neighbor" is clearly the work of an author who has grown into conscious mastery of his craft.While his prose is as expressive and flows as effortlessly as ever, "The Good Neighbor's" plot is masterfully constructed, and every element of the story falls into place with the precision of a Swiss clockwork.The characters are alive and drawn with astounding psychological accuracy, particularly Francie, the unlikely hero of the novel.Kowalski is not preoccupied with the fleeting moments of pop-culture.Instead he is an author of substance, concerned with the humanity of his characters in which we all recognize ourselves.In the case of "the Good Neighbor" is Francie Hart's courageous and inspiring story of self-discovery that will leave no one untouched.



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Review of The Happy Pigs: A Novel (Hardcover)

Louise Barrat has been on the London police force for six years going from a street bobby to a member of the child protection unit.She has seen and heard all the misery an adult can do to a child and is dangerously close to suffering from total burnout.Her latest case is one of the worst cases she has ever witnessed.Ten-year-old Candy was raped and tortured and it is Louise's job to look after the child's best interests by steering her gently through the judicial system.

One day Louise is talking to two hookers, trying to find out if any underage prostitutes has come into the area.While conversing, a John comes over and Louisa walks away.The next thing she knows is the John has her in a back alley trying to force himself on her because she walked away from him.It's clear he doesn't know she's a police officer and since she has no proof to share with him, she flips him into the ally and walks away very upset.That incident although she doesn't know it yet, will change the rest of her life.

This first person narrative will grab the attention of the reader from the very first page because the protagonist is such a sympathetic and likable character.Lucy Harkness is able to use the written word to make the audience feel the pain and suffering police officers go through in pursuit of their job. THE HAPPY PIGS is a refreshing and unusual work that stimulates the readers' intellect as much as their feelings.

Harriet Klausner



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Review of Future Living: The Coming Web Lifestyle (Hardcover)

Frank Feather is a to-the-point business futurist who marshalls an extraordinary amount of evidence on future trends but presents it in common-sense terms and in few words. This book is only 200 pages but it is jam-packed with valuable info for citizens, businesspeople and policymakers alike.
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Feather presents a big-picture view of the impact of the Internet on North American life and society. Nine entertaining chapters then spell out the implications on how a critical mass of North Americans will soon live a Web Lifestyle. These 9 chapters are as follows:
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Chapter 1. Telecommute: Escape the Skyscraper
Chapter 2. Shop Online: Have it Delivered
Chapter 3. Bank Online: e-Manage Your Money
Chapter 4. School @ Home: e-Learn a Living
Chapter 5. Self-Doctor: Heal Thyself @ Home
Chapter 6. Digitize Your Fun; Download It
Chapter 7. Cyber Worship: Congregate Online
Chapter 8. Vote Online: Click the Rascals Out
Chapter 9. Build e-Wealth: Start an e-Business
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This is no pie-in-the-sky futurism but facts about what many people are doing right now. Feather does not argue that everybody will be doing all these things all of the time. But that (as Bill Gates argues) the majority of people will be doing some of these things at least some of the time to live a Web Lifestyle by later in this decade -- what Gates calls the Digital Decade.
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The implications are profound for consumer businesses because the Web Lifestyle is radically altering the way in which products are made, marketed and distributed. (Amazon.com is a prime example.) The Web Life also will require changes in many laws about telecommuting and home-based businesses. And for families caught up in harried lives, the Web Life offers an exciting future that frees up a remarkable amount of time, saves money, and even can help families make money by starting their own online business. Indeed, Feather predicts that, with 630 million people worldwide already online and starting to shop online, most future economic growth will come from family-owned enterprises rather than large corporations.
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These and other forecasts are well argued, backed up with solid facts and, whether you agree with them all or not, are bound to provoke your thinking. As for me, I'm getting a Web Life. And this book is going to be my roadmap. I rate FUTURE LIVING highly. I think you will too.



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Review of Toward Liberty: The Idea That Is Changing the World (Hardcover)

Boaz has assembled a very fine collection of essays regarding liberty and the failings of modern societies to create a world in which we can live as free men. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone remotely interested in libertarian (or for that matter free market or conservative) political thought.

Just to tone down my entheusiasm a bit, though, I would add that many of the essays may seem a little elementary to someone who has been reading libertarian publications for a long time. But on the whole, this is a solid, highly readable work full of ammunition for your libertarian debating arsenal.



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Review of Economic Capital: A Practitioner Guide [ILLUSTRATED] (Hardcover)

There are very few books around that deal with Economic Capital. This is an expensive item, however worth it. My notions on EC were limited before reading this book, but once you start reading you have the sensation that you are learning.

The first part "Concepts and applications" is well written and the sequence of articles is presented in a logical fashion.
The second part "EC for specific risks" gives you a good flavor of what people are doing (and how they are doing it) on the different risk types. The articles are good and not too technical, although I wish there were more examples.
The third part "EC Methodologies" is very technical, and recommended to experts on the matter.




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Review of Roadwork: Rock & Roll Turned Inside Out (Hardcover)

disclamer. i'm tom's friend and colleague. but if you want to read about a real life in rock and roll and look at the pictures that go with it, "roadwork" is the book. the stones, the who, the eagles, the james gang, so many more...tom knows them, travelled with them, photographed them. and there's no hyperbole here, folks...just the straight story from a guy who lived the life, starting in the sixties in london and continuing on 'til today. and yeah, the story is captivating, but what will get you and what will stick with you long after you close the book,...are the pictures. candid, black and white photographs. in hotel rooms, backstage, airports, cars, dressing rooms, recording studios. minus the flash bulbs and the hair stylists. i was reminded of something i've always loved about tom's rock and roll photographs...the fact that you get a holistic view of what was going on. his camera pays the same respect to the roadies and the groupies as it does to the musicians. this is the real deal, folks. take it from me, buy this book. i did.



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Review of Chango's Fire (Hardcover)

There is something simultaneously appealing and frustrating about Ernesto Quinonez's second novel, a marked improvement over his highly-flawed debut, Bodega Dreams, but in the end, still something of a disappointment. This time, the problem lies in his biting off more than he can chew with too many subplots rolling around what is essentially one man's coming-of-age story at its heart.

He's inexplicably combined the systematic burning of Spanish Harlem, insurance fraud, organized crime, gentrification, Santeria, pseudo-socialism, illegal citizenship papers, a shady government agent and a few other random nuggets into a muddle-headed plot that rests precariously, and unsuccessfully, on a straight-out-of-Hollywood interracial romance...and frankly, he's just not up to the task. When the cliches aren't jumping off the page at the reader, the heavy-handed didacticism is smacking them in the face.

His protagonist, Julio Santana, is a philosophizing arsonist yearning for the old days while trying to turn his life around after the proverbial "last job." Almost every other character is either an archetype or a stereotype, none ever fully coming to life beyond the "issue" Quinonez has chosen them to represent. After some hit-or-miss character and plot 'development' in the first two-thirds of the book, the hasty climax gets sloppy and, just like in Bodega Dreams, includes an out-of-left-field occurrence to wrap things up. The too-convenient epilogue only makes matters worse.

That said, Quinonez is no hack and with a less ambitious plot that focused more on the characters he obviously had a connection to, especially the engaging babalawo Papelito, he could have had something really special here. Personally, I could see a viable sequel springing from this effort, focusing only on Julio's journey to his Asiento, his strained relationship with his parents and a fleshed-out romance with Helen and the issues that arise from it. The first two things represent the strongest aspects of Chango's Fire, while the latter's potential got buried in melodrama.



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Review of Magic Words: 101 Ways to Talk Your Way Through Life's Challenges (Hardcover)

This book is a very easy to read little set of "wise" tidbits, told through anecdotes (mostly about very "improtant" multi millionaires and anonomous famous people. The book is broken up into three sections: Magic words to say to yourself; Magic words you say to others; and finally Magic Words universal. Nothing really profound and its not very deep. Neither of the co-authors have a background in Psychology, so I sort of wonder what the base their authority on. If you really want something like this, but more insightful, try either "Dont Sweat the Small Stuff" or my favorite "Finding Joy: 101 ways to free your spirit and dance with life" All three of these are based on the same premise of changing yourself and your behaviors so you can enjoy life, but the last two are just MUCH better.



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Review of National Lampoon's 1964 High School Yearbook, 39th Reunion (Hardcover)

I really wanted to love this book...I still have my original copy of the 1964 Yearbook, and as far as I'm concerned, it's still the definitive edition.With the announcement of this HARDCOVER edition, I was hoping the publisher would take the opportunity to make this parody look like a REAL yearbook.One of the things the NL was great at doing was an Exact Parody of the thing they were satirizing.In the original edition the paper utilized different stocks for different functions. Also, the book could be placed upside down and backwards on a surface and aside from the paperback binding, it looked like a vintage yearbook.This version is loud, garish, the buttcheecks have been covered up, and the logo is wrong...Perhaps I'm a purist, but the design of this book is just all wrong.It should have been released in a dust jacket that could be removed, with a real looking binding of a yearbook underneath.Also, the printing inside the book looks like it was printed from an old copy of the yearbook magazine, instead of the original stats or negatives...Yes, the comedy is still great, but the design is greatly flawed...I'd only recommend getting it if you have to have it...Otherwise, hold out for an original copy, it just feels better!



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Review of The American Heritage Deluxe Reference Set [DELUXE EDITION] (Hardcover)

I bought this dictionary because I was in need of a collage level dictionary.
I think dictionary is very good i have it for more than 6 months now as long as i remember there is just one word i couldn't find in it.
The overall quality of the book and the cover is more than acceptable.
I gave 4 star because I found a similar one better price after i bougnt this.



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Review of People Get Screwed All the Time: Protecting Yourself From Scams, Fraud, Identity Theft, Fine Print, and More (Hardcover)

Robert Massi is a fixture on FoxNews, appearing often as a "legal analyst". I'm not a lawyer, but Massi's explanations have left me scratching my head more than once. Often it seems Massi is just filling time without much regard for what he's saying - and not much thought either. He's not dumb - he just seems way to willing to express an opinion on legal matters without thorough consideration of the facts.

In "Peopld Get Screwed All The Time", Massi writes of "real people" who run afoul in one way or another of the law. They also seem to be quite a collection of losers who could qualify for leading roles if Woody Allen ever does a remake of "Broadway Danny Rose", a movie about an agent who represents really weird performers.

Ostensibly, Massi is writing about "Potecting Yourself from Scams, Fraud, Identity Theft, Fine Print, and More". In truth, it seems Massi is simply trying to exploit his minimal fame as a television talking head.

The people, allegedly real, are apparently dumber than bricks. For example, we have one individual who doesn't do anything when fraudulent charges start showing up on his credit card account. For another man, Massi says "[t]he easiest lesson to learn from Milton's story is not to cheat on your wife", after the guy's wife left him and the new girlfriend also left him broke with a massive pile of debt. Of course, Milton didn't bother looking at his credit card bills and "would not have been surprised by Rachel's excessive spending - over $50,000 worth - or that she had failed to pay the monthly bills". In other words, Milton like all of Massi's other subjects is a jerk who put himself in his own misery.

Massi ends each chapter with a "How I would have counseled" the person. It's really bland stuff. Say, Milton, don't cheat on your wife and get her angry enough to leave you and don't be too quick to give the honey you just met full access to all your credit cards and not look at the bills.

On the whole this is a silly book. Massi describes a bunch of not very bright people who get ensnared in the kinds of situations not very bright people find themselves in. It is highly unlikely that such people are going to buy this book before they get themselves into trouble - and nothing in this book will help them out of their troubles.

On the whole, save your money and don't bother with this title.

Jerry







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Review of Small Business Primer: How to Buy, Sell & Evaluate a Business (Hardcover)

Samuel Tuttle's Small Business Primer does a great job of covering a lot of territory in a very user-friendly way.It touches on a broad range of topics and concerns, and uses a straightforward, understandable approach to present the information.Simply stated, but thorough, it challenges you to consider many things, including the motivation to buy or sell a business in the first place.It lays out the importance of having a well planned roadmap, and identifies key resources to use in the process.Worth the read!

As an addendum to this, I'd also like to say it was a pleasure to deal with a seller who is as responsive as Mr. Tuttle.He is obviously a seasoned professional who not only understands how to successfully conduct business, but who also holds his customers (AKA fledgling entrepreneurs) with very high regard.




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Review of Death by Leisure: A Cautionary Tale (Hardcover)

Chris Ayres the LA correspondent for The Times (London) has certainly lived an interesting life in this his second book he details his move to LA and the way he was swept along with the lifestyle and the creative mortgage broker who got him finance for his house. If you buy this book you need to get War Reporting for Cowards as well as they go well together and both are very enjoyable. How many journalists have been sent to LA and Iraq by their employer and then meets his wife via Craiglist while selling a sofa. If you like books and have a sense of humour then get this book.



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Review of Step Into the Spotlight!- 'Cause ALL Business is Show Business! (Hardcover)

I've enjoyed flipping through Tsufit's new book. It's not exactly the kind of book you would sit down and read cover-to-cover, but more one that you keep handy for right after a painful conference call or one of those incredibly long work days that seem to stretch as long as an average week. A quick flip will lead you to a little perspective, a fun anecdote or an exercise in figuring out, well, you.

And, all written in the chatty, playful voice of a woman who divides her career among executive coaching, book writing and stand-up comedy.

It's incredibly reminiscent of what Sark did for everyday creativity. Her scribbly journals and stream-of-consciousness creative guides at once elevate playfulness and introspection, seeking to loose a little wild creativity.

Tsufit may be a bit more buttoned up, but you can quickly see that her message isn't the words on the page, it's what she wants to inspire in her reader. A little confident, sassy business savvy that feels like you found it yourself.



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Review of The Bronx: It Was Only Yesterday (Life in The Bronx Series) (Hardcover)

Compiled by the Bronx Historical Society, "The Bronx: It Was Only Yesterday 1935-1965" chronicles the development of the northernmost borough of New York City before it became the area that many know it as today. From Wakefield to Mott Haven, from Riverdale to Co-op City, most of the borough's major neighborhoods are captured here in photographs and words, allowing past and present Bronxites to see the changes that have occurred in the thirty-year span that the book covers.

It was nostalgic to see photographs of the Alexander's department store on Fordham Road, seeing that it shut it doors in the late 1980's. Other interesting facts I didn't know before was that the largest amusement park in the eastern United States, "Freedomland" was located on the land where present-day Co-op City stands. It was closed in the late 1960's when word of a major theme park that was to arise out of the marshes of Orlando, Florida was being planned (yep, DisneyWorld brought an end to the Bronx's only amusement park).

Truly this is a must have if you are a past or present Bronxite who is very interested in learning about the borough's past. This book might also appeal to urban planning students who are interested in the development of one of New York City's last frontiers. Overall, "The Bronx: It Was Only Yesterday 1935-1965" is a well-organized book that takes full advantage of the borough's historical archives. Once I opened its' pages I was taken on a journey to memory row, where memories of life back then only reside.



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Review of 50 Jobs Worse Than Yours (Hardcover)

Ruminating on how bad it could be is a time-honored strategy for coping with unpleasant situations.Frankly, I think that anyone who says they love their job either (1) doesn't really need to work anyway, or (2) has managed to work their way up to a level where the poop flows downhill.

Nobody could reasonably remain depressed about their job (assuming they are not already on the list) after reading about the "walking menu" (#22) or "rat catcher" (#12).Who doesn't feel like a Sherpa (#1) at times?But unlike the Sherpa, you don't have a one-in-twenty risk of dying on any given workday.

Manages a nice balance between the factual, "NYPD Harbor Unit: Body Recovery Detail" (#40), and satirical, "It's a Small World ride operator" (#3).

A great gift for anyone who gripes about their job.



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Review of Beginning Algebra with Applications, Multimedia Edition (Hardcover)

Customer was local and allowed for me to pick up and was very kind and honest, would do business with again..



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Review of A Thankful Heart (Hardcover)

What a terrific book.I have read a great many self-help books, both with and without a biblical focus.This is by far the best of them all.Carole gives many examples in each chapter on how to develop and put into practice "a thankful heart." As you read, it all begins to seem so obvious, and is truly life-changing.I thank God and Carole for this wonderful book.



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